TaliaToo

I see that! I'm saving your whole thing onto my phone because it's so my kinda thing! <3

REPEAT POST from last night for this morning's viewers.

Besides my having fun with catching as many of their word plays, here is another hilarious thing our boy and girl did as their intimacy progressed:

1) He offered her four different tea cups. She refused to have tea with him.
2) He took her pendant.
3) He slept in front of her while she waited for him to wake up.
4) Couple clothes at the bridge!
5) He put a flower in her hair
6) She put a flower in his hair.
7) He place his cup in her hand. She drank from it.
8) He took off his clothes and gave her his undergarment (this one cracked me up for a whole five minutes). She accepted.
9) He gave her his bloodied hanky. She accepted.
10) She slept in front of him while he waited for her to wake up.
11) He gave her a whistle (personal protection and uh...asked her to blow his whistle LOLOLOLOL) and she accepted.
12) He lifted her chin with his fan and told her she was going to be his Qi-Ze and she got the meaning (smiling).
13) She lifted his chin with his fan and told him maybe they could be lovebirds.
14) He won't let her wear other men's clothing. He gave her his clothes (all of it!) and she wore it all this time LOLOL.
15) He interrupted the first marriage proposal and "kidnapped" her into his carriage. They finally freaking held hands.
16) He interrupted the second marriage proposal and "kidnapped" her into his carriage."
17) He finally confessed and a candle interrupted their kiss (just kidding, they kissed ala candlelight)
18) Not shown yet--she gives him that pendant from earlier on.

I'm sure there are more of this in the episodes, but this is all I can remember for now. Hope you enjoy this little map!

Yes, she is the iconic Joe Chen.

That's what I read too.

Yes, definitely influenced by older black and white Hollywood drama adaptations. The posing, the framing, the staring at the camera Wong Kar Wai also loves this.

Awesome! You have to put this on the discussion thread in the Other Topics. I love this!

It's very Chinese Operaish. If you've ever watched one, the characters on stage address the audience often. The weird orangey eye makeup is also reminiscent of Chinese opera (but lighter). They twirl around when they fight (you see this twirl movement during the Duke's erotic sword practice in the rain) and when the Sidekick/bodyguard jumps off into the air. Even the Crazy Princess twirl is very Chinese operatic. In Cantonese, we call Chinese Opera "Tai Hei"--big Show. Everything is exaggerated but yet very detailed, the leg movements, the walk, the pointing with the fingers, the soliloquies to the audience.... As a kid I watched a lot of Chinese opera, so am familiar with a little of it.

Oh cool! I'll add this post tomorrow plus the one I just wrote about their intimacy progression. Thanks!

Ah yes, and now he wants to be the most beloved of the newest court talented sensation :).

I think it's because the director is trying to mimic a play within a play concept because the characters love "play-acting" and "Chinese opera plays" so much. I noticed that the wider shots are done like a stage. The rooms have the curtain on top and the right and left look like stage sides. It's very obvious when the camera looks directly at the Crazy Princess' room/balcony.
Then you get all the "plays"--chess moves--they characters are talking about and doing. They break the fourth wall looking at the camera, telling the audience that something else is going on or winking at the audience to go along with all the plot holes.
I think the director overused it (he did tone it down a bit as the drama progressed) but I could tell that he was deliberate in his choice of camera panning.

I'm glad you liked it. This romance is just so well-written, even though their scenes aren't long. Every meeting has meaning hidden in it!

Besides my having fun with catching as many of their word plays, here is another hilarious thing our boy and girl did as their intimacy progressed:

1) He offered her four different tea cups. She refused to have tea with him.
2) He took her pendant.
3) He slept in front of her while she waited for him to wake up.
4) Couple clothes at the bridge!
5) He put a flower in her hair
6) She put a flower in his hair.
7) He place his cup in her hand. She drank from it.
8) He took off his clothes and gave her his undergarment (this one cracked me up for a whole five minutes). She accepted.
9) He gave her his bloodied hanky. She accepted.
10) She slept in front of him while he waited for her to wake up.
11) He gave her a whistle (personal protection and uh...asked her to blow his whistle LOLOLOLOL) and she accepted.
12) He lifted her chin with his fan and told her she was going to be his Qi-Ze and she got the meaning (smiling).
13) She lifted his chin with his fan and told him maybe they could be lovebirds.
14) He won't let her wear other men's clothing. He gave her his clothes (all of it!) and she wore it all this time LOLOL.
15) He interrupted the first marriage proposal and "kidnapped" her into his carriage. They finally freaking held hands.
16) He interrupted the second marriage proposal and "kidnapped" her into his carriage."
17) He finally confessed and a candle interrupted their kiss (just kidding, they kissed ala candlelight)
18) Not shown yet--she gives him that pendant from earlier on.

I'm sure there are more of this in the episodes, but this is all I can remember for now. Hope you enjoy this little map!

Here is one of my posts:

Repeating and adding to previous post about flirting wordplay between Duke Su and Jiang Li throughout the episodes:

Four instances of them flirting about being a couple:

1) at the bridge, playing the parts and him asking her whether the flower is "steadied." And she said, "Steadied."

2) After she was almost raped, he gave her a whistle and told her "I do not want, before the game has ended, for my Qi (chess piece/wife) to be taken."

3) When she counters his earlier story with a story of her own, about the substitute bride (indirectly telling him of her plan for SYR), he countered back with changing the ending about becoming lovebirds. She said, "Wait and see."

4) In an earlier conversation:
She said to him, "I've done the math. I can't repay you."
He replied, "Then don't pay me back (meaning, what is mine is yours)."
She responded, "Then you'll lose (meaning, I'm going to keep using what is yours)."
He said, "I can afford the loss (meaning, what is mine is yours)."
She smiled back.
This is the second time he is telling her that they are a couple, that he intends to marry her." She understood and smiled EACH time.



Adding:
5) When the Emperor had the conversation with Duke Su about pawns and, specifically, his pawn, JL, Su acknowledged that she was no longer a pawn. At the end of the convo, the emperor gave his tacit approval of the relationship: "Ni de QiZe, ni baohu hao" meaning, Take care of your WIFE. To which, Duke Su smiled softly, as if he had plans....

I'll repost under here. Let me go get my phone :).

Yeah, this. What did she think the Princess want from her son?! And every conversation to him had been "The Princess has been giving us all this..." etc. Was it all for free? LOL.

Me too! She wanted to play chess with the Chess Master.

It was a good convo about a layered character. It's always a testament to the actor when his portrayal brings out discussions like ours.

Actually, there was a post down there. We laughed at how his fingers dropped like his heart probably did. LOL.

Well, all the bad magistrates either get stabbed by JL or became monks. Re: Concubine Li's father got sent off to a monastery too, right?

Do it and I'll call up my posts about their wordplays in the different scenes. There are about nine instances I've analyzed. It's been fun. And all the slow movements of intimacy--from not accepting is cup of tea to drinking from his cup. And each article of clothing of his that she slowly wore LOLOLOL.