[Mainland Chinese Drama 2021] Rattan 司藤

[SilverDawn]

Just now, tulip06 said:

I was on 22! There are 30 total. So it’s weird they suddenly lost copyright.

 

Frustrating! I think they didn't lose the copyright but may not have had it in the first place for their global platform.

 

[English Tofu]

https://share.api.weibo.cn/share/212452840.html?weibo_id=4620119836461733

 

Hi, this looks interesting... can anybody give the jist of what this news feature is about? sounds funny to me... the comments are mostly about how they try to respect modern laws in the drama like Qin Fang getting a substitute driver when he’s drunk, ID cards, seatbelts etc.

4 hours ago, tulip06 said:

I was on 22! There are 30 total. So it’s weird they suddenly lost copyright.

Wow, Bai Ying can plan! Thank you.  Amazing how these Yi clan know so much about each other.

what????? If you read the book the extent of Bai Ying’s scheming was genius lol... I actually learned to like her over Si Teng .... she cold have a chinese Maleficent drama of her own...

[SC2019]

7 hours ago, creidesca said:

If I recall (based on the novel)

Thanks! Yes, that is what happened, but it was getting late, and I didn't elaborate on that part - so you are spot on! @tulip06 - you can refer to what was written by @creidesca as to the 'sham' they pulled in E25. But to be frank I was getting a little bored watching the two of them clowning around (one could still see himself in the mirror for what he was) and the other was afraid that Bai Ying had made her way into the house and sometimes couldn't quite tell if our scientific friend, Qian Kun was really Si Teng or not (as the illusion only works on Fu Rui).

 

@English Tofuactually the actress who portrays Bai Ying must have had a good time (she can put on a variety of facial expressions, maniacal, glee, grief, coy and seductive) - yah it's like watching Maleficient in action and more.

[tulip06]

This is such an interesting show!

[Zay❤️]

I am watching this right now at ep8. I am so mesmerised by the beautiful sceneries in the drama. I love both leads and I can't wait to know how the story will unfold later. 

 

The ending theme song is so good too.

[pad-hari]

Not only the sceneries, but JT's ward robe is excellent with beautiful embellishments.  Have got some

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Cr: weibo

These two pics which i screenshoted, they look beautiful and awesome esp. the first one in black

Spoiler

The scenery here is so beautiful

 

[Zay❤️]

@pad-hariI think her outfits cost half of the drama budget lol. Doesn't she just looks sooo  gorgeous ???? 

[pad-hari]

Just finished watching ep.20 raw.  Omfg!!!! I love Yan Furui so much.  Isn't he a cute dork with a big motor-mouth.  I love wafang too. Like shifu like pupil.  Can somebody tell me why is ST not accepting QF's love?  Is it anything related to BY????  What is she trying to do in that temple in the middle of the night?  To increase her power???  I want to tell another time, VZ is so very handsome and JT is so pretty..  Even though I can understand only very very basic mandarin, I cannot patiently for the subs that much I am addicted to this show esp. becoz of the OTP and the camera work of the sceneries.   Beautiful!!!! Beautiful!!!!

@Zay❤️you are right, the budget for her wardrobe must be really  huge.  It's really worth it.  She is looking amazing and elegant in all those dresses.

[SC2019]

Ok it's the 3rd last episode and it's getting a little bizzare

Spoiler

So Si Teng is really sympathetic and during a moment of weakness, she lets down her guard and Bai Ying injects her with a kind of liquid (I can't find out what it means, and Chinese speaking friends say it's not a common word), probably something that is harmful towards her. Bai Ying says she hates Si Teng for choosing to lead her own life, presumably as it's one where she ends up with someone she loves. A life that Bai Ying was deprived of.

 

So her blood leaks out (it's green, right, she's a plant) and she gets weaker. Guess who comes along? Qiu Shan, who is hell bent on exterminating the both of them.

And of course, it's around that time that Qin Fang comes to and stands in the way to block him from hurting the both of them. As the descendent of the 'Sky Tree', he is able to at least block that one blow (Qiu Shan uses a lightning stick sort of device) but he is injured. Fu Rui tries to grab onto his Si Fu's (Qiu Shan) leg. And Qiang Ku's old master tries to reason it out with Qiu Shan, calling him grand-uncle-master. But nothing will move Qiu Shan who frankly I think is doing it out of vengeance for being betrayed once.

 

The two ladies then jump down the cliff and run off to a forest. Si Teng offers her sympathy to Bai Ying and tells her that she shouldn't have been so bossy in the first place, that Bai Ying should have just lived the life she chose, for better or worse. Anyway, they agree to join forces and settle the score with Qiu Shan. In the end, a scene that is really like Matrix, sees Qiu Shan have a conversation with the lady who betrayed him asking him if he has satisfied with the outcome of his life. And then he disappears (kinda like fades away), Bai Ying has one last conversation with Shao Yan Kuan, and in her mind's eye they both burn in a fire in an opera house, and she too fades away. Qian Fang and Fu Rui have used the device to detect Si Teng's location but it's as if a force field has been put up and he can't get through. But now that Si Teng is on the verge of disappearing, the force field disappears and he runs towards her, only to see her fade away, arms outstretched towards him.

 

In the hospital room, I think he has collapsed and Fu Rui has gotten him to the hospital (though I think it's laughable that he managed to do so, considering how far in they were in the forest and Qian Fang ain't that light). In his unconscious state, he has a dream. Si Teng tells Qian Fang that she has to leave and return to being a rattan. Ever since she was forced to take on a human form, she has done things she didn't approve of, so in a way she is glad she can return to being a plant. Qian Fang says she wants to see her but she says it's not that she doesn't want to be with him. (probably because of the damage from the fight and the vile liquid) she has to recuperate by being a plant. And without Qiu Shan or any others, she can't transform into a human form. Qian Fang says he will find a way to do that and she says she looks forward to that and asks him to bring her human clothes as she likes them very much.

 

The remainder of the show sees Fu Rui trying to advise Qian Fang to let go and lead a good life. We see him going back to the forest using the device to try and detect Si Teng as a plant. (seriously without it, there must be thousands of rattan plants...tis' like a needle in a haystack) But we see him at one point gathering soil from the ground and after he has turned around, a tiny rattan plant sprouts from the ground.

 

This is where it gets bizarre, our master with the fan that turned into a bird is seen telling stories to a bunch of kids in the forest and he says the story of Qian Fang is not one without an ending. The heavens reward those with persistence and five years later Qian Fang meets Si Teng. (now how on earth does he know and why does he tell their story to a bunch of kids, I mean these are kids like 5-6 year olds.)

 

Fu Rui is like managing/working in a place with lots of kids (I don't know if it's an orphanage or a child care centre) and he fights with a supplier/staff and hits his head on the corner of a table and becomes unconscious. The person in the ambulance looks through his phone to find the next of kin and of course find Qian Fang who rushes to the hospital.

 

I don't quite get this next part, Qian Fang and a girl (of about 20 years of age with a limp) is 'stalking' or following a middle-aged lady who has adopted a child. She is called to the day-care centre as this child is somewhat problematic, snatching food from other people and causing other kids to cry. The mother is called into the centre and explains that she is the adopted mother and dotes on this child, perhaps spoils her a little. At home, we see them having dinner and the child throws cold/evil stares at the mother, speaks rudely like a peer, not a child and behaves like an adult. She is told to eat, she picks up a few grains of rice and then says she is full. Her mother tries to advice her but loses her temper and slaps the girl. The girl defiantly storms off to the room and slams the door shut. Later on that night, she packs a few things and leave the house. Of course at that time, Qian Fang happens to drive along the road where she is walking. He realises it's late at night and stops his car to ask his girl what she is doing alone, at that hour, and what is her name. She tells him she will reveal her name if he buys her food. He says he will buy her food, so what is her name. She gives him the glare and say after you buy me food. Then something clicks in Qian Fang's brain and he gets a flashback of Si Teng as a child (how on earth does he know how she looked like? Unless it's because he has absorbed their energy, which was mentioned in the show and has access to her memories???) And then a thought occurs to him that this little girl is Si Teng. 

 

The end of E28! Bizzare? No?

 

[creidesca]

@SC2019

Regarding the last part of your spoiler:

Spoiler

This part is pretty much like in the novel.

 

The 20yr old girl with Qi Feng has the same name as the little girl at the day care center. The woman who adopted the little girl (Si Teng), once upon a time had also adopted the 20yr old girl. This woman is of Si Teng's kind, but whereas Si Teng is a rattan and QF's ancestor a tree, this woman is bamboo. She originally had given birth to a girl but if I recall correctly, that girl died due to illness. The woman has a diary of how she took care of the 2nd girl (the human 20 yr old), but she tries to kill this 20 yr old when she was sent photos of the girl in a compromising position. Her reasoning for killing was that the bad parts must be removed (or something like that) as a lesson. In other words, she's thinking like a bamboo and not a human because when attempting to kill the girl, she was cutting her in 1/2? QF at that time while in search of Si Teng comes upon someone (it was too dark at the time so he couldn't see who it was) and happens to save the 20 yr old girl; he lost a part of his finger in the process. So a portion of the 20 yr old girl is not human, maybe robotic/synthetic (?).

 

The woman then comes upon Si Teng and adopts her, not realizing she is not human.

 

Si Teng in her recovery has managed to return to her childhood form, but without Qiu Shan and her absorbing energy from other of her kind, she isn't able to age as quickly like in the past. I remember in the novel laughing when the child Si Teng wasn't too happy now that the age difference between herself and QF was reversed (she recognized QF when he sees her in her child form).

 

[English Tofu]

3 hours ago, SC2019 said:

Ok it's the 3rd last episode and it's getting a little bizzare

  Hide contents

So Si Teng is really sympathetic and during a moment of weakness, she lets down her guard and Bai Ying injects her with a kind of liquid (I can't find out what it means, and Chinese speaking friends say it's not a common word), probably something that is harmful towards her. Bai Ying says she hates Si Teng for choosing to lead her own life, presumably as it's one where she ends up with someone she loves. A life that Bai Ying was deprived of.

 

So her blood leaks out (it's green, right, she's a plant) and she gets weaker. Guess who comes along? Qiu Shan, who is hell bent on exterminating the both of them.

And of course, it's around that time that Qin Fang comes to and stands in the way to block him from hurting the both of them. As the descendent of the 'Sky Tree', he is able to at least block that one blow (Qiu Shan uses a lightning stick sort of device) but he is injured. Fu Rui tries to grab onto his Si Fu's (Qiu Shan) leg. And Qiang Ku's old master tries to reason it out with Qiu Shan, calling him grand-uncle-master. But nothing will move Qiu Shan who frankly I think is doing it out of vengeance for being betrayed once.

 

The two ladies then jump down the cliff and run off to a forest. Si Teng offers her sympathy to Bai Ying and tells her that she shouldn't have been so bossy in the first place, that Bai Ying should have just lived the life she chose, for better or worse. Anyway, they agree to join forces and settle the score with Qiu Shan. In the end, a scene that is really like Matrix, sees Qiu Shan have a conversation with the lady who betrayed him asking him if he has satisfied with the outcome of his life. And then he disappears (kinda like fades away), Bai Ying has one last conversation with Shao Yan Kuan, and in her mind's eye they both burn in a fire in an opera house, and she too fades away. Qian Fang and Fu Rui have used the device to detect Si Teng's location but it's as if a force field has been put up and he can't get through. But now that Si Teng is on the verge of disappearing, the force field disappears and he runs towards her, only to see her fade away, arms outstretched towards him.

 

In the hospital room, I think he has collapsed and Fu Rui has gotten him to the hospital (though I think it's laughable that he managed to do so, considering how far in they were in the forest and Qian Fang ain't that light). In his unconscious state, he has a dream. Si Teng tells Qian Fang that she has to leave and return to being a rattan. Ever since she was forced to take on a human form, she has done things she didn't approve of, so in a way she is glad she can return to being a plant. Qian Fang says she wants to see her but she says it's not that she doesn't want to be with him. (probably because of the damage from the fight and the vile liquid) she has to recuperate by being a plant. And without Qiu Shan or any others, she can't transform into a human form. Qian Fang says he will find a way to do that and she says she looks forward to that and asks him to bring her human clothes as she likes them very much.

 

The remainder of the show sees Fu Rui trying to advise Qian Fang to let go and lead a good life. We see him going back to the forest using the device to try and detect Si Teng as a plant. (seriously without it, there must be thousands of rattan plants...tis' like a needle in a haystack) But we see him at one point gathering soil from the ground and after he has turned around, a tiny rattan plant sprouts from the ground.

 

This is where it gets bizarre, our master with the fan that turned into a bird is seen telling stories to a bunch of kids in the forest and he says the story of Qian Fang is not one without an ending. The heavens reward those with persistence and five years later Qian Fang meets Si Teng. (now how on earth does he know and why does he tell their story to a bunch of kids, I mean these are kids like 5-6 year olds.)

 

Fu Rui is like managing/working in a place with lots of kids (I don't know if it's an orphanage or a child care centre) and he fights with a supplier/staff and hits his head on the corner of a table and becomes unconscious. The person in the ambulance looks through his phone to find the next of kin and of course find Qian Fang who rushes to the hospital.

 

I don't quite get this next part, Qian Fang and a girl (of about 20 years of age with a limp) is 'stalking' or following a middle-aged lady who has adopted a child. She is called to the day-care centre as this child is somewhat problematic, snatching food from other people and causing other kids to cry. The mother is called into the centre and explains that she is the adopted mother and dotes on this child, perhaps spoils her a little. At home, we see them having dinner and the child throws cold/evil stares at the mother, speaks rudely like a peer, not a child and behaves like an adult. She is told to eat, she picks up a few grains of rice and then says she is full. Her mother tries to advice her but loses her temper and slaps the girl. The girl defiantly storms off to the room and slams the door shut. Later on that night, she packs a few things and leave the house. Of course at that time, Qian Fang happens to drive along the road where she is walking. He realises it's late at night and stops his car to ask his girl what she is doing alone, at that hour, and what is her name. She tells him she will reveal her name if he buys her food. He says he will buy her food, so what is her name. She gives him the glare and say after you buy me food. Then something clicks in Qian Fang's brain and he gets a flashback of Si Teng as a child (how on earth does he know how she looked like? Unless it's because he has absorbed their energy, which was mentioned in the show and has access to her memories???) And then a thought occurs to him that this little girl is Si Teng. 

 

The end of E28! Bizzare? No?

 

i think episode 13 when SiTeng sucked his lower lip; he saw SiTeng’s past including her childhood; I could be wrong.

[pad-hari]

53 minutes ago, English Tofu said:

i think episode 13 when SiTeng sucked his lower lip; he saw SiTeng’s past including her childhood; I could be wrong.

From what I guessed, Shen yideng when she died told everyone that Si teng gained power from her own tribe killing and eating them which instilled doubt in Qin Fang.  So after everyone left the cave where Shen yideng died, he personally went to chek if ST absorbed her energy to gain power.  He did find out that ST did the deal which aroused more doubt about her being evil to her own clan.  So, she kissed him to clear his doubt and to show her past that she is not evil and never will do bad deeds to her clan. 

PS:. It seems they both transfer energy to each other by kissing.  

 

Hope I am right.  Correct me if I am wrong.  This guess work is taking a big toll on me until the subs are released.

[jadore1]

End of ep 28 when he recognizes the little girl....and look how beautiful even as a child .

[SC2019]

@creidesca that explains why she kept saying she is not a child to him. And why she was so abrupt and rebellious with her adopted mother. I kinda guessed that much based on her behaviour. It's somewhat a  turning of the tables on her, now that she is a child and physically the 'weaker' party. I am anticipating how tickled he will be when he pokes fun at her after he gets over his joy and shock of seeing her again. 

[skibbies]

On 3/28/2021 at 9:48 AM, cdcotr said:

One other thing I've been loving about this drama are the locations. The scenery is beautiful and isn't the usual that I've seen, not even in the historical, wuxia dramas.  I wonder where they shot them, I don't even know the name of the places except for Dana, but is that even a real place or fictional? The scenes in the mountains where there weren't bamboo trees even reminded me of Canada a bit. The architecture of the different dwellings were also very interesting and very different from each other.  QF's house by the sea or lake has an awesome view.

Yunnan province! Dana is a fictional place, I looked it up, looks like it's Shangri-la 香格里拉. Cang Cheng Mountain is Da Li city 大理, there's also Xi Shuang Ban Na西双版纳, which would look very much like Thailand or Myanmar, but I'm not totally caught up so not sure which bit is it, the forest maybe? Small note, the clothes that Shen Yindeng is wearing looks like it's Miao, so her village‘s architecture would be base on them. Miao mostly lives in south western provinces of China.

 

This director excel at filming landscapes and women IMO. He also directed Goodbye My Princess and it was absolutely gorgeous too, looks like it was filmed at Gansu and Hebei province (although I'd say it looks like Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia more haha. but the film location was on the border of the province so it make sense).

 

On 3/29/2021 at 8:55 PM, SilverDawn said:

Frustrating! I think they didn't lose the copyright but may not have had it in the first place for their global platform.

That's quite possible. The drama is a youku drama, domestically, youku sold it to iqiyi and tencent because they didn't expect it to hit off, but it did. Youku also score gold with Word of Honor recently, they had it on youtube, but it got really popular. Youtube follows the non vip schedule so it'll finish in May, so they started putting eng sub episodes on their own site around ep 20ish if you become vip. They had no international platform previously, so it was very much adapt as they go. Perhaps youku want to attract international audience to watch Rattan on their platform as well?

Edited March 31, 2021 by Jillia
Please do not quote pics! Thanks!

[tulip06]

5 hours ago, skibbies said:

Yunnan province! Dana is a fictional place, I looked it up, looks like it's Shangri-la 香格里拉. Cang Cheng Mountain is Da Li city 大理, there's also Xi Shuang Ban Na西双版纳, which would look very much like Thailand or Myanmar, but I'm not totally caught up so not sure which bit is it, the forest maybe? Small note, the clothes that Shen Yindeng is wearing looks like it's Miao, so her village‘s architecture would be base on them. Miao mostly lives in south western provinces of China.

 

This director excel at filming landscapes and women IMO. He also directed Goodbye My Princess and it was absolutely gorgeous too, looks like it was filmed at Gansu and Hebei province (although I'd say it looks like Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia more haha. but the film location was on the border of the province so it make sense).

 

That's quite possible. The drama is a youku drama, domestically, youku sold it to iqiyi and tencent because they didn't expect it to hit off, but it did. Youku also score gold with Word of Honor recently, they had it on youtube, but it got really popular. Youtube follows the non vip schedule so it'll finish in May, so they started putting eng sub episodes on their own site around ep 20ish if you become vip. They had no international platform previously, so it was very much adapt as they go. Perhaps youku want to attract international audience to watch Rattan on their platform as well?

But then they took it away from iqiyi because iqiyi removed it and said they didn’t have the rights. So frustrating!

 

youku is not user friendly for international, at least not on iPad. I don’t mind getting a subscription if they make their app in English.

[English Tofu]

6 hours ago, skibbies said:

Yunnan province! Dana is a fictional place, I looked it up, looks like it's Shangri-la 香格里拉. Cang Cheng Mountain is Da Li city 大理, there's also Xi Shuang Ban Na西双版纳, which would look very much like Thailand or Myanmar, but I'm not totally caught up so not sure which bit is it, the forest maybe? Small note, the clothes that Shen Yindeng is wearing looks like it's Miao, so her village‘s architecture would be base on them. Miao mostly lives in south western provinces of China.

 

This director excel at filming landscapes and women IMO. He also directed Goodbye My Princess and it was absolutely gorgeous too, looks like it was filmed at Gansu and Hebei province (although I'd say it looks like Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia more haha. but the film location was on the border of the province so it make sense).

 

That's quite possible. The drama is a youku drama, domestically, youku sold it to iqiyi and tencent because they didn't expect it to hit off, but it did. Youku also score gold with Word of Honor recently, they had it on youtube, but it got really popular. Youtube follows the non vip schedule so it'll finish in May, so they started putting eng sub episodes on their own site around ep 20ish if you become vip. They had no international platform previously, so it was very much adapt as they go. Perhaps youku want to attract international audience to watch Rattan on their platform as well?

How can they attract Rattan when they do not sub the dramas? I think Youku didnt like it that subbed episodes were released as fast as VIPS in China? Does that make sense?

6 hours ago, skibbies said:

Yunnan province! Dana is a fictional place, I looked it up, looks like it's Shangri-la 香格里拉. Cang Cheng Mountain is Da Li city 大理, there's also Xi Shuang Ban Na西双版纳, which would look very much like Thailand or Myanmar, but I'm not totally caught up so not sure which bit is it, the forest maybe? Small note, the clothes that Shen Yindeng is wearing looks like it's Miao, so her village‘s architecture would be base on them. Miao mostly lives in south western provinces of China.

 

This director excel at filming landscapes and women IMO. He also directed Goodbye My Princess and it was absolutely gorgeous too, looks like it was filmed at Gansu and Hebei province (although I'd say it looks like Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia more haha. but the film location was on the border of the province so it make sense).

 

That's quite possible. The drama is a youku drama, domestically, youku sold it to iqiyi and tencent because they didn't expect it to hit off, but it did. Youku also score gold with Word of Honor recently, they had it on youtube, but it got really popular. Youtube follows the non vip schedule so it'll finish in May, so they started putting eng sub episodes on their own site around ep 20ish if you become vip. They had no international platform previously, so it was very much adapt as they go. Perhaps youku want to attract international audience to watch Rattan on their platform as well?

Would they have earned for if they kept exclusive platform for a drama? 1 billion views of Rattan solely on Tencent. I guess the other 1 billion shared between Youku and Iqiyi china

[jadore1]

I just got ready to watch that interesting exchange between the child and adult and on my site ep 29 is for a different drama 

[skibbies]

6 hours ago, tulip06 said:

But then they took it away from iqiyi because iqiyi removed it and said they didn’t have the rights. So frustrating!

 

youku is not user friendly for international, at least not on iPad. I don’t mind getting a subscription if they make their app in English.

Like I said, subs only showed up for WoH like 2 weeks? 3 weeks ago? Viki didn't even have license to WoH at the time. I simply said they adapted fast, not that they were friendly to international audience at the moment  You can probably @ their twitter account about the english app since they seem fairly active on twitter and respond to criticism/request.

 

5 hours ago, English Tofu said:

How can they attract Rattan when they do not sub the dramas? I think Youku didnt like it that subbed episodes were released as fast as VIPS in China? Does that make sense?

Would they have earned for if they kept exclusive platform for a drama? 1 billion views of Rattan solely on Tencent. I guess the other 1 billion shared between Youku and Iqiyi china

Isn't it being subbed on Viki? I was guessing why it could be taken down from iQiyi. Maybe they'll put up sub episodes like WoH on youku too? Or they just rely on Viki, it's not gaining as much traction internationally. Or Viki have exclusive license? I don't know how Viki's license works.

 

If you are asking about domestically, keeping it exclusive means ad revenue goes exclusive through them (both ad for nonvip and ad in middle of drama that sometimes get added if drama gets popular), all subscription will go to them and more importantly, they can do on demand/vvip episodes which is extra money. If you are talking about view count, you are looking at it from drama point of view, not youku's pov, for drama, it's better to be available on multiple platforms than just youku, because a lot of people don't have youku vip. For reference, wetv and iqiyi is about the same in view counts usually, youku is about half of that.

[English Tofu]

anybody saw the ending?