[TV Commentary] “The Journey of Flower” Episodes 13 to 14

The Journey Of Flower <花千骨>
Also known as : Hua Qiangu

2015 Mainland Chinese drama
Language : Mandarin
Number of episodes: 50

Cast: Wallace Huo, Zhao Liying, Andy Zhang, Jiang Xin

Some abbrevations
HQG – Hua Qiangu
BZH – Bai Zihua
SQM – Sha Qianmo

More similar posts at http://p2e-hqg.blogspot.com/

EPISODES 13 to 14

It is not what I desire, but what had to be done
– Bai Zihua

IN SHORT
As BZH connects more with his disciple HQG, jealousy rears it ugly head in the form of all other characters for various reason. Like Zixun because she is in love with BZH. Big brother whose name I forgot, the one forever in a bad mood because he feels HQG is the weakest student and he can’t understand why BZH takes on the weakest student. Mantian because she wants to be BZH’s disciple and so tried to ruin things for HQG which only strengthened the relationship between BZH and HQG.

HQG’s EMOTICON STATUS
Absolutely in deep admiration and hero worshipping BZH, and a little bit of sexual awakening as well but in love? Not yet.

BZH’s EMOTICON STATUS
Awakening to a strange new emotion when confronted by super cute HQG and it is not love, yet, not fatherly too but rather kinda relaxing his facial muscle from pursed lips and frowning to pursed lips and smiling which only BZH can do.

ZIXUN’s EMOTICON STATUS
This woman is getting serious screwed up. She is stalking BZH at his residence and I am hoping he will install like some locked environment where she can never enter ever again. She sorta insults him because of HQG but most importantly, she tries to seduce him with scents or maybe poison him, I don’t know. She cares about him no doubt, but she is one simmering pot of vinegar soon to explode and I get why BZH is avoiding her like a plague.

MANTIAN’s EMOTICON STATUS
I wonder what makes her think getting rid of HQG means she will be BZH’s disciple. What was it he said exactly? “I BZH WILL ONLY ACCEPT ONE DISCIPLE IN MY LIFE” but can’t remember he specifically state that disciple is HQG or rather only 1 disciple at a time? Anyway she is insane; she does has a shred of humanity when she refuses to kill HQG but that is because she doesn’t want to dirty her hands. She doesn’t mind crippling her though. Cruel bitch.

WORST MOMENT

Tang Bao the chubby worm is gone and in its place is a skinny human girl with brown hair. In fact she got transformed from worm to her current looks, came fully dressed, hair combed and with make up some more. I was very annoyed with this transformation.It is like this series is so eager to move on to love stories since the moment she became human, she basically flirted with Shiyi. And she stopped calling HQG as “niang qing” or “gu tou niang qing” aka mom. Why?

2ND WORST MOMENT
Towards the end of ep 14, HQG leaves … is it Jue Qing Dian? The residence of BZH and if it is my god the name sorta indicate how he will react right? Anyway she leaves him and when HQG is separated from her shifu, things get pretty boring. And worst is she visits Dongfang who for some reason that is not explained now is serving the emperor which must serve as his bigger plans to dethrone BZH perhaps and also Xuanlang who loses all integrity as a man/emperor by being puppy dog with HQG which leads to some eye rolling moment with Qingshui who doesn’t get it that Xuanlang coudn’t care less about her. And then we have the unnecessary scene where Xuanlang challenges Dongfang to see who can win her heart when guys… her heart, lungs, brains, pancreas belongs to her shifu and soon even her ovaries will belong to him if you know what I mean!

1ST BEST MOMENT
    

After Mantian tried to poison HQG and HQG was busy cultivating by meditation and a lot of hand movements and her lips became purple and her shifu wasted hundreds of years of cultivated power to save her life and in turned open up a new ability for her which is power of far sight aka see far away by using a mirror or water reflection and such. She doesn’t seem too concerned that he burnt his energy that way though which I find troubling. No worries, BZH is still powerful. I mean what’s the use of being an immortal who is supposed to help people if he keeps his own inner qi to himself? Zixun is a failed immortal. Anyway, one day HQG wants to test her power but Dongfang was too far, so she decided to test nearer and search for Shifu in the mirror and there he was, slowly stripping to bath. Needless to say poor HQG was smitten. She in fact later drew his naked back on a handkerchief, and there begins the lust! Not yet not yet but soon. She is still discovering the joy of lust and love and I bet Zixun will die to see BZH that way. Anyway BZH could sense someone’s presence and when HQG confessed, he thought she meant she had destroyed his beautiful planted flowers in his garden which he takes extreme pride but when he found out it was him bathing, he look two sides of shock; one he sorta appeared inappropriately dressed which goes against his value, later we are told he is shocked because HQG just acquired this power and she could break through the charms held in place at his residence and he is more curious as to why she will have such inner capability, like who is she? Cute scene though.

Oh and HQG confronting Mantian and basically declaring war BUT in a way that is less bitchy and more endearing because she is finally standing up to that bitch. As in Mantian. I mean Zixun is potentially bitch no. 2.

2ND BEST MOMENT

Mundane stuff like HQG keeps giving her Shifu food (he doesn’t need to eat nor sleep), she clinging onto his sleeves like a very cute child (ok that is not right but you know what I mean right? Sometimes a guy likes a girl who is a bit girlish that way!), she washing his clothes, planting him a new garden, watering his plants happily, skipping along as she does her chores which doesn’t have to and even comb his hair. Things are becoming intimate in that way although I wonder what happened to him being weakened whenever she touches him? He seems ok now.

3RD BEST MOMENT
I enjoy the scenes between SQM and HQG. In these episodes, we see more of SQM as a person. He really loves himself very much, very vain and moan about not having the physical abilities to match his good looks and even love looking at his own reflection. And yet you can’t hate him. In his vainness, he is also a man who is as kind as he is beautiful. He looks at HQG and he admits he finally found someone as beautiful as he is, and I don’t think he meant physically but the aura of her, her innocence and her sincerity when she said she feel blessed that she met someone like SQM and if SQM is the only person she would ever meet to be as kind to her, she thinks it is enough and it moved SQM to declare he will do all in his power to protect her. He has yet to fulfill that promise although like on repetition he will ask her to leave Chang Liu and stay with him and like on repetition she will refuse and like on repetition he will urge her to keep that bone whistle and to use it when she is in danger and like on repetition, she will say ok but never uses it thus far. I am thinking maybe it is time to write some new dialogue for these 2 people.

CRINGE WORTHY MOMENT
This series has amazing costume, amazing colour codes for costume, amazing down to earth hair, even sweat when up close (since filmed during summer), the interior decoration is well done, the acting is top notch, the casting almost impeccable and so far I am shipping the romance between a 300 year old immortal and a 16 year old girl he is meant to kill when I should be so disgusted. Great stuff, good dialogue too even if repetetive. However why on earth the CGI sucks big time? That is the most cringe worthy moment for me. Sometimes I feel the blur effect is overdone, the lightning is kinda bright (look at HQG’s blood and you will understand what I mean) but the CGI, it already feels it is like 10 years too late. How can this compete in other countries without cringing? And the kung fu is absolutely uninspiring. It is downright boring.

ALMOST CRINGE WORTHY MOMENT
BZH is a very strict man but surprisingly very relaxed as a shifu. After being his disciple, HQG does more housework than study. She gets a book where she studies on her own, sometimes he will teach her some sword techniques or guzheng but other than that, I see her cook,clean, watering plants, walk around, run around than doing actual learning. She doesn’t even know where her shifu is half the time so she deserving got a roasting by the angry big brother of shifu. Mantian was right to criticise her too saying her ineptness is making BZH look bad. The thing is BZH doesn’t even bother her, and for someone so busy looking after the world of mortal men, he seems so free all the time, like sitting there reading, meditating, eating. He’s not too busy is he?

Also, I hate that Shiyi, who is a decent fella is such an inept shifu. He can’t even control Mantian at all. Why is he taking on disciples? And why is super angry big brother not taking any student himself? And what does super relaxed 2nd brother does in Chang Liu apart from living carefree?

And where on earth is Tang Fan (name pending check)? Oh yeah Zixun said he joined some other cult and having a great time.

Weird weird stuff.

But other than that, great stuff.

RELATED POSTS

• [TV COMMENTARY] “The Journey of Flower” Episodes 1 to 3
• [TV COMMENTARY] “The Journey of Flower” Episodes 4 to 6
• [TV COMMENTARY] “The Journey of Flower” Episodes 7 to 9
• [TV COMMENTARY] “The Journey of Flower” Episodes 10 to 12

This commentary is written by Funn Lim, a Contributing Writer at JayneStars.com and was originally posted at http://p2e-hqg.blogspot.com/.