First of all, if you're like me and of European descent and culture, you must understand that this is not like what you are used to. Everything is different, from etiquette to fashion to the types of moves somebody can make. You have to understand there's a lot of scenes of people gliding on ropes (invisible, of course) as they fight, as well as ideas from Daoism, Buddhism, etc. You must take away your preconceived notions, turn off your prejudices, and try to embrace it as though you are coming at it as a Chinese person, accept all the cultural idiosyncrasies as just the normal way of life, just as our many cultural idiosyncrasies never receive a second thought by us.
I only began watching Chinese dramas on the first of January. This was the second I ever tried, and it was a slow start for me at first, trudging turtle-like through the first couple episodes. But after a few weeks of experimenting with various others (Ever Night and Fights Break Sphere, both of which are also amazing, and Rakshasa Street, which I gave up on), I eventually realized about 15 episodes in that this just blows everything else out of the water.
Chinese dramas are long. This one, at 52 episodes, each about 45 minutes, actually felt pretty short relative to some of the others I've now seen, partially or fully. Tribes and Empires (another one I can't recommend strongly enough) is 75 episodes, while Ever Night is 61. Some are as many as 90 or more, like the upcoming The Fated General (92 episodes reportedly). Some shows get kind of boring midway through, but not this one. It just got better and better.
I've noticed that fate is a recurring, yet unspoken, theme. Often the hero is somebody who, seemingly due to his strong and innate sense of moral justice, is given great opportunities "by the gods" if you will. Perhaps he just happens to fall into a cave and discover an ancient text the words of which offer a key to great power (Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils), or find a document in the stomach of a monkey (The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber). In this case, the hero, Guo Jing, captures the hearts of great martial arts masters for his innocent and true-hearted nature and learns what he can from each of them, aided by his companion and beloved, Huang Rong.
Those last two examples come from novels written by the same amazing mind behind Legend of the Condor Heroes: Jin Yong. It is from the extreme sense of curiosity and excitement and epic adventure I have found in this show that I've devoted myself to learning Chinese for the primary purpose of reading the source material. I know of no other way to convey to a complete China-novice just how great this show can be, if you come at it from the right perspective.
It is for good reason The Guardian and others have referred to Yong as The Tolkien of China, though the expression isn't very apt: His stories are just as sweeping, just as massive, and just as magical and adventurous as anything Tolkien ever dreamed of (and I say this as somebody who out of love for Tolkien studied Old Norse to better understand his own source material).
A Western viewer may find some of the attitudes a little bizarre. There is no nudity, sex, or profanity. Indeed, there isn't even kissing. There rarely is in Chinese television, as far as I've seen. Rather than the somewhat creepy portrayal of romance as stalking in American cinema, it is much more subtle and emotionally sharp and fulfilling. At least when the hero is concerned.
When it comes to the villains, things are a little different. They will hit an acupoint, for instance, and paralyze somebody (usually a woman and usually for sexual reasons), though it rarely reaches such a point before they are saved. One woman is apparently raped, given that she becomes pregnant, but even that is almost entirely left to the audience's imagination.
While women are often portrayed in the eyes of the villain as mere toys to be paralyzed and abused, it must be remembered that men (though much rarely) are also paralyzed like that. In addition, women still have a great deal of agency in Chinese dramas. Huang Rong is shown as being generally the most cunning person imaginable, though incredibly virtuous. Her martial prowess is also greater than some of the villains, though this seems to fluctuate at times. In quite a few dramas, you'll see the male hero hiding behind a more powerful female for protection, often against another female trying to hurt him.
In conclusion, this show itself and the overall experience of Chinese dramas has been extremely eye-opening and gratifying. Legend of the Condor Heroes is currently my favorite TV show ever, not just from China, and I look upon it with as much fond memory as I do The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. If as a Westerner you can try it out with an open mind, I think you will make a similar connection.
