Legend of Fei (2020)

Zhao Liying's Badass Return

Anticipation peaked as I awaited this series, primarily driven by the desire to witness the badass actress from 'Princess Agents' in action again. Needless to say, Zhao Liying did not disappoint – her performance was nothing short of amazing. Wang Yibo, despite having less experience compared to ZLY, held his own as a decent actor. I've heard praises for his series 'The Untamed,' though I haven't seen it yet, so I'll reserve my judgment on that.

Overall, the series lived up to expectations, but if I'm being honest, I found myself yearning for a more ruthless Zhao Liying. Maybe it's just my personal preference, but her fierceness adds a unique flavor that I can't get enough of. Here's to hoping for more of that in future projects!

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I really think this one is underrated

When it comes to lengthy historical Chinese dramas, it is a known fact that the drama will take 20 something episodes before the main plot kicks in. This was also one such drama. The first few episodes are a little difficult to get through but once you keep watching, I assure you it's got one of the most promising plots and characters.

Story:
It's a typical story about camaraderie and how everyone grows with every single experience/obstacle that they overcome. The character of Zhou Fei begins with an impulsive and immature character but it is wonderful to watch her become the best of herself throughout the drama. The character of Xie Yun is just absolutely charming and I could keep watching him forever. It's a female centric drama which focuses on a strong female lead and I'm totally a fan of such dramas. There's enough drama involved that there's no unnecessary drama between the main leads. Their romance is just very pure and the blind trust between them makes the drama worth watching. With the exception of some plot holes (like what happened to Chuchu's brother), the story is pretty decent and engaging.

Acting:
I've never been a fan of Zhao Liying. I always thought that she lacked the necessary emotions to pull off intense characters. But she surprised me in this one. As for Wang Yibo, he has always been one of my favourites ever since The Untamed and he was the main reason I got through the first few episodes. If you liked WYB as the cold and aloof Lan Wangji, this one is a must watch as he plays a completely opposite character. His smile is absolutely devastating. The rest of the cast also did a great job in making this drama worth a watch.

The one thing that I totally loved in this drama were some of WangYibo's dialogues! They were just so unique, hilarious and original. His character's flirtatious nature just makes the drama even more enjoyable.

Do not judge the drama based on the storyline mentioned here as it is much more than a story of bandits. I hope everyone likes it and enjoys it as much as I did. I'm off to read some fanfictions to get over this drama!

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You either love or hate it

I don't usually write reviews but it seems like a lot of people either loved or hated it, not much seen in between. I hope this review will be helpful to someone wondering if they should start it or not.

Story: The storyline itself is good. I thought it was quite solid. I just didn't like the execution of it that much. I could tell the actual story was interesting and it hooked me in quickly. I wish they had spent more time on Xie Yun's backstory instead of giving Li Yan and Yang Jin as much screentime as they did. Pei's backstory as well was rushed. There were a lot of unnecessary side characters imo. Aside from this, it was an interesting watch. I just skipped over a lot of extra stuff that gave nothing to the plot. I'm guessing the directors wanted it to be more comedic at times? But that kinda failed.. This drama should have only been 36 eps max.

Acting/Cast: I watched this for Yibo and this is his best role yet. I love all of his facial expressions. He's proven that he is such a versatile actor. Not only could he pull off the cold role in Untamed, but he also nailed this role too. He carried the drama for me! Liying is well-loved by many. I do like her costumes and makeup in this drama though. She looked very cute and young. I actually held this drama off for quite a while because I'm not really a fan of Liying but she was decent in this drama. Chuchu and Li Sheng were okay too. Nothing phenomenal to me.

Music: The OSTs are pretty good. I really like Yibo First Rays and Liu Yiuning's No Extravagance.

Rewatch: Don't think I would rewatch this. I skipped a lot. If I did, I would only watch clips/MVs made by others on youtube.

Overall: I get why it disappointed some, but I still think it's worth a one-time watch. Especially you are a Yibo fan, I highly recommend this drama. This drama also gave me TVB 80s series vibes so if you're into that, I recommend checking it out and giving this a chance.

I saw a lot of people complaining about how the scenery/props look fake. I honestly didn't notice... I have seen and watched worse than this. I don't think you should drop an entire drama due to just that.

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An interesting drama to watch

The legend of fei is an amazing and must-watch drama. The chemistry between the lead actors is spot on. Zhao liying pulled off her character as Zhou Fei and Wang Yibo definitely did a great job acting as Xie Yun.

The drama itself has a clear storyline. Although it doesn't have that much of an intense plot and conflicts like other wuxias, its still interesting and enjoying to watch. Moreover, even though its quite long, I didn't find it boring, especially due to Xie Yun's charming personality, and as well as the troublesome trio of Li Yan, Yang jin, and the poisoner. The soundtract was also great especially the 1. 逐浪 / Chasing the waves (Opening theme), 2. 无华 /Unadorne (Ending theme), and 3. 熹微 / Weak rays of sunlightby Wang Yibo.

I love how the characters developed as the show progresseed. From Zhou fei who was just confined in the fort and a newbie to the martial world, became somewone who met and battled renowned martial artist, and Xie yun, a care-feee charming man that doesn't like to involve himself in business, actually has a dark past and now joins hand in hand with fei in upholding justice. And aslo how other supporting charaters like Li Sheng, Wu chu chu, and the trio grew, became wiser and braver as they face challenges and also find love.

Overall, the show had action, romance, and lessons, which highlighted the passion and bravery of the youth. It was great however kinda underwhelming at the same time. The plot wasn't really unique, it follows the general storyline of the leads setting out on a journey to uphold justice in the martial world and fall in love as they face challenges together. The vilains wasn't that inmitading and was easy to defeat. It was predictable that Zhou fei and the others would win in the end.

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Although this was an action cdrama revolving around jiang hu, there's also a mix of court affairs. In my opinion, I was really looking forward to zhao liying's role and wang yibo's role. Thinking zhao liying would have a notable role but I don't know why her role in this show was just eh. I fell in love with zhao liying's role in princess agent and I would love to see her act some more she is a very skilled actress. Nevertheless, Wang yibo's role was a little more eye-catching while contrasting his role in the untamed. The setting and music could bring up some work. Personally, I don't think it has a notable storyline but there's not really nothing much wrong.

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a promising series that could have been much more

overall, the series is quite decent and better than some other C-Drama series. but this series is not without its flaws.

the dialogues, characterization and portrayal of the main female lead, Zhou Fei, differ quite a bit from the traditional typecast main female hero, but it is really a welcome difference. from certain aspects, the character Zhou Fei feels real and endearing. the main male character, Xie Yun, is somewhat effeminate and not as endearing as the main female character in this series. within the context of this series, when comparing the two, i think Xie Yun is easily the more forgettable character compared to Zhou Fei.

this series offers quite a wide selection of characters that are endearing and unique, whether that be the male, female, or trans/gay characters. this series also offers an enjoyable amount of unique tragic characters which are relatable and believable in their own respective ways. i do feel that the character developments of certain characters like Duan Jiuniang could have been stronger/deeper. on the other hand, i feel like the actress who portray Li Jinrong could have acted better to make the character come alive stronger (for example, by having her shoulders straightened to the back to give that slightly imposing impression of a leader and one of the top martial artists).

some of the CGI are decent. the furniture, building architecture, and costumes are generally beautiful. a significant portion of the background noise/sound/music are fitting. the background sound/music are generally fitting. the dubbing can be off at times and somewhat noticeable and affect how one enjoys the different conversations as a whole.

there are portions or segments in the series with transitions that appear inconsistent and rough. i think this is either from poor editing, or rush editing, or lack of control/management in the editing process.

some of the more memorable segments involve the Ximo River which can really standout. in retrospect, the rescue scene of the villagers at the Big Medicine Village is a letdown, and could have been done much better.

below are some examples of major turnoffs in the series,
**spoilers**
the first major turnoff during the first 19 episodes. occurred after Old Lady Wang/Wong, Zhou Fei and Li Sheng left the 48 Fortress headquarter. the 15-16 episodes that progress after they leave the headquarter equate to maybe about 4-5 months time. there are numerous ways, opportunities, and plenty of time for either or both Zhou Fei and Li Sheng to report back to the headquarter. it wasn't until midway of episode 19 that we actually see Li Sheng attempt to send a report back to the headquarter. but ultimately, no report is sent from either Li Sheng or Zhou Fei. it shouldn't have taken so many episodes and so many events and plots to transpire before triggering the sending the message back to the headquarter.

the second turnoff occurs roughly between episode 25+ to 40. there seems to be higher frequency of non-smooth story/plot flows, giving the impression of rush editing works (maybe due to deadline constraint, budgeting constraint, or whatever). else, it could also be sloppy editing or sloppy storyboard flow management.

the third turnoff is the lack of closure on what happens to Wu Chuchu's younger brother, Wu Xiaodi. the character maybe only has a total of a few minutes of screen time, and then later is only mentioned in other characters' dialogues and/or flashback/s. it is not too clear what happens to Wu Xiaodi after the inn burns down, what transpires after the escaping the burning of the inn, how the character manage to survive after the ordeal, whether or not the character is reunited with his sister at the 48 Fortress headquarter, etc. it is understandable this is only a very small supporting character, but this character and Wu Chuchu are introduced quite early on to be almost as tragic characters. it would have been nice to have a tiny closure to Wu Xiaodi, even if it means having the character killed off.

the fourth major turnoff occurred in episode 47 and 48 during the rescue plot where the five young heroes attempt to rescue the captured prisoners in the Big Medicine Valley. some of the rescue scenes draw inspirations from other older films/series, meaning that those scenes are not original.

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Wang YiBo ❤️?❤️

I love this drama and story was awesomeeeeeeeeeeee and the all cast was superb specially my cute charming hero ❤️Wang YiBo❤️ he is superb excellent... I saw this drama 3 times bcuz of Wang YiBo... He is seriously mind blowing and i really like chinese traditional drama bcuz chinese culture outwear make up hairstyle all of awesome incredible...But i want to say if it's finished with Xie Yun & Zhou Fei marriage i wanted to see some more episodes but unfortunately it's finished with 51 episodes....😔 But this is my favourite one drama and also The untamed both dramas was awesomeeeeeeeeeeee and Wang YiBo ummmmm excellent incredible amazing ....It's my wish for Wang YiBo he will be always rise just like super duper star with lots of many new Dramas... Plzzz come back with new traditional dramas plzzz❤️😘❤️

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Legend of Fei - Review

Legend of Fei is a cool series with a lot of martial arts, which is satisfying to watch. They say ZLY looks old in this drama, but i think she looks fine. Wang Yibo's acting wasnt that good, so thats why the acting is a nine. I really like the scene when the leads kiss for the first time and they look soooo embarrased. I didnt like how the male lead was apparently sick for most of the series though. And I really wish they put a wedding scene in, cuz the leads get married, but we only see them a few years later. In fact, maybe the leads could have a baby - that would be a perfect happy ending! But overall, quite nice

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Amazing Story, Definitely worth watching/Rewatching for anyone

Really amazing CDRAMA, here's the Review:

Story: Based off a Novel & Wuxia so that alone is a good mix (generally), the flow of the story from start to finish was really well done I believe. The series is not too long, not too draggy, hits the spot of how it played out. The main story and side story marries up very well and there wasn't a moment of watching this series where I thought it was boring or misleading. The plot twists and suspense was done really well.

Acting: My first time seeing ML in any series and I must say he did an amazing job. FL I have seen many of her series prior to this one and I must say I like her acting in roles based off a traditional/classic rather than modern. In this series all actors/actresses did their roles amazingly, to me it all fell really well together and the chemistry between the ML/FL was definitely there. The side couples and villians did amazingly well too.

Music: Suited the series, I liked how they used the music to complement the scenes so this was good, main theme gets addictive hehe

Retwatch: Absolutely rewatchable, I think I have watched this series x 4 times in total and probs rewatched about 15-25 of certain episodes just for the highlights and crucial moments and have recommended lots of family and friends to give this series a try.

Overall: Great story, great value and definitely a great series to watch anytime.

Cheers,

Shing

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Strong female lead is love

Though i started this drama for Yibo and a the given strong female lead. I sticked to it because it is well made. I haven't read the novel but I heard it is not as good as the novel. However i loved this drama. Priest as novel writer rocks. I loved the execution of the story and how it explores the dynamics of every character. Also i loved the fact that Zhao li Ying is a veteran in industry and is playing a character opposite Yibo. There is only one annoying character Li Yan. Other than that i loved how it explores different stories of different characters. I loved Duan Jiu Niang, too bad she died early wanted to see her more. The fact that physical strength is not everything is shown in the way how the characters explore their strength during the show time. The character of ChuChu her development was phenomenal. I loved her character development. The chemistry between Yibo and Zhao li Ying is good. I loved how they go through thick and thin together and romance is not central to the story.

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Watch it don't miss this

I feel this is underrated. This is a saga of another strong female with a physically weak male, and i have seen stories like this becomes boring after sometime. This story was able to keep my interest till the end and i binged watched. Though the male is physically weak but mentally very strong. FL and ML are devoted to each other with unconditional love. They don't demand anything from each other. They had good chemistry on the screen and their presence radiated good relationship from very start. I really liked when logical Ah Fei thinks why do i believe whatever he says without any question? may be it is his handsome face, even before that she started trusting him and protecting him. Our ML never took offence to it or showed his ego getting hurt instead he will feel so proud and tickled. Love the series. All characters were pretty good and even the second leads have a cute story. Amazing marshal art scenes. The only this which annoyed me is Disha getting away all the time and not dying or getting killed. I found that bit ridiculous. Well written story, beautiful OST, great acting and actors, amazing cinematography. All in all a must watch.

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A nicely paced martial arts coming of age drama that kept my interest from start to sensible finish.

After 9 pages of reviews, I don't know why I feel the need to add my two cents except that I've watched a LOT of this genre and Legend of Fei was a such a pleasant surprise after the numerous disappointing storylines that have been served up lately. The plot was dished out one course at a time, not too rushed and not to draggy, with each resolution leading logically to the next mystery. There were no awful censor edits making it disjointed, the ending wasn't stupid or needlessly tragic, and it wasn't a cliffhanger (another fave of late).

Sure, the kids start off whiny and immature, but they grow over the course of their adventures (although Li Yan remains annoying to the end). The main romance grows organically, which takes time, but their mutual admiration and eventual interdependence portray a love that feels really deep and beautiful, even without a lot of skinship. And Wang Yibo's acting was really good. I enjoyed the playful character he created, but he had some nuanced fear and anguish that came off really well too. The secondary characters were more comic-booky, except for Li Sheng, but I liked spending time with them on their quests (except for Li Yan).

So if you're looking for an enjoyable, comfortably paced adventure and enjoy this genre, you should give it a try. Oh, and the music is very good too!

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