Accomplishment? What accomplishment?

Yes, there's a fudanshi bartender, but what accomplishment does he have besides fantasizing about his colleagues and customers? Perhaps the way he perseveres despite reality disrupting his fantasies is an accomplishment? We only have two episodes, and the two episodes seem like the beginning of something that has a chance of becoming interesting in a quirky way. However, unfortunately, the two episodes are everything we get. In the end, we are just left wondering what the point of it all is.

If the fudanshi's fantasies are particularly interesting, it would at least be something. Unfortunately, it seems more like we are supposed to laugh at him and his fantasies rather than to indulge in them together with him. I think most fujoshis and fudanshis are better off fantasizing on their own. It's not as if we could get much vicarious enjoyment from his fantasies. All in all, a rather weird two episodes, and not in a good way.

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Likable series with a lot of wasted potential

I really enjoyed about two-thirds of this series and was just ok with the last one-third or so.

At first, the series is a nice balance between being light-hearted and serious. Bai Lang's psychological issues and the dentist Jin Xun An's growing concern and attraction for him is sweet without being banal. The back story of Xun An's previous relationship is also nicely done (at first).

Unfortunately, at some point in the series, something goes wrong. I think it starts being somewhat perplexing when Bai Lang (who wants to reject Xun An's love at first because of his own psychological issues) starts behaving as though he does not know whether Xun An likes him.

I also think the series becomes much less interesting about the time the main couple become a couple. First, we have the strange objection of Bai Lang's sister to the relationship and then her change of heart, which is almost as sudden. Then we have the objection of Xun An's father--taken on its own, it doesn't seem to bad, but it feels out of place in the series. It feels as though the story is continued for the sake of being continued.

I also don't know why there seems to be a compulsion to squeeze in as many couples as possible when there is obviously not going to be time to give the other couples enough attention. In the end, we have two other BL couples and one straight couple thrown without contributing much to the series.

There are moments I like, such as how the story veers dangerously close to clichés but doesn't degenerate into clichés. At one point, I was thinking that Xun An's ex, in telling Bai Lang about the foods that Xun An does not eat, would cause Bai Lang to be so insecure that it causes a break-up, but it doesn't happen. I was also half expecting Bai Lang to see Xun An together with his ex (of sorts) and misunderstand Xun An. Thankfully, it doesn't happen either. And yet, I'm not sure whether to give credit to the writer(s) for this. Perhaps there is simply an aversion to heightening the tension in the story further. All too often, things get serious but then fizzle out quickly. In a way, this is both the strength and the weakness of the series.

With a better focus on the main couple and a greater willingness to delve into how Bai Lang's psychological issues could pose a problem in the relationship, the story would have been much stronger. Sure, some of the light-heartedness would be lost, but it would still be possible to have the same happy ending while making the story more moving.

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Cute, funny at times, but needs something that shines

Roommates of Poongduck 304 is generally lighthearted, so lighthearted that the emotional ups and downs seem to have been deliberately compressed. The BL couple, Ho Joon and Jae Yoon, is cute and likable. Despite having something like an enemies-to-lovers plot (actually more like enemies-to-friends-to-lovers), the "enemies" part of the story seems slightly muted, like many other things in the story. This may well be a good thing because the two characters are, ultimately, not awful people. The "enemies" part of the story isn't exaggerated, so the characters' behaviors are not really toxic either. They are bother rather lovable without being ridiculously nice people.

Yet, there are a lot of emotions on the part of the characters that seem somewhat muted. Jae Yoon, for instance, has been in love with a friend who is merely out to exploit him. Eventually Jae Yoon finds out that this "friend" of his not only regards him as an fool but has also told others about him and saved his contact on his phone as Fool. Of course, Jae Yoon is devastated--but the emotions did not seem to have been the focus. There isn't even a scene in which Ho Joon finds out about this and tries to comfort him. And then Jae Yoon seems to get over it quickly. Sure, he is probably already in love with Ho Joon. (But notice that I said "probably"? There isn't that much clarity here, and if he has been already in love with Ho Joon, why does he still seem so concerned about his crush?)

Sometimes the lack of in-your-face depictions of relationships is really good. For instance, we know early on that Jae Yoon is in love with his "friend" because of how possessive he is of the chocolates given to him by this "friend". We also see that Ho Joon finds out that Jae Yoon is in love with that awful friend (because he is offered the same chocolates, supposedly very special, by the same person). I like how Ho Joon doesn't use the secret or the fact that Jae Yoon is gay against him even when they are in the "enemies" stage of their relationship. It shows something about his fundamental goodness. And despite being one of those straight-man-who-falls-in-love-with-a-guy characters in BL, at least Ho Joon doesn't have a moment of exaggerated gay panic. He seems to be in denial when a friend of his suggests that he is in love, but he doesn't assert his heterosexuality or claim that it's not true simply because Jae Yoon is a man.

Given a few more episodes, perhaps the series would have been even better, with more space for the emotional ups and downs of the characters. There could have been more time spent on the progress of their relationship before Jae Yoon finds out about that Ho Joon is actually the son of the President of the company they are working in and decides to leave him. The ending feels a little hurried although it is rather well made given the limitations.

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Beautiful, in an understated way

The cliché "deceptively simple" comes to mind as I thought about this series after watching several episodes. On the surface, the story is simple: Si Won, an attractive guy who is too eager to be popular because of his insecurities, meets Da Woon, who seems to be effortlessly perfect and popular (but who, quite clearly faces issues too). Si Won feels threatened by Da Woon in a way, but the tensions between them is not exaggerated in the way one would expect in some enemies-to-lovers plot. In fact, there is a hint of mutual attraction the first time the two guys meet each other, and Da Woon clearly harbors no hostility towards Si Won.

It is not the first time that we see a BL couple who are film students, but it is one of the times when this fact is used well. Scenes from the film that Si Won makes, with just a few snippets as a film-within-a-film, effectively and economically reveals something about his relationship with his mother--the viewer may not have expected the revelation, but when it is revealed, the viewer may just go, "Oh yeah, why didn't I see it?" The mother, and not just the bullies Si Won encounters as a child, may have contributed to Si Won's insecurities by emphasizing to him as a child that people judge others by their looks and indirectly but frequently reminding him that people may look at their family differently because it's a single-parent family (the father having left the family when Si Won is a kid).

What is also hinted at is the relationship Si Won's sister has with both her parents as her mother accusingly talks (off screen) about how she isn't sufficiently against her father. Yet, even if the family is somewhat dysfunctional, it isn't a stereotypically dysfunctional family. Like every family, it may have its problems. However, the members of the family also do care about one another and do things for one another. The portrayal of the characters' relationships is, thus, sensitive and nuanced. This is quite rare for BL series, which often focus on the relationship of the BL couple at the expense of making other relationships simplistic. I guess this also enhances the so-called rewatch value of the series because there is a lot we can get with an additional viewing.

There is also much to like about the story of the BL couple. Many will appreciate how the main problem in their relationship isn't the fact that they are both men, a third party or some silly misunderstanding. There is growth in the characters, forgiveness and a happy ending that isn't plain fluff.

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Enjoyable watch but not the most riveting story

At the beginning of the first episode, the protagonist says that one of the three people he is photographing is his first love. That's a nice introduction to the series because it is all about who the "first love" is--and since there is a "first love," is there also a second one?

The one who the protagonist will end up with becomes rather easy to guess quite early on (even if one is really unable to guess, one could just look at the list of actors and make a guess). And yet, the story quite deftly maintains the possibility that it's possible for the first love to be the other person.

Yes, there is a love triangle, but I'm glad it's hard to simply hate one of the three guys in the love triangle. The four main male characters are each lovable in his own way, and the main source of tension comes from, what else but a jealous girl. Then again, the girl doesn't turn out to be that bad. In fact, no one turns out to be that bad, which is either good or bad for the story, depending on whether you prefer fluff or a more realistic storyline.

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Better than expected

There are so many things that can go wrong with this series, but thankfully it ends up being quite nicely put together despite having some flaws.

The first time the protagonist, Q, meets X (in a toilet), it's obvious that X has a crush on him. But the flaws with the series also start here. Given that X is quite obviously interested in Q, why does he purposely do things to antagonize Q (including making fun of his penis size)? And then Q's behavior is also potentially toxic: because X challenges him to try to get Mook, a female schoolmate, to invite him (Q) to an event, Q has to pretend to be a fan of Mook's and feign interest in her online. He even delegates this pretense of interest to his friends since no one can tell that someone is posting stuff on his behalf. In a way, Q and his friends are lying to Mook and trying to manipulate her feelings. (It is thus rather ironic that later, in a misunderstanding, Q thinks that X and Mook are in cahoots to lie to him/toy with his feelings.)

Yet, X and Q manage to be fairly likable. Q doesn't really mean any harm, and he also doesn't really care that much about winning the bet with X. I like how the X and Q romance doesn't follow an enemies-to-lovers plot. Q just naturally falls in love as he spends more time with X.

Oddly enough, Q's mother and uncle (who are side characters) are the ones who are portrayed with some level of complexity. Q's mother, who gives the impression of being fine with gay people since she has no issues with her gay brother, turns out to have concerns that her son is gay. Yet, she isn't entirely homophobic either, and her brother is able to persuade her to be more accepting. Q's uncle, who initially seems to be a bad joke (he's "Uncle Man" but he isn't exactly manly, haha), doesn't end up being a flat character created simply for the sake of humor. He can be serious too, and in many ways, he's the most sensible person in the whole series, giving sound advice to others despite his personal problems (like his father's inability to accept him for being gay).

The interactions between X and Q are cute and sweet without being cloying. Although the misunderstanding in the final episode seems a little forced (like the predictable break-up scene that happens in the penultimate episodes of many series), the way the misunderstanding is cleared up is quite nicely done. In the end, we can forgive a lot of flaws because X and Q are characters who are easy to like, and the two actors look good together.

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Not a very ambitious BL, but it offers a lot of sweetness

If you are going to make a BL and you aren't too ambitious about breaking new ground but just want to make something cute and sweet, you make something like this.

The Kim/Mek story isn't all that impressive. In fact, I thought the series would end in Episode 6 as I was watching it. The turns in the story after that seem a little forced, but I'm not really here for a great story to begin with. Although a lot of people don't seem to like the way the series starts, I find the first six episodes more energetic and coherent. This fujoshi university chancellor (or whatever her position is) practically abuses her power to make Kim/Mek create BL content. There is some parody of BL scenarios, but the series itself is full of such scenarios anyway (like the couple falling down and kissing each other as a result). After Episode 6, the story remains lighthearted but seems to take a different turn. Nevertheless, the second half of the series isn't really bad either, especially if the main characters have grown on you.

Although I do like Kim/Mek, my favorite of the four couples is Park/Lee. Apart from one or two parts of the story when they have a silly misunderstanding, they are sweet and supportive of each other. There is a back story of how they met and why they keep their relationship a secret. For a large part of the story, they are the most mature of the couples.

It seems like a lot to have four couples in the story, but I think this is handled pretty well. Each pair is quite distinct and their lives are not so separate that you feel the jump when the story moves from one couple to another. This makes the series better than most series that feature so many couples. There is nothing truly exceptional about this series, but there is always a place for such a lighthearted, generally stress-free BL series.

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Average BL despite the cute leads

The one thing that got my attention throughout the series: Why does Kaownah look so different from the time he was in Tharntype? Is it the filter, the fact that he buffed up somewhat or is it that he has gone under the knife? He looks great here, but I practically can't recognize him (and I actually prefer the way he looked back then).

That said, the Kaownah/Turbo (Ryou/Anda in the story) pairing in this series is rather nice, but the story isn't very strong. The story is fairly predictable, and while I think the actress playing Ryou's ex-manager is quite good, she is over-the-top evil with a comic effect. I think she's told to act this way, but somehow it doesn't gel with the rest of the series.

I don't know how faithful the portrayal of Anda's parents is to the original source. But it looks as though the writers can't decide whether they are terrible parents or understanding parents, and has simply to make them both, but at different points. On the one hand, they try to force Anda to join the entertainment industry when he obviously doesn't want to. The father even goes to the extent of tearing out a kissing scene from the script of an ad so that Anda would go along with the filming without knowing it. On the other hand, they seem to accept their children's relationship choices (not just the fact that they are in same-sex relationships). So I don't know....

Relatively minor problems like this mar the quality of the production, as does the rather weak story. In the end, although the leads are likeable, there is a certain ceiling preventing the series from going beyond the two cute leads. I like how there is a side couple that contrasts with the main couple. I like how the main couple decide to make their relationship public, the side couple does not--the message is that, ultimately, the choice should be made by them and nobody can decide what the right choice is.

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Cookie Cutter BL

While this isn't exactly a series that leaves you wanting to smash your screens in frustration, it isn't much good. Standard Thai BL fare that is somewhat passable compared to the most poorly made BLs, but there is much better stuff nowadays.

The enemies-to-lovers plot is definitely nothing new, but delivery is everything. Sometimes it turns out funny and cute, but not this time. This is partly because the characters are not very well written or developed. They merely change when the time comes for them to change. Arthip, for instance, seems truly obnoxious at the start. He's not just an awful, uncompassionate boss to work for but also quite unpleasant in general, such as when he almost knocks down someone. And yet, when the time comes for enemies to start becoming lovers, he seems very much a different person. Arthip's love interest, Poon, is also somewhat inconsistent, vacillating between being headstrong and vulnerable. The changes in him are more explainable, but a lot of it is done hurriedly.

The side couple, Teng Nueng and Mayom, is a little better. There is also the same enemies-to-lovers plot for them, but the transitions seem better. The strange part about this couple, however, is in the fact that Teng Nueng is attached when he first meets Mayom, and we are as surprised as Mayom when he reveals it. The thing is, Teng Nueng has no intention at all to cheat on his boyfriend, and yet the way he behaves with Mayom before telling Mayom that he has a boyfriend easily gives one the wrong idea. If you ask me, it's really because there is a preoccupation with showing BL-ish moments at the expense of sensible characterization.

The woman, Amy, who is in love with Arthip is another character that is a tell-tale sign of a poorly written script. When she's supposed to be the main character's rival in love, she's a nasty, almost universally hated person. And it's not just the way she behaves towards her rival. Her affected behavior, her elitism, her superficiality were all evident. And then when it's time in the story for her to stop being the love rival, she becomes quite a different person, though no less comical.

I'm actually not too averse to cookie-cutter BLs. There are some that end up being pretty decent, but this one can afford to do better. Use the cookie cutter by all means, but the cookie needs a better mix of ingredients.

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Much more focused than Season 1

Season 2 is much more focused than Season 1. A couple of the urban teens from Season 1 do not appear in Season 2. Whether this is a deliberate move or due to the unavailability of the actors or even a lack of budget, it has an unintended positive effect of helping the series become more focused.

In Country Boy 2, the story is much more focused on the romance between Keptawan and Nubdao. There are fewer distractions although they only actually confess their feelings quite late. The acting of the two main actors isn't perfect but it is decent, and they are certainly putting in effort to immerse themselves in their roles. Their awkwardness, shyness and their worries are adequately conveyed, making the story more engaging.

As with Season 1, however, the plight of the country boy (Keptawan) gets a touch-and-go sort of treatment. Keptawan works at his uncle's cafe in Chiang Mai for a month. From the start, he isn't particularly welcome and because he is prone to making mistakes, he is often scolded and insulted. The discrimination towards the person from the countryside is obvious, and the series shows this. Unfortunately, there is a lack of thematic development. Just like how the country boy's financial woes are a tad too easily overcome in Season 1, his plight does not get the attention it deserves. In fact, he simply becomes better at his job and gains the recognition of both customers at his uncle's cafe and his uncle himself. If there isn't going to be development on the theme of discrimination against the country boy, I would rather do away with it altogether and use the space freed up to make Country Boy 2 a better BL.

There is room for improvement, but Country Boy 2 is an improvement from Country Boy 1.

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Urban Boy Meets Country Boy

The portrayal of teenagers from rural and urban areas meeting can be rather charming, if in some ways clichéd. One of the weaknesses that can be seen almost immediately is the relative lack of focus. The script could have been improved--at times it feels as though one were sitting near a group of teens, in a cafe or some others setting, and listening to them. The themes can, in fact, be rather serious, but it seems that there is a reluctance to explore them fully. The latent power imbalance between the more well heeled urban consumers of the homestay and the impoverished service providers is hinted at but soon forgotten.

If there is anything interesting in the story that lacks focus, it is that, to the urban dwellers who are wealthier, the countryside may just be more a novel commodity to be consumed or romanticized. To the urban dwellers, the countryside can simply be a getaway; but to the actual poor people of the countryside, their impoverishment is something that they need to get away from. It is not that the urban boys are malicious or exploitative, but they simply don't know better. Little is down to develop the theme, however, and the thin story eventually gives way to a display of youthful innocence and friendship that bring the urban and the rural together.

There are hints of romance/BL that, commendably, are not excessively emphasized to pander to fans. The signs of romantic affection between Nubdao and Keptawan are definitely there, but, in line with the innocence and youth of the characters, they do not really flirt or confess their feelings to each others (in Season 1 at least).

In the end, the country boy's crisis is all too easily resolved, partly with the help of his wealthier friends. This made me wonder why the writers bothered to add in the crisis (financial debt) in the first place. We could simply have a group of friends who visit the homestay facility in the countryside and end up helping the impoverished country boy improve it.
The production quality is generally decent even if the budget is low. With a more focused script and a bolder exploration of themes, the series would have been better.

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And the BAD Award goes to .......

The story revolves around friends/colleagues in a company, Nut, Mick and Sa. The orientation isn't very effective in showing the situation and relations within the company, but Nut is made to work on a freelancer whom he does not like from the start. They have to enter a competition for an award known as the BAD Award (I can't tell if this is intended to be a joke).

The first thing that strikes me about this series is that the script needs to undergo at least a few rounds of brutal revisions even if the trajectory of the story remains the same. Several aspects of the production fall on the amateurish side. The music sometimes drowns out the voices. In some scenes, the lighting seems insufficient and in other scenes, the color scheme seems a little to "naturalistic" when the colors could have been brighter and more vibrant--they can be quite different from what the poster leads us to expect. Post-production work could have been improved.

The acting isn't terrible for actors with barely any experience, but it isn't very good either. The actress who plays Sa is probably the best even though her role isn't the most important. The quality of the series isn't very consistent, especially at the start, which is perhaps one reason viewers have not taken very well to it.

Ep 1: Ambitious
- Nut is made to work with Guy, whom he doesn't like. (The reason isn't compelling even though the episode drags on for very long.) Nut's friend, Mick, is in love with him. 5 minutes of solid footage with a good script and skillful editing will probably do better than an entire episode here.

Ep 2: Inspiration
- Not exactly an inspired episode. Nut becomes friendlier to Guy (quite abruptly). A more pleasant side of Guy, but the character lacks overall coherence. He seems like different people in the same body.
- Mick's character needs a reboot: he could have been the character that the audience sympathizes most with, but ends up coming across as being unreasonable,

Ep 3: Trust
- Mick is accused of some wrongdoing. Once again, the episode drags out for too long. I like how Nut trusts Mick even though they have kind of fallen out. Nut, Mick and Sa's closeness as a team is nice to see.

Ep 4: Weekends
- Things go quite ok at first. Mick seems to have come to terms with the reality that his feelings for Nut are unrequited, and even creates a chance for Nut and Guy to be together. Then Guy's bizarre behavior immediately after confessing his love to Nut spoils everything. I'm sure there can be some explanation for it, but it is not a good way to end Season 1. It looks written in just so that there will be a cliffhanger for Season 2. An intern is brought in right at the end of the episode. I'm guessing that with the addition of this intern, there can be two BL couples and a happy ending for everyone in Season 2--if it is made and if it does decide to create a bigger mess.

Given that the production is most likely a rather low-budget production with people who are not very experienced, it is passable in many ways. However, it is really in need of better scripting. When entire chunks of the script can be deleted, what can the rest of the production team do to salvage the series? The writing does have the potential to be economical, e.g. when Nut jokes that he and Mick (separately) need to get married before Sa, Mick says that he's just waiting for Nut to say yes. Mick's one-sided love for Nut can be conveyed clearly without needing more words as long as the director directs the actors to act in a certain way. The initial tension between Nut and Guy can also be more economically conveyed with a clearer clash between them in the office.

Hopefully Season 2 will see a marked improvement.

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Average rom com with some mystery

Apart from the romance plot involving 3 couples, part of the story is about their investigations into some clandestine activities involving using people to experiment on drugs without their consent.

The series starts of pretty well, but the romance parts of the story and the investigations are not very nicely integrated. The main characters, Bai Yu and Wu Xia, are investigating separate cases (the death of Bai Yu's father and the apparent death of Wu Xia's brother) that have them pursuing the same targets. That's fine, but when we see a focus on the romance, the investigations disappear into the background, only to appear again whenever the writers feel like it. Additionally too little is shown of how Bai Yu's father died or what caused Wu Xia to think that her brother has been killed. I'm left with the impression that this is a clumsily executed attempt at heightening the suspense before the revelation. The limited revelation seems so deliberate that it's yelling "We can't give the story away yet!"

As for the characterization, most of the main characters are likable, the sort one is likely to find in a rom com but with some degree of complexity. Still, I'm left wondering how Bai Yu's teacher became his teacher, what she's doing as a dancer (is it a cover for her actual activities), and why she is on his side in going after the one who has killed his father. At times, she seems to have a personal vendetta against the bad guys, but there is a lack of elaboration and sometimes she seems to be simply around to help Bai Yu. (Also, what has she taught him? I have the impression that she is his martial arts teacher, but we don't really get to see her showcasing her skills.)

Then comes the plot twist of sorts when the mastermind behind the clandestine drug experimentation is revealed. It is a twist that one is all too likely to see coming, so much so that there isn't even any effort at making the moment of revelation seem shocking. It's a pity that the writers have not channeled their energy into the investigations plotline. It makes for a fairly interesting story, and the "twist" regarding the mastermind can be avoided altogether. After all, despite serving to weave together different events, the twist makes the tone and characterization rather uneven.

Love Like White Jade is an ok rom com if it happens to be your genre, but don't expect anything exceptional from it. It is best enjoyed when you want something light and sweet without a focus on heavy, dark themes.

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Starts off promising but ends up being average

Yet another Medical Examiner Dr Qin series? This one isn't the best, but at least it feels better than another one that I gave up on because it felt a tad too pretentious.

Dr. Qin is in Longfan City to help out with a (serial) murder case that bears a striking resemblance to a murder he witnessed as a kid. Along the way, he helps solve several other cases. The series starts off fairly well, with the discovery of a decapitated body; the dynamics between the main characters seem rather promising. Although the cases involve murder, there seems to be something lighter in the way the relationships between the main characters are portrayed. This is almost reminiscent of the 2016 Dr Qin drama starring Zhang Ruo Yun, but there is barely any development except for a romance between Dr Qin and a police officer. The actor playing Da Bao is really cute but not given a significant part (though Da Bao was more important in the 2016 Dr Qin drama).

The series get a little boring after a while: the main serial killer case is suspended when another case happens, then the serial killer kills another person, then attention falls to yet another case. There is an attempt to connect some of the cases, but the result is not very impressive. The main serial killer case is probably supposed to be the most interesting, but it seems carelessly written. Major spoiler:

The serial killer is adopted at the age of 10, some time after his father. The father was killed fifteen years before the serial murders. This means that he is at most 25 years old when he commits the murders. However, 6 years before committing the murders, he is already a successful doctor who is almost married to a reporter--what? at the grand old age of 18-19?

In the end, the attempt to establish connections between main serial killer plot with the other cases and what has happened 15 years ago is ambitious but a failure. It would have been better to simply let the cases be unconnected and have stronger story for the serial killer. For much of the series, the scenes featuring the serial killer (even just in dreams) are done in horror-movie style. It works at the start in terms of showing how Dr Qin remains traumatized by the murder he has witnessed as a kid. However, it becomes stale after a while.

As with other Dr Qin dramas, a part of the story is about Dr Qin's father. I was expecting something interesting about why Dr Qin's father left the family years ago, but there isn't anything really interesting about it. This is a pity for the actor playing the father is rather good and could have handled a more interesting role.

Despite the flaws, the series is average fare that is worth a watch if your expectations of a drama in the genre is not too high? But there are certainly better ones to watch.

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Absorbing tale of political intrigue with interesting characters and elements of wuxia

Political intrigue is not everyone's cup of tea, but this series does it in a way that will be appealing to a lot of people. There are plenty of conniving characters in the story, but it's not the kind of story that will leave one with a dreadful sense of cynicism or the idea that people are all merely making use of one another to achieve their own aims. Instead, there are characters we can appreciate, even those who are not on the side of the protagonist.

For a story that involves so much scheming, it surprisingly has a subtle central message about kindness. Xu Feng Nian is a reluctant potential heir to his father's important position, one which the ruler is both dependent on and heavily guarded against. His father is a master of covert plots and can be merciless with his enemies, but is essentially not a bad person. Xu Feng Nian is actually very similar, but he is reluctant to sacrifice the people he cares about for "greater" ends like peace in the country: basically he wants to have his cake and eat it. Nevertheless, it seems that his attempts to do something different from his father end up being whatever his father has planned for him to do in the first place.

If the story is not handled properly, we might just end up with a bland story with a lot of scheming characters we don't care about. But in Sword Snow Stride, the protagonist is bent on tempering his actions with kindness. So while the political intrigue is an unfortunate aspect of his life (and the lives of all the other characters), the solution, it seems, is not to run away from it but to be great at it without losing one's kindness and sense of justice. Quite importantly, though it is not overly emphasized, Xu Feng Nian is saved by his/his late mother's kindness at a critical juncture towards the end.

One thing that strikes me as being particularly well done is the sentimental aspects of the story, particularly the protagonist's relationships with the other characters. Surprisingly romance is not given a whole lot of attention although it is there. Instead, Xu Feng Nian's relationships with his father, his siblings and even his deep friendship with a servant who dies early on in the story are finely blended into the story of what he has to/wants to do before he succeeds his father. Almost every character who plays a relatively significant role has a distinctive personality (and mind you, there are many, many characters). This is a sign of a really well written script.

There are more treats for the audience. The wuxia elements of the story practically ventures into xianxia territory, and the fight/swordplay sequences are beautifully choreographed (even if perhaps not altogether innovative). Some might find the sequences of the greatest martial arts masters a little over-the-top, especially when they can affect nature or open some celestial gate, but I don't think it mars the story in any way. Perhaps it is related to the theme: the most powerful masters of martial arts are mostly not the ones who wield power or connive whereas the masters of political schemes do not always have physical prowess; eventually a balance of both may be necessary even for noble political aims.

There is likely a second season given the viewership ratings that the series has garnered. On its own, however, this season ends satisfactorily. It is certainly possible for further developments: who is the woman who helps Xu Feng Nian several times while purportedly wanting to kill him, what is happening with the Wudang Sect guy at the end of the story, will the two baby tiger "monsters" that Xu Feng Nian has adopted have an important role to play, etc? Despite all the loose threads that can lead to a Season 2, Season 1 ends in a surprisingly satisfactory way. It does not give the sense that it ends in the middle of nowhere or resort to some sort of bizarre cliffhanger that makes us doubt our understanding of the entire season. It is not an easy feat to strike the perfect balance between having proper closure for Season 1 while keeping things just open enough for a Season 2 (so that Season 2 will seem like a natural extension), but this series has managed it.

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