#Wang Hong Yi

[dramaddict-and-proud-of-it]

Lost You Forever (S1 & S2)

Year : 2023 | Country : CN | Nb of episodes: 60

My rate: 10/10

Synopsis :

In ancient times, humans mixed with deities and demons, the world consisted of Chenrong, Xiyan, and Haoling. Wandering in Dahuang, Jiu Yao from Haoling lost her identity and appearance. She settled in Qingshui Town and was renamed Wen Xiao Liu.

The Prince Cang Xuan of Xiyan was Xiao Liu’s cousin. To find Xiao Liu, he travelled around Dahuang and came to Qingshui Town. In Qingshui Town, Xiao Liu saves Tushan Jing from danger and falls in love with him. Xiang Liu and Xiao Liu appreciated each other and became confidants. After a few twists and turns, Cang Xuan and Xiao Liu eventually recognized each other.

After recovering her identity, Xiao Liu helped Cang Xuan bring the whole world under his rule and retired from the rivers and lakes. The thoughtless man puts all his energy into governing the country because he knows that as long as the world is at peace, his little boy will be able to be happy and healthy.

Main cast :

Yang Zi as Xiao Yao (Haoling Jiu Yao) / Wen Xiaoliu

Zhang Wan Yi as Cang Xuan, Prince of Xi Yan Kingdom

Deng Wei as Tushan Jing / Ye Shiqi

Tan Jian Ci as Xiang Liu / Fangfeng Bei

Wang Hong Yi as Chishui Feng Long

Dai Lu Wa as A Nian (Haoling Yi)

My thoughts on this drama :

Now that I'm done with season 1 (and getting worried about what's in store for season 2), I can say that watching this show was just me being wrecked and getting my heart broken in thousands of pieces. I really appreciate the Reverse Harem story they served us here. Plus, the actors they chose are brilliant in their respective roles. It also rekindled the flame I hold for etheral white haired beings. Of course, with 4 male leads to choose from, there is obviously one that would get my vote (I said something about white haired beings didn't I). Although I already know who she's going to end up with (both because I could not bear the supsense and checked the novel ending, and because Yang Zi kind of said it herself during a TV show)... I can't help but try to safeguard the little flame that is my favorite 'ship'. Although I know it leads to nowhere, the impossibility of it makes it all the more powerful. TJC is truly incredible in his role, and I am gobsmacked by the intensity he manages to bring to his scenes every.single.time he appears on screen. His character is compelling, hauntingly beautiful and lethal. As for the others, well, you have ever-yearning bro-zoned one, good-but-dull pretty boy, and the buddy-zoned guy who looks more attracted to bro-zoned one that to our female lead. The other female characters are rather dull, and uninteresting, with minor (but annoying) roles. The story really focuses on Jiu Yao and her four knights **cough**

You'll get genderbending (several times!), harem drama, political intrigues, anguish and laughter, sweetness and bitterness, all in this amazingly packaged drama (music, costumes, incedible sceneries, it has it all!)

Anyway! I very much recommend this drama, which earns a big fat 10 for season 1. Rating may (or may not) change after season 2 airs next summer (due to CN sh*tty new regulations stating that dramas split into seasons must be aired with a one year gap between two seasons ugh)...

A Favorite ?

YES

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Fairyland Romance (2023)

Gifs of Intro of cdrama “Fairyland Romance”

MULTI SUB 《与卿书》 第1集：左经纶误入桃花坞 | Fairyland Romance EP01 | 撒娇男人最好命！心机世子追妻套路深 | 黄羿/王弘毅/柯颖/刘胤君 | MangoTV

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFUWBIf7DQQ

[city-of-ladies]

Women warriors in Chinese history - Part 2

(Part 1)

"However, court confessions, unofficial histories, and local gazetteers do reveal a host of women warriors during the Qing dynasty when patriarchal structures were supposedly most influential. Women in marginal groups were apparently not as observant of mainstream societal gender rules. Daughters and wives of “peasant rebels,” that is, autonomous or bandit stockades, were frequently skilled warriors. Miss Cai 蔡†(Ts’ai) of the Nian (Nien) “army,” for example, “fought better than a man, and she was especially fine on horseback. She was always at the front line, fighting fearlessly despite the large number of government troops.” According to a folktale, she managed to rout an invading government force of several thousand with a hundred men and one cannonball after her husband led most of the Nian off to forage for food.

Related to the female bandits were the women pirates among whom Zheng I Sao 鄭一嫂†(literally, Wife of Zheng I; 1775–1844) is the best researched. “A former prostitute … Cheng [Zheng] I Sao could truly be called the real ‘Dragon Lady’ of the South China Sea.” Consolidating her authority swiftly after the death of her husband, “she was able to win so much support that the pirates openly acclaimed her as the one person capable of holding the confederation together. As its leader she demonstrated her ability to take command by issuing orders, planning military campaigns, and proving that there were profits to be made in piracy. When the time came to dismantle the confederation, it was her negotiating skills above all that allowed her followers to cross the bridge from outlawry to officialdom.”

We know slightly more about some of the women warriors involved in sectarian revolts. Folk stories passed down orally are one of the sources. Tales that proliferated in northern Sichuan on the battle exploits of cult rebels of the White Lotus Religion uprising in Sichuan, Hunan, and Shaanxi beginning in the late eighteenth century glorify several women warriors. The tall and beautiful Big Feet Lan (Lan Dazhu 籃大足) and the smart and skillful Big Feet Xie (Xie Dazhu 謝大足) vanquished a stockade together; the young and attractive Woman He 何氏 could kill within a hundred feet by throwing daggers from horseback. The absence of bound feet in Big Feet Lan and Big Feet Xie suggests their backgrounds were either very poor, unconventional, or non-Han.

Sectarian groups accepted female membership readily, and many of these women trained in the martial arts. Qiu Ersao 邱二嫂†(ca. 1822–53), leader of a Heaven and Earth Society (Tiandihui 天地會) uprising in Guangxi, joined the sect because of poverty and perfected herself in the martial arts. Some women came to the sects with skills. Su Sanniang 蘇三娘, rebel leader of another sect of the Heaven and Earth Society, was the daughter of a martial arts instructor.  Such sectarian rebel bands are frequently regarded as bandit groups. A history of the Taiping Revolutionary Movement refers to these two cult leaders as female bandit chiefs before they joined the Taipings.

Male leaders of religious rebellions frequently married women from families skilled in acrobatic, martial, and magic arts. These women tended to be both beautiful and charismatic. Wang Lun 王倫, who rebelled in 1774 in Shandong, had an “adopted daughter in name, mistress in fact,” by the name of Wu Sanniang 烏三娘 who was one of Wang’s most powerful warriors. Originally an itinerant performer highly skilled in boxing, tightrope walking, and acrobatics, she terrified the enemy with spellbinding magic. She brought a dozen associates from her old life to the sect, and they all became fearsome warriors known as “female immortals” (xiannü 仙女); three of them, including Wu Sanniang, lived with Wang Lun as “adopted wives” (ifu 義婦). A tall, white-haired woman at least sixty years old, possibly the mother of one of these acrobat-turned women warriors, wielded one sword with ease and two almost as effortlessly. Dressed in yellow astride a horse, hair loose and flying, she was feared as much for her sorcery as for her military skills. Her presence indicates that some of the women came from female-dominated itinerant performing families. Woman Zhang 張氏and Woman Zhao 趙氏, wives of Lin Zhe 林哲, another leader of the cult, were also known for being able to brandish a pair of broadswords on horseback.

Hong Xuanjiao 洪宣嬌†(mid nineteenth century), also known as Queen Xiao (xiaohou 蕭后), wife of the West King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (taiping tianguo 太平天國), was so stunningly beautiful and impressive in swordsmanship that she mesmerized the entire army during battles. The link between early immortality beliefs and shamanism also suggests that these women warrior “immortals” of sectarian cults may represent surviving relics of the female shamans who occupied high positions during high antiquity.

During the White Lotus Religion rebellion in Sichuan, Hunan, and Shaanxi beginning in 1796, five of the generals were at once leaders and wives of other leaders of the cult. They were Woman Qi née Wang (Qiwangshi 齊王氏; Wang Cong’er 王聰兒), Woman Zhang née Wang (Zhangwangshi 張王氏), Woman Xu née Li (Xulishi 徐李氏), Woman Fan née Zhang (Fanzhangshi 范張氏), and Woman Wang 王†née Li 李 (Wanglishi 王李氏). In the Heavenly Principle Religion (tianlijiao 天理教) rebellion that began in Beijing during 1713, the wife of its leader, Li Wencheng 李文成, led three invasions into the city. There was even a “Female Army” (niangzijun 娘子軍) within the Eight Trigrams (baguajiao 八卦教) uprising in Shandong during the Daoguang 道光† reign (1821–51). The female generals, Cheng Sijie 程四姐†and Yang Wujie 楊五姐, were particularly impressive when they wove among enemy forces in the style of “butterflies flitting among flowers,” wielding broadswords on horseback, their hairpins glittering in the light.

A number of female rebel leaders used religion and magic to buttress their power. Many claimed to be celestials and were leaders of sectarian cults (...). Chen Shuozhen 陳碩貞†(?–653) mobilized a peasants’ uprising by declaring that she had ascended to heaven and become an immortal. Tang Sai’er (ca.1403–20), a head of the White Lotus Religion (bailianjiao 白蓮教), designated herself as a “Buddhist Mother” (fuomu 佛母). The spellbinding old woman warrior in Wang Lun’s Clear Water Religion (qingshuijiao 清水教) sect was known to the rebel community as a reincarnation of the highest White Lotus deity, the Eternal Venerable Mother (wusheng laomu 無生老母). Wang Lun relied on her for performing magic and the rituals for calling on their supreme deity. Woman Wang née Liu (wangliushi 王劉氏), one of the numerous female leaders of the White Lotus Religion revolt, also titled herself the Eternal Venerable Mother. Wang Cong’er (1777–98), originally an itinerant entertainer, became the commander in chief of the rebel army she launched with her husband, a master in the White Lotus Religion.

Indeed, itinerant performers such as Wu Sanniang mentioned above were frequently trained in the martial arts since childhood and must have been skilled at performing magic tricks as well. Lin Hei’er 林黑兒†(?–1900), leader of Red Lanterns (hongdengzhao 紅燈照), the young women’s branch of the Boxer’s Movement (yihetuan 義和團), was also originally an itinerant entertainer (her husband was a boatman). Designating herself the Holy Mother of the Yellow Lotus (huanglian shengmu 黃蓮聖母), she taught her followers the skills of wielding swords and waving fans as well as magic to defeat their enemies.  Wang Nangxian 王囊仙†(literally, Goddess Nang, 1778–97), an ethnic minority of the Miao tribe, was worshipped as a goddess by her tribesmen before she led them in revolt against the Chinese government."

Chinese shadow theatre: history, popular religion, and women warriors, Fan Pen Li Chen

[prplocks]

✧❁ wallpaper 〴 top girls ˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

reblog if you save ➳

༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶

[mind-of-a-mundane]

The Last Immortal and its Finale

I wanted for Feng Yin and Yuan Qi's reunion to be a bit longer though!~~ Nonetheless, they still gave us a beautiful ending! I especially love the emphasis on the idea that the decisions that we make are what ultimately shapes our lives. No good thing comes without a sacrifice. They did it countless of times! We shouldn't be bound by some limits because of so-called fate or pre-destiny and that there will always be a way to make breakthroughs if we just have the will to make it.

I also love the journey of Hong Yi and Yan Shuang's love. They have been through a lot and Yan Shuang has endured so much for Hong Yi. At least it was all worth it. Hong Yi loves her so much when he came upfront with his feelings. It was really satisfying for me to witness the journey how they came together.

And, the friendship that the four of them built. It is so wholesome and so realistic. Literally there for each other through thick and thin. With all the bickering/fight and all sort of support they give each other.

Lastly, I appreciate the part where they recognize that there are devils who urge people their darkest emotions to surface and blind us in our actions but that we shouldn't condemn them if they only reflect on their mistakes and be willing to take accountability. To give people the chance to change for the better and not make them suffer even more.

For me the overall story-telling was direct and very relatable in real life!

Much love to everyone in this production!

[binging-asian-dramas]

The Rational Life. 7

Story: 8

Acting: 10

Chemistry: 8

Comparable to: She and Her Perfect Husband (cdrama) ; Find Yourself (cdrama); Something in the Rain (kdrama)

Cute, but……….here’s the thing I love Dylan Wang, loved him since Meteor Garden, and can you believe I have yet to see Love Between Fairy and Devil which so many friends have urged me to watch but I’m so backlogged it’s someone on my galliionzith unmatched list. I just felt in this drama he was miscast where there’s zero chemistry between the leads. It had nothing to do with the age gap either.I love age gaps. It’s just that this cdrama I thought would of done better if it focused more on the ‘political’ business office background then the romance. It did well with showing how an ambitions woman tries their hardest to reach the top and how cutthroat especially snakelike it can get.

[ttoca]

Context Is Overrated

[kneedeepincynade]

Peace is always on the table but the west refuses it.

The post is machine translated

Translation is at the bottom

The collective is on Telegram

⚠️ LA CINA PROMUOVE UNA SOLUZIONE PACIFICA AL CONFLITTO RUSSO-UCRAINO, MA L'OCCIDENTE VUOLE DAVVERO LA PACE? - PARTE 2 ⚠️

🇨🇳 Zhang Hong, Ricercatore presso l'Accademia Cinese delle Scienze Sociali, ha dichiarato che - per quanto sia complicato, attualmente, raggiungere un consenso per le parti coinvolte nel conflitto - la Cina farà tutto il possibile per portare i paesi coinvolti al Tavolo dei Negoziati, e che la Repubblica Popolare «non se ne starà con le mani in mano» 💼

🇨🇳 La Cina, ha affermato Wang Yi, non è una parte direttamente coinvolta nel conflitto, ma ha scelto di non essere un semplice spettatore, così come non intende mettere benzina sul fuoco o sfruttare la crisi, come fanno altri paesi 😘

⭐️ Wang Huiyao ha però dichiarato che né gli europei, né gli USA sono disposti a sedersi e parlare, ed è proprio per questo che «la Proposta Cinese dei Colloqui di Pace è di grande importanza» 👍

💬 "L'Europa è ora impantanata in un odio irrazionale e in un antagonismo contro la Russa", ha sottolineato Zhang Hong, citando - come esempio - proprio la Conferenza sulla Sicurezza di Monaco. È, tecnicamente, incentrata sulla sicurezza dell'Europa, eppure la Russia è stata esclusa dalla partecipazione 😡

⭐️ Song Zhongping, Analista Militare dell'Esercito Popolare di Liberazione, ha affermato che la fornitura occidentale di armi avanzate all'Ucraina provocherà inevitabilmente un contrattacco da parte della Russia, e allora: «la guerra non finirà mai, e l'intera Europa sarà inghiottita» ⚔️

🤔 L'anno scorso, vi furono alcuni tentativi di negoziati tra Russia e Cina, conclusi poi senza alcun risultato. Wang Yi, tornando su quel tema, ha dichiarato: "non siamo a conoscenza delle ragioni [della fine dei colloqui], alcune forze potrebbero non voler vedere un colloqui di pace di successo o la fine del conflitto" 🤔

🇺🇸 In contrasto con la Promozione Cinese di una Soluzione Pacifica, gli USA stanno facendo del loro meglio per alimentare le fiamme del conflitto, strumentalizzandolo a tal punto da creare degli screzi anche con Pechino ⚔️

🇨🇳 Zhang Hong, sugli USA, ha dichiarato: "Agli Stati Uniti non interessa davvero se la Crisi finirà con la Pace o meno. Vogliono così tanto che la Russia perda che non gli importa se tale desiderio sarà a costo della vita del popolo ucraino" 😣

💕 Confrontando la Crisi in Ucraina ad una ferita al braccio, il Ricercatore Cinese ha affermato: "La soluzione proposta dalla Cina è mettere un po' di Medicina Cinese per guarire la ferita sanguinante, mentre gli Stati Uniti vogliono tagliare l'intero braccio" 🌱

🌸 Iscriviti 👉 @collettivoshaoshan

⚠️ CHINA PROMOTES PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN CONFLICT, BUT DOES THE WEST REALLY WANT PEACE? - PART 2 ⚠️

🇨🇳 Zhang Hong, Researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that - as complicated as it is currently to reach a consensus for the parties involved in the conflict - China will do everything possible to bring the countries involved to the Table of Negotiations, and that the People's Republic "will not sit idly by" 💼

🇨🇳 China, said Wang Yi, is not a party directly involved in the conflict, but has chosen not to be a mere spectator, just as it does not intend to add fuel to the fire or exploit the crisis, as other countries do 😘

⭐️ Wang Huiyao however stated that neither the Europeans nor the USA are willing to sit down and talk, and that is precisely why «the Chinese Proposal for Peace Talks is of great importance» 👍

💬 "Europe is now mired in irrational hatred and antagonism against Russia", underlined Zhang Hong, citing - as an example - the Munich Security Conference. It is, technically, focused on the security of Europe, yet Russia has been barred from participating 😡

⭐️ Song Zhongping, Military Analyst of the People's Liberation Army, said that the Western supply of advanced weapons to Ukraine will inevitably provoke a counterattack by Russia, and then: "the war will never end, and the whole of Europe will be swallowed» ⚔️

🤔 Last year, there were some attempts at negotiations between Russia and China, which were concluded to no avail. Wang Yi, returning to that theme, said: "we are not aware of the reasons [for the end of the talks], some forces may not want to see a successful peace talks or an end to the conflict" 🤔

🇺🇸 In contrast to the Chinese Promotion of a Peaceful Solution, the USA is doing its best to fan the flames of the conflict, exploiting it to the point of creating disagreements even with Beijing ⚔️

🇨🇳 Zhang Hong, on the USA, said: "The US doesn't really care if the Crisis will end with Peace or not. They want Russia to lose so badly that they don't care if such desire will be at the cost of the lives of the Ukrainian people " 😣

💕 Comparing the Crisis in Ukraine to an arm wound, the Chinese Researcher said, "China's proposed solution is to put some Chinese Medicine to heal the bleeding wound, while the US wants to cut off the whole arm" 🌱

🌸 Subscribe 👉 @collettivoshaoshan

[moononmyfloor]

My Year End C-drama Review (2023)

Part 1

.

17. Actors I newly discovered in 2023

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

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

.

18. Favorite Child Actors of the Year

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

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

.

19. Feminist Cdramas of the year

Be Your Own Light, A Journey to Love

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

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

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

.

20. A drama that let me down

Destined

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

I absolutely loved their spacious bedroom tho!

.

21. Favorite BGM

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

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

I Am Nobody- Sea of Time by Zhou Shen

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

Romance On the Farm- Letters from Spring by Su Yunying

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

.

22. Favorite wardrobes

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

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

.

23. Best Breakups

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

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

.

24. Worst character designs

Road Home

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

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25. Most convincing villains aka characters I loved to hate

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

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

.

26. Favorite murder kittens of the year

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

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

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27. A drama that I wished was longer

Romance On the Farm

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

And then there is a political thriller story arc.

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

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

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

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

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

SO many! For all sorts of reasons.

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

ARGH!😭

.

29. A drama I wish more people watched

Stay With Me

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

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30. Most favorite Cdrama of 2023

Mysterious Lotus Casebook

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

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

JOL 2. Obviously.

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Conclusion

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

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

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More Posts by Me

[zvaigzdelasas]

Official Readout from the US about the Blinken-Wang Yi meeting:

The Secretary addressed the PRC’s unfair and nonmarket economic practices and recent actions against U.S. firms.  He discussed U.S. de-risking policies and the historic domestic investments the Administration has made.  The Secretary raised concerns about PRC human rights violations in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, as well as individual cases of concern.  He emphasized that the United States will always stand up for our values. The Secretary underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and reiterated there has been no change to the U.S. one China policy, based on the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. The two sides discussed a range of global and regional security issues, including Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the DPRK’s provocative actions, and U.S. concerns with PRC intelligence activities in Cuba.  The Secretary made clear that the United States will work with its allies and partners to advance our vision for a world that is free, open, and upholds the rules-based international order.

Official Readout from the PRC about the Blinken-Wang Yi meeting:

Noting that relations between China and the United States are at a low point, Wang underscored that the root cause is U.S. misperceptions toward China, which has led to misguided China policies. China-U.S. relations have gone through ups and downs, and it is necessary for the United States to reflect upon itself, and work with China to jointly manage differences and avoid strategic surprises. In order to stabilize China-U.S. relations, the most urgent task is to act on the common understandings reached between the two presidents with real actions. In order to ensure the steady and long-term growth of China-U.S. relations, the most critical task is to follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation put forward by President Xi Jinping as the fundamental guidance.

Wang gave a comprehensive explanation of the historical logic and inevitable trend of China’s development and rejuvenation, and elaborated on the distinctive features of Chinese modernization and the rich substance of China’s whole-process people’s democracy. He urged the U.S. side not to project onto China the assumption that a strong country is bound to seek hegemony and not to misjudge China with the beaten path of traditional Western powers. This is key to whether the United States can truly return to an objective and rational policy toward China. Wang demanded that the United States stop playing up the so-called “China threat”, lift illegal unilateral sanctions against China, stop suppressing China’s scientific and technological advances, and not wantonly interfere in China’s internal affairs. Wang specially analyzed the nature of the Taiwan question. He stressed that safeguarding national unity has always been the core of China’s core interests. It is where the future of the Chinese nation lies and the abiding historical mission of the CPC. On the Taiwan question,China has no room for compromise or concession. The United States must earnestly abide by the one-China principle set out in the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and unequivocally oppose “Taiwan independence”.

19 Jun 23

[bookofjin]

Early life of Gaozu of Liang

With the short biography of his mother, Zhang Shangrou. (From LS01 and LS07)

[LS01]

The Exalted Founder [gaozu], the Martial [wu] August Emperor, taboo Yan, courtesy name Shudai, child name Lian'er, was a native of Zhongdu Village in Nanlanling. He was a descendant of Han's Chancellor of State, He. He begat Marquis Ding of Zan, Yan. Yan begat the Attendant-at-Centre Biao. Biao begat Excellency office staff member Zhang. Zhang begat Hui. Hui begat Yang. Yang begat the Grand Tutor to the Heir-Apparent, Wangzhi. Wangzhi begate the Brilliantly Blessed Grandee Yu. Yu begat the Central Assistant to the Steering Clerk, Shao, Shao begat the Superintendent of the Brilliantly Blessed, Hong. Hong begat the Grand Warden of Jiyin, Chan. Chan begat the Grand Warden of Wu commandery, Bing. Bing begat the Chancellor of Zhongshan, Bao. Bao begat the Broad Scholar Zhou. Zhou begat the Chief of Sheqiu, Jiao. Jiao begat the provincial Assistant Officer, Kui. Kui begot Filial and Upright, Xiu. Xiu begat the Assistant of Guangling Commandery, Bao. Bao begat the Grand Centre Grandee Yi. Yi begat the Prefect of Huaiyin, Zheng. Zheng bgeat the Grand Warden of Jiyin, Xia. Xia begat the provincial Arranger-at-Centre Fuzi. Fuzi begat the Arranger of Documents for the Southern Tower, Daoci. Daoci begat the August Father, taboo Shunzhi, he was Emperor Gao of Qi's younger clansman. He took part in preparations and aiding the mandate, and was ennobled Marquis of Linxiang County. He held successive office as Attendant-at-Centre, Commandant of Guards, Intendant of Affairs to the Heir-Apparent, General who Leads the Army, and Governor of Danyang. He was posthumously conferred General who Quells the North.

Gaozu in Xiaowu of Song's 8th Year of Daming [464 AD], a jiachen year, was born at the Sanqiao Residence, Tongxia Village, Moling County. At birth he was yet remarkable and unusual. His two hips had paired bones, the top of his head was high and raised, and there was a pattern in his right hand which said “martial” [武]. When the Emperor reached adulthood, he studied broadly and very thoroughly, was fond of devising strategies, and had talent and capacity for civil and martial matters. At the time those of flowing fame all pushed him forward and acknowledged him. At the houses where he resided, often if there was a cloud or vapour, for those people who sometimes passed by, their bodies immediately paid their respects.

He started his career as the Acting Army Advisor on the Board of Law of the Central Gentlemen of the South to the King of Baling. He moved to Libationer of the Eastern Pavilion to the General of Guards, Wang Jian [NQS23]. Jian once saw him, and deeply assessed and appreciated his unusualness. He spoke to He Xian of Lujiang, saying:

This Gentleman Xiao within thirty [year] will make Attendant-at-Centre, and if he sets out from here, his worth will be impossible to describe.

When the King of Jingling, Ziliang, opened his Western Mansion and summoned the students of literature, Gaozu together with Shen Yue [LS13], Xie Tiao [NQS47], Wang Rong, Xiao Chen [LS26], Fan Yun [LS13], Ren Fang [LS14], Lu Chui [LS27] and others all roamed with him, they were referred to as the Eight Friends. Rong was exceptional and vivacious, his understanding and perceptiveness exceeded other people. He particularly respected and found unusual Gaozu. Always when speaking of him to his friends, he said:

The steward who will order Under Heaven is surely this person.

He amassed to move to Consultant Army Advisor for Quelling the West to the King of Sui. Soon after he left his post due to the August Father's hardship.

[LS07]

The Changes says:

There was heaven and earth, afterwards there were the ten thousand things. There were the ten thousand things, afterwards there was man and woman. There were man and woman, afterwards there was husband and wife.

The propriety of husband and wife is the highest!

In the Rites of Zhou the King established the Queen's Six Palaces, with three Ladies, nine Concubines, twenty-seven Wives, and eighty-one Spouses, so as to heed Under Heaven's interior arrangements. For that reason the Marriage Propriety states:

The Son of Heaven and the Empress are like the sun and the moon, yin and yang, they are necessary to each other and complete.

Han in the beginning followed Qin's designations and titles. The Emperor's mother was called the August Empress-Dowager, the empress was called the August Empress, and they added to them the categories of Beautiful Lady, Good Lady, Eight Sons, and Seven Sons. Reaching Xiaowu, he regulated the favoured beauties and the likes in altogether fourteen grades. Coming down to Wei and Jin, for the titles of mothers and empresses both followed the Han rules. From Lady and downwards, [each] generations added and subtracted from them.

Gaozu swept away chaos and turned back to correctness. He deeply perceived extravagant and uninhibited, had bad clothes and meagre food, and applied himself to the previous modest frugality. His virtuous pairing ended early, Prolonger of Autumn was an empty position, and to the numbers of concubines and ladies nothing was changed or created. Taizong and Shizu set out from being the heirs-presumptive, yet the Consorts in both cases had passed previously, and they also did not establish pepper quarters. The present compilation only speaks of a provided for vacancy.

The Grand Founder's [taizu] Dedicated [xian] August Empress, Ms. Zhang, taboo Shangrou, was a native of Fangcheng in Fanyang. Her grandfather Cihui was Song's Grand Warden of Puyang. The Empress' mother, Ms. Xiao, was Emperor Wen's paternal aunt. [Emperor Wen is Emperor Wu's father, Xiao Shunzhi, posthumously elevated to emperor]

The Empress in the middle of Song's Yuanjia era [424 – 453] was given in marriage to Emperor Wen. She gave birth to King Xuanwu of Changsha, Yi and King Zhao of Yongyang, and next gave birth to Gaozu.

Earlier, the Empress was once within her room when she suddenly saw sweet-flag grass blooming in front of the courtyard with a brilliant hue shining bright like nothing out of the world. The Empress was startled at the sight, and spoke to her attendant, saying:

Do you see it, or not?

[The attendant] replied, saying:

Do not see it.

The Empress said:

[I] once heard those who see will be rich and honoured.

Following that she quickly took and swallowed it. That month she give birth to Gaozu. At the night she was about to give birth, the Empress saw inside the courtyard as if there were clothes and caps piled up and laid out therein.

She next gave birth to King Xuan of Hengyang, Chang, and Princess Zhao of Yixing, Ling. Song's 7th Year of Taishi [471 AD], she passed at a house in Tongxia Village in Moling County. She was buried at a mountain in Dongcheng Village in Wujin County. 1st Year of Tianjian, 5th Month, jiachen [6 August 502], she was retroactively elevated to the venerated title as August Empress. Her posthumous title was Dedicated [xian].

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Fairyland Romance (2023)

The god chose him to marry her #viral #kdrama #cdrama #fairylandromance #shorts

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pCXtVyZuw64

[shookethdev]

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NAKU 🫵

[newstfionline]

Monday, April 22, 2024

The Town at the Center of a Supreme Court Battle Over Homelessness (NYT) Inside a warming shelter, Laura Gutowski detailed how her life had changed since she became homeless two and a half years ago in Grants Pass, a former timber hub in the foothills of southern Oregon. “I never expected it to come to this,” Ms. Gutowski, 55, said. She is one of several hundred homeless people in this city of about 40,000 that is at the center of a major case before the Supreme Court on Monday with broad ramifications for the nationwide struggle with homelessness. After Grants Pass stepped up enforcement of local ordinances that banned sleeping and camping in public spaces by ticketing, fining and jailing the homeless, lower courts ruled that it amounted to “cruel and unusual punishment” by penalizing people who had nowhere else to go. Many states and cities that are increasingly overwhelmed by homelessness are hoping the Supreme Court overturns that decision. They argue that it has crippled their efforts to address sprawling encampments, rampant public drug use and fearful constituents who say they cannot safely use public spaces. That prospect has alarmed homeless people and their advocates, who contend that a ruling against them would lead cities to fall back on jails, instead of solutions like affordable housing and social services.

In New York City, Most Major Crimes Are Down, But Assaults Are Up (NYT) Just before noon last Saturday, a 9-year-old girl was with her mother at Grand Central Terminal when a man strode up to the child and, without warning, punched her in the face. The child, dizzy and in pain, was taken to the hospital. Jean Carlos Zarzuela, 30, a man who had been staying in a homeless shelter in East Harlem, was quickly arrested. It was among a number of recent assaults that have unnerved New Yorkers, who have seen a rash of attacks reported on the streets and on the subway. Police leaders and Mayor Eric Adams have trumpeted sharp decreases in the number of murders, rapes, robberies and burglaries since 2022. Still, assaults continue to vex police and city leaders. Felony assaults, a major crime category defined as an attack where a dangerous weapon is used or a serious injury results, are up in recent years. So are misdemeanor assaults, such as the one at Grand Central, in which a victim is punched, kicked or hit but no weapon is used.

Blinken will be the latest top US official to visit China in a bid to keep ties on an even keel (AP) Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China this coming week as Washington and Beijing try to keep ties on an even keel despite major differences on issues from the path to peace in the Middle East to the supply of synthetic opioids that have heightened fears over global stability. The rivals are at odds on numerous fronts, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, Taiwan and the South China Sea, North Korea, Hong Kong, human rights and the detention of American citizens. The United States and China also are battling over trade and commerce issues, with President Joe Biden announcing new tariffs on imports of Chinese steel this past week. The State Department said Saturday that Blinken, on his second visit to China in less than a year, will travel to Shanghai and Beijing starting Wednesday for three days of meetings with senior Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Talks between Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected, although neither side will confirm such a meeting is happening until shortly before it takes place.

Ecuadorians head to polls to toughen fight against gangs behind wave of violence (AP) Ecuadorians head to the polls Sunday in a referendum touted by the country’s fledgling leader as a way to crack down on criminal gangs behind a spiraling wave of violence. The majority of 11 questions posed to voters focus on tightening security measures. Proposals include deploying the army in the fight against the gangs, loosening obstacles to extradition of accused criminals and lengthening prison sentences for convicted drug traffickers. Ecuador, traditionally one of South America’s most peaceful countries, has been rocked in recent year by a wave of violence, much of it spilling over from neighboring Colombia, the world’s largest producer of cocaine. Last year, the country’s homicide rate shot up to 40 deaths per 100,000, one of the highest in the region.

Wave of narco-violence stuns Argentina city (AP) The order to kill came from inside a federal prison near Argentina’s capital. Unwitting authorities patched a call from drug traffickers tied to one of the country’s most notorious gangs to collaborators on the outside. Hiring a 15-year-old hit man, they sealed the fate of a young father they didn’t even know. At a service station on March 9 in Rosario, the picturesque hometown of soccer star Lionel Messi, 25-year-old employee Bruno Bussanich was whistling to himself and checking the day’s earnings just before he was shot three times from less than a foot away, surveillance footage shows. The assailant fled without taking a peso. It was the fourth gang-related fatal shooting in Rosario in almost as many days. Authorities called it an unprecedented rampage in Argentina, which had never witnessed the extremes of drug cartel violence afflicting some other Latin American countries.

Thousands protest in Spain’s Canary Islands over mass tourism (Reuters) Thousands of people protested in Tenerife on Saturday, calling for the Spanish island to temporarily limit tourist arrivals to stem a boom in short-term holiday rentals and hotel construction that is driving up housing costs for locals. Holding placards reading “People live here” and “We don’t want to see our island die”, demonstrators said changes must be made to the tourism industry that accounts for 35% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the Canary Islands archipelago. Demonstrators say local authorities should temporarily limit visitor numbers to alleviate pressure on the islands’ environment, infrastructure and housing stock, and put curbs on property purchases by foreigners.

Moscow says 50 Ukrainian drones shot down as attacks spark fires at Russian power stations (AP) Ukraine launched a barrage of drones across Russia overnight, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said Saturday, in attacks that appeared to target the country’s energy infrastructure. Fifty drones were shot down by air defences over eight Russian regions, including 26 over the country’s western Belgorod region close to the Ukrainian border. Two people died during the overnight barrage. Ukrainian officials normally decline to comment about attacks on Russian soil. However, many of the drone strikes appeared to be directed toward Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian and Western leaders laud US aid package while the Kremlin warns of ‘further ruin’ (AP) Ukrainian and Western leaders on Sunday welcomed a desperately needed aid package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, as the Kremlin warned that passage of the bill would “further ruin” Ukraine and cause more deaths. Ukrainian commanders and analysts say the long-awaited $61 billion military aid package — including $13.8 billion for Ukraine to buy weapons — will help slow Russia’s incremental advances in the war’s third year — but that more will likely be needed for Kyiv to regain the offensive. In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Saturday called the approval of aid to Ukraine “expected and predictable.” The decision “will make the United States of America richer, further ruin Ukraine and result in the deaths of even more Ukrainians, the fault of the Kyiv regime,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

Time Is Running Out for Rahul Gandhi’s Vision for India (NYT) Rahul Gandhi stood in a red Jeep, amid a churning crowd in Varanasi, trying to unseat the Indian government. It was the morning of Feb. 17—Day 35 of a journey that began in the hills of Manipur, in India’s northeast, and would end by the ocean in Mumbai, in mid-March. In total, Gandhi would cover 15 states and 4,100 miles, traveling across a country that once voted for his party, the Indian National Congress, almost by reflex. No longer, though. For a decade, the Congress Party has been so deep in the political wilderness, occupying fewer than a tenth of the seats in Parliament, that even its well-wishers wonder if Gandhi is merely the custodian of its end. Indian pundits and journalists bicker about many things, but on this point they’re unanimous: Only a miracle will halt the B.J.P. Still, it falls to Gandhi, steward of his enfeebled party, to try. One of Modi’s successes has been not just to trounce the Congress Party but also to persuade people that the party has weakened India and emasculated its Hindus. Through his cult of personality, Modi is fulfilling a century-old project, recasting India as a Hindu nation, in which minorities, particularly Muslims, live at the sufferance of the majority.

No let-up for Gazans while world focused on Iran attack (BBC) While the media’s glare in the Middle East this past week was diverted to Iran’s dramatic missile and drone attack on Israel, there has been no let-up in fighting in Gaza. Dozens of Palestinians were killed daily—including many children, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry. It now says Israel has killed more than 34,000 people in Gaza since the start of the war. As Israel’s forces continue with their efforts to destroy Hamas, they have conducted small-scale, often deadly operations, from the top to the bottom of the territory over the past week. On Tuesday, in the middle of Gaza, relatives clutching limp and bloodstained bodies of small boys and girls rushed from al-Maghazi refugee camp to al-Aqsa Martyrs’ hospital in nearby Deir al-Balah. Medics at the hospital said that at least 12 people were killed and some 30 injured by shelling in al-Maghazi. “They were playing in the street. Why were they struck? They weren’t in any position close to Israeli forces,” one man told the BBC.

Deadly heat wave surges through West Africa (AP) Street vendors in Mali’s capital of Bamako peddle water sachets, ubiquitous for this part of West Africa during the hottest months. This year, an unprecedented heat wave has led to a surge in deaths, experts say, warning of more scorching weather ahead. The heat wave began in late March, as many in this Muslim majority country observed the holy Islamic month of Ramadan with dawn-to-dusk fasting. On Thursday, temperatures in Bamako reached 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) and weather forecasts say it’s not letting up anytime soon. The city’s Gabriel-Touré Hospital reported 102 deaths in the first four days of the month, compared to 130 deaths in all of April last year. It’s unknown how many of the fatalities were due to the extreme weather.

[gizkasparadise]

Top ten meaningful impactful nicely handled character deaths. Can be villain. Can be non villains. I would prefer if you add Asian dramas in it. And please explain why

I, for one, truly enjoyed watching Frollo (hunchback of notre dame) fall to his death in a pit of lava because of how absolutely fitting it was

I loved tony stark’s death. I’m actually happy he’s not returning. He got his happy ending with a wife and kids and assurance that he saved the world after all the destruction he brought on it.

I loved the scene in healer of his mentor dying because they gave it a good delivery. Sad. Expected. And NOT brushed aside

yaaaaaaaaaay death :'D. spoilers for series obviously below!

top ten in asian dramas (hard mode: only 1 death per drama)

gu jian, goodbye my princess. xiaofeng's death is a close second. while this character wasn't my favorite, i think this death is the most impactful to me in the drama-- it signals the final point of no return for all the main characters, was absolutely brutal, the ML went full unhinged, and it gave me a montage set to 'love catastrophe' which is an auto ;;

kimura shunji, bridal mask/gaksital. with mok dan/boon yi's as a close second (sorry FLs i really do love you). my favorite drama villain so far. is his suicide a kindness or a curse? i love how fucking bleak it is and how shunji gives kangto absolutely no exit on their final showdown. the fact that it was the ill korean nanny who found him is just a full circle cruel irony that i love

shin yul, chicago typewriter. *sobs in doomed narrative*

dong mae, mr. sunshine. okay apparently this is just becoming a list of doomed second male leads, so-

ali abdul & ji yeong, squid game. they can share a spot since it was the same game. i mostly enjoyed squid game as a whole but some eps definitely hit harder than others -- ep 6 was the best ep in the series & had the most stakes & consequentially hurt the most

ta hwan/togon, empress ki. back to doomed second male leads i guess (although maybe he's the first all along~). im a sucker for couples confessing love on their death beds i guess and it was just such a UMPH scene after so much hardship and atrocities between them

jang man wol, hotel del luna. i love her whole arc and how the hong sisters completely committed to the ending being her having to let go of her past life and move on to the next one despite the ML's love for her

prince wang eun & seon duk, moon lovers: scarlet heart ryeo. babies ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

the passengers, vagabond. i just really, really loved how grief and resilience was portrayed in this drama-- especially with the families of the deceased banding together during the trial

ji hee, moving. JUWON AT HER MEMORIAL SERVICE SOBBING WHILE TRYING AND FAILING TO PUT ON HIS MOURNING CLOTHES FUCKING KILL ME. we know it's coming/doomed by the narrative realness, but gd!

[binging-asian-dramas]

The Legendary Life of Queen Lau. 7/8

Story: 8

Acting: 10

Chemistry: 10

Comparable to: Large Queen (cdrama); Oh My General (cdrama); Romance of Tiger and Rose (cdrama)

Do not take this drama seriously at all. It’s a completely silly, hilarious, over the top (satire) historical comedy. If you saw ‘Oh My General’ it has that type of humor in it. Now what drew me in is the female lead in this, Jackie Li, who I absolutely love love love in this. She bends all sorts of normals in what atypical female lead is like in a cdrama. The male lead Li Hong Yi is great as well and both having excellent chemistry together. The secondary main couple which breaks also most norms is the parents which is also a great highlight in this. Their freaking hilarious together as well and equally fun to watch. The only big drawback for me is that towards the later half it does get stale and bogged down feeling like most of it is just filler episodes. The storyline definitely should’ve been shortened down a lot to make it flow better. I’d say towards around 25 of the episodes is when I just wanted to fast forward through most scenes. Overall through its a super fun drama.