Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 nathsketch:

LOLOLOL! I know where Tong Hua is coming from, but please tell her and that Nine-headed Demon to take responsibility for this gaping wound in my heart.

@bugei

Best Time was the worst. Despite my personal, less than favourable opinion on Jing, he does loves XY and is devoted to her. The male character that the female lead of Best Time chose is just....I can't even. He has shades of Jing's not so good points, but doesn't have anything to remotely balance things out. I wanted to shake the FL so many times. I guess the heart wants what the heart wants. At least the drama gave you an alternative ending where she picked the better man. 

If the adaptation you mentioned is what I think it is and particularly if TJC is playing the role that I'm thinking, I'm going have to pass. Nope, nope, nope. THua is really trying to kill me. TJC as XL.is enough, I can't deal with him in another adaptation like this.

@nathsketch 

Lol. Unfortunately., we boarded the wrong ship so that ending is not a happy one as far as we are concerned. I can't hate because it's reasonable within the context of characters set up. But, nope, not happy.

@liddi

Thanks for that THua's interview. I liked and agreed with what she said about keeping the integrity of the characters and their emotions when adapting works. Which makes me wonder if all these potential changes (that I dont like ?)  in the leak second season is what she intended in the original novel? Or giving censorship,, she's limited in what she can pushes for. 

 HeadInTheClouds:

If the adaptation you mentioned is what I think it is and particularly if TJC is playing the role that I'm thinking, I'm going have to pass. Nope, nope, nope. THua is really trying to kill me. TJC as XL.is enough, I can't deal with him in another adaptation like this.

His next collaboration with Tong Hua is a modern, fantasy-themed story 滤镜 Filter, where Tong Hua is scriptwriter, and Li Landi is the female lead. I am not familiar with her modern works, but I haven't seen any of her novels with this title, so perhaps it is not an adaptation of her existing works.

 HeadInTheClouds:

. Which makes me wonder if all these potential changes (that I dont like ?)  in the leak second season is what she intended in the original novel? Or giving censorship,, she's limited in what she can pushes for. 

Exactly what I am wondering too. Why create such a memorable story which hinges on Xiang Liu fulfilling Xiao Yao's unspoken 3 wishes, only to butcher it by making at least two out of 3 of them totally unrelated to him and his sacrifices? Even more so if the wedding takes place after news of his death.  I am glad we see more of Xiang Liu's POV, but am not pleased if it is made out to be just an unrequited love, though the behaviour of the bugs particularly after his question to her during the probing of her mind, belies that possibility. Being constrained by regulations did cross my mind, and if all I fear is proven to be true, I hope that the butchering of the story is due to this reason.

@liddi

I completely concurred with your last paragraph. I personally think it would takes away from the emotional impact of the novel if they downplayed XY's feelings for XL and turned it into an unrequited love on his end. I'll be spitting more blood tha. SI Feng if they do that ?. I got a few thoughts on the Lover's Bugs and their implications for XY and XL's relationship.  It's just an incoherent mess right now so cant be posted.

I hope what you said is correct about the next collaboration between TJC and Tong Hua. The summary that i read mentioned adaption and sci-fi romance which immediately broght to mind a particular novel of her. If that thing ever get adapted, unless they make some drastic changes, im going to need copious amount of alcohol and tissues.

If it's an original script penned by Tong Hua then @nathsketch., it maybe safe to watch without you losing your hair ?. I don'know if anything has been formally announce , but it was part of an interview with TJC.

The only thing I would consider watching next from TJC is a fluffy, modern romance with so much sugar and smuttiness that your teeth rot from.watching. I'll just pretend that it's XL's reincarnation and he found someone who picked him and showered him with love and affection.

 liddi:

The following is Tong Hua's interview in conjunction with the publication of the 2019 revised edition of Lost You Forever:

《书生说》-桐华《长相思》何谓相思？思而不得，最相思
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV18Q4y1P7FD

Hello everyone. I am Tong Hua. This is my work Lost You Forever, which will see a new revised edition in 2019. Lost You Forever is the last historical romance out of my 10 works. Written in 2012, I felt at the time that it was the most well-written of my works, but upon reviewing it after many years, I still feel that it is lacking in some areas. This revised edition is not able to make up for all the regrets, but it has done its best to address all the areas that it can. I hope everyone will like it.

liddi, Thank you so much for the translation of the interview! I had heard about it many times back when I first read the book, but couldn’t find it myself.

Tong Hua’s first response is all the more reason to believe that the alleged leaked script isn’t the final script. Here’s a scenario that I made up in my own mind. It’s a script that pre-dated the hiring of Tong Hua for the drama. (The color of the pages makes it look like the script sat around for ages, lol.) The producers and/or investors didn’t like it. So, they hired Tong Hua. Yay! Super Yay!

Read Tolstoy? OMG. This reminds me of my high school days. Also, Dostoevsky. OMG. Please give me a math problem instead.

 nathsketch:

But, hmmm. No. Just no. How about…no.

Exactly! I keep thinking it's almost a crime to hurt us this much. (It's so not the Golden Rule?) For me, it's mostly all the crying. Having said that, I've never enjoyed crying this much, while also eagerly wanting to read more... and cry more, lol.

So, okay, the ending for XY isn't tragic. But, can Tong Hua agree that there's plenty of tragedy along the way?

 HeadInTheClouds:

The only thing I would consider watching next from TJC is a fluffy, modern romance with so much sugar and smuttiness that your teeth rot from.watching. I'll just pretend that it's XL's reincarnation and he found someone who picked him and showered him with love and affection.

lol! Great idea!

 liddi:

@HeadInTheClouds @nathsketch

Rumours say 滤镜 is a 喜剧 comedy, which doesn't quite feel like Tong Hua. We'll see. Haven't read any official description or announcement yet. In the meantime, I am looking forward to Love Me, Love My Voice, with Tan Jianci playing a voice actor opposite Zhou Ye, though the one I am truly excited about is Under the Skin 2.

I was reminded again of the supposed original cast for Lost You Forever. Rumours have it that Yang Yang was offered the role of Xiang Liu, which apparently he rejected as it was not the male lead.  Not sure how true this rumour is since the director Zoe Qin supposedly said in an interview that Tan Jianci was their only choice to play Xiang Liu. Also, Xu Kai was initially meant to play Tushan Jing. Didn't hear any other actor cast as Cang Xuan though. Personally I feel the cast we have is perfect, and I can't imagine anyone else playing these roles.

Tong Hua wrote the script for perfect couple (with Wallace Huo and Tiffany Tang) and that started out as comedy. I can't remember how it ended as I dropped it midway (not through the show's fault, i just have little attention span). Anyone knows how that show ended?