The Blood Of Youth Review

The Blood Of Youth (少年歌行 / Shao Nian Ge Xing) is a wuxia drama and it is not often that one can really get a top notch production for this genre. But it has been garnering pretty good reviews generally which made me looked forward to watching it. It is adapted from a martial arts novel by Zhou Mu Nan. Wuxia stories tend to be complicated due to the different sects and personalities involved. It all boils down to plot execution and how the story can be presented to the viewers in a simple to understand and interesting way. The Blood Of Youth review below will have my take on this 2022 Chinese drama.

My rating: 8/10
Episodes: 40
Type: Wuxia
Aired: December 2022
Images Credit: Douban Movie

The Cast Of The Blood Of Youth (2022)

• Li Hong Yi as Xiao Se / Xiao Chu He / Prince Yong’an
• Liu Xue Yi as Wu Xin / Ye An Shi
• Ao Rui Peng as Lei Wu Jie
• Lin Bo Yang as Sikong Qian Luo
• He Zhong Hua as Sikong Chang Feng
• Li Xin Ze as Tang Lian
• Yan Jie as Baili Dong Jun
• Zhang Wei Na as Li Han Yi
• Cao Yu Chen as Zhao Yu Zhen
• Zhao Wen Hao as Luo Ming Xuan
• Zheng Yuan Yuan as Yin Luo Xia
• Wang Bin as Song Yan Hui
• Dong Li Wu You as Wu Shuang
• Flora Dai Yan Ni as Ye Ruo Yi
• Ding Yong Dai as Xiao Ruo Jin / Emperor Ming De
• Fan Jin Wei as Xiao Chong / Prince Bai
• Deng Kai as Xiao Yu / Prince Chi
• Du Jun Ze as Jin Xian / Shen Jing Zhou
• Ma Jing Han as Mo Qi Shi
• Cheng Cheng as Lei Hong
• Yang Zi Hua as Old Master Tang
• Qin Chu Ming as Tang Lian Yue
• Liu Xiu as Ji Ruo Feng
• Liu Yi Chen as Su Chang He
• Wang Jiu Sheng as Li Su Wang
• Zhang Hao Cheng as Yan Zhan Tian
• Ai Mi as Hua Jin
• Hu Wei as Mu Chun Feng

Main Characters

Xiao Se / Xiao Chu He / Prince Yong’an

Xiao Se is an inn owner in a remote snowy area. He is actually a demoted prince who has been hiding himself for a number of years after being punished by his father. Xiao Se is knowledgeable and smart. He can be arrogant but principled with a mind of his own. Xiao Se doesn’t have martial arts skills but has great “lightness” skill that enables him to travel quickly midair. He used to be a martial arts prodigy but his skills have been crippled by an enemy after his downfall.

Wu Xin / Ye An Shi

Wu Xin is a disciple of Abbot Wang You of Hanshui Temple. He is the heir of Tian Wai Tian sect. His father, Ye Ding Zhi, was the head of the sect who died after a failed rebellion against the Emperor. His mother was the Emperor’s ex-consort. Wu Xin has also mastered one of the ancient arts that enables him to look into a person’s eyes and torment them with their inner demons. He is an introspective man with great martial arts ability.

Lei Wu Jie

Wu Jie is from the Lei clan. His master is Lei Hong. Wu Jie is a young lad who is inexperienced in the way of the world but has great potential as a martial artist. He is talented for his age but is simpleminded. Wu Jie is loyal and trusting. He is also good at using gunpowder as a weapon to escape from danger.

Supporting Characters

Sikong Qian Luo & Sikong Chang Feng

Qian Luo is Chang Feng’s daughter. She likes martial arts and is adept at using the spear. Qian Luo has a straightforward and adventurous personality. Chang Feng is the 3rd City Lord of Xueyue City and known as the Spear Deity. He is also one of the 4 guardians of Tianqi City with the codename Vermillion Bird. He is a doting father to Qian Luo.

Tang Lian & Baili Tong Jung

Tang Lian is from the Tang clan but sent to Xueyue City to learn their skills. Hence, he is the first disciple of Xueyue City under Baili Dong Jun who is the city’s Principal Lord and the Liquor Deity. Tang Lian’s master at Tang clan is Tang Lian Yue. Fairy Lady Rui of Belle Manor is Tang Lian’s love interest.

Li Han Yi & Zhao Yu Zhen

Li Han Yi is the 2nd Master of Xueyue City and one of the five Sword Deities. She has very powerful sword skills. Li Han Yi is serious and aloof. Her love interest is Zhao Yu Zhen who is the master of Mount Wang Cheng. Zhao Yu Zhen is also a Sword Deity who is confined to the mountain due to his master’s prediction of calamity should he leaves. He has 2 disciples, Li Fan Song and Fei Xuan.

Luo Ming Xuan & Yin Luo Xia

Yin Luo Xia is a senior member of Xueyue City and Luo Ming Xuan is her disciple. Their specialty is in the art and trickeries of gambling. Yin Luo Xia’s father was the gambling king. She also has a history with Song Yan Hui.

Song Yan Hui & Wu Shuang

Song Yan Hui is the Lord of Wu Shuang City who has never been able to defeat Li Han Yi. He and Yin Luo Xia were lovers at one point but they broke up as Wu Shuang City was his priority. Wu Shuang is his disciple and a martial arts prodigy. He is a young lad who is on his way to fully mastering all the swords in the Wu Shuang Sword Box.

Ye Ruo Yi

Ye Ruo Yi is the daughter of General Ye Xiao Ying. She has a heart disease and has been living in Xueyue City to recuperate. Ye Ruo Yi and Xiao Se know each other from childhood.

Xiao Ruo Jin / Emperor Ming De

Emperor Ming De is the ruler of Beili Kingdom. He has a a few sons who are all vying for the throne. Emperor Ming De is a suspicious and shrewd man. He has a brother, Xiao Yue Li or Marquis Lan Yue, who is working for him.

Xiao Chong / Prince Bai

Prince Bai is the 2nd Prince and Xiao Se’s older brother. He is blind after consuming a poisoned cake meant for Xiao Se when they were kids. Prince Bai is also vying to be the heir although he has a bottomline that he tries not to cross. He is supported by Xiao Jing Xia who is the 9th Prince.

Xiao Yu / Prince Chi

Prince Chi is the 7th Prince and has ambition to replace his father as the next Emperor. He is ruthless but pretends to be carefree and lazy to hide his ambition.

Jin Xian / Shen Jing Zhou

Jin Xian is one of the 5 powerful eunuchs serving Emperor Ming De. He is the Director of Incense and ranked 2nd after Jin Xuan, the Head of Eunuchs. Jin Xian has powerful martial arts skills and tries to be impartial in the selection of the heir. The other 3 eunuchs are Jin Yu (Director of Record), Jin Wei (Director of Sword), and Jin Yan (Director of Seal).

Mo Qi Shi

Mo Qi Shi is also known as the White Haired Immortal. He is from the Tian Wai Tian sect and feared for his martial arts prowess.

Lei Hong

Lei Hong is one of the 4 heroes of Lei clan and Wu Jie’s master. He has not left the Lei clan for years and used to have a crush on Li Han Yi. The Lei clan is led by Lei Qian Hu and is an ally of Xueyue City.

Old Master Tang & Tang Lian Yue

Old Master Tang is the leader of the Tang clan of which Tang Lian Yue is a senior member. Tang Lian Yue is also Tang Lian’s master and one of the guardians of Tianqi City, codenamed Black Tortoise.

Ji Ruo Feng

Ji Ruo Feng is Xiao Se’s master. He is the leader of Bai Xiao sect and holds the White Tiger token as one of the 4 guardians of Tianqi City. He has a daughter, Ji Xue, who is his successor.

Su Chang He

Su Chang He is the Lord of Dark River sect which is an underground sect of assassins. He is ambitious and prepared to risk much to support the right prince to elevate and expand the sect. Supporting him are the Mu and Xie families as well as Su Mu Yu who is known as the Umbrella Ghost and a top killer.

Li Su Wang

Li Su Wang is the Old Master of Sword Heart Tomb. He is an expert sword forger and Wu Jie’s maternal grandfather.

Yan Zhan Tian

Yan Zhan Tian is the Wrathful Sword Deity and one of the 4 great demons. He has great powers as a martial artist and is Prince Bai’s teacher.

Hua Jin

Hua Jin is a divine healer and a disciple of the Medicine King with great healing skills.

Mu Chun Feng

Mu Chun Feng is the third son of the Mu family and designated heir. The Mu family is the richest merchant in the kingdom and controls much of the economy. Mu Chun Feng is not particularly interested to run the family’s business as he is more keen to study medicine. He appears as a naive rich young man but is actually quite astute and a good judge of character.

Synopsis

Xiao Se was the designated Crown Prince of Beili Kingdom. He was a martial arts prodigy and is an intelligent man. However, when his uncle, Lord Long Ya, was accused of treason, he stood up for him. As a result, his father demoted him to be a commoner. Following his downfall, Xiao Se was also nearly killed by an enemy who destroyed his ability to practice martial arts.

For the next few years, Xiao Se maintained a low profile and operated an inn in a remote location. A talented simpleton, Wu Jie, dropped by his inn on the way to Xueyue City for his martial arts adventure. On the pretext of owing him money, Xiao Se decided to follow Wu Jie to the city. Along the way, they met Wu Xin who was being hunted by various sects. The 3 of them formed a deep friendship before Wu Xin parted ways to return to his sect.

As the battle for the throne heats up among the princes, the martial art sects are being drawn into the chaos as they pick a side to support. With different sects supporting different factions, the martial arts world is being turned upside down. Who will emerge victorious eventually?

The Blood Of Youth Ending & Recap (Spoilers Alert!)

The Blood Of Youth has a happy ending. Prince Bai (Xiao Chong) becomes the new Emperor in Episode 40 after the death of his father. Emperor Ming De actually left behind 2 scrolls which named Xiao Se and Prince Bai as the successor. He knew Xiao Se was halfhearted about becoming the Emperor. Hence, he wrote different names on the 2 scrolls to give Xiao Se the option.

If Xiao Se had wanted it, the throne was his for the taking as the Tianzhan Sword has chosen him to yield it. He had also return triumphant from a war to defend Beili’s land from Nanjue. The scroll with his name on it would easily confirm his status as heir. Xiao Se then took Wu Xin’s earlier advice and sat on the throne for a minute to have a feel of the position. He decided being Emperor is boring and not for him. So, Xiao Se chose to let his uncle to read out the scroll that contains Prince Bai’s name as the new Emperor.

While this is similar to Prince Lang Ya’s case in the past, Xiao Se ensured that the same mistake would not occur by destroying the scroll containing his name when Prince Bai gave it to him through his master. With the new Emperor installed, Xiao Se left Tianqi City with Wu Jie, Qian Luo, and Ruo Yi. They return to the inn he operates. In the special episode, they are reunited with Tang Lian whom they thought to have died earlier.

The Lang Ya Mutiny

Prince Lang Ya was accused of treason and quickly sentenced to death. He was the successor named by the previous Emperor and as per practice, there were 2 scrolls to confirm the heir. But Prince Lang Ya wasn’t interested in the throne. When the previous Emperor died, he grabbed the scroll and read out his brother’s name as the new ruler. He then destroyed the scroll. Hence, Emperor Ming De became the Emperor.

However, Prince Lang Ya was highly popular and very capable. The officials and eunuchs kept pressuring him to rebel. If Emperor Ming De kept him alive, chaos would ensue since there was another scroll to confirm Prince Lang Ya’s succession. Driven by political need and selfish considerations, Emperor Ming De quickly executed Prince Lang Ya. This decision had continued to gnaw at his conscience ever since.

In Episode 34, Emperor Ming De finally admitted that he had misjudged the Prince Lang Ya’s case and trusted the wrong people. Prince Lang Ya was allowed to have a rightful place in the royal ancestral shrine and his son, Ling Chen, would command back the Lang Ya Army. Ling Chen gave Emperor Ming De a piece of his mind which the latter accepted. Emperor Ming De also told Xiao Se that he had kicked him out of Tianqi City then to protect him because of the case.

Did Xiao Se Get Back His Powers?

Yes, Xiao Se got back his powers after being cured by Mo Yi in Episode 23. Mo Yi has attained the powers of a Earth Deity although he had his own inner demons. After a duel with him, Xiao Se and his friends managed to bring Mo Yi back to his senses. Mo Yi then reshaped Xiao Se’s meridians which enabled him to gradually re-acquire his previous powers.

Who Are The Villains?

The villain is Prince Chi who wanted the throne. In the process, he was prepared to kill Xiao Se and even poison his own parents. He worked with the Dark River sect led by Su Chang He to use their assassins to try to kill his rivals. Prince Chi also got the services of a poison master to test drugs on the assassins and subsequently on Wu Xin to make them stronger and control their minds. He captured Wu Xin in Episode 29 when the latter snaked in to see their mother in the palace.

On top of that, Prince Chi was also colluding with Jin Xuan, the Head of Eunuchs. This is revealed in Episode 32. It was Jin Xuan who damaged Xiao Se’s meridians and caused him to lose his martial arts powers. He also killed Jin Yu. Their plan was to cause chaos in Beili so that they would be able to seize the throne.

Emperor Ming De spared Jin Xuan when his crimes were exposed as he was his companion since young. However, Emperor Ming De also left word with Prince Bai to kill Jin Xuan should the latter tries to meddle in the selection of the new ruler again. So, when Jin Xuan went to see Prince Bai to convince him to grab the throne before Xiao Se does, Prince Bai ordered him to be killed.

What Happened To Prince Chi (Xiao Yu)?

Prince Chi committed suicide in Episode 39. His plan to kill Xiao Se and grab the throne failed. He thought he could use a drugged Wu Xin to kill Xiao Se and his friends. But Xiao Se and Wu Jie managed to wake Wu Xin up from being mind-controlled due to their friendship and past experiences with each other. Prince Chi’s evilness started from young as he felt inferior to Xiao Se and unloved by his mother, Consort Xuan.

However, Prince Chi was wrong about his mother. After hearing the whole story of how Consort Xuan had sacrificed for him, he couldn’t accept his mistake and failure. He then stabbed himself in the heart and died.

Consort Xuan’s Story

Consort Xuan is a member of the Shadow sect and Luo Qing Yang, the Lone Sword Deity of Muliang City, is her disciple brother. Luo Qing Yang has a deep love for her. But Consort Xuan ended up being married off to Emperor Ming De and borne him Prince Chi. At one point, she was supposedly taken hostage by the Demon sects led by Ye Dong Zhi. This was the story told to protect Emperor Ming De’s reputation. In actual fact, she willingly followed Ye Ding Zhi. They fell in love and she bore him Ye An Shi who was later given the name Wu Xin by Abbot Wang You.

Hence, Wu Xin and Prince Chi are half-brothers. Wu Xin had always wanted an answer on why his mother abandoned him and his father. He went to meet Consort Xuan in Episode 29 and got to hear her side of the story. Consort Xuan was tricked to return to the palace with the story that Prince Chi was gravely ill. After returning, she was forced to stay. In return, Emperor Ming De promised her not to harm Wu Xin and Prince Chi will get to retain his title.

In Episode 39, a frustrated Luo Qing Yang tells Prince Chi that Consort Xuan had sacrificed her happiness to ensure he remains a prince. He had offered to take Consort Xuan away in the past but she had turned him down. This is because she knew Prince Chi didn’t want to give up his status and if she leaves the palace, he would be stripped of his title.

The Blood Of Youth Review – Great Storytelling

One thing that strikes me about The Blood Of Youth is the great plot execution. The story is simple to understand despite the number of characters involved. It could have been a really complicated story like Sword Snow Stride but manages to steer away from too much schemings and palace plots. The long list of characters is still something you have to grapple with and it does take a bit of effort to learn who’s who. But each character has a purpose for their existence although their screen time may be minimal. So, you will have to get used to these characters brief appearances with some fading in and out as the story progresses.

While The Blood Of Youth has been touted as a wuxia drama, it relies on a lot of CGIs and special effects for the fighting scenes. Hence, it has a strong animation flavor to me at times with swords flying everywhere and explosions occurring when the top martial artists battle it out. This is unlike Side Story Of Fox Volant whereby the fighting scenes are more realistic and the duels are beautifully choreographed. So, if you are looking for really good traditional martial arts fights, I think The Blood Of Youth will be lacking compared to Side Story Of Fox Volant. But if you prefer fantasy-like fighting scenes with more drama and exaggeration, then this would a great production.

Little Romance

The Blood Of Youth is hardly a romance drama. Thus, do not watch this for the romance as you will be sorely disappointed. There are no kisses in this drama. If you think The Long Ballad is bad in this department, this drama doesn’t even have hugs to emit a tiny bit of romantic vibes in the main couple! While viewers are told that they have feelings for each other, there is no romantic confession of any kind. In fact, there is no scene to show that they actually got together and became a couple. The other characters do have their own love story as well but again, none is explored in detail.

Therefore, this is a drama that focuses on the male protagonist’s journey to right a wrong done to his uncle and the enemies that he has to face. In fact, his friendship with another guy is more heartwarming to watch than his relationship with the girl he has feelings for. Personally, I don’t even think the romantic element is necessary in the story. It is too little to be of any importance and too bland to evoke any feelings in the viewer.

Good Plot With Twists

The Blood Of Youth does have a good plot to work with. There is power struggle and palace politics but nothing too heavy and complicated like Nirvana In Fire S1. So, it is relatively easy to follow. It is not as emotional as Love Like The Galaxy either with romance being relegated to a very minor part. Where it shines is in the plot twists which help to lessen the story’s predictability and make it more interesting to the viewers.

The way the plot is executed, you don’t really know who is the hidden enemy until much later and who will end up as the heir in the end. Hence, there is anticipation which is successfully built up to ensure you stay till the last episode.

Having said that though, the first half is not as exciting as the second to me. In fact, there are times when I felt bored watching certain episodes. With the number of characters being introduced, it is easy to lose track and give up halfway. But the good thing is that the boring sections do not get dragged out. Things will happen to pull your attention back to the story. Once you reach the halfway mark, it will start to get more exciting as the male protagonist makes his way back to the capital.

Acting

Personally, I find Liu Xue Yi to be the main draw in The Blood Of Youth. This is despite his lesser screen time compared to Li Hong Yi. Liu Xue Yi gives Wu Xin a very intriguing but likable personality. His smirks and confident know-it-all look makes Wu Xin alluring and charismatic to the viewer although he is bald in the drama. Liu Xue Yi also has great chemistry with Li Hong Yi as their characters strike up a deep friendship as part of the plot. Therefore, it is a pity that the 2 actors don’t have much screen time together and Wu Xin doesn’t appear in every episode.

While Li Hong Yi is also convincing as Xiao Se, he doesn’t have any chemistry at all with Lin Bo Yang who plays his love interest, Qian Luo. This is a very odd couple to watch onscreen as you cannot sense that they are in love with each other at all. Fortunately, romance is not the highlight of this drama. Hence, this lack of chemistry is not going to be a major issue but merely a tolerable annoyance.

My Verdict – Watch!

The Blood Of Youth 2022 is a great wuxia drama that you should watch. The 3 male leads are thoughtfully packaged with their eccentricities and flaws to make them interesting and realistic characters. Together with the effective storytelling, the drama becomes pretty addictive overall. With the right balance between martial arts sects and palace politics, you are less likely to feel overwhelmed by either component. So, the complication for both is cut down to bitesized pieces that are easy for the brain to digest.

However, the drama is not without its weaknesses. For one, the ending for the villain is sort of an anti-climax. It isn’t exactly satisfying to watch his ending after all that he had done. Secondly, there is an absolute lack of chemistry between the male lead and his love interest which is a turnoff. Lastly, the brotherhood among the 3 friends are not too well-developed. There is a lack of screen time to really lay a strong foundation to their friendship. Instead, they are just shown to have developed a strong trust in each other in a very quick manner in the early episodes.

For this The Blood Of Youth review, I would rate it 8/10. Again, don’t watch this for the romance because there is minimal to offer. The martial arts fights aren’t that compelling either although the CGIs and special effects are on point and effectively used to cover up those inadequacies. Watch it for the story instead. That alone should be enough to make this worth your time.

==> The Blood Of Youth is available on Amazon Prime (affiliate link)