Word of Honor (2021)

Tutto fumo e niente arrosto

COMMENTO CON SPOILER, PER CHI HA VISTO TUTTA LA SERIE.

La prima cosa che voglio dire è che dal momento in cui sono venuta a conoscenza di questo drama, in me è nato subito un forte entusiasmo, che andava accrescendosi ogni giorno che passava. Infatti, nell’attesa che Viki lo finisse di subbare, ho passato settimane se non alcuni mesi a deliziarmi su Tumblr tra gif e fanart di questa serie (come io sia riuscita a non beccarmi nessuno spoiler importante rimane un miracolo). Ed ero davvero estasiata. Per vari motivi:

1) Questa serie è un fantasy xianxia e wuxia, un genere che a me piace molto.

2) La ship gay tra i due protagonisti.

3) Suddetti protagonisti che sembravano avere una chimica pazzesca dai modi in cui si guardavano.

4) Mi ricordava un sacco The Untamed, per ovvi motivi.

5) Sembrava una serie fatta davvero bene, quasi “epica”. Le scenografie, i costumi, i combattimenti... tutto sembrava promettere bene.

MA....

Qui lo dico, lo affermo e non mi vergogno: Word of honor mi ha grandemente delusa, penso che abbia un sacco di problemi e che non meriti assolutamente il voto che detiene qui su Mydramalist (8.6 al momento).

FATEMI CAUSA.

Ora, da un punto di vista estetico e tecnico, non ho granché di cui lamentarmi. La colonna sonora è molto bella (Ask Heaven stupenda), le scenografie sono bellissime e suggestive, gli effetti speciali in confronto a quelli di TU sono oro colato, e la recitazione anche se non è nulla di straordinario è comunque molto buona in alcuni casi. I miei preferiti sono stati Simon Gong come Wen Kexing (sopratutto nei panni del Signore della Valle), e Li Dai Kun come Re degli Scorpioni.

Mi è piaciuta molto la recitazione dei due lead (anche se Zhang Zhe Han l’ho trovato poco coinvolgente), che hanno per davvero una bellissima chimica. Potrei tranquillamente riempire il mio profilo tumblr di gif set su loro due che si guardano, che si sorridono, che scherzano, che combattono insieme... e sembrerebbe una ship meravigliosa (come era sembrata a me nelle settimane precedenti).

Il problema è proprio questo: Word of honor SEMBRA una serie epica, la WenZhuo SEMBRA una bellissima e struggente storia d’amore.

Ma come dice il proverbio: l’apparenza inganna.

Cosa è andato storto?

1) LA MANCANZA DI CONTESTUALIZZAZIONE, SPIEGAZIONI INESISTENTI E CONFUSIONE GENERALE

Molte persone si lamentano dei primi episodi di The Untamed, dicendo che sono lenti e non succede niente. Il che può anche essere vero, ma io quelle prime puntate le ho sempre apprezzate moltissimo perché fungono da introduzione della trama e presentazione dei personaggi. Ad oggi mi rendo davvero conto dell’importanza e della profonda utilità di quegli episodi, in cui ci presentano i vari personaggi e delineano le relazioni tra di essi, ci presentano il mondo in cui è ambientata la serie, e gettano tutte le basi di quello che avviene in seguito, rendendo quindi tutto molto più fruibile e comprensibile.

In Word of honor invece c’è da mettersi le mani nei capelli. Ho perso il conto delle volte in cui mi sono persa nei dialoghi dei personaggi che parlavano di gente a me sconosciuta. Spesso le cose succedono in modo random, senza uno straccio di spiegazione, al che ci si perde i pezzi per strada. Durante la visione ho sentito tanto la mancanza di un “contesto” che mi aiutasse a capire cosa stava succedendo in scena, di chi si stava parlando, cosa aveva portato un determinato personaggio a dire quella cosa ecc...

Per fare un esempio lampante: come in TU, anche in questo mondo ci sono dei clan principali, ma a differenza di TU dove ogni clan era caratterizzato meravigliosamente e in modo singolare, qui le sette non è nemmeno chiaro quali siano, non hanno caratteristiche precise che le rende uniche e facilmente riconoscibili, e non è nemmeno chiaro dove la gente vive, e comunque le residenze sono tutte molto simili.

Mi ha dato inoltre molto fastidio quando le cose succedevano off screen. Alcuni eventi sono stati solo spiegati o anche semplicemente citati, e non mostrati. Come la morte del capo dei mendicanti, per fare un esempio. Io capisco che la serie avrà avuto un badget limitato, ma di certo non poteva essere più limitato di quello di The Untamed (cane brutto spelacchiato sempre nei nostri cuori), e se quest’ultima è riuscita comunque a dare vita ad una storia capace di travolgerti il cuore, allora poteva farlo anche WOH.

Lasciamo poi perdere tutto il discorso dell’armatura vitrea e dei pezzi moltiplicati da quel genio di Wen Kexing: grazie per avermi complicato la vita.

È stato come rivedere la storyline del Metallo Yin, ma avanzata di livello: un incubo.

2) I PERSONAGGI REAGISCONO IN MANIERA ASSURDA

Più volte mi è partito il WTF nel vedere come reagivano, o meglio, non reagivano i personaggi.

A cominciare da Chengling a cui viene sterminata la famiglia e distrutta la casa nel secondo episodio, e questo ragazzino sembra non rimanerne più di tanto traumatizzato. Non come il massacro al Pontile del Loto e la reazione devastata di Jiang Cheng, Wuxian e Shijie che angoscia levati. In tutta la serie non ho mai percepito il trauma di Chengling o il suo dolore per la perdita della famiglia, è come se la cosa non fosse mai successa.

La figlia del Gran Capo Gao che viene rapita dalla coppia di vecchietti (voglio sapere se qualcuno ha imparato i loro nomi), e nel momento in cui viene liberata si lascia andare ad un assurdo slancio di bontà, di difesa e di perdono.

Durante l’ultima assemblea Wen Kexing afferma di non essere lui il capo dei fantasmi... e tutti gli credono. E quando viene fuori la sua storia e di chi è davvero figlio, gli viene perdonato tutto perché “eh poverino, ha sofferto tanto”. Quindi, giustamente, chiudiamo tutti gli spettri nella Valle Fantasma lasciandoli morire, tranne Wen Kexing e Xiang perché sono il lead e la lead. (Io comunque non ho mai capito cosa facevano di male questi fantasmi, togliendo quelli che hanno appiccato fuoco alla residenza del ragazzino).

E che dire di Zhuo Zishu e di Cao Wei Ning? Loro sono la ciliegina sulla torta. Questi due si innamorano di due spettri, e quando scoprono la loro vera identità non rimangono minimamente sconvolti, arrabbiati o turbati. Wei Ning un pochino si sorprende, ma la cosa finisce lì. E qui mi collego al prossimo punto.

3) UN ANTICLIMAX IMBARAZZANTE

Quando Ye BaiYi riferisce a Zishu la vera identità di Kexing, viene fuori che lui lo aveva già capito e che non gli importa. Quando Wei Ning scopre di Xiang dopo una iniziale sorpresa la cosa si risolve nel giro di un minuto.

Quando Kenxing scopre dei chiodi di Zishu, dopo un primo momento di disperazione (scena della pioggia), continua la sua vita come se nulla fosse. Non è in ansia. Non è angosciato. Non si mette alla disperata ricerca di una cura - come fece Wuxian per Jiang Cheng - per salvare quello che dice essere la sua anima gemella.

E ancora, Wen Kexing ha provocato la morte della famiglia di Chengling (non facciamo i buonisti: può anche non aver dato l’ordine, ma è quello che voleva e ha fatto di tutto per seminare odio e morte di persone innocenti), e quando il ragazzino lo scopre tutta la rabbia, la frustrazione e la delusione che si potevano creare si risolvono in un perdono totale (e comunque manco ne hanno parlato) in virtù di quello che il povero Wen Kexing ha passato.

Ora, perché non siete stati capaci di creare quella che si chiama angst? Perché, dopo aver creato TANTE occasioni che potevano davvero suscitare una buona dose di angoscia nello spettatore, non avete avuto la capacità di svilupparla come si deve e non avete avuto il coraggio di andare fino in fondo, preferendo invece strade più facili, buoniste e superficiali?

Word of honor aveva la possibilità di mettere su un’angst coi fiocchi, ma tutto si è sempre risolto con un NULLA DI FATTO.

4) UNA SUPERFICIALITA’ GENERALE

Lungo il corso della serie, ho sempre avuto la sensazione che ci fosse tanta carne al fuoco, ma che non sia stata cucinata fino in fondo. Word of honor è una bistecca al sangue. È una pasta al dente. Word of honor è la serie delle occasioni perse, dell’angoscia sprecata.

Word of honor si può riassumere perfettamente con il detto “tutto fumo e niente arrosto.”

Le Sette non sono caratterizzate, le evoluzioni dei personaggi sono praticamente inesistenti, fasulle o bipolari, le relazioni potevano essere un pozzo di profondità ma si sono sempre fermati alla superficie.

Un’altra cosa da cui sono rimasta molto delusa sono stati i Fantasmi. All’inizio mi piacevano un sacco, ma anche loro sono stati trascurati e/o dimenticati. A pochi di loro viene concesso il lusso di una storyline, e nessuna di queste ha saputo lasciare il segno. Non parliamo poi degli Scorpioni, che quasi non si sa chi siano.

Word of honor è una serie che pretende, ma che non dimostra di essersi impegnata abbastanza. Quello che ne risulta è una presa in giro.

5) ZHUO ZISHU E WEN KEXING COME I NUOVI “ROMEO E GIULIETTA”

So che rischio il linciaggio, ma io qui voglio davvero stendere un velo pietoso.

Sia se li prendo come personaggi singoli, sia se li prendo come coppia, li devo bocciare in entrambi i casi.

Wen Kexing è un finto villain, che vive nel bipolarismo tra il desiderio di vendetta e la vita idilliaca con Zishu e Chengling, e mentre passa metà del tempo a esprimersi attraverso versi di poesia e frasi filosofiche di cui non ho mai capito il senso, alla fine ottiene entrambe le cose senza aver mai preso una vera posizione.

Zhuo Zishu è un personaggio che di per sé potrei anche salvare, ma di problemi ne ha parecchi dal momento in cui entra in contatto con Kexing. Non si capisce perché accetta la sua presenza o perché da un episodio all’altro comincia a chiamarlo amico e a desiderare di condividere la sua vita con lui. All’inizio non sa nemmeno chi è, però vuole viaggiare il mondo assieme a lui: non è realistico.

La “storia d’amore” comincia in maniera semplicemente assurda, con Wen Kexing che definisce l’altro anima gemella alla bellezza dell’ottavo episodio, quando il livello di costruzione del loro rapporto è ancora minimo. Ma siccome si era intuito che si fossero già conosciuti nel passato, avevo pensato che avessero avuto un incontro precedente importante e degno di nota, per esempio Zishu che gli aveva salvato la vita, qualcosa di serio e profondo.

Circa a metà serie, si sono degnati di spiegarci le avventure passate di Kexing, e viene fuori che i due lead si sono conosciuti quando erano bambini (ho i brividi per l’inventiva), quando i genitori di Kexing hanno trovato rifugio presso il maestro di Zishu.

Ora...

Mi state dicendo che Wen Kexing ha definito Zishu anima gemella perché quando erano bambini hanno giocato insieme qualche giorno con il cane?

Sinceramente mi sento presa in giro.

Un altro grande problema è la loro comunicazione: superficiale e a volte inesistente.

Mi dispiace ma gli sguardi languidi e i giochetti non mi bastano. Ho bisogno di un fuoco che arde, non della fiammella di una candela.

Durante la prima metà della serie, prima di dare un giudizio definitivo, ho voluto essere speranzosa povera illusa. Mi sono detta: “non sono neanche a metà dai, hanno tutto il tempo per costruire un bel rapporto, per migliorare la comunicazione ecc...” E alla fine? Alla fine sviluppano una comunicazione talmente bella che Wen Kexing mette su un piano geniale senza farne parola con Zhuo Zishu, il quale lo crede morto e allora ripiega sul suicidio perché anche se ha Chengling e altri discepoli ritrovati di cui occuparsi e una possibile occasione di guarire, sia mai cercare di vivere una vita più che decente anche se la persona che ami è morta. Ma poi si scopre che quel simpaticone di Wen Kexing è ancora vivo, ma ormai è troppo tardi perché il danno è già stato fatto.

La loro comunicazione è talmente pessima che la cosa ha portato alla morte uno dei due.

Però sono anime gemelle.

Mi dà inoltre tremendamente fastidio il modo in cui la serie vuole passare per romantica con il messaggio: ha senso vivere solo con la tua anima gemella, se lei muore la vita perde di significato (questo vale anche per la coppietta etero finita male).

Questo NON è romantico. NON è bello. NON è sano.

Wen Kexing e Zhuo Zishu vogliono passare per tragicamente romantici: o viviamo tutti e due, o moriamo tutti e due. Ma io le storie d’amore così non le sopporto. Hanno fatto i nuovi Romeo e Giulietta, solo che loro li posso anche comprendere perché erano due tredicenni, mentre questi lead sono due uomini adulti che dovrebbero capire di dover andare avanti con la loro vita anche senza l’altro.

Voglio affrontare un altro discorso riguardante la ship.

Come ho detto prima, uno dei principali motivi per cui ero molto entusiasta nei confronti di questa serie, era per la ship gay.

Io so che è facile partire con l’entusiasmo quando si tratta di una storia BL, e non perché le ship gay siano speciali o più belle di quelle etero, ma perché in un mondo in cui le coppie gay non sono riconosciute come quelle etero e non hanno gli stessi diritti di queste ultime, è molto bello quando le coppie gay vengono rappresentate, quando vengono dati loro uno spazio e una voce.

Per una persona come me, totalmente supportiva della comunità LGBTQI, vedere queste persone rappresentate mi rende molto felice, soprattutto se si tratta di un drama asiatico, soprattutto se si tratta di un drama cinese!

Ma cominciando a vedere la serie, ho iniziato ben presto a scindere il mio entusiasmo personale da quello che stavo effettivamente vedendo. Io posso anche essere contenta che una serie cinese abbia deciso di rappresentare una storia gay, ma questo non significa che la relazione e la serie in sé siano state sviluppate in maniera adeguata, soddisfacente, emozionante ed ammirevole.

Wen Kexing e Zhuo Zishu scherzano, sorridono, si guardano, si prendono per mano, e tutto questo è bellissimo da vedere. Ma il problema è proprio questo: sono belli soltanto da guardare, come se fossero un bel quadretto.

Ma manca la vera angst, manca quella cosa che ti fa stringere il cuore per loro, manca quello struggimento che ti porta a shipparli, a tifare per loro e a desiderare di vederli insieme come se la tua felicità dipendesse da questo.

Non solo manca tutto questo, ma i due a una certa diventano addirittura noiosi, ripetitivi e ridicoli. Tanto che verso il finale non mi importava più nulla di loro, non mi importava se sarebbero riusciti a stare insieme o se Zishu sarebbe morto (tanto lo sapevo che avrebbero trovato una cura per quei chiodi maledetti: Ashes of love intensifritzzz), e addirittura ci sono stati dei momenti in cui ho sperato che morissero.

L’unica cosa buona di questa ship è quel “ai ni” pronunciato sul finale. Ho scoperto grazie alla mia compagna di visione che questa serie è famosa per aver passato la censura cinese, e ci credo. Oltre vari riferimenti palesemente gay lungo il corso della serie, l’elemento più eclatante è questo ti amo detto da Wen Kexing. Mettendo da parte le mie critiche, io sono felicissima di questo: un uomo che dice ti amo a un altro uomo, e il governo cinese lo ha passato! Cioè, PARLIAMONE.

Ora, voglio un attimo parlare del finale.

Qui lo dico e non lo nego: le serie asiatiche hanno un GROSSO problema con i finali. È qualcosa che ho notato fin dal mio primo amore Meteor Garden. Sono spesso poco chiari, confusionari, frettolosi, aperti, buonisti, paraculi e semplicistici.

Word of honor non fa eccezione:

1) Dopo aver esultato per le Nozze Rosse versione cinese, mi sono cascate le braccia nel vedere come il maestro di Wei Ning abbia agito per puro interesse dell’Armatura Vitrea, e non perché fosse un uomo di princìpi che voleva punire Wen Kexing per le sue malefatte. Sia mai rendere le cose interessanti e sfaccettate, meglio cadere nella banalità e scontatezza dilaganti che hanno pervaso questo drama fino all’ultimo.

2) L’Armeria bramata da tutti per tutto il drama che doveva contenere armi potenti si rivela essere un magazzino pieno di grano che possa sfamare le genti. E la manna che cade dal cielo, no?

3) Che vadano a cagare quei sette minuti A PAGAMENTO che compongono l’episodio 37, solo per vedere un riassunto della ship e i due lead che diventano immortali sulle montagne innevate.

4) Il rituale dei sei metodi di coltivazione che usano i due lead e che funziona, a quanto ho capito, solo con persone innamorate a livello romantico, è una cagata talmente immonda che mi vergogno io per la sceneggiatura.

5) A mio parere Xie'er è il personaggio migliore della serie. Non mi sarebbe dispiaciuto se gli avessero dato più spazio, e assolutamente MERITAVA DI MEGLIO SUL FINALE. Quella valanga di neve che travolge tutti senza degnarli di una decente scena di morte è qualcosa di imbarazzante.

Questa serie è stata una grossa delusione. A mio parere una pallida e brutta copia di The Untamed (e che sia chiaro: non critico WOH perché sono fan di TU e quindi tutti i BL mi fanno schifo di default, anzi, buona parte del mio hype iniziale era dovuto ai feels incredibili che questa serie mi dava di TU).

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The woman was to stunned to write a review

Ottima storia, certo. Però un casino. Bellissima, quindi consiglio a tutti di guardala (anche solo per il protagonista), ma un po’ un casino, ci sono punti estremamente lenti che portano ad un finale quasi fatto di corsa e un co-finale un po’ aperto (che poi aperto non è, ma non ho voglia di scrivere 500 caratteri su due minuti effettivi di epilogo). Tutto si risolve bene? Forse. Tutto si risolve male? Forse. Certo è che la storia poteva giovare di qualche puntata in più (anche solo due o tre), per creare un flow migliore. Un kudos bello grande lo devo dare ai personaggi secondari (che erano tutti, o quasi ben caratterizzati, anche quelli che alla fine si vedevano per qualche puntata). Tutto ciò per dire che con alcune pecche, è comunque un lavoro molto valido e merita, soprattutto se piace il genere

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Storia gonfiata, attori così così

Drama di genere [i]danmei[/i], tratto dal libro "Faraway Wanderers” di Priest, autrice principalmente di storie BL (Guardian, Legend of Fei, Justice in the Dark), in 36 episodi da circa 45 minuti, più un breve epilogo.

Si narra, con molta dovizia di contorno, dell’evoluzione del rapporto tra Zhou Zi Shu, ex capo di una setta di assassini (Zhang Zhe Han), e il misterioso Wen Ke Xing (Gong Jun), che gli fa una corte spietata. I due rimangono coinvolti in una lotta fra varie fazioni, tutte alla ricerca dei vari frammenti di un oggetto che dovrebbe consentire l’apertura di una fortezza a guardia di una preziosissima armeria.

Che dire? Rivedendolo 2/3 anni dopo, scopro che il ricordo splendido che ne avevo non era coerente con l'opera: lo avevo idealizzato. Erano i primi drama cinesi che guardavo, BL per giunta, e tutto era nuovo e bello. Pensavo che la recitazione cinese fosse tutta così ma... col senno di poi, devo ammettere che sono proprio loro ad essere poco più che mediocri, almeno in quest’opera specifica.

Zhang Zhe Han è stato a lungo il mio preferito, probabilmente per via di questo drama. Ma, rivedendolo ora, mi rendo conto che ha poche facce, non particolarmente efficaci, e alla fine è solo carino in certi costumi, bello da guardare, ma niente di cui scrivere a casa. Non che quello che gli hanno fatto in patria sia giusto, intendiamoci, ma come attore non è niente di speciale. Lo stesso dicasi per Gong Jun. Bellissimo, forse anche più di ZZH, specie nell'abito rosso, ma... lasciamo perdere. Ci sono bravi attori fra le spalle e i personaggi secondari, ma se ti ritrovi a fare una smorfia guardando la coppia principale vuol dire che c'è un problema. E fosse solo quello!

Se la recitazione dei personaggi principali è a tratti forzata e teatrale e comunque spesso poco coinvolgente, la CGI è abbastanza penosa. La storia sarebbe anche interessante, ma è talmente circonvoluta e gonfiata da scoraggiare. Le sotto trame hanno le sotto trame... Esagerando, potrei dire che le uniche cose veramente buone sono i costumi, l'aspetto dei protagonisti e l'ottima colonna sonora. Un po' pochino. Beh, aggiungiamoci il flirt: simpatico, via. Il duo protagonista ha una buona chimica, sullo schermo. Grottesco, se si pensa alla successiva evoluzione del rapporto fra i due attori nella vita reale, che ora non si può certo dire siano amici.

Fuori dall'esagerazione, accettando il fatto che sia un'opera a basso budget, con tutto quel che ne consegue, e preparandosi spiritualmente a seguire una lunga epopea piena di fronzoli inutili ai fini della trama principale, si tratta di un titolo potabile, ma che non giustifica l'immenso hype che l'ha circondato e che ha decretato l'improvvisa ascesa a star del duo principale, precedentemente di poca nomea.

A mio personalissimo parere, il motivo di tanta fama è unicamente il fatto che si tratti di un titolo BL, genere in precedenza abbastanza sconosciuto in Cina, che ha goduto di una breve ed esplosiva stagione di gloria prima di essere spietatamente eliminato dai palinsesti ad opera delle forbici censorie. Ci sono molti titoli [i]danmei[/i], già pronti per andare in onda, che non ricevono il permesso per la pubblicazione e chissà se vedranno mai la luce. Quanti soldi sprecati!

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the BEST costumed BL from China ( THIS IS A BIASED REVIEW, SEE RATING FOR BETTER ASSESSMENT)

Does it really deserve 9.5, no; in a critical sense. But I can't be unbiased in this, because this drama has made me laugh out loud and cry like a baby.
For a drama that is known to have a low budget and with two leads having not much a fan support before this drama, this drama has achieved way more than what other big budget production has not. I do think as fans of BL, especially from China with it's censorship, we need to reward productions who do not skew from the original story, who do non add random female characters, who do focus on story telling with intentions and a POV.
The story is adapted to television and flows through quickly and is evenly paced, the actors brings the life and blood to their characters (leads and side characters), For any viewers with keen sense, this is not a BL adaptation, it's BL. The chemistry between the two MLs are palpable in every scene, as they play back and forth with their words, their gazes, and their body language. They are playful and true to their characters, and I cannot praise enough of Gong Jun's acting in this. At first, I was hesitant to receive his "overt" "eye" acting, but it just conveys so much of his character as being the naive "cat" without it being overacting or farcical. He handles it just right. And ZZH is so good playing the reluctant role of the "mouse" with such subtlety and finesse, that you will find new hints of his intentions at every rewatch. Not to mention all the dynamic supporting roles, written with back stories and characteristic intent that supports this Wuxia JiangHu.
All in all, the script writer deserves the most praise, because for once it's handled by one lady Xiao Chu, who is a Wuxia fan and a fan of Priest. Her love and understanding of the Wuxia genre and the original text really shows how she organically expanded a what is considered a short story in Priest's world. Her adept handling of the subject and the challenges the topic of BL in her homeland is just so perfect, not to mention her knowledge of Chinese literary culture and history brings so much more to artistry to a laymen's entertainment such as tv drama.
After finishing the drama, I can say this drama has brought the standards of not just BL dramas, but all recent Chinese Wuxia drama standards, up, in terms of story telling. This production has told us you do not need big budget, main leads with rabid fans, all you need is good acting, good direction, and good script to capture the audiences' hearts.

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Despicable Me.

This sublime wuxia revolves around two atypical protagonists and their scorching, profound connection. A bold BL adaption that makes no attempt to suggest the relationship is just a bromance, the love story is so charismatically portrayed that it will captivate even mainstream viewers. Both protagonists are morally ambiguous and flawed characters with their own code of conduct. They fall far short of conventional da xia/大侠 or martial heroes but still manage to beguile us into caring and rooting for them.

What elevates this drama is the scriptwriting , the writer put her heart into this and while I cannot compare it with the book, I couldn't be more satisfied with the drama's storytelling. Important plot and character points are planned and planted well in advance and the story unfolds in a way that pulls us into various the plot threads and the partial reveals. Many questions, including when Zhou Zishu recognizes Wen Kexing; are never clearly answered but can be surmised upon re-watch from  hints in the dialogue and the characters' subsequent actions. The playful, flirtatious dialogue heavily laced with double entendre and layers of meaning with its facile parlance of idioms and ancient parables has won widespread praise from educators and broad audiences, inspiring young adults to dust off their classical texts with renewed enthusiasm. This winsome first work of a young scriptwriter sets a high bar for historical dramas going forward and puts the often lazy and tired works of more experienced writers to shame.

At surface, the backdrop and many characters are classic wuxia themes and anachronisms - various jianghu sects are vying to recover five shards of liulijia, a glazed artefact that can unlock a hidden repository of the most elite martial arts and miraculous medical manuscripts. Sound familiar? Its been done many times. But it scarcely matters because the two main protagonists, Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing immediately sweep us away with their outrageous, titillating courtship. Gong Jun's shamelessly flirtatious Wen Kexing, is the most predatory, lecherous, and utterly delicious display of physical attraction I have seen since John Malkovich's iconic Valmont in Dangerous Liaisons. I am quite certain most of Zhang Zehan's eye rolls were not acting and I just love his improvised comment - even my fart smells good! Both actors deliver immersive resonating performances - Gong Jun with a wild vengeful ferocity behind flashes of vulnerability and Zhang Zhehan with a subtle nuanced complexity that hints at a multitude of emotions within micro expressions. Classic wuxia themes and archetypes are woven into an addictive tale of friendship, love, betrayal, loyalty, ambition, sacrifice and of course revenge.

While a bit heavy on the slow motion, the fight scenes are stunningly choreographed and delivers enough hairy, scary, dicey, slicey moments to have me at the edge of my seat. I was stunned by the raw ferocious rage and naked hatred that spilled out of Gu Xiang in the epic finale. The bloodthirsty, brutally lethal and absolutely berserk final mortal battle where the master of the Ghost Valley emits rage with the wild light of cruel insanity flashing in his eyes is without doubt the highlight of the action. This of course excludes Lao Wen and Ah Xu's exuberant fight scenes because everybody knows its really a mating dance where they are actually just ogling at each other. The story is well paced with a good balance of mystery, action and and ends spectacularly with enough twists, surprises and a breathless cruelty that pays homage to the true spirit of the genre. If I have to find fault, there are too many sects and side characters that don't advance the plot. The relationship between Zhao Jing and Scorpion King also feels off in a creepy way and even though the role is very well acted, Scorpion King's motives are not well developed. In general the villains feel rather two dimensional but perhaps this is unavoidable given how grey and complex both protagonists are.

Even though this is hands down one of the best wuxias I have seen in years, this is more of a character drama in the sense that the core characters are what really brings this story life in a differentiated way. I am going to discuss them in greater detail in the following paragraphs. Be warned there are mild spoilers so you may want to stop reading here and revisit after completing.

*Be warned - mild spoilers ahead!*

The narrator Zhou Zishu is a dark character and while he is not a villain, he is amoral and thus the story is told via the lens of a world view that is defined by personal loyalties and relationships rather than some over arching sense of morality. In Zhang Zhehan's own words, Zhou Zishu has thousands of layers and is thus the most fascinating and difficult character to both write and to portray. In this both writer and actor delivered brilliantly in striking that perfect balance of revealing not too much but just enough to create an enigmatic character with insidious lingering impact. Zishu is a cynical and disillusioned cold hearted assassin who is  only bound to and motivated by his word of honor - yes for once we have an aptly titled c-drama. He doesn't blame Jin wang for his fall from grace nor does he try to avenge his fallen sect brothers because like himself, they all must live and die by their oath, their word of honor. By the time he encounters Zhang Chengling and Wen Kexing, he is resigned to his self inflicted fate and means to spend his remaining days wandering the world drinking himself into oblivion. He epitomizes despicable me, stricken by self loathing for his weaknesses, for his failings that led to the deaths of his sect brothers and Four Seasons Manor's downfall.

Zishu is pulled back into the world of the living by his promise to see Chengling to safety - his intent is to do no more than that and is indifferent to the boy's pleas to accept him as his disciple. Although he was attracted to Kexing, he dismisses his outrageous overtures and distrusts him but lets him stick around to keep an eye on him. It is only after Kexing hallucinates and calls him Zhou Zishu that his attitude changes. That must be when he suspects who Kexing is and for the first time, sees a path towards keeping his promise to his shifu by resurrecting Four Seasons Manor and thus he accepts Chengling as his disciple. But he is really only putting his affairs in order so to speak. Even though he acknowledges Kexing as his soul mate, he does not deem himself worthy of a long and happy life.

Wen Kexing on the other hand is innately a good person, who is driven by hate and vengeance into doing some terrible things. Unlike Zishu, he still longs to be a good person and deep down still believes he is indeed a good person. While Gong Jun brings the many facets of Wen Kexing from the terrifying to the vulnerable alive vividly with his expressive eyes, the character itself is a more easily understandable, angsty, revenge driven wuxia archetype. Zishu is a much darker character than Kexing and he does not save or redeem Kexing, it is actually the other way around. Although Kexing at surface gets more screen time, as the narrator that always seems to know more than he reveals, Zishu is omnipresent and invites the most mind share. As they change each other and extend their found family to include Chengling, Gu Xiang, Cao Weining and even the irascible and hilarious Ye Bai Yi, Zishu subtly comes to embrace life again.

This drama peaks spectacularly in the gorgeously shot penultimate episode that has everything - clever final reveals, plot twists, shocking, shattering losses, violent clashes and epic showdowns. I screamed, I jumped up and down, I cried, I couldn't believe my eyes! This is the way a drama should end, at its peak. Yes, there are small loose threads but overall, I am very happy with the ending. True, the final afterthought episode is a bit of a non sequitur but everything else was so spectacular I am willing to not look that hard at it. This is by far the best wuxia I have seen in many, many years and I can happily call this a perfect 9.5.

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A deeply romantic classic wuxia

This drama is actually very different from the original novel. The first fourteen episodes follow the novel, but then the rest diverge greatly and essentially becomes a very different story. There are significant changes to the character of Zhou Zishu, and there is a major show only plot-point that makes his dynamic with Wen Kexing completely different. The plot itself is also nothing like the one in the novel, and several side-characters were given bigger roles in the overall narrative and even different characterizations. Tian Ya Ke, the source material, is a fairly straight-forward story, while Word of Honor is more like those dramatic, old-timey classic wuxia stories.

First off, kudos to the scriptwriter! The pacing is top-notch, not too fast nor too slow. Nearly every scene ties in to the overall narrative, not a single episode feels draggy or unnecessary. No fillers to be found here! And while non-mandarin speaking watchers may miss this, it is very clever how the script incorporates poetry into Wen Kexing's dialogues. Not only is it a very clever way to subtly showcase his flirting, it also adds a layer of depth to his character. Since he grew up in the Ghost Valley and did not have his parents to teach him, it implies that he taught himself literature and the fact that he always uses poetry to express himself shows how proud he is of it. The tiny details are also impressive, like the difference in Gu Xiang's character when we first meet her. She acts like an exaggerated version of a young girl, and slowly becomes more and more genuine as the story goes on. The director did confirm that this is because Gu Xiang hardly ever leaves the Ghost Valley, and so she was trying to copy how she thinks normal girls act. I really appreciate scriptwriting that incorporates characterizations into details like this, because it feels very natural. It also gives the show good rewatch value because after you watch all the episodes and see everything that happens, you suddenly notice the subtle details you missed when you watch the show again.

There are many, many details that allude to future events, and dialogues that seem almost flippant in the beginning end up steamrolling you once you realize its significance in later scenes. Wen Kexing's "as a wanderer in this world, all I need you" sounds like casual flirting at first, but then you see how much depth that sentence holds once you see how their story ends.

The fighting choreography is very good, and really embodies the "fighting" in the classic wuxia I grew up watching. It's not just fighting, but also a sort of dance that reflects the dynamics of the characters. Sparring is basically Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing's love language, and you see the evolution of their relationship in their fights too. Their fighting scene in the pink forest, in the lake before Zhou Zishu takes his mask off and in the ending are very similar to each other, but with small changes that reflect the evolution of their relationship. The way the story uses tropes to show the romance between the two main leads is excellent. The sparring in the pink forest, for example, is a common romantic trope in classic wuxia, and so is the hairpin scene in the latter episodes. Another noteworthy detail is that in the first episode the romantic connotations of giving a person a hairpin is shown in the scene between Zhou Zishu and his shidi's lover.

I really want to express how happy I am with the casting choices, especially with Zhang Zhehan as Zhou Zishu. Most actors can show strong emotions convincingly enough, but with characters like Zhou Zishu it's important to cast actors that can nail scenes that require nuance and subtlety. It was wonderful watching him transform from cold and sarcastic to warm and playful, and it was all done so subtly I actually didn't realize how much he changed until I was watching a scene and realized that not only was he the one teasing Wen Kexing, he was also the one initiating skinship??? And there's this specific scene in episode 12 where they're drinking together outside and when Wen Kexing calls out to him, you can see how he frowns and mouths something briefly before responding. It was a small but significant detail, showing the gradual decline of Zhou Zishu's hearing. There are many more details like this scattered throughout the show, and I really appreciate this kind of subtle storytelling versus scripts that are too on the nose and obvious.

Gong Jun also played Wen Kexing very, very well. He really embodied Wen Kexing's many faces, and it was wonderful watching his character slowly unravel. And although it's not necessarily a requirement for me, I love how well they match the physical characteristics of their characters. Zhang Zhehan is very athletic and has a very good physique, which just makes him much more convincing (visually) as the powerful leader of an assassin organization. Zhou Ye was perfect as Gu Xiang, her acting in episode 35 was especially chilling.

Also, a more personal opinion, but I like how they stayed true to the novel and portrayed both Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing just as "masculine" as they were in the novel. I strongly dislike it when danmei adaptations make a character too effeminate. Of course, if the character is portrayed that way in the novel, then I have no issues. The problem is when when adaptations take a canonically more "masculine" character and portray him too effeminately, even when it's not the case in the original novel. Luckily, that did not happen here. There is something refreshing about a danmei that does not limit the personality and characterization of its characters based solely on supposed bedroom dynamics, and Word of Honor's casting and overall portrayal really delivered on that front. They really stayed true to Priest's (the author) work in that aspect.

As much as I enjoyed this show and gush about the script, it does have its shortcomings. The usual issues in the continuity of themes and the pacing of the last five or so episodes. Regardless, for me, the things the show did right definitely outweighs its shortcomings. Those who are expecting a faithful adaptation of the novel may not be happy with the direction this show eventually took, but as a stand-alone it really holds its own. With the issue of censorship in danmei adaptations, I did not expect this show to be as deeply romantic as it turned out to be, and I am still in awe of how they managed to pull this off. They could have gone for the fanservice approach, where they just give us suggestive moments without any real payoff, and yet they chose to develop the relationship properly and give it a real sense of intimacy and depth.

And lastly, I love that the ending credits song is essentially a summary of their romance. It starts with Zhou Zishu talking about his melancholic life and wanting to roam the world as an aimless wanderer, then Wen Kexing responds by lamenting about his own struggles and how it's a shame that he didn't meet Zhou Zishu earlier, and that he wants to give up "the adventures on horseback for a quiet life". Zhou Zishu then responds by saying he agrees to spend the rest of his days with Wen Kexing and the song ends with both of them singing ''I will be with you forever" at the same time. So yeah, kudos to whoever wrote that song because it really fucked me up after the ending. This show is insane and I am thankful to everyone who worked on it.

I love this drama so much!

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Daring, Romantic, Beautiful

After CQL (“The Untamed”), many viewers called for more dramas like it, and are pleasantly rewarded with this drama. “Word of Honor” (WoH) is unexpectedly daring, romantic and visually beautiful. Adapted from a BL novel, “The Wanderers” by Priest, this drama was expected to have the BL elements toned down, if not totally eliminated, to pass censorship, To the surprise of many, here, the show of love is blatant and unabashed; according to readers, the adaptation is faithful and they are delighted.

Story
One is guilt ridden, and seeks to redeem.
One is revenge ridden, and vows to avenge.
One is young with no skills, and promises to become better.
They all have one thing in common - they’ve lost everything. When they meet, they become a family, watching out for each other. Life becomes meaningful again.

Many viewers ask the question how this drama is compared to CQL (“The Untamed”). Though of different genre, CQL is xianxia and WoH is wuxia, there are many similar parts, such as the search for some relics that everyone kills to possess, the monsters/zombies, music therapy (to heal, Wen Ke Xing plays the flute, Lan Zhan plays the guqin), herd mentality, dark can be light, and white can be black etc. They even use the same composer Lin Hai to compose the music. The visual effect of both dramas is very beautiful with amazingly good-looking actors.

“Word of Honor” is a very typical wuxia story with various sects and alliances, emphasizing on chivalry, altruism and compassion as virtues. Compared with “The Untamed”, the relationship in this drama is more explicit. Within the first episode, one would know it's more than platonic - there're more skin-to-skin contacts, and admiration words are flying everywhere. Having said that by episode 22, the BL elements become more subdue and the dynamics somehow shift to more brotherly. Nonetheless, the undertone is still the vow of “till death we part”. There is not so much of the actual plot, but this drama dwells deep into the inner feelings of the main characters – their fears, their hatred, their guilt – and how they try to redeem themselves. A lot of feelings are channeled in an unspoken way, leaving room for interpretation.

With Wen Ke Xing (Gong Jun aka Simon Gong), Zhou Zi Shu (Zhang Zhe Han) is understanding and benevolent. He has great respect and patience for Wen Ke Xing who is a broken man. Wen Ke Xing continues to use flamboyant words to cover his own pains and feelings, and constantly test Zhou Zi Shu with unanswered questions to determine if the latter can understand him truly. They become each other's soul mate, and accompany each other wherever they may go; their constant bantering and teasing is fun to watch, and their CP chemistry is undeniable. Many of the dialogues have deep meaning using analogies and idioms. The use of poems in expressing love and admiration for the other is lavishly done, making the declaration direct and yet classy and meaningful.

Acting
The overall acting is good, in particular for Gong Jun (Simon Gong) as many viewers have pointed out. He has a playful and at the same time a devilish mysterious look which helps him fit perfectly as the gray Wen Ke Xing character. His ability to change from a dark side with devious hatred in his eyes instantly into a bright, cheeky and flirtatious character, or vice versa, is commendable. All this is done aesthetically and convincingly. I particularly love all his fighting scenes, beautifully executed.

I am normally critical of Zhang Zhe Han's acting, but here, he nails it, either as the dark face rugged looking Zhou Xu or the handsome somber Zhou Zi Shu.

As many emotions are expressed through few words but with the actors’ eyes, both main leads have given a rich performance here.

OSTs
As mentioned earlier, the OSTs are composed by Lin Hai who has also composed the OSTs for CQL (“The Untamed”). For me, the OSTs here are less memorable though I have enjoyed listening to the title theme song.

WoH or CQL
I’m not trying to compare apple to apple of the two dramas. I’m just trying to answer some questions new viewers may have. When viewers express that BL not their cup-of-tea, they are being labeled as homophobes and attacked en masse by fans. But attacking others doesn’t make one less bigot.

The Chinese title for WoH is Shan He Ling, which makes me think, just because Chen Qing Ling (CQL) is successful, did they also try to copy the naming style of the title to give WoH a similar feel for the Chinese audience? Shan He in this case has less relevancy than Chen Qing in CQL (The Untamed).

For me, WoH has not touched me as much as CQL has. I have been almost in control, apart from some burst out laughter, throughout the whole drama whereas CQL has made me cry a river. I like the lighting and colors here, and the CGIs are probably done better here too. The fighting scenes here are very beautifully executed, especially with Gong Jun’s scenes (I know I’m repeating, but his fighting scenes are really very good). But the story is not as rich as CQL, the super villains are not as mysterious, and the pains not as intense. The BL elements though are very explicit which may turn some viewers away whereas in CQL, they are very subtle, expressed in thousands of symbolisms, songs, and minute actions. Some viewers even find the relationship platonic in CQL.

My Verdict
There is great character contrast - one is active and the other passive. Both characters have unbeatable fighting skills. The lavish use of poems to describe feelings is brilliant and sophisticated. Great cinematography and great fighting scenes. Visually, like CQL (“The Untamed”), this drama is beautiful. There is a lot of actions, and at the same time, the drama spends a lot of time exploring the inner feelings of the characters.

If you love watching men ogling each other openly, this drama is for you. Else skip the first 20 episodes, but then there's nothing much left to watch and you may not follow the story. Of course, all this boils down to personal taste. Some people didn't like CQL but love WoH. Likewise for viewers who have loved CQL and found WoH not measuring up. And some love both, like myself.

Though there are flaws, I must applaud the courage in producing such a work of art that does not conform. Overall, I have enjoyed this drama.

Great watch!

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Stop saying it's a sad ending.

I've officially finished watching and I can surely say this is the novel adaptation that priest deserved.
I was a bit skeptical at the beginning but the characters won me over. Even though the budget is super low (and it shows) they somewhat make up for it with other aspects. A huge thank you for whoever that made this gayer than the novel.

The story is good, but some might find the political sides a bit boring. It does lag sometimes. Somewhat different than the source material but not that drastic of a difference and it definitely helps. The hidden details just make it more interesting.

CG is definitely not the best. Music and bgm are also decent as well. Costumes are so pretty especially the ML's.

I do not have enough words to describe how much I love the main CP. Butterflies everytime they interact. Their relationship is so beautiful. Every episode is just ......chefs kiss*. The side characters are also decent. If you loved CQL you will definitely love this one too.

Even though it has its fair share of heart breaks the ending is happy and satisfying. They become immortals together. There is a short 37th episode & I would suggest everybody to watch that. It's a genuinely happy ending not open or ambiguous. They had to edit it out because we all know how BS Chinese censorship is.

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Convoluted plots and too many side characters take away from the plot.

This is a show that to preface my review could have easily been great, but was bogged down by too many characters and subplots and a pretty bland main story line with mediocre revelations and underwhelming scheming.

The story centers around Zhou Zi Shu and Wen Ke Xing. The story is unapologetic about the relationship between these two leads who have a deep and profound connection. It does not make attempts to stray from trying to show their connection which surprised me as I watched the show.

Unfortunately, other than the relationship between the two leads, they don’t particularly captivate me. The story introduces multiple different characters, and different subplots that really make the plot not as cohesive. They don’t particularly drive the story and ultimately just make it unnecessarily convoluted. As different subplots fought for my attention, I found myself caring less and less about the leads. There are different people fighting for power and this leads to some glaring plot holes and just underwhelming revelations. The main plot line never really captures my interest as it’s got too many elements involved that on deeper reflection just don’t make sense.

If you’re not accustomed to wuxia/xianxia dramas, the bad CGI and mediocre fight scenes are glaring. The sets are not particularly good, and a lot of the scenes are not set in a way that immerses you into them. I’m accustomed to the genre in terms of both dramas and the novels, so I know what to expect, but for those who don’t, the mediocre production does stick out. The fight scenes for me are also bizarre in that the canon fodder characters have better choreographed fight scenes than the leads. There’s genuinely so much slow motion fighting one can take. To this day, the most memorable fight scene in this drama for me does not involve the leads.

Where this drama shines is in its power to strangely tug at your heart strings. It could have easily gotten a far better grade if I’d cared about the characters a little more, but because there were too many convoluted subplots, I felt strangely apathetic towards the main characters. However, even if you can predict the emotional scenes, they do a great job at biting at your heart. There were many times I was tempted to drop this but I hang on due to some stellar emotional scenes. The problem of course is the memorable scenes for me do not involve the leads who are what should be driving the story.

Overall, a drama that could have shined if it had ironed out the main plot better, focused on the leads more and erased some of the complicated subplots that don’t add anything to the actual storyline.

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Theatrical romance that lacks genuineness

I can understand why BL drama fans love this drama. As a BL costume drama, this drama gets an A but overall as a drama its pretty average. BL dramas are usually pretty poorly done with very poor story and acting so this drama is definitely a step up from all those crappy dramas.

Lot of BL interactions and scenes which I am sure BL fans loved. Sometimes it was fun and cute but most times felt forced and not very natural. The b/romance felt pushed in to our faces a bit. Wen Ke Xing's character is fun and flirty, showing his dark side and his playful side when with Zhou Xu. I don't see the appeal of Zhou Xu, seems very boring. Did not seem menacing enough to be a leader of a ruthless group. Very forgettable and bland character. I failed to connect with either characters.

Nothing comes to my mind when I think of an scene that I could see true feeling expressed by these characters towards each other. There are lots of over the top dramatic, flirty, forced romantic moments but just lacks genuineness and sincerity. Chinese costume dramas always have many theatrical scenes, but in this drama there was something very theatrical and fake about the couple, which really disappointed me.

The story was very decent/average. I can similarities with Legend of Fei since its the same author, characters with hidden pasts, old characters who think they know better than anyone else, some powerful book/ object every one wants, mazes, royalty making appearances for no reason. I often felt that our BL pair was a side story just watching the drama unfold around them. I really didn't care for the main plot with the sects and sect wars and leaders. There are so many characters just talking, talking, talking. This drama believes in telling not showing. The whole childhood friends plot is so overused.

The acting was ok, Gong Jun's character was so overdubbed at the start, it was painful to watch. Though it did improve tremendously. Zhang Zhe Han was very average . I think Gong Jun acted better than I expected whereas Zhang Zhe Han did not meet expectations that I had for him. They can do flirty, cold and concerned but can't convey true emotions. The little boy was adorable but overall tolerable level of acting from the rest of the cast.

I conclude that this is a good BL drama but average drama.

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Best C-drama of 2021! Never get enough with the brotherhood scenes!

Haven't seen a good Chinese ancient drama for quite some time, at least not for 2021. I would say, this is the best of 2021 so far :)

I was surprised coming to know that it was a low production drama as the scenes to me, besides the post-editing of CGI that weren't that perfect, others were pretty well filmed (especially fighting scenes). Unlike the usual big production that went on to 50 episodes, they only had 36 episodes (you will feel it is too short because you love them so much and wanted to see more!!) Well, TBH I felt it can actually be filmed into a 50-episode drama too as the last 6 or 7 episodes are pretty rushed when so many climax going on, but as they are budgeted, totally understandable for them to do it that way, they really made the best out of it!

I never read the novel before, but by watching it as a brand-new series, I really got hooked on with the bromance of the two male leads, so genuine and warm. You shouldn't be comparing it with the famous 'Untamed' drama. Yes, it does share some similarities off and on, where the two were always standing together to fight villains whilst being hunt down by different tribes, but the story is different and their characters too. Untamed brothers started off with stories when they were teenage but WOH brothers were already grownups with much tragedies in life, so they are not as innocent but they were matured too. If you enjoyed watching bromance like Untamed, you should give this a try, it is a very good piece as a standalone:)

I love both Simon and Zhang Zhe Han, great acting skills with on-screen chemistry; although I prefer Wen Ke Xing's character more :) He really shines with the half-villain and half-hero charisma, soft-hearted whenever he is with someone that cares of him but ruthless when people let him down, not too say he's a bit flirty with Zi Shu that makes you chuckle, especially when he teases him, you smell some romance in there! Also bittersweet among the brotherhood have made the relationship grows stronger. I love how they never give up on each other no matter who they were in the past and what they had come through; they accepted each other's awful past and strive towards creating a bright future together! By all means, even if that means killing someone for revenge or die together, they also stand by each other while risking their lives to protect from the back, always being the support for one another.

I mean, how can you not fall for this relationship? I love it, A LOT! It has been a great BL piece after so long! Now I know I can never get enough with the charm of bromance! I hope this trend goes on and look forward to future BL masterpieces!
Side note, not spoiling the ending but remember to look out for Easter Egg after the last episode! :)

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Awesome BL Adaptation-Can rewatch over! Team WenZhou♥️

First of all, I read the novel prior to the series coming out, so when I heard about the adaptation I was excited to see if the BL moments will be included since I know of how censorship works in some countries.

I’ll say, Word of Honor was more than I expected. It made me tear, feel butterflies, and gave me giggles. Although, I watched about half into the drama (ep28/36), my review speaks only to what I have seen.

The production team, scriptwriters, costumes/makes up (behind the scenes workers) and cast did an awesome job and bringing the story, setting and each character to life. It was much better than I expected since this is one of the novels from Priest that I enjoy next to another one. The scriptwriter really knows how to add the romance and confessions in the the spoken poetries from KX.

Now, I am a fan of ZZh for awhile and the character he chose to play, ZZS was perfectly portrayed. He conveyed as much emotions of who ZZS is. - A person wanting to enjoy their last moments of life since he lost everything that he couldn’t save and always felt caged, but now he spends his last few years exploring and doing what he wants, while putting his past behind him. He feels deeply, but can’t convey how he feels in words, but he does in his actions. He has a soft spot, although his exterior image is always cold and gives a unfriendly vibe. But when he meets these strangers along the way, and they earned his trust, the soft side of him shows. ZZH executed this well, especially how the ‘nails’ affects his body. Definitely one of his best works that I’ve seen. I’m happy to see he has been improving through every work.

For KX, GJ, he definitely gain a new fan. I watched a few of his works before but wasn’t a huge fan of his. Just thought he was okay, but after this role, I have high respect for him. KX was well express and GJ had a way in which he made me feel that he is KX, the person who has been hurt and lives for revenge. His life was always shrouded in unhappy moments and death because of his parents death and the life he live after his deceased parent, however, after meeting his fated person he starts to feel alive and human when he is with his fated person.

With both actors, they did so well! I can continue to praise but I won’t anymore <3

The drama is slightly different from the novel but it doesn’t take away the characters’s personalities or their intent and the main plot of the story that’s a plus! I love the relationship between the leads and their adopted child. It’s adorable. A family of 3, soon to be a family of 5. ;)

The music is good. It goes well with the drama, especially the lyrics. I really like it.

Done with my review! Hope yah enjoy the show as much as I did.

———

Edit: - Finished

I completed the drama when the last episode aired XXMar2021....I wished they extended souvenirs for the international fans to buy. I’ll be honest, I lost sleep over this drama and cried my eyes out for hours, even felt depression for days, not that the ending was sad or terrible, but the last few episodes does draws you in for an emotional roller coaster ride. That’s just how invested I was in the drama emotionally.
The novel didn’t drawn me in this much but the drama did. Tells you how good the drama is itself.
In general, I did enjoy every last bit of it.
To the folks who plans to give it a try or thinking about watching it, you wouldn’t regret it, but give it the first 2-3 eps before you make any decisions to drop. For those who decided to watch and/or finished, I hope you enjoy and love WenZhou, CaoXiang, CL, BY and 7th&GS as much as I did. ♥️
Anywho, thanks for reading this essay!

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