To be honest, I have never been a fan of xianxia. The battling and the sorcery always feel unrealistic and repetitive to me. So when I saw that this drama had 40 episodes, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to try it. But as a big XZ fan, I was compelled to at least peek at a couple episodes.
That was my original plan, anyway. Until the storyline drew me in. This drama was more than battling over territory or power — though their DEFINITELY is that! What kept me watching was also seeing the themes of human frailty + loyalty + love play out on screen. The skill that Xiao Zhan showed in his role as Shi Ying was no surprise, as he is always a consummate professional. His depth of emotion, and the care he took in every subtle movement or look was amazing to witness.
Ren Min may have gotten a lot of criticism ifor her portrayal of Zhu Yan, but as a fairly new actress, I think she did a pretty incredible job as the young and feisty, straight shooting princess/student. ZY’s personally and strength came through. All said, this xianxia drama was time well spent!