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To tide you over, a little something, something... Episode # 18 Potential Obsessions - Only You The Series Pilot Reaction aka ‘eXpEcTAtIOnS’

Welcome to the latest episode of our Podcast, Potential Obsessions where we React & Critically Discuss the Pilot for the upcoming Only You The Series.

⁠⁠⁠We have a Ko-fi now, YAY!⁠⁠⁠

While we’re having a blast sharing our obsessions with you, it takes a lot of time and effort. If our podcast has ever made you laugh out loud, cry, or look at a scene in a new light, please consider buying us a Ko-Fi to fuel our future episodes.

Thanks for keeping us company - Z and M xoxo

Previous episodes:

Potential Obsessions Playlist

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🚨🎙️ Hey PodFam! 🎙️🚨

Guess what? We’re taking another short break this week! 🙈🎉 We know, we know—our podcast schedule has been a bit like a rollercoaster lately, but sometimes life just throws us a curveball, and this week, it’s throwing us a whole series of them. 🎢

We were all geared up to dive into the 10th episode of Not Me with our usual flair and enthusiasm, but alas, time got the best of us. Fear not! We’ll be back in action next week, ready to dissect every juicy detail, plot twist, and character arc from that epic episode. 📺✨

In the meantime, why not catch up on previous episodes, revisit your favourite moments, or maybe even take a moment to marvel at how wonderfully chaotic life can be? 😂🌟

Thanks for your patience and understanding. We promise we’ll make it up to you with even more podcast magic next week!

Stay awesome and keep binging!

— Z and M xoxo 🎧💫

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I find it very frustrating when people lump up all of Lan Zhans actions post time skip as being solely related to his love for Wei Ying when it's deeper and more complicated than that and you can see it in how he reacted to Wei Yings death.

We know that he's not actually as stoic as people think he is. He can be very petty and has no qualms in expressing his anger so it would have been very easy for mxtx to have Lan Zhan react to Wei Yings death by becoming bitter and vengeful but she doesn't. Especially after the cruel punishment they inflicted on him. It would have been so very easy for Lan Zhan to simply defect and do his own thing. Instead, he puts all his energy into bettering not just himself but also his clan.

He makes sure that not only does Sizhui have a home and friends but that the next generation have a more open-minded mindset instead of simply being the rule-followers his clan tries to turn them into. He gains a reputation of 'being where the trouble is' because he has changed and focused his goals on helping those who need it most but are forgotten. When Wei Ying comes back, he doesn't help and protect him simply out of love, but because Wei Ying is still the man who holds the ideals he deeply admires and respects. Because Wei Ying, even after everything he's been through, is still empathetic and compassionate to those who need it most.

Mxtx really does try very hard to give her characters depth and that's what makes her writing so compelling.

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"I'm at your disposal"

I find it fascinating how, for a person who has been abused and taken advantage of his whole life, something that made him hate the world, Huaien so easily surrenders all the power over himself to Xiaobao. His trusts him so deeply that he even decides to make him aware of it, instead of hiding this information from him.

He's done hiding. He has no filter, he's completely honest about his feelings and thoughts, even though showing how desperate and twisted he is doesn't serve his intentions well (at first glance). He's ready to accept and forgive Xiaobao's cruelness, because he believes he deserves to be punished for hurting him.

Xiaobao's kindness to him from the moment they met has shattered the walls of numbness that had protected his ravaged heart from crumbling completely. It's easy to forget that he instinctively jumped in front of Xiaobao to protect him from the needles as early as episode one. He almost sacrificed himself for a person he considered a useless fool who didn't deserve his attention.

Before Xiaobao he was just a cold, blood-stained instrument in someone else's hand, a prisoner, oblivious of his state, used to the torture chamber that was his life, because that was the only way he knew. Xiaobao's love brought him to life, gave him meaning and freedom and now he's terrified to lose that.

He'd do anything to keep Xiaobao around because the faint hope of seeing Xiaobao smile at him again is the only thing that keeps him going.

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So what does the kite symbolize here? Freedom? Happiness? The joy of being free?

Xiaobao enjoying a careless childhood.

Huaien being tortured and tantalized with false promises.

Imprisonment and manipulation.

Happiness and trust.

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I think one of the most important aspects of Xiaobao's character development is overcoming his vanity. He starts off as a spoiled brat who believes that 'there is nothing that cannot be bought with money,' and he's so sheltered that nothing in his life challenges this belief.

When he is stripped of his possessions, he experiences an identity crisis. On top of being convinced that the love of his life only used him for his wealth and status, he himself had never believed he had anything else to offer. Xiaobao thinks he has no value as a person outside of his wealth.

However, he eventually learns that the most important things a person can have—loyalty and love—are given unconditionally.

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Happy 4 weeks since Meet You At The Blossom finale 💗🌸 Favourite stills of Huaibao 💕

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Prince Shaoyu and prince Su Yin Achi Sukonlaphat and Li Junliang on the filming set of Meet You At The Blossom

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Uncensored wuxia BL Meet You At The Blossom (2024)

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It's Here! Episode # 13 Safe House Crushes - Vice Versa Ep 9. Reaction & Critical Discussion aka ‘Maniacally’...

Welcome to our Podcast Safehouse Crushes where we React & Critically Discuss JimmySea's show Vice Versa.

Just so you know, there may be spoilers for Vice Versa, so please watch the show episode first then join us on the podcast. You can watch episode 9 here!

Be sure to join us on Twitter or Tumblr @criticallyobs.

Thanks for keeping us company - Z and M xoxo

We have a Ko-fi now, YAY!

While we’re having a blast sharing our obsessions with you, it takes a lot of time and effort. If our podcast has ever made you laugh out loud, cry, or look at a scene in a new light, please consider buying us a Ko-Fi to fuel our future episodes.

Previous Podcasts:

Vice Versa Playlist

Last Twilight Playlist

Potential Obsessions Playlist

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so anyway happy 2 yr anniversary to the most iconic moment in the som fandom, one that I still think about very frequently. ✨🫶🏻💅🏻

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Uncensored wuxia BL Meet You At The Blossom (2024)

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How MYATB fits the Gothic genre

WARNING: BOOK SPOILERS

Alright, first off, I know the author was not intending to write a Gothic romance, but it seriously fits the genre so well and I need to talk about it.

Here are the main elements of Gothic horror

Supernatural elements

Omens, nightmares, or curses

Unnerving Atmosphere

Gothic Hero

Gothic Villain

Romance

Emotional Distress

Mystery

Power Imbalance

Here is how MYATB fits the criteria.

Supernatural elements primarily come from the cultivation, the magic poison and flowers etc.

We see Huai'en having nightmares about the cliff pretty frequently, and the poison acts like a curse where the cold weather brings him pain. Particularly, the curses in Gothic horror often connect to the past. This can be ancient or recent, and this curse connects to Xiaobao's personal past.

In this story the weather is the main source of unnerving atmosphere. Winter brings physical, torturous pain, and if it rains at all during the several days it takes to perform the cure, then Xiaobao will basically be doomed.

A Gothic hero usually has some big flaw and struggles against some kind of temptation. For Xiaobao, his flaw is that he was spoiled, weak, and naive. He has never known pain, any time he had a slight inconvenience he could cry out and someone would immediately help him. So, learning to see the world as it is, take responsibility for himself, and fight through pain to do what he knows is right is a huge part of his journey. The temptation he struggles with is desire (lust/love). We see this in him proposing to multiple girls in one night and his frequent patronage to brothels, we see this in the way he throws himself onto Huai'en, and we see this in the way he struggles between his continued desire for Huai'en vs. all the hurt, guilt, and red flags.

A Gothic villain usually encapsulates the temptation that the hero has. They are often powerful, beautiful, and seemingly able to work outside of ordinary societal restrictions without fear or restriction. In a Gothic romance- this can be the/a love interest such as in Phantom of the Opera, True Blood, Interview with the Vampire or Jane Eyre. In love, they are often obsessive and controlling, they are liars (from omission or directly), and often have a dangerous side and/or secret. Huai'en is a powerful cultivator, he keeps his identity a secret for good reason, and he is canonically extremely beautiful. Especially in the book, he is a clear symbol of Xiaobao's weakness: he is both beautiful and lustful which early series naive Xiaobao would have thought was all that mattered in being the perfect partner. Although we know most of his worst traits come from his abusive upbringing and his youth, Huai'en absolutely fits the elements. He is obsessed with Xiaobao and extremely possessive. Xiaobao is the only thing he has ever wanted in his life and he is absolutely willing to take Xiaobao away against his will to keep him. His plotting where he attempted to protect the Jin family often included lies of omission because he was trying to control the situation himself. In both the book and series, he shows his violent side both on the battlefield and in bed. The difference here is that unlike many others in this genre, Huai'en is allowed to change and grow for the better and the narrative rewards this change. Eventually, he becomes more selfless in his love.

The romance is obvious. What is beautiful here is that the way they grow is not only perfect for their individual characterization, but it also makes them more suitable for each other. Xiaobao becomes someone who can be an equal partner for Huai'en, and Huai'en becomes someone who can genuinely love Xiaobao.

Both Huai'en and Xiaobao experience extreme emotional distress throughout the story. Xiaobao has to deal with losing his home and the guilt he has over hurting his family and endangering his friends. He has emotional distress over loving Huai'en and wanting to hate him for everything he has done. Huai'en has emotional distress from first discovering desire and his obsessive need for more love and closeness, the abuse and continued pressures of his adopted father, and then trying to get back with Xiaobao while being constantly rejected and pushed away.

The mystery comes primarily from the courtly intrigue. What did the Jin family do? What happened to Huai'en's mother? Who is his father?

The power imbalance between Xiaobao and Huai'en is obvious. Huai'en can and often DOES do whatever he wants to Xiaobao even against his will and Xiaobao can't do anything about it. Xiaobao originally thought he had the power via his money (and when he thought Huai'en was a woman) and coming to terms with not being the one in power in a relationship for the first time in his life is a big blow for him in the book. Xiaobao does gain power in the relationship, but physical power and even social status both leave Huai'en far above. Huai'en may leave behind his family name, but he is still the emperor's son, and the emperor still favors him as such. In the book, even Yuzhan still protects him within limits.

Anyway, looking through the lens of a different genre can bring some new perspective to a story and because I am a fan of Gothic literature, it just makes me love this story even more to see the connections. The book has some stuff that makes it VERY hard to read sometimes, and there are some moments that make you realize the author probably needs a bit more time to cook, but there is a lot of really nicely done narrative beauty in the bones of the story. I'm so happy to see how the series has taken these bones and elevated it. I really hope they stick the landing.

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so this is how streaming platforms want us to consume content nowadays huh

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Q: Can you share with us what the role of Wei Wuxian means to you?

What Wei Wuxian brought to me isn’t something that can be explained easy. In fact, when we finished filming, I told myself that I had to step out of this role, leave him there, and return him to the one he loves. He is probably a role that I will never forget. And he also had the biggest impact on me. Basically, I want to tell him: thank you, and I hope that he will live well. 

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And We're Back! *Cackles Manically* Episode # 9 Back to OG - Not Me Reaction & Critical Discussion aka ‘Oh, Sean…'

Welcome to our Podcast Back to OG where we React & Critically Discuss OffGun's show Not Me.

Please note, there may be spoilers for Not Me, so please watch the show episode first then join us on the podcast. You can watch episode 9 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE!⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠We have a Ko-fi now, YAY!⁠⁠⁠

While we’re having a blast sharing our obsessions with you, it takes a lot of time and effort. If our podcast has ever made you laugh out loud, cry, or look at a scene in a new light, please consider buying us a Ko-Fi to fuel our future episodes.

Be sure to join us on Twitter or Tumblr ⁠⁠⁠@criticallyobs⁠⁠⁠.

Thanks for keeping us company - Z and M xoxo

Previous Podcasts Episodes:

Not Me Playlist

Cooking Crush Playlist

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Meet You At The Blossom + text posts (pt. 8/10)

bonus: