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Yay, it finally started!
The trailer had me very hyped up but the first two episodes kinda lacked energy, although the idea of "he spies him who spies you who spy me we spy all" is pretty intriguing - Duan's actor needs a better wig, but on the other hand ShuHe is such a beautiful and interesting character that he's enough to get me hooked.

That baby girl is already a JimmySea shipper, you're one of us Khaohom! XD

As you said, we can all watch the same thing but we alle have different life experiences and that's usually the main filter we use when liking (or not) something.

This was just not my cup of tea, but I can understand that many people like/love it.
I couldn't empathize with any of the characters, they felt too forcefully extremized (as "characters", and not as "people", which made them distant for me). All their defects were "too much", so much that for me they stayed in the area of "a fictional character" instead of "a character which is fictional but i can relate too".
(although I do agree that the second part was better then the first one)

I don't know if I explained myself, sorry, English is not my first language.
Anyway, to each their own - that's what great in dramas, there are so many that we're never out of things to watch, whatever taste we have! XD

Yes, maybe my wording wasn't perfect: I know this hasn't been aired within China - that's what I'm saying, I hope little by little all these situations can bring to a day in which these bans get lifted and everything can air officially for anyone to watch in whatever country.

Finally finished - I kept up till ep16 or so, put it on hold, and now finished just for the sake of finishing it.
Mind me, I'm happy China is producing non-censored BL and I really hope this can pave the way for hundreds of dramas in the future, but this was just not my cup of tea. I felt so much more depth in so-called bromances (in terms of plot, relatonship, characters, humanity) than in this one.

I honestly couldn't enjoy the show and I watched till the end only for the 2nd couple. I couldn't enjoy the MLs relationship dynamics, which I found unhealthy from start to finish, and the characters felt like cardboard stereotyped figurines.
Might be I'm too old to sugarcoat these kinds of stories anymore, but I'm happy so many people found it a great view.

The good thing is, little by little, maybe these series might help in changing the public view and the censorship regulations... I really hope we can see a day in which China can officially broadcast BL/LGBT series without any issues for actors, directors, screenplayers and more. <3

Gong Jun + Amazing Costumes + morally greyish characters... sign me up!

*puts on the plan-to-watch list* XD

AHAHAHAHAHA the doctor's handwriting meme is worldwide reality! XDDDD

And, finished. It's a 10/10 for me, the story is so enthralling that i just couldn't stop watching, and the main leads are A BLAST.

I had to pause here and there to make a mental recap of all the families/sects/disciples but I suppose that's a given (I'm completely new of wuxia/xianxia and I usually don't watch dramas from mainland china either) with so many characters, anyway they were all depicted magnifically and all their stories intertwined in a beautiful world-building. I would have loved to know more about the Jin reign too, but I suppose that's another story.

Wen KeXing especially was such a magnetic character, and the actor managed to portray him both carefree and crisp as well as scary and demonic... not to mention the painful scenes in which I rewinded quite a few times because I wanted to focus on the acting instead of the subtitles. Loved Zhou ZiShu too, his elegance, depth and resilience (although I would have smashed him quite a few times) - I really hope the actor gets the recognition he deserves, I heard he got quite some rough years lately.

Nice choreographies and costumes too, maybe the only thing that didn't really strike me was the music, which was very beautiful but not memorable.

This drama was the proof that most of the times, you don't need NC scenes or explicit words or actions to underline the love between two people: the way in which WKX and ZZS helped, loved, cared, supported and also fought with/for each other was so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, it was a continuous dance between highs and lows that needed no words to be understood.
I'm afraid I'll watch tons and tons of FMV because these two soulmates will live rentfree in my heart from now on.

I started bingewatching this yesterday night and I'm on episode 12 already... I love the costumes and ALL the characters, which is unusual because there is usually always one or two that are a pain... I'm especially giggling at all the interactions, they're so natural and cute! And the duo Xiang/Cao makes me laugh so much, they are soooooo nice and fun and sweet, I really hope they're endgame! XD

No words needed for the two MLs... as of now, I'm so impressed, it feels like they're really a couple!

Thank you! "Ballad of Sword and Wine" seems like a great title for a story! Thank you for that suggestion, too!

Thank you! <3
Given the suggestions of both of you, I just ordered the complete 7seas edition online XD

Thank you! <3

As for the "censored" part I actually don't care at all for NC scenes since the strenght of the relationship and its growth is pretty evident even without any intimate scenes/kisses/whatever... but if a story is written in a way, it's nice to read it complete and without cuts. :)

Thank you! <3

I will probably take my time to find the novel translated in english (yes i've seen the links in the discussion part, but i was wondering if there are more translations and which one is actually the one that is best written), and in the meantime watch the animated version. that's censured too tho', right?

yes, it's actually a pity because i found the dynamics and the growth of this couple to be really interesting and enthralling, not only for bl fans!

Ok, I absolutely didn't expect this to actually be THIS good: the story is really layered and the characters are so well built! Although I would have loved to see the real dynamics between all of them (I suppose almost half these boys are somehow a couple in the original story), the tension between some of them was better than many ships out there.

Plus, the acting from Xiao Zhan was so magnetic: the way in which he portrayed WWX was a pleasure to watch! Kudos to him, this was a pretty difficult character to portray and I think, for as much as the drama perse is very well directed and built, his acting is the best thing of it all, he really hit all the right keys.

So yes, now, although with 6 years of delay, I'm jumping onboard this fandom and I'll go fetch all the other renditions of this story!
Suggestion: should I jump to the animation first, or the novel?

Anyway: 9.5/10 for me, and the OST is running nonstop in my music player!

Same: I've been watching dramas from 20+ years (yes, I'm old XD) but I've never really been into wuxia/xianxia AND chinese dramas, so when this came out I said: "i'll watch it sooner or later" but never did. I'm not a romantic person, but I love some nice tension/romance between the lead (although I'm ok if it's not the main focus when the story is enthralling).
Here there is absolutely NO romance (aside from a f/m couple but it's veeeeeeeery marginal), BUT the story and the mistery AND the tension between all the characters is definitely great!

50 episodes is a lot but I devoured them in a week!

Do we know how many Qs will this have approximately? Aside from NetJJ, I'm in need of a dose of Tonnam, pretty please T_T

Awwwwwww MekDech! <3
Another beautifully executed episode... but next week will be rough! T_T

Thanks! There's so much info online about this series, and all of its adaptations, that sometimes it gets confusing. XD

I agree on the name-part: I'm not new to chinese dramas (i used to watch taiwan and chinese series since back in the 90's) and I even studied one year of mandarin back in my teens, BUT i usually don't watch xianxia/wuxia series, so the most problematic part is the clans/tribes/titles/courtesy names that get a bit confusing if you're new to the "atmosphere".

Anyway, thanks: I think I'll finish this series and then jump to Fangs of Fortune, after which I'll probably start reading MDZS novel too because the characters are actually pretty interesting and I'd love to see how their dynamics are intended in their original form.

I had this in my watchlist since AGES and started it three times but always dropped it around episode 3.... now, I decided to give it another go and I don't know what changed but I started this yesterday and I'm on episode 16 already, it's definitely sooooo enthralling!
I think I'll start the novel too. XD

(You can definitely tell the actors apart, they have different clothes and also facial features are pretty easily recognizable).