Michelle Topham 
So, I must admit, while I did enjoy the wuxia drama The Blood of Youth immensely, it was still a helluva strange one, wasn’t it?
At least where the writing is concerned.
That’s because the Chinese youth-themed fantasy drama starts off all hot and heavy as Lei Wujie (played by Ao Rui Peng) arrives at Xiao Se’s Snowfall Villa, quickly damages a huge part of it when he fights a group of ruffians, and is then forced to pay Xiao Se a substantial amount of money in damages.
The problem is Wujie has barely enough money to pay for a bowl of noodles, so he soon finds himself traveling with Xiao Se to Xueyue City so he can get the money and pay him the 500 silver taels he owes.
From Episode 1 through Episode 19 then, The Blood of Youth steams forward at a fast clip as the promising adventure unfolds and characters like Wuxin (played by Liu Xue Yi) and Sikong Qian Luo (Lin Bo Yang) show up to join the fun.
But from Episode 21 through 25, the Chinese drama drags and drags, picks up for a couple more excellent episodes, before disintegrating again from Episodes 30 to 36.
It is only in the last four episodes, The Blood of Youth re-grabs the excitement and coolness of its first half, and ends on a satisfying note.
In other words, with tighter writing and 10 episodes less, the Chinese drama would have been brilliant throughout.
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At 40 episodes, though, parts of it ended up horribly draggy rather than epic.
After I had finished The Blood of Youth then, and was thinking of other similar wuxia dramas I think were done even better, I came up with a list of eight.
So, just in case your thoughts about The Blood of Youth are similar to mine, have you tried any of these instead?
They feature fun plots, interesting main and supporting characters, martial arts (some of them), brotherhood (some of them), adventure and intricate plots.
All of them are pretty much guaranteed to hit that wuxia spot.
1. Word of Honor (山河令, 2021)
Main cast: Zhang Zhehan, Gong Jun
Why Watch? — Word of Honor is a gripping wuxia drama with deep character relationships, intense fight scenes, and a morally gray protagonist.
The chemistry between the two leads is electric, and the story balances action, mystery, and emotion.
It is also a Boys’ Love story although, with Chinese censorship, if you haven’t read the novels (Faraway Wanderers by Priest), while there are a lot of smoldering looks, it doesn’t detract from the superb plot at all.
The C-drama adaptation also features a strong martial arts world full of political intrigue and back-stabbing, the two main leads who have markedly different personalities but soon find themselves bonding like brothers (or more!), and not just one but many people with hidden identities.
Throw in some utterly gorgeous cinematography, excellent writing, and a plot that moves fast and never hits drag, and I cannot recommend this one enough.
2. The Untamed (陈情令, 2019)
Main cast: Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo
Why Watch? — Now this one is another Boys’ Love story, as it’s based on the massively successful BL novels Mo Dao Zu Shi.
But again, while there are plenty of signs if you know what you’re looking for, if you don’t care for BL, it won’t hit you in the face with it either.
The Untamed is a xianxia-wuxia hybrid with a focus on brotherhood, rival sects, revenge, and supernatural elements.
It features some superb family dynamics as sects via with each other for domination, a group of young heroes facing corruption, and is a mix of humor and some really horrible tragedies.
The story follows Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan), a rogue cultivator with a wicked sense of fun, and Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo), his righteous and quite uptight companion, as they uncover a dark conspiracy.
Again, The Untamed is chockfull of amazing cinematography, some truly excellent wire work, stunts and CGI, and with every episode just popping off the screen.
3. Legend of Fei (有翡, 2020)
Main cast: Zhao Liying, Wang Yibo
Why Watch? — This one is a female-led wuxia adventure with fast-paced action and a strong romance subplot as we watch the heroine, Zhou Fei (Zhao Li Ying), grow from a reckless martial artist into a legendary fighter.
To some extent, Legend of Fei is similar to The Blood of Youth in that it follows young warriors on a journey, features martial arts sects vying with each other for power, and has a mix of lighthearted and serious moments.
Interestingly, while I am not a big fan of extremely long C-dramas, Legend of Fei runs for 51 episodes and, frankly, I found it seemed to go faster than The Blood of Youth.
4. Nirvana in Fire (琅琊榜, 2015)
Main cast: Hu Ge, Liu Tao, Wang Kai, Victor Huang, Chen Long, Ding Yong Dai
Why Watch? — When I tell you this one has a 9 out of 10 on My Drama List, an Asian drama focused site whose users rarely rate a drama above an 8.5, and they have to be damn good to get that, you should understand how amazing this one is.
Especially when you know it features 54 episodes that have nary a boring moment in any of them.
Nirvana in Fire is an incredibly well-written masterclass in political intrigue and revenge, as it follows a brilliant strategist who returns in disguise to clear his family’s name.
Like The Blood of Youth, it features a smart protagonist (although Mei Chang Su (brilliantly played by Hu Ge) is a thousand times smarter than Xiao Se, intricate plotting, and a balance of martial arts and mind games.
It even has a Season 2 of another 50 episodes, and that one grabbed a high 8.7 on My Drama List as well.
5. Handsome Siblings (绝代双骄, 2020)
Main cast: Hu Yitian, Chen Zheyuan, Vicky Liang, Liang Jie, Gallen Lo and Tay Ping Hui
Why Watch? — This one I would put on a par with The Blood of Youth, ie: entertaining enough, but not a top wuxia drama.
Handsome Siblings is a classic wuxia tale about twin brothers separated at birth—one raised as a noble hero, the other as a cunning villain—who eventually cross paths.
The performances of Hu Yitian and Che Zheyuan are excellent as the two brothers separated at birth, with both being raised to kill each other.
Yep, that’s the premise. But, again, it’s the writing and the 44 episodes that do cause some episodes to slow to a bit of a crawl.
Again, it is also much like The Blood of Youth in that it has a similar brotherhood theme, martial arts rivalries, and features a mix of humor and action.
Overall, I enjoyed it. But, I must admit, I did watch a few episodes on 1.5x speed, so you may end up doing that as well.
6. Douluo Continent (斗罗大陆, 2021)
Main cast: Xiao Zhan, Wu Xuanyi
Why Watch? — I will start this one with a warning. If you have already watched the donghua and loved it, you may be frustrated with the many changes in this one.
I love the donghua but, honestly, the plot changes in this one didn’t bother me that much once I decided to look at it as a standalone work.
Douluo Continent is a fantasy-wuxia blend where characters cultivate spirit powers and fight in an immersive world. Based on a popular novel, it has adventure, teamwork, and growth, and follows yet another group of young warriors who are training and fighting together.
It also has a nice mix of action and strategy and, if you’re looking for a more light-hearted wuxia adventure, this one is definitely that.
7. Fights Break Sphere (aka Battle Through the Heavens) (斗破苍穹, 2018)
Main cast: Wu Lei, Lin Yun
Why Watch? — Like the massively popular donghua, the Fights Break Sphere C-drama is a classic underdog story where a young man seeks revenge after losing his powers.
This one stands out for its exceptional fight choreography, and determined protagonist, Xiao Yan (Leo Wu). A teenager whose entire family is assassinated, and who vows to find his family’s killer.
Yep, Fights Break Sphere is a typical “hero’s journey”, features some very satisfying martial arts progression and, if you enjoy a wuxia drama that has interesting characters, both main and supporting, and strong friendships, it’s a good one.
8. Mysterious Lotus Casebook (莲花楼, 2023)
Main cast: Cheng Yi, Joseph Zeng, Xiao Shunyao
Why Watch? — Now don’t look at this one as being at the bottom of my list as, frankly, it should be near if not at the top.
Another rated 9 out of 10 via My Drama List, Mysterious Lotus Casebook is a detective-style wuxia with a retired martial artist who solves mysteries while hiding his true identity.
For me, this one is a massive standout as the bromance and investigative plots are absolutely brilliant, it has a phenomenal mix of action and mystery, and protagonist Li Lian Hua (Cheng Yi) is not only incredibly clever, but also one of the most intriguing protagonists in wuxia.
Each mystery case is also interesting, as they all tie together into the main plot as a whole. It is a very detail-oriented drama in places, and that may put some of you off but, for me, someone with the attention span of a flea, I don’t remember being bored once.
Final Thoughts on these wuxia dramas that are even better than The Blood of Youth
If you loved The Blood of Youth for its martial arts, brotherhood, and adventure, then Word of Honor, The Untamed, and Legend of Fei are must-watches.
For political intrigue, Nirvana in Fire is unbeatable and, if you want fantasy elements, Douluo Continent is a great choice.
The rest are just damned good wuxia drama I am absolutely sure most of you will love.
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