Let me start by saying that this drama starts with such an exciting, interesting premise, but for some reason, halfway through, the story becomes an incoherent mess driven by characters that engage in nonsensical behaviors.

Overall, Wolf kept me very entertained (hence the generous rating), BUT my biggest criticism is that it romanticizes abuse to the point it becomes absolutely nauseating. As a female viewer, I kept wondering if the writers really, really hated women, because the amount of physical, sexual, and mental violence inflicted on the female lead by the “hero” of the drama is beyond anything I’ve seen in any Chinese dramas with toxic leads. It's quite puzzling that the censors didn't take issue with scenes showing attempted rape (in some disturbing detail, may I add).

And what’s even more ridiculous is that this drama tries to persuade viewers that all of these violent actions benefit the female lead, who is a helpless and mindless character in constant need of protection. After all is said and done, her character changes very little. There is zero (zilch!) character development: she forgets and forgives all the abuse she’s been put through by the male lead, all in the name of true love.

The cast is fantastic though, especially Li Qin and Xiao Zhan, who stole every scene they were in. While Darren Wang excelled in the action / battlefield scenes, bringing a certain toughness to the character that was very much needed, I found his overall acting to be quite lackluster. Besides scowling (A LOT!) and grunting in pain, his performance lacked emotional complexity and nuance.

The only category in which this drama gets A+ is the OST! Absolutely amazing!