Worth the watch -a spoilerless review.

A drama the hits all the points needed

Characters that have clear motivations and are fleshed out, flaws and all...mostly

A secondary, third and fourth story lines that don't disappoint or end without conclusions.

An OTP that seem to genuinely like each other, realistically tease each other and talk out their difficulties

Music that doesn't overwhelm a scene

Female characters that talk to each other beyond what the men are doing and are shown as equal in capabilities across the whole.

What I didn't like

That ending though.....Come on C-drama land....make up your mind. Take my advice and don't watch the last 5-6 minutes of the ending episode. Just say "The End" and it's perfect.....lol

They should've made one standout character a eunuch, sterile or gave a reasonable explanation for his decisions towards the end because what they were working with, ain't it.....You can't change my mind on this

Dude that shows up with his little almond eyes......is typecasted af.... you know his character is up to no good because it's him and that's all this dude plays......boooooo!

A few first episodes that bog you down with the "intrigue" that isn't. I know where they were going with this and it was more of a good riddance in execution instead of appreciation of an up-front plot twist and red herring because they nearly bore you to death with it. I know many dropped the drama because of this...lol and had to be pulled back in when things start revving up.

The worst date night option before a big "we all might die battle" in the history of drama land....try to change my mind in the comments...lol. I don't see how they didn't get tired with all that pounding and pounding and heat and sweat...OMG!

A second lead without any growth and doesn't make sense.....It's like yea yeah we get it, now you get over it, we're all over it and then wait you're doing it again and getting everyone shot in the a$$....wth. It's like they wrote the character as a catalyst for some other stuff to happen gave him growth and forgot, then shoehorned the BS in when IT IS NOT NEEDED!
Legit not needed at all, they're at war, the setup is already there, bad luck and bad things happen. they could've left it at that. But no, no no, they got us saying "really brah?" and for what?.....and then it happens again. Make it make sense

I wanted the cat to be part of the group, where is the cat!

Some of us watched this like crack while it aired, you can read the drama's page on MDL to support that...lol
Rewatch value...hmmn, I don't know. You may find yourself going back to episodes for special moments or to remember what was mentioned while watching further episodes.....but that ending though....lol

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All fun and games 'til someone loses an arm then you want many characters to die....No, Really!

How do I forget thee, let me count the ways.....

This drama is guilty of having the first few episodes written by one writer to hook you in, then makes fun of itself towards the middle-end. After watching this you'll forget what it's about.

The setup is the same ultra-special super premier and seemingly only wizard/pugilist/sect-driven school where only the best of the best from each clan/sect/martial art style, that sometimes hate each other, gather to be taught by the best of the best.

And as we know the best of the best, teaching the best of the best always get their butts handed to them when the looked down upon bad guys that weren't invited to the reindeer games show up and do bad things.....

The List
The teachers suck and can't protect anything
The mean girl gets away with everything, publicly even with the sacred and strict rules centuries unbroken rules.
You'll remember only how this drama started and forget what it was about.
You'll wonder why some of these students were let in in the first place after all the buildup.
If someone is so super special high kungfu, why do they need to enroll in the school anyway?
Did I say the teachers suck?
Someone loses an arm and the stupidity doesn't stop there.
You'll be able to pinpoint which episode you'll start to not care anymore.
Worst use of Eeyore's power not power that includes noble idiocy that was clearly meant to be an emotional moment but, leaves you staring with your mouth open in disbelief. Then, you'll laugh instead of cry or maybe do both, in hysteria because you wasted your time on a well-acted crap drama but you're already more than 24hrs in.
Not a good drama for body positivity. They could've left two of the characters in the so-called "less desirable" state and made a statement.
I can't remember, but, what are escorting guards and soldiers for?

The highlights
1. The leads commit to the nonsense, especially the male lead. So glad he's not making "money for momo (or whatever) anymore. But, then you never know there might be a part 3 of the other drama he did twice.
2. Comic relief friend and smirky smurf steal the show.
3. The first episodes, hell anything leading up to before they enter the school. In fact, skip the school and think of any other drama like this were main chick is constantly setup, challenged, or harmed. Then watch the last two episodes.

Recommending this to anyone who needs something to watch in between their currently airing ones to use up some time. I finished this drama a week ago and forgot there was an unwanted marriage involved. That's how forgettable this drama is.

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This was cute and easy to watch. Just leave your brain behind and you won't be disappointed.

A universe is setup that leaves a lot of questions with unsatisfying answers to most while others are forgotten.
The transition from comic scenes to off-stage was well-done and thought out. It is almost a character itself as it lends the tension needed to drive the feeling of unpredictable and unfair world these characters inhabited.

Near the ending episodes you'll wonder why you liked it as much as you did.

Skip it if the teen scene isn't your thing and read the manhwa instead.

Watching once was enough. I honestly don't remember the ending. Totally forgettable.

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Okay,
A lot of people slept on this drama because the writer is a complete nut that is infamously known for wack plots and nepotism. But, this easily in my top 20 and one of the 10 I recommend for anyone dipping their toe in the kdrama world for the first time.
Bad stuff first:
Slow start. Give it the necessary 8-10 for the real fun to start.
There's a F-ing ghost and not a good one, like why?.... The writer, that's why.
Dumb af birth secret you realize you don't care about and then they give you another one.
Sung Hoon's acting, most are more than a little green be he stands out as the worst in the beginning.
Eeyore gets a hairdo and it ain't pretty.
Her other choice of ...~cough~ partner...~gross~.

The good stuff:
Sung Hoon takes a shower.
Chock full of madness to make you yell at the screen and tell off the jerk of a male lead who really gets pulled through the wringer, deservedly so.
Sung Hoon takes his shirt off and starts yelling about how much he loves you and wrong for everything.
The male lead actually shows growth as a character without just waking up one day with a change of heart.
Sung Hoon crashes your Skank-wedding, sorry "Courtesan-Wedding"
The lead female isn't a doormat either.
Sung Hoon is all Boo-hoo at your feet begging you to take him back.

Rewatch factor: High.
I have found myself rewatching this one when I'm in a drama slump or I need to wash the sting of a disappointing drama from my mind. So at least 5 times that I've watched this one.

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It's an okay movie, that you don't have to see.

Unless, you are a Lee Joon fan; then you have to see this.

Watch an obvious virgin mimic sex acts that are beyond his scope of understanding.

The rest of Joonie's acting is decent with what he was given and all the other actors did as expected.

The story, not so original but well shot. The overall feel is like a low budget lifetime movie.

Like a pot of red beans that you just made and served up, though you know it would taste better the next day.

Maybe they should've waited til the next day or theweek after to get the editing right. Or just cut Joonie's sex scenes altogether.

Watch it because you're Joonie's fan and you want to see all his work; or his disappointing untoned butt.

Watch it because your bored and want to add a completed title to the list.

And then, don't watch it again.

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Look. This drama is what it is and knows it.

Don't take it seriously and you'll find yourself entertained.

Gui Gui plays Gui Gui as only Gui can do. (She's so cute).

Zhang Han plays Zhang Han like he does in just about every other show he's in.

Watch it because you want to see these actors in nonsense that make sense when you know you're watching nonsense.

This is Boys Over Flowers meets the Power Rangers and makes a drama trope cupcake with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Would I watch it again? Yes, but, I'm not bored enough with my life yet.

Would I recommend it to others? Yes, with reservations, because it's a hot mess and it knows it. A good drama to watch with friends.

Rated a 7 for entertainment value alone because even the boyfriend got into throwing popcorn, making the case for a romance switch among characters and yelling "Oh my Gawd". He even had found the decorations for these so-called grown men's bedroom up for debate.

Enjoy!

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When Actors Out-Act the Script

Unpopular opinion: Don't watch this, like don't

Kudos to the cast for working through the material that they had. Everyone from the youngest child to the senior citizens brought their A-Game to make this work......and it doesn't.

I hate this for the leads, though this is definitely NOT the worst dramas that any of them have been in...It's the most ambitiously produced.

This drama would've fared so much better as an experiment in the actors ad-libbing the ENTIRE thing. No joke, the whole drama in its entirety based on whatever the actor felt the character would've said in that moment.

Lore, tribal conflicts and faction power fights all get messy in the worst way as more characters and additional problem setups continue to add on up to the final episodes.

You'll experience moments of spontaneous "who the heck is he?" along with "again?"

A hero that doesn't seem all that convincing as to what and whom he's being a hero for and why....lol.
A fortress with the worst security ever
A prophecy that is only 10% truth, with it's chosen mouthpiece and participants being in on the joke and adjustments follow.
A big bad that isn't really in the end.
A whole species setup that's literally made unimportant...like meh, ya'lls like Ego-takes or whatevahs...lol
A setup for a 3rd season, that makes no sense in motivation, I have a feeling none of the actors will sign up for without some serious compensation.
Bad camera angles in "chaotic mob" scenes....literally 20-30 people in huge spaces. There are ways to shoot these to give the feel there are more people than that.
When you're in the middle third of this you realize all of the conflict could've been handled with out all the fighting.
You get sick of hearing Tagon's name.....
And are the Neandathals speaking spanish? And they only had makeup for 3?....lol. I can't with this drama
At least they have plenty of leftover rags for a historical drama.
....mask boy was better masked and without speaking, holy cow a missed opportunity there and would've made his story more impactful.

If you insist, watch without sound or subtitles. the episodes do sooooo much better without whatever they think is supposed to be happening.

Last but not least....mask boy was better masked and without speaking, holy cow a missed opportunity there and would've made his story more impactful.

D-
because there are worse dramas out there

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Enjoyable for what it is, just know that going in

I kept my expectations low and was happy that way.

This is fluff nonsense. The same that keeps being pumped out on the regular every season. Which leaves you with a story that's instantly recognizable and unpredictable.

As you watch it, you'll know what comes next like one of those books read by kids that let you choose "if "A" happens then "D" will happen or if "B" happens then "C".

What it does well is set-up a been done storyline in a way that takes itself seriously enough without taking itself to seriously wit a tighter script than some other much-hyped pieces of the same genre.

Complaints:
The supporting cast acts circles around the main leads. Especially, the ML in the initial episodes as his plastic surgery may be the culprit and his face need bigger emotional expressions to translate....anything. This doesn't happy until the boy starts getting happy and that takes a while.

Annoying plant deities that aren't worth anything, when we already have another annoying tagalong in the "spirit" realm.

2nd leads father and all the opportunities he's given to cause havoc, even after escaping an automatic death sentence.

First time I've seen the Off to Lead a Battle march needing their horse to be guided by someone else.

A "kingdom" that's almost as low budget as the show. "Herbal Lord" seems to have too many job duties.

Pros:
Tight enough writing, that allows you to forgive its many shortcomings.

No long, overly drawn-out scenes of bad guys performing bad things, to then discuss the foiled plans of bad things.

ML smile

Plenty of kisses

How they work in the humor at the innocence of the FL without being icky. Though they forget she's not supposed to know about how such things are conducted towards the last episodes. This is one thing that stuck out for me.


Final:
This was the okayest waste of time I've had in a while. Could I watch it again? Maybe if between dramas or episode days for something else. Would I recommend to someone new to Cdramas? No.

The rating is for what it is, a good crappy drama, and that's okay.


















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I'm not going to lie, I dropped this drama somwhere in the last 10 ep, when I realized I was watching a wash and repeat of the same self-inflicted angst caused by our pouty king.
 If you're a fan of this genre and are immune or enjoy endings that are meant to piss you off, this is the one.
 If you are new to this kinda stuff, don't feel guilty ff through second lead jerk-face's scenes. You'll still get the idea of what's going on Ff bith hs scenes and what I call "The bad people plotting/doing/discussing the bad things'. I swear the second leads story arc despite the head-scratching simple conflict of the OTP, is the weakest and somewhat unnecessary part of the show.
I found it evtertaing until a certain point, then I just wanted to know how it ended, which as you either know or will find , a lot of stuff is given in the open/ending credits.
I wouldn't watch it again and would only recommend to the male lead's an without reservations. He did look good in this.
Other than this, I wouldn't recommend this drama to those new to historical Chinese shows, under any circumstance. 

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Drama starts out with all the right elements then, gets into a spin cycle of something that can't be identified in words beyond 'suck' ; but you don't want to admit to it.

I dropped this drama at ep 16 and realized I did the same with Seung Gi's last drama. I don't remember if the Hong sisters were involved but, the Donkey Kong ball setup in the Gu Book was too much for me.

Back to this drama though, I dropped this drama after I realized I wasn't enjoying the episodes as much as I thought I was. This usually happens for me after I finish a series a month or so after, not while watching.

watch this as filler while waiting for you main drama to come on.

I wouldn't recommend it.

*Edit* I came back to see how it ended.....I wish I hadn't. All this talk of prophecy and a big bad to do nothing but piss you off in disbelief. Don't watch this!!

A bunch of charming magical characters surrounding another boring heroine isn't worth it, especially with such a poorly executed story. Hong sisters, ya wrong for this.

Watch this mess and you'll see I'm right but, remember, I warned you. Dropping this from a 6 to a 4.5 because you should only watch it if you are a fan of the actors and want to watch all of that person's work.

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For fans of the original Nirvana in Fire, don't go into this thinking it's a sequel as billed and you'll be happier.

This drama, while billed as a sequel, shouldn't be. It just the same universe. One of the cute kids that were trained to fight in the first Nirvana, is now the father of the main characters.

Those who haven't watched the first Nirvana, you don't need to watch it to understand this one.

What I liked? Just about everything though, I did fast forward on "bad guys, plotting, bad things again" stuffs, especially around the 30ish episodes.

This drama has an excellent blend of serious and humorous  moments that  don't seem shoehorned in.

If you've already watched a few dramas in this drama I would recommend watching this one without reservations. It's that entertaining.

What I didnt like and I know it's going to make people mad....Xioming's face

Obviously he had some more work done so I spent most of his first few episodes onscreen being distracted by his new squarer face. I couldn't put my finger on it but then I was reminded of Luo Jin  from Princess Wei Young and how much his face had squared since Diamond Lover.

But, it looks good on him. So, congrats to his doctor, I'm just going to miss that seriously chiseled butt-chin of his.

I wouldn't watch it again but, that's because dramas like these aren't really my thing.

I wouldn't recommend this to someone completely new to the genre.

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It's an okay drama. Something to watch to pass the time, like finding one of those random shows on Netflix, because you have a coupla hours to spare. Draws you in the first handful of episodes then, drops you in a mildly entertaining barrel of suck...and you'll still watch.
Would recommend for those in between dramas or want to take a break from the regular fare.
I would not recommend to those new to kdramas.
Not worth rewatching, unless you want to see our elf prince in regular clothes. Great ensemble cast. Just wish those who were meant to be badass actually got to show more than once.

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