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walkwithheroesI finally finished this wuxia drama last night, and I have to say that I did enjoy it. However, I think it was unbelievably slow at times and there were a lot of storylines that either bored me or that I felt were unneeded. I'm speaking about the overall show here, but I have to say that it seemed (to me) that a lot of things started happening in the final two discs that were a bit, well, not to my liking - Chu Cheng's stuff mostly. Of course, this is just my opinion and I've read plenty of reviews that list this show as a favorite.
In all honestly (and I'm sure many fans of the show will disagree) a lot of my frustration with the story came from the characters themselves. There was a lot of moments were I just wanted to shake or slap a character for being so stupid or cruel.
MAJOR Spoilers for the WHOLE SERIES follow!
I'll start with some character thoughts:
Hong Fu Nu/Chu Cheng - Good lord, woman! Did she have some issues or did she have some issues? I felt horrible for her due to her past, but I have to say I was rather indifferent toward her for most of the series. I think a lot of my feelings for her come from the fact that, as I've said before, nearly every male character was in love with her at some point. So much so, that some were willing to lie to her about her past (while she had lost her memories)in order to gain her love. That was actually rather creepy. I know that the main hero in wuxia (in this case I do consider Chu Che the main hero of this story)always have several people in love with them, and it is always something I find annoying.
Still, I have to say that as the series progressed, I really did enjoy her scenes with Li Jing. After a while I really did start to feel for their romance. I enjoyed the way he made her more human and she made him more brave and mature. Also, girl could kick major ass at the start of the series. Which is why I got so sad that the more the series went on, the more Chu Cheng became a heroine in distress.
Li Jing - His character development throughout the series did feel rushed at times, but then, again, it is wuxia. I liked his devotion not only toward Chu Cheng, but also toward wanting his country to be a better place. As I said above, this story really was the story of Li Jing becoming a man. Chu Cheng had the story of becoming human. I would say that I did enjoy the Li Jing character as a whole (especially in disc 5), even if he was this close to getting a shake at times for being blindsided by the smaller things and not seeing the larger picture.
I also have to admit to getting annoyed with him when he took so long to go into action, at times, and yet was willing to dive in head first at others. Because, the times when he was willing to dive in where often the times when he should have thought things through.
Zhang Lie - I will be blunt and just say it: at times I felt like his feelings for Chu Cheng ate his character. He was very cool in the first half, and I have a load of respect for the character, however there were times where I felt like his feelings for Chu Cheng clouded his judgment. Didn't Chu Cheng cloud the judgment of many men throughout the series? Still, his character was entertaining and what I would call a true "tragic wuxia hero"
Du Gu Cheng - His obsessive love for Chu Cheng was creepy. Especially toward the end of the series. She had no memories and he told her they were lovers! Sick, sick, SICK. They basically held a wedding ceremony - while she had no memories. I'm sorry, I just couldn't get over that. All my other thoughts for him went out the window when he lied to Chu Cheng like that. Then, he died. What, did he expect her to do after that? Despite him coming clean about a few things (sort of) she still had no real memories.
Shi Min - I don't think I'm more conflicted about any character. He easily was the most complex in terms of his actions and emotions. He's a devoted King and brother, who would do anything for his sister and people. Shi Min is someone that you want on your side in times of crisis or war. But, I have to say that he was, at times, a bastard in the romance department. Some of the things he did and said while Chu Cheng had no memories of Li Bing were down right cunning and cruel.
I will freely admit that I wanted to punch him several times during disc six - like when he didn't, at least kick, his douche of an older brother for sending those men to kill him; those men who ended up killing Ping Yang. I understand why he didn't do it, of course. I was just really upset about the death and kind of frowned in disapproval when he stopped everything because his older brother said they had Chu Cheng, before saying anything about changing the paper of who would be the next in line for the throne.
Ping Yang - She was one of my favorite characters, if not my favorite.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
meganbmoore stated in a review that Ping Yang could win an award for all her angst. She has the worst things possible happen to her in just a short amount of time, really. Ping Yang had the angst, yes, and while she let that get her down for a while, nothing really kept her down for long. She was always loyal, sweet, caring, and beyond awesome in many ways.
I stated earlier that I wanted Ping Yang to get together with Chen Yao Jin, due to their bickering. And, they were a lovely and adorkable secondary OTP. They did have their own bit of angst: him feeling unworthy of her and she feeling unclean because of her rape. When they finally came together as a couple, I was very happy. I also knew it wouldn't last - this was a wuxia and they weren't the main couple.
Ping Yang's death made me teary eyed, especially when Yao Jin kept talking to her and asking her to wake up. A very heartbreaking scene.
Chen Yao Jin - Like Li Jing, this was a story about Yao Jin growing up. He was a loyal and comedic guy at the start, but as the series went on he matured, finding his place and himself in the process. I adored the friendships between Yao Jin and the others (mostly Li Jing and Zhang Lie. He started out as a bandit with no real direction and ended as a general.
I also have to repeat what I typed just a moment ago: I adored his sweet interactions with Ping Yang. It was so lovely to see that, even though she had been raped and had lost some respect for herself, he never lost respect for her. He didn't "see" the rape the way she and even her brother did. Yes, he wanted revenge for her - both after the rape and her death- but, he didn't try to ignore what had happened to her nor did he treat her like a fragile woman.
I also have to say that his visiting her grave after two years and promising to come back every month broke my heart. (Side note: in the ending theme there is a scene of Ping Yang sitting next to Yao Jin, he is dressed like he is in the 'two years later' bit and she is dressed in her more 'princess' outfit from the last five episodes. It looks like they are leaning against Ping Yang's grave, but it wasn't in the episode. Did I miss a scene somewhere? I did watch disc six very late one evening.) As did his begging her to wake up after she had died.
Xuan Gan (thanks dramawiki for having the name)/Yang Su/Evil Blue Dress Senior (What was her name?)/Yellow Dress Assassin (I forget her name: Oh, these people had the worst luck - ever. Xuan Gan's own father turns him into a War Slave. Yang Su's evil deeds come back to haunt him - he's killed, before he can die from what looked like a serious illness. EBDS goes crazy. YDL dies trying to protect Yang Su, because she's loyal like that. Let's be honest, they could all be seen as villains, but I was feeling sorry for them during disc five.
I will also freely admit to finding the very odd (and at times slightly disrupting)relationship between Xuan Gan and YDA totally and utterly fascinating after he went all War Slave. He basically had the intelligence of a puppy or a baby, but he was so calm with her. And, she treated him like a mother or devoted lover. I feel a bit dirty for enjoying their scenes.
When she died, and he carried her away to the middle of nowhere, before laying next to her. I was touched. I felt really awful for the both of them, because they just had horrible fates. Poor kids. I suppose he'll just die there with her from starvation.
Oh, Shi Min and Ping Yang's brothers were complete and utter asshats. I have never wanted characters to die more. I spent most of the series wanting to punch them in their faces. They just didn't care about anyone or anything but themselves. They let their younger sister be raped, for God's sake!
Finally, I just want to say that while this series had its issues, overall it was a fun watch. The action scenes were fun, the character moments were often meaningful and memorable, and the overall feel of the show was a good one. I would say that while this isn't a top ten (or even a top twenty) favorite, it is a show that I could see myself revisiting in the future. It's a good 'starter' wuxia, and as I've only seen a few wuxia series, this was one that I enjoyed.
In all honestly (and I'm sure many fans of the show will disagree) a lot of my frustration with the story came from the characters themselves. There was a lot of moments were I just wanted to shake or slap a character for being so stupid or cruel.
MAJOR Spoilers for the WHOLE SERIES follow!
I'll start with some character thoughts:
Hong Fu Nu/Chu Cheng - Good lord, woman! Did she have some issues or did she have some issues? I felt horrible for her due to her past, but I have to say I was rather indifferent toward her for most of the series. I think a lot of my feelings for her come from the fact that, as I've said before, nearly every male character was in love with her at some point. So much so, that some were willing to lie to her about her past (while she had lost her memories)in order to gain her love. That was actually rather creepy. I know that the main hero in wuxia (in this case I do consider Chu Che the main hero of this story)always have several people in love with them, and it is always something I find annoying.
Still, I have to say that as the series progressed, I really did enjoy her scenes with Li Jing. After a while I really did start to feel for their romance. I enjoyed the way he made her more human and she made him more brave and mature. Also, girl could kick major ass at the start of the series. Which is why I got so sad that the more the series went on, the more Chu Cheng became a heroine in distress.
Li Jing - His character development throughout the series did feel rushed at times, but then, again, it is wuxia. I liked his devotion not only toward Chu Cheng, but also toward wanting his country to be a better place. As I said above, this story really was the story of Li Jing becoming a man. Chu Cheng had the story of becoming human. I would say that I did enjoy the Li Jing character as a whole (especially in disc 5), even if he was this close to getting a shake at times for being blindsided by the smaller things and not seeing the larger picture.
I also have to admit to getting annoyed with him when he took so long to go into action, at times, and yet was willing to dive in head first at others. Because, the times when he was willing to dive in where often the times when he should have thought things through.
Zhang Lie - I will be blunt and just say it: at times I felt like his feelings for Chu Cheng ate his character. He was very cool in the first half, and I have a load of respect for the character, however there were times where I felt like his feelings for Chu Cheng clouded his judgment. Didn't Chu Cheng cloud the judgment of many men throughout the series? Still, his character was entertaining and what I would call a true "tragic wuxia hero"
Du Gu Cheng - His obsessive love for Chu Cheng was creepy. Especially toward the end of the series. She had no memories and he told her they were lovers! Sick, sick, SICK. They basically held a wedding ceremony - while she had no memories. I'm sorry, I just couldn't get over that. All my other thoughts for him went out the window when he lied to Chu Cheng like that. Then, he died. What, did he expect her to do after that? Despite him coming clean about a few things (sort of) she still had no real memories.
Shi Min - I don't think I'm more conflicted about any character. He easily was the most complex in terms of his actions and emotions. He's a devoted King and brother, who would do anything for his sister and people. Shi Min is someone that you want on your side in times of crisis or war. But, I have to say that he was, at times, a bastard in the romance department. Some of the things he did and said while Chu Cheng had no memories of Li Bing were down right cunning and cruel.
I will freely admit that I wanted to punch him several times during disc six - like when he didn't, at least kick, his douche of an older brother for sending those men to kill him; those men who ended up killing Ping Yang. I understand why he didn't do it, of course. I was just really upset about the death and kind of frowned in disapproval when he stopped everything because his older brother said they had Chu Cheng, before saying anything about changing the paper of who would be the next in line for the throne.
Ping Yang - She was one of my favorite characters, if not my favorite.
meganbmoore stated in a review that Ping Yang could win an award for all her angst. She has the worst things possible happen to her in just a short amount of time, really. Ping Yang had the angst, yes, and while she let that get her down for a while, nothing really kept her down for long. She was always loyal, sweet, caring, and beyond awesome in many ways. I stated earlier that I wanted Ping Yang to get together with Chen Yao Jin, due to their bickering. And, they were a lovely and adorkable secondary OTP. They did have their own bit of angst: him feeling unworthy of her and she feeling unclean because of her rape. When they finally came together as a couple, I was very happy. I also knew it wouldn't last - this was a wuxia and they weren't the main couple.
Ping Yang's death made me teary eyed, especially when Yao Jin kept talking to her and asking her to wake up. A very heartbreaking scene.
Chen Yao Jin - Like Li Jing, this was a story about Yao Jin growing up. He was a loyal and comedic guy at the start, but as the series went on he matured, finding his place and himself in the process. I adored the friendships between Yao Jin and the others (mostly Li Jing and Zhang Lie. He started out as a bandit with no real direction and ended as a general.
I also have to repeat what I typed just a moment ago: I adored his sweet interactions with Ping Yang. It was so lovely to see that, even though she had been raped and had lost some respect for herself, he never lost respect for her. He didn't "see" the rape the way she and even her brother did. Yes, he wanted revenge for her - both after the rape and her death- but, he didn't try to ignore what had happened to her nor did he treat her like a fragile woman.
I also have to say that his visiting her grave after two years and promising to come back every month broke my heart. (Side note: in the ending theme there is a scene of Ping Yang sitting next to Yao Jin, he is dressed like he is in the 'two years later' bit and she is dressed in her more 'princess' outfit from the last five episodes. It looks like they are leaning against Ping Yang's grave, but it wasn't in the episode. Did I miss a scene somewhere? I did watch disc six very late one evening.) As did his begging her to wake up after she had died.
Xuan Gan (thanks dramawiki for having the name)/Yang Su/Evil Blue Dress Senior (What was her name?)/Yellow Dress Assassin (I forget her name: Oh, these people had the worst luck - ever. Xuan Gan's own father turns him into a War Slave. Yang Su's evil deeds come back to haunt him - he's killed, before he can die from what looked like a serious illness. EBDS goes crazy. YDL dies trying to protect Yang Su, because she's loyal like that. Let's be honest, they could all be seen as villains, but I was feeling sorry for them during disc five.
I will also freely admit to finding the very odd (and at times slightly disrupting)relationship between Xuan Gan and YDA totally and utterly fascinating after he went all War Slave. He basically had the intelligence of a puppy or a baby, but he was so calm with her. And, she treated him like a mother or devoted lover. I feel a bit dirty for enjoying their scenes.
When she died, and he carried her away to the middle of nowhere, before laying next to her. I was touched. I felt really awful for the both of them, because they just had horrible fates. Poor kids. I suppose he'll just die there with her from starvation.
Oh, Shi Min and Ping Yang's brothers were complete and utter asshats. I have never wanted characters to die more. I spent most of the series wanting to punch them in their faces. They just didn't care about anyone or anything but themselves. They let their younger sister be raped, for God's sake!
Finally, I just want to say that while this series had its issues, overall it was a fun watch. The action scenes were fun, the character moments were often meaningful and memorable, and the overall feel of the show was a good one. I would say that while this isn't a top ten (or even a top twenty) favorite, it is a show that I could see myself revisiting in the future. It's a good 'starter' wuxia, and as I've only seen a few wuxia series, this was one that I enjoyed.
