WK1

Wow! this is cool! I mean, you get to see in numbers, and you can really know how much each of these songs meant to you, and be able to do it so effortlessly

In the drama, this was one of my favourite scenes. One man trying to protect the one he loves, the other trying to protect a Tang princess.

When Leyan and Changge walked pass each other, Leyan will plunge forward to grab Hao Du, to protect Changge. She knew once she walked pass a certain distance, Hao Du will just dash forward and still try to catch CG. Not a word was spoken. Not a word needs to be spoken. It was just pure love and protection in motion.

After that, the look on Leyan's face was one of relief, and Hao Du, it was one of frustration, that he could not get hold of CG. I am a bit surprised that he even dared to give the Princess the angry look.

Especially now that we have the manhua. I am reading the manhua. So maybe that will help me see something in the drama that I did not previously see

I am doing lots of re-watching of the key GeSun scenes, and will share with everyone as and when something new or interesting. Only if it is something new and interesting.

Yes, small, unrepetitive, and misunderstanding that are not stupid (e.g., not due to constant lack of communication) and mindless (e.g., misunderstanding that has nothing to do the central plot). In many other dramas, the sreenwriters used these silly misunderstanding to prolong a series.

Not in this drama. Here in this drama, misunderstandings were very cleverly and creatively built into the plot, you can hardly feel that they are misunderstandings at all.

That said, I must add, the dubber for Reba's voice really did a great job. Different viewers will probably choose different scenes, but for me, it was that snow walk scene, when CG walked out to surrender to the Ashile troops.

Those few sentences when CG held up the box to pass it to AS, the dubbers voice was really amazing. I felt that it elevated the surrender, to turn it something dignified, rather shameful. That scene, I am not sure even Reba can say it better, using her own voice. For her other scenes, given time, she can do as good a job as the dubber

That is the thing. I was told, professional dubbers are really good. They can dub an entire series in super quick time. Perhaps in less than half the time that actor/actresse will require. So, if they really wanted TLB to be shown in the slot that was allocated for this drama, I doubt they had a choice.

For the TLB, it must have a record of sort. From the end of filming to airing date, less than a year!! For a historical drama, that is nothing short of amazing.

I actually skipped some of the chapters. So, some chapters, you could have read and I did not. But yet, that snow walk scene in barefoot during winter could have weakened her. And CG in manhua was so little and so frail. Our Dilraba is so robust.

But, the portion in the manhua, where CG went out to hunt, when everyone she has escaped was quite cute.

I must say the CG in the manhua was cuter. But that cannot be helped. Dilraba already played all those cute scenes in ELOD and TMOPB. I am quite glad they do not make her act cute scenes again, or else everyone will just complain that she only how to act cute. I am quite alright with the drama version.

Her essential traits from the manhua were all there: fearless, cunning,knows horse riding, can fight to protect herself. A total badass girl, which Reba portrayed so well

1. Yes, I share the same feelings like you. Starting their relationship from E1 was good, seeing how many people here in this section said they really like the cuju ball competition, which is where they first met, though they did know each other identities at that point
2. That is also true, because E5-E9 already showed how much AS cared for CG, always quietly watching over her. E.g., E.6 has that falling-off-the-roof scene; E8, the exchange of hostages scene. These two scenes were very well choreographed, and really did show the affection that AS felt for CG so early on.

I have not reached the point in the manhua where A'Dou died, but in the drama, it was one of the most paintful scenes for CG. which was so well portrayed by Reba, so I don't think anything in the manhua can beat that.

Yes, no Xu Feng at all!! And it was so poor thing for the old Mr Qin! In the drama Xu Feng was there, both for companionship and an extra pair of hands for protection

Thus far, the only thing I felt they should have added in the drama, which was in the manhua, was the scene when Mimi found out that CG was a girl. Missing in the drama was Mimi telling CG's breast and butt will get bigger. Maybe the screenwriters felt that Dilraba breasts are already big enough (compared to the CG in the manhua) and any mention of this will not seem right. When Mimi said CG really does not know what it meant to be a woman the screenwriters should have added one sentence from CG, to say from young she had always been brought up by her mother to engage in activities that were male-oriented, such as archery, horse riding, and was taught sword fighting by Li Si Min and so on. Instead, CG was made to utter something less meaningful.

Perhaps it is just that I do not understand ancient Mandarin and those sentences got lost in translation. Still, this was only a tiny tiny bit, compared to the entire drama. Not a really big issue for me. Screenwriters had to write thousands and thousands of line, one or two that got misplaced, I will not blame them at all

Agree! Very subtle and very classy

Exactly!! She can easily pass off as one, if she ever acts in a drama!

I googled. Do not see any drama for Wu Lei and Zhang Zifeng

What is the title? Do you know?

Those misunderstanding you will see are part of the main plot. And the main plot is very well handled. You will NEVER see any mindless misunderstanding.

Nope. Nothing like that at all. Any misunderstanding was part of the main plot. Not like those silly mindless misunderstanding you see in other dramas.

It would be. If only time permits. It is such a pity, because before TLB was aired, everyone thought they would be listening to Reba's real voice. In the trailer, she used her own voice.

I most certainly agree with you. Better to use own voice. But, that would not be the case for historical CDrama. In most cases, they are dubbed by professional dubbers.

Differences/Similarities between the manhua and the drama

1. The Changge in the manhua was slightly 'sicker' than the Changge in the drama. I notice, she was always coughing all the time. Particulary at the grasslands scenes. We know this drama was filmed last year, during the pandemic. I think the screenwriters did away with the coughing. Just imagine, if the director asked Dilraba to cough all the time, what will the crew think? They may well think she has the virus and dare not go near her. And we know that her acting is really good, so they may end up after each shoot, 'are you ok?" and she will have to tell them, I am ok. It will just delay the filming. ​

So they thought, this is not an essential part of her character and they did away with those coughs. Another reason could be, she has to cough all the time, we might not be able to listen to her voice (or, should I say the dubber's voice). She will be speaking in between coughs all the time, and it will make watching this drama rather challenging. In the manhua, it is was ok. Xia Da just drew 'cough' 'cough' we know what she was trying to convey.

2. This point is more important than the above, and some of you may disagree. What exactly does "Tao" refer to, in the drama and in the manhua? After reading the manhua, I seem to think that Xia Da equates Tao with our priorities in life. Hence, when the Gungsun couple committed suicide the old Mr Qin asked Changge, "that was the Tao of the governor, what is yours?" Implying that the govenor's Tao was to put the interests of the citizens above his personal interests. Hence, he would rather die to save the city, then to run away with his wife and little daughter.

In the drama and in the manhua, Mr Qin asked CG this question, what is your Tao?

Likewise, at Liuyan Temple, the leader there also asked CG, what is your Tao?

And CG asked herself this same question many times, what is my Tao (path)?

CG did not give us an answer. Not with words. But we know what it is, do we not? Her 'Tao' was to put Tang's interests before her own, that is why she was willing to forgive Li Si Min. She knew, her dear uncle will make a very good emperor. Li Si Min was very good with military strategies and also very good with using people who are smart and intelligent. And he cared for the Tang people (this would be in line with the historical Li Si Min - the censors clearly wanted to see this being conveyed in the drama)

I also feel that CG's Tao refers to forgiveness. Which is why she did not let Lady Jinse kill Du Ruhui. She could have done nothing. Just stay at the roof top, and Du Ruhui would have died. Instead, she intervened to save him. When the abbotess of Liuyan Temple first thought CG was going to kill Ruhui, she was so disappointed. Of course, we know, it was just CG's way to saving Ruhui, by letting Jinse think that she wanted to kill him herself.

That is all for now. I wanted to pen this quickly, in case I forget

In the spoiler below, I discussed some Differences/Similarities between the manhua and the drama. Read it only if you wish to know

Oh, I was just trying to suggest that perhaps, it sounded nasal, due the way the dubber pronounced it in E49. Not sure if this was done throughout the drama, as I did not pay much attention to it

Most big stars have many filming projects. So, when they finished one, they quickly move on to the next one. Like Dilraba and Zhao Lusi. Dilraba can easily dub her own voice. I have seen her doing dubbing is some variety shows. But, to have her dub her voice will take time. And time is what she does not have. And it will likely cost the production team more money too! So, they usually have professional dubbers to do it. They are faster and cheaper

But LYN is a smaller star. He likely did not have other projects after filming TLB. And he was cheaper than Reba or Lusi. And his speaking voice is good. Meaning, his articulation of Mandarin is pretty standard, most native Chinese speakers can understand his Mandarin.
So, he did his own dubbing.

Wow! Such an efficient way to keep track. Just out of curiosity, so the opening OST, the one by Diamond Zhang, how many times have you listened to that?

You see? That is what I was trying to say. We don't really care about each other's nationalities. The common thing that binds us, our love for this drama and our love for the GeSun couple. And many of the other characters in the drama too!