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#Top attractions in Hong Kong
atlysvisaservice · 5 months
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Explore the captivating sights of Hong Kong with our comprehensive infographic. Discover top attractions, hidden gems, and essential e-visa information for a seamless travel experience.
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travelernight · 4 months
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Ultimate China Journey: 30 Stops You Need to Make
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Kowloon City: An Illustrated Guide,
At its height in the 1990s, Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong housed about 50,000 people. Its population is unremarkable for small cities, but what set Kowloon apart from others of its size was its density. Spanning only 2.6 hectares, the tiny enclave contained 1,255,000 people per square kilometer, making it the densest city in the world.
Kowloon was built as a small military fort around the turn of the 20th century. When the Chinese and English governments abandoned it after World War II, the area attracted refugees and people in search of affordable housing. With no single architect, the urban center continued to grow as people stacked buildings on top of one another and tucked new structures in between existing ones to accommodate the growing population without expanding beyond the original fort’s border.
With only a small pocket of community space at the center, Kowloon quickly morphed into a labyrinth of shops, services, and apartments connected by narrow stairs and passageways through the buildings. Rather than navigate the city through alleys and streets, residents traversed the structures using slim corridors that always seemed to morph, an experience that caused many to refer to Kowloon as “a living organism.”
The city devolved into a slum with crime and poor living conditions and was razed in 1994. Before demolition, though, a team of Japanese researchers meticulously documented the architectural marvel, which had become a sort of cyberpunk icon that even inspired a gritty arcade as tribute.
Courtesy: Hitomi Terasawa
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accio-victuuri · 2 months
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oh i like these posts. hahahahahaha! politics aside, oh well, no actually— i don’t think we can ever put aside politics when it comes to the boys ; I see cpfs sharing posts and commenting on this person’s “greeting” for wyb. and well, you will see why. she is a politician in hongkong.
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[Patriotic top star Wang Yibo]
What big day is August 5? Last year, this day was the 12th anniversary of the New People's Party; it was also the birthday of Wang Yibo, a top star in the mainland.
Wang Yibo has a deep connection with Hong Kong. He was born in 1997, when Hong Kong returned to the motherland. I still remember that he sang a song "Stand Up" for Hong Kong on the 25th anniversary of the return; on July 1, 2023, he personally came to Hong Kong to attend the "Greater Bay Area Film and Music Gala" "The Moon Rises in the Bay Area", but unfortunately it did not cause much response at the time.
Although he is not a popular idol of Hong Kong people, friends who pay attention to the mainland entertainment industry know that Wang Yibo is a top star in the mainland entertainment industry; he has extraordinary dancing skills, and his status as the "King of Dance" in the mainland is unquestionable. In addition, he is also engaged in many public welfare undertakings; he recently filmed a documentary series on protecting pangolins as a public welfare ambassador of WildAid. He is an artist with both talent and virtue.
I once asked a public question in the Legislative Council: Since Hong Kong is hosting many events and concerts, the SAR government should actively consider inviting mainland top stars Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo to perform in Hong Kong. I believe that this will attract a large number of fans from the mainland and around the world to support Hong Kong and truly promote Hong Kong's concert economy.
Recently, there are two things about him that impressed me the most. First, his performance in the mainland hit drama "War of Faith" was amazing, and his acting skills have made a great leap forward. I, like many mainland audiences, think that he deserves the "Best Actor". Unfortunately, he was not nominated for the Best Actor in the list of nominees for the Shanghai TV Magnolia Awards earlier. This incident triggered a series of controversies in the mainland entertainment industry. Many people feel sorry for him.
In addition, when he was serving as a torchbearer for this year's Olympics in Paris, he saw a fan holding a mini national flag accidentally dropped it on the ground, and he picked it up spontaneously, showing his sincere respect and love for the national flag. If every young person in Hong Kong can spontaneously love the national flag and national emblem, and understand that it represents the dignity of the country, then it means that Hong Kong's patriotic education has truly succeeded.
In summary, Wang Yibo is an outstanding young man. He went to Korea for training when he was young. After years of hard work, he has mastered first-class dancing skills. His acting skills have also been recognized in recent years. Even though he is a top star with huge commercial value, he is also enthusiastic about public welfare. He is really a role model for artists. I hope that young people in Hong Kong will take him as an example and learn how to be a good young man with both talent and virtue, who loves the national flag and spontaneously safeguards the dignity of the country.
* So i guess it’s now obvious why cpfs like this post so much. it’s because both of them were mentioned. and is is what we’ve been hoping for, that they will be invited to events and probably even work on a project together because they are “positive” artists. and how important it is for them to maintain that image to stay safe in the industry. tho i have to say that it’s not hard for them cause they are good natured people. It’s not an “act”, that is just how they are.
and it’s what we’ve been saying, that these two are one of the best ways for CHN to have some soft power in the international stage. tho i’m sure they will have detractors who will be quick to pull out “evidence” of their government support and use it against them.
also months back, she also posted something about CQL. so yeah, no wonder she got popular with cpfs ⬇️⬇️
China’s “danmei” genre is booming in the West
The article “How to Tell Chinese Stories Well” (July 14) overlooks an important genre that is growing in popularity in the West and is more reflective of contemporary Chinese life than works from decades ago such as Shanghai Life and Death or The Wild Swans.
I am referring to the danmei genre of online novels. Danmei is a term that originated in Japan. This new genre has spawned a number of very successful online novels that have been adapted into extremely popular Chinese TV series and translated into English. A prominent example is The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, which was adapted into the Chinese TV series The Untamed in 2019 and translated into English and is available on Amazon.
Untamed made two young actors, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, famous in China. Another very successful work is Erha and His White Cat Shizun, which made the New York Times bestseller list in English. The English version has a wide readership in the West and is available in paperback.
Danmei novels celebrate “boys’ love”, which is officially frowned upon. A major production based on Erha, produced by Tencent, has been shelved. But the genre has a large following in China and abroad, inspiring fan art, fan works and merchandise.
Many danmei online novels are written by women for women. Why are they so popular among Chinese women? Their popularity reflects the frustrations of contemporary Chinese women: they are trapped between traditional, realistic, family-oriented marriage concepts and a desire for romance and true love, as celebrated in danmei novels. Such novels have become a channel for their fantasy and escapism. Surprisingly, these novels have also been loved by Western audiences.
While TV series based on such novels have been banned, animated versions of some popular works are still in production. The resilience of the genre, which is seen by the authorities as a departure from the official "main melody" works, reflects the delicate relationship between the authorities and the artists who create them. Most of the time, the authorities have the upper hand, but the ban has not stopped private enterprises and creative talents from finding space for the genre to thrive. Can we call it the authorities' "one eye open, one eye closed" attitude?
* this is a short but very interesting take on the whole thing. she is not even mentioning how TGCF is so popular in the mainland and continues to do so with it’s donghua and manhua. i guess it’s really one eye open and one eye closed and i hope it stays that way so that this genre will continue to thrive! i’m not holding that much expectation for the live action versions tho.
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marrkopolo · 4 months
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A Wise Man Once Said
Precious lost its ring in the scrap yard with no metal detector the lavender pussywillows hide the trolls
Hong Kong wheel of fate UW spinned it first Knights of Templar slaughtered at a mass concert of bloody crimson tide
Tithe on a full moon for 2x the glee The crash of waves against the rocks, like bodies slapping against each other during sex blood shooting through veins Hot heat, sticky, in Iceland together I too, know of these lands
Tax season says the King! blue knots on a tent red food buckets hung like death #four crosses in a foreign land alone is no place to exist
An underwater welder lying on the blue tarp, is like a union of troops led by a zebra.
Flying flags at Disney welcome to the world of water failed regret, emptiness and betrayal tattered flags get left to rot sew it in with the others together and the quilt becomes strong and scintillating
Crush you with your own history headless horseman and halo hair dark horse donuts This is as good as it gets!
Red-lipped lipstick cracked porcelain face You can't hold a candle to this
King of the Hill My pool stick is clean now true Kings swim in the swimming pool together King of the Hill Jack of Spades went with the stolen crown and robots learn to volunteer.
Pledge to a sanitizer salute to a gong beat your chest it's loud and strong Love at first sight or sounds like a good idea Wisdom of the crowd or individual motivation?
A rabbi with the yachts Fortified lamps sees all UFOs, telekinesis and even explosive lingerie. One denarius for a days work Why they get more? Stand while another sits. Then switch roles and you'll see why.
What sees with three eyes? The melatonin-like parental bond, third eye awoken, Moksha.
Insane Luke has a scar red dots that kill. Baldie takes biosphere crown the bald animal is cutting loose again Is doraphilia still fun to you?
I attempt to transform but the tea is too strong my hands have small heart Lying down a tiny raindrop falls into my ear swirling into the cochlea My whole world has changed!
Eczema stealing make-up twice North Face go north Racks of weapons are not enough this time
My mask is old but gold bars had paved my fortunate path …a fortunate path(whispering)
Tik Tok vault one exit is enough The eagle has docked into spray-painted madness. Not to fret I hear a falcon cry Jump when the law is bent it will help you fly
Six shooter Six pack 3 sewers 3 fires Twin-spirit 1 spacesuit
Mountain top king of the hill climb Nepal Hajj pilgrimage princess climbs like a pirate piggyback down the wedding aisle
Opposites attract
One fell to its doom down the abyssal void towards the bottom and a ghost ship lost in the Bermuda Triangle with Pandoras Box Lazarus
Gunpowder in shoes Footprints in the sand Jesus did not tap
Short and tall fat and thin Lookalikes Soundalikes Smellalikes the hunt of touch and taste What double currencies create the ultimate Yin Yang effect? AI said to cure pride and competition, exchange abacus rubik-cubed calculators instead of cash.
Echoes and reverberation voices become lightning WATTS= AMPS X VOLTS
Float your payloads into the troposphere with skinny vertical structures of contained saltwater Heat a planet with a satellite asteroid belt
A call for help QR codes morse code gun flare smoke signal what are your coordinates? R-E-B-O-R-N
Some ancients say gunpowder only made flee then gun made to kill Oil spills from bronze age to silicon chips flood the market cut the mall castle cake in half Zangief on a segway You win.Perfect.
Lawrence Groves copyright©2024
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Egg Waffles, anyone?
[TWST AU]: MC/Yuu sells waffles (and other desserts) to get by.
[Synopsis]: In this timeline, what if MC/Yuu starts selling the Hong Kong-styled Waffles and other delicious snacks from their home world? That way it can provide enough Madol for both Grim and themselves than whatever allowance Crowley has given them. (Cheapskate bastard-)
[Gender Neutral MC/Yuu]
[TW]: Little bit of Ace slander
[(A/N)]: I actually work at my mom’s dessert bar and we make fresh waffles with ice cream + toppings or just plain with the option of adding sugar powder. Another note is if you don’t know what it looks like. It’s something like this:
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[Original Image Source]: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnn.com/travel/amp/hong-kong-bubble-waffles/index.html
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[(A/N)]: There’s also a recipe I found that maybe anyone can try out.
[Egg Waffle recipe]: https://youtu.be/VNDvNUpT-f8
youtube
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Ever since falling into Twisted Wonderland, MC/Yuu and Grim were the only ones staying at the abandoned building widely known as the Ramshackle Dorm at Night Raven College.
With money being tight and Crowley who probably is a stingy crow, the two need to find a solution for their financial troubles.
Then MC/Yuu remembers something: The Egg Waffles.
MC/Yuu: Wait! I have an idea to earn more Madols!
Grim: Really?! What?
MC/Yuu: Egg Waffles!
Grim: *Confused* What waffles?
MC/Yuu: They’re waffles that were sold back in my home world. They’re delicious. It’s like mini edible pockets: crispy on the outside, fluffy in the inside. I don’t think anyone around here thought of this. Come on. Let’s experiment.
For the next week, the Ramshackle Dorm is filled with the scent of freshly made waffles.
The smell even attracted some troublemakers: The ADeuce Duo.
You see, Ace and Deuce only want to visit their friends as someone wanted answers for Professor Trein’s history assignment. (Looking at you, Ace. You jerk /j.)
Deuce only came along to try talking Ace out of cheating- Taking advantage- purposefully finding answers without effort.
*Sighs* Who am I kidding? He will and always find shortcuts to everything- Little Bastard Boy…
Anyway, the two Heartslabyul students are heading to the ol’ dorm and when they arrived, the fresh smell of Hong Kong style-Waffles hits their olfaction receptors.
Ace: Prefect, we need your-
MC/Yuu: Ace, Deuce! Thank god you’re here. Quick, try these samples. *Shoves some waffles in their mouths*
Deuce: *Muffles* Mm! These are…delicious!
Ace: *KOFF!* *KOFF!* What was that for?!
MC/Yuu: Sorry. I needed honest reviews for these waffles. I’m planning to sell some so Grim and I won’t suffer in money troubles.
Deuce: They tasted amazing. What kind of waffles are they?
MC/Yuu: They’re called Egg Waffles that originated from a country back in my world. Traditionally eaten as plain, but they are trendy with ice cream and other toppings added inside. Anyway, there’s work to be done before it’s ready for everyone.
Ace: Wait. Before you continue these experiments, you did the assignment for Professor Trein’s class, right?
MC/Yuu: …Do you want another waffle shoved up your a-?
Anyway, the ADeuce duo left, with some waffles.
The following week, MC/Yuu asked Crowley if they can open a small business within their dorm so they won’t pester him every time for allowances.
Surprisingly he let them. (Not for their sake, but he also heard rumors within the school that the Ramshackle Dorm is scented of baked goods. He wanted to try them.)
Now, business is open!
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[Waffle Joys Official Opening!]
MC/Yuu: I can’t believe this isn’t a dream. We’re gonna be okay, Grim.
Grim: You said it! Can’t wait for limitless tuna… *Salivating from the thoughts of tuna cans*
[Doorbell jingles, revealing the First Years as the first customers.]
MC/Yuu: Welcome to Waffle Joys!
Ace: Yo, MC/Yuu!
Deuce: We came by to congratulate you on opening day.
MC/Yuu: Aww thanks guys.
Sebek: What are the specials? I must know as I heard you can make some with ice cream inside. Not because of me, but for Waka-sama.
Epel: Yeah! I want one before Etiquette class.
Jack: Small snack after practice.
MC/Yuu: Coming right up! They’re based on familiar desserts.
[🧇THIS WEEK’S WAFFLE SPECIALS!!!🧇]
Cherry Pie Waffle
Purin Waffle
Cinnamon Apple Waffle
Sweetened Pear Waffle
Macaron Delight Waffle
[After waiting for their orders, they got their respective desserts and thanked their friend before heading out back to their usual routines.]
MC/Yuu: *Counting the money* You think this will start a successful business one day?
Grim: I think so? Whatever. As long as I get tuna.
MC/Yuu: *Sighs* You and your tuna.
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[DING! DING! DING!]
MC/Yuu: Welcome to Waffle Joys! Wait, Azul?
Azul: Charmed to see me, Prefect~?
Jade: It’s a pleasure seeing you again, Prefect~
Floyd: Hey, Koebi-chan!
MC/Yuu: Azul, I’m not falling for another deal after what happened back then. What is the real reason why to came to Ramshackle?
Azul: Oh, how harsh of you to assume I would drag you into another deal.
MC/Yuu: Just spit out what you want.
Azul: I want your business to collaborate with the establishment of the Monstro Lounge.
MC/Yuu: *Wields up their waffle iron* Absolutely not. First of all, I started this business because Grim and I aren’t getting enough support from Crowley and second, how do I know I’m not trapping myself into another unfortunate end because of you?
Azul: I’m not making you a deal. I only decided to come by because, well…
MC/Yuu: *Realization hits them* I’m stealing your customers, aren’t I.
Azul: *Grasps on their shoulders* How did you do it?
MC/Yuu: Easy. I just remember something nostalgic and whipped them up with modern takes.
Azul: *Lets go* I need you at Monstro Lounge. Now.
MC/Yuu: No way. If you want your “precious regulars” back, how about advertising both our respective eateries and with a fair price on our ends. Is that fine with you?
Azul: Hmm…If it attracts more customers, then it’s a deal.
MC/Yuu: *Slams an unsigned contract in front of Azul* By my contract, not your Unique Magic.
Azul: *Taken aback* How long were you holding this?
MC/Yuu: Since I first experimented, I knew you’ll come around.
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[DING! DING! DING!]
MC/Yuu: Welcome to Waffle Joys!
Crowley: Greetings, Prefect!
MC/Yuu: Crowley, this is surprising to see you as you’ll only come because of “favors.”
Crowley: Oh no no! I only came to try this Egg Waffle because some students were posting pictures on MagiCam and it’s trending.
MC/Yuu: Well, I did ask permission and you given in the idea. So what waffle would you like to order?
[10 minutes later]
MC/Yuu: Here’s your waffle, Headmaster Crowley! Enjoy your order!
[He ordered a Charcoal Black waffle with Black sesame ice cream and sliced toasted almonds, sprinkled with powdered sugar. On top of that is drizzled with condensed milk.]
[Now Crowley joined the Waffle Frenzy.]
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Now I’m imagining that if an Overblot breaks out, MC/Yuu would pull out their waffle iron.
Then, “WHAM!!!”
Knocks over the person in despair, coughing out a Blot stone (Which they caught before Grim could eat it).
The Overblot victim comes back to their normal state, and MC/Yuu gives them a waffle as an apology since they “didn’t know their own strength.”
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✨[Reblogging helps creators and creates more content.]💫
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ereardon · 1 year
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Friends Don't || Chapter 3
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Summary: Bob Floyd has been your best friend for almost a decade, ever since he quietly agreed to tutor you in college. The two of you have spent years chasing each other around the globe – Bob as a WSO, you as a travel blogger. You’ve always been the anywhere-but-here girl, and he’s been your rock. But when a surprise diagnosis threatens to crumble your picture-perfect life, you’re on the first flight back to San Diego, desperate to put down roots for the first time. Will Bob finally have it in him to admit that you could be the love of his life? What will he say when he finds out the secret you’ve been skillfully hiding from him? Or worse, what if he doesn’t find out until it’s too late? 
Pairing: Robert “Bob” Floyd x OC [Reid] 
Tropes: Friends to lovers
Warnings: Cursing, angst, alcohol
WC: 2.8K
Series masterlist here; previous chapter here; next chapter here
You met Denver when Bob got stationed at Lemoore. You had still been living in New Orleans, planning your move up to San Francisco, but it was taking a while because the magazine had you doing an Asia tour: Vietnam, Laos, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Nepal. 
On your way back from Tokyo, you stopped in San Francisco to do some apartment hunting, before renting a car and driving down to Lemoore to visit Bob. 
He was still a newer member on the team; everyone but Denver had been there for years. They were a knit family, and he was the odd one out. But at least he had her. 
“You’re going to love her,” Bob said. He was teeming with excitement. Seeing him happy made you happy. You knew that he hadn’t quite fit in at Newport, his station before Lemoore. You knew that he desperately wanted to be part of a team. 
And he had found that with Denver. 
The bar was crowded. And hot. You were wearing a tiny tank top and a pair of denim shorts, not much of a going out outfit but Bob had insisted the two of you go straight to the bar so you could meet his friends. 
Bob weaved through the packed bar, his hand warm in yours, over toward one side of the curved wooden bar. You spotted the familiar khaki outfits that screamed military. Bob raised his free hand excitedly in a wave and you smiled up at him. 
“Hey guys,” he said, and a few of the khaki uniforms turned. Their eyes shamelessly rolled over you, and your hand in Bob’s, jaws going slack. 
“Floyd,” one of them, a classically attractive guy with a broad jawline, said. “Who’s the girl?” 
“Reid,” you said, sticking out one hand, keeping your left firmly in Bob’s. You shook his hand. 
“Harvard,” he said. 
You squinted. Another guy, even more ridiculously handsome, sidled up behind him. “I’m Fritz.”
You nodded. The other two were Omaha and Yale. The callsigns went in one ear and out the other. You were notoriously bad with names. 
And then you heard a small voice, like a delicate bird. “Stop drooling all over her, fuckheads. She’s way too hot for any of you.” 
All eyes turned to the right. A tiny redhead was making her way over to the group, her hands full of beer bottles. She handed one to Omaha and then another to Bob. Finally, her piercing green eyes landed on you and she smiled, holding out the remaining beer bottle. “You must be Sunny.” 
You grinned. “I am. You must be Denver.” 
“Sure hope so, otherwise I’m wearing someone else’s uniform.”
You laughed and took the beer, sipping it carefully. You watched Bob’s face light up as he spoke to the pilot. The casual way she put her hand on his forearm. How easy and light they were together. The way his eyes tracked her across the room. How she always brought him back into the conversation where he might have fallen out of it. 
For the rest of the night you snuck glances at the two of them. And for the first time you saw what Bob looked like when he was in love. 
“Hey.” Fritz approached you from your right, leaning against the wall where you had your butt pressed, staring out across the bar at Bob and Denver. 
“Hi,” you replied, taking a swig from the gin and tonic in your hand. You were tipsy, edging on drunk. 
Fritz followed your gaze. “They’re good together, don’t you think?” 
You nodded. “Yeah, they are. Never seen him like that before.” 
“Like what?” 
“So happy,” you replied. “Carefree.” The two of you watched as Bob laughed at something Denver said, her eyes sparkling as she faced him. 
“He looked pretty damn happy when he told us you were coming,” Fritz said. 
You shook your head. “Nothing like that.” 
Fritz moved slightly closer and you looked up at him with a smile. 
“Live nearby?” you asked. 
He grinned. “In fact, I do.” 
You took his hand, weaving through the crowd toward where Bob was standing near the bar next to Denver and Yale. “Bobby?” you said softly, raising a hand and pressing it to his upper arm. 
He turned around with a smile. “Hey Sunny, where’d you go?” 
You looked up at Fritz. “Just got another drink. I, uh, think we’re gonna head out. Can I call you tomorrow, get a ride back to your place?” 
He frowned. “Are you sure?” 
You felt Fritz’s hand slide into the back pocket of your jeans, fingers gripping the swell of your ass. “Yeah, I’m sure.” 
Bob looked between you and Fritz with narrowed eyes. “Sunny? Gonna ask you one more time, darlin’, are you sure?” 
You nodded then leaned up and kissed his cheek, letting your hand fall from his arm. “See you tomorrow, Bobby.” 
You let Fritz’s hand migrate to your low back, guiding you out of the bar and into the humid California night. You weren’t sure why, but it took everything you had not to turn around and take one last look at Bob before you walked out the door. 
Bob looked up at Denver with angry eyes. 
“I shouldn’t have let her go. She’s been here twelve hours, she has no idea where she is. Fritz is a goddamn stranger to her.”
“Reid can do what she wants, Floyd,” Denver said, leaning her small arm against the bar. “She’s a grown woman. Besides, Fritz is a puppy dog. You don’t have anything to worry about.” 
He shook his head. “I’m going after her.” He put his glass of seltzer down and started to walk toward the door when Denver grabbed him, yanking him back shockingly hard for such a small person. 
“Floyd! Snap out of it man. She isn’t yours.” 
“Yes, she is. She’s my responsibility, don’t you get that? I brought her here.”
Harvard shook his head. “Fuck, man, you’re down bad for her aren’t you?” 
Bob squinted his eyes. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” 
Harvard laughed. “See, I always thought you had a thing for Denver over here. But apparently you’re just the nerd in love with the hot girl next door. And she ditched you the first chance she got.”
Bob felt like his eyes were going to pop out of his head. He lunged forward, but Denver grabbed his arm. “Come on, let’s get some air, Floyd.” 
He let her yank him out onto the back patio of the bar, anger already starting to pool in his stomach. 
“Is it because of Fritz, or is it because she left with anyone but you?”
Bob shook his head, taking a deep breath. “Please, Denver, just drop it.” 
“No. I won’t drop it. Tell me the truth. What is it about her that has you so wound up, ready to fucking combust?”
Bob sighed. “It’s just been me and Reid for a long time, OK? It’s a hard dynamic to change. That’s all, I promise.”
Her green eyes scanned his face. “You wouldn’t lie to me, would you Robert?” she asked softly, stepping closer. 
Bob raised his eyes to hers. “No, Sarah. I wouldn’t lie to you.” 
She nodded, lips pursed in a tight line. The two of them stood side by side, leaning against the railing of the patio, staring off into the distance in silence.
***
You hadn’t meant for it to happen, but somehow you ended up hosting a pizza night at the house as a way to repay the team for helping to unbox all your stuff that had finally arrived from Brooklyn, along with all of the new items you had purchased that had shown up on the doorstep, much to Bob’s dismay. 
The two of you arrived home one night to no less than twenty boxes from Crate & Barrel on the front porch. Bob turned to you with wide eyes and you gave him a small shrug across the middle console of the car, hopping out to examine the boxes. 
“Sunny,” he said, exasperated. “I said yes to redecorating. But what on Earth? Did you buy the whole store or what?” 
“Hate to break it to you, honey,” you said, opening the door and scooting the nearest box inside. “But your house? Your stuff? It’s depressing.” 
“I’m offended,” he said, following after you with a box in his arms. 
“No you’re not,” you replied. “And if you are, you’ll get over it when you see how much cute shit I got for us.” 
Bob groaned, digging in his pocket. 
“What are you doing?” 
“Calling in backup,” he said, hitting a button and lifting the phone to his ear. “Rooster? Yeah, can you and Hangman and Phoenix come over? Bring Coyote. Reid bought all this stuff and we’re never going to be able to unload it all ourselves.” He paused, nodding. “Yeah, we’ll buy you guys dinner.” 
He clicked off the phone and you laughed, already headed to your room to change into athletic clothing. “Remember that you love me!” you called from down the hall. 
“How could I ever forget?” Bob replied, shaking his head and grabbing a box cutter from the top drawer in the kitchen. 
That was how you found yourself sitting on the floor in the middle of Bob’s kitchen unwrapping a set of Estelle colored wine glasses and handing them to Phoenix, who was carefully placing them in a cabinet. 
In the living room, Rooster and Hangman were fighting over the instructions for the media center that you had ordered, while Bob was chatting with Coyote as he built a coffee table. 
You handed a blue stemless wine glass to Phoenix who took it with a smile. “So, how are you liking San Diego?” 
You shrugged. “It’s alright. I like the beach nearby.” 
“Bob said you’ve lived all over the place.” 
You nodded. “Yeah, I’ve bounced around a lot. I did New Orleans, Seattle, Austin, SF, London, Barcelona. Most recently I was in Greenpoint.” 
Phoenix put one hand on her slim hip. “Can I ask you a question?” 
“Of course.” 
“Why here, then? Sounds like you’ve lived in the best cities in the US, maybe even the world. So why the hell would you want to move to San Diego?” 
You looked out over into the living room. “It’s the only place where I can see him every day.” 
Phoenix raised an eyebrow as you stood up from the floor, dusting off your knees with your hands. “Bradshaw is gonna ask you out. Even got a blessing from Floyd.” 
You turned to her. “Bob said yes?” 
She nodded. “Wasn’t too convincing, but he said Bradshaw was free to do whatever he liked. So just keep an eye out. He’s a good guy, Rooster. You could do worse.” 
You ducked down, opening a new box to reveal a set of ivory plates. “I’m not really looking to date right now.” 
“Anyone, or does that just apply to Rooster?”
“You two gossiping about me?” Bradley appeared in your field of vision, guzzling from a water bottle on the counter. He set it down and wiped his mouth, revealing a wide grin. 
You looked at Phoenix with panic and she cleared her throat. “Was just telling Reid here that you’re a sore loser because Hangman beat you at darts last week.” 
“Fuck, it was one time!” Rooster tossed his hands up and his genuine nature made you laugh. He dropped his hands and smiled. “Listen, Reid, if you’re not busy tomorrow, I’d love to take you to dinner.” 
You hesitated. What you had told Phoenix wasn’t a lie. You moved to San Diego to spend time with Bob. It wasn’t about a new crop of potential suitors. But the way that Bradley was smiling down at you, and the broadness of his shoulders, and the air in the kitchen, all had you nodding. “Sure,” you said softly. “I’d love to.” 
Bradley smiled so wide it threatened to split his face in half. “Great. I’ll pick you up here, say seven thirty?” 
You nodded. The rest of the night was spent unpacking boxes, you and Phoenix largely sequestered to the kitchen. Hangman and Rooster finally stopped yelling at each other long enough to get the black wood and cane media console set up and you watched with a grin as all four men argued about how exactly the tv should be set up. 
At the end of the night, you swept the empty pizza boxes into a trash bag and followed everyone out into the driveway to say goodbye, dumping the trash inside the can near the garage door. 
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” you said lightly to Bradley and he stepped closer, kissing your cheek softly.
“See you tomorrow Reid.” 
He walked away and you heard Jake huff to himself, muttering under his breath, “What does fucking Bradshaw have that I don’t?” 
You smirked to yourself, waving to Phoenix as she got in her truck, before heading back inside. In the kitchen, Bob was wiping down the counter, placing the last beer can in the recycling. 
“Good work tonight,” you said, looking around with your hands crossed over your chest. You still had some boxes to unpack and you were lacking a dining room table, but the living room was practically brand new. 
Bob shook his head. “You didn’t have to do this, Sunny.” 
“Um, I kind of did if I didn’t want to live in a frat basement for a house.” 
“It wasn’t that bad.” “Whatever you need to tell yourself.” You slipped past him, opening the fridge and pulling out a water bottle. “Alright, I’m gonna take a shower and head to bed. Goodnight.” 
You started down the hall when Bob’s voice stopped you. “Are you really going out with Bradley tomorrow?”
You turned. Bob stood in the middle of the hallway, his hands in his pockets. There was an air around him that you couldn’t place. You nodded. “Yeah, I am. Phoenix said you told Bradley it was OK to ask me out.” 
Bob grunted, turning around and heading for the kitchen, breaking down a cardboard box in frustrated silence. 
You followed him back into the kitchen, one hand on your hip. “Bobby? Are you mad? Do you not want me to date your colleague, is that what this is about?” 
“You always do this, Reid,” he said, shaking his head. There was something unnerving about Bob calling you by your first name. It was always Sunny, honey, darlin’, sweetheart. Never Reid. 
“Do what?” 
Bob looked up. “You leave a trail of men everywhere we go, Reid. I get it. You’re the anywhere-but-here girl. But you have to realize that you can’t do that this time. This is my life you’re walking into. You’re meeting my friends, living in my house. You told me you were settling down this time. But you’re still acting like the same Reid as before.” 
“And who exactly is that?” you demanded, crossing your arms over your chest. 
Bob let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t want to do this right now.” 
“You started this,” you practically shouted. “So fucking end it, Bobby. How am I acting?”
“You’re doing what you always do!” he yelled. “You’re acting like the Reid that fucks any guy that’s halfway decent to you. And then you run away before it can become anything more than a one night stand because you’re fucking terrified of having to stay and owning up to responsibility for the first time in your life. You just steamroll over everyone and everything, have your fun and then you’re gone. And you’ve always been like that. But this time you don’t get to just flit off to Mexico or Sweden or Croatia and send me a little gift basket and act like it never happened. This time you’re fucking with the people in my life, Reid, and it will have consequences. For once can you care about someone other than yourself and look at the situation and realize that what you do impacts me, too?”
The two of you stood, frozen, in the kitchen. The tension in the air was palpable. You could count on one hand the number of fights you and Bob had gotten into over the last nine years. 
This was one of them. 
Your eyes were locked on Bob’s blue ones. You watched as his face fell. As the realization of what he had just said washed over his familiar face. 
“Sunny,” he murmured, stepping closer and you shook your head, backing away. 
“No.” You whispered it, but there was venom laced in the word. “Don’t you dare try and take that back,” you added. “Because you can’t.” 
“Honey, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it.” 
You whipped around, practically jogging down the hall toward the stairs at the front of the house. 
“Reid!” 
You climbed the stairs, two at a time, and slammed the door to your room, locking it behind you, sliding down against the back of the door onto the ground in a heap. 
You hated fighting with Bob. But this time, what you hated the most was that he was right. 
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twig-tea · 9 months
Text
2023 BL/GL/QL Round-Up Post
I thought for posterity I'd post a reflection on everything I watched that completed in 2023. For me, that means anything that started in 2022 but the last episode was in 2023 is on this list, but anything that will still be airing after 31 December 2023 11:59 my time (EST) is not on this list, even if the bulk of the show did air in 2023.
A few stats:
110 discrete pieces of content (series/films)
clocking in at est. 600 hours of NEW BL/GL content only
from 9 different countries (Cambodia [1], Philippines [3], Hong Kong [1], Japan [18], Korea [19], Myanmar [1], Taiwan [6], Thailand [56], Vietnam [7])
~50% of the content I watched on this list is from Thailand
~85% of my content was on YouTube [40%], GaGaOoLaLa [23%] and iQIYI [21%].
[Note that this year a lot of older GMMTV shows moved off of YouTube and onto Viki so if you're looking at these stats to decide what to pay for, this won't account for that.]
This doesn't include re-watches or catching up on old shows [e.g. I re-watched Love Sick, My Ride the Series, Semantic Error, ITSAY/IPYTM, Our Dating Sim at least 3 times lol, and anything with a s2 I re-watched s1 to prep, among others, watched Fujoshi Ukkari Gei no Kokuru (2019) for the first time] or non-QL [e.g. Heartstopper s2, Our Flag Means Death s2, Taskmaster s. 15 & 16, Uncanny Counter s2, One Piece s1, etc.] but does include films as well as shows, though I don't count special episodes separately (so Wedding Plan counts once, though I watched both the show and the special).
I hope you all appreciate that with this much content, and with my general brand of being unable to make decisions, I really struggled to narrow down a top 10 list. What follows is the best I could do lol
Top 20 Shows I'd Recommend From This Year:
Moonlight Chicken
Our Dating Sim
Bed Friend
The Eighth Sense
La Pluie
Sing My Crush
Tokyo in April Is...
Wedding Plan
Laws of Attraction
I Cannot Reach You
I Feel You Linger in the Air
What Did You Eat Yesterday S2
I Became the Lead in a BL Drama
If It's With You
Love in Translation
Our Dining Table
My Personal Weatherman
My Beautiful Man: Eternal
My School President
Be My Favorite
+10 I liked but I would only recommend with caveats:
Love Class 2
The New Employee [for the Rainbow Rice Cakes]
Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru
Never Let Me Go
Kiseki: Dear to Me
Unintentional Love Story
The Day I Loved You
End of the World with You
A Breeze of Love
Jack O'Frost
Bonus: Not a BL but worth calling out:
One Room Angel
Midnight Museum
Grand Guignol
The Warp Effect
Sadly, of the GLs that aired this year, I wouldn't recommend any of them. The best one was Show Me Love, which was not actually good but had very gorgeous women and a LOT of flirting.
The other huge thing that happened this year was that I stopped lurking! Thanks specifically to @lurkingshan and @bengiyo demanding everyone start talking about La Pluie, because they got me to post my first meta post. And because I started actually talking to people, I started making actual friends, and participated in organizing things like the Be My Favorite clown checkpoint for ep 11. I also disappeared a month because of life, and am still catching up on everything I intended to write this year. But it's been really rewarding finding this corner of tumblr with likeminded people who like good shows, like to think about these shows, and who are interested in talking about them in a way that's insightful and respectful.
It's been a long time since I felt comfortable enough participating actively in a fandom, and I just want to say to everyone I've interacted with this year: Thank you!
Full list under the cut for anyone curious! [Mostly in order it aired but may be slightly off].
Love Bill
Director Who Buys Me Dinner, The
Star Always Follow You, The
Cutie Pie 2 You
Between Us the Series (Hemp Rope)
Reason Why He Fell in Love with Me Special & S2 [international release]
New Employee, The
I Will Hit You/I Will Knock You
Individual Circumstances
609 Bedtime Story
GAPYuri / GAP the series
My School President
HitBiteLove the Series
Never Let Me Go
Moonlight Chicken
History 5: Love in the Future
Oh My God (ToDo) the Series
Warp Effect, The
End of the World, With You
My Blessing the Series
Our Winter (miniseries)
All the Liquors
Once in Memory: Let Me Be Yours
Shoulder to Cry On, A
Jack O'Frost
Our Dating Sim
Midnight Museum
Me, My Husband, and My Husband's Boyfriend
My Colleague at BL Shop might be My Meant-to-Be
Unintentional Love Story
Chains of Heart
Bed Friend the series
Bad Brother the Series
Stormy Honeymoon
Eighth Sense, the
Bad Brother the Series
Future Series
Tin Tam Jai the series
Crush on You
House of Stars the Series
Happy Merry Ending
Boss and a Babe, A
Pastsenger the Series
Love Mate
Love Syndrome the Series
Promise the Series, The
Day I Loved You, The
Our Dining Table (Bokura no Shokutaku)
Our Skyy 2
My Story the Series
Starstruck
Love Tractor
Naked Dining
Luminous Solution, The
Omai Series / Is My Roommate A Foreigner
Stupid Genius
Step By Step
La Pluie the series
Tie the Not
Sing My Crush / Follow the Wind
Tokyo in April Is .../ Shigatsu no Tokyo wa
Senior Love Me?
Be My Favorite
Show Me Love
Dinosaur Love
Low Frequency
Stay Still
Stay By My Side
Jun & Jun
Wedding Plan the Series
Laws of Attraction, the
Love Class s2
Minato's Laundromat S2
Hidden Agenda
Bon Appetit
Why RU the Series [Korean adaptation]
Be Mine Superstar
Star, The Season 2
Love In Translation
My Beautiful Man: Eternal
My Personal Weatherman
Bump Up Business
Naughty Babe Series
Only Friends
Grand Guignol
Dangerous Romance
If It's With You / Kimi to Nara Koi wo Shite Mite Mo
Y Journey: Stay Like a Local
I Feel You Linger in the Air
Venus in the Sky
Kiseki: Dear to Me
I Cannot Reach You
You Are Mine
Breeze of Love / Weather Forecast of Love
Mr. Cinderella 2
Let's Eat Together Aki and Haru
One Room Angel
Marry My Dead Body
Lucky My Love the Series
Pure Vanilla: Recipe for Romance
Absolute Zero
Memories, The
My Dear Gangster Oppa
Shadow
What Did You Eat Yesterday? S2
Middleman Love
Beyond the Star
Bake Me Please
You and My Stars
I Became the Lead in a BL Drama
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xpuigc-bloc · 3 months
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COLOSSAL
Design History Illustration Social Issues
A Rare Cross-Section Illustration Reveals the Infamous Happenings of Kowloon Walled City
GRACE EBERT
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All images courtesy of Greg Jensen
At its height in the 1990s, Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong housed about 50,000 people. Its population is unremarkable for small cities, but what set Kowloon apart from others of its size was its density. Spanning only 2.6 hectares, the tiny enclave contained 1,255,000 people per square kilometer, making it the densest city in the world. For context, New York City boasts about 11,300 per square kilometer, while Manila, the most highly concentrated municipality today, tops out at about 42,000.
Kowloon was built as a small military fort around the turn of the 20th century. When the Chinese and English governments abandoned it after World War II, the area attracted refugees and people in search of affordable housing. With no single architect, the urban center continued to grow as people stacked buildings on top of one another and tucked new structures in between existing ones to accommodate the growing population without expanding beyond the original fort’s border.
With only a small pocket of community space at the center, Kowloon quickly morphed into a labyrinth of shops, services, and apartments connected by narrow stairs and passageways through the buildings. Rather than navigate the city through alleys and streets, residents traversed the structures using slim corridors that always seemed to morph, an experience that caused many to refer to Kowloon as “a living organism.”
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The city devolved into a slum with crime and poor living conditions and was razed in 1994. Before demolition, though, a team of Japanese researchers meticulously documented the architectural marvel, which had become a sort of cyberpunk icon that even inspired a gritty arcade as tribute.
For a now out-of-print book titled Kowloon City: An Illustrated Guide, artist Hitomi Terasawa drew a meticulous cross-sectioned rendering of the urban phenomenon to preserve its memory. The massive panorama peers into the compact neighborhood, glimpsing narrow dance halls, laundry dangling from balconies, and entire factories tucked inside cramped quarters.
Thanks to psychologist Greg Jensen, we now have a stunning high-resolution scan of Terasawa’s illustration complete with annotations and diagramming. It’s worth viewing the full panorama in its entirety to zoom in on all the details of this infamous city. And, for photos of Kowloon and its inhabitants, check out this incredibly informative video detailing its history.
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COLOSSAL
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How would Mephisto seduce or Court a woman in this modern day and age?
Since he is archaic I imagine that he is suffering nowadays since the old ways don’t work on Gen Z Generation anymore.
Archaic, but flexible. And for that reason Japan is the absolute best place he could be for sexy times.
THIS IS A MONSTEROUSLY LONG POST I AM SORRY FOR BEING SUCH A NERRRRRD. ALSO SOME PRETTY DARK MATERIAL AHEAD! Can’t talk about a lawless, libertine devil doing courtship in Japan and not reveal some of the darker aspects of the culture as relates to that subject or how he would probably handle it, given his ancientness.
TL;DR: Mephisto is a lecherous creep in the absolute perfect country to be a lecherous creep in and you bet your bottom he takes full advantage of that; that being said, he would rather stay out of troublesome trouble with legal authorities and such, thank you. Too many people would have to die. :)
Honestly I think it really would depend on where he was or where the woman he us seducing is from
If he is seducing women in True Cross then has gonna have a whole other kind of time trying lol, cause of all the cultural mixing in it. I imagine the city culture of True Cross is pretty similar to someplace like Seoul, Singapore, or Hong Kong, those having much more diversity than city Tokyo. Parts of it might even resemble San Francisco's Japan Town, which is a mixed cultural oddball of...unique, nature. Given that that is the case, and that there's so much diverse religiosity there, I would wager Mephisto has to be damn careful of what he does with whom in order to not get in trouble culturally; offending one or two women wouldn't be so bad, but get enough of them talking and his reputability would tank..
He might be a God, but trouble with the law is no fun for anyone either, even if all he has to do is offer a great tip and send them on their merry way. It's still inconvenient and brings him into a realm of the public sphere he would rather not be in if he gets caught at it too many times. (Let that imply what it will). What's more he does rely somewhat on his reputation, and is very careful to groom that public image into one which makes him attractive and repulsive at the same time, to differing people.
All that said, I personally HC that Mephisto is the one saying no more often than the other way around; he is, after all, rich and influential, and a foreigner of sorts, (more on why those are specifically relevant later) and to those who know it a demon, and those who know more still, a God. Humans are a competitive species, and lord knows the lengths lesser men and women have gone to in search of the yoke that is Power. He may be flirtatious with his staff, (and students) but I doubt he would go out of his way to sleep with too many of them, since they might take that to presume he is their ladder to the top and try to step on him accordingly. Such arrogance would only be invited if it was for the sake of watching them fall from a great height while he cackled all the while at their misery.
- but for the sake of argument I'll assume he's trying to catch some tail in Japan from a Japanese woman first cause i get the feeling he's there for those reasons too.
This is gonna get LONG. I grew up with exchange students and I really wanted to live in Japan once upon a time, so have done massive cultural research for years. I promise it's relevant to your hypothetical question...mostly. More under the cut so this doesn’t overtake the dashboard:
Now, Meph is doubtlessly on top of modern courting methods; he needs to be, for a variety of reasons, among them keeping tabs on Rin and Yukio since he is their guardian. Which is particularly important, because compared to western ideas of Courtship (Formal Dating) or just "Dating", Japan's cultural expectations are...well kinda outdated, to be honest. "Traditional" is a word I would use. This works out great for Mephisto in some respects, but not in others. You'll see what I mean.
For the sake of context, "Courtship" in either formal or informal form in Japan between two individuals is extremely private, and therefore quite variable, actually, once you get to the bedrooms - but you have to actually get to the bedrooms first. The basic steps to this for most people, even in modern day Japan, are "guy asks girl to hang out in public a few times, girl asks guy to hang out at her house with parents chaperoning, girl goes to guys house with his parents chaperoning, if parents of girl approve of guy they're allowed to be alone sometimes and if parents of guy approve of girl they miiiiight let her stay the night." Of course young couples don't always follow this guideline, especially in more diversified areas of Tokyo, but it's the culturally expected one. (And there's a ton more nuance to it that I'm not even gonna cover. I am aware this model is still especially prevalent in most of Asia but it feels....different, in Japan. Its hard to describe why it feels different, but it does. Its the little things.)
But when it comes to seduction, you can't really go wrong with the classics, and him being an out and out foreigner means A) he is pretty much never going to win the (formal) courtship game unless he outright pays off the parents, who can stay involved in this process for their most their daughters life, and B) he gets special privileges when it comes to seducing women and men alike. :)
Why? Because Japanese people don't outright expect foreigners to know "the rules" and sometimes actively count on them being broken. For instance, it's technically against "the rules" to jump right to Guy Invites Girl to His Mansion...but he's not Japanese, so this wouldn't be regarded as sleazy the same way as if he was. :) bet your ass he uses his Gaijin status to its fullest benefit with that kind of shit.
What's more, Meph has Power and Money and that warrants some rule breaking in its own right. ;]
Now, to the part of this discussion i was avoiding: Mephisto would have literally the easiest time ever " "seducing" " a typical japanese woman, because, and I quote, Japanese women "don't say no" - in quotes because obviously they do, but they're conditioned not to, (and men are conditioned not to listen) culturally, and though that's changing, (thank god) the change has been slow and only really seen in upscale urban areas where there's more population power and the court of public opinion has the ability to punch well above its weight, for good or ill. Rape is one of the most commonly committed , most commonly under- addressed crime in Japan for a reason. With that in mind, and acknowledging that our dear clown man has no fixated moral compass to speak of, I leave the definition of his "Seduction" up to your interpretation there.
I also want to point out that Women especially "dont say no" to men with money and power who their parents " really like" - though they might have more bargaining power against a foreigner, traditionally, all that becomes rather moot in the face of Principle and Profit. It is nowhere NEAR as common as it used to be, but there are still men out there who are willing to "sell" their daughters to wealthy men in the hopes they can get a quick buck from it, or use it as extorsion by working the public opinion against the guy (in this case Meph) to defame him. Sex and politics; and no doubt dear Meph gets caught up in the sway of all of that, being a businessman and a "gentleman" with a bad habit of swooning the ladies.
He's a "traditionalist" all right. And why wouldn't he be? This is how it's worked for most of human history, why stop now? Humans are, after all, more like playthings to him, animals, than autonomous beings. They want to play medieval politics? Pffft, he's been doing this for millennia, and he knows how to rig the game in his favor - so what if she isn't the most willing participant? Just means he has to up his Game and get her to change her mind...or not, either way, the deal has to happen, and the Devil will always take what he is owed, one way or another. The fact it is not necessarily something he will be directly implicated for if it does go pear shaped is just a bonus of where he has set up camp; reports against high ranking officials or very wealthy men are vanishingly rare, in a country where reports are themselves uncommon.
So getting into bed with a Japanese woman would be a piece of cake for him. Maybe too much of a piece of cake sometimes...
However, moving away from such a dark subject for the moment, one of the benefits of the fact intimacy is so insanely private is that Japan, culturally, doesn't have a lot of sexual taboos, with the exception of anything exhibition-y, because again, sex and intimacy are supposed to be private things. Sex shops are freaking everywhere in (urban) Japan, hiding in some of the most unexpected places. You want kinky? You can find a place in the Tokyo area for sure that sells it in every conceivable flavor, including many that westerners consider outright wrong or strange. The sky is the limit, so on the off chance he should encounter someone with more exacting tastes, there's nothing cultural-taboo wise to really be stopping them from having a good time. :)
Of course personal opinions vary, but (somewhat ironically) the general Japanese view is that if you aren't bothering anyone else with it, then it's fine/ alright. If, however, you are disturbing your neighbor or otherwise making it a public problem, you can be in some cases fined or even arrested for causing a disturbance.
Sooooooooo with that I hope I’ve nerded you out enough. :)
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Losers from Round 1 Disney Parks Attractions Tournament Lightning round! Group B
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Videos and propaganda under the cut!
Maliboomer: California Adventure (2001-2010)
Propaganda:
"Listen. Yes, I know the vomit/scream shields were gross, but they were part of the charm! This was one of my favorite rides before they tore it down (supposedly for not being "family friendly" enough. Or at least that's the rumor I was told. It could be wrong, but if it's not wrong, it's a really stupid reason. Especially since they replaced it with a smoking park). If you're not familiar with it: you would be strapped into one of 16 seats all placed around a center square pillar. Then the seats would slowly rise up the pillar a few feet, until they would suddenly shoot way up to the top (150 ft tall. It was the tallest ride at the park. I think technically Tower of Terror was taller, but that was the building. Not the actual ride part). Then when at the top, they would free fall back down. This would repeat a couple of times and that was it. It was amazing. When at the very top, right before falling, you would feel like you were floating for a second. I loved it. You also got an amazing view of the city for that brief moment. The best part? It almost never had a line. My siblings and I would always just walk right on whenever we passed by it and the operators would let us ride it again as many times as we wanted. I miss it :( "
youtube
Railroads: Disneyland, WDW Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland
Disneyland version:
youtube
Disney World:
youtube
Tokyo Disneyland:
youtube
Disneyland Paris:
youtube
Hong Kong Disneyland:
youtube
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nevzatboyraz44 · 1 year
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Quarry Bay, located in the eastern region of Hong Kong, which truly deserves the title of concrete pile, is a district where a new industrial and residential area is opened every day and the population density reaches its peak.
In any case, a building like the Monster Building would only suit such a region.
monster,
I mean, what did this cluster of buildings do to deserve the title "monster"?
In fact, the name was given by the locals of the region and probably refers to the huge dimensions of the structure and its shape that rises as if it hovers over people from three sides.
The Quarry Bay 'Monster Building', which consists of 5 separate buildings, was built during the population boom in the 1960s, as part of a government-supported housing project for low-income residents of the city.
Hundreds of apartments in this complex structure, which emerged with the combination of Oceanic Mansion, Fook Cheong, Montane Mansion, Yick Cheong and Yick Fat buildings, are stacked on top of each other to create a colorful motif.
From this point of view, it can be said that it resembles a giant rug rather than a monster.
In fact, Hong Kong is a region accustomed to structures similar to the Quarry Bay 'Monster Building' built in the 1960s.
As in most buildings of this type, the upper floors are designed as living spaces, while the ground floors consist of shops selling in many different areas.
Although there are such similarities in general terms, Quarry Bay 'Monster Building' seems to stand out from the others in terms of size and density.
Quarry Bay 'Monster Building' also stands out for its remarkable symmetry and architectural aesthetics.
In terms of these features, it manages to attract the attention of both city explorers and instagramers.
Does it interest them but not the filmmakers?
Quarry Bay 'Monster Building' has already been the set of world-famous movies like Ghost in the Shell and Transformers.
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melanie-ohara · 1 year
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Avery Sirin
Alliance Mechanic
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See also: Dela Raisaris
The following information is classified. Spectre status required.
PERSONAL HISTORY
Avery Sirin was born in 2154 on the fledgling human colony of Terra Nova to Leilani and Grigol Sirin. The colony expanded slowly at first, and as a child Avery's education was patchy and largely delivered by her parents or neighbours, and focused mostly on important aspects of colony life. From an early age, she developed a keen interest in machinery and technology.
The draw of frontier life eventually attracted an impressive number of first-class educators, and Sirin was one of the first enrolled in Terra Nova's school system in the capital of Scott. Keen to encourage the colony (and boost their own recruitment numbers after the Relay-314 incident) the Alliance provided Avery and many of her peers with full scholarships to the newly established Falconer University in Scott City.
Avery attended the Technical Engineering college in 2172, just as Terra Nova's famous platinum rush was beginning. The sudden influx of people and credits transformed the colony over Avery's four years of study. As many of the new arrivals were non-human, this was Avery's first experience of wider galactic culture. While already committed to two years of Alliance service thanks to the scholarship program, in her third and fourth years of study Avery joined several social clubs designed to build inter-species relationships.
Her parents, however, were distrustful of the new arrivals and resented the industrialisation of their colony. They became reclusive and moved away from the city, causing a rift between them and their daughter that has resulted in a noticeably frosty relationship.
After her graduation in 2176, Sirin was assigned as a flight mechanic on the SSV Hong Kong, where she developed a romantic relationship with a pilot that lasted most of her required two years of service. It ended poorly with the realisation that her partner looked down on her as 'just an engineer'. After breaking it off with him, she applied - and was quickly accepted - to the Alliance Flight School in 2178. After the one year intensive program, she graduated in the top three of her class.
She was reassigned to the SSV Shenyang in 2179 and flew on several pirate suppression missions in the Attican Traverse, protecting Alliance colonies from slavers. Her skill and dedication were recognised with a promotion to 1st Flight Lieutenant in 2181.
In 2183, the Shenyang fought in the Battle of the Citadel against the rogue Spectre Saren and his geth army. Sirin fought with distinction, destroying several geth fighters and helping co-ordinate the defence of a hobbled turian cruiser. On the recommendation of Major Helmud Diaz, Sirin was awarded a commendation and, with the appointment of the new human Councillor in early 2184, was approved for transfer to the turian heirarchy ship Severum of the Council Demilitarization Enforcement Mission in the krogan DMZ.
EQUIPMENT
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Alliance Interceptor Fighter
Designed for ship-to-ship combat and missile screening duties, the Alliance SX3 is less hardy than its turian equivalent but significantly more agile.
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M-3 Predator sidearm
All flight personnel are assigned a basic sidearm in case of emergency. Avery's pistol range scores are comparatively poor.
SKILLS
While not much of a combatant outside of her cockpit, Avery can use her Alliance-issue omni-tool as a defensive and offensive weapon. She can release an electrical overload to disrupt enemy kinetic barriers, or repurpose the charge as a shield boost for herself. Additionally, she can use the on-board minifacturer to produce a swarm of nanides, which can be used by an invasion program to strip enemy armour, or a restoration program to repair equipment.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION
Avery Sirin is a model Alliance soldier. Dedicated to her mission and loyal to her allies, she has a quiet resilience and determination that make her an asset to any operation. Off duty, she is curious and friendly, and makes a noticeable effort to get along with and understand her non-human comrades. Despite her efforts, she can come across emotionally distant and prefers not to talk about herself, which leads some - particularly turians - to think of her as aloof.
- REPORT FILED BY VERAPIA BESCUS, ST&R, 2184 -
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Chapter 1 - The Devil, Upright
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Hong Kong has long since been known as the epitome of technological development and pristine services of all kind, so it was no wonder it attracted the youth of every age, no matter their background or studies. Nobody looked at another with judgemental eyes, as anyone could become the newest genius researcher, or the big shot CEO. Thus, a young lady with exceptionally long, luscious hair of scarlet velvet found herself enjoying a light meal and a cup of tea, reading a book. She was absolutely gorgeous, and even the waiters wanted to flirt with her, despite her intimidating appearance. She was dressed in black, a crop top and high waisted pants and boots with platform, and over, a haori of evidently expensive silk - It was black, patterned with red spider lilies and embroidered with shiny gold thread.
On the table, a half oni mask, like that of a Samurai, was resting, that too, black with gold teeth and fangs - Yet on her head, the black straw hat with horns and tassels was undiscarded. She didn't seem to actively attempt to hide her identity, nor did she seem to outright show her features to the world - Even so, her gorgeous vixen-like make up made her look like a seductive temptress, her glowing emerald green eyes looking more precious than the most expensive jewel. Her jewellery also, very expensive and made of gold, emphasising her elegance with ease, against the colour block of full black. She sipped her tea calmly, unbothered by the door of the restaurant opening and closing every now and again. She remained aware of her surroundings, yet not enough to bother about what other groups of people were doing.
That is, until she heard her mother tongue being spoken at a table closer to her own, which made her shift her gaze towards them. The young woman gasped softly, raising to her feet and attempting to rush over to their table, but she was too late, for this silver haired Stand user attacked them and provoked them to a duel, outside of the restaurant, but not before the one with the Fire-using Stand lit up the whole place.
The red haired beauty followed close behind, walking up the stairs to some kind of open space with statues and trees all around. The Fire-user was the one supposed to respond to the challenge of the Frenchman, but he was rudely interrupted by the lady who flicked the katana sitting idly at her hip, and attacked the challenger, slashing at his torso with one swift move, and making him grovel on the ground dramatically. "Stop being so dramatic. You'll live." the girl spoke in a whispery voice, looking down at him with a passive expression. "For now."  "O, ma belle mademoiselle! Ma fleur! Such a beauty, so deadly!" he stopped his complaining, and got back to his feet, applauding her. "Tell me everything you know about Dio." she said, placing the blade at his neck. "I am not above killing you." "I will tell you all you wish to know - If only you can defeat me, cherie!" all of a sudden, the man towering over her appeared to be floating in mid-air, though it was obvious his Stand, Silver Chariot, which shed its armor, was holding him up. Talk about dramatics. "You seem surprised, cherie! Well, it would be dishonorable of me to defeat you before I explained my previous move. It's only fair, after all." "Your Stand just got faster after shedding its armor. If you can pride yourself with such basic knowledge, you are lesser than a worm." the woman tsk'ed, stepping backwards, watching the Stand create what looked like duplicates, but no doubt, they were after-images left behind from that speed. She could hear various gasps of all kinds, wonder, fear, speculation of what was going to happen - Some were yelling at her to get away from there, that a normal person can't defeat a Stand User, though a rougher, lower voice told them all to shut up. She wasn't a regular person, if she was knowledgeable enough to mention Stands and know strategies. 
At once, the Stand went to attack her, while the Frenchman remained rooted to the spot, commanding Silver Chariot. She readied her katana and awaited the momentum - It was all about initiative, that was one of the first rules of a samurai; rules which she held to her heart since very little. A single slash addressed towards the Stand, and the Frenchman was bleeding heavily, whining and whimpering on the ground. The Stand disappeared. The girl sheathed her sword and stepped next to her opponent, looking down at him with bored eyes. "Are you going to tell me about Dio, or should I just kill you?" "Je suis desole, cherie. I was conceited. I was sure my swordsmanship was superior! I will die a honourable death - Since you were able to defeat me, I'll accept my fate, out of respect. Anything else would be dishonorable!" the woman sighed, slapping her face in annoyance and crouching by his side. She stole a quick glance at the party, before placing her hand over his forehead and revealing the manipulating flesh bud controlling him. With some difficulty, she channeled her Stand's power onto her hand to extract the bud, only to slash it with a karate chop.
Though the overly dramatic Frenchman was perfectly fine, he only babbled on and on about someone with two right hands and weird things like that. Having given up on getting any kind of useful information out of him, she got up and stepped towards the party who looked quizzically at her, and they were even more confused when she rose a hand up and... Slapped Kakyoin so hard over the face that he stumbled on his feet. Only to then grab him by the coat of his uniform and bring him into a tight embrace. Everyone was too shocked by the weird behaviour of the girl, that they were unable to speak.
It wasn't until they saw Kakyoin wrap his arms protectively around her that they realised they at least knew each other. "That hurt." the boy said with a chuckle. "Worrying over you hurt more." she muttered, burying her face in his shoulder. "You disappeared one night. Everyone was worried." her voice was soft and light, unlike her tight grip on the boy. "Forgive me, Kisara, I didn't mean to worry everyone." Kakyoin sighed. "I got captured and manipulated by an evil man called Dio... Though I suppose you gathered that by now already. I had a flesh bud like him too." he explained, laxing his hug. "I know. I met others like you. And I met Dio also. It was how I was able to track you down, all the way from Egypt. Mind you, it wasn't easy." the lady spoke, her hands cupping his face as though she was searching for injuries. "It's okay, I'm unharmed." he smiled tenderly at her. "Thank you for worrying about me, but you should go home. We are on a quest to kill Dio. I don't want to endanger you." instead of earning a nod of agreement, he received a light-hearted slap on the back of his head.  "Did you think I travelled half the globe to find you, just to return home without you? Don't be ridiculous. I am your older sister, who else but me is supposed to take care of my defenseless baby brother?" she smirked, crossing her arms and rejoicing in the embarrassed blush painting his features. "Whoa - Kakyoin, you never told us you had a sister!" the old man behind them gasped. "You never asked." Noriaki shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Everyone, this is Kisara, my sister. Kisara, this is Jotaro. He was the one who saved me from Dio's flesh bud. This is Mr. Joestar, Jotaro's grandpa, and Avdol, his friend." Kisara nodded her head at them, tipping her straw hat slightly. "Thank you for saving my baby brother. He can be helpless sometimes." the girl said. "Especially you, Jotaro. Thank you." the young brunet man towering over her - Like everyone else surrounding her - Simply hummed and looked away. Not much of a talker, it seemed. "I suppose everyone has their reasons for wanting to kill Dio. Our end-game wishes align. I can only guess we're going to Egypt, yes?"
Thus, Mr. Joestar began telling her about his daughter, Holly, and her affliction from the Stand that was trying to kill her - A manifestation of Dio's re-awakening from his hundred year slumber. Not only that, but he wished to eradicate the world of all Joestars, the lineage of his eternal rival from his youth, before he become immortal.  No doubt, it was a ridiculous story, but given the circumstances, she was unable to dismiss the weird story. With the Frenchman now back on his feet, he, too, joined their party... And it became rather colourful and energetic, much to the introverted girl's dismay.  Mr. Joestar said he hired a crew to sail them across the ocean, so they should go towards the port; As he explained that he charted a ship from the Speedwagon foundation, the Frenchman once again crossed their path, under the premise of thanking the group for freeing him from Dio's mind control. "Don't thank us. Thank Kisara." "I don't need your thanks. It was not altruism, but self-interest." the red head tipped her hat, already fed up with the foreigner.  "It was a kind thought, but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears." Avdol shrugged his shoulders.  Polnareff cringed a little from the woman's cold demeanour. "As you say. I've no desire to come off as heavy-handed." he sighed in acceptance. He then approached the party, asking Joseph to reveal his left hand, covered by a glove. 
The Frenchman explained he was looking for the man who murdered his sister, and the only information regarding his physical appearance was the clue of him having two right hands. With Joseph revealing that his left hand was entirely robotic from an incident occured fifty years prior, he encouraged the young man to speak his story.
Three years in the past, his sister was killed when she was returning from school - First, the culprit sliced her friend's chest open, as if with a sickle, then turned to his sister, abusing her before strangling her to death. The man wanted nothing more than to torment the two young ladies. Somehow, despite her heavily bleeding injury, the friend escaped and was able to tell the whole story to Polnareff, who was now hunting the criminal high and low, all over the Earth. Nobody believed her, except for him - He was sure the culprit had a power much like his own. A Stand Power.
I see something in the crystal ball. It is a vision - Not from my heart, but from yours. The man you seek, the pain you hide, my power only brings it into focus. What do you say? Why don't we become friends?  You are distressed. You are suffering.  Join me, and your suffering will soon be a thing of the past. The image in the globe is what pains you, no? Lend me your strength. I, too, am suffering. I have been denied the Sun's embrace for all eternity. That is why I need your strength. Allow me to find him for you. 
"Then I was ordered to kill you all." said Polnareff. "I felt it was the right thing to do." "The flesh bud is partially responsible, but it seems he's quite the manipulator." concluded Avdol. "Indeed. And judging by that story, I would wager that the man with two right hands is already his underling." Kakyoin rightfully guessed. "That's Dio, alright." Kisara let out a breath of amusement. "He did the same to me also." "Wh-What?!" her brother gasped at her comment. "How do you know of Dio?" "How else do you think I could find you?" Kisara scoffed lightly. "Dio is unable to manipulate me, no matter how hard he tried. It was worth listening to his attempts though." such a notion attracted Jotaro's attention, who eyed the girl carefully. Any information regarding their arch-nemesis was vital, no matter of what kind; And at least she seemed much more reliable than the obnoxious Frenchie. "What do you mean? I and Polnareff got manipulated with those flesh buds, and Avdol got threatened also." Noriaki spoke with some alarm. "Ah, I see - No wonder Dio knew how to guide me to you." the single woman of the group chuckled dryly. "I just have a simple trick, of which you are unable of putting into practice, due to the nature of your Stand, that is all." Jotaro concluded easily that this woman, although not showing it, must be having quite a reliable Stand, with an out of the ordinary power. His own Stand was good at close combat, though it had perfect accuracy and quite the sight, much like himself. He saw Kakyoin and Polnareff in battle, and their Stands also were fighting-orientated, with some personal twists. Avdol, he remembers, could use Pyromancy tricks of different kinds, much like the mage of a party.
Could Kisara's Stand be as peculiar as Gramps' weird, thorny stand? Although, Jotaro only knew that he could punch a camera and find a location of interest, so not entirely useful in battle, but good enough for their quest. No, she couldn't have such a lame-ass, useless Stand, could she? If Noriaki, her brother, has a Stand like that, she too must have something useful. Hopefully, he will see it soon at work; He wanted to know everyone's weaknesses and strong points, so that they could all be taken into account when formulating strategies and what not, should the simple Ora Ora punch approach not go as planned.
As Kisara smirked at the group that so easily fell prey to Dio's charm, two young girls marched up to Jotaro, all cutesy, asking him to take a picture of her, as they are tourists and want a nice memory to take home. Alas, their blatantly flirtatious demeanour quickly angered Kujo, who started yelling at them to shut up and leave him alone. The Frenchman, however, got in between them and took the girls away, complimenting their looks and taking a ton of pics of them... Mainly, their long, slender legs. What a pervert.
"His personality is mystifying." Avdol admitted, watching the man's shamelessness with bewilderment. "His emotions change on a dime." "More like, he's got two brains, and the one downstairs suddenly started calling the shots." Joseph's comment made the girl bite her lip in an attempt to hide her amusement, while the others felt outright defeated. "Salope." Kisara's snark, in turn, made Joseph only gasp and start giggling like a schoolgirl. The audacity of calling someone a 'whore' in their own language, how sassy.
Their journey will only feel significantly longer, now that the Frenchman's overly extroverted and talkative self joined the group, though at least it might save some awkward silences. Once boarded on the ship, it will take three full days at sea to get from Hong Kong to Singapore. Hopefully, some peace and quiet will do them good. With how hot it was, Joseph took off his coat, sweating in the white and red striped tank top. He looked in deep bewilderment as Jotaro and Kakyoin kept their full school uniform on, lounging leisurely on the chair; Whilst Jotaro was 'Sun-bathing', the red head boy was reading a book. Weren't they overheating? What was with them? Were they reptiles or what?
"Can't you do something about those school uniforms?! Are you gonna stay dressed like that the entire time? Aren't you hot?" Mr. Joestar asked, almost as if he was flexing. "Well...They ARE pretty hot." Kisara chuckled in amusement, not wanting to let the opportunity go away. "Don't let that get to their head!" Joseph whined a complaint - Only to look at the girl who dared speak, though her situation wasn't much better. Sitting on the railing of the opposite side of the boys, Kisara was enjoying the soothing sea breeze. Her straw hat was down, and her long carmine hair was dancing as graceful as a river around her, almost as if she was a fairy of sorts.  Her comment attracter the attention of the two boys; Her brother smiled at her warmly, knowing very well how much she loved the feeling of freedom she was only ever able to get from the sea or mountains. She truly looked happy, which was a rather rare occurrence for the otherwise highly stressed girl - Granted, she usually does like stressing herself with the most silly things... Not that he was any better, for the most part. It must be a twin thing.
When Jotaro looked, however, he saw the someone other-worldy, as though Kisara was not a member of humankind, but some nymph-like being. Was it that untameable fire-like hair, swaying around with the breeze? Or was it that relaxed, genuine kitten smile, looking up at the azure sky with the clouds lazily passing by, and the bright Sun highlighting her beautiful face?  How very peculiar, Jotaro thought. Perfectly bizarre. Since when did he care about women, anyway? They always annoyed him to the point of forcing him to yell at them, and even curse. Even his mum would oftimes irk him with her clingy, affectionate actions and sweet words.
Was it because Kisara looked like a serious and reliable person, who only spoke when needed? Or was it the meticulous and sure approach which she displayed when interrogating and defeating Polnareff? Perhaps, it was the clear fright she was feeling with her brother's disappearance, the boy her slender body trembled almost invisibly upon seeing Kakyoin and embracing him with such care and worry. There was something about her, and Jotaro was going to find out exactly what it was that made his eyes linger on that seraphic grin of hers. "We both are students, and students should dress as students. Though we might be pushing it." Kakyoin explained simply. "I see. Japanese students are so uptight." Joseph shrugged. "I see... So this is what they call Bushido." Kisara couldn't help but hum, hearing Avdol compare the Samurai code to the rigidity of the two students. "Like they say, clear your mind and even flames feel cold." "You know, girls aren't gonna fall for uptight guys like you." Polnareff joked. "If only you knew the amount of girls that flock around my brother." Noriaki let out a breath of amusement, though his ears did warm up a little from the embarrassing comment.
Though deeply engulfed in their light conversation, the quietness was broken by a rather aggressive growl and the loudness of a struggle. "Let go! Let go of me, you big lug!" there was a kid, less than twelve years of age, Kisara approximated, who kept screaming and trashing around in the arms of one of the sailors. "Oi, I thought I said no passengers!" Joseph scolded the sailor. "Sorry about that, it's a stowaway. This brat was hiding in the lower storage area." the sailor explained apologetically, as the party lazily gathered around the commotion. Who would have thought that such a small, unruly child could create a headache of this proportion. "Come at me, then! C'mon and fight me! I'll break your balls!" the kid tried to break free, though his strength meant nothing compared to that of a hardened sailor like himself. "How vulgar..." Kisara sighed deeply, looking at the display in disgust. Her whole mood was now ruined, and the calmness was destroyed. The fight between those two continued just as aggressively, with the sailor taunting and pinching his cheeks, and the little boy biting his arm like a dog... Until the little one jumped in the ocean, garnering everyone's shock. The only one completely uncaring of the situation was Jotaro, who didn't budge from the lounge chair even by an inch, nor did he share any kind of concern for the child.
"Leave 'em. The kid must be a confident swimmer to brazenly dive in like that." Jotaro noted in a most bored tone. "Not even an Olympic Swimmer can keep himself afloat when there is no land in sight, and the water is infested with dangerous sea creatures." Kisara shrugged, hopping off the railing and fixing the hat back on her head, looking down at the brunet delinquent, who stared right back at her. She looked so different with that ronin hat on her head; No longer was she a fairy, but she gave off the passively-threatening aura of a samurai of the caliber of Miyamoto Musashi himself. Positively aloof, yet very much dangerous. "Oh no, this is bad! Sharks!" Kakyoin spoke his concerns out loud, along with the others. "Hey, kid, come back here! It's dangerous!" Joseph shouted after him. "Sharks! There are sharks out there!" Polnareff, also, yelled his worries, not wanting to see a live-action of Jaws. "You are all yelling, yet neither of you is taking any active steps in rescuing the child." Kisara looked weirdly at the men.  "Well, what can we do, anyway?!" with the Frenchie yelling in her ear, Kisara groaned, seeing the outshape of a shark, lurking around the boy.  "... Why am I always taking care of the little brothers?" the girl leisurely hopped off the railing, and much to everyone's surprise... She landed on her feet? And was walking on the sheen of the water? Was was going on, what kind of Stand Power did she have that she could do such a thing?
The men up on the deck watched as Kisara grabbed the boy from the water, holding him up by the neck of the outfit;; The boy let out an ear-piercing screech right in her ear, so high-pitched that she thought her ear drum ruptured - All because the shark leapt at them. Silly boy. "Quiet." Kisara hissed at him, effortlessly kicking the shark away from them, and beginning her catwalk back towards the ship with the child in her arms, cradled like a baby. "One second thought." she looked down at the brat, blowing the hat off his head, revealing a cascade of dark hair, poorly taken care off. "I'm caring for a little sister now, I see." "H-Hey, I'm not a child! How dare you patronise me like this!" the child tugged on a strand of her hair, only to freeze and start shivering at the glare received from those cold, empty green eyes of hers. "I hate children." the older girl's harsh comment made Anne feel small and insignificant, afraid for her life more than with the shark.
Behind them, the bloop of a large water bubble being broken caught Kisara's attention, and she briefly turned to see what was happening, in case another shark were to approach. Her eyes widened in surprise realising that the noise of the water surface breaking was indeed from the shark she hit earlier... In a large spot of blood, it's carcass split in two perfect halves. "What the hell..." "Katrina, get back fast! Something's attacking from underwater! It's not a shark! And it's racing towards you! Hurry!" Joseph's alarmed voice called out from the ship. "Nori?" the red head extended her arm upwards when she calculated the perfect distance. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest; She could see the silhouette of the monster of the depths. It was definitely a Stand. "This distance is perfect!" her brother unleashed Hierophant Green's tendrils, and with impressive speed, Kisara and Anne were snatched back on the deck to safety, just as the Stand wrecked the saving lifeline closeby the spot she was standing previously. "Kisara, are you okay?!" Noriaki embraced his sister as soon as she threw down the little girl. "I am fine." she patted his head. "But we are in deep trouble once the Stand User reveals himself." "An Aquatic Stand...Even I have never seen such an ability such as this." Avdol declared, nervously, still staring at the ravished lifeline.
The men kept trying to ponder over the possibility of whether or not the little girl could be a Stand User... Though incredibly pathetic, looking like a drenched stray cat and heavily panting on the ground. Seeing them all staring down at her so intently, Anne shakily stumbled to her feet, taking out a pocket-knife and threatening the party. "Don't underestimate me, okay?! You're gonna regret this!" neither of them reacted to her words. "One-on-one! Come at me, I dare ya! My demon blade wants to slurp the blood of its 340th victim!" "Haven't I told you to shut up? Do I have to rip your tongue out?" Kisara sighed, stepping in front of the girl and snatching the knife away. "I hate loud brats like you." she flipped the knife to hold the blade before bonking the child on the head with the handle. "Now keep quiet like a good child and I will think twice about throwing you back to the sharks to fend for yourself." Anne shivered, looking up at the woman towering over her maliciously - She was so cool! Anne wanted to be as intimidating and strong like this miss also! Instead, Anne gulped, looking down like an obedient girl. "Y-Yes, Ma'am."
The party looked at each other, and agreed the girl couldn't possibly be the Stand User - But that only begged the question of who could be Dio's puppet lurking from the shadows?  As if called, the very captain of the ship appeared out of nowhere, grabbing the young girl so tight that it seemed to hurt her. Jotaro lit up a cigarette, stepping away from the commotion. Joseph seemed to be verifying the true identity of the ten-people crew on this ship, and no one seemed to be suspicious of the man at all. It only made Kisara wonder, her eyes fixed on the leisurely captain. He was tall and built well - He seemed to be playing the role of a captain good enough also. 
"Jotaro." Kisara stepped towards the boy who seemed to be analysing the new-comer as well as she was. "I am getting bad vibes from the captain." "Me too." he puffed some smoke, making the girl cough a little. The two shifted their attention back of the captain, who seemed to have ended his conversation with Mr. Joestar, who he strode rather hostile towards them. In one move, so fast and intimidating that even Jotaro was surprised, he grabbed the cigarette, reprimanding the highschool student.  "Please refrain from smoking on this ship. What were you planning to do with the ashes and butt when you finished? Were you going to toss them into this beautiful ocean? You're a guest on this ship, so you must follow her rules, Mr. Outlaw." everyone around gasped at the disrespect as the Captain put out the cigarette on one of the golden accessories on Jotaro's hat, before throwing it in his uniform jacket's pocket, which left people speechless. "You got it?" he let a small, amused breath before turning back to the girl who was being held hostage by two other sailors. "There was no need for such rudeness." Jotaro was surprised at the strict tone which Kisara used in defending him. "You may be the Captain of the ship, but your arrogance is unwarranted when scolding one much younger than you. For an adult, you have much to learn in terms of social etiquette and manners." "Hold it." Jotaro spoke out to the Captain, as he put a hand on Kisara's shoulder as a silent thank you gesture. "Don't be a condescending prick about it, you asshole." Jotaro spoke in a hostile manner to him. "Hey, you two! Quit being rude to the captain! It was your fault anyway!" Joseph warned them, but Jotaro paid his grandfather no mind. "Kisara is a well-mannered woman, but I'm not done being rude just yet. I figured it out. This guy's not the Captain. He's the Stand User!" Jotaro declared, making everyone gasp in shock at his bold allegation. "Sta...Nd? What, pray tell, is that?" the Captain played dumb, while everyone in the party took his side. How could a Speedwagon-certified captain be the hostile Stand User attacking them? Working with Dio to bring their demise, no less? The man was even acting cluelessly to a fault, impressing all around him. "I figured out how you can tell a Stand user from a normal person. That is, if a Stand user inhales even a little bit of cigarette smoke, a vein pops up on the tip of their nose." Jotaro declared dramatically, and it made everyone, except for the young girl, touch their nose in surprise. "You can't be serious, Jotaro!" Polnareff cried out in a pitched voice. "Yeah, I was lying. However... It looks like we found our dumbass." Jotaro explained, which made the Captain's dark aura become even darker than before. "Jotaro, how did you become so suspicious of him?" Joseph asked, surprised that his grandson could pick up on an enemy's hidden intentions, while he, with much more experience behind him, never even suspected the man in the first place. "I didn't. I had no suspicion at all. Kisara was, so I thought I would try this with every man on board, beginning with him." Jotaro spoke calmly, glaring down at the foe caught in the middle of the Stardust Crusaders. "You're cold. Goddamn, you're ice cold. And I fell for it! Hats off to you, boy." the enemy took off his hat. "I'm not really the Captain. The real Captain is sleeping with the fishes at the bottom of the ocean in Hong Kong." the villain grinned smugly. "Then I'll make you sleep in the depths of Hell!" Jotaro threatened, with a strong sense of justice.
"Ah-!" through the horribly tense silence hanging down around them, Kisara's rather adorable squeak broke the ice with her being startled - Something had roughly grabbed at her ankle and dragged her outside of the boat, keeping her hostage in a painfully tight grasp; So tight that she could feel her lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. The Aquatic Stand revealed himself, as the Blue Monster of the Lagoon; The Dark Blue Moon Stand. Trouble on the water; Lies and betrayal. The Moon card represents the fear of the unknown, which the depths of the ocean always garner from even the bravest of souls. 
"Even for a guy like me, taking all of you on at once would be a bone-breaking task. Which is why my plan was to stay hidden and take all of you out one-by-one. Woman, since you were the smartass to figure me out, I guess I have no choice than to kill you first! Getting you first, so easily, is a sign that my luck is changing. I'll just be jumping into these shark-infested waters with her. Of course, you'll end up following us in, to save her! If we fight in the water where I have the advantage, I can beat all six of you at once!" the Captain boasted, his Stand holding her arms behind her back painfully tight. "I heard your Stand, Star Platinum, is pretty fast. I'm not trying to brag, but my Dark Blue Moon is really fast in water. It can swim more elegantly than any fish in the sea." the enemy continued bragging shamelessly. "S-Save... My hat..." the party could see only a small flash of pure white light flicking her hat back onto the ship for her brother to hopefully rescue.  "Go on, act tough while you hide behind a hostage." Jotaro threatened, stepping up to confront the enemy. "It will take a lot more than that to shake me up!" "It's no act, it's a prediction. Follow me... If you're prepared to choke to death on all the seawater you're about to swallow!" the enemy jumped from the rail, along with Kisara and her flame mane. 
Without budging a single muscle, Jotaro sent his Star Platinum to attack the Stand and its User mid-fall, giving it a good beating and catching the girl's hand firmly around half-way down the distance to the water. As the party was outright denigrating the enemy, Kisara gulped, looking up at Star's eyes with concern and awe. Star had the exact same gorgeous eyes as Jotaro. How beautiful, she thought - Though it was not yet the time to get bewitched over a pretty boy, when not only she, but everyone was in danger.
"Jotaro, let go of me! The fight is not over yet!" Jotaro was suddenly pulled harshly towards the railing, almost toppling over, were it not for all the men holding onto him. "You were right, this isn't over. He attached these to me earlier when I hit him. They keep multiplying! My Stand's strength is being drained." the poor boy was sweating buckets, just keeping hold onto her body. "Let go of me, I will be fine!" Kisara hollered up at him, trying to slip her hand from his Stand's hold. "I wouldn't be sweating like a freaking pig if I could!" realising that the barnacles were making his whole hand bleed and they were stuck in this hold, Kisara had to call the power of her Stand, manifesting only throughout her own hand.
Jotaro could only see a bright aura engulfing Kisara's and Star's hands, and mysteriously, the girl was released, falling into the depths of the water. He couldn't understand how she managed such a feat; She hadn't severed the barnacles, let alone destroy them, yet somehow, she got away.  She fell down, and descended even further down, until she could barely see the light of the day protruding through the sea, and her back hit the bottom of the ocean. She was surrounded by corals, and about to get viciously attacked by the enemy, who was at a great advantage to her. 
She felt calm though. Why did she feel calm? Her muscles felt free of any fatigue, caressed by the gentle coolness of the water embracing her like a form-fitting silk dress; Her hair was floating around her as though she was an enchanting mermaid, and she was smiling - Yet all the same, she was glowing white like a seraph, and looked the par.
What a strange woman, Jotaro thought, plunging into the water and seeing her unmoving form. If she couldn't swim, she would be freaking out, so why was she so calm in the face of adversity. Moreover, as soon as he approached her, his arm reaching out to her to grab her to safety, it was she, who grasped at his hand, pulling herself into his embrace and clinging onto him, charming him like a Siren's song for a sailor bold. "Keep close. You can breathe and speak if you maintain this proximity." "What the hell is your Stand Power anyway?" Jotaro gruffed, holding onto her carefully, one arm keeping him close to his side, while the other was keeping them swimming. "Let's just say..." Kisara grinned like a mischievous little vixen; The enemy attacked them, and though Jotaro tried to block the attack with his Stand, he felt no kind of pain or physical trauma. "As long as you keep close, there is no physical force that can harm you or Star." the young man took a quick look at the girl clinging onto him, wearing such an alluring smile, and he scoffed lightly, looking away. "Yare Yare..." he mumbled to himself as the nasty captain and his arrogant words, denigrading the two. "So, what will it be? Tell me what kind of fish dish you want to be. Fish paste? Or maybe some sashimi? I'll make one hell of a meal out your Stand." "You're tough brother, but I know what you're thinking." the captain glared at them, a wide smirk of victory on his face. "How long can this guy stay underwater? I could probably last two minutes, tops. Could he last longer?" he laughed boastfully. "Well, guess what! My lung capacity is three times that of a normal human! And I've been training too; My personal best in six minute and twelve seconds! You must be dizzy just hearing that number."  
The Aquatic Stand sliced through the water with great swiftness with sharp, screw-like rotations, creating a whirlpool that spun so fast that Kisara had to dig her fingers into the boy's coat, her mind going in disarray with vertigo. Ah, how she hated spinning around, especially to such intense speed. She wasn't a piece of clothing, so why must she get the washing machine treatment? Not only that, but for the Captain at least, it seemed as though the barnacles were deeply attached to a vast surface of their bodies, yet for some odd reason, Jotaro couldn't feel the same pain and discomfort from earlier. Was it Kisara's Stand Power that kept it at bay? She did manage to part them prior, was it something similar now too? It almost felt as thought those things weren't even touching him... Like there was a soft membrane covering his body, protecting him like a shield.
Realising the great advantage they had over the enemy, who thought the barnacles were draining his life energy and strength away, Jotaro sped up, pretending to swim towards the surface, for his lungs were burning with deep need for air; Dark Blue Moon intensified the whirlpool surrounding them, and razor-sharp shells and barnacle pieces were supposedly tearing away at their flesh. 
From up on the ship, the party watched in horror as the otherwise calm water turned into a veritable mayhem, with Jotaro and Kisara both still very much caged in the underwater tornado; They took their Stands out and dived in the water, only to slashed away with the scales - Were they to actually get in the water, they would become minced meat. 
"Keep dead-still." Jotaro briefed her on the plan, and with a hum of approval, Kisara clinged on him like a koala bear on its mother, and they both allowed their bodies to grow completely lax, limp, devoid of any reaction or opposing strength in this tornado.  Those watching from above seemed terrified for their well-being, thinking them dead - All, but Joseph, who seemed to be thinking that his grandson had a master plan, shrewd much like his own, that he could find a way to destroy the enemy as only he knows best. 
The smell of blood made Kisara open her eyes and react again, as the young man took the captain by surprise. "Turns out it was you who was turned into Sashimi." Jotaro's punchlines hit as hard as his punches. "What's that? I can't hear you well underwater. Speak up!" he shouted angrily. "But your power was being drained... You went limp on purpose... " the evil man hollered in defeat. "Wrong. What I was thinking was... How fucking gross it'll be when I kick your stupid ass and you piss yourself - I'd be fucking disgusted since we're underwater, old geezer." Jotaro's last taunt made Kisara chuckle a little.
With one last punch to the face, the Captain went to sleep with the fishes, and Jotaro swam up to the surface. "Had fun?" Kisara smirked, leaning onto his shoulder. "Hardly." he gruffed - Though initially his eyes bore sternly into her own, not necessarily appreciating the closeness - He couldn't help but chuckle along with her. It actually had been a rather comical situation; And it wasn't like she was going out of her way to come hard onto him in an overly-flirtatious way, she seemed to as carefree as her brother. Yeah, he could definitely see how they are related. "You haven't shown your Stand." "Should I have?" she hummed, watching the ship go up into flames, as all those still on board let down the life boats and embark them. "I will, if the time comes and I need her." "You did use her Power." he noted as they swam towards the boats. "A small fraction, of course. I only need to take her out if I need her full power - Which, mind you, never happened before." she chuckled, flashing the brunet a mischievous smile.  "You seem to have overconfidence in her strength." Jotaro noted as he got in the boat, helping her up also. His hands lingered on her body a little longer than he should have, he realised. How shameful of him. "It is not unbased." Kisara thanked him for the help up, settling cozily next to her brother. "I might think, some day, whether I want to let you in on our little secret." she leaned on Noriaki's shoulder, and perhaps thanks to their sibling connection, the lad knew what she was referring to, and matched a pose with her. "My sister's Stand is really cool. I think you'd like it, JoJo." if even Kakyoin could say something like this... It only left the Kujo boy incredibly annoyed with this veiled mystery. "Yare Yare Daze..." Though their little teenage bickering, all in good faith and light-hearted, ended as soon as the little girl spit out the only bit of fresh water they had left, out of the extreme shock of sighting something akin to a ghost ship appearing from within the mist, and right towards them, floating lazily.
It was a freighter, and they were rescued. The distress calls must have been answered. Finally, some good news for the Stardust Crusaders.
... Or so they thought ...
Next Chapter >
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accio-victuuri · 1 year
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from this article by 1905.com which is a platform under CCTV6 “Infinite Possibilities Not Defined——Impression of Crossover Actor Wang Yibo”
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This kind of persistence in love and the core of success through hard work are exactly the themes that the film wants to express, and the character of Chen Shuo fully expresses Wang Yibo's unique spiritual core. Rather than saying that Wang Yibo played Chen Shuo in his true colors, it is better to say that Chen Shuo reflected a certain side of Wang Yibo.
Recently, the movie "One and Only" starring Wang Yibo entered the 700 million club at the box office in just 10 days. Viewers in Tao Piao Piao and Maoyan rated it with an average score of 9.7. The difficult street dance moves he completed in the movie were praised by professional dancers again and again. "Wang Yibo's enthusiastic one-elbow throw is done by himself" became a hot search on the Internet, and the street dance movement suddenly became popular.
"Dancing in any corner of the world is not bad"
"One and Only" is the theme movie of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022. It is exclusively planned by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee. It uses the new competition event break dance as the carrier. A story that shines on the stage. Director Dapeng said in many interviews that choosing Wang Yibo to play Chen Shuo was the unanimous recommendation of the hip-hop industry.
It was recommended because of Wang Yibo's professionalism in hip-hop and his influence. In the "This Is Street Dance" series of variety shows, his infectious and aesthetic dancing attracted countless audiences and aroused a wave of hip-hop dance among the people. His influence was noticed by the Chinese Dancers Association and awarded him "Ambassador of China's Top Dancers Promotion" ", it can be said that he is expected to play Chen Shuo.
Dapeng said that the screenwriter wrote Chen Shuo according to Wang Yibo, first there was Wang Yibo, and then there was "One and Only". So we can see the shadow of Wang Yibo in Chen Shuo.
Wang Yibo started learning to dance because of his love in the sixth grade of elementary school, and this hobby has continued to this day. On August 3, he said during the Yueyang road show of the "One and Only" crew: "Dancing is my passion, and acting is also my passion. I don't feel tired doing two things I like at the same time."
In order to meet the needs of the plot, he did the dance that he gave up because of injuries when he was a child; for a dance move in the movie, he practiced repeatedly until his leg was injured; in order to achieve the best shooting effect, he repeated every time the filming is complete and danced it completely. He is making progress, and Chen Shuo is also making progress. Finally, in the final scene, Wang Yibo performed all types of hip-hop dance, which made hip-hop lovers feast.
Wang Yibo once said in an interview: "Dancing in any corner of the world is not bad." So we saw in "One and Only" that Chen Shuo danced in subway cars, shopping malls, restaurants, homes, vegetable farms, etc., dancing all the time. We arrived at the final scene of the National Hip-Hop Competition. This kind of persistence in love and the core of success through hard work are exactly the themes that the film wants to express, and the character of Chen Shuo fully expresses Wang Yibo's unique spiritual core. Rather than saying that Wang Yibo played Chen Shuo in his true colors, it is better to say that Chen Shuo reflected a certain side of Wang Yibo.
Huang Bo, who plays Chen Shuo's coach, said that his first impression of Wang Yibo was "handsome and hardworking". Screenwriter Su Biao even admitted that Wang Yibo gave him a lot of creative inspiration. It took Wang Yibo ten years to step by step to shine in front of the public. His own famous experience is an "exclamation mark" worthy of admiration.
“Just stay indifferent"
At the "Moon Rise in the Bay Area" gala jointly held by Hong Kong and mainland China, Wang Yibo sang the theme song of the same name of the movie "Hidden Blade" he starred in. Because he sang so well, some people questioned him for fake singing, and rumors spread. Later, some professionals pointed out that the song itself had overlapping choruses, and Wang Yibo's live singing was perfectly connected with the accompaniment chorus he had recorded in advance. Some people compared the live singing with his original MV, and found that a sound on the scene has been changed. This anti-rumor treatment is the same as he did in a concert in 2019. The rumors are self-defeating.
When questioned about lip-syncing, Wang Yibo himself did not come out to defend himself. Wang Yibo majored in music at Hanlin Art High School in South Korea. When he debuted in 2014, he was the team's rapper and dancer. He won the Best Newcomer of the Year Award at the Cool Music Asia Festival and the Annual Music Award at the Screaming iQiyi Night Awards Ceremony, which shows his singing skills and level. You can tell from watching his stage that he can breathe steadily while dancing and singing, not to mention singing while walking that night.
He has always chosen to respond to his doubts with his works. At the end of 2019, Wang Yibo released his third single "Wugan", which is his first attempt at lyrics creation. "Don't be a puppet that allows others to manipulate your emotions" "No feeling is the best way to fight back" "When the sun goes down and the lights are turned on at night, you can see that the world is not bad" "The road to adversity sees the future and stands up after falling Get up" "Finding the way, Follow the light that you see, be free". Every line of the lyrics expresses his attitude.
In 2021, he released a new song "Twenty". The lyrics read: "I want to re-ignite the fire, only ashes are left in front of my eyes again and again, I am looking for an exit with wounds all over my body, I have tightened the invisible rope again and again, my hands are empty and I have no strength to break free, the wind is so vast above three feet, but there are already bursts of waves in all directions." "stand up thousands of times, stand up to the skyline, stand up to the end, stand up to the infinite future". The song "Twenty" tells the story of pursuing the front again and again without fear of difficulties and finally finding the strength to stand up, as if it is a portrayal of his struggle against fate.
In 2023, at the concert in Macau, he used the song "Twenty" as the background music, and performed a dance called "Exclamation Point" with the original crew of the "E-Mark" dance troupe in the movie "One and Only". The same song, but with music without lyrics and a different dance, adding a new connotation. This brand-new way of expression makes people marvel at his stage again, and also makes people re-examine the song "Twenty" and re-examine the ups and downs Wang Yibo has experienced for so many years.
Recalling this song, he seems to be telling people: Not feeling is the biggest response to doubts, you can't beat me, I will go forward bravely and shine with my works.
"Stay true to yourself, don't please others"
Wang Yibo in 2023, in addition to the release of the three box-office and word-of-mouth films "Hidden Blade", "The King of the Sky" and "One and Only", there are still many occasions where he will be exposed to the public. Whether it is at the airport, on the red carpet, on the stage, watching a show, or in brand activities, his clothing and makeup often become hot topics that the public likes to talk about. Some people say that he is a "walking clothes rack", and some people say that he is a "fashion vane of internal entertainment".
Clothing and beauty brands are very partial to Wang Yibo. Chanel awarded him as a brand image ambassador, and filmed the movie "My Friend" for him to participate in world-class film festivals; Moncler praised him as "Moncler's most handsome spokesperson"; EVISU customized a special car for him; Special guest of the Shu Uemura Beauty Makeup Contest, signed on the same stage with world-class design masters; Pechoin is the exclusive title sponsor of the TV series he starred in; Anta specially designed his favorite color - green shoes and clothing for him...
Why do they love him so much? It may be because of his appearance, or his talent, but more likely because his image and core match the brand's values.
In May of this year, when Wang Yibo attended the Chanel show in Los Angeles, the United States, he talked about the biggest commonality between him and Chanel in an interview. He said bluntly: "Be loyal to yourself and don't please others." Reminiscent of his saying in an interview many years ago: "If you don't like me, just like others", it is similar.
So what is the self he insists on? To use the lines in the movie "One and Ou", it is "you will succeed if you keep working hard", and "if you have no distracting thoughts, you will have everything".
Wang Yibo's talent and intrinsic value are being recognized more and more. In addition to being the "China Top Dancer Promotion Ambassador", he is also officially awarded the "China Skateboard Application Promotion Ambassador" and "China Ice and Snow Sports Promotion Ambassador", etc. Departments and organizations such as public security, transportation, fire protection, tourism, and public welfare have also invited him. Spoke for anti-drug, civilized transportation, fire safety, etc.
He is like a treasure, opening infinite possibilities with a multifaceted life that cannot be defined.
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ziseviolet · 2 years
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I posted 5,832 times in 2022
That's 1,413 more posts than 2021!
30 posts created (1%)
5,802 posts reblogged (99%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@fouryearsofshades
@rongzhi
@hanfugallery
@fuckyeahchinesefashion
I tagged 5,828 of my posts in 2022
#r - 5,765 posts
#hanfu - 3,786 posts
#art - 1,187 posts
#tang dynasty - 810 posts
#audio - 791 posts
#ming dynasty - 738 posts
#video - 734 posts
#mens hanfu - 576 posts
#drama - 572 posts
#art by op - 558 posts
Longest Tag: 96 characters
#i'll always associate this song with the giant dancing ginseng from that one chunwan performance
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
In wuxia I see that they have half their hair up and the other half down. Is there a certain period where this hairstyle directs from?
Hi, thanks for the question, and sorry for taking ages to reply!
The half-up, half-down hairstyle that you often see on both male & female characters in Chinese guzhuang (period costume) dramas is not based on historical hairstyles. Rather, it is a fairly recent styling convention, most likely originating from late 20th century wuxia TV shows from Hong Kong (x). Over time the hairstyle has become normalized and commonplace in Chinese costume dramas, especially in the wuxia and xianxia genres (because these genres are not necessarily aiming for historical accuracy in the first place).
Below, from left to right: Wang Hedi in Love Between Fairy and Devil, Deng Wei in Miss the Dragon, Xiao Zhan in The Untamed, Gong Jun in Word of Honor: 
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As @niteshade925 explains in this post, for male characters, the main idea of the hairstyle is to make the character look attractive, and also in some shows/context, to hint at the character’s personality, as in maybe they do not adhere to traditional customs and are free-spirited/spontaneous. For female characters, it is usually just a regular hairstyle without deeper meaning :P
For more information on this half-up half-down hairstyle, and historical hairstyles in general, please see the following posts:
The historical accuracy of half-up half-down hairstyles
The historical accuracy of ponytails
Historical hairstyles for men
Hope this helps!
528 notes - Posted October 7, 2022
#4
Dior Mamianqun Controversy
I received the following message via chat from a follower, that I would like to share here:
Hi, 小紫, do you know that Dior appropriates the modernized mamianqun designed by some hanfu brands in china? link of discussion about Dior 2022 A/W show on weibo: https://weibo.com/6323095999/LChcJyPTa?refer_flag=1001030103_&type=repost#_rnd1657858224778 , I think Dior indeed directly referenced the structure of how it's pleated and inner cutouts of mamianqun which has a long history dated back to ming dynasty and influenced the shape of qing dynasty skirts as well, it is sussy, look how the DIOR model turned around when the skirt spread to reveal the split style, this is indeed the unique inner structure of mamianqun, a more rigorous examination requires DIOR to show the flat design, but Dior is not responding, it claims on the official website that this is their exclusive style launched this year, yet the same style of mamianqun has been prevalent among young people in China for several years, there are several taobao stores making exactly this kind of modernized mamianqun since 2018 or even early (metal leather buckle belt + fabric suitable for autumn and winter + long skirts), such as 四时景, 你好美荔, etc., I don't know how to make it an anonymous ask for you to post my question but I would like to listen to your and other followers' comments on this, thank you 小紫(also feel totally free not to post this one, it's your blog and you make the call ❤️
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1,167 notes - Posted July 15, 2022
#3
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1,262 notes - Posted January 9, 2022
#2
Hi! I'm really fond of researching about hanfu and its history, and I found a lot of interesting information on this blog. But I can't help it and keep wondering about the reason for qipao/cheongsang not be considered a hanfu? When I researched about it the most common argument is the Manchu influence on it. However, there are a plenty of hanfu styles that were influenced by other cultures. Is there a more especific reason for not consider the qipao?
Hi, thanks for the question, and glad you like my blog! (x)
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I want to start off with an important disclaimer:
The term “hanfu” as we use it today (defined as “traditional Han Chinese clothing”) does not have the exact same meaning as when it was used historically. As @audreydoeskaren explains in this post, “while it is true that the term “hanfu” was used in some historical texts, they were often used in opposition to clothing worn by foreign peoples...and not as a standalone term”. Today, there is no central organizing body or law that states exactly what is & what is not considered hanfu. Rather, such categorization is done by the members of the hanfu community - and the hanfu community is not a monolith. Ever since its inception in 2003, the hanfu revival movement has been a grassroots, bottom-up movement with members of various backgrounds, ideologies, and opinions. It is a movement that is built upon, and driven forward by, constant dialogue and debate among its members. Thus the question of what garments are considered hanfu is under continuous discussion, and is subject to the hanfu community’s views and ideas on culture, clothing, and history.
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2,167 notes - Posted March 6, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
What exactly does Dunhuang style mean?
Hi, thanks for the question! (x)
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Dunhuang/敦煌 style refers to the art, fashion, and culture depicted in the Dunhuang Murals/敦煌壁画 of China, which are located in the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu Province. From the 4th to 14th century, the caves were constructed by Buddhist monks to serve as shrines with funds from donors. These caves were elaborately painted, the cave paintings and architecture serving as aids to meditation, visual representations of the quest for enlightenment, and teaching tools for Buddhist beliefs and stories. The major caves were sponsored by patrons such as important clergy, local ruling elite, foreign dignitaries, as well as Chinese emperors (x). Below - painting from the Dunhuang Murals (x):
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3,306 notes - Posted January 1, 2022
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