Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head. Ruoxi is an observer who reluctantly becomes the hidden catalyst behind everything happening later. I really go for 4xRuoxi more even though 8 is presented as a more ideal man just because 4 is realer to me than 8. Even though the perspective is mostly from Ruoxi and you get the Unreliable Narrator effect, you can still tell that though 4 and 8 withhold parts of themselves from view, 8 is much subtler about it than 4's constant ice mask. It's just that instead of going for the obvious chilliness that is still honest about its subterfuge, 8 goes for the smiling gentlemanly mask which changes with the social context but hides all the plotting. I'm not sure if I am describing it well but that's why I find 4 a better choice in the end for Ruoxi because if she had to choose, she'd choose truth even if it all implodes.
Also, saw Terracotta Warrior and I think that the way they structured the story also doesn't help with relating to the characters because it's really 3 generations of couples that are all somehow linked with the plot device but that also means less time devoted to each character and story. I think the best plot was the one set in the Qin Shi Huang time, the earliest generation and I liked each subsequent generation's story less. So in the end it all evened out to a "meh" for me. The chemistry was pretty lacking and the thing too was that other than the OTP, the love relationships weren't even consistent! It's all a mess to describe so bleh.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-09-20 03:47 am (UTC)Also, saw Terracotta Warrior and I think that the way they structured the story also doesn't help with relating to the characters because it's really 3 generations of couples that are all somehow linked with the plot device but that also means less time devoted to each character and story. I think the best plot was the one set in the Qin Shi Huang time, the earliest generation and I liked each subsequent generation's story less. So in the end it all evened out to a "meh" for me. The chemistry was pretty lacking and the thing too was that other than the OTP, the love relationships weren't even consistent! It's all a mess to describe so bleh.