Don’t judge a show by its trailers
When the trailer was first released, I wasn’t at so intrigued given that (1) xian xia is not my genre unless it’s heavy on the comedy (2) there isn’t any particular favorite actor or actress I like (3) the general perception of this show wasn’t that positive.
However, AvenueX’s gave a 3-star gold mine review on her personal scale - that the show is deeper and funnier than it looks.
Here I am.
Indeed, I like the theme and discussions of this show. Often, the characters have very philosophical discussions about what is right, what is truth, why I do the things I do, is this my right and truth?
What I like about these discussions is how perception of right and true differs from where you stand. So two perspectives that seem to be opposing can be true at the same time. What I respect is how Ji Tanyin / Goddess Wu Shuang can hold on to her stance firmly while respecting others’ viewpoints. She is kind, but not an annoying Mary Sue. Her line of thought is linear, naive, and simple but also logical, no ill-willed, and …simple.
On the other side of the coin, Yuan Zhong / High Priest is guarded, deep, and complex. He has multiple layers and doesn’t let people get close. This is due to his experiences. By right, he should be respected for his heroic deeds of saving his clan. But he is also feared by his immense power that he took to save his clan. Hence, he is the embodiment of duality in the story.
Of course, main characters are only one part of a good story. I love that the supporting characters have their own theme of stories that is solid enough for its own. They don’t exist only to push the stories along. Mei Shan is my one of my favorite supporting characters - who doesn’t love a happy go lucky person who has his wise sides. Having him around is a delight, as noisy as he is. I love the way he views life - as light as he can enjoy himself, as serious as he can gain mastery and enlightenment to survive over thousands of tribulation trials for several decades.
It’s not only Mei Shan’s story that’s intriguing - there is Tanyin’s master’s story, Xie You, on his 1000 year obsession in search of answer because of his love for craft; there is Pei Jiu / Lu Chen and Yunniang star crossed lovers story of heartwarming and pity; there is Qian Lin’s story in search of family for his family.
I love stories that have the little flickers of humor and the double entendre. Like AvenueX’s review, it’s probably the most normal logical xian xia we can get with all the scientific theories imbued in the crafts. It makes for a rather familiar fantasy story.
That said, a story that is overly philosophical can be too much, especially when the ending is so…normal of what we find in typical xian xia genre. Meaningful discussions that were a tad too long; humor that seems to disappear midway through; star crossed lover story that is too typical. Also, a story is only as good as its villain. The villain can be seen from a mile away. While a good enough “origin” story and a good foil to other characters’ story themes, I find the finale and resolution a little lackluster. It has the general problems that might deter the general audience - poor choice of attire, color grading, and passable visual cinematography.
All in all, philosophy and xian xia is your thing, worth to check the story out. On the philosophy side, it has discussions and questions that are worth thinking about. On the xian xia side, it has fresh elements included in the story that makes it a fun watch. It’s deeper than it looks.
.
.
.
“ It depends on how you define it. What you feel pity about, may not be what the person defines as pity.”
“Don’t try to figure out others using your own morality.”
“From different perspectives, the perception of good varies.”
However, AvenueX’s gave a 3-star gold mine review on her personal scale - that the show is deeper and funnier than it looks.
Here I am.
Indeed, I like the theme and discussions of this show. Often, the characters have very philosophical discussions about what is right, what is truth, why I do the things I do, is this my right and truth?
What I like about these discussions is how perception of right and true differs from where you stand. So two perspectives that seem to be opposing can be true at the same time. What I respect is how Ji Tanyin / Goddess Wu Shuang can hold on to her stance firmly while respecting others’ viewpoints. She is kind, but not an annoying Mary Sue. Her line of thought is linear, naive, and simple but also logical, no ill-willed, and …simple.
On the other side of the coin, Yuan Zhong / High Priest is guarded, deep, and complex. He has multiple layers and doesn’t let people get close. This is due to his experiences. By right, he should be respected for his heroic deeds of saving his clan. But he is also feared by his immense power that he took to save his clan. Hence, he is the embodiment of duality in the story.
Of course, main characters are only one part of a good story. I love that the supporting characters have their own theme of stories that is solid enough for its own. They don’t exist only to push the stories along. Mei Shan is my one of my favorite supporting characters - who doesn’t love a happy go lucky person who has his wise sides. Having him around is a delight, as noisy as he is. I love the way he views life - as light as he can enjoy himself, as serious as he can gain mastery and enlightenment to survive over thousands of tribulation trials for several decades.
It’s not only Mei Shan’s story that’s intriguing - there is Tanyin’s master’s story, Xie You, on his 1000 year obsession in search of answer because of his love for craft; there is Pei Jiu / Lu Chen and Yunniang star crossed lovers story of heartwarming and pity; there is Qian Lin’s story in search of family for his family.
I love stories that have the little flickers of humor and the double entendre. Like AvenueX’s review, it’s probably the most normal logical xian xia we can get with all the scientific theories imbued in the crafts. It makes for a rather familiar fantasy story.
That said, a story that is overly philosophical can be too much, especially when the ending is so…normal of what we find in typical xian xia genre. Meaningful discussions that were a tad too long; humor that seems to disappear midway through; star crossed lover story that is too typical. Also, a story is only as good as its villain. The villain can be seen from a mile away. While a good enough “origin” story and a good foil to other characters’ story themes, I find the finale and resolution a little lackluster. It has the general problems that might deter the general audience - poor choice of attire, color grading, and passable visual cinematography.
All in all, philosophy and xian xia is your thing, worth to check the story out. On the philosophy side, it has discussions and questions that are worth thinking about. On the xian xia side, it has fresh elements included in the story that makes it a fun watch. It’s deeper than it looks.
.
.
.
“ It depends on how you define it. What you feel pity about, may not be what the person defines as pity.”
“Don’t try to figure out others using your own morality.”
“From different perspectives, the perception of good varies.”
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