Well, I managed to write a review without spoilers, and it will have certain traits you'd expect to see in a review. You can see if my review manages to encapsulate what you watched and experienced (and I referenced Shakespeare) XD
The feeling is akin to a wonderful session with a guzheng: Smooth on the outside, elated yet calm on the inside…
I enjoyed the discussion and questions pertaining to karma between Tang Lici and the abbot of Jinye Temple. It is so refreshing to have strong intelligent female leads not pitted against each other nor falling madly in love and losing all senses, just for the sake of plot devices. At the same time, the likes of Chi Yun and Zhong Chunji don't have all the answers for their investigation, so it is also engaging to see how they find answers together, which the directors allow to unfold naturally. Thank you so much for the changes from the novel (this far), screenwriters! And the brotherhood- It's so heartfelt and intense that you can see how love becomes hate, between Tang Lici and Liu Yan. At this point, one wonders what Tang Lici intends for Liu Yan.
Luo Yunxi brings these shades of grey to life so well. I never mistake a character he acts in one drama with another character of his in a different drama. Him and Ao Ziyi are delightful together, especially when they were in the cages. That serving of tea from Chi Yun to Tang Lici was as delightful as the novel.
I am so glad Liu Yan isn't chatty! Characters painted as villains being chatty annoy me, especially when they are supposed to be intelligent so being chatty isn't usually a trait of capable villains.
Considering the beginning chapters of the novel were convoluted by my standards, even with massive changes, three episodes would be a lot to take in. Pace yourself. I myself would not be able to absorb more than three episodes today.
The feeling is akin to a wonderful session with a guzheng: Smooth on the outside, elated yet calm on the inside with achievement. Everything ripples beautifully or unsettles, in the moments: Floating in a gentle flowering sea of sentiment sparked into violence… Brilliantly deft as flashing crescents with a flick of the wrist- By the cold unwavering light of a moon illuminating mysterious interlocking configuration of towers for assassins rising out of night-cold waters.
The storytelling exquisitely unfolds without confusion, and the characters are uniquely memorable in different ways. Being able to evoke wonder akin to a child, yet stimulate the senses- Chi Yun’s entrance made me smile. He is less quarrelsome (for me) than novel-Chi Yun, due to Ao Ziyi’s clever modulation of lively playfulness adding to a sharp tongue and pleasant demeanour.
Bao Shang En as Zhong Chunji is adorable, feisty, and likeable. She and Chi Yun make a fun friendly duo, and I enjoyed seeing her contrast with Jelly Lin’s A-Shui. A-Shui has such a pivotal scene with Leader Zhong of Yanmen at the beginning of episode 3, whereby the unwavering gentleness she possesses is different from the restrained-bubbly calm of Zhong Chunji. Each of them displayed distinct personalities and are strong in different ways. Together making dumplings was perfect, to have strong female characters getting along without unnecessary cattiness: One in admiration of Tang Lici and the other captivated by Tang Lici.
Watching A-Yan and A-Li together in a flashback is heartbreaking. Alen Fang outdid himself here. Liu Yan veers from being peacefully serene, suddenly toppling into unmasked enmity. He teeters between barely holding in hatred and losing himself completely in it, and the edge he walks is aptly expressed. Almost repulsive, yet alluringly emotional and understandably so, because of what he believes Tang Lici did to Fang Zhou- Looking forward to seeing how he continues as Liu Yan.
Tang Lici- His introduction in episode 1 matches the opening song, gentle melodious intent weaving into something far more virulently mysterious and abruptly cutting. Across three episodes, Tang Lici appears to always be in control in the present. He is cunning, he is suspicious of all around him, he displays deft flashes of wry humour, and he is always disarmingly charming… with subtle hints of not being human (and I am not referring to a cut). Luo Yunxi's performance flows like a guzheng piece of perfection. And the way these three episodes have played out evoke the ED, which I found myself unexpectedly humming.
The world-building is gorgeous, and so are the character developments and character interactions. CGI is resplendent and comes with the most important elements when fights are involved: A heart and purposeful usage, rather than being pointlessly showy. Two things I am seeing this far, which reminds me of certain favourite movies in the 90s: Restraint in many aspects, with deft interweaving of subplots and poetic lines from various characters.
To summarise in one short guzheng piece, 《水龙吟》(nothing to do with the music from this drama) is perfect to express current sentiments. “撕裂～形骸～解放”: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Yh4y1k7HW/
Lovely to see you here! Looking forward to your insights! If you have handy emoji pages, let me know (I am in the midst of trying to decipher certain emojis for full expression, where words won't suffice XD)
1 hour ago, Mango TV's weibo account shares a BTS of various characters while announcing reservations exceed 5 million #水龙吟芒果TV预约人数破500万#: https://m.weibo.cn/status/5225293271797349
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Luo Yunxi brings these shades of grey to life so well. I never mistake a character he acts in one drama with another character of his in a different drama. Him and Ao Ziyi are delightful together, especially when they were in the cages. That serving of tea from Chi Yun to Tang Lici was as delightful as the novel.
I am so glad Liu Yan isn't chatty! Characters painted as villains being chatty annoy me, especially when they are supposed to be intelligent so being chatty isn't usually a trait of capable villains.
A music score with which title?
The storytelling exquisitely unfolds without confusion, and the characters are uniquely memorable in different ways. Being able to evoke wonder akin to a child, yet stimulate the senses- Chi Yun’s entrance made me smile. He is less quarrelsome (for me) than novel-Chi Yun, due to Ao Ziyi’s clever modulation of lively playfulness adding to a sharp tongue and pleasant demeanour.
Bao Shang En as Zhong Chunji is adorable, feisty, and likeable. She and Chi Yun make a fun friendly duo, and I enjoyed seeing her contrast with Jelly Lin’s A-Shui. A-Shui has such a pivotal scene with Leader Zhong of Yanmen at the beginning of episode 3, whereby the unwavering gentleness she possesses is different from the restrained-bubbly calm of Zhong Chunji. Each of them displayed distinct personalities and are strong in different ways. Together making dumplings was perfect, to have strong female characters getting along without unnecessary cattiness: One in admiration of Tang Lici and the other captivated by Tang Lici.
Watching A-Yan and A-Li together in a flashback is heartbreaking. Alen Fang outdid himself here. Liu Yan veers from being peacefully serene, suddenly toppling into unmasked enmity. He teeters between barely holding in hatred and losing himself completely in it, and the edge he walks is aptly expressed. Almost repulsive, yet alluringly emotional and understandably so, because of what he believes Tang Lici did to Fang Zhou- Looking forward to seeing how he continues as Liu Yan.
Tang Lici- His introduction in episode 1 matches the opening song, gentle melodious intent weaving into something far more virulently mysterious and abruptly cutting. Across three episodes, Tang Lici appears to always be in control in the present. He is cunning, he is suspicious of all around him, he displays deft flashes of wry humour, and he is always disarmingly charming… with subtle hints of not being human (and I am not referring to a cut). Luo Yunxi's performance flows like a guzheng piece of perfection. And the way these three episodes have played out evoke the ED, which I found myself unexpectedly humming.
The world-building is gorgeous, and so are the character developments and character interactions. CGI is resplendent and comes with the most important elements when fights are involved: A heart and purposeful usage, rather than being pointlessly showy. Two things I am seeing this far, which reminds me of certain favourite movies in the 90s: Restraint in many aspects, with deft interweaving of subplots and poetic lines from various characters.
To summarise in one short guzheng piece, 《水龙吟》(nothing to do with the music from this drama) is perfect to express current sentiments. “撕裂～形骸～解放”: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Yh4y1k7HW/
Shared a BTS from the Mango TV weibo account in a recent comment above.
BTS here showcasing Tang Lici, Shen Langhun, Chi Yun, Zhong Chunji and Feng Chuan Xiang: https://www.mgtv.com/b/613743/23652135.html
Here's an emoji page to help you without onions: https://emojidb.org/cute-emojis
Whether (·•᷄ࡇ•᷅ ) or (,,>﹏<,,) or .·°՞(っ-ᯅ-ς)՞°·.
Less than 5 hours to go!
36 minutes ago, Ao Ziyi (he is Chi Yun) posted on his official weibo account: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5225261609259726
[ 云携清劲，挥洒少年意气，快来和池云一起集卡，解锁更多惊喜！]