Who Rules the World (2022)

Worth giving it a shot

tbh i really like this drama haha. I do agree that the ending could've been a lot better and instead of focusing more on politics, i wished they focused more on the martial arts world and also tied up loose ends. The ending made me feel like the director was telling me to read the novel's ending and see what happens next and make my own ending. So i'm sticking with the novel's ending for this one!

both yy and zls played hfbx so well in this drama, they brought they characters to life. yy and zls looked absolutely gorgeous in their costumes, and both of them definitely grew a lot as actors since the last time i watched them (absolutely loved yy in yamg and zls in dating in the kitchen!) it's also my first time seeing yy filming a wuxia drama and i am loving itttt! their on screen and off screen chemistry as well *chefs kiss* and both of them look so good together? i'm a sucker for martial arts, cool fight scenes and it's so satisfying to see both hfbx on the same level, none superior to another, supporting one another. The maturity of their rs and how they communicated was something i really liked. omg they are so CoOooooL

im enjoying the ride so far~ even though there were a lot more room for improvements. And kudos to the production team despite the whole scandal that's going on. I still really like this show, i binged watched it within a few days haha. The first half of the drama got me hooked, the fight scenes, the story flow etc. I loved how loyal hfx's people are as well and how they work together to overcome obstacles. omg not to mention the ost as well! it's definitively gna be on replay for me for the upcoming weeks! I'd definitely rewatch this drama, but i may skip all the political stuff that's going on.

I'm looking forward to both of their next projects!

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Interesting plot - poorly executed

Story
I did not read the book so i review based on the series i heard the series actually have longer episode then the aired one. Beginning of the drama quite strong character development of the lead. Their introduction and the support role. But after every episode, feel like the main lead has lost their charm and strong’s background in martial arts. Towards the ending its become more boring but you have some eagerness to finish i think the charm of yang yang and Lu si. Last episode seems like producer compact all the remaining episode in episode 40. How come Yu wuyuan so easy to kill ? They just passed the throne to huang chao and after that so continuation on Huang Chao next line. if you watch second you will notice so many weakness in the plot

Rewatch value
No.
There are many option of xianxia drama that have powerful plot then this

Acting
Yang yang - he only charm in the earliest episode, you can feel his mysterious identity , the chatm that he hold as the most pwoerfull person within martial arts but as the episode reaching peak his charm have been decreased the character would likely depend on the Bai fengxi seems like bai fenfxi more powerful than hei fengxi even though hei fengxi should be more powerfull. Yang yang need dwell himalef as a general but everytime in the battlefield he always clean not some hero that in battlefield
As the episode increase tou can see yang yang already tired and just acting w/o soul

Lu si
Lusi character development is saved the plot of the drama. Lu si need to be more in xianxia drama she is so beautiful and the have the vibe only to be queen. Please look forward lu si ik next drama with Leo Wu

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It's a military/history fantasy soap

If you're here for a love story, it's a hard pass. The visuals are beautiful, production did a great job with the visuals and creation of the show, the actors look great and do such a great job considering the storylines, but the failures are deeply in the writing of the story. Seriously, who wrote this? What genre even is this?

They spend a good part of the first set of episodes trying to tell a backstory about the varying kingdoms, side plots developing the importance of certain sects, trying to garner sympathy for these family turmoils, but they do it in such a way that feels both rushed and underdone. I was so bored by the time they tried to explain all of this stuff out, and never really felt they developed the main leads in a way that makes you feel like they're a main part of the story. The writers have to rely on just saying the main leads have known each other for years so you miss out on how they actually progress into love, getting to know them, their chemistry, etc. Their relationship just sort of happens and it feels like it happens fast and over coincidentally (like really, of all people, he is found in the water by her? It'd make sense the other way around considering he actually had people following her but in all of this open water of all people and of all boats.. really?) What were the catalysts that changed their relationship to one of romance?

and they incorporate these really overused romance tropes of skinship and romance without understanding how and why those tropes can actually be exciting in other shows and how they can be used successfully. They don't understand why shows often include a second love interest, whether its because the guy is also a heartthrob that makes you want to root for them too, or maybe the guy creates conflict for the main leads. The secondary love interests are just, not even there for either side. Like they are, but they really aren't? I guess they were supposed to be but the writers didn't understand how to incorporate them?
Ex: They set up this whole story of going to the kingdom to win back the kings trust and win over this girl's hand in marriage and all of this storyline doesn't really make sense, but they try really hard to make it sound like they're all being smart in their decisions and calculating. We need to do this to win back the kings trust so we have to pass these tests but also not fail? And the main female lead just helps without any tugs on her heart of, I don't know, this is wrong and stupid, like why? They start to mention like this woman had always kind of liked Feng Langxi but then don't explore it and it feels kind of stupid that they even bring up that past in the first place. These side characters and this whole idea of a contest to win a girl's hand, ... could have been so good, had it been a romance drama and developed in a way that makes literally any sense.

The main leads don't have chemistry. I mean they kind of do, but like, it just felt really forced. Their characters and connection just aren't given the time or energy needed to make their love connection worth pining for. There's too much other stuff going on.

If we're comparing the show to a dessert, the love story is the cherry on top, the actual dish isn't even a dessert (romance). You see the cherry and get excited for sweets and all you taste are mashed potatoes. Why do they present the dish like a dessert when it isn't even that? Does the cherry even go there?
Before I keep going, can I just say for another example on character development, the writers spend a lot of time trying to make really crappy characters seem decent, and a lot of really dumb characters seem smart. For example, the first prince, they try to make you feel sorry for him but he kills innocent people just for finding out about his illness, beats staff, and then cries about his pathetic existence a good portion of the beginning of the show.. when all you really want to do is see the leads develop a love line.
Also, they have so many plot set ups that would be great potentials for love conflicts and development that get largely overlooked. The mystery surrounding their identities could have been a huge one, but it gets glazed over and you wonder why it was even included in the first place. Another example? The main female character is supposed to be a carefree spirit, but all she does is get entangled in war and leadership without any pushback. The characters are flat, and lack needed dimension and, well, character. Everything needs to be explained, and you realize it has to be, because otherwise it's entirely nonsensical. The explanations themselves, hardly help.

The usurp was comical at best. So much soap.

Refeshing part: The female lead is meant to be powerful, beautiful, and smart. I liked that she kept her own and that there aren't really conflicts between the female characters over a guy and that instead they become friends. That was super refreshing. I also liked that she 'doesn't suddenly lose her powers' due to sacrifice and stupidity.. but of course they add in a subplot that she dies and is revived, and dies again and is revived (eye roll) and that the male lead sacrifices his powers just to appease his horrible father... but then gets them back and then again his life... There's little redemption and reasoning on these side plots too, and really frustrating to watch.. why are some of them even included? Because the show is so visually appealing otherwise and you just keep hoping it's going to get better but it just drags on. By the time the leads actually get together, it feels like it happened way too late but also in some ways, way too fast. Like they skip the sweet developments between them and they're just kissing and sitting on one another's lap and that's not a big deal since they need to trick someone but.. I just, didn't feel like the writers understood why these romance tropes are even used, why they can be exciting to watch, or how to really make a romance based story. It didn't feel like a genre the writers even understand, so I'm not sure why they even mask this story as such. It is really not a love story, it really is not a romance genre.
Don't even get me started on the end. So stupid.
I guess at least they made the visuals appealing? It's literally the only reason I've continued trying to watch. So much potential just lost in bad storytelling. It's a shame.
Skip this if you want a love story. Actually skip this if you want, well, anything. I don't understand why they even made this show. Who is the target audience? What genre is this? What is the point in this story?

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Average Wuxia with Big Budget and Big Name Leads

If I were to grade this, I would give it a B- to a B. There was quite a bit of hype surrounding this series and looks like big bucks was thrown at it. The set, cinematography, and hanfu costumes were pretty good and seems there was thought put into the details.

The story is ok, it has a some amount of political intrigue and scheming although not to the level of The Rise of the Phoenixes. The hero and heroine start off as competitors in the martial arts world. The hero and heroine are a bit too perfect: martial arts skills that are unparalleled, high morals, stunning good looks, and IQ levels that may beat Johanne Goethe and William Sidis. Are they even mortals? The ML seems to figure out how to get out of every sticky situation because of his supreme intelligence. The ML has been a big deal ever since Love O2O even though his acting wasn't great in it and I didn't watch the series past the 5th episode. His acting hasn't improved much in this, it was kind of stiff. The FL is one of the new "It" actresses so she seems to be in every big budget CDrama right now whether or not she fits the part. I personally like her role in this more than Love Like the Galaxy. Her character seems to be older, far more mature and there's less drama personality wise. The chemistry between the ML and FL wasn't great. Not sure if its how the story is originally written or if the actor and actress themselves weren't connecting in their roles.

Some of the wuxia martial arts scenes were decent and watchable although nothing remarkable. It was ok enough that I got through to 34th episode eventually putting it on hold, may resume it again one day to find out who ends up ruling the world.

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From a rating of a 8.5 to a rating of 9.5!

THE ROMANCE
The female lead actress actually helped me believe the romantic relationship between the female lead and male lead characters. In my opinion, respectfully, the male lead actor (not character), begins to act better starting with episode 15.

ACTING & CHARACTERS
The actress who plays the female lead character in this drama, usually plays damsel in distress characters in other Chinese dramas. This is the first time that she played a warrior, carefree type character. I prefer the warrior characters over the damsel in distress characters. I have to admit that it took me 3 episodes not to think of her in her old acting roles. I actually skipped most of her parts in previous dramas, not because she isn't a talented actress but because of the damsel in distress roles/characters. With that being said, it's surprising that she can actually act as a warrior. She did a FANTASTIC job acting carefree, flirtatious, strong, and caring. I'm actually surprised...pleasantly surprised.

For some reason I didn't like the male lead acting in this specific drama before episode 15. Instead of him acting pretentious, maybe he could have acted like a witty and wise prince (like the actor who plays a prince in this drama and also acted in Legend of Fu Yao). After episode 15, his acting improves a lot. After watching the male leading acting in episode 28, I increased my review rating from 9.0 to 9.5.

THE STORY & PACING
I almost dropped this drama because of the first 3 episodes. The first 3 episodes was rushed, especially the first two episodes. I was confused after watching episode 1, and I thought this drama was going to be a poorly written and poorly directed drama. The first 2 episodes should have given greater details when introducting the main characters in this drama. Additionally, there were not many transitional scenes (the characters just kept appearing at the same location together). It felt very choppy, instead of transitioning smoothly. After episode 3, the quality of the storyline picks up tremendously, and the pacing improves. Also within episode 2 and 3 the female lead character (not actress) points out how conniving the male lead character (not actor)is, more than three times. It was overkill and it made me think there was an error with the editing in episode 2 of this drama.

LOOPHOLES
The king (the protagonist father) is known to hate lies, and doesn't want anyone to threaten his kingship. In episode 28, he nearly beat his son to death (I won't say which son) for not telling him the truth about what he was up to, but when it came to the queen, the king allowed her to deceive him, lie to him, and try to kill his son on many occasions. He even knew her plan to try to get rid of him (the king) so that she can be the queen dagger. He let the queen off with a warning (multiple times). This is a major loophole in the storyline and also the king's character.

I'm currently watching episode 13, and thus far my rating is a 8.5. I couldn't give this drama a 9.0 because the first 2 episodes were really bad in terms of pacing, editing, and storytelling.

I'm now on episode 18, I decided to increase my rating to a 9.0 because episodes 15-18 were really good.

After watching episode 28, I increased my rating to a 9.5.

After watching episode 35, I want to give this drama a 10 but I can't because of the first 3 episodes!

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A game changer

WRTW was definitely a game changer for me in terms of cdramas. Here we have a strong, smart female lead that do not lack common sense.

Things I loved:
- The chemistry of the ML and FL was on fire! There’s no question that Zhao Lusi can have chemistry with anyone she’s paired with but put her together with someone as handsome as Yang Yang? It should be illegal.

- The OST.

- No misunderstandings. I appreciate this the most. I love how there was no dumb misunderstandings to work through and they’re is trust between the leads. This indeed was SO refreshing after watching many cdramas of female leads making really bad choices.

- No cringy baby voices for the female lead. Thank god for this because I can’t even.

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Beautiful Drama

It was a very good series. I watched with interest and interest from start to finish. I really like. I also matched the actors. I found them compatible. Activation scenes were also near perfect. Very nice battle scenes, a visual feast, also the double fight scenes were very good.
The good hiding of evil in the story, the mystery was very appropriate. Although we knew, but still, we finally said that we did not know. We questioned why. After all, our heroes came to the places they wanted. However, the scenes where they lost their parents and loved ones during their arrival were filled with sadness. There were emotional places where I couldn't hold back my tears. After all, it was beautiful. It was colorful. There was love. There was love. There was sadness. There was mystery. Ambition, intrigue, activation, war, fighting, whatever you call it, it was there. I'm sorry it's over. I recommend it to those who haven't watched it.

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This drama is truly epic!

I've been very impressed by this drama and the entire production is really top notch. Many times I was in awe by the sheer beauty of landscape, cinematography, the costumes, this ancient world I was able to fully immerse myself in and I had to pause often just to gawk at sheer awe my eyes were feasting on. As a wuxia drama, I have been very impressed by the fight scenes where many times I was giddy and grinning with excitement. The two main lead chemistry is off the chart and Lusi I just love you even more and felt your acting was just excellent. Other main leads and casts were stellar. The sheer scale of the story balance nicely with the sheer grandness of the drama. There are of course a few scenes and directions that I may not agree with and felt the ending seemed rushed but having heard they had to reduce by several episodes, it was understandable. This drama is totally worth watching and I'll definitely watch again in the future. One of the best I've scene. Truly an enjoyable watch in all aspects!

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Absolute masterpiece. I could watch the leads solve math problems all day and not get bored

TLDR: Of the 40 or so dramas I've seen thus far this is the only one that I pulled an all nighter to keep watching and I normally don't like historical dramas.

Disclaimer: I rate a 5 as average so everything above that is pretty good to excellent while everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I am not a film making expert so I have no knowledge on the techniques that go into making a "good" show so I can only give my opinions based on how much I liked a given show relative to previous ones I've seen.

Overall: I'm not a good enough writer to express how much fun I had while watching this show. If literally anything about cdramas interests you you will have no regrets adding this show to your watch list.

Story: The story is great. It has multiple facets that are all balanced beautifully. The romance, politics, mystery, and war elements are all given ample time to develop with nothing feeling left out. Starting off with the romance. The chemistry between the two leads is amazing and is backed by an interesting premise with strong plot points that the characters have to navigate. I loved the dual identities of the leads which added a fun element that allowed viewers to be in on a secret while characters gradually discovered things on their own. It also served to add depth to both the characters and the world they were living in which is not something that I can often follow in a historical cdrama. The backstory of the leads also made it really fun to just watch them exist together no matter the situation. I would say the only thing I was kind of disappointed in was the FL reveal. I selfishly wanted it to be a bigger deal, and it did feel like it was building up to it, but how it actually played out made sense in the context of the story so I can't knock it too much.

The politics were good. I've never personally been invested in this aspect of dramas but the court and politics in this show are solid enough with believable motives and actions which kept me invested. It was refreshing to see every character having a base IQ of at least 100 with their own goals and plans to achieve those goals. It never felt like a plan failed because the character was dumb, it always felt like they failed because they happened to go up against someone smarter than them which is not something that can be said for most dramas so mad props to the show for that. There is a fair share of over the top stuff but nothing too outrageous and easily overlooked given how good everything else about the story is. The war elements were ok. There was some CGI use in the later stages with some numbers that didn't quite add up but nothing super bad.

Spoiler: The only egregiously weird moment to me was when the daughter stabbed the FL. I sort of had question marks in my head as to what that was since the FL was pretty much her older sister/mother up until that point but that is the only moment I was really taken out of the story.

Overall the story was pretty good without trying to be overly complex. With the strong chemistry between the leads and the incredible characters the story's only job was to not be horrible and it accomplished this and more. It was pretty much the perfect vehicle to let the characters shine through and carry the show.

Characters/acting: This is a strong contender for some of my favorite leads and side characters of any show I've watched. Overall I loved the fact that every character is competent and found themselves in a given position for a reason. No rulers without a brain to be seen (the single exception being the lord that is introduced later).

Starting with the leads. The ML is perfectly cast in the role. I've seen 4 or 5 of his shows and I think this performance slightly edges out You are my glory for number 1 on my list. He does his best when playing the down to earth "straight man" while having a more comedic spontaneous partner to bounce off of and boy does he have that here. He played both sides of the character incredibly well and the aura he gives of just being the smartest person in the room fit both roles. I could write more about him but it would just be me gushing over how great he was in his own individual scenes and the chemistry he had with every other character in the show so I'll leave it there.

The FL is also perfectly cast. Similar to the ML, I've seen several of her other dramas and I've always preferred her more lighthearted roles of which this is by far her best imo. The character is the perfect balance of care free while also knowing when its time to lock in and be a responsible adult. We don't get to see as much of her imperial side but what we do see works well. However the standout is definitely her martial side which thankfully takes up the majority of her screen time. I liked her chemistry with everyone and both the leads bounce off each other perfectly giving the sense that they really are best friends that happen to be romantically interested in each other. Similar to the ML I could say much more but it would all be praise on how great she was in this role.

Its actually crazy to me how perfect the leads were in this show. They are both simultaneously good actors/actresses and play their parts well while also having the perfect partner in each other. I could literally watch them do anything together and they would find a way to make it entertaining. They were a huge reason as to why the story didn't really need to be this super innovative complex masterpiece because watching them go shopping was just as fun as watching them solve court mysteries.

The side characters were incredible as well. Starting with the rest of the 4 gentry I really liked Yu Wu Yuan as the scheming villain. I didn't think he'd be the villain until the show made it obvious which is a credit to the performance. He managed to give off the calm killer vibe where it doesn't feel like they're a bad person, their goal just happens to be something that most people would label bad. This and the fact that I got the sense that he would follow his goal through to the end made him simultaneously fun and scary to watch. It was also great that they made him an actual threat in the show so everytime he cooks up a scheme there is a reason to be scared. Huang Chao was a great 4th edition to the cast. The standard noble ambitious warrior archetype with his own flair. He was imposing and charismatic in the perfect way bouncing between the two depending on what the situation called for.

Another standout was Minister Feng. She was great in the role and I liked that she was both persistent but mature. She was a great addition to the main cast and had great chemistry with both leads. I particularly liked her friendship with the FL.

The brothers were great. Sad that the first brother kind of got shafted by the script but someone had to. He could not stop taking Ls :(. Credit to the story and actor for making this one of the few believable characters haunted by a past trauma. He was affected in a totally realistic way and did bad things because of it but nothing that didn't fit with the context we were given. I liked the third brother a lot. In any other drama he is written as a buffoon with 0 brain cells who can barely think for himself so it was incredibly refreshing to see that the story gave him some agency. He was arrogant and smart in ways that made sense it just so happened that he was out of his depth from the beginning given his opposition in the ML. It was really fun to watch the unspoken battle between the 2nd and 3rd brother where one was playing chess and one was playing checkers but at least they were both playing. Other shows would really benefit from taking notes on this. Watching a character overcome a monkey is much less satisfying than watching them overcome a competent human.

I really loved the King's performance as someone who knows what he wants and understands that not everyone is going to see it that way. I'm a sucker for a character that has goals that I don't agree with but the story/performance make me sympathize anyway. He stuck to his beliefs and did his best to keep everything together while others were trying to rock the boat. Credit to the actor for giving the character the gravitas he needed to be seen as superior to everyone else.

Other side characters were great as well but are too numerous to really go in depth but suffice it to say I loved pretty much all of them.

Music: Not a huge music person and I watch dramas in 1.5x most of the time so can't really comment.

Rewatch: If I had to rewatch a show this would be close to the top of the list. Almost everything about this show was perfect and I wouldn't mind experiencing the story of Bai/Hei Feng Xi again. - she paid me a fiver ;)

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One of the Best Chinese Period Drama!

Story:
-So fun with the dual identity, strong ML & FL which was great to watch
+hoped they would develop more of the playful humor surrounding her reveal of her double identity but then again it was during her state being attacked.
-The story is excellent with so many different characters that weave together and believable
-The ending was a bit anticlimactic when they fought the villian.
-The intrigue, the manipulation of trying to gain the throne and then the realization of what's important and how difficult it is to be in a place of power and to use it well...very good.
-And as someone commented...best portrayal of woman admiration and friendship even with liking the same person. Strong portrayal and positive light on women.

Acting:
- Yang Yang did an amazing job of the elegant, sickly genius Prince and the strong, intelligent, powerful Hei Fengxi. His small inflections, smiles and facial expresssions were well acted.
- Zhao Lusi was positively fun and excellent. Her portrayal of Bai Fengxi and then Princess Xiyun was right on target! Innocent, playful and yet strong in martial arts, smart and wanting just to exact justice not be in a place of power.
-Qiwu was played very well as the strong female clan leader and smart as a whip, supporter to both lead roles.
-Rest of the cast played every role so well...it was so fun to watch esp the antagonists and their plotting.

Overall:
I have to say this has everything: wuxia, romance, power struggle, royalty, beautiful costuming, beautiful scenery, great humor, military strategy, and well acted. Pacing, directing, sets, costuming were all good...the only thing is the ending was a bit less descriptive but all in all it made you want more! I've rewatched certain scenes so many times! You definitely cheer for the couple and it's hard to stop watching. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did/do! ;)

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