kisskh MDLv6.6
Home→ General Asia→ Lost You Forever→ Show & Movie Discussions→

2nd Anniversary Rewatch of LYF - 2025 - Annotated

Kokuto

SPOILERS abound.

I'm going to use this first post to keep track of the episodes and perhaps other links. 

I should also gather the references to Tong Hua's writing style, references and allusions, as well as discussions on how the drama and novel work together, but I haven't figured out how to do so yet, so there will just be links for now.


Episode 01

edited Quote
Kokuto

EPISODE 01

As soon as the music started playing for the opening credits, I was back in Dahuang.  This is such an immersive and emotional drama, and the music definitely plays a part of that.  I remember watching this episode and just being blown away by the child actors; the world building; the sets and costumes; the cinematography; the characters clearly in pain, though I was ignorant of the cause; and yes, the music.  It had so many striking scenes that I will never forget, such as the funeral for Cang Xuan's father, Fourth Prince, Xiyan Zhong Yi.

Some folks think this episode can be skipped or skimmed, because it doesn't have much screen time for the actors playing the main characters, but that would be a mistake.  The episode lays the foundation for the two leads, Xiao Yao and Cang Xuan and explains so much of what motivates them, both their childhood trauma and the bond between them.  It also sets up the world and the political situation that entangles all our characters.  And finally, it foreshadows future events.  It does drop the viewer into the story without much explanation, and requires a certain amount of patience from them.  This is not how the novel opens, either, and what is in the novel is delivered piecemeal throughout, or is from the previous book, Once Promised.  If I find these scenes in LYF the book, I'll edit and reference it. 

The opening scene introduces a child Xiao Yao, happily swinging under a phoenix tree in bloom. There's shots of the white fox tail that hangs at her belt and the peach blossom 'birthmark' on her forehead.  She demonstrates her high spirit power with a high jump from the swing.  She demands the attention of her book reading cousin Cang Xuan and her sickly grandmother.  She provokes CX into a tree climbing race, which he gains the upper hand by starting early, and which she wins by distracting him with a fake appearance of his father.  They both like to win, but care more about each other's feelings, as they both are willing to give up the prized fox tail to sooth the other.  This is the core of the characters and their relationship before tragedy and trauma twisted them.

After the death of her son, the Fourth Prince and CX's father, and his mother Chang Pu, the dying Xiyan Empress makes CX and XY swear a vow that defines their relationship and bond for the rest of the drama.

"Life hasn't been fair to you.  Your life may remain tough.... You two are the closest ones in the world. The word is unpredictable. People may bear evil intentions.... you must cherish and support each other.  I want you to take a vow.  Forever and ever you must trust and look after each other.  Never go back on your word." --Xiyan Empress @18:00

Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao are first cousins in the book, and the Emperor and Empress are their grandparents.  CX's father and XY's mother were royal siblings.   In the drama, they tried to make them unrelated by making Xiling Heng the Empress' student in this episode, but they didn't consistently change this throughout the drama.  This seems to be done by the censors, rather than the creators.  See this topic:

https://kisskh.at/discussions/lost-you-forever/120191-are-cang-xuan-and-xiao-yao-blood-relatives-in-the-drama

Censors also tried to erase the romantic line between CX and XY, which was odd, given they insisted on making them unrelated.  This was probably done to push just one CP.  Here's the scene where XY proposes to CX that they can get married and stay together forever, which was changed to, being siblings so they could stay together forever???

Trailer Original:  https://youtu.be/HCAcq5CCivo?si=Vl_jcqQHtHdq8_j7&t=184

Drama Censored:  https://youtu.be/abf4qbeIrxc?si=lC1QQ2ZLIvv_qosE&t=1460

Even though we see XY repeatedly protecting CX physically, CX's identity and goal of protector is hammered into him this episode. At least ten times, someone tells him he must protect someone or something, from his mother, to his grandmother, to his aunt, to his home, his kingdom, and especially to XY.  And even as a child, he blames himself repeatedly for not protecting these people.  It all crystallizes in the scene with the Xiyan Emperor, after the death of Xiling Heng.  Xiyan Emperor tries to tell him to be a brave, sacrificing hero for the people and to protect (that word again) the kingdom, like his father and aunt, but CX is having none of that. 

"No.  I swear I won't be a hero like them.  I swear I won't do what they did, and leave my wife, my mother, my children in endless grief and pain without someone to rely on.  I will live on.  I will live on well.  And be the Emperor of Xiyan.... There's nothing I won't do to grow powerful." -- CX @33:40  

Yes, CX feels abandoned too, as everyone he loves dies or is sent away, but his trauma moves him to be a protector, at any cost.  Also, an amazing shot of Xiyan Emperor standing in front of the backlit throne, dwarfing child CX, while surrounded by the dark throne room.

Nothing is Better Than You plays for the first time, when Xiao Yao is sent to Jade Mountain in the flying carriage and he falls to his knees screaming XY's name and pounding his fist on the ground impotently.  Another foreshadowing at his feelings in pursuing XY.  This first episode seems more centered on CX, stamping him as the male lead.


The last quarter of the episode takes place 300 years later, in Qingshui Town, and introduces the adult characters.  XY is now Wen Xiao Liu, a male doctor of sorts.  CX arrives with A Nian, his substitue 'sister' and their servants.

WXL is a fertility specialist.  Interesting choice.  Listens and corrects (to herself) the Stone Demon Storyteller.  Delivers 7 baby rabbit demons behind a dome of umbrellas.  Some have compared this colorful dome to the shield of fish XL used later in the novel, why?

CX & company walks the streets of Qingshui Town, with A Nian remarking about the vulgar and shabby.  CX sees a woman with a forehead mark and thinks it is XY, but looks around and sees others have forehead marks.  He can't recognize XY.


WIP ... to be continued.

QUOTES

"I miss your father too much.  You'll understand when you find a girl you love.  When you meet her… give her this." -- Chan Pu to Cang Xuan

"An ignorant old man growing old without growing a brain." -- Xiao Yao to 9th Prince

"It's just that you are too sad to taste the sweet." -- Xiao Yao to Cang Xuan

"What are you doing?" -- Cang Xuan  "Can't you tell? Bullying you, of course!" -- Yu Liang

"A gentleman doesn't seek violence." -- Xiao Yao to Cang Xuan

"You will never reach this position (Emperor) on your knees" -- Xiyan Emperor to Cang Xuan

"Can I feed on decency?  I prefer money to decency." -- Wen Xiao Liu to waiter


CAST

Xiyan Mountain -- Empress' Zhaoyun Palace  & Emperor's Shangyuan Palace

3 Uncles, 5th, 7th and Yi Peng, 9th Prince and two boys

Yu Liang

Xiyan Empress Xiling Xie

Xiling Heng

Chang Pu

Xiyan Emperor


Qingshui Town

Wen Xiao Liu / Xiao Yao

Pregnant rabbit demon with 7 baby rabbits

Storytelling stone demon

Cang Xuan / Xuan

A Nian

Old Sang

Haitang



WIP ... to be continued.

edited Quote
Kokuto

EPISODE 01 NOTES

FLOWERS & PLANTS

Poinciana / Phoenix Tree and Flower:  (Will refer to this as Phoenix) One of two plants that signify XY / CX's relationship.  The drama opens with scenery tracking shot up Xiyan Mountain, led by a phoenix flower drifting up and into Zhaoyun Palace with a framing doorway shot of of a blooming phoenix tree in a courtyard with young Xiao Yao swinging, young Cang Xuan reading, and their grandmother reclining.  The flowers, like XY and CX, are carried by the winds of misfortune away from each other and their home.

In another scene, XY gives CX phoenix flowers after his mother's suicide, saying they are sweet. But CX says they are bitter.  XY says he is too sad to taste the sweetness.

Ruomu Flower: CX's flower, which his mother gives him before committing suicide, to give to his love.  Is this the flower that grows on CX's parent's grave?  I don't think so, but maybe.

Mulberry Tree:  The leaves from this tree are used to feed silk worms.  The Xiyan Empress is the mother of silk worm cultivation and weaving.  It is also another plant that may signify XY / CX's relationship.  The pair share some form of mulberries (iced and mulberry honey) as children. 

After his mother's death, XY gives mulberry honey (mead? wine?) to CX because it is supposed to relieve sadness.  XY is crying over her mother's death and her departure at a mulberry tree.  She pours out mulberry honey? something alcoholic on the tree to hide her tears.  CX promises to water XY's mulberry tree (with alcohol? ) and to save her mulberries until he can retrieve her from Jade Mountain.  She tells him not to drink mulberry wine without her.  Before they meet again, this mulberry tree evolves into human form and becomes CX's wine loving servant "Old Sang."


SYMBOLS

Nine Tailed Fox:  One of the three things we are shown in our first glimpse of Xiao Yao.  The tree swing, the fox tail at her waist, and the peach blossom 'birthmark' on her forehead.  The fox tail is from a 9 tailed fox that Chi Chen killed for Xiling Heng in Once Promised.  XY gives CX the fox tail so he won't be mad at her, but he immediately returns it, saying it is her favorite thing.  Later, when they part under the mulberry tree with promises to meet again, she gives him the fox tail again.

Butterfly:  Before Xiling Heng leaves for battle, she says good bye to XY and CX, and a butterfly alights on CX's hair holder.  I think this was a fortuitous accident with a real butterfly, but maybe not.

Peach Blossom:  XY's forehead 'birthmark' is a peach blossom.  This is how CX tries to identify grown up XY.


PROMISES

Empress Xiyan makes CX and XY promise to trust and support each other forever and ever.

Xilling Heng promises to return from battle to CX the night before.  And to XY in the morning, even with a pinky promise.

CX promises to retrieve XY from Jade Mountain.


OTHER

Fatal Familial Foresight:  Grandmother appears to have this ability, which CX inherits, as a storm appears suddenly, when CX's father dies and she immediately recognizes it as bad news of his death.

Funeral:  This event is in Once Promised with some differences and focus.  There are two tombs on either side of the tomb of CX's father, Xiyan Zhong Yi, the Fourth Prince. These must be the tombs of his older brothers who also died in Once Promised.  Sadly, I can't read the plaques.

The surviving three princes, 5th, 7th, 9th, half brothers, appear to be on the left side of the tomb.  Their two boys are there also.

Chang Pu, CX's mother, appears in red at the funeral, hinting at her bloody revenge and her continuing her marriage to her husband into death. Prince Xiyan Zhong Yi was betrayed at the battle of Xun Mountain, and died with 6000 of Chang Pu's tribesmen, the Ruoshui.

This differs from the drama A Lifetime of Love  (and book Once Promised?) in that Chang Pu doesn't kill Xiyan Yi Peng, the Ninth Prince, but his mother, the rival consort of the Xiyan Emperor.  Will reference the tragic history of the Xiyan Emperor's harem, which led to this as soon as I find it.  Here's the same funeral scene from A Lifetime of Love, which is not as well done as in LYF.

https://youtu.be/7U6CgvS_SBI?si=dyjdylDra8A5HY0z&t=695

Chang Pu's Dagger:  Was made by Haolin Emperor as a wedding gift, at the request of his wife Xiling Heng.  It is divinely made?  Chang Pu uses it to kill Prince Yi Peng and herself.  Xiling Heng gives the dagger to CX before she leaves for battle.

Three Steps:  Chang Pu's takes 3 steps (in a foot shot), turns, and then falls backwards into her husband's tomb.  The fall is slowed and the camera is tilted to track her fall and is shot exactly like Xiang Liu's death.  Why?  Amazing shot that is the most memorable for me from this episode.

Xiao Yao takes 3 steps (in a foot shot) amongst the fallen phoenix flowers, while carrying the bullied Cang Xuan, and bemoaning not having a father with her parents' divorce.

Piggyback Carry:  Above.  This is also when Xiao Yao proposes to marry Cang Xuan, so they can stay together forever.

Medical Texts:  Xiling Heng hides two medical compendiums, Classics of Herbs and Classics of Poisons, in a pendant the night before she leaves for battle.  She gives the pendant on a necklace to XY in the morning.  These are from her time as a student of the Chenrong Emperor, the father of Chinese medicine.  This is where XY gains her knowledge of poisons.

Missing Finger:  When hiding the medical compendiums, we can see that Xiling Heng has a metal pinky on one hand.  She cut this finger off in Once Promised, trying to get her then husband Haoling Emperor to send troops to save her brother, the Second Prince? in a battle.

Passage of Time:  A wonderful sequence with CX and XY holding hands watching Xiling Heng ride off, transitions to them standing on a mountain cliff holding hands as the landscape below goes through fall, winter and spring.

I think the only insert (300 years later) with a specific number of years appears right before the Qingshui Town arc.

WIP

edited Quote
Kokuto

Most of Episode 01 takes place during the previous novel, Once Promised made into the not so good drama A Lifetime of Love.  There's a few references to this previous work that I will to expand on when I get the time to find the references.  I haven't read the book (there is no English translation), but there are some translated passages in the Harvard thread.  I did watch the drama, however, to understand the general plot, which deals alot with the interactions of kingdoms.


A Lifetime of Love:

https://kisskh.at/19768-a-life-time-love

This mapping of the names and places from the novel to LYF to A Lifetime of Love is invaluable.  Thank you liddi!

https://kisskh.at/discussions/lost-you-forever-season-2/119993-what-the-shell-lounge-bar-xiang-liu-s-underwater-luxury-lounge?pid=3113493&page=333#p3113493


Koala's Prologue with some info from Once Promised:

https://koalasplayground.com/2014/03/08/prologue-to-once-promised-a-primer-on-the-gods-and-the-kingdoms-in-lost-you-forever/


@40:09  Map of Dahuang with the three kingdoms becoming two.  The Stone Demon narrates the tale of Xiling Heng's final battle with Chi Chen in an 'animated' story.


WIP

edited Quote
Snowcup

Ep. 1

Just finished rewatching the first episode, and I’m struck again by Chang Pu’s (CX’s mother) performance. Almost on cue, tears start to flow as she walks into the crowd in that blood-red dress in the sea of white.

Chang Pu tells young Cang Xuan, “I want to watch you grow up… but I can’t. I miss your father too much.”

Her eyes bright with tears as she hands him the scarlet Ruomu flower from her hair: “You will understand when you find your love. When you meet her… give her this.”

New detail I noticed: her fall back into her husband’s open grave mirrors Xiang Liu’s collapse after the battle. The framing of the falls is similar, yet the endings contrast. She vanishes behind the closed tombstone, covered under a thicket of red blooms; Xiang Liu sinks back to the soft earth amid a mix of snow and petals. The same red-and-white palette paints both scenes. Chang Pu’s tragedy at the start seems to foreshadow Xiang Liu’s near the end. How interesting.

Note: spoiler.

edited Quote
Kokuto
 Snowcup:

Just finished rewatching the first episode, and I’m struck again by Chang Pu’s (CX’s mother) performance. Almost on cue, tears start to flow as she walks into the crowd in that blood-red dress in the sea of white.

New detail I noticed: her fall back into her husband’s open grave mirrors Xiang Liu’s collapse after the battle. The framing of the falls is similar, yet the endings contrast. She vanishes behind the closed tombstone, covered under a thicket of red blooms; Xiang Liu sinks back to the soft earth amid a mix of snow and petals. The same red-and-white palette paints both scenes. Chang Pu’s tragedy at the start seems to foreshadow Xiang Liu’s near the end. How interesting.

Note: spoiler.

Sorry for the delay.  Trying to actually post my notes in a format that made sense.  I'll probably continue to add stuff, but at least I have a framework to work with now, and it should make posting about the other episodes easier.

The funeral is probably my favorite scene in this episode, especially visually.  It definitely is what hooked me into the drama.  I noticed that last year when XL met his end.  I'm not sure exactly what it means, other than looking striking.  They are book ends of loss, for sure, but I don't see XL and XY's motives being the same or similar.  Chang Pu did abandon Cang Xuan, whereas, XL did everything possible to not let XY feel abandoned.

Did you think it was Rumuo flower is what grew on their grave so quickly?


 Snowcup:

Chang Pu tells young Cang Xuan, “I want to watch you grow up… but I can’t. I miss your father too much.”

Her eyes bright with tears as she hands him the scarlet Roumu flower from her hair: “You will understand when you find your love. When you meet her… give her this.”

So painful.  sniff.  I think CX has a greater case to feel abandoned than XY, though he didn't go through the physical trauma that poor XY went through.

edited Quote
Snowcup
 Kokuto:
 Trying to actually post my notes in a format that made sense.  I'll probably continue to add stuff, but at least I have a framework to work with now, and it should make posting about the other episodes easier.

Wow, the scale of this page seems to be growing by the day.  It looks like my early posts may be interrupting the flow of your formatting now. What to do? I combined my two posts into one to follow your Episode 1 theme. That way, you could continue with Episode 2, 3, etc., if you wanted to go in that direction. I initially thought you wanted folks to casually add a quick note or two about their rewatch.

 Kokuto:
Did you think it was Rumuo flower is what grew on their grave so quickly?

Yes, I'm fairly sure it must be. The flower is from the Ruomu tree, which is one of the sacred trees in the Wilderness, and it represents Chang Pu's clan. She was the leader of her clan, and essentially Cang Xuan inherited the role. So the flower, while it symbolically represents CX's love, it also carries the clan protection for Xiao Yao.

edited Quote
Kokuto
 Snowcup:
Wow, the scale of this page seems to be growing by the day. It looks like my early posts may be interrupting the flow of your formatting now. What to do? I combined my two posts into one to follow your Episode 1 theme. That way, you could continue with Episode 2, 3, etc., if you wanted to go in that direction. I initially thought you wanted folks to casually add a quick note or two about their rewatch.

Well, I finally got my notes in the empty posts I set up.  So, no, you aren't interrupting anything.  I will go back and edit as needed, whenever I find more info, or notice something.  So please, feel free to post however you would like.  If you guys get ahead of me (as I'm sure folks will), I'll just post links in the first post.  :)


 Snowcup:
Yes, I'm fairly sure it must be. The flower is from the Ruomu tree, which is one of the sacred trees in the Wilderness, and it represents Chang Pu's clan. She was the leader of her clan, and essentially Cang Xuan inherited the role. So the flower, while it symbolically represents CX's love, it also carries the clan protection for Xiao Yao.

I was thinking the same.  But I didn't know if it was a vine or a tree.  I'm not sure what the English name for Ruomu tree is ... maybe it's mythical?  Cause I think that flower Chang Pu gave to Cang Xuan never died.

Yes, I think it's like a ... tiger tally or a talisman, that the Ruo Shui clansman recognize and whoever bears it can call on them.

Quote

Recent Discussions

Hottest Discussions