#will gao was literally so so good this season

[book-tease]

the way i immediately took a screenshot of this aksjdas tao xu i love you so much lmaooo

#mia rambles #heartstopper spoilers #heartstopper #the picture is named 'mom i frew up heres flowers' on my laptop bc i was going insane watching this #will gao was literally so so good this season

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Gay wrongs tournament, semifinals of the minor bracket

Propaganda:

For Lord Hater and Commander Peepers :

Lord Hater is the self-proclaimed "universe's awesomest evil-doer", an immature, attention-seeking manchild with electric powers and a short temper. He rules the Hater Empire with Commander Peepers as his second-in-command (technically third, after his beloved pet spider-xenomorph, but who's counting), however it soon becomes *very* clear that the cunning, remorseless, hardworking Peepers is the *real* brains behind the empire. Peepers might be frustrated at Hater's incompetence at times and isn't above manipulating him to reach an end goal, but he'd never dream of usurping him because, well, he's really gay and in love with him (as much as he can be in an early-10s Disney cartoon, anyways). Hater might take Peepers for granted a lot of times, but as his oldest friend and closest confidante he's the one who Hater is closest to. Whether it's invading other planets or kicking puppies for fun, these two are *delightfully* terrible jerks and the epitome of gay wrongs. 

Commander Peepers is both Lord Hater's right hand man in villainy AND his jilted stay-at-home-wife-guy (Also in villainy. Hater is really good at getting distracted from productive and efficient villaining.) Lord Hater was the greatest villain in the galaxy thanks to how well he and Commander Peepers worked as an evil team to run the Hater Empire!

Lord Hater conquers planets and is such an edgy bastard. Peepers is the actual brains behind the operation. Peepers is often pushed aside by Hater, they are besties and yet Peepers is always pining for this guy who will never notice. Peepers is so horribly gay for him if you watch the show he wants his stupid boss so bad. Peepers is so scared of him season 1 but then starts yelling BACK in season 2 and has to deal with him like a babysitter or something and yet STILL idolizes him and that’s just such a fun dynamic. His password is H8RNP33PRS43VR (Hater and Peepers forever). They are so evil and everyone fears them and they are villains and they are gay and the side of the fandom that draws them as a married couple that needs counseling is absolutely correct. The fanart of Hater openly liking him back is wonderful but I swear you don’t even need that. They are so gay and villain you have to love them they are

Villains that conquer planets and do evil stuff, my favourite characters, not really canon but they are the best :)

For Wu Zetian x Gao Yizhi x Li Shimin: (propaganda from previous poll here)

They are in a poly and are so morally gray and I love em. The triangle really is the strongest shape

They're gay because they're all bi (literally in Shimin and Yizhi's cases, kinda more implied for Zetian). Zetian and Shimin tortured a man for information (and also because he tortured them first) while Yizhi cooked back in their apartment. They made a plan to destroy their government and take over instead. Yizhi killed his dad because he was talking shit about Zetian and trying to sway his trust in her (it didn't work lmao). Instead of a love triangle (it REALLY seemed like that was what it was heading towards) they all love each other and would (and have) committed atrocities for each other. There's a whole thing about how they're stronger together (like, metaphorically and on the battlefield (Shimin and Zetian pilot a giant mecha together and Yizhi balances them))

They're a canon polyship who are all a bit deranged and down to kill for their goals and/or to protect bae. Two have tortured a man to death together and came home to the third making celebratory cookies for them. 

What's more gay wrongs than trying to take over your country and torturing a man together

#minor bracket semifinals #iron widow #wander over yonder #gao yizhi #li shimin #wu zetian #commander peepers #lord hater

[negrowhat]

10 More BL Characters I Want Carnally

Got tagged for the second time to do this, this time by @kennyomegasweave so I'm gonna do another 10 BL baddies I wouldn't mind handing over the panties to.

Forth from 2MOONS2. Pavel always been FOINE and I absolutely LOVED him as Forth. We love a bi motorcycle boy!!!! And he knew exactly what he wanted.

Dr. Tin from Triage. He's smart, kind, thoughtful, AND FOINE! I've always had a crush on Tae tho...ever since OG 2Moons.

Tee from Gap the Series. STILL MAD HER STORYLINE WITH YURI GOT CUT! I know she could take me to heaven, like I know she know a couple thangs.

Miss Tiffy from Lovely Writer. I want her to call me Baby Girl and invite me to ride on the back of her motorcycle and make sure I hold on to her tight. Zorzo is so fucking incredibly FOINE!

Inspector M from Manner of Death. It's ACAB til I die BUT I want him to wear the uniform and strip it off for me. Since he's trash at his job he can use his handcuffs on me, I know they getting dusty in that holster.

Gao Shi De from We Best Love. Specifically s2 Shi De because he looked tf good in that season and he better wear those office jeans when he comes over.

Yiwa from Wedding Plan. Please she's so cute and funny and charming. I love her. I wanted to be Marine so bad!

Kim Jun Ho from Kissable Lips. I want this vampire to drain me...in every way.

Nozue from Old Fashion Cupcake. He's so charmingly simple and handsome and so flirty. I love this man.

Choco from Choco Milk Shake. Listen...I know he's a dog, like literally a pet, but that man is BIG! And at least I know he's loyal...it's in his DNA.

#2moons2 #triage #triage the series #gap the series #manner of death #we best love #we best love: fighting mr. 2nd #wedding plan #wedding plan the series #kissable lips #old fashion cupcake #choco milk shake

[clovercalloway]

We Best Love: Episode 1 [BLIND REACTION]

So, I have a girl friend who is fan of this show and finally convinced me to watch it. Did I make a mistake? Who knows.

But I collected my thoughts and decided to do this. Well, this is gonna be long so get ready. I'll edit with my afterthoughts (note, EAW means Edited After Watching [the episode]) once I'm finished with season 1, or maybe before. We'll see.

Ok, let's begin!

Welp, he's dead, Great start!

You sure this is a romance? This looks more like an intervention.

So, Zhau Shu Yi. I'll guess he's the main character or one of the main characters. I'll try to remember his name [furiously takes notes]

The one gremlin with No Name is asking Zhau why they think it's important for him to win. As a Bakugou fan, I'm excited to hear his answer.

"I push myself forward, so that you can see me." Just one minute and it's already too ‎fluffy for my heart

So, they're fighting underwater. They saw too much anime, istg. Anygays, that tells me these are actual kids (well, the actors may be older, but I'll suppose they're interpreting kids. I bet they're highschoolers).

"LESSON 1: LET'S SUFFOCATE." Okay, wow, great title. So maybe my joke about him being dead wasn't that far off.

Chilhood friends to lovers is such a nice trope, oml, go for it, boy. Be a man and go get your man!

Fang Zhen Wen and Jiang Yu Xin. Hope I remember that. Are those the other two friends?

Me, trying to be smooth

He has a fan club

You gals are fans of a swimmer. What did you expect? You were gonna run out of things to offer him eventually.

So he's Zhou Shu Yi. [keeps taking notes] I'll try to remember that.

Bro, how did he fell? You're supposed to be a pro, Zhou, your gals will be dissapointed.

He sounds way to chill for someone who's almost drowning.

NO YOU'RE NOT????

"How are they talking underwater?" "It's the rainbow connection, don't question it."

My Shojo Academia

Gao Shi De is me receiving gifts (socks and a mug) on Christmas

Anygays, Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi seem to have this kind of rivalry since they were basically on diapers. They came out of the womb wanting to throw hands with each other.

But Gao Shi De seems to be the naturally gifted, always on top, and so Zhou Shu Yi developed some sort of inferiority complex, or so it looks like. (Wow, this reminds me of yet ANOTHER story and ️‍🌈 ship that started in a similar way -if you know, you know-)

"Why did you fall-" THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, LIKE, WHY

Are you telling me that the actual reason he fell was because of the big gay panic- I mean, rivalry, that he has against Shi De?

OMG HE CUT HIS FINGER! I've seen enough shojo (and shonen) to know what this means. Where's Shi De to kiss it better?

You're not Shi De.

"I'm not crying." He's so Bakugou, istg

Now he's blaming his misfortunes on Gao Shi De. Bruh, the only thing he did was exist.

Oh, so they're in university? Nice to know.

His friends are trying to understand his language, I feel them, literally had no idea what he was talking about other than "Gao Shi De".

I was gonna say they seem like good kids and very supportive friends. The latter is truth. The former...

This poor unfortunate soul keeps falling for their tricks. Gao Shi De it's not that dumb, tho.

Oh gods, he plays the piano, he knows what them girls (and boys) like.

So after having a whole ass "Corpse Bride" moment they went back to bickering

They should make out, ngl. [EAW: Bruh...]

Gay people can't just ask someone out, they have to be very extra about it. Shu Yi is an example of that.

He's been bullying Shi De since they were kids, he's oblivious af.

Boy, just confess, it'll save you and your friends' time.

I want to know his name, he's such a mood.

While Shu Yi can't stop thinking about Shi De, important things are happening.

That girl from the beginning [EAW: Yu Xin, her name is Yu Xin, you big disaster] is asking Fang Zhen Wen out and he's all (,,>﹏<,,)

At least she's honest, nothing more important than THAT.

Shu Yi heard about the proposal and went all fake-smile on them and then left.

"Is Shu Yi OK?" Idk, girl, you tell me, I thought you three were friends.

They're telling him is dangerous to run down the stairs. I think he'll live, but I won't forgive him for dropping his backpack on the floor. Bro, get your stuff.

He's gonna start singing Beat on It.

Annnnnd he went back to the pool. Man, this is were it all started. The flashbacks from episode 1- oh wait.

He's actually making me feel bad, ngl. Maybe it's the acting, or that I understand the whole "why not me" situation. Mitski taught me well.

It's hard. Friendships and relationships are messy, specially when someone is still young. You also have to deal with a lot of feelings being even more irrational than they should, and the inferiority complex definitely doesn't help, making you feel so insecure about yourself, and as if no matter what you're always going to lack something.

I might barely know them but at the end of the day it's no one's fault, really. You can't control how you feel, or how others feel.

MOOOOOVING ON. You know who could help? HEY, SHI DE!

[EAW: He actually came, that mf]

Wait, is he actually? Bruh, did he jumped on the pool?

Why are teens like this. He could've just dropped the collar. Him and his dramatic gay ass.

Speaking of dramatic gay asses.

My guy, this is episode 1, couldn't you just wait until... episode 4, at least?

Dont give me that bs about cpr. The surface was RIGHT THERE!

AND THAT'S THE END OF EPISODE 1. I kinda wanna know if he'll give him the lame excuse about cpr.

I'm dying for more tension, Yu Xin knows what I'm talking about, she also has to finish her thesis.

So, that went quicker than I thought. It was compelling tho. I still need more to form solid opinions, but I´ll bite, I'm interested to know how this develops.

Anyways, whoever reading this (cough cough, bossman), see ya later. I'll watch episode 2 after this.

#we best love #clover watches series #clover reacts to we best love

[the-one-where-casey-watches-tv]

Heartstopper episode 2.03 "Promise"

Joe Locke and Kit Connor in Heartstopper. Image courtesy of IMDb.

This is the most I’ve looked forward to a new season of a show in a long time. I watched it all in a day and it filled my heart right up. To be a YA romance about two high school boys, it hits strikingly close to home. I was instantly enamored with season one, and my experience with it made me realize that I had actually never seen this part of myself on screen so completely before (I’ve been clinging to Olivia Wilde’s Thirteen on House for a decade). They’re high schoolers with high school problems, yet everything they go through feels significant without veering into melodrama. In fact, I think the reality of what they’re facing is so challenging, and all of these characters deserve so much credit for how they face them.

Especially Charlie. Charlie’s the unspoken protagonist of this story- when we watch this show we step into his shoes- and I think that sometimes leaves him overlooked. We empathize with all the characters on occasion- the show is really good at that- but Charlie was the one with the crush, the constant victim of unwanted attention; it’s easy to imagine ourselves in that position. But like no one’s favorite character is Harry Potter (except mine), I think Charlie can come across as two dimensional if we get too caught up in the self-insert nature of the story; like everything happens to him without him doing anything. But he’s a great dude, tbh.

And in this episode, he’s taking care of everybody else. The term is finally over- everyone in Nick’s year has just finished exams, and Charlie is ungrounded, just in time for a big party in the woods. Before leaving school, Tao declares his feelings for Elle with a new haircut and flowers, asking her on a date to the movies before the party. Elle accepts, and he takes her to see Moonrise Kingdom, a movie he hates but she loves. They both have nervous butterflies, but Elle is thrown off by the tension in the air and doesn’t like that Tao isn’t acting like himself.

They awkwardly agree to go to the party, where it’s revealed that Elle has invited her new friends, fellow prospective art students. Tao explodes, declaring that she’s forgotten all about him, and storms off (we’ll confirm later that Tao’s fear of abandonment stems from the death of his dad when he was 12; not everyone’s behavior is excused, but there is a reason that every character acts the way they act). Still reeling, Tao bumps into Charlie, who’s been separated from Nick in the chaos of the bonfire. Tao bursts into tears, declaring that he “tries too hard and talks too much and ruins everything”. Charlie wraps him in a fierce hug, and Tao sobs into his shoulder.

William Gao and Yasmin Finney in "Promise". Image courtesy of IMDb.

Nick, meanwhile, has been struggling with this night from the start. He’s plagued by the pressure he’s put on himself to come out, supplemented by Ben whispering in his ear all term that he’s treating Charlie the same way Ben used to. Nick’s taking his own promise to Charlie from season 1 very literally and feels increasingly guilty with each passing time he tries and fails to come out to someone in his life. Today, he’s promised again to come out to the rugby team, and Tori pulled a big sister move, threatening Nick if he didn’t look after Charlie tonight. The stakes are high, and he’s feeling them. He tells Charlie he just has a headache and can persevere.

But they quickly lose each other in the crowd, and while Charlie is comforting Tao, Nick is getting more and more distressed. While looking for Charlie he finds Tori instead, who skeptically points out that he’s not doing a very good job looking out for her brother. More broken promises… He finds his way into the center of the crowd, being jostled by a bunch of the rugby boys. Thoroughly disoriented, he’s endearingly still trying: “guys… there’s something… I need to tell you”. But suddenly Harry is next to him, throwing an arm around Nick and asking what they’re talking about.

Nick loses what’s left of his nerve at this point, but before he can find anything to say, Charlie appears and pulls Harry off of him: “Nick doesn’t want to talk to you, Harry, piss off!” Surprised, the other boys give them enough space for Charlie to ask Nick if he’s okay, and for Nick to say, “I feel really unwell”. Charlie declares that he’s taking him home and leads Nick out of the crowd. In the end, he’s not the one who needed looking after tonight. In the previous episode, Charlie apologized for not standing up for Nick when his brother started harassing him. In this episode, he proved that he actually learned from that moment and changed his behavior.

Joe Locke in Heartstopper. Image courtesy of IMDb.

I want to give Charlie so many points for the way he treats not only Nick, but never forgets about his friends while in the throes of his first real love. He gives Tao his full attention tonight, just like he will in Paris when he clips the Charlie + Tao lock onto the bridge, and just like he will at prom when he pulls Isaac into a group picture.

But with Nick especially, he is so genuinely supportive. Nick isn’t anything like Ben, and maybe it wouldn’t be fair for Charlie to express it, but there’s definitely something a little triggering for him about having another secret boyfriend. Nonetheless, Charlie not only takes Nick home and tucks him into bed with a cup of tea, but he makes the executive decision that they should stop trying to come out right now. He sees what it’s doing to Nick (and ignores what not doing it is doing to himself), and the relief in Nick is palpable.

But as selfless as it is, Charlie’s right: it is Nick’s coming out. He should be able to do it on his own terms. The tea is just that being gay is hard, and being in a relationship where one person is more out than the other is going to have painful moments for both people involved, and it isn’t either of their faults. And even though not everything is going according to plan, Nick is moving mountains himself. He really didn’t bat an eye before abandoning his entire friend group, not even caving for the more auxiliary members of the rugby team until they apologized and earned their way back into his life. Instead, he fully embraced Charlie’s friends, forming his own relationships with all of them.

And I’m really glad that the show doesn’t minimize the all-consuming fatigue involved with coming out. Nick doesn’t just want to do it for Charlie; he wants to be out, holding his boyfriend’s hand and kissing him whenever he wants. There are moments throughout the season where we see his own frustration with himself. But it just isn’t something that comes up naturally in conversation. It’s always awkward. It’s always at least a little bit scary. You have to bring the conversation to a stop and make an ‘announcement’, something that feels self-important and overdramatic, while doing nothing feels like keeping a cowardly secret. Struggling to come out doesn’t make Nick a bad person, and Heartstopper shows us exactly how and why.

Kit Connor in Heartstopper. Image courtesy of IMDb.

I love the way this show romanticizes all the right things, depicting both gay pride and gay struggle without one diminishing the other. Heartstopper is ultimately so full of love; this entire friend group is made up of really good people, and for everything that gives these kids a hard time, there’s something else propping them up. For every Ben Hope, there’s a Nick Nelson, for every overbearing brother there’s an overprotective sister, for every absent father there’s a perfect mother. It’s both guttingly relatable and rejuvenatingly hopeful, and while I personally will never get tired of a wholesome story, we still have far from enough queer content in this world that just makes you feel nice. If you love Heartstopper, please tell me everything you like about it and why :) <3

#heartstopper #joe locke #kit connor #charlie spring #nick nelson #william gao #yasmin finney #tao xu #elle argent #sebastian croft #ben hope #nick and charlie #tv review #tv criticism #tv #sorry for all the random pictures there aren't enough released for this episode yet but i thought they still looked nice

[the-tubort]

I got bored so I started thinking about the importance of the various Summer Movies for Super Sentai since sometimes they can be completely irrelevant and a wast eof time or will be important to the plot somehow and comeback in a way that makes you wish you saw the movie. (Note I have not seen every Sentai with a Summer Movie and some of these are based purely off of my memory since I haven't rewatched some seasons in forever)

Gaoranger: The Summer Movie is fun to see Gao Knight but literally nothing from it comes back in any meaningful or noticeable to my memory

Hurricaneger: If you wanted to see Tenrai Senpuujin several episodes early, then here you go! This one is just kinda there from what I remember like it's fine but it's placement is awkward and they don't even bother to mention Tri Condor appearing in the movie first at all.

Abaranger: This is a must watch for a multitude of reasons, but the events of this movie do come back during the show in a very big way so it's worth watching.

Dekaranger: It's more Dekaranger go watch it for fun. Dekaranger doesn't even have that big of a plot in the first place so this is just a lot of fun so watch it

Magiranger: This expands more on the lore of the world and does some foreshadowing for other stuff in the show but isn't extremely necessary. Watch it if you want to see Hikaru get bullied for no reason

Boukenger: From what I remember of Boukenger, this movie just advertised that the machines 6-10 could in fact combine and then added another Precious that did not really get talked about again

Gekiranger: I haven't seen all of Gekiranger but I have seen the movie and it debuts an amazing mech form that does come back quite often but it's not like this movie invented completely if that makes sense

Go-Onger: The series takes like two episodes of its runtime to literally bring back the movie characters and general plot so yes you do need to watch it

Shinkenger: The Summer Movie toy appears quite often in the show and post series content so yes do watch this. It's good regardless of its status as necessary anyways one of the best summer movies

Goseiger: The Summer Movie toy shows up I think a totalc of one extra time in the series and they don't even bother to reference that it came from the movie like at all its honestly not worth the time

Gokaiger: it's a fun time but nothing that happens in the movie changes or develops anything we didn't already know about the cast and their end goals. (Watch the vs Gavan movie though that shit is fire)

Kyoryuger: The Summer Movie cast, toy, and villain all come back in the main series and while they do provide minor context it's good to know the full movie regardless. It's also just super fun anyways

ToQger: not super necessary since it never gets directly mentioned until a Vs. Movie but this is genuinely one of the best movies they've made and when you watch ToQger along with this movie you'll understand

Ninninger: The most I can say about this movie is that the mech shows up the Vs ToQger movie for like 2 minutes which was neat

Zyuohger: This movie was cool but the mech and general plot I wanna say only get brought up like once for a quick reminder that it existed I think? Also Yamato gets beaten up a lot in this movie as is Zyuohger tradition

Kyuranger: Genuinely I was so excited to see the summer toy in this movie and I could not tell you a si gle thing that happens and neither can the cast of characters cause they never once bring it back

LuPat: Surprisingly yes this is necessary for something that happens at the end of the show. If you know, you know.

Ryusoulger: This is one of the more recent seasons + movie I watched and quite honestly I could not tell you much of what happens in the movie because for as much build up in the series led up to it, it impacted the story so minimally the show does a perfect job of summing it up without wasting the time it took to watch the movie. Whatever lore they dropped in the movie, you get in the show but at least seeing the lore in action is cool instead of not seeing it

Kiramager: Okay technically not a Summer Movie due to COVID but it counts in my heart forever. This is somewhat necessary they built it up a bit with the main villain being name dropped before her appearance and then they reference it in the literal last episode but its not like you're missing much if you choose to not watch it. I do recommend seeing it though for a certain scene. If you know, you know.

Donbrothers: The most recent movie and honestly I could not tell you if it was necessary at all considering the show isn't over but Inoue did bother to spend a whole two minutes to reference the movie happening and a single scene referencing it did happen so yknow. Go for it. I will say it is fucking hilarious and I couldn't breath at some points

#super sentai #tuborts thoughts #gaoranger #hurricaneger #abaranger #dekaranger #magiranger #boukenger #gekiranger #go onger #shinkenger #goseiger #gokaiger #kyoryuger #toqger #ninninger #zyuohger #kyuranger #lupinranger vs patranger #lupat #ryusoulger #kiramager #donbrothers #have fun reading this if you do #honestly if im wrong about something please reblog and type a message correcting me #i will not be mad cause some of these i dont completely remember and i genuinely love help for this stuff #im not joking whne i say i was in middle school when i saw the kyoryuger movie so you can do the math on the other movies

[lillie98]

Heartstopper 2 Ramble (SPOILERS)

I just finished Season 2 of Heartstopper and wow. I had high expectations after Season 1, but I was not prepared for this emotional rollercoaster. The entire cast and crew poured their heart and souls into this project, and I am eternally grateful. I fear I won’t survive Season 3.

First of all, Imogen absolutely killed me. I wasn’t sure about her Season 1, but she won me over. Her reaction to Nick Coming Out was precious and awkward and completely sincere. Her monologue with Ben had me cheering at my little tv, and I actually rooted for her. I’m glad Alice gave Imogen another shot. She deserved it.

I was really worried about Ben’s storyline and how he would play into everything, but I’m SO glad they didn’t make Charlie accept his fake-ass apology. It dripped with manipulation tactics and danger. Good on Charlie for recognizing them and standing up for himself. Him essentially saying that Ben Sexually Abused him was difficult to watch but also so empowering. I’m still not sure if Ben is gay or not, but it really doesn’t matter to me. As Charlie said, Ben permanently broke his brain and he will live with the consequences for the rest of his life. You don’t get your happy rainbow, Ben, because you almost took Charlie’s away. Also, the Paris dinner scene was incredible. Joe Locke did not utter ONE WORD and yet you knew exactly what was going through Charlie’s head.

Speaking of Joe’s incredible acting, the fainting scene was immaculate. I loved the pre-fainting on the stairs and how Charlie ignored it, not wanting to freak out Nick, but it caught up to him quickly. I literally saw the light leave his eyes and his body weight pull him down. The use of the white border, double vision, and audio distortion made it incredibly realistic along with the way Joe let himself fall completely limp in Kit’s arms. You truly believed he was unconscious. My only critique is I wish we had seen him wake up and Nick reassure him he’s safe. Talking about Charlie’s beautiful blue eyes.

Charlie’s ED was handled with gentleness and grace by everyone, but especially Joe and Alice. It was a slow build that made sense and felt realistic without hitting you over the head with it. It’s beautiful to see this misunderstood community represented in mainstream media, especially when it comes to boys’ Mental Health. I loved Nick’s mom picking up on it, even if she didn’t fully understand. Good moms always know.

Tao and Elle were adorable and I loved watching Tao read the WikiHow article and then ask Elle out. Thank God they cut his hair, it was hurting. A lot. I’m glad Elle decided to go to Art School and pursue her dreams, it’s what she deserves. A place where she feels at home and accepted for who she is, where she’s surrounded by like-minded people who love and accept her.

I know Alice has tried to make Jane Spring more likable, but it’s not working for me. Sorry. If you don’t accept your child’s partner, you don’t accept your child. Period. She reminds me of Darcy’s mother. Jane Spring, I am in your walls.

The final scene broke me. It set up Season 3 perfectly while wrapping up the events of this season. Charlie looked so broken and lost admitting what he’d done to himself and Nick had no idea how to help him. So he did what he could, hold Charlie close and remind him that he is loved. Fully and completely. Watching Charlie walk home in Nick’s sweatshirt was like watching Nick carry him home—protecting him from the monsters in his mind. Also, the song that plays (the one that broke my brain) is from Wasia Project, Will Gao’s (who plays Tao) band. So, in a way, Tao was watching over him, too. The stark contrast between the Season 1 ending and this one is startling, but in the best way. Go back and listen to the lyrics of the final song, it will break your heart. “You’re the only one left, so please don’t go.” Nick is terrified that Charlie won’t make it and doesn’t know how he’ll handle losing his entire world. I can’t wait to see the GA’s response (those who didn’t read the comics). This is not the Heartstopper they thought they were getting. But for us who did read, it was nothing short of perfect. Thank you, Alice Oseman and team, you created a masterpiece.

#heartstopper #charlie spring #nick nelson #nick and charlie #tao and elle #alice oseman #heartstopper s2 #lgbtqia #mental illness #mental health #heartstopper spoilers #imogen heaney #pride #heartstopper netflix #Boys Get Eating Disorders Too

[buffetlicious]

Yu Sheng (鱼生) or Yusang in Cantonese, meaning “raw fish” in Chinese, is a salad dish comprising thinly slicesd raw fish and various seasonings that are mixed together as diners toss the ingredients. It is a dish usually eaten during Chinese New Year. Traditionally a simple dish with few ingredients, the yusheng recipe has evolved over the decades and now comprises a wide variety of ingredients. Our second yusheng for this Lunar New Year is a small serving of Grand Fortune Abalone Yusheng (S$49.90++) from White Restaurant. In line with the coming Year of The Rabbit, this yusheng comes with an auspicious rabbit ornament.

Today, the common form of yusheng is the 七彩鱼生 (Seven-coloured Raw Fish salad) served in local restaurants during the Chinese New Year period. Also referred to as 发财鱼生 (Prosperity Raw Fish Salad) or 新年鱼生 (Chinese New Year Raw Fish Salad), this colourful take on yusheng was said to be created in the 1960s by chefs Lau Yoke Pui, Tham Yui Kai, Sin Leong and Hooi Kok Wai, together known as the “Four Heavenly Kings” in the Singapore restaurant scene.

The ritual of eating yusheng during Chinese New Year involves all the people at the table tossing the salad and uttering auspicious phrases. The dish is deemed auspicious because of the homonymic meanings behind its ingredients, which suggest blessings and good fortune for the new year:  鱼(Yu) is a homonym for “fish” and “abundance”, while 生 (Sheng) means both “raw” and “life”. Together, yusheng implies “abundance of wealth and long life”. In the Cantonese dialect, the dish is known as 捞起 (Lo Hei), where “lo” implies “tossing up good fortune” and 起 (Hei) means “to rise”, again a reference to a prosperous business and thus its popularity with businessmen during the new year celebrations. The ingredients of yusheng vary among restaurants, and one such recipe is presented below along with examples of auspicious phrases that may be uttered as each ingredient is added.

Step 1: All at the table offer auspicious greetings.

Words: 恭喜发财 (Gong Xi Fa Cai - Wishing you wealth and good fortune) or 万事如意 (Wan Shi Ru Yi - May all your wishes be fulfilled).

Step 2: Add fish, which symbolises abundance or excess through the year.

Words: 年年有余 (Nian Nian You Yu)

Step 3: Add pomelo over the fish for luck and auspicious value.

Words: 大吉大利 (Da Ji Da Li)

Then dash pepper over the ingredients for greater prosperity and fortune.

Words: 招财进宝 (Zhao Cai Jin Bao)

Pour oil, circling the ingredients to symbolise the multi-fold increase of profits and to encourage money to flow in from all directions.

Words: 一本万利 (Yi Ben Wan Li) and 财源广进 (Cai Yuan Guang Jin)

Step 4: Add carrots to the fish, indicating blessings of good luck.

Words: 鸿运当头 (Hong Yun Dang Tou)

Then place shredded green radish on the fish, symbolising eternal youth.

Words: 青春常驻 (Qing Chun Chang Zhu)

Next, add shredded white radish for prosperity in business and promotion at work.

Words: 风生水起 (Feng Sheng Shui Qi) and 步步高升 (Bu Bu Gao Sheng)

Step 5: Add condiments. First, sprinkle peanut crumbs on the dish, symbolising a household filled with gold and silver. As an icon of longevity, peanuts also symbolise eternal youth.

Words: 金银满屋 (Jin Yin Man Wu)

Sesame seeds follow, symbolising growth in business.

Words: 生意兴隆 (Sheng Yi Xing Long)

Add deep-fried flour crisps in the shape of golden pillows, with wishes that literally translate to mean that the whole floor would be filled with gold.

Words: 遍地黄金 (Bian Di Huang Jin)

Step 6: All at the table stand up and toss the salad an auspicious seven times with loud shouts of Lo Hei (捞起) and other new year wishes.

Action: Mix ingredients by pushing them towards the centre, which is an encouragement to push on the good luck to all at the table. Some may lift clumps of the salad as high as possible to symbolise the increase in good fortune.

This Yu Sheng (鱼生) only came with five small pieces of abalones so we enhanced it with an additional can of baby abalones. When we are ready to toss, we found out that the restaurant had mistakenly given us two containers of oil instead of one oil and one yuzu sauce. Without the sauce, there is no sweetness, so sis quickly juiced a couple of Mandarin oranges to replace the forgotten sweet sauce. Overall, not a satisfying eat due to the lack of a crucial condiment.

Yu Sheng info from here.

#Yu Sheng #鱼生 #Prosperity Toss #捞鱼生 #Lo Hei #捞生 #White Restaurant #Abalone #Chinese New Year #华人新年 #Lunar New Year #农历新年 #Vegetables #Salad #Candied Winter Melon #Jellyfish #Yam #Puff Crackers #Carrot #Colourful #Asian #Food #Buffetlicious

[gennianydots]

Hi, what's your 30 favorite Asian BL characters from dramas or series you've watched? (unless you don't have that many)

Thanks.

30?!

Nonnie? Are you okay? Reblog if you’re okay. 30 is a lot! Alright. I’m going to try my best. Just for YOU. And because I love you so much, I have also given you my reasons WHY.

I also created parameters for myself, so this is the MEN. If you want to find out my top 30 WOMEN from Asian BL's/QL's, just ask!

1. Pran from Bad Buddy

He’s my son, my baby, the absolute love of my life. I would marry this man in a heartbeat, if he were not already betrothed to Pat.

2. Pat from Bad Buddy

He’s such a green flags guy, my clueless baby with horny-for-Pran-only/would-kill/die-for-him vibes. Don’t forget the man got shot!

3. Tinn from My School President

Need I say more? No. Tinn is goofy and cheesy and literally the best. He loves Gun so much he is willing to risk his school presidency just to get the chance to date Gun. I love him!

4. Gun from My School President

Is he smart? No. Is he clueless? Yes. Does he have a heart of gold and strong ambition? YES. He’s my full heart, empty-mind, music-loving, can’t-lose dork and he’s a close contender for #3 behind Tinn, an even bigger dork.

5. Tiw from My School President/Our Skyy 2

Oh boy. Mark Pakin is him, he is Mark Pakin- I loved him so much. I love his willingness to stay by his friend through high school crushes and that we got to see him dating Por in Our Skyy 2. Big feels. 😍

6. Heart and LiMing from Moonlight Chicken

You cannot make me choose. These two stole the whole show and gave zero fucks about it.

7. Kurosawa Yuichi from Cherry Magic JP

This man stole my heart in the first several minutes of the show. Love his attentive nature and softness.

8. Jang Jae Young from Semantic Error

This chaos gremlin motherfucker is my favorite. He pined HARD for his underclassmen and I adore him for it.

9. Wei Wuxian from Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed

I haven’t seen the Untamed but have watched the animated series and read the story for Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. I don’t think I’d be here if I hadn’t first fallen in love with this Bisexual Disaster. A true KING.

10. King from Bed Friend

Speaking of KINGS, King is the ultimate Green-Flags Doe-Eyes Fabio of my dreams.

11. Tinn’s Dad from My School President

The most Dad to ever Dad - ever.

12. Pi from Fish Upon the Sky

An autistic son of mine. Phuwin made me laugh when I needed it the most. This show was a disaster but I loved this character!

13. Yok from Not Me

First crushed it in this role and he made Yok incredibly sexy the amazing, diverse character we see on screen.

14. Porsche from KinnPorsche

I joined the BL fandom with the KP group! I love when Porsche throws himself off the boat to get away from Kinn, peeing in the Koi pond, the sacrifices he made to protect Chay and every moment before and after.

15. Kinn from KinnPorsche

Daddy. I don’t think I need to say anything else. 😈

16. Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi from We Best Love

Holy hell, these men can act! They both really won me over in season 2, but I rooted for these boyfriends throughout the whole thing.

17. Akk and Ayan from The Eclipse

I can’t separate these two, either. I really loved First/Khaotung in these roles too. I can't picture anyone else who would have done them justice.

18. Team from Between Us

I just realized recently how much I enjoyed Between Us, and Team is so cute in this - I can't explain, I just like him a lot.

19. Win from Between Us

Team's boyfriend was also a highlight of Between Us for me.

20. Tsuge Masato from Cherry Magic JP

He made me laugh a lot. I loved him as the neurotic friend.

21. Gun from A Boss and a Babe

I love Force, Actually? He did a good job with playing an older role, even though he is younger than Book IRL.

22. Longtae from Tale of Thousand Stars

It was so CUTE seeing baby Khaotung in this role, and I cheered every time he was on screen. (I enjoyed Longtae more than Tian or Phupha - though I do think Mix did an excellent job as Tian the teacher).

23. Jedi from The Warp Effect

Does this count? It’s a very gay show. I say it counts. Again, a Mark Pakin role that he crushed.

24. Bosston from Until We Meet Again/Between Us

We are sticking with Green Flags only guys here. It was a tiny role but I loved it.

25. Klabkluen from Star and Sky: Star in My Mind

Have you seen Joong PINE over Dunk? He's the best PINER I've ever seen. This was mostly a fluff watch but I enjoyed Joong's performance.

26. Dew from 609 Bedtime Story

Well, this show was all over the place. I thoroughly enjoy time shenanigans in my shows so I stuck with it to the end, even if it ultimately made no sense. I have always thought Fluke Natouch was very talented though, and I found his performance here better than in Until We Meet Again, or Between Us. (He just "P'Dean"-ed all over the place and was too much of a blushing maiden for me).

27. Khondiao from Cutie Pie

I liked him better than the mains. 🤷‍♀️

28. Kim from KinnPorsche

My sad little meow-meow who ghosts a child. Also it's Jeff.

29. Ki Tae from Our Dating Sim

This show was so cute. I am a big fan of characters who pine for a long time before their crush finds out.

30. Payu from Love in the Air

Lots of controversy here as many folks didn't enjoy this show. I say credit where credit is due, Payu is the bisexual hottie I was looking for. The chemistry between Payu and Rain was also off the charts.

Thanks for reading!! Again, if you want my top 30 females you will have to ask me! Thank you to all the gif-makers who made the gifs I stole for this post. You are the true heroes of my heart. Muah Muah!

#bad buddy #my school president #asked and answered #asks #genni answers #hoo boy that was long #thai bl #korean bl #chinese bl #japan bl

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

"Another man's evil does not make you good. Men have used the atrocities of their enemies to justify their own throughout history". What Father Lantom said there was Matt was conflicted on whether or not he should kill Fisk, that's the sort of way most other MCU heroes and villains should be challenged on their actions.

I mean, I don't know if Steve Rogers was Irish-Catholic like Matt, but I think he had such a perspective of the California internment camps, Project Insight, the Sokovia Accords, etc.

It would have been amazing to have scenes like that one in the movies, can you imagine if Matt and Frank were joined by Steve in the rooftop? How would that work, because while Steve is probably more on Matt's side of things (as in, believing in the good of people, sometimes refusing to kill and arresting instead) he has killed an awful lot as well.

I just saw a couple more eps of S2 and this chat with Claire was so good:

Matt: "I thought it could work. I did. The law... But it feels useless. Everything I do just gets undone."

Claire: "You're talking to someone who patches up the same three crackheads every night."

Nurses put up with so much crap and she gave him just the perfect comeback.

If you mix that with Brett telling him the cops feel useless as they keep chasing crime instead of preventing it, with Foggy's numerous attempts at making Matt understand he needs to fix things by the law, it all points to the same path: he can't work alone because others are as interested in fixing the city as he is and they're as frustrated as him but they don't go and punch some criminals at night & if he keeps going that way that need for justification the priest was talking about is going to make him do something he will regret.

I mean, it's not a coincidence Matt is slowly losing faith (he literally said that to Gao) and he just told Frank maybe killing is the only way right about the time he's completely alone. His best work came when he had his friends, Claire and Brett, when they were all working together, just like Claire needed her team in the ER or Brett counts on the other cops or Foggy works with Karen, Matt needs them too.

It really is great how the series tackles that and I haven't seen the last two eps of the season yet but at the end of the day what the priest said still rings true.

Mind you, I'm not speaking against vigilantism at all but it's interesting to see these things from an outside perspective where other characters who don't put on suits and masks express how they feel and how the stuff the heroes do affect them personally and professionally. I love that it's street-level. I still believe what Daredevil does is necessary, but I find the dilemma quite interesting.

If other MCU characters had been taken through this path the light in which we see them would be totally different.

#only two eps left! #can I say I loved his chat with Fisk when he's all 'I'm going to use any legal loophole I have to prevent Vanessa from coming back' #that was badass lol

[drwcn]

How To Name Your Chinese Characters: 

1) LAST NAMES: 

I’ve pasted the Top 100 common last names in alphabetical order, and bolded the ones that appear in CQL:   

B: 白 Bai C: 蔡 Cai ; 曹 Cao ;  常 Chang ; 曾 Ceng ;  陈 Chen ;  程 Cheng ;  崔 Cui ; D: 戴 Dai ; 邓 Deng ; 丁 Ding ; 董 Dong ; 杜 Du ; F: 范 Fan ; 方 Fang ; 冯 Feng ; 付 Fu ; G: 高 Gao ;  葛 Ge  ; 龚 Gong ; 顾 Gu ; 郭 Guo ; H: 韩 Han ; 何 He ; 贺 He 洪 Hong ; 侯 Hou ; 黄 Hua ; 胡 Hu ; J: 贾 Jia ; 蒋 Jiang ; 姜 Jiang ; 江 Jiang ; 金 Jin ; K: 康 Kang ; L:  赖 Lai ; 李 Li ;  黎 Li ; 廖 Liao ; 梁 Liang ; 林 Lin ; 刘 Liu ; 陆 Lu ; 卢 Lu ; 路 Lu ; 吕 Lü ; 罗 Luo ; M: 马 Ma ; 麦 Mai ; 毛 Mao ; 孟 Meng ; N:  倪 Ni  ;  牛 Niu ; P: 潘 Pan ; 彭 Peng ; Q: 钱 Qian ; 秦 Qin ; 邱 Qiu ; R:任 Ren ; S: 邵 Shao ; 沈 Sheng ; 史 Shi ; 石 Shi ; 施 Shi ; 宋 Song ; 苏 Su ; 孙 Sun ; T: 陶 Tao ; 谭 Tan ; 唐 Tang ; 田 Tian ; W: 万 Wan ; 王 Wang ;  汪 Wang ; 魏 Wei ; 吴 Wu ; X: 邢 Xing ; 夏 Xia ;  蕭 Xiao ; 谢 Xie ; 徐 Xu ; 许 Xu ; 薛 Xue ; Y: 阎 Yan ; 严 Yan ; 杨 Yang ; 姚 Yao ; 叶 Ye ;  余 Yu ; 于 Yu ; 袁 Yuan ; Z: 张 Zhang ;  赵 Zhao ; 郑 Zheng ; 钟 Zhong ; 周 Zhou ;  朱 Zhu ;  庄 Zhuang ;  邹 Zou ;

Above are all single character last names, but there are some double character Chinese last names, seen below (list not exhaustive): 

独孤 Du’Gu ;  公孙 Gong’Sun ; 南宫 Nan’Gong    欧阳 Ou’Yang ;  司马 Si’Ma ; 上官 Shang’Guan ; 宇文 Yu’Wen ; 长孙 Zhang’Sun ; 诸葛 Zhu’GE ; 

2) GIVEN NAMES/COURTESY NAMES

《Elements》: 

Light*： 光 (guāng) - light，  亮 liàng - bright / shine， 明 (míng) - bright， 曦 (xī) - early dawn， 昀 (yún) - daylight， 昭 (zhāo) - light, clear，照 (zhào) - to shine upon，

Fire: 焰 (yàn) - flames， 烟 (yān) - smoke，炎 (yán) - heat/burn， 烨 (yè) - dazzling light，  

Water: also see “weather” OR “bodies of water” under nature; note the words below while are related to water have meanings that mean some kind of virtue: 清 (qīng) - clarity / purity， 澄 (chéng) - clarity/quiet， 澈 (chè) - clear/penetrating， 涟 (lián) - ripple， 漪 (yī) - ripple， 泓 (hóng) - vast water， 湛 (zhàn) - clear/crystal， 露 (lù) - dew， 泠 (líng) - cool, cold, 涛 (tāo) - big wave，泽 (zé)，浩 hào - grand/vast (water)，涵 (han) - deep submergence / tolerance / educated

Weather: 雨 (yǔ) - rain， 霖 (lín) - downpouring rain， 冰 (bīng) - ice， 雪 (xuě) - snow，  霜 (shuāng) - frost 

Wind: 风 (fēng) - wind

* some “Light” words overlap in meaning with words that mean “sun/day”

《Nature》:

Season: 春 (chūn) - spring， 夏 (xià) - summer， 秋 (qíu) - aumtum， 冬 (dōng) - winter

Time of Day: 朝 (zhāo) - early morning / toward， 晨 (chén) - morning / dawn， 晓 (xiǎo) - morning， 旭 (xù) - dawn/rising sun，昼 (zhòu) - day，皖 (wǎn) - late evening，夜 (yè) - night 

Star/Sky/Space: 云 (yún) - cloud，天 (tiān) - sky/ heaven，霞 (xiá) - afterglow of a rising or setting sun，月 (yuè) - moon，日 (ri) - day / sun，阳 (yáng) - sun，宇 (yǔ) - space，星 (xīng) - star

Birds: 燕 (yàn) - sparrow， 雁 (yàn) - loon， 莺 (yīng) - oriole， 鸢 (yuān) - kite bird (family Accipitridae)，羽 (yǔ) - feather

Creatures: 龙 (lóng) - dragon/imperial

Plants/Flowers:* 兰 (lán) - orchids，  竹 (zhú) - bamboo， 筠 (yún) - tough exterior of bamboos， 萱 (xuān) - day-lily， 松 (sōng) - pine， 叶 (yè) - leaf， 枫 (fēng) - maple， 柏 bó/bǎi - cedar/cypress， 梅 (méi) - plum， 丹 (dān) - peony

Mountains: 山 (shān)， 峰 (fēng) - summit， 峥 (zhēng)，

Bodies of water: 江 (jiāng) - large river/straits， 河 (hé) - river， 湖 (hú) - lake， 海 (hǎi) - sea， 溪 (xī) - stream， 池 (chí) - pond， 潭 (tán) - larger pond， 洋 (yáng) - ocean

* I didn’t include a lot of flower names because it’s very easy to name a character with flowers that heavily implies she’s a prostitute. 

《Virtues》: 

Astuteness: 睿 ruì - astute / foresight， 智 (zhi)， 慧 (hui)， 哲 (zhé) - wise/philosophy, 

Educated:  博 (bó) - extensively educated， 墨 (mo) - ink， 诗 (shi) - poetry / literature， 文 (wén) - language / gentle / literary， 学 (xue) - study， 彦 (yàn) - accomplished / knowledgeable, 知 (zhi) - to know， 斌 (bīn) - refined， 赋 (fù) - to be endowed with knowledge

Loyalty: 忠 (zhōng) - loyal， 真 (zhēn) - true 

Bravery: 勇 (yǒng) - brave， 杰 (jié) - outstanding, hero

Determination/Perseverance: 毅 (yì) - resolute / brave， 恒 (héng) - everlasting， 衡 (héng) - across, to judge/evaluate，成 (chéng) - to succeed， 志 (zhì) - aspiration / the will

Goodness/Kindness: 嘉 (jiā) - excellent / auspicious，磊 (lěi) - rock / open & honest， 正 (zhèng) - straight / upright / principle，

Elegance: 雅 (yǎ) - elegant， 庄 (zhuāng) - respectful/formal/solemn， 彬 (bīn) - refined / polite， 

Handsome: 俊 jùn - handsome/talented 

Peace: 宁 (níng) - quietness/to pacify, 安 （ān) - peace, safety

Grandness/Excellence：宏 (hóng) - grand，豪 (háo) - grand, heroic，昊 (hào) - limitless / the vast sky，华 (huá) - magnificent， 赫 (hè) - red/famous/great， 隆 (lóng) - magnificent， 伟 (wěi) - greatness / large，轩 (xuān) - pavilion with a view/high，卓 (zhuó) - outstanding

Female Descriptor/Virtues/Beauty: 婉 (wǎn)，惠 (huì)， 妮 (nī)， 娇 (jiāo)， 娥 (é)， 婵 (chán) (I didn’t include specific translations for these because they’re all adjectives for women meaning beauty or virtue) 

《Descriptors》:

Adverbs: 如 (rú) - as，若 (ruò) - as, alike，宛 (wǎn) - like / as though，

Verbs: 飞 (fēi) - to fly，  顾 （gù) - to think/consider， 怀 (huái) - to miss, to possess， 落(luò) - to fall, to leave behind，梦 (mèng) - to dream， 思 (sī) - to consider / to miss (someone)，忆 (yì) - memory， 希 (xī) - yearn / admire

Colours: 红 (hóng) - red， 赤 (chì) - crimson， 黄 (huàng) - yellow， 碧 (bì) - green，青(qīng) - azure，蓝 (lán) - blue， 紫 (zǐ) - violet ，玄 (xuán) - black， 白 (baí) - white

Number：一 (yī), 二 (er) - two, 三 (san) - three,  四 (si) - four,  五 (wu) - five, 六 (liu) - six, 七(qi) - seven, 八 (ba) - eight,  九 (jiu) - nine, 十 (shi) - ten

Direction: 东 (dōng) - east， 西 (xi) - west， 南 (nan) - south， 北 (bei) - north，

Other: 子 (zǐ) - child, 然 (rán) - correct / thusly

《Jade》: *there are SO MANY words that generally mean some kind of jade, bc when ppl put jade in their children’s name they don’t literally mean the rock, it’s used to symbolize purity, goodness, kindness, beauty, virtue etc*  琛 (chen), 瑶 (yao),  玥 (yue),  琪 (qi),  琳 (lin)

《Spirituality》

凡 (fan) - mortality 

色 (se) - colour, beauty. In buddhism, “se” symbolizes everything secular

了 (liao) - finished, done, letting go 

尘 (chen) - dust, I’m not… versed in buddhism enough to explain “chen”, it’s similar to “se”

悟 (wu) - knowing? Cognition? To understand a higher meaning

无 (wu) - nothing, the void, also part of like “letting go” 

戒 (jie) - to “quit”, but not in a bad way. In buddhism, monks are supposed to “quit” their earthly desires.

极 (ji) - greatness, also related to the state of nirvana (? I think?) 

#cql #the untamed #because i have gotten many many many asks about how to name characters #language #master list

[negrowhat]

10 Day BL Challenge

Day 8: Your Favorite Couple

Gao Shi De and Zhou Shu Yi from We Best Love: Fighting Mr. 2nd

Shi De and Shu Yi are by no means the perfect couple but the way they were so emotionally charged when it came to each other made a lasting impression for me. I love the recurring theme of how hate and love are 2 sides of the same coin for them. 

Kurosawa Yuichi and Adachi Kiyoshi from Cherry Magic

Name a more perfect couple! Don’t worry I’ll wait. No they were perfect because so many imperfections were highlighted. Adachi was just a wallflower with high anxiety who wanted to just blend in. Kurosawa was the company’s all-star who hid his true self behind the mask of a good boy, only doing what was expected of him and not what he wanted. Who would think that a little virgin magic would guide Adachi to open his heart and for Kurosawa to get the man of his dreams.

Fighter and Tutor from Why R U? the Series

The series might have been a hot mess but I absolutely adored FighterTutor. I loved the entire setup of their relationship. I loved that we got to see Fighter go from an annoying himbo to becoming the most attentive boyfriend. I love how we got to see Tutor’s walls come down and become more vulnerable in front of Fighter, trusting him. They were honestly just magical together.

TharnType from TharnType 2: 7 Years of Love

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THARNTYPE! There’s no secret about it, I’ve gotten into arguments with people about it! I’m a TharnType apologist. S1 was a hot mess and I understand how they would be an acquired taste. But S2 TharnType showed a lot of growth, Type seemed to have mellowed out a lot and Tharn seemed to have learned to be more assertive. They argued a lot about marriage and both had valid points. I just love how mature they had become and cried when they tied the knot.

Cairo Lazaro and Gavreel Alarcon from Gameboys the Series

Another couple I love everything about. CaiReel made me laugh and squeal and literally cry. The first time I had seen an online relationship portrayed in a series. I love how Gav’s flirty and positive nature played off against Cai’s shy and grumpy demeanor. Gav helped Cai work through his guilt and coming out and Cai helped Gav work through the tail end of his grief. I love them and I’m looking forward to season 2.

Go Yoo Han and Choi Yeon Woo from Color Rush

THEY! THEM! *Chef’s Kiss* No secret that I love them too! Their story was new! We love a soulmate trope done well. I love how they were instantly connected and drawn to each other. They couldn’t stay away. They completed each other in more ways than one.

Gene and Nubsib from Lovely Writer

I LOVE THEM TOO! I love how Gene isn’t your typical type of lead in these kinds of dramas and it showcased in a blatant direct contrast of the series being filmed within the series. I love that Nubsib came up with such a convoluted plan just to be reunited with his one true love. I love that even thought Gene is older than Nubsib, it’s Nubsib that takes care of him. I love that Gene is honest with Nubsib and that even though he’s hesitant he’s still open and receptive of Nubsib’s feelings because he has feelings too.

#ok ok i'm done #i'm done #fave couples #10 day bl challenge #10dayblchallenge #gao shi de #zhou shu yi #deyi #we best love #we best love: fighting mr. 2nd #wbl #kurosawa x adachi #kurodachi #cherry magic #fightertutor #why r u the series #why r u? #tharntype the series #tharntype #tharntype 2: 7 years of love #caireel #cairo lazaro #gavreel alarcon #gameboys the series #go yoo han #choi yeon woo #color rush #gene x nubsib #nubsibgene #lovely writer

[gladiates]

175+ non-Western literature recommendations to diversify your academia, organized by continent + country

I love world literature, and I’ve been frustrated by the lack of representation of it in literature + academia communities on tumblr, so here are some recommendations. I haven’t read all of these myself yet, but the ones I have are excellent and the ones I haven’t come highly recommended from Goodreads and are on my to-read list! 

With the exception of anthologies of older works, all of these books were written before 2000 (some literally thousands of years earlier), since I’m less familiar with super contemporary literature. Also, I only included each writer once, though many of them have multiple amazing books. I’m sure there are plenty of incredible books I’m missing, so please feel free to add on to this list! And countries that aren’t included absolutely have a lot to offer as well--usually, it was just hard to find books available in English translation (which all of the ones below are.)

List below the cut (it’s my first post with a cut so let’s hope I do it right... and also warning that it’s super long)

ASIA:

Bangladesh:

Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (1929)

China:

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (6th century BCE)

The Art of War by Sun Tzu (5th century BCE)

The Analects by Confucius (circa 5th-4th century BCE?)

The Book of Chuang Tzu by Zhuangzi (4th century BCE)

Mencius by Mencius (3rd century BCE)

The Songs of the South: An Anthology of Ancient Chinese Poems by Qu Yuan and Other Poets (2nd century AD)

Li Po and Tu Fu: Poems by Li Po and Tu Fu (written 8th century AD)

Poems of Wang Wei (8th century AD)

Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong (14th century AD)

Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling (1740)

Dream of the Red Chamber by Xueqin Cao (1791)

Six Records of a Floating Life by Shen Fu (1809)

Diary of a Madman and Other Stories by Lu Xun (1918)

Mr Ma and Son by Lao She (1929)

Family by Ba Jin (1933)

Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang (1943)

A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy by Wing-Tsit Chan (1963)

Red Sorghum by Mo Yan (1987)

Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian (1989)

The Big Red Book of Modern Chinese Literature edited by Yunte Huang (anthology, 2016)

India:

The Rig Vega (1500-1200 BCE)

The Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita (around 400 BCE but not known exactly. The Gita is part of the Mahabharata)

The Upanishads (REALLY wide date range)

The Dhammapada (3rd century BCE)

The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way by Nāgārjuna (2nd century AD)

The Recognition of Sakuntala by Kālidāsa (4th century AD)

The Way of the Bodhisattva by Santideva (700 AD)

Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore (1910)

Annihilation of Caste by B.R. Ambedkar (1936)

The Discovery of India by Jawaharlal Nehru (1946)

Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh (1956) 

A Source Book in Indian Philosophy by Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Charles Alexander Moore (1957)

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (1981)

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth (1993)

Women Writing in India: 600 BC to the Present V: The Twentieth Century by Susie J. Tharu and K. Lalita (1993)

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (1995)

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (1996)

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (1999)

Indian Philosophy in English: From Renaissance to Independence (anthology, 2011)

Indonesia:

The Weaverbirds by Y.B. Mangunwijaya (1981)

Iran:

Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings by Abolqasem Ferdowsi (11th century AD)

The Essential Rumi by Rumi (13th century AD)

The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat (1936)

Savushun by Simin Daneshvar (1969)

My Uncle Napoleon by Iran Pezeshkzad (1973)

Missing Soluch by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi (1979)

Iraq:

Fifteen Iraqi Poets edited by Dunya Mikhail (published 2013 but the poems are 20th century)

Japan:

The Ink Dark Moon: Love Poems by Ono no Komachi and Izumi Shikibu (9th-10th century AD)

The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon (1002 AD)

The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu (1008 AD)

The Tale of the Heike, unknown (12th century AD)

One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse (not sure of year)

Essays in Idleness by Yoshida Kenkō (1332)

Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki (1914)

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai (1948)

Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata (1948)

The Makioka Sisters by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki (1948)

Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima (1949)

Masks by Fumiko Enchi (1958)

The Woman in the Dunes by Kōbō Abe (1962)

A Personal Matter by Kenzaburō Ōe (1964)

Silence by Shūsaku Endō (1966)

Korea (written before the division into North/South):

The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong (written 1795-1805)

Lebanon:

Samarkand by Amin Maalouf (1988)

Gate of the Sun by Elias Khoury (1998)

Pakistan:

We Sinful Women: Contemporary Urdu Feminist Poetry (1991)

The Rebel's Silhouette: Selected Poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1991)

The Taste of Words: An Introduction to Urdu Poetry edited by Raza Mir (2014)

Palestine:

Men in the Sun and Other Palestinian Stories by Ghassan Kanafani (1963)

Orientalism by Edward Said (1978)

I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti (1997)

Mural by Mahmoud Darwish (2000, which technically breaks my rule by a year but it’s great)

Philippines:

Noli Me Tángere by José Rizal (1887)

Saudi Arabia:

Cities of Salt by Abdul Rahman Munif (1984)

Sri Lanka:

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai (1994)

Syria:

Damascus Nights by Rafik Schami (1989)

Taiwan:

Last Words from Montmartre by Qiu Miaojin (1996)

Turkey:

My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk (1998)

Vietnam:

Spring Essence: The Poetry of Hô Xuân Huong by Hô Xuân Huong (1801)

The Tale of Kieu by Nguyen Du (1820)

Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong (1988)

Miscellaneous Asia (country unclear or multiple current day countries):

The Epic of Gilgamesh (circa 1800 BCE)

Myths from Mesopotamia translated by Stephanie Dailey

The Arabian Nights (as early as the 9th century AD, lots of changes over the years)

The Qur’an

AFRICA:

Algeria:

Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade by Assia Djebar (1985)

The Bridges of Constantine by Ahlam Mosteghanemi (1993)

Cameroon:

Houseboy by Ferdinand Oyono (1956)

Egypt:

The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems 1940 - 1640 B.C. translated by R.B. Parkinson

Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz (1956)

The Sinners by Yusuf Idris (1959)

Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi (1975)

The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif (1999)

Ghana:

Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo (1977)

Two Thousand Seasons by Ayi Kwei Armah (1979)

In My Father’s House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture by Kwame Anthony Appiah (1992)

Guinea:

The Radiance of the King by Camara Laye (1954)

Kenya:

A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thing'o (1994)

The River and the Source by Margaret A. Ogola (1995)

Libya:

The Bleeding of the Stone by Ibrahim al-Koni (1990)

Mali:

The Fortunes of Wangrin by Amadou Hampâté Bâ (1973)

Nigeria:

The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola (1952)  

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (1958)

Efuru by Flora Nwapa (1966)

The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta (1979)

Aké: The Years of Childhood by Wole Soyinka (1981)

Sozaboy: A Novel in Rotten English by Ken Saro-Wiwa (1985)

The Famished Road by Ben Okri (1991)

Senegal:

God’s Bits of Wood by Ousmane Sembène (1960)

So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ (1981)

Somalia:

Maps by Nuruddin Farah (1986)

South Africa:

When Rain Clouds Gather by Bessie Head (1969)

Fools and Other Stories by Njabulo S. Ndebele (1986)

Sudan:

Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih (1966)

Tunisia:

The Colonizer and the Colonized by Albert Memmi (1957)

Zimbabwe:

The House of Hunger by Dambudzo Marechera (1978)

Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga (1988)

Miscellaneous Africa:

The Granta Book of the African Short Story edited by Helon Habila (2011)

The Penguin Book of Modern African Poetry edited by Gerald Moore and Ulli Beier (1963)

AMERICAS:

Antigua and Barbuda:

A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid (1988)

Argentina:

Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges (1944)

Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar (1963)

The Museum of Eterna’s Novel (The First Good Novel) by Macedonio Fernández (1967)

Kiss of the Spider Woman by Manuel Puig (1976)

The Sixty-Five Years of Washington by Juan José Saer (1985)

How I Became a Nun by César Aira (1993)

Thus Were Their Faces by Silvina Ocampo (2015 but written earlier)

Brazil:

Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis (1900)

Chronicle of the Murdered House by Lúcio Cardoso (1959)

Dona Flor and her Two Husbands by Jorge Amado (1966)

Pedagagy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire (1968)

The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector (1977)

Vast Emotions and Imperfect Thoughts by Rubem Fonseca (1988)

Chile:

The Obscene Bird of Night by José Donoso (1970)

Emergency Poems by Nicanor Parra (1972)

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (1982)

Colombia:

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967)

Cuba:

The Kingdom of This World by Alejo Carpentier (1949)

Cold Tales by Virgilio Piñera (1958)

Dominican Republic:

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (1994)

Guatemala:

Men of Maize by Miguel Ángel Asturias (1949)

I, Rigoberta Menchú by Rigoberta Menchú (1985)

Guadalupe (part of France but overseas):

I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé (1986)

Haiti:

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwige Danticat (1994)

Jamaica:

No Telephone to Heaven by Michelle Cliff (1987)

The True History of Paradise by Margaret Cezair-Thompson (1999)

Martinique (part of France but overseas):

Discourse on Colonialism by Aimé Césaire (1950)

Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon (1961)

Poetics of Relation by Édouard Glissant (1997)

Mexico:

Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (1955)

Aura by Carlos Fuentes (1962)

The Hole by José Revueltas (1969)

Underground River and Other Stories by Inés Arredondo (1979)

The Collected Poems, 1957-1987 by Octavio Paz (1987)

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (1989)

Nicaragua:

Azul by Rubén Darío (1888)

Peru:

The Cardboard House by Martín Adán (1928)

The Time of the Hero by Mario Vargas Llosa (1962)

The Complete Poems by César Vallejo (1968)

St. Lucia:

Omeros by Derek Walcott (1990)

Trinidad and Tobago:

The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution by C.L.R. James (1938)

A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul (1961)

Uruguay:

Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano (1971)

Venezuela:

Doña Bárbara by Rómulo Gallegos (1929)

Indigenous Writers from Canada and the United States:

American Indian Stories by Zitkála-Šá (Dakota) (1921)

Winter in the Blood by James Welch (Blackfeet and A’aninin) (1974)

Emplumada by Lorna Dee Cervantes (Chumash) (1982)

She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo (Mvskoke) (1982) 

Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich (Chippewa) (1984)

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo) (1986)

Custer Died for Your Sins by Vine Deloria Jr. (Dakota) (1988)

The Grass Dancer by Susan Power (Dakota) (1997)

Miscellaneous Americas:

And We Sold the Rain: Contemporary Fiction from Central America edited by Rosario Santos (1988)

Short Stories by Latin American Women: The Magic and the Real edited by Celia Correas de Zapata (2003)

Bordering Fires: The Vintage Book of Contemporary Mexican and Chicana and Chicano Literature edited by Cristina García (2006)

#dark academia #light academia #academia aesthetic #academic #academia #academics #studyblr #litblr #reading #books #booklr #literature #world literature #poc literature #writers of color #bookworm #bookaddict

[heretherebedork]

I am here to hurt myself by watching WBL2. I know it ends in a reward but the beginning is nothing but agony and why I haven't watched it before. I am already in pain just from watching any tiny amount of pain of these boys.

lol I am literally refering to this as my day of atonement.

... I did make a very nice Rosh Hashanah post but that doesn't make me particularly religious, tbh. Cultural Judaism, yo.

Also, pain. Hi pain.

Ugh, I avoided this pain for so long. Now I'm here for it. One post. I'm only making this one post. @absolutebl I'm doing it! I know how much you love this, though.

Oh, fuck it, if I'm trying to limit all my rambling to one post I might as well read more it. I ramble so much.

Ep 1:

Oh look pain. Pain. And more pain. Yup. Yup. I hate this kind of plot even if I know it resolves well. At least it's not cheating but STILL hi dying. Shu Yi is a darling boy who deserved better than five years of nothing for any reason and Gao Shi De should have been better than that. Even knowing it ends well doesn't make this easier. dgkldf GODDAMN IT SELF. Just watch the show and stop being a baby about emotional pain.

Awww, the matching ties! I've seen that post a dozen times and love it every time and it's good to see.

The fucking way Gao Shi De just tries to walk back into his life without a second word or hesitation or thought makes me SO DAMN TWITCHY. Poor Shu Yi. Also, Gao Shi De deserves every punch and slap and uuughhh this show was designed to hurt me. I HATE relationships falling apart. Absolutely my least favorite trope/plot point of practically all time.I hate it I hate iiiit I hate it so muuuuuch.

I mean, damn, the acting here is amazing beyond words, obviously. But that just makes it hurt more. Especially Shu Yi's pain that he's put behind so much anger and work just to keep himself functional and it's damn gorgeous DAMNit.

Ep 2:

Darling Shu Yi deserved so much better. Even though Gao Shi De wasn't cheating on him, he deserved better than the silence and disappearance and he deserves the goddamn world. Ugh literally like a minute into the episode and already there is so much pain. I know they end up happy but I almost want to just tell Shu Yi to tell Gao Shi De to fuck off forever.

Nope, Gao Shi De, you deserve the pain. Shu Yi does't, you do, your upset doesn't get me upset. Shu Yi's pain is the only one I regret in this show. But, seriously, doing all this in front of the whole company is such a bastard move in his part honestly. Poor Shu Yi, seriously.

I do love my tiny obviously favorite character, though, and his tiny inability to sit and his tiny double hands for everything and I adore him beyond measure.

Ugh, Shu Yi choosing to fake the return of trust and friendship and love and I am proud of him for doing that and no, I don't care, Gao Shi De deserves it. I mean, it's not a good or healthy choice but, you know what, I'm okay with that.

But seriously. Poor Shu Yi. Has to deal with being ghosted and then Gao Shi De's return and then an extremely drunk ex crying on him when he's just trying to go to work... at midnight, okay, maybe not healthy either.

Ep 3:

Oh, Gao Shi De. You're an idiot. I mean that... only with a tiny bit of affection and mostly with me rolling my eyes. Making a promise to his dad wasn't bright of you. I mean, seriously, 5 years without contacting him, telling him what happened and on the condition that Shu Yi doesn't try to move on in five years of being completely ghosted. That's just dumb to an astonishingly level of dumb.

Ugh, poor Shu Yi. Your dad and your ex are both idiots and they deserve to get away from you just like you want. Seriously. You poor young man. You deserved so much better from the people you love.

But seriously fuck Gao Shi De and Shu Yi's dad. You're both idiots who don't deserve him. Especially his dad. But also especially Gao Shi De. Seriously. This is why we talk to people, damnit. Poor Shu Yi.

Why, yes, that's my main take away from this show. Shu Yi deserved so much better. Gao Shi De's need to constantly solve everything by himself is the biggest problem in the show, oy vey.

OF COURSE he wants to go back to that time. He was loved and loved and trusted you and happy and comfortable and who wouldn't want to go back to that?

Yu Zhen Xuan is my darling, obviously, and Pei Shou Yi's wanting to take care of him but also to stay away from him for his own sake. Oh, boys.

Ep 4:

I know they get better at some point. I really do. Shu Yi is still breaking my heart, though. I just want to see the poor darling smile and not in a flashback.

Oh, Shu Yi. You deserve the world, seriously. I mean, I'm glad you've managed to come back around to trying to believe in Gao Shi De. I really am. But man he doesn't deserve it. But also ugh, this embrace, utterly fantastic. Darling Shu Yi is finally smiling!

And poor Yu Zhen Xuan trying to ask about Pei Shou Yi so deseperately and being denied everything... ugh, I love him so much. But mostly just Yu Zhen Xuan wanting that connection so badly but always, again and again, denied and I just want to comfort him so badly. Yes, he's coming to you but, I mean, what is friendship but going to other people for comfort? Awww, the two ramens. The BABY.

But also darling Shu Yi is finally smiling and Gao Shi De does bring him comfort and love and they're genuinely good to and for each other, at least, once they're together. Now they just need to actually talk to each other about what happened.

The simultaneous "DAD" was gorgeous. Okay, that was really good.

Ep 5:

Ah, my long awaited darling boy's backstory that I know and love. The tiny panic and fear and the way he jumps and fights back at the tiniest thing... I love this feral teenager SO MUCH and then he grows up into a CTO for a major company and it's even better.

Plus, Pei Shou Yi looking for him after telling him not to come back because the mug got returned? Ugh, heartbreaking but in like a sad, small kind of way.

And the darling CEOs teasing each other in front of their employees while also in suits and being uplifting and good at supporting them? A+ how does one go about getting bosses like that? Also, how Shu Yi looks at Gao Shi De when he's being a good boss? Also A+.

Okay, yes, they're adorable and tiny and the piggyback ride while also in suits and looking fine is simple the best of the best and Gao Shi De taking care of Shu Yi while also confronting his father is frankly amazing. Oh, darling boys.

Gao Shi De, he already admitted that he did this entirely to trick you and Shu Yi is perfectly willing to take a stand against his father. Stop trying to win him over. Let Shu Yi handle his family. His dad's an idiot and he's not gonna listen to you.

Ep 6:

More backstory for my darling feral teenager and the doctor who took care of him at his lowest. I love them both so much. I wish they'd gotten more of a story but I'm not entirely sure I want a third season about them either.

Portable boyfriend! Well! Portable boy... friend...

Also, Shu Yi and Gao Shi De, you have no right to talk about them not communicating, seriously boys, love you to death but seriously communication... actually, honestly, Shu Yi is great at communication. He can criticize them. Gao Shi De has no right.

Pei Shou Yi, seriously, you say these things about not having any emotion but you also admit that you knew he evoked a response from you. You definitely remembered and had feelings about him when you were separated. I mean, you even saved the ramen that was his favorite. You looked for him. I know it's scary but that's okay.

Shu Yi is just so adorable about meeting the in-laws and being all awkward and adorable and it's beyond cute and then the talk about his dad and family and they're just adorable and domestic and sweet and how dare they.

Literally, Shu Yi is the best person in the world and the two people who love him most can learn a lot from him.

Ugh, Yu Zhen Xuan is my baby and I love him so much and he's just doing his best to be his best and he wants to love and be loved but he's trying so hard and I love him so much. He's just such a darling and he also deserves the world and to be loved just as he loves.

And we had to have another pool kiss, of course, what darlings.

Pei Shou Yei: I don't experience emotions... except the ones involved in protect Yu Zhen Xuan because those aren't emotions, those are just natural urges and don't count.

Awww, proposals are always adorable and sweet.

I did it! I've finally watched the whole thing, between dramacool and dailymotion I've managed to watch this show. Yay for me!

#bl drama #bl series #i'm not really gonna tag this #i'm so late to the game #but also agony #so you know #lol i finally did it #now my list of shows i have considered watching but chosen not to is at least one shorter

[danmei-trash]

Let's talk about the bit where Gao Shi De promises Dad Zhou to stay away from Shu Yi.

You can see clearly that even though he is politely speaking to Shu Yi's father, he is firm and resolute in his stand, and is ready to fight Dad Zhou. When does he start agreeing with Shu Yi's dad? After he mentions this:

Shu Yi's dad mentions Shu Yi's other family members. That's when Shi De starts hesitating.

Now idk about other places but in Asia, family members are a huge thing. Not just family, even your neighbors and literally anybody in society can butt in and say some passive agressive or downright offensive words, and you cannot refute them. Even if you have done nothing wrong (like being in a same sex relationship or in a relationship with a person of lower social status in this case), if you are considered wrong, society will make sure that your life is hell. It's f*cked up, but that is how it goes here. So I can genuinely understand why Shi De was starting to (albeit unwillingly) agree with Shu Yi's dad. If he had a bit of a higher social standing, at least his status would shush the mouths of society. That is why Shi De agrees to stop meeting Shu Yi.

I'm not saying he did the right thing, in fact, I am actually totally against it. He should've talked to Shu Yi about it, definitely. But Shi De is always taking decisions on his own (the time when he started to avoid Shu Yi in the first season for example). He thought he did it for Shu Yi's good, and he definitely messed up. I honestly wish he had talked to Shu Yi about it, but this actually makes more sense to me in terms of Shi De's character.

Idk if I explained it correctly but I just wanted this out of my head so here~

#we best love #wbl: fighting mr. 2nd #wbl #I feel like I did a bad job of explaining #but I am too tired to retype it so here #my two cents about this ep

[chalkrevelations]

WELL. Episode 3 of Word of Honor.

First of all: If you are NEW or JUST VISITING, this is a re-watch, so there are SPOILERS not just for this ep, but for the ENTIRE SHOW. A lot of them, actually. Scroll away and come back later if you haven’t seen all 36.5 eps and want to watch it unspoiled.

So, this ep feels a little disjointed. I don’t think it actually is, not in the way the back nine are a speedrun where the writing starts to feel like it’s thisclose to coming off the rails, but it feels like it, in that we’re now getting a double handful of threads thrust at us that are only just starting to be woven together into a plot, and it’s the kind of hot mess that any fiberwork looks like before the pattern starts to show itself, particularly when you’re using 15 different color threads from jump. There’s generally a major theme or issue or overriding concept that stands out to me in each ep that, you may have noticed, gets primacy of place in these reactions, but honestly, y’all, I really struggled to figure out what that might be for this episode, because a lot of this, on re-watch, strikes me as groundwork for later developments. Wen Kexing gives us an “as you know, Bob” speech about the Amory and the Glazed Armor, we meet approx. 3.2K new characters, and I feel sort of like I should start keeping a chart of who’s supposed to have a piece of the Glazed Armor and who actually does have a piece of the Glazed Armor, but it’s already so confusing that it might be too late.*

ANYWAY, on re-watch, I can absolutely see the value of spending Eps 1 & 2 on introducing us to Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing and getting us pulled into their orbit, because then we have scenes we’re already invested in to maintain our interest as the background politics begin to frustratingly play out with a bunch of people we don’t know or have any investment in yet. I mean, y’all. I forgot just what an ill-tempered gremlin ZZS was in these early eps. He is so fk’n put out that these people will not let him drink himself to death in the gutter in peace! Or, you know, in occasional Nightly Nails Torment. And the exasperation from both ZZS and Chengling over WKX’s antics – both of their faces are priceless in the scene when they discover he’s the one who’s bought out all the rooms at the inn. I literally lol’d. Again. Even knowing it was coming. All of this interaction is so delightful. This is actually the ep that provoked my very first WoH keysmash flailing Tumblr post and inaugurated the “wen kexing’s thirst is practically a third character” tag. I guess the biggest throughline for this ep is that we can continue to see how everything changes when we know about their previous relationship – things like WKX’s insistence that they have a “deep bond through fate” take on additional layers of meaning rather than just sounding like some dude who’s trying to pick you up at last call. Interesting that ZZS describes WKX at one point during their push-pull conversational dance as “like a wretched soul that keeps haunting around.” You mean, like a GHOST? Like a Ghost Valley ghost? Like the almost forgotten memory of a past life ghost? ZZS wants to know why WKX keeps following him around, and it would be nice if WKX would just come clean, but that would be too easy, wouldn’t it?

ZZS, re: Chengling: I do my best to ensure what was entrusted to me.

WKX: :makes (already! in ep 3!) yet another in a series of bad decisions not to say anything about the fact that he, himself, was in fact entrusted to ZZS:

Show: Here’s the first of many helpings of heartache to come. EAT IT. EAT IT ALL.

(Me: Well, here’s another AU idea: What would the course of this relationship be like if WKX flat-out asked ZZS what ZZS’s relationship to Four Seasons Manor was, and bare-faced claimed sanctuary as long-lost shidi Zhen Yan at this point? Because I bet there are plenty of ways that could actually go wrong. Not to mention the deliciousness of just watching them navigate a relationship shift that sudden. I feel like, at this point, WKX would have to be actively confrontational about it, would have to throw it in ZZS’s face – it would need to be something he did in the heat of anger, in order to have this pushed out past all of his fears. Like, you say that, but where were you when I needed you? Also, you think so, well what if your responsibility actually turned out to be the TERRIFYING GHOST VALLEY MASTER, what then, huh? And ZZS, still pretty actively suicidal over all of his failures, having to deal with what’s now being presented as YET ANOTHER FAILURE.)

Also, the theme of “knowing” (zhiji, the one I know) is starting to slide in sideways – we’re seeing a lot of back and forth between them asking about seeing the other’s “true face.” WKX says that he’ll tell ZZS what he (WKX) wants from him once he gets to see ZZS’s true face (LIES, it’s going to take a lot longer than that). ZZS asks to see WKX’s figurative true face, and WKX looks kind of sad and contemplative as he warns that it may be unappealing or terrifying. So, you know, we’re starting to poke at all the softest, most tender places and the issues that are going to stab me repeatedly in the heart for the rest of the show. We’re also already seeing the way Xiao Chu just layered in references throughout the script when she wrote it that call back to each other – it’s like almost any line of dialogue references three other lines of dialogue (and that’s without even getting into all of the literary references that I’m missing because I don’t have cultural context). You get things like WKX’s little speech right at the end that it’s hard to tell a ghost from a human, which on its face might be referring to the two “ghosts” that were coming for Chengling that he took care of and act as an admonishment to ZZS not to be so quick to assume they’re actually from Ghost Valley, but it also refers to WKX, himself, and specifically lays the groundwork (“someone wearing a ghost mask is not necessarily a ghost”) for his conversation in a later ep with ZZS when he asks if ZZS thinks he’s a good person, and also calls back (“someone who looks human may not be human”) to the line from earlier in this ep, itself, when WKX tells ZZS that perhaps WKX’s true face is terrifying. And so we get a nicely little wrapped package of the dichotomy of WKX and his issues. (As a somewhat related aside, A-Xiang’s little face when Zhou Zishu says all of the ghosts of Ghost Valley are full of evil (at 6:55). D: This reaction is obviously for herself, but also may be the first time she acts as proxy for Wen Kexing, as well.)

What else, what else?

So, nobody has a good opinion of the jianghu. WKX is going to be constantly all, “You killed my father, jianghu, prepare to die,” but ZZS also goes off about how it’s just about greed, hatred and ignorance, and yeah, I guess he’d have a pretty bad impression of it, when Prince Jin and Tian Chuang seemed like a better option than the pressure he was facing, trying to keep Siji Manor Sect alive back in the day. We talk a lot about WKX’s childhood trauma, because it’s so awful and right in our faces, but I don’t know how much we actually talk about the fact that ZZS was a teenager not much older than Chengling when he inherited a sect and tried desperately to keep it from being torn apart by the rest of the jianghu. I think we see some bitterness come out in the first few episodes – frankly, in this ep, he doesn’t seem to make much of a distinction between Ghost Valley and the rest of the jianghu. Also interesting that the metaphor he uses about the jianghu’s and Ghost Valley’s greed for the treasures of the Armory is “reaping without sowing,” given what we find out is actually in there in Ep 36.

We see our metaphor of light get pulled out again – this throughline strikes me as more like beads on a string than a thread, at this point, but maybe I’ll notice it more on this second time through … Anyway, WKX’s comment at 9:11 that it’s almost dawn is notable. Indeed, but is it because your plan is beginning to work and you can see the destruction of Ghost Valley and the jianghu coming down the pike, or is it because you’ve found your shixiong?

I notice WKX has color-coordinated ZZS and Chengling in the robes he bought for them, has already grouped them together, marked them as belonging to each other – he’s already subtly treating them as each other’s family. The show, with a particular lack of subtlety, also will have ZZS there to wake up Chengling from nightmares later in the end of the ep, as Chengling calls out for his dad in his sleep.

OK, Deng Kuan is the guy in charge of the Yueyang sect contingent that arrived in time to see the Mirror Lake chaos in Ep 2 and has taken charge of cleaning up the bodies in this ep. I actually overlooked him, pretty much, the first time around, but here, he’s already got Shen Shen yelling at him (in a completely ridiculous fashion) for not getting there in time to save the Mirror Lake Sect, so he’s just going to be a punching bag through the whole show, apparently. Shen Shen is wu-di, fifth (little) brother, and he refers to Chengling’s dad as si-ge, fourth (older) brother, so Shen Shen appears to be the youngest of the Five Lakes sworn brothers, leading me to believe that some of what makes him so insufferable through a lot of the show is baby brother syndrome. Also, Shen Shen and his group find the Soul Winding Threads of the Hanged Ghost … supposedly. I mean, the Hanged Ghost was the guy who we saw get got in Ep 1, soooooo …. (remember these Soul Winding Threads, btw).

*This got super long so I’m’a put this last bit under a cut, but I did try to start a running tally of who’s holding a piece of the Glazed Armor:

Each of the Five Lakes Alliance sects is supposed to have a piece of the Glazed Armor, yes? So, as of the end of Ep 3 (hierarchical bro-titles are from didi Shen Shen’s POV):

- Yueyang Sect, led by Gao Chong (da-ge) - presumably still has his

- Tai Hu Sect, led by Zhao Jing (er-ge) – presumably still has his

- Danyang Sect, led by Lu Taichong (san-ge, presumably) – apparently the sect has already been attacked off-screen (by “Ghost Valley?” and WHEN?), as we learn in Ep 3 that Lu-zongzhu has been killed and his remaining two tiny disciples have fled to the protection of Ao Laizi and Tai Shan Sect, one of the lesser sects, and are believed to have taken Danyang’s Glazed Armor with them. We learn this from Tao Hong, Lv Liu and Begger Gang Chief, but I notice that Gao Chong only mentions the Mirror Lake massacre as the precipitating event for the Hero’s Conference and total war on Ghost Valley – he doesn’t even mention Danyang Sect, so does Five Lakes not know about this yet?

- Mirror Lake Sect, led by Zhang Yusen (si-ge) – Zhang-zongzhu killed by “Ghost Valley” in Ep 2, Glazed Armor “missing” and speculated POST EP 2 to have been taken by Ghost Valley (but will turn up in a few eps, thanks to our little Goldbean)

- Dagu Shan Sect, led by Shen Shen (wu-di) – presumably still has his

And then we move to:

- Tai Shan Sect, led by Ao Laizi – in-world speculation is that he now has the Danyang Glazed Armor. We do see him near the end of the ep with the two tiny Danyang shidi, where he makes the intriguing comment that he’s going to follow their shifu’s last wishes and keep their Glazed Armor from falling into the hands of the Five Lakes Alliance, so what exactly was going on between San-ge and his sworn brothers at the time of his death? This group also is apparently being pursued by Shen Shen to get their Glazed Armor, and they make him sound awful. You need better PR, Shen Shen.

- Ghost Valley – POST EP 2, speculated to have taken the Mirror Lake Glazed Armor (FALSE)

NOTABLY, “Ghost Valley Master” set a lot of this chaos in motion in Ep 1 when he claimed that Hanged Ghost (who got got a scene earlier) had stolen HIS piece of the Glazed Armor, although he shouldn’t have a piece (supposedly) until after Ep 2, when he’s believed to have taken Mirror Lake’s. So, what piece would that be, exactly, Terrifying Ghost Valley Master? You wouldn’t be lying in pursuit of chaos would you? (Somewhere, WKX gasps theatrically behind his fan, and he doesn’t even know what motivated it, this time.)

#zhou zishu #wen kexing #gu xiang #zhang chengling #shen shen #deng kuan #word of honor #word of honor episode reax