Clementine

(5/10) Story: The story kept me captivated enough to complete both S1 and S2; however, most of it was due to the urge of my wanting to know what happens at the end. I think it's a unique story since I didn't see much good versus evil in this drama. It was more human versus human meaning that there were faults in both sides but also good in both sides. Although the story is unique, I gave a mediocre rating because I feel like compromises could've been made in one way or another.

(10/10) Cast: I didn't notice any type of flaws in the regards of acting. I'm not familiar with the cast as this drama was my introduction to them. I thought they did a great job portraying their characters. I don't have any notable things to say regarding their acting.

(8/10) Music: I usually do not pay too much attention to the music because I'm super focused on the story; however, the rap in this historical drama is quite not my taste. I think the opening and ending is fine though.

(1/10) Rewatch Value: Too long for little progress. Definitely will not be rewatching this one.

I'm really into the Xiao Fan, Jing Yu, Shu Shu, and Xue Qi squad, as well as the war between the Ghost King and the Qing Yun sect. The romance is okay—I would love to see Bi Yao wake up, which would be ideal, but throughout the entire show, my main thought was: "Both sides had legitimate reasons for joining the war beyond simply being power-hungry."

I wasn’t entirely satisfied with Season 1’s ending, where the war suddenly came to a halt due to Bi Yao's death and how soulless Xiao Fan became. Yes, his lover had just died protecting him, and yes, he is an incredibly compassionate person. However, a war was happening. His friends were dying. Moving on is difficult, but in situations like war, you have to. I was still okay with that part, but what really frustrated me was when he decided to work with the Ghost King to bring Bi Yao back. At that moment, Xiao Fan had a perfect opportunity to kill the Ghost King. I’m not trying to be unsympathetic—I like Bi Yao myself—but so many people on both sides were fighting to their deaths, and Xiao Fan gave up the chance to eliminate the Ghost King just because he was caught up in his emotions over Bi Yao.

As for Season 2, it felt like a complete waste of time. Xiao Fan finally kills the Ghost King, which could have happened in episode 55 of Season 1, saving dozens of lives if he had acted sooner. In a way, it feels like Xiao Fan sacrificed the lives of many on both sides just to save Bi Yao. The ambiguous ending made it feel even more pointless. Of course, this was intentional since the novel’s ending was unpopular with most fans, but I still wish the scriptwriters and directors had just wrapped up the drama in their own way instead of worrying about the novel. If Bi Yao had been resurrected? Cool. If Xiao Fan had finally bid Bi Yao farewell forever? Also cool.

Because both sides had such legitimate motives, it was difficult for me to root for either one. That’s why my ideal ending is probably going to make people question this review. I'd prefer if Jing Yu, Bi Yao, Xiao Fan, and the Ghost King all died together, with the Qing Yun sect emerging victorious. Jing Yu and Xiao Fan because I can’t imagine Jing Yu being happy without Xiao Fan, and I can’t imagine Xiao Fan being happy without Bi Yao. Bi Yao because the Ghost King would need to die for the Qing Yun sect's victory, and as a consequence of failing to kill Xiao Fan, she would die alongside her father. Meanwhile, Shu Shu and the others would continue training in the ways of the Immortal Sword, preserving the story of this era.