Is this mostly a slice-of-life drama? Or is it fast paced?? I rarely ever watch modern dramas, but after watching some clips & trailers I'm kind of drawn to watch this one. Is it too angsty? And does it have idiotic strict controlling parents (which is a big no-no for me to watch any more modern Asian dramas)??
Great & accurate review!! Totally agree with you there on what the themes of this story are --though they are…
That's why in some descriptions I used "we" or "us", even the best of us, even if we try to triple check the source of any information before we judge others, even if we aren't a part of the mob, many are the times in real life that we are guilty of bystanding (myself included). And that's where stories like GDC & its adaptations come to teach us and inspire us. And at the same time make us more cautious. Because some times it's a thin line between being an activist, a hero, someone who fights for what he believes is right, and actually being a part of the problem! A popular saying goes somewhere among the lines of "God, give me the power to change what I can change, to accept what I cannot change, and the wisdom to know which one it is!" (I don't remember the actual quote).. But enough of philosophy, let's just enjoy it, lol --as the story also teaches us! :D
I began to watch this since it kept popping up on MDL main page, and I'm glad I did. I had to write down my incoherent…
Great & accurate review!! Totally agree with you there on what the themes of this story are --though they are way more clear in the novel imho. It's not about about good and evil, or a lonely man's search for power & his dark side...
The main themes are two in my opinion:
1) The absurdity of public opinion, the easiness of manipulating the masses & make them do what you want, especially by manipulating their fear and/or greed. This is so reflecting in WWX's true journey in the world on how he became the "Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation", as opposed to what the world thought he was. And how quickly the public opinion changed towards him and other characters... How easy it is for anyone to believe the worst in someone else! Readily condemning the "other", so ourselves get absolved!
One of best quotes regarding this theme, is one spoken by Jiang Cheng (one of the most underestimated characters in the story, and one of the most flawed, most human of all, imo) [translation by ExR]:
Jiang Cheng, “Wei WuXian! Don’t you understand? When you’re standing on their side, you’re the bizarre genius, the miraculous hero, the force of the rebellion, the flower that blooms alone. But the second your voice differs from theirs, you’ve lost your mind, you’ve ignored morality, you’ve walked the crooked path. You think you can be immune to all those condemnations as you stay outside of the world and do whatever you want? No such precedent has happened before!” (This was also in the drama, almost word for word.)
Just look at what happened in the end of this story! As fast as blinking an eye, the target of public opinion's condemnation and curses had changed towards another "villain". Suddenly, the Hero of Jianghu, and Chief Cultivator that everyone looked up to, became the dog that everyone hated & the source of everything that went wrong in the (cultivation) world! Even if the stories that circulated after that were mostly much more accurate than the stories regarding the world's previous boogeyman, Wei Wuxian, the absurdity of it all remains!! And it's a precious lesson for the real world we're living...
2) The second, and probably the most important theme in the story, imo, though greatly downplayed in the drama adaptation (for the most part because of the censorship, though I'm not 100% sure of how downplayed it is after all, cause I've yet to watch the last 9 episodes of the drama), is about second chances, about Redemption.
What would you do if you got a second chance in life? What would you change? For Wei Wuxian, the answer was not getting revenge. It wasn't trying to right all wrongs either. It wasn't about punishing the true culprits, with him clearing his name and starting clear to make it big in the world again. He didn't even want to reunite with his loved ones again at the start, with guilt the main force driving him away. But he never was a passive or reactive character either, so he couldn't just get along with what happened, so the mystery and main plot of the *present* arc went on. And during this time, he slowly realized his past life's mistakes, and that the answer to changing anything is to first start from changing one's self. In that sector, the drama was lacking, cause they made WWX's past self more sympathetic, less guilty of true crimes, the true culprits always larking in the dark moving threads, while he was condemned barely defending himself. Because in the novel (Spoilers for those not having read it yet!!!!), he truly Lost Control!
"Didn't you say you can control it?"
Jiang Cheng's voice still echoes in WWX's mind (and mine). And he truly was guilty of the "Saviour Complex" Jiang Cheng's accusing him of. And arrogant. To the extend that human lives meant little to him, except in regards to what he perceived as innocence, when he acted as the punisher. With the mob mentality consuming the world around him, it was little he could do to choose his targets carefully with a clear mind, and totally out of control when he's finally utterly broken, just a couple of scenes before his (past self's) death.
"I was so arrogant back then!" he exclaims at some point while self-reflecting. And the conclusion to this wonderful story is that, the world will keep searching for a Big Bad Villain, and the life will go on, and true happiness only comes after accepting the things that one can never change and move on, and really appreciating the people who are there for you no matter what, and finding joy in the Simple Things in life.
WWX eventually just wants the world to leave him alone. He leaves the cultivation world to their own issues, and roams the world happily with his soulmate! The most beautiful, simple and touching end of the story, with the Ultimate Punchline lacking in the drama, EXACTLY because of the censorship, because it comprises of the... eh em... naughty parts, is the following (major SPOILERS if you haven't completely read the novel!!!!!):
Wei Wuxian and Lang Wangji are consummating their relationship at long last. During the act, Wei Wuxian gradually discovers the extreme joy of e hmm... you know... and when he does, he internally exclaims [translation by ExR]:
… "Can’t believe it. Why the f@ck didn’t I do this with Lan Zhan back when I was fifteen? I’ve really pissed away all my days, haven’t I?"
:)
[Sorry about the long post, and happy reading & viewing to everyone (this will be copy-pasted in my final review, lol)!!]
Just know that its one of those dramas that keep getting better as you go along :))
I recommend you read the novel first, just know that they've changed some plot points in the drama (regarding the Yin Stygian Seal & how Wei Wuxian got his powers, etc.), so that may confuse you a bit if you read & watch interchangeably! Happy reading, you're in for a treat, the novel is marvellous!!! :)
They should just cut off the main couple altogether and make the little sister and the butcher-turn-thief the main characters... I'd still watch that!!
Hey, thank you very much for summing up all the cute scenes!!! Someone should make a video of all their scenes together!!!! :)
Oh, you also forgot the part where he was super worried about his foot, and the piggyback ride!! :) And, one of the most obvious parts (for anyone but the dense Wei Wu Xian, lol), in Xuanwu cave, when he asks him if he likes Mian Mian, and Lan Zhan looks at him like saying "No, I like YOU, you idiot!" :D
Glad you wrote about this drama!! It is my current love & obsession!! By the way, I really recommend everyone to read the novel!! Even if you don't usually read Chinese/light novels, the translation team has done an excellent job, the narration flows beautifully, and you'll really fall in love with the characters --most, if not all of them three-dimensional!!
If you want to see them as a gay couple, they are! If you don't want to see them as that, they aren't (probably-I…
I'm relaxed. I'm really sorry if I sounded rude! :) Just my personal taste, I rarely follow any gossips for actors/actresses, though I don't blame anyone if they do. So I cannot answer your question, that's all. :) (Btw, it's true and really sad what I said, China's LGBTQ 's rights are really in a sad state, but this is not the place to discuss about social issues, so, anyway...)
If you want to see them as a gay couple, they are! If you don't want to see them as that, they aren't (probably-I…
Why would you even care so much about the actors' real life? Well, to each their own, I guess. But anyway, even if they are, it's exceedingly rare for any mainland Chinese public figure to openly disclose his/her homosexuality, even in this day and age!!
If you want to see them as a gay couple, they are! If you don't want to see them as that, they aren't (probably-I wouldn't know, cause I cannot unsee WangXian ship,lol)!
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A popular saying goes somewhere among the lines of "God, give me the power to change what I can change, to accept what I cannot change, and the wisdom to know which one it is!" (I don't remember the actual quote)..
But enough of philosophy, let's just enjoy it, lol --as the story also teaches us! :D
It's not about about good and evil, or a lonely man's search for power & his dark side...
The main themes are two in my opinion:
1) The absurdity of public opinion, the easiness of manipulating the masses & make them do what you want, especially by manipulating their fear and/or greed. This is so reflecting in WWX's true journey in the world on how he became the "Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation", as opposed to what the world thought he was. And how quickly the public opinion changed towards him and other characters... How easy it is for anyone to believe the worst in someone else! Readily condemning the "other", so ourselves get absolved!
One of best quotes regarding this theme, is one spoken by Jiang Cheng (one of the most underestimated characters in the story, and one of the most flawed, most human of all, imo) [translation by ExR]:
Jiang Cheng, “Wei WuXian! Don’t you understand? When you’re standing on their side, you’re the bizarre genius, the miraculous hero, the force of the rebellion, the flower that blooms alone. But the second your voice differs from theirs, you’ve lost your mind, you’ve ignored morality, you’ve walked the crooked path. You think you can be immune to all those condemnations as you stay outside of the world and do whatever you want? No such precedent has happened before!”
(This was also in the drama, almost word for word.)
Just look at what happened in the end of this story! As fast as blinking an eye, the target of public opinion's condemnation and curses had changed towards another "villain". Suddenly, the Hero of Jianghu, and Chief Cultivator that everyone looked up to, became the dog that everyone hated & the source of everything that went wrong in the (cultivation) world! Even if the stories that circulated after that were mostly much more accurate than the stories regarding the world's previous boogeyman, Wei Wuxian, the absurdity of it all remains!! And it's a precious lesson for the real world we're living...
2) The second, and probably the most important theme in the story, imo, though greatly downplayed in the drama adaptation (for the most part because of the censorship, though I'm not 100% sure of how downplayed it is after all, cause I've yet to watch the last 9 episodes of the drama), is about second chances, about
Redemption.
What would you do if you got a second chance in life? What would you change? For Wei Wuxian, the answer was not getting revenge. It wasn't trying to right all wrongs either. It wasn't about punishing the true culprits, with him clearing his name and starting clear to make it big in the world again. He didn't even want to reunite with his loved ones again at the start, with guilt the main force driving him away.
But he never was a passive or reactive character either, so he couldn't just get along with what happened, so the mystery and main plot of the *present* arc went on. And during this time, he slowly realized his past life's mistakes, and that the answer to changing anything is to first start from changing one's self. In that sector, the drama was lacking, cause they made WWX's past self more sympathetic, less guilty of true crimes, the true culprits always larking in the dark moving threads, while he was condemned barely defending himself.
Because in the novel (Spoilers for those not having read it yet!!!!), he truly Lost Control!
"Didn't you say you can control it?"
Jiang Cheng's voice still echoes in WWX's mind (and mine). And he truly was guilty of the "Saviour Complex" Jiang Cheng's accusing him of. And arrogant. To the extend that human lives meant little to him, except in regards to what he perceived as innocence, when he acted as the punisher. With the mob mentality consuming the world around him, it was little he could do to choose his targets carefully with a clear mind, and totally out of control when he's finally utterly broken, just a couple of scenes before his (past self's) death.
"I was so arrogant back then!" he exclaims at some point while self-reflecting. And the conclusion to this wonderful story is that, the world will keep searching for a Big Bad Villain, and the life will go on, and true happiness only comes after accepting the things that one can never change and move on, and really appreciating the people who are there for you no matter what, and finding joy in the Simple Things in life.
WWX eventually just wants the world to leave him alone. He leaves the cultivation world to their own issues, and roams the world happily with his soulmate!
The most beautiful, simple and touching end of the story, with the Ultimate Punchline lacking in the drama, EXACTLY because of the censorship, because it comprises of the... eh em... naughty parts, is the following (major SPOILERS if you haven't completely read the novel!!!!!):
Wei Wuxian and Lang Wangji are consummating their relationship at long last. During the act, Wei Wuxian gradually discovers the extreme joy of e hmm... you know... and when he does, he internally exclaims [translation by ExR]:
… "Can’t believe it. Why the f@ck didn’t I do this with Lan Zhan back when I was fifteen? I’ve really pissed away all my days, haven’t I?"
:)
[Sorry about the long post, and happy reading & viewing to everyone (this will be copy-pasted in my final review, lol)!!]
Oh, you also forgot the part where he was super worried about his foot, and the piggyback ride!! :)
And, one of the most obvious parts (for anyone but the dense Wei Wu Xian, lol), in Xuanwu cave, when he asks him if he likes Mian Mian, and Lan Zhan looks at him like saying "No, I like YOU, you idiot!" :D
By the way, I really recommend everyone to read the novel!! Even if you don't usually read Chinese/light novels, the translation team has done an excellent job, the narration flows beautifully, and you'll really fall in love with the characters --most, if not all of them three-dimensional!!
(Btw, it's true and really sad what I said, China's LGBTQ 's rights are really in a sad state, but this is not the place to discuss about social issues, so, anyway...)
If you don't want to see them as that, they aren't (probably-I wouldn't know, cause I cannot unsee WangXian ship,lol)!
In any case, they're definitely soulmates!!