ShortCircuit

Re: the forest scene. I like both scenes, lol, the book one and the drama one. The book one because it allows WWX later on to finally figure out it wasn't just an impulse for LWJ to stand by him - he was always the one longing for WWX (who, obviously and frustratingly never saw the light in his first life, lol, poor LWJ!). The drama one because I actually do like the way they show the love story - through touches and gazes and emotion-ladden moments. Any more carnal love would have tainted it a bit. Still, a kiss couldn't have been too bad. Right?... :D

As for LXC and JGY - LXC has the big brother complex. His father was the official head of the clan, but he kept confining himself so that no one actually saw him all that much. LQR, his uncle, is not acting head, LXC is, and he has to account for the burning of the Cloud Recesses and his father's death during it. LWJ can afford "some" personal freedom, like sticking to WWX even when he became the bad guy in the eyes of everyone else, but LXC can't, as the actual clan head . He trusts JGY because he saved him during the time the Wens destroyed his clan home, and maybe - just maybe - he wasn't all that manipulative with LXC as with the rest. The drama worked a bit in the direction of a more special relationship between them, but in the novel I can't see more than a sincere friendship. After all, LXC is just as much of a loner as LWJ - they have the same back story, the same type of silently enduring personality, the same kind of obsessive attachments. If he's human, he's bound to spare JGY some lenghts of trust before starting to doubt him. It just so happened that WWX was actually worth that trust for LWJ, while JGY wasn't, for LXC.

This is turning into an essay :D

Anyway, the most revealing fact that the Lan clan was struggling while rebuilding, for some years, is the way LQR allowed LWJ to keep A-Yuan :D and even get drunk and brand himself in the middle of the Cloud Recesses. If THAT didn't give him apoplexy, he had more pressing matters on his mind :D

He got another dog, the retired sister of Leo, so he has a partner. But it's not the same, and he didn't have a chance to actually mourn Leo, either. It's a short drama (or drama season) so I guess they didn't have time for mourning time and whatnot. Plus the radioactive werewolves/zombies are out there to be hunted down. We'll have to wait and see.

It's more of a setup of WWX's "defection" from the "righteous" sects than a social commentary. The Jins are the most powerful clan, they're the richest and even if the drama doesn't show it more clearly, they're the ones funding most of the Sunshot Campaign (and so Jin GuangShan gets to claim credit for the victory, and afterwards his demise seems more deserved. Because obviously how he treated women, even the wives of his subordinates, and his illegitimate son don't count enough /s. )

The Cloud Recesses are still basically burned down at this point, and the Lotus Pier in process of being rebuilt, both sects are trying to gather disciples and become important again, and only the Jins have come on top, mainly due to JGY's underhanded techniques. The Nie Clan isn't in the best position to oppose the Jin Clan even if they wanted to, because now they're allied through the heads of the clans' brotherhood. Even if LXC and LWJ would want to act for the Wens, they don't have the power to oppose all their allies.

So the point is, nobody actually could rock the boat, and even if the Jin Clan are overstepping, it takes a lot of courage and having little to lose - or being an idealistic hotshot - to call them out on it. The hunting down and killing of the Wens is happening in the book too, just as a background for Wen Ning's fate. The drama is emphasizing it to gain on the side of heroism for WWX and to paint the Jin Clan really black and show them as the hypocrites they really are.

TBH, WWX's defection in the book is a bit more darker than in the drama, if only for the continued use of the fierce corpses during and after the Sunshot Campaign - he's not really all that less savage than the Jins, all things considered. It looks like everyone who got it from him deserved it, particularly Wen Chao, but when you stop to think WWX had him eating his own flesh... ewww. So the drama used this time to darken the "righteous" sects and make us forget a bit about why WWX shouldn't be the perfect hero he looks to be when standing up for Wen people (and the Wen did actually slaughter not only the Jiang Clan, but most smaller clans too, nobody has any love for them).

Also, WWX is definitely not putting anyone in danger - he really is that good of an archer (as shown plenty of times before in the drama). Aaaand it's a bit of a dramatic turn to also make us forget there won't be any eyes-covered first kiss in the forest, either. Boo!

They killed his dog... If he doesn't go John Wick on them, then it'll be a bust.

Also, I think they're hinting heavily at radioactive werewolves/zombies. Werewolves would be a plus, IMHO. Let's just go with radioactive werewolves!

So, does anyone else get VERY strong vibes of ”Cyrano de Bergerac” from the first two eps? (Well, minus the nose thing.). Not that I expect anybody to actually die - fingers crossed - but HJP really acts like Cyrano, NDS is Christian and SDM is Roxane. There are the letters, the misunderstanding, and I bet there'll be some shenanigans where HJP will help out NDS in winning's SDM's trust and eventual love.

I don't really like the play all that much though, so I hope the drama veers off this trail soonest, please. I don't want to see any noble idiots either, and if both guys fall for her and she can't have her harem then she'd better not pick anyone. If I were to choose a favourite so far, I'd pick HJP's younger version. Was Nam Da Reum playing LJS's character's younger version in ”While You Were Sleeping”? He grew up well. I'd love to see him in bigger parts.

First comment ever here - because it's Xiao Zhan's b-day and it needs to be celebrated.

Happy birthday, Xiao Zhan! (from an European fan).