Dashing Youth (2024) Cdrama Review

The Dashing Youth Cdrama was an interesting, fast-paced Wuxia (Martial Arts) drama based on a Chinese novel. The 40-episode Cdrama focuses on the journey and friendships of Baili Dongjun, a martial artist who begins the drama as a liquor master. As the story progresses we see the friendships, maturity, and knowledge he gains. Total rating: 8.2/10

THE PROS:

The rich world-building and character stories are the highlights of the drama. For people who have not watched Blood of Youth, the initial influx of characters may be confusing but characters are reintroduced often through the episodes.

Secondly, the friendships portrayed in the drama and heart-warming but sometimes not well-established in the beginning. Baili Dongjun's character is extremely likable and the actor does well in portraying his mischievous, but loyal characteristics. I loved the bromance of Baili with his close friends and the relationships between him and his teachers. Many of the side characters are funny to lighten the mood of the drama, and they have unique quirks that allow for good character-building and growth.

For those who enjoy complex characters, this drama brings a good deal of that. The main character becomes more mature and ultimately views opposing perspectives more freely. We also see how other important characters evolve and make difficult or regrettable decisions due to their circumstances as well. I liked seeing how some characters had a pivotal change in loyalties and attitudes towards life as well.

THE CONS:

For my rom-com lovers, this drama lacks romance as it is not a focal point in the drama. Other than the main couple, we must accept the romance between characters kind of blindly as the drama does not invest screen time in developing the female characters or the romances.

Additionally, compared to other Wuxia dramas this drama lacks "action" that I enjoy. The fight scenes are reliant on CGI effects and very little actual sword fighting is seen. Blood of Youth (2022) had more swordfight scenes and I enjoyed the action within it more than this drama.

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THE RECS:

My recommendation for those who enjoyed this drama would be Blood of Youth (2022). The Cdrama is based on the subsequent novel in the series and covers the stories of the next generation of martial artists. This drama was well made but the main character Xiao Se, is a little blandly portrayed. The romance is essentially non-existent but the martial arts fight scenes are much better than Dashing Youth. Total Rating: 8.3/10

My second recommendation would be The Double (2024). This historical fiction Cdrama became extremely popular for the chemistry between the lead characters and the aesthetic of the drama. Although, I agree with this my favorite part was the complex personalities of the two antagonists. The relationship between the two antagonists and their morality was well-developed and unique in the world of Asian dramas. Total Rating: 9/10

My final recommendation is Who Rules the World (2022). This Wuxia drama stars Zhao Lusi, one of my favorite Chinese actresses, who is well-known for her acting skills as she portrayed a range of different characters over the last few years. The main couple has an enemy-to-lovers troupe with decent fight scenes. The production value is high; however, the drama's leads do not have much chemistry, and Yang Yang's (the male lead actor) acting does not capture the essence of the character well. Total Rating 8/10