chiyukimei

[chiyukimei]

Hey hamliet I want to read QJJ but it’s a little intimidating...could you tell me a bit what it’s like? CP dynamic and what kinda story it is (tragedy, hopeful, plot-heavy or romance-heavy?) thank you! I’d like to hear your thoughts on it.

Hi! Yeah, it's definitely plot-heavy and... complex. I feel you! It's also romance heavy, though. They're really well intertwined.

The main pairing is enemies to lovers, and it's told equally from both of their points of view. As for their dynamic: 

Shen Zechuan is the youngest son of an accused traitor who barely survives a massacre of a battle thanks to his elder sworn brother saving him at the cost of his own life. Because Shen Zechuan is the only survivor of the battle and of the Shen family, he's arrested and tortured as a scapegoat. Shen Zechuan’s father was a “prince” (think governor more so than a blood prince) and his mother was a courtesan concubine (plus he was the 8th son), so his status even in his home was pretty low and his blood brothers weren’t really part of his life. 

Meanwhile, after Xiao Chiye’s elder brother wins a decisive battle, Xiao Chiye is sent to the capitol city as a sort of hostage to prevent any thoughts of rebellion in his elder brother’s mind (because the kingdom is reeling from the Shen incident). Xiao Chiye is the youngest son of another “prince” (governor) who is also a renowned general. He’s the second son, though, and his father, despite being a tough general, is a romantic who never remarried after his wife’s death. Xiao Chiye is very much like his father, but his elder brother is rather like his mother, yet still a formidable military strategist. You can see the parallels and contrasts. 

Anyways, Xiao Chiye hates being a glorified hostage and leaving his home, so when he sees Shen Zechuan, he blames him for his circumstances and kicks him hard enough to kill him. He survives, barely, but is left with lingering health issues from the kick and the torture. 

Five years pass, and then Shen Zechuan is finally freed from the temple he’s been confined in and ends up reluctantly working with Xiao Chiye to uncover several political plots. They have a one night stand, and then... feelings start developing even as the political situation gets more and more unstable. Xiao Chiye pretty quickly realizes Shen Zechuan is actually after 1) revenge, 2) proving his father was not a traitor, and 3) plans to rebel himself... 

It’s pretty antagonistic early on, but there’s a fascination between them and really good foiling (they’re opposites, yet similar; they’re yin and yang). Xiao Chiye is the more sentimental despite being the more traditionally “manly” one, and is the heart to Shen Zechuan’s mind. Shen Zechuan thinks all he has left is hatred, but Xiao Chiye reminds him that he’s human and that humanity comes with a full spectrum beyond just ‘hatred.’ Xiao Chiye likes challenges and taming wild animals, but he needs to actually tame himself. Shen Zechuan is, in meme-terms, dead inside, yet his greatest desire is to live. Xiao Chiye is full of life and vigor, yet he is much more cavalier about his life. Their dynamic is pretty great, going from tension and what’s basically hate sex to “oh how I love you so” and “he did not want this person to hurt anymore, ever again” in a way that feels more than natural. 

Thus far only about 2/3 are translated, but a new chapter is translated every 3 days, so you don't have to wait long. I also got spoilers from some very very helpful people who are able to read it in Chinese and took pity on me.

It's both tragic and a happy ending. The main pairing gets a happy ending, as does one of two side pairings (the wlw one--yes, there’s canon lesbians--gets a happy ending; the secondary mlm one sadly does not). Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye get a happy ending not just through life, but through accomplishing a lot of goals, family, etc. So it's happy.

Don't get attached to most other characters though, because the author is pretty brutal. And yet the characters are so likable it's hard not to. There's also an issue with... there are no real "enemies." Even most of the antagonists are genuinely not bad people, and there are two perpetual themes that come up: what is the cost of victory? and the idea of scapegoating. Sooo a lot of the antagonists are scapegoats and what happens to them isn’t “fair” even in a poetic sense. From what I've heard what happens to one of said antagonists at the end will Make Me Unhappy, but I've also heard it is indeed framed as tragic.

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oh

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bell hooks, All About Love

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Eyes Wide Shut or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love My Wife

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Polish Movie Posters

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summer strike (2022)

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These aren't my favorites, they're just kinda rushed doodles, but I'll still post them here anyways because they were all still fun to do!!

I recently got back into mdzs and it's ripping heart OUT

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Three Puppies - Japan, 18th century

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*Googles big word before I fuck around and use it injudiciously*

[chiyukimei]

An interesting comperative analysis thought I had today while reading a book by Zhuangzi:

Post Canon Wei Wuxian has Dao but not the sageness and Lan Wangji has sageness but not Dao.

Before anyone attacks, Let me explain.

An anecdot from the book of Zhuangzi:

"Nanbo Zukui asked Ru Yu, saying, 'You are old, Sir, while your complexion is like that of a child;-- how is it so?'

The reply was, 'I have become acquainted with the Tao.'

The other said, 'Can I learn the Tao?'

Ru Yu said, 'No. How can you? You, Sir, are not the man to do so.

There was Liang Yi who had the abilities of a sagely man, but not the Tao, while I had the Tao, but not the abilities."

Here Zhuangzi explains the way to acquire Dao. He teaches that sageness/talent doesn't necessarily mean you have Dao.

And having Dao doesn't necessarily mean having talents/sageness.

After I got somewhat familiar with the concept of Daoism, I find it that, like Liang Yi, although Lan Wangji is perfect in talent of practicing it, he doesn't have it. (Not yet, maybe)

And although Wei Wuxian is poor in relation to Lan Wangji in practicing it, he has it.

Also pay attention to the fact that the one who has Tao in the text (Ru Yu) has the appearence of a child although he is Old which can be tied to Wei Wuxian and his younger body - and his described childlike soul.

Because let's see the rest of the text. Continuing, Ru Yu tells us how the sage man acquired the necessary habits of Daoism. Yet couldn't succeed.

I wished, however, to teach him, if, peradventure, he might become the sagely man indeed. If he should not do so, it was easy (I thought) for one possessing the Tao of the sagely man to communicate it to another possessing his abilities. Accordingly, I proceeded to do so, but with deliberation. After three days, he was able to banish from his mind all worldly (matters). This accomplished, I continued my intercourse with him in the same way; and in seven days he was able to to banish from his mind all thought of men and things. This accomplished, and my instructions continued, after nine days, he was able to count his life as foreign to himself. This accomplished, his mind was afterwards clear as the morning; and after this he was able to see his own individuality. That individuality perceived, he was able to banish all thought of Past or Present. Freed from this, he was able to penetrate to (the truth that there is no difference between) life and death;-- (how) the destruction of life is not dying, and the communication of other life is not living. (The Tвo) is a thing which accompanies all other things and meets them, which is present when they are overthrown and when they obtain their completion. Its name is Tranquillity amid all Disturbances, meaning that such Disturbances lead to Its Perfection.'

Tranquilitiy amid all Disturbances: the nightmares Wei Wuxian saw throughout the 13 years, the banishment of thoughts of Past and Present, Wei Wuxian's forgetfullness, him not sensing the passage of time, etc etc

These qualities of Dao, all the things Lan Wangji has been applying with his talent all his life. Yet he hasn't reached Dao (yet. ) (Or maybe he has post-canon since he has his own struggles as well)

And these qualities Wei Wuxian had been granted by the Skies (as Zhuangzi put it)... Through his dying Wei Wuxian really saw the one'ness of everything. And understood it in his heart, not in his mind - which is the way to Dao.

"Since he receives this food from Heaven, what need has he for anything of man's (devising)?"

Lan Wangji's life and sageness can be said to be a man's devising, it is not a call from the Heavens; his life is organised by his uncle and the already established rules of his Clan. Whereas Wei Wuxian receives his food from Heavens, he lives. He isn't thinking about himself or Dao, he simply lives. Which is the actual way of becoming one with every thing. Every thing is one and the same.

So that's my poor attempt of a comperative analysis. Hehe thanks for reading.

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LITTLE FOREST (2018) dir. Yim Soon-rye

I came down to my childhood home from Seoul three months ago at winter. When it’s cold, I crave dough soup. The dough must sit for two hours. Perfect time to clean the snow.

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in my aristotle era (i live life in moderation)

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Conte d'ete or A Summers Tale (1996) Dir. Eric Rohmer

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MAKE TURKEY SLAY AGAIN

-Istanbul Governor (the most popular opposing politician at the moment)

me using american slang in my fics about british people bc i feel like it rolls off the tongue better…… im so sorry british people but like what is a wanker i cant write someone saying that

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Sushi Bedroom by Daisuke (2023)

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Glass Frog glows like a constellation within the dark of the South American rainforest.