As far as Chinese anime/donghua goes, this is quite good. Better animation and pacing than even Shao Nian Ge Xing/少年歌行, which is written by the same author (but animated by a different studio). The cinematography and action scenes are reminiscent of higher budget live action dramas rather than your usual sloppily animated 3D action series, and as primarily wuxia rather than xianxia, characters do more than just stand around with fancy effects flashing around them. There's a satisfying clarity and sense of weight to all the fights. Plot-wise it's nothing groundbreaking, but especially in comparison to other donghua, the plot and character writing is a cutabove the rest. Unfortunately, basic competent writing is so rare within donghua that this series really feels like a gem. It kept me hooked, and I eagerly anticipate season 2.

Disclaimer: I consider a rating of 5/10 to be average, which makes a score of 8 very high.