War of Faith (TV Series 2024) Poster

(2024)

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10/10
Through the Storm: Wei Ruolai's Riveting Tale in War of Faith
Coraline_IDN23 March 2024
Set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1930s Shanghai, IQIYI's latest drama series *War of Faith* embarks on a gripping narrative journey that deftly intertwines political intrigue with personal drama. The series opens with Wei Ruolai, portrayed by the ever-capable Wang Yibo, as an ordinary employee at the Kuomintang Central Bank. His ascent through the ranks due to his exceptional abilities sets the stage for a tale of ambition, conflict, and transformation.

The pacing of *War of Faith* is commendable; it manages to maintain a brisk tempo without sacrificing the complexity of its storyline. Each episode builds upon the last, creating a compelling tapestry of events that leaves viewers eagerly anticipating the next twist. The narrative never lags, ensuring that the audience's intrigue is consistently piqued.

Wang Yibo's portrayal of Wei Ruolai is a standout aspect of the series. His nuanced performance captures the multifaceted nature of his character with precision. From the palpable disappointment and heartbreak felt during his rejection at the central bank to the raw, unfiltered grief displayed at the loss of his older brother, Yibo's range is on full display. His ability to convey the innocence of a newcomer in the political labyrinth, juxtaposed with the depth of his sorrow, is a testament to his acting prowess.

The series shines in its ability to humanize the political narrative through its characters. Yibo's Wei Ruolai is not just a pawn in the grand scheme of espionage and finance; he is a relatable figure whose personal growth and emotional journey are as integral to the story as the larger historical context. His interactions with other characters, particularly the senior advisor Shen Tu Nan and the enigmatic Shen Jin Zhen, add layers of complexity to his role.

In episodes 1 to 4, *War of Faith* has laid a solid foundation for what promises to be a riveting series. With its excellent pacing, intricate plot, and Yibo's standout performance, the drama is poised to be a memorable addition to the genre. As the series progresses, it will undoubtedly continue to explore the themes of loyalty, power, and the price of progress in a time of upheaval.

Episodes 5 & 6 of War of Faith were great! Wang Yibo's portrayal of Wei Ruolai's vulnerability was masterful, especially as he navigated his brother's dangerous legacy with palpable nervousness.

The plot twist with Ruolai entrusting the gold to Li Sheng Da, the traitor, was unexpected! And Captain Lin Qian Song's act of ignorance? Intriguing! Plus, Ruolai confiding in Shen Tunan adds layers to the suspense.

In conclusion, *War of Faith* is a must-watch for fans of historical dramas and those who appreciate nuanced character studies. Wang Yibo's portrayal of Wei Ruolai is a highlight, offering a layered performance that resonates with authenticity and emotional depth. The series promises to be an engaging journey through one of the most fascinating periods of Chinese history.
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10/10
Drama with Movie style 👍
meienyna23 March 2024
I really like this drama, with republic era style.

The plot of the drama is very interesting about financial strategy wars in the 30s era mixed with political interests in China.

Wei Ruolai (Wang Yibo), a financial genius who only wants to serve his country, is accidentally drawn into the war.

Shen TuNan ( WangYang) with his skilled financial strategies, succeeded in defeating his opponents who wanted to fight the government at that time, later he's become Wei RuoLai's Teacher.

While ShenJinZhen (LiQin) was actually a spy for the communist party who was trying to fight the government that time.

The cinematography is very beautiful.

The acting and visuals of the actors are very good. This drama is a must watch 👍
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10/10
Through the storm , its a Golden Journey a War of Faith
gojoerenchika23 March 2024
I have never watched a republican era drama... I have almost nil knowledge of Chinese history and i zero knowledge of capital market. That said.. this drama have all these aspects and i thoroughly enjoyed all 38 episodes. Each episode keeps you on the edge.

About Plot; The journey which began with the sparkly eyed poor mathematical genius, a 23 year old young boy called Wei Ruolai and his ambition leads to such a rollercoaster ride.

A very commendable mentor-mentee relationship which is the foundation of this story all built on their Mutua love and respect for each other and how it transforms over the years while both stick to their ideology believing that's what the people of China needs is the heart of the story.

I laughed, I cried, I had 6 people on my hitlist before 10th episodes.

This drama keeps the audience engaged ,where u feel for the characters, their pain their helplessness their anger feels like yours.

About Cast: Wang Yibo! What a commendable actor! Wang Yibo's interpretation of Wei Ruolai makes you root for him. You wait for his smile , you wanna slap the people who hurts him. He is that good! C-ent should be proud to have this young and extremely talented actor.

Wang Yang, Li Qin being the lead role in this series, they played their roles very well. Wang yang have that very polite intellectual who loves his family and his mentee and his country. He is the one who has to make choices most of the time and he has to fight the ones he love. Li Qin gave a powerful interpretation of young lady driven by the thought of doing good for her nation and she is ready to go to may extreme length for that.

All the supporting castes of this series played a very amazing role that each of them stays with u..

I can write a book about this story I guess and I will surely miss all of them!
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10/10
Interesting and excellently well done.
KamiShirou25 March 2024
Accustomed to watching simple romance or fantasy dramas whose plots border on the trite and boring, comes War of Faith with its intriguing plot and superb performances.

We have our humble hero embodied by the young Actor Wang Yibo, who is notorious for the enormous growth he has had in his performances after standing out with his unique roles in the cinema. We also have his mentor who will have a lot to do with his development, in addition to other characters that bring that richness of interaction that is rarely shown. Not to mention the display of scenarios so vivid that they transport us back to the time. The director has achieved an exceptional job.
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10/10
All time Best Republican Historical Drama
whitesky200031 March 2024
This project is masterpiece and rare in this republican era genre of Chinese drama. Plots and scripts are solid and interesting and intriguing till the end.

All characters are portrayed by amazing actors!!

Directing, cinematography, background music, theme songs, storyline with economic background, dialogues, acting performances are amazingly outstanding which I haven't seen in Chinese drama land before, as int'l audiences!! Wei Ruolai scenes are mostly deep and heavy but wang Yibo portrayed this character perfectly you makes it happen!!

---- completed all episodes now--- -natural color correcting without over skin-smoothing!!

Script is not slow and fast-paced and interesting plots.

->All casts are really good at portraying in their own characters!!!

-> this is about historical fiction drama, based on true event but not propaganda totally.

->Although this is republican main theme drama, int'l audiences will not be boring!!

There are strong chemistry between main lead characters and supporting senior actors.

We can see potential of script level after watching episode 1 and 2!

Firstly I thought this would be boring banker story, but now it is intriguing unexpectedly and makes me continue to watch next episodes.

#WangYibo portrays as Wei Ruolai character in natural way without overacting.

Wang Yibo is really talented in acting and we can see his progressive and improvement acting skills in his every new projects.

We can see his emotional scenes for his brother which is totally different acting performance with his previous others projects!
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10/10
Best Chinese spy drama!Worth watching!
rybowang8527 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
This is a must watch. I love the plot! The story is about Wei Ruolai who has passion for working to Central bank. But he was from Xiangxi which refrain him from getting his Diploma as well as his job. But his persistant character made him visible to Shen Tunan who is the owner of Central bank. I'm loving the bond between Wei ruolai and Shfn Tunan. But Wei Ruolai is adorable. But Wei Ruolai involved to Communist party which was very controversial that time and I can't even think what's going to happen to Ruolai! His poor lifestyle, the way Wang Yibo portrayed with his no makeup look,catched my eyes. Wang Yibo's acting is top notch as usual. I can't wait for the next episodes. Please watch it on Iqiyi app or on youtube.
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10/10
Amazing
calipso-487032 April 2024
This is not necessarily my type of drama but I'm enjoying it. The story grabs you from the start. The actors are good, the story is amazing. Not 2d characters. It's always hard to find well written strong women and this show has them. Have your handkerchief ready your going to need it. But it's worthed. I cannot stop watching. Wang Yibo is amazing on it. I believe this is one of his best roles yet. The seinor actors are also amazing they work together to make this story amazing. If they keep the quality going I'm pretty sure this would be one of the best dramas of this year. Give it a chance you won't regret it.
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10/10
A VERY NICE SURPRISE
silverpaj2 April 2024
The drama started off with the narrative of Wei Ruolai, a mathematics genius who isn't doing so well and was trying to get into working at the Central Bank of China. There he met Mr. Shen Tunan, the boss of the bank, who saw potential in him and later became his mentor. The theme of this story is based around the time of the conflict between the Kumingtang and Communist Party while also dealing with a bit of the Japanese invasion.

The drama then follows a series of unfortunate events and how Wei Ruolai was able to climb to the top despite the country divided and assisted in helping his nation.

So far, the drama popularity is gaining tremendous reviews on the plot, acting, cinemgrapghy and directing. A great quality drama.
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10/10
Finished! What an incredible drama!
pam-434377 April 2024
I finished War of Faith today, and I have loved it. The acting performances were top notch. The pacing was fast but not rushed. I had been a bit worried that it would get bogged down in the financial details and the historical aspects, but it never did, and I still understood what was happening and why certain actions were important. The deaths (and there were many) never felt contrived. The drama made you care about the characters by making them three-dimensional, not just sketches. Very impressed with the director's skill in bringing the script to life. Wang Yibo was terrific as Wei Ruolai. His performance was noteworthy because he had so many highs and lows, yet it was never like a melodramatic performance. Wei Ruolai felt real, and Wang Yibo himself disappeared into his portrayal.

Due to my limited knowledge of the Republican Era in China, I went looking for more info because it was such an interesting drama. If you want to see an intense, compelling drama that will keep you glued to the screen, watch War of Faith. You won't be disappointed.
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10/10
Excellent story telling and acting
hafidahaman8 April 2024
War of Faith is a really interesting story. It tells the story of Wei Ruolai and his path from a naive but passionate young man to a slightly mature but still passionate man with strong principles. Hs struggles between his ideals and his delusions is riverting and resonates with the audience. As a story with espionage, the pacing is just nice with full of intrigue and makes you eagerly waiting to watch what happens next. It is also funny and I love the relationships between the different characters in the story. Great acting from Wang Yibo, Wang Yang and the rest of the cast. Beautiful photography too.
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10/10
An Excellent Drama
sarahsharjeel8 April 2024
An excellent drama with engaging story realistic setting good direction great acting by the cast especially Yibo who was perfect as Wei Roulai the way he portrayed each and every emotion magnificently and he cries beautifully and different every time .the time has so many ups and downs And he did all of them so gracefully Wonderful cinematography & set design I loved Qibao street set up so much very realistic very endearing Lovely characters all of them & very good chemistry between them I especially liked Wei roulai Awen friendship Wei roulai Niu Chinmiao cute banter and wei Roulai and Shen Tunan who were the main protagonist of the drama alot A must watch I am v proud yibo chose this amazing drama & made it even more amazing.
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10/10
Wang Yibo as Wei Ruolai is Irreplaceable
vielouis2 April 2024
Wei Ruolai, a hot-blooded young man, who has a very interesting growth line. Poor boy Wei Ruolai from the Nationalist Party Central Bank of the ordinary staff, step by step to the central bank senior, after seeing the central bank of the financial field of darkness and corruption, his ideals and beliefs falter, his self-awareness is slowly awakening

I also saw some filmmakers and critics affirm Wang Yibo's acting skills. But what makes me uncomfortable is that while they are positive, some people always want to find some "limiting vocabulary" for Wang Yibo's acting skills.

Two examples: 1. Wang Yibo's acting skills are good and he has improved This seems to mean that Wang Yibo's acting skills in the previous films "Hidden Blade" and "One and Only" were very poor. I don't agree with this. Not only do I disagree, he was nominated for the Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Asian Film Awards for Best New Actor for "Hidden Blade" so I believe the officials of these two very important awards will not agree with it either. Wang Yibo has this acting potential, and he has already shown a lot of it in Hidden Blade and One and Only. However, War of Faith as a drama series has longer length and details, which allows us to have the opportunity to see more of Wang Yibo's versatility.

2. Wang Yibo's acting is good, but part of the good acting is due to his close fit with the role I also said this sentence a long time ago when I was not very familiar with Wang Yibo. But now, I beg to differ. In fact, attributing Wang Yibo's good performance to "fit" is essentially a denial of Wang Yibo's acting skills, especially his professionalism. It seems that Wang Yibo's acting career is so narrow that he can only play roles that are close to him and suitable for him. Again, there were 3 big-screen movies last year, with 3 very different personalities, and the character Ye Mi is obviously higher than life, full of murderous intent and scorn. These have shown us that Wang Yibo's acting range can be very wide, and he can play more types of roles.

In my opinion, the role of Wei Ruolai is very different from Wang Yibo himself. In the drama, you can see that Wang Yibo doesn't exist at all. It's because he fits the role that he plays so well. He really used details and his own path and perception of performance to slowly touch and get into the character. With strong room for free play, Wang Yibo had great freedom to walk in and create the character's every breath. Whether it is the copying of life style or the filling and interpretation of appropriate small details. It is obvious that many actors today are unable to achieve this kind of grace.

I always think that it is not shameful to praise an actor, even the actors with a traffic label so not daring to boast about Wang Yibo's wonderful performance because of prejudice against idols makes people look funny and disgusting. Wang Yibo's performance in War of Faith is very exciting, excellent, very detailed, and well-founded. This is also one of the best performances in the film and television series I have watched this year.

If you like tense and exciting storylines, but also happen to be interested in the financial perspective, and have a deep resonance with the clash of concepts and emotional portrayal of the characters, then this drama is worth a watch!

For those who never watch any political drama before dont worry you still can watch it and be entertained. Because the storyline is easy to understand. Every character has their own color, full of actions..

Wang Yibo's acting is Top Notch!!!

This Drama is full of flavors.. there is joy, happiness, sadness, those are part of life!
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10/10
War of Faith: Best Financial Espionage Asian Drama
ohmybaozi7 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
History would tell us that Shanghai in the 1930s was, to say the least, wild. In the midst of all of this, enters a poor young man named Wei Ruolai, played by Wang Yibo. Wei Ruolai has little to no money, came from a province controlled by the communist party, and was having a hard time receiving his diploma. It's a recipe for a bleak future. But with grit, determination, and his genius brain, he managed to secure a place at the Central Bank and work alongside distinguished officials like Shen Tunan, played by Wang Yang. Here begins the gripping story of Wei Ruolai finding his faith and fighting for it. No matter the cost.

To be completely honest, I am a fan of Wang Yibo. His acting has been improving rapidly and all his films released in 2023 were a massive success so naturally, I was looking forward to this drama. However, I was not expecting to get so much out of this than I actually did. Republican era drama is my least favorite genre in dramaland. It's suit porn but I think this genre is the least famous internationally for a reason and my username is what it is, also for a reason (LOL), I watch romcoms and healing dramas! It's a finance drama set in the 1930s-- how riveting could it be to watch people talk numbers, right? Boyyyyy, was I so wrong!

The story is told in the ML's POV. Viewers get taken along his journey of finding his place in the world, finding confidence in himself, and finding his passion only to lose them all. He goes through a series of pain, heartaches, and grief-- and in the midst of it finds his true faith and his true passion. We see the ML transform several times throughout this drama. Through this journey, viewers also get shown the world of finance during the troubled times of the 1930s. We see how finance plays such a huge role in war and economics. We see people's greed. We see how innocent people get sacrificed, and we see how the government can turn a blind eye.

The series in itself is very action-packed. There is no dull moment and the story keeps moving very rapidly. A lot happens in the first 4 episodes to set-up the drama but everything that happens in the story has meaning. No fillers. It's 38 episodes but it is very fast-paced without sacrificing compelling and complex storylines. Every episode makes you want to watch more. I was watching earnestly and the foreshadowing in this drama is so smooth and clean that I probably missed some tiny details along the way. I'm already excited to rewatch this drama now that I know what I'm looking for!

This is an original IP so my hat is off to the screenwriter and the director for creating such a marvelous piece of art in television. The cinematography in this drama is also of high quality that is rarely seen in c-ent. It felt like watching a movie, and despite the 2.5 weeks of airtime, I wish the story goes on. I want to see more.

The casting of this drama is also top-notch. No holes anywhere. Everyone down to the little girl acted so incredibly well. Wang Yibo was such a star in this production and it is his best acting to date! Wang Yibo's Wei Ruolai feels so incredibly human and real. He conveys very complex emotions with his eyes and his face. His performance is so captivating because of the precision and nuance he gives the character. You can feel through the screen every single thing that Wei Ruolai feels throughout the drama-- and to be honest, it was a lot to handle!!! This drama also spanned 6 years and many transformations for Wang Yibo's character and if you compare his transformations, you can clearly see the contrast between each one. From his starry-eyed full of hope young man, through the disappointments and desperation, and to becoming an integral part of the communist party. Wang Yibo did such a stellar job and as a fan, I am so incredibly proud.

Wang Yang, Li Qin, and the rest of the supporting characters also deserve their flowers. Everyone was captured in such a humanized way that you can feel empathy for every character. You believe everyone's storylines and you get to feel that a lot of the big players in this drama are morally gray. Everybody had their purpose and I was hooked! The storyline and acting did its thing for me. I hated who they wanted me to hate, and cried for the ones they wanted me to cry for. I've never felt a story so real and close to me like this in a very long time. Certainly not in c-dramaland, and not in a Republican era drama. A gem of a find for me is Lan Xiya who played Niu Chunmiao. She was introduced halfway through the story with such a very firecracker of an entrance. I loved Niu Chunmiao as a character and I loved Lan Xiya for her talent in acting. She's so new and young but her ability to act is very high. I'm so impressed with her just as I was impressed with her character. Another treasured character for me is Wei Ruolai's best friend, A'Wen played by Li Weilong. A'Wen allowed us to see many layers to Wei Ruolai so very early on in a drama. Also, special shoutout to Zhang Tianyang's Lin Qiaosong-- he put me through the ringer all 38 episodes!

Lastly, the music. I think all I gotta say is Zhou Shen.

This has been a very long review but if you're still with me, please go watch War Of Faith. It will be worth every second of your time. You can find out how apropos the English title War of Faith is. And if you don't believe how a Republican drama can be so good, check it out yourself! :)
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10/10
A single spark that will start a prairie fire!
ivymbulens7 April 2024
It's been long since a drama hasn't caught me the way WOF did. I haven't finished it yet, but we've been in a rollercoaster of emotions for two weeks with the updates. Amazing drama, great history, wonderful cast and Wang Yibo as Wei Ruolai is like watching a master class of acting. He trespasses the screen and makes you feel what his LaiLai is feeling. Even when I'm not Chinese and I thought I may not understand some points, he made me connect with his long journey, his doubts & his light and darkest times.

Shout out to the whole team!!! It's been a beautiful road through the wind and waves.
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10/10
MasterpieceWang Yibo's acting as Wei Ru Lai is a masterpiece
soniamarya4 April 2024
An extremely strong drama, with an attractive performance and a masterpiece by Wang Yibo and Wang Yang. I recommend that watch it. The story is really exciting, the acts are very strong, it's really an impressive drama, Wang Yibo acted the painful scenes really professional. The story is not predictable, so the excitement to see the next episode increases. It's a drama that is worth rewatching several times. Wei Rulai is one of the most influential characters in this drama, and Wang Yibo was able to play this role perfectly. Also Li Qin played the role of Shen Jinzhen perfectly. Amazing drama.
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