So I reviewed Novoland: Pearl Eclipse in our forums yesterday. It’s a great show and one that has earned a fair amount of commentary among fans of Chinese dramas. The Novoland franchise was developed about 15-ish years ago in response to the popularity of the Lord of the Rings films, and Novoland is often described as China’s Middle-earth. It’s a fair comparison, in my opinion.
Novoland: Pearl Eclipse follows the stories of 3 romantic couples – which if you’re here for my interpretation of the ending, you already know. I’m just creating a little spoiler space. If you haven’t watched the show and you don’t like spoilers, then I suggest you go read my review in the forums and then set aside some time to watch the 48 episodes. It’s got a bit of everything for action-oriented and shipper fantasy fans.
There’s a video on YouTube Asking “WTF” about the ending
Here’s the video. It doesn’t have any commentary. The question is in the title itself. The video replays the last few minutes of Episode 48 – so if you haven’t watched the series all the way through, DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO. I say that because you won’t understand what the heck just happened. You need to watch Episode 48 to understand this clip.
Now, the very last shot is really moving (even for a grumbly guy like me). I love it. It’s not the perfect ending many people had hoped for, but it’s a good ending. And, frankly, I find it a bit ambiguous. But let me digress for a moment.
What Is with the Two Cranes?
I think the two white birds flying around the skies are cranes, but I’m not 100% positive. There might be another species that resembles cranes from a distance. Or maybe I’m unaware of some magical creature in Novoland that looks like these birds. I’m not a Novoland expert by any means, although I’ve also watched and reviewed Novoland: Eagle Flag.
But I think the birds are Xu and Ti Lan. That’s just my opinion. Or maybe they were sent by Xu and Ti Lan. I only comment on the birds because I think they are an important symbol in the story. I haven’t read the book and don’t know if it explains all these things (or how the show differs from the book).
So, What Happened with Hai Shi and Jianming?
In their last scene together, Jianming reveals to Hai Shi that he has become the new baby’s Baixi (or Baiji – I’m not sure if the transletors used the best spelling). I did some research on Baixi and could not find a satisfying explanation of the term. I think it’s supposed to mean “protector” and is probably inspired by (a now extinct) white river dolphin in China called the Baiji. There is a folk legend that says these beautiful dolphins were protectors.
Jianming had released Xu from the Baixi spell. And when the baby was born Jianming quickly released that the only way to save him was for Jianming to take on his congenital illness. That expression on his face was heartbreaking, and I knew (as I’m sure many of you did) right away what he was going to do.
And so he and Hai Shi ended up together, husband and wife to be sure, but facing a new and unexpected twist in life. He had to be the baby’s Baixi and she had to become his guardian. So they couldn’t go off and start their own family. (NOTE: See the Addendum below.)
And 5 Years Later …
We see that Hai Shi is now the Dowager Empress. As Xu’s consort she was technically his wife, so she became the prince’s mother. And she had promised Ti Lan she would love the child as her own. So that all makes sense.
And then the boy talks about “Grand Mentor” and his poor health. Well, of course he’s in poor health. The implication is that Jianming is still suffering from the congential respiratory illness the prince was born with. But the implication is also that Jianming is actively protecting the prince from other deadly perils – every cold and injury, maybe even poisoning.
When I first read commentaries about the show (before watching it all the way through), I learned that people knew the ending would be sad and bittersweet. They were really pulling for Hai Shi and Jianming to be together.
But they are together. They’re both protecting the little prince, and the fact the prince knows Jianming will be happy to see her reveals that she and Jianming do get to spend time together. What’s sad for them is they have had to defer having a (large) family – and maybe they can never have a family (NOTE: See the Addendum below which discusses this). Because now we know that he may not be able to undo the Baixi spell again. He risked his life once by doing it. He would risk his life again by doing it.
But you know what? I think these characters would try again, once the little prince is old and secure enough to take the throne for himself. And Jiamming probably has a dozen plots running at the same time, all leading up to ensure that no one will be strong enough to threaten the throne again, so that he and Hai Shi can try one more time.
This guy crosses thousands of miles of land, day and night, to be with her. He’s not going to give up on being with her. That’s the point of their story, in my opinion. He’s not just there for the prince. He’s also there for her. Because he asked her (in his Jianming way) if she would stay to protect the little prince with him.
So regardless of what any writers, producers, or actors associated with the show or books say to you, if in your heart you wanted Hai Shi and Jianming to be together for the rest of their lives – think about everything that final montage tells you about their relationship. And have hope, because they would both have hope. And they were both happy in the last shots we saw of their faces.
Do you need any more explanation than that?
Addendum: Did Hai Shi Have a Child?
From what I’ve read, in the book Jianming truly dies – but Lang Huan tells Hai Shi that she is pregnant.
In the show, when Hai Shi says good-bye to Lang Huan, the mermaid gives her a surprised look. Many fans (who know the book) interpret that as a nod to Hai Shi’s pregnancy. And they also say the video translation for the little prince’s title should read “eldest son” – meaning there is a younger son (of the Dowager, Hai Shi, and Jianming).
Finally, I’ve also read that the producers wanted to do 55 episodes to tell the entire story properly, but they only received permission to do 48 – and that is considered exceptional because most shows are now limited to 40 episodes.