It's a beautiful drama . The actors all have eye candy faces. Watching this drama feels more like watching a high budget hollywood fantasy movie (even though there aren't that many fantastical elements in this one).
This is one of the few Chinese dramas that I watched where some of the characters make impressive entry scenes at crucial moments to protect the ones they love.
This is also one of the few dramas where I see the way the main female lead shields the main male lead (from hair-breadth-danger )being presented in a glamorous, epic manner. All the shots are excellent because the director has got the timing right while taking shots of all crucial moments.
All the actors and actresses, especially the main male lead looks breathtakingly, ethereally elegant, mesmerising. In the very first shot of the main male lead itself, he looks so handsome that I was at a loss for words. The makeup artists and visual effects editing teams etc must have put in a lot of efforts to make everyone even the most ordinary -looking supporting character look remarkably special. ? In this drama, all main characters look like walking gods and goddesses. I had to check again to ensure that this is a wuxia, not a xianxia. ?
Now, coming back to the main topic, plot revolves around one big prominent sect , 'the Gongs' who calls the shots in everything concerning the martial world, and an equally powerful rival sect, 'the Wufeng' who mainly specialize in factory-production of spies. The spies are all trained and sent with missions to harm the powerful Gongs in one way or the other. The story begins that way...


I was just dissatisfied with three things:
1) the death of female lead's raven: this wasn't necessary. They should've made him live --- not killed that character.
I especially loved the dialogue, "You are the Yun Weishan in my heart! "
Omg that monologue is it's so deep!

2) the death of lady Wuji: really not necessary. They could at least written a more merciful death scene for her(if the director wants a death scene for her that much!)

3) the ending: everything in episode 24 was being perfectly wrapped up. They even showed how the villianous elder brother ended up.
They could've just wrapped up the ending nicely instead of producing a fresh mystery to solve.
Thankfully, Yun Weishan told Gong Ziyu that she has a twin before leaving... So that's some relief. Even if as some viewers say, if it's her twin who takes her place, he'll find out if something is amiss( considering the point that he's observant & smart).
Still, in my opinion, the whole story could've been wrapped up, sealed and ended in this season 1 itself.
Why kill viewers like me with anticipation?

But if I overlook the three points I specified above, everything about this drama is good & unique.
This drama really stands out as a good drama but with an extremely unsatisfactory ending.

There are also too many rules and clan obsession in the story which won't even allow the main lead to venture out --- travel in the outside world.
Too many rigid rules restrain the lead as well main supporting characters.

Would like to watch a season 2 or watch special episodes were the main leads as well as main supporting characters figure out solutions to bend the rigid rules, especially to evade the main problem that prevents the main male lead from travelling to the outside world.
Because it's really impractical if the main lead shuts himself in like that just because the other half of the blueprint in tattoed onto his back.
The progression of the plot including the ending is written out in such a way that it'll be hard for the main male lead as sword weilder to sustain the tradition of never venturing into the outside world forever.

Watched the trailers before watching this drama. From the trailer, understood that this is a wuxia story, so didn't expect much romance.
Still, it'd would have been nice if they could've given more depth for the love felt by both main female leads in the story... The second female lead (shangguan Qian) was really a disappointment in that aspect.
The biggest surprise could be as an audience member, you might feel resentful towards one of the second main male leads, Gong Shang Jue.
But that very character will turn out to be someone you admire the most in the end because he turns out to be almost as gentle and kind as the main male lead, Ziyu. Gong Shang Jue just happens to be a severe, strict character, but who in the end, is like a lighthouse for the some of the important characters in the story, especially the main male lead. He also turns out to unexpectedly have a gentle, kind side which he doesn't like revealing to the world.

And of course, when it comes to the main male lead, Gong Ziyu is the best among all characters in this drama(and this is biased opinion from my side).
He just knows how to handle everything well. He is so well balanced in personality, character.
I was just disappointed with the way he handled the execution news of his foster mom. His inaction there really knocked my breath away, but that aside, the male lead is perfect in every other aspect.

This drama could've have ended with a satisfactory happy ending. Bur at the last moment, the director had to throw the spanner in the works.
Hope there will be special episodes or a season 2 to wrap up the mysterious ending nicely.
By the time you finish watching this drama, you'll be left in suspense... "So, what happened in the end? "
Why does the male lead have that flabbergasted expression? ?

The osts of this drama are real good, especially one of the theme songs, "Bestow dreams". The duet version of that song is even more beautiful.
This is one of the few Chinese dramas where I like some of the osts sung by male singers because all of them sound good.
All in all, each episode of the drama is engaging, filled with mysteries to solve, and the last episode ending with a big suspense (Which is the only flaw of this drama in my pov) .

Regarding the romance and love aspects, the main male lead seem to be the only one fighting for love as a one man army, but by second last episode, the female lead seems to be warming up to the male lead with almost the same intensity...
This makes the ending even more dissatisfactory to watch because you could get concerned about the ending oc the main couple's love story...


When it comes to cinematography, this is one of the best dramas. This drama has beautiful, elegant, powerful action scenes. Watch out for all intense action scenes in episode 22! It's one of the best episodes of this drama with all the important characters coming together in one episode itself to participate in fierce battles.


What you'll love most about this drama is the huge amount of suspense, mysteries. Every episode leaves you wondering about something (and that includes the ending too). ?
By the time you reach the second last episode, you'll end up admiring the smartness of the main male lead and the big, brotherly heart of the second main male lead.

This is also one of the few Chinese dramas where you will enjoy watching the romance of a 'guard' character which is absolutely unique, comical at the same time romantic and full of tenderness.


To sum up, this drama can be summed up in four words: action, mystery, suspense, romance.
Even when the drama ends, viewers will be left with some half answered questions in their heads regarding the female lead's identity, how she acquired her skills etc.

Must give this drama a try if you don't mind watching an unfinished ending.
This drama definitely makes you think as you watch each episode...