ibisfeather
I stuck with this only for the cinematography and the choreography of the fighting
True enemies to true lovers in 32 eps of 45 mins ea. A beginning as vivid as a manga. I stuck with this show all the way through for three reasons: the cinematography, the choreography of the fights, and, leaving the plot out of consideration, the script.
The cinematographer has a tic about making beautiful black and white patterns symmetrically around a single vertical. Half-close your eyes at every other shot and be amazed at his use of contrast in darkness and light. It is elegant eye-candy for me and addictive. Missing is the cdrama focus on coloration and textures.
The duels, fights and attacks are consistently beautiful, well-shot and choreographed, The script captures small intimate vignettes in long sequences of attacks and defences which contrast with the violence. The actual dialogue is good and the actors do excellent work.
The drama formula held up throughout -- intense relationships amongst a core cast, with several romantic possibilities up in the air for as long as possible, dependable comic relief, sentimental family relationships and tears.
And yet, and yet..
This is a melodrama of Grand-Guignol-esque proportions; murder, floggings, poisonings, bondage, near-necrophilia, near-fratricide, near-patricide, a horrific transfusion, a king hypnotized by the idea of his own immortality, an entire city burnt to ashes. Bizarrely hardy leads who endure life-threatening beatings and penetrating wounds but get back up the next morning ready to go. Breaking out in incredulous laughter at such an unending roll-out of overly dramatic events is inevitable. And I am a diehard kdrama fan, I know over-the-top!
There is just too much of everything: two city-settings, one for her and one for him. Two out-of-town interludes, both offensively characterized: one rural hideout where the locals are portrayed as simple yokels and the FL wears a perky kerchief and two, an entire hostile country populated by 2-dimensional religious fanatics and villains. Two siblings in the core cast actually come from this place, a hostage prince and a silly sweet princess in a peace-making marriage with Yan state's emperor.
And, although technically a 'costume drama', its historicity is casual; there was a Yan state ruled by the Murong clan and a city in Shandong in the 4th/5th CE, but a hostile ethnic border, gunpowder and a reference to a Zhenyuan era make precision impossible.
ps. I thought the ending was wonderful, all of it.
The cinematographer has a tic about making beautiful black and white patterns symmetrically around a single vertical. Half-close your eyes at every other shot and be amazed at his use of contrast in darkness and light. It is elegant eye-candy for me and addictive. Missing is the cdrama focus on coloration and textures.
The duels, fights and attacks are consistently beautiful, well-shot and choreographed, The script captures small intimate vignettes in long sequences of attacks and defences which contrast with the violence. The actual dialogue is good and the actors do excellent work.
The drama formula held up throughout -- intense relationships amongst a core cast, with several romantic possibilities up in the air for as long as possible, dependable comic relief, sentimental family relationships and tears.
And yet, and yet..
This is a melodrama of Grand-Guignol-esque proportions; murder, floggings, poisonings, bondage, near-necrophilia, near-fratricide, near-patricide, a horrific transfusion, a king hypnotized by the idea of his own immortality, an entire city burnt to ashes. Bizarrely hardy leads who endure life-threatening beatings and penetrating wounds but get back up the next morning ready to go. Breaking out in incredulous laughter at such an unending roll-out of overly dramatic events is inevitable. And I am a diehard kdrama fan, I know over-the-top!
There is just too much of everything: two city-settings, one for her and one for him. Two out-of-town interludes, both offensively characterized: one rural hideout where the locals are portrayed as simple yokels and the FL wears a perky kerchief and two, an entire hostile country populated by 2-dimensional religious fanatics and villains. Two siblings in the core cast actually come from this place, a hostage prince and a silly sweet princess in a peace-making marriage with Yan state's emperor.
And, although technically a 'costume drama', its historicity is casual; there was a Yan state ruled by the Murong clan and a city in Shandong in the 4th/5th CE, but a hostile ethnic border, gunpowder and a reference to a Zhenyuan era make precision impossible.
ps. I thought the ending was wonderful, all of it.
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