#liu zhang icons

[scarefox]

I want to congratulate Liu Xuan Cheng on his two work-boyfriends 😏

(for legal reasons this is a joke)

[gunwish]

[时代少年团] Teens In Times (TNT) icons ୨୧⋆ ˚

♡𝅼 like or reblog if you save ♡𝅼

[jianqies]

Kona and lqq 🍒

[romance-of-three-memes]

It's incredible how fairly small observations from other people can change your perspective on a character, because for most of my life I very aggressively did not give a single solitary shit about Lu Bu until I started seeing takes from other people bringing up how in ro3k he's very overtly punished by the narrative for caring more about the women in his life than he's 'supposed' to according to the good old dude-bro Confucianism code. Obviously he's by no means a feminist icon but it's something.

I mean we're talking about the same fictionalized historical tradition where you got the Hua Guan Suo Zhuan, and that starts with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei deciding that if they really want their new brotherhood oath with Liu Bei to matter then they have to go murder each other's entire families and the only ones who escape are Guan Yu's oldest son Guan Ping (because he begs Zhang Fei to spare him and take him on as a protege) and Guan Yu's pregnant wife because she manages to run away and gets taken in by another family, and when Guan Suo grows up and finds out about all this it doesn't seem to deter him from wanting to meet his biological father at all. Like oh hahaha you know... He did it for his bros, that's ancient history basically.

Also where in a version of the story after Lu Bu is defeated, Liu Bei and his brothers start fighting over Diaochan and Guan Yu murders her because guys, we cannot let a woman tear us apart like this... So clearly the solution is to kill her horribly.

So yeah a guy going 'well man, I don't want my wife to hate me for leaving her behind in a siege (again)' actually is a pretty big deal, as absolutely bare minimum as it feels by our standards.

[burst-of-iridescent]

atla live action thoughts: season one review

first things first: anyone who says the Movie That Does Not Exist is better than the live action is straight-up lying. the shymalan film fails on the criteria of even being a decent movie, let alone an adaptation. the netflix series, for all its problems, is at least an enjoyable watch with great effects, music and (mostly) appropriate casting. there's absolutely nothing to compare here - the netflix version clears easily.

now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's delve into the series, starting with the positives.

the good:

visuals and cinematography. they really did a great job of making it feel like a fantasy universe you wanted to be in & i love how vibrant the saturation and colour grading was. it made the world feel so much more dynamic and alive instead of the same flat, boring dullness that so many movies and shows have these days. sometimes i didn't even mind that i was being fed obvious exposition because at least they were giving me something pretty to look at lmao

effects and action. the bending was surprisingly good for the most part, and they did a good job of making the elements feel unique through the stunt choreography and the actors' movements. i'm immensely thankful they didn't try to skimp on budget by merely cutting away from fight scenes or showing us as little as possible. almost all the action sequences were fast-paced and engaging, and i was never bored watching them

acting. the main four were all great, but gordon cormier and dallas liu have to be the standouts for me. gordon brings such an earnest, innocent sweetness to aang that you can't help but like him, and dallas plays all of zuko's facets perfectly: the angst, the explosive anger, the bratty snark, and especially the deep-rooted pain that characterizes so many of zuko's actions in book 1. the range he has, especially when flashing from younger to older zuko, was insane. special shoutout to maria zhang and sebastian amoruso as suki and jet respectively, because they killed it

music. leaves from the vine instrumental had me tearbending and i love how they kept the iconic avatar theme while making it a little darker for this iteration of the story. in general, the soundtrack felt very true to the animation while still being a fresh spin on it

zuko and iroh's relationship and expanding on zuko's crew. i think the fandom universally agrees that lu ten's funeral and zuko's crew being the 41st division were the best changes in the series, so i'm not going to talk about it further other than to say that these scenes show me what the show can be, and that's why i'm not giving up on it

the bad:

characterization. almost all the main characters are missing the little nuances that made them so great in the original, but the greatest casualty is katara. i hate that they took away so much of her rage, and gave many of her traits and struggles to sokka. i don't think this is a problem solely with the writing though, because certain lines do feel like things animated katara would say, but the directing and line delivery don't have the same punch that made her so fierce in the original. this is an easily fixed issue though, so i hope they take the criticism and let my girl be angry and fuck shit up next season

exposition. this was primarily a problem in depicting aang's personality and the relationship between the gaang, because a) why are you TELLING me that aang is mischievous and fun-loving instead of just showing me and b) the gaang do NOT feel like close friends, mostly because they spend so much time apart in every episode that they have little screentime to actually bond and develop intimacy.

lack of focus on the intricacies of bending. for a show whose tagline is "master your element" the characters spend very little time actually... mastering their element. zuko is never shown to struggle with firebending (which is going to have ramifications when it comes to developing his relationship with azula), and neither aang nor katara ever learn waterbending from a master throughout the the entire show. i'm pretty sure aang never willingly waterbends ONCE in the entire eight episodes, discounting the avatar state and koizilla. bending isn't just cool martial arts, it's closely linked to the philosophies and spirituality of each nation, and i wish that had been explored more.

pacing. they really needed to do a better job of conveying that time passed between episodes because an 8-episode season is just going to FEEL shorter than a 20-episode one. the original animation felt as though they'd truly been on a long journey before arriving at the north, but here it feels like the entire show happened in the span of a fortnight or so because each episode seemed to pick up right after the previous. they needed to have more downtime within episodes instead of just rushing from plot beat to plot beat because it made everything feel a lot more rushed. give the characters and story time to breathe.

final rating: 7/10.

overall, i would describe the live action as a better version of the percy jackson movies - not an accurate or perfect adaptation, but a decent story that's very fun to watch. but what really makes me root for this show to get a season 2 is that it has a lot of potential and more importantly, a lot of heart. it's evident that the people who worked on it do genuinely love and respect the original series, and it shows onscreen.

regardless of anything else, this show created opportunities for so many asian and indigenous actors, writers and creators to tell the kinds of stories and play the kinds of roles they don't usually get, and that's something worth supporting. if they take the criticism from this season and improve, i believe they really do have something special on their hands which - although it might not be the original we all know and love - could still be a story to be proud of.

[zhoudadudugongjin]

Red Cliff: Part Two!

Lmao Zhang Fei in the arrow game. Iconic.

Idk what Sun Xiaomei (Shangxiang i think they call her in this?) is doing pretending to be part of Cao Cao's army but she seems to be having fun getting her flirt on with this chap. It's cute. I can ship that.

The army is all diseased and Zhuge Liang is getting personally stuck in to help treat them, which is very sweet of him.

Liu Bei wants to back out of the alliance because all his soldiers are dying, but Zhuge Liang wants to stay behind with his new boyfriend.

You can say that again lmao. I get more more surrogate dad-son vibes from them in this adaptation. Probably because they made the age difference so stark, and also because this Zhou Yu is a classy catch.

awwww

Next we get to watch Zhou Yu prance around with his sword looking hot and disehevelled for a bit so I won't complain too much. Xiao Qiao laments that she wishes she could make a teapot full of rainbows and smiles and they all just drink it and be happy :(

Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang get up close and personal to talk about arrows

We get Zhou Yu's most Iconic moment!! Where he gets drunk with his old school friend and they sleep together :)) 10/10 for homoeroticism

Lu Su has a pet scarecrow friend 😭😭

Zhou Yu offers Zhuge Liang a blowjob

Cao Cao gets his moment of humanisation while he hangs out with the sick and injured and talks about how he misses his little boy who is always sick.

Shangxiang is back from her little holiday and gets Xiao Qiao to strip her in front of a whole load of men who all turn around awkwardly not knowing where to look. It turns out she has an entire map of Cao Cao's camp wrapped around her tiny waist. As you do.

I ship Xiao Qiao and Shangxiang by the way

Funny story, I kinda forgot that this was Sun Quan. Like I just forgot what he looked like. He had completely skipped my mind so when he came up and wrapped his cloak around her like this I was like "WHOMST?" and then I was like "oh shit yeah that's her gege"

Anyway. Then Xiao Qiao decides to fuck off to visit Cao Cao because she REALLY wants to make him tea. Odd plot point but.. I guess they wanted her to do something other than just stand around looking pretty and bolstering Zhou Yu's ego???

Liu Bei is waiting for his boy :(

Zhou Yu is sad his wife is gone so he has another sexy jamming session in the dark with Zhuge Liang and they look at each other like this:

While his wife finally gets to realise her dream of making tea for Cao Cao

Cao Cao's fleet burns and the Big Final Battle kicks off. Shangxiang's little friend she made in Wei dies in front of her which is kinda sad.

Then one thing I haven't mentioned is the unexpected yet wholesome friendship we get between Zhou Yu and Zhao Yun! Here they are, back to back, fighting off the baddies <3

They go and to rescue Xiao Qiao and end up facing off with Cao Cao. And Liu Bei + co are all there too and I'm sure it did not happen like that but eh whatever.

Zhao Yun probably didn't actually invent the pole vault either, but whatever

This shot of Zhou Yu is here just because it's hella cute

Anyway they all defeated Cao Cao through the power of friendship and tea or whatever and tell him to just go home instead of killing him the end

Epilogue:

Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang have one final romantic rendezvous in a field like this is pride and prejudice or something

(the real end)

[lilfishiefigureskates]

US National Championships Review

Men:

Ilia Manlinin: Total Score 333.31 - 1st in the short, 1st in the free. My heart stopped after the fall on the 4Lo. It looked really rough and I think it really shook him up. I was praying that he wasn’t going to do the backflip but of course he did and he almost smashed his face into the ice. I really don’t like the 7 quad program but he likes doing it so I guess he’s gonna keep doing it. I don’t think he’ll be able to keep it up forever tho.

Andrew Torgashev: Total Score 286.49 - 2nd in the short, 2nd in the free. My man smiled and nodded to the judges during the free because he knew he was going to Worlds lol. Pizza King is having the season of a lifetime and I love seeing his confidence. I just hope he can keep the good momentum going but I’m not too worried about him tbh.

Camden Pulkinen: Total Score 252.92 - 4th in the short, 4th in the free. I did not have high hopes for Camden going into this completion because his Grand Prixs were both very bad. His short program was amazing. My eyes were misty and my heart was soaring. I’m so glad he also delivered a clean free. I am staying cautiously optimistic about 4 Continents because Camden usually skates well at nationals but then he’ll fall a part at his next assignment.

Maxim Naumov: Total Score 248.16 - 7th in the short, 3rd in the free. In think this is his 3rd year in a row getting 4th at nationals. But if you’re gonna keep getting 4th at nationals it’s good to be a US nationals because at least you get the pewter. The 4S was not working for him this competition which is a shame, but I’m glad that he didn’t let the problems with the 4S mess up the rest of his programs.

Jimmy Ma: Total Score 236.78 - 3rd in the short, 7th in the free. He was fabulous in the short but it’s so frustrating that he can’t do two clean programs at competition. He was out there looking like Nathan in the free tho. I’m glad he was able to get the 4T2T after the 2T, but he couldn’t keep it together in the second half of the program. I love watching him perform.

Tomoki Hiwatashi: Total Score 229.53 - 10th in the short, 5th in the free. He is so entertaining and I am absolutely obsessed with his free. I think it fits him so well. So sad about the 4T in the short. He really needed some chapstick.

Women:

Amber Glenn: Total Score 216.79 - 3rd in the short, 1st in the free. I think the nerves really got to Amber here, especially in the free, but I’m glad she got her back to back titles. The 3A in the free was stunning. Unfortunately nether one of Amber’s programs really stand out to me so we’re gonna need some better music for the Olympic season please and thank you.

Alysa Liu: Total Score 215.33 - 1st in the short, 2nd in the free. That damn spin. I really thought she had it and if she had won I would’ve been over the moon. Seeing her happy just makes me so happy. Her short was probably my favorite performance of the season. I was crying fat tears. She is an icon and she is going to worlds!!!

Sarah Everhardt: Total Score 207.36 - 4th in the short, 3rd in the free. Needs to replace the 3T3T in the short or at least do it in the second half of the program. Both of her programs really clicked with me at this competition, because I was not really feeling either of them. So excited to see her at Four Continents and just like Amber said she needs to train like she’s going to Worlds because who knows what is going to happen with Isababy.

Brandie Tennell: Total Score 199.94 - 2nd in the short, 4th in the free. Slayed the short program. Second half of the free kinda fell apart but it’s still very pretty.

Sherry Zhang: Total Score 188.48 - 5th in the short, 7th in the free. It was her senior debut and she lowkey killed it. Short was great. I liked the Hunger Games free, and I loved the bow and arrow movement at the beginning. First half was great but she couldn’t keep it together. But she did fight to the end.

Starr Andrews: Total Score 185.97 - 12th in the short, 5th in the free. I love Starr so much. I’m glad she had a good comeback in the free. It was a bummer not seeing her at a Grand Prix this season but she just doesn’t have the consistency.

Pairs:

Alisa Efimova / Misha Mitrofanov: Total Score 211.9 - 3rd in the short, 1st in the free. This pairs event was crazy. They have really good speed and were giving great attitude in the short. In the free they landed all the SBS jumps and the throws. Not much more you could ask for.

Katie McBeath / Daniel Parkman: Total Score 190.57 - 4th in the short, 2nd in the free. I don’t really vibe with either one of their programs tbh. Biggest mistakes was the SBS 3F in the free, but the throw 3Lo was great!

Ellie Kam / Danny O’Shea: Total Score 189.57 - 1st in the short, 5th in the free. Short was excellent but the free was my goodness the free was scary. I’m just glad they’re both okay after that fall. Danny is a great partner because he really took the brunt of the fall. I hope they are able to move past this performance.

Ice Dance:

Madison Chock / Evan Bates: Total Score 223.52 - 1st in the rhythm, 1st in the free. Maddy was really not looking good after the free. I have no idea how she went out there and performed the way she did. She is a warrior. Rhythm was pretty solid but the free was not their best.

Christina Carreira / Anthony Ponomarkenko: Total Score 210.79 - 2nd in the rhythm, 2nd int he free. I am so, so happy that he got a new costume for the free but I’m upset that she also changed her costume because I really liked the yellow! Rhythm is pretty solid, but the free was amazing. I love it so much. Glad they got some transfer proof lipstick lol.

Caroline Green / Michael Parsons: Total Score 205.37 - 4th in the short, 3rd in the free. I lost my tech box during their free which was rough because I don’t know enough about ice dance yet to not have a tech box. I don’t really know what the story of their free program is but I could tell that they were telling a story (lol idk if that made any sense) and it was very pretty.

The score inflation that was going on here was insane but I hope everybody got a big confidence boost from these big scores. I am not going to be able to get a Europeans preview out because it starts tomorrow and once I get this posted it will be my bedtime but I will be writing a review! Ngl I am looking forward to a break after Europeans because Canadian Nationals, US Nationals and Europeans all back to back has been a lot.

[luyi]

Lol it took me an hour to get enough courage and motivation to be back on tumblr and shout into the fandonless void. Anyways, we are getting wax statues for young Ye Wenjie, Shi Qiang, and their creator Liu Cixin in Madame Tussauds Shanghai. The statues will be revealed on June 24th. (Edit on June 24th: there isn't a Liu Cixin Statue, and the poster is a bit misleading I guess. Also to look at the Shi Qiang and Wang Ziwen statues, please click here).

I know what you are wondering. There will not be a Wang Miao statue. Last year, during the Scifi con in Chengdu. Some fans asked about this, and the answer was Zhang Luyi was very serious about portrait rights, so he didn't give permission for Miaomiao's statue to be made. My very personal guess is that he either thought the idea of a wax copy of himself creepy, was too shy and awkward about the whole thing, or just didn't feel he deserved to be there. There doesn't seem to be a senior Ye Wenjie statue either.

OK. Stop now if you are not a Shiwang shipper, because I'm going to talk about the Shiwang agenda in Shi Qiang's poster. Here are the three photos they picked for Shi Qiang's poster:

The first one is Shi Qiang looking for Miaomiao as soon as he enters the very crowded room. The second one is the iconic hug scene. The third one is when they are setting the timer in Shi Qiang's car. I CAN'T BELIEVE MIAOMIAO IS IN ALL OF THE PHOTOS. They even just downright hid Shi Qiang's face in the last one LOL. I can tell whoever made the poster was crying for Miaomiao.

I do like the comment from one fan. They suggested that if Miaomiao is not there, then there should be a "我淼淼呢?/Where's my Miaomiao?" sign right beside Shi Qiang's statue. I mean can you imagine the amount of people visiting while cosplaying Wang Miao?

Now let me bring your attention to the countdown timer on Shi Qiang's poster which is 1184:45:51. We all know Shiwang's timers are in sync at 1018:44:00, and the time on the poster is earlier than that. So it seems to be just a random time. BUT, some fans actually found this time in the show.

In episode 3, Wang Miao is in bed ready to sleep. He is staring at the ceiling, and asks his wife where they will be in 49 days. Then after his wife says that they'll just be here, Wang Miao closes his eyes, and the time is exactly 1184:45:51.

So now the fans are applauding the one who made the poster, because they paid so much attention to the show. And for Shiwang shippers, this just implies that at this time, Wang Miao is thinking about Shi Qiang LOL...Shiwang is really so epic that the shippers are everywhere! I can't believe tumblr is still sleeping on them lol.

[baesujiz]

by clicking here, you will be redirected to #189 medium size, hq gifs of yuxi zhang in the show love at night (e01). all of these gifs were made by me (@baesujiz) from scratch, so please do not redistribute as your own. you may edit them into gif icons, crackships, etc. as long as i am credited. please reblog if you plan on using these. enjoy !

FEATURING : xueyi liu, other side characters WARNINGS : food, alcohol consumption

[x1uizy]

starlight boys post-elim thoughts (link to old thread)

⚠️ contains spoilers ⚠️

honestly, this is abnormal for me but my top 9 really hasn't changed much: liu guanyou, sun yinghao, shao ziheng, lee hangyul, pentor, duan xingxing, zai, & yang dongwha, with some wiggle room for 9th.

of course, zai (20th) and yang dongwha (16th) aren't fully in the running, with zhang jijun (8th), noh minjae (9th), lee daeul (10th), he xi long (11th), hong sungmin (12th) congb (13th), xu shihuan (14th), yoojun (15th), wang kun (17th), lingqi (18th) and sun jiayang (19th) in the mix.

some relevant vote counts (without benefits*):

zhang jijun: 688,894

noh minjae: 650,336

yang dongwha : 399,145

zai: 356,251

*benefits are pretty much useless except to tiebreak the last elimination spot. in this round, neither eden nor choi junho got benefits though so it didn't matter, but if choi junho's team had won he would've made it instead of eden.

*because i find it interesting here are the instances where to wouldve made a difference in rank:

lee daeul (10) & noh minjae (9)

zai (20) & han jeongwoo (21)

etani hikari (26) & syo (27) - particularly interesting that their votes were sooooo close, only 2k off. if hikari's team had lost, syo would have gotten 26th with a 3k gap

kris (34) & phoom (35)

eden (36) & choi junho (37)

anyways 4-pick is bound to shake things up so we'll have to see what happens, but it seems unlikely right now that dongwha or zai will catch up to the debut seats. my primary hope is that top 7 stays the same, even if the ranks change.

thoughts on ranks 8 - 21

zhang jijun: intl fans have no idea who this man is 😭 i learned that hes an actor with over a mill on weibo & his fans might try to get him all the way to the finals but then drop him at the last minute. welcome back lu yuting & lelush.

noh minjae: i like him but it doesnt feel like the right group for him. he's talented but he doesnt fit. i wont be mad if he makes it and i think it could be interesting for him to play off of liu guanyou. but hangyul & minjae didnt make sense in a group together the first time around, this time is worse lmfao

lee daeul: once again, not the group for him. i think his one pick will be pretty strong moving forward but he probably needs to get his ass to modhaus for bripleS idk

he xilong: love him actually. he doesnt match the final group but he doesnt actively detract either. i think he could work. i want him to gain more confidence on stage & its a shame that we dont have enough rounds to see him grow

hong sungmin: talented but i cant get into him. his rapping tone was kind of unpleasant in r1 & even though i know he's better than that it kinda ruined things for me

congb: i like him but i think a different group would work for him. i think he & daeul would do better in kpop and i really dont think that's where this group is fully headed

xu shihuan: i know very little about him but if i couldnt have any of my picks in 9th I'd probably pick him, just image wise. saying this makes me miss ryou kaito.

yoojun: im enjoying him on this show but i dont know what to do with him. i think he's really coming off well but im not sure where he can go from here. can he act? become a streamer?? idkkk. he's too talented onstage but im not sure if this is enough for him to be successful

yang dongwha: still torn on him. i think the bullying scandal has hurt his main base & im not sure if he'll be able to overcome it. it's a shame though that the production clearly had a plan and it's not panning out. i wish they had recruited more people who fit their desired image

wang kun: i liked him more on asy, it's kind of a shame. you know who needed to be on this show? gemini. he would've been solid top 8 & that group would've been diverse & sooo iconic.

lingqi: talented but i can't get into him

sun jiayang: voted for him for storyline reasons but the bubble will probably pop this round

han jeongwoo: i like him but im not sure where he fits. with dongwha's fans kind of wavering i think he's the clearest replacement but they haven't given him as much of a storyline as i might have expected. i think his one pick is likely pretty low, yikes

other people im watching & thinking about: hikari, syo, & xinche.

voting list

this is my shaky voting list. hangyul & junhyuk are staying no matter what, but idk about zai and he xilong. i would be so happy if they made it but i also feel like there's no chance...we'll see after the interim i suppose

me voting for he xilong instead of dongwha or jeongwoo seems contradictory to my top 9 but here's why it's not! It's because [TRAIN PASSES] so that makes perfect sense, right?

voting hangyul for millionaire center. annoying that you can only vote one person per one position per day. i though i did it wrong at first because it looks like you should be able to fill all of the positions. it'd be nice if it was more like the difference between regular & vip votes, where everyone can fully vote once and vip just get extra votes.

this gets into structure a bit but because they've condensed the rounds voting is kinda...off. like normally you might expect 9-6-3-1 but theyre probably gonna do 9-4-1. if i could vote for 6. syo & pentor (worried he might drop) would probably round out my list.

thoughts on the show/ the show's structure

im torn about some things. i think its good that they're being a little more creative with the structure of the survival show, which hasn't changed much at all really from produce 101, but i think you run into some danger when you start taking things away instead of adding.

im in agreement with the masses on the first mini elimination- it was cruel and unnecessary, and cut some talent that would probably still be here today. but one review i saw brought up the point that it has probably had a more positive than negative impact on the show - people heard about it and were shocked, and ironically that made them more interested in watching the show and more dedicated to supporting the boys. and then this is my own addition, but eliminating that small number of trainees in the beginning allowed them to cut a whole round & save money (assuming that the original song round is one of the most expensive rounds in a typical survival show). so from a production stance, it was a net positive, even if it's not as fun for fans to watch.

while I've been following the show closely, im not actually watching at 100% like i usually do. i was looking forward to the original song round but now that it's just the finale...eh. im not expecting to be impressed by next round either. the only question is vocals and honestly this show doesnt have very many. they have a bunch of performers who happen to be solid singers or rappers, but few dedicated vocalists. while i dislike that in general, i think this group being a performance/dance group makes sense for some reason.

honestly my favorite non-performance content in survival shows will always be watching their dynamics in the practice room. so this sports day does absolutely nothing for me and there's a good chance i won't watch it. there's a reason why sports day content is usually interspersed with the elimination! it does not need it's own episode!! i think they could've come up with some other creative content to fill that space. if i think of something ill make another post (<- unlikely)

listened to millionaire and pretty dirty boy and uhm. millionaire is the better song but the choreo is soooo ridiculous it looks like that stupid frog dancing meme that popular when i was in like. high school or something 😭 and pretty dirty boy just isnt that good of a song idk. maybe ill change my mind about where hangyul is going. also its so annoying that project 7 made you vote for 35 people every single time but starlight boys wont let us do up to 18. both of them should let you leave blank spaces but you should def be able to vote for more than 1 person for starlight boys. i actually know people on this show!!

a lot of people seem to still think that this will be a kpop group & that what knetz think of the lineup will matter. can i ask why you think that? 🎤. this is qcyn4 i would be soooo surprised if the don't release anything in chinese/if they don't promote in china. there's not even a korean person challenging for center like 😭 it seems clear to me that hosting the show in korea was just a way to get around the survival show ban in china, lmfao. if anything, i think they could do an xg type thing where they sing in english, but i doubt that. i think the final group will be most like exo, with a foot in korea and i foot in china, but more firmly planted in china. HOWEVER. there's a horrible rumor that they'll be managed by podol and i just refuse to believe that iqiyi would waste a group like that. but with so many podol trainees it feels...probable. idk. even the hypothetical makes me want to vomit. #freebae173 #fantasyboys #freeclass:y #free anyone who has ever been associated with mbk.

in conclusion im sad about them condensing the rounds. i dont think itll be damning but i also hope they dont do it again.

[yeonchi]

Koei Warriors Retrospective Part 7: Dynasty Warriors 5

Dynasty Warriors 5 (真・三國無双4) Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox Release dates: Japan: 24 February 2005 (PS2)/25 August 2005 (Xbox) USA: 29 March 2005 (PS2)/13 September 2005 (Xbox) Europe: 24 June 2005 (PS2)/23 September 2005 (Xbox)

We have now reached the pinnacle of the classic era. With rumours of the PS3's development spreading among gaming circles, Dynasty Warriors 5 was created to be a culmination of the series' PS2 era. With the amount of spinoffs using character designs from this game, this is one of the most iconic games of the series.

I brought this game sometime in 2007 on a bit of a whim after having played the PSP game over and over again for at least a year. I was at a GAME store on a day trip out of town (this was a time when GAME, a UK chain, existed in Australia) and I asked the worker there if they had any Dynasty Warriors games for the PS2. They went off and got two games of which I had to pick one; one was DW3XL and the other was DW5. I picked this game (preowned for $40) and looking back, I made the right choice.

Anyway, let's dive right into my childhood and I'll try not to let toxic nostalgia blind my judgement of this game.

As a side note, this instalment will also serve as a tribute to Taiki Matsuno, who voiced Ling Tong and Liu Shan in the Japanese dub.

Dynasty Warriors 5

This game introduces six new characters. Shu and Wei have two characters each in an effort to balance out the rosters for the Three Kingdoms, while Wu and Other have one new character:

Shu

Guan Ping

Xingcai (based on Liu Shan's first two wives, who are both Zhang Fei's daughters)

Wei

Cao Pi

Pang De

Wu

Ling Tong

Other

Zuo Ci

Musou Mode goes back to being individualised. In an effort to put focus on the individual warriors, the narration segments are replaced by character narrations between battles and the commander/strategist introducing each battle (the two parts are merged into the battle introductions for the Other characters). The narrator's role is relegated to the ending narrations, where the final sentence changes depending on the difficulty you play.

Most characters have 5 stages for their Musou Modes (making it a seamless experience coming from the PSP game). Xiahou Dun, Dian Wei, Sun Ce and Guan Yu have an additional stage unique to them (Guan Yu's Escape, Wan Castle, The Trials of Sun Ce), Other characters (except for Zuo Ci) have 4 stages while Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Sun Jian and Zuo Ci have 8.

Speaking of Zuo Ci, he does appear as an enemy, but only once or twice in the Musou Modes for Cao Cao and Xu Zhu. He doesn't even appear as an ally in Liu Bei's Musou Mode even though he claims to support him.

For the first time, the battle lineups are more historically accurate, meaning that characters don't appear in battles after they historically died. Therefore, you won't see Liu Bei, Cao Cao and Sun Jian all the way to the end unless you play as them. Sometimes you'll also have Musou Modes containing stages set after certain characters' deaths just to fill up the quota, or historically deceased characters just appearing in battles after they died for some reason. Examples for the first case include Dian Wei having battles after Wan Castle or Sun Ce and Da Qiao's final stages being Xiakou when they never appeared for anyone else. For the second case, Taishi Ci historically died in 206 (or nearly a decade later at the Battle of Hefei according to DW7 and 8), yet he appears at the Battle of (New) Hefei Castle. Huang Zhong died a year after the Battle of Mt. Dingjun, but he lived until the Battle of Yiling (in the novel) or the Battle of Baidi Castle (in this game).

Also as a result of giving everyone 5 stages in Musou Mode, a bit of stuff concerning minor warlords is cut, such as Sun Ce fighting Yuan Shu or Huang Zhong and Wei Yan serving Han Xuan. Heck, the only times we see Yuan Shu is at Sishui Gate and at Xiapi if his reinforcements arrive, which is guaranteed to be averted if the flood attack on the castle succeeds (in Cao Cao's scenario). Yuan Shu's reinforcements in that stage consist of two generals with four subofficers each in Cao Cao's scenario compared to one general with three subofficers in Lu Bu's scenario. Honestly, I'd rather see Yuan Shu's reinforcements being overrun by my allies had the flood attack succeeded. To make up for it, there is the Battle of Changshan in Yuan Shao, Diaochan and Lu Bu's stories, featuring Gongsun Zan as the enemy commander.

Battles in Free Mode are sorted chronologically and only contain stages that appear in Musou Mode. As such, most battles only have one or two sides to play as, with the exception of Fan Castle which has three. In addition, no two battles share the same map, which creates a bit of confusion when it comes to Nanzhong as there are 4 maps set in the region, but the battles are named differently which does help. This is the only game to feature conflicts set before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, even if they are mostly fictional battles set up to have Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao and the Nanman fight the Yellow Turbans.

The battle difficulty is now set as you select the stage or Musou Mode instead of through the settings like in previous games. What was the Very Hard or Expert difficulties, being a step up from the Hard difficulty, is now the Chaos difficulty for the first time in a mainline game. Chaos difficulty can be unlocked by clearing Lu Bu's story in Musou Mode.

Challenge Mode consists of Time Attack, Rampage (Endurance from DW4), Bridge Melee and new stage Sudden Death, where you defeat as many enemies before you die in one hit.

The weapon and item listings are separated out from the Encyclopedia into a new Camp section where you can see the weapons listed under each character. You can also explore the character models as well, rotating them and viewing the different costumes using the L1/R1 and L2/R2 buttons respectively. The Encyclopedia retains the officer biographies while also introducing an overview of the late-Han and Three Kingdoms periods, from the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the fall of the Three Kingdoms and their unification under Jin.

The battle mechanics by now should be familiar to you whether you're coming from earlier games or the PSP game, but even if you're new to the series the controls are intuitive. Up to six attacks can be performed depending on the weapon. This is also the first mainline game to not have the charge lock-on mechanic that was the bane of past games.

Characters whose C1s grabbed enemies have had them changed to perform unique attacks, most of them being stomps that do little damage. Characters whose C1s shot magic shots have been changed to elemental orbs that explode after a few seconds. All C5 Charge Drives have been changed to Charge Shoots that knock enemies up into the air. Some characters have had their C6 changed as well.

Jump Charges and True Musou Attacks have been changed to be unique between characters. In the case of Jump Charges, those usually consist of attacking enemies multiple times in the air or firing a shockwave straight ahead or towards the ground. Nearly half of the movesets in this game have Jump Charges that retain or incorporate the old style of "smash into the ground", namely:

Guan Yu

Zhang Fei

Xingcai

Dian Wei

Xu Zhu

Xiahou Yuan

Sima Yi

Cao Ren

Zhou Yu

Taishi Ci

Sun Quan

Lu Meng

Sun Ce

Diaochan

Lu Bu

Dong Zhuo

Yuan Shao

Meng Huo

Great Sword (Fu Xi/CAW)

Rapier (Nuwa/CAW)

This game introduces a new mechanic known as Evolution Attacks, which is an extension of the Normal Attack string from 6 to 9 attacks (with no additional Charge Attacks). To trigger this, you need a weapon that has that capability (some third weapons and all fourth weapons) and your Musou Gauge must be filled.

Musou Rage is another new mechanic introduced in this game. When you obtain a Musou Token, pressing R3 will activate Musou Rage, which doubles your attack, defence and attack speed and prevents you from flinching when being attacked. It also enables you to perform a True Musou Attack regardless of health. However, you are still prone to taking damage even though you don't flinch, which can be detrimental against juggernauts or Lu Bu. Enemies, particularly those with a hyper mode aura about them, can enter Rage Mode as well when their health goes down to a certain level. Although Musou Tokens can be found at random around the battlefield, one is guaranteed to drop every 100 KOs if you are using your fourth weapon.

Weapons are no longer levelled or categorised, meaning that you can have up to four weapons of any level or attribute. Weapons can have up to 5 attributes (out of 10) and each weapon can have a weight of light, medium or heavy. Compared to medium weapons, light weapons are faster but they are weaker (at 75-85% power) while heavy weapons are slower but stronger (at 125% power). And as mentioned, some third weapons and all fourth weapons are compatible with Evolution Attacks.

Battlefield items remain similar to those from DW4 with separate saddle and orb categories. Orbs are no longer randomly obtained from items, but are obtained as rare items on Hard or Chaos difficulty like with fourth weapons (other rare items are still available on any difficulty). Elemental attacks no longer require a full Musou Gauge to trigger. The number of items you can equip is now balanced among the cast; you start off with 2 items and can equip up to 5 at the maximum rank.

Bodyguards are no longer the groups of soldiers that level up into officers that was the case in previous games; in order to accommodate more soldiers appearing on the screen, you now only have one bodyguard officer accompanying you in battle. Bodyguards can wield swords, spears, crossbows/bows or staffs/fans depending on their gender and as they level up (to a maximum of 5), they can learn an element and an ability. If your bodyguard wields a fan, they can heal you when in trouble (which is helpful in Chaos difficulty where meat buns are scarce and only provide +50 health), otherwise they will mostly assist with attacks. At the end of a battle, Shui Jing (Sima Hui) may recommend a new bodyguard to you. Their development potential is noted by how many kingdoms they are famous in and their ability development is noted by their talent evaluation. Up to 8 bodyguards can be kept in total and their names and attributes are randomised. However, I hate that the only line the bodyguards speak is when they apologise after being killed. Give them some praise phrases, for God's sake.

A new stage mechanic introduced in this game are bases, of which there are three types. Attack bases attack enemies around it with catapults or arbalests and the soldiers inside can perform group Charge or Musou Attacks. Defence bases have soldiers with shields and they will guard your attacks from the front. Supply bases can provide supplies to boost the morale of other units and use items to buff the stats of every allied soldier (and officer) in the base when enemies are within. Defeating the guard captain will conquer the base and cause other bases to become confused (stop functioning).

Some stages have neutral bases that fall to the allied/enemy forces depending on which unit enters them first, but a base doesn't switch sides after it has been conquered. I would have liked to see that be a thing but if the battle's favouring your side then I guess there's no point in it. If there are enemies outside an allied defence/supply base and the gates are closed while you are inside, you can use the ramps on the side to escape. Getting back in is a bit of a problem and there is no way to take your horse with you as well. It's almost like this problem can be solved with a mechanic from another game.

Strongholds, known as checkpoints in this game, are carried over to this game as well, spawning reinforcement soldiers which can prove beneficial in racking up your KO count. Unlike in previous games, checkpoints will belong to your side (ie. stop working for the enemy) after you defeat the enemy guard captain for them. In previous games, defeating the enemy guard captain would make them stop working at all, while in DW4, checkpoints may spawn again for the enemy after a while if the battle calls for it.

Interim saves no longer bring you back to the main menu like it did in previous games, however depending on the difficulty, you have a limited number of saves. Novice (in XL) and Easy difficulties can save unlimited times, Normal difficulty allows you to save 3 times, Hard difficulty only allows you to save once and Chaos difficulty doesn't allow you to save at all.

And now for some quick-fire thoughts:

Enemies in this game can perform group attacks, which is precipitated by them moving back.

Enemy officers will glow red in a stance when they are about to perform their Musou Attack, allowing you to move away or quickly attack them before they unleash it.

Destroying archer towers can cause damage to anyone nearby that it falls on.

HP bars can have a second layer, something that would be seen for allies and enemies alike from here on out.

A white ring will appear around horses when you go near them, indicating that you can mount and use them in battle.

In older games, you would have encounter and retreat/death scenes when facing enemy player character officers. These treatments are now reserved for so-called "highlight battles" with hyper mode aura powered officers in the former case and all enemy commanders in the latter case. Overlaps for both cases do exist.

Towards the end of each battle when your forces' morale is high, your allies will offer passing comments when you pass by them.

And finally, I find it interesting that the HUD shows the character's name written in Chinese/Japanese in all versions. It's probably just how the HUD is designed and they probably could have put the English name underneath the side profile portrait, but it's a nice touch nonetheless.

Dynasty Warriors 5 Xtreme Legends

Dynasty Warriors 5 Xtreme Legends (真・三國無双4 猛将伝) Platforms: PlayStation 2 Release dates: Japan: 15 September 2005 USA: 15 November 2005 Europe: 10 February 2006

Before we go on, can we take a moment to appreciate how incredible the Western box and promo arts are? It looks like a cross between Japanese manga and Western comics, but if you say that the tagline "Get ready for some Chinese take-out!!!" is racist, I will call you a snowflake.

So yeah, despite me playing Dynasty Warriors 5 for nearly a decade, I never really got into the Xtreme Legends expansion for it until quite recently with this game and Special. 10-year-old me would have loved what it had to offer.

Legend Mode in this game is different compared to 4XL. All the characters are featured in one of 18 new maps created for this game, with 6 of those being rehashes of maps from the vanilla game. Presumably due to the 5-stage limit for Musou Mode, the Battle of Shiting and The Two Qiaos from 3 are relegated to this mode. There's another Nanzhong stage in there, bringing the total to 5 for the entire game. The difficulty for those stages is not mentioned, but I've seen it stated that they are equivalent to 5-star stages. Clearing each map once allows you to play them as any character.

After being removed from the original game, Edit Mode is back in the expansion. You can create up to 10 custom characters and the game does give you a little more freedom in terms of choosing your face, body, armour/outfit and moveset, but I hate how the profile images have the same (colour) clothes without any head armor where applicable. But that's not all.

To tie into the new Edit Mode, Destiny Mode has been introduced, allowing you to build up your character in a manner similar to SW1's New Officer Mode. You set up your character, assign them a weapon and pick a character out of the Three Kingdoms who you wish to serve under. From here, you start off as a Private and work your way to being a Lieutenant General over 8 stages.

Between stages, you obtain skills that not only allow you to expand your stats and moveset (performing more attacks, Charge Attacks and Musou Attacks), but learn various skills that can help you in battle, such as tactical skills, leadership skills, scout searching skills, horse mounting skills and archery skills. Skill points are required to obtain skills; for each battle, you earn 30 points as a baseline which can be expanded by selecting up to 3 objectives to complete in the battle. Such objectives include getting a certain KO or tactical KO count, defeating a number of officers or guard captains, finding letters, maintaining your health above a certain level, occupying a supply base or achieving victory within a certain amount of time. Tactical KOs are obtained by performing fire attacks on bases, ambushing enemy officers or revealing enemy ambushes, occupying the supply base and rallying allies. Sometimes, your commanding officer may gift you skills and weapons as well.

At the end of each stage, you are given an evaluation based on your military and strategy. If you basically don't do a lot in the battle, your commanding officer will tell you off, which is one of the objectives to acquiring a new armour/outfit set for use in Edit Mode. Both genders have the same objectives for getting these sets, mostly involving obtaining certain skills, except for their final set; male characters need to get a total of 1500 KOs while female characters need to serve all three kingdoms.

When you impress an enemy officer enough, they may give you an offer to defect to their army, which you can accept or reject. If you reject, your strategist may find the letter you threw away and offer a plan to act as an agent with that army. Your strategist may also just straight up offer that plan to you in secret. Either way, if you accept your strategist's plan, you will serve in the other army for a bit until it comes time to defect back. When that battle comes, your redefection is the main and only objective of the battle; you head to the specified area to prepare your defection ambush, then you go back and lure your commanding officer there, at which point you will defect back to your home force.

At the end of Destiny Mode, you may choose to save your character and if you do, you can choose one weapon to keep (and you can't keep your starting weapon to give yourself a generic officer moveset, believe me, I've tried) and that will be the moveset you use in the rest of the game. Destiny Mode is the only mode where you can switch movesets with your weapon, which is very unique. This mode allows you to create a new character that starts off with a third weapon and developed stats. It's pretty nice for what it is even though you don't get all the good stuff until towards the end.

Xtreme Mode returns with some modifications. In this game, you can also collect iron to improve your weapons at the blacksmith. When you choose a battle, you are taken to either the shop or the blacksmith, which is also something to take into consideration. Upon ending a playthrough, you keep 10% of the iron obtained if you quit or 5% if you die.

Troops are no longer hireable, but in exchange, you can recruit up to 6 officers, with 3 in reserve while the other three deploy with you. Captured officers can join your party at half health. Edit characters can also appear in missions and join your party as well. However, depending on your character's alignment, characters may leave your party if they find your behaviour unacceptable.

In this mode the equippable items are not the standard items, but exclusive items that apply to the current mission only and are destroyed when used.

The biggest expansion to this mode is that you can build your own kingdom. In the fifth mission, you will be asked to campaign against bandits, then after you clear it, every fifth mission will be a kingdom-related one to build your own kingdom, then defend it or invade another. Sometimes you may be asked to suppress an uprising if you're constantly taxing your people. After having taken 4 kingdoms (reaching a unification level of 80), you can fight a battle to unify the land. That battle will have you constantly fighting character officers in Hyper Mode, so be prepared for pain.

Two new stages added to Challenge Mode are Gatekeeper, which is similar to the same stage seen in Samurai Warriors, and Speed Strike, where you earn points by defeating enemies and destroying jars and crates. Crates and jars are worth 3 points, wood oxen 10, juggernauts 20 and enemy officers 25.

Throughout this game (vanilla content included), you can earn power-up books which you can use in the Camp section to boost your character or weapon stats. Weapon power-up books appear when playing on at least Normal difficulty.

There are no fifth weapons to be unlocked, but like with DW4XL, fourth weapons and all items from the vanilla game (alongside the new items) can be unlocked in Legend Mode without the need to "load" the original disc. To gain the fourth weapons for edit characters, you just need to play any stage on Hard or Chaos difficulty and achieve 1000 KOs.

Dynasty Warriors 5 Special (Shin Sangoku Musou 4 Special)

Dynasty Warriors 5 Special (真・三國無双4 Special) Platforms: Xbox 360, PC Release dates: Japan: 22 December 2005 (Xbox 360)/22 June 2006 (PC) Taiwan: 16 June 2006 (Xbox 360)/22 June 2006 (PC)

So yeah, after Dynasty Warriors 4 Hyper was released worldwide on PC with only the vanilla content, Dynasty Warriors 5 Special combined half of Xtreme Legends into the vanilla game... and only released it in Japan and Taiwan on a console more popular in the West. Don't trust Wikipedia about this port being released to the West; the dates they quote are actually for 5 Empires.

The only content not available in this port includes the content involving edit characters, namely Edit Mode and Destiny Mode. It's clearly a ploy to gatekeep content exclusively to the PlayStation version, but are people really going to care about edit characters, for crying out loud? It's not a bad compromise when you think about it.

Speaking of which, I know multi-disc games are a thing, but is it possible to implement the "import" system on Xbox consoles? If so, then there was really no excuse to gatekeep Xtreme Legends to the PlayStation. Or even better, don't release the Xbox/PC ports until after Xtreme Legends has been released, then include the Xtreme Legends content on the Xbox and PC ports when you release them!

I didn't mention this when I covered 4 Hyper, but in the Chinese releases of both that game and this game, subtitles are included in the movies (not the event cutscenes that have subtitles by default). I'm honestly puzzled at why they didn't add subtitles for movies in the Japanese and English releases of those games particularly because I find stories easier to understand with them (ironic when we get to that point in the franchise, but that's not the point of the problem). I presume they didn't need subtitles in the Chinese release of 3 because it already has a Chinese dub.

The Pause menu also has a command to take you back to the main menu in case the Start/Back button combination doesn't work, making it more intuitive to do so unlike previous releases.

Like with 4 Hyper, the game has dual audio options. The Xbox 360 version also supports widescreen at 720p resolution with 5.1ch Dolby Digital sound (and upscaling to 1080p) whereas the original releases were at 480i/p in 4:3 display. The black bars are gone from event cutscenes, but the movies, which are pre-rendered, are zoomed and cropped into widescreen.

If you got either this game on PC or 4 Hyper, you will be unable to open it just by double-clicking on the file. The reason is because aside from it requiring an Asian-localised copy of Windows to run (that can be resolved using Locale Emulator), these games also use a driver known as SECDRV.sys, which is used for the Macrovision/SafeDisc/SecuROM DRM solutions. The driver is blocked in Windows 10 and later, rendering this game unable to be run. There are various solutions out there that can get the SECDRV service to work, but the solution that I used was from here - basically what I had to do was to install the Windows 10 SDK and use it to sign a copy of SECDRV.sys with a certificate before installing it into my drivers. PCGamingWiki recommends using SafeDiscShim now, but given what isn't included on 4 Hyper and 5 Special, you're better off just playing Xtreme Legends on an emulator.

Saikyou Data Discs

In Japan, there exists something called Saikyou Data (最強データ) discs for the classic series Warriors games. Typically, they were bundled with the Premium Box releases that bundled Xtreme Legends with Empires or the Super Premium Box releases that added the vanilla game onto it (because of course you need it for the "import"). The discs that had the data for DW3(XL) and SW1(XL) were released with the Treasure Box releases for DW4 and SW2, while SW2XL never had a Saikyou Data release. All these individual releases and boxes will blow your minds if you think about it for more than 30 seconds, so I'm just going to directly talk about the most comprehensive Saikyou Data collection there was.

In 2006, Koei released a series collection of all Dynasty Warriors games for the PS2. The first set, featuring DW2 to DW4XL, was released on 1 January while the second set, featuring DW4E to DW5E, was released on 26 October. The boxes feature the characters in their DW5 designs along with B3 size posters (and in the first set, a blessed money charm from the Zeniarai Benzaiten shrine in Kamakura blessing you with never being short of money).

Each of the Saikyou Data discs give you a 100% save file for each game to your memory card, containing all characters and items at maxed out stats along with all fourth, fifth and Level 11 weapons. The series collection also contains 100% saves for DW2 (which has never had an individual Saikyou Data release) and the two aforementioned Empires games (which hadn't been included on the Super Premium Box releases).

Koei haven't done this for any other games past the PS2 and I theorise that it may be because Sony upped the security of save files so that each game (physical or digital and for each region) can only save to its own save file, or because sites like GameFAQs exist. GameFAQs serves as the equivalent of Saikyou Data (particularly in the West) as it hosts save files provided by gamers. They may not be 100% perfect, but the effort put in to get the saves to that point is worth admiring and is also more natural than characters having the maximum 60,000 XP with zero KOs as shown in the saves provided by the Saikyou Data discs.

Rant: A very Musou childhood

Dynasty Warriors 5, along with the first PSP game, were the games that catapulted me into the Koei Warriors franchise. Those games made such a big impact on my childhood that they continue to influence my work today. And I said I was going to retire from writing after Kamen Rider Zi-O.

Aside from my recess and lunchtime games being influenced by Dynasty Warriors, Doctor Who and other things, a lot of my life began to revolve around it as well. Aside from the usual childhood thing of pretending to fight like the characters of the game, I got my friends (and cousins) into it as well by assigning them warrior names (from ancient Chinese warriors and warlords) and collecting them into a Dynasty Warriors Book next to their pictures. Fictional characters eventually got dragged into it as well and that was the root of my personal project as recounted in Kisekae Insights.

Later on in 2010, I implemented the Sengoku-era warriors and warlords of Japan into my warrior names as well, but because my understanding of the series came from Warriors Orochi, I didn't have the best understanding of that era. It was also around this time that I began creating "battle charts", which were lists of officers in my original battles modelled on the Unit Info sections of the games. I also made battle charts for three canon storylines; one of them was based on Sea Princesses (go figure).

I stopped publishing the Dynasty Warriors Books in 2012, but my spirit never stopped. When I started playing Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires in 2015, I was creating edit characters based off of friends and people from school, church, and other things along with their friends. When I began working on Three Kingdoms for the Moushouden Project later that year (the series premiered in 2017), my canon battle charts became part of my story arcs as they were refined, polished and completed into a 240-episode TV series. The Dynasty Warriors Books (and the renamed photo crops that were their predecessors) became an Excel spreadsheet that contained nearly 1,000 characters with warrior names, not counting minor or guest characters. I am a True Warrior of the Three Kingdoms.

I have encountered a few people who have heard or played these games over the years, and 2014 onwards was just another matter altogether with the Koei Warriors Rant Series. And then we come to today with the Koei Warriors Retrospective.

Dynasty Warriors 5 is a certified hood classic and the best game of the classic series, even if it didn't sell as much as DW4 did. It's a very accessible game for new fans while fans of older games will appreciate how far the series has come over the past 4-5 years. Even without the vanilla game, the Xtreme Legends expansion does have enough content to justify playing it as a standalone game.

Of course, we're not done with this game yet. Next time, we take a look at DW5's spinoffs, namely Empires, Vol. 2 for the PSP, Mahjong, DS: Fighter's Battle and Online.

[s1utspeare]

Writin Patterns

Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

Thanks to @hils79 for tagging me, mostly bc I then got to read ur ateez fic that i didn't know existed!!!! and it was great!!!!!!!!!! amazing and iconic as always

(at first i was like lmao i haven't written for so long i think the last time i did this i had the same exact fics WELL I DIDN'T THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN LAST TIME)

“I’m sorry,” Ba-ye says, “What did you say?” - if i can never find you anywhere (we will never find peace again)

It’s his second week working at the convenience store, and Zhang Qishan thinks that if he doesn’t get shot soon, he’s going to lose it. - you don't recognize the bodies in the water

Really, the thing about curses is that they’re annoying.- pain's a well-intentioned weatherman

The first time Liu Sang sees him, he thinks, Why do I have to guard this one? because Kan Jian’s muscles are very large and his hair is cut very neatly and the square shape of his jaw would make anyone think twice about crossing him. - No One Take You Down

Error 404: File Not Found. - to the point of absurd (but i know that he loves me)

“I mean, look at her,” Deng Shi says, gesturing at the crate. “She’s a good girl.” - Baby Mine

Well. Shit. That’s the first thing that Pangzi thinks upon waking, mostly because he’s immediately flattened by a headache that seems to have come out of nowhere; it’s like he blinks back into consciousness and is slammed into by a truck. - Rock Bottom

Wang Meng does not like being underground. - The Cold Light of the Stars

Zhang Qishan looked down dubiously. “Wu-ye, I don’t know—” - i'll be the loyalest of all

Zhang Qiling was born to be a fighter. - lean in and let it hurt

Is there a pattern? Idk. I mean, of course we've got the short and snappy ones, but there are a couple that are longer! Cause I like spicing things up! I also love starting off with dialogue apparently (is it cause I'm a playwright? fuckin probably)

anyway i'm gonna tag @forerussake, @pangzi, @humanlighthouse, and @highpriestessofjogan, as well as anyone else who would like to participate! Consider this your tag-in! love u <3

[aworldforastage]

A very subjective recap of my audiodrama journey in 2023 "Year of the Rabbit"

This is entirely based on personal preferences and not at all an objective assessment of quality

If applicable, cast members are listed with the gong first.

"Web Drama/网配" here refers to the free, not-for-profit productions

All AD's are on Mao'er FM (Missevan) unless indicated otherwise.

Favorite Completed Dramas

The Golden Terrance/黄金台 -- (Web Drama/网配)

Jia Xu/贾诩 x Yacejun/雅策君

Three not-for-profit productions of The Golden Terrance launched in 2020, but this is the first and only one to be completed! I'm just so grateful and amazed that so many talented people contributed to make this happen -- all for free! It's not perfect, but it's comparable if not better than for-profit productions at least 90% of the time, and I think it really did this beloved novel justice. Go listen to it!

Famous/In Name Only/有名

Wei Chao/魏超 x Chen Jiaheng/陈家恒

I did not know I needed to hear Lan Wangji's audiodrama VA speak in a southern/canto-style accent, but it has been life-changing.

"Famous" comes with all the bells and whistles you could possibly hope for in a professional, for-profit production. It has eight original songs, tons of little skits and bonus content, wonderful performance and polished post-production. The team brought their own vision to the adaption, leveraging the of creative potential in the audio medium while staying true to the text. If we have to nitpick, I'd say Liang Yu sounds a bit old for a man on the cusp of 30, but Wei Chao's magnetic voice is more than enough to make up for it.

After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine/残疾战神嫁我为妾后

Shi Zekun/史泽鲲 x Liu Sicen/刘思岑

This is the guilty pleasure personal favorite I have been playing on repeat in the background -- a comforting little sugar pie AD. Objectively speaking, this production has noticeable flaws, from built-in plot holes from the source material to uneven performance and mixing of some minor characters' dialogue. However, I really like the sweet, lighthearted story and the lead voice actors' performance, and we got the entire thing in one season!

“Next season please start tomorrow!"

The Sword Named No Way Out/剑名不奈何

Zhao Yi/赵毅 x Chen Zhang Taikang/陈张太康

I'm very conflicted about this one! This is the first time I really understood the charm of Zhao Yi's voice, but I don't like his character (gong/love interest) or the romantic arc. I am intrigued by the twists in the plot, but we still don't know who is the main conflict halfway into the story, because the novel is just written this way. I'm absolutely charmed by the supporting characters, but I suspect their roles will be reduced in the next season to make way for the the main romance. I really can't get into this novel for some reason, so I'm waiting on the AD to satisfy my curiosity.

"Top flower vase of the mainland entertainment industry"/内娱第一花瓶 -- (Web Drama/网配)

Liu Sicen/刘思岑 x Shang Tong/商桐

This free drama has released 3 stunning seasons since 2021. The screenplay and post-production is a little rough in places, but that's nothing to compared to quality and scale of the output -- the first few episodes of the AD convinced me to commit to reading this 900K words long novel! With free Web Dramas, you can't really guarantee or expect anything. It updated fairly consistently since 2021 but lead CV Liu Sicen currently has an insanely busy lineup of paid projects and likely no time for this. I'm very grateful for the seasons we have had, but I still dream of this AD releasing one more season to at least finish the main story -- and end on a happy note after the reconciliation!!!

Onmyōji/阴阳师 -- (on Manbo & others)

Yuan Mingzhe/袁铭喆 & Zhao Chengchen/赵成晨 [No CP]

Ironically, I think this is the series with the smallest chance of getting a second season, despite its star-studded cast, excellent production, and iconic source material. It sounds great, and I love the main voice actors playing something different from their normal dynamic. However, the series struggle to attract a wide audience as a general/non-BL drama. I'm taking comfort in the fact that the source material is a collection of short stories, so it doesn't feel too incomplete at the end of Season 1.

"well, that ... happened"

A lot of the ADs released in 2023 are said to feel like the work off a "production line"/流水线. It does well enough to maybe satisfy the fans of the source material and fans of the voice actors, but there's not much that's special about it to draw you in if you are not already interested, and is far from realizing the full potential of the story and the AD medium. There were a few shows that I had been very emotionally invested in, but ultimately they were a bit underwhelming.

The Demon Venerable’s Wistful Desire/魔尊他念念不忘

Yuan Mingzhe/袁铭喆 x Ma Zhengyang/马正阳

Probably the most well-received drama out of the three here. The source material -- a comedic xianxia transmigration story -- helped it stand out in field a dominated by modern urban dramas. I didn't find the story to be particularly compelling or innovative as a fantasy/xianxia story, but the voice actors gave solid performances.

Flower Vase/花瓶 -- (on Manbo)

Peng Yao/彭尧 x Liu Sicen/刘思岑

Does anyone still remember this show from last year? Flower Vase is an iconic novel in the scum gong/substitute/crematorium sub-genre, and because it's short and relatively old, there are already two complete free Web Dramas (and more incomplete ones). This work is good, but not enough to make most people willing to listen to this story again or really stand out over the free versions. I liked this one mostly because I was (and still am) in a phase about Liu Sicen's voice.

Morbid Attachment/诟病

Wen Sen/文森 x Yuan Mingzhe/袁铭喆

I'm a fan of Zhe-ge and Wen-laoshi to downright unreasonable degrees and even I have nothing to say about this drama except "it finished." Seriously, you have these two on your cast, in an extremely popular story that features a pop star, and we have like two and a half songs, no duet, and not a single song from YMZ. I still put it on when I want to hear their voices, but it definitely didn't deliver on the potential of one of the most popular stories on Changpei.

"not bad but I had higher hopes "

All of these are based of very popular novels that I read and liked but didn't love, and I ended up feeling the same way about the ADs. It's a coincidence that Taikang has leading roles in all of them.

TGCF/Heaven Official's Blessing/天官赐福 Season 1

Chen Zhang Taikang/陈张太康 x Su Shangqing/苏尚卿

Since the AD is based off the new revised version of TGCF that me (and most people) haven't read, it's hard to tell if the show has completely misinterpreted parts of the novel or if it's just new content. I can't truly dissociated TGCF from the unpleasantness of all the fandom drama, which dampens my enthusiasm for it quite a bit. However, I'm happy enough with both the production and the performance in the 2023 release that I listened to it a few times. But at an emotional level, I'm just not as excited as I expect myself to be for a project of this level of fame and quality.

Swallow the Sea/Tunhai/吞海 Season 2

Zheng Xi/郑希 x Chen Zhang Taikang/陈张太康

It took me a while to realize why I was struggling with Swallow the Sea. It's hard to follow mystery/procedural stories if you are only getting 40 minutes of content once every week -- you would have forgotten everything by the time the new episode airs! I never realized before because I got into AD's late enough that a lot of iconic shows (like Modu and Poyun) have been completed and available for binging. Now I think I'll wait until this one finishes all its seasons.

Thrice Married to Salted Fish/三嫁咸鱼 Season 1

Ma Zhengyang/马正阳 x Chen Zhang Taikang/陈张太康

I felt a bit underwhelmed by the novel when I finished it, and I wouldn't have cared for the AD at all if it weren't a collaboration between Ma-laoshi and Taikang. Ironically, I really love the ending theme, which the audience hated so much the studio had to put out a new mix. Maybe this story is just for people with very different tastes?

Everybody's talking about you

I haven't listened to these yet, but I heard so many good things about these three in the past year.

Qiang Jin Jiu/The Ballad of Sword and Wine/将进酒

Yuan Mingzhe/袁铭喆 x Jiang Guangtao/姜广涛

Does this need an explanation? After its surprise return just before Chinese New Year, the newest (free) episode racked up more plays in a few weeks than entire seasons of some ADs. This is what a real superstar looks like!

But personally, I plan to wait until the series finishes first. I waited for almost two years for Season 4 -- I can wait a bit longer for an indulgent binging experiences.

The Selfish Gene/秉性下等

Shun Zi/顺子 x Sun Lulu/孙路路

This drama has the closest thing I have seen to "universal acclaim" in the AD fandom in 2023. It's one of the few 2023 dramas to break through 10 million play count, beating out many productions with bigger IPs and more popular voice actors.

I definitely want to listen to it, but now I want to wait until I'm in the right mood to really enjoy it.

Stealing The Wind But Not The Moon/偷风不偷月 -- ("Voiced drama"/Audiobook, on Ximalaya)

Sang Yuze/桑毓泽 x Yang Chaoran/杨超然

2023 saw a lot of activity in the 有声剧 area. I think of them like audiobooks because they keep most of the narration, but they are still called "dramas" and the actors still put a lot into their character performances.

This production has been received very well, especially compared to the audiodrama that is currently airing on Mao'er. I held back on the AD because of this, even though I have been very excited about a Liu Sicen x Shun Zi collaboration. However, I'm not sure I want to get into a new platform for this, even though it definitely put Ximalaya on my radar.

I'm waiting to see how it goes ....

Some series are off to a strong start, but there's still a long way to the end ...

I Became a God in a Horror Game/我在惊悚游戏里封神 (Season 2/?)

Shun Zi/顺子 x Dao Mei Si Le/倒霉死勒

Season 1 have play counts that can rival TGCF, and Season 2 seems to be starting off strong after arriving at the end of 2023. The hype alone has gotten my interest, but then I realized it would take probably 10 seasons to finish this novel, so I think I'll wait a bit first ...

The Reincarnated Minister/再世权臣 (Season 1/ ?)

six people x Dao Mei Si Le/倒霉死勒 [NP]

I heard the plot of this novel is actually quite good, and I am really impressed with the quality of the free episodes. However, this novel is looooong, and I'm not sure I will enjoy the NP outcome in the end. But if they can keep up the good work for a few more seasons (lol years?), maybe I could be tempted into getting into this.

A Clear and Muddy Loss of Love/泾渭无间 (Season 1/?)

Hao Tian/浩天 x Xu Xia 徐佳琦

Unlike the other two, I followed Season 1 of this one as it released.

GL deserves more love, but I'm not very optimistic about this drama carrying through to a satisfying conclusion in a timely manner. A novel of this length would normally take 4-5 seasons on Mao'er, but its stats are not encouraging. In the final of episode of Season 1, they did that ridiculous montage that rushed through so many things, probably trying to save on costs. I understand GL has a smaller fanbase than BL, but it's still disheartening to see one of its biggest IPs being handled liked this ...

A Special nod to a few web dramas

The amazing labors of love we get to enjoy for free.

"Spoil"/作践 (Web Drama/网配, completed)

Zhao Chengchen/赵成晨 x Gu Chen/顾辰

(2021-2022, 12 episodes + 1 extra). I only listened to the first four episodes, which prompted me to read the novel, but then I found it a bit too dark for me to want to revisit AD. That being said, I am very impressed with the episodes I heard, especially the screenplay. I didn't feel lost at all even before I read the novel. It set up some complex scenes and conflicts very clearly, better than many for-profit dramas imo.

The Golden Terrance/黄金台 (Web Drama/网配, in progress)

Xu Xu Dian Deng/续续点灯 x HolyNight

(2020-- ?, 7 episodes so far) This drama didn't update in all of 2023. I lost hope when then other version finished, but then they suddenly came back with a long new episode early in 2024! I think this adaption is a bit more abridged than the one that already finished, but fingers crossed that they finish this!

"Dao Zhan Shan He"/ 刀斩山河 (Web Drama/网配, incomplete)

Shang Tong/商桐 x HolyNight [switch CP/verse]

(2020-2022, 6 eps) The production officially ended, which is a real shame because it was pretty good for the parts it covered. I listened to this because I really liked the novel, and it actually encouraged me start exploring the other Web Series that has been abandoned/incomplete, because the good work of the staff and actors deserve to be appreciated even if they didn't have the resources to finish the story.

The most disappointing ....

Mr. Melancholy Wants to Live a Peaceful Life/忧郁先生想过平静生活

Wen Sen/文森 x Sun Lulu/孙路路

I'm disappointed with this drama, but I sort of understand why it came out this way. The novel plays heavily off dramatic irony to carry its humor and suspense, and that is hard to express in audio -- at least, I don't think there is a well-established formula for it. However, I still think it could have done much better to cover the scenes and action in a straightforward manner.

The Return of Cambrian Period/寒武再临

Guo Haoran/郭浩然 x Ma Zhengyang/马正阳

I can understand why "Mr Melancholy" is hard to adapt, but I really, really don't understand why this straight-forward, plot-driven action adventure has turned out so poorly. The episodes are too short and fragmented to engage listeners. A lot of the dialogue could have been edited during adaptation to make it more natural and smooth. Many scenes use music and sound effects that are very cheesy and dated, which almost sounds like an inside joke about the age of the novel that no one wants that at the expense of quality. It's just a long list of little problems that seem incomprehensible for a production that had the budget to hire an all A-list cast.

"Tan Lian"/贪恋

Wen Sen/文森 x Yuan Mingzhe/袁铭喆

My favorite voice actors tackling an original screenplay! I was so excited, but ....

the story is just not good, to the point I'm wondering how did everyone get through making this AD, because it makes so sense as a narrative! If it's a comedy, maybe everyone can at least get some laugh out of it, but it has be a angsty scum gong story. "Confusing and miserable" just don't make an appealing combo.

Final Thoughts

When I first got into danmei in 2022, I mostly listened to the "backlog" of famous productions, and I was really blown away by the quality and variety. 2023 was the first year of me "following" the current releases, and it was a little disheartening tbh. The industry seems to be a at a turning point, experimenting with new people, genres and formats, with varying results. Maybe it will work out better in 2024.

[shannonlyn20]

💖 Let’s Dive into Youth With You Season 2 (青春有你2) – The Ultimate Idol Reality Show 🌟🎤

WEEK 5 – Digital Community & Fandom 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟐 (2020) – iQIYI’s Idol Megahit 👑

Hi friends! Welcome to my first blog post for this digital community & fandom series 💕 Today, I'm highlighting the iconic Chinese reality show Youth With You (Season 2) - 2020, in which young female trainees compete for a spot in the ultimate idol group, THE9. If you enjoyed Produce 101, this one's for you. Aside from the glitz and glamour dance, and drama, this show provided an interesting look into digital fandom culture, identity formation and Asian online communities of practice. The Power of Participatory Fandom 🚀 Youth With You created a viral online fan culture, not only in China, but also around the world.  Fans did more than just watch the show; they became a part of it.

Voting daily through apps and platforms

Creating fan-made content (edits, memes, translations)

Joining digital fan clubs and “bar” forums (e.g., Weibo, Douban, Bilibili)

Defending or criticizing contestants online with real emotional investment

This is referred to as "multimodal literacy and dispersed participation" by scholars, in which fans act not only as viewers but also as media producers, critics, and even co-managers of their favourite contestants (Halverson, 2007).  Fan Activism and Identity Negotiation 💬🛡️ One of the most iconic contestants was LISA from BLACKPINK, who appeared as a dance mentor. Her mere presence brought on an international fandom excitement.

In addition, Liu Yuxin, a tomboyish, androgynous contestant, went against ideals of beauty and caused debates about gender expression in idol culture. Her fans not only voted fiercely, but they also defended her identity online, transforming fandom into a form of social and cultural activism. This is consistent with what Chin and Morimoto refer to as "transcultural fandom," in which fans connect across borders through shared affective investments rather than just national identity (Chin & Morimoto, 2013).

Reality show contestants are often forced to negotiate their public identities under the weight of fan expectations, emotional attachment, and social media commentary (Goretti, 2020). Liu Yuxin’s fans proudly reshaped what “idol femininity” could look like.

Liu Yuxin’s meteoric rise on Youth With You – from #23 in Episode 2 to #1 in the finale. Her rise in rankings is similar to how fans used data as a weapon to challenge industry standards. The Digital Workroom – Fan Forums, Memes & Edits 🎨📱 Chinese fandoms thrive on platforms such as Weibo Super Topics, Bilibili, and QQ groups, which serve as vibrant online hubs for fans to collaborate, organise, and express their loyalty.  These spaces serve as informal learning communities in which fans actively participate in designing, remixing, and campaigning (Halverson, 2007). Common fan activities include:          

Graphic design (fan art, digital posters)

Credits: Screenshot from @夏一季夏天 and @弦鱼子 on Weibo

Video editing (fancams, crack videos)

Credits: Screenshot from @不要叭叭辣 on Weibo

Subtitle translation and localization for international fans

This ecosystem conveys transcultural fandom practices, in which fans share strategies across borders. For example, Youth With You fans modified Korean idol fandom norms such as streaming goals, mass voting and fan-support kits but tailored them to Chinese platforms and social settings. These shared strategies arise from "affinities of industrial/semiotic practice" rather than shared national identity (Chin & Morimoto, 2013). While Youth With You focusses on inspiring stories of hard work and self-growth, it also reflects a larger media trend in China, where reality TV provides the personal transformation as the solution to social inequality, often covering deeper structural issues (Zhang, 2021). However, fans aren't just taking in the story. They reclaim agency by using digital remixing, critical discussion threads, and fan-driven storytelling to challenge the show's polished narrative and highlight alternative stories that are frequently overlooked in mainstream media. My Thoughts 💭 As someone who is always fascinated by fan cultures and identity performance, Youth With You provided a wealth of digital interaction.  It's more than just watching your favourite trainee win; it's about being a part of their rise, defending them online, creating memes, writing analysis threads, and sharing collective pride (and heartbreak). Youth With You demonstrates that fandom is no longer passive.  It combines strategy, emotion, politics, and creativity.  In the case of Liu Yuxin and her fans, it is cutting-edge. Best regards Until next time 💗

📝 References

Chin, B. and Morimoto, L.H., 2013. Towards a theory of transcultural fandom. Participations, 10(1), pp.92-108.

Goretti, N.M., 2020. The Challenge: The Intersection of Participatory Fandom, Identity Negotiation, and Interactivity in Reality Television (Master's thesis, San Diego State University).

Halverson, E., 2007. Reality Television, Fan behavior, and Participation in Online Communities of Practice.

iQIYI. (2020). Youth With You Season 2 [Streaming Series]. Available at: https://www.iq.com/album/youth-with-you-season-2-english-version-2020-19rrhxvgyh?lang=en_us

Writer, S. (2020). iQIYI: combining AI & creativity to tell stories. [online] Campaign Asia. Available at: https://www.campaignasia.com/article/iqiyi-combining-ai-creativity-to-tell-stories/461354  [Accessed 11 May 2025].

Zhang, Y., 2021. From Made in China to Made by China: the Evolution of Reality TV Programming and the Locality of Narration in China. Available at SSRN 5205317.

[snugglyporos]

The gripe most people have with DW9 is thr voice acting. A common theme with Dynasty Warriors - that I've found at least, your experience may differ - is the voice acting is like they're acting in a play. It's theatrical and dramatic.

DW9 casts aside Lu Bu's iconic growly voice, and the actors just don't care as much as they did, that with being a drop in quality. Dw7, in my personal opinion, had it best. And that's someone whose heard both dubs.

Theres also the fact that one scene with Liu Bei, learning of the deaths of Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, that was reduced to a JRPG style interaction as opposed to the emotional cutscenes we know. It's one glaring example of just... missing heart, you know?

But yea, if you're playing in Japanese or Chinese the voice acting isn't a big deal. It's just that I've noticed. To be fair I haven't played 9 myself, but I have seen enough to have something. All the same, I'm happy you're enjoying it. (That said I think you'd like Dw7)

// Okay so... Here's my issue: I've been playing the game for years and 'emotional' is not what I would associate with this series. The voice acting has never been good. There are individuals who have good voice actors, Lu Bu for one, but a lot of them end up like Xu Shu's voice actor, or the ear bleeding sounds of the Qiao sisters...

I can put up with bad voice acting. I can. I need it to be passable and understandable. The fact that DW9 even HAS a dub puts it above Samurai Warriors 5, because while the VA is probably better overall, it fades into the background because my brain does not realize speech is happening.

I can also say that Samurai Warriors 5 tries to be 'dramatic' and it ended up farcical. No throwing herself in front of a bullet to save Nobunaga SHOULD be emotionally impactful, but I laughed my ass off because it was SO over the top and it was NOT earned. Meanwhile characters like Hideyoshi are perpetually stuck as 'eager moron' and... Well it's not good.

I have played, and beaten (by which I mean unlocked every character, completed all campaigns, max leveled, and completed ever side mode) in every Dynasty Warriors mainline game since 5.

5 is my favorite of the 'classic' games. 6 is not THAT bad. Seven is a game that I beat, but I can't remember anything about it, but I know I played a lot of it. 8 was fine, but I felt that it was kinda lacking with how anyone can use any weapon.

Here's my view: I think that Dynasty Warriors should veer away from 'dramatic' and embrace the camp to some degree. Remember when it was fun? I mean, I don't think it should be terrible, we don't need Shenmue levels of bad. I think expecting dramatic actors to play the roles is kinda... counterproductive.

Rather than dramatic, I think that they need voice actors who feel like they fit the CHARACTER. That brings some energy or identity to the character. Having so many characters means a lot of them blend together. Having a strong voice actor helps with that, even if they're only doing generic lines most of the time.

[szyicons]

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