Dream of Chang'an / Stand By Me 梦醒长安 [2021]

[IpohBanana]

@SilverMoonTeageez how many times does he want to stab himself??? Wah... like that also can ah? lol, the BGM for the 2nd video was from Moon Embracing the Sun, must be k-drama fan combi with C-drama fan.

Edited August 23, 2021 by IpohBanana

[40somethingahjumma]

@SilverMoonTea and @IpohBanana

Yes, I've seen most of the spoilers already. Multiple times. I've also seen previews for 27 and 28. Heh.

 

And in the Episode 27 and 28 previews Yu'er claims that 

Spoiler

she is pregnant with Qi Yan's child to protect herself. (Probably Yanzhi's idea) However, I don't know what they did to convince the doctor that she has the pregnant pulse though

 

The show continues to impress. The storyline continues to expand its web of deceit. So many twists and turns. The competing agendas, shifting alliances work superbly in concert with the characterization especially that of Yu'er. Her character in particular is very well written. Nothing is left to chance. There seems to be an explanation for everything eventually.

 

Sometimes I wish Qi Yan would stop trying to push Yu'er away and just accept that she's there to help him. It would save them both plenty of angst. Every one already knows how much he cares about her and what he will do for her. The reality is even if she's cast out she'll never feel easy watching things from afar and he'll never be easy (despite what he says) with her out of his sight to protect her.

 

It's not hard to guess who the Right Minister or No.13 is. Again, there's a reason why he's hesitant to go along with Cheng Xi's urgings.

 

I am convinced now that Prince Gwang isn't a bad guy but he has his own agenda... or at least he did. It's likely he's changing his mind after spending a bit more time with Qi Yan and Yu'er and watching how those two interact. I don't think there are any real "bad guys" except for Qiu Ziliang. Everyone else is just doing what they think is right.

 

I also wonder why nobody asks Yu'er why she's so loyal to Qi Yan. They all assume that he's the scum of the earth who forced his brother to die and usurped the throne. You'd think they'd ask her why she's so devoted to him. Han Yue's former maidservant kind of did. But Cheng Xi, Yanzhi don't. They assume that he's good to her because he's in love with her. It's true that she says that she's just doing her duty as the sword bearer and she's just fulfilling her oath. Perhaps they think it's just her simplicity. 

 

 

But as this video cut shows the lengths she's willing to go to protect and save him even while she's injured. How does a "fatuous ruler" like Qi Yan manage to inspire such deep devotion?

[IpohBanana]

@40somethingahjumma I am almost certain it wasn't CRY's idea to announce her fake pregnancy. It would be the last thing on earth she would want to do, to hurt his reputation, or if not to jeopardise his already precarious situation of dallying with a Sword Bearer. You wishing that the Emperor would stop pushing her away, is like me wondering whether he thinks people around him are blind; it's clear as to how much she tugs at his heart strings and how he would go till the ends of the world just to protect her. Seriously man, if you want to protect her, then hide your feelings, and your actions ought to be synchronous with your speech, which ain't the case. You tell everyone that she's a sword bearer and even Li Ze Ning can tell it's clearly a lie. 

 

I wonder as Prince Guang was walking away in E26, (and we could hear his thoughts) what exactly he regretted? Passing CRY to Cheng Xi/ Qi Xi/ whatever she ought to be called? Or hiding it from the Emperor that he had saved at least one of the daughters? Or something else?

 

Well I am off to have a date with the both of them now! Catch you all later.

[SilverMoonTea]

 

[IpohBanana]

@SilverMoonTea @40somethingahjumma hhmm... ok there was some alone time for the duo and it was a very sweet confession on his part, just wish...

Spoiler

there had been more of a lingering romantic feeling rather than the "I'm too surprised to respond to that" look.  I really wish the expression she wore on her face could have told me more other than the look she gave. And for someone with broken bones, I am not sure if she could wear her boots, unless it's not the toes, the tarsals but the tibia, the fibula? That scene when the assassin started cracking the bones, ooh... I was grimacing on CRY's behalf.

 

I wonder what it was that the old man/physician gave her to eat? a pain killer perhaps?

 

Sigh, so as she supposedly drank something to abort the foetus, sigh, I won't get to see her masquerading around with a fake belly. too bad. And Qi Yan won't be doting on his pregnant concubine. oh well. And for goodness sakes, I hope the director will give her sufficient (logical) time to recover from all the broken bones, not that she makes a mysteriously quick recovery and is back on her feet once again.

 

Tomorrow night, we'll get to see him tending to her, she's probably incapacitated and needs someone to take care of her. Who could be better other than him?

Credit: MangoTV

 

 

And after 30 episodes, we finally get this. 

Credit: MangoTV

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by IpohBanana

[SilverMoonTea]

@IpohBananaWah so fast already watch the latest episodes? I need to wait for subs tomorrow 😅 The pain for not knowing mandarin ... 

 

My favourite scenes will be these from ep 25/26. The flirty emperor on strike again . After he launched the bomb telling he's going to married Lu Zening 🙃. He actually looks more hurt than RouYu who heard about that statement 🥺 But not long, he's back at teasing her again... OMG! 

 

 

Actually I'm also quite worry with his psychological state, he seems to start losing his mind too? His love for RY also seems quite time consuming for him. A lot of time he just in despair thinking about her. Once it's revealed that QY is the one shot arrow to her in the childhood, I can't imagine their reactions. Can she forgive him? Or will he become obsessive ? Let's see. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

[IpohBanana]

@SilverMoonTea I cheated, I had English subs with WeTV premium. Without which I would have probably understood half or maybe even less, as this is costume drama. You are right, it looks like Cheng Xi made the right move in planting CRY by his side. He will go mad with grief and that's why he will once again plunge the sword, to return her, his one life for the many he took from her family. Sigh...I think these scriptwriters have run out of angsty parts other than plunging swords into their bodies or plunging swords into their other half's bodies (like in the case of Agarwood like Crumbs and Ashes of Love).

 

And after 27 episodes, it finally dawned upon me why Qi Yan's voice sounded so darn familiar! It's Dong Hua Di Jun's voice from the Pillow Book. I was trying to figure it out for the longest time, and finally it hit me today as I was rewatching the latest episodes. I think the Voice Dubber is called Zhang Jie (who also dubbed for Allen Ren in UTP).

 

I know right, she took it rather calmly when he announced that he was planning on marrying Li Ze Ning. I think in her mind, as she told her uncle, she has resolved to protect him and put her feelings aside. So in that sense, our dear girl is probably emotionally stronger, whereas with him, he is a real softy inside, and quite, quite hurt that Ze Ning turned him down when he needed her most. So that explains why a few episodes before this, he had a dream about her and was calling out her name - I was rather puzzled then and didn't know the backstory. 

Edited August 24, 2021 by IpohBanana

[SilverMoonTea]

BTS 🙈🙈🙈

 

@40somethingahjummaThis couple chemie really killing me. Help! 

 

 

[SilverMoonTea]

@IpohBananaActually I'm a bit confused with Liu Misha's importance. Is she princess from other country or state? I guess because she have some troops attached her, so everyone kind of interested on her?

 

Actually I felt Lu Zening is the worst version of Liu Misha. She seems to be more cunning and have more tricks on her sleeve. But even she seems by now already realized Qi Yan really won't coming back to her. 

 

You were right about Qi Yan being quite fragile. When ZN left him, he actually put himself on vulnerable position by saying that he will wait her for 3 years. I guess actually ZN didn't consider him really important for her life. 

[40somethingahjumma]

8 hours ago, SilverMoonTea said:

@IpohBananaActually I'm a bit confused with Liu Misha's importance. Is she princess from other country or state? I guess because she have some troops attached her, so everyone kind of interested on her?

 

Actually I felt Lu Zening is the worst version of Liu Misha. She seems to be more cunning and have more tricks on her sleeve. But even she seems by now already realized Qi Yan really won't coming back to her. 

 

You were right about Qi Yan being quite fragile. When ZN left him, he actually put himself on vulnerable position by saying that he will wait her for 3 years. I guess actually ZN didn't consider him really important for her life. 

 

Liu Misha's importance does lie in the strategic geopolitical usefulness of her country Zhenwu. They were all hoping to use her country's military in some fashion to break the power of Shencai army which is under Qiu Ziliang's control. 

 

I don't know why they made Li Zening so unlikeable and so desperate to get back together with Qi Yan to the point of nastiness. But she certainly serves as a striking contrast to Yu'er. Like all the other women who are trying to get in bed (literally and metaphorically) with Qi Yan in some fashion, they don't seem to know what he's looking for. Whereas Yu'er who has no expectations in that regard and yet over and over again without any kind of calculation shows her unwavering loyalty. Protecting His Majesty is her primary concern. Romancing him is incidental. Interestingly enough both sisters know this although driven by completely different motives. But because of Yu'er's pure minded devotion to Qi Yan, he can't help but be moved because she stands out. He is fully aware that everyone else wants a piece of him because of the throne. Li Zening had her chance and she blew it because her loyalty was first and foremost to her father. Qi Yan whether or not he vocalizes it demands trustworthiness from those around him. 

 

Like @IpohBananahas noted, Qi Yan is a very emotional creature. It's obvious from how he response to Yu'er. And Cheng Xi was well aware of that which is why she set up the so-called honey trap. He never wanted to be emperor but was forced into taking that role through circumstances caused by others. A life of carefree of adventure is what he was looking forward to. But the Morning Dew Rebellion changed all their lives forever and not for the best. Then the burden fell on him to take up his brother's mantle. That's in part why he sees a soulmate in Yu'er. This is why when he's with her, his flirty bad boy demeanour comes to the fore. In his eyes she's someone who should be free and living the sort of life he once enjoyed. That's why he keeps wanting to send her away so that he can live vicariously through her.

 

Re: Episodes 27 and 28. 

Fantastic gambit that manages to put adversaries on the back foot probably temporarily. Both sisters working in tandem is always pleasing but it goes to show that regardless of what he thinks Qi Yan needs the help of women to get the job done eventually. 

Both are deserving of praise -- Yanzhi, the clever strategist and Yu'er, the courageous foot soldier -- in both the planning and the execution. 

 

[IpohBanana]

@SilverMoonTea as @40somethingahjumma has pointed out, Mi Sha is of political/military importance, though I think being the sentimental person Qi Yan is, he is perhaps a little grateful for her affections, and her loyalty towards him in his time of need? 

 

On the other women in his life: Ze Ning, maybe she's really there to show a character whose behaviour is in stark contrast to CRY. Then again, I suppose in a drama, there is typically someone we want to cheer on and someone we love to hate. So, she could be the latter. Whereas Mi Sha wasn't that way, she was generous in her affections towards Qi Yan and even in her speech towards her love rival, CRY (telling her not to let any other woman steal him) - in that sense, her character is someone we won't love to hate, in fact I would see her as a reluctant supporter that I would respect.

 

On the two sisters: I feel like fate/destiny may have been unkind to them, and yet, it's very rewarding as an audience to watch them work hand-in-hand. Blood is indeed thicker than water, and eventhough they know not their identities, they can't help but feel an afinity and the need to work together for a common cause. Despite representing two opposing forces, they trust each other.

 

On our OTP: Like a moth to a flame? I think that's how I would describe Qi Yan's attraction towards CRY. She will be his weakness and he will beg QZL for her life (at least that's what the previews point at). And yet, he can't help but want to run to her anytime she is in danger. As @40somethingahjumma highlighted, the need to live a life he craves through her and the alllure of someone who believes 100% in him when everyone else scorns/sees him as incapable, is just too hard to resist.

 

 

[SilverMoonTea]

I love how small she is and he can easily swing her like that. In the poster of their modern drama, CY also offer and open his arm for her to hug him freely. Sorry just gushing on OTP and not on drama story lols. 

 

 

Thanks for the explanation @IpohBanana@40somethingahjumma  , actually everyone else have conflicting motivation and mood swinging most of the times. Only our girl RY is always stay devoted and give good balance in this drama. 

[SilverMoonTea]

Longer trailer of Happy Camp, good looking couple look gorgeous! 

 

 

[40somethingahjumma]

@IpohBanana Although I agree that it would more prudential for Qi Yan be less demonstrative towards Yu'er, I actually like it that he is so open with his feelings in this drama. For some reason I feel that it's needed. It somehow makes him a much more sympathetic figure and gives her much more justification to go above and beyond the call of duty. Everyone thinks him a monster but being with her allows him to have a bit more breathing space... and find a bit of his old self that he's tried so hard to suppress. It might work out in his favour and it might not. I have a feeling though it's working in his favour as far as the Right Minister is concerned. 

 

It's certainly a double-edged sword for these two people to be so devoted to each other. Yes, the whole world can see that she's his weakness. But then it inspires her to be even more devoted which might just be what the doctor ordered.

 

When Yanzhi says to him as he's leaving to feed her the abortifacient that Qi Yan cares a great deal for Cheng Ruoyu and it's because she's so loyal. It's the chicken or the egg question. I suppose she demonstrated her loyalty on her first day when she pretended to drink the sedative meant for Qi Yan by mistake. Yu'er pretending to drink the abortifacient is a call back to that first time when he saw her in action. 

 

It's fine @SilverMoonTea spamming pics of the couple. I love the OTP as well. It's a big part of the attraction here. 

[IpohBanana]

@40somethingahjumma oh dear, I just finished E29 & 30 and saw the preview for E31. Oh my, oh my, if you can imagine the typical TVB drama where the wise sage ponders on a dismal situation as he shakes his head and touches his long beard, in a gentle downward sweeping motion, that's how I am feeling right now.

 

You know when we watch a drama, there's a phase where the plot takes a turn in favour of the antagonists, I like to call it 'The Empire Strikes Back' sequence, after the Star Wars trilogy. And today, it felt like The Empire really Struck Back, with all its might. My heart sank like a ton of bricks...it was bitter sweet, they were both incapacitated in bed together (if you've watched, you know why). And yet despite the physical comfort they had being next to each other, every other news that was delivered to them or to their 'allies' (loosely speaking) was a devastating blow. And the tears pouring down his face and hers, oh, that was really hard to watch. The ending scene between him and his brother was equally heart-wrenching.

 

After watching the preview for E31, the only positive note I had was it felt like watching a movie trailer. The main thing missing were the words "Coming soon to a cinema near you" at the end of the trailer. Everything else was equally painful to watch. sigh. I hope this isn't going to be angst and pain from E31 all the way to E48, and then some glimmer of happiness in E49 (provided it's a HE) and if it's not then I will be speechless. I am not sure I have the courage to go on watching from this point on. 

 

If this is the route the drama is taking, then I agree that his PDA for CRY is 100% justified, for it will the few moments of happiness they both will enjoy. And the few moments as an audience that we are allowed to indulge in.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2021 by IpohBanana

[SilverMoonTea]

Btw @SnTsince you normally watch palace political drama, do you fancy to try this as well? 😆 I love it so much actually. The pairing chemistry is over the chart. 

[IpohBanana]

@40somethingahjumma @SilverMoonTea I am positive that Thirteen is .....

Spoiler

Prince Guang after watching E31 & 32. I think you will come to the same conclusion once you have watched these episodes yourself. 

 

Edited August 25, 2021 by IpohBanana

[SilverMoonTea]

@IpohBananaSo fast 😂, I just finished ep 30. You're right it's so bittersweet, both of them stuck together incapable of moving. But I think their heart is closer than ever. I'm also a bit scared to watch now that they already become an official item. 

 

Someone make this video of OTP moments : (I'm doomed, I know 🤣) @40somethingahjummaHelp!

Btw, she seems good at making him laugh. Found some translation : 

 

Spoiler

@TofuI tagged you, haha it's quite interesting. I think some people think its Ryan Ding her ideal type. But I like how Cheng Yi react to her answer lols. 

 

[IpohBanana]

@SilverMoonTea lol I am watching E42...all I can say is watching this drama is like watching a mystery detective show. Full of suspense and plotting and nothing is as it seems. Truly.

[SilverMoonTea]

New Stills & Happy Camp :

 

 

 

[SilverMoonTea]

 Thanks to whoever made this sweet compilation. Love it! 

[IpohBanana]

@SilverMoonTea  E45-49 from the same YT source that u got last time for previews. Don't know if the HE is long-lasting but at least we can be cheered by some moments. It's got the scene where he swings her in the streets, and you were commenting how light she must be for him to do that. I bet that was one of the reasons for picking her as well. She has to be able to match the ML in size, otherwise she would look huge next to him if they had picked someone else.

 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited August 31, 2021 by IpohBanana

[SilverMoonTea]

18 minutes ago, IpohBanana said:

@SilverMoonTea  It's got the scene where he swings her in the streets, and you were commenting how light she must be for him to do that. I bet that was one of the reasons for picking her as well. She has to be able to match the ML in size, otherwise she would like huge next to him if they had picked someone else.

@IpohBananaAt first I was surprised why ZYX got paired up with CY until 2 times. This and modern drama SWKMM. I think we seldom seeing couple paired up again for 2 times. After seeing Dream of ChangAn, I just realized they have good reason doing that? She looks really good aside to him and vice versa. CY's face is very small, it will be hard for any FL to compete on that. But YX also very thin and lean as well, so it doesn't matter. 

 

Have you seen the latest Happy Camp clip? They also looks lovely, just standing side by side. Haha I tried not to ship in real life, but it's a bit hard 😅😆😂 

[IpohBanana]

@SilverMoonTea I watched a short clip in Happy Camp, CY seems a bit more reserved, and a little tensed? Is this because of the last incident he faced with his FL from L&R where he got backlashed by fans for treating her coldly? Or has he been like this all along? Tbh, this is the first time I've seen him act and I think he's pretty good.

 

You are right, with his face size and body stature, one would have to be very deliberate in looking for a FL that would look good next to him. It would have to be someone very petite. When you watch them next to each other, they do look good because they are both slight in built. I remember someone made a comment about Leo Lun Xi and VS in Broker, that he looked too small next to her. So that's what would have happened if they had paired a body-guard looking built next to him (I shudder to even imagine that).

[SilverMoonTea]

23 minutes ago, IpohBanana said:

@SilverMoonTea I watched a short clip in Happy Camp, CY seems a bit more reserved, and a little tensed? Is this because of the last incident he faced with his FL from L&R where he got backlashed by fans for treating her coldly? Or has he been like this all along? Tbh, this is the first time I've seen him act and I think he's pretty good.

 

Actually it's my first time watching his drama too. And agree, he's pretty good. I'm not too fond of L&R costumes and story (heard he die for 10x or something 😅). 

 

In L&R he were condemned for being too affectionate at first and instigate overshipping culture. Then he treat her coldly which also cause him being criticized. 

 

So I think he must be very careful after that. But he seems quite introvert by nature too. I like his interaction with YX, well nothing chummy or anything, I guess I'm just bias and love seeing them together nevertheless.