liddi:Arghhh... how can I say no to it!!
I've placed an order via Taobao - very first time buying a physical item from the platform so fingers crossed everything goes smoothly (pretty much winging it!). From what I've been told it should be shipped out in about a month's time. Please let Mao Qiu come home safely!
Of course, you can't say 'no' to Chubby! lol
I'm glad they had it. Definitely let us know when you get it. Looks ADORABLE
About the lovers' bugs, I personally interpret the scene in S2 ep 7 as XL's own pain of having to let go of XY, I never thought of that scene as bugs trying to retailate. XL felt XY's pain countless of times, since that's the nature of the bugs, to tie 2 people both in life and death, but also to allow them to feel each other's emotions. To me that scene is just XL allowing XY to feel the pain he felt for having to push XY away from him and back to Jing.
About the novel, IIRC the voodoo king did a check at XY's bug and he confirmed that it was, indeed, lovers' bug and not the heartbreak bug. XL himself mentioned something similar, when he compared the bug to a baby tiger in the beginning versus a thousand years old tiger in the end, which IMO is a way of confirming how their love kept growing. The voodoo king said that lovers raise the lovers' bugs, while non lovers raise the heartbreak one. XL was aware that their love grew, so it makes little sense to me that XL stopped the bugs from retailating, because I don't believe that the bugs would try to retailate when there is love between the couple. Again, the vodoo king did a check on XY's bug and confirmed that she had the lovers one, if XL tried to stop the bug from retailate, than I must assume that he was his own bug that tried to backfire, not XY's one, but again, it makes little sense, because XL never stopped loving her.
I am not sure about the drama, but unless I am missing something, the novel didn't give me the impression that XL had the power to control XY's bug too, only his. Even when she died, IIRC the novel describes that scene how his bug is guiding her to safety and not actually taking control over it. The pain she felt at CX's wedding in order to make jing help her I also interpreted as XL letting go of controlling his own bug, so IMO that was her bug reacting to XL's pain and not actually XL controlling her heart. Similar to what happened in the last day in QS's town. One could say that it was only XL who was heartbroken, because out of the 2, only him knew about the love they shared togheter, XY never knew about his feelings, most of the times she thought she doesn't mean much to him. He loved her knowing their end, while she loved him without finding out about his love for her.
Snowcup:I’m Snowcup, a distant cousin of Feifei’s. I was visiting the LYF S1 page, and I kept hearing some sorrowful tones coming from this direction so I thought I’d stop by and comfort you all.
Hi Snowcup! Welcome!
Snowcup:Have you heard the rumors about my cousin from a while back? I heard that nine-headed demon, Xiang Liu, was jealous that Feifei was seducing his potential girlfriend, so he ordered his bird-brain furball mount to eat him!
100% agree that Xiang Liu was jealous of Fei Fei. In the medicine pool, Xiang Liu even asked Wen Xiao Liu:
你如果是男人,是如何把朏朏勾搭出来的?
If you are a man, how could you have hooked up with Fei Fei?
[Clip from Season 1 Episode 10]
勾搭 means hooked up with or seduced and definitely has sexual connotations.
Snowcup:Have to go now but will share more later. --S
Looking forward to your updates, Snowcup!
blabla100:About the lovers' bugs, I personally interpret the scene in S2 ep 7 as XL's own pain of having to let go of XY, I never thought of that scene as bugs trying to retailate. XL felt XY's pain countless of times, since that's the nature of the bugs, to tie 2 people both in life and death, but also to allow them to feel each other's emotions. To me that scene is just XL allowing XY to feel the pain he felt for having to push XY away from him and back to Jing.
By the end of Chapter 32, XY was no stranger to extreme heartache. With the exception of the illness she experienced after she found out about FFYY's pregnancy, XY was generally able to control herself and to hide her intense heartache whenever she experienced it so others could not see it (although, of course, XL could always feel it). Even with FFYY's pregnancy, XY was able to smile and leave the Tushan residence before losing control of the physical effects of her sadness and heartache. In chapter 25 and chapter 26, XY was able to mask her intense heartache with a smile until XL sped up her heartbeat to the point that it was like she had just gone for an intense run. Unlike her pain (which she could hide), she couldn't control her physical reaction to the fast heartbeat or hide her breathlessness.
But when XL caused XY to feel the pain in his heart at the end of chapter 32, XY was immediately floored and unable to move. The pain went beyond the pain of heartache and was excruciating. So I believe that XY felt both XL's heartache and the pain that XL experienced due to the Lover's Bugs attempting to retaliate as a result of that heartache.
blabla100:About the novel, IIRC the voodoo king did a check at XY's bug and he confirmed that it was, indeed, lovers' bug and not the heartbreak bug.
Yes, the Shaman King confirmed that the bug in XY was a Lover's Bug in chapter 37. IMO, that is not inconsistent with my updated interpretation, because XL suppressed the bugs and prevented the bugs from turning into Heartbreak Bugs when they attempted to retaliate on previous occasions. So they remained Lover's Bugs. The drama directly shows XL suppressing the bugs when they attempt to retaliate in S1 Ep19 and the script confirms what is happening in that scene. The novel, of course, does not show this to us directly. But, IMO, the novel does provide some clues, along with the logic of how the bugs are supposed to work, to help readers figure out that XL was also able to do this in the novel.
blabla100:The voodoo king said that lovers raise the lovers' bugs, while non lovers raise the heartbreak one.
"Non-lovers" seems to be a mistranslation from Koala.
When lovers that host Lover's Bugs become heartbroken people, their Lover's Bugs become Heartbreak Bugs. Unless one of them is as powerful as XL and can suppress the bugs when they attempt to retaliate so that they do not become Heartbreak Bugs.
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Chapter 37:
Kanunu8 | Chat GPT | Koala |
“蛊术在外人眼中,神秘歹毒,其实不过是我们九黎族一代代积累下的医术和防身术。九黎多毒虫、毒草、瘴气,为了活下去,祖祖辈辈都在努力了解它们、驾驭它们。蛊术以狠毒闻名大荒,可实际上,我们更多地用蛊救人。情人蛊让两人命脉相连,也就是说,纵然一个重伤,只要另一人生机旺盛,就可以让重伤的人活下来,这本是极好的事,即使难养,也应该有很多人想养,但为什么一直罕有人养呢?” 小夭问:“为什么?” “孤阳不生,独阴不长,万物有利一面,则必有害一面,利越大,害就越大,情人蛊亦是如此。它能让有情人心意相通、命脉相连,可情人蛊就像相恋的恋人,脾气多变,非常难驾驭,蛊虫极易反噬,一旦发作,两人俱亡,所以情人蛊还有个名字,叫断肠蛊。” 璟震惊地看向小夭,小夭忙道:“哪里有他说的那么可怕?这都七八十年了,我不一直好好的?” 巫王悚然变色:“难道你的蛊不是种给这位公子?” “不是。” 巫王面色怪异,问小夭:“能让我探看一下你的蛊虫吗?” | "To outsiders, Gu techniques seem mysterious and sinister, but in reality, they are simply medical and self-defense techniques accumulated by our Jiuli tribe over generations. The Jiuli region is full of poisonous insects, poisonous plants, and miasma. To survive, our ancestors made efforts to understand and control them. Gu techniques are notorious for their cruelty in the Great Wilderness, but we often use them to save lives. The Lover's Gu connects two people's lifelines, which means that even if one is severely injured, as long as the other has strong vitality, the severely injured person can survive. This is actually a very good thing. Even though it is difficult to nurture, many people should want to nurture it. But why is it so rare?" Xiao Yao asked, "Why?" "Solitary yang cannot grow, and solitary yin cannot survive. Everything has both benefits and drawbacks. The greater the benefit, the greater the drawback. The Lover's Gu is no exception. It allows lovers to connect their hearts and lifelines, but like lovers in a relationship, it has a volatile temper and is extremely difficult to control. The Gu worms are prone to backfire, and once it happens, both people will perish. Therefore, the Lover's Gu has another name: the Heartbreak Gu." Jing looked at Xiao Yao in shock. Xiao Yao hurriedly said, "It's not as scary as he says! It's been seventy or eighty years, and I've been just fine." | “To outsiders voodoo is considered mysterious and bad, but really it's a craft and magic that the Jiu Li tribe has passed down through generations to protect and heal us. Jiu Li has lots of deadly insects, deadly plants, deadly gasses, to live here our ancestors had to learn to understand it and control it. Voodoo is seen as a harmful power but we actually mostly use it here to save lives. The Lover’s Bug keeps two people’s lives connected, which means when one is injured as long as the other is healthy then the injured person will survive. This is a very good thing. Even if the Lover’s Bug is notoriously hard to grow, it ought to still be relatively prevalent since many people will try to grow it. So why it is so rare to see?” Xiao Yao asked, “Why?” “All living things that have a benefit must also carry a harm. The greater the benefit then the greater the potential for harm. The Lover’s Bug is exactly that. It can lead two people to be connected in life and emotions but it is just like a pair of lovers in love with each other. It is tempermental and hard to control. If the Lover’s Bugs turn on each other then both people will die. Which is why the Lover’s Bug also has another name: the Heartbreak Bug.” Jing stared in dismay at Xiao Yao who quickly said, “It can’t be as scary as he makes it out to be. It’s been over seventy years and I’m still just fine.” |
巫王悚然变色:“难道你的蛊不是种给这位公子?” “不是。” 巫王面色怪异,问小夭:“能让我探看一下你的蛊虫吗?” 小夭点了点头。 也不见巫王有何动作,想来是用自己体内的蛊虫在探看。巫王眉头紧皱,喃喃说:“的确是情人蛊!怎么可能呢?‘有情人养情人蛊,断肠人成断肠蛊’,情人蛊和其他蛊都不同,必须要一对情人心甘情愿,才能种蛊,他若不是你的情郎,你怎么可能给他种下情人蛊?” | The Witch King's expression changed dramatically. "Your Gu wasn't planted in this young man?" "No." The Witch King looked at Xiao Yao with a strange expression and asked, "May I take a look at your Gu worm?" Xiao Yao nodded. Without any visible movement from the Witch King, it seemed he was using his own Gu worm to investigate. His brows furrowed tightly as he murmured, "It really is the Lover's Gu! How is that possible? 'Lovers nurture the Lover's Gu, the heartbroken become the Heartbreak Gu.' The Lover's Gu is different from other Gu worms. It must be willingly planted by a pair of lovers. If he is not your lover, how could you have planted the Lover's Gu in him?" | The Voodoo King’s expression changed as he stared at Jing, “You’re not the man the other bug is planted in?” “No.” The Voodoo King stared in shock at Xiao Yao. “Can I feel the bug in you?” Xiao Yao nodded. The Voodoo King didn’t move so he was likely using a bug inside of himself to sense. He furrowed his brows and murmured, “It really is a Lover’s Bug! But how is this possible? ‘Lovers who raise the bug produce the Lover’s Bug, Not Lovers who raise the bug produce the Heartbreak Bug.’ The Lover’s Bug is different then other voodoo bugs and absolutely requires the couple to willingly accept the bug for it to be successfully planted. If the man you successfully planted the other bug in is not your lover, then how did you plant it in him?” |
璟急切地问:“请问如何解蛊?” 巫王的脸皱成了一团,说道:“要么同心而生,要么离心而死,情人蛊一旦种下,无法可解。我刚才还想说,这也是为什么很少有人养它的原因,只有一些执拗的女子才会养此蛊,即使养成,也很难找到男子愿意种蛊。” | Jing asked urgently, "How can the Gu be removed?" The Witch King's face wrinkled into a frown as he said, "Either live with united hearts or die with separate / divided hearts. Once the Lover's Gu is planted, it cannot be removed. I was about to say that this is also why very few people nurture it. Only some stubborn women would choose to nurture this Gu, and even if they succeed, it is difficult to find a man willing to plant it." | Jing anxiously asked, “How to break the spell?” The Voodoo King’s face scrunched up. “The Lover’s Bug – either live in love or die in heartbreak. Once the Lover’s Bug has been planted there is no way to break the spell. It is impossible. This is what I was trying to say earlier for why so few people raise it despite the great benefit. Only very determined girls would raise the bug but even if they successfully raise it, it’s near impossible to find a man willing to accept the other bug to be planted in him.” |
blabla100:XL was aware that their love grew, so it makes little sense to me that XL stopped the bugs from retailating, because I don't believe that the bugs would try to retailate when there is love between the couple.
I believe the conditions required for the bugs to retaliate (离心 and/or 断肠) can occur even if the love between the hosts remains present in their hearts and even grows over time.
blabla100:Again, the vodoo king did a check on XY's bug and confirmed that she had the lovers one, if XL tried to stop the bug from retailate, than I must assume that he was his own bug that tried to backfire, not XY's one, but again, it makes little sense, because XL never stopped loving her.
IMO, the bugs do not act independently. If one bug has retaliated, I assume that would mean that both bugs have retaliated.
The Shaman King specifies that if the bugs backfire (successfully, I think we must conclude), both hosts will die ("。。。蛊虫极易反噬,一旦发作,两人俱亡。。。"). He goes on to also say that if the hosts' hearts are "离心" then that will result in "死". Presumably because "离心" will cause the bugs to backfire / retaliate / turn into Heartbreak Bugs that will kill both hosts.
If Novel!XL has the power to suppress the bugs so that even if they attempt to retaliate they do not become Heartbreak Bugs that will kill both hosts (a power that he clearly does have in the drama), then the fact that the Shaman King confirms that the bug in XY in chapter 37 is a Lovers Bug does not mean that the bug in XY never attempted to retaliate at any point before chapter 37. It means that if the bugs did attempt to retaliate, XL always successfully suppressed them and prevented them from turning into Heartbreak Bugs and successfully shielded XY from feeling the pain of those attempted retaliations. With the possible exception of when he allowed XY to feel his heartache (and possibly the pain of one attempt by the bugs to retaliate) in chapter 32.
blabla100:I am not sure about the drama, but unless I am missing something, the novel didn't give me the impression that XL had the power to control XY's bug too, only his. Even when she died, IIRC the novel describes that scene how his bug is guiding her to safety and not actually taking control over it. The pain she felt at CX's wedding in order to make jing help her I also interpreted as XL letting go of controlling his own bug, so IMO that was her bug reacting to XL's pain and not actually XL controlling her heart.
In chapter 25 and chapter 26, XL uses his power over the bugs / the bug connection to cause XY's heartbeat to speed up drastically in order to dispell her sad thoughts and intense heartache.
Kanunu8 | Chat GPT | Koala |
小夭看着水漏,默默计算着时辰,马上就是要吉辰了,此时,璟应该已经和意映站在喜堂中。 水漏中的水一滴滴落下,每一滴都好似毒药,落到了小夭心上,腐蚀得她的心千疮百孔。小夭知道自己不该想,却如着了魔一般,盯着水漏,一边算时间,一边想着璟现在该行什么礼了。 涂山府肯定张灯结彩,十分热闹! 璟一身吉服,和意映并肩而战。 礼官高声唱和:一拜天地! 璟和意映徐徐拜倒……意映如愿以偿,肯定心花怒放,可璟呢?璟是什么表情…… 小夭突然觉得心一阵急跳,跳得她几乎喘不过气来,跳得眼前的幻象全部散开。 颛顼问道:“你不舒服吗?” 小夭摇头,“没有!只是有点气闷,突然想呼吸点新鲜空气。” 小夭匆匆出了殿门,颛顼忙拿了大氅,裹到小夭身上,小夭站在庭院内,仰望着蓝天,为什么相柳突然让她感受到他的存在?他是感受到了她的痛苦,还是因为他此时正在青丘,亲眼看着璟和意映行礼,想到了她不会好受?他是在嘲笑她,还是想安慰她? 颛顼问:“你在想什么?” 小夭说:“我突然想起种给相柳的蛊,我身体的痛,他都要承受,那我心上的痛呢?他也需要承受吗?他说他是九命之躯,我身体的痛对他而言不算什么,可心呢?心他只有一颗吧!” 颛顼按住小夭的肩膀,严肃地说:“我不管你之前在清水镇和他有什么交往,但不要和相柳走近!” 小夭苦涩地说:“我明白!” 颛顼说:“虽然你一再说那蛊没有害处,但等你病好后,再仔细想想,如果能解除,最好解除了。” “嗯!” 小夭仰望着蓝天,静静感受着自己的心在和另一颗心一起跳动,那些强压着的痛苦,也许因为有了一个人分担,似乎不再那么难以承受。 小夭的病渐渐好了,她又开始做毒药。 | Xiaoyao watched the water clock, silently calculating the time. It was almost the auspicious hour; by now, Jing and Yiying should already be standing in the wedding hall. The water in the clock dripped steadily, each drop feeling like poison, corroding Xiaoyao's heart until it was riddled with holes. She knew she shouldn't think about it, yet she was like someone possessed, staring at the water clock, calculating the time and imagining what ceremony Jing was performing now. The Tushan mansion must be brightly lit and bustling with excitement! Jing, dressed in festive attire, stood beside Yiying. The ceremonial officer would call out loudly: "First bow to heaven and earth!" Jing and Yiying would bow slowly... Yiying would be overjoyed, but what about Jing? What expression did Jing have... Suddenly, Xiaoyao's heart began to race, making it hard for her to breathe, scattering all the visions in front of her. Zhuan Xu asked, "Are you feeling unwell?" Xiaoyao shook her head, "No! Just a bit stuffy, suddenly wanted some fresh air." She hurried out of the hall, and Zhuan Xu quickly grabbed a cloak, wrapping it around her. Standing in the courtyard, looking up at the blue sky, she wondered why Xiangliu suddenly made her feel his presence. Did he sense her pain, or was he at Qingqiu, watching Jing and Yiying's ceremony, thinking she wouldn't feel good? Was he mocking her or trying to comfort her? Zhuan Xu asked, "What are you thinking about?" Xiaoyao replied, "I suddenly thought of the Gu I planted in Xiangliu. He has to endure the physical pain I feel, but what about the pain in my heart? Does he have to endure that too? He said he has the body of nine lives, so my physical pain isn't much to him, but what about his heart? He only has one heart, right!" Zhuan Xu placed his hands on Xiaoyao's shoulders and said seriously, "I don't care what dealings you had with him in Qingshui Town, but don't get close to Xiangliu!" Xiaoyao replied bitterly, "I understand!" Zhuan Xu said, "Although you keep saying that Gu is harmless, think it over carefully once you recover. If it can be removed, it's best to remove it." "Alright!" Xiaoyao looked up at the blue sky, quietly feeling her heart beat in sync with another heart. The pain she had been suppressing seemed a bit easier to bear now that someone else was sharing it. Xiaoyao's health gradually improved, and she resumed making poisons. | Xiao Yao stared at the water clock and the minute hand was getting closer to the time of the wedding. Right now Jing and Yi Yang must be standing in the ceremonial hall. The water dropped one by one and each drop was like a poison dropping on Xiao Yao’s heart. It pierced her through into hundreds and thousands of pockmarks. Xiao Yao knew she shouldn’t think about it but it was like she was possessed and she stared at the water clock thinking of when Jing would say his vows. The Tu Shan residence must be decked out and bustling with activity. Jing wearing a groom outfit, standing side-by-side with Yi Yang. The officiant calling out as Jing and Yi Yang started to go through the wedding rites. Yi Yang got her wish come true and she must be thrilled, but what about Jing? What was his expression…. Xiao Yao suddenly felt her heart beating wildly and was so unexpected she couldn’t catch her breath and it banished all the images in her mind. Zhuan Xu asked, “Are you feeling sick?” Xiao Yao shook her head. “No! But a bit stuffy and suddenly want some fresh air.” Xiao Yao rushed out the door and Zhuan Xu hurriedly draped a fur cloak around her. Xiao Yao stood in the courtyard staring up at the blue sky. Why did Xiang Liu suddenly make her feel his presence? Did he feel her pain? Or was it because he was currently in Qing Qiu watching Yi Yang and Jing get married and remembered she might not be happy about it? Was he mocking her? Or trying to console her? Zhuan Xu asked, “What are you thinking about?” Xiao Yao said, “I suddenly remembered the voodoo bug I planted in Xiang Liu. My body’s pain, he has to feel all of it. But what about my heartache? Does he also need to endure it? He said he has nine bodies so my pain isn’t too much for him to endure. But what about the heart? He only has one heart!” Zhuan Xu grabbed Xiao Yao by the shoulders and harshly said “I don’t care what your relationship with him was in Qing Shui Town. Do not remain close to him now!” Xiao Yao smiled bitterly. “I know!” Zhuan Xu said “Even though you keep saying the bug has no ill effects, when you’re all better it’s best to find a way to remove it.” “Yes!” Xiao Yao stared at the blue sky and quietly felt her heart beating as one with another heart. The pressure and pain on her heart lessened, probably because another heart was taking some of the burden from her. Xiao Yao got better and she started making poisons again. |
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Chapter 26:
Kanunu8 | Chat GPT | Koala |
小夭已一年多没见过璟,看到他这样子,小夭保持着微笑,静静地站在西陵族长身后。还记得归墟海中,他扯落发冠时,她的心悸情动,也记得耳鬓厮磨时,她指间绕着他的发,一头青丝、满心情思。一切就好似昨日,却已是青丝染霜,情思断裂。 小夭只觉心如被一只大手撕扯着,痛得好似就要碎裂,她却依旧笑意盈盈。突然,她的心剧烈地跳动起来,小夭再维持不住微笑,这就好像一个人能面不改色地忍受刀剑刺入的疼痛,却无法在剧烈运动之后,控制自己的脸色和呼吸。小夭不禁抚着自己的心口,深吸了几口气。 馨悦忙扶住她,担心地问:“你没事吧?” 小夭强笑着摇摇头,西陵族长看她面色发红,忙说:“我忘记你身体不好了,赶紧坐下休息一会儿。” 馨悦扶着小夭坐在了璟的坐席上。 璟焦灼地一手握住小夭的手腕,一手握着酒杯,化酒为雾。众人都知道涂山氏的障术可惑人五感,用来止疼最是便捷,所以都没觉得奇怪。 心依旧在剧烈地跳着,跳得她全身的血都好似往头部涌,小夭忍不住喃喃说:“相柳,你有完没完?” 其他人只隐约听到完没完,璟离得最近,又十分熟悉小夭的语声,将一句话听了个十分清楚。 心跳慢慢恢复了正常,小夭轻轻挣脱了璟的手:“谢谢,我好了。” | Xiao Yao hadn't seen Jing for over a year. Seeing him like this, she maintained a smile and stood quietly behind the leader of the Xiling clan. She remembered how, in the Guixu Sea, her heart had fluttered when he pulled off his hair crown, and she remembered the times they spent together, her fingers entangled in his hair, a head full of black hair and a heart full of feelings. It all seemed like yesterday, yet now his black hair was streaked with frost, and their feelings had been severed. Xiao Yao felt as if a giant hand was tearing at her heart, the pain almost shattering it, but she continued to smile brightly. Suddenly, her heart began to pound violently. She could no longer maintain her smile; it was like someone who could endure the pain of a sword piercing without changing their expression, but couldn't control their face and breathing after intense exertion. Xiao Yao couldn't help but press her hand to her chest, taking several deep breaths. Xinyue quickly supported her, asking worriedly, "Are you okay?" Xiao Yao forced a smile and shook her head. The leader of the Xiling clan, noticing her flushed face, said hurriedly, "I forgot about your health condition. Sit down and rest for a while." Xinyue helped Xiao Yao to Jing's seat. Jing anxiously grasped Xiao Yao's wrist with one hand while holding a wine cup with the other, transforming the wine into mist. Everyone knew that the art of illusion from the Tushan clan could deceive the five senses, making it the most convenient for pain relief, so no one found it strange. Her heart still pounded violently, making her blood seem to rush to her head. Xiao Yao couldn't help but mutter, "Xiang Liu, will you ever stop?" The others only vaguely heard the words "ever stop," but Jing, being the closest and very familiar with Xiao Yao's voice, heard the entire sentence clearly. Her heartbeat gradually returned to normal. Xiao Yao gently withdrew her hand from Jing's. "Thank you, I'm fine now." | Xiao Yao hadn’t seen Jing in over a year and seeing him like this, Xiao Yao maintained her smile and quietly stood next to the Xi Ling clan leader. She remembered in the ocean when he let his hair loose, the stirring in her heart. She remembered twining his hair around her fingers, each strand was a longing. Everything felt like yesterday but it was already black hair turned white and all longing severed. Xiao Yao felt her heart was being clawed at by a large hand, so painful it was like being ripped apart. She could only keep smiling when suddenly she felt her heart violently beating. Xiao Yao couldn’t maintain her fake smile anymore, much like a person could endure severe pain without any change in expression yet couldn’t control exhibiting bodily reaction to intense exercise. Xiao Yao clutched her chest and took a few deep breaths. Xing Yue hurriedly assisted her and asked in concern, “Are you okay?” Xiao Yao smiled and shook her head. The Xi Ling clan leader saw her face flushed bright red and quickly said “I remember your constitution is not strong, hurry and sit down to rest.” Xing Yue helped Xiao Yao to sit down at Jing’s table. Jing anxiously put one hand on Xiao Yao’s wrist while his other clutched the wine cup and transformed the wine into a fog. Everyone knew the Tu Shan clan had the power to mystify which was very useful for taking away pain. No one thought it weird what Jing was doing. Her heart continued to beat wildly and strongly, so much that she felt like all her blood was rushing into her head. Xiao Yao couldn’t control it and muttered under her breath, “Xiang Liu, will you cut it out already?” Everyone only heard “cut it out already”, but Jing was sitting closest to her and he was completely familiar with Xiao Yao’s voice, so he heard every word she said. Her heartbeat started to return to normal and Xiao Yao gently pulled her hand away from Jing, “Thank you, I’m fine now.” |
一阵喝彩声传来,小夭随意扫了一眼,却眼角跳了跳,停下脚步,凝神看去。只看案上摆了一溜酒碗,一群年轻人正斗酒取乐,防风邶穿着一袭白色锦袍,懒洋洋地笑着。 小夭驱策体内的蛊,却没有丝毫反应,小夭气绝,这到底是她养的蛊,还是相柳养的蛊?相柳能控制她,她却完全无法控制相柳!难道蛊都懂得欺软怕硬? | A burst of cheers came, and Xiao Yao glanced casually but then her eyelids twitched. She stopped in her tracks and looked attentively. On the table, a row of wine bowls was lined up, and a group of young people were having fun competing in a drinking game. Among them, Fang Fengbei, dressed in a white silk robe, was lazily smiling. Xiao Yao tried to control the gu inside her, but it didn’t respond at all. She was exasperated. Was this gu raised by her or by Xiang Liu? Xiang Liu could control her, yet she couldn't control Xiang Liu at all! Did even the gu know how to bully the weak and fear the strong? | The sound of loud cheers reached her and Xiao Yao glanced over and her eyebrows jumped and she stopped her footsteps. She stared at a table with a bowl in the middle and lots of young men were drinking and making merry. Fang Feng Bei, wearing a white embroidered robe, was standing there with a lazy smile. Xiao Yao felt the voodoo bug in her body but got no response. Xiao Yao gave up, was she the one who raised the bug or was it Xiang Liu? Xiang Liu could control her but she couldn’t control Xiang Liu at all! Could it be that even voodoo bugs know how to fear the strong and sneer at the weak? |
blabla100:Similar to what happened in the last day in QS's town. One could say that it was only XL who was heartbroken, because out of the 2, only him knew about the love they shared togheter, XY never knew about his feelings, most of the times she thought she doesn't mean much to him. He loved her knowing their end, while she loved him without finding out about his love for her.
I imagine XY probably did feel 断肠 due to XL in that scene and several other scenes in chapter 32, not to mention many other chapters between chapter 7 (when the bug was transferred to XL) and chapter 48 (when the bugs were killed).
Think of chapter 22 when XY woke up after her 37 years of healing and XL chose to send XY directly back to Xuan Yuan without meeting her.
Think of XL telling XY that he would no longer teach her archery. Think of XL and XY parting in chapter 29 and XY feeling intensely lonely and realzing she was seeing less and less of XL.
Think of XL telling XY in chapter 32 that he found out that she was getting married two months earlier but didn't go to her then, and instead interrupted her wedding the way he did.
Think of XL telling XY in chapter 32 that FFB was "dead".
Think of XL spending so much of chapter 32 trying to convince XY that she meant nothing to him and that he was only using her. Culminating in that last scene when XY was preparing to leave XL and he made it seem like he was willing to cause her immense pain and even to threaten her life if she did not do what he said.
Think of chapter 43 when XL told XY to figure out away to break the bug connection between them before she acted like an idiot and got herself killed so that he wouldn't be forced to die with her when she died.
Think of XL seeming to have tried to assassinate CX and pushing XY to cut ties with him in chapter 46.
So I feel like there were many scenes where XY likely would have felt 断肠 due to XL.
AH :Super, super cute! A belated happy Qixi Festival to you and your daughter, liddi! ^^
AH :I'm over thinking things again, but I couldn't help but feel that your daughter's gift reminded me of XL's gift.
On one level the creation looks very cute and sweet in a way that makes one smile and feel comforted. But there is also a deeper, more emotional meaning behind it that isn't apparent to someone who sees the creation without knowing more about it. Only those who are in the know are aware of the deeper emotional meaning. And of course a lot of thought and care went into choosing and making the gift.
Actually... maybe there's one more level to it. XY created the ice crystal ball first and sent it to XL. XL later created the big-bellied laughing doll and sent it back to XY, secretly containing a modified version of the big-bellied laughing doll within it. You were familiar with the story of LYF first. Then you introduced the story to your daughter, and the two of you had a shared experience of it. Your daughter later created this fanart image, which is based on / inspired by LYF (and her understanding of the story, as augmented by having shared the experience of it with you, including her knowledge of all of the emotions that Mao Qiu conjures up for us fans now) and gifted that image to you. In both cases, there was an initial gift and then a return gift that is built around the original gift.
I can't help but see parallels. ^^"
Thank you so so much! Am so moved by the parallels you so eloquently, beautifully described. Her unexpected gift came at a very opportune time because I was actually going through a lot of stress, so her gift, which coincidentally came during Qixi brightened up my day (and the days ahead) straight away. You are right about how we have connected on a different level due to our love for LYF and Xiang Liu. However, she has still not found herself ready to continue reading past Qingshui town after the wedding robbery, nor watch S2, though she is now far more able to listen and even sing to the OST. I once pointed out that the animes she does watch are also sad with well-loved characters dying, but for her, Xiang Liu just hits different, something I totally relate to and understand.
liddi:Thank you so so much! Am so moved by the parallels you so eloquently, beautifully described. Her unexpected gift came at a very opportune time because I was actually going through a lot of stress, so her gift, which coincidentally came during Qixi brightened up my day (and the days ahead) straight away.
<3 <3
liddi:You are right about how we have connected on a different level due to our love for LYF and Xiang Liu. However, she has still not found herself ready to continue reading past Qingshui town after the wedding robbery, nor watch S2, though she is now far more able to listen and even sing to the OST. I once pointed out that the animes she does watch are also sad with well-loved characters dying, but for her, Xiang Liu just hits different, something I totally relate to and understand.
Understandable. She might be doing herself a favour by not watching S2...
As for chapter 33 - 51 (and the epilogue)... That part of the novel includes some of my favourite moments / chapters. And I feel like in some ways it might be worse to know some of the broad strokes (e.g., XL dies, XY ends up married to TSJ) without all the details than to get the full picture, including some good YaoLiu moments and comforting factors. And maybe then reading some comfort fics afterwards. But I get not wanting to subject one's self to the painful parts when one is so emotionally invested. The novel isn't going anywhere, so she has all the time in the world to wait and change her mind later if she wants. And, if she never changes her mind, that's valid too. She's lucky that she can just ask you if she has specific questions without having to read something she doesn't want to read in order to get the answer.
@AH
I can see why that ideal reading sequence is what you intended. Thank you again for crafting that wonderful epilogue. I have re-read it quite a few times now.
One of my favorite parts is how your story heavily implied that XL was intent on waiting for XY indefinitely, but the actual duration happened to be a lifetime. This is even more touching when considered in context. In one of the early chapters, XY thought to herself that no one in the world would really wait for another person for a lifetime. Everyone would eventually leave after they get tired of waiting at some point.
Rain_83223:Thank you again for crafting that wonderful epilogue. I have re-read it quite a few times now.
You're welcome! Thank you for saying so. It means a lot. ^^
Rain_83223:One of my favorite parts is how your story heavily implied that XL was intent on waiting for XY indefinitely, but the actual duration happened to be a lifetime. This is even more touching when considered in context. In one of the early chapters, XY thought to herself that no one in the world would really wait for another person for a lifetime. Everyone would eventually leave after they get tired of waiting at some point.
Ooh I quite like that observation. Yes, XL's spirit did wait a lifetime for XY before taking the next step together with XY's spirit, despite XY's doubts that any person could ever wait a lifetime for another person.
The inspiration for XL's spirit reuniting with XY's spirit that way came from two places.
In the final scene of Titanic, Rose either enters a dream or dies and enters her own version of heaven, where her spirit (young again) reunites with Jack's spirit (young as he was when he died) at the top of the grand staircase by the clock on the Titanic, restored to it's original, pre-wreck glory. It does feel like it's implied that perhaps Jack's spirit waited for Rose for the length of Rose's long life and was ready to meet her (right at the spot where he previously arranged to meet her after their dinner with the first class passengers, so that Jack could take Rose below to experience the joy and freedom of a party with third class passengers) as soon as she died.
In Once Promised and LYF, Chi You's spirit accompanied Ah Heng for ~400 years after he died. That scenario was a little bit different since his spirit accompanied Ah Heng during that time and Ah Heng wasn't able to leave the place where Chi You died (due to the effects of her sun power). But since Ah Heng was a "monster" and Chi You's spirit did not have a body, they were sort of together but not completely. Until grown up XY finally got to meet Ah Heng and then Ah Heng was able to die and her spirit could join Chi You's spirit in death and they could take the next step together.
For Xiang Liu in my fic, I want the fic readers to have freedom to come up with the explanation that they find most satisfying (or to not over-think the details, if they prefer), but I have discussed my personal thoughts with some of the participants in this thread and the fan fic thread. At least two people expressed concern about XL having to wait such a long time (2,000 years). The way I deal with that in my own personal headcanon is to think that XL's spirit was aware when XY first visited the island (not long after XL's death) and saw that all of his plans had worked out as he intended. After XY left the island, XL's spirit went into a deep sleep, like a hibernation, instead of moving on. And his spirit remained that way until it awoke when he sensed XY approaching the island again 2,000 years later. Which was when he sent the ice-crystal-ball-making-dream to her.
But if you prefer the idea that his spirit did not enter a long sleep and instead remained "awake" while he waited for 2,000 years (despite XY's belief that no one would really wait for a person for a whole lifetime), I can see how the poeticness and poignancy of that could be appealing.
In Titanic, the last scene seemed to suggest that Jack's spirit had not waited 84 years alone, and that he had been accompanied by the spirits of the other Titanic passangers that perished when the ship sank (with the nice development that class distinctions seemed to no longer matter and no longer divided the passengers in death). So perhaps in a no-hibernation scenario XL's spirit could also be accompanied by the spirits of his comrades who died with him in the final battle while he waited? Perhaps with the added development that differences in rank or species (deity / demon / human) among the fallen soldiers would not matter at all in death? Maybe even the distinctions between kingdoms would no longer matter?
By the way, I urge you to listen to this titanic sound track with vocals by Sissel Kyrkjebø. It is exactly what I imagine the merpeople's mating song to be. It sounds like an angel/siren singing of her lover and the sea: heavenly tender, ethereal, filled with love, initially tinted with a sense of longing which later subsides just as the tone becomes full of hope and joy (as if her lover has finally come back). Moreover, reading @AH's story while listening to this is an entirely new experience.
@AH
To be honest, I did not care that much about the details regarding how XL's spirit spent those 2,000 years, whether awake (and perhaps accompanied), or asleep. The process of how XL waited those 2,000 years did not matter as much to me as the plain act of him doing so. But thank you for letting me in on the thought process behind your work!
There was a LYF symposium held on 8 Aug 2024 where Tong Hua talked about her maiden foray into scriptwriting, and compares the novel which was mostly based on Xiao Yao's perspective, vs the drama, which is more of an omnipotent one:
When I wrote the novel, it was based more on a single perspective. That is, 70-80% of the time, the story was revealed based on the female lead's POV. For other characters, I would think... that is I often say that we should consider 10 parts, but what is put on paper is only 3 parts. And perhaps due to limitations in expressing through our writing, we might possibly only be able to convey 1 part to the readers. [The story of] Lost You Forever is unfolded through the lens of the female lead. In the early days I was actually reluctant when I was given the task of doing the script, because in the past, many seniors have told me that after you write the script, it is very possible that you will lose a lot of the perceptions and emotions you had when you wrote the novel. They said that scripts and novels are two very different ways of writing. Nonetheless, due to a lot of unexpected occurrences, I had to personally do this. However, when I properly started writing the script, I was very grateful that I accepted this task because it gave me an opportunity to enter the universe of "Lost You Forever" once more. Also, since the creative process of scriptwriting is different, it requires more of an omnipotent perspective. You stand together with each character and experience [what they are going through], instead of the novel's perspective which leans more towards the female lead's. As such, when I was writing the script, I revealed the buried lines of the novel. So it is equivalent to I myself living in each character's worlds a second time round. Although it was very tough at the time since it was my first time writing a script, I could only explore as I proceeded. At the time I watched a lot of famous, drama classics to learn the creative process of our seniors. However, I personally feel that it was worth it.
-- Tong Hua interview 8 Aug 2024, LYF Symposium, Beijing
The following is a news article that describes what leaders and experts at the LYF symposium had to say about LYF and why it is garnering high praise from them. From their perspectives, I am beginning to understand why LYF was adapted the way it was...
The TV Drama 'Lost You Forever': Triggering Thoughts on the Refinement of Costume Dramas"
Date: August 13, 2024
Source: China Art Daily
Author: 吴月玲 Wu Yueling
At the start of this summer vacation, the second season of the TV drama 'Lost You Forever' premiered on Jiangsu TV and Tencent Video, quickly leading the summer schedule. Its popularity on Tencent Video rapidly surpassed 30,000, continuing the success of Lost You Forever S1, which became a hit during its broadcast last summer. 'Lost You Forever' has evolved from a popular fantasy novel rooted in mythology into a television work that not only showcases ancient aesthetics but also deepens its reflection on reality and exhibits significant focus on humanistic care. Over two summer seasons, it has provided viewers with a visual feast and promoted Chinese aesthetics both domestically and internationally. On August 8, a creative symposium for the costume drama 'Lost You Forever' was held in Beijing. At the meeting, leaders, experts, scholars, and representatives of key creators spoke enthusiastically and conducted in-depth discussions and professional interpretations of 'Lost You Forever' from various angles, including refined production, Oriental aesthetics, Chinese cultural dissemination, and realist style creation. They praised its pursuit of cultural beauty, thematic depth, and cinematographic artistry, integrating objective historical elements into a fictional story, continuing the humanistic spirit and patriotism of traditional Chinese culture - the latest achievement in high quality web dramas.
The question of how to refine costume dramas is an important issue facing many creators. In practice, it is crucial to address both historical and realistic aspects. Wang Juan, Vice President of Tencent Online Video, stated, “The project team has put in a great deal of effort at every stage to make this costume drama more grounded in realism. Through realistic scenes and detailed character portrayals, the story aligns more closely with real-life logic.” In this regard, the drama’s main director, Qin Zhen, revealed, “The series underwent 15 months of detailed preparation and research during pre-production. During post-production which took over two years, we also dared not be negligent in the slightest. We hope to present 'Lost You Forever' to the audience in its most perfect form through meticulous improvement efforts.” By using an ancient perspective to metaphorically represent modern life and using contemporary characteristics to carry cultural emotions, 'Lost You Forever''s exemplary role is worth exploring. The drama’s original author and screenwriter, Tong Hua remarked, “Through the creation of the drama, we learned to use a third-person perspective to re-examine the hidden clues and worldview in the story, thus gaining a deeper understanding of the characters.” Wang Jing who is also the screenwriter of the drama believes that the creative process starts with the characters themselves. “Each character has a complete growth arc. Once the characters are well-established, the story becomes alive.”
The creation of costume dramas, while imaginative, also relies on the nourishment of traditional culture. Li Jingsheng, Vice President of the China Radio and Television Social Organisation Federation, mentioned, “'Lost You Forever' incorporates historical elements into an artificially constructed story. Using fictional imagination to portray history makes the audience feel that the background is clear, the fiction is well-founded, and the imagination is grounded.” At the same time, Li Jingsheng praised the continuation of Chinese traditional culture in 'Lost You Forever': “The depiction of characters in this work also extends the sentiment of traditional culture. When everything is settled, the scriptwriters allow Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing to fulfil their romantic destiny and retreat into the world.” Zhong Chengxiang, a member of the Central Academy of Literature and History and a well-known literary critic, said, “Costume dramas are actually a product of bridging literary traditions. Proper guidance of historical and aesthetic views is extremely important. 'Lost You Forever' advocates for peace and stability, contains national sentiment, and pure, healthy emotions, using an extremely romantic way of thinking to grasp events and create images.”
How costume dramas can resonate with young audiences is intrinsically related to reflecting and connecting with contemporary society. To Kang Wei, Editor-in-Chief of China Art Daily, under the shell of fantasy drama 'Lost You Forever' is its human aspect. “There are romantic conflicts, as well as familial redemption and reconciliation. In the end, Xiao Yao and Tushan Jing’s return to the world of the Great Wilderness is both an emotional fulfillment and a liberation of the state of life.” In addition, the drama's pursuit of self-discovery and subjectivity strongly resonates with viewers. “It echoes the current audience's quest for self-identity. The audience is asking ‘Who am I?’ in such a complex, contradictory system. This is a particularly important aspect of empathy with the audience.” Professor Lu Rong of the School of Drama, Film and Television at Communication University of China sees emotional education in 'Lost You Forever': “'Lost You Forever' has a love theme and the ability to analyse emotions. The characters grow through their experiences and are more rational in facing their emotions.” Renowned drama critic Li Xingwen sees high emotional intensity in 'Lost You Forever': “Incorporating national sentiment into the love elements of costume dramas provides a way forward for this genre, making it more profound and substantial, and able to reach a broader audience.” Yi Kai, Secretary-General of the China Television Art Committee, believes that, “Costume dramas have always been ratings hits, especially attracting the attention of young viewers. At the same time, costume dramas are more likely to be broadcast internationally. Under such circumstances, 'Lost You Forever' has a good grasp of the relationship between market and creation, achieving the mutual propulsion of costume and historical dramas, encompassing excellent Chinese traditional culture and socialist core values. As a model, 'Lost You Forever' has great exemplary and inspirational significance.”
Deputy Director Xu Yan'ning of Guangdong Provincial Radio and Television Bureau’s Television Drama Management Department stated that 'Lost You Forever' is a result of the Guangdong Provincial Radio and Television Bureau's promotion of the creation and production of high-quality Cantonese dramas, but it is by no means the end, rather a new beginning for artistic innovation and excellence.
(Edited by Wang Yao)
cr. 中国文艺网
liddi:There was a LYF symposium held on 8 Aug 2024 where Tong Hua talked about her maiden foray into scriptwriting, and compares the novel which was mostly based on Xiao Yao's perspective, vs the drama, which is more of an omnipotent one:
Oh, thank you for finding and translating this, liddi! I was so intrigued when I saw it on twitter. Now let me read your lovely translation.
Kokuto:Today, I'm determined to respond to at least one post. Lucky you, HeadintheClouds. lol
Lucky me, indeed! :-).
Unfortunately, it's been the bad kind of busy. A demanding new job and trying to learn a whole bunch of new things. I'm getting too old for this :-).
Kokuto:Which made me think we COULD get another version, sooner than than later, though it would be from another country.
I didn't like the Korean version of Bu Bu Jing Xin, although I know that it has a lot of fans. To me, It failed to capture the essence of the novel and the characters. I felt like it leaned too much into the idol romance aspect (now, that sounds familiar. LOL). I guess it was difficult to do a 1:1 adaptation since they were restricted by their history so couldn't exactly re-create the same characters. But the creeping sense of claustrophobia as the female lead finds herself increasingly trapped by history, tried as she might, just wasn't there. The shorter length didn't help with this aspect.
This reminded me that I didn't check out the Thai version. Although, I'd imagined they'd run into similar issues.
Kokuto:so many seem to prefer the more heroic characters and the oft asked for HE.
Season 2 seems like it was made by a different team to Season 1. I don't know what it was, but it feels like it was made at a later time instead of merely one product being split into two.
For me, it wasn't about wanting XY to be heroic, but rather that she didn't really grow or mature. I don't think TH writes heroic characters. Her characters are very human with flaws - something that I like about her work. I think XL is probably as close to "ideal" as you'd get from her. All of her other leads have done things that had me going "Look at your life. Look at your choices!!" LOL.
Like some people, I liked WXL, but once she became XY, she devolved instead of evolved. Her fear came to define her and she didn't seem to make any effort to overcome it. Maybe, I should say she didn't make enough effort and just accepted circumstances - using them as excuses. This isn't something that I like in real life or in a character. Coupled with a few other characteristics that I find off-putting, she is just not my cup of tea. I think her flaws outweighed her good points for me.
Kokuto:That said, I didn't feel like she was playing her abandonment card so much in S2... which made the Jing thing even more weird.
For me, it's that her mindset didn't change. For 3/4 of the story, it was "I'm an unlucky person. My mother chose something else before me." As a child, that's fine because children are self-focused. But once you're an adult, you'd think she would start to think about things differently. But still with that "My mother would leave me, but Jing never would". Come on!! What that suggested to me is that she still did not mature and learned that sometimes, as responsible adults, you have to make sacrifices.
Kokuto:I wonder, if XY would have looked better, if Jing had been more developed and less of a doormat?
Jing's lack of growth 1000% contributed to XY's lack of growth in my eyes. Because he didn't grow so he remained symbolic of her abandonment issue - her relationship with him didn't successfully evolve away from that. There were moments in the story where Jing's character could have been written to be more developed, but the author consistently chose to keep him incompetent. She killed his grandmother so Jing never really showed that he could successfully assert himself against her. XY did 95% of the work getting rid of FFYY for him (by "seducing his brother, no less - as emasculating a choice as you could get from all the writing choices possible). And FFYY killed Hou, otherwise, Jing would have been off with the fairies. Oh, then his love rival saved his ass. I mean, could this character be any more hopeless???
Did you watch The Longest Promise with Xiao Zhan? Xiao Zhan's character in there was how I'd imagined a non-faulty Jing to be. But then I realized that if Jing had been written that way, he would have really stood out. And that wasn't the role that he was meant to play in this story.
I sense that the author deliberately chose to keep Jing from developing positively and by association, XY from developing because her abandonment issue was a huge factor that stood between her and XL. If XY no longer had this fear, she would behave very differently, which would mean a very different relationship with XL. But this was not the story that the author wanted to tell.
Kokuto:As for XL. I treasured each of his appearances. Yes, even his drinking appearances, cause who doesn't love angsty quality time with Maoqiu? Okay, maybe AH didn't. ;p
Although the drama XL was not "my" XL, I still do like him. And TJC's acting was lovely and helped save some of the writing for me. He and Maoqiu make me cry more than his romance with XY. At this point, I'm watching mainly for TJC's XL.
I know that some of Jing's fans complained about XL's receiving extra scenes, but can I say, that many of XL's fans were not happy with those extra scenes that he got? Someone commented that the drama team did a great job of giving every fandom what they didn't want. LOL. It was pretty accurate.
Kokuto:And in Peach Blossom Goddess' review, she also seemed to feel the flaws were suitable for such long lived mythical characters and the source material.
It probably comes down to what each viewer wants and/or can accept from characters. Flaws are fine. I don't need She-Ra heroic from every FL. But if you're not semi-likeable, then at least be somewhat compelling. XY failed on both fronts for me. I pitied her, but that was about it. I should say that I pitied the novel XY. The novel XY came across as young, scared and helpless. She frustrated and annoyed me, but I do feel sorry for her. The drama XY can go kick rocks :-).
Kokuto:Except for the choice of Jing. That's always going to be just wrong. lol
Jing is only the right choice in Bizarro World ;-).
Rain_83223:By the way, I urge you to listen to this titanic sound track with vocals by Sissel Kyrkjebø. It is exactly what I imagine the merpeople's mating song to be. It sounds like an angel/siren singing of her lover and the sea: heavenly tender, ethereal, filled with love, initially tinted with a sense of longing which later subsides just as the tone becomes full of hope and joy (as if her lover has finally come back). Moreover, reading @AH's story while listening to this is an entirely new experience.
Thanks for sharing. ^^
Rain_83223:@AH
To be honest, I did not care that much about the details regarding how XL's spirit spent those 2,000 years, whether awake (and perhaps accompanied), or asleep. The process of how XL waited those 2,000 years did not matter as much to me as the plain act of him doing so. But thank you for letting me in on the thought process behind your work!
Lol, yep. Sometimes it's better not to over think some details. ^^
liddi:There was a LYF symposium held on 8 Aug 2024 where Tong Hua talked about her maiden foray into scriptwriting, and compares the novel which was mostly based on Xiao Yao's perspective, vs the drama, which is more of an omnipotent one:
Thank you for sharing this, liddi. It was very interesting.
liddi:When I wrote the novel, it was based more on a single perspective. That is, 70-80% of the time, the story was revealed based on the female lead's POV. For other characters, I would think... that is I often say that we should consider 10 parts, but what is put on paper is only 3 parts. And perhaps due to limitations in expressing through our writing, we might possibly only be able to convey 1 part to the readers.
liddi:Also, since the creative process of scriptwriting is different, it requires more of an omnipotent perspective. You stand together with each character and experience [what they are going through], instead of the novel's perspective which leans more towards the female lead's. As such, when I was writing the script, I revealed the buried lines of the novel.
What Tong Hua did and didn't say here is interesting. Notably, she didn't say that the drama characters were different from the novel characters. Instead, she said the drama revealed more about each character, including some of the buried lines in the novel.
This means just because NovelXL appeared to behave stoically from Xiao Yao's perspective doesn't mean he was an emotional ice cube. Thus TJC's portrayal of Drama!XL could have been a more accurate portrayal of XL's emotional range than the impression we got from NovelXL.
I also think the drama highlighted just how shady Jing was. Glad TH cleared that up :)
HeadInTheClouds:I don't think TH writes heroic characters. Her characters are very human with flaws - something that I like about her work. I think XL is probably as close to "ideal" as you'd get from her. All of her other leads have done things that had me going "Look at your life. Look at your choices!!"
I just finished Memories Scattered Across the Galaxy and I really like Luo Xun/Luo Lan. I found her character to outshine the male leads in the novel. I especially liked the morally gray Luo Lan. I think she is as compelling a character as Xiang Liu and is very comparable to Xiang Liu in many ways.
HeadInTheClouds:I should say that I pitied the novel XY. The novel XY came across as young, scared and helpless. She frustrated and annoyed me, but I do feel sorry for her. The drama XY can go kick rocks :-).
Haha, I share the same sentiment. I didn't really mind that Drama!XY behaved more stoically than NovelXY, but I absolutely hated Drama!XY's toddler-style tantrums that lasted from when Jing went missing till basically the end of the drama. Anyone who becomes that unhinged because of Jing deserves to end up with him. I find it fun to hunt for TH's buried clues about XL's reincarnation and YaoLiu's eventual reunion, but Drama!XY makes me wonder why TH is sadistic enough to subject XL to this fate.
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