#JI LI ACTOR OF ALL TIME.

[waitingforminjae]

scene of all time

#JI LI ACTOR OF ALL TIME. #the untamed #mdzs #cql #the untamed fatal journey #ji li #nie huaisang #jin guangyao #meng yao #zhu zanjin #f: the untamed #videos #ur like xiao zhan's the best actor in this show hands down BUT WAIT HERE'S JI LI W A STEEL CHAIR!

[youremyheaven]

Jupiter Influence Among Korean Actors

Over the years, I have noticed a distinct pattern in the Korean entertainment industry, where most stars considered to be icons have strong Jupiter influence in their charts. Korean general public prefers celebs with a graceful and elegant image, who also have "duality" (they're cute but fierce) and Jupiter natives are endowed with these charms.

I had already mentioned female Kpop idols & Jupiter influence on a previous post, so, this post will focus mainly on Korean actors.

Song Hye Kyo is arguably the most successful Korean actress of all time. She has been in the top billing for over 20years at this point.

She has Hasta Moon (I had mentioned in another post about how Hasta women are revered for their femininity and grace), Uttarashada Ketu (UA gives one a glamorous image) and Vishaka Mercury Atmakaraka.

Atmakaraka is what signifies our soul's purpose, hers lies in the Jupiterean nak of Vishaka.

In fact, its very common for Korean actors to have their atmakaraka or amatyakaraka in a Jupiter nakshatra.

2. Park Minyoung has Venus in Purvabhadrapada as her atmakaraka

She rose to fame playing a young girl who disguises herself as a guy in order to attend school in ancient Korea. It is her family's dire circumstances that push her to attend school in order to find work. This whole drama is very Jupiter coded and the majority of the cast have strong Jupiter placements as well.

Her most popular drama is What's Wrong With Secretary Kim where she plays the secretary to a CEO who is almost inept without her micromanaging his life. I've noticed that many Jupiter women tend to be in this position where, in whatever relationship dynamic, others don't know what to do in her absence because she often single-handedly runs the whole place and makes it look easy and only in her absence do they realise that its far from easy.

3.Kim Ji-won is Punarvasu moon

One of her best known roles is that of Choi Ae-ra in Fight My Way, which I would say is a very typical Punarvasu character. Punarvasu's enthusiasm, almost childlike behaviour and charm can fit the description of a quintessential Asian romcom protagonist and Choi Ae-ra is a very good example of the same. Her rise from the bottom rung of the ladder to working hard to get where she is, is also a very Jupiterean tale (since Jupiter moon natives go through their Saturn mahadasha as young adults).

4.Kim Go-eun has Punarvasu mercury & ketu

Kim Go-eun's first ever starring role was as Eungyo in the movie of the same name.

It is the story of a teenage girl who becomes the object of desire for a 70yr old poet. The movie is very Punarvasu coded imo. In fact, regarding her casting, the novelist, whose book was adapted to the film, had this to say:

 "She was perfect for the forever virgin and forever young image that Eun-gyo symbolizes."

This is literally the embodiment of Punarvasu energy which makes the native simultaneously sensual and innocent.

5. Gong Hyo Jin has Vishaka moon atmakaraka and mercury in Purvabhadrapada amatyakaraka

Her character in When the Camellia Blooms is very Jupiter coded. Jupiter energy can often be manifest as a kind of innocence and naivete and a tendency to be a goody two-shoes.

6.Shin Min-ah has Saturn in Vishaka as amatyakaraka

Her most well known role would be that of a doctor in Hometown Cha Cha Cha, in which she plays a person who refuses to compromise on her principles/ethics to get ahead in her career and has to end up leaving Seoul for a small town. This is again, very Jupiter coded because Jupiter influence makes natives very righteous and possess a strong sense of integrity.

7.Han So hee is Vishaka sun

She was recently in an MV for Jungkook's song 'Seven' which features a quarrelling couple. I've often noticed that with many famous Vishaka women, fighting with their partner, often publicly seems to become attached to their public image. This could also apply to their relationships becoming controversial in general. Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Lana Del Rey, Jennie etc all have their luminaries in Vishaka with the exception of Lana who has a Vishaka stellium and they've all had relationship drama that caught public attention in a major way.

The role that catapulted Han So Hee to fame was that of a married man's mistress in the drama The World of the Married👀

8. Jung So-min has Purvabhadrapada Sun & Venus (atmakaraka), Punarvasu Moon (amatyakaraka)

in Because This Is My First Life, she plays a broke writer who despite being a good daughter is not appreciated by her family at all, and despite being good at what she does, faces trouble in her workplace and is overall just going through a not so good time . As I've said before, Jupiter natives go through their Saturn Mahadasha as young adults and this phase is a difficult one where they have to work very very hard to get things done and make any kind of progress. Most K-dramas that focus on the adversities of life, as experienced by a 20 something probably has a Jupiter dominant native as its protagonist.

in general, the reason why Jupiter dominant men & women dominate Korean entertainment, be it music or dramas, is because of the kind of content that Korean entertainment focuses on and the kind of people that the Korean public chooses to support. K-Dramas are known for their complex plots, often focusing on people at conflict with their values and ideas, struggling with their conscience, facing life's challenges and overcoming adversity; class struggles, portrayal of wealth/lack of it, rising to the top, underdogs emerging as winners etc. These are inherently Jupiterean.

Even with Korean music, it has a unique system in place where idols have to "train" for several years before they make their debut. Being hardworking and being an "ace" who excels in several areas is prided on in Korea; in such a culture, it makes sense why Jupiter dominants emerge as the ones on the very top of the food chain.

Now, we'll talk about some male actors😋😌

Lee Minho has Mars in Punarvasu & Mercury in Punarvasu (his atmakaraka & amatyakaraka)

Honestly, his entire filmography is very Jupiter coded 🤣 The role that made him a household name was that of rich, spoilt heir to an immensely wealthy family who is the most popular guy in school and leader of his rat pack.

His most successful role is that of a King in the drama The King: Eternal Monarch which is about an ancient Korean emperor who time travels through a portal into modern-day Korea. Both the fact that he's playing nobility as well as the fact that the drama features time travel/alternate reality esque things makes it VERY Punarvasu coded.

(Punarvasu's element is ether and its deity Goddess Aditi is the Mother Goddess and creator the universe itself, many time travel/movies about the nature of reality feature Jupiter natives)

The drama co-stars Kim Go-Eun, who I have already mentioned above as a Punarvasu girlie🥰

2. Gong Yoo is Punarvasu sun (amatyakaraka)

He starred in the movie "Silenced" which was based on a horrifying true story where he plays a teacher at a school who tries to stand up for and protect differently abled children who are routinely subject to extremely cruel and abusive treatment at a boarding school.

Punarvasu natives are known for standing up for others, especially those who do not have a voice/who are unable to stand up for themselves. These natives have a strong sense of justice and empathy and do not think twice about questioning authority.

His character in Coffee Prince is one which made him a household name and in this drama, he plays a chaebol heir who falls for a young guy who is actually a woman disguising herself as a guy 💀I feel like Jupiter men have at least one movie/show in their filmography that is very queer coded (ex: Keanu Reeves, Punarvasu Moon with My Own Private Idaho)

His most well known character is that of Goblin in the drama of the same name, where he plays an immortal who seeks salvation. Very Punarvasu coded.

This is just a personal observation but I've noticed how many Punarvasu men have an androgynous vibe 🥵

3.Kim Woo Bin is Punarvasu sun (atmakaraka) and mercury

His breakout role was that of a wealthy chaebol heir in the drama, The Heirs.

Playing the CEO's son or the CEO, who is initially arrogant and then faces different trials and tribulations and ultimately redeems himself is a common Kdrama trope and I've noticed that the actors picked for these parts the most tend to be Jupiter-dominant.

4.Song Joong Ki has Vishaka moon & saturn (his atmakaraka)

Vishaka is a rakshasa gana nakshatra and I'd previously observed how many mafia movies feature rakshasa gana natives as the main leads. Joong-ki's Vincenzo sees him play a mafia lawyer.

His character is Arthdal Chronicles (featuring fellow Jupiter girlie, Kim Ji Won) is also very Jupiter coded. Its about the birth of civilization and life in the ancient world. Joong Ki plays the leader of his clan.

5.Park Seo Joon has Purvabhadrapada moon (his amatyakaraka)

He is one of those actors who plays himself in every show/movie he does. This means all his characters are charming, slightly awkward or a little dumb, but good natured and caring individuals who go above and beyond for others. This is like a quintessential Jupiter man trope.

Especially his character in Fight My Way, is VERY Jupiter coded and features fellow Jupiter native, Kim Ji-Won.

A slightly stupid but endearingly adorkable guy who works a low end job and trains to be a boxer whilst looking out for his friends and loved ones? Especially his whole side arc with his ex gf on the show is such a Jupiter guy thing; to forgive a woman and be there for her even though she never cared for him and only kept him around because he was sooo nice to her and did everything for her. I've seen this happen with many Jupiter guys because as Claire said in her video these are the nice guys who women keep in the friend zone because even though they're perfect and extremely courteous, women don't feel like they could be a serious partner.

His character in Itaewon Class explores Jupiter in a different way. He is a struggling businessman who is engaged in a long drawn out battle with a chaebol and finally emerges victorious in the end. Despite the chaebol's petty and below the belt tactics, Seo-joon's character always took the high road and held on to his principles and conducted himself with integrity. Jupiter natives are almost always destined to be the bigger person.

6.Park Bogum has Mercury in Punarvasu as his atmakaraka

He rose to fame for playing a motherless prodigy on Reply 1988. His character was a typical Jupiter one; he's very talented, successful and recognised for the same but he takes no pleasure in it and does not really indulge in the privileges it offers him.

His most famous role would be that of a Prince who falls in love with his eunuch (who is actually just a woman pretending to be a eunuch) in the drama Love in the Moonlight. Like I said before, Jupiter guys have at least one queer coded project in their filmography lol.

7.Park Hyung shik has Sun & Mars in Vishaka (his atmakaraka & amatyakaraka)

His most famous role is that of a CEO in the drama Strong Girl Bong Soon.

8.Yoo Ah In has Venus in Vishaka as his atmakaraka and Jupiter in Purvabhadrapada as his amatyakaraka

His character in the movie Burning represents the dark side of Jupiter men.

His drama Chicago Typewriter features him reincarnating in present day Korea after initially living in the 1930s.

Jupiter influence is visible in movies/shows that have tropes of alternate reality, reincarnation, time travel etc.

#sidereal astrology #vedic astro notes #astrology observations #vedic astrology #astro observations #astrology notes #nakshatras #astro notes #astroblr #astrology #jupiter #punarvasu #vishaka #purva bhadrapada #korean actos #kpop astrology

[sgdlr-asdfghjkl]

Link Click Musical Masterlist 🔍🌟

#音乐剧时光代理人# <- 'Time Agents Musical' main tag, pictures tab - shows majority of stage pictures in chronological order, updates from official Encore Musicals show up here too.

Tips: 1) Visit the OP's profiles! They usually post more than the one photo you can see in a thumbnail. And it's easier to browse & save pics through the profile.

2) Even though you can scroll the pics tab indefinitely, without a weibo account you won't be able to easily access older posts, as they'll get buried under the user's newer posts (there's a roundabout way mentioned in my guide). So I recommend to visit this tag frequently, if you wanna be sure nothing is hidden away 🔍 Daily or once in a 2-3 days will be enough imo, it's not very crowded tag ^^

3) ⬆You can also check videos in this tag, the orange tab has 10 most recent clips from the musical (other one has the most popular ones).

接着奏乐接着舞Musicals (Encore Musicals) <- official profile of a theatre that runs LC stage, they post the cast schedules, photos/behind the scenes clips, whenever new actor debuts, there's a special guests or a cast member has a birthday. They also report when an actor goes on a health break. Tip: all LC actors can be found in the pinned post (you'd need OCR 'image-text' tool to copy their names from pics though)

Encore Musicals Bilibili account <- theatre's official profile on a major cn video-sharing platform (more bts clips)

动画师lan <- bonus link to studio LAN profile, that's where they post the mysterious animation frames~

校医来啦 <- profile of a chief producer of LC Musical

兮兮兮辞_ <- profile of an executive producer of LC musical (she sometimes posts bts pics)

🌟Actors

their personal weibo profile & actor specific hashtag (the 'diamond tag', you find the most stuff here)

Lu Guang

Wang Minhui - @王敏辉Black 王敏辉

Wu Yihan - @音乐剧演员吴以瀚 音乐剧演员吴以瀚

Guo Hongxu - @郭虹旭_GHX 郭虹旭

Du Guangyi - @杜光禕 杜光祎

Zhu Hanbin - @Keb_朱涵彬 朱涵彬

Fu Xiangan* -

Cheng Xiaoshi

Cai Qi - @超级蔡淇 超级蔡淇

Shu Rongbo - @舒荣波-Bobi 舒荣波

Ji Xiaokun - @原来是纪晓坤啊 纪晓坤

Teng Chunpeng - @滕春鹏tcp 滕春鹏 (cw: heel injury pic is the only post on his @profile ><, just visit the tag)

Ding Xingchen - @D丁星辰 丁星辰

Cao Muzhi - @曺牧之 曹牧之

Bai Zhuoming - @丿日亻卓钅名 白倬铭

Wang Yifei - @王逸飞_V 王逸飞

Jing Yanqiao - @井彦乔JING_ 井彦乔

*- actor hasn't debuted yet, couldn't find their tag, it will be updated

Qiao Ling

Cai Lu - @蔡璐_Katherine 蔡璐

Deng Xianling - @邓贤凌邓阿凌 邓贤凌

Wu Hanglu - @吴杭律 吴杭律

Feng Xinyao - @冯鑫垚smile 冯鑫垚

Xian Dongyue - @嘀嗒_强东玥 强东玥

Zuo Yiping - @左一平儿 左一平

Qian Anqi - @钱安琪麦麦 钱安琪

Lu Hongbin/Cheng Xiao

Zhang Jiahao - @张嘉豪music 演员张嘉豪

Li Zexi - @李泽熙Zenith 李泽熙

Xu Fangxing - @阿星-许放星 许放星

Zhi Bowen - @智小少总是不靠谱 智博闻

Zhou Bobo - @就叫我波波好了 周波波波波波

Zhang Zhiwei - @张智伟_

Song Yuanming - @教练 我zen勒想打球！ 宋元明

Gaoer Jinbaoyin - @高尔金宝音 高尔金宝音

Lin Zhen/Cheng Xiao's mom

Hong Guo - @红果其实是洪果 音乐剧演员洪果

Liao Jingyuan - @廖婧媛LJY 廖婧媛

Guo Zhenyan - @郭珍艳Miki 郭珍艳

En Yu - @恩妤Ura

Shen Tian - @音乐剧演员沈恬 音乐剧演员沈恬

Yu Mengying - @于梦滢yummy 于梦滢

Zhu Jiayan - @朱佳艳Rio 朱佳艳

Zhang Ruishu - @_张睿姝_

Zou Ziyue - @-Zou醉是子月 邹子月

A few actors for supporting cast don't have a tag: bc 1) they haven't debuted yet and it was harder to find 2) seem to be newbie actors & have very small online presence

Tips: 1) Without a weibo account you can scroll through the actor's tag only up to abt 45 most recent posts. The actors perform in multiple plays (duh) so non-LC photos will show up too.

2) Imo the most optimal method, so the limits won't stop you is: go to the main 'LC musical' tag and see what's new. Check schedule for the cast lineup in a recent performance. Go to the actors' tags to see what's new.

3) Sometimes there are 2 performances on a same day, with different actors. So don't be surprised if you find mixed lineups under one date.

4) Mostly QL and Lin Zhen's actresses post behind the scenes photos on their personal profiles. Don't bother looking up the guys accounts, unless it's a holiday or their b-day >< From what I remember, only Wu Yihan posts abt his cat. Zhang Jiahao and Zhou Bobo post selfies sometimes.

5) Google translate, however broken, is enough to translate the captions, so use it for context✨Ppl sometimes give their reviews titled 'repos' from the stage they've seen 🙏

6) You'll find more musical related clips under the actor's tag, than in 'LC musical' main tag. It's usually in an actor's fancam, but not always. Useful when you like an actor or there was a particular moment you want to see from a different angle🌟👌

7) The clips tab (one in the middle) under the actor's tag has no time limited access. You can browse and watch the videos without issues!

______________________________________________________

I'll try to add missing tags when the actors debut 💪 And if you find any mistakes or a broken links, please let me know 🙏 For those who read it all, here's a present ;>

光时 <- bonus Shiguang ship tag, they're just like us fr (but way more horny on main), there's lots of art, from cute fluff to nsfw djs >>

OKAY that's all I have🎉

#link click musical #shiguang dailiren #weibo #link click #there are many links to click actually 🤓 #masterlist #niebo brainrot talk #text post

[saelterlude]

lc musical clips pt.5!! can't believe this reaches 5 parts. to be fair, the more i watch the cooler the actors are and the more i love each of their quirks.

funfact before we start, if we exclude CMZ(bcs wtf. you are not 124 y/o CMZ), the average age of LG actors is 28 while the average age of CXS actors is 25 (I didn't take their birth month into account so give or take one)

The oldest being Du Guangyi at 34 y/o and the youngest being Jing Yangqiao at 20 (21 this April).

(pt.1, pt.2, pt.3, and pt.4 here)

68. BONUS, the composer for the musical songs, metablue, posted a composing diary/vlog of her making 'forget about it' aka the encore sofa song. It's a really cool watch, and it's pretty short too.

69. 14/03/2024, Wang Minhui made Cai Qi laugh and break character so hard by sliding on the table that they skip rock paper scissors altogether. Thank youu shimmeringweeds for finding this clip, youre a life saver.

70. 15/03/2024, Zi Bowen is really fun/bratty during CX and his mom's song, he's also been really into that hat and his panicked face during 'Dive Back in Time' tutting is gold. Other than that, Ji Xiaokun and Guo Hongxu are fun as usual.

71. Zhang Jiahao short vid, I love how nonchalant he is. Who gives a damn abt rehearsals when you can play basketball. We got snippets of other songs. And where did he get the random card reader??

(ooh, i'm putting the side actor into focus for once. also, i just realized ZJH is the actor who started swinging when WMH mistook director Li Haolin's name lol i love him.)

72. 16/03/2024 day, blind dog Cai Qi is so funny plss and the way Wang Minhui just let him live with the consequences.

73. 17/03/2024 night, Du Guangyi focused but you can hear Teng Chunpeng cutely messed up 'Dive Back in Time' in the background.

74. 23/02/2024, I don't think I've shared this clip of Du Guangyi playing pattycake(?? IDK the english name. I call it mimimi) with Wu Hanglu.

75. 18/03/2024, Bai Zhuoming mic mishap here, aggressive feet flailing with Wang Minhui and Deng Xianling, and also extended rock paper scissors!

76. 17/03/2024 day, I'll be honest I miss Ding Xingchen. That said, him and Xian Dongyue are having the best sibling wrestle.

78. 16/03/2024 night, Guo Hongxu fumbles the sofa/leg choreo again (left leg first man!), Shu Rongbo blubbering bcs GHX twist his arm post-RPS, and Wu Hanglu being the teasing big sister ever.

77. 17/03/2024 day, same performance as above, and there's Wu Yihan doing overhead RPS.

79. 21/03/2024, he once did overhead, now Wu Yihan is doing hip-height RPS, and he cheated. Shu Rongbo being confused. And they once again give the cutest hug, even for a side hug.

(heh, funny how JXK likes to hogs/blocks the sofa to annoy LG meanwhile SRB is always clearing the sofa for LG.)

80. 23/03/2024 day, very fun performance with Wang Yifei, Zhu Hanbin, and Deng Xianling. I highly recommend watching this. It's so fun I wrote a whole post about it. Also, harmonizing.

81. 22/03/2024, very short but look!! A Jing Yanqiao clip!!! I'm happy, I recently brainrotted on him. I wish he could perform more since I really like his voice but unfortunately I'm pretty sure he's still in school and have a limited schedule. But I will make you all love him before his BDay!

Today's bonus clip is a voice reel of Du Guangyi as Enforcer from the game Arknights! It's very soothing, I can fall asleep to his voice. He's so cool, he's an actor in everything. Musical actor, stage-play actor, TV and films actor, voice actor, he was a child actor too.

But since that's not a musical and it's kinda cheating, here's an actual bonus clip of Zhu Hanbin in Dr. Bloodthirsty (? 嗜血博士) musical. A small 3 person play which is giving me Jekyll and Hyde vibes. He's playing Jonathan, a young psychologist called to examine patient 13. It's really cool, please check it out!

(if anyone ever have a request on who the next bonus clip should be (even the side actors) just say so and I'll do my best. i'm always up for exploring new things)

#i think ive figured out the optimal way #for clip searching without an acc #theyre all so cool #but ill limit myself #to only two per post #or maybe ill make a separate post #link click #link click musical #lc musical list #wang minhui #cai qi #zi bowen #zhang jiahao #ji xiaokun #guo hongxu #du guangyi #teng chunpeng #wu hanglu #bai zhuoming #deng xianling #ding xingchen #xian dongyue #wu yihan #shu rongbo #wang yifei #zhu hanbin

[sqewed0722]

Till The End of The Moon: Luo Yunxi

I just finished this xanxia and it’s my introduction to actor/singer/model/ballet dancer Luo Yunxi (whose English name is Leo Luo). I’m not very familiar yet with Chinese actors as this is probably just the fourth CDrama that I completed.

Anyway, at first, I didn’t take to Luo Yunxi’s character Devil God/Tantai Jin/Ming Ye/Cang Jiumin (yep. His character has 4 incarnations in the story) immediately. His looks specifically didn’t seem to appeal to me. Yunxi’s physical features, especially his face, seemed too narrow and thin and it made him look too lifeless. However, as I continued to watch the drama, I realized the way he looked was a perfect representation of his character, emphasizing his aloofness, coldness and ruthlessness regardless of who he is at any point of the story. Underneath it all is a simmering passion and depth of feeling that he’s capable of all throughout the story.

As I went along, I saw how Luo Yunxi managed to convey the awkwardness and insecurities of Tantai Jin, the hostage prince of Jing, yet you could see that he’s actually highly intelligent, cunning and clever. Then as he starts to fall in love with Ye Xiwu/Li Susu (played by Bai Lu), his expression softens and his lips turn into a fond smile.

I began to see how nuanced his acting was. Most of the time, Tantai Jin's face is a complete blank and his eyes are shuttered. When his feelings are triggered, Yunxi can convey this with a mere twitch of his lips, a slight rise of an eyebrow, or a slight shift in the look in his eyes. When his character's armor is finally pierced by Ye Xiwu/Li Susu and he realizes how deeply he's fallen for her despite her complicity, it's amazing how his whole expression breaks down into a mixture of love, longing, despair and anger.

Yunxi is also very graceful in his movements and manages to imbue the Devil God incarnation of his character with enough menace without coming out as a caricature. He is at once cold and ruthless, yet filled with so much passion. Even his smallest smiles can give you the chills or make you hope that somehow, Li Susu is getting through to him and he might yet see the error of his ways.

Watching him in TTEOTM together with Bai Lu made me want to check out their earlier collaboration, the modern-day romcom "Love Is Sweet" which, interestingly enough is set in the ruthless world of investment banking. They were amazing together as Ye Xiwu/Li Susu and Tantai Jin/Devil God and turned me into a fan.

Interestingly enough, he has an uncanny resemblance to Ji Chang Wook, one of my favorite South Korean actors, in "Love Is Sweet".

#till the end of the moon #luo yunxi #leo luo #tantai jin #cang jiumin #ming ye #devil god #cdrama

[trans-xianxian]

(with fear and anticipation) what's.... what's tubs

okay. following the release of the untamed, it became HUGELY popular in china. the show itself and the actors were winning a bunch of awards and getting a bunch of recognition, so A Lot of promo was going on. interviews, behind the scenes stuff, tv shows, magazine spreads, live performances, guest starring on popular shows (shoutout to xiao zhans rendition of gimmie gimmie gimmie with na ying), everything. liking cql in the first like 6 months to a year after it wrapped up was kind of crazy. and one of the Many projects that was born out of cqls insane popularity was a boy band, called the untamed boys, or, as everyone including promo called them, tubs. and this was like. clearly and absolutely a cash grab. the producers were very much just riding the shows popularity by sticking a bunch of the actors in a band together. I think the group consisted of li bowen, ji li, yu bin, cao yuchen, and lan sizhui and xiao xingchens actors who I do not remember the names of. it was baffling. I don't remember a single song they released or if they were even good. I don't even know if the group still exists but I do know that for the first like 3 months of their existence I heard about them all the time, and then it was like they dropped off the face of the earth. sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who remembers this but it haunts me. fucking tubs

#I dont know if this is a thing that happens often with actors from popular shows in china #in sort of a 'making western movie actors vas when they really shouldn't be' kind of move #but it was insane #unrelated mostly but I learned the other day that ji li is the only actor in the show who did his own voice acting which is cool #anyway tubs haunts me I'm reminded of it on occasion and it makes me feel delirious why does no one talk about this #ask #anon

[aworldforastage]

great beauties of danmei

In most danmei novels, at least one partner from the main couple is one of the greatest beauties, or good-looking enough to be an actor or celebrity. I thought it would be fun to write about a few great beauties whose reputation for beauty have really left an impression on me.

(All artwork in this post are from the audiodramas.)

from historical danmei: Shen Zechuan from Qiang Jin Jiu

古风大美人：沈泽川 《将进酒》

李建恒魂不守舍地念着：“你可没跟我说过，他长这个模样……” Li Jianheng mutters as if entranced, "You never told me, that he looks like this ..."

No one left an impression on me quite like Shen Zechuan, who has a smile worth more than thousand teals of gold, according to his boyfriend. Everyone who has ever met him can't help but praise his appearance, from seasoned playboy Li Jianheng to serious general Qi Zhuyin; even semi-reluctant future father-in-law Xiao Fangxu has to agree that he is stunning.

Shen Zechuan gets his looks from his late mother, who is also famed for her beauty. Even decades after her death, people remember her and can recognize her son based on the similarity. Their resemblance draws out old acquaintances to unveil her backstory, which becomes an important clue to the current plight facing our heroes. Literally advancing the plot with his beauty has seared Lanzhou's reputation into my mind.

from fantasy danmei: Pheonix aka Chu He from Lantern: Reflection of the Peach Blossoms

玄幻大美人：凤凰 aka 楚河 《提灯映桃花》

“你不录吗？”李湖一边咳血一边道，“你哥的法相被称作天道十大美景之一，很难得呢。”说着艰难的打开微信开始发朋友圈。 "Aren't you recording?" Li Hu says while coughing up blood. "Your brother's canonical form is known as one of the Ten Most Beautiful Sights in Heaven, it's a very rare treat." With great difficulty, she opens WeChat while she talks, and starts posting to her shared Moments.

Pheonix's admirers range from a Wisdom King in Heaven to the Demon Venerable in Hell. He is so beautiful that there is an entire affair every time he shows his true form in the human world, and he doesn't hesitate to use it to his advantage. One time he shows up in his true form to rile up an entire bar so he can slip a drugged drink to his (ex?) husband. Another time he shows his true form to humans hoping to win a bet, but the human is too stunned by his beauty and fainted.

Even his friends and coworkers rush to get photos of him. In one of those instances he is a literal baby phoenix, which is a incredible sight in of itself as well.

from modern danmei: Yan Mingxiu from Professional Body Double

现代大美人：晏明修 《职业替身》

陈英看周翔和蔡威都在看对面的广告，她也看了看，然后赞叹道：“怎么一个男孩子能长得这么好看呢，太好看了。” Chen Ying sees that Zhou Xiang and Cai Wei are both looking at the ad across from them. She also takes a look, and exclaims, "How can a boy be this good-looking, far too beautiful."

Even after years of working alongside beautiful celebrities, Zhou Xiang is immediately drawn to Yan Mingxiu's good looks during their first meeting. Anytime anyone comments on his appearance, it's definitely an amazed compliment. In-universe, Yan Mingxiu becomes a famous actor who isn't very expressive or good at (or even enjoy) acting, which has led the fandom to conclude that he must have earned his fame by coasting on his extremely good looks.

The author herself has crowned Yan Mingxiu as the best-looking out of her 188 Club. If he can beat out Chinese-German mixed-race superstar pop singer Song Juhan (from Years of Intoxication), then his face must be something truly special.

bonus: most contested couple in danmei : Chu Mingyun vs Su Shiyu from Jun You Ji Fou

各有千秋：楚明允 vs 苏世誉 《君有疾否》

“楚爱卿虽也漂亮，但眉眼太妖冶艳丽，不是朕喜欢的那种。” “Chu-aiqing is also beautiful, but his features are too provocative and glamorous, which is not the type I like."

Chu Mingyun's reputation for beauty is well-known in the Capital, inspiring even men to lust after him. People meeting him are often shocked that the famed general is beautiful like a woman. A visiting princess nicknames him "Beautiful Gege" right off the bat, and even Su Shiyu himself calls Chu Mingyun an extraordinary beauty.

However, when compared to Su Shiyu, there is definitely room for debate. The Emperor thinks Su Shiyu has the most beautiful face conceivable, but concedes that Chu Mingyun is also beautiful though his features are too flamboyant for his taste. (I will never not laugh at the conversation above in which he says this to CMY's face.) Noblewoman Lu Qinghe prefers Chu Mingyun, feeling that Su Shiyu's kind of beauty feels too distant and untouchable. I can only conclude they are both breathtaking but in very different ways.

#qiang jin jiu #qjj #Lantern: Reflection of the Peach Blossoms #Professional Body Double #jun you ji fou #pbd #tdyth #jyjf #将进酒 #提灯映桃花 #职业替身 #君有疾否 #danmei #danmei novels #danmei beauties #reading thoughts #for fun #my reading

[lunarriviera]

i have finished reboot & i am sad

it's bittersweet—i mean, it was time to be finished with it; i've been watching it literally over the course of the pandemic. but enough! all things must end, even the arduously dragged-out conclusion of a whacked-out chinese tomb raiding drama featuring poisonous gas, hordes of insects, zombies, hand crabs, flying carnivorous clams, and "coffin dew," which like all the rest of those things does not exist. ruminations and pictures and spoilers behind the cut!

1. so why is this xie yuchen the most boring xie yuchen out of all of them? i don't even know this actor's name because i never bothered learning it. also when the hell did he become a doctor and do sketchy operations on people without anaesthesia? he's wearing pink, he's rich, he has the same name; but there the resemblance ends. this is not the xiao hua we know and love. where is my bitchy swishy opera-singing organized crime boss? no wonder there's no chemistry between him and xiazi; this guy barely has a pulse. sorry to this man. nice sweater, tho.

2. i was trying to prove that pangzi says "that's not your xiaoge" (which he doesn't, those are bad subtitles; he just says "that's not xiaoge") and instead captured this adorable picture of drunk bai haotian. xiao bai gets a bad rap—mao xiaotong is adorable and sweet and honestly kinda hot when she's not trapped in a bowl haircut and overalls. i appreciate that wu xie, busily dying of lungs, doesn't have time or patience to explain to her why he's not available, but zhu yilong plays it wisely straight down the middle, face impassive. ship it or don't, he seems to be saying; i don't care, it's not up to me anyway—the viewer can read it however they want. (but wu xie does manhandle her on more than one occasion and that's also kinda hot.)

3. admittedly liu sang is very very pretty but i still don't want him in my pingxie, like mint in my chocolate chip ice cream. no thank you please. i have always considered myself a multishipper, a live-and-let-live fan; but this fandom has taught me i'm monogamous and i guess there's nothing i can do about that. still. look at liu chang's beautiful features. he made me care about jinx beyond just his function as a whump magnet, and that's an achievement. someday maybe his ouxiang will give him the hug he deserves.

4. speaking of beautiful just look at these total idiots. i'm going to miss their stupid faces. xiaoge drinking water, so he can be sober enough to take his drunk husband home and put him to bed. wu xie so plastered that i have inadvertently captured the one (1) image of the most beautiful man in the world making a derp face.

BONUS: whatever this beautiful cranky bitchy "doctor" has going on. which definitely involves feelings he still has for wu xie, after what happened in germany. (you know what happened in germany.)

and that's it, that's a wrap. in the meantime zhu yilong has been in cannes being absolutely heart-stoppingly fucking divine, and i will bet you a hundred flying carnivorous clams that the next time he's there, his film will be in competition. the condé nast cover story didn't hurt. with each entrée he cements his reputation and, more importantly, protects himself from the increasingly nasty sweeps of china "cleaning up" c-ent. i honestly don't know what there is to clean up anymore; there's almost nothing left. immortality and the live-action of tgcf not being released; justice in the dark just abandoned not even halfway through. this doesn't end well.

at least as far as lost tomb goes, though, i've decided i'm proceeding backwards—so next i'm watching sand sea/sha hai, because i want to spend time with mob widow wu xie (qin hao has won me over via gifset) and ji chen's xiazi. until then, pouring one out for li jiale and chuchu. and wu erjing i guess. 干杯!

#reunion: the sound of the providence #tltr #dmbj #xie yuchen #bai haotian #liu chang #liu sang #mao xiaotong #z1l #don't get me wrong i adore c-ent #i just feel protective of it #maternal if you will #i want to cradle it close to me and glare at anyone who would hurt it #huo daofu

[littlesmartart]

(Sorta inspired by the earlier ask you got--hope you don't mind another!)

How do you decide how to draw modern versions of the Untamed characters? They're so good. I especially love that Xichen's still got extremely long hair and Huaisang's wardrobe choices. (And, like, all of them, that's just two details that stand out).

ah gosh! hmmm, honestly the short and not especially exciting answer is that I mostly go off The Vibes? I suppose I try to translate each character's personality into a modern setting and then work from that basis to decide what they'd do with their clothes and hair.

for example - Meng Yao/JGY is very concerned about looking presentable and appearing professional, so most of the time he will be wearing smart casual clothes, and when he gets money he wears exclusively tailored stuff. he feels very anxious about looking anything less than his best in public, and he'll only slob about in less flattering clothes or loungwear when he's at home with just his boys. WWX, on the other hand, has a very strong individualistic personality and a rebellious streak, so he doesn't care much about what other people think about what he wears so long as it fits his aesthetic and makes him look hot!

as I said, canon has really helpfully colour-coded everyone, and I've tried to stick to that in the modern AU as much as I can, and then with things like haircuts... honestly, a lot of it is trying things out and deciding whether they still look like themselves - Xichen has long hair partly because I love it, partly because he just doesn't feel recognisable without it 😆 and you may have noticed there was a vERY brief time early on where NMJ didn't have a moustache, before I decided he just didn't look right. the actors' looks themselves also have had a fair bit of influence over my designs (ZZJ with his cutie side fringe and yellow pattern button-up with tight black skinny jeans is basically my JGY template now, and Ji Li has been a godsend for reference wearing his shoulder length hair up on a lil ponytail 🙌), as well as the Sims, which has helped me build up little wardrobes for all my faves!

credit is also due to @ellethinthewoods, who, when I first started on my modern AU and expressed concern about my lack of fashion knowledge, put together fashion aesthetic pinterest boards for me for each clan, and gave me a really good starting point and lots of inspiration!

#ask #eastofakkala #the untamed #tumodernau #I'm always happy to talk about my design choices! feel free to send me through any others or any character specific questions :)

[rainbowsky]

Just wanted to fact check if you or any of your followers happened to know the answer! So while it has been confirmed that GG and DD had each other added on Weibo prior to filming, is there any confirmation that DD had added any other X Nine members added at the same time? Or was it only XZ? I think that would be very telling 👀

Hi, Anon, there’s a lot of info here so I’ve put it under a cut.

First of all, are you talking about Weibo or Wechat? There are many rumors about GG and DD becoming connected on WeChat right after the XNINE DDU episode in 2017 - long before filming. I wrote about that a while back.

In terms of Weibo, he started following GG in April 2018, around the same time he began following other CQL actors at the beginning of filming. He does follow one other XNINE member, Yan Xujia, but as far as I can tell he didn’t start following him until 2019.

But you did make me curious to see who all DD follows on Weibo. Complete list follows.

DISCLAIMER: this is a very rough list. I’ve pulled together little tidbits of information about each person and their connection to DD, and anything I personally remember about some of them, but it’s just a casual list and not by any means a definitive reference for all these relationships. If anyone has additional information that might help clarify the relationships on this list, let me know.

Wang Zheng - Actor

Han Hong - Singer

Zhao Xuan - Actor Being A Hero

Fu Dongyu - Director of Being A Hero

YIBO-OFFICIAL

Zhang Yuqi - Actor Being A Hero, Oath of Love

Chen Xiao - Actor Being A Hero

Tang Lu Jing - Actor Being A Hero

Fan Chengcheng - Actor, singer, brother of Fan Bingbing

Wang Jinsong - Actor Being a Hero

Sun Jian - Actor LOF, Luoyang, Faith Makes Great

Zhang Huiwenwen - Actor and director

Zhou Jieqiong - Singer and actor LOF

Zhang Xinyu - Actor LOF

Chen Ruoxuan - Actor LOF, Faith Makes Great

Leng Ji Yuan - Actor LOF

Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Offical Weibo

Liu Qian - Taiwanese magician

Xu Zheng - Director, actor, screenwriter, producer, DD sang the song "Mom" for one of his films

Xie Wenkai - Pro skateboarder, Team China

Zhao Liying - Actor LOF

Oasis Official Weibo

China Fire - Official Weibo of the Fire Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Emergency Management

Sun Honglei - Actor

Paco Tangier - Magazine publisher

Xiaoli - Executive Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Harper's Bazaar

Chen Jialin - CQL director

Douyin Official Weibo

Li Zong - China superbike championship driver

Bian Jiang - Lan Wangji voice actor

Xia Yu - Actor

SINA Entertainment Offical Weibo

Xu Minghao - SEVENTEEN member, has appeared on DDU

Angelica Zhang Yu - Former Editor-in-Chief of VOGUE Magazine

Lele Yang - Wang Han's wife

People's Daily Offical Weibo

F1 World Championship Offical Weibo

Elvis-Konishi - CEO of Yue Motor (Beijing) Racing Promotion Co., Ltd.

VOGUEplus Offical Weibo

DAINESE China - Motorcycle clothing company

Li Zhengpeng - Yamaha team driver

Yan Yuhao - Actor Gank Your Heart

Yan Xujia - XNine member

Wang Zixuan - Actor Gank Your Heart

Zeng Yijun - Actor Gank Your Heart

Yan Haoyuan - Actor Gank Your Heart

Ding Guansen - Actor, Gank Your Heart

Weibo Member Customer Service

Song Zuer - Actor, has appeared on DDU

League of Legends Official Weibo

Gao Bo - Founder of Keep On Dancing China

Official Weibo of Wanlida Yamaha Team

Weibo Member Official Weibo

Yamaha China Offical Weibo

Happy Camp Offical Weibo

Hu Xia - Singer, actor, has appreared on DDU

Meng Ziyi - CQL actor - Wen Qing

Long Zijia - Jewelry designer

Xuan Lu - CQL actor - Jiang Yanli

Yamy - Singer, Produce 101, has appeared on DDU

Wu Xuanyi - Singer, Produce 101, has appeared on DDU

Lui Yanchen - Singer, has appeared on DDU

Yueyue - Singer

Cheng Xiao - Singer, actor, Yuehua artist

KWIN - Singer, has appeared on DDU

DIDI - Singer, has appeared on DDU

Fan Toutiao - News and information platform

RNGLetme - Chinese pro gamer

UziQAQ - Chinese pro gamer

RNGMing - Chinese pro gamer

Cai Xukun - Singer, songwriter, rapper, has appeared on DDU

Liu Haikuan - CQL actor - Lan Xichen

Wang Zhuocheng - CQL actor - Jiang Cheng

Fan Bingbing - Actor

Yubin - CQL actor - Wen Ning

Xiao Zhan - Husband

Zhang Jie - Host, Produce 101

Hu Yanbin - Host, Produce 101

Ella Chen - Host, Produce 101

Huang Zitao - Singer EXO, host of Produce 101

Du Haitao - Host, Happy Camp

Zeng Shunxi - Singer and actor, has appeared on DDU

Neo Hou - Singer, actor, Faith Makes Great, has appeared on DDU

Yijia Photography Studio

Shen Xin - Producer, DDU

Wang Mengli - Actor, My Strange Friend

Zhang Nan - Actor, My Strange Friend

Xiao Xu - Actor, My Strange Friend

Xing Xiao - Director, My Strange Friend

Lou Yi Xiao - Actor

Extraordinary Talent Official Weibo

Lensborough - Design blogger and photographer

He Jiong - Host, Happy Camp

Tian Tian - Motorcycle racer

Mike Angelo - Singer, actor, has appeared on DDU

Ruixi Erin - Author

Motorcycle Magazine Offical Weibo

Riley King - Actor, singer, starred in Private Shushan Academy with DD

Chen Yu Qi - Actor, starred in Private Shushan Academy with DD

Pei Zitian - Actor, starred in Private Shushan Academy with DD

Guan Xiao Tong - Actor, singer, recorded "A Little Happiness" with DD in 2017

Private Shushan Academy Offical Weibo

Hua Chenyu - Singer, musician (I am a big fan) has appeared on DDU

Yin Zheng - Good friend of DD, got him into motorcycle racing

Weibo Video Official Weibo

Da Zhangwei - Needs no introduction - former DDU brother

Ashin - Singer/songwriter, author, founder of clothing line StayReal

Chen Mingzhang - Director, Love Actually

Tong Dawei - Actor, Love Actually

Love Actually Offical Weibo

Joe Chen - Actor, Love Actually

Qiu Jirong - Dancer, choreographer, Beijing opera actor

Zhang Yixing - Needs no introduction, long time friend and colleague

Han Han - Multi-talented blogger, author, racing driver, singer, music producer

Jung Yong Hwa - Korean singer, songwriter, producer and actor

Hwang Chi Yeul - Korean singer and TV show host

Peng Yuchang - Actor, singer, Produce 101 guest - famously performed a fake kissing scene with DD on a Chinese talk show

Kim Eun-sung - Korean singer and actor, former DDU brother

Qian Feng - Needs no introduction - former DDU brother

TTXS Offical Weibo

Xu Hao - Actor, famously called DD sexually frigid in a variety show appearance

Ryan Zhu - Actor, has appeared on DDU

Zhang Yijie - Actor, My Strange Friend

Hanch Brothers - K-pop duo

Kim Dong Suk - Korean model and actor

Liu Qiang - Chairman of Blue Phoenix Culture Development Co., Ltd.

Du Hua - CEO of Yuehua

Xie Nan - Actor and TV host

Zhang Chao - Singer and actor

Zhang Yao - Actor, Yuehua artist

Han Geng - Actor, singer, SDOC captain, Yuehua artist

Liu Zhenwei - Director, A Chinese Odyssey part three

Yao Chen - Actor, MBA Partners - DD's first onscreen kiss

Li Wenhan - Uniq brother and 'childhood sweetheart'

Zhou Yixuan - Uniq brother

Woodz - Uniq brother (and one of my fave boys)

Kim Sungjoo - Uniq brother

UNIQ_OFFICIAL

And before anyone asks me to do the same list for GG, maybe one day, but not today! This took me hours to pull together, and GG follows a lot more people than DD does. 😅

#ggdd in the public eye #timeline #reference #ask

[whywhywhymoney]

Just wanna cry about KAM S1 Iman and Hammad, like that is the PEAK of the whole series but nobody is gonna listen lmfao.

I will carry on regardless

Baby faced Imran and Sadia were PERFECT for the depiction of this pure, true love at first sight. Their interactions with each other, and just their reactions to their situation, were so natural. You truly believed in their innocence. As much as people laud S2, a LOT of that innocence is lost just by the actors being in their 30s. The chemistry is still there, but it's increasingly difficult to believe in their relationship after you've watched S1. The actors seem far too mature to reliably portray an innocent relationship.

S1 is all about the subtleties, the visuals. Much of the value of the drama lies in the on-screen presence Imran and Sadia, especially Sadia, as she doesn't speak all that much. If you don't look closely, you miss her constant conflict within herself - which ultimately kills her - and it doesn't come out of nowhere! It's been built up since the first episode.

While Iman's words say she wants nothing to do with Hammad (except in the library scene), her eyes, her face and actions all betray her true feelings. And it's really tearing her apart!

It culminates in the library scene, where SHE lets slip her wish to be with Hammad in the next life, where SHE willingly unveils her face to him, and despite knowing that time is short, that her father would be so disappointed in her, it's HER who continues the conversation for longer than necessary. She's a young woman who is discovering her own feelings and desires for the first time, and for the first time, gives in.

AND I LOVE IT.

I think, if Iman and Haya had managed to come home before Abba-ji, Iman would live. She might even have been bolstered by the encounter, but more realistically, she would have submerged her feelings, and led a perfectly satisfactory life with Abdullah. The severe dressing down Abba-ji gave her simply for coming home late must have sparked off an immense wave of guilt, multiplied by the fact that Abba-ji didn't know her true reason for her lateness. And suddenly, Abdullah was no longer a factor. It was just her, her overwhelming desire to please her father, her guilt not only at meeting Hammad, but knowing she had fallen in love with him, her fear at the condition of her soul and her longing for repentence, salvation from Allah swt.

And on top of all that, was her quiet desire to be with Hammad. A desire she didn't have the courage to admit to herself, but could say in front of Hammad so easily.

A lot of the show is from Hammad's point of view, and Iman is rarely speaking even in the screen time she gets, but it is very much an equal love story. Hammad's from the view of a poet, a yearning soul, and Iman's from the point of view of a scholar, grounded in realities. That's why Hammad's pivotal scenes are punctuated by lyrical narration, as he tries to understand life, love and religion through the conduits he knows best. Whereas Iman's scenes are focused intensely on her physical reactions, as her words - while not lies - are not her truth, and only a reasoned reflection of reality as she sees it.

Whereas the first library scene was one where she didn't have any agency, the second - and most important scene in the whole drama - was all dictated by Iman. It was very much from her point of view. Nothing during that scene happened without her say so, and THAT is where she finally speaks her truth. The first and last time she ever does.

#Khuda aur Mohabbat #Imran Abbas #Sadia Khan #Pak dramas

[sgdlr-asdfghjkl]

Link Click Musical update 130 🎉🌟

(The 100th performance and 2 special encore videos, also I cried from joy and it's not an offtop)

@elaraqwq attended the 100th play, gave away the postcards we made to the audience and SOMEHOW delivered them to the trio actors 😭🧡💙💕 As an absolute legend she is, she sent me the pictures as a proof 🙇‍♂️ So I lost my mind about the loveliness of it all and took a while to chill o7 💝

But enough of that! Lemme tell you abt today's events ✨

Feb 25th, noon performance: Ji Xiaokun, Guo Hongxu, Cai Lu, Guo Zhenyan, Li Zexi

For special encore they did full version of 'You can forget about it' ('Rock, paper, scissors song') but sung is 3 different dialects: from Hebei, Shandong and Shanghai (lowkey foreshadowing).

TW:CXS's dramatic ass once again puts on the noose, so if it makes you uncomfortable, be warned~

If you've been listening to this song over and over again (like me), you should be able to hear the difference in pronounciation. It's as if they changed the lyrics completely ><

Feb 25th, night, the 100th performance: Cai Qi, Wang Minhui, Deng Xianling, Zhang Jiahao, Zhu Jiayan

It's full version of 'As the saying goes' (earthquake arc mom and son quarrel) with Cai Qi in place of Cheng Xiao and Wang Minhui as his mom. Joined by the rest of cast :>

I called the earlier encore foreshadowing bc (like in dongua) the earthquake arc characters speak in Sichuan dialect (the province where the plot takes place). And despite the role swap Wang Minhui used Sichuan as well.

⬆from Zhu Jiayan's weibo

⬆ @/渲染KL不加糖_瑾家 posted this picture on weibo with caption: 'Chicken run'. And I think it's the funniest joke ever ><

Check the replies for both videos 💙🧡 And I hope you'll have just as good time watching it as I did ^0^

#link click #shiguang dailiren #link click musical #lu guang #cheng xiaoshi #qiao ling #ji xiaokun #guo hongxu #cai lu #cai qi #deng xianling #wang minhui #source: weibo #ily lc musical #ily you shiguang nation link clickers #my depression is cured

[jiannguo]

I'm really super happy XZ gets to work with Tsui Hark. It will be great for his career. I'm curious about something, why do we say Xiao Zhan is trying to break into movies if he already has Jade Dynasty ? And why is it important for an actor to break into movies rather than dramas?

Jade Dynasty as a movie made for TV/App. Its as a 20 Million RMB project that was meant to be launched only on Iqiyi. But because Xiao Zhan became "red" aka popular after Untamed, there was a huge surge of interest in this project. It got a theatrical release for a limited viewing, along with a press conference etc.

And yes, it did well in the box office. For a 20 Million investment, it ended up with 400 Million in revenue.

So this was a huge hit that year when released in the mid autumn festival holiday period. But along with this, also came quite a lot of criticism. Particularly to the quality of the film being a low budget TV film yet it played very well in the box office.

Tsui Hark is different. He is a legend in wuxia world. Every Chinese movie fan will know his name.

I'm guessing Xiao Zhan will follow more of a mix of both drama and movie path, based on whatever opportunities seems best. Many actors who predominantly feature in dramas have done movies, Yang Yang for instance. Li Xian as well. Liu Yifei, who has done predominantly films till now, has released a couple of back to back dramas, and still filming another drama.

In my mind, a YXH saying "he's trying to break into films" is a weird line used to do nothing but sensationalise. Yes, in film rewards are higher because its instant revenue when it releases, and its very tangible. Compared to drama which depends in sponsors and ratings for anything remotely tangible.

Till now, Xiao Zhan has always made the right choices which elevated his career one step at a time. Nothing has been handed out to him, he doesn't have a backing of a big agency. He doesn't even have the luxury of throwing out random lawyer letters unless it's super critical. He worked hard for everything, and tries his best to work around every hurdle. People who work with him instantly like him, he is a very good speaker, and very humble to everyone. He understands his characters, studies them, and replies with grace. He has loved all his characters, whether We Wuxian, Gu Wei, Gu Yiye or tue mischievous Ji Chong.

So a drama or a movie actor, Xiao Zhan will excel in both. But I believe he will refuse to confine himself in a box of category or genre.

#xiao zhan #daytoyxiaozhan #daytoy肖战 #肖战daytoy #肖战xiaozhan #sean xiao #肖战 #untamed cast

[fauxkaren]

Flower of Evil - 10/10

Fucking LOVED this drama. It’d been on my To Watch list for a loooong time, but it wasn’t on Netflix until recently, so I was super excited to finally get a chance to watch. And it was AMAZING. It lived up to to the hype.

The set up of the show is that Baek Hee-song is working as a metal craftsman in Seoul and living a happy life, married to Cha Ji-won, a police detective, with their six year old daughter. But the life they’ve built begins to unravel when Ji-won’s team investigates some murders are tied to secrets and lies from Hee-song’s past. The show is part-murder mystery, part-romance and part-psychological thriller. That all sounds very vague and that was on purpose because I don’t want to spoil anyone outside the Read More cut since a lot of the fun from the show comes from watching all the secrets come to light and piecing together Hee-song’s past and discovering the truth of what happened back then.

The other great thing about this show is the talented lead actors and their chemistry. They’re also both beautiful criers. lmao. Individual tears artfully flowing down Ji-won’s lovely face is A+++ and Hee-song’s eyes filling with tears as he slowly crumples is perfection. LOVE IT FOR ME. Ok anyway, I’ll talk more spoilery about the show under the cut.

The thing that really makes this show great is the character of Baek Hee-song, who we find out is actually Do Hyun-soo - whose father was a serial killer. Hyun-soo has been a fugitive for the past 20 years, suspected of killing the village head before he fled. As the show progresses, we peel back the layers of his traumatic childhood (during which he was labeled a psychopath after his mother disappeared) and how he came to take on the identity of Baek Hee-song and how he came to meet and begin a relationship with Ji-won. Hyun-soo is such a fascinating character because so much of how he acts is informed by how he conceptualizes himself which has been impacted by what people around him have told him about himself. Sounds complicated and it is. But a great part of this drama is seeing that fall away and watching Hyun-soo discover his true self.

And of course, Ji-won is a fantastic character too. Watching her process finding out her husband has lied to her during the 15 years she’s known him, hiding the fact that she knows his secret from him, grappling with whether or not he’s a murderer, deciding how to handle all this information... it’s a lot! She loves Hyun-soo (or Hee-song, as she’s known him), but she is very evidence focused. She trusts her husband, but also searching for concrete reasons to back up that belief in him. While he believes himself to be a psychopath, Ji-won sees how capable of emotion Hyun-soo actually is and that is what finally allows him to believe that maybe he’s not the monster everyone has told him that he is. It’s a really fantastic dynamic.

A lot of K-dramas fail to stick the landing and skip over actually earning the resolutions of their stories, but Flower of Evil really put in the work to earn their ending! The final episode is really satisfying and moving and doesn’t just tie things up in a happy ending without the characters having to work for it which makes the happy ending feel realistic.

#karen watches kdramas #flower of evil

[ymnfilter]

The Tail of The Nine Tailed - A Review

overall rating - 7/10

note : i'll try my best to avoid any major spoilers, but just in case, be warned.

this drama... started out so good it almost fooled me into thinking it was going to be on the same tire as Goblin. The first couple of episodes of the show were by far my favorite, but after episode 3? 4? the show went downhill and quick.

First, I am a fan of the whole 'supernatural-being-meets-ordinary-human-and-falls-in-love' trope. Goblin, Doom at Your Service, My Roomate is a Gumiho are some of my favorite dramas that do this trope so well.

One trope that I do not like so much is reincarnation. And this drama just re-enforced that dislike once again.

Characters:

Lee Dong Wook plays the gumiho in this drama, Lee Yeon. As expected from a veteren actor, his portryal of the character is flawless. I loved everything about Lee Yeon from appreacence to acting. He was confident, and playful, and charming and powerful and one of the biggest reasons why I didn't just drop this drama after episode 4.

The second biggest reason, and the character that had the best character development by far was Lee Rang- Lee Yeon's (half) little brother and played by Kim Bum. In the first couple of episodes, I didn't really care all that much for him, but just as the show detrirorated, Kim Bum's character shone. His backstory, his hidden hurt, his tsundere tendencies, and his love for helpless puppies quickly made him one of the biggest reasons to continue this show.

Now, the one character that made this show so hard for me to watch- Nam Ji Ah played by Jo Bo Ah. In a world filled with over-powered supernatural beings, Nam Ji Ah is but a tv producer creating content about urban myths and legends. The first couple of episodes show us someone who- though she is a mere human, is intelligent, and observant, and almost unrealistically familiar with the cops who let her in morgues and crime scenes for her show.

At the discovery of this entire otherly-supernatural world, where her character should have flourished, she became a mere Mary Sue who needed saving almost every episode.

This clip is from episode 2-

man, was this some next level foreshadowing.

almost every episode someone tries to kill Ji A, almost every episode, she can't do anything, and almost every episode, Li Yeon gets hurt instead.

For the first couple of episdoes, the whole 'I-will-protect-you' thing is cute. but then it happens again, and again, and again, until it becomes repitative as hell and I just end up groaning all the time.

In comparison, Ji A's past life A Eum is completely different. Though born in the Joseon era and as a princess, she is a fighter. A skilled archer who was exiled and who swore revenge on her vengeful tyrranical father because of whom the people in his country were starving to death. Honestly, the only thing Ji A and A Eum share with eachother is a face, well that and the whole tragic-fate-thing.

Plot:

Though interesting, the writing is hella inconsistent. The imoogi (the main antogonist) can't seem to decide what he wants, why he wants it and how he will get it. One moment Ji A is his sacrifice, then she is a means to get Li Yeon to lower his guard. For two whole episodes imoogi wants Ji A to be his bride and takes her out on a date before she's back to being a sacrifice and a weakness.

Really, the whole thing is a mess.

The writers also do this weird thing where between all the tragedy taking place, and people dying and the villan getting stronger, Ji A and Li Yeon, on multiple occasions decide to pretend there's nothing wrong and go on dates to get their mind off of things. On surface, the idea might seem almost romantic, and their scenes together are cute, no doubt, but all I can think about while I watch them is how there are people literally dropping dead on the streets from an unexpected pandemic and Lee Rang is on the verge of death because Lee Yeon's plan to save him didn't work, and how can y'all even think about going away to a beach or playing games at an arcade?

(Also, a contagious disease is spreading that is killing people in Seoul with a fatality rate of 100% for almost a week and there is still no quarantine? What the hell?)

Over and above everything else, two things bothered me the most during the entire show: The first one was Ji A and A Eum. Two lives of essentially the same person. Lee Yeon fell in love with A Eum and he lost still. For six hundred years, he pined and waited for her. In comparison, Ji A has known him for maybe 6 months. There is nothing that she shares with A Eum except her appearence (which, we have been told is just a coincidence, and that reincarnation doesn't mean you will always be born with the same face) and a few superficial habits.

If Ji A had atleast carried A Eum's memories and more of her character, I would have understood Lee Yeon's almost obssesive love towards her. As it was, while the two actors had chemistry, and their romance was cute enough, I could never really feel any connection towards them.

The second, and the one I am most angry about- Lee Rang. Even before starting the show, his character death was spoiled for me. I knew it was going to happen, and I knew a lot of people other than me were also angry about it. Still, I fell in love with his character, and still I felt furious when he had to die to let everyone else have their happy ending.

From the very beginning, all Lee Rang wanted was his brother. He hated thr world that abandoned him, and clung desperately to the one person that didn't. He helped the helpless, and in more ways than one, was more selfless that either of the main characters. His sacrifice in the end may have been poetic, but to me, it would always be unfair. Like Lee Yeon himself said, he had a family to protect.

Really, the only reason I would ever watch the upcoming season 2 or 3 is if Lee Rang somehow came back.

#kdrama #tale of the nine tailed #lee yeon #lee rang #tale of gumiho #lee dong wook #kim bum #korean drama #review

[aworldforastage]

audio fandom hours: the 君有疾否/Jun You Ji Fou audiodrama, and the OST

The Jun You Ji Fou AD turned a novel I almost dropped into one of my all-time favorites. This is the work that got me to appreciate audiodrama as a medium.

I need a separate post to talk about how much I love the lead voice actors in this production. Su Shiyu and Chu Mingyun's contrasting personalities are among the most memorable parts of the novel, and their voice actors, 陈张太康/Chen Zhang Taikang and 马正阳/Ma Zhengyang, helped them come alive in the AD.

The audiodrama's greatest weaknesses come from the plot problems it has inherited from the original novel. The production studio stuck close to the text of the novel, and did their best to leverage tools of the AD medium to make the material work. Music and pacing, particularly, played an important role in helping key moments from the novel feel more natural and impactful.

However, the JYJF AD is perhaps most famous for its music. The producers composed dozens of OST tailored for this drama, and the results are so worth it. I still remember just stopping in the middle of my task the first time I heard 万蝶振翅/"Ten Thousand Butterflies Spread Their Wings" in Episode 8, set to the scene where Su Shiyu realizes he is in love. When I read the novel, Su Shiyu falling in love with his enemy seemed cliched, but with the music I can sort of empathize with the intensity and beauty of the love he feels.

(Mr. Li's cover of 万蝶振翅/"Ten Thousand Butterflies Spread Their Wings." This song went viral on Douyin in last winter.)

The song is not free on Mao'er, but there are piano and guzheng covers on Youtube. I think Mr. Li's piano cover feels closer to the vibes of the original track, but Shiyu is playing guzheng in this very scene, so the sound of strings are very special to this moment. I love other songs from this drama as well, but 万蝶振翅 is always going to be special.

Objectively speaking, I can't say this is one of the best danmei audiodrama out there, but I do think it's one of the better ones and definitely still one of my favorites.

P.S. they made so many artwork for this AD and they are all amazing

#danmei recs #jyjf #君有疾否 #Jun You Ji Fou #danmei audiodrama #cv fandom thoughts #audiodrama recommendation #audiodrama music #danmei faves