With a title like this and an unfamiliar cast, this is a drama that I would not have paid attention to, were it not for Petra Naefcke, a period- drama blogger I follow on Facebook. Her Facebook Page Love and Sword is a treasure trove of information about drama releases, actor resumes and photo images.
Yesterday Petra posted on Facebook that this drama is bloody good, so I went to look for it. 7 episodes out yet, I sat down and caught 5 episodes, oh my, what an amazing production. I am constantly surprised by how fast the C-drama scene is evolving, you can see from year to year how much is invested in the production- the camerawork gets slicker, the cast more and more polished, but even taking all this into account, this drama shows that it is already way ahead in many aspects. The story world is beautifully rendered, the details gorgeous. The opening episode dives straight into the action, you get pulsating sword fights, very cool soundtracks and many dramatic moments. The plot is simple enough. The setting is a turbulent, war-torn period in ancient China, a young girl loses her innocence very quickly, and lands herself in very dangerous territory.
How many episodes? I don't know, and I can't even find any spoilers, or translations of the book, but it is so good I feel moved to share this first impression.
The female lead is young, tough yet vulnerable and she doesn't have to do cute or helpless, just an unpolished gem that you can watch growing into her character, that of a highly accomplished assassin. In episode 2 we are introduced to the male lead, and he is mesmerizing. He eats up the scenery, his gaze intense and nuanced, their scenes together needs to be rewatched again and again for all the things left unsaid. This actor Qu Chuxiao is only 23, and graduated from acting school last year, but his talent shines brightly, reminding me somewhat of a younger version of Zhou Yu Wei who turned in a brilliant performance as Shoufeng Heye in Tribes and Empires (another series I really really loved).
The series is available on Youku if you can access, if not, I think it will appear in Youtube soon. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!
