#about as normal as Lu Guang is about his best friend

[tiralja]

I always did like the season 2 op but after finishing the season listening to these lyrics is going to drive me insane. They really did just say all that in the opening and I never noticed huh.

[izartn]

So, about how I see Link Click's Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi relationship:

As it stands in canon? Queerplatonic partners. And it's convenient for the plot that they're like this.

Because of Chinese censorship it can't be explicitly romantic, yes I know it. Let me tell why it's queerplatonic for me. The way these two have intertwined their lives and futures together?!

Owning a business and living together, that hint in ep2 (comparing them to the subtextually older lesbian couple who also came across as queerplatonic bc censure) where Xiaoshi wonders/fears if years down the line he and Lu Guang will separate/break up implying their partnership is for life as far as he's concerned (the parallel can be taken as a subtext romance too but follow me we're talking text), the way they were already going also on vacancies together three years prev in canon, etc...

Without entering on their complimentary powers and the way the dives need both of them if they want security in not screwing the past, and the inmense trust and vulnerability the dives themselves require?

They're not simply best friends either.

Those aren't the actions of normal, totally not queer friends. Cheng Xiaoshi checks out women on the dives, sure, (and men too when the host is feeling it which I love bc they can't address it directly bc censorship and then it comes across as Xiaoshi being super confident in his own relationship to sexuality/gender) but I don't think he would ever date bc Lu Guang is already there, filling that place in his life minus sex and romance but all that same companionship and intensity of feeling.

These two meet in what, the last year/s of High School and then proceeded to latch onto each other with a commitment reserved for romantic partners.

And I know you want to say, "it's the censorship! they'd be romantic and canon if not for the censorship!"

Are you sure? Are you sure the story would work if there were explicit romance in it? (I mean, if they could I'm pretty sure they would have nailed it anyways but allow me my a-spec delusions) Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang feel so much like an already established pair, they work like one, and Link Click is not about them coming together like many other stories. Are you sure this would work as BL?

There's a distinct difference on the way they start the show already like six years at least since they're best friends and three or two since they live together. That's not usually how it goes. I'm talking not just romances but every buddy or nakama anime/show, where the protag has to learn to work with who will be his best friend or rival. These stories usually have the same kind of plot progression as a romance which is why they work so well when you make the subtext text.

But a story where the main romance is already established and we're following a plot that has nothing to do with it? Much more rare, even stranger to find them well done although there are some very good ones and with the friendships instead of romo they're more common. For example, Soul Eater, which is all about the trials of it and how they hace to truly come to understand each other. That's Link Click a bit, but not even then.

Link Click juggling a budding romance between Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi with all the other stuff is going on?? Messier for sure. I don't know if people would have liked it as much or if the donghua would have been as well done.

As it is, Link Click has the exact level of emotional connection between our protags it needs to have incredibly high stakes emotionally and at the same time not need a detour by romantic scenes/fanservice that would derail the plot or the other charas importance. That it happens to be pretty queer anyways in a platonic way?

Nice for the aroace-spec folks watching the show xD

Btw, I'm pretty sure in season 3 we're going to get more of Lu Guang's PoV, the origins of their powers and the past between him and Xiaoshi. It'll probably dig more into the aspect of "testing their bond and coming stronger bc of it" which is were the romantic subtext usually comes through...

—unless you're very very good at writing like Arakawa in FMA, who nailed the brotherly relationship without tipping into incest subtext which I've seen more than a few writers fumble. or the latest D&D film for the platonic childrearing and partnership for a no familial example between a man and a woman also very very difficult to get right for writers dunno why—

... but until then, for now I'm incredibly satisfied by the canon.

The other read of course it that they're already a couple since well before the start of season 1, and to mentally edit what we saw in canon with that lens (it wouldn't be very difficult honestly) but reading only the text? Queerplatonic partners!

There also how Xiaoshi and Lu Guang don't have that anxiety/insecurity of their bond that makes it so easy to read the want for something, like a romance for shipping purposes. Despite the disagreements on the Dives or the trials of season 2 or Lu Guang keeping secret Cheng Xiaoshi future/past death they read very steady which is fun. I love some good established relationship, you can go to deeper places when the base is already secure and the risk is higher for the characters. Plus I love domesticity! Yes, I do my angsty/Gothic leanings notwithstanding. Don't you know you need a home for the Gothic to be effective?

[chodzacaparodia]

Hi....! If you don't mind, can I ask, who are your top 7 favorite romantic relationship's couples in books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series/etc (can be canon or non-canon) and your top 10 favorite characters ever from any media? Why do you love them all? Thanks if you want to answer....

Hii (*＞∇＜)ﾉ

I'm always up for talking about my favorite characters! ♡ Tbh, it's going to be hard to limit myself to just a few, because there's SO MUCH room in my heart for them but I'll try hahah

And sorry for the late answer, but the question is a bit demanding :')

My top 7 favorite romantic relationships couples:

Kyoru (Kyo Sohma and Tohru Honda from Fruits Basket) My OTP!!! Watching them makes me believe in true love. Their feelings for each other are so beautiful. Their story is touching, I love how Kyo softens and changes because of her, and how Tohru fights for Kyo. They really care about each other and both their actions and words scream how much they love each other. I absolutely adore this couple, they deserve happiness and lots of love.

Sakuatsu (Sakusa Kiyoomi and Atsumu Miya from Haikyuu!!) Ship that got me into writing fanfiction. Their dynamic is great, they're always picking on each other. I've said it many times and I'll say it again: no other character could stand them, only each other. And that's the beauty of this ship, because that's how they fit together

Sterek (Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski from Teen Wolf). No one on the entire show had chemistry like theirs. No one can tell me I imagined the sexual tension. I always liked the scenes with these two the most because they were funny. The only couple in Teen Wolf that I actually ship. And I'm pretty sure it was my first male/male ship.

Shiguang (Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang from Link Click) They are soumates your honor!!! And they are married your honor!!! You can see how much they care about each other. Best friends, something much more, how they complement each other... And if one person is able to sacrifice the whole world to save their beloved, then I can't be normal about it :')

Ivantill (Ivan and Till from Alien Stage) My current obsession. When it comes to them, I'm very delusional and I'm really good with it. For the past few months I've practically been breathing this ship, fanart, fanfics... Ivan's feelings for Till... it makes me want to cry. Nothing moves me as much as doomed by narrative yaoi :')

Ash and Meghan from The Iron Fey series. Enemies to lovers, woo!!! How much Ash sacrificed to be with Megan destroyed me. If someone is willing to do that much, it must be true love.

Itafushi (Itadori Yuji and Fushiguro Megumi from Jujutsu Kaisen) They are EVERYTHING!! Their interactions, how they care about each other and how they fight for each other... it's beautiful 😭😭 Even though they are so different, they fit together perfectly, I have a weakness for this kind of dynamic!

*with all my strength and with great pain I try not to write about any more ships*

My top 10 characters:

Sugawara Koushi (Haikyuu!!) - My soulmate!!! A slightly chaotic, true gremlin who cares deeply about others and supports them. He's funny and hardworking. And he gives his affection through punches hahah I love him

Newt (The Maze Runner series) He deserved better!! The glue that holds the group together, a loyal friend who is willing to make sacrifices. I admire how much he believed in Thomas, even when others doubted him. A true friend who was overwhelmed by events and his feelings, but tried until the very end.

Tohru Honda (Fruits Basket) This is a character that makes you want to be a better person. She is kind, she cares about others, even at her own expense, annd changes their lifes. She is admirable because despite the loss, she does not discourage and does not lose optimism. Tohru is an angel, although she will not agree with it

Chifuyu Matsuno (Tokyo Revengers) Chifuyu best boy!!! He's so precious 😭 Everyone would dream of a friend like him! There is no other person as loyal as him, he would do everything for his friends! And he loves cats and shoujo manga 😭

Fushiguro Megumi (Jujutsu Kaisen) I totally don't have any favorites, but the amount of my Fushiguro merch would say otherwise 😭 He's beautiful!! Smart!!! Stoic, but also often irritated hahah that's the type of character I have a soft spot for! His cursed technique is great

Midoriya Izuku (My Hero Academia) Others may hate him, but I will always defend him! He is truly a great character! He had every right to cry often, he has been through a lot and I feel too much. I admire that he does not give up, even when others did not believe in him. He is also very intelligent, and this is one of the most important traits that I value in a character. He simply wants to help others and I love him for that. And he's a fanboy :')

Tyrion Lannister (Game of Thrones). My favorite character in this universe. Fiendishly intelligent, bookish, and really funny. He lives against the world.

Adam Parrish (The Raven Cycle). Adam Parrish did nothing wrong!! And even if he did, I forgive him everything. His traumatic past increases his value hahah. Also extremely intelligent, hardworking and also cynical, so the perfect package. I'm totally Adam Parrish Girlie

Ivan (Alien Stage) My new one that I am totally obsessed with!!! The look of this character is absolutely perfect!!! A beautiful man that makes me want to cry. And his voice 😭😭 His feelings for Till and his sacrifice left an indelible mark on my heart. He deserved to be loved! And he's loved by me!

Anzu Hoshino (Romantic Killer) Best girl!! All she wanted in life was to play games, eat chocolate and have her cat 😭 A hilarious character who is truly caring and fights for her loved ones! A good person who is very relatable

Suo Hayato (Wind Breaker) Another character so beautiful that it should be illegal 😭 He is very mysterious, so that also attracts! And also very intelligent, the heart of the first years, who is responsible for the strategy! A great fighter! And also he is a hilarious gremlin, he makes me laugh a lot

Thank you again for your ask! Have a nice day ♡

[animegoil-vnc]

[ f i c ] But I know You

Before episode 8 airs and it all gets invalidated, I wanted to post this ode to everything we know about Lu Guang, from Cheng Xiaoshi's perspective. Because while we don't know facts... we actually do know a lot about who Lu Guang *is*. About 80% of this is pulled from S1 and the shorts, the rest is embellishment and conjecture :)

Read on ao3

---

“Doesn’t it ever bother you,” Xu Shanshan says with pursed lips, “that we don’t know anything about Lu Guang?” 

Cheng Xiaoshi’s head swings towards her so fast he pulls a muscle in his neck almost drops his quail eggs. “Just because he won’t tell you his zodiac sign doesn’t give you an excuse to talk behind his back,” Cheng Xiaoshi snaps. There’s a touch of acid in his voice that has her leaning back and putting up her hands defensively.

“Geez, sorry, I’m not trying to badmouth him, but you can’t tell me it’s not a little odd?” 

“Hey, now.” Qiao Ling says in warning and waves the strainer spoon in the air between them. She scoops some of the now-cooked meat from the hot pot onto their plates and adds calmly, “You know Lu Guang is a private person, there’s nothing wrong with that.” 

Xu Shanshan makes a face and opens her mouth, but Dong Yi puts a hand on her arm and Qiao Ling takes the meat from her plate and shoves it in her mouth. “Shush, my dearest Shanshan, he’s coming back.”

Cheng Xiaoshi looks up to see Lu Guang on the other side of the restaurant, making his way back from the restroom. He sinks down into his seat and mumbles, “I don’t need to know his birthday to know he’s my best friend.”

Xu Shanshan rolls her eyes but luckily stays silent, and that’s that. 

---

It’s not the first time Cheng Xiaoshi has been asked about Lu Guang. In high school, it was easy to shrug it off - he’d just met the guy, why would he know anything about his family or background? They didn’t really talk about those things. 

In college it became much harder. Oh, you met when he transferred? Where was he transferring from? It was harder to say that they didn’t talk about those things. They were rooming together, after all. How was it possible that nothing about his childhood had ever come up? How could he not even know his age? And once people realized that it wasn’t Cheng Xiaoshi just being scatterbrained or pretending he didn’t know, it turned into isn’t it a little suspicious that he won’t talk about his past? The 'even with you' was implied.

Rumors spread. Some of them were funny. Others not so much. Throughout it all, Cheng Xiaoshi doubled down on his stance that he didn’t need to know anything about Lu Guang in order to know what kind of person he was.  

Even now, Cheng Xiaoshi doesn’t actually know much about Lu Guang’s life, despite being friends with him since they were sixteen. And that may not be accurate - it’s true that Lu Guang has never actually told them their age. They've only assumed he's six months younger than Cheng Xiaoshi, given they were in the same grade and Lu Guang’s birthday is six months after Cheng Xiaoshi's. That fact, gathered after monumental effort pestering between him and Qiao Ling, is already rare. 

Lu Guang has never talked about his parents or family beyond a vague shrug and an offhand comment about having a boring, normal, maybe rather serious upbringing. Cheng Xiaoshi gets the feeling he didn’t have a particularly loving family, and he knows that Lu Guang’s decision to forgo any other career prospects and join Cheng Xiaoshi in his business venture put an end to the already-strained relationship he had with his parents. They hadn’t even come to graduation, and Cheng Xiaoshi had fretted about that for weeks after, feeling oddly guilty for driving a wedge between someone who had parents, even if the relationship had been crumbling piece by piece since long before they’d even met.

Lu Guang’s life before transferring schools and meeting Cheng Xiaoshi on that basketball course is a black hole, like a book whose foreword has been stained black by a careless spill of ink. Sometimes it doesn’t feel that careless though: there's a cloud of mystery swirling about him, this sense that there's so much Lu Guang is holding back. But Cheng Xiaoshi tries not to take it personally. Lu Guang has stuck by his side and supported him in countless ways throughout the years - Cheng Xiaoshi can return the favor by not prying into what is clearly a life Lu Guang has no desire to share or even remember. 

He doesn’t need it anyway. Cheng Xiaoshi may not know much about Lu Guang’s life, but he knows who Lu Guang is. He knows Lu Guang loves cats, his favorite book is Pride and Prejudice, which is where he got their temporary cat’s name from. His music taste alternates between boring classical music as one would expect and, surprisingly, hip hop. Cheng Xiaoshi had wondered about the hip hop for a while until he realized that Lu Guang was using the steady beat and rhythmic lyrics as static noise to help him drown out his brain when it insisted on overthinking. His favorite tea is green Oolong brewed for exactly two and half minutes but he prefers coffee in the afternoon, medium roast with one single sugar cube. He has nearly non-existent spice tolerance, but somehow can handle squeezing inordinate amounts of wasabi into his soy sauce. He sleeps in loose shorts and a t-shirt in summer and sweats and an old cardigan during winter but he can’t actually fall asleep if his feet are cold so he prefers showering at night to make sure he’s warm before he goes to bed. He loves sleep but can’t seem to get enough of it and wears computer glasses because his eyesight gets strained easily after staring at a screen for too long.  

Cheng Xiaoshi knows what Lu Guang’s face looks like under the afternoon sunlight when he’s fallen asleep reading on the couch during the weekends. He knows what Lu Guang’s face looks like during the morning shift after a sleepless night, the way his eyes squint slightly as if still gritty and the way his face turns even stonier when he tries to resist the pull of exhaustion. He doesn’t get to see it often, but he’s caught a soft smile thrown his way here and there when Lu Guang isn’t expecting him to look. When caught, there’s a good chance he’ll end up blushing – for someone so calm and in control, he’s surprisingly awkward and shy when made the center of attention, even worse in front of a camera. If Cheng Xiaoshi doesn’t rile him up by making dumb jokes or poking fun at him, he’ll stand there squirming uncomfortably the entire time.

He has a good sense of who Lu Guang is in terms of morals too. He’s not always comfortable with them, because Lu Guang is pragmatic to a fault and has no qualms about lying. Sometimes it has been for Cheng Xiaoshi’s benefit, like when he lied to Qiao Ling about it being him that broke her special cups instead of Cheng Xiaoshi. But other times it hasn’t. Cheng Xiaoshi isn’t sure he’ll ever fully get over Lu Guang making him believe there was hope that he might save Chen Xiao’s mom. Sometimes Cheng Xiaoshi feels like he cares more about the mission and letting the past be than about the people they’re supposed to be helping. 

But that’s not fair, because he’s seen how much Lu Guang cares. Once, in college, they’d found a bird with an injured wing outside of their dorm. The dorm mother had scolded them for trying to feed it and told them it was best to leave wildlife alone. Lu Guang had nodded obediently, but Cheng Xiaoshi caught him the next morning trying to feed it before everyone else woke up. He’s the kind of person who pretends to be respectful and obedient but hasn’t listened to authority a single day in his life. And that’s the thing, it’s so easy to mistake Lu Guang’s sullen tone and deadpan face as indifference, but Cheng Xiaoshi is lucky enough to be one of the things Lu Guang has chosen to care about, and it sometimes overwhelms him the lengths that Lu Guang will go to for him. Cheng Xiaoshi will never take for granted the many nights Lu Guang has patiently sat by his side in bed, holding Cheng Xiaoshi after yet another nightmare despite the impact to his already fragmented sleep. Lu Guang never asks for thanks, never brings it up in daylight at all, in fact, but those quiet moments when the only solid thing Cheng Xiaoshi can cling to is Lu Guang speak volumes. Cheng Xiaoshi will spend the rest of his life trying to return that feeling of safety and belonging that Lu Guang makes him feel. 

Overall, Lu Guang is an understated person: he claims he has no skills, but he’s one of the smartest people Cheng Xiaoshi has ever met and his photographic memory made him one of the top-ranked students in college. He’s finicky and fastidious, but he can’t remember to water the plants for the life of him, and he doesn’t seem to know how to dress himself so Cheng Xiaoshi has been picking his clothes for years and making sure he doesn’t go out in the summer with a hoodie still on or in the winter without a proper scarf, gloves, and hat. He lets Cheng Xiaoshi drag him to get boba when he’d rather read a book, and agrees to learn a silly dance for fun despite the fact that he’s not coordinated at all outside of playing basketball. 

It’s nice that Cheng Xiaoshi can nitpick something at least, given how Lu Guang spends most of his time lecturing Cheng Xiaoshi. And even that, as opposed to being born out of arrogance or frustration, is actually the way that Lu Guang shows affection, even if he’ll never admit it. Being vulnerable isn’t in his wheelhouse, but Cheng Xiaoshi has learned how to pick up on the signs of Lu Guang being worried about him or, in a twisted way, trying to fill in the gaps that Cheng Xiaoshi’s lack of parents left. Enjoying being scolded by your best friend may seem like an odd relationship from an outside perspective, but it works and he wouldn’t trade a second of it.

All in all, he doesn't need a birthplace, or the name of his parents or his elementary school, or even his year of birth, in order to know Lu Guang. Nothing new he could learn about Lu Guang could change the way Cheng Xiaoshi knows who he is inside, and that's all that matters.

[pastorfutureletthembe]

A guide to make up your mind once and for all about LCLA

Why is it fun to watch?

News cases, new characters, new adventures, new feels!

Very interesting new secondary characters, such as Qiao Ling's parents and co-workers, Cheng Xiaoshi's therapist/friend/mentor and Lu Guang's master.

Have some of ✨Lu Guang's backstory✨ my friends. He's even more shady than usual but he obviously gets softer because Cheng Xiaoshi is just too dorky not to.

Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi's relationship. CXS starts off admiring him and trying to prove he can be his worthy partner, then Lu Guang starts to see him as more than just means to meet an end. Lu Guang even teases him a lot and Cheng Xiaoshi always makes a deer caught in headlights face when he does haha. They are the best, honestly, they are growing to be the pair we know. CXS ends up challenging him and making him into a more functioning human person. LG learns to enjoy and lives in the moment.

Lu Guang and Dr He's actors are kinda charming men and have lots of tension going on. For reasons. It's just so entertaining to watch.

We see a lot more of Qiao Ling's life, which makes her a stronger female character.

There are some actually funny scenes the donghua is missing of. Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi are a fun duo, and find themselves in stupid situations more often than not.

Cheng Xiaoshi's post-earthquake's PTSD and anger towards Lu Guang are a lot more realistic and heartbreaking.

You're going to cry. There are some very heavy topics such as dub-con, virtual harassment and mourning. And they really dive into it with taste.

I was put off at first but in the end I'm still going to point this out as a good thing: the whole mechanic of their power is different. No shiny eyes for Lu Guang and they have to speak out loud on both ends to communicate in dives. Those are just examples, there is more to it but I'll let you see for yourself. I think it adds something interesting that they actually don't know how to navigate their powers.

The song credits is a BANGER. Even when an episode is boring, once I hear the song, I want more 😂

What is there not to like?

Cheng Xiaoshi's ponytail. Actually, everyone has normal hair but him. Don't worry though, they know it's bad and cut it off-screen most of the time, you'll forget it's even here. He's cute with a cap though! Silver linings!

The initial settings are different. Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi meet for the first time and learn to work together. People might miss the relationship they know and love. They quickly grow closer though 💕

Slow pace. The cases or storylines take more than one episode to resolve, and the main plotline is secondary to them. It's an unusual way to tell a story, if you're not used to Chinese drama, you might feel frustrated.

Cheng Xiaoshi si too dorky. The actor is kinda cute and he does lots of things with his face, but I personally think the camera isn't doing him any favors.

As a person who studied and loves cinema, I believe the show itself is badly filmed. The shots don't leave us time to really see and digest emotions on the actors' faces outside of heavy scenes. We miss out on their body language too, which is just too bad because a lot is happening. CXS's actor is the one who deserves pause the most and doesn't get enough.

Cheng Xiaoshi's character isn't too bad on its own, but he isn't exactly how we might picture CXS (to be fair, every version of CXS is different, he's more awkward in the Chibisodes and sweeter, more sensitive, in the manhua). He misses the over confidence from the donghua/chibisodes that makes him stupidly charming or the cleverness that saves us all when a situation gets impossible. He's adorable with his big sis' tho, that's them 100%. He gets better as he challenges Lu Guang's authority, but we're still not there mid-season. He's still one of the best things about this live action, so be patient with him. His hero complex is well written, I think.

In the end, it might depend on what you expect and are used to more than what actually happens on screen. This show is interesting on its own, but as always when facing all live actions, you might be put off by the little things. All in all, the characters are all worth your time and the differences might be the show's stronger points in the end.

I'll invite all of you to comment on this post about what you loved and what you disliked about the show, so fans have a better idea on what to expect.

Give it a chance!