AleksandraSucur

When there's an overall scarcity of good dramas such as we suffer lately, a return to oldies but goodies is just normal...

You are right, I was just adding a little bit of "salt to the injury" (don't have emojis on this keyboard to express moods). Indeed, this actor is a good veteran, too, but that outfit belongs only to the JOL's emperor. Lets hope we'll see the 2nd season soon enough.

Hi, dear PeachBlossomGoddess! So, we are watching this one now, LOL.
Just to add smth off-topic, Chen Daoming is the most suitable Chinese actor for the emperors' roles in general. And not only "Chinese", I perfectly imagine him playing Octavian's role in Shakespeare's "Julius Ceaser", nobody would notice he is an East Asian, that's how good and convincing is the "imperial demeanor" of this actor, this unforgettable Liu Bang. You are unfair to compare anybody to him, because there's no actor up to his level for these kind of roles.

thank you for this info. In Italy, 42% of households keep at least one pet: there are more pets (65M) than people (60M), LOL. But among pets, there are 10M cats and 13M microchiped dogs, let's add 2M unregistered, we'll get 16,5% households with dogs and cats. It's not a huge difference, you are catching up fast in everything :))))

yes, I can understand why they can afford to be so careless with "western-historical details", but the dogs? In Italy the first couple of American pitbull was imported/got the necessary authorization only in mid-80' and the first breeding farm was established only in 1996, followed by years of incessant articles and tv talks on its "origin" and how "dangerous" is this sort of dog... I assume these things happened also in China (where most probably they were introduced even later) and Chinese audience (or at least, Chinese dog-lovers) could know it. Lu Yang is 44 and not a beginner, it's normal to question the use of such a recent sort in his drama. It's not carelessness any more, it is sloppiness, it's not giving a sh**

You are right about languages. If you haven't pointed out, I would not notice the directors created Brotherhood of Blades and Hidden Fox.... or that the eunuch was that one - I know the story but it's difficult to connect through names which are difficult to memorize without being a Mandarin speaker. As for European history... I was overthinking, there are too many inaccuracies in this drama to assume the authors used Spanish instead of Portuguese because they've known about the Iberian Union. It was just a coincidence. In terms of accuracy, this drama is as cheap as its poor cinematography. Not that I've expected accuracy in a story with mutants, but if you set up the story in late Ming, you can't use the dogs (American pitbulls) that didn't exist until late 19th , the guns and dresses from 18th century and what to say about this imitation of Black Pearl sails from Pirates of the Caribbean? This typical American-movie invention may be fine for phantasy stories on pirates (btw. in that movie sails on official vessels were accurate, with right coat-of-arms), black sails didn't exist until our times, produces in higly sophisticated carbonate. There were few battles in hystory when one of the forces PAINTED sails in black to decrease its visibility while approaching the enemy during the night, but never ever any vessel sailed with black sails...
I think I'll drop it now, I'll eventually read your opinions and decide weather to recatch up

I was wondering what to watch (after THAT one) and here I find familiar names. Maybe I can solve the mystery behind the use of Spanish. The late Ming dynasty coincides with the period of sc. Iberian Union, i.e. a personal union of two kingdoms/empires and their respective colonies under the Spanish branch of Habsburg dynasty (Phillip II et al.). Although the two states remained formally independent of each other (they had their own courts, judicial system, local administration), Portugal gradually became subservient for 2 reasons: 1. strong Portuguese dependency on income from their colonies which 2. induced other colonial forces (Dutch) to start overtaking them (Brazil, East Indies including Ceylon, Africa and Spanish enganging too much in wars for Portugal (with subsequent demands to turn Portugal into a simple royal province). Portugal lost its ground in Cortes, and Spanish language was largely used in colonial affairs (ministry of Indies) and warfare.
Now I must see this drama...

You make me die, lol 🤣😂

excellent summary!

Liao is a river that gave name to a Khitan-led dynasty and its country. Khitans are related to Mongolians. River Liao gave name to other geographical terms: Liáoníng, Liáoxī, Liáodōng etc.
Khitay/Cathay (still used in some languages) is the name used for China in Middle Age, Marco Polo calls the Yuan dynasty empire "Catai", and it was still used after Ming took power (eg. the 14th century Catalan Atlas calls it Catayo). Name "China" entered European languages only after Portuguese explorations in South-East Asia, where locals still called it after Qin, because they were in contact with it for thousands of years.

I agree. Besides, Chinese productions are limited, they probably had no sufficient episodes left to show details that may have occurred causing such a huge change.

You "know" it just like that, you expect the change of record, for the sake of changing the record/mood? Things happen for a reason, there must be cause-effect logics between events, if not - that's just the bad writing...

I wrote a review yesterday, trying not to throw away a baby with dirty water, cutting the last 6 eps & pretending the creators didn't massacred the "baby" they (and us) cared for so much. Because I (and I can see you, too) appreciate their hard work on building up the story.
Here I've reacted to what you've stated about craftsmanship with reference to the use of "so much comedy" in a tragedy-to-come. I wished to point out that it is TOO MUCH comedy for a tragedy, and it's problem, it's a LACK of "craftsmanship". The craftsmanship was shown in other aspects, not in this one. The comedy and tragedy "tastes" differently, they hit different neural receptors, creating opposite feelings. A writer must be very cautious when mixing opposite "ingredients",, what (quality) and how much (quantity) must use. If you spread a little bit of honey over grilled pork ribs, you will improve their taste, if you put it too much, or other sweety stuff, you'll make a disaster, you won't be able to eat it. The use of elements of comedy in a tragedy is called "comic relief" and this use is necessary to make a break between tense, harsh or bloody scenes. Comic relieves are used even in one of the most brutal tragedies of all times, Macbeth (when porter jumps in with repetitive: "ah, here's a knocking indeed" or when three witches make funny spells like double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble). The audience nonetheless is still aware they are watching a tragedy and still feel "a good taste" of it. Unfortunately, this didn't happen in this drama, after so much fun and attachment to the characters, the audience wasn't mentally prepared and didn't expect to be hit so hard. :)

The craftsmanship was shown until ep 34: pace, storyline, subplots, dialogues and actions displaying characters. After that - independently of its ending - the storyline completely crashed. Some people still don't want to admit that fact: what was happening in last 6 eps, didn't have any sense at all. And the authors put a lot of effort in making sense in all previous plots, they've treated this fiction as reality, just hinting from time to time it's still a work of fiction - using parody and musical scenes (the leaf on the face, forging a sword, LSS's funny dance). What is not believable in last 6 eps: possibility of massing such a huge troups without being noticed, the entire Beipan invasion was a crap, no inside work beside that idiot prince (as if opening of the gates of one city decides the success of attack), no plans (the prince's plan was to pay tribute to Beipan - this is in total contrast with the ambition of his father, whose plans were to conquer all other states), and these two later come together (on which basis exactly?), LTG's decision to kidnap and marry Ruyi is another huge nonsense, especially because it happened in the middle of chaos and he is in charge of Yulin army, supposed to oppose the invasion... and so on, events simply lost cause-effect logics. Nothing made sense, nothing "realistic-like" was present any more.
Returning to genres, it's better to keep the story inside one genre because pastiches are a risky job. In kitchen, you can try to create one if you are a top gourmet chef, who knows everything not only about the taste and cooking procedure but also about nutritional properties of different ingredients, but if you are not, stick to the renowned recipe. There are contrasting ingredients which will make your guests sick. You can't present fish meat and icecream in the same dish. As well as you can't mix comedy and tragedy. The story started as a nice attempt to create a pastiche: wuxia mixed with romance, friendship, reflections on attachments and loyalties, a little bit of psichology within a lot of action. It functioned until the audience enjoyed it, i.e, felt the made sense and was realistic-like. When the logics stopped, no wonder the audience felt sick.

I like wuxia genre and I can also claim "I know it", but didn't expect the last 6 eps making no sense at all

my advice: don't. For 34 eps, the story was delievered, educated, made it grow, and then... they simply massacred it

enlighten us, how did you know...

Watch 36 episodes and you will enjoy a great story. Then, my advice, drop it. From 37-40, the story makes no sense any more. It is not the matter of ending, everything that happens in last 6 episodes looks like it belongs to some other, different story.

I've dropped WoL, too many things didn't make sense imo. I don't have any preference for endings, if it (the story + ending) makes sense (again) I like tragedies, too. I prefer Shakespeare's tragedies (Macbeth in particular) than his comedies. Antigona is my preferite ancient greek drama, I am a great reader & fan of wuxia (darker and deadlier as possible)... That's the point, the ending is unfit for this story

I've put it under spoiler although it isn't necessary now when all eps are out. Didn't know the ending is a question of belief. Actually, authors may decide for an open ending, or offer multiple endings, but if it's a matter of belief, I prefer to believe drama should have ended with ep. 36. 😑