Ice Fantasy 幻城 - Episode 3 (Recap)

Fire beats Ice in this episode. Actually, I don't see how the Ice Tribe ever got the upper hand. Their asses are whooped so badly! It takes a bit of convincing, but in the end, Kasuo realizes that he really has to go look for those leaves.
SakiVI: Plus, Fire found out Ice's secrets so easily. Makes you wonder why they didn't do that before.
JoAnne: No one was filming them before.
I like the Fire King's nose.
He reminds me of Godfrey Gao somehow.

Episode 3

Little Shi wants to be a hero and give his soul to the evil sword, even if it means he will die in the process. Worst Dad of the Year agrees. Ice Tribe before family and all that. Shi doesn't seem to mind, but he has one condition: his mother and Kasuo, they must be kept in the dark about this. 
I seriously hate the Ice King. I'm all ready for him to lose horribly to the Fire King just because he's so annoying.
I was surprised by his apprehension here. It seems he does have some feeling for his youngest, after all, but he's a 'peace at any price' kind of ruler.
 
Little Prince leaves to get the sword. Under the ever-blooming cherry tree, he hears the sound of a flute... It's his Big Bro, playing on an ice bamboo leaf. It's magical and a present from Kasuo: one person has the leaf and can blow it and the other person with the flute will hear him play anywhere. Way back when Kasuo gave him the magical flute, Shi promised to go to his brother anytime he plays the leaf. But not today.
Kasuo seems to be the only sibling, or member of the Ice Tribe for that matter, who cares about Shi.
Doesn't it seem like it should be the other way around? Not that a feather makes sense on either end of the job. I know, it's a leaf. It looks like a feather, I thought it was a feather, for me it will remain a feather. But if you're going to PLAY something, why would it not be the actual musical instrument?
Woman, you ask too many questions.
On her way back to Snow Capital, Li Luo is stopped by Fire warriors. She convinces them she knows a secret way into the city for a surprise attack so they let her live. She rubs herself on each and every tree she can after that and leads them in circles. She is buying time for her unicorn to find her! It does. Off they go!
The unicorn is one of the best characters in this.
I totally missed the unicorn chatting with someone. Dammit.
Oh no, the unhappy Mermaid Concubine has told the Fire King where the Ice Siblings' strength lies. In prayer beads given to them by their ancestor. They split them up between them, turning them into rings, earrings, chains. Now that the Firelings know, it's easy for them to cut all that stuff off them. The Fire King laughs happily. The Ice Army is defeated! Next stop: Snowy City!
How were the prayer beads even a secret? That sort of thing is never a secret. And how did these Ice Siblings not know to protect their secret strength source? They deserved to lose, frankly. Also, Yan Da looks metal-glam-hot.
I thought those two were both girls for quite a while. In my head they were the Fighting Ice Twins.
There's about six of them? But nevermind, they're soon gone. Oups, spoiler.
Kasuo, who is still trying the heal the Ice Veil, feels a disturbance in the force and runs back to the city... only to learn that he is to leave immediately to go to the mortal realm. Somebody could have told him in a nicer way. Your family is crap, Prince! Of course, he also finds out what Shi is up to and goes to his help immediately.
Torn in so many directions thanks to his incompetent family.
Those little ice piles on his shoulder look like fists formed to say 'fuck you'. I just realized that I find the gesture much more rude than the word...hmm.
The Fire King is at the doors and demands that the Ice King surrender. Despite their powerlessness, the Ice Princes and Princesses try one last stand. It does not end well for them. All dust in the wind.
Maybe the water from which they are formed has significant mineral content and they'll reform into something stronger.
Ice King also tries his luck, but has none. The Fire King shatters his sword. (Sidebar: pffft.) More fighting afterwards, but in the end, the Ice King is defeated. Mr. Fire King declares himself Ruler over the Three Realms. Can you please change your outfit though.
This is just ridiculously easy. Why is it so easy? And phallic? Why is everything so phallic?
In the meantime, Prince Shi got to the "Bottomless Pit" (Dramafever) also called "Endless Cave" (on viki). Basically, it doesn't terminate in any way. Except that he, you know, ends up at the bottom of it. He's the only one that actually makes it to where the sword is sealed. He awakens the sword demons and tells them no devouring him without a promise: they must assist the Ice Tribe against the Fire King. Yup, the main demon thinks he can do it. But he wants some spices on Shi's soul: fear. And of course, Shi's biggest fear is to see Kasuo dying. Since he is imagining it, his soul is now seasoned well for the demons.
The cheese is real.
Also a popular flavoring.
Before the demon can get to his feast, Kasuo gets there and scares the demon away. Kasuo's attempt at getting the sword is thwarted by the cave's collapse. I think the demon was just pissed off. Or maybe Kasuo didn't taste nice.
He looks bland. Like Vanilla Ice. (ROFL at own joke.)
Damn, you beat me to it. Good one!
The Fire King sends some of his men and his two wayward children to go get Kasuo - and then even goes over himself. Kasuo is that important. But the Ice Prince sacrifices the bad CGI snow lion and escapes. When he learns that he and Shi are the only survivors of the royal offspring, he finally accepts that it is him and him alone that has to go get that leafy crystal. 
Is Kasuo a powerful wizard? I haven't understood why he's so important.  
Yes, he possesses the most magic of them all and that is why he is the heir.
Big ice balls. The biggest.

Comments

Those ice siblings were stupid. Everybody could have told them they would lose. Duh.
They should've protected their secret strength source better. And been nicer, kinder people. Maybe set up a rescue for abandoned snow lions.
Who were they mean to? 
Shi. He's known to be the one prince mocked and ignored. His mother also mocked and ignored. The only one showing proper respect to her as stepmother and love to him as a brother was Kasuo.

I felt a bit sad for the snow lion, who gave his best. But the Fire King's CGI was just better. I hope Kasuo finds another spirit animal or at least something nice to play with. He is such a solemn prince. I hope his quest is fun.
I don't think he'll cheer up any time soon since he's such a cold man.
Oh, do you think he's cold to the touch? Might be handy to have around for the summer.
There's a reason ice cubes are used in foreplay.

Actually, I cannot wait for it to begin. I love quests! Ice Crystal with leaves, here we come!
I packed snacks.
Woohoo!