I started watching the show with my daughter since the first impressions made the show seem like an easily accessible and fantastic 'coming-of-age' story, but boy was I wrong. What starts out like a shallow story with mediorce special effects (which, unfortunately, hardly improve over the course of the season) quickly develops into a complex plot with intrigue, humour and tragedy. Suffice to say that after the first three episodes I continued watching without my daughter since some of the scenes turned out to be somewhat violent and frightening, the story got me hooked pretty quickly. The cast is full of distinguished and memorable characters, some more likable than others, while scenery and attire to their part to create a certain immersion and relatability. The acting of most of the cast is decent, although the range of visible emotions is limited for many of the characters - nothing atypical for Chinese fantastic drama though, as public displays of affection or emotion are unusual and often regarded as inappropriate in the culture pictured in that kind of tv show.
I liked what I saw and binged pretty much the entire show within one week. And, as for good tv shows, I felt that sense of emptiness once it was over, longing to know more about the world and, maybe, a more outlined closure for some of the characters. Not necessarily a bad sign. If you're a fan of either fantasy, ancient Chinese culture or even both, then I definitely recommend this show.
