#a more interesting set up to her plot to me than the dowager lady. but she shouldve killed simmerson

[sailorpants]

unfortunately, as i continue watching Sharpe, the quality of plotlines they give to women markedly decline. in Regiment they're throwing blondes at him like there's no tomorrow and each one of them has a plotline involving sex or marriage; also they feel like they weren't written to be as complex or in control as some other characters who also have plots that revolve around sex or marriage (specifically, I'm thinking of Helene from Honour as well as Lucy Kiely and Juanita from Battle).

when i'm watching this show i try to appreciate when the women on it have agency to affect the plot and make their own decisions (aka The Bare Minimum). but if the women characters are relegated to episode's side plots/their situation is but a piece of a larger Adventure as opposed to being part and parcel of the Adventure they don't get that chance to act on their own terms!!! even within a Sex and Marriage plot!!! and that's frustrating.

[ladyniniane]

Author Questionnaire Tag Game

I was tagged by @aninkwellofnectar. Thank you for tagging me, it was really fun and interesting!

About me

When did you start writing?

I think I was 12. I have always been a daydreamer, making scenarios in my head. But I started writing for real at that time. I wrote little stories, inspired by my favorite fictional universes, in a notebook. However, I started writing seriously at 19 with my first original short stories. I then went on to write my first novels and short stories before going back to fanfic and then to original writing again.

Are there genres/themes you enjoy reading different to the ones you write?

I read a lot of historical fiction. (And I realize that the more time passes, the less fantasy I read. I'm still reading it, but I'm extremely picky).

My fictional worlds are inspired by historical settings. But historical accuracy isn't my goal (and I'm not writing historical fiction in the first place). My stories are my playground and I'm doing what I want. If I want to change and twist things, put women in roles they didn't have at that time/setting, no one is going to stop me.

If I write fantasy, it's because I enjoy the freedom and range of possibilities it gives me.

Is there an author you want to emulate, or one to whom you're often compared?

Tanith Lee. I wish I could write as beautifully as her, with her lush prose and atmospheric settings. Plots weren't her strong point, just like it is the case for me --'.

Anyway, read Tanith Lee. She has written so many works that you will certainly find something that you like.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space?

I'm either writing on my desk or seated on the couch. That's pretty basic.

I'm writing on my laptop, but I take some notes in a notebook.

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

I read/watch things that inspire me or remind me of my projects. I do some research. I also imagine my characters in different situations and see where it goes. I also brainstorm and just focus on what I want to write to see things more clearly.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

I think! More in a diluted than obvious way, though. For instance, I've always been in awe of the beauty of summer nights in Corsica, being able to walk outside and see all those stars in the sky. It shows in the way I describe the night and starry skies.

Are there any recurring themes of your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

Coping with grief, loss, mourning, absence and transformation. Life and death. Resilience. Finding a light after a long road in the darkness. Finding the will to live on. The beauty of the mundane. Finding a community and a purpose. Self-acceptance. Self-reliance. Overcoming one's fears and limitations. Breaking free from the chains of the past.

I'm not surprised at all! They reflect my personal experiences and my hopes.

My Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favourite character?

Zoé, the protagonist of my Byzantine-inspired novel project (title: Zoé, dame du palais/Zoé, lady of the palace). She's in her late twenties and a widow (or at least she considers herself so since her fiancé died before their wedding).

Coming from a dangerous border region, she's a skilled warrior. As she moves to the capital, she's presented with an opportunity to work at the palace. There, she becomes an attendant to the empress dowager and will find schemes, rivalry but also love and friendship.

She's headstrong, mature, generous and passionate, but also deeply aware of her own darker sides. It's better not to be her enemy.

I love her for her adaptability and the dual role she's able to play, being both warrior and court lady. She's savvy, world-weary and experienced in all areas of life.

Which of your characters do you think you’d be friends with in real life?

I think I would get along with my OCs Gladys and Maeve! They are both cheerful and sociable so it would be easier for me.

Which of your characters would you dislike most if you met them?

Some of my stories have pretty awful parents, so it would likely be one of them.

Tell me more about the process of coming up with your characters.

I wrote about it here.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

My stories are almost always centered around a female protagonist. She has the ways to fend for herself in this world (both physically and intellectually). She's the heroine of her story and she isn't defined by a love interest.

The cast of my stories is largely female. There are important male characters, but they aren't the majority. I don't do it on purpose, it's just the way it is.

And as I've said before, most of my characters deal with some form of loss.

There are also strong bonds between mothers and daughters or with a female mentor.

How do you picture your characters?

I have a pretty solid idea of what they look like to the point I can draw them. Sometimes I'm helped by faceclaims, sometimes not.

My Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

I write because I need to. My life feels empty if I don't. I have a vivid imagination and I can't help but make stories in my head. I'm also writing for escapism.

But I'm also writing in the hope of being read one day and also connecting with like-minded people through my writing.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

First: when I see that I properly managed to convey the feeling/meaning of a scene. I'm also happy when people tell me that a scene had a lasting impact on them.

But what I like the most is when people tell me that my stories touched me/made them happy/feel good. Life is pretty difficult as it is. So I'm proud of being able to bring a little joy/escapism!

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work?

I want to be thought as someone who writes memorable stories with compelling characters.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I have been told that my writing is immersive. I'm able to convey the atmosphere of a scene, the feelings, emotions and to paint vivid visual descriptions.

How do you feel about your own writing?

I'm proud of what I've achieved so far. I think my writing flows well. I'm proud that I kept going and stopped listening to the hater in my head.

I'm a perfectionist, so I'm never completely satisfied. Sometimes I can't help but wonder why I write. But at least, it challenges me and motivates me so I can improve.

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

Yes. I know, I wrote earlier that I hoped to be read. But that's not the only reason I write.

I also write to find joy and to make things more bearable. So yes, I would still be writing. Because I can't imagine a world where I don't write. It's a part of my daily life.

And besides, some of the things I wrote have been almost completely ignored despite all the energy and love I put in it. So I know that being read is never guaranteed.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? if it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

I purely write what I enjoy (and I mean, I wrote a long OCxCanon fanfic for a fandom where it isn't that popular). I know that my stories don't necessarily fit in a box. For now, I'm happy with just sharing them online.

I don't want to change things because it wouldn't sound like me. It wouldn't be genuine. Trying to please everyone leads nowhere.

I tag (no pressure!) @lilias42, @take-me-to-valhalla, @fuckingferalhawks, @mwezina, @lumeha, @intricatecaprice, @violets-in-her-arms-writes, @sinniel @tockamybeloved

And everyone who wants to do it (feel free to tell me if you want to be included in that sort of tags in the future, I'm looking for new writing friends :D).

[sifeng]

Review: The Legend of Zhen Huan

Harem dramas (or gongdou dramas) are really extremely interesting, not just because the schemes and plots are smart and evil, but also because the ones planning are ladies. Typically, in big historical political dramas, such as Nirvana in Fire (琅琊榜) or the legendary Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义), the big players are all males. In the former example, you have a few notable female roles, but in the latter, there are a lot of main characters, and only one is a woman. In harem dramas, the tables are reversed. The ladies are the ones doing the scheming, and they’re doing it while completely hiding inner feuds from the emperor. Out of all the harem dramas that have been made by China, the prize for “Best Harem Drama” typically goes to The Legend of Zhen Huan (甄嬛传). So what’s so good about Zhen Huan? And why should you watch it?

The main five ladies fighting for the emperor’s love (or are they really just fighting for power?) From left to right: Hua Fei (华妃), the Empress (皇后), Zhen Huan (甄嬛), Shen Meizhuang (沈眉庄), An Lingrong (安陵容)

Plot: 

Zhen Huan is a young woman who looks to have a normal life. However, all chances at a normal life are crushed when she is selected to become the emperor’s concubine. Now, she must learn the ways of the harem, which not only include etiquette, but also scheming and betrayal. 

Cast:

Sun Li/Betty Sun (孙俪) as Zhen Huan (甄嬛)

Chen Jianbin (陈建斌) as Yongzheng/Emperor (雍正/皇上)

Cai Shaofen/Ada Choi (蔡少芬) as Ulanara Yixiu/Empress (乌拉那拉·宜修/皇后)

Li Dongxue (李东学) as Prince Guo/Yun Li (果郡王/允礼)

Jiang Xin (蒋欣) as Consort Hua/Nian Shilan (华妃/年世兰)

Tao Xinran (陶昕然) as An Lingrong (安陵容)

Lan Xi (斓曦) as Shen Meizhuang (沈眉庄)

My Opinions:

Plot (My Rating - A):

I would say the best thing about the plot is the pacing. It doesn’t go extremely fast, to the point where you lose track of everything that is happening, but it does go at a relatively reasonable pace so the show never gets boring. 

This drama does an amazing job of showing the cruelty of the harem. Also, I kind of think the kind of scheming that goes on in harem dramas are even more scary than the big political schemes of the big historical dramas, because these ladies put on this image of being good sisters that support each other, when in reality they have thought up a million ideas on how to kill each other. 

Of course, being a harem drama, there’s not a whole lot of cute romance here, but there are quite a few couples (beyond the emperor and his concubines) that are kind of cute. Also, as it is a harem drama, focus on friendship and loyalty to friends is rarely mentioned. There’s really only two cases of friendship in the entire drama, everything else is much more like an “alliance”.

Characterization (My Rating - A+):

I would say the two best parts of this drama are characterization and acting. Every character in this drama has their flaws, but also traits that we should be admirable of and learn from. Let’s take An Lingrong for example. Her biggest flaw is that she has extremely low self esteem, which leads her to be paranoid and loose her ability to trust her friends. However, she is also extremely persistent. She knows singing is her talent, and so she uses it on a number of occasions to gain favor. When she looses her voice, she learns to ice skate, and is able to do it wonderfully, and again, she gains favor with the emperor. She also later learns to take her future into her own hands, instead of depending on her friends, or the Empress to protect her. 

Characters also grow throughout the series. Though they start out innocent, Zhen Huan, Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong grow to become wise and mature. And as this show is extremely long, we get to see what events set off character growth. All slightly major characters undergo some kind of character development, and all of them have developed personalities that make you want to root for them sometimes, but sometimes you really just want to throw them in the Cold Palace.

No villain is left without a humanized side. No one is evil for the sake of being evil (which cough, Gao Guifei in Yanxi?), and even the villains have backstories that make you sympathize with their actions. At the end of the day, I can’t even really call them “villains” since, let’s be real, some of the “good guys” do things that are just as bad. Similarly, the very few heroes in our show have their negative traits as well. No one is perfect. Everyone is human. 

The most impressive thing is definitely the growth of Zhen Huan. She starts out weak and somewhat of a coward, however, by the end, she is the one that people fear. As the show narrates the story of Zhen Huan from a 16 year old girl to the powerful Empress Dowager, we can see how every event in her life changes her. Every scheme, death, betrayal, they all build Zhen Huan to be a strong, powerful, but cruel person. Some have criticized the show because it seems to send out the message that in order to get above your bullies, you have to become just as evil. I disagree. Two of the concubines in the palace, Jing Pin and Duan Fei are more low-key, rarely participating in schemes, and they survive until the very end, earning the third and second highest ranks possible in the harem respectively. You don’t need to scheme in this show if you develop good relationships with everyone, and have a low-key and simple existence. As long as you don’t push yourself Ito the race for the emperor’s favor, you’re sure to live. 

Acting (My Rating - A+):

My god. How did they literally manage to get ever single actor portray their characters perfectly? Not just the main leads, but literally everyone, made me truly believe their characterization. Of course I have to give props to Sun Li, Ada Choi and Jiang Xin for their portrayals of Zhen Huan, the Empress and Hua Fei. THEY WERE AMAZING. Even though the latter two are arguably villains, they played their parts so well that honestly, I felt bad when the Emperor didn’t believe them or ignored them. 

I also think Tao Xinran did really good as An Lingrong. In the beginning she did a great job of bringing out An Lingrong’s self-deprecating and unconfident personality, and I could see that even though An Lingrong ended up growing significantly in power, underneath the facade of confidence, she’s has low self esteem and confidence. 

What’s really amazing is that a lot of the supporting actors here have become stars themselves. Three of the supporting concubines, Qi Guiren, Chun Changzai and Ying Guiren are played by three rising stars Tang Yixin, Tan Songyun and Mao Xiaotong. 

Cinematography (My Rating - A-): The shots of the Forbidden City are beautiful, but seeing as this is a 2011 drama, the quality isn’t amazing.

Costumes (My Rating - A+): I mean just look at the pictures above. The costumes are STUNNING.

Overall Rating: A+ 

Recommend For: People looking for a drama full of schemes and mystery. People who are okay with a drama that doesn’t include a whole to of romance or friendship. People looking for a good harem drama. People who liked Yanxi or Ruyi should definitely watch this drama! 

[sqewed0722]

Mengfei Comes Across (I love and hate you!)
Sometimes you come across a drama that you end up enjoying so much yet get so frustrated and disappointed about because you know it could have been so much more. That’s how I felt after watching the C-drama “Mengfei Comes Across” (also known as “Oh My Cute Consort”). This premiered in 2018 and starred Jiro Wang as Emperor Wen Lou, and Jin Chen/Gina Jin as Lady Bu Meng, his consort. 


I stumbled upon it while watching some clips on YouTube about something else and it was recommended to me. It looked very beautiful so I decided to watch the clip. I became curious because the premise reminded me so much of a favorite anime called “Saiunkoku Monogatari” so I searched for the complete series with English subs. Fortunately enough, they were readily available on YT. 


The series revolves around Bu Meng, the daughter of the Royal Court Historian, who ends up becoming one of the Emperor Wen Lou’s consorts because of a slight that her father had done towards the Emperor. In return for the offense, His Majesty decides to pick on her, though harboring no personal interest in her at all. Meng doesn’t want the attention because she’s read in her books that imperial consorts who gain the attention of the Emperor often become the target of intrigue and malice and can even lose their lives. Meng intends to live a long, happy life so she strives to avoid him at all costs. 

Unfortunately for her, not only does she end up directly under his radar because of her father, but her personality and antics turn the Emperor’s initial disinterest into curiosity.
She ends up somehow getting involved with him in so many ways, despite herself, and he ends up liking her more and more along the way. However, Meng’s desire is to leave the palace and gain her freedom again, so when the Emperor becomes the target of mysterious assassins, Meng volunteers to help find the culprits in exchange for her freedom. Together with Minister Zhen Shishuang, an investigative prodigy who also happens to be her childhood friend and first love, Meng succeeds in uncovering a serious plot against the Emperor, masterminded by his first consort, Imperial Consort Ru, adopted daughter of the Prime Minister. 


But the Emperor is hard-pressed to honor his word to let her go, especially when he learns that Minister Zhen and Meng were once in love and almost married each other. Yet he decides to set her free, much to his mother, the Empress Dowager’s disappointment and anger. Meng, on the other hand, realizes that she can’t leave him anymore because somewhere along the way, despite her reluctance, she had fallen in love with him. 


That’s basically the summary of the series. 


I’m actually quite torn about this drama. On the one hand, I found myself liking it very much. The aesthetics were good: costumes were beautiful and the actors were just so pleasing to the eyes. The comedic timing of the main actors were on point, although the minor ones seemed just a bit too overdone for my taste. And the chemistry of the leads was just lovely and they had this level of sexual tension between them that made me jump on their ship. 


This is the first time I’ve watched Jin Chen/Gina Jin and Jiro Wang. I don’t know them and I’ve never seen anything of theirs. But to me, they were perfect as Meng Fei and His Majesty. Every time I saw them on screen together, I felt warm and fuzzy and I smiled so much. I just wanted the scene to go on and on because they were just beautiful and the sparks were there. Jiro Wang had this seemingly hooded gaze that smoldered every time he looked at her. It’s like a mix of deep affection and intense desire toward her. Gina Jin, on the other hand, had just enough level of denseness and disinterestedness towards him. And her face, especially her eyes, are just so expressive. She had this wonderful interplay of mischievousness and intelligence that often manifested through a bright smile which made her whole face glow, making me understand just why Jiro Wang’s His Majesty is so taken with her.


But apart from that, the drama left me very frustrated because the story and plot development left a lot to be desired, as far as I’m concerned. The series was 36 episodes long (according to some early reports, it should have been 45) yet the main plot seemed to have exhausted itself by episode 21, which is when the Emperor and Meng Fei admitted their love for each other. Even in terms of story arcs, the meatier part of the drama was in the first half until this point, what with the assassins and the intrigues from the consorts and the objections from the Empress Dowager all coming into play, together with the comedic antics of the characters. After that, it was mostly stand-alone arcs involving minor characters (although there was also a handful of this in the first few episodes, which almost made me stop watching), with the Emperor and Meng merely becoming instruments to push the story along. In fact, they hardly had any substantial or meaningful screentime at all. 


To my mind, it was too much time wasted on arcs that never had any real purpose in driving the main story, which could have been devoted to expounding on more interesting sub-plots, such as the story of Lady Xiao, one of Meng’s fellow consorts and closest friends. She’s a former general who grew up with the Emperor and fell in love with her fellow general, Shi Shang. This could have been very interesting and compelling because after they were separated when the war ended, and after her father’s death, the Emperor made Lady Xiao enter the palace to give her sanctuary. She encounters Shi Shang afterwards inside the palace, as an assassin hired by a rival state to kill the Emperor. It turns out that he had been captured by them after the war and made to drink poison. In exchange for the antidote, he had to assassinate the Emperor. This could have tied beautifully with the first arc on the assassins that were sent by the Dongli State and led by Imperial Consort Ru, who turned out to be their princess. 

Another interesting sub-plot that should have been tackled and tied into the assassin story arc was the one of Chen Yuanxi, Meng’s childhood friend, who also became a soldier.  She and Meng’s brother, Bu Yue, have always been at odds since childhood, yet in the end it turns out that they are in love with each other.  If it weren’t for the fact that Yuanxi was thought to have been killed in battle and a corpse that was mistaken for her brought home for burial, much to Yue’s grief, they would not have admitted to their feelings for each other.  Bu Yue, incidentally, is also a well-known and much-admired general.  


The latter part was really such a waste. I could only imagine how much more interesting this would have been, especially if the friendship between the Emperor and Meng was allowed to flourish some more before they decided to become lovers. Their scenes together before Meng realized she loved him were just wonderful. And those moments when he would hint at his deeper feelings for her and she gets flustered are just the stuff that wonderful, fluffy romances are made of. 


And how nice it would have been if Minister Zhen was tapped by the Emperor to head the investigations on the assassination attempts and he became a trusted advisor. Just imagine the Emperor’s own dilemma, if they had become friends as well, even as he is riled up with jealousy because Meng likes Zhen very much. 
And I really think there should have been scenes of the Emperor and Lady Xiao talking intimately as friends, especially regarding his feelings for Meng. After all, they grew up together. I think it’s possible that her father may have trained him too. And I think it was also hinted at that they fought together before he became emperor? I’m not sure about this but it’s not far-fetched. 


If I were to rewrite this drama, I would make the development of the romance between the Emperor and Meng revolve around the assassination plot and the political intrigue of the rival states. I would also make Minister Zhen’s character stay throughout the drama, not only because he would have been very useful in attempting to uncover the plots against the Emperor, but his presence would have presented a nice tension between the Emperor and Meng. It would have made Meng’s decision to stay as consort, despite her loss of freedom, more compelling. And I would give more meat to the story of Meng’s three consort friends, Consort Xiao, Consort Yan and Concubine Qu. I’d take out all the other minor arcs, like that of the imperial cook and imperial physician. 


I would have made Meng stand firm on her decision to leave the palace anyway to pursue her own dreams, despite the fact that she’s slowly falling for the Emperor (just to prove that she is truly independent and empowered) but would have made her return in the second half of the story at the request of the Empress Dowager (who didn’t like her very much for her son). Perhaps something serious would have happened to the Emperor as a result of the attempts on his life, and Her Majesty would ask Meng to come back and care for him. And there would have been a man-to-man talk between Minister Zhen and the Emperor about their love for Meng. And maybe Zhen would talk to Meng and help her come to terms with her own feelings for the Emperor.  I wouldn’t have made it so easy for her to just accept that she had fallen for him and give up on her own dreams.  No matter how ditzy she may sometimes seem, Meng’s character is intelligent and independent.  It would have made for a more interesting romance, not to mention given the drama more time to give Meng and the Emperor - with Zhen thrown into the mix - more screentime cuteness together.  


Oh well. I would have to content myself with re-watching this up until episode 21 and just imagine all the ways this drama could have been so much better than just a slapstick comedy.

[angstmongertina]

Impressions (7KPP)

After talking with @teaandinanity about Widows, my finger slipped and now I’m deep in Widow hell and have two (2) new Widows to romance Clarmont and Lyon. This is all her fault. :P

Lady Morgaine is a result of me deciding I wanted to make a Widow with a horrible backstory, as well as a selfish, immoral Widow who was at the Summit in part to investigate Lord Clarmont as a part of the Revairan rebellion, only to fall in love with him. And because of the angst potential, she has risen to become one of my favorite ships. Go figure.

AO3 Link

There were a few things that Lady Morgaine, Dowager Baroness Namaire, knew to be true regarding Lord Clarmont of Revaire.

She knew that despite his favor with the royal family, he had a reputation for being a recluse at court, hardly showing up for social functions, at least in the year that she had been there. She knew through… organizing her now late husband’s correspondence that there were darker forces at play within the power struggles of the kingdom, forces in which the lord more than likely had his own involvement. She had seen and heard enough in the past two weeks to know that he had additional interests, that the same plots which swirled around the Revairan throne existed too at the Summit, with him in their midst.

She knew that Lord Clarmont was dangerous, that his conspiracy threatened the carefully constructed position that she had given up so much to achieve for herself. He was a threat in every sense of the word, to her and to her position and goals.

He was also nothing like she would have expected from the shadowy figure who haunted the Crown with the quiet threats of revolution. Quiet and controlled though he may have been, he was also oddly trusting and disarmingly sincere, a combination that could no doubt win him allies, but also allowed individuals with less savory ideals, individuals like her, to infiltrate his defenses and gain access to his thoughts. A handful of blithe lies, some basic observational skills, a smile or two at just the right time, and the man had turned into putty in her capable hands.

It would almost have been disappointing if it weren’t so convenient.

Then again, there was something to be said for the fact that at least something had gone right in the past two weeks. It was one thing to be dismissed so summarily by the Matchmaker—that, at least, she could and would prove the woman wrong on—but between the sheer audacity of someone to attempt to blackmail her on the Isle and what was likely a separate attempt to kill her by way of out of control horse, one that she was beginning to suspect was set up by the daughter of the very family she was supporting through her investigations…

Gritting her teeth at the sudden wave of anger that swept, fiery hot, through her veins, she marched out of the castle. There were too many people inside, too much conversation and general noise, between the bustle of servants and the chatter of the other delegates, apparently intent on spilling all of their secrets to others under the foolish guise of friendship, under that naive concept of trust. Instead, she found herself crossing the grass, moving with so much fierce intent that a figure she belatedly recognized as Emmett leapt out of her path without so much as a greeting.

Not that she was in the mood to offer him much of one in the first place.

It was not until she had made her way into the gardens that she slowed, feeling her body relax as the sounds and sights of the castle disappeared, replaced by hedges and flowerbeds that shone in brilliant colors, some of which she had never seen before, in her small corner of Revaire. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine that she was alone, far from the pressures of the Summit and the threats to her livelihood and…

“Lady Morgaine?”

She froze, the voice ringing out already familiar after just the scant week and a half. Naturally, if anyone had to be within range, it was him. For a moment, she contemplated turning around, disappearing into the shadows and retreating to her room, far from the expectations of her fellow delegates, but she set her mouth, forcing her limbs into stillness.

She had already done more than her fair share of running in the past years. She would do so no longer.

Instead plastering her most charming smile on her face, she turned, dropping into a proper curtsy. “Why, Lord Clarmont! Good day.” She glanced at the direction from whence he came, towards the hedges which rose easily above her head in a labyrinth, and raised an eyebrow. “Are you lost?”

As she expected, any hint of suspicion disappeared from his face faster than the sun in the bitterest Revairan winter, and he laughed, the sound natural and strangely pleasant. “Do you have so little faith in me that you presume I would get hopelessly lost so close to the entrance, as poetic as that might be?”

She let her eyes widen in a show of innocence. “Not at all, my lord. Only inquiring as to the success in your presumed endeavors.”

“A most pretty way of saying the same thing, I see, but I fear you have made one error in your inquiry.” For a second, she froze, cursing her glib slip of the tongue, before schooling her face into appropriate curiosity, but if he noticed, he gave no sign, instead only chuckling. “You supposed I might answer truthfully though it would be most unbecoming to admit anything but success before as magnificent a lady as yourself.”

In spite of herself, she could feel her body relaxing as she smiled back, this time with all the sincerity that her previous expression lacked. “False flattery, while always appreciated, will not serve to distract me from your lack of answer.”

His eyes seemed to dance as he bowed at her, offering an arm. “Then I suppose I have nothing to it but to prove myself directly, if you are amenable to the offer of an escort.”

She hesitated, taking the time to examine him until he grinned down at her, expression openly boyish. “Unless you would prove your stated faith in myself, not to mention your faith in your own navigational skills, false?”

Reluctantly amused, she dropped into another curtsy, this time in a facsimile of propriety. “Then how can I refuse such a challenge? I suppose I will simply have to thank you kindly, Lord Clarmont.”

It only occurred to her later that, though she learned nothing new from the endeavor, she could not find it in herself to consider the hour spent exploring the gardens a waste of time.

[downtonabbeyrevisited]

Series One - Episode Five

We are now over half way through series one and episode five opens with a suitably formal breakfast that casts shame on my wolfing down a banana as I bolt down the stairs invariably ten minutes late to wherever it is I need to be. This is a satisfying episode as we finally get to see the development of two plot points that have only been hinted at so far: Thomas’ light fingers and burgeoning alcoholism and Beryl’s fading eyesight. 

Incase of the unlikely event that anyone has forgotten about the radiant Kamal, we are treated to an ‘arty’ black and white flashback as Daisy “takes a turn”.  Daisy then goes on to make a reference to the Titanic and is quickly reprimanded by O’Brien for “keep[ing] harping back” to it despite the fact that it is the first time it has been mentioned since Episode One. But Daisy’s hint that she knows more than she is saying about dear departed Kamal is pounced upon by O’Brien and Thomas who mine Daisy for intel to backdrop of some suitably sinister music. O’Brien goes to Edith to try and recruit her to further press gang Daisy into giving up what she knows. I’m not entirely convinced of O’Brien’s motivation here but I might have missed something. But what is thrown into sharp relief is the transformation in Edith’s character as the series progress: her conspiring to spread gossip based on (let’s face it) shaky eyewitness evidence is a far cry from her later journalistic exploits. But we are not living in the heady world of the 1920s, instead we are (I think) in about 1912-13 and Edith is baying for Mary’s blood. She goes on to drop a bomb on London society that is Turkish, but not delightful. 

The need to marry off Mary bears down upon Cora and Sir Anthony Strallan is invited to dinner: desperate times call for desperate measures it seems. Sir Anthony “old booby” Strallan offers scintillating conversation that includes such zingers as “the next few years in farming are going to be about mechanisation”. Having failed in the ecclesiastical flirting with Matthew, Edith now turns her hand to agrarian courting with Anthony but is still bested by Mary’s faux interest in the finer points of hedgerow management and ploughs (I’m assuming). But Matthew’s quick exit reveals the extent to which her cousin is creeping up in her estimations and it shouldn’t be too long before they are engaged, break off the engagement, one of them nearly dies, get engaged again, get married, have a child and one of them finally dies and is virtually never spoken of again. 

The coming of Sir Anthony also brings a demand for Apple Charlotte but Mrs Patmore is not to be persuaded. Daisy volunteers to read the receipt to Mrs Patmore which causes the latter to make comparisons to Judas’ betrayal of Jesus which I think takes it a bit far as it’s not like Mrs P. is about to be nailed to a tree, but there we go. But even with the Apple Charlotte batted firmly into the long grass, Mrs Patmore still manages to drop a chicken, which the cat somewhat ambitiously tries to drag away whole, and swaps the sugar for the salt which elicits a rather over the top “good god” from Sir Anthony. It’s so unnecessary that even Mary later comments on it. Downstairs Mr Bates continues to be head of Downton wellbeing, ushering his peers out the kitchen to enable Mrs Patmore to have a heart to heart with Carson. Carson gets to show his more human side here and his usual love of order and efficiency gives way to a care and compassion that is usually reserved for Lady Mary. 

The only sister that comes out of this episode with any kind of grace (despite literally landing flat on her face) is Sybil who is stealth applying for jobs as Gwen. Sybil borrows a cart and the pair ride off into the sunset whilst Anna covers and continues to be the big sister we all want but probably don’t deserve. The interview seems to go well but Dragon lets the team down first by casting his shoe and then by being an insubordinate arse and covering both Sybil and Gwen in mud. Que sera sera. 

Bates catches Thomas secreting away a bottle of wine and we have the first in the growth of the plot points that were given one line two episodes ago. I can’t help but wonder where Thomas consumes his pilfered wine and who with. Thomas ruminates on the stairs whilst he waits for the second of the Twin Pillars of Evil to turn up. When O’Brien does, the plot to get rid of Bates intensifies and a snuff box promptly goes missing. But Anna and Bates see through their somewhat flimsy scheme and in the Downton equivalent of “they don’t know that we know they know we know” instigate a search for the aforementioned box that sends Thomas and O’Brien into panic mode. Anna and Bates emerge triumphant but Thomas and O’Brien seem to get away unscathed, no doubt to launch another offensive in a later episode. 

The Downton Village Flower Show, which is presumably Yorkshire’s answer to Chelsea, provides the arena for the latest round in Violet v. Cousin Isobel. Now that the scores have been levelled at 1-1 in the medical field, horticulture awaits. It transpires that Lady Grantham is on somewhat of a winning streak despite the valiant efforts of Molseley Senior. Obviously, Cousin Isobel cannot stand this and proceeds to lobby to have the Grantham cup awarded to an apparently more deserving recipient and the audience is left wondering if this is about meritocracy or not. When it comes to the actual event, Molseley Senior produces a rather underwhelming display of roses. I might be being harsh here but these have probably been the most hyped up fictional roses in the entire of British broadcasting history and I am left wanting. The Crawleys come to the village show in a co-ordinated white and cream ensemble like a 1910s version of Steps to view “the best roses that [Isobel] has ever laid eyes on” (and presumably wonder if she and Mrs Patmore are suffering from the same condition) as well as the other delights that the show offers including a table of random vegetables. When the prizes are announced the Dowager Countess concedes to Moseley Senior and I can’t work out if that is a victory for Isobel or Violet. I’m going to call it a draw, give them a point each, and bring the scores up to 2-2. 

Romantic declaration of the moment 

Again, this goes to Anna and Bates. The pair have a thinly veiled exchange about unrequited love whilst they make up a bed. Anna by now realises that any man who can make a bed that neatly is one that you keep and later declares her love for him. Bates calls her a lady and it’s all rather lovely but because Mr Bates is the human equivalent of Eeyore, he leaves Anna lamenting that he “Mustn’t slow [her] down, [he’s] done too much of that already”. 

Expressive eyebrow of the week 

This time it’s Carson’s face as Daisy snacks on a biscuit and Gwen sits on a bed. Scandalous.

Wait, what? 

“What about my gardener’s pride? Is he to be sacrificed on the altar of Molesley’s ambition?” Turns out, yes. 

“Kamal. My lover. Kamal Pamuk” Yes Mary, we know that you were lucky enough to sleep with him but you don’t need to keep banging on about it. 

“Fight fire with fire, that’s what my mum says” Is Anna’s mother Donald Trump?  

“What the eye can’t see, the heart won’t grieve over” That’s technically true Beryl but in this case, what the eye can’t see may well make you rather ill. 

Although virtually everything that I write on here sounds disparaging, I would like to set the record straight on one count. I actually love a village show and the vegetable tables are actually my favourite bits. At my cousin’s village show, there was a version of Robin Hood that was performed which had an altered script which included very niche jokes about local tree preservation orders. It also had a category in the baking tent for ‘Men Only Boiled Fruit Cake’. Nice to see that the patriarchy is out in force in rural England in 2019. Don’t believe me, see for yourselves: 

[ipurpleyou1993]

My thoughts on:

Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung

Starring: Cha Eun Woo/Shin Se Kyung/Lee Ji Hoon/ Park Ki Woong

- Stand up for what you believe in. I think this is very important. People usually take advantage of those who are weak. So make your stand - especially if your boundaries and rights are being poked.

- Sometimes, being different is okay. Averting the community's standards is okay too. Why be like everybody else when you can be yourself?

We do not have to compromise our identity to match other people's standards. ✅😊💯

- Let us be each other’s support system. Let us value encouragement over discouragement. If someone wants to sing/dance/act/write, let them. Let them find what they are passionate about and support them.

Encouragement and kindness are free.

- Equality has come a long way. 👍🏻

The series is set during the Joseon Era where the status of women depended on who they marry. They are practically born to serve men during this time. So, I’ve come to appreciate the liberties we have now more than ever.

- Do your part. Do not be afraid when you are just doing what you are supposed to do.

- Adapt to the changing times. Change is the only thing that is constant. Let's all move forward with lessons from the past. 💜

- Wouldn't it be nice... if the world was Cadbury? Char! Hahahaha! Wouldn't it be nice if someone makes the decision to let go of everything just to be with you? #SanaAll

It may sound cliché but it's really romantic - how two persons can come together to achieve everything together. Wouldn't this really be nice? 😊❤️🥰

- Safe to say, no matter what era we are currently in, women make the world a better place. HAHAHAHA!

The Gist:

The series depicts the story of two young individuals who, despite being in different social classes, fell in love against all odds.

Shin Se Kyung plays the role of Goo Hae Ryung. She is a quirky young lady from a noble family who enjoys reading a lot. In saying so, she works as a book-reader to noble ladies in her neighborhood to earn money. Although, due to her book preferences, she always ends up not getting paid.

During this time, women tend to enjoy books about cringy love stories - most of which are written by “Maehwa”. Hae Ryung, on the other hand, prefers western literature which usually end depressingly. Hence, the no-payment scenario.

Little did everyone know, Maehwa is the pen name of Prince Dowon Yi Rim (played by Cha Eun Woo). He is the King’s son who lives at Nokseodang - the most secluded area in the palace - where he stays with a eunuch named Sam Bo and 2 young court ladies.

Naturally, as a kid who never left the palace, he is very innocent, naive and gentle. He found writing as a means to pass time inside the palace. Thus, the inspiration for the novels he usually writes are the secret love affairs of eunuchs and court ladies.

Digging deeper into the conflicts inside the palace, the king and his right-hand man decided to request the hiring of female historians. They meant to spy on the queen dowager who seems to be plotting against them behind their backs by doing so.

This move took a turn when the crown prince - Yi Jun - approved the plea on the condition that the female historians should take the civil service examination for government employees and that their involvement should not be limited to the queen dowager but to ALL members of the royal family.

A lot of controversy rose as females were not allowed to hold any position in the government during this time.

Hae Ryung and Yi Rim's story start to blossom here - when Goo Hae Ryung decides to ditch her arranged wedding to take the civil service examination to work inside the palace as a female historian.

They are set to an adventure of finding out their real identities and the people behind their past experiences.

The rest is for you to find out. So, watch this. It will be worth your time. 👍🏻💕

What I liked about the series:

- I love how unconventional the theme of this series is. Well, it's a gender bender type of story. The aggressiveness of the female lead and the innocence and naivety of the male lead is fun and fresh. ❤️💕😍 It makes the story more interesting since it's different from the traditional sageuk we are previously acquainted to. 👍🏻😊❤️

- I was thrilled when I found out that Cha Eun Woo was casted here as the male lead. I grew fond of him when I watched My ID is Gangnam Beauty. He's such an eyecandy! 😍😍😍

Of course, in relation to his outstanding visuals, we get to see a glimpse of his beautiful physique *wink wink*

On a serious note, what I liked about him in this series is that he has a very demure personality. Rarely do we get to see men in sagueks who are effeminate - mainly because historical dramas are very patriarchal in nature (IMO, ✌🏻).

I also liked how his character really transformed from this very innocent prince to a very mature potential king. The character growth was well-displayed so it was very satisfying to watch. ❤️😊😍

His acting is one to praise as well. I could say that he has improved a lot in the duration of the series. You might find this hard to believe in the beginning. But wait til you see him in the last few episodes. You'll get to appreciate his improvement more. 😊👍🏻💯

Aaaaand, may I just say, the term "Face Genius" really works for the man. Well, who wouldn't love this BB's face? TELL MEEEEE! 💕😂😊

- I was impressed with the acting skills of Shin Se Kyung here as well. The role of Goo Hae Ryung suits her! Her portrayal of the character was so on point that it actually came out naturally. Good job! 👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I love how her character is so independent, responsible, intelligent, fun, aggressive (in a good way), lovable and just plain quirky with a sunshine-attitude. Like I said, I enjoyed seeing women do what is considered taboo in this particular era. It's something fun and interesting to watch. 💕😊👍🏻💯✅

In this day and age, I think we need more Goo Hae Ryung's in the world - someone who stands up for her rights; someone who is not afraid to do her part for the common good; someone who is not afraid of power; someone who does not bend over backwards for power; someone who is righteous and responsible.

Very few are blessed with this kind of courage. So, if you're one of these very few individuals, SALUTE!

Also, I love how she looks so elegant in a Hanbok. She's rocking the traditional outfit as if they were casual attires. No wonder she was part of the 2017 Hanbok PR Ambassadors. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

PO: I honestly think not all korean actresses look good in this traditional outfit. ✌🏻

- Their chemistry is 💯💕💕💕💕. They look good together. All their scenes made my heart flutter and skip a beat. 😍😍😍

- I like how the series tackled a bit about Christianity. There's this one scene that I really liked between Min U-won and another historian who was willing to let go of his position and to sacrifice his life for his religious belief.

I honestly appreciated my faith more because all this time (in my 26 years), I was and I am still reminded that all are equal - rich or poor - in the eyes of God. 💯😊✝️

- Friendship appreciation post: I loved how the friendship of the people in this series protected and cheered up each other.

It's always good to know that someone has your back - all the time. 😊✅💯

- Yo, I also loved the big reveal regarding the leads' identities. Goosebumps, everywhere! Especially...

SPOILER ALERT!

Especially when they confronted the king on the latter part of the series. Ooohweeee! Daebakkk!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

- Storywise, it's good. 💯

It talks about love, forgiveness, friendship, faith, loyalty, dignity and responsibility.

Kudos to the team for a job well done! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Cons:

- Okay... I have to admit, I did find the acting skills of Cha Eun Woo a little mediocre at the beginning. It was as if he wasn't ready for the role...

Some of his facial reactions were either exaggerated or repetitive... ✌🏻

But, let me tell you this. Do not let this bother you. He's got something in store for you on the latter part of the series. Do watch. 👍🏻😊✅

- I was a bit sad too when I heard that Cha Eun Woo was paired with Shin Se Kyung. My first impression on Shin Se Kyung is not that good. I honestly thought that her acting skill is not that impressive (Personal opinion, friends ✌🏻)

I have watched her in The Bride of Habaek and I was quite disappointed. Same with The Girl Who Sees Scents. 😔

But then again, all more reason to watch this because she really showed off what she's capable of. I've come to love her here because her acting prowess was showcased beautifully! 💕👏🏻👍🏻

- Again with the villain predictability. One can say that this story has the usual sageuk villain. ✌🏻

Soundtrack:

Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung OST

My personal favorite is Fall in Luv by Henry. It's the first track in the link provided above. 👆🏻👆🏻

Highly recommended for those who want to stray from conventional dramas. This one's fun and really enjoyable! You won't regret it! 💯👍🏻😊

CTTO Photos/GIFs/Music

[amarguerite]

Anon you asked for more detail: Bennet sisters from the 2005 and Colin Firth is my personal head canon, but if there's a different one you prefer that's fine! Also: how would they plot the miniseries? Starting where P&P does? With Fitzwilliam's death? What do they focus on and what do they misinterpret? Who would you cast for Marjorie and Mary Crawford? (Sorry for so many questions!)

oh wait, sorry– it’s Saturday night and I’m a bit drunk so I’m confused. I meant like, ‘give me two current actors you’d like to see cast as the leads of the contemporary miniseries based on the pop history book [Catchy Title I need to come up with]: The Love Story Behind the Founding of the RAMC.’ I’m not super sure how to merge those casting choices together into that particular template. (Also I’m shitty with casting, hence my asking for your pick of leads, so I don’t really have answers to Marjorie and Mary Crawford… the other answers I gave were ones other people gave me in response to an ask meme like, three months ago. >.>) 

I imagine that miniseries starts with Lizzy and Colonel Fitzwilliam meeting in Kent, but he gets a dramatic death at the beginning of Episode 2 (of a 3 part series, I think). Various siblings are cut down or excluded to cut down on run-time or to help with budget constraints; Marjorie gets a leading role. The focus is much more on the politics and medical practices of the era. Episode 1 spends a lot of time establishing what they are and showing Lizzy’s growing comfort with/ interest in helping Colonel Dunne. Colonel Pascal is introduced as merely a contemporary and friend of Colonel Dunne’s, who has some crazy new ideas about antiseptics and washing things, and that all the surgeons and officers find utterly absurd. 

Episode 2 focuses on the fact that hey, maybe antiseptics would have been a great idea, and an experiment of Colonel Pascal’s historically performed at the Lambton Poor Hospital is somehow done in Belgium instead, and Lizzy learns just after Colonel Fitzwilliam dies how maybe actually cleaning the wound would have saved his life. She and the Fitzwilliams rally around and start to establish the RAMC. Cousin Darcy, who was just sort of there, being handsome in Episode 1, shows up in Belgium to help escort Elizabeth home and is somehow present when Colonel Pascal unveils the results of his experiments. As Lizzy focuses on the bill, he focuses on building the poor hospital, to replicate Colonel Pascal’s experiments. 

As Darcy destroyed his Huntsford letter, there’s no real record left of the fact that he was in love with Elizabeth before she was married to Colonel Fitzwilliam and the growing romance begins with late night talks about the bill and the poor hospital and their sharing their hopes about the medical future, in conversations they definitely never had, about medical terms and issues they definitely would not have known about.

Episode 3: For reasons never made super clear, but which most viewers take to be concern about Colonel Pascal’s experiments in the poor hospital, Elizabeth lives with the Darcys, with her younger sister (her other three sisters possibly exist only as names not often mentioned, or don’t exist at all). The Fitzwilliams are still kind of… around, and not in Tahiti, but mostly they’re there to remind us of The Plot, and why it’s important to the RAMC’s standards and procedures that this experiment works. The experiment proving the efficacy of vinegar as an antisceptic happens within the space of two weeks and months before it did historically. Elizabeth and Darcy are so relieved by the results they embrace and there’s a moment of UST that shows up in gifsets everywhere. Lady Catherine is horribly misinterpreted and is seen as a sort of Dowager Countess from ‘Downton Abbey’ figure– biting wit but soft heart. She sets up Darcy and Elizabeth. They are shocked to realize they are in love and the events of the last chapter of An Ever-Fixed Mark, which I shall not reveal right now, are not quite perfectly understood by the script writer and everything seems much tidier than it was in “reality.”