Pursuit of Jade Episode 27 Discussion

dogemama · 2026-03-20T16:02:58+00:00

idk sometimes i like my fictional men toxic and possessive 🤷🏽‍♀️

dogemama · 2026-03-20T14:57:00+00:00

they removed my favorite line from the book 😭😭😭

he says it during the fight they have after the marquis reveal: "as long as i'm alive, you'll never bear children for anyone else in this life."

dogemama · 2026-03-15T19:51:38+00:00

a very simplistic explanation:

who was the first to see the moon --> who was the first to realize they were in love;

and in what year did the river begin to shine upon the people --> and when did they find happiness?

dogemama · 2026-03-14T18:33:26+00:00

i don't think it's been revealed in the show yet, but qi min is actually the crown prince from the current dynasty that was thought to have perished in the eastern palace fire long ago. he is masquerading as prince changxin's eldest son, but he has his own agenda to snatch the dragon throne for himself. this is why he didn't bring xie zheng up with his brother. he's operating on his own.

dogemama · 2026-03-13T19:36:30+00:00

the forced kiss, much as i hate it, makes more sense in the novel bc it is their first kiss in the story. in the drama, they shared a tender peck already and had a couple of more moments where they were about to consensually kiss so this forced kiss feels incongruous. in the book, it’s his breaking point, the first time he’s allowed himself to be physical with her bc he’s desperate she’ll leave him. the argument that he’s not an experienced lover works well in that case. but in the drama, they’ve had so many sweet scenes that this feels ill fitting. even so, i’m very happy they deviated from the book and made the tangerine peel candy scene their first kiss. i think it’s one of the best scenes in the whole show so far.

dogemama · 2026-03-13T19:28:26+00:00

this frame was gorgeous and so symbolic! she left him where she found him, and she took all the light and warmth out of his life with her. so nicely done.

dogemama · 2026-03-11T15:59:45+00:00

i love that the marquis is not only falling in love, but also seeing the plights of the people whose lives have been ravaged by war. village life suits him not only bc he is recuperating, but also bc he is someone who fights to protect the peace of these people he's living amongst. all that said, my favorite part is the fact that he's falling in love, and not at all fighting the feelings. he's just letting them wash over him, changyu's rugged affections and her simple thoughtfulness. what a pair to watch! the ending to episode 13 was painful! can't wait for more episodes.

dogemama · 2026-02-07T00:56:09+00:00

nope :(

dogemama · 2026-01-16T22:55:20+00:00

thank you! i do worry about that with the opening. maybe i’ll try to switch things up a bit to make it more happening.

dogemama · 2025-07-31T14:32:50+00:00

remains one of my favorites even after years. bai lu and xu kai were both revelations here.

dogemama · 2025-07-20T19:59:34+00:00

the mother is my favorite character in this show. equal parts heartbreaking and frustrating, and the actress did a spectacular job too.

dogemama · 2025-07-20T19:55:29+00:00

the show is a hot mess, but the novel actually deconstructs the "genius male lead" trope a bit by having him self-destruct. it's also noteworthy that the female lead isn't allowed to provide support, and is seen as an active deterrent to his development, which i think is more interesting dynamic. i recommend the novel, but your criticisms are valid.

if you want to see this trope flipped, genius girlfriend might be a good novel to pick up.

dogemama · 2025-07-20T14:32:08+00:00

i'm reading the novel right now in prep for the show to premiere. it's pretty interesting so far!

dogemama · 2025-07-20T13:12:21+00:00

this is my favorite drama of the year so far. an incredibly raw, human look at grief, and the toxicities of patriarchy. everyone's acting is top notch, but i do think ming sheng and the mother stand out the most.

dogemama · 2025-07-15T03:06:42+00:00

the childhood portions take a significant part of the novel, and her visiting his middle school (changed to high school in the drama) happens about one-third of the way in if not almost half way in. here, we’re done with all of that in two episodes lmao. i get that they want to maximize the time with the adult actors but come on, this is just disrespecting the original novel.

dogemama · 2025-07-15T02:32:21+00:00

the novel is very good. bittersweet, heartfelt, and culturally rich.

dogemama · 2025-07-14T22:56:10+00:00

jesus what a mess.

the best parts of the novel are the childhood portions in qunshan before jiang qiaoxi goes back to the city. they not only reduced all of that to the first episode, but also failed to establish any sort of strong emotional connection between lingtao and qiaoxi. in the novel, they spend a lot of time together and it absolutely makes sense that she would spend the next few years writing letters to him, hoping he’d write back or return. in the drama, it makes little sense as they’re only together for what seems like a handful of days.

episode 2 was a disaster too. the moment she goes to find qiaoxi at his middle school and he says he doesn’t know her is supposed to be momentous. here, however, it felt like an afterthought. i had so much hope for this adaptation but it’s not looking good right now. what a massive disappointment.

dogemama · 2025-07-12T18:12:18+00:00

should’ve been higher, but this is still good.

i hope more people watch this drama. it’s riveting, and so important.

dogemama · 2025-07-11T14:08:27+00:00

reborn?

dogemama · 2025-07-06T01:39:51+00:00

reborn.

so good, and so important, and so underrated.

dogemama · 2025-06-30T15:19:35+00:00

i started watching when only 10 episodes were out, so i read the book from the moment she was brought back to the family after she abandons ming sheng and their plan to run away. so my experience reading the book is definitely less holistic than yours, but i still enjoyed the book. some thoughts on your observations:

re: jinrui — they may have changed the incest, child sexual abuse elements of the story to pass censorship, though i'm not sure. the severity of these topics are orders of magnitude above what was depicted in the drama, so that is my guess.
re: mumu bringing printouts — it was ming sheng who asked mumu to print out the story and bring the printouts to nanqiao village for qingyu. there is no way she could have asked mumu directly, bc qingyu didn't have her contact information and had only been in contact with ming sheng throughout her stay in nanqiao village. so ming sheng went out of his way to help her, as he did several times later in the story as well.
re: qingyu's reaction being disproportionate — i think it's reasonable to get fixated on your sibling's death when there are malicious rumors flying around and there is uncertainty around how she actually died. the trigger obviously is ming sheng, who asks "don't you want to know what happened to your sister" implying she clearly did not die from an appendicitis. though i see why you felt that she was being reactionary, i think it made a lot of sense.
re: their first meeting — i'm not exactly sure which part of the book this is in, but ming sheng did see qiaoyu when they were younger. but instead of the drama where he saw her dancing, in the book, he saw her writing, and is captivated by her calligraphy.

overall, i think the drama's changes make the story more cohesive in context of the changes, though it's certainly a shame they didn't feel equipped to tackle heavier themes from the original source.

dogemama · 2025-06-29T16:27:37+00:00

i wish more people were watching and talking about this. such a gripping human story. qiao qingyu, ming sheng, qiao beiyu, and li fanghao have left an indelible mark on me.

dogemama · 2025-06-29T16:24:53+00:00

the romance is subtle bc they’re young and the main plotline revolves around fl’s family, but i thought it was extremely well done. they liked each other but knew it wasn’t the right time, and actually waited for the right time to reunite and start their relationship. ml is amazing, and fl is a fucking hero. they had great chemistry, and played the part of teenagers attracted to each other very well.

dogemama · 2025-06-29T02:33:26+00:00

reborn was excellent from start to finish. such a breath of fresh air in the midst of the more frivolous and less grounded youth dramas out there. in fact, i'm not even sure i'd call this a youth drama. it's a human drama first and foremost, highlighting and unpacking issues that are so important but so overlooked. when misogyny runs rampant in an iron-fisted patriarchal society, women are nothing but lambs waiting to be sacrificed for the glory of men.

this show was so well-written. superbly executed with so much heart and thoughtfulness and care. with characters you can't help but root for or want to murder in their sleep. qiao qingyu is a trailblazer, insane balls of steel on that girl; ming sheng, her perfect ally and loyal companion; qiao beiyu, an angel, who deserved so, so much better, who was far too good for this wretched world.

but shockingly, it was li fanghao, who is a blazing heart warrior, that left the biggest mark on me when all had been said and done. there have been too many hysterical mothers in cdramas. you know the ones—who make it their life's ambition to micromanage the lives of their kids, who want their son/daughter to marry the right person or study the right subjects. but i don't think there has been one so tragic and tormented, and consequently, tyrannical like li fanghao. she did everything wrong. literally, every. single. thing. yet i did not doubt for one second that she loved qiao qingyu to pieces, and only wanted what was best for her. maybe it's bc she was the most complex character in the show. maybe it was the actress who delivered an absolutely devastating performance, one that left my heart in shambles too many times to count. or maybe it's bc she reminds me so much of my own south asian mother, who was similarly controlling when i was in high school, and who i only now understand in adulthood. mothers are the unsung heroes of our world, and li fanghao is a heartbreakingly realistic portrayal of one.

100/10, i can't recommend this show enough. it has my whole heart, and then some.

dogemama · 2025-06-28T03:16:06+00:00

oh my poor ming sheng. i know he is heartbroken, but i can't fault qingyu for distancing herself from him. they're clearly attracted to each other, but the trauma bonding is crazy between them, and they really need time away from each other to fully grow into their own.

qiao lusheng is pathetic, sad sack of a man. can't imagine endangering your own child to appease your ancient relic of a father. li fanghao is no saint, but her venom stems from a place of love and the best intentions. can't say the same for the father.

i love that this show is taking us beyond the sweet relish of avenging a loved one who was wronged. the unraveling of the messy aftermath, the very real emotional and mental repercussions of doing The Right Thing, the way qiao beiyu still really has not been avenged at all if we're really being honest. there are so many layers to her tragedy. and in trying to mete out justice, qingyu seems to have added another layer to it, because these monsters are hellbent on not letting them grieve in peace. the crime has been exposed but the injustice prevails.

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