Didn't think I'd see this day happen when another costume drama got a perfect score from me. I'm notoriously picky so this is only the second one. I think what made me pick it up was that I heard the IP was great from trusted sources and that it was a wuxia. I have never seen any of the cast (save Cao Yu Chen who appeared in maybe 3 episodes as the deity that never left the mountain & when he did, he died) so it would be a totally new experience. A fully worthwhile experience that made me cave and purchase both the VIP & express on the rather crappy Youku international app. This series really was a spectacular Wuxia brotherhood I've always wanted to see fully realized. Let's get into it, shall we?
Pros: The martial arts, special effects especially the explosions were a perfect representation of each character. Each had their very own blend of it. The way they grew and evolved within their styles was worth it in every episode even when there were less fighting scenes. That was by far my favorite part. Favorite character was Xiao Se as even before he regained his quite formidable power, he was a man who thought 17 steps ahead of everyone else and had a contingency plan for his contingency plans most of the time. This character had an aura about him that just screamed leader even when all he did was mumble grumpily under his breath about his best friends being shameless or boring. The actor who played him did so to perfection.
Every character was flawed in one way or another which was wonderful because it made them realistic. Both Wuxin with his comedic smirking and LWJ, the pure-hearted doofus with the open mouth, insert foot syndrome and little tact really combined into a great and complex trio alongside Xiao Se. Add Tang Lian, an intelligent hero except when it came to matters of the heart who acted as big brother to them all, they were a formidable bunch. The two women completed the initial group not to mention every other friend (and LWJ reuniting with his sister) they made along the way.
Usually I can't stand palace politics when introduced into a wuxia or any costume drama but here it was just the right amount without completely overshadowing everything else. The story couldn't really move forward without it. Another usual con that didn't strain this story was the introduction of a plethora of characters simultaneously and you had no idea who was whom and why they were needed. In this series, though the same happened, the characters stayed for as long as they needed to and then left properly. They didn't just vanish, they all had proper exits. This series never once dragged for me, I didn't have to fast forward anything at any time. I wanted to watch everything; in fact I would often rewind to watch a certain scene again and again.
Production was stunning especially the locations and costumes. I mentioned in the comments that Xiao Se's blue with gold or white were my favorite. But just about everyone had costumes that fit their character or personalities and the colors were rich and beautiful. OSTs were perfect everywhere they were placed; especially with Xiao Se's powerful lines, entrances, and exits. It was like "Elvis has left the building."
All of the antagonists were done very well and also were there for as long as they were needed until they got their just comeuppance. My favorite had to be Director eunuch dude that was setup by Chong with dad's help. He definitely didn't see that coming. Even though the emperor was not necessarily a good person all the way around trusting the wrong people and letting 2 out of I don't remember the number of sons he ultimately had, get so badly injured plus killing his own brother essentially, I wouldn't place him in the antagonist pool. He was a power hungry fool but essentially a good emperor for his people.
All of the esthetics were beautiful, the comedy was great, this drama made you laugh, it made you tear up, it made you sympathize with many characters. It had many, many positives and wonderful moments. But it also had cons though not many.
Cons: The only character that didn't get the right costume nor hairdo for the majority of the time was Qian Luo; she looked like a child among adults especially with her giant spear. When looking at her doing interviews, didn't even look like the same person; they could have simplified things so much instead of just draping 7 feet of fabric in-cohesively on her. I also had a hard time with her character in the beginning because though it was understandable that she was young; the whining, know-it-all 'tude, foot stamping tantrums were extremely unnecessary. It was a huge turn off but thankfully they evolved her especially when she met Rou Yi and lost her martial brother. So though I wasn't per se a fan of hers throughout the show, she did show her strength when it counted, her fighting scenes were great but she didn't have much screen time.
Losing Tang Lian was really a blow and though I understand why they did that, I really do wish they had brought him back at the end like the people who read the novel said would happen. Thirdly, Wuxin for being SML spent very little time on screen after he left in episode 7 and than only briefly returned during the Tianqi City arc before becoming a drugged puppet. And just as he's rescued in episode 39, he leaves again in the beginning of 40. His character was so strong and needed especially in the establishment of the brotherhood of him, Xiao Se, and LWJ. There was a real gap of how he and Xiao Se became best friends other than their banter. It would have been more solid had he had more screen time. The entire comment section is filled with people saying how much they miss him and to bring him back.
Lastly, the main antagonist aka Xiao Yu or Prince asswipe as I called him, had the most copout ending ever! After everything he did himself and orchestrated, the amount of people he harmed, killed, etc, they opted for him to kill himself with a knife to the chest? It was a pussy move for such a strong and angry person with a chip the size of the entire world on his shoulder that he himself created but blamed on others. He was a great antagonist and deserved karma on a much larger scale. Perhaps production ran out of time. So that's it.
Would I recommend it? With a perfect score, what do you think lol? This show will go into my permanent watchlist and I will definitely rewatch it over time. This was really a fantastic wuxia and if that's your thing, then you'll love this!
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