瑯琊榜

[issenllo]

I'm now sad it's too late to nominate 瑯琊榜 Nirvana in Fire for Yuletide because it's awesome and there's just so much to work with and I really want someone to write me Mei Changsu/Xiao Jingyan fic. Or Mei Changsu/Lin Chen fic.

Trailer in Mandarin, pretty long - but I love that they used so much guqin. English trailer, short

Have been spending nearly every minute of my free time watching it and I have to say, everything aside, this is one of the prettiest dramas I've seen in a while (and that's not counting Hu Ge, hehe) - the cinematography is lovely, balanced, and the production team has clearly paid attention to details in the props, setting, etc. Satisfying to watch.

Not to mention the sheer plot-fulness of it. Pacing is quite fast, which means scenes don't drag on. There aren't many female characters, the drama being focused on political and court intrigue in a time when such things are dominated by men, but the women that appear are varied and there are understandable motives for what they do or not do. Xiao Jingyan's mother Lady Jing (Royal Concubine Jing?) is pretty much badass, though I really like Xia Dong who is some kind of investigator with the equivalent of the NSA.

Mei Changsu is - well, as the main character, he's certainly arresting, though I have to giggle sometimes when he looks sooo soulfully into the camera and then I have to think to myself "OMG is that really Hu Ge?" I do wibble over his backstory, though, and his super-sad fate, and his self-imposed mission. Also his intellect, and all those significant stares he exchanges with Xiao Jingyan. Though I enjoy the cheerier interaction with Lin Chen.

Comments

[yifu]

Mei Changsu is a suitably complicated character, otherwise I'd be less tolerant of his scheming and willingness to sacrifice others. Though I get it that he doesn't allow himself to feel that much affection for others because he already knows his road won't end in stars and rainbows anyway.

[issenllo]

I think the affection is more obvious to the Jiangzuo people, which stands to reason as they are the ones who know his secrets and not to mention, have been following him for some 10 years. Though he still retains a bit of his scheming side. Which is ok by me; I was getting sick of overly sentimental characters, haha.