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[Mainland Chinese Web Drama 2020] Three Lives Three Worlds The Pillow Book 三生三世枕上书


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On 9/19/2018 at 11:05 PM, redfoxprincess said:

I’ve answered you on the TMOPB forum, but will write this here for anyone else wondering too. Please buy “To The Sky Kingdom” on Amazon, translated by Poppy Toland. There is NO free translated version of this book because the fan-translator deleted it and does not want it circulated. It wasn’t a good translation anyway. Spend a few bucks and buy an official copy on Kindle or whatever, and give the author her dues. The free translated version of The Pillow Book was commissioned by Tang Qi and had 3 translators, so it was done well and with permission. :)

Guess I will buy it after I finish reading The Pillow Book. 

Side note, one thing I am also really looking forward to (besides the actual drama) is the drama's ost. I find that osts from xianxias are hauntingly beautiful as I'm still listening to the ost from tmopb 1 month after watching it lol

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3 hours ago, pawla said:

I hope it's after FJ woke up from her coma. I know some people like the way it ended in the book but I prefer they have more scenes afterwards. They deserve to have a happy life together and I want to see it. I don't want to imagine it. 

Yes..me too.. I hope these scenes wasn't an imagination..I really wants to see DH Dijun bonded with his son Bai Gungun and beloved wife FJ after so many sad/misunderstanding/disasters things had happened. 

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3 hours ago, pawla said:

I hope it's after FJ woke up from her coma. I know some people like the way it ended in the book but I prefer they have more scenes afterwards. They deserve to have a happy life together and I want to see it. I don't want to imagine it. 

Exactly my wish. I also want to see more scenes of their happy family life. FJ and DH were able to clear up their misunderstanding during the battle with Miaoluo. They stayed with each other till the end of it and father and son finally met. It is a perfect ending but my insatiable fan’s heart just keeps screaming for more. I don’t want to be left with my imagination of what if. I want a confirmation of their happy ending as a family, enjoying each other’s company. 

 

That’s why, thank you @arinoza for the pictures. You made me smile today. 

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On 9/23/2018 at 5:22 PM, arinoza said:

WOW!!! This is super exciting! If that is BGG, he looks WAY older than 2 years old (i have a 2-year old). He looks even older than my 4-year-old. Maybe it's too difficult having a toddler on set? I was looking forward to seeing BGG as a super cute little toddler though... :D

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I am amazed this thread is already 35 pages deep considering the drama won't be airing for more than another year. Based on what I've read so far, it sounds like they are going to follow the original novel for the web drama. So

1) are they going to separate the 2 books into 2 parts to make 50 episodes or cram 2 books together into 25 episodes?

2) They altered the DH/FJ love story in the TMOPB drama. Are they going to bridge that modification in the drama or just ignore the drama alterations from TMOPB and start from where the novel begins>

3) I am confused based on some of the comments on this forum as it sounds like they modified the script based on who is courting whom which is the basic premise of the Pillow Book.. Any idea how much divergence from the original script are we talking about here. There are so many delicious scenes in the Pillow Book novel that I wish would make into the drama such as the suitor scene, the pond bathing scene, maiden festival, storm/consummation, etc. I hope these do not get edited out or replaced by something silly and predictable. 

4) Based on some of the stills taken, it shows an awake FJ with DH and BGG. So this has to be a script modification as the actual story ends at BGG meeting his father for the first time. I cannot imagine them detracting too much from the novel

 

So at this juncture, I am a bundle of confusion as to what's what.

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On 9/6/2018 at 5:59 AM, redfoxprincess said:

I actually think the drama dumbed down BQ’s character a fair bit and made her EVEN LESS sure of what she wants and her own emotions. In the book, SHE gets turned on when Ye Hua kisses her and wants it, she partakes in tongue-kissing, etc... in the drama, she acts a lot more frigid and pushes him away/slaps him. In the book, SHE wants to sleep with him and not only initiates it very directly and brazenly, shocking Ye Hua, but she also dictates WHERE they’ll do the deed, wonders if she should remove her own clothes, helps him remove his clothes, she even reads erotica, etc. So i guess, in a sense, she does know what she wants. But she does all this NOT because she is confident, bossy, modern/feminist and all that, but rather because she is socially awkward, inexperienced for someone her age and she knows it, and doesn’t know what to do, so she ends up doing things she finds very, very embarrassing, digs a hole, then keeps digging, and digging... The book also repeatedly talks about how she purposely puts on godly airs and wisdom to cut short conversations and awkward situations, either because she is freaking out about needing to make any interactions with people, or because she can’t be bothered and just wants to be left alone to drink or to have yet another granny nap (she drinks and naps a LOT!). She is a hermit, a geek, a tomboy, a terrible alcoholic, and a very old lady. She spent the prime of her life first as a boy, then she stayed in Qing Qiu for 70,000 years waiting for Mo Yuan. If it’s true that she knows what she wants, then all she ever seems to want is wine and sleep. Even Ye Hua comments on how lazy she is. The best thing she does as Queen of Qing Qiu is that she does nothing. She doesn’t govern. She uses her goddess status when it is convenient to her to get what she wants, or more like, get out of what she should be doing and get away with what she’s done. She loves the perks, like how she compared how many maids she gets as a goddess, and how many she’ll get after she marries Ye Hua.

 

Granted, my understanding of her character is heavily influenced by the book, and i can only, with that context, observe how Yang Mi tried to portray her, which i thought was also fairly accurate and she did a great job. I guess BQ is not your typical female protagonist, but it’s not for the likeable reasons you mentioned, and i find her completely unrelatable, with basically zero actual achievements that make her deserving of her goddess status (the drama already tried to make her seem a lot more heroic and empathetic). She was born a princess of direct godly descent, hence, destined to be a goddess if she survives the trials. In the book, even she acknowledges that she is lucky and really has it easy. For her first ascension trial, Mo Yuan took the lightning bolts for her, but she was immediately treated with respect as a high immortal. For her second ascension trial, her memories were suppressed so she didn’t even know she was undergoing a trial, then when she regained her memories, rather than process and learn from what happened, she immediately drank Zhe Yan’s amnesia potion to forget everything she experienced as Su Su in order to become a high goddess (which is extremely stupid, because she knows Ye Hua is her heavenly fiance, and even if she forgets everything, she will likely encounter him again in the future as BQ). As a result, she also has zero character development. All the way to the end, even after regaining her memories for a second time, she is STILL a drunk and terrible child-abandoning mother who is unable to handle any situations. Compare BQ to the Ghost Princess Yan Zhi, 16th disciple Zi Lan, Li Jing, Ye Hua, DH & even FJ by the end - they were all able to accept their (lack of) fate with dignity and graciously move on with their lives with the other person’s interest at heart. Zi Lan, knowing he couldn’t be with Yan Zhi, sacrifices his future to save Li Jing’s child for her sake. Yan Zhi even adopts Li Jing’s child and cares for her as her own while starting a new life in the mortal realm. Everyone goes through tragedy but resiliently accepts their lot in life. Despite Li Jing’s brokenness and reluctance, he becomes Ghost Lord for the sake of his people (and in the book, he doesn’t die that pointless death, he lives on to lead his people). Even crazy Xuan Nu actually loves her “dead” baby and does everything in her power, however twisted, to save her child. And even Ye Hua grows through his pain and acts sacrificially for BQ and for the greater good, but BQ always turns into a drunk zombie whose as good as dead (after Mo Yuan’s death, after Ye Hua’s death), abandoning Ah Li for a second time even though she now knows he really is her son (actually, the first time she abandons Ah Li as Su Su, she also obviously knew he was her son). That spectacular scene near the end where Ye Hua’s mother loudly and at length scolded BQ about how selfish, inconsiderate and useless she is - the IRONY is that it is all VERY TRUE, and the author included that intentionally! And even then, when BQ finally for the first time truly sees her own character flaws and is filled with regret, instead of taking the opportunity to learn or change or grow, her response is obviously to get drunk and drunk and drunk again. You gotta get her true internal monologue from the book, but the drama doesn’t change much - she is still selfish, useless and drunk for the next 3 years. Ye Hua’s mother is awesome and continues caring for Ah Li in those 3 years. As a mother of 2 beloved children myself, i think BQ is despicable as a mother with zero maternal instincts or tenderness. (Okay, FJ does the child-abandoning thing too, and this is really my only gripe about FJ, but in previous posts i’ve already discussed at length about my theories on why Tang Qi resorts to these convenient plotholes and character inconsistencies, as well as the Fox Clan’s tendency to leave their young offspring).

 

Even worse, in The Pillow Book, BQ captialises on her Crown Princess position, and she is mean, spoilt and entitled... lazes around all day watching opera while enjoying being served and entertained, and palms off her son to be looked after by FJ, then punishes FJ because she doesn’t like what FJ teaches Ah Li. She’s still not particularly nice to Ye Hua or Ah Li, and is most focused on her own comfort, continuing the idle life she led in Qing Qiu, only now she gets to live it up even more in the Nine Heavens. I never liked BQ’s character to begin with, not after reading the books, nor after watching the drama, so... :phew: You’ll probably find a lot more people singing BQ’s praises in the Eternal Love thread! :P

 

To better 'understand' what TQ is writing/implying, one has to understand some Chinese mythology. Foxes and the Fox Spirits/Gods, in Chinese mythology carry the reputation of being immoral and lascivious seducers who are naturally gifted with such stunning good looks that they render members of the opposite gender helpless and hapless to the extent of losing any and all common sense. That is why, to this day, Chinese women who wield such 'abilities'are often labeled as VIXENS/hu li jing - a term usually used to describe mistresses, seducers, and generally women who use their looks to achieve/attain anything in life. We have had many Chinese novels and dramas that have portrayed that mythology but that notion was not dramatically integrated into TQ's TMOPB and the PB. Therefore, BQ's ability to get away with a LOT of things is because she is not only a FOX SPIRIT, she is also THAT beautiful - which then again also reflects what actually happens in real life quite pervasively as we live in a society that rewards if not venerates attractive people regardless of personality flaws. We see these parallels across different countries and cultures such as 'Samson and Delilah', 'Helen of Troy', etc.  Correspondingly, YH and DJ are both the proverbial mightiest heroes who like Samson, collapse at the feet of ultimate beauty and lose their lives to gorgeous but flawed, self-centered and somewhat dim-witted women. Even DH admits to that in the Pillow Book but unwittingly realizes he can't help himself. But most of us get so carried away by the romance that we ignore if not 'forget' about the flaws. I bow my head down to TQ for successfully rendering this timeless collective trance our species continuously repeats regardless of how much time has passed. 

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On 9/11/2018 at 12:12 AM, jimmylyne said:

 

My favourite lines/interactions (DH/FJ)for today..

 

FJ: Luckily, when I was a servant in your palace, you didn't have a chance to recognize me. Had you know me then, you'd tell me the same thing you said to Jiheng today. Truthfully  what you said was a bit cold.

DH murmured(too bad FJ didn't hear it): If I had know you then , my son would be old enough to go out for errands by now.:heart:.

I'd hate to be a copycat but this is my fave interaction as well!

 

FJ: Luckily, when I was a servant in your palace, you didn't have a chance to recognize me. Had you know me then, you'd tell me the same thing you said to Jiheng today. Truthfully  what you said was a bit cold.

DH murmured(too bad FJ didn't hear it): If I had know you then , my son would be old enough to go out for errands by now.

 

On 9/7/2018 at 8:03 PM, redfoxprincess said:

The Pillow Book drama is going to be the true and faithful adaptation of DH & FJ’s love story from the book, so it will be delicious, and it will also be much more serious because FJ suffers A LOT.

 

 Just recently visited this thread but heard of the drama adaptation before and was very happy about it.  I'd be more than happy if it is going to be a true adaptation as you of the book cause I really love the book. :) Looking forward to this drama.

 

Also I really loved TMOPB and had made most of my friends and officemates watch it and I rewatched too many times to count... looking at how I love PB novel and if the drama will be true to it, i might have to rewatch it when it's done more than the times I watched TMOPB.

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Vengo carrying Reba again.  LOL. Reminds me of the BTS from TMOPB :D. Do you have any guesses which scene it is? I'm thinking maybe it's a scene where DH summoned the stone of destiny. If I remember correctly FJ was unconscious at the time. Or it could be where DH and FJ fight with Miaoluo. That's why DH is carrying the hurt FJ,  also why Reba is crying. It was a very emotional scene. I was crying too when I read it.

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7 hours ago, pawla said:

Vengo carrying Reba again.  LOL. Reminds me of the BTS from TMOPB :D. Do you have any guesses which scene it is? I'm thinking maybe it's a scene where DH summoned the stone of destiny. If I remember correctly FJ was unconscious at the time. Or it could be where DH and FJ fight with Miaoluo. That's why DH is carrying the hurt FJ,  also why Reba is crying. It was a very emotional scene. I was crying too when I read it.

Definitely agree with your guess. I knew it wouldn’t be Pillow Book without Vengo carrying Reba :joy: @pawla

 

We’ll definitely get some good BTS

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:wub: thank you so much for uploading all these detailed photos and updated filming clips. It makes me so happy !!! 

 

As you you know I am a huge fan of vengo and Reba. Actually I think Vengo is hot and super sexy !!!  So in the meantime while I wait for this drama to come out I decided to watch any drama that Vengo is in. 

 

I first watched Les Interpretes and then Legend of Fuyao. Loved the second but not so much the first. 

 

Anyways my point is that I am a bit scared because in both dramas Vengo’s acting is super cringe worthy !! Like it’s really bad. I don’t know if it’s because of the lines that was written or the character her portrays but he doesn’t seem to have a wide range of emotion when he acts ? (It’s mostly frowning and mad). This makes me sad and also very worried especially since the drama we all are waiting for he is lead in !! I am hoping (fingers crossed) he’s much improved now that he is acting lead. 

 

On a a side note, what is a worthy place to watch streaming drama ? Especially the older ones as I am trying to see all the Vengo dramas. I use DramaFever and love the quality for its price but it only shows newer dramas. 

 

Loving this discussion so keep it up everyone. 

 

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