I can understand the plot-point of why they wanted to include A-Shui. The primary problem for the characterisation…
If someone actually read the novel, they would be aware of this and not go on about the chapters which Teng Ping chose to write only after the novel was adapted for the drama. That's taking things way out of context, because the final chapter also doesn't lend itself to the conclusion as Tang Lici definitely being in love with A-Shui. If they read the novel and still do so knowing what I do about the drama adaptation and how the novel was incomplete, then they are being blatantly dishonest.
This should make Tang Lici's "obsession" and the premise for drama-A-Shui's characterisation crystal-clear.
I can understand the plot-point of why they wanted to include A-Shui. The primary problem for the characterisation…
Chapter 51 has details including how Zhong Chunji impersonated being a princess, etc.
The drama ending matches the screenplay in terms of Tang Lici's greatest wish fulfilled, and improves upon the novel to create the greatest achievement of fulfilment enabling himself to emulate his mother for sake of Shenzhou ie the world. The novel was not yet finished when the screenwriters picked it up, and the significance of Tang Lici's mother is important to novel-Tang Lici who doesn't understand a certain type of love but craves one other specific type of love. To novel-Liu Yan, A-Shui is a woman that Liu Yan raped. Yes, A-Shui is beautiful, etc. But what is A-Shui to Tang Lici?
Remember Wanyu Yuedan? I will now quote from Book 4, Chapter 40 (part 3):
[ “Be at ease. Master Tang has already gone.” Wanyu Yuedan bent low, clasping her hand with a steady, reassuring smile.
Ah Shui froze. At those words, the world seemed to reel around her. “He… he’s already gone?”
Wanyu Yuedan inclined his head. “As soon as he awoke and learned you had led Brother Shen and Zhu Yan to storm Wangting Manor, he set out at once. Do not fear. With Master Tang there, none will come to harm.”
She stared at him.
“But… his health…” Her voice trembled.
Wanyu Yuedan raised a finger and traced a small circle beside his temple, still smiling gently. “It was merely agitation. I gave him a calming draught, and he drank the rice soup you made. Already he is better than before. Rest assured, when Master Tang is present, he will never allow anyone to be hurt. He is the kind of man who will stake his very life for others. And with his ability… tell me, what can he not achieve, once he throws his life into it?”
Ah Shui gazed at Wanyu Yuedan in a daze. How could he speak with such certainty—so matter-of-factly—when he said that Tang Lici was the kind of man who will stake his life for others?
“He…”
Wanyu Yuedan drew out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the mud and melted snow from her face. His voice was gentle as he went on,”I once knew another man who would risk his life for those who had nothing to do with him. He did so out of compassion. He was kind to everyone, wished happiness for all, and for that ideal he was willing to stake his life. A man like that is easy to love, easy to praise.
“But Young Master Tang is not like that. He risks his life for others not because of compassion, but because he is fragile.”
Ah Shui blinked slowly. Meltwater pooled at the corners of her eyes, turning everything into a blur. She heard Wanyu Yuedan’s voice, gentle as falling snow:
“He is too lonely, too starved for care. That is why he throws himself into saving others. Through saving them… he gains a sliver of fulfillment, a sense that he matters. He could not let go of Fang Zhou, nor of Liu Yan, and he fought desperately to save Chi Yun—because so few have ever truly cared for him. The ones who do, he engraves upon his heart, and he cannot bear to let them slip away.
“But few truly understand him. His emotions flare too fiercely, and most people are afraid of him. He always seems as though he alone can shoulder the work of dozens, even hundreds. As though if he exists, others need not. Yet the truth is otherwise. He is only too lonely. He needs that lofty posture… because he longs so desperately to be cared for, to be valued. He cannot live as ordinary men do.”
I… I have been so foolish all along. Tears slid down Ah Shui’s cheeks. “Yes…”
Wanyu Yuedan sighed softly. “I will say something I perhaps should not. Miss Ah Shui, you cannot go on without truly understanding Master Tang. I believe the reason he clings to you is not for any other cause, but because you… you carry within you something of a mother’s presence.”
Once again, tears spilled from Ah Shui’s eyes. She could no longer tell whether they were caused by snowmelt or sadness.
“I understand now.”
This gentle young man, seeing her for the first time, seemed able to pierce through every veil of mist. At last she understood what Tang Lici sought from her. At last she understood why he yearned for a love that would “die for him.” At last she understood why, though he treated her so well, she had never felt he loved her—and why did it always left her so disappointed.
So…
So that was it.
Only that, and nothing more.
She broke down and wept, collapsing to the ground in anguish. He had wanted only a mother who would die for him. And she—she had mistaken it all along.
She could never be his mother. And though she had cared for him with all her heart, still… still… what he longed for was only a mother, nothing else, nothing beyond.
I can understand the plot-point of why they wanted to include A-Shui. The primary problem for the characterisation…
Tang Lici is aware many people died due to how things progressed and choices were made by many people beyond his control, which resulted in him having a final battle with Ye Mo, and is shown by him becoming upset throughout the drama whenever he raised the fact that innocent people died due to taking the Nine-Hearts Ape Ghoul pills without knowing what it would do, or when Puzhu tells him he cannot afford the price to pay if his calculations go wrong. He also wants everyone to have a second chance.
Ye Mo, who became his student. His mother, who would die without ever seeing him. She is the final memory that cements his decision. Using Ye Mo's power and the power of the Bronze Tree combined with his power in the Sea of Reincarnation, he goes back thousands of years in time and makes it such that there was no Celestial Realm that happened because of being able to leave Shenzhou into the Void, no Five Declines of the Celestial realm, etc. Everyone is mortal when they re born, including Ye Mo and his mother. That is what enables Tang Lici to defy his destiny and break the cycle of rebirth.
Also, the drama has some basis in the novel but is vastly different because when the novel was adapted, the novel was incomplete. If you're not a novel reader who paid attention to the entire novel, you would not have known Teng Ping dropped the novel for more than ten years and did not return. She continued resuming writing for the novel, only after the novel was adapted for the drama.
By the time the screenplay was likely finished, the novel was at chapter 51 (near the end of book 5). A chapter when translated is broken into several parts, as per what Teng Ping released. 313 chapters in total without the actual adherence to numbering (or is correctly divided into books of several chapters, with several parts for each chapter). Shooting for the drama started on 2 December 2023, and ended on 24 April 2024.
Since I doubt you read mandarin, I will share the link to a site that has the books of the novel numbered in a certain manner so you can see for yourself. You want to know A-Shui's significance to Tang Lici in the novel, before Teng Ping resumed writing for the incomplete novel? And the significance of Tang Lici's mother? Spoiler tag for the next comment:
Ai Mi UPDATES...(Acting)IT'S OFFICIAL...# A Chan Booting collection...https://weibo.com/detail/5237535204443908#Lin…
With Rising Young Actor of 2025 from the Wenrong Awards less than a month ago under her belt, this recognition plus greater exposure will enable her to reject bad scripts. "Whispers Of Fate" is a domestic hit and has already widened the audience base for her, given her micro-emoting and comedic timing with Luo Yunxi, Bai Shu, Yang Shize and as a group across multiple episodes. A VA is supposed to enhance a good or great performance, not save someone's bad or mediocre acting. You'll never have to worry about that with her. She's finally closing the gap on Zhang Zi Feng, although there is a long way to go.
As long as she stays classy and smart with her career choices as always, she'll be fine. By and large, the domestic audience knows her record of filmography choices for more than ten years speaks for itself. She is also a smart networker, with a wide body of work when it comes to different fields such as fashion collaborations. Just like Li Landi and Li Landi's agency, her agency is also smart at managing her career. Minders on set, being careful about scripts, clauses to protect her, etc.
Getting good scripts with a good director and main screenwriter will mean she can safely concentrate on acting in well-written roles and doesn't have to resort to kisses or baring of skin to sustain an audience. Kisses should be iconic, not cheapened. I'm of the opinion that an actress should not have to kiss in a drama unless it is iconic. I'll be happy for Ai Mi to be able to avoid kissing in dramas or movies for at least ten years, since she carries herself with a lot of class at the red carpet of the Wenrong awards plus the GRAZIA magazine cover that somehow reminds me of the poise of Audrey Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn's first screen kiss happened when she was 22, in 1951. Now that was a kiss (tame by today's standards, but the scene was memorable).
That was when Hollywood still had admirable standards due to the Hays Code, a set of entertainment industry guidelines which prohibited profanity, suggestive nudity, graphic or realistic violence, sexual persuasions and rape. Fortunately in the matter of such standards, China's C-Ent industry of censorship and prohibitions can maintain something relatively similar unlike Hollywood wrongly tossing its compass decades ago. That's why you'll see C-Dramas and movies on average being significantly better than the average Hollywood movie.
As of yesterday, this account claims the shooting cycle for this drama is 120 days, production commences mid-December…
Tian Xiwei and Yan An remain. A second ML name has been added, and shooting is supposed to commence on 12 December. All other details unchanged. The weibo post I first saw on 5 November has added these details: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5229614021741377
I really like his music by the way someone told me yanan is under gjm company ZUI but I didn't find any information…
Another little nugget for you: This drama is supposed to start filming on 12 December, and the name of a second ML has been added. Tian Xiwei and Yan An remain. All other details unchanged. The weibo post I first saw on 5 November has added these details: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5229614021741377
Do you want a more-exact interpretation? It's absolutely a happy ending, but the literary and religious references…
I recently created a post in the forum titled [ Group Collective Contributions: Details, trivia, insights across 40 episodes of "Whispers of Fate" ] at:
The collection of details is at least 90% from viewers who speak mandarin and some to an extent, understand the novel and/or script for the drama.
The first post I added at the top is a 2023 post by RBF, and it's a crucial post explaining the symbolism with specific literary reference of what Tang Lici represents in the official poster used on this MDL page.
You can add that to the symbolism of what a dragon represents in Buddhism and also in Taoism, and you will get a partial answer.
I didn't add those to my comment yet, when I was talking about the ending with another viewer more than 4 days ago:
I will get to your review soon, thanks for the heads-up.
I must also add that those of us who have been honest from the beginning before this drama aired (or throughout this drama) about romance being minimal to the point that the no-romance faction is satisfied throughout the ENTIRE drama are being honest with new viewers, to the point that watching another drama is strongly advised if you primarily want romance.
But people who have watched this drama yet insist on misleading new viewers asking on this page about the extent of romance in the drama on this page contribute to the problem of international viewers misunderstanding and then downrating the drama.
I remember kwanto once said the producers in December 2023 have alluded to this drama as heroism-focused. The drama bears out this claim.
Scenes total worth of two episodes were removed from the Tianren realm, I need a Tianren realm spin off, I need…
The role of A-Shui didn't call for stretching of acting chops, and writing of this character for the drama was weak. The overall impression speaks of trying to insert romance and tropes for the sake of a subplot that didn't work out. That's why understandably (this does not apply to trolls), anyone who downrates this drama when misled is either upset that the romance isn't enough or they have their reasons for not liking the drama.
International versus Domestic is fundamentally different for good reasons, especially at times like these. How highly rated is "Fangs Of Fortune" on MDL versus the reality domestically?
If it were up to international viewers, there would never be the likes of "The Knockout", "Whispers of Fate", "The Guardians", "This Thriving Land" etc because of insistence on romance first/ claiming anything seemingly pro-CCP is propaganda etc- When a country's population is more than 1 billion and there is censorship to ensure certain standards, it protects the local industry and maintains a certain minimum quality (although one could argue that the censors should lighten up on certain aspects. Hello, 皓衣行? 烽火流金?)
Without the Hays Code, the Golden Age of Hollywood died. How popular are modern Hollywood movies globally, versus C-Dramas and movies internationally?
I believe the mature viewers who enjoy strong plots and characterisation without needing romance MUST make our support more visible for dramas like these. Watching SLY was like being a kid in a candy store. I'm sorry you had to keep assuring your friends.
WoF is the drama 徐克 would have made if he did dramas, only he'd end any allusions to unnecessary romance much faster. In his movies of the 1980s and 1990s, he knew how to weave a story using romance to move the plot. Of course, his short romances tended to end tragically, but the actors and actresses were tops and made his movies memorable.
I know people will say this drama recalls the colourscapes of "Hero" by Zhang Yimou. Yes, for the first three episodes. The blues and reds at the Citadel of Swords actually reminds me of certain scenes involving the actor 郑少秋 and actress 林青霞 in《新蜀山劍俠》from 1983, especially the significance of the verbal exchanges and the duel in episode 8.
I can see the inspirations of the 1980s which influenced the creators of WoF. Saint Seiya anime of 1986 became a global hit, which one remembers and sees in Tang Lici's golden armour and the symbolism. Voltron ie mechanical Qilin controlled by Qiaoyi Qiankun was actually based on the Japanese super mecha anime "Beast King GoLion" of 1981 and 1982. Episode 15 with the Stars War reference in the desert recalls the second installment of the Stars Wars movie franchise that aired in 1980.
FYI, I reckon there is one account user on this page who also has at least three sockpuppet accounts that already appeared on this page. I also have to point out that it's more than a bit sad when someone has multiple accounts to increase the likes on personal comments, but to each their own.
No romance, no kisses, no he—MDL audiences struggle with this type drama. But honestly, who cares? Its success…
It's been very wonderful for me despite any flaws, with the theatrical approach, literary references, allusions to opera, and the art! Without the philosophy, it wouldn't resonate so much.
One day, someone probably needs to give a good overview of how WoF did with the metrics. A few days back, several users here pointed out why yunhe and douban are not reliable and cannot be used as primary metric markers.
I was sooo devastated over the ending, but after reading some insights on it, I feel a little better about it?…
Do you want a more-exact interpretation? It's absolutely a happy ending, but the literary and religious references will probably fly over the heads of a significant number of watchers
It's hard to find one FMV solely of his flowing sleeves XD
This drama is dynamic and refreshing to me. Lots of little gems. There are some flaws in multiple aspects but overall, it is truly an iconic milestone for xianxia dramas (xuanxia, as they call it). The only other xianxia drama that I rewatch with no issues is "Love and Destiny" starring Chang Chen and Ni Ni.
I can understand the plot-point of why they wanted to include A-Shui. The primary problem for the characterisation…
Tang Lici's choice to reset the timeline perfectly matches what he learned from his journey after mastering the seven emotions, especially with his mother. He also fulfilled Fang Zhou's most important philosophy in what he finally chose to do and give everyone, which is that people are born good and nobody is truly bad.
The ending matches Tang Lici's character as reflected in the original poster that is used for this show, but the symbolism and meaning of the fox-dragon, much less a white dragon, flies over the heads of many people who have no idea what the references mean.
Episode 8 follows certain concepts of the novel for Puzhu even if they changed his origins, and the Buddhism concepts are also going to fly over many people's heads. I'm not surprised that my interpretations of episode 8 naturally matched certain scenes near the end of episode 36, which I previously put in an episode summary when episode 8 came out.
Tang Lici will never choose only one person over everyone else.
There are multiple posters who have contributed in different ways. You can check out "Group Collective Contributions: Details, trivia, insights across 40 episodes of "Whispers of Fate":
You should probably start with RBF's 2023 post of a very-important writeup about the poster on MDL synopsis page, pertaining to fundamental details about Tang Lici which is also reflected in the ending of the drama (spoilers for episode 40).
Generation gap. I'm going to watch the movie tonight in the cinema for Leung Ka-fai. I have no idea who all the…
Of course I am here. I recognise the main stars. No idea who Jun is XD It's nice in cantonese, especially when Tony Leung speaks and during the end credits XD
Gosh, thought you were asleep! Then again, our timezones are completely different. No worries. I am concerned about your health at times. As long you know your own pace and you're good :)
2 
7 
1 
3 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
This should make Tang Lici's "obsession" and the premise for drama-A-Shui's characterisation crystal-clear.
The drama ending matches the screenplay in terms of Tang Lici's greatest wish fulfilled, and improves upon the novel to create the greatest achievement of fulfilment enabling himself to emulate his mother for sake of Shenzhou ie the world. The novel was not yet finished when the screenwriters picked it up, and the significance of Tang Lici's mother is important to novel-Tang Lici who doesn't understand a certain type of love but craves one other specific type of love. To novel-Liu Yan, A-Shui is a woman that Liu Yan raped. Yes, A-Shui is beautiful, etc. But what is A-Shui to Tang Lici?
Remember Wanyu Yuedan? I will now quote from Book 4, Chapter 40 (part 3):
[ “Be at ease. Master Tang has already gone.” Wanyu Yuedan bent low, clasping her hand with a steady, reassuring smile.
Ah Shui froze. At those words, the world seemed to reel around her. “He… he’s already gone?”
Wanyu Yuedan inclined his head. “As soon as he awoke and learned you had led Brother Shen and Zhu Yan to storm Wangting Manor, he set out at once. Do not fear. With Master Tang there, none will come to harm.”
She stared at him.
“But… his health…” Her voice trembled.
Wanyu Yuedan raised a finger and traced a small circle beside his temple, still smiling gently. “It was merely agitation. I gave him a calming draught, and he drank the rice soup you made. Already he is better than before. Rest assured, when Master Tang is present, he will never allow anyone to be hurt. He is the kind of man who will stake his very life for others. And with his ability… tell me, what can he not achieve, once he throws his life into it?”
Ah Shui gazed at Wanyu Yuedan in a daze. How could he speak with such certainty—so matter-of-factly—when he said that Tang Lici was the kind of man who will stake his life for others?
“He…”
Wanyu Yuedan drew out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the mud and melted snow from her face. His voice was gentle as he went on,”I once knew another man who would risk his life for those who had nothing to do with him. He did so out of compassion. He was kind to everyone, wished happiness for all, and for that ideal he was willing to stake his life. A man like that is easy to love, easy to praise.
“But Young Master Tang is not like that. He risks his life for others not because of compassion, but because he is fragile.”
Ah Shui blinked slowly. Meltwater pooled at the corners of her eyes, turning everything into a blur. She heard Wanyu Yuedan’s voice, gentle as falling snow:
“He is too lonely, too starved for care. That is why he throws himself into saving others. Through saving them… he gains a sliver of fulfillment, a sense that he matters. He could not let go of Fang Zhou, nor of Liu Yan, and he fought desperately to save Chi Yun—because so few have ever truly cared for him. The ones who do, he engraves upon his heart, and he cannot bear to let them slip away.
“But few truly understand him. His emotions flare too fiercely, and most people are afraid of him. He always seems as though he alone can shoulder the work of dozens, even hundreds. As though if he exists, others need not. Yet the truth is otherwise. He is only too lonely. He needs that lofty posture… because he longs so desperately to be cared for, to be valued. He cannot live as ordinary men do.”
I… I have been so foolish all along. Tears slid down Ah Shui’s cheeks. “Yes…”
Wanyu Yuedan sighed softly. “I will say something I perhaps should not. Miss Ah Shui, you cannot go on without truly understanding Master Tang. I believe the reason he clings to you is not for any other cause, but because you… you carry within you something of a mother’s presence.”
Once again, tears spilled from Ah Shui’s eyes. She could no longer tell whether they were caused by snowmelt or sadness.
“I understand now.”
This gentle young man, seeing her for the first time, seemed able to pierce through every veil of mist. At last she understood what Tang Lici sought from her. At last she understood why he yearned for a love that would “die for him.” At last she understood why, though he treated her so well, she had never felt he loved her—and why did it always left her so disappointed.
So…
So that was it.
Only that, and nothing more.
She broke down and wept, collapsing to the ground in anguish. He had wanted only a mother who would die for him. And she—she had mistaken it all along.
She could never be his mother. And though she had cared for him with all her heart, still… still… what he longed for was only a mother, nothing else, nothing beyond.
And she… she could never be his mother. ]
Here are two sites: https://qianjiemei.wordpress.com/2025/09/05/chapter-40-brokenhearted-unto-despair-part-3/
https://mydramanovel.com/shui-long-yin/chapter-40-heartbroken-to-the-point-of-death-03/
I also share the mandarin link: https://www.kanunu8.com/book5/1000jiemei/17467.html
Ye Mo, who became his student. His mother, who would die without ever seeing him. She is the final memory that cements his decision. Using Ye Mo's power and the power of the Bronze Tree combined with his power in the Sea of Reincarnation, he goes back thousands of years in time and makes it such that there was no Celestial Realm that happened because of being able to leave Shenzhou into the Void, no Five Declines of the Celestial realm, etc. Everyone is mortal when they re born, including Ye Mo and his mother. That is what enables Tang Lici to defy his destiny and break the cycle of rebirth.
Also, the drama has some basis in the novel but is vastly different because when the novel was adapted, the novel was incomplete. If you're not a novel reader who paid attention to the entire novel, you would not have known Teng Ping dropped the novel for more than ten years and did not return. She continued resuming writing for the novel, only after the novel was adapted for the drama.
By the time the screenplay was likely finished, the novel was at chapter 51 (near the end of book 5). A chapter when translated is broken into several parts, as per what Teng Ping released. 313 chapters in total without the actual adherence to numbering (or is correctly divided into books of several chapters, with several parts for each chapter). Shooting for the drama started on 2 December 2023, and ended on 24 April 2024.
Since I doubt you read mandarin, I will share the link to a site that has the books of the novel numbered in a certain manner so you can see for yourself. You want to know A-Shui's significance to Tang Lici in the novel, before Teng Ping resumed writing for the incomplete novel? And the significance of Tang Lici's mother? Spoiler tag for the next comment:
As long as she stays classy and smart with her career choices as always, she'll be fine. By and large, the domestic audience knows her record of filmography choices for more than ten years speaks for itself. She is also a smart networker, with a wide body of work when it comes to different fields such as fashion collaborations. Just like Li Landi and Li Landi's agency, her agency is also smart at managing her career. Minders on set, being careful about scripts, clauses to protect her, etc.
Getting good scripts with a good director and main screenwriter will mean she can safely concentrate on acting in well-written roles and doesn't have to resort to kisses or baring of skin to sustain an audience. Kisses should be iconic, not cheapened. I'm of the opinion that an actress should not have to kiss in a drama unless it is iconic. I'll be happy for Ai Mi to be able to avoid kissing in dramas or movies for at least ten years, since she carries herself with a lot of class at the red carpet of the Wenrong awards plus the GRAZIA magazine cover that somehow reminds me of the poise of Audrey Hepburn. Audrey Hepburn's first screen kiss happened when she was 22, in 1951. Now that was a kiss (tame by today's standards, but the scene was memorable).
That was when Hollywood still had admirable standards due to the Hays Code, a set of entertainment industry guidelines which prohibited profanity, suggestive nudity, graphic or realistic violence, sexual persuasions and rape. Fortunately in the matter of such standards, China's C-Ent industry of censorship and prohibitions can maintain something relatively similar unlike Hollywood wrongly tossing its compass decades ago. That's why you'll see C-Dramas and movies on average being significantly better than the average Hollywood movie.
An international viewer is also sharing this on X: https://x.com/uttarandhrabo/status/1992761195737333783
An international viewer is also sharing this on X: https://x.com/uttarandhrabo/status/1992761195737333783
https://kisskh.at/discussions/755725-shui-long-yin/146454-group-collective-contributions-details-trivia-insights-across-40-episodes-of-whispers-of-fate
The collection of details is at least 90% from viewers who speak mandarin and some to an extent, understand the novel and/or script for the drama.
The first post I added at the top is a 2023 post by RBF, and it's a crucial post explaining the symbolism with specific literary reference of what Tang Lici represents in the official poster used on this MDL page.
You can add that to the symbolism of what a dragon represents in Buddhism and also in Taoism, and you will get a partial answer.
I didn't add those to my comment yet, when I was talking about the ending with another viewer more than 4 days ago:
https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24184294
If you have any suggestions for improvements, let me know :)
I must also add that those of us who have been honest from the beginning before this drama aired (or throughout this drama) about romance being minimal to the point that the no-romance faction is satisfied throughout the ENTIRE drama are being honest with new viewers, to the point that watching another drama is strongly advised if you primarily want romance.
But people who have watched this drama yet insist on misleading new viewers asking on this page about the extent of romance in the drama on this page contribute to the problem of international viewers misunderstanding and then downrating the drama.
I remember kwanto once said the producers in December 2023 have alluded to this drama as heroism-focused. The drama bears out this claim.
https://kisskh.at/discussions/755725-shui-long-yin/146454-group-collective-contributions-details-trivia-insights-across-40-episodes-of-whispers-of-fate
Thank you for your contributions :)
International versus Domestic is fundamentally different for good reasons, especially at times like these. How highly rated is "Fangs Of Fortune" on MDL versus the reality domestically?
If it were up to international viewers, there would never be the likes of "The Knockout", "Whispers of Fate", "The Guardians", "This Thriving Land" etc because of insistence on romance first/ claiming anything seemingly pro-CCP is propaganda etc- When a country's population is more than 1 billion and there is censorship to ensure certain standards, it protects the local industry and maintains a certain minimum quality (although one could argue that the censors should lighten up on certain aspects. Hello, 皓衣行? 烽火流金?)
Without the Hays Code, the Golden Age of Hollywood died. How popular are modern Hollywood movies globally, versus C-Dramas and movies internationally?
I believe the mature viewers who enjoy strong plots and characterisation without needing romance MUST make our support more visible for dramas like these. Watching SLY was like being a kid in a candy store. I'm sorry you had to keep assuring your friends.
WoF is the drama 徐克 would have made if he did dramas, only he'd end any allusions to unnecessary romance much faster. In his movies of the 1980s and 1990s, he knew how to weave a story using romance to move the plot. Of course, his short romances tended to end tragically, but the actors and actresses were tops and made his movies memorable.
I know people will say this drama recalls the colourscapes of "Hero" by Zhang Yimou. Yes, for the first three episodes. The blues and reds at the Citadel of Swords actually reminds me of certain scenes involving the actor 郑少秋 and actress 林青霞 in《新蜀山劍俠》from 1983, especially the significance of the verbal exchanges and the duel in episode 8.
I can see the inspirations of the 1980s which influenced the creators of WoF. Saint Seiya anime of 1986 became a global hit, which one remembers and sees in Tang Lici's golden armour and the symbolism. Voltron ie mechanical Qilin controlled by Qiaoyi Qiankun was actually based on the Japanese super mecha anime "Beast King GoLion" of 1981 and 1982. Episode 15 with the Stars War reference in the desert recalls the second installment of the Stars Wars movie franchise that aired in 1980.
FYI, I reckon there is one account user on this page who also has at least three sockpuppet accounts that already appeared on this page. I also have to point out that it's more than a bit sad when someone has multiple accounts to increase the likes on personal comments, but to each their own.
One day, someone probably needs to give a good overview of how WoF did with the metrics. A few days back, several users here pointed out why yunhe and douban are not reliable and cannot be used as primary metric markers.
你中毒太深了、但水龙吟确实是独一无二的电视剧创作。我再重看一遍！放不下、舍不得告别｡｡｡
[ Have a look at this adorable A Li with Liu Yan and Fang Zhou: https://weibo.com/1916059411/Qeq1mnKoS ] - 太可爱了! 不行了!
٩(⌯꒦ິ̆ᵔ꒦ິ)۶ᵒᵐᵍᵎᵎᵎ
It's hard to find one FMV solely of his flowing sleeves XD
This drama is dynamic and refreshing to me. Lots of little gems. There are some flaws in multiple aspects but overall, it is truly an iconic milestone for xianxia dramas (xuanxia, as they call it). The only other xianxia drama that I rewatch with no issues is "Love and Destiny" starring Chang Chen and Ni Ni.
The ending matches Tang Lici's character as reflected in the original poster that is used for this show, but the symbolism and meaning of the fox-dragon, much less a white dragon, flies over the heads of many people who have no idea what the references mean.
Episode 8 follows certain concepts of the novel for Puzhu even if they changed his origins, and the Buddhism concepts are also going to fly over many people's heads. I'm not surprised that my interpretations of episode 8 naturally matched certain scenes near the end of episode 36, which I previously put in an episode summary when episode 8 came out.
Tang Lici will never choose only one person over everyone else.
There are multiple posters who have contributed in different ways. You can check out "Group Collective Contributions: Details, trivia, insights across 40 episodes of "Whispers of Fate":
:https://kisskh.at/discussions/755725-shui-long-yin/146454-group-collective-contributions-details-trivia-insights-across-40-episodes-of-whispers-of-fate
You should probably start with RBF's 2023 post of a very-important writeup about the poster on MDL synopsis page, pertaining to fundamental details about Tang Lici which is also reflected in the ending of the drama (spoilers for episode 40).
FMV (solely Tang Lici): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5235533351748282
Fang Zhou: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5235387276726787