Legend Of Fei Review

Legend Of Fei (有翡) is certainly one of the more highly anticipated dramas of 2020. After all, the male lead, Wang Yi Bo, has such a huge following while the female lead, Zanilia Zhao, is also popular with high viewerships for most of her dramas. Thus, it is hard to put this aside for long. I started this without knowing head or tail of what the story is about as I didn’t bother to find out or read the synopsis. But after a few episodes, I got the drift and continued on. Well, does the excitement last to make this a good drama to watch overall? My comments and verdict are in the Legend Of Fei review below.

My rating: 7.5/10
Episodes: 51
Type: Wuxia
Aired: December 2020
Images Credit: Tencent

Legend Of Fei Cast And Characters

Zanilia Zhao Li Ying as Zhou Fei

Zhou Fei is a straightforward and strong young lady with a mind of her own. She is stubborn and determined. She can also be impulsive but righteous. Zhou Fei was born and raised in Fortress 48 which is founded by her maternal grandfather, Li Zheng. She has a talent in martial arts.

Wang Yi Bo as Xie Yun

Xie Yun is a playful and mischievous young man. He likes a carefree life and is a wanderer. Xie Yun also has excellent light footwork that makes him very nimble. But he hides a past and has a mysterious background.

Zhang Hui Wen as Wu Chu Chu

Chu Chu is General Wu Fei’s daughter. Her father was framed and then killed for refusing to divulge a secret to the enemy. Chu Chu is a courteous and kind lady with no martial arts skills.

Chen Ruo Xuan as Li Sheng

Li Sheng is Zhou Fei’s cousin. He is also part of the Fortress 48 clan and identified successor to the current leader who is his aunt. Li Zheng is his paternal grandfather. His father is Li Jin Feng who was killed by an enemy when Li Sheng was still a young boy. Li Sheng is also envious of Zhou Fei’s martial arts ability and can be impatient to prove his worth. But he is an honest man.

Zhou Jie Qiong as Li Yan

Li Yan is Li Sheng’s younger sister. She is a willful and temperamental young lady but harmless.

Hu Bing as Li Zheng

Li Zheng was the founder of Fortress 48 which is a sanctuary built by 48 martial arts sects as a sanctuary in time of war. He was an upright man who was one of the top martial arts experts of his time known as the South Blade. Li Zheng was much respected and feared. Li Jin Rong and Li Jin Feng are his daughter and son respectively. Zhou Fei, Li Sheng, and Li Yan are his grandchildren.

Che Xiao as Li Jin Rong

Li Jin Rong is Zhou Fei’s mother and current leader of Fortress 48. Li Zheng is her father while Li Sheng and Li Yan are her nephew and niece respectively. She is a strict mother to Zhou Fei which causes a lot of misunderstandings. She is also a principled woman who is unyielding.

Zong Feng Yan as Zhou Yi Tang / Lord Gan Tang

Lord Gan Tang is Li Jin Rong’s husband and Zhou Fei’s father. He has no martial arts skills and is a patient and rational man. He shares a close bond with Zhou Fei. Lord Gan Tang used to be General Wang Lin’s subordinate in the Anping Army while General Wen Yu is his underling.

Wang Chun Yuan as Yu Lao

Yu Lao is an old man who guards the Ximo River at Fortress 48. He is responsible for the spinning wire formation at the river to deter intruders. He has a good relationship with Zhou Fei. Yu Lao used to lead the Ming Feng Pavilion which was a spy organization involved in selling intelligence.

Oscar Sun Jian as Yin Pei

Yin Pei is a subordinate of Dragon Master who is one of the 4 guardians of Si Xiang Mountain. He is a bully and distrustful of others. His father is Yin Wen Lan.

Geng Le as Shen Tian Shu

Shen Tian Shu is the leader of the Di Sha Sect. He is an ambitious and a ruthless man with a steel hand. He is also suspicious by nature. His most loyal subordinates are Tong Tian Yang and Gu Tian Xian.

Dai Xiao Ying as Hu Tian Ying

Hu Tian Ying belongs to the Di Sha Sect but has since retired from the martial arts world. She is a poison expert who doesn’t hesitate to kill. Her most loyal subordinate is Lu Tian Kuang whom she once saved.

Jing Gang Shan as Chu Tian Yu

Chu Tian Yu is an eunuch and was working for the previous dynasty. But he now belongs to the Di Sha Sect and is rarely seen.

Yang Cheng Ming as Huo Lian Tao

Huo Lian Tao is the deputy chief of Huo Manor. His elder brother is Huo Chang Feng who is the chief but sickly. Huo Lian Tao is an ambitious and a greedy man. The family’s treasure is the Seal of Cautiousness.

Guo Xin as Mu Xiao Qiao

Mu Xiao Qiao is one of the guardians of Si Xiang Mountain. He is an effeminate man whose weapon is a zither. He is aligned to Huo Manor and has great respect and affection for Huo Chang Feng who had once saved his life.

Zhang Jia Shuo as Chen Zi Chen

Chen Zi Chen is the third prince of the current Emperor and Xie Yun’s foster brother. He is a naive young man who wants to build up a network with martial artists. His personal assistant and bodyguard is Mr. Bai. He has a romantic interest in Zhou Fei.

Wang Xiu Ze as Yu Wen Zhi

Yu Wen Zhi is a royal court official and an army commander. He is ambitious and has a cooperative relationship with Shen Tian Shu of the Di Sha Sect.

Zhang Xin Yu as Yang Jin

Yang Jin is the chief of a small sect from Cloud Ravine which specializes in medicine. But he is more into martial arts and loves to challenge others to a duel. Yang Jin is an upright man but he is always clueless especially when it comes to romance.

Leng Ji Yuan as Ying He Cong

Ying He Cong is a physician with an interest in studying poisons and their antidotes. He appears silly but is a righteous man.

Dong Xuan as Duan Jiu Niang

Duan Jiu Niang is a muddleheaded woman who appears crazy and forgetful at times. But she has great martial arts skills and practices the Ku Rong Palm. She is also a governor’s mistress while Zhu Bao Shan is her nephew.

Wang Wan Juan as Madame Ni Chang

Madame Ni Chang is the leader of the Yuyi Troupe which does stage performances but also dabbles in intelligence gathering. She is good in martial arts and healing. She was also a good friend of Li Zheng and Yin Wen Lan and admired their talents.

Zheng Hao Yuan as Yin Wen Lan

Yin Wan Len was Li Zheng’s equal and good friend. He was a man with a good reputation with great martial arts skills and carried the valuable Mountain Sword. Yin Pei is his son.

Cheng Guo Dong as Reverend Chong Xiao

Reverend Chong Xiao is the chief of the Qi School which is into trigram formations and traps. However, the sect has declined and has no more followers. Reverend Chong Xiao carries a whisk as the chief. His position is coveted by the former chief’s son, Feng Wu Yan.

Ruan Sheng Wen as Ji Yun Chen

Ji Yun Chen is a restaurant cook who has incapacitated his own martial arts skills. He brought up Yin Pei but is also his enemy. He is the disciple of a martial arts master known as the North Blade and his successor.

Wang Xin Qiao as Zhu Chen

Zhu Chen is from the small Xingnan Sect. He doesn’t have martial arts skills and the family depends on the Huo Manor for business. He is a soft-spoken and polite man with a crush on Zhou Fei.

Ma Jin Wen as Abbot Tong Ming

Abbot Tong Ming is a monk from Penglai Island. He is Xie Yun’s master. His disciple brothers are Chen Jun Fu and Teacher Lin.

Synopsis

Zhou Fei and Li Sheng are cousins and raised in Fortress 48 which is a clan founded by their grandfather, Li Zheng. It is a safe haven during a period of war and instability. Zhou Fei and Li Sheng are not allowed to leave the fortress without permission and the only way to get out without being stopped is to cross the Ximo River. However, the river has a spinning wire formation that could kill intruders.

When Li Sheng tries to cross the river, Zhou Fei has to save him. But she gets into danger instead. Xie Yun is sneaking into Fortress 48 with his excellent light footwork. He manages to overcome the traps and subsequently, saves Zhou Fei from the spinning wires. Xie Yun is evasive of his background but Zhou Fei finds herself trusting him when they meet again during their adventures. They are brought together when Zhou Fei has to protect a late general’s daughter, Chu Chu, from enemies.

In their journey back to the fortress, they encounter various dangers and the name The Color of Ocean and Heaven keeps popping up. They have no idea what it is but people are being killed for it. Hence, Zhou Fei, Chu Chu, and Li Sheng get increasingly drawn into the plot with Xie Yun being an involved party due to his background.

Legend Of Fei Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Legend Of Fei has a happy ending as Zhou Fei and Xie Yun end up together. They are contented as a loving couple at Fortress 48 although still unmarried. Xie Yun is cured by Ying He Cong after they managed to get the Book Of Almighty Medicine. Although Ying He Cong couldn’t be sure of the antidote ingredients, Xie Yun took a gamble to drink the concoction. The poison is his body is neutralized and he survived to be together with Zhou Fei.

Li Sheng and Chu Chu are also together as a couple. Li Sheng has gained recognition among the other sects and proven to be a good leader and strategist despite not having the best martial arts skills. He has learned that he has his own strengths. Chu Chu is enjoying compiling martial arts manuals and many sects seek her services.

Li Yan gains her brother’s agreement to follow Yang Jin to his hometown in the south. Yang Jin has asked her to be with him. Ying He Cong has found his calling and becomes a popular physician. For more details on each episode, you can check out my Legend Of Fei episode summary.

Who Is Xie Yun?

Xie Yun is actually Prince Xiao Chuan and sole surviving heir of the previous dynasty. He was smuggled out of the palace during the rebellion by a eunuch and subsequently found and raised by his master, Abbot Tong Ming, together with the abbot’s 3 disciple brothers. Xie Yun wanted to lead a carefree life but is burdened by his identity and the hopes of those who are fighting to revive his family’s dynasty. He was eventually shot by Hu Tian Ying’s poisoned arrow during a battle.

Abbot Tong Ming’s disciple brother sacrificed his life to suppress Xie Yun’s poison. But Xie Yun ends up being unable to practice his martial arts as he can no longer use his inner energy. Doing so would release the poison into his organs and he would die within months. Thereafter, he becomes a wanderer and hides his identity behind his playfulness and mischievous personality.

What Is The Color Of Ocean And Heaven?

It refers to a treasure that has been secretly hidden by the previous dynasty during the rebellion. Only a selected few know about it and its location is also a big mystery. Apart from valuables, it is also rumored that the treasure stash also includes the Book Of Almighty Medicine which could cure all sorts of poisons and sickness. As for Shen Tian Shu, he knows that the treasure would have the Book Of Iron Refinement which is a manual to craft unbreakable and sharp weapons.

However, various tokens or keys are needed to open the treasure entrance. These tokens are hidden in various items kept by martial arts masters of the older generation. They have risked their lives to keep the tokens and treasure a secret as it would be a disaster if it falls into the wrong hands. These items include a bracelet (Li Zheng/Fortress 48), whisk (Reverend Chong Xiao), Seal Of Cautiousness (Huo Chang Feng/Huo Manor), locket (General Wu Fei/Chu Chu), and Mountain Sword (Yin Wen Lan). Hence, various schemes and attacks have been launched by Shen Tian Shu and his Di Sha Sect over the years to look for and get hold of these items.

In addition, there is also a map to the treasure location being kept by a man named Liu You Liang who is also the guardian of the place. He made Li Yan memorized the map while being pursued by Tong Tian Yang before burning it.

What Is Shen Tian Shu’s Aim?

Shen Tian Shu’s ultimate aim is to overthrow the current dynasty and become the new ruler. That is why he wanted to find the treasure because he knows it consists a manual that will enable him to craft powerful weapons. He knows the treasure exists because he used to serve in General Wang Lin’s Anping Army which fought for the previous dynasty. Shen Tian Shu was brought into the army by Xie Yun’s father after the latter saved his life when his whole family was killed.

He left the army when he was reprimanded by Lord Gan Tang for killing captives during the war. He cut off his hand and left when Lord Gan Tang insisted that he should be held accountable. That is why Shen Tian Shu has a steel hand.

In the last episode, Shen Tian Shu was killed by Zhou Fei during a fight with a stab right through the middle of his body.

Lord Gan Tang And The Anping Army

Lord Gan Tang was General Wang Lin’s deputy of the Anping Army. When the Di Sha Sect attacked Fortress 48, Li Jin Rong pleaded with General Wang Lin to help her father. However, General Wang Lin rejected her plea as he had to safeguard his troops for the state. Lord Gan Tang ended up stealing the general’s badge to order the soldiers out to help Li Zheng. Thereafter, he killed off his own ability to practice martial arts and quit the army to take responsibility. That is why Lord Gan Tang readily accepted the Anping Army badge and went back to lead it when Xie Yun gave it to him on the late general’s orders.

Who Is Yin Pei?

Yin Pei is Yin Wen Lan’s adopted son. But he didn’t know that he was adopted until the captured Tong Tian Yang told him and then confirmed by Madam Ni Chang. That is why Yin Wen Lan’s martial arts practice couldn’t be passed down to Yin Pei as the moves require a special pulse and breathing that only the Yin descendants possess. Yin Pei was an ill baby who was saved by Madam Ni Chang and Li Zheng from a robber who had killed his family. They then gave him to Yin Wen Lan who gladly adopted him.

After his father was killed and whole family massacred, he became cynical and distrustful as he believes that everyone is after his father’s Mountain Sword. He eventually stole it back from Dragon Master. He also has a complex relationship with Ji Yun Chen who raised him but also indirectly caused the death of his family.

How Did Li Zheng Die?

Li Zheng died while protecting Fortress 48 during an attack by the Di Sha Sect. But he was already weakened and dying by then due to the poison in his body. He was poisoned when he saved Duan Jiu Niang who was struck by Hu Tian Ying’s poisoned needle. Duan Jiu Niang had fallen in love with him but kept getting rejected. He rejected her again after saving her life as he knew he didn’t have long to live as the poison had been transferred to his body. Duan Jiu Niang ended up being muddleheaded and a little crazy ever since she found out about his death from Li Jin Rong.

Who Else Died In The Drama?

The Good Guys

• Old Madame Wang – She was killed by Shen Tian Shu and died to protect Li Sheng.
• Zhang Chen Fei – Mr. Bai killed him to save him from being tortured to death by the Di Sha Sect.
• General Wu Fei – Shen Tian Shu killed him for refusing to reveal the treasure’s secret.
• Li Jin Feng – He was killed by Shen Tian Shu while saving Zhou Fei.
• Yu Lao – Kou Dan killed him as he refused to revive Ming Feng Pavilion of which she is a member.
• Huo Chang Feng – He was poisoned and died of stress when his brother took the seal from him.
• Duan Jiu Niang – She died in a fight with Shen Tian Shu as she had wanted to avenge Li Zheng’s death.
• Yin Pei – He sacrificed himself to save Zhou Fei during a fight with Tong Tian Yang.
• Ji Yun Chen – He died after using the Soul Searching Needle to revive his martial arts skills to fight with Dragon Master.
• General Wen Yu – Shen Tian Shu killed him when he refused to cooperate to rebel.
• Liu You Liang – He sacrificed himself to allow Li Yan and her friends to escape from Tong Tian Yang.
• Reverend Chong Xiao – He was killed by Yin Pei who thought he was also after his Mountain Sword.
• Zhu Chen – He sacrificed himself to save Zhou Fei after she was injured in a fight with Yin Pei.

The Bad Guys

• Huo Lian Tao – Chu Tian Yu killed him while he was escaping from Mu Xiao Qiao.
• Dragon Master – Zhou killed him with Ji Yun Chen’s and Yin Pei’s help.
• Kou Dan – Zhou Fei killed her in a fight for betraying Fortress 48 and murdering Yu Lao.
• Tong Tian Yang – He was killed by Zhou Fei and Li Sheng with Yin Pei’s sacrifice.
• Chu Tian Yu – Zhou Fei killed him with Ying He Cong’s help.
• Gu Tian Xian – Lu Tian Kuang shot him when Zhou Fei took him as hostage.
• Hu Tian Ying – Shen Tian Shu left her to die in the hands of Li Sheng who prevented her from accessing her medicine.
• Lu Tian Kuang – Xie Yun killed him in a fight when his weapon broke due to Shen Tian Shu’s manipulation.
• Yu Wen Zhi – He was executed for cooperating with Shen Tian Shu to rebel.

Legend Of Fei Review – A Case Of Hit-Or-Miss

Well, Legend Of Fei is really a hit-or-miss drama depending on which category of viewers you belong to. If you need clarity upfront and must know what is going on in the story, then this is really a pain to watch. But if you are in the category of viewers who like things being slowly revealed and don’t mind so much the ambiguities throughout, then Legend Of Fei can be considered an interesting drama. Personally, it was a bore for me for at least half the drama. Hence, the urge to binge on it is not there until Episode 30 or so when the story starts to pick up for me.

A Good Plot But Poorly Executed (Spoilers Alert!)

In the early parts of the drama, a bracelet is briefly mentioned but there is no explanation of its significance. Then, Chu Chu’s locket becomes the focus and again, we are not told why. Next, comes the Seal Of Cautiousness which seems to be some kind of valuable item that is related to The Color Of Ocean And Heaven (Hai Tian Yi Se). Gradually, it is revealed to be a treasure but it is still all rumors. Even Xie Yun is clueless although it belongs to his family.

So, everything is very vague as you will get a lot of schemings and deaths that are related to The Color Of Ocean And Heaven but there is no clarity on what is it and whether it even exists. Hence, the term always gets bandied about but you have little clue how it ties back to the plot at times. You will only get confirmation that the treasure location is real in Episode 33 when a map surfaces and even then you are still not told what is hidden there.

Simply put, the whole drama is about the bad guy trying to find and get his hands on the location map and 5 items that contain the keys to open the secret chamber housing the treasure. What the screenwriters tried to do is to make it mysterious for the viewers but it was simply overdone to the extent that the story becomes choppy. I’m fine with ambiguities and a slow reveal but the way the story is told in Legend Of Fei doesn’t make it a compelling watch. While it is less messy than The Twin Flower Legend, there are still a lot of characters in Legend Of Fei that makes the story unfocused.

Too Many Characters

The Legend Of Fei has many characters but most of them are short-lived or have very limited screen time. Thus, if you have trouble recognizing faces and names, I think it can get confusing. I can understand that the characters are needed because the story runs along different paths before converging towards the end. But it does get annoying when characters are introduced into the plot and then quickly killed off before you could even grasp their motivations and background.

For instance, Zhou Fei’s father is introduced early on in the drama and appears important. But in actual fact, he hardly has any screen time. As a result, although there is a little narrative to his background, you won’t feel invested in his story because he is seldom seen throughout the 51 episodes. You get a few more of such characters in Legend Of Fei that when everything is added up together, the story simply feels less satisfying.

Acting Is On Point But…

With 2 of the more popular artistes taking on lead roles in Legend Of Fei, there should be a certain level of confidence in their acting skills. Wang Yi Bo’s Xie Yun is a playful character compared to the cold and reserved Lan Wang Ji in The Untamed. He is able to express the less than serious side of the character with his constant smiles and a genuinely friendly demeanor.

Zanilia Zhao’s Zhou Fei is a more hot-headed and straightforward character in comparison and she does emit a hard-edged feel which fits Zhou Fei’s tough personality. While I don’t have much complaints about her acting in Legend Of Fei, it is also not a drama that will propel her to another level in terms of acting prowess. Her expressions, gestures, and body language are on point for most of her scenes but she couldn’t make the character really stand out to move viewers deeply.

Perhaps that is partly why the romance vibe isn’t obvious when the 2 of them are put together especially when Xie Yun always appears as nothing more than a cheeky young man most of the time. Although Xie Yun is a flirt just like Wuji in the Legend Of Fuyao, his relationship with Zhou Fei simply lacks intensity to me.

My Verdict – Patience Needed

Patience is definitely needed to watch Legend Of Fei. It is a slow-moving story that gets peeled off layer by layer to reach clarity only towards the end. Hence, my advice is don’t start if you are more into fast-paced dramas and clean storylines. Depending on whether you see the ambiguities as suspense or annoyance, Legend Of Fei easily becomes a hit-or-miss drama. The story does become more exciting after the halfway mark but you will need to sit through almost 30 episodes to get there.

There are the mandatory fight scenes in Legend Of Fei. However, be forewarned that they are not superb either. They are passable but disappointing for a 51-episode wuxia drama because not even one fighting scene really stands out to justify a rewatch which is unlike Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre 2019. I don’t know whether it is the problem with the choreography or the actress but you can’t feel the power or extraordinary skills in the moves.

The other point to note is that the romance in this drama is the innocent and slow-burn type. The kisses are few and far in between. The main couple do care a lot for each other and you can see that as the drama progresses. But their interactions are dominated by banters, jokes, and even flirting as Xie Yun is a cheeky guy. They don’t seriously express their feelings for each other until a brief moment in Episode 38. Legend Of Fei is not that type of drama that evokes intense feelings between the leads in case you are expecting the kind of love found in Ten Miles Of Peach Blossoms. The romance is kind of light even if they are always together in their adventures.

Still Watchable

Nonetheless, this drama will still have its fans especially for those who like the wuxia genre whereby searches for secretive valued items are standard fare. The ambiguities are lessened if one pays more attention to the dialogues which would make the story more easily comprehensible. You will not get a definite answer until the end but it is not hard to guess either from the conversations and going-ons.

Overall, I would give this Legend Of Fei review a score of 7.5/10. It is still watchable to me despite the weaknesses because the excitement picks up after a while to induce me to cross the finish line. Watch it for the strong female character which is reminiscent of The Moon Brightens For You. She is not a talkative or whiny heroine but one that is confident and determined. There is also no jealous third party kind of love triangle that can be annoying in some dramas. Just give it a bit of time for the story to develop and Legend Of Fei might not be that bad on the whole once you have reached the end.