#ALSO I have to say i only watched the first episode of the donghua today as well so i know im not misremembering lol

[dreamingsushi]

Eternal Love - Episode 42

It’s bad. I can’t stop watching. I should have done something else today after coming back from France, but I just sat through all those episodes. It’s bad, but I got to relax, which I deserve real good after a long flight.

Bai Qian gets to Yehua’s palace while his mom and Sujin are still in, so she decides to come back later. But then, they come out, and she hides before they can see her. Maybe she’s a little jealous of the way Lexu treats Sujin. At least she’s uncomfortable. And it would be good for Lexu to give up on Sujin ever having Yehua’s child, because he’ll never sleep with the woman who killed his beloved wife.

Zhe Yan solved the mystery of Die Feng’s brother’s illness. Mo Yuan is resting in his body to recover. He’s coming back soon. Which causes his sword to move and gives some pain to Yehua’s chest, for some reason. Zheyan wants to go to Bai Qian to tell her the news, but Bai Zhen advises him not to, because the way Bai Qian treats her master could lead Yehua to misunderstand. So Zheyan agrees that he should talk to him first. Poor Yehua. He’s in for even more pain. Obviously, he’s not so happy about that news, but he still wants to help to let Mo Yuan wake up faster, so Bai Qian would wait one less day for her master to wake up. Seriously. That guy... Also, I can’t believe that the first time I watched this series it took me forever to notice that Zhao Youting is BOTH Mo Yuan and Yehua. Seriously, was there that much shit in my eyes for not noticing? However, I must say I like his beardless version better.

Sujin comes to pay her respect to Bai Qian. She tries to smooth talk her, while having other intentions behind her mind. Bai Qian being the old bad ass lady she is doesn’t like having a youngster coming at her trying to outsmart her. Zheyan was coming at that moment and decided not to come in. Better to enjoy the show from afar than to participate. He was like... Bai Qian angry, nope, I’m not going in. Sujin ends up being humiliated, though it’s shame because there’s no one to see. Bai Qian guesses that she is responsible for Susu jumping down the Zhuxian platform. Nainai confirms and adds that the only reason she’s still there is because her eyes belong to Susu.

Upon hearing that Moyuan is going to wake up, Bai Qian can’t stay any longer in the palace and she wants to go right away by his side. So she leaves, without even saying goodbye. At least she wrote a letter. Yehua hides the real reason she left.

More of mortal Donghua, bleh.

And I’m in a rush to go to my dance lesson, so it’s right about time this episode was over! See you soon, hang on for more adventures!

[xueyangmybeloved]

i started reading ThousndAutumns and im only on chapter 5rn but wow they changed quite a bit in the first episode of the donghua so that ShenQia0 and YanWu$hi would get a chance to interact and they made it look like YuSh3ngyan wasn’t the one making shit up and interacting with SQ as he nursed him back to health (somewhat since his injuries have left him disabled and powerless and all that atm)

[franniebanana]

CQL Rewatch - Episode 1

The first time through the beginning battle at the Nightless City definitely made me cringe. I was already unsure of whether I was even going to like this show, considering I knew the BL stuff had been censored and I was completely in love with the novel, and I remember being embarrassed that I was actually watching it, so I waited until my husband went downstairs, after putting my daughter to sleep, to even turn it on.

Okay, but onto the current time. Thanks, Yibo, for breaking my heart here. They show this scene (in pieces) multiple times, but it never fails to hit me right in the feels. For a character who often shows little emotion, to see Lan Wangji’s face all screwed up here, tears and sweat on his face—I really have no words, other than pain. I know it’s censored, but I’d say there’s nothing in this show that suggests than Lan Wangji doesn’t love Wei Wuxian, and this scene here—he’s literally holding onto the man he loves for dear life, and then that man lets go. Long post, so click for more >>

The moment I feel in love with Xiao Zhan’s acting. This is one of my favorite Wei Wuxian moments, probably because it was the moment that left the biggest impression on me as a new fan. I watched the donghua prior to starting the book, so this scene where Wei Wuxian runs around like a so-called crazy person, Mo Xuanyu, really set the tone for his character (ironic, since he was pretending to be someone else). I don’t want to go into too much, because I’ll probably talk about it more in my novel reread. Xiao Zhan did such an amazing job here, perfectly capturing Wei Wuxian, figuring out where he is, pretending to be someone he doesn’t know—it is easy to fall into the main character is a dummy, but he’s charming trope, and Wei Wuxian is just not—he’s incredibly smart and clever. Xiao Zhan is great. I just want to fangirl about him lol.

Also Lan Jingyi is me, every time.

Okay, bring on the feels. The first person Wei Wuxian thinks of is Lan Wangji. Not to sideline his other family, because he obviously cares about them, but it does seem the most important person to him is Lan Wangji. And I love love love how they split this, so you don’t see his face right away. It’s like his memories are fragmented. So great!

I mean, look at this face! He’s missing his best friend to the point where it hurts. Lan Wangji is his soulmate, the one person who truly understood him while he was alive. Of course, he simultaneously longs to see him and dreads their reunion. His assumption is that Lan Wangji is still around, but he’s probably wondering if what he did ruined Lan Wangji’s reputation, if he was now somehow tainted by association. What if Lan Wangji didn’t feel the same way about Wei Wuxian anymore?

And then Wei Wuxian plays the song, and I die inside. And he whispers, “Lan Zhan” and I melt into a puddle on the floor. The heavy sadness here, the emotions he feels in the dark. I know this is a “modified BL,” but you cannot deny that it’s set up from episode 1 to show that the most important relationship in this show is the one between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. And, I’m sorry, but I haven’t seen my best friend in quite a while either, but I’m not whispering her name while playing a song that only the two of us know.

Okay, does anyone else think it’s really sexy when he plays the guqin? Just me? Okay, we can all agree that Wang Yibo is adorable and handsome and needs to be protected at all costs. He’s amazing as Lan Wangji, and I love that you can see the progression of his acting and his understanding of the character as the show goes on. The fact that this man ever got hate from his so-called fans or other people is baffling to me. I have the utmost respect for him, since he won’t take shit from anyone. In that regard, he is perfect for Lan Wangji.

Aside from all that, his entrance is badass and I love it. And all the Gusu fanboys, shouting, “Hanguang-Jun!” in pure joy is fantastic as well. I can’t help smiling like an idiot.

I love how his face softens here when he thinks about Wei Wuxian. His eyes are just so expressive, and the slightest twitch in his face is enough to convey so much emotion. I’m sorry, but there is going to be a lot of fangirling from me about these little things, but I think I’ve rambled enough for today. This took three days to write up, because I am an adult with basically no time.

[blysse-and-blunder]

in lieu of a commonplace book gets vaccinated

sunday, may 16, 2021, 8:30pm

guess who got the first round of danger juice this weekend!! at a museum!!

(black sails and mdzs donghua spoilers below the cut)

reading after discussing it a little while ago with @switchoffthestars in the bannel, i got dianna wynne jones’ magicians of caprona on libby this week. it is so refreshing to read a really elegantly, thoughtfully written kid’s book! dwj is so smart! even though the details of this ~italian~ city and its warring factions of magicians does feel, a lot, like the way someone would depict italy if your main points of reference were, say, romeo and juliet. but the song-based magic system and the cats are just so fun. the third-person-limited perspective carefully tailored to the different Montana brothers and varying according to their ages! the chrestomanci of it all! ETA: forgot to mention, that it’s specifically refreshing to read a book like this after some of the novels i’ve been slogging through this spring. because it’s for a younger audience, it’s got different limits to work within, but it achieves an equal or higher level of sophistication in greater economy of language and image. god. the hands of a master.

watching i had season two black sails playing to keep me company yesterday as i finished filing my taxes argh and now that the backstory is really popping off, i can see why people get wound-up about this show. SPOILERS since i was tuning in and out, it just made it even more apparent how much more into the past-storyline, with the hamiltons and the ~scandal~, than i am with the current-storyline!! aside from billy showing back up (SAW THAT COMING) and whatever anne and jack (and max, if only they spent a little more time on her personality!) have going on. if i never see or hear charles fucking vane’s face/voice again, i will be most content.

today after a lovely excursion downtown on my bike to sit in a backyard with some vaccinated pals and bask in the sunshine, i flopped down and watched the mdzs donghua episodes 8-10 or so. SPOILERS i will hand it to this version, the xuanwu combat works so much better as animated here-- the fact that wei wuxian sees the sword in a wound in the xuanwu’s side and reaches for it like that, and then gets swallowed, makes so much more sense than whatever wandering? inside the monster’s shell? that cql makes him do??? (did he crawl up its butt please don’t answer that) seeing lan zhan cry in the cave was...unsettling. but his expression was excellently awful. also it was only during these eps that it occurred to me, is the ‘sun shot’ campaign called that because of wang lingjiao’s ridiculous claim that the poor little jiang boy was trying to ‘shoot down the sun’??? not that anyone believed that, and not that any of the witnesses to her claim survive hahaha oh no but it’s nice to think that whoever picked that name was like ‘actually, you know what?? YEAH WE WILL’

listening it has taken me mumblemumble tries to finish Critical Roll campaign 1 episode 100. not just because it’s a long one-- just, something would come up or i’d lose my place or another ep would start playing (i listened to its talks machina recap before i listened to it, just by lazily letting my phone play ‘the next ep’ and then not...realizing). but i finished it today, and also 101 and its tm. they kept me company on my bike-rides. i like when they laugh. i like when they tease each other, or make absurd jokes and references i get. whatever’s happening in the plot, it’s getting dark, and...that’s really all i absorbed.

playing d&d this week, we made it out of literal hell after exiting the Dantesque inferno we’ve been in for the past couple of weeks. we’re headed into the next underworld tomorrow (Egyptian, i think?) and i think we’re all braced for what could possibly come next. it was a little anticlimactic, we didn’t leave as a result of any combat, but the grinding, punishing details of just progressing through the different circles’ landscapes (the last one had a river of boiling blood and a sky that rained fire, we all had to make con saves) has definitely had their own impact.

making baked biscuits friday morning, the first time i’ve roused ursula the little bear sourdough starter in weeks. they turned out well! decent layers, good flake on the bottoms. a solid bake. nothing else. the repaired soap dispenser has not fallen apart and is happily dispensing soap. feels good.

working on this time next week, i’ll have gone through my field exam. it’s on thursday. i’m meeting with a friend on tuesday afternoon for her to ask me practice questions, and i’m going to spend tomorrow trying to make as many additional notes and annotations to my existing stuff as possible, hopefully organized enough that i’ll be able to quickly find things during the conversation. god willing and the creek don’t rise, this is nearly over!!!

[demoiselledefortune]

So... what did you think of the MDZS donghua?

Well, you see, I haven't watched the last episode yet.

I've been busy over the week end (as I am most of the time -- I usually catch up on monday) so only had the time to do it today but I'm already so fucking tired of all the discourse about it that my motivation is 0 to watch it right now.

Overall the donghua was my first introduction to MDZS, so I had a good amount of investment on it being good. But while the first season was brilliant (with some adaptation change that made change to the shift in format, and some changes that I would dub an improvement such as improving on the writing of Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Yanli), it has been failing badly in its 2nd and 3rd season with some genuinely baffling choices in term of pacing and structure. It remains very, very pretty; and give us some nice individual moments in term of how they play out emotionally and the acting; but between extremely rushed narrative, like the Yi city arc at the beginning of S3 and moments of narrative climax being gutted by failing to properly set them up, or reversing the order in which they happen; they've made a mess of the storytelling. So I'm extremely disappointed about it. I would say more but, frankly, I'd rather not until i have properly caught up on it (there's already way too many people spreading discourse without having seen it) and also because i'm not that fond of dwelling on stuff I don't like.

Also they gratuitously killed Sisi just for the sake of putting a flashback as a visual, so fuck them and fuck the boat they rode on.

[project-paranoia]

Live Watch: Thousand Autumns Episode One

Oh wow someone got the good... guzheng? Something in that family of instruments anyway. They got the good music for that. And the animation is beautiful and beautifully synchronised to the clip excerpts.

And the imagery! The opening with the symbol of the Dao, and then main character number 1, Shen Qiao, all in white, in a fantastically and subtly ornamented outfit - I love the textures of the cloth they put in on the animation here, cloth and clothes textures are so easy to get wrong and they’ve done it beautifully here. I think this is supposed to be Shen Qiao’s original sect leader/zhangjiao outfit and he looks properly leaderly in it.

And this, followed by a closeup of Yan Wushi’s hand holding the ring of contention, and then Yan Wushi himself, very handsomely rendered in 3d animation - and again I have to voice my appreciation of the cloth textures. That’s actual subtly 3d brocade textures they’re rendering there, with the correct flow for how cloth hangs on the body, and the correct variances of light on the areas with thicker brocade and it is, frankly, very impressive. And they didn’t lose colour saturation doing it either, making that purple robe look suitably luxurious. The shiny hair ornament and one sidebang in white is a nice touch as well. As are the hints they set right in the opening that Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi are ... opposites, and complements, linking them back to the Yin/Yang balance of the symbol of the Dao.

So much love for this opening song it’s so good. Also going to be a pain to translate accurately with a proper sense of the poetry of it, but so good.

Alright episode 1 proper, 风雨欲来. The coming of the wind and rain, literally, I think. Maybe even the foreboding or oncoming storm, if you’re going for the feel of the term instead of literal translation. Oh. Oh that opening montage with the bird’s eye view and the fog and the high mountains - I was so taken by this scenery I sketched and tried to paint it at least 3 times. It’s a very moving shot. Also very much in the grand tradition of xianxia/wuxia, and also, even without a word, hinting at the traditional stance of the Mt Xuandu sect - to 出世， to remove themselves from the world to cultivate in the seclusion and clarity of the literal peaks above the clouds and dust of the world.

Oh. Oh that opening shot. The challenge to combat by Kunye to Shen Qiao. The.. subtle and ornate embroidery and brocade and patterning on Shen Qiao’s sect leader robes is so awesome. The wave motifs repeated in the 3 layers of robes, even on the hair ornament/冠 in his hair, the resolute look on his face! The closeup shot of the 山河同悲 sword - and what a name for it. A sword named for, if I may be excused poetry in translation - compassion and pity and fellow feeling for the griefs and pains and trials of the world as encompassed by the mountains and rivers - what a blade, and what a name, and what a bearer that would be worthy of it. A very good hint, at the kind of person Shen Qiao is, even before they have him open his mouth.

The contrasting costuming decision for Kunye et al is also very nice, hinting at the cultural differences between, say, the peoples that live on the central plains and the more nomadic groups living on less kindly land, shown in the different materials available/preferred - leather, furs, etc  vs cloth, silk, cotton etc

And the fight choreography! So nice! The 3d animation works really well here,in that there’s no limitation to the capabilities of human bodies and it’s possible to really show in the visual medium the knock out drag down fight between 2 people whose martial - and quasi magical - capabilities are already at potentially mountain splitting levels. Not to mention also, showing that a Shen Qiao who isn’t being handicapped by sabotage... really can wipe the floor with Kunye if he wants to. And then, of course, once the fight gets to Half-step Peak and they’re out of sight of inconvenient witnesses, the signal for the ambush. And then the effects of the sabotage take hold.

Ah, flashback to 20 years ago, to provide the audience with the world info we need to understand the rest of the story. Not to mention also informing us why Hulugu would even bother. Or why Kunye coming in to challege Shen Qiao is so narratively important. And also introducing the ring that so many would fight over later.

Yan Wushi’s character introduction.. is quite something. As is Yu Shengyan’s. Ah, Shizun, congratulations on exiting your 10 year cultivation seclusion, would you like the highlights on the changes in the world in the past 10 years? But also a good show of character, because they have him not even looking at Yu Shengyan, but looking away in the distance, and telling him to only tell the most important bits, he’s not interested in useless words. Also serves as a nice introduction to some people who’ll be important later, and giving us a time marker for when Shen Qiao ascended to the sect leader post - 5 years ago, after the death of his shizun Qi Fengge. Ah Yan Wushi, your characteristically arrogant attitude - aside from Qi Fengge, who in life was worthy of being the first among all the wuxia world, the rest are not worth even mentioning. And here too a little hint that Yan Wushi might care a little bit in some way for those who are his, including his disciples - He tells Yu Shengyan that this location, this Half Step Peak that they’re at, because of its physical characteristics, is good for him to cultivate to the next level of understanding/enlightenment of the martial arts used by Huanyue Sect.

I love it whenever they hint that the more... developed characters whose martial arts are very good have improved senses. A little flow of blood in the water, Yu Shengyan notices something is wrong, looks at his shizun, and receives a nod of affirmation that he perceived correctly and should take action. And then after that, they come upon a body of one of the Mt Xuandu disciples, and Yan Wushi’s verbal remark that today, Mt Xuandu is troubled and not pure and clean. And then Shen Qiao literally falls from the cliff top - and the pan up makes it very clear that for most people, this is a lethal fall.

And then the surviving ambushers attempt to finish the job when Yu Shengyan checks whether Shen Qiao is still alive... and Yan Wushi takes the training opportunity when he sees it, and tells his disciple to use his strongest techniques to take on the remaining assassins. And then, when Yu Shengyan can't quite wipe the floor with them... criticizes his lack of growth, as might be expected of Yan Wushi, and steps in to really wipe the floor with the assassins, as might not be expected of Yan Wushi. Also doubles as a really nice display to the audience of his level of strength. In fact.. listening to the voice, I think one of those assassins appears, unhidden, in later episodes. Heh. Plot continuity, a nice one. As are the assassins having common sense, recognising Yan Wushi's infamous technique, and running before they're cut down.

Ahahahaha yes Yu Shengyan, your shizun really had you pick that fight for training, and he's really about to pick up Shen Qiao and have him rescued on a whim. Also nice to review, on rewatch for the details, that part of this whim is perhaps curiousity as to Shen Qiao's ability to survive and/or recover, as hinted by the thin thread of strength provided by the Zhuyang Ce, that Yan Wushi identifies as the thin strength keeping him alive, despite the aforementioned lethal fall.

Heh. Yu Shengyan – and maybe Huanyue Sect's other job – information gatherers aka spies.

Ah, Yan Wushi, you really are fascinated by people's reactions under stress, aren't you.

Shen Qiao awakens! Oof, the amount of damage – can't see, amnesia – damaged or even broken meridians – the donghua doesn't mention how much time passes, but given that Yu Shengyan mentions that Shen Qiao's broken bones have only just finished healing – could not have been a matter of days. Weeks, maybe even a month, minimum. Unless Yu Shengyan meant that the bones have only just been set – which could mean a few days. And then the mindscrew from Yan Wushi, telling poor amnesiac Shen Qiao that, yes, your name is Shen Qiao, oh, and you are one of my disciples from Huanyue Sect! Someone sure is hasty to put his poke the injured person plans into action! Ah Yan Wushi, if you could please give Shen Qiao a break, he just had a near death experience! But also – the scope of the injuries – yes, it benefits Yan Wushi's plotting but also – Shen Qiao was injured beyond the scope of ordinary medicine? Yu Shengyan has to be stationed to basically care for him until he is able to awaken – and presumably recover – appropriately!

Alright, time marker, 3 months after previous events.. okay. Shen Qiao can walk, some, though the animators were careful to make it a clearly pained walk, in comparison to how he was moving pre-Kunye fight. And then of course the blindness, which may also explain how they've animated him moving with more cautious steps. And the coughing, and the eyes that can't focus – all in all, a detailed and careful show of how badly injured Shen Qiao still is. Can't help sniggering at every 'shidi' I'm hearing him say though. And Yu Shengyan... yes, really, even though you and your shizun can't quite believe it, there really is a person this kind and considerate of other people.

The appearance of the weiqi board motif! Strategy, and planning, and part of the arts of the refined gentlemen..and the hint of how Shen Qiao is perceiving/visualising the input that he hears, since he can't see right now. And the hint that he might be using qi to help sort through what he hears – well enough that he can identify it's a weiqi board, and even the piece being placed. Very Awesome. Especially when they show Yan Wushi possibly testing Shen Qiao's capability to perceive the world around him by hesitating and purposely not putting down his piece.. and Shen Qiao very naturally picking up the piece – black, the correct colour and the one Yan Wushi was about to play – and putting it in the correct position on the board that Yan Wushi was about to place. Is it any wonder that the next thing Yan Wushi checks is the state of his recovery?

And then we have Yan Wushi's characteristic multipronged planning – creating trouble for Hehuan sect, training for Yu Shengyan, testing opportunity for Shen Qiao. Very excellent, any and every outcome has benefit to Yan Wushi.

Ah the encounter at the medicine shop. Hm. Okay, the sharing of the medicine is clearly a hint to Yan Ziwen of some kind that he and his should be especially cautious tonight, perhaps even to run for their lives tonight. Though it's maybe a hint in the actions, and not the words, because the words don't sound suspicious at all. Neither do the actions, if you were watching as a observer and didn't know Yan Ziwen's paranoid character – a blind person would unsurprisingly wish to be extra careful where they put their hands. And at night, on the attack... for all that Shen Qiao can't quite see, and is currently relying on the rest of his senses... he can tell that something's off about Yu Shengyan's actions. And then... Shen Qiao remembers... the sword, and what Qi Fengge taught him. And then the confrontation, and the near strangulation by Yan Wushi... Shen Qiao has such a nice literary register to his speech. Four word phrases even under severe near strangled stress, with the right philosophical meaning to make his point to Yan Wushi. And then the reveal of Yan Wushi's plotting. Very nicely done.

And now, the first of Yan Wushi's many many invitations to Shen Qiao to forsake his daoist path and join Yan Wushi's ... evil sect is not the right word. Demonic path is technically correct but has moral overtones that don't fit. Join Yan Wushi's cultivation path, maybe. Join and get bloody revenge on everyone who's wronged Shen Qiao – and already there are so many of them. And we the audience wonder for half a second – is he going to do it? Is this going to be a revenge story? And Shen Qiao flat out refuses in words, in the first of many times. And then Shen Qiao walks away from Yan Wushi. Here the animation is a delight again – the audience gets to see the little micro expressions that flit across – he's actually walking away?! And then Yan Wushi does his dramatic gifting of the bamboo stick. And too, a few seconds later, the reveal of their movements being spied on by Duan Wenyang, and Yu Shengyan's orders to continue searching for .. something. Ah, the plotting in Thousand Autumns. Always a delight.

[creepweirdo]

hey emily!haha i only knew about the mama awards bc of twitter trends, my favourite boys didn’t perform there. all of them in the car park though? and i heard someone had covid? (not nct) what a mess! its funny, i get ok notes for my untamed gifs, but my new and tiny kpop sideblog gets so few, each single one is a gift. they give me a nice boost! very necessary right now. ships - wangxian ofc!! i also love nielan because lxc does not deserve jgy in his life and nmj deserves all the love.

i’m really boring tbh i mostly like wangxian. i do ship mianmian and yeeting herself out of the narrative!! cooking is a good hobby! and that bbq pork sounds amazing. foodwise i love everything. i like cooking too but i’m a bit lazier in the pandemic because of less friends visiting. curry is my fave, though, i could eat it all the time. todays questions. so show related – what are your favourite 3 songs from the cql soundtrack? what is your current favourite media/shows you’re into? your cc💜

hi classified cultivator!!

omg noooo sad that your faves weren’t there ,,, i THINK i know who your faves are but that only because a video came up in my youtube recommend ahaha a male kpop group covering a blackpink song 👁👁 hmmm 🤔🤔🤔 LMAOOOO the youtube algorithm is really helpful sometimes. but i will pretend that i did not see 🙈 once the reveal happens you can tell me what the group is and tell me what songs to listen to ahaha

OMG NOOO i didn’t know that someone had covid 😳 that’s so messy omg. and OMG one the reveal happens i’m gonna follow your kpop side blog too HAHAH.

YESSSSS NIELAN SUPREMACY!!! you get me ❤️ bahahahah. omg yes mianmian x yeeting herself out of the narrative!! i’ve been thinking about it, i wish there more more LONG mdzs wlw fics :((((((((((((((((((((( (i should probably harder look before i say that tho ahaha)

and oooo curry! and true about cooking less bc no friends visiting 💔 (ah food, i’m hungry now even tho i just had dinner).

oooo cql soundtrack!! the instrumentals right??? (that’s the only soundtrack that i’ve got on my phone) so i’ve only listened to it once and it was while i was reading this really long fic and it actually made me really emotional because i was remembering the parts of the show LMAOO 💀💀 my top three are: wu ji, dream, and xue yang ❤️ (for obvious jgy beef reasons rest in peace TRIGGERS me and i physically can’t listen to it hahaha)

and current media/shows - i’m terrible and i’m still very fixated on the untamed/mdzs at the moment so i haven’t gotten into any new series yet HAHAHA (not emotionally ready yet 😔)

however, i’m in the middle of the first season of this anime called ‘given’ which i really need to continue watching - it’s really cute so far! i’m about 5 episodes in (when i watch it i accidentally fall asleep while waiting for the crunchyroll ads to end LMAO).

i’m also watching the heaven official’s blessing donghua!! however with that, i haven’t watched the latest episode yet bc again, i am terrible 💔

do you have any recommendations?? ❤️ what are you watching/into?

thank you for the questions!! i hope you’re having a good week 😁

[hotarla]

My Thoughts: “Quan Zhi Gao Shou” Episode 9 Summary and Review: “Everyone’s Public Enemy”

Excited greetings to you, my fellow QZGS fans, here is another edition of “My Thoughts!” This episode has a lot of reshuffling of events when compared to the novel so I'll try to point them out to you. I was actually genuinely surprised at a few things which I will discuss later. (BTW, I translated the title myself so it could be wrong...)

As with always, a warning about spoilers ahead! As an FYI, the start of the episode has us around chapter 148 and ends around chapter 178, (give or take) since some of the chapters were completely cut out from this episode (or are, in fact, going to be shown in episode 10).

The episode starts us off with some totally unnecessary fan service (I'm joking, it's TOTALLY necessary for all the screaming fangirls lol!) of Zhou Zekai’s dreamy visage before cutting to the Internet cafe where Ye Xiu is talking to Wang Jiexi about how the constant challenges from Tiny Herb are wearing him down. Tang Rou disagrees with him, saying that he's just playing around with a bunch of champion “three-legged cats” (in Chinese, a “three-legged cat” means that you're a “jack-of-all-trades and master of none”). At this point, Bao pops his face in and asks about what they're going to do in-game today. Just as this happens, Ye Xiu gets a PM from Seven Fields…

We cut over to Congee City’s Exchange Market where Bound Boat from Blue Brook Guild is talking to Blue River about Lord Grim setting the record for Desolate Land for the Full Moon Guild for the cheap price of four parts of the Scarlet Moon set (a level 30 set for Battle Mages). Blue River reacts to this with disbelief but it's all true. His QQ messenger lights up and he watches as leaders from some of the other big guilds complain about this. When the server announces later on that the Full Moon Guild has beaten Blue Brook’s record, the other guilds begin to declare: this Lord Grim is our enemy!

Left with no other choice, Blue River has to make a tough decision: ask for help from a higher dimension...

Meanwhile, Lord Grim and Co. are in Congee City as well, picking up new weapons for themselves now that they're at level 30. In the novel, this event actually happens before setting the record for Full Moon. Steam Bun dashes from one stall to another in excitement while Tang Rou wonders out loud about the steep prices. Lord Grim goes up to a stall and asks if they're buying uncommon materials. The man gives him the affirmative as he turns around and...ah! It's Bound Boat from Blue Brook! Why are you selling back the materials we gave you!?

Elsewhere, Blue River has arrived in the Heavenly Domain on his main account, Blue Bridge Spring Snow. I have to admit, the detailing and almost divinely-inspired instrumental for this scene is totally on point and totally gorgeous! Also, if you pay close attention, Blue River’s main account has a ponytail! Not QUITE the long hair I was imagining though!

We finally get to meet two characters I was actually not expecting to see: guild leader of the Heavenly Domain for Blue Brook, Changing Spring, and Poplar Beach, Blue River’s biggest rival in Blue Brook. To be honest, with all the stuff the donghua was cutting out, seeing these two characters was last on my list. I am a bit disappointed on the totally bland character designs for these two though.

Blue River informs Changing Spring about Lord Grim’s efforts in the 10th server while Poplar Beach scoffs in the background. Changing Spring decides that it's time to bring out the big guns: he will personally go to the 10th server to set the record for Desolate Land! Blue River goes to inform Bound Boat but, instead, he gets a complaint about Lord Grim’s shameless bargaining techniques! And, somewhere in the shadows, danger lurks…

Lord Grim and Co. group back at Desolate Land after getting some new weapons. Steam Bun detects a killer intent and dashes away to ambush the person. But, it turns out that the newcomer is not an enemy but a friend!

It's my favourite cinnamon roll, Qiao Yifan! He's come to the 10th server on his new level 30 Ghostblade account, One Inch Ash, to get some God-level training from Ye Qiu (Ye Xiu). Steam Bun is confused: was I wrong about that killer intent I felt? Lord Grim smirks: you're not wrong, it's right above you!

Looks like they've been surrounded! And, judging from the Battle Mage who attacks first, it looks like it's Chen Yehui, guild leader of Excellent Dynasty! A battle ensues and we finally get a bit of action! I was starting to despair a bit about the lack of action. The novel covers a lot of battle scenes, including lots of monster battles from Wild Bosses to dungeoning for records. The donghua, unfortunately, cuts out a lot of this, probably due to budget and animating concerns. On top of that, a lot of the battles in the donghua have become what I call “dust covered light shows:” all you see is dust and flashy lights.

Another FYI: this particular “encirclement” actually occurs before the record setting of Desolate Land and before Blue River goes to the Heavenly Domain to ask for help. For more information, please check out chapter 155-56.

Secondly, the members on Ye Xiu’s side actually included Seven Fields and Sleeping Moon (from the Full Moon guild) and Thousand Creations (from Blue Brook); Yifan’s character One Inch Ash hadn't even joined up with Lord Grim’s party yet as his level wasn't high enough. I believe the reason that Yifan and his Ghostblade appeared earlier than expected was because they had to make up for the fact that they wouldn't be animating the record setting of Desolate Land that included Yifan helping them. Lastly, this “encirclement” actually occurred in Line Canyon (the dungeon after Desolate Land), not in Desolate Land itself, which is what happened in this episode.

Anyways, getting back to the episode at hand, the members of Excellent Dynasty attack and we can all see the merits of having a supporting Ghostblade member on the team with the usage of Sword Souls (and Dual Linking Ghost Boundaries) buffing up the team. I have to admit, it's all very flashy! I love the action sequence for Lord Grim’s Sword Soul and how his umbrella splits apart into a sword and sheath. Ye Xiu praises Yifan on his timing for his Boundaries and Yifan just lights up at the compliment. You can truly see the way Yifan works so perfectly with the team, and how happy he is to just be a part of it!

The ambushers are finally defeated in a team wipeout and Lord Grim and Co. pose majestically at the end of it. (Insert some more shameless Yifan plug in lol)

Suddenly, another attacker comes from above! It's Poplar Beach! He arrogantly introduces himself before attacking Steam Bun. Lord Grim and Changing Spring intervene and more introductions are made. Lord Grim makes a comment on the new record set by Blue Brook for Desolate Land: how come I don't see Blue River up there? His dungeoning is much more stable and consistent than Poplar Beach who would excel more at PKs. (Another small note: in the novel, this conversation actually happens before they set the record and Blue River is not on scene when it happens) Poplar Beach becomes incensed at the insinuation that he's bad at dungeoning while Blue River is visibly touched by Lord Grim’s words (his face has the most beautiful show of emotion I've ever seen on him!). Poplar Beach starts to arrogantly challenge Lord Grim in the world chat. Ye Xiu smirks at this while Blue River and Bound Boat worriedly look on…

At Excellent Era, Chen Yehui (FINALLY we get official confirmation that he IS Chen Yehui!) is grinding his teeth in anger after his failed attempt to kill Ye Qiu (Ye Xiu) in-game. We get a flashback of him getting denounced for having inefficient skill to play a higher position in the team, on the recommendation of Ye Qiu (Ye Xiu). It looks like he's not through with him yet though, as Chen slowly scrolls through his friend list filled with members from other guilds…

Yifan, on the other hand, is talking to Ye Xiu about the high record for Desolate Land. Ye Xiu tells him that he's confident that they'll be able to set the record with Yifan and his Ghostblade’s help. All they need are three chances (since after this, Lord Grim and Co. would reach level 31 and they would not be able to set the record anymore). Yifan panickedly tells him that he's still not very adept at using a Ghostblade but Ye Xiu reassures him: you're a pro player too! These words, spoken to him by a God-level player, is enough to convince Yifan: three chances are more than enough! And, as expected, the record is set!

I get so many feels from this every time I see it: Yifan needs this kind of acknowledgement of his skills more often. He feels overlooked because of his friend Yingjie so every time he gains a little bit more confidence in himself, I just get all teary-eyed and emotional.

After setting the record, Chen Guo congratulates them. Ye Xiu wanders over and asks Chen Guo something: can I borrow your Heavenly Domain maxed leveled account, Chasing Haze? And, at Blue Rain headquarters, we watch as the IRL version of Changing Spring (Liang Yichun for anyone who's interested) approaches Huang Shaotian while looking for Yu Wenzhou…

Eeee, Yu Wenzhou! Another hottie appears, like a rare Pokemon! (Although, the chances of meeting a hot guy in this series seems pretty high lol!) Glad to see Shaotian again, I miss that adorable chatterbox! I can't wait to see more of them in the next episode! And what does the next episode bring?

Oho! I wasn't expecting the donghua to cover the battle between Poplar Beach and Chasing Haze (played by Ye Xiu). To be honest, I thought that they would cut it out completely (it only lasted two chapters in the novel). And a covered up Su Mucheng? Wasn't this scene chronologically supposed to happen a bit earlier (like in THIS episode)? Well, we didn't see much of her in this episode so I guess it's all right. And that turbaned fellow, he couldn't possibly be Concealed Light, right? Goodness what is with the pacing of the donghua? It's all over the place! I guess all we can do now is wait and see! Until next week!

Profile of the Week - Qiao Yifan’s Ghostblade, One Inch Ash