Bu Bu Jing Xin - ep 5

[dangermousie]

1. First, just so that will be out in the open - every time Kevin Cheng comes on-screen, I have to resist the urge to make out with my laptop. Not good, self!!!

2. OMG, surely I wasn't the only one who noticed the look on Four's face when Kangxi was discussing Ruoxi's participation in the selections for the royal harem. He totally likes her!!! In his closed-off, 'will never admit it ever' way. Off to wallow in canon-shipping. I really had to eat every single misgiving I had about Nicky Wu in this role.

3. Currently, my front-runner uncanon ship for Ruoxi is Ruoxi/Thirteen in terms of plausibility. They are ridiculously compatible and are total bffs. I know the drama only wants us to see them as friends but then they shouldn't have cast Yuan Hong as Thirteen. I am not a Liu Shi Shi/Yuan Hong RPShipper because I don't really RPShip, but there is no denying that their on-screen chemistry has always been utterly ridiculous. I keep wondering when they will go off to have hot sexy sex against the wall while being worshipful and adoring at the same time. I think Eight and Ruoxi have lovely chemistry (honestly, the chemistry between the entire cast is insane - I just keep expecting a giant orgy), but I am too firmly on Eight/Ruolan ship for that to be my default.

4. Speaking of Eight/Ruolan, why don't you just tear out my heart and feed it to me, drama? That scene after the horse-riding competition was one of the most painful, awful things I've seen in a long time! He just loves her so freaking much and is just begging for her to give him a chance and she is so passively cold. (But is it just me - she totally looks like she wants to give in, which makes her feel guiltier and thus colder). They are both in so much pain. I just want to shake her and tell her to snap out of it - I get it that it sucks that she was not allowed to marry her lover who was sent to the front lines and died, and I get that she feels guilty because he was only sent to the front lines because of her but!!!!!!! It's not as if she's been married for a month. They have clearly been married for years and honestly, it's time to let go, you can't spend your whole life as if you were dead, especially since IMO it's clear she wants to come out of the darkness. Except that is the thing - I think she feels guilty and that it would be a betrayal to enjoy her life when he is dead so she sort of feels the unrelenting misery is her duty. Argh. I get the sense that, parodoxically, she keeps Eight at bay precisely because she could be happy with him. But yeah, when he kept looking at her doing those riding stunts with his heart in his eyes, it was awful.

5. Speaking of uncanon ships, ummmm, I ship Thirteen/Lu Wu, the prostitute/courtesan who is his drinking companion. I want them together so badly, it hurts. (As opposed to Thirteen/Ruoxi where I love their chemistry but I don't really genuinely ship them in the sense that I am emotionally invested in the outcome). GRRR. Chances of that happening are totally zero. I don't mean the chances of them hooking up because she is a courtesan so it may very well happen (though I get the sense he only wants her as a drinking/talking friend, nothing else) but long-term romantic relationship. Argh, I need that so badly and will be denied, I am sure. Hmmm, actually, currently I like Thirteen the best out of all the princes in general.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

For number 5 on the list: Never say never~

But seriously though, this drama is a roller coaster ride, which ends at the bottom, and I mean pitch black bottom. There's really no happy ending for anyone or any couple. Sure it gives you a little something, then it yanks it out under you so fast you didn't see it coming. So the only way to keep your heart from breaking is not to ship anyone. Of course that's more impossible to do than...well anything.

[fuyuko00.livejournal.com]

SPOILER::

although not a HAPPY ending for them, but 10th & his wife do get to stay together at the end (if I don't remember wrong from the story)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

On first point: eeeeeeee!

And yes, this is clearly set up to be a tragedy with a capital t.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh well, that's something. I suppose. Seriously, in some ways, this is the most depressing drama in existence.

[fuyuko00.livejournal.com]

but we love it still despite knowing where it's heading

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. I cannot look away even though I know DOOM is coming!

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

13/Lu Wu do get together. When 13 is to house confinement, which ends up lasting 10 freaking years (this is history you can look it up), RX kneels for 3d/3n in the rain to get the Emperor to rescind the order. 14 feels horrible and goes to beg daddy, too. All the Emperor was willing to amend was to allow LW to join 13 in house arrest. They end up having a beautiful daughter together. What happens after I won't spoil....

I'm glad you are loving BBJX. I think the story is so rich and nuanced with so much angst around every single relationship it's like eating the biggest slice of angst cake EVER.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It is such an amazing drama - I almost feel as f I am reading a novel. And I love the nuance - no relationship is simple nor is any character. Everthing is nuanced and filled with greys.

One of the few things I am spoiled about is the ending and I really hope they change it here. Not because I want a hea because that is impossible, but because I want the time travel thing dealt with. I wonder if they will.

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

Do you want to know? The PD has been giving interviews spoiling the ending. They added an epilogue NOT in the novel. If you want to know I can spoil you. Your choice. :-D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Spoillllll!!! For I am weak ;)

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

Okay, here goes. Unlike in the novel, where RX passes without getting to see 4 one last time, and 4 dies earlier than he ought because of heartache, the drama adds an epilogue.

RX does back and wakes up in the body of her modern self. She's in the hospital and her parents tell her she's been unconscious for over 10 days. She has retained all her memories from being RX, but she cannot tell if it was all a dream or it did happen, but her "death" as RX sent her soul back to her modern self.

There is a Qing dynasty exhibit going on and after she gets out of the hospital, she goes to see it. She sees a portrait of the princes in repose and it's all the men she loved, cried, and fought with and for, for the last 20 years of her life as RX.

At the museum, she runs into........4!!!! Or modern day Nicky. See picture here.

http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae145/ockoala/Bu%20Bu%20Jin%20Xin/bbjx1.jpg

The director mentioned the ending will be open, but hinted that Nicky was the driver who hit RX in the beginning when she tumbled into the road after her fight with her boyfriend. Anyways, am loving this epilogue already.

[fuyuko00.livejournal.com]

wouldn't it be great if she can meet ALL of the princes again in the modern world??

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heeee. I want Thirteen to be her new coworker with whom she goes to get hammered :P

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I love it! (Tangent - I always wonder when you see people in dreams, whether you invent their faces or subconsciously pull up faces of people you've seen).

Also, it's amazing how different (and imo better) Nicky looks with hair.

[karened.livejournal.com]

Have you watched ep10?!

SPOILERS
Eight got stripped of his title, and he visits Ruolan to inform her of that. WHAT THE, he totally begged her to speak to him, to show him some comfort. And all she does is keep her stone face on and ask, "What do you want me to say to you?" And then he leaves to visit Ruoxi instead. PAIN PAIN PAIN!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

No, haven't. Only on ep five now. Averting eyes.

God, Eight KILLS me. He is the one I feel the worst for, out of all of them. He is such a genuinely amazing person (and even thou I adore Four, I don't think there is any question that Eight is the better man) and he has NOTHING good happen to him pretty much ever.

[karened.livejournal.com]

Yes! (Not discussing about other princes since the main characters are Four and Eight) At the very least, Four gets to be Emperor at the end. Eight? Nothing good happens! One thing I cannot get over is how Emperor Yong Zheng changed Eight's name in his later years to mean pig/dog (can't remember). That was a really petty act totally uncalled for. Eight is just unlucky. He is a nice person (based on BBJX's characterisation), just a little scheming (not the vile kind of scheming) in his bid for the throne. Which is totally understandable.

[fuyuko00.livejournal.com]

well his little scheming caused 13th to be imprisoned for 10 yrs (only got out b/c 4th got the throne). To me, all these princes are schemers. They are nice to those they love though. But I do agree that nothing good happened to 8th. He's the most pitiful one out of all of the princes

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

OK, I know this is bad of me but now all I can think of is pigrabbit.

[(Anonymous)]

Damn, I was gonna wait to watch this till there were more subs. Patience? Willpower? What are those things? *runs off to go watch now!*
*trixicopper*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yay, the more the nerdier!! (or not, seeing this is an angstfest).

[mookiehyun.livejournal.com]

O LORD, you are at THAT scene. I'm a masochist, rewatching that backhug scene after the horseriding ad nauseam.

I feel exactly the same with RuoLan, she knows there is a chance she'll be happy with 8. I mean it's Kevin and he's been constantly doting on her, loving her at the distance she barely allows him to. I saw her tiniest flattering and that instantaneous freezing over by her will. Yes, she's treating 8 with an emotional cruelty that I want her to snap out of, but she's not cutting herself slack and suffering more and in her warped mind, she's doing it to keep General alive in her heart, there's all she can do for love in this lifetime. I can't help every time I see her reading her Buddist sutra and burning incense, I can hear a heartcringing 'Buddha, I've sinned' confession.

It absolutely kills me more with him knowing her so very well with what he said atm. I know he'll turn darker later, but this is my definition of kindness and tenderness a man can show to a woman he loves, he's been doing this for years, compromising and very rare asks anything fr her and let her be, YET he still loves her intensely, just as the day he first saw her riding.

:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I don't think I can rewatch it - it's too depressing even for me, queen of angst.

I really do not get Ruolan. I mean, I get why she is the way she is, it is just so alien to my pragmatic "make the best of whatever you have" self. Also, fine, she can make herself as miserable as she likes, it's her choice. But she is also making Eight miserable and for someone as sweet/saintly as she is, that's a pretty big sin. I do think that is why I can't ship Eight/RX - because he will just be looking for shadows of RL in her and that is not a start of a healthy relationship.

You know, he is awfully sweet to her, but maybe their relationship would have more of a choice if he was more demanding and pushy, if they had a huge screaming fight or dozen - at least maybe that would wake her up.

ETA: sorry for the edits, keep getting the sisters' names mixed-up.

[mookiehyun.livejournal.com]

My very first hint this is AWESOME was them playing with the horses in ep1/2. The moment RX told Eight she can't ride, that instantaneous disappointment flashing on his face in the midst of his charming smile: OMG!! and that's the exact moment why I can't ship him with RX. And the way he looks at RL vs RX. with RX, up till now, there's almost an animalistic preying eye that's making RX aflutter. He's conscious of exactly what he's doing to RX. With RLan, it's all gooey tenderness and yearning that's totally involuntary..Kills me! it's all so subtle and perfectly restrained. Everything he's doing, it's fr his political mind, his comparatively 'lowly' birth infested an inferior complex in him and an insatiable desire for power, making him work harder, I can't shake the fact that 8 is forever the perfectionist, meticulous and calculating. he loves RL, but it's a political marriage convenient by the fact he's fallen for her first. It would be a blemish if he can't fix his marriage in his ascension as well.

In the context of their societal norms I can get RL. It's apparent she has a rebellious free spirited streak in her and was once firm on against the establishment by the begging Dad not marrying a prince per King's order, a ridiculously handsome, 'kind and gentle' one to boot in the novel (of coz KC is lately sweetest candy in my eyes as well). Sth we and RX take for granted anyone will do, in 17C Manchuria, it's beyond unfilial, eg Prince10, a dumbo, totally unprepared and STILL he sucked it up to KangXi's marriage arrangement to an annoying brat. It's the heads of her whole tribe, PLUS the general. And the general she's fallen for, begging, I bet with her life and more, was a Han Chinese ( as written in the novel). I'm not sure if u r there yet, but.......she made a remark on liking 13's character the most, and that's telling.

She's holding firmly to her identity, her old self by developing this steel of will JUST on this alone, and compromise in everything else, exactly the brutal neverending atonement she intended, for someone as kind and sweet as her to be this cruel. Eight gets it, and loves/wants her so much to let her keep this little part of herself knowing it'll be her death if he snaps it out of her. Or else, as u said, he can perfectly just use a bit of demanding and over some time, with children in the equation, their dynamics may change. I'm pretty sure he doesn't allow himself to touch her since the miscarriage, not because Eight is a righteous saint, perfect and kind and gentle, he's only this way towards RLan, because she's sth he can't get, innately he's a highly prince and along with the package pride and possessiveness.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree, I really think his holding on to RL so much is in big part because he doesn't like to give up ever.

Great point about RL being insanely stubborn and risk-taking about the matter. Ah, so much dysfunction.

[(Anonymous)]

Just so you know, Faeries Fansubbing Team is subbing this drama. Which means hardsub copies on my computer for me =)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yesss! Thanks!