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#yizhi i am literally in love with you
myechoecho · 11 months
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Till the End of the Moon, ep 30
Some of this episode’s timeline was a hella confusing for me? How old is Fuya?? How is she the little girl that Susu saved 500 years ago? She became immortal?
RIP braided hair Tantai Jin
I appreciated the lightness of this episode. It’s a nice change of pace from the past few angsty ones.
I’m not clear if Tantai Jin “remembers” his alternate life as the Devil Lord or if that is just part of what Susu showed him.
I am curious as to what the bow did to him - did it recognize him? Like does he still have the Essence of Evil Bone™ or something?
Susu also remembers everything but I do wonder her punishment was for.
Pang Yizhi?? He is the Immortal Buxu?
Lots of talk about memories, trapped in the past and learning to let go with this episode .
Pretending to be Zhi’er was a great kindness Tantai Jin shows the old woman. And he gets to feel a mother’s love. She gives it to him, though she knows he’s not her son.
Which is why I think he opens up to her, about his past and Susu.
He knows that with the power if the Devil Lord, he can find Susu but she would hate that. So the old woman tells him he has to fulfill Susu’s wish.
He figures out what he needs to do to grant the old woman’s wish (to have the plum tree bloom because she is trapped in the past). He’s able to use the sword to do that for her, and he genuinely grieves her when she dies.
Tantai Jin gets accepted into the Xiaoyou Sect and has a new name - Cang Jiumin, which I guess has a specific meaning that we’ll learn later.
I also think that Zhaoyou knows precisely who Tantai Jin is, thanks to Pang Yizhi
Zhaoyou feels like the father that Tantai Jin never had and desperately needed.
Tantai Jin is really not sure of the Nanzhi sword though.
Honestly, the Xiaoyou Sect is just what Tantai Jin needs right now.
Susu thinks that Tantai Jin just got on with his life but doesn’t realize that he was looking for her for 500 years while Ye Qingyu pretended to be Tantai Jin.
The Evil Bone™ is still around and Susu thinks she has to forget Tantai Jin order to fully seal it? I’m not super clear on that part.
However, Susu cannot forget Tantai Jin. She’s literally practicing the Heartless Way. Tantai Jin is her love suffering. Finally she can admit to loving Tantai Jin now that she thinks he’s dead.
Interesting that Gongye also sees that Susu is not the same person just as Xiao Lin did with Ye Xiwu.
THEY WERE ENGAGED?!? Mind blown. I feel so dumb because all this time I thought Gongye was her LITERAL brother, and not just her Sect Brother.
Yeah, this triangle not gonna happen.
The demon twins have been looking for the, uh, Devil Fetus for 500 years.
Also RIP Baiyu, if you had to die, you deserved a far more epic death than the one you got.
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dramarants · 11 months
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trying to come to terms with the bewildering final 10 minutes of tteotm:
first and foremost, undeniably, the technical and narrative execution this ep was choppy, weirdly paced, ambiguous (not in a cool OE way, just literally hard to follow - how are we in the tomb, why is she back in devil bride attire, where did the scale in the last shots come from, why did qingyu's fucking hair need to turn blond, pang yizhi what did you finally understand cuz I sure as hell don't??) and left a lot of loose threads. with all the build up to his sacrifice, you want some sort of twist or surprise but nothing comes. the ending is so abrupt and this is always and forever gonna leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
the last eps especially emphasized legacy and, with li susu returning as a goddess, I must assume the immortal realm learned the truth about ttj's sacrifices and believed it. ttj gets his roses.
I'm gonna pretend ttj explained the zhaoyou situation to her too
in fact if we're in imaginary land jiwu grew the fuck up and, upon realizing the depth of ttj's friendship in spite of everything, becomes riddled in guilt for a while and fiercely protects ttj's memory
a child!! literally how to carry a legacy and memories into future generations
ttj's destiny was to suffer and resent the world + give up his body and soul to carry out the devil god's will
instead, he embraced the light, learned to cherish the world, bore other's resentment in his final trial (strength that I sure as hell don't have! even saving jiwu from himself!) he remained in control of himself, choosing to sacrifice his body to stop the devil god's plans
the love was there and for once, to break a cycle of pain and sin, overcome the consequences in the mortal world, for ttj and lss, it was fucking enough!
by destroying the evil bone in his final moments he prevents the devil god from ever returning, truly the world's savior
his death was mostly on his own terms, with purpose he didn't have before
saving a part of his divine essence in the scale to continue to protect susu was a full circle moment
in fact ttj embodies mingye in a ridiculous number of ways by the end, from his actions to his values down to his clothes, yet another way to stick it to the devil god fate
he looks at peace in his last shot during the battle and in the scale
they had to cut scenes and therefore couldn't elaborate on the post all-in-distress world
or dedicate the 30s it takes to show him regrow from the scale or something lbfad style 🤧
it seems like he could hear susu when she was speaking to the kid? so he can follow his wife and daughter's lives knowing he's loved and respected until his return that I am headcanoning??
by being in the scale, he keeps his promise to stay by her side forever and accompany her in moving forward through parenthood and the ordinary life he dreamed of
in fact ttj never has to defend himself or put up with bs again, his fight is over and he gets to watch a harmonious world that he and susu made possible
susu my girl, having faith in him and understanding everything immediately and wishing to meet him again
bearing the cross of the only living god and continuing, again, their legacy, protecting their love and the world
she was ready to die with him!! like!! fuck till death do us part I'll share your burden let's embrace and face the end together!! a sparkle bathed version of ttj trying to die with her in ep 29!!
nothing can come between them anymore they fricking ensured that
plus them in the heavenly realm, the only two gods existing, removed from the world and basking in that moment where the devil god no longer exists and it isn't a dream 😭
the tomb scene was so heartbreaking in the good way
these characters have been on such an incredible, unhinged journey and looking back, there's so much more to unpack and appreciate
ugh it's not a bad ending cuz it's sad, I mean how many of us predicted he'd die for the greater good a long time back, it's just the way it ultimately played out was... somehow disappointing
but you know what I enjoyed the path here so much and can imagine their path ahead enough to forgive it and continue loving tantai jin and li susu and tteotm overall anyway
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emeryleewho · 1 month
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Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...
Hello!
So I know you sent this awhile ago and I took ages to get to it, but I just really wanted to do this justice because this is such a big ask and I take my responsibilities as a fan very seriously. I'm also going to have to caveat the fact that "all of the media that I have loved" is too many media to be able to truly answer this question with 100% accuracy, so instead, I opted for
My Top 10 Favorite Characters (In Recent Memory) That I Feel Best Portray What I Love In Characters (But I'm Very Sorry To Anyone Who Should've Been On This List But I Just Kind of Forgot) in no particular order:
Gojo (Jujutsu Kaisen)
I am sorry to be a basic bitch, but Gojo may be my favorite character in anything ever. I hate that I am so predictable, but the white haired anime character trope absolutely kills me. Also, I am obsessed with a character who is like... too op to function, but also still very flawed. Also characters who are Sunshine Silly Goofs on the surface but so haunted and devastating under the surface. I admire the way he's The Great Protector of everyone but also makes sometimes callous choices, and I am obsessed with the fact that he is essentially the god of their world, but is still just... so very fragile and human. Also, like, he's so hot. Just so hot. That's also important.
2. Daddy Nanami (Jujutsu Kaisen)
I literally cannot stand watching this show. Like I want to throw up watching it because I love these bitches so much. Anyway, I tried REALLY hard not to like Nanami. Like I fought it so hard because he was obviously a doomed character from his intro, but I could not stop myself because I love the Sulky Blonde anime character trope for some reason, but also like... he's so hot. I want to watch him do my taxes. Also like... he's so relatable. Doesn't want to work overtime. Doesn't want to keep playing this shitty game where everyone dies young and bathes in the blood of teenagers, but also like, what? You expect him to work in corporate hell? Just let people die? He's not gonna fucking do that. He's that voice of reason every anime group probably needs, but he's also so hot, and like so grumpy but so kind, and so Responsible and Mature, but also so soft, and I love the way he takes care of those damn kids, okay? I just... *runs away sobbing*
3. Kurapika (HunterxHunter)
My favorite trope when I was younger was the "looks like they could kill you but is actually a sweetie" thing, but as I've gotten older, I've really come to appreciate what it is to be fully capable of being an all-powerful, cold-blooded killer and just... choose not to do that. Kurapika is the epitome of "character I just want to hug and protect forever" because he's been through so much and it's only made him stronger, but also like he shouldn't have to go through all that? And I adore that he's so mature and so strong and so capable and he protects everyone and puts villains in their place and all that jazz but he's also just a sweet kid who loves his friends and I love him so much oh my god.
4. Gao Yizhi (Iron Widow)
(See above regarding Kurapika) I have talked about Iron Widow as one of my favorite books of all time, but while Li Shimin is just a fabulous fucking character who once upon a time definitely would've been my favorite, Gao Yizhi stole my heart by just... being pretty... like soft pretty boy but also don't look at him too long because the devil burns behind his eyes and he will kill you. That is the finest of aesthetics, but also like... this man is so concerning. I would not trust him for a moment. And yet, he is just whipped for Wu Zetian, and that is literally what everyone should look for in a boyfriend.
5. Dazai (Bungou Stray Dogs)
Speaking of concerning, I first fell in love with Dazai because I loved how much he wants to die (don't call the cops, this was like a decade ago, and I am better now), but tbh I love how cute and silly and flirty he is on the surface to cover up the fact that he is just a downright nightmare of a human being. This man is a menace. He could kill literally anyone. And in another life, he probably would have, but now he's just chilling, taking care of his kids and fucking with his ex, and I love that for him. He is literally the perfect villain, and yet... he's not really doing anything that bad anymore. Go figure.
(Also, sidenote, I recently read No Longer Human, and not only did it give me a profound appreciation for Osamu Dazai as a person, but it really put his character into context that makes me adore this show even more, so yeah.)
6. Shinobu (Demon Slayer)
She is so mad. She is so angry. Yet she is a cutesy little girl in butterfly garb floating around saving people, I--yeah, it's very clear from this list that I have a type, but whatever. I love Shinobu because she's small and tiny and sweet, but she's also a major badass who can and will kill you. She's the only hashira who's physically too weak to decapitate demons so she kills them with poison, like??? This girl said "the gods didn't make me powerful, so I made me powerful", and that is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. She's surviving on spite alone, and she's whooping everyone's asses that way. An icon. A true hero. I adore her.
7. Vanitas (The Case Study of Vanitas)
This one's back to my roots, but I love a tragic character like Vanitas. I just... I love a man so broken you have to wonder if he's even a person anymore. I love how wretched and painful and horrific his past is and how divorced he feels from humanity, and also like those little claws get me every time. Idk. I know, I'm weird. Whatever. The flippant, antagonistic, flamboyance on the surface to cover an empty, wretched, devastated soul underneath just struggling to survive? *chef's kiss*
8. Scorpion King (Word of Honor)
Scorpion King is basically the opposite of all my above examples, but I love him for the same reasons. This is a man who is heartless, ruthless, an absolute murderer. He kills for fun. He has no regard for human life... EXCEPT HIS FUCKING GODFATHER. Like this is a villain who could easily have burned the entire world with his cunning and power and literally all he wanted was for his dad to fucking love him??? He would have broken himself down day in and day out just for that affection, and that's the sort of sick, twisted, vile love I want to see in a villain. Just the sort of absolutely poisoned, twisted, abusive affection that makes me absolutely feral. He could have been the ULTIMATE villain, and he was absolutely DESTROYED because he just wanted to be LOVED. Delicious.
9. Muichiro (Demon Slayer)
This is a BABY. Just... A BABY!!! Literally a tragic character, but what I love about him is just how casually perfect he is. He's supposed to be weak, pathetic, useless. He is NOT. He comes off kind of airheaded at the beginning, but he is truly just... the most impressive. I want to protect him always, but also, everyone should be scared of him. (Except me, I am good to him so he will be kind to me in turn :))
10. Crowley (Good Omens)
Once again, an exceptional villain. Or, you know, could be, except he fell in love with an annoying fucking angel so now he's barely a menace, mostly just kind of a fool who wastes his time around a bookshop all day (both relatable and kinda aspirational, ngl). I love Crowley both because he is so not evil that it's actually kinda funny despite having all the evil energy and aesthetic, but the thing I love MOST about him is the way he just absolutely spits in the face of gender. Gender who? He wouldn't know. He is all gender. He is no gender. He is the divine lord of gender, and I worship at his feet in the hopes that he'll give me a little gender as a treat. Just truly a trans icon AND a menace at the same time, and I can think of nothing better. (Also, I have a thing for David Tennant. Always have. His accent does things for me so this doesn't help. Whoops.)
Anyway, yes, this concludes my Top 10 Characters [blah, blah...] List. If you are not familiar with any of the above media, I highly recommend them, but also like... these are not Wholesome(tm) and simple media. I like weird shit. If that was not obvious from my talking about these freaks, now you know. Be warned.
Also thank you for the ask!!!
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lifblogs · 1 year
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You seem to be on a role with the Iron Widow and though I haven’t read it (because I can’t read first person written stories, especially ones with female protagonist no matter how much I want to— and I really want to— because of reasons) but I shall ask regardless. What was your favorite moment in Iron Widow?
So I love this ask, and also I am tired and almost accidentally answered this with a random picture of Gandalf.
There are too many moments, honestly. So much of the book was brutal af, but I love when Yizhi saved Zetian from an attacker and then started fanboying about her criminal co-pilot while also declaring his love for her.
Love where they’re trying to make steamed buns together but fail because of a few distractions. Also just love that it’s the scene where Zetian and Li Shimin literally just tortured and killed someone of high command and Yizhi greets them back with an apron on and an attempt at making delicious food.
Yizhi killing his father was pretty great because it was unexpected and it was also an act of faith towards Zetian. Yizhi’s father had made Zetian record a nude video in front of him and was trying to use it as leverage and was going to show it to Yizhi and Yizhi just not giving a fuck was awesome.
I love the first time Zetian sees Li Shimin in glasses when they’re riding to a training camp, and she realizes he wasn’t glaring at her when they first met, he just couldn’t fucking see.
I totally adored Zetian murdering the pilot Yang Guang in his mind which killed him in real life (he murdered her older sister) and she brings out his body and steps on it with one of her mutilated feet that is supposed to control her. She’s high af from that moment, looks at the cameras around her and says, “Welcome to your nightmare!”
Okay, but her first battle as Li Shimin’s pilot and he was leaving the cockpit expecting there to be a dead body in there now and not a living girl and Zetian just says, “Surprise.”
And the last scene where Zetian finds out that humans are not natives to the planet and is sent a message from the gods that she must do what they say and they show her what is basically a barely-there corpse but its heart is beating and it’s Li Shimin.
Fun fact: Zetian and Li Shimin, while in their armor, can use their qi to flie. Just totally awesome. The others can’t do this.
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sunmoonjune · 1 year
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okay first i have read your satosugu fics and the pacific rim fic one you’re so RIGHT I CAN SEE THE SIMILARITIES esp with yizhi and suguro also with how they seem so gentle and kind n smiley but when it comes to the ones they love they’re on it to jump whoever is threatening them!!
(also i’ve realised as anon i’ve said it a lot but not as 📚 anon so i have to mentioned i am literally IN LOVE with your writing you’re so talented and amazing and spectacular seriously!!)
second for the hozier nfwb i can definitely see wooyoung as one of them that would probably protect her but also i feel like in the slight future jongho would because he seems more of an acts of service person and he would consider going cray cray protectay for anyone who thinks about hurting bug
and also lowkey i can just imagine as she mostly works defensively rather than offense wooyoung would protect her from the injured eye side and they’d like work together in battle and understand each other v v well because they’ve already picked up on each others habits while fighting so they know what to cover from the other persons weakness
- 📚 (ALSO also i just finished iron widow by accident i was just gonna read like a few more chapters then i see the acknowledgments…? it finished so quick?? was a good read though!)
yes haha!! I absolutely wrote gods and monsters after reading half of iron widow xD I was just so into the universe that I couldn't help it,, I needed my own satosugu au hehe :3 and I'm weak for the seemingly sweet and gentle characters that are secretly pretty dark and protective of the ones they love <3 suguru is a little more silly than yizhi I think since he and satoru are pretty much menaces but I still think they're pretty similar xD
(also thank you so much omg <33 I'm so glad you like my fics,, it means the world :')) )
and yes yes!! I absolutely think wooyoung fits 'nothing fucks with my baby,' like first for seonghwa in the beginning, and soon for bug ;D (I mean y'all are gonna see in the next chapter if he really fits the lyrics I guess hehehehe >:DD <- that's me laughing maniacally)
but oooooo I hadn't considered jongho before but that totally makes sense,, he's def an acts of service person, and I think he absolutely would go off the rails if someone hurt bug or atz (and we will see more of jongho and his love languages in the future too, we'll hit a jongho centric chapter soon ;) )
NOO STOP I'LL CRY :')) woobug fighting together absolutely happens like that,, woo def covers bug's blindside and makes sure she doesn't get hit there - she fights defensively, and I think at first woo will cover for her in terms of offense, but I also think he wants to teach her how to protect herself :') he knows partially how she feels and wants her to be able to know that she can fight for herself (and for others) when she needs -- they def understand each other in battle very well (and we'll see more of that soon too hehe)
I'm dropping so many spoilers here omg xD
(I have a few chapters left of iron widow!! I'm very excited to finish, but I'm also dreading it because I love it so much :') I've never found an actual healthy polyamorous relationship where everyone is actually in love with each other in books before so I am savoring them while I can :')) -- the closest I ever got to poly couples was the infernal devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare,, I desperately wanted will, Jem and Tessa to all be together </3 )
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eerna · 2 years
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Lmao, hi, I know this is random but I was just thinking about Darling in the Franxx and Iron Widow and needed to share something.
So first off, I watched Darling in the Fraxx when I was maybe 14 or 15 and it deeply traumatized. As in, I wanted absolutely nothing with anime, no way, nothing. And I have gotten over that and have watched anime but I am still not touching that.
And then yesterday I was wasting time in Twitter and saw a publishing announced the english translation of the DitF manga and sjahdhahshaja the caption was literally "Horned up and ready to ride" and maybe it's my mind in the gutter but i think I have being traumatized again.
It look around five google searches of Iron Widow fanart, memes, incorrect quotes and reading the author's tweets for my soul to recover and i can't stop laughing. For me, Iron Widow is literally what I was always dream of doing when I see something I don't like and think "i could have done better, writing this and that instead".
(Spoiler warning, seeing PotC trending again and seeing all the people bitter at Elizabeth and Will's ending, I am already writing my own sapphic pirate ideas, definitely with magic and lots of swords)
(Second spoiler warning: I blame Xiran Jay Zhao for now making me curious about writing a polyamory relationship, but it's instead enemies to lovers, friends to lovers and childhood friends to lovers, where, so far, the main focus would eb around this girl who wants to protect her asexual childhood best friend from another heartbreaker when this new guy wants to strike friendship. She won't trust him at all and will always defend her friend while the guy literally only wants friendship and it's much later that he starts catching feelings for the friend. But before that happens, the guy and the best friend form a reluctant Proctection Squad for the girl after he realizes why her friend is always at the defensive and then later two fall in love.
I am well aware this is all crude and needs work, it's a draft, I only came up with the idea when I was thinking how I would had develop Yizhi and Shimin's relationship more [we were robbed!], and i like it. Obviously, I need to flesh out the friend beyong asexual and cool, i don't want flat bread, but so far I am too caugh up in the idea of the guy and best friend bickering non-stop. I have this scene in my head where he goes to the bookstore to buy her a present but isn't sure what she likes, so he calls her friend and after bickering back and forth, the end calls with the guy buying three books and the best friends begrudgingly acknowledging his dedication and liking having discovered his own taste in books)
Was that too much information? I'm sorry, i've just being dying to share this with someone!
I hope you have a wonderful day!
Hello! YES like I legit blame DITF for my inability to watch anime now. I simply lost the ability to enjoy it. And the last one I watched was That. You absolutely aren't the one with your mind in the gutter, that caption was intentional and horribel. So reading Iron Widow was a detox the same way it was for you. Elizabeth's ending makes me rage all these years later, and the way Yizhi and Shimin had no development was a robbery, but using those emotions productively is good!! Good luck with writing, and have a nice day~~
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vioisgoinginsane · 2 years
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I'm gonna tell you about the books I read so far this year so you get to know me better and also cuz nobody asked
Murder in Mesopotamia - I read an agatha christie novel on new years to start the year properly. I liked this one cuz I guessed who did it.
And I Darken - badass genderbend Vlad Ţepeş. Themes about powerful women and a love triangle that doesn't piss me off for a change. Absolutely gonna read the whole series.
The Cruel Prince - Ewwwww (i say when I finished it in 3 days but it was like "i wonder what will happen next" except that eveytime something did happen it was underwhelming. I am not reading the sequels but I do wanna read some fairy fiction if I find some that doesn't suck)
A Twisted Tale: Let it go - yeah. I basically read officially published disney fanfic and I am not even embarrassed about it. This one was meh tho
1984: ULTIMATE MIND FUCKERY
An Ember in the Ashes: eh. It wasn't bad but I also don't wanna read more of this
Six of Crows: ICONIC. I'M READING THE SEQUEL NEXT YEAR AND THEN WATCHING SHADOW AND BONE ON NETFLIX i dont really care for the rest of the grishaverse tho
Norse Mythology: Good ol' neil gaiman. I don't wanna learn about norse myths from anyone else *stares at disney judgingly* "When something goes wrong, I assume it's loki's fault. It saves time." Iconic.
The Philosophy Book: I basically studied entry philosophy. But you can just watch The Good Place instead.
The Raven Boys: it's a 1st book and it basically promises a bunch of angst and mindfuckery in next 3. The characters are top tier and im all up for it
Chirițele - that's a collection of romanian comedie plays from the 1850s-1870s the funniest jokes are when Chirița tries to translate "moldavian sayings" into french
Mortal Engines - good but also I don't really wanna know what happens next.
Tara Duncan: Les Sortceliers - I literally learned french just so i can finish this book series one day. Some of yall don't know the pain of not having the whole series translated and also not having it translated IN ORDER.
The Scarlet Letter - I know americans fuss and whine about having to read and analyse this in school and about how the author loves come and overdesceiptive writing, but I had the privilege to read for pleasure and I have to say the begging of this book is one of the most gripping opening that have ever been written
Iron Widow - Modern Classic. Literally perfect. I kissed this book when I finished it. As Xiran described it "Shimin and Zetian suffer while Yizhi is having the most bisexual time of his life. "
Charlotte's Web and 101 Dalmatians (not the disney one, The OG one) - I sometimes like reading kid's books. They're special.
Queen of hearts - sucks. if you want a darker wonderland story A Twisted Tale: Unbirthday Party was BETTER. It made me say the sentence "HELL YEAH ROMANCE THE CATBOY" outloud
The OG Sherlock Holmes Books - i am close to finishing them and I am basically just glad I've had so much of it.so many scenarios. I will continue reading and watching every single randition of sherlock holmes that crosses my path like a true sherlock crack addict. Also have you any idea how much batshit crazy stuff arthur wrote? Sherlock Holmes vs the kkk. Sherlock Holmes in WW1. All I know is that The Valley of Fear is my favorite.
Some collections of romanian legends about Birds, Stefan the great and Cuza-Voda
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just finished iron widow by xiran jay zhao, and all i can say is aaaaaaaaaaaa
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loxare · 3 years
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Ok so it's been a week since I finished Iron Widow and I think my brain has calmed down enough to talk about it without it just being incoherent shrieking
Guys
Guys
Read this book. It is so good. I am not kidding. If you liked Pacific Rim, read this book. (I've never read of seen Handmaid's Tale, but this book is also full of righteous fury about the inbuilt misogyny of the world it's set in, so read it if you like that.) Just do it. Go. And then come scream at me about it cause I wanna hear that
More Thoughts under the cut cause those are a bit spoilery
I have never read a book with such a feral, unhinged protagonist. Wu Zetian is just such an amazing character. Her murder list starts with one person and once it's empty she is very willing to add to it. She really took one look at the patriarchy and said is anyone going to destroy that and then didn't wait for an answer. She is so incredibly bloodthirsty, but as soon as two (2) entire people showed her love and respect and acceptance, she becomes so soft for them, for a given value of soft. Soft for Zetian is still razor sharp for most people. She changes so much over the book but it's her outlook that changes, as she gains more experience. She is rightfully unwilling to forgive the people who try to hurt and use her and once they fuck up their second chance, that's it. They're gone. It is excellent to read
Li Shimin is such a gift too. Poor baby had such a hard life. He can have a little murder, as a treat. And despite everything! He never gets angry for himself!! He could snap a person in half with his bare hands, and would if they threatened Zetian or Yizhi, but not for his own sake! Deserves the world, deserves happiness, deserves some more self esteem. I keep rereading that scene at the end of their first flight because he's just so shocked and tender and I love it. And the more he learns and the more he finds out that what happened to those girls isn't (entirely) his fault, it's the fault of the systems designed to bleed them dry and he's so furious but still manages to be the least bloodthirsty of the trio
And Gao Yizhi. Absolute sweetheart but I am convinced he's secretly a bastard and I am living for it. He's not even doing a good job of hiding it. Boy knows what he wants and he wants to kiss both his sexy roommates. He kinda takes a side seat, both metaphorically and also literally in the Chrysalis, to the other two for this book but in the sequel he is absolutely going to shine, calling it now (sequel announcement when??). He showed a little of that near the end of the book and it is going to be amazing
And the plot is so amazing. Just. Farm girl plans to avenge sister's murder by killing the murderer could be an entire novel by itself, and has been the plot of a few very good books, but the resolution for that comes in the first hundred pages, and there's more plot after than! And there's also giant robots fighting equally giant monsters thrown in! And then the slow progression of Zetian not caring that she was going to die for her actions, to daring people to shoot her because she's valuable now and they can't afford to lose her yet, to doing everything in her power to ensure she and her two boys survive. Survive and also destroy all the systems keeping women down and also maybe the government, another few things which could be entire novels in and of themselves but are so seamlessly woven into this one
I've read a lot of angry literature but this one is the most visceral. It is furious at the state of things and refuses to let them stay as they are. The systems which are inherently unbalanced, designed to be unbalanced, but kept secret so the changes they effect on the female pilots can be written off as natural. "Women aren't as naturally strong. Women don't go into the fields that pay more, or don't do as good of a job, that's why there's a wage gap." The review thingy on the front cover calls this book a primal scream and it is absolutely correct. Reading through it feels like jumping off a cliff, screaming, with a sword pointed at your greatest foe who's on the ground below you, putting not just your entire weight into it but all the force the planet can exert on you, you can't stop, you don't want to stop, and when you land flawlessly you're just breathless with it
Everything I knew about the world I just read changes in the last three or so pages and I am so mad I don't already have the sequel in my hands. I will have to happily settle for rereading this book cover to cover a couple million times until I do. Predictions: Yizhi shows his true bastard side, Shimin gets a fucking break for once in his life, and Zetian kills god
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theteaisaddictive · 2 years
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i am zooming through iron widow so far, bu the only thing that has given me pause so far [spoilers under cut]
is her reaction to yizhi's dad forcing her to incriminate herself by reading the contract naked on-camera. like, overall yes i get the thesis statement and i love that zetian has essentially been saying 'fuck you' to the shame and misogyny she's internalised, but i feel like there could (or maybe should) have been more of a struggle reconciling with what he forced her to do -- because it is a violation. i don't think coming to those conclusions was an unlikely route for her character, i just think it should have taken a little longer than 'literally thirty seconds'
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