#This dynasty can fit so many problems in it

[bonefall]

How does Fallenleaf feel about how Ivypool and Dovewing were treated? And what do the latter think about her (Dovewing especially, since i imagine she was compared to her a lot when it came to the prophecy. I can definetely see an exasperated Jayfeather going 'Well Hollyleaf took the prophecy seriously before- when we thought she was part of it). Come to think of it, I can see Dovewing resenting Fallenleaf not only for the comparisons made about her, but also the fact that Jayfeather and Lionblaze let their sister know but she can't tell Ivypool even as they grow more distant. (Granted, Hollyleaf was told BEFORE they realized she wasn't part of the prophecy, but who knows if Dovewing is privy to that. >:3c)

Their relationship is, uh...

Skip back 100 years ago, Holly Leaves the Tyrant ruining ancient society.

She killed Jay Wing with her own two paws, drove Lion Roar out through grief, and then tried to stop Dove Wing from taking the survivors to the mountain

Dove Wing beat her ass. Handed it to her on a silver platter. Folly Leaves could break her brothers, but NOT Dove Wing.

Fallen Leaves for 1,000 seasons in a tunnel: "thank god i never have to see that random person who mcfuckin wrecked me ever again i think i would die of embarassment and/or fear"

Lionblaze, modern day: "we missed you so much... we were terrified when you acted like that, I thought I killed you when we... well... it's time to put that behind us. Are you prepared to meet your nieces? ...i raised them. If you hurt them I'll never forgive you."

Dovewing: (IS THAT RANDOM GUY WHO KICKED HER ASS)

And then Fallen learns Cinderheart went through with the plan to raise them with Lionblaze so Poppyfrost could have access

But that Poppyfrost did not TAKE that access.

So basically Cinderheart went through all this for nothing

AND on top of all the other new information (and she can't entirely remember where she "left off." Was that one's name ALWAYS Honeysnake??)

One of those things is the prophecy. That was only revealed shortly before the Fire Scene in BB, and then the Fire Reveal, Firestar dying, the Gathering Reveal, uhh... what was the gray guy she killed's name again? Asterfall??

Her freakout before getting time travelled is the fuzziest part of her life, she can barely remember half of it and the order of events is totally scrambles egged. Did the fire happen before or after her grandpaw died??

But meanwhile Dovewing's been raised her whole life with Fallenleaf as like, this big missing piece in everyone's lives, she wanted to know the truth about her for her entire existence. Hollyleaf was an impossible standard to live up to, her mother's true love and her Firekin's prodigal child before her.

And now she can't. Because this is obviously not Hollyleaf. This is a big, confused shadow. That's FRUSTRATING. Dovewing is trying really hard at this point to not show how upset she is about this. You mean to say the sad ghost she could hear shuffling around in the tunnels her whole life was her long lost aunt all along?!

THIS is what she was being held up to, all her life? This is why she could never take a break? This is the fuss? Some Fucking Guy?!

Meanwhile Ivypool is trying to mimic the feelings her parents feel. She takes a lot from Lionblaze, desperate to signal to them that she's in the family and cares about the same things they do. I don't think she really feels much of anything towards Fallenleaf at first-- but if they all care together then it feels like they've "come together"

And Dovewing's lack of enthusiasm, or even desperately veiled frustration, is like betrayal. CARE with me, we're supposed to FEEL GOOD about this AS A FAMILY. And if you can't then WELL WELL WELL look who's WINNING AT CARING ABOUT THIS, something very NORMAL and POSSIBLE to do! Surely, I am the better daughter, actually.

And while all that's playing out, Fallenleaf is still like, absolutely haunted by Dovewing being that random person who kicked her ass. She deserved it but like... she killed her brother in an ancient epoch and it turns out his sister in another lifetime is now his daughter in this one. What the fuck. And she looks at her negatively EXTRA what the fuck

I want them all to have a few good scenes together, but I don't think their relationship to Fallenleaf is... strong.

She ends up marrying their mom, Cinderheart. I think for Dovewing, she DOES actually think that's nice for them.

But Ivypool feels threatened. She feels she's going to get replaced.

This is while Lionblaze also ends up moving on with Toadstep, mind you. Both parents are finding new mates and having new kits

Ivypool takes it especially poorly, Dovewing has complicated feelings.

Isn't it just peachy that Cinderheart and Lionblaze COULD have been good parents all along? They just weren't, for you?

Hollylark is their half-sib through CinderxHolly, and Snaptooth and Flywhisker are adopted half-sibs through ToadxLion

When Fallenleaf learns the full story, she feels sorry for how the two were treated. She would controversially support Dovewing's leave; but she isn't the type to do huge confrontations anymore. Since her time as a Tyrant, she has a sort of godly, detatched air about her.

So there wouldn't be any chewings-out of her brothers. She doesn't have that sort of confidence in her own judgement anymore. Trying to control others and tell them how they should sort out their problems caused the Kitty Bronze Age Collapse lmao

[xenomorphicdna]

Map boi is back with more map

This time it's the ★exterior★

It's not as nice looking as the interior, (which you can find → here btw) but i think it's bigger as a region.

I will be making at least one more, and it will be of Two Birds' can because it's got lots of rot bits and that sounds like fun to design.

Pearl dialogue and some rambles below the cut↓

I know I said dialogue but fr look at this

THE DIFFERENCE in canvas size here

Pearl dialogue for both of the two regions

Bright Pink pearl dialogue when read by Veil Of Dreams:" What is it Mouse? Oh a pearl, alright I'll have a look. Ah this one is one of mine, it contains various notes regarding Four Blue Flames when he was still being constructed. It was actually a personal request of mine to have him built, his technology is better than mine in practically every way and he makes for a great research partner. I admire his work ethic, but I do wish he took breaks. After our creators' Ascension he's only become more wrapped up in the Great Problem, I worry for him. ... There is nothing more on this pearl that would interest you, you can have it back, I do not need it."

Bright Pink pearl dialogue when read by Four Blue Flames: "Hello Mouse, a pearl? Let's have a look. Hm, where did you find this? It's encrypted so I cannot read it to you, but I can guess that it was written by one of us. Unfortunately, I am of no use to you, but if you like pink then the pearl would make for a great decoration. Or alternatively, you can trade it to the scavengers. Of course, they will ruin the pearl like they do with the rest but if you are in need of explosives the scavengers excel in their creation. Now if you do not mind, allow me to get on with my work."

Deep Red pearl dialogue when read by Veil Of Dreams: "Rodent, you've got a pearl, allow me to read it for you. Oh, this one holds digital copies of several pieces of literature, I was missing many of these from my memory banks. I have them saved now, but I do not like the implications of this. Please Mouse, take the pearl and bring it to the library in the Capital."

Deep Red pearl dialogue when read by Four Blue Flames: "Oh a pearl, let's see what it says. This one is filled with all sorts of religious literature, it's rather old, from the Green hegemonic linguistic dynasty. It contains texts for meditation and prayers and various forms of religious guidance. I actually did not have this archived, so I appreciate your fondness of treasure hunting, you are a great help. I think this one would fit nicely in the Capital's library, please, bring it to Veil Of Dreams and he will guide you from there."

[mykingdomforapen]

courage of stars ch10 commentary

Practically all the previous chapter commentaries were made in preparation for the pivotal scene in chapter 10, so it is fitting that we return to having chapter commentaries now.

This chapter is an emotionally intense one for sure, and so it feels a little unfitting to cap it off with some more homework, but it is also really important to me to try and explain or portray these topics as best as possible, to give the readers as good of an understanding as I can.

Ultimately, I don't have any illusions to teach modern Chinese history. Who am I to teach it? What do I know? I only know bits and pieces here and there, told over late night peanut shells. But my goal in these notes, and this story, isn't to make scholars out of you. What I want most out of these commentaries is for you to understand Ye Ci.

Ye Ci, or Sun Yihan, is the antagonist in this story. No doubt about it. You lot picked up on that by now. But I don't want him to be a villain. Do you see what difference I'm drawing? He is not evil. I do not want to portray him as evil. Most of all, I do not want to write him as just 'the baddie.'

The fact of the matter is that, Ye Ci's childhood story is neither fiction nor rare. During that period, many young people were manipulated to turn in their parents to the authorities. Have you read 1984 by George Orwell? He mentions it there as well, about regimes where the children are taught that spying and turning in their parents was the right thing to do, encouraged. That was the case for China during the Revolution period as well. What were the children's motives for spying and turning in their parents? I think it could be a myriad of things, and not the same for each case. But for sure, it was something that the adults, the leaders, encouraged and ennobled.

And yes, in many cases, it led to the death of their parents. Sometimes by being beaten/lynched, but honestly, a lot of times by suicide. And the kids have to carry that for the rest of their lives.

In Ye Ci's flashback, the Four Olds are mentioned as something to be abolished. During the CR, anything that seemed remotely like the 'olden ways' of dynasty were encouraged to be destroyed. They were categorized in the 'four olds'--old customs, old culture, old ideas, and old habits. That's why Ye Ci's mother's classics had to be banned (fun fact, MZD loved some of the old classics, and kept reading them even though it was severely banned and destroyed elsewhere in the country. funny how that happens). That's why, if you have read up on modern history, many old temples and Buddha statues and graves were destroyed or desecrated. Old graves of emperors were dug up and desecrated. Several pieces of old art were destroyed. That's why you'll find that Taiwan has a really substantial collection of old Chinese art compared to China--some of the people who fled carried those pieces with them, else they would be destroyed.

How this campaign came to be, who was responsible, and where the line was drawn is not something I entirely understand so I cannot speak on it. Considering China still has a great expanse of ancient relics and architecture, it was evidently not so sweeping that everything was destroyed.

I want to also talking about the struggle session. The struggle session is the public spectacle that Ye Ci's mother was basically kangaroo court'ed in, before ultimately being beaten to death. Have any of you watched Netflix's Three Body Problem? The opening scene to that show is what a struggle session is. Basically, an open accusation of an undesirable person, often an intellectual but not limited to, where they are bound painfully and forced to wear demeaning accusations on their heads. Their spouses or family will then be called up to the stage and forced to denounce their loved one. Then they will get beaten, or further humiliated. Many people died by suicide afterward, because of the shame and suffering it wrought upon them.

This was a painful time in modern Chinese history. I did get nervous about taking the story into this direction when I was first planning it. I did not write Sun Yihan to be the antagonist that he was to sensationalize or vilify. I especially did not want to exploit history for the sake of entertainment. Without getting into the weeds of my inspiration, from the beginning and to the end of this story I cannot and will not vilify Ye Ci, and while you have the right to your opinions and reactions to the story, I can only ask that you do not either.

[horizon-verizon]

Any thoughts in particular about Alyssa V and her motherhood and political decisions? I think she, Rhaena and Visenya are really fascinating characters in this era of the Targ. Her husband dead, her son was usurped and murdered, her daughter, her granddaughter, her other son, and she and her two youngest children are hostages. Finally she got the allies they didn't have but that came at a high price. They win by her decisions and However, be sidelined and lose her political and personal agency.

So I talk about Rhaena, her relationship with Alyssa and Rhaena's perspective of her relationship with Alyssa both in TikTok (devoteeofwhimsy) and HERE on Tumblr. But I haven't really talked about Alyssa and her perspective in great detail. And this post won't either, bc I'm a bit too tired as of yet.

In short, I feel for her and wish I can be black and white about her for Rhaena's sake...but again, she went through it, had to consider her children's lives often above her own even when (one, guess who) they didn't consider her issues when it was needed. So basically, I just agree with you.

It is fascinating to compare & juxtapose Rhaena v Visenya; Visenya, in supporting Maegor to usurp Rhaena's brother Aegon, had perpetuated and enacted much of the catastrophe Rhaena suffered. Visenya was also the one to suggest a marriage b/t her and Maegor so the dynasty itself doesn't split (thus we may think Rhaena would be safer) and have less chance of a later civil conflict but also to have Maegor that much closer to the throne. On the other hand, Aenys refused to name Rhaena, his eldest child, his heir to keep the peace with the Faith and greater Andal patriarchy in the mind to stabilize and ensure the Targ monarchy/Westerosi unity.

And Rhaena---understandably--does not push for her own advance bc of these considerations, knowing her family wouldn't really go for it, and she herself felt she wouldn't be a good fit, practically, to be a Queen regnant/leader. So she supports her brother's claim over her own (before and when she's 18, she was very young)...she later sees how all this victimizes her and her kids so she becomes more determined to ensure her own safety & those she feels she can save through the Queen Dowager title AND that royal claim of the throne. Yet this woman also says to Jaehaerys, point blank, that she is the "Visenya" to Alysanne's "Rhaenys", after Elissa steals the dragon eggs.

She resented Alyssa for not putting as much effort into saving her or at least Aerea when she first runs away with Alysanne & Jaehaerys or try to bring up an army for her/Aerea and save their other brother Viserys from Maegor's torture. Is this unfair bc Alyssa had to save the kids she had access to, yes...but:

we have to remember that Rhaena had been very likely raped by Maegor after she became his "Black Bride" and multiple times after and idk if people know but this plus that systematic misogyny understanding can tend make people angry and emotionally isolated or more self-concerned....bc they are pushed into the survival corner

Alyssa did not just marry Rogar for the political benefits *EDIT 12/20/24* as in her way to getting the arms/soldiers necessary to protect Jaehaerys/have a buffer against Maegor during his reign bc the Baratehons was a grand house/ to use said troops for he & Jaehaerys' rebellion against Maegor...her way of access to even more other houses she and Rogar would convince to be with Jaehaerys both bc Rogar, as a man and with his perosnality, gives credit her. BUT after the wedding she would have also likely wanted to develop a true relationship with him as many people involved in arranged marriages do; with all this in mind, he became her kinda blindspot after he helped her and her kids that she didn't -- guarded herself the ambitiousness that he had (no matter how many times Gyldayn tries to make him seem "not that bad", remember this is written by a man from an anti-Targ, anti-female ruler institution and Rogar's problem was that he didn't have as much influence and power as his wife[when he certainly still had power, he just wanted more] so ofc Gyladyn would try to reduce Rogar's actions and his accountability to "he just wanted to help the realm") bc she felt he could ensure emotional security for herself and "love" along with that political security that she needed for her children/Jaehaerys *END OF EDIT* ...Rhaena probably resented that they (Alyssa and Jaehaerys) both valued his words and support over her own precisely because he, not her, provided much of that military force *EDIT 12/20/24* and how Alysanne herself became a protected, insulated party, not that she hated Laysanne but she resented that Jaehaerys Alyssa (more him but Alyssa did have to do with it when she enlisted handmaids for Alysanne in reflection of how Rhaena's companions put a "bad light" on her with the suspicions of her sexuality) *END OF EDIT*

Which is why I think she was slowly realizing her own wrongs towards Alyssa when we see she tried to rush to her bedside and talk to her before she died of childbirth, too late.

Anyway, this was about Alyssa. She and Aenys, the text states, seemed to be a good match because both reportedly searched for not just casual love but the approval/validation of their leadership through the traditional Andal eye; in search of using said approval to ensure their political short term survival, which feeds into their needs for personal validation, and back again in a feedback loop. However, for Alyssa, as a woman, yeah much of her power and agency comes from how much/many men around her allows her to practice use and through them. We see this in how Rogar tried to insult and dismiss her at that final council when he demanded they all replace Jaehaerys with Aerea or Rhaella, and it is only by the Kingsguard and every other man at that table defending her (for Jaehaerys) that Rogar's rebuffed:

("A Surfeit of Rulers"):

A lifetime of not having your own little net of supporters, guards, etc. entirely of your own instead of being your father or husband or child's AND witnessing men will defend your interests when it still ends up for the interests or elevation of another man will of course engender women with such blind spots that I truly believe every Targ woman had in same way or another, in different ways, that also came along with their genuine love for their male relatives. And she didn't even have a dragon (social prestige and way of intimidation) or grow up with one to at least have that Andal-less mental connection and psychological escapism that that we see helps Targ women put thing into perspective and/or take more courage...we see how it helped Dany's sense of self; how it helped this Rhaena; how to spiritually and physically enabled Nettles' both near-death but also deification/escape from violence, etc. Dany & Nettles is a special example are special examples because they always had that je-nais-se-quois spark, but their dragon connections and constant affirming of boundaries and bonds the right way also worked to strengthen them. Dragons didn't totally protect some of these women from their material dangers or their family's sidelining...but it did provide them something that was "just theirs", some personal means of mental, emotional, physical bubble that was theirs...not their children, not their husband, not their parents...just theirs alone. Something that materializes the strength they wanted and saw they could have. Alyssa didn't have that *EDIT 12/20/24* but at the same time, she showed the strength she was socialized to have towards saving her kids lives and Jaehaerys thanks her by leaving her with a seemingly abusive man to die eventually in childbirth...ironic in multiple ways. *END OF EDIT*.

Alyssa was stuck between a rock and hard place with little wiggle room. At the same time she, as the mother and the only one who could access some form of protection against Rogar through said Kingsguard, wasn't suspicious enough as Rhaena was when Rogar was not on to this who went out to help out Aegon when he went to confront Maegor....despite this being the same dude who the text says wanted to come 1v1 against Maegor and "never got the chance to":

("The Year of the Three Brides"):

("A Surfeit of Rulers"):

Alyssa, like Rhaena, Visenya, was fallible and a victim. Who maybe some, certain HotD fans, will probably try to pose as this Virgin Mary/Eve/Madonna figure against Rhaena's Jezebel/Lillith/Slut if HBO ever adapts this period of time and even removes Alyssa's own thirst for revenge...which they probably would with the wrong producer-writer. Even though Rhaena was more than likely sexually and romantically attracted to only women. Because Alyssa is much less assertive, vocal, or willing to confront grown men with what she really feels than other women around her, *EDIT 11/5/24* OR AT LEAST enough for Rhaena *END OF EDIT*.

Even though there's this gem of a "tease" Alyssa made to Maegor when Rhaena bonded with a dragon before he could, this also could have been her feeling safe to do so (she certainly was no shrinking violet):

("Sons of the Dragon"):

Watch these tradcaths try to say Rhaena "chose" to love women over men bc she's wants to "flaunt" her disobedience and freedom in her poor mother's face. Watch.

[absolventiia]

What about the throne doesn’t speak to Aurane? Is it the lack of autonomy it brings (no choice is ever for one’s self again), or the amount of control you have to exert over others (every choice for every one else, all the time)? Is there ever any aspect of disliking his hair color that bleeds into frustration for Alicent or Otto, for not having white hair/being Targaryen/saving him the shame of dark hair? If he could do one with no consequences, would he kill Aegon or Rhaenyra to end the war? If no one ever knew but himself, could he live with either option?

What about the throne doesn’t speak to Aurane? Is it the lack of autonomy it brings (no choice is ever for one’s self again), or the amount of control you have to exert over others (every choice for every one else, all the time)?

the throne corrupts, and he's seen it in action. i think especially for aurane, who has always lived so very close to power and yet never truly gaining it, he knows all too well how easily those who gain influence over others use it negatively, whether they mean to or not. i think the throne is an ABSTRACT for aurane. it is synonymous with many things -- it's a symbol of a dynasty built on pain, but also it is what men kill and die for. that type of overwhelming authority does SCARE him, more for how others act around it / with it than the idea of having that power himself.

i think his thoughts on power and control stem partially from AEGON, as well. he sees his brother go from a child who also wants nothing to do with power -- he does not want to be king, he says so himself, until alicent / otto / the green council force it onto him -- to becoming the king of the iron throne, and taking extreme actions because he can, out of revenge or otherwise. aurane sees his brother transform into something UNRECOGNIZABLE, sometimes, especially after jaehaerys' death. knowing that ALICENT, as well, also becomes power - hungry to some degree after seeing the opportunity that aegon's becoming king awards her, that otto brainwashes her to believe that aegon becoming king is the only way to save her children from rhaenyra's wrath -- when in reality, all it does is tear the entire family apart. 

aurane doesn't want the throne not because he would not be FIT for it ( i'm working on a king aurane au with @wulfmaed ), but because he knows that those who sit on the throne turn into different versions of themselves, and people he does not recognize. he's avoiding that by all means necessary, even to TOXIC ENDS for himself, and, in the end, the family he worked so hard to protect. i'll probably write a separate meta for this soon.

Is there ever any aspect of disliking his hair color that bleeds into frustration for Alicent or Otto, for not having white hair/being Targaryen/saving him the shame of dark hair?

yes, i think there is. i don't think he hates them because they gave him the dark hair, but because of how he's treated due to it. there's rumors floating around that he's a bastard after his birth, even though he was born at the same moment as aegon and shares his face. he's othered a bit by the court outside of official events. he's the prince, but outside of the targaryen colors and closeness with his siblings, you may never know it. i think it also leads to a bit more of bullying from aurane to rhaenyra's children as well, when he's younger. 

he steps in to consistently call them " strong ", because aurane feels self - conscious about his own hair color. it's also why he's so insistent on being called by his full title. it's why he doesn't take disrespect from others very well, it's why he feels so out of place when he doesn't receive his dragon until 15, or when his mother refuses to look at him because she's so focused on his siblings, aegon especially. his dark hair is the source for a lot of pain and anguish, and aurane one hundred percent believes that had he been born with the same silver hair as his siblings, there wouldn't be near as many problems in his early life.

If he could do one with no consequences, would he kill Aegon or Rhaenyra to end the war? If no one ever knew but himself, could he live with either option?

he would kill RHAENYRA, but not happily. even if he knows aegon is not the right choice for the throne ( anyone can see that ), aurane cannot bring himself to betray his brother in any form. he would feel incredibly guilty if he was the cause of rhaenyra's death, because he does not hate his elder half - sister. but i don't think that guilt would last for long after the war ends, if we're assuming it ends after rhaenyra's death, in this scenario.

[mathlann]

1, 11, 28, 42, and B for Casimira? Sorry for sending so many, there's so much I want to know 👀

From this ask meme. Thank you! Ask and you shall receive lol.

1. What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

Answered here!

11. How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?

She's a seek clarification type of lady. Cas will not have herself looking stupid because she made an assumption she shouldn't have. With anything genuinely important she'll make sure both parties in the conversation agree on what is being asked and what she plans to do before she does it. The exception to this is Marazhai because he will maybe let her get one question in and still won't give a straight answer 80% of the time, so in that case if she still doesn't know by Dodge Answer #2 she just goes with it until she can read whatever cue he's giving. It never ends up being that much of a problem but also he's generally not in charge of stuff like "trade routes" and "making sure the colonies don't implode" so his exception is allowable.

28. Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? 

She prefers the unpleasant truth. A lie has a high chance of making fools out of everyone involved but an unpleasant truth can at least be worked around and come to something better. Duly note that she is a bit of a hypocrite on this, because she herself is okay with lying if she thinks there's no consequences to it, like telling Heinrix she didn't know anything about the sword shards. And when the need comes for her to approach a difficult topic she will internally grind her teeth and drag her feet to avoid the conversation until something forces her hand.

42. How badly do they want to reach their end goal? 

Her end goal here being: "make the Protectorate less chaotic and get the dynasty under the control," greatly. Cas has never had a great opinion of off-worlders in general and Imperium nobility in particular and so frankly everything that happened after her arrival on Theodora's flagship was a reinforcement of all her biases. Between Theodora's neglect and Calcazar's scheming, Cas hasn't had a peaceful night since she left Iocanthos because there's just so much she needs to do, fix one problem and five more spring up. But if she can actually get things back into some kind of working order her way that will make all the difference (and stick it to a political entity that she very much dislikes, so a mighty bonus).

B. What inspired you to create them?

Oh that's a long and convoluted answer. In short I'd say she's an amalgamation of a lot of character concepts that I've played with off an on since I got the original Rogue Trader TTRPG book a decade or so ago. The CRPG is quite different from any of the FFG 40k games but Casimira being A) high Fellowship, B) Xenos-friendly, and C) probably from Iocanthos (a favorite from Dark Heresy) were going to be givens for me. I'm always looking to play high charisma PCs in general and I also really like having characters that are from the outskirts of Imperium society in some way. Also just for the general concept I'd just finished Catherynne M. Valente's Palimpsest, and I'll say the Casimira in that book is very much her vibe (alone and in parts of her romance w Marazhai) in ways I didn't know when I first grabbed the name off of her.

The rest under the cut because it's long 😅

Mechanically, since Psyker (my usual preference) wasn't fully implemented in EA, the original Cas in EA/first half-playthrough was a Death World/Commissar/Operative (conceptually similar to how I see her older sister actually). That Casimira was more genuinely "good person" Iconoclastic, which didn't quite fit what I was going for but also I didn't really know how the Iconoclast/Heretic split was going to go at the time. This Cas was practical, had some Dogmatic moments, and generally was approaching her role as Rogue Trader by trying to be a decent person/"benevolent noble" more often than not.

Then Yremeryss kicked my ass back to Act 1 and Cas was remade as a Hiver/Noble/Officer, both for the Fellowship bonuses and because at that point I'd decided Marazhai was the one for her and frankly "You. Serve Me." being the Noble's key ability was, uh, fitting for their dynamic. That Cas was going to be from Scintilla, and I made her a bit more spoiled, callous, and scheme-y, very into crime and other light heresies because she's very sure of her power as Rogue Trader and the right to do what she wants.

The current Xenoheretical, actively Anti-Imperium, Chaos dabbler Casimira emerged partway through that playthrough. She became Iocanthan again, an envoy this time, and Hiver still fit with the nomadic background. She got some of her old altruism back but it was more out of pragmatism than genuine feeling and could be overridden if she felt wronged or that her immediate want had a greater benefit. Also her being nominally a Noble but unable to meet the proper expectations of how she should act (according to Imperium standards) became a bigger part of her arc, one that ended up resulting in the Great Heinrix Divorce Arc and her darker turn with Marazhai in the second half of the game. And with all that, the Casimira I have today!

(Honorable mention vibe-wise, Bizet's Carmen, and specifically this performance of "Ramparts of Seville" conceptually influenced quite a bit of how I see her and Heinrix in that they definitely fit the "uptight man married to his job meets a mezzo soprano and they are not compatible and won't end up together but boy will they wreck his fucking life with the time they've got" genre 🤫)

[mirageofadesert]

Rating cdramas I watched as a newbie pt. 3

!! Spoiler Warning!! You can find part 1 and part 2 here!

The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty  8/10 

Acting: 9/10 World-building: 8/10 Production: 8/10 Storytelling: 8/10 Re-watch Value: 7/10  Pacing: 8/10 Bonus: I loved the intro and OST so much, I added it to my playlist.

I started to watch this drama a while back, but gave up after the second episode, because I couldn't follow the plot. I'm glad I came back after having watched more cdramas. Those gave me more background knowledge to follow to complex political structures and plots. After finally understanding the backdrop of the story, I was surprised to find out, that this show was vaguely adapted from a danmei novel.

While the story-line was interesting, it were the characters that really got me hooked, especially Wang Zhi. His character and story had so much more potential and I would love to watch a whole show with him as a main character. It kind of blew my mind that he was that young - and while his actions made you forget about it at times, the show manage to remind you of his youth in really great scenes.

Overall, the show suffered from the same problems many shows do: The story-line becomes to convoluted, the stakes don't fit the established tone of the show and some plot-holes are hard to overlook. For example, there should have been a better way to set up the empress as a warrior, because that came out of nowhere (twice). While the action scenes were great at first, when trying to raise the stakes during the last few episodes, it became over the top and felt out of place. In addition, some serious topics they tried to address (e.g. PTSD, domestic violence, human trafficking) didn't go anywhere and lacked consequences.

In spite of these problems, I loved the show and their main characters a lot. They did have great chemistry and I'm curious how a BL adaptation of this show would have looked like.  

---

Destined  7/10

Acting: 8/10 World-building: 7/10 Production: 8/10 Storytelling: 4/10 Re-watch Value: 6/10  Pacing: 5/10 Bonus: For Gu Jiusi charming mumbling and Liu Xueyi as the villain

The first episodes of this show were so great - I was having so much fun and I loved how the tone of the show switched by episode 9. In hindsight, I should have seen this as a sign, that the script would become messy: Stringing together too many impactful scenes, without letting the the story enfold. The problem with this is, that they lose their emotional impact and start to feel over the top and unrealistic. Somehow the ML is a playboy that does not care for women, but is also secretly one of the best martial artist out there even through we never see him practice during the episodes that follow his every day life in detail? It was just a bit too much lazy writing, trying to establish the path of the main characters. The idea was great, but the execution was a bit lacking. It's such a shame.

I think the riches to racks to riches story they wanted to tell was to convoluted even for 40 episodes. The ending was especially disappointing for me - but not because of how the main characters' story ends, but rather because of how they solved the succession problem. After making the question, what makes a suitable ruler, a focus point of the show, they make the next (next) crown prince some never before mentioned character off screen? It felt so unsatisfied! I feel like the show lacked a clear meta plot, a massage beyond the love story.

---

Light Chaser Rescue 5/10

Acting: 7/10 World-building: 7/10 Production: 4/10 Storytelling: 5/10 Re-watch Value: 3/10  Pacing: 6/10 Bonus: For not centering the plot on the love story alone.

I'm currently on a mission to watch Luo Yunxi (allegedly) mediocre filmography and Light Chaster Rescue was next on the list. It turned out to be a decent show! My biggest grievances is, that the rescue scenes lacked suspense and I think that's a budget and production issue. Some of the characters were quite flat and annoying and I'm not sure how much of it was insufficient acting skills or a bad script (I lean towards the latter).

In addition - and it really pains me to say this Luo Yunxi's character was not written well and I'm not sure he was the best fit for the role. In the beginning Luo Ben was supposed to be self-centered and annoying. Still, the dialog was just not well written and no amount of excellent acting could save come of the lines. The whole over-protectiveness over his mute little sister was also not done well and made me dislike Luo Ben. Now, this might be quite controversial, but if they cast an actor, that does not fit the typical build of an rescue worker, it would have been better to actually make this part of the story. Ignoring it most of the time, made Luo Ben unconvincing. I think they tried to set it up in some ways (e.g. pointing out his tactical skills, driving ability and how the other members don't see him as suitable at first), but the drama failed to deliver it. In my opinion, it would have given the show a bit more depth and realism.

On that note... I would like to know if Luo Yuan actually signed CSL or if it was just some gibberish. Adequate representation of dis/abled people in media matters, so I really hope they got it right. I also had mixed feeling that she was only mute and not hard of hearing. I know it's possible, even if uncommon. It's obvious why they made that decision, but it felt (again) unconvincing.

Overall, I still enjoyed the show and the pacing was quite nice. I liked the long build up to the different characters joining the Light Chaser Rescue and how they did the big revelation later on!

---

Broker 6/10

Acting: 7/10 World-building: 6/10 Production: 6/10 Storytelling: 6/10 Re-watch Value: 4/10  Pacing: 6/10 Bonus: A research focused plot!

This one came as a surprise to me. After Light Chaser Rescue I expected another okay-ish drama, I only planed to watch for the lead, but I ended up really enjoying it. The initial premise of cooperate espionage is interesting and I wish they would have focused on that in the later part, instead of it become a family conflict with high stakes. The backstories of the characters were also a bit too wattpad. However, I got rather invested into the characters and story. The acting was good as well, with the exception of the white actors they hired, who were just horrible - barely being able to say their lines. It gave it some unintended comedy. As someone who has worked in research for the last couple of years, this show was really fascinating to watch (even through it's not realistic), but I liked to see a story-line like this in a drama! The patriotism was a bit hard to get used to, but I can't deny the anti-Chinese racism within the scientific community.

---

Thank you for reading my rumbling on the internet! I think next I will do a post about why I dropped certain shows and what I learned about myself as a cdrama audience by doing so!

[askkrenko]

Magic to me has always been about the worlds, the fantasy aspect, and getting immersed in these fantastic places. It's about games that tell a story and moving pieces that make sense to move together. Sure, there's always the snakes-with-boots problem, but historically Magic has usually felt pretty consistent on what the setting of Magic is. There's outliers, but there's usually some set of standard fantasy races fighting with fantasy powers and when things get 'weird' it's because we're now doing a more Japanese-style fantasy or we're pushing more magitek than usual but you can still reasonably expect a game to tell a narrative about a battle that makes some sort of sense. Standard used to be the BEST at this because Standard for a long time only ever had base sets and two worlds, and even after Blocks stopped, we spent most of a year on Ravnica or went to places like Eldraine or Kaldheim that were really just that same sort of high fantasy Magic always was. Neon Dynasty was wild, sure, but there was still a lot of traditional stuff in there, and we followed that up with a year of sets focused on the Phyrexians.

SOME of the Universes Beyond stuff seems to fit in flawlessly as well. Sure, Forgotten Realms is a different world, but everything there just fits into Magic, and Tolkein's DNA is so firmly baked into medieval fantasy that a Lord of the Rings set is full of cards that fit in seamlessly (though Kithkin really need to be eratta'd to halflings now.) Honestly, Final Fantasy seems like a great fit here, and while Warhammer 40K is weird, the connective tissue of the raw number of demons at least says 'this is a magical world setting with aspects that we do see on other magic worlds.' But sometimes Optimus Prime shows up and whatever narrative is happening in the world of the cards grinds to a screeching halt because there's no reasonable explanation for how my magical wizard duel game suddenly has a sentient alien robot truck. Despite the card playing fine, every time I see him or one of his friends hit the table, it grinds my immersion into this carefully cultivated multiverse to a screeching halt in a way that even the most intentionally absurd in-universe cards don't.

And having UB become a huge part of standard, coupled with Spider-Man being an upcoming UB set, means this is going to be happening basically all the time now. I'm genuinely not that worried about Final Fantasy for the same reason I'm not phased by Lord of the Rings (though some of the more recent ones are uncomfortably Sci-Fi), but when standard is full of Spider-Man cards, it's going to mean many of those games are going to have that complete shattering of the immersion of anything making sense at all.

Honestly, the only way to make it work is to OPEN the Multiverse and let Chandra meet Spider-Man, which is something that's been avoided in the UB stuff before. At that point you can say yeah, this is a Multiverse, Plane-Hopping story, and Marvel is just another Plane in it, but right now I'm having a serious issue maintaining immersion when I'm assembling my horde of fantasy creatures and then The Doctor shows up with all his weird space stuff.

And that's not even getting into the absolute mind-boggle that the Assassin's Creed set causes me. REAL people, even long dead ones, should NOT be Magic Cards. Optimus Prime may be my poster boy for this issue because I play against him the most, but it's Sokrates and Da Vinci that I really just cannot get past.

I’ve always felt the core role of this blog has been one of information. We make a lot of choices in design, and I try to use my various communications, including Blogatog, to walk the players through what we were thinking when we made key decisions.

The challenge with this approach is that it’s very logic-focused. It uses intellectual justifications to explain actions. But the problems I’m often responding to are emotional in origin. I have a good friend who’s a psychologist. He refers to this (using the words of author Robyn Gobbel) as an owl brain solution to a watchdog brain problem.

When someone is hurting, hearing about why the thing that is causing them pain is the result of intellectual decisions falls flat. That’s what has been causing some tension lately here on Blogatog.

It’s clear that for some Question Marks changes over the last few years represent the loss of something key to what makes Magic special to them. To them, the game is losing its heart.

While I can’t necessarily do anything about that, I want to better understand what you’re going through. So I’m using this post to ask players who are concerned with the recent changes to help me understand their feelings. Let me hear your stories about how your lives have been affected by these changes.

[dramaticyouth]

In Depths of Isolation: A Reflection on the Anthology,"Lockdown Litanies:Countless Untold Stories" an Essay by Chloe Alison C. Estrada

To begin with, the author shows notable poems that impressed us and have our own way to understand each meaning of the poems. As I read these poems I noticed that all of these are all about women experiencing something awful and unbearable pain in their lives. Especially in the situation we are facing today, that  is the one controversial issue that many women are experiencing. So when I was thinking about the central theme of my reflection essay on this anthology, I decided to title it the "In Depths of Isolation" because we do not simply isolate ourselves from the world for there is more depth to what we truly feel. The same applies to the litanies, there's more depth into them than what it seems. 

After reading the first poem, entitled, "Dear Diary," I discovered that the persona has faced significant challenges and changes throughout their life. I've realized that people must have some mental breakdown where they just want to end their life because of things that are not right in their lives. When they want to be out of the cave where they only see darkness and only hear things they can't handle, it's not easy for them to be out of that, but rather than waiting for the light to come, it is you that must come and find your own path to light and to finally get the happiness you deserve as a person. It is evident with the following lines from the poem, "I was told of a place where pain flees to nothingness. I’d like to disappear too in the darkness. Until then, I’ll forego myself. Move away and discover a world on my own". That was something that our own selves will be the ones to decide whether you're going to stay in that darkness or whether you'll step up and find your own shadow. This reminds me of Alessia Cara's "I Choose," where the song tugs at all the right heartstrings and engulfs us with her vocals. The lyrics are simple yet remind us that we all choose and love someone. Through the times of being quarantined away from friends and loved ones, the lyrics “but feeling lonely doesn’t mean you’re alone” truly leave an impact. The song describes the feeling of being lost, but there is always someone at the end who chooses and supports us.

Moving along to the second poem, “The Tale of a Modern Sisyphus,” I realized that in the first set of poems, we could connect it to the situation during an election. There are two candidates mentioned in the poem, the number seven and the number ten. The other candidate answered the question short and seemed to be in general. While the other candidate answered the question with power and conviction. Here, it’s obvious who’ll take home the crown, right? And yet, the candidate with a vague answer gets the vote of the judges. In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a cruel figure who was punished to push a large rock up on a steep hill, only to find it rolling back upon nearing the top. In reality, we are all like him, we are continuously carrying the burden of having a disorganized country by letting a person who has a history of bad habits get the highest position in the government. Just like the lines, “And so we witness a life of a modern Sisyphus. Not defined by her defeat, but of being gracious-. Gracious to push the boulder up the mountain. And start once again like nothing happened.” We’re letting history repeat itself without even looking back at what happened back then. With that said, I can relate this kind of situation to an OPM song titled “Tatsulok.” This song calls out the problem of how our problems don’t end because of the people in the higher position in our society. Nowadays, it’s very common in our society to have this kind of situation, especially in places wherein political dynasties exist. We can avoid this kind of problem by being responsible voters and capable of examining who’s the best fit for every position in the government.

Now, for the third poem titled, OYayi (A Prose Poem), I started to get emotional because this concept entails a person who has experienced trauma from her past, but there's someone who comes into her life and helps her overcome it. That's romantic. In the following lines from the poem, "That spark in her eyes after saying his name Dante was her resistance as she brushed past ruins, death, fire, and pillage, and his laughter was her symphony." Even though time passes by, they get older and older, but their relationship never gets old. The foundation of their happiness is within themselves. But suddenly a tragedy happened; Dante died,and the only thing that she has is the music box that Dante made for her,so that the music box will be her comfort zone. But in the end, they ended up together again in the hands of God. It reminds me of Taylor Swift's "Love Story", where it is about Romeo and Juliet in the "original story" where they both died, so it connects the poem,but this song is different because they end up together but they're alive. With these lyrics that I really want to be their ending,---He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said, "Marry me, Juliet." You'll never have to be alone. I love you, and that's all I really know. She is the only person that gave Romeo and Juliet a happy ending, and that was what we all wanted to happen. In my case, I really hope that Yayi and Dante will end up like in the song by Taylor Swift, "Love Story." 

This time, for the fourth poem, "The Two Red Laces on a Wonderwall" . I felt like "Woah, that's beautiful" and also that it has many deep meanings. That's what I like the most. At first, I thought it was about suicidal as I saw the word "die," but that is not what it meant, so when I read the full poem, I was shocked at what it really meant. In this poem, I discovered some feelings and thoughts in the line "All because of you, I bare my soul." It's like when you reveal deep truths about yourself to another person, like imagine confessing your passion for stamp collecting to a person you like, you can just bare your soul to her/him. You pass by so many men, but you fall for one person. Even though he/she has no interest in you and you don't even trust him/her with their words, but you adore her/him. You will just surrender yourself to them. It is evident from the following lines "I  fell in your words. You, vindictive. I did what you said and leaned forward. I opened my whole, to bare my soul. " It reminds me of Adele's "Make You Feel My Love." In my opinion, it's a song of heartbreak. She loves someone dearly and wants to show him off, but she can't. It's probably someone she can't have or someone who doesn't feel the same about her. When she sings, I feel her sadness. It's a sad, lonely, and helpless feeling when you love someone and have to keep it hidden and bottled up. In the lyrics, "I could offer you a warm embrace to make you feel my love." It shows devotion and honesty. 

For the fifth poem titled, "Umbilical." In this poem it's about a mother giving birth to a child. It's not an easy situation that a mother would take because the life of her child depends on it. When time flies, that child, slowly growing up, realizes many things that her/his mother sacrifices her life for them to see how wonderful our world could be. It is evident from the following lines, "Amniotic sac breaks; shrill cry rapidly, Ensued. I grew in size—depth, width, and height. The pain she suffered just for me to see." So don't ever disappoint and rebel against your mother or your parents. All those sacrifices and difficulties they face when you are just in their womb will be repaid when they see you grow as a good person and make them proud with your studies. It reminds me of Riley Roth's, "When God Made You My Mother" . This song really hits me because I relate to the song as this poem. It is just a reality of a mother and daughter situation, it gives a vibe that no one can understand you more like your mother because it is said that "Mother knows best" because she's the person that sees the best in you. She gives you unconditional love. In the lyrics, "And when I'm fallin' in my weakness, You give me strength to stand back up." When you are in a bad situation or you just can't handle the pain that you are facing, your mother is the one and only your crying shoulder because she is the only person who will understand your pain, and they don’t ever judge their children despite their secrets and weaknesses. Instead, they do their best to lift spirits up and fill the void with love, teaching their offspring to be stronger and braver, giving you a warm hug and saying , "Everything will be alright." That really makes you feel at ease.  

Moving on, we have now the sixth poem, "RE: Paper (I’m Red, IMRaD)*", In this poem it talks about education here in the Philippines. I discovered that we should pay more attention to the quality of education given to the students rather than to the students themselves. It is evident from the following lines, "If we keep on insisting on quality education for students, Why not allow teachers access to quality to their extent?" With that the government should also invest more on the teachers because we all know that they're the ones who exert efforts and time in providing quality education for students. It reminds me of Taylor Swift 's "Change." This song has a pop-type feel and is fun and makes me feel like I can do anything I set my mind to.  In the lyrics, "Because these things will change..Can you feel it now? These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down..This revolution, the time will come..For us to finally win..And we'll sing hallelujah.." Instead, it’s more of an "I" and "we" type of affair. And what these parties symbolize, once again, are entities who are facing an endless hardship in terms of blowing up, so to speak. But more to the point is the idea that they "never gave in." So, at the end of the day, the narrator predicts that they will "sing hallelujah" in celebration of victory. However, the present doesn't change the past, but we can make changes in our present for a better future ahead. 

Now onto the seventh poem, "3 a.m Awakening ", I realized that the persona is having an issue with his/her own self. I think she/he has insomnia or anxiety disorders that it keeps him/her awake in 3 a.m, just having negative thoughts of why did she/he have to experience that so the persona wanted to ended it but he/she endure the pain rather to have a sins to God and have her/his punishment either in heaven or in hell. It is evident from the following lines, “What’s wrong with you, Harper? Act in order. God burns sinners in sulfur and fire.” (󠄴I’m tired.) And so, breathe gently ten times and let go. Count seconds and feel the world down below." It shows how the persona chooses to let go of all the sufferings, the pains and the deep or negative thoughts he/she have experienced throughout a day at 3 a.m, and just surrender it, let God rest. It reminds me of the Hillsong, "I surrender", it fits the poem . It shows how God does things for you even though we do not see it but I know any of us feels it. In the lyrics, "Here I am, Down on my knees again Surrendering all.." That's right, surrender all your sins to God and let it be your lesson to yourself. God never sends you into a situation alone, God goes before you, He stands beside you,He walks along with you because whatever situation you are facing right now be confident.God is with you all the time. Don't ever think to end your life easy because you're not done yet on your missions in life as long as God is there greater things are still to come. 

For the eighth poem, entitled, "My Frail Lady", Based on my understanding she suffered depression and thought that she was so frail that everything she will do is fragile, has no value and that leads her to end her own life. The moral lessons that I learned about this poem is that we should not see ourselves as a failure nor a frail because all of us have our own strengths that make us valuable individuals. In the following lines, "Her suffocating, Words whispered out of relief...Tightness ‘round her throat." Nowadays that kind of situation is very common especially among teenagers who have been experiencing anxiety and depression because of stress and tension between school and family, so as much as possible we need to take care of our mental and physical health. It reminds me of Khalid & Billie Eilish, "Lovely". In this song I find both singers attempting to surmount the sadness and depression drowning them. In the lyrics, "Isn't it lovely, all alone..Heart made of glass, my mind of stone..Tear me to pieces, skin to bone..Hello, welcome home.." I think neither one of the vocalists is actually feeling “lovely”, as any normal human being would define the word. But in terms of how the term is being applied throughout, it can be said that, once again mockingly, they are trying to make the best out of a depressing situation.Throughout the song, they sarcastically put forth that they have become accustomed to being depressed.  It has also been put forth that the “you” she is addressing isn’t a person but rather a personification of depression itself. But either way the conclusion is the same – the singer is stuck with less-than-favorable thought processes, or perhaps we can say emotions, in her head and heart. 

And for the last poem in this anthology, "Major Arcana," I realized that not everyone has a perfect and beautiful past. Even if we were broke and fragile in the past, we should not carry that into our present lives because it may affect our future selves. However, tarot cards do not predict the future; rather, they are a tool to provide guidance and support in your decision making. And with that don't base your decision and actions on what tarot cards say. When your intuition is unsure, a tarot card may help you figure it out. The tarot card reading in this poem may assist the persona with his/her problems and guide her through her life decisions. And with these cards, it gives him/her hope to continue living a happy and positive life. It is evident from the following lines, "Card 2: The Chariot. What you want most right now is success—to win and never give up this fight.I see you are mostly assertive, yet haven't quite got the luck you wanted.Expect a journey relating to family, work, or love as your card reads movement." This gives you good and positive energy, but don't expect to have the luck you desire; instead, never give up and stand on your own two feet to overcome any challenges you may face. It reminds me of Shakira's "Try Everything". In some ways, it seems obvious that failure is a part of the process of how we learn and grow. Failure reminds us that we're human. With the lyrics of "I won't give up..No, I won't give in 'til I reach the end..And then I'll start again.." To fail is to risk. When we fail we allow ourselves to be vulnerable,to be messy but when we open ourselves up to the possibility of failure, we build up the trust and hope in ourselves that we can do things that scare us, that we can be brave. Shakira tells us that it's okay to try and fall and get back up again.

In conclusion, this anthology exposed me to a person’s different sides of emotions and feelings. And that allows me to observe how our experiences have influenced our lives and the lives of people around us. It provided me with a new perspective on how someone may remain hopeful in the face of misery. It is not our fault that we are only human beings that make numerous mistakes and failures in life. But we all live in an age when many of us are facing or experiencing hardships and struggles, and we all know that we can't do it alone, so we need someone to lean on and someone who understands us. We are not to blame for our weaknesses and shortcomings. With the author having him/herself go through that, now I can truly say that even a cracked voice can still sound so good, just like how an unconscious person can still get better and happier with their lives being alone in the midst of nowhere. So as I reflect on the poems, I give my full attention and I use my own experience to indicate a good essay to portray the point of the poems. 

[ibrahimnerde]

What do you think about Ibrahim and Hatice’s relationship overall? Do you think that it was unhealthy from the start? Or do you think that it wasn’t so, that it was a healthy relationship at its heart and that they truly loved each other and it only broke apart because of the dire circumstances and the mental health problems they both independently had?

At first their relationship was fine , had crushes on each other and longed for this marriage to happen.They were great and very couple goals and they both wanted to have a normal family away from the drama. Both of them contributed in this relationship becoming toxic.

Let’s start with Hatice. Aside from her obsession with Ibrahim like he doesn’t come home due time or acting as if the world is ending while he is away, Hatice’s main problem is not being realistic. When she shattered Ibrahim’s pride and told him he is just a servant, she later expects him to live with her happily as if nothing happened. Same with everyone she “slip up” with. It is almost weird how she never realized how Ibrahim is distancing himself from her until he had been sleeping with Nigar for a good amount of time. Before that she thought everything was bubbly and everything was okay and when she finally starts realizing she doesn’t ask him. Hatice lack of realizing things is actually an evident aspect of her character. The fact that she is the only one who never realized that Ibrahim’s arrogance is growing….like even Mahidevran knew this but just kept quite. Ibrahim named himself “Sultan Ibrahim” but she was fine and she was still rambling about how Hurrem is a threat. Hatice ignoring the many warning signs around the relationship and pretending that everything is great is part of why this relationship fell.

Now into Ibrahim the biggest reason why this relationship is destroyed. He has a hugeee inferiority complex. Ibrahim wanted to dominate his partner but he can’t dominate Hatice even before their heated moment his ego was never satisfied that’s why he was flirting with Nigar cause she satisfies his ego. Plus it took him soooo long to get Hatice while with Nigar he got her in a sec. Anyway, his secretiveness towards Hatice ,imo, was him trying to satisfy his ego in any way. He wants to see her ,the imperial princess, desperate for him. Ibrahim never imagined that the little fragile Hatice would lash at him and consider him a mere servant that is at her and her family’s service….and he starts questioning reality. The heated moment triggered the already triggered identity crisis within Ibrahim. He probably felt somewhat “home” with Hatice more than with anyone else from the dynasty. Hatice ,like everyone else, reminding him that he is a slave made him distance himself and he never tries to give Hatice another chance despite the fact that it was all his fault from the beginning cause he was being unnecessarily secretive.

When the relationship is exposed and Hatice later forgives Ibrahim that makes him more arrogant. Only he can get away after cheating on the imperial princess. He might be a slave but he has the sultan’s sister wrapped around his finger, he got the sultan himself to protect him and honor him with positions and money. Ik this is historically inaccurate but Hatice allowing Ibrahim back fed his ego more. Actually in SO3 if you noticed in some moments Ibrahim is rather rude to Hatice and screamed at her that’s because he knows she is desperate for him and if she allowed him to get away with infidelity then she’ll allow him to get away with everything else.

This relationship was never gonna develop healthy anyway. Hatice is not fitted in the environment. She is rather naive and innocent for such a ruthless period. Ibrahim deserved to get executed from ep 1.

[inventors-fair]

Cyber-Surplus

Kamigawa Neon Dynasty is looking to be one of my favorite sets in a long time. I love all the artifact and enchantment creatures it has running around. I love reconfigure as a mechanic. I love the callbacks to old lore. I love the flavor. I love so much about it. So I wanted to share that love with y’all.

Your challenge this week is to design a card meant to be added to Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.

I know many y’all have been expecting this for a few weeks now, so I’ve decided to finally run it cause I really enjoy running contests like this.  Now, to clarify a few things.

Firstly, think of this as a card that got “forgotten” from the file. It isn’t meant to replace a card that already exists in the set, so try to steer clear of being to close to a card that already exists in this set. All ten colors have a multicolor uncommon, for example, so in general I’d steer clear of those. 

Secondly, this is specifically meant to be a design for Neon Dynasty and not the commander decks. This is mainly just because of my next point.

Thirdly, I want you to really think about how this card fits into the environment of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. Design with limited and standard in mind. What effects would this card have if added to that environment? Does it play well? What kind of deck is it meant for? What role does it play in that deck? Here at the fair, we tend to design cards in a vacuum, but designing for a specific environment is a very useful skill as designers so one of my goals with this contest is to push in that direction.

There will be three winners for this contest, based on three different categories. (The runners up will not be based on these categories, necessarily). Those categories are

One, best use of a mechanic. Every new set brings with it a lot of new tools, and I want to see what you can do with those tools. For what kind of mechanics I’m looking for, here’s a list: Reconfigure, Modified, Ninjutsu, Channel, Sagas that turn into enchantment creatures. I won’t say this is a necessarily 100% exhaustive list; I could see a situation where one of you submits a card using some other mechanical theme in the set I hadn’t considered that feels right for this category anyway. However, if you wander outside the bounds of this list, I can’t make any guarantee that I’ll consider it for this particular category. So what do I mean by “best”? Well for one thing, obviously, it has to use that mechanic. It doesn’t necessarily have to use the mechanic itself. An artifact with “T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to pay for ninjutsu costs” for example would technically qualify, but I think you’d be unlikely to win this category with a card like that. I’m looking for cards that are innovative in their use of the mechanic (but still within the bounds of how this set is using it). This category will tend towards the upper rarities I imagine, because there’s a certain level of coolness and cleverness required here, but that is by no means a requirement. There are several existing cards at lower rarities that could win this category- Moon-Circuit Hacker, Reinforced Ronin, Colossal Skyturtle. These are all cards that do some very interesting stuff with the mechanic. But remember, as always, don’t just design for cleverness. Don’t add an ability to your design just to make it more “innovative”, make a design where that kind of innovation is an integral part of it.

Two, best common. This is the category where I’m going to be paying the closest attention to the environment, and specifically limited. Think about what decks in limited might want this card, and perhaps if different decks might want it for different reasons. That’s often the mark of an interesting common. Make sure you stay within the boundaries of what a common is though. Don’t make anything too complicated, or something that would be a problem if it was too frequent in limited games. But also don’t make something that could be a part of just any set. Generic card designs certainly have important uses, but I don’t need to see them in this contest.

Three, best all around. This is the most general category, one for a design I really like but that didn’t fit into one of the other two categories, for whatever reason. Or if it does fit them, the card I chose for that category is a better representation of that specific category.

And then finally, here’s a few random things to remember.

Pay attention to how this set does things, and make sure your card is well-suited to the set. For example, every creature aura in the set is worded so that it doesn’t fall off if it’s attached to a noncreature artifact cause of all the vehicles and reconfigure cards running around.

Don’t be afraid to be subtle. If your designing a card meant to help ninjas with ninjutsu, you don’t have to necessarily call that out in the design or anything. You could just have some kind of “leaves the battlefield” trigger for example.

Make sure that more than anything else you’re designing a good card. All the flavor and cool ideas in the world don’t mean a lot if the card you’re designing has play issues. Think about what function this card is meant to serve, and make sure it’s the best it can be at that function. Don’t try to combine a bunch of different ideas into one.

I hope this is a fun contest for y’all! And I hope I made it clear what kind of direction you should be aiming for. Good luck!

- @loreholdlesbian​

When you’re ready to submit send it    >>HERE<<

If you want to talk to your fellow designers join our discord    >>HERE<<

[yourfavouriteprettyboy]

the lore in folklore

My analysis of folklore

So ig we all know about the folkore love triangle, still if u don't, here's a summary (bcs this post will be based on that)

There's a high school couple, James and Betty. James cheats on Betty with another girl over the summer, lets call her Augustine (cs the name isn't specified anywhere). Later, James apologizes to Betty by showing up at her party. She accepts the apology.

Now here comes the list of tracks and how I think they are all related to this (except a few)

1. the 1: I think this song is from Betty's POV, after she finds out that James is cheating, but before the party. Though lyrics like Roaring 20s suggest that this is after they complete high school (or that the song is completely unrelated lol).

2. cardigan: We know this song is from Betty's Pov, and I dont think I need to elaborate on that.

3. the last great american dynasty: Though this song is probably unrelated to the love triangle, I still have to include it so here are my thoughts on it. This may be a song from Augustine's POV, but after they all grow up. Ig she kind of was hated by everyone after everything bcs Betty was probably popular (since she is throwing a party, which is attended by her friends and probs many others). She grew old, but everyone still hated her.

4. exile: Now again this song doesn't clearly fit in the love triangle, but since Betty and James weren't really very good as a couple (since he cheated on her) they may have broken up a few years later, and this might be a song about that.

5. my tears ricochet: Again, this doesn't fit in well, not even after i force it. so we are just gonna leave it.

6. mirrorball: I consider this song from Augustine's POV, before the cheating stuff happened. She is still trying to desperately impress James, changing everything about herself just to fit in.

7. seven: I don't think this song is related to the love triangle, (but i think it has a relation to 'dorothea', which i'll be explaining in a future post.)

8. august: We know august is from Augustine's POV so i wont explain much.

9. this is me trying: I think this song is from James' POV, after he cheats and realizes the mistake he made. This can be supported by similar lyrics in the song betty 'Betty, I'm here on your doorstep' and 'But I'm here in your doorway' in this is me trying. There are also similar lyrics in the song august 'August sipped away like a bottle of wine' and 'Pouring out my heart to a stranger/But I didn't pour the whiskey' in this is me trying. Both the lyrics indicating getting drunk with someone you don't really know, smthg that happens during cheating ig.

10. illicit affairs: now this is a song clearly from Augustine's POV, during the cheating stuff is going. Even the name of the song says that so yeah.

11. invisible string: Ig this is a song from Betty's POV, about how James and her are meant to be.

12.mad woman: again tho the lyrics rlly don't fit in, this might be a song from Augustine's POV, cs she is being hated by everyone.

13. epiphany: ok this song is clearly unrelated so I'll leave it here

14. betty: this is from James' POV i don't need to explain why i think

15. peace: this can be a song from Augustine's POV, 'i could never give you peace' and 'But the rain is always gonna come if you're standing with me' indicate that troubles gonna follow everywhere and I see Augustine as a girl always in trouble so yea

16. hoax: i think this is a song from Betty's POV, after she finds out about the cheating. (I also think this is related to champagne problems, which I'll be explaining in some other post)

So the basic timeline of the album can be:

(commas indicating that they happened at the same time, the semi colon meaning a time gap)

So yea this is my analysis of folklore

Invisible string, mirrorball; august, illicit affairs, peace, hoax; cardigan, betty, this is me trying;the 1, exile;mad woman, the last grt American dynasty

This is in no way real it's just my analysis

[freetobeafcknriot]

so about that anastasia midam au.....

∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

OMG that kaomoji!! okay you of all people know how badly i need this in my life! i'm still trying to figure out where i'd prefer to set it because i'm like that, whether it'd be in russia or somewhere else, because then i'd probably adapt michael and his siblings' names (so for example mikhail, Михаил, and so on). you know, to have something like anastasia - anya.

aside from that though, sorry, can we talk about the poetic potential of adam helping michael run from the palace with raphael and gabriel when they were young — adam being a little younger but smart and stubborn enough to shove the eldest heir to the throne into a secret passage to ensure his and the other princes' safety — and then them meeting again without recognizing each other (because one's lost his memory and the for the other, well, it's been a literal decade) and not getting along in the slightest but still making a deal and agreeing to travel to *cheks scribbled notes* either france or somewhere else, looking for the only remaining members of the royal family and thus, by consequence, history kind of repeating itself without them knowing? but in reverse?

adam's doing it for the money because he wants to be able to provide for his mother (this is still up for debate though) and michael seems like the perfect candidate, he looks like the lost prince and is so clever for someone who is so fucking haughty and aloof. michael, in return, has only this one clue about whatever past he doesn't remember and no place in the world. he doesn't know raphael and gabriel are his real siblings and he is even less aware of the fact that the mastermind behind the attack to the palace ten years ago and the death of so many people and the dissipation of an entire dynasty and the loss of his memories and family is one of his brothers himself — who he loved so much even — that is, lucifer.

it's just so good! and don't get me started on when michael and adam eventually realize they're in love and they've known each other for so long. do not. my feels!

also they're not alone in this journey but here instead of vladimir we have kevin. because adam and keving are the brotp of a lifetime and because i know for a fact kevin would be less gracious in stating that "you two are so annoying it's stressing me out oh my god". meanwhile adam's there stating that with that attitude of his michael will pass for an uptight spoiled prince without a problem and michael's also there arguing with him because he has honestly never met anyone as insolent. help kevin.

see? they even fit the same trope! the heart eyes at the end are real too, so, yeah :)

[studyinglogic]

Two small comments, then two substantive issues:

It is very funny and very useful to reverse the cultural gaze. "The American Civil War was a conflict that occurred in North America in the late Edo Period."

It matters whether you're trying to keep to actor's categories or not. (As you mentioned, people in the Middle Ages didn't think of themselves as living in the Middle Ages, but the Renaissance humanists did self-identity as being of the Renaissance.)

The two larger issues are stake:

The main issue here is: should you try to change people's views by using more accurate terms so that they get used to it (in this case, names of dynasties) or try to communicate by using terms more familiar to people (in this case, European periodisation)? Should one try to change the system or work with the system?

The major problem with describing Chinese history with European periodization is that any dynasty can be described in multiple ways using European periodization.

Take the Song dynasty: I've seen it described as Medieval China (by scholars of Chinese Buddhism), the Chinese Renaissance (by Jacques Gernet), and Early Modern China (by Naitō Konan and scholars following him like Reischauer).

Which one are you going to pick? Are you going to match by time period (in which case the Song dynasty is in the Medieval period) or by cultural and economic developments (in which case it might be Renaissance or Early Modern)? Choosing any one option will bring in its own Eurocentric assumptions; there's no easy answer.

________________

Perhaps the most detailed short overview of periodisation I've read comes from the introduction to Endymion Wilkinson's Chinese History: A New Manual, which gives a quick survey of many different ways of periodising Chinese history (Neo-Confucian, Japanese, Marxist, and so on). He concludes (and here I leave his section references intact):

A major disadvantage of trying to squeeze Chinese history into the European three stages is that the labels ancient, medieval, and modern are already closely attached to particular attributes and assumptions associated with European history. These used to be considered universal. No longer.

. . . Controversies have raged as to which method of periodization to use and where the demarcation lines should be drawn, but periodization is not a science. The whole argument becomes more interesting as soon as it is allowed that different types of history have different stages of development.

For example, the history of Chinese mathematics (§38.16) does not necessarily coincide with changes of production or of political institutions and the same applies to the history of the Chinese language, the start of whose “modem” phase begins six centuries before the start of “modern” political history (§1.1).

Economic watersheds, too, often occur at different periods than do political ones, because in China, as elsewhere, economies change faster than do political systems.

Finally, it is worth recalling that the fundamental periodization provided by climate change has the advantage that it links China with changes affecting the rest of the world within broadly the same time frame (§13.1).

No matter which method of presenting the story is chosen (and each has drawbacks and advantages), it should serve to clarify analysis; to stimulate comparisons with the historical experience of other civilizations, countries, and peoples; and to assist the memory, not to provide a procrustean bed into which to fit the data in order to buttress the self-serving claims of this or that political party.

My own preference is to use the terms

pre-imperial China or classical China (pre-Qin)

early imperial China (Qin to Han)

middle imperial China (post-Han to Yuan)

late imperial China (Ming to Qing)

These terms aren't so specific as to be unintelligible (recall xkcd's point about overestimating what people know) while still keeping to the broad brushstrokes of history.

Note about periodization

I am going to starting describing time periods in Chinese history with European historical terms like medieval, Renaissance, early modern, Georgian and Victorian and so on, alongside the standard dynastic terms like Song, Ming and Qing I usually use. So like something about the Ming Dynasty I will tag Ming Dynasty and Renaissance. I already do it sometimes but not consistently. Here’s why.

A common criticism levied against this practice is that periodization is geographically specific and that it’s wrong and eurocentric to refer to, say, late Ming China as Renaissance China. It is a valid criticism, but in my experience the result of not using European periodization is that people default to ‘ancient’ when describing any period in Chinese history before the 20th century, which does conjure up specific images of European antiquity that do not align temporally with the Chinese period in question. I have talked about my issue with ‘ancient China’ before but I want to elaborate. People already consciously or subconsciously consider European periodizations of history to be universal, because of the legacy of colonialism and how eurocentric modern human culture generally is. By not using European historical terms for non-European places, people will simply think those places exist outside of history altogether, or at least exist within an early, primitive stage of European history. It’s a recipe for the denial of coevalness. I think there is a certain dangerous naivete among scholars who believe that if they refrain from using European periodization for non-European places, people will switch to the periodization appropriate for those places in question and challenge eurocentric history writing; in practice I’ve never seen it happen. The general public is not literate enough about history to do these conversions in situ. I have accumulated a fairly large pool of examples just from the number of people spamming ‘ancient China’ in my askbox despite repeatedly specifying the time periods I’m interested in (not antiquity!). If I say ‘Ming China’ instead of ‘Renaissance China’ people will take it as something on the same temporal plane as classical Greece instead of Tudor England. How many people would be surprised if I say that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing was a contemporary of George Washington and Frederick the Great? I’ve seen people talk about him as if he was some tribal leader in the time of Tacitus. European periodization is something I want to embrace ‘under erasure’ so to say, using something strategically for certain advantages while acknowledging its problems. Now there is a history of how the idea of ‘ancient China’ became so entrenched in popular media and I think it goes a bit deeper than just Orientalism, but that’s topic for another post. Right now I’m only concerned with my decision to add European periodization terms.

In order to compensate for the use of eurocentric periodization, I have carried out some experiments in the reverse direction in my daily life, by using Chinese reign years to describe European history. The responses are entertaining. I live in a Georgian tenement in the UK but I like to confuse friends and family by calling it a ‘Jiaqing era flat’. A friend of mine (Chinese) lives in an 1880s flat and she burst out in laughter when I called it ‘Guangxu era’, claiming that it sounded like something from court. But why is it funny? The temporal description is correct, the 1880s were indeed in the Guangxu era. And ‘Guangxu’ shouldn’t invoke royal imagery anymore than ‘Victorian’ (though said friend does indulge in more Qing court dramas than is probably healthy). It is because Chinese (and I’m sure many other non-white peoples) have been trained to believe that our histories are particular and distant, confined to a geographical location, and that they somehow cannot be mapped onto European history, which unfolded parallel to the history of the rest of the world, until we had been colonized. We have been taught that European history is history, but our history is ethnography.

It should also be noted that periodization for European history is not something essentialist and intrinsic either, period terms are created by historians and arbitrarily imposed onto the past to begin with. I was reading a book about medievalism studies and it talked about how the entire concept of the Middle Ages was manufactured in the Renaissance to create a temporal other for Europeans at the time to project undesired traits onto, to distance themselves from a supposedly ‘dark’ past. People living in the European Middle Ages likely did not think of themselves as living in a ‘middle’ age between something and something, so there is absolutely no natural basis for calling the period roughly between the 6th and 16th centuries ‘medieval’. Despite questionable origins, periodization of European history has become more or less standard in history writing throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, whereas around the same time colonial anthropological narratives framed non-European and non-white societies, including China, as existing outside of history altogether. Periodization of European history was geographically specific partially because it was conceived with Europe in mind and Europe only, since any other place may as well be in some primordial time.

Perhaps in the future there will develop global periodizations that consider how interconnected human history is. There probably are already attempts but they’re just not prominent enough to reach me yet. Until that point, I feel absolutely no moral baggage in describing, say, the Song Dynasty as ‘medieval’ because people in 12th century Europe did not think of themselves as ‘medieval’ either. I am the historian, I do whatever I want, basically.

[i-am-finally-clean-13]

Taylor Swift Songs by Hogwarts Houses

Many people in the younger generations describe their personalities based on their Hogwarts houses, so I thought it would be fun to divide @taylorswift's songs into Hogwarts houses. Based on my own determinations, I've decided that Taylor Swift's music primarily fits into Ravenclaw, with Slytherin as a very close second. So now, without further ado, here are Taylor's songs sorted into Hogwarts houses.

GRYFFINDOR:

As we all know, Gryffindors are described as being brave, daring, and valiant. These songs are the brave ones, the ones that really took a chance. Many of these songs are bold and exciting, with very strong themes. Of all of Taylor's albums, I decided that Speak Now and 1989 are the ones that could be classified as Gryffindor.

Tied Together with a Smile

Our Song

I Heart ?

Fearless

White Horse

You're Not Sorry

Jump Then Fall

Come in with the Rain

Sparks Fly

Enchanted

Better Than Revenge

Innocent

Haunted

Superman

Red

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

I Know Places

Wonderland

You are in Love

New Romantics

End Game

So It Goes...

Getaway Car

Dress

Cruel Summer

Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince

Death by a Thousand Cuts

Soon You'll Get Better

Exile

Betty

Willow

Long Story Short

You All Over Me

That's When

Bye Bye Baby

HUFFLEPUFF:

Hufflepuffs are considered reliable, loyal, hardworking, and kind. To determine which songs were sorted into Hufflepuff, I chose more optimistic songs, ones that were peppier and tended to be happier - but not all of them. These songs really show Taylor's loyalty and the bubblier aspects of her personality. But that doesn't mean all of these songs are happy and bubbly. There are some sad songs in here too, but they depict her softer, gentler, more loyal personality traits. Lover is the only album I would classify as being truly Hufflepuff.

Teardrops on My Guitar

Stay Beautiful

Mary's Song (Oh My My My

I'm Only Me When I'm With You

Fifteen

The Best Day

Superstar

Today Was A Fairytale

Mine

Speak Now

Mean

Never Grow Up

Ours

22

Stay Stay Stay

Everything Has Changed

The Moment I Knew

All You Had to Do was Stay

I Wish You Would

This Love

Clean

Delicate

Gorgeous

King of My Heart

New Year's Day

Lover

Paper Rings

London Boy

Afterglow

Me!

Daylight

Mirrorball

Seven

Invisible String

Dorotha

Right Where You Left Me

SLYTHERIN:

Slytherins are normally described as cunning and ambitious. The songs I chose to sort into Slytherin tend to be darker and angrier. These songs show Taylor's ambition and tend to show just how good she is at what she does. These songs exude confidence and charisma more so than the other songs she has put out. Taylor Swift (her debut album), Fearless (both the original and Taylor's Version), and Reputation are albums I would consider to be Slytherin.

Picture to Burn

A Place in this World

The Outside

Should've Said No

A Perfectly Good Heart

Hey Stephen

You Belong with Me

Tell Me Why

The Way I Loved You

Forever & Always (both the original and the piano versions)

Change

Untouchable

The Other Side of the Door

Dear John

Long Live

State of Grace

I Knew You Were Trouble

I Almost Do

The Last Time

The Lucky One

Girl at Home

Out of the Woods

Bad Blood

...Ready for It?

I Did Something Bad

Look What You Made Me Do

Dancing with Our Hands Tied

I Think He Knows

You Need to Calm Down

The 1

August

Illicit Affairs

Mad Woman

Gold Rush

No Body, No Crime

Cowboy Like Me

Closure

Mr. Perfectly Fine

RAVENCLAW:

Ravenclaws are classified by their intelligence, cleverness, wit, and creativity, so it goes without saying that the majority of Taylor Swift songs will fall into Ravenclaw. These are the songs that you can tell she put a lot of thought into - whether they have bigger words, or are just more creative. These songs tend to create a clear image in my head when I hear them, and I can really put myself into her shoes with each one. These are some of her best songs, her most creative, and her most intelligent and witty songs. Of her albums, Red, Folklore, and Evermore are the ones I would classify as Ravenclaw.

Tim McGraw

Cold as You

Invisible

Love Story

Breathe

Back to December

The Story of Us

Last Kiss

If This was a Movie

Treacherous

All Too Well

Holy Ground

Sad Beautiful Tragic

Starlight

Come Back... Be Here

Welcome to New York

Blank Space

Wildest Dreams

How You Get the Girl

Don't Blame Me

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Call It What You Want

I Forgot That You Existed

The Man

The Archer

Cornelia Street

False God

It's Nice to Have a Friend

Cardigan

The Last Great American Dynasty

My Tears Ricochet

This Is Me Trying

Epiphany

Peace

Hoax

The Lakes

Champagne Problems

'Tis the Damn Season

Tolerate It

Happiness

Coney Island

Ivy

Marjorie

Evermore

It's Time to Go

We Were Happy

Don't You

[sadviper]

Woo Do Hwan: Interview with Kankoku TV Drama vol. 97 (Aug 2020)

Once again, much thanks to @staidwaters​ for graciously reviewing and correcting!!! This was a really hefty interview, hope you enjoy~

-------------

Woo Do Hwan

Sword, bow, and horseback riding for the first time

A “Monstrous Newcomer” in a career-making, historical drama debut

In 2016, in the movie “Master”, Woo Do Hwan played the role of Lee Byung Hyun’s subordinate. Even though he appeared onscreen for just three minutes, he left a strong impression, attracting attention. Since then, he starred in “Save Me” (2017 OCN), taking on the nickname of “Monstrous Newcomer” and setting out on a brilliant career path. The next step he takes will be his first historical drama “My Country” (2019 JTBC).

Tackling a historical drama is an ideal chance for young and promising actors to grow; they have a rare chance to study in depth with multiple superb veteran actors over the long filming period. Woo Do Hwan did not miss this opportunity. His new work “The King: Eternal Monarch” (2020 SBS) leverages 120% of what he learned from “My Country”, and his popularity is surging.

Struck by a midwinter waterfall, the most dreadful and frigid opportunity to showcase yourself

--What kind of work is ”My Country”?

WDH: Each of the characters clash with the others for the sake of their personal convictions. This drama depicts their love and friendships. The country they are each reaching for … in a way, you could say they seek the same goal. Everyone wants a country in which they can live happily, but each person has a different path to that goal. This work skillfully depicts the conflicts that arise in the midst of this.

--Please introduce the role that you play.

WDH: Nam Seon-ho is an illegitimate child born to a family of nobles (yanban), and he has suffered greatly because of his birth. The poor guy is only able to relax his guard and laugh when he is with Seo Hwi (played by Yang Se Jong) and his younger sister Yeon (played by Jo Yi Hyun). However, even under such circumstances, he holds onto his ambitions. He doesn’t want other people to experience the same kind of pain that he has endured, so he strives to become the right-hand man of Yi Seong-gye (played by Kim Young-cheol), the future founder and king of the Joseon Dynasty. However, it doesn’t go as expected and I end up in opposition to Hwi, my dearest friend.

--What things did you pay attention to when creating the role?

WDH: Since it’s a period drama, it was difficult to get used to the way of speaking and tone of voice. It took me a while to get the hang of it. Now  I have the opposite problem, I’m doing my best to shake off the historical tone (laughs).

--The gorgeous hairstyles and clothing were a sight to behold.

WDH: Honestly, at first I thought “Long hair probably won’t suit me…” (laugh). So early on, I participated in many concept meetings and tried out different hairstyles. Even with long hair, there are many different hairstyles that can be made, such as wearing with armor or tying it up. I collaborated with the director to choose the most suitable style according to the situation in the drama. I was able to try on as many outfits as hairstyles, but I really enjoyed being  able to wear the special costumes such as the armor and the inspector’s garments; things we normally don’t get the chance to wear.

--How did you practice horseback riding, swordsmanship, and archery?

WDH: Before filming started, I studied martial arts for about two months. Filming lasted nine months, so in total I was focused on this work for a whole year. While filming action, it’s important to skillfully capture the scene, but the most essential thing is to not to get hurt. For that reason, the cinematographer, my co-stars, and I always had to be in perfect sync. It took time to match movements for the sword fights.

--You became the topic of much discussion when you revealed your magnificent physique in a waterfall during the opening of the drama. What are your secrets for managing your fitness?

WDH: I train on a regular basis. If I only started working out when I knew there were going to be scenes with skin showing, it’d be stressful trying to build up my body in a short period of time for shooting. After all, I don’t know when or where I will have to strip down for a scene! (laugh) Usually I play a lot of soccer, and I’ll go to the gym to train if I have time. If I take care of myself properly as a habit, then I don’t need to worry if my body looks good or if I should put in more effort during acting; I can just concentrate on my performance.

--Was the director’s reaction a good one?

WDH: He was extremely happy, hahaha. They keep trying to make me take my clothes off, so I was like, “Come on, give me a break!” The road to the filming location for the waterfall scene was rugged and steep and it was incredibly cold; it was the most difficult scene. Se-jong even said “I never want to go into water that cold again”.

--A lot of viewers said that “Nam Seon-ho is the most pitiful man in the world.” How do you personally feel?

WDH: I wanted to present Seon-ho as a tragic figure, so I was glad that the audience saw him the same way; it encouraged me to put in even more effort and I worked hard to build up his character. Seon-ho constantly stands on the boundary between life and death, living a life where he might die at any moment. He never manages to accomplish any of his dreams, and it is only at the very end that he realizes what is most precious to him. However, even though Seon-ho is a tragic character, if we just focused on the sadness the drama would be hard to watch and it wouldn’t be interesting at all. Therefore I wanted to show many things with him, such as him being a powerful figure, and the loneliness his power hides.

He was able to finish the drama because he was with Se-jong, his co-star of the same age.

--At what points did you sympathize with Seon-ho?

WDH: There is always a conflict in Seon-ho’s life in that he always has to sacrifice something in order to get something he wants. Seon-ho’s situation is an extreme case, of course, but I think that in our lives there are many moments like his, even if they are small and trivial. Moments when we desire what we can’t have, or throw away things we shouldn’t throw away. There are also moments when we all have to give something up for the sake of a goal that we are reaching for.  In the midst of that, I worried about the things that I should protect, so I deeply sympathized with Seon-ho, whose ideals and emotions were in conflict with each other.

--Your portrayal of the character’s emotions was well-received. When was Seon-ho the most emotional?

WDH: It would be when he heard that Seo Hwi was alive. I had a deep rapport with Se-jong in all my scenes with him. From a certain point onwards, the events in the drama truly felt real, and I fell more and more in love with Se-jong (laugh). I deeply empathized with Seon-ho’s emotions, which made me want to perform even more intensely in this work.

--Concerning expressing emotions, are you the type to do a lot of preparation beforehand? Or are you the type to perform what you feel on the spot?

WDH: I think I am half-and-half. Beforehand, I’ll think, “So we’re filming this kind of scene today”,  why is this happening, and what was the situation before this scene? However, it’s difficult to continuously hold onto emotions because there are rehearsals and blocking out our positions with the director. So I will concentrate on creating the emotion in the moment when acting.

--And what about your mutually dependent relationship with Yang Se-jong, who played the role of Seo Hwi?

WDH: I believe it would have been very difficult if Se-jong hadn’t been there. I relied on him a lot. The make-up room was set up in a large van onsite, and while our hair was being done, we would go over our lines. If one person said their lines, then the other person would just naturally respond with their own lines. We are the same age, not just in the drama but also in real life, so in both the Goryeo and modern eras, we were always communicating well, back and forth.

Se-jong always helped me, and even though we were together on location for very long periods of time, not once did we fight or have a conflict of opinion. We spent our time together as good friends, always being considerate of each other.

--There were many scenes of Seon-ho and Hwi’s friendship that brought out tears, but was there a particular scene where you especially felt the friendship between the two?

WDH: All those scenes where we rescued each other. Especially that scene in the latter half, where Hwi took Seon-ho out of Yi Bang-won’s (played by Jang Hyuk) house; that was memorable. Then in the first half, during the massacre of the Liaodong Punitive Expedition advance party, there’s a scene where we cross swords in the midst of combat and I recognize my dear friend Hwi. That scene was very good and had a big impact.

--What is your impression of Seolhyun (AOA) as Han Hee-jae?

WDH: Seolhyun was truly a “celebrity” to me (laugh). She is one of Korea’s top idols; I’ve seen her movies. When I heard that she would be co-starring with me, I was very much looking forward to it. Once we were actually performing together, I was amazed that her acting was even better than I expected. Seolhyun was the youngest on location, but she had a very mature attitude during filming. In front of a large crowd of her seniors, she played a bold and strong woman. I was impressed.

--The antagonism between Seon-ho and his father was one of the highlights of the drama. How was it like to co-star with Ahn Nae-sang, who played the role of your father?

WDH: Ahn Nae-sang sunbae was like a real father, a very interesting person. Although he’d say “Seon-ho is an impertinent son” (laugh), he worked well with me, and did a lot for me. During breaks, he tells jokes and lightens the atmosphere on set, but once filming starts, his gaze radically changes and he becomes a terrifying father. He’s not someone who hands out advice left and right to juniors, rather, he is a person who reacts kindly and looks after us. 

Extremely jealous of Se-jong’s Japanese fanmeet

--What are your thoughts on successfully wrapping up your first historical drama?

WDH: I wore hanbok, long wigs, and armor--I got to experience all of these things for the first time. I’ve also never done things like swordsmanship, archery, or horseback riding, so each one of those was a new challenge. Because I have never lived in that time period, I worried about how I should portray it. Despite that, I enjoyed everything. The remote locations that I visited were very beautiful, and during breaks it was a wonderful experience to enjoy the scenery and watch the seasons change instead of sitting in the dressing room. I’ve heard from my seniors that once you’ve done one historical drama, you’ll want to do another, and now I know what that feeling is like for myself.

--What was the most memorable location?

WDH: In the opening scenes, I often went to the countryside, but first I filmed the waterfall scene and the cliff scene. That cliff scene was absolutely terrifying. I scaled the cliff and did the action scene, but I thought...I might actually die if I fall (strained laugh).

--Watching the behind-the-scenes footage, you seem the quiet type but at the Japanese fanmeeting, I feel that you were skilled at speaking onstage. What is your actual personality?

WDH: Do I look like someone who doesn’t say much? I’m definitely not the talkative type, though. Hahaha. I talk a lot when I’m with Se-jong, but the interesting thing is, how much Se-jong and I will say changes depending on the day. On some days Se-jong speaks more than I do, and on other days I won’t shut up (laugh).

--Since filming continued for about a year, was it difficult to break free from the role of Seon-ho?

WDH: Honestly, I wouldn’t have thought about Seon-ho without today’s interview. However, Seon-ho’s sword is in my living room, so whenever I see it, I’m going to remember (laugh). But because I can’t use historical speech in the drama that I’m currently filming, I try to forget as much as possible.

--Currently you’re in the middle of filming the drama “The King”, right?

WDH: In “The King”, one person plays two different roles. The show depicts parallel worlds. In one world, Lee Min-ho sunbae plays the emperor and my character, Jo Yeong, has been by the emperor’s side since childhood and is the captain of the Royal Guard. In the other world, I am Jo Eun-seop, a social service worker whose personality is the complete opposite to Yeong’s. I’m having a lot of fun filming this, so please look forward to it.

--What does “my country” mean to you?

WDH: I believe it’s the people around me. I have family, I have friends, and I also have colleagues. A life where I can live happily with all of them, that is my dream country, I guess. No one goes on without desire, so I want to live together while caring for each other.

--You’ve been called the “Monstrous Newcomer”. With this kind of recognition, do you feel pressured?

WDH: I’m always under pressure. However, I tell myself I can’t lose to it, I have to work harder to overcome it.

--Finally, a message to your Japanese fans.

WDH: 2020 was the year I definitely wanted to meet all my Japanese fans, but filming for “The King” started earlier than expected and hasn’t finished yet. I was incredibly jealous when I heard that Se-jong held a Japanese fan meeting at the end of 2019. When “The King” finishes, I would like to meet you all. Until then, please take care of yourself and be happy. I will do my best to finish my work and greet you in good form. If you haven’t seen “My Country” yet, I definitely invite you to watch it.  I also hope you look forward to “The King”.

You can direct fan mail to:

KEYEAST / 30, 11-Gil, Hakdong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06042 Korea