#okay but if it has spoilers then no bc i've only seen to episode 10

[veilchenjaeger]

Okay. After over a goddamn year, I have finally finished Couple of Mirrors. Consider me wrecked.

I don't even know where to start with this show? It's everything I've ever wanted, save for the censorship issue. (But I think I can read the manhua to soothe that particular ache.) It's so damn good. I watched this with month-long breaks between episodes, so I don't remember everything, but I still want to try to write up my initial thoughts bc it's fun to reread that kind of thing after a rewatch or some time of brainrot.

First, without getting into spoilers: I adore this show. The plot is incredible - dense without being overwhelming, unpredictable without nonsensical plot twists. Nearly every episode had me on the edge of my metaphorical seat. At the same time, the characters were given time to shine and develop. Especially Xu Youyi is just one of the characters of all time, I'm obsessed with her, but I definitely got attached to side characters as well. (Which is dangerous, considering the body count this show has.) I really appreciate the pacing, the little moments of downtime between the imo impeccably paced rush of revelations and developments. There are some things that could be seen as... soap opera-esque, in a way? Just because of the amount of family drama, but I think it all worked really well bc the show immediately tells you what kind of show it is and what the stakes are. None of the drama is out of place, is what I'm saying. There's a lot of murder.

There are complaints about Xu Youyi and Yan Wei not having a lot of screentime together, and while this is in some way true, I... didn't mind? They're both set up well enough as individual characters for their interactions to be meaninful, and it was more than enough for me to get invested in them. (Not to mention that there's a whole episode of domestic Yiwei in the end.) But mostly, and I think I've said this before somewhere, I came for the lesbians and stayed for the plot. Xu Youyi's story is about so many things, and it's important that each of these things was given the space it deserves. This is a murder mystery/thriller first and a romance second, and I honestly prefer it that way. The pacing felt right, and the central relationship still came across well.

Final non-spoilery verdict: PLEASE watch this show if you haven't seen it yet. It's so, so, so good. You can watch the whole thing on Youtube for free, and the subtitles are actually decent.

Spoilers under the cut.

There are approximately fifty separate things I'm obsessed with, but I'll only name a few.

First of all, the whole Thing between Zhou Heng and Xu Youyi, and especially Zhou Heng's character. Holy shit, this is well done. Zhou Heng is never portrayed as the good guy, but the sheer extent of his unhingedness is revealed so gradually that you're pretty much bound to underestimate him. He starts out as a bad husband who cheats on Xu Youyi, but for what it's worth, it seems like he does love her and wants to try to be better for the first episodes. He defends her from his family, he supports her, and while Xu Youyi is right not to let him get away with that after he broke her heart like that, he's sympathetic. He's not a cartoon villain or a cardboard cutout of an evil abusive husband. And he still isn't that when it's revealed that he fucking tried to kill her. That caught me off guard so hard! I didn't expect that at all, and then it just fucking kept going. It's in episode 10, during the dinner he has with Xu Youyi, that I realised that he's not only an utter dickhead, he's batshit insane. And it's the very fact that he was built up as a sympathetic character that makes this reveal as creepy as it is. Gods, what an asshole! Gives me chills of the worst kind! A superbly done antagonist.

(The same is true for Zhang Wan, too. She's a lot more obviously mean, but the extent of that isn't revealed all at once, and the relationship she had with Xu Youyi before is still meaningful. Zhou Heng's father, too - he acts according to his motivations, and whether he's with Xu Youyi or against her depends on the way she fits into his plans. Just, good antagonists all around.)

Second of all, I adore the characters so, so much?! Xu Youyi's development, her sunny personality, her heartbreak, and the way she gets more and more tired of being nice, are so [chef's kiss]. Detective Jiang was right, actually - she is someone who'd happily live with a murderer. She's so genuinely kind, she doesn't mean harm, but after everything she's been put through, she's ruthless deep down. I love how cold and collected she is when she demands the divorce, when she signs the papers, when she's in court, and especially when she finds out that Yan Wei is indeed the murderer of Zhang Wan and doesn't even hesitate to lie to the police to help her. Xu Youyi has had it and she will not be taking any prisoners.

It took me a little longer to get fully attached to Yan Wei, simply because she's not the main character, but the last episode really sealed the deal for me. She's grown so much because of Xu Youyi! She's started to live a life that isn't ruled by her past, she's capable of joking with Xu Youyi and she's a good mother and she's happy, which she didn't know how to be before! She even gets along with other people; she's on good terms with Mr Wang and has a bit of a teasing relationship going on with Detective Jiang. (Big fan of that, btw. I think they should be bros.) And yet, she's also presumably doing some very shady stuff to get money, and we haven't seen her find actual closure yet. I get why the last few minutes aren't the most popular ones - they're a bit of a shock, for one, and the pacing of the show fails here, although I assume that's all a set up for the next season - but they make sense. Again, Detective Jiang is right! Xu Youyi doesn't know anything about Yan Wei's past, and it's a past that's pretty important for who Yan Wei is! That's the one thing I was worried about throughout the show: that Yan Wei's past would just stay unaddressed, and that Xu Youyi wouldn't find out. So, yeah, I do like that they made that into a (future?) plot point. It's such a strong beat for Yan Wei's arc, I really hope we do get that second season and get to find out what she's been doing behind Xu Youyi's back and what those flowers mean. Yan Wei deserves some more development!

(That being said, I still think that season finale cliffhangers are bad writing and shouldn't be done, especially with the state of queer entertainment in China being what it currently is. Looking at you, Scum Villain season 2.)

And last but not least, I'll be listening to the opening song on repeat for the next lifetime, thanks.

#[talk less smile more] #couple of mirrors #/I LOVE THIS SHOW #/oh also zhang nan hot

[june-again]

BESTIE DID YOU SEE THE NEW OFFICIAL GOJO ART?? MJEJFMDMSND

i am on my knees do show 🤲🤲

#elk's asks #jennie 🌷 #im out here picturing what it could be #okay but if it has spoilers then no bc i've only seen to episode 10 #ahdlfhksdhlkf

[innerartisanfan]

I’ve been tagged by @roombagreyjoy (forever ago) thank u😊

Rules: Pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions. Don’t cheat. Tag 10 (or however many) people.

Tagging: @trustmeimageographer, @faller1344, @topblurryface119, @flowrhippieprincess, @mm-better-not, @localvampirecryptid, @breadforhowl, @stupidest-username, @hollowxo

[[MORE]]

The shows I picked:

1. Sense8

2. POSE

3. Dear White People

4. Star Wars The Clone Wars

5. Avatar The Last Airbender

Who is your favorite character in 2?

Blanca Evangelista (on the right)

But to tell y'all the truth I would die for all four of them. And Pray Tell. And I'd be an Idiot not to stan Elektra.

Who is your least favorite character in 1?

Whispers. Absolute Motherfucker.

And Wolfgangs Dad.

What is your favorite episode of 4?

Y-you you want to make me choose???!!! Ok srsly I can't. There's too many!!! Anything with Ashoka in it. Or Padmé. Or the clones...

Maybe the one in Season 7 where *spoiler alert* Ashoka comes back to the squad and all the clones paint their helmets to fit her face tattoos bc that's thel last one I've seen so far and it had me fucking bawling.

What is your favorite season of 5?

Probably the 3rd one... bc that finale was too damn epic and I'm a sucker for happy endings and the squad being complete and it's just *chef's kiss*

They're all literally perfect but the third is the most satisfying to rewatch if I had to choose one I think.

Who is your favorite couple in 3?

Sam/Gabe!!! Particularly in the later seasons they're just,, couple goals who support each other.

Who is your favorite couple in 2?

Angel x Lil Papi 🥺 they're...

Just incredible!!!

What is your favorite episode of 1?

The last one cause

a) it's twice as long as the rest

b) the producers wrapped up all the loose plot points from being cut short aw hole fucking 3 seasons (for the sake of giving 13RW another season which I will be forever salty about fuck 13rw) so we could have a satisfying ending

c) HAPPY ENDING!!!

d) *spoiler* the good guys blow up the bad guys with a rocket launcher when they try to escape via helicopter

e) *more spoiler* LESBIAN WEDDING ON THE EIFEL TOWER AND ALL WAS WELL

What is your favorite episode of 5?

The Boiling Rock

What is your favorite season of 2?

2. S1 was epic too but they managed to put one on top of it.

How long have you watched 1?

Practically binged it in one go...

How did you become interested in 3?

The main character was used as a face cast for Hermione (and they were right so right)

Then Netflix promoted it a lil and there I went

Who is your favorite actor in 4?

Animated Ewan McGregor...

Nah, Jokes aside, the guy that voices literally all the clones - what a madman (the german one. it's the show of my childhood, so it's the only thing I don't watch in original when possible)

Which do you prefer, 1, 2, or 5?

Sense8, Pose or Atla??? Literally all of these own my ass...

I'm gonna go with sense8 but it's a close case

Which show have you seen more episodes of, 1 or 3?

3 has more Episodes than 1 so...

If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

As a kid I always wanted to be Ashoka... now I think I'd rhather be some unknown extra living her best life somewhere where the war isn't...

But still like, force sensitive (it's just that the Jedi and Sith leave me alone)

Would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

Spaceship lands in the Atla world and the Gaang goes on a Space adventure?? Sign me the fuck up.

There's some worldbuilding shit to be figured out but I really just want to imagine Sokka losing his goddamn mind over spaceships.

Would probably suck for Toph tho...

Also I need a scene where Padmé and Zuko talk Political Theory and War and Peace Ethics

Pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple?

Wolfgang and Dani. Badass Abuse survivors playing by their own rules...

Overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

ATLA, no question.

Which has better theme music, 2 or 4?

Sorry Pray Tell...

#SoundCloud #look what's been in my drafts since it's been fucking cold outside!!!! #anyways thanks for tagging me!!!