Really interesting. Time to fall in love with ZLH all over again, but as a more fully developed character, less stylized than costume drama usually offers, more real, a layered masculine identity that many seem to have found hard to take. TXW likewise but she hits you right in the face from the getgo. A girl to fall in love with. But oddly enough, the drama's signs-and-symbols seem to be focused on the progress of their actual relationship, not on the individual character arcs per se. Even kisses are subordinated to their mutual struggle towards a relationship they can both be happy with.
ep35 the doctors get lined upto heal QianQian in a black comedy reflection of the series of tutors trying to teach ChangYu. Hope they will be ore successful, for all our sakes.
Ep35 open the wind blows the pinwheel whirls furiously -- attack! the Zhao/Yu found family cowers behind closed doors, the action, as so often with ZQJ, silhouetted against the light. All falls silent. suddenly the door busts open and a good guy cuts the thoorat of the last bad guy and says, "Uncle? Auntie? It is safe outside now." The wind of fate stops blowing and the pinwheel stops whirling. Because it wasnt safe inside?
Awesome show. Bravery, loyalty, true love balanced by greed and desire for power, treachery and treason. I think the first Duke of Ying's household was really memorable -- a real pit of vipers. Very uplifting story and soundtrack.
ep30 princess-carry your wife down the mainstreet on a busy evening. Now there is a novel use for that omnispresent action -- if you are the jealous type, instead of slinging her over your shoulder, just make a spectacle of yourself in public.
No one is complaining how strong she is....but people are complaining how there's no context on how she became…
@antiherodiaries. I think this is a different take on narrative storytelling. As I have said elsewhere, the baseline of hero-stories/gaming fictions/fairytales gives a stronger base structure than the typical drama narrative expectations. I really dont know if the director is going to be able to carry this sort of compression and allusion off. I feel like I am watching a high-wire act.
Now people are finding ways to downgrade the drama. Like, what do they expect from a female-centered drama? 😂
ep34 The court scenes -- so different to the usual droning mountains of finery.
The Emperor seemed to enjoy the disruption, and I saw a few ministers snickering in their sleeves. ChangYu was just being her usual fearless, direct self. No different from in Lin'An.
So here is the question -- the peril of the capitol is real and the usual cdrama tension is -- the bad guys will sneak up and throw you in prison if you arent exceedingly clever.
How can this be true (it is I am scared to death of Wei Yan) at the same time as the realism of the personal family relationships (wei Yan and Wei Xuan, Wei Yan and the Emperor) is so poignant. How can the investigations into what happened feel so interesting at the same time as the court is full of buffoonery.
How does the director do this? How does he keep us watching while wriggling restively in our seats? Everyone has commented on it in one way or another -- he maintains dramatic tension even as he takes great looping swerves into comedy and deep dark true romance, How many love stories so far? In addition to the three living couples?
The screentime is divided unequally . In 40-45 min episodes It's like we have to wait when the leads would appear…
A show without side characters and plots? I would so be gone in a Hollywood minute. Once the leads settle down happily this is where the drama usually goes. I love it.
I honestly cant wait to really binge this show! I am jealous of those who can! One episode is hard -- when there are two, if you arent thrilled by one of them the other usually makes up for it.
I still trust the writer and director. I am totally there for ZLH and TXW's romance. Unforgettable moments. I still care more than I know about all the main characters. It is still a brilliant show and different from any other Cdrama costume romance I have ever watched. And I really dont know why. Yet. It is as revelatory for me as Joy of Life and Love Between Fairy and Devil.
ep34 I loved the look of that embrace in the alleyway because JiuHeng is like some tall dark cloud and he just wraps ChangYu up in his cloak or whatever and they become one. Those long billowy sleeve really can turn a hug into something very sheltering.
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1 
But oddly enough, the drama's signs-and-symbols seem to be focused on the progress of their actual relationship, not on the individual character arcs per se. Even kisses are subordinated to their mutual struggle towards a relationship they can both be happy with.
the doctors get lined upto heal QianQian in a black comedy reflection of the series of tutors trying to teach ChangYu. Hope they will be ore successful, for all our sakes.
open
the wind blows the pinwheel whirls furiously -- attack!
the Zhao/Yu found family cowers behind closed doors, the action, as so often with ZQJ, silhouetted against the light.
All falls silent. suddenly the door busts open and a good guy cuts the thoorat of the last bad guy and says,
"Uncle? Auntie? It is safe outside now."
The wind of fate stops blowing and the pinwheel stops whirling.
Because it wasnt safe inside?
princess-carry your wife down the mainstreet on a busy evening.
Now there is a novel use for that omnispresent action -- if you are the jealous type, instead of slinging her over your shoulder, just make a spectacle of yourself in public.
I really dont know if the director is going to be able to carry this sort of compression and allusion off. I feel like I am watching a high-wire act.
The court scenes -- so different to the usual droning mountains of finery.
The Emperor seemed to enjoy the disruption, and I saw a few ministers snickering in their sleeves.
ChangYu was just being her usual fearless, direct self. No different from in Lin'An.
So here is the question -- the peril of the capitol is real and the usual cdrama tension is -- the bad guys will sneak up and throw you in prison if you arent exceedingly clever.
How can this be true (it is I am scared to death of Wei Yan) at the same time as the realism of the personal family relationships (wei Yan and Wei Xuan, Wei Yan and the Emperor) is so poignant. How can the investigations into what happened feel so interesting at the same time as the court is full of buffoonery.
How does the director do this? How does he keep us watching while wriggling restively in our seats? Everyone has commented on it in one way or another -- he maintains dramatic tension even as he takes great looping swerves into comedy and deep dark true romance, How many love stories so far? In addition to the three living couples?
Once the leads settle down happily this is where the drama usually goes.
I love it.
I am jealous of those who can!
One episode is hard -- when there are two, if you arent thrilled by one of them the other usually makes up for it.
I still trust the writer and director.
I am totally there for ZLH and TXW's romance. Unforgettable moments.
I still care more than I know about all the main characters.
It is still a brilliant show and different from any other Cdrama costume romance I have ever watched. And I really dont know why. Yet.
It is as revelatory for me as Joy of Life and Love Between Fairy and Devil.
I loved the look of that embrace in the alleyway because JiuHeng is like some tall dark cloud and he just wraps ChangYu up in his cloak or whatever and they become one. Those long billowy sleeve really can turn a hug into something very sheltering.