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llycaons · 10 months

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ep18 (2/2): and now he's drugging both his siblings

this is very sweet but then you remember the postres inn scene and honestly it's breathtaking how cruel that was

this was cute

I get it jyl. I want to feed them and make sure they're happy too. she had to go to the kitchens at 3 am to heat up some food for them because her parents are useless and if I had to live like that I'd snap though

wwx: so true shijie I love you too. keep breathing in that nice normal incense though. you definitely won't wake up in a carriage halfway to lanling because we went over your head to drug you for your own safety and send you away against your explicit wishes

people make a big deal of wwx violating jc's trust but I actually find this lie worse. jc knew he was going to get surgery and he'd have a core at the end. he didn't know EVERYTHING, and he felt stupid afterwards, and maybe it wasn't right, but wwx was an extremely traumatized and guilt-ridden teenager who did what he thought was best to save his life at tremendous cost to himself. and if didn't, jc would have died. he just would have

but this was (both of them!) refusing to have a convo with their sister and drugging her because he didn't respect her agency

and then. 'nevermind'

what was it in the book "I'm sorry, it wasn't your fault?" ough

this look hurts. wwx knew. you cannot tell me he didn't know

side crying in sleep no. 898343

I have noticed several parallels between wq and jc, but not in the sense that I think they would be good romantic partners or even friends. their principles differ far too much. wq is polite with jc, but comfortable showing her irritation with wwx because they're closer and bc jc is a patient. but since she doesn't feel as comfortable with jc, she has to hold it in if she's mad. and if she does express it, jc will probably get mad back. not a stable dynamic

wq watching them walk away like dang those kids are messed up

YOU'RE GOING TO WAR WITH THAT CROWD???? LESS THAN SIXTY PEOPLE????? THAT'S THE COMBINED MIGHT OF THE JINS??? A SMALL WEDDING PARTY????

you couldn't have used cgi to bulk out their forces? 😭

aw he looked good here

STEP on that symbol of a clan that destroyed your home. YES LAN WANGJI IS BACK!!!!

he really does look like just a guy to me. love him but he's very average looking

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

wwx at the last second like FUCK I only have one core to give away what if he attacks wzl again HEY JC DON"T FUCK UP AGAIN

once you know who this is her voice and robes make it extremely obvious but I was still only 80% sure on my first watch so I was like 👀 wen qing?

personal highlights

wwx getting the idea for bssr from SL

baby wwx looking like an acorn

jyl trying to catch him when he slipped out of the tree

jyl feeding him and smiling so sweetly bc she loves him

first sight of lwj in episodes

song lan almost giving wwx a gay love confession for xxc

#cql rewatch

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franniebanana · 2 years

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CQL Rewatch - Ep 40

I mean, of course I understand Jin Ling here. Uh, not that my parents were killed by demonic cultivation, but I can see where he’s coming from. I can identify with Jin Ling’s hatred for someone who caused such pain for his family. If I had been in his place, I’d sure as shit hate Wei Wuxian with an undying passion. In fact, sitting here, thinking about this, it’s amazing that Jin Ling is ever able to forgive Wei Wuxian at all. I mean, were it not for him, Jin Zixuan probably wouldn’t have been killed (at least not that early in his life). If it weren’t for Wei Wuxian, Jiang Yanli certainly wouldn’t have been killed. Of course, this all happened for the STORY, but in reality, the fact that Jin Ling is able to find forgiveness in his heart for Wei Wuxian is mind-blowing, don’t you think? Maybe not, but maybe you’re more forgiving than I am.

XD this moment! The Lan juniors watching as Lan Wangji orders liquor and retires to his bedroom for the evening! Of course, they think Lan Wangji is going to drink it himself. I wonder if they’d find it more scandalous to know that he’s actually bringing it to Wei Wuxian, who is sleeping in the same chambers, it seems? And the next few frames are Wei Wuxian kind of sneaking in another way, so he isn’t seen.

Oh, jk, it was Wen Ning. XD

This part is also hilarious, because Wei Wuxian doesn’t want Wen Ning to be seen by Lan Wangji. I mean, it makes a bit of sense, because Lan Wangji is kinda scary and all that, but in the novel, Lan Wangji chases Wen Ning away prior to this, if I remember correctly. There’s a better reason for Wei Wuxian to want to hide Wen Ning away. They both kind of feel like teenagers here, not wanting to get caught by the authority figure.

Ah, yes, the “I was up to nothing, just enjoying the beautiful evening air” face. I really appreciate Wei Wuxian’s dichotomy to be this powerful, dark cultivator, as well as a mischievous, smart-ass imp. And I’m a big fan of opposites attract, so Lan Wangji’s stoic introvert personality really complements the former one.

Wei Wuxian wants to play and drink with Lan Wangji here, but of course, Lan Wangji gets serious. He’s worried that everyone is figuring out that Wei Wuxian isn’t who he claims to be. He isn’t Mo Xuanyu, he is, in fact, Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian’s disappointment upon being dragged back into reality is so apparent. Not that he’s trying to run away, but he doesn’t want to focus on the issues and concerns and the bad things right now. He immediately brushes off Lan Wangji’s concerns, and instead turns it around to “I’m curious, how did you recognize me?” And then Lan Wangji has his snappy remark of, “I’m also curious how you have such a bad memory.” Oh, SNAP! XD

Really, the memory loss is convenient, isn’t it? The idea is so much more impactful, though, when you think about how CQL showed a more loving Wei Wuxian pre-death. I am pretty much sure that he was in love with Lan Wangji, which is different from the novel. CQL has a much softer version of Wei Wuxian—he’s a hell of a lot nicer to Lan Wangji, that’s for sure. In a perfect world, it would have been nice to see Wei Wuxian slowly remembering his feelings for Lan Wangji, piecing together the memories and how he felt at those times. I mean, if we can’t have actual novel canon, we could at least have that. But regarding things Wei Wuxian doesn’t remember, I think I’ll never not be annoyed that they didn’t have Wei Wuxian carry Lan Wangji in the Xuanwu Cave. It’s not like they were against the idea, since they did the reverse later on. I think it carries so much more weight that Wei Wuxian actually did it, versus him just offering to carry Lan Wangji, which is all we got.

He didn’t even knock! What if they’d been fucking??

LOL JK, but seriously, you should always knock. Plus he basically soundlessly entered that room, as if summoned by Wei Wuxian mentioning his name. He’s worse than my cats. They should put a bell on him!

The way they nod at each other. It’s time to solve another mystery!!

But also, they way they nod at each other 😍. I love their connection. I love their chemistry. I love that it’s so easy to believe they are actually in love with each other, though neither one of them can actually admit it in CQL verse. But I guess I want to reiterate that it’s really easy to overlook this kind of great casting/chemistry that those two have. It’s not a given that two leads will be in sync this way, and a lot of directors achieve this through having their leads live together or spend a lot of time together, etc. (like Peter Jackson did with Lord of the Rings)—basically allowing them to bond like their characters would (and of course the actors a lot of times do this on their own). But I don’t know that we know anything about what Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo did prior to starting to film. Yes, there was training, but I don’t think we have any information about them bonding prior to filming. Either way, what I’m saying is that these two are really good together and it SHOWS onscreen, and it’s a pleasure to watch.

Would you believe it if I said this is the first time I’m actually noticing these stone reliefs and how they connect to the characters? Well, believe it. They’re all coming back here after, I’m assuming, quite some time. So much has happened. Lan Xichen has lost one of his sworn brothers and is facing what could be the loss of another, depending on what Wei Wuxian and his brother uncover here at Carp Tower. Wei Wuxian, of course, can’t help but remember his last time here, which was in many ways his undoing—it was the really the catalyst that set off a bunch of events that led to his death. Him seeing the “ambush” relief is really interesting. You can relate it to how he and Wen Ning were ambushed outside the city, but also his feeling about what happened to him. That he wasn’t all to blame, and that it was outside forces that came after him—almost like he’s trying to shift the blame to someone else. And then you have Lan Wangji and “benevolence and authority,” the dichotomy that he is trying to balance: benevolence towards the one he loves, yet while having that, he butts up against the authority of the Gusu Lan Sect, among others, as well as what should be the authority in his own mind. He has to balance out being that figure of authority, but also cherishing Wei Wuxian. It’s deep, guys.

Lan Wangji always knows when something is going on with Wei Wuxian. He didn’t even glance at him, but he can sense the tension Wei Wuxian is feeling as he goes up those steps. I love how he is there for him, but also like, “Hey, we need to keep moving.” I like the reality of it in that, yes, it’s okay to take a time out, it’s okay to grieve for that old life, it’s okay to feel those things—but you can’t just stand still forever. Lan Wangji is very good at being the person to say, “Lean on me, but keep moving forward.” I really love and appreciate that kind of sentiment, because it’s very human, very real. Life is hard at times—hard for all of us, no matter who you are, no matter where you’re from, no matter what your background is. And you can choose to stand still. You can choose to let life go on around you, and life will go on, regardless of what you do. But if my years have taught me anything (especially the last two years), it’s a lot more enjoyable to be a part of that life than to just watch it go by.

Lan Wangji is such a support for Wei Wuxian, being that rock and that support when he’s needed, but, man, Lan Wangji really must have needed Wei Wuxian after he died. Obviously he also learned to move on with his life, but it’s clear that it was not easy at first.

The way Lan Wangji consistently snubs and ignores Jiang Cheng is both hilarious and unrealistic. Imagine if you straight-up ignored every colleague that you didn’t like. I think they’d really be talking shit about you to all your other colleagues. Obviously Lan Xichen would never do this in public, but I wonder if he privately has scolded his brother before for being rude. Fanfic fodder, I guess.

There’s always one person at the party who takes you too seriously when you say, “Let’s drink until we’re drunk.”

It’s such a common feeling when you walk into the room that everyone is talking about you, and not in a good way. Of course, in reality, most people don’t even notice you and certainly aren’t saying bad things about you—it’s your anxiety talking. But in this case, everyone is talking about Mo Xuanyu, and it’s definitely not in a good way. And worse yet, he has no idea what he did! Worse still, Lan Wangji won’t even tell him at first. Instead, he just gives him some vague instructions to not make a scene. More than being funny, this scene always makes me uncomfortable, especially when Wei Wuxian holds his cup up to toast. I’m okay with the changes they made, I guess, but I still prefer the novel. I think it creates a much more interesting dynamic to have Mo Xuanyu to have come onto Jin Guangyao, instead of his wife, especially because the interactions with Qin Su are very limited.

“Wait for me,” Wei Wuxian says, to which Lan Wangji responds with a slight nod of his head. Do you guys ever stop and think about how far these two have come? How Lan Wangji detested the sight of Wei Wuxian at first? How Wei Wuxian wanted nothing more than to tease Lan Wangji and get under his skin? And now it feels like having to part like this is a risk—a risk that both of them are somewhat hesitant to take, as if not getting to see that other person later in the evening would be upsetting. Their need to be together is touching and kind of makes my heart skip a beat, if I’m honest.

And then to follow up that conversation, we get this incredibly forlorn look from Lan Wangji. I get the feeling that he’s used to watching Wei Wuxian leave and that he lets him go off alone begrudgingly rather than willingly. It’s kind of like, you have to let them go off on their own sometimes, but that doesn’t mean you don’t worry. And given the situation that Wei Wuxian is in right now, there’s a whole lot to worry about. And of course, Lan Wangji is already worried. His brother knows, Jiang Cheng knows—who’s next? And on top of all that, when they suspect Jin Guangyao and are trying to uncover what he did, that in itself is a very dangerous thing.

The male bonding in this part is whatever, but I can’t get over how Wei Wuxian is telling Jin Ling to get into as many fist fights as he can before he becomes an adult. It’s more than a little ironic that he is advising him that Jin Ling will want to punch someone as an adult, but he won’t be able to because it’s not good manners. I mean, I guess it’s a situation of “do as I say, not as I do,” but really…telling a kid to pick fights as often as he can? A+ parenting. I’m joking, obviously. In this case, Jin Guangyao is right in his advice to just be nice and get along.

“I’ve fallen in love with someone else.” Hmm, wonder who that could be? I mean, I know he’s just making this stuff up for Jin Ling’s sake, but all the same, he actually did fall for someone else, and we all know who that someone is.

This smirk, OMG! He’s too much, honestly. I do love these playful moments, where Wei Wuxian is being a smartass, and Lan Wangji is just loving it, while feigning mild annoyance.

And Lan Wangji so lovingly holding the little paperman. I’m sure he wanted to go with and protect him, and it’s so hard to stay behind in those situations (I mean, not like I’d know, since I’ve never enchanted a paper talisman and spied on a murderer/villain).

For having just vomited, she looks amazing. I wish I looked like that after being sick and finding out something as horrifying as she did (again, not that something that like is bound to happen to me at this point).

But I guess I can address this whole thing now. It’s gross. It’s gross that Jin Guangyao knew about their relation to one another before they got married, and then had sex with her anyway. It’s gross that he thought that the child having learning disabilities would somehow tip everyone off to him being a product of incest. It’s gross that he decided the answer to that was killing his own son. All of it is gross. And heavy. It’s a super heavy topic that I feel like is so stepped around in this adaptation that it almost completely loses its weight. Like, A, they aren’t really going to talk about sex; B, they aren’t really going to talk about incest; C, they aren’t really going to talk about murder. The thing about censorship is that if you choose to adapt something, you ruin a lot of the deep moments by censoring them to the point where they almost don’t mean anything anymore. So, it’s not just the fact that they erased the love story from this series because of censorship, but they also erased or camouflaged other aspects of the story, which kind of ruins things. Like, if it’s not PC to that government, then we just don’t talk about it, y’know? Well, you can’t shove everything under the rug forever. And it really feels like a disservice to the story that MXTX was trying to tell and the commentary that she was trying to make, when the people behind the TV series gloss over all these important topics.

Big reveal, guys! We now know for a fact that Jin Guangyao is a baddie. A bad baddie haha. Anyway, please continue.

Other episodes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |

#wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #cql #the untamed #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #jin guangyao #jin ling #lan xichen #cql rewatch #ep 40

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