Saffy88

Continuing shout-out to ZZH. See interview where he talks about how ZZS is a complicated, multi-layered - "under 2000 layers of ash" - character : https://youtu.be/eZB-HkLeTZM

IKR - I too got the girl vibes from him........and indeed what's with the OTT makeup in chinese period dramas for both men and women? They really need to stop using red eyeshadow - the effect is too ghastly on asian skin tones...........

Ummm what's one got to do with the other? Scratch head emoji.............

It was ZZH from the start for me too..........hope he gets more great wuxia roles like these where he can show more of his acting range and can literally let his hair down rather than imposing, cold, arrogant, stoic prince types.

Totally agree - a shoutout to ZZH/ZZS is definitely in order. I too find his character much more interesting and as have said in earlier comments, with his flowing hair and flowing costume, he is totally hot on screen. ZZS' arc shows him letting go of his previous self-imposed restraints due to his job as secret service/praetorian guard chief, and it's wonderful when he realises (as he says in the novel) that he just wants to be a bastard after all :) The fart line improv by ZZH at the end of the first fight with WKX was totally on point - LOL - too bad they glossed over that in the subbing. At the same time, there's also a more commanding aura about him and he is for me, just the more compelling character to watch.
GJ is great as an actor in this too, but the character WKX is just a little too showy and his "psychoness" if one can call it that, lurks not far from the surface. Kudos to GJ for being able to turn that on and off in an instant.
Interestingly ZZH actually wanted to play WKX but the idea was turned down. All's well that ends well - can't imagine a ZZS not played by him.

Thanks to the clips analysed by Chinese Star News I've become aware of the many poetic references used. WKX for eg is constantly spouting classical poetry in his flirting with ZZS, weaving it in very naturally, so I'm learning quite a bit about classical Chinese poetry. (Even funnier in the novel, the side couple is constantly misquoting poetry to each other which is probably why they find themselves on the same wavelength, to the amusement/bemusement of the other characters in the novel.) Am also learning quite a bit about gay cultural references in Chinese culture through the Easter eggs in the episodes. The series is really making my ancestral culture that much more interesting and accessible - LOL.
I also love the fighting scenes and don't mind the slow-motion bits at all (which have been criticised) - anyone who has watched The Matrix would also have been subject to this kind of slowing down of action bits to emphasize particular moves - who can forget Trinity's pas de chat for eg. I think the choreography of the fight scenes esp the flirt-fight scenes is really well done and beautiful - just like a ballet. Lots of mirroring and bantering/rebuttal in the moves which mirror their spoken/unspoken feelings and hints at their intertwined fates. One could also talk about the scene where WKX catches ZZS' sword - you'll have to watch it to appreciate the moment :) Suffice to say this will definitely rank as an all-time wuxia favourite for me.

Can’t believe that the 2 were apparently not the original actors slated for the roles. Having seen them now cannot imagine ZZS and WKX played by anybody else.

ZZH is also my favourite in this drama although am awed by GJ’s versatility as an actor. ZZH’s character is so much more unrestrained than his previous roles as the cold, aloof prince etc. It’s a revelation and sheer pleasure to watch. The looser hairstyle and costume are also adding to his hotness on screen.

Yes, painful slow excruciating death......LOL. Feel like have gone back in time to the days of TV dramas when you had to wait for one episode a day at 7pm.

Another great episode - now facing a desert till next Monday.......can’t believe this will drag on till May at the rate of current release. Talk about slow torture!

Sleuth of Ming Dynasty is also not bad - a kinda cop drama set in Ming Dynasty done by Jackie Chan. There're actually 3 MLs in that and their interactions are hilarious.

Not sure that they need to have a super expensive platform for international viewers. When Rebel Princess was first showing China Zone had a subscription only advance release using their youtube platform..........it does mean however that youku has to get its translation done properly and on time. So that's probably where more investment should go to - more and better translators. And yes they are indeed doing a better job than Mango TV which either doesn't sub for a long time or subs atrociously, to the point of LMAO. It's quite likely that WOH will be picked up either by Netflix and/or Amazon Prime - don't know how that process works but youku should maybe try selling the rights to them sooner rather than later. I remember when Longest Day in Chang'an was on air, Amazon was also totally up-to-date with the episodes, and definitely faster than viki at that time.

Yes, I also read the post that they had no budget for fake rain although apparently they were using some fake rain and then the weather obliged with some real rain as well...........but honestly it just goes to show you don't need a big budget to have a hit when you have a well-written script and great actors who can pull it off.

ZZH today, tomorrow, always.......

The subbed ep 9 has not come out yet - we are all waiting for Monday when the next episode (9) is released. The schedule is 1 episode per day Mon-Thurs and then only 3 episodes a week from March 15 (ugh). In the meantime, I'm reading the translated novel...............

Apparently it may be cos they've kept it really low-profile pre-release and even now not promoting it too much. If they did, it would probably be subject to more heavy-handed censorship. Fingers crossed authorities don't try to step in when they suss what a hit it has become and the buzz it's generated.

Yes I read that too. Currently it's at 8.6 on douban

Don't mind paying as long as they release every day.............they've turned us into desperate junkies!

No more subbed episodes till Monday.......agonizing wait - and apparently they're going to cut that down to 3 episodes a week only from March 15 -yikes! Patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue..........if one repeats that often enough, perhaps one will believe it LOL!

Totally agree. I'm just surprised so many people are only zeroing in on the romance they expected and wanting a monogamous romantic story when in fact that romantic ideal was totally alien to traditional Chinese culture - instead of appreciating the storyline. Possibly people are looking for a repeat of Under the Power where Seven Tan was running around freely as a constable fighting and bickering with Allen Ren in the Ming Dynasty. But I like this storyline too cos we get to see the other side and probably the more common fate of women in the Ming Dynasty. Wallace Chung's character is also uncommon - he does not like the fawning ways of the harem and every move they make to gain his favour merely deepens his disdain and makes him more distant. And he also dares to support his wife in the face of the favourtism showed by his mother for Qiao when probably most men would just back off and leave those "women" matters alone. Am looking forward to more episodes.....