FINAL THOUGHTS: BU BU JING XIN

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 13^th 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 4^th 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 8^th 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 8^th prince. Theirs felt more real and more heartfelt. Oh with the pain that the emperor must’ve felt when the 14^th 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 8^th prince, oh how my heart longed for her and the emperor to have that final chance too. Her farewell with the 13^th 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 14^th 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 14^th 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 13^th 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.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I LOVE LEE TAE RI

Being the wise lady that I am, I found myself starting Bu Bu Jing Xin (Startling By Each Step) in the midst of watching this drama, whilst waiting on King of Dramas to be subbed. This posed a bit of a dilemma. Why, you ask? Well, King of Dramas is incredibly paced - fast and suspenseful at all the right places. Bu Bu Jing Xin is set in the era of the Qing Dynasty and wrought with palace alliances and fighting for the throne, admirable bromances and an overload of yearning. But that's all for another post. Anyways, being caught between then two compelling dramas, sometimes I had to pace myself in order to get back into the fluffier moments of ILLTR.

I found that the storyline and wrapping up of the series was really well executed, without any grating loopholes. That being said, I did find it a tad draggy towards the 13-14th episode mark, with all the additional tangents to the love triangles. One thing I've always found ... ridiculous about Korean dramas is how the female love rival (who somehow is romantically related to the male lead) will go for one guy (usually the ex or guy pining for the female lead) then turn around and fall for the male lead - or vice versa. Whenever that happens I feel as though the female love rival is just used as a plot device to move ruin things. I honestly feel as though the writers sometimes don't even bother to develop the story, but shove random love triangles in for the sake of it. I will never understand why some Kdrama inhabitants are so adamant on "making the boy mine" when he has displayed obvious disinterest and rejected them outright. Seriously, it just gets on my nerves. What do they expect to come out of it? Relationships like that never work, and if anything, it's just the workings of a wounded ego. Doesn't it hurt your pride more if you do manage force someone to love you? The fact that it was emotional duress? I can never wrap my head around it - there is persistence, and then there is desperation. Remember how I called her a nuisance at the start? Yeah, she became even more annoying with her antics and attempts at manipulation.

The scenes where the two are falling in love and are blissful were cute, however, I don't think Park Ye Jin was very convincing in pulling that off. It just felt off, because she seemed to feel the need to constantly have a smile plastered on her face. Yet, that's just what it was - plastered. It didn't feel happy. I honestly feel that Ki Bum was able to portray the young boy in love with a noona much better than Ye Jin was able to portray being in love. I don't know why, he just seemed more immersed and the affection was just pouring out of it eyes. On another note, I was (abnormally) envious at a particular scene, where she didn't get any work done the previous done because of Min Soo, then she starts and everything is 'okay'. No, that does not happen in real life! My pile of work never depletes like that in just a couple of minutes. Oh Kdramaland, why do you tease me so? I must say another letdown was when Min Soo and Tae Ri was kissing at the soju stall. I mean, why aren't they moving?! Come on Ye Jin, Ki Bum's not really 14, you don't have to worry about being a pedo! You can kiss him for real! Isn't that the whole perk of being an actress? Kissing all these droolworthy, fine actors?! (Okay, I need to control myself *fans self*)

 I feel as though the way the story moves along is believable enough, with Min Soo actually changing back into Eun Dong though I was a little distraught for our torn lovers. Oh, star crossed lovers. Looking at the circumstances, I should feel sorry for Tae Ri more because she's the older woman  and all those stereotypes about woman being past their prime and having to date guys older than them comes into play; whilst Eun Dong can y'know, just date girls his age. However, Ki Bum just emotes love, like sometimes I wonder why does he even love her that much? Anyways, moving on. I was slightly confused with the 'Wish' phone application, because I didn't see the purpose of that - was it just a decoy or for us be tricked by, or did it actually have a function in the whole transformation? Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but I don't think that was answered.

The whole tangent about Seung Jae's dad being the truck driver that killed Tae Ri's parents and how he was forced to leave her in Milan, only to work for her uncle to bring her down so he can somehow get back together with her was seriously flawed, in that it just sounds so illogical.

As I am a kind lady, I shall warn you in advanced that the next paragraph contains SPOILERS. Yes, SPOILERS so don't read if you don't want to be SPOILED. One more time, SPOILERS GUYS.

Now onto the ending, which I so adore. A few years later, we see Eun Dong growing up as Ki Bum - you know, mighty fine and so so cute. He's now a renowned swimmer, representing Korea. He has to go overseas and at the airport.... where his heart (or is it the necklace?) alerts him that Tae Ri is nearby. Cue, running out of the airport in search for his loved one, and finding her amongst all the cars lined up. Knock knock on the window, and the tinted windows are lowered to reveal a familiar face. No, I will not reveal who that familiar face is, but I'm sure everyone is smart enough to figure it out hehe.

I adore this ending because it's so ... satisfying. It's not entirely unrealistic and yet, it's so heartwarming, like the drama itself. Actually, leading up to the ending, I was mentally calculating the age difference, and the appropriate ages that will allow them to be together. I'm not sure if the drama specified, but I went with him being around 20 and Tae Ri being 34. Hey, if they made 14 and 28 work, they can definitely make 20 and 34 work. I'm also glad that they didn't overdo the summary on the two love rivals, because I felt it appropriate that Seung Jae gave it his last shot and moved on, and Heart just staying the idol she is.


PERFORMANCES EVALUATED

Park Ye Jin as Lee Tae Ri: Apart from Family Outing and Running Man, I've never actually seen any of Ye Jin's acting chops. So, I was inclined to check ILLTR out. To be fair, I think she portrayed Lee Tae Ri quite well as a standalone. Conversely, when she was acting opposite Ki Bum, I think he stole her thunder a bit. I think the fact that Tae Ri is not the most interesting of female protagonists is also to blame for that though. I find her quite cute when she was being concerned about her appearance because she was dating a guy younger than her, regardless of how ... troublesome that notion is. Not that appearances don't matter, but once you're in love, I think it's more beneficial to have a bit more confidence and less insecurity. Ye Jin is able to display Tae Ri's vulnerabilities and I simply can't fault her acting in the scene with Yang Jin Woo (aka Seung Jae) where he finally spills the beans about her parents' death. I felt so much sadness mixed with the disbelief at his reasons.

Kim Ki Bum as Geum Eun Dong/Hwang Min Soo: I really adored Ki Bum in this role, though sometimes his reactions are rather comic but I attribute that to the role of a 14 year old. His scenes where he was conflicted with his secret and being torn with his love and desire to protect Tae Ri and his guilty conscience towards his family. I feel for the man-boy. Obviously he's not a seasoned actor, but I do think he has the charisma to pull off the role, which is frankly within his range. I know he's a child actor, though I've never really noticed his roles or remember them clearly. However, I do feel that he's definitely a promising actor.

Yang Jin Woo as Choi Seung Jae: I kind of feel sorry for Yang Jin Woo here because there doesn't seem to be much substance to his character other than to be the hateful-with-an-excuse ex. I do think he does well in some parts to bring  something to his character despite the fact that his character and actions are perplexedly irrational.

JUB/Jubi as Ha Soon Shim aka Heart: I don't think the role required too much from the actress, because essentially she's just a brat here. Or maybe that's just how JUB portrayed the role. However, she was given quite a bit more material to work with than Jin Woo, with her suicidal past and the tug of war to win Min Soo's love. However, her flaws and inexperience is rather obvious whenever she is required to depict an emotional scene that requires a bit more depth. It'd be nice if we could see her as a young lady with real feelings rather than a spoilt child who just always wants what she can't have.

Just some short notes on the performances of the supporting cast: I really enjoyed Jang Seo Won as the Hwang Min Gook, he has pretty great comic timing and I really felt for him when Ki Bum confronts him about his brother's existence; as well as his little side story with Hong Shil. The parents are also cute, especially when Eun Dong's father kept getting jealous over the mother fawning over 'Min Soo'.

PS. I'm finding it confusing trying to refer to the characters myself with all the different identities and bodies.


OVERALL RATING: 

Enjoyment: 8/10
Substance: 7/10


{Side note: I just saw these snaps of Park Ye Jin and Kim Ki Bum in InStyle, and damn they sizzle}