Laughing in the Wind is one of my top wuxia drama and Jin Yong adaptations. Whereas there are shows that are forgotten as quickly as you’ve finished watching them, this one still haunts me. I have flashbacks of scenes in which friends play music in the misty mountains or a hero mourns the death of his enemy as petals rain upon him.

I loved pretty much everything about this adaptation. I found the main cast members to all be spot on. The plot is beautifully rendered: it is dynamic and vivid, full of quidproquos and mysteries, yet also poetic and evocative, soulful and contemplative. The characters’ arcs and inner life are fascinating. The landscapes are gorgeous. The fight scenes showcase the beauty and skill of martial arts. To me, this show is the twilight of a golden era, before the excess of CGI and before a time when actors are idols who can’t fight so close-ups and slow-motions have to be used to hide their lack of skill.

The drama has its flaws. I found the latter part to be messy and rushed. The viewer has to fill in some of the blanks to link different episodes together.

Overall however, I rank this adaptation as one of my very favourites among the Jin Yong’s works and among wuxia dramas in general!