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web-novel-polls · 1 year

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Baihe Tournament Bracket

(Winner's) Round 1

The Beauty's Blade vs. Feng Ling Yu Xiu

Purely by Accident vs. Fangsi

The Baihe Tournament will be a double-elimination tournament. Round 1 will be posted Saturday, May 8th, 2023, at noon CST and will remain open for 24 hours.

Under the cut is the extra information about the 10 competitors. Please let me know of any errors, missing content warnings, and the main pairing of the Witch Nichang.

Clear and Muddy Loss of Love

Author: Please Don’t Laugh (请君莫笑)

Other Names: JWQS / Jing Wei Qing Shang, 泾渭情殇

Media Type: Webnovel

Chapters: 303 Chapters + 4 Extras (Completely Translated)

Main Pairing: Qiyan Agula x Nangong Jingnu

CW: ableism, abuse to a main character, abuse to a side character, age difference (arranged marriage at 14 and 18), child abuse, graphic violence, homophobia, major character death, minor character death, racism, rape as a plot point (mentioned, not depicted), sexism, sex scenes, torture, animal death (horse dies:/), genocide, imperialism, class disparity

Links: Carrd, Fan Trailer, Wiki

Description: Qiyan Agula was born to the Khagan and Khatun of the Chengli Tribe and raised as their eldest son and successor. When war with the nearby Wei Kingdom breaks out, Qiyan Agula’s family is killed. Qiyan Agula - now simply Qi Yan - joins the Wei Kingdom planning revenge but is promised marriage to the most favored Princess of Wei - Nangong Jingnu.

Female General and Eldest Princess

Author: Please Don’t Laugh (请君莫笑)

Other Names: FGEP, 女将军和长公主

Media Type: Webnovel, manhua, Audio Drama CD

Chapters: 168 Chapters + 15 Extras (Completely Translated)

CW: war, death + more unknown

Links: Carrd, Wiki

Main Pairing: Lin Wanyue x Li Xian

Description: When the Huns destroy her village, the fourteen-year-old Lin Wanyue takes the identity of her twin brother, Lin Feixing, to join the army and claim justice for the 118 villagers killed. In the military, she meets Lin Yu, a younger comrade saved by her, and later the visiting Princess of Li, Li Xian, who is dedicated to ensuring her sickly eight-year-old brother can safely ascend to the throne as Crown Prince.

Purely by Accident

Author: Leng Qian Shan (冷千山)

Other Names: 纯属意外

Media Type: Webnovel, Audio Drama CD

Chapters: 52 Chapters + 2 Extras (20 Chapters Translated)

Main Pairing: Wei Zisong x Chu Feichen

Summary: “Through an unlikely series of events, bandit chief Wei Zisong finds herself engaged to Chu Feichen, the emperor’s eldest daughter. Through an even more unlikely series of events, they fall in love.” (via Carrd)

Couple of Mirrors

Other Names: 双镜, Double Mirror, Shuang Jing, 雙鏡

Media Type: manhua (Original Material), Drama, novelization/novel

Manhua Author: noftB (福特)

Main Pairing: You Yi x Yan Wei

Links: Carrd

Source: “You Yi is a young, innocent, and kind-hearted socialite and a successful author, living with everyone's adoration and envy. Her perfect life is turned upside-down when she discovers a betrayal by the two most trusted people in her life. With no one left to turn to, she finds refuge in the friendship and support of Yan Wei, a young photographer with a cold personality. Unbeknownst to all, Yan Wei has a deadly secret identity.” (via imdb.com)

Feng Ling Yu Xiu

Other Names: Soulmate Adventure, Spirit Wind Elegance, Sunflowers

Media Type: Donghua

Episodes: 12

Main Pairing: Feng Ling’er x Bai Yuxiu

Where to Watch: Bilibili, GoGoAnime

Summary: “It is rumored in the martial world that a mystery white-haired girl suddenly appeared around the thief Feng Ling Er. She is so powerful that many martial arts masters can’t defeat her. The girl’s identity, the source of her power and her influence to the world all caused discussion among the public. But Feng Ling Er and the white-haired girl named Bai Yu Xiu never care about it. They travel the world with pleasure, unaware of a great conspiracy coming towards them.” (via MyAnimeList)

The Beauty’s Blade

Author: 封刃作书 / Feng Ren Zuo Shu

Other Names: Mei Ren Jian / 美人剑

Media Type: Webnovel

Chapters: 51 Chapters + 1 Extra (Completely Translated)

Main Pairing: Fu Wanqing x Yu Shengyan

Links: Novel Updates

Description: Fu Wanqing is the fiery yet calculating daughter of the righteous faction’s leader who falls in love with Yu Shengyan, the aloof head of the evil faction who has come out of seclusion to cure one of her martial sisters. (based on Brasdf’s Novel Updates review)

Matrilocal Marriage

Author: Please Don’t Laugh / 请君莫笑

Other Names: RUZHUI, 入赘

Media Type: Webnovel

Chapters: 297 Chapters + 4 Extras (Completely Translated)

Main Pairing: Yun An x Lin Buxian

Links: Carrd, Novel Updates

CW: sexism, pregnancy, cheating + more unknown

Description: Yun An volunteers to travel through time and record the truth behind a military revolt, but when she enters the time machine, she finds herself in the unknown Yan Kingdom, where men are considered the superior gender. The wealthy merchant Lin family, without a son, has announced they’re searching for a handsome son-in-law to marry the only legitimate daughter, Lin Buxian. (based on NovelUpdates)

Fangsi

Author: Xuan Jian (玄笺)

Other Names: Presumptuous, 放肆【娱乐圈】

Media Type: Web Novel

Chapters: 226 + 114 Extras/Fanwai Chapters (Translated to Chapter 26)

Main Pairing: Tang Ruoyao x Qin Yinong

Summary: “Tang Ruoyao, only 22 years old, has just received the award titled “Queen of Film.” What a bright future she must have! The next day, headline after headline named her the “Little Qin Yinong.” Tang Ruoyao’s fans were furious; Qin Yinong had developed a terrible reputation: she had a face that could only bring disaster. Whether women or men, it didn’t matter.. she had been to bed with most of the industry! She is not yet married yet she has a daughter, and her daughter is already a few years old! You shameless media, you insult our Tang Ruoyao with this comparison! Fans of Qin Yinong were also offended. Qin Yinong’s arms were heavy with both domestic and international awards. How could Tang Ruoyao compare with that? ...Soon, the news broke out: Qin Yinong and Tang Ruoyao would co-star in a sapphic film.” - NovelUpdates

The Witch Nichang

Author: 八千岁

Other Names: 魔女霓裳

Media Type: Webnovel

Chapters: 226 Chapters + 34 Extras (Novel Updates)

Main Pairing:

CW: absent parents + more unknown

Description: “The story begins as such, the main character transmigrates into the body of a young girl named San’er. While living in the mountains with her family she happens to treat and Wuxia master and eventually the MC begins her journey as the wuxia master’s disciple.” (Xirl0128’s Novel Updates Review)

Didn’t Know General Was Female

Authors: Buxie Mei (不谢梅) and Rong Qing (荣青)

Other Names: DKGWF, 不知将军是女郎[重生]

Media Type: Webnovel

Chapters: 45 Chapters + 3 Extra (2 Chapters Translated)

Main Pairing: Rong Jiahui x Zhongli Luo

Links: Novel Updates

Description: “Rong Jiahui has spent 8 years in a pointless marriage, unhappy and envious of the luck of other women. When she hears of Marquis Zhongli Luo returning from the battlefield, victorious and apparently looking for a wife, she regrets treating him coldly when he was being fostered in her home as a child. Cue a climactic death via choking, and Jiahui is back in the past! This time she plans on thoroughly wooing Zhongli Luo so that she may secure a happy future. Of course, things aren't that easy when Zhongli Luo is actually a cross dressing woman.” - Indelible Faith’s Novel Updates Review

Mistress, I Was Wrong

Author: Cross My Mark / Yan Guo Wu Hen / 雁过吾痕

Other Names: 女主大人，我错了

Media Type: Web Novel

Chapters: 383 Chapters (171.5 Chapters Translated)

Main Pairing: Tong Yao x Dongfang Wanyu

CW: rape + more unknown

Links: Novel Updates

Description: Tong Yao transmigrates into Dongfang Minghui, a cannon fodder villain that fought with the protagonist of “A Genius In-Making, Rise of the Waste” for a man. To survive, she chooses to hug the female protagonist’s thigh.

The General’s Manor Young Concubine Survival Report

Author: Wind's Little Bell / 风的铃铛 / Feng De Lingdang

Other Names: 将军府小妾生存报告

Media Type: Web Novel

Chapters: 14 Chapters (Completely Translated)

Main Pairing: Bo Qingbo x Xiang Tiange

Links: CompletedBaihe Carrd, Novel Updates

Description: Bo Qingbo wakes up as the new Concubine of the General’s Manor and must figure out the connection between the original Bo Qingbo, her husband Prince Yixing (Qu Xiang), and the Prince’s official wife, the formidable General Xiang Tiange.

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duckprintspress · 1 year

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"Get to Know Me" Tag Meme

Oh gosh, this is the first time we've ever been tagged for a meme! Thank you for thinking of us, @felinesomnambulist. I SUPPORT YOUR MICHELANGELO LOVE, he's the best turtle and April should see that.

I'm gonna fill this out based on me (@unforth) since I run this account (And, ya know, own the Press). :D

Three Ships: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian (Tian Guan Ci Fu by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu), Mo Ran/Chu Wanning (The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat), Shen Qiao/Yan Wushi (Thousand Autumns by Meng Xi Shi), are probably my three favorite ships right now.

First Ever Ship: oh god. if we're talking "first couple I remember getting really invested in," it's Min/Rand al'Thor from the Wheel of Time. If it's "the first ship I can remember being like 'I ship this' and it wasn't canon and it's queer and stuff" (though I have Opinions about Min and queerness, but that's a different conversation)...hmm...I wrote a little Nuriko/Yuki Miaka (Fushigi Yuugi by Yuu Watase) and Lina Inverse/Gourry Gabriev (Slayers). (Lina/Gourry isn't queer in canon, but there is no cis het explanation for Nuriko). I also had a ship for The Franchise By She Who I Wish Would Just Fucking Stop Being Awful but we don't speak of such things anymore. (I also, early, wrote a lot of self-insert OC x "my favorite character in each franchise" things, like in middle school I wrote a story with my OC x the son of Garion and C'Nedra from the Belgariad by David Eddings).

Last Song: Ateez - Deja Vu (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlnMDttgTbk)

Currently Reading: Mo Du by Priest (https://edanglarstranslations.com/modu)

Currently Watching: I guess The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty? I watch things incredibly slowly, basically only when I'm packaging campaign merch, and we've only had the pin campaign recently so I haven't had much time in ages. I've also been watching TLT2 on and off. Counting things I'm watching with the kids, we're doing our second full watch-through of Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts (which by the way? super queer. y'all should check it out, it's great.)

Currently Consuming: Black cherry herbal tea

Currently Craving: at least one good night of sleep, god I'm tired (see also: why I'm doing a meme instead of editing, lmao).

Tag 9 people we want to get to know better! Um... @sarnakhwritesthings, @theleakypen, @scones-and-texting-and-murder, @jemariel, @deathbycoldopen, @wolffyluna, @faerytaleonfire, @foxofninetales, and @veronicasanders

#tag meme #duck prints press #tag us in memes i guess #i'll do um if i have time lmao #as opposed to on my main account where i never have time and never do

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the-archlich · 1 year

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Hello since I saw you were rating wish list for DW hope its oke for me to share mine and ask for your thoughts thanks a lot and feel free to ask me my reasoning for them.

Wei: Cao Hong, Cao Zhen (two very important commanders for cao cao), Zhang Xiu (another top cao commander would also help flesh out Jia xu as they were very close historically), Zhong Yao (Zhong Huis dad a very early supporter of cao cao eventually became a top minister extremely interesting guy)

For Wu:

Zhuge Jin, Zhuge Ke ( I don’t think I need to justify it lol), He Qi (very important and skilled general who really helped Sun Quan hold his southern territories also his dw blast design makes him look like wu’s version of Zhang He which i like), Zhang Zhao (was pretty much Sun Quans father figure and closest minister)

Shu (my favorite):

Honestly many, I would even consider removing some of the fictional characters because out of those the only one i like and feel contributes anything to the story is Guan Suo. Anyways

Liao Hua (do I even need to say why lol), Wang Ping (Top general was able to overcome a learning disability and rise to the top), Fei Yi (would really help add an interesting dynamic to Jiang Wei), Zhang Yi or Ma Zhong (either would help fill out with another disciplined warrior) maybe Zhuge Zhan but he comes in quite late.

My least favorite sorry Jin:

Another Sima (so many talented Sima’s lol) my personal choice would be Sima Yi’s brother, Sima Fu (very important minister I think he became imperial chancellor but more loyal to Wei than jin could provide some nice tension with his relatives)

Yang Hu (very important Jin figure although most of his achievements came late in the period, really this is my major beef with Jin) or maybe Hu Lie for similar reasons.

Other:

One of the Yuan Brothers either Shang or Tan would add a nice bit of drama and excitement to Cao Cao’s northern conquest

Liu Biao (super important figure of the period involved with nearly every important faction and character)

Han Sui (really interesting warlord and had a long life) if they decide to go the novel route a one handed moveset would be interesting as well

One of the bandit factions leaders; i like what total war did with the bandit Zhang yan and the bandit queen. It be cool if koei could try something similar good suggestions imo would be Zhang Yan, Yang Feng, or Zang Ba

Cao Hong was very important and might be a good foil for some of the established members of the family, presenting a new dimension to their interactions. Cao Zhen is also hugely important and could be a great foil for Cao Pi and Cao Xiu; showing how important he was also makes it easier for people to understand why his son was given so much authority after Cao Rui's death. Zhong Yao is one of the most important people of the era and while the Wei faction is pretty heavy with tacticians at this point, there's always room for someone of his accomplishments. Zhang Xiu is certainly one of the people I'd love to see. Great for Jia Xu as a character and he can add some muscle to some battles that are otherwise pretty lacking in significant enemies.

Zhuge Jin and Zhuge Ke don't need to be justified, you're absolutely right. That's all pretty obvious. He Qi is pretty significant (arguably one of the most significant people of the era since his efforts to settle the Han population in southern China and bring the region under Han control had long-lasting effects) and pretty unique. I wouldn't be upset about that. Zhang Zhao also goes without saying. He has every quality I'd look for in a new character; long career, close personal relationships to characters who need them, many historical accomplishments, unique personality, etc.

Liao Hua is a pretty common choice. He has longevity on his side (always good but especially for that faction since so many major people all died around the same time) and enough accomplishments to his credit to justify it. Yi is, of course, one of my favorites. It'd be great to have him to represent the leadership between Zhuge Liang and Jiang Wei and their different styles, and his assassination is a huge narrative beat that can really set up Shu's final act. Wang Ping and Ma Zhong were commanders whose accomplishments alone justify their inclusion, in addition to their unique personality traits and history. Zhuge Zhan has potential to be a very intersting character, although I doubt they'd have the guts to go all out with it and have him be part of the court's corruption. Zhang Yi (Junsi) would be an unexpected choice but not totally useless. For Zhang Yi (Bogong), I'd say the same things I said about Liao Hua. And for Zhang Yi (Boqi; often called Zhang Ni), the same as Wang Ping and Ma Zhong.

There are alot of Sima family members who would be decend additions. I think Sima Fu is one of the best, since he was perhaps the most important and had such a lengthy career; he could also really bring out some aspects of his relatives we don't currently see. I think Yang Hu is highly overrated; Hu Lie is pretty great though. He and his brother Hu Fen, along with their father Hu Zun, are all good choices IMO.

The Yuan family could always use a bit more meat to it; I think which members are most useful to have depends on how you choose to expand their tale. I do think Yuan Tan is particularly important, though, given his achievements under his father.

Liu Biao needs no justification. Han Sui is an interesting choice but one that I like.

I can see the merit in including someone to represent one of the major bandit factions of the time, though I'm not sure exactly who I'd cuse. Of the ones you listed, probably Zang Ba since he has much more going on than the others.

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eigwayne · 2 months

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Made it to the end of Stand By Me (2021) and didn't quit on the second-to-last ep, but it was a near thing. The entire last 2 and a half eps could have been told in 10 minutes so sitting through it was kind of tedious. Maybe it hits better if you give a crap about the characters? But Yan Xiu and Qiu Yanzhi exited the narrative and the plot was still going for far to long after, so yeah.

Did the scoring and it's a 2.938- high marks in music because I am a sucker for Liu Yuning and Zhou Shen themes, and the use of each track was well placed. By the end you start to notice they only had like six sets for a 49 episode show and that gets a little visually boring, but they were pretty enough, and I wasn't a huge fan of the costuming but it was cohesive and didn't look cheap, so the scores for visuals were decent, too. But it got low marks in rewatchability (you couldn't pay me to rewatch this) and characters. This gives it the same score as Miss the Dragon, which was most likely a money laundering show to be honest I have rewatched although it had worse sets and effects- but less infuriating characters.

#currently watching

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megsbooklr · 2 months

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Read in January & February 2024

I meant to write monthly updates... alas, my job sucked out all of my energy during these last two months :) So in the end, a bi-monthly summary it is! In no particular order:

Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge - 5 stars, I loved it!!! A collection of unhinged yet poignant urban fantasy short stories linked by solving the mysteries of the narrator's life.

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez - it's one of these books that make me remember why I love reading fiction: a book that truly takes you out on an Adventure™ :D its main flaw is that it resolves nothing in the end, and we have to wait for the second part: Where the Library Hides. Still, The Mummy vibes were there, and that's enough for me to have a good time!

The Dragon Republic, The Drowning Faith, The Burning God by Rebecca F. Kuang - I decided to finish the trilogy (plus one short story) partly because I'd already bought all the books so it felt like a waste not to read them, and partly because I was really curious about how this mess ends (it felt as if I'd developed a kind of Stockholm syndrome for that series, lol). And these were my only reasons, because somewhere towards the end of the second volume I realized I simply didn't care for any of the characters. Like, at all. Fang Runin most of all. Her hypocrisy and hubris were really hard to stomach, and her ending... didn't bring any catharsis - so I was disappointed. I do hope that Babel is much better, in terms of the storytelling at least, because I have a copy of it too :D

Heaven Official's Blessing vol. 7 & 8 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - I finished re-reading the series! It's my comfort read at this point :D and again, one of the series that reminds me why I love reading so much.

Thousand Autumns vol. 3 by Meng Xi Shi - my comfort read #2 and one of my favourite Chinese webnovels of all time ^^ I'm happy we'll get the last two remaining volumes this year!

Holmes of Kyoto vol. 4-6 by Mai Mochizuki - I'm in love with this series, which is part Kyoto guide, part Japanese history and art lessons, part romance and part detective investigations :D

The Case Files of Jeweler Richard vol. 7 by Nanako Tsujimura - I'm not able to be normal about this series, I wrote a liveblog while reading, I had as much fun as with the first six books, it was emotional and sometimes hilarious, I can't wait for the next ones! :D

#read in 2024 #january 2024 #february 2024

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asianhappinesss · 2 years

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Is Hua Jin Xiu Evil In The Twin Flower Legend?

The Twin Flower Legend (长相守) is a costume drama with a few main characters. But different people seem to relate to these characters very differently. Of particular interest is the Hua Jin Xiu character which some viewers deem as evil while others find her pitiful. In fact, they would have loved her to have a happy ending after what she had been through. Her elder twin sister, Hua Mu Jin, is equally controversial. It is indeed rare to have a drama with a few debatable characters such as these where viewers cannot seem to agree if they should fall under the good or bad category.

Hua Jin Xiu – Evil Or Pitiful?

Jin Xiu started off as a happy and innocent young lady. But she was raped and continuously harassed by her mistress’ trusted aide. Jin Xiu tried to ask her twin sister to leave their employer but was turned down. Her mistake was she didn’t tell Mu Jin exactly what happened while Mu Jin was blissfully ignorant of Jin Xiu’s plight. To make matters worse, she fell in love with a man whom she thought was the 3rd master of the Yuan family, Yuan Fei Bai. But the man was actually Fei Bai’s identical twin brother who was barred from revealing his existence and hence, was always assuming Fei Bai’s identity.

After some twists and turns, she ended up marrying Fei Bai’s father, Duke Yuan. In a way, it was a self-survival decision because she thought she could avoid being harassed and bullied by being the duke’s woman. But the duke’s true love was his late concubine and Jin Xiu was merely a substitute. Fei Bai and Mu Jin also fell in love which compounded Jin Xiu’s pain. Then, Mu Jin faked her death because she was hunted by Duke Yuan and disappeared for 3 years. Jin Xiu thought her beloved sister had died and grieved for her. She even injured Fei Bai because she thought he was the killer and got punished as a result. Finally, Jin Xiu found out that the man she loved was not Fei Bai but his twin brother.

Tragic Life

Towards the end of the drama, Jin Xiu herself felt that her life was one big tragedy. Not only she was raped but she was also misled by the man she loved. This pushed her to marry a man old enough to be her father. Jin Xiu also felt abandoned by the person closest to her which is her sister. You can say Jin Xiu had the worst luck among the 5 sworn siblings. Even Song Ming Lei’s luck wasn’t as bad although he had to witness his family being wiped out in one night. At least, he had Yuan Fei Yan’s undying love for him.

Therefore, Jin Xiu gradually turned evil. She got sucked into the game just to survive initially and then it was all about attaining power and revenge. I also think Jin Xiu is a pitiful character and it is perfectly understandable why she turned out that way. She felt betrayed, abandoned, and had her dignity trampled upon.

However, I think she also has to shoulder part of the blame because she made the decision to marry Duke Yuan. The man had offered her freedom but she chose to stay with him. Mu Jin had also asked her to leave together at one stage and again, she made the choice to remain. So, in a way, she has to be responsible for her own decisions rather than blaming others entirely for her fate. If she had been contented with what she had, she could have led a pretty good life as Duke Yuan’s concubine.

Jin Xiu’s Ending

Perhaps having her killed would be a little too cruel given her bitter experiences. So, I guess sending her back to the temple is the most ideal ending for Jin Xiu. Some would like to have her end up with Sima Ju. But I think that would be awkward. She was his father’s concubine and had a son with him. Furthermore, it would be more realistic if she continues to hate him because what he had done was close to unforgivable.

Personally, I think Jin Xiu is evil and I don’t like some of her actions. For instance, she didn’t need to kill Qi Fang. But I can’t bring myself to hate her either when I watched The Twin Flower Legend because the pathway leading to her evilness was paved with a lot of cruelty and bitterness.

Hua Mu Jin – A Good Or Bad Sister?

Mu Jin is another controversial character in The Twin Flower Legend. Some people argue that she should have reached out to her sister more rather than indulging in her own happy life. But I tend to disagree with this argument simply because no one can be a mind reader. Jin Xiu asked Mu Jin to leave the place after she got raped but she never told her sister the reason. Yes, maybe Mu Jin could have probed deeper and paid more attention to her. But they are both adults and Jin Xiu should know better that her sister wouldn’t neglect her if she had just told the truth.

To me, if Jin Xiu needed help, the onus is on her to find a good opportunity to tell her sister her problem. If she had found it hard to talk about her ordeal, it is also unfair to blame Mu Jin for not having a clue. At most, Mu Jin can only be faulted for being imperceptive to me.

Faking Her Death

Now, when it comes to Mu Jin faking her own death, then it becomes a little more controversial to me. It is common sense that Jin Xiu would feel aggrieved once she finds out that Mu Jin has died. So, it is cruel to Jin Xiu to keep her in the dark. However, nobody would have predicted that she would be so impulsive as to hurt Fei Bai which resulted in her being sent to the temple as punishment. Fei Bai was equally guilty for keeping quiet.

However, if we look at it from another angle, it can also be argued that Mu Jin and Fei Bai needed to keep her existence a secret. Duke Yuan wanted Mu Jin dead. If he were to discover Jin Xiu is in the know, her life could also be in danger as Mu Jin is her sister. Thus, I guess it makes sense why the secret is a necessity at that stage.

Not A Simple Good Or Bad

Overall, I don’t think of Mu Jin as a bad or selfish sister. She left Fei Bai once because of Jin Xiu. By the time, Mu Jin got back together with Fei Bai, Jin Xiu had long married Duke Yuan. In actual fact, I think of Mu Jin as someone who is at a loss of what to do with her sister. She can’t indulge Jin Xiu who obviously was going down the wrong path. But neither can she sit back and do nothing as Jin Xiu was trying to pull down Fei Bai. Basically, the whole story is a mess as these characters have been boxed into a common predicament of damn if you do and damn if you don’t.

The drama tries to project Mu Jin as someone pure-hearted with a brain. While she is righteous, she also had her own personal agenda at times. This is especially true when it comes to Fei Bai. For instance, she asked Duan Yue Rong and Duke Zhang Zhi Yan to engage in a battle just to save the love of her life at one time. The consolation is she was upfront about it. But Mu Jin is certainly not a totally selfless heroine in The Twin Flower Legend either.

Duan Yue Rong Is The Most Sincere

If I have to choose, I would pick Yue Rong as my favorite character. Jin Xiue has a streak of evilness in her which wouldn’t fit a typical heroine. Mu Jin tries too hard to appear pure. Fei Bai played a role in misleading the twin sisters. He never bothered to even give a hint that he has a twin. They found it out themselves.

But Yue Rong is different. He has always been sincere towards Mu Jin. He has never tried to act like he is a good guy. In fact, he is pretty sneaky especially when it comes to keeping Fei Bai away from Mu Jin. But what you see is what you get best describes Yue Rong’s character to me. Yes, he can be annoying. He stuck to Mu Jin like a leech and doesn’t seem to understand that no means no.

However, Yue Rong’s loyalty is also hard to match. He just wants the best for Mu Jin. In the end, he even wrote Fei Bai a letter to vouch for Mu Jin’s innocence when he knew that they were getting married. So, to me, I like Yue Rong best despite his annoying persistence towards Mu Jin. I can stomach that in return for his straightforward character. There are no mind games and secrets in his affections towards Mu Jin.

I know different people will have a different perspective on the various characters in The Twin Flower Legend. So, which one would be your favorite?

#random facts

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aylinaliens · 3 years

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okay so i know that make a wish is marketed as a silly little fluffy romcom but it actually has a lot of depth. both of the leads do an excellent job at nailing their comedic scenes but they nail the emotional ones even better. for example, i don’t think i have ever watched a scene in dramaland where a character gets hurt (legitimately hurt, not just a tiny little scratch or bump ksjdjsjd) and is allowed to actually react as an actual human beings would (or well in Xiao Xiu‘s case…how cats would react). most of the time, dramas will use this trope as a way for two characters to get close or to show vulnerability. this drama does it too but rather than adding in twelve different camera angles, the slow-mo effect, romantic music, and super bright lights, make a wish is a lot more realistic which is surprising because the premise is anything but realistic. i just cannot get the way Chi Yan held Xiao Xiu the whole time. i cannot get over the tender touches and soft voice. i cannot get over how natural it was for these two to lean on each other. it honestly baffles me that this silly little drama has top notch acting, complex characters, casual intimacy, and realistic relationships. i’m sorry but where is that same energy from high budget productions with seasoned actors?

#make a wish cdrama #gia ge #ren you lun #please please please give this drama a try i’m begging you #it’s easily going to be a 10/10 for me. it has a lot of flaws but the characters and relationships are impeccable. i’m sorry but this scene #right here was PEAK romance and no one can tell me otherwise #for context: Xiao Xiu saves Chi Yan and gets hurt. She’s allergic to anesthesia so she had to stay awake the whole entire time they #stitched up and operated on her leg. so Chi Yan has to literally hold her to his body with all his might just to keep her still #kay watches cdramas

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thekingsavatar-fan · 4 years

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And finally I got my own copy of ALL KNOWS1 (it’s used but it was pain to find, so I’m good)

#quan zhi gao shou #the king's avatar #qzgs #merchandise #Character Design #art by Yan Ling #art by Botija #character guide #Ye Xiu #photos by op #Taobao

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hunxi-after-hours · 2 years

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hunxi’s danmei awards, 牛年/2021 edition

(should’ve made this at the end of last year or something but I was only recently possessed by the demonic urge to make something silly like this so we’re doing this now)

I recently realized that I’ve now consumed roundabout 10 danmei novels in either novel, donghua, and/or audiodrama form during this past year of the ox, so I wanted to commemorate this milestone with some longform shitposting. thus — awards night!

Here are some of the categories:

Best Worldbuilding

Best Relationship Development

Most Iconic Use of Punctuation

Most Iconic Takedown (verbal)

Most Iconic Takedown (physical)

Best Unreliable Narrator

Best Performance by Voice Actors in an Audiodrama

...and more!

yeah okay, so I got a bit carried away

And here are the candidates in the running:

《天官赐福》 Tian Guan Ci Fu by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

《千秋》 Qian Qiu by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi

《七爷》 Qi Ye by priest

《天涯客》 Tian Ya Ke by priest

《人渣反派自救系统》 Ren Zha Fan Pai Zi Jiu Xi Tong by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

《双杀》 Shuang Sha by 娜可露露 Na Ke Lu Lu

《烈火浇愁》 Lie Huo Jiao Chou by priest

《黄金台》 Huang Jin Tai by 苍梧宾白 Cang Wu Bin Bai

《判官》 Pan Guan by 木苏里 Mu Su Li

《哏儿》 Gen’er by 南北逐风 Nan Bei Zhu Feng

of course, obligatory disclaimer that these are nothing more than my opinions, these designations mean nothing, and I really abandoned all brain cells at the door in the writing of this post

Best Worldbuilding

Winner: 《判官》 Pan Guan by 木苏里 Mu Su Li

Everyone has something that they can’t let go of, and in the world of 《判官》 Pan Guan, sometimes those unresolved regrets, unfulfilled wishes become 笼 / “cages”—subconscious traps where a soul can wander forever, caught in the vortex of their own grief and rage. The 判官, then, are those dedicated to unlocking these cages and releasing the souls imprisoned inside. Travelling into these subconscious dreamscapes, the 判官 must unravel mysteries and uncover the truths, bearing witness to the grief, rage, regret, and love that define human lives.

This novel has, hands down, one of the coolest premises I’ve ever read, and Mu Su Li utilizes it to explore the emotional struggles of frustration and denial as well as the catharsis of learning to let things go. Each cage is an intricate puzzle box of clues left by the cage host’s subconscious, such that the novel reads like a blend of detective case fiction and horror (these dreamscapes can get pretty gnarly). Lest you think this book is all dark and gloomy hours, however, 《判官》 Pan Guan ALSO features the best use of WeChat in a novel I’ve ever seen (that’s RIGHT, this is MODERN FANTASY, never forget Wen Shi vs. the roomba). The entire Zhang family chat... iconic.

Best Characterization

Winner: 《千秋》 Qian Qiu by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi

Anyone who’s been on my blog for the past year has probably seen me losing my mind over Meng Xishi’s 《千秋》 Qian Qiu, and for good reason—here is enemies to lovers like you’ve never seen it done. Over the course of 128(+) chapters, 《千秋》 Qian Qiu slowly, carefully, painstakingly develops the relationship between Shen Qiao (compassionate, sheltered, forgiving, kind) and Yan Wushi (brutal, mercurial, arrogant, cynical) as their paths continually intertwine amidst rising turmoil in the jianghu. Meng Xishi sets up two characters fundamentally opposed to each other in belief and refuses to pull any punches or take any shortcuts as these two negotiate jianghu politics, shadowy conspiracies, and their own character arcs to eventually come to stand by each other’s sides. These two literally don’t get together until the fanwai, which is how hard Meng Xishi makes them work for it.

What I particularly appreciated about the characterization in 《千秋》 Qian Qiu was that this novel isn’t about how true love can redeem even the worst of villains, or that naive idealism will forever be doomed to a tragic end. Shen Qiao is often forced to concede that Yan Wushi has a point, just as Yan Wushi is often faced with the error of his assumptions. Neither of them is wholly right, just as neither of them is wholly wrong, and the development of their dynamic/relationship is the constant negotiation of how they balance their unswerving personal beliefs with everything the world throws at them—including each other.

Best Relationship Development

Winner: 《双杀》 Shuang Sha by 娜可露露 Na Ke Lu Lu

Look, I wasn’t planning on getting into an audiodrama about competitive video gaming either, and yet 《双杀》 Shuang Sha came out of nowhere and double-killed me with its deft, nuanced development of its main characters and their relationship. The narrative follows 19-year-old Feng Can—talented, feisty, and headstrong—in his first year with the pro gaming team SP. As Feng Can struggles to adjust to a starkly different playing style and his new teammates, he continually butts heads with the team captain, Cheng Sunian. Where Feng Can is impulsive and hot-headed, Cheng Sunian is steady and serious, and at the age of twenty-six, Cheng Sunian is all too aware that he is nearing the end of his gaming career. As the competition heats up and the world championships draw closer, the two of them must learn to navigate both the game and their feelings for each other if they want to win.

While I could write loads about Feng Can’s character development as he grows and matures as a person (he is, after all, nineteen, a fact both that Na Ke Lu Lu and Cheng Sunian pay careful attention to), my heart really belongs to Cheng Sunian, an ace icon for the ages. Just as Feng Can learns what it means to take responsibility for his own actions, Cheng Sunian also comes learn that he doesn’t have to be an island alone, that he doesn’t always have to be independent and self-sufficient. Throughout the narrative, the two of them clash and argue, hurt each other and forgive each other; together, they stumble, and together, they eventually stand.

Really, my heart is at all times overflowing with my love for extremely competent, coolly sensible, deadpan snarker Cheng Sunian, so perhaps I’ll just leave it with this iconic exchange:

封灿：但我真的喜欢你，我想把坏毛病改掉，变得好点再去找你。我这么想没错吧？

Feng Can: But I truly like you—I want to change my bad habits, to come find you again when I’ve become better. Am I wrong to think that?

程肃年：所以这就是你一直不来找我的原因？你想 ‘变好了’再来？但如果短期内变不好了呢？你打算让我等几年？

Cheng Sunian: So this is the reason why you never came to talk to me? You wanted to “become better” and then come back? Then what if you couldn’t change so quickly? How long were you going to make me wait?

封灿：我会努力的，你应该喜欢那种懂分寸，情商高的成熟男人，对吧？

Feng Can: I’ll work hard—you must like men who understand propriety and restraint, who are mature and emotionally intelligent, right?

程肃年：那我为什么不直接去找这种类型的人谈恋爱？或者干脆照镜子，自己和自己谈算了？

Cheng Sunian: Then why don’t I just find those people and date them? Or just find a mirror and date myself?

封灿：啊？

Feng Can: Ah?

程肃年：行了，你也别瞎想了。算我什么都没说。真是恋爱降智。

Cheng Sunian: All right, don’t agonize over it further. Pretend I didn’t say anything. Truly, love makes people stupid.

封灿：我想的不对吗？那你究竟是什么意思？想让我怎么做，你直接说不行吗？非得给我绕弯子，我猜不出你的想法，你到底想—

Feng Can: Were my conclusions not right? What do you mean? Can’t you just directly tell me what you want me to do? You always beat around the bush, I can’t guess what you’re thinking, what exactly are you—

程肃年：我想让你闭嘴。

Cheng Sunian: I want you to shut up.

[he kisses Feng Can]

GET ‘EM, 队长—

Most Extravagant Act of Devotion

Winner: 《黄金台》 Huang Jin Tai by 苍梧宾白 Cang Wu Bin Bai

Danmei is full of characters doing outrageous things for love, from carving giant stone statues that can double as mechas in boss battles to waiting 13/800/3000 etc years for one’s loved one to come back from the war/death/vagaries of worldbuilding, but somehow one (1) general from an ambiguously historical, non-fantastic danmei managed to beat out all of them for me:

Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan are Cruelly Separated From Each Other for plot reasons, miles of battle lines and enemy-occupied territory filling the vast distance between them, but let it not be said that a certain general lacked for batshit insane ideas as well as the willingness to follow through on them. Taking inspiration from literature, bullying his subordinates, and yearning desperately for his husband, Fu Shen shoots down several dozen swan-geese, nurses them back to health (or rather, gets his long-suffering field medic to do so for him), and ties letters to their legs with the vague hope that one might make its way southwards to Yan Xiaohan. And when Yan Xiaohan somehow, miraculously, does find one, there are only four words on it, ink-smeared and barely legible: 吾妻安好？

Seriously, Fu Shen, you couldn’t even have been bothered to sign it with your name???

Best Interrogation of Themes (aka the “Rent-Free Award”)

Winner: 《七爷》 Qi Ye by priest

It is nigh-impossible to declare that any one of these titles has “better” “thematic” “content” than any of the others, especially because I can and will go off about characters, characterization, and character dynamics for days, but the novel whose philosophical ramifications have haunted me the longest is definitely 《七爷》 Qi Ye by priest. Part reincarnation novel, part time-travel do-over, part political intrigue, part interrogation of destiny and what it means to defy it, 《七爷》 Qi Ye packs a lot of thorny themes and complicated relationships into a deceptively short novel.

I’ve gone off about 《七爷》 Qi Ye‘s thematic complexity in other posts so I’m not going to rehash them now, but really—the questions this book deals with about power and morality, about legacy and responsibility, and the lengths a person would go to in order to see something done are still living, as they say, rent-free in my head.

Best Banter

Winner: Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu in 《天涯客》 Tian Ya Ke by priest

These two I stg. Moving on—

Honorable Mention: 《哏儿》 Gen’er, because… because. I mean, it’s 相声 xiangsheng, banter is like, the literal essence of xiangsheng

Most Iconic Use of Punctuation

Winner: 《天官赐福》 Tian Guan Ci Fu by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Really, nothing is ever going to top this scene in book 5:

慕情[...]沉默片刻，道：“殿下，你真的很喜欢他吗？”

“[…]after a moment of silence, Mu Qing said: ‘Dianxia, do you really like him?’

谢怜没料到他会突然这么问，道：“啊。啊？... ...啊。”

Xie Lian would never have guessed that he would suddenly ask this question. “Ah,” he said. “Ah? ... ...ah.”

Honorable Mention: 《千秋》 Qian Qiu, for the sheer number of “沈峤: ...” / “Shen Qiao: ...” in this novel but particular shout-out to the one in That Scene. You know the one. LSP NI SHEI A—

Most Iconic Line

Winner: 《天涯客》 Tian Ya Ke by priest

I believe so strongly in the superiority of the 凉雨知秋 line that I translated and subtitled the audiodrama season 1 trailer for the sole purpose of yelling about the choral rendition of it:

凉雨知秋，青梧老死。一宿苦寒欺薄衾，几番世道蹉跎...也不过一声“相见恨晚。”

When cold rain falls, autumn makes itself known; the wutong tree ages and dies. Thin robes offer no protection from a night of bitter winter, years and lives wasting, whiling away… nothing more than this: resentment, that we met so late.

Chills, every time.

Honorable Mention: 《千秋》 Qian Qiu, for the truly lovely line 苍生有难，山河同悲。草木有灵，天地不朽。 / “When the living things suffer, the mountains and rivers also sorrow. Grass and tree possess spirit; heaven and earth remain uncorrupted.“

Most Iconic Takedown (verbal)

Winner: Shen Qiao in 《千秋》 Qian Qiu by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi

I’ve literally made a top five list of Shen Qiao’s best takedowns before, but I have magnanimously decided against letting him sweep these awards. That being said, Shen Qiao’s very public, very messy martial brother break-up in a crowded teashop where he verbally drags Yu Ai before the entire jianghu remains one of my favorite scenes of all time, to the point where I literally added 23 extra pages to the SHJX survival guide for the sole purpose of translating this iconic scene. Get ‘em, a-Qiao, I’ll hold your flower.

Honorable Mentions: Wen Shi in 《判官》 Pan Guan, for the line “意外在哪？做事全靠躲的懦夫，也就只能当当影子。” / “What’s unexpected about this? A coward who relies on hiding to do anything could only be a shadow.” Rest in absolute fucking pieces a-Jun

Xie Shuangchen and Ye Ling 《哏儿》 Gen'er — given that this is a novel about 相声 xiangsheng / “cross-talk,” a form of traditional Chinese comedy that functions on wit, wordplay, and mutual roasting, not an episode of the audiodrama goes by without some truly sick burns

Most Iconic Takedown (physical)

Winner: Xie Lian from 《天官赐福》 Tian Guan Ci Fu by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

I honestly could not tell you if I am giving TGCF this award for the giant mecha fight that takes up a solid amount of book five or for the vindictive rush of satisfaction from seeing Xie Lian, powers finally unlocked, pummeling Jun Wu into the ground, but it wins, Xie Lian wins, TGCF absolutely wins this award.

Honorable Mentions: 《判官》 Pan Guan, for battle couple chenshi destroying a certain useless ancestor and looking fabulous while doing so (shout-out to Wen Shi’s many, many three point landings)

《千秋》 Qian Qiu, for the September Ninth ambush 😉

Best Babie

Winner: Xia Qiao from 《判官》 Pan Guan by 木苏里 Mu Su Li

We all know this secondary character—the sweet, summer child who gets accidentally or forcibly adopted by the main characters, often a force of Pure Goodness to be Protected At All Costs, even if they can take care of themselves. (Especially if they can take care of themselves.)

Xia Qiao from 《判官》 Pan Guan beat out some fierce competition for the title of Best Babie, but I could give this award to no other because he really is one of the most hapless characters I’ve ever met in fiction. What a precious child. What a darling disaster. We award this title to him in honor of the many times he dutifully followed his Wen-ge into various horror movie situations despite the fact that he is the biggest scaredy-cat in the entire book.

Honorable Mention: Zhang Chengling in 《天涯客》 Tian Ya Ke, because he too is a hapless sweet summer child who would lose a fight against a chicken

Best Beleaguered Side Character Award

Winner: Xiao Zheng from 《烈火浇愁》 Lie Huo Jiao Chou by Priest

We all know this character, too—equally as hapless as the babie, but for reasons of the plot conspiring against them rather than relative inexperience or personality. This character is in all likelihood actually quite competent, but because they lack the Protagonist Halo (TM), they are often relegated to picking up after the maelstrom of the main characters—cleaning up their messes, filing their paperwork, providing crucial information for the next plot arc, etc etc. In any other book, they might even be the protagonist. Unfortunately, they live in this one.

I’m giving this award to Xiao Zheng for his hair travails alone. (blows kiss) this one’s for you, Xiao-baba

Honorable Mention: the Zhang siblings from 《判官》 Pan Guan because they really set records for accidental cringe when they unintentionally Zhangsplained to the literal founders of their magical practice

Most Competent Side Character Award

Winner: Bian Yanmei from 《千秋》 Qian Qiu by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi

Did I make up this award solely to give it to Bian Yanmei, one of my favorite characters in existence? Yes, yes I did. I would trust the man with a budget and a spreadsheet, which is quite possibly the highest praise I could give a fictional character.

An incomplete list of Bian Yanmei’s accomplishments:

ran a sect for ten years while his shizun fucked off into seclusion

continued running it after his shizun returned, because Yan Wushi was up to a lot of things but uhhh taking care of budgets and logistics were not part of them

functionally raised and trained his younger shidi

became a mover and shaker in Chang’an politics

befriended all the noble families to the point where their children call him “Uncle Bian”

deduced his way through his shizun’s bullshit in record time when he first met Shen Qiao

helped organize a political coup

was adapted out of the donghua for being the only brain cell in the jianghu

Best Antagonist

Winner: Dan Li from 《烈火浇愁》 Lie Huo Jiao Chou

Dan Li is, easily, one of the coolest characters I’ve seen in a novel. Ruthless, calculating, cryptic, opaque, he is both teacher and opponent, strategist and enemy, murderer and protector, demonic and divine. He taught Sheng Lingyuan everything he knew, which, if you’ve met Sheng Lingyuan...well.

Though Dan Li has been dead for literal millennia by the beginning of the book, his actions, legacy, and stratagems linger throughout the narrative, playing out a centuries-spanning game of strike and counterstrike, move and countermove long after his death. The fact that no one has seen him without his mask is just icing on his cake of general mystery.

Best Unreliable Narrator

Winner: Shen Qingqiu from 《人渣反派自救系统》 Ren Zha Fan Pai Zi Jiu Xi Tong by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Could it have been anyone else? Was there any doubt in your mind that this award could go to any other character? Yeah, I thought so; no other character comes remotely close to the level of Shen “I hate this novel with every fiber of my being” Qingqiu, Shen “I’m not being nice, I’m acting in my own self-interest” Qingqiu, Shen “isn’t everyone a little gay for Luo Binghe” Qingqiu.

Honorable Mention: Xie Lian in 《天官赐福》 Tian Guan Ci Fu for neglecting to mention that Qi Rong was his cousin for fifty-some chapters which will never not be funny to me

Best Clown

Winner: Shen Qingqiu from 《人渣反派自救系统》 Ren Zha Fan Pai Zi Jiu Xi Tong by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Gaze deeply into your soul and ask yourself if it could have been anyone else. If your soul tells you otherwise, I don’t want to hear it. I will not be taking criticism at this time.

Honorable Mentions: Yu Shengyan from 《千秋》 Qian Qiu for... too many moments to count. Looking at an amnesiac Shen Qiao and going "it’s free shidi” and thereby accidentally tricking himself into feeling responsible for Shen Qiao. Showing up eighty chapters late to a sword conference still calling Shen Qiao “shidi” after the man has beaten up half the jianghu. Losing a bet with a housekeeper despite having inside information. RIP Yu Shengyan, if Shen Qingqiu weren’t a god-tier clown, this title would have been yours

Xie Shuangchen in 《哏儿》 Gen'er — have you ever faked amnesia after a head injury to try and get your beloved xiangsheng partner to admit that he likes you, only to have said beloved xiangsheng partner see through your bullshit and con you right back, which you fall for and end up chasing him through the hospital begging him to come back to you? You could make a drinking game out of the number of times Xie Shuangchen wails “叶老师，我错了—” / “Ye-laoshi, I was wrong—” in this audiodrama

Best Personal Weapon

Winner: E’Ming from 《天官赐福》 Tian Guan Ci Fu by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

I will hear Absolutely Nothing against this precious cursed scimitar who just wants cuddles. Nothing. E’Ming is the best and deserves All the Cuddles, All the Time. Jail for Hua Cheng for a thousand years.

Honorable Mention: the 山河同悲剑 Shanhetongbei sword from 《千秋》 Qian Qiu, for having a stupidly beautiful name. See also: Most Iconic Line, Honorable Mention

Dishonorable Mention: 《烈火浇愁》 Lie Huo Jiao Chou is disqualified from this award for Reasons. It knows what it did.

Best Moment That Wrecked Me (aka the Knifiest Award)

Winner: chapter 121 from 《烈火浇愁》 Lie Huo Jiao Chou by Priest

Over the course of these books, I’ve seen desperate yearning. I’ve seen centuries of pining. I’ve seen betrayals and destructions, disappointment and despair, resurrections and redemptions. But only one novel has had the absolute goddamn gall to drive half of its central pairing to his knees, begging, in tears, promising to let the other go if that’s what he wants, just give him a goddamn second—

盛灵渊后知后觉地想：“我伤了他的心么?”

Sheng Lingyuan thought, belatedly, “Have I broken his heart?”

Bixia, we get it, you’re the most metal of them all, but was that strictly necessary.

Honorable Mentions: chapter 106 of 《判官》 Pan Guan. It knows what it did.

chapter 79 of 《千秋》 Qian Qiu. It knows exactly what it did.

Best Performance by Voice Actors in an Audiodrama

Winner: 《哏儿》 Gen’er by 南北逐风 Nan Bei Zhu Feng

This audiodrama. This audiodrama. I realized halfway through writing this overlong shitpost that I actually haven’t consumed 《哏儿》 Gen’er in its entirety, but I felt the need to yell about how insanely good this audiodrama is. 《哏儿》 Gen’er follows two lovers and performers of 相声 xiangsheng / “cross talk,” a traditional Chinese form of comedy that blends improvisation and classic scripts, as they work to establish their own xiangsheng studio and carry on the legacy of Xie Shuangchen’s shifu and adoptive father.

What makes the voice actor performances in this audiodrama absolutely bonkers is that xiangsheng is an art that performers train for years, entire lifetimes, not unlike Beijing opera performers or professional stage actors. While voice actors are very good at what they do, this is a whole other level. I’m not saying that Zhao Qianjing and Xie Tiantian are good enough to be xiangsheng performers, but like, 他们还真有一点那味儿你知道么，太神了. The technical brilliance demanded by these roles, including but not limited to talking a mile a minute, is utterly insane, and I can’t wait for the three whole 完结FT’s (post-production interviews) this audiodrama promises.

Best Post-Production in an Audiodrama

Winners: 《千秋》 Qian Qiu by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi (post-production by 声罗万象 Shengluo Wanxiang Studio)

and

《双杀》 Shuang Sha by 娜可露露 Na Ke Lu Lu (post-production by 祝余 Zhu Yu)

I think it is a demonstration of my restraint that I haven’t been giving out ties left and right throughout this entire overlong shitpost, but for this award I really have no other choice. Post-production sound editing is tremendously important in audiodramas, not the least for general atmosphere, but also for narrative clarity. As a result, the audiodramas for 《千秋》 Qian Qiu and 《双杀》 Shuang Sha stand out for their brilliant execution.

As a wuxia novel, the action and narrative of 《千秋》 Qian Qiu are often advanced by fight scenes, which Meng Xishi describes in loving, lavish detail throughout the novel. The miracle of the audiodrama, then, is that these fight scenes remain fundamentally intelligible despite the fact that we can’t see them. With a deft combination of voice acting, sound effects, Foley, voice-over, soundtrack music, and bystander commentary, the listener can follow the progress and turning points of individual fight scenes without much difficulty at all, which is super heckin badass when you think about it.

Similarly, 《双杀》 Shuang Sha features multiple video game competitions that occupy a similar narrative function to fight scenes in a wuxia novel—they are intense, fast-paced, and filled with complex technical components that illustrate and advance character development. 音熊联盟 VoiceBear Alliance, the voice actor studio that produced this audiodrama, pulled from its wider cast roster to record unique lines for every single playable video game character that came up in the novel at varying degrees of health. Correspondingly, during matches, the canned voice-overs of player characters telegraph the progress of the competitions that audiodrama listeners cannot visually witness. And an additional shout-out to voice actors 刘强 Liu Qiang and 龟娘 Gui Niang is in order for absolutely killing it as the commentators. Commentating is a particular skill (in the post-production interview, they mentioned that multiple voice actors had to beg off Liu Qiang’s role), and these two were critical to appreciating, comprehending, and following the action of these scenes.

Voice Actor with the Most Insane Range

Winner: 吴磊 Wu Lei of Listen领声 Studio for his roles in the 《千秋》 Qian Qiu audiodrama, the 《穿越自救指南》 (the SVSSS donghua), and the 《判官》 Pan Guan audiodrama

All right, we all know I have a voice actor problem, but really, listen to Wu “maomao-laoshi” Lei in a few productions and you’ll understand why. A single person who can voice characters as disparate as Yan Wushi (which includes, by definition, Xie Ling and a-Yan as well), Shen Qingqiu, and Chen Budao/Xie Wen deserves to be feared and adored.

And never! Forget! the Da! Ah! Jian!

Honorable Mentions: 姜广涛 Jiang Guangtao (aka 姜sir), for the sheer range of bumbling fool 伊依 Yi Yi in the 《诗云》 Shi Yun audiodrama to murderous warrior emperor 盛灵渊 Sheng Lingyuan in the 《烈火浇愁》 Lie Hou Jiao Chou donghua

赵乾景 Zhao Qianjing, for playing both brusque tsundere Wen Shi in the 《判官》 Pan Guan audiodrama and mischievous motormouth Xie Shuangchen in the 《哏儿》 Gen’er audiodrama

Okay that is QUITE enough nonsense from me tonight, if you’ve made it to the bottom of this post I heartily congratulate you. No one is allowed to send me corrections because I’ve decided that I am right, but everyone should feel free to let me know if there are any award categories I’ve overlooked in this—oh god—4k+ post

Here’s to a 2022 filled with more reading and discoveries, more disaster gays and fictional stabbery! 咱们再接再厉！

#ARE YOU READY FOR THESE TAGS #ok ok ok let's go #hunxi reads TGCF #千秋 backlog #hunxi thinks about qq #seventh time lucky #zhou zishu comedy hours #hunxi thinks about svsss #voice(bear) appreciation hours #spine chickens and war crimes #if I were really clever I would schedule this post to coincide with 春节 #but I have always been yours in calendrical heresy #if I do this next year I promise I'll divvy this up into multiple posts oh my god

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