This drama is mainly about the connections between men: familial, friendship and more romantic (though not explicit). The acting/characters in this are superb! Esp. Xiao Zhan (Wei Wu Xian) who is an excellent mix of snarky rebelliousness with a heart of gold.

The show begins on a literal cliff hanger, so I binge watched the first 30 episodes. After that, the plot itself slowed down a lot for me, and I felt that it limped towards the end. The exploitation of power elements were much more interesting than the ghost stories which started to blend together. The ghost/zombie 'action' scenes also got boring : there's not many ways to look cool while playing the flute.

I grade on other criteria as well:

Complex Themes - 8
Lots! Obedience is not the mark of true character; it's helping and advocating for the less fortunate. Be loyal for a lifetime to those who deserve it. Many look rotten on the outside but are good on the inside and vice-versa. Almost everyone can be corrupted by power.
Character Growth -5
There are complex characters, but once the initial reveals happened, there wasn't a lot of growth after episode 10 or so.
Nuanced Women - 3
The characters were fairly static on this show, and the women even more so. Used as plot points instead of active characters of their own.
Cinematography/Production Values - 7
The outdoor/scenery shots are plentiful and add a realistic feel. The CGI and green screen work is better than most C Dramas but still looks cartoon. Most of the production budget seems to be spent on the CGI - costumes/color palettes are the same over many many episodes.