hvnlyangel

XXY is not going to get mother of the year. Sekichu made a great analysis of how CSS feels, and her mother just does not know how to emphasize with her daughter. XXY’s whole approach is wrong. She is using a very militaristic approach to teach/discipline a child who only needs some affection, kindness and love. CSS needs someone like her third aunt to nurture her. Someone who can show her some maternal warmth. Instead she got a mom who does not understand her, and wants mold her into someone more docile.
I do not believe that XXY hates her daughter nor is she truly abusive. XXY’s intentions are well meaning but her approach is too extreme.
I believe that XXY truly worries about her daughter’s future. She did not like CSS’s engagement to LY because of LY’s home situation. Though LY and CSS had planned to leave his oppressive family to be a mayor/magistrate of another city or town, LY’s brother even said that LY’s dream was a little naive. ( Either their uncle will block it or from the book LBY worried that since these lived in a very turbulent time he worried for CSS’s safety. She is such a pretty girl who knows what can happen to her from bandits etc. ). In regards to LBY though many girls are enamored with him it’s not like he is truly the best catch. He is seen as ruthless , LY’s fiancée describes him as such, he seems cold. ( We are drama watches know that he loves CSS, and he has a soft spot for her). Other hand the emperor’s backing the other officials do not really like him nor his methods, he is estranged from his father . Most of all to CSS’s mom LBY and CSS’s personality classes. For all of these reasons CSS’s mother decides to deter the emperor’s decree by insulting her daughter. CSS’s mom is trying to get the emperor or LBY to take it back. I really wished that XXY came up with something less insulting and demeaning but there it is. It does make LBY’s declaration more dramatic, sincere and wonderful.

I do not condone XXY’s actions, her methods are way too harsh. However, being a mother myself I can see her intentions. But even if XXY’s intentions are well meaning, her approach is wrong, therefore she is wrong for treating CSS this way. But I do not believe that XXY hates her daughter. I believe that she loves her daughter but she shows it in the wrong way.

I am sorry that your family situation is like that.

I agree.

Sorry that you had to experience that. I am Chinese myself but my parents though strict were not that strict. And my grandparents and parents don’t value boys more than girls, fortunately.
I don’t condone XXY’s methods either, but I do get where she is coming from. I don’t agree with her methods myself nor would I would ever treat my own children that way. I tell my daughters that we are fortunate to live in modern times.

However, I just understand XXY’s intentions though I do not support her methods. She is not the worst mother I have seen in dramaland nor the worst parent. You can read my post below. I just think the CSS and her mother just need a real heart to heart talk.

CSS is sad because she feels again she is unlucky because she has to give up something, someone, and a life that she wants for the greater good.

She’s only 15 a child, who never felt loved, so LY was the first person outside of her family who appreciates her. She doesn’t know about the LBY’s affection for her, she is actually a little bit scared of him at this point.

She’s a child losing her first love and she has to be give it up for duty.

You’re right XXY is proud, and stubborn. I think from the book, her backstory is that her whole family died too?

My parent’s left me in the care of the grandparents until I was two and half years old. My mother was a little bit frustrated with me because there were things that she expected of me such as talking that I didn’t do yet. So from a personal experience I can get where the mom is coming from. XXY also feels guilt that she let her daughter and wants to be make up for all those years of neglect. But you can’t just make up for lost years so quickly.
Also both CSS and XXY are a lot alike. They both need to sit down and talk it out , have a good cry, and just talk with each other without all of the baggage. Every time CSS brings up her cousin and her mother gets mad, because she does wish that CSS can be like her cousin somewhat, at least being obedient. But she doesn’t understand that our experiences shapes us, and if CSS was always obedient she would have been trampled on.

So CSS’s mom loves and worries for her daughter but the way she expresses it is the extreme rigid mom way. And when she tries to talk to her daughter they clash, because they both have preconceived opinions of one another’s motives.

I agree XYY loves her children, her method is just wrong. Also you to take it from the times. In ancient China, children are supposed to be obedient to their elders. There is no talking back. We from a modern perspective find CSS to be cute, and feisty, but during that time, CSS’s cousin’s demeanor is the ideal.

XYY fears that CSS will suffer greatly at the hands of her MIL and in-laws house with her current demeanor.

Getting along nowadays with one’s in laws is sometimes difficult can you imagine being subject to them back in those times. You can’t break family law. The elders have every right to punish you if you are seen as disobedient. Actually with LBY, I find that CSS might have an okay time because he doesn’t live with his parents. But he is seen as cold, rigid, rule abiding to outsiders, so XYY worries that her lively daughter will suffer.

I am not justifying the mom, I found what she said to be harsh, nor am I condoning her method. But we sometimes we can’t take our modern sensibilities and judge because we didn’t live during those times. All I am saying is that I get where the mom is coming from, her methods are just a little too severe.

Also another reason why CSS acts like she does in the novel is because in the novel she is a modern person who traveled into the body of a girl from ancient times. The drama didn’t go down that route because they can’t. Even without that time traveling element , I do get how CSS is how she is from her upbringing.

I agree I am not fond of filler episodes if it’s just to pad the drama. I do appreciate that the dramas are getting around the new rule by having two parts, as for some dramas having too much cut out lessens the story. On the other hand, some dramas can benefit from removing filler. So writers and editors, etc need to work smarter and better to make a better product.

I agree it’s not racism per say. Lot of Chinese tourists love going to Japan.

I do like the idea of trying to make the Chinese costumes in dramas more accurate. I would love to learn about historical costumes though dramas. However, so much is lost and it is hard to be completely accurate. Smaller budgeted dramas might not have the funds and means to be so historically accurate, so it might be somewhat of a hindrance too. Therefore, I think that cdramas can follow what British historical dramas, where a bonnet, or dress, jacket can be seen on various actresses in various Regency productions. I know that cdramas don’t necessarily do that, every production has it’s own look. But it’s something to consider too especially for the smaller productions.

Isn’t Queen Lau, set in a non historical time in history. The timeline from that timeline is made up so why is there such a big controversy from borrowing Japanese elements in the dress? I wonder what the specific rules are. I did watch a Chinese youtube video were she bemoaned with China’s rich history stemming multiple dynasties why is there a need to incorporate Japanese styling into the Queen Lau drama? Only the floppy hat the prime minister, the FL’s dad, wore truly bothered me in the drama. It was very distracting.

And even if a production is trying to be super accurate in their historical costumes, such as Royal Feast, there are some people who still complain. For example, some people complained that the hanfus worn by the women who worked and lived in the imperial palace in Royal Feast looked Korean. I think that a YouTuber AvenueX said that if they wanted to go really accurate the color palate of the outfits should be really bright.

If China wants to make this new rule for historical dramas depicting actual historical figures than that’s fine. I am just eager to watch this particular drama so it’s hard to wait.

But I saw some bows on the front of Wan QiQi’s character in the earlier episodes. Was that okay? Maybe I want things to be consistent?

I dislike the censorship too as it stunts creativity. Also the whole lessening of the drama episodes to be 40 episodes I feel that affects the story at times as some things are not explained well and just rushed because scenes are cut out.

Yes I agree Korean, Chinese and Japanese historical outfits do they similarities, because they are all influenced historically from each other. It’s too complicated too even break down the influence.

I admire all the different historical costumes from the above mentioned countries, I especially love the silk and brocade. I love Japanese chiyogami paper and the patterns on those papers are so beautiful.

However, personally I would not put on a Japanese kimono because of reasons. I would buy a robe that is a kimono influenced robe but not a full Japanese kimono, through I find it to be nice aesthetically . I am Chinese American and I find my family would have a fit if tried to dress as a Japanese woman. But the reasons stems from what happened in WWII.

That being said I am not against someone who is not of a certain ethnicity wearing say a Qipao, a hanfu, a kimono etc. If someone is interested in wearing a Qipao who is not Chinese, I am actually happy that they appreciate the dress enough to wear to prom or something..

From my understanding, thought I did not grow up in China is that the Japanese committed a lot of atrocities to the Chinese people and other Asian countries during WWII. However, unlike the Germans, the Japanese government never apologized for the atrocities they did they don’t even have it in their history books. I believe the lack of responsibility and apology is what makes the Chinese so anti Japanese.

But I agree with you that in terms in dress alot of cultures influence each other. When we were watching Mulan with my kids, the cartoon, my husband mentioned that the hanfu that Mulan wore was Japanese or looked Japanese. From my understanding China greatly influenced other Asian nations, and those countries emulated Chinese dress. However, those particular countries did not change their dress, such as the Japanese and Korean, instead maintained the aesthetics to this day. China, on the other hand, went through many changes in terms of dress due to the different dynasties. Every Chinese dynasty had a different look in terms of dress, some elements were passed down but overall there are changes. There has been a hanfu, Chinese traditional dress, in China over the years, where people dress in hanfu.

So that being said I don’t really find the use of a bow that big of a deal.

Straight out appropriation and copying such as Dior copying a Ming dynasty skirt is not okay. Because in the Dior situation that is a whole skirt and they didn’t even site the influence, Dior just gave credit to their designer.

Ah ic. Thanks for the explanation. I heard that the production was airbrushing and tweeting some of the costumes for the bows, but I saw some bows in the front of some of the outfits, and when a knot was mentioned I got confused.

I am aware of the anti Japanese sentiment in China, being Chinese, though I was born in US, myself.

I don’t know how I feel about the whole costumes and the need to airbrush them etc. I was a Apparel/Fashion design major and appreciate fashion and fashion history. There are beautiful elements from all cultures. Also, China has such a rich history and many other Asian countries were influenced by China in terms of dress, etc. Therefore, I don’t know how a bow in the back of a Han dynasty influenced hanfu looks too Japanese, when the overall look of the characters’ dress in LLTG does not look Japanese.

I did find the floppy hat that the FL’s dad in Queen Lau wore to be distracting. It wasn’t even a good look. I wonder why the stylists choose that look. I know that for Queen Lau the setting wasn’t supposed to be any dynasty or period rooted in Chinese history so the production maybe just incorporated elements of Japanese historical that they liked?
Maybe I find it a little bit silly to possibly delay airing part 2 of this drama and spending all this time and money airbrushing bows out, when the overall look doesn’t look Japanese to me.

So Chinese people in all of our history didn’t come up with bows? Is a bow too engrained in the Japanese kimino look that no other cultures can use them in their historical dress?

Can you explain the controversy some more please? The knot on Lusi’s waist was not okay?

If you look at the discussion topic from TMOPB it talks about all of this in detail. One commentator said that the author admitted that some parts, a small part is similar but most of the TMOPB story is the author’s own work.

I am not familiar with the whole situation. I feel that a lot of xianxia stories and dramas are similar or they have similar elements in them.

I have read the English version of the TMOPB book, called Into the Sky kingdom and it liked it.

https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Kingdom-Tang-Qi-ebook/dp/B01BF34920/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2GQI5ZG3U9B3L&keywords=Into+the+sky+kingdom&qid=1658502444&sprefix=into+the+sky+kingdom%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-1

I am reading the novel through google translate as my Chinese isn’t good enough to read novels. From what I read, correct me if I am wrong, CSS’ s father agreed to the proposal but the next day CSS and I forgot which parent tried to have the proposal rescinded. At the time CSS’s father was by himself and this happened after LBY saved CSS from the “cliff,” in the novel. I find the drama’s way of handling the proposal to be more dramatic.

I do like how it’s CSS’s choice in the drama I don’t remember in the novel if she made the decision to marry him as firmly as she did in the novel. And yes LBY has a chance to slowly win her heart.

Yes I agree with your points.

After rewatching that scene LBY probably asked the emperor to basically set an edict for marrying CSS was coercing her and her parents to agree. He probably didn’t expect that CSS’s parents would regret his suit, since all the girls and their families would be happy too. Despite LBY’s family situation and how he is viewed by the other ministers, LBY’s a great catch. So CSS’s parents’ refusal was surprising to him and how they put down their daughter in front of everyone.
LBY probably thought that they couldn’t refuse the interview. Also I feel that he was also motivated by the princesses treatment of CSS and what the other princes’ were saying.
I also liked how CSS was able to make her own decision and realizing that LBY sees and likes her for who she is. By choosing this engagement herself she is willing to get to know him better. Before although CSS speaks to LBY with deference and is respectful towards him she isn’t herself with him. She looks at him like she’s a mouse and he’s a cat. LBY isn’t the most approachable person either, he seems aloof and cold and even his manor reflect it. So he needs someone lively like CSS to soften and liven him up and CSS needs someone like LBY to reign her in somewhat.

I think that partially why CSS’s mom can’t or won’t see the good in her daughter is that they are very much alike. They both do not take any stuff from others. They both stand up for themselves, and are extremely stubborn.

Despite their similarities CSS’s mom sees these traits as flaws. She feels great guilt in leaving her daughter and not raising her properly but her method is totally wrong. I feel that they bonded in the last couple of episodes with the whole LY situation. However, I agree that putting down one’s daughter in such a extreme way is not the best way to get out of a situation.
CSS’s mother could’ve toned down her criticism alot.

I feel that CSS has come along away since the first episode she has really grown, matured and has learned to put others above herself. So she is definitely not as bad as her mother portrays her to be. I kept on thinking how cute she is when she is in the palace interacting with the emperor and empress. CSS is unpolished but she is learning.

I wonder if there was a better way for CSS’s parents to get out of the engagement with LBY or possibly delay it. Maybe CSS’s mom could’ve said I am in the middle of teaching my daughter etiquette etc and she is still young, I didn’t want her to get married so young previously, but I saw how in love she was with LY that I relented. My daughter is still young and she just ended one engagement and had her hurt broken etc. That would’ve probably been better than her approach.

I like TMOPB too. It was the cdrama that got me to watch other cdramas again as an adult.