#also xishi is here now

[fortune-maiden]

NOT LING GUFU! 😭😭😭

[thewritingsofdreamers]

ARC Book review: A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

⭐️: 3.8

At 3.8 (stars rounded up for Goodreads), this book was fantastically written with characters I liked and a well thought out plot. As always, I will discuss the three main components that make up a story for me: The writing, plot, and characters.

Writing style:

The book was understandably written, and I mean this in a good way. Although I am unfamiliar with what the story is based off of, I have read many retellings that fall flat and don’t give the story the depth it needs to flourish. With the writing style, you get the idea that the author has taken this take and truly fleshed it out. I really appreciate that the writing was well put out and not in a intricately complicated format that I have seen some works do.

The plot:

This story was really fun to read, you get morally grey characters, “who did this to you” vibes and (a hot love interest). Which honestly does it for me XD. Secondly, although I’ll refrain from spoiling, the ending of this book absolutely shocked me to my core and honestly I loved it. I’m all for twists in a book. (Did I predict it? Maybe a bit lol, but I loved it nonetheless.) The story kept me engaged and saying ‘just one more chapter’ at midnight so I certainly loved this novel.

Also, I’d say it’s perfect for anyone looking for a shorter read because not only is it a novel, which already has a low commitment level, but it’s short and reads very well!

The characters:

We have one main character, Xishi, (the person who has the primary POV), and two other major side characters. Fanli, the main love interest and Fuchai, who is the enemy character. I’ll mention Fuchai last because I have something interesting to note on him.

Xishi: Our beautiful, morally driven badass character who is as beautiful as she is deadly, really manages to capture the perspective of how to seduce a man. Reading her pov resonated with me because she made notes and had certain realizations about men (at least the sleezy ones, I’m not bashing men I swear, just the bad ones). Fuchai is a really interesting character study on the art of manipulating a guy into loving you and idk, I just really thought that Xishi really hit the nail on the head for how to get into a man’s mind.

Fanli: I love this man. Hands down he’s so cool. I don’t want to say much cause I’m afraid I’ll spoil but he’s as awesome as you think he is.

Fuchai: Ok, so this guy is the ‘big bad’ the one we hate, but, his character is, in my opinion, the best written. Why? Because oftentimes in book, you have evil characters, who do evil things, and we hate them. The difference here is that we see him as a person (albeit a messed up one) when he’s with Xishi. We see the side of him that loves and is kind, and we see the side that has been utterly smitten with Xishi. Now, let me clarify, this man is evil and commits morally depraved acts, and there is no excuse for such actions. What I’m saying is, is that this is the first book where I have read an evil character where it was difficult not to feel at least a bit of sympathy for him because we understand and learn of his circumstances for how he came to be. Lastly, I enjoyed how his character type was written. He was the picturesque version of a man who believes he is immortal because of his accomplishments. Because of that, he commits heinous acts, and enjoys them. Overall, Fuchai is a favorite character of mine in this book, even because of his actions.

Final thoughts: Good book, short read, I liked the retelling aspect and it’s an easy 3.8 stars (rounded up for Goodreads.

[hunxi-after-hours]

hunxi’s danmei awards, 牛年/2021 edition

(should’ve made this at the end of last year or something but I was only recently possessed by the demonic urge to make something silly like this so we’re doing this now)

I recently realized that I’ve now consumed roundabout 10 danmei novels in either novel, donghua, and/or audiodrama form during this past year of the ox, so I wanted to commemorate this milestone with some longform shitposting. thus — awards night!

Here are some of the categories:

Best Worldbuilding

Best Relationship Development

Most Iconic Use of Punctuation

Most Iconic Takedown (verbal)

Most Iconic Takedown (physical)

Best Unreliable Narrator

Best Performance by Voice Actors in an Audiodrama

...and more!

yeah okay, so I got a bit carried away

And here are the candidates in the running:

《天官赐福》 Tian Guan Ci Fu by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

《千秋》 Qian Qiu by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi

《七爷》 Qi Ye by priest

《天涯客》 Tian Ya Ke by priest

《人渣反派自救系统》 Ren Zha Fan Pai Zi Jiu Xi Tong by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

《双杀》 Shuang Sha by 娜可露露 Na Ke Lu Lu

《烈火浇愁》 Lie Huo Jiao Chou by priest

《黄金台》 Huang Jin Tai by 苍梧宾白 Cang Wu Bin Bai

《判官》 Pan Guan by 木苏里 Mu Su Li

《哏儿》 Gen’er by 南北逐风 Nan Bei Zhu Feng

of course, obligatory disclaimer that these are nothing more than my opinions, these designations mean nothing, and I really abandoned all brain cells at the door in the writing of this post

Best Worldbuilding

Winner: 《判官》 Pan Guan by 木苏里 Mu Su Li

Everyone has something that they can’t let go of, and in the world of 《判官》 Pan Guan, sometimes those unresolved regrets, unfulfilled wishes become 笼 / “cages”—subconscious traps where a soul can wander forever, caught in the vortex of their own grief and rage. The 判官, then, are those dedicated to unlocking these cages and releasing the souls imprisoned inside. Travelling into these subconscious dreamscapes, the 判官 must unravel mysteries and uncover the truths, bearing witness to the grief, rage, regret, and love that define human lives.

This novel has, hands down, one of the coolest premises I’ve ever read, and Mu Su Li utilizes it to explore the emotional struggles of frustration and denial as well as the catharsis of learning to let things go. Each cage is an intricate puzzle box of clues left by the cage host’s subconscious, such that the novel reads like a blend of detective case fiction and horror (these dreamscapes can get pretty gnarly). Lest you think this book is all dark and gloomy hours, however, 《判官》 Pan Guan ALSO features the best use of WeChat in a novel I’ve ever seen (that’s RIGHT, this is MODERN FANTASY, never forget Wen Shi vs. the roomba). The entire Zhang family chat... iconic.

Best Characterization

Winner: 《千秋》 Qian Qiu by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi

Anyone who’s been on my blog for the past year has probably seen me losing my mind over Meng Xishi’s 《千秋》 Qian Qiu, and for good reason—here is enemies to lovers like you’ve never seen it done. Over the course of 128(+) chapters, 《千秋》 Qian Qiu slowly, carefully, painstakingly develops the relationship between Shen Qiao (compassionate, sheltered, forgiving, kind) and Yan Wushi (brutal, mercurial, arrogant, cynical) as their paths continually intertwine amidst rising turmoil in the jianghu. Meng Xishi sets up two characters fundamentally opposed to each other in belief and refuses to pull any punches or take any shortcuts as these two negotiate jianghu politics, shadowy conspiracies, and their own character arcs to eventually come to stand by each other’s sides. These two literally don’t get together until the fanwai, which is how hard Meng Xishi makes them work for it.

What I particularly appreciated about the characterization in 《千秋》 Qian Qiu was that this novel isn’t about how true love can redeem even the worst of villains, or that naive idealism will forever be doomed to a tragic end. Shen Qiao is often forced to concede that Yan Wushi has a point, just as Yan Wushi is often faced with the error of his assumptions. Neither of them is wholly right, just as neither of them is wholly wrong, and the development of their dynamic/relationship is the constant negotiation of how they balance their unswerving personal beliefs with everything the world throws at them—including each other.

Best Relationship Development

Winner: 《双杀》 Shuang Sha by 娜可露露 Na Ke Lu Lu

Look, I wasn’t planning on getting into an audiodrama about competitive video gaming either, and yet 《双杀》 Shuang Sha came out of nowhere and double-killed me with its deft, nuanced development of its main characters and their relationship. The narrative follows 19-year-old Feng Can—talented, feisty, and headstrong—in his first year with the pro gaming team SP. As Feng Can struggles to adjust to a starkly different playing style and his new teammates, he continually butts heads with the team captain, Cheng Sunian. Where Feng Can is impulsive and hot-headed, Cheng Sunian is steady and serious, and at the age of twenty-six, Cheng Sunian is all too aware that he is nearing the end of his gaming career. As the competition heats up and the world championships draw closer, the two of them must learn to navigate both the game and their feelings for each other if they want to win.

While I could write loads about Feng Can’s character development as he grows and matures as a person (he is, after all, nineteen, a fact both that Na Ke Lu Lu and Cheng Sunian pay careful attention to), my heart really belongs to Cheng Sunian, an ace icon for the ages. Just as Feng Can learns what it means to take responsibility for his own actions, Cheng Sunian also comes learn that he doesn’t have to be an island alone, that he doesn’t always have to be independent and self-sufficient. Throughout the narrative, the two of them clash and argue, hurt each other and forgive each other; together, they stumble, and together, they eventually stand.

Really, my heart is at all times overflowing with my love for extremely competent, coolly sensible, deadpan snarker Cheng Sunian, so perhaps I’ll just leave it with this iconic exchange:

封灿：但我真的喜欢你，我想把坏毛病改掉，变得好点再去找你。我这么想没错吧？

Feng Can: But I truly like you—I want to change my bad habits, to come find you again when I’ve become better. Am I wrong to think that?

程肃年：所以这就是你一直不来找��的原因？你想 ‘变���了’再来？但如果短期内变不好了呢？你打算让我等几年？

Cheng Sunian: So this is the reason why you never came to talk to me? You wanted to “become better” and then come back? Then what if you couldn’t change so quickly? How long were you going to make me wait?

封灿：我会努力的，你应该喜欢那种懂分寸，情商高的成熟男人，对吧？

Feng Can: I’ll work hard—you must like men who understand propriety and restraint, who are mature and emotionally intelligent, right?

程肃年：那我为什么不直接去找这种类型的人谈恋爱？或者干脆照镜子，自己和自己谈算了？

Cheng Sunian: Then why don’t I just find those people and date them? Or just find a mirror and date myself?

封灿：啊？

Feng Can: Ah?

程肃年：行了，你也别瞎想了。算我什么都没说。真是恋爱降智。

Cheng Sunian: All right, don’t agonize over it further. Pretend I didn’t say anything. Truly, love makes people stupid.

封灿：我想的不对吗？那你究竟是什么意思？想让我怎么做，你直接说不行吗？非得给我绕弯子，我猜不出你的想法，你到底想—

Feng Can: Were my conclusions not right? What do you mean? Can’t you just directly tell me what you want me to do? You always beat around the bush, I can’t guess what you’re thinking, what exactly are you—

程肃年：我想让你闭嘴。

Cheng Sunian: I want you to shut up.

[he kisses Feng Can]

GET ‘EM, 队长—

Most Extravagant Act of Devotion

Winner: 《黄金台》 Huang Jin Tai by 苍梧宾白 Cang Wu Bin Bai

Danmei is full of characters doing outrageous things for love, from carving giant stone statues that can double as mechas in boss battles to waiting 13/800/3000 etc years for one’s loved one to come back from the war/death/vagaries of worldbuilding, but somehow one (1) general from an ambiguously historical, non-fantastic danmei managed to beat out all of them for me:

Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan are Cruelly Separated From Each Other for plot reasons, miles of battle lines and enemy-occupied territory filling the vast distance between them, but let it not be said that a certain general lacked for batshit insane ideas as well as the willingness to follow through on them. Taking inspiration from literature, bullying his subordinates, and yearning desperately for his husband, Fu Shen shoots down several dozen swan-geese, nurses them back to health (or rather, gets his long-suffering field medic to do so for him), and ties letters to their legs with the vague hope that one might make its way southwards to Yan Xiaohan. And when Yan Xiaohan somehow, miraculously, does find one, there are only four words on it, ink-smeared and barely legible: 吾妻安好？

Seriously, Fu Shen, you couldn’t even have been bothered to sign it with your name???

Best Interrogation of Themes (aka the “Rent-Free Award”)

Winner: 《七爷》 Qi Ye by priest

It is nigh-impossible to declare that any one of these titles has “better” “thematic” “content” than any of the others, especially because I can and will go off about characters, characterization, and character dynamics for days, but the novel whose philosophical ramifications have haunted me the longest is definitely 《七爷》 Qi Ye by priest. Part reincarnation novel, part time-travel do-over, part political intrigue, part interrogation of destiny and what it means to defy it, 《七爷》 Qi Ye packs a lot of thorny themes and complicated relationships into a deceptively short novel.

I’ve gone off about 《七爷》 Qi Ye‘s thematic complexity in other posts so I’m not going to rehash them now, but really—the questions this book deals with about power and morality, about legacy and responsibility, and the lengths a person would go to in order to see something done are still living, as they say, rent-free in my head.

Best Banter

Winner: Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu in 《天涯客》 Tian Ya Ke by priest

These two I stg. Moving on—

Honorable Mention: 《哏儿》 Gen’er, because… because. I mean, it’s 相声 xiangsheng, banter is like, the literal essence of xiangsheng

Most Iconic Use of Punctuation

Winner: 《天官赐福》 Tian Guan Ci Fu by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Really, nothing is ever going to top this scene in book 5:

慕情[...]沉默片刻，道：���殿下，你真的很喜欢他吗？”

“[…]after a moment of silence, Mu Qing said: ‘Dianxia, do you really like him?’

谢怜没料到他会突然这么问，道：“啊。啊？... ...啊。”

Xie Lian would never have guessed that he would suddenly ask this question. “Ah,” he said. “Ah? ... ...ah.”

Honorable Mention: 《千秋》 Qian Qiu, for the sheer number of “沈峤: ...” / “Shen Qiao: ...” in this novel but particular shout-out to the one in That Scene. You know the one. LSP NI SHEI A—

Most Iconic Line

Winner: 《天涯客》 Tian Ya Ke by priest

I believe so strongly in the superiority of the 凉雨知秋 line that I translated and subtitled the audiodrama season 1 trailer for the sole purpose of yelling about the choral rendition of it:

凉雨知秋，青梧老死。一宿苦寒欺薄衾，几番世道蹉跎...也不过一声“相见恨晚。”

When cold rain falls, autumn makes itself known; the wutong tree ages and dies. Thin robes offer no protection from a night of bitter winter, years and lives wasting, whiling away… nothing more than this: resentment, that we met so late. 

Chills, every time.

Honorable Mention: 《千秋》 Qian Qiu, for the truly lovely line 苍生有难，山河同悲。草木有灵，天地不朽。 / “When the living things suffer, the mountains and rivers also sorrow. Grass and tree possess spirit; heaven and earth remain uncorrupted.“

Most Iconic Takedown (verbal)

Winner: Shen Qiao in 《千秋》 Qian Qiu by 梦���石 Meng Xishi

I’ve literally made a top five list of Shen Qiao’s best takedowns before, but I have magnanimously decided against letting him sweep these awards. That being said, Shen Qiao’s very public, very messy martial brother break-up in a crowded teashop where he verbally drags Yu Ai before the entire jianghu remains one of my favorite scenes of all time, to the point where I literally added 23 extra pages to the SHJX survival guide for the sole purpose of translating this iconic scene. Get ‘em, a-Qiao, I’ll hold your flower.

Honorable Mentions: Wen Shi in 《判官》 Pan Guan, for the line “意外在哪？做事全靠躲的懦夫，也就只能当当影子。” / “What’s unexpected about this? A coward who relies on hiding to do anything could only be a shadow.” Rest in absolute fucking pieces a-Jun

Xie Shuangchen and Ye Ling 《哏儿》 Gen'er — given that this is a novel about 相声 xiangsheng / “cross-talk,” a form of traditional Chinese comedy that functions on wit, wordplay, and mutual roasting, not an episode of the audiodrama goes by without some truly sick burns

Most Iconic Takedown (physical)

Winner: Xie Lian from 《天官赐福》 Tian Guan Ci Fu by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

I honestly could not tell you if I am giving TGCF this award for the giant mecha fight that takes up a solid amount of book five or for the vindictive rush of satisfaction from seeing Xie Lian, powers finally unlocked, pummeling Jun Wu into the ground, but it wins, Xie Lian wins, TGCF absolutely wins this award.

Honorable Mentions: 《判官》 Pan Guan, for battle couple chenshi destroying a certain useless ancestor and looking fabulous while doing so (shout-out to Wen Shi’s many, many three point landings)

《千秋》 Qian Qiu, for the September Ninth ambush 😉

Best Babie

Winner: Xia Qiao from 《判官》 Pan Guan by 木苏里 Mu Su Li

We all know this secondary character—the sweet, summer child who gets accidentally or forcibly adopted by the main characters, often a force of Pure Goodness to be Protected At All Costs, even if they can take care of themselves. (Especially if they can take care of themselves.)

Xia Qiao from 《判官》 Pan Guan beat out some fierce competition for the title of Best Babie, but I could give this award to no other because he really is one of the most hapless characters I’ve ever met in fiction. What a precious child. What a darling disaster. We award this title to him in honor of the many times he dutifully followed his Wen-ge into various horror movie situations despite the fact that he is the biggest scaredy-cat in the entire book.

Honorable Mention: Zhang Chengling in 《天涯客》 Tian Ya Ke, because he too is a hapless sweet summer child who would lose a fight against a chicken

Best Beleaguered Side Character Award

Winner: Xiao Zheng from 《烈火浇愁》 Lie Huo Jiao Chou by Priest

We all know this character, too—equally as hapless as the babie, but for reasons of the plot conspiring against them rather than relative inexperience or personality. This character is in all likelihood actually quite competent, but because they lack the Protagonist Halo (TM), they are often relegated to picking up after the maelstrom of the main characters—cleaning up their messes, filing their paperwork, providing crucial information for the next plot arc, etc etc. In any other book, they might even be the protagonist. Unfortunately, they live in this one.

I’m giving this award to Xiao Zheng for his hair travails alone. (blows kiss) this one’s for you, Xiao-baba

Honorable Mention: the Zhang siblings from 《判官》 Pan Guan because they really set records for accidental cringe when they unintentionally Zhangsplained to the literal founders of their magical practice

Most Competent Side Character Award

Winner: Bian Yanmei from 《千秋》 Qian Qiu by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi

Did I make up this award solely to give it to Bian Yanmei, one of my favorite characters in existence? Yes, yes I did. I would trust the man with a budget and a spreadsheet, which is quite possibly the highest praise I could give a fictional character.

An incomplete list of Bian Yanmei’s accomplishments:

ran a sect for ten years while his shizun fucked off into seclusion

continued running it after his shizun returned, because Yan Wushi was up to a lot of things but uhhh taking care of budgets and logistics were not part of them

functionally raised and trained his younger shidi

became a mover and shaker in Chang’an politics

befriended all the noble families to the point where their children call him “Uncle Bian”

deduced his way through his shizun’s bullshit in record time when he first met Shen Qiao

helped organize a political coup

was adapted out of the donghua for being the only brain cell in the jianghu

Best Antagonist

Winner: Dan Li from 《烈火浇愁》 Lie Huo Jiao Chou

Dan Li is, easily, one of the coolest characters I’ve seen in a novel. Ruthless, calculating, cryptic, opaque, he is both teacher and opponent, strategist and enemy, murderer and protector, demonic and divine. He taught Sheng Lingyuan everything he knew, which, if you’ve met Sheng Lingyuan...well.

Though Dan Li has been dead for literal millennia by the beginning of the book, his actions, legacy, and stratagems linger throughout the narrative, playing out a centuries-spanning game of strike and counterstrike, move and countermove long after his death. The fact that no one has seen him without his mask is just icing on his cake of general mystery.

Best Unreliable Narrator

Winner: Shen Qingqiu from 《人渣反派自救系统》 Ren Zha Fan Pai Zi Jiu Xi Tong by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Could it have been anyone else? Was there any doubt in your mind that this award could go to any other character? Yeah, I thought so; no other character comes remotely close to the level of Shen “I hate this novel with every fiber of my being” Qingqiu, Shen “I’m not being nice, I’m acting in my own self-interest” Qingqiu, Shen “isn’t everyone a little gay for Luo Binghe” Qingqiu.

Honorable Mention: Xie Lian in 《天官赐福》 Tian Guan Ci Fu for neglecting to mention that Qi Rong was his cousin for fifty-some chapters which will never not be funny to me

Best Clown

Winner: Shen Qingqiu from 《人渣反派自救系统》 Ren Zha Fan Pai Zi Jiu Xi Tong by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Gaze deeply into your soul and ask yourself if it could have been anyone else. If your soul tells you otherwise, I don’t want to hear it. I will not be taking criticism at this time.

Honorable Mentions: Yu Shengyan from 《千秋》 Qian Qiu for... too many moments to count. Looking at an amnesiac Shen Qiao and going "it’s free shidi” and thereby accidentally tricking himself into feeling responsible for Shen Qiao. Showing up eighty chapters late to a sword conference still calling Shen Qiao “shidi” after the man has beaten up half the jianghu. Losing a bet with a housekeeper despite having inside information. RIP Yu Shengyan, if Shen Qingqiu weren’t a god-tier clown, this title would have been yours

Xie Shuangchen in 《哏儿》 Gen'er — have you ever faked amnesia after a head injury to try and get your beloved xiangsheng partner to admit that he likes you, only to have said beloved xiangsheng partner see through your bullshit and con you right back, which you fall for and end up chasing him through the hospital begging him to come back to you? You could make a drinking game out of the number of times Xie Shuangchen wails “叶老师，我错了—” / “Ye-laoshi, I was wrong—” in this audiodrama

Best Personal Weapon

Winner: E’Ming from 《天官赐福》 Tian Guan Ci Fu by 墨香铜臭 Mo Xiang Tong Xiu 

I will hear Absolutely Nothing against this precious cursed scimitar who just wants cuddles. Nothing. E’Ming is the best and deserves All the Cuddles, All the Time. Jail for Hua Cheng for a thousand years.

Honorable Mention: the 山河同悲剑 Shanhetongbei sword from 《千秋》 Qian Qiu, for having a stupidly beautiful name. See also: Most Iconic Line, Honorable Mention

Dishonorable Mention: 《烈火浇愁》 Lie Huo Jiao Chou is disqualified from this award for Reasons. It knows what it did.

Best Moment That Wrecked Me (aka the Knifiest Award)

Winner: chapter 121 from 《烈火浇愁》 Lie Huo Jiao Chou by Priest

Over the course of these books, I’ve seen desperate yearning. I’ve seen centuries of pining. I’ve seen betrayals and destructions, disappointment and despair, resurrections and redemptions. But only one novel has had the absolute goddamn gall to drive half of its central pairing to his knees, begging, in tears, promising to let the other go if that’s what he wants, just give him a goddamn second—

盛灵渊后知后觉地想：“我伤了他的心么?”

Sheng Lingyuan thought, belatedly, “Have I broken his heart?”

Bixia, we get it, you’re the most metal of them all, but was that strictly necessary.

Honorable Mentions: chapter 106 of 《判官》 Pan Guan. It knows what it did.

chapter 79 of 《千秋》 Qian Qiu. It knows exactly what it did.

Best Performance by Voice Actors in an Audiodrama

Winner: 《哏儿》 Gen’er by 南北逐风 Nan Bei Zhu Feng

This audiodrama. This audiodrama. I realized halfway through writing this overlong shitpost that I actually haven’t consumed 《哏儿》 Gen’er in its entirety, but I felt the need to yell about how insanely good this audiodrama is. 《哏儿》 Gen’er follows two lovers and performers of 相声 xiangsheng / “cross talk,” a traditional Chinese form of comedy that blends improvisation and classic scripts, as they work to establish their own xiangsheng studio and carry on the legacy of Xie Shuangchen’s shifu and adoptive father.

What makes the voice actor performances in this audiodrama absolutely bonkers is that xiangsheng is an art that performers train for years, entire lifetimes, not unlike Beijing opera performers or professional stage actors. While voice actors are very good at what they do, this is a whole other level. I’m not saying that Zhao Qianjing and Xie Tiantian are good enough to be xiangsheng performers, but like, 他们还真有一点那味儿你知道么，太神了. The technical brilliance demanded by these roles, including but not limited to talking a mile a minute, is utterly insane, and I can’t wait for the three whole 完结FT’s (post-production interviews) this audiodrama promises.

Best Post-Production in an Audiodrama

Winners: 《千秋》 Qian Qiu by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi (post-production by 声罗万象 Shengluo Wanxiang Studio)

and

《双杀》 Shuang Sha by 娜可露露 Na Ke Lu Lu (post-production by 祝余 Zhu Yu)

I think it is a demonstration of my restraint that I haven’t been giving out ties left and right throughout this entire overlong shitpost, but for this award I really have no other choice. Post-production sound editing is tremendously important in audiodramas, not the least for general atmosphere, but also for narrative clarity. As a result, the audiodramas for 《千秋》 Qian Qiu and 《双杀》 Shuang Sha stand out for their brilliant execution.

As a wuxia novel, the action and narrative of 《千秋》 Qian Qiu are often advanced by fight scenes, which Meng Xishi describes in loving, lavish detail throughout the novel. The miracle of the audiodrama, then, is that these fight scenes remain fundamentally intelligible despite the fact that we can’t see them. With a deft combination of voice acting, sound effects, Foley, voice-over, soundtrack music, and bystander commentary, the listener can follow the progress and turning points of individual fight scenes without much difficulty at all, which is super heckin badass when you think about it.

Similarly, 《双杀》 Shuang Sha features multiple video game competitions that occupy a similar narrative function to fight scenes in a wuxia novel—they are intense, fast-paced, and filled with complex technical components that illustrate and advance character development. 音熊联盟 VoiceBear Alliance, the voice actor studio that produced this audiodrama, pulled from its wider cast roster to record unique lines for every single playable video game character that came up in the novel at varying degrees of health. Correspondingly, during matches, the canned voice-overs of player characters telegraph the progress of the competitions that audiodrama listeners cannot visually witness. And an additional shout-out to voice actors 刘强 Liu Qiang and 龟娘 Gui Niang is in order for absolutely killing it as the commentators. Commentating is a particular skill (in the post-production interview, they mentioned that multiple voice actors had to beg off Liu Qiang’s role), and these two were critical to appreciating, comprehending, and following the action of these scenes.

Voice Actor with the Most Insane Range

Winner: 吴磊 Wu Lei of Listen领声 Studio for his roles in the 《千秋》 Qian Qiu audiodrama, the 《穿越自救指南》 (the SVSSS donghua), and the 《判官》 Pan Guan audiodrama

All right, we all know I have a voice actor problem, but really, listen to Wu “maomao-laoshi” Lei in a few productions and you’ll understand why. A single person who can voice characters as disparate as Yan Wushi (which includes, by definition, Xie Ling and a-Yan as well), Shen Qingqiu, and Chen Budao/Xie Wen deserves to be feared and adored.

And never! Forget! the Da! Ah! Jian!

Honorable Mentions: 姜广涛 Jiang Guangtao (aka 姜sir), for the sheer range of bumbling fool 伊依 Yi Yi in the 《诗云》 Shi Yun audiodrama to murderous warrior emperor 盛灵渊 Sheng Lingyuan in the 《烈火浇愁》 Lie Hou Jiao Chou donghua

赵乾景 Zhao Qianjing, for playing both brusque tsundere Wen Shi in the 《判官》 Pan Guan audiodrama and mischievous motormouth Xie Shuangchen in the 《哏儿》 Gen’er audiodrama

Okay that is QUITE enough nonsense from me tonight, if you’ve made it to the bottom of this post I heartily congratulate you. No one is allowed to send me corrections because I’ve decided that I am right, but everyone should feel free to let me know if there are any award categories I’ve overlooked in this—oh god—4k+ post

Here’s to a 2022 filled with more reading and discoveries, more disaster gays and fictional stabbery! 咱们再接再厉！

[cytharat]

9 books I intend to read in 2022

I was tagged by the lovely @danhoemei thank you!!

I don’t really make plans or keep To Read lists because there’s so much to read and so little time so I usually just pick up whatever I’m in the mood for at that moment, but here's at least some of the stuff I am either currently reading or want to read at some point, hopefully this year :’D

1) maybe? possibly?? re-read Tian Ya Ke (Faraway Wanderers, by Priest) because it’s been a while and it’s probably even better the second time around since there’s bound to be stuff that I’ve missed before, especially now after reading Qi Ye too

2) continue reading Tai Sui, also by Priest

3) Yu Wu (Remnants of Filth) by Meatbun. A while ago people on twitter were all over this one so I’m curious what the fuss is about haha

4) re-read at least parts of Zhen Hun (Guardian, Priest) simply because I feel like revisiting them idk

5) continue reading Lie Huo Jiao Chou (Drowning sorrows in raging fire, Priest again), but since the translation is still in progress I can only gobble up each new chapter as they come out and hope for the best

6) Qian Qiu (Thousand Autumns) by Meng Xishi. I just see it everywhere and the fanart is so good??

7) How to read Chinese Poetry: A guided anthology by Cai Zong-qi. I’m 100% serious lmao but the book isn’t exactly cheap so I’m thinking of gifting it to myself for my birthday next month, as a treat

8) almost forgot! but I also still need to finish Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (SVSSS) by mxtx. Am enjoying it a lot though, probably even the most out of the three? Maybe because it’s a bit more light-hearted ... well. until it isn’t, of course, lol

9) I honestly don’t know. Suggestions? Then again I’m not even sure I’ll manage to get through those other eight so maybe I shouldn’t be overambitious lmao

tagging uhhh @pharawee @hudsini @sugarbabywenkexing @trashwarden and idk, anyone else who wants to do it? Feel free to ignore ofc, as always <3

[unforth]

I have started reading Danmei at your recommendation and I am IN SO DEEP. I was wondering if you could make a list of the ones you have read and recommend.

I AM SO GLAD ANON!! Both that I'm the reason you got into danmei, and also that you sent me this ask (I always wish I got more asks like this, lol. <3 )

Better yet, I can answer this pretty easily, because I've already compiled a stupidly complete list of what I've read, am reading, and plan to read, and it's on Tumblr even! And it's recent, so fingers crossed that the links all still work (with stuff going on with JJWXC - the website where most danmei is initially published - a lot of authors have locked, removed, or otherwise made it harder to access their works, so links have been changing often and things that used to be available often aren't).

Anyway, here's my FULL list! As you'll see if you click through, it's actually kinda short? because I'm a slow reader, and these books are so so so SO long. But, I'm plugging away, and reading more all the time (I'm like...almost 20% through The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua rn...).

As to recommendations...so, I've read, start to finish, 10 danmei novels so far, and I haven't yet read something I didn't like. I don't know what you've already read and liked, so it's hard for me to make specific recommendations and/or explain these books in a way that might help you decide which would interest you, but I can say that my personal top 5 are:

1. Tian Guan Ci Fu/Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. Fantranslations are no longer available for it, because it's being published by Seven Seas Danmei. I honestly don't even know where to begin with TGCF because I love it just that much. Like, it's my number 1 danmei, and it's ALSO in my top 5 books ever.

2. The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat. This has also been licensed by Seven Seas Danmei; if you're at all interested in reading it grab it now because the main translations are going down at the end of the month. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS AND TAGS 2ha is heavy angst with a happy ending, and all AO3 major archives apply to it, and then some.

3. Thousand Autumns by Meng Xishi. The one I'm hoping Seven Seas will license next. They are such a strange couple with a very unusual dynamic and I love that for them.

4. Qiye by Priest. This is the first book in the 'verse where the c-drama Word of Honor takes place, and is the book I finished most recently, and I really, really liked it. It was especially cool to read it and then watch some Word of Honor again because viewing the show through the lens of what I now know from Qiye is fascinating (I haven't read Tian Ya Ke yet, which is the book Word of Honor is based on, but it's on my list).

5. Golden Stage by Cang Wu Bin Bai. Peach Flower House Publishing announced yesterday that they've licensed this one under the name Golden Terrace, for a November release. I'm not sure yet what that means for the translation I linked, but I'd say, if you want to read a fantranslation this is probably the moment to do it.

Honorable Mention: Daomu Biji by Xu Lei isn't danmei, and it's honestly like...kinda terrible? The plot is so full of holes that it's sometimes incomprehensible, the official English translation is mediocre, the shows range from hilariously bad through genuinely good yet still full of huge plot holes and major plot holes...and yet somehow DMBJ has become one of my fandom happy places? I think it's because it's a trial by fire; the people who can get through the mess of canon have to be chill, there's no way to enjoy it otherwise (and I do, truly, genuinely, absolutely enjoy it) and so it's just...a really nice fandom to be in, and canon has a large cast with a lot of excellent supporting characters who often get the spotlight, which means it's a multishippers delight. But enter at your own risk. You WILL want to throw things at the author, on the regular, lmao.

I hope this helps a little? If I knew more what you'd read and liked, I could probably do a more tailored rec list. <3

[baoshan-sanren]

hi! love your blog :) you seem like a danmei connoisseur so i decided to ask you for some recs if that's okay :)) i've discovered mxtx last year and now i've almost finished all of her books and i'm wondering what to read next. what are other cnovels similar to hers that have readable english translations?? thank you in advance :))

Hi hi thank you!!! My media page is right here, if you filter just the novels, you’ll find everything I’ve read/am currently reading/plan to read in near future (at the bottom of the description it will say whether it’s 100% translated)

Tbh I would rec anything by Priest off the bat, especially if flawed heroes and detailed worldbuilding is your thing. I would also def rec 2ha (dumb husky) and yuwu (stains of filth) by Meatbun, with an obligatory disclaimer that both novels have a content warning list that’s probably longer than most religious texts. 

I’m in the process of reading The Wife is First by Lu Ye Qian He (the best feel-good historical aside from Golden Stage I’ve found so far), Thousand Autumns by Meng XiShi (wuxia with like 85% whump), and Faraway Wanderers by Priest (wuxia - the drama based on the novel, Word of Honor, is airing right now), and I would wholeheartedly rec all three except that the reason I’m reading three at once is bc none of the translations are complete 😂

Next on my reading list is Nan Chan by Tang JiuQing and Lord Seventh by Priest (translations complete) because an obnoxious number of people have recommended them to me at different times, so I feel comfortable reccing them even tho I haven’t read them. 

+ I would take a look at @leonzhng’s book rec list and @minmoyu’s novel recs too (although they don’t need translations so it’s not guaranteed the novels will have them)

If anyone else wants to add their own danmei recs, feel free :) I’m always looking to add to my reading list too 

[vallonde-laid-bare]

Ok, this one is kinda high concept and complicated, but bear with me here.

I had the idea that I wanted some sort of race of inanimate objects, and this is the end result. My original idea was puppets, which turned into something like the final fantasy quan, which eventually became this. It also gave me a way to add some more character to the events surrounding the loss of Xishi, so it’s a double win! 

Now, I know this shifts a lot of the basic rules surrounding how characters work, and it definitely isn’t a race I’d recommend for inexperienced players OR dungeon masters, but I like the concept enough try to refine it and make it more streamlined and understandable without taking away it’s unique flavor. As is, the idea is that the character can shift their functionality by possessing different armors, and when they die while possessing a suit of armor they just get shunted out. Healing spells may not work on them, but the fact that they don’t die when reduced to 0 hit points makes dying less problematic so I’m trying to create a balance that flips how player’s manage their characters on its head. This is obviously a rough draft that will be edited and refined, but the theme and mechanics are there and I think they have potential.

As always, questions and comments are welcome. I’d love to hear your thoughts! (EDIT: Clarifications and mechanical tweaks)

(Content PDF) (Patreon)

[hunxi-after-hours]

hunxi my friend hunxi DYING to know what you thought of 《无双》 and the way it elevated what 《千秋》 thought of women who ran rampant in the jianghu. it is so very dear to my heart. also do you think that they'll live past yang guang's reign are they pigheaded enough 😂😞🤔

ANON and here I thought no one noticed my sneaky updates to my to-read list/currently-reading post but you caught me, I might've read 《无双》 over the past few weeks, I just haven't gotten around to uploading a few Choice Quotes from my phone yet

but YES, let's talk about who runs the world jianghu in 《无双》!

I think one thing that really struck me reading 《无双》 was that only five years had gone by since the events of 《千秋》, but all under heaven has changed so much. I mean, obviously there's the new Sui Dynasty in power but like... the shape of the jianghu has shifted and I don't recognize anyone in it anymore. okay fine I'll admit it, I miss 《千秋》 a lot okay

I think the exponential increase in female characters in 《无双》 is, wildly, directly caused by 《千秋》 itself, and I'm not just referring to the fact that Bai Rong was a hit with the readers (to the point where many readers were shipping qiaorong rather than yanshen and Meng Xishi was like "thank you all for your support for Bai Rong, however this is a danmei novel, so don't get too attached to that ship" for which I will never stop laughing, have you ever seen the central ship in a novel get upstaged by a het ship take that sao lao Yan—), but also to the fact that, well, the events of 《千秋》 resulted in a lot of toxic men getting wiped out of the jianghu, and I'm sure Bai Rong's ensuing leadership of Hehuan Zong can only carve out a better place for women in the jianghu regardless of their origins or cultivation paths

but I also think the shift in the setting from 《千秋》 to 《无双》, from jianghu to courtly politics, is also quite significant — "behind every powerful man is an even more powerful woman" suddenly becomes very applicable here because there are now more families involved with the central thread of the plot, particularly royal ones. and so we have ambassadorial figures like Jin Lian, conspiratorial figures like Bing Xian and Qin Miaoyu, and the (gestures frantically) everything of the women of the Yang/Yuwen family, which got messy rip ladies Yuwen

if the archetypal figure of the jianghu is 云游侠客, the wandering xia hero, free of obligation or family ties or roots in a singular place, then the archetypal figure of courtly politics may well be the scheming of spymasters and strategists, and there's nothing to say that the person hiding their knowing smile behind a demure sip of tea can only be of one gender or another, and so we see the emergence of so many more lovingly crafted female characters in 《无双》, particularly well-connected ones who grow up with an awareness and a deftness for leaning on their relationships, just so, to effect the change that will further their personal agendas in these opening years of a new dynasty

ALSO. also. can we talk about the fact that Meng Xishi strongly implied trans Qiao Xian because I swear my jaw dropped when I read that. the exchange between her and Zhangsun Puti... iconic:

(paraphrased for comedic effect and because I can't be bothered to look it up asdlkafjs) Zhangsun Puti: wait, are you male or female? Qiao Xian: (side-eyes him) aren't you a Buddhist monk? Shouldn't you understand that gender is but a manifestation of the material illusions of the profane world, and doesn't actually matter in the eyes of the Buddha? Zhangsun Puti: damn, you right, forget I asked

anyway. (gestures) love everything going on with her, yes I do realize she does at some point betray Cui Buqu, no that does not reduce my love one bit

[hunxi-after-hours]

But hunxi, hunxi!! I gotta know moreeee. When they’re raising their daughter, how does it work? Does she stay a few weeks between the two sects? How often does she meet the other dad? Does she exclusively stay at Xuandu Shan and train with one father? How often do YanShen meet post canon? I’m burning to know!! :))

okay okay so here's the thing, based on the fanwai/general post-canon snippets that Meng Xishi has given us, Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi don't exactly live together after the end of the book? which makes sense because both of them are still very much running their own sects, so like, my understanding of post-canon yanshen is that they meet up several times a year (Shen Qiao has to visit Chang'an semi-regularly to liaise with the emperor), and they're definitely together for the major holidays (there's a fanwai where Yan Wushi bemoans the fact that he didn't make it back in time for 七夕). and occasionally, they go on roadtrips together, which is all sorts of adorable

but like, the reason why Yan Wushi brings Ling'er to Xuandu Shan in the first place is because between the two of them, Shen Qiao's lifestyle is much more stable--Yan Wushi does a lot more travelling, and subjecting a toddler to the risks he would otherwise take with impunity is probably a bad idea, so Ling'er definitely starts out spending most of her time with Shen Qiao and steadily winning over the allegiance of every single person on the mountain

I like to think that once Ling'er gets old enough, Shen Qiao starts insisting that Yan Wushi take her on some of his trips--她也该见见世面了, Shen Qiao says, and Yan Wushi demurs, doesn't think it's a good idea for a young girl to accompany him while he continues to offend half the jianghu, and Shen Qiao digs his heels in because a-Ling needs to spend time with both of her fathers and in Yan Wushi's moment of hesitation adds if you're really worried, you can bring Yu Shengyan along to help

turns out, both Huanyue disciples are quite good with kids (every other child in Chang'an calls Bian Yanmei 边叔 so you literally cannot change my mind), so Ling'er has an absolute blast hanging out in Huanyue Zong (I assume everyone in Huanyue Zong goes full Diana Prince "baby" at the sight of her)

look, just because the demonic sects are full of hardened killers and devious liars who wouldn't think twice before stabbing you in the back doesn't mean that they also wouldn't immediately turn into soft putty in her hands. Ling'er has been training in the martial arts for two whole years now but she's been training in the Art of Babie all her life

also I think Yan Wushi would lowkey love the subtle power move of bringing his smol daughter to various meetings. just like. he rolls up to a negotiation holding Ling'er's hand and stares down everyone one-by-one, daring them to comment

(he'll also ask her for her thoughts, and once Ling'er gets over her shyness, she'll very seriously and thoughtfully make her childish comment, and Yan Wushi will often take those suggestions on the spot, just like, a-die I think this deal is unfair, they make the goods but you take fifty percent of the profit? and Yan Wushi says this is what a good deal looks like, a-Ling and Ling'er doesn't pout, just frowns with that adorable little forehead crease that she must have picked up from Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi relents, says fine, a-Ling, just for you Huanyue Zong will take only thirty percent of the profits, so long as you promise to trade exclusively with us and the poor guild representative on the other side of the table nearly falls over in relief)

so I guess in that sense it's definitely a good thing that Ling'er spends her younger, more malleable years in the environment of Xuandu Shan--Shen Qiao makes sure to lay down a good foundation of basic morality before Yan Wushi swings by to corrupt her ("just a little, a-Qiao, so she knows how to live a little" / "Yan-zongzhu, is this a comment on my lifestyle?" / "怎么，我说错了吗？" / "沈峤：..............")

[hunxi-after-hours]

Hi! I got into the QQ donghua and it's partly thanks to your posts! Now I want to recommend it to some friends because frankly, the donghua (and the novel and audio drama) is still really underrated. But I don't know how to explain why it's a must-watch. Surely you must know how to express it better and explain the aspects that make it good. I saw your post on how it differs from the novel and why it's not necessarily a bad thing, but this time I wanted to ask: how would YOU sell it to others?

aw SHUCKS, every new person who gets into 《千秋》 brings me so much joy because it feels like proof that I’m not losing my mind over nothing

hmmmm I mean when it comes to pitching shows/books/media at people, I always feel like it depends on who I’m trying to seduce into consuming said text. will pretty boys in period costume be enough for them, or do they need a strong plot hook? are they here for messy, complicated sibling dynamics, or do they want some complex political intrigue and plots within plots within plots? do they like reading about soulmates who were destined for each other, oh my god, or do they not really care for romance at all?

(linking my inside cover flap-summary here because this is the best introduction to the premise I’ve written)

part of the reason why I enjoyed 《千秋》so much is precisely because it’s such a well-crafted narrative in many of these respects. It’s got compelling and intertwined central ideological themes (deconstructing “good” and “evil,” the nature of trust and forgiveness, optimism vs. pessimism and how that manifests in your actions and conduct) that play out through a cast of fascinating characters (Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi, of course, but also Bai Rong, Yu Ai, Guang Lingsan, Duan Wenyang, Chen Gong); it also has delightfully rich and complex worldbuilding that weaves jianghu politics masterfully with imperial governance and inter-kingdom rivalries. Meng Xishi’s ability to balance the scope of the narrative playing out at large (the rise and fall of dynasties, jianghu sects, political alliances) with the individual journeys of each character is honestly quite rare--in a lot of stories, one of these narratives will eclipse the other, but 《千秋》 makes political advancement crucial to Shen Qiao’s personal journey, and I find that both refreshing and compelling.

THAT’S ALL VERY ABSTRACT THOUGH and some people come to 《千秋》 because they love the dynamic between “exhausted main character who is a Good Person looking for some peace and quiet” and his “shameless love interest who’s Looking for Chaos, And If He Cannot Find It, He Will Create It.” I’d be surprised if most people didn’t come out of this book with a love-hate relationship with Yan Wushi (we love him for his sick burns and his sense of style, we hate him for... being an asshole 95% of the time). The main relationship between Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi is an actively challenging part of the text--while wading through the first 50 chapters, I had to fall back a lot on my faith that the author would do this relationship justice, because... yeah, early Yan Wushi - Shen Qiao interactions are a lot, and not necessarily in a good or fun way. It takes a lot of trust in the author to keep going forwards, and I think that is both a draw and a drawback to 《千秋》. It’s not your training wheels wuxia danmei novel, if you will.

so in a sense, the lack of storybook neatness to the narrative (we don’t get a nice, bow-tied ending on nearly any plot thread; almost all of it concludes on an open-ended “the adventure continues!”) is part of what makes the text feel... well, ‘realistic’ isn’t the right word, but ‘measured,’ perhaps. ‘Earned.’ Because the characters fight for every single accomplishment they make--nothing is given to them on a silver platter, nothing bestowed upon them by the hand of narrative fate, and nothing is ever, truly resolved because, well, they’re not dead yet, and life continues.

THIS IS ALL STILL VERY ABSTRACT let me do bullet-points now:

why I love the novel:

the level of detail in the book is insane--some books work really well for screen adaptations because the dialogue is the strongest part of the text, but 《千秋》’s narration and descriptions are hardly slacking. the fight scenes ALONE--

the author has done a lot of research into the historical time period she’s chosen to set her novel in, and it’s super cool to see her notes!

the book has more time/space in its narrative for moments of emotional recovery (especially post-betrayal) and just like, slice-of-life moments that I really love

the book is much stronger thematically and I respect Meng Xishi so much for sticking to her guns--again, Yan Wushi is an actively challenging character, and she refuses to soften him (or Shen Qiao) just to short-cut  her way to a conclusion

why I love the audiodrama:

this is like, the most perfect adaptation of a danmei novel I have ever consumed I stg

the pacing is exceedingly well-done and the music!!! the music <3

the fight scenes work?? even though it’s not visual?? shout-out to post-production sound design

the actors are phenomenal and the director gets it--the entire cast and crew put a lot of thought and work into this project and it shows!!!

the behind-the-scenes material is both hilarious and insightful, and I regularly re-listen to the bloopers and interviews because they never fail to bring me joy

I would trust Ke Muqing with my LIFE

why I love the donghua:

I know the donghua gets a lot of flak for being 3D but it is really good for its style, you just gotta get used to a different set of aesthetics

the fight scenes aaaaaaa

look I love a good live-action fight scene but when the abilities of your characters skate on the border of the supernatural, animation just does that better than live action, sorry

the donghua team is also killing it with the microexpression game

and lighting and textures??? truly, how dare they

the voice acting team is almost the same as the audiodrama!! which is a small detail but makes a huge difference for me--voices can throw me off a lot when it comes to characters, and once again, I would trust Ke Muqing with my life

I’ve been listening to the soundtrack of this show on repeat for the past week, and one of their composers is 潮汐-tide, who you might know from the best song on the CQL companion album

episode 6 is SO good what the heck. what the heckin heck

ahahaha I have NO IDEA if that was helpful at all to you anon, but there you have it, my very messy feelings on why I like this text in all its various incarnations

[unforth]

I am finishing The Untamed and am IN. LOVE. I thought I remembered you posting a thread on where to go next in this journey but can't find it! Do I want to read the English fan translation of the novel? Do I want to read the (I don't know the word for the Chinese version) Manga? Watch the animated version? What comes after The Untamed? Help, Unforth! You're my only hope! (If you have the time/spoons/energy, of course.) Thank you!!

Ack I’m so sorry I didn’t answer this sooner, I’ve kinda been a mess this week. Anyway! You have a lot of places you can go next!

The Untamed is adapted from Mo Dao Zu Shi, a novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. It’s explicit, the ship is canon, warnings for dub con (acknowledged, which at least for me makes a difference) and homophobia. There are multiple adaptations of MDZS, all of which are more similar to each other than any of them are to Untamed - Untamed made some major changes in the plot (for example, changed the entire timeline for when Xue Yang, Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan are introduced, and completely invented the Yin Iron and everything related to it) and those changes aren’t present in any of the other versions. That said, they’re different, but still enjoyable. (personal disclaimer: I *far* prefer the Untamed to the others, but that’s just me, some people love the others far more.)

Exiled Rebels Scanalations English translation

Mo Dao Zu Shi Donghua by Tencent (Chinese equivalent of anime)

I think there’s some other version people read but I’ve read the Exiled Rebs translation of the manhua (Chinese equivalent of manga)

Suibian Subs has the main version of the radio drama that I know of; I hear good things about it but haven’t listened personally

Those are all options if you want more of Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian, and all the rest of our wonderful cast. Now, if instead you want some new characters to fall in love with, by the same author...

My favorite of the danmei novels I’ve read so far is Tian Guan Ci Fu. It’s also by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, and I adore it. The translation done by @yummysuika and others is phenomenal, and you can learn more about where to access it here. There’s also a manhua. It’s currently on hiatus, but you can read translations on TGCFMissy’s account on Twitter. (the first chapter is missing a few of the sections and I don’t know why but all the rest is there). The donghua has one season out, and recently came to Netflix.

Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s third novel (well, actually her first - the order she wrote them in was this one, then MDZS, then TGCF) is Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong, usually translated to “The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System.” There’s a website with the whole thing translated but I personally read the first half-or-so of the chapters here, and the rest here. A manhua exists but it only had a couple issues come out before it vanished, and the first season of the donghua aired last year and is available on Youtube.

...and finally, some works by others...

Guardian, or Zhenhun, by Priest, is one of the early danmei works to get really popular. The show and the novel are VERY different. The show is available on Youtube. I don’t have time to hunt down the novel translation rn, sorry.

Word of Honor, also based on a novel by Priest, is a break out hit right now. I’ve only seen the first three episodes so far, but they’re great and I can’t wait to watch more. It’s on Youtube Afaik there is not an official translation yet of the entire series, even though it’s all aired. The novel it’s based on is “Faraway Wanderers”

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun, usually called Erha or 2ha, is by Meatbun Doesn’t Eat Meat. There’s a show adaptation filmed, but it hasn’t aired yet, and I believe there’s a manhua and a radio drama, though I’ve not listened to each. Warning for a LOT of dark themes, especially non-con stuff.

I’m currently reading Thousand Autumns, by Meng Xishi, and I’m enjoying it a lot. There’s also a donghua; the first season is on Youtube.

There’s loads more, and in a lot of ways I’m a terrible person to ask because I have so little time for watching and reading right now.

My personal “to watch” list right now is...

Word of Honor

The Lost Tomb Reboot (I’m almost done, but it’s not on the above list cause it’s not canonically queer)

Thousand Autumns donghua

Sleuth of Ming Dynasty

Probably about six other things I’m not remembering right now

My personal “to read” list includes...

Sha Po Lang (also by Priest)

The Wife is First

Those Years in Quest of Honor Mine

How to Survive as a Villain

Faraway Wanderers (by Priest)

And I’ve got some others stashed away in my Tumblr drafts - that’s where I save danmei rec posts when I see them on my dash.

So...that’s a lot. If you want one single rec? Tian Guan Ci Fu is so far my favorite, I’d personally say go there next. :D

[hunxi-after-hours]

Meng Xishi: here’s a ridiculous bonus chapter where Shen Qiao turns into a six-year-old version of himself and Yan Wushi has a field day with that

also Meng Xishi: now I’m going to gut you with Qi Fengge feelings