El Paso Nevado de la Espada (2021)

I have mixed feelings about it, good but need more seasons to become great

The following is a review of Season 1 of a drama series that left me with mixed feelings about its ending. The season ends bittersweetly with a promise of continuation. The drama has some good points, but it also has some flaws that make it hard to fully enjoy.

One of the most praiseworthy aspects of the drama is the excellent performances of the two main male actors: Zhang Ruo Yun and Liu Duan Duan. Although Liu Duan Dua is listed support role, many viewers, including me, saw him as main second role. Their acting skills are impressive and they manage to keep me engaged throughout the season.

However, the slow pace of the drama and the lack of depth in some of the characters make it challenging to maintain the level of interest. I almost dropped around episode 10. It felt like there were too many scenes to introduce characters and explain their roles, but they lacked coherence and purpose. There were multiple visits, villains, and wuxia scenes, which made it feel redundant and caused me to lose interest after a while. Some of the supporting characters are stereotyped, such as the divine sword master who picks his nose at every turn.

In addition, the love-hate relationship between the male and female leads is somewhat predictable and lacks any real chemistry. If you are looking for a sweet romance, this drama is not for you. Although it is evident that the two leads are in love, they hardly express their feelings and only bicker around each other. This typical love-hate relationship is portrayed from the female's perspective, and the male lead is clear about his feelings but never expresses them. It felt very immature. The season ends with the two leads going their separate ways with only a promise to meet again in the future. There is no kiss or hug, leaving me feeling unsatisfied.

The age gap between the female lead, who was 18 or 19 at the time of production, and the male lead, who was 30, may have contributed to the lack of chemistry between them. However, it is also possible that their personalities, charisma, and talent did not mesh well together. I have yet to see an actress who can match Zhang Ruo Yun's acting skills and create a convincing on-screen chemistry with him. Even in the drama JOL, the female lead was only two years younger than him, but their chemistry still fell short. So, it raises the question: is it truly the age difference that is the issue, or is it a combination of other factors?

Despite its flaws, the drama has some entertaining moments. The slow pace of the wuxia genre was not noticeable to me but very criticized by viewers, and some parts were even hilarious, such as the divine sword master raising thousands of swords in the sky. However, some scenes were boring, such as the ending visits to the sects and the carriage talks. It was endless talks and introduction of characters. However, the scriptwriter and director did a great job of portraying the emotional relationship between the hero and his old companion, who died. Death that could have been avoided but felt right in the script. The scenes between them were emotional and tear-jerking. The father of the hero was also a well-developed character and reminded me of the emperor in “Joy of Life”, which added to the enjoyment of the show.

One of the highlights of the drama was the performance of the villain character portrayed by Liu Duan Duan. His character was complex, and he stole the show with Zhang Ruo Yun. He was a lovable villain who admired the hero but had no other choice but to try to kill him. His portrayal was so impressive that he became the second most memorable character of the show.

The season ends with a promise of revenge, leaving the viewers eagerly waiting for the continuation. However, it is unfortunate that season 2 is not yet in the process, the reality is that it may take 3-4 years for a drama or season to arrive. It is rumoured that the web novel has over 2000 chapters, it is then uncertain how many seasons the drama series will have when it will come to a conclusion and definitely when. This makes it challenging to see the big picture and enjoy the show to its fullest.

The problem lies in the casting and scriptwriting. It's not just a few characters in SSS but many that are also cast in JOL (including the white cat! lol), and it's the same scriptwriter. In my opinion, the success of JOL is well-deserved, as it's the most-watched drama for the last 4 years when it first aired. Therefore, all efforts and focus are on the most successful drama. Rumors suggest that season 3 will be produced in 2024. If the production team wants to maintain the same casting, which is not always available at the same time, then it does make sense. Moreover, time is of the essence. If it takes 4-5 years to produce and obtain the “ River Crab” (slang for Film censorship in China) authorization, then all the seasons must be planned and signed to keep the momentum going and prevent the actors and actresses from aging. SSS is an excellent show, and I hope the next seasons can be squeezed in between.

SSS is good with a but…

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What a fun drama this is. In the beginning, I was not really sold on the lukewarm, almost non-existent chemistry between the male and female leads, but the main father-son tandem more than made up for it. If you are expecting romance, this is not the drama, but if you are fond of intricate schemes and a hodge-podge of quirky characters, this is the show for you.

I loved seeing Zhang Ruo Yun portray the cunning heir to the Northern region, who uses his dumb, playboy persona as a cover, but he is really a thoughtful person who values friendship, family and loyalty. Hu Jun as Xu Xiao is so freaking adorable as Feng Nian's loving father who, out of good intentions, plans his son's path to the throne, but does so with more shrewdness and usually at other people's expense. Feng Nian tries to outwit his father's well-intended machinations while his merry band of martial artists travel across mountains and seas to meet his brother and sisters. On the way, Feng Nian meets more allies and enemies while on his quest to fight for peace and justice.

Side characters are very well-fleshed out and memorable. I especially loved Lao Huang and Li Chun Gang who are Feng Nian's mentors/companions. The fight scenes can sometimes be over the top some times but are quite entertaining to watch. Can't wait for Season 2.

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I NEED S2

Sword Snow Stride is about a character named Xu Feng Nian and his journey to have peace in Northern Beiliang, the girl he loves and not become a ruler who sacrifices others. Along the way he meets many enemies and people who will support him. His father Xu Xiao who wants Xu Feng to take over Northern Beiliang but Xu Feng refuses he only accepts when he realizes he can only have what he wants and keep safe the people he loves if takes over Beiliang. As he accepts his position Xu Xiao (Xu Feng Nian’s Father) tells him to set out in a journey to prove his is worthy. Xu Xiao has planned out everything for Xu Feng, every route is checked and every trouble he meets is ultimately solved. Xu Feng dislikes this very much and decides that he won’t walk the path his father has laid out for him, he’ll make his own path.

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Sword Snow Stride - worth the watch!

I just finished the series and have to say, wow, I was pleasantly surprised. At first I thought this would be a hardcore wuxia series packed with action and fierce martial art techniques because of the title. However, it involves more intellect and wit.

If you're looking for complex/amazing action scenes or romance, this may not be the drama for you. However, I highly recommend it to those who enjoy seeing intelligent characters outsmarting each other with their tactics. The plot was a slow burn, but was well written for the most part (minus some of the action scenes, which relied a lot on special effects). I was in awe with how intelligent and witty the characters were - smart yet quirky. The highlights of the drama definitely include the tactics, loyalty of the people in Beiliang, brotherhood and family. I personally think they did a good job with the cast - they suited their roles and had great chemistry.

Although it's only season 1, they wrapped it up nicely without leaving a terrible cliffhanger. Not sure if/when they'll film the subsequent seasons but hopefully soon with the same main cast (please don't change any of them)!!!

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Great Wigs

Story: 8.5/10: the story was nothing spectacular and its funny how everything was fengnians plan all along. so everything fit like a puzzle piece. while I liked xu fengnain i really liked the little side stories they had about people he would encounter. The tale of Xuanyuan was the best arc, and the father literally sacrificing himself for his daughter reduced me to tears. Otherwise, it was a typical palace/political drama at times. The cast-out emperor's son wanted to become emperor. That being said Zhao Kai is a FASCINATING character and I wish he did not die. He had his reasons for doing things, and while it would have thrown the country into chaos, I want him to be happy. He deserves love and a family, and he deserves a hug. And some soup. I know him and Xu Fengnian would have been great friends, so its upsetting that his story had to end this way.
Acting/Cast: I do not think I went into this drama knowing much people in the cast. All I know is Xi Fengnians dad (I call him Papi Xu) and Meng Ziyi. Which she had a small role. Otherwise the acting was..well acting. Nothing was immensely insane that it left me with chills but they did what they needed to do. I was not a fan of Jiang Ni's actress. Now I am unsure if it is because of how the character was written, and then given the directors notes OR if the actor just resorted to pouting through all her lines. She was a character I found skipping over her scenes. I did like her backstory and I felt that she should have packed more a punch. As well, I know the bio of MDL says she is 12 years old, and if she is then that makes me extremely uncomf with everything.
Music: It did what it needed to do, but nothing stood out. Not a memorable ost.
Rewatch Value: I mean it can be rewatched, do not think I will. But it is a show you can easily have on in the background.
Overall: I want to shout out who ever was in charge of the wigs in this show. I have a huge issue with wigs in shows when you can visibly see their lace front, and the wigs in this show was amazing. I was in love with Xu Fengnians wig before I even watched the show. I also loved how the color grading of the show was similar to Nirvana on Fire. It was not too bright and garish and everything was kind of muted. While some of the fighting was eh, I did like that we had a lot of fighting scenes. It made sense since the show was about the martial arts world. I liked the show and I am excited for season 2.

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Epic Series-S1

Review 8-27-2022
I began this series as we waited for the finale of Love Like The Galaxy. We were so invested in that one, that when it was over we all needed therapy. Lol. So frankly... I was a really hard sell, doubting any series could be so captivating.
But to my absolute surprise....this one grabbed me from the beginning.

Things I Loved:

The Setting:
This series felt epic, in terms of scope and scale. Breathtaking panoramic scenery with majestic views that seemed endless.
The backdrop and setting were so authentic, that it felt as if we had stepped backwards in time. 


All of which made for a very cool viewing experience.

The Script:

It was amazing! It felt tight from start to finish. There was never a drag and it never felt artificially extended. How many 38 episode series can we say that about? This script is the collective work of some seriously creative people. They wrote side stories that were so lovely and interwoven that I adored every one. The action was heart pounding fun, with just enough fantasy elements to give it a magical feel. 




The Cast: 

The ML.... oh wow, what a surprise Xu Fengnian was. Initially I thought… really... this guy is the lead?
And then suddenly he was so riveting that I couldn't get enough of him and I swear he gets better looking as the drama goes on. Lol. He mesmerized me ...because his face is so dang fascinating to watch. And the writers nailed his part by drawing his character so authentically that it actually felt as if we were watching him grow up. He went from an incapable and frivolous young man.. to a man of such substance and strength, he inspired great trust in those around him. Absolutely absorbing to watch his character growth. 




The Relationships:
The romance between the ML and the girl was understated but no less real or impactful for all of that. What wasn't spoken overtly was conveyed through various actions and expressions that completely satisfied me. I have the feeling they have set that relationship up nicely for the next season. So I cannot wait for that...yum.
But the relationships between the ML, his father and his siblings were probably the best I've ever seen.
Each one was intriguing as heck, but outside of the ML, the father in this drama was my favorite character.
What an incredible performance by this guy... I loved the emotional tug every time he came on the screen. Eerily he managed to be both childish and deadly at the same time. There were many tender moments with he and his son, which should've been reassuring..but there was an opaqueness to his character that I never felt easy watching him. In my view, this drama would not have been the same without the him in it.
But overall, the relationships were so engrossing that I got lost inside the story...which is how we know it is good, right?

In conclusion:
So if you are one of the few who have not seen this one yet..you are in for a treat...but remember that it starts slowly, so expect that and stick with it. I think you'll be pleased that you did. 

 Don't pay attention to the rating. In my view should be higher and it made me wonder if a lot of viewers didn't realize the second season was coming. Thank you to all the other reviewers on this series. There are so many excellent writers... thank you for your solid informative reviews. After 9k+ others there is no need to write this one..and likely no one will see it...but I wanted to add my thanks to all the cast and everyone involved with this project.
Don't miss this one...it is unique.

Happy Watching!

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Best plot, acting and worth it

This is a really great cdrama, so good that I would rewatch it. The story and flow makes a whole lot of sense, every choice the lead makes is within logic and context of character. No stupid decisions, no ridiculous plot. Good solid story.

Acting is superb. I've laughed and teared along, because each character is surprising with epic dialogues and expressions. The ML acting is good with micro-expressions. It keeps me guessing what's next, what are they thinking of. ML character knows his responsibility and doesn't shy away from difficult reality. A very welcome change from other cdramas that just play the same old tropes of "there's only 1 way out".

Overall I am rating this well because it is a brillant, smart and funny drama. Can't wait for the next season!

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?

Sword Snow Stride is one of the very few dramas that have all of what I usually look for in dramas - a revenge plot with smart schemes, brotherhood and family bonds, light comedy, great fighting scenes, and cunning characters. I like the build up per episodes in this drama. Even though it was a little bit slow at times, but the anticipation and the not knowing what might happen next, really kept me interested and fully invested in every scene. I've seen some people said it but I'll say it again, for fans of Nirvana in Fire and Joy of Life, Sword Snow Stride is a must-watch. You won't regret it.

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Visual Poetry Wuxia-Style

This series is exceptional. The acting, story, pace, and graceful integration of mystical powers within the natural world give the story a gripping but comfortable feel. With interesting, dynamic leads, believable relationships, and many layers of plot, this Wuxia drama finds a fascinating balance between the violence and mercy found within Jianghu.

The visual storytelling is also commendable. It is something like visual poetry, Wuxia style.

Xu Fengnian’s I’m-comprising spirit is the driving force and anchor for the entire story. This series captures it well.

I’m thrilled to know there is more to come!

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A refreshing difference

Xu FengNian is the astute heir apparent to the fiefdom of Northern Liang (BeiLiang). His father Xu Xiao is a powerful general and outstanding strategist who conquers six countries for the LiYang Imperial dynasty and is conferred the title of King of BeiLiang. Although the LiYang emperor honours Xu Xiao with great titles and a huge fiefdom, the LiYang court is wary of his powerful cavalry and distrust him. The last thing they wish to see is another powerful successor.

To secure Xu FengNian's succession to his father, his siblings are sent away by the father to help secure his position, while FengNian has to act as a playboy to avoid an arranged marriage to the bitchy Princess Sui from the imperial family, besides hiding his capabilities. Internally, Xu Xiao's numerous foster sons who hold considerable military power and younger son are also potentially rivals to FengNian's succession and the Prime Minister is trying to wedge division within the family.

The scattering of his siblings all over the empire has saddened Feng Nian. This drama is centred around FengNian's trip to visit his siblings and bring them home, while his father schemes to secure an imperial decree to pronounce him the official successor amid a court that is not friendly to him. Not wanting to destroy and kill, Feng Nian has refused to train in any martial arts from young. Setting out with only a few highly skilled bodyguards and a small troop, he faces numerous assassination attempts and is injured on a number of occasions by enemies of unknown sources. Behind the trip is a huge conspiracy awaiting FengNian, not only from his enemies but his father as well. Very much a strategist and schemer himself, FengNian pit his wits against his enemies and his father. Will he survive his journey, what will he achieve and will Xu Xiao succeed in getting him named as successor?

This drama does not contain triangular love story and rivalry among brothers for the throne, which have become the common themes of a lot of Chinese dramas. After watching many Chinese dramas, these themes have become boring. So this drama is refreshing for a change.

And of course there is the outstanding acting skills of Zhang Ruo Yun. He livens up the drama. I would not place him among the top 10 best looking actors but I would certainly place his acting skills among the top league.

The pace is quite moderate and at parts quite slow moving, but you will be riveted in front of the screen waiting to find out who is behind the various assassination attempts and what is going to happen next.

If you are reading this to figure out whether you should watch this, I give it a thumbs up and recommend it strongly. This is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pf392nvj2_E.

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Noticeable spontaneous acting but with relatively slow and boring pace

This drama is based on a very complicated long journey of a person with a clear conscience! It is involved with many on front moral-test of that person. That person, i.e., prince Xu Feng Nian (XFN) spend his whole life for only one basic moto: "survival" since he was not even born! Throughout his life journey he had to face uncountable sworn-enemies while maintaining a very high moral values for himself. Very powerful personality. A very good story to enjoy. So story is 10/10
I loved the spontaneous acting of every casts; its so natural that it was looking as if they are some real-life character and they are not at all acting but just living their life as we do. I am highly impressed with the acting of Qiu Xin Zhi, Yang Hao Yu,Tao Hai, Hu Jun. So mature acting skill! Obviously they are aged skilled actors, but I never found such a grip on spontaneous expression of any actors in other dramas. Its not a first drama in which so many veteran actors are present, but I wonder, how their acting
are so much strikingly different compare to other dramas!! The most weak acting I have felt here is : Jiang Ni. She did good in some scenes but was mostly a "dull" representative compare to other surrounding actor or actress of her age. Still I have enjoyed the acting so much that it deserves 10/10
Now, I would like to highlight the boring pace of this long complicated story. Countless time I was so bored of this drama flow that I was on verge of dropping it on that instance! Some cases, it was just unbearable. Still, there were some suspense to hold myself back here. I wonder if its the problem of "director" that he made it so boring time to time. The last ~ 10 episodes and first ~ 6 episodes were just awesome and very satisfying to me. In middle, it was very slow! So, I didnt much enjoy it as overall presentation.
Some cool fighting and bickering scenes of Qiu Xin Zhi were very entertaining, love them. He was perfect for the "sword god immortal". Beside him "Zhang Ruo Yun" was looking really a "kid" but I like his effort to blend himself as XFN in this drama. He did very good job as well.

The short analysis presented by a person at the end of each episode ( I am not sure but I think he is the director himself) was without any subtitle, so I could not able to understand anything of it. Thats the regret part of this drama.
Basically, this drama is based on a true survival as well as revenge story, very very carefully conducted so that other side-characters or innocents do not get involved. Very smartly XFN avoided himself from being tainted of "blood of innocents". In such "power struggle", it is indeed very hard to "not getting involved". There is very very rare story plot of drama is available in which the main character stays almost completely clean of "blood of innocents". Most revenge plot just drags many side innocent characters in the bloody revenge and lead them to "unfair death". And we just keep our eye closed to their "unfair" ending while just blindly supporting the main leading character. Thus, this drama is unique on its own.

This drama just reminds me of a phrase " knowledge: tomato is a fruit; wisdom: not keeping tomato in a fruit basket". There many such essence of wisdom are present in the story and I absolutely loved them. Just one notable example of such is when the fight between "sword god vs Wang Xian Zhi" was stopped with mutual unspoken agreement of both for greater good! Also Peach Blossom god came there to protect human-kind! Very deep and powerful plot, indeed.

But, I dont think I will re-watch it again for its super slow pace!!!!

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