Word of Honor Thoughts
Dec. 30th, 2021 10:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaEpisode 36
This episode felt so quiet and low-key after the devastation that was the previous episode, and thus felt more like a wrap-up episode than anything. But I liked it. The ending leaves it very open to Zishu and Kexing's fate and I like that too. All we know is that at that point in his future (less then a decade later) Chengling doesn't know what happened to them.
+ I love that as Kexing's hands begin to fall Zishu grabs him. I love that they start to slip a second time but again Zishu catches them and refuses to let go. It feels very important and symbolic to me that Zishu catches him the second time.
The fact that Kexing finds the Yin Yang Book, the greatest healing book, right at the entrance of the Armoury and leaves it in Zishu's keeping felt very pointed.
Then there is Baiyi. Right from the start he states "No one dies". (I was a little 'what happened to that?!' when he followed it up with basically 'you will die Kexing', like does he not count? But he does count to Baiyi, and more Baiyi knows that it wouldn't be a good end for Zishu if Kexing were to die. He's already seen and thus understands their devotion to each other). He checks that Kexing was willing to die for Zishu (duh) and was pleased that he was (this felt like a final test, tbh. Perhaps them both being able to survive rests on them being willing to die for the other, without hesitation?). He then states that 'no common body can survive being the furnace' - but that doesn't actually equal death, does it?
Specifically Baiyi states that this, what he's doing, is the entire reason he's endured and struggled all these years. But it makes no sense to me to put all that on simply saving Zishu. Who is Zishu that saving his life would be enough to make all of Baiyi's struggles worth it? But. If he could use all his knowledge/learning to save two soulmates willing to die for each, to save two good men, to prevent them from suffering what he's suffered could that not be worth it?
What I found most interesting was him stating that he would transfer his own Combined Six Cultivation Power to Kexing. Could that be enough to no longer make Kexing a "common body". Could it be enough to let Kexing survive being the furnace for Zishu long enough for Zishu to use the Yin Yang Book to save his life? I think so.
+ So much love for Kexing showing up out of nowhere to take his pin from Zishu's hair and reveal it's the key to the Armoury, saving their lives. I have an untold amount of delight over the fact that Kexing took his most precious object and placed it in Zishu's hair, and then left it with him.
+ "As long as you're alive, there is hope. If you die, there's nothing left." I love how true this is for both of them. They are willing to die for the other without hesitation. Neither wants to live if the other dies. But both are very protective of the other's life and are unwilling to let them die. The ways these all conflict are kind of amazing. They are ridiculous and I love them.
Kexing sadly says "The one surviving will be the most painful" as he gives his life so Zishu can live and like, you dick. Him tricking Zishu and so he could force him to do something he can't bear himself (live while the other dies) because he also can't bear the idea of Zishu dying at all is just so them, tbh.
I really wish the show had spent some time on Kexing grappling with the fact that Zishu choose death to revenge Kexing's 'death' and because he didn't want to live without him either. That is a major thing especially for someone like Kexing who is so damaged by his past. He didn't tell Zishu the truth about himself because he was afraid it would cause Zishu to turn away from him and I'm not sure if he ever really realised how much Zishu loved him back, that he was as devoted to Kexing as Kexing was to him. But learning that Zishu couldn't bear life without him either - that had to have changed everything, no? Plus it was just such an anticipated moment and I feel so cheated not to get more of a reaction. We deserved a reaction! Where's all the delicious angst?!
+ "Have you ever thought about how I would be after I learned the truth?" - Kexing. I mean. Basically their entire history is filled with this question. Very specifically there was that time recently when he faked his death without telling Zishu. Why didn't he sneak into Zishu's room so he was there when he woke or send someone else to tell him? How did he imagine Zishu would react to learning Kexing died? His anger at Zishu here is understandable but he doesn't really have a leg to stand on. (Honestly the real problem is that Zishu thought this through and drugged Kexing to keep him out of the way, if Kexing had done that with Zishu this whole armoury visit probably wouldn't have happened.)
+ I love that Kexing knew that if Zishu was going to his death he would definitely wear the pin Kexing gave him.
+ I wish that it had lingered a little more on Kexing learning that Zishu was dying. Again.
+ Yay for Baiyi showing up to go 'fuck that' to Zishu's suicide plan. That was amazing. His grumbling about how they're all stupid amused me a lot.
+ Baiyi being all pleased with Kexing for the first time over his willingness to die for his soulmate made me awww.
+ Did Baiyi give up his immortality to Kexing so that he could save Zishu/potentially survive it?
+ Chengling's ending made me so happy for him. He spend the whole series losing one family after another so for him to end up with a family of his own is lovely. He and Xiaoling getting married was unexpected but I can see how it could happen. He was so happy with his daughter, he's surrounded by students. He has a good life. (Seriously, there is an alternate version of this series with Chengling as the hero and it works perfectly without changing anything except the focus/POV.)
eta: He named his daughter after Xiang! I missed it the first time and that makes me so happy-sad. I'm teary-eyed over it.
+ I rather love that Xie Wang trying to have a villain moment with Zishu but Zishu is not paying attention at all, and even interrupts the beginning of Xie Wang's monologue to talk to himself. Heh. Sorry Xie'er but you deserved that.
+ Even with the avalanche coming Xie'er tried to save Zhao Jing. Or perhaps he wanted one last look before death? Being buried in the snow is such a pointless sad death for him. I'm choosing to believe that he escaped somehow and it all (the avalanche, Zhao Jing's death, losing the Armoury) knocked some sense into his head. That he returned home to gather Evil Bodhisattva and Pretty Arhat and then disappeared to find a better life for all of them.
+ I loved Zishu pulling Chengling into a hug and comforting him.
+ Zishu forcing Chengling to lie to Kexing about where he is and what he's doing - it's like Kexing's fake death all over again except with more forcing your child to lie to their other parent for you. Fail, Zishu, shame on you.
+ I liked the little backstory we got on Baiyi's appreciation of food and huge appetite as well as his aging.
+ The Armoury was way more extensive than I was expecting. It's so big. I'd love to explore it.
+ When Xie Wang let Peng Ju open the armoury I was waiting for there to be some sort of booby-trap. I'm glad it was Zishu who killed him.
+ I liked that the original purpose of the Armoury was a warehouse full of tools and seeds and farming knowledge, and that was what those who originally created it thought was most important.
+ Bei Yuan and Wu Xi as characters are fine but very underused. They're sort of just there. I mean, there is clearly a lot of history between them and Zishu, Bei Yuan calls himself Zishu's best friend, and yet the show really doesn't engage with it? We don't get scenes between Zishu and them building on their relationship. They don't form a close relationship with any of their others. They're them, they're helpful and kind and supportive and basically that's it. I wish the show had spent a little more time on them.
This episode felt so quiet and low-key after the devastation that was the previous episode, and thus felt more like a wrap-up episode than anything. But I liked it. The ending leaves it very open to Zishu and Kexing's fate and I like that too. All we know is that at that point in his future (less then a decade later) Chengling doesn't know what happened to them.
+ I love that as Kexing's hands begin to fall Zishu grabs him. I love that they start to slip a second time but again Zishu catches them and refuses to let go. It feels very important and symbolic to me that Zishu catches him the second time.
The fact that Kexing finds the Yin Yang Book, the greatest healing book, right at the entrance of the Armoury and leaves it in Zishu's keeping felt very pointed.
Then there is Baiyi. Right from the start he states "No one dies". (I was a little 'what happened to that?!' when he followed it up with basically 'you will die Kexing', like does he not count? But he does count to Baiyi, and more Baiyi knows that it wouldn't be a good end for Zishu if Kexing were to die. He's already seen and thus understands their devotion to each other). He checks that Kexing was willing to die for Zishu (duh) and was pleased that he was (this felt like a final test, tbh. Perhaps them both being able to survive rests on them being willing to die for the other, without hesitation?). He then states that 'no common body can survive being the furnace' - but that doesn't actually equal death, does it?
Specifically Baiyi states that this, what he's doing, is the entire reason he's endured and struggled all these years. But it makes no sense to me to put all that on simply saving Zishu. Who is Zishu that saving his life would be enough to make all of Baiyi's struggles worth it? But. If he could use all his knowledge/learning to save two soulmates willing to die for each, to save two good men, to prevent them from suffering what he's suffered could that not be worth it?
What I found most interesting was him stating that he would transfer his own Combined Six Cultivation Power to Kexing. Could that be enough to no longer make Kexing a "common body". Could it be enough to let Kexing survive being the furnace for Zishu long enough for Zishu to use the Yin Yang Book to save his life? I think so.
+ So much love for Kexing showing up out of nowhere to take his pin from Zishu's hair and reveal it's the key to the Armoury, saving their lives. I have an untold amount of delight over the fact that Kexing took his most precious object and placed it in Zishu's hair, and then left it with him.
+ "As long as you're alive, there is hope. If you die, there's nothing left." I love how true this is for both of them. They are willing to die for the other without hesitation. Neither wants to live if the other dies. But both are very protective of the other's life and are unwilling to let them die. The ways these all conflict are kind of amazing. They are ridiculous and I love them.
Kexing sadly says "The one surviving will be the most painful" as he gives his life so Zishu can live and like, you dick. Him tricking Zishu and so he could force him to do something he can't bear himself (live while the other dies) because he also can't bear the idea of Zishu dying at all is just so them, tbh.
I really wish the show had spent some time on Kexing grappling with the fact that Zishu choose death to revenge Kexing's 'death' and because he didn't want to live without him either. That is a major thing especially for someone like Kexing who is so damaged by his past. He didn't tell Zishu the truth about himself because he was afraid it would cause Zishu to turn away from him and I'm not sure if he ever really realised how much Zishu loved him back, that he was as devoted to Kexing as Kexing was to him. But learning that Zishu couldn't bear life without him either - that had to have changed everything, no? Plus it was just such an anticipated moment and I feel so cheated not to get more of a reaction. We deserved a reaction! Where's all the delicious angst?!
+ "Have you ever thought about how I would be after I learned the truth?" - Kexing. I mean. Basically their entire history is filled with this question. Very specifically there was that time recently when he faked his death without telling Zishu. Why didn't he sneak into Zishu's room so he was there when he woke or send someone else to tell him? How did he imagine Zishu would react to learning Kexing died? His anger at Zishu here is understandable but he doesn't really have a leg to stand on. (Honestly the real problem is that Zishu thought this through and drugged Kexing to keep him out of the way, if Kexing had done that with Zishu this whole armoury visit probably wouldn't have happened.)
+ I love that Kexing knew that if Zishu was going to his death he would definitely wear the pin Kexing gave him.
+ I wish that it had lingered a little more on Kexing learning that Zishu was dying. Again.
+ Yay for Baiyi showing up to go 'fuck that' to Zishu's suicide plan. That was amazing. His grumbling about how they're all stupid amused me a lot.
+ Baiyi being all pleased with Kexing for the first time over his willingness to die for his soulmate made me awww.
+ Did Baiyi give up his immortality to Kexing so that he could save Zishu/potentially survive it?
+ Chengling's ending made me so happy for him. He spend the whole series losing one family after another so for him to end up with a family of his own is lovely. He and Xiaoling getting married was unexpected but I can see how it could happen. He was so happy with his daughter, he's surrounded by students. He has a good life. (Seriously, there is an alternate version of this series with Chengling as the hero and it works perfectly without changing anything except the focus/POV.)
eta: He named his daughter after Xiang! I missed it the first time and that makes me so happy-sad. I'm teary-eyed over it.
+ I rather love that Xie Wang trying to have a villain moment with Zishu but Zishu is not paying attention at all, and even interrupts the beginning of Xie Wang's monologue to talk to himself. Heh. Sorry Xie'er but you deserved that.
+ Even with the avalanche coming Xie'er tried to save Zhao Jing. Or perhaps he wanted one last look before death? Being buried in the snow is such a pointless sad death for him. I'm choosing to believe that he escaped somehow and it all (the avalanche, Zhao Jing's death, losing the Armoury) knocked some sense into his head. That he returned home to gather Evil Bodhisattva and Pretty Arhat and then disappeared to find a better life for all of them.
+ I loved Zishu pulling Chengling into a hug and comforting him.
+ Zishu forcing Chengling to lie to Kexing about where he is and what he's doing - it's like Kexing's fake death all over again except with more forcing your child to lie to their other parent for you. Fail, Zishu, shame on you.
+ I liked the little backstory we got on Baiyi's appreciation of food and huge appetite as well as his aging.
+ The Armoury was way more extensive than I was expecting. It's so big. I'd love to explore it.
+ When Xie Wang let Peng Ju open the armoury I was waiting for there to be some sort of booby-trap. I'm glad it was Zishu who killed him.
+ I liked that the original purpose of the Armoury was a warehouse full of tools and seeds and farming knowledge, and that was what those who originally created it thought was most important.
+ Bei Yuan and Wu Xi as characters are fine but very underused. They're sort of just there. I mean, there is clearly a lot of history between them and Zishu, Bei Yuan calls himself Zishu's best friend, and yet the show really doesn't engage with it? We don't get scenes between Zishu and them building on their relationship. They don't form a close relationship with any of their others. They're them, they're helpful and kind and supportive and basically that's it. I wish the show had spent a little more time on them.
