VixenByNight72

"There’s also the guilt. Shuhe’s very survival and rise to the throne rests on that one act of violence. Every time he looks at Duan, he sees the man who saved him and the man who condemned him to a kingship built on loss. To forgive Duan would mean admitting he accepts that bargain, and maybe even that he wanted it. That’s a truth he can’t carry."

At this point, I don't think that Duan wants or even feels that he deserves forgiveness from Shuhe. I think he wants to shoulder all of the guilt, shame, pain, and anger that Shuhe has for what happened onto himself. He's trying to recreate Shuhe's "peaceful oasis", but he knows that all Shuhe can see is that he's trapped in a prison. Mind you, this prison, and Duan's obsessive love is the one thing that is keeping Shuhe alive (for now).

Because it was 100% accurate. Charn didn't even attempt to question Jet. He just ran. It's funny, because Charn was a total skeptic, that I thought would make future situations worse for Paran, Khem, and Jet. Yet, he's become a true believer.

"In the end, I couldn't tell if I was lying to him or to myself."
Shuhe is still in love with Duan. The time they experienced together five years prior is vivid for both of them. When Duan woke up, due to hearing Shuhe's cries of pain after he was whipped. Even though the prison is on the opposite side of the palace, AND Duan had never heard Shuhe's cry in the past. I was expecting to see those guards being executed for harming his Shuhe.

The love is still there, but their trust, faith, and belief in themselves is gone.

This production as achieved all of this within 10 episodes, with two more to air.

We can get great historical Chinese BLs, if they can get produced and released out of China.

I'm thinking that Huo Ying will somehow attempt to revenge his beloved Shu Qian's murder by taking out Duan, but Shuhe comes to his aide, resulting in both of them dying.

Does Shuhe still believe that Duan killed his father and not realize that it was his brother who did it?

His brother's madness started the destruction of Shuhe and Duan five years ago.

Not to say that Duan and Shuhe haven't done things now, that have given them trust issues, but Shu Qian was planning to kill everyone he viewed as a threat to him. Shuhe wouldn't have survived if not for Duan.

But, Xia Cha was right. Hai Yuan would have never loved Zhe Fang. He never even liked him.

Zhe Fang also never really liked, nor loved Ri Qing. He used him to try and get Hai Yuan. Zhe Fang treated Ri Qing horribly.

Shuhe was never raised to be a candidate for the throne. His Father Emperor never wanted that outcome for him, so it makes sense that his time in power was unstable. While Duan was able to achieve a fast rise to power in the North, due to his past. His family was slaughtered, his younger brother captured, and him being taught from a very young age to be a killer. The only one who ever gave him a sense of peace, calm, and love was Shuhe.

Duan has spent years meticulously achieving power and becoming more obsessed with getting Shuhe back in his life. The replica of Shuhe's home?!

I don't know what's going to happen next.

"As a Westerner, I admit it feels a little too neat sometimes. People don’t usually change that quickly in real life. But then again, that’s probably just my Western lens talking."

Agreed, because if this was a Western based series, both Kanade and Mashiro would have distanced themselves from both of their families (specifically Kanade's dad and Mashiro's mom) years ago, because those relationships were keeping them from emotionally and mentally developing as grown adults.

These BLs have these characters being so restrained/reserved to the point of restricted lives, to showcase that once you can truly admit your feelings, needs, and wants to yourself and others, the sense of freedom doesn't seem so overwhelming and not obtainable anymore.

The look of relief in both Kanade and Mashiro is what made their developments as individual characters, and their romance great for me in this episode.

"He didn't go home because he didn't feel welcome there."

Exactly. Kanade was just supposed to deal with his father's behavior, even though it made him feel less than worthy, because that's what a child is required to do.

Just like how Mashiro for years accepted the manipulative behavior of his mom.

Both Mashiro and Kanade had to have their confrontations with those specific parents, because those relationships were keeping them from emotionally and mentally developing as grown adults.

".....they don't come there with the right spirit..."
Absolutely agree. Nevertheless, I try to avoid those that don't have the "right spirit"

I am loving this adaption.

"It’s about whether these characters can break free of their families, the patriarchy, and the weight of reality. BL may package itself as romance, but what keeps people watching is the deeper question: can love survive a world that keeps trying to crush it?"

Thank you for this post!

"I wanted to flag that ageism seems to be so ubiquitous in the BL-watching community (also elsewhere as well?) ...which I find to be quite sad and unnecessary."

I also find the ageism within the BL community rather shocking, but sadly after all these many years not so shocking. Like somehow, these BL characters cannot have feelings of love, sexual desire, and need unless they fall into a very very specific targeted and preferred age that will appeal to a certain demographic.

Victor isn't a wide-eyed 14 to 16 year old being manipulated Trin.

Victor is a college student, who has met someone, an older college professor, who has spent significant years living, and experiencing life outside of their home country who challenges him, makes him think about things in a different way, and has sparked a mix of emotional, mental, and romantic/sexual desire in Victor.

What's so off-putting by showing that from Victor's point of view?

Damn.....that was a great cliffhanger. "Tutor" Gu has been leading the Crown Prince to commit patricide and treason for years in his quest for power, and ShuQian was prepared to do it. He was ready to kill Shuhe, the brother that he previously adored to achieve his goal. He literally manipulated and poisoned Hua Yong, to be his blade and spy. He could have achieved his goal, while also maintaining the love he had from his brother AND the young man that he had by his side.

Duan Zi Ang, reunited with his first love, finding his younger brother is still alive, AND finding out that he isn't just a former general's son, but the next Crown Prince of the Northern Kingdom?!

Zhang Zhe Xu and Mi Jin have done an incredible job in their performances as Duan and Shuhe.

Now the long wait until next Saturday.

There is no love from the Crown Prince towards Hua Yong. He just wants his subjugation, and loyalty.

He told him to kill himself, and that his thoughts about the Crown Prince were "dirty".

"In this vast world of mountains and rivers, you are the only freedom I long for."

Zi'ang had to say those words to Shuhe, because he does find freedom, comfort, and love with him. Wow!!

I feel that some viewers just expect the worst in developing storylines due to thinking that every BL is the same as a previous BL they watched prior.

A Tuo cannot imagine having a life with anyone else but Jun Xi by his side.

Even if Wen Sen tried to make unwanted advances towards A Tuo, he wouldn't have accepted, because he's totally in love with Jun Xi.

I like how this series is developing how Jun Xi's getting more comfortable in acknowledging his love, desire, and need for A Tuo. How he is remembering their time as kids. How much A Tuo has always been an important individual in his past, present, and their potential future.

It's nice seeing how Win is just so overwhelmed in trying to get the band started, and change his and Nut's futures, so that they can hopefully have a happily ever after or make sure that Nut survives.

Win completely forgot about Lin coming into the situation, and that Nut's controlling father would sonehow find out about the band.

Chai trying to come off as this bad ass rebel, when he's just another young man dealing with a sad situation of his mother's alcoholism.

Ek's crippling shyness, but the amazing emotional support that he has in both of his parents is so wonderful to see.

I am throughly enjoying this BL.

I don't think I dropped the series, but I remember thinking to myself, "There is NO possible way, that this is the direction that TPTB are choosing to go with the storyline of Kengla, Techno and his brother." Then they actually went there.

That's why A-Tuo was so fearful, once Jun Xi found out about his actions in keeping all of those fickle girls away from Jun Xi in high school, that he would also leave him like his Mom, or totally neglect him like his father. I was shaking my head, thinking to myself, I am not a parent, but this man wants A-Tuo to be polite, and filial to him, but he hasn't even EARNED an ounce of the real feelings that his son has shown towards Jun Xi's parents.

A-Tuo has always known that he was wrong for doing that to Jun Xi, but he truly felt that none of those girls really cared for him and sadly, he was right. All it took was a smile from him, and those unrequited feelings for Jun Xi vanished from all of them. While, he's been holding onto his crush/feelings for Jun Xi, since he could even figure out that his feelings were more than just friends for Jun Xi.

A-Tuo tries to keep his needs/wants in check, because he knows that Jun Xi is just not ready to be "public" with them with the other students, his parents, and their world. Yet, each time Jun Xi pulls away in fear of being found out, to A-Tuo it's another physical example of another important person in his life expressing some sort of distaste/shame/neglect of him.

Jun Xi's slowly growing aware of these long-term issues with A-Tuo, but he's not truly ready nor prepared on how to ease those worries/concerns from him yet. I think Jun Xi's folks will have to start seeing how things have changed regarding the "friendship" between those two and start providing support for them both in their changed relationship.