The hot-blooded Xianxia drama “Lord of Snow Eagles,” directed by Li Dachao and starring Xu Kai, Gulnazar, Bai Shu, and Lu Tingyu, is currently airing. This drama is adapted from a novel of the same name. The story revolves around Dongbo Xueying, a young man with an ancient bloodline, who becomes entangled in the conflict between righteousness and evil as he strives to save his mother.
Along the way, Xueying meets and falls in love with Yujingqiu, a descendant of the divine race. Together, they overcome numerous obstacles and eventually grow into the legendary Lord of Snow Eagles that shines brightly in the Orient.
Xianxia dramas have always been popular among young audiences in Chinese film and television productions. Creating a unique worldview is often essential for such dramas. In terms of production value, Xianxia dramas tend to have relatively high costs due to special effects shots, action choreography, green screen editing skills etc., which require time and financial resources. Some large-scale productions even rely on CG technology to enhance visual effects.
“Lord of Snow Eagles” has indeed created an expansive and innovative world view. Its fight scenes and special effects are commendable; if we overlook its conventional plotlines and focus solely on visual aesthetics, “Lord of Snow Eagles” has many highlights worth noting.
Large and rich worldview
In the realm of Xianxai dramas, the key lies in worldbuilding. While many romance-focused Xianxia dramas tend to downplay their worldviews or create easily understandable ones for viewers, they often end up feeling somewhat shallow. A truly powerful author of fantasy novels not only needs a strong imagination but also an extensive knowledge base, especially in martial arts and Taoist teachings.
The worldbuilding in “Lord of Snow Eagles” is incredibly detailed. The story is set during ancient times within the Xia tribe, where the entire universe consists of Tianyu Cosmos, Chaotic Void, Jie Xin Continent, and Infinite Primordial Space.
Within Tianyu Cosmos are divided into realms such as Divine Realm, Abyssal Darkness, and Material Realm; Chaotic Void includes Ancient Holy Realm, Eternal Holy Realm, Ancestor Realm; while Jie Xin Continent encompasses various ancient nations like Zhongjie Country, Xiafeng Country, Nanyun Country.
While this worldview is expansive and intricate on paper, the television adaptation can't cover every aspect thoroughly. The focus remains primarily on Xueying Ridge within the Xia tribe's territory, a place perpetually cold with freezing temperatures, belonging to Longshan Country.
The drama adopts a game-like style in its narrative structure: protagonists must cultivate their skills by fighting to level up. The cultivation levels are categorized into seven stages: Human Stage, Earth Stage, Heaven Stage, Meteor Stage, Silver Moon Stage, Transcendent Rank and so on.
Under this backdrop, all cultivators aspire to reach Transcendent rank, the highest level which requires them to study at Changfeng Academy. The academy also prepares trials for those seeking Transcendence rank; only those who pass these trials will possess true Transcendent cultivation, otherwise they are considered pseudo-transcendents. The purpose of the trial is to push cultivators beyond their limits and achieve what was once deemed impossible, to truly earn the title of Transcendent.
In this vast universe, attaining Transcendent status is extremely rare. These powerful figures have formed six major organizations: Earth Temple, Bloodblade Tavern, Shui Yuan Daoist Temple, Black and White Divine Mountain, Cloud Mist City, Sea Divine Palace Witch Shrine, which exist to combat the invasion of demons.
However, conflicts arise within these organizations; for instance, the proprietor of Bloodblade Tavern refuses to participate in their fight against the Demon Gods. Beyond these organizations, there are also nineteen provinces in this worldbuilding，each with its own clans and families, like Dongbo Xueying's prominent clan on Xueying Ridge.
The foundation of cultivation lies in the internal Dou Qi (斗气), which can be equated to a measure of martial power. Cultivators need to continuously enhance their Dou Qi in order to progress. As a male-oriented drama, the audience assumes the role of an ordinary player who enters this worldview from the perspective of the male protagonist.
The initial state of the male lead, Dongbo Xueying, is that his Dou Qi is at zero with no level and he only possesses a basic bladed weapon. On the other hand, the female lead character, Yu Jingqiu, has already reached meteor-level status and serves as both a companion and mentor to Dongbo Xueying as they journey together through battles and leveling up.
Cultivation also relies on suitable weapons. In the drama, all cultivators aspire to find Blood Refining Divine Weapons – high-level weapons crafted from special materials – as obtaining one provides an opportunity to eliminate demons.
Each character in the drama wields different weapons depending on their professional attributes. For example, Yu Jingqiu is a mage whose past life was that of a princess from Mo Xue Nation. Her initial state is that of a meteor mage which later advances into becoming a silver moon mage before ultimately achieving mastery over her abilities. Apart from mages, there are swordsmen, Qin players, shadow blades, archers, among other professions; however, these classifications may not be particularly evident within the series.
Different families also employ various types of magic spells. As a disciple of Shuiyuan Daoist Temple, Yu Jingqiu utilizes water-based and ice-based spells while Dongbo Xueying uses fire-based spells; his mother Mo Yangyu is also skilled in fire magic. Other elements such as lightning are present too; overall there exists great richness in terms of elemental diversity.
The world-building based on game mechanics is highly aligned with the characteristics of male-oriented novels. The system of character progression through battles and leveling up is easily comprehensible to the audience, making it more exciting.
However, during the adaptation process, the drama significantly downplays the emphasis on world-building compared to its source material. Apart from some explicit exposition in the first episode, viewers do not have a clear understanding of the overall world-building framework depicted in this drama. Many characters' professional attributes and family backgrounds remain unclear; perhaps these details will gradually unfold in future episodes.
Crafted special effects & martial arts action
The genre of Xianxia dramas possesses a certain uniqueness, requiring high demands for martial arts action and special effects production. However, unlike Wuxia dramas that solely focus on intense fighting scenes, Xianxia dramas rely on the use of special effects to achieve fantastical effects.
“Lord Snow Eagle,” on the other hand, distinguishes itself from traditional Xianxia dramas by not solely relying on enhanced visual effects but also incorporating visceral fight scenes. Xu Kai's portrayal of Dongbo Xueying, armed with a long spear since the first episode, showcases numerous martial arts actions. The production team behind this drama is highly skilled in fight choreography as well; director Li Dachao previously won Best Martial Arts Directing with his film “Bodyguards and Assassins.” The director emphasizes that actors should personally engage in combat training to overcome each challenging move, hoping to present an authentic story to the audience.
The special effects production in this drama is also exceptionally stunning. Apart from Dongbo Xueying, almost all characters possess Dou Qi and divine power. For instance, when Meteor Mage Yu Jingqiu makes her appearance, her fight scenes are accompanied by blue beams of light that create an aquatic and icy ambiance. The demonic tribe emits purple halos symbolizing evil and darkness. Dongbo Snow Eagle's mother Mo Yangyu releases red radiance before sacrificing herself, an embodiment of her fire-based spells.
In terms of set design, every scene in “Lord of Snow Eagles” exudes breathtaking beauty while showcasing distinct characteristics of different locations. Xueying Ridge is covered in vast white snow which complements the fight scenes set within snowy landscapes perfectly.
After falling into Black Wind Cliff, Dongbo Xueying and Yu Jingqiu enter an otherworldly space resembling paradise hidden away from mortal eyes, though the lighting is dim, the surrounding trees and plants emit various luminous glows.
The combination of set design and special effects with fight choreography provides viewers with a visually stunning feast. However, at its core, a drama relies on its content. Although “Lord of Snow Eagles” was adapted from a popular fantasy novel of the same name, there may be some outdated aspects in terms of plot and style due to the time gap between the novel's release and its adaptation for television.
For example, when characters attend Changfeng Academy to study, similar plotlines can be found in almost every Xianxia drama: jealousy, scheming, false accusations; crises involving broken barriers or demonic invasions, these storylines are all too familiar to audiences.
Nowadays, every genre of cdrama develop new episodes, including Xianxia dramas. In their pursuit of innovation, most production teams tend to focus on superficial elements such as set design, props,and aesthetics while neglecting the inherent charm of the content itself.
Some creative teams attempt to captivate audiences by constructing entirely new worlds and distinctive characters; however this often results in merely changing form rather than substance. True innovation should be rooted in the essence of storytelling, seeking out compelling plots that evoke deep emotions or explore themes related to righteousness, to truly capture audience attention.
