One of the best Chinese series from mainland China to date in the category of period/wuxia/xianxia drama. Yang Yang, the first female director for this type, did a magnificent job for the series in all aspects. The cinematography is stunning with picturesque locations where we get to see the beautiful sceneries Xinjiang and Guizhou have to offer, complimenting the storyline, not just within the studios or propped-up filming sets. The fight scenes and choreography are a must to be mentioned as they are superbly done with fun-to-watch CG images. I normally am not too fond of flying Gong Fu or over-the-top slow-mo aerial, heavily-wired and weird-looking fight scenes but this is different. The main cast, whether in season 1 or 2, such as Arthur Chen and Dylan Wang, portray their male lead role nicely as a capable fighter, skillfully integrating with the studio-adding special effects and the camera work makes the fight/war scenes so stylish and exciting. Yang Yang and her teams do not hold back to make it as extraordinarily enjoyable as Mao Ni's novel that the series is based on.
I particularly adore the character of Song Yi Ren, my most favourite Chinese actress, who plays the miserly, ever-so-humble, kind-hearted and ever-so-dedicatedly-submissive to her Shao Ye's Sang Sang. The characteristics of this main female lead though differently depicted from the novel where she is in a status far more equal with her Shao Ye, the part is truly made for her or the other way round. She acts less for more with her diminutive body and endearing, friendly face, not to mention the soft, gentle voice of hers which is a huge change to not having to listen to the annoying, high-pitched and excessively cute, childlike voice of female leads like in so many Chinese series. She's so good in emotional teary scenes that can make the audience feel what the character feels.
Of course there are flaws, majors and trivials, but that's not uncommon for series of this production scale and I willingly overlook as long as I think those imperfections are minimal and do not degrade the overall atmosphere of the story and its development.
Those may include the voice-over for some actors or supporting roles that are not synched to a T or some scene continuity errors or the conspicuous stand-in shots and prolonged dialogues in politic setting, especially in the first season of over-stretched 60 episodes with many pseudo moments.
I have to admit that when I first see Dylan Wang as Ning Que in season 2, I frowned a bit but after a short while I started to get used to his way for the role and after a round of back-to-back watching all episodes, I do feel that he too is totally up for the part and he makes up for what Arthur Chen otherwise lacks of. They suit for the antagonist role in their own way, dictated by different scripts and how well they purportedly act out their own personality and charisma for being the playful and daring Ning Que in different timelines. Though Ning Que adequately entertains in the first season, I have qualms during the parts where he is flirting away (being so young and proud to be liked by a beautiful lady) and insufferable enough to keep hurting Sang Sang emotionally (the part of Mo Shan Shan is elaborated in the first season for a dramatic love story in the series which is very different to the novel. At the end of day he anyway realised Sang Sang is his life and soul so he dumped the lady). It would be very interesting how Arthur Chen would fare if he reprised the role in season 2 where the main leads are supposed to be more mature and scripted to express their love and care as a couple defying the world to try to stay alive together.
A little let-down on the change of cast for some other supporting roles such as the Tang Wang Ye and his Empress Xia Tian, Li Yu Gong Zhu and of course the Xi Ling Dao Maniac Ye Hong Yu. Praises to Adam Cheng as Fu Zi and the entire cast of his disciples at Shu Yuan, especially the chubby Shi Er Shi Xiong, who always warm the heart just by looking at them interacting together as people with nothing to do enjoying everyday life.
The OST are extremely good to the ear. Irene Song and Dylan Wang did a duet for one of the theme songs.
I can say that this is the series that pulls me back to the Wuxia/Xianxia delight again after so many disappointments and endlessly boring romance installments, putting me off to desperately turn to k-drama for some long years (not that much better, truth be told, in terms of overwhelming romance genre flooding across all streaming platforms).
Hopefully season 3 will commence soon to end the long wait and have the series completed to the satisfying end just like in the novel.
