How did this happen? One minute I was drinking a nice Red and the next minute I was sobbing like a loony after watching one (1!) measly Bu Bu Jing Xin MV. What the hell? Seriously? After all this time BBJX still manages to tap into a visceral id inside me that the mere hearing of a theme song, or a flashing image of a smiling Ruo Xi frolicking with 8th Prince or a blushing Ruo Xi staring at 4th Prince, turns me into a quivering mess. I realized that it’s almost exactly a year since BBJX ended its initial airing, a time-travel period C-drama that was neither about the hook of time-travel or the period setting. It was about ambition, about fraternal love and rivalry, about a woman’s journey from first love to forever love. It was all those things that transcend genres and regions, which accounts for why BBJX was a rousing success all around Asia and beyond. This drama was fricking AMAZING. I said it then and I can still say it now.
Granted that I haven’t rewatched it since I finished my last scene recap and realized that crying so much was very very bad for my eyes (it took me weeks to recover from the prolonged puffiness), so I can’t say that a full rewatch will stand up to the test of time. But I can say that watching MVs swept me back up into the world of a 20th century girl transported back to early Qing dynasty imperial politics and reminded me of just how incredible dramas can be when the production, cast, and crew treat it like a labor of love. It is by far the best performance I’ve ever seen from Nicky Wu, Kevin Cheng, Liu Shi Shi, and Lin Geng Xin. My loverboy Yuan Hong nailed it but he nails everything so this was a cakewalk. I don’t know when (and if) the purported BBJX 2 set in modern times is ever getting made, but check out some MVs to walk down memory lane with me, plus a special treat of a fanmade modern BBJX MV that has me salivating for a modern sequel even if deep down I know it’ll likely suck. Watching Korea struggle with time-travel dramas (Dr. Jin, Rooftop Prince, Faith) makes me appreciate BBJX all the more. Be warned – watching the MVs below might send you down a rabbit hole.
What more can I say about BBJX? I think with time and distance I see more of its limitations, but conversely appreciate more of its accomplishments as well. In the year since then, I haven’t watched another C-drama from start to finish, much less recommend one. BBJX remains the outlier in a time when dramas are mass produced with scripts written by chipmunks or hired hands who care more about the bottom line then narrative cohesion. Taking a novel from writer Tong Hua, the production company Tangren was able to silence every critic (myself included) who howled when the initial cast was announced and derided every pre-release tidbit that came out. The truth is – BBJX is everything a great love story aims to be, and the drama manages to take the essence of the novel and transform it into live-action format.
What I would give to have a happy ending for every single character in this drama. Yes, even for 9th Prince! In my happy Koala land, 4th Prince and Ruo Xi are happy, 8th Prince and Ruo Lan love each other, 13th Prince and Lu Wu are traveling China together, 9th Prince and Yu Tan are far away and content, and 14th Prince never gets embroiled in it all and wages one successful military expedition after another. To think that only 10th Prince and Ming Yu got their happy ending in the drama still makes me weep uncontrollably. Because ultimately everyone wanted to be happy, except life never allowed them. Looking back, I think I forced myself to move on from BBJX, because I was so deeply immersed in it that the ending almost incapacitated me. I needed to let it go so that I could recover. But in truth this drama will forever reside inside my heart, a true masterpiece.
BBJX MV set to side theme song “A Season of Waiting” – Ruo Xi and 4th Prince
This is an OTP for the ages. I swear I spent the last 10 episodes of the drama crying almost exclusively because of them. Nicky and Shi Shi made their love eternal, unforgettable, and utterly gutwrenching. The modern ending scene at the museum left me sobbing out loud making inhuman gasping sounds, that was how incredible it was to watch BBJX from beginning all the way to the end. I can still remember key lines of dialogue between them from memory a year later – “She cares about everyone else, but I only care about her.” The arrow, the cape, the hair pin, every little thing between them is etched in my memory.
BBJX MV set to “Almost Lover”: Ruo Xi and 8th Prince
It’s my fault for not featuring more Ruo Xi-8th Prince in my scene recaps of BBJX. This was one love triangle where I loved the heroine with both guys, and actually thought the guy she didn’t pick was the better choice for her. 8th Prince (and Kevin Cheng’s performance) was mesmerizing to the Nth degree. The final scene between 8th Prince and Ruo Xi, when she is leaving the Imperial Palace and he waits outside for her to say farewell, I might have cried harder there then anywhere else because of what could have been but could never be. It was only because Nicky’s 4th Prince was the OTP that gave him the edge, because otherwise I would say it would be impossible to pick between the two. The snow walk remains to this day THE single most perfect man-woman walk I’ve ever seen onscreen in any medium.
Fanmade MV of the Modern BBJX Sequel set to Adam Cheng’s classic HK ballad “Laughing at the Wind”:
Whoever made this is a GENIUS. That is all.
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I can't wait for the sequel. I find myself re-watching this movie from time to time and it never fails to get me all emotional.
I'm sensing that a sequel will not do the original justice, unfortunately. BBJX conjured all types of emotion and the actors were superb. Until BBJX I had enjoyed Jang Nara's c-dramas, but BBJX is in a class all by itself. Nicky Wu was formidable as 4th Prince, later emperor, 8th Prince was "beautiful" (more than handsome), 9th Prince was a liberal thinker, and 10th & 14th Princes could not have more endearing or sweet. BBJX, xiexie. :-)
Ah memories!
I watched BBJX last December while I was on a kdrama break. I don't remember why I chose that drama, since I don't usually watch C-Dramas. So I just picked it up, started an episode and next thing I know I was marathoning the whole thing during Christmas break. I was watching the last episodes from Dec 24-26th, so i pretty much cried myself to sleep over the holidays xD
Now every time I hear "Three Inches of Heaven" my mind flash back to "that cold and snowy winter when i gut-wrenching drama makes me sob like crazy every night" I'd really associated that song with a period of time in my life: that's how I was in love with that drama. I've moved on since then, but revisiting it does put a smile on my face :)
Thanks for the BBJX entry. I was a mess for awhile too after this masterpiece ended. It lingered so strongly and to hear the theme song brought tears to my eyes. Tears of joy, and melancholy. I plan to curl up with it on a cold and damp weekend and warm myself because this is one great drama.
It was hard for me to chose betw 8th and 4th brother (both were perfect for her tbh) but 4th brother won me over in the end.
Thanks for keeping the BBJX flame alive OcKoala!
Ms. Koala, what exactly is it about modern dramas that Chinese productions hardly ever seem to get right? I've been thinking about this lately and haven't quite come up with an answer.
I feel it's cultural plus censorship in mainland China. It's also ridiculous to me that voices are dubbed. C-dramas are lavish, colorful, artistic (music & dance) and fun to watch, yet sometimes they lack in continuity of story. I enjoy historical vs. modern day dramas, because the latter are so predictable it hurts.
" I enjoy historical vs. modern day dramas, because the latter are so predictable it hurts."
THIS. Which is ironic, since history is what's set in stone! It just boggles my mind that China can create some really epic romances in period dramas but its modern romances are so pedestrian in comparison (though not as poor, thank goodness, as over the top Taiwanese dramas). I'm not quite sure what you mean by cultural, though? I have noticed that Chinese dramas in general have this pervasive melancholy to them that works with epic themes but kind of destroys the atmosphere in slice of life dramas.
I find lots of the sets for modern settings too fake and doesn't make sense realistically. The period sets I ADORE though. The scripts are always so bad humor and full of necessary goofiness that makes Taiwanese dramas 'village idiot' humor acceptable. I also find that most producers that work with ancient setting dramas stick with it. Only makes the gap bigger and bigger T_T
Also, they're bringing in all these foreign actors that feel disconnected onto the sets. I just hope the exchange helps to learn something about what makes Korean modern dramas so successful, but I doubt it does other than trying to get korean idol fans to try out c-drama out of their need to support their idol.
*unnecessary
You should check out Queen In-Hyun's Man for a K-Drama that did time traveling right.
Yay, I loved Queen Inhyun's Man! BBJX was also really good, though I need to go back and finish it (school got in the way and then I never restarted it). This is a good reminder that I should go back and watch it.
Last week I mustered up the courage and rewatched BBJX even though I knew it does immense damage to my eyes, and well its a heavy drama to rewatch. It was just as good second time round and the crying did not lessen at all. but the interesting thing is that you pick up things you didn't before and you analyze the story more deeply. And just seeing this post brings back so many emotions.
I can't wait for a sequel, but please please please give me a happy ending this time
I don't swear often Ms Koala but your post, I had to think several times before I could even contemplate playing any of the MVs. I don't have alcohol as an excuse. This drama is just pain personified for me. The love(s) were so bittersweet and hard fought that it just seared in my memories.
Loved the songs, loved the MVs. Love her voice. The pain I am feeling now... not so much.
God. What a drama.I can't even begin to say how I felt seeing 4th Prince looking on the palace walls knowing he is looking at her leaving!!!!!
Omg, obviously I am not over this drama. Leaving it in a dark, dark corner of my poor bruised heart. Am not a Chinese drama person- this would be the first period drama I've watched since my childhood, if they produced this calibre of dramas nowadays- not touching anymore, it's not worth seeing all of them NOT have a happy ending. That is just so wrong to write it that way.
I think jdrama Jin is the best time travel drama among BBJX and all these korean time travel failures. BBJX is not bad but all "these boys figthing for the girl and everything ends with tragedy" was booooooring after some time ! Jdrama Jin remains THE CRACK for me. It had everything !
the guys were not all fighting over Ruo Xi. I actually loved 13th and 14th most despite them not being romantically involved with her. I would've died if they were!!!
Gagh, was not expecting to see this when I opened your blog. Been reading since Playful Kiss - disagree with many of your points but always enjoy the opinion! :p)
On Bu Bu Jing Xin however, I just nod along to every comment. What a rare gem amidst all the stones being shoved down our throats.
Its funny to me how much I truly appreciate Ruoxi when I'm usually invested in the male half of the OTPs. But here, we have a couple that is so damn compelling together and apart you almost have no choice but to be swept along their romance.
Stories where so many brothers fall for one girl makes me roll my eyes - but again here, I get it. Because there are so many sides to Ruoxi's character, so many different facets and nuances that you get what attracts the princes and how they each fall for her. But what makes 4th prince's love so special is that he loves the essence that is Ruoxi. 10th princess fell for the carefree charm, 8th prince sees a shadow of another woman and bloom of first love, 13th prince sees a rare kindred spirit in woman form, and 14th prince sees the ideal unattainable woman, but 4th prince just sees Ruoxi, he doesn't necessary understand her, nor comprehend why he loves her, he just does. sigh.... beautiful.
thanks koala for this trip down memory lane.
even just reading what your wrote made me teary eyed...