#character: ye shi lan

[movielosophy]

Hi Venus (2022) | Fake date turns wrong. Her mother likes this fake boyfriend.

[travalerray]

what if I wrote a TMA AU. What then

[mxtxfanatic]

Alright mxtx fandoms, let’s discuss class distinctions. I see a lot of people who discuss the theme of classism in mxtx works by collapsing all class groups into two categories: the ultra rich upper class who make all the rules and the poverty-stricken lower class who are oppressed by them. However, this is rarely the case in her books. The prime examples I can think of are in tgcf and mdzs.

In mdzs, a lot of people claim that Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao come from “similar backgrounds,” but this is most definitely not the case. Yes, Jin Guangyao went unclaimed by his father until later into his adulthood after his mother’s death, but Meng Yao did not grow up poor. Meng Shi was a famed courtesan with high-profile clients before she had her son, and having Meng Yao was a plan for her to be made into a mistress or second wife (which ultimately failed). Sisi was almost turned into a second wife, which is what caused her to be attacked and ruined her looks. Sex workers operated in a weird social space in ancient history where they existed as an industry, but class distinctions between different kinds of sex work still existed/exists and Meng Shi was definitely not on the low end of the scale. Even if Jin Guangyao had never been acknowledged by his father, he still found an honest job as a bookkeeper before meeting Lan Xichen. Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian was a street orphan with no family, money, status, who barely remembered his name, and definitely no benefit of an education due to how young he was orphaned, who was eventually taken in as the companion servant to a local lord-equivalent’s son. Neither of these characters started off as gentry, but they were not of the same class growing up.

In tgcf, Mu Qing is touted as a “poor”/working-class character by a large portion of the fandom, but… there’s no real evidence that he is? I mean, I have no doubt that, given the circumstances of his father’s death and his mother’s eventual disability, he was in poverty at some point, and this seems to be corroborated within the narrative by the fact that he is well-known and loved by the street orphans in the city. However, you cannot tell me that the personal servant to the crown (and only) prince to an entire kingdom is surviving off poverty wages. You’d be better-served making an argument to me about Anne Boleyn being an accurate historical representation of English serfs. Hong Hong’er, actual child living in poverty, is notably set apart from Mu Qing: from his fraying, patched clothes to his dirty hands to Mu Qing’s unwillingness to touch him… Mu Qing is set apart from the upper crust because 1) he is not of nobility but, more importantly, 2) his father was a criminal publicly executed for treason. And #2 is particularly damning for Mu Qing’s status amongst the nobility because Feng Xin, also not from a noble family, is (conditionally) accepted amongst the same elite snobs in a way Mu Qing is not (which makes sense since why would a noble like the son of a man who may have conspired against their rule?). Interesting to note, though, that the only time Mu Qing is unquestionably included in the array of the elite is when Hong Hong’er is being ostracized by the same group (minus Xie Lian). So while Hua Cheng and Mu Qing both had childhoods outside the nobility, Mu Qing was not anywhere near the level of poverty Hua Cheng had to live through.

I feel like svsss escapes this sort of broad-stroke application of class status to characters because most characters really do either fall into one of the two groups or we are not given background information on them at all. We know that Shen Jiu and Yue Qingyuan were child slaves, with the former being bought by a cruel master and the latter being able to escape and join a sect. We know that Luo Binghe, while not a child slave, was a child servant working with his adoptive mother under cruel masters who were directly the cause of his mother’s death. Slight distinction, but functionally not any different in their effects and outcomes. Shen Yuan is said to come from a wealthy family in his world, and Liu Qingge and Liu Mingyan do, as well. All the major demon characters are nobility. The only character we see who does not fit into this distinct divide is Shang Qinghua, but his background only becomes fleshed-out in the extras. Not to say that classism isn’t also a theme, but it’s function is used differently here than in the other two novels (especially since in svsss, we are working with parallels feeding into cycles of abuse and how to break said cycles rather than recreating them into infinity).

So with all this said, I think it may actually help discussions of the classism theme within these different mxtx fandoms to acknowledge and take into account the nuances within the class positions that these characters occupy. Why is it that the functionally middle-class characters, after gaining a crumb of acceptance from the elites, tend to turn against those lower on the rung? How do characters of the same background and class status interact with others of differing status, and what makes their reactions different from each other despite being raised under similar conditions? What is mxtx trying to say about class as a social or even moral divider by adding all these class nuances or (with svsss) lack thereof into her various narratives?

[margarrivergod]

I’m bored so i’m here to recommend some of the brain rotting fics i’ve read recently(all on ao3):

BSD:

A Dolls House by Abyss_In_Wonderland_likes_sexy_cannibals

Rating: M

Warnings: NA

Description: “Chuuya and Dazai get trapped inside of an ability made sigil. Now there's a creepy lady telling them that in order to get out they need to complete five tests. If they don’t pass they’ll just stay there forever or die, but no biggie, right?”

this is a high favorite of mine, the author does a PHENOMENAL job at characterizing the characters, plus the story is *chefs kiss*🤌🏼 i pray that they’ll write more skk fics in the future!!

the liars house by burgundytshirt

Rating: M

Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Description: “Dazai, Chuuya, and four others are trapped in a cursed house where you cannot lie—each time you lie, you lose an organ. In seven stages, they are asked deeply personal questions that need to be answered in order to escape. Welcome to The Liar’s House.”

Dare I say this is one of my favorite, if not my favorite, skk fanfic?!? Like holy shit this is SO GOOD! This is a translation of the original, which is in mandarin, but it’s 12/10 regardless!!

TGCF:

Thank You For The Venom by xoTsundoku

Rating: E

Warnings: Underage, Graphic Depictions of Violence

Description: Mu Qing is guarded and hollow after losing his mother but he's content in his darkness until he moves in with the Fengs, and a light pierces his comfortable solitude in the form of his soon-to-be stepbrother. Two people who can never be together fall in love.

There’s a tag that’s reads “pseudo incest” and idkw but i found it to be the funniest shit lmaoo. But in all hknestly I REALLY like this fic. I still reading it currently but i’m bulldozing through it. I also believe the author does an amazing job at characterization while tying them into a modern au

Bad Intentions by bizzybee

Rating: E

Warnings: NA

Description: “Despite their hatred for each other, renowned cook Feng Xin and first-timer Mu Qing co-judge an amateur cooking show with a strong following on social media. As filming wraps up, Feng Xin is set to go on an international tour for the release of his debut cookbook. Their public relations coordinators team up to devise a plan that will not only jumpstart sales of Feng Xin’s book, but also boost Mu Qing’s rising fame and satiate the thirst of their shared fans: They will accompany each other on the book tour. Together. As a couple for the cameras. Whether they'll kill or kiss each other first is anybody’s guess.”

This is the first fengqing fic I’ve completed and it will forever hold my heart it’s SO GOOD! My emotionally cknstipated boys thrown into a cooking au!

if you can’t summon the flames directly from hell, store bought is fine by buthgoth (GremlinGirl)

Rating: E

Warnings: NA

Description: “Shi Qingxuan gets more than he bargained for when he steals a candlestick from a mysterious magic shop's private collection. A haunted apartment may be the least of his concerns, however. The demon he awakened is ancient and hungry, and it seems Shi Qingxuan might be his new obsession.”

Have I mentioned how obsessed I am with butchgoth’s work?… YES! this is the first fic of theirs that i’ve read and one of my faves. If your a beefleef stan then PLS read this fic plus their others!

as if by destiny by debwriting

Rating: M

Warnings: NA

Descriptions: “Hua Cheng stumbles upon the mysterious Midnight Cafe. He enters for a much-needed meal, and stays for the enigmatic owner, Xie Lian.”

A cute hualian coffee shop au with a twist!

MDZS:

Back to Bite One by diamond bruise

Rating: E

Warnings: NA

Description: “or, lwj, wwx and a couple of lan disciples get stuck in a haunted manor”

this one is cute and a tad angsty (like i wanna ram my head in the wall cause y’all r dense lol) but nothing too serious imo

RAWR! is I Love You in dinosaur by FireAwayy

Rating: E

Warnings: NA

Description: “Xue Yang has spent a life running only to find himself as an animal wrangler at Jurassic Park. He spends his time managing previously extinct monsters, and loving every second of it. Until Xiao Xingchen shows up.”

i love this author i love this fic i love this author i love this fic i love this author i love this fic!!!! if i couldn’t make that clear enough

Furry Porn Costs Extra by Fireaway

Rating: E

Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Description: “Lan Xichen is the CEO of one of the richest companies in the world. He's efficent, savvy, and altogether bored. Lan Wangji is a ruthlessly efficient police officer with the highest moral code of anyone who had ever donned the uniform. Jiang Cheng is living day to day, getting by with his art. And when that doesn't work, robbing people blind. Wei Wuxian is the thief who hides behind a guileless smile and his uncanny ability to simply vanish when needed. What happens when their lives intertwine with one another? Will they find the answers they're looking for, or will they end up losing more than they ever bargained for?”

If i didn’t make it clear enough this author writes lovely fics! this is my fav Xicheng fic to date, it has its serious plot plus the humor is spot on (there is no actual furry porn)

Thicker Than Water by athena_crikey

Rating: M

Warnings: NA

Descriptions: “A disaster, is Lan Zhan’s first impression as the bike squeals to a halt on the far side of Song Lan’s car. The man riding it – and he’s tall, and lanky, and sure-footed – hops off and locks it to the car’s back door. The back door of a police vehicle. He pulls his helmet off to reveal long, sweat-soaked hair with a shaggy undercut, bright grey eyes, and a smile that launches like an arrow straight through Lan Zhan’s chest. No, he thinks, watching this trainwreck of a man shimmy between the narrow space dividing Song Lan’s back bumper and the next car’s hood like he’s doing some kind of dance step. Absolutely not.”

I absolutely ADORE athena crikey and her work- ALL OF IT!! this one in particular is one of my favs- here we have a modern cultivation au with my fav neurodivergent duo

Every River, Every Stream by athena_crikey

Rating: E

Warnings: NA

Description: “Wei Ying, rookie architect and chronically unable to prioritize his love life, in a moment of madness turns out to be tested for compatibility with famous new entertainer Lan Zhan, struggling with the after-effects of chemo. Unexpectedly matched with a man on a very different career trajectory, he's presented with a litany of unappealing choices. Oh, and also love.”

Another work by dear ole athena. This was the first fic I’ve read of hers and it will forever be a strong favorite.

Post Mortem by Cataclysmic_Calamity

Rating: E

Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Descriptions: “Life is a horror movie sometimes. You ignore all the warning signs. You end up standing there in the final scene, covered in blood, contemplating your life choices. Wei Ying is used to that. But it’s harder when you’re in love with your best friend.”

If you guys are heavy into the tgcf or mdzs fandom than you’ll know exactly who this author, Evie, is. She wrote NPAB and The Soul Remains, along with a bunch of other beautiful fics. BUT MY GOD THIS ONE!!! I never see anyone talk about Post Mortem and I will proudly say this is my fav Wangxian fic, and one of my favorite fics period. The story is wonderful, characters r well written, beautifully paced, plot is to die for(lol). She’s an amazing author all in all so check her work out if you haven’t!!

[accio-victuuri]

yuguyao content is truly the gift that keeps on giving. this fandom is keeping us busy with updates from both sides, but that doesn’t mean we will forget the sweets!

this is part four. enjoy ^^

An incident that got lots of attention with cpfs, because XZ mentioned CQL in the interview. and that was because it was asked how may times he had filmed in hengdian and so he mentioned all the projects. which included cql. I must admit that it was nice hearing it from him again. 💕 not exactly proof of whatever cause we know he loves cql and wwx. It would be out of character if he leaves it out.

but of course some entertainment accounts will twist this cause apparently, we’re not the only ones “not over” CQL and their association. It’s all BS. We all know WYB’s change in Weibo has nothing to do with “contempt” for CQL.

Let me just enjoy the parallels i see popping out and the continued Shiying x LWJ examples 😌

My absolute favorite tho and what people have been interpreting is this “mindset” that he has which is similar to WYB. You may think that this applies to both life in general or romance. The answer he gave to the question in the tencent video ruxi interview in particular. How it compares to his 2019 answer about a similar question. He is still the same stubborn XZ!

2019: "For what he thinks is right, and for the people he loves, he can work hard regardless of everything" "This is also the person I want to be."

2021: (Knowing the established destiny, will I still choose the same)" I'd love to say I will. " " But it's going to be hard work, but I'm still doing it."

So the connection people are getting at is, in the story of YGY, he knows that Zhu Yan will be the one that kills him but he still goes and falls for her. That’s just the kind of person that he is irl too isn’t it? Not saying that WYB is his Zhu Yan but the same theme as loving someone ( everyone says ) you shouldn’t. If you believe in SZD, you have to admit that ZZ can have anyone he wants. He can choose the easy route and just let go of WYB but he didn’t. They are both committed to each other and continue to stay in love despite all the noise. Same goes with WYB, how he said, “ love is like this. you can’t help it” . It’s like they don’t care what people say their “fate” will be, loving each other is a conscious choice.

They are both logical people when it comes to life and their career but when it comes to love — they really follow their heart.

The same persistence even when things get tough is a trait they both have. This is why they still continue to be relevant years after CQL.

I found this comment on one of the posts and I wanna scream cause it’s true. I’m sure that if asked, ZZ will say yes. Didn’t he say that if can re-shoot CQL, he will do all the scenes again? 😌

I’m also cackling at this part cause he now knows what it feels like to play that cold character like LWJ.

One of my feelings at the time was that you must not play him as a face, because the truth is that I really don’t want to play this kind of cold character. Most of them don’t have too many expressions. What is conveyed in front of the camera will make the audience feel like a person with facial paralysis. The audience won't believe it.

Which is the exact same fear WYB had to the point that he panics in some scenes cause what can he do when he can’t show much expressions. I’m here clowning about them talking about ZZ should play Shiying, probably WYB giving him tips. Do you think ZZ rewatched CQL and watched his Lan Zhan? LOL. I imagine WYB will get jealous 😂😂😂😂

Shi ying’s animal form also has a mole under it’s lip and yes it has always been ZZ’s “thing” even before WYB met him. However i think that WYB was the one who really put emphasis on it and add the heart with a mole onto that. Especially the “.” that XZ even started adding to his art signature.

for reference: part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 3.5

END.

[pippin-pippout]

So I dragged myself kicking and screaming and, yes, mostly in denial, through the last episodes of A Journey to Love.

My thoughts can be summarized as follows:

Obviously this is mainly due to me being horrifically traumatized by Yuan Lu’s death. After all, they told us from the get go he wouldn’t live to 20. They made it clear he had a deadly heart disease. And then. They had the nerve. They had the audacity. They had the actual fucking bahoonga BALLS to follow through!?

But then I found myself sobbing at literally every good guy death scene, plus all of the mourning scenes. The latter was in large part thanks to Alen Fang's acting - deepest apologies to him for just referring to his character as 'the slutty one' for the majority of the show. Not that I was wrong. Also thanks to strong performances from He Lan Dou for Yuan Lu's death.

Anyway so I need to add this gif x4 for the Liudao Hall babies:

Qian Zhao, da ge, who made mistakes but always did right in the end

Sun Lang, who just wanted to hold something fluffy at the end, dying a hero

Yuan Lu, who died in his princess's arms after running to deliver a letter rendered useless by the Emperor of An's greed.

Yu Shisan, who lived as he lived and had such a happy moment with Chu Yue right before it all became irrevocable.

When they added Yu Shisan to the snowball fight, I just about lost it. Liu Yuning's acting there - having the realization about Shisan's death as he watched them play in real time was so well done. Really hurt.

Plus I'll make a couple of versions with edits.

For the Wu Emperor. I knew it was gonna happen from the spoilers but damn, him genuinely learning the value of friendship and brotherly love made me root for him. Dude did not deserve to go out like that. Thank goodness for the magic of CDramas where he lived just long enough to pass on his will to Ning Yuanzhou, and do one last act of good.

It also ensured Duke of Chu was able to pass on his command to his daughter, Chu Yue, before dying of the same (was not clear if her bro died or not, or if dad was always going to choose her).

And for Deng Hui. Started out thinking he was just a sexist bastard. Turns out he was one of the most principled characters in the show.

Their deaths didn't make me cry, but I respect them.

Also loved Chen Du Ling's (Empress of Wu) small part in this. I may not like all of her characters but she can deliver a scene and hold a room. It was a bit cathartic to see her put every man in their place, and basically decide the fate of two countries, even though her lament that she'd only ever have power through another held true.

Ah Ying, my baby girl. This is a character that could have turned people off from the beginning. Thanks to strong writing and stronger acting, it did not. I was super impressed with He Lan Dou. She can dial it up and dial it down in a single take, and can play big dramatic scenes with a subtlety that some older actors cannot grasp. This was the first thing I've seen her in, though for her and Chen You Wei (Yuan Lu) I might watch Tiger and Crane if someone tells me it's good.

I still think Li Tongguang is a perverted and creepy child, who never managed to learn (except in literally the last ep), but at least I trust that he will treat Ah Ying well. I don't hold it against him for screwing up the battle - he was trying to be benevolent but made a bad choice.

The main couple win it for me this year. What an inspired pairing. They beat out heavy hitters including Bai Lu x Everyone which was near impossible. Something to do with letting Liu Shi Shi use Liu Yuning's height against him at every possible moment. Also the 'if you die, I'll finish the job and then follow you' is my favorite dynamic. I swear when Ruyi threw those bombs, NOT NEEDING TO HAVING ALREADY SUCCEEDED AT KILLING THE KING AND PRINCE, just to join him, y'all I died. Good for whoever posthumously gave her the Marquis title on her own (not just furen) - couldn't tell if it was Li Tongguang acting as regent or Dayang (great shot of those two at the end).

The final episode was one of the best final cdrama episodes I've seen. I might have to make another post about that. In sum, despite losing a large portion of the well-loved cast, the remainder gave a world-class finale. The visuals were incredible (explosions are my favorite). The final scene was beautiful (though I'm a bit surprised they gave it to Chu Yue instead of Ah Ying who knew all 6 of them closely).

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

Hello ☺️ I have a question, hope you don’t mind 😣

I was on twitter and one person was saying that Wei Wuxian never got his guan because you usually get crowned when you’re 20 and there was no adult to do it for him and this is why he only has a ribbon tying up his hair, and another person saying that mxtx moved up the coming of age ceremony from 20 to 15 in mdzs so that everyone has a courtesy name in cloud recesses era which means Wei Wuxian already received his guan then.

I was wondering about your thoughts on this? I’ve seen many fics, tweets, metas etc. on Wei Wuxian not having a guan but was this all actually fanon?

(Hope you have a great day btw! 🥰)

He did have his guan and 冠礼 rites, one of the four as a person aged, (the coming of age rite, marriage, funerary and ritualistic) Now yes typically in real world this ceremony happened for boys at the age of 20. Historically, there was deep underlying Confucian standards for this and China bad been and still is of a civil religion for these practices that have evolved.

But, Mo Dao Zu Shi is not historically based nor has a defined dynasty of rule with the Jianghu within it having little to no political sphere to share with imperial rule (why would they they literally can outlive an emperor and fight kaijus basically on the daily if they want as a hobby). So, it is vastly more anachronistic in its showing of Confucian practice (as such it is a blend of traditional to the modern with a heavy dose of being reworked for fantasy purpose).

This also seems to include the melding of forging a spiritual weapon for the men by the time they are 15 and formally granting their generational name as their rite of adulthood. In Buddhism instead of an overarching character based similarity like families, the character would be based on religious lineage denotations of dharmic doctrines. And with the melting of cultivation lore in plot, we are given another differentiation from customary rites in the real world.

Wei Wuxian by the time of Cloud Recesses is denoted by his generational name, given by Jiang Fengmian. Typically these names are given by the closest male figure in a child's life and doesn't always need to be a father. (Hence why Lan Yuan and Jin Ling are respectively given names before they have even turned 15 by Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian). For the authorial intent, MXTX had already mentioned she had done it as such simply for more consistency with story lore and world building and not to think too much for exact historical and real world equivalents with family ritual, political and geographical location.

[dani474]

I absolutely love the characterizations in mo dao zu shi. I love the main cast so much. The villains are nuanced and well written and often sympathetic (and pathetic at times, too). The official art is pretty. The family dynamics are beautiful, and the relationships are complicated. None of them have it easy. The main character died a man hated and feared by everyone except one man and was forcefully revived to see that flipped on its head. His brother figure hates him and cries in the middle of a battle over him. His shijie's son stabbed him and felt guilty over it because he came to care for the man he began to know. The love of his life spent 13 years remembering him and living for him and didn't hesitate to protect him this time. The remnants of the family he made in the past survived in a fierce corpse and a Lan disciple. They rose as ghouls from a blood pool to protect him and the youngest of their family. The entire story is a contrived, nuanced, complex plot formulated by a man known as the 'head-shaker'. The final villain was the son of a prostitute and a man whose trauma over his class led to an extreme hatred of his own position. The parents of the story haunt the narrative subtly but inextricably. The main pairing is a wretched love that persisted past death. The juniors all become unlikely friends with weird uncles. The sisters of the story are in the thoughts of their siblings for its entirety. The music is an intimate and necessary part of the narrative. The story is so fucking well done. It's super gay, yes, but it's also built on family and the deterioration of it. It's about the confusing relationships and the descent into madness and the path of recovery. It's about a queer man who didn't know he was queer until the final arc of the series. It's about kinky sex. It's about a supreme slow burn. It's about betrayal and love. It's everything I ever wanted, and I'm obsessed with it. I read the manhua in one night, and I read the novel in three days and finished the donghua (animation) in about five. I can't stop thinking about them and I've already started the TV drama. I'll never get over it. I want the books so damn bad.

[pawznacho]

Here are my personal opinions about the TGCF donghua S2 character designs!! (I don't have anything else to do with my life)

So, I've seen a lot of people hate on the new designs, especially on Qi Rong and Goushi Fang Xin's. I mean, they surprised me too, but I wouldn't necessarily say they are bad.

For Fang Xin (Xie Lian), his design and colors and stunning, it's just the mask that looked pretty weird to me, but I like how it's butterfly shaped. He's not too recognizable, so it'll do it.

For Qi Rong, yes, the colorful stripes, the purple lipstick, the little accesories, the neon green eyeliner are all absolutely needed and in character. Like, let's think about it, Qi Rong is probably one of the most chaotic and weird MXTX characters we could've met. The manhua version is a masterpiece, but the donghua is really...him. He would always comment on anybody and we also know that he is a born royalty, yet nobody said he's fancy or elegant. I'm pretty sure he'd have a terrible taste in outfits. While Xie Lian is elegant, simple and pretty restrained when it comes to outfits, our guy Qi Rong would have messy, greasy hair, unmatched clothes and jewellery, and absolutely zero sense in styling. He's technically an unintentionally funny, weird and stupid witch sitting in his own little cave with his "cheap son".

Now, let's take a look at Hua Cheng and Shi Qingxuan. Wake up, they are majestic!!

I adored Hua Cheng in his San Lang form. Our little guy looked absolutely adorable yet still like a grumpy teenage boy in love. His original form was also shown at the very end of S1, but honestly, his new design looks so much better. His hair got fluffier, and his features prettier. Also, I love how the edge of his eyepatch became more thin, it simply look cooler now!

Shu Qingxuan, my beloved, I literally love the whole design. I'm pretty sad the female version didn't get her pretty blue eyes, but she still looks as adorable as always. And the male version, it's perfect. He looks elegant, yet kind and adorable, like a true king/queen. Such a bestie material!!

Talking about Shi Qingxuan, Ming Yi is also just so so pretty. Altough I love the "dark 'n edgy Earth Master" vibe he gives off in the manhua, the dunghua version is (imo) better, we are talking about a god's apperance, after all. He's colorful, yet not too vibrant, which is pretty nice, most of the gods we can see there tend to dress colorfully in their own ways (it also makes it more visible that these people all come from different places, having their own traditional stuff).

And for Lan Qianqiu, he instantly became a Fengqing's kid in my eyes. For sure, this is not how I imagined him, I've got used to the dark hair and red accesories, but he looks really good, they did a great job with his design. No matter what, he'll always be a grumpy orange cat!

What do you think? 🦋

[baoshan-sanren]

best cdramas I’ve watched since the last one of these posts in 2022 (and some I’m still looking forward to seeing)

Heroes (watch on WeTV VIP | watch on bilibili) Adapted from the novel "Shuo Ying Xiong Shei Shi Ying Xiong" (说英雄谁是英雄) by Wen Rui An (温瑞安) starring Zeng ShunXi, Yang ChaoYue, Liu YuNing, Baron Chen and Meng ZiYi. I would’ve watched this thing for the cast only. Everyone is queer vibes. Not a flashy drama, but will emotionally shred you. The character development is totally worth it. Throughly entertaining, even when it punched you in the gut. 8/10

The Wind Blows From LongXi (watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) Adapted from novel "The Wind Rises in Longxi" (风起陇西) by Ma Bo Yong (马伯庸) starring Chen Kun and Bai Yu. I’ve been waiting for this drama for two years and it was worth every second of the wait. The cinematography in this thing is bonkers. The use of light and shadows, the muted colors, the indoor shots opening up into well-lit courtyards, the gritty sound mixing, the whole thing just blew my ass away. Chen Kun and Bai Yu are masters of their art. Fckn masterpiece. 11/10

Who Rules The World (watch on WeTV VIP | watch on Netflix) Adapted from the novel "Qie Shi Tian Xia" (且试天下) by Qing Ling Yue (倾泠月) starring Yang Yang, Zhao LuSi, and Xuan Lu. One of the rare romance dramas that really appealed to me. A well-balanced mix of court intrigue and martial world heroics. Unlimited blorbo potential. It’s hard to outshine Yang Yang (who gives major Mei Changsu vibes through like the first third of the drama) but Zhao LuSi and Xuan Lu together? Magnificent. Breathtaking. Brilliant. 8/10

The Legend of Hao Lan (watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki | watch on tubi) starring Wu Jinyan and Nie Yuan. So this was like, The Story of Yanxi Palace cast, remixed. Was it great? Not really. Did I watch every episode? Yeah. I honestly think that Wu Jinyan could just make faces for 50+ sixty minute episodes, and I’d still watch every minute of it. Still, a fascinating take on the Warring States Period, and actually based on a woman who helped her son become the King of Qin, then ultimately the First Emperor of China. I think 99% of the budget went to costumes, and tbh, it was totally worth every penny. 7/10

(yeah, after all this, I rewatched Nirvana In Fire again)

The Silent Criminal (watch on Apple TV | watch on Bilibili | watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) starring Li Jiaming and Wen Sheng. So incredibly gay. Hilarious, yes, but predominantly gay. Murder, intrigue, suspense, pining; this little drama literally has everything. Did it impact my life and leave a long-lasting impression? Not really. But I was most throughly entertained. 7/10

My Heroic Husband (watch on Amazon Prime | watch on iQIYI VIP | watch on Viki) Adapted from the novel "Zhui Xu" (赘婿) by Fen Nu de Xiang Jiao (愤怒的香蕉). Starring Song Yi and Guo Qilin. Actually, the majority of Joy of Life cast is in this drama, including a cameo by Zhang Ruoyun in the very beginning. Cast aside tho, I fckn love this drama to pieces. Song Yi and Guo Qilin have amazing chemistry, and they’re so goddamn adorable together I can’t even stand it. The plot is far from complex but immensely satisfying. Excellent drama on a mediocre budget, one I plan to regularly rewatch. 8/10

Still waiting on: 

Immortality - based on danmei novel The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by 肉包不吃肉 starring Chen Feiyu and Luo Yunxi (you can think I’m a clown but you’d be wrong bc I’m a wholeass circus)

Winner Is King - based on the danmei novel Sha Po Lang by Priest starring Tan Jianci and Chen Zheyuan

Step By Step Lotus - based on historical novel Return to Ming Dynasty as Prince by 月关 starring Zhang Binbin and Luo Yunxi

Eternal Faith - based on danmei novel Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu starring Zhai Xiaowen and Zhang Linghe

Joy Of Life Season 2 - based on wuxia novel of the same name by 猫腻 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin

A League of Nobleman - based on danmei novel The Society of Four Leaves by Da Feng Gua Guo starring Song Weilong and Jing Boran

Flying Phoenix - based on danmei novel of the same name by 風弄 starring Dai Jingyao and Shu Yaxin

The Story of the Bat - based on danmei novel Bat by Feng Nong starring Mao Zijun and Zhang Yao

The Longest Promise - based on xianxia novel Zhu Yan by 沧月 starring Xiao Zhan, Ren Min, and Zhang Yunlong

Song of The Moon - based on wuxia novel 奔月 by 蜀客 starring Zhang Binbin and Xu Lu

Story of Kunning Palace - based on the the web novel 坤宁 by Shi Jing starring Bai Lu and Zhang Linghe 

Under the Microscope - based on the novel 显微镜下的大明 by 马伯庸 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Qi Wei

Till the End of the Moon - based on the web novel 黑月光拿稳BE剧本 by Teng Luo Wei Zhi starring Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu

[zero-heather]

things between mxtx characters i think just fit well but it gets progressively worse

shen qingqiu & nie huaisang & shi qingxuan: fans fans fans fans

shen qingqiu & wei wuxian & xie lian: protagonists with harems

quan yizhen & luo binghe: "SHIZUN!!!" / "SHIXIONG!!!!!" yin yu & shen qingqiu: emotionally constipated about these two

lan wangji & hua cheng: "anything for wei ying / gege" jiang wanyin & mu qing & feng xin: "get a fucking room"

mu qing & feng xin: strained friendship jiang wanyin & nie huaisang: also strained friendship

nie mingjue & liu qingge & lang qianqiu: obvious strong sense of justice but they all have their personal problems clouding judgement sometimes

lan xichen & yue qingyuan & shi qingxuan: good people with good hearts surrounded by questionable friends

lan jingyi: "HI!!!!" ning yingying: "HI!!!!"

jin ling & ming fan: good people and friends with each other both saddled with bad ideals that can be fixed but will be hard to correct because of their love for their jiujiu/shizun respectively Also them ming fan: "i still like shijie!!" lying right out of his ass jin ling: "no you dont!!!" can see through his lies

pei ming: "i do sleep with many women, but i also like pampering them after" jin guangyao: "HUH"

wei wuxian: "how long do you think i can blow my flute for until a-cheng comes and snaps it in half with zidian" shang qinghua: "one shichen" sha hualing: "half a shichen" pei ming: "quarter shichen"

nie huaisang: "wanna read my collection of wangxian porn" liu mingyan: ".....yes."

lan wangji: "mn." mobei-jun: "mn."

hua cheng: "do you know what the other two are saying" luo binghe: "they lost me at 'mn'"

nie huaisang & he xuan: expert planners that'll do anything to exact their revenge, but stop short of killing someone else close to them. the only difference is whether or not the revenge was for or because of an important character

nie mingjue: "yeah huaisang ruined the cultivational world for me" shi wudu: "he xuan threw the elemental master circle in disarray because of me"

pei xiu: "is your ancestor a slut too" jin guangyao: "yeah"

liu qingge & jiang wanyin & qi rong: single dads basically

pei ming: "get the fuck away from me" jin guangshan: ???

[wangxianficrecs]

❤️a warm coal in the hearth of our hearts by eccentrick

❤️a warm coal in the hearth of our hearts

by eccentrick

T, 46k, WWX & Hualian

Summary: No one truly likes a pitiful beggar; maybe they'll get a bit more money the first few days, but that quickly dries up. People like to see success stories, like to see the unfortunate dregs of society have smiles on their thin faces, and feel like they've helped in the long run. If you stay small, you'll only become smaller and blend in with the trash. Wei Ying is a good, smart boy. So he smiles and giggles and jokes. Most days he still goes hungry. Wei Ying is an orphan who fights to survive alone on the streets. But, sometimes, the streets give back just as it takes. (Complete, and will be updated as it is edited).

Mojo's comments: Ah, I loved this one so much! Widdle Wei Ying (about 5 years old) is absolutely precious and also terribly, terribly pitiful, doing his best to survive in the streets on his own. He eventually finds an abandoned old shrine where he can hunker down, and tries to pray to the god of it, but doesn't know how, and can't read his name, so no prayers actually get transmitted. He does manage to make some friends, though, one of whom is a very kind and gentle man who just says to call him Hua Xie. (Later in the story, little Wei Ying will bemoan, 'Do all grownups lie about their names and have more than one?') Wei Ying has been hurt a lot, by now, and takes a while to learn to trust his new friend. But the friend is kind, and takes things very slowly, and doesn't even introduce him to his husband for a long time. I was just. Really invested in this story. I pulled it all around me like a fuzzy blanket and gorged. It was everything I wanted. There are 5 parts to the story so far (most of them one shots based around Part 1, while Part 4 is a brief look in on baby Lan Wangji) and a 6th work is in progress. Lovely, lovely! It is so satisfying to see all of these wounded, flawed and loving grownups take a single look at Wei Ying and go, Yes, this one; we will love and protect him until our last breath. (The story is set more in the TGCF world, since that's where all the adults are. I think you'll enjoy the story fine not knowing much about them, since it's post-canon for that story. I have only seen the portion that's on Netflix (and read some fics), and knew nothing at all about Shi Qingxuan, and that didn't even slow me down.)

tgcf crossover, tgcf, found family, fluff and angst, humor, hurt/comfort, disabled character, ableism, implied/referenced child abuse, non-yunmeng wei wuxian, hualian, child wei wuxian, homeless wei wuxian, domestic, hurt wei wuxian, pov wei wuxian, pov multiple, accidental baby acquisition, @ecccentrick

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[lostintherealmsofthefandoms]

I was playing around in a height comparison site and decided to share some comparisons...

MXTX's mc and ml

Xie Lian - 178 (he's the shortest, I thought he was taller)

Hua Cheng - 190 (the tallest boy)

Wei Wuxian - 186 (in his first life, pretty tall I hink)

Lan Zhan - 188 (not much different between them in the first life)

Luo Binghe - 188 (I was certain he would be taller, he's the same height than Lan Zhan)

Shen Qingqiu - 184 (I think that in his first life as Shen Yuan he was shorter but who knows, couldn't find anything on it)

Me next to them cause why not

2ha version

Mon Ran - 189 (that kind dork gigant puppy)

ChuWanning - 180 ( Mo Ran is way taller)

Shi Mei - 183 (I forget how tall he actually is)

Xue Meng - 178 (I tried find Mei Hanxues height to put near him but couldn't find)

Me with them

It's always nice to suffer a little bit with Immortality/hyx:

Luo Yunxi - 177 (he's shorter than Chu Wanning)

Chen Feiyu - 188 (he's just 1cm shorter than Mo Ran.)

Me with my Yizhan so I know how much will I have to look up when I meet them

Wang Yibo - 182

Xiao Zhan - 184 (their different of height is so little)

Me with my crush boys

Luo Yunxi - 177 (the shortest meow)

Li Dai Kun - 181 (the tallest from my boys)

Pedro Pascal - 179 (I do think is an average male signed height as he said)

Johnny Depp - 178 (no as tall as I thought he was)

Me with my crush girls

Zhou Ye - 165 (5 inch taller than me)

Ni Ni - 170 (my girl is tall)

Avril Lavigne - 165 (I thought she was shorter actually, she looks so short, how do I look than?!?!)

Helena Bonham Carter - 157 (she must be the same height that my mom, I thought she was my height, she's shorter than me!!!!)

Bonus! The characters of my W.I.P

Neven - 180 (in his first life, the mc, inspired by shi mei, shi qing xuan and binghe)

Laoh - 187 (kind dorky giant too, inspired by shen qingqiu and dean winchester, the ml)

Milek - 181 (he's inspired in Chu Wanning I think, is the second ml)

Mo Guan - 168 (inspired by a-xiang I can only see her as Zhou Ye)

Nia - 165 (mystic girl with white hair revealed to me in a dream)

Vys - 160 (short boy, twin of the above, also came to me in a dream)

If anyone wants to play around, this is the site:

[doddily]

have tiny art block but here's a few sketches of the au. i was thinking of having mu qing be kurama in this au, only because the plan i have makes it work. originally, i wanted to have mu qing and feng xin be the shrine spirits but i want them to have bigger roles instead. here's a few ideas i'm thinking, especially if i do a mxtx crossover:

nanami - xie lian

tomoe - hua cheng

kurama - mu qing

mizuki - lang qingqiu

himemiko - luo binghe

kotaro - shen yuan

dragon king - wei wuxian

otahiko - shi qingxuan

i plan to keep who mikage is a secret cause i wanna make maybe a little comic in the future. i STRUGGLED about who mizuki would be for it to make sense, and i mean w lang qingqiu's relationship w xie lian and his hatred for hua cheng, it only makes sense for him to be mizuki since him and tomoe butt heads over nanami. kurama!mu qing i have semi plans for, theres just one little issue i need to think of. and yes, feng xin does have a role in this, it just so happens though his character appears a little later in the manga but he fits him perfectly, especially w kurama's character hehe... obviously, shi qingxuan has to be the wind god otahiko, especially w how flamboyant they are. originally, i wanted qingxuan to be himemiko for the fact of he xuan or even he xuan as himemiko, but i need he xuan for someone else... and if i do a mxtx crossover, i can make it work somewhat. i will be working beefleaf and fengqing into this au, no worries. it'll just be taking a bit of tweaking, just like how wwx is literally the dragon king just for this to work, and he'll have lan zhan too. but this is a hualian focused au, or them center stage w a tgcf focused background. im not covering himemiko, that's obvious why luo binghe is her if you know the plot haha.

im working on something else too, that im not really talking about it so i had worked on that instead of the au and then i got bored and wanted to draw tomoe!hc. xie lian gives me art block, im not comfortable drawing him really yet, so mq was next best. plus i wanted to show him off.

[admirableadmiranda]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "ladypfenix "?

I don't mind at all! Thank you for waiting quite a long while though, life has been.... hectic recently, to say the least.

I'll answer the story question here, then list the fics below since there's a lot.

It's a pretty simple story, when my sister and I were 14 and 16, we had a dream of starting a youtube channel as siblings, and we were going to use noble titles. I picked LadyPfenix for mine and opened my tumblr account with that in mind, but the idea never materialized beyond usernames and it has long since outlasted that dream. At this point I've had it too long to bother changing it, even though I'm using Admiranda most other places I go. Some things just stick.

I don't know that I have a top ten fave fics ever, it's hard for me to quantify on that level, but I'll definitely lay out the ones I keep going back to years on down the line even long after I've left the fandom. There's definitely something special about them that I will always enjoy.

The Professor's Wife by foolish_mortal (archive locked)

The students all said that Professor Doumeki had a wife who made him lunches and impeccably pressed his shirts. Watanuki found this hilarious. For the wtfholic fest prompt: "The only people who can see Watanuki are customers with wishes."

Eir's Tomorrow by jukeboxhound

Cloud is the Planet's greatest weapon, and if he can't fix old wrongs and battles then he may end up being the means by which it all ends (again).

A Little Bit To The Left by miixz

[A System error during execution bound you to Shi Yuan’s account instead of the intended Shen Qingqiu. We sincerely apologize.

You will be given the chance to climb from your current position of canon fodder as the story progresses and plot points become available to you. As Shi Yuan does not have an established character the OOC function is automatically unlocked, please accept this bonus as your compensation for the mistaken role.

Please ensure that no score falls below zero, or the System will automatically administer punishment.]

Intended role of Shen Qingqiu?! The fuck, were you trying to kill me? Why would anyone think transmigrating into that scum of all people would be helpful? Alright, alright. Shi Yuan takes a deep breath. He can deal with this. So he’d transmigrated into the shitty novel he’d just finished, but at least he’d somehow avoided becoming the villain. Or: Shen Yuan transmigrates into Proud Immortal Demon Way as a Bai Zhan Peak disciple.

The Way Home by Traincat

“This is an inane discussion,” Soren said. “I’m coming with you, and that’s final.” He took a step forward and swayed. If Ike reached out and shoved with one finger, he was sure he could topple Soren right over. He kept his arms folded so he wouldn’t be tempted to try and make a point. “I’m still your commander, aren’t I?” Ike asked, raising his eyebrows. “You still trust me to make decisions?” “Yes, but, Ike –” he said. “Then you’ll do as I say, for the good of the company,” Ike said. “I won’t risk you. You’re too important.” He stepped close, adjusting the hood of Soren’s cloak. He lowered his voice so he wouldn’t be heard by Shinon and Gatrie, waiting up by the gate. “Go back to bed,” he said, his voice gentler. “I’ll be home soon.” -- Post-Path of Radiance, Ike and Soren share a promise, a first kiss, and a bed. Not in that order.

A Pretty Good Year by arboretum

Giving up, moving in, living life.

Ikesoren Academia AU by leonidskies

Falling to the Rhythm by Selenay

"So it's a bet?" Jiang Cheng said. "Dance the showcase if you get him, fancy coffee machine if you don't?" Wei Wuxian considered the machine. "Fine. You're on. I want it in red." "Don't start planning your caffeine overdose yet." "It's in the bag," Wei Wuxian said cheerfully. "There's no way they'll match me with someone like Lan Wangji."   Teaching Lan Wangji to dance in front of the nation for twelve weeks, how hard can that be? Wei Wuxian is about to find out.

Series

this world (what I make of it) by glitteringmoonlight

The war had consequences. Once, a fully realized Avatar referred to one who had mastered all the elements and could go into the Avatar State. Now, that has changed. No one could master fire when there was no one to teach it, and people feared the abilities of a firebender too much to allow anyone, even the Avatar, to learn too much of it. Now, an Avatar was simply said to be fully realized when their instructors decided they had learnt enough.   In which Lan Sizhui is the Avatar, but he cannot firebend, nor can he waterbend very well. That changes when his travels take him to Yiling.

Preparing the Soil by Rynne

When Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian return to spend the first winter after their marriage in the Cloud Recesses, Wangji is forced to grapple with his uncle's resistance to accepting his new husband fully into the clan. At the heart of this conflict is Lan Qiren's rule forbidding talking to Wei Wuxian. How can Wangji make the Cloud Recesses a more welcoming place for his husband when what he fights now is his uncle's stubbornness?

[danmei-in-polls]

Ever went through all the trouble of getting your blorbo from danmei into a tournament, only to have them eliminated in the first round because the poll didn't reach enough danmei fans? This blog aims to help with that!

I'm keeping an eye on a number of brackets myself, but if you find a poll I missed, message me with a link, or just tag me in the poll's replies, and I'll reblog it asap. Similarly, if you find a tournament that's just perfect for danmei submissions, be those characters, ships, or novels themselves - send it my way!

Then, happy voting 🫶

- Navigation -

|| active polls || submissions open || propaganda || || org posts || waiting for polls || finished polls ||

important! blacklist #hot take warning if you don't want to see polls with controversial / negative takes at all; and "#[character] critical" if you want to avoid such takes about a particular character.

- by author / novel -

MXTX: SVSSS || MDZS / CQL || TGCF

priest: Qi Ye || Tian Ya Ke / Shan He Ling || Zhen Hun || Liu Yao

Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat: 2ha || Yuwu

Meng Xi Shi: The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua

Cyan Wings: DVAWTK

Yu Xiao Lan Shan: Tu Fei Gong Lue