Those who watched Chines Paladin I will know what this mean. I think that Tang Yu and Ah Nu deserve as much attention as the other couples in here. In fact, they’ve been overlooked by Xiao Yao and his two lovers. Honestly, if it wasn’t for Hu Ge and Ady An’s convincing portrayals, the main characters would not have attracted as much attention. I believe that among all the couples in there, only Tang Yu and Ah Nu managed to overcome all obstacles and found true love. They were the couple that actually survived through the test of times yet were not given as much acknowledgment to. As despicable as Bai Yue’s leader was, he was right in that he said Tang Yu and Ah Nu were the only ones who passed all the tests and proved that love still existed because Tang Yu would always forgive Ah Nu time after time and Ah Nu would always regretted of her actions – which directly or indirectly caused grief toward Tang Yu.
Many complained that Ah Nu was too cruel and hated her for keep teasing Tang Yu with the whole marriage promise. However, I think that was how she was – naive and has a simplistic mind. She loved food and loved to have fun. She was always so carefree and did not think of love at that age. However, she was very loyal to her princess and cherished friendship so much. She probably grew fond of Tang Yu unknowingly but did not know that it was love. (After all, people did not just slap the whole idea of love around so much back then like the world we live in today.)
If look at more closely, it was very obvious that Ah Nu relied on Tang Yu a lot and the fact that she trusted him to take care of her. She was not ungrateful of that since she always knew and told him that he was the best because he would always take care of her and make her happy. Why did she not call on anyone else to help her at times but just Tang Yu? It was not because she liked to use him or bully him, but he trusted him and knew that he would never harm her. She was comfortable with him because he always made her feel safe.
What made Tang Yu different from other characters in here was his determined nature. If he made up his mind about something, he would not change it for anyone. Though he seemed weak or not having a mind of his own – mostly because he followed and obeyed his godfather’s commands but he knew what he was doing. It was his kind heart and his determined nature that made him heroic. He loved Ah Nu dearly but he did not let that love blind him from other responsibilities or his loyalties to his friends.
Tang Yu never minded that Ah Nu was not appreciating him enough but he was happy that she was happy. He even went out of his way to make her happy by buying her food or even thinking of fun games for her. Perhaps the only time that he felt hopelessness was when they were trapped under the mud and were not able to free themselves. He told her to not promise anymore. But he did not regret in dying with her – if that was the case.
The unbreakable link between them represented itself through Ah Nu’s special red string that her mother had used to tie a bond with her and her godmother. She then used it on her princess and then her good friend, Tang Yu. Tang Yu was really special to her, therefore, receiving a spot on her hand too. (Those who watched would know that the last one was reserved for her father.)
What made their relationship even more special was that their actions showed more of their trust (as discussed above) and care for each other than other couples. Too much talks or promises would always fail. Yes, there were false promises from Ah Nu to marry Tang Yu at various times but it was because she was not able to grasp the true meaning of love yet. However, their willing to sacrifice for each other – regardless of the circumstances or consequences made it very admirable – and probably hard for some people. They were always sharing the hardships together with all the tests given. Coincidentally, it was always the hopelessness of not surviving each time or being separated but they never backed down if the obstacle would present itself once again.
They went through so much together and matured together as well. Though Tang Yu was more serious – mostly due to his godfather’s influence but there were things he did not understand yet. Ah Nu was innocent but she later knew the seriousness of matters. Tang Yu actually said it when the others were urging him to go along with them to save Ah Nu. Indeed it was true because Ah Nu finally learned to take care of Tang Yu at last when she proposed to him, convincing him of her sincerity and determination. She putted it innocently as, “I will learn how to cook.” It was a little joke on her only knowing how to eat. However, it showed that she was serious in caring and looking after others, not just knowing how to eat and play like the old days.
Because they were the only couple who were true to one another till the end, they were the ones actually meaning to receive the special pieces. (That little crush Ah Nu had on Xiao Yao did not count since it was just some innocent obsession at that time.) Once again, Ah Nu showed her maturity, repeating of her vow that she would look after Tang Yu after they turn into birds.
This was Eddie Peng and Esther Liu’s first collaboration and probably paved way for the two upcoming projects – although it took years later. Their chemistry proved convincing and cute.
*All images (except for the first one) were collected from around the Net and belong to their rightful owners.
