Palabra de honor (2021)

''The world is not important. What’s important is finding a soulmate.''

If you've heard about this drama you know it has been heavily compared to The Untamed, and I can honestly see why.

Such as The Untamed, Word of Honor is an adaption from a BL novel. Though, Word of Honor is way more obvious and daring considering Chinese censorship. Word of Honor is probably the next big Chinese BL drama after The Untamed considering the enormous international support it has been recieving. Story-wise and production-wise I don't think Word of Honor can compare to The Untamed, and part of it has to do with the budget and number of episodes (The Untamed with 120 million for 50 episodes and Word of Honor with 30 million for 37 episodes). What I do think is equally fantastic about the two, is the casting for the main leads and their chemistry. Fans, including me, cannot imagine any other actors playing the roles of Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan, and Wen Ke Xing and Zhou Zi Shu. They are two inseperable and irreplacable pairs.

But that's enough about the differences and similarities between The Untamed and Word of Honor. Let's get into what I loved about Word of Honor solely and what I think could have been done better.

I'll start with what I think could have been done better, or its flaws in other words. One aspect I highly take into account when considering to give a drama a 10/10 rating, is its supporting cast; their depth, the way they are portrayed and whether or not they can keep me captivated even when the main leads aren't on screen. Unfortunately, specifically in the middle of the show, I often found myself thinking about when the two main leads would pop up on the screen again during interactions between the ''villains''. Especially the pink and green-clothed couple and bandit gang just did nothing for me. To me, the ''villains'' and their interactions, for example the scorpion king and his father, only got really interesting towards the end of the show. The pacing has its flaws as well. It started of very very well, but it felt quite rushed towards the end. I didn't like how they just briefly talked about Wen Ke Xing faking his death afterwards and showed very small clips of certain interections (for example Wen Ke Xing's short interaction with Ye Bai Yi), when it was such a big deal. And the women of the Ghost Valley weren't given much attention during the final huge battle at all. The Beauty Ghost and her master died just like that, while they were two of the most important supporting cast members. Also, the show ended with plot holes. A major one is what happened the prince and what role he played in the ending. In conclusion, I strongly believe this show would have been worth a 10/10 with at least 40 episodes, giving it more time to further deepen the supporting cast and fill up some of the plot holes.

As I have now recognised its flaws, it is time to move on to what makes this drama so special and why it will probably remain as one of my all time favourite dramas. To start off with Wen Ke Xing. He is by far my favourite character of this show. I absolutely love how he (and Zhou Zi Shu, too) is portrayed as a ''grey'' character, as I appreciate it more when characters aren't simply seen as good or bad. He had a very traumatic past, losing both his parents at a young age and being both mentally and physically abused in the Ghost Valley, which led to him gaining power by becoming the Chief of the Ghost Valley to get his revenge that he plotted for years, but at the cost of killing innocent people and losing himself in the meantime. Mentally he was very unstable and it showed in his actions. Though, his character developed a lot and for the better as his relationship with Zhou Zi Shu deepened, which was beautiful to watch. Another thing I absolutely love about Wen Ke Xing is his poetry. I am a fan of poetry myself, and so I found it amazing how Wen Ke Xing often used poems to describe either how he felt or the situation he was in (but oftentimes just to flirt and show off how refined he is, as we all know). I recommend to watch AvenueX's video on the poetry used. Besides that I am in love with his hairstyle and costumes. They were just perfect. I loved the colours, the sillouettes, the patterns, his matching hair piece and, not to forget, his deadly but beautiful white fan. I loved everything about how they styled his character. I was also really impressed by the styling of the Beauty Ghost and her master, the Scorpion King and Du Pu Sa, who all had signature looks that suited them perfectly. Another thing I loved was the interactions between Wen Ke Xing and the top 10 ghosts. It was fascinating to see that side of him and I thought the technique used for the camerawork was amazingly captivating at those times. The OSTs, too, are very memorable. I loved them and will probably continue to listen to the opening and ending songs for a long time. The fighting scenes were stunning and for me it had just the right amount of fights. But, what the best thing of the whole show is, which raised my rating a lot, is the chemistry between the two main leads and how they seem to be very different from each other but share key similarities; they are both trapped in their past, while one seeks revenge, the other seeks freedom. They are absolutely perfect for each other. I loved their interactions and the way their last fight in the bonus episode resembles one of their first fights, but in the end they face each other instead of facing opposite sides as they did in the beginning. That is very symbolic, which I love. Their outfits add to it, as they previously had very contrasting styles but end with matching outfits of which only the colour contrasts, symbolizing they have grown together as one.

In conclusion, it is a very addictive and enjoyable drama with its flaws which in a critical sense would be worth a 9/10 at highest, but the unforgettable two soulmates whose adventures are delightful to watch completely make up for it. I'm happy I was able to follow this drama as it aired.

Final rating: 9.5

Leer más

martial mating” delight!

In episode 35, for a moment, I was completely without action...Static I asked myself: what is this, my God? The climax of this exquisite work was at its peak and my heart broke into pieces... Today, after the 36 traditional episodes and 01 very short special, unfortunately, I can say that this is, without a doubt, a drama of unsettling beauty and uniqueness. Disquieting for the countless sensations it brings to us and unique for its lightness and boldness in dealing with a highly censored topic in China, BL, with such dexterity and charm. If The Untamed was a milestone in my golden world, Word of Honor was a new burst of countless feelings and imaginations. How I wanted more of these two wonderful men! 36 six episodes were not enough to quench my thirst for this “martial mating” delight! Excellent script, impeccable acting, stunning photography! My wallpaper images list thanks you. Ost perfect, beautiful and ravishing. Despite having a multitude of positive points, my only reservation is the excessive number of sects and their little evolution or importance in history. I haven't read the novel, which makes me deeply regret it, since this gap must be amply covered in it. Another lament was the feeling of incompleteness of some characters, whose character lacked greater clarity or definition. An example of this is the beautiful and strange Scorpion King. I wanted to get to know him better. Although I fell deeply in love with Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing, our adorable couple, I also really liked our second couple, the sweet and beautiful Cao Wei Ning and the adorable and wild Gu Xiang. All the actors, including the main ones, were unknown to me. But they exhausted my heart of emotions in different ways. All in all, a charming, unforgettable drama. I already feel full of longing. Worth every minute of time. Highly recommended!

Leer más

Must watch C drama

It's been too long I wrote any review . This drama was indeed enjoyable with emotions getting developed in audience slowly slowly. The relationships got better and was attention worthy.
Both the male leads were best and suitable for their particular role. Indeed they work hard.
And the results tues out to be BEST.
NOT only of male leads but side or supporting characters also performed so much well and their story or life ( of supporting characters) are catching attention.
The twist and turns were unexpected and took place on very crucial moments /parts.
The story is full of Chinese poems. Full of Chinese literature ( I don't know any of it though, so I searched many).
But you will like it if you watched it carefully coz the plans and schemes are really something.
Go for it. And ep 37 you won't find on YouTube but on :-https://drive.google.com/file/d/17j75HUImJ8La3maDX77Mt9kEJhoZGMob/view?usp=drivesdk .
This above link.

Leer más

chengling is bbg

probably my favorite costume drama of all time. and second favorite cdrama.

story: amazing. totally didnt expect the plot twists.

acting/cast: the acting was done very well. there weren't any scenes where i thought the acting "fake." I had a gongjun obsession era after watching this. (still love him)

music: i love all the tracks!! every song fit the scene it was played in.

rewatch value: i rewatched it like after 7-9 month and it was still super interesting.

i would say this is better than the untamed.. please dont come for me. everything from the cg to acting to production were just better. i dont blame tu because they had a low budget.

Leer más

Amazing drama and definitely should watch!!

After watched CQL (the untamed), I wanted more of these dramas. I came across WoH, which is a wuxia drama. What I love about this drama is that they are not afraid to show the relationship between the main leads. It’s hard to pass off as bromance, the actors did so well in their characters. Even the supporting characters are great and I love how the female characters in this aren’t just a weak damsel in distress. They are written amazingly and are strong. The main two have depth and the actors did a great job, I’m used to have okay acting in Asian dramas. Even the side couple was amazing. You will laugh a lot and get emotional. It’s a low budget drama, but I really only noticed in one scene where they used sfx. Everything else it’s hard to believe it’s low budget! The effects and costumes look amazing for what it is. Good for anyone getting into cdramas, 36 episodes went by so fast!

Leer más

Oh my god

This drama is amazing, I've been obsessed with it a lot. The two main characters are well characterized, they both have different reasons for acting the way they do and yet they totally understand each other. Their relationship is one of the most heartwarming I've ever seen. They accept each other for who they are. All they want to do is spend the rest of their lives together, because only then can they be happy.
Seriously, after 3/4 episodes you start getting addicted to this drama! And there's nothing you can do about it! The story is fantastic, the characters are well delineated, the scenes are absolutely wonderful. As soon as you finish it you want to watch it again.
Warning, make sure you have tissues available while watching it. I cried a lot!

Leer más

When a lunatic psychopath and a former assassin form an unlikely duo

So, how am I going to start my review? For your information, I've dropped this on ep 5 before I picked up where I left off. As I continued further, the story became more and more interesting. So, let's just begin!!!

Alright, let me explain the plot first. It revolved around the former head of the Window of Heaven who stepped down from his position due to his own reasons - Zhou Zishu and the head of the Ghost Valley - Wen Kexing. As you can see, the both of them had very different personalities and it would be too UNLIKELY for the both of them becoming soul mates. After experiencing the ups and downs amidst the chaos in the martial arts world, they became more attached and decided to trust each other for this lifetime (just like those sworn brothers did, but I guess soul mates are on a more intense relationship, considering this is a censored BL).

I also want to specially mention a very important property which contributes to the story - the Glazed Armor. The Glazed Armor was made by the 5 righteous sects in the martial arts world. It was rumored to be keeping all sorts of martial arts techniques and manuals which have been hunted by lots of people. However, the actual KEY is the jade hairpin that Wen Kexing always wore - not the Glazed Armor.

I just can't help it, but I really root on Wen Kexing also known as the Lunatic Wen. He's a real psychopath and had deep hatred engraved in his heart. The last thing he wanted to do was to destroy the world and then pay for the sins he had committed. However, after he encountered Zhou Zishu, he changed his perspective and tried to cherish his life as possible.

Adding the depth of the story are Gu Xiang (Wen Kexing's loyal subordinate), Cao Weining (Gu Xiang's lover), and Zhang Chengling (an orphan who was defected by the Ghost Valley's ambush which killed his family in the process and also Zhou Zishu's beloved disciple). By the way, the sad ending for Gu Xiang and Cao Weining was unnecessary at all. Why should you kill them off and causing bloodshed again? That double-faced master of Cao Weining - he shouldn't have trusted him or this kind of accident wouldn't happen at all.

The acting is... WOW!!! Sometimes, I just can feel the main leads' bromance. I'm not a great fan of BL, but this drama has made into one. Shout out to Gong Jun who portrayed Wen Kexing flawlessly. I hope he will get more psychopathic roles in the future. Zhou Ye did marvellously too and it is where she showcased and utilized her full acting skills which helped her gaining popularity. Not a great fan of Zhang Zhehan, but his acting is commendable, I would say.

The set, CGI, and cinematography is quite nice to me. I don't understand why people said everything was fake and cheap-made. Overall, a ten out of ten and will probably rewatch when I'm in the drama slump.

Leer más

The love story of Wen KeXing and Zhao Zi Shu

I would not pass this drama, it's addictive! I mean who can you not fall in love with Zhao Xu, Lao Wen, Gu Xiang, Cao WeiNing, little idiot Zhang ChengLing, and Ye BaiYi. The story is around this character and the actors delivers in the best way. You can't find Zhao Xu character from other actor better than Zhang Zhe Han or flirtatious Wen KeXing other than Simon Gong because these two main leads are reminiscence of Zhao Xu and Wen KeXing. Iam not into BL, don't like Untamed, but I love this one. Zhang Zhe Han is so gorgeously beautiful man, and flirtatious Simon Gong is so dang handsome. . . when Ah Xu started to warm up with Lao Wen and understood how much love and devotion Lao Wen has toward him, they're soft gazing to each other, smiles, barbs back forth, and helping each other to overcome emotional and traumatic past, co-parenting ChengLing. Sad ending for Gu Xiang and Cao WeiNing, too much love between Ah Xu and Lao Wen - they want to give the best life and health to the other man. I would give credit to Simon Gong I think he's the best in here, he's flirtatious in minute and cruel to people he hates in next. His chilling laugh, cold stares, tight lips, killing and revenge mood, his fan was deadly more so than BaiYi sword. The next scenes he'll be laugh happily, sparkling in his eyes, sweet smile, proud uncle master to ChengLing, concern and loving soulmate to Zhao Xu and kind master to Gu Xiang. That's why I love Simon Gong....he embodied all. Lately I realized Zhao Zi Shu seems to have a good and spoil life. His master/wife adored him and treated him like their own son. All members of the sect respected and adored him, 81 of original members died in his watch including his dear junior. He's been so much in power since 'naive and knew nothing' young man who brought the sect to serve Prince Jin and yet remaining member still loved him (in case of Han Jing) to the end. There where his guilty conscience played important role as he redirected his mind set into totally different perspective...change his life for the better but dying...this is where 'Word of Honor' story started. Where our love story and obsession began with the character of Wen KeXing, Gu Xiang, Zhang ChengLing, Cao WeiNing and Ye BaiYi. This drama will become a classic..one of the most memorable drama to many of us.

Leer más

BEST PLOT EVER! (explaining some scenes that are hard to get for English speakers)

Only watched this drama because there were no good dramas at that point of time. I didn't have any prior expectations for this drama. But BOYYYYY was it a pleasant surprise!!! I ended up watching this drama 4 times, watching their behind-the-scenes, their concert+variety shows+interviews+fan-made videos. I totally regret watching this drama coz my whole life literally revolves around it right now!!!
As a Mandarin speaker, I feel that you will understand and appreciate the plot and relationships between the characters more if you understand Mandarin. Due to censorship in China, the "romance" of the two male leads has to be displayed subtly through ancient Chinese poetry (romance poetry in particular) and inside jokes. For example, when Ah-Xiang smacked two hot cakes together it's called “贴烧饼” which means a romantic relationship between two men or when ZZS blew WKX's flute and said "sorry I dirtied your flute". Mind you, in the novel, WKX blows a horizontal flute (笛子 which is somewhat like the western flute) but in the drama, he blows a xiao (a vertical flute). “Blowing a xiao" in Mandarin means giving someone a BJ ahem so idk how can ZZH not laugh when he said "I dirtied your xiao". These are just two of many inside jokes XD

Okay. Back to reviewing on their acting. Those who are ZZH's fans would have known that he's a sporty man and all his previous roles are very manly. Fans of the novel were originally unhappy when they saw the cast in 2020 because they felt that ZZH would be too manly to portray ZZS. Hence, I was blown away when ZZH managed to not only bring ZZS to life but even incorporated his own interpretation of ZZS into the character, giving this character flesh and blood. ZZH once said that he originally wanted to play the role of WKX because WKX has more lines and is able to use words to describe his emotions, thus, less difficult for him to portray this character. On the other hand, ZZS is a character with "two thousand layers of dust" (quoted frm the scriptwriter) ie. ZZS is a complicated character with a complicated life. Nonetheless, being an actor for 10 years, ZZH was able to live up to expectations and blew our minds away with his beautiful, gentle, tragic yet powerful A-Xu.

If you can find fault in his acting, it really means that you have yet to understand the drama or the novel :'). There have been some criticisms regarding ZZH's acting (esp in the first ep), claiming that his acting is too bland and stoic. Okay, think about it, ZZS has seen 81 of his SJSZ's brothers died in front of him, it's no brainer that he's gg to be hopeless and helpless and borderline desensitized at that point of time. Furthermore, ZZS only had 2/3 years to live, which means he was basically waiting for death to arrive. For someone who is gg to die anytime soon, how emotional do you expect him to be??? ZZH said in an interview that he knew that there will be ppl criticising his acting, but he would still act out ZZS in a way that he thinks is closer to reality. ZZH is a man of morals. When he stabbed himself with the nails, it wasn't to punish himself. He was seeking death and would like to live 3 years of freedom before dying and he was also abiding by the rules that he had laid out (consistency in his character here). Till the very end, he still thought that the rules laid out by King Jin and Tian Chuang were right because he said that if he had knew that Wu Xi was able to remove the nails, he would have thought of a more fool-proof and more reliable punishment. Some might criticise, saying that "ZZS is a man of morals so why would he even befriend WKX and even become his bosom friend? There is inconsistency in the character!!!" ZZS is a person who doesn't really care abt the wealth and status of a person, what's important to him is the inside of a person. As a master of disguise, ZZS is highly skilled in looking beyond the exterior facade of a person and would not easily belief what's before his eyes. That was why he was so guarded against WKX in the beginning because he was unsure of what WKX was up to. But after being with WKX for quite some time, he saw that WKX wasn't someone with an evil heart. Inferring from when he heard WKX blew the xiao, he said "听这乐声，清正坚韧，百转无悔，非心性无邪者不可得，想不到，这人竟吹得出这等箫声" (basically means that a sound with such clarity and resolute cannot be blown by someone with evil at heart). It was only after befriending WKX did ZZS felt that there is something for him to live for in his life, hence, he wants to live (unlike him previously seeking death).

After watching the BTS, it was obvious that ZZH had given loads of advice on acting to GJ, which helped GJ's acting improve a lot as compared to his previous dramas. This was unsurprising given that GJ only entered the acting industry in 2015/2016 and is a comparatively new actor. I felt that GJ's facial features are outstanding but interesting -- He has puppy eyes but a chiselled jawline. Though extremely good looking, it's hard to find a suitable acting role for him (Chiselled jawline makes him suitable to play characters that are cold, arrogant, powerful etc, but his puppy eyes would clash with such character. Puppy eyes would make him suitable to play characters that are like a sunshine puffball, but his jawline and sharp nose and towering built would be weird), especially when he's a newbie in the industry. Hence, Wen Ke Xing is the perfect PERFECT character for GJ. It's literally tailored for him. Because WKX is a cute, innocent golden retriever with puppy eyes in front of ZZS who is curious abt the mortal realm but he is also the dark, cold-blooded, powerful lunatic leader of the Ghost Valley. When WKX first appeared in the drama, my heart stopped, my breathing stopped, the time stopped, everything stopped. My eyes were glued onto him. And when ZZS and WKX made their first eye contact, BOOM!!!!! Fireworks exploded!!!!!!

WKX is actually quite a complicated character hence some ppl may say that there is a lack of consistency. However, I think that this adds flesh to his character, making him more human and hence, more relatable to the audience. He is like a lotus flower in a muddy pond. Two things that moulded his character: his parents died tragically in front of him hence he wants to get revenge, and he has to endure the abuse and harsh environment in the Ghost Valley where he may get killed anytime. The only things that were keeping him alive before meeting ZZS are to live and get revenge. Despite being a dangerous and difficult to understand person, he isn't a monster. All these are just a shell that he uses to protect himself while growing up in a dark and dangerous Ghost Valley without any warmth and care. Inside him is still an innocent and extremely kind-hearted young boy who has yet to mature. The reason why he hates the evil of the "righteous sects" so much is due to his strong desire and pursuit for "kindness".

To me, if you really understand the plot and characters, it's no surprise why WKX and ZZS would attract each other and become each other's light. They both lost their loved ones at a young age, and had to shoulder responsibilities that boys their age shouldn't be shouldering--ZZS had to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that his brothers of SJSZ live while WKX has to avenge his parents' deaths. They are both lone wolves seeking warmth in a world that doesn't understand them. They are each other's saviour and light.

I love all the other character too!!! There isn't a single character that I hate, except for Cao Wei Ning's shifu. I cried like a baby and will never ever watch ep 32/33 again. My heart can't take the tragedy.

I love the whole crew, from the director and costume designer to the supporting characters and Xiaoyu (ZZH's childhood friend and personal assistant) HAHAHAH!!! The fans of Word of Honor are like the cutest bunch of people ever, extremely supportive and adorable. 山人们最棒了！！！萌萌哒~

Leer más

hmmm

Not really a BL fan, but acting wise it was superb, from main leads to side characters. I’ll have to admit I skipped a lot of parts, and mainly focused on Zhou Ye, it was so tragic on her end :(

Have a soft spot for Gong Jun since I really liked him on Begin Again, but I was really here for my baby girl Zhou Ye, I can’t wait for her upcoming series (Legend of the Female General) with Ryan Cheng.

Aside from her pure, clear, vibrant beauty, she’s really talented not annoying, I barely have biases on female actrssses but so far, South Korea: Bae Suzy, Japan: Suzu Hirose, China: Zhou Ye those are my 3 baby girls so far!

Leer más