absurd

So far what I'm getting is that the format of the storytelling in this drama is just not something that I like. The whole multiple little sub stories within the main storyline, is not for me. We get a new character every 2-3 episodes and then they are dead, but I honestly can't get myself to care. Not my format, already fast-forward too much. Dropping this.

Just had another thought after posting a reply.
I'm ok with predictable and don't mind cheesy (I watched a lot of shounen anime, there's nothing more predictable than that). But if that's what they were going for, then they needed a faster pace, more action (instead of talking) and maybe some... end goal, that characters are aiming for. Cause so far all I get is that she wants to be a master. Well, good for her, but what's the motivation?

After watching up to ep 18, have agree about cutting scenes. It's also weird to me that for the ML we get 10 seconds of backstory... and it's actually enough! It explains what needs to be explained. But then we spend half an episode on a character that gets killed by the end of it.
I guess this was meant to be an entertaining drama rather than a serious one, but I'm actually bored out of my scull. Just isn't my thing, maybe.

I really do not want to argue semantics here. What I meant is that they basically have the same target audience, though Duoluo also has the advantage of having a lot of book and anime fans. If they are released at the same time they will clash and the comparison game will start. No one wants that.

Ok, I got it. We're twins :)))) I don't even have anything to add, you said it ))

Chinese censorship is kind of ambiguous. I don't think it's just the beast scenes that were cut, there seem to have been many gaps by the end. They also might have been hoping for a TV broadcast (while it was still the 50 ep limit, instead of 40 like it is now).

Why did I not get invested into MZX and Bo W. relationship. I don't believe it would have survived if they had a peaceful happy ending (and it seems like writers agree with me, since they killed them both). They never had an actual Relationship, all they had was a struggle, separation and hopeless last moments, constantly trying to make themselves into martyrs, instead of looking for better solutions or asking for help. This Romeo and Juliet type of "romance" never survives an actual peaceful everyday life. That is not to say it's not realistic, just that I don't really feel for them.
I found Chu Kui really interesting. His character starts out as somewhat ambiguous and deteriorates as he gets more and more desperate for power. In the end everyone abandons him, because he puts his ambitions above everyone and everything else in his life.
Ji Chong seems like a screenwriter's darling, they really did make him into a perfect dream guy. Well, no, he's not perfect. But he's all the better for it. Perfect people are boring. The one of the two times I was close to tears while watching this drama was when he told MZX, that he's letting her go. It was obvious for some time, that he knows he should do it, but just needs the time to come to terms with it.
Bao Na really grew up by the end there. I wish we could have seen more of her.
Yao Ji is the biggest a surprise. She started out very one-dimensional, but ended up the one character that I came to sympathize with the most. Her scene with Bo Wang (after they save him from slave camp) was another one that almost made me cry.
The ending though... I was not impressed and really wasn't touched. As I said in the non spoiler part, their willingness to die/suffer for the other is really not something I find in any way inspiring.
Wow, that got long... sorry :))

All right. I might write an actual review later, but I wanted to share some thoughts here first. This would be the "No spoilers" part.
First, no matter how much I complain about this drama, I still like it very much. There are a lot things they could have done better, but the overall impression that it has left me with is very good. I was invested and rarely had the need to fast-forward. I like the pacing, most of the characters are interesting (even if I don't like them, they still are), the views are amazing and the overall storyline and relationship development is believable and it works.
This is not the JOL type of drama, that focuses on the intricate political plot. The main focus here is people and relationships. Not just the main couple, but the people surrounding them, how they change and grow (or don't, for that matter). Actually, on me, the characters surrounding MZX and Bo Wang left a bigger impression, that they themselves did.
Maybe it has to do with the fact that I've seen a relationship like theirs in real life and it didn't end well, maybe I it's my believe that people who love each other, instead of just being infatuated, should be more willing to live for each other, rather than die for each other (which it seems like they are constantly trying to do from the very beginning).
MZX outside of her relationship with Bo Wang really shows a lot of growth as character. It is slow, really frustrating, but it happens. It does unfortunately fall apart as soon as Bo Wang is in the vicinity, like writers were trying to cutify (it's not a word, but whatever) her and ended up making he into a brainless simpering idiot.
The cuts, that we all know are there, to me were the most obvious in the last 3 episodes. And the thing is, there are some really long useless scenes that could have been cut, and instead they seemed to have cut some important ones. It looked kind of messy and hurried because of that.

don't know about how proper they are, but try koreandrama.es

I don't know the whole story, so it's difficult to judge right now which supporting character is important, but in my opinion the pacing would have benefited from cutting out some of the characters that just come and go, or at least shortening of their backstories and making their interaction with the leads more concise.
I really hope that further down the story will have more focus, without endless subplots, that I, honestly, can't follow.

Thank you! Though I'll probably won't be able to watch until tomorrow anyway xD

I understand what you are saying about the novel. But there is a reason it is called adaptation. It is a job of screenwriters to adapt what they have to the storyline that will work for the drama. A lot of the people watching this didn't read the novel, so they didn't need to worry about cutting out someone's favorite scene.
On the other hand slow start doesn't mean it won't get better, so far, I'm hopeful, but not very much.

Wait... where did you find the last 3 episodes with subs?

Don't know, sorry. It was announced on "Weibo TV series" weibo some time ago, they didn't specify the channel

Thank you!

Wow, thank you! I'll check them out.

Thank you!

Thank you, I've seen the Untamed. The first c-drama I've seen actually:)

Omg, thank you! Those are my thoughts exactly! I was thinking maybe it's a genre thing... Can you give me a good wuxia recommendation, please? I want to see of maybe it's not my thing.
I kind of stopped even trying to remember character names, too many of them and most are irrelevant to the plot.
The main storyline is still kind of ok, though...

I would have to disagree with you. As I've said in The Wolf comment section: this is not a Professional Drama critics committee. Barely anyone actually has objective reasons for liking or disliking (even when they try). Some people are just not feeling it or it fails to catch their interest, but others love it. Everyone is different.
And also from what negative comments I've seen, most of them are polite and provide simple reasons. Some - I agree with, some - don't. But most of the positive comments are just exclamations about how "it's amazing!". If everyone has to be objective, then positive comments have to provide reasons too? No, they don't.
I just feel like here, any negative review is taken almost as personal slight against ML or FL and that does not bode well for reasonable discussion.