Tian Ya Ke (2021)

BEST PLOT EVER! (explaining some scenes that are hard to get for English speakers)

Only watched this drama because there were no good dramas at that point of time. I didn't have any prior expectations for this drama. But BOYYYYY was it a pleasant surprise!!! I ended up watching this drama 4 times, watching their behind-the-scenes, their concert+variety shows+interviews+fan-made videos. I totally regret watching this drama coz my whole life literally revolves around it right now!!!
As a Mandarin speaker, I feel that you will understand and appreciate the plot and relationships between the characters more if you understand Mandarin. Due to censorship in China, the "romance" of the two male leads has to be displayed subtly through ancient Chinese poetry (romance poetry in particular) and inside jokes. For example, when Ah-Xiang smacked two hot cakes together it's called “贴烧饼” which means a romantic relationship between two men or when ZZS blew WKX's flute and said "sorry I dirtied your flute". Mind you, in the novel, WKX blows a horizontal flute (笛子 which is somewhat like the western flute) but in the drama, he blows a xiao (a vertical flute). “Blowing a xiao" in Mandarin means giving someone a BJ ahem so idk how can ZZH not laugh when he said "I dirtied your xiao". These are just two of many inside jokes XD

Okay. Back to reviewing on their acting. Those who are ZZH's fans would have known that he's a sporty man and all his previous roles are very manly. Fans of the novel were originally unhappy when they saw the cast in 2020 because they felt that ZZH would be too manly to portray ZZS. Hence, I was blown away when ZZH managed to not only bring ZZS to life but even incorporated his own interpretation of ZZS into the character, giving this character flesh and blood. ZZH once said that he originally wanted to play the role of WKX because WKX has more lines and is able to use words to describe his emotions, thus, less difficult for him to portray this character. On the other hand, ZZS is a character with "two thousand layers of dust" (quoted frm the scriptwriter) ie. ZZS is a complicated character with a complicated life. Nonetheless, being an actor for 10 years, ZZH was able to live up to expectations and blew our minds away with his beautiful, gentle, tragic yet powerful A-Xu.

If you can find fault in his acting, it really means that you have yet to understand the drama or the novel :'). There have been some criticisms regarding ZZH's acting (esp in the first ep), claiming that his acting is too bland and stoic. Okay, think about it, ZZS has seen 81 of his SJSZ's brothers died in front of him, it's no brainer that he's gg to be hopeless and helpless and borderline desensitized at that point of time. Furthermore, ZZS only had 2/3 years to live, which means he was basically waiting for death to arrive. For someone who is gg to die anytime soon, how emotional do you expect him to be??? ZZH said in an interview that he knew that there will be ppl criticising his acting, but he would still act out ZZS in a way that he thinks is closer to reality. ZZH is a man of morals. When he stabbed himself with the nails, it wasn't to punish himself. He was seeking death and would like to live 3 years of freedom before dying and he was also abiding by the rules that he had laid out (consistency in his character here). Till the very end, he still thought that the rules laid out by King Jin and Tian Chuang were right because he said that if he had knew that Wu Xi was able to remove the nails, he would have thought of a more fool-proof and more reliable punishment. Some might criticise, saying that "ZZS is a man of morals so why would he even befriend WKX and even become his bosom friend? There is inconsistency in the character!!!" ZZS is a person who doesn't really care abt the wealth and status of a person, what's important to him is the inside of a person. As a master of disguise, ZZS is highly skilled in looking beyond the exterior facade of a person and would not easily belief what's before his eyes. That was why he was so guarded against WKX in the beginning because he was unsure of what WKX was up to. But after being with WKX for quite some time, he saw that WKX wasn't someone with an evil heart. Inferring from when he heard WKX blew the xiao, he said "听这乐声，清正坚韧，百转无悔，非心性无邪者不可得，想不到，这人竟吹得出这等箫声" (basically means that a sound with such clarity and resolute cannot be blown by someone with evil at heart). It was only after befriending WKX did ZZS felt that there is something for him to live for in his life, hence, he wants to live (unlike him previously seeking death).

After watching the BTS, it was obvious that ZZH had given loads of advice on acting to GJ, which helped GJ's acting improve a lot as compared to his previous dramas. This was unsurprising given that GJ only entered the acting industry in 2015/2016 and is a comparatively new actor. I felt that GJ's facial features are outstanding but interesting -- He has puppy eyes but a chiselled jawline. Though extremely good looking, it's hard to find a suitable acting role for him (Chiselled jawline makes him suitable to play characters that are cold, arrogant, powerful etc, but his puppy eyes would clash with such character. Puppy eyes would make him suitable to play characters that are like a sunshine puffball, but his jawline and sharp nose and towering built would be weird), especially when he's a newbie in the industry. Hence, Wen Ke Xing is the perfect PERFECT character for GJ. It's literally tailored for him. Because WKX is a cute, innocent golden retriever with puppy eyes in front of ZZS who is curious abt the mortal realm but he is also the dark, cold-blooded, powerful lunatic leader of the Ghost Valley. When WKX first appeared in the drama, my heart stopped, my breathing stopped, the time stopped, everything stopped. My eyes were glued onto him. And when ZZS and WKX made their first eye contact, BOOM!!!!! Fireworks exploded!!!!!!

WKX is actually quite a complicated character hence some ppl may say that there is a lack of consistency. However, I think that this adds flesh to his character, making him more human and hence, more relatable to the audience. He is like a lotus flower in a muddy pond. Two things that moulded his character: his parents died tragically in front of him hence he wants to get revenge, and he has to endure the abuse and harsh environment in the Ghost Valley where he may get killed anytime. The only things that were keeping him alive before meeting ZZS are to live and get revenge. Despite being a dangerous and difficult to understand person, he isn't a monster. All these are just a shell that he uses to protect himself while growing up in a dark and dangerous Ghost Valley without any warmth and care. Inside him is still an innocent and extremely kind-hearted young boy who has yet to mature. The reason why he hates the evil of the "righteous sects" so much is due to his strong desire and pursuit for "kindness".

To me, if you really understand the plot and characters, it's no surprise why WKX and ZZS would attract each other and become each other's light. They both lost their loved ones at a young age, and had to shoulder responsibilities that boys their age shouldn't be shouldering--ZZS had to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that his brothers of SJSZ live while WKX has to avenge his parents' deaths. They are both lone wolves seeking warmth in a world that doesn't understand them. They are each other's saviour and light.

I love all the other character too!!! There isn't a single character that I hate, except for Cao Wei Ning's shifu. I cried like a baby and will never ever watch ep 32/33 again. My heart can't take the tragedy.

I love the whole crew, from the director and costume designer to the supporting characters and Xiaoyu (ZZH's childhood friend and personal assistant) HAHAHAH!!! The fans of Word of Honor are like the cutest bunch of people ever, extremely supportive and adorable. 山人们最棒了！！！萌萌哒~

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