This was one of my most anticipated series and it didn’t disappoint at all. I was actually blew away by it. I meant I saw the trailers and how serious it was comparing to its predecessors. But considering the theme, it fitted. The atmosphere was very serious and intense the majority of the time–as it should be. However, there were also side humor to ease the situation. It wasn’t lame or trying either.
Starring:
- Gong Jun (龚俊) as Su Mu Yu (蘇暮雨). Originally named Zhuo Yue An (卓月安), the young master of No Sword City, but became a Nameless being in the Su family because of a tragedy. Known as the Umbrella Ghost (傘鬼), previously took the position of the leader of the Spider Shadow Group as Kui (傀) under Mo Ming Ce. He later agreed to join forces with Su Chang He to establish a new Blood River and became the new head of the Su family. This was a really serious role for Gong Jun, no jokes whatsoever. Well, sometimes, he tried and because they had to live regardless of their past, he hung on. But the majority of the vibe from him was very dark. I didn’t watch some of his past dramas so I don’t know how serious those characters were. But I thought this one was a challenge for him. It wasn’t just keeping a neutral, passive face. It was about showing enough emotions through different times. The majority of the acting was through his eyes. I thought he did really well.
- Peng Xiao Ran (彭小苒) as Mo Yu Mo (慕雨墨). Known as Spider Woman (蜘蛛女), part of the twelve zodiacs of the Spider Shadow team, representing the rabbit. She was very mysterious because of the whole secret organization and the special masked group and all. Her skills were indeed quite impressive with several battles at the beginning. I was ready to see what was more for her. Then I was disappointed. NOT because of her character or performance. But as the leading lady, it seemed like trends lately that if she wasn’t linked to the main guy, she shouldn’t appear more. It was strange. It wasn’t severely lacking like how Nazha got robbed in The Journey of Legend BUT it was close to that. She got her own story arc but I felt like it wasn’t enough. It was seemed uneven too. I did understand that there were so many characters and so many things going on all at once, so it was hard to cover everything BUT she was the leading lady after all. It wasn’t too much to ask for more story for her.
- Qiao Zhen Yu (乔振宇) as Su Zhe (蘇喆). An elder of the Su family, the previous Kui under Mo Ming Ce before Su Mu Yu. He was a hilarious person who exuded the carefree aura upfront. But that was just his mask. He was more capable than that and if anyone dared to underestimate him, they were in for good. He was initially on Su Chang He’s side regarding the mission in creating a new Blood River. However, that changed when he reunited with his daughter and realized she was on the side with helping Su Mu Yu. At least, she wanted to fulfill her promise in curing the Patriarch. That, somehow, worked out in the end because Su Mu Yu and Su Chang He finally agreed to form an alliance to establish a new Blood River. He didn’t care one way or another actually. He just wanted his daughter to be happy. He was stubborn at times regarding stuff but would yield or back down whenever his daughter spoke up. It was hilarious to watch him at a disadvantage. Acting? He delivered like always.
- Chang Hua Sen (常华森) as Su Chang He (蘇昌河). Known as the Undertaker (送葬師). He orchestrated the rebellion against the elders of the three families and managed to persuade some other elders to join in with a similar goal of reforming Blood River, allowing them to take charge of their own fates. He initially wanted Su Mu Yu to become the new Patriarch while he took on the head of the Su family. Yet after some discussions, Su Mu Yu suggested that he became the Patriarch, considering how he had recruited the various members from the three families throughout. That made sense because he was all about the big dreams and the high goals. Yet sometimes, he could be so reckless. He needed Su Mu Yu ro rein him back into reality. Acting? Chang Hua Sen definitely took it to another level. It was another type of role for him. I was truly impressed because I was watching several dramas of his around the same time. So, it was a nice contrast between those characters.
- Yang Yu Tong (杨雨潼) as Bai He Huai (白鶴淮). Referred to throughout as the miracle physician (神醫). It was revealed that she was Su Zhe’s daughter. Her identity became the reason for Su Zhe to switch sides during the internal conflict at the beginning. She was quite intelligent and talented as shown during her intro scenes. She continued to be charming and witty throughout. She also had her mischievous side at times. It was fun to watch. As for the actress, I had no complaint. I felt she exuded the miracle physician quite well. In fact, when I watched The Legend of Zang Hai, I really liked her and was wondering why her role wasn’t bigger. Of course, I knew it would be irrelevant to the plot and would be weird but that was just me being impressed with her performance even if brief. I was glad she got more scenes in here and was able to show her acting even more.
Supporting:
Su Family (蘇家)
- Hou Chang Rong (侯长荣) as Sun Jin Hui (蘇燼灰). One of the head of the Su family.
- Jin Kai Jie (金楷杰) as Su Mu Qiu (蘇穆秋). One of the head of the Su family.
- Huang Wei (黄伟) as Su Zhi (蘇止). Su Mu Yu’s teacher.
- Xu Rui Hao (许睿浩) as Su Chang Li (蘇昌離). Su Chang He’s younger brother. He followed his brother and listened to him throughout. Even if he was confused at times during the possible betrayal moment. They only have each other left after their village got massacred. So, they had to stick with one another regardless. But he was probably Su Chang He’s weak spot if anyone wanted to have an upper hand. Yet I was glad nothing happened to him.
- Wang Hui Yi (王会艺) as Su Hong Xi (蘇紅息).
- Liu Yu Qi (刘羽琦) as Su Zi Yi (蘇紫衣).
- Wu Zheng Rong (邬正容) as Su Luan Dan (蘇欒丹). He conspired with some others to kill Su Chang He because he disagreed with Su Cheng He’s decisions after the house cleansing. He thought that he would become the new head of the Su family yet it was given to Su Mu Yu. He thought very lowly of both Su Mu Yu and Su Chang He because they were considered the Nameless. He didn’t really care about their new goals yet only wanted to uprooted the old gang to gain power for himself. In the end, he was killed by Su Chang He because he underestimated Su Chang He’s capabilities.
- Chen Guo Liang (陈国良) as Su Ze (蘇泽). A swordsman of the Su family.
- Wu Jia Hui (武家辉) as Su Xie Mo (蘇協莫). He was involved in the assassination and/or massacre of the No Sword City years ago. It was a hit job from the Wu Shuang City yet he wasn’t completely absolved of the wrongdoings. He was spared because he was just following orders and he had returned to the Homeland to settle down.
- Zhao Zi Qi (赵子琪) as Su Yun Xiu (蘇雲繡). The head of the Hidden Book Pavilion, Su Mu Yu and Su Chang He’s master. She disappeared one day and was presumed dead by the leaders of the Blood River. However, she was still alive and had been traveling around. Her relation to Su Mu Yu and Su Chang He wasn’t revealed until near the end. It showed she somewhat shaped their personalities growing up. She was an odd person, even more so compared to other usual characters in relation to Blood River. However, she did what she must to survive. She taught both her disciples the skills to survive thus far also. Despite all that, I couldn’t forgive her for what she did at the end. Yeah, I so didn’t buy that she needed Bai He Huai’s help in anything. She needed to conceal the truth from Su Mu Yu so he could go on to be a brutal killer. Whatever her agenda was, it would be revealed in the next segment. Yeah, I got it that she was from the Blood River so it wasn’t surprising she did what she did, out for herself, covering only number one (aka only caring about her own interests) but she also manipulated the situation, something Su Mu Yu hated and warned Xiao Ruo Feng at that meeting before their departure. So, I can’t wait to see the confrontation between the two when time comes. I hope he wouldn’t be lenient on her just because she was his master.
Mo Family (慕家)
- Geng Le (耿乐) as Mo Ming Ce (慕明策). The Patriarch of Blood River. After completing a hit job for a certain someone, he was ambushed and poisoned as well. In some ways, someone was taking advantage of the situation to overthrow him. He had gone through the same paths as the others before him and understood too well about the way the secret organization operated. He saw himself in Su Chang He and warned both him and Su Mu Yu about the consequences of their actions. He said that he once wanted the same thing as them (aka changing the system inside out) yet he wasn’t able to do it but ended up being submerged by all the external forces that controlled them. However, he yielded his power at last and accepted his fate, wishing them luck in making those changes.
- Wang Jiu Sheng (王九胜) as Mo Ke Wen (慕克文) aka Ah Luo (阿羅). He was in charge of guarding the Spider Nest, a secret hideout. He was very loyal to Mo Ming Ce, regardless of how suspicious the latter was of him. They had a somewhat intense history, so the trust issues were based on that. However, he proved to be quite reliable. He even went as far as sacrificing himself to get rid of the poison for Mo Ming Ce.
- Zhang Duo (张铎) as Mo Zi Zhe (慕子蟄). The head of the Mo family.
- Tang Shao Wen (汤邵文) as Mo Bai (慕白). Mo Zi Zhe’s son. He was killed by Mo Qing Yang later.
- Wang Zu Yi (王祖一) as Mo Yin Zhen (慕陰真).
- Li Dai Kun (李岱昆) as Mo Ci Ling (慕詞陵). One of the Mo family’s highly-skilled members yet he was punished because he stole the Hell Palm Manual and practiced it without permission. He was trapped in a coffin for a while until he was let out to fulfill some duties. He ended up forming an alliance with Su Mu Yu in an attempt to get rid of the poison inside him so he could escape the grasps of the Soul Reapers’ Hall’s control. He was considered crazy and beyond help yet some of the flashbacks revealed that he wanted to live his own ways and seek his own paths. He didn’t care if it would burn some bridges yet just did as he pleased. So it was a thin line between recklessness and sanity versus the latter. Perhaps, some envied him because he just didn’t care for consequences but wanted to establish his own path. In some ways, he made a lot of sense because none of the assassins wanted to be controlled either. He just chose to find his own path and fight his way out. He was a scary character initially but could also be goofy as well, depending on the situation.
- Kong Xue Er (孔雪儿) as Mo Xue Wei (慕雪薇). She specialized in poison. What was more, her body was full of poison so anyone who touch her would be poisoned as well. That was a double-edged sword because she was able to protect herself from others yet also had to be careful with those close to her. She was captured and experimented on at one point, leading to that person extracting the poison in her body and using it for their own means. Although she survived, she no longer possessed any poison inside her. That upside was she was able to live normally but the down side was knowing she couldn’t protect herself anymore. Yet she was still able to use poison in a different way to help. I initially didn’t like her at all because of the ongoing conflict at first. Her character grew on me when they focused on her a bit more. I especially liked it that she apologized to Bai He Huai for her past attitude toward Bai He Huai. It was partially due to the fact that they were on the opposing sides regarding the internal conflicts and partly due to jealousy (because she initially liked Su Mu Yu). Yet she took responsibility for her actions and actually tried to mend things with Bai He Huai. It showed growth. That also made the ending even more choking. Because I seriously thought she would make it. I meant I know everything was unpredictable throughout. Yet I thought she’d been through the worse with surviving the abduction that one time. I thought that she’d gone past the hurdle and deserved some sort of normality. At least, the promising future with one more step of finishing this last mission. But it wasn’t so. Her death was so tragic although it wasn’t shown.
- Gao Ji Cai (高基才) as Mo Qing Yang (慕青羊). He became the new head of the Mo family after the house cleansing took place. He specialized in fortune telling and formations. He could be quite humorous at times but serious during others. He was quite witty and somewhat cunning during others as well. Considering how he was part of the Blood River after all, so he couldn’t be so clueless. It was revealed later that he liked Xue Wei and wanted to live a normal life with her when they finally achieved their goals. It was really tragic with his death and equally frustrating.
- Su Qi (苏棋) as Mo Ying (慕嬰) aka Hong Ying (紅嬰). She was recruited by Su Mu Yu and Su Chang He to become their master of disguise.
- He Yong Sheng (何涌生) as Old Master Mo (老慕家主).
- Yu Qing (俞庆) as Shopkeeper Mo (慕館主).
Xie Family (謝家)
- Hei Zi (黑子) as Xie Ba (謝霸). The head of the Xie family. I swear his appearance was so short-lived. It had to be that way because of the story. But it was somewhat funny (in a tragic way) that he was boasting about his power and standing, etc. Then bam, he was gone.
- Liu Zhe Er (刘哲尔) as Xie Qi Dao (謝七刀). He conspired with Su Chang He because he also wanted to establish a new Blood River. Later, he became the new head of the Xie family.
- Yang Kai Cheng (杨凯程) as Xie Fan Hua (謝繁花). The young master of the Xie family.
- Liu Yu Han (刘昱晗) as Xie Qian Ji (謝千機). An expert in formations and traps.
- Huang Yi (黄毅) as Xie Bu Xie (謝不謝). Xie Qi Dao’s disciple. He was obsessed with sabers skills and wouldn’t care anything else but challenge those high-skilled martial masters to advance his own skills.
- Li Jun Mo (李俊墨) as Xie Jin Ke (謝金克). Known as Saber King of Hell (刀閻羅).
Tang Clan (唐門)
- Yang Zi Hua (杨子骅) as Grand Master Tang (唐老太爺).
- Qin Chu Ming (秦楚明) as Second Master Tang (唐二老爺). Xiao Yong had issued an order for the Blood River to kill him off thus setting some events into motion.
- Hu Jian (胡健) as Tang Fu Lu (唐福祿).
- Wang Xiao Wei (王小伟) as Tang Tian Lu (唐天祿).
- Zhang Yang (张洋) as Tang Ling Zun (唐靈尊).
- Chen Guan Ying (陈冠英) as Tang Ling Huang (唐靈皇). The second in command of the Tang clan, the second best in using poison.
- Zhang Shi An (章时安) as Tang Lian Yue (唐憐月). One of the four Xuanwu Guardians of Tianqi City, Tang Ling Huang’s junior. He was originally from the Tang clan but was chosen to become a guard so the Tang family accepted that outcome and allowed him to follow the path. However, he’d always been loyal to the family and would come to their aid if time called for it. One of the those times was after the second master of the clan got killed and he was out seeking justice. He was somewhat too honest for his own good and had a deep sense of responsibility. That was one of the reasons why he couldn’t just live a normal life. It was also very strange to see him being someone associated with the Tang clan because those people were hardcore crazy, regardless of which story world you watch in regard to them.
- Liang Jia Tong (梁家桐) as Tang Lian (唐蓮). Tang Lian Yue’s disciple.
- Wang Jin Hao (王金浩) as Tang Xuan (唐玄).
Soul Reapers’ Hall (提魂殿)
- Dai Jing Yao (戴景耀) as Earth Official (地官).
- Li Guo (李果) as Heaven Official (天官).
- Wang Xuan (王轩) as Su Hen Shui (蘇恨水) aka Water Official (水官). He wanted to join the new Blood River team in establishing a new path so he conspired with Su Mu Yu to get rid of the other two officials.
Spider Shadow’s Twelve Zodiacs (蛛影十二肖)
- Chen Sheng Wei (陈升卫) as Zi Shu (子鼠).
- Cheng Tao (程涛) as Chou Niu (丑牛). He betrayed the team and was confronted by Su Mu Yu yet Su Mu Yu let him go, not able to kill him. However, he was later killed off by Xie Bu Xie, which fused the team’s anger even more. Because they’d been through thick and thin together.
- Shi Xiao Hu (释小虎) as Xie Hu Xiao (謝虎嘯) aka Yin Hu (寅虎).
- He Jun Hao (何浚豪) as Chen Long (辰龍).
- Jasmine Pan (潘铭允) as Si She (巳蛇). Came from the Mo family.
- Fan Cheng Lin (范呈麒) as Wu Ma (午馬).
- Yang Jian (杨戬) as Wei Yang (未羊).
- Shen Long Long (沈龙龙) as Shen Hou (申猴).
- Zheng Ling Peng (郑凌鹏) as You Ji (酉雞).
- Dong Cheng Xin (董丞辛) as Xu Gou (戌狗).
- Zhao Qiu Sheng (赵秋生) as Hai Zhu (亥豬).
Snow and Moon City (雪月城)
- Zhang Wei Na (张维娜) as Li Han Yi (李寒衣). The second master of Snow and Moon City, known as Snow and Moon Sword Immortal (雪月劍仙).
- Xia Zhi Guang (夏之光) as Si Kong Zhang Feng (司空長風). The third master of the Snow and Moon City, known as the Spear Immortal (槍仙), also one of the four guards of Tianqi City who represents the Vermilion Bird Envoy (朱雀使).
Tianqi City (天啟城)
- Bai Shu (白澍) as Xiao Ruo Feng (蕭若風). Prince Langya, the emperor’s younger brother, Baili Dongjun’s senior. He seemed very laid-back at times and seemed to accept his ending, which was inevitable. Yet he had a lot on his shoulders. It was one of the reasons why he couldn’t just let go. He needed to take care of some stuff for the emperor before dying. It was too bad the emperor even suspected him in wanting to take over.
- Li Ruo Jia (李若嘉) as Li Xin Yue (李心月). One of the four guards of Tianqi City who represents the Azure Dragon Envoy (青龍使), also Li Han Yi’s mother.
- Liu Xiu (刘秀) as Ji Ruo Feng (姬若風). One of the four guards of Tianqi City who represents the White Tiger Envoy (白虎使), also part of Baixiao Hall.
- Shen Bao Ping (沈保平) as Qi Tian Chen (齊天塵). The Imperial Preceptor of Tianqi City.
- Lu Xing Yu (卢星宇) as Yi Bu (易卜). The leader of the Shadow Sect. The thing about him was typical with those power struggles and all. But I wanted to compliment Lu Xing Yu for his performance during the part where Hong Ying was disguising herself as him. So, of course, he had to act the part. It was hilarious but showed that he was able to do it. I didn’t doubt his acting since he’d been consistence throughout his career. But I haven’t seen anything impressive for a while now. Most of his roles I saw of recent were stable but didn’t really stick out. That made sense since he wasn’t meant to be a major character. But this one was funny that he was able to pull it off, making us think that was actually Hong Ying.
- Liu Yi Long (刘一隆) as Raven (烏鴉). The Shadow Sect’s number one bodyguard, also was the leader of the Hawkeye Team.
- Wang Sen (王森) as Luo Tian Xiang (洛天翔). The Shadow Sect’s left bodyguard.
- Liu Zhe Hui (刘哲珲) as Tu Wan (屠晚). A rich young master whom Su Mu Yu met the first time he entered Tianqi City and became a strong ally later on. He seemed playful and goofy at times yet was very resourceful and reliable throughout. His righteousness and bravery made him admirable. Even if he showed fear because of their background initially, he didn’t cave when the time came to back them up. He was one of those characters that shouldn’t be judged because of the initial meeting or what he presented upfront (such as possibly being a player because he showed up at a brothel or appearing cowardly when he wanted to flee from them at times). I was glad that he didn’t get killed off because he was entangled in their conflict. Sure, it would have made sense but it would be too tragic. They already lost so many people. They needed a glimmer of hope within all those complications.
- Min Zheng (闵政) as Xie Pi You (謝辟又). The head of the Xie family in Tianqi City.
- Yan Jie (言杰) as Mo Fu Sheng (慕浮生). The head of the Mo family in Tianqi City.
- Liu Pi Zhong (刘丕中) as Su Zi Yan (蘇子言). The head of the Su family in Tianqi City.
- Min Xing Han (闵星翰) as Xie Zai Ye (謝在野). Xie Pi You’s grandson, an expert archer who was a part of the Shadow Sect yet later joined Xiao Yong’s alliance. He was spared by Su Mu Yu initially because of his talent and potential. Yet that was a really big mistake because he’d gone on the kill many other innocent people. He was killed by Li Han Yi at the end.
- Fan Jin Wei (范津玮) as Xiao Ruo Jin (蕭若瑾). Xiao Ruo Feng’s older brother, the emperor.
- Zhao Huan Ran (赵奂然) as Xiao Yong (蕭永). The first prince of Tianqi City. I sympathized with his tragic past and how his mother died. It was hard to be completely clean with those power struggles and his background and all. Yet he took it to another level with all the scheming that it was hard to side with him. In a way, he became the product of his background. He justified his actions throughout and treated others like dirt or worse. It was inevitable he met with that ending.
- Yan Su (闫肃) as Zhuo Qing (濁清). Xiao Yong’s master. He was also responsible for the massacre of Su Chang He and Su Qing Li’s village.
- Leon Lee (李晨浩) as Dian Ye (典葉). General Flying Tiger, Xiao Yong’s uncle.
- Xiao Qi Wen (肖棋文) as Xiao Chong (蕭崇). The second prince of Tianqi City.
- Lin Ai Jia (林艾泇) as Zi Mama (紫媽媽). The host of Baihua House.
- Liang Yong Ni (梁咏妮) as Wan Er (晚兒). A famous courtesan at Baihua House.
- Zhong Wei Hua (钟卫华) as Wang Xi (忘喜). Xiao Ruo Feng’s confidante.
Wu Shuang City (無雙城)
- Guo Jun (郭军) as Jian Shan Yue (劍山嶽). An elder of the Wu Shuang City.
- Kevin Yan (严屹宽) as Jian Wu Di (劍無敵). He dedicated his life to martial arts, to the point that he would purposely go into the demonic stage to win over others. It was bizarre with his obsession and also a weakness that the others used to their advantage. He became a puppet for the others to control and used against others.
- Zhang Rui (张睿) as Song Yan Hui (宋燕回). The master of the Wu Shuang City, Jian Wu Di’s junior. He understood a lot of things around him and wasn’t unreasonable in not seeing what was wrong, etc. Yet he had to fulfill his duties that was expected of him. Perhaps, he was another character that chose duty and responsibility over himself. But it was also his choices regardless.
- Zhang Gong (张弓) as Liu Yun Qi (劉雲起). Song Yan Hui’s master.
- Wang Ting Xu (王庭旭) as Lu Yu Zhai (盧玉翟). Song Yan Hui’s oldest disciple. He had mediocre skills yet was very crafty in social settings and establishing connections. He knew his place and didn’t want to rupture the balance of things.
- Cao Jia Xu (曹嘉诩) as Wu Shuang (無雙). Originally named Yu Shu (玉樹). Song Yan Hui’s disciple.
Others:
- Jiang Zhen Hao (姜震昊) as Zhuo Yu Luo (卓雨洛). Zhuo Yue An’s father.
- Mei Bao Lai (梅宝莱) as Wen Luo Jin (溫珞錦). Bai He Huai’s mother, nicknamed Ah He (阿鶴).
- Wang Gang (王岗) as Shopkeeper Wang (王掌櫃). Yellow Springs’ banker.
- Guo Jia Nan (郭迦南) as Xie Xuan (謝宣). Known as Scholar Sword Immortal (儒劍仙).
- Cao Yu Chen (曹煜辰) as Zhao Yu Zhen (趙玉真). Known as Mysterious Sword Immortal (玄劍仙).
- Zhao Ya Ting (赵娅婷) as Xiao Zhao Yan (蕭朝顏). She grew up with Su Mu Yu in No Sword City and he treated her like a younger sister. She originally lived in the Homeland (which was established by Mo Ming Ce) but was moved by Su Mu Yu to Nan An City for safety (because of what he learned regarding some old enemies living at the Homeland too). She later became Bai He Huai’s disciple and learned medical skills from her.
- Ai Lin (艾霖) as Rui Er (睿兒).
- Nie Zi Hao (聂子皓) as Lei Yun He (雷雲鶴).
- Dai Lu Wa (代露娃) as Situ Xue (司徒雪). Princess Langya, Xiao Ruo Feng’s wife. She didn’t want to be involved in the turmoil of the royalties and the power struggles, so they separated. However, she had someone followed him secretly and would appear to help him whenever she could. It was hard not to. She appeared so little yet her story was impactful in its own way.
- Zhang Hao Cheng (张皓承) as Yan Zhan Tian (顏戰天). Known as the Furious Sword Immortal (怒劍仙).
- Dong Chun Hui (董春辉) as Xin Bai Cao (辛百草). Known as the Medicine King (藥王), Bai He Huai’s nephew (of the Medicine King Valley).
- Zhang Ying Bing (张颖冰) as Night Raven (夜鴉). Known as the Demon Medic (鬼醫) of the Medicine King Valley. She was a traitor to the Medicine King Valley because of her unorthodox methods of using poison to harm others in the name of experiments.
Relationships: families, friendships, romances, etc.
- Gong Jun/ Su Mu Yu and Chang Hua Sen/ Su Chang He. What type of relationship do they have? Brothers in arms? Merely friends of convenient? Or possible enemies if worst comes to worst? It was very complicated and intense at the beginning. They’d been through so much hardship together but also were jaded by all the things they had to do to survive. They were assassins after all so no one had the right to talk about moral grounds or the likes. Yet in the end, they chose friendship over the other things. If someone tried to use trickery or deception to tear them apart, it was either wishful thinking or a major underestimation on that person’s part. Because they understood one another more than that. They also had the trust that none others could understand. Even if it seemed naive or foolish. Because they’d been through hell together. So, it was only right they came out of it together as well. Both actors did really well in showing their complex relationships at times.
- Gong Jun/ Su Mu Yu and Yang Yu Tong/ Bai He Huai. I didn’t know what to make of them at first. She was so lively and he was so aloof about all things around him. He tried to be cheerful but it was hard because he’d been through so much already. Yet, perhaps, her liveliness brought back some semblance of normality into him. He didn’t want to step forward at first in regard to his feelings because everything was still in the unknown. It wasn’t right to drag her into everything with them. That was why he tried not to involve her more than they should be. Yet, the lines were often blurry. It wasn’t until after everything was over that he wanted to acknowledge their relationship, telling her that it was over and they could go home. Too bad, the poison threw a twist into their possible ending and then his master just throw another wild card into the situation by playing mind games. It was very frustrating and the top reason why I wanted season 2. We need closure, seriously. They deserved a happy ending.
- Peng Xiao Ran/ Mo Yu Mo and Zhang Shi An/ Tang Lian Yue. Their story started out in a somewhat humorous moment. He thought she was using sorcery to trick and seduce him. Yet, it was just him doing all the thinking on his own and was falling for her for whatever reason, lol. When there was a hint of real romance between the two, it seemed like their relationship was doomed. It indeed was because of their different background and all. Then came the responsibilities they had to take on after all that happened and how many people had sacrificed along the way. It was indeed tragic but somewhat hopeful too. So, bittersweet ending?
- Bai Shu/ Xiao Ruo Feng and Dai Lu Wa/ Situ Xue. They were surprisingly my favorite couple. Yes, shocking, considering how they appeared so little with their little story and then the little talk near the end. Yet I liked the story when they were both innocent and roaming jianghu together. Too bad he had to carry so much on his shoulders so he couldn’t neglect his responsibilities. Also, they were paired up in Youthful Glory but I halted it because my vain ass couldn’t stand the hairstyles in there for the female population. I might go back later to see how that went.
Likes:
- The theme and plot in general. I have to confess that I started the novel but got distracted because of other stuff so haven’t gotten to this part of the story yet. But it was refreshing some ways because the world building was different for this type of jianghu story.
- The consistency with allowing some of the cast members to portray the same characters. Yes, it bugged me to death if they weren’t played by the same cast when they were around the same age around similar timelines. Yes, I’m side-eyeing the Fox Spirit Matchmaker sagas so hard here. I do know that some of the main cast were different for characters who had appeared in the previous saga. But I guess they only appeared so little so the creators of the series didn’t think it would make a difference? I didn’t watch the other ones yet so I don’t know. But I jumped right into this one because of the different themes and all.
Dislikes:
- The ending. Okay, NOT completely hate it. But was really annoyed with it. Did they do it on purpose so they could make the sequel? Because that was seriously messed up. Especially regarding Su Mu Yu and Bai He Huai–as I ranted up there. I just wanted to throw something after realizing they were thwarted by the so-called master. Well, I guess no honesty among thieves? But seriously, that was so choking. They did solve some matters before ending it but still. And it seemed like they did all that for nothing. Also a brooding message with how it was impossible that they could see the light, considering how their past was already so dark. What about all the people who sacrificed for the cause? Yeah, definitely a very gloomy feeling. I meant the story had always been dark from the start. I would have, at least, expected them to achieve their goals after all they’ve been through. That was all.
Discussions:
- Chang Hua Sen and Dai Lu Wa. It’s really weird to see them in the same series but they weren’t associated with one another or had any sort of interactions. Okay, not weird because their characters were so different and not linked in any way. Yet the impression they made on me in Moonlight Mystique was quite deep so I just connected them automatically in my brain, lol.
- There’s going to be season 2, right? They better. Like I said several times already, it would be weird not to have a season 2.
Recommended? I thought it was really good, despite the choking ending. The majority of the cast did really well and the story was engaging enough.