There’s something so painful about the last few episodes of
BBJX. Just as we bask in the happiness of the main couple, with the emperor
trying to coax Ruo Xi to forgive him and make peace. We get cute glances, an
emperor who claims he doesn’t know how to cajole women and the cuteness
overload from the trio that resulted from the emperor’s sore arm. Alas, there’s
always a calm before the storm and well, happiness doesn’t last long in the
paradise aptly named the Forbidden City. Ruo Xi’s mirage has been shattered and
reality sets in when she finds out the truth about Li De Quan and the role the
emperor had in his death. Like she remarks, the heart of an emperor is
infinitely unfathomable… there is never complete disclosure no matter how much
close you are to an emperor. His destiny is beyond any other human, in that,
most people simply dream about happiness and love, but an emperors’ dream is to
rule and keep ruling.
Before we know it, we are reintroduced to the king’s …
crueller side when he sentences Yu Tan to death by cooking her. And Ruo Xi
finds about it and witnesses it herself, gagging in disgust. She faints and
awakes with the emperor beside her and she screams at him in hatred. My heart
just breaks because… I don’t know how I feel about it all. Let’s be frank, no
one would want to be Ruo Xi right now because her world is basically shattered.
The fact that he sentenced Yu Tan to death in such a cruel way is unforgivable,
because he himself knew how close they were. Yet, we knew that Yu Tan was not
so … innocent. But seriously, when someone essentially murders someone close to
you, I don’t think any motive if justifiable when there are so many other means
to the same end. It’s just cruel and my heart breaks that the drama had to take
this turn. It’s realistic and understandable but it’s heart-wrenching
nonetheless. If I were Ruo Xi, I would be so tormented because despite her love
for the emperor and vice versa, she is reminded that love cannot conquer all.
Love cannot change the fact that she is who she is and he is still the emperor.
In this moment, my only solace is the unchanging friendship between the 13th
brother and Ruo Xi.
I feel so sad watching Ruo Xi wanting to push everyone
around her away, because she’s scared they’d get hurt. The pain and isolation
she must be feeling. It’s like when the emperor reminds her that he’ll always
be her 4th prince… yet he’s also the emperor. I’m really impressed
though, at how tight the writing is and how everything ties in together so well
with hints being dropped so meticulously. Except, Ruo Xi is really bearing the
brunt of all the pain isn’t she? Nothing is going smoothly for her and even the
supposedly pleasant news of her pregnancy is marred with the revelation of her
role in all the palace schemes and all the things that have unfolded. Gosh, I
feel for her when she miscarriages amidst all the stress and the fact that she
can’t have any children in the future. I feel like so much has happened, and
everything has truly reached a point of no return… therefore, the ending is
near. My heart hurts for everything that’s happened and I don’t know… I just
don’t feel happy with the way things have turned out not that my feelings can
change anything haha. I think this is where I can see how Ruo Xi’s character
fleshes out, because I can sense her modern viewpoint through my very own
sentiments. The fact that I probably feel just as betrayed as she does, just
highlights the fact that she’s an embodiment of what us modern women would feel
in her shoes. Unlike, the 8th prince’s wife who understands the
scheming and the mechanisms of being part of the royal family, who accepts all
wrongdoing and cruelty because that’s the way things are and the way things
have and will continue to be. Ruo Xi doesn’t understand this because her morals
derive from our time and in our time, murder is the greatest sin. Back then,
killing people in the name of loyalty or revenge was understandable.
The love stories in the drama are definitely a major plot
driver, but in many ways, characteristic of that time period I’m assuming,
everything is much more subtle and understated. There aren’t many grand
gestures of love or romance, but their feelings drive their actions and I think
this is why we can feel that their love is so painstaking and real. I
personally feel that Nicky Wu was able to bring out the best of Liu Shi Shi
because I think it’s rather obvious that she’s not the strongest of actresses,
but every scene with the emperor she came alive. You could understand how
affected she is and how much the reality has crushed her. I know that many
people want her and the emperor to have many more romantic moments, but I think
I preferred their interactions and their intimacy compared to the fleeting
romance that she had with the 8th prince. Theirs felt more real and
more heartfelt. Oh with the pain that the emperor must’ve felt when the 14th
asked him to bestow Ruo Xi to him. This drama makes me sigh and I can’t even… I
want to say I’m annoyed at how everything has to be so tragic, but how can I
say that when the drama has delivered something so amazingly logical and well
thought out? That if even one thing were to have been different, the whole darn
drama would possibly fall apart and it would become one of those dramas that
had potential but let one slip of logic ruin it? Everything just makes sense
here, but by following the course of logic, everyone’s lives have to fall apart
because that is the cruel reality of life in the Forbidden City.
When the emperor lets go off Ruo Xi and watches her horse
carriage leave the Forbidden City, and he’s crying… I just want to console and
transport him to modern time so her can continue his love with Ruo Xi. When she
hugged the 8th prince, oh how my heart longed for her and the
emperor to have that final chance too. Her farewell with the 13th
prince and his daughter kills me because they’ve got this amazingly understated
friendship that every girl craves. That said, I still enjoy the marriage
between the 14th prince and Ruo Xi because he’s cute and he is not
forceful with his love for Ruo Xi, and he treats her so courteously, especially
in her final days. I’m probably repeating myself for the hundredth time, but
this drama delivers heartbreak after heartbreak and it’s so damn frustrating. It’s
so depressing that she wants to see the emperor in her final days, yet he can’t
say no because he loves her and wants her to live out her final days in
happiness. His heart is probably breaking, but he still complies and by trying
to maintain their reputations, he ends up causing more harm as the emperor
doesn’t want to read any correspondence from the 14th prince. Thus,
Ruo Xi and the emperor are unable to meet one last time, and Ruo Xi believes
that the emperor doesn’t want to see her because he doesn’t love her anymore
and doesn’t forgive her. She’s dying guys, WHY CAN’T YOU SPARE HER SOME
HEARTBREAK?! Gosh, I’m bordering on anger at the tragedy that plagues this
drama. It kills me that when he asks her what if they met in another life, and
she just says she wants to forget everyone. WHY? Unrequited love is always so
depressing and so is death. Man, I so feel for Lin Geng Xin and despite being
excited for his next drama, Drama Go Go Go, the fact that he’s second lead has
me apprehensive. Let the guy get the girl for once. He’s too hot for this shit.
Gosh I love everyone in this drama, and it drives me crazy. After her death,
the emperor has a mental breakdown and Nicky’s performance here is once again,
amazing. He seriously is a wonderful onscreen crier. And I hate how they must
remind me of how beautiful their love was, how deep it was and how much they
loved each other. IT KILLS ME. I hate how he only gets to read this after her
death and I just wished they had that last meeting. It’s way too cruel for our
main couple that separation is all they’re left with. STOP CRYING, NICKY,
YOU’RE MAKING ME CRY TOO, F MY LIFE. I HATE THIS DRAMA. I HATE HOW IT KILLS MY
HEART. THIS SUCKS. SO MUCH HEARTBREAK GOSH. Why is it that even after Ruo Xi’s
death, they can’t be in peace? Why can’t they just agree to free her ashes
together? Why must they continue to torment each other. I just want this drama
to deliver a tiny ounce of happiness but it just keeps getting me down. I think
cremating Ruo Xi makes it even more depressing because there is something for
the emperor to physically hold onto, to cling onto. That is, until he finally
releases her ashes as much as he doesn’t want to, but it was her final wish and
he complies.
Knowing the impending doom, I had emotionally checked out
during the final few episodes to numb the pain, yet still I swept away with the
sad desperation that was the ending of this drama. The fact that no one had a
happy ending and everyone was left so broken kills me inside. God damn it, why
do I choose to invest in dramas instead of something that can’t hurt me as much
as these characters and their stories do? The 13th prince remains
forever the most admirable person in this drama, with his wisdom and the fact
that he just understands and is amazing. I think I’m in love with this man. In
an alternate universe, I wish Ruo Xi would have just fallen for him instead and
been happy with him instead of being embroiled in the calamity that ruined
everyone’s lives.
I really think after
I’m done with this drama, I need a light-hearted watch (possibly Answer Me
1997) and that I need to stay away from ancient palace dramas for a while. All
this scheming has my head and heart in shreds. That being said, I’m pretty
excited for the modern sequel to BBJX because I’m expecting an epic love story
minus the inhumane capital punishments and ruthless scheming between brothers.
I’m not saying there won’t be any scheming but there’s that comfort that
regardless of how much scheming goes on, their lives won’t be the wager. I
literally got shudders when the emperor realises that Ruo Xi was not from their
era. It only makes me crave the second part of their beautiful love story even
more. MAN, SO MUCH TEARS, SO MUCH HEARTBREAK. WHY NO HAPPY ENDING? WHY?! As
great as this drama may be, I don’t know when I will ever be ready for a
rewatch, knowing how much heartbreak I would be in. Honestly, I would love to
recommend this drama for everyone, but big beware: it is heartbreaking, and
that’s an understatement.
0 comments:
Post a Comment