BBJX 8
There's a lot going on in episode 8. I'd seen screenshots of Four's rather unexpected (to her) kiss, but the scene breathes. I'm still loving these actors. So many expressions found their faces in that scene, a silent conversation. Then he's all 走吧 and they're riding horses again.
Another wonderful scene between those two: Four comes to Ruoxi and asks her to comfort the Emperor. She replies, 奴才知道了 -- the English subtitle said something straightforward like "I understand," but I found 奴才 on this page. "Your servant/slave understands now" is quite different. I don't normally think of Chinese as having such intricate politeness honorifics because they aren't used anymore, but I guess I should get used to the idea when I'm watching historical dramas. Again, it was wonderful to watch their faces during this conversation.
Like the last episode, this one passed quickly. I never know if I'm going to be fascinated or bored by political conversations in a story until I get there. Sometimes I love court intrigue, but it really depends on how they do it. Here, even though I can see the factions among the princes, the characters still feel like individuals with their own motivations.
In our last conversation, Tingting said that she kind of wished Ruoxi didn't know the history so intimately. She wondered what the same story would have looked like if Ruoxi had been only vaguely aware of these events, and not knowing the personal fate of each man around her. I see what she's saying. On the other hand, I like that Ruoxi keeps realizing that even though she knows the history she's living in, these people she read about are deeper seas than she imagined... and she has to adapt quickly. Foreknowledge can get you into trouble.
Another wonderful scene between those two: Four comes to Ruoxi and asks her to comfort the Emperor. She replies, 奴才知道了 -- the English subtitle said something straightforward like "I understand," but I found 奴才 on this page. "Your servant/slave understands now" is quite different. I don't normally think of Chinese as having such intricate politeness honorifics because they aren't used anymore, but I guess I should get used to the idea when I'm watching historical dramas. Again, it was wonderful to watch their faces during this conversation.
Like the last episode, this one passed quickly. I never know if I'm going to be fascinated or bored by political conversations in a story until I get there. Sometimes I love court intrigue, but it really depends on how they do it. Here, even though I can see the factions among the princes, the characters still feel like individuals with their own motivations.
In our last conversation, Tingting said that she kind of wished Ruoxi didn't know the history so intimately. She wondered what the same story would have looked like if Ruoxi had been only vaguely aware of these events, and not knowing the personal fate of each man around her. I see what she's saying. On the other hand, I like that Ruoxi keeps realizing that even though she knows the history she's living in, these people she read about are deeper seas than she imagined... and she has to adapt quickly. Foreknowledge can get you into trouble.