Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 AH :

Oooh thank you! Yes that angle makes it perfectly clear!

I am still not sure if the merman is facing her or  swimming away from her. I was hoping they will show us the globe better in episode 22, but it's even worse. 

 AH :

To me it looks like he's swimming right to her?

windiaaa041293  posted this: https://mydramalist.com/discussions/lost-you-forever/110123-xl-and-xy-story-and-romance-warning-spoilers?pid=3087227&page=659#p3087227

Ohh, you're right. So jing is a witness to their love or what did they try to portrait by having him at the bottom of the globe starring at them? 

Weirdly, when XL looks at the ice crystal ball initially (right before the camera zooms in to show the added merman figure), the added merman figure seems to be absent. 

Then the camera zooms in. 

Later on, when XL carves his well-wishes into the ice crystal ball, the added merman seems to be absent again. 

And it still seems to be absent when XL puts the ice crystal ball inside the big-bellied laughing doll. 

 AH :

Weirdly, when XL looks at the ice crystal ball initially (right before the camera zooms in to show the added merman figure), the added merman figure seems to be absent.

PICTURES!  Yay!

But yes, it's the incredible disappearing merman.

 Kokuto:

But yes, it's the incredible disappearing merman.

It seems like really bad continuity work... like they shot the wide shots first and then remembered that another figure was supposed to be included and added that in for the close-up shot only and hoped no one would notice. 

Is the drama already being rated now? Haven't thought about the ratings to be honest.

This is the description in the leaked script regarding the modified crystal globe. In other words - Jing becomes his replacement as the lover in Xiao Yao's life, while he sets himself apart from them, and is looking away from them, not at them. But yes, the CGI is off - with the disappearing merman:

Xiang Liu sat alone on the tree a little distance away from the base, gazing at the crystal globe in his hand. This was the crystal globe Xiao Yao gave him, except now it had been altered by him, and was different from before: In the sea, there were gorgeous, colourful small fishes, red corals, and a pure white large seashell. A beautiful mermaid sat sideways on the seashell, part of her beautiful tail on the pure white seashell, the other part floating on the sea. A man stood next to her, holding her outstretched hand, smiling as he gazed at the mermaid. In the corner, a merman floated on the waves. He appeared to be close to the seashell, but his distant demeanor gave the impression that he was actually in another world, and not in that quiet, peaceful ocean.

Using his finger as a blade, Xiang Liu wrote two lines of fine words on the crystal globe with his spiritual power: the ability to protect yourself, someone to rely on, somewhere to go. Wishing you a lifetime of carefree peace and happiness.

Xiang Liu opened a wooden box and took out a big-bellied laughing doll, its eyes closed in sleep. He then gathered spiritual power in both palms and used it to seal the crystal globe within the belly of the doll.
Xiang Liu's eyes were tender, quietly gazing at the sleeping big-bellied doll.

-- Leaked script Ep20 (S02E28) scene 12

The drama is not quite what I envisioned and dreaded when we got to the end of the season. But surprisingly, for all the butchering we saw in the leaked script, I am actually quite happy on the whole, because Xiang Liu-centric scenes absolutely delivered for me. Where the script was off, TJC's delivery saves the scene again and again. As such, I can only be drawn into Xiang Liu's sure and steady journey to the end he chose for himself, mourning every step of the way even when he is clearly seen to be at peace with his choice, be it his death or everything he did for Xiao Yao. I love the addition of sending Furball away, which based on interviews, actually stemmed from TJC's question about what happened to Furball, and it makes such poignant sense. I love how when he talks about her not allowing him into her dreams again during the modification of the crystal globe, Xiang Liu was at peace - the flashback became not a harping of the event by a resentful, lovesick fool, but a man who is affectionate as he uses her words against her, and that trailing "Or else..." is followed by him mouthing the words again as it hits him (and by extension us as the viewers), that there is no more "or else" to be had. It hurt when I read the script the first time, and it hurts even more when I saw that scene play out.

Ultimately, the drama persists in making Cang Xuan's arc a dream sequence for the most part, which was disappointing, but ZWY's performance saves his scenes time and time again. I teared up during the meeting at the poinciana forest where Xiao Yao kills herself. Even though I knew it was a dream sequence, ZWY absolutely nailed the desolation of a man whose light had gone out with the dead, dead eyes, knowing that the only woman he truly loved, was irrevocably lost to him. They should have made this the climax of Cang Xuan's arc as it was in the novel, instead of making it a dream sequence, from which he backpedalled and saved the situation between him and Xiao Yao before it was too late. It makes Xiao Yao's decision to disappear at the end of the drama, all the more illogical, because there is no more reason for her to cut herself off from her family. And the scene where he confessed his decision to choose the throne over Xiao Yao, feels illogical too, as is the old Xiyan king's reason for asking. Who did he think he could abdicate the throne to, if he really chose Xiao Yao. After all the talk about uniting the Great Wilderness to bring peace to the world (which Xiao Yao herself accused Xiang Liu of upholding personal righteousness over the good of the world), what does that make Cang Xuan should he choose to abdicate? It feels hypocritical that Cang Xuan is allowed to give up the throne with no successor in sight and set the Great Wilderness into chaos, when Xiang Liu is accused of the same for wanting to assassinate Cang Xuan.

Surprisingly, Feng Long and Xin Yue's scenes had me tearing up too. When he explains to his father why he begged to be allowed to lead the army against Hong Jiang; his leave taking of Xin Yue, and his death - I saw a man who used to be bold, confident, now burdened by the pain of his sister's suffering, and his efforts to save her from herself, even when she refused to understand why.  WHY nailed his role in this later part of his arc, and I ached for the young man who once juggled fire balls and gave the most atrocious of marriage proposals to a woman he liked enough to marry. Xin Yue continued to annoy me for the most part, but her last scene when she cried out "My gege" had me tearing up with her too, when too late, she realised what her folly cost her.

I loved the confrontation between the sea monster and Xiang Liu when he had to expend even more of his already depleted spiritual powers to intimidate the sea monster that mocked the loss of his 3 heads and severely injured state, which in turn, gave Xiang Liu his due in ensuring Xiao Yao had someone to rely on.  It was amusing because I recall a comment I made not too long ago about where sea monsters were when we needed them (during the flower-picking scene at the lake). Who knew the drama would give me an answer so soon, though, yet again, Xiang Liu had to go and interfere and waste more of his spiritual powers to do so. 

The last 30 mins remains a travesty that needs to be edited out, especially Xiao Yao's reaction to the giving of the big-bellied doll.

As for the drama rating, I will need to think about it a little more, perhaps after a rewatch.

 AH :

Could you tell what exactly he was mouthing liddi? The first time he mouthed some words it looked like "Yào bùrán..." (otherwise / or else) a second time, but silently this time. But when he mouthed more words after tipping his face down I wasn't sure. It seemed like it could be "Yào bùrán..." a third time (silently for a second time). Is that how you interpreted it?

Yes, he looks to be mouthing 要不然 “Or else" again when he tips his face down after the 2nd "Or else..." before he finally looks up and gazes at the moon.

 liddi:

Yes, he looks to be mouthing 要不然 “Or else" again when he tips his face down after the 2nd "Or else..." before he finally looks up and gazes at the moon.

</3