#Like if you really must use a western redemption narrative at least recognize that he is already going through the required steps as is!

[evilhasnever]

Thinking about why “redemption” plots for JGY don’t work for me, I feel like it boils down to this: redemption implies that one needs to 1) understand what they did wrong 2) atone for it through suffering and/or selfless actions

But JGY has already done both of those things in canon. He both understands very well and dislikes most of the things he had to do, and as soon as he gained a measure of power he used it pointedly to help others (actually, even before he had power he was saving sect leaders and winning wars)!

You want him to redeem himself through suffering? He’s already suffered more than just about anyone else in the book! You want him to redeem himself through public service? He’s been doing that for well over a decade!

In short, redemption arcs don’t work for me because I read JGY as someone who, as long as his life is not threatened (and sometimes even then) already chooses to do good. So I don’t think he needs to learn or discover in himself the will to do good (through a redemption arc) - he only needs the chance and relative safety that allows him to act on it.

#Jgy tag #shhh shiome #Jin Guangyao #Jgy wants to 1) survive 2) do good 3) have quality time with lxc but that is unrelated to the content of this post #Like if you really must use a western redemption narrative at least recognize that he is already going through the required steps as is! #Also I get that many writers just use the redeemed tag to mean there is no jgy hate in the fic and I appreciate that but still #mdzs meta