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Perfection! So, so much to say ... I have seen this dozens of times. Why? .....

The characters were beautiful, each and every one of them. The story is about soulmates.
Wei Wuxian who fights for everything, for those who cannot fight for themselves.
Lan Zhan fights for righteousness and the people he loves.
Even though their stories intersect and part at times, they come back together to fight for each other.
The story is about cultivators who yearn for power and discard those who have more than they do, out of fear, jealousy, selfishness and hatred, about sacrificing anyone just to be the strongest and rule all others.

OST, unforgettable
Acting, fabulous
Cast, perfection

Wei Wuxian ... was such a beautiful soul who endured so much hardship. It was impossible not to fall in love with his kindness, and how carefree and selfless he was. Watching him go through such an arduous past and his eventual journey was heartbreaking. He loved causing trouble and having fun. When he met Lan Zhan, he knew instantly that he wanted to be close to him. He felt the connection and wanted to hold on to it, at all costs. Things unfortunately took a turn, his selflessness causing him to lose his core and his drive causing him to turn to dark arts. He endured the torture that came with learning such cultivation to help and save all others. Sadly, he was spurned because of his power, his personality, his generosity, and his beautiful heart. Wei Ying wanted to help those who were suffering and chose to separate himself from those who did not and would not see reason, not just for himself and those he wanted to protect but also his remaining family. When he saw people, he loved fall and those who were supposed to uphold the law and fight for the weak eventually turned against reason. He could no longer see himself in that world, so he chose to part from it.
Coming back weaker, he still wanted to fight, still wanted to be the one to save those in need. He came across a group of people who could actually see the light and treat him with love and respect. Going through all that he had, he finally had people that would fight for him and protect him. Being back with Lan Zan and seeing how much he cared, trusted and stood alongside him, gave him hope. Even though he left at the end, to make sense of the years he had lived, he came back, to the people who cared for him, to Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan was very strong-willed. He saw things in black and white and always lived up to his elders and clan members' ideas of righteousness ... until he met Wei Wuxian who was so carefree and unrestrained. He wanted to help, care, trust Wei Wuxian and lead him to the right path only to eventually see that things were not so rigid, that the world was grey, and Wei Wuxian was just as righteous, even more so than those he looked up to. It was hard for Lan Zhan to break from the path he had known his whole life, but he wanted to protect Wei Wuxian, breaking from convention. The first time he thought he had lost his soulmate (fell into the Burial Mounds), he was in pain, angry and lost. The second time he thought he had lost Wei Wuxian (to dark cultivation), he was scared and felt hopeless but determined to fight and bring him back into the light. The third time (sacrificed himself and fell from the cliff) he was heartbroken and his soul ached, but he still did not give up on Wei Wuxian and once he found him again, he needed to hold tight and protect and care for him. The last time (when they parted at the end of the story), he was regretful and longed for Wei Wuxian to stay but accepted what needed to be done and the parting that needed to take place. Lan Zhan had to turn the cultivation world back into those who fought for the right path. Hoping that Wei Wuxian would return one day ... and eventually he did. True soulmates.

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Acting was very good.

But it lacked depth. I believe, with the premise/story line, it could have and should have gone deeper, darker, more mysterious, and showed more of the human psyche. I think it would have been better if the audience was pulled into the intrigue, instead of wallowing in frustration.

I didn't feel the characters, I was only shown their reactions and actions, so there was no way for me to feel compassion or anger or any emotion that would draw me into the story.

A good drama has multiple layers; audience members can peel away those layers. Sadly, this show was obvious from the very first episode. To put it plainly, it had no depth. Could have been so much better.

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My #1 Show. Heartbreakingly beautiful. Watched many. many times.

I think this show, ended the way it needed to, even if it hurt to watch. Beautiful OST

I found this hard to review because there was so much involved. So many characters with so much depth.

Xiao Yao was such a strong and independent character. She had spirit and intelligence but was less so in the second half of the show, I truly believe it was because she was safe and finally had people who would love and protect her. The hardships she had to endure in her youth, skewed her take on healthy relationships and her fight and flight response squashed any ability to really love and let herself go. As an audience, that was hard to watch.

Xiyan Cang Xuans' character was so intense and had so many layers, he was very strong willed. He built up such an obsession mixed with guilt, duty, and love. You could see how his character slowly slipped into misery and pain, yet he held tight to Xiao Yao. He hated himself because he knew he could never be with her, and he blamed his choices for that loss. It was heartbreaking for him.

Tushan Jing was an interesting character. He was scared, yet constrained, but vulnerable because of the betrayal and hate that was shown to him by those that were supposed to love him. He almost lost Xiao Yao because of his uncertainty and fear, but he was the one who finally gave up everything to be with her.

Now for the hard part .... Xiang Liu ... a complex character, just haunting and unforgettable. He was living a life of sacrifice but was blindsided by love. As a nine-headed snake his instinct is to be the one who is feared, who fights for what he wants. He begrudgingly starts to have feelings and develops a conscience, so his character sees a lot of growth. He is intelligent, resourceful, but stubborn, and narcissistic. He slowly realized his love for Xiao Yao and that terrified him because he was vulnerable. There was a moment when he thought they could be together and realize their true feelings but was told they could never and should never be together. Instead of running away, he made sure Xiao Yao would be loved and protected for the rest of her life. Even though it seemed he picked his own death, instead of Xiao Yao, he picked her happiness above his own.

Xiao Yao knew Xiang Liu was in love with her; he knew she deeply loved him but they both knew they would and could never be together.

Truly Lost Forever.

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One of my comfort shows

The 2 MLs had so much chemistry; their friendship/brotherhood/romance was mature yet playful, deep and meaningful. They had their differences, they disagreed but there was not a forced, prolonged separation thrown into this show, instead the characters were intelligent, patient and understanding and that is satisfying to watch. The fight scenes were beautiful, well-choreographed, and the music was well suited to the scenes. The costumes and coloring were also great. I enjoyed the flirtation throughout and found it refreshing to see.

It gets a little tiring to watch CDramas where the FL and the ML hate, flirt, fight, love and live happily ever after ... Sometimes it comes off a little too forced, but this show was refreshingly funny and cute.

You can have the biggest budget, the best storyline, BUT. If your leads are not well written and loved, then the show will fail. The 2 leads in Word of Honor ... made the show.

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