“The Vendetta of An” Subdues Viewers with Plot Twists

Starring C-drama heartthrob Cheng Yi (成毅) and set against the backdrop of the Tang Dynasty, the revenge and political intrigue drama The Vendetta of An <长安二十四计> had already generated buzz ahead of its premiere with the promise of featuring “one production, five Best Actor/Actress and TV King/Queen–level performers,” alongside its high-stakes power struggles.

Poetic Dialogue Could Be Improved

Since its launch on November 12, the series has delivered impressive results both on traditional television while simultaneously achieving over 7,500 in online popularity metrics, and amassing more than 900 million real-time comment interactions, sparking heated discussions on social media as a rare “dual-platform hit”.

The costume revenge drama boasts an exceptionally strong cast, with veteran actors engaging in what viewers describe as a “battle of acting gods.” Cheng Yi stars as Xie Huai’an, a strategist with zero martial prowess whom, beneath his refined and gentle exterior lies a decade of suppressed vengeance. To prepare for the role, Cheng Yi lost 7.5 kilograms, adopting a frail scholar’s look with white hair, creating a strikingly fragile aesthetic.

Impressing netizens for holding his own opposite seasoned actors, Cheng Yi’s brooding “eye acting” of hatred-filled gazes that send chills down viewers’ spines was praised. However, some felt that he lacks the commanding presence expected of a male lead and carried too much of a “commoner” aura. Yet others criticized his delivery in poetic dialogue scenes as insufficiently polished.

Praised for Brisk Pacing

Within the first 10 minutes of the opening episode, the backstory of the protagonist’s clan being slaughtered was established, with the first two episodes alone delivering five major plot reversals — including Zhou Mo’s attempted assassination of Xie Huai’an being turned against him, and the use of proxy killings to eliminate enemies. There was acclaim such as “not a single wasted scene” and “you wouldn’t dare watch this on fast-forward.” Meticulously constructed, the Chang’an street sets were also widely lauded as being of cinematic quality.

The intense on-screen sparring among veteran actors. Liu Yijun (刘奕君) portrays the new emperor Xiao Wuyang as calm and coldly authoritative, capable of shifting the political landscape with just a few words. Wang Jinsong’s (王劲松) Wu Zhongheng operates in secrecy and unpredictability, becoming a crucial variable in the plot. The addition of powerhouse actors such as Ni Dahong (倪大红) and Zhang Hanyu (张涵予) further enriches the drama’s political depth and complexity.

Some netizens have drawn comparisons between The Vendetta of An and the classic drama Nirvana in Fire <瑯琊榜>, noting similarities in character setups, narrative structure and visual styling. Both Cheng Yi and Hu Ge (胡歌) portray “Qilin genius”-type characters as men burdened by blood-soaked vendettas, returning from the shadows to disrupt the imperial court through intellect rather than force. Others, however, are reserving their verdict of the drama, waiting out till the story unfolds in the later episodes.

Source: 1