Asian dramas and relationship dynamics
There are my favorite relationship dynamics as a list.
Opposites attract + power couple
Drama: I Am Nobody / 异人之下
Characters: Zhuge Qing & Wang Ye
Screentime: Minor
I like it when characters are different in a way they could complement one another, but at the same time they are similar in terms of what is important for people to stay stuck together. Zhuge Qing is public, easy-going and wants to be friends with Wang Ye. Wang Ye is mysterious, reflexive and doesn't want to be bothered by other people. But no one can beat extrovert if he decided to be friends with you =) Plus, they are united by their superpowers: they are both powerful sorcerers and their sorcery is very similar in its nature. So they can compete and learn from each other and, if necessary, kick enemy's ass together. ̶A̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶d̶y̶n̶a̶m̶i̶c̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶g̶o̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶B̶L̶ ̶v̶i̶b̶e̶s.̶ By the end of season 1 they are OK and together.
Drama: Mysterious Lotus Casebook / 莲花楼
Characters: Di Feisheng & Li Lianhua
Screentime: Secondary
Di Feisheng is a leader of a demonic sect, a former slave and a very straightforward man. Li Lianhua is a former leader of a righteous sect and an extremely sly man with not-so-bad background. But both of them are the best martial artists in Jianghu and went through a lot together. One wants everyone to leave him alone, another wants to be with him together forever, and both of them don't give a damn about everything that happens in the world but they care for each other. B̶L̶-̶v̶i̶b̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶t̶t̶a̶c̶h̶e̶d̶.̶ The ending of the drama is obscure but I'd like to think they both are alive and happy together.
Drama: The Blood of Youth / 少年歌行
Characters: Xiao Se & Ye Anshi
Screentime: Secondary
A leader of a demonic sect who has an ultimate martial knowledge and the best righteous martial artist in the past, who is suffering from decease and can't fight anymore. What can unite them? The answer is: the similar mindset. They both had a great power and lost it, they both are shouldering great responsibilities that don't make them happy. Despite the fact that they should be on the opposite sides in Jianghu world, they are still good friends. M̶a̶y̶b̶e̶ ̶B̶L̶-̶f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶s̶,̶ ̶a̶l̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶X̶i̶a̶o̶ ̶S̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶g̶i̶r̶l̶f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶.̶ There is a small extra ep at the end of drama, when they meet each other again in a very romantic way. Just search for it.
Drama: The Legends / 招摇
Characters: Lu Shiqi & Qin Qianxian
Screentime: Minor
She is from a demonic sect. He is from a righteous one. She is immune to the impact of spiritual power. He is the one of the most powerful people in terms of spiritual power. She is dumb, straightforward and pure-hearted. He is blissed yet sensible and burdened with difficult moral choices. They could be an ideal Yin-Yang couple. But they have BE, because it's "The Legends", everyone should die in here Т_Т.
Pride and Prejudice + power couple
Drama: The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity / 晴雅集
Characters: Bo Ya & Qing Ming
Screentime: Main
This dynanics is similar with the previous one, but here we are focused on how they ended up together. Bo Ya has prejudice against demons-yao and believes all of them should be executed. He meets half-demon-sorcerer Qing Ming who helps him to overcome his prejudice. Finally, they become friends (or̶ ̶m̶a̶y̶b̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶s̶) and together they win over the evil forces. At the end they are separated but there is a hope they meet again.
Drama: Wuliang / 无量
Characters: Po Xiao & Feng Ren
Screentime: Main
People of different social status both seek to get a magical sutra. During a road trip they exchange opinions on the sutra and how to use it and change each other's mind. In the end it turns out that they together saved the world and can be finally together. As friends, of course.
Drama: Oh No! Here Comes Trouble / 不良執念清除師
Characters: Pu Yiyong & Cao Guangyan
Screentime: Main
Pu Yiyong looks like lowlife, studies very bad and hates Cao Guangyan, who is self-confident, smart and thinks low of Pu Yiyong. But a mysterious case with ghosts forces them to interact and they find out, that together they are a perfect team. Honestly speaking, this little series couldn't develop this topic as good as I hoped, but it's a really interesting story, so you can watch it for the ghost detective plot and get this type of relationship in addition. It's a Taiwanese drama, so BL-jokes and dalliance with a viewer were huge, but it didn`t help much. Still a nice dynamics and a good drama.
Us vs the World
Drama: The Untamed / 陈情令
Characters: Wei Wuxian & Lan Wangji
Screentime: Main
I don`t like the novel, but I like drama exactly because here I can see this dynamics. In the past life of Wei Wuxiang Lan Wangji was not strong enough to go against the whole world to protect his friend (well, in the novel they are lovers, but it kills the main idea of this dynamics by turning it into "I do it all just to get into your bed", which is meh), and his friend died. Suddenly, 16 years later, he gets a chance to choose once more: to be a part of society and watch once more his friend dying or to be with him against everyone this time. The moment he chooses to be with Wei Wuxian against the whole world I felt cathartic pleasure. The drama ends up on a little bit obscure but positive note.
Drama: Word of Honor / 山河令
Characters: Zhou Zishu & Wen Kexing
Screentime: Main
A former king's assassin who is at the brink of death and just wants to live the time left in silence and a birdy master of the most skillful criminals find each other, find out that they are brothers-in-teachings and decide to fight against the world together just to live in silence and enjoy each other's company. When one thinks it's his last second of life, the other comes to help him even if they both can't beat the greater number of enemies and will die for sure. Catharsis! The drama has a small extra ep where they are together and all right.
Drama: The Legends / 招摇
Characters: Li Chenlan & Lu Zhaoyao
Screentime: Main
Them, again! The first half of the drama they have enemies-to-lovers dynamics, but then, when they find out the truth about Zhao Yao's death and about feelings for each other, they turn into Bonny and Clyde and go annihilate the righteous guys who are in fact not-so-righteous. And it makes me feel cathartic, too. A very catharsis-causing dynamics, indeed! It's little obscure, but they will be fine at the end of the drama.
Drama: Dong Lan Xue / 东栏雪
Characters: Shen Yan & Chu Ningyuan
Screentime: Main
Two bad guys work together to get power in the palace. And get involved in romantic relationship during their power gaining. Nice story with an open ending.
Drama: Derailment /脱轨
Characters: Qi Lian & Jiang Xiaoyuan
Screentime: Main
It's a little story inside a big one about transmigrators that you can read in another of my posts. It lasts something like 1,5 eps of the drama but is a nice story itself. A lonely bellicose boy from a rich family runs away from home where no one cares for him and lives on the street. A lonely girl from an extremely poor family and being bullied by classmates tries to survive in this world. They meet each other and understand that it's easier to fight their fate together. Nice story, it's a pity that this one is too short and not a main plot of the drama.
The next post will be about Asian dramas and familial dynamics.
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I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM I
(quietly realizing i forgot to give mic’s other hand black nails but who tf cares!!!11!!!!1!!!!!) (also idk how to draw hearing aids!!!!!!!!!!! or ears!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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Xu Kai (許凱)
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So, calling the Las Leyendas/Legend Quest fandom.
I've been a die hard fan of the movies since 2011 when La Leyenda De La Llorona came out (I'm mexican, I was raised in Veracruz, yes, where the last movie is placed).
When the series aired on Netflix I was a little... Worried, it didn't look like the Anima Studios animation and overall I was afraid it might be a gringo bad adaptation, that it wouldn't have good representation and would just be to the liking of the chicanos living in the US and kids from abroad (generally for people leaving outside of Mexico or the gabacho).
So, I'm summoning the fandom (preferably the Mexicans who love the movies, but if you're gringo/american/from somewhere else also feel free to say what you think of it) to tell me what they would rate the series.
It's serious guys, I want to know if I should watch it.
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XU KAI 许凯 as LI CHENLAN
ZHAOYAO 招摇 (China, 2019)
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More than an hour , multiple gapples, four floors and thousands of damage later - ETOILES DID IT
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Best Character surnamed: An
Come and vote for the best characters with the same surname!*
What does best mean? It's up to you! Whether you love them, are intrigued by their characters, love to hate them, or they're your '2 second blorbos whose personality you made up wholesale', these are all reasons for you to vote for your favs!
*note, the surnames are not exactly the same in all the cases, as often there will be a different character. I am, however, grouping them all together otherwise things got more complicated.
Propaganda is very welcome! If I’ve forgotten anyone, let me know in the notes.
This is part of a larger series of ‘best character with X surname’ polls’. The overview with ongoing polls, winners, and future polls can be found here
EDIT: it’s An WeNyi not WeIyi from Kings Avatar. Thank you @minamishihonew for flagging it!
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Asian dramas and Love tropes
There are my favorite characters and their love stories as a list.
Enemies to lovers
Drama: Her Royal Highness/长公主在上
Characters: Gu Xuanqing x Li Yunzhen
Screentime: Main
A boy is sent to be a servant in the unruly princess`s palace in order to find some dirt about her and to help his master to overthrown her, but something goes wrong... The HE is attached.
Drama: The Legends/招摇
Characters: Li Chenlan x Lu Zhaoyao
Screentime: Main
A leader of a demonic sect died trying to get demonic sword. Her soul returns to the world full of wish to get revenge on the current leader of her sect, who, as she thinks, killed her in the past. Found the way to be close to him, she learns that he wasn't the reason of her death and, moreover, desperately in love with her for many-many years. This is an adaptation of the novel "Ostentatious Zhaoyao", which I love more than a drama, but it's a good story in both variants. The HE is attached (although it`s a little bit obscure in the drama).
Drama: Till the End of the Moon/ 长月烬明
Characters: Tantai Jin x Li Susu
Screentime: Main
A boy who is destined to become a Demon God and to destroy the World tries to fight his doom. In a process, he falls in love with a transmigrator, who was sent 500 years back in the past to prevent his transformation into a Demon God. The irony is,making him falling in love is the only way to kill him for good... It`s an adaptation of the novel "Black Moonlight Holds the BE Script", which I like way-way-way more than the drama, not the least because the drama has BE and the novel has HE. I just watched it as a visually beautiful fanfic to the novel.
Drama: Love Between Fairy and Devil /苍兰诀
Characters: Dongfang Qingcang x Xiao Lanhua
Screentime: Main
My favorite drama of all times! Trying to save her love, a girl accidently falls into a secret prison for immortal criminals, revives the most fearsome demon of all times and heals his ability to feel. Later, forced to spend his time together with the girl from the enemy camp, the demon finds out that he actually likes her... The HE is attached.
I wrote A LOT about them and made recap of the whole drama from the point of their relationship development in these posts: one, two, three, four, five and six.
Drama: My Journey to You /云之羽
Characters: Gong Shangjue x Shangguan Qian
Screentime: Secondary
In order to destroy the martial artist's clan, a female assassin was sent in there. While she is trying to seduce one of clan's young masters, he tries to expose her lies, but, eventually, falls in love with her. Unrequited. Maybe. This story has an open ending.
My analysis of their relationship is here.
Drama: Butterflied lover /风月变
Characters: Ling Changjin x Bao Zhu
Screentime: Secondary
A wicked nobleman marries a princess because of her miraculous blood: it`s able to bring his zombie sister back to life. The princess allows him to treat her bad because she has been in love with him for a long time and believes he is a good person. Bit by bit he starts believe in it himself and begins to cherish his wife more... The ending is obscure (in a traditional Chinese way).
Drama: The Blue Whisper /与君初相识
Characters: Li Shu x Xue Sanyue
Screentime: Minor
A cat demon prince infiltrates the valley of demon hunters in order to set free the great demoness, but falls in love with one of demon hunters. Mutually. The ending is traditionally Chinese - they met again in another life. Т_Т
Drama: Immortal Samsara / 沉香如屑
Characters: Xuan Ye x Ran Qing
Screentime: Minor
An Asura king infiltrates the Heavenly Realm in order to steal the artifact that can help him conquering the world. The keeper of this artefact is a brave and honest goddess and he can't help but fall in love with her. After, he needs to choose: to be with his lover or to rule the world. He wants all at once, but there is no way to get it all. No HE for this pair.
Pride and Prejudice
Drama: Lighter and Princess / 点燃我
Characters: Li Xun x Zhu Yun
Screentime: Main
A girl from a rich family with an anxious type of attachment falls in love with her classmate from a poor family with an avoidant type of attachment and tries to win his heart. It`s a problematic ship in a full meaning of these words and I like it this way. Yummy! The HE is attached.
Drama: Derailment /脱轨
Characters: Qi Lian x Jiang Xiaoyuan
Screentime: Main
A boy accidently meets his school sweetheart after many years of radio silence and understands that something is wrong with her. It turns out that her body is occupied by a transmigrator from a parallel world. At first he hates transmigrator for replacing his lover, but bit by bit he learns, that a transmigrator has not only the same appearance but the same habits and way of thinking, and falls in love with this new personality again... The story ends with HE but not in a way that you may think it would.
Drama: The Love by Hypnotic /明月照我心
Characters: Li Qian x Li Mingyue
Screentime: Main
In order to build relationship between two countries an emperor arranges marriage for his son. His fiancée is from a barbaric tribe: she is good at horse riding and archery, but knows nothing about palace etiquette and ladies stuff. It`s a light and sweet story about finding a path to each other's heart. The HE is attached.
Drama: The Long Ballad /长歌行
Characters: Hao Du x Li Leyan
Screentime: Secondary
A tsundere of a low background with a poker face does his ruthless job in a court, that's why a young princess thinks he is an awful man and is scared of him. But in reality he is a loyal servant and son and, moreover, secretly in love with the princess, who can't stand him... The HE is attached.
Drama: Miss the Dragon /遇龙
Characters: Xue Qianxun x Qingqing
Screentime: Secondary
A very naïve bird demon girl accidently meets a tsundere god of netherworld and turns his well ordered life into havoc. He starts liking it, though. The HE is attached.
Forbidden love
Drama: A Frozen Flower /쌍화점
Characters: Hong Rim x No Guk
Screentime: Main
A gay king needs a heir, so he forces his lover to conceive a child with a queen. In a process, a boy, who was groomed as a king's lover from his childhood, finds out that he likes women much more than men. A traditional Korean tragedy. Very beautiful and full of feelings, though. (No GIFs because they all would be erotic ones).
Drama: 100 Days My Prince /백일의 낭군님
Characters: Moo-yeon x Kim So-hye
Screentime: Secondary
An assassin who is working for a wicked court official is secretly in love with a wife of a crown prince, who happens to be a daughter of the killer of his parents. Forbidden love doubles! But it's mutual, unfortunately for him. It's a very beautiful and full of desperation and feelings story. No HE, we die like Koreans.
More detailed story of their relationship is available here, here and here.
Drama: The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity/晴雅集
Characters: He Shouye x Zhang Ping
Screentime: Secondary
A woman, who is destined to restrain the undying evil within her body for eternity in solitude, falls in love with Yin-Yang master. Her love is mutual, but her lover can't be with her forever, so he leaves with her his guardian demon to brighten her loneliness. Protecting her for ever starts being the only goal of demon's life... A tragedy, but a beautiful one.
Drama: The Legends/招摇
Characters: Gu Hanguang x Shen Qianjin
Screentime: Minor
"The Legends" once more! The main doctor of a demonic sect is in love with a leader of a righteous sect. A girl is not allowed to love anyone, otherwise she will suffer from the poison, so he anonymously sends her packages of medicinal herbs. She is curious about anonymous sender, too. But nothing can be kept in secret forever... Unfortunately, no HE for these two. In the novel he is safe and sound, but he has no love plotline at all. So is a price of love Т_Т.
I will talk about my other favorite characters and tropes in the next post.
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if there's one thing about cdramas made out of jlfx's novels is that they're gonna have a perfect ost that i'm gonna fall in love with so easily and love every damn song
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nobody does a mournful howl of pure grief like bai lu, NO ONE
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