American Perspectives: Reaction to "Til The End of the Moon" Ep. 18

...And even with an opposite experience to their normal lives, the affected characters haven't fully learned from the lessons given them in the dream realm.

In the dream realm, Ye Bingchang because the Goddess Tian Huan.  When she wakes up, she becomes more devious, and it is revealed that she wasn't exactly virtuous in her normal life.  That she stole a love thread, and I'm assuming it was Ye Xiwu's, in order to get the 6th Prince to fall in love with her.  I was also thrilled to pieces when Sang Jiu kicked Tian Huan's ass, and yes killed her, in the dream realm.  My unapologetic first thought was: "Take it all bitch!"  As Tian Huan, she was an insufferable bitch, politically correct ideas be damned.  No, I am not even remotely sorry for saying so.  When she woke up, she didn't even seem to learn anything.  She said that in her normal life, she is fighting for herself instead of a man, which sounds good, warm, fuzzy, and pandering to the feminists on the surface.  But, I'm seeing it as being indicative of a downward spiral of further deception.

6th prince hasn't yet seemed to learn the lesson that privilege trumps virtue.  So when he wakes up, no empathy or understanding of where Tantai Jin is coming from is demonstrated whatsoever.  For those of you who haven't gotten this far, in the dream realm, the 6th Prince has the experience of being a Mo River Demon Prince.  He isn't necessarily bad, but because of his status, it really doesn't matter.

Ye Xiwu gets the ultimate experience as Sang Jiu.  She experiences what it is like to be the clam demon.  Again, not necessarily bad, but because of her social status, it really doesn't matter anyway.  She experiences deception from people who pretend to help her.  She loses her entire family.  She learns the hard way that privilege and politics trump virtue.  She even outright acknowledges it.  She experiences the turmoil one goes through that pushes them from demon to devil.  And still, when she wakes up, she doesn't demonstrate that empathy and understanding to Tantai Jin.  She's actually a bit deceptive, with the intent to marry him, not out of love, but to take his evil bone to get rid of his devil power, and to kill him.  While that may sound like it's for the greater good, we have found that Tantai Jin, and who he represents, isn't such a black and white issue; and that the so-called virtuous immortals are actually a bit fucked up.

Tantai Jin had the biggest learning experience of all, but is resisting the lesson.  He got to experience being Mingye, the God of War, and see how his strength and power can be used for the purpose of protection.  He experiences love and privilege.  Yet, when he wakes up, he has contempt for Mingye and admires the Devil God in his dream.  He senses Ye Xiwu is deceiving him, and he makes it abundantly clear he is not interested in being like Mingye.  

I feel at this moment, we have a case of multiple people thinking they learned the lesson, but the lesson doesn't apply, or there's so some of extra special exception on their part which they can use as justifcation for not doing it.  I'm reminded of the quintessential American Sunday Christian, actually.  Be all about the sermon and teachings in church, but then come home and continue to be an asshole to all.

 

I am hoping in the upcoming episodes, all these characters will get a swift kick in the butt for not listening, and finally, the larger lesson will be applied.

 

For some fun 사극 and Xianxia fan art and merch, click here.