this series is airing in HK at the moment, about 17 chapters in
from what I've seen so far, I would support the ratings given by both Ian Liew and Meh, the series looks ultra professional, the cinematography is fabulous and as a result it has a completely different feel to any previous LOCH
the story seeems very detailed in its descriptions and because of the realism, it lacks the fun of loch83 but also becomes a much more serious wuxia series
the casting is a little disappointing in areas but genius in others - in particular, I have the same problem with Yang Kang(Zhou Jie) as Meh, I just don't think he's good-looking enough, and doesn't possess the charm of Mui Kui Wai -
Zhou Jie's looks are all the more under scrutiny because in this series we have the most beautiful Mu Nian Ci ever - Shui Ling is great in conveying the devotion and pain she suffers in loving Yang Kang, also unlike previous Mu Nian Cis', you can see why Yang Kang would even consider throwing away everything to be with Nian Ci - I personally think Shui is the perfect actress to be cast in this role
Li ya Ping as Guo Jing is likeable, I guess due to his dumb look, but also agree that he doesn't seem rough enough(as Meh said, scholarly) but apart from that, he does well
as does Zhou Xun, although I can't get used to her mouth(something weird I can't put into words), she is very energetic and sweet
I don't like H7G but it doesn't seem to matter that much -
I loved loch83 for its actors and basic good story, but here I find myself liking this version just as much even with poorly cast ppl, maybe because emphasis is placed on the accuracy and attention to detail of the strong story, making it the most focused of all loch adaptations
the reviews by Ian Liew and Meh are both excellent and I would say they are very accurate as to how I see this series too(tho I don't like Zhou Jie as much as Ian )
IMO, a must see