Bai Jing Ting is a very good actor. The moment I saw him in a drama for first time, I was mesmerized by his acting. It just goes to show that you don't need to be the most handsome charming guy, he doesn't really have that, but he has a quality about him on screen that just makes you want to keep watching. He has so much depth in this ability to express his character that it makes you want to watch his character. He's so solid as an actor, whatever drama he is in is worth watching just to watch him.
XK interview 10.31.23 on Yao Zhiming: "Because of the family background that brought him up, he is a bit selfish. He is exquisite person who make decisions by his own... He only cares about his own interests and what he can get, and then he doesn't care about other people, including the female lead. He is a bit of (slang); outwardly kind, but inwardly evil, but his growth line is a long process. From the beginning, when he doesn't trust anyone, and he has camouflage/way to protect himself. Then, he slowly starts to accept other people's opinions, start to coexist with other people's values or principles, and then he becomes a very down-to-earth person with warmth, and very human-like.
Interviewer: Oh, so, this is also a process of growing from bad to good person. "Yes, his psychological journeys relatively long."
Interviewer: Does it feel difficult to experience such a process? "I think the most difficult thing is his experience at the beginning because this thing, this thing... I really... It's not easy to ask friends for advice. For example, related to family, I can only think about it, think more about it on my own because Yao Zhiming is a director who came back from overseas to become a high-ranking director. I try to picture things from his point of views.
Interviewer: Although his life is a bit far away from his own life, but he tries his best to restore his inner peace? "yes"
XK interview 10.31.23: "Han Ting is a very excellent and perfect man. He has a very good background, but he is also very hardworking. He has a very good sense of style, and he has very good taste. He can predict all the future trends, or what everyone needs. He can cook, and he is considerate, careful, and domineering. He is a very perfect person."
If I recall correctly, in another past interview, when asked which character is he most like or least like, I thought he said Han Ting was the least like him in real life. I'm guessing that it has to do with his domineering personality. Or maybe it was Yang Hua? These two characters are extreme opposites of each other. XK also said his inner core was most like Li Ni. I'll look up the interview if I can find it and correct myself here if I got it wrong.
Reading the serious comments below, I just want to say that life in this drama had to be far better than reality in those days, the drama is just reflecting what really happened in those dynasties. Everyone is just trying to survive everyday.
I get why some people don't like the fl because she is so serious but that is her character here. I think she played her character well.
There is a lot of comedy in this drama as well as more serious moods.
On Douban, SAF6 got perfect 10's from 14% of the users which is decent when you look across other dramas with even higher ratings. The perfect percentage should probably be more like 20% if not for the huge volume of passerby low ratings of 1's and 2's from people who probably didn't even watch it. This drama may not be everyone cup of tea, and there is so much for people to pick at, but the high number of perfect scores shows that there are lot of people who love it.
the fact that this drama got a Douban 3.2 with 69% hating it just shows that Xu Kai charm connects more with viewers outside of China. He just has this way about him that is unique among his Chinese peers.
WOW, FML and that appalling Li Dai look anorexic - not in a figure of speech but literally. I don't say they have…
Yang Mi probably has always been skinny. XK says she can eat a lot and not get fat. As for XK, I hope he doesn't lose any more weight. I think a person looks more youthful, more expressive, healthier, less wrinkles, have a glow when have some fat on their face. As you get older, you look back at yourself in your 20's and then you realized you want that fat back.
WoL received almost 21% perfect 10's on Douban. Comparatively speaking, that is pretty good. The percentage was probably more like 23% given that Xu Kai has a lot of haters. This is a very sentimental drama that tugs at your heart.
WOL is XK best Douban overall score 6.8, and top perfect 10 scores 20.7%. Yanxi Palace only got 15.7% perfect 10 and XK was only a side character who stole the audience hearts as a newcomer.
It's been a long time since I watched this drama, but this is a very sweet, lovely, and very tender drama; and so fun to watch, so many funny scenes.
I enjoyed Xu Kai's chemistry with the fl, and esp. the chemistry with the sfl who is pretty and a very good actress. XK seems to connect really well with more mature women and men too. I like the fl too. i think she is a very good actress, I love her role in AMA. She should have gotten best supporting actress in that role. she was really good in Court Lady too. I wished I could find a clip of XK with the sfl - the dialogue is so good between them. XK is so good at comedy but I think he needs to do serious roles to showcase his talent. XK talent is having to show deep emotions and soulful exchanges. He has a way of giving that look that says it all whatever emotion is required.
Of course, Xu Kai did not carry this drama because there are a lot of other characters the drama has to devote to. It's not just about the main characters. There were a lot of good acting besides Xu Kai in this drama. Perhaps this is generally true, but for sure with Xu Kai, he is unique, and any other actor would totally change the dynamics of the drama, it would not be the same drama at all. I'm not saying that it would be worst but different and perhaps better, but it would not be the same. Xu Kai has a unique style so when you put a different actor in the same role, the entire dynamics will change. This is true for a lot of his dramas, esp. AMA, Fuca Fuheng, FIYS, WOL, SAF6, and SHPH.. no one can replace his characters in those roles without changing the feeling of drama.
2 
1 
"Because of the family background that brought him up, he is a bit selfish. He is exquisite person who make decisions by his own... He only cares about his own interests and what he can get, and then he doesn't care about other people, including the female lead. He is a bit of (slang); outwardly kind, but inwardly evil, but his growth line is a long process. From the beginning, when he doesn't trust anyone, and he has camouflage/way to protect himself. Then, he slowly starts to accept other people's opinions, start to coexist with other people's values or principles, and then he becomes a very down-to-earth person with warmth, and very human-like.
Interviewer: Oh, so, this is also a process of growing from bad to good person.
"Yes, his psychological journeys relatively long."
Interviewer: Does it feel difficult to experience such a process?
"I think the most difficult thing is his experience at the beginning because this thing, this thing...
I really... It's not easy to ask friends for advice. For example, related to family, I can only think about it, think more about it on my own because Yao Zhiming is a director who came back from overseas to become a high-ranking director. I try to picture things from his point of views.
Interviewer: Although his life is a bit far away from his own life, but he tries his best to restore his inner peace?
"yes"
"Han Ting is a very excellent and perfect man. He has a very good background, but he is also very hardworking. He has a very good sense of style, and he has very good taste. He can predict all the future trends, or what everyone needs. He can cook, and he is considerate, careful, and domineering. He is a very perfect person."
If I recall correctly, in another past interview, when asked which character is he most like or least like, I thought he said Han Ting was the least like him in real life. I'm guessing that it has to do with his domineering personality. Or maybe it was Yang Hua? These two characters are extreme opposites of each other. XK also said his inner core was most like Li Ni. I'll look up the interview if I can find it and correct myself here if I got it wrong.
XK says YZ is a very kind and caring person to everyone.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HZXaSANS8Aw
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FUm-8QFiqaA
I get why some people don't like the fl because she is so serious but that is her character here. I think she played her character well.
There is a lot of comedy in this drama as well as more serious moods.
As for XK, I hope he doesn't lose any more weight. I think a person looks more youthful, more expressive, healthier, less wrinkles, have a glow when have some fat on their face. As you get older, you look back at yourself in your 20's and then you realized you want that fat back.
This is a very sentimental drama that tugs at your heart.
WOL is XK best Douban overall score 6.8, and top perfect 10 scores 20.7%. Yanxi Palace only got 15.7% perfect 10 and XK was only a side character who stole the audience hearts as a newcomer.
I enjoyed Xu Kai's chemistry with the fl, and esp. the chemistry with the sfl who is pretty and a very good actress. XK seems to connect really well with more mature women and men too.
I like the fl too. i think she is a very good actress, I love her role in AMA. She should have gotten best supporting actress in that role. she was really good in Court Lady too.
I wished I could find a clip of XK with the sfl - the dialogue is so good between them.
XK is so good at comedy but I think he needs to do serious roles to showcase his talent.
XK talent is having to show deep emotions and soulful exchanges. He has a way of giving that look that says it all whatever emotion is required.
Of course, Xu Kai did not carry this drama because there are a lot of other characters the drama has to devote to. It's not just about the main characters. There were a lot of good acting besides Xu Kai in this drama. Perhaps this is generally true, but for sure with Xu Kai, he is unique, and any other actor would totally change the dynamics of the drama, it would not be the same drama at all. I'm not saying that it would be worst but different and perhaps better, but it would not be the same. Xu Kai has a unique style so when you put a different actor in the same role, the entire dynamics will change. This is true for a lot of his dramas, esp. AMA, Fuca Fuheng, FIYS, WOL, SAF6, and SHPH.. no one can replace his characters in those roles without changing the feeling of drama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdpQF8OO8yc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeYMRmn3Afk