A Chinese Ghost Story: Eternity

A Chinese Ghost Story: Eternity

For the record, I’ve watched this series four times already and I can’t help but feel that I kept on missing something every time I watch it. It was badly chopped here in the Philippines but then I also watched it on a cable channel from start to finish. It didn’t do well here but it did very good in other countries in Asia and some parts of the world. It got toppled over by "A Promise of Love" and the "Dolphin Bay" in just a month or less than a month after its television debut here. Nevertheless, it started the whole “fantaserye” fad (fantasy series) in the local scene.

The story starts when as a fulfillment of a prophecy, the tragic lovers of seven lifetimes were reborn. According to this prophecy, their energy will be used by the Dark Kingdom to command the entire world. Fearing this, the Xuan-Xin sect tried to kill the babies but Dark Moon (Queen of the Dark Kingdom) was able to snatch the tragic lovers of seven lifetimes while Yan Chi Xia and his wife did not kill the remaining baby but returned him to his mother. (What we do not know is that there were three babies born that night, a girl and two boys but it shall be revealed as the plot progresses) Because they had defied the order, Yan Chi Xia and his wife decided to live peacefully in the mountains. Twenty years later, a fox spirit, Nie Xiao Qian met a struggling student, Ning Cai Chen. I do not need to go into details but as many of you would guess it, it’s a boy-meets-girl-love at first sight-thing. With their loyal friends, Hong Ye and Liu Yun they managed to be together despite the odds that came their way. They were tagged as the tragic lovers of seven lifetimes but surprisingly, it turned out that it wasn’t them or at least the other half of the tragic lovers of seven lifetimes was not Ning Cai Chen. It turned out that the other half was Nie Xiao Qian’s sort-of-brother and the young emperor of Dark Kingdom, Qi Ye.

In all those years that I’ve watched ancient Chinese series (without translations) this one is most elaborately designed and it has a superb cinematography. In other series, you’d get the feeling that they only filmed it in one location or in a studio but it is different in here. You’ll see beautiful scenery and the set seemed to be real although it is obvious that the village was used alternatively. Thank goodness, the fighting scenes where not those exaggerated ones that are too long.

Most of the key characters are dynamic, I find Ning Cai Chen’s character stagnant. Nie Xiao Qian at first was the stubborn fox spirit who only cares for what she wants and she was close-minded. Later on, she finds herself carrying a great burden when she had to choose between a relevant cause (immortals can live with mortals in harmony) and her own interest (her love for Ning Cai Chen). This made her character realize that she, as the other half or the tragic couple must take a responsibility that was given to her by fate. Her decision to give up her love for Ning Cai Chen is a proof that she has indeed changed from the free and sometimes selfish person that she was.

Honestly at first, I was drawn to this series because of Barbie Hsu who played Nie Xiao Qian because I liked her in "Meteor Garden" (another Taiwanese Series) but soon her portrayal of Xiao Qian made me realize that she isn’t cut for “the damsel in distress” type of character. Another lead character, Ning Cai Chen played by Daniel Chan was quite a disappointment for me. It’s like he’s just there, he cries when he had to, laughs when he had to and look good all throughout the series. I’ve never seen any of his series before so I can’t quite compare his acting in here if he did better or not. In fairness, he made up for this with his emotional renditions of the series’ songs. His love team with Barbie was a big flop. They just do not seem compatible enough. Viewers would most likely want Cai Chen to end up with Hong Ye or Xiao Qian would end up with Qi Ye than end up with each other.

Liu Yen portrayed by Jason Wu was really funny. He effortlessly established a rapport with Yuen Wah’s character, Chi Xia. He was kind of annoying at first because of his childlike demeanor and those puppy-dog stares when Hong Ye is around. After finding out about his past he gains confidence and matured which gave him the advantage in making Hong Ye fall for him. Among the characters in this series, the best performances where given by Jessica Hsuan and Nie Yuan as they played Hong Ye and Qi Ye respectively. As the sensible and responsible Hong Ye, many wouldn’t find it hard to symphatize with her character. Who wouldn’t symphatize with her when she secretly loves Ning Cai Chen but she had to kill him or watch him marry another girl? To add insult to her injury, she had to pretend to be the one that Ning Cai Chen will marry in order for his mother to give her consent to marry Nie Xiao Qian.

Jessica Hsuan moved with grace and agility in this series especially when she practices the mystic of Xuan Xin. Nie Yuan’s portrayal of Qi Ye was really something. I think his performance in here paved the way for his growing popularity all over the world. He is the perfect epitome of a young ruler, he was generous, fair and masculine. Nie Yuan was able to breathe life into the character of Qi Ye without being limited by the script. He does not just act but he becomes the character. I do not know how he does it, but you could see pain in his eyes and a kind of softness when he is with Xiao Qian. Credit should also be given to the one who wrote his character, Qi Ye. Nie Yuan really “immortalized” Qi Ye, no one could have ever portrayed it better than he did.

This series used irony to make the characters’ motivations plausible rather than the usual black-or-white themes. The leader of the righteous sect, Gold Eye soon became the root of the conflict rather than Qi Ye, the ruler of The Dark Kingdom. Even if Qi Ye became the ultimate antagonist in the story at the end, it was Gold Eye’s selfishness and ambition that drove Qi Ye to total madness that ended in a tragedy.

The story reminds me of my Philosophy Subject. Can man really choose his destiny? Is man really free to make his choices? In this case, it was destined that the lovers would end up in tragedy but if you look closely there are a lot of chances given to them to escape destiny and change it. For example when Qi Ye became evil, it was his own choice. When Liu Yun met his brother, he found out that his brother refused the responsibility of being Chi Xia’s student and be Hong Ye’s partner. He made his own choice and refused to live the life that destiny supposedly dictates. I guess, this answers my personal question why Nie Xiao Qian did not fall for Qi Ye when they were the real tragic lovers of seven lifetimes.

In conclusion, this series is worth watching although it might try your patience sometimes but you’ll find it entertaining and you could get some realizations like I did. So if you’re contemplating whether or not your going to watch it. I’d say: don't miss it!