Based off of the novel of the same title by legendary author Jin Yong, this series is the 5th in a long series of adaptations (yeah Chinese producers love this series) created since the book was first published in 1961. The story follows the journey of Zhang Wuji, a young man with heritage from the righteous Wudang Sect but also the unorthodox Heavenly Eagle Cult, and thus gets caught up in the struggle for 2 divine weapons (the titular Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber) between these two sides. The plot covers the significance of the the 2 weapons, how Zhang Wuji's parents met, his upbringing and learning of ancient martial arts, and finally the action and romance that ensues while he tries to clear his parents reputation and restore peace and balance to the Jianghu.

--Plot--
The original novel, of course, ranks among the best of wuxia literature. While this adaption doesn't hit those heights, it does an reasonable of covering the main points of the story. However,. it does stumble and fall over certain areas (lots of details tend to left unexplained or rushed), which is why I can't give it high marks. Certain parts of the plot do hit their stride though (the romance arc of Zhang Wuji's parents and Zhang Wuji's scenes with Zhao Min come to mind). Watch this for an entertaining series that covers all the traditional wuxia themes - brotherly love, "Righteous" Sects vs. "Unorthodox/Evil" Sects, rollicking romances - but don't expect a particularly deep story.

--Acting--
Deng Chao and Ady An do an excellent job playing the main couple, as do many of the sides characters, but a few actors tend to overact or are given cheesy written lines that will occasionally make you cringe terribly. Overall so-so.

--Music--
The opening and ending themes are pretty epic, this is the one aspect of the series that is undeniably excellent.

--Rewatch Value--
Not that high since this series is so plot driven. A lot of the suspense gets taken out if you already know all the mysteries/plot twists.

--Overall--
A fairly enjoyable series worth watching despite its faults. If you've never seen any of the other adaptations of HSDS, this one would be a good place to start.

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