Go East (四方馆)

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This wasn’t even on my to-watch list until I saw that Tan Jian Ci was in there. I didn’t realize he was the main character either, lol. I didn’t want to be spoiled so I just reserved it in iQiyi and waited for it to be aired. So, yeah, there were some elements of surprise for me coming into the drama.

Main Cast:

  • Tan Jian Ci (檀健次) as Yuan Mo (元莫). He was considered to be a “lowlife” to some people and a conman to others around him. Yet, there were hidden talents within him and an intelligent mind that was easily overlooked. It was later revealed that his parents were killed by bandits, so he was left alone since young to survive. That was why he would resort to any method to make a living. He despised authoritative figures and never wanted to step onto that path like how his father did. Like one time he told Lao Yu, his father went and got himself killed and even dragged his mother along. It wasn’t like he hated his father but he hated that his father’s responsibilities had torn their family apart and left him behind with no one. And it wasn’t like he hated the authorities fully, just didn’t like the idea of working for the courts. It wasn’t until he met Ah Shu that his life turned upside down and eventually his perspective changed regarding many things. He was still someone who cherished his life and those people around him but he was forced to take on more responsibilities and proved his worthiness, etc. This was probably one of the roles that was closer to his persona on Hello Saturday, if anyone wanted to compare. Because he was so dramatic and goofy that it was hard to take him seriously. However, when those serious scenes rolled around, he was equally convincing. Yes, strange because he seemed goofy most of the time and wasn’t taking anything seriously. Even when he was captured along with Wang Kun Wu that one time, he even joked about dying with the other guy, etc. Yet those emotional scenes were well delivered. I actually cried when he said those words to Ah Shu after got home from prison, having already signed his life to that job he didn’t care for. It was heartbreaking. Other touching scenes involved memories of his parents.
    • Zhang Jing Hui (张景祎) as Childhood Yuan Mo (小元莫).
  • Zhou Yi Ran (周依然) as Ah Shu (阿术). A con artist who sought for a way to become a permanent resident of Changle. One of the most annoying main leads to date for me. Yes, that extreme. At least, that was the start of the story and whoever the writers were, they didn’t do her any favors by this start because it caused many impatient viewers to give up. I almost did but I hung on a little longer to see how her character was becoming. It turned out that she was actually the long lost princess of Yanle. She had been running for her life the whole time, hence her cunning nature at times. It didn’t excuse what she did to Yuan Mo previously but it explained a little bit of her background and what she did to survive. She wasn’t completely irredeemable either. She did learn from her mistakes and learned to treat those who truly cared for her better, instead of just operating on the self-preservation mode.
    • Li Mei Yi Bing (李美奕冰) as Childhood Ah Shu (小阿术).
  • Du Chun (杜淳) as Wang Kun Wu (王昆吾). The retainer of the West Court of Sifang Pavilion. He used to be part of the military but was demoted and banished to the Sifang Pavilion because of a past mistake. He wished to redeem himself and return to the military as soon as possible so he could find the bandits who killed his sworn brothers. He was tough and strict and kept to his duties at first. The obvious reason was him being a military man and operated on strict rules. Wanting to leave them as soon as possible, he didn’t care to develop new relationships with anyone. However, the others soon grew on him and he was more than reluctant to leave. It wasn’t just because the bandits he sought were around Changle, but he had developed an attachment toward the new friends and the people there in general. This role of Du Chun was a mixture of seriousness of seriousness and silliness along with the others. Sure, he was serious at times but he couldn’t help being petty with wanting to keep his reputation against the East Court either, lol. It has been a long time since I watched Du Chun because I basically avoided his dramas (because of the heaviness of it, lol), so it was really refreshing him in a comedy.
  • Kan Qing Zi (阚清子) as Yu Chi Hua (尉迟华). Duke Er’s daughter. I initially didn’t like her either. No, it wasn’t because I’m against strong women roles, lol. It was just that I didn’t see her purpose and thought she was just using her father’s reputation to throw around some weight. Not to mention how she ordered Yuan Mo to use his brain to solve cases while she was just hanging around. It seemed frustrating. But that was just some poor comedy execution from the writers at first. Her character eventually grew on me when it revealed on her background and goals on how she wanted to prove herself, etc. I was glad to see her being to shine later and got the recognition she deserved. Her father was so proud of her, even if he got super dramatic at times.

Supporting Cast:

  • Wei Zi Xin (魏子昕) as Yu De Shui (于得水). The leader of the Sifang Pavilion. The last that I watched of him was in Legend of Shen Li, so it was strange seeing him in such a role. Yes, comical at first yet revealed that he serious about his job. He just had a really soft spot for Yuan Mo, considering Yuan Mo’s background and how he lost his parents since young. So, sometimes when he excused and tolerated Yuan Mo’s schemes, it was understandable. It highlighted their connection even more. Their bonds became stronger over years, having the only link to Yuan Mo’s parents and somehow, he’d become a father figure to Yuan Mo. The most touching part was their conversation before Yuan Mo left for Yanle and wanted to leave him the house, etc. In the professional setting, he was cautious and took his duties seriously. He weighed matters carefully before making a decision or taking actions. Off time, it was fair game.
  • Wang Cheng Si (王成思) as Lao Ji (老季). An agent of the West Court of the Sifang Pavilion. He was a comedic addition to an already crazy plot. It was fun to see how much stuff he got into with Yuan Mo and others. Was he capable of completing his work? Yes, but he was just not motivated to move more than necessary. It was also funny how much he feared his wife. I almost thought he made up those stories to turn others down. Yet she showed up later. That was hilarious.
  • Shao Wei Tong (邵伟桐) as Qing Er (青儿). Revealed later that he wasn’t really Qing Er but had killed him and posed as him throughout, right in plain sight to witness all the things unfolding in front of him. He was actually the man in white that they’d been looking for all along. That wasn’t the most shocking part of the plot either. Because he was revealed near the end to be Ah Shu’s half-brother. By that time, it was very clear what his agenda was and he had hurt too many people to be forgiven. Even Ah Shu couldn’t forgive him. It wasn’t just because of the suffering she went through, but because of all the people who cared for her and protected her. He even disclosed to her that if Yuan Mo’s parents weren’t carrying her, he would have let them go. And he was how old? That was indeed very creepy. Was it sad and tragic his father didn’t acknowledge him and he was having abandonment issues? Yes, it was very sad. But to harbor such thoughts and hatred? He never showed an ounce of regret either. Everything he did, he justified it away. Everyone and everything around him were just pawns, that he was all about the big picture, not caring about the little details. So, he got his deserved ending. Because he disregarded the lives as see fit. And that he underestimated them all.
    • Guo Dong Can (郭东灿) as Young Man in White (少年白衣客).
    • Yu Li Yang (余励扬) as Childhood Man in White (小白衣客).
  • Shawn Zhang (张舒沦) as An Xiu Yi (安修义). The retainer of the East Court of Sifang Pavilion. I thought he was the male version of Yu Chi Hua at first, lol. I meant they were both equally arrogant and threw their weight around. They had fathers in higher places that could cause others to hesitate or didn’t dare to criticize them. It was also funny how Yu Chi Hua was laughing at him yet she was in the same situation as him, almost. However, as the story developed, it was revealed that he didn’t like it that others were giving him special advantages because of his father. He wanted to use his true abilities to prove himself. Yet his fatal flaw was his arrogance and rash behaviors at times. Was his father too strict on him and came to regret it later? Yes, but there were some things he didn’t understand. I got it that he didn’t like how Yuan Mo seemed to receive favoritism from the others. Yet he failed to see past the facade Yuan Mo was putting up with his lazy acts and sleazy tricks at times. He didn’t realize how smart and capable and Yuan Mo was, living up to the others’ expectations and showed great potential, hence he kept thinking they favored Yuan Mo and gave Yuan Mo chances because of Yuan Mo’s father. He was also jealous of Wang Kun Wu but that was another story. As the story progressed, he indeed was more attentive to things around him and wasn’t so arrogant anymore. That talk with Wang Kun Wu showed a sense of awareness and maturity. Then it took losing Su Su for him to understand the situation fully. He’d been waiting all that time wanting approval from his father and aiming for high things that didn’t interest him, not spending time with those who cared for him or actually focus on things that mattered to him. That speech to Yuan Mo showed that he had gone a long way. It was also important because he didn’t always have to be in front line to contribute to the overall picture. He could step back and trust others to get it done. Like how he wanted Yuan Mo to go and make them proud. Even they all knew Yuan Mo’s motivation was mostly because of Ah Shu, Yuan Mo had shown plenty of times regarding his de-escalation methods and his strategy. An Xiu Yi indeed was very suitable to follow Lao Yu’s footstep in leading Sifang Pavilion and overseeing everything. That didn’t mean he was the best leader or knew all the answers (just like Lao Yu) but he knew how and when to coordinate all aspects to match the different plans. And he finally understood to think for the overall picture, not acting out of rashness anymore.
  • Wang Zi Fei (王子菲) as Lin Su Su (林素素). An agent of the East Court of the Sifang Pavilion. She often wore men uniform for work and accompanied An Xiu Yi on most missions as allowed. At first, I felt she was a kiss-up, kept criticizing and picking fights with the West Court because she was trying to score points with An Xiu Yi. It got worse when I realized she liked him. However, her character grew on me overtime. She wasn’t oblivious to things and wasn’t trying to suck up to anyone for points. She was just very hardworking and found the West Court intolerable for not doing their absolute best. She was proud of their East Court and was willing to accept any challenges. When the relations of both courts improved, she and An Xiu Yi became friends with some of the key characters as well. So, that helped in some ways. They still remained professional during work and sometimes were at odds because of different strategies but they weren’t so hostile toward one another anymore. To think the day that she decided to wear a beautiful outfit to celebrate an important event with the townspeople (or that was the initial plan), she was taken down. It was so abrupt and tragic. What was choking was how An Xiu Yi finally realized her existence yet it was too late. I honestly thought that was their turn around and start. Yet didn’t realize it was also their ending. It was later revealed in her diary more about how she decided to join the East Court and how she ended up liking An Xiu Yi. It was so sad. She deserved all the justice for what happened, and they didn’t fail her.
  • Zhou Li Jie (周历杰) as Shen Bai Lian (沈百炼). An agent of the West Court of the Sifang Pavilion. He was hilarious for the most part alongside Lao Ji. What irked me at one point was him siding with Ah Shu and piling on Yuan Mo like he did nothing wrong. So, I thought those times he was wrong and imprisoned later was just karma for how he tried to shrug off responsibilities and distance himself from Yuan Mo previously. They did try their best to clear his names. So, it was already going easy on him.
  • Wang Shuo (王槊) as An Yuan Dao (安远道). An Xiu Yi’s father. He was a respectable member of the royal courts and handled major issues. He was proud of his work and wanted his son to do well as well. That was why he was strict with An Xiu Yi. Yet, he pushed so far that he lost his son. It would take a lot of healing to undo those damages. Because he realized it too late. He apologized too late. So, I didn’t feel sorry for him for receiving such a backlash. Was An Xiu Yi immature and rash at times? Yes. But as someone who supposed to know better, An Yuan Dao failed his son. It was great that he finally tried the forward approach and talked to his son, having a heart to heart. Yet, his justifications and disregarding his wife and kid during those years could never be undone, considering how his wife already passed away. He also hinted that the country was more important, somewhat justifying his negligence. Sure, the country was important and work needed to be done. But he didn’t care to put in at least some effort during those important years.
  • Zhang Lei (张垒) as Kang Yun Hai (康云海). The deputy envoy of Yanle. He was convincing all right. He had us good. He was so arrogant and fierce with his acts each time he confronted them that made it both scary and annoying. I guess that was how he managed to survive all these years inside the lion’s den. I swear I was just randomly tossing out outrageous guesses when I said he was the mole within the group. Yet, it turned out to be true, lol. He had to remain in character to convince the enemy that he was loyal and knew nothing of the so-called princess. His plan was brilliant until the last moment. Because he had a surprise card in his deck that the Man in White didn’t know. And that was like a last gift to the Man in White from beyond the graves. His death was also quite tragic but not too alarming. I didn’t say I wanted him to die, lol. I knew he was in a dangerous place, so it wouldn’t be too shocking. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t frustrating. So, I was glad Ah Shu chose him over her so-called brother later on.
  • Hei Zi (黑子) as Duke Er (鄂国公). Yu Chi Hua’s father. After having taken on many dark roles, he finally got to relax with this role. That didn’t mean he was slacking off in the acting department though. Because comedy was always the hardest, needing to put the right touches to it. He was hilarious throughout. He cracked me up so much that he ended up being one of my favorite characters–even if he only appeared from time to time. And sometimes, I even wondered if he was related to Yuan Mo, like a really distant uncle, lol. Because they were equally dramatic at times.
  • Joe Xu (徐海乔) as Duomi (多弥). The exiled prince of Mobei. He loved to travel and critiqued food. He liked Ah Shu and confessed to her at one point, and got turned down. What was funnier was how he said that he would be returning home and accepting his fate with marrying the princess of Yanle, not realizing that was Ah Shu, lol. It was strange that he didn’t fight harder for her after realizing she was actually his fiancée and even agreed to call off the marriage completely. I meant, he had more power at that point and it was his right as a prince to go forward with the marriage. Yet he actually he took the high road and respected her. Not to mention acknowledging of her and Yuan Mo’s relationship. He was indeed quite easygoing and didn’t hold grudges against Yuan Mo, considering how Yuan Mo had jokingly said at one point he wished Duo Mi was dead, lol. (It was the part where he appeared out of nowhere to save them and surprised Ah Shu.) The majority of his scenes were hilarious, with the exception of mourning his loyal guard’s death. That was indeed another tragic death. Like he faked his death and got out of danger yet his guard was gone. What was admirable about him, aside from his letting go of the arranged marriage thing, was how he managed to build his own allies and treated them well, honoring those who had been loyal with him all along, etc.

Others:

  • Huo Zheng Yan (霍政谚) as Jiang Wu (江伍).
  • Wang Xiao (王潇) as Ma Zhi Wen (马治文).
  • Zhang Jia Hang (张佳航) as Long Bei Na (龙卑那). Long Tu Qi’s son. He was seriously arrogant and annoying. It made sense because he was giving so much power and chose to do whatever he wanted, not caring about anyone or anything.
  • Yu Yang (于洋) as Leader Bai (白馆长).
  • Ye Qing (叶青) as Bai Su Qin (白素琴). Leader Bai’s daughter, Yui Chi Hua’s cousin.
  • Song Han Yu (宋涵宇) as Mu Yi Kuan (慕一宽). He was a con artist.
  • Tan Xiao Fan (谭晓凡) as Hong Ye (红叶). Mu Yi Kuan’s maid and accomplice at one point. She turned on him when she realized he was willing to sacrifice her for his plans. She initially helped him by posing as Bai Su Qin’s maid. She also had her own agenda.
  • Chen Xiao Yun (陈小纭) as Ashilan (阿史兰). Ah Shu’s childhood friend. She arrived in Changle to find work and reunited with Ah Shu by a coincidence. Yet it was revealed later that she was sent by the Man in White to investigate Ah Shu and her “uncle” thus leading to many complications and Deputy Envoy Kang’s death. Ah Shu had guessed the reason why she trusted the Man in White so much was because he was the lost prince of Yanle. Yet that was never confirmed because she was no longer around to confirm. I wished so much they had let her survive until the end and let her see for herself what kind of man she was following. Or would that have made a difference? Because she justified her actions for her past lost with any reason regardless. Or, if I wanted to assume even more, she wanted to become the queen when Man in White became the king.
    • Liu Mei Xi (刘美希) as Childhood Ashilan (小阿史兰).
  • Melody Tang (汤梦佳) as Xiao E (小娥). She was a member of the Red Lotus Society. She was actually the disciple of the leader. She pretended to be their ally and lured them into the trap later. It was revealed that she had a very pitiful background and she was forced to carry along with her master’s plan. She was poisoned when she didn’t want to do it anymore. So, she’d been living with the poison for the longest time. Although her life was such a tragedy, I was already out of sympathy points when she finally confessed and told her real story. Yes, I’m heartless like that. Because seriously, she was really arrogant when she wanted them to release her, etc. When she realized she couldn’t get away, she finally played the pity card. I guess it made sense with her bitterness and trying to look out for herself after all these years of suffering, just like Ah Shu in some ways. But like I said, I ran out of sympathy points by then. Her last moments were indeed sad.
  • Vanessa Wang (王伊瑶) as Hua Xiao Niang (花小娘). She was a in conspiracy to take down a certain someone for revenge and pleaded with others to help bring justice to this one family. Yes, I have forgotten since it was awhile back and I watched it so fast, lol. But it gave a different perspective to the whole situation. The last time I saw her was in Legend of Shen Li and this indeed gave a different vibe.
  • Zhao Ke (赵柯) as Mrs. Lee (李夫人).
  • Zong Feng Yan (宗峰岩) as Yuan Han Jing (元汉景). Yuan Mo’s father, a former envoy of Sifang Pavilion. It was strange seeing him portraying Yuan Mo’s father, lol. Okay, it made more sense that it was when Yuan Mo was still young and his parents did die quite young, but still strange. But in both Yuan Mo and Lao Yu’s memories, he was somewhat strict with the usual discipline yet was also willing to explain things to Yuan Mo reasonably. He was also quite heroic during the scene where he and his wife tried to save the baby princess and bring her to safety.
  • Ma Xiao Qian (马小茜) as Mrs. Yuan (元夫人). Yuan Mo’s mother. She was kind and loving mother in Yuan Mo’s memory. It was really heartbreaking watching those flashbacks, knowing he would never see her again.
  • Li Mu Yun (李牧芸) as San Niang (三娘). Deputy Envoy Kang’s bodyguard.
  • Zhang Zi Xin (张子鑫) as Si Niang (四娘). Deputy Envoy Kang’s bodyguard.
  • Zhu Zhi Ling (朱致灵) as Huo Zi An (霍子安). His family designed weapons and provided them to the government as needed. He liked Yu Chi Hua but she only treated him as a brother figure.
  • Zhou Xiao Chuan (周小川) as Long Tu Qi (龙突麒). The person responsible for so much pain and suffering in here. He was mentioned a lot throughout for all the things he did yet only appeared a little near the end. Funniest thing was he was also in Legend of Shen Li and he portrayed a goofy yet noble general in the other one. It was like he and Lao Yu swapped roles, lol. And yes, he was indeed brutal and ruthless liked legend had it. What was surprising was how fast he went down near the end. He also didn’t know what hit him. He had too much confidence, thinking that everything was within his grasp.
  • Chen Guan Ying (陳冠英) as Abili (阿必里). Ah Shu and Ashilan’s childhood friend from this one village. He was a surprise twist to the plot. I meant, I totally got that he would eventually betray someone because of how he was treated. Yet I didn’t realize he was the final chess piece Deputy Envoy Kang left behind to complete their plan. They didn’t realize it at first until he approached them later. Yet it was really unexpected. Ah Shu was, of course, very happy he was still alive and was saved by her Uncle Kang. One of the reasons why I wanted to see Ashilan alive. So she could see one of her childhood friends still alive and what actions he took to avenge their village. Perhaps, then, she would change her mind. Or once again, it was my wishful thinking to ever see Ashilan changing her mind.
    • Wang Meng Jun Qi (王孟隽麒) as Childhood Abili (小阿必里)

Likes:

  • The mystery. I’m always a fan of mystery and crime solving dramas so this was one of the recent gems for me because of that. Although the series veered away from small cases and focused on the main plot later but it still retained the mystery aspect so I was still intrigued by their next moves.
  • The comedy. At first, I had to get used to it a bit. Aside Tan Jian Ci, I hadn’t seen any others before. Well, I have seen Du Chun but he was serious for the most part at first. But I really liked their interactions and their characters trying to get along. The female leads were a bit hard to like because of their arrogance at first and how Ah Shu had caused Yuan Mo to be imprisoned, so yeah. The East Court people were snobs. So, it was stretching things. Yet, things turned around several episodes later and I had more faith in the plot because Yu Chi Hua wasn’t that annoying anymore. It mostly had to do with how her story developed a bit more than the bossy nature, etc. Ah Shu seemed to learn from her past and wasn’t causing trouble for Yuan Mo anymore, so yeah. It became more enduring, even if the East Court people were still so arrogance. I get it, not everyone have to get along but there had to be some side story attached to it to convince me to go on. And indeed, that was what they did, elaborating each character and allowing us to understand their perspective, etc. The bickering no longer seemed hostile but was just some side pettiness and silly snipes.
  • The chemistry between Tan Jian Ci and Zhou Yi Ran. I don’t know how they did it. Maybe it was both’s acting skills. Maybe it was the music. I was so mad at Ah Shu for lying and causing Yuan Mo to be imprisoned and forced to go on a path he didn’t like (aka working for Sifang Pavilion). That speech I mentioned earlier was very heartbreaking. It seemed like the point of no return for them. I was still very annoyed when she got herself hurt and then ran to seek asylum elsewhere again. Yet when the scene of Yuan Mo running around searching for her and she was trying to reach him, it was very touching. When they finally found each other and united, it was like I had forgotten why in the world they were at odds for. Their chemistry going forward was equally addicting to watch. I was wondering when they would get together, etc. It wasn’t like I wanted them to be together right then. It was more wanting to watch more of their story and see how the details would be developed even more, etc. Whoever said Zhou Yi Ran was too ugly for the main lead role and not compatible with Tan Jian Ci, you assholes, you said the same thing about Tan Jian Ci being too ugly and short to be portraying Xiang Liu. Just stop. Seriously. (And if you say that from being a fan of Tan Jian Ci, still wrong, because Tan Jian Ci wouldn’t want you say that about his co-stars. For someone who suffered from severe anti-fan backlash, I’m sure he wouldn’t want to see his co-stars suffer from the same thing.)
  • The fact that they didn’t force An Xiu Yi to get along with his father. It was a recurring theme in recent series where they forced all the families to resolve matters to get along–regardless of how ridiculous it was. So, I liked it that they didn’t force it completely. Sure, An Xiu Yi learned what was important to him and that speech he delivered to Yuan Mo showed great maturity. However, it didn’t mean he could let go of everything completely. It had been a major wound to him growing up and he wasn’t ready. So, it would to be too much to forgive his father like that. Regardless of how his father had his reasons for the strict discipline or the busy schedules because of his responsibilities.
  • The elaborate planning leading to the last moments of the last battle against the Man in White. I was on the edge when I saw how the main characters were walking right into the trap without any backup plans. It seemed too much. I wanted to guess they were planning something but because recent productions kept making it so tragic and making the main characters somehow losing their IQ during important moments that I thought it was a sudden lapse to dramatize everything. Yet the planning since they left for Yanle and eventually coordinating with their allies were so nice and satisfying that I forgave them for some of the earlier incidents. Well, almost. Yes, I was still sore that Su Su died. But I was glad they didn’t go all out on forgiving the Man in White just because he was Ah Shu’s brother. He not only killed Deputy Envoy Kang, Su Su, and many other innocent people, but also Yuan Mo’s parents. How could he be forgiven just like that?
  • BTS. Those were hilarious. I didn’t plan on watching them at first because I didn’t want to become obsessed but the auto-plays got to me. Zhou Yi Ran was hilarious along with Tan Jian Ci. The part where they were practicing the speech in front of their new house, she was talking about future plans with him. That got both of them thinking that Ah Shu was pregnant, but it was meant to say she would always be with him, etc. But Zhou Yi Ran ended up saying that she (aka her character) would name the kid “Yuan Liang Wo” (Forgive Me / 原諒我), which got the others laughing. Yes, it was a pun for Yuan (元). There were other equally hilarious scenes with other cast members too. At least, the main cast.

Dislikes:

  • Almost everyone looked down on Yuan Mo because he wasn’t ambitious at first. I’m seriously sick and tired of people who thinks others who value peace and quiet and a normal life is lazy nor unworthy of living. It seems extreme but that how it is. In this case, it probably made sense that back then, if they didn’t have ambitious goals, they weren’t worth anything. For Yuan Mo’s case, he initially didn’t want to become like his father because his father died and dragged his mother along too. It wasn’t exactly like that. But to him, it had scarred him for so many years. So, it took him a lot of time to heal and come back from that. Being a kid and all alone like that all these years. Even though Old Yu had looked out for him, it wasn’t the same without his parents. Was it too much to be angry at those circumstances and not wanting to be involved with government positions anymore? Even if he didn’t have that type of background, why was it such a shame he liked to live a simple life? If everyone took some sort of important position, who would be doing regular jobs? Seriously.
  • Ashilan’s death. Not because I sympathize with her but I wanted her to survive and see the things the Man in White had done and how she would too be tossed aside after the Man in White was done with his plans. Was what happened to her parents and her village tragic? Yes. But I never liked it that she pushed the blame on Ah Shu fully. It just didn’t make sense. Especially, how Ah Shu was still a kid and was still processing the situation. She had to run for her life since she was a baby. I said it elsewhere already, was Ah Shu supposed to call a time-out or ask the assassins for an intermission so she could go back to the village to check on things? She was also hunted down and almost died numerous times too. I would go as far to say, would it be all right to blame Ashilan’s parents’ death on Ashilan since she was right there and couldn’t stop those people from killing her parents? Sounds ridiculous? That was the point. Or was Ashilan thinking that if her boyfriend (yes, I’m calling the Man in White that now) was capable of murdering Yuan Mo’s parents at such a young age, then Ah Shu could do for more for her people at such an age too, then fine. She probably didn’t know more about the Man in White than he led on, but her hatred and refusal to believe Ah Shu was really something. And if one wanted to say why Ah Shu didn’t do anything either when she was older, what was she supposed to do? Having no power and all. If she jumped out, she would be killed just like that. If they rather she would acted like a hero for two seconds before being killed off, then fine. But the lack of allies and resources would get her killed faster than anything. It wasn’t all fame and glory like they made it out to be. How could she help her people then?
  • Su Su’s death. That was shocking. I so didn’t see it coming. Considering the majority of the series revolved around comedic scenes of the East Court and West Court competing and trash talk, it seemed safe to assume the majority will make it. Most did but Su Su didn’t. Not to mention how they were hinting at the beginning of the possible Su Su and An Xiu Yi pairing when she was seen dressed in women clothing again. It was just for that one event but it was hopeful and I thought they were moving forward to develop that story arch. I didn’t expect them to move in to kill her off just like that. It was already obvious she had feelings for him. She did admire his worth ethics but it was obvious she cared for him beyond that. They just needed to develop his side of the story and then wrap it up. But they thought otherwise. This was the sole reason why I didn’t want the Man in White to get away with it all. Losing Deputy Envoy Kang was sad but it was somewhat expected because he was living in the lion’s den after all. (I didn’t say I wanted him to die, just that the risk was higher.) But Su Su? It was fast and heartbreaking. It did change An Xiu Yi’s perspective but I thought they could have worked it around like she could be injured but wasn’t fatal, etc. He could still learn to cherish others around him and change his perspective after almost losing her. It didn’t have to go all the way.
  • San Niang and Si Niang. NOT that I hated them with every fiber of my soul. But I was really, really, really annoyed with them after they became Ah Shu’s bodyguards. Sure, they might have silently helped Ah Shu at one point (per Deputy Envoy Kang’s instructions) and they were trying to protect her reputation later on, but their attitudes made me felt more annoyed than liked them. Their looking down on Yuan Mo was just beyond outrageous. They liked looking at empty shells, probably. If it wasn’t for Yuan Mo, Ah Shu would have been dead on numerous occasions already, why were they acting like he wasn’t worth anything?
  • The unconvincing background of the Man in White being Ah Shu’s half-brother. It seemed so rushed and still had me scratching my head later on. I do understand some details were concealed on purpose to maintain the mystery yet it made it even less convincing with the Man in White being the only person who could verify that. Most of the parties involved weren’t there anymore to confirm or deny. The way he was going with all his killings and schemes, I could have said he killed the real heir and gotten the artifacts to pose as the heir. It was like how he had done with Qing Er.

Discussions:

  • The novel. This is going to be updated later. But I haven’t read it yet so don’t know how accurate they were to the novel. I read the first part of the saga and was impressed with the refreshing theme and characters involved yet was disappointed with the ending hence not reading this part yet.
  • The theme that Lian Hua Lou should have been. Yes, I liked the Mysterious Lotus Casebook adaptation in its own way, but I felt the vibe was off and too tragic. I felt Go East was more along the line of the vibe that the author intended for Lian Hua Lou. (Yeah, I know, different authors here but I felt it was on par with the characters in this one hence the comparisons.) Although Li Lian Hua’s situation was sad and tragic, he always managed to find humor within all that. So, I felt the adaptation was much more serious and much darker than it was intended. And if people were like if the adaptation was so goofy like that, it wouldn’t become famous like now, I guess that was true. However, it was choking with making some characters who were close friends to Li Lian Hua the villain in some ways and some villains being allies (yes, role swaps) for some of us novel fans too.
  • Chen Xiao Yun was such a bully and a snob on Hello Saturday. Yes, I watched the episode where some of the cast members were on there to promote the drama. I was already disappointed that Zhou Yi Ran wasn’t there with them to promote the drama because I wanted to see more of their off screen interactions. After having watched some of the BTS, I liked Zhou Yi Ran more and more, so yeah. Anyway, what I wanted to say was I was already sad that Zhou Yi Ran wasn’t on. I was also trying hard to hold my bias against Chen Xiao Yun because she was only portraying her role as told. Yes, trying to separate the actress and the role here. Because I came to love some of the people who portrayed the most annoying characters based on their off screen presence alone. So yeah, I was looking forward to like her. But she wasn’t helping the situation when she was being pushy toward Kan Qing Zi. It was when the hosts asked who wanted to volunteer to do the rock/paper/scissors bit to determine which team would start first for a game. She pushed Qing Zi (literally) and said, “You go.” I tried to dismiss it as she was just nervous and didn’t want to be in the limelight hence pushing her teammate to go in her place. But that wasn’t all either. She later was talking nonstop and seeming to be giving some of her teammates directions as how to do the jump rope game like she was the boss of them. I got it that they were all paying attention and wanted to win (for the fun of the events). But she took it to another notch. I tried to dismiss it as that she was probably close to them and that was how they interacted with one another and an outsider like me wouldn’t know. But that was just so off.

Recommended? I think you have to be patient for the initial parts. Because I was also really mad at how they develop the female leads’ intro scenes too. But they grew on me eventually. So, I thought it was worth it. In fact, this was really under-rated compared to some overly dramatic ones of recent.

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