Ice Fantasy 幻城 - Episode 54 (Recap)

kakashi: This episode gives us Kasuo trying so, so hard to get Li Luo (Li Shang?) to remember their love. I would feel sorry if he wasn't so dumb. They were really cute, these two. Way back when. Also, Lan Shang (Lan Luo?) has a really hard time. For her, I do feel sorry.
SakiVI: I love Lan Luo and think this is how a Mermaid Crown Princess should be. 
JoAnne: Is she going to impale herself on Turnip?

Episode 54

Li Luo (fake Li Luo that is) and Kasuo are falling... and falling .... and falling .... and Kasuo has flashbacks to all the wonderful things he has experienced with Li Luo and is so much in love. I was sniggering throughout. Many minutes pass, it's always a present to us recappers. They land safely on their feets and Kasuo comments on how for the first time, he is the one to catch her, but she still remembers nothing. He is not one to despair (sometimes). Fine, he says he will take her to the mortal realm tomorrow, to where they first met.
Not one to despair.... I can't believe you didn't get struck by lightning saying that.

Phoenix wants to leave Flame's abode, but Flame won't let him. Haha, they are prisoners? I like everything anti-Phoenix because he's such a mean ass. Flame is gloating about Fire Shi ... but says means things right after. He knows Fire Shi - whose true identity is Ying Kong Shi! - will destroy himself when he goes against Kasuo. And destroy Kasuo as well.
Flame is such a Mean Girl.

Later, when they have a war council, Phoenix talks about how the Truthless Tribe's readiness to pledge allegiance to Kasuo is a problem. They themselves need to recruit allies quickly to amplify their own forces!
How could you trust the pledge of a tribe known for lying?  

Cute.

Fire Shi says they don't need any allies. They just need to kill Kasuo and it's game over. Fine, okay. But Yan Da says they need to win over the Mermaids if they want to be successful. Fire Shi says he will find out the Mermaids' weakness then. 
Good point regarding killing Kasuo because everyone focuses on him. 

Lan Shang has a few questions for the Mermaid Saint about herself and Kasuo in the past. She has strange feelings and memories she doesn't understand. Mermaid Saint is concerned ... that past isn't exactly glorious and problem-free.
Seriously, has NO ONE figured this out yet?

Lan Shang learns that Kasuo is married ... that hits her hard. Mermaid Saint says she can be a friend and an ally, but not more. Li Luo was there first and will always be first.
Pity the Saint didn't make this clearer to the real Lan Shang way back when. 
I forgot they got married! I think it's because she died immediately.

Later, Lan Shang shoots Li Luo's pistols (where did she get them from?). Mermaid Saint is very surprised that she's into that stuff and not beauty routines. They STILL don't get it. Mermaid Saint suggests she should go on a trip to the mortal realm and she does, gleefully. Shi observes her in secret... he understands that the Mermaid Saint's weakness is Lan Shang.
Shi looked gorgeous in his gorgeous clothes and gorgeous hood and gorgeous mask. 
To each his own.

Lan Shang quickly shakes her two (slow) attendants (guess no one lied to them about loving them and then stole their self-respect for their teardrop pearls yet) and Shi is still following her, hooded and all. Kasuo almost walks into him! Hello, immortal powers? Do they not sense stuff like this?!
They're all a bit dumb. 
He kind of looks like a snake.

In the forest, Lan Shang meets ... Turnip! I MISSED YOU!!!! Turnip - sorry, Snowdash recognizes his master's essence, he doesn't care about looks. Kasuo happens upon a happy Lan Shang, calling the unicorn Kasuo's Snowdash. How does she know this name?! That was an intimate thing between him and Li Luo (when this show was still "good"). It's a complete mystery.
Turnip will always be Turnip to me, and, he loved the face patting. 

Lan Shang walks with him a bit, but he is just thinking about Li Luo and how they met (flaaaaashbacks). Lan Shang's face falls ...  these are her memories. Yet, Kasuo still doesn't get it. He thinks Li Luo must have told Lan Shang about it.
They are all so hung up on external appearances...
They are all so stupid.

They walk through town together and there are more instances where Lan Shang remembers key happenings from Li Luo and Kasuo's past - wine, flowers ... And yet, Kasuo still doesn't get it. He even says "why are you just like Li Luo?"
I wonder why New Lan Shang isn't wondering if there is a switch? I guess she doesn't remember looking at her reflection. 

I don't know, maybe this is cute? It is absolutely clear that his wife, Li Luo, is nothing like the woman he married and that this one that was so into him before, is now JUST like Li Luo. And yet, he is not even thinking of cheating or anything. He ain't wavering (though frankly, wondering about the resemblance), he will get his Li Luo back!
Not cute, but impressive. After all, as king, he's allowed multiple wives.

Later, Lan Shang and Kasuo are in the forest, she has a kite for the kite flying festival. She asks him whether he has never liked her. Only as a friend, he answers, and adds that he's sorry. She is pitiful ... all her memories are Li Luo's. For a moment, she thought that the woman he loves is her. But now she understands - she will draw a line.
Okay. I will admit that this must be very hard for her.

When she walks away, she starts smoking white ... oh no, what is wrong with her? She isn't well at all!  
I thought she was reverting back to the ice coffin in a weird way.

Comical relief with the fake Li Luo who all of a sudden hates prawns and other seafood (stop repeating yourself, show) and is dull, dull, dull. Later, she puts make-up on Healer. Okay, I laughed. As fillers go, this one is at least funny. Luna doesn't think it's funny. And Kasuo is surprised Li Luo would know how to put make-up on others.
It's not funny. As a mental refresher, I researched Siwon Abs.
They cure all.

Kasuo takes Li Luo to where they had their first moment ... the kite flying. Lan Shang decided to go watch them (whyyyyyyy.... ) - Shi is right behind her again. Seeing Kasuo with his love hits her hard. There are more flashbacks. Fake Li Luo remembers nothing - fake Lan Shang everything.
New Lan Shang got the soul with brains. 
This has to stop soon. Also, it looks like Kasuo is teaching his wife proper technique.

Kasuo bends in to kiss fake Li Luo. Fake Lan Shang runs away, but she doesn't get far. She starts smoking again and collapses... into Fire Shi's arms. Lucky girl! She is ice cold. (I think it's to do with being in that ice coffin.) He takes her on his boat ... and applies his special powers to her, probably saving her (for the time being). He puzzles over her fate ... in love with Kasuo, who is in love with Li Luo. And then, Fire Shi takes Lan Shang straight to the Mermaid Saint.
Hmm.

After the kiss, Li Luo is ... freaked out. She runs away and leaves poor, unlucky Kasuo behind, not understanding the world.
He is so dumb. 
Really dumb.

Comments

The flashbacks almost killed me with utter boredom. We KNOW this stuff, show. Believe me. We've seen it and remember it, even though it was a gazillion episodes ago. We remember it because it was very, very cute. And now, nothing is cute and Kasuo is SO DUMB.
Exactly, Kasuo is SO DUMB.
Really, really dumb.

The one I did feel very sorry for was Lan Shang, or rather Li Luo in Lan Shang's body. I could almost feel her pain. And now, she also has an ice sickness? (very convenient, show, by the way). Okay, I see why she needs that ... It's so that Shi can a) pay Lan Shang back for what he has done to her and b) for him to get close to our good guys in some way.
Uh, I think if he wanted to repay Lan Shang he could start with not compromising her entire tribe.

The rest ... annoying. All the refugee tribes, Flame, Phoenix ... just DIE already.
Not Flame, not Yan Da, but yes, the rest can die. 
Why not Flame?
Cause he's handsome?