Eternal Love

Eternal Love

(Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms) 

In this drama, everything was beautiful.  I even investigated some of the earthly locations hoping they were real so I could add them to my golden travel bucket list.  All aspects of the drama were of the highest standard.  Still, I didn’t particularly like this drama. Not because of its plot.  And not because of the quality of its cast and crew.  I found that the individual characters irked me.  They each pressed a rarely triggered button of disapproval.  A drama optimist, I approach these stories with an open mind, a healthy sense of accepting the ridiculous, and a willingness to inject aspects of missing reality which are felt to be needed to fully immerse myself in the shows I give up so many hours of my time to.

Eternal Love [1] managed to irritate me each time I watched it. I always watch a show or drama at least twice -- the first time to concentrate on the translated script; the second time to concentrate on the drama itself.  That way, all my senses combine to enjoy the magic that is portrayed before me.  I then watch the show or drama as many additional times as I want to for enjoyment or to answer questions related to the plot, a scene, or something in the translation that didn’t work for me.  In Eternal Love, it was the characters that left me frustrated and sometimes ‘angry’.

The biggest problem I had with the drama was the human Su Su.  She was both overly simple and overly demanding.  The character did not garner empathy nor liking.  Su Su was stubborn but unable to direct that powerful trait towards constructive thinking.  She never listened yet was unable to work things out for herself.  Her ignorance was unacceptable to me.  Even if her presence on earth from the heavens was without prior life lessons or preparation, this simpleton invited the cruelties she suffered upon herself. Earth Su Su, I sincerely apologise.  Your suffering was real, but much of it could have been avoided. You should have listened to Ye Hau, your husband, or applied the stubbornness you used to charm him to defend against Su Jin, the jealous woman with no rights or claims to Ye Hau’s heart.  I would have rooted for you all the way. Instead, I exhaled slowly and lowered my eyes in resignation. Perhaps that was because I am not very tolerant of impotent personalities.  I will always defend those that need help, but they really have to show they are also making an effort to resolve matters, too.

Of course, Su Su’s character ran parallel to a first and third incarnation of herself.  As Queen of Bai, Bai Qian, her royal highness was too caught up in her appearance.  In terms of comparisons, one can consider that the middle, human, Su Su’s personality run counter to that of Bai Qian in her lack of fiery attitude and confidence.  Still, and anyway, the Queen of Bai was equally unlikeable in her arrogance, inflexibility, and stupid decisions.  Bai Qian was petty, selfish, short-sighted, and ignorant at the most critical of times when wisdom was needed.  Feeling entitled, in fact, did not portray her as unlikeable; it was her behaviour towards others through that entitlement that was the issue.  I guess, though, that’s what feeling entitled means. The world is expected to revolve around you. There was a third persona, Si Yin, who was no better than the other two, in fact. The Su Yin character entered the mystical Kunlun Mountains [2] as a (cross-dressing) teenaged male immortal.  ‘He’ became sect leader Mo Yuan’s 17th disciple. Bai Qian/Si Yin was gifted the Jade Purity Fan of Kunlun. A powerful, mystical fan which can be employed as a deadly weapon, it was universally known of and much coveted. Si Yin’s ownership of it spoke clearly of her status at the school.  Interestingly, the blatant favouritism by Mo Yuan was tolerated without seeming jealousy from the other disciples. 

Bai Qian/Si Yin was at her most annoying and selfish.  She entered the male only sacred Kunlun School, an institution founded on strict discipline, but continued to act like a spoilt princess.  How the other students did not work out that she was female was hard to fathom.  She exercised her old entitlements and got others in trouble with compunction.  At its worse, her behaviour and disregard for her own or the safety of others put them in mortal danger.  Whether due to wasted time on high jinks or lack of studying, Si Yin bemoaned her bad luck, never taking responsibility for the consequences of her actions.  (All three characters were portrayed perfectly by actress Yang Mi.)

Repeatedly, as whichever persona, Bai Qian’s penchant for alcohol particularly bothered me.  The greatest offences (to my admittedly personal ‘sensibilities’) were the times I guess the drama wanted to show her at her weakest, at her most vulnerable. Overindulgence in alcohol and all its consequences on her rationality, empathy, and judgement was the method used.  Those times seemed always to clash with when Si Yin and Bai Qian needed to be shown at their strongest in order to protect others -- especially the two men who were desperately asking for her love and understanding.  Whilst loving the youngest prince of the demon world would have been a waste of time, her treatment of Crown Prince Ye Hua was despicable and disproportionately harsh.  I had to use the standard drama demonstrator of anger -- the balled up trembling fist -- to resist my desire to switch off the TV.  I had to tighten my lips against the impulse to scream obscenities as I pulled my hair out. Sentiments that were evoked by all three versions of Bai Qian. I managed, somehow, not to stamp my feet and weep.  After all, I may become immersed in what my eyes are watching and my ears are listening to, but my brain continues to understand and reflect that this was fantasy, not reality.

What of the beautiful Crown Prince Ye Hua (actor Mark Chao)?  His attitude towards both earthly Su Su and Queen of Bai, Bai Qian, was just not acceptable.  Sometimes it was humorous, mostly he should have been reported for sexual harassment.  A compulsive liar (including by omission of answers and explanations), Ye Hua inexplicably labelled it ‘protection’.  Selfish to a fault, that’s what he was.  How dare he expect earth Su Su to simply follow his commands?  But maybe it was that he recognised the lack of intelligence in Su Su. Even the most unimaginative people have free will and an instinct to survive, however, which leads them to make their own decisions -- for good or bad.  And his pursuit of Bai Qian was so lacking in subtlety that you had to side with her for slapping him down.  Whatever!  With Bai Qian, it’s reasonable to consider that the knowledge Ye Hua had of Su Su, in having been lovers, married her, and started a family with her, caused him to lose perspective. So, despite his many faults, I had more tolerance for Crown Prince Ye Hua than for Si Yin, Su Su, or Bai Qian. This was not least that he was the vehicle against which the two latter personas applied their brand of logic.  One proposed a marriage to someone she did not know simply so she would not be alone; the other refused his proposals because she felt she was better than him.  Bai Qian suggested it was her independence. It was not convincing.  Being no better, in terms of satisfying selfish desires, Ye Hua wanted what he wanted, and to hell with his responsibilities as future King of Heaven, to his family, and especially to his son.  Indeed, as parents, Ye Hua, Su Su, and then Bai Qian unquestionably failed that little boy -- especially his mother (both versions).

Based on the above, I should have no time for Princess Su Jin (actress Maggie Huang), whose obsession with her ‘brother’ was jaw-droppingly outrageous; and I didn't. Adopted into the Ye family when still young, her desire for the much younger Ye Hua was long standing and intense. How far one should go in pursuit of a love interest was questioned in Su Jin’s unrelentingly blinkered pursuit of the crown prince.  Where love is unrequited, when does the message penetrate the ego and the chase stop?  It became increasingly clear that Su Jin’s chasing of Ye Hua and her determination to eliminate his love interests, Su Su and Bai Qian, were actually unrelated to love but to obsession.  It can be a fine line to recognise and step aside from this thing called obsession.  When persisting rejections and verbal unmistakable refusals of your interest are before you, and you still feel beholden to chase and pester, even obsession has been surpassed.  Of course, when the ‘competition’ for his heart makes it easy for you to bully them, they present opportunities impossible to ignore.  Whilst the first Su Su fed Princess Su Jin’s cruelty, sadly, even Queen of Bai putting her in her place spectacularly did not puncture her desires.  Because a habit is a habit, and persistence in the face of loss means that increasingly desperate methods of ‘revenge’ just keep the perpetrator busy as well as miserable.  As well, they become a threat to themselves, to their perceived enemy or rival, and to the reported love interest.

The drama, Eternal Love, was often hard for me to watch.  Here's the contradiction.  All this negativity does not mean I did not enjoy the drama (ignoring the diatribe in the first paragraph).  There were many characters who could not be faulted.  To start, there was baby Ah Li.  Small and sweet he, nonetheless, held the attention of the viewer and stole every scene he was in.  I don’t consider it a truism that children and animals always dominate the dramas they are in.  It seldom happens that a child actor can project their character in as rounded and convincing a way as the actor Hummer Zhang did playing Ah Li, the son of earthly Su Su and Crown Prince Ye Hua.  His timing was spot on, his emotions were released or kept in check to perfection.  With many long pieces of dialogue to present, the miniature actor never let his viewers down.  I often wonder how studios get child actors to cry with conviction. They are just born to entertain is the easy answer I keep repeating.  No trauma, I tell myself each time, is involved in achieving the heart-breaking tears that the scenes require. 

Three other dramas of weeping, distraught children come to mind:  Little Liang Xiao Le (Benny Wen) in Autumn Concerto starring Venness Wu; [3] Young Bo Hai (actor unidentified) in Sweet Dreams starring Deng Lun and Dilraba Dilmurat; [4] and toddler brother (actor Leo Li) to Lu Wen Xi in Royal Nirvana starring Lou Jin and Li Yitong. [5] In all three cases, their reaction to being parted from someone they love almost spoils the drama in the realism and emotional distress they convey. 

Queen of Bai’s Fourth Brother, Bai Zhen (actor Yu Meng Long) underplayed his part beautifully.  He was strength and power in the most low-key ways.  There was, with him, time for fun, but when it was time for business, the message was clear -- even more so when he needed to protect his family.  Bai Zhen was someone aware of the full degree of his magical powers but never abuses it, seldom calls on it to manage situations.  Further, his understanding of the responsibilities and potential consequences that came with that power was always made abundantly clear. 

Similarly, Crown Prince Ye Hua’s third uncle, Lian Song (actor Li Dong Heng).  Less magically powerful, but with great depth of empathy, understanding, and open mindedness, Heavenly Prince Lian Song is the type of uncle or brother one would want in their corner.  You know that whether or not he agrees with a decision you make, he will not talk you out of it.  Instead, he will help you work out whether that decision is a good one.  He will also always cover for you -- against all who try to impose their will against yours.  He has, most importantly, the ability to step in and emphatically refuse a request by you or, importantly, prevent one of your worst decisions from becoming a reality and, thereby, a tragedy.  A Lian Song will sacrifice his own desires and dreams to meet the expectations of his parents and society but will help you break all the binds that might restrict your life.  Do what I say, not do as I do, then, must be Uncle Lian Song’s motto.

Where to place demon prince Li Jing (actor Vin Zhang)?  Pathetic, but with good intentions, about sums him up.  His survival was always in question.  Soft heart and a desire to please everyone is not the way to survive in the demon world. Or in any of the other realms, either.  His greatest failings were his lack of conviction, his lack of determination, and his lack of endurance in situations that stood between him and his desired goal.  How can a future ruler be so easily led, fooled, and unable to make hard decisions?  Still, he was a committed man and lover.  Despite being tricked into a relationship with Bai Qian’s cousin, Xuan Nu (actress Zhu Xu Dan), he sticks by her side, doing so through repeated turmoil and, indeed, for the rest of her life.  All to his disadvantage.  All despite his love for Si Yin never dimming. Which, in fact, was the trigger for most of his wife’s many atrocious acts.  That doomed love was, most definitely, also a burden he persisted in carrying, again to his own disadvantage.  Prince Li Jing couldn’t hurt Bai Qian and, therefore, those around her that he needed to fight against were also saved.  The one time he tried to withhold the help she called upon him for, he later conceded, though too late.  Had he only applied the same degree of commitment shown to his unrequited love towards ownership of the demon crown, which he inherited by chance and luck, he would have survived longer.

I’m discussing phoenix birthmark niece, Bai Feng Jiu (actress Dilraba Dilmurat), right down here because my feelings towards her were neutral.  Generally, I felt her presence was often unnecessary, mostly redundant, many times a distraction from the story itself.  This was the same for Original Emperor of Heaven, Dong Hua (actor Gao Wei Guang) in all respects.  Yet these two less needed characters go on to have a highly successful off-shoot drama to Eternal Love all to themselves in Eternal Love of Dream. [6] It can only be evidence of the power of good acting (which I must have missed in the original drama).

In terms of entertainment, the drama itself, I repeat here, was mostly enjoyable, overall.  The different relationships across time between the two main characters were intense, sometimes funny, many times questionable.  All together, these put a capital D in the word drama.  The themes in Eternal Love were universal and relatable to.  Love triangles have been a central plot in dramas since theatre started.  That is because dramas imitate reality (with a huge degree of poetic license).  Human nature does not change and those chemical responses to other people, or the attraction to beauty, wealth, or obsession, continue unabated and often exaggerated (certainly greatly visualised) in dramas.  Misunderstandings and miscommunications are also standard fare in dramas, otherwise where and how would the highlights and cliff-hangers be introduced and resolved?  Alcohol as a vehicle of release for all types of sin has become the great leveller.  It’s recognised as causing even greater problems than the original ones, but in absence of being able to verbally express themselves, somehow making the situation worse is preferable to facing the facts and the truth.  Prejudice and entitlement abound as reasons to mistreat and misjudge people’s beauty (or lack of it), wealth (or lack of it), size (when perceived as too much of it), or even an accent that is found unattractive or indicative of a particular status.  All were contained in Eternal Love.

Less common was the perceived problem of the male-female age differences (by hundreds of years) as a cause of resistance to a romance.  Eternal Love repeatedly alluded to the age difference between the two main characters, Bai Qian and Ye Hua.  It was, however, used as an excuse rather than a judgment with merit.  That was because an age gap also existed between the Crown Prince Ye Hua and his pursuer, Su Jin.  So age, actually, was a red herring to mislead the viewer -- until that is, the female main lead, Bai Qian, stopped finding excuses and followed her heart.  It’s an increasingly portrayed theme in Asian dramas, one that has already lost its significance in Western dramas (unless the age gap is sufficient enough to change the peer relationship).  In a land where people do not die, as in Eternal Love, age cannot be a determiner in relationships. 

Why, then, with all the criticisms above, have I watched this drama three times?  It’s because of the beautiful people, for the stunning landscapes, for the impeccably choreographed magic and fight scenes.  That said, there were many flaws in the computer-generated imagery (CGI), but whatever.  It is fantasy and your own imagination should fill in missing brushstrokes to provide the finished images.  After all, none of it was meant to be mistaken for reality.  It was watched for the wonderful acting of the whole cast, and the clear chemistry in the respective relationships. Whether sexual, friendship, or family, the attractions, loyalties, and unspoken understandings were convincing. 

Fans of the drama will quickly note that I have not as yet commented on the supreme Master of Kunlun, the mystical Kunlun Mountains and spiritual home of gods, Sect Leader Mo Yuan. Perfection is unparalleled, and this was exemplified here in Mark Chao’s portrayal of the character.  This paragon of virtue’s portrayal of unblemished existence is, well, perfect -- even as it was contradicted by his other title, God of War.  Yet, as a bonus, we are shown not only the spiritual leader, Mo Yuan, but also the man, Mo Yuan.  His bias towards youth Si Yin, as well as his emotional desire for the adult Bai Qian, gives him humanity.  Its absence could easily have become a flaw in the drama.  Mo Yuan knows from the start that Bai Qian and Si Yin are the same person, and his treatment of this special disciple reflects this; allowing her, as he did, to be the girl that she really was within the (unsuspecting) population of young men. Our ultimate heavenly spiritual leader’s external stillness contrasted with his silent internal emotional turmoil over Bai Qian.  Similarly, his unhesitating actions as leader to protect his disciples, even sacrificing himself to save humanity, contrasted well with his ability to hold back when he finds out that the person he loved was in love with his twin brother.  He bore it well.  We all suffered the heartache of unrequited love on his behalf.  As characters, the contrast between Mo Yuan, the twin that lived to serve (and deny himself happiness) and Ye Hua, the twin that lived to rule (and stubbornly chase whatever he wanted until he was successful) was important.  It was well executed.  It helped the viewer to totally understand that particular arc of the story.  Being born hundreds of years apart was reflected successfully in their respective outlooks on life.  The responsibilities placed upon older siblings remains intact even today and was exercised with nuance in the drama.  As the first son of the ultimate Heavenly Father, Mo Yuan took his role seriously and his duty to protect his sibling and that brother’s love for Bai Qian equally seriously.

Correct casting was fundamental to the drama’s success.  The two leads, Yang Zi and Mark Chao, have huge presence and reputations in the drama world, and they didn’t disappoint here.  The many other support characters perfectly fitted those they portrayed.  All together, the themes that caused me so much irritation and conflict were all those that held my attention, as they were designed to do.  In other words, the drama worked.

Leonora

asiandramaobserver@gmail.com

END

[1] Eternal Love. Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms by Tang Qi Gong Zi. Written by Hong Qiu; Directors, Lam Yuk-fan, Yu Cuihua, Ren Haitao; Distributors: Dragon TV, 2017;

https://www.viki.com/tv/36372c-eternal-love?qId=97b2f505b2d79f6737271efa715ed929

[2] As represented in Eternal Love,  Mo Yuan’s school, located in the Kunlun Mountains, is historically believed to be the birthplace of  the fabled Taoist Kunlun School. (Taoist Kunlun Mountain School, Dayan Wild Goose Qigong - Systems and Teachers of - The Dao Bums)

[3] Autumn Concerto… (Ep 21: 10.29-16.23)

[4] Sweet Dreams... (Ep 31: 28.21-30.32)

[5] Royal Nirvana… (Ep 21: 9.06-12.30)

[6] Eternal Love of Dream: Eternal Love of Dream (2020) - MyDramaList