Six days until we meet Xiang Liu. Let's devlve into why Xiang Liu is a tragic character? ๐๐๐
Although he is not considered a male lead in terms of the amount of words Tong Hua has dedicated to him, in her novel, Xiang Liu is remembered as if he is one. This is because his character and his side story are rooted in Aristotle's definition of a tragedy.
Aristotle believed a tragic plot needed to have three main elements: Hamartia, anagnorisis, and peripeteiaโall of which lead to a profound experience of catharsis. Hamartia are Xiang Liu's flaws, anagnorisis is the moment he realizes something in himself and spurs a change, and peripeteia is the moment his is unable to reverse his fate. In peripeteia, we witness his moment of suffering.
There are few novel readers who have been left quite frankly depressed after learning of Xiang Liu's fate and the choices that lead to his untimely end. Some of us have dubbed it "Xiang Liu Depression" because the thought that we couldn't save him from the world of DaHuang and mostly from himself has caused this extraordinary pain. For me, it was as if I was the one to have lost a lover.
With season two, I am forecasting another long year of Xiang Liu Depression.
Oh no is it getting heated and intense again? I donโt want to read them hahaha. I share the same sentiments,…
Most XL fans accept that XY loves Jing too, and many of us understand her ending with Jing. Some of us think XY doesn't deserve XL because she has a lot of work to do on herself, and XL deserves peace. Others believe XY needs to love herself first.
The problem is the people who have made it their life's mission to say XY doesn't love XL and that the YaoLiu love line is unrequited. They refuse to see that YaoLiu is a star-crossed, unspoken love with an obvious intent on TH's part. They throw their opinions out there, and when they are met with strong opposition from XL fans who have read the novel and watched the drama over and over again, digging into the Chinese antiquity that TH has written into her novel, and cannot counter the overwhelming evidence, they throw insults and then dismiss the argument altogether while doubling down that their interpretation is the absolute truth.
The character Jing doesn't appeal to many staunch CX and XL fans because his character is frustratingly flat, making it hard to discuss without comparing him to CX or XL. So, I guess Jing fans can get frustrated. He can't even be compared to other characters in c-drama land; even sweet characters like Jing found in modern K-dramas eventually experience character growth.
This scene represents how XY has been waiting and waiting and waiting, that somehow deep inside, she had been…
Argh, the agonizing heartstrings tugging of waiting and not getting an answer. This is one of those few moments I sympathize with XY and feel sorry for her.
She stands to lose more if she follows him, so he wouldn't ever force her to choose. So he just took himself out of the equation... but even so, it didn't stop him from hoping.
She hoped he would put her first, and unbeknownst to her, he did. He put her wishes before his own and made sure she got what she wanted. If XL putting her wishes before his own desires isn't putting her first, then I don't know what is.
The way she cared for him... the only one she would lie for and kill for.
I'm a big fan of all these characters - ALL of them. I may not in real life associate with any of them (heck,…
True... I've always tried my best to engage and have met plenty of Jing fans who are honest about their experience with LYF. We cry and laugh about all the characters, and express our nuanced issues with all of them.
I understand XY's character very much, despite her flaws overshadowing her achievements for me. This is a fantasy, after all, and to have a character who can be anyone choose to compromise is a letdown for me. That being said, it doesn't mean that I'm going to go around insulting someone who finds her character admirable.
My views just happen to lean towards XL and the unspoken, star-crossed love of YaoLiu because it is the most poetic, and it speaks volumes to me through the film composition, cinematography, and TH poetry and prose.
Whatโs irritating is that people need to remember TH or the actors' opinions about the work shouldn't be taken as the law or the only true way to interpret a piece of literary masterpiece like LYF. Works of art are meant for open interpretation, and artists and writers throw their hearts out there, knowing very well that the test of time may change the work itself.
Just don't make it a mission to invalidate other people's experiences by dictating that their interpretation is the only way to understand the novel and its characters.
Do you really want to talk about Xiang Liu? So let's talk about Jing, who manipulated XY into waiting for him…
Adding to this list: Emasculated male figure Nine tails maiden troupe (if the script was flipped, these same women would be raging of how stupid she is) Damsel in distress Plot device
You're awkwardly biased, I'm watching because of all the four characters that brought the story alive. If you…
Somewhere between the TH prequel where XL was the main character and LYF, TH found writing about XLโs transformation through XY's eyes more interesting. Thus, in the end, we ended up with what we have.
LYF, story structure-wise, is a mash-up of Scarlet Heart and Once Promised. XY is basically the main character in Scarlet Heart but is determined to be everything opposite of her mother, Aheng, who is the main character of Once Promised. XL, character-wise, is built like TH's most beloved other male characters, specifically Chi Chen, XY's dad. So you see, even though XL has the least words dedicated to him, he always was the male lead in theory.
The story of LYF started with XL in theory and ended in the Epilogue.
In adapting the story, TH wrote it in a linear fashion, probably to help with world-building for those who are not familiar with the novel. But the novel starts with XY and ends with XL.
If that is the case, why do we see evidence of the bugs creating backlash and hurting Xiangliu who have to suppress…
I not going to answer your questions because my brain cells are too precious. But I'll leave this conversation here: Jing is a unique plot device in placed to run parallel to the Lovers Bugs. Whether it was intentional or not, it does create alot of open-ended circumstances. My interpretation is no more right or wrong than yours. But there is no friends in the word lovers. K, bye.
im kinda confused here, so please enlighten me;If one person is hurt, the other also feels the pain; if one person…
I just lump the fact that he can suppressed the bugs as him controlling them. Hehe...but you do bring out a point about the equal power, because it is said right there in the quote "everything is in balance."
You're awkwardly biased, I'm watching because of all the four characters that brought the story alive. If you…
If you are to analyze LYF from a very literal perspective, then you would think this story is just about XY and her journey for a lifelong partner. But any avid Tong Hua fan can tell you that LYF started with XL, and she built all the other characters around him.
I, imagine that, perhaps, in TH's writing method, she may have accidentally written a novel that truly challenges her audience of what is considered a male lead, what constitutes as a reverse-harem story, and redefined modern definitions of tragedies.
Does a male lead the man with the most words, or the male lead the one that impacts the winds of time? Have you ever thought that perhaps this story is also about Xiang Liu's journey to love and demise through XY's eyes? Have you stopped to think that LYF could be actually be a star-crossed love story that challenged literary norms of this genre by writing the FL choosing someone other than the one she truly loves due to their circumstances?
There are adaptations and then there are atrocities. Novel readers are always going to be more passionate about the integrity of the characters and plot. Even if this story was not based on a novel, I can guarantee that having the story end like that of the leaked script is a damn shame because the character set up was so strong.
That's probably a translation error. I know they had a long engagement, but I don't think it had happened in episode…
I think Feng Long was more mad over the fact that Jing broke "Bro Code" rather than that Jing and XY were frolicking under his nose. ๐คฃ๐ ๐ Once he and Jing restored thier Bro Code, he was alright again. Priorities, am I right?!
im kinda confused here, so please enlighten me;If one person is hurt, the other also feels the pain; if one person…
The bugs listen to the one with the more spiritual powers, not the person who raised them. Xiang Liu suppresses the bugs, prevents them from hurting Xiao Yao when she betrays his heart, and keeps the pain to himself, while taking thier poisons for the both of them.
There are three instances where XY felt the pain of the bugs. 1) CX assassination attempt in Chiusui where she threw her body to protect him. She felt a slight sharp pain, which was XL pain of seeing XY desperately shielding CX. 2) At CX first wedding, shortly after she found out about FFYY pregnancy, her heart hurt so much, she almost fainted. But the pain quickly dissipated. 3) After the runaway wedding from FL, XL let her feel the pain he endured. It was so painful, it rendered her paralyzed. He used this pain the push her away, she interpreted it as him wanting to kill her.
Seven days left...just counting down til I meet Xiang Liu again. In the meantime, just dropping it here one of the most important plot devices in Lost You Forever.
What are the ๆ ไบบ่ (Qing Ren Gu)? ๆ ไบบ่ (Qing Ren Gu) literally means Lovers (ๆ ไบบ) Poisonous Bugs (่). It does not mean Friendship Poisonous Bugs (ๆๅ่).
"Lover's Poisonous Bugs symbolize a pair of male-female ancient toxic insects, where the lives of a man and a woman intertwine. Their hearts are ENTANGLED, communicating simultaneously. If one person is hurt, the other also feels the pain; if one person is wounded, the other will be wounded as well.
With masculinity alone, there is no flourishing, and with femininity alone, there is no development. When everything is in balance, there is an inherent presence of imbalance. The greater the advantage, the greater the disadvantage; this holds true for love curses, such as the Lovers Poisonous Bugs. They enable LOVERS to share each other's emotions, with both lifelines interwoven. The Lovers Poisonous Bugs reflect TWO LOVERS IN LOVE and are extremely difficult to tame. Once they break, both will perish. Hence, the Lovers Poisonous Bugs are also known by another nameโgrief-stricken heartbroken poisonous bugs.
If both hearts are one, GROWTH occurs. If the hearts conflict, there is DEATH. Once the Lovers Poisonous Bugs establish a connection, there is no way to uproot them. In this particular case, I want to mention that, few have raised them; yet, some stubborn women have successfully done so. However, even if the bugs are raised successfully, it is incredibly hard to find men who wish to be connected with them."
2 
1 
The fanfics does refer to events in Lost You Forever, so read at your discretion. Happy reading, peeps.
Aristotle believed a tragic plot needed to have three main elements: Hamartia, anagnorisis, and peripeteiaโall of which lead to a profound experience of catharsis. Hamartia are Xiang Liu's flaws, anagnorisis is the moment he realizes something in himself and spurs a change, and peripeteia is the moment his is unable to reverse his fate. In peripeteia, we witness his moment of suffering.
There are few novel readers who have been left quite frankly depressed after learning of Xiang Liu's fate and the choices that lead to his untimely end. Some of us have dubbed it "Xiang Liu Depression" because the thought that we couldn't save him from the world of DaHuang and mostly from himself has caused this extraordinary pain. For me, it was as if I was the one to have lost a lover.
With season two, I am forecasting another long year of Xiang Liu Depression.
๐ณ๐ฅฐ๐
The problem is the people who have made it their life's mission to say XY doesn't love XL and that the YaoLiu love line is unrequited. They refuse to see that YaoLiu is a star-crossed, unspoken love with an obvious intent on TH's part. They throw their opinions out there, and when they are met with strong opposition from XL fans who have read the novel and watched the drama over and over again, digging into the Chinese antiquity that TH has written into her novel, and cannot counter the overwhelming evidence, they throw insults and then dismiss the argument altogether while doubling down that their interpretation is the absolute truth.
The character Jing doesn't appeal to many staunch CX and XL fans because his character is frustratingly flat, making it hard to discuss without comparing him to CX or XL. So, I guess Jing fans can get frustrated. He can't even be compared to other characters in c-drama land; even sweet characters like Jing found in modern K-dramas eventually experience character growth.
She stands to lose more if she follows him, so he wouldn't ever force her to choose. So he just took himself out of the equation... but even so, it didn't stop him from hoping.
She hoped he would put her first, and unbeknownst to her, he did. He put her wishes before his own and made sure she got what she wanted. If XL putting her wishes before his own desires isn't putting her first, then I don't know what is.
The way she cared for him... the only one she would lie for and kill for.
I understand XY's character very much, despite her flaws overshadowing her achievements for me. This is a fantasy, after all, and to have a character who can be anyone choose to compromise is a letdown for me. That being said, it doesn't mean that I'm going to go around insulting someone who finds her character admirable.
My views just happen to lean towards XL and the unspoken, star-crossed love of YaoLiu because it is the most poetic, and it speaks volumes to me through the film composition, cinematography, and TH poetry and prose.
Whatโs irritating is that people need to remember TH or the actors' opinions about the work shouldn't be taken as the law or the only true way to interpret a piece of literary masterpiece like LYF. Works of art are meant for open interpretation, and artists and writers throw their hearts out there, knowing very well that the test of time may change the work itself.
Just don't make it a mission to invalidate other people's experiences by dictating that their interpretation is the only way to understand the novel and its characters.
Emasculated male figure
Nine tails maiden troupe (if the script was flipped, these same women would be raging of how stupid she is)
Damsel in distress
Plot device
LYF, story structure-wise, is a mash-up of Scarlet Heart and Once Promised. XY is basically the main character in Scarlet Heart but is determined to be everything opposite of her mother, Aheng, who is the main character of Once Promised. XL, character-wise, is built like TH's most beloved other male characters, specifically Chi Chen, XY's dad. So you see, even though XL has the least words dedicated to him, he always was the male lead in theory.
The story of LYF started with XL in theory and ended in the Epilogue.
In adapting the story, TH wrote it in a linear fashion, probably to help with world-building for those who are not familiar with the novel. But the novel starts with XY and ends with XL.
I, imagine that, perhaps, in TH's writing method, she may have accidentally written a novel that truly challenges her audience of what is considered a male lead, what constitutes as a reverse-harem story, and redefined modern definitions of tragedies.
Does a male lead the man with the most words, or the male lead the one that impacts the winds of time? Have you ever thought that perhaps this story is also about Xiang Liu's journey to love and demise through XY's eyes? Have you stopped to think that LYF could be actually be a star-crossed love story that challenged literary norms of this genre by writing the FL choosing someone other than the one she truly loves due to their circumstances?
There are adaptations and then there are atrocities. Novel readers are always going to be more passionate about the integrity of the characters and plot. Even if this story was not based on a novel, I can guarantee that having the story end like that of the leaked script is a damn shame because the character set up was so strong.
There are three instances where XY felt the pain of the bugs. 1) CX assassination attempt in Chiusui where she threw her body to protect him. She felt a slight sharp pain, which was XL pain of seeing XY desperately shielding CX. 2) At CX first wedding, shortly after she found out about FFYY pregnancy, her heart hurt so much, she almost fainted. But the pain quickly dissipated. 3) After the runaway wedding from FL, XL let her feel the pain he endured. It was so painful, it rendered her paralyzed. He used this pain the push her away, she interpreted it as him wanting to kill her.
What are the ๆ ไบบ่ (Qing Ren Gu)?
ๆ ไบบ่ (Qing Ren Gu) literally means Lovers (ๆ ไบบ) Poisonous Bugs (่). It does not mean Friendship Poisonous Bugs (ๆๅ่).
"Lover's Poisonous Bugs symbolize a pair of male-female ancient toxic insects, where the lives of a man and a woman intertwine. Their hearts are ENTANGLED, communicating simultaneously. If one person is hurt, the other also feels the pain; if one person is wounded, the other will be wounded as well.
With masculinity alone, there is no flourishing, and with femininity alone, there is no development. When everything is in balance, there is an inherent presence of imbalance. The greater the advantage, the greater the disadvantage; this holds true for love curses, such as the Lovers Poisonous Bugs. They enable LOVERS to share each other's emotions, with both lifelines interwoven. The Lovers Poisonous Bugs reflect TWO LOVERS IN LOVE and are extremely difficult to tame. Once they break, both will perish. Hence, the Lovers Poisonous Bugs are also known by another nameโgrief-stricken heartbroken poisonous bugs.
If both hearts are one, GROWTH occurs. If the hearts conflict, there is DEATH. Once the Lovers Poisonous Bugs establish a connection, there is no way to uproot them. In this particular case, I want to mention that, few have raised them; yet, some stubborn women have successfully done so. However, even if the bugs are raised successfully, it is incredibly hard to find men who wish to be connected with them."