Non-traditional wuxia strikes again!

My Journey To You was an amazing drama to watch from beginning to end; There was suspense, thrill, hints of romance, and sibling bonds with a touch of comedy from a specific character I adore so much.
The cinematography was very movie-like and I don't think we see this in a lot of dramas. That's fine, it just sets this drama apart from others. The martial arts choreography was very AMAZING TO WATCH! I was floored, especially how Yun Wei Shan, the female lead, attacks her opponent so graciously.
Each and every character within this drama were multi-dimensional hence I was very touched by their back story. Each character had something they loved and lost at some point in their lives. Some other characters work hard to make their parents feel proud. It was quite relatable!
The acting was phenomenal especially from Esther Yu, who typically plays very naive, cheerful characters. Here she plays a demure, strong, protective spy, Yun Wei Shan. Despite her cold demeanor, she can be quite emotional, and vulnerable when Gong Zi yu (male lead - Zhang Ling He) shows how much he cares for her. Although Yun Wei Shan is a spy, she actually yearns to be freed from this lifestyle and Gong Ziyu tries his hardest to make it come true for her. As a character, I really enjoyed watching her use her brains - how quick witted she can be to get out of difficult situations - albeit it's not always going to work. As aforementioned, I really enjoyed watching her fight because it was very elegant and gracious, granted it seemed she wasn't as strong as she looked.

Moving on to Zhang Ling He who played Gong Ziyu. A young man known to be the crybaby and naive kid of the family because he doesn't want to take on the responsibility of being a Gong. Turns out he is quite the grown man we would expect from Gong family. Very observant, seems to have photographic memory, and quite intelligent in his own way as well. I know a lot of people disliked him for being oblivious to his surroundings but I'm sure we're all surprised because it was the total opposite.

The second female lead, Shang Guan Qian, is what you would call a scheming two face b*tch. Boy, she played her part extremely well! Someone needs to give Lu Yu Xiao an award for her acting! The way she played Shang Guan Qian makes you think TWICE about her intentions every single time! It's the way she acts with her voice and the micro expressions! AMAZING! Albeit, she can be quite nice when she needs to but only for a price.

Have I mentioned the amount of eye candies in this drama? There's a lot of handsome men and women in this drama, but mostly men. LOL Eyes candies are great but, "Can they act?" is the most important question. There's many handsome actors I can name off the top of my head who are just strictly handsome with no acting skills whatsoever. However, in My Journey To You, there is no black sheep.

Let's begin with Gong Shang Jue played by the actor, Ryan Cheng! This man is handsome, but he supports it with his acting very well. On the surface he is seen as very cold, hot tempered man. Known to be one of the best martial artist in the MJTY universe, even Wufeng is afraid of him, however he is quite the opposite of what he portrays. He has a very gentle, and caring side - truly loves and cares for his family. His backstory was very tragic but it didn't change him completely. He is very intelligent and capable of leading the Gong Family. I loved his micro expressions as well, you can tell when he's in disbelief, or suspicious of someone. And despite of his cold demeanor, his secretive smiles just makes my heart flutter.

Gong Yuan Zhi played by the actor Tian Jia Rui is the "younger brother" of Gong Shang Jue. He can be very cunning but unlike his brother, he is not trusting of others. His ability to create unique poisons makes him an asset of the Gong Family. A prodigy if you will. Although his personality seem to be cunning, and hateful of others -with good reason. He is an orphan. His history with Gong Shang Jue was a bit emotional to watch because Jue is someone he looks up and cares for deeply. He loves the attention he gets from his brother, it's rare to see brotherly bond like this in dramaland. I like it because it showcases what Yuan Zhi lacks prior to Jue and how much Jue means to him now and vice versa. Yes, I would love to slap the grin off his face sometimes but that just proves the actor did his part very well. Props to Jia Rui!

Young Master Yue played by the actor Zuo Ye, quite handsome and great acting as mature elder. Albeit, maybe too mature because it seems he aged 50 years after his backstory was revealed. :( Zuo also uses micro expressions, his tears were real and convincing. The way he speaks was filled with sorrow, it's difficult to explain without spoiling his plotline. Best to watch it with your own eyes!

Notable actors would be Gong Zi Shang played by Jolin Jin. Oh my lord, help me..girl gave me laughs for days with her exaggerated and dramatic acting. Lmao She was definitely the comedy relief within this serious, dark concept drama. I typically do not like overexaggerated acting but it grew on me in this drama - just a tiny bit. Gong Zi Shang is the way she is because of the lack of parental attention. Hence, she acts dramatically in front of others. When someone shows her care, she will care and side with them. I feel like she should've been with Xiao Hei, another mysterious character in the drama, because of how his energy matched so well with hers. They're both quite hilarious to watch! Then again, their backstory were quite similar and it's understandable why they got along so well. I wish Zi Shang knew how much he cared for her.. :( Justice for Xiao Hei!

Towards the last few episodes of wrapping up the drama, it felt like I was watching Twilight where everything was a lie. LOL But at the same time, a relief that the characters weren't as bad as they portrayed to be.
How was the ending of the drama? It was ambiguous. Hoping for season two because that was just a cliffhanger at this point. There's so many questions left unanswered.
I'm not disappointed entirely because wuxia are typically like this - albeit this isn't traditional wuxia but when you watch a lot of wuxia dramas - you shouldn't expect a happy ending. It can be an open ending, sad, or even ambiguous ending. And I'm glad it ending very enigmatically because there's a possibility of a season 2.

Might have to wait 3-4 years like I did with Joy of Life unfortunately. :( But overall, amazing drama definitely a must watch if you want some martial arts action, thrill and suspense!

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Keeps you on your toes!

From the very first episode, it was extremely confusing initially, but it makes you want to understand more. My curiosity grew each episode to the point I wonder which character is trustworthy and which is not.

Needless to say, the drama kept me on my toes, it is definitely like a chess game. Every single character is involved in each scheme. Whether good or bad, betrayals by blood, trust, friendship; even as a viewer you can't really trust anyone.

Each character/actor/actress was amazing in this drama!

This was my first Cheng Yi drama, he plays Qi Yan.
Let me just begin by saying, he is an AMAZING actor, I was blown away by the way he acts in subtlety. Not many actors can act the way he does. They can get away just acting cold, emotionless but that's just boring to me. That's not acting to me, Cheng Yi was able to use his facial muscles and give such minuscule expressions - the pain, hurt, happiness, sadness - in subtle ways that I'm basically his fan now. Haahha Moving on, Qi Yan as a character was interesting. At first I didn't know which side he stood, he basically put a lot pressure on himself, refusing to believe anyone because everyone just wants to betray one another except for Cheng Ruo Yu. She is the only person he trusts in the end, therefore he has tried many times to save her despite him being in danger. Its clear he cares for people he loves, even if they do not have good intentions he still cares and that's very kind of him. He's been used like a puppet, but eventually grow to become a true king.

Chen Ruo Yu played by Zhang Yu Xi - her acting didn't bother me much, there are definitely parts where I felt it wasn't natural "acting" but otherwise I'm pretty satisfied with the way she acted here. The character she plays is basically like a passive character, she does not exactly take sides unless she was betrayed. She was appointed the Sword holder of the King, basically a body guard with top martial art skills. However, she doesn't kill unless that is the last option.. Also another selfless character, being used by certain people in this drama. She doesn't really remember her childhood with her sister until the last couple of episodes. She's a fast learner for sure. very good in knowing what to do in a quick, unpredictable situations.

Qiu Yan Zhi - one of my favorite characters in this drama cause of how intelligent and calculating she is. She's basically living a double life, the adopted daughter of the antagonist. But also spoiler alert sister of Chen Ruo Yu. At first she was just a confusing character because I couldn't tell whether she was a friend or foe towards Chen Ruo Yu, But in the end we found out her real motive was to avenger her grandfather & family. Everything she learned from the antagonist is used against him. There were definitely sorrowful sacrifices she had to make but in the end, she was able to fulfill her own wishes. Her relationship with Chen Ruo Yu was quite interesting because of the way she acts towards the aforementioned character. She's really nice towards CRY, always coming to her rescue along with the king. At first she says she does it for herself, but in reality she did it to protect the one she loves.

The actor playin Qiu Zhi Liang, Mickey He, was great, he just looks 100% crazy every single time he's on, sometimes I wonder if his expression was sarcastic or not. Its quite funny if you don't take him seriously. lol His character is very powerful for a eunuch because of the military soldiers he possesses and he's able control the king like a puppet. Amazing job for an antagonist honestly.

As you watch the drama, there's more antagonists unfolding, especially the characters you didn't expect to become a villain. In the end, this drama is like a strategy game - everyone trying to kill one another, usurp the throne, etc.
There's no love triangle in this drama, which is a plus. But the main characters goes through a plethora of mountains to be together.

The end was ..bittersweet. Definitely recommend if you like strategic historical dramas that keeps you on your toes.

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Life is unpredictable!

Blossoms in Adversity main focus isn't really about the love story, the focus is moreso on the family and their growth through difficulties.

Due to a petty king, Hua Family was exiled and reduce to commoners from their high wealth status.
Their oldest granddaughter, Hua Zhi, eventually becomes the head of the family to take control of their lifestyle. Zhang Jingyi played Hua Zhi quite well and very convincing. I've seen several of her dramas, and honestly she's not phenomenal but she has improved from her early day until now. Hua Zhi is a very strong-willed, independent main female character. She knows what she wants, she holds her family together through difficulties and hardships. She is quite smart and I love that she doesn't care about what the public thopught of her and her family. At the end of the day, what motivates her are is her family and bringing home the exiled family members. I have watched a few of Zhang Jingyi's dramas over the years, I think she's a natural actress, everything she has acted in was quite natural and conforms nicely to the character she plays.

The love interest of Hua Zhi is Gu Yan Xi acted by Hu Yi Tian. Gu Yan Xi lives a double life in this drama, or tries to. Although one would think he's evil to the core but from the get-go you can see that he's someone who stands up for what is right. Unfortuantely, he also has to protect someone because he has no autonomy otherwise he would be slaughtered like most of his family. His love for Hua Zhi was seen from the beginning, you would see it in his actions where he would always be her shining knight in armor.
Hu Yi TIan's acting was quite a disappointment but not a surprise. I've seen him in other dramas, he has not changed from his early years to this drama. Hu does not use his facial muscles like other actors who also plays stoic characters. You would think there's some eye acting, but not really. His face is just.. .BLANK majority of the time. He has three distiguishable faces: pokeface aka blank face, smile happy face, and finally the shooketh face which literally looks like this every time he's shocked O_O. Sometimes when there's something that is shocking, his face doesn't even do anything. It was really HORRENDOUS to watch him. He was the reason why I did not want to watch this drama when it first came out because I would be very annoyed with the way he "acts." At this rate, he's more of a eye candy actor, not an actual actor. Fortunately, the martial choreography was quite nice and the storyline isn't really focused on his character compare to the females'.

A character that stood out to me is Shao Yao (Lu Yu Xiao) because she not only went through something traumatic, it seems she was also on the spectrum. It reminded me of how Park Eun Bi acted as an autistic character. Lu Yu Xiao nailed her role quite well. This is the second drama I've watched of hers, and we all know how amazing she was in MJTY and in this drama as well. I really hope she is one of the rare actresses who is willing to try out different roles, because so far it definitely showcased a lot of her acting abilities. I digress, Shao Yao is such an adorable character, she's also self aware of how her brother, Gu Yan Xi, and Hua family treats her: like a porcelein doll. However, she managed to find a very nice friend, Shen Huan (Biang Cheng), who didn't treat as such, and treated her like a normal human being, a friend. It was very heartwarming to see Shao Yao light up whenever Shen Huan shows up because their relationship was so innocent and adorable. I was rooting for the happy ending more than the main leads. lol

There were several veterans in this drama, most notably Myolie Wu. I honestly thought her character was going to be so annoying throughout the drama. lol The king in this drama was very annoying, he's very paranoid and petty so I will jsut leave at that.
I think the moral of this drama has taught me resilience is the best form of survival through difficult times. There will always be a solution even if you've fallen from the top. Which is exactly what Hua Zhi did to get her family back on their feet.

I would like to highlight how much i LOVE the OSTs in this drama, I haven't been hearing good music from cdramas for the past couple of months and this drama definitely have one of the bests OSTs out there, imo.

Blossoms of Adversity is definitely a must watch if you love 2010s cdramas of focusing on a female character's life through hardships to get to the top of the pyramid. It's a female centered drama where all the men are exiled, and the women needs to fend for themselves lest death of starvation.

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This drama is a remake and another adaption of a novel. Although I never read the novel, I did watch a previous adaption. There were definitely some scenes I love here and scenes that I wish they added.

What I like about the drama is the cinematography, the scenery and different palaces and underground caves, etc. Its a huge upgrade from the last 2005 adaption of course. Yi Hua Gong actually looks like a gong for sure - it's so pretty! The two Yi Hua Masters are the same as the 2005 adaption but too bad we don't see much of the The 2nd Master's kindness in action here.

Xiao Yuer is a self-proclaimed no.1 smartest man in Jianghu. His personality is quite fun to watch, he's cunning and is a sweet talker. He's able to get what he wants, although sometimes he makes it a little too dramatic. I initially thought the actor playing Xiao Yuer seemed good but I soon realize there were a bit of over-reacting in some areas. However, he's still young so there is room for improvement.

Hua Wu Que is your typical handsome man in every drama. A powerful one I might add. His mission was to kill his own brother unknowingly. When the two became friends is the start of Wu Que becoming a normal human with feelings - although he likes to hide it a lot. We see Wuque and Xiao Er bond as friends, but we barely seem them bond as brothers. I did not see a connection there. Not even after it was confirmed they were brothers, they didn't even call each other "哥" or "弟" :( There was even one scene I was looking forward to that was in the previous adaption, I was hoping it would be in here as it happens after they found out they were brothers. It would have showcased how much they love being brothers and how heartbroken if one had died. But it didn't happen because in this version, one of them died differently.
Speaking of Hua Wu Que, the actor Hu Yi Tian needs to work hard on his acting. He lacks expressions, and even if he expressed something it always come off as unconvincing aside from his smiles. I don't feel any connection with him and Tie Xin Lan. I always felt like Tie XIn lan loved Xiao Yuer from beginning til the near end of the drama.
Overall, the acting is not amazing, but tolerable.

As for the romance in this drama, there's barely any between the main leads unless you wanna watch angst until the last episode or so. That's when each brother accepted their love for their woman respectively. The supporting characters like Hei Zhizhu and Meng jiu had better love story than the main leads. haha

The way Xiao Yuer and Hua Wu Que found out they were brothers was a bit anticlimactic for me. What if she was lying? You never know from someone who wants all of her former one-sided love's family dead. :/

I would recommend this drama if you haven't watched the previous adaptions, although be warned it can get draggy.

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A great movie, made me laugh a lot with its ridiculous lines and action scenes. Liu Yi Fei looks like a fox in human form. I can see it in her face when she makes those fox faces - the cute one. Otherwise she did a great job in this movie in my opinion. The actor did great as well. The movie overall isn't too serious but when it does, it ends being hilarious as well. Its a fast paced storyline.. Han Shuai is a guy with a big debt so he goes around looking for blind dates with rich women just to pay off his debt. He saved Xiao Bai [Liu YiFei] when he was a kid and her as a fox from kids throwing acid at her. Xiao Bai wanted to pay back the debt by marrying him or doing whatever makes him happy. Of course, she insisted in marrying him. Her childhood friend is hilarious, he's suppose to keep her in check but he tries his best to protect her from harm. Which he failed to do in the climax so he and Han Shuai went tot the demon world to get her back. Enough of the spoiling but I loved the CGI - the transformation was fantastic! :] I would rewatch it again because it was quite funny.

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I really loved the plot of this drama, however the only thing that threw me off was the acting. It is an idol drama but I stuck to it because I love the female lead's character. She could fight herself if it weren't for society teasing her constantly for her differences which is something I can relate to.

The drama is kind of cheesy to me,, which is the down side for me, it was very cringe-worthy to watch the actors and actresses act. I think the two SpeXial members can't act - well majority of Spexial members can't act and the female antagonist was hard to watch as well - Hannah was adorable though - dumb but at least she knew was right and wrong.. kind of. LOL I think the only watchable actor/actress was Pets Tseng.

The OST was great, I really loved Pets Tseng's "Season of Rain" ^_^ Is my bias coming out? LOL This drama made me love Pets Tseng a lot more as a singer and an actress. Of course it also made me love Lin Sam just because he is handsome. xD

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It had potential but lost it

Mei lin lost her parents in a fire plotted by one of the royal family.
Jinghe has been wrongly accused of causing the massacre of Qingzhou
Both decided to work together when Meilin found out who the real culprit is.
Honestly, the drama started very well! The back and forth schemes between the crown prince and Jinghe had me on the edge of my seat. Unfortunately, after the big bad wolf was taken down, the drama seemed to have fallen off for me. lol
A lot of the actors played their part well:
Liu Xue Yi became a psycho maniac guy to a loving husband. I've only watched one of his dramas thus far, but this drama definitely showcase the variety of techniques he's able to bring to the drama. His eyes has so much emotion in them, he didn't need to talk. LOL This is what I think is a really good actor who can move their facial muscles even as cold, stoic person. Not many actors can do this, Liu is an exception.

Wu Jin Yan also did quite well. i guess I watched too many of her dramas since Yanxi Palace and this drama just felt similar. Her acting is neither terrible nor pheneomal here. It didn't have much of a wow factor for me. I think her action scenes were beautiful though, I loved every action stunt she displayed.

One of the outstanding actors I would say in this dramas has to be Baron Chen who played Xuanliu, the crown prince.
Maybe I am biased as I've been a fan of his acting since Fated to Love You (classic) and damn... I must say he did a PHENOMENAL job as the villain. The variety of emotions he has displayed from innocence, anger, love, etc. His acting had me pausing during the climax of the drama because it was thrilling and NERVE-RACKING to see who would win. For once, I am satisfied with a villain's death.

The king and Princess Yan's relationship was cute - albeit I can't help but think in the back of my mind how wrong it is. I had to constantly remind myself ancient China had concubines as young as her.. and it was fine back then. Regardless, I did like the King in this drama because he seems to have emotion that no other kings would displayhe was quite gentle and caring.

Once again, this drama started off quite strong, it had purpose and when that purpose was done -there was about ...6 episodes left and I just skipped most of the scenes. I thought the drama should've ended at episode 26 instead of 32. However, I suppose the leads had to wrap up loose ends with Qingzhou, and their relationship.
Would I recommend it?
If you like action scenes, thrill, schemes, sure. But if you don't want to waste your time, I'd suggest stopping at episode 26 or so. LOL

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A drama with incredible revenge plot and complex characters.

When I read the synopsis of this drama, it didn't seem to appealing to me but watching the first episode definitely caught my attention. It was dark, it was intense, and whoa.. what an opening to a drama! Definitely did not regret continuing to watch every single episodes as it aired!

To me, what really sets this drama apart from others is the three dimensional characters, including the antagonists. Each and every important character in this drama has a background story. In the beginning, you really need to keep an open mind, and be empathetic instead of being so biased and narrow-minded. Many viewers may just be here for the slow-burn romance, but I like watching dramas with characters that are complex. And honestly, I talked about the villains more than the protagonists with my friends because it was just so fun to break down and learn about their psyche and why they're acting the way they are. I was rooting for the protagonists don't get me wrong. But the villains were just so intriguing! Of course, I hated some of them but in the end, we understand why they were like that.

I think the most appalling thing that I read in the comments is what the Princess had to go through vs Xue Fang Fei. It's almost very stupid for people to compare and think one is worse than the other. And one deserves more love than the other.
Both of them went through traumatic experiences, and they are validated! The way they act upon really differs, and you can't deny there are people who would become evil because of their environment and the way they were raised. All the villains in this drama turned out the way they are because of their past experience, the environment, and whoever influenced them.
There's even some steady character growth for an antagonist and I loved this drama for it.

Xue Fang Fei is an incredibly intelligent woman in this drama, yes she stole the identity of a dead girl (Jiang Li) but she has empathy. She's doing it for both of them. She honors the identity she has stolen, unlike other dramas where the protagonist just steals the indentity and not even think about it. Xue Fang Fei not only gave justice to Jiang Li but also revenge. Of course, that wasn't the only revenge she has done. In the process of fighting for justice of her own, she has found someone who knew her identity all along. Someone who respects her and truly cares for her.

This someone is Xiao Heng. Xiao Heng is a mysterious guy who is always there to save Fang Fei's life. But he's also quite observant, calculative, and of course powerful. We don't really know his real plan until the end, and honestly if people want to compare him with Fang Fei's ex and why he did the deed in the begining. It's best to understand who has nearly everything and connections, and who doesn't especially in historical China.


The acting overall in this drama was incredible; ablet sometimes I wonder why there wasn't any tears in some actors while they're crying. I have seen a few of Wu Jinyan dramas and I feel like she is the same? Just great acting; nothing to mind blowing for me though. A sfor the main actor, Wang Xing Yue, I've only seen one of his dramas but it wasn't enought o dicpher if he's has improved or not. In this drama, he's most acting with his eyes, micro expressions which I quite like as well.
Notable mention is CHEN QIAO EN! OH MY GOD! I've been watching her act since I was little, she's one of my favorite actresses EVER. Just when I tbought she couldn't get any better, she proved me wrong! HER MICROEXPRESSIONS AS A VILLAIN!! HELLO? Those psychopathetic smiles and I was getting goosebumps cause of her. BRAVO!

Needless to say, it was an an amazing drama. I would definitely recommend if you enjoy watching schemes, revenge plots, second chance of life, and slow-burn romance.

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I had to give this drama a second chance because I could not get past the first couple of episodes due to the main girl's personality. The male character, is not as expressive but he is adorable when he smiles or tries to hide his smiles. I love it when he finally open up his love for the main girl and literally force her to do things just to get her back [nothing abusive though its just bossy and force so he doesn't lose her cause she was being stubborn and stupid.] The two main characters are neighbors so they also go to school together. They had many ups and downs, misunderstandings, Especially the girl who always misunderstands the guy's feelings. Mostly because the guy is very quiet about his feelings. However, he does care for her and does things for her without her knowing. Its overall a very cuteeee drama. Reminds me a lot of ISWAK. The girl is not smart in school but she's really good in art. The guy, naturally is very smart and went for the medical route. So yeah its similar to allt he versions of ISWAK. I liked it, I was smiling a lot towards the end. I think you will too.

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CONTEMPORARY, BEAUTIFUL, MEANINGFUL AND FANTASTIC DRAMA!
I just finished this drama and its officially one of my favorites! This drama has a lot to do with college life  school work, relationships, dealing with future worries and then there's abandonment, self-growth, plagiarism consequences to both sides, etc. I am in love with the quotes each episode had. This drama touches upon topics that makes you thinking deeply about your life. Its very meaningful and deep. The main story is a focused on a happy, college campus couple. We going through a period of happiness, to heartbroken and angst and back to unsure of future between the two. It also focuses on the other supporting actors/actress whcih were quite funny so they gave us the comedic relief but was being realistic as well. Main actress was a JYP trainee but I think she made a great decision to go into acting. She acted very natural, and I did not feel irritated like I do with actors/actress that exaggerate or obviously terrible at acting. I was in love with her clothing style - its something I would wear - well not the business part of it but the casual style. Her character was more mature and serious compare to the male. As for the male lead actor, he acted natural and great as well. I loved his character's personality - was very opstimistic and positive all the time. May be annoying at first but you'd get use to it and call him CUUUUUUTE! cause of his loving smile. Okay. The one thing I dislike is the second male lead being persistent with the ring and all. I mean its great he doesn't give up, but there's a fine line between not giving up and when to  give up. And he already crossed it after the third try... Anyways, all in all I recommend this drama if you want something natural and meaningful to watch. Definitely read the quotes and pay attention to t he monologues.

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I kept this drama on the back burner because I wasn't interested in the cliche plot.  It took a while for me to give in and finally watch it. As I predicted, it was quite cliche: main girl likes main guy since forever, in comes second-lead-syndrome. I honestly do not know what kept me into it, maybe because Wang Zi is just so handsome and hard to not watch.  The main girl is not your typical girl; she's able to stand up for herself until someone breaks her weakness. When i say "stand up for herself" I mean she can really whoop someone's ass. That's the second reason why I kept watching cause she's not your typical fragile girl. Honestly, the antagonists are just eh.  Overall, the romance is sweet and adorable. I would recommend  it.

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Unskippable Kdrama of The Year!

Kang Bitna had me enthralled into her demon eyes, and sassy personality. The Judge from Hell is one of the kdramas that I couldn't skip nor drop. It's extremely rare for me to truly love a kdrama in recent years because the acting is just not for me, or the storyline seems to fall short, or it just drags on and on. The Judge from Hell is an exception.

I love the special effects in this drama, as well as the character growth of Kang Bitna. Honestly, she carried the entire show for me. Han Daon was just a cherry on top.

Park Shinhye's acting has captivated the audience, me included and I'm glad she has improved in the past 25 years that I've been watching her.

I would highly recommend if you're new to kdramas.

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Aside from the visual candy. the overall storyline was interesting to watch. It typically focuses on a military training, patriotism, love triangles and friendship. Barely any typical romance or skinship.
The cast did a wonderful job, they're all great actors.
However there were a few things that irked me.
Gu Yan Zheng played by Xu Kai. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to watch this drama because I finished The Legends where Xu Kai and Bai Lu were also main leads. I was also a fan of Xu Kai, however, I really dislike his character here. I've never disliked a main lead so much to the point I don't want him as lead. Why? His character's personality is very irritating, immature and annoying. He doesn't care much about the consequences of his actions at all. He's basically blinded by love. He also annoys the female lead like a 10 year boy crushing on a girl. Its ridiculous. Sure, they're cute but I rather have Xie Xiang with Jun Shan than Gu Yan Zheng. Aside from his irritable personality, I really love his hair styling here; even the clothes from this era looks marvelous on him! When Gu Yan Zheng is serious, he gets serious and is able to kill people with accuracy. His skills are top notch despite his laziness and goofiness. I admit sometimes I like his character when he's goofy but there were times when I really think he needs to stop. haha

As for Xie Xiang played by Bai Lu, her character was interesting. It was funny to watch her run back and forth as herself and as her "brother." I like that she somehow reminds me of Mulan, she may be weaker than the other military comrades, however she has the speed to knock you out! There was even a mission she managed to handle all on her own! BRAVE and STRONG woman! I like that she's able to fight back with men and not be your typical weak, timid, female lead.
She's not the only girl who showcased how strong she is. :)

The cinematography is beautiful. I don't usually like this era because of the war talk gets boring but I love the clothes, the old, rustic buildings, the cars and even the home decor! Although there were some scenes I notice were filmed with a green screen which was a bit disappointing. haha I guess its to be expected.

I recommend this drama if you like military hot guys, watch girls whoop ass, and love between friends.

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Since there is a plethora of reviews for this drama already,
i'll just state why I really enjoyed it and how its different from other xianxia dramas.
First of all, I tried watching the anime version and never really got through the first few episodes. Not really an anime fan but after this drama I think I'll give it another go.
Back to the topic at hand, one of the reasons why I enjoyed this drama so much is that there's NO ROMANCE between male/female leads. The reason why I like that is cause I seen way too many cliche dramas of boyxgirl romance, PDA, etc. In a way, it can get really boring quick.
Therefore, The Untamed was a refreshing turn of events. No romance, but there's BROMANCE and even if there's no PDA involved. it's all in the emotions and the way the actors treat and look at one another.
Speaking of the actors, Wang Yi Bo and Xiao Zhan did a WONDERFUL job portraying their respective characters. This is one of the rare dramas where I enjoyed and loved all the actors/actresses because they played their part REALLY well. Even the actor who played Meng Yao, although he was irritating, I have to admit his acting was superb!
I love the that the drama display loyalty between the Weiying and Lan Zhan. Also include Wen ning and Jiang Yanli's love, dedication and loyalty for Weiying despite everyone else was against him. Despite whether or not he's wrong, they show us that you have to understand someone before you decide which side you want to be on.
Some of the sword choreography was lackluster, the editors focused too much how good it looks rather than letting us see more of the sword fights. Sometimes I was disappointed in that aspect, however I wouldn't dock points off of that.
The overall cinematography was wonderful as well as the scenery they filmed in were beautiful.

Definitely my no.1 pick for 2019. :)

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