The upcoming C-drama Bu Bu Jin Xin 步步惊心 (English translation being Every Step is Fraught With Anxiety) is about to wrap up its filming in the next few days, with most of the cast members having already completed all their scenes. The drama looks to premiere in the Summer, and the production company has just released two official MVs to go along with the trailers that dropped a few weeks ago.
I love love love the MVs, which based on C-dramas track record means nothing about whether I will like the drama itself. C-dramas almost have an inverse effect on me – if I like the trailer I end up disliking the drama. I hope BBJX breaks that trend, because I’m just dying for a good period drama, the time-travel fantasy element not withstanding.
I read an interview with the writer of the novel BBJX, who said that the inspiration for BBJX and the entire girl time-travels to the past and gets involved with a Prince/future Emperor concept was based on THE grandmommy of all time-travel mangas Crest of the Royal Family (also known as the Daughter of the Nile or Ouke no Monshu).
I started reading Crest when I was a wee lass, and 25 years later that damn manga is still not finished! But Crest did spawn legions of time-travel mangas, some good (Red River or Anatolia Story), some middling (Fushigi Yuugi), and some extraordinary (Inuyasha).
So BBJX is inspired by Crest, which tells the story of an American girl who gets transported by the Nile back to ancient Egypt, where she falls in love and eventually marries the hottest Pharoah in all of Egyptian history (my assessment), and becomes a pawn and prize amongst the rival kings and princes.
With that said, I’m probably going to cave to my curiosity and read the BBJX novel. Even if you have no interest in watching the drama, the MVs are gorgeous and lots of fun to watch, so check it out. MV 1 is adorable and lighthearted. MV 2 is…..not so much that.
Official BBJX MV 1:
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I love time traveling story involves handsome prince(s) from faraway country. So I definitely give this a go :P
Ah Ouke no Monshou.. I remember I came across this manga few years ago, then at some point was really upset the story haven't finished yet lol...
Agree with you that Anatolia Story is good, Fushigi Yuugi.. err I like the story, feel nothing for Miaka (I never like any of the female lead from its Author).. Inuyasha hold special place in my heart :)
I can't fingure out why the author refuses to finish Crest, since she set up her own ending from BOOK 1! Literally, I was like 6 years old and I knew exactly how that damn book would end, and like 25 years and 50 some books later, she's introducing yet another slimy prince from another damn country that wants to abduct her!
The ending of Ouke was always set up this way - her oldest brother is a freaking doppelganger for the Pharoah! And her entire family is blond and blue-eyed, except for her super hot older brother who is black hair and happens to love his little sister a little too much.
Even I was like "oh yeah, her older brother must be adopted, and is the reincarnation of the Pharoah, and in the end, she comes back to the modern world, because her Pharoah is supposed to die young (she saw his tomb in modern times), and they will meet up again and realize that it was all meant to be."
So fauxcest and time travel and reincarnated lovebird goodness. Except the damn woman keeps writing more and more pointless trips to various ancient civilizations.
Anyways, I'm so tired of Crest I think I'll be a grandmother by the time she finishes her story.
I wish BBJX would end the same way - she dies in the Qing dynasty, only to wake up in modern times again, and she meets up with the modern reincarnation of the 4th Prince. Yum, that would make my year.
lol so true..!! Realistically speaking, probably it's soooo popular and the author's publisher don't want her to stop or something similar along the line.
This is so similar with vilain of the week on shonen manga, for ONM it's abduction of the week T_T
I feel like we have the same taste when I read your blog. The liking for fauxcest and reincarnation stories seal the deal lol.. Hum, I wonder if you like childhood friend stories too.
I wish BBJX would end the same way – she dies in the Qing dynasty, only to wake up in modern times again, and she meets up with the modern reincarnation of the 4th Prince. Yum, that would make my year.
Oh, that would be AWESOME. I would be on that at the speed of light if they could end it that way. Seriously, "She died from angst and the Emperor screamed/cried/mourned her death. The End!" doesn't sound particularly satisfying to watch. I think this is one of those rare cases where I'd even prefer "...and it was all a dream" over reality.
The manga is still going after 25 years? My God!
My problem with all the "girl goes back in time, falls for hunk, stays there" stories is that unless there is no way to get back (and she explored every possible avenue), no matter how hot the hottie, I think she is a moron, to trade modern day medicine, security and rights for living in an ancient society where life expectancy is 30 if you are lucky.
I am probably influenced by the fact that I and my daughter would most certainly be dead by now if that happened to me and I am a fairly healthy individual.
This isn't a criticism of BBJX btw because I haven't read the novel so no idea how it goes down. (My favorite part of Gong, which I know wasn't your type of drama, but I enjoyed a lot, was the ending, precisely because it didn't end in the way above).
I love Red River despite the above rant! I need to finish it though. Also a huge fan of FY. Never read Inuyasha - isn't it a million volumes? One of these days...
Re: BBJX. I jut can't get used to normally hot Nicky Wu in Qing get-up. It emphasizes all the wrong things about him and makes him look hideous. Yes, am that shallow.
Inuyasha has I think 56 books. Probably my fave Takahashi Rumiko series.
Though Mookie will probably agree with me that Urusei Yatsura remains hands down the Takahashi series that is most re-readable and makes me die of laughter chapter after chapter.
If you like time-travel and fantasy, Inuyasha is great.
I'm trying to be VERY cautiously optimistic coz I really love that emo MV. TangRen's record of pretty MV leading to the lamest boring Cdrama of the year is still Stinging. But then I love the LoCH08 MVs to bits and we both love at least parts of the drama rabidly! ;)
Time traveling is not my kink, but imo the novel is a decent read (I've not finished) AT least wayyyyy less headdesking than 5 min of Gong.
50-50 BBJX will be great or a dud. I'm not so vested that I would be devastated if it sucked.
initially when i read that nicky wu was cast to play the fourth prince, i burst out laughing. two mvs and numerous stills later, i still remain unconvinced he is the man for the role. i mean... it just feels wrong. even before he became emperor, Yinzhen had such a commanding presence. nicky had an emo feel which is so not right for Yinzhen. i've seen a number of actors portray Yinzhen (and later Yongzheng) and nicky would definitely not have been my pick for it.
and kevin cheng is... better looking than a stone but that's about it.
Koala unni, you should check out Gong - palace heartlock jade. The story line looks similar, modern girl transported to qing....I find the actress and actors more eye candy than this BBJX..Especially Feng xiao feng as 8 ah-ge....The OST is very nice too