The Eternal Love is back with a second season and we’ve decided that another positive recap is in order. First, let me assure you that Lian Cheng’s eyeliner is still on point, Xiao Tan is as spunky as ever, and THE BED makes an appearance. What else is the same, and what has changed? Let’s find out.

When we last saw our couple Xiao Tan had been sucked into a black vortex and pulled Mo Lian Cheng in after her. They showed a brief scene with Lian Cheng in a horrible wig that implied they’d made it to the future alive and would find each other.

Season 2 starts with Lian Cheng explaining to us that he found out that the fabric of time had been altered and therefore even if a world looked to be the same one you knew, that it could be a parallel universe. Duh! That’s time travel 101. Lian Cheng ends up in the present, but this Qu Xiao Tan isn’t the one who went back to the past, but the one who existed before that happened. She doesn’t know about Lian Cheng yet, or any of their steamy encounters.

Those lame magical villains made it to the future too (or they are the original ones from the past time line. Timey wimey can be confusing) and they’re trying to get that darn orb. So Lian Cheng has to protect Xiao Tan while not being some creepy stranger (we’ll talk about if he managed to not be creepy later).

Negativity first, then the rest will be positive.

Drama Geek: Back in our original recap I didn’t really push too hard on the sneak kiss Lian Cheng did on her that she wasn’t exactly ready for and maybe not the most receptive to. She was his wife, and he was a prince, AND it was ancient China. So I gave him a pass. In the present, he kisses her again without her wanting it. A forced kiss will get me to drop a drama like a pile of steaming horse dung. I’m choosing here to both look at Lian Cheng’s overall character, and the abysmal truth that Asian drama writers (Chinese in particular) just like to use it as a plot device. It’s never okay. And that is the last thing I’ll say about it.

Kmuse: I felt it fit the setting of the story and the characters.  However, I agree that forced kisses can often be used negatively and give a false sense of what is romantic.

Kdrama Jen: He missed his wife and was overcome with emotion. I will give it a pass once. I am not a fan of non-consensual anything–that involves dragging people around by the wrist too. This better be the last time Lian Cheng!

2018 Lian Cheng has no game.

Drama Geek: So Lian Cheng is dropped into the present day and he has to figure everything out (which he does without any problem because he’s a genius and perfect) and then falls into a career that makes him a millionaire. We can’t have our prince poor, can we? So instead of just trying to get to know Xiao Tan like a normal person would, he calls her real estate company and has her sell him a house. Then… asks her to marry him, explaining that if he marries her he can get more houses. Or some malarkey. I have to say watching him woo her again, with his present-day duds and no smooth moves had me giddy with joy. He even convinced her to climb over a wall, where she then promptly called him a big sissy. Which brings a smile to his face because he remembers when she called him that before, and he now knows what it means.

Kmuse: Lian Cheng’s lack of wooing skills are just so adorable! The OTP’s chemistry is off the charts and I love that this season, just like last season, they are falling in love via bickering. We see Lian Cheng trying to be suave this time around but he hasn’t really changed his princely personality. Which means their squabbling style of foreplay is back in full force.

There is one instance where Lian Cheng declares that he is going to go do calligraphy (because that is what you do when you are super rich). Xiao Tan informs him that she knows how to make the ink so will assist him. After a while, Xiao Tan gets cranky/bored and paints on his shirt. He then makes her wash his shirt by hand and we get some sexy tank top time. It is this bickering back and forth all the while shooting off sparks of chemistry that has me loving this couple.

Kdrama Jen: I fell for this couple last time and this iteration is just as much fun! I love their chemistry!

Damsel in distress equals sexy times!

Drama Geek: Xiao Tan is being hunted by those magical peeps (and rapists, apparently) so Lian Cheng has to save her. Both times she ends up in his bed, and all cuddled up to him when they awake. I seriously forgot how much chemistry these two have. Things don’t go well because he really didn’t take the time to get to know her before all this happens and she just thinks he wants to get her in bed. Which… he totally does. His past self was all about that too.

Kmuse: I can’t stop laughing whenever they end up snuggling.  He is all casual and lovey-dovey (this is his beloved wife after all) and she thinks he is crazy and a pervert.

Kdrama Jen: I am a fan of shirtless scenes and cuddles, so bring it on!

The cliff of rebirth.

Drama Geek: Everyone knows that if you fall off a cliff in a drama you will survive and probably end up in a different time period, or at least heal and be able to come back to seek revenge on whoever caused you to fall off said cliff. This time it’s the catalyst that sends Xiao Tan back in time, but in a twist of timelines, sends Lian Cheng back as well. Except… he isn’t there in his old body.

Kmuse: Ooooh… This could get both hilarious and complicated.  I can’t remember if they explain in detail how she ended up in historical times in season 1.  Was it almost drowning?  Or the magical bed?  Was the stupid orb involved somehow?  I do like that this time I could totally follow what went on.  They fell in the water and they then time traveled.  Easy peasy.   Although, I am a little nervous about entering into any large bodies of water now.  I don’t think time travel would be my friend. I need access to computers and Korean dramas to be happy.

Drama Geek: In the original timeline she is chased down a dark alley and ends up in an old house where the bed is, and it somehow transports her. I’m pretty sure she was being chased because of the orb.

Kdrama Jen: Stupid soul suppressing orb! It just seems to bring out the worst in people. Still, it seems to be the catalyst for bringing these two together, so it can’t be all bad. I am not a fan of the Power Ranger-inspired bad guys, though. At least this time we don’t have a big talking head in a cloud overhead–at least not yet.

Are two Lian Cheng’s better than one?

Drama Geek: Is that a real question? For reals though, this could get messy. We have the past Lian Cheng who hasn’t met Tan’er (or Xiao Tan in her body) and then the future Lian Cheng who has short hair and knows all the glowing orb crap. Lian Cheng soon realizes that the timeline isn’t matching up with the past that he knows. He will have to do everything he can to keep Tan’er safe and save his family. He also needs to push his past self into the arms of Tan’er so that his present self still falls in love with her. Or… is he outside that timeline?

Kmuse: I like that we get two Lian Chengs!  And both with on-point guyliner.  Life is good.

Kdrama Jen: Two Hottie 8th Princes with sultry stares and bedroom eyes: one who knows Xiao Tan from the future and one who just met this unstoppable force–what could possibly go wrong? Still, you know what they always say: “Double the princes, double the fun!” Well, maybe “they” don’t always say it, but I just did!

Waking up in the past, take two.

Drama Geek: Xiao Tan wakes up in Tan’er’s body just like she did the first time around, except now she’s met the future Lian Cheng and heard his crazy story about their past. So now we have an altered Xiao Tan who has met (and slept with, platonically speaking) Lian Cheng. But the Lian Cheng she meets in the past doesn’t know her yet. And unlike the original timeline, they aren’t married. Instead, her household is arrested and Tan’er is sent to the 8th Prince’s palace (we’ll call this version 8th prince and the present day one Lian Cheng) as a maid.

Kmuse: At least being arrested is better than being killed. Which was what Daddy King was threatening 1st Prince with at the beginning of the historical scene. We know that the first time around he agrees to marry Tan’er’s half-sister. Despite being desperately in love with boring Tan’er. This time around that changes and instead of agreeing to the political marriage (to save Tan’er’s life) he declares that he would rather die than betray her. Which just totally upset the whole original timeline. Of course, I want our spunky Tan’er to hook up with our dreamy 8th Prince/Lian Cheng. But I am curious if Boring Tan’er and 1st Prince will have their happy ever after this time around.

Kdrama Jen: This has the potential to get very confusing as we try to keep all of the different Tan’ers and 8th Princes straight. Luckily, there is so much chemistry and potential bathtub scenes, that I am too distracted to try to make my brain figure it all out.

Please don’t bring Boring Tan’er back!!!

Drama Geek: The first season saw Lian Cheng constantly perplexed because of Tan’er’s dual personalities. He never knew if she was going to be spunky or boring. This season it’s Xiao Tan’s turn to get whiplash from the personality swap with Lian Cheng. At first, she thinks the 8th Prince is the guy she already met, but he treats her like a servant. Then Lian Cheng somehow gets a long mane of glory weaved onto his modern short hair and visits Xiao Tan to make sure she’s okay. If you know him, you know he won’t miss an opportunity for skinship, so he shows her how to bow while giving her a sexy back hug. Then the next time she sees him he’s back to being cold. Since there are two of him this time, I really hope Boring Tan’er doesn’t resurface.

Kmuse: Don’t get me wrong.  I am not a fan of Boring Tan’er.  That said, I really kind of want 1st Prince to get his happy ending and sadly, that involves boring Tan’er.  Not to mention, that way boring Tan’er can have this body and somehow Xiao Tan can meld with her past/present self that is off somewhere in the universe and everyone can be happy.  At least, that can happen if I am doing my math right on how many bodies and Tan’ers we have floating around.  Hmmm.  I’m officially befuddled.

Kdrama Jen: I know we are trying to be positive, here, but… Hey, Lian Cheng, ya think you could maybe just mention to Xiao Tan/Tan’er that a different version of you back-hugged her? That would have eliminated a whole lotta confusion!

Final Thoughts:

Drama Geek: I’m not sure how I feel about them going back and reliving the same timeline. It feels weird that Lian Cheng knows about the magical realm and doesn’t think everything else is trivial. But it almost feels like we’re going to forget that part, for now. Since we’re being positive, I will say that the leads didn’t lose any of their sizzle and are heating up the screen right away. I find both Lian Cheng’s interactions with Xiao Tan intriguing and adorable. They have altered certain events so we aren’t just replaying the same story. It’ll be interesting if we ever find out what happened to the other Xiao Tan. And if nothing else, we always have Lian Cheng’s eyeliner.

Kmuse: I am confused by trying to remember the specifics of season one and how all this time travel, multi-soul bodies, way too many people involved in the romantic triangles business is going to pan out.  But, as Drama Geek already pointed out, if nothing else we have some stupendous guyliner to enjoy while trying to follow what is going on in the plot.

Kdrama Jen: I adore their chemistry. I loved them in the first season, despite the sometimes convoluted plot. I will be fully satisfied if this season gives us just as many steamy moments and witty banter. I do also kind of hope (like Kmuse) that First Prince and Boring Tan’er will get a happily ever after in this one. Regardless, I am enjoying this OTP back on my screen.

Until the next confusing back hug,

The Fangirls

Dramas With a Side of Kimchi

You can watching new episodes HERE on Viki