#but sometimes i like to wonder about why he would have the donghua clothes

[stgroversfire]

hc wwx had relatively fresh wounds from zidian when him and lwj got punished, so it hurt much worse. they would start bleeding but that could be probably the one actual reason wwx would wear red and black, so no one would notice :)

[v-katsuki]

masterlist of my "mo dao zu shi" fics

✿ twitter | ao3 | writing tag ✿

what to expect: novel & donghua settings, canon divergences, established relationships, mutual pining, fluff, angst, humor

pairings: sangcheng (21), wangxian (5), gen (5),  nielan (3), songxiao (2)

— F I C  M A S T E R L I S T —

✿ Halcyon

→ nielan | rated T | 520 words

The morning after.

✿ Spaces between us [WIP]

→ sangcheng | rated M | 4.8k words | ⚠ canon typical violence | written for SangCheng Week 2019

When Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng are framed for a crime they didn't commit they decide to work together to clean their names, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.

(Or; Jiang Cheng didn't expect to solve a murder mystery with his ex, but life is like that sometimes.)

✿ Long yearning

→ sangcheng | rated T | 1.8k words

“Let me write a poem on you,” Nie Huaisang says with enthusiasm.

Jiang Cheng just blinks.

✿ Taste your beating heart

→ wangxian | rated M | 1.3k words | ⚠ canon typical violence

Lan Wangji looks at Wei Wuxian and his golden eyes focus on him with intensity. Wei Wuxian walks towards him, slowly, until he is kneeling in front of Lan Wangji.

Beautiful, gorgeous Lan Wangji.

The dark clothes suit him as well as the white ones once did. He still wears his forehead ribbon embroidered with blue drifting clouds, a reminder of his old life—of the orthodox path he abandoned when he followed Wei Wuxian to the Burial Mounds.

✿ From sunset to daybreak

→ gen + minor songxiao | rated G | 8.1k words | ⚠ canon typical violence | written for MXTX Reverse Big Bang 2019 [art]

In which Xiao Xingchen and Song Zichen have a reunion and A-Qing gets a family.

✿ When midnight approaches

→ sangcheng | rated M | 2k words | ⚠ canon typical violence | written for Daylight Moon: A SangCheng Revenge AU Zine [website]

They meet when the moon shines at night.

✿ For the sake of convenience

→ sangcheng | rated M | 6.3k words

“I came here to ask you to marry me,” Nie Huaisang says boldly and Jiang Cheng chokes on his tea.

“What the fuck are you talking about!” He slams his hand down on the table. The delicate porcelain pieces rattle.

“A marriage of convenience, a fake marriage if you want to call it like that. It will be only for appearances, but both of us can benefit from it,” Nie Huaisang explains.

Jiang Cheng huffs.

✿ #1 Dads

→ gen + minor wangxian | rated G | 825 words | written for WangXian Week 2020

There’s a #1 Dad mug on the counter. Wei Ying and Lan Zhan wonder for whom.

✿ a cold evening

→ sangcheng | rated T | 500 words | russian translation available

It's cold in the Unclean Realm. Jiang Cheng doesn't like it.

✿ Close to the Heart

→ sangcheng | rated T | 1.2k words

Nie Huaisang paints fans with Jiang Cheng.

✿ In a field full of gentians, I could dream you away

→ nielan | rated T | 6.3k words | ⚠ canon typical violence | written for NieLan Weekend 2020

Nie Mingjue stands in front of him barely a couple of chi away—young, strong, and imposing. He rarely looks so good in his dreams. He often stands so far away that Lan Xichen cannot even discern his features, let alone see his face.

“Mingjue,” Lan Xichen breathes.

(Lan Xichen dreams of Nie Mingjue.)

✿ and they were teammates... oh my god, they were teammates!

→ wangxian | rated T | 5.6k words | russian translation available

“I want to work with you for the upcoming science fair,” Lan Zhan says.

Wei Ying opens his mouth, closes it, and then opens it again.

“You what?”

“I want to work with you for the upcoming science fair,” Lan Zhan repeats.

“I heard you the first time, but why?” Wei Ying doesn’t know why a model student like Lan Zhan would like to work with a troublemaker like him.

Lan Zhan blinks and speaks with conviction. “I think we can be a great team, Wei Ying.”

✿ Honest Mistakes

→ nielan | rated T | 4.2k words | ⚠ canon typical violence

Three times Nie Mingjue accidentally touches Lan Xichen’s forehead ribbon + one time Lan Xichen wraps it around his hands first.

✿ shorelines

→ songxiao | rated M | 2.7k words | ⚠ canon typical violence, major character death | written for songxiao reverse itty bitty bang 2020 [art]

Song Lan wakes up with bandages tied firmly around his eyes, in a room he cannot recognize, and with only a note to guide him to Xiao Xingchen:

Find me where the waves meet the land on the sixth anniversary of our first meeting.

✿ Serenditipy

→ sangcheng | rated T | 3k words | ⚠ implied canonical character death | written for SangCheng Zine [art]

Three times Jiang Cheng wants to give a bell to Nie Huaisang and the one time he succeeds.

✿ Moonlight Serenade

→ sangcheng | rated T | 1.6k words | written for SangCheng Zine

Their relationship is like the one between the sea and the land. Fated to meet over and over again, but not to stay together for long.

✿ and it feels like love

→ sangcheng | rated G | 1.2k words | written for #scgiftevent

Nie Huaisang is the one who sends the first gift.

✿ linger like a tattoo kiss

→ sangcheng | rated M | 5.3k words | ⚠ implied canonical character death

Jiang Cheng, Nie Huaisang, and the times they draw on each other’s skin.

✿ Oscillation

→ sangcheng + background wangxian | rated T | 25k words | ⚠ canon typical violence | written for SangCheng Mini Bang 2020-2021 [art]

“So, this is how it feels to be taller,” Nie Huaisang says, swaying on his feet.

“Is that what you are going to say about this?” Jiang Cheng asks, crossing his arms.

“What do you want me to say then?” Nie Huaisang retorts. “Would you prefer me to cry and panic again?”

“I don’t know!” Jiang Cheng throws his hands up.

(or; After a night-hunt that goes wrong, Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang switch bodies. It spirals from there.)

✿ the lightning in me (that strikes relentless)

→ sangcheng | rated E | 2.5k words | written for SangCheng Week 2021

Jiang Cheng noticed the marks when he started using Zidian more often.

✿ The heart yearns to remember

→ sangcheng | rated T | 8.6k words | ⚠ injury | written for SangCheng Week 2021

It is too bright when he opens his eyes.

The light hurts his eyes and does nothing to alleviate his pounding headache. He does not know where he is, does not remember falling asleep—does not remember anything.

(Or; Wanyin wakes up in the Unclean Realm. His memories are gone.)

✿ Ulterior Motives

→ sangcheng | rated T | 4k words | spanish version available

Jiang Cheng keeps on finding Nie Huaisang’s lost fans. Unknowingly for him, nothing Nie Huaisang ever does is unintentional.

✿ fluttering wings, fluttering hearts

→ sangcheng | rated G | 1.7k words | written for Home Is Where The Heart Is: A Sangcheng Travel Zine

The sun has not come out yet.

Nie Huaisang sighs and looks through the window of the bus. There is not a lot to see, just some vegetation surrounding the road, a few small houses, and denser forests farther away as they travel up the mountain.

(Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng visit a Monarch butterfly reserve.)

✿ Long Story Short: Ghosts Are Real

→ wangxian + background songxiao + mentions of nielan & xuanli | rated T | 25.5k words | ⚠ horror elements, mentioned blood, implied suicide, referenced child abuse, referenced character death

Looking for a roommate. 2BR furnished apartment. Private balcony. Pets OK. High-speed Wi-Fi included!

When Wei Ying sees the ad and the very affordable rent below it, he doesn’t think twice. If he does, someone else might snatch that amazing deal away from him, so he clicks on the contact button, states that he is extremely interested in the available room, and waits impatiently for a reply.

(or; Wei Ying moves into a haunted building. He doesn’t believe in ghosts.)

✿ After Dusk

→ sangcheng | rated T | 6.1k words

A collection of late-night conversations and intimate moments amidst the storm.

✿ They were not study partners

→ gen + sangcheng + background nielan | rated T | 4k words | written for SangCheng Week 2022

Everything starts with an unexpected announcement that comes when Nie Mingjue is busy doing the dishes.

“Da-ge, I invited a friend, to—uh, study here tomorrow,” Huaisang comments casually, walking into the kitchen with his phone in his hand.

Nie Mingjue pauses his task and closes the faucet. Huaisang never, in his twenty years of life, has invited someone over to study.

✿ all's well that ends well (to end up with you)

→ sangcheng + mentions of wangxian | rated T | 5k words | written for SangCheng Week 2022

“I’m a perfectly fine gentleman!” Nie Huaisang waves his arms around and knocks over a couple of empty jars of wine, not exactly proving his point. “I’d make a great husband.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I’m versed in the Six Arts, I come from a family that’s well-respected nowadays, and I’ve read enough erotic books to know how to—”

“Stop!” Jiang Cheng covers his mouth with his hand.

(Or: The story of five rejected marriage proposals, a wedding, and a promise of forever.)

✿ deep in the lake, beneath the lotuses

→ sangcheng | rated T | 7k words | ⚠  past character death

Jiang Cheng had never been a stranger to ghosts.

✿ Let’s Talk About Love

→ wangxian | rated T | 4k words

“Hello, everyone, and welcome to Let’s Talk About Love. The radio show where I read your concerns about love and give you advice,” Nie Huaisang speaks into his microphone. “Please remember to not take any advice too seriously, though,” he adds in a whisper.

(or; yilinglaozu and bluebunny0123 ask for romantic advice. Nie Huaisang is happy to help.)

✿ Balancing on Breaking Branches

→ sangcheng | rated T | 15k words | ⚠ canon typical violence + character death | written for SangCheng Mini Bang 2023 [art 1, 2 & 3]

Something does not feel quite right when Nie Huaisang wakes up.

He is not sure why, but he just knows that the world has changed—shifted in a way he can’t explain and yet he can feel it deep inside, making his chest ache and his heart beat faster, as if some unknown danger lurks nearby.

(or; Nie Huaisang gets another chance to make everything right, but some things will never change.)

✿ the soup stealer

→ gen + minor xuanli & wangxian | rated g | 4.5k words

Three times Wei Ying steals soup from Jin Zixuan’s fridge in the middle of the night, and one time they eat soup together.

✿ It takes courage to pet a dog.

→ gen + minor wangxian | rated T | 10.5k words | ⚠ past animal abandonement + a bit of canon typical violence

“Sizhui!” Wei Wuxian cries desperately, sliding the door open with a snap.

His eyes scan the patrons who look at him with annoyance before he finds Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi sitting together, drinking warm tea.

“Senior Wei?” Lan Sizhui, always so kind, stands up and walks over to Wei Wuxian with a worried look on his face.

“Here, take this!” Wei Wuxian pushes the basket into Lan Sizhui’s chest.

“What—”

“Oh, dear! Oh, Heavens!” Wei Wuxian exclaims, taking a step back. “I can’t believe I just did that—fuck!”

Lan Jingyi joins them, standing next to Lan Sizhui. He beams as he looks into the basket. “Puppies!”.

✿ The Art of Kissing

→ sangcheng | rated M | 3.1k words | written for SangCheng Week 2023

Something does not feel quite right when Nie Huaisang wakes up.

He is not sure why, but he just knows that the world has changed—shifted in a way he can’t explain and yet he can feel it deep inside, making his chest ache and his heart beat faster, as if some unknown danger lurks nearby.

(or; Nie Huaisang gets another chance to make everything right, but some things will never change.)

[franniebanana]

CQL Rewatch - Episode 3

I just love their outfits here, and since I didn’t comment on that in the last episode, I wanted to say it here. I love the whole color palette they used for Lotus Pier. The donghua goes heavy on the purple and black, but I really love how they incorporate lavender and teal and other blues. It’s just very pretty and soft and relaxing. Such a nice place. I keep having a debate with myself about where I’d rather live. I think I’d be more comfortable in the Cloud Recesses, but I’d never be able to deal with all those rules!

Ah, yes, everyone’s favorite peacock. He played this part so perfectly: just this pillar of grace and poise, except when he’s around Jiang Yanli, and he just becomes butter hahaha. I like his son a lot better than him, but he and Wei Wuxian have some great scenes together, and it’s fun to see him grow alongside everyone else. He’s not just a mindless clan member who does everything he’s supposed to. He’ll stand up and fight for justice too.

It’s easy to forget (myself included in this) that Jiang Yanli is the oldest of the three of them, especially in this show. She’s so much smaller, so soft-spoken; she isn’t going to be the next leader, because that’s Jiang Cheng, being the male heir. But this is one of those scenes where she really is the big sister. Wei Wuxian is fighting with her fiancé’s retinue, Jiang Cheng is just trying to stay out of it and be polite, so she has to step in and put an end to it. I love when Jiang Yanli gets some screen time and lines, and isn’t serving soup. Don’t get me wrong—I like seeing her take care of them, but it’s more mothering than being a big sister. I think the moments when she’s standing up for her brothers and for herself are really special. You can’t blame Jiang Cheng or Wei Wuxian for loving their shijie so much.

Gotta love Wei Wuxian taking every opportunity to throw some shade at Jin Zixuan. I love all of it, and I eat it up—I am the target audience for snarky Wei Wuxian. And at this point, Jin Zixuan just ignores him—good on him. He keeps that up for all of a few days.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

YOU FORGOT THE INVITATION!

Sorry, but the first time I watched this, I wondered why there was this big close-up of something with “Lan Clan of Gusu” written on it. I’m a dummy, okay?

Omg they translated ge-ge as “buddy.”

Okay, but here we go! Shut out of the Cloud Recesses. Also, where did they change? I kept thinking they changed at the tavern, but when they left, they were wearing their same Jiang Clan clothes. So, somewhere along the way, they put on their pretty white robes. I’ve got nothing else to say here, because we’re about to see another great entrance from Lan Wangji.

I love how his entrance is accompanied by the guqin. His presence is so ethereal, so otherworldly, yet he’s so grounded as a character. He turns everyone’s heads, including Wei Wuxian’s. I love that Wang Yibo is in reality shorter than Xiao Zhan, so they gave him platform boots to make them more even. But the height and stature gives the relationship a whole different dynamic.

Anyone who knows me knows I love my yaoi/BL. I could go on and on about my favorites, but I won’t do that here. There’s one thing I don’t like about it, and it’s that you can always tell who the top and bottom is just by how they look (sometimes artists subvert this, which I love!). The donghua for MDZS does this (I haven’t read the manhua, but I have seen some screenshots, and I think it also does)—Lan Wangji is so much bigger than Wei Wuxian. And while it’s aesthetically pleasing, it just bugs me, okay? I like the idea of Wangxian being roughly the same size and height—I don’t really know why, I just do. Also I definitely headcanon them both as switches at this point.

I don’t think Lan Wangji would have given Wei Wuxian the time of day if he hadn’t heard this. He’s already impressed that Wei Wuxian picked up on the weird stuff/wicked sorcery going on—he’s made a mental note of him. I’m sure he’s a little disappointed that Wei Wuxian immediately gets on his nerves, but he still pauses before leaving.

Lan Wangji is never going to be a fast friend—he’s not going to be anyone’s best friend right away. You need to gain his trust and that does not happen overnight. Though the setting is anything but realistic, their relationship and the steps it goes through are incredibly realistic. They grow together—they grow on each other (it’s not as if Wei Wuxian really cares about Lan Wangji at first either—think of how many times he calls him a fuddy-duddy. I think his main goal for quite some time is to get on Lan Wangji’s nerves and tease him. Wei Wuxian is used to charming his way in and out of things, but he can’t do that with Lan Wangji).

Yibo’s piercings! That’s it. That’s why I took this screenshot. But, weirdly, I always look at stuff like that.

He has such a swagger here, going up the steps, but I think it’s really just Xiao Zhan trying to climb the stairs without tripping on his costume. XD

It’s funny how surprised Wei Wuxian is to have the silencing spell used on him, even though he had been put under it earlier that day. Frankly, I don’t blame Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian hit him with a bit of a sucker punch there, implying that the girls only liked him for how he looks and that they’d be disappointed by his demeanor.

It’s such a popular trope (enemies to lovers), but I don’t think that makes it inherently bad or less effective as a storytelling device. On the contrary, when done well, it can make or break a story. As I said earlier, their relationship is very realistic, yet has enough fiction to make it fun. I watch these early scenes with a big old grin on my face, and I’ve seen this one probably around four times now, maybe more (I keep watching the Special Edition for all that wangxian goodness).

Okay, let’s watch as Wei Wuxian digs his hole deeper and deeper. The look on Lan Qiren’s face this entire time is priceless. Like, who is this miscreant who just barged in here, telling me how he is breaking all the rules and expecting me to feel bad for him? Meanwhile, Lan Xichen, with a smile: I won’t blame you for breaking the rules, but let my brother who hates you decided your punishment, okay? Thanks!

Peak comedy before it gets all serious again.

She’s so gorgeous!

But I’ll be frank with you all, I don’t like that they expanded Wen Qing’s role in this way. She was one of my favorites in the book, but shoehorning her and Wen Ning into the Cloud Recesses kind of drives me nuts. And then the stuff with Jiang Cheng, while kind of cute, just doesn’t really hit right with me, and I don’t think it was executed well at all after a certain point—but I’ll babble about that when the time comes. So, while I appreciate expanding female roles, I didn’t really care for this bit in the Cloud Recesses. I would have been fine with them adding scenes of what she was up to with the Wen Clan—that would have been really cool, actually, because we don’t get to see much of anything other than the Nightless City. And maybe I’m biased because I quite enjoyed the archery contest stuff in the book that they kind of piecemealed in the show.

It sounds like I’m just whining about this show, but I actually really enjoy it.

I like this moment between the twin jades. We don’t get a ton of these and this one is particularly quiet and peaceful. The contrast between them and Jiang Cheng/Wei Wuxian is so stark—the twin jades are so formal and a little stiff, while the twin prides are off the wall, hitting and teasing each other—but this doesn’t make either one less caring than the other. What’s obvious from this scene is how much both of them care about each other: Lan Wangji wants to do what he can to help, because he knows how much pressure is on Xichen, and Xichen is just worried about his younger brother. Even though you don’t find this out until later, you can tell that the two boys had to grow up very fast. Neither one had much of a childhood, and I think Lan Xichen does take on a bit of a father role to Lan Wangji as well.

Other episodes: 1 | 2 |

[goldenkamuyhunting]

I’m gonna ramble a little about... OGATA HYAKUNOSUKE NENDOROID PROTOTYPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before I’ll start talking about how cool he is I’ll answer to the question that’s apparently haunting all the Sugimoto fans and that’s ‘Why Ogata is released before Sugimoto?’

Well, truth is Sugimoto might not even be released.

Goodsmile is specialized in girls and, to promote the first series of the anime they released Asirpa which is based on her anime version, not on her manga version.

Ogata was released because fans requested for him so much he got a spot in the 6 most requested characters. When I say 6 most requested characters, I don’t mean, among the Golden Kamuy characters, I mean among all the characters possible, characters from anime, manga, video games, American comics, Chinese donghua, virtual youtubers, vocaloids, Disney characters, movie characters and who knows what else as Goodsmile can and had released Nendo for characters from all these sources. If you think at it, it’s quite a feat.

Sugimoto wasn’t among the 6 most requested characters, we actually don’t know how many had requested him or if he had been requested at all so, before asking why he’s not released ask yourself ‘did I showed my support and requested for him when Goodsmile asked for requests?’ because if you hadn’t done it back then, maybe it’s time you’ll do now.

It would be great to have more Golden Kamuy Nendo, not just Sugi but also Shiraishi and Kiroranke and Koito and so on. but you need to vote for them, otherwise Goodsmile might not consider making them.

Also, did you show your support to ‘Golden Kamuy’ characters by buying Asirpa? Are you planning to continue showing your support by buying Ogata?

If they do not sell well it’s unlikely Goodsmile will continue producing characters from that series.

Now... Ogata Nendo.

I think it’s no secret I’ve made my own custom made Ogata Nendo, using Katsuki Yuri’s hair and Tanya Degurechaff’s body.

A Twitter user instead used a mix of Katsuki Yuri and Otabek Altin’s hair and Nikkari Aoe’s body, customizing everything much more than I did so as to get an even better result.

But our efforts can’t even get close to the awesomeness of the prototype model.

Everyone, enjoy Ogata!

His pose mimics the one on the image used to announce him (it’s not a given, sometimes they change it), although, as you can see, now he has a nose (it’s actually pretty common not to draw it on ).

The pose is also likely inspired by this image, only without the scarf.

The hair, being sculpted purposedly for him and not just being adapted from the one of another nendo are a perfect copy of his hairstile. In the prototype that rebellious strand of hair of his seems to be detachable. It might be that they won’t make it as such in the definitive model or that it’ll stay as such, allowing for more posing.

They sculpted his face giving him a very Ogata grin, with the  left corner of his mouth turning more up which gives him a more confident and smug expression.

The cape is sculpted in one piece (“Attack on Titans”’ capes are sculpted in more pieces). As the right side is clearly more pulled up than the left to allow the arm to be positioned as such, it’s possible this means the definitive version will include 2 capes to suit different positions.

From what I can see the cape is well sculpted, with folds and the tiny buttons that close it. I wonder if the definitive version will include an hood pulled up head part (it’s one of the things I nagged Gooodsmile for in my requests for him).

Now... body. There are carefully sculpted foldings in his gaiters and in the jacket, giving it a beautiful look but what I like the most is that it seems it can be parted at waist level.

It’s not a given, Tanya’s for example can be parted and the same is sadly also true for Asirpa.

Why this is a good thing?

Because it opens up to the possibility they’ll include a sitting part so that you can switch Ogata’s lower half with it and have him sit down to do the citatap scene... or snipe someone while sitting down (another thing I nagged Goodsmile for...).

Honestly I was really offput by how Asirpa couldn’t sit down and make citatap, especially considering all the poses Goodsmile gave her had her seated in Golden Kamuy...

...so I would be delighted if Ogata couls sit down and either make citatap or shoot (I think I’ll go nag Goodsmile some more about it after I finish writing this).

Another thing relevant is they gave him the ammunition puches and the bayonet.

They seem detachable (which is also not a given), sometimes they’re sculpted as a single piece with the clothes.

This is both good and not so good as Asirpa’s knife and Menomakiri had the bad habit to ‘detach themselves’ if I’m not careful handling her, so I hope they made the puch and the bayonet better attached.

On a sidenote I also hope Ogata can hold the bayonet (yes, I nagged Goodsmile for this too... is there a thing I didn’t nag them for?)

By the way, I genuinely doubt the Nendo will include Ogata’s army hat and his older haircut.

Anyway, continuing to talk about the body, the arms seems to be made with two pieces. If this is keep this would allow for greater mobility and more posing (only Asirpa’s right arm could be split in 2 pieces sadly...)

Ogata’s feet are obviously smaller than Asirpa has he doesn’t wear the same large boots she wears, which means it will be likely impossible for his Nendo version to stay up without a support.

The arm peg is shown to attach behind his back so it will clearly have a longer peg that can go through the cape and his back, same as Asirpa.

Differently from Asirpa Ogata doesn’t have a lot of expressions, so I expect him to have only 3 faceplates (Asirpa has 5).

I’ll figure the other 2 might be either a serious expression or a fighting expression (which is usually done by having the character with his mouth open, shouting something) and I would love if he could have the closed eyes citatap expression but that’s just me.

I do wonder if he’ll come with a background sheet and which they will include as a bonus if you preorder him from Goodsmile (for Asirpa it was just another background sheet).

On a personal note I also really, really hope Goodsmile will release an expansion set for Asirpa, to allow her to have citatap, use her arrows and maybe have a cute mini Retar but I guess this might be asking too much.

Still, I recomment every fan to show your support by buying Asirpa and Ogata (you will probably be able to pre-order him once the prototype gets approved and they give him a paint work) and request for more Golden Kamuy Nendo.

Showing Goodsmile how Asirpa and Ogata sell well and that there’s interest for more Golden Kamuy Nendo is our only way to see more Golden Kamuy characters to be released.

Who knows, maybe even Re-ment will get interested and will release a Meiji Hokkaido set. We’ll see. Anyway, if you can buy them.

Those little Nendo guys need all our love.

[dreamingsushi]

Eternal Love of Dream - Episode 51

Fengjiu returns to Taichen palace where Bai Zhen has been waiting for her. It’s about time she goes back to Qingqiu as in fifteen days will be a very important day for Fengjiu: the hidden weapon ceremony. Bai Zhen says that if she didn’t come back in time, he thought he could transform himself to look like her and take her place, but since she came back on time, everything is good. She’s not ready at all, before being trapped in the Fanyin valley she didn’t start to prepare as there was no hurry, but then now... it’s a little time to get ready and she tries to convince Bai Zhen to go in her stead. He tells her that she’s still young, she can cut on her sleeping and prepare accordingly. This ceremony is very important.

Chengyu is finally relieved now that Fengjiu came back. And she even thanks Lian Song for that.Those two came a long way, he’s so sincere about courting her, even though she brushes him away all the time, it’s cute. Lian Song wonders how comme Cheng Yu hasn’t gone to see Fengjiu yet and it seems that’s partly because Donghua is a very possessive lover who doesn’t like being apart from Fengjiu and doesn’t like to share Fengjiu with others haha. No kidding. Pretty sure Fengjiu wants to be next to Donghua all the time anyways. But that’s just Lian Song’s guess. Actually it’s mostly because she’s working really hard to prepare for the ceremony.  She needs to make a box for it and it’s taking time. Lian Song says that won’t be a problem, since for sure Donghua is going to help her and he’s a pro at that kind of stuff (is there even something that Donghua can’t do properly in the first place? Except cooking). However Chengyu tells Lian Song that Fengjiu told her she doesn’t want to be all dependant of Donghua, she doesn’t want to be a useless thing by his side.  That’s very noble. Anyways, so basically, she won’t really ask for Donghua’s help and do most of the job by herself. They have a bet on it and Changyu says that if he wins, she’ll treat him to eat Fengjiu’s cooking and Lian Song is like... that’s not really a prize because if I dare to eat her cooking, Donghua is probably going to get jelly again and skin me alive. Donghua still helps Fengjiu, but more by giving her advice in the beginning and then she goes on her work by herself.

Miao defeats the Biyi bird clan tribe? Not too sure of what happened there, but they all vanish somehow. Well even trapped in, she’s a real bad ass powerful woman. Then she orders Nie Chuyin to get that rest of her energy sealed by Xu Yang faster than that. I don’t really get anything about how and why, since we always jump back and forth and everything. Perhaps I should have watched this with subtitles haha. Anyways, now Chuyin has to get her a hundred mo people per day, to feed her. He doesn’t really like that. Well, that’s what happens when you go against your on clan, it backlashes.

So, we have to add another hobby for Donghua on top of playing go and fishing and that would be to look at Fengjiu. I still can’t get used to that Donghua actually haha! But it’s kind of cute that he wants to protect her so much and takes such good care of her. He asks her when will she bring him to Qingqiu and she says when she convinced her grandmom and dad. Which she didn’t want to tell him, but ends up doing so unconsciously. I love how Fengjiu is so innocent in some ways. It’s sometimes, often, annoying, but it makes her super honest at some point. Except from when she pretends to hate Donghua. That wasn’t very honest. However, it worked in getting him to be interested in her.

Finally, Fengjiu finished her sword case and while Donghua is sleeping, she starts drawing a house which would basically be her dream residence. At first, I thought she was going to draw his portrait haha! That was so cliché though, I am glad that she actually drew something else. So when Donghua wakes up he has a look at the plan and isn’t happy about the fact that she gave him his own room instead of making one for the two of them. Then they talk about how many kids they want. Wow hahaha! They are not wasting any time with this relationship. They started dating, decided on marriage and they are already onto the kids. I think Fengjiu is still too young for kids. She’s still a kid herself. And Donghua is like... too old. He’s like... the granddad of all immortals xD I’m sorry, when I think of their age gap I just cringe a little. Usually, I try not to think about it. It’s weird though, because the age gap didn’t bother me at all between Bai Qian and Ye Hua. Anyways, then he takes her to sleep, but I guess they don’t just sleep. I’m pretty sure they are up to some night fun together haha. Donghua is sooooo a totally different person when it comes to Fengjiu.

Bai Yi is really surprised that Donghua himself would come to assist to Fengjiu’s ceremony: he’s not the type to come for that kind of thing. Zhe Yan is like, oh you will probably understand soon enough. Well, definitely. Say hi to your future son in law. Fengjiu asks Bai Zhen to come with her later when she introduces someone to the family, for moral support. I love how Bai Zhen is just both the best big brother and the best uncle. Wether it is Bai Qian or Fengjiu, they always come to him when they face trouble. Bai Qian was probably just a tad more independent though. Anyways, so it starts and at first, Fengjiu struggles at it. However, looking at Donghua, she remembers of what he thought her. She summons a piece of clothe to blindfold her eyes and she manages to win. Yay! But then, Nie Chuyin comes out of nowhere, hiiiiii is it me you’re looking foooor? Well basically, usually there should be a swording contest with a person from the same generation, but when Bai Qian got through that ceremony, they skipped that part because she was a girl and they thought it was unfair (so sexist, now Bai Qian could probably kick all of those people asses hahaha) and they weren’t planning on having anyone challenge Fengjiu. However, since it’s not an official rule, she can’t really refuse the challenge. Bai Yi tries to stop it, saying that Nie Chuyin of course isn’t a match for his precious daughter, but he argues that he meets the criteria. And Qingqiu really hates to lose face, so they can’t really say no, I guess they will have to oblige... yikes.

[llycaons]

ep1: okay. huh. interesting. this was good?

the art was actually gorgeous. the backgrounds and landscapes and villages are richly detailed and atmospheric, moreso than in the drama, which sometimes had a bit of a cheap look in the set and costumes. I don't like a lot of the animation - I dislike how things move with cgi in general - but the op is beautiful

the tone was consistent and engaging, both visually and in terms of music and action. this is such a fucking relief because a big issue in cql was that the tone was all over the place

I didn't love the music because I'm not really into music but it was fitting for the scene it was in

every visual adaptation of this story has the unenviable task of presenting the first scene in a way that's engaging, not too confusing, and enjoyable, but also in a way that imparts a whole lot of information about the character's background and the worldbuilding

I almost wondered if this might have been a mistake on the part of the author to try to jam in so much crucial information at the very start of the story, but it reads a lot more smoothly than it's been adapted in either show, and it doesn't seem to have hurt readership. I mean, I really liked how it opened in the novel. it was unique, definitely ambitious, and I do think it paid off, it's just hard to adapt into a show where everything has to be verbalized naturally or shown on screen

regardless, this intro is so much more coherent than the one in cql. this mini-arc has never been my favorite (in fact, it's probably my least favorite given the misogyny and my low investment in the mxy disguise, the mos, the modern-day plot, and the juniors, relatively speaking) but they put a lot of effort into making it faithful to the book while putting their own spin on it. and it's fun! the action scenes dragged a bit for me but overall it was done really well - I love that they included little details like protection wards sewn into lan clothes

and they just explain things! they just explain what's going on and what they're doing! out loud! can you believe?? it's that easy???? hmmm??? my first time watching cql I was googling so much...that was a rough opener and not a great first episode, but the intro at nightless city interested me enough to stay watching. but literally they did not explain SHIT

half of my "novel details and explanations" posts could probably be covered by watching the donghua. cql is so long and came after the donhua there is NO excuse to make things this confusing for potential watchers unfamiliar with the novel! (did they assume their audience would be mostly novel fans??? then why did they change so much?? did censorship restrict cql more than the donghua???)

character-wise, wwx is naturally a lot closer to his novel counterpart than the drama was. he's careless, easily amused, a troublemaker, not afraid to make a fool of himself, cut losse from any of his former commitments, loves alcohol. grabbing a bottle while chasing mo ziyuan was a nice touch. he does edge into annoying gremlin XD territory but that's almost counterbalanced by his darker moments of necromancy. almost

but really, this is a spot-on rendition of novel wwx

they gave a lot more personality to little apple, funnily enough, though not quite the personality she had in the book. (also, can donkeys gallop?)

I wasn't revolted by the character designs <3 in fact some of them looked okay! I really dislike the juniors' designs (what are those white paper-looking things on their headpieces?) but I'm almost used to wwx at this point. even if some of his expressions suck

I saw lwj at the end there and it's like. oh he's a tree with a tiny head huh. okay. that bothers me more than the yellow eyes at this point

his opening was very impressive otherwise. I loved how the power of the guqin was conveyed through the music and animation!

lsz's voice is also a bit deep but that may be because I'm used to the drama

it was a very clear and cohesive opener, all things considered. as a first-time watcher, I don't know how invested I would be in this annoying guy but I definitely would have been able to follow the action, realize when wwx was acting up his facade and when he was helping the kids, and figure out his backstory and what his deal is with the lans.

well the very first opener with the yllz was a tad confusing. I think having the kids listen to a story was a really good intro for cql to implement (was that in the novel? I'll find out soon I guess

I don't know if I'm enjoying this but it's better than I expected and it's a remarkable relief to watch a loyal adaptation

honestly if the donghua was so loyal I don't understand why fans were so upset with the drama doing its own thing. the novel story has already been told on screen, they want it to be told again? with less of a special effects budget? no I think they made the right choice to tell a more character-centered story

having wwx not remember lwj until he starts worrying about lwj finding him...I wonder how that's going to play out for the romance. making them close friends in the flashback really helped cql because they couldn't be explicit about the ending so idk how well the donghua can communicate a novel-accurate romance without being explicit

okay enough procrastination it's time to watch the donghua