Aphrene D Palorise

Only time will tell if this drama will allow a redemption arc for WS. I commend the entire cast for inhibiting their characters with such dedications because it makes watching the show an enjoyable experience.

Regarding WSW's mom, I don't fault her for making that choice; I simply disagree. Her actions remind me of a saying about how the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Because I'm sure it'll be hell for WSW once he learns of his mom's condition.

I agree that it's not that deep. Hence my surprise at some of the emotionally charged comments condemning one character, and glorifying another. Especially when one could argue they are compliments of each other.

I'm definitely one of those folks who wanted to see CC & GCY going ham with their kiss, but alas--it is what it is. No matter how miniscule the contact was, at least I no longer have to rely on my imagination. Don't know if it exists, but I'd love to see the bts of that scene.

CC/GCY is my second ghost ship because GCY/WZ is my first.

I agree that they all sport varying degrees of red shades, with some more prominent than others. I don't deny that at all. Perhaps the only person I'd consider unproblematic is WSW's mom. Though I personally disagree with her actions of withholding crucial information from her son, that's her entitlement to privacy, I suppose.

As for WS, I don't think he truly loves or has sincere regards for anyone other than himself. His schemes and manipulations have been and always will be self-serving, with the only beneficiary being himself. I don't see him loving CC enough to voluntarily leave him be.

Personally I think that WSW kept CC in the dark about the reason behind his initial pursuit out of fear of losing him more than his reluctance to hurt CC. Because even knowing about CC's insecurity with infidelity, WSW had no qualms insinuating he spent the night with someone CC regarded as a love rival.

On the flip side, CC needs to use his words more because I think WSW cannot be left to his own device. Who knows what unthinkable scenarios his imaginative mind will cook up lol

Gangzi definitely deserves recognition! I enjoy his screen presence.

As for the leads, while some of their past behaviors have been questionable, if I were to play devil's advocate, I have to acknowledge that neither had prior experiences with what a healthy relationship is. So it's understandable for them to fumble their relationship with each other during the first trial. I'm actually not apprehensive or upset with their imminent split because I understand it'll be part of their growth process. While some opt to take a break because it's not their type of scenery, I look forward to the actors' performances and how they navigate these emotional scenes.

I don't expect Yueyue to be unproblematic given that everyone present is, to some degree. I don't like nor dislike her. Girl is just chasing her dreams via whatever means available lol

I see. Thanks for answering.

The novel is definitely a different beast, and while it isn't my cup of tea per se, I can see why it's popular among some readers. Because as the saying goes, different strokes for different folks.

And I do agree with your statement about their relationship becoming more genuine after the break-up. Because when they reunite once more, I believe it wouldn't be under any false pretense or lingering misunderstandings. Their time apart would afford them space to grow and develop as individuals.

Considering WSW initially approached CC with less than honorable--no let's be real--his intentions were down right nefarious since it was motivated by revenge. Irrespective of the fact that it was fueled by a misunderstanding on his part. The truth of the matter is that he intentionally sought out CC to harm him via deception and manipulation. CC was literally minding his own business, and it was WSW who stalked him relentlessly. But that disturbing action/behavior is easily excused by most viewers because he's WSW; the main character that audiences are supposed to root for I guess. While I do understand that without such designs, we won't even have a story, let's not pretend that WSW has been nothing but an angel since the start of this pursuit. While I understand that his actions are meant to be perceived as "cute," as evident in the many comments gushing over his schemes; it doesn't negate the fact they are still deceptions. Which inherently has never been regarded with much tolerance, let alone praises and encouragement. 

For the record, I don't stan either characters, nor do I harbor any irrational dislike for them. They both have endearing and unsavory qualities, neither is infallible and without any fault. I need to clarify this matter because there have been past accusations of me "hating on" WSW for merely criticizing his actions and holding him accountable for them. Some people forget that constructive criticisms actually exist, and fail to recognize them when they encounter such instances.

Edit: On a side note, does anyone know why the actor who portrays Wang Zhen isn't credited?

Would you relent first and reach out to your boyfriend after he insinuated he spent the night with someone you regarded as your potential love rival?

As for CC's refusal to comply with WS's demands, unlike many people who believe he still has lingering feelings for WS, I believe his refusal simply illustrated his unwillingness to be a part of WS's shenanigans.

To me, CC is the kind of person whose actions speak louder than words, and I think that WS also knows that. I believe CC's disappearing act impacted WS more that any words, spoken or not.

I completely agree with you.  In an effort not to duplicate responses, please look at my reply to @Ahjummai regarding NYZ and RRY.

YL's death was written in stone for me, given how often we were reminded of his illness.  It would not make sense for him to somehow survive, and get together with  YY because that would undermine her character development.  QJ became disenchanted and was no longer a devoted follower of the Wu Emperor like he once was.  So it made sense for him to let himself go on the same battleground where his former comrades took their last breath.  SL's death was the most unnecessary to me, but I do understand how it would heightened the suspense and illustrated what was at stake.  Also, I'm sure he'd rather die protecting his friends than to survive, stewing in their absence.  YSS being gone hurt my heart because he's my favorite character.  But he wouldn't be truly content going back to his philandering ways now that he met someone who could move his heart.  However, he also wouldn't subject himself to all the political shenanigans that come along with being involved with a princess.  So dying for his comrades was a just cause; afterall, everyone of them were willing to sacrifice themselves for one another.

The shot of the leads and crew galloping through the meadows is evidently CY's auspicious vision.  However, her encounter with NSS is very real.  Because I feel that if she were to indulge herself in a moment of wistful fantasy, she'd envision something or someone relating to YSS (as she clearly had the strongest attachment to him), instead of imaging the leads' child as a vehicle to deliver a lasting joyous image of YYS, and by proxy, the rest of them.  It's too convoluted, and doesn't explain why it took 10 years for this illusion of hers to materialize.

The leads faked their own deaths to their people and audiences alike, because only in death would they truly be free from the shackles of imperial schemes.  NYZ's introduction showed him removing a sandbag that shielded him from death.  He was a skilled strategist who I believe orchestrated their deaths at the end, and RRY participated in his plans.  During his "death" he allowed himself to be taken out; albeit rather extreme since he was stab from all directions, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and he needed his "death" to be conclusive.  We saw him bleeding, as he should, but I do believe he had already lined his torso with multiple sandbags to protect vital organs and reduce his injuries from being fatal.  On the other hand, RRY's original identity was known to have perished in an explosive fire, which obviously was untrue.  So I find it non credible that she would not be able to escape an explosive scenario in which she herself facilitated.  Like I said earlier, they needed to be "dead" beyond the shadow of a doubt.  But unless I actually see their dead bodies, they're not dead.  It's similar to the trope of characters falling/jumping off a cliff in other series--I know they almost always survive, especially if they have the protagonist's halo.

Respectfully disagree on the matter of it being rushed; but maybe it was due to my anticipation of this bittersweet ending.  I came to this conclusion after NYZ shared his future vision with RRY where they would visit their comrades after this mission's completion.  My guesses then were: one of the leads would die, or they'd both die, or they survive while their comrades die.  I'm not surprised that NYZ & RRY faked their deaths because it was foreshadowed from the beginning when NYZ explained to YL that the Prime Minister would only let him retire in death.  Whereas RRY stated she was merely a dead person and had no interest in reclaiming her former identity.  As the show progressed, we witnessed time and time again how they declined death's invitation, so their ultimate survival came as no surprise.  In addition, we were constantly reminded of YL's conditions, so I was not surprised by his untimely demise either--though saddened for sure.  

Perhaps I'm biased because this objective storytelling was nostalgic for me as it checked many of the tropes from 80's and 90's dramas.  I felt their swift deaths were befitting because the battles were at their doorstep; everyone being on borrowed time where neither individual survival, nor overall success was ever guaranteed.  Had the drama taken its time to devote to each character's sacrifice, I felt the atmospheric tone would have become even more melancholic.  I appreciate them swiftly ripping off the bandaid rather than leisurely peeling it off.  It was refreshing to see a drama prioritizing literary merits over the feelings of fans.

Am I the only one who actually loves the ending?

Part III

I have to say that melody must hold some significance for Wangji and Wuxian, because Wangji only recognized Wuxian after hearing him play that tune. I figured Wangji must have recognized Wuxian in this manner because he didn't seem to recognize him when he saved him from Jin Ling's strike in the forest earlier. If I had any doubts of Wangji and Wuxian being enamored with each other before, this reunion moment clearly dispelled those doubts. The way they tenderly held onto each other's gazes and carried on a silent conversation spoke to their unique bond; Wuxian's silent request was met with Wangji's complete acquiesced with no questions asked. That is trust and understanding on another level, and it's so pure to witness. I'd like to take a moment and talk about this shot: https://twitter.com/Aphrene1/status/1486835512245907456 It beautifully juxtaposed what was captured in the intro where Wuxian was shown tightly gripping his flute before taking his fall and dejectedly asking Wangji to let go of him. Here we see Wuxian willingly let go of his flute to reach out and hold onto Wangji; although it wasn't necessary for him to completely drop his weapon because he could've easily gripped it with his right hand. I feel the flute symbolizes Wuxian's 'evil' method that was shunned by their cultivation society, and him letting go of it at this moment was him willing to part with that path in this life to keep Wangji beside him. Wangji obviously wasn't someone who dabbled in the dark arts, as evident in his renowned title as 'Han Guangjun' lol. Pausing at this precise moment showed Wuxian's flute being paralleled to Wangji's sword, which is an indicator that while Wangji's sword is his primary weapon, the flute is Wuxian's primary weapon. I'm also taken by how the sun is shining on their connected hands; it just emphasizes how this time around, their connection will be different. The last time they touched was when Wangji grabbed onto Wuxian's wrist for dear life; and now a lifetime later, Wangji is still once again grabbing onto this same wrist. But the difference was, Wuxian now returned his gesture. Seeing that sunlight peeking thru their connected hands is like seeing a light at the end of a tunnel, and the bright side to all of this, is that they've got each other and that will be enough this time.

This unexpected reunion was interrupted by an unexpected confrontation when those cultivators disclosed to a newly arrived Jiang Cheng that the masked man summoned Wen Ning, who no one thought to be 'alive.' I noted how Jiang Cheng was willing to believe this masked man to be Wuxian after noticing Wangji was beside him; it was like that was all the confirmation Jiang Cheng needed. So although he didn't appear to like Wangji, he still trusts in his judgement. He alluded earlier that Wangji has been searching for someone for the past 16 years. I believe it takes one to know one, so Jiang Cheng himself must have been searching for Wuxian as well; this detail wasn't just a rumor the old storyteller was spewing. It was in Wangji's assuredness that Jiang Cheng resolutely believed it must be Wuxian standing beside him; hence he was so surprised to see the purple whip didn't displace his soul from his current body. After Wuxian was struck by the purple whip, we immediately see Jin Ling's reaction and he seemed concerned, or at the very least, bothered by his uncle's rashness. I mentioned this in another post if it was due to Jin Ling knowing Mo Xuanyu, or was he merely being empathetic, an inherent kindness trait passed down to him from his mother, because she really seemed like a gentle soul. Following this, when Jingyi stated it was Jiang Cheng who killed Wuxian, Jiang Cheng looked like he wanted to rebuke those claims, but he ultimately bit his tongue; immediately following that was a shot of Wuxian's gaze lowering as he swallowed thickly. That made me believe there is definitely more to that story, but none of the three people involved in that fiasco was willing to speak up on it at this point. However, I'm sure the finer details of it will be revealed eventually. This scene draws to a close and started to fade to black as Wuxian lamented how he wished to travel back to the past.

A new scene emerged from 16 years ago, and it's so bittersweet to see the warm interactions between Wuxian and Jiang Cheng. As a stark contrast to the present, here we see that Wuxian did indeed used to own a sword, with no flute in sight. Unless he was storing it in a similar magical storage space that Wangji stored his guqin in the present timeline. Though Wuxian and Jiang Cheng bickered a lot, it's apparent to me that they also cared for each other a lot; kinda like how siblings tend to fight but they'd still get along well. As a matter of fact, Wuxian even recalled earlier in the episode Jiang Cheng reminded Wuxian that he himself proclaimed the two of them would be the Twin Prides of Yunmeng. Now presently in the past, we see Wuxian's excitement for an adventure in a town, and Jiang Cheng swiftly reminded him they were there for a lecture and must behave in a manner that would not bring shame to their sect. A reminder that for Wuxian's deaf ears lol. We saw Wuxian bought a rabbit toy figurine in the street market. Rabbit is the fourth animal in the Chinese zodiac, it is associated with the moon in Chinese culture due to the folklore about the Jade Rabbit (1) and "rabbits have become a symbol of rebirth in many modern societies"(2). Interestingly enough, there is also a Rabbit God in Chinese culture who looks after homosexuals and the people prays to him for blessings and true love (3). But back to the current scene, it's apparent that Wuxian's senior sister, now formally introduced as Jiang Yanli, was the peacemaker between him and Jiang Cheng. Speaking with Yanli after Wuxian took off, Jiang Cheng expressed he was sure Wuxian would create chaos or trouble in Gusu; coincidentally, at the beginning of this episode, Jiang Cheng remarked that Wangji lives up to his reputation of being present wherever there is chaos lol. So I assume Wuxian would definitely meet Wangji soon. Jiang Cheng complained that Yanli and their father always sided or defended Wuxian and she did not deny this, she deflected it by stating Wuxian's behavior actually embodied their sect's motto. Though Jiang Cheng looked somewhat put off by her comments, he did not argue further. And so episode 2 ended with the story starting back from 16 years in the past.

Now onto episode 3.....

(1) https://www.shenyunperformingarts.org/explore/view/article/e/9g-WPxuH_YU/white-jade-rabbit-goddess-of-the-moon
(2) https://www.ipublishing.co.in/see-a-rabbit-meaning-symbolism
(3) https://supchina.com/2020/10/09/how-fujian-was-once-an-lgbt-mecca/

Part II

Moving onto the next scene, I wonder if the person who took off running from the burial site was the same person who ran off later after Wuxian summoned Wen Ning: https://twitter.com/Aphrene1/status/1486832240071950339 Also, the old man pulling a disappearing act was rather creepy, and I think he must be in cahoots with the person who scrambled away earlier; in fact, these two might be working with, or for, the mysterious man from episode one because the old man purposely directed the Gusu cultivators to the dancing statue, and he shared enough info with Wuxian for him to deduce the Gusu members and Jin Ling were headed into danger. During this quick epiphany, Wuxian remembered a woman in red, whom I assumed we'll be meeting sometime later. I simply noted that Wuxian did not display any deep attachments to this person the way he was shown to have expressed when he reminisced about Wangji, Jiang Cheng, and his senior sister. For a moment there I wondered if this woman in red was someone he might've had some romantic inclinations for in his past life, but then I recalled his laden stares while remembering Wangji and that made me quickly squashed any thought of romance between Wuxian and the woman in red lol.

I noted there were Foo Dogs at the entrance of this place, and that lets me know the owner of this site must have been someone who had prestige, power, or wealth because Foo Dogs are an indicator of someone with status. In the past, they were commonly placed at the entrance of palaces, holy temples, official buildings, and tombs; but today, they can be found just about anywhere since people also believed these dogs repel negative energies. The Foo Dogs will always be in pairs with one being male representing Yang, and the other being female representing Yin. (1) I found it interesting how the shots differed with Gusu cultivators being at this burial site vs Wuxian’s visit there. When the Gusu cultivators approached the site, the female Foo Dog was obscured from view, but when Wuxian approached the site, she was in plain view and the male Foo Dog was the one partially covered by the surroundings: https://twitter.com/Aphrene1/status/1486833019470196736 Opposite of Yang which represents ‘light,’ Yin represents ‘darkness’ (2). Upon his arrival, Wuxian immediately remarked how a negative aura permeated the area. The female Foo Dog being hidden in the Gusu cultivators’ shot could also be reflective of their inexperience in dealing with dark energy, whereas Wuxian was able to take note of the aura immediately. Though the Dutch angle (3) utilized here: https://twitter.com/Aphrene1/status/1486833407753601036 did add a sense of foreboding. And I interpreted those shots to represent Wuxian’s frame of mind as someone who thought outside the box because I believe he has a different perspective concerning dark energy; given that he apparently didn’t believe it was an all-encompassing evil that must be avoided it at all costs in his previous life. In contrast, the shots of Gusu cultivators at the burial site were captured at normal, or standard, angles up until they started to depart the site; I looked at those standard frames to represent their rigid and supposedly 'upright' views on dark matter.

The following scene takes us inside a dilapidated temple with the dancing statue placed in its center. The statue 'came to life' after Jin Ling made a flippant remark about wishing for the soul eating fiend to make its appearance. As everyone else brandished their swords, I noticed Jin Ling was the only one who positioned his sword drawn back and poised for attack in the same manner as he would have had his arrow drawn back in prep for a shot: https://twitter.com/Aphrene1/status/1486833699517837315 This lets me know that unlike everyone else present, Jin Ling is perhaps as adept with his bow and arrow as he is with his sword and those two weapons are interchangeable to him. Though this info may not be of much importance, I do appreciate this minor attention to detail for the sake of consistency in character building. Wuxian appeared shortly and advised everyone to vacate the temple as they were not a match for that dancing statue. As they sought refuge in an open clearing, Wuxian commented on how Wangji would punish the Gusu disciples for not replenishing their supplies, and instead of rebuking his statement, Jingyi fretted over it. This showed that Wuxian knew Wangji rather well, or at least he was very familiar with his tendencies. He also commented on Gusu teachings, revealing his familiarity with them. Initially, I imagined he either knew them from his time being around Wangji or he was a recipient from those teachings in his past; but it was revealed at the end of this episode that he, along with Jiang Cheng, his senior sister, and other Yunmeng disciples went to Gusu to further their studies and training. The scene transitioned to what I personally thought was comedy gold in this episode with Jiang Cheng and Wangji at a tea stall not drinking tea: https://twitter.com/Aphrene1/status/1486834871687340035 The first pic emphasized the word 'tea' and "Tea drinking is a sign of respect in Chinese social life, whether in ancient or modern times. In the modern era, Chinese tea culture has become a symbol of etiquette in all aspects of people’s lives." (4) Yet the following two pics showed Jiang Cheng looking so done, and Wangji could not appear less enthused; so much so that they had the tea stall owner looking confused in the last pic over their resolution to politely diss each other lol. We already see that Wangji, though a man of few words, is someone with refined etiquette, while Jiang Cheng has a venomous mouth, and yet at this moment, both resorted to the silent treatment of ignoring the other. One could slice the tension in the air, and I think the relationship between them always had a precarious balance. It seems like they tolerated each other due to decorum, but otherwise, they could care less for the other. I thought it was brilliant how this brief scene managed to express so much about these characters without them uttering a single word.

Switching back to the cultivators who escaped from the temple, at the end of Wuxian's explanation of the dancing statue, we saw Jin Ling appear using his bow and arrow to attack it; while Wuxian mused to himself about the time when he and Wangji sealed this entity. This lets me know that he and Wangji must have gone on some adventure and experienced life and death together, and maybe that was how they grew fond of one another? Jin Ling resolutely ignored Sizhui's request for him to call for help using his signal flares; and as the situation got out of hand, Jin Ling was the first to react to Wuxian's use of his newly crafted bamboo flute. Jingyi commented that Wuxian must really be out of his mind to play a flute at a time like this, but Jin Ling knew there was more than meets the eye with how Wuxian played his flute. Though I'm also inclined to believe this was probably due to Jin Ling always hearing about the Yiling Patriarch from his uncle lol. Next, we're introduced to Wen Ning, whom the older cultivators of the group knew as the Ghost General, a henchman of the Yiling Patriarch. However, we also saw Wuxian himself was surprised by this turn of events as he also believed that Wen Ning had perished long ago. After Wen Ning destroyed the dancing statue, Wuxian surmised it was merely a decoy and he wondered who expended such effort towards this ploy and why? It was most likely for him to summon Wen Ning and expose himself in the process. The cultivators could care less about the fake statue and decided to attack Wen Ning, and we see Wuxian and Jin Ling being the only ones who did not charge forward with the rest of the group: https://twitter.com/Aphrene1/status/1486835191603683335 I mean it's obvious why Wuxian wouldn't join them, but why did Jin Ling remain immobile as well? He must have heard endless stories about the Yiling Patriarch and the Ghost General growing up, and since he was told the Yiling Patriarch was responsible for his parents' death, shouldn't he be more motivated than anyone there to attack Wen Ning? Speaking of Wen Ning, he appeared soulless at this moment, and he only engaged in battle after Wuxian continued playing his flute, as if commanding him to do so. And again, Jin Ling took note of this, but he did not intervene and took to either side. I'm wondering if Jin Ling was merely in shock since he believed Wuxian to be Mo Xuanyu, and he didn't think Mo Xuanyu was this capable in terms of cultivation skills. Wuxian noted Wen Ning's erratic actions and concluded he needed to belt out a new tune, one that was more calming. And wouldn't you know it, the first tune that came to Wuxian's mind as a soothing melody was the tune he played while thinking of Wangji in the previous episode lol.

(1) https://www.chinafurnitureonline.com/foo-dogs
(2) https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/yin-yang/
(3) https://www.masterclass.com/articles/film-101-understanding-the-dutch-angle
(4) https://www.chinatravel.com/culture/chinese-tea/culture

Part I

Episode two starts off by taking audiences on a scenic view with a flock of birds soaring to their ascent over a body of flowing waters. I'm not sure what type of birds they were, but this shot reminds me of John Woo's signature visual trademark of white doves, because white doves (or sometimes pigeons) always make a guest appearance in his films before the end credits roll. Woo believes "the doves are symbols of peace and purity, representing the spirits of his characters, even if they commit acts of violence."(1) I wonder if it's meant to show how Wuxian's soul is still very much pure and will eventually find peace despite those rampant and malicious rumors of him being an evil incarnate. In the following frames we saw what seemed to be a vast flowing river, and it appeared as though Wuxian was walking on a narrow bridge to cross it: https://twitter.com/Aphrene1/status/1486830522512801792 This is a striking image to me, because as we know, Wuxian's soul had only recently returned from 'the other side.' In Chinese mythology, there is a river known as "忘川河" which roughly translates to 'the forgotten river' or 'river of forgetfulness.' It's a passage where souls of the deceased have to journey across a bridge in order to reincarnate. However, before a soul is permitted to cross the bridge, they must drink 'meng po soup,' a concoction that would make them forget all of their memories in order for them to start their new lives fresh with no strings attached. Souls who were unwilling to part with their memories could not cross the bridge and must be submerged under the river and remain there for the next millennia before they could reincarnate. The second pic depicted Wuxian crossing this metaphoric "忘川河" with only the soles of his feet submerged underwater, while the rest of his body were remained dry. I thought this could be an allusion to how his soul only retained some memories from his previous life. The captured angle actually made it look like he was journeying across a narrow plank instead of a bridge, and this reminds me of the phrase, "the road less traveled." But does this lonely phrase represent his life from the past or would it be indicative of his present life now? I'm more inclined to believe it was applicable to his past because he's shown departing from the plank rather than approaching it. Another interesting factor in this shot is the depiction of him traveling with a donkey. An animal that's usually employed as a mode of transportation during those times is a horse, so it stood out that Wuxian was traveling with a donkey instead of a horse. Two popular figures in Chinese mythology that have been depicted traveling on a donkey are Zhang Guolao and Zhong Kui. Zhang Guolao is one of the Eight Immortals who was the oenophile of his group due to his love for wine and winemaking. (2) Zhong Kui is known to some as the God of Literature and The Demon Queller .(3) So if I were to project these attributes to Wuxian based on the similarity of them being depicted with their donkeys, I could infer that in his present life, Wuxian is most likely an intellectual and a wine connoisseur with the ability to subdue ghosts and evil spirits.

I wanted to see more backstory behind the possessed sword from the previous episode, but I guess they're pivoting the plot to a possessed statue as a vehicle to introduce more characters in this episode. We see an unnamed character using and defending a contraption created by Wuxian called the Compass of Evil; but this same character later remained silent when faced with a larger crowd who condemned Wuxian. I think this is another illustration of how people from these righteous sects would decry and denounce Wuxian's methods all day long, but they'd have no qualms using his inventions themselves if by doing so benefited them. In episode one, Wuxian expressed these exact sentiments when he witnessed disciples from Gusu using his Spirit Attraction Flags as bait to lure evil. But with the Compass of Evil, Jingyi was also unable to pinpoint the location of the evil source like that unnamed character: https://twitter.com/Aphrene1/status/1486830887056691201 Given that Wuxian is regarded as a master of this craft, I found it doubtful that both of his creations were defective in this scenario. If anything, I believe what they were tracking wasn't considered evil or demonic by the compass itself. Or perhaps this was a ruse set up by someone to lure these young cultivators? Tbh, I actually found it interesting that the opening story arc after Wuxian's revival revolves around cultivators not being able to identify and locate the source of evil. It almost seems like a deja vu of sorts because they say if one does not know their history, they're bound to repeat it. Wuxian was branded as a heinous person in his previous life, and after seeing the end of episode one, I'm assuming it was because he had something to do with the Yin Tiger Seal. However, the intro also depicted a hoard of cultivators from the righteous sects fighting to get their hands on this supposed evil artifact, but those guys were not painted in a bad light the way Wuxian was. Therefore, who is really evil, and what makes them so evil? I mentioned in another post that I think the main conflict in this series will be man vs society, but now I also feel that evil, or the concept of such, will be heavily explored as well. In episode one, we saw how the Mo family didn't perceive themselves to be bad people even though they obviously abused Mo Xuanyu; and they ultimately ended up being possessed by an evil spirit. Coincidentally, those who were possessed by the evil spirit also brutally beat up Mo Xuanyu at some point.

In the next scene we are introduced to Jin Ling. I noted how the director captured Wuxian and Jin Ling's first encounter with their respective views tilted off its axis. It's likely foreshadowing how these characters would feel as if their world has been turned upside down once they discover the other's identity. We saw Wuxian's realization in this very episode where he admonished himself for insulting Jin Ling's actions as someone who 'lacked maternal discipline,' only to find out that he had a hand in Jin Ling's mother's absence. And I imagined that in later episodes, Jin Ling would be just as shell shocked once he discovered this person to be Wuxian instead of the Mo Xuanyu he had presumed. We also get a formal introduction to Jiang Cheng, and I noticed the pendant for his sword tassel really resembled Wuxian's pendant for his flute tassel here: https://twitter.com/Aphrene1/status/1486831576084361221 Perhaps it's a reminder of their shared past or once close bond because an item like this represents a sense of identity or a place of one's belonging. When others look at the weapons and its attached tassels, they would be able to infer who or which sects the weapons belong to. Seeing how Jiang Cheng interacted with Jin Ling reminds me of this following phrase in my language, "hard mouth, soft heart" which is used to describe someone who is actually very caring despite their incessant use of harsh words. Because even though Jiang Cheng was abrasive with Jin Ling, I could also tell this nephew of his means the world to him, and he would protect Jin Ling at all costs. What stood out to me during this entire exchange was how neither Jiang Cheng nor Wangji picked up any familiarity from Wuxian; whereas Jin Ling was able to identify him as Mo Xuanyu despite him wearing a mask. Again, I'm just not sure if Wuxian is now supposed to look like Mo Xuanyu, or does he look like his former self? And if he resembled his former self, shouldn't Jiang Cheng or Wangji be able to spot him considering they've been searching for him for the past 16 years? I noticed Jiang Cheng called Wangji out on this when he asked if Wangji was out scouring the world these past 16 years to look for someone. During that entire exchange, Wangji appeared unfazed until Jiang Cheng mentioned 'it's not easy for him(Wangji) to manage/discipline the juniors of other families.' An immediate shot of Wangji was seen following these comments, and it depicted Wangji visibly moved as he subtly, but swiftly, swallowed thickly. So why did Jiang Cheng's remark about Wangji disciplining other families' disciples provoke a reaction from Wangji? So far, the only time I noticed any reaction from Wangji is if it was in relation to Wuxian. So did Wangji try to discipline Wuxian in the past but failed to do so? Did he try to prevent Wuxian from becoming the feared Yiling Patriarch, or did he have a hand in Wuxian becoming the Yiling Patriarch? Is that why that comment struck a chord with Wangji? Either way, Jiang Cheng certainly knows how to strike with his words. I'd like to point out that contrary to what Wuxian said about Jin Ling lacking manners, he displayed proper etiquette when he saluted farewell to both Wangji and Jiang Cheng prior to taking his leave.

After all parties departed from that scene, we saw Wuxian near a flowing stream where he recalled dear memories of Jiang Cheng and his senior sister. It appeared all three were very close at one point because Jiang Cheng talked about them being the Twin Prides of Yunmeng, and his senior sister proclaimed the three of them would always be together. Wuxian's reverie was interrupted as he overheard those cultivators he saved earlier gossiping about Jin Ling's pompousness and revealing his identity to be his senior sister's son. They claimed Jin Ling's parents died because of Wuxian, and though Wuxian did not dispute this, I couldn't help but wonder if there was more to the story especially given how deeply he seemed to care for his senior sister.

(1) https://screenrant.com/john-woo-movies-white-doves-symbols/
(2) https://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2010/11/22/zhang-guo-lao/
(3) https://education.asianart.org/resources/zhoong-kui-the-demon-queller-on-a-donkey-1941/

My thoughts on episode 2....

Did you read the discussion about that translator on this link? Because personally I agree with the OP of this reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/MoDaoZuShi/comments/q9gysm/seven_seas_vs_fan_translators/

This translator was actually brought to my attention when a close friend of mine mentioned how she became upset that other people decided to translate Mo Dao Zu Shi. If you read her TN regarding this issue, she came off very entitled as if she had exclusive rights to translate that novel alone, and I thought that was quite asinine considering it wasn't her original work, nor did she obtain the original author's explicit permissions to solely translate this novel. So what right did she have to feel some type of way that others might want to try their hand at translating this novel? If her sincere intent was to spread the work of this novel, shouldn't she be happy that there are more people translating this novel which by proxy will give readers more choices to choose from should they decided to read the translated work? While reading her rant, I was thinking what made her believe she was in the position to monopolize the translations for Mo Dao Zu Shi? Is there some unspoken rules amongst fan translators where you aren't allowed to translate a novel that someone else is currently translating? Because that sounds absurd to me.

You said you "heard they did use some of the innovative words the MDZS fan translator had made." So you've got a "bad taste" in your mouth based on what you heard? Which could possibly be nothing more than unsubstantiated rumors? While I believe you are entitled to believe whatever you want, what is the point of spreading rumors here? Can you confirm whether it's true the official print of the novel plagiarized from that translator? It's understandable that the translator would be unhappy not to be included in the official translations, but based on that FB post, we're only aware of her side of the story; and we don't know what Seven Seas' side of the story is. And if you or the translator feel that they have plagiarized her translations, you guys are more than welcome to contact them directly on this following link, where I'm sure you can ask to be put in touch with their legal department: https://sevenseasentertainment.com/about/contact-us/

I found the first two episodes interesting, so if it keeps going in this direction, I'm pretty sure I'll have a good time watching the rest of the series also.

Thank you :)