Ice Fantasy 幻城 - FINAL Episode 62 (Recap)
kakashi: We did it, my friends! We're at the end! We are still alive! Can't say as much about most of the Ice Fantasy characters, but that couldn't be helped. Millions of fans hated the ending, but I totally love it.
SakiVI: I was sad at the ending. I was also annoyed. I'll explain why below.
JoAnne: I am so looking forward to this!
Stupid Shi.
I have a confession to make. I am so done with Kasuo that now when I see his face I just want to punch it. Also, Shi, dude - crazy eyes.
Shi is in no mood for talky-talks though ... he means business. Kind of. There is an hourglass and if it runs out, he gave orders to kill Lan Shang and Li Luo. And if Kasuo loses, he will never see them again either. etc. etc. Yes, I think the rules are clear? They take it outside - to Withering Blossom Hillside. Place of ultimate hope and tragedy in the Ice Realm.
Since the blossoms never wither, why is it called that? Never mind. Let's get on with finishing.
Please, yes. Do not interrupt the finishing.
That location affects Fire Shi - he goes all crazy-eyed. For a short moment! But then, he attacks and him and his brother fight. Whenever he gets a breather, Kasuo tells him what happened back then, when they fought here before. And Shi ... remembers. Reluctantly, but he does! Oh, his armor!
The armour is fabulous.
Are those birds on his shoulders?
Kasuo talks about how Shi once saved him and how he wants to save his life now. Still, Yuan Ji shouts "kill him, kill him" in Shi's head and it drives him crazy. Kasuo says, come, take all your powers back from me! Kasuo thinks that if he dies, Yuan Ji's curse will lose its power and everyone will return to normal. Probably true! Self-sacrifice suits the emo prince. He also put on his fanciest dress.
I think I've seen fancier. Anyway, Kasuo, die already.
And finally, they cross ceremonial penises.
He lets Shi win and then tells him to kill him. And release Lan Shang and Li Luo! If Shi doesn't do it himself, he will. He seizes the Deicide and is about to impale himself on it .... like Shi did before! And Shi remembers. Again, because he did remember this before. Anyway, I guess he forgot in between. So now, he really remembers.
There's something weird about his armour from the back. Is that a horn?
There's a bird with wings spread that has pretty full tail plumage I think, and then two, I don't know, shoulder blade protectors? With extra wings just lying on them.
Of course, Shi doesn't want to kill Kasuo anymore now, which is a problem, considering that stupid curse. Kasuo says: "this is the day we meet again". Awwwwwww. And he touches his brother, at the temple, everything reminds me of E.T... and Fire Shi collapses.
While looking super-pretty.
He borrowed those gloves from a David Bowie clown impersonator.
That's not good, because the hourglass is about to run out and Lan Shang and Li Luo are about to be killed!! Also, the Frozen Symptom is acting up again in Lan Shang. She manages to get her hands out of her binds though and quickly frees Li Luo... while Yan Da helps them with the guards. Yes, Yan Da appeared, cool as ever. Hearts.
My hero!
She does grow on a person.
At Withering Blossom Hillside, Fire Shi has turned into Ice Shi again. Much prettier, thank you. (yes) The brothers have each other again! Oh JOY. Yan Da arrives with Li Luo and Lan Shang. Oh JOY.
Yay!
And now a great big orgy!
Oups, but suddenly, Flame appears too. And he has Shi stab Kasuo with a simple movement of his hand. Through the heart (or thereabouts). But the Deicide cannot harm Kasuo, right?! After a short moment of pain, Kasuo goes up against Flame and there is a massive discharge of power.
Pent up sexual frustration.
That moment, the false souls in Lan Shang and Li Luo start acting up, massively, until the two ladies collapse. Yan Da whispers: "Could it be that Yuan Ji's curse is now broken?" Pray, tell me why? Because Kasuo was stabbed? But indeed, the souls are back in the real bodies because Kasuo was stabbed by the Deicide. Yep! A nice twist, because ultimately, this was Flame's doing.
Except what does one thing have to do with another? If the answer is earlier in the story then just tell me it's my fault for not paying attention. I'll own that.
Kasuo attempts to kill Flame, but Yan Da blast him in a crucial moment - not sure why she is so powerful, did she get some from the Ancestor Lamp? Perhaps, but she is known to always be working hard on her Skillz. Or is Kasuo just weak and suicidal? That too. And sweaty-palmed, don't forget that. Anyway, Kasuo is now dying in his brother's arms. He has a final, sacred wish: He wants Shi to rule them all. Including the Sacred Snow People. And there will be no more war in the three realms from this day onwards, because Shi is the best ruler there will ever be. Amen. But how can Shi live without Kasuo! Kasuo repeats: "We are parted so that we may meet again" (yes, in Ice Fantasy Destiny! Which has started off nicely! Totally craving episode 2.) ... and then dies. Bye, Kasuo. You died with tears in your eyes, as expected.
Yawn.
Jeezum Crow could he not have done this 60 episodes ago and saved everyone a year of their lives?
Shi grabs the Deicide and runs away, just as Lan Shang and Li Luo wake up. They run to Kasuo's body and cradle it, crying, asking him to wake up. Oh, flashbacks. Maaaaany flashbacks. Of course, because both Lan Shang and Li Luo had a lot of scenes with Kasuo. Anyway, he is dead now and I'm only mildly sad and the two women are back to normal, yay.
I ff'd.
Yeah, what's next? (I really like Victoria Song in the Snow Tribe get up.)
Shi pursues Yan Da and her father (who is looking quite sane and a bit wounded) and catches up with them in the Snowmist Forest. Flame thinks Shi has "lost control" and blasts him with fire power - a lot of it. Yan Da intervenes - she forbids more killing! Or the ancestors of the Fire Tribe will intervene! They are pissed!
Hmm, maybe she did get their powers.
How? When? You know what? Never mind.
Flame is very lusty for Shi's special soul though. He directs his fire power towards Yan Da now! And that gives Shi an opportunity to regain his - he blasts Flame and ... I don't know, blasts all the other souls out of him? He claims Flame has only his own soul left now, that's why I'm saying this. I guess details are, as always, not that important.
It's amazing how Yan Da will always help her father and brothers when they are injured or in trouble, but they will happily sacrifice her. She's a saint.
Yeah yeah Yan Da the saint - but those souls, do they go back to their owners?
Shi, mega cool: "Would you like me to kill you or have you tortured to death?" But Yan Da intervenes (again), before Shi can kill Flame. See? Her dad was happy to kill her to get to Shi, but she rushed to save him as a filial child. Saint. She jumped in between the two men, shielding her father. Behind her, Flame gets up ... and uses her body to launch an attack on Shi. A father you definitely don't want.
Flame is now ugly to me.
He was always a really ugly person with a really bad wig, but we were blinded by the sharpness of his cheekbones and the shapeliness of his lips.
Shi jumps over Yan Da's body and kills Flame. He explodes. Bye.
Finally.
Good riddance!
He says: "Thank you. You are my most beautiful friend. And my best friend". There are fireworks at the very end. She salutes him - from beyond life. But she was only his friend, people. Sawry. It's by far the longest of the death scenes though - this show totally knows where its strengths are, doesn't it. Yan Da and Shi forever! So many broken hearts. They get the best couple award.
These flashbacks I watched because their friendship was lovely and fun and flirty too. And Shi is a jerk for not telling her thank you and that she was beautiful when she was still breathing! Also, the music actually rocked.
Her little fire particles made fire works - that's so cool!
Much time has passed and Li Luo runs to see Dreamer - he is alright! YES! She thinks "The day the heavy snow stopped, Xing Jiu finally woke up." Later, they talk about Kasuo, who has been in a coma for a very long time. Dammit. Shi asks for a method to save him - maybe the Veiled Lotus? Darling, the flowering season of that one has ended. It's gone. But Shi is not one to give up easily! He asks Dreamer whether there might be an even more mystic sacred object than the Veiled Lotus? Of course there is. Dreamer knows of a sealed book in the Heavenly Hall of Sacred Snow Mountain and it records all mystical objects beyond the three realms. Hossa! There is - wait for it - rumors of the BLOOD RED LOTUS!
I don't believe it. Yuan Ji would've gone for the Blood Red Lotus instead of the Veiled Lotus if the Blood Red Lotus was all that.
Aren't we crossing into Novoland territory now or something?
All these similarities confuse the hell out of me too.
Shi is mighty interested and Dreamer tells him that the blood red lotus is even more mysterious and frightening than the Veiled Lotus. Go get it, boys! Yup, that's exactly what Shi is doing now. He goes to see his Granny to say goodbye (yes, she is still alive and still demented and still lives in the forest) but she doesn't even notice him. Shortly after Shi has left, Li Luo also comes to see Granny - and notices that Granny is crying. Granny thinks Li Luo is Kasuo and says "do you know that Ying Kong Shi and Li Luo are the most important parts of your life? In whatever time and space you will always reunite and be entangled life after life."
Then they both look directly at the camera while a chyron scrolls with the premiere date of Ice Fantasy Destiny, but Victoria Song had her fingers crossed when they filmed it.
If that ever happens to me, I hope I get entangled with exciting people.
I hope I get entangled with Jaehyo. Or William Chan.
Oh don't even get me started with a list.
They look up, and there are sleet birds flying ... and Li Luo is reminded of that dream that Kasuo had, of the kamikaze sleet birds.
Remember the birds on his armour?
Later, she goes to look at Kasuo's comatose body, which is at Withering Blossom Hillside. They froze his heart, too, to make sure he wouldn't properly die (beware of Frozen Syndrome!). How annoying! She tells him that Shi did not turn up to his coronation. In a letter, he turned governing power over to all the tribes, wishing for them to coexist under peaceful autonomous governance, like they once did. He promised to return with the Deicide if ever there was someone evil again, trying to take over the three realms.
Shi the Wanderer.
Furthermore, Dreamer got him "into a dream of the world that existed 10'000 years ago". He could confirm there is a legendary book in Sacred Snow Mountain. In it, it is written that "only a king's true and sincere intentions can summon the Blood-red Lotus to save" Kasuo. Shi went to search for that red thing.
Shi, just let Kasuo die.
Or kill us, please.
And we see Shi flying ... over clouds, in front of ice, and he is thinking of that one wish his brother had - to be free like the birds and not have the heavy duties of a King. And little Shi's promise, back then, to fulfill his brother's wish!
Fulfill my wish, Shi, and let Kasuo die!
But Shi will be so sad if Kasuo is gone. They should both die.
Flying Shi turns into a Sleet Bird ... and demented Granny looks up and says "Ying Kong Shi? Sleet Bird? Would the three realms really split up? Would there really be a new world?" And the scene shifts and a Sleet Bird crashes into the rock on prisoner island, blood splatters and it's that dream, with Kasuo, the King, staring at the blood in the snow, crying a tear and the red crystals exploding and Granny realizes ... "he wishes to bring him freedom." And "their past and present ... their destinies ... " and she cries "no! don't! Please don't return to those agonizing times! No!"
Wait, so... united realms and autonomous rule will bring BAD times?
In case you don't get it, join millions of people.
I've ignored Granny for a while now.
So I'm not in alone in my WTF is happening feelings, then.
Anyway, a Sleet Bird now crashes into the rock and millions of red crystals sprout. The Red Lotus? Probably. And the sacrifice of a King. Because on Withering Blossom Hillside, Kasuo wakes up. Free. There are no more Kings necessary.
Seriously, this annoys me. Yan Da dies, but this twit lives?
If they keep giving us close ups of his eyes at some point I will give in to my urge to pluck every single eyebrow and eyelash out of his head. I really don't like him anymore.
OMG, I do not and cannot care about him and Li Luo. They had one good scene back when she was sent to the far north wasteland, and that's it: their romance sucked.
That was the fucking END?
These red crystals are the Blood-red Lotus and it all comes down to them knowing all along. They just didn't get it, did they, that dream. "Blood-red Lotus shall bloom, the twin stars will eventually meet. The wheel of destiny has started spinning." I don't get it either, but in the end, Shi was the one who died in that dream and made the Lotus bloom.
This show killed off everyone I liked.
So the man who wouldn't be King gets to live, being Not-King. And Li Luo is happy, but - basically everyone else died? So that Kasuo could have his way? I mean, not that he intended this but...
Sad. Also, him and Yan Da .... so sad. Sobbing. The deaths of all the others .... sad-ish. Sadly, I stopped caring long ago. Li Luo got a happy ending (plus an huge dildo), but Lan Shang? Poor woman. She got to be really cool for a bit and is now back to being a Mermaid. I hope she saved some of that kick-assedness for her new duties as a (lonely) Queen.
She can go back to beauty treatments and stringing shells into necklaces.
Whatever, do I have to see her in Destiny, too? Or is she done with, now?
I am also very glad Dreamer survives and gets to be good friends with Kasuo.
He's in Ice Fantasy Destiny too. I'm hoping later episodes will show a less frilly reincarnation.
I like Dreamer, I'd be happy to see more Dreamer. I'm ignoring the frilly warning bells.
I might have forgotten someone or something, but hey, I'm only human! Love you all!
What an insane show. But it brought so much good! To this blog, mainly, in the form of new readers. Love you all! And hits! Before Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms broke all records, this was the most read Chinese show on this blog (yes, even before Nirvana in Fire). And fun! Yes, I had fun recapping this and the more insane it got towards the end, the more fun I had. Can I repeat, this show is just CRAZY. It's hard to say when exactly it went insane, but I can tell you exactly when it got really, really bad: after the soul-swapping shenanigans. JeezusSweetBaby.
I loved the show! It's been impossible to find something as absorbing since it ended. Everything else is a bit meh after this show and all it's colours and crazy. Basically, I've watched each episode at least twice, and the early Shi and Yan Da episodes probably 3 times, if not 4.
I'm not sure how I felt. I never 'liked' the show, really. I thought it was ridiculous, but initially I kept wanting to see what happened next, too. Pretty early on, before the half-way point, I lost even that urge - but still had a couple characters that I liked and wanted to know about. I usually am the biggest fan here for the WTF shows, so I'm not sure why this one didn't click with me - but I think it had something to do with Kasuo and his never-ending moping and ineffectiveness and the way things just seemed to drag on forever. Make Kasuo either less mopey or way more mopey, and end the show at 14 episodes? I'd probably have LOVED it.
SakiVI: I was sad at the ending. I was also annoyed. I'll explain why below.
JoAnne: I am so looking forward to this!
Episode 62
Kasuo is still all alone ... story of his life, really. In the throne room, Shi approaches him, he has been waiting there all this time (I sometimes wonder where the toilets are in shows like this, but details!). Kasuo asks: "Do you really hate me?". Fire Shi goes: "Of course, you killed me and my mother!" Fair enough. Kasuo claims that Shi is "still hesitant" to kill him though (yes, we've noticed). And as long as he is, there is hope!Stupid Shi.
I have a confession to make. I am so done with Kasuo that now when I see his face I just want to punch it. Also, Shi, dude - crazy eyes.
Since the blossoms never wither, why is it called that? Never mind. Let's get on with finishing.
Please, yes. Do not interrupt the finishing.
The armour is fabulous.
Are those birds on his shoulders?
I think I've seen fancier. Anyway, Kasuo, die already.
And finally, they cross ceremonial penises.
There's something weird about his armour from the back. Is that a horn?
There's a bird with wings spread that has pretty full tail plumage I think, and then two, I don't know, shoulder blade protectors? With extra wings just lying on them.
While looking super-pretty.
He borrowed those gloves from a David Bowie clown impersonator.
My hero!
She does grow on a person.
Yay!
And now a great big orgy!
Pent up sexual frustration.
Except what does one thing have to do with another? If the answer is earlier in the story then just tell me it's my fault for not paying attention. I'll own that.
Yawn.
Jeezum Crow could he not have done this 60 episodes ago and saved everyone a year of their lives?
I ff'd.
Yeah, what's next? (I really like Victoria Song in the Snow Tribe get up.)
Hmm, maybe she did get their powers.
How? When? You know what? Never mind.
It's amazing how Yan Da will always help her father and brothers when they are injured or in trouble, but they will happily sacrifice her. She's a saint.
Yeah yeah Yan Da the saint - but those souls, do they go back to their owners?
Flame is now ugly to me.
He was always a really ugly person with a really bad wig, but we were blinded by the sharpness of his cheekbones and the shapeliness of his lips.
Finally.
Good riddance!
But it's too late for Yan Da, she dies, in Shi's arms. It's the most moving thing we've seen in a long time (in this show). I cried. She asks *sob* "have you ever liked me?", but before he can ask himself that and answer (seriously, he did not need to ask himself that), she dies. And becomes fire particles.
Oh but I think he did need to ask himself that. I think he might have had some interest in her but he was so obsessed with his mission that he never really thought about it. This does look quite sad. Is there anyone left from Fire Tribe?
These flashbacks I watched because their friendship was lovely and fun and flirty too. And Shi is a jerk for not telling her thank you and that she was beautiful when she was still breathing! Also, the music actually rocked.
Her little fire particles made fire works - that's so cool!
I don't believe it. Yuan Ji would've gone for the Blood Red Lotus instead of the Veiled Lotus if the Blood Red Lotus was all that.
Aren't we crossing into Novoland territory now or something?
All these similarities confuse the hell out of me too.
Then they both look directly at the camera while a chyron scrolls with the premiere date of Ice Fantasy Destiny, but Victoria Song had her fingers crossed when they filmed it.
I hope I get entangled with Jaehyo. Or William Chan.
Oh don't even get me started with a list.
They look up, and there are sleet birds flying ... and Li Luo is reminded of that dream that Kasuo had, of the kamikaze sleet birds.
Remember the birds on his armour?
Shi the Wanderer.
Shi, just let Kasuo die.
Or kill us, please.
And we see Shi flying ... over clouds, in front of ice, and he is thinking of that one wish his brother had - to be free like the birds and not have the heavy duties of a King. And little Shi's promise, back then, to fulfill his brother's wish!
Fulfill my wish, Shi, and let Kasuo die!
But Shi will be so sad if Kasuo is gone. They should both die.
Wait, so... united realms and autonomous rule will bring BAD times?
I've ignored Granny for a while now.
So I'm not in alone in my WTF is happening feelings, then.
Anyway, a Sleet Bird now crashes into the rock and millions of red crystals sprout. The Red Lotus? Probably. And the sacrifice of a King. Because on Withering Blossom Hillside, Kasuo wakes up. Free. There are no more Kings necessary.
Seriously, this annoys me. Yan Da dies, but this twit lives?
If they keep giving us close ups of his eyes at some point I will give in to my urge to pluck every single eyebrow and eyelash out of his head. I really don't like him anymore.
Comments
Okay. Most of what Granny said made no sense at all, but in the end, Shi sacrificed himself to fulfill his brother's dearest wish, that much is clear. He can now live with the REAL Li Luo and be happy, as long as their non-immortal lives last.OMG, I do not and cannot care about him and Li Luo. They had one good scene back when she was sent to the far north wasteland, and that's it: their romance sucked.
That was the fucking END?
These red crystals are the Blood-red Lotus and it all comes down to them knowing all along. They just didn't get it, did they, that dream. "Blood-red Lotus shall bloom, the twin stars will eventually meet. The wheel of destiny has started spinning." I don't get it either, but in the end, Shi was the one who died in that dream and made the Lotus bloom.
This show killed off everyone I liked.
So the man who wouldn't be King gets to live, being Not-King. And Li Luo is happy, but - basically everyone else died? So that Kasuo could have his way? I mean, not that he intended this but...
Sad. Also, him and Yan Da .... so sad. Sobbing. The deaths of all the others .... sad-ish. Sadly, I stopped caring long ago. Li Luo got a happy ending (plus an huge dildo), but Lan Shang? Poor woman. She got to be really cool for a bit and is now back to being a Mermaid. I hope she saved some of that kick-assedness for her new duties as a (lonely) Queen.
She can go back to beauty treatments and stringing shells into necklaces.
Whatever, do I have to see her in Destiny, too? Or is she done with, now?
I am also very glad Dreamer survives and gets to be good friends with Kasuo.
He's in Ice Fantasy Destiny too. I'm hoping later episodes will show a less frilly reincarnation.
I like Dreamer, I'd be happy to see more Dreamer. I'm ignoring the frilly warning bells.
I might have forgotten someone or something, but hey, I'm only human! Love you all!
What an insane show. But it brought so much good! To this blog, mainly, in the form of new readers. Love you all! And hits! Before Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms broke all records, this was the most read Chinese show on this blog (yes, even before Nirvana in Fire). And fun! Yes, I had fun recapping this and the more insane it got towards the end, the more fun I had. Can I repeat, this show is just CRAZY. It's hard to say when exactly it went insane, but I can tell you exactly when it got really, really bad: after the soul-swapping shenanigans. JeezusSweetBaby.
I loved the show! It's been impossible to find something as absorbing since it ended. Everything else is a bit meh after this show and all it's colours and crazy. Basically, I've watched each episode at least twice, and the early Shi and Yan Da episodes probably 3 times, if not 4.
I'm not sure how I felt. I never 'liked' the show, really. I thought it was ridiculous, but initially I kept wanting to see what happened next, too. Pretty early on, before the half-way point, I lost even that urge - but still had a couple characters that I liked and wanted to know about. I usually am the biggest fan here for the WTF shows, so I'm not sure why this one didn't click with me - but I think it had something to do with Kasuo and his never-ending moping and ineffectiveness and the way things just seemed to drag on forever. Make Kasuo either less mopey or way more mopey, and end the show at 14 episodes? I'd probably have LOVED it.