Good quotes. There’s more going on in Tong Hua’s second post than just Jing, Hou, and Yi Ying. She references…
Ashes of Time Redux is the only version available currently on rental streaming sites. Not so sure about other HK movies, but Wong Kar Wai’s other films can be found there as well. I’ve always loved his films but just assumed Ashes of Time wasn’t available. I was struck by Tong Hua’s comments about the film and its connection to LYF. Definitely worth a watch.
Good quotes. There’s more going on in Tong Hua’s second post than just Jing, Hou, and Yi Ying. She references…
Glad it sparked your interest in the film. It’s known for its inscrutable plot and stunning visuals. It’s swimming in LYF parallels. Curious to hear your take on it. You’ll definitely recognize the Ouyang Feng/sister-in-law dynamic as well as others. Their story is essentially about two people who should have been together, but pride and fate kept them apart. That’s the undercurrent I felt in Tong Hua’s comments – not just Jing/Hou/Yi Ying’s overt drama, but Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu’s under-the-radar, more devastating version. If you do watch, take note of your favorite lines to share.
Many thanks to Lidi for the beautiful and faithful translation — deeply appreciated.Note : One more point of…
Good quotes. There’s more going on in Tong Hua’s second post than just Jing, Hou, and Yi Ying. She references the relationship between Ouyang Feng and his sister-in-law from Wong Kar Wai’s Ashes of Time as the basis of an emotional undercurrent in LYF. “The world kept them apart, but they could not forget each other even if they tried.”
If you know your wuxia, you’ll recognize Ouyang Feng – the Western Venom, master of poison and snakes, and one of the genre’s classic villains. More loosely based, the film rewrites their story as true lovers who never stopped longing for each other. So what went wrong?
He says: “I thought my love would wait for me. But when I returned home, I discovered she married my brother.” “As an orphan, I had to fend for myself. I learned the best way to avoid rejection is to reject others first.” “I was born under the influence of a total eclipse. Love was destined to be out of reach.”
She says: “He never told me how much he wanted me.
A friend chimes in: “Some things don’t need to be said.”
But she answers: “But it’s what I needed to hear. He was too proud to say it.” “On my wedding night, he asked me to leave with him. But I refused. Why did he want me only when he couldn’t have me? If that’s the way he was going to be… I decided I would never let him have me.”
Later, she reflects: “I used to think some words were so important. Once spoken they’d last for a lifetime. But looking back, I realized it makes no difference. Everything changes… I always thought I was the winner until one day I looked in the mirror and saw the face of a loser. During the best years of my life… the person I love was not by my side.”
Eventually wanting him to forget her, she sends him a jar of magical wine – it can erase your past memories. It works on his friend (who blithely goes off to become the master of Peach Blossom Island). He refuses it. Only when he learns of her death does he drink. But it doesn’t work.
“The more you try to forget, the better you’ll remember.” “People say when you can’t love what you want, the best you can do is not to forget.”
With his home set ablaze and burning behind him, he heads to Baituo Mountain. The story ends where the legend begins.
The snake that kept her company could have been XL? 🤯 I had never thought of that
The snake demon was likely female since she laid eggs that XY stole and ate. S1 shows XL can transform into female form (like during the boat ride with XY/WXL), but XL is definitely male. Not that I have actual proof…
I agree. Though, I also think that he may have felt that there was no place for him in the world. That he had…
XL is definitely a complex character. He had such a difficult start in life (alone since birth, locked and abused in a cage, forced to fight in the slave arena), yet he came out of it with such a purity of heart and selfless spirit that it’s almost too much to bear (for him and the audience). However, XL perseveres because he’s able to maintain a sliver of hope even in his darkest hour.
We get a peek into XL’s life philosophy in S1 ep 34. XL as FFB takes XY to the slave fighting arena where Left Ear is posed to fight his final match to freedom after 40 years.
XY: Winning consecutively for 40 years, how did he do it?
XL/FFB: Just like what you did in the Nine-Tailed Fox cage. Following your heart, with endless patience, and waiting a long time, as well as never giving up that faint hope.
While I was prepared by reading the novel in advance, I hoped the drama ending would be different somehow. After all, film is a different medium, and other big and small changes were made. The first question I had immediately after finishing the novel was why the author named XL’s character, Nine Lives Xiang Liu or Nine Lives, given the way it ended.
Back to the drama: For six days and nights, XL fights valiantly disguised as his foster father HJ, protecting his comrades to the bitter end. He’s the last standing soldier with all of his remaining lives still intact (six lives based on the drama’s unsubtle display of dragon heads). The battle is essentially over, and his duty is done. He needn’t surrender or compromise; he can just leave and escape. (Both the novel and drama depicts XL with powers that would enable him to do so.) Instead, he seemingly sacrifices six lives in one go as an open target for a shower of arrows, which is downright wasteful and a poor use of the number of lives. (XL is smarter than that.) This isn’t to say the last stand scene isn’t dramatically glorious and moving, but a final death here doesn’t serve the story narrative. XL was fighting due to his loyalty to the resistance army members, his foster father and comrades, and not for the cause itself unlike the others. The actions XL took prior to the battle only show he anticipated dying in the final battle as a possible, even likely, outcome. But there’s a difference between accepting the possibility of death vs. actively seeking death. XL once said to XY, “As long as there are such sights in this world, life is precious.” With his mission complete, he’s finally free to live for himself. In short, Nine Lives Xiang Liu must live on. The name alone demands it.
Regardless of the ending or S2’s shortcomings (in comparison to S1), I don’t think I’ve ever been so transfixed by a fictional character. For me, the novel and drama are both indispensable as an amalgamation in providing the best version of the story. I’m keeping my fingers crossed permanently for a continuing novel from Tong Hua and the return of Nine Lives Xiang Liu.
Omigosh, is Chubby trying to resurrect XL by reconstructing the Seashell in the ocean? We last saw the shell in the lake at Jade Mountain when XL killed the lovers bugs with XY, but it was destroyed as XL left. From the novel, we know that Jade Mountain is a mystical, magical place where XY spent several decades in her childhood that led to her blood's healing regenerative powers. The same lake in the drama where the Queen Mother restored XY's true form via a lotus rebirth scene. Thanks to @joas for posting the link of Mao Qui's weibo below. Just as we're trying to move on, they reel us back in.
The last few episodes of S2 did include some resurrection possibilities for consideration. The drama has another lotus used by XL in the wrenching blood-letting scene (lotus = rebirth, changed from an urn in the novel). It was seemingly used for XY (rather than Jing in the novel), but XL had used 2 lives in killing the lovers bugs (only one used in the novel). XY was also the recipient of XL's essence blood through 37 years under the sea. The drama also utilizes the pearl tear to great effect in a few key scenes. In the last scene with XL, the pearl tear brings XY to XL at his last moments as she is his only wish. Perhaps the teardrop is to ensure a resurrected XL would see and recognize XY later or in another life.
Does anyone know if the translation is complete and fully correct when XL said to the doll, "You must sleep soundly and have sweet dreams every night. Otherwise..." It looked as if he was about to say more. Sigh, another "If only I had known this..." moment. Finish your sentences, XL!
As someone who read the novel (right before S2 started), the book version of XL can be opaque and inscrutable in some places, so watching the drama and Tan Jian Ci's uniquely layered performance helps to fill in the gaps and provides great insight into XL's emotional journey.
Today's scene with XY catching XL in disguise as he was leaving the underground casino was all too brief but enjoyable. He was sporting dark hair, though not as FFB, but the banter was pure FFB roguish charm triggering XY's huffiness after her initial delight in spotting him. The way she held onto his arm as they were talking was adorable. Loved the way XL reminds the teary-eyed audience at this stage that he is Nine Lives Xiang Lu.
If you know your wuxia, you’ll recognize Ouyang Feng – the Western Venom, master of poison and snakes, and one of the genre’s classic villains. More loosely based, the film rewrites their story as true lovers who never stopped longing for each other. So what went wrong?
He says:
“I thought my love would wait for me. But when I returned home, I discovered she married my brother.”
“As an orphan, I had to fend for myself. I learned the best way to avoid rejection is to reject others first.”
“I was born under the influence of a total eclipse. Love was destined to be out of reach.”
She says:
“He never told me how much he wanted me.
A friend chimes in:
“Some things don’t need to be said.”
But she answers:
“But it’s what I needed to hear. He was too proud to say it.”
“On my wedding night, he asked me to leave with him. But I refused. Why did he want me only when he couldn’t have me? If that’s the way he was going to be… I decided I would never let him have me.”
Later, she reflects:
“I used to think some words were so important. Once spoken they’d last for a lifetime. But looking back, I realized it makes no difference. Everything changes… I always thought I was the winner until one day I looked in the mirror and saw the face of a loser. During the best years of my life… the person I love was not by my side.”
Eventually wanting him to forget her, she sends him a jar of magical wine – it can erase your past memories. It works on his friend (who blithely goes off to become the master of Peach Blossom Island). He refuses it. Only when he learns of her death does he drink. But it doesn’t work.
“The more you try to forget, the better you’ll remember.”
“People say when you can’t love what you want, the best you can do is not to forget.”
With his home set ablaze and burning behind him, he heads to Baituo Mountain. The story ends where the legend begins.
We get a peek into XL’s life philosophy in S1 ep 34. XL as FFB takes XY to the slave fighting arena where Left Ear is posed to fight his final match to freedom after 40 years.
XY: Winning consecutively for 40 years, how did he do it?
XL/FFB: Just like what you did in the Nine-Tailed Fox cage.
Following your heart, with endless patience, and waiting a long time, as well as never giving up that faint hope.
XY: What are you talking about?
XL/FFB: What do you think I’m talking about?
Back to the drama: For six days and nights, XL fights valiantly disguised as his foster father HJ, protecting his comrades to the bitter end. He’s the last standing soldier with all of his remaining lives still intact (six lives based on the drama’s unsubtle display of dragon heads). The battle is essentially over, and his duty is done. He needn’t surrender or compromise; he can just leave and escape. (Both the novel and drama depicts XL with powers that would enable him to do so.) Instead, he seemingly sacrifices six lives in one go as an open target for a shower of arrows, which is downright wasteful and a poor use of the number of lives. (XL is smarter than that.) This isn’t to say the last stand scene isn’t dramatically glorious and moving, but a final death here doesn’t serve the story narrative. XL was fighting due to his loyalty to the resistance army members, his foster father and comrades, and not for the cause itself unlike the others. The actions XL took prior to the battle only show he anticipated dying in the final battle as a possible, even likely, outcome. But there’s a difference between accepting the possibility of death vs. actively seeking death. XL once said to XY, “As long as there are such sights in this world, life is precious.” With his mission complete, he’s finally free to live for himself. In short, Nine Lives Xiang Liu must live on. The name alone demands it.
Regardless of the ending or S2’s shortcomings (in comparison to S1), I don’t think I’ve ever been so transfixed by a fictional character. For me, the novel and drama are both indispensable as an amalgamation in providing the best version of the story. I’m keeping my fingers crossed permanently for a continuing novel from Tong Hua and the return of Nine Lives Xiang Liu.
The last few episodes of S2 did include some resurrection possibilities for consideration. The drama has another lotus used by XL in the wrenching blood-letting scene (lotus = rebirth, changed from an urn in the novel). It was seemingly used for XY (rather than Jing in the novel), but XL had used 2 lives in killing the lovers bugs (only one used in the novel). XY was also the recipient of XL's essence blood through 37 years under the sea. The drama also utilizes the pearl tear to great effect in a few key scenes. In the last scene with XL, the pearl tear brings XY to XL at his last moments as she is his only wish. Perhaps the teardrop is to ensure a resurrected XL would see and recognize XY later or in another life.
As someone who read the novel (right before S2 started), the book version of XL can be opaque and inscrutable in some places, so watching the drama and Tan Jian Ci's uniquely layered performance helps to fill in the gaps and provides great insight into XL's emotional journey.