β A Song of Fire & Flower β§ Ode to the Toxic Mother & the Emptiness Within Β°6.4 good & badΒ°
AOL opens to 1 angry πgoddess in labor. Wronged by the baby-daddy, she decrees that the birth of her dtr, Jinmi (JM) be hidden. Auguring disaster in JM's first 10k yrs, she forbids her successors to allow JM to leave The Flower Realm(πR). She gives JM an elixir that blocks π: Love will only hurt JM. The goddess passes, leaving a rift between πR & πR (Heavenly Realm). π»π·π΅ have disappeared from πR & relations have faded.
Raised as an orphan w/ lots of supervision but no family, the loquacious JM is lackluster in her cultivation & unmotivated in her studies. JM wants /escape/ believing a HR supreme being is the key, JM also wants to revive her murdered friend, whose spirit is preserved in a small π±. JM wishes it all on a π β¦ Wait. That β is headed right at her!
A roasted "crow" is at the sight of the crash (actually, it's Xufeng(XF), a phoenix & prince). JM renders assistance (of sorts) & finagles a ride w/ him back to πR, where she's an instant hit. Don't judge JM harshly. She's weak b/c her spirit is blocked. Hard work nets her nada. Over time this has corraded her resolve. She's given up. πR is a new setting that injects fresh hope into JM. People of the πR are π€ w/ spiritual prowess, & some of that begins to trickle her way. She levels up by doing favors in exchange for power. She's totally cheating. Bully for her!
AOL & the novel it adapts, Heavy Sweetness Ash-like Frost by Dian Xian, seem to provide inspiration for 2 later π made into shows: Ancient Love Poetry-8.), & Love & Redemption-10. I'm eternally thankful. As they seem to be standing on AOL's shoulders, comparison isn't entirely fair. Director Chu Yui Bun is technically outstanding but moreso, he touches the π. He may or may not have been involved w/ AOL. On most sites Cheng Feng is the credited director. Sadly, AOL has pacing issues, it lacks crispness & actually drags. Eps1-9 are mostly set up - interest tickled but not grabbed. It only skims the surface - no deep dives. Not every show has to go deep, but one reason Shakespearean tragedies are popular is b/c they are cathartically satisfying. Real-life is heartbreaking enough. I don't want to watch something that's going to stomp my π & leave it to bleed out. Though there are parts that I π, I didn't like AOL much. Overall, it pales next to other fantasy pieces & I'm already too spoiled. It's not congealed well. It languishes, the plot isn't tight, it doesn't sell the romance & the characters aren't engaging enough to emotionally pull in the viewer fully. What occurs is πbreaking, yet my emotions remained 70%... detached? Suspended?. It began to feel like a pile of compost. AOL became a weight on me that provided no release. It ironically does to the viewer what JM's mother did to her!
The characters are generic vanilla. Many are irritating & I'm not very irritable. They're either too weak, too π to the faults of loved ones, too forgiving of evil when it suits them, too naive, or too quick to accept false choices. The last 2 may be common in Cdramas, but there's a delicate balance between what one is able to brush aside & what starts obstructing enjoyment. Yang Zi is JM. W/ a dry quality, she carries The Oath Of Love, a better modern-day Cdrama. Going into AOL w/ such +feelings about her carried me through many eps before I realized that I don't like JM much. She isn't cute, smart, or diligent, she's only marginally brave & she's mostly π. Don't blame it on the actress.
When JM has to "do time" in the mortal realm, π of ep20, it's more interesting. π is typically where all the fun is in a Cfantasy. They'll mention how Earth's food is more savory than πR's bland fare. {This is reminiscent of how, in the West, we think of Heaven as sitting on a cloud w/ a harp. We just can't imagine it. If we believe God made this π w/ all the beauty, π & π in it (despite all the evil - that's another topic) we should be able to believe it when God says Heaven is better} Anyway, on π, our ML/XF is a π & JM is a healer. Since the π has never taken a woman she believes him to be impotent. He takes special exception to that rumor, & he lets her know what's what. As he's falling for her & tries to win her over, he & his general liken the process to war, which leads to amusing analogies. Eventually they provide fascinating backstory.
Now for some Mosts: Wang Yi Fei plays Sui He, who feels she's most entitled to marry XF. She has the most beautiful π. Kathy Chow is empress b!+ch, Tu Yao. In Heavenly Sword &DSS, she is a most domineering sect leader & she kicks butt! Chen Yu Qi is the most likable as Bian Princess, Liu Ying. In HS&DSS she's fantastic. Runyu(RY) is most heartbreaking. {βοΈmini spoiler - He never gets a fair shake & becomes most like his father. It's understandable that RY gives up, but he certainly pulls an Anakin Skywalker: Once steeped in bitterness, he goes real bad real quick. They painstakingly build his resentment. The dam cracks here & there, then breaks. His descent into a bitter quest for revenge hurts. (I need something positive in exchange.βοΈ} AOL creates an unpaid debt to the viewer. Does he stay that way? Not telling... He Zhong Hua is Tai Wei, πR Emperor. He's completely different in L&R. Talk about most in-demand, since 2011 he's appeared in 3-6 shows/yr + some films. How is that possible? Cloning program?
Deng Lun is XF~Phoenix. The way XF hangs on seems deranged. He pursues JM as if he's entitled to her w/o regard for his brother. While he's not wrong (JM doesn't π RY) his sense of entitlement & lack of empathy for RY is icky. The way XF defends his mother is off the righthand path. We should be true to family, friends, & most of all our parents, but we should be most true to what is right, or it's selfish indulgence. The emperor lived to self-indulge & later his sons do. XF acts like he owns JM & he expects his toxic, downright evil parents to be respected regardless of the heinous things they've done. RY wants to kill everyone that crosses him, as is the case w/ most that obtain power. Being wronged doesn't make a person right.
Wallowing in victimhood leads to the bad 7: discontent, ingratitude, anger, unforgiveness, hate, bitterness, & misery. They will turn the victim into the victimizer. Emotions are much stronger than logic, but if we don't check them w/ a humble perspective they will create chaos & misery. Pretending a person's dirty is clean is just existing in lies leading to XF 's regret. He & his father drove his mother to act out. She is still fully responsible for her own stuff, but he contributed. Is there such a thing as loss w/o regret? Doubtful. It's very tricky: Taking on ALL the fault would be overstating his own importance & a form of self-absorption.
Narcissistic mothers & toxic women drive the plot of AOL. The ambitions of the πR empress for XF have everything to do w/ what she wants & nothing to do w/ her son. All she can see are things related to her, for her & against her. Her niece, Suihe follows suit. Zifen, JM's mother, utilized extreme measures to exert control as she passed. Even πR has a harshness to it. One way people pass down trauma to their children is through hyper-vigilance. Not only does that hand a knife to the kids (if they want to hurt their parents, they know exactly what to do) but it keeps a family enslaved to the ongoing pain.
Women & men are equal - they are equally guilty of toxic self-absorption. In AOL, the emperor is ultimately to blame. He married for power & pursued what he wanted every step of the way. He speaks of π, but he only loves himself. He created the incubator for the disease that spreads. Narcissistic behavior is handed down generationally & only results in bitter misery. Self-involvement is like a whirlpool: It's hard to escape once we get spinning inward. It creates appetites that can never be satisfied, leading to the bad 7. We don't need to π ourselves: We need to accept ourselves (imperfection is reality) & always strive to improve. Eg - Suihe wastes her life wanting what clearly won't be hers. At the same time, instead of focusing on self-improvement which will lead to the right mate & true happiness, she works towards what she wants. People don't want the right things. I never wanted the right things. All I want now is to help others avoid some of the regrets that I have. A simple life of love & contentment w/ enough - but not too much - is the best we can hope for. Don't let wanting the wrong things rob you of π, π & π.
AOL is a visual banquet. Some of the sets are excessively busy; πR is almost too colorful, but there's no denying that they labored on the art of the show. What is fascinating is the 1930's streamline design in πR. Idk if AOL designers relied on Chinese motifs or if they incorporated western elements, but there are objects of stunning & familiar detail in the show, including the traditional Greek scrolling design lining πR structures. The mosaic lights in the Bird Realm are my favs. In one masterfully innovative shot, faces are reflected off of a drop of π·. They mention that something is made from ancient mithril - That's from JRR Tolkien's works! That connection gave me a thrill. The big battle scene is impressive. The π΅, particularly Sa Ding Ding's song, is beautiful.
The viewer will π here & there. He's a phoenix & the most popular boy in πR, but she calls him a magpie - that's once she generously stops calling him a crow. Unfortunately, there aren't many laughs. What goes on in AOL is very bitter. It gets dysfunctional, & we aren't provided any elixir to help us manage it.
QUOTESπ’
You judge me from a villain's perspective.
You know yourself least.
γ°π IMHO
π£68 π68 π75 π67 π¦71 π49 π¨65 β‘60 π΅/π68 π 35 π55 π±40 π―40 π35 π€44 π€48 π73
Age 12+mild Lang/sex: hell &darnn; violence; references to sex & abusive situations; we see the start of a sexual assault.
Originally γ°οΈπ 11/2023
Raised as an orphan w/ lots of supervision but no family, the loquacious JM is lackluster in her cultivation & unmotivated in her studies. JM wants /escape/ believing a HR supreme being is the key, JM also wants to revive her murdered friend, whose spirit is preserved in a small π±. JM wishes it all on a π β¦ Wait. That β is headed right at her!
A roasted "crow" is at the sight of the crash (actually, it's Xufeng(XF), a phoenix & prince). JM renders assistance (of sorts) & finagles a ride w/ him back to πR, where she's an instant hit. Don't judge JM harshly. She's weak b/c her spirit is blocked. Hard work nets her nada. Over time this has corraded her resolve. She's given up. πR is a new setting that injects fresh hope into JM. People of the πR are π€ w/ spiritual prowess, & some of that begins to trickle her way. She levels up by doing favors in exchange for power. She's totally cheating. Bully for her!
AOL & the novel it adapts, Heavy Sweetness Ash-like Frost by Dian Xian, seem to provide inspiration for 2 later π made into shows: Ancient Love Poetry-8.), & Love & Redemption-10. I'm eternally thankful. As they seem to be standing on AOL's shoulders, comparison isn't entirely fair. Director Chu Yui Bun is technically outstanding but moreso, he touches the π. He may or may not have been involved w/ AOL. On most sites Cheng Feng is the credited director. Sadly, AOL has pacing issues, it lacks crispness & actually drags. Eps1-9 are mostly set up - interest tickled but not grabbed. It only skims the surface - no deep dives. Not every show has to go deep, but one reason Shakespearean tragedies are popular is b/c they are cathartically satisfying. Real-life is heartbreaking enough. I don't want to watch something that's going to stomp my π & leave it to bleed out. Though there are parts that I π, I didn't like AOL much. Overall, it pales next to other fantasy pieces & I'm already too spoiled. It's not congealed well. It languishes, the plot isn't tight, it doesn't sell the romance & the characters aren't engaging enough to emotionally pull in the viewer fully. What occurs is πbreaking, yet my emotions remained 70%... detached? Suspended?. It began to feel like a pile of compost. AOL became a weight on me that provided no release. It ironically does to the viewer what JM's mother did to her!
The characters are generic vanilla. Many are irritating & I'm not very irritable. They're either too weak, too π to the faults of loved ones, too forgiving of evil when it suits them, too naive, or too quick to accept false choices. The last 2 may be common in Cdramas, but there's a delicate balance between what one is able to brush aside & what starts obstructing enjoyment. Yang Zi is JM. W/ a dry quality, she carries The Oath Of Love, a better modern-day Cdrama. Going into AOL w/ such +feelings about her carried me through many eps before I realized that I don't like JM much. She isn't cute, smart, or diligent, she's only marginally brave & she's mostly π. Don't blame it on the actress.
When JM has to "do time" in the mortal realm, π of ep20, it's more interesting. π is typically where all the fun is in a Cfantasy. They'll mention how Earth's food is more savory than πR's bland fare. {This is reminiscent of how, in the West, we think of Heaven as sitting on a cloud w/ a harp. We just can't imagine it. If we believe God made this π w/ all the beauty, π & π in it (despite all the evil - that's another topic) we should be able to believe it when God says Heaven is better} Anyway, on π, our ML/XF is a π & JM is a healer. Since the π has never taken a woman she believes him to be impotent. He takes special exception to that rumor, & he lets her know what's what. As he's falling for her & tries to win her over, he & his general liken the process to war, which leads to amusing analogies. Eventually they provide fascinating backstory.
Now for some Mosts: Wang Yi Fei plays Sui He, who feels she's most entitled to marry XF. She has the most beautiful π. Kathy Chow is empress b!+ch, Tu Yao. In Heavenly Sword &DSS, she is a most domineering sect leader & she kicks butt! Chen Yu Qi is the most likable as Bian Princess, Liu Ying. In HS&DSS she's fantastic. Runyu(RY) is most heartbreaking. {βοΈmini spoiler - He never gets a fair shake & becomes most like his father. It's understandable that RY gives up, but he certainly pulls an Anakin Skywalker: Once steeped in bitterness, he goes real bad real quick. They painstakingly build his resentment. The dam cracks here & there, then breaks. His descent into a bitter quest for revenge hurts. (I need something positive in exchange.βοΈ} AOL creates an unpaid debt to the viewer. Does he stay that way? Not telling... He Zhong Hua is Tai Wei, πR Emperor. He's completely different in L&R. Talk about most in-demand, since 2011 he's appeared in 3-6 shows/yr + some films. How is that possible? Cloning program?
Deng Lun is XF~Phoenix. The way XF hangs on seems deranged. He pursues JM as if he's entitled to her w/o regard for his brother. While he's not wrong (JM doesn't π RY) his sense of entitlement & lack of empathy for RY is icky. The way XF defends his mother is off the righthand path. We should be true to family, friends, & most of all our parents, but we should be most true to what is right, or it's selfish indulgence. The emperor lived to self-indulge & later his sons do. XF acts like he owns JM & he expects his toxic, downright evil parents to be respected regardless of the heinous things they've done. RY wants to kill everyone that crosses him, as is the case w/ most that obtain power. Being wronged doesn't make a person right.
Wallowing in victimhood leads to the bad 7: discontent, ingratitude, anger, unforgiveness, hate, bitterness, & misery. They will turn the victim into the victimizer. Emotions are much stronger than logic, but if we don't check them w/ a humble perspective they will create chaos & misery. Pretending a person's dirty is clean is just existing in lies leading to XF 's regret. He & his father drove his mother to act out. She is still fully responsible for her own stuff, but he contributed. Is there such a thing as loss w/o regret? Doubtful. It's very tricky: Taking on ALL the fault would be overstating his own importance & a form of self-absorption.
Narcissistic mothers & toxic women drive the plot of AOL. The ambitions of the πR empress for XF have everything to do w/ what she wants & nothing to do w/ her son. All she can see are things related to her, for her & against her. Her niece, Suihe follows suit. Zifen, JM's mother, utilized extreme measures to exert control as she passed. Even πR has a harshness to it. One way people pass down trauma to their children is through hyper-vigilance. Not only does that hand a knife to the kids (if they want to hurt their parents, they know exactly what to do) but it keeps a family enslaved to the ongoing pain.
Women & men are equal - they are equally guilty of toxic self-absorption. In AOL, the emperor is ultimately to blame. He married for power & pursued what he wanted every step of the way. He speaks of π, but he only loves himself. He created the incubator for the disease that spreads. Narcissistic behavior is handed down generationally & only results in bitter misery. Self-involvement is like a whirlpool: It's hard to escape once we get spinning inward. It creates appetites that can never be satisfied, leading to the bad 7. We don't need to π ourselves: We need to accept ourselves (imperfection is reality) & always strive to improve. Eg - Suihe wastes her life wanting what clearly won't be hers. At the same time, instead of focusing on self-improvement which will lead to the right mate & true happiness, she works towards what she wants. People don't want the right things. I never wanted the right things. All I want now is to help others avoid some of the regrets that I have. A simple life of love & contentment w/ enough - but not too much - is the best we can hope for. Don't let wanting the wrong things rob you of π, π & π.
AOL is a visual banquet. Some of the sets are excessively busy; πR is almost too colorful, but there's no denying that they labored on the art of the show. What is fascinating is the 1930's streamline design in πR. Idk if AOL designers relied on Chinese motifs or if they incorporated western elements, but there are objects of stunning & familiar detail in the show, including the traditional Greek scrolling design lining πR structures. The mosaic lights in the Bird Realm are my favs. In one masterfully innovative shot, faces are reflected off of a drop of π·. They mention that something is made from ancient mithril - That's from JRR Tolkien's works! That connection gave me a thrill. The big battle scene is impressive. The π΅, particularly Sa Ding Ding's song, is beautiful.
The viewer will π here & there. He's a phoenix & the most popular boy in πR, but she calls him a magpie - that's once she generously stops calling him a crow. Unfortunately, there aren't many laughs. What goes on in AOL is very bitter. It gets dysfunctional, & we aren't provided any elixir to help us manage it.
QUOTESπ’
You judge me from a villain's perspective.
You know yourself least.
γ°π IMHO
π£68 π68 π75 π67 π¦71 π49 π¨65 β‘60 π΅/π68 π 35 π55 π±40 π―40 π35 π€44 π€48 π73
Age 12+mild Lang/sex: hell &darnn; violence; references to sex & abusive situations; we see the start of a sexual assault.
Originally γ°οΈπ 11/2023
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