#idk if this is because the seller was too nice if their princing

[just-an-enby-lemon]

Reading ASOUE in english really helped me improve my writting skill, reading and vocabulary. Childrem books on general are great to help non-native speakers, but for me ASOUE did it like no other.

[farmerlan]

A guide to commonly used honorifics in 魔道祖师/The Untamed

OK - so, I’ve actually seen some confusion floating around on specific honorifics commonly used in 魔道祖师 and I figured I will put a post up to address some of this - especially the situations when they get used. Hopefully it’ll be helpful for fic writers or whoever else out there that’s getting turned around by the various translations.

As with most of Chinese vernacular, there’s a TON of similar, but different situations in which it may be permissible to use certain titles/honorifics, so bear in mind this is not an exhaustive guide. Also, I don’t have a PhD in Chinese honorifics or anything, I’m just a Chinese person that watches/reads a fair amount of historical dramas. So if I missed anything/if there was anything that was kind of unclear in the novel or drama, feel free to let me know!

公子 / gongzi/ master

Let’s start with the hardest so I can get this out of the way. You will see this translated in a variety of different ways - master, young master, sir...and they are all correct! Congratulations, you’ve hit the jackpot - depending on the situation, gongzi can be a whole hodgepodge of things.

Master: The most commonly used version in MDZS. This is a separate meaning of master from some of the honorifics discussed below - it is specifically used to address either:

Your literal master if you are a servant in the household

A somebody from a distinguished household in a polite way

General honorific: Gongzi can also be used between strangers/acquaintances as a respectful term. Gongzi is, in some ways, an indicator of respect of the other person’s status. So oftentimes you’ll find two young masters from different sects referring to each other as gongzi politely, but you wouldn’t find two beggars on the street calling each other that. and it’s usually used to address someone younger or a similar age as you. If you‘re talking to someone who is clearly your senior, use 前辈 or 先生.

Because it has the connotation of youth and aristocracy associated with it, oftentimes innkeepers/sellers may use gongzi to address male customers  (particularly youthful men) because it’s a bit more flattering. Kind of like how the modern day shopkeeper calls you ‘美女’ (beauty) or even ‘亲爱的’（my dear - IDK when this started becoming a thing but if you do any online shopping on Taobao you know what I’m talking about) in China. They don’t actually think you’re beautiful/feel affection for you, it’s just a way of addressing the customer to make you feel good about yourself HA. It’s nice to be called gongzi even if you’re not actually a noble.

There’s variants of this - 小公子/ xiaogongzi is typically young master, although I think some translations just directly use the young master for gongzi. It can also mean the younger master if there is an older sibling in question here (e.g. Wen Chao was referred to as 温小公子 as he was the younger son), although you can also use 二公子 （second master), as many do when referring to Lan Wangji. It sounds a little less juvenile.

This term is used for guys - I would say the female equivalent could be 千金/ qianjin or 小姐 /xiaojie.

宗主 / zongzhu/ sect leader

This can only refer to the sect leader - it is a title, and it is passed down. There is typically only one sect leader at any one time, and his eldest male heir will be the successive leader of the sect. I’m going to take this chance to clear up some misconceptions:

Unless Lan Xichen bears no male heirs before his death, Lan Wangji will not succeed him. Lan Sizhui, given that he is not a Lan by birth, will likely never be the Lan sect leader. Yes yes, we all know he’s the adoptive son, but adoptive means literally nothing in the progenical world of Chinese history. Plus, he’s not even the adoptive son of Lan Xichen, so he is a long, long way down from ever being sect leader unless he forms his own, which he would likely never because that’s kind of like betraying your family.

On that same topic, Nie Huaisang succeeded Nie Mingjue because Nie Mingjue died without an heir and Nie Huaisang was the closest blood relative.

For the Jin sect, the succession would have been Jin Guangshan -> Jin Zixuan -> Jin Ling. (y’all I wrote here that it was Jin Zixun first in line but I totally blanked that he was actually a cousin and NOT the son of JGS so ignore that LOL) Since Jin Zixuan died, it became Jin Guangyao - Jin Ling is next in line as he is of the next generation and too young at that time to rule. Honestly, if Jin Ling was older at the time of Jin Zixuan’s death and if this was a Chinese historical palace drama, there would probably be some serious internal political intrigue going on as Jin Guangyao’s claim over the seat would arguably be weaker than Jin Ling’s since he is illegitimate.

For the Jiang sect, Jiang Cheng is the heir even though Jiang Yanli is older because he is male. The question of who will inherit his seat (a very valid question given his luck with dating, although I am sure someone somewhere will eventually warm the prickly cockles of his heart) remains open. IMO there is a less than zero chance that Jin Ling succeeds him unless Jiang Cheng specifically demands for it, but he likely wouldn’t because he is all about decorum and also it would put Jin Ling in an incredibly difficult situation, which is the last thing he would want for his nephew. If he doesn’t end up producing heirs, the seat will likely go to whomever he names as successor, even if non-blood related - maybe the current head disciple.

With that said, although there were generally established rules for succession, actual Chinese history (like all of history) often played out very differently (e.g. Emperor Kangxi stripped crown prince Yinreng of his right to succeed and appointed Yinzhen (Yongzheng), who was the fourth surviving prince, as his successor) so really, even if you were to base sect succession off imperial succession traditions, you could still make the argument that anything goes as long as you have the right people in your corner. HA.

老祖/ laozu/ grandmaster/forefather

I mean, I think grandmaster is probably a fair translation of laozu, which, to be honest, is a harder honorific to translate. It’s definitely influenced by Taoism and not very common at all, but it’s likely derived from Hongjun Laozu (鸿钧老祖), who was a deity and teacher. It does NOT only stand for a senior teacher/master however, because 祖 itself has ancestral connotations, so I think I would personally translate this as forefather. IMO, it’s really only fair to use this on Wei Wuxian and/or originators of a certain branch of study in the MDZS universe - I would consider laozu as the term of respect afforded to people who were pioneers in their fields/sects.

In that sense, Lan Qiren is NOT the grandmaster of the Lan sect. He is an elder - a very respected elder that was basically interim sect leader, but in terms of official title, technically, Lan Xichen could pull rank on him, but he likely wouldn’t unless pressed to because he is also Lan Xichen’s elder.

前辈 / qianbei/ senior/elder

This is kind of an in-between term to politely refer to someone who is your senior, but with whom you really have no formal affiliation with. Unlike 先生, it’s also unisex. A related term is 长辈 /zhangbei, but that is used for people whom you have familial/closer ties with - like an uncle, or someone within your own sect.

师父/师尊/ shifu/shizun / master

Your teacher/master, but not in the servant-master context. Someone who mentors you for years - in the xianxia/wuxia culture, this is a pretty special term because most disciples will only ever belong to one sect and will only ever have one master, and everyone else is a qianbei. The disciple has to ‘拜师’ (to formally request this relationship) and the master also has to ‘收徒’ (to formally accept disciples). So a lot of people went to Yiling in an attempt to 拜师, but Wei Wuxian never did 收徒.

In the wuxia/xianxia context, shifu is technically unisex even though 父 in itself is a male-centric term, although female masters might be more commonly referred to by the gender-neutral shizun instead.

Now that I think about it, shifu doesn’t actually appear in MDZS. Lan Wangji calls Lan Qiren 叔父 /shufu, which is completely different. It means uncle (father’s younger brother, to be exact lol), since that is their relationship.

老头/ laotou/ old man

Wei Wuxian uses this to address Lan Qiren behind his back. It literally just means old man, haha. It’s informal but not a term you would use to refer to someone who is close to you/whom you like, but not exactly a term that is insulting or derogatory, although in Lan Qiren’s case, it is irreverent because it is ill-fitting for the relationship that Wei Wuxian and Lan Qiren have. Meant to be used on men, usually for women it would be 老婆婆/ laopopo (NOT THE SAME as 老婆/ laopo, which means wife. Welcome to the weird wonderful world of the Chinese language!)

师弟/哥/兄/姐/妹/ shi di/ge/xiong/jie/mei/ younger brother/ older brother/ another variant of older brother/ older sister/ younger sister

NOT TO BE USED FOR YOUR ACTUAL FAMILY. This is in the context of the sect only. Your fellow disciples, but with varying levels of seniority. Familial honorifics are a whole different thing.

In the context of the sect, who you call your shidi/ge etc. is usually NOT based on age - it is based on someone’s seniority within the sect. If you have been in the sect/under your master’s tutelage for longer, you are the senior, even if you are younger in age.

With that, I think the novel states that both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng are similar in age, so it is actually incredibly hard to determine if the author deliberately went against this convention and Wei Wuxian calls Jiang Cheng shidi because he is genuinely younger than Wei Wuxian, or if it is simply because Wei Wuxian is the head disciple of the sect (and therefore, technically, everyone is his shidi). I actually think it might be the former because he refers to Jiang Yanli as shijie, although now that I think about it, it might be the latter...as a reflection of the level of admiration Wei Wuxian has for Jiang Yanli WOAH.

(Fun fact: there’s a scene in the novel in Yi city where Wei Wuxian was silently weirded out that Xiao Xingchen referred to him as ‘qianbei’ - because Xiao Xingchen is his mother’s shidi, which makes him Wei Wuxian’s senior, but then he quickly realizes it’s because he’s talking to Xue Yang and not Xiao Xingchen.)

先生 /xiansheng/ mister/sir/teacher

In present day, this is literally the most vanilla term you can use to politely address a guy. Can be a stranger, or an acquaintance you want to politely address. Usually older than you, although if you’re both similar in age and you’re not really familiar with each other, you might still use it just to err on the side of caution. In xianxia/ancient China, this is usually used more like ‘teacher/sir’ to address an elder. It’s more scholastic in its implication and less generic than qianbei.

In the Lan sect, by crowd definition, 先生 refers to Lan Qiren unless otherwise stated, which makes sense and shows the amount of respect he is afforded in the sect.

夫人 / furen/ wife/madam

A term of respect for typically older women, or can also be used to refer to one’s wife.

Lastly, let me just add that this is just something that’s meant to be helpful for people as they work through the series - at the end of the day, it’s all fictional/xianxia itself as a genre is fantasy so if you need to subvert any one of the generally held succession traditions or whatnot in order to make your fic work, go!!! Do it!!!

[sour-star-galaxy]

Ok ok so my brain kinda went off on this tangent of “hey, Taranza and Snatcher have been through similar circumstances, but had very different outcomes.” which eventually devolved into...

A Kirby AHIT crossover AU!!!!pleaseclap!!!

My friend helped me with some of the ideeas lmao. also this is gonna be a bit long, so a whole bunch of ideas and concepts are under the cut!

ok but anyway: Dark Taranza is Snatcher, Sectonia is Vanessa. 

Ok ok hear me out here, yknow how Snatcher used to be the prince? Well Taranza would be the prince in this, and his weird transformation of idk becoming a weird grumpy ghost man who’s a stickler for legality is his soul becoming Dark Taranza or whatever. Much different than kirby lore as DT and Taz arent the same person, but! it! works!

Kirby would be Hat Kid, Bandee would be Bow Kid. 

it just makes sense. 

Also instead of time pieces it would be little stars i guess? I’m thinking maybe either Kirby is trying to reform the Star Rod..? The spaceship would just be like some wierd star-shaped ship reminiscent of that thing he was in in the cartoon but just. bigger I guess.

OH ALSO, so yknow how getting yarns gives you new hats that give you different abilities? weeeell, you also know those like copy ability orbs? Well, Instead of yarn, Kirby collects shards of those to piece the orbas back together to get new copy abilities!

This might be a bit of a shocker as the rest of this is all game-related, but Tiff as Mustache Girl. 

Just. think about it. In the cartoon iirc she’s the one to always get angry when nobody does anything and just Lets Something Bad Happen. and that’s a lot like Mu! 

To go along with this, Mafia Boss is King Dedede! 

Kinda fits with how he used to be a tyrant, but also involved the cartoon a little bit because iirc, he kinda just. showed up and claimed he owned the place? and that was kinda what MB did????

(all the mafia goons are rlly mean waddle dees lol, not quite sure what this means for Bandee tho. actually, where did Bow Kid even come from? Is that ever said or am I missong out on lore? Maybe Bandee just saw how much of a tyrant DDD was and wanted to get away for a while and spend time with his new friend Kirby) 

Cooking Cat is Chef Kawasaki. 

i dont need to explain this

Magolor is DJ Grooves, Marx is The Conductor. 

Imagine DJ Grooves but if he was a lot more shady. Lying to Hat Kid about her chance at stardom. Every time he calls her “darling” is an act to try to her her to trust him so he could use her to bring him to the top. THAT wwould be magolor >:) a real bastard but he tries to be way too nice about it so you believe he really likes Kirby and not the fame he’s bringing him with his movies (he does grow to care by the end of the chapter though)

Yelling, swearing, wanting everything to be under his control and everyone to listen to his every word, ambition, recklessness that still follows a loose plan; minus the swearing I really think Conductor and Marx are alike lmao, if anything Con’s just much more grumpy but who cares. If The Conductor was much more enthusiastic, I think it’d make things more fun anyway. Marx’d be blowing things up out of sheer excitement and lust for destruction.

Alpine Skyline would take place on Ripple Star 

iirc, Alpine Skyline’s plot had a lot to do with a growing darkness making life dangerous for it’s inhabitants as it slowly took over. Sound familiar? haha dark matter go brrr. Ribbon would be there or something. I don’t remember any significant NPCs in AS. 

Badge Seller would be Susie. 

I have nothing good to explain this we had nobody else if you have other suggestions please help me.

Now for DLCs:

Nyakuza Metro would be. uh. Squeakuza Metro. Daroach would be Empress I guess. 

I know nothing about Clawroline so I cannot make her play that role 

I know almost nothing about Empress but. she runs a gang. and uhhh is fabulous

kinda funny that the cat becomes a mouse i guess idk

Seal The Deal would take place on the Halberd, Walrus Captain would be Meta Knight

I dont know anything about Walrus Captain sorry if this sucks

The seals would be various meta knights I guess? idk i feel like the meta knights are more competent than the seals but who am i to say i dont remember anything about STD

AHAHA WAIT NO THAT MEANS SEAL THE DEAL SDFGHJKAFGH im not deleting that i cannot i just was re-reading and it clicked in my mind

[adalics]

hi ! i’m laney ! ada’s background got a little long winded ( sorry not sorry ) but the tldr; sad girl turned sweet party girl turned sad girl again . if you like this post i’ll come plot with you ! i can be reached on disc @ 𝖍𝖊𝖝 𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑𝖘 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖓 𝖆𝖈𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙#5769 . it’s easier for me to keep up with but if you prefer tumblr , that’s cool too . 

(    scarlett    leithold     &     elizabeth    lail      )    bopping     along     to   teenage    dream     by   katy    perry   is     adalia         haas        -        foster   ,     the     twenty    one   year     old     cisfemale     thrown     back     to     their   psychology   days     with     some   of     her   memories     .     voted     most     likely     to     put    others    first     ,     ada     was     known     for     being     devoted     &     obstinate     ,     go     figures     you'd     always     find     them     making     out     at     a     frat     party     ,     but     grew     up     to     be   pragmatic     &   sepulchral        .      ✎      laney     ,     21     ,     she/her     ,     est     .

trigger warning : death , child loss , self - harm , alcoholism , adultery/infidelity , car accidents . 

                    the   basics

𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥  𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞  : adalia  josephine  haas  -  foster  .

𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞  :  ada  .

𝐚𝐠𝐞  :  twenty  -  one  .

𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞  𝐨𝐟  𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡  :  february  14th  .

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫  /  𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬  :  cisfemale  /  her  :  she  .

​𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡  𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞  :  san  diego  ,  california  .

𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲  :  american  .   german   .

𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧  𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬  :  english  .

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫  𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨  :  idk  yet  lmao  .

𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬   :      sun    kissed    skin    gleaming    under    the    warm    sun    ,     saccharine    vowels    falling    out    of    glossy    lips  ,  too    many    unanswered    texts    and    missed    calls    to    ever    get    rid    of    the    notification    bubble    ,    an    eagerness    for    affection    she    could    never    shake   .

                    background

your    unwed   parents    were    elated    but    nervous    to    welcome    two    children    into    the    world    at    once    .    you    arrived    twelve    minutes    ahead    of    your    sibling    .    before    you    ,    they    had    never    seen    a    sparkle    in    someone’s    eyes    as    bright    as    yours    —    one    deep    &    cornflower    blue    ,    the    other    dipped    in    honey    with    speckles    of    gold    .    the    first    eleven    years    of    your    life    were    blissful    ,    content    ,    easy    -    going    .    you    were    the    flower    girl    at    their    wedding    .    your    father    was    a    pilot    in    the    marines    .    your    sweet    mother    didn’t    know    a    thing    until    it    was    too    late    .    she    was    a    labor    &    delivery    nurse    with    long    hours    .    she    was    a    bit    of    a    treehugger    .    you    grew    up    recycling    &    never    eating    a    meal    with    animal    products    .    when    she    wasn’t    working    ,    she    was    taking    care    of    the    kids    .    she    didn’t    notice    when    he    came    home    too    l  a  t  e    .    or    when    he    didn’t    swing    by    during    lunch    .    she    had    no    reason    to    suspect    he    was    fooling    around    during    his    deployments    (    and    his    days    off    ,    for    that    matter    )    .    one    day    there    was    a    knock    at    the    door    .    a    fellow    officer    had    come    by    to    tell    mrs    .    haas    that    she    had    fallen    pregnant    ...    with    mr    .    haas’s    baby    .    by    the    time    mr    .    haas    pulled    into    the    driveway    following    a    tiresome    shift    ,    you    were    long    gone    .    

you    adapted    to    the    san    francisco    area    well    enough    .    the    burden    of    two    children    was    getting    the    best    of    your    mother    so    you    never    complained    .    when    your    oma    came    to    live    with    you    ,    things    were    starting    to    look    up    for    you    .    conversations    with    dad    were    fleeting    but    he    told    you    he    missed    you    .    and    he    loved    you    .    he    told    you    about    your    new    baby    brother    .    thirteen    would    be    the    last    year    you    received    a    birthday    card    from    your    father    before    you    stopped    hearing    from    him    at    all    .    your    mother    went    into    travel    nursing    that    same    year    .    she    needed    an    escape    .    a    new    start    .    but    she    wouldn’t    uproot    her    family    again    .    so    as    she    traveled    the    continental    u.s.    ,    you    &    your    sibling    stayed    behind    with    oma    .    you    were    always    a    mommy’s    girl    .    she    was    your    idol    .    and    then    she    was    gone    .    you    formed    a    friendship    with    your    oma    .    you    learned    her    recipes    ,    the    shows    she    liked    &    the    songs    she    loved    to    sing    .    but    the    scars    on    your    wrists    proved    how    lonely    you    truly    were    .    

your    life    was    dull    .    you    wanted    to    feel    something    .    cutting    led    to    drinking    which    led    to    parties    which    led    to    boys    .    they    said    they    adored    you    ,    but    you    quickly    learned    that    only    meant    they    adored    what    was    in    your    pants    .    when    you    didn’t    put    out    ,    they    made    up    lies    .    you    kept    your    circle    small    from    that    point    forward    .    you    looked    out    for    them    &    they    looked    out    for    you    .    your    brief    brushes    with    love    &    the    lived    experience    of    divorce    hardened    you    .    until    you    saw    him    .    alexsander    knew    the    rumors    of    course    ,    but    that    didn’t    stop    him    from    asking    you    on    a    date    .    in    the    beginning    you    were    afraid    .    stand    -    offish    .    but    he    won    your    heart    .    you’d    be    inseparable    ever    since    .    you’d    never    seen    a    love    quite    like    his    .    gentle    ,    passionate    ,    devoted    .    his    flaws    were    merely    tiny    hiccups    in    your    happily    ever    after    .    you    could    fix    him    ,    the    way    he    fixed    you    .    when    it    was    time    for    college    ,    you    couldn’t    let    him    go    .    rom    valley    wasn’t    too    far    away    from    your    old    life    with    oma    .    with    a    tank    full    of    gas    &    a    couple    of    hours    on    the    road    ,    you    could    easily    visit    .    so    you    left    .    you    joined    a    sorority    &    other    organizations    .    your    job    at    twin    peaks    was    supposed    to    be    ironic    but    your    quite    the    chatty    cathy    .    lonely    men    were    eager    for    your    conversation    ,    so    ,    the    money    was    good    .    not    that    you    needed    it    .    but    the    independence    felt    nice    .    you    majored    in    psychology    because    you    wanted    to    help    girls    who    reminded    you    of    yourself    .    college    was    the    best    time    of    your    life    .    

you    would’ve    sworn    that    happiness    would    last    forever    .    then    you    got    the    call    from    your    mother    .    she    was    thousands    of    miles    away    &    frantic    .    she    said    oma    had    a    heart    attack    .    in    the    three    hours    it    took    to    drive    home    ,    she    passed    away    .    you    were    crushed    .    but    alexsander    was    there    .    he    made    sure    you    didn’t    slip    through    the    cracks    .    he    supported    you    through    your    grief    .    life    returned    to    normal    after    a    few    months    .    the    guilt    lingered    .    you    smiled    through    it    .    when    you    graduated    ,    you    began    working    for    a    publishing    company    .    a    professor    recommended    you    for    the    job    ,    actually    .    you    loved    it    .    you    got    married    .    you    had    a    baby    .    alina    .    because    she    was    the    light    of    your    life    .    if    you    couldn’t    have    the    perfect    family    then    you    would    make    your    own    .   it    slipped    alexsander’s    mind    to    pick    up    his    daughter    from    practice    .    you    chastised    him    ,    reminding    him    that    nothing   was    more    important    than    his    family    .    you    were    hit    by    a    drunk    driver    going    above    the    speed    limit    .    only    ten    minutes    away    from    home    .    of    the    two    passengers    ,    only    you    survived    .    they    told    you    in    the    hospital    that    she    died    on    impact    .    your    precious    alina    didn’t    feel    any    pain    .    but    you    did    .    you    couldn’t    eat    or    sleep    .    you    fell    into    a    deep    depression    .    a    wife    who    loses    a    husband    is    a    widow    .    a    child    that    loses    its    parents    is    an    orphan    .    there’s    no    word    for    a    parent    who    loses    their    child    .    that’s    how    awful    the    loss    is    .    and    where    was    your    prince    ?    drowning    his    sorrows    in    brown    liquor    .    when    you    lost    her    ,    you    lost    him    too    .    you    tried    to    help    .    you    tried    to    set    aside    your    grief    to    heal    him    too    .    it    didn’t    work    .    the    man    lying    next    to    you    was    a    stranger    .    so    you    left    .    you    took    your    time    filing    for    a    divorce    .    you    put    all    your    focus    into    writing    a    book    .    the    tale    of    a    girl    who    lost    every    love    she’d    ever    known    .    it    was    you    .    a    new    york    times    best    seller    .    you    toured    the    world    sharing    your    story    .    your    mother    served    your    husband    the    papers    a    month    before    the    reunion    .    the    event    completely    slipped    your    mind    .    

                    personality

you   can    be    one    of    the    most    loyal    people    any    could    ever    encounter    because    you’re    is    so    thoughtful    &    generous    .    everyone    knows    you’re    goal    -    oriented    .    naturally    ,    it’s    rather    difficult    for    you    to    let    people    in    so    when    you    actually    do    care    for    someone    you’ll    will    go    to    the    ends    of    the    earth    to    prove    her    friendship    .    even    in    a    platonic    sense    you’re    often    embracing    others    ,    holding    hands    or    placing    pecks    on    the    cheek    .    you’re    innately    charismatic    ,    perceptive    ,    &    observant    .    your    radiant    personality    has    it’s    less    admirable    side    .    you’re    known    to    be    a    little    too    sensitive    ,    sarcastic    ,    envious    ,    bellicose    .    a    mix    of    her    upbringing    &    her    aquarius    sun    sign     .   your    life    has    made    you    jaded    .    you’re    not    the    bottle    blonde    you    were    in    college    .    you    can’t    have    a    meal    without    having    a    drink    .    there’s    a    crack    in    your    smile    that    even    you    can’t    hide    .

[wenskexing]

5 REASONS TO WATCH ‘WHEN A SNAIL FALLS IN LOVE’

Recently okay a while ago I finished watching When a Snail Falls in Love, and was left with the emptiness that follows when you finish something that was just that good. I don’t usually venture into C-dramas, but after hearing great reviews from trusted sources, coupled with my undying love for Wang Kai, I decided to take the bite. So here I am—months later—still thinking about this show and all of its amazingness and I just thought that I’d compile a list to convince more people to watch this show and fangirl with me. I feel like not many people venture into C-dramas (as I myself haven’t had in the past either), I still want to make a case for this one because like I said it’s really good and then there’s also Wang Kai of course. 

[Okay but before the list of reasons, first here’s a good synopsis of the show from Soompi.]

When a Snail Falls in Love is a crime thriller/romance drama based on the novel of the same name by author Ding Mo. It stars Wang Kai as Ji Bai, an ace police detective who is in charge of the Violent Crimes Unit, and his partner Xu Xu, an intern criminal profiler played by Wang Zi Wen. The two seem like an awkward pairing, but in reality they’re the best team with an incredible track record in solving crimes. Ji Bai initially intended to fire Xu Xu due to her lack of physical fitness, but she is very talented in profiling. Over time, they become impressed and admire each other’s talents and work ethic, and the pair slowly fall in love in the midst of their investigations (x).  

– THE REASONS –

5.  The cases

I loved that the cases weren’t just a backdrop as some shows do. While I have nothing against episodic arcs, there is a certain weight that is taken away when things are  resolved by the end of each episode too easily. While not exactly my favorite part of the show, as certain parts may feel a bit draggy (especially with the first story arc, but it picks up with the second story arc) it certainly knew when to draw your attention by drawing up the stakes high to full effect. There are two main cases (story arcs) that spill over to many of the episodes. It’s also an intriguing watch and makes for some heart-racing television and it also explores some pretty interesting themes and means pf storytelling. Sorry for the vagueness but I just don’t want to spoil anything. The cases that they characters in this show investigate creates a really nice setting ground for these characters their relationships to blossom in amazing ways. Fair warning though, the show does tackle some weighty topics and it can get quite graphic too. The episodes are also no more than half hour a piece, so the time commitment shouldn’t be an issue :)

4. The side characters

Despite the episode’s length of half an hour each, and with only 21 episodes to its name (I’m still waiting for the news of a season 2 tbh) surprisingly there was still enough time to develop some pretty great characters in their own right. There’s even an amazing female friendship to boot, that not only support one another but are total bad asses in a male dominated field, and are also so brave and wonderful you’ll cry when you think about them (okay you might not, but I still do).

3. Wang Kai is Ji Bai

As much as I love him, I surprised myself by putting him only as number three on this list. Which says a lot. But that just for me goes to show how much this series has going for it, and all the more reasons to why I adore it so much :’)

For me I didn’t think that Ji Bai would be so great on paper as a character. But on the screen with Wang Kai’s incredible acting to show us the complexities of an otherwise flat character, things turn for the best. Ji Bai can be pretty serious and stoic at times but when you have an actor like Wang Kai, everything just falls into place. He really does have this undeniable air about him when he acts, something restrained, that’s simmering just below the surface, and it’s up to the audience to pay close attention and then be completely immersed in his roles. His strong presence and looks may also well be his bane because of something called typecasting, but I like that with every role he takes on (most notably Prince Jingyan the love of my life in Nirvana in Fire, to those of you who haven’t seen it, please do yourself a favor and go watch that masterpiece) he does his best to not fall into that typecasting nightmare by making the character his own. It also just so happens that he constantly makes my heart melt with his face and the beautiful beyond compare voice of his :’)

Here’s a pic of him in a pair of aviators that slay me 24/7 (the navy and black ensemble he’s wearing here also doesn’t hurt either, I suppose).

And here’s him in a very chic athletic-y jacket that’s in the cutest color, and suits him so well. 

Then we have him looking super casual and still hella fine.

Here’s him in uniform.

Here’s him looking super dapper and life-ruining, in a suit that fits him like a glove.

And finally, here’s him in a cowboy-esque hat that he somehow pulls off?? Idk man, I’m no a scientist, I’m an English major so I can’t say for sure why that is the case either ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

2. Xu Xu as an amazing lead and character

Xu Xu is everything I admire in my lady characters. She’s smart, intuitive, and strong in ways that isnt about physical strength. More than anything I found her to be a greatly empathetic character. By that I mean in the way that she feels for others. She feels emotions as intensely as only someone that truly cared about your well being would and it makes me love her so much. Shes unafraid to show the world that shes intelligent and is irreverant in trusting her spot-on instincts. Sometimes, she does make wrong calls though, and its because shes human. Theres no fault, no ill-intent. But then she isnt afraid to apologize and make amends. I love that about her just so freaking much, Its a trait I dont see enough of and all the more what makes Xu Xu so lovable and amazing to me. And thats all to Wang Zi Wen too. Wow shes just great. 

1. THE OTP AND THE FUCKING SLOW BURN ROMANCE OH MY GOD

LOOK AT THEM !!1!

When it’s all said and done, of course the main seller of this drama, especially if you’re anything like me is the OTP. I love them. SO MUCH.

And once again I don;t have anything intellectual or groundbreaking to say. What I feel for these two is just so strong, and that should tell you a lot. 

But seriously, if you don’t watch for anything at all, watch it for the fucking slow burn. You will not regret it. 

Also they’re the definition of tol and smol…need I say much more?