Oh, someone else wrote a review for this drama more than 5 days ago. That's probably the day Bilibili released all the remaining episodes on its platform. I don't understand what "gothic" means in that review, and the reviewer is clearly not a Bilibili user.
As to context, I hope my explanation of Yin-Yang Crossing in the review helps. The meaning of “阴阳渡” is a key point of this drama and integral to the evolution of Bai Shanjun's understanding.
《蒹葭》is the lament of longing for a beloved tantalisingly out of reach, and one of the most famous love…
You Have My Heart.
To see his smile, his tears, when she remembered- Zhu Zheng Ting has been riveting throughout this entire drama. And Hankiz complemented him well. Possibly the first female demon lord I am endeared to in C-Ent.
(( A magical well-woven story for me, in screenplay, visuals, dialogue, and pacing. Exquisite.))
《蒹葭》is the lament of longing for a beloved tantalisingly out of reach, and one of the most famous love poems in ancient chinese literature. Having its words set to music, and hearing it play in the ending minutes- Every tear is felt. The radiance of each smile, rooted in misunderstandings transformed into trust, assurance and more...
The final lines of the song for this drama are different from the final lines of the poem.
I wasn’t able to get a ticket—gone in less than three seconds. Usually some fail to pay and tickets return,…
If he could do six concerts across five months (includes one international stop in SEA) instead of four domestic concerts across four months, that would be great. Heck, a majority of domestic and international fans would still not be able to see him perform due to ticket number limitations. But to have more than a 0.001% chance would be great D:
9868 tickets sold out in 58 seconds, for the first batch.
in further episodes we barely see Deng Wei on screen
This isn't a bad drama for me. It is a drama of huge potential severely affected by certain factors, primarily stemming from wrong decisions in directional characterisation and screenwriters (combined with my understanding of the source material):
Once I switched my approach, it became far more enjoyable. I can see why people would drop it. That said, this drama is a gem for comedic moments and if you are not watching it for the main couple.
In the opening, when Yan Jiang is about to protest, what Joseph Zeng said was hilarious. People who don't realise it is obviously geared at ludicrous comedy to reveal insight into his character will claim the lines are bad. Joseph says:
Yan Jiang replies, saying idioms are not to be used like this. Yan Jiang means 笔底生花 and 字字珠玉 cannot be combined with 酣畅淋漓 (because 酣畅淋漓 is used in a drinking context, plus this situation is about handling important administrative documents and nothing to do with his writing talents). Impossible for any translation to completely translate three idioms used like this, hence missing more than 50% of the original meanings which makes everything Joseph said incredibly splendid about Yan Jiang yet hilariously ridiculous in a good way (to also demonstrate how things are between the two men), which made me laugh a lot.
I like more than half of the first episode but wow, the balance of seriousness and comedy needed for the first five episodes with Shuurei and Ryuuki as individuals in their interactions i.e. Qi Zheng and Fan Yun, was just not there. If people watch the first twelve episodes, then finishing likelihood is higher.
In the anime, Kou Reishin is obsessed with his niece in an over-protective way, hence Fan Hui's attitude towards Fan Yun. His adopted son Li Kouyuu is Yan Jiang in this drama. Li Kouyuu would cover up the shortcomings of Kou Reishin, by doing his work for him.
For the anime which I like very much, I was perpetually amused by Kou Reishin, and less so with Li Kouyuu (more of meh).
In this drama, Huang Hai Bing as Fan Hui is still making me chortle, while Tian Jiarui is doing a splendid job of bringing Li Kouyuu to life (the actors and actresses here obviously have directional input to behave like a shoujo manga come to life, as per the original source material) yet being realistically convincing in his role. Li Kouyuu always loses directions, can be grumpy and sharp-tongued, etc
Deng Wei generates chemistry with whoever he interacts with, so I'm a bit sad he doesn't actually have any scenes with TJR or Cheng Hongxin. That said, Deng Wei and Joseph Zeng get along like a mansion on fire in their scenes XD
in further episodes we barely see Deng Wei on screen
The highest rating is on MDL. This drama is currently ignored for other dramas or being savaged, except for various fans supporting various actors and actresses in this drama. I'm pretty sure this drama isn't at 7.6 on MDL because of Deng Wei. It's literally a team effort boost, mixed with very honest opinions. When I first started, I mentally gave this drama an MDL score of 5.0 out of 10 and considered dropping it. 10 episodes convinced me not to do so, pushing up to 6.0. My current score is higher than that, but definitely not 7.6.
"The Story of Saiunkoku" is a difficult manga to adapt as a drama, because Shuurei is an unusual and notable female character in a unique shoujo manga. That is the biggest weakness of this drama.
The Directors obviously wanted to go for "bringing a manga to life" effect but didn't take enough note of how the anime managed to aptly balance the elements of the manga with enough realism.
This is probably why they went with certain characterisations for Zheng Shi (Sa Sakujun), Qi Zheng (Ryuuki) and Fan Yun (Shuurei). My biggest issues are with the characterisations, which I can see Joseph Zeng is playing to the hilt accordingly. His acting is not an issue, because he is supposed to exaggerate certain traits as per the directional characterisation he is given.
However, this huge mistake in writing of Fan Yun takes many viewers completely out of her story, because it makes it difficult to emphatise or care for her. Yes, Shuurei in the original is slower to understand non-platonic feelings and it is the same in the drama, but making her so cartoonish and exaggerated in acting (no thanks to the directing characterisation) also affects viewers in wanting to continue with her. Episode 15 is where she behaved for a while in the way she should have behaved for the first three to five episodes, in demonstrating what she wants to stand for and how she thinks. There is a serious story in here, but the storytelling approach has killed my interest in Shuurei. Not enough understanding of the source material, combined with directing plus screenwriting not meshing on the specific approach, has led to this difficulty for viewers to connect.
As a result, I believe a majority of viewers are watching for whoever they support while enjoying whatever laughs they can find.
Deng Wei, Joseph Zeng, and other male actors generate a lot of chemistry with each other. And that makes the chemistry between the two leads of Fan Yun and Qi Zheng fall even flatter.
At first I could not get into Gao Ran. Something clicked after 14 episodes, and I was better able to see why his version of Seiran here is fitting. I only wish Dai Luwa had more screentime with the other male characters, because she is also very talented with the comedy and sass.
At least this drama is finally out. I will definitely return to it for all the comedy gems!
((Unless you have subscribed to bilibili which only mandarin-speakers can do so and hence able to complete watching, it's not possible to watch the final episode of this drama until tomorrow i.e. 30 June. I'll be surprised if anyone has posted a review for this drama on MDL, unless they are a bilibili subscriber.))
I didn't see the fan shoots, but I can imagine it was more well-behaved than this BTS, and no doubt just as warm, heh.
I burst out laughing at episode 21 from 18:23 onwards, when TJR'S facial expressions sedately go from "oh" to "WTF?!!!" after hearing his not-biological father's innermost ideas. That mixture of looking as if he couldn't decide what to say, how to disagree, wanting to run away, yet had to stay put- Within 20 seconds, at least five emotions bubbled up and were suppressed.
I just kept laughing.
Kou Reishin is obsessed with his niece in an over-protective way in the anime, hence Fan Hui's hilarious suggestion to Yan Jiang is completely in-character here. I enjoy TJR's version of Li Kouyuu in this drama. Much livelier and more adorable!
[ You're so lucky, knowing chinese. I keep in mind that 15-20% of meaning is loosing with translation, but what option do we have )] -> Er, "lucky" depends on POV. Knowing more than functional mandarin comes with the culture (which includes navigating elders of different generations and status with at least minimum patience of a diplomat-in-training).
As to translations, one can lose anywhere from between 10% to 70% of the original meaning, when it comes to Mandarin. The more classical the mandarin, the more difficult it becomes to convey in totality. Different combinations of words or specific word usages can have different connotations and references.
I expect at least 40% of the full impact of lines to be lost on viewers with zero understanding of Mandarin, when watching "Whispers of Fate".
"You Have My Heart" is a short drama airing on bilibili, and it hearkens back to what I enjoy about classics.
I like the name "Shu Lang". I also like the supporting cast in this episode. The acting of the supporting cast is down-to-earth, reminding one of everyday people we meet. Ordinary people noticed and highlighted and their cases addressed, instead of big grand schemes and imperial conspiracies. The mundane matters. That which we consider mundane is important to others. Can we really determine who matters, and who does not? All these lives matter, when you finally get to episode 21.
This episode is making me laugh and sigh at the same time. When Lady Fufeng finally discloses her thoughts of Bai Shanjun to Liu Fengling, I can actually feel my heart flutter, to not just see but realise how much she has thawed and changed inside, and what she originally felt.
And I am totally onboard with recharging methods, by the end of episode 21 XD
Oh no! Only one episode left! I have been stretching this out as much as possible...
I'm more inclined to believe in a happy ending, given the previews of all the remaining eps. You can find all…
It's a pleasure to read about your feelings :D I will definitely do a review for this drama!
There are three things a mandarin-speaker who has watched older dramas of more than 26 years ago would greatly appreciate about "You Have My Heart" (which is a wonderful play on the literal and figurative developments of this drama especially between the leads), and requires more than daily-functional mandarin to fully grasp:
1) Classical mandarin and characters sounding exactly as expected. Even the supporting characters speak in the manner I expect. I skip or drop a majority of xianxia dramas and historical costume idol dramas since 2015 because the lines are so painfully modern or lacking in the succinct poetry of what I expect. The poetical implications of an official with a scholarly background are where Bai Shanjun's lines are beautiful, direct and eloquent.
This will not come through in a translation. The songs of the drama definitely have this same lyrical beauty, referencing many idioms and poetical allusions to ancient classical literature.
一山 一梦 一回 晨雾又拂轻眉 又似远山近水 你的眼垂落在心扉
想知 想念 想偎 青梅点落空杯 残留一念余味 许是我今生的期慰
清风携手 你我萦萦绕绕相对 夕阳映照 我们曾经相拥余晖
can be understood as:
"A mountain, a dream, a moment in time- Morning mist gently caresses your brow Recalling distant hills and nearby waters, Your gaze gently rests upon the gateway of my heart.
Yearning to know, to miss, to hold you close; A green plum falls into an empty cup. Bestowing a lingering trace of memory— Perhaps the only solace of this lifetime.
Intertwined hands accompanied by a gentle breeze, Encircling, entwined, face to face; Within the glow of sunset, We once held each other in fading light."
This is what played in episode 16, between Lady Fufeng and Bai Shanjun.
When I said I haven't been this excited about a romance since Huang Xiaoming and Yin Zheng in "Winter Begonia"- The acting and the storytelling have come together so compellingly!
2) Hankiz is the unknown aloof demon lord we come to know and emphatise with as she softens, through Zhu Zheng Ting's evolving reactions and replies to her. Her role is very different from Tan Tai Jin the demon god or any demon lords. She is not an all-powerful demon, while limited by the injuries and handicaps of being unable to utilise her powers significantly due to the loss of half her heart. She has already exerted a significant amount of power in the seals she has placed throughout Yin-Yang Crossing, to keep in check an evil force older than her and misunderstood by her. Any viewers expecting big flashy moves will have wrong expectations, if ignoring this context. The CGI in episode 19 when she cast her spell is gorgeous.
Hankiz is opening up in her emoting as the episodes unfold. The demon lord who suffered massive betrayal is healing, slowly unlocking the closure of her heart. And she is changing in ways she did not anticipate, due to this human. This is what her character needs to do, and any Director would definitely insist on this. For the first few episodes, she can only rely on very-minute changes of expression.
For a female demon lord, the emoting of Hankiz is endearing. Slowly thawing and shifting. More nuanced than the newer dramas that I can't connect with. Demon lords usually require a lot of micro-emoting to be convincing for me.
3) Show and not tell of the story evolving, through every supporting character that comes and goes. It is impossible to lose the plot through carefully crafted dialogue. This manner of storytelling looks easy, but it isn't. And the camerawork in choices of scenes and post-production editing complements this.
For episode 16, I was so glad to be watching alone. I definitely had a silly grin on my face while literally unable to stay still on my couch and making certain exclamations by the second watch😂😂😂
Sometimes BTS is a lot of fun, while greatly adding to a drama and helping us connect with the artists and story. I had a lot of fun and decided to translate approximately 60% of this drunken improvisation scene between Joseph Zeng, Tian Jiarui, and Cheng Hongxin:
On a scale of 1 to 10, this specific BTS was a 20 for me 😂😂
Seeing how all three adapt and bounce off each other simultaneously very fast is quite funny. Poor Riley, he missed all the fun and only got their ire XD
Translations for subs are always a mixed bag with the streaming platforms. I know MangoTV subs are atrocious for international viewers. IQiyi's subs veer from making me wince to being more than decent, depending on how many translators in one drama and who is doing it. I don't know about Viki or Netflix, because I don't use those.
Over at "A Splendid Match", I translated 90% of a funny BTS involving Zuo Ye, Cisha, and Ren Min for two MDL friends who are Zuo Ye fans, and I'm sure others enjoyed it too :)
I replied to Rika127 on this comment thread with a comment containing multiple links as a compilation of all TJR scenes in this drama from a TJR fan weibo account, of episodes 1 to 20. May you enjoy that!
I don't know what kind of BTS will arise in future. As long as three guys are in one scene (TJR or Cheng Hongxin has to be in there as one of the guys, for me), the scenes take on a liveliness that is very engaging. I also like all TJR with CHX scenes. They work very well together. Which is great, considering they are going to appear together again in "The Soul Judgement of Jiu Chuan" in 2027.
Oh yes, a TJR fan on weibo compiled TJR's scenes from episodes 1 to 20, in case you are interested. Here you go:
Li Qin 10/10? Her kissing scene was stiff, on multiple counts. But I'll admit, she's beautiful and acts well otherwise.…
MDL has weird ways of sending notifications at times!
I am the one who authored the Novel versus Drama thread because I read it (and yes, there's quite a bit of detail about the differences for XJS of novel versus drama):
Came back here again just to remind everyone that this drama deserved SO much more hype….. one of the most underrated…
It's definitely a lot of fun. A guilty pleasure for many, I'm sure. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it was definitely high on IQiyi's rewatch list.
One of the most engaging dramas of 2025 because everyone will have an opinion on multiple characters XD
Considering how drunk one of them had to supposedly behave, I was half-expecting Cheng Hongxin to get ready to princess-carry that someone at 23:52 😂
(I will confess to being a wee bit disappointed in not seeing that happen, because I only want to know CHX's core strength and arm strength. Um. Yes. Seriously. 🤣🤣🤣🤣))
The scene in episode 19 had me sporfling muchly, especially when watching the BTS to know "这是一场需要自由发挥的醉酒戏"
So TJR was going, "五, 六, 走 (points to the left corner where CHX is)!"
CHX totally didn't understand what TJR meant in the improvisation but found it funny yet confusing (hence the sweatdrop), so he cracked up and said, "啥东西?!"
The rest of that short discussion ends in Joseph Zeng's hilarious suggestion of slapping whoever loses a certain game, which TJR spiritedly demonstrates from his position.
At 00:23, the unspoken description "放荡不羁" appears above CHX's head. This is an idiom referring to being unrestrained, so much so that someone is not bound by normal etiquette and social norms. CHX and everyone else is going to let rip.
They prompt each other in various ways. And that is when all three get into different positions and poses of varying heights, to showcase how chaotic and uncoordinated everything is, when everyone is having a good time. TJR is not to count properly. And wants to hide the fact that 1 is not used (because not counting from the start better demonstrates intoxication).
At 00:45, CHX and TJR are ganging up on Joseph Zeng.
At 00:56, Drunken Rock-Paper-Scissors commences. The loser has to drink.
At 1:09, someone interrupts them.
At 1;18, time for two to call it a night. I'm sure you will definitely enjoy that segment.
At 1:31, brotherly love is so-
The whole BTS is incredibly funny and wonderful and sweet. I hope this helps.
2 
8 
3 
1 
6 
1 
3 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
2 
https://kisskh.at/profile/Xiang83/review/583312
Oh, someone else wrote a review for this drama more than 5 days ago. That's probably the day Bilibili released all the remaining episodes on its platform.
I don't understand what "gothic" means in that review, and the reviewer is clearly not a Bilibili user.
As to context, I hope my explanation of Yin-Yang Crossing in the review helps. The meaning of “阴阳渡” is a key point of this drama and integral to the evolution of Bai Shanjun's understanding.
To see his smile, his tears, when she remembered- Zhu Zheng Ting has been riveting throughout this entire drama. And Hankiz complemented him well. Possibly the first female demon lord I am endeared to in C-Ent.
(( A magical well-woven story for me, in screenplay, visuals, dialogue, and pacing.
Exquisite.))
The final lines of the song for this drama are different from the final lines of the poem.
蒹葭苍苍，白露为霜。所谓伊人，在水一方。溯洄从之，道阻且长。溯游从之，宛在水中央。
蒹葭萋萋，白露未晞。所谓伊人，在水之湄。溯洄从之，道阻且跻。溯游从之，宛在水中坻。
{ 茫茫世间 (这世间)
风月浪漫 (风月浪漫)
风景万千 (风景万千)
不如见你一面
青山无眠 (无眠)
等绯色映红你的脸
红尘万象, 怎及你一眼 }
And { } repeats itself, to finish with
~望云烟 心念 浮现~
Perfectly captured.
In silence, final words could not be clearer:
9868 tickets sold out in 58 seconds, for the first batch.
https://kisskh.at/profile/Fake_Smile/review/582562#comment-26623762
Once I switched my approach, it became far more enjoyable. I can see why people would drop it. That said, this drama is a gem for comedic moments and if you are not watching it for the main couple.
In the opening, when Yan Jiang is about to protest, what Joseph Zeng said was hilarious. People who don't realise it is obviously geared at ludicrous comedy to reveal insight into his character will claim the lines are bad. Joseph says:
"这些任务就交给你啦。(interrupts protests) 颜绛。颜绛你笔底生花, 字字珠玉。定能酣畅淋漓一气呵成完成本城主交给你的任务。"
Yan Jiang replies, saying idioms are not to be used like this. Yan Jiang means 笔底生花 and 字字珠玉 cannot be combined with 酣畅淋漓 (because 酣畅淋漓 is used in a drinking context, plus this situation is about handling important administrative documents and nothing to do with his writing talents). Impossible for any translation to completely translate three idioms used like this, hence missing more than 50% of the original meanings which makes everything Joseph said incredibly splendid about Yan Jiang yet hilariously ridiculous in a good way (to also demonstrate how things are between the two men), which made me laugh a lot.
I like more than half of the first episode but wow, the balance of seriousness and comedy needed for the first five episodes with Shuurei and Ryuuki as individuals in their interactions i.e. Qi Zheng and Fan Yun, was just not there. If people watch the first twelve episodes, then finishing likelihood is higher.
For the anime which I like very much, I was perpetually amused by Kou Reishin, and less so with Li Kouyuu (more of meh).
In this drama, Huang Hai Bing as Fan Hui is still making me chortle, while Tian Jiarui is doing a splendid job of bringing Li Kouyuu to life (the actors and actresses here obviously have directional input to behave like a shoujo manga come to life, as per the original source material) yet being realistically convincing in his role. Li Kouyuu always loses directions, can be grumpy and sharp-tongued, etc
Deng Wei generates chemistry with whoever he interacts with, so I'm a bit sad he doesn't actually have any scenes with TJR or Cheng Hongxin. That said, Deng Wei and Joseph Zeng get along like a mansion on fire in their scenes XD
May this cheer you up (golden reminders):
https://www.weibo.com/2212669181/QFWQwwFSz
https://www.weibo.com/5909342713/PAVmUjkEU
The Directors obviously wanted to go for "bringing a manga to life" effect but didn't take enough note of how the anime managed to aptly balance the elements of the manga with enough realism.
This is probably why they went with certain characterisations for Zheng Shi (Sa Sakujun), Qi Zheng (Ryuuki) and Fan Yun (Shuurei). My biggest issues are with the characterisations, which I can see Joseph Zeng is playing to the hilt accordingly. His acting is not an issue, because he is supposed to exaggerate certain traits as per the directional characterisation he is given.
However, this huge mistake in writing of Fan Yun takes many viewers completely out of her story, because it makes it difficult to emphatise or care for her. Yes, Shuurei in the original is slower to understand non-platonic feelings and it is the same in the drama, but making her so cartoonish and exaggerated in acting (no thanks to the directing characterisation) also affects viewers in wanting to continue with her. Episode 15 is where she behaved for a while in the way she should have behaved for the first three to five episodes, in demonstrating what she wants to stand for and how she thinks. There is a serious story in here, but the storytelling approach has killed my interest in Shuurei. Not enough understanding of the source material, combined with directing plus screenwriting not meshing on the specific approach, has led to this difficulty for viewers to connect.
As a result, I believe a majority of viewers are watching for whoever they support while enjoying whatever laughs they can find.
Deng Wei, Joseph Zeng, and other male actors generate a lot of chemistry with each other. And that makes the chemistry between the two leads of Fan Yun and Qi Zheng fall even flatter.
At first I could not get into Gao Ran. Something clicked after 14 episodes, and I was better able to see why his version of Seiran here is fitting. I only wish Dai Luwa had more screentime with the other male characters, because she is also very talented with the comedy and sass.
At least this drama is finally out. I will definitely return to it for all the comedy gems!
((Unless you have subscribed to bilibili which only mandarin-speakers can do so and hence able to complete watching, it's not possible to watch the final episode of this drama until tomorrow i.e. 30 June. I'll be surprised if anyone has posted a review for this drama on MDL, unless they are a bilibili subscriber.))
https://kisskh.at/profile/Xiang83/review/508286
I burst out laughing at episode 21 from 18:23 onwards, when TJR'S facial expressions sedately go from "oh" to "WTF?!!!" after hearing his not-biological father's innermost ideas. That mixture of looking as if he couldn't decide what to say, how to disagree, wanting to run away, yet had to stay put- Within 20 seconds, at least five emotions bubbled up and were suppressed.
I just kept laughing.
Kou Reishin is obsessed with his niece in an over-protective way in the anime, hence Fan Hui's hilarious suggestion to Yan Jiang is completely in-character here. I enjoy TJR's version of Li Kouyuu in this drama. Much livelier and more adorable!
[ You're so lucky, knowing chinese. I keep in mind that 15-20% of meaning is loosing with translation, but what option do we have )] -> Er, "lucky" depends on POV. Knowing more than functional mandarin comes with the culture (which includes navigating elders of different generations and status with at least minimum patience of a diplomat-in-training).
As to translations, one can lose anywhere from between 10% to 70% of the original meaning, when it comes to Mandarin. The more classical the mandarin, the more difficult it becomes to convey in totality. Different combinations of words or specific word usages can have different connotations and references.
I expect at least 40% of the full impact of lines to be lost on viewers with zero understanding of Mandarin, when watching "Whispers of Fate".
"You Have My Heart" is a short drama airing on bilibili, and it hearkens back to what I enjoy about classics.
This song is poetically grounded in classical literature, with beautiful lyrics (I fell in love with the song, when I heard it): https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1m8Lf6DENu/
The painting for it as song imagery is perfect.
I and another viewer are discussing the drama here, where I also translated three stanzas of the song:
https://kisskh.at/809090-xin-jian-cuo#comment-26618742
This episode is making me laugh and sigh at the same time. When Lady Fufeng finally discloses her thoughts of Bai Shanjun to Liu Fengling, I can actually feel my heart flutter, to not just see but realise how much she has thawed and changed inside, and what she originally felt.
And I am totally onboard with recharging methods, by the end of episode 21 XD
Oh no! Only one episode left! I have been stretching this out as much as possible...
There are three things a mandarin-speaker who has watched older dramas of more than 26 years ago would greatly appreciate about "You Have My Heart" (which is a wonderful play on the literal and figurative developments of this drama especially between the leads), and requires more than daily-functional mandarin to fully grasp:
1) Classical mandarin and characters sounding exactly as expected. Even the supporting characters speak in the manner I expect. I skip or drop a majority of xianxia dramas and historical costume idol dramas since 2015 because the lines are so painfully modern or lacking in the succinct poetry of what I expect. The poetical implications of an official with a scholarly background are where Bai Shanjun's lines are beautiful, direct and eloquent.
This will not come through in a translation. The songs of the drama definitely have this same lyrical beauty, referencing many idioms and poetical allusions to ancient classical literature.
一山 一梦 一回
晨雾又拂轻眉
又似远山近水
你的眼垂落在心扉
想知 想念 想偎
青梅点落空杯
残留一念余味
许是我今生的期慰
清风携手
你我萦萦绕绕相对
夕阳映照
我们曾经相拥余晖
can be understood as:
"A mountain, a dream, a moment in time-
Morning mist gently caresses your brow
Recalling distant hills and nearby waters,
Your gaze gently rests upon the gateway of my heart.
Yearning to know, to miss, to hold you close;
A green plum falls into an empty cup.
Bestowing a lingering trace of memory—
Perhaps the only solace of this lifetime.
Intertwined hands accompanied by a gentle breeze,
Encircling, entwined, face to face;
Within the glow of sunset,
We once held each other in fading light."
This is what played in episode 16, between Lady Fufeng and Bai Shanjun.
When I said I haven't been this excited about a romance since Huang Xiaoming and Yin Zheng in "Winter Begonia"- The acting and the storytelling have come together so compellingly!
2) Hankiz is the unknown aloof demon lord we come to know and emphatise with as she softens, through Zhu Zheng Ting's evolving reactions and replies to her. Her role is very different from Tan Tai Jin the demon god or any demon lords. She is not an all-powerful demon, while limited by the injuries and handicaps of being unable to utilise her powers significantly due to the loss of half her heart. She has already exerted a significant amount of power in the seals she has placed throughout Yin-Yang Crossing, to keep in check an evil force older than her and misunderstood by her. Any viewers expecting big flashy moves will have wrong expectations, if ignoring this context. The CGI in episode 19 when she cast her spell is gorgeous.
Hankiz is opening up in her emoting as the episodes unfold. The demon lord who suffered massive betrayal is healing, slowly unlocking the closure of her heart. And she is changing in ways she did not anticipate, due to this human. This is what her character needs to do, and any Director would definitely insist on this. For the first few episodes, she can only rely on very-minute changes of expression.
For a female demon lord, the emoting of Hankiz is endearing. Slowly thawing and shifting. More nuanced than the newer dramas that I can't connect with. Demon lords usually require a lot of micro-emoting to be convincing for me.
3) Show and not tell of the story evolving, through every supporting character that comes and goes. It is impossible to lose the plot through carefully crafted dialogue. This manner of storytelling looks easy, but it isn't. And the camerawork in choices of scenes and post-production editing complements this.
For episode 16, I was so glad to be watching alone. I definitely had a silly grin on my face while literally unable to stay still on my couch and making certain exclamations by the second watch😂😂😂
Sometimes BTS is a lot of fun, while greatly adding to a drama and helping us connect with the artists and story. I had a lot of fun and decided to translate approximately 60% of this drunken improvisation scene between Joseph Zeng, Tian Jiarui, and Cheng Hongxin:
https://kisskh.at/728951-the-story-of-saiunkoku#comment-26598486
Seeing how all three adapt and bounce off each other simultaneously very fast is quite funny. Poor Riley, he missed all the fun and only got their ire XD
Translations for subs are always a mixed bag with the streaming platforms. I know MangoTV subs are atrocious for international viewers. IQiyi's subs veer from making me wince to being more than decent, depending on how many translators in one drama and who is doing it. I don't know about Viki or Netflix, because I don't use those.
Over at "A Splendid Match", I translated 90% of a funny BTS involving Zuo Ye, Cisha, and Ren Min for two MDL friends who are Zuo Ye fans, and I'm sure others enjoyed it too :)
I replied to Rika127 on this comment thread with a comment containing multiple links as a compilation of all TJR scenes in this drama from a TJR fan weibo account, of episodes 1 to 20. May you enjoy that!
Oh yes, a TJR fan on weibo compiled TJR's scenes from episodes 1 to 20, in case you are interested. Here you go:
Episodes 1 to 6: https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5311980337037365
Episodes 7 to 8: https://www.weibo.com/3039932772/R5aOJ8ClP
Episodes 9 to 10: https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5312686192525338
Episodes 11 to 12: https://www.weibo.com/3039932772/R5t8R8TXO
Episodes 13 to 14: https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5313404211232811
Episodes 15 to 16: https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5313760345391139
Episodes 17 to 18: https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5314121365651518
Episodes 19 to 20: https://www.weibo.com/3039932772/R654RuJZZ
I am the one who authored the Novel versus Drama thread because I read it (and yes, there's quite a bit of detail about the differences for XJS of novel versus drama):
https://kisskh.at/768987-wan-xin-ji/discussions/145636-novel-versus-drama-differences
One of the most engaging dramas of 2025 because everyone will have an opinion on multiple characters XD
(I will confess to being a wee bit disappointed in not seeing that happen, because I only want to know CHX's core strength and arm strength. Um. Yes. Seriously. 🤣🤣🤣🤣))
The scene in episode 19 had me sporfling muchly, especially when watching the BTS to know "这是一场需要自由发挥的醉酒戏"
So TJR was going, "五, 六, 走 (points to the left corner where CHX is)!"
CHX totally didn't understand what TJR meant in the improvisation but found it funny yet confusing (hence the sweatdrop), so he cracked up and said, "啥东西?!"
The rest of that short discussion ends in Joseph Zeng's hilarious suggestion of slapping whoever loses a certain game, which TJR spiritedly demonstrates from his position.
At 00:23, the unspoken description "放荡不羁" appears above CHX's head. This is an idiom referring to being unrestrained, so much so that someone is not bound by normal etiquette and social norms. CHX and everyone else is going to let rip.
They prompt each other in various ways. And that is when all three get into different positions and poses of varying heights, to showcase how chaotic and uncoordinated everything is, when everyone is having a good time. TJR is not to count properly. And wants to hide the fact that 1 is not used (because not counting from the start better demonstrates intoxication).
At 00:45, CHX and TJR are ganging up on Joseph Zeng.
At 00:56, Drunken Rock-Paper-Scissors commences. The loser has to drink.
At 1:09, someone interrupts them.
At 1;18, time for two to call it a night. I'm sure you will definitely enjoy that segment.
At 1:31, brotherly love is so-
The whole BTS is incredibly funny and wonderful and sweet. I hope this helps.