aworldforastage

[aworldforastage]

我会保护你。保护你一辈子。无论是你的一辈子，还是我的一辈子。

THE SPIREALM 致命游戏 (2024) 1.39 adapted from the danmei novel Kaleidoscope of Death 死亡万花筒 by Xi Zi Xu 西子绪

#Xia Zhiguang looks very handsome and attractive in this #but in my mind a part of him is always going to be that 15yo babie dancer on X-fire who needed pep talks from his big bros #and my mind just has a really hard computing this #since when is guangguang supposed to be a heartthrob? #someone give him a pack of yogurt! #the spirealm #kaleidoscope of death #kod

[aworldforastage]

I SIMPLY THINK (as my friends approach to restrain me) that the Xianle Trio is (to a slightly lesser extent) the Twin Prides of TGCF in that both relationships are way more consequential to the story than the size of their roles suggests and in fact reconciling that relationship (or failing to, for WWX) is completely essential to the main character's narrative and emotional resolution

#“it's a worst that has nothing to do with them” #is so true and makes these stories feel a bit hollow for me after the initial high passes #meta #mxtx

[aworldforastage]

#ooh this is interesting #mdzs #tgcf #mxtx

[aworldforastage]

I just saw another post about MZDS's Yunmeng Bros, and it reminds me of a very famous anecdote from many years ago from what I believe is a Gaokao Exam Essay question, that goes like this:

When X was a child, whenever the family ate fish, X's mom always ate the fish head and let X eat the body of the fish. X asked his mom why she always ate the head, and she said it's because she liked fish head. X grows up and becomes a successful adult. Once when he visits his mother, he remembers that she liked fish head, and buys a nice big fish head when he visits her. That's when she tells him, she didn't actually like fish head. She always ate the fish head because she wanted her son to have the meaty parts on the body of the fish.

The original question was posed from the perspective of places where wouldn't be much to eat on a fish head and the mom's white lie could have been fairly obvious, especially to an adult. But this question is sort of a fail for a national exam, because there are regions where fish heads can be meaty and made into famous delicacies, so the mom claiming she liked fish head could have seemed very legitimate, or even true to some extent. And that context really affects how someone interprets the mother's expression of love and the son's trust of her words at face value.

Like the mother who supposedly spent decades eating the least palatable part of a fish so her son can have the better meal, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian both keep the secret of why they lost their golden cores.

And like the son who loves his mother enough to never challenge her words and remember her preferences well into adulthood, both of them latch onto the plausible but ultimately false explanations the other has offered for their actions.

That white lie about fish preferences can feel manipulative even if it came out of a place of love, but as a culture it's definitely the love part that is celebrated and glorified.

So what is Jiang Cheng's fish head, and what is Wei Wuxian's? Is it the sect, or his (martial) siblings, or his cultivation? Is that the true answer, or the answer that is meant to take the pressure off his loved ones, and should it have been obvious that he might have lied out of love, especially to the people who love and trust him so much?

And is the fish in question a Chinese bass or a grass carp, and does the other person know this? Because I know people who'd go to pretty far lengths for the famous Spicy Fish Head with Chopped Peppers.

#tag later #my reading

[aworldforastage]

Transmigrated into a Heartthrob Novel and Went OOC/穿进万人迷文的我人设崩了 by 东施娘

(Season 1 audiodrama cover art on Mao'er FM. Will we ever get a Season 2???)

Premise

Fang Chaozhou transmigrates into a danmei xianxia novel -- specifically, a "stock-picking" novel where the author introduces many attractive men but doesn't reveal the identity of the real love interest until the end. The twist is that Fang Chaozhou hasn't finished the novel, so he isn't sure who is the real love interest, but he really doesn't think it's the body he has taken over: a shixiong whose unrequited love for the original protagonist -- heartthrob shidi Xue Danrong-- eventually drives him to the dark side/demonic path.

Fang Chaozhou tries to keep the plot on track, but he also wants to distance himself from the competition for Xue Danrong's affections to save himself from becoming a demon. However, as the plot moves along, all of the original protagonist's potential suitors, including Xue Danrong himself, become interested in Fang Chaozhou instead.

Fang Chaozhou is the your typical laid-back but clever transmigrator. He is really a "salted fish" who doesn't want to do the hard work of cultivating or chasing Xue Danrong, and just wants to spend the rest of his days reading novels and eating snacks. The only exception he'll make is try to get strong enough to make sure he can still play his role to move the plot along.

Xue Danrong is a "cold beauty" -- unreasonably beautiful and talented, technically polite but keeps everyone at an arm's length. He is the shou protagonist is the original novel but becomes a gong in the current universe. He pushes himself to extreme lengths for his cultivation, and really shouldn't have much to say to a salted fish like Fang Chouzhou, but a magical poisonous snake bite that makes him temporarily desire Fang Chouzhou, and its effects seem to linger long after.

And finally, a very important and popular "romantic rival" is Zhongli Yueshui, the main couple's Grand-master and leader of their sect, so powerful and mysterious he is barely described in the original novel. He has mostly withdrawn from worldly affairs, but occasionally instructs Xue Danrong, who is the child of his old friends. He is possibly the most popular "stock" in the original novel -- and becomes Xue Danrong's most fierce competition in the current universe.

What I like about it

Humor from the transmigrator protagonist's commentary of the events in the novel, and his salted-fish antics in an elite cultivation sect

Light plot that is easy to follow. Technically it's a xianxia novel, but the real tension comes from the progression of the relationship; you don't need to remember any complicated stuff about cultivation or sect politics. That being said, there is no shortage of:

Drama and confrontations! Magical beasts wrecking havoc and nearly burying our heroes alive. One of the main CP nearly dies getting hit behind his back by a fellow sect member. Someone gets amnesia. Someone gets covertly possessed by a demon. (And all the romantic rivals are still popping up in the most inconvenient times trying to kidnap Fang Chaozhou.)

Memorable characters! The Demon Venerable who will do anything to get what and who he wants, his idiot son who jumps between wanting to compete with his father or accept Chaozhou as his "stepmom", the cross-dressing young master with very twisted kinks and priorities, the magical pheasant who is emphatically not a chicken, and so on

Zhongli Yueshui, who is also a memorable character but so beloved he deserves his own bullet. I haven't seen readers rally this hard for a SML in danmei since Lang Junxia from Joyful Reunion. More on this later.

A shou who is affectionate and doting after realizing his own feelings; he initiates kisses and hugs to reassure his partner -- I just love it when the characters act like they are really happy and in love.

Surprising tear-jerker reveal of what happened in the end in the original timeline.

On the other hand

The main romance development feels a bit cliched. It's your typical "cold but intense younger gong" and "oblivious and laid-back older shou". The gong's attraction start under the influence of a magical poison, and they start having sex due to a combination of amnesia, life-threatening magic, and misinformation/miscommunication about the status of their relationship. Even though it's later revealed that they genuinely have feelings for each other, I wish the main couple would have developed their relationship more organically and intentionally.

For a novel of this length, the world-building is fairly superficial. Things that should underpin the functioning of their society, like a imperial government for regular humans and tension with demonic cultivators, randomly get thrown in mid-story and doesn't really impact anything. It doesn't feel like a setting with its own world and logic, just an empty playground for the main romance to occur.

Fang Chaozhou's "heartthrob" status is also a bit illogical. In the original novel, Xue Danrong is the heartthrob because he is extremely beautiful, but in this universe, most of his suitors lust after him briefly and quickly move on to Fang Chaozhou instead, but without a clear reason. Like it's drama for the sake of drama.

The ending to the original story line and the reason for Fang Chaozhou's transmigration gets revealed in the end of the novel, and some inconsistencies in the story can sort of be explained by this. It's more than what we get in most transmigration novels, but I'm not really sure I like it.

Overall

This is funny and romance-centric transmigration story set in a xianxia universe. It's nothing too special when you look at the story elements by themselves -- the romance is a bit cliched and the plot outside of that is nearly non-existent -- but the work as a whole works surprisingly well and kept me reading.

Definitely a fun and relaxing read, or a heartwarming tragedy, unless you become a fan and shipper of Zhongli Yueshui ....

and last but not least, the elephant in the room too-popular Shizu on his mountain [spoilers ahead]

Full disclaimer: I don't really like Zhongli Yueshui as a love interest; I feel like he is a character who has exhibited obvious flaws and I am a bit baffled by the extent of his popularity over the main love interest.

I can see several things working together to contribution to his popularity:

The relative "weakness" of the main relationship -- as I mentioned earlier, they are cute but there is nothing too special or deep there.

He has more screen-time than the other romantic rivals -- I think in the first half of the book Fang Chaozhou almost spends more time with him than Xue Danrong.

He is also the only "romantic rival" who isn't written like a obvious canon fodder with ridiculous comedic traits.

He has a lot of traits of a typical romantic hero: beautiful, powerful, older but with the wisdom and prestige to match. He is strict but still make exceptions for the shou and does a lot specifically just to take care of him.

Him and Xue Danrong have similar cold and stern personality, to the extent you can almost argue that he is a more powerful, extreme, and possessive version of Danrong, so in effect his popularity is "cannibalizing" on the main ship because they have the same appeal.

What I don't like about Zhongli Yueshui comes down to a sense of him having abused his power and authority in his pursuit of Fang Chaozhou, and it icks me out especially because Xue Danrong saw and trusted him as an elder in their sect and a friend of his parents. However, Zhongli Yueshui went ahead with decisions like erasing Xue Danrong's memories of Fang Chaozhou under the pretext of helping Danrong. Most of the ambiguously intimate contact between Zhongli Yueshui and Fang Chaozhou also happen because Fang Chaozhou 1) must submit to his authority as sect leade, and 2) physically cannot resist against his greater power and cultivation.

I understand why his character can be compelling. He is strong, mysterious, and almost saintly, and this type of character unexpectedly catching "earthly" feelings can feel so special. But in this specific instance, I just don't find his actions romantic at all ...

Zhongli Yueshui eventually ascends to godhood, but still maintains a magical illusion of the time Fang Chaozhou spent on his mountain. However, I think the scenes in his illusion shows that he still doesn't understand what Fang Chaozhou truly wants ...

#穿进万人迷文的我人设崩了 #Transmigrated into a Heartthrob Novel and Went OOC #my reading #danmei novels #cjwrm

[aworldforastage]

looking for fics about your favorite character on ao3 be like:

dont care

dont care

dont care

what the actual fuck

dont care

ooh that sounds- what the fuck

unfinished

don't care

the best fic ive ever read in my life. this absolutely ruined me and ill never be the same ever again

dont care

#also my experience this year looking for danmei titles outside of the 300 titles typically being recommended

[aworldforastage]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO big stretch

#tgcf #fanart #xie lian

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that sadness of going almost 700K into a super-long novel before realizing, nope, it's not actually getting better

I'm going to be so mean and petty in this rant (but I'll be nice and not name the novel on this blog)

It comes down to the protagonist/narrator coming off as a bit mean-spirited and really not as smart as the novel would like you to believe, in a mary sue-ish plot will validate them every single time.

The protagonist transmigrates into an alternate history as a newborn shu-son of a noble family. He has all the memories and cognitive functioning from his previous adult life in the modern world, and a lot of his "wins" from the first story arc comes down him, an adult in the body of a child, is competing with literal babies and children.

The protagonist is a shu-son born to a concubine, and they are both not treated well under the polygamous system. However, the narrator emphasizes that his mother is a "respectable concubine" who is legally a free citizen, as opposed to a "common concubine", whose legal status is a slave. The narrative brings it up again and again (like almost every chapter) that she has some legal protection and cannot be bullied like the other concubines for this reason. It's feels like they want to both be an underdog, but at the same time want to lord it over other people who are beneath them in the food chain.

And then, most people are awful and not likeable. ("Nothing is my fault.") The father is a spineless and greedy philanderer. His official wife, the di-mother, is jealous, stupid, and cruel. His half siblings are either spoiled and shallow (di-siblings) or weak-willed and useless (shu-siblings). The other adults are only focused on their own interests. The only exception being the protagonist's long-lost uncle (who cares about his sister and nephew), and other teachers the protagonist wins over or recruits later. Basically, the only good people are the people like him, and vice versa.

The setting is basically a Han Chinese imperialist fantasy. The Ming Dynasty is toppled by a Han Chinese rebellion instead of the Manchurians, creating an alternate history in which the Han Chinese maintains control of Central Plains, and more. Japan and Korea have been made into vassal states after aggressive military campaigns at the founding of the dynasty, and before I stopped reading, the main story line hints at the Navy establishing control over parts of the Philippines 🙃 The founder of the dynasty is hinted to be also have been a transmigrator, who did all these military things precisely because of modern political sentiments, but still keeps polygamy system, and adds a law that forces women to get married at 20, like WTF man

And later, we go full-scale transmigrator golden thumb. He knows a an effective home remedy for chickenpox. He invents multiple types of ammunition. He is introducing arabic numerals and double-entry accounting. He establishes a successful "cram school" to help all his buddies pass the Imperial examinations. He places first in the Provincial Exams as a teenager. He is building a warship and giving input on military strategy based on his expertise from surfing on the web in his original lifetime.

The prose is ridiculously and unnecessarily wordy. The author seems to write out everything little thing they have researched and every tangent their thoughts went on to boost the word count. Some of it reads like a laundry list. A few times information is repeated word-for-word (copy & pasted) from a previous chapter.

One of the first chapters introduces the entire extended family and where they live on the estate. Most of that chapter is completely irrelevant because not only do most of those people turns out to have no role in the plot, half of those people move out of the estate (and drops out of the plot) and everyone else's living situation is re-arranged before they start to become involved in the plot!

The protagonist's mother gets a promotion as a titled madame, and we get a laundry list of the entire nine-tier ranking system for women along with the jewellery and behavioral protocol for each tier, even though only one is relevant to the story.

The protagonist needs a medical ingredient, and we spend paragraphs after paragraphs of trivia on Chinese medicine.

I can live with the meandering plot and slow pacing in this genre because I can believe that this author is enthusiastic about the universe and wants to explore all the ideas they came up with, but the effort that went into the technical aspects of writing is abysmal.

And it just made me appreciate who another novel which handled a similar premise much better: 嫡子为难 by 石头与水. In both stories, the main character transmigrates into an alternate history as a newborn and needs to deal with the conflicts in large polygamous households. In DZWN, the main character Mingzhan is the the di-son born to the official consort whom his father does not like; he is also born mute (though he is able to talk much later in the story) not a very good-looking as a kid despite his intelligence, so the plot feels more balanced.

But where 嫡子为难 really wins in this is that the cast is much more intriguing and likeable. This is by no means an idealized novel or romance, but most people are not going out of their way to act like a one-dimensional villain. Everyone is just looking out of their own interests, they have their own strengths and loved ones.

The protagonist is a di-son, and while he has conflicting and competing interests with his shu siblings, he still treats them like siblings and vice versa outside of direct conflicts of interests. The older half-brother isn't as smart as the protagonist, but you can tell he has tried his best and has his own morals and principals. The protagonist's father does not like him, but makes reasonable decisions in the best interest of the entire family and doesn't back off from his parental responsibilities. The protagonist's mother does love him and is super smart and well-respected, but between the lines you realize she is incredibly ruthless and possibly one of the scariest people in the entire story. And to this day I can't stop thinking about the Emperor and the decision he makes at the end of the story, like it's such a painful sacrifice but it's so self-serving in a strange way.

(Anyways, yeah, I went and reread a lot of 嫡子为难 recently because of that abandoned novel)

#reading rants #but i'm saying good things about #嫡子为难

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#for me it has to be a choice between Xie Lian and LWJ #as the ppl with most resources and motivations AND expectations upon them to get this perfect #LWJ is going to have the most perfect 楷书 that looks like it came off a printing press with no personality whatsoever #while baby prince Xie Lian would be the type to get the basic font perfect and then develop his own “Lian Script” or something #I'd like to think Xie Lian would be “better” in the sense that he is more likely to be invested in it as an art form

[aworldforastage]

Side Character Appreciation: Pei He from 天意风流

After literal months I still can't forget that conversation in 天意风流 that basically went:

Xie Heng: What are kids thinking these days ... Pei He: At that age all I thought about were fighting and girls Xie Heng: Is that why you went around fighting girls? Pei He: I just wanted them to notice me and never forget me ... Mr Xu: The girl was coughing up blood by the end, and you were still asking if she'd yield. I'm sure she won't ever forget you.

But seriously, Pei He is a sidekick who

is trusted completely with all of the secret intelligence Xie Heng handles

smart enough to keep up with Xie Heng's plans and intentions

carries out Xie Heng's orders perfectly, without Xie Heng needing to spell the details out for him

absolutely loyal and follows Xie Heng everywhere, even his "retirement" at the end

I ship their dynamic just a little bit. That chemistry and loyalty is to die for.

#天意风流 #side character appreciation

[aworldforastage]

"wishlist" of recent Manbo audiodramas

from left to right, top to bottom, the cover images are for:

Cat's Rose // 猫咪的玫瑰 by 一十四洲 (Single Season, complete)

Fallen Merman // 人鱼陷落 by 鳞潜 (Season 3 complete)

Wife Is First // 妻为上 by 绿野千鹤 (Season 1, updating)

长风几万里 by 苏景闲 (Season 1, updating)

Shan You Mu Xi // 山有木兮 by 非天夜翔 (Season 2, updating)

Is The Guide Reborn // 向导是不是重生的 by 不间不问 (Season 2, updating)

天意风流 by 月神的野鬼 (Season 1, upcoming)

宫廷生存纪事 by 妾在山阳 (Single Season, upcoming)

Realistically, I'll only get to a small number of these within the next few months, and I'm still waiting to hear other listeners' thoughts on these. But for now, between the reputation of the novel and word of mouth, I'm really interested in these ones.

#danmei novels #danmei audiodrama

[aworldforastage]

paused reading: 裴公罪 by 书归

roughly: "The Crimes of Lord Pei"

(the novel that helped me get through a bout with covid)

This is a one of those novels that's been on my list since I first got into danmei two years ago. I remember looking into it around the time I read Jun You Ji Fuo and not being interested, but recently I came across a recommendation for another novel that contrasted it to 裴公罪 -- and it got me intrigued.

Premise: In the first life, Pei Jun has given up everything to help his lover, the young emperor Jiang Zhan, secure his reign and his kingdom. In the end, he is betrayed and beheaded on the order of his lover, just moments before the regime he worked tirelessly to secure is toppled by a rebellion mounted by the his political rival and the Emperor's uncle, Jiang Yue. Returning to ten years before, Pei Jun is determined to not repeat his mistake. But just hours after his "rebirth", a seemingly random act has already altered the course of history. And also, he notices something he never did about Jiang Yue ...

What I like about it

Jiang Yue's pining, devoted, unrequited love that's been misunderstood across two lifetimes. This is the thing that got me to read the novel! When Pei Jun kneels to greet him, Jiang Yue always helps him up before his knees touch the ground. He always votes in support of Pei Jun at court, no matter how little sense it makes for him personally. And Pei Jun never knows that he spoils the nephew Pei Jun never has the chance to see, just like he never knows about all the other times that Jiang Yue has watched or waited or remembered while he Pei Jun rushed off to his own life and friends and lover. How could I not want to read a novel about someone like this finally being loved back?

Elaborate politics. The individual plots in this novel are not complicated, but there is a complex web of conflicting ideologies, relationships, and personal interests in the political landscape. Most of them are trying to shape government into what they think it should be like, but their visions are affected by self-interest, whether they want to admit it or not. The author has written beautiful classical-style speech when the politicians argue with each other in public, and it really helps set the scene, and make you believe they are powerful, important people from that era.

Jiang Zhan, the ex and villain. On the one hand, he is a self-centered emperor who prioritizes his own power over the welfare of his nation, and he betrays and kills Pei Jun in the other timeline. On the other hand, the current younger him obviously still loves and depends on Pei Jun, and it's kind of a jerk move for Pei Jun to "break up" with him for future crimes no clear reason and doesn't even tell him for months. He is a tragedy of his position and his fate, but because he is the emperor, no one truly emphasizes with him for that. -- Also, I honestly feel like that Pei Jun had taken advantage of his youth, ignorance, and isolation when they started their relationship (man in early twenties vs mid-teens), but it's simply not interpreted this way by Pei Jun because he was technically the emperor.

Why I stopped reading ...

There are a few reasons. I came across a spoiler and made me think i would need some emotional preparation before I get to the final arc. And then the political plot is getting to a heavy point that I don't really want to handle for now.

But most, it's because I'm liking Jiang Zhan a little too much. It's kind of ironic because he is a character who is so full of flaws -- he is selfish, manipulative, short-sighted, weak, and will only more cruel in the future. His love for Pei Jun -- even though it's one tainted by manipulation -- is perhaps the best and most sympathetic part about him, and yet he is rejected so thoroughly in this.

In one of the last scenes I read, Jiang Zhan realizes Pei Jun really is breaking up with him, and he desperately declares that he only wants Pei Jun, and Pei Jun thinks he waited for more than decade for Jiang Zhan to say that in his first lifetime, but he never heard it. It almost makes me wish this is another kind of novel, where they reconcile and both turn out better somehow in the "rebirth".

However, I also really like the main love interest, Jiang Yue, so I definitely want to come back and see his happy ending!

#裴公罪 #not done reading yet #historical danmei

[aworldforastage]

that awkward moment when your Chinese dad excitedly shares some historical facts he just learned, and you have to pretend you haven't already read about all that in a well-researched historical danmei ...

#historical danmei

[aworldforastage]

A second subjective list of favorite danmei’s I read in 2023

ABO

Miraculous Love (aka "Evil Love Appears") :: 邪门的爱情出现了 by 丧心病狂的瓜皮

Why Is It Possible For This Type Of A To Also Have An O? :: 为什么这种A也能有O by 图南鲸

老婆是顶级Alpha，我该怎么办 by 海藻大王

Entertainment Industry

内娱第一花瓶 by 三三娘

Concealed and Blended: Fendai :: 粉黛 by 七世有幸

Flower Vase :: 花瓶 by 困倚危楼

可一可再 by 反舌鸟

Modern (Miscellaneous)

Poison of the Heart :: 心毒 初禾

Surrender (Book 1) :: 臣服 I by 墨奈何/墨青城

交易沦陷 by 在下小神j

Historical

Fei Ping Ying Qiang :: 妃嫔媵嫱 by 七月侯

穿成苏培盛了 by 一渡清河

九千岁[重生] by 绣生

ABO Novels

Miraculous Love :: 邪门的爱情出现了 by 丧心病狂的瓜皮

[ABO (A/O), romance, sexual awakening, reconciliation] -- This is one of those novels that leverage the ABO setting to explore topics like relationships, marriage, and sexuality. Late-bloomer Omega Fu Xiaoyu and recent divorcee Alpha Xu Jiale connect and build a relationship based on their intense sexual chemistry and attraction. Sex allows Fu Xiaoyu to feel loved, desirable, and unashamed of his own sexuality for the first time, but this new relationship forces Xu Jiale to confront his own misconceptions about marriage as well as the difficult reality of parenting a young child after divorce. Every Omega in this story has complicated histories and attitudes toward relationships because of society's prejudice against their gender, and every major relationship in this novel involves a divorcee, a cheater, or both. But in the end, they all keep living and trying.

Why Is It Possible For This Type Of A To Also Have An O? :: 为什么这种A也���有O by 图南鲸

[ABO (A/O), transmigration, abuse recovery, political activism] -- This novel uses the ABO setting to explore gender-based oppression. A surgeon transmigrates to an ABO universe, into the body of a horribly abusive Alpha, whose partner is terrified but powerless in their oppressive society. They work hard to help each other heal from deep-seated trauma, and join the work of advocates for Omega's rights. This is the most political danmei I have ever read, that shows civil disobedience and structural changes can be good and necessary. The advocates network, organize, protest, and they get threats and pushbacks. Prejudice is systemic, generational, and almost normalized in society, and it takes a massive wave of disruptive protests to finally bring about rudimentary legislative protections for Omega. It comes too late for many and is far from any semblance of equality, but it's hope and a start.

老婆是顶级Alpha，我该怎么办 by 海藻大王

(Title roughly translates to "My Wife is a top-level Alpha, What should I do?")

[ABO (A/A), "rebirth", space/interstellar, mecha, college, political conspiracies] -- Now, for an ABO novel that just wants to have fun as a OP Mary-Sue sci-fi-ish Young-Adult Action-Adventure. The protagonist is a super-soldier reborn to the early days of his military career with skills, knowledge, and an AI assistant from the future. The love interest is a prince who is rich enough to buy entire planets. Together they become the most popular power couple at the military academy, and work together to foil a conspiracy that targets talented Alphas. They get fake-married, and later discover they are each other's secret online crush. It has plenty of humor, a cute "college" romance, and the kind of dramatic "cool" characters my teenage self would could only dream of in a wish-fulfillment fic. Save it for one of those days when you just want to relax and revel in the joy of ridiculously attractive and competent teenagers who are killing assassins, saving the empire, and acing their exams!

Actors and Celebrities

内娱第一花瓶 by 三三娘

(Title roughly translates to "Top Flower Vase of the Mainland Entertainment Industry")

[entertainment industry, film-making, reconciliation, elite society ]-- Most entertainment industry novels focus on the fun parts of glamour and fame, but this story puts the focus on the creative work, with a main couple that has marvelous chemistry as great artists who inspire each other. Over the 900K words of this novel, they meet, fall in love, bond over film-making, break up, and later reconcile. It's one of those rare stories where the shou has to chase the gong after breaking up, and you can sympathize with the hurt on both sides while understanding that no one is intentionally being scummy. The novel really goes into the details of film-making and the entertainment industry -- the styles and visions of the directors, the practice and preparation of the actors, the logistics and finances of running a crew, and the strategic calculations to manipulate the media narrative and public discourse.

I have a love-hate relationship with this novel because of some of its narrative choices. Some arcs seem to just fawn over the "wisdom" and "classiness" of the ultra-rich, and conflate privilege with virtue. (The gong, whose family of casino owners once helped him pay off hundreds of millions in gambling debt, is the one making an awarding-winning movie about a regular person succumbing to gambling addiction ... ) But to be fair, I'm holding this novel to a higher standard than a typical danmei because of how good it is and how much I like it.

Concealed and Blended: Fendai :: 粉黛 by 七世有幸

[entertainment industry, actor x makeup artist] -- This is also a story about two artists who inspire and help each other develop their crafts, but a much shorter and lighter take. The gong is a makeup artist, who is "straight" but cross-dresses as a branding gimmick to advance his career. The shou is a retired E-sports player-turned-idol actor, who is secretly gay and has no real passion for performance. The novel starts off with funny interactions between "straight pretending to be queer" vs "gay pretending to be straight." Later, they develop a deep bond after collaborating on a series of projects, and help each other discover their true career aspirations. Despite being celebrities, the main character feel like normal people because we see them learning and practicing their professional skills. Fame is a fickle and cruel game that they must play in their profession, but does not define who they are.

Flower Vase :: 花瓶 by 困倚危楼

[entertainment industry, contract relationship, scum gong crematorium, reconciliation] -- This story is a classic in the scum gong crematorium genre. Wealthy business man gong pays actor shou for a sexual relationship; the shou is secretly in love with the gong, who is pining after a "white moonlight". The shou is smart, resilient, knows what he wants and isn't afraid to go after it. The gong has already started falling for him, but he hasn't moved on from his "White moonlight". Their peaceful breakup mid-story is suffocating, because they both have feelings for each other, and they almost got it to work, but the feelings are just not quite right yet, so this relationship has to end before it festers into something truly unsalvageable. But don't stress too much, the "crematorium" is so friendly it almost feels like an kiddie obstacle course the shou has set up to help them transition into a better relationship -- didn't I mention he is a very smart guy who knows how to get what he wants?

可一可再 by 反舌鸟

(The title is a reference to an Eason Chan song. I can't find an official translation of the song title, but it roughly translates to "Once and Again")

[entertainment industry, rebirth in another body, reconciliation] -- Controversial actor Jiang Yu dies in a traffic accident, and returns in the body of a D-list Idol. It's very fun to follow a POV character like Jiang Yu, whose internal monologue is dripping with pettiness, insecurity, jealousy, and adamant insistence that he is *fine* with his hard-working and kind-hearted self always being misunderstood in bad faith. His love interest is his foil in this: an award-winning actor with an impeccable reputation and a unflappable personality. As the story explore their histories, relationships, and grief over Jiang Yu's death, it also deconstructs these initial perceptions. In this second life, Jiang Yu gets a more measured view of his relationships and artistic legacy, while his "perfect" boyfriend faces his own flaws and the critical mistakes he has made in their relationship. With this clarity and honesty, they rekindle their relationship, and Jiang Yu starts a new life and career.

Misc. Modern

Poison of the Heart :: 心毒 初禾

[mystery/police procedural, (sort of) social commentary] -- Instead of uncovering some mastermind criminal conspiracy, this police procedural is famous for its down-to-earth cases, so realistic it makes readers a bit depressed about life. Most of the cases see normal people gradually lose their best selves after suffering excessively under systemic social issues like poverty, misogyny, and prejudice. Their misfortunes, emotions, and reactions feel very realistic and relatable. However, since the discrete cases do not build up to a coherent arc, they also don't do much to support the development of the main characters -- a detective and a cybersecurity expert; they are fine but I just don't find either of them or their slow-burn romance too interesting. (Their slacker co-worker who becomes more motivated in his career has a more memorable character arc imo.) Personally, I think this novel is a good read for the mysteries, but maybe not so much as a romance or character drama.

Surrender (Book 1) :: 臣服 I by 墨奈何/墨青城

[BDSM, power differences, mob/gang drama] -- Young businessman Xu Ye, who has only dabbled with BDSM, stumbles into one of the most skilled dom's in town, who is also a mob heir. This dom finally gives Xu Ye the experience he wants from BDSM. But as their chemistry in the playroom soars, their personal and professional relationship in the real word grows more complicated. I love that this story shows the communication and work that goes into building a relationship, albeit one within BDSM parameters. The story repeatedly emphasizes that both partners are equals outside of play (but this rule is sometimes broken by the main couple for "drama"). Although Xu Ye is a sub, he has more agency than most shou's I see in danmei. He is experienced with sex, knows what he wants and likes, and is fairly independent from Chu Ye professionally and personally. He feels like a reasonable adult who has chosen a relationship that brings him joy and pleasure.

交易沦陷 在下小神j

(Title roughly translates to "fallen in transaction")

[romance, (sort of) prostitution, family relationships, healing and forgiveness] -- This a Haitang story with lots of humour and sex, but also a surprise tear-jerker full of heart. An Li's life has been ruined by a criminal record, taking the fall for his cheating ex-wife so she can look after their ill daughter. While desperate to find work to support his young daughter's medical treatment, he is mistaken for a male escort by young CEO Xu Shaoqing. Xu Shaoqing is angered by An Li's borderline homophobic reaction to the incident, and pressures An Li to sleep with him for money. Xu Shaoqing himself is struggling with the distress his sexuality causes his homophobic and ailing father, who has sent him to conversion therapy and still pressures him to go on dates with women. An Li and Xu Shaoqing eventually form an unlikely connection, as they help each other process the hurt caused by the people they love, and salvage the good from those relationships.

Historical

Fei Ping Ying Qiang :: 妃嫔媵嫱 by 七月侯

[male concubine, imperial harem & court drama, age gap (initially 15 vs 20)] -- As an unfavored shu son, Xiao-Qi is "gifted" by his family to his brother-in-law, a prince who is known to like men. Though he has no choice in the matter, he eventually falls in love with the Prince, who has shown him more kindness than anyone else in his life. The prince (gong) has a "realistic" and gradual shift from accepting period-typical polygamy to wanting to build a life with the one partner who really loves him, but it's a messy situation because he has already married and sired children with multiple women, and his position really requires him to have an heir. However, Xiao-Qi learns a lot and grows up with the gong's help, and together they overcome political and social obstacles for Xiao-qi to be recognized as his partner.

穿成苏培盛了 by 一渡清河

(Title roughly translates to "Transmigrated as Su Peisheng", referring to the name given to Yongzheng Emperor's senior personal eunuch in the popular cdrama "Empresses in the Palace".)

[historical transmigration, Qing Dynasty/Kangxi Era, political intrigue, prince x (real) eunuch] -- Lovers of long, complex, character-driven political novels will probably enjoy this 2-million-words epic. It's not only a battle of wits, but also a examination of personal values and emotional priorities of many well-crafted characters who live in a complex political environment, including the largest and most active female cast I have ever seen in danmei. The protagonist shou is a transmigrator, and it shows mostly through him being very mature during his younger years, and having a sense of self-worth unexpected of slaves of that era. The gong is Fourth Prince Yinzhen (future Emperor Yongzheng), and he is married with children just like in history. The main couple have a bittersweet secret relationship, yet they love each other enough to be able to live with that imperfection. The plot seriously downplayed the darker implications of the shou' role as a eunuch and slave, but their idealized romance is a much-needed relief from the intense and tightly-paced political content, which is inspired by real history.

九千岁[重生] by 绣生

(The novel title literally translates to "Nine Thousand-Years-Old", which is a title occasionally given to excessively powerful eunuchs, comparing them to royals, like emperors who are said to live to "Ten thousand years".)

[ (eventual) "double rebirth", political intrigue, prince x (fake) eunuch] -- In his first life, Crown Prince Yin Chengyu is deposed after falling for political traps, and only returns to court after making a "indecent proposal" with powerful eunuch Xue Shu. Despite working together to help Yin Chengyu win the crown and govern the nation, their relationship remains complicated and contentious until Yin Chengyu's untimely death from illness and overwork. Waking up as his younger self, Yin Chengyu immediately puts a metaphorical leash on Xue Shu's neck while the latter is still young and impressionable. While they work to strengthen Yin Chengyu's political position, the prince also tries to come to terms with his feelings for Xue Shu across the two lifetimes. Xue Shu eventually recovers his memories of the first lifetime, and their second-chance romance gets a happy ending.

As a serious political novel, this story lacks depth and suspense, but as a feel-good "rebirth" novel, the plot feels a bit too slow and heavy. It doesn't stand out in either categories, but it feels unfair to completely ignore it, especially because it kept me company for weeks while I was struggling with a reading slump.

#danmei novels #邪门的爱情出现了 #danmei faves #为什么这种A也能有O #老婆是顶级Alpha #花瓶 困倚危楼 #可一可再 #心毒 #臣服 #交易沦陷 #九千岁 #内娱第一花瓶 #粉黛 #妃嫔媵嫱 #穿成苏培盛了 #ccspsl #dyhp #fpyq #fendai #my reading #ABO danmei #celebrities danmei #modern danmei #historical danmei #political danmei #romance danmei

[aworldforastage]

more questionable decisions from the "The Return of Cambrian Period"/寒武再临 AD ...

This is their banner poster for Episode 2:

and this the banner poster for the most recent episode.

they... they just keep adding people to the right...

Credit where credit is due, I do like the art style and character designs, but you can't even tell who is the protagonist anymore! The relative scale or position of the characters is more misleading than helpful. If we get to the final arcs, will we have all twenty-something human combatants lined up like a class photo (with the main gang in the left corner)?

Also, if Wu You and Chen Shao can be draw in the same scale as protagonist Cong Xia, why is Abu shrunken down? Let us see the babiest 8-meter-tall cat in his full-sized glory!

#hwzl #danmei audiodrama #audio fandom hours

[aworldforastage]

All of the above should be a choice but nahhhhh, just choose one.

#we need a “most underrated character from Xianle Trio” poll #just for Feng Xin

[aworldforastage]

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

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

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

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

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

Favorite Completed Dramas

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

Jia Xu/贾诩 x Yacejun/雅策君

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

Famous/In Name Only/有名

Wei Chao/魏超 x Chen Jiaheng/陈家恒

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

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

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

Shi Zekun/史泽鲲 x Liu Sicen/刘思岑

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

“Next season please start tomorrow!"

The Sword Named No Way Out/剑名不奈何

Zhao Yi/赵毅 x Chen Zhang Taikang/陈张太康

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

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

Liu Sicen/刘思岑 x Shang Tong/商桐

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

Onmyōji/阴阳师 -- (on Manbo & others)

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

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

"well, that ... happened"

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

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

Yuan Mingzhe/袁铭喆 x Ma Zhengyang/马正阳

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

Flower Vase/花瓶 -- (on Manbo)

Peng Yao/彭尧 x Liu Sicen/刘思岑

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

Morbid Attachment/诟病

Wen Sen/文森 x Yuan Mingzhe/袁铭喆

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

"not bad but I had higher hopes "

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

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

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

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

Swallow the Sea/Tunhai/吞海 Season 2

Zheng Xi/郑希 x Chen Zhang Taikang/陈张太康

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

Thrice Married to Salted Fish/三嫁咸鱼 Season 1

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

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

Everybody's talking about you

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

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

Yuan Mingzhe/袁铭喆 x Jiang Guangtao/姜广涛

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

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

The Selfish Gene/秉性下等

Shun Zi/顺子 x Sun Lulu/孙路路

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

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

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

Sang Yuze/桑毓泽 x Yang Chaoran/杨超然

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

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

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

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

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

Shun Zi/顺子 x Dao Mei Si Le/倒霉死勒

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

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

six people x Dao Mei Si Le/倒霉死勒 [NP]

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

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

Hao Tian/浩天 x Xu Xia 徐佳琦

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

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

A Special nod to a few web dramas

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

"Spoil"/作践 (Web Drama/网配, completed)

Zhao Chengchen/赵成晨 x Gu Chen/顾辰

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

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

Xu Xu Dian Deng/续续点灯 x HolyNight

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

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

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

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

The most disappointing ....

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

Wen Sen/文森 x Sun Lulu/孙路路

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

The Return of Cambrian Period/寒武再临

Guo Haoran/郭浩然 x Ma Zhengyang/马正阳

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

"Tan Lian"/贪恋

Wen Sen/文森 x Yuan Mingzhe/袁铭喆

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

#danmei faves #danmei audiodrama #audio fandom hours