For how short of money this series was, I didn't expect such an explosion of beauty on screen. I don't just mean the actors^^, but the overall cinematography, color schemes, dance-like fight sequences, flowy vibrant clothing... The main director said in an interview that to him this story was about two desperate people, who come from very dark places, finding light in each other. And this motif of seeking light and hope, sun and warmth is one of my favourite visual and storytelling themes in this series. But there is so much more to unpack here with foreshadowing, hidden clues, overdubbed lines as well as poetry, culture and classic Wuxia references galore!

I couldn't be happier that the entire team seemingly embraced the danmei origins of this story and didn't try to twist it into something else. WOH remains first and foremost a love story told in a very poetic and emotional way, with heaps of flirting, play fighting, sarcasm, sparkling banter and smouldering chemistry. Though the last six episodes are very rushed and a bit of an illogical mess, all in all, the witty and insighful script is definitely one of the series' strongest points. The other is quality of acting, which is good overall and outstanding when it comes to the main leads! I love the subtleties in Zhang Zhehan's acting, turning from stone-faced to mischievous, with the long, fond looks and small teasing smiles. Gong Jun was brilliant in the high-impact emotional scenes (he does vulnerability so well!), and had this charisma on screen as Wen Kexing that was very compelling.

Altogether, this is a beautifully shot Wuxia tale brimming with humour and feels, made with a lot of careful thought and effort, worth many rewatches.