I couldn't wait to watch this show after the wonderful The Blood of Youth. Unfortunately, Dashing Youth didn't meet my expectations. It was okay but not as good as I hoped.

Cons. Quite poor acting and not actually interesting characters. Baili Dong Jun is really boring and pathetic, especially in the last episodes. But if in TBOY, Lei Wu Jie was mocked at for being pathetic, Baili Dong Jun was taken seriously like it's a normal thing to speak by slogans. Yue Yao, who was quite bright and bold at the beginning, became shout down and quiet like a ghost closer to the end and totally lost on Baili Dong Jun's background. I wish I could empathize Ye Ding Zhi and Yi Wen Jun more but I couldn't.

Pros. This was a great idea to invite the actors from TBOY to act in Dashing Youth. It was amazing to see Bai Shu Yu, Fan Jin Wei, Yan Jie, and Li Hong Yi appearing there. I love the main theme of Ye Ding Zhi and Yi Wen Jun, their soundtrack is very beautiful. Some guest roles were much more likable and intriguing like Sheng Mo [Demon] and Jun Yu [Ji Xia academy’s first disciple]. Each Sheng Mo's appearing was enchanting, and I wish he played more significant role in the show. I also liked some other supporting characters like Xie Xuan, Su Mu Yu, and Li Chang Sheng.

I hope that The Tales of Dark River will not disappoint.