Ice Fantasy 幻城 - Episode 7 (Recap)
This episode introduces JoAnne's favorite Ice Fantasy character: The Tiger Demon! Sadly, it's only a very short appearance. But never fear! There is tons of excitement again while the first of the ice crystal leaves is found ... and lost again. Oh well, don't be sad. There will be other chances.
SakiVI: This Tiger Demon was very Doctor Who. The old Doctor Who where Daleks were clearly made of tin foil. Okay, maybe it was a little bit better quality than that. Actually, looking at it again, I rather like the eye makeup.
JoAnne: I mean, come on. They didn't even try. Some producer's theater-major kid wanted a summer job and here you go: Cats, WAY off-Broadway!
What a cute baby-cub!
Very cute. Since DF said it was a Golden LILY, I was a little confused here. Or is the Lily that stringy thing under the baby's head? Side note: Why the pointed toe, Kasuo?
Healer Boy needs the pollen, so he hands the Tiger Demon baby to Kasuo who rocks the child on his arms, smiling happily. Awwww. But uh-oh, but here is momma Tiger Demon! Yes, Kasuo, she probably wants the child you have in your arm? They zip away for a bit, she follows, and then, Kasuo makes an ice bird and gives it to Tiger Demon Momma, together with the child.
Kasuo barely knows LiLuo and he's already thinking babies. Sweet.
I suppose it's good he didn't throw the baby and run, but why not just give her the baby in the first place?
End of Tiger Demon sequence. Okay, drama. Why? (by the way, I realize that this show is very much like going to the theater. This is exactly what a Tiger Demon would look like on stage)
Why? Because there was a cute baby on set and they needed to use it.
I revise my earlier theory: Some producer's wife, a theater-major in college, wants to break into the biz but insists that her child be allowed on set also.
Our two women are now in the cave. Which is .... the Rat Demon's cave! Ha! Knew it!!! The friendly man is in truth the Rat Demon! Li Luo fights with him and Luna shoots off a distress signal rocket to alert Kasuo. Alerted he is and come to the womens' help he does! But oh no, Luna is now also poisoned by the Rat Demon! She has deep dark circles under her eyes to prove it.
They weren't too smart, these warrior women. Also, wow, luna is so pretty! Whoever this actress is, I want to see her in more stuff.
Luna's very pretty and very familiar, but then so is the rat demon. Familar. Not pretty.
Kasuo wants the ice crystal, but before he gets anywhere in his discussion, the Fire Brat arrives and annoys everyone. She also wants the ice crystal. But: the Rat Demon does not have the ice crystal! He says he's far too weak for something so powerful - he only had a look at it when Healer Boss came by. Ever since, the poor Rat Demon hasn't dared leave the mountain!
Gosh, Healer Boss must be really scary.
Perhaps he's the reason Koreans have a saying about giving someone the disease and then the cure.
Shi overhears the guards saying how sick the older Yue sister is, so he sneaks out of his prison with bro's
ice key copy and goes to her room. He apologizes profoundly and gets
ready to do some magic for her... when the Healer Boss appears. Prince Shi
hides. Healer Boss murmurs sinister things to her, thinking that he is
alone. He is planning something evil, that much is clear!
I was right, Healer Boss is scary. And mean. That's so mean! And Shi's side profile is really pretty.
I'm sorry. Healer Boss looks like an actor in a low-budget porn film and that room doesn't help change my impression.
Indeed, Healer Boss tries to kill the Yue Bride, but Shi can save her. He notices that the Healer has godlike powers ... how can that be? Our friends walk in just when Healer Boss vows to kill Yun Fei. Kasuo says to Healer Boss you liar, you have the ice crystal! And so he does!! He ... ATE IT. It gave him eternal life and magic powers and has also turned him into a bit of a wacko.
Drugs will do that to you.
So there are giant mushrooms in the forest but you chew ice, you bewigged, despotic fool?
Healer Boss throws leaves at them. Dangerous leaves, I'm guessing. You know, sharp edged leaves or something. Once he's vanquished by Kasuo, the Fire Princess wants to take the opportunity to cut the ice crystal out of him - but Kasuo won't have that! He fights with her, only to have Li Luo jump in between... and to get wounded. Oh no! But it was deliberate: Remember the deal between mortals and gods? If a god hurts a human, s/he loses her powers temporarily. Yay, Li Luo! It works, Yan Da is completely useless now, but uh-oh, Kasuo is angry. Not at Yan Da but at Li Luo! For getting herself hurt, of course.
Is Kasuo Li Luo's dad? That's a very parental type of anger.
Or every grumpy Asian would-be suitor in any drama ever. Also - the leaves killed me. KILLED ME.
In the meantime, grey smoke is streaming out of Healer Boss ... and then the crystal appears. I guess it wanted out? Go home to Daddy Ice Prince? Kasuo snatches it. Yay, he's got one! Fire Brat arm-grabs Shi and flees the scene.
Amazing, even without her powers, Fire Princess is stronger than Shi.
Tsk, tsk. Everyone knows the submissive holds the real power.
Without the power of the ice crystal in his tummy, Healer Boss ages rapidly ... and collapses. But what is this? Grey evil smoke! Saying mean things against the Ice Tribe and then disappearing. I'm getting a bit confused with all that sperm smoke. You?
Me too. I can best describe it as a kind of deus ex machina that keeps showing up. But not really since it doesn't actually fix anything.
So it's a malus ex machina, then. It causes problems, it doesn't fix them.
Ah, that's what it is!
Anway, Kasuo puts some of the ice crystal magic into a potion for the older Yue sister and she turns young again. Oh happy day. Yay! And then, Kasuo gives back the ice crystal to Huang Tuo! It belongs to the Healers, he says. He wishes to have it, but he will ask for it formally. See? It's completely clear why Kasuo has to be next king (even though he doesn't want to be): such good manners!
Kasuo is so proper. I bet he drinks his tea with the pinky finger up, pees sitting down, and apologizes to bugs for stepping on them.
So he's pretentious, confused, and a Buddhist?
Can't be since he's one of the "gods".
Li Luo is taken care of by Healer Boy ... who is the next Healer Boss, because his father has become completely senile, but seems happy. The desire for power did him no good, now he's all fixed. Li Luo is afraid of going to see Kasuo... she thinks he's still angry with her. Well good, says Healer Boy, when he's still angry is the best time to apologize.
Apologize for what, doing her job?
Her hair style makes her look as though she were balding.
She practises the apologizing by herself for a bit... when he appears right behind her. He is looking grim. He takes her to a field with him, to discuss her behavior. Of course, she says she'll disobey him again in the future and anyway, she got hurt because it was the quickest, most efficient method to get him to win at the time. He asks whether all mortals justify their mistakes so cleverly - and she says mortal commit mistakes, but they also learn from them. That said, she's not sure what she has learned from today's incident.
She's learnt that Kasuo is a bit of a stick in the mud.
I prefer to think of him as a delicate flower.
He doesn't care much either, because all of this leads up to the moment he hands her a kite he bought for her with the following words on it: "Let a kite go to let disasters go away. May Li Luo be safe always". It sounds much better in Chinese. Kasuo heard that mortals fly kites and cut them loose in the wind to symbolize the departure of ill fortune. She has to fly this kite until the string breaks to make up for her mistake today - and to be safe forever.
Okay, sure, I'll go with this.
Sure. Why not. I mean, no mortal I know says this, but whatever.
And thus, she flies the kite... for a long time. When he thinks it's enough, he secretly breaks the string. She is very happy. May Li Luo be safe always!
Yay, Li Luo! Although I feel this weird worry in the pit of my stomach... No, wait, she's in the OTP, she has to be safe always. I'll just worry for Yan Da and Shi.
The path to Twu Wuv is never clear.
Oh, we're back at Ice City, where the Fire King is torturing the Ice King - who simply refuses to scream or look discomforted. Cold bastard. That enrages the Fire King quite a bit! And then, a black-hooded figures appears from nowhere and the Fire King tells him to "get started". Oh no, he's plotting a new evil thing!
Fire King probably has a to-do list of evil things.
It's his bucket list.
The two sisters are leaving - there won't be a wedding. The ex-bride has lost all taste for it. Never has a man been happier when just dumped! In his euphoria, he also offers to give Kasuo the ice crystal - he is ready to take sides in this war. But ... what is this? It is Fire Princess who ends up with it because Shi steals it! That's obviously part of a plan Kasuo is in on, right? Yes, because this way, Shi gets the antidote for his Heart Poison, which is Step 1 on his road to freedom. Well, the one she gives him is only valid for 10 days, friends - this woman really doesn't want to let him go for long.
I can understand her. I would like to hold onto Shi any which way I could too.
I'd be telling Shi he needed my special fruit every day, though, at least.
The evil Fire Prince plays a mean trick on her to prove how incompetent she is (asshole!) while
Kasuo and Li Luo make their way to the Dream Weavers. Here, they hope to find the 2nd leaf - of course, the Firelings are close behind. But this city is strange... it's noon, a bright, sunny day, but the city gates are shut... and beyond it, the streets are completely empty. Apart from a night watchman.
I want Fire Prince killed off. Yan Da is too nice to him. I also don't get what the Prince's problem is with her. He's a rotten brother. And I'm surprised such a sexist tribe as the Fire Tribe even have a warrior Princess. I would've thought they'd have had her standing behind the Fire King in the throne room as decoration and permanent marriage bait.
Fire Prince is jealous because Yan Da looks more bad ass than he does.
Luna is too pretty for the Healer tribe leader.
Yeah, but you should see what HE can do with leaves.
Shi was pretty awesome in this episode, showing us that he's a good kid, doing the right thing. I wish I had his temperament. I would be so angry at that Fire Brat!
I suppose since he has his powers and can fight back at any time, he's not too worried. He is just playing a waiting game. Plus, I think he kind of likes Yan Da too.
Yes I'm sure he really admires her character.
The cutest scene was the kite scene though. I love the symbolism of it - and I love how happy she was when the kite string finally (got) snapped. Let's hope that even though it's just a mortal custom, she really will be always safe in life.
Fingers crossed!
They are very cute together, it's true.
SakiVI: This Tiger Demon was very Doctor Who. The old Doctor Who where Daleks were clearly made of tin foil. Okay, maybe it was a little bit better quality than that. Actually, looking at it again, I rather like the eye makeup.
JoAnne: I mean, come on. They didn't even try. Some producer's theater-major kid wanted a summer job and here you go: Cats, WAY off-Broadway!
Episode 7
Kasuo and Huang Tuo are ice-wind zipping through the forest in search of Golden Napper, which cannot be found by looking but just by listening. They find some pretty quickly, but, awwww, there is a Tiger Demon baby on the plant! Tiger Demons like the scent of the Golden Napper and use it as cribs. See, I wasn't so far off when I said Golden Nappies.What a cute baby-cub!
Very cute. Since DF said it was a Golden LILY, I was a little confused here. Or is the Lily that stringy thing under the baby's head? Side note: Why the pointed toe, Kasuo?
Kasuo barely knows LiLuo and he's already thinking babies. Sweet.
I suppose it's good he didn't throw the baby and run, but why not just give her the baby in the first place?
Why? Because there was a cute baby on set and they needed to use it.
I revise my earlier theory: Some producer's wife, a theater-major in college, wants to break into the biz but insists that her child be allowed on set also.
Our two women are now in the cave. Which is .... the Rat Demon's cave! Ha! Knew it!!! The friendly man is in truth the Rat Demon! Li Luo fights with him and Luna shoots off a distress signal rocket to alert Kasuo. Alerted he is and come to the womens' help he does! But oh no, Luna is now also poisoned by the Rat Demon! She has deep dark circles under her eyes to prove it.
They weren't too smart, these warrior women. Also, wow, luna is so pretty! Whoever this actress is, I want to see her in more stuff.
Luna's very pretty and very familiar, but then so is the rat demon. Familar. Not pretty.
Gosh, Healer Boss must be really scary.
Perhaps he's the reason Koreans have a saying about giving someone the disease and then the cure.
I was right, Healer Boss is scary. And mean. That's so mean! And Shi's side profile is really pretty.
I'm sorry. Healer Boss looks like an actor in a low-budget porn film and that room doesn't help change my impression.
Drugs will do that to you.
So there are giant mushrooms in the forest but you chew ice, you bewigged, despotic fool?
Is Kasuo Li Luo's dad? That's a very parental type of anger.
Or every grumpy Asian would-be suitor in any drama ever. Also - the leaves killed me. KILLED ME.
Amazing, even without her powers, Fire Princess is stronger than Shi.
Tsk, tsk. Everyone knows the submissive holds the real power.
Me too. I can best describe it as a kind of deus ex machina that keeps showing up. But not really since it doesn't actually fix anything.
So it's a malus ex machina, then. It causes problems, it doesn't fix them.
Ah, that's what it is!
Kasuo is so proper. I bet he drinks his tea with the pinky finger up, pees sitting down, and apologizes to bugs for stepping on them.
So he's pretentious, confused, and a Buddhist?
Can't be since he's one of the "gods".
Apologize for what, doing her job?
Her hair style makes her look as though she were balding.
She's learnt that Kasuo is a bit of a stick in the mud.
I prefer to think of him as a delicate flower.
Okay, sure, I'll go with this.
Sure. Why not. I mean, no mortal I know says this, but whatever.
Yay, Li Luo! Although I feel this weird worry in the pit of my stomach... No, wait, she's in the OTP, she has to be safe always. I'll just worry for Yan Da and Shi.
The path to Twu Wuv is never clear.
Fire King probably has a to-do list of evil things.
It's his bucket list.
The two sisters are leaving - there won't be a wedding. The ex-bride has lost all taste for it. Never has a man been happier when just dumped! In his euphoria, he also offers to give Kasuo the ice crystal - he is ready to take sides in this war. But ... what is this? It is Fire Princess who ends up with it because Shi steals it! That's obviously part of a plan Kasuo is in on, right? Yes, because this way, Shi gets the antidote for his Heart Poison, which is Step 1 on his road to freedom. Well, the one she gives him is only valid for 10 days, friends - this woman really doesn't want to let him go for long.
I can understand her. I would like to hold onto Shi any which way I could too.
I'd be telling Shi he needed my special fruit every day, though, at least.
Kasuo and Li Luo make their way to the Dream Weavers. Here, they hope to find the 2nd leaf - of course, the Firelings are close behind. But this city is strange... it's noon, a bright, sunny day, but the city gates are shut... and beyond it, the streets are completely empty. Apart from a night watchman.
I want Fire Prince killed off. Yan Da is too nice to him. I also don't get what the Prince's problem is with her. He's a rotten brother. And I'm surprised such a sexist tribe as the Fire Tribe even have a warrior Princess. I would've thought they'd have had her standing behind the Fire King in the throne room as decoration and permanent marriage bait.
Fire Prince is jealous because Yan Da looks more bad ass than he does.
Comments
I won't lie, I'm already very excited about the upcoming Dream Tribe episodes, for it was episode 8 or 9 that fully convinced me that this drama needs special attention from me. The Healer arch, now over, was well done... the Healer Tribe got a very good new leader, who did no have to marry someone he does not love. Maybe he'll even get his Luna?Luna is too pretty for the Healer tribe leader.
Yeah, but you should see what HE can do with leaves.
Shi was pretty awesome in this episode, showing us that he's a good kid, doing the right thing. I wish I had his temperament. I would be so angry at that Fire Brat!
I suppose since he has his powers and can fight back at any time, he's not too worried. He is just playing a waiting game. Plus, I think he kind of likes Yan Da too.
Yes I'm sure he really admires her character.
The cutest scene was the kite scene though. I love the symbolism of it - and I love how happy she was when the kite string finally (got) snapped. Let's hope that even though it's just a mortal custom, she really will be always safe in life.
Fingers crossed!
They are very cute together, it's true.