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No Boundary / Yu Zhao Ling 玉昭令 Season 1 & 2 [2021]

sugarplum892

By sugarplum892
in China Charms

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Tofu Shifu

Tofu

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I've been busy so I haven't had the time to summarize the episodes from last week.

 

Basically, in the fourth case, it was about a silkworm demon. She married a human and he was murdered by another person (I think someone he was related to). This person had the same type of business as them (producing clothes, making fabric, etc.). The silkworm demon was seeking revenge on behalf of her husband, because not only did he die wrongfully, I think she did too. (Sorry, I've so many dramas so my memories is a little blurred when it comes to this case). Eventually, Duanmu Cui and Zhan Yan were able to talk to the silkworm about everything. It also helped that her daughter (a merchant) was able to help her mom realized that whatever she is doing is not ok. The silkworm demon was happy to go knowing that Zhan Yan would reopen her husband's case and that profits from the clothing company will be given to her daughter. The silkworm turned into a cocoon, something the Ninth Hell leader is searching for.

 

Zhan Yan and Duanmu Cui confessed their feelings for each other. It was really cute but also a bit cringey too. It wasn't that they were cringey but the amount of tropey scenes the production company included in one episode was a bit much. I love sweet scenes but there has to be a good balance too. After this episode where it was all sweet, the next episode was all angst.

 

It started off with Wengu creating a storm, flooding many areas in Qifeng to Zhan Yan breaking up with Duanmu Cui because of what Wengu said. Wengu told Zhan Yan that immortals are not meant to fall in love and if they do, terrible things will happen to them. Bothered by this, Zhan Yan decided to break up with Duanmu Cui because he did not want to cause any harm to her.

 

In episode 16, it was all Zhan Yan watching Duanmu Cui from afar until their next case. It involves Wengu. Everyone found out that he is half demon because someone sent from the leader of the Ninth Hell poisoned him. The poison is warning to Wengu that he needs to return to the Ninth Hell so release them. Outside of Wengu, this poison also affected other people. Zhan Yan had to capture Wengu and prove his innocence which outraged Duanmu Cui. While in their care, Wengu goes missing and Duanmu Cui attacked everyone including Zhan Yan (she didn't really attack him, she did it to scare him but he didn't block her attack). Zhan Yan finds out that the person responsible for Wengu's disappearance was the peach blossom lady, Hong Luan. 

 

I think if there's one thing I dislike about the drama is the odd pacing. In some areas, it's too fast and in others, it's too slow. For the romance, it came on so quickly and ended so quickly too. It didn't really allow the viewers to really get to understand and feel the emotions the drama is trying to emote. I'm going to still continue to watch because this isn't enough for me to quit, but I'm hoping that as we get more backstory on Duanmu Cui, this will get a little bit better?

 

At this point, I'm almost positive that Zhan Yan is the reincarnation of Duanmu Cui's past love. When Wengu was trying to push Zhan Yan away from Duanmu Cui, he said that Duanmu Cui was a general and was in love with another general. From this scene in the trailer, that general looks like Zhan Yan. 

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At the beginning of the drama, Duanmu Cui commented that the marquis looked really familiar to her. She couldn't where she saw him. I noticed that iQIYI's description basically gives his identity away. Haha!

In the Shang Dynasty, King Zhou, the cruel ruler, was replaced by Ji Wu. During the investiture of the Gods, Jiang Ziya gave up on his divine throne. He was willing to be the marquis in the human realm to ensure that his goddaughter, Duanmu Cui, could become the immortal. Thousands of years later, in the Song Dynasty, he became Bao Qingtian. At the same time, Duanmu Cui descended to the mortal world and established the Xihualiu Sect. Under Bao Qingtian’s order, fourth-grade-military officer, Zhan Zhao, was ordered to help Duanmu Cui. After sticking together through thick and thin for several times, love secretly grows between them.

 

If this is true, it means Zhan Yan's current godfather is the reincarnation of Duanmu Cui's godfather? :eeeee:

 

Lots of photos from the drama's Weibo below. =)

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Tofu Shifu

Tofu

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For someone that's a high immortal like Duanmu Cui, she's not the brightest. :idk:

 

When rescuing Hong Luan from the Ninth Hell, the leader disguise himself as Hong Luan and escaped with Duanmu Cui and Zhan Yan. The subtle changes in "Hong Luan's" demeanor, Duanmu Cui was not even able to recognize. Not sure if I can continue to think of her as someone worthy of the title everyone says she is. I mean she accused Zhan Yan of being a disguise in the Ninth Hell (they were separated for a bit when they were there) but she didn't question Hong Luan being a fake? 

 

In the last episode today, we learn that Blackie (the cat) that's been helping the leader of the Ninth is related to the marquis. The marquis, as I mentioned in my last post, was Duanmu Cui's godfather. He gave his divine powers to Duanmu Cui to save her a thousand years ago. In exchange, he became a mortal. Blackie is someone he took in and taught him magic. He is upset that for years, he had to watch his master get reincarnated multiple times. Blackie's goal is to avenge his master and return his divine powers back to him. 

 

I think it was very commendable of the marquis, he decided to step down from his position and accept the punishment for Blackie instead. He said that since Blackie called him father, it is only right for him to bare the responsibility because he did not teach him well enough. 

 

And if I didn't mention it earlier, Blackie is responsible for the poison that engulfed the city of Qifeng and Wengu. He did this because he wanted to get back at Duanmu Cui so he helped the leader of the Ninth Hell. 

 

I'm curious to see how Penglai is going to take this discovery because they were pretty upset that Duanmu Cui is protecting two demons, Wengu and Hong Luan. 

 

Here is Blackie, he is considered the fifth case that Duanmu Cui and Zhan Yan worked on. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Tofu Shifu

Tofu

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I stopped posting in this thread but I'm still watching the drama. The drama started off so strong but after a while, I have no motivation to want to write about it. It has so much potential to be great but the drama keeps focusing on unnecessary things. I disliked that there are little characterization so far for the main leads (we are on episode 28 and there are 32 episodes in this drama). I want to say that Hong Luan, the peach blossom lady, probably has the most and she ended up dying in last week's episodes protecting Wengu. 

 

Speaking of Wengu, he is really something else. I find myself have little patience for him when he's shown. His love for Duanmu Cui is pretty twisted. After being with her for 1000 years, I can't believe he thought that killing the mortals she worked so hard to protect is going to win him some points with her. :PikachuFacePalm:

 

I'm glad this week is finale week because if it wasn't, I would have ended up dropping this drama. :pandascared:

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Tofu Shifu

Tofu

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So....there is a second season. Haha!

 

I thought that No Boundary would end at episode 32, but there is another season. Starting at episode 28, Duanmu Cui created an abyss and Zhan Yan followed her. Duanmu Cui has guilt over what happened a thousand years ago. The people that she cared for during that time all died in a battle and she has always been haunted by that. It doesn't say exactly if she created the abyss to change history, but it has indirectly indicated that. Zhan Yan's mission is to make sure Duanmu Cui remembers him and wakes up so they can both leave the abyss together. 

 

To be honest, the storyline a thousand years ago is actually not that bad. I enjoyed it a tad bit more than some of the early episodes. There were a lot of characters that I liked and enjoyed watching. The killing of Yu Du was really sad because he was the only male soldier in Duanmu Cui's army. He was really loved by all the female soldiers because they raised him ever since he an early teen. He died because he found out who was the mole selling the military plans to the Demon clan. 

 

Wengu and Hong Luan were also easier to like a thousand years ago too. Wengu was not insanely obsessed with Duanmu Cui and actually had a nice bond with Zhan Yan. We also found out that Hong Luan was the peach tree that Wengu grew when he was younger. The love that Wengu showered the peach tree created Hong Luan. 

 

After watching this season, I think the biggest weakness of this drama is that it had no sense of direction after the main couple got together. The focus was all over the place and there were a lot of situations that just dragged on for way too long. As of right now, I'm not sure if I want to watch the second season when it airs. :idk:

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Tofu Shifu

Tofu

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Season 2 has been confirmed to air on Monday, May 10th. I honestly don't know if I'll watch this because I'm still a little upset with the first season. I do think this new development is a little more interesting so maybe...just maybe I'll watch the first couple of episodes to see how it continues. 

 

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