Plot
This drama had too much going on for its own good. Out of 7 brothers, 5 had their own love stories, making a total of 3 couples and 2 triangles, with the concentration on one triangle. Then aside from that was the main story of the Yang family -- politics AND personal relations. So overall, there were 2 main plots and like a gazillion subplots. I mean my goodness! Personally, I think I would've liked it better if they toned it down a little, but nevertheless, the writers did a superb job integrating most of the subplots into the main story. I am actually quite impressed. Even if they weren't all entirely relevant, they were at least interesting to watch. I think the only subplot(s) I felt were irrelevant to the story and didn't enjoy watching were the love stories of San Lang and Liu Lang. But I missed a couple of those episodes so it may not have the same effect for me as it should have.
The ending (I think I saw the Taiwanese version) was just terrible. I wasn't exactly sad, but I was angry as hell. It was just such a shame...
Anyway, this series had me in tears a lot. Very very touching story, even if it is a little too long and complex for my taste.
Cast:
Alec Su as Yang Yan Lang (Si Lang)
24 years old. Handsome, charming, intelligent. Stubborn, rebellious, rocky relationship with father. Physically weak as a child. Skilled in martial arts.
Si Lang is your typical ancient Chinese hero. Willing to die for his country. Filial. Cold on the outside, warm on the inside. Strong on the outside, mush on the inside. So overdone, but so easy to fall for. Gets me every time. ^-^
Performance-wise, I think this may have been a breakthrough for Alec, but I haven't seen him in a long time -- since the days of Huan Zhu Ge Ge (Hoàng Châu Cát Cát) and goodness knows he's improved by then. 
Maybe my only complaint would be his angry face. It was passable, but it just seemed a little forced to me. Other than that, I was positively smitten. I think he's especially good at crying and tearing up, but that can probably be expected. Taiwanese dramas are infamous for the amount of tears used. 
And looks-wise, I think Alec was just so hot! *teehee* And, regardless of what everyone else says, especially with the curly hair. He has this kinda cute sheepish smile... I think it's Cheung Mokei-esque (Zhang Wuji, Trương Vô Kỵ). And he also looks really hot when he's serious. I just wish he had a bigger build... He's so short and small that he can seem cutesy instead of hotty. lol. But did you see those pecs? *swoon* If I were Yu Yan, I would've fallen in love too! XD
Chae Rim as Pan Yu Yan
20 years old. Born and raised in an aristocratic family. Sweet, kind, daring, loving, intelligent, resourceful.
Yu Yan kind of disappointed me as the series progressed. My first impression of her was someone kind of like Wong Yung (Huang Rung, Hoàng Dung) -- mischievious and quick-witted -- but she turned out to be such a weak character, in terms of personality and depth. She could've been so good, but she just fell flat. Her sole purpose in the series was to pursue her love. True, she certainly had obstacles (family), but I just didn't see her struggle very much with that. It just seems like she gave up her family so easily to be with her lover. Although...I guess you can't really blame her since her family was evil and treated her pretty bad. Still, I wish she had some goal to reach. Thank goodness she still believed in Si Lang near the end. I would've lost all my faith in her if she doubted him. I mean, after all they went through, of all people, she should understand him best.
Chae Rim is actually a pretty good actress. But she kinda has a sad face... She conveys sadness better than she does happiness. I'm not sure if that's the way she really is or if it's because of the language barrier though. In any case, she was quite convincing, language barrier and all. I just hated the voice that dubbed hers. Took all the emotion out of it. Well, maybe not all, but a significant chunk. I'd really look forward to watching her in a Korean series. Well anyway, I do'nt really want to comment on her too much until after I've seen her true colors.
Angie Chiu as She Sai Hua
About 50 years old. Skill in martial arts and military strategy. Strong, resourceful, kind, loving, family-oriented, open-minded. Forms the bridge between the father and his sons. Loving relationship with husband, but often have conflicting ideologies. However, they always end up agreeing.
She Sai Hua is such an admirable woman. She is the glue that holds the entire Yang family together and the force that keeps them going and alive. She is such a loving mother and wife. She watches out for all of her sons AND her husband and loves them equally. She can solve any problem that arises both within and outside the household. She can be warm and loving in one situation and strong and brave in another. I don't know how to do her justice. All I can say is that she is an amazing woman.
Angie is perfect for and in this role. She is such a great actress. She portrays all aspects of her character so so well, but what else can you expect from such a veteran actress? 
Like, you could really see her love for her family in her eyes; and her pain as she lost her sons, especially Si Lang; and her determination when she led the Yang army to war. Just wow.
Ti Lung as Yang Ye
50-something years old. Rare military talent. Strict father, revered by sons. Unafraid of power and authority, inadvertantly bringing him many enemies. Patriotic, righteous.
Yang Ye was a very stubborn man. Stuck to his principles and didn't waver. Basically a typical general-type personality. However, there is a softer side to him -- he really loves his family and wants the best for them. Therefore, he often struggles choosing between his family and his country. Unfortunately, country usually came first. Although I understand, I just wish he wasn't so stubborn. However, he and his wife balanced each other out very nicely, so no real complaints.
His performances was not bad, not bad at all. I don't feel like saying anymore, so I'll just leave it at that.
Kou Zheng Hai as Pan Ren Mei
Over 50 years old. Skilled in politics, but abuses his power. Overly suspicious, vengeful. His vindictiveness causes his initial dislike of the Yang family to grow into a deep-seated hatred.
Pan Ren Mei is such a dispicable character. I can't believe he would put the fate of his country and millions of innocent people on the line just to satisfy his own damn vengeance. How f***ing selfish can you possibly be? He deserved everything that happened to him, and everything was his own damn fault, but he kept looking for scapegoats. What a narcisstic, irresponsible old man. And how long can you hold a grudge? Geez. And he's so petty. Most men would put aside their own affairs and look at the bigger picture, but noo...not Pan Ren Mei. It's all about him. And most would exchange a life for a life, but nooo, not Pan Ren Mei. He has to make others suffer 10x more than he did. What a bastard. :censored:
I guess since I hated Pan Ren Mei so much, Kou Zheng Hai must've done a pretty good job, but I don't know...I'm not under that impression. I hated watching his eyes bulge when he got mad. I suppose it was fitting for the character though, since that little man had a lot of anger. I just feel like his eyes were kind of empty. I didn't really feel for his character at all....
Hu Jing as Princess Ming Ji
20-something years old. Very intelligent, ambitious.
I actually quite liked her character. She was strong, smart, and ambitious. You give her an objective and she could hatch up a plan to get there. She really reminded me a lot of Chiu Man (Zhao Min, Triệu Minh). I would've pick her over Yu Yan any day. Well, I guess if Si Lang reminded me of Zhang Wuji and Ming Ji of Zhao Min, then they'd naturally belong together. XD I just felt so sorry for her at the end...she married Si Lang knowing that he didn't love her... She loved him so much; she sacrificed so much for him. But, unlike Yu Yan, she wasn't consumed by that love. She still had her principles. I mean, come on people...love isn't above all.
Her acting skills still have much room for improvement, but they are still passable. I assume she's still relatively new, so I won't be too harsh on her. She reminds me a lot of Kitty Lai in New Heaven Sword Dragon Sabre 86 (Cô Gái Đồ Long 86), but she still has a hell of a way to go before she gets there. Hopefully, she won't disappoint.
Yan Kun as Yang Yan Si (Qi Lang)
18-19 years old. Carefree, lively, thrill-seeking. Loves life. Often causes trouble, but also brings happiness to those around him. Yangs' favorite.
Qi Lang is just oh-so-adorable! He's so carefree and innocent and lovable. It's no wonder he's the favorite son in the family. It's just too bad when his love of life (or the love of his life! *haha* like my pun? 
) was taken away. Such a shame... but he's a strong person -- takes everything in stride. He was a little annoying in the beginning, making all that trouble, but he is still probably one of my favorite characters. **SPOILER**So I was saddest when he died. And in such a terrible manner. I was bawling! Just so so sad... But it was so cute how his first thought before he died was of his mommy. *smitten* It just shows how he really is the baby of the family. **
Yan Kun has the cutest little babyface! Just so cute! ^-^ He was a supporting role, so it didn't require too wide a range of emotions, so his performance was passable. Actually, I think it was rather good. Could've been worse.
Zhao Qiang as Pan Baw
25 years old. Pretty boy, arrogant, unforgiving. Really loves little sister.
Like father, like son: Pan Baw is just as despicable as his father, Pan Ren Mei. Pan Baw is probably the spitting image of his father. They both hold a grudge just as long and seek revenge just as strongly. However, he has one characteristic where he redeems himself -- his love for his sister. The brother-sister relationship between Baw and Yu Yan was oh-so-sweet. He loved her so much and spoiled her so bad. He did anything for her, even if he had to go against his father. Too bad that was his only good quality.
To me, Zhao Qiang's acting seemed a little stiff. He wasn't self-conscious or anything; he just couldn't convey the right emotions. But it doesn't matter. His screentime was rather limited anyways.
Relationships:
The Yang Family
I loved how the family was so supportive of each other. There was so much love in the family, especially amongst the brothers. There was such a strong bond between all 7 of them. And might I add that they all look mighty handsome in their military gear. *swoon*
Yang Ye and wife
This relationship wasn't a main part of the show, but I really loved it. They balance each other out perfectly. For Yang Ye's stubbornness and hardheadedness, you had Sai Hua's love and flexibility. They argued a lot, but they both just wanted what was best for the family. I really loved the scene of the night before Yang Ye and the 7 Langs were about to head out to war. Sai Hua couldn't bear to say goodbye. It was just so touching. You could really see that despite everything and all those years, the two of them still had a really stable relationship and that they still really loved each other. I was just so enamored...I can only hope that I can be like that when I'm in my 50's.
Si Lang and Yu Yan
How could I review this series without mentioning Si Lang and Yu Yan? Their love story was the focus of the entire series. As romantic as it was, I don't think I liked it as much as I should have. However, Alec and Chae Rim have an undeniable chemistry, especially considering the language barrier. I don't know how they did it. Kudos. That brings me to another point. Why the heck would they cast a Korean actress in a Chinese drama anyways? And couldn't she at least learn to mouth the right words? I was just so put off when I heard her say one thing and mouth that in Korean. Plus, she's just too Korean to pull of a Chinese look. Chinese girls have a different aura... Oh well...whatever.
Qi Lang and Chu Chu
*sigh* What an ill-fated couple. **SPOILER** It was just so sad when Chu Chu decided to jump off the building. I saw it coming, but I couldn't believe that the writers actually went through with it... You know, now that I think of it, no one in this series had a happy ending... except maybe Liu Lang. Anyway, again, I was bawling. ** They were so sweet together...
Pan Baw and Yu Yan
I just like that he was such a great brother. He did anything for Yu Yan... She kind of abused that, but if you ignore that, they had a great relationship. **SPOILER** The only time I saw her love for him was when he died though. If only we could've heard Chae Rim's real voice. I think the scene would've been so much more touching.**
General comments:
I love the names in this drama, especially Alec's and Chae Rim's: Duyên Lăng and Ngữ Yên. So prettiful.
I didn't actually do a character/acting analysis on Rebecca cuz her role was so small, but I think she was pretty decent in here...At least after she got married. I hate when she tries to act cute. It doesn't suit her. She doesn't have a playful look. She looks more calm and level-headed. Maybe I'm too influenced by her role in Huan Zhu Ge Ge...
I hated how the Yang family was so damn loyal to the king even though he was so unappreciative. I was so pissed off that he would doubt their loyalty solely based on Pan Ren Mei's words. However, oddly enough, after they went to war, when my mom was complaining about their blind loyalty, I found myself defending them. I don't know why. I guess even though I find it stupid, it's still pretty admirable.
bottom line: Very well-rounded drama. If you're not one for romance, get one of the other versions.
It would've gotten a 4, but I could've forwarded through a lot of scenes.