TaianD suggested I put this comment in the discussion board so I thought why not because I also like sharing Xiao Zhan's thoughts because his perspective on his characters and life in general are always thought-provoking to me. This is not a post to tell you how to feel about the writing or the ending or that you need to agree with him just because he is the ML-- just wanted to share what he's been saying about his character in interviews that I think resonate with his own personality as well.
I caught up to most of people's reactions here and other places after finishing the show and I would say watching XZ interviews and his interpretation of the story changed the perspective of Shi Ying's fate I originally had. People would say the blood oath spell and tribulations were useless in the end if the main couple didn't get to live out their lives together, which yes I totally get that point because we are the viewers and we want to see our main couple stay together after all the shit they've been through. I can also see how the drama-only final sacrifice feels crammed in for maximum angst. So if someone didn't the ending they hoped for that means the emotions and time invested into this drama were all for nothing. That is probably the practical conclusion a viewer will make after the first time finishing this show, but I would like to share Xiao Zhan's perspective that might make you appreciate other aspects of the drama. In a Baidu interview XZ was asked to rate how miserable Shi Ying is and he surprisingly says: "[Shiying] is not really miserable, it's all due to his own choices, so I don't think he's miserable" and that interpretation struck a chord in me. He also says he finds this drama unique because the main characters are mortals with one life so the choices they make are precious. And this mindset would resurface in interviews, his personal goodbye message to Shi Ying, and his studio promotional material where there is a big emphasis on Shi Ying having no regrets with the choices he made.
After watching that video I thought back to the moments in ep 40 where Zhu Yan and Shi Ying were so down to put their lives on the line for each other and would profess: "Encountering you was the happiest thing that happened to me." And I think that's part of why XZ attributes these acts of self-sacrifice to Shi Ying having no regrets with how determined both characters were in protecting their loved one and KongSang. I just think it's interesting how everyone has different interpretation of the character's journey and their fate. You will hate it if you had the novel to compare it to and wanted to see the main couple living out their lives together and continue the family line. But with XZ's interpretation I can tell he really admires Shi Ying's headstrong determination to change the fate of Kong Sang's downfall through his own sacrificial choices, even when he was already given a second chance of life with his loved one. Plus as an actor he probably did not put so much weight on what went down in the novel as we can see how different his Shi Ying and story events turned out. It is his interpretation of the Shi Ying written for the drama that matters the most in the end. I think it's just funny how as viewers we pity Shi Ying for his tragic life from beginning to "end" while the actor sees Shiying having a fulfilling life albeit short-lived. NOT SAYING people's takes are right or wrong here, just wanted to include perspective from the actor himself which I found to be interesting and different from viewers which added another perspective to the story. Also just wanted to appreciate how deeply he analyzes his characters pov and motivations.
So to connect this all to the actor himself, I would say this kind of mindset is expected from Xiao Zhan. He never pities himself for circumstances out of his control and wants to live life with no regrets, so this is probably how he personally connected to Shi Ying's story. There were times he was asked if he would go back to the past if he could (which hits hard when you remember he was the target of massive cyberbullying campaign that forced him to work in secret) and he always refuses because living in the past would trap people in a cycle of negativity. The way he maintains a positive mindset on life after all he's been through to focus on improving himself is why he is such an admirable person to follow. Which is also just how Shi Ying does not want to stay stuck in the past that haunts him and dedicates his life on being a priest instead. To me he wants to remember Shi Ying for the accomplishments and legacy he left behind that protected the people and world he loved, which I think personally resonates with him. As a fan following him closely for years I would say there was an unpredictable period of time of him transitioning back to the limelight after his scandal and it must have been hard on him to be known as "the actor who lost it all" and anyone who talked about him or interacted with him was subject to criticism but he never let his struggles show in public to invite pity or let his antis feel victorious. Fast forward two years later to 2023 he has already established himself to the public and the industry as a dedicated serious actor who is still genuine to himself even with his unstoppable popularity and his likelihood has no more reason to be overshadowed by his biggest scandal.
Klio:
