Yes the post credit scene is more match for yesterday than today
Yeah, but I think this whole bit is an intentional sort of storytelling on ZQY's part. maybe it works, maybe it doesnt...but not choppy editing by mistake I dont hink.
Is the extra scene with her new mark supposed to have occurred after their night fishing and we just weren't shown…
Yes, this fill-in-later tactic is distracting. We are supposed to be able to infer that something has happened -- love bite, gift of reforged blades, further martial arts tutoring - - fuss over it a bit and only get a flashback or confirmation an episode later. Is this a consequence of the 45-minute length ep structure?
I love a similiar but opposite technique in kdrama -- at the very end of an episode we hear a conversation with drastic imaginary consequences as a cliffhanger, only to find out with added footage of the same incident later in the next episode that OUR PERCEPTIONS WERE INCORRECT. But I take that as intellectual play.
This is different. Either it comes from short-form cdrama or from this new universe where everyone already has dis.cussed everything head of time, or people have spinoff universes they live in simultaneously with alternate endings, extra chapters, or as in games, other understandings and expectation of gifting which are powerful enough to carry expectations.
I think the latter is most likely. Games, like the hero-fantasy novels I have read for decades have simple clear structures which can carry expectations further than basic generic drama structures.
ep28 Utterly absolutely priceless. In Ning's tent, the look on Gongsun's face when he gets interrupted in his confession to QiShu (the Grand Princess) by the soldier with a message.
I saw earlier that some on this site objected to CY sending Ning back to Lin'An with Uncle Zhao, given that the Sui brothers are still rattling around somewhere in contested territory.
But after TT's face-reading of ChangNing, I understand that this is in accord with his instructions -- to keep ChangNing 'with her' means to keep her comfy at home, lowly for now; that will ensure that Ning will attain not just insanely high imperial status later, but also endure it when it comes.
Ep28 the scene of the burning of the bodies of soldiers who have fallen in the first conflict. Visually so powerful, and with the music, already so complex -- sad, dignified, showing loyalty and respect. Shown with huge billows of smoke, from above as a burning square...
And then, shown from behind, silhouetted, also from below coming out of the tent, and from the side -- CY and TT (Tutor Tao)! She articulates the human cost of war.
We expect her to fight by the side of ZX. She is being further trained by TT and ZX in her martial arts, we assume. But she sees rebuilding as a nearer and clearer call for her. Never simplistic, this director.
ep27 Gongsun quickly making fake blood so he can do the cdrama blood spit in front of the Grand Princess! Only on the second watch did I realize how cute it was on a meta level.
When I watch Gongsun sewing the princess' shoes I am reminded of the funny stories told in French (and probably US) families of their male members' time in enemy WWII prisons spent darning and learning to knit. Often used as comedy in movies of the period
It is reflection time -- a second couple to reflect/refract the main, once the worst of the angst is out of the way (maybe!)...
We had the operatic dark couple refraction of XZ by QiMin, a beautiful structure from cdrama costume, and now we go for the rom-com cdrama moderns' reflection of the 2CP, Gongsun Yin and Qi Shu, with that technically sophisticated balance of charm and humor, sweetness cut with utter goofiness.
Over and over again in this show from this director I feel as if generic self-referential moves come off not as ironic but weirdly joyous.
He doesnt come from a long-form background -- he has done movies and the sort of short-form dramas that are somewhere between chopped-up short series and long movies if you take out the credits.
I'm trying to figure out Xie Zheng real personality since they changed him a bit 🤔is his real personality the…
If we had met Xie Zheng before he was ambushed, then I assume he would have been cold, strategic, violent and a dork who has never been interested in marriage or women.
But this drama has us begin with Xie Zheng very ill and in hiding. So we see him calculating, and cold; suddenly catapulted into a warm household just when he really needs human contact, he is vulnerable to happiness. Quietly he finds a new self.
It is no mistake that when he feels desire he half-closes his eyes as if he is hiding inside of them. The shot of 1/4 of YZ' face when he asks her if she would like a taste of tangerine candy...just that one, still, half-closed eye.
But YZ doesnt know what to do with happiness or with the gift of being able to find a new self within his old personality. He cannot connect. He compartmentalizes his public life as the commander of the army and holds his new self as a homebody separately.
He thinks he can leave LinAn behind. He cant. He thinks that he can release himself and her from the bonds of their affection. He cant. Absurdly, when she shows up in his world on the mountain he sets up a limited version of his life with her in a private tent, and still keeps her separate from his 'real' life.
When he finally starts making sense and communicating clearly with CY, he stops looking hunted, guilty and secretive. He starts actually looking brave, handsome and forceful. In short not the tsundere guy he was before the ambush. Not the rawly happy invalid of Xigu Alley, but, rather quickly after all his internal struggles over it, an amalgam of the two.
CY wants to rebuild Lin'An; the Lin'An closest to the northwest border region and rebellious crown princes is close to the Bohai sea, but there is a much more famous Lin'An much further south which was the capital of the Southern Song.
My guess at an imaginary time period of 10thC puts the drama in later tang/messy kingdoms/northern Song, so the ref to the later dynasty could be a funny nod to the future of the fictional past.
I am really happy that Grand Tutor Tao agreed to adopt ChangYu at the Marquis' request (in order to protect her from bullying gossip). I think if ChangYu and JiuHeng follow through on their plan to rebuild and live in Lin'An then Tutor Tao would fit right into the family.
They are from the same kingdom. Prince Changxin is just a rebel prince. Yeah this has been hinted before, but…
The rebel prince Changxin is from the imperial family, but he either adopted Sui Yuan Hui or he was tricked and his own son was 'replaced' by QiMin -- the royal name of SYH. But QiMin/Sui Yuan Hui's dad by blood was the crown prince under the previous emperor. He is closer to the throne by that connexion.
1 
1 
more cool magic -- ChangYu's whistle (she made it for Ning, who gave it to Bao-er) somehow brought YanZheng/the Marquis to Bao-er's rescue.
I love a similiar but opposite technique in kdrama -- at the very end of an episode we hear a conversation with drastic imaginary consequences as a cliffhanger, only to find out with added footage of the same incident later in the next episode that OUR PERCEPTIONS WERE INCORRECT. But I take that as intellectual play.
This is different. Either it comes from short-form cdrama or from this new universe where everyone already has dis.cussed everything head of time, or people have spinoff universes they live in simultaneously with alternate endings, extra chapters, or as in games, other understandings and expectation of gifting which are powerful enough to carry expectations.
I think the latter is most likely. Games, like the hero-fantasy novels I have read for decades have simple clear structures which can carry expectations further than basic generic drama structures.
Utterly absolutely priceless.
In Ning's tent, the look on Gongsun's face when he gets interrupted in his confession to QiShu (the Grand Princess) by the soldier with a message.
I had to stop the show I was laughing so hard.
I saw earlier that some on this site objected to CY sending Ning back to Lin'An with Uncle Zhao, given that the Sui brothers are still rattling around somewhere in contested territory.
But after TT's face-reading of ChangNing, I understand that this is in accord with his instructions -- to keep ChangNing 'with her' means to keep her comfy at home, lowly for now; that will ensure that Ning will attain not just insanely high imperial status later, but also endure it when it comes.
the scene of the burning of the bodies of soldiers who have fallen in the first conflict.
Visually so powerful, and with the music, already so complex -- sad, dignified, showing loyalty and respect. Shown with huge billows of smoke, from above as a burning square...
And then, shown from behind, silhouetted, also from below coming out of the tent, and from the side -- CY and TT (Tutor Tao)! She articulates the human cost of war.
We expect her to fight by the side of ZX. She is being further trained by TT and ZX in her martial arts, we assume. But she sees rebuilding as a nearer and clearer call for her. Never simplistic, this director.
JiuHeng and ShanJun.
CY "This isnt some storybook. Sparrows dont turn into phoenixes."
Me, falling in love all over again with ChangYu!!!!!!!!!!
Gongsun quickly making fake blood so he can do the cdrama blood spit in front of the Grand Princess! Only on the second watch did I realize how cute it was on a meta level.
great open to the episode
plastic shoes!!!
the KNIFE!!!!!!!
It is reflection time -- a second couple to reflect/refract the main, once the worst of the angst is out of the way (maybe!)...
We had the operatic dark couple refraction of XZ by QiMin, a beautiful structure from cdrama costume, and now we go for the rom-com cdrama moderns' reflection of the 2CP, Gongsun Yin and Qi Shu, with that technically sophisticated balance of charm and humor, sweetness cut with utter goofiness.
Over and over again in this show from this director I feel as if generic self-referential moves come off not as ironic but weirdly joyous.
He doesnt come from a long-form background -- he has done movies and the sort of short-form dramas that are somewhere between chopped-up short series and long movies if you take out the credits.
But this drama has us begin with Xie Zheng very ill and in hiding. So we see him calculating, and cold; suddenly catapulted into a warm household just when he really needs human contact, he is vulnerable to happiness. Quietly he finds a new self.
It is no mistake that when he feels desire he half-closes his eyes as if he is hiding inside of them. The shot of 1/4 of YZ' face when he asks her if she would like a taste of tangerine candy...just that one, still, half-closed eye.
But YZ doesnt know what to do with happiness or with the gift of being able to find a new self within his old personality. He cannot connect. He compartmentalizes his public life as the commander of the army and holds his new self as a homebody separately.
He thinks he can leave LinAn behind. He cant. He thinks that he can release himself and her from the bonds of their affection. He cant. Absurdly, when she shows up in his world on the mountain he sets up a limited version of his life with her in a private tent, and still keeps her separate from his 'real' life.
When he finally starts making sense and communicating clearly with CY, he stops looking hunted, guilty and secretive. He starts actually looking brave, handsome and forceful. In short not the tsundere guy he was before the ambush. Not the rawly happy invalid of Xigu Alley, but, rather quickly after all his internal struggles over it, an amalgam of the two.
My guess at an imaginary time period of 10thC puts the drama in later tang/messy kingdoms/northern Song, so the ref to the later dynasty could be a funny nod to the future of the fictional past.
I think if ChangYu and JiuHeng follow through on their plan to rebuild and live in Lin'An then Tutor Tao would fit right into the family.
But QiMin/Sui Yuan Hui's dad by blood was the crown prince under the previous emperor. He is closer to the throne by that connexion.