#tong xiao you

[itsokjunii]

i curse my lazy cpu mii scrapbook upon ye

/lh

[onlyzhuyilong]

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Tiger and Crane (2023)

片场在风中凌乱~~ | 虎鹤妖师录 Tiger and Crane | 蒋龙 张凌赫｜❤︎ 爱奇艺心动剧场 ❤ #shorts

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CFUZjE4trdc

[unforth]

Danmei and Baihe C Novels and Manhua Officially Licensed in English

Things are getting licensed fast enough that keeping a list like this up-to-date is basically impossible, but I saw someone asking in the tags so I figured I'd try. All titles are danmei unless otherwise noted (very little baihe is licensed so far). I've included Chinese titles and linked novelupdates for each title when I was able to find them, but sometimes publishers change the original titles so much that I can't track them down, apologies.

Basically: this is everything I know of as of April 12, 2024. There might be more. I tried.

For the latest danmei news, Danmeinews.com is a great resources.

Note that some of this information was sourced from this Carrd, last updated in March 2023.

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Seven Seas:

The full list of danmei novels licensed by Seven Seas is here. The full list of danmei manhua licensed by Seven Seas is here.

These titles are in various stages of publication, from "entire series released" to "license literally announced less than a week ago." As far as I know, all Seven Seas titles are available world-wide, through major distributors and libraries, and in e-book and print formats.

Mo Xiang Tong Xiu titles:

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System (Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong).

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi)

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi) manhua

Heaven Official's Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu)

Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat titles:

Case File Compendium (Bing an Ben)

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (Erha he Ta de Bai Mao Shizun)

Remnants of Filth (Yuwu)

Meng Xi Shi titles:

Thousand Autumns (Qian Qiu)

Peerless (Wushuang)

priest titles:

Guardian (Zhenhun)

Stars of Chaos (Sha Po Lang)

Other titles:

Ballad of Sword and Wine (Qiang Jin Jiu) by Tang Jiuqing

I Ship My Rival x Me (Wo Kele Duijia x Wo de CP) manhua by PEPA

Run Wild (Saye) by Wu Zhe

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish (Canji Baojun de Zhangxin Yu Chong) by Xue Shan Fei Hu

You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post (Fei Ge Jiao You Xu Jin Shen) by Blackegg

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Rosmei:

Rosmei licenses are Singapore distribution rights only. There is a list of international partners organizing group orders here. I've personally placed my orders through Yiggybean, as discussed in reply to this ask.

These titles are only being released as print editions.

Eta: titles that weren't originally on JJWXC (of which there are several here) WILL have e-book editions.

Ning Yuan titles:

BAIHE: At the World's Mercy by Ning Yuan

BAIHE (I think???) The Creator's Grace by Ning Yuan

priest titles:

Coins of Destiny (Liu Yao)

The Defectives (Can Ci Pin)

Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire (Lie Huo Jiao Chou)

Other titles:

Albert from Earth by Jie Mo Jun

The Bat (Bian Fu) by Feng Nong

Breaking Through the Clouds (Po Yun) by Huai Shang

Don't You Like Me (Ni Shi Bushi Xihuan Wo) by Lv Tian Yi

The Earth is Online (Diqiu Shangxian) by Mo Chen Huan

Everyone Loves the Cannon Fodder (Chuan Cheng Wan Ren Mi de Paohui Zhuma) by Qie Zai Shan Yang

Global Examination (Qianqiu Gao Kao) by Mu Su Li

Gold Class Enforcers (Jinpai Dashou) by Pao Pao Xue Er

How to Survive as a Villain (Chuanyue Cheng Fanpai Yao Ruhe Huming) by Yi Yi Yi Yi

Kaleidoscope of Death (Siwang Wanhuatong) by Xi Zi Xu

The Killer of Killers (Sha Qing) by Wu Yi

Nan Chan by Tang Jiuqing

Obsessed (Ki Ma) by Wu Chen Shui

Wine and Gun (Jiu yu Qiang) by Mengye Mengye

Wow, You Guys are Really Good at Gaming (Nimen Nansheng Da Youxi Hao Lihai O~) by Yi Xiu Luo

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Peach Flower House:

Peach Flower House titles are primarily for sale through their website and through some distributors, such as Amazon.com. Whether titles are e-book only, print only, or both varies by title.

Da Feng Gua Guo:

The Imperial Uncle (Huang Shu)

Peach Blossom Debt (Taohua Zhai)

Other Titles:

Golden Terrace (Huang Jin Tai) by Cang Wu Bin Bai

In the Dark (Zai Hei An Zhong) by Jin Shisi Chai

Little Mushroom (Xiao Mogu) by Shisi

University of the Underworld by Ziloi

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Via Lactea:

The full list of danmei novels licensed by Via Lactea is here.

Via Lactea titles are primarily for sale through their website and through some distributors, such as Amazon.com. All titles are either print-only or e-book + print. Only a handful have actually been released, the rest are licensed and presumably in progress.

Jing Shui Bian titles:

Salad Days (Jing Jiu)

Silent Hearts (Mo Mai)

Other Titles:

Dawning (Liming Zhihou) by ICE

Euthanasia by Feng Su Jun

Falling (Luo Chi) by Yu Cheng

Psycho (Feng Zi) by Xiao Yao Zi

Limerence (Wo Xichen Ni Nan Pengyou Henjiule) by Jiang Zi Bei

Lip and Sword (Chun Qiang) by Jin Shisi Chai

The Missing Piece (Maoheshenli) by Kun Yi Wei Lou

Raising Myself in 2006 by Qing Lv

Rose and Renaissance (Wo Zhi Xihuan Ni de Renshe [Yule Quan]) by Zhi Chu

Killing Show (Sha Lu Xiu) by Fox

Soul Vibration (Linghun Saodong) by Dr.solo

To Rule in a Turbulent World (Luan Shi Wei Wang) by Gu Xuerou

-

Monogatari Novels:

It is unclear to me if Monogatari Novel titles are available for world-wide distribution, but there are group orders being organized or I think they can be ordered directly from their webpage; they are based in Spain. These titles can also be ordered from at least some major retailers. Note that there has been some controversy about Monogatari Novels.

BAIHE: A Clear and Muddy Loss of Love (Jing Wei Qing Shang) by Please Don't Laugh

BAIHE: Female General and Eldest Princess (NuJiangjun he Zhang Gongzhu) by Please Don't Laugh

How to Survive as a Villain (Chuan Yue Cheng Fanpai Yao Ru He Huo Ming) manhua by Yi Yi Yi Yi

The Legendary Master's Wife (Chuanshuo Zhi Zhu de Furen) by Yin Ya

The Silent Concubine (Ya Nu) by Qiang Tang

BAIHE: Soulmate manhua by Wenzhi Lizi

-

Aloha Comics:

A tiny, Hawaii-based press focusing on manhua. Titles appear to primarily be available through Diamond Comics. There are also pre-orders on Yiggybean. All of these are pre-orders, though the earliest are coming out by the end of April 2024 (about two weeks after when I'm posting this).

All these titles are manhua!

Day Off by Qing Cai

Here U Are by DJUN

Link Click by Li Haoling and Haoliners (not technically danmei!)

Nirvana in Fire (Lang Ya Bang) by Hai Yan (not technically danmei!)

-

Chaleuria:

As far as I can tell, Chaleuria has not updated their webpage since April 2023, so the current status of in-progress titles is unknown. All titles are digital and/or e-book, and I'm not sure how to purchase them as I haven't tried.

Complete Guide to the Use and Care of a Personal Assistant (Zhuli Shiyong Zhinan) by Why Radiance

Deep in the Act (Ru Xi) by Tongzi

Fake Slackers (Wei Zhuang Xue Zha) by Mu Gua Huang (no longer available)

From Body to Love (Leng Yan E Nan: Xian Shenhou Ai) by Wan Wan Yi Xia

Interstellar Power Couple (Xingji Qiangli Lianyin) by Kun Cheng Xiongmao (no longer available)

Intoxicated Friends (Zui Qing Zhi Pengyou) by Ye Shu Ying

The Long Chase for the President's Spouse (Zongcai Zhui Fu Lu Manman) by Three Thousand Crow Language

Reborn into a Hamster for 233 Days (Chong Shengcheng Cangshu de 233 Tian) by Yi Shu

Records of the Dragon Follower (Cong Long Ji) by Yueren Ge

Urban Tales of Demons and Spirits (Dushi Yaogui Lu) by Qie Er

World Hopping: Avenge Our Love (Ni Wufa Yuliao de Fenshou, Wo Du Neng Gei Ni Song Shang) by Xiaomao Bu Ai Jiao (no longer available)

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Honorable Mentions:

There are a handful of titles I know of that are official translations of C Novels, where the C Novels aren't danmei or baihe but are often treated as adjacent within fandom (as in: I've seen people shipping characters from them, lol). I've included two above under the entry for titles from Aloha Comics (Link Click and Nirvana in Fire) and here are a couple others I currently know of:

The Grave Robbers' Chronicles (Daomu Biji) by Nanpai Sanshu (six volumes are available in English from Things Asian Press

The Legend of the Condor Heroes (She Diao Yingxiong Chuan) by Jin Yong from St. Martin's Press

Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Yanyi), attributed to Luo Guanzhong, available in multiple translations

The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants (Zonglie Xiayi Chuan), attributed to Shi Yukun, there are two translations to English listed at the linked Wikipedia page

Note that to the best of my knowledge both of these are considered very substandard translations. I've personally read the official DMBJ translations and... yeah... and I've heard the LOCH translation is also mediocre.

I will add to the "Honorable Mentions" list if I find any other more mainstream titles with official translations.

Please don't come at me for including a couple classics. The characters shippable, what can I do? I've written fic for Romance of the Three Kingdoms...

-

A handful of other licenses are mentioned on the Carrd I linked at the beginning of this post; I have no idea the status of those titles and wasn't able to find information on them while putting together this post other than what was listed on that Carrd, so I've omitted them.

As a final note, I've personally purchased from every printer on this list EXCEPT Monogatari Novels (I'm holding off because of the controversy and will see how things play out) and Chaleuria (which I vaguely knew existed but nothing beyond that).

Seven Seas translation varies but the editing is general strong and the editions are sturdy and nice. Extras that have come with final volumes are lovely. I am buying literally everything they publish except for You've Got Mail, due to information about the author that was shared with me that the author is a transphobe. Note that Kinnporsche by Daemi is not danmei as it's Thai (and I've heard unsavory things about the author - I don't have a link for that as the information was shared with me on Discord, and I encourage you to do your own research rather than taking my word for it). No judgement if you make a different choice than me, to be clear, I'm just sharing the information I have and why I personally am not buying the books). Note that Seven Seas isn't without controversy, especially for treating their contractors poorly resulting in them unionizing. Some people have also been unhappy with the fidelity of their translations compared to the original Chinese (I've been satisfied personally but ymmv).

Peach Flower House has inconsistent inconsistent editing quality, but the books are very readable, and I'm excited that they're working with translators such as E. Danglars. I haven't bought any of their special editions so can't speak to their extras, but I've bought all their print translations and will continue to do so going forward.

I just got my first title from Via Lactea last week and finished reading it on Sunday, and the translation read very well and there were minimal errors. It also came with a bundle of cute extras, which I wasn't expecting and pleased, and writing this post has caused me to cave and spend $150 to buy the rest of their books. Thank you, tax refund. (Should I spend this money? No. Did I anyway? ...)

No Rosmei titles have actually shipped yet, so I can't speak to their quality, though the previews they've shared on social media (as outlined here, for example) read decently and I'm optimistic. The cover art is also lovely, and they've been communicative and responsive, for example they've already issued a statement related to a recent controversy over perceived poor marketing for At the World's Mercy.

Tl:dr, the above is absolutely everything I personally know about mlm and wlw Chinese novels and manhua that have been licensed for English publication. I hope it helps someone.

Now go forth, and buy some books!

[art]

Meet the Artist: @velinxi

Hello! I’m Xiao Tong Kong, better known as “Velinxi.” I’m the creator of the webcomic Countdown to Countdown and have been doing freelance artwork since I was a teenager. I love telling stories with my illustrations! Tumblr was where I first got my start as an artist, specifically a small fandom artist as a hobby… and now I’m somehow here! When I’m not trying my best to stay awake in front of my tablets, I’m usually cooking, gaming, or sleeping. Sometimes all three, in my dreams.

Pleased to meet you, Velinxi! We’ve asked her to share some of her artwork for you to appreciate below.

If you haven’t seen our Creator Spotlight with Velinxi, check it out here! For more of her beautiful art pieces, be sure to head over to her Tumblr, @velinxi​.

[lovelyxkazuha]

Songs I’d Associate w/ Genshin Men

Chars Included: Albedo, Childe, Kazuha, Scaramouche, Venti, Xiao

First post yay!

Albedo

Golden Hour

“I don’t need no light to see you shine”

2. Inferno

“No halo, baby you’re the reason why hell’s so hot”

Childe

Levitating

“You want me, I want you baby, my sugarboo, I’m levitating”

2. Butter

“Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover”

Kazuha

A Thousand Years

“I have died every day waiting for you” okay but like this song with all the angsty kazuha fics

2. Count on Me

“You can count on me like 1, 2, 3; I’ll be there”

Scaramouche

Darkside

“Cross my heart and hope to die, welcome to my dark side”

2. Clarity

“If our love is insanity, why are you my clarity?”

Venti

Wellerman

“One day when the tonging is done, we’ll take our leave and go”

2. Soldier, Poet, King

“He will slay you with his word”

Xiao

Demons

“Look into my eyes, it’s where my demons hide”

2. Let Me Down Slowly

“ Could you find a way to let me down slowly? A little sympathy I hope you can show me”

[very-grownup]

So a couple years ago, I fell into watching Chinese dramas and because my posts about the most recent one garnered some curiosity, here are the dramas what I have watched.

Hikaru no Go

DID YOU KNOW. DID YOU KNOW. THAT IN 2020 THERE WAS A CHINESE DRAMA ADAPTATION OF HIKARU NO GO AND IT IS AMAZING AND MADE ME CRY ALL OVER AGAIN? It is faithful in spirit while making understandable alterations both for the setting and to avoid managing child actors for the entirety of the series (there are about six episodes with Hikaru/Shi Guang as an elementary school student before a time jump to high school).

If you are unfamiliar with Hikaru no Go I recommend becoming familiar with Hikaru no Go, my first and still one of the best sports manga. It's what Takeshi Obata was the artist on before Death Note and my hot take is that Obata post-Hikaru no Go is mid at best.

Hikaru no Go is a sports series about the most normal boy finding an antique go board that houses the soul of an ancient go master who died too young and with go regrets, so he bullies/guilts the boy into helping him play go so he can see or play a divine go move. In the process he acquires a rival/stalker in the form of the genius son of a go master. It's amazing and the drama absolutely does it justice.

The heart of the series is the relationship between Hikaru/Shi Huang and Fujiwara no Sai/Chu Ying.

It's just a fucking good series.

The Untamed

According to one description on imdb, this is about two friends solving a series of murders. This is technically true, although it neglects to mention a few details.

Sixteen years after doing a whole lot of demonic blood magic shit and dying because of it, hated by society, Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan) is brought back from the dead by more super demonic blood magic and is recognized by his noble and esteemed peer/friend Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo) and trying to deal with why Wei Wuxian has been brought back from the dead leads to their investigating a series of murders that result in their becoming entangled in wider political schemes stretching back twenty years.

It's got weird pacing, prolonged flashbacks to explain a lot of the relationship dynamics, and basically an entirely self-contained sub-story that brings the main plot to a grinding halt. There are creatures and CGI effects of interesting quality. There are amazing wigs. There are piles of corpses. There's physical torture and emotional torture and some doomed love stuff and sword fights and musical instrument fights and a donkey and chicken theft and brotherhood and what you're willing to sacrifice for your goals and what goals you're willing to sacrifice for and it is based on a novel that ends in the protagonists raw dogging on the side of the road.

That part's not in the show.

Douluo Continent

Ignorant country boy Tang San (Xiao Zhan) finds himself involved in the world of martial arts and magic after discovering a hidden talent and ends up in the group of fellow martial artists who are all weird or unorthodox or hiding crucial bits of their backstory like girl who is actually a rabbit and immediately decides Tang San is her best friend/husband (Wu Xianyi), guy who needs to become powerful enough to kill his older brother (Gao Taiyu), girl who rejected an engagement to the would-be brother killer and wants to fight him (Liu Mei Tong), guy who wants to ditch martial arts to become a great actor (Liu Run Nan), and girl who is too rich to be here (Ding Xiaoying). They learn together, they grow together, they fight monsters and embark on a tournament arc, and there's an overarching mystery about Tang San and his weak but simultaneously super powerful spirit summoning.

Even though the best technique is clearly the one where the boy in question can summon a sausage that you eat and heals you.

It's very much of a specific genre that can be pretty samey, but Douluo Continent has a charming cast that makes up for its predictable plot beats.

It does end on a cliffhanger that is possibly resolved in the sequel series where ... all the main characters were recast with, I'm guessing, slightly less pricey actors. Such is the way of things.

Word of Honour

Do you like knowing what's going on? Then get the fuck out of here, Word of Honour is not for you. Real ones want to be immediately submerged into chaos and confusion and secret identities. You want Mr Bones' Wild Ride in plot form. Why has former superassassin Zhou Zishu (Zhang Zhe Han) abandoned the sect of assassins he created to live in wandering drunk anonymity as he slowly dies? Why is Wen Kexing (Gong Jun) stalking him aside from poorly censored horny desires? Is Wen Kexing actually a ghost? Can any of the impressionable youths attaching themselves to Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing be stopped from their very poor choices in role models? What is up with this legendary hidden armoury and why do Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing seem unable to escape the conspiracy around it? HOW HARD IS IT TO GET WOLONG'S FAMOUS NUTS?

Not recommended for people who constantly want to know what's happening or why X is doing Y, but great if you want to watch with someone and then after an episode, walk your dogs and try to figure out what's going on and what's going to happen (you will be wrong).

Advance Bravely

What if the most ridiculously unrealistic and unhinged slashfic by a teenage girl who doesn't fully understand anything was adapted into a drama series where censorship means everything must be painted with a special "no homo" brush? You get Advance Bravely which is the most incoherently homoerotic thing I've ever watched. No one thinks you should watch Advance Bravely and you watch Advance Bravely and you agree but sometimes you just have to watch a beautiful trainwreck where the protagonist explains his lack of a girlfriend with erectile dysfunction and the series climax involves his being, essentially, trapped in a well.

Love Between Fairy and Devil

DO YOU WANT TO GO FULL SHOUJO MANGA FANTASY?

Innocent fairy Orchid (Yu Shuxin) just wants to strengthen her immortal spirit and pass the exam that would let her serve in the palace of the fairy capital so she can catch glimpses of the War God Chang Heng (Zhang Ling He) who she is hopelessly in love with. Instead, an attempt to help her crush causes her to bumble her way into the high security spiritual prison that has held Dongfang Qingcang, the Moon Supreme (Dylan Wang), for 30,000 years.

DO YOU LIKE BIG NUMBERS BECAUSE YOU WILL GET TO SEE SOME BIG NUMBERS IN TERMS OF TIME SPAN AND AGES.

Because of some plot magic, Orchid and the Moon Supreme swap bodies and loophole out of prison, much to her distress. Their fates are tied together and Orchid becomes more familiar with the wider world and the politics between the realms and how much the fairy realm's supreme ruler fucking suuuuuuuuuuuucks while Moon Supreme finds himself having feelings again after they were tortured out of him in a mystical coffin prison as a child.

Moon Supreme's closest friend is a dragon. Orchid's closest friend is an opportunistic snakeoil saleswoman. There's a pissy younger brother and a bitchy but honourable love rival. There are secret origins and reincarnation and hidden identities and the way it alternates broad comedy and melodrama and sweet romance may give you whiplash.

I just love a bodyswap, you guys.

Sailor Moon vibes but Mamoru is actually interesting and becomes likeable.

Guardian

Okay so the best thing about Guardian is not only that it's a censored adaptation of a novel with a same-sex romance, but that /the entire premise/ is altered for television purposes.

The novel is steeped in Chinese folk religion and the Underworld is real and mythical creatures secretly walk among us.

In the show?

ALIENS, BABY.

Ghosts? THOSE AREN'T REAL BECAUSE HUMANS DON'T HAVE SOULS, THEY'RE JUST ENERGY BEINGS.

It's so ridiculous it's endearing.

Anyway, it's about bros solving mysteries with a Monster of the Week vibe until it becomes about possibly the end of the world and alien domination and evil twins.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook

IT'S TIME TO SOLVE CRIMES. IN ANCIENT CHINA.

Quack doctor Li Lianhua (Cheng Yi) is just trying to live a quiet life with his dog and his horse-drawn house. Fang Duobing (Joseph Zeng) just wants to gain admittance into the martial art cop organization that's carrying on the legacy of his dead teacher, Li Xiangyi, who was maybe never actually his teacher and also wasn't killed ten years previously by Di Fei Sheng (Xiao Shunyao), the head of an evil martial arts sect who is also not dead. Not nearly as many people as people think are dead! Identities are cleverly hidden behind pseudonyms and various levels of mask!

Crimes are solved and Li Lianhua is very tired about the whole thing. It's an unwilling buddy cop sort of thing until it becomes about youthful hubris and the sins of the past and also one woman's determination to conquer the world and give it to the man she loves, even if he doesn't want the world and also doesn't love her. We love a woman who takes what she wants and if necessary cuts a man's tendons and imprisons him in a torture pool so his blood can't clot until he agrees to be her wife, don't we, folks?

Folks?

Story of Kunning Palace

The scheming empress Jiang Xue Ning (Bai Lu) dies and wakes up, eighteen-years-old, at the point in her life where she's on the verge of making the start of the decisions that lead her to the Very Bad End. She is going to make different decisions this time and prevent the things she regrets and avoid becoming the empress at all costs.

What you need to know about Story of Kunning Palace is that Bai Lu could have chemistry with a rock and she inadvertently collects a bisexual harem. Her end game love interest is Xie Wei (Zhang Ling He), the man who killed her, an advisor to the emperor, music teacher, double or triple agent, and sufferer of vampire snow madness and a fear of cats, whether adorably fluffy or badly CGI'd. But she's in love with noble civil servant Zhang Zhe (Wang Xing Yue), a pure and hardworking man who she seduced into betraying his principles, leading to his imprisonment and probable death. However, her childhood friend Yan Lin (Zhou Jun Wei) is in love with her and previously she rejected him VERY HARSHLY after his family fell into disfavour due to political machinations and Jiang Xue Ning had cemented the likelihood of her marriage to the next emperor. Also there's Princess Le Yang (Liu Xie Ning), who Jiang Xue Ning made an enemy of after the Princess fell in love with her when Jiang Xue Ning was crossdressing and did not take the reveal of her true gender well. Xue Shu (Elisa Ye) is an unfavoured daughter of a scheming lord who was the only truly loyal person Jiang Xue Ning knew as empress. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE WITH JIANG XUE NING and you look at Bai Lu and go 'yes, that makes sense'.

It's mostly about the politics and scheming and Jiang Xue Ning trying to find a way to have a stable, satisfying life without betraying everyone she knows and standing on a pile of corpses, but the love shape Jiang Xue Ning isn't fully aware she's in is comparable in complexity to the plots between ministers and lords and dowager empresses and cousins and rebels.

The choices the characters make are maybe not always the best choices, but DAMN are they a good time.

Story of Kunning Palace is also one of the only times I have begged a character in a show to take a particular action and then she DID IT and fuck it was satisfying.

The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

IT'S TIME TO SOLVE CRIMES. IN ANCIENT CHINA. AGAIN. BUT WITHOUT MARTIAL ARTS.

Tang Fan (Darren Chen) is a low-ranking government official and detective genius who loves food and hates routine work, but loves a fucked up crime. Since he spends most of his money on delicious food, he writes trashy porn under a variety of pseudonyms to pay his rent. Sui Zhou (Fu Meng Bo) is an imperial guard and ex-soldier with PTSD who has no time for nonsense but loves the passionate pursuit of justice and food. He's also From Money and has a very empty house that Tang Fan whines his way into after they solve a case together. Everyone is manipulated by dangerously powerful eunuch Wang Zhi (Liu Yao Yuan) who is the enemy of basically everyone, except for Tang Fan, who has the political and social awareness of a rock.

An amiably pathetic man solves a variety of mysteries, from murder to complex imperial assassination plots and also this really complicated one involving diluting the purity of silver currency, and also the executive producer is Jackie Chan.

It's missing the romance subplot that I understand is in the source novel and also apparently there's an overarching plot involving a cult?! which we don't get here, but there's lots of bombs which are almost as good as a cult, maybe? (They're not.)

Divine Destiny

This is the one we're currently watching and the ride that this show is. How many plots can be crammed into one show? How many ridiculous but true things can I say about this show?

Ji Ruochen (Ma Tianyu) is an orphan who dreams of martial arts adventures. Raised by a couple who run a Crime Inn, one day a customer robbery goes very wrong when the customer turns out to be the latest incarnation of Yin Feng, the Banished God (Marius Wang). Ji Ruochen accidentally kills the Banished God and his foster parents promptly take the body into the desert and dump it down a cliff, but not before taking a necklace made from a piece of Gu Qing, the Blue Stone Goddess (Xuan Lu), which is supposed to let her recognize the Banished God in their final incarnation. Accidentally stealing the Banished God's identity, Ji Ruochen finds himself a hotly desired commodity by the cultivation sects who are all eager to have the Banished God as a disciple for prophecy reasons. He goes with Zhang Yinyin (Angelababy), a feisty, argumentative girl who has had to work extra hard because her spirit was contaminated by a demonic root planted by the evil nine-tailed fox who is poorly imprisoned in a cave anyone can access.

MEANWHILE some dudes with amazing moustaches and a penchant for laughing in delight at their own evil have found the body of the Banished God and done some questionable mystical shit to put him in a new body and nurture a grudge against Ji Ruochen for stealing his identity.

THEN Gu Qing meets Ji Ruochen and like everyone else assumes he's the Banished God and she falls in love with him (Gu Qing having been a literal rock spirit who cultivated to immortality under the guidance of the Banished God, who followed her into the mortal realm and a cycle of 100 incarnations after Gu Qing accidentally Did A Crime) but then falls in love with HIM.

ALSO Zhang Yinyin is always at risk of succumbing to the temptation of using the demonic fox power that is within her even though that will literally turn her into a demon but maybe it's worth it if a woman who is actually a goddess who is actually a rock is making eyes at the junior you brought into the sect and are in love with and you want to be more powerful than her?

ALSO what's the mysterious power that let Ji Ruochen kill the Banished God in the first place?

IS the woman seeking revenge for the death of the Banished God's mortal incarnation his sister or his cousin or his "cousin"?

WHY is the only love language of immortals stalking?

There's a homunculus and a baby snake demon who is the most precious angel in the world and so many evil dudes delighted in how evil they are and TWO GOOD AND ALIVE PARENTS and a pair of comical monks who have a special attack with a name they have to shout out every time they use it.

Oh and the imprisoned fox demon may have an ex who just hangs out on a rock in something called the Endless Ocean wearing a mask and playing go against the homunculus he made.

And there's an ancient master who lives in an ice mountain and eats memories of love.

Also some people might be secret demons.

There's some weddings.

There's a tiny woman with an ice sword who brutally murders so many dudes.

Do you like CGI birds?

Do you like giant mechanical CGI birds that are for riding purposes?

There's a desert hermit who has a son who is a giant tortoise.

So many things are going on and terrible decisions are constantly being made and it's over a week before I can watch another episode and it's driving me mad. WHAT WILL BE THE FALLOUT OF THE MOST RECENT BAD DECISIONS?

[morethanwonderful]

Introducing: The Which MXTX Character do You Most Want to Study Like a Little Bug Tournament Bracket

Starting February 20, 2023 (American time), I'll be running a tournament via tumblr polls to determine once and for all which Mo Xiang Tong Xiu webnovel character the fanbase most wants to study like a little bug.

FAQ:

What do you mean by "most want to study like a little bug"?

Which character makes you want to pick them up, put them in a glass jar, examine them with a little magnifying glass, and poke them with a stick to see how they react? Which character is so so small and pathetic and also truly deeply bizarre? If you don't get what I'm talking about, this poll may not be for you.

Why on earth are you doing sixty-four characters?

A perfectly even bracket has to have 16, 32, or 64 starting contestants, and since there were 33 characters that I really wanted to include, I decided to Commit.

What is wrong with you?

Yeah.

If you'd like to either search for or blacklist posts related to this event, all of mine will be tagged with "MXTX bugpoll."

You can find the full list of matches under the readmore. Happy voting!

Since there's so many characters, I'll be splitting the first round into two days. Round 1 Part 1 (the left side of the bracket) will begin tomorrow (Monday), and Round 1 Part 2 (the right side) will be on Tuesday. We'll continue with one round per day from there.

Round 1 Part 1:

Yin Yu vs Gongyi Xiao

Luo Binghe (Bing-mei ver.) vs Quan Yizhen

Xuan Ji vs Mei Nianqing (Guoshi)

Luo Binghe (Bing-ge ver.) vs Pei Ming

Shen (Yuan) Qingqiu vs Shi Qingxuan

Jin Ling vs Lang Qianqiu

Ban Yue vs A-Qing

Liu Mingyan vs Lan Jingyi

Mobei-jun vs Lan Wangji

Zhuzhi-lang vs Su She

Bai Wuxiang vs Jiang Fengmian

Jin Zixuan vs Tianlang-jun

Qi Qingqi vs Lan Qiren

Su Xiyan vs Yu Ziyuan

Nie Mingjue vs Mu Qing

Jin Guangyao vs Pei Xiu

Round 1 Part 2:

Shen (Jiu) Qingqiu vs Mo Xuanyu

Ning Yingying vs Luo "Mianmian" Qingyang

Xiao Xingchen vs Xie Lian

Yue Qingyuan vs Lan Xichen

Ling Wen vs Shang Qinghua

Jian Lan vs Jiang Yanli

He Xuan vs Nie Huaisang

Wen Chao vs Jin Zixun

Wei Wuxian vs Xue Yang

Wen Qing vs Mu Qingfang

Sha Hualing vs Qi Rong

Song Lan vs Jiang Cheng

Liu Qingge vs Feng Xin

Hua Cheng vs Wen Ning

Ming Fan vs Lan Sizhui

Yushi Huang vs Shi Wudu

Round 2

Yin Yu vs Luo Binghe (Bing-mei ver.)

Mei Nianqing (Guoshi) vs Luo Binghe (Bing-ge ver.)

Shen (Yuan) Qingqiu vs Jin Ling

Ban Yue vs Liu Mingyan

Lan Wangji vs Zhuzhi-lang

Bai Wuxiang vs Tianlang-jun

Lan Qiren vs Yu Ziyuan

Mu Qing vs Jin Guangyao

Shen Jiu vs Ning Yingying

Xie Lian vs Yue Qingyuan

Shang Qinghua vs Jiang Yanli

Nie Huaisang vs Jin Zixun

Wei Wuxian vs Wen Qing

Qi Rong vs Jiang Cheng

Liu Qingge vs Hua Cheng

Lan Sizhui vs Shi Wudu

Round 3

Luo Binghe (Bing-mei ver.) vs Luo Binghe (Bing-ge ver.)

Shen (Yuan) Qingqiu vs Liu Mingyan

Zhuzhi-lang vs Tianlang-jun

Yu Ziyuan vs Jin Guangyao

Shen (Jiu) Qingqiu vs Xie Lian

Shang Qinghua vs Nie Huaisang

Wei Wuxian vs Jiang Cheng

Hua Cheng vs Lan Sizhui

Quarterfinal

Luo Binghe (Bing-mei ver.) vs Shen (Yuan) Qingqiu

Tianlang-jun vs Jin Guangyao

Shen (Jiu) Qingqiu vs Nie Huaisang

Jiang Cheng vs Hua Cheng

Semifinal

Shen (Yuan) Qingqiu vs Tianlang-jun

Nie Huaisang vs Jiang Cheng

The Final Round

Shen (Yuan) Qingqiu vs Nie Huaisang

[bananaproved]

Top 6 shelved dramas that I would still really like to see

Ranked in no particular order, selection based on my personal tastes.

1) The Prisoner of Beauty

Plot : Adapted from the novel "Zhe Yao" by Peng Lai Ke, it tells the story of the arranged marriage between Wei Shao (Liu Yuning) and Qiao Man (Song Zuer). The fun thing about this marriage is that they both hate each other for complicated family reasons (in the novel Qiao Man's family is directly responsible for the death of Wei Shao's father), so they start they relationship by trying to make the life of the other a living hell. Ultimately, their relationship will develop as they are impressed by each other's ingenuity and discover common interests. There is also an important "let's protect the empire and the common people" plot behind the romance.

Why I wish I could see it : It looks good !! The main duo of actors are both really good looking, but the production in general looks really high budget, with good costumes and sets. I would love to see that. Just look at this trailer !

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : Song Zuer :/ bestie :/ tax evasion is bad !!

Can we have some hope ? : Not really, at this point of time, no c-actors caught for tax evasion managed to make an actual comeback in the industry (even really popular ones like Deng Lun or Fan Bing Bing). Song Zuer is still being investigated, so maybe we can hope to see her name cleared but it's a little unlikely because they don't investigate people just for fun. However Song Zuer was involved in a lot of high budget projects so I am sure a lot of people are really motivated to try to airdrop at least some of her projects if they have the possibility.

2) The Fated General

Plot : Classic high-budget historical drama telling the story of real life historical figure Huo Qubing (Zhang Ruoyun) during the Western Han Dynasty. It follows his military feats that got him the reputation of being one of the best military generals in the history of China.

Why I wish I could see it : First, the cast is incredible. We have Zhang Ruoyun (famous for being really good at choosing his scripts), Mao Xiao Tong, Bai Yu, Li Hongyi, Xu Yue, and others. It's really an all star cast except the drama was shot in 2016, before some of them became really famous, so it can be really interesting to watch ! Plus it's a really high budget drama, most of the outdoor scenes are shot in real landscape and not in a studio and it globally looks really good. For a better impression, look at this nice looking MV based on the different trailers of the show :

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : In 2019 (I think ?) the censorship rules changed concerning historical dramas and established the fact that dramas were forbidden to "distort" certain historical facts. This kind of put an end to traditional historical dramas as they became a way more risky investments, and stopped this one from airing as it already took some liberties in terms of storytelling. Huo Qubing is also a semi-controversial historical figure so it is not helping.

Can we have some hope ? : It's been 7 or 8 years and the regulations concerning historical fiction only got more restrictives in China so I would say no.

3) Immortality

Plot : I'm sure everybody knows the plot of Erha so I don't need to write it but just in case the important tags are : xianxia, dangai, shizunfuckers, reincarnation, blood spitting, stairs, ...

Why I wish I could see it : Outside of the obvious reasons (gay people on my screen, Luo Yunxi spitting blood), it's also produced by the same people involved in the production of Till the End of the Moon and Shui Long Yin, so I have I hopes for the artistic direction of the drama. Also for dmbj fans : did you know Liu Chang played a guest role in this drama ? Idk what he is doing here but I would love to see it.

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : We are all aware of the famous 2021 dangai ban, but in general the chinese government is not a big fan of massive and really agitated fandoms (in the way The Untamed fandom was), so Immortality is in a pretty bad position.

Can we have some hope ? : Yeah !!!!! Hyx TOMORROW !!! Believe in your dreams !!!

For real : Two options. 1) On a random morning of the year 20XX you wake up to danmei fans in your tl losing their marbles bc the 6 first episodes of hyx were randomly airdropped during the night with no promotion and no warnings. You cry some tears of joy and immediately go watch Luo Yunxi spit some blood on screen. 2) After many years hyx is still not out but there were so many leaks that the fans managed to recreate the entire series from scraps and now you can watch it in full. Look, they already started :

4) Night Wanderer

Plot : Zong Yin (Ni Ni) is a forensic expert living in Shanghai in 2021. She met, in her own apartment, a man, called Sheng Qing Rang (Deng Lun), claiming to be the owner of this apartment but in 1937. Together they discover that they can travel to their respective time periods through their shared apartment and start to develop a strong relationship, first as confidence and progressively as lovers. However, the situation get complicated as the Battle of Shanghai broke out in 1937 putting both of their lives in danger.

Why I wish I could see it : First, for lesbian reasons as I would never miss an occasion to stare at Ni Ni for 36 episodes (Wang Yuwen also has a supporting role here and I really like her ! Double win !). Second, it's actually a really nice and original plot for a CDrama and I have full confidence in both actors' capacity to pull off a really good performance to go with it. Look at this trailer ! It looks so promising !

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : Deng Lun !!! Tax evasion is bad !!

Can we have some hope ? : Even less than for The Prisoner of Beauty as Deng Lun is 100% proved to have committed tax evasion. There is often rumors about him coming back to acting but it's unlikely.

5) Winner is King

Plot : Based on the novel "Sha Po Lang" by Priest, set in a steampunk version of the Liang Dynasty. It tells the story of Chang Geng (Chen Zhe Yuan), a young man living in a random countryside village, who discovers after a raid on their village that the closest people around him were hiding a big secret about his identity. He also discovers that the people around him are not who they pretend to be, especially his yifu (adoptive father, played by Tan Jianci), and realizes that his life will never be the same.

Why I wish I could see it : Outside of the reasons already mentioned in hyx's case, Winner is King is also directed by the same director as Guardian and a Journey to Love. I really like his work and he proved that he was able to do really good things even with a really low budget, so now imagine with a decent amount of money ? It could be great. Also I really like the idea of an ancient china steampunk but I am too lazy to read the book.

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : Same reason as hyx and all the other dangais </3 Also I am not sure of how advanced the production was when it was stopped, because I feel like there are not as many content leaks.

Can we have some hope ? : If we can manifest hard enough the end of the ban, it is possible.

6) The Love of Hypnosis

Plot : During the end of Qing Dynasty, a (patriotic) young man named Yen Shen (Jing Boran) meets a fragrance shop owner named Lu Man Sheng (Liu Yifei). Man Sheng has the special ability/ mission to relieve the hearts of people suffering because of love, but it does not mean that her own romantic life is easier to deal with. Together they fall in love and have to navigate the really troubled times of the end of Qing Dynasty.

Why I wish I could see it : If you are familiar with Liu Yifei and Jing Boran acting I'm sure you can see the potential of this pairing ??? Just the poster has more on screen chemistry than some pairings have in 40 episodes. At this point the plot could be written by a cat walking on a keyboard and I would still have hope for a good chemistry. Also the drama has Liu Mintao in a supporting role and I am in love with her so it's a plus.

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : First, there are some copyright issues with the original manhwa author. Second, the second male lead, Zhao Lixin, got more or less canceled a few years back for political reasons (sorry I don't have the details).

Can we have some hope ? : I would say maybe a little. Copyright issues can be solved and I've heard that Zhao Lixin is still shooting in dramas, meaning that there is hope for some of his stuff still being released.

That's all <3

Sorry for depressing information maybe ? Next time I promise I will make a post about dramas I am looking forward to and that are likely to be released sooner or later. 

[onlyzhuyilong]

Zhu Yilong [Ma Zhe] and his “stop being so clingy to me” with Tong Lin Kai [Xiao Xie]

[accio-victuuri]

【Exclusive Interview】 Xiao Zhan: The hard road is the uphill road.

The interview with Xiao Zhan was late at night. On this day, he was busy with the training camp for the new movie during the day, and participated in the promotional program of the new drama at night, and it was nearly 12 o'clock after recording. In the lounge that was temporarily converted into an interview room, there were two sets of clothes he was wearing today hanging, two pairs of white sneakers on the floor, a machine rack, and the lights were turned on, so there was almost no room to move around.

After recording the show, Xiao Zhan changed his clothes and tidied his hair as quickly as possible, and walked into the lounge as quickly as possible. When he came to the door, he paused and walked in slowly. Say hello calmly and sit down quietly. Surrounded by the busy figures of the staff, adjusting the lights and confirming the radio, he held the interview outline and watched carefully, as if a chasing light was cast on his head, separating him from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, leaving only immersion and thinking.

Holding paper things in his hand seems to be Xiao Zhan's habit. Yang Xu, the performance director who has cooperated with him many times, once described him as "always holding the script at any time". On the one hand, this comes from his anxiety about the role, and on the other hand, it also comes from his awe of the role. As an actor with a non-professional background, Xiao Zhan has always held a cautious attitude towards acting.

This kind of posture is still running deep, and it has helped him realize some changes from quantity to quality. In the past 3 years, Xiao Zhan has participated in the drama "Dream Like a Dream" continuously, with tens of thousands of words in each scene; every year, he has a stable output of film and television dramas, from ancient costumes to modern times, from fantasy to realism; in June, the TV series "Where Dreams Begin” was broadcast, the audience saw a more mature actor Xiao Zhan.

In this drama, he wears a military overcoat, speaks Beijing dialect, rides a 28th pole, starts from the small Shichahai, and interprets a life of struggle spanning 30 years, outlining the endless life of that generation. Fighting youth. Xiao Zhan uses the word "nostalgia" to describe his "dream" - for Xiao Chunsheng, who he plays, this dream is born and raised in the city of Beijing, and it is also the original intention and persistence that has never been compromised.

Becoming Xiao Chunsheng is also a dream. In the dream, Xiao Zhan saw the characters and the times; he also saw himself and the present.

If you think it's right, you stick to it

Xiao Zhan first got the script of "Where Dreams Begin", and was attracted by Xiao Chunsheng's full growth line. "He has been through a lot in life, there are many twists and challenges, but he always chooses to rise to the challenge."

As a TV series about the struggle and growth of Beijing youth in the 70s of the last century, "Where Dreams Begin" has the idealism and romance unique to that era, and the chief planner Ye Jing and director Fu Ning are also masters of telling Beijing stories. The story begins on the eve of the resumption of the college entrance examination, when 6 young people meet at the Shichahai Ice Rink: the intelligent and unruly Xiao Chunsheng, the gentle and quiet Tong Xiaomei, the generous and righteous Ye Guohua, the proud and bright He Hongling, the sober and rational Ye Fang, and the studious Chen Hongjun. They each have their own ideals and constraints in life. Starting from this ice rink, they embarked on very different and intertwined life trajectories.

In the following 30 years, Xiao Chunsheng and his partners experienced the ups and downs of life, and also struggled and grew in the clarion call of reform and opening up. Family affection, friendship, love, challenges, opportunities, successes and failures, these keywords build the portrayal of ordinary people in extraordinary times.

Xiao Chunsheng, played by Xiao Zhan, is one of the most "axis": in the early stage, he was the eldest brother in the group, with ideas, courage, ideas, and the chivalrous courage of a young man; In the middle of the year, he aspired to make a career in the army, returned home lonely after being injured, and rose again with the support of tenacious faith; In the end, he walked out of Shichahai and experienced ups and downs in the business sea, but still cherished his original intention and realized another life value.

"I think the most similar thing between myself and Xiao Chunsheng is that I can always stick to what I think is right. In the play, Xiao Chunsheng has made many choices with social changes, but what he really insists on in his heart has not changed, including his friends, his family, and the career he cares about, and he is a person who is more mortal. Xiao Zhan told reporters.

The role is simple and carries a lot of energy throughout; But the role is also complex, and rollercoaster-like situations require actors to show a very different mental outlook.

The scene that impressed Xiao Zhan the most was the clip of Xiao Chunsheng returning to Beijing after being injured, "That scene requires the actor to immerse himself in sad emotions, and at the same time to make some different levels in this emotion, the difficulty is to show this change and progression." ”

With his legs injured, his father dead, and his lover leaving, Xiao Chunsheng got on a train to Beijing with a triple blow. In Xiao Zhan's view, Xiao Chunsheng was very uneasy at that time, "He was so proud and stubborn, he was actually in a wheelchair and was pushed into the car, so I would think, if it were me, I would do something." Xiao Zhan saw a pole next to the train door, so he helped the pole and got on the train. "I think this is what Xiao Chunsheng will do, because the stubbornness in his bones is: others can trouble me, I can stick a knife in the ribs for my brother and the people I care about, but if I am allowed to trouble others, it will cost my life." Xiao Zhan said.

After getting off the train, Xiao Chunsheng saw his sister, and the siblings hugged each other with tearful eyes, and this scene touched many audiences. In fact, this scene simply walked one bit, and when the filming officially started, the emotions were already in place, and the two actors naturally released all their grievances, distress, and unwillingness - real emotions cannot be rehearsed.

To complete this sense of scene, one requires the actor to be 100% familiar with the script, and the other requires the actor to fully enter the role. "Where Dreams Begin" is a jump shoot, and the before and after scenes may not always be smooth, so you must take the time and effort to sort out the order and performance of each scene, and do your homework on the script.

In Xiao Zhan's view, this is a challenge, but also a necessary way to become an actor.

Actors speak with their works

Xiao Zhan is a "post-90s" actor, and "Where Dreams Begin" tells the story of his fathers. Referring to the influence of his parents on himself, Xiao Zhan told reporters: "I inherited their strength." Most people in Chongqing have a very strong and tenacious energy. ”

This energy runs through his acting path so far. Two and a half years ago, he was filming the TV series "Ace Troops", entered the group in advance to participate in military training life, went out to exercise at 5:30 every morning, and practiced running under the scorching sun. The director of the play, Liu Yan, has 3 words to describe him simply and accurately: "Can endure hardship." ”

Liu Yan's other evaluation of Xiao Zhan is also 3 words, "can think". For each role, Xiao Zhan always has to do his best to explore to find a support point in performance. When discussing his performance experience with reporters, Xiao Zhan said: "I prefer to do some preparation work outside the script, such as this character, what the environment he grew up in, what people and things have the greatest impact on him, these things are all outside the script and need to be excavated by themselves." ”

Each character already has a short biography of his or her own before filming begins. "Writing him out through your own understanding will help the interpretation of this character." This is Xiao Zhan's experience.

"Do you hope that when others mention Xiao Zhan in the future, they will say what kind of person he is?" The reporter asked him.

"He's had a good drama recently." He replied with a smile.

This is his ambition to be an actor who stands on a foothold in drama. In recent years, Xiao Zhan has increasingly felt the bond between performance and actors. often return to the hotel after filming, thinking back to the shooting of this day, there is an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, "will be very happy, will feel oh, in fact, this scene is really okay, all the hard work is worth it"; There will also be reflections, "or feel that the state of this scene is not very good, it would be better if it were done again."

"As a non-professional actor, with so much attention, the audience will inevitably look at you and evaluate you with a more rigorous eye, what do you think of these comments?"

"Just treat it normally, just like a line in "Where Dreams Begin", 'The hard road is the uphill road'. That's right, then I'll absorb it myself, and then correct it next time. For me, an actor speaks with a work, so everything serves the work. ”

Three years ago, at an event commemorating the 110th anniversary of Mr. Cao Yu's birth, Xiao Zhan had a conversation with Wan Fang, Cao Yu's daughter. Xiao Zhan asked Wan Fang a question: "Is sincerity the most important thing in creation?" ”

Wan Fang replied with a line from her work "Winter Journey": "There is no road to sincerity, sincerity itself is the road." ”

This sentence was deeply remembered by Xiao Zhan. He knows that the attitude towards performance should also be this way - there are no shortcuts to good performance, only sincerity and perseverance can be accomplished.

Don't be humble and focus on the moment

Before entering the entertainment industry, Xiao Zhan was a college student studying design, a diligent "Party B" in the company, and because of his work experience before the age of 25, he always had a professional consciousness, such as when talking about the drama "Dream Like a Dream", he described himself as a screw in the team.

Xiao Zhan told reporters that almost every year he is asked about future plans and goals, but in fact, he is not a person who likes to list plans. "It's about doing things well in the moment and living in the moment."

Now that it is the graduation season, Xiao Zhan recalls his career along the way and is very emotional. "After graduating from college, I first worked in my own major, and then jumped into the industry, and I was able to empathize with the anxiety that some graduates may have now. After coming out of the campus, the social environment has changed, the work content has also changed, everyone will encounter different difficulties and challenges, and after one difficulty, there will be the next. He said, "But you still have to adjust your mentality, don't be humble and unassuming, don't worry and worry too much, do what you have at hand, and the trouble will be solved." ”

At the beginning of 2020, Xiao Zhan attended an award ceremony, and on the podium, he wrote a "JIE". That was his small expectation for himself: "Don't be arrogant or impatient, stay up late, break the boundary and cross the world to break into the world." ”

From a designer to a singer, this is a beautiful and unexpected turning point in Xiao Zhan's life; from a singer to an actor, he has continuously broadened his career boundaries and gradually gained his own starlight; Accumulated with many works, consolidated ability, and moved forward steadily. At the end of the interview, Xiao Zhan said that he would not set a life plan too high and high, and that all the future comes from this momentary self.

About life, time will give the best answer.

source. ( people’s network )

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Tiger and Crane (2023)

He’s shy 🤣🤭😂 #tigerandcrane

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Aec-uraLOP8

[xiakeponz]

for modern AU fics - what chinese media did diaspora consume?

making this post because some of us in the diaspora server were having a chat about what Chinese media "Diaspora Chinese" watched in the 90's - 2000's (and even sooner than that) while not having access to satellite chinese media or streaming services - this is in the context of writing modern AU fics based off Chinese media/novels (so your main character's grandpa or uncle is not, in fact, watching an episode of Friends or Shortland Street or something as flavour text because sorry what the hell-)

We generally watched a lot of stuff on VCDs, including bootlegged and non-bootlegged movies, shows, anime/donghua. My household had a whole VCD album of this, and a lot of VCDs (even if they were pirated editions) would have a fancy hardcover box with a magnetic clasp and some artwork representing the show on it.

All of this is Mandarin - so not TVB stuff, because I'm from Northern China and I don't know any cantonese - but Canto friends, please feel free to add to the list! This is mostly stuff my parents liked to watch, or I liked to watch with them, with the exception of a few which I mainly watched with friends/cousins when I was maybe (in most cases) eleven/twelve years old onwards. This is a pretty personal list, meant to give people general idea of a possible "ballpark" of sorts, and by no means exhaustive.

Now, for the list of shows which I can confirm I had or someone I know had on VCD or some kind of offline media format lol (I'll try add release year stamps and links to the EN wikipedia where possible):

Period dramas (mostly Qing Dynasty stuff):

Huan Zhu Gege 还珠格格 (1998, April-) This is a classic, so many memes come from this show; hugely popular series, basically cemented Zhang Tie Lin's face as the face of the Qing Emperor for about a decade. Tie Chi Tong Ya Ji Xiao Lan 铁齿铜牙纪晓岚 (2002-2010) - I loved this show as a kid and watched all four seasons on repeat with family... The "trio" in this show are well known and loved.

Amazing Detective Di Ren Jie / 神探狄仁杰 (2004) A very popular and addictive show. Ok now the Big Four:

Romance of 3 kingdoms 1994 / 三国演义 (1994) - a classic that has had many remakes, my older cousin would play this on repeat...

Hong Lou Meng/红楼梦 （1987） - another classic with many remakes, but I think the most recognised by the public one is the 1987 one.

Journey to the West / 西游记 live action (1986) - I think the 1986 version of the live action is the most recognised one. *Shui Hu Zhuan / 水浒传 (1998) - I am not too familliar with the live action of this one in my household tbh bc my mum doesn't like it lol (she keeps saying it's too depressing) but I'm sure it's up there with the rest of the big four, if anyone has an opinion on this one please let me know!

Modern setting shows:

My dad loved all the Sun Honglei (孙红雷 - actor name) stuff, iirc it was a lot of MinGuo period espionage stuff, your shanghai 1920's sxc aesthetic. This actor has been around since 1999? Qian Fu （潜伏）was very famous, and Ren Jian Zheng Dao Shi Cang Sang （人间正道是沧桑）。 These were around '08 and '09.

Chuang Guan Dong - 闯关东 (2008) (Baidu link, sorry - couldn't get an EN wikipedia one). This show was huge when it was airing, everyone was watching it. I was pretty young but even I watched it and got invested ... and I thought it was such an "old person" show at the time lmao. Xiao Bing Zhang Ga / 小兵张嘎 （2004） (sorry, again Baidu link) - yo, anti-japanese war movies set between 1937-1945 were crazy popular - this is one of them and was very popular):

Donghua/Anime (all the stuff kid me watched and some which I didn't but were popular):

喜羊羊与灰太狼 (2005-) Calabash Brothers / 葫芦兄弟 （1986-1987） Black Cat Detective / Hei Mao Jing Zhang 黑猫警长 （1984-2010） Lan Mao Tao Qi 3000 Wen 蓝蓝猫淘气3000问 AKA 蓝猫 (blue cat) (October 1999 - Present) Legend of Ne Zha 哪吒传奇 (2003) Journey to the West/Xi You Ji 西游记 This was truly the Donghua I grew up on from when I was a bb, the OP song and ED song are classic bangers all kids know. Slam Dunk/ 灌篮高手 - People truly watched a lot of anime that may or may not have been terribly dubbed into mando (possibly canto too). Late 80s and 90s kids were all over this, and Dragon Ball, Crayon Shinchan (labixiaoxin).

Taiwanese Dramas:

This is mid-late 2000's, I would be remiss to not talk about the Taiwanese dramas of this era. Mike He, Rainie Yang, Wu Zun (amongst many, many others) were huge. Stuff like Dou Niu Yao Bu Yao, it started with a kiss, Hua Yang Shao Nv (Taiwanese version of Hana Kimi) were all pretty popular. Not sure if these shows all hold up in 2023, but boy were they popular at the time.

Note about CNY:

For CNY, people would try to tune into 春节联欢晚会 (the CCTV official CNY show) at that One Friend Who Had China Satellite TV's house. Zhao Ben Shan / 赵本山 was a comedy staple, and the show would often feature people from the music industry to perform. Eventually these people became more and more relevant to my gen and Jay Chou etc started appearing.

Last but not least Xian Jiaaaan 仙剑:

In 2005 I was all over 仙剑奇侠传 (Chinese Paladin), based off the video game. This show was crazy popular and probably sent me and a whole lot of other kids into Xianxia / Wuxia hell (and Hu Ge hell, and later I came back to love Liu Yifei). Thank you. The OST is a true banger.

[drama--universe]

Late Night Confession

Requested by anonymous: Hi! I just watched FIYS and can you do an imagine about K? Uhmm, maybe an AU where Tong Yao* has a sister who also games with the alias “Heartbreaker” and K unknowingly plays with her while Tong Yao smiles to herself when she saw K lost against her sister and made her sister visit at the dorm during University breaks and both K and Tong Yao’s sister slowly start to fall for each other?

Pairing: K x fem!reader

Word Count: 3496 words

A/N Sorry for the long wait on this one, I was a bit busy... Hope you enjoy this one, it is a bit longer than normal.

Btw, after this I'm taking a break again, because I got exams coming up. after that I'm back for requests :)

The game was boring, something that was clear to most fans as they watched K's live. He was sighing loudly, his fingers lazily tapping the keyboard as he moved his mouse while also rolling his eyes every five seconds. The people he played with and against were no good, their messy playstyle just gave K a headache and it was clear that even his fans were annoyed. So he left the game halfway, searching for any other game room that were still open. When he finally found one, most of the players being high-level like him, he clicked on the icon before waiting as it started. When the count down started, he quickly went over the other team's players and one player immediatley caught his eye.

First it was their name, the name 'Heartbreaker' didn't seem like a normal name in between the other names, but then he noticed the level they were on. He had yet to see someone on the normal server with a rank higher than his, except for other professional gamers of course, but apparently 'Heartbreaker' had.

Mumbling something to himself, he was unaware as Tong Yao rolled into the camera's view and watched the screen before snorting and rolling away again. K looked to her, frowning before rolling his eyes and continuing to stare at his screen. He kept playing, his teammates long forgotten as he killed his opponents. It wasn't long until he saw the name 'Heartbreaker' flash across the screen.

Before he could even move his fingers to attack, he watched as the 'You Died' screen took over instead and he let his hand drop on the keyboard with slightly wide eyes. Not saying anything, he waited until he respawned again before searching for 'Heartbreaker' again and trying again, only to die again seconds later. Clenching his teeth, he waited again before retrying once more. He smashed the keys and mouse, hoping to himself that he'd beat them. One hit, then a second and then he died again. Not getting a third respawn, his screen just showed his team playing and losing as he sighed loudly.

It was clear to anyone how annoyed he was, his fans were quick to point it out in the comments and trying to reassure the gamer that 'Heartbreaker' must be using some kind of hack. He knew this to not be true, the game had been programmed to ban everyone once a kind of program was spotted on the computer, even when it wasn't in use. Unfair, but it worked.

"Got beat?" Tong Yao asked as she rolled closer again, appearing in the camera's view with a broad smile and K turned his head to look at her, clearly getting more annoyed at the girl's teasing.

"Stop acting like you'd know I'd lose." "I did, though." Tong Yao teased, pushing her chair back so she'd get out of view, eyes returning to her phone as it dinged. She started to type to reply to the message., unaware of the lingering stare. When she finally noticed that K was still staring at her, she paused and pointed at his screen.

"I know Heartbreaker, she's a natural talent when it comes to games." She pointed out and K sighed, rolling his eyes before turning to his computer again. He quickly ended his livestream, sure that he'd get scolded by Xiao Rui afterwards because of the short and blunt goodbye, and searched out 'Heartbreaker' in the ID search bar. When he found her, he clicked the 'send friend request' and waited for a conformation. Not even seconds later, he got a request back which he accepted quickly before he watched as a message popped onto his screen.

'Sorry for beating you!'

He sighed and he could hear Tong Yao snort again, giving her another glare before staring at the screen. He then typed in his own message, replying with a 'You play really good' before sending it, receiving a reply seconds later.

'Wish I could say the same :)'

He couldn't help but chuckle at the reply before he send another. The messages kept going for a few minutes before 'Heartbreaker' logged off.

You logged off because of school, a bit sad when you couldn't talk to your new friend anymore. It was quite fun to hear how he reacted to your messages from Tong Yao, you couldn't help but smile as she sent you pictures of a flustered K. You quickly texted Tong Yao to just give your number to K before you put your phone away and getting ready for school.

So Tong Yao did, pulling K's phone from his desk and adding your number under the name 'Heartbreaker' before handing it back to K with a smile. He glanced at the phone in confusion before clicking on your icon, texting you before pocketing his phone and getting up to go out.

You had already left your house, ready to go to school and dressed into the warmest clothes you had with a large shawl thrown around your neck that hid most of your face. You didn't feel like getting cold.

After a couple of minutes, you entered your classroom and sat near your friends before getting your phone again. You quickly checked K's text before sending him a quick selfie, half of your face still covered by your scarf before putting your phone down and focusing on your lesson.

K checked immediatley once he got the notification and smiled as he saw you, smiling as he finally somewhat saw what you looked like. He just sent a text saying 'You're pretty' before going back to shopping and waiting for your response, a bit disappointed when it had been an hour already and you hadn't even seen it.

Something which was obvious to Tong Yao when she saw the man enter the dorms, face glum as he put his stuff away before he sat behind his computer. When she saw this, she also was quick to send you a picture. When you saw it, you couldn't help but smile before you quickly changed to text K and your face flushed as you saw his text. Not wanting to seem flustered, you decided on a 'You're quite good looking yourself' before you put your phone away again.

An hour later, you received a text from Tong Yao, asking you to come by next week and you agreed while also still gaming. Somehow, K had seen you were online again and immediately send you a game request, but this time to play with you and not against. He stayed near you must of the game, watching you while also killing anyone who came near you while you tried to destroy the base.

While all this happens, he was also listening to your ranting through your call. He hummed in agreement every now and then, just to let you know that he was still listening to your story. It took about an hour of you to finish your rant and once you noticed that, you started apologizing immediatley, feeling guilty that you kept him for so long. He just shrugged it off, telling you that he didn't mind listening to you and you felt your face heat up slowly.

"Shut up... Anyway, how was the rest of your day?" "Not much happened, I just went to the grocery store to get some stuff. Beside that, not much..." He answered before logging out of the game and you could hear him talking to someone else.

"I'll talk to you some other time, bye." He didn't even let you reply as he hung up and you pouted to yourself before shrugging and closing the game as well.

A week later, you still hadn't heard from K again and he also hadn't been online for awhile. You didn't mind too much, after all you were visiting today and he was probably also a busy person. Nonetheless, today was the day you'd visit, so you dressed warm before you exited your house. You wished was it was bit warmer, but winter was never that kind and thus you were bundled up in 3 layers of clothes and a thick scarf to make sure that your face remained warm as well. You made your way through the streets until you finally reached your destination, Tong Yao already waiting at the gate in her own winter coat. When she spotted you, she only smiled brightly before sprinting at you, engulfing you into a tight hug.

"I missed you!" She whined loudly as she pulled back, inspecting you from head to toe.

"You got thin." "That's what college does, young sister." You commented at your small sister, who only gave you a pout before pulling you inside of her dorms. Even though you were only a year older than her, she acted more like your older sister.

Inside, everyone was sat at their computers and you could Lu Yue shouting loudly at his older brother about something. You hung up your coat and scarf before following your sister inside, immediatley drawing everyone's attention as the room grew silent.

"Ignore them." Tong Yao said as she continued to guide you to the kitchen area, forcing you to sit down before getting some food and dropping it in front of you. You rolled your eyes, but ate the food anyway. No way you'd deny free food.

As you ate, you turned around to watch what the others were doing only to be greeted with the stares of everyone. You gave a wave, swallowing your food before speaking up.

"I'm Tong Yao's sister, pleasure to meet you all." You commented and they all nodded before returning to their games. All except for K, who just looked at you in confusion. You just gave him a wink before turning around when Tong Yao called your name.

"I haven't told him yet." "I figured..." You said with a smile, taking a sip of the drink that you had received before turning around again. You took your phone out of your pocket and started a call to K, waiting for him to pick up. You saw his eyes flash to his phone before he quickly picked up, turning in his chair as he got up. He seemed confused when you didn't say anything and asked if you were alright.

"Left." You answered and he frowned, turning left before he noticed you again. You waved your phone with a smile, showing his name ID on your phone. He lowered his phone slowly, staring at you before checking his phone again. You couldn't help but snort, getting up from your chair and turning your head to Tong Yao for a second.

"I'll be back in a second." You said before walking past K, grabbing his collar as you passed him and dragged him outside. Once you stood outside, you quickly closed the door behind you before turning to face him.

"Didn't expect that, did ya?" You asked and he raised an eyebrow at you before sighing.

"So, you're Heartbreaker..." You nodded. "And you're also Tong Yao's sister?" You nodded again before sitting down on one of the chairs and looking at him again.

"You not going to say anything?" "You're prettier in person." He answered and your eyes widened at the sudden compliment, chuckling softly.

"Thanks... Likewise." You commented and he frowned at your comment, so you quickly explained that Tong Yao was kind enough to sent you pictures of him while he texted you.

"She what?" He asked and you laughed again before pulling up to pictures that she had sent you, showing them to K with a smile and enjoying the

"Just a second." He said before storming inside and you flinched when you suddenly heard a loud scream from inside that sounded like your sister before K walked back outside with a calm look.

"Did you just kill my sister?" "She's fine." He answered and you frowned, looking inside to see Tong Yao on the ground in shock. She looked fine...ish?

"The pictures weren't that bad." You commented and he rolled his eyes.

"If you wanted pictures so bad, you could've asked." He commented as he sat down and you gave him a smile.

"I'll remember that then." You said before getting up.

"How about getting some drinks?" You then asked and he agreed quickly, following you out. All the way to the café and back, both of you just talked about your interests and you only discovered more similar interests.

Once you arrived back in the dorms, you gave everyone their drinks while still talking to K. He didn't move back to his computer and instead sat on the couch with you, sipping on his own drink as he continued to listen to your ranting. You didn't even notice that you were ranting, but once you started going about something you were passionate about there was no stopping you. Yet he just listened to you, eyes full of adoration. This was something that was quickly noticed by Tong Yao as she watched the two of you with a broad grin, seeing the adoration in his eyes for you.

So of course, she had to embarrass him.

"Hey K?!" She exclaimed and he turned his head, clearly giving her a dead stare as your ranting stopped. Tong Yao only beckoned him over and he got up, even more annoyed now as he stood next to her. She beckoned him to lean down to her height and he leaned forward until she could whisper in his ear.

"Stop looking at my sister like she's the love of your life." She whispered before watching K turn red from embarrassment while also keeping an eye on you. You hadn't heard anything, just waiting patiently on the couch as you typed on your phone.

"Instead of acting like she's the love of your live, make her the love of your life." She then said before pushing him away and he could only walk back to the confusion, sitting back down next to you.

"What she say?" You asked and he shrugged before asking you to continue your story. You smiled slightly before going back into your rant and K went back to listening while staring at you again. This time, however, it didn't go unnoticed to you. You noticed the stare and couldn't help but feel your face heat up as you kept talking, trying to finish the story without stuttering. Once finished, you looked at him and he raised an eyebrow.

"Are you going to keep staring at me?" You then asked and he scoffed, his face heating up once more as he turned away from you.

"We should go get some food." Tong Yao then commented and everyone quickly agreed, all of them quickly getting ready to go out while you and K stayed downstairs.

"So why were you staring? Am I that beautiful?" You teased, faking your confidence a bit as you made the comment, and he just gave you an annoyed look.

"Am I?" You teased again and he sighed. "Yes." He then answered and you were a bit taken aback by his sudden answer. He just rolled his eyes at you and got up from the couch as everyone gathered at the front door. You all went to a restaurant with classical Chinese food, on request of Lao Mao and Lu Yue, and of course, you were sat next to K again. Tong Yao had somehow gotten the others to join in her teasing, all of them making comments about how you looked together. Every time someone did, both you and K looked at them with a deadly glare and it only made everyone laugh again at how synced you two were.

You could only groan in response.

The rest of the dinner was quiet, but you only felt anxious with all eyes on you. So you were glad when it was over, walking at the back of the pack as you searched for an hour that your bus would come. K was next to you, watching over your shoulder before pointing at your bus icon.

"Tomorrow at 6... Nice." You mumbled before quickly walking to Tong Yao and asking if you could stay the night, to which she responded with a sure.

It was 4 or 5 in the morning when you woke up, your head aching and you suddenly remembered that drinking alcohol always gave you huge headaches, and you had drank 3 or 4 glasses last night. Rolling out of the bed, you unwrapped Tong Yao from your waist before slowly waddling downstairs. You entered the kitchen and stopped when you saw someone else, not being able to tell who it was. You just trudged to the freezer and pulled open the door, grabbing a bottle of water before glancing at the person again.

It was K, now visible because of the fridge lightning, and he also held a water bottle in his hand while trying to keep the light out of his eyes. You closed the door again before hopping on the counter.

"Why you up?" You asked and he sighed, nodding before sipping from his drink.

"You?" "Headache... I apparently drank a bit too much." You commented and he snorted, trying to hide the fact that he was laughing at you. You just rolled your eyes at him, drinking from your own bottle before looking back to him.

"I didn't get to say this earlier, but sorry for Tong Yao earlier." You said and he looked up before shrugging at the comment. You fidgeted with your fingers, sighing softly before looking at him again as he spoke up.

"I don't mind it that much. They tease me about that a lot." He said and you frowned at that, leaning forward as you put the bottle of water down.

"They tease you a lot about... liking me?" You asked cautiously and you could see the wheels in his head turning before he realized that he basically exposed himself. Even though you didn't see much, you could see his face turning red as he looked annoyed at himself.

"So I'm right? You like me?" You asked as you leaned back again, leaning against the side of the fridge as you waited for an answer. He only rolled his eyes, walking to the fridge and pulling it open to put his bottle of water back. Once he closed it and attempted to walk off, you only pulled the back of his shirt until he stood in front of you. He gave you a look of annoyance, which quickly melted away as you kissed his cheek softly.

"This is going to be really awkward if I read that wrong..." You mumbled as you pulled back, but he didn't let you continue as he kissed you again. He moved to stand in between your legs as his hand moved to your neck while pulling you closer, his other hand resting beside your leg. Once he pulled back, you felt like you had lost your breath and he only smirked at you.

"Shut up, I didn't expect it. That's all." You said and he leaned forward again, only for you to lean back.

"What are you doing...?" You asked as your head bummed against the cabinet, his nose still touching yours and he only gave you a smile.

"Can I not kiss you again?" He asked and you pushed him away, pouting at him.

"So... What are we then?" "I'll be your boyfriend, no?" He asked and you smiled, nodding happily before freezing when the lights went on. On the stairs stood Tong Yao and Lu Yue, both lights sleepers and probably woke up from the loud chattering between you and K. The looks on their faces were quite funny to see, but seeing how you were sitting with K standing in between your legs must have looked weird to them.

However, K did not move away and instead just leaned his head on on your shoulder with a frustrated groan. You just chuckled, weaving your fingers through his hair before turning to the two on the stairs.

"Morning..." You said and Lu Yue was the first to rush off, probably off to get his phone while Tong Yao just stared at you before just shaking her head and walking back to her room.

"I think we just ruined her morning..." "I don't care." He replied, head still placed on your shoulder before slowly raising it to look at you.

"Shouldn't you get ready?" He asked and you turned your head to look at the clock that hung off the wall, seeing that you had 30 minutes before your bus would arrive. You hopped off the counter, kissing him once more before walking upstairs to get dressed. You passed Lu Yue, who seemed a bit disappointed as he saw you next to him instead of downstairs.

Once you were dressed, you went downstairs again, seeing that everyone else had miraculously woken up and sitting downstairs. You greeted K once more with a kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye to everyone, then rushing off to catch your bus. Tong Yao turned in her chair, kicking K's chair to catch his attention.

"Do not ever do that again in the dorms."

[art]

Creator Spotlight: @velinxi​

Hello! I’m Xiao Tong Kong, better known as “Velinxi.” I’m the creator of the webcomic Countdown to Countdown and have been doing freelance artwork since I was a teenager. I love telling stories with my illustrations! Tumblr was where I first got my start as an artist, specifically a small fandom artist as a hobby… and now I’m somehow here! When I’m not trying my best to stay awake in front of my tablets, I’m usually cooking, gaming, or sleeping. Sometimes all three, in my dreams.

Check out our interview with Velinxi below!

Did you originally have a background in art? If not, how did you start?

Yeah! I’ve basically been on track to become an artist since I was a child. I went to a middle school with an emphasis on arts and a high school specializing in it. I went to SVA briefly for computer arts but dropped out to pursue freelance and webcomics after my first year.

Over the years as an artist, what or who were your biggest inspirations behind your creativity?

My biggest inspirations growing up were Yuumei and Shilin Huang, two titans on DeviantArt back in the day. They still inspire me today, but the list of inspirations has grown exponentially over the years, including artists, movies, entire art movements, etc.

What was your thought process behind the creation of your webcomic, Countdown to Countdown?

Well, Countdown to Countdown started as a passion project back when I was 15, in high school, and pretty depressed. I just wanted to draw whatever story I thought was cool, inspired by my favorite media at the time. There was a very loose beginning and outline, but I was truly just writing as I drew the story. That’s why I had to stop the comic in 2018 and restart from scratch the year after. Now, the story has a set story and a clear outline. It still has similar roots, characters, and themes of neglect, abuse, and escape—but I think the story is a lot easier to follow now. It’s got an artstyle I can actually keep up with in the long run. The origin of why CTC exists also remains the same: I simply wanted to make a story I wanted to read for myself. Which happens to be about two dumb boys with superpowers navigating a hostile world that wants them dead or caged—together.

Have you ever had an art block? If so, how did you overcome it?

Oh, all the time. It’s part of the process. Personally, though—I just have to draw through it. Every month on my Patreon, I have my patrons vote on a theme I have to draw by the end of the month, and I try my best to make it as interesting as possible. I draw quite a few—tens even, of doodles or compositions for each of these themes to try to make something that tells a story while still being aesthetically pleasing and clear. I think pushing myself like this helps with art block, really. I also do remember to take breaks and simply consume other media I like! It gets the inspiration juices flowing.

Advice you would give to an aspiring creator?

If you do one—your first webcomic should be a short, fun, messy thing. It’s not often you can get it right the first time, but you’ll certainly learn a lot through sheer experience. This goes for a lot of things in art, to be honest.

What is a medium that you have always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

3D Animation. I briefly learned it at SVA, and I think that’s enough of that tech for me. I accept that there are some things that are truly beautiful if done right, and I am too simple and lazy for it.

What is your goal for the rest of this year?

Get Countdown to Countdown book 2 finished! And live HAHA

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

@yuumei-art on Tumblr, still! They’ve been a huge inspiration for digital artists and storytellers online for years. I have no doubt that many digital artists of my generation have been influenced by them, and they’re still here, making beautiful art and stories. It’s a thing to behold.

Thanks for stopping by, Velinxi! If you haven’t seen her Meet the Artist piece, be sure to check it out here. You can also follow her for more amazing art over at her Tumblr, @velinxi!