#wang zhuocheng serving a+ lovestruck looks~

[eigwayne]

Picked up Rebirth for You again. I know this show has bad reviews for being nonsensical so I’m not expecting much. And like, parts are okay, and parts are like, ugh that was just moronic.

Cutting for spoilers. Some good points at the end but I need to vent first:

Baoning was kind of okay at first but her petulance is getting old; I know Ju Jingyi isn’t famous for her acting skill but I saw Legend of White Snake, I know she can lift her chin and not pout, at least. And she wants to be free of the emperor but whenever she’s inconvenienced, she runs back to him to throw his weight around. No wonder he hasn’t backed off yet, he clearly thinks she values him. And she already knows she’s into Li Qian but she isn’t willing to speak up for herself or him at all? He’s got a small army and a father who can send more troops if he needs them, he’s clearly not a complete nobody. If she stopped lying to her grandma about it, grandma might be willing to look into him and support Baoning in getting him out of the Dowager Empress’s control.

Not a huge fan of how she’s leading Zhao Xiao on at the moment, either. I know he turns into the villain later so something is going to sour, but for now? He’s got a crush on a girl and she’s willing to marry him, so he’s stoked. He’s willing to fight for Baoning’s hand, even if it’s against the Emperor. He’s doing nothing wrong and doesn’t realize something’s wrong on her end. Because she didn’t tell him. She’s not into him, her grandma gave her an out, and she didn’t take it. Right now, she’s setting up her own unhappiness and taking him down with her, and I can’t feel sorry for her.

Also, not sure why the show is setting up the duel against an injured Zhao Xiao and the Yongqing prince (love rival #4, by the way, and we’re only on ep 9). Wouldn’t it have been better for Li Qian (who is not injured) to sub in for Zhao Xiao (who was recently STABBED)? The drama of one partner fighting for the other is superb, just look at Hao Du and Leyan in The Long Ballad. Instead they’re deflecting to Zhao Xiao, which takes a prime opportunity for Li Qian and gives it to someone else.

(Granted, it would make far more sense for Known Suitor Zhao Xiao to fight the duel, if he were at full strength. But he’s not, and they had an out and didn’t take it. This is like, the show of wasted opportunities. I thought I wasn’t watching Gundam Seed Destiny again but maybe I should check the headers.)

Plus sides? Li Qian hasn’t gotten to do that much but Joseph Zeng is performing him adequately and I do like him. His side-plot was set up as the main plot in the first ep, and while it is taking a backseat a bit, it’s still the driving force so far and is far more interesting than Baoning’s Reverse Harem Goes Wrong. Wang Zhuocheng is doing well too! He sometimes chews the scenery a bit in other shows (I loved him as Jiang Cheng but he was Acting instead of acting sometimes), but he’s been good so far and his puppy eyes at Baoning are Grade A. And Ju Jingyi’s stupidly dangly headpieces may be elaborate-in-the-wrong-way in this setting but they’re nice inspiration for First Age Tolkien elves, who are renowned for their sparklies~