Cute show about magic academies

I enjoyed this one. I thought the world-building was well done and I liked the theme of a group of young people coming together as a team. I look forward to seeing Wu Xuan Yi in more works--she was adorable as a feisty rabbit in Douluo continent and Xiao Zhan did a good job playing an idealistic young 'lad' who had some growing to do. I also liked the hate-to-love relationship of Dai Mu Bai and Zhu Zhu Qing. The Headmaster was my favorite character--he was so hilarious, especially his obsession over money. Seeing Calvin Chen in his early forties in DLC and then watching him in KO One was a bit of a shock--should have done those in reverse order (though I'd really only watched KO One for Jiro Wang).
There was some illogic and inconsistency as there is in all dramas (for example, why was there no audience during the final competition--wasn't it kinda of a big deal!?). The evil characters' motives sometimes seemed a bit fuzzy. I also felt bad for all the animals they were always killing off--though that was kind of the theme and leads' goal was to minimize the need for that type of killing.
I'm looking forward to Season 2 (hopefully there is one, given the ending). I would recommend it to those looking for a Xuanhuan version of Harry Potter & the like. :D
PS. The music was bizarre. I read here on MDL that it was due to copyright issues so they had to use different music than what the original played in China. However, they should have picked something other than 1970's porn music (not that I know from personal experience, but that's what I imagine it would sound like. ;P)

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This is one of my favorites of all time.

(Standard warning: Likely spoilers below, read at your own risk).

This was my gateway drug into Asian dramas. I have rewatched this one enough times that I have now set a limit on when I can watch it again, lest I get tired of it.

ML & FL probably have one of the healthiest relationships ever portrayed in Asian drama land. They always support each other's goals and achievements. They communicate, they do not manipulate (though ML tried it a little during the Deep Water arc). ML was never threatened by FL's abilities, never put her down, and was so proud of her when her true identity (in her birth country) was discovered rather than threatened.

The ending was a bit of a let-down. There appears to be debate as to what it actually represented. In my opinion, it shows them in Megrez, but others would likely disagree. I would have liked to have seen an epilogue that wrapped everything up better. There are some dramas that never seem to end and others that could use a bit more explanation.

I did not really ship the SML and SFL. She's sweet but this super crazy stalker-type and he clearly denigrates her intelligence (tells his mother so directly). I actually think the character portrayed by the same actress in "Ancient Love Poetry" was a far better fit for Ven Gao's character than the one she played of LofFY). At the least the love triangle was half-hearted at best and never a cause for angst.

There were some periods of illogic. Such as, why wouldn't they have disguised Fu Yao better as a man (like they disguised her as another person in Deep Water). I hate when the girl crossdressing is soooooooo obviously still a girl, especially when in a made up, magic kingdom you have plenty of options to make it work in a logical way. The show drags in the middle with an unnecessary drama over bandits in the desert, then it picks back up again.

There were some amazing fight scenes. Perhaps the most romantic (?) fight scene ever in the royal bath at Deep Water and then the most amazing fight for survival when she's kidnapped by Prince Assist in Megrez. The first arc and the Deep Water arc are my two favorites--my third is perhaps the arc in the country run by women.

I recommend this one if you like the fantasy genre (my personal favorite) or are just getting started with Asian dramas. I apologize in advance for any lost sleep and lost study time. :D

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