Showering Chang’an with Fire and Blood
Witnessing the slaughter of his whole family, Xie Huai’an is forced to fend for himself since 10years old, moving from place to place to evade his enemies the Hubei Army with a little sister in tow and losing her later, until he came upon the remote land of Huainan where he decided to be his home. Working quietly as a small registrar, he knew he had only two ways to live, to stay in remote place such as Huainan or head to the capital to become a court official. Opportunity finally came when the son of the previous emperor (elder brother of current emperor) marched forward and captured the capital. Hearing the survival of Lie Clan Xie Huai’an, the new emperor summoned him to the capital and appointed him as his sword, to hunt down Yan Fengshan, the commander of Hubei Army and most influencial court official, which aligned with Huai’an’s mission for revenge. He gladly accepted and thus began his journey of vengeance only to find himself embroiled with a much bigger struggle than his vendetta.Tong Mengshi who played Ye Zheng was the one that led me to this show, to my surprise it’s another of Cheng Yi’s work that I have been meaning to watch since last year and had forgotten. Tong mengshi was awesome here! I missed Joy of Life’s Wuzhu, so it’s great to see him again with a main role and real dialogues than mere robotic phrases spoken. He was very good here, acting and action-wise. His fights were fierce and forceful, and of course bloody too. And man it is such a satisfaction to see Su Changlin being taken down by Xiao Wangyu, he was such a snob after hurting Ye Zheng so badly and for using Ye Zheng’s shimei, the arrogance was a real pain to watch!
Cheng Yi has gone back up again in my rating after his flop in The Journey of Legend. Yeah I am now convinced that he fits more with roles that doesnt need romance to prop his character. And his crying here is done remarkably well compared to TJoL. Although his character Xie Huai’an is more scholarly with no martial prowess whose moves rely more on strategy than brawn, he definitely doesnt shy away from physical fights. The ruthless stabbings, whether he as inflictor or receiver, are heinously brutal. Sometimes I forget that Xie Huai’an doesnt know any martial art, cuz he doesn’t rely much on his more athletic sword-wielding friends. He makes use of the surrounding people and situations well, and he definitely doesn’t need anyone to come rescue him. This character is someone that can be thrown into a river of fire (literally) and the next moment you blinked he’s already crawling out of it somewhere in the distance where you least expected it. That is why even the King of Tiemo sees him as his biggest threat, even bigger than the invincible Yan Fengshan or the current emperor Xiao Wangyu.
The sad scenes here are considerably touching and heartfelt. It was heartbreaking when Bai Wan was recounting her earliest memories of her brother when they were on the run, while the rest of the people who listened actually knew who her brother was and where he was located, exactly next to her! But nobody said anything, as Xie Huai’an is adamant that her sister won’t be dragged into his revenge mission. OMG I was so sad for her and Huai’an. So close yet also so far apart. Though I could not understand why she is included in the main cast when her role ceased to be part of the plot even before half of the show.
I really liked the way this story is executed, the ups and downs and unexpected hits that befell on our main characters with ML racking his brains to improvise and come up with twisty strategies. What’s more surprising is I became more invested in the deposed emperor Xiao Wencheng’s interaction with his oblivious elder brother who deposed him. I really like this fake Zhang Mo character, the screenwriter managed to turn him into a very likable one as opposed to the start of the show when he ruthlessly took down ML’s beloved pageboy. His transformation and growth looked much closer to reality when despite being able to grow some spine during his adventure with Xie Huai’an’s gang, he was still torn between saving his brother or the citizen of Chang’an against Tiemo’s assault, and reverted to his cowardly nature, which cost his brother a whole lot more than a simple promise of King of Tiemo’s “to let him stay alive,”. Fake Zhang Mo is a coward by nature, although I was dumbfounded when the plot turned that way, I had to admit that this is very much expected of him according to this preset characteristics. And I must say his devotion and worry for Xie Huai’an and the elder brother who usurped his throne was very touching, and his banter with Ye Zheng never ceased to be amusing.
Love the action choreograph! They worked hard on this. Even though the plot and its twists were barely at par with Nirvana in Fire, I had to say the show is overloaded with action after action more than NiF, eventhough our ML Xie Huai’an know squat of martial art. Ye Zheng, Xie Wangyu, Yan Fengshan, Wang Pu, Su Changlin…gosh I cant even list everyone down cuz there are so many characters who had executed the action scenes remarkably well. And boy the final battle against the big boss was so fierce and gripping!
The song by Sa Dingding is so awesome i keep hearing it in my head. The lyrics are forlorn yet prideful and the melody makes you wanna hum with it.
Be warned, this is a very dark and gory show, with plot so twisty I had to rewind quite a lot to get a grip of its flow. Blood is spilled senselessly onscreen episode after episode, AND there is no romance whatsoever. Consider yourselves warned.
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Pleaseeee give us Season 2
This is such a masterpiece bl. The thing I loved the most is the visual storytelling. The way lighting is used adds meaning beyond the dialogue—contrasts, shadows, and brightness subtly reflect the inner worlds of the characters. You can sense who holds power, who is conflicted, and who is changing, just by how scenes are framed and lit. The acting, expressions, chemistry are all great. The pookie gangster and his nerdy bf have my whole heart. Every glance, every moment between them🤌🏻, it's the kind of chemistry u don't need words for, u can feel it in the silence, in the way they look at each other. The officers cp has such a different, intriguing kind of chemistry. The tension between them gives me butterflies. I really really really want Season 2 so much 😭🙏🏻.Was this review helpful to you?
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Story of most pitiful and unfortunate Taeso
I’ve watched quite a lot of dramas, and usually I just move on after finishing one. But this time feels different—I genuinely needed to sit down and get this off my chest.First off, I have to say: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more unfortunate, pitiful male lead. Not in a compelling, tragic way—but in a frustrating, almost exhausting way. His character feels mishandled throughout, and the ending only makes it worse. Personally, I would have much preferred a clean break between the leads. Instead, we get this one-sided confession where he says “I love you” and gets nothing in return, leaving the impression that he’ll spend the rest of his life stuck on her. It just feels unfair to him as a character.
I don’t hate the female lead, and I don’t think she’s a bad person. But as a gf, she was undeniably frustrating. She wasn’t honest or forthcoming about her situation with here ex (the sunbae and her business partner), and that lack of clarity kept creating unnecessary tension. One scene that really stood out to me was when she had wine with him alone in the guesthouse while the male lead was going through such a difficult time with his grandmother. That contrast was hard to ignore.
It also started to feel like her presence consistently derailed his life. His job interview gets affected because of her memory, and her interference shuts down any potential relationship he could have had with the second female lead. It creates this pattern where instead of supporting his growth, she unintentionally holds him back.
What makes this more disappointing is that the show actually started strong. I really enjoyed the early episodes—the tone, the setup, the emotional pull all worked well. But things began to go downhill for me after the female lead abruptly ended the relationship the first time. From there, the story just never quite recovered.
That said, I’m at least glad the show didn’t stretch itself out unnecessarily. It could have easily dragged on for several more episodes, and that would’ve made things even more frustrating.
In the end, I just wish the male lead had been given a more satisfying arc—something that allowed him to walk away, heal, and move forward instead of being left in emotional limbo.
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What Happened? (Warning spoiler)
Was that the end of part one?An episode ended as usual … yet it was the last episode … apparently that’s it, the end.
No outcome for the current gang wars, no (actual) couple development, and no resolution for the two unsolved police officers murders.
It’s strange. My imaginations vast, but I couldn’t fathom this.
And I was enjoying the series. The main couple are mesmerising.
So disappointed in this extra wide open ending.
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hidden gem
absolutely amazing series i accidentally found it when i did not plan to be where i am now but it is incredible i do not have words to describe how much i liked itfirst teenage love real friendship first mistakes and broken hearts sincere attachment and so many wonderful things that are part of growing up
it shows how messy feelings can be and how people try to understand themselves while everything around them is changing
it feels soft and painful at the same time like growing up is both beautiful and scary and sometimes you lose things you never thought you would lose
and still there is hope in it like even after pain and confusion people keep going they keep loving they keep trying and somehow that becomes enough
i am ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE with rearrange already rewatched it 3 times 😭😭
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A Complete Trainwreck
Kudos only to the screenwriter, because the rest of the drama is a complete mess. I genuinely wonder how they even managed to secure funding for this project. Everyone in the cast, whom I’ve seen before, delivered the weakest performances of their careers.The biggest disappointment was Kang Mi Na, whom I had considered a potential Gen Z kdrama leading actress. Not anymore. On the other hand, this was my introduction to Jeon So Young, and she actually felt more grounded than KMN. Baek Sun Ho gave off major The Heirs LMH vibes (it's not a compliment), while Hyun Woo Seok still seems haunted by his role in Cheer Up.
The directing is also a mess. I can’t pinpoint exactly what’s wrong, but something about it just feels off. I might have taken this drama more seriously if the directing was better, but the amateur execution is impossible to ignore.
It leaves me, as a viewer, questioning what the drama was aiming for. It felt less like a serious horror and more like an parody film like a Scary Movie . Overall, this drama is the worst one I’ve seen since the Cashero.
If you’re a true horror fan, skip this one.
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Dew as Pheem adds such a messy, chaotic energy to everything, and even when the love triangle gets a bit loud and stressful, it really fits the vibe of the story. I loved how the director focused on the quiet, desperate moments instead of trying to make everything look perfect. It’s definitely a heavy watch about people reaching their breaking point.
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never felt this attached to a series, breathtakingly beautiful.
first (and possibly the last) time writing review. sammy's children's day is such a beautiful series. starting from the plot, to the cinematography, to the chemistry between the leads, to the music, everything just sat so right. not even a second felt boring to me. especially how they placed little non-cringey comedy scenes to lighten up the mood, didnt feel out of place at all.i loved how even in such a short time, they portrayed the change in character dynamics, both in an individual setting and with their respective partner. he chusan grew more confident. he let himself go into the darkness just to bring liuyi out of it. on the other hand, xia liuyi was ready to give up his only identity for he chusan, the xiaoqi hall. the gradual progression of their feelings for each other was so wholesome to watch. havent read the novel myself but ive heard that they skipped parts of it, for which season 2 is a must im REALLY looking forward to what more they bring us.
cant help but mention some scenes which particularly awed me, one: when chusan tells liuyi he wants to take liuyi with him out of that place, chusan is seen initially standing under the light, liuyi in the dark. but by the end, chusan says his last line standing in the dark too. "how will i bring liuyi out of hell if i dont enter it." two: when a single drop of blood falls onto chusan's white canvas shoes, indicating the entry of liuyi is his life. three: the balcony to phonebooth communication, just felt so unreal.
maybe i am biased but the chemistry between changxi and yanzhao are off the charts, both of them seem so genuine on and off screen it makes mt heart so full. even in the series, their chemistry bloomed so well. alongside, the story between second couple was left at a very awkward position but with what was shown, i can tell they sit well too.
so, yeah. a beautifully made series. a little hasty but i hope ss2 will make up for it. made me sob, laugh, then sob again. (and i absolute love the pairs arghh can never get enough of them)
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More annoying than humorous
It's too bad the FL's character is such a turn-off, which has nothing to do with the actors themselves. Otherwise, the production is gorgeous and there is intrigue in the plot so far but of course, I've only made it three episodes in.The body swap scenario really came too quickly before the personalities of the ML and FL were really established. So while it's supposed to be dramatically humorous, the FL's behavior after the swap doesn't come off as funny for me but rather intensely annoying and unnatural. She's another one of those females who is obnoxiously demanding and supposedly fearless but really just selfish. Despite be afraid of "demons" and having been raised in a family that should understand the mannerisms of the court, it just doesn't make any sense for her to act like a spoiled three-year old child the entire time with no sense of self-awareness. I don't understand why they decided to change her character like this because she was totally fine before the swap.
With AI and easier access to creating better special effects, I'm hoping this doesn't become a new trope with upcoming series. Also getting tired of the whole female tripping or falling and then being caught in slow motion by the male.
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somewhat a guilty pleasure: enjoyable but poorly-written
This drama immediately pulled me in with its chaotic energy, strong characters, and good on-screen chemistry. It has so many tropes I usually love— found family, tension-filled slow burn, strong female lead, and action-packed scenes. While I genuinely enjoyed watching it, especially in the earlier episodes, it frustrated me because of its inconsistent writing and storytelling.The story itself is engaging and, at times, unpredictable. There’s a certain “goofy yet intense” tone that makes it entertaining, and I appreciate how the drama tries to balance humor with emotional depth— He Yan’s chaotic personality, in particular, adds so much life to the narrative. However, this is also where it falls short. Her humor and aegyo-like behavior often feel inconsistent with the gravity of her character, creating moments that clash rather than blend with the overall tone. Her life as He Rufei/General Feihong wasn't exactly shown and explored enough, which made the shift in He Yan's personality feel unsubstantiated. It often felt like I was just expected to go along with the stark contrast, without the narrative fully bridging or justifying that change.
The Yezhou Garrison arc however stood out a lot for me. The found family dynamic there was so heartwarming— I love seeing characters form bonds that feel genuine and earned. Song Taotao and He Yan's girlhood; it's so endearing to watch. The drama also delivered on some of my favorite tropes: “who did this to you” (I will never get tired of this), slow-burn tension, mutual “folding” for each other, hidden identity / revelation arc (this didn't disappoint). The reveal of He Yan as the true General Feihong was powerful for me. It felt empowering and emotional— arguably one of the well-executed moments in the drama.
He Yan is easily one of the highlights of the drama. She’s chaotic, goofy, and unpredictable, but also strong and deeply emotional. Zhou Ye portrayed her incredibly well, especially in heavier scenes— her crying scenes hit hard and feel very real. Her crashout was particularly impactful. Even without much screen time dedicated to her past with the Eight Warriors, her emotional delivery made it convincing— despite the fact there's literally a lack of storytelling/background of her life as General Feihong. Zhou Ye saved that scene, for me. Xiao Jue surprised me in the best way. At first, he seems stoic and composed, but he turns out to be incredibly thoughtful, romantic, and emotionally expressive. I love how he keeps making excuses at first to justify his treatment of He Yan— gaslighting that it's because he’s suspicious of her— when it’s obvious he’s affected by her in a completely different way. And when he does confess? He CONFESSES. In front of the whole royal family and officials no less: “I respect her, value her, and won’t let anyone slander her. She graces my view, occupies my mind, and claims my heart.” Find a man like Xiao Jue, seriously!
Their dynamic is one of the strongest parts of the drama. The tension is insane— even in simple banter, you can feel it. Xiao Jue constantly being bewildered by He Yan’s antics makes their interactions so fun and engaging. There’s also that underlying “almost gay panic” dynamic early on, which makes their story even more entertaining. I also appreciate that the gender reveal wasn’t dragged out unnecessarily— it allowed their relationship to develop more naturally. Their moonlit scene in Episode 17 felt like a major turning point— intimate, quiet, and deeply personal— and from there, their emotional connection only deepens. Indeed, she is his light, and he is her moon.
Despite all its strengths, the biggest issue of the drama is the writing. The script often feels inconsistent with: scenes that don’t fully make sense, underdeveloped backstories (e.g., He Yan’s master arc and how was he even able to save He Yan) repetitive or forced dialogue (especially some feminism lines that feel unnatural in execution) While I appreciate the intention behind the themes— especially the feminist representation— the delivery sometimes feels repetitive rather than organically integrated into the story. There are also noticeable plot holes, and certain narrative choices feel underexplained or poorly built up. This weakens the overall storytelling, no matter how enjoyable the drama is on the surface. Chu Zhao, for instance, is a complex character with a lot of potential. He initially reminded me of morally gray masterminds (like Ji Yong) or someone heading toward a heel-face turn driven by unrequited feelings (like Xiaosheng), but the execution of his arc ultimately fell short.
The final stretch was honestly just disappointing. The last 3–4 episodes felt rushed and poorly executed. The attempt to add depth to Chu Zhao’s character didn’t fully land— it just didn't make sense. Compared to the earlier buildup, the resolution felt underwhelming. Instead of elevating the story, the ending made the flaws in the writing more obvious. It felt like a missed opportunity, especially considering how strong the earlier episodes were.
Overall, this is a drama I really wanted to love— and in many ways, I did. It had strong character dynamics, amazing chemistry, great action scenes, powerful OST, and memorable emotional moments. But at the same time, the inconsistent writing and lack of cohesive storytelling hold it back significantly. Even if I enjoyed watching it, I can’t ignore the fact that it’s poorly-written overall. The drama was indeed an entertaining and emotionally engaging drama carried by its cast, chemistry, and production— but ultimately weakened by poor writing, plot holes, and a lackluster ending. Definitely a miss in my books. Would I recommend this? Maybe— if you’re just in it for a tension-filled romcom and can look past the inconsistencies and at times incoherent storytelling.
P.S. Knowing that the original novel actually explored and addressed many of these “plot holes” makes the drama adaptation even more disappointing. It feels like so much depth and nuance were lost in translation.
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Very funny show: A personal favourite
Sad to see recent uploads of this show such as YouTube replace the OST with generic background music. Please watch it with the original OST if you can.I'm surprised by the low ratings compared to Rainie's other dramas. This one was my personal favourite of hers that brought lots of love and laughter. Watching the show now will look very low budget, like a soap opera. But I think that's what gives it its charm.
The story sets up as you would expect, but it was the chemistry of the characters that really made me care. I really believed Rainie was a self loving village girl who didn't care what others thought about her until she met her old friend. For once in her life, she felt inadequate. I really believed that Wilber was frustrated with her for being so naive and annoying as you might have as the audience. Then he falls for her the same way we did because as annoying as she was, we knew being yourself was more important than conforming to norms and trends. She was the underdog you wanted to cheer for.
There's a few pivotal moments that Rainie goes through that is part of her character development and the show always makes you wonder how she's going to deal with it. Some parts were in fact so touching, it could make you cry.
Speaking of crying, this was Rainie's third hit song in a row. The OST stars both Rainie and Wilber's music and both of them really adds to the emotional moments as well as the funny moments. From the first 5 mins, you'll hear Rainie's character wake up to her own real singing voice to kick off the show. Again, Please please please watch it with the original OST if you can to get the full experience.
Thinking about it now, are some of the plot points really cliche? Yes, but if you can buy into these characters, then there's a lot of comedic moments you can look forward to.
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Great Story and Acting
This series has a great story that just kept getting better with each episode. To be honest, the first episode didn't grab me, but by the middle of the second, I was hooked. All of the actors did a great job portraying their characters and making them believable. There were a number of key characters, and their backstories were slowly revealed to help the viewer understand why they made the choices they did. Rather than it being a story about villains getting their just desserts, it was a story about well-intentioned people making choices or becoming obsessed with something that led them down the dark path.Was this review helpful to you?
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REBIRTH drama storico cinese • drama che aspettavo da molto tempo e confermo il mio pensiero 💭 iniziale che purtroppo ha deluso le mie aspettative in tutto .
Belle le ambientazioni e le musiche ma come si è svolto assolutamente no .
E’ stato recitato da tutti benino ,
tranne la protagonista e non solo per la sua giovane età ( 16 anni ) ma proprio per la recitazione assolutamente apatica e inespressiva .
Anche Li Yun Rui che io adoro qui non mi è proprio piaciuto .
Invece davvero bello e bravo il principe interpretato da Zhang Kang Le 🥰 davvero miglior ruolo .
• storia confusionaria, flash back scene tagliate male e buchi di trama …
• anche il finale confusionario e mi ha deluso .
Questo drama partito male poi si è risollevato ma poi purtroppo dalla metà in poi si è perso totalmente.
( per me inizialmente era un No che poi e’ diventato un Ni per poi tornare a essere un No . )
• in Cina 🇨🇳 durante la messa in onda e anche ora che è finito questo drama e’ stato molto criticato e pieno di polemiche .. che davvero rispetto il lavoro duro che questi attori e cast hanno fatto ma concordo con quasi tutte le polemiche lette ⬇️ :
* #Rebirth - commercializzato come il sequel dell'iconico dramma in costume del 2017 "Princess
Agents" e un adattamento de "The Legend of Chu
Qiao" — ha chiaramente preso una strada molto diversa. Non è più solo un adattamento... è praticamente una riscrittura.
•C-drama #Rebirth ha chiuso la sua corsa di 40 episodi a un forte contraccolpo, con il suo punteggio di Douban che è sceso a 3.0 dopo che gli spettatori hanno sbattuto il finale confuso e l'esecuzione debole.
Il finale ha attirato critiche per aver rilasciato molte versioni inconsistenti, compresa una dove quasi tutti i personaggi muoiono e un altro lieto fine irrealistico, mentre gli scarsi cambiamenti di sceneggiatura e le lamentele di recitazione hanno solo alimentato l'indignazione.
Ciò che ci si aspettava avrebbe seguito l'eredità di #PrincessAgents è invece diventato un racconto di avvertimento, poiché il pubblico lo ha definito uno dei drammi più deludenti.
• Casting Disallineamento: una delle critiche più persistenti riguarda il divario di età nel casting. Molti spettatori hanno messo in dubbio la decisione di mettere un'attrice di 16 anni accanto a protagonisti maschili più maturi, citando un sentimento "errore" e una totale mancanza di chimica sullo schermo che ha interrotto l'immersione della storia.
••Molti considerano che questo fallimento dimostri che non è più sufficiente usare un nome famoso o nostalgia per attirare pubblico. Senza una buona sceneggiatura, un casting solido e il rispetto per la storia originale, anche una produzione milionaria può affondare.
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Very good drama. Must be seen and re-seen
It is the first time i watched these 3 main actors on screen. But i guess they are the one of the actors that must be seen in China. I starting to navigate some of their old drama and iam jnterested to watched them as well. I better knew them because, though they are st 40's up, their good actors snd can brought you into this world of their drama scenes. Plus they could bring you so much kilig. Kilig is a Filipino words for saying you wanted to see them, again because you find them handsome or pretty.What brings me to enroll in these reviewer role, was that i was upset because there are a lot of reviewer who voted negative initially even though the drama was just starting to be shown, that brings them underrated. I mean i've a lot of beautifully, well acted, good story line Chinese Drama, which i felt all underrated. Why?
Opinions can be open up, but please do not be biased. I mean if you continue to watched and finished this drama you'll find thisvery good from story ljne to actors, to music, each episode is carefully done. It deserves a better rating.
Right now i sm readying myself to watched the answers in episode that turns out to be 'bitin'. In english the hanging episode. I know there's a lot more to see in the final last 4 episodes.
Meantime i want to thumbs up. Looking forward to watch drama from these actors.
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