Kid BTS with both leads: https://weibo.com/7707587270/4880657149331598Shirt over head kissing practice scene lol:…
Glad to meet u here again so soon! 👋😄 Thanx for posting the weibo bts scenes! The LC/XN headlock was just kekeke, and the hidden shirt kiss was creative to say the least! LC & GX should follow this example whenever Xiaonan is around!
All caught up! Jumping into the comments since I can't restrain myself any longer!I've officially found my new…
Ep 1: love love LOVE everything about it so far - the lead couple visuals, the landscape visuals, the OST, the backstory.
Omg he's so big and sturdy, and she's frickin tiny and cute - even her phone looks too big for her hands in the convenience store!
Ep 4: highlight: Meng Xiao Shan & Hai Dong kissing in the middle of the street under his shirt (cos the "kids" are watching, aka Lu Chen & Gui Xiao) 🤣
Ep 5: that moment when they're holding hands under the car - really conveys the pure feeling of just liking someone sooo much ...
Meng Xiao Shan is the staunchest bestie guimi a girl could ever have! MXS and Qin Feng are truly our best power couple in this show, looking after everyone around them, providing support/shelter and generally just being there for them.
*Mini rant:* Lu Chen, you're a sweetie. But boy, WHY are you telling your feelings and memories to everyone - except the girl who means so much to you?!
Ep 7: lol at the SWAT team exchanging "bomb" gifts to keep each other on their toes (esp the cactus bomb ... talk about ways to show your affection to each other!)
And Xiaonan drawing floor plans of the FL's house for the ML ... the kid isn't a SWAT family member for nothing!
Ep 8: our 1st (almost) kiss in the car!! LC takes Xiaonan to his old date haunts (ie, the old spicy noodle shop), and LC/GX proceed to use XN as an excuse to flirt and confess to each other. What on earth would they do without XN?! (meanwhile, LC continues to confess his feelings and past heartbreak ... to his buddy, instead of to GX, grrr)
Xiaonan is a little star - he's a sharp little cookie, and I love the relationships he has with the adults in his life, everyone ends up taking him under their wing, lol - although he has an undeniable talent (?) for 🐓blocking/ interrupting kisses ...
Speaking of kisses ... the unbearable tension and sweetness between LC/GX has me hooked - but at the pace they're going, GLACIERS would melt faster than these two!!
Ep 11: conclusion: dating is even sweeter the 2nd time around 💕🍬🥠 The way he looks at her is just ... 🫠🫠
All caught up! Jumping into the comments since I can't restrain myself any longer! I've officially found my new FAVOURITE SHOW!!! (on the other hand, feeling bereft since I can't see my Morning Sunlight couple for another day & a half ...😿)
Much as I loved Jing Boran in "A League of Nobleman", I'm SOOO glad he chose this project, it perfectly showcases his strengths (and his HOTNESS🔥)!!! And ofc, Seven Tan is one of a kind! She always brings her unique and natural charm to every role, and she's so relatable!! Not to mention, the combo of broad shouldered big guy towering protectively over the tiny FL gets me every time!
As others have said, I saw some similarities with You Are My Hero & Go Ahead etc. Even the scrolling intro and the snowy white palette gives me Who Rules The World vibes. On a superficial level, it kind of feels like C's answer to "Descendants of the Sun" 😂 (though I personally found DotS to be enjoyable, but too formulaic and overhyped).
"The Road Home" weaves a slow, warm exploration of the relationships coming and going in our lives, and the undemonstrative but genuine connections between people from all walks of life, older and younger. Like the vast, majestic snowy landscapes, it gives us glimpses of the deep, enduring, turbulent, raw emotions flowing beneath the current of our daily lives, mundane conversations and social stereotypes. What they don't say speaks as loud as what they do.
I'm primarily here for the intense and unforgettable romance 💕 ofc. The way they look at each other makes it hard to breathe 🌡😅 But I also appreciate the way our leads treasure the relationships in their lives - they're always catching up with old acquaintances or welcoming new ones with open arms. People may see GX as "muddleheaded" or LC as "blunt and scary", but they're two of the warmest people I've seen in dramaland (and the most sensible)!
I know it's not gonna be all smooth sailing ahead, but I'm rooting so hard for this couple, and I know they have a truckload of supporters cheering for them as well - including a SWAT team and one very precocious little boy ...😉
The CP = MY reveal explains why, during the Siren case, MY couldn't call HZ directly into his dream (since he…
For a guy who wanted his race to come out on top, he sure caused a lot of trouble for his own people ... not sure if it was all worth it. Though he kept saying it was all to make the Qis "come to their senses" and see that his way was the best way ... pretty sure his friends didn't agree! Chilan straight-up told him to cut the crap 😆
If he was so confident in his rationale and that his friends would eventually back him up, then why spend a decade hiding from them when they were worried sick about whether he was even dead or alive?
As for a S2 ... I'm half-anticipation, half-trepidation 🫣 Wouldn't mind exploring more of the Qi-Qian worlds and relationships (and MORE HOWLING PLEASE!!), but if it's about MY, he's looking pretty irredeemable right now 😅
The CP = MY reveal explains why, during the Siren case, MY couldn't call HZ directly into his dream (since he…
Makes sense. That's what makes MY even more despicable to me, though!
Even at this point, he showed no interest in reaching out to reconcile with his friends (or reassure them), no interest in working with Qians, even though he's been in the best position to do so all these years. Yet he never thawed and let himself be eaten up with hatred and ambition.
He even fooled Chilan. Though he saved her when she was drugged and promised to shut down the Qi slaves/Vitality stone black market, he was effectively part of the operation!!
If he wanted to incite Qis/his friends to start a war, wouldn't it have been more effective, for example, to fake his death and frame it on the Qian royal family?
I would've liked to see MY the villain fleshed out a bit more, instead of spending so much time on the Painting Murders and Opera Murder, and particularly the Peony Murder (Kaka's mother). They all played their part in the story and in bringing our leads closer together, but with a twist as juicy as MY = CP!, it felt like they missed an opportunity to make the show more impactful!
The CP = MY reveal explains why, during the Siren case, MY couldn't call HZ directly into his dream (since he…
that's right he did, didn't he? but then why not give Jiu'er part of his vitality powder as well? or didn't he want to share that with the woman who 'stole' his buddy from him?
In the beginning when HZ chased MuYan he told Chilan that the person with the scarred mask has no scent. Quite…
Perhaps, and leading a double life like that and scheming against both sides would mess with anyone's brain. He wouldn't like or trust anyone after all that, and he certainly wouldn't like himself very much either.
But he showed no remorse or regret (except maybe towards CL). Applause to Chilan for telling him to cut the cr*p and not make excuses - it was about him wanting power. He didn't want justice for Qi peoples and didn't try to alleviate their suffering (quite the opposite - they were just a means to an end, like everyone else), he just wanted to destroy the Qians.
The CP = MY reveal explains why, during the Siren case, MY couldn't call HZ directly into his dream (since he was still hiding as CP) to show what was being done on the Qi Stone black market.
Instead, MY had JE imbibe the Qi ship passenger's Vitality powder to lure her in - the coward couldn't even be bothered to sacrifice a bit of his own Vitality powder, he hates Qians so much?! But in order to meet Jiu'er in the Siren ship dream, MY must ALSO have ingested the Qi man's powder?! YUCK. That's your clansman's essence, buddy. You're despicable, you know that?
By extension, does that mean he knew the evil Marquis had his buddy HZ locked up and was gouging out his Vitality Stone? And LET HIM?!! Or did he justify that in the name of cornering /inciting his friend into destroying the Qian peoples? Did CP/MY know his little bro WJ was about to be blown up in the cave, or was it more important to get rid of loose ends like the Marquis and Shopkeeper Li?
What about his bodyguard A Qi? I assumed he was a normal Qian person. Was he in cahoots with MY? Why? He killed the Marquis and Shopkeeper Li, and stood by as the CP pushed Inspector Jiu'er off the cliff ... did he act that way because he thought he was obeying the CP? A crazy manipulative CP who tortures and kills people at will?
I think it says a lot about MY that despite his 10 years living amidst the Qians, he never developed any close relationships (WJ doesn't really count, sorry. In fact, during the tombstone fight scene, I was hoping WJ would rush out to defend his friends, and that MY's sword would waver because he couldn't bring himself to hurt Jun'er ... yeah, IN MY DREAMS). But HZ found love and friendship (and a job!) within a few months of coming to Juxiao. It comes back to their individual choices, which came from their heart.
MY's ultimate goal was Qi supremacy at any cost. 10 years ago or now, he kept telling HZ to be the King of the Qis. But he'll only accept it on his terms - ie, the Qis must declare war on and subjugate the Qians. Doesn't matter if you poison your people and fabricate evidence in order to make that happen. MY - you're exactly one of those politicians who won't step up to lead or sacrifice themselves, but send their countrymen to fight and die for your personal agenda, while you sneak around making dirty deals and profits in the back room ... After waiting for 34 eps, I'm disappointed.
Chilan was an absolute badass yet compassionate woman who's in my Top 10 favourite female characters. Her only flaw? Girl's got bad taste in men. Well, he was her first love, so I guess we've gotta cut her some slack there!
In the beginning when HZ chased MuYan he told Chilan that the person with the scarred mask has no scent. Quite…
Good point re the masked man masking his scent.
I kind of assumed that acting as the CP would keep him busy attending court sessions, handling tricky courtiers and ministers, studying ancient philosophers, that kind of stuff! And he could get the vast Snow Chamber network to help him with things.
Instead, he, an anti-Qian, was going around eating Qian food, speaking/reading/writing their language, actively engaging in Qian routines and rituals, probably eavesdropping on all the palace and town gossip - must have been hard work, as he said. Yeah sure. No-one forced you to do it.
During those 10 years, he never got close to any Qian, which says a lot about his personality, when HZ made friends within a few months! (well maybe CP/MY was 'close' with little bro WJ, but not enough to rescue him from being blown up).
Still, he's a Qi with a long lifespan - wouldn't someone have noticed when the CP doesn't age AT ALL? 😅
yeah, if MY had to be the Big Bad who's been hiding for 34 eps, he might as well be a badass fighter!But even…
If he studied the real CP before killing him, then yikes!! So MY must have been planning something like this even when he left Qi to meet the head of Snow Chamber (ie, real WY)?! Maybe, as he said, his friends never really knew him ...
i might have missed it, but what happened to the real wen ying? he was the real leader of the snow chanting pavilion,…
Oh yeah that's right, thx for reminding me! 😊 The CPrincess's birthday would've been written on the tombstone too - HZ and CL were staring at it (although I wondered how they suddenly knew how to read Qian language, lol)
Ep 33: Awww, you say you can't speak well, HZ, but that thank-you speech came straight from the heart. He really has grown up during his time away from home. Although he lost some old Qi friends, he miraculously found romance and even bromance with some very special Qian people! Love when our Wen Jun gets clingy with HZ!
Ep 34: WJ "uses sincerity to judge people" - so true. WJ is our purehearted loyal puppy until the end.
Love the bromances in this show: HZ/WJ, CP/WJ, HZ/Keha, WJ and his trusty Eunuch Liu Fu, Uncle Hu & Chief Inspector Su.
They can see beyond their upbringing and background to empathise with & accept each other. Conversely, they can put aside their cultural differences to see that all of them have people/things that are important to them, and agree to protect them for each other's sakes.
HZ, JE, WJ and Chilan make a great team!! When they did their Qi-style promise grasping each other's wrists, it beautifully mirrored the oath shared by WJ, MY, Chilan and Keyuncha so long ago, and promised a new future for Qi-Qian relations. Aww, the 4 rabbits were there to bear testimony to their pact for the future too. But WJ's "everything will be fine" ... oh, Jun'er, Jun'er ...
Ep 35: This might be my overall FAVOURITE episode. WJ makes a great leader. His emotions get the better of him at times, but he's generous to a fault, and always thinks and acts for the people around him. HZ has grown up a lot too! They way he persuades JE not to go to the Queen's Tomb like she's doing him a favour, saying how it's for his own sake rather than about her, and the way she quickly reciprocates by telling him she's more than willing to give up everything and go back to Shuobei with him, regardless of his status. It's sweet how Wolfie and Bunny bring out the best in each other. And it got even better. What a smart backup plan!! They went off the rails for a while, but now they're back demonstrating the full range of their synchronicity and unmatched partnership!
*Our villain*: just to achieve Qi supremacy over the Qians, CP/MY would rather get rid of the Ember that would save his people, and kill his friends? How many times does MY have to make his friends lose him?! CP = MY: it explains his reaction when he first saw Chilan in the palace, his familiarity with Qi customs, Qi chess etc. But - how did CP/MY hide his Qi powers all these years?! How did HZ/CL not detect his scent? Didn't the Emperor/WJ realise Wen Ying had been replaced by an imposter Qi? If the CP/MY's Crown Princess = Chilan, then she was essentially an imaginary wife to CP/MY. Does that mean no-one in the palace ever saw the CP's wife??
The fight sequence was EPIC. The hidden swords everywhere were cool too.
Ep 36: RESPECT for Jiu'er's principles & sense of justice. Her dad stole the Ember for her, so she felt like she'd been living on borrowed time and had a duty to "return" it to the Qi peoples, even at the cost of her life and happiness (poor HZ). "In the course of your life over 200 years, I am but a passing moment. You have to remember to live well. You have to let me go" - this was truly a selfless and generous sacrifice, not just noble idiocy. But we know that this couple would do anything for each other. So HZ reciprocates Jiu'er's ultimate sacrifice with his own. They promised to be together, so he'll make sure they keep that promise. In life or death, he'll stay by her side. Liu Yuning's theme song perfectly encapsulated this 💕
*The wedding*: so funny that the Qi reps had noise cancelling earplugs in, so they couldn't eavesdrop on Qian conversations/to protect them from the noisy Qians! Was that a clause in the treaty? How is our CP WJ gonna handle Monarch Chilan who's never lost an argument?! (btw, love that she got "promoted" before he did!) Dunno about holding the wedding at your workplace, but they looked gorgeous anyways! And the feels when Jiu'er took HZ to woosh woosh ... talk about gender role reversals.
OST-wise, they really carried the drama on 2 songs, hahaha! 😅 But they suited the drama perfectly, and are going straight onto my playlist!
Wasn't totally convinced by the wrap-up: * so the "solution" to HZ's inconvenient longevity is ... just get rid of it?! * guess it was an original ending / plot twist as they go, but then why did it feel like they'd skipped a few steps somewhere? Even though they dropped hints (in hindsight), I was left kinda nonplussed by the Big Reveal and the way MY just disappeared ... AGAIN.
Maybe one of the best points of this drama was showing that the strongest ties - either love or friendship - don't just come from shared race, culture, gender, background or blood, but that these ties can transcend all of those, and that they can blossom in the most unexpected, unlikely and wonderful of places. It's all down to our individual choices, and whether we let that happen.
HZ found a new family in Junxiao, and found himself in the process. MY had also miraculously found a Qian family of his own, in his devoted little bro WJ - but chose to throw it all away for the sake of ... what?
Finally, I gotta say the COSTUMES & HATSWERE GORGEOUS.
Goodbye, my Wolfie 🐺❤🐰 Bunny couple, I will miss you!!
i might have missed it, but what happened to the real wen ying? he was the real leader of the snow chanting pavilion,…
Weird how no-one noticed WY got swapped, even the Emperor and WJ!
And no-one seems to have actually met the Crown Princess (who turned out to be Chilan, MY's imaginary ideal wife) - no-one in the palace thought that was suss?!
I have to say, I do like the fact that in the fight with Mu Yan at the tombstone (haven't seen the full last episode…
yeah, if MY had to be the Big Bad who's been hiding for 34 eps, he might as well be a badass fighter!
But even though he might've been their teacher, how did he keep/practice his powers while being CP? How did HZ/CL/Keha not detect any Qi scent from him?
And how did the Emperor/WJ not recognise that their son/brother had been swapped out by a total imposter?!
Same here! I would love to see a FL like her in another drama!
true that she lived a very isolated life before - I was amazed at her deep understanding of people in her investigations, when she'd supposedly lived such a sheltered life, lol.
yes, that elusive dratted pearl! much like the Sacred Ember in this show - more trouble than it's worth!
Same here! I would love to see a FL like her in another drama!
Thoroughly enjoyed IC - solid AND original!! the only hiccup was I found Chu Chu a bit too girly and naive for my taste.
Had high hopes for Miss T: plot + setting were right up my alley (+ the ML, heh). Liked the chemi betw the Fish face merman and Foxy Lady. She started off as a bold, fearless, smart young woman ... but then it degenerated into a cliche-ridden melodrama ...
Rating and review are up. This was def an interesting series. Thanks to the folks for chatting with me in the…
Same here! Had so much fun raving, ranting and head-scratching in the comments with you and everyone!! See you again in the martial arts world ... kidding, see you on the next show, who knows where! 😊
Same here! I would love to see a FL like her in another drama!
yes, I liked Maiden Holmes a lot too! The cases were well done, the hidden identity background was believable, the leads were both smart, and both had great chemistry on and off the job!
Plus I'm a sucker for the Twelfth Night type girl-cross-dressing-as-boy stories! Sebrina Chen has played those roles more than once.
I think it's a pretty solid, underrated show, considering how some other shows in the same genre went TOTALLY off the rails *cough* Miss Truth *cough*
Thanx for posting the weibo bts scenes!
The LC/XN headlock was just kekeke, and the hidden shirt kiss was creative to say the least! LC & GX should follow this example whenever Xiaonan is around!
Omg he's so big and sturdy, and she's frickin tiny and cute - even her phone looks too big for her hands in the convenience store!
Ep 4: highlight: Meng Xiao Shan & Hai Dong kissing in the middle of the street under his shirt (cos the "kids" are watching, aka Lu Chen & Gui Xiao) 🤣
Ep 5: that moment when they're holding hands under the car - really conveys the pure feeling of just liking someone sooo much ...
Meng Xiao Shan is the staunchest bestie guimi a girl could ever have! MXS and Qin Feng are truly our best power couple in this show, looking after everyone around them, providing support/shelter and generally just being there for them.
*Mini rant:* Lu Chen, you're a sweetie. But boy, WHY are you telling your feelings and memories to everyone - except the girl who means so much to you?!
Ep 7: lol at the SWAT team exchanging "bomb" gifts to keep each other on their toes (esp the cactus bomb ... talk about ways to show your affection to each other!)
And Xiaonan drawing floor plans of the FL's house for the ML ... the kid isn't a SWAT family member for nothing!
Ep 8: our 1st (almost) kiss in the car!! LC takes Xiaonan to his old date haunts (ie, the old spicy noodle shop), and LC/GX proceed to use XN as an excuse to flirt and confess to each other. What on earth would they do without XN?!
(meanwhile, LC continues to confess his feelings and past heartbreak ... to his buddy, instead of to GX, grrr)
Xiaonan is a little star - he's a sharp little cookie, and I love the relationships he has with the adults in his life, everyone ends up taking him under their wing, lol - although he has an undeniable talent (?) for 🐓blocking/ interrupting kisses ...
Speaking of kisses ... the unbearable tension and sweetness between LC/GX has me hooked - but at the pace they're going, GLACIERS would melt faster than these two!!
Ep 11: conclusion: dating is even sweeter the 2nd time around 💕🍬🥠 The way he looks at her is just ... 🫠🫠
I've officially found my new FAVOURITE SHOW!!! (on the other hand, feeling bereft since I can't see my Morning Sunlight couple for another day & a half ...😿)
Much as I loved Jing Boran in "A League of Nobleman", I'm SOOO glad he chose this project, it perfectly showcases his strengths (and his HOTNESS🔥)!!! And ofc, Seven Tan is one of a kind! She always brings her unique and natural charm to every role, and she's so relatable!!
Not to mention, the combo of broad shouldered big guy towering protectively over the tiny FL gets me every time!
As others have said, I saw some similarities with You Are My Hero & Go Ahead etc. Even the scrolling intro and the snowy white palette gives me Who Rules The World vibes. On a superficial level, it kind of feels like C's answer to "Descendants of the Sun" 😂 (though I personally found DotS to be enjoyable, but too formulaic and overhyped).
"The Road Home" weaves a slow, warm exploration of the relationships coming and going in our lives, and the undemonstrative but genuine connections between people from all walks of life, older and younger. Like the vast, majestic snowy landscapes, it gives us glimpses of the deep, enduring, turbulent, raw emotions flowing beneath the current of our daily lives, mundane conversations and social stereotypes. What they don't say speaks as loud as what they do.
I'm primarily here for the intense and unforgettable romance 💕 ofc. The way they look at each other makes it hard to breathe 🌡😅
But I also appreciate the way our leads treasure the relationships in their lives - they're always catching up with old acquaintances or welcoming new ones with open arms. People may see GX as "muddleheaded" or LC as "blunt and scary", but they're two of the warmest people I've seen in dramaland (and the most sensible)!
I know it's not gonna be all smooth sailing ahead, but I'm rooting so hard for this couple, and I know they have a truckload of supporters cheering for them as well - including a SWAT team and one very precocious little boy ...😉
Quick comments up to Ep 11: +
Chilan straight-up told him to cut the crap 😆
If he was so confident in his rationale and that his friends would eventually back him up, then why spend a decade hiding from them when they were worried sick about whether he was even dead or alive?
As for a S2 ... I'm half-anticipation, half-trepidation 🫣
Wouldn't mind exploring more of the Qi-Qian worlds and relationships (and MORE HOWLING PLEASE!!), but if it's about MY, he's looking pretty irredeemable right now 😅
Even at this point, he showed no interest in reaching out to reconcile with his friends (or reassure them), no interest in working with Qians, even though he's been in the best position to do so all these years. Yet he never thawed and let himself be eaten up with hatred and ambition.
He even fooled Chilan. Though he saved her when she was drugged and promised to shut down the Qi slaves/Vitality stone black market, he was effectively part of the operation!!
If he wanted to incite Qis/his friends to start a war, wouldn't it have been more effective, for example, to fake his death and frame it on the Qian royal family?
I would've liked to see MY the villain fleshed out a bit more, instead of spending so much time on the Painting Murders and Opera Murder, and particularly the Peony Murder (Kaka's mother). They all played their part in the story and in bringing our leads closer together, but with a twist as juicy as MY = CP!, it felt like they missed an opportunity to make the show more impactful!
but then why not give Jiu'er part of his vitality powder as well? or didn't he want to share that with the woman who 'stole' his buddy from him?
But he showed no remorse or regret (except maybe towards CL). Applause to Chilan for telling him to cut the cr*p and not make excuses - it was about him wanting power. He didn't want justice for Qi peoples and didn't try to alleviate their suffering (quite the opposite - they were just a means to an end, like everyone else), he just wanted to destroy the Qians.
Instead, MY had JE imbibe the Qi ship passenger's Vitality powder to lure her in - the coward couldn't even be bothered to sacrifice a bit of his own Vitality powder, he hates Qians so much?! But in order to meet Jiu'er in the Siren ship dream, MY must ALSO have ingested the Qi man's powder?! YUCK. That's your clansman's essence, buddy. You're despicable, you know that?
By extension, does that mean he knew the evil Marquis had his buddy HZ locked up and was gouging out his Vitality Stone? And LET HIM?!! Or did he justify that in the name of cornering /inciting his friend into destroying the Qian peoples?
Did CP/MY know his little bro WJ was about to be blown up in the cave, or was it more important to get rid of loose ends like the Marquis and Shopkeeper Li?
What about his bodyguard A Qi? I assumed he was a normal Qian person. Was he in cahoots with MY? Why? He killed the Marquis and Shopkeeper Li, and stood by as the CP pushed Inspector Jiu'er off the cliff ... did he act that way because he thought he was obeying the CP? A crazy manipulative CP who tortures and kills people at will?
I think it says a lot about MY that despite his 10 years living amidst the Qians, he never developed any close relationships (WJ doesn't really count, sorry. In fact, during the tombstone fight scene, I was hoping WJ would rush out to defend his friends, and that MY's sword would waver because he couldn't bring himself to hurt Jun'er ... yeah, IN MY DREAMS). But HZ found love and friendship (and a job!) within a few months of coming to Juxiao. It comes back to their individual choices, which came from their heart.
MY's ultimate goal was Qi supremacy at any cost. 10 years ago or now, he kept telling HZ to be the King of the Qis. But he'll only accept it on his terms - ie, the Qis must declare war on and subjugate the Qians. Doesn't matter if you poison your people and fabricate evidence in order to make that happen.
MY - you're exactly one of those politicians who won't step up to lead or sacrifice themselves, but send their countrymen to fight and die for your personal agenda, while you sneak around making dirty deals and profits in the back room ...
After waiting for 34 eps, I'm disappointed.
Chilan was an absolute badass yet compassionate woman who's in my Top 10 favourite female characters. Her only flaw? Girl's got bad taste in men. Well, he was her first love, so I guess we've gotta cut her some slack there!
I kind of assumed that acting as the CP would keep him busy attending court sessions, handling tricky courtiers and ministers, studying ancient philosophers, that kind of stuff! And he could get the vast Snow Chamber network to help him with things.
Instead, he, an anti-Qian, was going around eating Qian food, speaking/reading/writing their language, actively engaging in Qian routines and rituals, probably eavesdropping on all the palace and town gossip - must have been hard work, as he said. Yeah sure. No-one forced you to do it.
During those 10 years, he never got close to any Qian, which says a lot about his personality, when HZ made friends within a few months! (well maybe CP/MY was 'close' with little bro WJ, but not enough to rescue him from being blown up).
Still, he's a Qi with a long lifespan - wouldn't someone have noticed when the CP doesn't age AT ALL? 😅
Maybe, as he said, his friends never really knew him ...
The CPrincess's birthday would've been written on the tombstone too - HZ and CL were staring at it (although I wondered how they suddenly knew how to read Qian language, lol)
Ep 33:
Awww, you say you can't speak well, HZ, but that thank-you speech came straight from the heart. He really has grown up during his time away from home. Although he lost some old Qi friends, he miraculously found romance and even bromance with some very special Qian people! Love when our Wen Jun gets clingy with HZ!
Ep 34:
WJ "uses sincerity to judge people" - so true. WJ is our purehearted loyal puppy until the end.
Love the bromances in this show: HZ/WJ, CP/WJ, HZ/Keha, WJ and his trusty Eunuch Liu Fu, Uncle Hu & Chief Inspector Su.
They can see beyond their upbringing and background to empathise with & accept each other. Conversely, they can put aside their cultural differences to see that all of them have people/things that are important to them, and agree to protect them for each other's sakes.
HZ, JE, WJ and Chilan make a great team!! When they did their Qi-style promise grasping each other's wrists, it beautifully mirrored the oath shared by WJ, MY, Chilan and Keyuncha so long ago, and promised a new future for Qi-Qian relations. Aww, the 4 rabbits were there to bear testimony to their pact for the future too.
But WJ's "everything will be fine" ... oh, Jun'er, Jun'er ...
Ep 35:
This might be my overall FAVOURITE episode.
WJ makes a great leader. His emotions get the better of him at times, but he's generous to a fault, and always thinks and acts for the people around him.
HZ has grown up a lot too! They way he persuades JE not to go to the Queen's Tomb like she's doing him a favour, saying how it's for his own sake rather than about her, and the way she quickly reciprocates by telling him she's more than willing to give up everything and go back to Shuobei with him, regardless of his status.
It's sweet how Wolfie and Bunny bring out the best in each other. And it got even better. What a smart backup plan!! They went off the rails for a while, but now they're back demonstrating the full range of their synchronicity and unmatched partnership!
*Our villain*: just to achieve Qi supremacy over the Qians, CP/MY would rather get rid of the Ember that would save his people, and kill his friends? How many times does MY have to make his friends lose him?!
CP = MY: it explains his reaction when he first saw Chilan in the palace, his familiarity with Qi customs, Qi chess etc.
But - how did CP/MY hide his Qi powers all these years?! How did HZ/CL not detect his scent? Didn't the Emperor/WJ realise Wen Ying had been replaced by an imposter Qi?
If the CP/MY's Crown Princess = Chilan, then she was essentially an imaginary wife to CP/MY. Does that mean no-one in the palace ever saw the CP's wife??
The fight sequence was EPIC. The hidden swords everywhere were cool too.
Ep 36:
RESPECT for Jiu'er's principles & sense of justice. Her dad stole the Ember for her, so she felt like she'd been living on borrowed time and had a duty to "return" it to the Qi peoples, even at the cost of her life and happiness (poor HZ). "In the course of your life over 200 years, I am but a passing moment. You have to remember to live well. You have to let me go" - this was truly a selfless and generous sacrifice, not just noble idiocy.
But we know that this couple would do anything for each other. So HZ reciprocates Jiu'er's ultimate sacrifice with his own. They promised to be together, so he'll make sure they keep that promise. In life or death, he'll stay by her side. Liu Yuning's theme song perfectly encapsulated this 💕
*The wedding*: so funny that the Qi reps had noise cancelling earplugs in, so they couldn't eavesdrop on Qian conversations/to protect them from the noisy Qians! Was that a clause in the treaty?
How is our CP WJ gonna handle Monarch Chilan who's never lost an argument?! (btw, love that she got "promoted" before he did!)
Dunno about holding the wedding at your workplace, but they looked gorgeous anyways!
And the feels when Jiu'er took HZ to woosh woosh ... talk about gender role reversals.
OST-wise, they really carried the drama on 2 songs, hahaha! 😅 But they suited the drama perfectly, and are going straight onto my playlist!
Wasn't totally convinced by the wrap-up:
* so the "solution" to HZ's inconvenient longevity is ... just get rid of it?!
* guess it was an original ending / plot twist as they go, but then why did it feel like they'd skipped a few steps somewhere? Even though they dropped hints (in hindsight), I was left kinda nonplussed by the Big Reveal and the way MY just disappeared ... AGAIN.
Maybe one of the best points of this drama was showing that the strongest ties - either love or friendship - don't just come from shared race, culture, gender, background or blood, but that these ties can transcend all of those, and that they can blossom in the most unexpected, unlikely and wonderful of places.
It's all down to our individual choices, and whether we let that happen.
HZ found a new family in Junxiao, and found himself in the process.
MY had also miraculously found a Qian family of his own, in his devoted little bro WJ - but chose to throw it all away for the sake of ... what?
Finally, I gotta say the COSTUMES & HATSWERE GORGEOUS.
Goodbye, my Wolfie 🐺❤🐰 Bunny couple, I will miss you!!
And no-one seems to have actually met the Crown Princess (who turned out to be Chilan, MY's imaginary ideal wife) - no-one in the palace thought that was suss?!
But even though he might've been their teacher, how did he keep/practice his powers while being CP? How did HZ/CL/Keha not detect any Qi scent from him?
And how did the Emperor/WJ not recognise that their son/brother had been swapped out by a total imposter?!
yes, that elusive dratted pearl! much like the Sacred Ember in this show - more trouble than it's worth!
Had high hopes for Miss T: plot + setting were right up my alley (+ the ML, heh). Liked the chemi betw the Fish face merman and Foxy Lady. She started off as a bold, fearless, smart young woman ... but then it degenerated into a cliche-ridden melodrama ...
See you again in the martial arts world ... kidding, see you on the next show, who knows where! 😊
Plus I'm a sucker for the Twelfth Night type girl-cross-dressing-as-boy stories! Sebrina Chen has played those roles more than once.
I think it's a pretty solid, underrated show, considering how some other shows in the same genre went TOTALLY off the rails *cough* Miss Truth *cough*