The Netflix Historical Fantasy Martial Arts Epic Series Is The Perfect Genre Mashup
One of my favorite C Dramas, or “Chinese dramas,” to date is Word of Honor. It blends fantasy, politics, and romance to create a fun and adventurous show. Between the beautiful costumes, great acting, and epic scriptwriting, this series deserves all the love, and if you’ve never seen a C drama, Netflix has a growing collection, including Word of Honor.
Word Of Honor
Word of Honor is a story about Zhou Zi Shu taking steps to no longer be part of an assassin group and Wen Ke Xing hunting for his parents’ murderers. The two meet and end up in more problems as most of the cultivated world searches for a legendary treasure.
Word of Honor is based on the book Faraway Wanderers by Priest. While this book hasn’t been officially translated yet, several other novels have been translated if you want to see more of her work.
Plenty Of Episodes to Binge
Don’t let this show fool you. Although it’s only one season, there are 36 episodes, each about 45 minutes long, giving you plenty to watch.
An underrated aspect that will keep you watching is the flirting is in full force in Word of Honor. Anyone who has delved deep into Chinese dramas probably knows how rare this is. Thanks to China’s strict policies, the two male love interests generally turn into sworn brothers or close friends in these animes.
Flirty For A C Drama
It’s unclear how this series managed to get released without extra censorship, but it did, and it’s quite impressive. The constant flirting helps to break up the heavy politics that might otherwise slow down the story.
Zhou and Wen’s teasing isn’t bold but playful and full of references to classic texts. Characters stay true to themselves and have the perfect sarcasm when needed. It’s safe to say that the script helped keep the show interesting even in the heaviest moments, and boy, are there some heavy and tragic moments.
Incredible Wuxia Fight Scenes
Don’t even get me started on the fight scenes. Though the slow-motion to make the fight feel more dramatic was overplayed a little, the fights are actually very well choreographed and remind me of old historical Chinese movies I watched growing up.
The Cast Is Big In China
The cast is also worth mentioning. Zhou Zi Shu is played by Zhehan Zhang (Nirvana in Fire, Castle in the Time), Jun Gong (Rising With the Wind, Advance Bravely) plays Wen Ke Xing, Ye Zhou (Better Days, Back from the Brink) plays Gu Xiang, and Zihan Chen (Down With Love, The Return of the Condor Heroes) plays Xi Sang Gui, among other great cast members.
A Slow Burn But Worth The Investment
At the beginning of Word of Honor, it’s sometimes hard to follow. Thankfully, between fight scenes, witty banter, and flirting between the two main characters, the story continues moving until it can carry itself. The series has an 8.4 on IMDb.
Streaming On Netflix But There’s A Catch
REVIEW SCORE
Word of Honor gets a 4 out of 5 for me. There are moments when it drags, but overall, it’s one I love to recommend to people, and I don’t mind watching it again and again.
Word of Honor is available to stream on Netflix. It contains 36 episodes. However, many fans don’t realize that there are 37 episodes. The last episode is often hard to find, but it’s available on Viki, and you are free to watch it when you finish the rest of the show if you want a happier ending.
