Daebak K-Rambles

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Re-watch value: 2 out of 5 stars

Synopsis

*partially taken from Dramafever*

Also known as “Drunken Exquisiteness,” Lost Love in Times is based on a novel by Shi Siye. Cecilia Liu leads a drama about a woman who makes the ultimate sacrifice for her love, only to reunite with it when she least expects it. A powerful sorceress has to leave her love to save his life, but all the evil in the world can’t keep them apart.

• Qing Chen Feng (Cecilia Liu from Imperial Doctress, Sound of the Desert, Scarlet Heart) is a sorceress. Her role is to serve and protect the royal family. In spite of seeming weak and gentle, Qing Chen Feng is actually an intelligent and powerful sorceress. However, the king no longer wants to associate with those who practice magic.

• Ling Yuan (William Chan) is the fourth prince of the Western Wei monarchy, and son of the deceased Emperor Mu. Known amongst the people as the “God of War,” Ling Yuan is a fierce and fearless commander. His intelligence is matched only by his courage. Behind his cold exterior, the prince is also a tremendously caring man, and will die to protect those he loves.

• Zhan Yuan (Xu Hai Qiao) is the seventh prince of the western Wei dynasty. Educated and cultured, he loves the arts and music. Zhan Yuan has no interest in politics, but his family has other plans, while other members of the royal family know he is an easy pawn to use against Ling Yuan.

As Qing Chen Feng continues to serve the royal family, she grows closer to Ling Yuan. However, the royal family opposes their union. Undeterred, Ling Yuan goes forward with wedding. Led by Zhan Yuan, the royal family attacks the sorceress and the prince.

To save the man she loves, Qing Chen Feng makes the ultimate sacrifice. She launches her most powerful spell and alters the very flow of the universe itself. She will never meet her love again, but at least he will be safe. For her, it’s a fair price.

What the sorceress doesn’t realize, however, is that even altering the flow of time cannot stop true love.

Rambling

*beware of spoilers*

It’s easy to look back on this 58-episode journey and find fault, but the truth is this drama started out sickeningly good, and each week I eagerly came back for more. I would argue that the plot momentum in the first 10 episodes was way fast compared to later episodes. Somewhere inside the 30-40th episode, it got boring. The nonsense competition between the potential princess consorts for Ling was ::yawn:: too slow.

Lost Love in Times starts out quick—you get thrown in the middle of a mystical competition between sorceresses in some enchanted woods. The wire work is gorgeous, and they focus on our main girl—Qing Chen—as she eloquently glides through obstacles. Her eloquence doesn’t let up as the plot unfolds; she stays perfect, not a hair out of place, even as she fights enemies with swords, bows and arrows, or martial arts. But therein lies the problem: she was too perfect, too soft-spoken, too everything. She didn’t seem like a real person with weaknesses or grit and grime. If you’re out running around in the desert, you’d think you’d get some dirt on your face, get your hair messed up, rip your clothes or something. I know this whole thing started out with the supernatural element thrust in our faces, but give me a believable heroine that isn’t a Barbie doll. (It’s the white pants syndrome—any action movie with a woman wearing heels or white pants, her heels don’t impede her and her pants stay bleach white.)

Continuing with the fast-paced beginning, Qing Chen and Ling fall in love comically fast (in the first timeline) as well. You generally want your main leads to get together, but in that first timeline, we really didn’t get to savor their courtship, especially since it was all caught up in political upheavals and backstabbing.

Once Qing Chen initiates the Magic Circle of Nine Transformations, she gets dumped into an alternate timeline where no one knows her and the Mages are being hunted. Although this timeline gives us an adequately paced romance, I have to say that as much as I enjoyed Ling and Qing Chen’s flirtatious and melodramatic courtship, I was simultaneously trying to figure out the lore surrounding the nine magic stones and their individual usages. I mean, in episode 54, Princess Duo Xia dies and turns into the garnet stone because that stone only materializes from the blood of a fearless person? Right. One stone can conveniently teleport someone 1,000 miles? Riiggghht.

I’m still confused about her showdown with the guardian of the nine transformations back in the phantom realm and why the guardian would then possess the youngest prince? What happened to the sickly young prince in the meantime? It wasn’t until episode 55 that Li (the guardian) said that he came with Qing to the alternate universe by accident. I guess he was following close to her when she grabbed the magic stones in the phantom zone and was thrust into the second timeline. Still… ::squints eyes::

WTF

A lot of nonsensical plot points made the cut in the final episodes, regrettably. In episode 53, HOW THE HELL DID LING FORCE-GRAB THAT SWORD LIKE FRIGGIN’ REY IN FORCE AWAKENS?? I spent the entire show thinking he had no magical powers. Also, he got full-on stabbed in the chest by Prince Ming, yet he not only lives but seems completely unharmed? None of this is explained.

In episode 55, Ling apparently breaks up with Qing after they catch the tail end of the fire that killed Duo Xia—but we never see any of this?? That was a huge misstep. We only see Qing suddenly pass out in the street; the next day she tells Ming Yan (not to be confused with Prince Ming, that crazy-ass, homicidal, dark sorcery quack) bits of what he said; and then questions Ling about it. Very disjointed and, not to mention, distracting. Why skip over that? If it was for dramatic effect, that purpose was not achieved.

In episode 56, Ling and his mom tussle in front of the activated Magic Circle of Nine Transformations, but while they are levitating (Ling, too, even though he has no magical powers), what was happening to Ling? It looked like the vortex was harming him? Taking something from his body? It was incomprehensible. Furthermore, where the hell did Ling’s mother go?? It looked like she spun into the Nine Transformations vortex…I think? She’s vanished by the time Qing Chen and Prince Li (the guardian) make their way into the phantom zone. What a weird end to such a vile character. Too abrupt and unclear.

Once inside the phantom zone, the guardian sends Qing Chen back to her original timeline. Except Ling greets her with a marriage proposal and their braided hair? The same braided hair that was part of their unfinished wedding ceremony in the Meandering Skies in timeline #2. So odd, how does timeline #1 Ling have timeline #2’s braided hair trinket thing?

Qing Chen, of course, accepts his proposal but on the condition that he give up the throne. Strange, seeing as how in timeline #2 her ultimate goal was to get Ling his rightful place on the throne. He hands the throne over to Yuan Zhan, who seems not to be the same evil character he was in the original timeline #1? He has the demeanor of timeline #2 Zhan.

Zhan dismisses his wife because he doesn’t love her and wishes her a carefree life where she can meet someone who truly cherishes her. So he still indeed loves Qing Chen as in timeline #2. Zhan also seems very sickly and pale in his last scene. Will he have a long, peaceful reign?

Back in timeline #1, Elder Tao Yao and Elder/Senior Xie are reunited at last, both of them alive and well. Xie seems surprised to see her, thus implying that he didn’t know she was alive in this timeline…the same timeline where he should be dead.

We never return to Che and Cai Qian, our cute, young couple whom we spent a bit of time with, hoping they’d get together. In our last scene with Che in timeline #2, he is unconscious, and in our last scene with Cai Qian, she is mourning his death. Since Qing Chen and Ling set off to visit Che in A-chai tribe in the revised timeline #1, we can safely assume that he’s fully recovered. But did him and Cai Qian finally meet? Did they finally get married?

Qing Chen grandly (as in, with thousands of her golden butterflies fluttering all around her) releases a strong spell or energy that is felt throughout the Meandering Skies. It was such a beautiful-looking performance that I thought it was a good thing. She quickly collapses into Ling’s arms and coughs up blood. She reveals that she gave up or otherwise dispersed her Grand Sorceress powers and destroyed the nine stones that make up the Circle of Nine Transformations, thereby releasing Li (the guardian). Coincidentally, there’s no more dark sorcery. WUT. It was that easy to do?? We spent 56 episodes ogling at her Grand Sorceress abilities and status, its importance cited as a huge reason for her not to marry Ling in the original timeline #1, and she just poof—gave it up just like that.

It is not even remotely explained, but all these conclusions point to the fact that timeline #1 turned into a combination of the two universes—the best of both worlds, so to speak. Everyone remembers what happened in timeline #2 as well. I can’t say that I liked this ending; it felt weird and uncomfortable. The desperation we see as Qing Chen literally fades away in timeline #2 is too quickly replaced by a nonchalant happy ending. Ehh…no thanks. It’s all too good to be true.

Daddy Dearest

I hated the king. He was a terrible father who set his children against each other and hindered them from any happiness. I couldn’t find a plausible reason for his ruthlessness other than selfishly preserving his throne. Why he would be so offended by his sons resorting to murder to attain the throne baffles me as well, since he himself killed his older brother and took his place. Keeping his brother’s wife as his own was a nasty sin, but again, why would he delude himself into thinking Consort Ling (Ling’s mom) would just forgive, forget, and eventually fall in love with him?? Again, foolish.

In episode 52, he seemed to reach a new level of ass hole. Ling’s mom “kills” herself (obviously, it’s all a ruse), and he gives a decree sentencing her to death after she’s already committed suicide because she is his “woman” and she must “obey” him even in death. Scoundrel!

Miscellaneous Thoughts

Changing the subject, the costuming was dazzling from the get-go; I’m a sucker for the intricate and colorful dresses and garments wuxia characters rock.  However, I have to raise my eyebrows at some of the hairstyles and headpieces.

Senior Xie’s pelo (read: hair) was downright awful. He looked like a conehead and I couldn’t take anything he did or said seriously.

The Meandering Skies reminded me of the aesthetic in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, but then I realized both shows have the same director.

It took until episode 51 for me to realize all the villains (Consort Ling, Prince Ming, Mukesha) became villains because they couldn’t get over their dead exes or have their loves. Bit much? Yes.

All in all, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this bad boy. It started out so promising, but then it treated the audience unkindly with all its gaping plot holes and loose ends. Too bad…I was really rooting for this one.

Did you see Lost Love in Times? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below!