A bit of Feedback on Series - new to CTV Drama - Updated as of 18/5/22
This is one of the first WETV/CTV Series I have seen. No surprise I was captured by the main leads on posters that prompted me to even attempt to watch the first episode. However this is by far one of the most intriguing and unique TV series I have seen in quite some time. Being someone that has watched numerous TVB series for a long time and now just starting to watch CTV ones I can honestly say this series has everything a person can ask for.Plot: Based off a famous novel, so no surprise here the story is very captivating however like many others I have not read the novel and based on this and now watching a series, this looks very original in a sense that I haven't seen a TV Drama like this for quite sometime. Where there is romance but has so many twists and turns within the story itself that 'An olden style Lovestory' is not just what this series is about.
Acting: The actors/actresses are great, my favourite actor and story line is actually not the main two leads, which Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi did really well. What has captured me is the acting done by the Main characters older Brother (Feng Chang) his story line is the most captivating in my perspective. I almost cried seeing how things turned out for him. Truth be told during his arc within this series I had to rewatch it a few times as I do not speak the native tongue (Mandarin) I had to often find subs/translators to just see what was happening but his facial expressions tones of his voice really gave a sense to the audience of how epic those scenes were.
Music: Very well balanced, unique in its own right however for a drama of this awesomeness it lives up to the mark.
Rewatch Value: 10000% rewatchable, Words cannot explain how epic this series is
18/5/22 - Completed the series, omg what a ride and the long wait over. Saddest part for me was I did not want this series to end as I thoroughly enjoyed watching.
Main Take home points (Subjective): If you are out to look for something fresh and worth watching with great story, romance and action scenes this is a must watch. It is also a great watch with a partner if you have one, much better atmosphere with more people.
Acting: Overall awesome, no issues to note, very very good chemistry by the male and female lead, I hope they pair these two up on a modern world romance drama, that would be a must watch........
Series in General: Great start, great mid section and here comes the not as good part: ending. To me the ending was very rushed, the moment ('Small Spoiler') marriage between the two leads occurred it was like they wanted the story to end, I think they could of done that part better however that's the only criticism I have.
Hope to Review more Series in the future, especially for new comers like me. ^_^
Thanks for taking the time to read. Happy for more feedback, etc
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Its okay to watch
To me, what makes the drama stand out the most is the two main lead characters and great choreographed fighting scenes. I love how both leads are equally strong, and they understand each other well. There is no damsel in distress, it is always them fighting side by side against the enemy together and protecting each other when one of them is in danger. It is also entertaining to see them argue with each other, and their push and pull relationship! Hei Fengxi (Feng Lanxi) is a smart and strong character, he is a formidable foe. He’s always ahead of each other, know what others are planning, has a backup plan, and more. But you’ll understand why he did all that because it is the survival of the fittest. In order for him to be safe from all the schemes, he needs to schemes, outwit others and think ahead. On the other hand, Bai Fengxi (Feng Xiyun) is a dauntless and free-spirited character. She has a genuine heart, she cares for the world but at the same time, she does not let those bad guys off easily. Bai Fengxi uses white silk as her weapon because she believes in the world of martial arts, the highest level is not to kill. Who Rules The World also has immaculate fighting scenes. It has a brilliantly choreographed fighting scene with engaging shots and thankfully no slow motion. The drama has adequate cinematography with bright also appropriate levels of color grading along with close-ups, immersive, and tracking shots. The Costumes were really exceptional especially, when Yang Yang was dressed in the Black outfit.Anchored by Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi, you can expect eye candy in the drama! Both of them are gorgeous actors whose emotions and facial expressions transform and make them compelling in their appeal. Moreover, the drama also features a large ensemble cast with many familiar faces. Zhao Lusi has once again surprised us with her new role.
Overall. Who Rules The World is a good watch if you are looking for a light historical drama (also a good watch for those who are new to cdrama).
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Its the acting that carries the show
While the script was ok and the plot was somewhat overpacked, the acting was phenomenal from the two leads and main supporting characters. The plot moved forward, but it did not develop enough especially towards the end. There were just one or two many plot/story lines. The chemistry is awesome and again, the acting is really heartfelt and the best I've seen out of these main leads. The fighting scenes were good but the effects/production not so much. I still enjoyed it and looked forward to each next episode. If you like political and historical dramas but with romance and some comedic elements, this would be perfect. It was heavy without being overbearingly dark and had plenty of moments that make you smile and even cry.Was this review helpful to you?
Super recommended If you watch for the casts
The story/plot... quite disappointing. For the romance part, I honestly don't have much problem, but some scenes in the drama doesn't make much sense to me (Not the martial arts/fantasy parts, okay). Like how they made Hanpu quickly 'moved on' from what happened to him, and many more. I was kind enough with the scores because the romance plot between the two main leads was more acceptable to me compared to the novel.For the actors I want to applaud first for the two main leads of this drama. Yang yang micro-expressions are getting better and better, although there are still some parts that looks uncomfortable at least for me but overall his acting is good. Also Lusi!!! I'm surprised by her progress!!! Especially with all the action scenes she did, I'm waiting for your another action projects! I've no comment for the supporting roles, all the cast fits perfectly with what I imagined when I read the novel. In terms of acting no doubt, maybe the most bothersome acting is only a few parts of Hanpu also there's some but I think the story is the big influence of their acting here...
SUPERIOR OST. I like all the songs, it's overused sometimes and it's little bit annoying but it doesn't stop me from loving all the songs in their ost album XiXi. This drama has the potential to be one of the best dramas, especially with the casts and osts.. but scriptwriters ruined it.... TY lol
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This review may contain spoilers
Not the Worst/Not the Best (Somewhere in the middle)
Let’s start with the good parts:- The OST is very catchy and sung by super talented singers.
- Despite some other comments, I do believe the actors all tried their very best and did the roles great justice. - - - The pairing of Zhao Lusi and Yang Yang might seem odd but personally, I think it worked quite well. I love how she portrayed the mannerisms and little quirks of her character. (Also Yang Yang I’m that navy robe: Huge Plus!) . Apart from the mains, all supporting actors did a great job and fit their characters very well.
For the more questionable part:
The Story. I’m not sure what the screenwriter’s thought process was, but to cram the majority of the plot in the last few episodes while most of the show follows an emotional, overly dramatic family is almost criminal. I’m also not sure why they felt the need to make Hei Feng Xi so meek and sentimental when he’s clearly shown to be a cunning spy master. They didn’t weaken BFX’s character but the annoying family of horrid people definitely cut into her much better arc. I won’t compare show with novel too much cause they changed so much it can barely be recognized as being based on the novel. (Making Yu Wu Yuan’s character evil, not understanding how grey characters work when the book is full of them etc. were some of the things that annoyed me) The last few episodes had the best of the plot but were also the most rushed. It was satisfying to watch the story unfold, but could have been done much better.
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Great story that builds up well but is sadly kinda rushed in the end
All in all i really liked this drama.The story is very interesting, builts up very well and makes you wanna watch "just one more episode".
The female lead is very smart and quick witted. She isn't dramatic, acting stupid or annoying as female leads are (sadly) often presented in other dramas.
Also there is no unnecessary break-off drama between the male an female lead, which i really appreciate. Their love is pure and real, you can really feel it while watching the drama.
Amazing cast, everyone did a great job, especially the main leads.
Special Effects are, in comparison, not that bad. Some do look quite unrealistic, but that's expected from a classical Chinese drama with not the highest budget. Definitely better than in, for example, The Untamed tho.
What's kinda sad is, that the drama is quite rushed in the end. It suddenly skips multiple years, ignores the intense build up of the whole drama and rushes to resolve the main plot in the last episode. In my opinion the ending doesn't really make sense and kinda ruins the whole drama ngl.
So all in all, yes i liked it, except for the ending. I would recommend you to watch it if you're interested in classical Chinese drama about kings and queens and a sweet love story with two intelligent main characters.
I most likely wouldn't watch it again, but i still enjoyed watching it for the first time :)
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Amazing chemistry, best relationship ever!
I really enjoyed there chemistry together, it was soo refreshing to watch, usually there is break ups in these genre drama but im so happy with the healthy relationship between the couple, and the love and respect they showed each other. I loved how from epsiode one you could tell the ML liked the FL, i loved how he always go so defensive when someone hurts her, he values her opinion, and respects her decisions and she does the exact same for.him. even before they made there relationship official it was already official to me hahaha. Cause from the time she realize he isn't cunning they already was bonding, well maybe vefore that because they're well known around the world and seem to always end up being at the same place at the same time (well ML always follows FL) and he always keep tabs on her and protect her. Episode 7?! was awesome the way he told the men they'll pay for the scratch they left on her body oh my goodness sweetness overload 😍🤭 And thats wayyyyy before they got together. They already had such a bond, they knew each others thoughts, I just love there realtionship.The story was pretty good, i enjoyed it and was engaged from fhe beggining to the end. I usually don't watch wuxia, although i do watch xianxia, but anything with romance in it I'll watch, but the fighting in this show was amazing to watch.
Yangyang looked sooo charismatic in this show whether as the prince or the martial artists, out of everything I've seen him in, this role for me had more depth and i feel like i was able to see a new level of acting from him.
Lu si was amazing, she was careful but not her usual comedic role, instead it was more so sophisticated and smart. Loved her acting, she's getting so diverse in her acting.
Would definitely want to see them together again, they had amazing chemistry and a topnotch relationship. Power couple to the finest. Just amazing, how they communicated and respected each other in every identity they carried, whether prince/princess or martial artist. So there was no conflict they couldnt solve because they spoke to each other, communicated and shared each other burdens. Role model type of couple.
Would definitely reccomend this drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
2 Dramas in 1
Where do I start?This drama is a good solid 9/10. The storyline is very interesting and engaging. However, it felt like 2 dramas rolled into 1 with A LOT of characters. The storyline all tied in nicely and kept viewers interested, but at times, you have to take a step back and remind yourself that you’re watching both a martial arts drama and political drama. I think they should have just focused on 1 category and the story would have been good either way.
The Good:
- Storyline: very interesting, very intriguing overall
- Actors: aside from my peeve about the FL being too young for the role, they did a good job overall. (I’ll expand more on this later)
- twists/plot: I love that the ML and FL are both incredibly intelligent and are alway one step ahead of the game. I hate watching dumb characters get manipulated and played on.
- no dumb love triangle: I love that the two leads fall in love and nothing came between them. All the characters were mature this way even if others were interested in the ML/FL, they knew to back down
- mature relationship: no dumb misunderstandings and schemings
The Bad:
- I felt as though the FL is too young looking for this role. Her character is a certified known martial arts leader and she looked 16. It didn’t make any sense. She looked good next to Yang Yang but honestly, you could tell the age difference is a bit off. She acted “tough” in scenes and I felt it was forced.
-Too. Many. Deaths.
- Odd part of ending (happy ending but one weird part, I won’t spoil).
- I wish they had another romance so we can have a second couple. There were so many good looking actors.
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One of the Most Incredible must watch Cdrama in 2022! ❤️
The storyline was amazing! 10/10! I have seen Love and Redemption, Untamed, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, Princess agents, Ashes of love, and many more. From Episode 1 to Episode 40 is worth to watch. It is not draggy and had a lot of twist in each episode. It was a really great Cdrama were both the FL and ML were STRONG and CLEVER.Each actor portrayed there character very well. Zhao Lusi is a really great actress I had watch her in a lot of role and this one she nailed it again and portrayed the character very well! She had a great chemistry with Yang Yang. Hope that they will have another drama together. I have re-watch this two times already because it was so awesome.
If your thinking if you should watch this. Now this is the time my dear to start and watch it. This was a perfect combination of Romance, Political, Hatred, Friendship, Wuxia, and Family story. They did a great job in each fight scenes, there are no dull moments.
What I also love in this drama is that there was NO stupid misunderstanding, and there are a lot of scenes for the FL and ML. The phasing of each stories was really good were you will not be confused, you can follow the flow of the story really fast.
I highly recommend this drama. I had enjoyed the whole episodes. Thank you writer, directors, actors, crews and all the people behind this amazing drama. ❤️❤️❤️
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Just peaceful
I only write reviews for dramas that deserve it.Two of my all-time favorite actors are in this drama so of course, I had to watch and it did not disappoint! No need to mention these two are the top all-time best actors out there plus an interesting plot that is never boring, sappy, or dragging. I have nothing to complain about this drama other than the fact the ending was bittersweet but in a way, peaceful.
This drama is not your typical romance, sweet drama but also focuses on war, battle scenes, and a lot of fighting. I love the fact the two main characters are cunning, clever, and equally strong.
Totally recommend watching if you are into xianxia and just an overall good drama that will never bore you!
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Wanting More After 40 Episodes
The Male LeadThis is the first time I completed Yang Yang's drama and even wanting for more. His acting here was really good. I really felt the chemistry between the couple. Although I felt it was a little lacking on the romantic area. They could have put more on that aspect. I was longing to see more of them together in a cute and romantic way so I think 40 episodes would not be enough to fill in these gaps. I just love looking at his eyes, they were very expressive and I have seen more of his acting skills in this drama.
The Female lead
This is one of my favorite drama series of Rosy Zhao. She always makes a bond with her male lead. She always builds chemistry and makes my heart flutter. Her acting here was far way from her other dramas, where sometimes I would get annoyed with how noisy she could get. Here she was mostly elegant and acted mature. She acted well with Yang Yang.
OVERALL COMMENT:
Rosy Zhao has these charm that most of the time she could build that chemistry with the male lead. Yang Yang has this potential but somehow this is the first time that I was interested to watch the entire 40 episodes because the couple really look perfect together. Apart from that I have been a fan of wuxia so I guess that is also one reason why I was hooked with this drama. Like honestly, I subscribed for WeTV channel just to watch the latest episodes even though I already have Netflix. I just hope to see them again in the small screen. I have been waiting to see them together for months and I would not mind waiting for the next one. Good performance for all the actors. They all did well in this drama.
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Great Actors! Great Quality! Amazing plotline!
This was my first cdrama after a long while and safe to say - it didn't disappoint.The actors did great. The chemistry was the kind that i am absolutely in love with. It's the not the one that makes you weak at your knees and nor is it non existent. Its the perfect soft, intimate kind of chemistry where they look at each other and you can just see how much they love each other.
The wuxia part of the drama is not that relevant tbh, the scenes are not the best but also above average. The plot focuses mostly on political aspect and slowly building the romance on the way.
The pacing had some issues around ep 35+ but honestly? understandable because you can only fit so much in 40 eps. Everything makes sense though so thats of no matter.
(The wedding scenes made me so giddy, thats how much their interactions mean to me.)
The strength of the ML and FL is equal and the writers did a good job showcasing that. You save me - I save you, You protect me-I protect you is nice change from the common, "You are my wife, I will protect you - ok."
The music was amazing, every singer and composition fits the theme extremely well.
Overall - It is definitely worth a try and try to watch till ep 7, I promise you won't be able to stop.
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