5/10 - I'm feeling a bit restless due to this series predictability.

The battle plans and war were fun. I enjoy seeing Ye Hua setup his plans and execute them! It was all pretty excited. Especially hilarious surrounding the Mermaid King's First Son. Maybe I shouldn't say that about someone being beheaded. I just enjoyed it. Chang Sea's second Princess is super lucky.

There is an aspect that this episode is clearly bringing to the front that I greatly dislike. So far Eternal Love has been super predictable. Tapping into every trope imaginable and just going with it. It doesn't help that the writer is so heavy handed with foreshadowing. Bai Qian talked about getting pregnant last episode. So guess what? Yep, preggos! So now that Ye Hua has to send her back to the mortal realm to keep Bai Qian and his unborn child safe it comes up that she has to stay in the barrier around their house. Or else Ye Hua's "family" AKA Heavenly Father will since her. Yeah. That's gonna happen. Probably next episode. PREDICTION: I bet that stupid mirror "accidentally" turns on and Bai Qian hears Ye Hua getting injured. So what does she do to "help" him. Runs out past the barrier in a panic.

You know how all of this could be avoided? By Ye Hua telling Bai Qian what is happening. Then she could truly know why she needs to stay behind the barrier. Truth doesn't only set you free, it keeps you protected! Speaking of freedom Ye Hua needed Bai Qian in his life to realize that he wanted his freedom from being Crown Prince. It's kind of sweet.

Can I just say how much I love the Third Prince of Heavenly Father's for helping out Ye Hua. It's so sweet. He truly tries to help his family as best he can.

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ep 18 spoilers ahead

1.I thing they try a little too hard with the soldier scene. They are clearly trying to make YH/celestial tribe the saviors because the current emperor is unable to address the issue with the mermaid king. However, from the mermaid king's perspective, he's been by himself trying to deal with the mermaid clan. The celestial court is far away, they deal with other matters. I think he has been trying to avoid blood shed because they can't handle it militarily, and even if the celestial court helped, whose to say that his entire clan wouldn't be wiped out? that's all nice and romantic but you don't want to be responsible for the genocide of your clan.

2.We learn Su Su is pregnant! (why else should she be throwing up) Another secret on the long list of secrets they have been keeping. YH's life just got a little more complicated but at this point whose keeping count? His pregnant mortal wife, disguised as a boy, on the eve of battle? Now he has to send her away.

3.Li Yuan and his sister are given an audience with the mermaid king (love the make up; the king kind of looks like the guy in the bell) and are thoroughly humiliated. He essentially says that he isn't going to help a weakling and Li yuan leaves in a huff. Then he sends his son in his place to the meeting with the sea king.

4.The son turns out to be not only rude and disrespectful, but a bit of a lecher. The sea king is so desperate to please the mermaid clan that he is even welling to sell his daughter to them (poor girl), Ye Hua uses this as an opportunity to trigger war. He puts enough pressure on the sea king so that he must execute the son for his actions. He does so and sends his heads back to his father (this is the mermaid kings fave kid btw. harsh). The mermaid clan strikes me as a very proud, warrior kind of clan however their disregard for weakness (essentially weak people are nothing) has led to them consistently disregard the sea king. In addition to this, they are marginalized with little power these days. But they are powerful in terms of skill. A dangerous enemy. They are the kinds of people who fight to the last man, so it isn't shocking if Ye Hua plans to wipe them out (still harsh)

5.After getting his sons head back the mermaid king swears he will not stand under the same sky as YH. Just as he wanted, war is on. YH takes Su Su home after she does his hair. They spend some time together before he returns (he also casts the protective barrier around her home)

6.YH reports to the emperor the status of his mission. 3rd prince again asks if he is ready to give up throne and family and YH is firm. YH (wrongly) assumes that he can use this war to repay the emperor. The emperor from what I know is not the type to let matters rest. He's still looking for Mo Yuan who is dead. why wouldn't he be looking and confirming himself YH is dead? This plan is pretty bad in my eyes. But makes for fun story telling. It's the kind of thing that only comes up in a drama.

-on a side note, I noticed that in dramas for female villains they tend to give them 'sharp angles' Xuan Nu has a sharp face (angular) and Si Jun's outfit has pointy shoulders. It is as if they are removing softness from them. I bet this is deliberate. There's no way they don't try to implicate them visually to the viewer. Bc this show is to carefully planned out. I wonder how often they reshoot things?

7.YH visits his mom (in his eyes this is the last time he is seeing her, in his mind). It is a sentimental conversation.

8.Si Jun shows up--in armor--to fight. This is strange. Because she has zero military experience. She is lectured by 3rd prince who makes it clear that she is embarrassing them by putting on a show. He is also reminds her that she can't be with him and urges her to abandon her feelings. She is presumptuous and tells him who knows what could happen (I kind of like that about her). Of course she pales to FJ's shamelessness (hence why she is my fave) Si Jin is much more like a snake

The episode end with YH once again stating he is ready to finish this battle and be with his Su Su. I gave this episode a 7.5 but it felt arbitrary. it could be an 8. To be honest this episode didn't interest me as much but i remember when I first watched it I was glued to the t.v. But round two it was less interesting.

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