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[Mainland Chinese Drama 2019] Novoland: Eagle Flag 九州缥缈录


sugarplum892

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I actually like both Yuran and Xiaozhou, as characters by themselves, not really with Asule. I've abandoned all the canon ships and went for the unconventional ones if I was shipping anyone.

 

Yuran is carefree and fun and cute, everyone else is scheming and she's just clueless, I don't find it annoying though for some reason, I think for the most part, how grave situations are just completely escapes her,and she only cares about people close to her, which make sense considering how she grows up. She doesn't want to participate in politics because that's not her dream, she just wants to hang out with friends and have fun.

 

Xiaozhou is ladylike, because that's how she was bought up. Her aunt was in control and her brother saved her life, she has to be perfect or she could die. I mostly like her for being the only one out of our protagonists who actually seems to know what's going on, partially because of her position + sensitivity to politics due to growing up in palace, but partially because she genuinely wants to help her brother in managing the empire.

 

Asule is naive idealist and Ji Ye is..mhmm I thought he's a pragmatic opportunist, but he doesn't seem particularly political savvy at all. Anyways, I like the characters and acting for the most part, but damn where is this plot GOING? I am still not feeling the fantasy epic by the way. I have no qualm with focusing on friendship and other interpersonal relationship, hell I like it, but I really think the drama is emphasising on the wrong thing? 

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I watched epi. 36.It looks like it is Yuran’s turn to shed light into her character.Yuran’s feelings towards Asule is quite confusing.There are times that the way she looks and her expressions at A is quite different from what is coming out of her mouth and her physical manifestations. No romance in this drama but why would they even bother showing Yuran’s interactions and expressions towards Asule. When A died even JY could not console her. Either hot or cold,Having the English sub is quite different from watching raw. I don’t know about the princess.She likes and  is very good to Asule but I couldn’t seem to warm to her.Like we will be in for A big surprise, As her aunt  said you could not love 2 persons.

I know this will have a sad ending but I would take comfort if at the end Yuran will say that she loved Asule. Waiting for the next episode

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31 minutes ago, eim1 said:

There are times that the way she looks and her expressions at A is quite different from what is coming out of her mouth and her physical manifestations. No romance in this drama but why would they even bother showing Yuran’s interactions and expressions towards Asule.

Yeah this is why I don't understand, why there were so many this "moments" where she looks at him like love, they could let her be only friendly with him, but no we get his confession and her some times looking at him ... and tahn throwing the princess at asule from 20-36 the whole time. but what I still don't like, Yuran  is still married to Asule, she gave her word and than this kiss in 36? I mean it was political, but she did know what she was doing and said while marrige beeing on the floor infroont of the king "I am willing"...But she didn't closed her eyes while Ji Ye kissed her in the water...I think she is still confused like aunt said. I want her to go her way and asule his way, so that they all mature.

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Real life suddenly made its demands which threw off my viewing pace, much to my chagrin. Am finally able to catch up after a massive marathon last night, but not quite ready to put my thoughts down yet. Until I do gather my thoughts, found these adorable pictures of memorable scenes featuring our intrepid trio, the ones they love and those who love them :wub:

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Spoiler

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cr. Youku

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I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s confused at Yuran’s feelings towards her 2 male friends.They might as well each go their on way .I wish the subs will catch up with advancing episodes. Watching Empires and Tribes so I don’t think too much of this drama.I don’t want to invest too much to N drama coz I don’t want a big let down at the end. Sometimes it is better to watch the completed drama rather than the currently airing drama. I heard that N is not quite popular in China.The longest day in Chang’an is also good but I like N better just because of LH after I watched him in NIF 2.

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@a_tumiwa Yes, You Changji's target when he charged into the palace was actually the National Preceptor, who was of Chenyue. However, it was later reported that he he ended up killing the emperor, which in turn led to the wide-spread persecution and annihilation of Tianqu members, as well as his own death.

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I agree with @skibbies thoughts on YR and XZ as both girls are great as their own characters. 

 

These characters are supposed to be kids, right? While they're all growing up in a different time period where kids their age are old enough to have families and lead countries, but the reality is that only YR has been able to be a carefree child compared to many of the other young people her age. As that is, it's normal that feelings towards those around them will change; and that's okay. I do hope that we will see her coming of age as we have towards JY and Asule, or else it's unfair to her character to be used as the wedge between them. I feel that her own story and identity could also be very interesting, but the gravity of her character has just not been established (say in comparison to her aunt who is obviously a very interesting person). 

 

I actually love that we see other young people come into the lives of Asule and JY, especially that these two young women seem to highlight specific parts of their lives and characters that YR does not. While YR does a nice job of bringing happiness and joy into the somber lives of the boys, but XZ and YY also allow us to imagine the actually politicking and grittiness that both boys live in different ways. These two new young women characters, at least for me, are very grounding because they actually live out the circumstances and conditions of their stations, consequences and all. 

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Guys, I’m so addicted to this show it’s surprising the heck out of me, every day I wait for subs on YouTube and because they uploaded one episode a day with English that’s all i can watch for now. I’m on episode 23  and each episode it’s getting better. Now I have a dilemma to watch it raw and then subs or continue waiting for subs each day lol

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Eps 21-36 brings LGC to the capital at the behest of the emperor through his half-sister XZ, setting into motion events that would throw the entire Eastern Lands into imminent chaos - starting from the reveal of LGC's much-shortened lifespan due to his wielding of the ancient sword, to the unpopular decree of the emperor to restore the integrity and innocence of Tianqu from the crimes against the royal family, the loss of the Grand Princess' influence and her forging of a new alliance, a sinister prophecy of 4 signs which comes to pass one by one, unexpected treachery that plunges deep into the hearts of the ones who trust them most, a shocking twist that sees the mighty lion becoming the prey, culminating in a standoff at Shangyang Pass, where the final signs of the prophecy would surely be fulfilled. Through it all, nothing is ever quite it seems, and what is evident may not necessarily be the entire truth after all, with trickery and treachery lurking in wait amid the most trusted, while unexpected frankness and mutual respect is found among preconceived enemies.

 

One of the most unforeseen character evolutions has to be of the emperor. A ruler without true power, seemingly benevolent and righteous, is revealed to be one of the craftiest players in the political game, plotting even from years back to bring down the Grand Princess who has kept him incapacitated behind a veneer of weak timidity, amassing a personal army of warriors among the orphaned and abandoned children while secretly working with his royal tutor to bring down his enemies one by one. Driven to madness by his desire to restore the authority of the emperor, he would brook no opposition, and destroys anyone that dares stand in his way without a second thought, even those closest to him with the exception of XZ, whom he saved from certain death years ago, and sees as his closest kin. Yet there is so much cunning in the midst of his insanity, as he plots his final blow - convincing YWY that he would abdicate the throne in favour of him, then trapping him with himself in the fire of Taiqing Tower, while his soldiers carry out a bloodbath - the sealing of the capital, the total annihilation of his court and palace servants, the bitterly fought battle between the ambushed Leiqi army of Li, and the emperor's soldiers. In his demented mind, should he not survive in the aftermath, XZ will rule as his successor with fresh servants and army, none of whom are privy to any secrets that would be a source of vulnerability during her reign. It is almost poetic justice then that he, who personally delivered the killing blow to the man who deemed him a friend but refused to comply to his wishes, would ultimately die at the hands of that same man who no longer knew who he was nor what he was doing. 

 

By the same token, YTZ's betrayal of LGC is perhaps all the more shocking, considering the lengths he has gone to from the moment we were introduced to him, to restore Tianqu for the lofty ideal of safeguarding the peace of the world. Here is a man who held the entire ragtag Tianqu organisation together in the absence of a sovereign leader for so many years, unwaveringly supporting LGC even when the other Tianqu members doubted the younger man's calibre and judgment to lead them; riding to the rescue at Yanfan Lake with the Tianqu members when Chiya threatened the lives of LGC and those present. Then again, perhaps I should not have been that surprised, since this is the same person who advocated the assassination of You Changji many years ago, in exchange for the hope of a royal pardon for the rest of the Tianqu organisation. When it comes down to it, YTZ's loyalty is never to any sovereign leader per se, but to what he believes to be the best for the organisation and the fulfillment of their ideals. Thus, his belief that LGC's uncompromising stance will bring about Tianqu's destruction, is the impetus that would pit him against the young man he once supported, and whose death he plotted along with the emperor whom LGC treated as a friend. Now he has taken it upon himself to protect the four young people and bring them into hiding in a remote village - but to what ends? Is he waiting to see if LGC recovers his memory, figures out and exposes him as the one who betrayed him? I don't think YR was ever his target, until she fell into a trance and inadvertently performed a dance that is intrinsic to the Winged tribe. We do not know yet the significance of that dance, but if the plot follows the book, this marks the turning point in YR's once-carefree life, setting her on the path to her destiny, irrevocably linked to the fate of her tribe. We already know that YTZ himself is of the Winged tribe - his right wing is clearly injured in the past - and he had already planned to go across the sea to the East back to his homeland before he met the four of them. Now that YR has revealed her innate nature to him, I believe he will not let her out of his sight from here on.

 

It is ironic that YWY, always portrayed as a real and present threat to the throne, would find himself manipulated by the emperor he clearly underestimated, and the tables turned so much that he, always the roaring lion, would become the hunted, holed up in Shangyang Pass, waiting to face battle against the Five Great Armies. While there is no denying his lust for power and greed for the throne, it is now clear that this time, his advance to the capital is what he stated after all - funds to advance his army into the North - since the only means of survival for the Li dukedom is to continue to fight and expand their territory through the conquest of more cities. While he strikes dread, and rightly so, here is a man whose brutal honesty is far more preferable to those who strike in the dark with underhanded tactics, and with the prophecies coming to pass one by one, I will be very sorry when we finally see the fall of this great warrior and conqueror.

 

It remains a mystery as to what Lei Bicheng truly has in store for LGC. He has known of the younger man's curse from the start, sacrificing his own student to save his life, then turns around to plot his death and resurrection in a chess game where he clearly controls the pieces. I have to wonder if LGC escaping the city and hiding out in the village is not part of the insidious plan Chenyue has set in motion. There is no doubt the young man died in the assassination during the flower festival, but can a man who was born dead yet somehow came back to life, truly be considered dead or alive? Whatever the circumstances surrounding LGC's existence now, one thing is clear. It is a cruel twist of fate that the man who is perhaps the greatest pacifist among all the characters in the story, is also arguably the one whose hands have wrought the most deaths, and I fear for LGC when he finally regains his lucidity one day and realises the horror of what he has done. Will he survive that crushing guilt, or will that guilt push him into becoming what Chenyue intends for him after all?

 

The prophecy that LBC foretold to the Grand Princess is a fascinating one:

While the eagle in the sky will perhaps never die
Immortality is one of the greatest miracles
and also the most terrifying curse
:

The chessboard in the capital will see a change presently

There were 4 signs in the sky
There will be unrest in the Eastern lands
The four seas will boil
The first sign - the fall of the eagle king
The 2nd sign - the rebirth of the phoenix through fire
The 3rd sign - the mighty lion falls and breaks its claws on the rocks
The 4th sign - the wolf packs devour each other, the dragon dies on a desolate beach

 

after which, Your Highness will achieve the pinnacle of power.

 

Does the eagle in the sky refer to LGC, who is also the eagle king, since the symbol of Tianqu is that of an eagle? I believe so, since LGC's life has been a series of his own deaths and resurrections, even from the day he was born. If so, is he fated to an undying existence, in one way or another, which will make it a double-edged sword, as all those he love and care for will leave him one by one in death. Of the 4 signs, 2 have already come to pass, and the 3rd and 4th are being set in motion. YWY is repeatedly referred to as the mighty lion, and the armies of the 5 dukedoms already call themselves wolves. In which case, it is a given that YWY and his army will be destroyed at Shangyang Pass. Who then does the dragon refer to? Normally this can only refer to the emperor, but by the time the 3rd and 4th prophecies are set in motion, the emperor is already dead. Unless of course it is not meant to be in chronological order, in which case, the emperor dying a lonely death at the hands of LGC is already part of the prophecy, helped along by LBC's insidious machinations.

 

The plot remains in high gear, throwing twists and turns relentlessly with barely a moment's pause. That being said, it is not without issues, and the flow sometimes feel forced and illogical. In particular, does it make sense that the emperor would have allowed XZ to set out for Yanfan Lake with just two servants in tow, knowing that the journey is fraught with danger, and the urgency of needing her to convince the emissaries of the different dukedoms of the justifications in acknowledging Tianqu as a righteous entity once more. I find it more to allow LGC to ride to her rescue, reignite JY and LGC's friendship, and showcase the heroism of the Tianqu organisation as they fought to the death to protect those at Yanfan Lake. I wish this could have been done with more subtlety, without resorting to such a ridiculous premise, but that's just me. Likewise the ease with which LBC convinced the Grand Princess to trust him, simply by restoring her youth and beauty, is yet another over-simplification which makes the Grand Princess appear vain and foolish, without the acumen which she clearly had in order to have controlled the court for so many years as she did.

 

Still, in the midst of all missteps, it is such a boon to see the three friends reunited once more, after aching so much for each of them when misunderstandings threatened to tear this precious bond apart. I am glad too, that there is someone who loves LGC the way he deserves to be loved, hurting as I do for him in knowing that the one he loves does not reciprocate his feelings in the same way. While we do not know yet whether his current, obvious need for XZ stems from LGC's real growing feelings for her, I do hope that he who has suffered so much, will be accorded some modicum of happiness, even if for a brief moment. From what little I know of the book and their fates, such happy moments are way too fleeting, and I want to savour each moment for as long as possible.

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On 8/8/2019 at 8:17 PM, Michaela Heimlich said:

Wow 33-34, I would like to know what is aunt telling Yuran...don't understand anything

@Michaela Heimlich Here is a brief transcript of the conversation between YR and her aunt, after LGC comes back to them from the dead:

 

GYY: Yuran, we both left our homeland and depended on one another in the Eastern lands. My decision to marry you to the crown prince at the time, was also for your own good. But who would have thought this would happen to him. 
YR: What you really wanted was the Qi army of Qingyang. I know that your dream has been and always will be to restore our homeland.
GYY: Actually I also know that your marriage to the crown prince was not consummated. When things have died down and we have returned to Lower Tang, you can choose to marry the person you love. However, it cannot be Ji Ye. In these turbulent times, you must marry someone with power. Only such a person can protect you, and only such a man is worthy of you entrusting your whole life to him.
YR: (laughs) The way you said it sounds as if the Duke Baili has accomplished all this. I still stand by my words. The person I marry can only be the one I love.
GYY: Alright. Let's not talk about this for now. I came to ask you to pack and be ready to leave Tianqi at any moment. Tomorrow night, His Majesty has invited all the ministers to a banquet, possibly to announce his abdication.
YR: The emperor wishes to abdicate?
GYY: (nods) The situation in the capital has become more and more complicated. I am no longer able to see through the changes. We cannot stay here for too long. Once things go out of control, we must immediately return to Nanhuai. Alright, I won't say anymore. I still need to go to Changle Palace to discuss things with the Grand Princess. Get a good rest.

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for geography lover,

i just edit a rough map that using english name , guide by skibbies based on this tv series

 

red and blue color = province name

white = kingdom name

black = city

 

maprev.jpg

 

 

other additional information:

- There are 16 kingdoms in eastern continent, and 7 tribes in grassland (northern continent - human side)

- from Li's capital (jiuyuan) to Tianqi , the troops need to pass 4 kingdoms , only 1 state (xiatang) engaged in war with Li kingdom

- i am still far behind, only watch until ep19, so far only 4 races show up (human, winged tribe, dwarf, giant), dont know if the other 2 races would appear later?

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Hi all, I like that XZ is with Asule cos YR only have eyes for JY. Actually all of them hold very impt political roles and all are brought up under exceptional circumstances. Maybe not so for JY. Tink the book fans are angry as the original story of XZ is actually a 12/13 yr old ger who used to like Asule but later fell in love with JY yet married to the prince of Xia Tang (whom in this show is the dimwit crown prince of Xia Tang). The females of this show have stronger character than the men , that's how I feel. I love XZ a lot as she really only cares for her brother previously and now only Asule, she always put others before herself and sacrifices herself for the others. I can understand Chinese and have watched till ep 44.....if its gonna end at ep 50, the whole show is going to be ending really sloppily! 

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On 8/16/2019 at 2:47 PM, Angeline Ong said:

Seeking for insights. During the preview for episode 46, there was a voice over saying " Yu Ran is indeed the chi Wu sheng" what is that? Goddess? Tq

 

@Angeline Ong I don't know how different the drama version of 姬武神 is from the book's, but this is what YTZ said from the extended preview in Ep45:

Spoiler

 

"In the holy temple of 泰格里斯 Tigris(?), as the real Goddess of War dances at the place which is closest to the moonlight, even the wingless people of the Winged tribe would suddenly sprout wings and fly. The Snow Crane warriors and all the people in Qingzhou will bow before Your Highness. When that happens, you will have no choice but be the Goddess of War.

:

She will live alone for the rest of her life in the temple of the Holy Forest, never to marry, never to have children, consecrating herself to the will of Heaven. And the entire Winged tribe will worship you as their god."

 

 

What little I could glean about the book version based on online articles (those who have read the book, feel free to correct me if I am wrong!):

Spoiler

Yuran is the only successor to the art of 姬武神 "Goddess of War", the Winged tribe's ultimate power. When 泰格里斯之舞 the Dance of the Tigris(?) is performed, even the forests of the forbidden land 寂静之座 The Seat of Silence will open up a path for her leading to the Sacred Land. She is the most mysterious warrior of the Snow Crane warriors, known as Goddess of War. Her powers lie not in offensive or defensive skills, but mind manipulation, and her powers are so terrifying that even the powerful wizard Xiang Kongyue dare not easily go against her song. Her most powerful mental attack is the Song of Remembrance. She seems to have a dual personality. She is skilled in dance and song, and endowed with beauty.

 

Based on what I know of the Yuran in the book, I wonder if the drama has a marked departure in terms of the definition of 姬武神 and the new successor's intended fate, perhaps to accentuate the tragedy of her destiny and what the personal sacrifice it requires of her. Will hopefully understand more when the new episodes air this week. 

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On 8/15/2019 at 11:22 PM, firipy said:

Hi all, I like that XZ is with Asule cos YR only have eyes for JY. Actually all of them hold very impt political roles and all are brought up under exceptional circumstances. Maybe not so for JY. Tink the book fans are angry as the original story of XZ is actually a 12/13 yr old ger who used to like Asule but later fell in love with JY yet married to the prince of Xia Tang (whom in this show is the dimwit crown prince of Xia Tang). The females of this show have stronger character than the men , that's how I feel. I love XZ a lot as she really only cares for her brother previously and now only Asule, she always put others before herself and sacrifices herself for the others. I can understand Chinese and have watched till ep 44.....if its gonna end at ep 50, the whole show is going to be ending really sloppily! 

I thought the show would be ending at episode 58?  Not episode 50.   Hopefully that is still true !

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Viki is so far behind on subs. I've watched through episode 44 raw. Asule is such a tortured soul that it's made the drama very depressing. And because of all the things that have happened to him I can't get a handle on his thoughts. I'm not even sure I understand the whys of the events that are happening. In other words, if Asule died at birth has he ever been really alive? I know this drama will have a miserable ending because each episode ends in misery. Consequently, I can't even say I like this drama. They've shown a lot about the boat princess, Asule & JY, so why is there even a Yuran character? I like her optimistic, encouraging personality, but she sure does work her mouth a lot.

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