#Wang Yibo you’re amazing

[p-h03n1-x]

Then and now..

From Uniq Official announcing Wang Yibo’s debut…

… to greeting him happy 10 years debut anniversary

[accio-victuuri]

wang yibo - redmi k70 vcr

[idealesss]

Tag Game

So, I’ve been tagged by @phantomechospics, let’s see if I got this right.

Relashionship status 

Married for 3 years now, been together for almost 9. To this day, I’m still amazed by how they can handle me everyday ^^

Favorite colors

Sometimes it’s blue, sometimes green, purple, red, orange... Whatever color suits my mood. It’s often a bright color though

Favorite foods

That’s a hard one... Bolognese, sushi? It depends on my mood, but I never say no to sushi. I make them myself if I find a nice piece of salmon that’s not too expensive.

Song suck in my head

Gank your heart by Wang Yibo, Fire by Wang Yibo... Been pretty obsessed by his songs lately. They’re not only in my head though. I make the people around me suffer through my looping playlist of Wang Yibo.

Last thing you googled

Pokéclicker Alola region

Time

11:24PM, Saturday Oct. 29th, 2022 (CET)

Dream Trip

Go back to Japan, stay at a Ryokan in Kyoto, go to Sapporo again, visit Arashiyama again, make a trip to Tokyo... Just enjoy Japan as best as I can, with all its views, its food and amazingly careful people. Mandatory husband this time.

Last thing you read/book you enjoyed reading (those were 2 separate questions but I’m a lazy bun so...)

Mo Dao Zu Shi fanfiction

Arsène Lupin book

My Hero Academia manga

Favorite thing to cook/bake

Sushi/maki/onigiri. I just love salmon and nori, and I can shape those however I want to. Last Halloween I did pumpkin sushi with nori eyes and mouths, it was fun.

Favorite craft to do in your spare time

Currently wood carving, but also leather working, sewing, drawing, writing (does it count as a craft? Not sure). I’ve got tons of stuff I need to do until Christmas time, and not enough of time to do it.

Most niche dislike

I really don’t have any patience for people bullshitting themselves. Lie to others if you must, but don’t lie to yourself, you’re wasting your time and the time of those around you.

Opinion on circuses

For some reason, I have a profound dislike of it. I don’t like the use of animals in it, but I also really don’t like the idea in general. I think it scares me lol.

Do you have a sense of direction

Heh. I can read a map perfectly, but can’t follow a GPS to save my life.

So, this is the part where I’m supposed to tag someone right? I’d say @bakathief and @brotato-chibs love your art guys, so yeah, you’re the unfortunate souls I chose out of my very limited knowledge of Tumblr people ^^’’

[malsperanza]

Hidden Blade - Tony Leung, Wang Yibo

Hidden Blade / Nameless - no spoilers Since other threads on this movie are very spoilery, and it's a film that you do not want to be spoiled for, here's a post without spoilers. Hidden Blade is very good and well worth watching, even if you're not usually interested in war stories or modern-era films. It's historical enough to be tinged with an epic quality (the moment of China's desperate struggle against the Japanese invasion) and the kind of melancholic emotional tone that Cdramas often do so well. If you come for the Tony Leung or the Wang Yibo, you won't be disappointed, but there's a lot more to like too. I wish the English release had kept the original title - Nameless, or Anonymous, instead of a title that sounds like a Hong Kong 1965 kung fu movie. This is nominally a WWII spy thriller, but it's much more a psychological portrait of people intertwined among complicated political and personal loyalties. The director, who also wrote the screenplay, keeps his secrets close to his chest and takes the story step by step through its mysteries in a fragmented way that switches from flashbacks to flash-forwards. This takes a little getting used to. It's a beautiful -looking film, shot with a lot of style and atmosphere. With the exception of one weak performance, the acting is riveting. Tony Leung is never less than deeply absorbing to watch. The more he withholds, the more he gives. Wang Yibo will not surprise anyone who admired him in The Untamed, but he has more scope here for ambiguity and shades of gray. (And if anyone wondered if he could do a fight scene in modern terms, the answer is yes.) I like this director's style. It's not exactly subtle - he uses mirrors every chance he gets to play up the duality of characters and their uncertain identities (along with the use of dual languages). But it works here and doesn't seem gimmicky. The dim, period color palette is poetic. The very conscious use of light and shadow also looked beautiful and made sense for the story. The director borrows from film noir, up to and including the way fedora hats cast shadows on faces. But he also borrows from other cinematic languages, especially Zentropa (Lars von Trier's dark-poetry movie about Germany at the end of WWII) and Andrei Tarkovsky's apocalyptic films. --- The rest of this is some tips for western viewers: If, like me, you're relying on the translated subtitles, there are a few things useful to know. (First, though: shoutout to a real film production that allows the actors to keep their own voices, and whose translation subtitles make sense and are in natural English. I weep for the poor titling in Cdrama series, knowing how much we lose.) ~ The story takes place in several different parts of China, not always made clear except that the dialogue occasionally switches from Mandarin to Cantonese or Shanghainese. I would love it if a native speaker could list the scenes where this happens, as I could only sort of pick up a few of the moments. On top of that, whole very important scenes are in Japanese, with both Japanese and Chinese actors. It may not be all that easy for western viewers to hear this at first, so listen for Japanese and be alert to it from the start. It's meaningful for the story. (Shoutout to Wang Yibo, who delivers a crucial scene in Japanese. I know he's fluent in Korean, not so sure about Japanese, though - and his performance in that scene is emotionally powerful, nuanced, with amazing vocal rhythm. It's pretty amazing. The always-astonishing Tony Leung also has major moments in Japanese - but I expect brilliance from him in any case.) ~ If you don't know much about the part of WWII that involved China and Japan, it's helpful to have a little context, as the movie assumes familiarity and doesn't use bad exposition to explain the background. I'm only giving bare bones as needed for the movie - and oversimplifying a lot. Japan invaded China in 1937, before the European part of WWII started. The invasion was extraordinarily brutal. An estimated 20 million civilians died. The Japanese occupied eastern China and installed a puppet government under Wang Jingwei. The main characters work for this Japanese-controlled regime. Meanwhile, north of China, by the 1930s the Soviet Union had expanded and spread communism all the way east. Prior to the Japanese invasion, China was in a civil war between the Chinese nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek and the communists under Mao Zedong. Both groups allied long enough during WWII to eventually repel Japan before resuming their war. So there are 3 different political entities vying for control of China. In all of this, the territory of Manchuria was particularly contested. Japan had invaded and occupied it in 1931, and wanted it as a buffer against the USSR, and for other reasons. Knowing these basic facts can help orient the film's story. I've seen some pretty stupid reviews in the US that call this movie "propaganda for the CCP." I'll just say this: If all the Hollywood WWII movies from The Longest Day to Saving Private Ryan are "propaganda for the USA" then maybe that's a legit pov. Whatever opinions any of us may hold about the Chinese government today (no doubt there are many different views here), the resistance to the Japanese invasion between 1931 and 1945 was heroic and patriotic. Anyway, the movie is findable on Youtube and I think Bilibili in some regions. Go watch it.

[cqlfeels]

i think wang yibo does not get nearly enough credit for being an amazing actor. it's more than just the subtle microexpressions. it's that in the behind the scenes videos he is a completely different person. there appears to be no overlap between him and lan wangji and yet he's awesome. (this is a thinly-veiled question about if you have any silly gifs of him at hand)

I don’t have silly gifs at hand because I don’t gif and tumblr’s gif search is only giving me Cool Yibos for some reason but anon you’re so right! I can’t say I very often watch WYB content - either as a person or his other acting work - but even if I knew nothing about him I would agree with you! He understands CQL’s take on LWJ extremely well and is able to embody that knowledge in his acting.

One thing he does I think is supremely underrated is how well he portrays the passage of time! Costume and makeup definitely help and the people who did that also deserve a lot of credit, but I find it amazing how you can watch LWJ grow up. Because unlike WWX, who becomes more restrained as he matures, LWJ becomes more relaxed as he becomes an adult, so WYB couldn’t rely on making LWJ grow in sophistication, which is what many actors who portray passage of time default to. It’s a cliche for a reason - for most characters that’s definitely the right choice! But it wouldn’t be for LWJ, and I love the solutions WYB found.

[hunxi-guilai]

Hi Hunxi!!! As an English speaker I have a random question from watching interviews with the actors in the untamed (idk if you answer questions like this?) Sometimes I see xiao Zhan refer to Wang Yibo as laoshi (teacher) or Sunbae (Korean for older/wiser person) and I can’t tell if this is supposed to be a joke because I believe Xiao Zhan is older? Anyway I’m not sure where you’re from or if you have any insight! Mostly I’m just curious!

hmm, I think there’s a couple levels of deadpan humor at play! so first of all, it’s like, a thing in Chinese to address people with some kind of honorific/referent that is extremely flattering; at least when I lived in Shanghai, it was par for the course to address taxi drivers as 师傅 shifu, which is, yes, a homophonous variant of 师父 shifu, and in addition to having the valence of ‘master/teacher,’ it can also be used to address skilled workers in a trade

but like, basically you’d call your taxi driver 师傅 shifu

that might not be the best example, since it’s technically accurate; perhaps a better one would be the practice of calling strangers on the street 帅哥 shuaige and 美女 meinv, literally “hot bro” and “beautiful lady”

like, a sales associate in a clothing store will sidle up to you and basically say “hello beautiful stranger, can I help you find some clothes today?” and it’s normal, even expected, and meanwhile I’m over here trying not to crawl out of my skin

all of which is to say, I think Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo are jokingly referring to each other as laoshi, which may have originated as genuine praise (I feel like I’ve seen an interview where Wang Yibo is like “really Xiao Zhan is amazing, I learn so much from watching him work, he is such a good teacher” and listen, with Xiao Zhan’s personality, there’s no way he isn’t going to turn that compliment right back on Wang Yibo -- their interviews are full of them 1. complimenting each other and 2. mercilessly teasing each other). At some point, though, it becomes kind of a joke to call each other laoshi. 

In one of their interviews, they specifically get asked this question by an interviewer, and they’re just like “oh now we just call each other lao-Wang, lao-Xiao,” which is like, a hilariously middle-aged way of talking to each other, so like, the nicknames are many and ever-developing

[wangxianficrecs]

Fic Finder

Let’s have another round!

_________

1.  Does anyone know what happened to this one? ⤵️

MOJO! I really love your blog, I am a huge fan of how dedicated and organized you are! You work so hard for us in fandom! [Oh, thank you, darling!]  I know you’re on a hiatus [not anymore!] but I hope you see this when you come back, but I am in dire need of finding a fic.

All I know is it’s name. And has I think omega lan zhan the fic is called off-key the creator took it down and I don’t remember who the were.

Please if anyone knows I would totally appreciate it!!! 💜💜💜💜 thank you again for all you do! 💜💜 -- @shamelessfanpolice

~*~

2.  Your account is amazing istg. The amount of fics I have has doubled since I started following you. [Woo hoo!  Thank you!]  I was wondering if you or your followers could help me find a fic that’s set in the past in Europe. I saw a picture of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian in Victorian dress and it made me want to read read something like it.

FOUND?  This one is RPF actually, but it sprang to mind immediately and perhaps you’re looking for:

Bound With a Same-Heart Knot by mrsronweasley (E, 59k, RPF, yizhan [xiao zhan/wang yibo], my post)

~*~

3.  hi can you find the fic where wwx and lan wangji are married because of business. then later they adopt a-yuan, then after that since the lan elders have enough power from the SANREN company and baoshan sanren and wen ruohan are a couple, the lan elders wanted lwj to marry nhs but nhs fell in love with jiang cheng and lwj fell in love with wwx. nhs is lwj's ex bf - @masterofdemoniccultivation

~*~

4.  Hi🥺 welcome back and happy lunar new year 💞. [Back atcha, lovely!]  I was wondering if you know this fic where wangxian get together at cloud recess and they're both ace don't the other. And I also think there's a scene with xicheng where they're happy that their brothers are finally interested in s*x

FOUND?  Could you be thinking of Under Extreme Duress by sssrha (T, 34k, wangxian, my bookmark, WIP where they are asexual betas continually dragging apart oversexed alpha/omega couples)?

FOUND!  @magic-orange-cactus says their bookmark for Let Them Eat Cake by Vamillepudding (G, 8k, wangxian) reads, “Asexual wangxian and cloud Recesses that take their sexual education SERIOUSLY XD”)

~*~

5.  find the fic where lwj had a gf but then when he met wwx he fell in love with him. wwx and lwj started dating and lwj broke up with his gf then his gf threatened if he doesnt go to her she will die doing suicide and lwj says sorry and goes to the hospital for his EX girlfriend. but what lwj didmnt know is it that wwx only had 1 year to live and wanted to spend his time with lwj so his family allowed . lwj tried to speak to wwx and lwj's gf tried to hit wwx and madam yu hit her and shouted at lwj ex gf and jyl got so mad, she hit lwj's ex gf and when baoshan sanren revealed ww is gonna die any time lwj tried to apologize to him and after sometime wwx forgave him, and later they adopt ayuan and then they married and then wwx was brought to the hospital, in his last days with his family and lan zhan and a-yuan and then wwx was dying he crawled to a-yuan and lwj and hug them then died and lwj died from a gunshot in protecting a-yuan -- @masterofdemoniccultivation

One Year Time Bomb by Kaien24 (Not Rated, 53k, Tragedy, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Romance, Character Death) 31 is probably “One Year Time Bomb” by Kaien24! i’ve been looking for it on and off since i saw this post and finally found it again

~*~

6.  Hii! Happy anniversary!  I wanna thank u for your hard work! The fic recs have kept me afloat these past few months.  [Thank you!]   However, I wanna ask for help in finding a fic where wei ying was cursed by some "fertility" goddess and was given a woman's body then lwj got her pregnant. That's the last thing I can remember huhu hope u can help. Thank you!!

FOUND!  This one is  In Sickness and In Health (And In Strange and Unexpected Times Too) by purplemonster (E, 28k, wangxian)

~*~

7.  the cultivator killed wen remnants INCLUDING wen yuan and wwx ran to lwj. what wwx didnt know is lwj forgot about wwx forcefully by lan qiren.

wwx: l-lan zhan wen yuan- a-yuan is dead lan-

lwj stabbed wwx

wwx: lan zhan??. then after that wwx laughed until he had resentful energy, jin zixuan was only in a coma. lan xichen and jiang cheng ran to koi tower jc : wei wuxian lxc: young master wei wwx: ahahah! since you wanted me to be a demon then ill be a demon AHAHAHAH then wwx flew to burial mounds , the lan clan has lost support because they were scared of wwx. #badguyjinguangshan #badguylanqiren #jinzixuan and jiang yanli is alive --  @masterofdemoniccultivation

FOUND? THE DAY THE SUN BLACKENS by FongLian (Not rated, 16k, wangxian, WIP, Angst, Family, Regret, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Affection, NMJ is caught up in the Cross-fire, LXC & LWJ left Gusu Lan, WWX Finally Gave In, He Wants To Destroy The Whole Cultivation World, And Create New One For His Baby, A-Yuan is Stuck in Between Life and Death, Yes A-Yuan is Like the Lucrecia Crescent of MDZS, Sayings: "Be Careful What You Wish For", LQR Made A Very Huge Mistake, JGS is Doomed, JZX is in a Coma, He'll play a Role Later)

~*~

8.  Can you help me find a fic in which Jiang Cheng walks in on Wei Wuxian making out with his past/future self and Lan Zhan just watches with morbid fascination?? I know its vague but that's all I can remember

FOUND! @whereisyourcahier says it might be one of The Same Moon Shines series Though I'm Gone (Still Think Of Me) by sami (M, 8k, wangxian)

~*~

9.  Excuse me, there's a fic I read where WWX came across a magical future seeing object while at the Cloud Recesses, (I think it was a Lan headband?) and it only works if he and someone else touch it. I'm wondering if you'd read it and could tell me the title, because I accidently closed all my google pages and can't find it. [Oh my god, I HATE that, and installed an app called “Session Buddy” so that if it happens again I can still pull up all the closed pages AND the pages before them.] 😔 💔  ~ @respectpotatoes

FOUND!  by @whereisyourcahier who says the future-seeing-object isn’t a headband, but everything else fits:   Yearning for Miles by Murahi (M, 270k, wangxian, WIP)

~*~

10.  Blessing upon your crops for the service you provide this fandom. [My crops appreciate the blessing, thank you!]  There was a fic I read where lwj got cursed into saying every thought that ran through his head, and I forgot to bookmark it :( I know it was an E rated fic, too. Any help you or your followers could provide would be huge! ~ @gerudoheiress

FOUND!  Could you be thinking of  beneath six layers of silk by darkredloveknot (enheduane) (E, 13k, wangxian, my post) where lwj is cursed to speak out loud all his thoughts and feelings -- but specifically those relating to wwx.

FOUND! @planb-is-in-effect suggests another option:  Crack me open, pour you out by Tenillypo (E, 16k, wangxian)

FOUND!  @trektaalik  says a third option could be Rarely Pure and Never Simple by thunderwear (not rated (G), 3k, wangxian, my post) (hee, hee, evidently lwj truth curses are a popular trope!)

~*~

11.  Hello! Sorry to bother I'm looking for a rec post I think it was yours of fics where Lwj was bad with WWX in the beginning and then he tried to be better after it had a lot of wips ~ @miss-yae

FOUND!  @mikkeneko believes it might be  To Bring You Back Within My Reach by ablaiseofglory (M, 21k, wangxian, WIP)

~*~

12.  Hi, Mojo! I was wondering if you could help me find this one fic? It’s a one-shot, maybe 4-10K? It features vampire!lwj and vampire!wwx and it’s kind of dark. I think they hide under a glamour of sorts. Um...Xue Yang is featured in there, too. Along with Lxc and jc. Have you heard of it? Thanks. ❤️☺️💞

FOUND! @sssrha​ thinks this one could be The Way You Tremble by themunchking (E, 6k, wangxian)

~*~

13.  I also have a submission for your next Fic Finder post! It is one of the Modern AU, baby A-Yuan gets left with WWX so he and LWJ adopt him and get together in the process type of fics. I distinctly remember a segment where they go to LWJ's apartment for the first time and it's super posh, and WWX enters the hallway to see LXC standing there, meets him for the first time, and realizes that LWJ has told his family NOTHING about his new bf or kid. It is NOT The Simplest Way Forward NOR Take My Hand Take My Whole Life Too, I checked through both of these and this scene doesn't appear in either. Help? @mikkeneko [I’m pretty sure that IS a scene from Simplest Way Forward, though?]

Not FOUND?  I don’t think it’s this one but... Let's Play Pretend and Live Our Lives by Tassos (E, 51k, wangxian, my bookmark)  is a modern au where wwx has A-Yuan (saved from rescue work) and he and lwj play chicken until they’re ACTUALLY married & co-parenting and meanwhile lxc and lqr are clueless.

FOUND?  @artemisisdiana thinks this one might be  your heart, two doors down by ghostsgf (G, 10k, wangxian)

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 07 part one

(Masterpost)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Clan Sanren

Lanny Granny gets a second wind and continues her Yin Iron Webinar.

Wei Wuxian explains that although he was adopted by the Jiang Clan, Baoshan Sanren is his grandmaster, via his mom. Lan Yi claims to think that this is pretty great.

Lan Yi: Wow, amazing, my ex girlfriend who I dumped has settled down and started her own family Clan now, that’s so great. I’m so happy for her. So happy. So great. I mean, when I left I didn’t really picture her finding happiness first, you know? I kind of expected to have settled down myself by now but it’s hard to date when you’re trapped in an ice cave putting headbands on rabbits for 100 years. But it’s fine! I love my life and I’m sure eventually I’ll find that special rabbit person.  Anyway I’m just...SUPER happy for Baoshan. Really. Really happy. For Baoshan. 

Lan Wangji also appears to have thoughts about it, because he reacts pretty intently.

 Lan+Sanren 4EvR. 

Wang Yibo is looking extra fine in this cave sequence, with no headband to distract from his fierce eyebrows.  

Lan Wangji asks Lan Yi if she’s the one who pulled them into the cave, and she says nope, and then nobody ever explains how they ended up in the cave. “Perhaps it’s destiny” does not count as an explanation. 

Lan Gran explains that her battery is running down. The Lan bunnies are not energizer bunnies, apparently. She also tells them that it’s impossible to destroy the Yin Iron and that the only solution is to put it back in the cave and try to suppress it again. 

(more after the cut)

However by Episode 23 it inexplicably becomes super easy to destroy the Yin Iron...

...meaning Lan Yi spent 100 years in a cave for nothing, other than writing the Definitive Guide to Rabbit Headbands. 

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji get back into Hardy Boys cultivator mode, but this time with an extremely long held gaze, which I think is their first time doing this.

I mean...even if these boys are 100% neurotypical (and hello, they are not), this is a LOT of eye contact. I can't gaze that long at anything except my phone screen. 

We Will Achieve The Thing Together

Narrator: they will not achieve the thing

The reason I got into c-drama in the first place is, after decades of western storytelling tropes, it’s so refreshing to watch a story and have literally no idea what’s going to happen. Even when the story sets things up to happen a certain way according to my learned experience of stories, it just doesn’t play out that way. For example, if you’re watching The Lost Tomb Reboot and you expected the jade-mining sequence to end with a slave uprising, you were as surprised as I was. 

Here Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian promise to do their best to find and suppress the Yin iron. Lan Wangji is going to fail at this, allowing this here piece to fall into the hands of the Wens, because unlike his uncle he's not willing to let his clan die to protect it.  

Wei Wuxian is going to take his not-doing-the-thing several steps further, finding and refining his very own piece of extra-badass Yin iron. Yes, he has reasons for this and a lot of stuff happens along the way, but in terms of your typical quest storyline, it would be as if Frodo figured out how to use the one ring to kick Sauron’s ass, rather than (with help) destroying it. Again: this is why I LIKE c-drama. 

Lan Wangji tries to shut Wei Wuxian out of his quest and Wei Wuxian makes a short but utterly character-defining speech. 

You can’t stop me

I know what’s right. 

And then he says that his Grandmaster Baoshan Sanren was isolated because of the Yin Iron, and he has a responsibility to her. Lan Yi agrees. So...he just kinda quit the Jiang Clan right there, didn’t he? In favor of eventually becoming a wandering cultivator like his Grandmaster and clan uncle (Xiao Xichen), and like his mother. 

He is also going to follow in his father’s footsteps by upsetting his Clan Leader when he falls in love. Gosh, he also, like his parents, will die and leave an orphan to fend for himself. So -- the apple doesn't fall far from the tree I guess.

He doesn't realize the pickle he’s getting himself into, of course. Being Wei Wuxian, he thinks he can balance all of his increasing obligations, but being human, he won’t be able to. 

Pardon Our Entwinement

Lan Yi leaves to catch the spiritual plane, the Yin iron drops, the ward breaks, and Wen Ning appears to download a new software update. The kind that breaks your video driver and photoshops your eyeballs.  

Wen Qing comes nosing around the cave wall, and Jiang Cheng stops by to ask what she’s up to. 

He hopes she’s trying to find his brother, just like he will fail to do for her & her brother one day.  

The boys fall out of the wall together, in a nice example of the “oops I’m accidentally humping you” c-drama romance trope. To keep it censor-friendly, Wei Wuxian is actually on the ground next to Lan Wangji’s right knee but the shot is framed so that at a glance he appears to be in a much cozier position. 

Lan Wangji goes on an expression journey don’t say facial through several “oh shit we’re caught” faces, while Wei Wuxian shows Lan Wangji a few iterations of his oh-face. 

Jiang Cheng wants to know what the fuck they have been getting up to for a day and a night. 

The movie wasn't so hot, it didn't have much of a plot, we fell asleep our goose is cooked our reputation is shot

Wen Qing detects that they were somewhere cold and decides it’s her turn to ask nosy questions. Lan Wangji does the guilty startle thing. 

Fortunately Wei Wuxian doesn’t have that problem.

He turns his answer into a prolonged whine about how cold it was, how lost they were, etc. This annoys Jiang Cheng into dropping it and saying they should head back. 

I’m awesome right? so awesome right?

Wei Wuxian gives Lan Wangji a significant look to show that he’s deploying a rhetorical strategy on purpose to distract his questioner. Lan Wangji super does not know how to do that. 

Flute + Yin Iron = Profit

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji get to watch as Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen tame the hunk of iron and stick it in the bag of holding. Wei Wuxian pays verrrryyy careful attention to this whole “use a flute to control the Yin iron” lesson. 

Lan Xichen really should reconsider his music-lessons side hustle. Arguably this one doesn’t turn out as badly for him personally as teaching guqin to Jin Guangyao does, but it doesn’t turn out great, either. 

知己啊  - zhi-ji-ah

This mostly-tedious Yin Iron conversation with the elders includes a super-important WangXian moment.

Wei Wuxian calls Lan Wangji his zhiji. This is the same word he will use later in the “what am I to you?” conversation during the Jin night hunt, and the word Lan Xichen will use when saying why Lan Wangji wouldn’t repudiate him during his forced isolation. As always, for the full meaning of this word, @hunxi-guilai​ is brills.

A Wen spy bird shows up, and Lan Wangji really wants to chase it, but Lan Xichen says no. 

This happens a lot, actually. Lan Wangji is not a cool-headed person, despite appearances.  Likewise the boys want to go searching for the Yin Iron and the adults want them to slow their roll. 

Being a teenager is frustrating, particularly with a classic “I didn’t actually listen to you before making a decision” adult like Lan Qiren in charge. 

Lying is my First Class Spiritual Tool

Nie Huasang shows up and has his usual hilariously varied reaction to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji - an enthusiastic “Wei-Xiong!” followed by a nervous & meek “Lan Er Gongzi” and a bow to Lan Wangji.  

He wants to know what happened and Wei Wuxian once again shows his powers of rhetoric. 

I like to call it my “devil snake.” 

He puts off all of Nie Huaisang’s potential questions by really knowing his questioner well and completely distracting him.  

This time Lan Wangji seems impressed. 

Jelly Jiang Cheng

Young Master Cockblock shows up and lets loose with a display of total naked jealousy. That carving on Wei Wuxian’s bed back in Lotus Pier...is that him and Jiang Cheng? Because damn, this boi is jealous. 

...and so is Lan Wangji, apparently, or at least he’s disappointed to have Wei Wuxian taken away from him like that.  

Yearn Mode Enabled

Club Ruohan’s Foyer

Wen Chao and Xue Yang stand awkwardly in Wen Ruohan’s vestibule talking to the boss through a giant door, because sure, why not. 

This doesn’t bother Xue Yang, who as usual has no fucks to give. Except that today, Wen Ruohan tells him that the budget for his project finally got approved, which lifts his spirits quite a bit. 

His project to single-handedly slaughter an entire clan, and he is super excited about the kickoff meeting. 

Wen Chao is mopey because his brother gets all the good murder assignments and his dad doesn’t appreciate him. Boo fucking hoo. 

Periodic reminder that He Peng looks like this when he’s not playing Wen Chao.

Part 2 coming soon!

Soundtrack: Wake Up, Little Susie by the Everly Brothers

Bonus

[its-chelisey-stuff]

Word of Honor eps 11-20 (many confusing thoughts ft. the feels)

Well, the drama has finished airing (and I’ve seen a bunch of spoilers lol) but I’m watching it on youtube so every rant and ramble you read here is gonna be a pretense of me not really knowing the story and that includes what I know from reading the novel because it’s confusing to keep in mind what happens in both since the drama diverted quite a bit from the source. All that matters is that we got a happy ending, so now I can enjoy the delicious angst, pining and romance freely and without worries.

On the plot

I didn’t have enough of GuXiang and CWN in these eps but at least they’re safe and together, for now. They’re gonna romance each other and will eventually reunite with main OTP and their kid (who looks like a little Wang Yibo to me lol). And Ye BaiYi (aka captain of the WenZhou ship) has made his first appearance and wants to help save ZZS. Btw I love his dynamic with WKX, it’s hilarious!

Now, I’m a bit confused about the names and faces and who’s bad, and who’s not so bad but the main baddie has been revealed and it looks like the dude is controlling the Scorpion King via daddy issues which yikes. I’m worried that it looks like WKX doesn’t know who is pulling all the strings because that shows that his plan for revenge isn’t perfect and if he was wrong about Gao Chong, then he can be wrong about other, bigger things and that isn’t good.

Also, some of the valley ghosts want to take WKX out of the picture, which is of course not surprising considering killing the current leader is the only way to succession of what it seems like a dictatorship. What a nightmare to live in tbh, I’m surprised WKX is functional enough to walk so nonchalant and elegantly in public and that he managed to raise an equally functional GuXiang. But I guess that’s because he wanted to survive and get the justice/revenge he feels he deserves (I’m on his side, btw), so he had to act like a madman while trying to keep his sanity. He has some glitches,of course, but he did well, all things considered.

Which takes me to the whole Five Lakes Alliance and their “friendship”, which imo went to hell 20 years prior to the start of the story, and they all pretended for two decades, because they all wanted the Armory and each had a piece to get into it. Is it bad that I don’t feel that bad for them? Maybe just about little Chengling’s dad but other than that...*shrugs* Plus, their actions brought terrible consequences for innocents, namely WKX’s family.

On the love story

The romance is delightful!! On ep 11 WKX went to rescue little Yibo but found out ZZS was also there so he went full-on killer mode so hot because how dare these scorpion killers hurt his man? They made up (with he help of their adoptive son) and even took their time to have dates and enjoy a lot of alcohol until ZZS went “my dude, tell me the truth, you’re Rong Xuang’s son, aren’t you?” to which WKX offended, replied “Honestly? No, how fucking dare you?” but it is a theme with these two to part dramatically after an argument and then reunite in dramatically gay fashion when ZZS is in danger, which actually happened 3 times in these ten eps.

The reveal of ZZS’s condition to WKX was PERFECTLY done. I love gorgeous men crying and being all angsty under the rain so that scene with OTP afterwards was delicious and then WKX sadly playing the flute while getting drenched and reciting poetry (GONG JUN IS AMAZING AS WKX!!!!!!) has definitely become one of my fave moments so far. I love that despite their short time together, you can see and feel the bond between the two and that there’s a side of them, a vulnerable one, that they only show to the other and that’s how I believe in the depth of their feelings (plus the arguments and shared near death experiences lol you can’t beat those). You don’t need lots of time to actually get to know a person, and after the few weeks(?) of a rollercoaster of emotions these two have shared, it isn’t weird they’ve become soulmates.

We know ZZS has accepted his fate and is happy with the way things will end for him. He said it himself, he just wants a peaceful life or a peaceful death, and while the former is out of reach or so he thinks, he can certainly make reality the latter. I understand that he is perfectly happy as is, because he achieved his goal after years of being a muderous puppet and meeting WKX is like the perfect ending, a last blessing. However, that’s not the case with WKX. He hasn’t achieved his goal yet, he doesn’t have the same peacefulness and acceptance as ZZS. He has a lot of rage and hate inside him and he had just set his plan into motion when he met ZZS and although that hasn’t changed his mind about his revenge it has made him want things he didn’t know he even wanted before. Now he desperately wants a life with him. So finding out that the man he’s fallen for, is dying, is a cruel twist of fate, another one in his life. Why allow him to meet ZZS when he will lose him in a couple of years?

Anyway, as a man with a mission, WKX had to suck it all back up and go watch the shit show he thought he always wanted to see, which ended super bad. And at this point I don’t even know if WKX knows what he’s doing anymore or if the drama is fooling me they might be succeding.

cough cough eye sex cough cough 

 After a total of 3 caves, declaring their love for each other (ep 18 min 17:50), rolling on the grass super gay, saving their son yet again and a tragic backstory later, ZZS comes to understand who WKX really is and his heart broke as well as mine and everyone’s because damnnnnn that was heavy (but also, I wasn’t expecting the childhood friends trope, but I don’t I mind it, in fact I like it as it reinforces the narrative that OTP are meant to be). What broke me even more is that, amidst all that, WKX still has the state of mind to worry about ZZS’s health and ask if it’s possible to save him with the YingYang book of the Healer Valley. He might act like a monster but he isn’t one. If he was, he wouldn’t have compassion for others and that huge capacity he has for loving. Come to think of it, maybe it’s the terrible life he’s had what makes him being all devoted to the person he loves, to love without holding anything back.

Of course ZZS isn’t short of affection for his man, because while his love is on the more quiet, much more subtle side, he is always paying attention to WKX and is visibly worried about him and this hatred he has for the people of the alliance as well as his plan for revenge.

I just love how we went for “oh, they might like each other, but they each have their emo baggage and ZZS doesn’t look too willing to take on WKX’s troubles or even understand him” to “yep, they’re soulmates, they’re in this together and ZZS won’t let darkness eat WKX away and WKX will risk it all to save his man”. It’s beautiful.

[p-h03n1-x]

Congratulations Wang Yibo for his nomination at the 18th CHANGCHUN FILM FESTIVAL CHINA 2023 for the Best Actor Award for his portrayal of Chen Shuo in the movie One and Only

Source

[accio-victuuri]

wang yibo @ like the sunshine studio rehearsal 🤍

[susuwatari-kompeito]

💌 DING DONG YOU'VE GOT MAIL: 💌

Hi Alexi! Aamna (@noshinwoo) sent u this love note: hi hi Alexi! it's been a joy getting to know you and being able to see your sets. your cql 50 ep series is amazing! literally in awe at your dedication and how lovely they all turned out. it's really hard to choose a favourite cause there are so many I love but I really love the mdzs donghua opening that you made. the colors!!! so pretty! hope you're staying safe bb! 💛 take care!

We would also like to thank u for creating content for the fandom and for being a part of our net! you are incredible!💞

💌 Love, the mdzsnet lovebot! 💌

@yibo-wang

Hi Aamna!!! Thank you so much for this sweet message! I really appreciate it! The 50 episode gif series was a lot of fun because I learned a lot about gifmaking through that. And it makes me so happy that you like the mdzs donghua opening set too! Thank you to the donghua team for making such a beautiful opening. 😍

Hope you're taking care and staying safe too! 💜💜💜

- Alexi

[taeminie]

💜💮🌷🌸✨This is the Amazing Person Award! Once you are given this award you are supposed to paste it in the ask of eight different people, who, in your opinion, deserve it. If you break the chain nothing will happen, but it is sweet to know someone thinks you’re amazing inside and out ✨🌸🌷💮 hi bb!! 💛💛 sending this right back cause you're amazing and lovely and so talented 🥺💛 ilyy - @yibo-wang

AAMNAAA MY DEAR thank u so much for sending it back 🥺 speaking of talent have u seen ur amazing and beautiful content????? Pls!!!! i love your blog so much. and i love u and appreciate ur friendship and all the love you’ve given me and how you’re always so supportive and kind 💜💜💜💜 thank u so much my love!!! take care and stay hydrated i’m sending u many hugs 🌸🌸🌸

[khaotungsfirst]

ali‘s embarrassing celebrity crushes throughout the years

thank you to @fengqing for wanting me to expose myself, i hope y’all don’t judge me too much 🥴i had to go through my archive to remember most of these cause as fast as these crushes hit me sometimes, some of them went away just as quickly.

tagging: @schnaf @manhasetardis @morifinwes @xiaodaozhang​ @huigusu​ @yibocrisis​

ok here we go, putting it under a read more cause this got long

MEN (since 2006)

tom kaulitz nothing more attractive to 10 year-old me than this 15 year-old with dreadlocks and pants that hit the floor askdjhgkjfdg

joseph gordon-levitt i..... can’t even explain this?? lmao.. i mean inception was and is my favourite movie but not because of him so like??

niall horan niall girls unite!! i was a niall girl until i got into larry and then that was all i cared about for a long time ksadjgkdf but i still love him!

dan howell he was funny and british, that’s it

dylan o’brien listen every teen wolf fan was mainly there for him, don’t even lie about it

seb stan holy shit i was crushing on him so hard after the winter soldier came out. he was the epitome of perfection to me! this was a big one for me but it went downhill once he started growing out his hair afgkjdfgjkd retrospectively i’m not sure if i was only thirsting after him because everyone else on my dash was doing it (also does anyone remember political animals??)

dane dehaan oh god..... listen, it’s all the fault of the amazing spiderman 2! also his look is so versatile like in some photos he looks really nice and in others..... 😬yikes lmao skdjgfdk idk man

loïc nottet this was a short-lived crush but he absolutely killed it at the 2015 esc and tumblr went wild over him so... 🤷🏻‍♀️

marc bartra so we’re getting into football players now and just look at him! he joined my favourite team (bvb) and i immediately loved him cause he made such an effort to integrate himself. after the team bus was attacked and he got injured my love for him only increased. he just seems so sweet and nice aaahh

niklas stark idek how i came to know abt him cause he plays for hertha which i don’t care abt aksjgjghjf but he has such a beautiful smile i think that’s what got me

andré silva i just thought he looked neat (still does but he doesn’t blow me away anymore)

héctor bellerín 2016 bellerín?? oof!! don’t look him up on google tho, he’s had a lot of... questionable hair and fashion choices throughout the years 🥴the way we all dragged him for it was really funny tho. i still love him he’s a great guy always supporting good causes

arón piper listen earrings and curly hair maketh the man

matthías tryggvi haraldsson once again a crush resulting from esc. he was my icon before i turned into a mdzs blog. i don’t even think he’s super attractive, i just love the contrast between hatari matti and normal matti

harry styles i’ve given in to the harry supremacy propaganda. he really is my favourite 1d member these days, musically-wise and looks-wise

bill kaulitz we’ve come full circle!! nowadays bill is my favourite kaulitz twin. it’s funny cause they literally have the same face so it all just comes down to how they present themselves and bill is just my preference

MEN (recently/currently)

wang yibo i don’t even have words!!! his look, his personality, his talent just!!! I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM!! (as we all do) (also big genvy causer)

lesbian yibo this gets a separate bullet point cause i had this realisation like two weeks after falling for regular yibo but oh boi am i gay for her

xiao zhan he’s just.. so pretty and lovely. i thought about putting wwx into the fictional characters category cause i think xz looks the prettiest as wwx but xz as a person just seems so nice and down to earth that i had to put him here

bright (vachirawit chivaaree) a baby!!! his smile is so pretty and overall he gives off very ~soft~ vibes. also how does he look so good when crossdressing??

boun (noppanut guntachai) once again the jewellery got me. boys with earrings really will be my downfall one day... (this is not to say that he isn’t pretty without them, his face is also very much up there on reasons why i stan him)

tul (pakorn thanasrivanitchai) get you a man who is as comfortable in his masculinity and sexuality as tul

felix lee will i ever get over the dissonance between his looks and his voice?? probably not. also he’s just a fucking cutie

hyunjin felix might be my bias (oh god i’m starting to speak in kpop lingo) but i’m also kinda simping for him, what can i say?

WOMEN (sadly not as many but you know, heteronormativity)

scarlett johansson literally everyone on this planet thinks she’s hot and they’re right (yeah she’s kinda problematic but i can still appreciate her looks)

halsey remember when halsey used to kiss her fans at her concerts?? completely unrelated to that, i really wanted to go to one of her concerts..... 🙃 also i once dyed my hair blue bc of her

kiko mizuhara she was fancast as blue from the raven cycle so many times and i was so on board with it cause in my head she fit the character perfectly but maybe that’s just because i thought she was really really beautiful and wanted to see more of her 🤷🏻‍♀️

rihanna i mean... c’mon

michelle phan oh man this goes way back.. she was one of the first youtubers i watched in like 2010 before i even played with makeup myself. she just always gave off such calming vibes and she seems so nice. also look at her 😍

zendaya oof zendaya is a big one for me. she’s just so fucking beautiful just... how?? what??? i- AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

lena i started actively following her on ig after she released her last album in 2019 (which is great btw) and... damn girl do i want to be you or date you??

xuan lu oh god she’s so adorable but then also so hot but then also so etheral but then also so cute but then also so beautiful but then also s-

FICTIONAL CHARACTERS

stefan salvatore (tvd) gotta love how even at 14 i already knew not to make the toxic choice 😊

legolas (lotr) if you didn’t have a legolas phase you’re lying

draco malfoy (hp) if villain bad then why sexy?

anakin skywalker (star wars) if villain bad then why sexy? 2

noora amalie sætre (skam) she’s just really pretty, ok? the red lipstick didn’t help either...

chris p (skam) if villain bad then why sexy? 3 (ok he’s not a villain but he’s an asshole)

tokio (money heist) hhnnnnnnnggggggg girl with a gun make brain go brrr

wen qing (the untamed) funny how in the show i’m simping for wq but irl i prefer xuan lu... someone explain that to me. but anyways, she’s pretty, she’s fierce, and she looks fucking hot in red

[drwcn]

... I must say, it's really nice to know it wasn't only I who found book!LWJ's attitude unnerving. He was shown a posessive there, I think? The funniest thing that TGCF I actually liked, because despite one of 'merry couple' fangirling for another for years, he still gave him free space and trusted to make his own decisions.

Hi anons! :)

This post is gonna get kind of wanky, so be warned. If you don’t want wank, well don’t read this post. I really don’t like to answer wank asks because only positive vibes for my blog please and thanks (but don’t worry anons, I’m not mad, I’m just gonna put the three of you together so I can talk about some of mdzs’s problems once and for all).  Also disclaimer: my opinions are my own, I could be wrong about some things. I have only dabbled in the novel, some chapters here and there, and I really couldn’t finish it. I went ahead and read the original text, which is actually quite well written all things considered. The translations are fine, but it just doesn’t quite hit the spot. Thus, if I said some things which are factually incorrect, I am not opposed to being notified.  

First and foremost, for the anon that asked “what’s wrong with mxtx?” The short answer is nothing is wrong with her. She’s an author who writes popular online novels with a wide readership. Clearly people are receptive to what she’s putting out there. Good for her, you know. It’s not easy to be that well received. 

But in terms of her novels, there are several things that I personally don’t like. I’m just gonna list some of the things she’s said about MDZS/CQL. I have not consumed any of her other work. 

First, her treatment of her female characters. In an interview, she literally said that most of the men in her MDZS novel are single because she didn’t want to come up with names for their wives. Like....what the fuck. Take from that what you will. Also, look at her female characters. Seriously, what kind of fates did they have? According to another OP, all the female characters’ lines in MDZS added up to 50 sentences. Don’t quote me on this, I did not fact check. This is just what I heard. But even within the narrative itself, let’s do a body count. Jiang Yanli died for plot. Wen Qing died for plot. Qin Su existed and died for plot. A-Jing existed for 45 seconds and then died for plot. Baoshan exists in narration only. Madam Yu was a raging asshole. Madam Jin treated Jin Guangyao like trash. Cangse Sanren: dead. Mama Lan: (no name lol) dead. Where are the fucking women? Where? Let’s not forget all the other women that existed purely as plot device: Sisi, Bicao, Meng Shi. Mianmian is the only one who lived, but she literally had to - quote Eliza Hamilton - “take myself out of the narrative” to do it. 

Second, and this is a well known thing: mxtx claimed that the only canon gay relationship is wangxian, everyone else is straight because she doesn’t think it’s likely that there are that many gay people. If we interpret other male characters as couples, we’re free to have our own interpretation. ... ..... .... I’m fucking speechless. But also laughing because LHK and ZZJ literally ignored canon, and straight up made LXC and MY have a meet cute in class in front of everyone. 

Third, but not least, let’s talk about book!Lan Wangji. The following will strictly be talking about book!Lan Wangji and not show!Lan Wangji. Show Lan Wangji is very nuanced and WYB’s micro-expressions are great. (You’re doing amazing sweeties, don’t ever stop).

 What, pray tell, is book!LWJ’s personality? Silence is not a personality. book!LWJ is what we critics in the drama world call “高冷霸道总裁”, which is a trope in and of itself. And there’s nothing wrong with tropes, except a lot of viewers are getting...kind of sick of it, because it’s getting a little repetitive. 

高冷 = arrogant and cold, but like... in an admirably good way. Or as I like to call it, a stick up the butt and no communication skills. 

霸道总裁 = The Big Boss.  Attention: lemme use some heteronormative language here for a second because most of cdrama is written this way. The Big Boss is the fictional counterpart to the real life 高富帅 (gao fu shuai: tall, rich and handsome, the moniker for an ideal husband) that many aunties and mothers wish their daughters could marry. This kind of character is tall, rich and will swoop in to save the damsel-in-distress - erm, I mean the strong independent female character - when she’s in trouble. Because even though she’s a strong independent character, and sometimes even the main character, somehow her fellow male lead still has to play her knight in shiny armor. Not like, he’ll sit down and listen to her talk about her problems, no, no, he has to pay for her expenses, bail her out of trouble, save her life, sacrifice himself, go against the world for her... sounds familiar??? 

Yeah. 

And like, some novels do “the big boss” trope better than other. They give the “the big boss” a human side, let him interact with side characters, allow him to have friends, build on other relationships, such that he is 3D and can stand on his own. Eternal Love of Dream’s DongHua Dijun is a recent example which I think did a pretty good job of writing a male character that doesn’t let him revolve around the love interest 24/7. 

book!LWJ doesn’t work for me because what exactly is his character growth? He serves to back up Wei Wuxian and.....????? He’s so flat in his character built. He loves Wei Wuxian and....that’s it. What else is there? If there’s other character traits y’all picked up on that I didn’t, please let me know because I find him so boring and at times disturbing (in terms of the nature of his physical relationship with Wei Wuxian). 

In CQL, we saw Lan Wangji change as a character, we saw him struggle with morals and values, struggle against tradition and family and societal expectations. We watched him witness the death of Wei Wuxian and move on to face life afterwards. We know through the actions of Lan Sizhui that he helped raise a child who didn’t just follow rules blindly. When Wei Wuxian came back, we saw a matured Lan Wangji who had come into his own and was comfortable in his own skin. And in the end, when the dust settled and the truth was revealed, he rose to the occasion. Jin Guangyao’s death left a power vacuum, and Lan Wangji filled it. Someone once wrote an excellent post about Lan Wangji being attracted to Wei Wuxian’s sense of justice (recall Wang Yibo’s change in expression when Wei Wuxian prayed during the lantern ceremony). I think that is exactly right. For two individuals with such different personalities, their bond in my opinion lies in their ability to see right and wrong beyond rules and laws and customs.  

In the book, canon ended with the two main character going at it in the grass, and I guess...yeah that’s cool. Happy ending right? But what they did learn? What was the point? Lan Wangji had lived 13/16 years without Wei Wuxian. He knew who he was. But for Wei Wuxian, he came back to life in another person’s body and went through a gazillion different revelation within days. He needed to find himself again, discover who he is, what he wants in this new life. That is a process he needs to do by himself, without external influences and pressure. He needs to be given a chance to decide that Lan Wangji is who he wants in this life, not in the last life, and when he does Lan Wangji will still be here, waiting for him, as he has always waited for him. Lan Wangji is the rock, the constant, the home that Wei Wuxian could always fall back on. He is not a prison, not a master, not the dictator of Wei Wuxian’s life. Theirs should be a partnership of respect and understanding. They are soulmates not only in the romantic sense, but because they understand each other better than anyone else. 

Book!LWJ does not give us that. What it does give us is a badly written sexual intercourse that gives me the heebee-jeebees. Sometimes I think it’s even weirdly dub-con without intending to be dub-con. The truth is I can’t even begrudge mxtx for it, because she is not the only one to write in this way. I’ve read other c-novels and many many of them are like that. And here is where we’re getting into the discussion of cultural understanding/acceptance of sex, relationship, consent, gender roles and the what is taught to young adults in school. That is a rabbit hole I won’t go into. 

So that’s it. My thoughts. 

[candicewright]

I love your art, but I may love the clips of you drawing them even more. I always end up watching the loop a dozen times. I draw too but nowhere near your level. What I'm amazed is how quickly you capture the likeness of who you are drawing. Obviously, the clip is very much sped up but it looks like you don't have to do very many brush strokes to get it right. It's quite remarkable. Is that something that has just developed naturally for you over the years of drawing or have you done some kind of specific practice for that? Seeing your drawings always make me want to draw but it always feels so difficult or the end result is not what I want.

Aaahhhh omg you're so sweet 🥺💜 I really enjoy those clips too tbh, they're really fun!!! Honestly it's extremely flattering to hear this because I always feel like one of the things I struggle with the most is doing small amounts of confident strokes instead of a million tiny ones to compensate. I think part of it it that I draw Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan so much that I'm much quicker at catching when something doesn't look quite right, and still it usually takes me one to two hours to have a sketch that I am happy with. It's absolutely something that I have gotten better at with practice but I don't feel like I've done anything in particular to make that happen. The only practice exercise that I know that could help with this is this one (I haven't done all the drawbox lessons myself but they seem like a really solid way of starting to draw). Also I always work with references!!!! References are your friends!!!

I really get that feeling though and I don't think it's something that ever goes away. Every artist I know is their own harshest critic but if you keep going you will improve. The problem is that there's a point where you know enough about art to know that you're not that good compared to others but still don't know enough to understand how to reach the next level with your own work and it sucks. Believe me though, that's how everyone feels. I feel like that all the time 😅 The best advice I can give is keep going and have fun. Explore those things you think are too difficult for your skill level. If you see an artist you like, instead of comparing yourself to them use that as an opportunity to study what you like from their work and learn. You will get there!!!! You can take me up on that promise!!!

Best of luck to you, anon!!!! 💜💜💜