[Mainland Chinese Drama 2018] Heavy Sweetness Ash-like Frost 香蜜沉沉烬如霜

[angel318]

Sweet dreams everyone! 

Spoiler alert:

Spoiler

http://p.weibo.com/show/channerWbH5/1034:4280128851900654

 

[thehumantree]

^ I just saw that a couple minutes ago!!!

 

The way both side entered the battlefield!! It was heart pumping good!!

 

Also, Phoenix sound so obnoxiously arrogant, I love it!!!

[dashmount20]

Kya.. Big battle coming soon. 

[pad-hari]

It seems RY is asking JM to come to his side before the war start.  But she is not leaving XF's side.  

[dashmount20]

Yea...  RY ask JM to come back to heaven. 

JM replied she was doing fine at demon world. (reject to go back to heaven) 

 

XF: majesty do you know that we already married?  She is my underworld queen... 

 

Lol..... 

 

RY: how dare you take heaven quee? 

 

Lol.... 

 

XF so proud that finally he win over RY.. 

 

Correct me if my translation is wrong.. 

[thephamle]

44 minutes ago, angel318 said:

Sweet dreams everyone! 

Spoiler alert:

  Hide contents

http://p.weibo.com/show/channerWbH5/1034:4280128851900654

 

Thanks!

 

That is what a grand extrance looks like! Gave me goosebumps.

[xienrue]

@baiqian

@tripplestep007

@paperwishes

Regarding Deng Lun as Xu Feng, one of Deng Lun great advantage in this role is his phoenix eyes. I think it is quite rare these days to get an actor/actress with that kind of eyes?? Acting wise, of course he can improve more but I think he is okay. As I have said in my previous post, I start watching raw around Xu Feng death. Earlier episode, I am still at episode 13. From episodes that I have watched, Deng Lun interpretation of Xu Feng is kind and warm-hearted man. He is a tsundere in love but a kind person nonetheless. Problem is, in the novel Phoenix is also written as arrogant. We see this arrogant part in the drama,  but unfortunately not much. Therefore, in the drama Xu Feng is afflicted with lack of character description. Deng Lun only fault in this aspect, I think is that he failed to exude a body language/posture that shows that he is a War God not just an ordinary prince. But this kind of thing should be able to rectified by the drama director so I don't understand what really happen here .....

 

About his acting after Xu Feng revival, I am okay with his melancholy mood. But there is no scene of him showcasing his "demon lord" persona. Instead of getting the demon throne through some "communication", I prefer he gets it through battle. Perhaps killing small demon here and there ..... Instead we get a mopping demon lord ..... I honestly afraid that they will make demon realm the losing side in the war, thus weakened Xu Feng character further.

 

Instead of Deng Lun, I am more troubled with Yang Zi acting actually. I know lots of people here and out there praise her acting in this drama and I have no offense to you people. I admit that she is great in the early episodes. But when the story gets into the angst, she fails to do it. In my opinion, sadness should be able to be felt even without you cry or say anything. I just don't buy her body language in this redemption arc. Additionally, I felt a disjointed emotion from her; when she facing Xu Feng, she is sad but when she is with somebody else (that is not Run Yu), her sadness seems to be dissipated or lessen. Her face shows no expression (not smiling), yes, but it can mean anything. She doesn't show like someone in depression and crazed obsession. To be fair, this is not only a problem for Yang Zi. I have seen other actresses have the exact same problem. Unfortunately, this drama exactly demand that kind of skill from its main heroine. Jin Mi mistake in killing Xu Feng is very great. She literally deserve all the suffering she was going through in her plight reviving Xu Feng. It is that suffering that redeemed her character. When this drama adaptation was announced, this is the arc that I was waiting the most. I want to see how Jin Mi is portrayed after she kills Xu Feng. And since I watch redemption arc raw, with my little chinese understanding, all I am focusing for is her body language and expression. I have to say that I am a little disappointed. Perhaps I will feel better about her acting once I get the sub but this is exactly the point.

 

In short, do the main leads acting are good? Yes.

Can they do better? Absolutely.

And do you think the script is in anyway at fault of making the actor/actress unable to do more? Absolutely, yes!

[Jackie Zhou]

2 minutes ago, xienrue said:

@baiqian

@tripplestep007

@paperwishes

Regarding Deng Lun as Xu Feng, one of Deng Lun great advantage in this role is his phoenix eyes. I think it is quite rare these days to get an actor/actress with that kind of eyes?? Acting wise, of course he can improve more but I think he is okay. As I have said in my previous post, I start watching raw around Xu Feng death. Earlier episode, I am still at episode 13. From episodes that I have watched, Deng Lun interpretation of Xu Feng is kind and warm-hearted man. He is a tsundere in love but a kind person nonetheless. Problem is, in the novel Phoenix is also written as arrogant. We see this arrogant part in the drama,  but unfortunately not much. Therefore, in the drama Xu Feng is afflicted with lack of character description. Deng Lun only fault in this aspect, I think is that he failed to exude a body language/posture that shows that he is a War God not just an ordinary prince. But this kind of thing should be able to rectified by the drama director so I don't understand what really happen here .....

 

About his acting after Xu Feng revival, I am okay with his melancholy mood. But there is no scene of him showcasing his "demon lord" persona. Instead of getting the demon throne through some "communication", I prefer he gets it through battle. Perhaps killing small demon here and there ..... Instead we get a mopping demon lord ..... I honestly afraid that they will make demon realm the losing side in the war, thus weakened Xu Feng character further.

 

Instead of Deng Lun, I am more troubled with Yang Zi acting actually. I know lots of people here and out there praise her acting in this drama and I have no offense to you people. I admit that she is great in the early episodes. But when the story gets into the angst, she fails to do it. In my opinion, sadness should be able to be felt even without you cry or say anything. I just don't buy her body language in this redemption arc. Additionally, I felt a disjointed emotion from her; when she facing Xu Feng, she is sad but when she is with somebody else (that is not Run Yu), her sadness seems to be dissipated or lessen. Her face shows no expression (not smiling), yes, but it can mean anything. She doesn't show like someone in depression and crazed obsession. To be fair, this is not only a problem for Yang Zi. I have seen other actresses have the exact same problem. Unfortunately, this drama exactly demand that kind of skill from its main heroine. Jin Mi mistake in killing Xu Feng is very great. She literally deserve all the suffering she was going through in her plight reviving Xu Feng. It is that suffering that redeemed her character. When this drama adaptation was announced, this is the arc that I was waiting the most. I want to see how Jin Mi is portrayed after she kills Xu Feng. And since I watch redemption arc raw, with my little chinese understanding, all I am focusing for is her body language and expression. I have to say that I am a little disappointed. Perhaps I will feel better about her acting once I get the sub but this is exactly the point.

 

In short, do the main leads acting are good? Yes.

Can they do better? Absolutely.

And do you think the script is in anyway at fault of making the actor/actress unable to do more? Absolutely, yes!

I am just going to say they are following the novel very closely than most of the other TV series.

[turtle0217]

2 hours ago, thehumantree said:

Q version poster

 

 

They're also planning on releasing a Q game later on... lol they're really milking the popularity of the series huh?!

 

 

These are soo cute! It's nice they're making it a game.

1 hour ago, angel318 said:

Sweet dreams everyone! 

Spoiler alert:

  Reveal hidden contents

http://p.weibo.com/show/channerWbH5/1034:4280128851900654

 

 

Yes, that's how you do it, Phoenix.

 

Just look at how much happier her is that she's his underworld queen. 

[paperwishes]

28 minutes ago, xienrue said:

Spoiler

 

@baiqian

@tripplestep007

@paperwishes

Regarding Deng Lun as Xu Feng, one of Deng Lun great advantage in this role is his phoenix eyes. I think it is quite rare these days to get an actor/actress with that kind of eyes?? Acting wise, of course he can improve more but I think he is okay. As I have said in my previous post, I start watching raw around Xu Feng death. Earlier episode, I am still at episode 13. From episodes that I have watched, Deng Lun interpretation of Xu Feng is kind and warm-hearted man. He is a tsundere in love but a kind person nonetheless. Problem is, in the novel Phoenix is also written as arrogant. We see this arrogant part in the drama,  but unfortunately not much. Therefore, in the drama Xu Feng is afflicted with lack of character description. Deng Lun only fault in this aspect, I think is that he failed to exude a body language/posture that shows that he is a War God not just an ordinary prince. But this kind of thing should be able to rectified by the drama director so I don't understand what really happen here .....

 

About his acting after Xu Feng revival, I am okay with his melancholy mood. But there is no scene of him showcasing his "demon lord" persona. Instead of getting the demon throne through some "communication", I prefer he gets it through battle. Perhaps killing small demon here and there ..... Instead we get a mopping demon lord ..... I honestly afraid that they will make demon realm the losing side in the war, thus weakened Xu Feng character further.

 

Instead of Deng Lun, I am more troubled with Yang Zi acting actually. I know lots of people here and out there praise her acting in this drama and I have no offense to you people. I admit that she is great in the early episodes. But when the story gets into the angst, she fails to do it. In my opinion, sadness should be able to be felt even without you cry or say anything. I just don't buy her body language in this redemption arc. Additionally, I felt a disjointed emotion from her; when she facing Xu Feng, she is sad but when she is with somebody else (that is not Run Yu), her sadness seems to be dissipated or lessen. Her face shows no expression (not smiling), yes, but it can mean anything. She doesn't show like someone in depression and crazed obsession. To be fair, this is not only a problem for Yang Zi. I have seen other actresses have the exact same problem. Unfortunately, this drama exactly demand that kind of skill from its main heroine. Jin Mi mistake in killing Xu Feng is very great. She literally deserve all the suffering she was going through in her plight reviving Xu Feng. It is that suffering that redeemed her character. When this drama adaptation was announced, this is the arc that I was waiting the most. I want to see how Jin Mi is portrayed after she kills Xu Feng. And since I watch redemption arc raw, with my little chinese understanding, all I am focusing for is her body language and expression. I have to say that I am a little disappointed. Perhaps I will feel better about her acting once I get the sub but this is exactly the point.

 

In short, do the main leads acting are good? Yes.

Can they do better? Absolutely.

And do you think the script is in anyway at fault of making the actor/actress unable to do more? Absolutely, yes!

 

 

I do largely agree with you but I also do feel that the editing is also at fault for the disjointed emotions. Especially in the later episodes, the cuts are a tad messy.

Although one think that I really like a lot in the drama is the leads voice acting. It's rare to come across a non-dubbed period drama and I really appreciate it in here.

 

[visiopeia]

2 hours ago, angel318 said:

Sweet dreams everyone! 

Spoiler alert:

  Hide contents

http://p.weibo.com/show/channerWbH5/1034:4280128851900654

 

 

Hahahaahahha.. when RY ask JM to come back ... and JM says she is good in the demon world.. our XF is soo proud to announce that they are now officially married.. i can feel that JM doesn't want this announcement to happen. She seems to worried about the battle. 

 

To my predict conclusion, JM sacrifice herself so that both brothers able to stop fighting. sob sob .. gotta prepare a box of tissue for tonight's episode onwards 

[Nudafu]

9 hours ago, Kimchi Sweet Potato said:

The addit of the wedding and the stone are ingenious. We won't really know if it came from the production team or writer nor do I care at this point, but it does plague the mind at what could have been had they invested more in this type of storytelling. No point in crying over spilled milk I suppose. Don't get me wrong, I still think this was a well executed adaptation. Plan to rewatch this in a month and will see how I react to it then. Watching live has its torments.

 

Loved that Perfect Match stone too. Although I found it weird that Xu Feng trusted this stone over his own phoenix feather. I thought it would be obvious when a piece of your own body hit's you over the head with the message: protect instead of harm. Surely a metaphor for self doubt. No wonder Jin Mi calls him "silly bird".

 

I also think this series is fabulous. I usually read the novel before, during and after the series. For this one, I've flat out avoided reading it. It's a lovely experience to not know for a change and enjoy something as is.

 

16 hours ago, jehnnny99 said:

@Kimchi Sweet Potato To answer your question of who suffered the most, I think the viewers did. But regarding the relationship, probably all three suffered to the same extent. None of them can be blamed for their suffering too, because it was already fated from the start and it was just a domino effect of suffering ( first RY, then JM and then XF ). 

 

Lol...I didn't think from the perspective of viewers. How delightfully meta . 

 

I don't think it was all due to fate. Any series that uses the element of fate - ala period Korean dramas - pitches the protagonist's free will against it. Fate versus free will. This story is unique in that Jin Mi and Xu Feng are co-protagonists because they fight to bring their love back to life and succeed in doing so. If we were really going by fate alone, it should end at Jin Mi's death. The Flower Goddess was not meant to live in this reality (i.e. flashback by Water God where his teacher explains where the baby Flower Goddess comes from). This explains an extra 2 plot points: why the Flower Goddess had to die, and multiple allusions to Jin Mi's fated death. Her mother, her parents' teacher, and recently the Goddess of Fated Meetings kept reminding us Jin Mi/someone is going to die. I guess to highlight the struggles of all players to avoid that fate.

 

What Xu Feng as a co-protagonist does is extraordinary. The way I see it, he tells fate where to shove it and claims back Jin Mi's existence in his reality. Because he cannot stand for anything else. His suffering and redemption were his motives to make this happen (this makes his suffering meaningful rather than fated). Xu Feng transcended fate and showed us that free will, when single-mindedly applied, can bring a courageous little fruit sprite back to life from a mere soul fragment. Making him - even if not obvious and downplayed by the Productions Gods - the true hero on this hero's journey. One of the reasons why I was never concerned about the changes.

 

You can change the characters and story, but you can never take the hero out of a hero's journey. 

[xienrue]

1 hour ago, paperwishes said:

I do largely agree with you but I also do feel that the editing is also at fault for the disjointed emotions. Especially in the later episodes, the cuts are a tad messy. 

Although one think that I really like a lot in the drama is the leads voice acting. It's rare to come across a non-dubbed period drama and I really appreciate it in here.

 

This! And the script! They should not make Jin Mi doing side quest in redemption arc. And I dislike how she is still infatuated with talking about Sui He when she should be feeling horrified that she had wrongly killed Xu Feng. It makes it look that she gets her priority wrong ....

[Nudafu]

2 hours ago, xienrue said:

They should not make Jin Mi doing side quest in redemption arc. And I dislike how she is still infatuated with talking about Sui He when she should be feeling horrified that she had wrongly killed Xu Feng. It makes it look that she gets her priority wrong ....

 

The redemption arc was to emphasise Jin Mi's sacrifice. It was a set up for the change from losing 60% of her power and/or essence (which honestly has no impact for me considering it has been re-used in different ways already) to loss of a technicolored world. Of all people, colour represents who Jin Mi is as heir to the Flower Realm. It's like a pianist ruining their hands, a singer losing their voice. It cuts so much more deeply as a sacrifice than losing power. I actually love how there is a slow build to how tragic this is for Jin Mi. Peppering cuts to her greyscale view was a nice touch. She remains stoic about it while people around her cry the tears she cannot shed. First Lao Hu, then the Moon Elder. The Moon Elder who first hated Jin Mi's guts for stabbing Xu Feng, ironically becomes her greatest advocate for the sheer degree of this sacrifice. At the wedding in the demon palace, I thought the Moon Elder does one of his most powerful scenes in the series: voicing the pain of another because it affects even him. When he cries:

 

"She is a daughter of the Flower Goddess!"

 

Gosh, I felt that. I felt the impact of what it means to give up the connection to the world which is your birthright. One of the most poignant sacrifice ideas I have ever seen. And I loved how this finally propels Jin Mi to quietly sob, despite herself. I dare say it's these tears that move Xu Feng to wake up from his suspecting stupor. Because it is the quiet sacrifices that have the loudest emotional voice.

 

I think it was good that Jin Mi had another agenda beside dwelling on Xu Feng. I thought she agonised enough over him already. Belabouring her suffering with no action turns her into a character without agency. The fact that she was concerned about saving Puchi Jun and remembering that her parent's revenge (her focus on his murderer, Sui He) was important to her means she is a character who is more than just a person in love. She cares about and is willing to take action for all people who are a part of her world. Considering the pain she is going through, I think the fact that Jin Mi can still rise to action means she has nothing wrong with her priorities - it means she is a selfless and loyal little grape. 

 

I actually thought the redemption arc rather LOTR-esque . 

 

Jin Mi = Frodo (prettier with a better figure)

Puchi Jun = Sam (after a makeover from Queer Eye for a Straight Guy)

Moon Elder = Gandalf (with a robe change to Gandalf the Red...he even has a staff!)

 

The shot with them in front of the mountain gave me Mordor vibes. And yes, the LOTR theme was playing in my head as they went up the mountain .

[vintage_chutzpah]

im just on episode 49 and Sui He's devotion is admirable at this point even if it's obsessive

[Mau_Cherry]

I am soooo happy with the clip from the coming war - that looks great to me. And yes - she is his Underworld Queen - how i love to see him proud and arrogant. i needed more of it. sob...

 

So I wonder how can Night blame the Empress anymore for killing his tribe because of jealousy - he  tries to kill a race because of a woman (in the end it is like that) who don´t want him.

 

He dares to risk a war about his personal feelings. How can he call her the heavens Queen - he needed to imprision her  -how did he believed the wedding could happen - using a puppet spell too...

 

I will watch it again - oh I love it!

[Pantheragirl]

They are so cute  

Can someone translate it maybe?  

 

 

[nyaannyaan]

Just jumping out of my lurking again. I just want to say, I really really really love this series. Yes, there are changes from the novel but it is to be expected. How boring would it be if they follow the novel 100%. Most Chinese dramas were adapted from a novel and by comparison, I thought this was a good adaptation.

 

I think they kept true to the key points in the novel, but the changes actually made things better. I love the addition of the bride switch and I cannot wait to watch the rest of the epic battle (love the entrance!). Actually, I thought the addition of the demon princess and her love line is way better than if she had been added and she was another love interest (eg. I couldn't stand Lady 13 in General and I - she was added onto the drama version). I thought the characters in the demon realm actually sort of soften the blow for XF who had lost everything. In a way, he gained "a home" somewhere else when he was displaced from the heavenly realm. I like how he has comrades that were on his side when everything could have been bleaker. Also, I wonder if the whole JM giving up her ability to see colours to save XF could be used to explain:

 

How she became his tears when she died.

 

Because I was always confused how it happened in the novel (Maybe I missed something in the novel). I don't know of course if they will keep this in the end, but I thought throughout the show tears seemed to be a symbolism that they use a lot between JM and XF especially when in death scenes. Talking about symbolism, I thought how appropriate was it when JM closed the door on RY when after she woke up (despite thinking that it was XF who killed her family at that point).  I thought it showed how her heart cannot ever be opened to RY no matter what.

 

I saw some people commenting how silly XF was about Sui He, but am I the only one who thinks he is only "affectionate" to Sui He when JM was around? I thought he was rather cold to her when JM wasn't around. I mean the way he spoke and treated her was rather "normal". I thought he was kinder to LY when he speaks to LY ;;^^

[ElleSor]

Love JM and Phoenix's united front when the battle was about to start. I appreciate that they had some time to show their love for each other before the ending.

As for RY, I think he just wanted to appear that he won over Phoenix for once in his life. I totally understand this desire of his to be one up on Phoenix because he is after all the older son but he was not as important as Phoenix to the emperor and empress. This is probably why he didn't stop thinking of getting JM back...she was the excuse to go to war. I remember, there was always a threat of war from the demon world and it was phoenix who was tasked to resolve it. RY may have thought that this will be his way of being better than Phoenix, by defeating him in the battlefield, whether or not JM sided with him. I'm sorry RY shippers but my opinion of him was never swayed from the beginning, I always thought he was manipulative and motivated by the desire to get the heavenly throne. He's very good at biding his time and waiting for opportunities to come by and take advantage of them.

 

[Nudafu]

53 minutes ago, nyaannyaan said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

How she became his tears when she died.
 

 

 

 

 

Jin Mi doesn't become his tears. A fragment of her shattered soul becomes attached to his tears. She literally gets a bird's eye view from Xu Feng. It's rather funny from Jin Mi's point of view. When Xu Feng later erupts in some serious crying, her soul fragment gets washed away by the tears. Good thing, because she needs to get on with being reincarnated so she can meet Xu Feng again.

 

Yay, scenes from Xu Feng's redemption.