This review may contain spoilers
A hero's journey of letting go of his obsession
I've been looking for ways to summarise the drama in one short succinct sentence, but after watching the main lead's (Luo Yunxi) interview, I don't think anyone can sum it up better than him: Tang Lici's life can be summed up in three stages - Id, ego and superego.
1) Id
Tang Lici's initial desire is self-preservation while also trying to find ways to Liu Yan, take back the Rebirth Sutra and resurrect Fang Zhou. Due to his cunning nature, Fox Tang initially treats those around him as tools that can help him achieve his goals, and Tang Lici's Id fuels his initial tendency to act outside conventional morality to serve his personal goal.
2) Ego
As he enters jianghu, he uses his intellect to garner more comrades in his fight against Fengliu dian and clear his name. However, the more friends he makes, the more he is able to realise that there is more to the world than Zhoudi Tower. He says Fang Zhou is everything, but he cannot truly be emotionally detached from his new friends.
3) Superego
After interacting with Chi Yun, Shen Langhun, Ah-shei, Master Shao and everyone around him, he is able to look at Fang Zhou's teachings in a new light. He should not live for just the resurrection of Fang Zhou, but think about his place in the world. This pushes him to fighting for the wuxia code of honour and the greater good, culminating in his eventual selflessness in saving the world.
As a character arc, I think it's cathartic for Tang Lici, but as a viewer, I do feel that the ending sometimes doesn't do the hero justice (similar to Till The End Of The Moon, where Tantai Jin sacrificed himself for the world). However, I do like how the screenwriter has tied up a lot of the open ends with regards to Tang Lici's journey of self-discovery, and how each arc directly contributed to his maturity as character.
One of my favourite characters, Shen Langhun, also follows a less obvious but similar arc in letting go of his revenge for Huiniang, and giving up retrieving her corpse and the seven-jewel hairpin for friendship and the greater good.
To end with a quote from the wise Master Shao: "Being a good person is hard. Being a good person has consequences, but still, you must be a good person."
Two biggest negatives of the show, but not enough to ruin it:
1. Liu Yan was too dumb and his arc dragged on for too long.
2. Xifang Tao and her goal for freedom doesn't stack up. She murdered everyone that stood in her and Gui Mudan's way, mutilated Master Shao's body after death (his arm!), and didn't show an ounce of regret when she was doing all the bad deeds. She is not a villain that made me go 'Wow - the hero has a match' - instead, I was absolutely disgusted by her actions. Yes she committed suicide in the end, but it didn't do anything for anyone - nothing redeeming about that. Puzhu's weakness and irresponsibility just adds to my disgust.
1) Id
Tang Lici's initial desire is self-preservation while also trying to find ways to Liu Yan, take back the Rebirth Sutra and resurrect Fang Zhou. Due to his cunning nature, Fox Tang initially treats those around him as tools that can help him achieve his goals, and Tang Lici's Id fuels his initial tendency to act outside conventional morality to serve his personal goal.
2) Ego
As he enters jianghu, he uses his intellect to garner more comrades in his fight against Fengliu dian and clear his name. However, the more friends he makes, the more he is able to realise that there is more to the world than Zhoudi Tower. He says Fang Zhou is everything, but he cannot truly be emotionally detached from his new friends.
3) Superego
After interacting with Chi Yun, Shen Langhun, Ah-shei, Master Shao and everyone around him, he is able to look at Fang Zhou's teachings in a new light. He should not live for just the resurrection of Fang Zhou, but think about his place in the world. This pushes him to fighting for the wuxia code of honour and the greater good, culminating in his eventual selflessness in saving the world.
As a character arc, I think it's cathartic for Tang Lici, but as a viewer, I do feel that the ending sometimes doesn't do the hero justice (similar to Till The End Of The Moon, where Tantai Jin sacrificed himself for the world). However, I do like how the screenwriter has tied up a lot of the open ends with regards to Tang Lici's journey of self-discovery, and how each arc directly contributed to his maturity as character.
One of my favourite characters, Shen Langhun, also follows a less obvious but similar arc in letting go of his revenge for Huiniang, and giving up retrieving her corpse and the seven-jewel hairpin for friendship and the greater good.
To end with a quote from the wise Master Shao: "Being a good person is hard. Being a good person has consequences, but still, you must be a good person."
Two biggest negatives of the show, but not enough to ruin it:
1. Liu Yan was too dumb and his arc dragged on for too long.
2. Xifang Tao and her goal for freedom doesn't stack up. She murdered everyone that stood in her and Gui Mudan's way, mutilated Master Shao's body after death (his arm!), and didn't show an ounce of regret when she was doing all the bad deeds. She is not a villain that made me go 'Wow - the hero has a match' - instead, I was absolutely disgusted by her actions. Yes she committed suicide in the end, but it didn't do anything for anyone - nothing redeeming about that. Puzhu's weakness and irresponsibility just adds to my disgust.
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