Xiang83

I am not attacking the op, neither am I attacking any specific group of fans. I mentioned two specific fans (none of them is you) and why. If you scroll down through the comments for the past seven days, I can understand why the op has reacted in such a fashion (if they are a fan of Bao Shang En who has to portray a character that isn't going to endear people to the character at said point because that is how the script goes and the actress has to adhere to that).

Lin Yun has pivotal scenes in episodes 33 and 34. Did she nail those scenes, as someone with more than ten years of acting in C-Ent? We can discuss that. Ai Mi had scenes with Luo Yunxi. Did she hold the tension and micro-emote well enough as Shui Duopo, whom Tang Lici must wear down and convince? Too many scenes from the Celestial Realm didn't make it into the final cut. Chi Yun and Shen Langhun's bonds with Tang Lici could have been better developed for viewers to emphatise with, but something has to go in the first ten episodes.

Speaking of fans, Azure is a fan of Tang Lici x Fang Zhou. Azure is also sharing various different aspects and trivia of WoF. I have no interest in romance, but I am happy discussing other aspects of the drama with other posters which doesn't overlap with Azure. A_cappucino_gal likes A-Shui, and A_cappucino_gal is also talking about other aspects of WoF and sharing promo material. This page is going to get boring fast, if all people focus on is romance.

My point is that if someone is only here for one actress and only their romance and nothing else about the drama, then makes grandstanding announcements only about their favourite and/or goes around badgering people and/or crapping on this drama and characters because the romance was NEVER a focus: Find something else to watch.

And don't be surprised when people finally say something, but aren't polite about it.

IMHO Tang Lici had a better ending and storyline than Wang Quan Fugui.

If Luo Yunxi and Cheng Yi do a drama together, does that mean the drama will have a doubly-tragic ending, or will the ending of WoF offset the pattern of drama endings for Cheng Yi?

Gave me the chuckles. Whether it is Luo Yunxi praising Alen Fang's singing, Yang Shize completely unlike Puzhu, Sabrina Chen being bubbly and quick to laugh and totally unlike Xifang Tao, when Sabrina Chen grabs Fang Shize so he doesn't fall due to the slippery pavement- Ao Ziyi is totally Chi Yun! And Ao Ziyi with Luo Yunxi at 35:30 onwards is truly the day they have been waiting for XD

I have no issues with fans of any of the actors or actresses, but there are two particular fans of A-Shui on this page that have been a pain. One badgered me for wanting better writing for two female characters including A-Shui, until I blocked that one for bashing almost every other character and using expletives. They even attacked a fellow A-Shui fan for nicely telling them to not be so nasty about Bao Shang En and Zhong Chunji's character. Don't expect anything deep or wide from that poster except uneven capslock diarrhea.

The other one has proclaimed two days ago they are dropping this drama. Good for them. Go find something you enjoy. Everyone can ship whoever they want with anyone else in this drama, but constantly crapping over this drama (which has a lot of positives and very enjoyable highs along with some details that could have been improved) for not giving the romantic ending you want is immature and boring. If one wants to talk about shipping, going by the novel or the drama, shipping Tang Lici with Fang Zhou or Tang Lici with Liu Yan makes the most sense.

A faction of us that isn't here for romance and happy to see whoever ship whatever can also see how the drama also makes it seem as if Tang Lici is all about brotherhood and all other themes without romance, and that's fine too. Producers walked a thin line to cater to all three factions, and I believe they did well. I'm not speaking for everyone else in the non-romance category, but just wanted to share this because there's so much more of WoF to discuss.

Wanting Tang Lici to make choices of an ending ultimately and primarily with A-Shui is as logical as going to a pharmacy and wanting your bicycle fixed. If the OP song, Tang Lici's character song, Tang Lici's emphasis on the importance of Fang Zhou's impact on him and how Tang Lici protects people (good and evil) throughout more than 35 episodes doesn't sink in and isn't to your taste... Watch a different drama.

Enjoy the final 5 episodes!

Xue Xianzi is the only one who remembers and is very somberly waiting for Tang Lici's return in a certain form. IMHO he has clearly helped Tang Lici many times before and this is not Tang Lici's first time to change history, hence Xue Xianzi never calls Tang Lici by name throughout the entire drama. At the end of each attempt, when that white fox appears, that is when Xue Xianzi notably calls him "Xiao huli".

It's the only ending that fits, given Tang Lici's character. But I believe the final fifteen seconds would have confused people, because:

Her exchanges with Gui Mudan were very illuminating for her, but a little too late for her.

Chen Yao as a villainess of grey shades was very enjoyable.

You're welcome. Wait till you get to episodes 32 and especially 33!

This drama has more influences of opera than the average viewer realises, which plays into the theatrical aspects of cinematography and camerawork.

High fantasy incorporating elements of xuanhuan while pushing the limits of xianxia, bringing in cultural references internationally to add to roots of Chinese heritage- It's a veritable feast for the senses. The costumes! The CGI! After so many years, I'm enjoying this historical costume drama that has finally reached what I enjoyed in much-older HK movies. Execution of the plot ie storytelling is a bit flawed at some points but overall, still a very enjoyable and engaging drama!

I'll check it out! Southern Anecdote is currently highest on my list of DmBJ dramas.

Chen Yao is performing a specific archetype for this drama, and I'm enjoying her nuanced villainess role with certain exaggerated flourishes which I believe is also based on opera and her upbringing by Gui Mudan.

When someone watches Tsui Hark's 1993 "Green Snake" movie and doesn't realise the deliberate direction and strength of the Peking Opera influences by Tsui Hark in how Joey Wong and Maggie Cheung modelled the snake demons Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing for acting and speech and mannerisms, over-acting is the understandable impression.

Haven't watched any other dramas of hers, but Megumi-H gave a suggestion that I will check out.

You're here only for Jelly Lin. We get it, based on your constant rude bashing of almost every other character in this drama and insistently shoving that opinion with the dogged passion of a shovel digging a hole. Thank you for boring one-note consistency. You are still using capslock and not getting the point of forum etiquette, so there's no point interacting with you.

Meanwhile, for the rest of us who are appreciating other aspects of the drama including the opera, camerawork, HK film inspirations from 80s and 90s, the acting of various actors and actresses and complexity of emoting for certain roles... Don't be surprised when people don't respond to you. Bye.

They possibly exhausted their ideas with Xifang Tao and focused primarily on the male characters. She is interesting. I reckon the screenwriters came to Zhong Chunji and A-Shui and just... went for the easiest modes as plot devices for Tang Lici and main plot.

Probably more of us need to make our appreciation of different aspects of this drama more visible. Luo Yunxi always manages to leave an imprint of his interactions with different actors and actresses, and makes such an impact on- screen. What do you love about this drama?

I appreciate the opera influences, the theatre-like approach and the camerawork for the wide-angle shots: https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24159222

I'll check it out!

Perhaps more of us need to show visible support for such dramas and their various aspects (be it the aesthetics/art and plot and characterisation), to increase the quality of industry output.

Romance more often than not helps to drive the plot and character development in good to great dramas and isn't a primary feature, also because characters are well-written. Romance by itself is boring for me but then again, there's a huge market for romance-primary-focus dramas.

I appreciate the theatre of it all. Very crisp alluring colours or softer vivid contrasts. Frame composition is symmetrical, in that you could literally pause a scene featuring one of the epic sets or beautiful scenery in a wide angle shot, and appreciate the cinematography because it's all intentionally captured from certain angles and edited with a certain finish before being included in the drama to appear 3D.

Sichuan opera influence is more obvious, Beijing opera less so. China's opera heritage includes more than 300 types of regional variations, but the 5 major variations include Huangmei opera and Yue opera alongside Sichuan opera and Peking Opera. Gui Mudan as a character is an example of primary elements utilising Sichuan Opera while incorporating elements from other opera forms.

Here's a helpful easy summary with Youtube examples of Sichuan versus Beijing opera: https://onwardsupwards.ca/foreigners-guide-to-chinese-opera/

What if there are shades of Fong Sai Yuk and Chinese opera trappings, in a not-yet-aired C-drama featuring a strong ensemble cast? Here is the trailer: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5067022944178847

Gui Mudan is one of my favourite characters. Jeremy Tsui is fantastic in that role, especially episode 33 ;)

Weibo has its share of ridiculous fan wars, but the enthusiasm by fans is also far more heartening too :)

Echoes of Self- Is that with the actor who was Yan Xiao in LITC?

Between winning the Wenrong Awards recently as one of three artists for Notable Young Rising Actor and this Grazia cover, Ai Mi's star is very bright. Her scenes with Luo Yunxi, Bai Shu and other actors in this drama are a very good audition as it stands, for Directors to note.

That said, WoF's pacing issue which I identified by the end of episode 15 is now amplified by the storytelling execution. The battle in episode 32 should have happened in episode 30. I have anime and gamer background, so keeping up with the main plot, some subplots and little details isn't an issue.

But for at least 40% of viewers IMHO, getting lost with the extent of Yique Yinyang's machinations and how Gui Mudan factors in is going to be natural because there isn't enough augmentation of enough clues raised by Tang Lici from episode 26 onwards.

Chen Yao is doing very well! I am wondering where all her fans are. Perhaps MDL is quite different from weibo and douyin. She has a guest role in Vendetta of An. What's a drama of hers you can recommend?

Hopefully Xifang Tao doesn't bite off more than she can chew. I'm torn between wanting a happy ending for her and- Gosh, I hope she'll give Master Puzhu some peace. I'm blissfully ignoring any previews, knowing this drama will come to an end soon D:

Shui Duopo- I mean Ai Mi is now on the front cover of Grazia (China)! https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5232135847543035#comment

She has to be manipulative, otherwise she would not be of such high value to Gui Mudan and he would have gotten rid of her long ago. I'm wondering if she is smart enough to finally see a way out for herself because frankly, living with Gui Mudan is dangerous.

That said, I would adore a modern version of Xifang Tao, maybe like this (Chen Yao's been posting new getups on her weibo account): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5231123898567530

It was about time in Episode 32 that Tang Lici finally understands how hope works, plus the importance of protecting and cherishing the now, and not sacrificing everything for a past he cannot retrieve nor return to. I am sad for the armoured geese of Yanmen, who have lost their human counterparts.

“决定你是谁的绝非你眉间的金瞳额印，而是你的一念之间，一心之隔，有能者更应该造福苍生。春绿雪去河又来，这世上没有白费的光阴。虽然希望有时候会破灭，不过新的希望会在破灭中重新诞生。新的希望，新的人，就在你身边。”

I always enjoy gripping dialogue. Whether it is Liu Yan giving Fang Pingzhai three sentences before he decides whether to kill him, Tang Lici coming to self-realisation at last and then having a game with Gui Mudan... It's as satisfying as having a uniquely tasty sandwich with ingredients nobody else can identify XD

I am elated but also wary: Is Xifang Tao truly changing sides? She has her own masks, and I'm not sure which one she is using at this point.