Side Story Of Fox Volant Review

Side Story Of Fox Volant (飞狐外传) is a serious wuxia drama that is adapted from a Jin Yong novel. He was a very popular wuxia author back then. Dramas such as Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre and The Legend Of The Condor Heroes are also adapted from his works. In fact, Hong Kong’s TVB used to produce quite a number of dramas based on his novels back in the days when the city was the center for Chinese entertainment. A few of them have indeed become classics. Basically, you will have a proven plot from Jin Yong’s novels. It is just a matter of how well the story will be captured on screen. You will find my Side Story Of Fox Volant review further down below.

My rating: 8/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Wuxia
Aired: August 2022
Images Credit: WeTV Official Facebook

The Cast Of Side Story Of Fox Volant

• Qin Jun Jie as Hu Fei / Hu Yi Dao
• Liang Jie as Yuan Zi Yi
• Lin Yu Shen as Miao Ren Feng
• Fair Xing Fei as Cheng Ling Su
• Peter Ho Yun Tung as Tian Gui Nong
• Maggie Huang Meng Ying as Nan Lan
• Hai Ling as Ma Chun Hua
• Ye Xiang Ming as Fu Kang An
• Hei Zi as Feng Tian Nan
• Ding Qiao as Feng Yi Ming
• Yan Jie as Liu He Zhen
• Lian Yi Ming as Emperor Qian Long
• Liu Yu Feng as Shang Bao Zhen
• Ding Zhi Yong as Sun Gang Feng
• Li Xi Yuan as Lv Xiao Mei
• Chen Zhi Hui as Zhou Tie Jiao
• Wang Hui Chun as Tang Pei
• Zhang Chun Zhong as Shi Wan Chen
• Xin Ru Qiang as Xue Que
• Ma Xue Lei as Mu Rong Jin Yue

Main Characters

Hu Fei

Hu Fei is the son of a righteous martial artist named Hu Yi Dao. He is an orphan who is raised by his father’s loyal servant (Fourth Uncle). Hu Fei is a warm and bubbly kid but with a deep sense of justice. He grew up to be a skilled martial artist himself who is courageous and righteous like his father. However, he could be a little impulsive.

Yuan Zi Yi

Zi Yi is a disciple of Bai Xiao Shen Ni (All-Knowing Nun) of the Tian Shan Sect. She has great martial art skills who will stand up against injustice. Zi Yi has a hidden grudge and emotional baggage arising from her background. Beneath her serious appearance lies a warm heart.

Miao Ren Feng

Ren Feng is a top swordsman in the martial arts world. He is feared and respected but also has his fair share of enemies. He is considered a rebel due to his refusal to kowtow to the imperial court. Ren Feng is a brooding man with a deep regret in his heart. He has a little daughter named Ruo Lan with Nan Lan.

Cheng Ling Su

Ling Su is a disciple of the Medicine King Sect. She is an expert on the study of poisons and their cure. Ling Su is very intelligent with great strategic thinking in solving problems. She doesn’t trust easily but is kind at heart.

Supporting Characters

Tian Gui Nong

Gui Nong is the leader of the Tian Long Sect. He is a calculative man who prefers not to antagonize the imperial court so that his sect can continue to flourish. He is also a caring and expressive man who knows how to make a woman happy.

Nan Lan

Nan Lan is the daughter of an official and Ren Feng’s wife. Her father was killed while they were on the way to the capital. She was saved by Ren Feng and subsequently married him. Together, they have a daughter, Ruo Lan. Nan Lan is a simple and kind woman who only wants to have a sense of security and love.

Ma Chun Hua

Chun Hua is the daughter of Ma Xing Kong who runs a reputable goods escort agency. Xu Cheng is her father’s most senior disciple while Hu Fei is like a younger brother to her.

Fu Kang An

Fu Kang An is an official of the imperial court with a royal bloodline. He is a Military Marshal who is tasked to ensure that the martial arts world could be controlled by the Emperor. Kang An is a shrewd man who will plot behind the scenes to achieve his aim.

Feng Tian Nan & Feng Yi Ming

Feng Tian Nan is the richest man in Fo Shan and controls the whole town including the officials. He will put up pretenses of being a good man when necessary but will oppress the people when it benefits him. His son is Yi Ming who is equally cruel and ruthless but lacks his father’s patience and intelligence.

Liu He Zhen

He Zhen is the elder of the Wei Tou Sect. He and the late sect leader are disciple brothers. Although he used to have a hands-off attitude towards the sect’s affairs, he is an astute man who can see the bigger picture.

Emperor Qian Long

Emperor Qian Long is a man of few words who prefers his subordinates to think of the source of the problem and corresponding solution. He is careful and wants problems to be nipped in the bud before they threaten his rule.

Shang Bao Zhen

Shang Bao Zhen is the young master of Shang’s Fort. His father was a corrupted official who was killed by Hu Yi Dao. His mother is obsessed with revenge and he is taught the same.

Sun Gang Feng

Sun Gang Feng is an elder of the Tai Ji Sect and Ren Feng’s friend.

Lv Xiao Mei

Xiao Mei is the daughter of the Tai Ji Sect’s leader. She becomes an orphan after her family is killed. Xiao Mei is a bright and cheerful little girl who loves an adventure.

Zhou Tie Jiao & Tang Pei

Zhou Tie Jiao and Tang Pei are court officials under Fu Kang An. Both are shrewd men who know how to take advantage of a situation to enrich themselves.

Shi Wan Chen

Shi Wan Chen is a poison expert who lives in seclusion after being banished by his disciple brother from the Medicine King Sect. He is a cruel and bitter man who concocts poisons to kill.

Xue Que & Mu Rong Jin Yue

Xue Que, Mu Rong Jin Yue, and Jiang Tie Shan are disciple siblings of the late Poison King, Wu Chen. Jiang Tie Shan and Xue Que are married with a son. The couple and Mu Rong Jin Yue have been at loggerhead for years. The 3 disciples are dishonest and selfish people.

Synopsis

Miao Ren Feng and Hu Yi Dao were top martial artists and good friends. In a moment of recklessness, Ren Feng challenged Hu Yi Dao to a duel to determine who is the better swordsman between them. However, a poisoned blade caused Hu Yi Dao’s death during the fight. His wife also died when she sucked out the blood from his wound to try to save him. The couple left behind a baby son, Hu Fei.

Hu Fei was raised by his father’s loyal servant. He was told that Ren Feng killed his parents and hence, he needs to avenge their death. By the time he is an adult, he has mastered the Hu family’s sword fighting techniques with the intention to kill Ren Feng. Along the way, he meets Zi Yi whom he has deep feelings for but the relationship is fraught with misunderstandings.

After a series of adventures to help the oppressed, Hu Fei ends up meeting Ren Feng by chance. But the good in him weakens his resolve to kill the man who supposedly caused his parents death. He also learns that there is more to the story behind the incident than what he was told.

Side Story Of Fox Volant Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

Side Story Of Fox Volant has a bitter ending. But given how the story progresses and its tone, the ending is expected. After all, the drama is adapted from Jin Yong’s novel and it can’t run too far away from the original story without inviting criticism.

In Episode 39, Ren Feng kills Gui Nong to avenge Hu Yi Dao’s death. But he also dies in a hail of bullets when he sacrifices himself to allow the rest of the Red Flower Society members to escape with Fu Kang An as the hostage. In Episode 40, Emperor Qian Long decides on peace with the martial artists in return for releasing Fu Kang An.

With the settlement, Zi Yi returns to Tian Shan Sect as a nun with her master. Hu Fei follows Ling Su to Medicine King Valley. They spend some happy time together until Shi Wan Chen shows up with her 2 disciple siblings, Xue Que and Mu Rong Jin Yue. They demand for her master’s secret poison book. Hu Fei kills the 2 disciples and slits Shi Wan Chen’s eyes. However, Hu Fei is poisoned during the fight. Ling Su sacrifices herself to save Hu Fei. She dies after sucking out the poisoned blood from his wound.

A few years later, Ruo Lan is now a little girl. She is at her father’s tomb together with her mother and Hu Fei. Ren Feng and Ling Su have been buried next to Hu Yi Dao and his wife. There is a flashback of Hu Fei killing the blind Shi Wan Chen. The last scene is of Hu Fei narrating to Ruo Lan the sad story of the flower goddess and her missed lover which is reminiscent of his own life experience.

Zi Yi’s Background

Zi Yi’s father is Feng Tian Nan who is a greedy and cruel rich man who oppresses the ordinary folks. However, he has no idea she is his daughter. Zi Yi was conceived when her mother got raped by Feng Tian Nan while working as a maid in his mansion. Her mother was then accused of seducing Feng Tian Nan and got thrown out by his wife.

A few years later, Zi Yi and her mother were working in Tang Pei’s mansion. Tang Pei is a corrupt official who has been colluding with Feng Tian Nan. Her mother overheard their evil plan and was killed by Tang Pei when caught. Zi Yi was sold to a human trafficker to be a prostitute but was saved by her master. Thus, Zi Yi has always led a life of burden and guilt as she is carrying the sins of her father.

When Did Hu Fei Find Out The Truth?

At the start of the drama, Hu Fei is told by his father’s loyal servant that Ren Feng killed his parents. So, his mission has always been to kill Ren Feng to avenge his parents’ death but in a righteous way of a duel. Hu Fei meets Ren Feng as an adult in Episode 18. He finds Ren Feng trying to save his parents’ memorial tablet from getting burnt which surprises him when Gui Nong’s men launch an attack.

Ren Feng guesses correctly that Hu Fei is Hu Yi Dao’s son in Episode 22 due to the sword techniques that he uses. Ren Feng offers to be killed by him after a good fight but Hu Fei couldn’t bring himself to do it. Later, Hu Fei learns from Ling Su that his parents’ death was caused by a poisoned blade. Ling Su was there when Ren Feng came to see her master for clues about the poison.

Hu Fei finally knows who is the real killer in Episode 39. Gui Nong uses the same poison on his blade in the sect leaders’ contest when they fight. Ling Su points that out to which Gui Nong readily admits.

Who Killed Hu Fei’s Parents?

Gui Nong is the culprit behind their deaths. His intention was to kill Ren Feng but the 2 swordsmen ended up exchanging weapons during the duel. Gui Nong and Ren Feng were childhood friends as their families know each other. But Ren Feng has always been the famous one due to his martial arts talent. Gui Nong was reduced to a nobody beside him. Thus, he became envious that he couldn’t defeat Ren Feng.

His dissatisfaction boiled over when Ren Feng became sworn brothers with Hu Yi Dao and showed the latter the Miao family’s sword techniques despite knowing him only for a short time. Although his plan to kill Ren Feng failed, he was happy at the turn of events because Hu Yi Dao’s death caused Ren Feng to live a life of pain and regret. Gui Nong admits to all his evil schemes in Episode 36 after he has captured Ren Feng by threatening him with Ruo Lan’s safety.

Did Zi Yi And Hu Fei Get Together?

No, they didn’t become a couple. Zi Yi and Hu Fei developed feelings for each other after their adventures together in the earlier episodes. But Zi Yi refuses to accept Hu Fei’s confession and separates from him in Episode 16. This is when Hu Fei wants to kill Feng Tian Nan but is stopped by Zi Yi. Hu Fei is in the dark about Zi Yi’s motives which becomes a source of their misunderstanding.

After their separation, Hu Fei still has deep feelings for Zi Yi but they didn’t meet again until Episode 27 when both of them end up in the capital. They get entangled with each other again due to their missions. Hu Fei finally figures out that Zi Yi is working for the Red Flower Society to save the pugilist world in Episode 35. He wants to be with her but she rejects him. Zi Yi also reveals to him that Feng Tian Nan was her father whom Hu Fei had killed in Episode 34. Thus, it is her karma and that they are not meant to be.

In Episode 38, Fu Kang An demands an answer on Zi Yi’s connection to Feng Tian Nan who had been framed as having links to the Red Flower Society. She has to tell Fu Kang An her background and hatred for her father to ensure his continued trust so that her sect’s undercover mission could succeed. She becomes a nun on her master’s suggestion to convince Fu Kang An of her story. Hu Fei is shocked when she appears as a nun in Episode 39. In the last episode, they separate for good due to her new identity and go back to being strangers.

Is There A Love Triangle?

After being separated from Zi Yi, Hu Fei meets Ling Su in Episode 18 when he goes to her valley to try to seek a cure for Ren Feng’s blindness. She falls for him as she finds him sincere and trusting. But Ling Su also knows that Hu Fei only has Zi Yi in his heart. So, when Hu Fei asks Ling Su to be his sworn sister in Episode 23, she pretends to be happy and agrees. Furthermore, Ling Su has always been sickly due to being poisoned when she was young. Hence, she doesn’t have long to live outside of her medicinal valley but keeps it a secret from Hu Fei so as not to distract him from his mission.

Zi Yi meets Ling Su in Episode 33 and they have a heart-to-heart talk about their feelings for Hu Fei. Zi Yi reveals about her background and why she couldn’t be with Hu Fei. Ling Su does the same. Both women end up being trusting of each other.

After Zi Yi becomes a nun and their mission for Red Flower Society accomplished, Hu Fei follows Ling Su back to her valley. They are happy but not yet a couple. In the end, Ling Su dies in Episode 40 when she sacrifices herself to save Hu Fei from being poisoned to death. She mentions about love in her dying breath. A few years later, Hu Fei is still melancholic over Ling Su’s death.

Gui Nong & Nan Lan

Nan Lan asks for separation from Ren Feng in Episode 12 as she could no longer live a life of worry and loneliness over his obsession to avenge Hu Yi Dao’s death. She then becomes Gui Nong’s woman and is pregnant with his child. However, she falls and miscarries in Episode 16 and diagnosed as barren in Episode 27.

Gui Nong’s hatred for Ren Feng intensified as a result. He thinks Nan Lan’s depression and problems are caused by Ren Feng because the latter took away Ruo Lan from her. Gui Nong blinded Ren Feng through his evil scheme in Episode 18 but he is subsequently cured by Ling Su. He finally captures Ren Feng in Episode 36 by using Ruo Lan to threaten him. Ren Feng is then chained up and tortured.

Nan Lan becomes suspicious when Ruo Lan is returned to her as she knows Gui Nong cannot possibly defeat Ren Feng to get back her daughter. She rescues Ren Feng in Episode 37 after overhearing Gui Nong’s narration of how he caused Hu Yi Dao’s death. Gui Nong also sees Nan Lan as a reward and reminder that he has finally bested Ren Feng in some way.

Nan Lan goes back home with Ren Feng together with their daughter after escaping from Gui Nong’s sect. She finally understands that Ren Feng is a hero and tells their daughter so when he leaves for the sect leaders’ gathering. She cries when Hu Fei and Ling Su bring news of Ren Feng’s death in Episode 40.

Other Key Events

• Zhao Ban Shan takes Hu Fei as sworn brother in Episode 17. He is a leader of the Red Flower Society.
• Hu Fei defeats Gui Nong in Episode 21 when the latter tries to kill Ren Feng whom he blames for causing Nan Lan to miscarry.
• Shang Bao Zhen tells Fu Kang An about Chun Hua in Episode 24. Fu Kang An is the biological father to her twin boys although she is married to Xu Cheng.
• Hu Fei meets Chun Hua again in Episode 25.
• Xu Cheng dies in Episode 25 during an attack by Shang Bao Zhen to kidnap Chun Hua’s sons. Chun Hua kills Shang Bao Zhen in return.
• Chun Hua meets up with Fu Kang An again in Episode 26 but is poisoned by his mother later due to her low status.
• Shi Wan Chen kills Xue Que’s son in Episode 26. Xue Que is also forced to kill either her husband or Mu Rong Jin Yue. She chooses to kill her husband as her son’s father is actually Mu Rong Jin Yue. They are then threatened by Shi Wan Chen to be his disciples.
• Yi Ming dies in Episode 33 while trying to capture Zi Yi.
• Feng Tian Nan is killed by Hu Fei and Tang Pei is poisoned by Zhou Tie Jiao in Episode 34.
• Chun Hua dies in Episode 39 after being shot while helping Hu Fei to escape from the imperial guards’ pursuit. Fu Kang An is with her when she dies.
• Fu Kang An decides to let his sons to follow Hu Fei rather than bringing them back to the palace in Episode 40. Xiao Mei and the twin boys are with Zi Yi and her master when they go their separate ways to return to Tian Shan Sect.

Side Story Of Fox Volant Review – Wuxia All The Way!

Side Story Of Fox Volant should delight wuxia fans. It is a drama that have lots of fighting scenes but without the annoying slow-motions that plagued Heaven Sword And Dragon Sabre 2019. You will have the leads fighting others in a town square, on poles, stepping on bowls, onboard a ship, and many others. The wuxia flavor is very strong with this one and you can immediately sense it when the drama begins. A very confident and cool but brooding martial artist just sets the right opening tone for the drama.

The way the story is structured will take you on an adventure involving a young martial artist and a top swordsman who is his revenge target. So, the scenes will keep switching between these 2 protagonists in the beginning before more characters are brought in. I’m not sure if this style of storytelling will annoy some viewers but it does take some getting used to for me. There are quite a few characters in the drama and each one of them has a story to tell. So, a few subplots could be a bore along the way.

However, I find the pacing to be pretty fast for this one despite the not so interesting subplots at times. The attention on a particular character is not lengthened unnecessarily in each episode as you tend to have a few storylines running concurrently. So, it helps to keep the drama from being overly draggy.

Not The Best Ending (Spoilers Alert!)

The last one and a half episode is a letdown in some way. After a generally exciting drama throughout, it falters just before it crosses the finish line. It has nothing to do with the fate of some of the main characters but the events leading to their ending. For one of the heroes to die in a hail of bullets when this is supposed to be a wuxia drama just doesn’t do the character justice. Similarly, the 5-second flashback at the end whereby the last villain is killed also leaves me feeling a little shortchanged.

Not all loose ends are nicely tied up either. We don’t really have a clarification on the plans for the twin boys and Xiao Mei. They are supposed to follow Hu Fei and Ling Su but the ending doesn’t indicate so. It is not a major issue but the lack of proper closure is there.

Acting

To me, Lin Yu Shen stands out in Side Story Of Fox Volant. He is such a versatile actor. He gives you a totally different feel as a lovestruck CEO in Dating In The Kitchen compared to his role as a brooding martial artist in Side Story Of Fox Volant. Lin Yu Shen manages to bring out the character’s anguish and regret in this wuxia production with his sad eyes and forlorn expressions. It is just too bad that his character disappears midway through the drama before reappearing towards the end.

I have nothing against Qin Jun Jie’s acting but he simply looks too matured for the role of Hu Fei. The character is supposed to be 18 but he looks 30 which is the actor’s actual age in real life. So, that sense of immaturity and impulsiveness that are part of Hu Fei’s personality is kind of lost on Qin Jun Jie to me.

It is also nice to see Liang Jie playing a different role from the usual for a change. She has appeared in quite a few romance dramas from Mr. Honesty to Time Flies And You Are Here. In Side Story Of Fox Volant, she is supposed to be a conflicted character with lots of emotional baggage. She does well with the hidden feelings whereby she appears stoic and indifferent in her body language but her eyes reveal the opposite.

Fair Xing’s Ling Su has a totally different personality to Liang Jie’s Zi Yi. Similarly, this is a change from her usual sweet dramas such as My Little Happiness and Miss Crow With Mr. Lizard. She is convincing as a witty Ling Su but her secret pain of her unrequited love for Hu Fei is also adequately expressed through her teary eyes.

Chemistry

As this is not a romance drama, I’m not too particular about the chemistry between the actor and actresses. In fact, I prefer to see Lin Yu Shen and Qin Jun Jie together! Unfortunately, their joint appearances are pretty limited in the drama. Their duel is definitely a clip that is worth rewatching though and it should be one of the highlights of Side Story Of Fox Volant.

Qin Jun Jie doesn’t really have blazing chemistry with Liang Jie to me but enough for a wuxia drama. His appearance with her does give off some love vibes compared to his scenes with Fair Xing which has a more sibling feel. I guess the leads know how to project the different nature of the relationship to allow viewers to recognize the contrast. Just bear in mind that this drama doesn’t thrive on romantic chemistry and you will not be disappointed.

My Verdict – A Great Wuxia Drama

It is not very often that we get a really good wuxia drama. Side Story Of Fox Volant is one these few in recent times. It has that traditional feel of martial arts world with righteous heroes. It differs a little from the novel though. So, if you prefer the screenwriters to stick very closely to the original story, then you may deduct some points for that. Overall, I’m okay with the changes. The story doesn’t run all over the place despite all the different characters and subplots in the novel.

I think you really have to like the wuxia genre to appreciate this one. The fights are beautifully choreographed and there is one in every other episode. If you are not a fan, I suspect these scenes can become senseless and repetitive. But the leads did their parts very well and if they did use a double, it is not noticeable. The way it is filmed makes the fights seem real and exciting to watch. This is pure martial arts without CGIs that you often see in xianxia dramas like Immortal Samsara.

This is also not a full-blown romance drama in the mould of Love Like The Galaxy either. The romance is subtle. Thus, there is no lovey-dovey scene to look forward to. This is classic wuxia with all the regrets, anguish, revenge, and lost love of the protagonists.

For this Side Story Of Fox Volant review, I would give it a score of 8/10. I would have rated it higher if not for the weaknesses in the last 2 episodes. Some arcs also went on for a bit too long than necessary. But overall, this production managed to bring out the soul of the author’s original work and the corresponding wuxia spirit effectively.

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