Bu Bu Jing Xin

Bu Bu Jing Xin 

Bu Bu Jing Xi (Startling by each step or Scarlet heart) is a ancient Chinese television series adapted from the novel by Tang Hua.  Zhang Xiao, suffers a near fatal accident that sends her back in time to the Qing dynasty during the rule of Emperor Kangxi.  She finds herself trapped in the body of the younger daughter of a Manchu general, Ma'ertai Rouxi.

I have not seen many ancient series that are more drama, although I did see Palace: Lock Heart. Palace is more about a modern girl who travels back and her love with the 8th prince.  I think what I liked most about Bu Bu Jing Xi was the production value.  They costume looked amazing, the setting was also well then and the acting over all was well done.  Other than That I felt like it was just another drama with a love story that had been well created but was not all that especially.  That is just my take but a lot of people love Bu Bu Jing Xi and the central romance.  For my I had some issues and I think because of those and probably just not the type of story for me.

Zhang Xiao is our main character and is suppose to be from the 21st century and travels back in time because of the accident to the Qing dynasty.  A lot of other people keep referring to Ma'ertai Rouxi as a past incarnation and/or avatar of Zhang Xiao.  I am not sure if this was part of the novel but really nothing in the series tells you this, you just assume it because Zhang Xiao ends up in Ma'ertai Rouxi's body.
One thing about this was that we only got one scene of Zhang Xiao from the 21st century and her mentioning, ice cream, democracy and knowing the history of the princes. Other than that we know very little about Zhang Xiao and who she is. The same goes with Ma'ertai Rouxi, we know almost nothing about the type of person she was.  So for me I questioned why there was need for time travel.  Ma'ertai Rouxi was already a more independent girl and grew up a bit differently because she was raised near military camps, her father being a general.

One theme that developed that I found interesting and was liking was the idea of fate and how people did not have any control in what happened to them and the lives
they lived.  This was a especially true and illustrated with the character of Roulan. Roulan is Rouxi's older sister and is now married to the 8th prince.  Roulan was in love with someone else but being a general's daughter. She was forced to get married, even though she marries the prince her lover ends up being killed because the 8th prince was investigating who Roulan was in love with.  Because of her lover's death Roulan miscarries her child.  This to me was a good illustration of people having little control over their fate especially women.  I found this quit compelling especially since it started to show that not only women and the poor were subject to their fate being controlled by someone else but also the princes, who were more powerful were at the mercy of it.  All it took was one word from the Emperor and someone life would be changed.  This was illustrated with the 10th prince when he was forced to marry someone he had little in common with and did not like.

Another thing I like was what Rouxi had decided when she gave the 8th price the choice.  She didn't want to have to compete for her lover affection with another woman.  This played well with the accident scene because she was upset, and suspected her boyfriend of cheating on her with another woman.  The other part was completely her right that she didn't want to be with him since she knew he would end up losing and they would not live a long life together.


Things that made me grow frustrated and lose sympathy with Rouxi was when she would say she didn't want to be part of the politics but always got involved. There were times when she had only a certain opportunity to leave the palace and not be involved. However she did not take it .  I understand that she did not want to marry in name only, but she had no other methods.  Plus that is exactly what she ends up doing in the end.

 Rouxi also gets involved with the 4th prince though she was very well aware that he had a wive, which goes against her own stated criteria that she didn't want to compete with another woman.  From the beginning she knew 4th prince would win the throne but there was not only two option left to her.  Be romantic towards him or be his enemy. I say this because from when she first enters the palace, the 4th prince was already sending her gifts, which she accepted.  By accepting the gifts she was accepting whatever feeling he was sending her though at the time it may not have been the love they later have. But what else could the gifts mean if not something somewhat romantic, since she was a maid and he was a prince. He or any other prince were sending those kind of gifts to other maids.  Rouxi in return was always very attentive towards him. She could have chosen not to be in his radar at all.

Another thing was how the Emperor though powerful was just a man like anyone else.
No matter what 8th prince did the Emperor was suspicious and biased towards him. He had this feeling that the 8th prince should be grateful that he was a prince at all and just do whatever he was told to do.  Even Rouxi said that 4th was master at pretending he didn't want anything and was secretive and patient with his plans.

This bring me to another thing I couldn't quite go along with. When the 8th Prince sent the Emperor the falcon. The 4th Prince intercepted and had it killed and Rouxi seemed to be pleased with his maneuver ever though the attendant who had done this and his family were killed because of it. It seemed that excuses were always found for the 4th Prince actions but he always had a choice in what actions he took and was well aware of it. At times unlike the 8th Prince he never wanted to admit or learn from his mistakes.

The biggest thing for me was really what the story was about. I guess, I had an expectation when the show began that it was a story about the reason why Zhang Xiao ended up in the past and what that experience would teach her. No only that but what was the connotation of the title.   Zhang Xiao ended up in the past because she jumped to conclusion, was angry and took actions that place others and herself in danger. I thought the point of her living in the past was to learn how approaching things with caution had it's benefit and how she would become a better Zhang Xiao because of it. When Rouxi broke up with the 8th Prince she had requirements that completely made sense and were valid but these seemed to go out the window as she got involved with the 4th Prince.  When she returns to the present she is in a way Rouxi, so how is what she went through to help her now when all she wants is to be back in the past and be with someone who is long dead and she could not be with when she was in the past.

I ended up not finishing the show.