Ya Qing: Ancestors of the Yashou, if you recognize my efforts in reviving our tribe, please bring the Sacred Wood back to life and sprout!
It always strikes me how earnest she is in this moment, and how shaken when it doesn't work!
But my favourite bit is when she asks if after drowning herself in darkness for this, it still wasn't enough - and Da Qing just calmly tells her nope, it's not that it wasn't enough, it's that she was just wrong from the start. ♥
She can't accept it, says the sacred wood must be dead. Uses ZH as a taunt, and ZYL jumps in to say yep, ZH is totally the one who can make it sprout! An snatches it from YQ.
Zhao Yunlan is a total busybody -- this is not his jurisdiction! He says Zhu Hong can make the stick sprout.
Yeah, it's incredibly frustrating in several different ways - most of all his interference in a Yashou election, and his pushing Zhu Hong into this position whether she wants to or not. Even though I totally understand why he does it - there's a lot that hinges on the outcome of this, and they need the Yashou on their side given the situation with Ye Zun, so a sympathetic non-isolationist High Chief is important - it's still not good.
Also, I hate every single time Zhu Hong looks at Zhao Yunlan through this process, the way she takes her cue from him and lets him steer her - this is not what you want in a High Chief! I don't doubt she'll grow into the role, but ugh. (I put a lot of my feelings on this into one of my Ya Qing/Zhu Hong fics: Anger Into Fuel .)
they are using completely the wrong shaped plate for soaking the stick in alcohol! *facepalms*
LOL! Yeah, I notice that every time too!
Zhu Hong quotes Kunlun from the Ancient Mysteries, ha! Does she know that's Zhao Yunlan (or someone putting words in his mouth)?
I still SO SO SO much want fic about everyone at the SID finding out about the time travel!!!!!!!
More flashback: Ma Gui turns the seed he's working on into an old gnarled piece of wood.
I really don't understand the point of this. He tries to make a seed sprout, and it produces a few green leaves, but that's not what he wants. Then it does something with (light?) energy and turns into an old branch or something, and that's what he wants? And what makes Fu You smile? So weird!
Also, what kind of person or civilisation doesn't know alcohol exists?! *baffled*
(Btw, speaking of the Ma Gui flashbacks, given the lollipop Zhao Yunlan has, I wonder how many of them he had along in YOHE!)
Looks like Elder Ya knows the saying, "People have to bow under the eaves." 看来鸦长老也知道人在屋檐下不得不低头这个道理啊 (Does anyone have a clear explanation of that saying? I could hazard a guess, but...)
Fourth Uncle tries to get a cheer going, but Zhu Hong is freaking out.
And appeals to Zhao Yunlan! /o\
Ya Qing smiles ruefully (maybe aware she wouldn't have got such a whole-hearted reception?).
I think part of her is just glad it's over, that she's finally broken with Ye Zun and didn't fight with the other tribes.
In the city (earlier) Changcheng takes a courier's last wish that always makes me think that guy needed to get a life! ("His will is to get this parcel delivered. Otherwise, he'll get complaints and his boss will deduct his pay." 他的愿望是想把这次快递送完不然会被投诉会扣工资 -- saddest last thought ever!)
I think he needed a job that let him have a life. /o\
In the streets of Dixing, Shen Wei overhears someone spreading corrective propaganda, which is nice.
Is it someone spreading the truth (someone, i.e. Ye Zun, is impersonating the Envoy)? Or is it a move against Shen Wei (someone, i.e. Shen Wei, is impersonating the "Envoy"/Ye Zun)? I figured it was the second, since the person spreading this told people to report the impostor on sight, and the government/anyone they might report to can be assumed to be under Ye Zun's control. I figured it was Ye Zun wanting to hear if Shen Wei made an appearance.
"Lord Black Robe, as a part of the eliminating team, I didn't fulfill the task of killing Ye Zun." 黑袍大人作为围剿小队的一员我没能够完成剿灭夜尊的任务 (Was the eliminating team the same as the siege squad, or something different?)
It's the same term in Chinese, so yep, the same, just translated very differently.
Also, I always wince at the way Wu Xiaojun comes shouting at Shen Wei, given the circumstances ...
Shen Wei says he's looking for something which might be in storage room in the palace. (Does he think the Regent took the Hallows?)
I figured he thought that was where potentially-powerful artifacts were most likely to end up, and if the Wick was left behind when the Lantern vanished, that would presumably have been where it was put ...
Shen Wei accepts Wu Xiaojun's help, and it's unclear if he knows it's a trap.
Shen Wei has these furrows between his brows from the moment Wu Xiaojun appears - I think he's suspicious from the start, even if he's not 100% certain. And when Wu Xiaojun says he's willing to help with going to the palace, Shen Wei's expression also seems to me to be saying he knows something shifty is going on. I wonder if he can feel Ye Zun's mind-control power in Wu Xiaojun ....
Flashbacks to their relations and voiceover: "No matter where you go, I'm sure we'll meet again. Do you believe we are fated?" 不管你要去哪里我都有信心和你再重逢你信不信咱俩有这个缘分 - yeah, that ring is definitely a parallel with Shen Wei's pendant!
Yeah, a really clear parallel, once you think of it! *sniffles*
This is the bit that always makes me doubt the Regent is completely useless, despite all evidence to the contrary. He could have run and let Dixing fall into chaos!
Yeah, and at this point I don't think he really thought he had much to gain from appeasing Ye Zun. This is clearly not a situation he wants to be in either.
I think Ya Qing's changing sides was timed partly to prime us for this kind of reversal? People are changing sides, the chips are coming down, and we're definitely heading into the final stretch.
Oh, that's a very cool thought! That would make sense, yes.
What's your favourite scene in this episode? Favourite line of dialogue?
A favourite scene is too hard to choose! But my favourite line is Da Qing's "it's not that it wasn't enough, it was just wrong from the start", and my favourite moment is the one at the very end when Shen Wei opens his eyes. ♥
When do you think Lin Jing set up his posthumous video message, and what prompted it?
Not that long ago, I think - the way he is in that video, all sad and wobbly, says to me that things have already escalated a lot by this point. None of this is fun spy shenanigans for him any more.
Do you have any theories about the wick -- where it is, what it's made from, how and when it was lost?
Too many! One day I'm going to sort out my thoughts and write a fic about that ...
Do you think Shen Wei was telling the truth when he said he could only get one person through the gate?
Yeah, I think he knew he was weakened, and while he could open the passage, he didn't have the strength/power to get more than just himself through Ye Zun's people on the other end.
The first time you watched, were you surprised when Ya Qing switched sides? Were you glad? What does her changing allegiances mean to you?
I don't remember; the first time through is a complete blur for me. But I absolutely love her in part because of her change in sides, because redemption and the ability to change for the better, and letting people realise when they're going down a destructive path, letting them stopping, is something really important to me.
Would she have killed Zhu Hong if Zhu Hong hadn't had the "life-saving token"?
That never occurred to me! Huh. But no, I don't think she would have, not now that she's broken with Ye Zun.
Is Zhao Yunlan's election tampering justified? And do you think Zhu Hong will make a good Yashou leader?
Like I said above, it's understandable under the circumstances, if frustrating. And I do think Zhu Hong will grow into this - I think this is just the challenge she needs.
Now Changcheng has a power, could he learn to wield raw dark energy, too?
I think it would be white energy, for a Haixingren, but I assume so!
Is anyone fighting the invaders? Are there off-screen serumed soldiers? Does anyone have a plan, other than the SID's bid to assemble the Hallows and cut the invasion off at the source?
I KNOW!!!!!!! (I'm going to say more about this in the episode 38 post, because seriously!!!!!)
How aware was Shen Wei of the trap he was walking into? What do you think he's planning at this point?
I think he was pretty aware, or at least thought the chances it was a trap were very high. And he clearly notices before he's actually attacked - there's a moment while he's talking to the Regent when his eyes go sideways. But instead of acting on that and defending himself, he takes his dao away from the Regent's neck and lets Wu Xiaojun knock him over, and pretends to be knocked out.
I think his plan for Ye Zun is definitely in play now. I don't know if he also thinks there's still a chance they might fail to properly pay attention to him while he's supposedly unconscious, if Ye Zun himself doesn't appear quickly - in that case, he might think he could get away, perhaps look for the wick, and send it to Zhao Yunlan before Ye Zun catches up with him. But I think from this point he's not thinking about getting out of this alive any more.
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It always strikes me how earnest she is in this moment, and how shaken when it doesn't work!
But my favourite bit is when she asks if after drowning herself in darkness for this, it still wasn't enough - and Da Qing just calmly tells her nope, it's not that it wasn't enough, it's that she was just wrong from the start. ♥
She can't accept it, says the sacred wood must be dead. Uses ZH as a taunt, and ZYL jumps in to say yep, ZH is totally the one who can make it sprout! An snatches it from YQ.
Zhao Yunlan is a total busybody -- this is not his jurisdiction! He says Zhu Hong can make the stick sprout.
Yeah, it's incredibly frustrating in several different ways - most of all his interference in a Yashou election, and his pushing Zhu Hong into this position whether she wants to or not. Even though I totally understand why he does it - there's a lot that hinges on the outcome of this, and they need the Yashou on their side given the situation with Ye Zun, so a sympathetic non-isolationist High Chief is important - it's still not good.
Also, I hate every single time Zhu Hong looks at Zhao Yunlan through this process, the way she takes her cue from him and lets him steer her - this is not what you want in a High Chief! I don't doubt she'll grow into the role, but ugh. (I put a lot of my feelings on this into one of my Ya Qing/Zhu Hong fics: Anger Into Fuel .)
they are using completely the wrong shaped plate for soaking the stick in alcohol! *facepalms*
LOL! Yeah, I notice that every time too!
Zhu Hong quotes Kunlun from the Ancient Mysteries, ha! Does she know that's Zhao Yunlan (or someone putting words in his mouth)?
I still SO SO SO much want fic about everyone at the SID finding out about the time travel!!!!!!!
More flashback: Ma Gui turns the seed he's working on into an old gnarled piece of wood.
I really don't understand the point of this. He tries to make a seed sprout, and it produces a few green leaves, but that's not what he wants. Then it does something with (light?) energy and turns into an old branch or something, and that's what he wants? And what makes Fu You smile? So weird!
Also, what kind of person or civilisation doesn't know alcohol exists?! *baffled*
(Btw, speaking of the Ma Gui flashbacks, given the lollipop Zhao Yunlan has, I wonder how many of them he had along in YOHE!)
Looks like Elder Ya knows the saying, "People have to bow under the eaves." 看来鸦长老也知道人在屋檐下不得不低头这个道理啊 (Does anyone have a clear explanation of that saying? I could hazard a guess, but...)
Wiktionary entry
Fourth Uncle tries to get a cheer going, but Zhu Hong is freaking out.
And appeals to Zhao Yunlan! /o\
Ya Qing smiles ruefully (maybe aware she wouldn't have got such a whole-hearted reception?).
I think part of her is just glad it's over, that she's finally broken with Ye Zun and didn't fight with the other tribes.
In the city (earlier) Changcheng takes a courier's last wish that always makes me think that guy needed to get a life! ("His will is to get this parcel delivered. Otherwise, he'll get complaints and his boss will deduct his pay." 他的愿望是想把这次快递送完不然会被投诉会扣工资 -- saddest last thought ever!)
I think he needed a job that let him have a life. /o\
In the streets of Dixing, Shen Wei overhears someone spreading corrective propaganda, which is nice.
Is it someone spreading the truth (someone, i.e. Ye Zun, is impersonating the Envoy)? Or is it a move against Shen Wei (someone, i.e. Shen Wei, is impersonating the "Envoy"/Ye Zun)? I figured it was the second, since the person spreading this told people to report the impostor on sight, and the government/anyone they might report to can be assumed to be under Ye Zun's control. I figured it was Ye Zun wanting to hear if Shen Wei made an appearance.
"Lord Black Robe, as a part of the eliminating team, I didn't fulfill the task of killing Ye Zun." 黑袍大人作为围剿小队的一员我没能够完成剿灭夜尊的任务 (Was the eliminating team the same as the siege squad, or something different?)
It's the same term in Chinese, so yep, the same, just translated very differently.
Also, I always wince at the way Wu Xiaojun comes shouting at Shen Wei, given the circumstances ...
Shen Wei says he's looking for something which might be in storage room in the palace. (Does he think the Regent took the Hallows?)
I figured he thought that was where potentially-powerful artifacts were most likely to end up, and if the Wick was left behind when the Lantern vanished, that would presumably have been where it was put ...
Shen Wei accepts Wu Xiaojun's help, and it's unclear if he knows it's a trap.
Shen Wei has these furrows between his brows from the moment Wu Xiaojun appears - I think he's suspicious from the start, even if he's not 100% certain. And when Wu Xiaojun says he's willing to help with going to the palace, Shen Wei's expression also seems to me to be saying he knows something shifty is going on. I wonder if he can feel Ye Zun's mind-control power in Wu Xiaojun ....
Flashbacks to their relations and voiceover: "No matter where you go, I'm sure we'll meet again. Do you believe we are fated?" 不管你要去哪里我都有信心和你再重逢你信不信咱俩有这个缘分 - yeah, that ring is definitely a parallel with Shen Wei's pendant!
Yeah, a really clear parallel, once you think of it! *sniffles*
This is the bit that always makes me doubt the Regent is completely useless, despite all evidence to the contrary. He could have run and let Dixing fall into chaos!
Yeah, and at this point I don't think he really thought he had much to gain from appeasing Ye Zun. This is clearly not a situation he wants to be in either.
I think Ya Qing's changing sides was timed partly to prime us for this kind of reversal? People are changing sides, the chips are coming down, and we're definitely heading into the final stretch.
Oh, that's a very cool thought! That would make sense, yes.
What's your favourite scene in this episode? Favourite line of dialogue?
A favourite scene is too hard to choose! But my favourite line is Da Qing's "it's not that it wasn't enough, it was just wrong from the start", and my favourite moment is the one at the very end when Shen Wei opens his eyes. ♥
When do you think Lin Jing set up his posthumous video message, and what prompted it?
Not that long ago, I think - the way he is in that video, all sad and wobbly, says to me that things have already escalated a lot by this point. None of this is fun spy shenanigans for him any more.
Do you have any theories about the wick -- where it is, what it's made from, how and when it was lost?
Too many! One day I'm going to sort out my thoughts and write a fic about that ...
Do you think Shen Wei was telling the truth when he said he could only get one person through the gate?
Yeah, I think he knew he was weakened, and while he could open the passage, he didn't have the strength/power to get more than just himself through Ye Zun's people on the other end.
The first time you watched, were you surprised when Ya Qing switched sides? Were you glad? What does her changing allegiances mean to you?
I don't remember; the first time through is a complete blur for me. But I absolutely love her in part because of her change in sides, because redemption and the ability to change for the better, and letting people realise when they're going down a destructive path, letting them stopping, is something really important to me.
Would she have killed Zhu Hong if Zhu Hong hadn't had the "life-saving token"?
That never occurred to me! Huh. But no, I don't think she would have, not now that she's broken with Ye Zun.
Is Zhao Yunlan's election tampering justified? And do you think Zhu Hong will make a good Yashou leader?
Like I said above, it's understandable under the circumstances, if frustrating. And I do think Zhu Hong will grow into this - I think this is just the challenge she needs.
Now Changcheng has a power, could he learn to wield raw dark energy, too?
I think it would be white energy, for a Haixingren, but I assume so!
Is anyone fighting the invaders? Are there off-screen serumed soldiers? Does anyone have a plan, other than the SID's bid to assemble the Hallows and cut the invasion off at the source?
I KNOW!!!!!!! (I'm going to say more about this in the episode 38 post, because seriously!!!!!)
How aware was Shen Wei of the trap he was walking into? What do you think he's planning at this point?
I think he was pretty aware, or at least thought the chances it was a trap were very high. And he clearly notices before he's actually attacked - there's a moment while he's talking to the Regent when his eyes go sideways. But instead of acting on that and defending himself, he takes his dao away from the Regent's neck and lets Wu Xiaojun knock him over, and pretends to be knocked out.
I think his plan for Ye Zun is definitely in play now. I don't know if he also thinks there's still a chance they might fail to properly pay attention to him while he's supposedly unconscious, if Ye Zun himself doesn't appear quickly - in that case, he might think he could get away, perhaps look for the wick, and send it to Zhao Yunlan before Ye Zun catches up with him. But I think from this point he's not thinking about getting out of this alive any more.