[Mainland Chinese Drama 2018] The Rise of Phoenixes 凰权·弈天下

[yunmo19]

1 minute ago, Wotad said:

Im confused are people saying the show is bad based on the netflix version or the Chinese one which was slaughtered?

 

 

I guess based on the TV broadcast version. I just checked it out on Netflix, the DVD version was superb (although some subtleties and accuracies of the dialogues were lost in translation....)

[ForgottenSoulx]

5 minutes ago, yunmo19 said:

 

I guess based on the TV broadcast version. I just checked it out on Netflix, the DVD version was superb (although some subtleties and accuracies of the dialogues were lost in translation....)

Ok because i was excited to watch this but now i see it getting bashed.

[raziela]

On 9/15/2018 at 7:28 AM, MikiRei said:

It looks like from Minhai arc afterwards, the script was changed drastically. There are so many loose ends which compared to the beginning, it's like night and day. 

 

That and when looking at all the "making of" clips, there are scenes in there that aren't in the final version. E.g. 

 

  Hide contents

There's a bit in the making of where the emperor is really old and Ning Yi by now has his moustache and how he bows to Ning Yi as a sign of him approving of Ning Yi taking over the realm. The final version is COMPLETELY different.

 

There's also a part where Ning Qi was crying and stabbed his hand to show the emperor how hurt he is.

 

That was not in the final cut either (according to people on Douban. I haven't watched the latest episode 66).

 

 

There's rumours on Douban that half way through production, they got someone to come check out their progress and was told that they wouldn't get past regulations. It might explain why the first half of the show was tight as anything and then from Minhai, things were just weird. It's like, they had to reshoot half the show and did switcheroos across different scenes just so they can get past regulations.

 

If that's the case, it really is just a damn shame with all the work they've done. It's unlikely that the Netflix version is going to be the director's cut either. I kind of felt robbed. 

 It really is disappointing how everything has turned out for this drama.  I feel so bad for everyone who worked on this project.  I've anticipated it since it was announced but never expected this outcome: bad ratings, poor feedback, cancelled early, sliced up episodes...

 

From the comments from a number of people on the thread I feel like it is still be worth a watch so I'll hope the Netflix version will be uploaded soon (Can't watch in  the UK).  I wonder if it would have fared better on another channel as Hunan does have a reputation for butchering their dramas.

[tendrilsofwind]

3 hours ago, CatWhiskers said:

I am confused. In instagram..there are clearly pictures of BOTH of them on the cliff, reuniting. Dream? But looks real so an alternate ending?

 

I feel catfished lol

I saw a video with the scene you are referring to. There does seem to exist two different endings. I mean...it was well done I guess. I'm kind of miserable but they did a good job :')

[yunmo19]

2 hours ago, raziela said:

 It really is disappointing how everything has turned out for this drama.  I feel so bad for everyone who worked on this project.  I've anticipated it since it was announced but never expected this outcome: bad ratings, poor feedback, cancelled early, sliced up episodes...

 

From the comments from a number of people on the thread I feel like it is still be worth a watch so I'll hope the Netflix version will be uploaded soon (Can't watch in  the UK).  I wonder if it would have fared better on another channel as Hunan does have a reputation for butchering their dramas.

 

I guess the low ratings kind of carried with it all the bad things. Its continued abysmal ratings led to further butchering down the line, which certainly did nothing to help the ratings and eventually, resulted in early cancellation. I'm just glad it released the uncut DVD version alongside the TV version. Some series didn't even get that treatment. 

[pristineqi]

5 hours ago, Wotad said:

 

how does it end spoiler it ofc .

 

The Ending on TV version Ep 56 :

Spoiler

 

She jumped.

It hurts 'cos I like FZW so very much 

Maybe the ending is different in DVD or Netflix version ???

 

[CatWhiskers]

4 hours ago, tendrilsofwind said:

 

I feel catfished lol

I saw a video with the scene you are referring to. There does seem to exist two different endings. I mean...it was well done I guess. I'm kind of miserable but they did a good job :')

 

There seems to be an alternate ending. But it is never aired. Not even in the dvd version. But they released official photos of it. It is just so weird.

[ForgottenSoulx]

5 hours ago, raziela said:

 It really is disappointing how everything has turned out for this drama.  I feel so bad for everyone who worked on this project.  I've anticipated it since it was announced but never expected this outcome: bad ratings, poor feedback, cancelled early, sliced up episodes...

 

From the comments from a number of people on the thread I feel like it is still be worth a watch so I'll hope the Netflix version will be uploaded soon (Can't watch in  the UK).  I wonder if it would have fared better on another channel as Hunan does have a reputation for butchering their dramas.

 

i can watch it from the UK? 

[maplinh]

23 minutes ago, Wotad said:

 

i can watch it from the UK? 

It should be available in the UK

[raziela]

28 minutes ago, triplem said:

Finally  it is available on Netflix Asia. They release about 15 episodes every Friday.  I will likely start this once i find time the next two weeks. Anyone watching from the start like me?

Same!  I am in the middle of two other dramas at the moment so can't start watching immediately rither.

 

2 hours ago, yunmo19 said:

I guess the low ratings kind of carried with it all the bad things. Its continued abysmal ratings led to further butchering down the line, which certainly did nothing to help the ratings and eventually, resulted in early cancellation. I'm just glad it released the uncut DVD version alongside the TV version. Some series didn't even get that treatment. 

Yes, it's kind of a vicious cycle   I think this drama probably might have been better off as a web drama and could probably have succeeded as under the radar stealth success or even on another channel but airing it on populist Hunan TV during prime time on the tail end of summer obviously wasn't the best idea.  But no one anticipated these results and as they say hindsight is 20/20...

 

17 minutes ago, maplinh said:

It should be available in the UK

Have to admit I didn't check as they they aren't always available in the UK immediately but YAY that it is!

[moochiball]

9 hours ago, CatWhiskers said:

I am confused. In instagram..there are clearly pictures of BOTH of them on the cliff, reuniting. Dream? But looks real so an alternate ending?

 

I think somewhere down the the director forgot that this is called the RISE of the FREAKIN PHOENIXES, not the FALL of the FREAKIN PHOENIXES. 

 

Spoiler

the picture of them both standing on a cliff is an alternate ending . I heard that they film two different endings so they can have options later on. In a behind the scenes video, the alternate ending is that NingYi approaches ZhiWei on the cliff. NingYi says: 'ZhiWei, you finally came back. you're still alive'. I guess this means that after ZhiWei jumps off the cliff, she survives (maybe she faked her death or she's just lucky) and Ningyi have always believed that she would never just die like that and waited for her. 

 

ZhiWei jumping off the cliff reminds me of how when she was a baby, she was meant to be the baby that have fallen off the cliff. The wheel of fate does not pardon anyone and she still ends up falling off the cliff  

 

One phoenix dies and the other is bounded to a throne built from the deaths of his loved ones, fated to forever be alone. My poor Ning yi having to go through so much crap and still end up like this. This is not the reality i wanted  . staying strong, never losing your will and doing the right thing does not pay off for these characters. 

 

 

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

[tendrilsofwind]

In honor of the grand finale: incoming long review with spoilers galore. I am way too emotionally invested.

Spoiler

This show has consumed my days and nights—I find myself hopelessly attached to the characters and their fates.

 

All the production values play a role in setting the mood of this drama. The lighting and cinematography are unbearably beautiful. We are presented with halcyon days, soft light illuminating Feng Zhiwei’s unassuming beauty and Ning Yi’s perfect bone structure (wow look at those cheekbones). As the plot progresses, all this only serves to heighten the brutality of their fates.

 

The incongruous juxtapositions permeate throughout, especially in Chen Kun’s portrayal of the multifaceted Ning Yi. He is the daring, magnificent prince, garbed in armor, carrying the decapitated head of his enemy, threatening his father with rebellion to save his beloved. He is silly and irreverent in the face of Feng Zhiwei, at times incomparably tender. He is also the broken child, frenzied with grief in a way that left me recoiling from the screen.

 

Feng Zhiwei herself is unapologetically fierce and brilliant. When she is introduced to us she is still naïve and gleefully childish. For all her naivete, she still strains against her fate and struggles against those who hope to control her. For the first half of the show, Feng Zhiwei is the only major character who is still lighthearted. It, along with her intellect and no doubt her beauty, is what draws our tortured hero to her. She makes stupid mistakes, but she learns from them and even when she is suddenly plunged into despair at the death of her family, she does not let her pain make her vicious.

 

I found her to be the most tragic character. It would have been so easy for her to escape it all and just retreat into some distant land to live a carefree lifestyle. However, she is trapped by her own grand ambitions, forever feuding with her desire to be free. I wanted her to throw away her senses, love with wanton disregard, but she refused—and infatuated as I am with Ning Yi, I can’t say I could have made a different choice. If she became empress, she would have sacrificed her dignity. He loves her now, he may love her forever, but what a tedious existence it is, to live and die by your lover’s capricious whims. She would not have been allowed to be Ning Yi’s equal or make her own choices…he had never even thought to ask her what she wanted.

 

I am still reeling from Zhiwei’s death. She was carrying with her the burden of all the lives forced upon her. All the death and bloodshed and loss, the extent of human brutality she had witnessed, made her heartsick and depressed. She did not see anything but bleakness in her future. She blamed herself for all the circumstances out of her control. It is devastating to be so proud and brilliant and self-aware and despite all the illusory power she is presented with, doomed to be powerless. This drama is set in a fantastical world, but their emotions are all too real. I want to take this opportunity to ask that anyone struggling with depression please seek professional help. It is not your fault; you are not weak if you need help.

 

I am sad that so much was left out. The director’s cut is likely to be better. And yet, this is still one of the best tv shows I have seen, not just one of the best Chinese tv shows I have seen.

 

[mrsj3n]

13 hours ago, pristineqi said:

  Hide contents

Sad ending...   

 

More like

Spoiler

BAD ending!

 

@moochiball @tendrilsofwind *pat pat*

 

@CatWhiskers and I are equally upset with the ending and how they butchered and rushed the story just because of the bad ratings.

 

I hope those who are watching on Netflix will not be getting the horrible version that we are watching.

 

Else my advise? Don't waste your time.

 

My love-hate relationship with the drama is now changed to "best forgotten relationship".

 

Kudos to Chen Kun and Ni Ni and all the cast for their hard work.

 

Booooooo to the TV station, editor for destroying the story with so many versions and then tanking the drama completely with the ending.

 

Now.. where can I get the refund for my time?  

[Josephine Safowaa]

Spoiler

Just like what someone said above ,bad ending instead of sad ending.To be honest i felt very unsatisfied with zhi wei part of the story.It's like they shifted every thing on ningyi,from acting crazy when it comes to his mummy to getting revenge.Like where is zhi wei's revenge at least she should have killed her uncle's concubine or strangle that low born prince or stabbed that old emperor.

    And the plot twist is that ningy's mum was alive this whole time (that actress is really pretty ,i like her eyes)

 

[CatWhiskers]

5 hours ago, moochiball said:

 

I think somewhere down the the director forgot that this is called the RISE of the FREAKIN PHOENIXES, not the FALL of the FREAKIN PHOENIXES. 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

the picture of them both standing on a cliff is an alternate ending . I heard that they film two different endings so they can have options later on. In a behind the scenes video, the alternate ending is that NingYi approaches ZhiWei on the cliff. NingYi says: 'ZhiWei, you finally came back. you're still alive'. I guess this means that after ZhiWei jumps off the cliff, she survives (maybe she faked her death or she's just lucky) and Ningyi have always believed that she would never just die like that and waited for her. 

 

ZhiWei jumping off the cliff reminds me of how when she was a baby, she was meant to be the baby that have fallen off the cliff. The wheel of fate does not pardon anyone and she still ends up falling off the cliff  

 

One phoenix dies and the other is bounded to a throne built from the deaths of his loved ones, fated to forever be alone. My poor Ning yi having to go through so much crap and still end up like this. This is not the reality i wanted  . staying strong, never losing your will and doing the right thing does not pay off for these characters. 

 

 

  Hide contents

  Hide contents

 

 

 

 

 

Fall? More like the CONFUSION of the Phoenixes...the MESS of the Phoenixes...wait..what phoenix? A phoenix is suppose to rise from ashes (not dead). I cannot be frustrated enough.

 

I was very apprehensive when this drama came up. I was very into Fuyao and the thought of the world Fuyao and Wuji built collaspe, I didnt like that. But I like Chen Kun and was attracted to the amazingly beautiful cinematography and the beautiful Nini. It started out so so so so good and somehow turn very sour and bitter towards the end..like @mrsj3n said this drama is a best forgotten relationship.

 

I wish they could have release the FULL 100 episodes or at least the Netflix version or on dvd. It was slated to be 100, cut to 70 with sloppy editing and then further cut to save ratings. This is an insult to fans who have been watching and to the actors n crew who work so hard on this. Such a HUGE disappointment.

 

Zhi Wei jumping down the cliff is out of her character. She had so many people dying to keep her safe and she insulted them by commiting suicide? Really?! 

 

And a day before the "end" was aired, the production has the guts to lure us by releasing OFFICIAL photos of BOTH of them happy on the cliff; the alternate ending. What a cheat. And dont get me started on the 15689 scenes edited out. (there is one scene i was looking forward to...during ninhai..zhi wei walks in and ning yi went to greet her..both smiling at each other..) darn..i really wanna know what happen but i guess i will never know now. 

 

 

[MikiRei]

From Weibo, noticed the official account of the TV series made a post with the photo of Zhiwei and NingYi hugging each other up on the mountain (the one we've seen in trailers etc) 

 

Spoiler

and consoling everyone not to cry. I'm wondering whether they're being coy and maybe they will show the other version? Or are they just screwing with everyone? 

 

By the way, regarding 100 episodes, I read on Weibo and Douban that someone who has a friend who worked on the production has debunked the 100 episode rumour. There were never 100 episodes. They filmed enough material for 100 episode but the final cut was 70 episodes. 

 

Having said that, in the last couple of days, there was a post released by someone revealing that the show was essentially being forced to buy ratings and marketing - which the production refused to do. Apparently, it's a done thing in the industry so that explains why there were hardly any marketing on top of forced edits and cuts. This post was then re-posted by the actor playing Xing Zhiyeng. 

 

Further, some Weibo posts also mentioned that they had to change quite a lot of stuff due to the recent changes in laws (the one where they removed limits to presidency terms). Apparently, that meant a lot of the stuff they filmed couldn't be shown. One specific detail was apparently 

 

Spoiler

they can't show the scene where the emperor bows to Ning Yi and officially recognises and abdicates for Ning Yi to be the next emperor. Or Ning Yi abdicating for his younger brother to become emperor so he can be with Zhi Wei. Apparently, it reflects too much of current situation?? 

 

Which....a lot of people on Weibo are like WTF'ing. Emperors abdicating has happened many times in the past. Qiang Long did it because he didn't want to rule longer than his grandfather. All very strange. 

 

If it was censorship laws they wanted to pass, I'm really wondering what was in the original that they had to change so much. I don't think it was a coincidence when you can literally see a drop in continuity from Minhai arc onwards. From then on, you can literally see parts in the storyline that was probably in the original, and then parts where they probably had to quickly chop and change. 

 

Anyways, lots of weird things has happened with this series. And lots of speculations. All very strange. 

 

Maybe it becomes some sort of weird cult classic and when the tides have turned around the censorship laws, the director's cut finally gets released but.....*sigh*

 

EDIT: Just saw this (probably spoilers)

 

Spoiler

So as they were rehearsing, Chen Kun was saying how in that moment, they aren't actually there together. It's like they both were imagining being together finally - but it didn't happen. 

 

[yunmo19]

59 minutes ago, MikiRei said:

From Weibo, noticed the official account of the TV series made a post with the photo of Zhiwei and NingYi hugging each other up on the mountain (the one we've seen in trailers etc) 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

and consoling everyone not to cry. I'm wondering whether they're being coy and maybe they will show the other version? Or are they just screwing with everyone? 

 

By the way, regarding 100 episodes, I read on Weibo and Douban that someone who has a friend who worked on the production has debunked the 100 episode rumour. There were never 100 episodes. They filmed enough material for 100 episode but the final cut was 70 episodes. 

 

Having said that, in the last couple of days, there was a post released by someone revealing that the show was essentially being forced to buy ratings and marketing - which the production refused to do. Apparently, it's a done thing in the industry so that explains why there were hardly any marketing on top of forced edits and cuts. This post was then re-posted by the actor playing Xing Zhiyeng. 

 

Further, some Weibo posts also mentioned that they had to change quite a lot of stuff due to the recent changes in laws (the one where they removed limits to presidency terms). Apparently, that meant a lot of the stuff they filmed couldn't be shown. One specific detail was apparently 

 

  Hide contents

they can't show the scene where the emperor bows to Ning Yi and officially recognises and abdicates for Ning Yi to be the next emperor. Or Ning Yi abdicating for his younger brother to become emperor so he can be with Zhi Wei. Apparently, it reflects too much of current situation?? 

 

Which....a lot of people on Weibo are like WTF'ing. Emperors abdicating has happened many times in the past. Qiang Long did it because he didn't want to rule longer than his grandfather. All very strange. 

 

If it was censorship laws they wanted to pass, I'm really wondering what was in the original that they had to change so much. I don't think it was a coincidence when you can literally see a drop in continuity from Minhai arc onwards. From then on, you can literally see parts in the storyline that was probably in the original, and then parts where they probably had to quickly chop and change. 

 

Anyways, lots of weird things has happened with this series. And lots of speculations. All very strange. 

 

Maybe it becomes some sort of weird cult classic and when the tides have turned around the censorship laws, the director's cut finally gets released but.....*sigh*

 

WOW. Oh, wow. Thanks so much for this post. I couldn't wait for Netflix so I watched the raws up to around middle series (eps 40 or something). Had no idea this drama had to go through such barriers (screw Chinese censorship ! I was like wtf ?).... Never know if we're gonna get the director's cut, so I guess we have to make do with what they gave us. Later story arcs do seem a bit weaker compared to the beginning, but I still enjoy the series so far. Kudos go to the cast - they did a superb job of bringing the characters to life and holding the story together. It made the unpredictable turns in the plot more convincing.

Also,

Spoiler

it appears to me the drama has a bad ending. Uh.... Is bad ending a fetish of the main actor or what? I do recall he starred in several dramas before, and they mostly had bad endings.....

 

 

[skibbies]

The drama was slated to be 50 episodes (in the initial filming request thing), extended to 70 episodes. They filmed enough content to fill 100 episodes and cut to 70 which is fine, and if latter cuts were essential to pass SARFT, I really think they should did more cuts in the earlier arcs to make the the pacing more even throughout the show.

 

They had marketing, there were a lot of press reports before they passed SARFT and changed the name. (Its official weibo disappeared for almost half a year with no news, name change wasn't officially announced by them either but by other press) After that happened, they were suddenly slated to air and Chinese netizens have been criticising that they didn't really know how to fully utilise weibo to promote. It's true they didn't buy any trending topics and whatnot, but they also weren't too good encouraging discussions. The notice they put up regarding not buying ratings actually drew in fair amount of hate and mocking (something along the lines they only did  it because they were tanking in ratings).

 

As for broadcasting as web drama, I get why people think that, but the production team does want to make back the massive amount of money they invested in, and only by being on TV are they eligible for various awards and more recognition you know. SARFT have held a tight reign over historical dramas for like 10 years, especially the ones that go on prime time slot, there's a lot of restrictions around it, and it's gotten worse in last few years. THAT's why Ruyi was delayed over and over and eventually still couldn't be broadcasted on TV, think about it, that drama is largely focused on harem, and it still couldn't get pass the restrictions. I'm wondering how Advisor Alliance and Qin Empire got pass SARFT tbh.

 

For people who can understand Mandarin, definitely highly recommend the making of documentaries, it has spoilers though, so bewarn.

[tendrilsofwind]

@MikiRei  A lot of the cut parts were scenes with Bai Jingting and Wang Ou in them, which would be starting from the Minhai arc. Both of them filmed for six months and that was not six months worth of material. From what I've read, they had to resubmit a few times for censorship and only barely managed to make it on air. Also...people are saying they can't release a different version to netflix because that would be seen as an affront to the censorship committee and that would completely kill the production company in China. I hope that's not true because I need to see the full version.

 

I watched the DVD version and I am not as angry with the ending as most people are. I know everyone is unhappy with Feng Zhiwei's choice, but when you are in that mind frame, you really do feel as if everyone else is better without you and they probably didn't have SSRIs in ancient China. You can see hints of it when she is talking to Hua Qiong about how everything was her fault and what a horrible person she was. I would really prefer another ending though. This has impacted my mood these few days.

[skibbies]

They can't release a full version because all exported dramas still go through SARFT so uh.