Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

It’s finally a wrap for Fighter of the Destiny! Did you make it through to the final episode? Hope so!

Stills:

Male lead, Lu Han.

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Female lead, Gulnazar.

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OTP.

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Janice Wu Qian. Still looking adorable with that orange highlighter!

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Fanmade MVs:

General Questions to Ponder In Your Review:

1. Did the drama do a good adaptation of the Novel?
2. What changes to the drama you liked and which you didn’t like?
3. What is your favorite thing about the drama? Naturally, Least favorite thing?
4. Who or what is the saving grace of Fighter of the Destiny?
5. Were the chosen actors and actresses what you have in mind? Did they perform their roles well?
6. Your favorite character, moment, and couple(s)?
7. Was the ending satisfying? Loose ends tied up? Or Messy mess mess?
8. Would you consider the drama a successful adaptation of the novel?

Feel free to throw out your own questions for others to answer!

How many seashells 🐚 as a final rating (1 = Do No Watch, 5= so so, 10 = Must Watch)?

  1. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    I was reluctant to watch this because the guy is too young for GLNZ and how well do they match each other by looks? Well, 0%. Besides, they also gave Janice ridiculous make up.

    Sorry I might sound quite rude, but I watched most of part 1, and now I’m only up to episode 10 by skimming through every single episodes, this drama is very very fast paced but a little way too fast that there was no creativeness (totally zero), there was really no intense moment at all, so while skipping there wasn’t a moment where I would like to stop by to watch any scene for longer than just 2 minutes. Janice Wu was cute but she didn’t help much, everything was just too fast. They overly have way too much details to fit in a single episode or something, so nothing gets intense or something, or something is wrong and I don’t know what it is but the interestingness didn’t kick in. I don’t understand the point of so many characters, nobody even have good chemistry together.
    If anybody finds a scene that is intense to watch, let me know I’ll skip to there or go back to rewatch what I missed.
    Also I would appreciate spoilers, however I am not dying to know anything at all like usual. For other dramas that I drop, I still at least have interest to know what happen.

    What they did well? All the grand styling and background for sure. Compare to 3l3W quality I can kind of see how people hair are fuzzy behind the fake background, maybe my eyes are just too good, so I find the quality to surpass others.

    GLNZ proved to me more than ever she is a good XLN, there shouldn’t be no more condor heroes remake and she got a role here very similar to XLN who does not smile or get jolly at all. Her dubber’s voice is very mature and such a serious but gentle tone, soothing to hear too. How I feel about everyone so far is very neutral, because everybody is so robotic that I can’t really judge which orange out of the 5-10 oranges are sweeter or more sour, all of them just taste like…plain oranges?

    • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

      LOL. LuHan is actually older than GLNZ by 2 years but I guess you meant by the actual appearance, haha. I get you.
      Hmm, was waiting for this to end to see reviews and then debate whether I should marathon it.
      I’m confused by your last statement about GLNZ being the perfect XLN but no more condor heroes remake? LOL…

      • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

        yeah I do mean by the looks, and wow I didn’t know he is actually older!

        There are just too many condor heroes (Prob all jin yong) remakes and I don’t have much interest (and kinda give up) in watching new ones. I just mean since she can’t get into the actual XLN role, her role here is almost the same already anyway. Very very emotion less.

        You should give this a try, jk, I just wanna know if I’m crazy or something bc I seriously couldn’t bear to un-pause while skimming skimming skimming through this thing, like tons of hours of beautiful people and background are going down to waste or just me?

        • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

          Ohh did she also audition for the role of XLN? Didnt know that.. she would have been a better pick than Michelle Chen lol

    • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

      LOL I thought the same. GLNZ just looks too mature to be paired with LH. The irony is that he is actually older than her in real life. LH just has too boyish of a look and his skinny stature doesn’t help either… When I saw them together in the drama, I thought LH looked more like her younger brother than her love interest. That scene where LH hugged her when he found out her real identity made me cringe LOL (the pic above). Def needs some getting used to to seeing them together in the drama as OTP…

      And yes, Janice Wu’s makeup really didn’t do her justice here. She is one beautiful lady and that orange blush is just (-_-) thank god, her make up looks better in that upcoming Tong Hua wuxia drama.

      I agree that XYR’s character arc is sorta similar to XLN, cold and rarely smiles. This might be the perfect character for actresses who haven’t found their acting mojo yet as you don’t need to be able to showcase wide range of emotions…

      Few things I like about this drama are probably the beautiful actors, costumes and the CGI. They certainly cast pretty people and shot nice sceneries (I can’t remember a scene where GLNZ aka XYR looked ugly here; she always looked sooo beautiful and perfect- def very easy on the eyes). Costumes are pretty too especially the ones worn by the Empress. I’m glad GLNZ didn’t have her hair styled in top buns like Michelle Chen in ROCH (never like this kind of hairstyle). The special effects and CGI weren’t that bad too but I guess good CGI/special effects is a must nowadays. Things I’m disappointed most are the fighting scenes and acting. For a wuxia xianxia drama, I expected better kung fu and martial arts scenes so this aspect was tad bit disappointing.. The fighting seemed too easy.. On the acting-front, pretty much everyone looked robotic which is to be expected I suppose. It’s apparent that LH is definitely new in the whole acting business (often times, it seems that he merely reads the lines without showing any emotions- robot)… I can’t say much on GLNZ’s character since she was supposed to be a cold goddess with no joy in life; most times she just had a poker face (not sure if this meant lack of acting or just her character) 😛

      I haven’t read the novel so I’m not sure if this drama did good with the novel but I did hear that they made few changes to the plot. I guess this is a normal occurrence with book-to-reel adaptations… Ending-wise, I’m pretty satisfied though it did feel like they were trying to squeeze too many things towards the end.. Last few episodes were literally on crack LOL.

      Btw is it just me or GLNZ seems to be getting prettier by the years? She used to look rather plain in her old dramas but here, she definitely killed it LOL.

      • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

        Rather than a little brother, he looks more like her little sister. Honestly, Lu Han is too small plus his facial features are too soft. I watched snippets (probably all in all < 5 mins of the drama) and his styling, acting and gestures don't help. I do wonder what's the age range of his fans. I mean, you must be very very young to like an actor who's not a bit masculine at all.

        I think GLNZ's fairer now and the shape of her face is a little sharper as well. Better makeup helps too. The last I saw her was in her very first drama where she looked absolutely lifeless. At least she now has some colours on her face, which may contribute to you finding her better looking than before.

  2. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    In short: it’s an enjoyable drama if you like romance between beautiful looking people LOL

  3. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    I do have the very last ep to watch, but with thay said:

    The story does follow the novel on the grand schemes of things but the novel is too long anyway for the drama, even with its episode count, to be faithful in details. I think this is sometimes a detriment because details are lost in logic construction of certain events (so the same thing could happen in the novel and it would make sense whereas in the show it appears as lazy writing); and the plot doesn’t get a chance to build up to a proper climax. For example, drama and suspense could be milked at the Qingyun and Dachangshi competitions, or the Chuyuan explorarion, or CCS’s reveal and rise as the Crown Prince. But they never gained enough momentum. “Oh, Changsheng is the lost prince? Ok, whatevs” is basically everyone’s reaction. How is that even normal? XYR’s father made so much fuss about CCS’s humble background but they weren’t gonna shove this reveal in his face, at least for a few eps before the next big gouxue reveal? That would have been so delicious. But I guess the upside about this is that the show stays unfrustrating because things just quickly resolve.

    Most of the time I am distracted by how pretty LH looks and by the twinkles in his lovely eyes. He’s fairly decent for the role, considering CCS is a terminally ill scholarly type. He is sometimes green but has the good graces of not overacting. He has really good chemistry with Janice’s character, pity they weren’t canon.

    GLNZ tries. At least I’ll give her that… if her character was allowed to be more open it might have been better. It’s a tough acting job to play someone like XYR and not be boring. She should do someone more transparent next time.

    I like the camaraderie of Guojiaoxueyuan. They were all cute darlings, including Qijian from Lishan.

    Overall, it’s 3/5

    • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

      I’m reading the novel and I think that they tweaked Nazha’s character to have more lines, they even changed the interaction earlier. XYR and CCS did not yet meet each other as themselves as of the latest chapter translated (495). The did meet in the Garden of Zhou but they used aliases.

      I like Lu Han enough but he really look likes very young, and according to my male friends prettier than the rest of the ladies. I can’t still watch Nazha, leftover from her CoMS times.

      Overall, FotD has nice visuals. Too bad that it could not add up to expectations.

      • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

        The novel is currently at Chapter 1185. I’m not sure the ending is in sight anytime soon.

      • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

        Yep they don’t recognize each other until much later so the loveline is a bit different. Other characters and loveline changes include: Tang Tang and Mo Yu are not lovers in the novel, Qiushan Jun is honorable and not blinded by love, Qi Jian’s guy got cut completely in the drama etc.

        I think they took something very complex and dumbed it down… if you haven’t read the novel it’s still entertaining but readers will find it blasphemous.

        • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

          Agree, except for this drama being entertaining. I couldn’t count how many times I uttered “For crying out loud!”

  4. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    the ending were suck,anyone would watch from the beginning until the end ,would understand what i’m mean about,causing a confusion and mindfuck,fuck off the director..

  5. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    I only got to ep 41 then the YouTube channel deleted all their vids. I would really like to finish it up since it was already close to the ending.

    Overall it was pretty enjoyable up til then…hopefully it gets reuploaded and subbed so I can finish it.

  6. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    I want to buy anyone who finished this a cold beer. I couldn’t get through 5 eps of this. The acting was obviously going to be bad since neither leads are known for their acting but the plot was just so boring! I would rather watch a cheesy idol drama to be honest.

  7. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    I watched the first episode and did not finish. I don’t like GLNZ acting but it is nothing against her personally (she is very pretty and all…) just that I find her somehow “lacking” in expression. Whereas Luhan is just too feminine and pretty. I want my hero to be a little more masculine and manly. He is cute but …….Anyway no offense to Luhan or GLNZ fans out there ok. This is just my opinion.

  8. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    1. Did the drama do a good adaptation of the Novel? [Didn’t read the novel.]
    2. What changes to the drama you liked and which you didn’t like? [Didn’t read the novel.]
    3. What is your favorite thing about the drama? Naturally, Least favorite thing? [Wu Qian as Princess Luoluo, Johnny Zhang as Qiushan Jun, Lin Siyi as Little Black Dragon and most of the supporting cast. All the queens were truly BEAUTIFUL and ethereal and graceful. I even liked Qu Zheming as Tianhai Ya’er as the bumbling, idiotic but hilarious side villain.]
    4. Who or what is the saving grace of Fighter of the Destiny? [Wu Qian definitely. I also loved most of the scenes with the queens. They were all so noble and grand.]
    5. Were the chosen actors and actresses what you have in mind? Did they perform their roles well? [Lu Han: He’s earnest, but that’s about it. Frankly he was a crappy hero & even crappier best friend & mentor. Nazha: Much better here than she was in Chinese Paladin 5…scarred for life, I tell you. She’s still pretty wooden in here, but more fluid later into the drama. Joseph Zhang as Tang Thirty-Six was the comedic break, but i find his acting and character somewhat forced and most definitely a plot device. Same for Little Black Dragon/Black Bear/Lu Han’s senior ‘brother.’ Johnny Zhang as Qiushan Jun did very well. He’s gorgeous, chiseled enough to cut ice! I think he acted fairly well here too; he definitely put in effort. I do like the supporting cast, but they’re hardly well-developed enough.]
    6. Your favorite character, moment, and couple(s)? [Loved the little medicine kettle with Little Black Dragon; Lu Han & Luo Luo; Tang 36 + Black Bear; strangely enough i also think Nanke & QSJ’s relationship was touching, even if they never had a happily ever after.]
    7. Was the ending satisfying? Loose ends tied up? Or Messy mess mess? [Messy, rushed, but at least it ended.]
    8. Would you consider the drama a successful adaptation of the novel? [No comment]

  9. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    1. Never read the novel, so I can’t make any comment on it from that perspective.
    2. Can’t answer this question as well as I have no knowledge of what happened in the novel.
    3. Favorite thing, I liked how intelligent and smart the main lead. Least favorite thing is the ending was a bit choppy because it felt rushed it was cut out so much… It didn’t flow well at all.
    4. Chen ChengSheng
    5. Good actors and Actress, I can’t think who else would be able to play it better.
    6. Fav Character – Chen Chengsheng, Moment – Chengsheng wins the examination, in the Pope’s garden; Couple – Thirty-six Couple.
    7. If only I could understand what they were saying then I could answer this question better but no I was a bit disappointed that Chen Chengsheng was not the real prince. I also dont understand how he was able to change his destiny. It would have also just been better if they left the korean actor in there instead of cutting him out because it no longer makes sense.
    8. Can’t answer this question because I didn’t read the novel.
    My Question:
    So YuRong has phoenix blood, but how is it that she can be with Chen Chengseng?
    What actually happened to Zhou Dofu? His grave isn’t his grave?
    Zhou Dofu had a sister that was black robe? Why did no one ever figured that out? Wouldn’t people know of his sister? Why did in the end she not help the pope anymore?

    • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

      Changsheng’s blood is even better than Dragon Blood so that’s why XYR’s Phoenix Blood can be with him… In the drama he was created from his senior’s blood but in the novel he’s supposed to be a royal Chen descendant (so he’s a distant relative of the dead emperor) who was banished/fled to a magical realm… it’s complicated and hard to explain because of the xianxia names/concepts the author comes up with.

  10. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    Noona-dongsang look and feels fantasy romance of c drama of the year!

  11. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    I watched this drama till the end but I must admit that I was bored and didn’t feel particularly motivated by any of the dramas airing at the same time as this drama…..so, to kill time (since I’m retired and all), I watched it. The chemistry between the OTP is non-existent. What we get is two very polite, mild mannered people and a few very polite and mind-mannered hugs and ‘pecks’ (wouldn’t even call them kisses!). The male lead would have died many times and ended up not dying… which eventually got old. Not much in there with regards to story and plot. The character that I liked the most is the empress. She really shone as the ‘female king’ who had no choice (following the unexpected death of her husband) to take on the mantle of ruling the country and ensuring her husband’s legacy lived on. She sacrificed so much in order to maintain the freedom her people enjoyed, including sacrificing her own son. In the end, she had nothing. The actress successfully portrayed the role of a conflicted and agonised female ruler who wanted nothing but to be a good mother but had to sacrifice that for the sake of the safety of her people.She was strong and weak at the same time, wise but indulgent – she wanted to be a good person to those who mattered to her but ended up being a bad person to them. I think the empress is the most complex character in this drama and the actress who acted this role nailed it 100%!

    • 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

      I watched only 1.5 eps when it first started broadcast. I think the empress you mentioned is the actress Chen Shu? I like her acting the most. I liked her acting in another drama a few years ago. I stopped watching because (1) overall, the drama gave me a “lightweight” impression (2) I couldn’t find the right feeling to root for the OTP pair, as I keep seeing them as sisters. I was also distracted by Eric T’s dubber’s voice though I know his own real voice is of similar quality.
      Your last point about the empress sounds similar to Hua Qian Gu when HQG was turning all realms upside down to save Shifu. While lots of fans admire that a lot about the character, I’m a bit squeamish about that whole stunt. Putting all realms at risk to save precious Shifu. Shifu is indeed very admirable, but surely HQG and her supporters should plan very carefully for the whole thing? It’s a good thing that HQG is a super Mary Sue who will be able to save the world (or at least many of her drama admirers or acquaintances will save the world on her behalf). For most of us, it doesn’t feel like a sensible thing to do. I’ve never read people discussing this point before.

  12. 23 thoughts on “Review it: Fighter of the Destiny (Cdrama, 2017)

    Haha, I actually finished the drama (unbelievable) xD
    And the only thing that kept me going is OTP’s chemistry behind the scenes (funny and sweet). So I had a tiny hope in me that it would shine through during those episodes they were together…..but that never happened -___-

    I liked Qijian from Lishan the most, loyal and brave, she didn’t have many scenes, but I enjoyed every time she appeared 🙂

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