I have never, in my ENTIRE life, sobbed over a show or movie. I’m currently writing this after finishing the final episode and I am BAWLING my eyes out. Heart thumping, nose so congested I can’t breathe, tears endlessly falling … like wtf, this isn’t normal. The last few minutes just made me realize all of a sudden that this was the END end of this story and I couldn’t take it. I am so overwhelmed. I was so genuinely distraught for a few minutes that LWJ and WWX would go their separate ways and that would be that. That’s when I started crying. Like, that’s it? They’re gonna do this to us after LWJ basically devoted his entire life to WWX the last however many episodes??? After he came to terms with his own morality and beliefs to therefore take WWX’s side through and through? And why would WWX not just stay with him??? BRO I STARTED CRYINGGG. Then LWJ heard the bamboo flute and came back, saying, “Wei Ying,” and they don’t show his face but we see WWX’s smile and UGHHH I began BAWLINGGGG WTFFFFF. Can’t do this. This is the most beautifully written and showcased relationship I have ever seen be portrayed between two people in any medium. The fact that it’s all without any physicality, but so much heartfelt trust, support, care, etc. is what makes it work in that if they did show any physicality, it would seem cheap. I don’t need that. I don’t want it. Their looks at each other are enough. I know everyone says this but I didn’t get it until I saw it myself. I can’t even put this into words. The censorship of this show is why I never wanted to watch it because I never saw the point, but now I blame people who made me think this show was a BL. It’s not. It’s a love story about family, friends, and even more, but the love is so unadulterated and pure. It’s a story about right and wrong, class structure, family dynamics, turning a good person into a villain (except not really), and so many other deep, thoughtful themes. Calling it a BL is limiting. It’s a drama, a mystery, an action story, a love story, etc. And at the end of the day, it’s truly the relationship between WWX and LWJ that makes this show, and I have to give it up to the actors, because they breathe the life into these characters and their scenes together. No one else could have done it. Their understanding of these characters, their portrayal in every possible way—it’s outstanding. I am so utterly impressed and enchanted with their performances. Everything about these two leads makes me gloss over the entire Coffin Town episodes (lmao, it was bad, it was the first time I sped up the scenes for this entire show). I don’t know how I will ever recover from this. I didn’t think I’d like this show because I’ve tried wuxias before and it never worked out. But this is the exception. I’m kicking myself for not watching this when it originally aired, but I’m so glad I watched it now. I’m already reading the book and honestly? I’m very glad I watched the show first. I already love the changes the show chose to take. Again, I think the innocent yet intense beauty of the subliminal (though, not really) love between WWX and LWJ in the show is doubled in power because they rely on facial expressions, voice tones, character conversations and motives in order to display their relationship, which they do so so so beautifully. I never thought I’d prefer it, but here we are. Everything about this show is gorgeous, my goodness. Don’t even get me started on the music. Even the sound editing is flawless.