your-local-obsessive-fangirl

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Give 'em hell Dana.

[your-local-obsessive-fangirl]

Dana Terrace's We Should Beat The Disney Corporation To Death With Hammers (2025)

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something something taking on the mannerisms of your loved ones

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"You're so fucking crazy!...omg you ARE my girl 😍❣️💕💞"

[your-local-obsessive-fangirl]

the auction: part 1

Next

i got sick of sitting on these pages so i thought maybe posting them would motivate me to continue 💀 the main issue i was facing was thinking up the logistics of the auction itself, as well as the reasoning behind another thing that i can't say without spoiling it (but maybe you will be able to guess it if you know which specific post of mine kicked this whole thing off LMAO). Anyways. i sure hope part 2 comes soon!

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I suggest that whenever we hop on this god forsaken platform we call it. wait for it. taking a tumble.

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Being Ah-Duo and MaoMao in a Man's World

My favourite comparison so far.

Ah Duo lacked defiance of MaoMao's eccentricity, MaoMao was born with Ah-Duo's fate— until fate decided otherwise....

If MaoMao and Jinshi met when she was a servant raised in brothel and he was a eunuch hiding his lineage, there is no way they would not have met in other timelines. People have posed all sorts of theories regarding MaoMao being raised in the nobility but interestingly no one has posed how she would have met a fate like Ah Duo easily if she was brought up in those quarters. No matter what people think about Lakan, it would have been even more difficult for her to not marry had she been raised as a noble, a fate even someone like Lakan could not have been able to prevent. Because just like how Ah Duo and Yang met- a crown prince and his weird friend- this is probably how Jinshi and MaoMao would have also met - a crown prince and his weird friend. One should remember when it comes to women they love both Yang and Jinshi have behaved almost similarly with one fundamental difference. Yang can be criticized for many things but he was not a predator like his predecessor. Somewhere, Yang found same kind of solace and refuge in Ah-Duo that Jinshi did in MaoMao. And both MaoMao and Ah-Duo in her youth stood out for their unconventional, strong and un-nobility like personalities. In fact, both Yang and Jinshi did go to extreme ends to keep women they love with them, however, again with a fundamental difference. They differed in priority in going to those extremes.

I loved this post on Tumblr, which basically said that Yang loved Ah-Duo with all his heart but he saw her as consort of a crown prince, empress of an emperor. In other words, Yang loved Ah-Duo partly as a factor of his position. He did not see her as an individual, he saw them as a force to be reckon with in the empire. This is exactly what Jinshi didn't do, he never overlooked MaoMao's individuality in his scheme of things. Jinshi saw him and MaoMao as a future away from a system where both of them lose their individuality. He doesn't see him and her as a unit, he wants to build a unit where they both get to grow individually as well as together.

It is very important for me Ah-Duo and MaoMao had that conversation and Ah-Duo hoping that MaoMao doesn'tn't let Jinshi walk the path Yang did by end of it... Not only did she lament losing herself, somewhere, she also regrets loss of Yang as an individual at the altar of empire.... She knows there is no way she can get Yang she grew up with back, someone without burden of an empire on his back. And she knows she could never be someone Yang wanted her to be— someone he could share this burden with....

MaoMao definitely had a father who was in a far better position than Suiren but it was not Suiren's position that landed Ah-Duo in that palace, it was her association with Yang. Similarly, MaoMao could not have escaped the fate by virtue of her father's position, her association with Jinshi, er, Zuigetsu would have been enough. Their guardians' position would have only complicated their situation even more. This is why being Ah-Duo and MaoMao in a Man's world can be difficult.

Both Ah-Duo and MaoMao were women who did not care even a bit about power and customs of nobility, both were unconventional for their time and belonged with the Streets more than they could ever in rooms made of glass... Both met men who were insanely devoted to them and this is where fate spared MaoMao. She was fortunate enough to meet a powerful man whose devotion and idea of belonging did not blind him to her individuality, Ah-Duo was less fortunate in this case.

Both Ah-Duo and MaoMao were born in a Man's world where their individuality became a factor of man's position in the society. Former could not resist becoming a part of man's world, latter was fortunate enough to find a man who did not think she deserved to suffer in his world.

This is also why I love TAD so much, and how it shows structures impacting relationships even if they came from a place of benevolence... Even women like AhDuo and Maomao somewhere couldn't escape their reality altogether....No matter how independent and unconventional they were, they lived in a Man's world...Maomao was fortunate enough to meet a man who was fed up with his system, and someone who realised in time how power balance being largely in his favour meant Maomao sacrificing herself to be part of his world....

Maomao's disengagement from nobility actually saved her fate of Ah-Duo... Because had she met Jinshi as a noble or someone living in or around his surroundings, he would have made the same mistake his father did—thinking Love might make the burden of empire easy when all it wanted to escape was that burden only...

[your-local-obsessive-fangirl]

The queen of Mirth 🍄 🔥

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in no timeline should kiriwo be trusted when fireworks are involved, apparently

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Art of writing a Good Male Character

I remember a reel introduced me to TAD and the scene that made me save the reel and watch the show was that Working in the Outer Court scene where Jinshi stalls other men from looking at MaoMao. My first impression of Jinshi was he is cute, possessive guy (in a comic way). I watched the first season an year after it was aired and around when the second season was announced. And the thing I fell in love with in the series was the mystery and puzzle-like approach in storytelling. I loved TAD not primarily because of the characters but how well it understands the art of storytelling. I liked MaoMao's eccentricity and Jinshi's shenanigans but it didn't become the fixating point. I also loved their chemistry but it was still in a nascent stage. It kind of reminded me of High School trope where you (and other observers) see two classmates who apparently bother and annoy each other having a magnetic pull between them and them not realising it. It was the storytelling mainly that made me open the LNs. And that is where I fell in love with Jinshi, MaoMao and their relationship. While MaoMao is evidently an exceptionally well-crafted female MC, I want to talk about how Jinshi is apparently a male archetype you don't see many people doing justice to. Below are some points from my end to analyse why Jinshi is a great example of writing a good male character.

Jinshi as a support, Jinshi as a System: I love how the author has played this aspect of Jinshi so well. A character like Jinshi who is as powerful as one could be in society at a given time, is perhaps the kind of quiet support to MaoMao very few would be able to be in his place. Jinshi, despite his status, never lets his support make unnecessary noise for MaoMao, especially after he realises her real apprehensions in being married into royal family. Jinshi understood MaoMao at a fundamental level. It was not just about taking liking to her intelligence or her quirks, Jinshi understood MaoMao as a human. He not only tried to satisfy her curiosities but he also tried to handle her family for her in a non-intrusive way. Jinshi never forced MaoMao to alter her relationship with anyone in her clan but he also did not blindside her clan for her. He did his part honestly, especially with Lakan. Similarly, Jinshi hardly interfered with MaoMao's social circle, be it in brothel or in rear palace (except, when it was a man, ahahahah). He never tried to pick her friends or people for her. This is quite remarkable that we have never seen Jinshi instructing MaoMao regarding his own relationships as well. Like with Ma clan, Jinshi never imposed upon MaoMao to get along with the clan members because they were important to him. Moreover, Jinshi has tried to change system for her without second guesses but I love how it never reaches MaoMao as some sort of public stir. I love how she is often surprised about Jinshi ensuing a big change in such a no-noise manner. Be it opening school, bringing Loumen back, opening medicine for women or something as personal as branding himself, she is often caught off-guard as to how Jinshi brings pivotal changes in such a non-sensational manner.

Kindness that flows with the wind: Out of everything Jinshi could be, I am glad the author choose to make him effortlessly kind. Jinshi's kindness does not need a grand introduction, he is rarely shown bestowing kindness as a ruler upon his subjects. Jinshi is kind as a person. Numerous events and instances here and there show how casual Jinshi's kindness is. And that is perhaps why it is so easy to exploit as well. MaoMao seeing Loumen's naturally kind demeanor getting reflected in Jinshi speaks for itself.

Remorse as Introspection: I think this might be the aspect that actually made Jinshi one of my all-time favourites. I love how sincere Jinshi's remorse is. He is perhaps among very few male characters who intend to reflect upon their actions to do course correction without making it anyone else's problem or putting onus on circumstances. I love how Jinshi just simply doesn't romanticize his wrongs, and actually understands the need for introspection and how sincere that introspection is. Jinshi takes accountability without making anyone else look bad, and that is remarkable. Few times he has acted out of line, we have never seen him even attempting to justify himself in front of MaoMao or make it him+her problem. He inteospects and tries to do good to mitigate that. I think this is what sold Jinshi to me as one of his kind character.

A Very Human Pursuit: Jinshi doesn't want to relinquish power out of spite or to escape from responsibility (responsibilities are perhaps attached with Jinshi irrespective of his status). He wants to relinquish throne because he realises how lonely it will make him and deprive him of most human of connections. Jinshi realises the burden of throne and how isolating it is. He knows how lonely it is to stay at top. Jinshi wants to do his share of work diligently but he is not willing to pay unreasonable price for that— i. e. losing opportunities to form human connections without stakes of life and death being attached to them. He is neither rebellious hot-headed one nor serene compromising one, he is very human in his immaturity, sense of responsibility and pursuit of human connections. Jinshi's dilemma is not of a royal's but that of a human, just like many others in the story, who are trying to break free.

Understanding Love as a condition: People call MaoMao the practical one in the relationship and I completely agree. But it should be said that even Jinshi understands Love as a condition, even more than MaoMao. For Jinshi, main condition is to make sure MaoMao doesn't lose her life at the altar. He basically does everything he can to make sure MaoMao doesn't bear the brunt of it. Jinshi's devotion aside, he has displayed remarkable practicality in developing association with MaoMao. He is neck deep in Love but he is not an idealist, despite his power and status making him, perhaps, most eligible to be the one. He has his assessments and he is willing to take time for things to become better. Not only does he allow MaoMao her space, he makes sure his space is also not becoming non-existent. Jinshi acts in Love from a very sentimental perspective but he understands Love as a condition very well.

Despite everything, he is only a young man in Love: I love and love how his relationship with MaoMao forces Jinshi to betray his usual mature demeanor and noble finesse. He appears very composed and elegant and non-chalant but adventures with MaoMao make us realise how chalant and awkward and freakish and childish he is. His wild imagination and jealousy wrt any other man's even shadow hovering around MaoMao is simply spectacular. I love how the moment it comes to MaoMao, every mask and ounce of imperial manners leave his side and he becomes that needy, clingy teenager, and later on, young man in love. The way Jinshi unravels in front of (or because of MaoMao), we get to know that beneath the status and title and politics, he is just a teenager/young man trying to understand world. There are people who write male teenagers like mature adults or adult men behaving like teenagers but Jinshi is written in a way where his actions betray his age and his age makes him act a certain way. We rarely see teenage/young Jinshi in his mannerism, and we rarely see mature Jinshi in his actions. This is some good writing.

These were just some of my thoughts on why I like Jinshi so much. He is a complex character that never becomes complicated to follow, and that is some great writing. Jinshi is neither watered down to elevate MaoMao nor is he made into an ideal around which MaoMao's whole life revolves. His trajectory complements hers, and proves to be a catalyst. Best thing about Jinshi is that his presence is pivotal to the story and central to MaoMao's arc but he never himself becomes the whole story.

[your-local-obsessive-fangirl]

the great impersonator title track being the last track of the album 🤝 the life of a showgirl title track being the last track of the album

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what? oh sweetheart no, you're not weirding me out at all. you're weirding me in. keep talking, freak

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Definitely not (/sarcastic)

I know we like to note on the mass amount of that books James Patterson has written. But has anyone actually read any of them?

[your-local-obsessive-fangirl]

Ok so I read a fanfic and it was Jason Todd taking down scarecrow but he accidentally shot dick in the process not knowing who he was if anyone knows the name of this fic please lmk 😭😭

[your-local-obsessive-fangirl]

One of the many things that kills me with Sunrise on the Reaping is that Katniss and Peeta saw that heavily edited version of Haymitch's Games that makes him out to be a "jackass."

Haymitch in SOTR is so incredibly compassionate and caring and selfless--he's not trying to win the Games, he's trying to keep his loved ones alive, he's trying to rebel against the Capitol, he's trying to protect Louella and Lou Lou and Ampert and Maysilee and Wellie. Despite his running internal commentary labelling himself as selfish and wretched throughout the story, it's clear that everyone can detect his gentleness--Effie comments on it, it's why Ampert feels safe with him, it's what draws the District 6 doves to him--I mean, he calls them "my doves," doesn't he?! It breaks my heart that he narrates the story with so much self-hatred, and it's even worse when the story is edited by the Capitol to convey exactly that--

And then Katniss and Peeta, the people who know him best and love him best, see that heavily edited story, designed to paint Haymitch as a jackass, a selfish wretch, and they don't question it for a moment. Even they, who know what it is to be loved by Haymitch, don't question the way the Capitol paints him. Absolutely everyone is blind to the gentleness in Haymitch, most of all Haymitch himself.

But I guess that's the power of propaganda.