Bell Ringing (2024)

When the Bells of Love Stop

If you are thinking this is going to be a romantic love story -- it is, but tragically sad.

You see this is about a love that spans over 500 years...

Shen Qi (Amber Song) lived in a village where she fell upon the wounded Chi Ye (Li Dai Kun). The two eventually fell in love and married. But on the day of the wedding, Chi Ye picked up his sword (we don't know why he wanted to kill everyone in the clan) to kill Shen Qi's clan. The clan chief foresaw what would unfold and told Shen Qi that her mission was whenever Chi Ye's sword pointed at her clan members, she had to die under his sword to make Chi Ye feel guilty. She assured the clan chief that no matter what she would do exactly that.

She blocked the sword with her body and died in Chi Ye's arms. Chi Ye was filled with so much grief holding the bloody Shen Qi in his arms, he couldn't bear losing her, "How can I live alone" as he held a dagger in his hand to end his life. Just then he hears bells and a woman's voice, "Do you want to save her?" As he turns his head around, he sees an old woman, cane clicking on the hard ground with bells ringing. She says, "I can let her wake up but there's a price to pay. Her bells turn into a nail on your chest. She'll wake up 500 years later because of you and you never get hurt in endless years. You can never be with her, or their will be punishment. Chi Ye asks, "What is the punishment. Will it hurt her?" Amanma response, "Since red rope is tied, disaster lurks within good fortune. Remember what I said. Even if she wakes up you can never love each other. Love stays so long as you are alive. Only the forever-running water knows the melancholy." She repeats the last words until she disappears.

Fast forward 500 years later...

As Chi Ye walks to the tree of bells, he remembers his last parting words with the Amanma.
Chi Ye, "When will she wake up."
Amanma: "500 years later when the bells on the tree stop ringing, Shen Qi will wake up."
Chi Ye: "Okay. I'll wait for that day."

Looking at the bells and hearing them ringing as they blow upon the breeze of the wind, he contemplates when will the bells stop ringing. Just at that moment...they stop. He finally will get to see her. Turning and looking around, one of the bells falls from the tree and lands on the ground in front of him. Bending to pick it up, he hears a voice, "That's my bell." Hesitant to look up, he eventually does. In the tree, is Shen Qi, "I can't get down. Can you help me?"

Thus begins Shen Qi and Chi Ye's love story on Silver Bell Island.

Somehow, six years goes by until the next meeting of the couple. When they do meet, Shen Qi falls in love at first sight with Chi Ye. She will not be deterred in any way and begins to chase him. However, Chi Ye's constant rejection and avoidance of her makes Shen Qi think that it's all just wishful thinking, until she tells him "My wish is to be with you". With those words Chi Ye's heart begins to loosen.

They begin to spend endless days together just enjoying life and begin with each other so much so until they decide to get married. But all good things as they say.

Shen Qi finds out about their past life together and breaks up but they both realize their love is what they both want so they decide to face everything that fate has for them together. Their wedding was held, with all of the islanders looking on. Chi Ye finally got his moment with Shen Qi -- to make her his wife -- to be husband and wife.

But again, he was faced with the memories of what Amanma had told him.

Chi Ye: "What if we still love each other?"
Amanma: "Then punishment shall befall us. To avoid it, there is only one way, that is to forge a small knife with the silver ringing on Shen Qi and remove the nail from your chest. But once this contract is broken, her life will come to an end. And you'll return to your normal self.
Chi Ye: "I will never do that."
Amanma: "Cause and effect are always there, destiny is uncertain."

Cause and effect, haunting words which plagued both Shen Qi and Chi Ye since things were beginning to happen on the island. People were getting sick, crops dying, flowers wilting, etc. They knew they had to do something. As they walked along the trail and Shen Qi shared with Chi Ye the six years when she appeared on the island and how she had no memory, they both heard the ringing of bells and the click of the cane...Amanma.

Amanma: "You came here after all. Ling Yi Gu Shu. Infinity of force method. Once offended. There must be a disaster. Chi Ye, with his obsession with you. Change one's life against heaven. Now you two violated the taboo of ancient art will be punished."
Shen Qi: "What if the contract is terminated? Is there any way to terminate the contract? It can make everything go back to the past."
Amanma: "Once the contract is broken, can only accept punishment. And the real punishment is the fall of the island."

Shen Qi has a recall of a memory while Amanma and Chi Ye look on.

Amanma: Shen Qi, I thought you saw it all.
Shen Qi runs away while Chi Ye confronts Amanma.
Amanma: "Do you know the problem now? "
Chi Ye: "Problem. What's the problem? What's wrong with our love?"
Amanma "Now Shen Qi realizes that Silver Bell cast into a knife if you cut out the silver nail from you with a knife Shen Qi will die. I'll give you one last chance. Come to me when you think it's over. Silver nail removable. The collapse of the island can be solved."
Chi Ye: "What's the price this time?"
Amanma: "The life of you and Shen Qi will all end. There are only seven days left in my life. Ruthless is too bitter. Love is evil."

With that said, Chi Ye went back and told a distraught Shen Qi that there was another way. Amanma gave him two rings that that would let them share each other's pain, when they take the silver nail from his chest, they will only have seven days left. She agrees.

You see them spending those last seven days with laughter, love and so much happiness. The gray begins to show in their hair. Shen Qi rest her head on Chi Ye's shoulder. Chi Ye smiles as he thinks of the memories of their love story. He closes his eyes, smiles and rest his head on Shen Qi's. They quietly pass away on the swing holding hands.

Do you believe this was a true story? You see a couple at the end who is listening to a woman telling them this story. They both are in disbelief whether to believe her or not. The woman assures them it is true. She is selling silver bells which leads them to believe she is duping them only to sell the bells.

We also have a second couple Luo Fei (Yu Yi Lei) and Qi Yang (Miao Wei Lun) who fall in love and have a beautiful love story. Qi Yang was the assistant to Chi Ye and knew his secret. Luo Fei came on the island to get away but ended up leaving but coming back to the island because she had fallen for Qi Yang. Qi Yang ended up being the new island owner with Luo Fei by his side.

I really did enjoy this story. I felt there were definitely some missing pieces which could have explain things a bit better. Both couples are so good together. You find yourself hoping that there will be a change in fate for our main couple, but that wasn't to be. Touching, yet such a sad story.

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It's Like Vacationing in a Beautiful Paradise Island and Hearing a Folk Tale ala Chinese

Bell Ringing is a beautiful love story of 500 years, so it's like a folk tale of Bell Island, a fictitious place where the story originates. The island is a beautiful paradise with mild subtropical weather, with lush green nature full of flowers. I added "a la Chinese" in my review title for a reason I will spoil you at the end of the review. It's supposed to be adapted from the web novel, but if you check the source out, the story seems to have nothing to do with the drama, they just borrowed the character names, lol

The acting is great as we see they really love each other when they get together. Their chemistry is really sweet. Both are not newcomers to Chinese dramaland, they just never had the chance to play the main roles.

Now, I think the rating of this drama is low because watchers disliked the ending. I personally am okay with the ending and I will tell you the reason below (after you scroll down to avoid accidentally read it).






























Ending:
It's a bittersweet ending imo. Bitter, cos they only have 7 days to live, and then they die (even though not shown in the drama). Sweet, because at least they grow old together. They got married in its simplest way (the couple's rings, the red costume). Before, he was immortal, waiting to see her to be reincarnated 500 years later. In the end, he becomes mortal as her, so they die together. Nobody lost or mourned the other person. As a bonus, SML and SFL end up together and SML becomes the head of the island.

Why is it "a la Chinese" in the title:
To pass the NRTA review, they made this modern fantasy drama a folktale. If this drama is from other countries, it will be told like really happens and probably will have a happy ending. But in this case, Chi Ye is immortal (he has lived 500 more years) while Shen Qi is reincarnated. Because their love story spans 500 years to a modern time, probably NRTA would regard it as a superstition. Like the listeners in the end of the drama, they don't believe that the story told is true.

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