Let me start by saying that I haven’t read the novel/watched the donghua before watching this live adaptation so I had nothing to compare it to. Seeing how I had no expectations it was hard for me to be disappointed by certain things and changes that fans of the original story didn’t like.

Watching this as a standalone drama I enjoyed it quite a lot. It was far from perfect and there were things that really bugged me but I still think it’s a good drama. What I did like were the story and pacing, characters and their relationships, acting (for the most part) and CGI. I didn’t like most of the music choices and most of the fighting scenes.

When it comes to the story I like the overall premise. The world in which the story is set is interesting and the concept of soul powers, spirit beasts and soul rings was something fresh and new for me so it piqued my interest from the first episode. I like how they slowly introduced all characters one by one and how they all got decent backstories which made them more likable. They weren’t there as a decoration and as someone who is meant to make the main character look strong by being useless and weak. All 7 members of Shi Lan Ke were involved and capable, they worked as a team and actively helped each other to grow stronger together. That team spirit is something I liked a lot. It was interesting to watch how their relationship evolved and how over time they became real teammates and friends. The mystery involving Tang San and his parents was also well executed.

When it comes to the acting Xiao Zhan did a good job as Tang San and for me the emotional scenes were the highlight of his performance. I’m still not sure what I think about Betty Wu and her portrayal of Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu is the perfect example of the character I would usually hate and find annoying, but since she wasn’t weak and useless, and since she actively helped Tang San throughout the story, I didn’t find her annoying (for the most part). Her childish traits and mannerisms were overemphasized but I can’t really say it’s the actress’ fault. There is only one actor whose acting I found wooden, but everyone else did a good job.

The music. I think the BGM ruined a lot of scenes that could’ve been more impactful. Every time something exciting or emotional was happening it drew away my attention and instead of emphasizing the scene it ruined it. It was really frustrating. There are only few compositions that I actually liked, everything else was meeh.

The fighting scenes were saved by the amazing CGI. I hate when they show fighting in slow motion or when they show close ups of the characters’ faces or other body parts while fighting (JUST WHY?) and there was a lot of that. However, CGI looked really good and most characters used special powers while fighting so it was still interesting to watch and some of it looked really amazing. CGI in general looks very good, and I also like sound effects they used for those special powers. It was really satisfying to watch and hear.

All in all, is it worth watching? Yes. I already rewatched it with a friend and may watch it again in the future. If you’re a fan of Xiao Zhan it’s a must.