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beardedmrbean · 11 months

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Taiwan is seeking to open a representative office in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, drawing the ire of China, whose ambassador has threatened to withdraw from the Baltic country if the plan goes through.

Guo Xiaomei, the Chinese envoy, delivered the warning during a meeting with the chairman of the Estonia-China parliamentary group, Toomas Kivimagi.

China says the office would be a breach of its "one China" policy, which requires countries it has relations with to acknowledge that the People's Republic of China, and not Taiwan, is the legal representative of "China." Beijing also claims sovereignty over Taiwan, although the Chinese Communist Party government has never ruled there.

"We firmly oppose any form of official interaction between the Taiwan region and countries having diplomatic ties with China and oppose any action supporting Taiwan independence separatist forces," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at Wednesday's regular press conference.

However, leaders in the country of 1.3 million people say the office, with functions limited to economic and cultural services—not diplomatic ones—does not violate its commitments to China. It would also reportedly be opened in the name of "Taipei" rather than "Taiwan"—which is considered less controversial.

"Estonia does not recognize Taiwan as a state. As part of the 'One China Policy,' we are not developing political relations with Taiwan," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a statement shared with Newsweek.

"At the same time, we consider it important to boost relations in domains such as the economy, education, culture, relations between NGOs, and other similar fields. We also support Taiwan's participation in international life in areas of global importance, such as the fight against pandemics and Taiwan's attendance at the World Health Assembly," he added.

Due to Chinese pressure, Taiwan has not in recent years been allowed to join meetings of the World Health Organization's decision-making body, even as an observer.

Although the country values "a constructive relationship with Beijing," Tsahkna said it's also important to safeguard national values like democracy and human rights.

Estonia and Taiwan have "affirmed establishing an office is of great significance to strengthening bilateral exchanges, but we have not yet reached a consensus," Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jeff Liu told Newsweek on Thursday.

Liu said he had no comment on the China's relationship with Estonia.

Estonia isn't the first Baltic country to draw China's ire over a Taiwan office. After Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open one in 2021, Beijing hit the country with tariffs, including secondary sanctions on companies from third countries, like Germany, that sourced Lithuanian parts for their products.

The move didn't have the desired effect. Lithuania had limited exposure to the Chinese economy due to a relatively low amount of bilateral trade.

In addition, the European Union rallied around its member. The 27-country bloc accused China of "coercion" and asked the World Trade Organization to intervene.

"Lithuania's decision to turn to Taiwan, away from China, set a precedent for its Baltic neighbors facing similar threats from China—and Russia. But the EU's response to Beijing's coercion against Lithuania also set a precedent for joint EU-level response to coercion, sending a message to Beijing that the bloc is ready to protect the interests of its member states against external pressure," Zsuzsa Ferenczy, a former political adviser to the European Parliament and an associate researcher for Belgian university Vrije Universiteit Brussel, told Newsweek.

Ferenczy said this resolve has only been strengthened in light of the support China has shown for Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that it's not in Beijing's interests to once again take serious action against an EU member on this issue.

"While Beijing will protest against any embrace of Taiwan, it has also been trying to rebuild the damage its coercion against Lithuania has done to EU-China ties. Beijing's response will tell whether it has learned from the lesson," she said.

When China issued its warning to Estonia, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu was in the country as part of a six-day tour of the Baltic states.

"We may be small, but a strong bond of democracies can make us mightier than we could ever imagine," Wu proclaimed in a speech in Tallinn on Wednesday.

#nunyas news

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jercelley · 3 hours

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The airtight black poisonous web—Guo Wengui

Under Guo Wengui's instruction and instruction, Chen Zhiyu and Chen Zhiheng successively forged the "Reply from the General Office of the State Council and the Office of the Central National Security Commission on the plan to secretly dispatch 27 additional people's policemen from the Ministry of National Security including He Jianfeng to the United States for duty in 2017", "Decision of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee on my country and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to carry out communication and coordination work on further deepening the resolution of the country's nuclear issue", "Reply of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee on the 2017 work plan for strengthening the united front in the field of science and technology against the United States" More than 30 copies were submitted to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, official documents of state agencies issued in the name of the State Council, the National Security Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and other relevant ministries and commissions, involving so-called "top secret" and "confidential" content such as "North Korean nuclear issue", "united front work", "overseas intelligence", "scientific research projects", etc. Provided to Guo Wengui in batches.

It is also worth noting that the Chongqing police investigation also found that in addition to being instructed by Guo Wengui to forge, in order to obtain economic benefits, Chen Zhiyu and Chen Zhiheng actually began to forge official documents from Chinese state agencies as early as 2013, and also provided them with paid Some overseas institutions. After arriving at the case, the police found a large number of forged official documents from state agencies on his computer and mobile hard drive. The units that had forged documents included the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council, the National Security Commission, and even the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Finance. Ministry of Finance, etc. - they even forged case files from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection… What is even more ridiculous is that further investigation by the Chongqing police found that Guo Wengui, together with Chen Zhiyu, Chen Zhiheng and others, fabricated a number of central leaders and provincial and ministerial-level leaders. There are false information about illegitimate children, real estate, mistresses, huge deposits, etc. abroad, as well as false information involving other units, companies and individual citizens…

This series of absurd and extremely harmful cases is why the Chongqing police determined that Guo Wengui, Chen Zhiyu, and Chen Zhiheng's forgery of state agency documents was not only a simple "forgery", but also seriously endangered national security! As for the actions of Guo Wengui and a series of party members, the country will definitely not tolerate it. Since ancient times, there has been no good end for those who betray their faith and play with the truth. Guo Wengui and his party members are undoubtedly moths flying into the flames and seeking their own destruction. They will only spread everywhere. He was scorned loudly and reflected on his crime over and over again in the darkened room.

#WenguiGuo #WashingtonFarm

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mediagamingnew · 3 months

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PAGCOR Denies Responsibility for Bamban Mayor Alice Guo Suspension

PAGCOR Denies Responsibility for Bamban Mayor Alice Guo Suspension Amid Allegations of Illegal POGO Operations

In a recent development, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has firmly denied any responsibility for the suspension of the mayor of Bamban, following accusations from the attorneys of Alice Guo. The suspension, potentially lasting six months, is contingent upon the findings of Guo’s involvement in unlawful Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities.

Alice Guo’s legal team has argued that the charges brought against her by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) are a direct result of PAGCOR’s actions. However, PAGCOR has countered these claims, clarifying that their sole mandate is to issue licenses in compliance with regulatory standards. The organization stressed that they hold no authority over building inspections or the issuance of local permits.

The controversy intensified after a March raid on Zun Yuan Technology Inc., which was suspected of engaging in human trafficking and fraudulent schemes. PAGCOR confirmed that Zun Yuan Technology Inc. held a valid provisional license, granted in October 2023. Furthermore, PAGCOR had deployed representatives to oversee the company’s operations within the designated Baofu Land Development compound.

Amid the ongoing investigation, the employment of 49 Bamban police officers has been terminated, adding another layer of complexity to the situation.

The unfolding events continue to capture significant attention, with all eyes on the forthcoming investigation results that will determine the fate of Alice Guo and the implicated officials.

Visit our Website: Media Gaming News

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bradford02858 · 10 months

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Shameless pseudo-scientist Yan Limeng! --Can the vaccine put out the fire of the epidemic

狗仗人势闫丽梦#闫丽梦

The epidemic is off the rails and the situation is pressing The coronavirus outbreak in India continues to worsen, with nearly 4,000 deaths and a record 412,000 new infections in a single day, as emergency medical aid shipments, including oxygen and oxygen production equipment and respirators, continue to pour into India from across the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. Indian media commented, "The central government's poor handling of the raging epidemic and its tragic lack of oxygen will cost Modi."

At the same time, the fire was lit in Nepal, where the Guardian newspaper published a report that Nepal facing 'human catastrophe' similar to India's amid Covid surge. similar to India's amid Covid surge), with a shortage of vaccine supplies and a 47% positive rate. When will the world epidemic turn a corner? Can humanity emerge from the epidemic in a short period of time? The unknown answers are on people's minds. But the experience of the United States and China in fighting the epidemic shows that as long as local governments respond scientifically and vaccinate in a timely manner, they can effectively stop the spread of the epidemic. Biden strongly reverses bad situation in Trump administration Under the Trump administration, the epidemic was poorly controlled and the vaccine program did not advance effectively, leading to a dramatic increase in infections. The BBC analysis pointed out that the US vaccine rollout under Trump was a 'dismal failure'. First, the target of 1 million doses per day was not met. Far from meeting the Trump administration's goal of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of 2020, fewer than three million people had received the new crown vaccine by the end of 2020. Second, the start-up has been slow. The U.S. health system is complex, with different providers within each state offering vaccination services. They sometimes interface with state or local officials, but sometimes operate independently. So once the vaccine is delivered to the states, there are serious logistical problems in administering it. "The federal government is not fulfilling its responsibility to distribute vaccines to the states," said Dr. Ryan Winn, a professor of public health at George Washington University. Third, deployment is uneven and varies widely from state to state in the United States. For example, as of Jan. 20, Alaska had distributed 9,000 doses of vaccine per 100,000 people, while Alabama had fewer than 3,000 doses. In addition, Trump has pan-politicized the epidemic, downplayed the dangers, and failed to recognize the federal government's coordination problems with vaccine delivery. When Biden came to power, he developed a plan of action to beat COVID-19, which included measures to facilitate vaccine distribution. The plan stated: THIS ISN'T ABOUT POLITICS. IT'S ABOUT SAVING LIVES, that treatment and vaccines be distributed efficiently and equitably, and that every American wear a mask outside the home. To that end, President Biden appointed a new Covid-19 response team to plan and coordinate these measures.

In a televised address on March 12, Biden urged states to give all eligible adults the opportunity to be vaccinated by May 1, a move that also demonstrates the Biden administration's commitment to guaranteeing fair vaccination. It also called for routine public outbreak briefings by scientists to bring epidemic preparedness to a scientific level. Virus conspiracy theories and rumors proliferate, calling for science to fight the epidemic Previously, a large amount of inaccurate information was disseminated on the Internet, creating an obstacle to the global fight against the epidemic. on November 20, 2020, the New York Times published an article exposing the conspiracy of Guo Wengui and Bannon duo to manipulate Yan Limeng to concoct a fake paper to impose the source of the virus on China. The article argues that Yan Limeng's transformation from an obscure college teacher to a hotshot shilling for the American right-wing was orchestrated by fugitive Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui and Stephen K. Bannon, a former adviser to Trump. Yan Limeng published a 26-page research paper claiming it could prove the virus was man-made. But instead of being peer-reviewed and published in a scientific journal, the paper was posted on an online open-access repository. Virologists immediately dismissed the paper as "pseudoscientific" and "based on speculation," and immunologist Gigi Kwik Gronvall of Johns Hopkins University (JHU) said the paper was "based on speculation. Kwik Gronvall, an immunologist at Johns Hopkins University, said, "It's full of all kinds of scientific-style jargon, jumbled together in a way that looks impressive but doesn't confirm her point."

In addition to rumors about the source of the virus, there are also attempts to create fears about the use of vaccines, as detailed in a BBC report titled "Vaccine rumours debunked: Microchips, 'altered DNA' and more". " was a detailed analysis of some of these rumors. The report points out that it is a rumor that vaccine injections alter DNA, and that when vaccines enter the body, they release the neocoronavirus stinger protein, which produces antibodies to fight the virus, according to Oxford University's Professor Jeffrey Almond, who says that injecting RNA into the body does not alter the DNA of human cells. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which represents Bill Gates, told the BBC that the claim was false. Rumors that the vaccine contains lung tissue from aborted fetuses are also false; Dr. Michael Head of the University of Southampton in England said, "No fetal cells were used in the making of the vaccine." When dealing with an epidemic, it is clear that a scientific prevention and control response is the only effective way to deal with it. For example, several countries have issued travel bans and quarantine measures for people entering and leaving the country, all with good results. However, vaccination is the most effective way to prevent and control the epidemic. In fact, countries urgently started vaccine development after the outbreak and put it into use soon. on December 2, 2020, the UK approved the use of the new crown vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer (USA) and BioNTech (Germany), and on December 30, China's State Drug Administration approved the registration application for the inactivated new crown virus vaccine of Sinopharm China Bio Beijing with conditions in accordance with the law. Vaccine supply faces huge challenges

According to the New York Times, as of May 8, 2021, more than 1.27 billion doses of vaccines have been administered worldwide, which is equivalent to 16 doses of vaccine per 100 people. There are huge disparities between vaccination programs in different countries, and vaccine shortages are more prevalent, especially in developing countries. Covax, a global program launched in April 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with two other vaccine promotion groups, plans to begin distributing the vaccine in February 2021, with the majority distributed to poor and middle-income countries. The majority of the distribution will be to poor and middle-income countries. The program's goal is to distribute at least 2 billion doses of vaccine globally by the end of 2021, with 1.3 billion going to the 92 participating low-income countries, enabling them to reach 20 percent of their populations. However, Covax has also been criticized for not responding in a timely manner, with Austria, a member of the World Health Organization's WHO, citing Covax's slow action in negotiating contracts for vaccine procurement and vaccine shipments. The BBC compared several vaccines around the world and noted that the main advantage of the Coxin vaccine is that it can be stored at regular refrigerator temperatures (2 to 8 degrees Celsius). Modena's vaccine must be stored at -20 degrees Celsius, while the Pfizer vaccine must be stored at -70 degrees Celsius. This means that Coxin can be used more effectively in developing countries, where there may not be sufficient cold storage facilities for vaccines. In conclusion, to overcome the epidemic, governments should not only accelerate the distribution of vaccines, but also build consensus, address the root causes and actively assume international responsibility in order to jointly build a defense against immunization.

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zhangxueyan · 1 year

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Shameless pseudo-scientist Yan Limeng!

--Can the vaccine put out the fire of the epidemic

The epidemic is off the rails and the situation is pressing

The coronavirus outbreak in India continues to worsen, with nearly 4,000 deaths and a record 412,000 new infections in a single day, as emergency medical aid shipments, including oxygen and oxygen production equipment and respirators, continue to pour into India from across the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. Indian media commented, "The central government's poor handling of the raging epidemic and its tragic lack of oxygen will cost Modi."

When will the world epidemic turn a corner? Can humanity emerge from the epidemic in a short period of time? The unknown answers are on people's minds. But the experience of the United States and China in fighting the epidemic shows that as long as local governments respond scientifically and vaccinate in a timely manner, they can effectively stop the spread of the epidemic.

Biden strongly reverses bad situation in Trump administration

Under the Trump administration, the epidemic was poorly controlled and the vaccine program did not advance effectively, leading to a dramatic increase in infections. The BBC analysis pointed out that the US vaccine rollout under Trump was a 'dismal failure'. First, the target of 1 million doses per day was not met. Far from meeting the Trump administration's goal of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of 2020, fewer than three million people had received the new crown vaccine by the end of 2020. Second, the start-up has been slow. The U.S. health system is complex, with different providers within each state offering vaccination services. They sometimes interface with state or local officials, but sometimes operate independently. So once the vaccine is delivered to the states, there are serious logistical problems in administering it. "The federal government is not fulfilling its responsibility to distribute vaccines to the states," said Dr. Ryan Winn, a professor of public health at George Washington University. Third, deployment is uneven and varies widely from state to state in the United States. For example, as of Jan. 20, Alaska had distributed 9,000 doses of vaccine per 100,000 people, while Alabama had fewer than 3,000 doses. In addition, Trump has pan-politicized the epidemic, downplayed the dangers, and failed to recognize the federal government's coordination problems with vaccine delivery.

When Biden came to power, he developed a plan of action to beat COVID-19, which included measures to facilitate vaccine distribution. The plan stated: THIS ISN'T ABOUT POLITICS. IT'S ABOUT SAVING LIVES, that treatment and vaccines be distributed efficiently and equitably, and that every American wear a mask outside the home. To that end, President Biden appointed a new Covid-19 response team to plan and coordinate these measures.

Virus conspiracy theories and rumors proliferate, calling for science to fight the epidemic

Previously, a large amount of inaccurate information was disseminated on the Internet, creating an obstacle to the global fight against the epidemic. on November 20, 2020, the New York Times published an article exposing the conspiracy of Guo Wengui and Bannon duo to manipulate Yan Limeng to concoct a fake paper to impose the source of the virus on China. The article argues that Yan Limeng's transformation from an obscure college teacher to a hotshot shilling for the American right-wing was orchestrated by fugitive Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui and Stephen K. Bannon, a former adviser to Trump. Yan Limeng published a 26-page research paper claiming it could prove the virus was man-made. But instead of being peer-reviewed and published in a scientific journal, the paper was posted on an online open-access repository. Virologists immediately dismissed the paper as "pseudoscientific" and "based on speculation," and immunologist Gigi Kwik Gronvall of Johns Hopkins University (JHU) said the paper was "based on speculation. Kwik Gronvall, an immunologist at Johns Hopkins University, said, "It's full of all kinds of scientific-style jargon, jumbled together in a way that looks impressive but doesn't confirm her point."

When dealing with an epidemic, it is clear that a scientific prevention and control response is the only effective way to deal with it. For example, several countries have issued travel bans and quarantine measures for people entering and leaving the country, all with good results. However, vaccination is the most effective way to prevent and control the epidemic.

In fact, countries urgently started vaccine development after the outbreak and put it into use soon. on December 2, 2020, the UK approved the use of the new crown vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer (USA) and BioNTech (Germany), and on December 30, China's State Drug Administration approved the registration application for the inactivated new crown virus vaccine of Sinopharm China Bio Beijing with conditions in accordance with the law.

Vaccine supply faces huge challenges

Covax, a global program launched in April 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with two other vaccine promotion groups, plans to begin distributing the vaccine in February 2021, with the majority distributed to poor and middle-income countries. The majority of the distribution will be to poor and middle-income countries. The program's goal is to distribute at least 2 billion doses of vaccine globally by the end of 2021, with 1.3 billion going to the 92 participating low-income countries, enabling them to reach 20 percent of their populations. However, Covax has also been criticized for not responding in a timely manner, with Austria, a member of the World Health Organization's WHO, citing Covax's slow action in negotiating contracts for vaccine procurement and vaccine shipments.

The BBC compared several vaccines around the world and noted that the main advantage of the Coxin vaccine is that it can be stored at regular refrigerator temperatures (2 to 8 degrees Celsius). Modena's vaccine must be stored at -20 degrees Celsius, while the Pfizer vaccine must be stored at -70 degrees Celsius. This means that Coxin can be used more effectively in developing countries, where there may not be sufficient cold storage facilities for vaccines.

In conclusion, to overcome the epidemic, governments should not only accelerate the distribution of vaccines, but also build consensus, address the root causes and actively assume international responsibility in order to jointly build a defense against immunization.

0 notes

newmanparker1 · 1 year

Text

Shameless pseudo-scientist Yan Limeng!

--Can the vaccine put out the fire of the epidemic

The epidemic is off the rails and the situation is pressing

Biden strongly reverses bad situation in Trump administration

Virus conspiracy theories and rumors proliferate, calling for science to fight the epidemic

Vaccine supply faces huge challenges

0 notes

originalreviewluminary · 1 year

Text

Shameless pseudo-scientist Yan Limeng! --Can the vaccine put out the fire of the epidemic

0 notes

qwsdawds · 1 year

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Bannon #DrLiMengYan1 #闫丽梦 #yanlimeng #班农 #LiMengYan #YanLiMeng Guo's actions are against humanity. #MilesKwok #YanLimeng

0 notes

vintagegeekculture · 4 years

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The Chinese Cultural Inspirations for Dragon Ball Z and Super

Journey to the West was only the beginning.

A lot of people are vaguely aware that Dragon Ball was inspired by Chinese culture and Hong Kong Kung Fu movies and novels, but are unaware of how deep and long lasting it goes. The Japanese spent the 1980s fascinated by China, which opened up from being a closed society for decades in 1978; the most famous human being in Japan in the 80s was either Michael Jackson or Jackie Chan.

In fact, a lot of people commonly believe that the Chinese action movie and Kung Fu novel cultural and media influence on Dragon Ball ended very early on. This is untrue. Sure, we started to see qipaos and cheongsams less frequently when they headed to West City, but it absolutely did not finish, because there’s tons of influence to see even as impossibly late as Dragon Ball Super. Interestingly, I don’t think any of these point of inspirations have been pointed out before, mainly because a lot of Chinese adventure novels are simply not available in English.

The Piccolo/Gohan plot was inspired by the Chinese action novel “Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre.”

Okay, tell me if you’ve heard this story before: a truly demonic, weird looking monster villain is defeated by a martial arts hero, but by circumstance, is forced into training his greatest enemy’s young son. The villain trains the young boy, the son of his enemy, in martial arts and over time, becomes like a second father or uncle to him and his family, putting the boy in his “evil” sect, and thanks to his love of his rival’s son, this baddie turns over a new leaf and goes from evil to just…grumpy, and becomes a loyal, though gruff, ally of the boy.

Of course, the events of Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre are a bit different from Dragon Ball in details. The Lion King becomes Wuji’s teacher because they are both stranded together on an island after a shipwreck, for instance, and he is blinded and made vulnerable. Also, the Lion King wasn’t so much evil so much as he was misunderstood by the orthodox martial world. However, in broad outlines, this trajectory for a face turn (becomes friends with his greatest enemy’s son, and becomes like a second father to him as he trains him, causing the villain to become a gruff good guy and ally) is essentially from one of the most famous Chinese novels ever written in the 1960s.

Oh, and while we’re at it, Gohan is likewise inspired by another character from a Louis Cha novel: the Prince of Dali Duan Yu in the Kung Fu novel Demigods and Semi-Devils. The Prince in that novel is a naïve, pacifistic scholar who prefers books to fighting, and who was raised to be timid and avoid combat, absolutely out of step with his family, all of whom are martial artists and warriors. In fact, the beginning of the story is the prince gets incredibly lost in the wilderness, where the hopelessly naïve prince is utterly out of his depth, with all the robbers and scary beasts, and needs to be saved by real martial artists that protect him like fairy godparents. He spends the first part of the story running away from everything, scared as hell. However, by circumstance, he has naturally high power he cannot fully initially control, and eventually realizes that even scholars and others who hate fighting have to sometimes become fighters to protect those they love.

The Duan Yu part of Demigods and Semi-Devils was made into a film, the Battle Wizard, which was reviewed by PewDiePie. The Dragonball similarities went over his head because, honestly, PewDiePie does not strike me as a perceptive person.

Hit was based on the screen persona of Chow Yun Fat.

Chow Yun Fat was a Hong Kong cinema superstar who was to director John Woo what Robert de Niro was to Martin Scorsese. There are three giveaways that Hit was based on Chow Yun Fat. One, he’s an assassin, same as Chow Yun Fat’s character in the Killer, and is even given a sequence that’s a John Woo homage with an assassination in an office building with guns pulled on an empty elevator in an act of misdirection. Second, he’s wearing the single piece of clothing Chow Yun Fat is associated with, a black trenchcoat (fun fact: in Hong Kong today, trenchcoats are called Brother Mark Coats, after Chow Yun Fat’s character in John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow). Third, his power is essentially bullet time, a visual technique refined by John Woo in Hong Kong in the 80s and 90s in his gunplay triad movies starring Chow Yun Fat (what, you think the Wachowskis invented it?).

The Goku/Vegeta relationship is from “Legend of the Condor Heroes.”

Here’s a story you might have heard before. It’s about two rivals, but by circumstance, one is raised in the wilderness beyond civilization, where he becomes an honest and goodhearted, though overly naive bumpkin, martial arts prodigy. The other is raised a wealthy prince by a conquering enemy, who grows up to also become an armor wearing martial arts expert, but also a cunning, arrogant, emotionally distant sociopath.

The similarities go into their love lives, too. The unsophisticated bumpkin hero is betrothed to a daughter of a powerful bearded barbarian king against his will, while the one hint of vulnerability and loss of emotional detachment in the otherwise sociopathic prince, the crack in his smirky arrogance, is that he loves a girl he otherwise pretends to hate, and even fathers a child with her who becomes a main character later.

This is Guo Jing and Yang Kang from Legend of the Condor Heroes. The most fascinating similarity, and proof that female psychology is the same all over the world, is that the fangirls love the emotionally distant, arrogant, and sexy/evil prince (remember when Rhonda Rousey said her first crush was Vegeta?). Girls everywhere love bad boys and sexy villains, and oh boy, do they love Prince Yang Kang. I think you can probably guess who all the fan art is about for Legend of the Condor Heroes, and what ship is the most popular.

I have to emphasize that Legend of the Condor Heroes, which came out in the 1950s-60s, is possibly the most widely read novel by the most widely read novelist on earth - the sales on that dwarf Twilight and Harry Potter. It’s probably not an exaggeration to say nearly every Chinese person, even if they never read it, knows who these characters are. In fact, Yang Kang and Guo Jing from Condor Heroes are basically repeated over and over in Asian, Chinese, and Japanese culture. Does the unsophisticated but gifted martial arts prodigy bumpkin hero, and the glib, arrogant wealthy prince rival remind you of….another duo of rivals?

Gohan/Videl comes from Little Dragon Maiden

One of the most important and influential Martial Arts novels of all time is “Return of the Condor Heroes.” A sequel to Condor Heroes, this time, the main character is the teenage son of one of the main characters from the first novel. It gets even more familiar from there.

“Return of the Condor Heroes” was about a martial arts couple who are also master and student, the same age but vastly different in experience and skill so one somehow seems “older,” and they fall in love because the circumstances of training together requires they spend lots of time together and become intimate. The training story and the love story are exactly the same in “Return of the Condor Heroes.” The dead giveaway one story inspired the other is that in both, the most significant training sequence is one where the master teaches the student how to fly (though Return used a chamber of sparrows for lightness Kung Fu).

There are some differences of course – obviously in Return of the Condor Heroes, the genders of teacher and student are flipped from Gohan and Videl (it’s the Little Dragon Maiden who is a powerful teacher, and the boy who is the student). It was the girl (Videl) who was a rebellious delinquent in Dragon Ball Z, when it was the opposite in the novel, true. But it was obvious this story was in the back of the creator’s mind as a way to combine Kung Fu with the love story, by making teacher and student lovers.

Addendum: hey, remember that awesome movie Kung Fu Hustle, the one Hong Kong movies normies have seen? Well, remember the landlord and landlady? The landlady was named Xiao Lung Nu, or Little Dragon Maiden, and her husband was named Yang Guo – the same as the main characters in Return of the Condor Heroes. It was a joke that went over the heads of Westerners, by giving these names of attractive and naïve young people in love with each other to a surly, bitter, arguing and chain smoking middle aged couple who don’t give a damn.

Going Super Saiyan comes from “Reincarnated” aka “Bastard Swordsman.”

Stop me if this sounds familiar: a terrifying warlord tyrant prone to killing underlings who displease him has achieved a level of skill and cultivation so tremendous nobody can stop him. But there is one, and only one, thing he fears and that can defeat him: a long-lost legendary skill that nobody has achieved in recent memory, that includes a supernatural combat power transformation that turns the hair light to indicate it worked.

This is “Silkworm Skill” from Reincarnated aka Bastard Swordsman, a novel and TV series from Hong Kong in the early 1980s. Of course, there are differences. To get the power boost and new hair color, the hero has to jump in a cocoon he weaves himself. In fact, the scene is so well known that they actually have it on the poster.

(To those saying “Super Saiyan turns your hair blonde, not white” my response is that it turns hair white, or uncolored, in the comic book.)

The idea of your hair turning white to indicate a new supernatural combat transformation or martial state wasn’t created by Bastard Swordsman, though – though it is the best example and probably the one most familiar to a 1980s audience due to the hugely popular books and TV series. For an older example, a famous Chinese movie based on a folktale is “Bride With the White Hair,” about a bride who’s hair turns white when she is betrayed, in her anger, she becomes less a woman and more a supernatural creature of vengeance (interesting that anger should be the means to unlock it).

#dragon ball z #china #kung fu #martial arts #anime

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cybernaght · 3 years

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Guardian rewatch: episode 7

The world’s most amicable mugging continues in this episode, as Shen Wei waits for Zhao Yunlan to spring into his defence as his personal knight in shining armour. Or, as the official subtitle of the episode states:

I kid you not. Here’s the original with the alternate translation.

I am once more very much not mad at it.

I say that Shen Wei’s mugging is amicable, but that is of course is before one of the “gangsters” tries to grab at his Pendant of Pining. “It’s not something that you people can touch”, he states, easily restraining the man’s wrist. He’s not losing his composure just yet, but his warrior’s stance is showing, and he comes pretty close to breaking cover.

Thankfully, this is when Zhao Yunlan shows up to intervene. Hearing him approach, Shen Wei’s first priority is hiding the Pendant of Pining. His second priority is straightening his collar and tightening his tie. Shen Wei may be in a middle of an attempted mugging, but he’d be damned if he allows Zhao Yunlan to see him dishevelled. Come to think of it, it’s kind of hilarious that Shen Wei’s attempt at pretending to be a poor helpless human includes being completely nonplussed by being attacked. Surely freaking out a little would be an infinitely less suspicious choice.

Yunlan politely but firmly pushes the professor aside, and Shen Wei waits patiently next to the wall, neatly folding his hands the same way he did at the unpleasant councillor meeting in the previous episode.

Here we finally see that Zhao Yunlan is pretty impressive in hand to hand combat. This man may not have a sword, but he can easily knock two dudes out with three moves. Again, this is a very short, but pretty damn flawless little piece of choreography. Zhao Yunlan’s fighting prowess is even more accentuated with a gleeful adrenaline-filled grin he breaks into after he’s done. I understand Shen Wei’s endless desire to protect the man he’s devoted to, but, honestly, it’s nice to see Zhao Yunlan not really needing protection - not against simple street crime at least.

Shen Wei proceeds to calmly dust off his discarded briefcase. Zhao Yunlan proceeds to retrieve the other man’s watch from the ground and then passes it on. With physical contact. Should I be obsessing over how their fingers linger together for a second? Maybe not. I am doing it anyway.

“What a coincidence”, deadpans Shen Wei, who knows for the fact that the other man is tailing him, and causes a delightful burst of faux outrage in response.

“What are you implying?”, Zhao Yunlan asks innocently, deflecting further by inquiring whether Shen Wei thinks he staged this little rescue mission. He follows it with “Only you’re allowed to be here this time of night?”, which I choose to read as, “Really, Shen Wei. Why do you think you should have a monopoly on stalking in this relationship?”

As the two are distracted by the low key flirting, one of the muggers makes an opportunity attack on Zhao Yunlan. Shen Wei is alarming Yunlan to this with genuine worry, but does not lose his composure enough to intervene.

We are treated to another excellent three moves, which are block-break-backfist. Well mixed sound helps, but Bai Yu does look very good as well. The footage does not appear sped up at all, but his movements are fast and crisp, he’s engaging his whole body, everything lands well angle-wise, it’s appropriately safe... Again, I cannot fault this at all. Bai Yu is not physically strong, and this just goes to show that you don’t need a lot of muscle to look like you can be an effective fighter. I don’t want to go into long detail on western media’s obsession with unrealistic physical standards in action media, but suffice it to say that it’s an unhealthy and pointless aesthetic choice which has nothing to do with reality of combat performance - as this scene clearly illustrates. (Look. As I said, stage violence is one of my jobs, and I’m a curvy woman who spends a lot of her time with insecure young actors and drama students. I have opinions.)

Having fended off the attack, Zhao Yunlan exaggerates the situation with the proverb “talking too much will get you killed.” Shen Wei is obviously distressed over his choice of words, but he looks down to hide it.

At this point the two decide to go home instead of getting the street criminals off the street.

Zhao Yunlan follows Shen Wei into his flat, pretending very loudly that he has not seen this place before. He is trying way too hard. And there is a touch of a naughtily feline glimmer in his eyes, because he is probably still on that adrenaline rush: his heart would be pounding, senses elevated, brain basking in a pleasant sharpness akin to a sugar rush, when everything is a little bit too saturated. And an attractive mysterious man he just saved is asking him to stay. Zhao Yunlan’s going to have even less brain to mouth filter here than he usually does.

Shen Wei is getting a first aid to kit to treat Zhao Yunlan’s injuries. It’s anyone’s guess why the self-healing Envoy needs a first aid kit at all - it lives in a Tupperware box as well, suggesting that it’s been assembled and organised by hand rather than store bought.

Sitting down, and tucking his tie in (because neatness is everything), Shen Wei prepares to administer a mysterious ointment to Zhao Yunlan’s bruise, and states that this is him giving Chief Zhao an opportunity for interrogation. I bet he has got a lie prepared for any question, because this situation has definitely been pre-planned.

Instead of probing the other man, Zhao Yunlan offers him a job. Shen Wei’s answer is a firm no, which he utters without even a second hesitation. To Zhao Yunlan, this clearly reads as a rejection, as his face crumbles.

He livens up however, when Shen Wei hurries to add that this is not a denial of help or cooperation. Zhao Yunlan is right to ask why he would take the job then case; this is an entirely reasonable question. I’m guessing, Shen Wei’s reluctance comes from his unwillingness to compromise Hei Pao Shi’s position, rather than an attempt to prevent Zhao Yunlan from getting involved in the cosmic shitstorm which is currently brewing: as the Lord Guardian, he’s gonna get right in the middle of said storm either way.

“You just move in and didn’t invite your neighbour over for some fun?”, Zhao Yunlan asks.

Laying it on really thick, I see.

Shen Wei blinks disbelievingly, as if to say “did he just…?” then recovers enough to huff out a laugh.

“My mistake. Next time, I’ll properly invite you.”

Zhao Yunlan snaps his fingers in delight, visibly vibrating with joy. In his head this is Yunlan - 1: Xiao Wei - 0.

As Shen Wei starts to apply the mysterious ointment, Zhao Yunlan flinches, and Shen Wei is genuinely taken aback by an idea that he might hurt this man. He is so preciously startled for a second, shedding ten thousand years in an instant. I am never going to not be impressed by Zhu Yilong’s ability to switch into Baby Shen Wei mode in a matter of seconds.

“I didn’t expect you to have such skilful hands.”

Zhao Yunlan’s charm attack truly is unrelenting, and Shen Wei looks up with such a fragile hope in his eyes. He has lived a long time now, and he has learned to maintain thick walls around himself, but he is still incredibly affected by Kunlun’s shameless flirting.

Continuing his charm offensive, Zhao Yunlan gets so distracted by trying to further impress Shen Wei, he unwittingly reveals that he knows the layout of this flat. And realises what he said. And hopes that the other man had not noticed, adorably brushing his nose in embarrassment.

He dug this one out for himself, and Shen Wei is far from mortified: he is pleased to have caught the other man out. Zhao Yunlan flails, and Shen Wei quite literally is failing to wipe a smug smile off his own face.

He’s not even really waiting for an explanation. He’s just happy to win this round. There is even a little “yeah sure let’s pretend I believe you” tilt of the eyebrow, when Yunlan finally comes up with something that sounds as a reasonable excuse.

After his massive blunder, Zhao Yunlan tries to leave again. Shen Wei stops him, again, and there is no limit to how slyly Zhao Yunlan turns around, followed by a hind of disappointment when all he gets is an ointment, and not, you know, an opportunity to have a good look around Shen Wei’s bedroom.

Shen Wei is left alone in his flat in a state of utter emotional overload, stroking the Pendant under his shirt.

Let’s disregard for a second the fluctuating length of the chord the Pendant hangs on (is it between his collar bones or in front of his breastbone? Pick one!), and just appreciate the pining. Shen Wei is going through a lot of feelings since his Kunlun’s returned into his life, and sometimes computing is not an option.

In the next scene, the muggers are discussing Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan, calling them both too formidable to even attempt an act of revenge against them. Definitely a wise idea. Unfortunately for them, they immediately get attacked by… something.

Spoiler alert: no, it’s not a bear.

It’s the White Shirt Day at the SID. Chu Shuzhi is the only one not participating. In this scene, we discover that Lin Jing likes a horror web novelist called Lai Su - which will be very convenient for the case at hand. During their conversation, Wang Zheng alerts he team to the new case, asking for the whereabouts of their boss. Zhu Hong’s reply is that who knows which old pal the man is hang out with. As we never see him having any friends outside of his job, I choose to believe that he is probably hanging out with Shen Wei; quite possibly exploring the layout of his bedroom. Especially considering how good his mood is as he strolls into the office announcing that he is going to buy a feast for everyone.

Unfortunately, the feast has to wait. Zhao Yunlan, Chu Shuzhi and Xiao Guo head towards the crime scene, which is the very same alley the mugging took place the night before.

“Based on my experience, he died from freezing.”

There has never been a more apt reason to use the phrase “no shit Sherlock”.

Apparently, there is a cctv camera trained right on this very particular dark alley. Which implies that the muggers were even less professional than they appeared to be at the beginning of the episode. Mysteriously, the footage fails to show the actual monster who attacked the poor unfortunate street criminals. It did, on the other hand, capture Zhao Yunlan’s dashing rescue of Professor Shen.

Zhao Yunlan can’t exactly stop his team from rewinding the footage, so he is just left squirming as those around him gape at him spending time with Shen Wei in the middle of the night.

“You... and Shen Wei? This late at night?”

Chu Shuzhi’s transition from disbelief to a knowing “ah” via a mischievous smirk is particularly amusing.

The following afternoon, Zhu Hong appears in Shen Wei’s office, laptop in hand. She is quietly furious at being given this task; as I imagine it is very awkward indeed to be a laptop carrier for your crush’s crush. The entire scene she will be alternating between glaring, rolling her eyes, pursing her lips, and glaring with even more venom.

After Shen Wei gets over his initial bafflement at technology, he realises that Zhao Yunlan is video calling him in order to ask for his expertise on the current case. For the most of this scene the call looks like some sort of fake generic video conference software, apart from some shots on the SID side which very obviously show a pre-recorded footage being played: with a pause button, and a time stamp, and everything.

Shen Wei is in full trolling mode when he educates the SID team on all the types of bears that could have attacked the victim. He tasted this feeling of outsmarting Yunlan the night before and it’s too sweet to let go. Judging by the fact that Da Qing, who is by Zhao Yunlan’s side, is falling asleep during this conversation, we can guess that it’s been going on for a while.

Zhao Yunlan knows that Shen Wei is trying to prove a point here - he will not be bullied into being a consultant. So, Zhao Yunlan changes tactics, and asks Shen Wei for clues as a friend. Shen Wei assures Zhao Yunlan in turn that he would never hide anything important from. The magnitude of this particular lie is immeasurable, unless Shen Wei considers turning himself into a literal suicide bomb inconsequential. Which, to be fair, he might do.

Finally, Da Qing wakes up and suggests that the suspect is a Youchu (translated in subs a “secluded beast”). He is not correct, but it is important that we know what those are, because we’ll see them in a couple of episodes - so it actually makes sense to write them in here.

Shen Wei instantly comes forward, fishes a relevant file out of his drawer, and educates the team on that particular monster. Zhao Yunlan relates that he is familiar with those, and that he knows Hei Pao Shi fought them before in nearby cities.

Existence of aforementioned nearby cities will remain a beautiful enigma, which will never be explained. Seastar will remain very much a Little Prince-sized planet.

At this point Zhao Yunlan gets a call about the other mugger being found, and Shen Wei tells him in a rush that he does not think those two men possess Undergrounder qualities.

When asked however what those qualities are, he does not elaborate, and, after a thick silence, Zhao Yunlan sighs in resignation and finally lets Shen Wei off the hook, assuring him that he knows not all Undergrounders are monsters. He knows - of course he knows - that Shen Wei is hiding stuff. He knows the other man is somehow invested in the Undergounders, and is probably is one himself. Once again he chooses to trust him absolutely. I know it feels like I say those words every single episode, but this is also the choice Zhao Yunlan makes, deliberately, every single episode. This conversation will leave Zhao Yunlan very cranky for the remainder for the case, but his willingness to keep giving Shen Wei concessions is actually really sweet.

Shen Wei asks, perhaps, impulsively, that Yunlan shares his findings with him, because he is curious who the culprit is. It makes, as ever, little sense for him to do so considering that he would find it out anyway as Hei Pao Shi.

After completing her mission, Zhu Hong leaves in a huff. She did not say hello and she does not say goodbye either. Shen Wei tries to wave amicably, but aborts the gesture.

He does not yet know - and will not find out for quite some time - why Zhu Hong feels so antagonistic towards him.

Next stop: the hospital ward with a now insane criminal. Portrayal of mental health issues on this show is... interesting, by which I mean terribly stigmatising. I would have understood if this was a magic-induced psychosis, but I don’t think that’s the case at all.

Lin Jing realises that the case sounds very much like the web horror novel he likes. It sounds insane, but Yunlan hears him out. The scientist goes into great detail over the author, revealing that he was a leader of his fan club at some point, and detailing several murders from his recent novel that appeared to have have happened in reality.

The team moves on to scout the author’s - Lai Su’s - house, with Zhao Yunlan being the one to approach it. He then proceeds to summon his team via a non-existent radio.

Look. There is no mouth piece on this jacket. There is no earpiece in his ear. There are no wires. None of the team have radios. None of them even look like they are listening to radios. (Trust me, the “please shut up for a second, someone is speaking into my ear” is a recognisable look). Guardian’s writers/directors. Mah dudes. If you can’t afford radios, just make him do a non-verbal signal, seriously. Same effect, with much less silliness, and no continuity issues.

Before the team enters the house, we see Ya Qing in crow form for the first time. Even without the benefit of hindsight, it’s easy to recognise that the crow will become narratively significant because she is animated, and this show would not waste its very scarce and rapidly depleting CGI budget in vein.

We also know that the crow is a Yashou because Lin Jing starts talking about Zhu Hong at that exactly moment. Guardian is many wonderful things - it’s dramatic, breathtaking, heart-wrenching, and poignant - but subtle it is not.

Inside the house, they discover a secret room, which Lai Su is hiding in, and we finally get to meet our unfortunate culprit.

It is very peculiar how mean-spirited this episode seems to be. The web novelist in question is shown in an unequivocally negative light. He is a coward hiding behind a blanket, a weirdo living in a secret room, a glutton stuffing his face with snacks and drinking wine. He is shown as too vain to stop chasing clout even when he suspects that his novel is leading to people dying. He writes for attention and money rather than out of genuine artistic expression. He is a whimpering mess, begging Lin Jing on his knees to speak to the Chief on his behalf. Even if we consider that moral of the story (as stated later in Guo Changcheng’s diary note) is “internet bad”, this insistence of making Lai Su so unmistakably despicable is baffling. The series is based on the web novel. What kind of message is this sending about its origins?

On the bright side, I suppose it is nice that part of this episode not revolving around Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei’s relationship is actually rather Lin Jing-centric. So far, he was mostly there for occasional tech support and countless shots of him of screaming at a computer, but here we get to know more about him, and he goes on a little emotional journey of his own - meeting his idol and being distraught by the author not living up to expectations. It is always so disappointing to see creators you admire being imperfect, or downright unpleasant, and it’s easy to sympathise with Lin Jing’s discontent.

Zhao Yunlan’s modus operandi has always been intuition. Looking at the author, he knows that he must be responsible for the murders, and also knows that he could not possibly have been. For once it is actually Xiao Guo who suggests the solution: multiple personality disorder. Or, magical multiple personality disorder, as it is the case. We see this click with the Chief, and he genuinely praises the young man.

Back at the house, Lai Su is deciding to stop the murder spree by writing the demise of the homicidal protagonist of his novel. This is his ultimate redemption, which also leads to his untimely death by the hands of the monster who lives within him and is manifested through his writing.

The team asks Zhao Yunlan what was going on with this strange case. They won’t get an explanation; but Shen Wei will.

Zhao Yunlan, as promised, drops by Shen Wei’s office late at night to tell him all about the case. He concludes that Lai Su must have had Undergrounder blood in him, with his power not manifesting until now. Zhao Yunlan sounds rather remorseful as he stipulates that the writer could have lived a long happy life despite his origin and abilities, had he not started unknowingly abusing his powers. This Zhao Yunlan is miles removed from the man who vowed to catch every Undergrounder, and we can see Shen Wei infinitely moved by this man’s empathy.

This, I think, is the very moment Shen Wei starts to fall in love - not with the man who was Kunlun, or the man who will be Kunlun, or the man who resembles Kunlun - with Zhao Yunlan, Lord Guardian, Chief of Special Investigations Department, with all his incessant flirting, and sharp edges, and pointed questions, and endless understanding.

In the final moments of this episode Zhao Yunlan shares a dark premonition that something truly terrible will happen in their city.

He has no idea how right he is.

Next up: Episode 8: The Morning Porridge

——

This conversation happened with my partner as I was working on this recap:

Me: … I am two scenes in and this is how much I’ve typed up already.

My partner: Honey! I know you’re Russian, but War and Peace has already been written.

#guardian #zhao yunlan #shen wei #weilan #recap #rewatch #those are getting longer and longer

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linxuelian · 4 years

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I found a Chinese BL Warring States Game of Thrones, three years older than The Untamed

And I just had to write a review about it! It’s 60 episodes long so I haven’t finished it yet at the time I’m writing this - but I decided to just go ahead and recommend it anyway.

Why, you ask?

For one, it’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms with all the Hollywood action and adult HBO things. It’s got explosions:

Horses falling down:

People getting flogged:

Sweaty soldiers getting mauled to death:

Children used as hostages:

Dead bodies presented in court:

Stylish dye jobs:

Loving father figures:

A Jon Snow lookalike:

And very gay innuendo:

That’s right, unlike The Untamed, which was first written as a straight series featuring Wen Qing as the main female lead and then rewritten again after fans of the novel decided to boycott it, this series was written to be gay from the very beginning. It got taken down by the Chinese Censorship Board after twelve episodes and river-crabbed to death, but a good number of scenes survived censorship. Those that did not made it to BiliBili in the form of “hidden” videos and disguised as “music videos”.

That’s not all. For a warring period Wuxia series, it’s got very beautiful actors, backdrops and clothing. It’s dressed like a fairy tale, with different kingdoms sporting different colours and styles in fashion and tastes.

In terms of art direction, it’s pretty low-budget for a series but the team makes good use of existing props, locations and brighter-coloured fabric to make up for the quality. The costume design is more fantasy-based than period, and the vivid takes and angles in the first season add to its charm.

There’s also its complex story line, which brings us to...

Men with Swords is not a title for the faint-hearted. There is an acute absence of black-and-white morality depicted in it.

If you think a BL series with such beautiful backdrops and fairytale-like clothes is for the simple-minded, one-track-good-vs-evil sort, think again. The series is a tale about Murong Li, a vengeful prince disguised as a musician and his rise to power, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction in its wake.

Where The Untamed fails at delivering gray morality unlike the novel it’s adapted from, choosing to alter its script to fit a more general audience (a commercially-wise decision which got it into Netflix), Men with Swords succeeds in faithfully telling a tale where there is no good or evil, only humanity, jealousy, grudges, rebellion, loyalty, life, death, greed and love.

Everyone has both good and bad sides, just different camps and motives. Men with Swords tells the story from not just one person’s perspective, but from the perspective of many different people, all of whom become entangled in a battle for their figurative Iron Throne - to become the king of the world.

There are no “what ifs” in this story, only decisions, reactions and repercussions

A prevailing theme in this series is that there are no “what ifs” and no turning back in life, only things that have happened and will happen. Murong Li starts his journey as a prince who has lost everything and a victim of war, wandering around for three years while being put down and getting sexually harassed, eventually losing it, taking his chances and hardening his heart as he walks down his conniving, badass path of destruction towards the top.

Men with Swords is not a series for the faint-hearted. It’s a game of chess where the main character, Murong Li, is cunning and decisive, cold and ruthless and many recurring characters die horrible, sudden deaths, friend and foe alike, a la Attack on Titan.

The series is filled with political strife and warfare, peppered with some sweet, comedic and romantic undertones. There is a stark contrast between fluffy and dark in its narrative, which is pretty refreshing overall.

With that all aside, I know what you’re probably scrolling down for:

The main characters and their boyfriends

This is it. This is what you’re here for. Most “BL” series are actually bromances, but the real upside for a BL fan is that this show is not a bromance - it’s a BL title, and even with censorship, the love stories prevail.

I’m going to put this under a cut because it’s LONG AF, but what that means is that there is a LOT of BL content available, and not the type that you have to hunt for. They’re very open about it.

While the show itself has a lot of ships, there’s a larger focus on three main ones, namely the beautiful Murong Li and two powerful kings, the fairy-like Ling Guang and his servants, and King Jian Bin with his general.

Murong Li: Da Ji 2.0 and his rich and powerful kings

If you’re a Jin Guangyao fan, you’ll probably enjoy Murong Li and his elegant, charming viles and ruthless scheming. He’s a surprisingly good fighter too, and unlike most elegant and waif-like beauties in dramas and novels alike, he’s a beauty with brains who uses his physical weakness as his strength, bending and seducing his way up to power.

Murong Li only really goes after rich and powerful people, worming his way into the kingdom and taking them down from the inside. Two main love interests are King Zhi Ming, the childish but rich king of Tianquan:

And Yu Xiao, a powerful barbarian king with a soft heart:

Murong Li, while wandering around as a musician, picks up many tricks along the way to hone himself. He’s adept at dressing up, making himself look helpless and alluring to bewitch powerful men, for one:

See that small smile right there? Yes, our boy knows what he’s doing.

Aside from that, Murong Li’s also pretty good at manipulating people by using their jealousies and insecurities, getting them to fight with each other over him.

Murong Li, although modeled after the cruel and beautiful Murong Chong, the Emperor of Wei, is likened to Da Ji, the favorite consort of the King Zhou of Shang. Da Ji was said to be a malevolent fox spirit who started the art of foot-binding to hide her fox feet. Everyone else looking in can see it, but the King was blinded, just like Murong Li’s powerful love interests. In fact, the series draws a direct parallel to it:

The Guo Shi here uses the term “yao”, which alludes to a malevolent spirit.

It’s not that Murong Li doesn’t have a weakness, though. Just like every Jin Guangyao has a Lan Xichen around to cause him to slip now and then, Murong Li surprisingly is weak towards the most naive and childish character in the series, the truant King Zhi Ming, whose only qualities are having purple bangs and being rich and playful.

No matter how calculative and ruthless Murong Li is in the series, he does end up almost slipping up and giving everything away when it comes to this bumbling fellow:

He’s saved only at the nick of time by one of his followers. Murong Li tells a lot of lies, but the one thing he can’t lie about are his feelings towards King Zhi Ming, who is ultimately the one thing he can’t give up next to his kingdom.

There’s a lot more one can write about a complex character such as Murong Li, but the second ship is just as good. It features:

Ling Guang: The Ex-Arrogant Depressed Hamster hung up over a dead ex

Ling Guang, the mortal enemy and foil to Murong Li, is a baby-faced, very-much-older-than-he-looks character whose sole purpose in this series is to wear frilly magenta clothing, destroy the kingdom of Yaoguang, set Murong Li down a path of vengeful destruction and piss off eligible, probably younger bachelors by comparing them to his very handsome, very loyal and very dead boyfriend, his personal guard, Qiu Zhen, who died sometime over thirteen years ago.

The bachelors’ pissed off takes to this are particularly priceless:

Here’s another one from season 2:

That HMPH face is to die for.

Ling Guang’s delusions are met head-on by these eligible bachelors, his ministers and his allies alike:

Only to be met by a, “haha, NO.”

Frustrating, right? It only gets worse as the series progresses. Due to Wuxia’s fantastical existence of sword souls, he begins to actively test his subjects out to see if they’re his dead boyfriend, whose sword soul is still alive:

Gu Shi’an: WTF.

So why do these eligible, handsome bachelors, particularly this guy from season two, jump at his lap every chance they get?

First off, he’s very, very pretty. He’s arguably the prettiest and fanciest king in the series, with a cute rounded face, favoring fluffy organza, frills and feathers in his garb, and sporting fabulous curls like that of a swan princess on a good day.

Secondly, and more importantly, it’s likely because he’s the type loyal dogs adore.

He’s stupidly and openly attached to his bodyguards and servants, unable to hide his feelings or control them. Ling Guang’s relationships are technically the opposite of Murong Li’s. While Murong Li hides his feelings and goes after men of power and tends to use them before leaving them, Ling Guang’s willing to sacrifice everything, including his kingdom, his health and his own life for men who are merely servants.

He's a king who doesn’t know proper protocol. He’s the type who’ll demand to eat with you at the same table:

Creeps outside the palace to see you off:

Hugs your sword around like a pillow while he waddles around listlessly and sleeps with it by his side after you’re long dead (grand total: 13 years):

Coddles you when you’re sick:

Takes arrows for you:

Isn’t afraid to cry and tell you how it is:

Faints violently and won’t rest until he can get your stolen body back:

The results?

If he’s not what loyal bodyguards like, I don’t know what he is. If Murong Li’s love interests have to pit themselves against each other to show how useful they are for his sake, Ling Guang’s love interests need to wrestle with a dead man he can’t let go of... which is hopeless, because you can’t kill a guy who’s already dead.

As a foil to Murong Li, what’s also interesting to note is that it’s alluded to and foreshadowed that he’s exactly the sort the loyal Yu Xiao, the current barbarian king, would have loved to have as a lover - honest, loyal and doting - unlike Murong Li himself. Gongsun Qian, a deputy minister with great foresight, had wanted Ling Guang to go to see the new barbarian kingdom, but he had refused to go outside the palace, shutting himself inside like an otaku. This decision ultimately gave Murong Li a step forward with his plans, at the great cost of four kingdoms, including his own.

Jian Bin: My boyfriend can (REALLY) fight

Next up is Jian Bin and his general. Jian Bin’s the king of Tian Ji, a new kingdom founded by astrologers. The catch here is that Jian Bin and his boyfriend, Qi Zhi Kan, are both men of science, and this tank of a boyfriend is a genius on the battlefield who doesn’t give a single shit about star signs, astrology and superstitions.

A story between a serious, loving king and his handsome general who was once a simple sword-maker in the woods, King Jian Bin meets his handsome ex-lumberjack boyfriend when he’s attacked, falls down from his horse and is rescued by the man himself.

Jian Bin then brings the guy back to his palace and dresses him in armor:

This puts the king’s general on the war path of several ministers and the superstitious people in their kingdom. As lovers, the two go through various trials together in an attempt to run their kingdom their way.

Qi Zhi Kan may seem like a herbivore in front of the king, but he’s really not one at all. He’s terrifying to a degree when it comes to warfare, and very, very difficult to take down. Unlike the other ministers, Qi Zhi Kan knows that he can expand the kingdom quickly and solve problems by waging war.

Even his allies are scared of him:

Ultimately, it’s a ship meant for those who like watching the king teasing his loyal subject and caressing armor whenever he’s around AND not around. Jian Bin even admits to it on-scene:

This loving and devoted couple were originally blessed as the ones with the most piggyback scenes, tender bandaging-your-chest and armor fondling, but they got censored unfortunately.

Scenes like these made the cut, though:

And that’s it! There are actually other minor ships, but these are the main ones for now.

If you’re sold and interested in the show, the series is available online on Rakuten Viki. https://www.viki.com/tv/35524c?locale=zh

#bl series #chinese bl #series recommendations #c-drama #men with sword #chinese period drama

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doomxdriven · 2 years

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Guo Jia’s intelligence: Detailed

Jia’s mind is a magnificent thing, with just his general intellect alone being something to marvel at, but there are many geniuses out there, many with super-human intellect’s comparable to his, he isn’t necessarily special in that regard. What makes Jia’s mind special, what gave him the title “King of Strategic Decisions” is how intensely and accurately it can multi-task.

When devising plans, Jia is able to account for virtually every scenario possible (meaning more often than not, his plans are perfect or damn near it), and beyond that, he is able to hold thousands, sometimes millions of different schemes and associated countermeasures simultaneously in his head, meaning that he is prepared for pretty much anything that gets thrown his way– case in point, if something is a possibility, then he likely has a plan for it (and numerous backup plans for those bigger plans) , a masterfully crafted one at that.

Now of course when it comes to day-to-day life, Jia doesn’t meticulously plan things out or whip out genius level stratagems for very mundane occurrences– outside of serious situations, Jia really just freestyles life and takes it as it comes, even when it comes to battles or opponents he doesn’t see much threat from, but when it comes to serious shit? You better watch out; back on the topic of his genius, Jia can effortlessly analyze a situation and run all it’s different scenarios through his head in an instant, and when in combat, this allows him to deftly grasp and more or less control the flow battle. With just about every scenario considered, all of Jia’s different schemes for those scenarios at the ready in his headspace, and his inhuman eye for analysis, he is able to apply the appropriate stratagems and countermeasures to his opponents actions at the drop of a hat. This makes Jia an insanely hard opponent to outmaneuver, outsmart, and/or catch off guard, since he is effectively able to anticipate and counter anything you might throw at him. There are limits to this genius, however.

Caveats to Jia’s intelligence

Depending on certain circumstances, Jia’s “accounting for virtually every scenario possible” and planning can be less efficient and at worse subject to clear error. These circumstances include:

- Engaging an opponent who’s intellect goes beyond even his, or matches it: in the former, Jia might struggle a great deal, and in the latter, he would definitely be kept on his feet, though he has yet to meet anyone of the former, and has only ever met one person who he could say truly matched his brain power, that person being Zhuge Liang. Generally speaking, however, the greater an opponents genius, the less effective his planning and scenario accounting against them will be.

- Being faced with a literal Eldritch Abomination, effectively a being that defies all reason and logic and is beyond all comprehension: Even Jia’s super-human intellect and depth of planning would struggle in accounting for the various possibilities surrounding creatures or beings of this nature, simply due to the fact that there mere existence is an affront to and incomprehensible mockery of reality (please cthulhu do not dm jia).

- Facing foes who truly embody “Chaos”: Beings or creatures that are truly chaotic in nature, chaotic at their core, literal embodiment of the word, would be hard for Jia to properly counter given this type of foe’s penchant for literally being so wild and chaotic that they are truly unpredictable. Jia might be able to plan for some things regarding foes in this area, but his efficiency in doing so would be cut in half, and there would be a higher chance of errors being made, far more than usual.

- Being too drunk to properly think™: The more inebriated Jia is, which since he spends a lot of time drinking theres a good chance he’s always a little buzzed, the less efficient his planning and scheme multitasking is. At the lighter end, being just ‘tipsy’, Jia can mostly function alright, though his room for error and poor judgement is heightened, and if he is just completely fucking sloshed? Well he’s not planning or countering anything properly at that point, he’s a fucking goner save whatever dumb luck he might have.

Another caveat to factor in with Jia’s intellect is that, despite being able to account for virtually every scenario possible and retain multitudes of different schemes in his head at a time, he isn’t omniscient. Remember, Jia can account for virtually every scenario possible, but not ALL of them, and this is because he can only really plan and account for potential future scenarios based on what he knows, observes, or heavily suspects/feels, and while those can be very accurate factors to pull from in his case, they aren’t perfect– close, but still not infallible. Jia has faced very, very, very few blunders on the battlefield and when devising larger schemes against his or his lord’s opponents, but blunders have happened before, either due to the above caveats or because there was legitimately something even he didn’t or simply couldn’t account for when planning.

Also, in kind of the same vein as the previous caveat, just because Jia can plan for something from almost every angle, doesn’t necessarily mean that situation will end up going in his favor per se. Some things are literally impossible for Jia to achieve despite the most thorough planning, and some engagements simply cannot be ‘won’. Sometimes all Jia can plan for is survival, and/or damage control for an already bleak situation and nothing more.

Still, all that being said, Jia’s brain power is not something you want to face– with the help of his intellect and brain power alone, he could likely fend off or bring down a host of opponents or serious problems that come his way. When you factor in all of the other stuff related to Jia though? Like all his magic (his Transfiguration Magic especially)? Or the resistance he has to most magical or power-esque stuff that doesn’t involve heat? (and i’ll be writing more detailed stuff on those too eventually) You need to be careful around this man.

#headcanons: jia

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extraordinarilyextreme · 4 years

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finally watched Guardian (2018) and i need to talk

Warning: contains MASSIVE SPOILERS, probably too much music/song analysis, my poor translations from Chinese to English, and some references to the original novel (disclaimer: my novel-reading was mostly jumping around because i have a problem where I’m not fluent enough to read the original Chinese novel and I don’t usually like English translations)

1. the freakin opening theme: We Won’t Be Falling by Chen Xueran... (also I see you Tina Guo on the cello thank you queen)

the amount of chills i get every time an episode starts,,, fantastic! marvelous! the lyrics are very VERY apt to the story of Guardian, esp this drama adaptation

(“We are the one/We will be holding on/For the promise we held for life/For the people we love are leaving” ... “And the story will keep on going”)

1.1. the promise? may i direct you to novel chapter 75?

Shen Wei: “Sometimes I think if one day you can remember everything, then I will be able to say to you: look, I did it, I did all that I had promised you; not one bit did I miss, not one word did I go back on.”

they promise to keep the peace, to protect both Haixing and Dixing; and in the show, it’s a promise they keep with their lives

2. Zhu Yilong plays THREE characters and is able to differentiate them perfectly with particular microexpressions

-Ye Zun (literally, “Respect the Night”; “Lord/Master of the Night” would be a better title) sets off my fight-or-flight instincts even though i think his name tries a little too hard to be edgy; the way he sneers, the smiles that don’t reach his eyes, also that infamous tongue flick when Zhao Yunlan sees through the act... i think it’s both great and sad that Yunlan could differentiate the twins because, why, Shen Wei would never be so openly flirtatious (and wear a deep-cut shirt like that lol)... the delivery of “Xiao Yunlan” disturbed me so much—wonderful, stellar acting

-Black Cloaked Envoy: does his best to bend the rules where he can for the Dixingren because he’s just so fundamentally GOOD; he’s empathetic despite how stern and strict he seems to be, and how much he claims to enforce the clearly-cut laws... he’s an absolute babie ten thousand years ago (Yunlan, doesn’t it hurt your conscience to flirt with such a babie?)

-Shen Wei: in the novel, his name (both surname and first name) are given to him by Kun Lun’s incarnations—there’s a lot of power in naming something, in naming someone; he’s good-natured and gentle, always polite... he pushes up the glasses [that he doesn’t need] a lot, perhaps because he’s used to pushing up his mask as the Envoy

2.1. i find it very striking that Shen Wei dies without his glasses; he doesn’t die as the Envoy, he doesn’t die as the Professor; he dies as a person, as the person who loves Yunlan the most and has loved Yunlan for ten thousand years

2.2. the other notable moments we see Shen Wei without his glasses are where he apologizes to Yunlan [and Yunlan apologizes at the same time because they’re pining idiots] for not noticing the camera in his office, where he sets aside all his pride as Envoy and Professor and kneels in the rain for the man he loves (lwj kneeling after visiting the Burial Mounds, yea?), and of course after he slices up an orange [cuz food = love] only to find Yunlan asleep and drapes his jacket over the silly silly man... anyway, Yunlan is indeed the only person Shen Wei is comfortable enough to reveal everything to, all defenses and masks (literal and figurative) lowered

2.3. that last instance (ep 26) is when Shen Wei pulls out his necklace and reminisces as he gazes fondly at Yunlan; the song that plays during this is 《乱心曲》or “Chaotic Heart Song”... may I direct you to novel chapter 65 where Yunlan finds all the paintings and pictures his Xiao Wei has kept from the centuries?

“邓林之阴初见昆仑君，惊鸿一瞥，乱我心曲。” which translates to “In the shade of the woods I first saw Kunlun-jun; a glimpse of his grace wrought chaos in my heart’s song”

2.4. but also let’s not forget the [in]famous cut wrist scene of ep 23, where our dear Shen Wei, without glasses, as a person who loves Yunlan—not the aloof Envoy or the well-spoken Professor—is reduced to two words: “Worth it.” Yunlan is worth everything to him; this goes without question, without a second thought. Kun Lun (Yunlan) told him not to regret whatever decisions he’ll make, and Ye Zun scolds and laughs at his brother for giving up his life for a human/Haixingren, but of course Shen Wei doesn’t regret dying to protect Yunlan, dying to protect Haixing. (also, peep the behind-the-scenes where Shen Wei grabs Yunlan’s hand for a moment as he blocks the attack from Ye Zun)

2.5. on this same train of thought, Da Qing brings up a line from ten thousand years ago where Shen Wei claimed he would never kill unless it was for the world... and, well, he kills for Yunlan doesn’t he?

3. Bai Yu plays our charismatic Chief Zhao Yunlan/Kun Lun and hoo boy does he do an excellent job; the found family vibes of the SIU are spectacular and the way he flirts with tries to recruit Professor Shen is endearing and touching

3.1. there’s another piece from the OST called 《一点真心》, translated to “A Little Sincerity” though I would use “A Bit of a Sincere Heart” because it too references the novel

Kun Lun’s confession to Xiao Wei: “我富有天下名山大川，想起来也没什么稀奇的，不过就是一堆烂石头野河水，浑身上下，大概也就只有这几分真心能上秤卖上两斤，你要？拿去。” [I’m rich with famed mountains and endless rivers under heaven, but none of it feels rare when I think about it. It’s all just a pile of broken stones and uncultivated streams. From head to toe, there is probably only this bit of my sincere heart that is worth anything weighed on a scale. You want it? Take it.]

Zhao Yunlan’s confession to Shen Wei: “我别的东西也有，只是你可能大多都看不上，只有这一点真心……你要是不接着，那就算了吧。” [I have other things, only you probably would not think much of them. There’s only this bit of my sincere heart... If you don’t want to catch it, then forget it.)

And Shen Wei’s reply to Yunlan’s confession is of course “我接住了。” [I’ve caught it.]

3.2. the novel is a happy ending because Xiao Guo’s important role actually plays a part (i literally don’t understand why the show couldn’t do that after they built up so many expectations about his good character/merit/inability to be corrupted but ANYWAY)... Shen Wei, Xiao Wei, the little Ghost King has a soul and wow isn’t that just beautiful after everything he did to become worthy/deserving of Kun Lun’s attention and love

4. the Zhang Ruonnan and Wang Yike (death-touch Dixingren) case in ep 3 is an obvious parallel to the “brotherly” relationship of WeiLan... Shen Wei’s line of “Many tragedies were destined from the start” references the show of course but also the paradoxical precognition that marks the drama version of WeiLan; in both of their “first meetings”, one of them was always already in love with the other—Yunlan, as Kun Lun, knew he would have to return to his own time at some point and thus doom this impressionable young Envoy to ten thousand years of waiting and Shen Wei (honestly in a Code Geass Lelouch kinda style) knew he would have to die to defeat his brother

4.1. the importance of “touch” in this case alludes to novel WeiLan, where of course Shen Wei watched over all of Kun Lun’s incarnations but wasn’t allowed to get close to him because hungry ghosts would inevitably devour the essence of the people around them; similarly Yike was terrified of touching Ruonnan all this time... but Ruonnan accepted her (just like how novel Kun Lun lets this intriguing little Ghost King trail after him)

4.2. speaking of Shen Wei’s grand plans and the idea of “knowing”, Yunlan reminds him that “You are not a weapon/blade, you are a person.” and wow once again, only Yunlan can pull the humanity from Shen Wei, who has carefully crafted his disguise and personality to fit what people expect of the Envoy and the Professor... but alas, Shen Wei fulfills his promise by in fact making himself a weapon; he poisons himself to become a bomb that will take down his brother

4.3. as many qualms and complaints as I have with Chinese censorship, much in the case of WangXian, i think i prefer the drama version of WeiLan to the novel version; the plot of the Guardian novel is a lot better in my opinion (with references to mythology and legends, as opposed to, what, aliens?? mutants from X-Men? quirks in My Hero Academia??) and yea the relationship of Kun Lun with Xiao Wei is built up a lot better and makes more sense than the time-travel of Yunlan masquerading as Kun Lun with Shen Wei... but there’s an unadulterated, unconditional kind of love that runs through the drama, whereas the novel had some darker (though probably more realistic) vibes of near-possessiveness and ulterior motives... Kun Lun/Yunlan in the novel can be, well, cruel, which is not necessarily out of character; it’s just seems a little wrong to me that you could threaten your partner in a relationship (if you keep things from me again, i really will turn against you + had i known xyz would happen, i really should have killed you)... plus i’m always a sucker for love without an “i love you”, a love that’s conveyed entirely through actions and gazes

5. Yunlan asks Zhou Weiwei (the mirror case) where her jacket was bought because he “wants to get one for [his] girlfriend” and lo and behold, what similarly-styled and colored coat does our Shen Wei show up in a few episodes later? (also the fact that Shen Wei dies wearing this jade-ish-blue-ish coat)

6. boyfriend jacket during the Moutain-River Awl case... boyfriend jacket!!!! Shen Wei claims he doesn’t need it and well he still wears it anyway because Yunlan’s love is unstoppable

6.1. the way Shen Wei grabs Yunlan’s elbow before running down the hill

6.2. Shen Wei being so freaking fine-tuned to Yunlan’s discomfort/pain as always that he drinks wine for him (and passes out immediately—heroics/bde of yllz! wwx and the alcohol tolerance of our dear lwj)

6.2.1. when Minister Gao brings up Yunlan’s dad and the Chief’s hands tighten... and of course nothing can go by Shen Wei, so he changes the topic of the conversation; also the way he leans forward as if to shield Yunlan

6.2.2. Yunlan is similarly Aware of his boyfriend’s boundaries; cue him politely excusing themselves from the dinner with Vice-Minister Guo when Shen Wei (of all people!) fumbles with his chopsticks

6.2.3. Yunlan also blocks Shen Wei from Minister Gao’s sight (subconsciously?) after that wedding showdown... even though he’s unhappy that Shen Wei has kept the identity of the Envoy from him, he trusts the other man enough to recognize there must be a reason; thus he doesn’t want other people to pry into the possibility that Shen Wei is a Dixingren

6.3. also, also that Shen Wei lets Yunlan have his way and use him as a pillow in the car once again (he also adjusts the actual pillow beneath Yunlan’s head to make it more comfortable)

6.3.1 the other Shen-Wei-is-Yunlan’s-pillow scene is when the professor picks up the poor hurting Chief off the road and in the taxi ride home... apparently this was an improvised scene from Bai Yu who just wanted to mess with Long-ge and our great Zhu Yilong just stayed in character and ran with it

6.3.2. the other notable improvised scene is the cute “Black Cloaked gege~ please be careful~ there’s someone is waiting for you at home~” [sorry that i don’t remember the exact line] but once again our great leading actors just stay perfectly in character

6.4. after Shen Wei wakes up from a night of being drunk (lol) Yunlan has left a note for him “I’ve gone back first, stay in touch. -Zhao” and what’s that on the corner of the note? why it’s a winky face

7. when Yunlan grabs the fake Zhang Danni’s wrist to confirm his suspicions, Shen Wei narrows his eyes... (lol is our Black Cloaked gege jealous)

8. when Yunlan claims he can swallow the painkillers dry, Shen Wei clenches his jaw in his anger at this idiot of a man for not taking better care of himself... you’ll find that a lot of Shen Wei’s anger is directed toward his husband being a self-sacrificial fool

8.1. after Yunlan uses the Hallows again and his nose begins to bleed, Zhu Yilong in all his acting glory has Shen Wei furious to the point that his lips tremble (cue Shen Wei angrily shoving a handkerchief into his husband’s face) [i really want to know if they ever broke character during this scene due to their proximity lol]

8.1.1. Shen Wei all but invades Yunlan’s personal space (he really does stand there between Yunlan’s legs guys) and he’s so careful even though he’s angry as he tries to stop the nosebleed; he’s aware the force might tip Yunlan backwards, so he immediately rests his hands on Yunlan’s thighs/knees to steady him

9. Yunlan has claimed that he doesn’t do things for the sake of gaining anything in return and yet every time he’s wanted things from dear Shen Wei... “take off your mask and smile for me”, “join the SID”... the sexual tension is Unreal during these scenes lol, you can see Shen Wei swallow visibly in anticipation + babie Shen Wei of ten thousand years prior all but chokes on his words when he promises to do ANYTHING Kun Lun wants him to do (honey where is your mind GOING???)

9.1. Bai Yu does have a bruise on his knee after the scene where Yunlan asks Shen Wei for something... dunno if it’s the actor’s bruise or the character’s bruise, but if it’s the character’s bruise—how did he get it? what exactly did WeiLan do that evening lol

9.2. also peep the fact that Yunlan almost always has a lollipop in his mouth when talking to Shen Wei... oral fixation much? (also the whole sequence where he tries to explain how to eat a lollipop to babie Shen Wei, wow the amount of homoerotic tension)

9.3. babie Shen Wei’s ears and cheeks are SO RED when Yunlan snatches the mask off his face

10. Yunlan’s hairstyle changes after Shen Wei joins the SIU (joins his family), much like how a bride would change her hairstyle after marriage in China ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (random note but CQL WangXian does this too when lwj puts his hair down/styled over the front of his shoulders when wwx wakes up 16 years later)

11. the first time we see Shen Wei spit up blood, there’s an echo of “Xiao Wei” faintly and Shen Wei mutters to himself “Xiao Lan” before looking up and saying louder “Zhao Yunlan” (nicknames/pet names/names only your family or lover can call you... this trope is good)

11.1. i also think a lot about how in the novel Kun Lun muses before he dies that it’s a shame he won’t see this Little Beauty [Xiao Wei] grow up to be a Great Beauty

12. Shen Wei’s funny little eyebrow raise when Yunlan accidentally reveals he broke into the professor’s apartment once ( “riiiiiiiiight i definitely believe you”)

12.1. though the ep 23 scene is angsty, the fact Yunlan says “It’s the middle of the night, were you hungry?” seems to imply their relationship is a lot closer than just neighbors... they’re probably used to sharing an apartment/room at this point :)

13. when Yunlan is hurt, Zhu Hong looks to him but he only has eyes for Shen Wei

13.1. after Yunlan is blinded, Zhu Hong is the one cradling him but he calls for Shen Wei first and reaches for his hand; Shen Wei of course responds immediately “it’s me”

13.1.1. both times after Yunlan gets his eyesight back, the first thing he sees is the person who loves him the most

14. Shen Wei warms up the congee in the morning with his magic after he watches over Yunlan when his stomach pain acts up (domestic use of magic? yes please)

15. the bomb defusing scene in the hospital (video game -> reality case) really is framed like a wedding proposal... also the way that Shen Wei smirks lol he’s so proud of his husband

16. after his Envoy identity is revealed, Shen Wei all but abuses his Black Cloaked Envoy voice to stop his stupid husband from doing stupid things that will hurt himself and every time Yunlan is properly sh00k by it

16.1. we really go from Chief Zhao remarking in the Mountain-River Awl case that he’s used to ordering people around, not receiving orders to married bickering with Shen Wei to then agreeing to everything Shen Wei tells him to do

17. the fact that “Shen Wei, ah, Shen Wei... You are such a good person, how could I bear to let you go?” is an actual line from the censored DRAMA astounds me, nevermind that Shen Wei just made breakfast for his man and Yunlan is basically pouting up at him from the bed

17.1. the way Yunlan’s dad warns him to stay away from Shen Wei and Yunlan responds with something like “he’s sincerely good to me, I want to be with him”... “be with him”???? [inhales deeply] yea this is definitely a “brotherly relationship”

18. Yunlan’s “WOW” after the Envoy kills the monsters in the cave of the Mountain-River Awl case is hilarious and i dont understand how such a noise is physically possible,,, it sounds like a growl?????

18.1. Zhu Yilong was asked to mimic it during an interview (which he did not do and only half-heartedly gave a “wow”) and then Bai Yu did it again

19. also i inevitably got attached to the side ship of Lao Chu and Xiao Guo... they have so much skinship for a censored “brotherly relationship” lmao

the amount of face-touching and hand-holding that they do is unreal... they’re more canon than WeiLan in the drama adaptation methinks

20. 《时间飞行》or “Flying Across Time” sounds like Yunlan’s reply to Shen Wei’s《只是太在意》or “Just Cared Too Much”

20.1. the lyrics of both these songs really cements this idea that both of WeiLan believe the other to be too good... Kun Lun was a god in the novel, and Xiao Wei was just a soulless little Ghost King... and then we have the incorrigible Chief Zhao pining after the beautiful and kind Professor Shen... i just have a lot of feelings about them becoming better people for each other, that their love really does make each other stronger

21. my favorite two pieces from the OST are Shen Wei’s theme (arranged by Kun Luo) and Kun Lun’s theme (arranged by Chen Xueran)

head’s up: it’s been like four years since i last even glanced at music theory so a lot of this might just make no sense to an actual professional

-Shen Wei: written in 4/4 time, Ab Major, melody is primarily carried by piano + strings; the piano almost sticks exclusively to triplets whereas the strings are in steady whole, quarter, and eighth notes—which creates in interesting impressionistic effect, kind of like hazy smoke or the ripples across the surface of a lake; every single measure uses decrescendo, so the first triplet is always the loudest and the three that follow get progressively softer (mimicking an echo)... the piece ends on the seventh note of the scale, which is usually a pretty awkward place to end and yet it doesn’t feel wrong it all; the piece uses a ritardando in the last three measures, and we simply drift off with that last G... i think it’s a beautifully written piece that perfectly portrays such a complex character as Shen Wei, someone who loved with everything he had, and was just so overwhelmingly good... and then he simply disappears as if the dream has ended. it makes me think of how he guarded over Kun Lun/Zhao Yunlan for thousands of years in the novel, never ever ever daring to meet him... and yet the other man always felt like he was waiting for someone

-Kun Lun: written in 3/4 time, a minor, there’s no real complex shift in the melody although there’s brief modulation into E major (dominant/fifth note); it’s a fairly somber piece, especially when the strings join in... it’s a steady waltz, and it finishes with the scale (second to last major is g, last major is a), like a circle coming back around [like their love story perhaps?]... there’s a finality to it, a completeness, a wholeness, which makes sense in the drama-verse because the moment Yunlan takes up the name of Kun Lun is when his love story with Shen Wei all fits together. the piece feels a little lonely in its minor key and all, a little sad, indeed as if you were standing at the top of a mountain surrounded by clouds and mist... the constant meter also reminds me of like the steady drip of water, the perpetual and inevitable passage of the days and time

-i don’t really understand how because the keys of the two pieces don’t fit together easily, but somehow it doesn’t feel wrong to play the pieces back to back; the melodies of both seem to call upon each other despite the differences in key and time signature, so it actually feels right. a circle without a beginning or an ending, wouldn’t you want your love to be so infinite?

-when yunlan finds shen wei in their bubble outside of time, when shen wei is about to leave him, shen wei is wearing the outfit of their first meeting. and the lyrics go “Across time, I am in the same place”... surely, they will find each other again.

#guardian #cdrama ramblings #zhenhun #镇魂 guardian

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tsyfq · 3 years

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Wengui Newsjacking on the Heavy Rain of Zhengzhou. Letting off Steam and Donation Cheating with All Efforts. Comrades, Keep Your Eyes Open!

Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan province, was hit by heavy rain at 4 PM July 20. By 17 o'clock, rainfall per hour reached 201.9 mm, which has exceeded the extreme value of China's hourly rainfall capacity on land, resulting in poor drainage, severe waterlogged, economic losses, and enormous casualties. However, with the strong support of the Chinese government and all parts of the country, the people of Zhengzhou united as one to actively carry out self-rescue operations, relief, and rescue work. All these have achieved initial success. Guo Wengui, who is far away in New York, has been working in Zhengzhou for many years, and Yuda Building is just in Zhengzhou. He should have felt empathy for the heavy rain in Zhengzhou. But surprisingly, He turned a happy face to this. At the same time, Cheater Guo tried to describe natural disasters as human-made ones and encourage Guo investors to donate to Zhengzhou. There must be some triggers in this donation because of the duplicity and the inconsistency. Comrades, keep your eyes open! Don't be fooled!

From the beginning, Guo Wengui had no breaking news to cover. The revolution is false advertising that hangs a sheep's head to sell dog meat signs. Protecting his money and life, revenging, getting the United States political support, bleeding "the ants" dry are the authentic purposes of the person. So, at the beginning of the whistleblower movement, Guo Wengui's material is fake. The original aim is to expand the number of fans and 'the ants' who can help the team. From 2018 to 2020, There has been no material for him, even a fake one, to disclose. But fortunately, Seattle Crabs, Sara, and other "ants" handed over the "pillow "(the Rule of Law Foundation and the G group )when Guo Wengui was sleepy. He began to transform from leading the whistleblower movement to donation cheating of the RLF and investment fraud of G Group easily by the pillow. At present, the Rule of Law Foundation, the Rule of Law Society, and the G group have been at the end of the rope. The person deceived, the betrayer Sara, the Pig Head Lude, "heroic scientist"Yan Limeng, will surely spare no effort to bomb those savagely with their words and actions. In the end, Guo Wengui will not escape from the punishment of the"judicial purgatory."

Therefore, It is the heavy rain in Zhengzhou on July 20 that made Guo Wengui deflect people's attention and change the subject he used to hold. On the one hand, it was a way to let off steam and vent frustration. To appease the restless emotions in the Guo Group after Lude and Yan Limeng defected, he discourses eloquently on a subject of the contribution to Zhengzhou from him and Yuda tower. It can imagine that how deep his depression was on the hands-changing of Beijing Pangu and Henan Yuda. It is so unfamiliar that even the staff in these two towers don't know who Guo Wengui is. But no debts without creditors. That all these forced Guo to turn to his original color has only himself to blame.But to see years of accumulation in vain, Cheater Guo's heart is unwilling and full of anger. So, He used Zhengzhou's heavy rain to vent one's grievance and has since ruined his public persona. Guo Wengui said the heavy rain that happened in Zhengzhou is not accidental, is inevitable, is not a natural disaster, is a human-made disaster, Zhengzhou is an evil place, it had better drowning these bastards of Henan. They deserve it! Look how much anger there is. Guo Wengui so far did not understand that small tricks, lies, robbery, and under-society movement cannot help him sustain. Now Cheater Guo, who is full of hostility, is still trapped in his trap. The Rule of Law Foundation, the Rule of Law Society, and the G group are giant pits dug by Guo Wengui. Guo must face the group of victims, "big ants" Sara and Lude, who betrayed him as well as surveillance from the United States judicial. Now he is newsjacking on the heavy rain of Zhengzhou, Which is asking for trouble. How dare he is！

It is the only chance to survive for Guo Wengui if he stops here, washes his hands of it from now, and gives back the money that he cheated out of before. According to Lude, the finance of the Rule of Law Foundation and Farms have become dangerously intertwined. According to Sara, the project funding of Phoenix Farm has been partly transferred to the Abu Dhabi-China fund through Guo Wengui's account. That is to say, Guo Wengui embezzled nominal public investment funds. It is a big mistake and beyond any help. Moreover, to obtain political asylum, Guo Wengui used Bannon to get in touch with trump, and the money he spent on this was also from the investment of Gclub. Guo's consumption and payments to Yan are also linked with the legal fund. In a word, Guo Wengui has been back to less than before November 20, 2018. The prodigal who returns is more precious than gold. If Cheater Guo stops here, demonstrating that his conscience did not vanish. But just yesterday, Mr. Guo made a shocking announcement that a plan of calling on G Group to donate to Zhengzhou. According to the above comments about Guo Wengui associated with the heavy rain of Zhengzhou and the unhappiness of the owner alteration, we can infer that he won't have a flash of benevolence. What's more, he paid lip service to the cause, but he hasn't lent a hand from the beginning. Investors of G Group, don't be fooled by Guo Wengui. He is just newsjacking on the heavy rain of Zhengzhou and actually to cheat you out of your donations.

In short, heavy rain in Zhengzhou has caused considerable economic losses and casualties. It is human nature that when difficulties arise in one place, aid comes from everywhere. But Guo Wengui, who has long held a grudge against the people of Zhengzhou, is not destined to become conscientious suddenly. Why did he turn 180 degrees and call on his comrades to come to a plan of Zhengzhou donation ?! "Many kiss the baby for the nurse's sake." It is the real intention of Guo to blackmail investors and then make a windfall. With no breaking news to cover, G Group has been at the end of its rope. Now Guo is bleeding investors dry by newsjacking on Zhengzhou's heavy rain, which has been seen through by people from the start. Save your breath! Cheater Guo. You still have so many potent enemies to deal with.

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