3catcat

I commend the script, direction, and action scenes; they were excellent. Although the scenes in Northern Qi were a bit drawn out, overall it was very good. The comedic moments and dialogue were perfectly executed and contextually appropriate.

Ye Qingmei is a character we barely see in the drama, but she's the source of everything. Every character is connected to Ye Qingmei; she's the reason all the characters are involved and the complications arise, making the drama incredibly captivating.

Almost every cast member delivered a superb performance.
Chen Dao Ming and Wu Gang deserve special mention for their acting.
Personally, I loved the chemistry between Fan Xian and Wang Qi Nian.
The child actor, Finn Han, who was probably only 9 years old at the time, playing young Fan Xian, also gave a fantastic performance.

I loved everything about this drama. After finishing it, I had to stop watching Chinese dramas for two or three weeks because other dramas I tried weren't as enjoyable.

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I blame the director.

I blame the director. It's his responsibility to direct the emotions and motivations more realistically, and the pacing of each scene should have been better, especially the action scenes.
The plot is passable, although Xu Xiao is like an oracle who knows everything in advance, making it hard for viewers to root for the protagonist.
The pacing of each scene is terrible. The action scenes are just characters standing and swinging their arms using special effects; there's no impressive fighting style or martial arts. The composition of the action scenes is poor. For example, in episodes 26-27, when Cao Changqing is about to kill Xu Feng Nian, Yu Youwei suddenly shouts to stop him without even stepping in. Cao Changqing suddenly changes his mind about killing Xu Feng Nian, acting dazed and not even throwing a punch. It's unrealistic. How could the director create a scene like that? Doesn't he see how bad it is? Besides this scene, there are many other scenes where the characters' motivations and emotions lack realism. The camera angles and dialogue pacing in the action scenes are strange, awkward, and inconsistent.

This is an action series that will make you feel sleepy.

I previously watched "Joy of Life" starring Zhang Ruoyun. He performed very well, and the action scenes were good, so I had high expectations for this series because the screenwriter is Wang Juan and the lead actor is Zhang Ruoyun.
I was disappointed.

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