Sword Snow Stride (2021)

Typical wuxia plot with a hilarious twist and atypical dad-son love-respect bond

I have a bias for (1) sassy, smart, sunny and seemingly badass lead who is chivalrous, righteous and pure at heart, (2) wuxia plot of chivalry and protagonist becoming a top-tier martial arts expert, and (3) Zhang Ruo Yun as the seemingly badass but righteous protagonist.

Sword Snow Stride, another series with the same ML actor (Zhang Ruo Yun), screen writer (Wang Juan) and vibes as Joy of Life, hits this sweet spot with a typical wuxia plot plus a hilarious twist, atypical dad-son love-respect bond and sizzling chemistry between the protagonist, his veteran co-stars, confidants and siblings.

This series depicts the growth and encounters of a young optimistic, sassy and determined prince who seeks out a third path that allows him to continue to provide peace and prosperity to his people amidst power struggles with the central imperial family, and also protect and reunite with his siblings and the FL (Princess of a fallen rival state). Zhang Ruo Yun, doesn’t have a handsome face, but he charms and shines effortlessly as the seemingly badass but righteous protagonist with sizzling chemistry with his veteran co-stars (his dad, Lao Huang and God of Sword), his confidants (Jiang Ni, Nangong Pu She and Qing Niao) and his siblings.

The CGIs for the numerous fight scenes throughout the series are quite eye-opening - especially those with the God of Sword. Storytelling is compelling, with doubts/questions immediately addressed in the next scene. On the downside, character development is weak for the FL and the support roles, and lacks an intriguing plot.

Overall, it is an enjoyable journey, adventuring with the protagonist as he acquires martial arts and becomes a top-tier martial arts expert, while forming alliances and friendships with other notable clans and martial arts experts. I look forward to continue his journey to Northern Mang in Season 2, and ultimately pave and succeed with this third path he fervently seeks.

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10 Best in Show

I was going to write a review and thought better of it as reviewers like PeachBlossomGoddess and HealerHanzi have done a fab job of it . So here are my 10 reasons why Sword Snow Stride is one of my fave dramas of 2021.
10. Best Arm Candy. Period. Cat with pure white fur coat had no function other than to appear on the arm of Yu You Wei [Princess Jiang Ni’s companion]. Cat also takes “Best Bosom Buddy” title. I hope they paid the animal handlers handsomely!
9. Best Mineral Water. Wang Chong Luo and Hong Xi Xiang taking a piss in mountains…guess where it goes…
8. Best Lashes. The envy of every woman — thick eye lashes that beckons — and my oh my, the director had to plaster it on Pu-Sa, the mythical tiger.
7. Best Skincare Model yet. Ok, Jiang Ni [Teresa Li] the princess didn’t seem to endear herself to viewers in the discussion thread, but her skin, her skin! That radiance, when she beamed at XFN, puts SKII models to shame. Someone, please, sign her up already.
6. Best Sword Scene. It’s the Matrix, but in Chinese.
5. Best Groom. Lao Huang — “Old Yeller” — gone too soon.
4: Best Dirty Old Man: Li Chun Gang. Drama has the god of sword picking his nose, and his toes. Dude does not care. Neither do viewers mind, I guess.
3. Best Line: 我还是一个孩子. Finn Han [Zhao Xuan Su] — same precocious kid in Joy of Life — uttering that same line in JoL. Those of us who grew up watching wuxia dramas, the kid in us never left — we still love the genre.
2. Best Dad: Hu Jun, the tragic antihero in Ever Night, who did evil for the love of country and family, drops the nefarious role and plays Xu Xiao, the ultimate political schemer and pussy-whipped dad all at the same time. Salute.
1. Best Procrastinator. Zhang Ruo Yun. He started really late into the sword-learning game. But dude is late for other appointments as well! Like, when can we have season 2 of SSS? Don’t forget we are still waiting for JoL 2.

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Well scripted & delivered

This is actually the first review I will be writing about any Asian drama on this website, so please skip my review if you want something more detailed.

If you enjoy action, mystery, politics and don't mind experiencing very emotional dramas this drama is for you! I really loved the family aspect of this drama- although it is not your typical cozy family type of drama- the family aspect depicted through the ML connection with his siblings is sweet. On the other hand, I did not really like the OST aspect, maybe because I am someone who might not be familiar with the cultural aspect of the OST connection to the rest of the drama?--nonetheless-this was the only aspect of the drama that I didn't get/connect with (but that's my personal opinion- I might be missing the OST overall "theme" for the drama).

This drama has such amazing cinematographic views, there are many twists and turns in this drama and the actors did an excellent job portraying their characters. It has a lot of hilarious, cute, and sad scenes- a must-watch if you love historical, political, mystery and comedy- because this drama has it all plus more! I am definitely going to rewatch it soon!

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okay wow loved it (mini spoiler at the end but if you don't want to see it just don't scroll down)

i didn't know what to expect when first watching this drama. it was really interesting from the start but i was also able to take breaks in between episodes. as an avid historical drama watcher, i can usually predict the storyline, but with this drama everything was a surprise.

i loved all the characters in this drama and their acting was on point. especially the ones who are really good at fighting... just out of this world. i even liked some of the villains.

honestly i didn't pay much attention to the music which was pretty shocking because usually the music is one of the more important aspects to me, but for some reason the music just didn't stand out this time.

i don't know about rewatching yet as i just finished this yesterday. i'm gonna need a break before even thinking about rewatching it. but there is a chance i will in the future.

overall just a really well put together drama. had some humorous aspects and the fighting scenes (again) are so good.







MINI SPOILER (except you'd only understand if you watched the drama):
i know they're probably planning to film a season two, so i want to see more of 黄蛮儿, he seems like such a wholesome person and he's really good at fighting so i wanna see more of that. i also want to see 徐凤年 at his full potential. also the guy from 龙虎山 who said he was gonna be the best in the world... i wanna see where that goes

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An Incredible Journey, on 'where there's a will there's a way!'

An Incredible Journey with schemes and sword fighting action.
If this is what you are looking for.
Then By all means start watching this ASAP
and go on this Incredible Journey.

The story is unique, the martial arts are unique and so are the characters.
While the Story can be viewed like it's similair to Joy of Life in a way.
It's not that similar.This is it's own show.
With a Different story line. The story is about a man Named Xu Fen Niam
who is the son of a Lord. And how he finds his reasons
to fight for what's important to him. There are lot of world building done
in the first season, and the plot moves pretty quickly.
So it's really engaging from the start, to middle and even till end.
So it's great to know the story is captivating from start to end.

The acting is excellent. Especially by Zhang Ruo Yan, the main lead.
I also really liked Lu Jun and Teresa Li. They both did great.
As well as all the supporting actors. WELL DONE!
There are familiar faces from Joy of Life, which I liked to see.
The action scenes were good and decent at times.
yet I was indeed entertained by them.
And the schemes and plot twists were AMAZING!
At times I was captivated by realising what I thought was going to happend
actually didn't. And what I never thought of had occured.

The music is great, but it could have been more memorable for sure.
I really liked the interactions of the characters. Especially the Xu family
interactions which was comical and interesting. Yeah there are comedic moments
so expect to giggle or laugh. I also liked the slight romance, with the 2 leads.

Over all this is An Incredible Drama,
I need Season 2 ASAP.
So I strongly recommend you to watch this.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU LOVED JOY OF LIFE AND NIF!!

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Another of my all time favorites

This drama is so interesting because each episode has the expected and the storyline is so good. Both the ML and FL were well matched in their roles and did a great job. This drama has the mix I like- Wuxia, romance ( though not much), funny moments, intrigue, politics, scheming, great cinematography, great acting.

I enjoyed the interaction and the relationship between the male protagonist (XFN) and his father and the female protagonist (JN). JN has a secret identify that unfolds as the story progresses. She grows up as a maid of XFN who is protective of her but gives her space. It is known that she tries to kill him with sneak attacks but there is a reson why and it came in handy later on. The story shows how XFN grows, improve his martial arts skills, his schemes as he travels to retrieve a cherished sword while seeking the truth about his mother’s death.

It’s unfortunate that this is only season 1 but the good news is that this series did not end in a cliff hanger and can be viewed as a stand-alone even if it takes a while for season 2 to be filmed which I hope not.

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EPIC Storytelling Worth Your Patience

This drama is deceptive, esp. if you grew up on CGI/lowest common demoninator storytelling. The screenwriter/director is in this for long haul - three Seasons, and that gives you an amazing amount of time to tell a story right. Consequently, that's why you'll read reviews that say there's not enough fighting or "is it a wuxia?" or "where's the romance?"

Look closer. There is great fighting, eventually romance and omg yes it's a Wuxia/Xianxia.

I want to look back at the end of Season 3 and see all the overlayed spider webs and the long, long road it took to find the right kind of love & partner (and to find a third option). This is one of the few dramas where I didn't read ahead to protect my heart & allowed them to play me, and I was so very glad I did.

I figured out around Episode 6\7 that *I* was a participant in this drama: they play your assumptions and knowledge of tropes constantly. By the end you're suspecting every mention of a character - even if you didn't see them...or if you do see them, you'll be asking *who* sent them and what is their role for which side?

Like...a new character is introduced in the last 2\3 episodes that I KNOW will show back up in Season 2\3 to probably go against our ML for the sole reason that he's going to become the very thing this person is trying to stop - even though he's currently an ally.

The ML's Jianghu progress, fight scenes, cultivation, honoring a friend, schemes....it all feels like wuxias in the vein of Legend of Condor Heroes or Journey to the West. But...I think this drama has more heart & soul.

I'm a barely passable writer and thus, a story snob. I'm horribly picky about stories. While researching how to write a fight scene, I came across a great explanation by R.A. Salvatore. He dissected that amazing fight scene in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon where Michelle Yeoh grabs a long, heavy weapon that she can't lift. So she drags it across the floor until they both kinda laugh about it. Her action has a greater purpose: the give YOU a chance to stop, breathe and process the action.

There is a scene towards the end (which I will not spoil for you but I want you to remember to look for it): ML is on a quest to honor a friend and retrieve something. He and this friend sang a song while tapping a beat. The song will cause the hair on your neck to stand up shockingly straight. It's haunting and tells much about a swordsman at the end of his days. The retrieval comes smack in the middle of a hella fight scene *and* assassination attempt #1,947 (no, but it feels like it).

The action comes to a screeching halt for our ML to sit down and beat that rhythm on the item. And gives you a chance to cry along with him.

Then we're back in the hella fight scene. The same technique in CTHD: stop and give your brain a chance to process the action.

That attention to classic wuxia storytelling has kinda been lost in our gradual decline in making, basically, Nickelodeon Wuxias for a Tik Tok generation (and why I pink puffy heart LOVE the cast and crew of Blood of Youth for setting out the right the ship and TELL BETTER STORIES WITH BETTER ACTION).

The only thing that really bugged me about this is the FL is....they really didn't do her justice, esp. as I hear the FL in the novel is a bad ass.....this FL just seemed pouty and whiney most of the time. Consequently, I think she will not be in the sequel.

There are also a couple of borderline cheesy proclamations by our ML - complete with stirring background music - that we could have probably done a bit better job....but it really doesn't distract from the overall "I see what you're doing here" of it all.

Our ML is all about connections: at the end of this, tally up all the Masters\teachers\Sects\Kingdom alliances this guy is making for himself and Beiliang. Then count up how many cdramas take the time to tell a layered story like this (Nirvana in Fire, Story of Ming Lan and The Story of Yangxi Palace come to mind fairly quickly. Otherwise....????)

So, in my opinion, don't really listen to all the "meh" reviews out there. Carefully look at what they are setting up....hang in there for all *three* Seasons....and look back at it all at the end.

I think you'll be glad you gave it a chance.

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It’s the storyline for me!!!

FLAWLESS EXECUTION ALL AROUND!
I don’t give of tens freely. I read a lot of reviews and people were mad about the cinematography. They shouldn’t the fights were not amazing enough. Both of those things are valid and yet this was still and EXCELLENT series. The storytelling was brilliant!

Often times, especially in reference to strategy and chess moves, series tend to get lost. And you’re like why? Or storylines just don’t wrap up at all and you’re mad about it. Neither of these things happened here. They do an excellent job at explains without it being corny and it’s really pretty unpredictable. Bravo to the story telling. You did what needed to be done.

I thought my review would be a spoiler but I’m doing well so far. I have so much to say. Let’s talking about the acting. Applause all around. To be honest I should put more emphasis on the actual characters! What a great job the writers did with them!!!! It makes ALL the difference as there are a TON of characters. Excellent execution. I’m usually too lazy to google character names when I write reviews but this cast deserves it.
- Zhang Routun (ML). I last saw him in Go Go Squid and I loved his character the most actually. However I was curious to see him in a wuxia drama. What a performance!! I think he has to work on his sad and in love emotions but that’s it. He was excellent in this and his performance seemingly got stronger as the series went on.
- Hu Jun (dad). I saw him in EverNight (best fight scenes ever) but really was curious to see him play a powerful DAD. And man he bodies this. 🔥🔥🔥 Not only did he act well but I LOVE the way his character was written.
-Fair Fox. She’s from Beimang and I’m sad about that because season 2 is gonna be something. However. Loved her character and man she is really a showstopping beauty!
-Rong Zi Shan (baby brother). What an innocent face. What a character! I was SCREAMING in the end. Loved him.
-Miss He He. Best character reveal award. And I have a feeling we will see her again.
-Finn Han. As a little boy playing a grandmaster did he now kill those fight scenes. I was screaming for him!!!! Super impressive wow!!!

All of the grandmasters deserve a bow. Those characters were well written and well executed into the story line.

This series was truly a delight to watch and I haven’t felt that way about a wuxia drama in a long time. I’m usually throwing tomatoes when a series ends and there has to be a S2 but they have good closure. It felt like the end of a volume and not the end of a chapter. All series don’t do that well.

This gets a standing ovation from me. It was an easy watch. It was light and funny at parts. The love story was told throughout and it maintained as a wuxia drama. It dances on xianxia I guess. But it does get too crazy with the fantasy. I also love how someone doesn’t blink and become a sword expert. People get beat up left and right and it makes it feel more realistic. It’s a story of strategy and it keeps you engaged. I was NEVER bored. Not once!!! What a great show.

I pray with the next season the cast stays in tact. If there is a next season. All character have to reprise their roles or everything will go to sh*t. I usually hate arson 2s of shows. However, I’m looking forward to it!!! WELL DONE!

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unusual history political drama

it's the first time I really enjoy this kind of drama, where sword fight meet political & historical. Usually this kind of genre they made it pretty boring, although usually there is romance to help light the drama. But here they put comedy that place very cleverly with the character.

This is really one of the most interesting drama with every character place their chess game very cleverly & interested. Expecially Xu Xiao (XX), he is one amazing chess player, he pave every stone to make the way for his son, Xu Feng Nian (FN). But FN himself also one interesting chess player, he refuse to follow the path that his father already pave for him & try to make his own way. Really interesting to see at first how FN is like always in the palm of XX, because XX can already predict what way FN will gonna take & already prepare his stone there too, but upon more episode we can see how FN actually also have hidden stone that he prepare for himself & to break the way that his father prepare for him.

This drama also have very unusual concept of martial art world. They have all that level that I don't too understand nor too care. But to see how they combine martial art & nature is really interesting.

This is the first time I'm not mad nor upset when they break the drama with season & cliffhanger to close the season 1. I really excited to wait for the season 2. This season close with how FN is preparing himself to be King of Bei Liang. I really want to see how FN is planning to make Jiang Ni his queen & how he will gonna handle the royal family...

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