Summary of the Additional Epilogue for Bu Bu Jing Xin the Novel
The novel Bu Bu Jing Xin was published on the internet by author Tong Hua in 2006. It was only later that she got a publisher and it was released on paperback. With the success of the drama, the novel has naturally been re-issued. For the 2011 edition, which was just released in a nifty box set above last month, Tong Hua wrote an additional 30,000 word epilogue, none of which was incorporated into the drama at all. The epilogue, continuing in the vein of Tong Hua’s lyrical writing, is utterly lovely and gives a glimpse into what happened after Ruo Xi passed. Between my tears and sobbing, I managed to summarize the epilogue below.
The majority of the epilogue concerns Princess Chenghuan’s story (the daughter of 13th Prince and Lu Wu), growing up in the palace and becoming best friends with Yongzheng’s 5th son Prince Hongzhou. They get in trouble a lot with their spunky ways, but Yongzheng loves her so much he treats her better than any of his children. She was given to the Empress to raise, who lost her only son and remained childless until the end of her days. She died a few years before Yongzheng, but despite her childless status she retained the Empress title.
Before passing, she confessed to Chenghuan that she’s been treated with such respect by the Emperor and lived a good life. She is unafraid of death, but she is afraid of leaving him all alone. As she nears her end, she asks Yongzheng candidly if he would still make her his Empress if he could choose again. Yongzheng answers that she’s been by his side for 40 years since they were teenagers and has been nothing but a caring and dutiful wife. In his eyes, there is no one else who could be his Empress, and with that she passes peacefully.
A few years after Ruo Xi passes, a Mongolian prince pays a visit to the court of Emperor Yongzheng. It is Min Min’s youngest son, asking for the hand in marriage of one of the Qing princesses to one of the Mongolian princes. Yongzheng asks him if the request is from his father or mother? The Prince replies that it’s from his mother. His father was afraid of overreaching to ask for the hand of one of the Qing princesses, but Min Min persuaded her husband.
Hearing this, Yongzheng says that he doesn’t have a daughter at a marriageable age, but there is a princess he cherishes even more than if she were his blood daughter. Yongzheng gives Princess Chenghuan’s hand in marriage to the eldest son of Min Min. The day arrives where Chenghuan is to leave for Mongolia but no one can find her, and word comes out that Princes Hongli and Hongzhou are also missing.
The three return by late afternoon, propping up a drunken Chenghuang. Prince Hongli kneels to beg forgiveness, while Prince Hongzhou gives his dad a challenging look. At that moment, Yongzheng flashes back to a young 13th Prince bursting into his study to laugh about how he took a certain sister-in-law of the 8th Prince out drinking all night and caused chaos in that household. He remembers his beloved brother’s wild abandon, and lets this go.
Before leaving, Chenghuan grabs her Imperial Uncle’s legs and cries with abandon, begging not to be sent away. Yongzheng orders her shoved into the carriage. Chenghuan knows that those who loved her most wanted this marriage for her, wanted her to leave the Forbidden Palace. But she is sad to leave her life behind for an unknown future. She never learns the truth, that her mother was Lu Wu, but she knows she was loved by everyone around her and that truth of her birth is never to be discussed.
It is only after knowing the Chenghuan’s future is secure does 13th Prince succumb to his illness and dies. When Min Min learns about 13th Prince’s passing, she wails in pain and cries her sorrows publicly. She sets up a shrine to 13th Prince and tells her eldest son to perform the rituals of a son-in-law. Later in the night, her son finds her singing before the shrine, and then she breaks into the dance that she performed for 13th Prince years ago. When Min Min meets Chenghuan, she vows to love Chenghuan as her own daughter for the rest of her life.
When Yongzheng dies, he asks his faithful servant Gao Wu Yong to pass word to 14th Prince, who has been in palace arrest since Ruo Xi’s death. Yongzheng’s parting words to his younger brother are “I’m taking the golden hair pin with me under the ground, and giving you back your freedom.” The hair pin in question is the one 14th Prince kept that belonged to Ruo Xi, which she used to prick the horse during that horse race with Min Min in order to protect 14th Prince’s secret trip to Mongolia. This shows how much 4th Prince loved Ruo Xi, taking everything that was hers with him, not even allowing 14th Prince to keep his final memento of hers. And also shows how much 14th Prince loved her, that he kept the hair pin all these years.
After Yongzheng passes, 14th Prince has a dream one night about his brother. In it, he’s 4 years old and his mother is feeding him goat’s milk. 15 year old 4th Prince comes to visit their mother bearing a calligraphy page he’s beautifully written. Their mother reaches for it to read, which is when young 14th Prince knocks over the milk. Their mother immediately fusses over 14th Prince, and absentmindedly grabs the 4th Prince’s paper and uses it to sop up the spilt milk. 4th Prince quietly watches, and then puts the wet paper in his sleeve pocket.
When their mother goes to change, 4th Prince smiles at his younger brother and says they have very similar names. Yinzheng and Yinti, and 4th Prince uses some tea water and writes the word Yin on the table to show 14th Prince. Perhaps 14th Prince was jealous that his older brother could already write, but he acted all petulant and erased the word, telling his older brother that his calligraphy is just average and the teacher must always be complimenting his writing to gain their mother’s approval.
14th Prince wakes up from this dream with tears in his eyes. He doesn’t know whether he’s crying for the 15 year old 4th Prince sitting in their mother’s chamber that day, or for his own life which went to waste the day their father passed away. When he was released by his nephew, now Emperor Qianlong, he asked for just a horse. He walks out of the palace and sees Beijing is pretty much unchanged since Yongzheng did not do major construction in the city. He walks around and sees all the same places he went with his brothers. What he wants to do is go see the country like his 13th brother dreamt of, but he’ll likely not be allowed to travel far. He doesn’t mind, because in every nook and cranny of Beijing is a memory he can revisit of his brothers and Ruo Xi and their time growing up together.
Princess Chenghuan learned how to draw from the royal painter, and years after Ruo Xi passed, she drew a portrait of her beloved Aunt Ruo Xi. Yongzheng saw the painting and quietly viewed it for some time. Chenghuang offered to give it to her Imperial Uncle, but he did not accept it. Chenghuan cried thinking even her Imperial Uncle has forgotten about her. But one night as Chenghuan is walking the Imperial gardens with her cousin Prince Hongzhou, she sees Yongzheng sitting in Ruo Xi’s old chambers, with one flickering candle burning, reading the old calligraphy papers she left when she practiced her writing. It is then Chenghuan realizes that her uncle has never forgotten Ruo Xi.
Tong Hua uses Prince Hongli’s worries about his father to show how Yongzheng lived in the years after Ruo Xi passed. Hongli remarks that his father has not visited any of his wives in many years, which leaves no further princes to vie for the throne except for him and Hongzhou. But Hongzhou is a free-spirit who is uninterested in learning, so Hongli knows that he is all his father can rely on to govern the country when the time comes. It’s clear that Ruo Xi’s name is verboten in the palace, never to be spoken of. Hongzhou only knows she’s someone who Chenghuan calls Aunt and loved dearly and is also one of the wives of their 14th uncle, but it’s Hongli who was old enough to have seen the truth, that she is someone of vital importance to his father.
If you know your Chinese history, Prince Hongli will go on to become the Emperor Qianlong, widely considered the best Emperor in Qing history. In fact, Emperor Qianlong had such filial piety that towards the end of his reign, he abdicated his throne for his son, in order to not go down in history as having a longer reign than his famous grandfather, the Emperor Kangxi. So his rule was just one year shorter than that of his grandfather, even though he continued to make ruling decisions behind the scenes until his passing many years later.
Some thoughts:
It’s really hard to let these characters go, possibly even more difficult than letting the drama go. The actors made them feel alive, living through such tumultuous times filled with excesses of love and happiness, pain and suffering. I loved how Tong Hua’s epilogue included Min Min, and having 13th Prince’s daughter marry into Min Min’s family was such a fitting conclusion for the Mongolian princess with a heart as wide as the plains, and the Qing Prince she loved like the moon she could never reach. Even though Min Min gave up her moon and married her sun, it made me cry knowing she never really forgot 13th Prince. I’m glad Chenghuan got out of the palace after her father passed, and found such a loving family with Min Min in the plains where she could live without constraints.
No one can possibly not love the character of 13th Prince, with his dislike of royal constraints and his wish to live with abandon. While 13th Prince had his life full of youthful promise cut short, it was hinted at that 14th Prince was the one who in the end lived out the rest of his life according to what his 13th brother longed for. After all the love and hate, all the fighting and suffering had passed him by, 14th Prince was the only one left, and he managed to find a measure of peace and happiness with what he had. The simplest of things, really. When he was released from the palace, he lived to a ripe old age. In the end, what 14th Prince wanted was the same as what 13th Prince once told Ruo Xi was his dream if only he wasn’t born into the royal family: riding horses in the wild, playing the flute, sword fighting, shooting condors on the plains, listen to the music of the South, traveling the country to experience life without worries.
The fansphere for BBJX is pretty evenly divided between those who hated the drama ending and preferred the novel ending, and those who found the drama ending open-ended enough to be hopeful. Director Lee revealed that the third ending shot involved Nicky being the driver that hit Zhang Xiao, and they end up meeting again after she wakes up. What happens after that remains a mystery the production hasn’t revealed.
I think the drama did such a great job of bringing the story to life that I appreciated their attempt to create a modern day closure to the story. But after reading Tong Hua’s new epilogue, it added even greater depth to the lives of those left behind after Ruo Xi’s passing. Yongzheng literally worked himself to death, being a good Emperor was all he had left, and his contribution the only thing he could do. Because his heart had already died with Ruo Xi, and he was just waiting to join her when his time came and he could leave the country in the hands of his capable son Prince Hongli.
OMG! just about time when i was scouring your posts on BBJX… copying all of them on word, for reference while watching and reading… lalalala… so happy for this new post. 🙂 thanks sis koala!
Well if that third ending doesn’t scream fate even more than the one the drama used I don’t know what does
Haven’t finished watching, as am one of those patiently waiting for the subs to come. But I can also feel your withdrawal pain, koala!
thanks for another BBJX post i’m going through withdrawals here…this is really drama crack at its highest..you’re right about these actors bringing these characters to live…it’s just so sad to see the drama end and not seeing these actors together anymore..i have to go re-watch the drama again..this crack is so good i don’t want it to end..
OMG…I really want to get the book. Too bad, I’m not living in China and could not purchase it via China online bookstore….sigh…
yesasia sell it.. just got my copy..
http://www.yesasia.com/us/%E6%AD%A5%E6%AD%A5%E9%A9%9A%E5%BF%83-%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88-%E9%99%84%E7%B2%BE%E7%BE%8E%E6%98%8E%E4%BF%A1%E7%89%87-%E7%B2%BE%E8%A3%85-%E7%B0%A1%E9%AB%94%E6%9B%B8/1025029343-0-0-0-zh_TW/info.html
I still don’t know whether to buy the traditional Chinese one or the simplified one. The new simplified edition is attached with postcards. But I’m better at reading traditional Chinese..
Sigh.. dilemma. I’ve downloaded the book on my Iphone, but it just doesn’t read well.
Is there an English version to this book?
i really want to but the english version but i cant find it anywhere. Do you guys perhaps know?
I love you… hopefully you know that. Thanks for the epilogue. I would probably never even have heard of it if it wasn’t for you.
Thank you so much Koala…always…for updating us with BBJX tibits!
This is just so sad…I don’t know, maybe because I know how happy they used to be, everyone together, but they grew apart and became scheming and stuff…Maybe it would have been different if they had dialed back on ambition, or been a bit more honest, or just cherished each other over power and money and stuff. But they didn’t ^^’ It just hurts my heart.
I don’t read it like that actually. I think they did all cherish what they had, but ultimately the unknown and the inevitable was the kicker.
For 8 and 4, I don’t see them pursuing the throne as ambitious for the sake of their ambition or to amass power or wealth. They had plenty of that. I think both of them pursued the crown for the sake of control.
They wanted control over their lives. 8 wanted to be respected, 4 wanted to protect those around them who were hurt in this throne battle. What they wanted was perfectly legitimate and not overreaching at all, nor was it for a purpose as shallow as power or money. But ultimately the sacrifice was too great.
No, I get that that wasn’t all and everything. But ultimately, to me at least, the throne loses importance to the ones you love and respect, your family and stuff. They were too ambitious, and their egos were too strong. They just couldn’t give up on the throne, or on the idea they had of it, like it was really going to give them fulfillment. At the end of your life, all of that just doesn’t matter anymore. I get why they did all that, I just think it’s sad.
ockoala,
Excellent conclusion!!
“But one night as Chenghuan is walking the Imperial gardens with her cousin Prince Hongzhou, she sees Yongzheng sitting in Ruo Xi’s old chambers, with one flickering candle burning, reading the old calligraphy papers she left when she practiced her writing. It is then Chenghuan realizes that her uncle has never forgotten Ruo Xi.”
I would love this part, can you tell me it’s in which part of the epilogue? I think chap2 of epilogue end up with Chenghuan going out with Honzhou, but I didn’t get to the part they see Yongzheng reading the old calligraphy! Such a loss!
Hi,
I have also been searching high and low for this part. I re-read the entire epilogue and cannot find it! I vaguely remembered I did read it though…. can please tell us which part of the epilogue is this in? Thanks!
After reading the epilogue, my sadness for all BBJX characters was even more profound. Like you say, it is really difficult to let the characters go as they are so vivid and real to me. Knowing that Chenghuan will be lovingly welcomed into Min Min’s family gives a measure of comfort especially as so many of characters have experienced so much hardship in their lives.
I was tearing up again as I read the epilogue particularly at certain points in the epilogue such as:
-Min Min performing that song (the same song that she sang in the performance that Ruoxi put on for her in front of the princes) in front of 13th’s altar with her husband accompanying on her instrument,
-Yongzhen reminiscing about Ruoxi in her old residence and the potrait Chenghuan drew of Ruoxi
-Yongzhen’s decision to agree to marry Chenghuan off afar secure in the knowledge that she will find happiness with Min Min’s family even when all his beloved have left his side.
-14th walking around Beijing city and saying that he can spend the rest of his live reliving his happy times and revisiting the memories through places that he, his brothers and Ruoxi went to.
I’m tearing up again as I”m reading your summary. I can’t let go of BBJX’s characters yet. I have not mourn enough yet…
Even though I have not yet finished watching this, I am tearing up. This is so wonderful to read. Many thanks!!!
Thank you so much for this posting – I was looking for info about the epilogue online after someone mentioned it in the comments for another one of your BBJX post. btw think it should be 14th instead of 4th Prince in this sentence: “4th Prince wakes up from this dream with tears in his eyes…”
Thank you so much for this! I haven’t watched a C-drama in ages and (being Chinese) regularly lament on the lackluster standards when compared to K-drama. BBJX gives me so much hope… and I would never have followed it if not for you!
I was not intending watch it at all and thought I’d be happy just reading your entries on it. After reading your posts, I got a lil curious and ‘casually’ watched the last episode thinking that it won’t spoil it for me since I don’t intend to watch the whole series.
I went from episode 35 to 18 to 15 to 13…. etc, etc. I haven’t been able to concentrate well at work, keep hearing the theme song in my head and replaying the scenes at the back of my mind. I’m so hooked it’s not funny!!
Maybe this epilogue is what my frazzled mind need since it offers a better understanding of how things unfold (in more details) after RX ‘passed on’… The tidbits about 4th prince and the subtle acts which revealed how much RX ‘remained’ with him till the end is heartbreaking but fulfilling.
So thanks x 1 000 000 Ockola for the beautiful translation!! This means a whole to me 🙂
Another morsel of BBJX. Thank you!
My love for this novel/drama has increased exponentially.
I’m up to the episode where R is a laundress….She is still sweet but worn down and frail. I was happy that #4 finally was brave enough to face her and promise to marry her….
I was about to save this until I have read the novel.. But now.. I’m off reading the epilogue first .. xD
Thanks for another wonderful post!
After reading this epilogue, I don’t know who had it worst, RX or 4th. RX wakes up from her coma remembering the past, meets modern 4th but he doesn’t recognize her or 4th after RX died, suffers loneliness and has to watch each and every of his loved ones die before him. I would like to imagine the modern RX will chase after modern 4th in the museum to resurrect their love…
Thanks Ms. Koala, I’m so grateful for this translation and please keep all the happy scenes recap coming.
Thanks for the summary of the epilogue! Without rouxi in it, I feel something’s missing somewhat..
thx u so much for the summary ! But do u noe where can i read the 2011 version of the novel?
it was from reading your summaries of Bu Bu Jing Xin that i fell in love with it. Thanks! Just reading this epilogue makes me wish they’ll have a english version of the novel that i can buy.
Thanks so much for feeding my and everyone’s BBJX addiction!
Reading your post brings back those tears in my eyes. It’s like I somehow see RX in Princess Chenghuan. No wonder Yongzheng adores her ’cause I guess in some ways she reminds him of RX not to mention that 13th is Chenghuan’s dad who is very dear to him, too!
BBJX will forever remain such an epic tale of love. It will be so difficult to let it go.
hi koala! i’ve been following bu bu jing xin since i’ve read your rave reviews about this drama and i have to say even i am entangled with this drama. i just love 4th & Ruo xi together but it breaks my heart to know that they are not going to be together. i’ve only watched until episode 30 but don’t know anything that’s happening ’cause there is only until episode 23 that has been fully subbed. do you know why yu’tan was cooked alive in episode 30?
If you go to this post, I answered that question in the comments section for someone who asked.
https://koalasplayground.com/2011/09/23/tong-hua-discusses-bu-bu-jing-xin-and-some-other-drama-stuffs/
Thanks koala! It really breaks my heart every time I watch bbjx knowing that they all fought for the throne in the expense of losing the people that they love.
where can i buy the book?
yesasia.com
Do you also know where you can but the english version of the book?
buy*
thanks so much ockoala for the summary of the epilogue. buckets here after reading. 🙁
it’s so hard that the novel is not available in english paperback. it would be a good read. at least with this post i get a slice of tong hua’s work. appreciate too that the production of the drama went ahead with putting a modern day closure. at least their is this glimpse of closure albeit not totally the happy ending that i want. well in my imagination it did happen but it would be more satisfying to see it acted out.
it is 4th dream to see rx w/ children, so sad that they lost their’s. 4th understands rx want of freedom but his reign is being shaken by doubts and has no choice. can’t get over their love. the drama leaves on. sigh!
hi ockoala! thanks for this summary as i can never read nor understand chinese. any BBJX from your website is like a blessing from heaven in a Fall gloomy day. this made my day after learning the passing of Apple’s Steve Job last night.
i wish tong hua will have an english version of this novel so english-speaking fans like me can buy and devour BBJX all over again… in words 🙂 do we have to file a petition or something? Cheers! 🙂 keep up the great work mwuah!
Yeah, it was sad how Cheng huan was so loved but they couldn’t show her just how loved she was and she thought that she might’ve been a secret daughter of Yongzheng instead with Ruoxi because of all the secrecy over Lu Wu who was never an official concubine for 13 and her “official” mother 13’s main wife was always polite with her. But at least she got the happiest ending so her name still ended up being prophetic with the way Ruoxi intended it.
I just finished the series…and I’m all cried out, more like weeping and wailing actually. I don’t think a drama ever got me so emotionally drained to the point of dehydration because of all the liquid flowing out of my eyes. BBJX is not a drama I normally would have picked up because of the sometimes crappy CGI, the sad ending, and a storyline that takes place over decades; but the solid acting and characters took away all my misgivings. I don’t think any character in the drama annoyed me because they all had reasoning (right or wrong) behind their actions…it was all fairly realistic reactions to ridiculous circumstances. I found it impossible to hate anyone, even when I really wanted to. In the end, it was the toxic environment of the palace that ruined everything- having to watch your back in fear of betrayal at every step is going to take a toll on even the most well adjusted person. It’s a sadistic watch, but the beautiful depiction of an epic love story that spans time and space is completely worth the pain.
Thanks for the recap of the additional epilogue because it really fleshes out the ending, and gives us a chance to spend a little more time with the characters. But I think I really needed the ending the drama gave us because there’s a sense of coming full circle and some hope for a fresh start. I need closure, and seeing 4 at the museum at the exact time as RX suggests the promise that he made her back in the garden…that no matter where she was, he would find her. I need to believe that he’s coming back with a kleenex or she’s going to chase him down otherwise I will be in a coma of sadness for days to come.
Please continue these recaps of BBJX!! They’re awesome and insightful, and I hope they will help me recover from this drama.
Hey guys, maybe this photo would make us a bit happy…
http://yfrog.com/o0ky4kaj
ah..such a beautiful epilogue. i am still refusing to go beyond episode 20 because my heart is aching so much and i end up going back to watch the earlier times when all of them were still young (and somewhat) carefree. i don’t know how it happened but i am so immersed in this story and the world that they lived in…even the opening music is playing in my head at random times during the day. *sigh*
koala, i really appreciate you introducing us to this wonderful, wonderful drama and for all the BBJX updates and goodies. do you think its possible that they might translate this novel in english? a girl can hope, right?
thank you for your well written epilogue… i definitely wouldn’t understand this much if there were no recap and summary from you..
keep writing about BBJX.. waiting for your next post XD
thx again 😉
“Director Lee revealed that the third ending shot involved Nicky being the driver that hit Zhang Xiao, and they end up meeting again after she wakes up.”
Yes, I guess the driver who hit Zhang Xiao is the avatar of 4th Prince too. Because, Ruo Xi’s life almost lift up (is the word correct? I don’t know how to describe it. The blue light of Ruo Xi’s life,btw) is when 4th prince horse almost hit her. You know, like a prince was riding a horse, but now a prince is riding a ferrari?
And I think the epilogue of the novel is the prologue of the epilogue of the drama (confuse? me too). Because of the great love of 4th and Ruo Xi, they given the second chance. The present day. After all, why did Zhang Xiao back to past and only to die? I guess (this is my only wild guess) if Zhang Xiao didn’t go to the past, the real Ruo Xi must do the same. Her personality is likely the same with Zhang Xiao.
So why must Zhang Xiao come back? To remember her great love to 4th prince. And make the present 4th prince remember. And my second wild guess is that is the story which the movie talked about.
Oh God, this is my longest comment. Ever! And I just watch only episode 1. I can’t find bbjx english subs anywhere. Thank you Ms. Koala for every bbjx post you wrote. I’m always waiting for them. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU..
I love you so much.. muah..
Omg, I’m sorry. I think there is another dee in this blog. I forgot to change the default name.
You can watch it on viki 🙂
This ending is no more satisfying then how the drama ended… I wish they would show you what happens after Rouxi dies and goes back to the modern world.
This is definitely the BEST C-Drama ever! Thank you for introducing/recommending it to your blog 🙂
ockoala, can you explain to me why did bu bu jing xin dub their actors/actress voice? I usually like watching drama with the actors/actresses real voice, but I never understood why main land drama dubs their voice?
I posted this explanation at Be Electric Ground, so I’ll just paste my answer here again:
Dubbing has actually been completely accepted and widespread in Chinese dramas. Almost ALL the dramas I’ve watched growing up from Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong were all dubbed. Let me explain why Chinese dramas from those three countries feel the need to dub their own language.
For Taiwan, the majority of the island are Taiwanese, yet the official language is Mandarin Chinese due to the KMT government. Hence you have lots of actors who speak Taiwanese as their first language and Mandarin Chinese as their second language (not to mention the older actors spoke Japanese as their second language and Mandarin as their third). So lots of actors back then just didn’t speak Mandarin Chinese with the “proper” standard accent, i.e. flat and accentless inflections that the TV stations were required to show. So the actors spoke their lines in Mandarin, but was dubbed over by someone who had a perfect accent.
Dubbers were in high demand and not enough around, so drama after drama had the same “voices” for the main leads. It was pretty funny. This didn’t change until the mid-80s when the DPP got more powerful and President Jiang Jing Guo died and President Lee took over.
The same logic applies for Mainland Chinese dramas dubbing, since actors come from around the country and some speak completely different dialects, which are as different as foreign languages.
Hong Kong dramas were dubbed when exported to Taiwan and the Mainland, since Cantonese was such a regional dialect and no one wanted to read subtitles.
I was a teenager before I ever heard Tony Leung, Andy Lau, etc. and their real voices.
So dubbing over the voices of K-actors in TW and C-dramas isn’t a big deal since even the native Chinese and Taiwanese actors get dubbed all the time. For example, George Hu, Park Shin Hye’s co-star in Hayate the Combat Butler, grew up in New York and his Chinese is pretty bad. He had to learn Chinese when he went back to Taiwan to start his entertainment career, so his earlier dramas, he was dubbed. Wu Zun was dubbed in Tokyo Juliet.
I’m fine with the dubbing if it’s seamless. But I will always miss hearing the wonderful Korean actor voices I’ve come to know and love. The dubbing doesn’t ruin the actors ability to emote since most dubber are great voice actors. But still, it’s weird if you already know the real voice and it doesn’t match the actor onscreen.
Back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the actors voices don’t really become well-known, unless they are also a singer.
A good example would be Leslie Cheung, who has the most beautiful voice in the entire planet, but was dubbed in all his projects exported out of Hong Kong. But everyone knew his real voice because he was such a popular singer as well.
I think dubbing can be seamless, i.e. it’s synched very well, it’s just that we’re not used to it. For the older generation, they much prefer it and see nothing odd about it. My mom watches her K-dramas dubbed (which drives me INSANE), and still watches TVB dramas dubbed when I’ve transitioned to watching in Cantonese and relying on subs for the parts I don’t catch because they are speaking too fast with too much slang.
On the set of Rouge Hegemon with Jo Hyun Jae, he did a scene where he spoke his lines in Korean, the guy playing his dad spoke in Mandarin Chinese, and the woman playing his mom spoke in Cantonese, and neither of the three understood each other. It’s pretty funny actually.
This language barrier is between so many Chinese actors from different regions, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, that speak dialects that can be as foreign as Korean is to Mandarin Chinese. So the Chinese actors are used to it, and don’t treat any Korean actor on set as an outsider.
I don’t like dubbed, but it can’t be helped for the time being.
As for BBJX, let me just say that Kevin Cheng (8th Prince) spoke ALL his lines in Cantonese. Even though he speaks fluent Mandarin, Cantonese is his native dialect and he felt more comfortable saying the lines in Cantonese so his acting would be better, i.e. he doesn’t have to translate the lines to Mandarin as he’s speaking it. So he had to be dubbed no matter what. But all the actors were dubbedin BBJX because it’s just easier that way to get a uniform accent across all characters.
thank you for your explaination. ^_^ I used to watch hk drama dubbed in vietnamese growing up, but i switched over to watching cantoness with eng sub. hehe this is my first time actually watching a mainland drama in english sub. I was never into period dramas, but bu bu jing xin hooked me into watching a period drama with dubbing. ^_^
Having just finished the drama, I am like many of the others here – left in complete grief for the characters. Though the drama ending left a bittersweet note, I have been searching high and low for more BBJX. Thank you for all your hard work, it really is dedicated people like yourself that allow those of us who can’t read chinese to still experience this amazing story.
Sorry for spamming your posts today. I also wrongly posted the following comment to the final scenes post. I had so many of your posts opened that I confused myself.
I enjoyed reading about the epilogue in the book. I am going to start the fan translation and maybe one day there will be an English version. Oh well, I’ll just rewatch the DVD so i can make myself cry again. Haha.
I do like that Min Min’s life was tied with that of 13th in the end and that 4th (Emperor) freed his niece to a life up north. As always, I love any mentions of 4/RX so *cries*.
I’m glad to know the alternate endings.
1. The novel ending – The drama was set up so that we got a glimpse of ZX so I liked they included her going back or rather she remembered what happened. This gave a sense of closure for her at least and even though c-dramas can have sad endings, it would have been too depressing if she just died. I don’t think viewers would have been happy with that.
2. The ending in the movie – I posted above that I think this ending was really bittersweet and not as open. More emphasis on the bitter and then moving on. I’d like to think they found each other in this life, but probably the next life. ZX bears a burden as she remembers the past and that is baggage.
3. The alternate car crash meeting new!4th ending – Very Sliding Doors and fated. I’d have like this, but I can see how the production were iffy on it. For some this would have been a bit sugary really met after the accident (and not coincidentally like in #2). This would have been more open to romance than #2 IMHO and the modern sequel we will never see.
So, I think 2 is a good ending though i’m still distraught for RX/4. I think this is the last BBJX post I’ll comment on today. As always, THANK YOU!
i am still stuck on 8 prince , ep 33 when roxy left the forbiden city, 8 prince was waiting outside, and when he looked at her he seem to still love her than when she turned around and ran back to him and huged him i got more confused did she still love him too
and , after she died he stormed into the emperors place demanding , roxy came from my house , why can i not see her, than he told 4th that they both failed her so did that mean he still loved her did 8 regret that he choose the throne over roxy
, why did 4 put 8 to death,
before the translation when 13 gave him that poisen , when he looked out the window i knew he was thinking about roxy, but than the translation came , and he told 13 thanks for everthing, and ask him to put him with his first wife, he did thank roxy,
so was 8 still in love with her .
if you anyone has some answers for me i really would appreaciate it, it would really put my mind at ease. e=mail me anyone with the answers to my questions
e-mail me at [email protected]
kind regards
When I watch the last episode , I cannot help myself and start sobbing, so touching
Thank you. But I would also like to know if the bubujingxinenglish blog will be updated? I would really like to know. Thank you. 🙂
Koala, thank you…thank you for the epilogue translation….I was randomly looking at Bu Bu Jing Xin news, hoping there would be a sequel coming out..but I stumble upon your blog…Im really grateful for the translation..
Sigh..I cant read mandarin and I hope the novel will be translate to english….eventhough it would never be the same as reading it in mandarin…
Bu Bu Jing Xin is a great series. I still cant..how to say it..”let go” of the series after two weeks finished watching the ending.
Thanks for the epilogue translation. Reading it made me tear again. I sincerely wish there will be a sequel to allow RX and 4th prince the chance to continue their love in modern time. It is also important that the sequel must be acted by Liu Shi Shi and Nicky Wu otherwise it would spoil the story.
Could you tell me where to find that third ending shot where 4th-look-alike is the driver? Was it in the credits of the Final Episode? I don’t remember seeing it
Where did you buy the whole novel??? Including the additional epilogue?
Love the movie wish there was an English book =(
I actually like the drama ending more than the novel ending, because it made the story more realistic and complete, with all the events happening inside her head while in coma, instead of her soul actually travelling to the Qing Dynasty.
However, I’m not as receptive to the idea of the sequel. I know the drama ending was to leave the writers room for the sequel, but I’m not sure that there could be a legitimate, entertaining story.
From my understanding (I didn’t read the novel personally) of summaries, the novel differs from the drama insofar as the former does not have Ruoxi returning to the present. Instead, she simply dies and stays in the Qing Dynasty. I definitely prefer the drama’s ending version but not for romantic reasons. Simply, the drama version actually makes more logical sense.
The entire story is contingent upon time-travel and reincarnation (less emphasis on the latter but it remains a crucial point). First, I will concede that time is fluid, flowing in both directions. Supposing that Buddhism holds true, then when a soul dies, it is reincarnated and must being life all over again. Zhang Xiao returns to Qing China as a teenager. She is not reborn into the body of a child. This indicates that she still exists in her “current” (modern day) state.
I just finished episode 25, where the emperor dies and 4th prince becomes the new one. I did not understand why Ruoxi is sent to prison for 7 days. Can someone explain?? Please!!!!
It is not a prison. It was to prevent rumours from spreading and hence ALL who were present at the deathbed were confined. Similarly they sealed off the city to prevent strife (in case there is a plot to snatch the throne).
I just finished episode 25, where the emperor dies and 4th prince becomes the new one. I did not understand why Ruoxi is sent to prison for 7 days. Can someone explain?? Please!!!!
Also, will the novel be published in English?? Do you know??
Thanks!
I read it here (but it is only up to chapter 8) – love it so much that I got the series to watch last week 😉
http://bubujingxinenglish.blogspot.sg/p/translation-progress.html
Cried me a river, esp the last few episodes…
i read it all but they not updated for a few years do u maube know where i can buy it in a English version? Thank you~~
I was trying to avoid this drama because it’s very long but I did watch them anyway. 2 day-marathon watching of BBJX was not good for my eyes, both from crying and watching. I am traumatized by the “steaming of Yu tan.” How can I eat steamed bun anymore??? This drama is so graphic about the cruelty of punishment during that era.
My consolation is that 10th Prince had his happy ending. Although how sad, 9th Prince, the ultimate bad boy who sacrificed Yu tan, did show his remorse and pain from Yutan’s death. He did love her on his own way.
The modern version of BBJX better let 4th Prince and Ruo xi have their happy ending. Or they may have wait until year 2300.
Ewww, really, no more steamed bun for me anymore.
huhuhu I feel i’m gonna cry! I loved Ruo Xi and Yongzheng’s love story. :3 I wonder if there will be a sequel to it. 🙂
I couldn’t help but shed a few tears when I stumble on the part of 14th prince revisiting old places. It’s hard being humans. We’re always growing old and there’s nothing we can do. People come and go, but places remain the same, and also the memories. Another part I shed tears was princess chenghuan found her beloved uncle at ruoxis old chamber. *cries* thank you tonghua for giving us comfort, ease of heart that princess chenghuan is in good care. Not familiar but … so 14th prince lived the remainder of his days as 13ths prince wish?
wow this just made me cry even more. I’ve read the original novel online, where did you buy the book (with the new epilogue) from??
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I have no idea why I keep reading these summaries. My heart can’t take anymore.
I love your blog and am thankful for your summaries/translations. Please never take this site down!