Fuyao takes control and is kicking some butt.  Come join us as we discuss week 5 and how much we love a strong heroine that doesn’t need saving.  Well, except by a sexy Gaston.  But she had already killed a ton of people so we will let that one slide.

General Plot Overview Ep 33-40

The sweet dying fiancée is lying two-faced scum as she sets up Fuyao to be killed for pretending to be the princess. However, her plot is thwarted because Fuyao is a total bad-donkey and Wuji goes crazy protective. They escape the capital and travel to the desert to find a plant that, when mixed with a virgin’s blood (side eyeing Wuji), will help fight all the poisons inside Fuyao’s body. Fuyao recovers and Wuji goes back to the capital to face the music of his actions.

Fuyao and Hot Doc (Sorry. I am putting my foot down. He is Hot Doc forever) end up settling in the city of Yao which is being overrun by the bloodthirsty Black Tribe Gang. Fuyao decides that she is just the woman to stop the corruption and fight against the Black Tribe Gang in the name of justice and all that is good. She is also in deep denial over Wuji’s desertion (remember she still thinks that he is in a love relationship with Evil Fiancée) and needs a project to distract her from her heartache.

Wuji comes back and they fight then makeup. WOOHOO for sexy makeup skinship. But upon hearing that his father is in ill health, Wuji once again travels home. This time through the Desert of DOOM since his evil brother has assassins blocking all the roads back to the capital.

Fuyao kicks Black Tribe Gang’s butts with a little help from Gaston and none from the people that she was trying to help. Yes, they officially suck and don’t deserve Fuyao. Fuyao, Gaston, and later Scorpion Princess, Seven, & Hot Doc leave Yao. But visions of Wuji lost in the desert send Fuyao and Gaston into a coma (or the dream world) in which they search for a way to save Wuji as well as themselves.

Saintly fiancée is really evil fiancée

Kmuse: Not only is Saintly Fiancée evil but we find out she literally starts the plague that is killing everyone so that she can go around and look good.  Wow. That is some high-level villain crap going on right there.  And, on top of all of that, she is trying to kill our sweet Fuyao.  I do wonder why she didn’t just give her the plague and be done with it.  Maybe Fuyao’s super poison DNA kicked her evil plague’s butt.  Fuyao DNA for the win.

Clkytta: I saw this coming from miles away! No one can be that good or selfless. I knew when she sent Fuyao on in her place that she was trouble.  I’m not surprised at all that she is in cahoots with Idiot Prince. They are made for each other.

Karie the Maknae: I didn’t see that coming, so I was really irritated when she turned out to be a Vile Betrayer. Grrrr.

Drama Geek: I hate to admit that I was duped. I blame it on Scorpion Princess and the other nice consort who eventually became queen. It wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that Saintly Viper Fiancée was nice and would die, leaving Fuyao to take over her identity and marry Wuji. Hey, it’s not the first person to conveniently go missing so  Fuyao could get close to our smirky prince.

Kdrama Jen: I SO wanted her to be good, but I think I even commented last week that she seemed just a little TOO good.  I mean, she selflessly nursed victims of the plague.  Never in my wildest imaginings did I consider she would spread the plague, so she could play the heroine and earn the adoration of the masses.  This is like Munchausen syndrome by proxy with an extra twist of evil.  Learning she was such a vile creature really helped me feel less guilty about wishing she would disappear (even if she was saintly) so Fuyao could have her man.

Family members who are against true love suck

Clkytta: I get that arranged marriages were and are a thing in many cultures, but feelings should also count. I hate the whole “destroy what makes them weak” trope. Why is there always some pompous and overbearing dad or witchy mom who lets politics get in the way of true love?  The King knows how important Fuyao is to Wuji, but she’s unacceptable, so of course, she has to go.

Karie the Maknae: I can see why Father Emperor is against the match between Fuyao and Wuji–Fuyao is a former slave, after all. And Father Emperor doesn’t have the full picture. Though after watching this week’s episodes, I’m seeing that Father Emperor is more bloodthirsty than benevolent. Really, Megrez needs Wuji.

Drama Geek: Father Emperor (who totally looks like a wizard to me. LOL) didn’t care that his brother was in love with the woman he took as his queen, and he doesn’t care about Wuji’s feelings either. It was kind of chilling that his words mirrored those of the Psycho Dad serial killer from Come and Hug Me. He is going to remove anything that makes Wuji weak. In fact, he’s going to remove anything that makes his empire weak, even if it’s his own son.

Kmuse: I was actually expecting Queen Mommy to be the big bad when it comes to their love. Who knew that King Daddy would sneak in and ruthlessly try to separate them. Although, I say we give mom time to catch up. I think we have not seen the last of her.

Kdrama Jen: What is his deal?  Like Drama Geek, I also had major Come and Hug Me flashbacks. There may not be a hammer in this one, but King Daddy is still creepy.

Fuyao destroys evil brother’s manly reputation… in more ways than one

Clkytta: This was hands down my favorite fight scene. Evil Brother doesn’t stand a chance against Fuyao. This fight scene was epic, and it was satisfying to see Fuyao make sure that he won’t be able to spread around any little evil princes. I don’t think even killing him would have been as satisfying as what she did.  Not only did she wound his manhood, but once the truth is out, he can’t be king since he can’t increase the bloodline.

Karie the Maknae: Fuyao made me cheer and cringe all at the same time. The physical sacrifices she was willing to make during that fight to come out the winner, like taking  A SWORD THROUGH HER ARM, were incredible and a testament to her strength. And like Clkytta said, she served up exactly the justice that Slimy Evil Brother deserved. I doubt that if Father Emperor knew just how damaged he was, that he would allow Prince Assist to go for the throne.

Drama Geek: You know how some people rewind and watch kiss scenes over and over again. Well… this bloodthirsty fangirl did the same thing with this scene. Never have a been more satisfied with the outcome for an attempted rapist (according to some of the convos about him, he was actually a rapist already, just not with Fuyao). The strength shown by Fuyao during this scene was breathtaking. Not only was she determined to live, she was going to make sure Slimy Evil Brother would never hurt someone like that again.

Kdrama Jen: The people living in my house could attest to the fact that I really enjoyed this scene.  In fact, I may have been caught standing up and shouting, “Take THAT, you rotten piece of…”  I am not censoring the last word.  I really did stop mid-sentence because my daughter opened the door at that moment, shook her head, and went back to talking to her friend on the phone: “Yeah, it’s just my mom watching her dramas…”

Kmuse: One of my favorite aspects of this drama is that they let Fuyao be strong and independent and don’t just have the guys come and save her.  Sure, they have to gather her battered body and leave to recover, but they don’t save her.

Throwing everything away for love

Clkytta: Wuji may have just taken my breath away. He faces down his father and tells him that Fuyao is who he wants and he WILL be with her. He will even give up the throne. Do I think he’s really given up the throne? Nope, I’m pretty sure his mama will have something to say about this and find a way to manipulate him into reclaiming his place.

Karie the Maknae: I am SO THRILLED that Wuji is committed to his relationship with Fuyao. His willingness to go against his father and do the right thing makes me like him even more, and shows his growth–he wouldn’t have done this at the beginning of the series. And if he’s willing to go against Father Emperor, I’m willing to bet he’d stand up to his mom too. *crosses fingers*

Drama Geek: Ethan Ruan was FABULOUS during this. He literally shook with anger and wrath. Wuji is a very methodical person when he’s not flirting with Fuyao and is also extremely loyal to his family and the empire. It was HUGE for him to make this decision, and you could see that in every step he took. One of my favorite lines of this series so far was Wuji when he told his dad, “She’s like another me walked out of my heart.” SWOON!!

Kdrama Jen: I am a huge fan of the smirky moments, but Wu Ji just losing it and shaking with rage might be a close second.  I was mesmerized by these scenes.

Kmuse: Can we take a moment to appreciate that epic slow-motion walk away with Fuyao as they left the palace and escaped into the desert?  The music, the fighting, the hero strut, it was pure perfection.  I watched multiple times.

Zombie Zong *cough HOT DOC cough* BFF

Karie the Maknae: Zombie Zong does not belong in Deep Water. He’s a much better person when he’s solo, helping his friends in his own way. His reliability shines through too. When he and Fuyao bluffed their way into the Black Tribe Gang’s lair and he snooped through their supplies, I may have cheered. I love him as a secret agent. I have a feeling that the end of the story isn’t going to go well for him, and I’m going to be sad. But in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy his snark and arrogant expertise.

Reunited and it feels so good

Karie the Maknae: The struggle is real for our OTP. They keep pushing each other away for noble reasons, but though they may be noble, they’re dumb. Like Fuyao pushing Wuji away because she’s dying. Just let him stay with you until the end, girl! But I love the depth that these struggles continue to add to their relationship. And their makeup scenes by that pond were touchingly sweet. This is a couple who could make it.

Drama Geek: After we saw how furious Wuji was when his brother tried to kill Fuyao, and how much he gave up (okay, he didn’t actually give up the throne but his dad is currently allowing his brother to hunt him because of his actions, so it was a huge sacrifice). It was really hard to watch Fuyao push him away. But every time she did push him away, I understood where she was coming from.

Clkytta: The wrath of Wuji is no joke! I love how deep his character is. In the beginning, I felt like he was pretty superficial, but that’s not the case. I honestly think Fuyao won’t die simply because Wuji won’t let her. If anyone could will things to happen so they can have their way, it’s Wuji. He loves her, she loves him, and he’s not going to let a little thing like a curse come between them.

Kdrama Jen: This drama is best when the two of them are allowed to be on screen together, so I hope this reunion lasts for a while.  I somehow doubt that is going to happen, though.  I predict noble idiocy all around in the future.  The deck is kind of stacked against them.  We have a poisoned Fuyao and a prince-hunting brother on the prowl.  I hate to be pessimistic, but let’s enjoy these OTP moments while we have them.

Kmuse: I can see where she is coming from but her noble idiocy is nothing when compared to Wuji’s love.  He is going to sacrifice for love no matter who or what get’s in his way.  Even if it is Fuyao.  And can we just say that every second of their reunion scenes (yes, there were multiple since she was drunk for the first one.) were sizzling intense.  This is what I call chemistry.

The Black Tribe Gang rides again

Karie the Maknae: The leader of the Black Tribe Gang has swashbuckling written ALL over him. The beard helps. Anyway, he chews the scenery a bit, has a contest of wits with Fuyao, and continues on his quest to destroy the countryside in exchange for Slimy Prince Assist’s gold. He’s an idiot, really–if you destroy the countryside, WHERE WILL YOU GET FOOD? Just sayin’. Anyway.

Drama Geek: Oh, I’m supposed to care about these guys? Sorry, I wasn’t impressed with them and felt they were just a hurdle for Fuyao to jump over.

Clkytta: Karie, these guys need a boat with a skull and crossbones sail cause they are perfect pirates!  I like the bad bearded leader–I’m a sucker for a good manly man character.  This storyline moves our plot along and gives Prince Unmanned a chance to cause more trouble. Who needs to worry about continuing a bloodline when you’ve got chests of gold that will pave your way to the throne?

Kdrama Jen: Ha!  Prince Unmanned!  I like it.  I hereby second the nomination for that title!  Ah.  We were talking about the Black Tribe Gang.  Sorry.  Who are they? I was distracted by memories of shirtless Wuji.  It has been too long.

Kmuse: I’ll say it once and I will say it again.  This character really needed to be someone like Grassland Hottie.  Now he would get me to sit up and take notice.  Of course, then I would be upset that he got his head chopped off.  Probably better that the actor doesn’t stand out. (Kdrama Jen: Yes!  Bring back Grassland Hottie from Tribes and Empires!) (Drama Geek: Grassland Hottie actor is in like 5 shows toward the end of the 2018. Woot!)

Fuyao takes over

Karie the Maknae: Ah, Fuyao, this is why good guys never get ahead. You might bring justice to a place desperately in need of it, but people will hate you anyway. And then you’ll end up with an arrow in the back and the city gates closed against you.

Drama Geek: Fuyao is both highly intelligent and a fool at heart. She wakes up from near death and immediately rushes in to help the city. Thankfully for her, she knows people in high places or she’d be dead by now. But her taking overruling the town was priceless. Too bad they were a crappy bunch of people with zero loyalty or appreciation for the amazingness of our leading lady.

Clkytta: Fuyao taking the leadership position in the town should have guaranteed she could keep her vow to not let the city fall. Unfortunately, the townspeople are the dumbest, most gullible people I’ve ever seen. I don’t think they have any loyalty to speak of.

Kmuse: They deserve what they get.  Let the pretty female peasant take care of them since she shallowly turned them against Fuyao.  They are officially dead to me.

Kdrama Jen: Wow.  That is just cold, people.  May you be cast into the sands of Geyen and become a petrified human paperweight for all eternity!

The Desert of Doom (aka magical hamster kisses)

Karie the Maknae: I had to laugh to myself a bit because when Wuji and Zombie Zong were riding through the desert, ZZ’s little man-bun kept flopping all over the place. Anyway, why Wuji thinks he can do things by himself, I have no idea. No head covering to protect himself from the sun, no extra water, and yet he’s going to take on the Death Desert? WHAT made him think he could conquer THAT?? At least he has Yuan Bao to bring him back to life when he lands in quicksand with Medusa properties. Sheesh, this boy.

Drama Geek: I was told I needed to quote myself in the recap. “So… does Yuan Boa find Wuji and give him mouse to mouth?” Okay, so it ended up being magical spit to mouth, but essentially Wuji is very lucky his little friend can travel hundreds of miles in the desert of doom and not keel over dead from lack of water, food, tiny little feet… Suspension of belief in full effect. 🙂

Clkytta: Magical hamster kisses hahahahahahahaha!  Also, I literally spewed water everywhere when Drama Geek said “mouse to mouth” in our little chat.

Kdrama Jen:  I think I need a magical hamster with perfect GPS.  How does he manage to find people so quickly?  Also, not to get too geeky, but he seems to cover a lot of ground considering how teeny tiny his little hamster legs are and all.  I mean, I understand that he can scurry about quickly, but I am not sure hamsters are really built for endurance running.  Ours runs furiously on his wheel and then sleeps all day.

Kmuse: I almost would believe that Yuan Boa is some kind of demi-god in a hamster’s body with his ability to escape death.  Is he going to poof into a sexy immortal at some point?  Hmm.. That would give a whole different connotation to the Hamster kisses.

Off with your head

Karie the Maknae: Desperate to save the city, Fuyao takes the fight to the Black Tribe Gang, bluffing her way in, and then taking down the Swashbuckling Leader in an amazing fight that ends with the camera perspective as his head falls from his shoulders. It was disturbing and fantastic all at the same time.

Drama Geek: Fuyao proves once again that she can take care of herself, even when the world is against her. And that she benefits from having some very timely friends.

Kmuse: I am still over here trying to figure out how you do the whole heart blood transfer. So, you poke your heart with a blade but somehow you don’t bleed out? At least you don’t unless a smart heroine stabs the knife deeper into your chest than expected. How do you get a solitary drop? Kung Fu Hamsters traversing the Desert of Doom I can buy, but this is confounding me.

Kdrama Jen: I am right there with you, Kmuse.  Why does it have to be heart blood?  That is just a nasty infection waiting to happen.  I didn’t see them sterilize that knife either.

Clkytta: Fuyao is the whole package! She’s strong, smart, and loyal, and of course, amazingly pretty. She’s also underestimated by everyone who comes into contact with her. How many times does she need to prove that she’s a warrior princess before people realize she will cut their heads off to protect what she believes in?

Gaston to the Rescue

Karie the Maknae: Of course, the Black Tribe Gang can’t take that insult, and even though Fuyao has CUT OFF HIS ARM, the second in command leads the rest of the gang after her, chasing her to the city gates. Those gates remain stubbornly closed because people are stupid and ungrateful, and the four ninjas Wuji sent to protect her sacrifice their lives as they stand off against the overwhelming force. I totally fell for Tie Cheng in that moment, though, as he pleaded with the people to open the gates and save Fuyao. I like that kid. He can join Fuyao’s gang. And then when Prince Fierce rode up with his Dark Storm Knights and saved the day when Fuyao was completely out of resources? Yeah, there was more cheering from me. Prince Fierce is becoming one of my favorite characters. To be fair, they all are.

Drama Geek: NO ONE FIGHTS LIKE GASTON. Okay, so in reality, no one fights like Fuyao in this drama, but I couldn’t help from hearing that as he rode in and saved the day. They always manage to give this guy awesome entrances. I was so completely done with the people in that city and was relieved when Gaston showed up and they just road off into the desert. Good riddance!

Clkytta: The futility of this part just gutted me. Everything Fuyao did, all her sacrifices, all her plans, all for naught. Some people just don’t want or deserve to be saved. Also, the amount of sinister women who try to undermine Fuyao never ceases to amaze me. I’m still reeling from chick who thinks she’s all that, honing in on Wuji and then setting Fuyao up for death.  I cheered when Gaston came riding up with Seven hot on his heels. I still don’t ship him with Fuyao, but I love his character and he’s a good friend to have.

Kmuse: I laughed out loud when the gang leader’s shouted that it was Gaston and they needed to run.  He really does know how to make an entrance!

Kdrama Jen: And he freaking shot an arrow that lifted a man off the ground and pinned him!  That was the second time someone came in to check on me while I was watching.  (PSA- Don’t watch this drama in a place or at a time when it is important to be quiet.)

Gaston channels his inner King Arthur to fight a bee

Karie the Maknae: To save Fuyao’s life, Prince Fierce uses the Earth Absorbing Bell to take her into the astral plane/dreamscape/otherworld. And I just had been wondering what had happened to that bell. I’d like to know where the Five Color Stone is too. I *think* Fuyao still has it? Anyway, to pass the time and to keep Fuyao awake, we get the story of how Prince Fierce ended up as the leader of the Dark Storm Knights. He literally pulled a sword from a stone to fight off some poison bees that were killing off his men and the Knights, who were also trying to use him for a blood sacrifice? It was a convoluted story, but I loved the presentation. The narration went between Prince Fierce and his awesome second-in-command. It was a great concept, well-executed.

Drama Geek: Gaston’s grandpa left a sword in a stone out in the middle of a horrible desert hoping that one day his future descendant would stumble upon it and reclaim his rightful place as leader of the Dark Storm Knights. Yeah, sounds like Gaston could have his own drama. I agree that the way they narrated the story was well done.

Clkytta: Thanks, writers, for setting us up with a Gaston sequel opportunity. “Gaston and the Sword of Wasps” sounds like a great title to me.  That’s why I really like this drama–even the side stories are fleshed out enough that I’m actually invested in more than just the OTP.

Kmuse: Ha.  That is a drama I would watch.  Especially if Scorpion Princess played a dominant role.  They really do like connecting those two characters to poisonous insects.  The only thing that would have made this scene better is if we had some epic music playing in the background as he battled the dreaded bees.

Kdrama Jen: And now we are back to another Disney adventure.  I am pretty sure Sword in the Stone is a Disney show too, right?  Not sure I ever saw Excalibur used to fight off killer bees, though.  Epic!

Dream a little dream with me

Karie the Maknae: And so our dreamers are stuck in the astral world, while Zombie Zong and the gang work to protect their bodies on the other side. I really want Fuyao to be cured of this passion lockup toxin already. I want her to be strong and kick butt and complete her mission! But we still have 26 episodes to go. And I’m not even sad. (Clkytta- It’s so unusual that ALL of us are still so invested in this show!)

Drama Geek: I enjoy the time they’re allowing Fuyao and Gaston to have with one another that doesn’t detract from the OTP. They have a mutual admiration for each other and I like that they can become closer without it feeling like she’s cheating on Wuji. Who is still buried in the desert and doesn’t have his magical hamster to spit on him again. I hope that lasts a little bit because it doesn’t look like they’ll be able to rescue him anytime soon.

Clkytta: We have several obstacles to overcome, but we also have a lot of hope. Wuji may be stuck in the desert, but they will find him and it will be wonderfully magical. I already predict a shirtless scene as he will be weakened and need some serious TLC.  Fuyao has Gaston, and I 100% agree with Drama Geek that they have a relationship that doesn’t interfere with our OTP. The linking of their lives makes me a little afraid that he will be a sacrifice later on though. Maybe not, but I don’t trust Chinese dramas one bit when it comes to killing off characters.

Kdrama Jen: Yup.  Death is pretty much a given.  It will be beautiful and tragic, though, I am sure.

Kmuse: I go into Chinese dramas expecting everyone to die.  That way I can be pleasantly surprised with the few characters that survive.  It is all about perspective.

There you have it.  All our important thoughts and feelings regarding week five of the Chinese drama Legend of Fuyao.  Did we miss any super important moments that you think should have been added?  Share in the comments! If you somehow missed our earlier recaps you can find them HERE!

Til our next sizzling moment of skinship,

The Fangirls

Dramas With a Side of Kimchi

For new episodes of Legend of Fuyao on Viki click HERE