Who Rules the World (2022)

This is a great historical drama with some wuxia and a romantic storyline that develops slowly and lasts a lifetime. The ending is nice and satisfying, but it felt rushed. The drama has a lot of court politics with betrayal and family enmity but the true characters, the main leads, remain true to themselves and each other all the way to the end. Even though the main leads didn’t have many intimate scenes, their chemistry went beyond skinship; their facial expressions, beautiful embraces, heart-wrenching and heartwarming moments made their love story and partnership enviable to everyone. The drama has very well choreographed fighting scenes, beautiful costumes, and some good CGI’s, with the exception of some war scenes. Overall, the drama is very entertaining and enjoyable to watch.

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yang yang and Zhao lusi very nice

Hei Fengxi and Bai Fengxi are a fated pair. To the world, they're known as the Hei-Bai Fengxi duo, "Hei" and "Bai" as in black and white. They're each other's greatest rivals, companions and partners in crime but also inseparable like light and shadow. It's hard to describe their relationship with just a few simple words.

"As beautiful as she is lethal." Bai Fengxi is a smart and brave yet carefree heroine who stands in the face of justice. She's a cute glutton when there's good food and a headstrong, cheeky opponent when there's a good fight. Secretly, she's also Princess Feng Xiyun of Qing who's renowned for her intelligence and eloquence.

Hei Fengxi is the embodiment of grace and elegance that's known as a diplomatic and just hero. But underneath that façade, he's extremely cunning and ambitious, just like the endearing nickname "Black Foxy" Bai Fengxi has given him. Like her, he also has a double identity as the Second Prince Feng Lanxi of Yong. From a young age, he was forced to fake illness and learn the ruthlessness of court politics on the path to becoming the royal heir. Hei Fengxi is tough and merciless towards his opponents but incredibly soft-hearted when it comes to his own people, especially Bai Fengxi.

I'm truly in love with the duality of both leads. They're adventurous and playful in the martial arts world, but very dedicated to their royal duties in bringing peace and prosperity to their citizens. There's an unwavering trust and teamwork between Hei and Bai Fengxi that makes them a force to be reckoned with. What's more impressive is that they're both on equal footing where no one side is weaker than the other in talents, martial arts or status. While political schemes and wuxia values do play a major role in the plot, there's a more evident focus on romance.

The chemistry between Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi is so sweet and overwhelming. Admittedly, I didn't know how this couple would pane out in a historical drama but this is way better than any of my wildest dreams. They just click so well together. I can see that both have matured a lot in their acting. Yang Yang has become more experienced with subtle expressions from his role in You Are My Glory, as well as with action scenes from Glory of Special Forces. His background as a contemporary dancer also greatly contributes to the poised and refined portrayal of Hei Fengxi. On the other hand, Zhao Lusi plays the dashing and charismatic Bai Fengxi very well. She's truly badass on so many levels. It's like she has combined the female power from both of her roles in The Romance of Tiger & Rose and The Long Ballad together. Despite the age gap in real life, this pair looks great together on-screen. Though off-screen they're so childish and competitive with each other, it's no wonder Yang Yang said they have the same mental age as a 5-year-old.

This drama also has a very vibrant side cast. Xuan Lu as Feng Qiwu is such a girl crush and I love it when she teams up with Bai Fengxi, total femme fatale style. It's nice to see Wei Wuxian's martial sister kicking up a storm and fighting like a general. The kid playing Han Pu is such a sweetheart. He's a smart little cookie that knows how to bring the vibes. Feng Chang, played by Zhang Tian Yang, is a great older brother. He's protective of Hei Fengxi and really cares for him. Zhang Feng Yi pulls a very convincing act as the sly and cynical King of Yong (Hei Fengxi's father). It's heartbreaking to see Hei Fengxi suffer at his father's callousness.

We can't not talk about the excellent production from the director of none other than Love and Redemption, Ancient Love Poetry and Under the Power. The costumes are absolutely gorgeous and really highlight the duality of the leads. Those high pony tails and headpieces are just chef kiss. The scenery, action scenes and CGI are seamless. I love how Hei Fengxi uses the fan and Bai Fengxi uses her silk ribbon, it's such an effortlessly cool way to fight. Plus, those flying sequences are so satisfying to watch. While the last few episodes do feel a bit rushed, the overall plot remains fairly coherent and easy to follow. As prementioned, it's not supposed to be full-on political, like for say Nirvana in Fire, but emphasises more on the journey of Hei and Bai Fengxi as they traverse the world and discover what is truly the most important in life. Admittedly, there've been a few controversies and problems with the production crew towards the later part of filming, but this drama has turned out to be a fine one so all credits to the cast and staffs.

The OSTs are very complementary as well. Unparalleled (无双) by Liu Yuning is so empowering and intense. Except it's a bit strange to hear from Zhao Lusi's lover in The Long Ballad, if you get what I mean. My favourite got to be Breath of Wind (风息) by Tiger Hu and Ye Xuan Qing as it's very fitting for the Hei-Bai Fengxi couple. A Dream Come True (一梦浮生) by Silence Wang is like a sweet love confession. While Like A Dream (如梦) by Sunny is like a bashful reply to that confession. Lastly, Orphan (孤注) by Tan Wei Wei is the emotional song that hits you least expect it.

*If you're confused about the politics and would like some clarifications, CloudA has put together a fantastic background summary in the Discussion forum below.

FAVOURITE QUOTES:

“If I die, no one will know your [Hei Fengxi's] true face. Life will be boring.” Bai Fengxi

“I can hide anything from the world. Yet, I can’t hide anything from you [Bai Fengxi].” Hei Fengxi

“They always say to love until the ocean and earth run dry. We both know that these are just false promises. To me, I only want to hold your [Bai Fengxi's] hand until the end of life.” Hei Fengxi

“I met you [Bai Fengxi] when I just started in the martial arts world. And thanks to you, I saw the kindness of the world. And thanks to your company, I know what true feelings mean. It’s all thanks to you that I gave the world another chance.” Hei Fengxi

“They said sometimes you had to lose one thing in order to gain another. But some things are too painful to be let go. I can’t let go of her [Bai Fengxi] no matter how hard I try… I can let go of all my mortal desire except for this one. I can discard three thousand strands of woes but let me keep this one strand… Let it bind me for the rest of my life.” Hei Fengxi

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Martial Arts

Oh man I loved this. Some will not rate it high but I will. Everything about this drama was awesome. I loved the fantasy! I loved the Martial Arts! The visuals, the design, all were awesomely good. I love the main lead, Yang Yang who is one of my favorite actors... his acting skills are spot on. Zhao Lu Si, the more I see the actress, the more I love her. She played a part that I love the best, being that strong and courageous woman. The romance is perfect between the main characters had me in such an emotional state from crying to being happy to crying again. This is what loves looks like too bad it was fiction. Love for one another is never violent but is there unconditionally for one another. I have always longed for this type of love but never had it. Maybe that's why this is fiction. I thank all the other actors and actresses in this drama... I keep seeing one of my other favorite actors in dramas. Leon Lai, he such a great actor.

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The relationships (both the platonic and romantic ones) are what made me love this drama

Pretty enjoyable show to watch! The actors are great, both the actors for the main characters, and the supporting cast. At some point halfway through the show, I wasn't sure if I would continue watching as it got a little too focussed on court politics without interesting adventures or fights. But as I kept watching, I'm happy I finished it, because the story, but moreover, the relationships between characters, got interesting for me again.

One of the best things about this show is the build up of relationships, both the romantic and platonic ones.
The development of the romance between the main characters was really good and fun in my opinion. Their relationship was built up beautifully and very believable. You could understand why they cared for each other and why they fell in love.

Another relationship I very much loved was the friendship with Xuan Lu's character: Feng Qiwu.
Feng Qiwu on its own is a very interesting and wonderful character.
[SPOILER WARNING FOR THE NEXT BIT]
But I admire the show so much for not making her end up in a hopeless love triangle, instead having her become super good friends with Bai Fengxi (to the point that I would actually have loved an alternate ending of Bai Fengxi being in a relationship with both Hei Fengxi and Feng Qiwu). This beautiful platonic relationship is something I love to see, and often miss in other shows. It definitely makes Who Rules The World stand out from other shows that are otherwise very similar in worldbuilding and overall storyline.

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wuxia game of thrones with a timeless love story

I will never stop saying good things about this. Everything about it was just perfect.

The drama started off more martial arts centered with a side of politics then became more and more about politics. I’m not complaining, of course, because I it was a masterpiece. Everything about it was just so well done: the romance, the politics, the people.

Their love story was to die for. At the beginning, it was already clear he had feelings for her. It was an enviable romance. Each party was self sufficient in their own way, and they were perfect for each other. He chose her over the world because she is his world. I know that doesn’t make sense, but it does I promise.

Zhao Lusi was amazing as always. There’s never been a drama where she fails my expectations, Her character was so well-written. She is truly a girl boss. The only thing that bothered me was when her voice cracks when she’s yelling… it’s only a bit, but it was noticeable. Nonetheless, I love ms girl because she is a power move.

Yang Yang was surprising. This was my first drama with him, and let me just say, he has looks. Not everyone can pull off that top bun but he did it. His character was arguably one of the most complex ones. He’s methodical, cunning, and witty, but he’s also caring and loving. He is one of my all time favs because he chose the girl over his ambitions,

The purple dude was my favorite “side” character hands down. There’s just something so charismatic about him that you just got to love him. I started getting a little wary when they were fighting, but in the end, he proved himself just and charming as always. When our ML started wearing purple, I was thrown so off guard because like it’s Huang Chao’s signature okay.

All the other characters were amazing. They 100% killed off so many just like in game of thrones. Our fl was really going through it.

Obviously, the CGI was amazing. This is one of the best productions I’ve ever seen, next to Love like the galaxy. I really want to know how much it cost….


** major major ending spoilers **

Okay , so I was wary of the time skips at first, but then I realised it made perfect sense for the story. Wars take a long time, and it’s not gonna end in just a couple months.

Also, I KNOW that wasn’t the ending. I’m going to pretend that as they’re spending the rest of their days together, they somehow found a way for them both to live to an old age and die together.

I hate Langhua. Like, I actually hate her. When her father went missing, she was so fast to get mad at FL and throw blame at her. Then, she ducking stabbed her. She fully believed FL would kill master Bai without any convincing evidence. Ms girl is immature and I wish she died…. Idc if she came around because she will always be ready to blame FL if anything happens. She quite literally killed her. Ain’t no way I’m forgiving anyone for that.

If she hadn’t stabbed her, there would still be flowers left. Then, ML wouldn’t have to give up his life to save FL because he could’ve used the flowers. Hate that bitch.

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Visually stunning but pacing is off

This is my first time watching a c drama as it's currently airing. And I can easily say that it has reignated my love for c dramas, and has made me want to watch more. Especially ones in this particular genre.

To start with the good we have Zhao Lu Si's incredibly acting. I'm convinced she would have chemistry with a rock should the story require her to. This is my second time watching one of her dramas, and it certainly won't be the last. She's accompanied by Yang Yang, who albeit is a little more stiff in his acting, nonetheless manages to convince us of their undying love for each other. It was refreshing to see a drama without any unnecessary breakups or confusing love triangles. They supported each other from beginning until end.

It was also lovely to see a female main character who wasn't only supposed to be strong, but actually showed us that she was too. Unfortunately in dramas we're often told that the main character is supposed to be strong or powerful, but none of her actions showcase it. This was not a problem in this drama. We were quickly introduced to her character, and her moral compass. But even though she tried to be rightous and value all human life, she wasn't hesitant to get her hands dirty when the situation required it. Kudos to the writers and Zhao Lu Si for accomplishing this.

It wasn't all good however. One thing I always have some trouble with in chinese dramas is the over-the-top cgi they tend to prefer. It makes the show seem silly, even when it isn't supposed to be. I will also never understand why they insist on dubbing a show that is in their own language. Perhaps there is a reason for this that I just don't know about. But it still strikes me as odd.

The main problem I had with this show however, is the inconsistent pacing. Though it was enjoyable throughout, it felt like the middle part was dragged out unnecessarily long. The beginning was fast-paced and then it mellowed out into episodes that didn't feel like they furthered the plot very much at all. Which in turn made the ending very rushed. It seemed like they tried to cram 80% of the story into the final few episodes.

All in all, a very enjoyable drama. But one that definitely could have benefited from tighter writing or more episodes. Something I never thought I would wish unto a c drama.

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A Gem in the Drama Industry

This series has a very captivating story, plot lines, twists, aesthetic value, and a perfect balance of humor, romance, action, and drama.

Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi as headliners are already a superb combination of actors. I usually see Lusi in cute rom - coms but in this series, she is definitely something else, Yang Yang speaks conveys emotions through his eyes and it is very believable. Also, the supporting casts did their job perfectly.

The storyline and the plot twists, some are cliche but I can say it is not boring to watch. The Lines are well written.

The aesthetic of the series is just so good, you already have visuals like lusi and yang yang yet the cinematography, costumes, and CGI effects were done so well.

Overall, I rate this drama a 10/10 must-watch! I laughed, cried, and relate to some of the characters in the drama. Thank you for this masterpiece.

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Totally love it

Great movie, great casts, great music!

Had this on my "Want to watch" list for some time but was hesitating in watching it because it was 40 episodes long and I rarely have the time to binge that many. But, no regrets doing the binge.

The series is awesome, alot of familiar actors and actresses in this series, including my favorites Yang Yang and Zhao LuSi. The storyline is indeed interesting and awesome, surrounded with loads of action, drama, romance and even humor. Yang Yang and Zhao LuSi indeed have great chemistry together, be it romantically or the humor parts. I especially love watching the parts where you find a confused Yang Yang when it came to Zhao LuSi's funny antics. It is especially funny to watch how, from the beginning, that the Male Lead actually likes the Female lead but is oblivious to it. The jealous moments are really cute to watch also. Overall, the entire cast for this series really did a great job bringing this series to life - especially the evil Stepmother queen (with looks and attitude xD).

The music paired with this series is also very beautifully paired. Love every single song they have. Too bad that Yang Yang and LuSi did not do a duet together. Would have loved to hear these 2 voices together - have listened to all of their individual songs.

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The chemistry tho

I've really like Zhao Lusi since Romance of Tiger & Rose and she is just as great in this even though the her character is this is completely different as the martially adept, charismatic and daring Bai Feng xi . Yang Yang is dashing and passionate as Hei Feng xi and their chemistry is off the charts . Loved the story as well . It is full of intrigue and twists and I feel like everyone got the ending they deserved. Plenty of light hearted and cute scenes between the two leads. I would have liked maybe a few more episodes to flesh out the ending a bit but overall I loved the show and would definitely rewatch .

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