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This review may contain spoilers
The Road to Fame: A fun, bittersweet story of martial arts, friendship, and romance.
"Don't think that being old gives you the moral high ground to talk me down. People like you shouldn't even be alive by now." - Yu Sheng Mo (Sword Deity of Nanque)
All hail to the most charming and dashing man in all C-dramaland—Neo Hou!
At this point, can we all unanimously agree that Hou Minghao (AKA Neo Hou) is the most effortlessly charismatic and charming actor in the entire C-entertainment industry? His entire personality is imbued with those traits; they are his identity. In all honesty, I have only seen a couple other C-actors—namely Bai Jingting and Zhang Wanyi—with such consistent charm ever since I first got into C-dramas back in 2018. He's just one of a kind—a one-in-a-million guy. He's hot and cool, and he certainly knows it. Furthermore, he knows how to use it by projecting that enchanting appeal to win over the viewers.
What's more is that he blends his actual personality of being a smooth talker, mischievous, and clever—while being extremely good-looking—with the script so seamlessly that the character feels alive, rather than just a written role. I am sure he receives multiple scripts left and right to choose from all the time, and yet no matter what his project is, he never fails to add his own touch to his characters, making them his own. He's smart at picking scripts and knows how to leave a lasting impression by imprinting his trademark personality on every role he plays. It takes a really intelligent and passionate actor to recognize their natural strengths and intentionally weave them into different characters without making every role feel exactly the same. What a truly remarkable man!
"Liquor gives courage to cowards." - Baili Dongjun
Enough of my swooning over Neo Hou—let's dive into the drama itself. I don't have any knowledge of how the manhua was originally written or how it differs from the drama adaptation, so I cannot objectively judge the differences between the two. However, contrary to the unanimously negative reviews here on MDL about the story, I, on the other hand, genuinely liked and enjoyed it.
Although the story was, in fact, jumpy due to time skips and abrupt scene transitions meant to focus on the whereabouts of multiple characters—mostly for the progress of their training and individual journeys—what I liked about it was how they never failed to tie the story together by providing brief flashbacks of how each character's journey went. It greatly helped in keeping the narrative cohesive and engaging, while simultaneously maintaining a sense of progression. In this way, we weren't stuck focusing solely on the main leads' whereabouts; instead, we were kept updated with considerable information and screen time for the supporting roles as well.
At first, I was perplexed as to why the main protagonists' team was set up to always break apart, going their own ways to pursue their own endeavors—mostly for training and various personal missions—which is different from TBOY, where they are always glued together as a team. However, as time passed, I realized that the decision was actually truly brilliant. Not only were they able to receive training according to their strengths and expertise, but they also gained experience for themselves. If the main group had stayed glued to Baili Dongjun's side the entire time, their individual cultivation and personal journeys would have been entirely overshadowed by his massive main-character trajectory. Therefore, letting them split up to face their own distinct hurdles separately is exactly what allowed them to grow into legendary figures in their own right.
Ultimately, this made me appreciate that they had their own paths to take and did not always come together, except during the most challenging times. Furthermore, it made me realize how consistent the story was, because the narrative stayed cohesive and intact until the end despite them not being together all the time. This is especially impressive considering the fact that there are many characters with different personalities within the story that they had to establish and develop. In the end, I have to give it to the writers for successfully pulling that off and preventing any unintentional plot holes from arising in the story.
In regard to the climax and ending, in my honest opinion, they were impressively and satisfyingly executed. Although typical drama tropes were incorporated towards the end, the good thing is they were kept to a bare minimum, staying well within the boundaries of logical sense. The buildup for Ye Dingzhi's arc was carefully laid out from the start, as the creators allotted sufficient time for his plot to progress and develop leading up to the climax. It felt planned, unlike some dramas out there that casually throw cliche plots at the audience one after another out of nowhere. As a result, watching the climax unfold was never a jarring surprise or a problem at all; rather, it was a matter of anticipating which direction the writers were going to drive the story in order to move it forward, and for that, I'd say it was satisfyingly done. I also liked how Baili Dongjun remained true and loyal to his ways, doing everything he could to protect Ye Dingzhi despite the expectations placed upon him until the very end.
Let me just add here how incredibly satisfying it was to see how merciless and unforgiving Ye Dingzhi was toward the Tianwaitian (Sky Beyond) folks when he took his revenge and attacked them. Well deserved!
If there's one major factor that made me totally addicted and fully engrossed in this drama, it would be the fun, cheeky, and comical dynamics among the characters, which perfectly matched the main lead's personality. I loved how playful and humorous most of the characters were, and how they perfectly balanced the overall atmosphere of the show. This completely aligned with and truly captured my taste.
One thing I was disappointed about was when the story suddenly treated the wine aspect as a mere aesthetic—after he defeated and outbrewed Wine Master Zhuo Mo's Qiulu Bai—rather than a core part of Baili Dongjun's combat style. All this time, I really expected the story to highlight his fighting prowess, similar to the classic 'Drunken Fist' or a martial art that directly utilizes his intoxication to match his Liquor Deity identity. However, towards the end, that concept was completely neglected. They just let him drink for a 'feel-good' sensation, while solely focusing on conventional fight scenes where he wielded a sword like every other high-level master. This is why, by the finale, I felt like he resembled a Sword Deity more than a Liquor Deity.
I also want to mention how pissed off I am at the viewers blaming Yi Wenjun. The hatred is being misdirected towards a pitiful woman yet again. She was forced into a marriage but still tried her best to escape with all her might. When she finally escaped and was living a fulfilling life with Ye Dingzhi, she was then poisoned, which disrupted her rational thinking and allowed her to be dragged back to the capital. Then, during the ending, she was threatened using both of her sons, leaving her with no choice but to go back to the palace. Instead of blaming her, why not blame the manipulative and deceptive individuals—namely Emperor Tai'An, Prince Jingyu, Prince Qing, and the scoundrels in Tianwaitian (Sky Beyond)?
Finally, in regard to the power scaling, I was actually very confused at first. Since it has been a long time since I watched The Blood of Youth, I could not totally recall how their power ranking system works. However, as I spent time analyzing and observing the information, I realized that everything was accurate. At one point, I was so confused when they ranked both Baili Dongjun and Ye Dingzhi as number one, yet they kept getting defeated by their seniors and other powerful figures. But I later realized that there are different categories of ranking: the Liangyu Bang (Refined Jade Ranking) for the younger generation of martial artists, and the Guanjue Bang (Conqueror's Ranking) for masters and older generations. I am adding this here just in case someone is still bothered or confused about it.
Finally, I want to commend the drama's outstanding cinematography, CGI, and sound effects. The fight scenes felt remarkably powerful and impactful, largely due to the seamless integration of visual effects.
P.S. I just want to give a huge shout-out to the coolest figure in the entire Dashing Youth universe, Li Chang Sheng. The man is single-handedly dealing with high-level masters, breaking the power scaling of the universe, and treating the Emperor like a minor inconvenience while casually rewriting the rules of the martial world. He is a true immortal whom no one can best in the story's timeline.
"I am an Immortal. A mortal emperor like you should stop bothering me." - Li Chang Sheng to Emperor Tai'An
Story - 9.5, I admire how the story stayed consistent and cohesive despite a jumpy plot driven by a large ensemble cast. Even though I had issues with the power scaling during the middle of the story, I was able to resolve them after further analysis. If there is one factor that particularly disappointed me, it is the fact that they failed to incorporate alcohol to highlight Baili Dongjun's fight scenes toward the climax and finale—an aspect I deem crucial given his self-proclaimed title as the "Liquor Deity." This was actually one of the main reasons I was greatly anticipating the final battle, so not seeing it utilized at the end really disappointed me, as I had been hoping and patiently waiting for it. Aside from that, this story hit the perfect mark for me, especially the poignant, bittersweet ending.
Acting/cast - 10, I am incredibly satisfied with the cast and the overall execution of the actors, especially He Yu (Ye Dingzhi) and Jiang Zhen Yu (Yi Wenjun). They performed really well and truly lived up to the theme and atmosphere of this drama. If there is anyone I want to praise, it is Neo Hou for his stellar performance. I can see no one else who could take over this role aside from him. He was perfect for it—as if it was created and molded for him and him alone.
Music - 10, I love and genuinely enjoy the entire OST. Every track accompanied the scenes it was used in perfectly. I even enjoyed the rap songs, as they greatly complemented the fight scenes by adding a unique energy.
Rewatch Value - 9.5, A drama I would not hesitate to watch again if someone asked me to. The only reason I am not giving it a perfect score is because of the issue I mentioned in the "Story" section of my review. Otherwise, this is truly a time-worthy show.
Overall - 9.5, Despite my issues with this show, I just can't bring myself to give it a score lower than 9.5. After all, it is truly entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent on it.
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
All hail to the most charming and dashing man in all C-dramaland—Neo Hou!
At this point, can we all unanimously agree that Hou Minghao (AKA Neo Hou) is the most effortlessly charismatic and charming actor in the entire C-entertainment industry? His entire personality is imbued with those traits; they are his identity. In all honesty, I have only seen a couple other C-actors—namely Bai Jingting and Zhang Wanyi—with such consistent charm ever since I first got into C-dramas back in 2018. He's just one of a kind—a one-in-a-million guy. He's hot and cool, and he certainly knows it. Furthermore, he knows how to use it by projecting that enchanting appeal to win over the viewers.
What's more is that he blends his actual personality of being a smooth talker, mischievous, and clever—while being extremely good-looking—with the script so seamlessly that the character feels alive, rather than just a written role. I am sure he receives multiple scripts left and right to choose from all the time, and yet no matter what his project is, he never fails to add his own touch to his characters, making them his own. He's smart at picking scripts and knows how to leave a lasting impression by imprinting his trademark personality on every role he plays. It takes a really intelligent and passionate actor to recognize their natural strengths and intentionally weave them into different characters without making every role feel exactly the same. What a truly remarkable man!
"Liquor gives courage to cowards." - Baili Dongjun
Enough of my swooning over Neo Hou—let's dive into the drama itself. I don't have any knowledge of how the manhua was originally written or how it differs from the drama adaptation, so I cannot objectively judge the differences between the two. However, contrary to the unanimously negative reviews here on MDL about the story, I, on the other hand, genuinely liked and enjoyed it.
Although the story was, in fact, jumpy due to time skips and abrupt scene transitions meant to focus on the whereabouts of multiple characters—mostly for the progress of their training and individual journeys—what I liked about it was how they never failed to tie the story together by providing brief flashbacks of how each character's journey went. It greatly helped in keeping the narrative cohesive and engaging, while simultaneously maintaining a sense of progression. In this way, we weren't stuck focusing solely on the main leads' whereabouts; instead, we were kept updated with considerable information and screen time for the supporting roles as well.
At first, I was perplexed as to why the main protagonists' team was set up to always break apart, going their own ways to pursue their own endeavors—mostly for training and various personal missions—which is different from TBOY, where they are always glued together as a team. However, as time passed, I realized that the decision was actually truly brilliant. Not only were they able to receive training according to their strengths and expertise, but they also gained experience for themselves. If the main group had stayed glued to Baili Dongjun's side the entire time, their individual cultivation and personal journeys would have been entirely overshadowed by his massive main-character trajectory. Therefore, letting them split up to face their own distinct hurdles separately is exactly what allowed them to grow into legendary figures in their own right.
Ultimately, this made me appreciate that they had their own paths to take and did not always come together, except during the most challenging times. Furthermore, it made me realize how consistent the story was, because the narrative stayed cohesive and intact until the end despite them not being together all the time. This is especially impressive considering the fact that there are many characters with different personalities within the story that they had to establish and develop. In the end, I have to give it to the writers for successfully pulling that off and preventing any unintentional plot holes from arising in the story.
In regard to the climax and ending, in my honest opinion, they were impressively and satisfyingly executed. Although typical drama tropes were incorporated towards the end, the good thing is they were kept to a bare minimum, staying well within the boundaries of logical sense. The buildup for Ye Dingzhi's arc was carefully laid out from the start, as the creators allotted sufficient time for his plot to progress and develop leading up to the climax. It felt planned, unlike some dramas out there that casually throw cliche plots at the audience one after another out of nowhere. As a result, watching the climax unfold was never a jarring surprise or a problem at all; rather, it was a matter of anticipating which direction the writers were going to drive the story in order to move it forward, and for that, I'd say it was satisfyingly done. I also liked how Baili Dongjun remained true and loyal to his ways, doing everything he could to protect Ye Dingzhi despite the expectations placed upon him until the very end.
Let me just add here how incredibly satisfying it was to see how merciless and unforgiving Ye Dingzhi was toward the Tianwaitian (Sky Beyond) folks when he took his revenge and attacked them. Well deserved!
If there's one major factor that made me totally addicted and fully engrossed in this drama, it would be the fun, cheeky, and comical dynamics among the characters, which perfectly matched the main lead's personality. I loved how playful and humorous most of the characters were, and how they perfectly balanced the overall atmosphere of the show. This completely aligned with and truly captured my taste.
One thing I was disappointed about was when the story suddenly treated the wine aspect as a mere aesthetic—after he defeated and outbrewed Wine Master Zhuo Mo's Qiulu Bai—rather than a core part of Baili Dongjun's combat style. All this time, I really expected the story to highlight his fighting prowess, similar to the classic 'Drunken Fist' or a martial art that directly utilizes his intoxication to match his Liquor Deity identity. However, towards the end, that concept was completely neglected. They just let him drink for a 'feel-good' sensation, while solely focusing on conventional fight scenes where he wielded a sword like every other high-level master. This is why, by the finale, I felt like he resembled a Sword Deity more than a Liquor Deity.
I also want to mention how pissed off I am at the viewers blaming Yi Wenjun. The hatred is being misdirected towards a pitiful woman yet again. She was forced into a marriage but still tried her best to escape with all her might. When she finally escaped and was living a fulfilling life with Ye Dingzhi, she was then poisoned, which disrupted her rational thinking and allowed her to be dragged back to the capital. Then, during the ending, she was threatened using both of her sons, leaving her with no choice but to go back to the palace. Instead of blaming her, why not blame the manipulative and deceptive individuals—namely Emperor Tai'An, Prince Jingyu, Prince Qing, and the scoundrels in Tianwaitian (Sky Beyond)?
Finally, in regard to the power scaling, I was actually very confused at first. Since it has been a long time since I watched The Blood of Youth, I could not totally recall how their power ranking system works. However, as I spent time analyzing and observing the information, I realized that everything was accurate. At one point, I was so confused when they ranked both Baili Dongjun and Ye Dingzhi as number one, yet they kept getting defeated by their seniors and other powerful figures. But I later realized that there are different categories of ranking: the Liangyu Bang (Refined Jade Ranking) for the younger generation of martial artists, and the Guanjue Bang (Conqueror's Ranking) for masters and older generations. I am adding this here just in case someone is still bothered or confused about it.
Finally, I want to commend the drama's outstanding cinematography, CGI, and sound effects. The fight scenes felt remarkably powerful and impactful, largely due to the seamless integration of visual effects.
P.S. I just want to give a huge shout-out to the coolest figure in the entire Dashing Youth universe, Li Chang Sheng. The man is single-handedly dealing with high-level masters, breaking the power scaling of the universe, and treating the Emperor like a minor inconvenience while casually rewriting the rules of the martial world. He is a true immortal whom no one can best in the story's timeline.
"I am an Immortal. A mortal emperor like you should stop bothering me." - Li Chang Sheng to Emperor Tai'An
Story - 9.5, I admire how the story stayed consistent and cohesive despite a jumpy plot driven by a large ensemble cast. Even though I had issues with the power scaling during the middle of the story, I was able to resolve them after further analysis. If there is one factor that particularly disappointed me, it is the fact that they failed to incorporate alcohol to highlight Baili Dongjun's fight scenes toward the climax and finale—an aspect I deem crucial given his self-proclaimed title as the "Liquor Deity." This was actually one of the main reasons I was greatly anticipating the final battle, so not seeing it utilized at the end really disappointed me, as I had been hoping and patiently waiting for it. Aside from that, this story hit the perfect mark for me, especially the poignant, bittersweet ending.
Acting/cast - 10, I am incredibly satisfied with the cast and the overall execution of the actors, especially He Yu (Ye Dingzhi) and Jiang Zhen Yu (Yi Wenjun). They performed really well and truly lived up to the theme and atmosphere of this drama. If there is anyone I want to praise, it is Neo Hou for his stellar performance. I can see no one else who could take over this role aside from him. He was perfect for it—as if it was created and molded for him and him alone.
Music - 10, I love and genuinely enjoy the entire OST. Every track accompanied the scenes it was used in perfectly. I even enjoyed the rap songs, as they greatly complemented the fight scenes by adding a unique energy.
Rewatch Value - 9.5, A drama I would not hesitate to watch again if someone asked me to. The only reason I am not giving it a perfect score is because of the issue I mentioned in the "Story" section of my review. Otherwise, this is truly a time-worthy show.
Overall - 9.5, Despite my issues with this show, I just can't bring myself to give it a score lower than 9.5. After all, it is truly entertaining, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent on it.
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
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