Notable Actors/Actresses
Chinese Title
Recapper: Tyi
Recap Grade: C→A
First Impression: 3/5
First Impression: 3/5
Cast
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| Yang Mi: Tushan Hong Hong |
Gong Jun: Dongfang Yue Chu |
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| Guo Xiao Ting: Tushan Ya Ya |
Wei Zhe Ming: Aolai 3rd Young Master |
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| Hu Lian Xin: Tushan Rong Rong |
Wen Zheng Rong: Shi Ji |
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| Zhu Xu Dan: Bu Tai |
Yang Shi Ze: Shi Kuan |
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| Chen Yao: Lu Jian Wen |
Mao Zi Jun: Yan Ru Shan |
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| Chen Du Ling: Yue Ti Xia |
Zhang Ling He: Hu Wei Sheng |
Mini Recaps
Reviewer [Tyi] note: This drama is based on a manhua, and I did cheat by reading that beforehand (or trying to, anyway. I will admit, it made my head swim). The drama seems to have kept some iconic moments but made significant changes as well, to the point where it’s difficult to know what’s going to happen next. In any case, the drama only deals with a small flashback portion in the manhua. The main characters are related in a way, but the drama is the older/previous versions of them. If that sounds confusing, let me tell you, it is.
I’ve tried to present the story a little more coherently than the drama does (what does that say about the drama, eh?), and because I’m quite enjoying it, I may have subconsciously picked the best moments rather than representative moments.
[Ep1] Centuries ago, Tushan Honghong (FL) defeated a power-mad Shi Ji, the then-chief of Tushan, and took over as the new leader.
Tushan Honghong and her two sisters (Tushan Yaya and Tushan Rongrong) perform matchmaking for spirits under a “Grief Tree”. The tree contains the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, is nourished by the love of couples, and in turn helps them in their love. And is called “Grief Tree”? Doesn’t really bode well for the couples... Matchmaking keeps the cycle alive.
Humans are barred from Tushan, but human child Dongfang Yuechu seeks refuge in Tushan after being pursued by baddies Tiger and Crane who are after his blood. Quite literally. Spiritual blood, apparently. Honghong rescues him and allows him to remain in Tushan.
The fox spirits aren’t happy about bringing a human into Tushan, ‘cause humans are baaaad, but Honghong is the boss and her temper is feared even by older spirits, so there’s nothing much they can do.
Divine Flame Villa (previously Yuechu’s home) has a new master, Jin Renfeng. Apart from ranting at Tiger and Crane for having lost Yuechu, he hasn’t done much yet.
Rongrong wonders why Honghong hasn’t told Elder (an older fox spirit, who concerns himself with anything to do with Tushan’s safety) and Yaya about the problems with the Grief Tree. Honghong thinks Elder will immediately sacrifice Yuechu if he knows. Despite this benevolence, she binds Yuechu with a Heaven & Earth Thread. With it in him, she will always know where he is. Young Yuechu isn’t happy.
Even though his mother’s last wish was that he doesn’t avenge her, Yuechu practices cultivating his Divine Flame (so that he can get revenge on Tiger and Crane) until he’s caught by Honghong. Many spirits have died under Divine Flame and Yuechu would be in big trouble if he was caught by others. Honghong instead lets him train in the seclusion of the Grief Tree. Adult Yuechu is finally able to master the Divine Flame.
Adult Yuechu is quite cheeky with Honghong (he calls her “Lady Fairy'' and comments on her beauty), but is generally able to appease her with his specially made roast chicken :D He tries to get her to remove the Heaven & Earth Thread (so that he can leave Tushan to find Tiger and Crane?), but she refuses. His life belongs to Tushan.
Honghong is being impacted by the Grief Tree’s Dark Force. Apparently the three fox spirit sisters are born from the Grief Tree and as the chief, Honghong is affected by anything that happens to the tree. Only Rongrong is aware of this new problem.
A drunk and creepy wolf spirit who was responsible for collecting rent on behalf of Tushan is murdered by Fu Cheng. Before murdering him, she extracts information about Yuechu.
Fu Cheng works for Jin Renfeng, who also uses her as a blood source to purify his own spiritual blood. The process looks like it must hurt her a lot, and it seems to occur regularly. I feel sorry for her, even though she’s on the side of the villain.
In the epilogue, we see that Jin Renfeng had previously attempted to kill Yuechu’s parents, but Honghong fought him. After Yuechu was orphaned, Honghong approached him… for his roast chicken :D :D :D and to offer him refuge at Tushan.
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Post-ep notes:
I would have liked this episode if only Honghong hadn’t told Yuechu “I raised you”. There are no mother-son vibes at all, and she actually doesn’t raise him, only trains him, but that sentence still gives the wrong idea. It would have been better if she had just not seen him at all after he moved into the mini-pavilion until he became an adult.
Whatever else is said about the drama, the visuals are just breathtaking (my screenshots don’t do them justice) and everybody is attractive. You could watch it for aesthetics alone really.
[Ep2] Honghong finds that there are traces of both Dongfang Spirit Blood and the Dark Force from the crime scene of the wolf spirit murder. Apart from Yuechu, Jin Renfeng has some spirit blood, so Renfeng must know the Dark Force entity that is corroding the Grief Tree.
Yuechu wants to replace the wolf spirit as debt collector so that he can leave Tushan and get his revenge on Tiger, Crane and Jin Renfeng. (Thus far he hasn’t been allowed to set foot out of Tushan. Actually, Tushan is pretty insular. Very few people/spirits leave or enter). He lies that he wants the job just to make more money and get out of the enormous debt he owes Tushan (Rongrong keeps presenting him with new bills :D). Honghong knows he’s lying but lets him go anyway. She wants to use him to find out the mastermind behind Renfeng.
Tiger and Crane have been waiting (for 16 years!) to grab Yuechu for his spirit blood. They manage to capture a fox, Jiashang, with the intent of using her to force Tushan to give up Yuechu, but Yuechu is there and defeats them. He’s aided by Yaya, who suddenly appears on the scene. Honghong sent Yaya to protect Yuechu, and then - for reasons best known to herself - she comes down in person and sends the bad guys packing. Rongrong calls her out on this, but Honghong’s face reveals nothing.
I should maybe mention here that poker-faced is actually how Honghong is supposed to be. In the manhua, the three sisters have very distinctive characteristics: Honghong is normally expressionless except when she gets angry; Rongrong seems to have an almost-permanent smile on her face (which is probably the oddest characteristic); Yaya is highly emotional. They seem to have tried to mimic those in the drama. It works ok if you’ve read the manhua before (though manhua-Yaya is probably less cheerful), but maybe you’ll be thrown by the lack of emotions displayed by Honghong or the excessive impulsiveness of Yaya if you haven’t seen the source material.
Yaya comes across a badly injured fox, whom she rescues and tends to. He claims humans injured him. He’s seeking refuge in Tushan since humans aren’t allowed to enter, but is evasive about how he got past Tushan’s barriers. This fox is suspicious. But he seems moved by the way Yaya is caring for him. She names him Guoguo, as he says he doesn’t have a name. Rongrong teaches him magic to conceal his scars. They’re supposed to be terrible disfigurements but they didn’t look that bad to me. He says he’ll help them if they need it in the future.
Yuechu in his role of rent collector increases the rent for shops in the Spirit Market and forces/entices shopkeepers to move from the Spirit Market to the Human Market. He looks almost like a villain when he’s got his scheming face on. Honghong correctly guesses his reason and wants to enable him, so that they can lure Renfeng from Divine Flame Villa. Ah, I see. Renfeng doesn’t leave the safety of his villa for anything other than the Dongfang Spiritual Blood. If Yuechu goes to the Human Market, Renfeng will undoubtedly track him down there and the Tushan sisters can capture him. Honghong, you scheming genius.
Yuechu unnecessarily tries to charm Honghong into letting him collect debts at the Human Market.
He also says that everything he’s doing is only for Tushan and for her. I didn’t like this. He lies too often and too easily.
She’ll only allow him to go after training him in self-defense that doesn’t use Divine Flame.
Using his Divine Flame to grill food is totally ok though. From a conversation over divine flame grilled sweet potato, Honghong thinks (or hopes?) that Yuechu is luring Renfeng to the Human Market instead of to Tushan in order to spare Tushan another war with humans, maybe because Tushan has a place in Yuechu’s heart. She seems to care a lot about whether he thinks of Tushan as his home.
Elder has been spying/fact-finding in the other spirit realms on Honghong’s orders and his intel leads her to believe that someone is deliberately trying to create discord between Tushan and humans. She’s reminded of the war started by Shi Ji 700 years ago.
Honghong decides to go to the Human Market to capture Jin Renfeng; this’ll be her first time entering the human realm in 400 years. She hands over the responsibility of protecting Tushan to Yaya. One of Yaya’s lines during this conversation was “with you and Rongrong around, I can be impulsive”. It seems that her more serious sisters have indulged her a lot. It feels significant because Rongrong is younger than Yaya but more measured in her words and actions.
Yuechu sets off for the human realm with unnecessarily dramatic background music.
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Post-ep notes for Ep 2:
Even though stuff happened in this episode, parts of it felt a little filler-ish and unnecessary. I don’t really like over-cheerful music and market scenes, so maybe that’s why I felt this way.
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| Blurry screenshot of Honghong just before she defeated Shi Ji. That fox is cool |
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| (Tushan and its Grief Tree (that cherry blossom-like thing) |
Humans are barred from Tushan, but human child Dongfang Yuechu seeks refuge in Tushan after being pursued by baddies Tiger and Crane who are after his blood. Quite literally. Spiritual blood, apparently. Honghong rescues him and allows him to remain in Tushan.
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| “Tushan is my turf. Understand?” |
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| Rongrong, Yaya and Honghong staring down the villains, with mini-Yuechu hiding behind |
The fox spirits aren’t happy about bringing a human into Tushan, ‘cause humans are baaaad, but Honghong is the boss and her temper is feared even by older spirits, so there’s nothing much they can do.
But wait, Honghong is keeping Yuechu in Tushan because she has a use for his spiritual blood too. Grief Tree is being invaded by a dark force and has issued a decree that Dongfang spiritual blood can solve it. Trees can issue divine decrees?? Right, don’t look for logic here. Honghong had previously made an arrangement with Yuechu’s mother, Second Daughter of Divine Flame Villa Dongfang Qinlan, that Qinlan (and her descendants) would sacrifice their spiritual blood to the Grief Tree if needed, in return for Tushan’s protection. Qinlan and her husband Bai Lou were murdered by Tiger and Crane (Tushan’s protection wasn’t very useful then?), and Yuechu is now the only person in the world with pure Dongfang spiritual blood.
Divine Flame Villa (previously Yuechu’s home) has a new master, Jin Renfeng. Apart from ranting at Tiger and Crane for having lost Yuechu, he hasn’t done much yet.
Rongrong houses Yuechu in the cheapest accommodation and gives him a hefty bill for all his expenses :D. She’s Tushan’s Chief Financial Officer and is very very careful to collect every debt that is owed.
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| Tushan’s mini-pavilion. This is the cheapest accommodation? Sign me up! |
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| Maybe they’re comparing with this: Honghong’s Huguang Pavilion |
Rongrong wonders why Honghong hasn’t told Elder (an older fox spirit, who concerns himself with anything to do with Tushan’s safety) and Yaya about the problems with the Grief Tree. Honghong thinks Elder will immediately sacrifice Yuechu if he knows. Despite this benevolence, she binds Yuechu with a Heaven & Earth Thread. With it in him, she will always know where he is. Young Yuechu isn’t happy.
Even though his mother’s last wish was that he doesn’t avenge her, Yuechu practices cultivating his Divine Flame (so that he can get revenge on Tiger and Crane) until he’s caught by Honghong. Many spirits have died under Divine Flame and Yuechu would be in big trouble if he was caught by others. Honghong instead lets him train in the seclusion of the Grief Tree. Adult Yuechu is finally able to master the Divine Flame.
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| Flame burning orange… carbon monoxide poisoning? Maybe that’s how the spirits died! |
Adult Yuechu is quite cheeky with Honghong (he calls her “Lady Fairy'' and comments on her beauty), but is generally able to appease her with his specially made roast chicken :D He tries to get her to remove the Heaven & Earth Thread (so that he can leave Tushan to find Tiger and Crane?), but she refuses. His life belongs to Tushan.
Honghong is being impacted by the Grief Tree’s Dark Force. Apparently the three fox spirit sisters are born from the Grief Tree and as the chief, Honghong is affected by anything that happens to the tree. Only Rongrong is aware of this new problem.
Fu Cheng works for Jin Renfeng, who also uses her as a blood source to purify his own spiritual blood. The process looks like it must hurt her a lot, and it seems to occur regularly. I feel sorry for her, even though she’s on the side of the villain.
In the epilogue, we see that Jin Renfeng had previously attempted to kill Yuechu’s parents, but Honghong fought him. After Yuechu was orphaned, Honghong approached him… for his roast chicken :D :D :D and to offer him refuge at Tushan.
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Post-ep notes:
I would have liked this episode if only Honghong hadn’t told Yuechu “I raised you”. There are no mother-son vibes at all, and she actually doesn’t raise him, only trains him, but that sentence still gives the wrong idea. It would have been better if she had just not seen him at all after he moved into the mini-pavilion until he became an adult.
Whatever else is said about the drama, the visuals are just breathtaking (my screenshots don’t do them justice) and everybody is attractive. You could watch it for aesthetics alone really.
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Yuechu wants to replace the wolf spirit as debt collector so that he can leave Tushan and get his revenge on Tiger, Crane and Jin Renfeng. (Thus far he hasn’t been allowed to set foot out of Tushan. Actually, Tushan is pretty insular. Very few people/spirits leave or enter). He lies that he wants the job just to make more money and get out of the enormous debt he owes Tushan (Rongrong keeps presenting him with new bills :D). Honghong knows he’s lying but lets him go anyway. She wants to use him to find out the mastermind behind Renfeng.
Tiger and Crane have been waiting (for 16 years!) to grab Yuechu for his spirit blood. They manage to capture a fox, Jiashang, with the intent of using her to force Tushan to give up Yuechu, but Yuechu is there and defeats them. He’s aided by Yaya, who suddenly appears on the scene. Honghong sent Yaya to protect Yuechu, and then - for reasons best known to herself - she comes down in person and sends the bad guys packing. Rongrong calls her out on this, but Honghong’s face reveals nothing.
I should maybe mention here that poker-faced is actually how Honghong is supposed to be. In the manhua, the three sisters have very distinctive characteristics: Honghong is normally expressionless except when she gets angry; Rongrong seems to have an almost-permanent smile on her face (which is probably the oddest characteristic); Yaya is highly emotional. They seem to have tried to mimic those in the drama. It works ok if you’ve read the manhua before (though manhua-Yaya is probably less cheerful), but maybe you’ll be thrown by the lack of emotions displayed by Honghong or the excessive impulsiveness of Yaya if you haven’t seen the source material.
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| I tried to find a single scene from the manhua where the three sisters were in the same frame with their characteristic expressions, but unfortunately Rongrong (left) wouldn’t oblige. Yaya is the emotional center and Honghong is the blank look to the right. (Actually, in this scene, there’s a fight, so Yaya has every right to be emotional, but she’s like that even when there isn’t a war on) |
Yaya comes across a badly injured fox, whom she rescues and tends to. He claims humans injured him. He’s seeking refuge in Tushan since humans aren’t allowed to enter, but is evasive about how he got past Tushan’s barriers. This fox is suspicious. But he seems moved by the way Yaya is caring for him. She names him Guoguo, as he says he doesn’t have a name. Rongrong teaches him magic to conceal his scars. They’re supposed to be terrible disfigurements but they didn’t look that bad to me. He says he’ll help them if they need it in the future.
Yuechu unnecessarily tries to charm Honghong into letting him collect debts at the Human Market.
Yuechu: You should smile more. Don’t keep so many things in… Even I feel tired for you.
Honghong: Then tell me how to be a chief who is not tired? I had no reason to include this dialogue except that, for some reason, this very simple line resonated with me. People who say someone should do this, that and the other, without knowing what the other person’s life and responsibilities are like. And yes, I know I read too much into it.
He also says that everything he’s doing is only for Tushan and for her. I didn’t like this. He lies too often and too easily.
She’ll only allow him to go after training him in self-defense that doesn’t use Divine Flame.
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| Their dynamics: he’s constantly talking and she’s constantly… focused on food :D |
Honghong decides to go to the Human Market to capture Jin Renfeng; this’ll be her first time entering the human realm in 400 years. She hands over the responsibility of protecting Tushan to Yaya. One of Yaya’s lines during this conversation was “with you and Rongrong around, I can be impulsive”. It seems that her more serious sisters have indulged her a lot. It feels significant because Rongrong is younger than Yaya but more measured in her words and actions.
Yuechu sets off for the human realm with unnecessarily dramatic background music.
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Post-ep notes for Ep 2:
Even though stuff happened in this episode, parts of it felt a little filler-ish and unnecessary. I don’t really like over-cheerful music and market scenes, so maybe that’s why I felt this way.
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[Ep3] Tiger and Crane have been captured by Fu Kui, a disciple of Divine Flame Villa. They’re being led to Jin Renfeng when they’re intercepted by Elder, who takes the duo into his own custody. Renfeng guesses that Yuechu is colluding with Tushan to lure him out. He decides to play along, but sends a message to Wangquan Manor that fox spirits are attacking humans. Wangquan Manor is where the head of the Yiqi Alliance - a union formed to protect humans from spirits - resides.
Honghong sends Yuechu a message (via a spiritual butterfly, no less) that Tiger and Crane are at the Human Market. At the same time, Renfeng’s message has been received by Wangquan Manor and soldiers rush to defend against the arriving fox spirits. Even though he’s there for revenge, Yuechu rushes to where Honghong is instead. Together they defeat the soldiers before Renfeng shows up. Renfeng has already set up a formation to trap Honghong and fights with his divine power. Honghong is able to defeat him, but is temporarily exhausted by the exertion.
Honghong: You knew Tiger and Crane were in the tavern. Why did you come here despite the danger?Yuechu: Because you are here.
Yuechu: The living are more important… I can kill Tiger and Crane at any time, but the chance to save a life is usually fleeting.
Honghong is moved. She regrets that she didn’t get there in time to save his parents, years ago. Yuechu doesn’t blame her. She says he still has time to kill his two enemies. Why urge him to kill???
Elder stalls Tiger and Crane on Honghong’s instructions, until he decides he’s fulfilled his task and leaves. Elder assumes Honghong will head back to Tushan with him but she’s waiting for someone. I wonder who…
Tiger and Crane have a confrontation with Fu Cheng and gain the upper hand when Yuechu arrives and saves her. He kills Tiger and Crane using Fu Cheng’s sword, and - thanks to Honghong’s protection spells - manages to escape by the time Renfeng arrives. Tiger and Crane were almost comedic villains, so I was actually surprised that they were killed. They did kill Yuechu’s parents though (which again I was surprised at, given the farcical tone that always accompanied them). Renfeng uses the already-injured Fu Cheng as his blood supply again. That poor girl! She needs to switch loyalties fast!
Yuechu realizes that Honghong used him to lure Renfeng out from Divine Flame Villa. He wonders why Tushan and Divine Flame Villa have avoided each other over the years. Honghong evades the question. Is there some significance to this?
Since he’s finally back in human world, Yuechu persuades (i.e., deceives) Honghong into spending some time at the Human Market, to satisfy his nostalgia. He goes to buy candied haw, and Honghong is distracted by a stall selling masks. When Yuechu looks for Honghong again, he’s greeted by his Lady Fairy with a fox mask and (what I believe is the reason for him to stare as he does) a small smile. I don’t actually understand why she’s smiling. Does she like the mask so much?
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| The smile is so small that you wouldn’t notice it if the camera hadn’t focused on it first. |
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| Ok, I get that she’s never smiled before, but this reaction is still a bit much :D |
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| It is a beautiful mask. Props to the props team |
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| So different to the usual stern Chief |
Back at Tushan, Yuechu wants to get his Divine Flame to the next level so he can defeat Renfeng. There are levels of flame? How many? Like gas cooker to roaring inferno? He over-trains and coughs out blood. Honghong senses this (because of that Heaven & Earth Thread?) and rushes over. She transfers energy to him (I think that’s what it is?) and tells him off for his impatience. She tells him off a lot :D
Guoguo is nearby (Why? Does he follow Yaya around like a puppy?), somehow realizes Yuechu is human and tries to attack him, but is easily defeated. He goes to tattle to Yaya, but she’s just focused on her new toy, so he goes to Honghong to petition for humans to be banned from Tushan entirely. Is it even appropriate for a new member of a clan to make demands of the chief like this? I felt like Guoguo was a bit much here. Yuechu arrives just then with freshly roasted chicken (this chicken gag :D) and tries to dismiss Guoguo. He’s slightly rude to Guoguo and Honghong dismisses him (and the chicken) instead. She tells Guoguo to keep an eye on Yuechu and report to her if he does anything inappropriate o.O Guoguo is only too happy to help.
Yuechu is given a book about relationships and reads about signs that a person is interested in someone. We’re shown flashbacks of his interactions with Honghong that match the signs in the book, but Yuechu seems to be thinking of something else. He wonders if “this little follower of mine has fallen for her, even if it’s just an act?”. I didn’t fully understand this. Does he think Guoguo is interested in Honghong? Or is he thinking of Liushang - a fox friend of his who gave him the book and who has a crush on Jiashang (Ep2)?
There’s to be a centennial matchmaking event at Tushan, where spirits can ask for a Feathered Flower (which indicates true love) under the Grief Tree, to protect their love. Yuechu asks Liushang whether a human can obtain a Feathered Flower. Liushang doesn’t know, but is curious why Yuechu is asking. Heh. Guoguo is spying and reports this to Honghong, trying to put a negative spin on it. She doesn’t think Yuechu is up to anything nefarious. She’d actually asked Guoguo to follow Yuechu in the hopes that he would realize that not all humans are bad. She’s disappointed that her plan has failed. She also wonders why Yuechu is asking about the Feathered Flowers. Double heh.
Yuechu has the fox mask Honghong gave him at the Human market and is thinking back to that night, before bringing himself back to reality and wondering why he’s thinking of her for no reason.
Jin Renfeng is in communication with the Dark Force in the Grief Tree, which he calls Spirit Lord. The Spirit Lord has plans to handle Honghong during the centennial matchmaking event and wants Renfeng’s assistance. He’s uncertain but agrees. He seems a bit of a coward.
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Post-ep notes:
In this episode as well, there were scenes that felt unnecessary (like shots of Grief Tree’s “Heart” corroding, which really isn’t something to spend even ten seconds on). Some other scenes felt like they could have been more impactful by combining them together.
There’s too much switching between scenes with the heroes and scenes with the villains without allowing a single scene to play out.
There’s also this slightly annoying aspect in this and past episodes where Rongrong explains past events or Honghong’s thoughts/ideas. I think it may be because in the manhua, Honghong never actually speaks, she just projects her thoughts. And if Honghong explained everything, she would seem quite chatty, which is not how the character is supposed to be. But it’s still a bit weird.
Pretty much all of Elder's scenes have a semi-farcical or old-time-comedy feel to them. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
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Honghong finds an upset Yuechu drinking alone under the Grief Tree. How appropriate. He forgets his sadness pretty quickly when she explains that she only sent Guoguo to tail him to show him the kindness of humans. Fireworks start up below for the centennial matchmaking event, and Honghong smiles a little on seeing them. This makes for another Yuechu-staring-at-Honghong-just-because-she-smiled moment, followed by
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| This is not how you stop the chief of the fox spirits |
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| That’s right. Let go |
Rongrong quizzes her sister about visiting the market with Yuechu. She seems to be able to read Honghong’s feelings, but doesn’t think Yuechu is a suitable candidate because he’s human and because they brought him to Tushan for a different purpose. A Feathered Flower falls towards Honghong after her sister leaves. Wait, what does this mean? Does the tree release flowers for no reason as well? Or is Honghong already in love, or starting to be? (This is a real possibility, because this is the first time she’s smiled in centuries and the person who made it happen was Yuechu)
The night of the centennial matchmaking event. We get the most embarrassing dance and display of jazz hands ever. All I can say is it’s a good thing the event is only once every 100 years, so spirits don’t need to go through that terrible performance too often. Or maybe the event should happen more often so spirits can practice more or come up with better moves.
Renfeng and Fu Kui enter Tushan by disguising their human aura, using a spell given by the Spirit Lord. They want to inject Divine Flame into the Grief Tree to eat away the protections that Honghong has put in place, so that resentment can enter the tree and the Spirit Lord can take over. Renfeng actually said all this, more wordily, in a single sentence. Also, part of his speech is accompanied by the weirdest fish-bowl view of his face.
There’s a really weird shot of a “dreamcatcher” being made by a hooded figure, using wisps of resentment. The figure is Guoguo! So he wasn’t just a sneaky spy, he’s already working for Renfeng or the Spirit Lord! He adds a strand of Honghong’s hair to whatever spell he’s weaving and Honghong collapses while she’s in the Grief Tree’s heart. How did Guoguo get her hair?
The matchmaking event pauses abruptly. Yuechu and Yaya find Honghong, and Yaya immediately recognizes the effects of the dreamcatcher. Honghong is trapped in an eternal nightmare, where dangers in the dream can affect her in the real world.
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| Poor Honghong has to remain in this uncomfortable position while Yuechu and Yaya discuss ways and means of rescuing her :D |
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| “Yuechu?” |
Yuechu collapses and Honghong transfers (what seems like a lot of) energy to revive him. Can she afford to do this, given she was just trapped in a nightmare and then used a lot of energy for the matchmaking? She doesn’t want him risking his life hereafter. He won’t unless it’s to save her. She doesn’t want it even to save her, but he doesn’t agree to that.
Renfeng is trying to carry out his plan, but is attacked by Yaya and Yuechu while Honghong puts up a shield around Tushan. Renfeng’s thought as soon as Honghong gets involved: “Retreat!” :D He really is a coward. But actually he’s able to break through the shield (because Honghong is weaker now). Honghong notices that some other spirit power is now absorbing Grief Tree’s power. I don’t know if this is a good spirit absorbing the negative power, or whether it’s the Spirit Lord absorbing the good power.
At the end, we get a random shot of Lai, who is presumably responsible for the absorption of power.
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Post-ep notes for Ep4:
The first 1 minute and 30 seconds could have been cut from this episode, as it’s just a cheesy and not very well done scene. That whole matchmaking event was just embarrassing (those jazz hands!), and the dreamcatcher scene could have been done better (or Guoguo’s reveal handled differently).
The editing in this drama seems to be a bit all over the place. This episode also had numerous switches between scenes, without allowing a single scene to complete satisfactorily. I can understand why they did it: it was to show actions and reactions by different characters in different locations. But it was jarring for the viewer.
Also, the villains are just not good enough. Well, not bad enough. They’re mostly just talky-talk.
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[Ep5] Yaya fights Lai, thinking he’s associated with Jin Renfeng. He’s not. He later finds out about her admiration for Aolai Sanshao and is amused by it. Yaya is quite condescending to him until she learns that he is Honghong’s guest. We can already see where this is going.
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| Great first date |
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| She’s got sort of a similar (but less flattering) pose as her sister. Both attacking the men in their lives :D |
Yuechu finally learns about Grief Tree’s corrosion and its impact on Honghong, and her suspicions about Renfeng’s association with the Dark Force. He wants to know if the Dark Force is also related to the man she saw in her nightmare. She stiffens at that. No, that was “just an old friend”. Yuechu obsesses over this unknown old friend.
Honghong confides to Rongrong that the man in her dream was Dongfang Luo, someone who Rongrong is also familiar with. Dongfang Luo is associated with an incident from their past… but from centuries ago. How could Renfeng, a human, have found out about something even most Tushan spirits don’t know? This and several other clues make Honghong believe that the mastermind behind Renfeng is Shi Ji, the fox spirit killed by Honghong 400 years ago.
Lai finds that Grief Tree is losing its power, which could impact Tushan and the six realms. He tells Honghong about Life Island, on “the circle’s border”, where islanders are rumored to have the ability to restore obliterated souls. Is this circle the one drawn by Aolai Sanshao, that Yaya mentioned in Ep3? I’m assuming Lai is actually Sanshao, incognito. But they don't have time for an investigation of the island. Grief Tree needs a quick solution. Lai asks why they don’t test the power of Dongfang Yuechu’s blood. Honghong is not impressed by the suggestion.
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| “You agree to sacrifice Yuechu too?” |
Grief Tree begins healing as Dongfang blood is extracted from Yuechu. At least could the process be less painful? One quick and easy slice? Honghong senses trouble and arrives in time to stop Elder. I guess a quick and easy death would have prevented this.
Yuechu feels understandably resentful towards Elder until Honghong takes him to Tushan’s “orphanage” and shows him the number of spirit children whose parents were killed by the Dongfangs. Elder's distrust, while hurtful, is also understandable. Yuechu is quick to forgive. He now also understands why Rongrong is so miserly: Tushan has to pay for the upkeep of all the children it has adopted. Honghong speaks of her wish for humans and spirits to coexist in peace. Even though it explained both Elder's actions and Rongrong’s apparent money-madness, this scene felt so flat. Maybe it was just the fact that there weren’t actually that many orphaned spirits. But even the two leads’ acting seemed off. I just felt that the scene could have been way more impactful.
Grief Tree begins losing its powers even faster. They need to reforge its heart. Honghong suggests sacrificing her spirit bone. Each spirit has a spirit bone and that of the chief will be the most powerful. Lai doesn’t like the idea, as it will bind her life to the tree. If the tree dies, so will she. Wouldn’t that happen anyway, if the tree holds the spiritual energy of heaven and earth? He also says she will have to be more careful of her Love Seed as that’ll be her life support afterwards. Seriously? What am I typing here?? Grief Trees and Love Seeds and Spirit Bones… Honghong is determined that the tree will not die, and wants to go through with the sacrifice. This seems so unwise. She’s the chief. A weakened chief is not an ideal situation for her beloved Tushan surely?
Lai wonders whether “he” is so important to Honghong that she isn’t considering sacrificing Dongfang blood instead of her spirit bone. Honghong rationalizes her decision: If she sacrifices her bone, she can still live. If Yuechu loses his blood, he dies. Why choose death?
Honghong assigns Yaya the responsibility of taking care of Tushan while she
On a side note, after she learns that he and Honghong are old friends, Yaya becomes very friendly with Lai (until he makes fun of Aolai Sanshao, at least). But how does Honghong have friends that her sister doesn’t know about? When and where did Honghong meet Lai?
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| The Calm before the Storm of Tushan Yaya |
Shi Ji interferes with the sacrifice ritual, and Yuechu has to blast his Divine Flame on/through Honghong to defeat her. The whole process takes a heavy toll on Honghong and she falls, and we all know Yuechu’s going to be there to catch her. We’re not stupid. We’ve watched enough dramas.
Honghong now has less than one-tenth of her previous powers. See! This sacrificing-spirit-bone business was a bad idea! She isn’t even able to detect when her loyal sidekick walks up behind her. He nags at her to take care of herself and teases that, if she isn’t careful about her health, he’ll get Elder to nag. That’s a truly terrible threat.
She gives him a small smile: “I promise you”.
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| I couldn’t screenshot the correct moment. It requires a GIF anyway. |
Yuechu keeps vigil outside Honghong’s Huguang Pavilion (her “house”). A tray with candied haw moves towards him, borne by a cute little turtle.
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| His characteristic dumbstruck look on seeing her smile :D |
Healer leech spirit Cui Yuling, who is tending to Honghong’s injuries, tells her Renfeng got his spiritual blood by deceiving a leech spirit into performing a transfusion using blood extracted from Divine Flame Villa’s old master. If there’s no new blood supply, the blood in Renfeng will decay. That’s why he uses Fu Cheng’s blood, I guess? To purify/refresh his stolen blood? Fu Cheng is referred to as a “drug tester”, which doesn’t fully make sense to me.
Renfeng lost half his spiritual blood during the battle at the centennial event though I don’t remember him bleeding… Shi Ji, who has regained her physical form, gives him a temporary cure but warns that he needs to replenish with real Dongfang blood. She wants his help with a convoluted plan that could also help him. There’s a Spirit-Master Kingdom where humans have enslaved spirits using “Mother Talismans”. She wants to sow discord there by killing the humans and controlling the slaves, so that there’ll be another human-spirit war. When that happens, Tushan will get involved and Renfeng can get Yuechu’s blood. Umm, wow. That seems unnecessarily complicated. In any case, I thought Tushan tried not to get involved in human-spirit wars (except to secretly adopt any children orphaned by the wars)? And why not try to sow discord closer to home, with the Human Market? (Though, I guess they’ve tried that already and failed)
Bu Tai, Princess of Spirit-Master Kingdom, travels to Tushan with her personal spirit guard Shi Kuan to deliver a six-petaled white epiphyllum, which flowers only once a century. She also has another reason for visiting: she wants to matchmake with a spirit. Yuechu is stunned when he hears this. Why, though? He’s also fallen for a spirit after all.
It was Honghong who requested the white epiphyllum flower from Bu Tai, and it’s to preserve (the soul of) a corpse that she’s keeping in a cave. Honghong and this man met when they were both children. She visits his grave every year on his death anniversary and searches for the six-petalled epiphyllum every 100 years to preserve his soul. This is Dongfang Luo, the man from her nightmare.
Dongfang Luo’s soul is now in danger. Honghong uses her powers to preserve it, despite not having recovered from the spirit bone sacrifice. Yuechu isn’t happy with that, so he intercepts the soul and “houses” it in his own body. Honghong’s horrified “Yuechu!” at this point is probably going to be replayed later… Honghong is upset because Yuechu’s thoughtless act may endanger his life. He isn’t worried though. He’s saved something that is precious to her.
The spirit that Bu Tai likes is her guard, Shi Kuan, who was assigned to protect her when they were both children (how did he age at the same rate as her, given he’s a spirit?). She wants to get attached to him under the Grief Tree, but she hasn’t actually told him how she feels. This’ll be the first time a human attempts to pledge their love under the Grief Tree, and Honghong is worried that Bu Tai may be disappointed at the outcome.
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| The princess and her guard |
Chi Shan, a petty thug sent by Shi Ji, arrives in Tushan, openly announcing that he will kill Bu Tai. He seems more of a comedic villain (similar to Tiger and Crane). Yaya and Lai deal with him and his men, and Yaya learns that Lai is an expert in poisons.
The arrival of Chi Shan makes Bu Tai worry for the safety of her father and the Spirit-Master Kingdom. Yuechu volunteers to escort them back. They make it to the palace, defeating an ambush by Gujin, a spirit slave, enroute. An Elder of Spirit-Master Kingdom, Xu Yi, who has a beard that is so fake, informs them that Bu Tai’s father has suffered from sudden acute illness since she left. He dies after telling his daughter to safeguard the Mother Talismans of all the slaves, so that they can’t rebel. How nice :-/
The divine edict is back and has some text this time. The chief of Tushan is asked to matchmake for Bu Tai and Shi Kuan. The three Tushan sisters find the edict odd, but Rongrong interprets it as Grief’s Tree’s attempt at self-rescue. She thinks completing the task will be beneficial. I feel like Rongrong is just making this up as she goes. Honghong decides she will travel to Spirit-Master Kingdom to protect Bu Tai’s relationship.
[Ep8] Xu Yi is working for Shi Ji. I wonder if she could get him a good barber for that beard… He’s brought the Mother Talismans to her and left fakes in their place. Being a spirit herself, Shi Ji doesn’t want to touch the talismans, so Renfeng keeps them. I feel like this is significant. She causes chaos between spirit slaves and humans, and convinces a group of spirit slaves (including Gujin) to turn against the humans.
Gujin gets arrested for attacking humans. He tries to get Shi Kuan - who was born with divine power - to join the rebellion, and reveals that the Mother Talismans are now under control of a powerful Spirit Lord. He also tries to convince Shi Kuan that Bu Tai will turn against him if she can’t control him using the talisman.
Bu Tai reveals the theft of the Mother Talismans to Shi Kuan. It doesn’t change his stance about always protecting her. She tearfully hugs him, but he hesitates and then pushes her away gently. He keeps rejecting her advances in this episode.
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| Is there a reason we don’t get to see both (complete) faces in this shot? Camera should have panned out a little. |
The trio deduce what the Spirit Lord (i.e., Shi Ji) has planned. Honghong decides to find the Spirit Lord by going “undercover” as a spirit-slave. Yuechu intends to accompany her, but she rejects his offer. So he grabs her hand and refuses to let go until she agrees. When/where did he get the courage to do this?! She “burns” him… but agrees anyway.
The duo go to some sort of market, where Honghong puts on a demure act, Yuechu wins lots of stuff in a game, they draw quite a crowd, the spectacle brings human guards to the scene, and Yuechu fights them. Presumably this shows rebel spirit-slaves that he’s a potential candidate to join their ranks, because someone slips him details of the rebels’ meeting place. Maybe I’m slow, but it took me several views before I realized that the point of the game was to demonstrate anti-human sentiment in front of a crowd. For a show that over-explains many things, they under-explained this one. But maybe it is just me.
Honghong and Yuechu manage to sow some seeds of doubt among the rebels about Shi Ji’s intentions. Namely, why she hasn’t just released their Mother Talismans to them. But when they go to where Shi Ji is supposed to be hiding out, they find that she’s got wind of them and left. So really, the main reason for this set of scenes was just to show a different/cute side of Honghong? I wouldn’t mind actually, but I really don’t understand how she was able to act the way she did. Even though she’s become slightly more relaxed around Yuechu, this act was completely opposite to her usual stoic character.
In other news - Yaya discovers that Lai is actually “Poison Boy” from the Nan Kingdom. “Poison Boy”... This sort of name is why you shouldn’t adapt comics into dramas.
Yuechu is captured by Shi Ji and Renfeng. Shi Ji discovers the Heaven & Earth Thread and uses it to lure Honghong to her lair.
Renfeng doubts Shi Ji’s ability to defeat Honghong, as well he should, and goes against her orders by prematurely activating some formation to get Yuechu’s blood. What he didn’t know was that Fu Cheng, in gratitude for Yuechu’s earlier help (Ep3), had secretly given him a means to poison his blood in such a way that it would harm Renfeng. Actually, the poison should have hurt Yuechu as well, but he seems unaffected. Also, how much blood does Yuechu have anyway? He’s going to get anemia one of these days.
Honghong manages to defeat Shi Ji’s attack. Shi Ji has to now pin her hopes on Renfeng, but that guy is spewing blood and suffering due to the poisoned blood in his body. Yuechu wants to trade the antidote for the Mother Talismans. He gets half the talismans before Renfeng gets suspicious (that maybe there’s no antidote) and traps him again. Yuechu reveals that the only way to get rid of the poison is to force the spiritual blood out of Renfeng’s body (which would mean Renfeng would lose his powers). Infuriated, Renfeng tortures Yuechu until Yuechu’s own personal Avenging Angel strides up and blasts Renfeng. Her stride is cool and all, but I don’t think it needed to be accompanied by all those explosions. Renfeng does what Renfeng does best… run away. Really? Why is he in villainy at all? He also has to plead with Shi Ji to spare him. Though really, she failed too, so she has no right to punish him. But all in all, Renfeng is not an impressive villain.
Honghong had used a temporary and harmful power boost in order to save Yuechu. It’s worn off now and she can’t go much further, so the duo set up camp for the night. The next morning, she wakes up with her head against his shoulder.
Apparently she slept that way the whole night. She’s discomfited and changes the subject to inquire about his health (but still occasionally glances down at his shoulder?). He downplays his injuries, but she’s still upset with him in a baleful-child kind of way.
Honghong: Do you know, every time you throw yourself in danger, those who care about you will be very worried?
Yuechu: I know I made you worried. Heh.
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| "Does it hurt?" |
She’s still embarrassed and uncertain, and we leave them in the middle of the desert, staring at each other. She’s openly caring in a gentle way with him here. Even though I like Cool Honghong best, I still really liked this scene and I forgive all flaws in this episode because of this one scene.
Bu Tai deliberately argues with Shi Kuan and dismisses him from his post, but cries when he can’t see her. She’s doing this to protect him, as his Mother Talisman is with Shi Ji. She thinks that if he remains with her, he could die.
Xu Yi, possessed by Shi Ji’s spirit(?), attacks Bu Tai. She’s rescued by Yaya, Lai and Shi Kuan. Yaya is very impressed by Lai’s moves.
Unfortunately, Shi Kuan’s Mother Talisman is not among those that Yuechu got from Renfeng, so Bu Tai goes back to dismissing him. She asks Honghong and Yuechu to find a way to balance humans’ and spirits’ powers, so that Mother Talismans needn’t be used. Yuechu is eager to help. Honghong doesn’t look too happy?
Xu Yi is captured and imprisoned by Guoguo. From flashbacks, we see that Guoguo used to be Xu Yi’s spirit-slave. There seem to be some vague hints that Guoguo was sexually abused by Xu Yi. Now Guoguo has the upper hand.
[Ep10] Yuechu tries to get Honghong to take her meds (though, why is he trying to feed it to her? Her hands work just fine). It turns out the most powerful spirit in the six realms is afraid of medicine. He manages to bribe her with roast chicken. I’m so lame. I found this amusing.
Guoguo kills Xu Yi, which is actually a quicker and easier death than he deserved. But that isn’t enough to appease Guoguo. He wants to punish all humans. When you see how humans ill-treat the slaves, you can kind of see his POV. Shi Ji senses Xu Yi’s death and punishes Guoguo. It turns out she rescued him from humans years ago, and he’s been serving her ever since. So he’s been evil right from the start? I thought he was “turned” after he entered Tushan (although he did seem sketchy from day one). On Guoguo’s suggestion, Shi Ji tries to recruit Shi Kuan - the most powerful spirit in Spirit-Master Kingdom - but he isn’t having any of it.
Spirit-slaves kill soldiers from the Yiqi Alliance under the instigation of Renfeng, who then tries to win the Alliance’s favor by pretending to defeat the slaves. He’s observed by Fu Cheng, and she alerts Yuechu by paper crane. So, butterflies are messengers for spirits, paper cranes are messengers for humans, and turtles are messengers for Honghong and Yuechu. Got it. Yuechu alerts Wangquan Villa (where the head of the Yiqi Alliance resides).
Yuechu hopes Bu Tai will stop pushing Shi Kuan away. Honghong thinks it’s because she loves him that she’s doing it. To protect him. Yuechu wants to know if Honghong is the same. Then he gives her a spiel about wanting to see the world with her. Apparently it’s a spiel he’s been giving her since he was young. He said that as a child to chum up to her, to protect himself. I feel like this might have reduced her trust in him (the fact that he says whatever he feels like, with ulterior motives). She calls him double-faced and honey-lipped. Well, that was direct :D She wants to know:
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| "What about now?" |
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| “I’m sincere now. I want to spend four seasons with you, in the shadows of the mountains, watching the moon” |
Honghong suggests Shi Kuan pretend to surrender to Shi Ji. Bu Tai wants to release the slaves whose Mother Talismans she possesses. Honghong thinks having more spirits on the good guys’ side is useful, especially since she hasn’t regained her full powers yet. Unfortunately, Guoguo has overheard their conversation. Lai catches him spying and is suspicious.
The Mother Talismans in Bu Tai’s possession are released, and this news reaches Shi Ji. The spirit-slaves under her control want their own talismans released and come to the realization that this isn’t going to happen. Shi Ji also gets Shi Kuan under her control. Does he genuinely agree or is he pretending to go along as part of Honghong’s plan?
Because she’s still recuperating, Yuechu brings Honghong chicken soup. The way to a woman’s heart... She suggests he work in Tushan’s canteen as he can earn well there. Lol. No, he will only cook for her. He sees her shadow on a divider and puts out his finger to “touch” the shadow. She’s right there! Don’t be creepy! Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to mind.
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| Am I the only one who thought this was weird? |
Yaya interrupts them while they’re gazing at each other, so Yuechu leaves. But only after secretly giving Honghong some roast chicken that he made for her supper. I wonder if Roast Chicken is in the credits list, because it’s had more airtime than some side characters.
Even though their dynamic is serious girl + playful guy, I feel like he comes off as too immature or almost too upbeat sometimes. Even his walk seems too upbeat. Or she’s too serious for him. Whichever way you want to look at it.
He leaves cheerfully, but suddenly clutches his chest in pain. He’s begun experiencing backlash from Dongfang Luo’s soul.
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Post-ep notes for Ep10:
I don’t know why, but in this episode, with the desert landscape and the smoggy air, most of the scenes/characters in Spirit-Master Kingdom (Shi Kuan in particular) looked like they could be in a video game. This isn’t a complaint, just an observation.
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Lai tells Yuechu that soul backlash means the soul has started to self-destruct. Transferring human vitality can extend its “life” for a little, but not by very much, so it’s not a good option.
Yuechu tries to hide the soul backlash from Honghong, but she isn’t an easy person to fool. She’s worried because it could damage his heart over time. He downplays it and when she still seems upset, he says to consider it as her owing him one.
Yaya inadvertently gives Yuechu the idea that Honghong’s concern is purely for Dongfang Luo’s soul rather than for Yuechu himself. He also thinks that all her previous sacrifices to save him were because she wanted to preserve the body that was housing Dongfang Luo’s soul. Misunderstandings of this sort are one of my least favorite drama tropes.
Yuechu begins to see Dongfang Luo’s memories. Memories of Honghong as a cheerful and mischievous little spirit, teasing Luo (who is a slightly older, slightly nerdy boy) about his weak cultivation. We as viewers learn that Luo is a disciple of Divine Flame Villa, though little Honghong doesn’t know this.
Yuechu is upset after seeing the memories. He thinks that because Honghong was cheerful in Luo’s company and not afterward, she must miss him a lot.
Bu Tai finds that one of her ancestors had also fallen in love with a spirit. She tells Yuechu that the secret to releasing spirit-slaves from the Mother Talisman is sealed in the ancestral hall. Problem is, the ancestral hall can only be opened on the day of a royal wedding, only the newlyweds can enter, and spirits will be turned to ashes on entry. I mean, this is soooo contrived… Yuechu says he’ll marry her. The mission is dangerous and they could both die. They agree to keep it a secret from their significant others. Does a jealousy arc need to be so elaborate (and silly)?
Bu Tai asks for Shi Kuan’s congratulations. She takes him to where they first met and says goodbye to him there. I felt like this was unnecessary. Why rub salt into the wound?
Yuechu is at the gate tower, staring despondently at the fox mask given to him by Honghong (Ep3). Does he take that mask everywhere with him? Why would it be there, in the Spirit-Master Kingdom, instead of safely in Tushan? He leaves it on the battlement as Honghong approaches. Someone spent a lot of time, money and effort making that mask. Don’t just leave it on a dusty battlement!
Honghong confronts him about the wedding. He wants to know if she’s there to congratulate him. She won’t agree to him marrying Bu Tai.
Why?
Because the two aren’t suited for each other, and Bu Tai likes Shi Kuan.
The wedding wouldn’t be happening if Bu Tai wasn’t ok with it.
Does he really love Bu Tai? Since when?
Since Honghong cares so much, what does she think of him?
… She found him and took him in…
He doesn’t want to hear that. What is he to her?
… She cares about him like she cares about her sisters and Elder.
If he disappears one day, will she be sad?
[No answer]
He leaves after dramatically declaring that he loves Bu Tai and will never leave her. I thought that last part was both unbelievable and unnecessarily dramatic, even compared to the level of unbelievable we’ve already seen. We never saw Yuechu and Bu Tai interact beyond formal discussions, so how is anyone to believe that they fell in love and decided to get married? After he’s gone, Honghong thinks that if he were to disappear one day, she would be “not just sad”.
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| Someone please rescue the mask |
Wangquan Hongye, Chief of Yiqi Alliance, receives Yuechu’s news about Renfeng’s underhanded plotting (Ep10). Hongye wants to punish Renfeng and would consider it as avenging Divine Flame Villa for everything that has happened there over the past years. Why does Hongye need to avenge Divine Flame Villa? He sends Butler Fei to help the Spirit-Master Kingdom.
Yuechu transfers ten years of his vitality to Dongfang Luo’s soul and sends Honghong a butterfly-message about this. He also asks her to kill Renfeng for him. It sounds like a goodbye message. Fu Cheng meets him in secret and gives him Renfeng’s battle plan. She wants Renfeng dead too. She also calls Yuechu out on his fake wedding. She knows he likes ”the vixen from Tushan”. She saw it when Honghong rescued him in the desert. Yuechu says he’ll have Fu Cheng spared when Renfeng is killed. She suggests he try to stay alive first.
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| This girl says it like it is. I like her |
Yuechu gives Honghong the battle plan and tells her he’s been troublesome to her since he was a kid and to let him be wilful once more. Odd thing to say when you’re getting married.
The wedding takes place, the ancestral hall opens, and Bu Tai enters with Yuechu. Honghong runs to the doors just as they close, but not before Yuechu sees her. Can’t she magic her way to where he is? She needn’t run. And she could have stopped him at any time. Why the dramatic last-minute running?
[Ep12] Shi Ji arrives at the palace gates, borne by spirits. Again, can’t she magic her way there?
Shi Ji expects Shi Kuan to be her ally, but he follows Honghong’s orders instead. Shi Ji instructs her minions to kill Shi Kuan. Why wouldn’t she just destroy him using his Mother Talisman?
Yuechu and Bu Tai discover the Yin Stone, the source of Mother Talismans. Destroying it will release all spirits under the control of Mother Talismans. But trying to get hold of it causes earthquake-like effects. Yuechu pushes Bu Tai out of the hall and deals with the stone himself.
Honghong receives Yuechu’s goodbye message. At the same time, the ancestral hall collapses. She finds him amidst the rubble. He’s alive. She’s angry that he didn’t discuss the wedding with her. He was afraid she wouldn’t agree. He was even more afraid she would agree.
She can’t spend too long with him because there’s a war outside. Shi Kuan is losing. Shi Ji’s torturing him with his Mother Talisman. We get unnecessary flashbacks of his time with Bu Tai, before the princess herself walks through the palace gates. The spirits are about to attack her when Honghong arrives. Bu Tai and Honghong publicly destroy the Yin Stone and free all the slaves. Shi Ji disappears. Of course she does. Butler Fei confronts Renfeng about colluding with Shi Ji, but Renfeng has a glib answer for everything. Bu Tai and Shi Kuan embrace, creating the first human-spirit bond. In Tushan, Grief Tree showers Feathered Flowers, which restores Honghong’s powers.
Bu Tai and Shi Kuan are finally able to enjoy time together, but their happiness is short-lived. When the two separate momentarily, a hooded figure stabs Bu Tai. The murderer is Guoguo.
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Post-ep notes for Ep12:
This episode was overdone in several ways. Overdone battle between Shi Kuan and Shi Ji. Overdone flashbacks. Slightly overdone expression by Honghong when she’s with Yuechu among the rubble and remembers the war outside. Overdone battle to destroy the Yin Stone.
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She yanks her hand away, wondering why he’s holding her if he’s awake and fine. He thought he was in a dream. But why hold her hand? “In my dream, I can do what I want”. That gets him a well-deserved smack. I felt like Yuechu spoke a little too childishly in this scene for it to be romantic. Like a boy caught by his crush, rather than an adult man. Her reaction was also a little too “strict”.
She’s upset with him for risking his life with the wedding. She also doesn’t want him to sacrifice his life for Dongfang Luo’s soul. He doesn’t mind though. He wanted to protect something she treasured. He’ll do anything if he can help her. She says she can handle things herself. Protecting Tushan is her duty. He wants to protect her as she protects Tushan.
The divine edict has sealed Bu Tai’s soul and her past with Shi Kuan. When they meet again, the memories will reappear. So dead isn’t dead. I guess Shi Ji’s the best example of that. At any rate, they now know that humans and spirits can get attached under Grief Tree if they’re truly sincere. That bodes well for our main CP.
Spirit-Master Kingdom’s name is changed to Beishan and Shi Kuan becomes its emperor, as per Bu Tai’s dying wish. At the same time, Honghong forms the Spirit Alliance, supported by representatives from various spirit clans, to protect weak spirits and suppress evil ones.
The gang’s back in Tushan. Yuechu plans on confessing to Honghong and goes to Twin Peaks (where Dongfang Luo is resting), assuming she’ll be there. He practices his confession and wonders if it’s appropriate to confess in front of the body :D
Honghong is in fact at Huguang Pavilion, staring at the fox mask. Oh good, she rescued it from that tower. She hides it quickly when Yuechu comes in with food. Forget wordy confessions. Just make her a nice roast chicken. She’ll accept you. She’s surprised at the richness of the food, and wonders how much he spent. He airily says he put it on her tab. Also, this dish was perfected only on the 30th try xD Her reactions in this scene were great :D
Yuechu goes to Tushan Academy, where Honghong is teaching. She teaches? Where does she have the time? But it’s kind of cool that she does. He says it’s going to snow. Honghong dismisses the class because she’s distracted by his presence. Sure enough, it begins snowing (through artificial means). Yuechu magics his cloak into a cover and beckons her over. She walks alongside him happily.
News spreads through Tushan that Yuechu and Honghong are together. Elder confronts his chief. Even though Yuechu is a decent catch, he’s human. They don’t want to dilute the fox clan’s bloodline. Omg, how did he skip ahead so many steps? :D Honghong tries to allay Elder’s suspicions but stops short of denying the relationship. Rongrong thinks Yuechu is quite good, but Yaya doesn’t want the two together because she’d have to call Yuechu “brother-in-law”. That’s her reason? :D
Honghong is censured for her supposed relationship because some spirits think it's inappropriate for the chief to be with a human. Her sisters care more about dispelling the rumors than she does. They want to find Yuechu a girlfriend. Honghong is not happy.
Since Tushan is short on funds now, especially due to the cost of forming the Spirit Alliance, Rongrong thinks they should open a shop in the Human Market, where they can get more money. She suggests a rouge shop with Yuechu as the manager. Lots of female customers = many potential girlfriend options. Yuechu vehemently protests. They try blackmailing and guilt-tripping him. Honghong hides her feelings behind a cup of tea until finally, unable to take it any longer, she says she’ll go with him.
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Post-ep notes for Ep13:
A lot of the initial part of this episode was about Shi Kuan grieving, unrest between humans and spirits, and a lot of talky-talk. But the later scenes in Tushan make it one of my favorite episodes so far. The whole setup is so very cheesy, but still fun. Mostly because of Honghong’s reactions… Reactions to the 30 chickens, to the snow, to her sisters planning dates for Yuechu, and to everyone discussing her love life. Her expressions were great. Lowkey but realistic. Someone should make GIFs out of them.
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[Newest Update]
Yuechu has only one woman on his mind though. He leaves Yaya to look after the shop and takes Honghong to explore the market. They eat tangyuan despite Honghong not liking human food. And maybe because they weren’t given napkins:
They explore other parts of the market and, essentially, Honghong allows herself to be led around like a puppy by Yuechu.
Unfortunately, Yuechu leaving the shop means Tushan lost the money they put into it o.O All those orphans! Yuechu! But wait, what was Yaya doing? This doesn’t seem to hugely bother him as he spends more time with Honghong in Tushan. He tells her he knew what Yaya and Rongrong were trying to do when they sent him to the Human Market. But he doesn’t like it.
Yuechu: My heart is not an inn. It’s not open to any woman.
She apologizes, but he doesn’t want her apology. She asks whether he still likes being Tushan’s little sidekick. No, he’s grown up and capable of protecting her. He’s no longer a sidekick, he’s her perfect match.
Elder waylays Honghong on her way back from Yuechu’s mini-pavilion. She’s annoyed that he seems to expect her to report her whereabouts to him, and furious that he doubts her devotion to Tushan. I hope Elder isn’t going to do anything foolish, like last time. He then tries to warn Yuechu away from Honghong, but she catches him at it and is angry. Yuechu defuses the situation and tells her he doesn’t want her to get into conflicts because of him. Even though he’s immature sometimes, he is quick to forgive and to make peace with everyone.
Renfeng is in agony because of the poison in his spirit blood (Ep9). He asks Shi Ji for a Refined Spirit Core and is given the last one in the world. So someone keeps a record of these things? Even though it can restore his Divine Flame, the Spirit Core carries the risk that if he doesn’t replenish his spirit blood in time, he will become a cripple. He’s willing to take the risk.
Renfeng spreads the news that Dongfang Yuechu is alive, causing many small sects from the Yiqi Alliance to take an interest... in Yuechu’s blood. They want to use him to father many children, hopefully girls. Bunch of disgusting… Renfeng stages an attack on them as they’re headed for Tushan, and then pretends to save them to gain their trust. They decide to attack Tushan together. But they plan to backstab him and he plans to backstab them. What a delightful group of people.
Fu Cheng tries to warn Yuechu about the planned attack on Tushan, but is caught by Renfeng and Fu Kui. They actually want her to tell Yuechu about the attack though. She manages to word the message in such a way that tips Yuechu and Honghong off. They guess she’s been exposed and send Lai to save her.
Honghong goes to check out the forest where Renfeng and Yiqi soldiers were spotted. Why does she go alone when they suspect a trap? Then again, she doesn’t know about Renfeng’s Divine Flame being restored. Without it, she’s probably more than a match for him and a thousand Yiqi soldiers combined. She finds all the Yiqi soldiers dead. Renfeng uses their blood with his Divine Flame to create the Red Lotus Formation, which is something that has been used to successfully attack Tushan before.
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Post-ep notes for Ep14:
The first half of this episode is almost entirely made up of sweet - if very cheesy - interactions between our main CP, and I quite enjoyed it (though it didn’t quite match up to the previous episode). Actually, the second half of Ep13 and the first half of Ep14 are best watched together (but maybe that’ll be too much cheese).
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[Ep15]
[Ep16]
[Ep17]
[Ep18]
[Ep19]
[Ep20]
[Ep21]
[Ep22]
[Ep23]
[Ep24]
[Ep25]
[Ep26]
[Ep27]
[Ep28]
[Ep29]
[Ep30]
[Ep31]
[Ep32]
[Ep33]
[Ep34]
[Ep35]
[Ep36]
Remarks
by Tyi
[First Impression (Ep1-6)] Not really a true First Impression, since I’m writing this after watching more than 6 episodes, so maybe there’ll be some influence of later episodes.
I didn’t have any expectations for this drama (good or bad), so I’m enjoying this as a light-hearted, fun watch. The visuals are stunning (the CGI and the costumes and, obviously, the cast) and the drama doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously.
She’s very (very!) serious, he’s lively. There are sweet moments between them here and there, though her feelings are mostly expressed through her eyes. She rarely smiles, but when she does, it seems like a special event (ML thinks so too) :D
Having read the manhua beforehand really helps, especially with understanding character expressions. A common complaint I saw online was that the FL was expressionless, but that is how she is in the manhua. I don’t normally like stone-faced characters, but this character has a reason for it. Having said that, everyone can’t be expected to read the manhua as Recommended Reading before watching the drama, so the show should have provided a character introduction during the prologue or something. It wouldn’t have been too difficult or out of place to describe the main characteristics of the three sisters at the same time that they introduced Tushan and the backstory.
The main failings I’ve seen in the first six or so episodes are:
- Choppy editing: Many times we get a scene, it changes abruptly to a different scene, and then changes back. They cut from heroes to villains to heroes. You aren’t given time to get fully immersed in what’s happening. Potentially impactful scenes are also cut short unexpectedly. We also get overly-long shots of a character's expression sometimes, even when it doesn’t seem impactful.
- Cheesy and sometimes repetitive or pointless scenes: There are scenes that are a little too lighthearted and silly, in my opinion, and feel out of place in a production of this scale. There are also certain CGI shots which I would have preferred to replace with actual action, as they don’t add much value. Also, some scenes are repeated between episodes (I don’t mean like a copy/paste, but most of the scenes’ essences are the same). The drama also occasionally does that “character reaction” thing (showing the reaction of every character in a scene). I thought that technique had gone out with soap operas from decades ago. Given that we don’t get to enjoy impactful scenes for longer, you would assume that there was a requirement to make episodes tighter, but then why include scenes that have little or no impact? There are also some characters who overdo the theatrics.
- Occasional pointless dialogue or over-explanatory dialogue: It’s possibly that some expressions don’t translate well into English, but there are occasionally lines that sound unnecessary, or which seem to take longer to enunciate than you would expect. And because the plot involves a lot of fantasy objects and concepts, there’s a lot of dialogue explaining them or a character’s thought process. Even though the viewers need that knowledge, the drama could have imparted the knowledge in a better way (I don’t know what way, but some other way).
- Love-at-first-smile: I don’t like “love at first sight”. In this drama, it seems that he falls for her when he first sees her smile. Is it just because he saw a different side to her? I actually buy her feelings for him (even though she hasn’t actually admitted to having any) more than his for her.
[Drama Info] (By cynlynn)
- Same producer (Wang Yi Xu) as Love Between Fairy and Devil, and so you may recognize the same CGI-style and actors (e.g. Guo Xiao Ting (shifu!), Zhang Ling He, and Hong Xiao (Jie Li))
- As of now, there will be 2 more Fox Spirit Matchmakers:
- Love in Pavilion (Liu Shi Shi, Zhang Yun Long)
- Sword and Beloved (Li Yi Tong, Cheng Yi).
- Director Du Lin is involved in all 3 FSM dramas. He also did iQIYI's Love You Seven Times.
- Relationship between Red, Pavilion and Sword
- Gong Jun (Red) and Cheng Yi (Sword) are cousins because their mothers are sisters.
- Their mothers are Shen Yue and Liu Shi Shi respectively (both are in Pavilion).
- Pavilion is the parent drama. Red and Sword are sons/cousins dramas.
- The main director, Mai Guan Zhi, was part of Love and Redemption team. (I assume he recommended Yuan Bing Yan for Tushan Ya Ya's role, now acted by Guo Xiao Ting).
- Maiden Holmes reunion: Zhang Ling He and Chen Yao except they're not a CP anymore.
[Cast&Crew] I will admit to a slight bias towards Yang Mi, and I don’t know if it’s that bias that’s made me stick to a drama that has so many flaws. But at very least, I think she portrays Tushan Honghong true to the manhua. She manages to exude the almost regal bearing required for a clan chief, while also seeming to have all the worries of the world on her shoulders. Most of Honghong‘s smiles are small and almost hesitant, which you’d expect from someone who hasn’t smiled in centuries. She does use micro-expressions as well (which the manhua didn’t/couldn’t), and I really liked these. The character becomes more expressive later - in different ways at different points in time - and I really enjoyed those parts too. Some of those scenes are very GIF-able.
There are, however, some inconsistencies in Honghong’s level of seriousness (i.e., she’s serious at a point in time when you’d expect her to be more relaxed), and I don’t know why that is.
Gong Jun as ML works as a cheerful, playful charmer with a serious side. Occasionally the playfulness feels a little overdone (but that was the case even in the original work) and there are also times when he seems to go a bit slack-jawed, but it didn’t detract from my viewing.
I can’t say that everyone acts well. Some are better than others. But in general, it’s ok. I do question the depiction of Elder in such a theatrical way. I don’t know if the actor has a theater background or if this was a directorial choice, but his lamenting and even some comedic scenes felt more suited for the theater or for certain types of old movies than for this drama. In that same vein, some of the movements by the primary villainess looked more like (what I refer to as) modern interpretive dance than anything else. It was a little odd to watch.
The team(s) behind the CGI, costumes, makeup and props really deserve so much praise. I don’t think I’ve seen such a beautiful drama before. Having said that, some side characters’ makeup and fake beards seemed very badly done, and I wonder why that is. But that’s a minor aspect.
[Behind the Scenes]
There are, however, some inconsistencies in Honghong’s level of seriousness (i.e., she’s serious at a point in time when you’d expect her to be more relaxed), and I don’t know why that is.
Gong Jun as ML works as a cheerful, playful charmer with a serious side. Occasionally the playfulness feels a little overdone (but that was the case even in the original work) and there are also times when he seems to go a bit slack-jawed, but it didn’t detract from my viewing.
I can’t say that everyone acts well. Some are better than others. But in general, it’s ok. I do question the depiction of Elder in such a theatrical way. I don’t know if the actor has a theater background or if this was a directorial choice, but his lamenting and even some comedic scenes felt more suited for the theater or for certain types of old movies than for this drama. In that same vein, some of the movements by the primary villainess looked more like (what I refer to as) modern interpretive dance than anything else. It was a little odd to watch.
The team(s) behind the CGI, costumes, makeup and props really deserve so much praise. I don’t think I’ve seen such a beautiful drama before. Having said that, some side characters’ makeup and fake beards seemed very badly done, and I wonder why that is. But that’s a minor aspect.
[Behind the Scenes]
Actual BTS when filming (maybe mixed with interviews)
- “Heavily-processed” BTS
- Yang Mi and Gong Jun and the squeaky turntable
- Drunk and crying Gong Jun
- Tushan sisters. Yang Mi and Guo Xiao Ting can’t even look at each other without laughing
- Puppy
- I wouldn’t normally include BTS of kissing scenes, but she topples over, which is both cute and funny
Interviews & events
- Tushan party and the famous arm grab
- Yang Mi
- Gong Jun
- Guo Xiao Ting and Wei Zhe Ming: interview 1, interview 2
- Zhu Xu Dan and Yang Shi Ze: interview 1, interview 2
- Chen Du Ling and Zhang Ling He
- Chen Yao and Mao Zi Jun
Other
[Ending]
[A Highlight]
[Review & Rating]
Rating: /5
Recommendations
Preliminary recs are usually random / a peek at the list. These may be updated if drama is completed
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