Bu Bu Jing Xin 《步步惊心》 - Nicky Wu, Liu Shi Shi, Kevin Cheng, Yuan Hong

[Dragon Heiress]

I agree that RX breaking off with 8th was because she didn't love him enough at that stage. At that time, there were too many reservations about her romance with 8th to let herself truly and completely fall in love with 8th, such as home situations and biggest one, his imminent demise. I also think that she questions his love as well.

As for 4th, she didn't get into the relationship because of love, but mainly for self-preservation as she knows he will be the final winner. However, along the way, she let herself be completely and wholely falls in love with him. To me, she did her best by 4th. She risked death to defy the Emperor's order. She could of have a really easy life marrying 14th from the start because you know that he will treat her extremely well. She stayed in the Laundry dept. for so many years, when in those years she could have changed her mind. After 4th & RX were together when he's an Emperor, she tried sticking it out, but eventually her conscience couldn't stick it out. It's one thing to read about this in the book about a bunch of princes fighting with each other to death, but it's another story when all those princes became some of the most important people in her life. In the book, they were just nothing but names, in real life, they were her childhood friends whom had all been there for her. It's not something she can stomach for the rest of your life. It's not like she only "heard" about what happens, she witnessed the cruel crimson details, such as her god-sister being steamed to death. And that was just one case. Even the most well adjusted person get can't used to that. Love is not everything. Love is only a part your life. To have a functional relationship, it not's just about love, it's also about 2 people having common values. Both 4th and RX didn't do anything wrong, but in the end, their values are just too different. Staying in a relationship you know will destroy you mentally day in and day out is not courage, it's stupidity. Had she stayed with 4th and have to witness him destroyed all her loved ones, one by one, sooner or later she will definitely grow insane and that love will eventually turn to bitterness. And how can she be happy with 4th, when she knows that she was the instigator to this tragic event? Her conscience wouldn't let her. If her conscience doesn't care about what happens to them, she wouldn't risk herself to fight for each one of them. Also at that time, she already knows that she doesn't have much time to live. She wants to have a little peace, away from the bloodshed for her last remaining times. To me, RX did her best for both 8th and 4th, but it's unfortunate that they were not fated to be together in the end.

The one thing I like about this drama is that it's very realistic with a touch of fantasy. Love is not everything. It's very precious, but it doesn't dictate how you live. 8th and 4th couldn't give up the throne for RX, which is only right because they have fought hard for this for their entire life. RX can't stay with them when knowing that their values are just too different to make it work. It doesn't mean that they don't love each other, it just mean that they were not meant for each other in this era.

I second this thought, even though it's a bit long to be just a thought, lol.

But I think anyone who thought that Ruoxi would be okay with 4th destroying everyone she cares about one by one has seriously misjudged her.

[hellokitty1986]

Hehehe...funny! Here's the gif...thanks NuDaFu $this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img.t.sinajs.cn/t35/style/images/common/face/ext/normal/6a/laugh.gif')

He Gu: Au! (dramatic, in a cutesy Japanese way...reminded me of Kenshin ). Maertai Ruoxi has finished filming!!! (It was actually the end of filming for LSS's Yu'er).
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://ww2.sinaimg.cn/large/65cfa928gw1dltl711cw2g.gif')

Ruoxi/LSS NG...
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://ww3.sinaimg.cn/large/48339b20gw1dlgxeuycvkg.gif')

The portrait details...
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so she really didn't have the magnolia hair pin on her headdress, but in the portrait they added it in ? or 4th asked the painter to add that in ?

[hellokitty1986]

BBJX ranked #1 in Korea $this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img.t.sinajs.cn/t35/style/images/common/face/ext/normal/1b/gz_thumb.gif')

:《步步惊心보보경심》5日开始正式在韩国的cineonTV播出。韩国著名门户网站NAVER中国电视剧 排行榜上，《步步惊心》名列第一기륭오빠 축하축하 - 原文地址：
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://ww1.sinaimg.cn/large/6b028317tw1dlup4s54pmj.jpg')

yay!!!!!!!!1 kimchi party tonight.. wooo wooo woo

[hellokitty1986]

Apparently from Baidu, YM plays a totally different character-Gan Ting Ting leads this one. All the costumes and headdresses are different too.

whose gan ting ting ? is it ym new role or gan ting ting is an actual actress. sorry i'm not too familiar with mainland actors and actresses

[Dragon Heiress]

A few observations from rewatching:
-The ending credits really show off how amazing the cinematography is in this series.
-When I watched the scene when Ruoxi tries to commit suicide by getting run over by horses and fails, I looped the scene over about 10 times because it was just so amazing. (And the way 13th got off of that horse!)
-At 10th's birthday party, they make 13th's arrival so epiiiiiiiic.
-The way 13th looks at her from the balcony scene.... I don't think I'll ever get over it, lol!
-LOL, I'm starting to notice how 13th is always the one eating. Chinese netizens point out the funniest things ever.

[Liu Xiao Xiao]

OST: Official Korean Version

[H.Ge-C.Liu]

Hey guys. This is really amusing. I just check LGX's weibo and he only has about 2000 fans. LOL. What happened? Just last week it was above 1 million!
Any one knows what's going on with the sudden decline?

Edit: LOL. Never mind. The weibo I checked is this http://weibo.com/lingengxin910, which is probably his old one because the current one is http://weibo.com/1730726637, which is still going strong.

lingengxin910 is his official fansite's (Xin You Lin Xin) weibo, like Shi Wu Pian Pian (LSS) and Gu Yue Ge Qian (Hu Ge). The other one is LGX's actual weibo.

whose gan ting ting ? is it ym new role or gan ting ting is an actual actress. sorry i'm not too familiar with mainland actors and actresses

My mistake. Gan Ting Ting led other YZ dramas like Hidden Intention (Cang Xin Shu). Gong 2's lead is Yuan Shan Shan, YZ's own artist.

[118mjl]

so she really didn't have the magnolia hair pin on her headdress, but in the portrait they added it in ? or 4th asked the painter to add that in ?

Yup that's the online blurb i shared earlier that 4th added the pin in to tell Ruoxi from the future that he always remembered her and did not hate her... (which was one of the devastating parts of the book's ending because Ruoxi never knew because 4th did not make it to her side on time)... And then with them reuniting in the future, it was a fufillment of his promise to her...

[118mjl]

yay!!!!!!!!1 kimchi party tonight.. wooo wooo woo

Whoot whoot!! I second that... Going to grab that kimchi from the fridge now... I love how BBJX is ranked 1 and Gong is 2 in the Naver poll for Chinese dramas...

[Faythe]

Whoot whoot!! I second that... Going to grab that kimchi from the fridge now... I love how BBJX is ranked 1 and Gong is 2 in the Naver poll for Chinese dramas...

I'm surprised that Gong is even ranked as #2!

[tweety365]

I'm surprised that Gong is even ranked as #2!

Yeah, was thinking the same thing. The only possible redeeming quality of Gong is the chemistry between FSF and Yang Mi, but their characters were so silly and childish with zero character development. I can't find any other quality that would make me recommend Gong to someone to watch.

[H.Ge-C.Liu]

BBJX 'The Story Behind' Part 2 Preview. Will air at midnight (China time).
http://www.imgo.tv/clip-201110-1-29-206166-216982.shtml

[118mjl]

Are any of you finished watching the series and have a hard time letting go??

That is so me... I am rewatching it now and still looking at the news online and of course reading posts in this thread...

Should I buy the books? Hmm.... I like the drama's ending a lot more though...

[Icha Parvati]

Whoot whoot!! I second that... Going to grab that kimchi from the fridge now... I love how BBJX is ranked 1 and Gong is 2 in the Naver poll for Chinese dramas...

I'm surprised that Gong is even ranked as #2!

Yay for BBJX #1 in Korea! And Yay for BBJX #1 in Naver poll (what is a Naver poll?).

And yes, surprised that Gong is #2. But whatever. People will know which one is truly better.

[Icha Parvati]

The portrait details...
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Xiao Xiao, thanks a lot for adding the details of the painting. It reinforced what I learned from MJL early on abt the magnolia hairpin.

A side note: been searching for a magnolia hairpin over ebay, can't find it. I know ebay China/HK/Taiwan would have it,but i cannot type any Chinese character, let alone buying it! Plus, I want the magnolia to be made of either moonstone or any other white semi precious stone. Might have to search further.

[Icha Parvati]

Just finished BBJX.

My impression: the experience of watching BBJX is like enjoying a matured wine. Deep, rich, and bittersweet after the loss of finishing that last mouthful. Yet, the memory of the taste lingers subtly enough to leave one dazed at having experienced something so surprisingly wonderful.

Yeah, I like it just a little .

I'm thinking of writing a review for spcnet. I've always thought it would take an exceptional film for me to write a review. BBJX more than fits the bill.There are some points that are more for discussion than reviewing, so I'd like to 'air' them here.

4th's succession. Nothing was ever explicit about the deception of 4th's succession, a time of such turmoil can only produce educated guesses. I felt the plot failed to keep it's edge when it chose to be explicit that Kang Xi wanted 14th to succeed. I would've preferred the plot to have 4th never reveal thoughts and memories of his last talk with Kang Xi. Leave it ambiguous. Who's to say Kang Xi didn't really make 4th his successor? Him favouring 14th could've been a red herring to steer attention away from letting 4th succeed. Do the obvious so no one knows what you really want to do. Unless Kang Xi was truly becoming senile in his old age i.e. giving the throne to a son just because he liked him and not because of his ability to keep a dangerous court and whole country together. Kang Xi must've known 14th was an 8th follower. Yes, 4th is dangerous in his own right (I don't believe anyone was not aware of this, no less Kang Xi), but if I were Kang Xi, I would choose 4th over 14th. 4th has a better chance of standing up to any rebellion and court intrigue than 14th. I wouldn't find it surprising if 8th decided it was within his right to topple 14th at some point in the future. Remember his raving with RX, about his need to attain the throne to claim all the respect and power he was due. That didn't sound like a speech that can mean: "But, I don't mind stepping aside if 14th were to be Emperor". At the very worst, it would be 14th being a puppet Emperor with 8th being the real power. If 14th wasn't wary enough to realise this, he deserves his downfall.

On the subject of 14th - as I can't bag him in the review - I was in serious conflict. He was adorable when he was being pleasant and helpful, sinful eye candy (well to me anyway ), but ultimately, stupid and petty. No one could be blind to the fact that their mother was kinda a nutty in being so indifferent to 4th while doting on 14th. Instead of feeling for his own brother, 14th just took it all in stride...as if such blatant discord in his own family was a normal thing. Perhaps there was a major falling out between the brothers, but not having anything mentioned, I find it hard to swallow that 14th outrightly follows 4th's major enemy. Wisdom would steer one to be at least neutral, even if he hated his own blood brother. At the end of the day, 4th had more incentive to hate or be resentful of 14th, which he never was. 14th was stupid to keep on following the 8th gang after 4th's succession. It also seems to contraindicate the whole "the throne could've been mine" whine. If 14th truly believed he deserved to be Emperor, he should be strategizing and being sure as a ruler he would serve his people better than 4th, instead sulking like a child losing a new rattle. If what 14th did at the end to 4th through RX wasn't petty, I don't know what is. Reminded me of Tristan and Isolde whole black vs white sail tragic ending. Even though there were some - if short - moments when 14th was genuinely supportive of RX, unfortunately, I felt the rest of the 90% was pressuring RX into what he thought was good for RX. He never truly and consistently tried to understand how RX felt or thought and just support her for that. Even at the end, 14th 'helping' RX escape the palace was a dig at 4th. His continual smirking while asking for RX's hand in marriage didn't strike me as a man marrying for the love of his life or a genuine gesture of a friend trying to help RX in need.

Yes, I still love the show. Just some concepts and characterisations that are ripe for picking .

Adieu!

Love your analyses, NuDa Fu.

Yes please! I would love to hear what you have to say because based on just your 'essay', your opinions are very similar to mine. Although he cared for her, I felt that he was always a boy in comparison to her. What made 4RX's relationship so beautiful was that they didn't need words to communicate with each other as they both just understood one another. 4th never pressures RX to speak of things she didn't want to and was always very direct and opened with her. (EXAMPLE: the scene where 14th pretended to thank RX for the gift, which was the actually the bangle that she wanted to return to 8th. RX tried to explain to 4th that it wasn't like that, but he just told he didn't care as long as 14th and her weren't arguing. Rouxi then comments that he does not tell her what to do and who to talk to.) 14th on the other hand, was consistently trying to convince her what was good for her and what wasn't, what to do and what not to do. As adorable as he is, he didn't understand her on that deeper level and everything about her had to be spelled out for him. Yes, I am sure he cared for her deeply but he didn't do that with an open heart like 13th. As a friend, 13th understood her better and did not question or judge her actions but just believed in her so whether as a lover or as a friend, 14th fell a little bit short compared to 4th and 13th.

As for the succession, as an avid Qing history follower, I truly believe that Kangxi meant to pass the throne to 4th for the following reasons.
- If the throne was indeed meant for 14th, then why did Kang Xi send him to the border when he knew that his health was deteriorating at a rapid speed. He knew he was dying yet, he still sent the supposedly crown prince off to a war. I believe this is to temporarily dilute the tension between the two brothers upon his immediate death to allow 4th sufficient time to secure the throne.
- Many have said this before but I'm just going to reiterate it anyways. The decree was written in three languages, Chinese, Manchu and Mongol. To go from 14 to 4 was merely a stroke in written Chinese but it wouldn't be much more difficult in the other two languages.
- Despite winning many battles (in BBJX. His abilities as a general was questionable in history) ,14th does not have the ruthlessness and directness that 4th has. During his years a farmer, 4th demonstrated how much he understood and cared for the people and before that he showed that couldn't stand for corruption ( investigation of 9th prince). Before he passed, Kang Xi made a list of all things he wished the next emperor to accomplish which I am sure in his heart was convinced that 4th would be the man to do it which he did in his 13 years as emperor (this last bit was not in the story but on essays I've read about Yong Zheng).

So I agree with you. That is one point in the story I didn't like. I wouldn't go as far as to say the heir was OBVIOUSLY 4th prince, but it's not as questionable as BBJX made it out to be.

On another note, Nicky Wu's 4th prince is exactly how I imagined him to be when reading later essays on Yinzhen. I'll go dig some up to share with you girls.

I've been a big fan of Yong Zheng for a long time so to have a drama depict him in a more positive light and with Nicky Wu play him was a cherry on top for me. As a child (my dad's a big history buff so we watched a lot of documentaries and read history books in my house when growing up), I was always convinced that 4th was not the evil, cruel ruler like the older dramas made him out to be. I'll leave the cruelty to Mr. Cruel himself, (DUN DUN DUN) qin shi huang (who is also one of my favourites because he's so fascinating).

PHEWWW LONG POST!

And also Annbug's.

I don't mean to attack 14 fans here... and it should not be like that (we BBJX fans should stick to each other no matter who our prince favourite is). But all what you said about 4 and 14 here I agree with you two ladies. Including Four's ascension.

[118mjl]

Someone please write a series review on spcnet!! It's currently rated a 3 out of 5 by someone!!! The blasphemy!!!

[tweety365]

Someone please write a series review on spcnet!! It's currently rated a 3 out of 5 by someone!!! The blasphemy!!!

WHAT?! That is blasphemy! What part of this awesome show deserves a 3?

I'd write a review, but I haven't finished watching yet. Still waiting for subs . But yeah, someone should definitely write a good review.

EDIT: Ok, I went to check out the review. Turns out, it is not a review, but just a rating. I thought it was strange that a review was posted up so soon when the series just finished airing. Usually takes weeks for the submission to be approved. Anyway, the person that rated the series is spcnet (she created this forum) and a 3 stars for her is a good series. But BBJX deserves 5 stars!

[Liu Xiao Xiao]

Hightlight: Yuan Hong/13th

[guoluoluo]

Not really, I'd say 3 is good enough!