Ice Fantasy 幻城 - Episode 51 (Recap)

kakashi: We get to the goddamn Lotus. Yes, really. They made it. All will be good now.
JoAnne: Sorry, I can't help but picture beardless Mark Chao smiling, now.
SakiVI: focus, this is Ice Fantasy! And yes, the Lotus. But it's my lovely Lotus that I'm concerned about. 

Episode 51

Kasuo et al. have successfully unlocked the last level and storm the magic castle! They are opposed by Yuan Ji and Lian Ji (in full battle armor). Yuan Ji says: “Welcome to the Lotus party. Your deaths will be worthwhile". Kasuo says: “Dream on, you evil villain!"
Does he really say that? 
Ahahaaa, of course not. I was paraphrasing. 
In another drama this weekend, I watched the Crown Prince say 'Sorry, my bad.' I'm all for comfortable translations but...
OMG, this couple is BEAUTIFUL.
A fierce battle ensues. They manage to slam the Deicide out of Kasuo hand. That was dumb, emo prince! He's never been that bright. Because now comes Phoenix and takes it. The thieving bird wants to destroy Shi! Swordfairy Shi! But Yan Da won’t have that, oh no. She joins the battle, for Shi! She puts little Shi on a ledge, throws the Deicide back to Kasuo and fights Yuan Ji’s birds, who have also joined the raging battle.
I picture little Shi hopping up and down on his ledge, shouting encouragement in his tiny, shrill voice and punching the air with his tiny fairy hand.
He was excited because deaths mean souls for his food. 
Shi is watching from the side, gleefully, because he foresees many delicious souls floating around soon. Yep. Lian Ji becomes aware of him, is stunned! But Shi doesn’t believe her she’s his mother. Does she think he’s stupid? She is much too young to be his mother. Aww. We old ladies like to hear things like this.
She had him when she was what, 15?
Phoenix comes and says he’ll take care of Shi, Lotus can go back and fight. But Yan Da warns her - Yuan Ji never wanted to resurrect Shi! He only wants himself resurrected! Well, it’s not like Lian Ji is dumb. She knows it’s true and probably has known for quite some time, deep inside. Yuan Ji sees her waver, hears her say she only wants to protect Shi. BAM, he possesses her.
Tell me she at least fights him, for her son.
Since she only really cares for her son, what do you think?
Ten times more magnificent, s/he beats the Scoobies asses - they’re all on the floor. Yippee! Only Kasuo and Yan Da are still standing! Soon later, it looks like they're losing too. Shi is catapulted into the room - and he puts his tiny little arms up protectively, telling the God/dess that s/he cannot kill his friends! That gives the hermaphrodite pause. When s/he lifts one arm with the one sword to strike, the other arm with the other sword stops it.
Oh good, a shred of decency. Yes, it's for her son, but her son is protecting people she doesn't care about. So it's decent of her to continue? Maybe not. Who knows. I hate them all.
LianJi is gorgeous, and she is a bit nuts, but she loves Shi and Shi is now in a new incarnation in front of her.  Yes, she will listen. I was never clear who Sword Fairy Shi would eat or not eat, though. 
S/he fights against Kasuo who does something with the Deicide - Yuan and Lian Ji are forced to separate. The blast is so massive that Kasuo loses his sword again though. I can’t with him. Can he do ANYTHiNG right?!
Well he did get them separated.
Anyway, Lian Ji picks the Deicide up. Shi once again positions himself between her and his two friend-souls. Yuan Ji is screaming somewhere to the side. Sucks if you don’t have a physical form, I guess, even though he looks very physical all the time. Hotly, so. Lian Ji is deeply and visibly moved by Fairy Shi and his readiness to protect what he cares for, even in this tiny (cute) form.
So yeah, then, I guess somewhat decent? I don't get the physical/non-physical form. Is he mostly an apparition, unless he possesses someone?
She was never a bad person, just mentally unwell.  
Everybody screams at Lian Ji now, Kasuo et al. to not believe Yuan Ji, Yuan Ji to kill them all. In a moment of inattentiveness, Yuan Ji possesses her again. But Lian Ji resist … she resists his command to slay Kasuo and destroy Shi forever. And then, she goes for the only option that can save her son. She kills herself with the Deicide.
I'm pleased.
I'm crying. 
Yuan Ji returns to being black smoke as Lian Ji’s soul scatters. Naturally, it’s very angry black smoke! It flies away to the Veiled Lotus, ready to destroy it forever. Oh, the Scoobies are back (looks like they went outside for a sec) and they all take pursuit.
Why would they go outside? 'Yo, it's too hectic in here with all this battling to the death. I'mma need a break, let's go outside and chill for a few.' ????
Well, they were suddenly gone, so I figured that's where they had gone. Maybe a toilet break? 
China's premiere Emo Fantasy Rock Cover Band, appearing nightly at the Airport Sheraton Lounge
THEY GET TO THE LOTUS!! It’s not blooming yet. Not quite, anyway. And then, the horrible but sexy god (when in non-smoke form) casts a curse on Kasuo. Kasuo will end up just like Yuan Ji - he shall be apart from your beloved forever. He shall suffer for all eternity. I’m not sure what happens to smoke-Yuan Ji after this … he’s gone.
So basically, Kasuo is condemned to live the life he's been living and to which he seems quite resigned by this point.
Not really resigned to it, since he came to resurrect his two girlfriends and one boyfriend. 
Right then, the Lotus starts glowing in all kinds of colors - it’s the souls of people that were fed to him. Kasuo’s mother, Pian Feng, the Bear, even Yan Da’s brother (the one that died at the beginning). Lotus says they all have black marks on their foreheads. Really? I don’t see it. Ah … yes. There. Okay, so that’s bad news. It’s a seal that was cast by Yuan Ji. Their souls were damaged because they were stripped by force. They are insurrectable. Bummer, really.
'Removal of the casing will void the warranty. All repairs must be made by authorized dealers only.'
Kasuo does the math and says - for those of us who didn’t pay attention - that only Shi, Li Luo and Lan Shang can be resurrected. Okay then, get on with it!
How convenient for the story that it worked out this way.

There is another obstacle though. If they want the Lotus to bloom, they need to offer souls of ALL the tribes. When the Lotus gets picked, those souls will truly be gone. Kasuo hesitates. Yan Da says these souls are lost to us anyway. And making the Lotus bloom will at least mean Yin Kong Shi will be saved!
But it sounds like they need another soul, Yan Da. What tribe is missing so far?
I think they've got them all.  
They talk much more about this, back and forth and soon everyone edges Kasuo on. Do it! Do it! Then, Yan Da suggests the others sacrifice parts of their souls. She says they need Huang Tuo (Healer); Luna (Healer); Chao Ya (Spirits) and Xing Jiu (Dreamer). I don’t get it, isn’t Pian Feng a fairy too? And why do we need a double healer dose? Okay, details.
Luna is a sort of anti-Healer. 

Kasuo resists, resists, resists, but then, he is done resisting. He is so tedious, and way better as a Merman.  Everybody throws parts of their souls towards the Lotus and it FINALLY opens its petals. It is fucking blooming. And a pink lady appears. Ah, she’s the Lotus! The Veiled Lotus, now completely unveiled!
And she flaps her arms...
Fairy Shi comes to have a look too. He gets cross eyed from aaaah-ing so much, it is indeed very spectacular.
Watch out, Shi. Yan Da seems like the jealous type.
The Lotus asks what they wish for and Kasuo says he wants Li Luo and Lan Shang to regain consciousness. And he wants his brother Ying Kong Shi to be resurrected. The Lotus says “as you wish” and three blue lights appear, dancing all around them.
I'm betting there's a catch. Also, they went through all this to save people that got killed basically for no reason, if they've completely forgotten that their original mission was to save the Ice Shield. It was, wasn't it? At what point did we forget about that?
Was it? No, I think that's fixed
They went through all this to resurrect Ka Suo's two girlfriends and one boyfriend.  Am I the only one listening? And the thing about wishes is, you have to word them verrrry carrrrefully.
On her bed back in Mermaid Land, Lan Shang’s body suddenly starts to levitate and to glow. Her eyes are open! She is awake!
She is so pretty. 
Poor Shi fairy is in a lot of pain. Yan Da and Kasuo (the others must have stepped out again for a sec) stare at him sadly, he waves a last goodbye - and dissolves.
I bet they're smokers.
In the ocean, Li Luo’s coffin starts to rise.
Urgh, what if she woke up in the coffin?
Then, Kasuo and everyone else is on an block of ice, zooming through the air. That’s as far as Yan Da’s love for them goes though - she wants to go her separate ways. A lengthy goodbye follows. Yan Da tells Kasuo to make sure Shi is treated well once he returns, which he promises. Awww, everybody is so noble.
Yan Da's love for Shi is strong. 
So cool.
She looks like she won't age well.
The ice block took them through the Infinity Ocean? Oookay. Anyway, now they’re back. Holy moly, that was a trip!  Psychedelic. Kasuo et al. are so delighted when they hear from the Mermaid Saint that Lan Shang is awake. It worked! It really worked!!! There is no news of Shi and Li Luo yet though. Hm.
But … did it? Lan Shang seems …. different. She's no longer dippy. And why does she not remember who Kasuo is? Ah, she has amnesia. Yes, comas do that to people. News to me. But why does she see herself with him in her dreams, and is feeling so, so happy when she does? Why does she feel this man is very deeply in love with her in her dreams? She is super puzzled.
She is super dumb, is what she is.
Just wait. 
We see Kasuo on a brown horse (where is Turnip?!), galloping as fast as he can. Why do they use horses when they can fly? And indeed … when he gets home, there is Li Luo! In her old Guardian clothes … looking … confused. She just stares at him. But Kasuo first worries about Shi (Shi is his Twu Wuv)…. there is, sadly, no news of him. His grave under the peach blossom tree though - is empty.
But who is this new masked warrior (Li Tian Jin) with great fighting abilities the Fire Tribe has?! Does he look vaguely familiar? *squints* (btw, Daddy gets a bit angry at Yan Da for helping Kasuo with the Veiled Lotus. But he doesn’t punish her. He’s actually quite understanding. Is he on drugs?) Dun-dun.
I knew it wasn't over.
Gorgeous.
He looks like Yoo Chun now.

Comments

I cannot believe we finally made it to that Lotus! It was such a looooong journey. Whom are we kidding though, that shit didn’t work. It’s clear that things are messed up … a lot. Yuan Ji, the bastard, is the one laughing. Do you hear his ghostly cackle?
I hear that cackle!
I'm crying too loudly. This nightmare is never going to end.