One of the first things I noticed was the makeup on the actors. Generally, the makeup was gaudy, and sometimes, it was so over-the-top that it leaves you wondering whether the show was attempting a parody or something. Anyway, it was completely lacking in taste.
The acting *sigh*. Aside from a few characters, most of the cast had major problems. Most of them have zero control of their expressions which makes them look fake and very awkward. Gu Han/Xiao Jinghan's evil laugh was the worst when it came to acting, it was truly terrible.
The scenes that were supposed to be very emotional were very bland especially because of the poor acting and they left you feeling impatient. I don't know if it was because of the acting, those scenes seemed very long to me and I couldn't wait for them to end.
The characterization was a major problem for me. Lu Bai was completely lacking in depth which made him very boring and superfluous. He was just an awkward character that appeared all over the place because he was supposed to. The rest aren't any better.
The fight scenes....., the horse riding scenes......., I don't even know where to begin.
Finally, there is zero romance or even hints of it. There aren't any lingering looks, there aren't any touching scenes. We know that this was supposed to be BL because Rongrong shipped the CPs. It is because the relationships and even friendships are not properly developed that the story fails to draw an emotional response except disappointment.