Unlike wuxia by Jin Yong and his contemporaries, this is a nontraditional wuxia drama. Though still embodies the basic wuxia elements of chivalry in social and moral codes, its heavy use of CGI in depicting the exaggerated inner energy and superpower with people flying like birds, has rendered it more like, rather, feel like a xianxia drama. And that makes this drama stand out from the other wuxia dramas.

There are a lot of firework displays in the fighting scenes with characters showcasing their powers and prowess, zipping through buildings and landscape, moving mountains and dividing seas. More serious wuxia buffs may not appreciate such exaggerations, but the story and the characters are captivating.

Like most wuxia stories, there are many characters here and together with their criss-crossing relationships, it can be confusing. Some characters can also have multiple shifus (teachers) with different skills. On top of that, some characters may appear at the beginning episodes, never reappear until at very much later episodes. Therefore, watching with a character map can help greatly if spoilers are acceptable, at the same time, take notes.

All the characters are complex, interesting and lovable, and the selection of actors is spot on. I love Li Hongyi’s indifferent demeanor which is just perfect for the role as Xiao Se who has lost all his strength and doesn't seem to care a bit even if the sky is falling. Liu Xueyi’s cheekiness and funny aura are ideal as the hilarious Wu Xin the monk who makes me laugh whenever he opens his mouth. Ao Ruipeng looks and acts like a big baby, and fits seamlessly as the innocent and chivalrous Lei Wujie who has a terrible sense of direction. Every other character matches its actor, giving viewers a convincing performance. The dialogs are unexpected but logical and humorous.

The story spans from the initial episodes of adventure, meeting people and making friends, to later episodes of intense palace politics with deadly scheming and assassinations. There are several characters whom I like a lot but they either die early or never appear again. Thanks goodness there's no romance between the main leads, though there is some subtle love interest.

My Verdict

Fast moving, intense, humorous, captivating, lovely characters, great acting, superb directing, editing and production. Indeed kudos to the new and refreshing way of telling a wuxia story.

A must-watch. Two thumbs up! BRAVO!