#and li lun because he's amazing

[darknutmeg]

LISTEN, you should watch Fangs of Fortune because it's beautiful, because the cast is wonderful and their chemistry is deep, because the acting is TOP SHELF, because it's a story about life, love and how delicate and intricate the bonds between those you love (and hate) can be. Because it's the best use of found family I have ever seen. Because the OST is incredible.

Because you will meet a demon who wishes for death and the one person who can claim his life and then you'll meet the family he makes, the people who will eventually make him want to survive, inspite of what fate has planned. It will rip your guts out but it will also heal your soul.

[moononmyfloor]

In the 4th Quarter of 2024 Cdramaland...

1st Quarter, 2nd Quarter, 3th Quarter

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24. Best Ensemble of the Year

The First Shot

Each member of this ragtag cop family had such clear and purposeful narrative that concluded in super satisfactory ways and they were all acted SO masterfully with amazing chemistry all around. It's them who made the show, really. I'd totally watch 3 more seasons of this.

.

25. Most Lovable Characters of the Year

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy

LGIEF wasn't necessarily a novel story but what made it unique for me was the wholesome family composed of 5 very young people.... well, it still doesn't sound very unique when I say it like that... lemme try again. Usually when you see found family trope in a YA story, it's because the kids bonded over trauma and adventure. Which is cool and amazing yes but also, sometimes it's just refreshing to see a bunch of young people being family just because? And not for any dramatic reason whatsoever? And they are only half-found family, 2 of them are already siblings, and two others are their lovers, the other one is the mascot baby of the four of them. Especially Liu Fuyi, I rarely see a big brother-in-law character who so wholeheartedly spent his time with his girlfriend's silly little younger siblings without being all so haughty or pretentiously overprotective and "responsible" for them. They all just liked each other so they stuck together, simple as that.

99% dramas try to shoehorn unnecessary antics into found family dynamics because they think it's boring otherwise, and it's not that there wasn't drama and hidden agendas among LGIEF group, but it was never the focal point. The genuine sweetness in the moments they spent together, was.

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26. Best Production of the Year

Without a doubt Riverside Code at Qingming Festival. As for why, well I already talked about it at LENGTH so here you go!

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27. Best Opening/Ending Credits of the Year

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, The Story of Pearl Girl

Really liked LGIEF's pixel rpg game run credits and Pearl Girl's shiny and expensive looking graphics.

.

28. Favorite Murder Kitten of the Year

Fangs of Fortune: Li Lun (Yan An)

Though he was presented as the most naive, obsessed, one-track and narrow minded character in the show, he literally had the most unassumingly deepest storyline for me, in the entirety of 2024. Yes that's sky-high praise, I know. I related to him in this very personal level and I wrote over 30K fanfics and character analysis for him within 2 weeks. And then I fell down a Yan An rabbit hole because he's the most adorable person ever I've laid eyes on. End of the story.

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29. A Drama That Taught Me Something New

The City of Sunlight: taught me so much niche details about Tibetan culture

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30. Most Inspiring Drama of the Year

She and Her Girls

This semi-autobiographical drama about High School Principal Zhang Guimei (who is still alive and kicking and running the same highschool in Yunnan) is a must watch if you are interested in based-on-real-life stories. Working as a teacher in Yunnan, she noticed that in the extreme rural mountainous areas, families are poverty ridden, only boys get even the slightest opportunity for higher education while girls are forced to marry as young as early teen age, and they remain stuck in those mountains and repeat their mothers' fate. She wanted to change this and build completely free all-girls high school to battle this inequality and provide the girls with a safe haven where they can study worry free and gain opportunities to go beyond the mountains.

It's fully subbed, has amazing acting all over, from both adult and younger cast, and I really liked how it doesn't idolize anything: all the actors are sunbaked and pimple ridden, the political, financial and societal issues that come her way aren't sugar-coated but nobody is demonized either, and she herself is a very real, 3D character who isn't perfect, she's too strict and stubborn and her methods of "tough love" come out as downright mean sometimes, and she's a staunch communist believer to the point it's comical but like I said: the drama doesn't try to filter anything. And it makes her all the more endearing. Plus no matter what she got the thing done and watching her efforts bear fruit was so badass and tearjerking.

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Conclusion

Overall I had so much fun, and I tried my best to come up with all sorts of categories to give nods to as many dramas as possible 🤣 even though some sections must have looked ridiculous to onlookers' eyes lol. There were lots of stuff that I dropped but also there were so much stuff I looked forward to watching this year but simply couldn't because THERE ARE SO MANY OF INTERESTING SOUNDING SHOWS AND SO LITTLE TIME AND ALSO SOMETIMES NO SUBS!

Really, one way or another, I was always entertained.

Blossoms: Shanghai, Born to Run, For the Young Ones, Teresa Teng, The Gate of Xuanwu, The Swimsuit Saga, I look forward to catching up with y'all at least next year!!!

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More posts by me

[dreamingsnowflake2013]

He's officially lost it. The great demon is clearly at the end of his tether, entering the stage of deathbed phantasmagoria.

His obsession, his wish to die a glorious death and take others with him, to have someone share his suffering (which actually makes a fucked-up sense because his biggest fear is being lonely and it carries over even to dying alone) is in a stark contrast to ZYZ, ZYC and Wen Xiao who would rather sacrifice their own lives, die on their own, than watch others die for them.

However, it's going to be interesting how his plan to take others (most likely ZYZ or ZYC, or both) with him to death will turn out, because despite all his threats and plans, for a great evil villain his death count is big fat zero (well at least when killing people that actually matter), he didn't even manage to kill the previous Baize Goddess, mostly due to ZYZ's interference, but still.

He could have killed Yinglei to lash out and hurt the others, he could have killed WX or even ZYC, but he never did. Just as ZYZ, if he truly wanted to kill them, they would be dead.

I adore how the OST lyrics perfect describe and encompass each character, whether it's ZYZ's song about troubles that turned his hair grey, or Li Lun's about a glorious death together. Plus the fact that each actor/character sings his own song only adds to the amazing immersive experience. Normally, I'm not a fan of those subtitled lyrics because it distracts from the story and dialogue subtitles, but here I really enjoy it.

[support-ponies]

MOD PAGE (mobile friendly)

🐶🐕MOD KIBA!!! ☕🍩

Heyo!!! I am KIBA! You might know me more as Typhwosion! I am she/her but I don’t really care what pronouns ppl use for me. I made this blog to try and make peoples days a bit easier with cute and happy ponies~ I love doggies and coffee and plushies! My favorite ponies are Applejack and Maud and Trixie and I love RariJack💖 I hope I can make your life a bit brighter with my silly drawings~ My husband is Mod Dynamo! Here’s my carrd to all my other socials and here’s all the art i’ve made on this blog. ૮⍝• ᴥ •⍝ა 💖💛💙

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🐱🐈MOD DYNAMO!!!🧡🍊

I’m Dynamo and I’m here to support the sweetest girl in the world with some Arty McArt™ and stuff. I like cats, video games, and cheese (not necessarily in that order.) My favorite pony is also Maud. If you like my art, get ready to not see much of it here if ya dare. (And here is all the art he’s made on this blog) ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

And here are all the collab art we’ve done together, Dynamo usually does the sketches for these and I ink and color them.

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MOD MORI

Howdy everypony! I’m one of the new mods, you can call me Mori!

I use He/Him and I’m transmasc + bisexual andddd my favorite ponies of the mane 6 are Fluttershy and Pinkie, though my heart truly lies with Luna. You know how it goes. My sona is named Astral Beryl and I’m hoping to become a geologist and/or voice actor, but for now I draw ponies because… Well I really love to! I hope they can help brighten your day!

Also as a note my art style is going to be… Wildly inconsistent and I apologize beforehand if certain pieces aren’t as nice as others. Such is the way of art and wanting to try new things like drawing more consistently.

o/ Stay hydrated party ponies! Hope to see you around!

ART TAG / MAIN BLOG

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MOD PIXEL

Hello everypony! I’m Pixel, also known as @fruitypieq :3

I use he/they/lun/luna and my ponysona, Night Peak, uses she/he/they. My favorite ponies are Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance, and of course Sunset Shimmer too!

I am not sure what else to put here but I’m very excited to be here, its nice to meet all of you! I’m excited to start drawing your requests and I hope I can help make your day even a little better!

If you enjoy my art you can find more of it on my main blog, or on my art blog, @fruitypieq-art! Have a wonderful day everypony!

ART TAG / MAIN BLOG

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MOD WILLOW

Hiya! I’m Mod Willow! I use any pronouns and so does my ponysona, Cece! I’m intersex, intergender, transmascfem and lesbian. I am currently trying to get into school to become a therapist but art is one of my biggest passions! I love helping and inspiring people so I hope my art can do that for you all <3

I love all the ponies but my very favorite is Princess Luna, and my favorite out of the Mane Six is probably Fluttershy. I’ve been in the fandom for about 12 years and I’m very happy to be contributing to it in any way I can!

Have a lovely day and stay mindful!

ART TAG / MAIN BLOG

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MOD APPLEJACK

Hi everypony, I’m mod applejack! I’m a 22 year old mlp superfan who has a special passion for G1 although all gens have a place in my heart. I love to cook, read, and draw for others. My other special interest besides mlp is beekeeping; I’m actually a certified beekeeper myself! I’m so happy to become a part of this amazing blog and support those who need it<3

ART TAG / MAIN BLOG

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MOD FAELING

Hi all! I’m Mod Faeling! I go by Fae or Faeling, and my pronouns are she/her. I’m a 30 years young autistic artist who has a love for helping bring positivity to others! ✨

My ponysona is goes by Star Blossom with she/her pronouns!

My favourite generation is Gen4 and my favourite MLP is Fluttershy! I love how gentle she is and her love for animals, it matches my personality so well!💕

I am happy to be here, I have a love for drawing positive art, as I do the same on my own social media’s art accounts but not just MLP characters, all sorts of different cartoon and anime characters with positive quotes!

I’ve always wanted to help others in some way and doing things like this has always made my heart feel like I’m doing something good in the world, you all deserve encouraging and positive words to get through your days! 💕

If you end up liking my art, you can always find me at @faelingmagic on tumblr or all my other socials at http://linktr.ee/faelingmagic

I look forward to drawing for you all!

ART TAG / MAIN BLOG

[bookoftheironfist]

Please take a moment out of your day to check out this incredible 80s-style Iron Fist fan film created by @sky-liam! Sky very generously shared with me the inspiration behind the film, as well as insight into the filming process, fight choreography, and thematic sensibilities:

"As a former martial arts champion, I wanted to show authentic Kung Fu techniques (we were lucky to get an action coordinator who's worked on Chinese martial arts movies). I have a background in Shaolin Kung Fu and competitive Wushu, training and competing for many years, and living in China for a year-and-a-half as well (majoring in Chinese language in college). Going back to some of the original issues of Iron Fist, what really grabbed me was how Danny has trained so long with one goal in mind, and then feels completely lost when he isn't able to complete his revenge on Harold Meachum. I felt like this story was something that anyone could connect to, because so many of us have had that moment where we finished school, or got a 'good' job, and then realized that attaining that single-minded goal didn't actually satisfy us, and we were still searching for something. I also connected with moments from Iron Fist: The Living Weapon when Danny was practicing Kung Fu almost like a drug to keep himself sane. And I connected it to the idea of all those things we do without even thinking because they've become a part of how we define ourselves."

(Behind-the-scenes photos, courtesy of @sky-liam)

"What was most important to me was this sense of [Danny] not being compatible to the world around him; being the Living Weapon but having no target to aim at after Meachum died. Martial arts and fighting becomes a drug to stay above water instead of a means to preserve life. I started Shaolin Kung Fu as a kid and eventually studied Mandarin in college and lived and trained in China for a year-and-a-half, competing in tournaments and working in Kung Fu films there. I wanted to make sure Danny used techniques from actual Shaolin forms (similar to the kind of stuff he'd learn from the monks in K'un-Lun) and also spoke some of the language he picked up while living there. "I knew our fight director, Alfred Hsing, from the Wushu competition scene, and he had also trained in Beijing and worked with Jet Li for several years. He used a lot of 'in-camera editing' in his choreography - that is, setting up short sequences of the fight that were designed to be shot from a specific angle, thus highlighting the best stuff while eliminating wasted camera setups. Of course he also played a version of Steel Serpent in the final fight with Colleen and Danny. "Kara Wang, who played Colleen Wing (and not long after went on to shoot 'Top Gun: Maverick') trained for about three months to complete her fight scene. Our other actors were former athletes with martial arts experience and we also rehearsed choreography for several weeks before shooting. We were able to get many locations for free (the parking garage, the apartment, and the plaza in Monterey Park that doubled for Chinatown) through business and personal connections. "The original short film was about 15 minutes long, and had a lot of voiceover that gave an insight into Danny's inner monologue. We made a few changes to the costumes and events (such as Danny wearing clothes he bought off the rack after coming back to the States, Meachum dying from a drug overdose), which was similar to what was done for the 80s and 90s Marvel adaptations where certain details would be changed for budgetary reasons. In the end, there were some issues with some of the footage in the narrative scenes of the film, so I decided to recut it like a VHS trailer from the 1980s or early 90s would be. "My goal in the end was to highlight some of the grittier story elements of Danny Rand, and to show Iron Fist doing some legit Kung Fu. I hope fans of the character can enjoy it!"

A huge thank you to Sky for sharing this amazing project!

[narrans]

The Orion's Daughter : To Lands Beyond | Chapter 15 | Mysterious Matters

**~~~~~**

Chapter Fifteen | Mysterious Matters

**~~~~~**

My mind numbed.

Home?

Return… home…

Why? For what purpose? Why would he be sent across the ocean to find me? Perhaps this was a ruse? A way to get me back to my homeland only to be thrown in irons and tried for the crimes I suspected I was guilty of? This desperate matter?

I looked into the sapphiric eyes of my friend and could detect no lies. In fact, I detected worry. Anxiousness.

Then something occurred to me.

Was he sent because I would have a more difficult time refusing him and his invitation? Was he sent because he and I had a history and friendship that was forged when we were just children?

This seemed a more likely answer in my mind.

And, sadly, whoever sent him, whether it be the counsel or some other power, was right.

I wanted to hear what my friend had to say. I wanted to know what Captain Aludor had to say about these “circumstances” that surrounded this fateful meeting with my friend here on the shores.

I glanced back to Terrilyn and Raina, catching both of their eyes gazing up at me, a plethora or emotions swirling around them. Confusion. Curiosity. Worry. Apprehension.

I knew what they were thinking without them even opening their mouths.

They worried that if I left the mainland and boarded the ship that I would not return; not because I didn’t want to, but because I would be restrained and unable to.

No.

This was not going to be goodbye.

This was my home now - and they were my family.

An idea sprouted in the corner of my mind, and I elected to act upon it. Families stayed together, and now was especially the time to ban together. I turned to my friend and nodded solemnly.

“I will agree to board the Bennevis under the condition that Raina Toro and Terrilyn Lun may also accompany me. They have never been aboard a sea vessel, and the experience to be aboard such a prestigious ship is one they cannot be without,” I said.

Wofur looked at me curiously, an obvious suspicion twinkling in his eyes as he followed my train of thought, but then he nodded in agreement.

“I believe I can agree to those terms,” he said. “Shall we depart now? We ought not waist the daylight if we are to return you by nightfall. This matter is an urgent one, and Captain Tanna Aludor is eager to speak to you about it.”

I honestly didn’t think my friend would agree so easily. Unless he had gained some skill to deceive someone, especially me, he was being sincere in the urgency of the matter. I turned to Terrilyn, whose eyes were dancing with excitement, and Raina, who appeared cautiously optimistic, and spoke to them in their common tongue so none of my fellow Orion could understand to ensure discretion. It would also provide an opportunity for me to voice my concerns without expressing discourtesy.

“Raina, Terrilyn, would you accompany me to the ship? There is a pressing matter that seems to require my attention,” I stated.

Terrilyn was the first to speak up.

“Yes, but… Steele… what is going on? Why are they all looking at you like that?” asked Terrilyn.

“Steele, are you asking us to make sure you are not taken?” Raina asked quietly, to the point where I almost couldn’t hear her. I smiled and, in that moment, knew she saw the answer in my eyes. Terrilyn, moments after, spotted the same reaction. Her hand fell naturally to the hilt of her blade, which made me smile.

Despite her size, she was ready to defend herself and me.

What a beautiful, fierce woman.

When did she get to be so grown up?

“We’ll soon find out,” I said as I laid my hand down for them to ascend. Mother and daughter exchanged a thoughtful look, knowing they needed to be on their toes should they come with me, before stepping onto my palm. Age and nerves made my hand shake, but I safely set them on my shoulder where they tethered themselves safely.

“Amazing,” murmured Wofur in the language of our homeland as he watched our interaction. “You speak their tongue with such fluency.”

“Years of practice,” I said, nodding my head at the compliment. “Now, as you said, we are losing the light.”

With that, I stepped behind Wofur toward the dinghy and slipped into a seat between four boyish faced Orion boys. They looked at me with the reverence and prestige that I used to possess back in my homeland when I commanded armies. There was a knowing look in their eyes - like they had heard of me and studied me.

Perhaps they were surprised that the man - the legend - was not quite what they were expecting. Perhaps they saw my thinned face and lean muscles and thought that the stories of me could not be true.

As the dinghy rowed out to the ocean and toward the hull of the ship, I continued to notice the subtle glances of the young men around me, getting a read off of who I was and how I presented myself now. Each time I would turn to meet their gaze, their eyes shifted away immediately.

I smiled to myself and glanced over at Terrilyn and Raina who kept vigilant watch to my front and back.

What did it matter who I used to be?

Unless… it was the reason they came.

As the ship grew from a speck on the horizon to a size that was now foreign to me, I thought how odd it would be to walk among people - Orion - again. I had been a giant for so long that I was curious as to what it would be like to be among my own once again.

There was little time to ponder this though. Before I knew it, the ship’s shadow blocked out the light of the sun and the dinghy rode up beside the Bennevis. I took a single, calming breath and prepared myself for whatever was ahead. I could only hope Terrilyn and Raina were doing the same.

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

Previous

Beginning

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Book One: The Orion’s Factotum

[hyog-blog]

Zhao Yuanzhou was always drawn to humans and the mortal world, infinitely fascinated by the simplicity of it, even when it lacked magic and all that amazing demonic mumbo-jumbo they had in the Wilderness. They do describe it as a desolate and kind of unhappy place.

Both Fei and Zhu Yan were drawn to humanity, longing for human connections, liveliness, and the warmth they couldn't find within their own kind (which begs the question, Li Lun, baby, why weren't you enough for him? or was it just fate that had to break the two of you apart so we could all enjoy his interactions with Xiao Zhuo). Well, the whole Wilderness wasn't enough, either, but I guess for him it was also about curiosity and exploration. When you go past the mark of tens of thousands years of age, you gotta seek some diversity in life XD. Anyway, I still have a whole Universe of assumptions as to how exactly Zhu Yan explored humanity in the course of his old, old age (and not all of them are decent XD). But he has such a pure heart and so much empathy for everyone, both human and demon, I'm still amazed that he functions so well given everything that's happened and the people he unwillingly killed (whom he loves so much).

Li Lun only sees the bad in humanity because of his own personality and perception (and he is drawn to that which he thinks is true according to the laws of attraction). Whereas Zhao Yuanzhou is drawn to light because of his own pureness of heart (first the Goddess and her disciple, then the new Goddess and Zhuo Yichen and their whole little gang of sweet complicated babies). It's all a matter of perspective, really. Humans are messy, and demons are even messier. Li Lun failed to understand the very concept of kindness and selflessness - he's pretty self-centered in his own suffering, so much so that he even would harm the Wilderness that he once swore to protect. He thinks he was wronged and he would make the whole world pay for it (but mostly, Zhu Yan and his new lovers friends).

This is me trying to avoid watching the last 10 eps of the show XD I love them, all of them, the kind, the messy, the evil, the poor bitter meow meows, ah. This show has EVERYTHING.

[knuckle]

what kind of cdramas / movies would u reccomend? if you dont mind me asking 🤔

i've mostly watched older movies of which farewell my concubine slaps the hardest but crouching tiger hidden dragon is also a fun classic. in the mood for love for tragedy. chungking express for chaos (and romance maybe?). balzac and the little chinese seamstress, i wouldn't necessarily recommend but it has an interesting atmosphere if you like slice of life coming of age like nostalgia stuff- its important cultural impact is that it kickstarted the careers for 3 massive stars (all well deserved). if you're in for a fun modern movie with fantasy vibes, ying yang master was good time unfortunately there will be no sequels because deng lun comitted tax fraud.

i really like costume dramas. i think love & redemption is a must-watch, one of the best. ashes of love is funny though it drags a bit also stars tax evasion guy - that i would say watch for the cultural impact, absolutely stunning atmospheric ideas even if not executed to the highest degree and also for like breakdown acting.

tiger and rose for a fun comedy historical fantasy. also my sister and i had a really fun time watching royal rumors but um, i'm not a fan of jeremy tsui and it looks like he is having an allergic reaction the whole time to the makeup on his face but meng ziyi hot and jiamin junzhu hot

the long ballad for li shimin #1 and the second couple #2 - it's a historical quasi wuxia about the fallout of the famous xuanwu gate incident where li shimin massacred his brothers and their families to become emperor and follows his fictional niece as she escapes the carnage on a revenge quest (also the bird scene massively funny you will know when you get there)

ancient love poetry is not well executed all throughout but has a really popping middle and a hilarious love triangle,

oh yes and story of minglan, story of yanxi palace, and nirvana in fire all all amazing - the gripes i have with them are somewhat minor but production values, acting, and plot are (for the most part) immaculate. of the three, i would say minglan reigns supreme.

watch the legends if you want to see the biggest trainwreck of a plot ever and bai lu look hot and goth and xu kai have a large blue sharpie mark on his face. oh also unchained love was great but you must watch the cut boat scene

[sifeng]

Love and Redemption: Some Thoughts and a Comparison with Ashes of Love

So, I’ve been watching Love and Redemption (琉璃) and while there are some visible faults, I also quite like some plot points and characters. So here are some of my thoughts and also, if your an Ashes of Love fan I totally recommend you check this drama out! The themes are similar, the character setups are similar, the worlds are similar too. 

I’ve just finished the 35th episode, and I’ve gotten to a point where a flower creature of sorts has been forced to become Ling Long 2.0. I actually really like this idea because it shows that a lot of people become evil because of the people they are around, not because they are naturally evil, their personality is naturally cruel or anything else of the sort. Ling Long grew up around “orthodox” people that, while also imperfect, weren’t sadistic like Wu Tong. Because of that she became a person that liked to fight for peace and removal of evil from the world. However, when her exact same personality was placed in a different atmosphere without previous memories she became just as sadistic and cruel as the people around her. I think that actually fits super well with the overall theme of this drama, which is that good and bad aren’t black and white. Even a person who is “good” in the subjective sense of that term can just as easily be “evil” if placed in a different growth environment. Honestly I find it so interesting that Ling Long went from A Zhu to A Zi (Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils reference) in like one episode. 

A Comparison

When I first started liking cdramas, one of my first favorites was Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜), but I actually like this drama more. First of all, I think the pacing is better. The beginning of AoL was a little draggy now that I think about it, and Jin Mi only began to really show her feelings for Xu Feng around episode 30 (and it wasn’t even Jin Mi liking Xu Feng it was Saintess liking the King). In comparison, in Love and Redemption, we see from the very start that Xuanji likes Sifeng in a different manner then she likes, for example, Minyan, thus not only making it easier to ship them, but also being able to get to the tragic elements of the story faster. The CGI in Love and Redemption is simply amazing, beats 99% of cdramas honestly. I wish the cinematography was a little better because with this level of CGI, it truly deserves better camerawork. 

Also, I dislike when people call Xuanji stupid, because while in the beginning she is a little dumb, she really isn’t as bad as some other characters out there. She’s like what 20? And she’s never left home or her training place in her life. Why would anyone expect her not to make trouble? Or get in trouble? That’s like teaching how to memorize all the math formulas in the world, but not teaching you how to use them and then blaming you for not being able to apply them. I haven’t gotten to the really tragic part where Xuanji and Sifeng get separated, but so far I like her more than Jin Mi honestly. Xuanji might not be the smartest person, but I love how trustworthy she is of her friends and how high she holds her friendships. Unlike so many of the adults in this series, she actually uses logic to try to understand problems not just problematic and contradictory pieces evidence. Like when Minyan is accused of being betraying their sect, she doesn’t just go “oh there’s ‘evidence’? Then he must be guilty”, she actually thinks about his character and personality and how illogical it would be if he actually betrayed them. 

I also like Sifeng more than Xu Feng. When he was being accused of being a demon, he managed to bring up inarguable pieces of evidence that clearly proved he was not a demon, or at least not a problematic one instead of just going like “you should believe me because I’m so great!” (not that Xu Feng did that, but he did use ethos instead of logos, though, both apparently don’t work if you’re a male lead in a tragic xianxia). The tragedy of his character is done so well honestly. He died for Xuanji in 9 lifetimes. NINE. Please give him a happy ending. (Okay but I really dislike his second hairstyle with the two strings of hair hanging out and also Teng She’s hairstyle. Why can’t they just tuck that piece of hair in? It makes me feel so annoyed for some reason.)

No one likes Hao Chen, and I’m glad. He hates people manipulating Xuanji, but he manipulates her all the time. I do agree that if Xuanji is happy without her six senses, she shouldn’t be forced to search for them, but she isn’t happy and she wants to search for them. So why should anyone who actually likes her try to prevent that? But I actually think his character is written relatively well. As the ruler (or second in command?) of the heavenly realm, he has to put matters in front of romance, though that doesn’t mean he has to manipulate her. I understand why he does what he does and I don’t think his character is as illogical as Wu Tong, but yeah, I definitely don’t agree with what he does. In comparison, Run Yu is truly quite likable. He does try to keep Jin Mi to himself instead of letting her be happy, but overall his story is written really well and evokes our sympathy.

Oh and when it comes to friendships I also prefer the ones in Love and Redemption. First of all, it’s not just Xuanji and Sifeng who are cute together, I like that Sifeng is friends with Ling Long and Minyan as well, and they also become friends with Yanran (or Xiao Yinhua) and Ruoyu as well (though they could’ve avoided some tragedy if they hadn’t befriended him). I don’t know why, but I’m really excited to see what tragedy our OTP goes through later on, because I’ve seen the gifsets on Tumblr and boy am I excited for some tragedy!

But one thing that is better about AoL is definitely the acting. I think Cheng Yi and Yuan Bingyan did pretty good here, especially Cheng Yi, but Yang Zi, Deng Lun and Luo Yunxi (especially Yang Zi and Luo Yunxi) are more experienced and thus obviously better, especially when it comes to really emotional scenes. 

FInal Thoughts

One problem I have with Love and Redemption, at least so far, is that the evil demons have no motivations to be as evil as they are. I’m pretty sure I’ll get a reason, but so far I have to say that they aren’t really well done characters in that sense. Especially Wu Tong. Like this guy has no backstory whatsoever, but is extremely cruel and sadistic from the first second we meet him. Maybe he’s like really just insane or something, but his whole “sympathy story” for why he joined the demons makes zero sense. He wanted to murder someone because him cheating gets revealed and then gets mad that the father of the person he tried to kill wants to get revenge. His story also contains two (as of so far) unexplained plot holes: 1. why every single sect decided to chase after him and 2. why he managed to escape death despite a bunch of skilled martial artists running after him for like a really long time. 

Lastly, I like the fact that the orthodox people aren’t exactly “evil” but their goodness is what makes them annoying. They don’t mean harm when they tried to test if Sifeng was a demon or if Minyan is a betrayer, they truly are thinking for the overall good, but their constant paranoia and need to do “what is right” and not “what makes sense” is truly what makes them unbearable. They sometimes throw away all logic for love, or sacrifice their own daughter in order to “do what’s right” instead of actually thinking of a method to not only save the daughter and keep the world at peace. It’s because of their goodness that they are able to be manipulated into idiocracy by Li Ze Palace. 

Oh and one last thought. I don’t know if it’s on purpose, but the lack of people in the heavenly realm is really interesting. Like, maybe the producers didn’t have enough money, or shots of the heavenly realm with more than like ten people (not in war) don’t exist in the book either, but it creates the image that the realm is super empty. The human realm, despite all its faults and cruelties, feels so much more alive and full of life in comparison to the boring and cold looking heavenly realm. 

[thesweatycollectiontyrant]

Favorite Shows

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about why specific shows mean so much to me, and I want to profile them in sort of a “why” type of post. No sort of big thing, just have a lot on my mind and want to talk about it.

Tuck Everlasting

This show deserved such a longer life than it had on a stage in New York. If I were only allowed to choose one thing that I adore about this show, it would without a doubt be the score. Every facet of it. Orchestrations, harmonies, reprises and all of that good stuff. Luckily, I make these rules.

The meaning and heart of this show is so vast and beautiful. First and foremost, the relationship that Winnie develops with the Tucks is something a lot of people fall in love with. She finds a father she never had in Angus, a nurturing mother she’s never had from Mae, an older brother in Miles, and a best friend in Jesse. 

Something my friends and I discuss often is how natural of an actress Carolee Carmello is. She is nothing but honesty, truth, and transparency onstage. In this day and age, that’s something everyone should strive for. It’s truly a shame that she doesn’t have a Tony award yet (something I believe she earned in 1999). A little more about her character, Mae. Mae loves people, not things. Mae wears the same old clothes and is content with them. She rarely looks at herself in the mirror anymore by the time Winnie comes along, and her only prized possession is the music box that she has. She cares most about her family.

In terms of the immortality that the Tucks have, Jesse is often representative of the positives of being immortal. He’s young, spry, good-looking, and loves life and nature. Miles tends to be the figure for the negatives when it comes to living forever. He tends to skew Winnie away from the possibility of her also drinking from the spring and living forever. In “Time”, he explains to her that his immortality has done nothing but forced him to lose everything important to him., while Jesse tells Winnie in “Seventeen” that if she drinks from the spring that they can live together forever and live lives of happiness and possibly (probably) romance. 

With Angus, Winnie has just lost her father, and Angus has never had a daughter. He tends to be gruff, but has a big soft spot for Winnie.

Of course, there’s The Man in the Yellow Suit, Hugo, Constable Joe, Mrs. Foster, and Nana, but whenever I get around to doing a full post dedicated to this show, I’ll talk about them too.

The themes in this show are something to love as well. It covers growing up, time and death, and loyalty to family. The Tucks, being in their predicament have seen and been forced to let go of many important people and memories in their lives. When Miles talks about his relationship with his son and former wife in “Time” or when Mae describes her favorite memory of when Angus asked her to marry him in “My Most Beautiful Day”.

The last thing I want to profile about this show is some of the lyrics in this show.

“Looking back is something to look forward to.” - Mae Tuck in “My Most Beautiful Day”

There is so much to unpack there. Come on.

“Time truly divides.” - Miles Tuck in “Time”

“Watching life pass it by just floating on top.” Angus Tuck in “The Wheel”

Every time I listen to this show, I am undone. It is such a beautiful and intimate story, and I wish it could’ve had a longer life. I am dying to work on this show in any capacity. Someday, I want to conduct it, but until then, I’ll keep rocking out to “Live Like This” on long drives. Or short drives to the grocery store three minutes from my house to get my mom mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Big Fish

I got the opportunity to be in this show almost a year ago and it was so fulfilling. The script, at times, is bunk, and the story can move a little faster than some can process, but what this show needs to succeed is a strong cast that is dedicated to telling the story.

There’s so much in this musical that I adore and if I were to talk about it in depth this would be a very very long post, so I’ll just cap it with saying that I love the score and the relationship between Edward and Sandra. I also love the relationship between Edward and Will.

I love the revisions made to the show for the small cast version with Sandra singing “Magic in the Man” (though I do love “Two Men in My Life” with all my heart) and Will and Edward singing “This River Between Us” rather than “Showdown. In the version we did, we actually assigned “Magic in the Man” to Jenny Hill to give her some more of a backstory on her relationship with Edward and left “Two Men in My Life” in the show for Sandra.

The show is really special because I lost my grandfather two months before we did this show. It was a real restoration to my soul to be completely honest. He was a lively man with lots of stories that he always told and a character like Edward Bloom is a pretty good counterpart.

The score is so lush and beautiful. I could listen to it all day.

Fiddler on the Roof

This show kinda ended the Golden Age. I really love the Golden Age and I think that’s where my heart lies when it comes to my love of musical theatre as a whole. It was very influential to many shows in the future and I’ll always love it.

I’m not Jewish, but what’s special about this show is that it was remarkable to many that it resounded beyond the Jewish faith. The center of this show is truly about tradition, togetherness, family, and true love.

Tevye and Golde is one of the most unique and real relationships on the stage, especially for that time period. They didn’t marry for love; they married so that they could have children and a successful life. Each one of their children progressively wishes to marry outside of that ideal, Tzeitel marrying her childhood sweetheart without a matchmaker, Hodel being engaged to Perchik without a matchmaker or permission from parents, and Chava marrying outside of the faith, directly disobeying orders from the family and with no permission from parents or a matchmaker.

Tevye has to make many hard decisions throughout the show, allowing his daughters to marry men for love. The turmoil that he experiences when disowning Chava has always been hard to watch.

There are so many lovely and beautiful and amazing moments in this show, including “The Dream”, “Tradition”, “Matchmaker” (especially how they did it in the last Broadway revival), “Sabbath Prayer”, and “Chavaleh”. Danny Burstein refers to the score as “musical theatre mother’s milk”. It is nourishing like no other. I will always love this show.

The King and I

This was a show I truly learned to love my freshman year of college. Like many, I’ve known “I Whistle a Happy Tune” and “Getting to Know You” for a very long time. I got to see it with friends from college when it went to movie theaters and I was amazed by Kelli O’Hara, Ken Watanabe, and Ruthie Ann Miles. Each of them gave such incredible performances.

I wish this show could be done more often, but it requires a mostly Asian cast. I am so thankful that there is more representation now than there was when this show premiered, so much so that the last revival was cast completely appropriate. Kind of ridiculous that it took this long.

The women in this show are what propels it. There is a chilling scene in particular when Lady Thiang finds Tuptim and confronts her about her relationship with Lun Tha. 

One thing I’ve always been fascinated by is race in the classroom. I’ve had the privilege of having teachers of all different ethnic backgrounds, including my preschool teacher. I’ve always been grateful for the opportunity to learn through all different lenses. I was moved to tears almost immediately when I saw the classroom scene when Anna is teaching all the children during “Getting to Know You” and then there’s the dance break where one of the wives performs a dance for Anna, and then Anna and Louis perform a dance for the children and wives, and then they morph them together! It’s just beautiful because that’s a symbol of people of different ethnic backgrounds coming together and teaching each other something so special that it’s beyond words: they dance. I adore that scene.

The relationship between Anna and Lady Thiang is also something I admire very much. The scene before “Something Wonderful” is also just gorgeous. There’s something to be said for Ruthie Ann Miles’ performance transitioning between Broadway and West End. As many know, she got into a near-fatal car accident while walking with her child and unborn child on the crosswalk, and both children were killed. In the West End, she used a cane because of the recovery from the wreck, which aged the character and made her a little less mobile, but it also made her more authoritative and made you want to listen to her and know what she was thinking. It was a brilliant decision to incorporate that into her character.

Getting to see this production, albeit in theaters, was an amazing experience.

John & Jen

I got to music direct this show my freshman year of college with two dear friends of mine as the siblings. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s real; all of it. I love it.

This score uses motif and reprises in a way that is really touching to me. If I were to choose a song that makes me happy, I’d say “Timeline”. It’s really groovy and it’s the biggest character shifts for the both of them. If I were to choose one that always makes me sad, it’d be “Hold Down the Fort”. Kate Baldwin and Carolee Carmello both were extraordinary in the role of Jen. It became so important to me when I got to do it. I’m thankful for this show.

Ragtime

This will be the last one. This show is so incredibly special to me. Other than something like Wicked, this show was one of the first shows I really got into. The story and score are so cohesive and they work together really well. I love Ahrens and Flaherty and their style is so broad, yet so specific.

Similar to my feelings on The King and I, Ragtime incorporates the lives of Caucasians, African-Americans, and Jewish Immigrants and they all learn things about each other through various encounters during the show. Some find love, some find hate, and it’s just an incredible show. I will never get enough of this beautiful story about justice and truth according the law.

Mother and Tateh’s relationship is one of my favorites in the mega-musical canon. *do y’all consider Ragtime a mega-musical? I do? or do I?*

The show requires a very large and very diverse cast that can sing and act incredibly well. Nothing is like the full orchestration doing this show. I love it so dearly. It has so many lessons we can learn from.

I really love these shows and they’ll always mean tons to me.

[obsessedwithfandoms]

I’ve been on a bit of a Deng Lun binge lately since finishing Heavy Sweetness Ash-like Frost. I have already seen him in this drama, Princess Agents and Promise of Migratory Birds and admired him since then but seeing him as Xu Feng reawakened those feelings.

However, on watching Because of You a second time just for him, I have gained a new drama male lead crush - Li Yun Kai.

He’s such a sweet, loving and adorable man; I just wanna be Guo Guo in this drama to have a man love me like this. The more I watch dramas with such amazing male leads like this, the more I despair of finding a love like this in real life. Ah well, I’ll dream on for now!

Until then, I’m gonna continue admiring Li Yun Kai :)

[bookoftheironfist]

I think the Iron Fist show perfectly captured the weird, unanswered, fever dream plot threads of the 70's comics. Especially the first season. Do you think they should have gone the 'Ultimates' route and cut out the dragon and K'un L'un considering they were kind of biting off more than they could chew with the resources they had?

    Ooh, interesting… The pragmatist in me says “yes, maybe, I suppose”. The fan in me says “hell no” and starts throwing things. Iron Fist definitely did suffer from having a TV show budget to a much greater extent than the other shows did, which placed serious limits on the flexibility of its storytelling. The ideal format for an IF adaptation would be as a big-budget movie– something with the resources to depict the Capital Cities of Heaven and all that therein lies with the same degree of care and detail as Wakanda, Themyscira, Asgard, Atlantis, etc. have been in recent years. Or, even better, an animated movie/show, which I am now convinced is the best way of handling superhero adaptations– or heck, a lot of sci-fi/fantasy in general. The decision to use Danny in the Netflix shows made sense because of his close association with Luke and Jessica, so I get why they picked him and I’m certainly grateful they did because sweet christmas, heart of the dragon, an Iron Fist adaptation! But on a practical level, he was not the most logical choice.

    That said, I have a knee-jerk negative reaction to the thought of removing the fantasy elements. I was terrified that the show was going to do that, and was shocked and relieved that it did not. One of my complaints about many superhero adaptations– particularly Marvel adaptations and particularly those focusing on “grittier” street-level heroes– is that they tend to aggressively cut out anything outlandish or wacky or, heck, fun. I’ve beaten this point to death on my Daredevil blog, so sorry to anyone who follows me there, but I’ll reiterate: the Daredevil show refused to mention Matt’s radar sense, which is vital to understanding how he operates and isn’t even that weird a superpower. Most of the time they also refused to even call him “Daredevil”, and they replaced the self-empowerment inherent in his choosing that name with a “haha yikes, look at this goofy moniker I’ve been stuck with” situation. This is just one example, but you see it everywhere. The source material is frequently treated as something that needs to be fixed up and given a firmer grounding in the real world. This isn’t, in itself, a bad approach, but it is often done to a degree that suggests the writers are embarrassed to indulge in the weird things that make superhero comics so great. 

    And obviously, that’s partly why the Ultimates universe was created, too– to ground things. And that’s fine. I liked the Ultimates universe. I found Ults Danny interesting, and I think the show could have definitely taken inspiration from that costume because it was great. The show certainly borrowed from that universe a little in giving Danny a romantic relationship with Colleen. But I think it would have been wimpy and boring to give MCU Danny the Ults treatment. Ults Danny is not the most compelling Danny, he is not the version of the character most people want or expect to see in an adaptation, and frankly, if K’un-Lun had been moved to Earth or erased, or if Shou-Lao had been translated into a metaphorical dragon or something, I would have called the showrunner a wimp (only in my head, obviously, but still) and this blog would have consisted of about fifty post of me complaining about it. I would much rather have had them give me all of the fantasy elements that they could on their budget, and preserve that rich and wonderful worldbuilding, even if we only got to see glimpses of it, than to not have gotten any of it at all. “Danny fought a dragon in another dimension, but you’ll just have to imagine it” is, to me, a million times better than any grounded replacement they might have used instead. This image, right here?

    I am grateful that I live in a world where this image exists, because before the show, I had to dream this moment up myself. Even though we don’t get to see Danny fight Shou-Lao, we get to see the aftermath– the nasty fresh scar, the grime, the sweat, the exhaustion – and that’s amazing to me. (MCU Danny actually faints! He didn’t faint in the comics! I love that he faints!) The showrunners did not (for the most part) shy away from the fantasy elements when they easily could have. They made a serious effort. Would I have loved to see more of K’un-Lun and the other cities? The other Weapons? Shou-Lao? Yeah, of course I would! But there are excellent Iron Fist stories that don’t contain any of those things, and the showrunners did their best to find a balance and tell the best stories they could with the resources they had, and I appreciate that. I don’t think they always succeeded– Season 2 had some hiccups– but personally, I feel this was the best way they could’ve approached the material.

    That said, I live in anticipation of the day we might actually get to see K’un-Lun and Shou-Lao depicted as they ought to be in an adaptation with a budget big enough to handle it. I want to see Danny hug the dang dragon just as much as everyone else does.

[dailyconradricamora]

Exclusive Interview with Conrad Ricamora | July 5, 2017

In fall of 2016 ABC's drama series "How to Get Away with Murder" returned for its third season which was full of tears, blood but also friendship. On the 5th of July season 3 of "How to Get Away with Murder" premiers in Germany at VOX and in this interview we had the chance to ask actor Conrad Ricamora about his character Oliver Hampton and his acting career so far.

Since season 1 of "How to Get Away with Murder" you portray Oliver Hampton, one of the fans favorite characters. I really do love the way Oliver changed through the years. At first everyone thought, Oliver is just a totally nice guy but in each season there were some more gloomy glimpses and the fans had to fear that Oliver would turn dark. How do you like this transformation and how did you experience it? I like that the writers are exploring Oliver's dark side. I think it makes him a more well-rounded character. And also, as an actor, it's exciting to be in those dangerous situations.

On screen there is always a lot of tension between the characters. How do you prepare for intense scenes? I usually keep to myself on set and listen to music on my headphones. It also helps to work with such amazing actors. They push me to be better.

What was your favorite revelation so far and which moment is the one you enjoyed the most while filming it? My favorite revelation was when Connor moved in with Oliver. It's just refreshing to have these moments of joy when there is so much darkness in their world. My favorite moment to film was when Oliver got to meet all of the other students in Season 1. I don't think Oliver has a lot of friends, so it was fun to see him welcomed by this whole new group of friends. Was it planned since the beginning of the show that Oliver would play such a huge role? Did you imagine being part of Annalise's team one day? No, Oliver was only supposed to be in the pilot! I didn't imagine I would be asked back, but I'm certainly glad I was.

In the finale of season 2 we learned that Oliver betrayed Connor by deleting his acceptation email from Stanford and in the finale of season 3 there was another breath taking moment, when Oliver asks Connor to marry him. What do you think about the proposal especially since their relationship was quite shaky so far? I think it was probably a bit rash to say the least. I mean, he's really been thrown into the world of Annalise's craziness and I think he's panicking for a lot of reasons and just trying to find something to hold on to. Maybe this wasn't the best timing for a marriage proposal. Season 3 was different for Oliver because he was single but still in the focus, not like in season 1 where he was just a part of Connor's story. I liked seeing Oliver standing his man while trying to fit into the group. It felt like Oliver was getting stronger but at the same time he became more vulnerable and saw where his limits are. Why do you think he handled it so well getting to know Connor's dark secrets? I think he sensed something was going on for a long time with Connor and everything in Annalise's world. I mean, he was constantly doing illegal hacking for him and her, so it's not like he was completely innocent or naive to how things were being run. So I think he was subconsciously preparing for the big secrets. At the Queens University of Charlotte you studied psychology. If you have to make a psychological profile about Oliver how would you assess him? Ha! Oh man, I would say he has Social Anxiety with a little bit of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I imagine season 4 will not get easy for Oliver. What do you wish for him? Have you started filming yet? We start filming in a few weeks. I wish Oliver would get married to Connor, move to California, get a new job, a dog, have a family and live happily ever after… but I don't think that's going to happen. Can you tell us something about the show that the fans would never expect and that was also a surprise for you? When we film those outdoor scenes with heavy coats on, it is actually sometimes 80-90 degrees (Fahrenheit). Before "How to Get Away with Murder" you did some Broadway work and I assume you still do when you are not filming. Why did you decide to audition for "How to Get Away with Murder"? I've always wanted to work in TV. It's such a different challenge from theatre. You played the roles of Ninoy Aquino in the musical "Here Lies Love" and Lun Tha in "The King And I". How does it feel to perform and sing in front of a live audience? It's exhilarating. You don't get another take like you do in TV/Film. You get one chance every night and you are breathing the same air as the audience and feeling their energy. I love it.

For the short "Raising Christopher" you were actor and writer. What was your inspiration? Would you like to do more writing? It's based on my dad and me. I'm in the middle of doing re-writes on it and hopefully will shoot the full length indie film version of it in the next few years. I'd love to write more. When did you start being an actor and what made you go for this job? Did you ever think about becoming a full time musician or a singer? I started acting when I was 22 years old. I didn't have any exposure to the arts growing up and if I did I think I definitely would have started earlier. I'm hoping to record an album sometime in the next year. What do you do when you are not filming or rocking the stage? Taking my dog Wilbur for walks, going to the beach, going to the theatre, reading self-help books, dreaming about real estate in NYC. Since myFanbase is an online magazine about TV shows, we would like to know what your favorite shows are? "The Handmaid's Tale", "House of Cards", "Orange Is the New Black", "Master of None"

[hyog-blog]

I love how this has always been about a choice - because it's always a choice whether to suffer because of what's been done to you and wallow in pain, or to find strength in your experience and move on and be better after it (of, well, die with some cool new realizations about life and yourself.) It's a choice either to be bitter and seek revenge and punish those who wronged you, or choose life and new beginnings and new relationships.

Zhuo Yichen is a beautiful example of making those other choices that stem from strength of character and clarity and that inner core of love and kindness that allowed him, despite everything that happened, to be a better person and not turn into a vengeance machine, and be open to other possibilities and to people changing.

Li Lun didn't have the mental and emotional juices to cope with his tragedy so he sank into it and, in a way, chose a weaker position (by becoming aggressive and punishing others for his grief and pain, not seeing the other side of things). Ultimately, it was also his choice (after some realizations) to die a noble death and stop being Zhao Yuanzhou's enemy (and it feels like that has always been his choice to make, and in the end, it transforms him).

Zhuo Yichen's acceptance of him is truly staggering. That boy's heart is huge. And that is also a choice - after everything Li Lun has done to still acknowledge him as someone important in Zhao Yuanzhou's life and someone who's not a lost cause. Just an amazing character all around.

I think about how it's actually the same phrase. Just a "light" and "dark" version of it.

But the essence is one - in the infinite world we ourselves are the beginning and the end of things.

If you wait for the universe to give you absolute support - you can dig to the abyss and swim to the horizon until you completely lose contact. Borders and shores are created by our choices.

[xantissa]

Based on the fact the Blood Moon happens on the same day Li Lun was sealed, that guy was only sealed for 8 years. For an immortal demon he sure threw a fit for the 8 years of being locked in his place of birth, where anyone could visit him whenever.

Also Zhu Yan killed that guard to make sure Zhuo Yichen killed him, because he really, truly desired death right then and there. Turned out Zhuo Yichen just didn't know how to use that sword - possibly couldn't really use it until he too was a demon. That sword was a demons weapon, not a human one.

Regarding the Divine Tree- that's a plot hole. The writers forgot they wrote the tree being destroyed, had all the flashbacks with it intact and went oops.

Fangs is amazing series but the writing has been truly awful with plot holes and plot canyons even regarding any sort of timeline.

Fam, I need your help. I have so many questions about Fangs of Fortune lore, but I don’t think I can handle rewatching the show yet- if you know the answers, can you please share?

(Pretty baby!ZYC to catch your attention)

1. Did we ever get an explanation as to why ZYZ, the forgiving and allegedly chatty old demon, didn’t bother to go and talk to his “best friend” of 30k years after they had a fight? I just don’t get what stopped him? Li Lun didn’t hurt the Baize goddess (much), nor did he hurt ZYZ . Killed humans? Yes, but that argument is out of the window since ZYZ had no problem exploding a man’s heart in the first episode just to prove his point. So, why not go and make up? After all they’ve been through? Especially considering that ZYZ knew that the magical STD he accidentally gave LL was killing him, and then helped Baize lock him up for all eternity “to save him”?

2. In the light of the first question- when did ZYZ find out that ZYCs sword can remove the ever burning fire? if he knew that before he showed up at the Bureau, why didn’t he convince ZYC to do it on LL? (It would be a hard sell, yes, but strategically speaking, it would solve most of their future problems- LL would be healed (or dead), and would either stop helping the big evil or even join them).

3. ZYZ and LL at some point fixed a tree and a tower (when they exchanged wedding vows oath at that bloody stone. Why did they have to do it? Where was the Baize goddess then? Or mountain gods? What was it even about? Did we ever get more info or was it just for the visuals?

4. If every Baize goddess was destined to have a demon counterpart / lover (as per that puppet demons story), why wasn’t ZYZ Wen Xiao’s masters destined lover? He spent more time with the master than with WX? And if he wasn’t, where was that masters demon?

5. Is Baize goddess immortal unless killed or suicided, or does she have a mortal life span? Or, does she stay young and healthy until it’s time for her sacrifice for the greater good?

6. Li Lun’s original energy signature was blue with white light. It later got corrupted by the ever burning fire, but when he reconstituted himself from a tree branch, the fire was gone, so why was his energy still smoky black with yellow flashes in it?