#thanks starember for my life

[authorsarchives]

Book Review - Heaven Official’s Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

(All credits to the art used below belong to STARember on Weibo and are from the official manhua)

**This review may contain spoilers for the series

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A Quick Summary

“A God Fallen… A Ghost Risen

Born the crown princes of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedicated study and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise may also fall, and fall he does—cast from the heavens and banished to the world below.

Eight hundred years after his mortal life, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for the third time, angering most of the gods in the process. To repay his debts, he is sent to the Mortal Realm to hunt down violent ghosts and troublemaking spirits who prey on the living. Along his travels, he meets the fascinating and brilliant San Lang, a young man with whom he feels an instant connection.

Yet San Lang is clearly more than he appears…

What mysteries lie behind that carefree smile?”

Heaven Official’s Blessing Blurb - Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

The novels, consisting of 241 chapters, 2050 pages, and a word count of 1.2 million, follow the adventures of Xie Lian, the former crown prince of a now-fallen kingdom, Xianle. Xie Lian ascended to godhood at the age of seventeen, but was banished, and when he ascended for the second time, he was banished again after half an hour. Now, he’s ascended for the third time, holding a record for most ascensions of any god in history. His ascension is so tremendous that the ground of the heavens quakes and lightning strikes, causing severe damage to golden palaces and buildings. He is sent to the Mortal Realm to aid humans in eradicating and investigating ghosts causing trouble, and all the thank you offerings would be counted under his name and go towards helping repay his debt.

The series switches from present time 800 years into the past, where Xie Lian’s backstory is revealed to be much more tragic than his bright personality may reveal. 

San Lang, the man he meets while riding a hay cart to his makeshift shrine in Puqi village, tags along on his adventures, and towards the end of the book, it’s revealed that he is actually Hua Cheng, also known as Crimson Rain Sought Flower, a ghost ranking “Devastation”, which is the highest, most dangerous ranking of ghost. On top of that, he ranks first out of the four Calamities, making him the most powerful ghost there is, and the ruler of ghost city.

Hua Cheng dedicates his existence to helping Xie Lian, though Xie Lian can’t begin to understand why. It was revealed later on that when Xie Lian was still a crown prince, eight centuries before, he had saved Hua Cheng, known as Hong-er at the time, from falling to his death from a building during a festival. Hong-er became enamoured with Xie Lian, and spent the rest of his life — and his afterlife — trying to prove his worth to the former price.

╚══════════════*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*══════════════╝

When it comes to Heaven Official’s Blessing, I really don’t think I have any critiques. It’s probably the most well-written series I’ve ever read before in my life. With fully developed characters and rich backstories, I really can’t find any faults in it. The attention to detail is immaculate. It’s filled with foreshadowing, and everything fits together perfectly in the end. You really can’t enjoy the series fully without reading it twice. 

Honestly, I feel like the first book kind of tricked me. I jumped headfirst into the series, thinking it would be a lighthearted queer romance, but everything after the first volume was really too depressing. I found myself genuinely crying at times, and I had never cried over a book before, it really was an experience. I think everyone should read this series at some point in their lives.

I think it’s only fair to start off with the protagonist, Xie Lian. At first glance, Xie Lian seems like a happy-go-lucky character, endlessly selfless and positive. However, there are subtle hints of his dark past, which become more and more apparent as the series progresses. 

Something I like about this series is even though it supposedly has a happy ending, it’s not absolutely perfect for everyone. There are a lot of characters that got the short end of the stick, which makes it so much more realistic. Friendships end, betrayals ensue, and some characters are left with permanently crippling wounds — both emotional and physical — that maybe could have been avoided if things had been thought through just a little bit more.

As someone who doesn’t usually like angsty books, I actually enjoyed the ending. It gave everything a neat closure and tied up all the loose ends. Everything fell into place perfectly, even arcs from the first book that didn’t really feel like they had much use at the time. 

Overall, I would rate this book a full five stars, and I highly recommend it.

#tgcf #tgcf manhua #tgcf novel #tgcf donghua #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #hua cheng #hualian #xie lian #feng xin #mo xiang tong xiu #mu qing #mxtx

[foxstens]

caught up on the manhua

#my posts #animanga #liveblogging #liveblogging tgcf #and by that i mean i stared at the raws and cried #ITS SO FUCKING BEAUTIFUL #SO RED????? #JUST????/ SO R E D????? #AND EVERYONE IS SO BEAUTIFUL #AND HUA CHENG WHEN HIS EYES LOOK LIKE THAT #AND HUA CHENG IN GENERAL WHEN HE /EXISTS/ LIKE THAT #JESUS AAAAAAA #thanks starember for my life #and also i had this thought #bc apparently at one point mxtx said that they literlaly just.... didnt meet for 800 yrs #and considering that...... #guess we can say they were lucky to meet more than once during their lifetimes #GUESS THEY WERE LUCKY TO EVEN MEET AT ALL AFTER THOSE 800 YEARS #/800 years/ what the fuck #heck i really gotta reread thebook

[yinyu]

OMG DIANXIAA !! UR FACE!!!! U ARE SOOOO FCKIN BEAUTIFUL 😭💕💞💕💗💝💓

#THANKS STAREMBER FOR MY LIFE #and when I say omg I mean taizi dianxia himself ofc #tgcf #tian guan ci fu #xie lian #other

[xiuyaas]

PEI SU ?! 👀👀👀

#WHAT HTE FUCKSKCK #thank u starember 4 my life #good hualian morning #tgcf #cr: starember

[lanonima]

SCREAM

#Tian Guan Ci Fu #Xie Lian #Hua Cheng #lano reads danmei #thank you STARember I owe you my life #TGCF unquestionably has the best visuals of the three #I can't wait I can't wait!!!

[musings-on-aching-flowers]

Hi.....if you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 favorite characters from TGCF? And your top 5 (or top 3) favorite moments from the novel? Sorry if you've answered this question before....Thanks....

Hi, you’re totally fine, thanks for asking!! Sorry it took me this long, it’s been a while since I’ve checked tumblr! 

My top 5 favourite characters from TGCF would have to be:

1. Xie Lian

To me, Xie Lian is such an interesting character, especially in his growth into who he is as a character during the events of books 1, 3 and 5. His story arc is extremely compelling, as we can witness how his life experiences have shaped him from his initial naivety, then to his flinty cynicism (which is honestly hard-won at that point) until finally we get his gentle compassion, like wood that has been sanded down.  He may not necessarily be the kindest, most compassionate person, and he’s made his fair share of mistakes and then some, but all those experiences in all those 800 years he’s been around have made him able to still view humanity as something worth saving. 

I also love the dichotomy of his nature; he is non-confrontational, but when he draws his sword his martial prowess is unmatched, he was born a prince but had a single-minded focus on cultivation, and so on. 

(Also STARember draws him devastatingly pretty in the manhua - how could you not love him?!)

2. Hua Cheng

I will confess that I am an incorrigible romantic, and I love Hua Cheng’s utmost devotion to Xie Lian. In all those years, his devotion is true, unwavering, and unconditional, and yet even with such dedication to his Dianxia that it literally tethers him to reality, he has managed to grow into himself and his own as a fully realised individual. He has found purpose other than the sole pursuit of Xie Lian, which I really admire about him. 

What Hua Cheng teaches us as well is how love can change you in such a positive way. His love for Dianxia pulled him from the brink time and again, and helped him keep moving forward even despite the immense pressure he received throughout his whole existence, especially in the early days what with being ‘cursed’.

3. Yin Yu (and 4. Quan Yizhen)

I really love these characters. The part where Xie Lian brutally murdered Yin Yu over his exceedingly average appearance just took me out, but I also think he’s a very realistic and relatable character: the Oikawa Tooru to Quan Yizhen’s Kageyama Tobio, if you will - because sometimes hard work alone can’t beat natural talent and drive. I also appreciate that he never had bad designs on Quan Yizhen - sure, he was jealous, but he didn’t want to actually hurt him, rather preferring to focus on himself and what he was doing, and the events that transpired to his banishment were more a result of bad luck and circumstance on his part. I like Quan Yizhen too, he means well and he’s sweet and he's utterly persistent about something when he wants to be, and I wanted to ruffle his curly hair every time he was in a scene.

5. Yushi Huang (Rain Master)

Every time Yushi Huang came into the scene I was overjoyed. I really like her ascension story, and I love the elegance and gentle grace with which she carries herself in every scene. I think it’s amazing that her role is so important in the Heavens that even Jun Wu wouldn’t dare to make a move against her, and I equally thought it was hilarious whenever Pei Ming would get embarrassed over having to be saved by her. What an icon.

...As for my favourite moments in the novels, I don’t think I could rank them but here are my top 5:

the scene in book 5 where Xie Lian and Hua Cheng kiss on the massive Dianxia statue ‘to exchange spiritual power’ and Feng Xin and Mu Qing are appalled, Quan Yizhen confused and Pei Ming goes ‘Ho ho’

the scene in book 5 where Jun Wu makes Xie Lian contact Hua Cheng to assure him that everything is alright in Heaven and the ensuing conversation has Xie Lian experiencing 800 years of embarrassment at once

the scene in book 3 where Xie Lian is dressed as a woman with a child-sized Hua Cheng running from the group of cultivators and he boards in a cannibalism hotel run by Qi Rong, with Jian Lan and Cuocuo chased by Mu Qing in disguise staying across the hall

all the scenes of the book 3 Brocade Immortal arc where Hua Cheng is bopping around disguised as Lang Ying, but especially when he gets revealed because Xie Lian tries to make him write something

the post canon scene where Xie Lian accidentally curses himself to be in extreme pain whenever he thinks of Hua Cheng but even still he refuses to be apart from him.

Thanks again for the lovely ask! I hope you have a good day :) <3

#tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #hua cheng #xie lian #yin yu #quan yizhen #yushi huang #the rain master #hualian #tgcf meta #my meta

[ocdhuacheng]

yes san lang is cuter than hua cheng, but the impression i get is they havent gotten the hua cheng design completely down yet, he looks very different in different scenes, so i think he’ll be more consistent in season 2. the karekareo hua chengs are the best by far hes so pretty thank you for my life........ some of the other hua chengs are a lil ugly but thats okay bc im still love him and give him smooches. 

the one thing im actually a little wary of is like. hua cheng isnt supposed to look that different from san lang, and im really hoping haoliners isnt falling into the same starember trap of making him like. super seme yaoi sexy becausse. hes not supposed to be like that!!!!!!!!! im just praying they keep him cute san lang-esque and not changing his entire personality just because his face changed. 

anyway thats my thots. congrats on finally having a face babe. 

#tgcf #tgcf spoilers #.txt

[unforth]

Hello unforth! Thank you for your wonderful blog, and the the untamed art blog!! I followed you years ago for destiel, and you were one of the people that got me into the untamed. I watched it last summer and have been binging various cdramas ever since!! I had a question for you about reading. After watching the untamed I read the novel, and didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I think you’re someone who prefers the show, but if not, sorry if I’m remembering wrong… hoping you understand. I want to try reading other novels but I found the romance in mdzs to be kinda off. I guess I’m wondering if you have a recommendation for the best novel you’ve read so far? It would be great if it’s one with fanfic but if not I’m still curious to try! I hope this didn’t come off as rude about the untamed, it’s just a personal preference. Thanks in advance, and thanks again for all your work in fandom!

Howdy! *waves*

You have not misremembered, I definitely prefer the Untamed to the novel of MDZS (and I'm with you, no shade on people with different preferences, of course!). I also didn't enjoy the novel of MDZS as much as I thought I would, though I think some of that was because I read the Exiled Rebels Scanalations translation which - again, no shade, translating that was a HUGE job and kudos to them - but I do here from native speakers that some questionable translation choices were made, which can detract from some people's enjoyment of the novel (and can enhance other people's, it just depends how those translation choices relate to each person's personal likes and dislikes).

Now, I can tell you what I've read and what I've thought of each one, happily - I don't know what turned you off about MDZS specifically, beyond an aspect of the relationship dynamic, so it'll be hard for me to say which of these might appeal to you more? But, here's a list of which danmei novels I've read, and my opinion. The list is shorter than you'd think - danmei novels are long and I read slow, lol.

Note that all of these end happy, for various definitions of "happy," and the main ship is canon in all of them. Also note that I tried to avoid spoilers, but sometimes it's hard to even talk about the ship dynamic without some mild spoilers.

These are (roughly) in the order I've read them; I just finished the last a few days ago. All art is by the official artists, but I'm not always sure what their names are, sorry - I've tried to figure them out for my art blogs but it's REALLY hard.

1. Mo Dao Zu Shi, by MXTX.

(since I'm writing this post for you, and you're already familiar with it, I'm not putting in TW and plot)

My take: I figure knowing my opinion of MDZS will help you assess all this? There are things I loved about MDZS, including the book, but MDZS is still obviously trying to figure out pacing. Whereas in SVSSS, the storyline doesn't always flow that smoothly and the ending is rushed, in MDZS in my opinion the biggest issue is that she clearly didn't plan some things ahead. For example, Miangmian and Wen Ning are both introduced within a few pages of when they'll be needed to Do Shit. It shows that she hadn't quite worked everything out as she was going, and every once in a while was like, "shit shit I need a character for this thing" and hastily added them. The plot itself is better paced, though, though I could have wished for a less talky denouement. When it was the only one I read, I also often thought, "this author doesn't understand consent," and, "this author has kinks I don't share." Now that I've read all three of her books, I completely retract the first one. MXTX absolutely understands consent, and was intentionally playing with it in MDZS. Not sure if the evidence of that got lost in translation, or what, but...yeah.

Relationship Dynamic: ...the second of those opinions, I still kinda feel. The consensual non-con is just not really my thing, like I'm okay with it in small doses? And I don't love some aspects of Lan Wangji's domineering attitudes and Wei Wuxian's act of bare tolerating it. And don't get me wrong, now that I'm more familiar with her work, I think it was an intentional writing choice and I also think they're both largely roleplaying it a lot of the time...but I still don't personally enjoy it much.

2. Scum Villain Self-Saving System, by MXTX.

Genre: modern transmigration into a fantasy xianxia world.

Where to find it: English translation by BC Novels | donghua season 1

Trigger warnings for: graphic descriptions of suffering, non-con of the "fuck or die" variety, and body horror...I can't think of anything else rn?)

Plot: SVSSS is MXTX's first novel, and is a satire of classic stag harem novels. Shen Yuan, the protagonist and half the main ship, is reading a serialized web novel by "Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky" about a demon named Luo Binghe who has a harem of over 3,000 women and has done all kinds of ghastly awful things. He hates this novel but has read all, like, 3 million words of it or something, and trolls every chapter...until one gets him so angry that he dies...and then he wakes up in the book right around when the book starts, in the body of one of the early antagonists, a cultivator named Shen Qingqiu who abuses a young, innocent Luo Binghe physically and emotionally and, ultimately, is horribly tortured to death. Shen Yuan, in Shen Qingqiu's body, thus sets out to not be horribly tortured to death by Luo Binghe. Hijinks ensue.

My Take: In terms of my opinion of it...SVSSS secured for me that MXTX is a much more brilliant author than I thought when I'd only read MDZS. She understands tropes and subverts them brilliantly throughout the story, and from a writing standpoint, I was impressed with her. However, from a plot standpoint...she's got all the ideas but hasn't, imo, yet figured out how exactly to bring them all together. The pacing is off at times, and the ending felt abrupt to me. It's also the only danmei I've read where I ship a side ship more than the primary one (which is, of course, Shen Yuan (as Shen Qingqiu)/Luo Binghe. (also, oops...I read SVSSS after TGCF and just put them in the wrong order, oh well, not gonna change it now.)

Relationship Dynamic: In terms of relationship weirdness...it's hard to sort in that regard, because, like, it's supposed to be weird? I think it's a really interest book but I'm not sure I'd recommend it in your situation. Bingqiu's main dynamic is...uh...tolerance and obsession? They're kinda hard to describe. Shen Yuan often seems like he's just kinda putting up with Luo Binghe, whereas Luo Binghe is...god. So hard to describe, lmao. He's a big clumsy ox in a museum full of porcelain dishes and he really, really loves his Shizun. (also note that Shen Qingqiu is Luo Binghe's teacher. They don't get together until after they're not master/student, but if that's not your thing, another reason to avoid.)

3. Tian Guan Ci Fu, by MXTX.

(art is by Starember)

Genre: historical China (loosely), xianxia (note that I'm still figuring out exactly how stuff gets classified so sorry if I get one wrong, but I think I kinda get it???)

Where to Access It: English Translation by the astonishing yummysuika | manhua (this is an official translation by Bilibili! It's a few chapters behind the actual release, but still...) | donghua season 1 is on Netflix | a live action adaptation is juuuuust getting started on script reading and filing

Trigger warnings for: MCD, temporary MCD, body horror, graphic violence, epic levels of mind fuckery, uh...genocide?...again, racism/colorism, probably other stuff, sorry, I can't take as long as I'd like to for this post so I'm not being as thorough as I oughta be.

Plot: TGCF is about Xie Lian, an 800 year old man, and it commences at the moment when, unexpectedly, he ascends to godhood...for the third time. Unfortunately, when he ascends, he accidentally does some damage in Heaven, and he has to repay that, so he gets sent back to earth to deal with a ghost who's been causing some problems. Hijinks ensue...and then fucktons of angst ensue...then more hijinks...then more angst...and basically it broke my heart like four times and I am grateful for it every day? The main ship is Xie Lian and a ghost named Hua Cheng, but it's hard to even talk about without some spoilers because of some identity shenanigans. (they're VERY mildly identity shenanigans, but still).

My Take: So, you asked what my favorite of the danmei novels I've read is? It's TGCF. TGCF is one of my favorite novels ever, and it has a growing fandom, a donghua that's on Netflix, and a live action that's just starting to film. TGCF is the culmination of the skills MXTX developed through her first two works, imo. She clearly plotted it out all from the start, and while Book 1 especially often seems kind of random - lots of elements are introduced and then kinda...apparently...forgotten? And never explained? But she actually DOES bring it ALL together and it's flat-out masterful. I'm a big fan, obviously.

Relationship Dynamic: it again depends on your preferences and what you didn't like about MDZS, and there's no way to talk about it without spoilers, so consider yourselves warned. Xie Lian ascended to godhood first at the age of 17, and right around then he also saved the life of a 10 year old boy...and that boy is Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng is a follower of Xie Lian's, in that Xie Lian is literally a god, and Hua Cheng is literally one of his followers. However, they're separated for almost 800 years, so the age difference is largely irrelevant, and while some people complain about Hua Cheng's behavior being stalkery and obsessive, I honestly think they're dead wrong. It's more like when you read a celebrity/fan AU, and it starts weird, and then they really genuinely fall in love. Like, the fan may have been in love the whole time, and how they felt about the celebrity before they really met might feel slightly ooky, but it's how they act AFTER they meet their idol that matters more, and...yeah, Hua Cheng is great, they're both great, antis fight me. Xie Lian is easily one of my favorite characters EVER, he is all my favorite tropes in one horribly, wonderfully fucked up martyristic idealistic sweet kind laid back package. I would kill for him, lmao. In terms of their relationship dynamic...they love and respect each other? There's really nothing that weird about it other than the aspects of the "fan" Hua Cheng that get revealed over time - and he's always terrified that when Xie Lian realizes what a fanboy he was, Xie Lian will be upset or disgusted, but of course Xie Lian never is. They adore each other. It's glorious. Highly recommend. :D There's also no explicit content in TGCF (unlike MXTX's other two books).

4. The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (aka 2ha) by Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat.

Genre: original world, xianxia, time travel, dimension hopping, it's so many things, 2ha is so hard to describe lmao

Where to Access it: English Translation by the amazing yummysuika (things are complicated, though, and it's not finished) | a manhua is in the works and should be out this year | a live action called "Hao Yixing" or "Immortality" is already filmed and could theoretically air literally any time cause it's completely ready, but when will it actually come? Who knows!

Trigger warnings: all of them. Literally. MCD, temporary MCD, murder, suicide, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, rape/non-con, abuse, manipulation, gas lighting, torture, graphic violence, body horror, literal graphic onscreen horrible blood murder of a small child (I had to skip that chapter), teacher/student relationship sort of but not exactly, probably other stuff, this book is dark as fuck, and a lot of these tags apply to behavior of one half of the main ship toward the other, but...it's complicated, and there are reasons things happen, and those reasons aren't "well they're just a bad person."

Plot: This is another one that's hard to describe because there's sooooo much mind fuckery going on, but I'll try. 2ha is about Mo Ran, who rises to be the Emperor of the World, Taxian Jun, but slaughtering all who oppose him...and who is so miserable that he commits suicide, only to wake up in his 16 year old body. This is pretty much perfect from Mo Ran's point of view, because he's gone back so far that the love of his life, his fellow disciple Shi Mei, is still alive. He has a chance to fix everything that went wrong, starting with preventing his awful evil Shizun, Chu Wanning, from letting Shi Mei die.

Spoilers: the main ship in this book is Mo Ran/Chu Wanning.

Hijinks do NOT ensue. There are no hijinks in 2ha. It is all pain all the time (but I swear it ends happy).

My Take: ...well, from a structural standpoint there are some pacing issues. The book is incredibly long (over 300 chapters, over 1 million words) and there are definitely some chunks that could just be excised and it'd still be fine. However, other than that, it's pretty amazing and absolutely masterful how it's plotted. As a reader you'll spend 100+ chapters thinking you know what's going on, and who the good guys are, and who the bad guys are, and how they relate to each other...and then Meatbun starts in on revealing what's ACTUALLY going on and she then spends 200 chapters repeatedly punching you in the face! Like, I went in knowing a LOT of spoilers, because the tags were so dark that I felt that for my mental health it was important I have a general idea what was going on, and I STILL ended up sobbing my eyes out (and I am NOT an easy crier and don't usually cry at books) over something I knew was coming.

Relationship Dynamic: That's about the only thing that the title accurately conveys about this book. "The Husky and His White Cat Shizun," sounds so soft and fluffy, right? That's how they get you, ha. But, Mo Ran is absolutely a big dumb husky who wants to do the right thing (well, sometimes he does) but just completely fails depressingly often. When he sees someone he likes come in the front door he WILL jump all over them and bark in their face as his way of trying to communicate affection. And Chu Wanning is equally absolutely a cat. He is emotionally constipated, poor at expressing himself, uptight, touch starved, desperate for affection, and so lonely my chest hurts when I think about him. And for how they relate to each other...well, picture that big dog greeting a loved one at the door...except that loved one is the most hide-bound proud white cat you can imagine.

That's their dynamic.

(However, also...there are multiple timelines at play, and Taxian Jun does some truly awful things to "his" Chu Wanning in the original timeline, and many of these things are graphically described, and while it's ultimately all explained, it still all HAPPENS, so if you're going to have trouble reading fucktons of abuse between the main ship, I would not recommend this book)

5. Thousand Autumns (Qianqiu) by Meng Xi Shi.

Genre: historical China (like, references actual people, as far as I can tell), xianxia

Where to Access it: ...reading Thousand Autumns is HARD, it's split over like four websites/translators. This Carrd can kinda help? I can get you the rest if you want | donghua season 1 | I heard there's a live action in the works? But I don't know more than that.

Trigger warnings: graphic violence, mentions/threats of sexual violence (but it's all stopped before things really go wrong), starvation, description of child death (from starvation), near-death, emotional/mental abuse, major semi-permanent character injury, god, minor character death, they're major characters depending on your pov, I can't actually think of others, after writing about 2ha it feels positively fluffy). Note that there's not really any explicit content, just implications of smut, and not til basically the very end and extras.

Plot: Yan Wushi, sect leader of a demonic sect, has just come out of an extended seclusion to improve his cultivation when he and one of his disciples come across a man who is wounded to the point of near death. This turns out to be Shen Qiao, the sect leader of Mount Xuandu. When Shen Qiao awakens from his wounds, he's lost his memory, AND he's blind, and Yan Wushi decides it would be great fun and an excellent use of his time to fuck with Shen Qiao by trying to turn him evil - because Yan Wushi is certain that ALL people are inherently evil, and shattering Shen Qiao's veneer of righteousness will just help prove that.

Spoilers: it's not a veneer.

Not spoilers: Not many hijinks ensue, but there are a few hijinks, and even when it's not hijinxed, it's still not that painful...usually.

My Take: despite that synopsis, a lot of the plot of Thousand Autumns is actually political, and I like political plots, so I liked that aspect of it. However, it has some serious pacing issues imo, and it's also hard to read in English atm because it's not fully translated; it's close, now, much closer than when I read it a few months ago, so it'll be easier to read soon. Or maybe I shouldn't say it's pacing problems, but rather, it's more of a sequence of multiple major plots, strung together, with the growing relationship between Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao playing out in the background. I think if I'd known there was no "one big plot" that would have actually helped me, because it kept feeling like, "Oh, THIS is the main thing," but it never was. Things would feel climactic...except then there'd be more. So it's probably better to actually think of it as more...episodic? And the episodes/stories build, and interrelate, and do have a culmination, but not all of them directly tie in, and not all the threads end up coming together/getting resolved.

Relationship Dynamic: early on, Yan Wushi is definitely abusive and manipulative, intentionally so, and I would argue that, imo, Shen Qiao falls for it. However, mid-way through, there's some big reveals, and after that when they're reunited Shen Qiao no longer takes any shit and Yan Wushi continues to act like he doesn't care even when he clearly does. They're not a typical ship in ANY WAY, and I'd say their relationship is more founded on mutual respect than on love. Indeed, in the author's notes at one point MXS actually says they doesn't see them as the kind of couple to ever exchange love declarations, and I thought that was really interesting and it really helped me to understand how they worked together because I'll own I struggled with at times. Yan Wushi is self-interested, often cruel, and ethically and morally dubious. Shen Qiao, on the other hand, could probably ascend to Daoist godhood, he's so pure. Yet...they DO work. I'd say "opposites attract" but that's ALSO not their main trope, not exactly. They're a VERY hard ship to explain, and I know some people who've read the whole book and still don't really...get them...and I've had to really think about them to wrap my head around them...but the more I've thought about them, the more I like them.

6. Those Years in Quest of Honor Mine by Man Man He Qi Duo.

Genre: historical fiction set in either actual China or make-believe China, I'm not sure if this is directly incorporated any real people

Where to Access It: English Translation by Perpetual Daydreams | manhua (untranslated, I'm not sure if there's anyone translating it into English) | I think there's a live action in the works? Not sure beyond that though.

Trigger Warnings: suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, drug addiction, drug abuse, chronic illness (different character than the drugs), manipulation, abusive, awful parents and parental figures (not all, but definitely some), some homophobia (but way less than there could have been), probably other stuff

Plot: After 7 years away, Zhong Wan returns to the capital of the Empire with the three children of his benefactor, the seven-years-dead Prince Ning. Prince Ning was executed for treason against the previous Emperor, and Zhong Wan has done all he can to protect and raise the three kids, but he's got a lot of worries about returning to the capital and what could happen to his charges if they get pulled into the politics surrounded the Emperor. But, even worse, he's got even more worries about being reunited with Yu She, nephew of the Emperor, with whom he has more than a little history...and about whom he has been lying for the past 7 years, claiming that he is Yu She's lover, in a bid to help use Yu She's reputation to protect Prince Ning's children.

Hijinks ensue.

And so does a political nightmare.

My Take: TYQHM was a hard book to get into because there are just so many characters and it's all about politics - this is NOT a xianxia or wuxia novel, and these characters are NOT cultivators. There's basically nothing supernatural in the whole book; instead, it's about Zhong Wan and Yu She figuring out their own histories, and accepting each other, while trying to survive in a political world that increasingly wants both of them dead. However, I adore political plots, and when all was said and done I really enjoyed it, and I'm trying tooth and nail to claw other people into the fandom with me, so far with basically no success. It only has like 15 works in English on AO3. And so not only does it not fit that requirement of yours...

Relationship Dynamic: ...I think you would also probably not like the relationship dynamic? Zhong Wan is a bit like Wei Wuxian-as-Mo Xuanyu, except more...genuinely? Like, it's his actual personality, not an act, in quite the same way. I don't mean the "flamboyantly gay" part...usually...he definitely has his moments...but he's just...like, he's been through so much that he'll basically say anything, and drag himself entirely through the mud, to distract people who might hurt the three kids (they're like 16, 13, 13, now I think? It was never THAT clear to me, tbh...certainly, all are at least 10...) and, later, Yu She. He has zero face, and doesn't mind having negative face when he feels the situation demands it...and Yu She, on the other hand, has MAJOR depression issues, is sure he deserves nothing, and mostly wants to destroy everyone around him and then kill himself, at least until Zhong Wan starts giving him a reason to live again. But, more than that...Zhong Wan is like the fucking epitome of a bratty subby bottom. He wants to get fucked SO bad. And Yu She is an incredibly reluctant dom, hilariously so at times, uncomfortably/manipulative so at others. When all was said and done, I was pretty fond of them both, but there were definitely moments that made me grimace, and given what you say of how you felt about MDZS, I think this one is less likely to be to your taste?

Bonus 7: Guardian by Priest. I never finished the novel version of Guardian because the translation had some issues that caused me not to enjoy it, so I won't get into it too much, but again, Guardian is a very different book than any of the others, because it's modern fantasy(ish, like, it's still deeply embedded in Daoist-related tropes but it's more "magic spells" and less "cultivation." Like, in terms of what it's like, it felt more like Japanese modern Onmyoji style stories, to me, than it felt like the ancient Chinese wuxia/xianxia cultivation stories.). I'm not gonna get into lots of details, because I read part of the book more than a year ago, and have seen the show (which is VERY different) like three times, so I can hardly even remember what they're like in the novel. There was definitely some weirdness, though? If you're potentially interested, I'd suggest starting with the drama instead. The plot for that is...

Plot: Zhao Yunlan heads a Special Investigation Unit in the human world tasked with maintaining a treaty between humans and the dixigren ("undergrounders") who are (in the show) aliens (in the book...it's the world of the dead). While doing this job, he keeps running into this professor, Shen Wei, who definitely knows more than he oughta.

Hijinks ensue.

And then it murders you with feels.

The live action streams from YouTube - here.

(Warning: uh, I don't want to give spoilers, but my "guaranteed happy ending" does NOT apply to the Guardian TV show...but it does apply to the book, as I understand it.)

*

Anyway, this was a terrible use of my time but it was definitely more fun than what I should be doing, and it's probably way more information than you wanted or needed, but since I wasn't sure what exactly you had in mind, I figured...might as well be thorough?

(Today's hyper-focus fail: this post, ha...)

#unforth rambles #i'm not gonna tag the fandoms because i give my own opinions #some of which aren't all THAT positive #i think it's best if I don't just dump that into the main tags

[nyerus]

How do you feel about the art style of TGCF? I discovered it on Bilibili because it was heavily promoted when it first came out but I dropped it because I couldn’t get used to the art style. Now that I’ve read the novel I’ve decided to give it another go, at times I’m in awe but I’m still not used to it. 😭

Despite not 100% sure about the style I still bought it. 😂 Just want to know others views on this. My view is probably a very very unpopular opinion. 😅

Hahaha, I think you may be the first person who I’ve heard say that! (That’s fine too, everyone has their opinions, so no worries!)

As for how I personally feel about the art style... I think it’s GORGEOUS! Like, the most beautiful manhua/manga/manhwa I will probably ever see with my own eyes hahaha! Again, this is just personal preference, lol. (Tianbao’s is also so beautiful too!)

The art style in particular really fits well with the mythological feel that TGCF has as a story. The art is also diverse enough to capture dramatic shots beautifully, comedic scenes well, and also to do stylistic narrative spreads during exposition. Each panel is rendered in stunning detail, to the point where you can see that STARember absolutely knows and loves the source material better than all of us. Even small things such as how Xie Lian’s ears are pierced in every single panel, the way San Lang often has his hands tightly clenched as he tries to keep it together, etc. Tiny, but significant, and it breathes life into the adaptation. It makes you stop and go “wow!” at every turn. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are also otherworldly in their beauty, and that can only be accurately captured by the manhua. No other adaptation will do them full justice, point blank, due to obvious limitations. The manhua is free to be as gorgeous as it wants, no paths are bound! In other words: TGCFers really got lucky with our manhua!!! A true heavenly blessing!!!

The art style itself adds to the overall feel and narrative of TGCF--and I think that’s relatively rare. That’s why the manhua is so cherished by fans despite its very quick pacing. And since it’s the closest to the original novel we’re going to get visually (since donghua will be extremely censored), it makes aaallll the difference!

Thanks for sending in the ask, it was definitely interesting to think about! I hope you enjoy the manhua too!~ ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ 

#audio drama would have been the closest adaptation but that's not visual and its also on ice #live action if it exists will be unrecognizable due to the new laws #tgcf #tian guan ci fu #heaven official's blessing #hob #asks #nyerus.txt #tgcf manhua #Anonymous

[evilsanlang]

"i'd give up the manhua for this any day" tbh same (I wish the manhua had a bit more focus on the plot instead of xl's ass but it might be just me)

STOOOOOOOOP AJSAJKENJE HIS ASS IOS THE BEST PART OF IT SO FAR

but yeah the manhua’s flaws really come to light when you compare it to fanart like the graphic novel one ): I don’t know if it’s because we haven’t gotten to the exciting bits yet, but… considering starember’s art style, I’m afraid that even the exciting bits might fall flat. they’re talented, for sure! their art style is lovely, but. I don’t think it suits a plot-driven story like tgcf at all? at least not in a manhua format. imo they’d be better off just drawing concept art of the more ““aesthetically pleasing”” moments, like the mount yu jun opening scene, that one chapter illustrating the four tales etc.

tgcf is… how do I say it. dynamic, both in narrative and plot, whereas the manhua just feels dull. I don’t even mind that it’s concise - what bothers me is how they chose to condense it. take a look at melts’ storyboards: each panel feels purposeful. you can take them out of context and they’ll still tell you a lot about the story. and the graphic novel one!! there’s SO much to unpack from that one scene alone - the expressions!! the way the lighting brings the whole picture to life!!!! my fucking god

and then you get panels like this and what can I say except thanks for the ass. so thanks for the ass I guess.

tl;dr: starember’s art style is pretty, but not dynamic enough to keep up with the plot. and that’s to a point where there’s no sense of movement, the characters barely even emote, and the same-face syndrome doesn’t help either. they’re much better with concepts and details, I think. it’s the little things (like hc’s earring and little fangs and clothes and) that I look forward to with each update, because they’re nice and pleasing to the eye, but that’s about it. I’m just crossing fingers for the donghua at this point

#reply #Anonymous #i'm just taking a piss @ that one panel but like yknow they're pretty much all like this #I'm not an artist so I have no idea of what tf I'm talking about but also. #they don't seem to take advantage of lighting and angles etc in the moments that matter and that's so odd

[chiinoiserie]

Tagged by @chiye21 sankyuu!💕

Rules: Answer 21 questions and tag 21 people you want to get to know better.

Nickname: Chii

Height: 154 cm

Last movie I saw: Natsume Yuujinchou movie

Favorite artists: all time fave HUMMEL but also for current fandom, starember (thank you for my life)

Song stuck in my head: Aishiteru no Uta //// and and and!! Sakura Anata ni Deata Yokatta ////

Do I get asks?: not really

Other blogs?: none

Following: 191

Lucky number: 3 and 9

What I’m wearing: my work uniform

Favorite Food: white!! rice!! (And eggs hhh)

Dream trip: I’m already going on a trip with Void this year kya~ but also, suddenly I wanna go on a trip with miko.... omg ikitai so much???!!!

Play any instruments: I used to play rhythm guitar but goodbye callouses

Languages: English, Tagalog, 日本語はまあまあ

Favorite song: Tokyo Biyori by Fullkawa and Honne no Tegami by KK

Random fact: I was looking at the cloudy cityscape on my way to work and thought it was pretty, all shrouded in mist, until I realised it was haze and I went, fuck rip my lungs.

Aesthetic things: HUALIAN!!! Is so!!! Aesthetic!!!! AAAAAAAAAA!!!!

Tagging: uhhh I don’t have anyone else to tag but @xielians but only if you wanna omg no stressy

#Tag games #chii says