Sakan

Nope, time travel but not reincarnation lovers

Saying "the ML is the problem" doesn't mean placing all the blame on the character, as if the character itself decided to make the story bad. Rather, it's a way of pointing out that within the plot context or the fictional world, this character is an issue that needs to be addressed in order to improve the writing quality. In other words, the character has writing flaws. Who can fix that problem? The creators, of course.

I'm simply talking about how viewers generally can criticize characters and say things like "A/B/C characters are the problem," which isn't uncommon either. But of course, in this drama's case, the ML isn't the only issue; other characters are poorly written too.

You don’t blame a painting for having a bad composition, but within an art collection, if that painting happens to be one of the bad ones/out-of-place among the collection, we can say, "This painting is the problem for this collection's failure."

Criticizing a character for their poor development in a story is very common among drama viewers. It's also a way to point out bad writing. It's funny to say that just because a character is imaginary, you can't call them a bad developed character. No character can decide their own fate, of course. And this isn't exclusive to this drama, viewers have been dragging badly written characters since the dawn of cinema. We criticize both the character and the writer

Isn't a character inherently part of the script and writing? I only agree that we shouldn't blame the actors, but if a character is poorly developed, viewers have every right to criticize that character for the fact that he/she is a poor developed character

Doesn't that sound contradictory? Saying 'the ML isn’t the problem, the writing is' doesn't really make sense. Both his positive traits, like loyalty and emotional devotion, and his character flaws, like having no personal goals and existence as merely a 'simp' stem directly from the writing. If weak writing deprives him of a distinct personality, then he simply is a poorly developed character.
This is what happens when you turn a total red-flag ML—who actually had a clear identity in the original novel—into a victim, while still trying to force typical Republican-era angst. People only blame the directing and editing, but I think the writing is just as bad

Then later, he parallels Sha Luo and Zi Miao's relationship to him and his parents, subtly making Sha Luo mentally file Zi Miao into the "parental" zone. Such a clever boy, haha.

"16-7. 〈Tang Dynasty〉 Cheng Garden – Main Hall, Night, Interior

△ Wind howled outside the window, the night as dark as ink. Inside, however, it was warm and cozy. Flames danced in the charcoal brazier, atop which sat a small copper grate with several slices of meat grilling, sizzling audibly.

△ Shā Luó sat cross-legged on the couch, holding a wine cup, gazing at the slices of meat.

△ Ao Chi sat across from her, using chopsticks to flip the meat. The firelight softened the lines of his brows and eyes.

Ao Chi: It's done.

△ He picked up a slice and held it out to Shā Luó.

Shā Luó: (taking it, taking a bite, raising an eyebrow) Your cooking skills are actually not bad.

△ Shā Luó ate a few slices of meat, then her gaze fell on a small side table nearby—several brand-new storybooks, a box of ivory chess pieces, and a deck of leaf cards, all neatly arranged.

Shā Luó: (softly) I didn't expect Zǐ Miǎo to prepare not just food and drink, but all these as well.

Ao Chi: (glancing over) Mm. Food and supplies, chess, cards, storybooks—everything you could want. (with a hint of jealousy) He sure is thoughtful.

Shā Luó: He's always been like this. Whenever I'm upset, he finds things to keep me busy. He says when people have too much idle time, their minds start to wander—keep busy, and you'll feel better.

△ She casually flipped open one of the storybooks—it was Youxianku (The Cave of the Immortals).

Shā Luó: (with a smile) The first time I ever read this book, he was the one who gave it to me. He said, "Look—the gods and demons in this story are so interesting." He even suggested I write one about the teahouse.

Ao Chi: (curiously) Did you?

Shā Luó: How would I have had the time? But I kept this book all along. When it fell apart from being read so much, he found me a new copy.

△ She flipped through the pages, a trace of nostalgia in her eyes.

Shā Luó: He's always like that. He never says much, but he has everything prepared.

△ Ao Chi was silent for a moment.

Ao Chi: (suddenly speaking) My parents were the same way.

Shā Luó: Hm?

Ao Chi: Ever since I was little, my parents would quietly prepare everything for me. Even after they were gone, I'd still find that they'd left me many paths to fall back on.

Shā Luó: (looking at him) Did you fight with them often? Zǐ Miǎo and I fight all the time.

Ao Chi: No. My parents never forced me to do things I didn't want to. Sometimes my father would try to tell me what to do, and I'd get annoyed—but with just one look from my mother, he'd stop. He was afraid of her.

△ Shā Luó's lips curved slightly, a hint of envy in her eyes.

Shā Luó: I don't have parents. Only my master. And no one can really keep him in check. (pausing) Still, at least Zǐ Miǎo is only stubborn about the big things—on small matters, he mostly listens to me.

Ao Chi: Maybe you could try living a life without him by your side. (raising his wine cup, changing the subject) Come on, let's drink.

△ The two clinked their wine cups and downed them in one go"

First, he brought up a similar master-disciple relationship that had developed into romance, using it as a parallel to probe Sha Luo about her relationship with Zi Miao—and got the answer he was hoping for:

"Sha Luo: Mr. Song admires Du Heng. They spend day and night together-it's only natural that feelings would develop between them.
△ Ao Chi's steps faltered slightly. He turned his head to look at Sha Luo, his gaze carrying a hint of probing curiosity.
Ao Chi: (in a low voice) And what about you? I see Zi Miao is quite attentive to you in every way too?
Sha Luo: (frowning, without pausing her steps) Don't overthink it. Zi Miao and I have a purely master-disciple bond. He's deeply devoted. He already has someone in his heart. What happened back at the Bone White Taoist Temple was all a misunderstanding.
Ao Chi: (corners of his mouth lifting slightly) Good to hear. He opposed us getting close before, so I thought he might have had other feelings for you.
△ Sha Luo instinctively shook her head, furrowed her brows, and stopped walking.
Sha Luo: You shouldn't make such assumptions. (looking at Ao Chi, expression serious) Ao Chi, remember this. We are just... friends. The urgent matter now is to find the Kunlun Jade. There's no need to dwell on anything else.
△ Ao Chi looked at her, his gaze landing on her hesitant eyes, and let out a soft chuckle.
Ao Chi: (feigning ease) That's what I think too. Otherwise, what else would we be (emphasizing) friends?
△ Sha Luo felt a bit uneasy under his stare, turned her face away, and strode forward with big steps.
△ Ao Chi followed unhurriedly, but deliberately stepped on Sha Luo's shadow stretched out under the moonlight.
△ As Sha Luo walked on, she noticed no one beside her. Turning back, she saw Ao Chi stepping on her shadow, his movements childish yet utterly focused."

I'm back with my daily Fusheng post. Ao Chi is always gentle and clever when he talks to Sha Luo about Zimiao. The only time things get tense between Ao Chi and Sha Luo about Zimiao is when he uncovers the truth about his past with Zimiao, and even then, it's never about being love rivals. Here are spoilers about how Ao Chi addresses the relationship between Zimiao and Sha Luo

One of the things that makes me think Ao Chi and Sha Luo will be such a great pair is how closely the dynamic between the main actors mirrors that of the characters minus the romance, of course. (To be clear, I'm not shipping the real-life actors; I actually think their private relationship is pretty average. They just happen to be very good and comfortable with each other as colleagues). Their vibe is very much buddies, partners in crime, with a hint of flirtatious energy.

In real life, CZY is three years older than WCR. Most of the time, they come across like same-age friends both in appearance and in how they interact. But there are still small moments where CZY subtly takes on the role of the older one. I really enjoy that kind of chemistry.

Interestingly, it's quite similar to the relationship between Ao Chi and Sha Luo. In the beginning, she is a thousand-year-old demon, while he is a young marshal with only about twenty years of memories. Yet they start off as rivals who can go toe-to-toe and gradually become friends and comrades. Still, overall, Ao Chi is the more mature one; his mental strength and reasoning are already well-developed, whereas Sha Luo still carries a lot of emotional fragility. Ultimately, it will be Ao Chi who helps her grow.

You kinda in wrong drama page

Zi Miao's master, the Queen Mother of the West - Xiwangmu, ranks highest → then Cangzhu at full power → followed by Zi Miao and Sha Luo after thousands of years of experience.

As for Ao Chi, he's only human and can't really be compared to demons or gods. Since he only regains his dragon form from time to time, it wouldn't be fair to rank him properly. His real strength lies more in his intelligence than in raw power.

You should saw a lot of new faces since this is a case-solving drama type and there are about 11 cases in this drama. Each cases will have about 2-3 new important characters and a lot more NPCs. There are still 2 cases (one big, one small) that has not been filmed any scenes at all. About Kou Zheng and Qing Tong (Lady Kou) in Warring State and the story of Su He and Liuli in Tang Dynasty

There are two fighting scenes that take place at the altar:

The first one is nothing special since it has Zimiao's scheme. Everyone is tied up, and Zimiao is possessed by a demon then attacks A Chi. Ao Chi awakens his dragon power to free himself and the others. To defeat the demon, Zimiao performs a heroic act. He asks everyone to attack him. He is injured in the process, and Sha Luo rescues him. However, the demon then transfers into Sha Luo's eyes. She manages to kill the demon but loses her eyesight as a result.

The second scene involves the first sword of Cangzhu - Mr Kou, who seeks to kill Ao Chi and drain his blood in order to purify the malevolent energy stemming from blood debts. He wants to save his wife, who suffers from that same malevolent energy, and coincidentally, his wife is the only one who can cure Sha Luo's blindness. Ao Chi proposes a compromise: "If you release Sha Luo and everyone else, agree to lend me the sword, and allow Lady Kou to heal Sha Luo's eyes... then I will go with you to consecrate the sword." Ao Chi makes a bet that: "I want to try it. If the debt on that sword was not caused by me, I naturally will not die; if it truly is my fault, then I will consider it redemption for my sins."

During the trial, Ao Chi loses his mind and starts slashing wildly with the sword. But Sha Luo hugs him tightly and uses the flowing water of the Fusheng tea to envelop them both, calming him down. Afterward, the truth about the sword's past becomes clear, and Ao Chi finally receives back the fourth piece of his heart, using the sword to cut the black magic that make Ao Chi and Sha Luo lose their memory

I can't really gauge it since there're a lot of indoor shooting. But in my opinion, there's still a large portion set in the Warring States period, some in the Tang Dynasty, a little in the Republican era, and then the ending

The ending is too important to spoil, and I'm also not sure if the final script will be the same. Usually, the ending is what gets modified the most.

To be honest, I'm not any actors fan (to avoid it affecting my watching experience), but CZY truly has loving eyes. A lot of actors know how to convey love through their gaze, but in my opinion, CZY is one of those does it the most naturally and affectionately. There's not a hint of creepiness. It just feels genuine. I'm really happy that he plays Ao Chi, my favorite character.

http://xhslink.com/o/5jWRxty2VxR -> This is the first leak from Fusheng that i watched and actually made me interested in the drama then prompted me to find the script to read. During the Song Dynasty period, Ao Chi and Sha Luo give off a buddies, partners-in-crime vibe, with light hints of romance and it's here is the begining of the love of Ao Chi for Sha Luo. Before this, their chemistry lean more to the physical attraction. This period is quite cute too, especially since only Ao Chi and Sha Luo travel to there

http://xhslink.com/o/9YVzzrgwnuu Sharing fanart of Ao Chi and Sha Luo from novel. Both novel and drama using Purple and Green as their colour

Of course, their bond started during the Xianxia era. Sha Luo is the tree that Cangzhu grew. He sent her his power every day. Before the big battle where he might die, he gave her his precious heart's blood and hoped that when she gained human form, she would be free. Then when he died and his heart shattered, a piece of his heart became her heart. Almost all of her existence is because of him. But at that time, she was just a tree, so I can't really call it romantic love yet, haha

I love the ambiguous phase of love and how they come to accept their feelings and how they fall in love, so I like this change.