Tanky Toon

Dashing Youth opens like it’s auditioning for a wuxia museum—gorgeous CGI, elegant duels staged like paintings, and enough sweeping landscapes to make tourism boards jealous. But by episode two I was already drowning in the “Eight Young Masters of Bei Li,” plus Sikong Changfeng and Dongjun, and wait—I thought Changfeng was the lead? Apparently, this drama collects handsome young swordsmen like Pokémon. Every time a new pretty boy shows up, I have to pause to remember who the last one was. By episode three, I was already feeling character fatigue: too many sects, too many man buns, and at least four of them look like they share the same wig stylist.

The irony is that the fight scenes are gorgeous, the CGI stunning, and the cinematography chef’s kiss. On the surface, it’s a feast for the eyes. But spectacle alone doesn’t anchor a story. Compared to The Blood of Youth, which kept its emotional core tight around a small group and their bond, Dashing Youth scatters itself across factions before the journey even settles. Instead of intimacy and chemistry, it feels like a parade of entrances demanding their own theme music.

Eventually my patience ran out by the 10% mark, so I peeped reviews just to see if I was being dramatic—and nope. Some of the reviews confirmed my instincts: the spectacle stays high while the plot never tightens, the ensemble remains overwhelming, and apparently the finale ends with…the bad guys winning? Forty episodes of that chaos? No thanks. I curate for resonance and closure, not emotional self‑harm.

So yes, I dropped early — and I’m relieved that I dodged that disappointment. I’ll give it a respectful nod but this one is definitely better admired from afar than survived up close.