don’t think so.. apparently it was inspired by the director’s love of video games because that’s how generals…
Yes, I read that they were gamers. I feel like that influences the way they feel about war -- it isnt masses of people rushing at each other, but one on one moments. Probably in games and animes the feathers have gone into another level of significance-- images morph like that.
I don't know if they are historically accurate, but I think I saw them in another drama too
I read that the feathers together with the special headset to hold them on are standard indicators (i.e. one look and you know the character)in opera for a general/military hero. What I thought was cool is that there is an art in opera to indicating your emotions with your feathers -- pride, surprise etc.
When I saw the Marquis first wearing them when he enters the military camp (in Yanzhou?) for the first time I was looking for the sign language but he seemed so dejected and tired ...in the entry into the capital he had them bobbing along proudly and properly.
If it is an official account then the point is not to target Zhang Linghe, but to curtail the 'female general' plot popularity in future, and probably put a damper on the female-centric plots as well. The govt has been consistent in condemning the 'feminization' of Chinese men for years. It is creepy and bizarre but it isnt about the actor. . The comments of the public are directed at the actor's image before and after the filming; ZLH is also a model and is consistently underweight, like many actors. ZLH gained weight and transformed his stance and posture for the role of the Marquis, and in the show Pursuit of Jade looks very much like what he is, a man nearing 30 years old.
It is a pity that such an elegant and popular show should have been chosen for this sort of official criticism. "It got too big" say some, or, it is big enough not to suffer too much from the official and indirect criticisms.
However, 0dds are ZLH will soon be doing those obligatory movies with plots involving the battles of the Chinese military. And NO WOMEN ALLOWED!
new list possibility, alternate titles for the sequel. (T102 said) NingNing and the Falcon. Mine arent very good. Babe of the North. Li Huai'an meets his Destiny. The Rose Hairpin. (not sure what flower actually?) Happy Families. With Gongsun Yin and Qi Shu's many children.
I felt bad fo Li Huai An. I think he deserved a better ending.
Oh shoot, I forgot him. I did write a note beforehand. Me too, I felt bad for him. But he actively colluded with QiMin. Those who plotted against the state were executed, Wei Yan, QiMin, and Tutor Li got executed. Their remaining families all escaped judgement.
Li Huai'An only followed orders, but neverthe less could have had Bao-er killed. This may be a moral point -- you must follow your conscience in these grand matters? He was exempted from execution, and I am not sure why? He feels his guilt and so he gave all the families wealth away? Or was the clan demoted?
Maybe the good ending is his repentance, I felt my inner voice saying, "well, maybe he will meet a nice girl up in the north..".
How did Qi Min survive the fall? And why is Qian Qian nice to him in the end? Very weird
You were in the alternate ending, where he throws up at the sight of her? Otherwise in the main narrative he is in prison awaiting execution or whatever?
NOT THE NETFLIX WEEKLY C HART. THE WEEKLY NON-ENGLISH TOP TEN CHART. GET IT RIGHT. Or be a just a paid commercial…
ok, sorry. Endless repetitions of false fact are so annoying though.
POJ is a really really great show but not yet in the top ten worldwide on Netflix. Flixpatrol, which receives the data (all aggregated, not the separate Tudum lists) and does the rankings, doesnt have IQIYI data.
The Flixpatrol top ten listings have kept POJ reliably in the TOP TWENTY for Netflix. The highest so far was in 14th place WORLDWIDE, which is heck of a good rating. But 14 is not 10.
On Flixpatrol, to find the worldwide standing out of the top 20 or so for any great show which you think is trending , if you click on the link for the show within individual countries where it is in the top ten.
The list of greatest shots will have to wait for several rewatches. But those who have already accomplished the rewatches may have more knowledgeable choices, although it is always personal, how a visual hits. More list-making possibilities. Favorite symbols? Favorite magical tools?
Ep40 it wouldnt have been a ZQJ show without the consistent blend of fantasy and realism at the end.
Generally speaking... I just finished watching the show so I dont want to parse it exactly for fear of making mistakes, but...
here are the factors:
POJ was always POV ChangYu, and so ZQJ's really elegant take on the female-centric genre is a joy to behold.
POJ's style may also be shared by other shows, but maybe not, I dont know. The director ZQJ was masterful at controlling the tonal balance. For the outsider the best explainer is that techniques and modes from what is called 'Chinese horror' in the west or sometimes Laozhai-style have become as of now possible turns in costume drama and heroic fantasy.
POJ was always about love, not about heroism. More war's effects than anti-war, it also touched on ideas of a just war and on the necessities of military duty with respect and love. So politics and the narrators'/viewers' opinions about them are scarily real, but the action and the plot all hinge on love. Unlike most costume dramas lately corruption was not the backbone of motivation. Filial piety, greed for power, pride and paranoia instead made for a really satisfying intellectual experience.
Specifically speaking Ep40 Super-interestingly, separate wrap-ups of various strands in the story were extremely distinct -- differences in lighting, sound and structure. I really liked this effect because it tickles my 'THIS IS NEW' instincts. It also showcased the director's skill in handling all the different tonal structures which he has shown such masterful control of in this production. Comedy, tragedy, irony, fairytale, shadings of horror and heroic fantasy.
The various wrap-ups, not in any particular order. 1. The simplest and clearest was the main couple. What is in fact a visit back to Xigu Alley for the main couple does not preclude their plans to settle in the northwest and rebuild Lin'An (haha, miles to the south but oops, the Marquis reclaimed the lost 16 prefectures before the show began, didnt he?). Since POJ was POV CHangYu all the way through the show, here when she makes her mini triumphal entry, all the dead revive for a few seconds in a rosy haze and Yan Zhang is waiting for her dismount. She promises the dear Zhaos that she will always be with them. No details on how, but if the viewer hasnt learned how to swing with the ZQJ way, whine on. All of their planning has gone well so far, so even the Marquis' planned military posting in the northwest is included -- she wont let him go out alone, so she continues as the not-really-official fighter alongside him in a fairytale way.
In the alternate ending for ChangYu, we see that no matter what, the fairytale love would still have happened. The lack of a role for the hairpin demands an extra scene to be aired later, its absence is so loud I kept shrieking, show the gift, show the gift!
2. WEi Yan. Oh Wei Yan. Deep in the dungeon he awaits death. He narrates the heart of the imperial events which created this story over a game of Go with Grand Tutor Tao. Our couple over hear this. It could be that the scene is their memory, but similarities to their overlook inside the palace after the coups (intentional plural) makes their presence seems more like the act of the story's narrators. The blue ribbon of storytelling.
Wei Yan's love affair and the doom of Prince Chengde have already been emotionally dealt with in the previous episode. In ep40 his personal tragedy is felt. The question of whether he deserves reincarnation is a live issue for me. I think that the show's message is that justice demands he not return as a human. But somehow the viewers in this style have the right to love WEi Yan anyway, despite his crimes. Makes you think, hmm?
The alternate ending for WeiYan is wrapped within the main couple strand. Since he is really, justly, and very very dead in the show's main narrative, his resurrection only makes sense as a fantasy redo of family ties.
3. As for the toxic and doomed lovers, Yu QianQian and QiMin, the show gives them the best weeper ending, since the warm ending(s) for ChangYu and Yan Zheng is a sentimentally satisfying one.
In the alternate ending these two get the funniest roles. They deserve it. I loved them.
4. The Empire and its problems. Yu QianQian makes the difficult decision to accept her fate, which technically sets up the final solution of the ruling crisis. She becomes the empress regent along with the main couple, even though they logically must live only part-time in the capital. Bao-er and NingNing happily have a normal childhood running around the palace. Let us hope the falcon, now Ning's instead of Gongsun Yin's does not get too fat to fly.
4. Qi Shu, the previous Grand Princess, visits her now completely insane brother, Qi Sheng. Cdrama watchers worried that his food was poisoned, but no, a refraction of QiMin occurs, but a cheerful one. Qi Sheng now satisfactorily plays the role of a mad but now harmless (ex-)emperor. We do not see Qi Shu's marriage and life with Gongsun. Their last love scene (2 or 3episodes before) will have to do, and it was a very nice scene. AS a plotline outside of the novel's dramas, they had planned to go live in obscurity in the north as soon as the crisis was over, so this, along with the hairpin and the falcon's descendants, will have to wait for NingNing and Bao-er's sequel..
I tried some 3 word reviews of my favourites, describing both the actors' performances and the characters they played, but I couldnt stay between the lines exactly.
ZLH as Xie JiuHeng: manly, true lover TXW as Fan ChangYu: strong, expressive, faithful DK as QiMin: sensual, complex, madman KX as Yu QianQian: sincere, soft, strong YYK as Wei Yan: magnetic, dramatic, handsome LQ as Gongsun Yin: a guy to adore and be adored by LMR as SuiYuanQing: a man to keep your eyes on (definitely outgrown diapers) CQM as Wei Sheng and SZ as Xie Wu: minor hotties, henchmen so ready for extensive amplification of their roles.
1 
1 
Probably in games and animes the feathers have gone into another level of significance-- images morph like that.
When I saw the Marquis first wearing them when he enters the military camp (in Yanzhou?) for the first time I was looking for the sign language but he seemed so dejected and tired ...in the entry into the capital he had them bobbing along proudly and properly.
.
The comments of the public are directed at the actor's image before and after the filming; ZLH is also a model and is consistently underweight, like many actors. ZLH gained weight and transformed his stance and posture for the role of the Marquis, and in the show Pursuit of Jade looks very much like what he is, a man nearing 30 years old.
It is a pity that such an elegant and popular show should have been chosen for this sort of official criticism. "It got too big" say some, or, it is big enough not to suffer too much from the official and indirect criticisms.
However, 0dds are ZLH will soon be doing those obligatory movies with plots involving the battles of the Chinese military. And NO WOMEN ALLOWED!
POJ has made it today to #12 on the Flixpatrol worldwide Netflix ranking.
If only it would catch on in Brazil, Japan and Mexico.
(T102 said) NingNing and the Falcon.
Mine arent very good.
Babe of the North. Li Huai'an meets his Destiny.
The Rose Hairpin. (not sure what flower actually?)
Happy Families. With Gongsun Yin and Qi Shu's many children.
Li Huai'An only followed orders, but neverthe less could have had Bao-er killed. This may be a moral point -- you must follow your conscience in these grand matters? He was exempted from execution, and I am not sure why? He feels his guilt and so he gave all the families wealth away? Or was the clan demoted?
Maybe the good ending is his repentance, I felt my inner voice saying, "well, maybe he will meet a nice girl up in the north..".
POJ is a really really great show but not yet in the top ten worldwide on Netflix. Flixpatrol, which receives the data (all aggregated, not the separate Tudum lists) and does the rankings, doesnt have IQIYI data.
The Flixpatrol top ten listings have kept POJ reliably in the TOP TWENTY for Netflix. The highest so far was in 14th place WORLDWIDE, which is heck of a good rating. But 14 is not 10.
On Flixpatrol, to find the worldwide standing out of the top 20 or so for any great show which you think is trending , if you click on the link for the show within individual countries where it is in the top ten.
More list-making possibilities.
Favorite symbols? Favorite magical tools?
it wouldnt have been a ZQJ show without the consistent blend of fantasy and realism at the end.
Generally speaking...
I just finished watching the show so I dont want to parse it exactly for fear of making mistakes, but...
here are the factors:
POJ was always POV ChangYu, and so ZQJ's really elegant take on the female-centric genre is a joy to behold.
POJ's style may also be shared by other shows, but maybe not, I dont know. The director ZQJ was masterful at controlling the tonal balance. For the outsider the best explainer is that techniques and modes from what is called 'Chinese horror' in the west or sometimes Laozhai-style have become as of now possible turns in costume drama and heroic fantasy.
POJ was always about love, not about heroism. More war's effects than anti-war, it also touched on ideas of a just war and on the necessities of military duty with respect and love. So politics and the narrators'/viewers' opinions about them are scarily real, but the action and the plot all hinge on love. Unlike most costume dramas lately corruption was not the backbone of motivation.
Filial piety, greed for power, pride and paranoia instead made for a really satisfying intellectual experience.
Specifically speaking
Ep40
Super-interestingly, separate wrap-ups of various strands in the story were extremely distinct -- differences in lighting, sound and structure.
I really liked this effect because it tickles my 'THIS IS NEW' instincts. It also showcased the director's skill in handling all the different tonal structures which he has shown such masterful control of in this production. Comedy, tragedy, irony, fairytale, shadings of horror and heroic fantasy.
The various wrap-ups, not in any particular order.
1. The simplest and clearest was the main couple. What is in fact a visit back to Xigu Alley for the main couple does not preclude their plans to settle in the northwest and rebuild Lin'An (haha, miles to the south but oops, the Marquis reclaimed the lost 16 prefectures before the show began, didnt he?).
Since POJ was POV CHangYu all the way through the show, here when she makes her mini triumphal entry, all the dead revive for a few seconds in a rosy haze and Yan Zhang is waiting for her dismount. She promises the dear Zhaos that she will always be with them. No details on how, but if the viewer hasnt learned how to swing with the ZQJ way, whine on. All of their planning has gone well so far, so even the Marquis' planned military posting in the northwest is included -- she wont let him go out alone, so she continues as the not-really-official fighter alongside him in a fairytale way.
In the alternate ending for ChangYu, we see that no matter what, the fairytale love would still have happened. The lack of a role for the hairpin demands an extra scene to be aired later, its absence is so loud I kept shrieking, show the gift, show the gift!
2. WEi Yan. Oh Wei Yan. Deep in the dungeon he awaits death. He narrates the heart of the imperial events which created this story over a game of Go with Grand Tutor Tao. Our couple over hear this. It could be that the scene is their memory, but similarities to their overlook inside the palace after the coups (intentional plural) makes their presence seems more like the act of the story's narrators. The blue ribbon of storytelling.
Wei Yan's love affair and the doom of Prince Chengde have already been emotionally dealt with in the previous episode. In ep40 his personal tragedy is felt. The question of whether he deserves reincarnation is a live issue for me. I think that the show's message is that justice demands he not return as a human. But somehow the viewers in this style have the right to love WEi Yan anyway, despite his crimes. Makes you think, hmm?
The alternate ending for WeiYan is wrapped within the main couple strand. Since he is really, justly, and very very dead in the show's main narrative, his resurrection only makes sense as a fantasy redo of family ties.
3. As for the toxic and doomed lovers, Yu QianQian and QiMin, the show gives them the best weeper ending, since the warm ending(s) for ChangYu and Yan Zheng is a sentimentally satisfying one.
In the alternate ending these two get the funniest roles. They deserve it. I loved them.
4. The Empire and its problems. Yu QianQian makes the difficult decision to accept her fate, which technically sets up the final solution of the ruling crisis. She becomes the empress regent along with the main couple, even though they logically must live only part-time in the capital. Bao-er and NingNing happily have a normal childhood running around the palace. Let us hope the falcon, now Ning's instead of Gongsun Yin's does not get too fat to fly.
4. Qi Shu, the previous Grand Princess, visits her now completely insane brother, Qi Sheng. Cdrama watchers worried that his food was poisoned, but no, a refraction of QiMin occurs, but a cheerful one. Qi Sheng now satisfactorily plays the role of a mad but now harmless (ex-)emperor. We do not see Qi Shu's marriage and life with Gongsun. Their last love scene (2 or 3episodes before) will have to do, and it was a very nice scene. AS a plotline outside of the novel's dramas, they had planned to go live in obscurity in the north as soon as the crisis was over, so this, along with the hairpin and the falcon's descendants, will have to wait for NingNing and Bao-er's sequel..
ZLH as Xie JiuHeng: manly, true lover
TXW as Fan ChangYu: strong, expressive, faithful
DK as QiMin: sensual, complex, madman
KX as Yu QianQian: sincere, soft, strong
YYK as Wei Yan: magnetic, dramatic, handsome
LQ as Gongsun Yin: a guy to adore and be adored by
LMR as SuiYuanQing: a man to keep your eyes on (definitely outgrown diapers)
CQM as Wei Sheng and SZ as Xie Wu: minor hotties, henchmen so ready for extensive amplification of their roles.