Amazing fights and story since beginning of ep 1
I’m not so fond of modern wuxia, although in the 90s I watched lots of movies about the themes so common in this genre. I’m an idealist, so the core values and main themes resonate with me. I also like adventures, subtle love, complex and/or tragic characters, and layered stories. In modern times, with modern aesthetics, I hadn’t found anything that really really caught my attention in wuxia: sometimes the production is good, yeah, but there’s no soul; sometimes the acting just doesn’t click and the fighting isn’t strong enough to make a lasting impression; sometimes the love story is too sweet or too romantic? I’ve tried the most famous ones of recent years and dropped them all… until I crossed paths with Qin Jun Jie in Heroes (2024). I was sold by his acting and charisma and then I found Side Story of Fox Volant. Imagine my joy when I saw Lin Yu Shen was also in it—an actor whose dramas I haven’t seen much of, but also like.
So, I’ve already told you two excellent reasons to watch this show:
- Qin Jun Jie (Hu Fei, and also plays his father, Hu Yidao) is the young protagonist on his path of growth;
- Lin Yu Shen (Miao Reng Fen), the mature, tragic, and almost unbeatable best martial art master of the jianghu - the world of martial arts.
The acting, the charisma they both ooze, and the physical effort they put into the fight sequences are amazing - their scenes together are a delight because of the extra chemistry they exude .
Of course, choreography and direction are crucial in these types of scenes, and in general, the whole drama is excellent in this regard, with at least one good and entertaining fight in each episode. You also have female warriors or martial artists, with agency, personality and technique, but nothing can compete with the close-combat sword fights of the two male protagonists, who are totally believable in their roles. You can tell they trained. In this regard, the opening fight and the one in episode 22 are, for me, the best in a drama where almost every fight is top-notch. I found myself smiling and jumping out of my seat like a child from pure enjoyment. The camerawork was excellent here.
The fights are sometimes quick and sometimes rightly long, but always intense; sometimes brutal, but always entertaining—and in all cases, a pleasure to watch. What did I like the most? The unbeatable hero is presented in a way that makes you totally believe he really is the best and unbeatable—you’ll understand when you see it. The director definitely knows how to create an aura and make you root for a character, lol.
You´ll find some slow-motion, but they aren´t overused and what I liked about them is that they’re mostly reserved for moments outside the fights. My favorite, of course, is the one near the end—and you’ll know it when you see it.
The music enhances the story, the scenes, and the fights. Both the opening and ending themes capture the spirit and tone of the show. The opening one is inspiring, adventurous, and grandiose, but my favorite is the ending one—bittersweet, melancholic, and beautiful. So yeah, you more or less know what to expect now...and by the end of ep 1.
The pace is fantastic, and with the exception of 2 or 3 eps in the middle, it keeps you hooked non-stop. All the characters have a part to play, the plot is cohesive, and the production and acting is solid. One important thing: you have to keep in mind the time setting and genre, as there’s a lot of Confucianism, Buddhism, and wuxia values/principles/ideas that may seem difficult when seen from a Western and modern perspective. Perhaps the Qing Dynasty style might be discouraging for some, but when the acting is so good—have I mentioned how charismatic the two main male actors are?—you soon forget about it, and you’ll even find some characters attractive.
Hope you enjoy this show as much as I do if you like this genre or similar kinds of stuff!!
So, I’ve already told you two excellent reasons to watch this show:
- Qin Jun Jie (Hu Fei, and also plays his father, Hu Yidao) is the young protagonist on his path of growth;
- Lin Yu Shen (Miao Reng Fen), the mature, tragic, and almost unbeatable best martial art master of the jianghu - the world of martial arts.
The acting, the charisma they both ooze, and the physical effort they put into the fight sequences are amazing - their scenes together are a delight because of the extra chemistry they exude .
Of course, choreography and direction are crucial in these types of scenes, and in general, the whole drama is excellent in this regard, with at least one good and entertaining fight in each episode. You also have female warriors or martial artists, with agency, personality and technique, but nothing can compete with the close-combat sword fights of the two male protagonists, who are totally believable in their roles. You can tell they trained. In this regard, the opening fight and the one in episode 22 are, for me, the best in a drama where almost every fight is top-notch. I found myself smiling and jumping out of my seat like a child from pure enjoyment. The camerawork was excellent here.
The fights are sometimes quick and sometimes rightly long, but always intense; sometimes brutal, but always entertaining—and in all cases, a pleasure to watch. What did I like the most? The unbeatable hero is presented in a way that makes you totally believe he really is the best and unbeatable—you’ll understand when you see it. The director definitely knows how to create an aura and make you root for a character, lol.
You´ll find some slow-motion, but they aren´t overused and what I liked about them is that they’re mostly reserved for moments outside the fights. My favorite, of course, is the one near the end—and you’ll know it when you see it.
The music enhances the story, the scenes, and the fights. Both the opening and ending themes capture the spirit and tone of the show. The opening one is inspiring, adventurous, and grandiose, but my favorite is the ending one—bittersweet, melancholic, and beautiful. So yeah, you more or less know what to expect now...and by the end of ep 1.
The pace is fantastic, and with the exception of 2 or 3 eps in the middle, it keeps you hooked non-stop. All the characters have a part to play, the plot is cohesive, and the production and acting is solid. One important thing: you have to keep in mind the time setting and genre, as there’s a lot of Confucianism, Buddhism, and wuxia values/principles/ideas that may seem difficult when seen from a Western and modern perspective. Perhaps the Qing Dynasty style might be discouraging for some, but when the acting is so good—have I mentioned how charismatic the two main male actors are?—you soon forget about it, and you’ll even find some characters attractive.
Hope you enjoy this show as much as I do if you like this genre or similar kinds of stuff!!
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