kakashi: This episode starts with Lan Shang in the water and ends with the beginning of another war between Ice and Fire. There is a lot of stuff in between too. All the truth is spoken and it seems unlikely that Shi will ever be welcome in the Ice Tribe again.
None of these people seem to be able to get anything right. Anything at all.
SakiVI: if they could get things right, they wouldn't be in this mess.
Episode 38
While the others stand on the cliff and stare beautifully into the distance, the Mermaid Saint declares "her Lan Shang is crying" because the cherry blossoms dance in the wind. Okay.
I was a little creeped out. In the meantime, Shi is giving his utmost to reach the sinking Lan Shang. I always wonder how they manage to sink like this? Oh wow, Shi can talk under water? Skillz.
Teardrop Charm. Lan Shang really, really doesn't want to be saved and conjures some water plants to bind him. Then, she collapses, but Shi manages to break the waterplant chains! He grabs her arm and up they go!
Ta da! He's part of the even longer forgotten Ice Fire Fish Tribe.
Cut to Fire City! Flame looks at a Teardrop Charm (I still don't get how many a mermaid cries and whose is whose) and tells us that Lan Shang, whom his son will bring to him (or so he thinks), will "take us to the place that immortals desire the most". What, a Teardrop Charm isn't enough, you need a mermaid with it too? An all inclusive? Ah, no ... - he wants to use Lan Shang to force the Mermaid Saint to show him the entrance to Sacred Snow Mountain.
This guy just does not give up.
At least he's attractive.
Daddy sends Yan Da to look for brother dearest in Ice City and she goes gladly, because she believes she will meet Shi again.
Brother, what brother? The tension is high in Ice City right now though! Brother dearest has been captured by our scooby gang and the Mermaid Saint tries to save Lan Shang. Healer says she should actually have woken up, but it seems she doesn't want to.
Just sleep, seriously. It will all be over sooner that way.
She is so pretty when she's not ditzing over Kasuo.
Shuo Gang laughs his dirty laugh and then confesses what he did to Lan Shang. With glee, actually. Can he die already?! He also says he owes it all to Shi, whom he outs as the son of Flame and Lotus, the killer of Xuan Ta, and an impersonator of his brother Kasuo. And he also outs Lotus as the spy who told Flame all about the Ice Princes' and Princesses' powers. Yup, all the dirty secrets are out now.
He's a disgusting worm. He's not even the actual worm. He's the little trail of dirty worm poop left behind when the worm leaves.
I don't think he washes much.
Lian Ji/Lotus knows Shuo Gang has been caught (and expects him to spill all the beans) so she urges her son to flee with her. They don't get far though. But Lian Ji is not one to go down quietly! She starts a fight with the ex-Ice Queen, but everyone joins in and she's captured quickly. Shi uses Ice Flame magic (also against his bro!) - and despite Kasuo's repeated pleas to explain himself and all will be fine, he listens to his mother this time.
Oh great, something else for Kasuo to be emo about.
I love ho Lian Ji just took them all on and looked fabulous at the same time.
Then, Yan Da arrives. She grabs Shi's hand - and off they fly! What? Shi just abandoned his mother!! The ex-Ice King has the borders closed and issues an order to hunt down Ying Kong Shi, despite Kasuo's protest.
So are we to assume that he cares more about Yan Da than either his mother or his brother, now? Or was that purely a self-preserving move?
His mother was telling him to leave, Yan Da was telling him to leave, Kasuo told him to stay: 2 votes out of 3 to leave.
Well, Shi is with his other family right now - and Flame promises him he will go save his mother if he is willing to be allied with him. And Shi seems willing ... and deeply hurt that "his people" have turned their back on him, their Ice King.
Um, you did some bad things, Shi. And your brother did try to give you a chance.
Lian Ji is kept in a floating ice torture bubble while the (ex) Ice Queen is raging at her for killing five of her children. Finally, Lotus can speak the truth and explain her grievance: She and Shi were mistreated from the very beginning; this is her revenge. But the Ice Queen thinks that the real problem for Ying Kong Shi is his mother.
Well, it is NOW. But it wasn't always, you know.
That's right, what Jo said.
Kasuo speaks up for Lady Lotus in front of his father. She should get a fair trial! He also still believes that Shi is innocent. Well, sadly, Lord Dreamer can prove with the new knowledge of Shi's heritage that he was the one who killed Xuan Ta. Kasuo STILL doesn't believe it. But the ex King has Shi stripped of his title.
Kasuo, seriously. Your brother is a little bit crazy. They're telling you the truth.
Urgh, Dreamer and his snooping! It's like he doesn't have a tribe to rule. And Lotus is never getting a fair trial from a man who used her for a bit of fun and her Teardrop Charm.
Shi is assailed by the glittery daddy smoke, but this time, Shi prevents it from taking possession of his body! The smoke complains that he left without his mother. Why is it so interested in his mother, Shi wants to know? Time for a talk, son:
I think Shi's headdress spells 'Save Me' upside down and backwards.
That's big news (the smoke has a name too!) - it does sound rather strange: "my father is glittery smoke named Yuan Ji" - and Shi is quite preoccupied when Kasuo starts playing the flute. I mean the leaf. Shi renounces his brother in front of Yan Da, but I don't think she buys it (and neither do I). Instead, she makes a tiny firework for him and talks about her horrible siblings. The fireworks made her feel that she wasn't alone when she was little. And she promises him - whom she has a very hard time accepting as her brother even though she must - he won't be as lonely as she was. Awwwww.
Okay, that was sweet.
Yan Da is a doll, and it's really sad how her character was just pushed aside to make room for silly mermaids.
And then, Flame sends Yan Da after Xing Gui, Xing Jui's little sister, and after Huang Tuo's senile father. They will be prisoners, for exchange against Lady Lotus and Shuo Gang. Shi beats her to it. He's so smart, our boy! Knew what to do without being told.
Shi then suggests to Flame he should use this opportunity to wipe out the entire Ice Tribe. Come again?! Flame seems to go for it (what an idiot!!!) and Shi says he needs The Deicide for them to succeed.
Not obvious at all, Shi.
Whatever Shi is up to, he isn't siding with the Fire Tribe.
Next, they attack and Kasuo, who hears the warning signals, wants to go to the border to talk to Shi, but by the Ex Ice King's orders, he is to remain in the city. By force! Actually, the Guardians start killing themselves in front of him to reinforce this point.
We won't let you go! We'll kill ourselves one by one to prevent you, and when we're all dead you...hey.
Seriously, not one of them said, nope, won't kill myself?
At the border, Shi talks to the Ice people through the sky phone and gives them an ultimatum: on the count of three, he wants his mother and Shuo Gang exchanged for his two prisoners or he will kill them. On three, the Ice King (ex) screams: "Attack"!
He doesn't seem to listen well, that old Ice King.
Comments
Shi is obviously planning something, but what? He repeated his wish to make Kasuo happy, even in Fireland, and he can lie about hating his brother now as much as he wants, I don't believe him.
Smart money's on you being right, Kakashi.
It's Twu Wuv between Shi and Kasuo.
I bet you the ex-Ice King almost wet his pants when he could show what a great, big leader he still is. With Shi gone - and clearly a traitor in his eyes - he can be King once more and lead the army against the Fire Tribe.
He could have done that before and prevented a whole lot of this crap, but whatever.
He was probably bored in retirement.
