Out of all the DMBJ dramas, this one probably works the least well as a standalone. If you're watching them all without having read the novels, this one may also confuse you the most.

However, what I personally dislike about it the most is how they did Pangzi dirty. He is played by the same actor as in The Lost Tomb 2, yet you immediately notice a difference in the way he is written. It's normal for him to be the butt of a joke here and there, but not to this extent. I also don't think Wu Xie would play a prank on him that would literally endanger his life, just for the fun of it.

Other than that, I'm actually ok with this Wu Xie. Bai Shu clearly did a great job (sometimes he eerily reminded me of Hou Minghao or Li Yifeng despite looking completely different), and the intense trauma the character just went through perfectly explains his erratic behaviour.

I also think people are judging this Zhang Qiling a little too harshly. I can't believe they didn't leave his hair black (why would he suddenly dye it??), but I think the actor did well enough.

The pacing is, as usual with this director, not great. Not sure if it's even worse than in TLT2 or if TLT2 just makes up for it with its other positive qualities. Either way, it does get better over time.

On the whole, it's my least favourite DMBJ drama and I wouldn't recommend it to newcomers, but it's not so bad that established fans can't get some enjoyment out of it.