I already have Jing Yuan on the brain but IRIS (tumbly user @citrinitias, pls send 便便) had to INFORM ME that NOT ONLY!!!!! Is he VOICED by my OG seiyuu husband Ono Daisuke, but also Sun Ye?!?!??! MY ULTIMATE HUSBAND XIAO CHIYE FROM POPULAR NOVEL AUDIO DRAMA ADAPTATION QIANG JIN JIU????
THE MAN WHO SAID 千金难买兰舟笑 可换我同你江湖老 LIKE IM SUPPOSED TO LIVE NoRMALLY AFTER THAT?!?!?!
my first danmei playlist -- part 2: the classics, historical style
[see more in this series are under the tag #my first danmei playlist]
Since modern "historical Chinese style" songs are infamous for containing incorrect traditional-style grammar, so the lyric translations are very rough ...
(links are to Mao'er/Missevan unless otherwise stated)
忘羡/"Wang Xian" by 吾恩,余夏 from 魔道祖师/Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS), Season 2
原来 陈情俱是旧人 / 撩动 心事如何能避尘
And so it turns out, old feelings are all stirred up by old acquaintances; how can one remain unattached to mortal affairs
I started reading danmei novels in 2022, but I read the MDZS novel and listened to the audio drama back in 2019 after the live action came out. This is like my gateway to the danmei fandom before I fully committed to coming here.
P.S. This is also my favorite version of WangXian. I still remember looping this song in my hotel room during several work trips that fall while I was frantically editing my slide decks.
晚夜微雨问海棠/"A Nighttime drizzle over haitang flowers" by 陈亦洺 · 喧笑lirz · 镜予歌 [youtube], fan-made music for 二哈和他的白猫师尊/Husky and his White Cat Shizhun (2Ha)
念想从未消亡 / 踏断红尘不肯相忘
The desire has never faded / and cannot be forgotten even with desperate efforts
Between it's length and content warnings, I never wanted to read 2Ha, but every time I slow down to listen to this song I get so tempted. Not because it gives a better idea of what happens in 2Ha, but I just feel like it has to be really good to inspire this much creativity from its fans.
悦神/"Pleasing the Gods" by KBShinya [youtube], fan-made music for 天官赐福/Heaven Official's Blessings aka TGCF
雨中红伞探白花 华服金面高楼下
一念间 桃源已成飞沙
Red umbrella seeks white flowers in the rain, fine robes with the gold mask descend from the high towers
In a single moment, paradise has become dust
I started and stopped the TGCF novel several times and didn't finish it until earlier this year, but I have been obsessed with that little melody at the beginning of this song ever since I heard it in the donghua trailer but in 2020.
天涯寻春/"Seeking far and wide for spring" by 柯暮卿, from 天涯客/Faraway Wanderers, Season 2
不过蓬蒿旧梦自在余生/懒知欢与恨
Only a humble old dream to live freely for the rest of my years / and be unaffected by joy or hatred
Faraway Wanderers is my first audiodrama (excluding MDZS in 2019). The entire "danmei ecosystem" -- authors, novels, voice actors, and musical artists -- was all so new to me back then. I remember really liking this song and looking up the artist, learning he is also the director for the drama, and a famous voice actor, and ... ooh boy I'm still in that rabbit hole today ...
把盏/"Raise a glass" by 落樱风, from 将进酒/Qiang Jin Jiu, Season 1
亦同他与天道比高 / 不负这年少
To challenge the way of the world alongside him / is not a waste of these youth years
Unlike most other titles on this list, this one didn't hook me right off the bat. I didn't truly appreciate it until after I really got into the story and understood all the references in the lyrics. After I fell in love with QJJ, I really like the feeling of this song, like it's a story slowly being retold by Xiao Chiye.
吹雪/"Flying Snow" cover by 贾诩, 梁毅, from 黄金台/The Golden Terrance, Episode 3 ending theme
风华流年/只怕今生缘浅
The best years are slipping by / I only fear we are not destined to have this lifetime together
The Golden Terrance is the first free (网配) audiodrama I listened to, and the amount of work people have put into their labour of love truly amazed me. I love this song so much I made a shortcut to it on my phone's home screen, just so I can pull it up with a single click.
i feel like i should make a post saying what my blog is about. i mostly use tumblr on mobile (i know), and mostly i just kinda use it casually, lurking around, and saving/rbing stuff that i like. so don’t expect too much organization or original content here. but the stuff i do make myself, i tag with #made by suna.
i’m (currently) into danmei/bl, which this blog is mostly dedicated to. but again i am a disorganized mess so i will probably like and rb other stuff on here too.
if you know any good gl media set in ancient asia, please please please let me know because i am desperate for it but cannot find it anywhere :C
i consume most danmei in chinese since i grew up in china and am a native speaker, so sometimes i may be confused about the english names of places/things/people’s titles in these works. please be gentle ^_^
if you scroll down far enough you can find random stuff i rb’d before i really knew how tumblr worked and before i got into danmei so you can just ignore them :’)
under the cut: what i’ve watched/read, what’s next on my list, and my sloppy tagging system. i might update it whenever, or not. we’ll see c:
here is the list of things i’ve read/watched/am into:
mo dao zu shi / grandmaster of demonic cultivation by mxtx
Global Examination is a danmei novel written by Musuli on JJWXC, complete at 166 chapters, 589+k words (Chinese). For reference, MDZS was around 659k words. There is an audio drama and a manhua adaptation, both ongoing (as of 2021).
“Let us reunite in a world where the gunpowder smoke has dispersed.” —Musuli, QQGK (my translation)
Audio Drama S1: https://www.missevan.com/mdrama/25032
Audio Drama S2: https://www.missevan.com/mdrama/39622
JJWXC Description (Translated)
Global, large-scale, highly dangerous in nature, standardized examination, shortened to global examination. Real-life questions, pass to survive. Exam parameters refresh every month, occasionally at random.
Main Idea: two badasses flirting with each other.
1v1 (main characters do not have other romantic partners), HE (happy ending), lots of bullshitting.
Approach/Theme: Humans are inherently kind.
Tags: power couple, many themes/topics, 相爱相杀 (lit. “loving each other, hurting each other” aka angst), futuristic au
Main Characters: You Huo 游惑, Qin Jiu 秦究
Side Characters: Yu Wen, Di Li, Shu Xue, Wu Li
Style: light-hearted | POV: shou (bottom aka You Huo)
… … …
Radish’s Description
More Tags: sci-fi, action, mystery, romance, amnesia, enemies to lovers
A global-scale exam system is pulling people randomly into an alternate dimension, forcing them to take exams with varying (read: very high) levels of difficulty and peril. Overseen by the System’s examination officers, the only way to escape seems to be passing your exams with a total score above the qualifying threshold. The System thoughtfully provides rewards for good performance, like extra points or bonus cards for special privileges. However, if you break the System’s rules, you will also be punished accordingly. Not even examiners are exempt.
You Huo finds himself a victim of this ridiculous examination system, along with his alcoholic uncle, Old Yu, and younger cousin, Yu Wen. It’s not been long since he returned from overseas, recovering from surgery and still missing a good chunk of memories. Now, he wakes up in a snowed-in cabin in the middle of nowhere, with a room full of eclectic individuals — elderly, children, hooligans, and pregnant women. And some stupid voice is announcing the rules of an exam? What a headache. He just wants to keep sleeping.
And speaking of headaches, it’s not long before You Huo’s disregard for rules brings the System’s examiners to their door. Leading the party is the main examiner assigned to their exam, Examiner 001…
“Have we…met somewhere before?”
… … …
About the Audio Drama
The first season is complete. However, unfortunately, there was a lot of controversy regarding the quality of the production. So much so that the project switched hands. After a long wait, season 2 has finally dropped!
I translated the new team’s WB announcement post here: link
Season 2 will have 15 main episodes, airing Fridays starting Aug. 13, 2021. Given the length of this novel, I expect there to be a season 3. We’ll see!
VA Leads
You Huo: Lu Zhixing 路知行
Some other roles: Wei Wuxian (MDZS Audio Drama and The Untamed), Xue Xian (TQKS), Duan Jiayan (ILYP), Ji Xiaoli (Your Master is Stupid Rich)
I really love listening to Zhi Zhi-laoshi play a character who is so cold and aloof! And of course it was Lu-laoshi who attracted me to this story in the first place.
Qin Jiu: Zheng Xi 郑希
Some other roles: Bai Changyi (Your Distance / Ni de Ju Li), Xue Xiuzhuo (Qiang Jin Jiu), Ruan Fenghe (Your Master is Stupid Rich), Tang Suoyan (Liao Yuan), Shen Jue (Du Zhu You Bing)
Don't forget they're gonna have an audio dramatization of the manhua as well (kind of like a hybrid donghua I guess?) and omfg I just found out the VA for CWN is none other than Jiang Guangtao-laoshi, who also voiced Xie Lian in the TGCF donghua!! I loved his work so much I actually started listening to the Qiang Jin Jiu audio drama since he's half of the BL couple in there. Can't believe it took me this long to find out it's him. Shameful. 😔
Notable is that the entire voice cast has been changed.
This is due to the fact that the original VA studio, 729, has been replaced with VAs from 光合积木 (Guāng Hé Jī Mù), following the controversy between the donghua production company and 729. (Further details of this are unknown, apart from what happened with Sun Lulu (originally HC's VA), and even much of that is unconfirmed).
In any case, 光合积木 is Jiang Guangtao's studio, and he is also now voicing Xie Lian. Some of you may know him from several other places such as: the voice of Jin Guanyao from the Mo Dao Zu Shi audio drama, the Qiang Jin Jiu audio drama, and several TFCF fan songs -- just to name a few from the danmei sphere!
Interestingly, the VA for Wei Wuxian from Mo Dao Zu Shi is doing the voice of male Shi Qingxuan! Additionally, Hua Cheng's voice is listed as "Hua Cheng (San Lang)", which may also indicate that his "real" voice may be done by someone else in the future (... or just the credits listing his as Xie Lian's San Lang)!~
I don't know if you are aware of it but "Qiang Jin Jiu" has an audio drama ! (like a lot of other danmei) and omg it is SOSOSOGOODIMCRYING!! In fact there are already two seasons out but a team has started subbing the episodes of season 1 in english and there is currenly 11 episodes out ! I don't know if you are into that kind of thing but omg the audio drama is EXCELLENT and it sure adds intensity to the whole experience when you are reading the book~
Good evening! I was wondering if you might have another GO for the chinese edition of qiang jin jiu in the future? I regret not getting them since I wasn't into the novel back when that GO was opened but now I'm dying for some qjj merch. No pressure though, just wanted to ask. :)
Possibly, depending on if they still have the same goods in stock. If you are into the goods only (not collecting books), my advice is to look for QJJ audio drama goods and the Camphong QJJ official goods in the near future