this is a wuxia series on the pugilistic world interweave with court/political intrigues. the court/political intrigues serve more as a secondary to enhance the story telling. there are several key characters in this series, but i feel that maybe in the novel these key characters have better dialogues, story telling and character developments.

this series is not for all audiences. some audiences might like this series more than others.

for me, this series is something i regretted watching. it's simply not for me. it's one of those numerous CDramas i have watched that i have to skip and fast forward a lot. as a whole, this series is a huge drag, and the strengths observable in this series ultimately cannot salvage it. there is a semi-erotic scene in the series, but it doesn't make the series more enjoyable/endearing for me.

with the current form, i feel that this series has the potential to be more enjoyable with better preparations, stronger screen writing, focus on quality story design and character developments, better quality editing, better editing direction and management. the shortening and editing of the series down to may be 25 episodes could have helped, too. there is simply nothing spectacular/unique about the story telling, plot, performances, and dialogues.

//strengths//
incorporation of natural environments
building architecture
string-fu, martial arts choreography, and props
background music/sound arrangement
interior design and props
costumes, trinkets
dubbing
lighting quality
non-exaggerated make-ups
extras

//average//
dialogues
story telling
casting and performances
plots
special effects, CGI
romantic chemistry

//major turnoffs//
inconsistent editing
translation
oft time dragging
lots of redundant or superfluous shots/segments/dialogues/screen time
occasional logical flaws
occasionally too many candles