Thoughts on the end

[clevermanka]

It was suggested that I link a post about my thoughts on the ending, so...I'm also pasting the relevant section here in case people don't want to see a couple personal life updates that are in the linked post. I hadn't thought about it being something I should maybe highlight for general fandom discussion--whoops!

I like the ending. It hurts, oh how it hurts, but it's so beautifully constructed from at least episode three that I can't be mad at it. Current western media has a noticeable lack of well-constructed tragedies and this is such a gorgeous one that I can't hate it. No plot twists, no gotcha moments, just a slow build to a Pyrrhic victory that the show producers left justttttt open enough for plausible fix-its. ranalore posted about the last several episdoes a couple days ago, and just yes. All that. The way our beloved heroes hit the ground running after Zhao Yunlan gets back from the past and things just. don't. slow. down until they ... well, stop. And while I probably wouldn't have complained about a canon happy ending for the drama, I feel like, the way it was presented from the early episodes, it wouldn't have been as...idk, powerful? Guo Changcheng sorta being hinted as the lantern wick was a great red herring and made ZYL's sacrifice more believable because of course ZYL would throw himself on that grenade before letting anyone else do it.

And yes, the Bury Your Gays chafes, but the fact that they presented the ending the way they did, considering the Chinese Tragic Romance Tradition, lends a bit of weight to the fact that this is an Actual Romantic Love Story.

Also, I am an emotional sadomasochist.

Comments

[xparrot]

Ah, yeah, the cultural differences here maybe play a part. They're not allowed to mention reincarnation by name because that's a religious concept so can't be brought up on TV, but it's so deeply steeped in Chinese culture that the writers can just count on the audience understanding it anyway. But it works in favor for the non-Chinese audience who want other interpretations (and Western/Christian cultural traditions of course favor resurrection over reincarnation...)

I wish I could see it your way! Well, I mean, I can put my own interpretations over it; but I have to do so knowing I'm ignoring the intent (it's the opposite of reading WeiLan into the show, in which the canon doesn't technically make them romantic, but you're absolutely supposed to read it that way and to read them as purely platonic friendship is likewise ignoring the intent.) If I could see the end as hopeful for their futures, I'd be a lot happier with it!

[trobadora]

If we're talking about intent, though, I think we have to consider the original schoolboy ending, horrible though it is. Because doesn't that show that the intention to have them meet again was there, and that permanent separation wasn't what they had in mind?

(It also proves that they did have reincarnation in mind, of course, but since it's not actually part of the drama I don't have to incorporate it into my headcanon. *g*)

[xparrot]

Well, the schoolboy ending supposedly was set 10K years in the future and Zhao Yunlan might not have a physical body, and Shen Wei is reincarnated and probably with no memories (Zhao Yunlan recognizes him from the glasses...somehow...but it doesn't seem mutual?)...so, I guess not technically permanent separation, but still not what I'd want for them! >.

[trobadora]

Not at all what I'd want for them either! OMG, so, so very much not. (I might actually like permanent separation better, LOL. *shudders*) But still, I think it shows that their bet wasn't meant to be an empty gesture in the end.