Xiang Liu and Xiao Yao’s Story and Romance

 Kokuto:

Haven't commented, but wanted to say I'm loving all the Once Promised discussion and translations (thanks liddi!).  Reading them, I'm stunned that they did that book first.  It's got so much more magic and battles and CGI.  I'm not so sure that the LYF crew could do it now.  They seem like two very different stories.

 H19279:

Honestly, CGI of LYF season 1 was not good. 

You're welcome! I am just glad to be able to ramble about it. My only regret is that it took me so long before I properly read the book. Hopefully I'll get to finish it some time soon, though with S2 around the corner, I would probably be distracted at least until that drama has finished airing.

You make a good point about the CGI. A Life Time Love's CGI is also painful to sit through, but while I think LYF does a pretty good job with the creatures (mini Furball, feifei and the fox are adorable), other aspects of its CGI are not as impressive. I still cringe when I think of the CGI of Xiang Liu giving his essential life blood during the 37-year healing. That is the issue when they choose to rob us of all 444 kisses, replacing it with a water tap equivalent instead. Gah.

That being said, Once Promised and LYF are very different - be it in terms of its world building, narrative and characters. While the world of Once Promised is grandiose, replete with a richness in characters across all spectrums of morality, and a focus on the supernatural beings and worlds of the Great Wilderness, and the different powers that were in use, LYF is far more muted, introspective and intimate, be it in terms of its politics, its narrative,  or even the characters. Where Once Promised boasts of characters which are larger than life, bold, passionate and unafraid, LYF focuses on characters who are forced to be restrained be it due to their bloodline, their responsibilities, or their situations. Chi Chen and A Heng's passionate moments remind me again how chaste LYF is in that respect, and so much of what we do have is implied rather than described.

 liddi:

I still cringe when I think of the CGI of Xiang Liu giving his essential life blood during the 37-year healing. That is the issue when they choose to rob us of all 444 kisses, replacing it with a water tap equivalent instead. Gah.

They also robbed us hundred of air-passing when the two of them had an excursion under the sea for 10 hours after transplanting for lovers' bug. LOL

 liddi:

The following passage is extremely informative in explaining the political landscape of the Great Wilderness leading up to the start of the Xuan Yuan-Shen Nong war.

It is. Thank you for translating and sharing!

 liddi:

Your Royal Father's first meritorious minister Zhi Mo is a demon from Gao Xin who was despised in Gao Xin because of his humble origins. Yet he assisted your Royal Father in achieving Xuan Yuan's hegemony, and was bestowed the title of 'Teacher of the Emperor'.

 liddi:

Yan Zhuan was appointed as the General of the Western Expedition, commanding five hundred deities, three thousand demons and fifty thousand humans to reclaim the lost lands from Xuan Yuan.

So interesting to see how demons are viewed, treated and included in these circumstances. 

It sounds like in Xuan Yuan even a demon of humble origins (and from another kingdom) could be welcomed into the royal court and achieve very high status if he had talent and made achievements. 

In Shengnong army, do you think the numbers of deities vs. demons vs. humans would have been reflective of how powerful and/or how numerous those groups were in Shengnong?

 AH :

In Shengnong army, do you think the numbers of deities vs. demons vs. humans would have been reflective of how powerful and/or how numerous those groups were in Shengnong?

There is a bit of society background in this matter. 

Sheng Nong or Gaoxin was founded very long time ago and the society had various classes. The politics, society has hierchical structure. People sometimes were promoted and used due to their aristocratic background. 

Chi You was hated by the youth in Shen Nong peak when he first came there due to his "low class". Later, abeilt being the most powerful general, he did not get much respect from other general.  When the previous Flame Emperor passed away, Chi You wanted to changed the army from its roots since the "high class" soldiers did not obey him. He changed the structure of the society by valueing people based on their ability, not their origin. 

Shaohao also saw the conservative trend in Gaoxin vs. the progressive trend in Xuan Yuan. And how successful a progressive trend could bring. He wanted to apply it in Gaoxin, but he also saw the polarization in society happening in ShengNong when Chi You conducted the change too suddent and fast. Xuan Yuan army as well as the goverment used a lot of talented indiviuals regardless of their origin because their own leader also came from "ordinary" background. 

 Kokuto:

After reading about that fight in the quarry where CX's identity was revealed, I was stunned.  I still enjoyed it very much in the drama, but man, what was in the book...  O_O

But regardless, they really didn't do some of the CGI well.  Though I did think Furball was excellent, and as I said, the subtle effects that made the landscape shots gorgeous.  It seemed like the budget (and maybe time) was limited, but what they focused on worked well.  What they didn't .... not so well.

It is said they spend a lot of budget to built Qing Shui Town. Not much left for the CGI :D. The sea, coastal beach looks fake, the notorious essential blood tap, the claim shell doesn't match what was describled in the book. They delibrately made the claim shell very big thus distancing XL and XY in 37 years under the sea

 H19279:

It is said they spend a lot of budget to built Qing Shui Town. Not much left for the CGI :D. The sea, coastal beach looks fake, the notorious essential blood tap, the claim shell doesn't match what was describled in the book. They delibrately made the claim shell very big thus distancing XL and XY in 37 years under the sea

That town set was amazing!  But then they tore it down!  Unbelievable!  And so sad.  :(

Well, I'm sure the censors would have had something to say if it was a cozy and 'rocking' clamshell.  lol

I did like the undersea flight from Haolin, though.  That was fantasy gorgeous.

I wish I had hopes that they took the time and money to improve the CGI for season 2, but I doubt it.  smh

 Kokuto:

That town set was amazing!  But then they tore it down!  Unbelievable!  And so sad.  :(

Well, I'm sure the censors would have had something to say if it was a cozy and 'rocking' clamshell.  lol

I did like the undersea flight from Haolin, though.  That was fantasy gorgeous.

I wish I had hopes that they took the time and money to improve the CGI for season 2, but I doubt it.  smh

they can’t change the filming but adding cgi where it should be can be done. Especially when they got a lot of success and made a lot of money from season 1 and potentially season 2 too.