“beginning” (Hajimari)
“the beginning”
While the ending was enjoyable in some ways, it also stepped on all the landmines I expected and wished it wouldn’t.
For starters, there are the kids. As hinted, the children were saved by the resurrection potion. Of course, the plan doesn’t escape Jinshi’s sharp gaze, but he looks the other way in honor of his promise to Loulan. On the one hand, I’m glad the children were saved – it would have been very tragic if they had been executed. I’ve become particularly fond of Kyou-u (now Chou-u), so it was a pleasure to have him back in the picture. However, it is laughably unrealistic. They did it in an incredibly wonderful way. That Jinshi would be in the same room while this was happening, stick to the plan, and then pretend he didn’t see anything. Oh, he even lends a helping hand. All this while you are the king’s brother and the head of the Forbidden Army? Ummm…..I don’t think so. His humanity would certainly make him hold his hand, but his attitude certainly wouldn’t. The survivors, no matter how young, represent the possibility of future rebellion, if not overthrow. If it’s not even more ridiculous, Ah Duo – the former consort – adopts most of the children and Suirei. I suppose that way the royal family can keep an eye on them easily, but you think she’s a shrewd royal, she’ll have objections – especially considering the attempts Soiri has made into the life of the royal family. It all smells awful like a rosy, fantasy happy ending – the kind that makes me groan.
I found it interesting how the resurrection potion affected children differently. Chou-u lost all his memories and was partially paralyzed. As you guessed long before, he ended up in the Pleasure Zone, although under Mao Mao’s guardianship, not Lumen’s. As Mao Mao thinks, it might be better for him to suffer from amnesia – I don’t know how he will bear the burden of knowing what happened. The same can be said about other children who have not lost their memories and have to live with them.
She was surprised that Mao Mao was released from her duties at the palace. She was so beloved by Gyokuyo that Jinshi couldn’t bear to be away from her, not to mention that Lakan would have something to say about taking his daughter back to the Pleasure Zone. It makes sense that they would want to keep Luomen, he has the skills, and he has finally regained his reputation. Perhaps Jinshi also realizes the danger of having Mao Mao around, given his nickname, which she now knows, and his inability to control himself around her.
Speaking of… Jinshi visits Mao Mao and becomes at a loss for words when he realizes that the long-awaited conversation is no longer necessary because Mao Mao has finally caught up with reality. I appreciated Mao Mao’s insistence that a scar shouldn’t detract from its value – the whole thing about women needing to protect their faces more than men is sexist. In fact, the scar seems to be a source of attraction for Mao Mao, judging by the way she keeps stroking it and staring at it (even if it’s the tailoring skills that impress her more than the man wearing it). She also made the interesting (and honest) observation that Jinshi’s beauty blinded people to the man beneath him. It shows that she sees his true value — and it’s kind of romantic, even if she didn’t mean it that way. Jinshi, being Jinshi, becomes useful – or should I say, byte. Mao Mao was somewhat indifferent about his progress, other than commenting on the saliva and poison. I can’t tell if this means she’s just given up, open to it, or dumbfounded. Jinshi definitely needs to keep his hands and teeth to himself – especially in grim situations where you have “dead” kids in the room right after a big fight.
One of the (many) major developments this season is Mao Mao opening her heart and learning emotions. We see this come to a head here when one of Gyokuyu’s maids delivers letters from Xiaolan to Mao Mao and Shisui. Xiaolan knows nothing – the cover story is that Mao Mao and Shisui are assigned elsewhere. She is preparing to start a new job through palace connections, but she still wants to say goodbye. While reading the letters, Mao Mao starts crying – I think it’s the first time we’ve ever seen her cry. It made me a bit emotional too. She had come a long way from reluctantly allowing Xiaolan and Shisui to communicate with her, to considering her a friend and missing her, to the point of crying. This slow evolution over two seasons has been one of my favorite parts.
I wasn’t really a fan of the way it ended – Shisui (now Tamamo, though the “jade” connection is still strong) seemed to survive, and Hairstick seemed to take the bullet for her. It appears to be heading to the “other side of the ocean,” which could mean Korea, Taiwan, or Japan, depending on where it is located in China. It’s a bit too “tidy-bowed” ending for my taste.
Now that the finale is out, how do you sum up the season as a whole? I enjoyed this season more than the first season (not that the first season was bad or anything like that). There were some failed episodes like the bathroom episode or the ghost story. But other than that – the plot was engaging, and I felt like each week left me wanting more – I found the political intrigue with the rebellion and the intertwining of the various story threads with Jinshi’s identity, the former Emperor, etc., entertaining. The character development is also done well – especially with Mao Mao and Jinshi. It’s a shame it ended on such a light note, with the run of the mill ending happily ever after for everyone, but overall, the series gave me enough to eagerly want a third season. Which I assume will come eventually, though I’ve heard it will take some time for the source material to get to the point where another season is possible. I’m grateful for the season that left me satisfied overall, even with the disappointing ending. Which says something about quality, sometimes the ending can negatively impact everything that came before it.