Condor Heroes - end

[once_a_weaver]

It's easy to go wrong telling a long story, following the lives of characters and all their changes. So often the story isn't keeping me there, the characters aren't compelling... for whatever reason I just don't want to continue.

Then there is this one. I admit there was a part in the middle when I was getting bored, but after a break (and skipping that part of the story) I continued, and the rest of the story kept me wanting more. And in the end, I'm left with the best feeling I can have afterward: "That was a good story. I'll remember these characters, and I'll watch it again."

Huang Rong is one of my favorite characters ever in a drama. A trickster, morally a bit gray, intelligent enough to be scary (even if you're a friend), fiercely loyal and protective if she's chosen to be... and there are so many things she's good at.

1. Already a good fighter herself, she cooked a few thousand (it felt like) fantastic dishes for a master, in order to convince him to teach Jing. He taught her as well.
2. She's always, always the cleverest person in the room. If you think you've figured out what she's trying to say, she's probably already convinced you to go climb a mountain because it amuses her, or because Jing gege needs you to.
3. Have you betrayed Jing? She'll never forgive you. She might even make you regret it.
4. She becomes the leader of the Beggars's Sect not by fighting (though she can do that), but by... oh, just see #2 above
5. She plans battle strategy that helps the Mongols win several conflicts with Jin forces
6. She makes one of the most powerful men in the world insane by feeding him a false mantra, then taunts him with a candle. And his own shadow. (see the part above about being scary)

Rong and Jing are almost perfect complements. Each provides something the other lacks, but not by being incomplete people before they met. They met as individuals, and grew together. Though Jing was manipulated into wanting to kill her father -- causing a rift between them -- it was understandable that his loyalties were being torn apart, and she forgave him (it helped that he didn't actually kill her father, if indeed he could). In the end they supported each other, looked out for each other, and were given the rare gift of a happy ending.

Then there is Yang Kang. Killing Wanyan Honglie was two things at once: revenge for the death of his parents, and betrayal of his adoptive father. Each time he makes a choice, each time he chooses his loyalties, he stays with that decision -- until he changes his mind. (I realize this is different from the book, but it made him a rather indecisive, undependable guy.) This is also how he ends. Though he settles down with Nianci, to live a quiet domestic life and raise a child, along comes Ouyang Feng, and he sees an opportunity to atone for his sins. I would have thought taking care of his family and trying not to be evil might work toward that end, but apparently he felt that accepting Death By Crazy Guy would work better. Man, your choices are not the best.

On the other hand, how lovely he looks while waiting for questionable atonement...



Hu Ge was also looking particularly fantastic near the end.

And Nianci, who can also fight but chose to spend most of her life waiting for Kang to return, is left behind. I can see that she felt if she had abandoned him altogether, he would lose his last lifeline to sanity and goodness... but he chose over and over again not to reach out for it. Just as he always chose to ignore the sworn brother who always forgave him, always said "Let me help you, brother." The relationship between Yang and Nianci early on was fascinating, often changing, and sometimes very sweet. Toward the end it was terribly dysfunctional, uncomfortable, hopeless. Whats-his-name the wandering Paladin of Foolishness didn't help, but when did he ever? Didn't he cause trouble even in episode 1? Good job, Fool For Justice.

This story was a lot of fun, and I liked the last scene of Rong and Jing on horseback looking out over the land. It's one of those scenes that says "They're together now, and always will be, and it will be wonderful." Almost makes me want to see stories of their lives from now on.