I actually don't know where to start from!! Stand by Me was totally my type of costume drama. I loved it from the beginning. The scenery, the martial arts and fighting, dressing and everything else was so beautiful. I would say the storyline was a little different in the sense that the male lead (Qi Yan) was portrayed as the evil king since the start. Personally, I thought that he was really evil but later as the story unfolds, we find out his reasons for everything that happened. Some people may disagree and say that he didn't deserve happiness because a sin is a sin but then he didn't get a happy ending so I guess that was his punishment. He promised peace to his kingdom and kept his word.
The female lead's character was also great. Straightforward and brave. I kind of knew her real identity from the beginning so I was thinking that she would take revenge against the male lead when she finds out he was the one behind her family's tragedy. However to my surprise nothing like that happened. She understood him, stood by him and helped him until the end. This was my first time watching a drama where the female lead doesn't hold a grudge against the male lead after knowing the truth.
At first I really didn't like Qiu YanZhi even though I knew who she was. However after she finds out that Cheng Ruo Yu is her sister, she changes so much. I love the love she had for her younger sister. It was a real heartbreak that Cheng Ruo Yu finds out the truth almost when her sister is about to die. I really wished she didn't die. I love that Qiu YanZhi said in her last moments that her wishes are all about her sister.
I expected a sad ending from the very start but I was still shocked the way they made the ending. I guess the only way for the male lead to make up for everything was his death.
It was a great drama overall so I recommend it to everyone.