rosamundekingsley99_stv

@Lawyerh So I kind of like the windswept look, except that yes, I do agree with you - there is an Astro boy feel to it. With any drama from this period, I brace for a sad ending. Siege in Fog - case in point. And this era was a deeply tumultuous period - no one who got through it alive was ever in one piece mentally, unless they locked away all the memories in a deep part, never to be taken out again. You know, I watched Li Man in a couple of episodes - I think that the problem with this drama on a couple of fronts: 1) Ren Jialun is almost too "still waters run deep" for this drama - if you recall this era, it was all about partying away, hiding one's pain under a false pretense of sheer happiness and gaiety, as if one did not care about anything - I can't ever see Ren Jialun playing that kind of role - that is more an Elvis Han type of role . And again, there is no second guessing with any of Ren Jialun's character except with The Glory of the Tang Dynasty, and he had a baby face enough back then to pull that off. Now he has hit over 30, Ren Jialun's features have matured that he can't pull that off now. 2) I think that Li Man's character is too weak against Ye Chong - she just seems rather hysterical like Qin Sang in Siege in Fog (until Qin Sang let go of her hate and recriminations to learn how to love again), and she just seems too meek and mild. Because Ren Jialun pretty much captures the screen and has a large presence, he needs a strong female character against him, which is why Tan Songyun worked for him in Under the Power (which now ranks among my favorites). I just don't understand Li Man's purpose in life or in this drama right now. 3) I am sure that the censors had their reasons, but the editing is very choppy, and it's not clear what I am missing, but I am missing something. But again, I love the style of that era, so all the eye candy is great.

@Lawyerh I would tend to agree with you about Allen Ren. He is too fierce for a republican drama - he is too calm and lacks angst. Although Siege in Fog had its flaws, the Republican era was so unstable so the emotions reflected should have been unstable too. So even though Elvis Han over-acted, it was more reflective of that era. Allen Ren's characterizations always seem to present confidence and steel - and no wavering. His characterizations are more about stoicism and repressed passions - during the Republican era, people were driven by passion and emotions ran high. So wuxia does make more sense. However I love the costumes of the Republican era and all the sharp tailoring of that era. Every male looks very smart and sharp. And evening formal wear elevated men to another level. Great eye candy.

Nice selfie except that given how they are styled, honestly, Allen Ren looks very feminine too.

@angelangie Lu Yi's expressions are priceless...

@angelangie thank you and completely agree with you! And thank you for moderating! I look forward to reading more of your posts. I rarely post but this drama and a couple of others can get me there... have a great week!

@angelangie I was actually thinking about this, why I respect and admire Lu Yi and Jin Xia in a way that I do not with drama characters generally - and it's because the two of them never manipulated each other in this relationship, and Lu Yi stayed consistent - neither character went on some stupid emotional binge. Both wrestled with what fate had tossed them, and each dealt with that pain. Both share a certain stoicism, loyalty, and unselfish love that often times we hope to aspire to in the real world. They respected each other's abilities and each other's decisions - that is what love is - and in the first season of Well-Intended Love, the female lead states this while she is in the middle of falling asleep. Love is hard, love is more like sand than cement, but if you can take all those particles and create something solid with it, then love can be tremendous - it is above all respect and loyalty. Love kept Lu Yi going in his darkest moments, and why he had to clear Xia Ran's name - not only for Jin Xia, but for himself and the stain that his father's lack of courage left him. He would not Lu Yi if he had not gone down that course. On the other hand, for Jin Xia, despite the fact that she returned the bracelet, she always knew that Lu Yi would be there for her, and when he "stole" the exculpatory document from Jin Xia's closet, notice how she grabbed his wrist - a move more common for the ML in an Asian drama to do. And then watch as Lu Yi's hand curved into hers, palm-to-palm, skin-to-skin, heart-to-heart. By the way, I understand some of the consternation around the lack of traditional modern intimate scenes, but I actually enjoyed this drama with the minimalism of it. I remember once in the drama Hwang Jinyi (Korean drama), that something does not qualify as dance because of costume and make-up, but because the rhythm and feel of the movements cause people to naturally follow. Similar to that concept, we believe in Lu Yi's and Jin Xia's love because you can feel it even without the traditional intimacy - it is in the hand, the eyes, the "look," and the aura they project when they are together. Immortal Lan read it well, because he had loved and lost.

Thank you, thank you!

@lizzieyen by the way, where can I ready your essay? Thanks!

As I watch episodes 47 and 48, I completely understand the consternation over Lu Yi's decisions in these episodes, but this is exactly why I respect this character and root for him. His love, his relationships, his persistence, his moral code - those make him Lu Yi and distinguishes him from his father, and his father knows this. And consistent with his character, Lu Yi is not acting dramatically but trying to figure out how to restore what was and bring the truth to light. Unlike his father, he is not willing to turn a blind eye, no matter the personal price he must pay. And he honors the memory of his mother by trying to protect Jin Xia from heartache, but alas, as one of Allen Ren's prior characters aptly quoted: "The human heart cannot be predicted and guessed at, but at the same time, it can't be ignored or avoided." And @lizzieyen thank you for your kind remarks! Without English subtitles, I have a hard time understanding The Glory of Tang Dynasty... although I watched through all of it.

@wangnyeo I loved this series for Bin Bin, because he demonstrated that he could act although the microexpressions could be improved. I don't want to watch anything with Raba anymore. But ultimately as king, he could not trust anyone, not even the women he loves - it is the ultimate contradiction of being a king - you are surrounded but you are alone. And ultimately, it is an extremely lonely position.

@LuMNaL so I am sorry but DD as an actress, lord, she cannot act. The King's Woman was ruined because she had only 2 facial expression - smiling and crying. I refuse to watch anything with her in it that involves acting, but I will gaze at a still magazine shoot of her, because she is gorgeous.

@angelangie @lizzieyen Allen Ren will be one to watch because he seems to be an actual actor, as opposed to a celebrity who pretends to be an actor. How he is in real life, and how he can transform into his character - that is the definition of an actor. The eyes are the gateway to the soul - so if you can act with your eyes, then you are an actor.

@cheekychipmunk_stv yes, of all his co-stars, Allen Ren seems to have the best chemistry with Tan Songyun. For a casting director, I wonder how they determine who will have the best chemistry with whom, because how the camera will capture their charisma (or lack thereof) is very hard to predict.

First, thank you for all the insightful comments! I loved reading everyone's interpretations on when Lu Yi and Jin Xia fell in love. My personal take - I don't think that it happened at any one defining moment; like the lead couple in The Story of Minglan (Minglan and Gu Tingye) - it happened slowly, so no one fell in love, but they just loved. Which makes sense given Lu Yi's response at the table about what is more important than honor in episode 24: "Love. Love, can also mean friendship and comradeship." I very much enjoyed The Story of Minglan because Minglan and Gu Tingye loved each other despite their flaws and misgivings. They learned to love each other despite being angry with each other and not liking each other or each other's methods of dealing with crises at times. Sometimes we don't even like the person we love, and I am not sure that many of us recognize this contradiction - that is what is so peculiar about love. I actually was looking for another drama like The Story of Minglan, and although this couple in Under the Power is not married, Lu Yi and Jin Xia act as if they were already married. They bicker endlessly, but subconsciously, they both know that they are safe with each other, and they complement each other. The fact that Jin Xia asked Lu Yi's assistance to find her family, that speaks volumes about the level of trust she has for him despite his being part of the imperial guard. In fact, Jin Xia explains why she trusts him despite his being part of the imperial guard when Lu Yi reverts to a 13-year old - he is ruthless but he is not heartless, and he does not ask anyone to do what he is not willing to do himself. He puts others above himself - but most people cannot see that because of his tough, cynical exterior. And why would Lu Yi grow up to be an externally compassionate individual? His father is ruthless and seems to lack a conscious, and Lu Yi witnessed his mother's assassination. I am just impressed that Lu Yi was able to recognize that Jin Xia would be his better half - that just indicates to me the high level of his self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Watch him by his actions, not by his words. And that is where Jin Xia did not make the same mistake that so many others did - she looked beyond the embroidered brocade uniform, to the man and the heart beneath - she definitely sees beneath the surface, which is why Lu Yi respects her and her detective abilities. And for a man who grew up in the imperial court, he appreciates her straightforwardness and her lack of guile. And I appreciate that he does not put down her abilities but instead tries to enhance her abilities. Unlike many men, he is not threatened by her. That is not to say that Lu Yi is perfect and neither is Jin Xia. But together, they work well together, and they can build a life together. And that is key about love - you have to continue building that life together despite obstacles and pain, because not every day will be sunny. And with respect to Lu Yi and Jin Xia, I definitely see their building a life together, just as I did with Minglan and Gu Tingye. It is hard to write a drama that persuades the viewers to believe that this OTP will last beyond the fading screen - because real love requires you to love the warts too, not just the shiny, beautiful parts. This is the first drama I have watched both both actors, and I am impressed with Allen Ren's ability to communicate with his eyes. Zhang Bin Bin tried very hard to do this in The King's Woman, but he did not quite pull it off - of course, Allen Ren did not acquire this ability overnight - he is 30 whereas Zhang Bin Bin is only around 25. But I have to say that generally, Allen Ren seems to fit a "uniform-driven" drama, whether it be Under the Power, or the Autumn Cicada that was supposed to come out 3 years ago. There is a sharpness about him that makes sense for him to play the hard, cynical character with a heart. His smirk/tilted smile is one of the few that works on the screen - he has a "je ne sais quoi" to him that most actors cannot pull off, and that is why they cynical roles fit him. He reminds me of many of the actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood who carried this protective attitude well. And Tan Songyun played her role well - from playful, goofy, serious, "don't mess with me," to loving, conflicted, and caring. Her eyes and impish smile were the best part of her - she is pretty enough, but her aura is warm and inviting. She invites you to enjoy the joke with her. I also watched some of the BTS, and what I appreciate about both actors - they are not the most beautiful and charismatic, but they know how to evolve into their roles - they are actually acting, as opposed to being themselves dressed in costume. Both are rather ordinary looking compared to some of the stars in cdrama land, but when they taken on a role, they both become the character and allow us to experience the character's emotional arc and evolution. And by the way, how Lu Yi gazes at Jin Xia - I have seen that before in real life - it does exist, but it does not happen often. To quote one of the songs from The Destiny of the White Snake (another Allen Ren role but he did not quite pull it off there... and for some reason, I have a hard time with Yang Zi dramas generally), ""you are the heartbeat that never stopped in the last lifetime/you are the mark on my chest in the next life/before seeing the outcome/how could I have forgotten about you? For those of you who celebrate Valentine's Day, remember that every day should be celebrating your loved ones. Thank you for reading.