Word of Honor

[schneefink]

I've heard a lot about "Word of Honor" recently and many people seem to enjoy it, so I suggested to DD that we watch it. She originally wasn't enthused because she said she didn't like the author's style in their previous books, but then she did read the novel and unexpectedly enjoyed it. So we were quite optimistic when we started watching the show.

We have now watched four episodes. It became clear very soon that the show changed many things from the novel – not only details or plot elements, but also drastic changes of characters' backgrounds and backstories. The most fun part of watching for me is DD explaining the changes to me and complaining about them. The story she talks about does sound pretty interesting! The show itself so far, well… I have very little idea of what's going on and I don't like any of the characters, but I do want to see several of them get punched in the face. Wen Ke Xing is a smug creepy stalker and Gu Xiang is an asshole who bullies a kid who just lost his entire family and pretty much everyone he knows.

If you've watched the show, I'd appreciate some hints when the main characters will start to develop some actual chemistry, so we know at what point it would make sense to continue watching or not.

Comments

[sheron]

I have very little idea of what's going on and I don't like any of the characters, but I do want to see several of them get punched in the face.

LOL

I haven't watched it, because I am just not that into romance and this feels very shippy. I bounced pretty hard off the things I did see. But I really look forward to any reviews of it from a more detached observer, because a bunch of people I know are into it!

[schneefink]

Heh. I'll give it a few more episodes, but if I don't enjoy it by then I'm not going to continue.

[trobadora]

If you're not enjoying it so far, or liking anyone, it's probably just not the right drama for you. I didn't fall in love with the ship until episode 14, but I liked the characters and the story from the start.

[schneefink]

Yeah, that might be it - but DD likes the novel so much that I really wanted to enjoy the show... I'll see. Maybe I'll just read the novel, if I can find a good translation.

[out_there]

Wen Ke Xing is a smug creepy stalker and Gu Xiang is an asshole who bullies a kid who just lost his entire family and pretty much everyone he knows.

I can't argue with that, but I always found Wen Kexing charming and obnoxious at the same time and Gu Xiang grows on me. For someone who picks a fight with a scruffy drunk on the street, she somehow became someone I desperately wanted a happy ending for.

But I think it does take a few episodes for the antagonism to dial down, though. Maybe after the drug men attack, around episode 6? For them to actually have a spark together takes longer, I feel, but I watched so much of it all together that I couldn't tell you which episode it was.

[schneefink]

I was less baffled about Gu Xiang picking a fight with a beggar on the street after we found out that all beggars are apparently part of the beggar gang and good fighters, because of course they are.

Looking forward to episode six then :)

[out_there]

"that all beggars are apparently part of the beggar gang and good fighters"

Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Of course in that world a beggar would be more than able to defend themselves.

[tassosss]

For me on the first watch, it was episode 6 or 7 when it really started to click for me, and definitely by episode 10. I didn't really bother trying to follow the plot too deeply at the beginning, but once I could remember who was related to who, by around episode 15 I was able to more or less follow it.

[schneefink]

I was hoping that DD could explain plot elements and relations etc. to me because she read the novel, and it does help but they also switched around so much that there are still big gaps.

I'll definitely watch a few more episodes :)

[sallymn]

I've been tempted, because like you I have heard a lot of folk gushing over it, but for some reason... it doesn't seem to tempt me the way some others have. I'm looking for another series to watch now - my teatses seem to be eclectic but I still like The Untamed and Ancient Detective best so far.

[schneefink]

We've watched four more episodes now and I'm sufficiently intrigued to want to keep watching for now, but I still don't like WKX so we'll see for how long.

Putting Ancient Detective on my list :)

[sallymn]

I hope you like it! It's wasn't as high profile as others, and I found it smaller in scale but quite charming.