#Chinese Cinderella

[boricuacherry-blog]

[halfpricedpages]

i’m reading chinese cinderella in my english class and it’s one of the most amazing books i’ve read that’s like an autobiography. it’s truly a devastating story but it’s written in such a nice way almost as if it’s not a book but a diary. truly a peace of art.

[r-spada]

[divinationdrawings]

5 languages, 5 princesses, 1 happy new year!

(special thanks to my boyfriend who is fluent in Chinese and German and helped me with accuracy)

[fairytale-poll]

ROUND 2A, MATCH 2 OUT OF 8!

*Includes Grimm Brothers and Charles Perrault tales.

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Cinderella / Aschenputtel / Cendrillon:

I love all Cinderellas but the Grimm version refocuses the story away from magical aid and transforms it into a story of the ability of grief to conversely power hope. ashenputtel weeps over the grave of her dead mother so much a beautiful tree grows out,  with the voice of her mother guiding her and giving her the gown and shoes that ultimately get her to the ball. It turns Cinderella from a kind of passive receiver to a woman whose own love, in a way, saves her—her grief cycles into new joys, her love for the dead changes her for a new life. Idk it’s just a tremendously hopeful, haunting story, grounded in sorrow and love as our ways of guiding into the future.

Her slippers aren't made of glass, thankfully. Also, her step-sisters are blinded by birds who like Cinderella, apparently, on the day of the wedding. (I had to check this, as I knew the sisters had parts of their feet cut off to fit the shoe, but I was sure the mother had something bad happen, but there was no mention of a comeuppance for her. I found it on grimmstories.com, so I'm not sure how accurate to the original it is.)

Ye Xian:

Read it in middle school and have been fascinated with it since.

[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

[weeguttersnipe]

Happy International Womans Day!

[escapeintothepages]

“Transcend your abuse and transform it into a source of courage, creativity and compassion.”

Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter, Adeline Yen Mah

[absolutebl]

Hi again absolutebl! I was reading this BL manga and I realized that I enjoy a certain seme-uke pairing: soft reliable seme + feisty uke. Do you have any recs for BLs with this dynamic? The best example I can think of is Shi De and Shu Yi in WBL.

I know I just sent an ask about two days ago but I couldn't resist asking this. Thank you as always! I hope you are always happy and healthy.

Hi again!!! Always welcome. 

Soft Reliable (devoted) Seme + Feisty Uke

(Like Shi De and Shu Yi in We Best Love.) 

Ooo, fun request! So explicitly NOT a tsundere or a himbo seme. But the uke could probubly be tsundere. 

Seven Days (what you doubt me?) - Japan, grey 

Of course it rates. Seryou & Yuzuru don’t have a very strong S/u dynamic but Seryou is (basically) the pursuer and he is soft AF. Yuzuru isn’t so much tsundere as he is obstreperous. I consider this one of the best live action yaois ever made, with perfectly structured angst, fantastic characters and acting, and no problematic tropes (rare in Japanese BL). The leads have excellent chemistry although it’s low heat there’s still some really cute mutual kisses. 

Light on Me - Korea, Viki

Very much a high school setting and low heat, but this is still one of my favorite KBLs. It’s an elegant pastiche of traditional live action yaoi but all tropes are cleverly deployed to bolster one of the most riveting love triangles ever put on screen… and I don’t like love triangles! Both semes are super soft. Full review. 

Make it Right - Thailand, YouTube 

The original Thai version of this dynamic. Tee is unequivocally devoted to Fuse from the moment they first get together. Fuse is more chaos bi: cheating, messy and confused (as is common with the high school stuff) but I think it’s the dynamic you’re after. What more can I say about this show, the origin of the Thai BL pulps? It’s objectively terrible, and not just the leads but the side couples too, and yet I love it. I tend to call myself the “world’s foremost Make It Right apologist.” I recognize the issues but I find it utterly charming, especially Tee’s utter devotion to Fuse the disaster.

SOTUS - Thailand, YouTube

The follow up version to Make it Right, but less soft. This is the BL that launched a hundred BLs. No literally, It was SOTUS’s international success that pretty much built the Thai BL industry into the juggernaut it is today. It’s classic sunshine/tsundere, but Kong is very steadfast and soft. People have baggage around SOTUS, I have nostalgia. trigger: hazing and bullying. 

Manner of Death - Thailand, WeTV 

Honestly I think this one qualifies. This is TanBun’s dynamic. I like MoD a lot but I’m conflicted over it being actually BL. It’s a great gay romantic suspense, although the mystery element is its weakness. MaxTul, the Kings of chemistry, are, of course, perfect and perfectly cast, but their romance thread is more a distraction than an addition. Still, I could watch them make-out the phonebook. Trash watch here.

Nitiman - Thailand, YouTube

This show was so close to being brilliant. They fudged the ending but this is probubly one of Thailand’s most classic takes on uni set yaoi with this exact dynamic. This Thai BL pulp had sympathetic characters, a solid tsundere uke redemption arc, and a fantastic pining seme who yearned without bullying, grooming, or gaslighting. Plus when they're together, they're ridiculously soft. But it also had a realistic portrayal of university life, bisexual awakening, and friendship groups. Bummer about the ending. Full review. 

Dear Doctor, I’m Coming For Your Soul - Thailand, iQIYI 

This is a romance between a doctor trying to save his patients and a reaper who is both his enemy and (eventual) lover. Basically it’s the genius premise of a gay Doom at Your Service. High concept looks good on you, Thailand. It’s lovely to see KarnNat back on screen together and they are still great, and Karn is just painfully beautiful. I enjoyed it more than it’s ending deserved, and the best I can say is that it’s not strictly HEA but if you’re okay with Life: Love on the Line, you’ll be okay with this BL. It’s set up well, there’s no surprise unpleasantness like HIStory 3: The BL that shall not be named. Full review.

En of Love: Tossera - Thailand, YouTube 

Basically the softest BL ever Bar is feisty, but it’s kinda token tsundere. Younger boy wants to court older boy and does and… that’s it. No really that’s the WHOLE STORY. There is actually no angst, drama, or, indeed plot. But are they the softest bois ever to BL as a main couple? Yes, they are.

Cherry Magic - Japan, indie subbed

AKA 30 Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard AKA 30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii

Kurosawa is certainly soft but Adachi is maybe more chaos confused than feisty. (Another one like this is My Love Mix Up.) This is the sweetest fluffiest magical realism BL, packaged as a pinning office romance, very low heat (practically chaste) but the cutest. 

Mr. Unlucky Can Only Kiss - Japan, Viki (fan subbed) 

AKA Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai! AKA Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice but to Kiss!

Mr Chronically Unlucky (another adorable chaos muffin) and Mr Always Lucky (solid, steadfast, crushing from the start) end up dating after they meet at uni orientation. It’s JAPAN yet they kissed in the first episode. What freaky alt-reality did I enter into? That’s all they kiss tho, over which I was a touch disappointed (I know). Still I spent far too much of my time with this show biting my knuckles and squealing “THEY’RE SO CUTE!” It is very slapstick Japanese style comedic (light) BL, so if you like that style, you’ll adore this show. 

Amusing story: I paused mid the most tooth-achingly adorable first date in the entire universe and Viki was like “something missing?” and I was like “MY HEART YOU BASTARDS!” 

Word of Honor - China censored, YouTube & Viki 

I don’t rec Chinese stuff often, because I believe in censoring the censors, but this show is one of my favorites of the post 2016 censored bromances. It’s two murder-gay assassins (pining sunshine/tsundere), and they are so insanely gay for two boys who will never be allowed to kiss. Tropes include: wuxia, soulmates, paranormal, historical, and fantasy elements.

Maybe?

KOREA

Some More (Strongberry short)

Blueming  

Peach of Time (Korea/Thailand - sad) 

Spring of Crush (bromance)

THAILAND

1000 Stars 

Bite Me (but it’s NOT good) 

Brothers (sp KhunKaow) 

Cupid’s Last Wish  

Enchante  

Secret Crush on You (side couple SkyJao) 

Siew Sum Noi  

TharnType  

What Zabb Man?  

Y-Destiny (the YoonLayPerth ep) 

ELSEWHERE 

Silhouette of Your Voice - Japan 

Rainbow Prince - Pinoy (musical) 

See You After Quarantine - Taiwan 

Sort of this dynamic but there isn’t much seme/uke 

remember Taiwan likes to futz with seme/uke 

 HIStory 2: Crossing the Line 

some of the other HIStory maybe, although they often lean himbo 

Be Loved In House: I Do - (My original blog post on seme/uke was spawned because of these two)

My Day 

Wish You: Your Melody in My Heart

Second Chance

My Esport Genius Brother

Mr Cinderella 

Others maybe related to this?

Strong Seme/Uke But Still Gentle 

(source) 

[cinematic-explorations]

A Chinese Odyssey 2 - Cinderella

Stephen Chow and Athena Chu

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Cinderella Chef (2018)

Gifs of Intro of cdrama “Cinderella Chef”

【萌妻食神 第1季】 Cinderella Chef S1 EP01 Eng Sub 种丹妮/徐志贤穿越时空秀恩爱 百纳热播剧场

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQSsrSqnm6E

[prbni]

Some of My Personal Favorite Asian drama edit MVs

[the-monkey-ruler]

A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella (1995) 西遊記大結局之仙履奇緣

Director: Liu Zhenwei

Screenwriter: Liu Zhenwei / Wu Chengen

Starring: Stephen Chow / Wu Mengda / Zhu Yin / Cai Shaofen / Yammie Nam / more...

Genre: Comedy / Romance / Fantasy / Costume

Country/Region of Production: Hong Kong, China / Mainland China

Language: Cantonese / Mandarin Chinese Release

Date: 2014-10-24 (Mainland China) / 2017-04-13 (Rerun in Mainland China) / 1995-02-04 (Hong Kong, China)

Duration: 95 minutes / 110 minutes (re-run version)

Also known as: Journey to the West End Chapter Cinderella / Monkey King Journey to the West / A Chinese Odyssey Part Two - Cinderella

IMDb: tt0114996

Type: Reimagining

Summary:

Joker (Zhou Xingchi) was brought back five hundred years ago by the Moonlight Box, met Zixia Fairy (Athena Chu), was branded by the other party to become the other party's person, and found that he had become Monkey King. Zixia and Qingxia (played by Zhu Yin) were originally the wicks of the sun and moon magic lamp in front of the Tathagata Buddha's seat (Zixia during the day and Qingxia at night). Although they have the same body, they have a deep hatred, so Zixia made an oath. Whoever can pull out the Ziqing sword in her hand is the one she likes. The Ziqing sword was inadvertently pulled out by Joker, and Zixia decided to agree with her body, but she was rejected by Joker who had his heart and mind for Bai Jingjing (played by Karen Mok). Bull Demon King rescued Zixia who was lost in the desert and forced Zixia to marry him. At the critical moment, Joker appeared.

Source: http://chinesemov.com/1995/A-Chinese-Odyssey-Part-Two.html

Link: https://kissasian.com.ru/Drama/A-Chinese-Odyssey-2-Cinderella/Movie?id=19928

[chanelslibrary]

🌙𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰🌙

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Shiori’anma is the princess of Kiata with a secret—she can perform magic. Shiori has kept her magic hidden until her betrothal ceremony when she loses control and catches the attention of her stepmother, Raikama, and evaded her unwanted wedding. Soon Raikama revels she is a sorceress by banishing Shiori, turning her brothers into cranes, and cursing her: for if the princess speaks one word her brothers will die. Outcast, voiceless, and alone, Shiori must fight her way back to her family using her skills and the magic she was always forbade from using, before enemies try to seize control of the realm and kill her and her brothers.

I really liked this book! It was such a great retelling of the fairytales Cinderella and the Wild Swans (which I didn’t even know about, but were incorporated through the cranes). I loved how Chinese mythology was woven into the story through Chang’e, the moon goddess, and dragons. The best part of this story was that the characters were so complex and fleshed out, especially the stepmother, Riakama, that it made you want to know more about them. So I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there is a prequel: Her Radiant Curse about Raikama and her origin story!! I definitely recommend listen to this book on audio because it was so well done.

Read if you love:

⚔️ Fantasy

🐲 Dragons, snakes, wolves

🐦‍🔥 Chinese mythology

🦢 Fairytale retelling

✊🏼 AAPI rep

[fairytale-poll]

LOSER'S BRACKET, SEMIFINALS! MATCH 2 OUT OF 2!

Loser's Bracket Propaganda Under the Cut:

Ye Xian:

She is thought to be one of the oldest and I remember being read her story first funny enough. Even before Disney's. She was very brave.

I just remember really liking this version when I read it as a kid.

Linh Cinder:

Her ship with Kai is the cutest thing oh my lands

[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