kupotea

Who Rules the World started off a bit uncertain for me, particularly with the romance feeling neutral and some wooden acting that initially had me concerned. However, as the series progressed, I found myself drawn into the complex political intrigue and well-crafted plot.

I've asked around, and a lot of fans prefer the first half of the series due to its steady pacing. I actually preferred when the pacing picked up. There is some more political drag in the third quarter, and I felt the last couple of episodes were rushed. But I enjoyed the arc between Lanxi and his family, what happened in Liang, and the war. The last two episodes could have been more drawn out if less time had been spent on battles though.

The relationship between Lanxi and Xiyun evolved beautifully from friendly rivals to allies to lovers, built on a foundation of mutual respect that felt refreshingly healthy for the genre. While the comedy was minimal and the soundtrack remained fairly average, the world-building and scheming of the antagonists kept me engaged throughout most episodes.

I wasn't overly impressed with Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi at first. I would still have to watch more of them to develop a solid opinion on their acting. I think Lanxi was meant to be pretty guarded, and Xiyun a carefree heroine. Bai Fengxi came close to being a Mary Sue but I like that her impulsiveness sometimes got her into trouble, so she wasn't exactly flawless. Lusi's acting at first struck me as being a bit wooden. But her emotions did come through when Xiyun's brother, father, and Pu'er died.

I enjoyed this, but it's not one I'll be thinking about months from now. It just didn't have the same impact as other shows. But it was good. 😎