I subscribe to Drama Tea, and when I saw her recommendation for the second season, I decided to watch season one because it gave me Heroes vibes, and I really enjoyed that series back in the day.

Zhang Chu Lan's ( Peng Yu Chang) ordinary life changes when his grandfather's body vanishes, drawing him into the hidden world of "Outsiders." Pursued by the ruthless Sinister Pleasure and encountering the enigmatic Feng Bao Bao (Wang Ying Lu) , he unveils his superpower and delves into his grandfather's past. He soon discovers that Qi Apotheosis, the martial art he inherited, is one of the Eight Supreme Skills sought by many. In a martial arts tournament, he meets Wang Ye, another Outsider, who warns him of his heavy fate. As secrets unravel and a battle between good and evil looms, Zhang and his companions forge bonds as they search for their own sense of righteousness.

Another drama that wins you over immediately with its ensemble cast. The mix of comedy and drama in the fight scenes was effective, and it kept me invested and giggling. You can immediately see this was inspired by comics or anime, with some nods to American-style blockbuster action films. There were also some really good emotional moments, like in episode 16, when the ML is reunited with his grandfather, and a big shout-out to Fu Bo Han who plays the ML during his childhood flashbacks. Great acting. 

I like Wang Ying Lu in this role. I have not managed to finish Yummy, yummy, yummy and When Destiny Brings the Demon. In this role, she is not trying to be funny, but she is. 

I did not understand the powers of our heroes and heroines. For the evil ones, their powers were clear: lust,  greed, jealousy, etc. But what is this Qi Apotheosis? Why does everyone want it? And why were the elders working so hard to squash it? As you can see, I am invested, but I am not sure where the story is going. Maybe they assume the audience is a fan of the books?  Also, some of the wigs were not good, stiff, dull and synthetic-looking, making it hard to take the actor seriously sometimes. I am not sure, maybe the budget? It really distracted from the story. 

I will be watching season 2, and I hear more seasons will be out in stages. If you are looking for something different from the usual period drama or the modern romance, I recommend this one. It is an enjoyable watch that leaves me looking forward to more. 

I watched this on YouTube but you can catch it on YouKu too. 

I dove in with zero knowledge of the novel/webtoon or animated series... just the online hype, and honestly, the whole experience turned out to be a nice surprise.

Wang Cui Hua (Wang Chu Ran), a workplace rookie, is suddenly transported into a novel, where she meets fellow transmigrator Xiahou Dan (Cheng Lei), the emperor. Together, they struggle to survive shifting alliances and dangerous schemes, all while facing a prophecy that only one of them will live to see the world they hope to create.

The lead couple completely won me over with their jokes, giggles, and clever schemes to save the country.  The hot pot scenes and secret passages were fun. Poor Mr. Bei (Cui Yi and Louis Fan ) and An Gong Gong (Cheng Jun Hao) ...they really put them through it, which had me laughing a lot. Wang Chu Ran captures the essence of her character extremely well despite us not knowing much about Wang Cui Hua's life in the modern world. Cheng Lei smoldering eyes and charismatic wink are his super power. After enjoying this drama, I’ll definitely be on the lookout for their next lead roles.  

Btw the female lead’s costumes were stunning—I suspect that’s where most of the budget ended up!

I loved how the story shifted from lighthearted comedy to deeper emotional and dramatic moments, especially with the emperor’s backstory and the band of misfit heroes (Una You, He Lei, Xie Ze Cheng, Zhang Rui Han and Ji Xiao Fei) working together to save the country. Luo Zi Shuo did a fantastic job portraying the young emperor’s loneliness and hopelessness, adding real depth . I appreciated that each misfit hero had their own story, battles, and challenges, and I was genuinely gutted when most of them didn’t make it. That part of the show kept me hooked until the end, though I wish the budget had allowed for a truly epic final battle.

The main villain, the Prince Xiahou Bo, felt half-baked to me. His backstory and motivations were revealed far too late, making his character fall flat. In fact they did a better job of explaining and building tension around Prince Tu Er (Li Mu Feng). Xiahou Bo ended up as the conveniently evil figure the story needed, but he never felt like a fully realized character. Even his chemistry with Consort Xie (Hu Yi Xuan) was missing. The fact that the prince had so much clear and open access to the Emperor's harem was a little questionable to me. Hugging, touching even kissing them in open spaces seemed to not be well thought through by the screen writer or the director given the Emperor's reputation as a 'tyrant'. It’s a shame, because I’ve enjoyed Tang Xiao Tian in other shows, but something just didn’t click here.

The Empress Dowager, on the other hand... wow what a show... good job to Ma Su . I was scared of her.

There were times when this drama really hit the mark, especially when it stopped trying too hard to be funny and just focused on storytelling. For example, our lead couple's plans do not always succeed and living in this fictional world is dangerous...there are often fatal consequences to impulsive or emotion-driven actions. But there were also moments where things just didn’t come together, like the opening episodes with their over-the-top humour or the last episode, which was tough to watch. What happened there? They had a whole episode to wrap things up and deliver a satisfying ending, but I’m still not sure what we got. And when the Empress was on the run, her bodyguards kept calling her 'Your Highness' around other people even during a scene where royal soldiers were searching through houses in a small village looking for her—how did no one catch that during filming?

I enjoyed this drama, but it left me feeling like I need a break from shows like this, where modern people are dropped into fictional worlds (what the emperor went through was traumatic😓). Would I recommend it? I am not sure. That’s up to you—I have shared my thoughts --- decide if you want to watch...

I watched it on IQIYI.