Dysfunctional doesn't even begin to describe this story. Almost every plot thread stemmed from some sort of dysfunction. And *everyone* was in love with someone who was in love with someone else. Personally, I found it both ridiculous and interesting, but it worked, in a weird way. This is not the type of romance where you know they're going to get together and live happily ever after once they overcome a few trials. There was some serious tragedy and angst in here.

What I liked about it:

1. It's wuxia. Lots of long hair, pretty headpieces (some really freaking weird ones too), beautiful, draping clothes, stunning sets, intense martial arts, etc.
2. The male lead really did a phenomenal job in his role. That was a hard role to play and he did outstanding.
3. It was unexpected and twisted. Things didn't go the way I thought they would.

What I didn't like about it:

1. Pretty much every female character, most especially the female lead.
2. While there were moments that were romantic, overall, it wasn't terribly romantic.
3. There was *a lot* of talking and a lot of scenes repeated over and over.

STORY: There is a *huge* cast and I got really lost at first trying to learn who everyone was. There were some scenes at the beginning that didn't come into play until near the end and then they flashed back to them. I feel they should have just flashed back rather than confuse me at the beginning. I remember feeling like I'd watched twenty episodes and I'd only watched six. There's just *so* much information upfront. This isn't one you can tune out for even a minute. You'll miss something. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and was heavily invested in its outcome. It wasn't terribly complex in and of itself and was led by some typical themes but when wrapped in each of the many characters' viewpoints and moral codes, it got much more intricate and thought-provoking. It explores a theme that China went through in its own history - how do you achieve peace, through pacifism or through war?

ROMANCE: This was the slowest of burns. Other reviewers have said that the main couple had no chemistry and they're right, but I don't feel that's the fault of the actors. I think the characters were written that way. Yi Qing was very clear how he felt and I loved that. He was not shy or hesitant in acting on his feelings. Jing was the problem and that was part of her character. Every relationship in this story was highly dysfunctional in some way, including the main couple's and that affected how their romance developed.

CHARACTERS: By far, the most incredible character in this story was Yi Qing. I almost wish the story had been about him without the clutter of the effed up romance. He was a brilliantly written character who I came to love deeply. Granted, I never did get his love for Jing but I'm not sure we were supposed to. It didn't seem any of the other characters understood it either. Other reviewers have said he was expressionless and I disagree. He was very reserved and there's a reason for that, but he did have expressions and they were intense once you got to know him. Jing ... I hated her. From start to finish, I hated her. That said, she did have a deep character arc and strong growth (almost too much, honestly), but it didn't make me like her. She just wasn't likable. In her case, I can't tell if she was written that way purposefully or if she was just poorly written. Either way, I thoroughly despised her. Nan, I adored him. I was actually shipping him and Yi Qing, personally. He was an awesome support character with so much expression and loyalty. I absolutely adored him. I also really loved Huang Quan, Ren, and Lei Chu Yun. Xiao Tai ... hate hate hate. Qing Ming, also hate.

Overall, I enjoyed it and it was worth the watch. It was an emotional roller coaster ride with a lot of tragedy, angst, insane jealousy, revenge, loyalty, betrayal, and dysfunctional love.