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

[Ninky]

7 minutes ago, SilverDawn said:

 

I think so too. By pushing her away he can love her and love what he shared with her in the mortal realm, without the risk of harming her and destabilizing the realms.

 

 

I think he genuinely believes this young Queen of Qing Qiu will live well without him (given some time) and that he does not deserve this love because he had "traded" it in for the greater good. His action can be percieved as both courageous and cowardly depending how you look at it. imo It's not entirely out of character. When it comes to the safety of the realms DJ is willing to sacrifice his own happiness or even his life if there's no other way left. 

 

I think the writers did a good job because I felt if there was a way DJ would have taken a different course, because he does truly love her, but in this case was powerless. However, I prefer the DH that defies fate and "certainly doesn't need its charity." 

 

The writers of TMOPB did leave an opening for them. If you do some research, the man Feng Jiu is destined to marry, the name carved  onto the rock when she went to try to carve Dong Hua’s name onto it is Star Lord’s Si Ming’s boss. This implies that the two men are the same as Si Ming works for Dong Hua on TMOPB.

[SilverDawn]

35 minutes ago, Ninky said:

The writers of TMOPB did leave an opening for them. If you do some research, the man Feng Jiu is destined to marry, the name carved  onto the rock when she went to try to carve Dong Hua’s name onto it is Star Lord’s Si Ming’s boss. This implies that the two men are the same as Si Ming works for Dong Hua on TMOPB.

 

The name didn't ring a bell for me... It's nice if the writers left something open but it didn't change the outcome, nor did it appear DH saw an opening.  

[MayanEcho]

Same with @SilverDawn, DH looked liked it's over when he saw the rock at TMOPB. @Ninky Did we miss something in the subbed texts afterwards at Kunlun or during FJ's coronation, when Si Ming handed over the gift of ancient maps drawn by DH and Fushen?

[Romulan]

4 hours ago, SilverDawn said:

The name didn't ring a bell for me... It's nice if the writers left something open but it didn't change the outcome, nor did it appear DH saw an opening.  

Oy I made the mistake of googling for that name hoping to find some information. I stumbled onto some fan fict that I only read a little of before noping out of that page. *shudders*                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              by the way I comment alot on episodes of both series on YouTube. So today someone asked me about relative ranks/powers. So...  I answered the question but then gave them a link to the soompi blog article about the various races  .  

 

I do very much like all the different interactions between Feng Jui and Dong Hua's various incarations.  One interesting thing is in all of them Feng Jiu still is herself (except for that slight point where she d lost her memory in the Dream) Meanwhile Dong Hua has fallen for her in all his various alternate personas. -human and earth mortal!   Fated but fated to have to PROVE it to world versus being told they were always destined!

6 hours ago, MayanEcho said:

 

Granted, he has concerns of worlds stability and order in the drama POV of TMOPB, but DH's way of rationalising what happened was veering only over that aspect of losing cultivation. The uncannon story and character of DH in TMOPB was not courageous enough. She was willing to bear anything and she wasn't afraid of whatever comes next, but him, he refused and that's it.

 

Fortunately, the DH in ELOD was chasing after her no matter what.

Very true.  -Also what is up with his hair style at the beginning and ending of TMOPBs? I much prefer the style in ELOD  and mid TMOPBs. 

 

7 hours ago, MayanEcho said:

 

In TMOPB drama, BQ called him out due to her niece being in extreme pain and near death cutting her tail. She will not call him shameless though, even if he is, since any interactions between them would have been too few and too formal.

 

It's such a contrast to her niece FJ who, from the first in TMOPB drama, would bald face tell lies/deny something to DH about her aunt's secrets, yet he was pleasant until she was told she must leave. The hostile display of DH began after the mortal trial and he lost cultivation as Heaven's punishment.

 

TBH, IMO, it's so unwarrior-like when he won't give any other chance with FJ after losing cultivation. He just pegged it as punishment, rather than Heavens testing DH if he's worthy for FJ.

 

In TPB, BQ would cordially talk with him, nor did she outright refuse to tell where is FJ exactly in the mortal realm since even her doesn't know.

 

She would then tell him about her niece's efforts in raising the unicorn plant, her hundreds of years trying to plant one in Qing Qiu, to the point of neglecting her lessons, and getting beaten by Bai Yi while trying to grow it. Until she gave up.

 

She looked at Donghua meaningfully. “Once that brat decides to cut things off, she cuts them off more cleanly than anyone. Someone as cold as I am is still exceptionally warmhearted compared to her in this regard. And the interesting thing is, she always believes herself to be a sentimental person, never realizing how unsympathetic she can be, just like how she never realizes she no longer eats the unicorn plant.”

 

Dijun suddenly gave a cough, which was followed by a series of coughing fits that lasted for a while before it finally stopped. He said to Bai Qian in a hoarse voice, “Your analogy is correct. At this time, I'm the unicorn plant she had abandoned.” He coughed again. “It didn't have her love, so there wasn't anything it could really say after being tossed away. But me, I want to find her and give ourselves another try.”

 

Bai Qian's face showed a tiny trace of surprise as she said, “Then why don't you place your wager in this bet of billions of mortal worlds. Let's see whether you and Fengjiu are fated or not.” Dijun's bleak eyes became bleaker upon Bai Qian's remarks. He replied at long last, “You're telling me to make a bet on our fate when we are unfated. I may never find her again.”

 

Bai Qian's friendly eyes gradually turned cold. She fiddled with the tea lid in her hand and slowly replied, “Then why search for her if you feel you aren't bound by fate? If you genuinely want to look for her, there will always be a way.”

 

Shortly after, Donghua really did find another way. It was when Fengjiu received a letter from Bai Qian while she was pondering on her future at the Hidden Dragon ravine.

 

This letter surprised Fengjiu greatly. It was written that the Jade Pond in Heaven would be open for the last time on the 5th of May when Dijun would be granting titles to newly ascended fairies. After these fairies were allowed to wash away their mortal dusts, the Jade Pond would forever close, and Heaven would never permit the immortalization of mortals again. (PB2, p443-444)

 

 

The conditioning by Xiao Yan, hahaha!

Ah! I still need to go read those translated links you shared before.    Also very true on the conditioning.  There are definitely a series of words and phrases i auto recognize. (though i cant pronounce all of them properly). Another thing I like is how they have different words for things that are in english a single word.  Like aunt,  by itself you dont know if its a great aunt, honorific, father s side, or mother's side, older or younger than your parent. -- in Chinese you know because of which version of aunt was used. 

 

Did they ever release a song book with sheet music for either TMPB or ELOD series?  currently working to get my lip back into shape for playing the jade flute. (fingerings are different than the modern US flutes.) 

[Khue N]

1 hour ago, Romulan said:

Very true.  -Also what is up with his hair style at the beginning and ending of TMOPBs? I much prefer the style in ELOD  and mid TMOPBs. 

Did they ever release a song book with sheet music for either TMPB or ELOD series?  currently working to get my lip back into shape for playing the jade flute. (fingerings are different than the modern US flutes.) 

I think is due to the different hairstylists and design team for TMOPB and ELOD. My analysis in the beginning of TMOPB is that her hairstyle resemble of a young woman. A young fox of Qing Qiu who is close to her Aunt and is playful. I think it also shows how Dijun and her love started. It started as innocence and playful. Kinda of like passing notes to your crush in 5th grade. (Not sure what people do now a days or the past. It was a huge thing when I was in 5th grade lol. Passing notes to your crush purposely to make everyone notice).

Towards the end of TMOPB, it is shown that her hair is tied up high as she became the Queen of Qing Qiu. We then see Dijun seeing her as she steps the throne. I think in the end it shows how much she had mature and experiences she have gained. But still she's the playful fox we know. I think it also shows how much her love for Dijun is different from the first time she met him. Maybe I'm over analyzing it. But either way, both her hairstyle in TMPOB and ELOD is really beautiful and embraces her beauty really well.

 

I'm learning how to play the flute and my clarinet mouth refused to learn it

 

[Ninky]

6 hours ago, SilverDawn said:

 

The name didn't ring a bell for me... It's nice if the writers left something open but it didn't change the outcome, nor did it appear DH saw an opening.  

Based on Chinese Mytthology, the implied meaning is somehow later on they might get together not with Dong Hua in his present form but in that other form mentioned in the Marriage Rock. Someone wrote an FF using that idea. So it's plausible.

[Romulan]

29 minutes ago, Khue N said:

I think is due to the different hairstylists and design team for TMOPB and ELOD. My analysis in the beginning of TMOPB is that her hairstyle resemble of a young woman. A young fox of Qing Qiu who is close to her Aunt and is playful. I think it also shows how Dijun and her love started. It started as innocence and playful. Kinda of like passing notes to your crush in 5th grade. (Not sure what people do now a days or the past. It was a huge thing when I was in 5th grade lol. Passing notes to your crush purposely to make everyone notice).

Towards the end of TMOPB, it is shown that her hair is tied up high as she became the Queen of Qing Qiu. We then see Dijun seeing her as she steps the throne. I think in the end it shows how much she had mature and experiences she have gained. But still she's the playful fox we know. I think it also shows how much her love for Dijun is different from the first time she met him. Maybe I'm over analyzing it. But either way, both her hairstyle in TMPOB and ELOD is really beautiful and embraces her beauty really well.

 

I'm learning how to play the flute and my clarinet mouth refused to learn it

 

Actually I was meaning DongHua's hairstyle when his first scene when he has that gold top knot hairpiece and he is only in white. it just looks odd/off a little bit for me. He was wearing it towards the end too. 

 

For Fengjui's hairstyles I do like all the variations. I also like the sorta fox ear style in the early part of ELOD after she returns from the Celestials. 

I do like there is at least one point when 

 

lol it just takes time to learn. I played the modern flute in high school but that was 21 years ago since i last played and it had keys. -not finger holes. (wanted to learn trumpet but there were too many so i was assigned to the flutes. -my younger sister got assigned the baritone and my older brother played the French horn.

[MayanEcho]

17 minutes ago, Romulan said:

Actually I was meaning DongHua's hairstyle when his first scene when he has that gold top knot hairpiece and he is only in white. it just looks odd/off a little bit for me. He was wearing it towards the end too. 

 

I gotta admit that in TMOPB that's my favorite look of him, in white and half top knot with golden hair accessory, cos it's only in two scenes, hahaha! 

[MayanEcho]

 

The air was still cool in May. Taichen Palace had also always been full of frostiness. Fengjiu lifted the bed curtain, turned to take one last look at a sleeping Donghua, and with kindness tucked his arms back under the cloud quilt. Then with some afterthought, she pulled the cover up from his waist to his neck and carefully tucked it in. By the time she stood up, her long black hair for some reason had tangled with his silvery strands. No matter how hard she tried they refused to come apart. She didn’t know how long her spell would last, so she conjured up a pair of scissors and decidedly snipped off her own locks. Then she sprang up quickly without bothering to trim it again. But because she had been a handkerchief for so long, her body couldn’t find its balance and fell forward into a crooked screen resulting in a loud crashing sound. Donghua still didn't wake up. (PB1, p79)

 

Don't "tangle" with DH's hair!  

[MayanEcho]

 

When she had had enough sleep and opened her eyes, she could feel cold perspiration covering her entire forehead. She knew very well how unseemly she could act when she was sick, but the scene in the room at this moment was still more than Fengjiu could ever imagine. At this very instant, Fengjiu in disheveled clothes had her head laid on someone's lap. Her arms were circling tightly around his waist... (PB1, p214)

 

When DH was mother zoned.  

[SilverDawn]

10 hours ago, Romulan said:

Actually I was meaning DongHua's hairstyle when his first scene when he has that gold top knot hairpiece and he is only in white. it just looks odd/off a little bit for me. He was wearing it towards the end too. 

 

 Perhaps it's because we are so used to see DH in purple. It's even in his full title/name. 

 

10 hours ago, MayanEcho said:

 

I gotta admit that in TMOPB that's my favorite look of him, in white and half top knot with golden hair accessory, cos it's only in two scenes, hahaha! 

 

Mine too!  

 

 

Though I hope, if they preprise their roles that is (I believe LS will be dramatised eventually), to see him with his hair down and rocking that headband.

 

11 hours ago, Ninky said:

Based on Chinese Mytthology, the implied meaning is somehow later on they might get together not with Dong Hua in his present form but in that other form mentioned in the Marriage Rock. Someone wrote an FF using that idea. So it's plausible.

 

I see, thanks for the info.  

 

11 hours ago, Khue N said:

Towards the end of TMOPB, it is shown that her hair is tied up high as she became the Queen of Qing Qiu. We then see Dijun seeing her as she steps the throne. I think in the end it shows how much she had mature and experiences she have gained. But still she's the playful fox we know.

 

 

I loved that overall look on her! I agree it shows she had grown emotionally, which was manifested well by her dress and hairstyle that complimented her demeanor. The scene was a bit of a let down though, just like in ELOD when FJ goes through her Weapon hiding ceremony, the crowd was reduced to a few dozen.  

[MayanEcho]

30 minutes ago, SilverDawn said:

Though I hope, if they reprise their roles that is (I believe LS will be dramatised eventually), to see him with his hair down and rocking that headband.

 

I'd love to see that, and their original outfits in the novel reproduced! 

 

Speaking of Lotus Steps as drama, whoever produces it, if possible let it be two seasons of 40eps each. The novel is 4 volumes! There are just so many parts that might be lost if it is squeezed to 40 eps, unless the script would do away with unnecessary filler scenes.

[SilverDawn]

5 minutes ago, MayanEcho said:

 

I'd love to see that, and their original outfits in the novel reproduced! 

 

Speaking of Lotus Steps as drama, whoever produces it, if possible let it be two seasons of 40eps each. The novel is 4 volumes, there are just so many parts that might be lost if it is squeezed to 40 eps, unless the script would do away with unnecessary filler scenes.

 

That would be perfect! Seeing as both TMOPB and ELOD did VERY well, I'm sure a drama is not far fetched; be it 2 seasons or a cropped version of 50+ eps. 

[Lazuria]

12 minutes ago, MayanEcho said:

 

I'd love to see that, and their original outfits in the novel reproduced!

 

Speaking of Lotus Steps as drama, whoever produces it, if possible let it be two seasons of 40eps each. The novel is 4 volumes! There are just so many parts that might be lost if it is squeezed to 40 eps, unless the script would do away with unnecessary filler scenes.

What is the reason for the reduction of Chinese dramas to 40 episodes? This only applies to the drama is a fantasy or not? Last year and this year, there were dramas for 50 or 60 episodes. Can we hope that the Lotus Steps drama will release at least 50 episodes?

[MayanEcho]

15 minutes ago, Lazuria said:

What is the reason for the reduction of Chinese dramas to 40 episodes? This only applies to the drama is a fantasy or not? Last year and this year, there were dramas for 50 or 60 episodes. Can we hope that the Lotus Steps drama will release at least 50 episodes?

 

That was a decision from last year to allow more dramas getting shown. If it's more than 40eps, it must have had the permit for more episodes before the rule was enforced. Given that dramas take months or even years before it is aired, this year and probably even until next year there would still be more than 40eps dramas. The more recently filmed dramas are mostly 40eps or less, unless perhaps the rules make an exception why it is more.

 

For Lotus Steps, if it is adapted for drama, two seasons would be better IMO. One each for mortal and immortals arcs, 30 to 40eps per season.

[Romulan]

13 minutes ago, MayanEcho said:

 

That was a decision from last year to allow more dramas getting shown. If it's more than 40eps, it must have had the permit for more episodes before the rule was enforced. Given that dramas take months or even years before it is aired, this year and probably even until next year there would still be more than 40eps dramas. The more recently filmed dramas are mostly 40eps or less, unless perhaps the rules make an exception why it is more.

 

For Lotus Steps, if it is adapted for drama, two seasons would be better IMO. One each for mortal and immortals arcs, 30 to 40eps per season.

Ah that makes sense.  Yeah -but they could be 2 seasons that air the same year??? :p   One in the spring the other in the fall?   

 

I do love that whole sense when she is sick and unconcious and it reminds me of when she deliberately did the whine trick when she was the 1 tailed red fox and she comments on it working on her mom too. 

 

I dont know if it d fit in anywhere but Id love of a scene of Gun-Gun and Feng Jui playing tag in their Fox forms while DJinn watches amused or puts various surprises in their wake. 

[Lazuria]

16 minutes ago, MayanEcho said:

 

That was a decision from last year to allow more dramas getting shown. If it's more than 40eps, it must have had the permit for more episodes before the rule was enforced. Given that dramas take months or even years before it is aired, this year and probably even until next year there would still be more than 40eps dramas. The more recently filmed dramas are mostly 40eps or less, unless perhaps the rules make an exception why it is more.

 

For Lotus Steps, if it is adapted for drama, two seasons would be better IMO. One each for mortal and immortals arcs, 30 to 40eps per season.

Thank you for explaining this nuance to me. On the one hand, it's good that more dramas will be released, but on the other hand, some dramas, especially if they are filmed based on novels, require more episodes than the censorship and new rules allow.

 

4 volumes of the book for 40 episodes is very small, which means that global changes will be made to the plot. Yes, I also hope for 2 seasons, but this is such a rarity for Chinese dramas. Of great importance will be the budget invested in the drama and the consent of the actors for more than 1 season

 

And wasn't the reduction in episodes due to the fact that many dramas began to stretch the plot and add a lot of screen time to minor characters.

[Romulan]

20 hours ago, MayanEcho said:

 

She does, and not only her knows him. I think even if FJ won't tell her family, her niece came back from that first mortal sojourn in mourning dress and hairpin for her mortal husband. FJ was also telling "Migu" after she run off the blind dates about the white lotuses in Pundarika pond, and which would have been Ye Qingti's.

 

At the end of the letter, Bai Qian wondered since when had Donghua investigated Ye Qingti's matter. His action clearly showed that he wanted to use Ye Qingti to force Fengjiu's hand. He really did find a good way to seek her out. She continued by saying Fushen had once remarked that Donghua had reached the state of single-mindedness in the nine mental abidings where good and evil were separated by but one thought. What he did was so unkind that perhaps he had lost his balance and was entering straight to the dark side. (PB2, p444)

I wonder if that chalked up a bit to him thinking he was going to die soon,and Ye Qingti as his successor could choose to re-open it later.    (really need to get time to read the Pillow Book! I wanted to read where Mo Yuan, Bai Qian and Ye Hua show up to help. also want to see DJinn's spirit creatures in actions!)  

 

Customs question, what exactly happens at Chinese weddings?  Ive seen bits in several shows but it seems like no matter the ceremony afterwards the wife gets to sent to wait alone in the bed chambers, with just her servants while the groom greets and mingles with guests and family (and get offered many drinks). 

 

Shouldnt the bride be with him to greet everyone and celebrate with her friends too? 

 

 

[MayanEcho]

3 minutes ago, Romulan said:

I dont know if it d fit in anywhere but Id love of a scene of Gun-Gun and Feng Jui playing tag in their Fox forms while DJinn watches amused or puts various surprises in their wake. 

 

I've seen an artist's comic style rendition of a similar scene, it's very funny! It's a long photo, and the dialogue has to be translated.

[Romulan]

6 minutes ago, Lazuria said:

Thank you for explaining this nuance to me. On the one hand, it's good that more dramas will be released, but on the other hand, some dramas, especially if they are filmed based on novels, require more episodes than the censorship and new rules allow.

 

4 volumes of the book for 40 episodes is very small, which means that global changes will be made to the plot. Yes, I also hope for 2 seasons, but this is such a rarity for Chinese dramas. Of great importance will be the budget invested in the drama and the consent of the actors for more than 1 season

 

And wasn't the reduction in episodes due to the fact that many dramas began to stretch the plot and add a lot of screen time to minor characters.

Cant they film multiple seasons at the same time? and then just release the episodes out in 2 groups?

2 minutes ago, MayanEcho said:

 

I've seen an artist's comic style rendition of a similar scene, it's very funny! It's a long photo, and the dialogue has to be translated.

I would love to see it!  Trying to convince my sister to do  Ye Hua, A'Li and Bai Qian in their forms too.