Before I start with this review, here’s a summary:

Yun Tianhe (Chen Zheyuan) is a peaceful boy who lives alone in a concealed land, away from human civilization. One day, a young plucky tomb-raiding girl in red named Han Lingsha (Ju Jingyi) appears, attempting to steal something from his parent’s tomb. But when they both accidentally activated a magical sword, they became a target of the world. This pushes them on a journey into the Martial World to confront fate itself.

Oh yeah, this drama is called Sword and Peak, no wait, Peak and Fairy, nope, Chinese Paladin 4, nope, Sword and Fairy 4. There. Oh, it’s also based on a game of the same name. The game came out 100 years ago, it was said to be the best of the franchise back then. I would agree. I’ve been waiting for a drama adaptation since forever. And now that it’s here, what’s my verdict?

In short: One of the best Cdramas I have ever seen.

Now, let’s get on with the full review. Read below.

Story: The story is about family, friendship, brotherhood, sisterhood, and loyalty. It’s full of great themes. But the greatest of them all is the writer’s ability to not only tell a beautiful story but to understand the art of storytelling. I’m a storyteller myself, I’ve always loved stories and the art of storytelling. I’ve studied it for 20+ years. So I know what I’m talking about. I don’t mean to sound condescending, but I’m gonna be super condescending. If you ain’t a storyteller, you won’t understand. To a chef, cooking is more than just making food. To a racer, there’s more to driving than stepping on the pedal. To a writer, storytelling isn’t just about telling stories, it’s about knowing HOW to tell a story. That is art. And this story? God tier.

So you might question, how does one detect the “how” in storytelling? Here’s how: The ability to set up the hook, premise, world-building, characterization, themes, and clues/hints. When one can do all of this right, one truly understands the “how-to” in storytelling.

Everything that happens in this story has a purpose. Nothing wasted. Every clue, every mystery, and every action that was set up will be revisited later, in a satisfying way. Everything goes full circle. Including the characters.

When you think a character is just a one-off, nope, they return in a way that contributes to the story.

Like the laws of Karma. It’s awesome. I’m telling you.

The themes are great, and the messages are great. In the world of storytelling, we are often taught there are stories, and there are meaningful stories. A story with something to say is a meaningful story. And if they say it well, that is the definition of a beautiful story.

If you disagree, go eat grass. (grass jelly drinks are the best)

Characters:

What is a story without characters, right? This drama has some of the best-written characters I’ve ever seen. Every single character is important, with their personality, background, goals, dreams, etc. They are all well-rounded and multi-dimensional. Every word they say, the choices they make, are all realistic and match who they are. Their past, and how they were brought up, all shape their present, and future. It’s awesome.

We have four main characters.

Yun Tianhe, Han Lingsha, Murong Ziying, and Liu Mengli.
(Chen Zheyuan, Ju Jingyi, Mao ZiJun, Mao Xiaohui)

They are the main ones, and let me tell you, they are all awesome. They’re the best quartet. Their characters, how they interact, and how they treat each other, chef’s kiss. Amazing characterization work going on here. There is no draggy romance, no jealousy, no triangle, not even a four-way either. It’s all wholesome and non-toxic.

They are family. It’s so refreshing!

And this is just the main four, I can go on forever.

Oh yeah, their acting? Baby hearts.

The supporting characters are also great. Each with their own life, dreams, goals, etc. Even the main baddies are amazing. And I wouldn’t even call them baddies. There are no true villains. It’s all perspective. Even if their means are evil, their goals are not. (Well, maybe the grandmaster lady is a bit crazy, but love is blind.)

Xuan Xiao/Xuan Ying (Wang Duo)

Someone give this man an award. His acting, his character, and his portrayal. This man is the MVP. He brings a commanding charisma and chewed every single scene he’s in. This man is the definition of an actor. He’s that good. And both of the characters here? Peak.

“I have a friend.” “Friends don’t lie to each other.” -Xuan Ying –
“My opinion is all that matters.” -Xuan Xiao-
“She’s gone, my heart is as cold as this ice.” -Xuan Xiao-

So good! (Someone gives his red hair a raise too, it’s a 10)

Music: What can I say? Like the categories above. It’s a win. The soundtrack is a mix of original tracks and tracks from the game. They even got vocal songs from the game. It’s so cool. Every time I hear it, I am in joy. It’s magical. The music/songs all played at the right time, and evoked all sorts of emotion, whatever the scene dictated, the music was there to accompany it. This is how you utilize music to set a scene, people. The song by Ju Jingyi, and another one by Liu Yu Ning, brought a whole bunch of eyeballs waters. It’s so pretty, and memorable. I love it.

Conclusion: I go way back with this franchise. Sword and Fairy aka Chinese Paladin is a legendary Xianxia franchise in gaming and the drama world. It all started with Chinese Paladin 1. That drama alone kickstarted the modern age of Xianxia. I have seen more or less all of them, Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and a bit of Part 6. (Part 6 is garbage) So out of all of them, which one is my favorite? The previous one was part 3, but that was 800 years ago. Now I have a new favorite. Sword and Fairy 4 is the best of them all. In my opinion. No, it’s not my opinion, this is the TRUTH.

Sadly, I can’t convince everyone.

The cool red-haired Xuan Xiao said it best.

“If you’re not powerful, Truth is just a story.” – Xuan Xiao-

So yes. Ignore the critics, haters, Douban, and MDL score, my opinion is all that matters. Go watch this drama. I recommend it. It may not be for everyone. But I think everyone should give it a try. I love it.

Oh yeah, before I started this drama, I was already familiar with the leads, Chen Zheyuan (Handsome Siblings), and Ju Jingyi. However, the latter is a special case. I have always liked JJY, but I’ve never finished a single drama of hers. (Simple because of bad scripts) So going into this, I was hopeful but also scared. But this did it. It broke the curse. This is the first Ju Jingyi drama that I have finished. And I am super proud of it. She’s now on my top bias list.

My score for this? 100 out of 10! (hint: the 100 is a spoiler, watch the drama, you’ll know.)

Sword and Fairy 4 is my show of the year (2024)

This is the perfect example of a Wuxia/Xianxia hybrid. I’ve always looked for this. But all I got in the past 400 years are generic chick-flick Xianxia about reincarnations, magical creatures, love triangles, jealousy, it’s all boring stuff. Not saying I can’t watch those. But I want my grounded adventures (male-focused) and quality storytelling. It has to be coherent. I’m very strict on dramas. That’s why I have a 10-minute rule for every drama I watch. What I look for in those 10 minutes are signs to tell me of the writer’s capabilities. If you got me in the first 10 min, the next step is to keep me til the end. This drama did just that.

Thank you iQiyi and everyone involved. To all the cast and crew, you’ve worked hard. You did well.

This drama has one of the most, if not the most beautiful ending I have seen in a cdrama. Ever.

Sword and Fairy 4 is a masterpiece.

There you have it. Take it from me. (no one else)

This is Wuxia Gege. Signing out.