PeachBlossomGoddess

Yeah its one of those where they tell you he's gonna die from the get go and keep reminding you along the way but even then it stabs you in the heart when it happens. I felt better after I watched NIF2.

Ok don't judge me I am not really that superficial a person but those bangs just gave me hives. She is such a beautiful actress what an angry person the costume designer must be to saddle her with that hideous look. I just couldn't bear to think of looking at her for 70 episodes with such a silly hairdo. I confess it is also a big reason I never started it. I wish the regulators would make themselves useful for once and just ban bangs throughout c-dramas. But yes indeed Minglan is on the PTW list.

Sadly the writing deteriorated in the 2H - even though I understand why it made me angry at both of them. There was also no reason for FL to hangout around CP after her family was killed - she had no plan and could barely stay alive much less take revenge. Taking advantage of Shaoyun's infatuation and moving into ZLZ's manor would make more sense and give her more opportunities.

I waited long time to see ROP and Minglan bc of the 70 episodes just feels like too much. I may as well bite the bullet and dive into 3 Kingdoms instead which I planned to watch for years and years but didn't because I don't have that much time. I am just hoping Pillow Book launches before I finish ROP. I think its not gonna be that good but I don't care I want something easy on the eyes and brain for CNY...

The funny thing is I spent my whole career navigating government policy across so many industries they have always struck me as sensible, commercial and rational... until I started to look at media and censorship and I must admit this is the first time I am just baffled.

Strangely I found no joy in Joy of Life... I was watching Sword Dynasty but I think I may drop it. ML for both shows look like they really want to turn into Pillsbury Doughboy in 10-15 years. I am just gonna finish ROP which I have been watching very slowly. It is strangely similar to RN but the CP is rather divine - I just love the actor and character so much I don't want it to end (yeah well known that it ends badly too).

Sigh! Ok tyvm - I guess I should have expected this. Excuse me while I go retreat into the fetal position and lick my wounds for awhile...

Surely they are not suggesting another season? Maybe it means some day they will release everything?

Oh no! I had not intrepreted it that way - I just took it as she was still waiting for him to keep his promise and he would have to make it up to her in the future. But due to the lack of tenses, it is true you can also read it as he had broken his promise - it would be a more literal translation of what she said. That is so so terribly sad. I am glad I misunderstood the meaning before I went to sleep last night or I would surely have tossed and turned all night. I will rewatch after work tonight.

Well after the pavilion scene they flashed two words that says the end so I assume the drama officially ends there. The the epilogue was preceeded by two words that suggests there were outstanding loose ends including Xu's backstory and an entire Feng En arc that maybe missing. I gave up trying to fit it into the story but someone who read the book will likely have better insights. Just keep checking this site to see if someone else can clarify it.

Behind the Quan Yin picture is Wenxi's painting - the one with the mountains and the cranes. She was clearly not only praying to Quan Yin but also for their dream. Maybe she took it down because she just wanted to look at the picture. I don't understand the timeline I will rewatch it and hope someone else can explain it but I suspect this is just meant to be an open ending so at least two explanations that make sense exists (one happy and one sad). You can think of it as happy in that they did get together long enough to have a child but what happens after is unclear. The pavillion scene could just be a dream or something that actually happens depending on how you want it to end. Open endings have been very popular lately.

Sometimes I feel they are tears of anger and frustration. Not self pity.

I don't think it has to do with language and I have to rewatch tonight because I think I may have messed up the timeline. They should have just wrapped it up when the two of them reunite behind the screen. All the rest is kind of messy and confusing even if you understand the language. I wonder if it is to just tell us they shot a lot of stuff that was cut. Or maybe it was left open to a sad interpretation to make the book readers who were expecting the book ending happy. I am just relieved they didn't go with suicide and they didn't have him kill his brother even though he is a turd.

Yes please do explain the epilogue and even the timeline in the ending - it was confusing.

I have to rewatch to figure out the timing which is deliberately confusing. We know a year later (T+12), CP goes to Changzhou to bury his uncle. Eight months later (from when?) Wenxi is pregnant and alone. I am not bothered by the incense because it is not an altar - she is praying to Quan Yin. If it is just T+8 she is probably just praying for his safe return to fulfill his promise to her to go see the world together. And the voice over at the pavillion is just her envisioning their reunion and recalling him asking her to wait for him.

Thx - a bit groggy so I will have to rewatch but initial feedback is that while the ending was open, it was also very satisfactory in terms of closure with respect to the important things. True to its signature ambiguous nature, the drama leaves it unclear how much time the OTP had together and the range is between one night and the rest of their lives. I am not at my best and this is a deliberately not transparent production so I will have to rewatch but I am ok with this somewhat cowardly ending. I would respect it more if they had just been brave and went with a fitting and unambigous ending irrespective of whether it pissed people off. There were of course tons of loose ends and clearly a lot of content was lost. But the two to three most important relationships were dealt with satisfactorily as were the villians. If I have to find one big fault I will observe that all of the joy they give us is very begrudging and miserly up to the very end. I think its too convenient to blame the censors for everything when I suspect the scriptwriting also fell short. It is a shame because the ideas and material was rich and had they been more brave they would have not failed in terms of opportunities missed to make this show truly awesome and unforgettable.

Yeah or it’s just a dream they had together before drinking poison or something. I saw the clip also but I have been tricked too many times. Seeing is believing... anyway I have 2 more to go but sick as a dog so dunno how far I will get before I pass out from my meds.

Not quite there yet but given the recent direction, I woulnd;t be surprised if that were the case. We wil know soon.

Sigh! I missed Jia Yibo! And the face fur is two thumbs up! Xoxo!

Wow - in film, what a fun job!!! Lucky you!
I prefer TMOPB to L&D because I like flawed characters but it was much less well executed than L&D.
Chang Chen and Ni Ni are together again in Savage which is a recent modern action thriller - it was ok, the Westerners are better at this kind of genre. I loved Brotherhood of Blades 1+2 and he was also in Red Cliff 1+2. And of course his role with Gong Li in Eros was quite acclaimed (and hot).
I am watching Ni Ni at the moment in Rise of Phoenixes - it is a much more substantive role than L&D but it is 70 episodes and it is well known that the production really messed up the ending. Nonetheless I am really enjoying it I would just watch it slowly. It is a heavy political drama that doesn't have a lot of fillers and the male lead Chen Kun is one of my favorites. I think she has better chemistry with him than with Chang Chen.