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My favourite Cheng Yi's drama yet
I was usually not a fan of Cheng Yi - insofar, the dramas I watched of his are mostly of him portraying depressive characters. This was the first time I see him in a character that was somewhat playful, wickedly humourous and cleverly cunning - a lot more interesting, and I think he did very well. Of course the second lead Joseph Zeng also did very well as his naive side kick.Overall, I rated this drama very highly although I hated the ending. An excellent cast, good looking actors/resses, interesting story, realistic costume and backdrop, good cinematography - it scored well on all the important factors. But like a lot of Chinese drama, it had a bitter sweet ending.
Li Xiang Yi (Cheng Yi) was an outstanding swordsman with a very strong sense of justice and righteousness. Di Fei Sheng, head of the JinYuan sect challenged him to a fight for the top rank in the martial world. Secretly poisoned by Jiao Li Qiao, a psychopath, before the fight, he fell into the river after destroying the ship of the JinYuan sect and was missing.
Ten years later, Di Fei Sheng recovered from his injuries and emerged once again in the martial world. Around this time, someone who earned the title of a miracle doctor known as Li LianHua was travelling around the world in a tower horse carriage. He met Fang DuoBing, a young passionate swordsman who claimed to be the disciple of the missing Li XiangYi. Both had identities that they were either hiding or were ignorant of.
The story was interesting as DuoBing and an unwilling LianHua worked together to uncover a huge conspiracy involving a vanquished kingdom and the bloodline of the current Xi dynasty. It was one of the best detective dramas that I had watched.
Strongly recommend this drama but I must say, you better not be suffering from a depression as the ending was melancholic.
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Thumbs up all round - intense emotions, humour, lessons in relationships, portrayal of personalities
Three kids lost their mothers through three different circumstances - deaths, abandonment, divorce. The two fathers combined their efforts to be both mothers and fathers to the three. They grew up in the solace of each other and became closer than real brothers and sister. Unfortunately, their biological father and mother came back to claim them when they were teenagers and tore them apart. They re-united nine years laters but became strangers with their own careers and interest. How were they to deal with their new relationship? Watch the drama to find out.This drama takes you through a lot of heart rending moments, especially when the little He Ziqiu (acted by Li Zhen Zhen) looked so adorable and so pitiful when the mother left him. I literally wished I could give him a hug and tell him everything was going to be alright. When one of the fathers started pouring out his grief that outsiders kept reminding him he was not the real father, it was so heart-breaking. I don't cry easily but find myself wiping off tears at a number of moments. And how the siblings and fathers were there for each other at times of trials were heart-warming.
But there were also a lot of short comic relief and hilarious moments like the sister gave each brother a red underwear to wear to their university entrance exams and insisted they showed her they were wearing it for good luck. When the brothers started fighting for the affection of their sister and became jealous when she dated someone else, it was quite hilarious.
This drama was outstanding in portraying different characters and personalities. You also get to see the mums and dads in modern China and their different characters. There was the tiger mum who plans everything for their daughter only to have her daughter secretly defying her plans. There was the scheming mother who wanted to win back her son only to harm him further. There was the self-sacrificing mother who kept her secret from him so that he could have a good upbringing. There was the pair of parents who wanted their daughter to become a celebrity actress only to end up sabotaging her career.
I could see shadows of Chinese mothers I had encountered in these characters.
Then there were the fathers - a motherly loving one, a busy policeman with no time for his family, a selfish money-minded father who turned out to better than expected, a seemingly loving father who actually was a conflict avoidance personality. Of course, there were the minor characters - the nosy and gossipy neighbours.
Aside from the portrayal of different characters and personalities in modern day China, there was also the portrayal of its culture. Money was quite openly discussed - unlike the Anglo-Saxon culture which avoid talking about money. There was also that filial piety culture which made it really difficult for children to shake off the domination of disastrous and troublesome parents - in a western culture, the children likely leave home after 18 and ignore their parents if they are tiresome, or parents might just chase their children out once they become adults.
This drama was also quite philosophical. In the conversations and discussions, there were also lessons of parenting - when to be there for the kids and when to cut some slack, as well as advice for interpersonal relations such as friends, siblings and lovers.
All the actors and actresses portrayed their characters perfectly and the story is very realistic.
For all these, I give this a perfect 10, one of very few dramas that I awarded this.
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The main male lead acted by Xu Kai was somewhat silly and stupid but ironically he became very outstanding in military strategies and martial arts. The emperor Li Shi Min was the least likeable portrayal of this character of the 3 dramas I watched including The Empress of China, The Long Ballad. He was not as brilliant as history recorded him to be. The lead female character acted by Li YiTong was pretty and intelligent but was always bureaucratic and stony - her character was incredulous - always perfect. The empress was deemed a virtuous empress but she had a vicious side and was obviously protecting her son, the crown prince and his position. She even killed her fourth daughter-in-law because of the setup from the jealous and petty crown princess. The crown prince was like his consort - petty and not quite bright.
There were a lot of comical scenes but yet it was not quite a comedy - there were intense political rivalry, deceit, and deaths. I would say it is a mix genre.
There were an obvious discontinuity in the drama - it seemed some parts were clumsily cut and trimmed.
The costumes were a little lacking compared to the top Chinese dramas and looked like a low budget production. The head wear for the guys were terrible. Overall, I would not rate it as a tiptop drama. But regardless, it is entertaining. So if you are locked down in this pandemic looking for something to do, watching this drama could be it.
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Overrated?
Frankly, I think this drama is over-rated on Mydramalist. Although the role reversal of men and women in 2 different cities is somewhat creative, the drama is quite cliche. The same old popular tricks in Chinese dramas are played - tripping and falling into the arms of the hero, damsel in distress, rivalry for the throne (in this case between sisters for city leadership). In this drama, the writer dreamed of herself as a character in a script she was writing - this is somewhat similar to being drawn into an earlier era as a different person. And the heroine is absolutely silly.I didn't laugh; I didn't cry; I just endure to find out what would be the ending. Finally after watching episode 12, I skipped to the last 3 episodes and did not feel I missed much.
Also, I am beginning to doubt the rating on Mydramalist on the newly released dramas. Ratings had been quite 'accurate' on the qualities of dramas in the past. But in the recent few months, it has been a wreck. Dramas like Legend of Xiao Chuo was rated at 7.6 when I believe it should be between 8.6 to 9.1 in the same league as Nirvana in Fire 1&2 and Ten Mile Peach Blossom. And this drama is rated at 8.6 when I think it should be in the range of 7.6 to 7.9 - similar to Chang'an Youth, The Destiny of White Snake, Flame's Daughter and Bloody Romance.
The early reviewers have always this unhealthy influence on subsequent reviews at the early stage and bias the rating. I think the reviews following each drama reviews should be listed in reverse chronological order with the latest first, so that the earliest reviewer does not monopolise the first position.
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Mesmerising
This drama is absolutely worth watching, with two great leads - Wang Yibo and Zhao Liying. The two of them demonstrate the best onscreen chemistry I had ever seen in Chinese dramas. Their acting was very natural. I think this drama is underrated on Mydramalist.Yibo continued to mesmerise with his good looks and excellent acting. He is very versatile and did equally well in this drama as a playful and mischievous young man as he did in The Untamed as a cold stern stony face. I am impressed with his acting skills - his facial expression is remarkable - he can talk without saying anything - just like the way he did in The Untamed. In this drama, his face would lit up whenever he saw Fei (acted by Liying). His jealous reaction when a love rival appeared on this scene is likely to make you crack up.
Liying has this amazing ability to develop this onscreen chemistry with her male counterparts in all the dramas I had seen her in.
The drama was not so emotionally intense and there were humour scattered throughout. But as a drama, it would keep you captivated as you wonder who was Xie Yun, what was going to happen next, the mystery behind the 'Hai tian yi ser' and the various dramatic events. The pace was good until about episode 38 when there were a few scenes when the story was not making much progress - seemed to me like time fillers. However, I do not think they account for more than an episode put together.
I watched the drama a second time and liked it even better the second time. Not caught up with wondering where the story was going, I could focus on the acting and appreciate it even more.
However, I must suggest that translators stop using 'legend of' as drama titles - they are so overused, they cheapen the value of the drama, and sound so cliche. This drama could be simply called 'Fei' or 'Shrouded Myth' or 'Love Beyond'.
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Both the opening and ending theme songs were beautiful - melodious tune and lovely lyrics.
It is unfortunate the audio track was muted at various spots in the MGTV YouTube uploads and the English subtitles are really painful to read. The subtitles on the MGTV version was a mix bag - seemingly alright but with some contextual wrong use of words. It looked like it was done through a digital translator but was not edited by a human. In the rewatch, I found the Hotspot uploads which seem to have better audio and subtitles and less inserted ads.
The entire drama is well-paced except for a few episodes when it got a little boring and dry. There were a couple of lost opportunities to build some suspense and tension but the director/scriptwriter/editor had let it past.
For example, when Lu Yi and Xie Xiao were missing, the editor could have delayed showing what happened to them and let them re-appeared unexpectedly at the battle. That could have left the viewers on edge - worried that the battle would be lost as no help was on the way and the two guys might be missing.
Another incidence was when Yang Yue fell off the cliff and re-appeared under a veil. Again what happened between these incidence could have been kept under wrap - possibly making it a mystery who was this person under the veil - the knowledge that he was saved made it easy to guess who that was. The explanations of what happened to them could have been left until after they re-appear as a flashback explanation. The drama at these points became rather boring run-of-the-mill repeats of things going wrong instead of interesting plots.
Also, a couple of the characters were a little boring. XieXiao was always impetuous and goofy, and YangYue was always a bit thick-headed. And they did not seem to develop through the drama.
I like the ending - playing up the emotions and not quite a tragedy.
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I would have given it a perfect 10 if...
This drama could have been rated in the same league as Ten Mile Peach Blossom or Nirvana in Fire and I would have given it a perfect 10 if...The drama would keep you chasing episode after episode. Story was intriguing. And the entire cast is first class - the main actors Kenny Lin, Zhao Liying, Li Qin and Shawn Duo were outstanding and though Allen Deng only appeared for a brief moment, his cheeky and comical acting brightened up the sombre drama. The chemistry between Liying and Kenny were amazing. Kenny acted this cold personality YuWen Yue who was softened by Xing'er acted by Liying. When the two were together, you could feel YuWen Yue's cold personality struggling to hide his growing affection for his slave girl, and left you wishing something would happen between the two of them.
There were times when I wanted to give Xing'er and Chun'er a slap in the face. Xing'er is an extremely stubborn character driven by her sense of righteousness. She might be a person of principle but her insistence in a crucial situation had indeed jeopardised Yun Xun's chance of a probable victory. Chun'er was this spoilt princess who wanted to get her way all the time and when things went wrong because of her willfulness, she blamed others for it.
Although this is fiction, the story is as complicated as the world's politics and indeed of China's politics. The emperor's narcissism and selfishness remind me of Donald Trump lol. The theme of a selfish emperor who is wary of his sons and ministers and purges them when suspicious of their motives is very common among contemporary Chinese dramas. I could see a shadow of Mao and the purges of his comrades before and during the cultural revolution. I hope I am not getting anyone in trouble here (the drama was already in a lot of trouble with copyrights.) What goes into fiction often is the influence of real life situations. This makes the story more believable and realistic.
With my eye for details and perfection, I cannot help but noticed that some Chinese actresses in period dramas dyed their hair but left the ends to grow, and Liying did that in this drama. This may be alright in modern settings but appears rather odd in period dramas when such fancy colour hair dye may not exist.
A rating of 8.3 on mydramalist.com is rather low for this drama. I think it was affected by two factors. It had a bad ending which deliberately left a door open for a sequel. Bad endings always leave a bad taste and a feeling of being letdown among the audience. Nirvana in Fire was an exception - unless you have that kind of emotional scenes displayed by Hu Ge and Liu Tao, and the intense story to match, it sets the rating back.
The second is some episodes were heavily and clumsily trimmed on some of the Asian drama websites, leaving the story rather disjointed and some important events poorly explained. Managing the duration seem to be a problem with Chinese dramas - this needs to start with the script. This series could have been split in two with a convenient ending at Yun Xun's escape to Yanbei. However, there is a recent addition to YouTube on the full untrimmed version - for this one, there is trade-offs, all the draggy bits are in it. Guess there is no win.
Look at what the Ten Mile Peach Blossom has done - it staged a comeback before the ending. That won it the applause - yes, you cry and then you brighten up and give it an excellent rating. This drama tried that too, but the effect was not strong enough to give a clear indication of that.
Heard that they are preparing a season 2. Hope they know how to end it properly.
So, if the ending has been better managed and the episodes were properly trimmed, it would be a perfect 10.
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This review may contain spoilers
Plenty of fighting scenes and amazingly well produced
This is an amazingly well produced fantasy drama. I am surprised it did not get better rating on mydramalist. Story was original and difficult to predict - there were some resemblance to the style in Games of Throne or Lord of the Rings (not quite in that league yet but very good). I would say it is as good as Nirvana in Fire 2 but fighting scenes were more intense and with the same lead actor. Battle and fighting scenes were well filmed - for this I think it would appeal to the male viewers - plus actresses were all very pretty. Acting was very good as well.The opening theme song was eerie; I watched it at night and had to skip it, although the ending theme song was good. There were a lot of gloomy night scenes. So you know what mood it is set in.
Some parts were abrupt - there was some trimming down of the length of the drama it seems. These might have affected the rating.
Although the romance of Ji Ye, Asule, Yu Ran and Xiao Zhou were well acted out but the romance between Xi Yan and Su Shun Qin were more memorable - these two more mature actors showed more intensity in the demonstration of emotions. However few could match the heart rending scenes between Hu Ge and his female counterpart in Nirvana in Fire 1.
At the end all were victorious in their political ends but not in their love life. If you are a romantic, you may not accept this ending.
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You laugh and you cry
This is one of the best dramas (both English and Chinese productions) I have watched. It is wuxia, fantasy, romance, bromance rolled into one - with a rich mix of serious, suspense, comic and heart-wrenching moments. Of course, two dashingly handsome lead actors, and good looking support actors and actresses helped. Wallace Huo was outstanding in his expression of emotions - this is the first drama I watched of him and I am very impressed. I was hoping for a good ending to ChangQing's rather tragic love life.If I am to nitpick, I would say I do not like the silly and rowdy XueJian character, the depressive LongKui when she was normal or the forlorn ZiXuan. They seems to me very chauvinistic depictions of women. I much prefer characters like Fu Yao or BaiQian in Ten Mile Blossom - they have much more interesting characters and more fighting spirits.
It is rare that a sequel would beat its predecessor in quality - but that is exactly what happen in this drama. It is far better than Chinese Paladin 1. The emotions it invoked was more intense, and the story was more intriguing.
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Mesmerised
It had been some months since I watched this drama. At that point, it was the first Chinese drama that I watched after years. I was so mesmerised by it that I rewatched it twice and recaptured some of the scenes a number of times. I had not given Chinese drama production much credit in the past - I thought of them as sterile, politically influenced and boring. But this got me hooked onto Chinese dramas ever since.I have given it perfect scores for everything. The chemistry between the actor and actress was amazing. Costumes and scene setting was beautiful. Actors and actresses are good looking and acted their part well. The story moved from one life to another; each was intriguing. It held me in suspense wondering what the villain might do next to make life miserable for the hero and heroine of the story. It was an interesting development showing how the heroine of the story developed from a 'teenage girl' hurt by her first love to a 'mature woman' who moved on with her life. There are comic relief at various points.
Besides the actors and actresses, I gave the director, script writer and editor a lot of credit for putting together the plot so nicely.
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The night god will steal your heart
If you like the Ten Mile Peach Blossom, you may like this. Two good looking lead actors (and good looking actresses for the guys) certainly help. Mesmerizing theme songs, excellent acting, nice special effects, lovely costumes and interesting story plots makes it overall an outstanding production. I would have given it a perfect rating of 10 if some tightening of the plots had happened.There are however a lot of apologizing, voicing of regrets, negative talks and lecturing. This may be a cultural thing as I noticed a lot of it in Chinese dramas. However, viewers from English speaking countries may find a little unappealing as it appears like this is a bunch of self-pitying or self-righteous characters. A little less of it may help or convert it to thoughts rather than speech may help.
In the later part of the drama, it starts to get a little draggy due to side stories of secondary characters and slow moving scenes. The script writer could have trimmed off 5 episodes and tightened the plot - that would have been better. Alternatively split it into 2 series with a sequel could have helped too - there was opportunity to do this at episode 46 when the Runyu successfully seized the throne.
Although this is fiction, some realism may make it more convincing. For a girl who enjoys the attention of a young handsome emperor totally devoted to her, it is highly unlikely she would not fall in love with him and switched affection. Especially at moments when the rival was behaving like a jerk, it would have so easily to fall into the new young emperor's arms. If I were a young woman in that situation I certainly would. I guess most Chinese directors and script writers are too conservative to make the heroine looks unfaithful. Both the heroines in this story are unrealistically faithful to their first love.
Also, stabbing a love one with a knife is a nasty thing, much worse if it has killed him. Even with lots of apologies and good reasons, it is unlikely a relationship could be mended. Something more is needed to explain why Xufeng would still love and forgive her - some twist in the story is required.
For these reasons, I took away only 0.5 in the rating as I still like the series a lot.
I am much more attracted to the Runyu's character than Xufeng as Runyu earned sympathy and Luo Yun Xi acted it well. Hope to see more of him in future lead roles.
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What impressed me most was how tightly written the story is. There are no unnecessary side plots, no endless misunderstandings dragged out for filler, and no secondary romances competing for attention. Everything moves quickly and purposefully, making it dangerously easy to binge in one sitting.
The drama does use familiar Chinese drama tropes — face-swapping (think 'In Blossom') and politically forced marriages — but it executes them with enough intensity and momentum to keep things engaging.
Shen Qin is secretly involved with Prince Ning and is even pregnant with his child. However, political schemes and espionage force her into an imperial marriage decree with General Xiao HanSheng. Desperate to escape her fate, Shen Qin manipulates Shi Qi into exchanging faces with her in return for saving her sister's life.
When Shi Qi awakens, she finds herself wearing Shen Qin's face and standing in the General's residence on the very day of the wedding. The irony? General Xiao HanSheng is actually the man who once saved her life — the man she has quietly loved ever since.
Things quickly spiral from there. The General begins to suspect that his new bride is not really Shen Qin and is strangely similar to the woman he once loved. Meanwhile, Prince Ning starts obsessively pursuing the fake Shen Qin, believing she is still the woman with whom he had the illicit affair.
Naturally, nothing unfolds as simply as it first appears. Secrets pile upon secrets, loyalties shift, and several twists emerge along the way. The beauty of the short format is that the drama does not linger too long on any revelation — the story keeps moving at full speed.
I originally picked this drama purely out of convenience. I only had a couple of days left on my streaming subscription and wanted something short to squeeze in before jumping to another platform to continue my ever-growing watch list. I expected a quick filler watch — nothing more.
Instead, I found myself unexpectedly hooked. What began as a “just something short to pass the time” drama gradually drew me deeper into its twists and intrigue. Compact, fast-paced, and surprisingly addictive, this mini drama proves you do not need 40 episodes stuffed with filler to tell an engaging story.
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The Cost of One Hesitant Moment
Tipped off by a mysterious caller that a murder was about to take place, two police officers rushed to an old residential building. Splitting up to search the area, rookie cop Leng Xiao Bing stumbled onto the scene just as the crime was unfolding. Face to face with the killer, fear and hesitation paralysed him. Before he could pull the trigger, he was knocked unconscious.The consequences were devastating. Xia Mu's beloved teacher and guardian, Xia JinLan, was brutally murdered. Hidden in the attic, young Xia Mu witnessed the horrifying aftermath — the policeman entering the apartment, followed by the exit of the psychopathic serial killer. In the chaos, the second officer also lost his life.
Seventeen years later, Xia Mu graduates top of his class from the police academy and joins the very department investigating the unsolved serial murders. Still haunted by the tragedy, he confronts Leng Xiao Bing, demanding to know why he failed to act that night and save the woman Xia Mu regarded as a mother. The trauma of the past, combined with a more recent event, has pushed Xia Mu dangerously close to the edge.
Enter Shen Yu, an intelligent and enigmatic psychologist assisting with a case. She is the daughter of Shen Haiyang, a doctor who mysteriously disappeared around the time of Xia JinLan's murder. Shen Yu's suspicious behaviour leads Xia Mu to believe she is protecting her father, who is now a suspect and may still be in hiding. Determined to clear his name, Shen Yu takes increasingly reckless risks, gradually entangling herself in deception and making herself appear complicit.
After seventeen years of silence, a new murder emerges bearing chilling similarities to the old cases. Even more disturbing, a set of skeletons estimated to be 15–20 years old is discovered, opening an entirely new line of investigation. The revelation confirms one terrifying truth — the serial killer has never stopped lurking in the shadows.
Zhao Liying delivers an outstanding performance as Shen Yu. Intelligent, manipulative, and morally ruthless. Shen Yu is not an easy character to like, yet Zhao Liying portrays her with such conviction that I found myself simultaneously fascinated and frustrated by her desperate determination to protect her father. It is another reminder of why she remains one of the strongest actresses in Chinese drama today.
I came across comments complaining that the drama lacked romance. Interestingly, I heard similar criticism directed at Whispers of Fate. That made me wonder why some viewers consider romance essential in every story. Romance can certainly add flavour, but it is not a requirement for a compelling drama. Who Is the Murderer thrives on psychological tension, guilt, trauma, and moral ambiguity rather than romantic distraction.
Modern Chinese thrillers are not usually my preferred genre. Many tend to feel overly cautious, restrained, and somewhat sterile, often sacrificing realism in the process. This drama still carries some of those traits, but its layered mystery and intriguing twists kept me thoroughly engaged. The story constantly shifts your suspicions, and just when you think you have pieced everything together, it quietly unsettles you again.
It may not be perfect, but I found it gripping, emotionally heavy, and surprisingly addictive. A highly recommended watch for viewers who enjoy dark psychological mysteries rather than romance-driven storytelling.
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Hilarious comedy
Wang CuiHua transmigrates into a drama she was tasked to improve, only to find herself cast as the villain in a Xia kingdom palace. Worse still, her character does not have a happy ending. Deeply in love with Prince Duan, she is instead offered to the emperor by her ambitious father, who hopes to climb the ranks through her.The emperor is known to be a ruthless tyrant who does not hesitate to kill his consorts. Brought before him to serve, CuiHua is nearly cast aside and buried until she begs for her life. To her surprise, she discovers that he is also a transmigrator.
Armed with only a skimpy knowledge of the drama—having rushed through the script—she must now not only save herself, but also the emperor, who was assassinated in the original story. They begin to suspect that there may be other transmigrators as well. It is a precarious situation: both of them were villains in the original plot, surrounded by enemies. If others know the story, they would likely try to eliminate them. Worse still, as they plot their course, the story begins to change and deviate from the original, leaving them uncertain about what lies ahead.
This drama appears to be a remake of a similar 2025 production, which was rated much lower at 7.5 on kisskh. I nearly skipped it on iQIYI, as I usually avoid dramas rated below 8. Fortunately, a second search led me to this newer, better-rated version. Having not watched the earlier one, I cannot make a comparison. Also, the trope of being drawn into a play and becoming a character is all too familiar—another reason I almost passed on this drama. As it turns out, it is well worth watching.
The drama is both hilarious and comical, yet at the same time intense. At its core is a three-way power struggle among Prince Duan, the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor. The Emperor begins as the underdog. Transmigrated at a young age, he was raised by the Dowager as a puppet, with no real authority or military backing. In contrast, Prince Duan controls the military, while the Dowager dominates the court. The arrival of CuiHua, however, shifts the balance. With a capable strategist by his side, the Emperor finds himself in a more advantageous position. How it all unfolds keeps the tension high.
Wang Chu Ran's and Ryan Cheng's on-screen chemistry is excellent and carries the story effectively. While the second leads also perform well, Una Jingru You, a support lead, deserves special mention for convincingly portraying both male and female personas. She plays in one of the most heart-rending moments - the death of a comrade, who, longing to see better days for the kingdom, succumbs to illness on a snowy winter day before that hope can be realised.
The music, however, feels somewhat monotonous. Many tracks share the same sweet, sentimental tone and are not particularly memorable, though a couple do stand out does stand out a little more.
Overall, this is a well-produced drama—with lovely costumes especially for the main leads, realistic CGI, excellent acting, and an engaging power struggle. It is certainly worth the time: entertaining, intense, and filled with moments of genuine laughter.
I debated between an 8.5 and a 9, but ultimately decided on a 9.
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When Comrades Become Enemies
The historical drama Six Flying Dragons tells the gripping story of the collapse of the Goryeo dynasty and the turbulent birth of the Joseon dynasty. Although this drama is nearly a decade old, truly great storytelling never ages. If you enjoy historical Korean epics filled with political intrigue, strategy, and breathtaking sword fights, this is an absolute must-watch.The story opens with the decaying final years of the Goryeo court, where the ruling elites have long forgotten the people they are meant to serve. The royal court has become a den of corruption. Greedy nobles compete ruthlessly for power, filling their coffers while crushing the peasants with unbearable taxes. Ordinary people are treated as little more than disposable tools in a brutal political game.
Out of this chaos emerges a group of passionate young visionaries determined to tear down the rotten system and rebuild a new nation. Led by the brilliant strategist Jeong Do-jeon (Sambong), they dream of a radically different society. Their bold plan includes land reform, returning land to the peasants and dismantling the entrenched privileges of the aristocracy.
Yet revolution is never simple.
Even those who recognise the corruption of Goryeo hesitate to support the overthrow of the dynasty. Many loyal scholars and ministers, deeply rooted in Confucian ideals, believe reform should happen within the existing system, not through rebellion. Their vision is not a new dynasty, but a renewed Goryeo.
Adding another layer of mystery is the shadowy Nameless organisation. Operating silently in the background, this secret network of spies and elite fighters monitors every move of the major political players. Kings rise and fall like puppets on strings as this unseen force manipulates events from the shadows. The question constantly lingers: who truly holds the power?
What follows is a high-stakes battle of intelligence, loyalty, and survival. Assassinations, political smears, and ruthless power plays become everyday tools in the struggle for dominance. Weak kings are replaced with puppet rulers. Alliances shift overnight. Exceptional warriors emerge from unexpected places, and the action sequences are electrifying.
Yi Seong Gye (the First king of Joseon) himself is portrayed as a deeply conflicted ruler. He hesitates constantly, worried about how history and the people will judge him for betraying the Goryeo dynasty. His indecision nearly derails the revolution more than once.
History tells us that Goryeo eventually falls. But the birth of Joseon does not immediately bring the peace many hoped for. Instead, the new dynasty quickly fractures into three powerful factions.
The Nameless organisation fights fiercely against the proposed land reforms. Sambong pushes forward with his vision of a powerful bureaucratic state led by scholars rather than royalty. Meanwhile, the ambitious prince Yi Bang-won, fifth son of the new king Yi Seong-gye, believes the royal family must retain strong authority.
Once comrades who fought shoulder-to-shoulder for a shared dream now become bitter rivals. In this dangerous world, one person's survival often means another's death.
After the revolution, the new court reveals another uncomfortable truth: power still breeds politics. Important positions are distributed not by merit, but by political allegiance. Despite his immense contributions, Yi Bang Won is quickly sidelined. But he is not a man who accepts being pushed aside quietly.
This drama fascinates me because its themes feel strikingly modern. The corruption in the Goryeo court mirrors the dysfunction we sometimes see in modern parliaments and congresses. Even in workplace politics, the same patterns appear: once success is achieved, everyone scrambles for recognition and influence.
When the common enemy disappears, personal ambition takes centre stage.
Sambong's dream of conquering Liaodong reflects the dangerous pull of personal vision overriding practical reality. Yi Bang Won's anger at seeing his teenage brother elevated ahead of him reflects both wounded pride and the brutal nature of power.
But what truly stayed with me is the tragic fate of many brilliant and capable characters. Many of them die not because they are evil, but simply because they stood on the wrong side of history or became casualties of the power struggle.
The drama is powerful on the emotional front. Beyond the thrill of revolution and the clash of ideals, it captures the quiet emptiness that follows victory. When the battles are over and the dream has finally been realised, what remains is not triumph alone, but a profound sense of loss.
The excitement of the struggle fades, leaving behind loneliness, grief, and the haunting memories of loved ones lost along the way. Bonds that were once forged in loyalty and shared ideals slowly dissolve, and the comrades who once fought side by side are gone — some fallen, others turned into enemies.
In the end, the drama reminds us that even when the goal is achieved, the price of victory can be heartbreakingly high.
Of course, I could also nitpick a few trivial moments. One scene shows the warrior Moo Hyul falling off a cliff with Cheok Sa Gwang, landing on rocks and then recovering almost immediately. Perhaps a grassy hillside would have made that moment more believable.
Before ending this review, I must mention something rare in Korean dramas: the beautifully composed theme music. The soundtrack carries a powerful traditional Korean tone that perfectly complements the historical atmosphere of the story.
And finally, the drama does not disappoint visually either. The lead actresses and the charismatic fighter Ddang Sae certainly add their own charm to the screen.
In short, Six Flying Dragons is an epic tale of revolution, ideology, ambition, and betrayal. It reminds us that the fall of one system and the birth of another rarely bring immediate justice. Instead, it simply opens the door to a new struggle for power.
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