I thoroughly enjoy this so much. As opposed to popular sentiment, I love this season more than Season 1. People has been complaining about how this season is much more serious and lacking the ligheartedness of the previous season. But I think that's what make it outstanding.

All of the QiZhai members have been facing so much tragedies and losses (Yuan Zhongxin's beloved brother's tragic death, Zhao Jian also lost her father, Ya Nei's dad is in exile, and the death of their mentor, Lu GuanNian) it's only natural the tone is a lot more somber and they are getting more mature. If after all that they have faced & they still act like they did at the beginning of S1, the writer simply fail at character development.

The Good:

1. The Antagonists

Li Yuan Hao is such a menacing & vile villain but also intriguing at the same time. You want him dead yet a little part of you want him to survive. The actor did such a great job portraying the charismatic tyrant and he also a good looking guy with a beautiful smile (d*mn that smile *aggressively fanning myself).

I also love Yuan Tian Guan character. Not sure if he counts as antagonist but anyway. For me, him and Yuan Hao are the real scene stealers. I sat straight whenever both of them appeared on the screen bcs I know some real stuff was about to go down. Yuan Tian Guan is an abusive dad, no question. But the way he was protecting Yuan Zhongxin in secret is just classic dad move.

His method is extreme & ruthless, but once you get to know the real reasons behind his action, you kind of get him. He is the type of person that you just can't take his words at face value but rather you have to observe his action. When he showed up during the final showdown, I was so excited I literally screamed "yass papa yuan!"

Lu Nanshan is also good. He was so unintentionally funny. Despite his plan to betray the QiZhai, he was still willing to lend them money and it was a lot of money too! I love that scene. Ya Nei is really something else.

2. The Plot

I think the plot of S2 is a lot more tighter and well written compares to S1. The thing about S1 is the plot twist felt contrieved and forced most of the time. The whole time I was like "where the hell did that coming from??" But in this season, the plot twists are actually reasonable and make sense.

The storlyline is also a lot darker with a lot of tragedies. If S1 is a teenager espionage story, S2 is a proper wuxia drama.

3. The acting & casting

I don't know who the casting director is but I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I am obviously dissappointed that Bruce couldn't make it as Ya Nel bcs he was so iconic. But the new guy is surprisingly good. They did a great job casting someone that resembles Bruce (although he looks younger and thinner) so I didn't really have a hard time readjusting to the new face. I also love how Lu Nanshan actually kind of look like Lu Guan Nian. They definitely look like father and son.

The acting has improved a lot esp for Su Xiaotong. The scene where she stopped Wang Kuan's bleeding was so convincing and heartbreaking. You can feel all the emotions played out on her face.

The Bad:

1. Slow Start

I almost gave up halfway through the first ep bcs of how slow it was. Glad I persisted bcs once they arrived at Helan Mountain, the pace was improving.

2. Forced Humour

The humour among the QiZhai is there but it felt really awkward most of the time. The Wei royal family surprisingly did a great job with the comedic part.

3. Atrocious Eng Sub

I know it has nothing to do with the story itself but really Mango TV, you can't even hire a decent translator?? The only eps with decent subs are 1-4 and 25 & 26. Why the inconsistency?? I rely solely on context clue and my very minimal knowledge of mandarin chinese to get through most of it. Don't be stingy and hire a proper translator. Non-chinese speakers cdrama fans are actually doing a lot of free marketing in this era of social media so make a good use of it.

So, overall, I love it!