#chi-among-the-stars

[everybodyshusband]

Blog summary: ghoul shenanigans and moral support

chachiiiiii thank you thank youuu :3

[starkerhowlter]

1. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

I think I prefer writing oneshots. After doing Princess Parker, which did give me content for weeks, but I don't like making people wait.

Thanks for the ask! Get to know the fic writer

[iamthecomet]

Been thinking about Dew's pierced dick all day. So I wrote 1,000 words about Swiss being really into Dew's dick.

@chi-among-the-stars here it is, as promised. ♥

You're welcome?

Dew’s dick is pretty.

Swiss has always thought so. Frequently catches himself staring at it when they’re getting ready for the show. Even soft, there’s something about it—cute.

Makes his mouth water, if he’s being honest with himself.

But it’s moments like this. Moments when he’s laid between Dew’s legs and he’s face to face with it that really drives the point home.  One of Dew’s knees is tossed over Swiss’ shoulder so he can nuzzle his stubble against Dew’s thigh. Skin impossibly soft, beard burn turning it pink.

Swiss pins Dew’s hip down with one hand, the other is wrapped around the base of Dew’s cock. Flushed red, slick and sticky at the tip. Dew’s whole body is a taut line. Head tipped back into the pillow. Cheeks pink, and glowing with sweat. Hair a damp halo spread out on Swiss’ pillow. Swiss strokes him, nuzzles in a little closer, nose dragging up over the seam of his balls. Dew would make a teabagging joke if he wasn’t so far gone already, Swiss is sure of it. Swiss drags his finger over the piercing just under the head of Dew’s dick. Rolls it under his finger, and Dew hisses. Pre dribbling out of his slit, beading at the tip. Swiss could watch him forever. Loves the way when he lets go Dew’s dick twitches, pulses, spits more pre. Dew’s fingers clench in the sheets.

He whimpers. A small pathetic sound that doesn’t measure up to Dew’s personality. The way he fills a room despite his small stature. Swiss likes to wring these noises out of him, it’s easy.  It just takes a little practice, a little patience.

The ability to ignore how pretty Dew is when he begs to cum.

Swiss would love to give it to him. Watch him spray all over his stomach. Would love to taste it, gather it on his tongue and then press it back into Dew’s mouth and make him choke on it.

But then this would be over. Dew would go soft, curl in on himself. Demand a warm body to hold, and a nap.

Swiss isn’t ready for that. Not ready to move past this. He noses up the length of Dew’s shaft and Dew shifts, fisting one hand in the hair at the crown of his head, as Swiss’ breath huffs out over him.

He keens when Swiss drags the point of his tongue over the piercing. Presses against it, feels it roll beneath the skin. Dew shakes. Swiss can’t quite see but he knows Dew’s eyes are shut tight. Whole body tight as Swiss laps at him. He catches a bead of pre on his tongue, and then retreats again, curls his fingers around the base and squeezes.

“God fucking damnit, Swiss,” Dew huffs. Swiss looks up at him, away from the pretty upward curve of his dick, past it to look at the rest of Dew.

His throat is red, chest starting to go pink. His eyes are open now, but narrowed into slits as he props himself up to look down at Swiss.

“What?” Swiss asks. He strokes Dew idly and Dew hisses, head tipping back on instinct before he rights it, glares down at Swiss.

“I need more than this if I’m going to cum.”

“Who said anything about you cumming?”

Dew’s eyes narrow even further. He won’t complain though, won’t bitch. Swiss knows him well, knows he’ll take everything Swiss is willing to give him. That Dew likes being edged like this just as much as Swiss likes to do it. He could beg, if he really wanted to.

Swiss might actually let him cum if he does it well enough. Might take that pretty dick and fit it all into his mouth. Just big enough to press against the back of Swiss’ throat. Big enough to bruise his tonsils if Swiss lets him get rough, but still small enough that Swiss won’t choke on it no matter how hard Dew tries. He’ll swirl his tongue around the head, drink him down. Give Dew everything he wants if he asks for it the right way.

Instaed, Dew drops back into the bed. Slings one arm over his eyes and crosses the other over his own stomach, digging his nails into his hip like the pain is enough to take the edge off. It’s as much of an invitation to continue as Swiss is going to get.

He drops his eyes back to Dew’s cock, purpling at the tip. Twitching on it’s own accord now. Swiss presses his face against Dew’s trembling thigh. Nuzzles against him, purring as he laps up the scent of Dew’s desperation.

“Thought you were gonna fuck me,” Dew says. There’s still false annoyance in his voice, trying for boredom and failing.

Swiss chuckles against Dew’s beard burned skin. He turns, digs his teeth into it until Dew yelps.

“I might,” Swiss conceeds. “When I’m done.”

“Done with what? Staring at it? It’s just a dick—”

Swiss licks a flat stripe up the underside of Dew’s cock. Sucks the head into his mouth. All in the interest of shutting Dew up—it works. Whatever Dew was going to say is choked off in a whine. The arm that was thrown over his face slams down on the bed with a closed fist. Over and understimulated all at the same time.

Swiss can make him cum like this. With this push and pull of too much and not enough. He probably will.

And then, after that, he’ll probably fuck Dew through the overstimulation. Make him cry for it. Curl his fingers around Dew’s soft dick and play with it until it gets hard. Make Dew cum until he’s dry, until he’s got nothing left.

Swiss grinds his dick into the bed. He’s hard enough that it hurts. Balls aching. Desperte to grind against something more substatinal than his mattress.

He drags his teeth over Dew’s piercing, the noise it drags from Dew makes Swiss’ stomach hurt.

“Swiss. Satanas, fuck. Let me cum. Come on.”

It’s almost begging, not quite, not good enough.

Swiss looks up at him, at the tendons straining in Dew’s neck, the bruising grip he has on his own boney hip.

“Soon,” he lies.

[vermillioncourt-if]

(AI Generated Images)

The Dowager Queen, King, Queen, and Consorts of the Xiatian Kingdom

The Dowager Queen Nan Niexing (南聂星)

(南, nán, "south") (聂星, niè xīng, "to whisper star") || (赤, chì, "red")

The current Dowager Queen Nan Niexing is the mother of the current King of the Xiatian Kingdom. She used to be the former King's favorite consort, Pure Consort (淑妃, shū fēi) Chi Niexing (赤聂星). She is obvious about who her favorite is among her son's wives and who her favorite grandchildren are, publicly showering them with gifts and praise, much to the dismay of the other wives. She is 65 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn knee-eh shing || cheuh

Height: 5'7 (170 cm) || 5'9 (175 cm) in her prime

Appearance: Fair skin, Dark Brown eyes, Straight Grey hair (used to be black)

Palace: The Main Palace (皇宫, huángōng)

King Nan Shaimian (南晒面)

(南, nán, "south") (晒面, shài miàn, "to shine (the sun) on the face")

King Nan Shaimian is the current King of the Xiatian Kingdom. He is the eldest son of the previous King and his then-Consort Chi Niexing. He is the father of all 22 royal children of the Nan family. He is a fairly absent father, but still cares and wants the best for all of them. He, unlike his mother Dowager Queen Nan Niexing, is less obvious regarding his favoritism towards his wives and children. He is 47 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: nahn shy me-an

Height: 6'0 (183 cm)

Appearance: Fair skin, Dark Brown eyes, Straight Salt and Pepper hair

Palace: The Main Palace (皇宫, huángōng)

Queen He Taiyin (荷太殷)

(荷, hé, "lotus") (太殷, tài yǐn, "great roll of thunder")

Queen He Taiyin is the main wife to King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. She is from a prominent family of the Vermillion Court, her family being long standing allies with the Nan family. She is calm and collected with a sharp strategical mind, but a soft and kind demeanor. Under her supervision, city infrastructure and policies to help the poor have flourished. She has mothered 4 of the 22 royal children of the Nan family. She is 45 years old at the start of the story. Oh, have I mentioned she's 9 months pregnant with their 4th child, as well?

Name Pronunciation: heuh t-eye yin

Height: 5'5 (165 cm)

Appearance: Fair skin, Brown eyes, Wavy Dark Brown hair

Palace: The Main Palace (皇宫, huángōng), The Sky Hall (天殿, tiāndiàn)

Noble Consort Dou Rizhe (豆日晢)

(豆, dòu, "bean/legume") (日晢, rì zhé, "day of brightness")

Noble Consort (貴妃, guì fēi) Dou Rizhe, also called the First Consort, is one of the five wives of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. She tends to keep to herself, being quieter and more anxious than the other consorts. She is also the youngest of the five wives. She comes from a well-established noble house of the Xiatian Kingdom. She is the mother of only 3 of the 22 royal children of the Nan family. After the birth of the Eighth/Ninth Princess, she contracted a mysterious illness. Ever since recovering, she has been having trouble conceiving and carrying a child, which has resulted in her only having 3 children. This has caused her to retreat further into herself, now rarely seen out unless for public events. She is 42 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: dough r-euh j-uh

Height: 5'3 (160 cm)

Appearance: Pale skin, Black eyes, Wavy Brown hair

Palace: The Peony Palace (芍宫, sháogōng)

Pure Consort Huo Qinwen (火昑文)

(火, huǒ, "fire") (昑文, qǐn wén, "bright gentleness")

Pure Consort (淑妃, shū fēi) Huo Qinwen, also called the Second Consort, is one of the five wives of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom and is the mother of MC. Unlike the other consorts, she did not come from a noble family and was, instead, an orphan. Her foster mother worked in the palace and, when she was old enough, she worked as a palace maid under the then-Pure Consort Chi Niexing. Chi Niexing took a liking to her and when she was promoted to Dowager Queen upon the crowning of her son as King, bestowed a title onto Huo Qinwen. The King was then able to marry her properly and place her as one of his consorts. True to her name, Qinwen is a kind and gentle woman, easily charming the people around her. She dotes a bit too much on her children and caused a major fuss in the palace when the Second Prince was born, as she refused to hand him to a wet nurse. She is Dowager Queen Nan Niexing's favorite consort and her children are her favorite grandchildren. She is also the close friend of Virtuous Consort Re. She is the mother of 4 of the 22 royal children of the Nan family. She is 44 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: h-wha chin when

Height: 5'6 (168 cm)

Appearance: Fair-Light Brown Skin, Player Determined Eye Color, Player Determined Hair Color, Straight Hair

Palace: The Lotus Palace (莲宫, liángōng)

Virtuous Consort Re Hanshang (热瀚汤)

(热, rè, "hot (temperature)") (瀚汤, hàn shāng, "ocean rushing current")

Virtuous Consort (德妃, dé fēi) Re Hanshang, also called the Third Consort, is one of the five wives of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom. She is one of the calmer consorts, with a relaxed and laid back attitude, as well as being the oldest of the five wives. She comes from a well-established noble house of the Xiatian Kingdom. She is the mother of 5 of the 22 royal children of the Nan family. Two of those children are a pair of twins, which secured her position quite well. She is close friends to Pure Consort Huo Qinwen, raising their children together as well as meeting up to gossip and talk over tea. She is 46 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: reuh haan shaang

Height: 5'9 (175 cm)

Appearance: Pale skin, Black eyes, Straight Light Brown hair

Palace: The Chrysanthemum Palace (菊宫, júgōng)

Worthy Consort Xing Fangguo (杏昉崞)

(杏, xìng, "apricot") (昉崞, fǎng guō, "dawn over Guo")

Worthy Consort (賢妃, xián fēi) Xing Fangguo, also called the Fourth Consort, is one of the five wives of King Nan Shaimian of the Xiatian Kingdom and the main reason why MC is at risk for being removed from court. She is from a newer noble family with foreign heritage. Her blonde hair gave her an "exotic" flair during the selection, which let her be chosen as consort. She is the mother of 6 of the 22 royal children of the Nan family as well as the King's self-proclaimed "favorite" wife. She is ambitious and cunning, doing quite a bit to secure her position and gain power and status. She isn't quite liked among the other wives due to her condescending nature and back-stabbing nature. She is 43 years old at the start of the story.

Name Pronunciation: shing faang g-wa

Height: 5'7 (170 cm)

Appearance: Tanned skin, Dark Brown eyes, Wavy Blonde hair

Palace: The Orchid Palace (兰宫, lángōng)

[gemsofgreece]

What do you think of this video? It's good criticism i think but i'm asking beyond it's USA pov, what do you think specifically in regard to the "adaptations/americanizations of Greek Mythology" and these combative & arrogant attitudes & tactics towards not just their domestic audience disagreeing on some things from their USA perspective, but towards the people from whose civilization they stole, in order to "fix" it [insert clown face]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ngqO9Hp19_4

ANSWER

It is the exact same principle. Movie making these days is rarely done with passion and love for storytelling. Movies are mass produced to fan-bait audiences - especially late teens and 20somethings whom the movie industry is most dependent on right now. Just like superhero and fantasy movies have become pathetic in their majority, so has the Greek mythology-inspired content, which generally belongs to the same genre. It used to be portrayed more through sword-and-sandal films but not anymore. Now Norse and Greek gods are just some comical superheroes.

Nobody in the filmmaking industry can convince (or would even try to) that they do care about foreign cultures’ mythologies. It is just more content to exploit in order to excuse their lack of creativity and interest in making original characters. So they mass produce movies with well known characters who they don’t give a shit for. All they want is a field to apply all the qualities they need to check in the trending box, so that the "usual suspects" among young American fans will “clock in”.

That’s all there is to it really. Almost no moviemaker or retelling writer truly cares about the mythology or the culture. Not even to truly reshape it and manifest something through this - problematic as it may be - I doubt that even these excuses are any genuine. But this type of stuff sells somewhat (actually less than all these people are always confident it will though, as proven by the box office) and everyone wants a piece from the pie.

In short, entertainment industry nowadays is a few (ironically, often middle aged white) people sitting around a table and wondering: what is another field on which we can produce a dozen movies with no plot and originality and throw in the dog-whistles that will get us the viewers’ money with the minimum amount of effort needed? That is all it takes.

The combative attitude is what keeps them and their small groups of impassioned supporters going. When you hit them with accusations that are objectively true (ie inaccuracy, appropriation, bad plot, lack of talent, unsuitable cast), it’s hard for them to defend themselves against these so the combative attitude (oh you must be a racist, sexist, mythology gatekeeping nationalist etc) is their only way of reacting without admitting their shortcomings.

Having said that, I agree generally with the video and personally yes I didn’t like the remake of Ghostbusters and the new Star Wars but the thing is, at the risk of Bill Murray knocking down my door and humiliating me if he ever sees this, I don’t like the original Ghostbusters and the original Star Wars either. Unpopular I know! (I can still see the superior quality though.) Also I disagree about Black Panther, one of the last good superhero movies in my opinion. But I totally agree about the embarrassment the Rings of Power are and how much lack of self-respect you must have to produce this after Jackson’s Colossal Trilogy. All these are irrelevant to Greek matters but I felt like mentioning them since I watched the video after all.

I also totally agree about Mulan and I am going to talk about this a little here despite it being irrelevant to the blog’s theme. The live-action version of Mulan was supposed to be another addition to the feminist film pool. When I watched this movie, I felt offended. OFFENDED. They changed the plot in order to make Mulan have a “chi” gift by birth, or whatever it was called, which was making humans born with it have some superhuman abilities that were making them great warriors. The point those megamind film creators were obviously trying to make was “oh look a woman is born with the chi so women are equal to men yeah feminism uwu give us our woke money now”. I cannot explain how livid I was when I saw this. You see, in the real world women are not born with a chi and neither are men. Those shitheads tried to promote feminism by writing that at some point in a fantastical China a woman was born with a supernatural gift WHEN IN THE 90s ANIMATED “BACKWARDS” MOVIE Mulan was a regular everyday girl with no supernatural talents that managed to distinguish herself as the best soldier of China through insistence, perseverance, strenuous work, strategic intelligence and a sacrificial spirit for the sake of her family. Qualities that can actually be found and be further developed in real human beings. Do we all realise how regressive the live action movie is??? To me this was the opposite of feminist, despite knowing their intentions were the exact opposite and that is what often makes such movies so pathetic. This is why I often call such and other similar content counter-productive. The woke people being all aggressive and combative in supporting those movies or the modern retellings do not realise how horrible and dangerous they often unknowingly are to all these causes. And by changing gods and mythological characters and making the female ones girlbosses by default and the male ones convicted feloners or something, what exactly do they think they achieve in the long-term??? Will the world's poc's rights be respected or will the femicides decrease if, say, Circe is a wronged girlboss and Odysseus is written as an asshole? They will achieve exactly nothing, the consumers will eventually turn their backs on them anyway sooner or later. They are only earning more and more contempt from the people of these cultures they play with so carelessly. Well done, I guess????

[natlacentral]

Kiawentiio Grew Up with Avatar: The Last Airbender. Twice.

The actress, who plays Katara in the new Netflix adaptation, has a long history with the show—and took care to honor it on premiere night.

The 17-year-old Kiawentiio (pronounced gya-wuhn-dee-yo) is fortunate to have grown up with older siblings: They had the raised-on-cable insight to show her Avatar: The Last Airbender. The hugely popular animated series, which premiered on Nickelodeon in 2005—almost a full year before Kiawentiio was born—slowly became a backdrop to her childhood on the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation in Ontario known as Kawehno:ke, or Cornwall Island. When, years later, all three seasons dropped on Netflix and topped the streamer’s charts, Kiawentiio watched the show again with new eyes—and a new appreciation. She was mere months away from an official announcement, introducing her to legions of Avatar fans as the actress who’d play Katara in Netflix’s live-action adaptation. 

Katara, as Kiawentiio puts it, is “the heart of the group” of characters that round out the main Avatar cast. Among them, of course, is Aang, a century-old Air Nomad with the ability to manipulate the elements and (in theory) save the world from the terrorizing Fire Nation. But his closest partners are siblings Sokka and Katara, the latter of whom is herself a water-bender, capable of moving water with tai chi-inspired motions. “She is the optimistic, hopeful person in this group that keeps them moving forward,” Kiawentiio says. “I feel like that was something that you could definitely tell in the original series, and that’s what I really wanted to keep about her in our adaptation.”

Fidelity to the source material is a sore spot for many Avatar devotees, who were burned during Hollywood’s first attempt at a live-action adaptation. The disastrous 2010 The Last Airbender is notoriously one of the most-hated films ever produced, and it remains something of a warning sign lurking over the latest Netflix adaptation. Don’t make the same mistakes. Kiawentiio understands the fans’ fears and desires, and she welcomes their input, if not exactly the pressure that comes with it. “It definitely is a huge spotlight, and I think it’s important to protect yourself from those things,” she says. But, she admits, “I can understand a lot of opinions and a lot of point of views, so I think, for me, seeing good or bad is helpful to understand ... that point of view of the outside watcher.”

As the new adaptation makes its long-awaited debut on Netflix, Kiawentiio is relishing the opportunity to celebrate what the series has meant to her—not merely as a fan herself, but as an active participant in its impact. She grew up with Avatar twice: first as a child, then as a teenager, having been cast at 14 years old before filming and promoting the project into near-adulthood. When it came time to walk the premiere red carpet as one of the series’ stars, she knew she wanted a gown that would honor the show itself. Working with Indigenous designers Tasha Marie and Evan Ducharme, and stylist Benjamin Holtrop, she dreamed up a beaded corset and mermaid skirt etched with Avatar Easter eggs, and an overall effect like cascading water.

Ahead, Kiawentiio takes ELLE.com behind the scenes of her premiere look, and deeper into her hopes for Avatar’s future.

For the soft, peachy makeup her premiere look called for, Kiawentiio turned to artist Dom Della, who perfected a smudged wing and sun-kissed glow. “For the makeup, I definitely wanted to keep it more subtle, not too in-your-face,” Kiawentiio says. “Especially with the hair and the outfit, I just wanted to keep it—glam, definitely, but simple as well.”

Hair stylist Laura Rugetti affixed Kiawentiio’s long, swooping braid into a crown atop her head, then draped the tail down the actress’s side to hang just below her hip. “In our culture, braids are really significant, and they are actually a form of protection as well, so it was really important to me to incorporate that,” Kiawentiio says.

As proud as she is of her work bringing the new Avatar to life, Kiawentiio is already looking forward to returning to set, should the series get its anticipated green light for season 2. She feels more comfortable as Katara now that she’s spent a few years in the character’s skin. 

“I was learning her as we went,” she says, “and I feel like you could see that on screen—when I kind of sank into her character. So I feel like the Katara that we see in [episodes] 7 and 8 is what I would hope to bring to next season. As we all know from the original series, she becomes so much more confident in herself and in her capabilities to stand on her own, so I think that’s something that I’d love to focus on for season 2.”

Kiawentiio’s premiere-night gown was entirely custom-made, and composed of two separate pieces: a corset by Tasha Marie and a skirt by Evan Ducharme. Having walked in one of Marie’s fashion shows before, Kiawentiio capitalized on her relationship with the artist, and drew up a sketch of what she hoped to incorporate in a corset. “We did go back and forth, and she gave me her ideas and I gave her my ideas,” Kiawentiio says. “I thought it would be really cool to incorporate each symbol for the four nations, so that’s in there.”

Other Avatar Easter eggs incorporated into the beadwork include a Pai Sho tile—a piece from a fictional game in the Avatar universe, beloved by the character Uncle Iroh—and a fan used by the show’s Kyoshi warriors. 

“Then another favorite thing of mine, a personal touch, was the wolf prints on the side,” Kiawentiio says, “which is actually kind of a double meaning, because I am Wolf Clan, and also Wolf Cove for Katara and where she comes from.”

On the back of the corset are the twin Koi fish Tui and La, which—as fans of the animated series will know—represent the moon and ocean spirits of Avatar. “I knew that that was something I wanted to incorporate,” Kiawentiio says, “and it just turned out so beautifully, and I definitely praise Tasha for how amazing her work has been.”

Ahead of the big night, stylist Benjamin Holtrop reached out to BYCHARI to design custom drop earrings to pair with rings from Dean Davidson. “It was so sweet,” she says. “He surprised me with those custom earrings and they just went perfectly with the whole outfit, and it really was the cherry on top.”

To turn Katara’s water-bending motions into muscle memory, Kiawentiio trained for six weeks ahead of production. “That contained mostly going over tai chi forms and building fight scenes and getting my body used to those movements,” she says. “Also, exercises to get my legs strong enough to handle them, because tai chi consists of a lot of horse stance; you really need strong legs.”

The actress wants to keep Avatar in her life for as long as possible. “I definitely hope for season 2 and season 3—I think we all really want that for this show,” she says. “I am proud of what we’ve done for season 1, but I think there’s just so much to look forward to as well. In the animated series, it just gets better and better each season. So there’s a lot of scenes that I’d love to recreate and relationships that I’d love to see.”

[booksandboba]

Book Releases in 2024

(Last Updated: 9.20.2024)

May

(7) Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang, Volume 3, Priest (light novel)

(14) A Crane Among Wolves, Jane Hur (novel)

(21) Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 12, Kamome Shirahama (graphic novel, manga)

(21) Though I Am An Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court, Volume 5, Satsuki Nakamura, Ei Ohitsuji, Kana Yuki (graphic novel, manga)

(21) Oshi No Ko, Volume 6, Aka Akasaka, Mengo Yokoyari (graphic novels, manga)

June

(4) Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu, Volume 1, Tang Jiu Qing (light novel)

(11) The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom, Volume 6, Tohru Himuka (graphic novel, manga)

(11) Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben, Volume 2, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (light novel)

(18) The Remarried Empress, Volume 7, Alphatart, SUMPUL, HereLee (comic, unscrolled web comic)

July

(2) The Night Ends With Fire, K. X. Song (novel)

(9) Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu, Volume 5, Meng Xi Shi (light novel)

(23) Lullaby of the Dawn, Volume 4, Ichika Yuno (graphic novel, manga)

(23) Remnants of Filth: Yuwu, Volume 4, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (light novel)

(30) Peerless: Wushuang, Volume 1, Meng Xi Shi (light novel)

August

(1) Nine Tailed: Realm of Four Kingdoms #1, Jayci Lee (novel)

(6) Spy x Family, Volume 12, Tatsuya Endo (graphic novel, manga)

(6) Father, I Don't Want This Marriage, Volume 1, Hong Heesu, Roal, Yuri (comics, unscrolled web comic)

(6) The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish: Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong, Volume 2, Xue Shan Fei Hu (light novel)

(13) Guardian: Zhen Hun, Volume 3, Priest (light novel)

(20) The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun, Volume 6, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (light novel)

(27) You’ve Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post: Fei Ge Jiao You Xu Jin Shen, Volume 1, Blackegg (light novel)

(27) Oshi No Ko, Volume 7, Aka Akasaka, Mengo Yokoyari (graphic novels, manga)

September

(3) When Haru Was Here, Dustin Thao (novel)

(3) How to Survive As a Villain, Volume 1, Yi Yi Yi Yi, Wang Yi (comic, web comic unscrolled)

(10) The Eccentric Doctor of the Moon Flower Kingdom, Volume 7, Tohru Himuka (graphic novel, manga)

(17) Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang, Volume 4, Priest (light novel)

(17) The Remarried Empress, Volume 8, Alphatart, SUMPUL, HereLee (comic, unscrolled webcomic)

(24) KinnPorsche, Volume 1, Daemi (light novel)

(24) Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu, Volume 2, Tang Jiu Qing (light novel)

October

(8) Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben, Volume 3, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (light novel)

(8) The Last Dragon of the East, Katrina Kwan (novel)

(8) Divine Mortals: Divine Mortals # 1, Amanda M. Helander (novel)

(15) Lullaby of the Dawn, Volume 5, Ichika Yuno (manga)

(22) Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben, Volume 3, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (light novel)

(29) Peerless, Volume 2, Meng Xi Shi (light novel)

(29) Don't Let the Forest In, C.G. Drew (novel)

November

(5) Dinghai Fusheng Records, Volume 1, Fei Tian Ye Xiang, Qian Er Bai, LV FEI (comic, manhua)

(7) The Undoing of Violet Claybourne, Emily Critchley (novel)

(12) ENNEAD, Volume 4, Mojito (comics, webcomic unscrolled)

(19) Remnants of Filth: Yuwu, Volume 5, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (light novel)

(19) Oshi No Ko, Volume 8, Aka Akasaka, Mengo Yokoyari (graphic novels, manga)

(26) You’ve Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post: Fei Ge Jiao You Xu Jin Shen, Volume 2, Blackegg (light novel)

December

(3) The Husky and His White Cat Shizun: Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun, Volume 7, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (light novel)

(10) Noragami: Stray God, Volume 27, Adachitoka (graphic novels, manga)

(10) The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish: Canji Baojun De Zhangxin Yu Chong, Volume 3, Xue Shan Fei Hu (light novel)

(17) Though I Am An Inept Villainess: Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Body Swap in the Maiden Court, Volume 6, Satsuki Nakamura, Ei Ohitsuji, Kana Yuki (graphic novel, manga)

(24) The Ancient Magus' Bride, Volume 20, Kore Yamazaki (graphic novels, manga)

[budgieio]

105 days later, I’ve finally finished a little piece for @chi-among-the-stars~💕

I give you; Amaryllis x Mountain, Hidden Moments in the Greenhouse

[forlorn-crows]

also BEEG BEEG KISSES TO @coffeesforcatchers @youhaveahomeinmyheart @belle--ofthebrawl @pyrefection and @fourleggedocto for saying hi and/or hanging out!!

@chi-among-the-stars i wish i could have found you!! surprisingly not a lot of people in pit and still i missed you lmao

[jasper-the-menace]

Hybrids In Chima

Hybrids in Chima have a lot of problems to contend with: being outcasts by social conventions, complicated medical histories and conditions, and potentially even exile for the smallest of “crimes” if tried by the Lion elder council. Despite that, some have carved their niches into Chiman history in various ways.

Grainne the Griffin

Time Period: early Chima

Parentage: Eagle mother, Lion father

Pronouns: she/her (intersexed according to legend)

Sexuality: unknown

Appearance: (according to legend) brown feathers and fur, yellow bird eyes, taloned feet, feathered wings

History: Grainne was abandoned by both the Eagle and Lion Tribes upon discovery of her birth. She was practically raised by Chima itself, growing up in the wilds between the Tribes. When she became an adult, she discovered an Eagle man whose name has been lost to time, and the two became friends. He betrayed her, leaving her for dead, and her last words were a promise that he would pay for his betrayal. He died shortly after.

Legacy: Grainne has been remembered in a constellation named for her, made of seven stars that are too dim to see any time other than during the winter solstice. In the afterlife realm (the Bear Dream Realm), she has become friends with King Lupercalia and his partners as well as Queen Liberta, and she spends a lot of her afterlife starting fights for fun.

Reegull the Raven-Eagle

Time Period: modern Chima

Parentage: Eagle father, Raven mother

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy?

Appearance: black and white feathers, yellow bird eyes, prosthetic left leg, hook for right hand, mismatched feathered wings, varying other prosthetics

History: Reegull is very good at causing a lot of trouble for everyone. Like some hybrids, he lashes out at the society that cast him out (even his own parents didn’t want him, which sadly isn’t uncommon among hybrids). He has studied alchemy and botany, among other sciences, and works for whoever he believes he can dupe into furthering his own goals.

Legacy: Reegull is known as both the creator of Chigull (also known as fake Chi) and as a biologist studying the Chi that can be found in plants around Chima (which he was trying to use for his own ends, of course).

Sparrmax the Scorpion

Time Period: modern Chima

Parentage: Scorpion parent, Spider parent (unclear who was what)

Pronouns: he/him (doesn’t understand gender)

Sexuality: questioning (considers himself too young to worry about that)

Appearance: dark blue carapace, gold detailing, light brown eyes, white fangs, tail with stinger, visibly a Scorpion

History: Sparrmax is a Scorpion who also happens to be half-Spider. The Scorpion Tribe doesn’t follow Chima’s example of how to treat hybrids, instead treating Sparrmax as a full Scorpion since he chose them over the Spiders. Unlike other Scorpions, he doesn’t have any venom. He’s got a good eye for things that other Tribes would want, which puts him pretty high in the chain of command when it comes to cross-Tribal diplomacy. General Scolder is considering naming Sparrmax as his Lieutenant, putting him in line to become the General himself when Scolder becomes the Scorpion King.

Legacy: Sparrmax is a beloved member of the Scorpion Tribe and is one of the first hybrids to be fully accepted and integrated into the Tribe, unintentionally paving the way for hybrids of other Tribes to be recognized as Scorpions.

[themattress]

An observation based on these posts I've made.

It's been longtime commonly accepted wisdom that Naoko Takeuchi didn't know how to do villains well in the Sailor Moon manga, and that the 90s anime handled villains much better.

And I have to say....

No, that's wrong!

The truth is actually a little more complicated than that.

Naoko Takeuchi has, in fact, written some fleshed-out and nuanced villains. Danburite, Kunzite, Queen Beryl, Rubeus, Esmeraude, Safir, Prince Demande, Professor Tomoe, the Amazoness Quartet, Sailor Tin Nyanko, Sailor Lethe and Sailor Mnemosyne, and Sailor Galaxia are all more than just "evil"; they have established backstories and motivations behind what they do and distinguishable personalities. So is Kaolinite in Sailor Moon Crystal, which was supervised by Takeuchi, becoming more sympathetic than just the wicked witch she was in the manga. And of course, Evil Endymion and Black Lady are corrupted heroes.

Meanwhile, we also have Queen Metalia, Wiseman / Death Phantom, Pharaoh 90 and Mistress 9, Zirconia / Queen Nehelenia and Chaos, who are intentionally devoid of nuance because they are supposed to be pure evil. Yes, the anime changed that in regards to Zirconia / Queen Nehelenia and that worked well (in SuperS anyway, fuck Sailor Stars), but that doesn't make Takeuchi's take any less valid or effective for her version of the story.

So which villains are just one-note and existing to be fought and killed in the manga?

Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, Koan, Berthier, Petz, Calaveras, Chiral and Achiral, Eudial, Mimete, Viluy, Tellu, Cyprine/Ptilol, Fish Eye, Tiger's Eye, Hawk's Eye, Xenotime and Zeolite, Sailor Iron Mouse, Sailor Aluminum Seiren, Sailor Lead Crow, Sailor Heavy Metal Papillon, Sailor Phi and Chi, and basically all of the Dark Agency's roster serving under Danburite.

And here's where I must mount a defense of Takeuchi. Yes, the anime fleshes many of those villains out greatly and I am happy for it. However, it is a fallacy to treat their roles in the manga the same as they were in the anime. In the anime, these characters are part of a formula that positions them as Subordinate Villains, the ones who control the Monsters-of-the-Week. But the manga worked differently. It was a monthly publication, with each arc lasting around a year and the chapters' contents plotted out in advance. In that more limited timeframe, these villains were not controllers of the Monsters-of-the-Week; they were the Monsters-of-the-Week...er, I mean, Monsters-of-the-Month. Complaining about them not being well developed is kind of like complaining that any Youma, Droid, Daimon, Lemures or Phage in the anime isn't well-developed. It's kind of missing the point. And yes, I know that Kunzite, Tin Nyanko, and Lethe/Mnemosyne are also technically among this type of character yet they were more strongly humanized in what time they had, but they're exceptions and not the rule (with Kunzite it happened due to personal fondness Takeuchi felt toward him; and for the others it was due to the need to flesh out Shadow Galactica as an organization, showing both the validity behind why many of its members joined and the ultimate mistake it was due to Sailor Galaxia's psychopathic ruthlessness toward any she deems failures or traitors).

So there you have it. By and large, yes, I do prefer the anime's takes on villains. But Naoko Takeuchi's writing for villains doesn't suck, it's just meeting the needs of a different medium.

[iamthecomet]

my ass managed to see it 38 seconds after he posted. insane!

Dude @chi-among-the-stars told me it was up and by the time I got there a minute later he had already taken it down. He's a MONSTER.

Also a giant dork. And I love this and him. Just look at himmmmm FUCK.

[aspiring-holistic-otaku]

Season 3 Ramble#3 - The Martial Way ver.2

This month, as you probably picked up from the ramble title, I focused on reading martial arts manga for the second time because once was just never gonna be enough.

~[before I get into the episode I have a moment of silence for akira toriyama sensei who passed on earlier this… his legendary impact on media as a whole is beyond what my feeble words could hope to describe so a minute of silence is probably the most appropriate thing I could do. rest in power toriyama sensei.]~

The format is pretty much the same as last time, the meat of the matter is that I'll be speaking on the top 5 martial arts manga I read this month, focusing not so much on plot but more on what I think are the 4 cornerstones of martial arts manga, namely; art, action, technique and philosophy. For each manga in the list I'll be talking on these 4 things and giving them a rating on a 5 star scale.

I won't be talking about older top favorites this time so I encourage you to check out v.1 if you're interested but I will be doing what should be a quick breeze through of some martial arts manga I caught up on this month before I got into the newer reads.

So without further adeiu ~

CATCHING UP/OLD BREEZE

- boruto, shamo, batuqe, eternal force, tenkaichi

(pretty disappointing)

- peerless father, tsuyoshi, Sakamoto days

(pretty great)

THIS MONTH

#5) Kenji (art by Yoshihide Fujiwara and story by Ryuchi Matsuda, complete w 202 chapters)

Didn't have much expectations going into this one. I picked it up because the summary I saw on anilist listed a bunch of different martial art styles and among them was tai chi which I practice. So as someone who’s interested in different forms of mind and body tempering through martial arts, I figured even if the manga wasn’t particularly good, the exposure would be.. Glad to say my expectations were exceeded which is probably apparent as it’s one of my top 5 reads this month. but enough idle chatter.

The story here centers on a boy named Kenji (shocker), who is taught the basics of an ancient form of chinese kung fu called Bajiquan from his grandfather at an early age. When his grandfather suddenly has to leave the country to fulfill a promise to an old friend, Kenji decides he must keep practicing so he can have the strength to follow after his grandfather and present his growth as a person and martial artist proudly when they meet again.

Art - 3 / 5 stars

It was pretty unique but not altogether super impressive. When I say unique I mean that most of the manga had a sort of calligraphy or deceptively real water colour painting vibe, which I usually really dig for impact in action scenes or so but for this it was the whole way through so it kind of lost that effect. It did end up having a neat Chinese scroll type vibe with the whole calligraphy feeling I was getting though and it was solid throughout so no real complaints.

Action - 3 / 5 stars

The action wasn’t very impressive either. Undeniably and consistently solid but there were rarely any real wow factors. The mood or atmosphere surrounding the action was always very fitting though, usually engaging and immersive so although the illustrations weren’t anything to lose my mind over, holistically I found the fights quite pleasing.

Technique - 5 / 5 stars

Technique variety and illustration was pretty top tier. As in to the point where a good chunk of this manga feels like beginner kung fu for dummies, even going so far as to show numbered step by step illustrations for a lot of moves used. Most of the story actually unfolds this way as Kenji has nobody to teach him when his grandfather left and the only lead he had to go on was his kungfu. So in seeking out and practicing with different interim teachers, he ends up traveling from Japan deep into mainland China, gaining new friends and foes along the way. What I really really loved was how his core technique developed over time, as in yes he got new techniques within his original style and a few tricks and tweaks from other styles he interacted with, but what got him through from the beginning was sharpening the core fundamentals his grandfather taught him when he was a kid. And when I say got him through I don't mean just in fights, I mean that to be accepted by certain people in the martial arts world you have to be able to prove yourself as a martial artist in your own right first, which more often than being able to do a flashy killer move, really means being able to show a certain level of dedication to cultivating the art you claim to practice. Also loved seeing how the variety, views on and uses of martial arts changed as he traveled from Japan to China.

Philosophy - 5 / 5 stars

Philosophy here was top notch stuff. The best I've read in a long time and definitely top 2, if not the best in that aspect this month. It's so great that I'd really want it to speak for itself as much as possible so I won't be going into much detail but I will say I really appreciated the importance placed on strength of mind and character in no uncertain terms.

#4) Under Ninja (story & art by Kengo Hanazawa {also known for being the creator of the manga, I am a Hero}, 115 chapters ongoing)

This story follows ninja in the modern day and shows the struggles between different ninja ranks, organizations and the government.

Art - 4 / 5 stars

Was pretty cool, very cool even, sort of sharp in a kind of overtly digital way I tend not to like too much but it was still cool. Especially with all the rad spreads they had sprinkled throughout.

Action - 4 / 5 stars

It was odd in a good way that's kinda hard to describe. Maybe because of how well they modernized the ninja in my mind. As in the methods of combat were for the most part fairly recognizable (sword, shuriken, camouflage) but they were presented in such a fresh way from a modern technological standpoint + it all takes place within the context of a modern city landscape and everything,, pretty rad pretty rad.

One definitely kinda odd thing was the choreography. It wasn't very fluid or detailed how I'd usually like my action manga. This almost had a laggy game type feel which I'd usually not rate, or even hate, but because the main focus was ninja I couldn't help but think that was the creator’s intention. As in a ninja’s whole thing is to be unseen so how would an illustration of them and their activities really look yk. And unlike what's been popularized by Naruto with lots of hand to hand combat and big flashy moves, especially later on, I think it definitely leans more toward what was shown here in under ninja, with more of an “in n out" / “now you see me now you don't" type feel.

Technique - 5 / 5 stars

The techniques were pretty rad too, especially because of the technology, as I said very fresh stuff like the creator definitely had a very clear vision of how they thought a modern ninja would act. Very cool that they didn't go the usual route of just having a traditional ninja in the modern day but it actually looked and felt like how ninja may carry themselves had they advanced along with society from what we know of them back then. There wasn't any specific martial art used perse but in any case I really liked how they illustrated the "attack” of a ninja. As in it's not all hand signs and ninja stars, we get a more holistic view of the strategies employed from something as simple as misdirection to something as crazy as a fucking satellite laser. absolutely loved it. crazy crazy work I'm telling you.

Philosophy - 2 / 5 stars

There doesn't seem to be any great cause or meaning to much so far tbh. Which although generally important, isn't anything hyper critical in a fighting story, but as a cornerstone of martial arts in general it's something I look forward to seeing expressed uniquely by different creators in martial arts manga. For the most part in under ninja the thinking seems to be “complete the mission and fuck you if you try to get in my way” which I guess is fitting for ninja tbh but grain of salt here, it's ongoing and where I left off the story kinda took a mad left and a bunch of stuff is coming to light so I wouldn't be surprised if my view on the philosophy of under ninja changes when I come back to it next year.

#3) Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru (story & art by Yasushi Baba, complete w 500 chapters)

This is the journey of a guy who couldn’t make it as a gymnast and was bullied out of his club somehow becoming a karateka

Art - 5 / 5 stars

Pretty great in all the senses, casual and action wise. It was great and there's not much else to say there so no point lingering.

Action - 5 / 5 stars

Action was pretty great too, kept steadily building in intensity and technicality as the story progressed and the main character developed as a martial artist. Choreography was pretty up there as well, maybe not exceedingly dynamic perse like Sakamoto Days but it was all clear and fluid which is ultimately more important in stories dependent on action sequences. I will say they did have a lot of explody effects tho like.. idk… they were generally really cool tbh but would have probably been fine without THAT much, like the impact of each individual bomb effect kinda falls off when you're constantly carpet bombing yk,,, anyways the action was still a 5 so clearly it didn't bother me THAT much, just thought it kinda odd…

Technique - 3 / 5 stars

Was pretty solid in terms of illustrating, naming and using a variety of techniques but it fell kinda short behind the others because the techniques were like 93% Karate, and of that 93% about 80% was the specific kind of karate used by the mc, whereas pretty much all the other manga in this list showed more than a few other martial arts or at least had stronger individualization of a technique through its practitioner as was the case in under ninja and the next manga on this list. What was shown was pretty solid though and fairly thorough so it held up. variety is the spice of life and all but variety paradoxically encompasses a lack of variety so,, it is what it is.

Philosophy - 3 / 5 stars

Not bad, again pretty solid but nothing too crazy. could kind of be boiled down to different personal views on karate and maybe a bit of fighting on a whole but they didn't really push past how that affects the way one carries themselves outside the ring too much. Kind of an aside but I did appreciate that they had a fair bit of slice of life which is where you could see a bit, in action more than word, the various ways different martial arts practitioners carried themselves.

#2) Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (original story by Fuutarou Yamada with story & art by Masaki Segawa, complete w 34 chapters)

Basically Romeo and Juliet but if they were ninjas. families. I could give a bit more detail but honestly that pretty much covers it and I already said this ramble wasn't really gonna be too plot focused.

Art - 3 / 5 stars

Sort of overtly digital in a scanny kind of way that I usually wouldn't like but for the most part it was solid enough where it counted.

Action - 4 / 5 stars

Ultra vibes, especially for how short it was, just 34 chapters but they used them extremely well as pretty much from the jump the atmosphere was constantly building. Fight scenes were clear although not very consistently fluid but the core choreography of the fights was definitely there. Something I really liked was how it could have easily been done as a standard tournament type beat or your average battle royale but all the confrontations were pretty dynamic throughout the story, shuffling through 1 v 1s, gang v 1s and gang v gang seamlessly. not to mention the pretty cool and unique techniques they all had.

Technique - 5 / 5 stars

Actual old school ninja stuff which was very cool although ultra hyper specific. Basically there were 20 main characters with 10 on each side, all having some unique jutsu that they alone could use. This could've made stuff play out in a sort of almost obvious rock paper scissors type thing but the way they introduced/removed characters throughout the story and juggled opposing character interactions was just so well done that it never got boring.

Philosophy - 4 / 5 stars

Tbh most of the cast didn't have all that much about them philosophy wise. As I said this was a kind of Romeo and Juliet type beat so besides the main pair they all just hated the other family. There's some very light sprinkling of something you could probably call philosophy through the rest of the main cast as their individual jutsu sort of mirrors their beliefs, so you could almost say they're all literal embodiments of their beliefs but that's not exactly a one size fits all thing and is probably more of a stretch than anything. In any case this gets a 4 because of how moved I was by the main pairings actions. especially because of how little chapters there were so it hit all the more. If I go into detail about such actions it'd be spoilers so what can I say but to go check it out.

#1) Tekken Chinmi (story & art by Takeshi Maekawa{breakshot, #1 S2R8}, read 131/158)

A talented lad named chinmi is seen in action by a traveling monk who invites him to further train at his temple. Simple shonen type beat except the hero’s journey isn't really thrust upon him, he kinda just actually goes on the journey willingly which is kinda refreshing. #end the era of child soldiers.

Art - 4 / 5 stars

Really easy to digest, kinda toony but well proportioned, has a really smooth old school vibe to it like you look at it and immediately succumb to the propaganda that everything really was better back then.

Action - 4 / 5 stars

Great all round, great choreo, great flow, pretty solid dynamics and I really dug how they showed that lessons learned in one thing can typically be applied to every other thing. As in he'd learn a martial art skill and it'd help him improve in a day to day situation or vice versa.

Technique - 5 / 5 stars

Widely varied, usually unique and v cool, as in they had from a Poison hand guy, to a one legged cane weilder and even someone who used a one finger technique. It was really great and sort of inspiring to see him improve step by step, from teacher to teacher and from fight to fight. Really loved that when he got new techniques he didn't just spam that from then on, he stuck with sharpening himself holistically and never using more force than necessary. Also dug that even though he was definitely quick on the uptake for story's sake there wasn't anything he ever just got immediately. He'd always have to take the time to sit and think through how to get some desired effect, which is what gave rise to his sometimes unique applications of certain techniques.

Philosophy - 5 / 5 stars

Loved how close they made everything to nature, nature even being his teacher a few times. Again the philosophy here was so great I want it to speak for itself but I loved the hammering of the importance of both body and mind. the philosophy here was definitely right up there with shinji though it felt a bit warmer here for lack of a better word.

honourable mentions:

Tenjo Tenge & Record of Ragnarok

btw this is a list of 5 with 2 hms but in total I read 15 new manga this month and maybe you wanna see the rest for yourself, for holistic, comparative or some other reason but in any case you can see those and all my other reads on anilist which is in my bio on all social media I'm on so yh

ofc I do some extra kinda off cuff rambles afterwards so you can listen in for that but if not have a good one regardless, hope you enjoyed this and hope you tune into the next 🍻

[spoiledleaff]

but i love you (i love you). ✿ amaryllis + mountain/swiss.

— a commission for @chi-among-the-stars! this was another challenge for me, but definitely a fun challenge nonetheless, haha! ♡

wc ; 5k words.

cw ; explicit ✿ light dom/sub dynamics, minor costume play, heat cycles, knotting, daddy/sir dynamics, face sitting, they’re in love guys.

[ ao3 link here. ]

✿ Swiss’ tongue darts out to lick his lower lip, his fingers walking up the length of Amaryllis’ thighs until those dangerous claws are playing with the edge of her skirt, and-

Oh. It’s… it’s bunched up a bit higher than what might be considered… decent-

“Oh, baby…” Swiss purrs but the sound rattles like a growl through Amaryllis’ skull, her thighs trying to instinctively squeeze tight despite the large ghoul laid out between them. “Thought you said it wasn’t my birthday?”

[ photo is courtesy of mike savoia; savoia photography. ]

[the-monkey-ruler]

Journey to the West Piolet Episode (1982) 西游记试集：除妖乌鸡国

Director: Yang Jie / Xun Hao / Ren Fengpo / Dong Xingji Screenwriter: Zou Yiqing / Dai Yinglu Starring: Liu Xiaolingtong / Ma Dehua / Wang Yue / Yan Huaili / Lei Ming / Zheng Chuqi / Wang Haining / Dong Honglin / Zhao Guangbin / Li Runsheng / Yang Yunfei / Dong Xingji Genre: Drama / Fantasy / Costume Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 1982-10-01 (Mainland China) Duration: 56 minutes Also known as: Journey to the West (pilot): The Demon-Slaying Black-Chicken Country / The Demon-Slaying Black-Chicken Country / The Journey to the West Trial Episode / The Journey to the West Pilot Episode / The "Journey to the West" TV Series: The Demon-Slaying Black-Chicken Country / 除妖乌鸡国 / 西游记试集 / 西游记试播集 / “西游记”电视系列片：除妖乌鸡国 Type: Retelling

Summary:

The story behind the pilot episode of Journey to the West "The Kingdom of the Black Chicken" If you were to ask which episode of "Journey to the West" was aired first, you would definitely say without hesitation that it was when the Monkey King first came out. In fact, the real first episode was "The Kingdom of the Black Chicken". This was an episode of trial filming in July 1982. The episode was broadcast on CCTV on October 1, 1982. It is said that after the broadcast, the response from the audience was still great, but the crew of Journey to the West thought it was very unsuccessful.

In the 1986 version of Journey to the West, Tang Monk wore a Five Buddha crown and a brocade cassock. However, during the trial filming in 1982, the crew in Yangzhou had not yet finished making the Five Buddha crown and cassock. Therefore, they could only prepare them for Tang Monk. He bought a set of casual clothes, which was an ordinary monk's hat and robe. At the beginning of the trial, Tang Monk walked into Baolin Temple wearing this outfit. The real and fake Tang Monk: played by Wang Yue, played by Chi Chongrui in the remake.

The deleted section of "Chenjiazhuang" in Episode 25 "Bo Sheng Bliss" At that time (1982-1988), due to lack of funds, the crew did not film five episodes of the story including "Dangerous Crossing of Tongtian River", but the episode of "Tongtian River" has many connections with the last episode:

Among them, the specific plot of "Life Saving Temple" is: the master and apprentice dried the scriptures and came to a temple, and found that the statues of their four masters and apprentices were enshrined inside. It turned out that this was Chenjiazhuang's gratitude to Master Tang Monk for fighting the carp spirit in Tongtian River. , the "Lifesaving Temple" built to save a pair of children of the Chen family enshrines incense. The four masters and apprentices were about to leave when they met Chen Qing and his wife who came to collect incense. Under the warm invitation, Master Tang and his disciples came to Chenjiazhuang to have an evening meal. The people in the village were very grateful to the four masters and disciples. In the evening, Master Tang and his disciples were in a hurry and did not want to disturb the people of Chenjiazhuang too much, so they left quietly.

The first eleven episodes were broadcast on February 3, 1984, "The Plan to Harvest Zhu Bajie" and "Three Strikes of Bone Demons", and the first eleven episodes were broadcast during the Spring Festival in 1986. The ending song "Dare to Ask Where is the Way" was sung by Zhang Baomo. In 1986, he completed the filming of "Lotus Cave", "Destroying Demons and Black Roosters" (remake), "Battle of the Red Boy", "Battle of Three Monsters", "Qu Jing Daughter's Kingdom", "Three-Tune Banana Fan", "Sweeping" There are nine episodes in "The Pagoda Discriminates Strange Injustices", "Wandering into Xiaoleiyin" and "Sun Houqiao Practices Medicine". In 1987, five episodes of "Falling into the Pansi Cave", "Four Explorations into the Bottomless Cave", "Jade Continent", "Tianzhu Collecting the Jade Rabbit" and "Bossing into Paradise" were completed. Starting from February 1, 1988, all the first 25 episodes were broadcast.

Source: https://movie.douban.com/subject/35952142/

Link: https://m.bilibili.com/video/BV1qv41167Qx

[cyberbasementcollection]

If I made a mortal kombat game part3 the character bios (the good guys)

Scorpion

After regaining his humanity and reforming the Shirai-ryu, Hanzo Hasashi had trained many individuals who lost their families. Thoug five years ago he made a grave mistake, after killing Quan Chi in a fit of rage it has left the revenants corupted by his necromancy. After word of Shinnok's return Hanzo joines the forces of light once more to defeat Shinnok.

Sub-Zero

Kuai Liang and his older brother Bi Han were born with the ability of crymancy, serving the Lin Kuei clan. Until the first Mortal Kombat tournament Bi Han, using the aliase Sub-Zero, was killed by the specter Scorpion. Kuai Liang took on the Sub-Zero mantle and went to Outworld to find his brother's killer. Meanwhile, the Lin Kuei grandmaster had embarked on the cyber initiative frocefuly converting members into cybernetic warriors. Sub-Zero was one of them, thanks to Raiden, he had regained his humanity and reformed the Lin Kuei, as a clan dedicated to the protection of Earthrealm.

Nood Saibot

After his death in the hands of Scorpion, and resurection by Quan Chi. Noob Saibot was once Bi Han, the elder Sub-Zero. after his death in the first Mortal Kombat he was sent to the Netherrealm and became a warrior of shadow, after he was trowned into the soulnado by the shaman Nightwolf, he found himself at the presense of the elder gods. Making him their champion, when he heard Shinnok returned Nood Saibot joined the forces of light to fight the fallen god.

Sareena

A demon spaired by Bi Han. Sareena had always wanted to see the beauty of Earth, but due to her Netherrealm origins it was difficulte for her to escape. During the Outworld invation she managed to escape and took on a human like apperance. After she heard of Bi Han's death, she dedicated herself to be the Lin Kuei's gardian demon.

Jade

Born to edenian nobility and childhood friend to Kitana. After outworld merged with edenia, Jade became one of Shao Kahn's deadliest assassins. During the Outworld invation of Earth she joined the forces of light to stop Shao Kahn, she was later killed by the empres Sindel, Jade's soul was used by Quan Chi to revive her as a revenant. When Shinnok reformed himself in a new body , she finds herself conflicted about takeing over Earthrealm she rejoines the forces of light to defeat Shinnok.

Sonya Blade

A member of the special froces, general Sonya Blade has been through a lot after the first Mortal Kombat. Being one of the sole survivors of the Outworld invation. She became more concerned with her work, leaving her daugther behinde to be raised by her father. After the death of Johnny Cage and the reamergense of Shinnok, she joines Raiden and the forces of light to Kombat this treath.

Kitana

A princes of the realm of edenia, Kitana was raised as the child of Shao Kahn. After he merged edenia with outworld and forced her mother, Sindel, to become his queen. Kitana was one of the emperor's top assassins, she was not as booldthirsty as he hoped. After she found out about her clone sister made to replace her, she joined the forces of light but was later killed by her own mother. Kitana's soul was use by Quan Chi to bring her back as a revenant, after she cought Shinnok manipulating Lui Kang, She rejoined the forces of light to defeat Shinnok and save her beloved.

Cassie Cage

Like her mother, Cassie Cage is a member of the special forces. Daugther of action movie star Johnny Cage and special forces member Sonya Blade, Her parents were among the few fighters to survive the Outworld invation of Earth. She 's as strong willed as her mother, and as quick witted as her father. After hearing of her father's death in the hands of Shinnok, Cassie Cage joines the forces of light to beat the fallen god.

Raiden

The God of Thunder, Raiden is the protector of Earthrealm. Millennia ago he and the elder gods defeated shinnok when the latter sought control over the realms, and imprisoning him in his own amulet. More reacently He thwarted Outworld's chances of merging with Earthrealm. First through the Mortal Kombat tournament, second via invation, but victory came at a cost many of his colsest allies were killed in the battle. Raiden had heard rumors that the amulet, thought to be gaurded in a vault for decades had been stolen.

Nightwolf

Gray cloud is one of the few mortals with a strong connection to the spirit world. After the original Nightwolf sacaraficete himself to defeat Sindel, he had taken on the mantle of Nightwolf and gaurdian of the matoka. A powerfull native ameracan shaman, he is guided by empyrean forces and communes with divine beings such as haokah, known to the east as Raiden. His devotion allows the spirits to work through him. Granting him eternal weapons and abilities to aid him in the battle againts Shinnok's forces.

(the dlc fighters)

Chat Noir

Wielder of the black cat miraculous, The teen model Adrien Agreste using the name Chat Noir has been fighting evil since his first year in high school. One of paris's many heroes he wieldes the power of destruction by using his cataclysim. After the mystiries disaperaneses of Hawkmoth and Ladybug, he and other miraculous wielders have been protecting paris from unworldly treaths.

Bunnix

Wielder of the rabbit miraculous, Alix Kubdel using the name Bunnix has been fighting evil since her third year in high school. Another one of paris's heroes, she wieldes the power to travle throuhg time using her burrow enabling the holder to go to a pocket demention. When Hawkmoth and Ladybug randomly disapear, her, Adrien, Juleka and more have been protecting paris from the Outworld treath.

Ermac

A coletive of over 10000 souls fused into one body, as the being Ermac. Created as punisment for resisting Shao Kahn's claim to edenia, he was one of the emperor's enforcers. It is speculated that king Jerrod (Kitana's true father) is a part of his coletive, after the deafeat of Shao Kahn and the disapearanes of Kotal Kahn. Ermac has become Outworld's new ruler aiding Earthrealm in the battle againts darkness.

Mayura

Wielder of the peacock miraculous, Nathalie Sancoeur using the name Mayura, a nemesis of the teen heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir. Wielding the power of amokization, wich allows the wielder to manifest a Sentimonster. After Hawkmoth akumatized his own son she find herself questioning the cause she fights for. When she heard of Hawkmoth and Ladybug's suden disapearaneses she decides to protecte paris instede of terroizing it.

Purple Tigress

A former victim of Hawkmoth's akumatazation and now wielder of the tiger miraculous, Juleka Couffaine using the name Purple Tigress has been beating the forces of evil since her second year in high school. As one of paris's gaurdians she wields the power to gather a tremendous amount of energy into their fist and unleash a very powerful punch by using her clout. When word came out about the disapearanese of Ladybug and Hawkmoth, her and many others defen paris at all costs