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[dangermousie]

Finished ep 10 of BBJX and taking a little break before I get so depressed I eat my head. This is a very melancholy drama and it's getting to me. Also, can I have more Four/Ruoxi please? As hamster428 put it "i mean, all they do is drink tea and talk and talk and talk, and back to tea, but sparks are flying off everywhere." Also, if this isn't a description of every Jane Austen novel ever, I don't know what is :P BBJX = Austen with beheadings?

I do wonder how Four transforms into pitiless figure he must be by the end of the story from his character now.

I think I will end up preferring Jade Palace over BBJX though BBJX is a better drama just because I found the former less depressing and with a more traditional narrative arc/romance. BBJX is making me so depressed. I think I will go watch Gumiho Girlfriend now just to see people who yell and act out and are goofy and not in danger of gruesome demise.

Comments

[akatsukichii.livejournal.com]

Depending on where you are in Gumiho...hmm that last sentence might not be true XD

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh nooo. I need my fluff!

[once-a-weaver.livejournal.com]

"Austen with beheadings?"

A wonderful new BBC drama!

It might be awhile before I watch either one, but from everything you've said, I might be more inclined to try Jade Palace.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Can you imagine? "I declare, Miss Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy is all that is amiable. Pity he ordered poor Wickham to be beheaded, but such is life. More tea?"

BBJX is objectively better, but I prefer Jade Palace. It's such a darling.

[once-a-weaver.livejournal.com]

Oh, I can imagine. Mr Darcy emerges dripping from a pond (as he does) and says, "Mmm, so bored. If only there were a beheading today."

From all the pictures, both look lovely. And I do like me some angst now and then. But these days I'm not as willing to watch the more depressing stories. I think I hit some kind of quota somewhere. Though I might a few episodes anyway.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

JPLH is not particularly angst fwiw. But yes, both ere so gorgeous - especially the costumes!

[kainee.livejournal.com]

Yeah the incessant angst does get kind of wearing even if I was aware of it before starting the series. I think this is why for me I am okay with liking both Palace and BBJX since I definitely have a Happily Ever After side. Even if the first half is supposed to be all happy, with the way they did the atmosphere and the historical perspective we share with Ruoxi of the knowledge of all of the brothers' future fates, it's hard to avoid being depressed even with a relatively happy period since we know what's to come.

[karened.livejournal.com]

"it's hard to avoid being depressed even with a relatively happy period since we know what's to come."

I guess that's what is driving Ruoxi's decisions?

Even she is turning melancholic, all the carefreeness in her when she first arrived at the Qing dynasty gone.

[kainee.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what makes this a tragedy at heart because no matter how well Ruoxi assumes the trappings of a Qing dynasty Manchu woman by the name of Maertai Ruoxi, she is motivated by what she always was: a modern woman named Zhang Xiao. And her motivations become the catalyst for the events that happen so it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes. I wish she'd be more proactive but it's a dangerous game so I see why she is not.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I miss early Ruoxi. She is so reserved know. And we are only 1/3 through.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah. By the end of JPLH, I didn't care how insane it was for Eight to be taken forward in time with no explanation (QC knew the well and also was a person out of that time but that is not the case for Eight). I just needed my happy ending, whichever way I was going to get it. Ridiculous or not, I sobbed like a lunatic. This drama ain't going to have that.

[moraitika1.livejournal.com]

Are you sure that nobody dies in Gumiho????? >:) after all she is a Gumiho... and some ppl want her dead, on the other side Sexy Foxy hunter kinda wants Woong-ah dead ... so the question of the day is : Are you sure?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am sure. It's a Hong Sisters' romcom :)

[karened.livejournal.com]

I know. This drama is a crazy experience. It is depressing enough (especially when I am firmly a Ruoxi-Eight shipper) thinking about how the future will unfold. I cannot imagine all the betrayals and defeats-leading-to-exile/death/suicide/whatever-non-happily-ever-after-ending actually unfolding, step by step.

I can empathise with how Ruoxi is so afraid of the future, especially if she chooses to bear it with Eight (but I still cannot accept her throwing a 'choose me or the throne' at Eight and expect him to give up all he has worked his life for and his purpose of living, without even giving him a logical reason besides the 'if I'm that important to you, you should trust me fully').

I know it's going to end really bad for everyone. Even the 'winner' of the throne. But yet I can't just give up watching here. The drama does not have me crushing on it like a rabid fangirl. It moves rather undramatically, but it draws people into the story. Like the theme song goes, although we know that it's going to be a painful end, we can't stop ourselves from heading for the trainwreck, one step at a time; like a moth attracted to fire.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am a rabid Four/Rouxi shipper and I am still depressed. This drama is depressing all around.

I am not rabid about it the way I was with JPLH because it's a different type of drama - squeeing seems misplaced. But I do adore it.

[yuese.livejournal.com]

I think Rouxi never loved 8th as much as she think she did. I think the fact that she knew 8th was going to lose, she held back. She was still touched by his gestures and sincerity, but she never let herself to really fully love him. I think that's why she gave him that ultimatum. And I agree with you, from 8th's POV, it's pretty mean and nonsensical/selfish of her to ask him to choose between his ambition and love.

I mean, if a modern girl asked her boyfriend to give up his dreams for her, that's pretty selfish and stupid. So I understand why people are so pissed at her. But if you really think about, Rouxi probably never loved 8th with all her heart like the way she will love 4th later on. In a way, she's pragmatic and realistic. I don't really believe in this concept of "you can't help who you fall in love with." A person doesn't automatically love a person at first sight (maybe some lust and/or intense chemistry/attraction, but not love). A person choose to fall in love by choosing to interact with their potential love interest and get to know one another more.

Anywayz, back to Rouxi. She must have guarded her heart. I'm not saying she didn't love 8th at all. There was probably some measure of love, but not the kind that she will risk everything for.

What I'm going to say next is HUGE MAGA SPOILER (so obviously don't read after this sentence if you don't want it ruined XD):



....you were warned......



this is the LAST warning.....


I'm serious, don't be pissed if this ruins it for you.....Alright, to the SPOILERS than (you asked for):

Ironically, Rouxi didn't choose 8th because he ultimately lost in the race for the throne, but the relationship/man that she choose in the end actually caused (indirectly) her early death. Rouxi actually fell ill and died before 8th was forced to his death. AND the reason for this WHOLE battle for the throne/animosity between 8th and 4th was actually caused by Rouxi. When Rouxi broke up with 8th, she gave him a list of people's names he should be careful of in his attempt for the throne. Obviously, 4th's name was on there. Causing 8th to be suspicious of 4th and plot against him....CAUSING 13th to be jailed for 10 years because he took the "bullet" for 4th.... yeah..... heavy stuff. This in turn cause 4th to HATE 8th and become ambitious for the throne. He also wanted the throne to save Rouxi, because Rouxi at the time was punished by Kangxi for refusing to marry 14th (she was forced to be a low wash maid doing hard manual labour). All of this causes her health to deteriorate and she eventually died when other emotional blows hit her (she finds out that she's the cause for EVERYTHING, has a miscarriage, can't have babies anymore, and her best friend/maid is steamed alive by 4th b/c she was a spy for 9th).

Wow, that was alot more than I intended. lol

[karened.livejournal.com]

A little spoiler warning is always welcomed.

Thanks for warning me! I skipped the spoiler part, and am saving it for later when everything ends (then we can discuss about the good and bad of this entire story).

If only Ruoxi was a typical modern world girl with no knowledge of history other than the general knowledge such as "3 Kingdoms", "Empress Dowager Cixi", and "Mao Ze Dong". Knowing too much is a torture to herself, the various princes, and us viewers. Thing is, she's not even attempting to change history. She is just resigned to being carried off by the hands of fate.

[yuese.livejournal.com]

Well she did mentioned that she didn't have a lot of historical knowledge (just that Yongzhen aka 4th became the king while 8th lost)... I don't think it's stated in the drama but it's stated in the first chapter of the novel. Also, like us, her historical knowledge comes from drama XD (there's a reference to this somewhere I just can't remember where, it was pretty funny too)

Oh and I do think to some extent she tried to change it. Like the ultimatum, I'm sure if 8th chose her over his ambition (obviously wasn't going to happen with a man like him) she would have done everything in her power to prevent the oncoming tragedy and 8th's fate

[karened.livejournal.com]

I think you're refering to the scene where she broke up with Eight and gave him a final warning to be careful of Four and a chain of subordinates. It turned out that one of the officials she mentioned was a fictional character on tv. =P I was quite tickled too. More modern references please!

Hmm, I se your point. Because the only way Ruoxi can change Eight's fate is if he gave up his quest for the throne and heed her advice in his actions. But if he is unwilling to do that, she won't join him in his deadly fate foolishly.

[yuese.livejournal.com]

if you think ep. 10 is depressing, you haven't watched ep. 20...when everything starts going to the craphole

on the upside, after ep 14/15ish (can't remember exactly) there's some really cute scene with rouxi and four. Four is so cute. but then whenever I see 8th I start feeling guilty for shipping rouxi and four..... it's his puppy eyes that's killing me.

[puion.livejournal.com]

may i know where i can watch ep 20? is it already ep 20 in china?! thanks!

[yuese.livejournal.com]

just search "步步惊心 ep 20" into google and it'll pop up =)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

In think they should all just kill themselves and spare themselves the pain. Seriously. So angsty

[yuese.livejournal.com]

lol but I thought you love angsty? too much angst and not enough of the happy? It's going to be a cryfest later on. I already went out and brought 2 tissue boxes -__-

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I love angst but the quiet determined misery of this is testing me :)