Quien Gobierna el Mundo (2022)

Average Wuxia with Big Budget and Big Name Leads

If I were to grade this, I would give it a B- to a B. There was quite a bit of hype surrounding this series and looks like big bucks was thrown at it. The set, cinematography, and hanfu costumes were pretty good and seems there was thought put into the details.

The story is ok, it has a some amount of political intrigue and scheming although not to the level of The Rise of the Phoenixes. The hero and heroine start off as competitors in the martial arts world. The hero and heroine are a bit too perfect: martial arts skills that are unparalleled, high morals, stunning good looks, and IQ levels that may beat Johanne Goethe and William Sidis. Are they even mortals? The ML seems to figure out how to get out of every sticky situation because of his supreme intelligence. The ML has been a big deal ever since Love O2O even though his acting wasn't great in it and I didn't watch the series past the 5th episode. His acting hasn't improved much in this, it was kind of stiff. The FL is one of the new "It" actresses so she seems to be in every big budget CDrama right now whether or not she fits the part. I personally like her role in this more than Love Like the Galaxy. Her character seems to be older, far more mature and there's less drama personality wise. The chemistry between the ML and FL wasn't great. Not sure if its how the story is originally written or if the actor and actress themselves weren't connecting in their roles.

Some of the wuxia martial arts scenes were decent and watchable although nothing remarkable. It was ok enough that I got through to 34th episode eventually putting it on hold, may resume it again one day to find out who ends up ruling the world.

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A game changer

WRTW was definitely a game changer for me in terms of cdramas. Here we have a strong, smart female lead that do not lack common sense.

Things I loved:
- The chemistry of the ML and FL was on fire! There’s no question that Zhao Lusi can have chemistry with anyone she’s paired with but put her together with someone as handsome as Yang Yang? It should be illegal.

- The OST.

- No misunderstandings. I appreciate this the most. I love how there was no dumb misunderstandings to work through and they’re is trust between the leads. This indeed was SO refreshing after watching many cdramas of female leads making really bad choices.

- No cringy baby voices for the female lead. Thank god for this because I can’t even.

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Beautiful Drama

It was a very good series. I watched with interest and interest from start to finish. I really like. I also matched the actors. I found them compatible. Activation scenes were also near perfect. Very nice battle scenes, a visual feast, also the double fight scenes were very good.
The good hiding of evil in the story, the mystery was very appropriate. Although we knew, but still, we finally said that we did not know. We questioned why. After all, our heroes came to the places they wanted. However, the scenes where they lost their parents and loved ones during their arrival were filled with sadness. There were emotional places where I couldn't hold back my tears. After all, it was beautiful. It was colorful. There was love. There was love. There was sadness. There was mystery. Ambition, intrigue, activation, war, fighting, whatever you call it, it was there. I'm sorry it's over. I recommend it to those who haven't watched it.

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This drama is truly epic!

I've been very impressed by this drama and the entire production is really top notch. Many times I was in awe by the sheer beauty of landscape, cinematography, the costumes, this ancient world I was able to fully immerse myself in and I had to pause often just to gawk at sheer awe my eyes were feasting on. As a wuxia drama, I have been very impressed by the fight scenes where many times I was giddy and grinning with excitement. The two main lead chemistry is off the chart and Lusi I just love you even more and felt your acting was just excellent. Other main leads and casts were stellar. The sheer scale of the story balance nicely with the sheer grandness of the drama. There are of course a few scenes and directions that I may not agree with and felt the ending seemed rushed but having heard they had to reduce by several episodes, it was understandable. This drama is totally worth watching and I'll definitely watch again in the future. One of the best I've scene. Truly an enjoyable watch in all aspects!

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Absolute masterpiece. I could watch the leads solve math problems all day and not get bored

TLDR: Of the 40 or so dramas I've seen thus far this is the only one that I pulled an all nighter to keep watching and I normally don't like historical dramas.

Disclaimer: I rate a 5 as average so everything above that is pretty good to excellent while everything below that is pretty bad to horrendous. I am not a film making expert so I have no knowledge on the techniques that go into making a "good" show so I can only give my opinions based on how much I liked a given show relative to previous ones I've seen.

Overall: I'm not a good enough writer to express how much fun I had while watching this show. If literally anything about cdramas interests you you will have no regrets adding this show to your watch list.

Story: The story is great. It has multiple facets that are all balanced beautifully. The romance, politics, mystery, and war elements are all given ample time to develop with nothing feeling left out. Starting off with the romance. The chemistry between the two leads is amazing and is backed by an interesting premise with strong plot points that the characters have to navigate. I loved the dual identities of the leads which added a fun element that allowed viewers to be in on a secret while characters gradually discovered things on their own. It also served to add depth to both the characters and the world they were living in which is not something that I can often follow in a historical cdrama. The backstory of the leads also made it really fun to just watch them exist together no matter the situation. I would say the only thing I was kind of disappointed in was the FL reveal. I selfishly wanted it to be a bigger deal, and it did feel like it was building up to it, but how it actually played out made sense in the context of the story so I can't knock it too much.

The politics were good. I've never personally been invested in this aspect of dramas but the court and politics in this show are solid enough with believable motives and actions which kept me invested. It was refreshing to see every character having a base IQ of at least 100 with their own goals and plans to achieve those goals. It never felt like a plan failed because the character was dumb, it always felt like they failed because they happened to go up against someone smarter than them which is not something that can be said for most dramas so mad props to the show for that. There is a fair share of over the top stuff but nothing too outrageous and easily overlooked given how good everything else about the story is. The war elements were ok. There was some CGI use in the later stages with some numbers that didn't quite add up but nothing super bad.

Spoiler: The only egregiously weird moment to me was when the daughter stabbed the FL. I sort of had question marks in my head as to what that was since the FL was pretty much her older sister/mother up until that point but that is the only moment I was really taken out of the story.

Overall the story was pretty good without trying to be overly complex. With the strong chemistry between the leads and the incredible characters the story's only job was to not be horrible and it accomplished this and more. It was pretty much the perfect vehicle to let the characters shine through and carry the show.

Characters/acting: This is a strong contender for some of my favorite leads and side characters of any show I've watched. Overall I loved the fact that every character is competent and found themselves in a given position for a reason. No rulers without a brain to be seen (the single exception being the lord that is introduced later).

Starting with the leads. The ML is perfectly cast in the role. I've seen 4 or 5 of his shows and I think this performance slightly edges out You are my glory for number 1 on my list. He does his best when playing the down to earth "straight man" while having a more comedic spontaneous partner to bounce off of and boy does he have that here. He played both sides of the character incredibly well and the aura he gives of just being the smartest person in the room fit both roles. I could write more about him but it would just be me gushing over how great he was in his own individual scenes and the chemistry he had with every other character in the show so I'll leave it there.

The FL is also perfectly cast. Similar to the ML, I've seen several of her other dramas and I've always preferred her more lighthearted roles of which this is by far her best imo. The character is the perfect balance of care free while also knowing when its time to lock in and be a responsible adult. We don't get to see as much of her imperial side but what we do see works well. However the standout is definitely her martial side which thankfully takes up the majority of her screen time. I liked her chemistry with everyone and both the leads bounce off each other perfectly giving the sense that they really are best friends that happen to be romantically interested in each other. Similar to the ML I could say much more but it would all be praise on how great she was in this role.

Its actually crazy to me how perfect the leads were in this show. They are both simultaneously good actors/actresses and play their parts well while also having the perfect partner in each other. I could literally watch them do anything together and they would find a way to make it entertaining. They were a huge reason as to why the story didn't really need to be this super innovative complex masterpiece because watching them go shopping was just as fun as watching them solve court mysteries.

The side characters were incredible as well. Starting with the rest of the 4 gentry I really liked Yu Wu Yuan as the scheming villain. I didn't think he'd be the villain until the show made it obvious which is a credit to the performance. He managed to give off the calm killer vibe where it doesn't feel like they're a bad person, their goal just happens to be something that most people would label bad. This and the fact that I got the sense that he would follow his goal through to the end made him simultaneously fun and scary to watch. It was also great that they made him an actual threat in the show so everytime he cooks up a scheme there is a reason to be scared. Huang Chao was a great 4th edition to the cast. The standard noble ambitious warrior archetype with his own flair. He was imposing and charismatic in the perfect way bouncing between the two depending on what the situation called for.

Another standout was Minister Feng. She was great in the role and I liked that she was both persistent but mature. She was a great addition to the main cast and had great chemistry with both leads. I particularly liked her friendship with the FL.

The brothers were great. Sad that the first brother kind of got shafted by the script but someone had to. He could not stop taking Ls :(. Credit to the story and actor for making this one of the few believable characters haunted by a past trauma. He was affected in a totally realistic way and did bad things because of it but nothing that didn't fit with the context we were given. I liked the third brother a lot. In any other drama he is written as a buffoon with 0 brain cells who can barely think for himself so it was incredibly refreshing to see that the story gave him some agency. He was arrogant and smart in ways that made sense it just so happened that he was out of his depth from the beginning given his opposition in the ML. It was really fun to watch the unspoken battle between the 2nd and 3rd brother where one was playing chess and one was playing checkers but at least they were both playing. Other shows would really benefit from taking notes on this. Watching a character overcome a monkey is much less satisfying than watching them overcome a competent human.

I really loved the King's performance as someone who knows what he wants and understands that not everyone is going to see it that way. I'm a sucker for a character that has goals that I don't agree with but the story/performance make me sympathize anyway. He stuck to his beliefs and did his best to keep everything together while others were trying to rock the boat. Credit to the actor for giving the character the gravitas he needed to be seen as superior to everyone else.

Other side characters were great as well but are too numerous to really go in depth but suffice it to say I loved pretty much all of them.

Music: Not a huge music person and I watch dramas in 1.5x most of the time so can't really comment.

Rewatch: If I had to rewatch a show this would be close to the top of the list. Almost everything about this show was perfect and I wouldn't mind experiencing the story of Bai/Hei Feng Xi again. - she paid me a fiver ;)

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One of the Best Chinese Period Drama!

Story:
-So fun with the dual identity, strong ML & FL which was great to watch
+hoped they would develop more of the playful humor surrounding her reveal of her double identity but then again it was during her state being attacked.
-The story is excellent with so many different characters that weave together and believable
-The ending was a bit anticlimactic when they fought the villian.
-The intrigue, the manipulation of trying to gain the throne and then the realization of what's important and how difficult it is to be in a place of power and to use it well...very good.
-And as someone commented...best portrayal of woman admiration and friendship even with liking the same person. Strong portrayal and positive light on women.

Acting:
- Yang Yang did an amazing job of the elegant, sickly genius Prince and the strong, intelligent, powerful Hei Fengxi. His small inflections, smiles and facial expresssions were well acted.
- Zhao Lusi was positively fun and excellent. Her portrayal of Bai Fengxi and then Princess Xiyun was right on target! Innocent, playful and yet strong in martial arts, smart and wanting just to exact justice not be in a place of power.
-Qiwu was played very well as the strong female clan leader and smart as a whip, supporter to both lead roles.
-Rest of the cast played every role so well...it was so fun to watch esp the antagonists and their plotting.

Overall:
I have to say this has everything: wuxia, romance, power struggle, royalty, beautiful costuming, beautiful scenery, great humor, military strategy, and well acted. Pacing, directing, sets, costuming were all good...the only thing is the ending was a bit less descriptive but all in all it made you want more! I've rewatched certain scenes so many times! You definitely cheer for the couple and it's hard to stop watching. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did/do! ;)

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Most loved Drama

I don't understand Chinese language but by using sub title... I really don't have comments to mention ...
Wow! What a beautiful stroy.. casting, outfit, supporting rols, kudos gose to entire team.. fentastic drama most loved one ❤️ some love Seance made me tear in my eye?.. special love with Yang yang look more smart in different Costumes... All supporting rols are amazing...

now days genuinely we cannot see love stories like this... after very long i seen in your Drama.. i really dont have much word to explain?

I am waiting for next wonderful series with same team...god bless you all❤️ More love from India???

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Tale of Bai Feng Xi and Hei Feng Xi

Everyone was hyped for this drama, and when it officially came out it (unsurprisingly) got pretty high reviews. So obviously I just HAD to watch it. When I started Who Rules the World, my expectations were quite high, as I knew that actors and actresses like Yang Yang and Zhao Lu Si would not disappoint. I was not wrong. I loved almost everything about the drama- the storyline was brilliantly thought out and the characters/actors/actresses were amazing.
Bai Feng Xi is playful and careless while Hei Feng Xi is intelligent and majestic. Those two were definitely a match made in heaven, and they were definitely born to rule. I really enjoyed Zhao Lu Si and Yang Yang’s light romance and flawless chemistry, however, it was the realistic yet emotional romance that made me tear up after I finished the drama, haha. As the Who Rules the World got more into politics, I thought it would be boring, but I was proved wrong, because I was actually interested by the situations going on in the royal court and different countries.
Additionally, I found that Who Rules the World had a lot of beautiful details- the authentic and elegant outdoor/indoor sceneries and alluring costumes added a magic touch to the drama as a whole. Overall, I would rate this drama a 9.0 because even after a few days, I’ve been thinking about this high-quality drama nonstop and researching whether or not a second season will be made. Very few dramas put a spell like that on me, and so maybe even years from now on, I’ll still be humming the WTW soundtrack. I would very much recommend Who Rules the World for anyone who’s searching for one heck of a historical costume c-drama!

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A pretty decent Wuxia drama

As I watch this drama, I was so impressed with the storyline, the pairing of the ML and FL was surprisingly good as they are very convincing and well matched. I couldn't wait for the next coming episodes and decided to become a VIP member of WeTV... The fighting scene was fast with very very little slow motion shots, in fact hardly, made it that much more exciting than Sword Snow Stride which inundated with slow mo shots which spoilt the momentum of the drama, like many others too. That's pretty good.. Everything was going just fine and edging towards the best drama of 2022, which could have easily won.

There are a few points in the quite a good drama that fall short of being a great drama are as follows.

1. It took too long for Hei Fengxi to find out the real identity of Bai Fengxi, that is dragging on a bit, which lead to my suspicion of my final point. If they bring it earlier on there will be so much more great material...

2. The leads fuffing around too long in Yangzhou, and we hardly see anything of Qingzhou, which would have made a great balance in the drama.

3. There are 40 episodes for the drama to pace and pan out the storyline which could have helped with a lot of curiosity of Bai Fengxi background, in stead they pushed all the building up towards the ending in the last couple of episodes, reminds one of a 200 metre dash towards to the finishing line, too quick and too rush, took all the excitement of the ending away.. And the ending was just too soft, like the air finally left and ends with a flat soft ending, anti-climax no less. And visually it also looks a bit rushed too, not as refine as the previous fighting scenes.

I wonder was it because they were pacing it for a 60 episodes instead of 40? That's why they rush towards the end? Oh well...

The rush-ending does remind me of another recent very decent drama, The Autumn Ballad, which was such a let down... in so many ways....

But still Who Rules The World is still an enjoyable drama....

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Loved it

From the outset I have to say it became a bit too long for me and I just had to jump to the end to see how it ends. It was really beautiful and the love story developed slowly in that the characters learned to appreciate each other and share some life experiences together. Both Bai and Hai Fengxi are beautiful people who has goodwill to all human beings and fight for justice. The plot and politics were engaging al the way through. The martial arts were a bit wild but enjoyable.The music were very BIG and reminded of movies like Prince of Egypt. The costumes and dresses were so intricate and beautiful. I can recommend the movie whole heartedly and the acting were so believable that I found myself moving from tearing up to feeling very happy with the characters quite often. I absolutely loved the series but it was just too many episodes for a busy person like me. Enjoy !

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My guilty pleasure

My absolute favorite CDrama/Asian actress Zhao Lusi (she’s the best Chinese Actress IMO) + one of my favorite CDrama/Asian actor Yang Yang, then add my favorite genre Martial Arts to the mix, to say I was in TV heaven with this series is an understatement.
I have rewatched so many times already and I am currently rewatching while writing this review.
The only thing I hated was Hei-FengXi’s love and devotion to his useless and wicked father. That man was a very jealous and small man. He loved Prince Ju because he thought that one was useless and wouldn’t threaten his power/position. But Feng LanXi was mysterious and smart, so he was always trying to suppress him. The funny thing is Feng LanXi didn’t even think of usurping his dad at all, especially since he could have done it so easily. Then the step mother was definitely a piece of work.
I actually liked Feng Qi Wu, she accepted things after she was shut down and contributed massively to the efforts of Prince Feng LanXi.
Prince Huang Chao, I don’t even know what to say about him. He wanted to rule the world so badly he forwent all common sense and deductive reasoning. He was a nice side character.
Yu WuYuan was indeed a worthy villain. He was so unsuspecting that even the extremely intelligent and cunning Hei-FengXi couldn’t see through him at the beginning. I didn’t like how the final fight went though, I kinda expected more and it was anti-climactic to say the least.
But the fight scenes and martial arts in the series was so well done and like I said earlier I was in TV heaven. My love for martial arts is unexplainable. My brother says why do I like people that are flying, and I ask him but you like Superman, doesn’t he fly?
Anyways back to the review. Then the legendary Bai-Hei FengXi Duo, my favorite dynamic duo. I read some people complaining about their chemistry and i for one don’t know what the hell they were talking about, their chemistry was plenty fine, this was not a romance focused series but still their chemistry was on point IMO. They understood each other and played well off each other.
They may not have ruled the world at the end but they sure as hell ruled it to perfection before going into seclusion.
The music here was sooooooo good. I have all the songs on my playlist.
Obviously rewatch value is 10/10 as I have rewatched several times already and currently rewatching at the time of this review.
I wish I could give it more stars but since I can’t.
A very solid 10/10 overall.
I highly highly highly recommend.

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The chopping block!

I adored this drama! When i read the novel it was quite underwhelming, so naturally i loved the drama more. The story in both the novel and drama is a bit weak, but lets talk about the drama. I want to do the drama justice by telling what was great about it.

1. The actors. Phenomenal performances from the entire cast. Zhao Lusi really owned her role! Yang Yang was also quite good. However i really think Zhao Lusi took the cake on this one. She was very immersed in her character and it was almost like bai fengxi in the drama was the bai fengxi from the novel coming alive! Kudos for the great show of talent in the two leads.

2. I loved the chemistry between the two leads and i did enjoy each of their stories. A lot of people complained about there being too much palace plot on the male lead side, but i quite enjoyed it. It was annoying but it gave Feng Lanxi depth and even a bit of pity bc of all the struggles he had to deal with his selfish, power hungry, uncaring family. I wish they emphasized more on the female lead back story but they put her on the chopping block.

3. I loved all the side characters. There wasnt anyone overly annoying and obsessed. Usually you have this 3 way love triangle trope, or obsessed girl who pines, and schemes, or kills for the one they obsess over, but here; There is no misunderstanding or giving a cold shoulder to each other for long periods of time before they start realizing they were stupid. Even the 2nd female lead was cool and you almost wanted her to get the main lead as well. It was so chill and non stressful, I couldnt wait until each episode came out.

Now, i gave the story a low score and mediocre in some other regards but it was simply the chemistry and acting that just made it all up for me.

My qualms: they chopped this drama in what should have been 50 epidodes to 40. They really did butcher the story and lots of things did not line up or make sense b/c like my title says, the episodes were chopped!!! They crunched everything and made me feel like it was rushed rushed rushed. The beginning-mid was slow then all of a sudden you get operation warp speed! Literally almost everything in the last 10 episodes did not align so there ARE many plot holes.

Nonetheless i very much so enjoyed the drama and would watch it again. Probably again and again and again. Lol There were too many good parts and acting that supercedes the negative.

If you are expecting the drama to be remotely like the novel, dont. You will be disappointed. Just watch this with an open mind and prepare for some things not to make sense bc it was chopped, chopped, chopped! ?

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