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This review may contain spoilers
When 2 Vengeful People Fall In Love
Apparently this was low budget, but I didn't really notice honestly.
They wore the outfits and sets were beautiful. It didnt bother me that they didnt have 20 places to use. What was seen suited the plot. That condensed feeling to a mansion and a few palace places was suitable for the characters and their desires to escape.
We start off with Shuan having the upper hand. He helps Ziang escape from a failed assassination of his brother, the Crown Prince, only for Ziang to be told to go back and get close to him, as another way to kill the CP. This backfires tremendously as Shuan already recognises him, and strings him a lot for his own plans to avenge his mother.
But all this quickly falls away as soon as the two begin to fall in love. It is fast and tense, and before I knew it, all revenge plans had been scattered to the wind, and the two were just trying to escape the CP. This all leads to a desperate rebellion and the inevitable scene on the bridge. After there, the ending was the only way it could end.
Shuan couldn't forgive Ziang, and Ziang lost his mind in an attempt to be with him again.
The Crown Prince and Shuan loved each deeply growing up, and they had plans to support each other when the CP became emperor. But for some reason Shuan gave CP the cold shoulder, and distanced himself from CP, making him suspicious of him. I interpreted it as he was ready to begin his vengeance plan and didnt want him getting involved. His plan was never made clear. I imagined it was just simply to take down the ministers in court who were responsible for his mother's death. But the Cp felt he was being betrayed and losing his position. Spurred on by Minister Gu, he descends into a paranoid desperation to get rid of his own brother, and finally leading to the rebellion when all his plans fail.
I believe Shuan took CP's side in the end, simply because he loved his brother. He knew what he had become but couldn't let go of the version he knew. When all is destroy, Ziang takes all the blame. His revenge plan was forgotten because Ziang wanted to get close to him.
And the hate just got worse. Shuan refused to co operate with Ziang, pushing him over the edge, and leading to his own fall, where all he could hope for was death.
It's like two people, who were dynamite to those around them. Wanting revenge for the people they love, fall in love with each other. When trust is broken, all that anger and pain, is naturally directed to each other.
Dying in each other's arms feels like the most natural end when you have to lead characters like this. One proud, dedicated and spoiled, the other a highly trained soldier ready to risk everything for what he wants, these two in their setting, I dont think could have a happy ever after.
I think, did the writer add in Ziang's failing health because she knew that Shuan could never live peacefully with him? What would hurt more, Shuan dying and leaving Ziang to his grief, or giving them both peace in their passing?
Nothing felt forced. One decision was the result of the one before.
For the leads, it was Shakespearean. For the others though, I felt information had been edited out. Towards the end, the editing did get quite jumpy. I wanted to know what happened to Minister Gu, did Huo travel the world with Shen? I would have liked more info on the side characters.
I also would have liked to have seen a shot of the two meeting in another life, as their hair was tied together. Since it was mentioned, I feel like the final scene should have been that, just to lift the mood a little.
It wasn't perfect but has left deep impression on me and I now feel a little haunted. I dont normally like sad endings but since this is a rare chinese bl, with a historical setting, I had to give it a shot and dont regret my decision.
They wore the outfits and sets were beautiful. It didnt bother me that they didnt have 20 places to use. What was seen suited the plot. That condensed feeling to a mansion and a few palace places was suitable for the characters and their desires to escape.
We start off with Shuan having the upper hand. He helps Ziang escape from a failed assassination of his brother, the Crown Prince, only for Ziang to be told to go back and get close to him, as another way to kill the CP. This backfires tremendously as Shuan already recognises him, and strings him a lot for his own plans to avenge his mother.
But all this quickly falls away as soon as the two begin to fall in love. It is fast and tense, and before I knew it, all revenge plans had been scattered to the wind, and the two were just trying to escape the CP. This all leads to a desperate rebellion and the inevitable scene on the bridge. After there, the ending was the only way it could end.
Shuan couldn't forgive Ziang, and Ziang lost his mind in an attempt to be with him again.
The Crown Prince and Shuan loved each deeply growing up, and they had plans to support each other when the CP became emperor. But for some reason Shuan gave CP the cold shoulder, and distanced himself from CP, making him suspicious of him. I interpreted it as he was ready to begin his vengeance plan and didnt want him getting involved. His plan was never made clear. I imagined it was just simply to take down the ministers in court who were responsible for his mother's death. But the Cp felt he was being betrayed and losing his position. Spurred on by Minister Gu, he descends into a paranoid desperation to get rid of his own brother, and finally leading to the rebellion when all his plans fail.
I believe Shuan took CP's side in the end, simply because he loved his brother. He knew what he had become but couldn't let go of the version he knew. When all is destroy, Ziang takes all the blame. His revenge plan was forgotten because Ziang wanted to get close to him.
And the hate just got worse. Shuan refused to co operate with Ziang, pushing him over the edge, and leading to his own fall, where all he could hope for was death.
It's like two people, who were dynamite to those around them. Wanting revenge for the people they love, fall in love with each other. When trust is broken, all that anger and pain, is naturally directed to each other.
Dying in each other's arms feels like the most natural end when you have to lead characters like this. One proud, dedicated and spoiled, the other a highly trained soldier ready to risk everything for what he wants, these two in their setting, I dont think could have a happy ever after.
I think, did the writer add in Ziang's failing health because she knew that Shuan could never live peacefully with him? What would hurt more, Shuan dying and leaving Ziang to his grief, or giving them both peace in their passing?
Nothing felt forced. One decision was the result of the one before.
For the leads, it was Shakespearean. For the others though, I felt information had been edited out. Towards the end, the editing did get quite jumpy. I wanted to know what happened to Minister Gu, did Huo travel the world with Shen? I would have liked more info on the side characters.
I also would have liked to have seen a shot of the two meeting in another life, as their hair was tied together. Since it was mentioned, I feel like the final scene should have been that, just to lift the mood a little.
It wasn't perfect but has left deep impression on me and I now feel a little haunted. I dont normally like sad endings but since this is a rare chinese bl, with a historical setting, I had to give it a shot and dont regret my decision.
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