Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 liddi:

while still hoping and praying that the leaked script lied and we do get it after all

I'm really curious if the mess with Deng Wei will actually move Tencent on changes to season 2, or if they plan on continue to ignore it and him in the future?  I don't think they would do any more shooting, but they could do some editing.

 liddi:

Translating excerpts from S1 script had me starting another bout of translation activities - this time from the 37 years under the ocean. Some marked differences in the details, and in some cases, I love the description that accompanied certain scenes, which highlights a sense of poignancy. Will share those as and when those are done, hopefully before S2 airs.

Oh cool!  I'm always curious about the differences between the drama and the book.  I like those details that I think reveal more about the characters, even if that may move them beyond what book readers like.

Are you still looking at differences between the 2019 and 2013 versions?

 blabla100:

I will add the epilogue too, since that's also XL's POV. He clearly said that he can't no longer stand watch to protect over XY, implying that that's what his purpose was all along.

Agreed, that was my impression too. Not his only purpose, IMO, but one of his most important and enduring purposes. The fact that he viewed himself as standing watch as her protector, the fact that he remembered her words (verbatim) about having no means of protecting herself, no one to rely on and nowhere to go, and the way that the epilogue makes it clear that he had long wanted to fill those gaps and had succeeded in doing so... Although they are not definitive evidence on their own, I think those elements of the epilogue fit in with XL's actions throughout the story and help the reader better understand XL's thinking and the role he chose to play.

The drama took an extra step to show how early on XL started planning to help XY fill those gaps by having him commission a bow for her when she was still WXL, rather than during the 37 years of healing as he did in the novel. 

 blabla100:

I was talking about how CX's killing attempt played în the drama.

Ah, you were talking about the drama. I see. 

I'm not sure whether the bug in CX plays into XL's motivation for collaborating with FFYY in that assassination attempt in the drama or not (and if it does factor, to what degree), since his involvement in subsequent attempts to assassinate CX continues after the bug is transferred away from CX. It's an interesting theory.

 liddi:

Thank you for the warm welcome! I've missed all of you too!

<3

 liddi:

Translating excerpts from S1 script had me starting another bout of translation activities - this time from the 37 years under the ocean. Some marked differences in the details, and in some cases, I love the description that accompanied certain scenes, which highlights a sense of poignancy. Will share those as and when those are done, hopefully before S2 airs.

Looking forward to reading those. ^^

 plor20:

Novel XL's sarcasm is much stronger too. So his words cut XY more.  Novel XL also likes to remind Jing, XY will follow him to the ends of the world, if Jing doesn't stop her, and also that XY loved him more--thats why he never shield thier conversations from Jing.  haha! 

There are obvious differences between Xiang Liu in the drama and Xiang Liu in the novel, but each has his own charm. I like the vulnerability and loneliness that Tan's performance occasionally reveals, while the Xiang Liu in the novel is so powerful that he is literally a legend. Perhaps throughout the rest of Xiao Yao's life, every time she recalled him, she felt as if it was a long and magnificent dream she had had in her girlhood. After waking up from the dream, the person in the dream was nowhere to be found. My only dissatisfaction with Xiang Liu in the drama is that his force has been reduced. Xiang Liu in the novel will never be trapped by a formation of a dozen people.

 ZYHLJ:

Tonghua did not explicitly write this, but this is my understanding of the novel. Xiang Liu in the novel is stronger, colder, and shrewder, giving me a feeling of unfathomable, like there is nothing he doesn't know.

Yeah well personally think that the novel in most cases is more elaborate/understandable than the drama. In the drama it does not give you more insight. I made say kinda sense outta the whole drama after reading a little of the novel (and that was the time that all characters got more tangible) plus great  help of the guys here. 

 Kimiya78:

Regarding your opinion I also gotta say that IMO the more I watch the scene in which Jing wants XY to promise 15 years thing the more XY's reluctance become evident for me ( I dunno though I believe that her eyes talk about unwillingness in that specific scene) and that she already has someone else in her heart. Still gives her word and keeps ignoring her true feelings.

you can also compare her facial expression when WXL asked XL for help with removing the bug and when WXL asked Jing to help him escape QS town. Completely different attitude

 plor20:

It's a scene analysis of TSJ finding and gifting Chi You's hut to XY. We both agreed that the triangle between XY, TSJ, and XL is meticulously masked and symbolized in this particular scene through the symbolism of the hut.

It is not really that Jing gifted that place to XY. There are many abandoned housing in Sheng-nong mountain. CX at that time was assigned to renovate the palace on Sheng-nong peaks. Jing helped CX as contractor and supplier. He found that desolate place and thought he and XY could use that hut as meeting place. 

I wrote a post about Cao Ao crest somewhere around New Years but I haven't found it yet (it's nightmare to seek for old information in MDL). In that analysis, I showed evidence that the hut in Cao Ao Crest and its surrounding was very similar to XL's hunting hut in Qing Shui mountain. And the decoration style of these two huts were also very similar. It indirectly indicates another similar point between XL and Chi You. 

I don't think this hut as kind of YaoJing's house and and found KH's point was a bit too far.  Chi You used that hut as his residence while staying in Sheng-nong. However, the house that he shared with Ah Heng - XY's mother was his bamboo house in Jiuli (or Baili). That house is the love nest. 

What draws my attention and I don't know if TH wanted to lay some easter eggs by making XL's hut looks identical with this house is despite her hatred to Chi You by that point, Xiao Yao said she liked that place. Moreover, in the novel while swimming in the pond, she thought of XL and wanted to dive deep down to the bottom of the pond with Jing. She passed air to Jing and he was shocked and told her that he was not in her eyes. What did they use to do there which she missed? She used to collect hibicus leaves and used the leaves to wash Jing's hair then combed his hair with her fingers (played with his hair) and she liked chatting nonesense with him until very late. In ancient time, hibicus leaves was used as dying agent for gray hair to make it black. And hibicus leaves might be used by XL to dye his hair [[1] - post about hibicus] and in my opinion, all XY's obsession of hair stemmed from XL's hair [1] [2]. Did XY use playing with Jing's hair as substitude for her desire of touching XY's hair? I think yes.

Later, in chapter 22 when XY combed her hair in Muxi forest (Muxi yuan) while Jing in coma was laying on a pallet. She was singing a song about South Wind - which actually the south east wind in China (and QS town was on south east direction). So who did she actually think of while singing that song 

小夭刚洗了头，跪坐在榻旁的席子上，一边梳理头发，一边哼唱着歌谣：“南风之薰兮，可以解侬之思兮！南风之时兮，可以慰侬之忆兮…… 

Xiaoyao had just washed her hair and knelt down on the mat next to the couch. While combing her hair, she hummed a song: "The south wind is blowing, it can soothe my thoughts! The south wind is blowing, it can soothe my thoughts." 

About chatting: YSQ and WXL actually did not chat much. There was only the time while WXL was injured by XL's 40 lashed and she stayed in the forest with YSQ for a month. She talked a lot with YSQ but he just stayed silence. Then WXL stopped talking. XY and Jing/YSQ did not have much in common. While WXL could naturally shared her talk and story with XL. 

So YaoJing's fond memory in Cao Ao Crest was founded and stemmed on XY's thought and desire of XL

 liddi:

You're most welcome. So sorry to make you cry again. I think that is part of the vicious cycle for those who love Xiang Liu...

Yeah tell me ab it :(
Deep down wished I'd never known Xiang Liu in my life :(
BUT I'm wholeheartedly happy that got to know such a SUPERB actor as Jianci and I'mma advocate him till the end :)