Palavra de Honra (2021)

Theatrical romance that lacks genuineness

I can understand why BL drama fans love this drama. As a BL costume drama, this drama gets an A but overall as a drama its pretty average. BL dramas are usually pretty poorly done with very poor story and acting so this drama is definitely a step up from all those crappy dramas.

Lot of BL interactions and scenes which I am sure BL fans loved. Sometimes it was fun and cute but most times felt forced and not very natural. The b/romance felt pushed in to our faces a bit. Wen Ke Xing's character is fun and flirty, showing his dark side and his playful side when with Zhou Xu. I don't see the appeal of Zhou Xu, seems very boring. Did not seem menacing enough to be a leader of a ruthless group. Very forgettable and bland character. I failed to connect with either characters.

Nothing comes to my mind when I think of an scene that I could see true feeling expressed by these characters towards each other. There are lots of over the top dramatic, flirty, forced romantic moments but just lacks genuineness and sincerity. Chinese costume dramas always have many theatrical scenes, but in this drama there was something very theatrical and fake about the couple, which really disappointed me.

The story was very decent/average. I can similarities with Legend of Fei since its the same author, characters with hidden pasts, old characters who think they know better than anyone else, some powerful book/ object every one wants, mazes, royalty making appearances for no reason. I often felt that our BL pair was a side story just watching the drama unfold around them. I really didn't care for the main plot with the sects and sect wars and leaders. There are so many characters just talking, talking, talking. This drama believes in telling not showing. The whole childhood friends plot is so overused.

The acting was ok, Gong Jun's character was so overdubbed at the start, it was painful to watch. Though it did improve tremendously. Zhang Zhe Han was very average . I think Gong Jun acted better than I expected whereas Zhang Zhe Han did not meet expectations that I had for him. They can do flirty, cold and concerned but can't convey true emotions. The little boy was adorable but overall tolerable level of acting from the rest of the cast.

I conclude that this is a good BL drama but average drama.

Leia Mais

Best C-drama of 2021! Never get enough with the brotherhood scenes!

Haven't seen a good Chinese ancient drama for quite some time, at least not for 2021. I would say, this is the best of 2021 so far :)

I was surprised coming to know that it was a low production drama as the scenes to me, besides the post-editing of CGI that weren't that perfect, others were pretty well filmed (especially fighting scenes). Unlike the usual big production that went on to 50 episodes, they only had 36 episodes (you will feel it is too short because you love them so much and wanted to see more!!) Well, TBH I felt it can actually be filmed into a 50-episode drama too as the last 6 or 7 episodes are pretty rushed when so many climax going on, but as they are budgeted, totally understandable for them to do it that way, they really made the best out of it!

I never read the novel before, but by watching it as a brand-new series, I really got hooked on with the bromance of the two male leads, so genuine and warm. You shouldn't be comparing it with the famous 'Untamed' drama. Yes, it does share some similarities off and on, where the two were always standing together to fight villains whilst being hunt down by different tribes, but the story is different and their characters too. Untamed brothers started off with stories when they were teenage but WOH brothers were already grownups with much tragedies in life, so they are not as innocent but they were matured too. If you enjoyed watching bromance like Untamed, you should give this a try, it is a very good piece as a standalone:)

I love both Simon and Zhang Zhe Han, great acting skills with on-screen chemistry; although I prefer Wen Ke Xing's character more :) He really shines with the half-villain and half-hero charisma, soft-hearted whenever he is with someone that cares of him but ruthless when people let him down, not too say he's a bit flirty with Zi Shu that makes you chuckle, especially when he teases him, you smell some romance in there! Also bittersweet among the brotherhood have made the relationship grows stronger. I love how they never give up on each other no matter who they were in the past and what they had come through; they accepted each other's awful past and strive towards creating a bright future together! By all means, even if that means killing someone for revenge or die together, they also stand by each other while risking their lives to protect from the back, always being the support for one another.

I mean, how can you not fall for this relationship? I love it, A LOT! It has been a great BL piece after so long! Now I know I can never get enough with the charm of bromance! I hope this trend goes on and look forward to future BL masterpieces!
Side note, not spoiling the ending but remember to look out for Easter Egg after the last episode! :)

Leia Mais

Awesome BL Adaptation-Can rewatch over! Team WenZhou♥️

First of all, I read the novel prior to the series coming out, so when I heard about the adaptation I was excited to see if the BL moments will be included since I know of how censorship works in some countries.

I’ll say, Word of Honor was more than I expected. It made me tear, feel butterflies, and gave me giggles. Although, I watched about half into the drama (ep28/36), my review speaks only to what I have seen.

The production team, scriptwriters, costumes/makes up (behind the scenes workers) and cast did an awesome job and bringing the story, setting and each character to life. It was much better than I expected since this is one of the novels from Priest that I enjoy next to another one. The scriptwriter really knows how to add the romance and confessions in the the spoken poetries from KX.

Now, I am a fan of ZZh for awhile and the character he chose to play, ZZS was perfectly portrayed. He conveyed as much emotions of who ZZS is. - A person wanting to enjoy their last moments of life since he lost everything that he couldn’t save and always felt caged, but now he spends his last few years exploring and doing what he wants, while putting his past behind him. He feels deeply, but can’t convey how he feels in words, but he does in his actions. He has a soft spot, although his exterior image is always cold and gives a unfriendly vibe. But when he meets these strangers along the way, and they earned his trust, the soft side of him shows. ZZH executed this well, especially how the ‘nails’ affects his body. Definitely one of his best works that I’ve seen. I’m happy to see he has been improving through every work.

For KX, GJ, he definitely gain a new fan. I watched a few of his works before but wasn’t a huge fan of his. Just thought he was okay, but after this role, I have high respect for him. KX was well express and GJ had a way in which he made me feel that he is KX, the person who has been hurt and lives for revenge. His life was always shrouded in unhappy moments and death because of his parents death and the life he live after his deceased parent, however, after meeting his fated person he starts to feel alive and human when he is with his fated person.

With both actors, they did so well! I can continue to praise but I won’t anymore <3

The drama is slightly different from the novel but it doesn’t take away the characters’s personalities or their intent and the main plot of the story that’s a plus! I love the relationship between the leads and their adopted child. It’s adorable. A family of 3, soon to be a family of 5. ;)

The music is good. It goes well with the drama, especially the lyrics. I really like it.

Done with my review! Hope yah enjoy the show as much as I did.

———

Edit: - Finished

I completed the drama when the last episode aired XXMar2021....I wished they extended souvenirs for the international fans to buy. I’ll be honest, I lost sleep over this drama and cried my eyes out for hours, even felt depression for days, not that the ending was sad or terrible, but the last few episodes does draws you in for an emotional roller coaster ride. That’s just how invested I was in the drama emotionally.
The novel didn’t drawn me in this much but the drama did. Tells you how good the drama is itself.
In general, I did enjoy every last bit of it.
To the folks who plans to give it a try or thinking about watching it, you wouldn’t regret it, but give it the first 2-3 eps before you make any decisions to drop. For those who decided to watch and/or finished, I hope you enjoy and love WenZhou, CaoXiang, CL, BY and 7th&GS as much as I did. ♥️
Anywho, thanks for reading this essay!

Leia Mais

My new comfort show:)

For how short of money this series was, I didn't expect such an explosion of beauty on screen. I don't just mean the actors^^, but the overall cinematography, color schemes, dance-like fight sequences, flowy vibrant clothing... The main director said in an interview that to him this story was about two desperate people, who come from very dark places, finding light in each other. And this motif of seeking light and hope, sun and warmth is one of my favourite visual and storytelling themes in this series. But there is so much more to unpack here with foreshadowing, hidden clues, overdubbed lines as well as poetry, culture and classic Wuxia references galore!

I couldn't be happier that the entire team seemingly embraced the danmei origins of this story and didn't try to twist it into something else. WOH remains first and foremost a love story told in a very poetic and emotional way, with heaps of flirting, play fighting, sarcasm, sparkling banter and smouldering chemistry. Though the last six episodes are very rushed and a bit of an illogical mess, all in all, the witty and insighful script is definitely one of the series' strongest points. The other is quality of acting, which is good overall and outstanding when it comes to the main leads! I love the subtleties in Zhang Zhehan's acting, turning from stone-faced to mischievous, with the long, fond looks and small teasing smiles. Gong Jun was brilliant in the high-impact emotional scenes (he does vulnerability so well!), and had this charisma on screen as Wen Kexing that was very compelling.

Altogether, this is a beautifully shot Wuxia tale brimming with humour and feels, made with a lot of careful thought and effort, worth many rewatches.

Leia Mais

It had potential, but... (ENG / ITA)

First of all I’d like to apologize for my English, it’s my third language and this review may contains several errors. Secondly, I haven’t read the original novel and my judgement is entirely based on the series.

I really appreciate the colors used for this serie: they’re bright and pleasant to watch. The clothes color palette is magnificent – Chen Sha Sha is gorgeous in those red robes. Another good point according to me is the music; it’s engaging and I especially love the opening theme sung by Liu Yu Ning, “Heavenly question” (天问).
On the contrary, the CG is pretty bad and it’s clear that many sets have been reused multiple times, which I think is due to the laughable budget invested in the production. Those terribile cherry blossoms and the underwater scene will live rent free in my nightmares for a long time.
The main plot is hard to follow and not very linear due to the presence of a huge amount of characters. Each character has a more or less clear motivation that gets less and less coherent because of the lazy and confusing writing.
The main characters have potential but their development is sometimes held back by the narrative needs of the screenplay and as a result they’re incosistent.
On a narrative level, the series has several critical points.
Many episodes have the same structure repeated countless times: a plotting scene between two villains, a flirting scene between the two leads and so on until the plot knocks on the door and the episode ends with a cliffhanger. You can see last minute rescues, changing side between good and bad guys, characters who pop up from nowhere and choices explained rather than shown on these episodes, if you like.
There are also numerous long theatrical scenes where characters do monologues to inanimate objects such as tombs, votive tablets, swords or to people who can’t reply. The ending is a bit rushed but overall is enjoyable.
The script is full of fanservice scenes that BL fans will surely appreciate; they don’t add anything to the plot or the characterization but the two ML flirt like there’s no tomorrow and the viewer keeps asking himself HOW this show passed the censorship.
Although this series is classified as WuXia, the fight scenes are few and short.
The acting is as theatrical as the script: the result is not very homogeneous because some actors perform very naturally while others overact or are unable to convey any emotion. On the other hand, the actors who play elder roles are convincing.
I recommend watching this series if you like BL with more explicit content and appreciate works with a large amount of characters.

SPOILERS START HERE
I’d like to use this part of the review to discuss in detail the critical issues that upset me the most while watching the drama and convinced me to give it a bad rating.
First of all, the characters: they’re too many and they’re built and developed in an incosistent way, in particular the two main leads, Wen KeXing and Zhou ZiShu, who should carry on the plot.
WKX at first is a mysterious man with ambigous morality but soon the do-goodism takes over and the character has an unclear redemption arc… but he’s never been bad for real, so what’s the point? Was it a joke? If so, it was a waste to give him dubious moral connotations, they just confuse the viewer. Gong Jun is quite good in his role, in some scenes he manages to effectively portray WKX’s duality.
ZZS is treated even worse. In the first episode he’s a man with strict morality, strong will, fond of his ideals and even ruthless. His personality turns upside down immediately after meeting WKX and deciding to start a family with him and ZCL; he’s also the only person on this planet to be stalked without getting too upset and indeed, he’s almost amused by it. Throughout the drama, ZZS is the character with the most mood swings ever, although WKX’s writing is more suited for the “moody” role. Zhang Zhe Han is mostly unable to convey any emotion during the episodes and can portray three expressions: bored, smiling and moderatly angry.
Zhang Cheng Ling is another unrealist character. Although ZCL is a teenage whose family is exterminated he barely shows any emotion and then immediately follows two strangers because a dying old man tells him so, he follows their orders, he trustes them and becomes their puppy without asking any questions and indeed, acting as a peacemaker in their continous quarrels. Among all the actors, Sun Xi Lun is the worst and he fails to convince the audience most of the time.
Finally, A-Xiang and Wei Ning. Zhou Ye acts in a really exaggerated way, she has a nagging dubbing and in the emotional scenes her theatricality doesn’t help the viewer to identify with and feel pity for her at all. The result is an annoying character who – despite being raised in a hostile environment – dies after engaging in the first real fight of the series. Her death is forgotten by literally everyone in the following episode.
Wei Ning is a shy and sincere character, tied to the pugilist world’s rules but he is completely forgettable until he becomes a ploy to give a twist to the plot. Ma Wen Yuan plays the CWN with a surprised expression in almost every scene, even when dead.
The exaggerated acting sometimes gives a forcing feelings that makes the affection between the two MLs unrealistic and not believable. The very few enjoyable everyday scenes are not enough to satisfy the previous frustration.
Consistency is missing not only in writing the characters as individuals but also in as a couple.
WKX is the feared leader of the Ghost Valley but he always needs ZZS’s help in every situation and vice versa. From a certain point on in the drama it becomes mandatory for them to be together to be able to do anything and win any battle (maybe).
Even the Ghost Valley’s writing is incosistent. It’s an institution feared by the entire pugilist world for decades and it’s teared down in less than an episode (an event triggered by ZZS who insists to be addressed as ‘brother’ from A-Xiang to help her intercede with WKX).
Finally, I’d like to focus on two aspects that bothered me a lot about the series: A-Xiang’s death scene and the misleading use they make of the term “知己” in the drama.
A-Xiang’s death scene is visually structured in a way too similar to a female character’s death from another drama. There are many TikTok videos where the two scenes are compared so I’m not the only who thinks they look almost the same. Plagiarism is a crime and it should be punished.
Regarding their use of “知己” (zhījǐ), I’m sure many c-drama viewers are familiar with this word despite not speaking Chinese language. Its meaning is so deeply romantic and all-encompassing that leaves any western viewer speechless. In this drama the word “知己” is used at will by the script to satisfy the desire for BL content. ZZS and WKX define their relationship using that word even before knowing each other’s real names and intentions. I’m a huge BL fan but it drives me crazy when the writers try to make fun of me like that.
Unfortunately this series’ potential has been wasted.


ITA


La storia segue le vicende di Zhou ZiShu, deciso ad abbandonare la sua vita passata, e Wen KeXing, un uomo dalle intenzioni misteriose. I due diventano presto amici e affrontano diverse avventure legate a un tesoro leggendario che, si dice, doni il potere sul mondo delle arti marziali.
I colori della serie sono molto vivaci e gradevoli, così anche la palette degli abiti è magnifica – Chen Sha Sha è stupenda in quegli abiti rossi – e la musica molto coinvolgente. Ho amato in particolare la opening cantata da Liu Yu Ning, Heavenly question (天问).
Al contrario, la cg è piuttosto brutta ed è chiaro che molti set siano stati riutilizzati più volte, cosa che penso sia dovuta al risibile budget investito nella produzione della serie. Quei terribili ciliegi e la scena sott’acqua popoleranno i miei incubi per molto tempo.
La trama è molto intricata da seguire e poco scorrevole a causa dell’enorme quantità di personaggi, ognuno con una motivazione più o meno chiara che si dipana in maniera sempre meno coerente a causa della scrittura inefficace e, spesso, pigra. I personaggi principali hanno potenzialità ma il loro percorso evolutivo è talvolta frenato da esigenze narrative della sceneggiatura e pertanto risultano caratterizzati in maniera incostante.
A livello narrativo, la serie ha parecchi punti a suo svantaggio.
In diversi episodi la struttura è ripetitiva, con dialoghi a due che talvolta reiterano i medesimi concetti: prima una scena coi cattivi complottano, poi una coi buoni che flirtano e così via fino a quando la trama bussa alla porta e l’episodio si conclude con un colpo di scena per il successivo. I salvataggi all’ultimo minuto abbondano, i cambi di fazione e opinione sono repentini e troppo spesso spiegati anziché mostrati.
Sono inoltre presenti lunghe e numerose scene dal sapore teatrale, con personaggi impegnati in monologhi di fronte a oggetti inanimati - quali tombe, tavolette votive, spade - o di fronte a persone impossibilitate a creare un confronto.
Vi sono parecchie scene filler che i fan dei BL apprezzano sicuramente; non aggiungono infatti pressoché nulla alla trama e alla caratterizzazione dei personaggi ma veicolano il messaggio amoroso tra i due protagonisti principali lasciando lo spettatore sconvolto che un tale prodotto abbia passato la censura.
Sebbene infine questa serie sia classificata come WuXia, le scene di combattimento sono poche e brevi.
La recitazione subisce lo stesso trattamento della sceneggiatura ed è pertanto molto teatrale: il risultato è tuttavia poco omogeneo perché vi sono alcuni componenti del cast a loro agio mentre altri esagerano o, viceversa, sono incapaci di trasmettere alcuna emozione. Gli attori che interpretano i ruoli anziani sono invece notevoli.
La visione della serie è consigliata a chi ama i BL con contenuti espliciti e a chi apprezza in maniera particolare le opere con una grande quantità di personaggi.

SPOILER
In questa parte della recensione vorrei disquisire in maniera dettagliata delle criticità che mi hanno indisposta maggiormente nel corso della visione e mi hanno convinta a dare un voto insufficiente al drama.
Innanzitutto i personaggi: sono troppi, costruiti e sviluppati in maniera incoerente, in particolare Wen KeXing e Zhou ZiShu che dovrebbero essere i motori della narrazione.
WKX è presentato come misterioso e dalla moralità ambigua ma ben presto il buonismo prende il sopravvento e il personaggio ha un poco chiaro arco di redenzione fine a se stesso perché non è mai stato cattivo per davvero. Era una burla? Se sì, è stato uno spreco dargli connotazioni morali dubbie perché confondono inutilmente lo spettatore. Gong Jun è piuttosto bravo nel suo ruolo, in alcune scene riesce a interpretare con efficacia la dualità di WKX.
ZZS è trattato anche peggio poiché nel primo episodio viene presentato come un uomo dalla moralità severa e rigida, convinto dei suoi ideali e persino spietato. La sua personalità viene stravolta subito dopo aver incontrato WKX e aver deciso di formare una famiglia con lui e ZCL; è inoltre l’unica persona a subire lo stalking senza scomporsi troppo e anzi, ne è quasi divertito. Per tutto il drama ZZS è il personaggio che mostra più sbalzi d’umore in assoluto, sebbene la scrittura di WKX si addica di più al ruolo di “lunatico”. Zhang Zhe Han è perlopiù incapace di trasmettere qualsiasi emozione del personaggio e regala tre tipi di espressioni nel corso del drama: annoiato, sorridente, moderatamente arrabbiato.
Il realismo non si percepisce affatto neanche in Zhang Cheng Ling. È un adolescente cui viene sterminata la famiglia e segue due sconosciuti perché glielo dice un anziano morente, che esegue i loro ordini, si fida e si affeziona a loro come un cagnolino senza mai porre delle domande e anzi, facendo da paciere nelle loro continue schermaglie. Del cast principale, Sun Xi Lun è l’attore peggiore e risulta convincente in pochissime scene.
Infine, A-Xiang e Wei Ning. Zhou Ye recita in maniera davvero esagerata, ha un doppiaggio petulante e nelle scene emotive la sua teatralità non aiuta affatto lo spettatore ad immedesimarsi e provare pietà per lei. Scaturisce così un personaggio fastidioso che, sebbene cresciuto in un ambiente ostile fatto di morte e distruzione, muore dopo aver ingaggiato la prima vera lotta della serie. La sua morte scatena peraltro una serie di eventi nefasti ma viene dimenticata da chi l’amava nell’episodio successivo.
Wei Ning è un personaggio timido e sincero, legato ai vincoli del mondo delle arti marziali ma poco approfondito e percepito come sorvolabile ai fini della trama principale finché non si rivela un mezzo per dare l’ennesima svolta finale. Ma Wen Yuan inoltre lo interpreta in quasi ogni scena con l’espressione sorpresa, persino da morto.
La recitazione esagerata dei personaggi in parecchie scene crea l’effetto di un’eccessiva forzatura che rende poco credibile e realistico l’affetto che i due ML provano l’uno per l’altro. Nelle poche scene di quotidianità godibili, la frustrazione ha ormai raggiunto il limite di sopportazione ed è impossibile immedesimarsi.
La coerenza manca non solo alla scrittura dei personaggi come singoli ma anche a loro come coppia.
WKX è il temutissimo capo della Valle Fantasma ma ha sempre bisogno dell’aiuto di ZZS per districarsi in ogni situazione. Stesso discorso si può fare anche al contrario, da un certo punto in poi del drama per loro diventa obbligatorio essere insieme per riuscire a vincere qualunque scontro (forse).
Persino la scrittura di istituzioni come la Valle Fantasma, così temuta da tutto il mondo delle arti marziali per gran parte del drama, è incoerente perché viene praticamente rasa al suolo in meno di un episodio (evento peraltro scatenato dal fatto che ZZS pretende di essere chiamato “fratello” da A-Xiang e aiutarla così a intercedere presso WKX).
Vorrei infine porre l’attenzione su due aspetti che mi hanno parecchio infastidita della serie: la scena della morte di A-Xiang e l’uso improprio che fanno della parola 知己 nel drama.
La morte di A-Xiang è visivamente strutturata in maniera così simile alla morte di un personaggio femminile in un’altra serie da farmi temere che si tratti di un plagio più o meno volontario e il fatto che internet abbondi di TikTok dove le due scene vengono messe a confronto è sintomo che non le ho percepite molto simili solo io. Il plagio è un crimine e, come tale, andrebbe punito.
Per quanto riguarda l’uso della parola 知己(zhījǐ), sono convinta che molti spettatori di c-drama siano avvezzi al termine nonostante non parlino la lingua cinese. Il suo significato è così profondo e totale da lasciare qualunque spettatore occidentale senza parole per l’estremo romanticismo e la dolcezza del suo significato. Ebbene, qui la parola 知己 viene sfruttata a piacimento dalla sceneggiatura al solo scopo di accontentare il desiderio di contenuti BL nella serie, poiché ZZS e WKZ si definiscono 知己 ancora prima di sapere i rispettivi nomi e senza conoscere minimamente le intenzioni l’uno dell’altro. Sono una fan dei BL ma non mi piace quando gli sceneggiatori cercano di prendermi in giro.
Mi dispiace che il potenziale di questa serie sia stato sprecato, peccato.

Leia Mais

You know that feeling when a show starts of great then ends terribly.

I really enjoyed the first 30 episodes of this show. Around episode 30 it got a bit confusing. Certain events happened that were not fully explained. I wont go into details to avoid spoilers. I actually wondered if the writers hand been changed ?, the show went from funny to what the hell is this. And the ending was abysmal. Not because it didnt have a happy ending where everyone got thier happy ending but simply because it was terrible.

I would still recommend for people to watch but maybe advice them to quit at 30 and avoid disappointment. I wish I had read some of the spoiler reviews before watching so I could have done the same.

Leia Mais

We finished it mainly for the gay scenes because we are a homo-loving couple. Rofl.

Storyline: It was neither visually stimulating, nor cleverly written. Predictable, uninspired and not memorable. I would say the plot is non-existent. Pretty much knew what was going to happen from the beginning. I have to add that we did not read the book, so I cannot compare between the TV show and the book. Unimportant or insignificant characters show up momentarily and are made to appear important, then, they are thrown into a labyrinth, never to be seen again. The way they introduced a ton of characters that made no impact to the plot annoyed me to no end.

Cast: The main leads were alright and had chemistry which was possibly the only reason we stuck with the show. Zhou Ye was terrible, I felt like I died with her during her death scene because her acting was so bad. Candice Zhao also drove me up the wall during the very few scenes she had. I am now convinced that I can only watch BL dramas because the women need to go back to acting school before they should be cast for any roles.

Music: I have not gone through the full list of songs, but the few songs that played in the drama were tolerable. Nothing outstanding.

Conclusion: Could have done a lot better given the storyline which was revealed within 3 episodes out of a 36-episode drama. Only watch it if you are bored to death with ML-FL shows and need a pair of ML-ML actors who can stare at each other with googly eyes for hours and hours. Since I take into account the type of audience most of the Asian TV shows are written for, I am already very generous with the scoring.

Leia Mais

Not up to the hype

I started watching when they were releasing the episode one by one and just watched two episodes and dropped it
I have read the book and the character in the book are v interesting
Now let's talk about the acting ZZ had an expressionless face, In the beginning, u see him as a ruthless guy but his body language was soft, his body moments doesn't imply that he is an assassin. He kept the head the same expression throughout the whole drama.
Simon Gong makeup in the initial episodes are v bad and too much over an d theatrical acting, CG is bad. you can see fake trees and rocks and that will put you off
episode 14 onwards it gets v boring too much talk, so many characters and you don't understand what is their role in the drama I dropped the series at episode 16 had enough, started another series but came back after few days
So many illogical scenes
If Simon Gong character dies, how he comes back just after one episode at least give some time
The last three episodes move too fast all mashed up trying to finish
Overall its an average series nothing special
People are talking about chemistry but frankly, there is no chemistry between the two main leads, they can be just friend. You won't see any longing, loving gaze any where.
there is more propaganda about it, when the first episode came they already labelled it the best series
Too much overacting, theatrical expression the only saving grace was voice dubbed actors they did a great job, sometimes they had more expression than the real actors speaking it

Leia Mais

Highly disappointed with this show....

I love BL dramas, especially fantasy ones set in a time period like this one but unfortunately this missed the marked for me. The storylime and plot had large gaping holes. I had to keep going back to the previous episode cos I thought I missed something as the next episode felt like they had jumped forward or they seriously edited the show down and this got worse in the later episodes.
The flirting/ relationship between the male leads felt forced and was shoved in your face right from the start. Personally, I would have liked to have seen more character building at the start. I only started getting into the show from ep 25 onwards which is when it got really interesting.
The acting, costumes and cinematography was great!! Unfortunately it was the story that was a let down for me. Each to your own tastes!

Leia Mais

this show is SOOOO BAD LMFAOOOO

oh my god it is literally so funny how terrible this show is i am just here to add another bad review to even out this score because it is baffling to me why anyone would rate this show a 10/10 unless of course their brains are fully rotted by the bl juice.

u cannot say this show is like cql/the untamed because truly the only thing they have in common besides being bl adaptations is the god awful cg. for me, cql is like a nutritious protein that also tastes good. word of honor is like if they force fed you the most saccharine cloyingly sweet candy until u threw up. it is literally just forcing constant flirting, romantic/cute moments that often have NO basis or development so everything just feels so completely cheap. like they have no interaction beyond flirting and they're already using the big Z J words (zhiji) in the very beginning. all the romantic and cute moments feel unearned and worthless, pure fanservice for bl brainrot fangirls so that they can make more bank off of them. i can feel that the writer DOES care about the story and the characters but she does an absolute shit job of showing it for a majority of the series.

i'll start with what i did like. i think the premise is really fun, i like the IDEA of a retired assassin and the leader of the ghost sect, neither of them are good people but they find each other and connect. the story had so much potential. it is VERYYY wuxia in a way that can be really really fun and nostalgic for anyone who grew up watching classic campy wuxia. chengling the classic tropey protagonist, the corruption of the righteous sects, the beggar gang, the scorpion gang, the big heroes conference, the old guy chained up in a cave for like 80 years, the big revenge plot?? all very fun. the ghost sect members designs are soooo fun, i mean come on the green lipstick?? so good please give me more shows with this degree of campy fun designs!!!!

i also like sooome bits of the relationship between the two main characters. there IS some level of substance, i think the scene where wen kexing is just happily calling his name is good and reflects where both characters are, happy to be able to find each other after everything they've been through. i like that even tho it appears that wen kexing is the one relentlessly chasing zhou zhishu, the reality is that zhou zhishu is into it p much from the beginning, and flirts back/teases him in his own way. zhou zhishu is then the one who is emotionally vulnerable w wen kexing first in an attempt to get him to also open up with him and build a real relationship. he actually pushes the most in the emotional/real way beyond just flirting to understand and connect with wen kexing. i also actually like that the key to the armory was the hairpin that wen kexing is always wearing and gives to zhou zhishu because he trusted him and knew with absolute certainty that he would take care of it.

ok thats it for pros. the rest is pretty much a giant mess that is truly a dumpster fire. despite zhou zhishu being the main character it feels like the writers gave him absolutely NO attention or development whatsoever... he is just guilty and hell bent on punishing himself until he gets himself a bf and a son and is like jk. like why not write a narrative in which they actually explore his inaction and self punishment as actually only harmful to not only himself but those who love him? punishing oneself as retribution for past wrongdoing doesn't undo anything or make up for it, the only thing that helps is productive action. i'm not saying he has to be redeemed for what he did, he doesn't have to become a good person, but if that's the case, then why is he so sad and guilty that he has to punish himself to such a degree and kill himself in the worst way? he spends the entire series with so little focus on his storyline, instead he is single mindedly devoted to wen kexing for reasons i absolutely cannot fathom. i genuinely cannot understand why he loves him so much and is SO patient every time wen kexing flies off the handle and does bad shit or runs away and violently pushes everyone away again, when frankly wen kexing does not deserve it LMFAOO. other than pure pity because wen kexing is an absolute traumatized trainwreck and zhou zhishu wants to help him because he feels bad? but needless to say that is not love... that means that something is going on with zhou zhishu's own character where maybe he wants to fix other people to redeem himself or some shit (though that would've actually been interesting but is 100% not the writer's intention because they were going for romantic, loving, supportive partner.)

as a clarification, i think that sticking with and supporting your partner through their trauma, mental illness, and even some toxic behavior is good, and that it's important to be what they need (obviously not at the expense of one's own needs and boundaries), but i need to be able to see that there is something reciprocal here?? all they have to do is show me why wen kexing means so much to him, and it CAN'T be that he's his long lost shidi because that's plot information reveal and does not count. show me that wen kexing was anything at all to zhou zhishu other than just a relentless and annoying flirt and an evenly matched partner in martial arts. like wen kexing has not given zhou zhishu a single reason to love him or warrant his devotion, like he never encouraged zhou zhishu to forgive himself for his past actions, or to move on and become a better person?? he never taught him anything, or gave him something he had never had before, or changed his life other than just physically always being there. everything wen kexing does for him is fanservice shit like sucking out his poisoned blood, instead of something meaningful. even when he found out about the nails wen kexing doesnt stick w zhou zhishu and try to help him emotionally, instead he loses his shit, throws a tantrum, runs away and screams at gu xiang whilst ppl in HIS sect are being murdered.... literally WHYY does zhou zhishu love this guy WHYY LFMAO. it's like the writers are so focused on showing us that they DO love each other, instead of building the character arcs and relationship arc that explain why and how, this is what gives the show a 'cheap' feeling. (like... compare this to cql where lan zhan's devotion to wei wuxian had a clear REASON, where he loved him because wei wuxian changed his entire life and viewpoint, and even then lan zhan's way of caring for the very traumatized wwx was flawed and only pushed him away further, and he had to Learn how to love him the way he needed..... compare them.... you CANT!!! you just CANT!!!)

wen kexing, despite getting all the love and care and attention from the writer has an absolute mess of a character arc. like i like the idea of a chaotic guy who is just super hell bent on revenge, hates the righteous sects and has a shit ton of trauma, who views himself as unlovable and plays the role of the 'bad guy' and slowly learns to let people in, and reclaim who he really is. instead wen kexing is just not really evil or bad from the beginning? he's just inconsistent?? the whole thing w gao chong was just him feeling bad for being schemed against more than anything else. he shows immediate remorse once the polycule zhiji die, but also kills people indiscriminately, he feels bad about misjudging who his enemy is, he clearly cares for chengling, but also none of the other women in his sect who are all there because they have been rejected by society?? he literally doesnt give a fuck abt his sect and is happily able to leave them all to be w zhou zhishu and chengling and not take responsibility for any of them. literally why cant he get a consistent arc that allows him to heal and work on his issues instead of him just realizing he hurt more 'good' people because he was shortsighted and ignorant, not a BAD person!! (like he learned that already w the polycule deaths why do they have to kill han ying too and drive him into absolute hysterics).... why can't his relationship w the righteous sects and his own ghost sect be informed by his past and his trauma in a way that might eventually become productive?? like that he specifically cares for his sect of outcasts as a reaction to the corruption and oppression of righteous sects? the writer just doesnt seem to be able to commit and instead is waffling around on the trajectory of his character arc. gu xiang basically has a very similar character arc as him, she's also stubborn, violent, traumatized and pushes people away and refuses to show vulnerability, but her storyline is soooo much more straightforward and follows a trajectory that actually makes sense?? this shows me that it is possible they were just an absolute mess when it came to the main characters.

the plot of the entire show is a bit of a mess, but the ending........... the last like 5 episodes..... i dont think i've ever felt such a clear fever dream where i was literally fighting for my life while i was a watching. it goes OFF THE RAILS. the closest experience was watching bubujinxin 2... like the editing and pacing make NO SENSE whatsoever, the show has absolutely no semblance of a rational structure, like are we living in wen kexing's chaos trauma mind??? it flies through a bunch of BIG CLIMACTIC events, wen kexing flies off a cliff and is dead for HALF an episode but not before this results in zhou zhishu and him romeoing and julieting themselves by the finale??? random fluff scenes when bad shit is still happening?? AND gu xiang and cao weining and their sect get MASSACRED by basically a rando after they were like some righteous ppl are ok actually JK thEY ARE STILL BAD AND the armory shit is still going on?? AND then theyre IMMORTAL??? it's batshit, ive never seen a more senseless and near incomprehensible ending that had no semblance of adhering to character arcs and themes that have been set up from the beginning. the fact that the main issue between zhou zhishu and wen kexing that literally causes them both to DIE if not for some deux ex machina shit is a MISCOMMUNICATION...because wen kexing just DIDNT TELL him his plan??? this is the laziest fucking writing ever. like instead of writing a genuine conflict between the main leads they had to resort to fucking miscommunication to up the stakes.... absolute garbage writing. also just the whole armory bit.... like isnt the point that all these ppl fighting over it and ruining each other and their own lives are senseless in their greed for power??? and whats in the armory doesnt matter??? why is it now PIVOTAL to both main character's survival.. and now they are both immortal and STUCK w each other for eternity eating only ice and snow on a mountain forever.... im sorry but i cant think of a more horrible ending. i literally wish they just died and just got reincarnated or smth. this is fucking bleak idc how much u love someone it is deeply unhealthy to only be with one person and interact w no one else and be isolated like that forever. it is the kind of unrealistic i cant live without you, we live together forever that is the ultimate romance that i absolutely HATE.

other notes and final thoughts: also the whole uh... weird grooming thing between xie wang and zhao jing....i dont even know what to make of it other than that they did a pretty bad job of talking abt grooming and incestuous familial abuse if that was their intention. im also crying at having the two leads sing a romantic song and playing it during all their romantic moments but the guy who plays wen kexing can NOT sing for the life of him so we just have to listen to this horrible out of tune warbling during EVERY serious romantic moment. basically this show is an absolute embarrassing mess with shit writing but it's so bad to a level that it became really funny for me and was generally still fun to watch. the main couple are at the very least not the same level of toxicity ive come to expect from bl and there's no clear gong/shou situation so that's a plus. basically i dont think the show is evil but it is absolutely very bad.

Leia Mais

The best sleeper hit of the year and then some

Where does one begin? This drama has just blown me and millions of viewers away since it started airing a few weeks ago. It came out of nowhere, without warning or fanfare. A low-budget production with no buildup of expectations and yet suddenly one's world's is no longer the same having seen it.
It is attracting a lot of viewers because it is a BL drama, but I would say even more importantly it is a great wuxia tale. It's good vs evil, but the good guys are slightly damaged and tarnished and there's more gray than black and white in the story. It's also a love story and about finding redemption through the love of another person.
I was immediately impressed with how both MLs showed a whole new side to their acting. If you have seen either in previous costume dramas, I guarantee that you too will be doing double takes and don't be surprised if you fall into fandom after this.
So many elements have come together to make this a great hit - the two male leads and their chemistry; their very able supporting cast; one of the best scripts ever in C-drama; beautiful flirt-fight scenes - I could go on and on.
Watch it also to see how the scriptwriter and the producers play cat-and-mouse with the censors - this is the first time I've ever watched a drama which uses the overdubbing which we all find so annoying to get away with original lines that would never have seen the light of day. The script is interlaced with classical Chinese poetry and idioms and due to the explosive interest in the drama, tons of videos on youtube have popped up to explain all these things to non-Chinese speakers. So not only are you going to be entertained but should you so wish you'll be able to access Chinese culture and learn a thing or two about gay Chinese references in a very fun way.
So what are you waiting for, just start watching already.............

Leia Mais