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[moononmyfloor]

A Rec and Appreciation post for a Bilibili FMV I found for The Spirealm :)

IMPORTANT: Contains spoilers for all the way through to the show! You've been warned!

Link to the edit: You don't need an account to watch things on Bilibili, but if you do, remember to give it a thumbs up! 💕

The song used and will be discussed by me in relation to the clips of the drama used in the fmv is 人间不值得 (The Human Realm is Not Worth It) by 黄诗扶 (Huáng Shīfú).

Disclaimer: 1. I'm not Chinese by any means, I only happen to be a student who loves this song very very much for its nuances and symbolism and it always makes me so happy to see a fandom I like has gotten an edit to this song. This post is an attempt to get more like-minded people to appreciate it! All the translations are from here where you can read even deeper to the lyrics and learn the background of the song. 2. I will be posting screenshots from the edit that correspond significantly to the song lyrics for those who'd like some help with noticing the parallels. Again, and obviously, this means SPOILERS! Don't proceed if you don't want to be spoiled. I won't be sharing gifs nor clips from the edit because that'd be straight up reposting and I don't want to do that, and a single screenshot may not be sufficient for you to understand what's happening in the scene unless you've seen the show/fmv.

Without further ado!

.

渡口爱上深山, 薄雪中意晚莲 -A Crossing Ferry falls for Deep Mountain, Thin Layer of Snow likes Evening Lotus

A ferry transportation wouldn't be done in an area with deep mountains, it requires a flat and calm body of water. Lotuses don't bloom in the snow-falling season. Aka this means two things that are star-crossed. Hence: 🥲

夕阳熬红双眼 想等来晨钟聊聊天- Setting sun waits till its eyes turned red, hoping it can chat with morning bell Again, the setting sun cannot meet the morning bell. The vidder has used a scene of Ruan Lanzhu sitting with his eyes closed on a bench, waiting for Jiushi- it's not that specific so I'm not including a screenshot.

心上人在梅边柳边 偏不在身边- Person on heart is by plum or willow, but not by (the person singing the song)

A Hongloumeng reference to say that your beloved is not by you but elsewhere, see the link above for more details. -A scene of Jiushi patting Lanzhu's shoulder and going away for a door challenge while Lanzhu stands agonized-

小白蛇浇透临安 许仙却没带伞- Little white snake is drenched in the rain of Lin An, but Xu Xian forgets to bring an umbrella

From the legend of White Snake and Xu Xian, they meet on a rainy day and Xu Xian gives White Snake an umbrella. Here, the lyrics say he forgot aka things didn't happen the way they should've.

-The clip chosen for this line is more happy because they both got to use the umbrella hehe-

少女压坏秋千 书生十年落选- Young girl crushes the swing, scholar fails at exams for ten years

A little girl on a swing and a scholar who passes the exams are nice things to imagine, but the lyrics say the contrary happened. The edit shows scenes from the case of the bullied school girl and the classmate who betrayed her, who both had their youths ruined. :(

命运总是挑挑拣拣 诸事不成全- Fate is always picky and things just can’t be fulfilled

-Scenes from the first case (snow village), not using screenshots because the line itself isn't very specifc and therefore neither is the scene-

小和尚没化到缘 又路过烧鸭店- Little monk doesn’t get offerings, then happens to walk by a roasted duck shop

Describes a situation where your life sucks and then some more.

-The scene of the little beggar fainting from the Child trafficking case put in contradiction with the scene of Jiushi enjoying skewers with Xiong Qi.-

The chorus:

拈杯酒眯着眼 说专心看人间- Pinching a cup of wine and squinting eyes, saying (I/you/whoever) is looking at the human real with full concentration

The song is advising you to take a cup of wine, let go and just observe the world around you. Scenes of Lanzhu and Jiushi having swigs/sips of drinks is followed by them happily gazing up at New Year fireworks. It's pretty self explanatory.

看长安建安与潘安 都想沾一沾- (seeing) Chang’an Jian An and Pan’An, wanting to touch them all

Chang'an was an ancient Chinese capital, Jian'an was a literaty gathering, Pan'an was a historical man who was famous for his beauty and loyalty to his wife (the character Liu Xueyi's was modelled upon for the recently aired drama In Blossoms🤭) aka these three things are unrelated except for rhyming. So it's basically like saying "You want this, you want that too" and to just chill and embrace it all; your mortal desires and sorrows.

The scenes used are from the night street celebrations from the Child trafficking case, and are not specific to the line except for that the aesthetics match that of Chang'an night scenary in Tang dynasty period dramas. (And maybe Jiushi staring at Li Dongyuan's handsome face refers to the Pan'an part heh)

神仙掐指算 此去少圆满- Gods making predictions, this trip shall lead to little fulfillment 得来失 聚了散 千万莫求全- Losing what has been found, parting after reunion, don’t try to aim for perfection at all

Means that sometimes gains and loses just cannot be helped.

-Scenes of Li Dongyuan's last moments- 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

借泥炉烧碗饭 在檐上种炊烟- Borrowing earth stove to make meal, planting cooking smoke on the top of the eave

-cooking scenes from the show, self-explanotory-

管小寒大寒与心寒 都来暖一暖- No matter if it’s Small Cold, Big Cold, Or heart cold, all come over and warm up

Xiao Han and Da Han are two of the wintry solar terms of traditional Chinese calendar. Heart Cold is; well, having lost hope and being unhappy. The song tells you to get together and warm yourself up whether your coldness is external or internal.

好提胆闯人海 再叩风月关- So that you can build up the courage and venture into the crowd, knocking on the door of profanity (of life) Now this line may look simple but is really iconic to the show. It means to build up your guts [lit:gallbladder] (through the power of the warmth from forming bonds as mentioned above), so you can go out and enjoy all the beautiful romantic things in life, and bravely knock on the doors (HA) of each levels of life as you go. The scenes used are Lanzhu and Jiushi marching into door challenges, them sitting and enjoying quiet moments together, and DOORS. Bejeezus...

兜兜转转八十一难 我们走着看- Around and around through 81 tribulations, we shall see how it goes Another cleverly utilized line. 81 tribulations are what the main characters underwent in Journey to the West in order to bring the Buddhist texts, and if you've finished Spirealm, you know the 12 doors are inspired by the 12 links in the Law of Dependent Origin of Buddhist philosophy. In simpler words, the 12 links are the reasons for your mundane sorrows, longings and confusion, and 81 tribulations are the hardships you undergo because of them. The core scene used is Jiushi completing the 12 doors of the game, followed by the friend gang badass-strutting into the case scenes, fitting for the part "let's see how it goes".

竹马去寻竹马 青梅意兴阑珊- Bamboo horse goes searching for bamboo horse, blue plum feels discouraged

Now this is my FAVORITE line 😆 I always love to see what the vidders do with this part when this song is used on a BL edit. This comes from the famous poem line, “郎骑竹马来，绕床弄青梅”:” boy comes on a bamboo horse, circling around the bed and playing with plum branch”. It refers to boys and girls who are meant to be each others' since childhood. But sometimes, the bamboo horse (boy) doesn't go for a blue plum (girl), and will seek another bamboo horse instead, yeah? The scenes chosen are first Lanzhu and Jiushi, chased after by Li Dongyuan, leaving behind the exasperated Zhuang Rujiao 😂 Our poor lil blue plum!

伯牙琴弦摔断 叔夜刚绝交山巨源- Bo Ya breaks the string on his Qin, Shu Ye breaks off from Shan Juyuan

This line is about two legendary friendships, in the first pairing Bo Ya broke his Qin after his friend's death because nobody could appreciate his playing better than his friend, and the latter pairing broke up because of diff ideals.

The scenes used are when Jiushi and his ex bff used to be together, and broke up later.

知己半路就散 结发总另结新欢- Good friends part half-way, spouses marry someone else

-Yixie crying holding Qianli, the nurse whose lover betrayed her in the sanatorium arc-

小情侣恰好遇见 喜鹊没来上班- Young couples who happen to meet when the magpies are not on duty

Refers to the Chinese fairytale Magpie Bridge where magpies helped the couple meet once every year, and without magpies they wouldn't get even that chance.

The scenes used are: 🥺

长生岂能如愿 古稀尚靠垂怜- How can longevity be fulfilled, it depends on heaven’s mercy to live to one’s 70s

Jeebus, have I mentioned this vidder is a GENIUS? The corresponding scene used is the big baddie of the show standing tall and playing almighty, and the happiness of our good guys is at his mercy, followed by the scene of 50 Years Later HUHU

老病倒比莺莺燕燕 多陪二十年- The Old and the sick somehow gets 20 more years than the happy young couple

LOL the vidder knows how to be a troll, too. As the song says "Old and sick gets to live", Chen Fei and the lady friend (I don't even rem her name) who couldn't have been more background charactery if they tried, and they got to move onwards with their lives in peace while "happy, young" Zaozao and Dongyuan didn't 😔

小嫦娥偷吃灵药 却反而羡人间- Chang’e takes magical elixir, yet feels jealous of the human realm

The moon goddess, who enjoys longevity but is full of regrets about the life she left behind.

-Zaozao, who is finally under the spotlight she always deserved, but... *bawls harder*

The chorus from before repeats, that tells you to have a drink, chill and look at this world, not care so much about this and that, to not push yourself too hard because it isn't worth it, have a meal with your loved ones to chase away the cold instead, build up the courage to endure the beauty and challenges (DOORS) of the life.

Complimentary scenes follow:

人生在世不称意呀 失眠或失恋- Living in this realm is often unsatisfying, losing sleep or losing love

-For "unsatisfying" part, past-and-present scenes of the son and mother from the Triplet case, for "Losing Sleep" part Lanzhu staring at sleeping Jiushi on the same bed and then the chocolate scene, the younger sister's confession being rejected in the Sister Drum case and the Lady in the Rain for "Losing Love" part.-

只劝你来把个盏 侃呀么侃大山- (I) suggest you drink (the wine) up, then have a nice long chat

-The scene where Lanzhu wordlessly empties the can after Dongyuan's incident, followed by memories of when they were eating and chatting together, and also those of Qianli's 🤧

The final part:

喝完大酒撑条船 说今生不靠岸- After a big drink go ride on a boat, saying never to dock till the end of this life 去天涯海角浪个遍 失意当尝鲜 -To the edge of the horizon and corners of the sea, taking disappointment as fresh experiences

-Scenes of Lanzhu and Jiushi together, braving the challenges-

这一路手握剑 身侧有千帆- Holding a sword on the way, with thousands of sails passing by

-The girl from the school bullying case, now grown bright and confident, wielding a sword (that was SUCH a great moment! You go, darling!), followed by the now-regretless Door Ghosts smiling happily in the last episode.-

时不时 回头看看 百味是人间- From time to time, turn around and look, hundreds of tastes makes up the human realm

-Lanzhu looking back at Jiushi for one last time, Jiushi looking back before entering a door- *sniffles

Followed by happy montages of all their friends, and Chestnut.

时不时 也睡个懒觉 醒来多加餐- From time to time, sleep in, and eat an extra meal when (you) wake up

-A scene of Lanzhu tucked in cozily, Jiushi stretching awake from a sleep, well into daytime, and for the "Extra Meal" part, that giant drumstick platter Lanzhu and Rujiao made Dongyuan get for them 😁.-

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AAAnd DONE! Phew, that gotta be one of the longest posts I've made in one sitting. If you are still here, thank you so much for your patience and attention, I hope you enjoyed this brilliant fmv meta! Don't forget to give the vidder the love they much deserve, and read up the AveX link for more thorough understanding of the song itself.

Toodles for now!

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More posts by me

[moononmyfloor]

Wow! I just found your blog and wanted to say I googled "mamianqun pattern" and your 2022 post came up as the first post! As a Chinese American, I really appreciate your master post and the info you put together will help me grealty in making my own. There's so much stuff here I couldn't find on my own. Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you!!!

I'm so honored to hear that! When I made the post I never imagined it'd become this popular, for I myself am a beginner in tailoring. I'm happy that I could be of help! 💕

[moononmyfloor]

In the 1st Quarter of 2024 Cdramaland...

1. The Hope

Nothing can be better than a Zhang Ruoyun drama to start the year with. One of the best High School shows I've seen in the recent years, it had an amazing balance of explosive emotions of youth and jaded realism. It would appeal to viewers of all age ranges and I felt so so much nostalgia and relatability from beginning to the end. It was funny, it was smart, it was beautifully acted down to every minor role. (I pretend that last 30 minutes didn't happen, though)

.

2. Wang Qiang (as Li Ran from The Hope), Zheng Hehuizi as Yang Caiwei from In Blossom)

LOOK at that babie😭🥺. Don't you want to pinch his cheeks? One of the most darling characters I had pleasure of watching recently, I wish a bright, bright future career for Wang Qiang. He portrayed the classic outwardly-prickly, marshmallow-inside teenager archetype with amazing nuance.

And Yang Caiwei oh Yang Caiwei.... as one of the shows and characters that created quite the buzz recently, I don't have anything more to add to the discussion. I can only say: lady, thank you for taking up a role that is FINALLY convincingly scarred, unkempt, dirty and not strikingly goddess-y from the first glance, and playing her with such gusto the true, genuine beauty of the character was drawn out with no external effort at all.

.

3. The Hope

This drama utilized music so beautifully than 99% idol romance dramas ever would. Atmospheric music that elevated the scenes with lyrics that fit, not to mention writing three whole songs to be FULLY performed in-drama for character purposes. It felt like a musical at times. Talk about dedication.

.

4. Pan Yue's, from In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li (Only few)

I mean

How many costume drama wardrobes can top these embroidery and visibly high quality fabric? Not to mention they actually look wearable in daily life, and not just ornate for "main character's costumes" reasons. They are actually quite simple, if you think a bit- but immensely tasteful. AND

My FAVORITE thing about not just his, but all costumes in this show that I've rarely seen other dramas do is: They repeated the costumes! Many times! Almost all of them! And that added so much to the groundedness of the character. Rich young master having a runway-worthy wardrobe? Nothing new. Him wearing them again and again because that's what a normal, reasonable person does? I'm sold.

I loved the plain but in an elegant and carefree way styling of the two leads of Shen Li whenever they were having recluse times. *This* is exactly how I imagine immortals too- just vibing and not decked in gold from head-to-toe because they are simply beyond it. Whenever the show changed to the typical bejewelled guzhuang garb in heaven scenes, it immeadietely visually reduced the show to just another xianxia. First Till the End of the Moon and now this😭. Guys, pick a consistent style and rock it proudly! A signature look is very important especially if you are aiming to create an impactful all-powerful character! I see no reason the gods couldn't do all the grand court and fight scenes in these robes either, honestly that would've served drive home the nail that the gods function on a different wavelength than humans.

(Also Wtf was even that Shen Li in a Greek goddess like getup? [last image] Not that it's not pretty BUT *waves hands around helplessly..)

.

5. In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li, The Hope, Baking Challenge

In Blossom posters had a perfect balance of traditional Chinese ethereal elegance mixed with gothic horror mystery vibes.

I LOVED the "how I imagine the peaceful cottagecore fairytale like life of my great-grandparents" vibe of Shen Li posters. It's giving lore.

Really liked the "hooligan teens on retro album cover" aesthetic of The Hope posters too.

The whimsical food posters of Baking Challenge were also fun.

.

6. Detective Chinatown 2

I didn't even know a Detective Chinatown S2 was even coming like...until it did and it was like a second new year because I LOVED that show and it was the most unexpected pleasant surprise of the year- especially when almost all the main cast members were returning. And the first few eps were amazing too and didn't do a disservice at all to the previous season and I got my hopes up thinking we'll get to see a continuation of the Roy Chiu-Janine Chang arc too... only for the show to pull the rug and did the exact same thing as the previous season- the main character withdrew from the story by midpoint. Oh my gods. I want to find this show's creators and give them a good shake. Have some Janine jiejie pics from first season though just for the nostalgia's sake.

.

7. Baking Challenge

If you aren't deterred by barely-legible machine subs, give this one a try. It's a fun little food drama that doesn't take itself seriously yet has a lot of heart. And for The Untamed fans, there's our Lan Sizhui (Zheng Fanxing) in it, and he's still the same cutie pie!

.

8. Pegasus

I watched five episodes, it's a solid show, fun too, it's just that I'm not very into racing AND Hu Xianxu is still a baby in my head😭😂 To convince me that he's a rich CEO with his own romance and adult problems will take at least 20 more years!

I see him parading like this and couldn't help but want to laugh hysterically lol. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT. He's an amazing actor! But still..

I hope he doesn't try to force-rush his shift to adult characters, either.

.

More posts by me

[moononmyfloor]

In the 1st Quarter of 2024 Cdramaland...

1. The Hope

Nothing can be better than a Zhang Ruoyun drama to start the year with. One of the best High School shows I've seen in the recent years, it had an amazing balance of explosive emotions of youth and jaded realism. It would appeal to viewers of all age ranges and I felt so so much nostalgia and relatability from beginning to the end. It was funny, it was smart, it was beautifully acted down to every minor role. (I pretend that last 30 minutes didn't happen, though)

.

2. Wang Qiang (as Li Ran from The Hope), Zheng Hehuizi as Yang Caiwei from In Blossom)

LOOK at that babie😭🥺. Don't you want to pinch his cheeks? One of the most darling characters I had pleasure of watching recently, I wish a bright, bright future career for Wang Qiang. He portrayed the classic outwardly-prickly, marshmallow-inside teenager archetype with amazing nuance.

And Yang Caiwei oh Yang Caiwei.... as one of the shows and characters that created quite the buzz recently, I don't have anything more to add to the discussion. I can only say: lady, thank you for taking up a role that is FINALLY convincingly scarred, unkempt, dirty and not strikingly goddess-y from the first glance, and playing her with such gusto the true, genuine beauty of the character was drawn out with no external effort at all.

.

3. The Hope

This drama utilized music so beautifully than 99% idol romance dramas ever would. Atmospheric music that elevated the scenes with lyrics that fit, not to mention writing three whole songs to be FULLY performed in-drama for character purposes. It felt like a musical at times. Talk about dedication.

.

4. Pan Yue's, from In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li (Only few)

I mean

How many costume drama wardrobes can top these embroidery and visibly high quality fabric? Not to mention they actually look wearable in daily life, and not just ornate for "main character's costumes" reasons. They are actually quite simple, if you think a bit- but immensely tasteful. AND

My FAVORITE thing about not just his, but all costumes in this show that I've rarely seen other dramas do is: They repeated the costumes! Many times! Almost all of them! And that added so much to the groundedness of the character. Rich young master having a runway-worthy wardrobe? Nothing new. Him wearing them again and again because that's what a normal, reasonable person does? I'm sold.

I loved the plain but in an elegant and carefree way styling of the two leads of Shen Li whenever they were having recluse times. *This* is exactly how I imagine immortals too- just vibing and not decked in gold from head-to-toe because they are simply beyond it. Whenever the show changed to the typical bejewelled guzhuang garb in heaven scenes, it immeadietely visually reduced the show to just another xianxia. First Till the End of the Moon and now this😭. Guys, pick a consistent style and rock it proudly! A signature look is very important especially if you are aiming to create an impactful all-powerful character! I see no reason the gods couldn't do all the grand court and fight scenes in these robes either, honestly that would've served drive home the nail that the gods function on a different wavelength than humans.

(Also Wtf was even that Shen Li in a Greek goddess like getup? [last image] Not that it's not pretty BUT *waves hands around helplessly..)

.

5. In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li, The Hope, Baking Challenge

In Blossom posters had a perfect balance of traditional Chinese ethereal elegance mixed with gothic horror mystery vibes.

I LOVED the "how I imagine the peaceful cottagecore fairytale like life of my great-grandparents" vibe of Shen Li posters. It's giving lore.

Really liked the "hooligan teens on retro album cover" aesthetic of The Hope posters too.

The whimsical food posters of Baking Challenge were also fun.

.

6. Detective Chinatown 2

I didn't even know a Detective Chinatown S2 was even coming like...until it did and it was like a second new year because I LOVED that show and it was the most unexpected pleasant surprise of the year- especially when almost all the main cast members were returning. And the first few eps were amazing too and didn't do a disservice at all to the previous season and I got my hopes up thinking we'll get to see a continuation of the Roy Chiu-Janine Chang arc too... only for the show to pull the rug and did the exact same thing as the previous season- the main character withdrew from the story by midpoint. Oh my gods. I want to find this show's creators and give them a good shake. Have some Janine jiejie pics from first season though just for the nostalgia's sake.

.

7. Baking Challenge

If you aren't deterred by barely-legible machine subs, give this one a try. It's a fun little food drama that doesn't take itself seriously yet has a lot of heart. And for The Untamed fans, there's our Lan Sizhui (Zheng Fanxing) in it, and he's still the same cutie pie!

.

8. Pegasus

I watched five episodes, it's a solid show, fun too, it's just that I'm not very into racing AND Hu Xianxu is still a baby in my head😭😂 To convince me that he's a rich CEO with his own romance and adult problems will take at least 20 more years!

I see him parading like this and couldn't help but want to laugh hysterically lol. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT. He's an amazing actor! But still..

I hope he doesn't try to force-rush his shift to adult characters, either.

.

More posts by me

[moononmyfloor]

Cinderella Chef (萌妻食神 - Méng Qī Shí Shén) Season 3

Season 1, Season 2 .

Steps are given in this season btw, if you want to replicate the recipes

Ep 1

(uhh "Loong" here means dragon. The subs aren't as good as first two seasons from the look of it)

Ep 2

Ep 3

Ep 4

Ep 5

Ep 6

Ep 7

Ep 8

Ep 9

Ep 10

Cat ears as in pasta

Ep 11

Ep 12

. My other posts

[moononmyfloor]

Cinderella Chef (萌妻食神 - Méng Qī Shí Shén) Season 2

Season 1, Season 3 .

Ep 1

Ep 2

Ep 3

Ep 4

Ep 5

Ep 6

Ep 7

Ep 8

Ep 9

Ep 10

Ep 11

Ep 12

. My other posts

[moononmyfloor]

Cinderella Chef (萌妻食神 - Méng Qī Shí Shén) Season 1

Season 2, Season 3 .

Ep 1

Ep 2

Img 1- Representing Zhenjiang and Dongbei cuisine

Img 2- Representing Wuyue, Huaiyang

Ep 3

From Qiongzhou

Ep 4

Pine flower Century Egg

Ep 5

-

Ep 6

Lotus Seed Porridge

Ep 7

Ep 8

Ep 9

From Cantonese cuisine

Taichi Fish Casserole and Shaolin Eight Treasure Crisp

Ep 10

Ep 11

Ep 12

.

My other posts

[moononmyfloor]

(Reboot) Soundtrack Song* 《王胖子》Wang Pangzi

I was commissioned to do a text translation for the lyrics to the song above! Footnotes included! :D!!!

*surprisingly, it's not listed as a character song on reboot's baidu page... so um idk... im just following the words that are already there >.<

Commission slots still available! More information on this post here!

[moononmyfloor]

My Year End C-drama Review (2023)

Part 1

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17. Actors I newly discovered in 2023

Hong Yao, Wang Yinglu, Marcus Li, Tian Jiarui, Qin Hailu, Wang Ke

Some of these are new actors, some are already very experienced but I discovered only now. All of them provided phenomenal performances in their roles this year.

.

18. Favorite Child Actors of the Year

Wang Haoze (Ou Zimo- Be Your Own Light), Phoebe Sun Yichen (Duoduo- Stay With Me)

Child actors in C-ent always baffle me, I have zero idea how they are SO good. Impeccable performance. I want to take them home. 🥺

.

19. Feminist Cdramas of the year

Be Your Own Light, A Journey to Love

The premise of the first is about women to begin with, the second only partially. Most of the time the self-identifying feminist stories fail massively in realistic depiction of women, let alone idol dramas where the focus is elsewhere.

But these two shows really understood what women think and say, their priorities and what they want in life, how they conduct themselves....and not through the eyes of men who assume women crave xyz things only. The arcs and growths of women in these two shows felt very organic and relatable.

(I hear there were few other such dramas this year as well, eg: Faithful. But this is all I managed to watch huhu)

.

20. A drama that let me down

Destined

The chemistry of the real-life pair Bai Jingting and Song Yi was adorable, but the story just wasn't my cup of tea.

I absolutely loved their spacious bedroom tho!

.

21. Favorite BGM

Be Your Own Light- I Only Wish to Face the Light by Liu Yuning

Stay with Me- Stars Shine by Zhang Jiongmin, Xu Bin

I Am Nobody- Sea of Time by Zhou Shen

Young Blood 2- Lending a Ray of Light by WineQ (圈9)

Romance On the Farm- Letters from Spring by Su Yunying

Silence of the Monster- Cross a City Just to See You by Huang Yi

.

22. Favorite wardrobes

Sui Yi (Sun Yihan)'s wardrobe in Silence of the Monster and Pang Hongmei (Peng Xiaoran)'s fits in Unshakable Faith

Oh they looked so delightfully vintage and exactly my style! 😍

.

23. Best Breakups

Moxi and Jiagui (Gone With the Rain), Xiangyi and Wanmian (Mysterious Lotus Casebook)

I HAD to include this category simply because of these two pairs. I LOVED those two scenes. So mature! Such thorough discussion about how their feelings have changed over time, the frank admission that there are indeed some remnants left (because contrary to popular depiction, feelings don't POOF overnight), how they'd always consider the other as a special someone that they were lucky to have met in their lives, the wish to remain as tight friends in the future as well.... 🤌🤌🤌👏👏👏

.

24. Worst character designs

Road Home

Gods know I only sat through this for Jing Boran in army gear and snow. The characters were so mind-blowingly flat despite the actors giving their best to "understand" their roles and make them relatable but there was only so much they could do. All the interpersonal relationships happened just because the writer said so. There was a child character who was passed from hand to hand for whenever the writer wanted a "warm childcaring and family moment" but was discarded without a glance the next second, I got second-hand abandonment issues from watching that lonely kid. I did not understand why anyone was doing anything at any given moment.

.

25. Most convincing villains aka characters I loved to hate

Yuan Hao (Young Blood 2)- Gotta be one of the most dangerous villains I have ever seen. He was insanely smart, unpredictable and cunning AND strong, and it took all the heroes of the story to defeat him and still it was barely enough. He was so well written and portrayed, till the very end of the show the viewers weren't sure of the outcome of the battle.

Jiao Liqiao (Mysterious Lotus Casebook)- AHH Jiao jie! We all love a good unhinged female villain who isn't uwufied in the name of some weird "women should always be portrayed with tearjerking backstory" notion. Let her go crazy all over the place, we support women's wrongs as well as rights! She always meant what she said and did what she meant and it was terrifying to see.

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26. Favorite murder kittens of the year

Gong Yuanzhi (My Journey to You), Li Tongguang (A Journey to Love)

Oh these two bois were VERY disturbing individuals and I wouldn't go within 1 mile radius around them but were them such delightful affection starved meow meows with killer (ha!) hair and eye acting? Heck yes.

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27. A drama that I wished was longer

Romance On the Farm

I really appreciate how 3D and empathetically portrayed all the family members are. We are shown all their sides and what made them what they are today without making a mockery of Asian family values, but rather constructively analysing + celebrating the good parts.

And then there is a political thriller story arc.

And then there is "this is all but a game" part which I had to try very hard to pretend like it's ignorable.

And then there was the basic premiere of the pastoral country life story.

Clearly the dramamakers had LOTS of ideas. And you can see none of them were empty bite-more-than-can-chews but had actual potential.

If only.... it didn't try to do all this at once under the guise of a 26 ep lighthearted fluffy romcom genre.... it would've made such a difference.

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28. A drama I wanted to watch but couldn't

SO many! For all sorts of reasons.

Ray of Light, Butterflied Lover, The Road to Ordinary, Pledge of Allegiance, Where Dreams Begin, There Will Be Ample Time, Faithful, Stand By Me

ARGH!😭

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29. A drama I wish more people watched

Stay With Me

This is a Chinese BL, with Chinese cast, Chinese locations, but produced by a TW company. That's all I'm going to say about it, give it a try. You won't regret it. (Maybe don't watch last episode tho lol)

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30. Most favorite Cdrama of 2023

Mysterious Lotus Casebook

Why? Because... well if you are in the fandom you'd know, if you aren't... I can write ESSAYS about it so I won't 😂 In short, it was such a healing watch.

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31. A Cdrama I'm excited to see in 2024

JOL 2. Obviously.

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Conclusion

2023 served to solidify my belief that there's really no 'perfect' drama, what I can do is listening to the stories people have to share and then take what I want from them, and leave what I don't want behind. Some may resonate more with me, some less. Some may teach me new things, some may feel redundant. Sometimes you will enjoy only 50% of a drama and hate the rest, but that won't diminish the impact that 50% had on you. It could be a totally different experience for another viewer and that's fine. I watched all the DMBJ shows this year as well (but didn't speak about them in this list since my focus was on 2023) and it really was an exercise on not being overly critical and going with the flow or you would totally miss out on all the good things DMBJ had to bring.

Overall I enjoyed 2023 Cdramaland a lot. I hope this review helped some of you to try out dramas that you didn't know existed/were hesitant to press play or continue on!

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My Year End C-drama Review (2023)

Last year, I did two Cdrama Wrapped posts for each half of the year. This year, I watched so much stuff right away I got arrogant and was about to do a January-February summary. And then life happened and handed me my entire ass, so here we are right back on the ground zero.

Well, not exactly. I watched lots of dramas I liked this year and would like to give nods to as many as possible, and before I start forgetting details I thought I better go ahead with the entrees that I'm sure of the answers.

My initial Cdrama reviews were inspired by anniedelavoye's this post 2 years ago, I've extrapolated a lot from there but some entrees remain same.

Part 2

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1. First drama I finished in 2023

Hi Venus. Modern workplace romcom isn't my go-to-genre, least of all if the ML is a CEO. If not for the unusual-for-the-genre setup of initial few eps and the strong recommendations of my friends, I might not have pressed play at all. And I'm so glad I did because it turned out to be one of the most refreshing takes of the genre, it was funny, the pacing nor the dialogues were ever draggy, the characters were intelligent and pleasant, and down to earth. It never leaned to the tropes of helpless/badass FL or tsundere/beta ML extremes, there was no dramatic villain arcs, down to the supporting characters everyone were so reasonable and mature and simply had the nicest time ever together. Now I put it like that, it sounds boring but trust me, it wasn't. Do give it a try. Your time won't be wasted.

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2. An actor who took my breath away

Jing Boran as Lan Jue/Peizhi from The League of Nobleman

I mean

Look at him. Instant KO.

I remember watching this scene (and every scene that followed after, especially when he had his hair down) and being in disbelief about how he's real. He's literally glowing out the screen! His performance as a model scholarly minister, the way he conducted his glance, his steps, his speech and temperament were nothing but enchanting and... look, I can write poetry about him for ages lol.

And then I watched every single work I could find of him and ended up even more in love, because his resume was nothing but diverse. A measured scholar, a bubbling-out-of-his-skin social butterfly, a ballerina in a tutu, a man pregnant with the cutest radish monster ever, there's nothing he cannot play. I'm definitely going to check out every single work of him that'll be coming out in the future as well. Even if the plot fails, his character will surely be interesting.

(Also, I was FINALLY lured into DMBJ fandom thanks to going down his profile as well, and now I'm here to stay🤭)

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3. Most relatable character

Bai Moxi from Gone With the Rain

She was street-smart and sassy, but never foolhardy. She wasn't a damsel nor was overly clever. She had her moments of daydreaming, but she knew what was and wasn't reasonable. She had a high sense of self-worth, she also knew when to make herself scarce. Despite being the most outgoing and energetic personality in the room, she didn't make everything to be about herself. In fact, she couldn't have been happier to be a background supporting character of the story, quietly minding her own business in her corner. In summary, she just felt very real, and exactly like how I love my FLs. Every decision she took felt like what I'd also have done in her situation. (Btw I hope noone messages me about loving Moxi but hating her sister because I don't. I think her character also made a lot of sense based on her circumstances even though she was bit more difficult to love than Moxi.)

Most of all, she was played to a tee by Zhang Nan, the young actress was allowed to shine to her true potential in this role, as she used to be quite stereotyped in either bubbly or petty mean girl roles. The drama horribly fell apart in the latter quarter (I'd like to pretend it all ended before that Great Seperation Scene), but I'm going to remember her charaacter for a long time to come.

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4. Most inspiring character

Li Lianhua from Mysterious Lotus Casebook

The tumblr tag for MLC is already filled with Grade A+ poetry, prose and analysis dedicated to him and I'm not capable of wording it any better than them. All I can say is he really touched a vulnerable corner of my heart, and gave it strength. He's just so very admirable and represents all I ever want to be, and his entire character design and all its metaphors and philosophy especially resonate with me as a Buddhist. Like Cheng Yi said at the end of MLC concert, "At the end of the day, if you have a lotus flower in your heart that you can call your own, that's what matters."

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5. Best Couple of the Year

Lu Zhaoxi and Ye Shilan (Zeng Shunxi and Liang Jie) in Hi Venus, Zhao Jian and Yuan Zhongxin (Zhou Yutong and Zhang Xincheng) in Young Blood 2

Here are two couples who were each others' equal match in every big, small and miscellaneous ways possible. Where their roles in their partnership did not have anything to do with society-determined gender or power dynamics, not about conforming to them nor about beating them. Everything about their relationships simply had to do with what they meant to each other their admiration, respect and love towards the other person, from beginning to end. In Hi Venus, it was never uncomfortable to watch Shilan being Zhaoxi's subordinate, for he always treated her like any good superior should in any healthy professional relationship. In Young Blood 2, Zhongxin would fully trust Zhao Jian with everyone else's and his own life, not because his head was in wishful romantic clouds but because he was 100% confident in her capabilities and would never disrespect her with "girls should be protected, you stay back and let me take the sword for you" nonsense.

I may check out like 50 dramas per year and may never come by such Het pairing dynamics in some years, yknow? I do not hate on any other kind of dynamic (plus I'd have next to nothing to watch in that case lol) but, THIS... this is so rare -for me to not be icked out by not even a single second of a fictional het couple's screentime lol- hence the gushing! (Though I know I'm not doing the greatest job of phrasing what I feel😆).

Following that note, though not a couple, honorable mentions to Chufeng (Bi Wenjun) and Robin (Zhu Zhengting) from Silence of the Monster who took Sui Yi (Sun Yihan) into their home not because they thought it'd be chivalrous to help a girl, but because it's the nice thing to do as a fellow human. For continuing onto integrating her into their world with ease and enthusiasm not because any of them had feelings for her but because they simply found her a good friend to hang out with.

Suffice to say I DIG ANY relationship where gender does not come into play, like, at all (or barely, if you must).

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6. Best harem of the year

Orchid and Lotus harems (from League of Nobleman and Mysterious Lotus Casebook)

(Only sharing the pics of Orchid Harem because it was from the earlier quarter of this year, whereas pics of Lotus Harem will be everywhere in the Cdrama scene for quite a while to come lol)

The support group of devout puppies, zhijis, friends-with-benefits and all sorts of other polycule postions, all centered around one precious babygirl enigma of a man is just my jam, and I love it when it happens because it brings forth the fandom's most unhinged high-art. 😌😌😌

(ALSO ME AND WHO WHEN!😭)

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7. Best ensemble of the year

Young Blood 2, I Am Nobody

For me a perfect ensemble is where the supporting characters are just or almost nearly as engaging and thoroughly written as the main leads, you'd love every second spent on any character just as much as you love that of any other. The ultimate relaxing experience where your brain doesn't have to pick favorites and you don't have to speed watch or fast forward or be antsy about who's going to appear next because you know it's gonna be enjoyable no matter whom.

And this year, it's Young Blood 2- with its Class 7 members who were all so different but all so compelling and equally contributing to the plot, complimented by the Class 8 and the unnervingly captivating villains.

And I Am Nobody- with its extensive spread of young and old heroes/antiheroes alike, all with dramatic backstories and individual charisma that were not second to another.

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8. Favorite posters/promos of the year

Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Young Blood 2, Sunshine By My Side

Really liked what MLC did with positioning the characters on various spots of the titular Lianhua Lou, the wind-sway choices for the wisps of hair and the skirts... idk the exact angles of it all were just right for each character and their vibes and appealed to me a lot.

The blending-into-painting style poster of Young Blood was so pretty too, plus these Suoyi raincoat posters.

The comic strip posters for Sunshine were also super cute, unique and perfect for the drama's themes.

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9. Best opening credit sequence

Love You Seven Times

The drama itself was a hot mess but the opening sequence was entirely worthy of being a parallelish-universe story to Love Between Fairy and Devil without a debate. IF ONLY they put the same effort to the story itself.

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10. Favorite Prop/Set designs

A League of Nobleman- Lan Jue's Tea Pavilion, Mysterious Lotus Casebook- Lotus House

I wish I could install a fixture in my home where me and my imaginary homies can chat over tea while being seductively separated by an active stream of freshwater, while my not so elegant period-style caravan is waiting outside in the yard for more cozily cramped get-together times. 🤧

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11. Favorite lighting/color grading of the year

The Forbidden Flower, My Journey to You

The former, a kaleidoscopic explosion of colors, a celebration of fleeting life, youth, summer and nostalgia. It was a daring drama on so many fronts and nailed each of them as well, and the use of colors represented its bold soul perfectly.

The latter, a marvelous combination of mountains shrouded by mist, dark-toned wood pavilions and fur-lined robes, pale, dusty makeup with rosy lips and plump cheeks; all combined together on screen to bring a palpable ambience of a secluded glamorous hideout in a dystopian world and its ethereal residents. Seriously, how I especially loved to stare at the bride candidates in their white getups, it was like the light bounced off of the fabric to shine on their faces even more, and the skin and hair looked non-oily and baby soft. And it didn't feel over the top but convincing because the camerawork and editing conjured a believable image of an upcountry with dense and dewy forests, waterfalls and rivers, there's no sun, no heat no sweat, only cold air and pregnant humidity. OF COURSE you are going to look like THAT.

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12. A drama that taught me new things

Hi Producer

The infuriating thing about Yu Zheng's show-off genre of costume dramas is that the story may be a hit-or-miss, the "historical facts" provided in them may need to be taken with a grain of salt, but they almost always provide me with great entry points to do my own research 🥲. Most niche facts that take me by surprise and things I'd never have thought to look up on my own are randomly sprinkled all over the place and I run around like a headless chicken trying to collect them all.

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13. Most exhilarating drama/scene

Three-Body

That scene in ep 5. The entire buildup to it and the resolution. The phenomenal acting bringing forth the exact emotion and exact tension required. The moment you start to understand at least a sliver of why exactly all the characters are making this much of a fuss about what's happening to them.

I cannot spoil, not even a bit. You'd have to see for yourself.

I Am Nobody

(lol Three Body and I Am Nobody. I swear that was an unintentional coincidence!)

The great V-match between certain two characters, I can't elaborate. (See the thing about exhilarating scenes is that you have to see it for yourself what's the big deal is about lol.) I really liked how both their biggest vulnerabilities and yearnings were pulled out mercilessly in public, how they both fought themselves through each other before actualizing the philosophy of what it was all about. It was beautiful to watch visually as well.

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14. A drama location I'd love to visit

Yunnan province

I've seen glimpses of the prosperous and both naturally and culturally diverse Yunnan province through Bite of China Documentaries and Dianxi Xiaoge's vlogs, the beautiful bucolic backdrop of Meet Yourself only heightened the wish to experience it all in person.

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15. A drama that was a pleasant surprise

I Am Nobody

Perfect casting job, earnest effort from everyone involved to bring out the 2D to live action in the bestest way possible, it was like a dream come true to see a genre that was previously limited into written media like comics and fanfics (modern cultivation) as a drama even if it meant labelling all the cultivators as aliens lol

It had a lil bit of a flavor of western coming-of-age/"teen gets powers and goes on an adventure in search of their origins" stories, a bit of Japanese anime presenting style and the chaotic-gaggle-of-youth-and-veterans-with-different-extreme-powers genre vibe. And then they incorporated Chinese wuxia philosophy into it and made it their own thing. I hope to see more of this in future, and definitely a season 2!

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16. An old drama I watched in 2023

Shaolin Wendao (2017)

This is one of the best period dramas I have ever seen, but I don't recommend it unless you have a strong tolerance for angst. Like, worse than Royal Nirvana and Heroes (2022) level of angst.

HOWEVER, unlike those two, Shaolin Wendao will leave you feeling rewarded for your suffering. This drama achieved a number of things that very few other have managed to do, especially for a story with such a heavy and dark premise.

The characters remained true to their selves from beginning to the end. They grew up in various ways, at the same time remained consistent. The story made sure to make all the characters aware of their individual faults and address them.

The characters were put through immense wringer but also provided viewer with the resolution they deserved. It was SO exhilarating at times, I cried. It felt like a detox, sometimes.

They prioritized telling a realistic story about the changing nature of humans. The ending was blissful but not in the idolized, wrapped-in-a-bow-tie way one would imagine. They wanted to tell a story about tribulations and letting go, and did exactly that.

It will ignite the pain but will also make sure to thoroughly quench it. So there's that.

Oh and also, respect to all the actors. All those characters were so layered and had some quite difficult scenes. I do not understand how Guo Xiaoting didn't get any good roles matching of her caliber for years after this. She was magnificent.

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Hi Producer (正好遇见你) Infodump Catalogue

So Yu Zheng is back with another entry in his "let me show you how much research I have done through a drama" saga, and this time he's gone a level beyond and is presenting us ALL the best costumes he had made for his different dynasty dramas, under the guise of "Producers making documentaries about intangible cultural heritage". He's getting increasingly creative (not) but hey, I appreciate a good recycling lol. Even if the drama is made mostly for the purpose of recycling the old costumes for one last time plus boasting.🥲

Official Weibo

ANYWAY, I can never look away from meta and infodumps! So without further ado:

I'll update this masterpost as I go!

Posters: Ep 1-21, Ep 22-35

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Ep 1, Ep 2: Filigree Inlay, Pt 2

Ep 3, 4: Kesi Weaving

Ep 6, 7: Cheongsam Pt 1, 2, 3

Ep 8,9 : Jade Carving

Ep 10, 11: Porcelain

Ep 12, 13: Chinese Classical Dance

Ep 14, 15: Incense Pt 1, 2

Ep 16, 17: Cuisine Pt 1, 2

Ep 18, 19: Jewellery

Ep 20, 21: Woodblock Printing

Ep 22, 23: Ancient Watch Repair

Ep 24, 25: Lacquerware

Ep 26, 27: Stage Costumes and Props

Ep 28, 29: Bronzeware

Ep 30, 31: Ancient Cosmetics

Ep 32, 33: Ming-Style Carpentry and Landscaping

Ep 34, 35: New Year Customs

[moononmyfloor]

Hi Producer (正好遇见你) Infodump

Disclaimer: I have no idea about the accuracy of the information shared in the drama, I'm merely transcribing for future reference purposes. Proceed with caution!

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Ep 34-35: New Year Customs

The Spring Festival has a history of over four thousand years and is the biggest traditional festival in China.

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New Year Paintings

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Ming and Qing Dynasty Customs of the New Year Eve

According to the "Essence of Life: Food and Drink" in the book "Zhuo Zhong Zhi" from the Ming dynasty, on the 30th day of the last month, people visited each other and exchanged blessings. It's known as bidding the year farewell.

Hanging a peach wood board/peach charms next to the door, written on them the names of two door gods, Shen Shu and Yu Lu to suppress evil spirits.

Ashes of premium charcoals used in the palace are moulded into a pair of general statues with black faces and hands to work as door gods. In addition to Shen Shu and Yu Lu, Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are all revered as door guardians by the folks.

Pictures of God of Happiness, the Ghost Judges, and Zhong Kui are also hung inside the house. People would hang gold and silver ornaments on the bed, as well as Xifan prayer wheels. They would also weave dragon figures with coins.

Eaves were hung with bundled sesame stalks. Children of common folks would step on the sesame stalks spread across the courtyard to crush them, symbolizing peace throughout the year.

Palace servants burned cypress branches in the courtyard to symbolize good things happen as wished, thus named "yusui."

Archaeological findings showed that delicacies resembling the shape of dumpling had appeared in China since the Spring and Autumn period, called the "laowan." The custom of eating dumplings during the Spring Festival in the northern region is said to commemorate Zhang Zhongjing, the Medical Saint of the Eastern Han dynasty, and has existed for over 1,800 years. On the first day of the lunar year, a type of boiled delicacy called "bian shi" enjoyed by emperors of the Ming dynasty and the "zhu bo bo" in the palace of the Qing dynasty are all dumplings.

Unlike the Ming dynasty, it is said that Emperor Taizu of Qing established a family rule that the emperor must eat vegetarian dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year to honour the innocent lives lost in wars. In the book "Celebrate the Spring Festival in the Forbidden City" it's said that vegetarian dumplings in the Qing palace were mainly filled with dried vegetables, including little hogweed, citron daylily, jelly ears, mushrooms, sliced bamboo shoots, and seitan. According to other research materials, dried tofu and eggs were also included. They had to be wrapped before midnight on New Year's Eve and boiled after midnight so they may be ready for the New Year.

Only in the 11th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign) did the book "Shan Shi Dang" mention pork and purslane were consumed on New Year's Day and that pork and spinach were used as dumpling filling.

Ceremony of Marking the Documents by the Emperor (writing New Year Blessings), Having spring rolls and hot porridge on the first day of New Year, Serving the Emperor Jiaobai wine and the Great Auspicious Box of various symbolical fruity and seed snacks, Custom of "Tossing a Thousand Gold".

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The Lantern Carnival

An ancient traditional folk custom in China, legend has it that Zhang Daoling of the Eastern Han dynasty held a lamp-lighting ceremony in Sichuan 1,800 years ago from now, and it is the archetype of China's original lantern carnival. Of all lantern carnivals in China, the most grandiose is the one held at the Lantern Festival. In the records about the Sui dynasty in the "Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance", Emperor Yang of Sui set a place for around a hundred kinds of performance at Duanmen Street in a 5,000-step radius of the place, almost 18,000 musicians were playing instruments. The sound of music could be heard from dozens of Li away. The event lasted from dusk until dawn, with large amounts of candles and lights illuminating the night sky. The festival lasted for an entire month and cost a significant amount of money.

It can be said that the Lantern Festival has been a national celebration in China since ancient times. Not only were there colorful lights and lanterns on the streets and hills, but also brilliant performances with singing, dancing, and various shows and talents, bustling with crowds all night long until drawn.

Today, with the integration of local folk culture and customs, lantern carnivals have become even bigger in scale and more diverse in form.

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Some more misc stuff:

Lantern riddles

Poems, puns, and acrostics with amusing gags, brain teasers are inserted in the silhouette of the silk lanterns.

Fried Lightly-Leavened Mantou

A traditional dish and a seasonal snack in Jiangsu, small in size.

Sugar painting

The art has over 400 years of history and is popular with children. The late Ming literary scholar Chu Renhuo's "Jianhu Supplementary Collection" records sugar paintings, or "Sugar Prime Minister", being made and used as offerings to the deities during the Ming dynasty.

See here:

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Soup made of Prickly Water Lily, also known as Gorgon fruit

Chinese puppetry

Originated in the Qin and Han dynasties., it was a form of Han Chinese puppetry. Most of the string puppets in Quanzhou, Fujian are about 2.2 Chi in length. They are beautifully crafted and vividly made. They are pulled by 30 or more suspended strings or wires and require a high level of skill in handling. It is one of China's most difficult traditional puppet shows.

Paper cutting

One of the oldest folk arts of the Han Chinese. The art of paper-cutting was included on the first national list of intangible cultural heritage by the State Council in May 2006. In September 2009, it was listed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Shadow play

Chinese shadow play began in Han and flourished in Tang. Plain paper was used in the early Song dynasty, and later on, lustrous sheepskin was adopted. In the Yuan dynasty, shadow puppetry spread overseas. Later generations used animal skins and cardboard to make shadow puppets, which were manipulated behind a curtain with percussion and string instruments to perform a variety of shows based on legends and folklore.

Suzhou-style Wonton

Suzhou-style Pan Fried Buns are known for its thin skin that wouldn't break or burnt. Baked after lightly leavened, full of fresh and juicy filling and soup, soft on the top and crispy on the bottom.

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Documentary Segment:

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More Hi Producer posts

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Hi Producer (正好遇见你) Posters (Ep 22-30)

(Ep 1-21)

Ep 22-23: Clocks, Ep 24-25: Lacquerware

Ep 26-27: Stage Costumes and Props, Ep 28-29: Bronzeware

Ep 30-31: Ancient Makeup, Ep 32-33: Ming-style Landscaping and Carpentry

Ep 34-35: New Year Customs

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More Hi Producer posts

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Hi Producer (正好遇见你) Infodump

Disclaimer: I have no idea about the accuracy of the information shared in the drama, I'm merely transcribing for future reference purposes. Proceed with caution!

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Ep 32-33: Ming-Style Carpentry and Landscaping

Canglang Pavillion and Ke Yuan

Known for the unique landscaping art, before you enter the garden of Canglang Pavilion there is a pond surrounding the garden. Inside it, rocks are the main element of the scenery. You'll be greeted by a hill. Pavilion is right on top of it. At the foot of the hill is a pond. The body of water is connected to the mountain with a winding corridor. Southeast of the fake mountain is Mingdao Hall. It's the main building of the garden. In 2000, the UNESCO listed it as a world heritage site.

Keyuan garden isn't very big. It's only 0.741 acres. But it has a long and rich history. The characteristics of Keyuan can be described with five lines, which are, "An azure pond in the middle, a spacious construction, a full-circle corridor, a bright and clear view, a tranquil and vast yard."

Landscaping art boasts so many details. The buildings, rocks, plants, and ponds that form the scenery come from nature and transcend nature. It's an extraordinary fusion of picturesque scenery and craftsmanship. This goes perfectly with the saying, "The garden owner's disposition is represented and told by the well-arranged landscape."

In spring, you can appreciate the blooming crabapple. On a summer day, you can enjoy the coolness under a pipa tree. On autumn nights, you can hear raindrops hitting the banana leaves. And in winter, you can enjoy the warmth of a fire while admiring the plum blossoms. It's such a serene and relaxing life.

Ming era Furniture and Carpentry

The unearthed cultural relics in Wang Xijue's tomb from the late Ming Dynasty, such as garments, jewelry, accessories, embroidery, furniture used as funeral objects, and items used in daily life not only reflect the advanced level of craftsmanship and technology at that time but also shed light on the political, economic and cultural conditions of that period.

When the powerful official Yan Shifan's property was confiscated, a total of 657 beds made of marble, mother-of-pearl inlay, and colored lacquer were collected, along with 7,444 items of chairs, cabinets, and tables. This shows officials and the rich at the time preferred using Ming-style furniture as a symbol of great wealth.

The scholars sought a refined and simplified living environment that was skillfully natural in its arrangement. A miniature Ming-style furniture set discovered in the joint tomb of Wang Xijue, a Senior Grand Secretary, and his wife. These things are so tiny and delicate. Chinese in ancient times thought of death as another life. After the passing, replicas of items used in life were buried as funeral objects. When Wang Xijue's tomb was unearthed, this set of miniature funeral objects was placed on his coffin. There is a hanger, a wooden basin, and an alcove bed. There is a stand for the basin and so many kitchen wares. You can find almost anything you need in real life.

The palaces in Hengdian World Studio are one-to-one replicas, but they aren't made with traditional mortise and tenon joints.

Suzhou Museum recreated a Ming-style study based on the literature "Chang Wu Zhi".

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Tanyangzi and the Alcove Bed

She's a legendary young woman from Ming Dynasty, whose proposed future husband died and the in-laws demanded that she live the rest of her life in seclusion as a widow. Then she apparently cultivated Taoism and ascended at mere age of 23, which resulted in an entire niche religion of people worshipping her.

It's a very interesting story for sure, when you consider how Ming Dynasty was the most restrictive towards women and how this girl stood her ground and found her salvation in her own way. History says that Tanyangzi's death might have been from a hunger strike or poisoning from an elixir. But in the "Miscellaneous Morsels from Zaolin", Tan Qian wrote Madam Zhu was able to marry her daughter to a scholar from Shaoxing with a hefty dowry. And she claimed that her daughter had ascended in daylight.

It's irrelevant if she truly attained immortality or played a trick to get the society forcing their norms on her off of her back. Either way, you go Gui'er!!

I tried looking up sources in English but could only find some old articles by some Western universities, I think you can get a better summary by even just machine translating the Baidu Baike page which is linked below.

Hi Producer narrates this story by incorporating her mother's unconditional love and support into it and provides a "realistic explanation".

The alcove bed is a type of large bed that came into being in the late Ming Dynasty. It is also known as the eight-step bed and the platform bed. The alcove bed came in two styles. The colonnade style and the enclosed colonnade style. A small "room" is built on top of a four-post bed with three low panels to form a cloister-like structure. A shallow colonnade of about two to three chi is installed at the front of the bed, with a footrest in the centre. The left and right sides are used to place small cabinets, tables, stools, and even dressing tables. It is a clever and intricate design. The hardwood alcove bed requires a lot of materials and manual labor. It is a luxurious and exquisite piece of furniture. It was popular in the Jiangnan area during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Many wealthy families in the area would have such a bed made for their daughters the moment they were born to be included as part of their dowry, taking years to complete. To have a piece of furniture encompass parental love is also a unique way the Chinese show love.

The segment is timestamped below immeadietely followed by the Documentary part:

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More Hi Producer posts

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Hi Producer (正好遇见你) Infodump

Disclaimer: I have no idea about the accuracy of the information shared in the drama, I'm merely transcribing for future reference purposes. Proceed with caution!

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Ep 28-29: Bronzeware

Traditional Chinese Bronzeware has a history of over 5,000 years. Although it's not the earliest place of origin for bronze in the world, it has made a mark in the history of bronzeware in the world for its craftsmanship.

During the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, bronze was used mainly for ceremonial instruments and military weapons, and bronze craftsmanship rose to its peak, producing countless stunning works of bronze. This period was also known as the Bronze Age.

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Bronze Sun Wheel

From Sanxingdui. Over 3,000 years old.

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Dragon Spout Vessel, Bronze Lamp With a Crane on Turtle Replica

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Lotus and Crane Rectangular Hu - Crane from Henan, Four-goat Square Zun

During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, pigs, cattle, and goats were used as sacrificial offerings. Among bronze drinkware, vessels designed in the form of goats came to be. Historians believe that the horns and dragon heads of the Four-goat Square Zun were first cast separately and then arranged on the exterior before being cast as a whole. The pinnacle of the traditional clay casting method. It is ranked third among the ten national treasures.

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Jin State Western Zhou Bronze Bird Zun

From Jin state, 3,000 years old. An early mid-Western Zhou temple ritual vessel. It is designed in the form of a phoenix looking back. The large bird looks at its nestling, covered in patterns. The phoenix tail and elephant trunk act as support. An intricate piece of art with a peculiar shape. Because it was excavated close to a tunnel that was dug without proper permits, it was already broken into more than 100 fragments when it was discovered. It took over a long year of careful restoration before it was brought into the public eye.

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Ding

The development of Ding, the cauldron- it used to be a vessel for storing and cooking meat. Then came the legend of the Nine Tripod Cauldrons; Jizhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Jingzhou, Qingzhou, Yangzhou, Xuzhou, Yongzhou, Liangzhou and it gradually became a symbol of state and power.

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Bronze Quadrangular Li with an Amputated Slave

It's cookware like Ding. The shape is also quite similar. But Li is hollow and three-legged. According to the "Rites of Zhou", the eunuchs guard the palace, while the amputee guards the garden. The man with a crutch at the front gate here probably committed a crime and was punished with amputation and was therefore sentenced to guard the nobles' garden.

Did ancient people make cookware like this to raise awareness and educate the general public about the law? You can look at it this way if you want or not.

Looking at the shape of the ware, food can be placed into the upper level to be cooked, while the lower level is used to burn coal. The smoke emitted can be smoothly discharged through the windows on the left and right and through the hollowed-out area at the back.

Traditionally, they believe that a Ding is used to cook meat, while a Li is used to cook grains. (The FL compares the Li to a Hot Pot and then a Rice cooker lol).

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Gui with a Beast Face Pattern Replica

It's for storing millet and grains. Bowl. Flared mouth and rounded belly are distinctive features of Gui.

The Zhou rites have very strict rules for the use of Dings and Guis by different social classes.

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Bronze Sword Replica, Bronze Ax of Fu Hao Replica

Dagger-Ax of Fu Hao Replica, Dagger-Ax of Prince in Wu State Replica

Bronze Dagger-Ax Replica

岂曰无衣？与子同袍。王于兴师，修我戈矛。与子同仇。

How can you say we are without armor? Our camaraderie remains. To battle, we shall go with you. Our dagger-axes and spears are sharpened. We shall fight with you!

岂曰无衣？与子同泽。王于兴师，修我矛戟。与子偕作。

How can you say we are without armor? Our comradeship remains. We shall fight with you! Our lances and spears are sharpened. To the battlefield, we shall enter with you.

岂曰无衣？与子同裳。王于兴师，修我甲兵。与子偕行。

How can you say we are without armor? Our comradery remains. We shall fight with you! Our weapons are sharpened. Together, we go to war!

——《诗经·秦风·无衣》 From Shi jing/Book of Songs. Wú Yī 無衣 (commonly translated as "No clothes (no armor)" (A Song from the state of Qín 秦 [modern Shǎanxī 陕西 and Gānsù 甘肃])

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Rites and Music

China is a land of etiquette, complex rituals and music since before 3,000 years. The Zhou people classified the 18 musical instruments used for court music into eight categories based on their materials, which were clay, gourd, skin, wood, stone, metal, silk, and bamboo. They believed that the eight tones were the only way to achieve the unity of heaven and man.

Bianzhong is a large percussion instrument cast in bronze. Bianzhong existed in China as early as the Western Zhou, the first country in the world to make and use this instrument. Many cultural attractions use it to hoodwink tourists. It's rarely used in contemporary performances.

There has been a revival of Chinese music in recent years. But on the whole, Western music is still more popular. Merging these different musical approaches can bring marvelous results.

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Timestamped documentary section:

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[moononmyfloor]

Hi Producer (正好遇见你) Infodump

Disclaimer: I have no idea about the accuracy of the information shared in the drama, I'm merely transcribing for future reference purposes. Proceed with caution!

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Ep 30-31: Ancient Makeup

In "Strategies of Zhao" from "Zhan Guo Ce", women from Zheng wore makeup on their cheeks and brows. Cheek and brow makeup already existed in that era and were part of women's daily life. Men also used makeup.

Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanji wears a sun hat, pearl earrings, a military outfit with arrow sleeves, and a suit of yellow armor. How fashionable.

On this screen of 18 scholars [Qi Xiu Lei Gao], we can see a man wearing a wangjin, which was promoted by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. One day, Zhu Yuanzhang was on an anonymous trip to Shenle Temple. He saw a Taoist priest tie a wangjin under the lamp. Curious, he asked, "What might this be?"

Answered the Taoist priest, "It's a wangjin. Wrapped your hair with it and the hair shall remain tidy."

Zhu Yuanzhang was delighted. He thought the item bore the meaning of "unifying the land". He then decreed it be worn. According to "The History of Ming: Carriages and Clothing", all men of the Ming Dynasty, regardless of status, all wore a wangjin.

Shen Congwen made an inference after observing the colors of the outfits shown in "The Night Revels of Han Xizai", that it was produced between the fall of Southern Tang and the Chunhua era. Who can accomplish that now?

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Recreating those makeup styles, the cultural meaning it carries, the social background behind the changes of outfit designs and makeup styles etc need to be paid attention to.

Wu Zetian's Peach Blossom Powder

Classic Makeup Restoration

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"Hands as delicate as tender shoots, skin smooth and fair with shine. Neck slender like that of a swan, teeth white and lined-up perfectly.

A plump forehead and long thin curvy brows, a smile so enchanting, her eyes so alluring.")

In "Odes of Wei, the Classic of Poetry", the sung Princess Zhuang Jiang who was so graceful and gorgeous was the embodiment of the classical beauty of Chinese women. Over centuries, generations of women have pursued beauty tirelessly, leaving behind countless wonderful dreams created with poetry.

"Her waist is tied with a white silk stripe. Her ears are adorned with lustrous earrings. Her fingers are slim like the tips of a green onion. Her lips are red as if covered in vermilion."

That is the beauty of a woman's solemn makeup.

"Eyes filled with shyness. A faint smile with her red lips."

Such is the beauty of bashfulness.

"Mountains on the screens glitter with the morning sunshine, her fair hair on her fair skin is like a cloud over a snowy field. She lazily rises to paint her brows, and finally grooms after a long delay."

That is a woman's beauty at leisure.

"Her clothes flowy like clouds and her face gorgeous like blooming flowers. The morning dew blown by the spring breeze enriches the color of the blossom."

This is a woman's alluring beauty.

"Raindrops fall on her rosy cheeks, mingling with tears and her rouge."

This is the beauty of a woman's tearful countenance.

The beauty of Chinese women is reflected in the harmony and coordination of hairstyles, makeup, attire, footwear, and accessories. It forms a complete and systematic women's boudoir culture, leaving behind beautiful and captivating legends.

(Check out this gorgeous traditional style cosmetics chest btw😍)

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Documentary segment:

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More Hi Producer posts

[moononmyfloor]

Hi Producer (正好遇见你) Infodump

Disclaimer: I have no idea about the accuracy of the information shared in the drama, I'm merely transcribing for future reference purposes. Proceed with caution!

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Ep 26-27: Stage Costumes and Props

Stage outfits worn when performing Chinese traditional operas, since the Song and Yuan dynasties, a fixed pattern has been established gradually. Characters with different titles, social statuses, and personalities dress up differently so the audience can tell the disparities. Thus, there's a saying in the industry that a torn costume is better than the wrong costume. Following the rapid development of Chinese traditional operas during the Ming dynasty, the quality of headgear, costumes, and boots were improved considerably. Their design focused more on elegance and luxury.

Production of Suzhou stage costumes and props took off during the middle of the Ming dynasty. They're closely related to the development of Kunqu opera.

Designs, also known as outlines- In response to the different characters, various costume designs will be made. Dragons and phoenixes, flowers, Ruyi pattern, flowing pattern, and so on are commonly seen in such costumes.

Stitching, a process to create holes on the paper sample according to the design, to ease the foundation process.

Foundation process, a process where the foundation is applied on the fabric that they're going to embroider on through the holes.

Embroidering, a sewing process that uses threads of different colors. For stage costumes, the dazzling gold and silver threads are commonly used.

Flattening, a process where you apply glue evenly onto the fabric with a glue knife to flatten the embroidered patches evenly.

Cutting, a process where you cut the entire fabric and embroidered patches into desired sizes.

Completing, a process where you employ all kinds of sewing and gluing techniques to complete the costume.

Currently, all the stage costumes and props include headgear, boots, weapons, accessories, and headwear. These six main types cover over 1,000 kinds.

It's a shame that most of the crafts have gone extinct but as much as possible textual research of stage costumes is done, such as visiting museums in many cities to observe the preserved stage costumes in hopes of replicating something up to the standards of which of the Qing dynasty. That's a difficult task as the exquisite and luxurious stage costumes back then were produced by imperial craftsmen.

This episode truly felt like the epitome ofYu Zheng going Nudge, nudge, aren't I the most awesome costume drama producer? especially with the characters saying stuff like this lol🤭

Right now, there are stage prop and costume factories that take custom orders from film production crews. Celebrities may visit for personal requirements and many others out of admiration. To preserve texture and quality, outfits are made by hand for most parts. They have warehouses for costume design manuscripts. Best attempts are made to replicate the stage costumes of the past within reason such copper jewelry plated with silver as it costs too much if made with silver entirely. And handicrafts like velvet flowers take up a long time and has high labor costs. So most costume drama crews prefer a cheaper option like beaded flowers.

When an actor appears on the stage with these outfits on, the audience will know the title and the personality at first glance. It's completely different from some modern TV series. They don't dress in accordance with dynasties or characters. A random and wrong costume may look fashionable, but it won't fit the character and the plot itself. And overdoing the designs brings underwhelming results as when you are performing wearing them, overtly vibrant and exquisite designs will steal the spotlight from you. It's not the glorious look that decides its value. Anyway, we don't understand them.

I liked the following part a lot tho, it felt quite reasonable and moving. Especially as someone with 2x as my NORMAL watching speed, I know I still care for the meta details and the reason I watch fast is not because I don't care for the effort and research that went into a production.

Next year, online video platforms will launch a 4X speed function for all TV dramas. One might think that no one will be interested in Chinese operas is they've never spent time in a traditional Chinese theater before. There are rarely fans of Chinese opera nowadays.

It takes tens of procedures to making a stage costume. We need to focus on every single detail and can't rush things. But people are always in a rush. Making props and costumes by hand isn't efficient, and there's little demand. Many people wonder if the younger generation is willing to pick up this craft? What if such an excellent craft does go extinct? People always say that productions like this are slow and can't adapt to the era of machine production.

Many adapted historical tales are quite interesting not just because it touches on people's sentimentality. If their sentimentality can be used advantageously, that means people are still reminiscing about the past. However, this method will come to an end one day as a show is just a show. It has no way to save all those crafts that are going to vanish soon. Even if all these crafts will disappear after a century, we still hope that people will know that we once spent half a day just to make a fold or spent one and a half years just so we could produce one piece of stage costume.

What do we call this? We call this a craft. We call this a legacy.

China is a country with a big population. As long as there's one person who likes traditional crafts and is willing to learn, the legacy won't disappear.

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Rose-purple satin female Kao costume

Embroidered with phoenix and peony patterns in flat gold that was made during the Guangxu period of the Qing dynasty. Every detail has been carefully recorded so the future generation could refer to it. The Chinese opera industry is developing. There are many newly adapted versions of historical operas. When designing costumes, aesthetic standards of the younger audience and the requirements of various kinds of stages both are taken into consideration.

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Cixi watching the opera

-Showcasing the contrast of costumes and performances of Southern and Northern operas

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Beijing silk figurines

To make these, one must know sculpting, painting, and design of outfits. Similar to stage costumes and props, it's a fusion of many traditional crafts. But not many are aware of this. Most in the field do this as a hobby because in China, people aren't aware that these are not the work of craftsmen, but artists.

It got the name because the whole figurine is made with premium silk cloth and silk gauze. Beijing silk figurines were invented back in the Tang dynasty in Northern Fujian, when people used paper to make animal dolls. The craft continued to develop until the Song dynasty. People started using silk to make human figurines.

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More Misc. Crafts

Featured in the timestamped vid below such as:

Sandpainting, Suzhou Embroidery, Hokkien Lacquer Thread Sculptures

Many consider that sand animation originated in Hungary. Although Ferenc Cako did turn sand animation into a modern performance, traditional sand animation originated in China. During the Song Dynasty, there were stories of people writing on sand and so on.

Suzhou embroidery is one of the Four Great Embroideries of China along with Hunan's Xiang embroidery, Guangdong's Yue embroidery, and Sichuan's Shu embroidery. The Suzhou embroidery is detailed and subtle. In May 2006, it was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Lacquer thread sculpture originated in Quanzhou of Fujian. It has existed for over 1400 years. The craftsmen must use the fine thread of lacquer and specialized techniques to create these resplendent patterns. Every piece is one of a kind.

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Making Liuli Glass

The ancient process of making colored glaze was very complex. The colored glaze was born in the fire and drowned in water. It takes dozens of processes to complete such as: detailing the wax pattern, casting the plaster mold, coloring, firing in the kiln.

Normally, steps involved in the making of colored glazed are designing, making of silica gel mold, making and detailing of wax patterns, the making of plaster molds, and being fired in a kiln, removing the plaster mold, sanding, and polishing.

Timestamped Documentary segments:

Props and Costumes Craft

Of Traditional Opera Theatre

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