3
21
1
Blizzardahm
USA, but dreaming of Sichuan
This review may contain spoilers
"Remember, your fate hangs on the tip of your blade." ~Zhou Fei
Legend of Fei is not only a Wuxia drama, but it has several cute love stories, an intriguing mystery, and a lesson that all of us should learn from. This drama is based on a popular Chinese novel with the same name by Priest, which I have not read before. (Translated version is only available as machine translation) Two large downsides to this drama were the the terrible editing skills, and unrealistic backdrop that was very obvious from time to time, but the lovable characters and fascinating storyline eventually overshadowed these disappointments. It is quite understandable that many would be unwilling to "wait" more than 20 episodes or so to finally get into the drama, and this is a barrier that everyone should be aware of before attempting the drama. With strong martial arts skills and intelligent thinking, Zhou Fei teaches us that we can achieve our dreams, but achievements are only the result of endless and persistent hard work. With many setting high expectations for a drama with their favorite actors or actresses, this rather low rating isn't very surprising, but I really enjoyed it.
Honestly, I don't even know if this contains spoilers. If it does, please message me about it.
Story-8.0
With the usual pugilistic world (Jianghu), there are admirable heroes who help others, but there are also people greedy for wealth and power. Zhou Fei is born into Forty-Eight Fortress, a sect founded by her grandfather (Li Zheng) known for its good deeds and efforts toward eliminating evil. Growing up, Zhou Fei had always been taught by her parents to only do good, to work hard. Her mother seems overly strict to her, but loves her more than anything in the inside. Zhou Fei longs to please her mother, and to achieve this goal, she plans on becoming a famous heroine. After a series of events, Zhou Fei meets Xie Yun, who appears carefree, and quite annoying. Zhou Fei leaves Fourty-Eight Fortress for the first time, and along with Xie Yun, her two cousins (Li Sheng and Li Yan) and some newly made friends, they start to uncover the reasons for the deaths of her grandfather and many other martial artists. The moves for the martial arts were choreographed fairly well, and it was clear that each actor and actress had put in a lot of effort to perfect their moves. I also really liked the costumes; Although they were simple, they fit perfectly for every character, and the light-weight clothing worked reasonably well to portray everyone's personalities. Each story behind the famous heroes are very motivating, and we learn lessons along with A'Fei. The story starts rather slowly and quite boring (and a few episodes could have been cut), but to make fire, wood is needed, and I promise, as the story progresses, it becomes more and more intriguing. There is no clear plot until episode 20-something, which disappointed many viewers. The story revolves around the idea that evil may seem to win, but oh no, it doesn't. Only with a kind heart can you rule the world.
A very important aspect of this drama is the mystery incorporated into it. An item said to be able to assist one into ruling the world was coveted by countless people, and this didn't exclude the evilest of the evil. In the later episodes of LoF, the main plot is revealed, and things do not cease to captivate.
Acting/Cast-8.5
Legend of Fei has some of the most lovable characters in the history of Wuxia characters, as well as some of the evilest. There were some with some annoying attributes, such as the Third Prince, who I still don't know why he was included in the story. We have quite a few comedic duos that give us quite a show, and each and every character has their own story, no matter if their journey throughout their life was tragic, hopeful, or just mediocre. Here are my descriptions of a few of the most influential protagonists and antagonists:
ZHOU FEI and XIE YUN- A strong-willed young girl, Zhou Fei had wild ambitions, but luckily, her ambitions were to do good for the world. (and impress her mother) She and Xie Yun start on a rather bad note, but friendship quickly links them. She discovers that the world outside of her home is not all that cheerful and fun, but rather dark and scary. A hatred towards the Demons starts to grow inside her after she learns of their countless evil deeds, and she manages to kill many of their leaders through the guidance of many martial art heroes and heroines she meets on her journey. The persistence in Zhao Liying's eyes are present throughout this drama, and her acting never fails to disappoint. (I am not a die-hard ZLY fan) Our female lead matures from a girl ambitious to be the best to a young woman who is admired by the many people she had helped. (may contain spoilers:)With a complicated past, Xie Yun is not your typical male lead. He and Zhou Fei first meet when Xie Yun "steals her father". Underneath his cheerful personality hides an unforgiving identity, which Zhou Fei and everyone else learns later in the drama. This identity isn't very surprising, but is crucial to the story. He is very agile, and always manages to escape the Demons without even exerting too much energy. As talkative as he is, he is also very intelligent, although he doesn't always show this aspect of his personality. In front of Zhou Fei, he is funny but also caring. Although Wang Yibo could be considered a rookie actor, he managed to pull off the complex personality of Xie Yun, which is quite impressive.
Wang Yibo and Zhao Liying do not have that fire chemistry, but their pairing was more than acceptable. It may be disturbing to some that ZLY is 10 years old than WYB, but their interactions in the drama made me forget about this irrelevant detail. Xie Yun and Zhou Fei are our troublemakers, they are really two peas in a pod. They only want the best for each other, and will go to the ends of the earth to save each other.
LI SHENG and WU CHUCHU- Another cute couple, Li Sheng and Chuchu are very adorable as well. Li Sheng never manages to beat Zhou Fei in martial arts, and was rather jealous of her. Later, though, he discovers that he doesn't always need to be #1, because as long as he can use his strong skills to help, he is satisfied. Even though he doesn't have the strongest martial arts skills, his leadership and intelligent are two of his main strengths. I found him particularly annoying in the beginning (because he was rude to A'Fei), but his smart and caring personality eventually stole me heart. His love interest, Wu Chuchu, was born with a silver spoon, but her parents are both killed mercilessly and she spends a large portion of her time with Zhou Fei and Li Sheng on the run. Some of her early actions were very frustrating, because she was doing some really dumb things, but her determination to avenge her parents led her to even start to learn some basic martial arts skills.
LI YAN, YANG JIN and YING HECONG- Oh boy, our three troublemakers. They are quite the trio! These three never fail to make me laugh, especially Yang Jin. His motion of rubbing his head is his most famous movement, and makes him appear dumb and useless, but he has some strong martial arts skills. The actor who portrayed him did a great job in showing his funny but strong personality. His love interest, Li Yan, could be said to be even dumber than Chuchu. I love her as well, but some of the things she did were very unexplainable, and led to all sorts of trouble. She wasn't a very crucial character here, but she did manage to add some comedic elements to the show. Last but not least, Ying Hecong, aka The Poisoner. I didn't really understand his presence until I realized that he was very knowledgeable in poison, and he eventually was a very helpful friend to A'Fei and everyone else, and like the others, after undergoing a tragedy or two, he musters up the courage to stand up for what is right. I loved this trio, they are hilarious.
HEROES/HEROINES- Without the wise and famous heroes and heroines, Zhou Fei couldn't have achieved what she did. Each and every martial artist gave her priceless life lessons, as well as had some of the most beautiful stories. Although most did not have much screen time, they each played a crucial role in fighting the Demons, and passed on their skills to Zhou Fei. Li Zheng and Duan Jiuniang had an unforgivable love story, while Ji Yuncheng was an honest man who couldn't forgive himself for a certain event. Madame Ni Chang was a great woman, and saved Zhou Fei and the others quite a few times. Unlike the Demons, these wise men and women were even willing to give up their life to keep the world at peace, and they probably could have a drama just about themselves!
DEMONS- Demons are demons, evil and merciless. They do not even know what the treasure is, but spent years trying to uncover it. Without these terrible characters, the drama could not have progressed, and the actors/actresses did quite phenomenally as the evil roles they portrayed. I wish that some of them got a closure where they learned the valuable life lesson, but even if none did, their satisfactory ending was enough. Each of the demon leaders had their own detestable personality, and not all of them wanted the treasure.
Music-8.0
The music in this drama wasn't very memorable, but it was far from bad. The OST could have been more delightful with a few more songs, and it was kind of a surprise that Zhao Liying didn't sing any of them. Wang Yibo did, and the tune and lyrics fit quite nicely. As for the background/instrumental music, they were very common in fighting scenes and calming scenes, and were also a snug fit. With the mysterious but upbeat music, the audience could predict that Zhou Fei would win the battle, or that some despicable Demon was about to be defeated. In Forty-Eight Fortress or with our Yunfei couple, the soft music showed us the beauty of peace.
Rewatch Value- 8.0
If I had to rewatch this drama, I would most likely skip the first 10-20 episodes, and go straight to when I started to actually make strong connections with the characters. I did enjoy the second half of the story, and did not skip a single part of it.
Overall-8.5
The start of the drama was a little disappointing and underwhelming but the ending was not, as well as the story as it progressed. Some interactions between the characters were hilarious, while others were tense and dark. We are given three cute couples as we followed the main characters' journey to eliminate evil and help the poor civilians. No matter what happened, Zhou Fei did not give up, and her persistence was the key to defeating the Demons. She and Xie Yun have a very valuable relationship, growing from an unfriendly encounter to unbreakable love. And without the amazing acting of every actor, this drama wouldn't have been able to portray the most important life lesson, which I'll leave for you to discover.
Honestly, I don't even know if this contains spoilers. If it does, please message me about it.
Story-8.0
With the usual pugilistic world (Jianghu), there are admirable heroes who help others, but there are also people greedy for wealth and power. Zhou Fei is born into Forty-Eight Fortress, a sect founded by her grandfather (Li Zheng) known for its good deeds and efforts toward eliminating evil. Growing up, Zhou Fei had always been taught by her parents to only do good, to work hard. Her mother seems overly strict to her, but loves her more than anything in the inside. Zhou Fei longs to please her mother, and to achieve this goal, she plans on becoming a famous heroine. After a series of events, Zhou Fei meets Xie Yun, who appears carefree, and quite annoying. Zhou Fei leaves Fourty-Eight Fortress for the first time, and along with Xie Yun, her two cousins (Li Sheng and Li Yan) and some newly made friends, they start to uncover the reasons for the deaths of her grandfather and many other martial artists. The moves for the martial arts were choreographed fairly well, and it was clear that each actor and actress had put in a lot of effort to perfect their moves. I also really liked the costumes; Although they were simple, they fit perfectly for every character, and the light-weight clothing worked reasonably well to portray everyone's personalities. Each story behind the famous heroes are very motivating, and we learn lessons along with A'Fei. The story starts rather slowly and quite boring (and a few episodes could have been cut), but to make fire, wood is needed, and I promise, as the story progresses, it becomes more and more intriguing. There is no clear plot until episode 20-something, which disappointed many viewers. The story revolves around the idea that evil may seem to win, but oh no, it doesn't. Only with a kind heart can you rule the world.
A very important aspect of this drama is the mystery incorporated into it. An item said to be able to assist one into ruling the world was coveted by countless people, and this didn't exclude the evilest of the evil. In the later episodes of LoF, the main plot is revealed, and things do not cease to captivate.
Acting/Cast-8.5
Legend of Fei has some of the most lovable characters in the history of Wuxia characters, as well as some of the evilest. There were some with some annoying attributes, such as the Third Prince, who I still don't know why he was included in the story. We have quite a few comedic duos that give us quite a show, and each and every character has their own story, no matter if their journey throughout their life was tragic, hopeful, or just mediocre. Here are my descriptions of a few of the most influential protagonists and antagonists:
ZHOU FEI and XIE YUN- A strong-willed young girl, Zhou Fei had wild ambitions, but luckily, her ambitions were to do good for the world. (and impress her mother) She and Xie Yun start on a rather bad note, but friendship quickly links them. She discovers that the world outside of her home is not all that cheerful and fun, but rather dark and scary. A hatred towards the Demons starts to grow inside her after she learns of their countless evil deeds, and she manages to kill many of their leaders through the guidance of many martial art heroes and heroines she meets on her journey. The persistence in Zhao Liying's eyes are present throughout this drama, and her acting never fails to disappoint. (I am not a die-hard ZLY fan) Our female lead matures from a girl ambitious to be the best to a young woman who is admired by the many people she had helped. (may contain spoilers:)With a complicated past, Xie Yun is not your typical male lead. He and Zhou Fei first meet when Xie Yun "steals her father". Underneath his cheerful personality hides an unforgiving identity, which Zhou Fei and everyone else learns later in the drama. This identity isn't very surprising, but is crucial to the story. He is very agile, and always manages to escape the Demons without even exerting too much energy. As talkative as he is, he is also very intelligent, although he doesn't always show this aspect of his personality. In front of Zhou Fei, he is funny but also caring. Although Wang Yibo could be considered a rookie actor, he managed to pull off the complex personality of Xie Yun, which is quite impressive.
Wang Yibo and Zhao Liying do not have that fire chemistry, but their pairing was more than acceptable. It may be disturbing to some that ZLY is 10 years old than WYB, but their interactions in the drama made me forget about this irrelevant detail. Xie Yun and Zhou Fei are our troublemakers, they are really two peas in a pod. They only want the best for each other, and will go to the ends of the earth to save each other.
LI SHENG and WU CHUCHU- Another cute couple, Li Sheng and Chuchu are very adorable as well. Li Sheng never manages to beat Zhou Fei in martial arts, and was rather jealous of her. Later, though, he discovers that he doesn't always need to be #1, because as long as he can use his strong skills to help, he is satisfied. Even though he doesn't have the strongest martial arts skills, his leadership and intelligent are two of his main strengths. I found him particularly annoying in the beginning (because he was rude to A'Fei), but his smart and caring personality eventually stole me heart. His love interest, Wu Chuchu, was born with a silver spoon, but her parents are both killed mercilessly and she spends a large portion of her time with Zhou Fei and Li Sheng on the run. Some of her early actions were very frustrating, because she was doing some really dumb things, but her determination to avenge her parents led her to even start to learn some basic martial arts skills.
LI YAN, YANG JIN and YING HECONG- Oh boy, our three troublemakers. They are quite the trio! These three never fail to make me laugh, especially Yang Jin. His motion of rubbing his head is his most famous movement, and makes him appear dumb and useless, but he has some strong martial arts skills. The actor who portrayed him did a great job in showing his funny but strong personality. His love interest, Li Yan, could be said to be even dumber than Chuchu. I love her as well, but some of the things she did were very unexplainable, and led to all sorts of trouble. She wasn't a very crucial character here, but she did manage to add some comedic elements to the show. Last but not least, Ying Hecong, aka The Poisoner. I didn't really understand his presence until I realized that he was very knowledgeable in poison, and he eventually was a very helpful friend to A'Fei and everyone else, and like the others, after undergoing a tragedy or two, he musters up the courage to stand up for what is right. I loved this trio, they are hilarious.
HEROES/HEROINES- Without the wise and famous heroes and heroines, Zhou Fei couldn't have achieved what she did. Each and every martial artist gave her priceless life lessons, as well as had some of the most beautiful stories. Although most did not have much screen time, they each played a crucial role in fighting the Demons, and passed on their skills to Zhou Fei. Li Zheng and Duan Jiuniang had an unforgivable love story, while Ji Yuncheng was an honest man who couldn't forgive himself for a certain event. Madame Ni Chang was a great woman, and saved Zhou Fei and the others quite a few times. Unlike the Demons, these wise men and women were even willing to give up their life to keep the world at peace, and they probably could have a drama just about themselves!
DEMONS- Demons are demons, evil and merciless. They do not even know what the treasure is, but spent years trying to uncover it. Without these terrible characters, the drama could not have progressed, and the actors/actresses did quite phenomenally as the evil roles they portrayed. I wish that some of them got a closure where they learned the valuable life lesson, but even if none did, their satisfactory ending was enough. Each of the demon leaders had their own detestable personality, and not all of them wanted the treasure.
Music-8.0
The music in this drama wasn't very memorable, but it was far from bad. The OST could have been more delightful with a few more songs, and it was kind of a surprise that Zhao Liying didn't sing any of them. Wang Yibo did, and the tune and lyrics fit quite nicely. As for the background/instrumental music, they were very common in fighting scenes and calming scenes, and were also a snug fit. With the mysterious but upbeat music, the audience could predict that Zhou Fei would win the battle, or that some despicable Demon was about to be defeated. In Forty-Eight Fortress or with our Yunfei couple, the soft music showed us the beauty of peace.
Rewatch Value- 8.0
If I had to rewatch this drama, I would most likely skip the first 10-20 episodes, and go straight to when I started to actually make strong connections with the characters. I did enjoy the second half of the story, and did not skip a single part of it.
Overall-8.5
The start of the drama was a little disappointing and underwhelming but the ending was not, as well as the story as it progressed. Some interactions between the characters were hilarious, while others were tense and dark. We are given three cute couples as we followed the main characters' journey to eliminate evil and help the poor civilians. No matter what happened, Zhou Fei did not give up, and her persistence was the key to defeating the Demons. She and Xie Yun have a very valuable relationship, growing from an unfriendly encounter to unbreakable love. And without the amazing acting of every actor, this drama wouldn't have been able to portray the most important life lesson, which I'll leave for you to discover.
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