GrnGrnTmt

Yes, I want Chu Qiao to get all her powers back. That's all I wish for her. That and that there be at least one super badass scene where she uses her super ice inner powers and annihilate a bunch of bad people. Gosh dang it drama, that's all I wish for!!!

I think I read some posts where Lin Gengxin was like hell no to Angelababy? I'd watch it if it were the same cast. If different cast, then no. The chemistry between the three main leads is what really makes this drama for me. Also, by the way, where the heck is Yuwen Yue? Lately he's in only like 3 minutes per episode. WTH!!

Ok, so I give up. I don't know what's happening with this drama and I've decided just to not care and just watch it. They're close to the end and they're still introducing new characters. WTH?? I feel myself getting a bit frustrated with the pacing of the story. Like, they keep wasting time on irrelevant things that don't necessarily tie in to the main story (i.e., Chu Qiao??). I do want to see more about her development, her back story, and her rise to greatness.

They spent the first 20 episodes on her getting out of being a slave (and her romance with YWY), which is forgivable because there was story development there (her learning her kungfu, trying to piece together her back story and the emperor's growing paranoia about a rebellion). Then they spent the last 20+ episodes on YX and him trying to get out of Chang'an. And so how are they going to spend the remaining episodes? Will there be an extension? Is there really going to be a season 2?

Based on the remaining clips from the trailers there are still some moments we haven't seen that can only happen after certain things: (i) that bathroom scene with YY and CQ where he basically undresses her - that can only happen if she's back in Chang'an and at YY's home; (ii) the kiss - can only happen if he somehow confesses to her and they are in the same city and location; (iii) him wearing a black mask and holding CQ who's passed out on the battlefield - which to me could happen after the frozen lake scene, the mask to hide the fact that he is still alive when everyone thinks he's dead or something?; and of course, (v) the frozen lake scene.

So, basically, I give up. I'm just going to stop reading all the speculation and just going to watch it thinking it will end when it ends. Otherwise, I think I'll just annoy myself to dislike this otherwise great drama.

I have to say, what a great turning point for Yuwen Yue. He finally stood up to his grandfather and the legacy of his father and basically said, no more. I'm grown now so don't tell me what to do, I can handle myself by myself. What a great moment for him! I feel like YY is the only one following any kind of a character arc. Both CQ and YX seem a bit extreme. Again, I think it might be a difference in acting ability and their individual ways of portraying things but I think this is great for YY!

HAHA!! I know right? It barely bled! and he's like rolling around in the dirt and hay.

Interesting thing I noticed yesterday watching one of the BTS that were subbed. It is of an earlier episode, like episode 11 where YWY and CQ go to the lantern festival together. That part where YWY buys CQ the rabbit lantern and she laughs and says its cute. The director told her that her saying, "It's cute" is supposed to have double meaning: CQ thinks both the rabbit and YWY's expression is cute. So she was supposed to convey that double meaning. I didn't get that double meaning at all when I watched that scene, even after I rewatched it. So I wonder how much of CQ's "intense hate" towards YWY is actually a misportrayal by Zhao Liying and how much of it is in the script. In the recent episodes I felt that CQ's "hate" towards YWY was a bit strong. I think ZLY is a good actress but I don't think she is amazing at portraying nuanced expressions or layers of complex emotions through her expressions. I think Lin Gengxin is a better actor at being able to portray nuances. So, to summarize, some of the extremes we see of CQ's actions and words towards YWY may be an acting fault by ZLY and not necessarily in the script.

krystalsoojungs By the way, I appreciate all the drama to novel comparisons you provide. Thanks! It's really insightful! And I think it was Wei Shuye's "cousin" that was killed by his father is the one with the vampire teeth.

Sey KompungCham Well hell, what SHOULD happen is Chu Qiao should seek out Mr. Wu and get her personal history sorted out!

Despite all these comments and youtube clips I've watched in obsession, I still can't figure out how they're going to end this drama! I don't know if it's a great thing or a terrible thing!

Omg, Krystalsoojungs Are you serious? Chun'er sides with Yan Xun after all that? And why does she need to become a prostitute? She's a Princess after all! I have a feeling her obsession with YX is very unhealthy and she probably blames CQ because she can't possibly blame the person she loved so deeply all her life. A bit psychotic if you ask me. So I guess it'll be Team YX/CR against Team YWY/CQ. I think it's easy to see that Team YWY/CQ will win. Heck, when YX pulled up with his whole army against YWY guarding that school, my first thoughts were, yeah, YWY can take 'em all.

Oy oy~ why did the ratings go down to 8.8?

I definitely agree that Chu Qiao probably didn't think that Yan Xun would be so cruel. I think it is going to be a severe rude awakening for her. For her, I think she is clear about herself and her beliefs about right and wrong. So she believed Yan Xun was wronged and should be made right again, back to Yan Bei and claim his throne. Yan Xun was thinking more like all of Chang'an will pay for the slaughter and blood will rain for centuries. Yuwen Yue, being the smarty he is, and having seen the world a whole lot more, knew that Yan Xun wasn't just going to go, that it was going to be bloodshed for a lot of innocent people. Chu Qiao just didn't believe him and had faith in Yan Xun's goodness. After all, the Yan Xun she knows has never been that cruel and he has never been cruel to her so I don't blame her for having faith in him. But now that she sees what is happening, I think that's when she will acknowledge that Yuwen Yue was right and she was wrong. That is the type of character development she needs to go through.

Chu Qiao has always been one who never has a clear picture of everything. This is symbolized by her amnesia and the fact that she does not know who she is and where she fits in. Her fatal flaw is her strong belief in people and her stubbornness to help people even to her detriment. Helping Yan Xun, she never had a clear picture of what the real life consequences of helping Yan xun rebel will be, how it will affect the innocent people of Chang'an, her friend Yuan Song or others. The development of Chu Qiao as a character who slowly starts to be able to have a clear picture of the world and herself is what I personally think is her role in this story.

As for Chun'er. I agree with all of you. I don't care how mean or nasty or annoying she was. Yan Xun could have just killed her. If he hated all of them so much and wanted to take vengeance then he should've just killed them all. To use rape as a tool of violence to degrade her, to kill her psychologically while keeping her body alive is a terrible terrible thing for which CQ should not redeem him for (although I have a feeling Yan Xun may try to get out of it by lying to her and saying those men disobeyed him and he never told them to do it). Rape is an unfortunate part of war. They showed that even before Chun'er. But what happened to Chun'er wasn't war, it was Yan Xun specifically ordering people to do that to her. That was just too cruel.

Yeah, WTF. She was annoying but she did not deserve that. With just that alone, Chu Qiao should leave him.

Just saw the previews for tomorrow. WTH Yan Xun. That's so f*ed up. Yeah, I think I can see Chu Qiao's belief in him crumbling down in a matter of an episode or two if this is his behavior. Even if he wanted revenge, he should've seen that Chun'er and Yuan Song were always there to help him. They didn't deserve that. Especially Chun'er.

Yeah, I have to agree with silvermcv, she doesn't even try. It's like a combination of being mad at him, wanting to help someone who she believes has been done a grave injustice and her pride that makes her act that way towards YWY, I think. I think that's why it's kind of telling in the preview when they are fighting, and YWY pushes her to the wall because the guards are coming, and she swings her knife at him, and he's like, you're still swinging at me, what are you thinking? Almost to say, we both know that neither of us want each other hurt so let's drop the act when we need to. But I do agree with everyone - enough already! Just kiss, make-out, do something! The sexual tension between them is clearly getting to out of control! lol! I think Yueqi would agree...

LOL~ Yuwen Yue: "Your name will poetically match mine, gosh dang it!"

Well, from what I could gather YWY was actually trying to stop CQ from helping YX. Basically saying that helping him now would lead to so many more innocent lives being lost, and how is that different than what happened to the Yanbei people 3 years ago. That she will regret it, and her saying she won't regret it. This is just from my super basic understanding of Chinese. But that's later. I definitely caught the bit when he had her pinned against the wall and they were both yelling names at each other basically. :)

What's funny is, if this were a Korean drama, there would be some back story of Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue as children. Where somehow YWY was accidentally injured by Chu Qiao's mom, Luo He's Nova Frost kung fu - which would explain why YWY has that cold illness that he suffers from - and Chu Qiao took care of him for a while, the two of them often casually falling asleep in each other's arms. Hence, why she feels so comfortable sleeping next to YWY. And then they find out this relationship later! LOL! That would be what happens in a k-drama. K-dramas can be quite cliched with way too many overly sweet OTP moments but I think this drama could use just a tiny tad bit more sweetness between our couple. :)

I watched Under the Hawthorne Tree on the plane couple months ago. And the funny thing is, I didn't know Yan Xun was played by the same actor, Shawn Dou, until I saw him smile in one of the first few episodes. And then I was like, wait a minute.... I've seen that fetching bright-eyed smile somewhere else... and it was the lead from Under the Hawthorne Tree. I liked that movie too. I read it was based on a true story, although apparently the tree is under water now due to the Three Gorges Project.

My thoughts exactly! Pining away over the weekend for a mere 30 seconds. I do think that was YWY's intention but YX stole her away. The good thing is CQ didn't look like she wanted to be stolen away. :) I caught the previews for tomorrow when YWY and CQ are fighting. I couldn't understand everything but when CQ stepped on YWY's foot, he was like you crazy woman! And she was like, you cheap man! Totally sounded like a lover's spat. LOL~