Light hearted show

The age range for this show is probably very wide. It reminds me of those shows you would put on a Sunday afternoon for the family to watch since it's so chock full of life lessons. It's lighthearted and laced with humor but it doesn't veer towards slapstick which I appreciate.

Story - A very traditional xuanhuan story about a boy starting from zero and attempting to achieve greatness. What I appreciate is that the drama does not make the main character a Gary Stu simply geared for the fantasy of the straight man which is a tendency novels of this types of adaption fall into.

Acting - The actors and actresses for this are mainly amateurs sprinkled here and there with better known ones such as the beautiful Zhuzhu who plays Bibi Dong, so I guess put your expectations there. There were some standouts mixed in, and I especially liked Flanders, and Calvin. Xiao Zhan was able to handle his role well and deliver the emotional scenes.

Music - Now here is where most people's opinions will differ. The series attempted something a little different than most fantasies I've seen and instead of atmospheric ballad pieces, they went more for acoustic background ambience, so although at any scene, the bgm helps conveys the emotions of the scene, there aren't any musical pieces that stand out with any permanence in your mind. There are also some jarring modern pieces that break the forth wall, but it's done with a purpose to further the humor. The opening and ending are more poppish, the melodies you might find familiar in some youth show, but that's the overall "young people coming together to fight for justice" theme of the series I guess.

Rewatch - Very good for rewatch with kids, since the story has such a heavy moral line throughout the show. It's a light watch, nothing too heavy. The great CGI helps.

Read More