#character: yu liang

[movielosophy]

The Double | That's my ride.

[popfishjr]

AU in which Zhou Gongjin Gets Over It™️

TWO MONTHS

Zhou Gongjin spent too much of his time thinking about that egotistical asshole strategist.

His close confidant, Lu Su, panicked when Zhou Yu revealed his intentions of killing the bastard.

"Gongjin, pray tell, why would you do such a thing in such times of need?"

Gongjin raised an eyebrow. "Hm?" He said, as if the reason was obvious. "A scheming traitor like him can't possibly be left alive, Zijing."

"How... how is Kongming a traitor in your eyes?"

Gongjin smiled, eyes narrowed. "Consider this, if our battle against the Cao army is victorious, Kongming would occupy Jing Province. Vice versa, if we are defeated, he would take the opportunity to seize our very own Jiangdong."

Gongjin turned to face Zijing, challenging him to say that he's wrong. Zijing said nothing, only sighed in disbelief. Good enough.

THREE MONTHS

It was getting ridiculous. Whenever Zhuge Liang was in the room, Zhou Yu would be looking at him with what his fellow generals would call ‘The Glare™️’ . Zhuge Kongming wasn’t fazed, though. Not even after multiple well-disguised assassination attempts from the Grand Commander himself.

Gongjin wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug, knowing look off the strategist's face. Perhaps he’ll even frame his annoying feather fan on his wall when he finally gets him to die under his hand.

FOUR MONTHS

“Grand Commander, Zhuge Liang has successfully brought back 100,000 arrows.”

Zhou Yu wanted to smash his head against a wooden pillar. This was insanity. He had been so sure he could humiliate and then execute the strategist for failing the task he swore to accomplish. He had given him a ten day limit, but Zhuge Liang shot that down immediately.

“Just give me three days and no more,” he had said, ever calmly fanning his feather fan. Zhou Yu could’ve sworn he saw a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Now, Gongjin was pacing around his room in frustration and disbelief. This Zhuge Liang was smarter than he had anticipated. Zhou Yu just couldn’t allow that.

If this continues, everyone’s going to run to the fan-waving tactician instead of their own Grand Commander, tumbling head-over-heels to beg for his wit and schemes. Gongjin winced at the thought. That would be humiliation beyond measure.

"Gongjin," Lu Su stood awkwardly in a corner. "I heavily advise you to fix your relationship with Kongming."

"I'm not in the mood for this conversation."

"Gongjin!" Lu Su snapped. "Kongming is able to serve as a valuable asset to defeat Cao Cao's attack!"

"You doubt my ability to defeat Cao Cao?" Zhou Yu shot a glare at Lu Su. "I can manage without Zhuge Liang perfectly fine."

Lu Su was silent for a moment. "Gongjin, may I ask a question?"

"Go on."

"Promise me you won't be angered."

Zhou Yu narrowed his eyes. "...Proceed with your question."

"Is the future of Jiangdong the genuine cause of your desire to kill Kongming, or is it because you're jealous of his intelligence?"

Zhou Yu froze. "How dare-" he took in a deep breath and pictured Xiao Qiao playing a piece, and exhaled.

"Out," he pointed to the exit. "Now."

SIX MONTHS

Gongjin had been drinking tea and chatting with Zhuge Liang lately and he hates him more than ever.

“Know yourself and the enemy,” Sun Tzu had whispered in Gongjin’s ear in his dreams. Oh, how well Gongjin was going to know him. It was inevitable to him that he would find a weakness sooner or later. And when he did, he wasn’t planning on holding back.

Within three weeks, Gongjin had invited Zhuge Liang for a chat approximately ten times. He had every one of the strategist's mannerisms and body language memorised. He was surprisingly easy to read, once Gongjin figured out the fun fact that he tended to subconciously channel his emotions into his fan-fanning.

He was also surprised to learn something new each time he spent time with Zhuge Liang. The strategist broke the boundaries of Gongjin’s area of observable knowledge, gifting and expanding his mind with unexplored areas of wisdom, waiting to be comprehended.

Zhuge Liang was always corteous and kind once Gongjin got to know him. Some part of that angered Gongjin. Did Zhuge Liang look down on him so much that he wasn’t worth insulting and getting angry over? Or was Gongjin overthinking? Zhuge Liang was a well of knowledge and wisdom, and he was offering Gongjin the bucket. By god was he thirsty.

SEVEN MONTHS

“Grand Commander.”

“Grand Commander.”

Zhou Yu inhaled sharply, abruptly sitting up and wiping the drool off his face. He turned to see Lü Meng kneeling by his bedside.

“What is it?”

“It is already two in the afternoon.”

“What?” Gongjin got up from his bed, only to hear a clatter as “Mastering the Art of War” fell from his lap to the floor.

Lü Meng stood up and sighed. “Grand Commander, I strongly urge you to burn the book, as you usually do. I’m certain you can already recite its contents without hesistancy.”

Gongjin shook his head. “Such an eye-opening book should be spared from flames.”

Lü Meng frowned. “What makes this one so special? Isn’t the author your rival and sworn enemy?”

Gongjin clenched his jaw and stared out the window. “I suppose so, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy his works.”

Lü Meng narrowed his eyes.

EIGHT MONTHS

Zhou Gongjin spent too much of his time thinking about Zhuge Liang. How could anyone be so gracefully smart? Gongjin often caught himself wishing he knew Kongming as children. He could’ve easily asked for his knowledge as friends then. But, wouldn’t that be too shameful now? Asking for his knowledge would be equivalent to admitting defeat, and General Zhou never admits defeat.

NINE MONTHS

Lü Meng wrapped a bandage around Gongjin’s wound as he lay, torso bare, on his bed.

“All done,” Lü Meng stood up. “All you need is rest from now on.”

Gongjin shook his head. “I have some business I need to see to.” He attempted to sit up, grunting with effort as he strained his muscles to push himself upright. Lü Meng wanted to slap some sense into him.

“W- Well, at least put some clothes on first."

Right after Lü Meng finished his sentence, he heard Kongming’s voice come from beyond the entrance. He was talking to one of Gongjin’s assistants outside.

“May you please inform Grand Commander Zhou that I’m here to s-” Kongming’s eyes met Gongjin’s from outside the entrance. He froze, pupils darting from Gongjin to Lü Meng, who was also looking at him. No one spoke for a moment, and Kongming’s face abruptly turned bright red.

“Ah, I see, I-” he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Grand Commander, I’ll return at a more appropriate time.”

Kongming bowed quickly bowed and left.

Zhou Yu frowned. “He could’ve come talk to me, why did he leave?”

Lü Meng paused, but then let out a small chuckle and shook his head. “Kongming probably wanted you to rest as well.”

TEN MONTHS

Zhou Gongjin spent too much of his time thinking about Kongming.

That night, they shared drinks and got terribly drunk over their past regrets and sorrows that even geniuses like them couldn’t fix. He had noticed Kongming’s clenched fist, his eyes glistening with tears. Setting down his ninth cup of wine, Gongjin reached over and held his fist in his own two hands. Kongming’s hand was cold against his warm ones.

“Your hands are cold as the Yangtze River on a winters night.” Gongjin unfurled his fingers and carressed his palm.

Kongming shook his head in despair. “My blood isn’t enough for my body like my services aren’t enough for the world.”

“You’re more than enough for me,” Gongjin quickly chimed in. “Besides, a bright person like you shouldn’t say such negative words about yourself.”

The strategist looked for all the world like a white rabbit vulnerable to an arrow.

“I’m confused.”

“Hm?” Gongjin stopped tracing circles on Kongming’s hand. The strategist that pissed him half to death with his genius? Confused?

“Don’t you see me as a rival to your wit, General? Or an enemy, as others might say.” Kongming said, staring down at the general holding his hand. “Why are you suddenly treating me so well?”

Gongjin shifted awkwardly, choosing to down his tenth cup of wine. Why did ‘others’ matter?

“Your wit is as sharp as 100, 000 arrows, do you really not know why?”

“Do I?”

Gongjin wanted to laugh. He was certainly drunk enough to do so, but he felt like he was going to have a heart palpitation, so he didn’t. Fuck, the strategist’s game never stops, does it? He knew Kongming wanted him to say it.

“You’re far cleverer than me. I had grown jealous of the way your mind works. I can’t seem to figure you out.”

“I knew that.”

Gongjin tightened his grip on Kongming’s hand. “Don't make this worse, strategist."

Kongming's eyes were still damp from tears, but he gave a small smile at that.

"It's been ten months, Kongming. I've learned that jealousy doesn't serve me,"

"Oh?" Kongming raised an amused eyebrow.

"Besides, you're not a mighty general like me anyways."

That finally did it. Kongming shook Gongjin's hands off in mock offense, his laughter seemed to change his tears into happy ones.

Kongming stopped only when Gongjin quickly took hold of his hand again, as if he were afraid that he'd lose him.

Kongming paused. "There's something else you want to tell me." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Gongjin was staring at the ground in-between him and the strategist. His eyes darted around anxiously. He had to admit, sometimes he had to remind himself that Zhuge Liang couldn't actually read his mind. Gongjin wondered what would happen if he could. Would he laugh, humiliating him for his shameful thoughts? He couldn't even figure out how Kong ming would react after ten months of knowing him. A strike of panic stabbed the General when Kongming removed his hand, only to wrap both his hands over Gongjin's

"A general's hands shouldn't be shaky, Gongjin." Kongming gave his trembling hands a squeeze. "It isn't recomendable in combat."

Gongjin let out an uncertain breath.

"As... As I've said, I've known you for ten months, and... I had looked down on you, and I know I treated you poorly and I sincerely apologise," his words became rushed. "I'm very thankful that you have managed to put all that in the past, very thankful, and uh, you know, we've been spending more time together as friends lately, and I've gotten to know you so much better these past few weeks, and- and my view on you has changed drastically and I really admire you as a person-"

The torrent of words gushed out of Gongjin's mouth. All the alcohol he drank had broke the dam down.

"And if I'm being completely honest with you, Kongming, think I may be really really drunk and that's probably the only reason I'm able to get these words out but I've really come to like you more than rivals usually do, I think? And- and more than friends do as well, perhaps. Wait actually what if I'm just being weird and regular friends actually all feel like this towar-"

All the questions were blown from Gongjin's head when Kongming tugged him by his lapels and their lips met, like spark meeting the explosive. Kongming's lips were softer than he'd ever imagined, which was funny, considering the words that escaped it could be as sharp as knives if Kongming wanted them to be. Gongjin's breath caught in his throat when he ran a hand through his hair. Good to know all that combing and rice water baths were worth it. He returned the kiss, and revelled in the way it felt like returning home. The silent words of "more than friends" could be heard in the way the strategist leaned into his body, like they were puzzle pieces meant to be.

TEN MONTHS, ONE DAY

"Grand Commander."

"Grand Commander."

Zhou Yu groaned as he sat up, kicking the blankets off. His head throbbed as he turned to see Lü Meng standing by his bedside once again.

"What, is it two in the afternoon again?" Gongjin rubbed his aching temples, chuckling at the recollection.

The general bit his lip. "It's three."

"Huh?" Gongjin scrambled to get off the bed, but Lü Meng immediately stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

The general looked past Gongjin's shoulder, and he turned to follow his gaze.

"Oh god," his eyes widened at the sight of the famed strategist Zhuge Kongming sleeping soundly right beside him. His hair was loose in places, falling over his face. Wrinkles covered his clothes, and there was a pile of blanket on his legs that Gongjin had kicked off earlier.

“What happened last night?”

“You invited him over, Grand Commander.”

“I- I did… I-” Gongjin groaned and shook his head, which hammered with pain whenever he tried to recollect his memories. “I shouldn’t have drank so much.”

Kongming stirred in his sleep, snuggling closer to Gongjin, who stood up immediately.

“Uh,” He gave Lü Meng an embarrassed look. “I’ll have a change of clothes. Wait for me outside.”

TEN MONTHS, TWO WEEKS

Zhou Yu couldn’t put his finger on why, but his chats with the strategist felt different than usual, lately. Was it because the regular glint of mischief was no longer present in his eyes? Or that it was replaced with a barely detectable glint of sadness and confusion instead? And why was Gongjin afraid of asking “why”?

Every meeting with Kongming felt as if he expected him to say or do something, but what did he want him to do? He wished Kongming would just say it. But who knew, during their next chat over Gongjin’s tea, he actually did.

“Gongjin,” Kongming’s hand balled into a loose fist around the handle of his fan.

“You’re anxious.”

Kongming gave a wry smile. “You know me well.”

“What is it you wish to say?”

“I was wondering if you… if you remember what happened that night.”

Gongjin frowned. “What night?”

“Two weeks ago?” The way Kongming said it like he was pleading hurt Gongjin’s heart. “We were in your room, both of us drunk. That is probably the reason you don’t remember it too well…”

Kongming rambled on, trying desperately to jog his memory. Gongjin had to stop himself from chuckling— Kongming didn’t even mention to him the highlight of that night. That’s alright. He could add that part in himself.

He leaned in for a small kiss, which successfully stemmed the strategist’s flow of words. His face reddened. “Ah.”

“Oh? Who knew one day the general would finally catch the mighty strategist off-guar-” but Gongjin’s words were cut off with an annoyed look from Kongming, who then pressed his lips onto his defiantly, perhaps with a bit too much force as they tumbled over each other again.

[mylilsoysauce]

Just some of my Zhou Yu sketches 🤭

[simayeeet]

they do civil war, china

[good--merits-accumulated]

the vice grip that episode 21 of qi hun has on my brain

[quitealotofsodapop]

Hello!! I would like to do some fanart for the ship children for each of the kids of the wukongverse except I can't really find some descriptions for some of them, like keto and rahu who I think were only mentioned once(??) Do you by chance have a link for them or a tag?

Of course! I always welcome fanart of my aus or ideas! ^♡^

I'll try to do decent descriptions for all ze babies/fan children.

Lego Monkie Kid - Shadowpeach (multiple aus);

Zàoyīn & Bàoliè/"Rumble & Savage" - tiny black-furred baby monkeys with red face masks + Macaque's dark skin. Get into a lot of havoc despite being the size of marmosets. Develop little red "tiger stripes" on their limbs and tails as they get older. Rumble has natural six-ears.

Yuebei Xing - the baby girl herself and star of the SlowBoiled au. Tiniest black furball ever. Big blue eyes (often caused by eating LBD's soul). And a white skull-shaped face marking. Grows to be much taller than either parent. Here's some super cute fanart done by @teatime-at-4 + teenage Yuebei by @soniclozdplove + an older version of her done in the LMK OC Picrew.

Jidu & Luohuo - born shortly after Yuebei, and named for the lunar nodes/phenomena making them the "Nodelets". Furs are a mix of orange and black like tortoiseshell cats. Both have four purple and orange ears. Very mischievous.

Luzhen - technically Wukong's little brother, depending on the au. Looks like a little clone of him, but with deep blue eyes. Loves music.

Ziqi - newest baby idea. Named for the last Lunar phenomena (Perigee/a supposed "shadow planet") not given a character in Journey to the South. Surprise baby. Pure black (like a shadow) with hazy purple eyes, and face marking.

+some lovely human glamour designs made by @soniclozdplovesonic for the Post Jttw Stone Egged au. I praise their work openly, they are amazing.

Monkey King Hero is Back - ReboundedHeroes;

Xiaoyun/"Little Cloud" - born from a mysterious cloud-patterned Stone Egg. Egg was damaged before hatching; causing the right eye, right ear(s), and right arm not to develop correctly. Pure white fluffy fur, like a cloud. Very small and skinny due to being born premature. Very adventurous, gives his parents frequent heart attacks.

Yǔ Sōng & Xuě Bào - Twin girls born sometime into the family's Journey across the kingdoms. Look like little toasted macaroons with six ears each, and violet eyes. Develop their baba's red-auburn when they grow up.

+Shui Lian - Adopted. AU form of the White-Faced Vixen. Due to timeline changes, the "vixen" is rather only a pre-teen kit. Has albinism and is unable to hide her fox ears and tail despite mostly-human form.

Monkey King Reborn - Fruitiedads;

Xiao Qi - Fruitie/Qi Energy reborn as a Stone Monkey egg by sheer willpower. Fur so white it look transparent. Pink skin + pink heart-shaped face marking. Big smiley baby. Looks like a fairytale prince.

Xiao Lü - reincarnation of Yuandi/Primordium created when Nüwa tricked Smokey/SWK into creating a clay figure to house the primordial soul - which became a new stone egg. Pure black fur, light skin, and no noticeable face marking as if yet. Has little grey "shoes" on the fur around her feet - hence the name.

5 False Ginseng Fruit Babies - complete and utter accident on the monkeys part. Smokey tried growing the pit from the Ginseng fruit he ate in hopes that the resulting tree could help reinvigorate the damaged FFM. Liang/LEM watered/tended to the tree while he was gone. It did not in fact bare Ginseng Fruit - but five whole newborn monkey cubs - all named after stone fruits. Current draft of the au places their "fruiting" after the Journey once everyone's come home. More detailed post here.

Lìzhī & Hǎizǎo - Twins. Born at the crux of the Journey. Accidentally delivered inside the Thunderclap Monastery. Look like miniature versions of Smokey, tiny brown furred grumpy things.

+Zhu Yu & Ku Ai / Wood Wolf Siblings - Adopted. The children of Kui Mulang/Revati/Yellow Robed Demon and the Princess Baihuaxiu. After the stray star wolf entity was captured, the Princess wanted nothing to do with her half-wolf children (given that they were conceived in less than ideal circumstances) and the human king wanted them destroyed. The pilgrims take the little werewolves into their group. Older girl and younger boy, both below the age of seven. Mix of brown and grey fur/hair like regular wolf pups. Think the kids from Wolf Children Ami & Yuki.

Monkey King 2023/Netflix - CherryandOliveStones;

Xiaoshi - created when Cherry/SWK wanted to see if he could make "another him" from clay and a pebble after he had learned the story of Nüwa. Clay Egg became a real Stone Egg. Xiaoshi has bright orange fur and light briwn face markings. Rarely doesn't have paint or ink in his fur. Link to some amazing art done by @tsa-smth.

Hǔpò & Zhēnzhū aka "The Pebbles" - natural babies. Look like little clones of their LEM (black fur with white accents) with their dear baba's green eyes.

Luzhen (yes another one) - miniature version of Cherry/SWK. Possible little brother.

New Gods series - Jackpotshipping;

Xiaozhēn - dumpster baby. Possible half-monkey demon. Fluffy brown fur, built like a dad - cus he is one. Is in his 30s demon-wise. Has kids of his own.

Unnamed newborn twins nicknamed "Two Pair" (x) - dark fur and brown eyes. One baby is an attempted changeling - but they aren't sure which one.

Meihouwang 2009 - Peachbuds;

Ketu & Rahu - a pair of twins, one a loose Stone Egg that arrived in a comet, the other an egg formed naturally between the parents (they're all grown up by now ofc). Both have a mix of silver and gold fur, like their parents when they were younger. Rahu has six ears. Here's the post you mentioned!

Smash Legends - FabledConnections;

No definite kids, but I'd imagine they'd be a mix of black and white fur. Like tuxedo cats.

No kids planned for the 1999/2000 Legends cartoon pair (yet)

Thank you so much for your interest in all of this - I try to keep all these ideas under the tag #jttw inspo fan children when I can. If you decide to make fanart for any of these babies (or the parents), make sure to @ me so I can see!

[johnkahner]

I loved your last Johnny Cage work! So good!

Can I request a one-shot with Smoke and he is just starting a relationship with fem!reader who works at Madam Bo's and some guys are giving her a hard time and he stands up for her? I'm a sucker for fluff so as much of that as you can fit.

Thank you!!!

AN: This came out later than I wanted it to. I'm glad you enjoyed my writing! It helps my confidence when I'm writing. Also, Smoke is the character I think I've gotten the most request for lol. I hope I wrote him accurately too. Also made up a random girl because I felt bad if she was unnamed. Not proof read.

Notes: Female Reader, Some random men being creeps

Today felt like any other day. Take orders, get customers their drinks, clean the tables, and repeat. You were wiping down a table while a co-worker, Yu Li, helped by getting the dirty dishes from the table. Yu Li saw some men looking at the two of you. The men were sitting a few tables away. Looking uncomfortable she decided to grab your arm to lead you to the employee’s only area. 

“What?”

She shushes you, while directing with her eyes the men eyeing you two like candy. You take note of her actions. Both heading towards the backroom. But you both knew you couldn’t hide back here the whole time while you still had your job to do. 

When an order was ready you decided that you would take the risk to go deliver the food to the customer. Not to mention with your luck, it was an order for those men you wanted to avoid. 

“Hey, Little Lady. ‘Bout time you got your sweet ass over here to entertain us real men.” 

The rest of the man’s group laughs at his comment towards you. You sigh not wanting to entertain this anymore than you have to. You place the order down, and turn to leave. The man that was speaking seems to be this group’s leader. He seems to be offended by your actions. He grabs your arm, and attempts to pull you closer to him.

“Listen sweet cheeks, no need to be a prude. We can make ya feel real good.”

You try to pry your arm away, and you turn your head to make eye contact with a certain ninja. 

Tomas rushes over to you. He frees your arm away from the creep. 

“Don’t you know how to treat a lady? Not to mention she doesn’t look too comfortable right now.” He pulls you to his chest and hugs you. 

“This has nothing to do with you!”

“It does when it involves my girlfriend!” Tomas says your name “I’ll deal with this man. Go somewhere where you feel safe for now.” He kisses the top of your head. 

You move out of the way. Not really going to the backrooms, but just staying out of the way of the fight that is about to incur. 

Said fight didn’t even last long in all honesty. Tomas was beating the stranger’s ass. While you stood beside Kuai Liang. The door to the backroom opens to reveal Madam Bo. She appears to be very pissed off. She pats Tomas on the back, “Good job Tomas,” she turns to look at the man in pain and his crew, “Now you fools get out of my restaurant! You’re no longer welcomed here!”

Not putting up much of a fight now the group leaves. Madam Bo smiles at you and Tomas then heads back to work. You mosey on over to your boyfriend. Wrapping your arms around him. Nuzzling your face to his chest. He holds you close. After the events that happened on this day that started off like any other day that turned somewhat chaotic. You’re glad that at this moment you have Tomas with you. Also you got a few days off from work. Thank you Madam Bo. 

[mademoiselle-red]

Introducing the cutest character of the entire Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994) series:

鲁肃 Lu Su (Lu Zijing 鲁子敬), also known as 鲁萌萌 Lu Mengmeng because he is a precious walking bundle of adorableness!

He often finds himself caught in one of Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu’s antics, and reacts like this:

“Gongjin, no no no! Please put your sword down!”

“Kongming Xiansheng, please stop riling him up!”

[zhoudadudugongjin]

Hey there I’m getting confused so I just thought I’d ask. You post a lot about NIF, various items with the word Kingdom, and now AA. The thing is a lot of the names seem to be the same and the faces(?)

Are these shows/stories related, if so how, and is there a watch order you’d recommend?? Thanks :)

Oh hello there I'M GLAD YOU ASKED

So.

The Three Kingdoms era was a period of Chinese history that spanned from about the end of the Han dynasty in 189AD to the the year 280AD (at which point China was finally re-unified). It was always a very popular era for the country, which gave rise to a lot of popular heroes. The first well-known person to make a full narrative out of the events was a fellow called Luo Guanzhong, who wrote a ~800k word novel called The Romance of the Three Kingdoms in the 14th century, a highly romanticised (lol) version of events which brutalises some historical figures (r.i.p Zhou Yu) and glorfies others (incl. one of China's greatest blorbos, Zhuge Liang).

Here he is, in various forms:

So I started by reading the book, mostly because it's one of the Four Great Classic Chinese Novels, and I wanted to learn a bit more about actual Chinese history and culture instead of just watching endless fantasy.

And then after the book, I discovered that there are unsurprisingly a LOT of adaptations of it! Some are more faithful to the novel, others more faithful to history, and some are just... *War flashbacks from the few episodes I watched of The Three Kingdoms RPG*

As far as I am aware, the two main adaptations that attempted to serialise the whole goddamn story rather than just some parts of it, are the 1994 TV adaptation, and the 2010 remake. I decided to watch the 2010 first because I liked the look of it (and I also found a nice HD download of, with good subtitles).

The Advisors Alliance is kinda like the "bad guy POV" adaptation which focuses solely on the story of Sima Yi, who shows up towards the middle of ROT3K and (SPOILER) basically wins in the end. He's not actually a bad guy, but he's often portrayed as the antagonist because he was on the opposite side to history's greatest blorbo, Zhuge Liang.

It can get a bit confusing because this fellow, Yu Hewei, seems to REALLY LIKE the three kingdoms era because he has so far starred in no less than FOUR different adaptions as various characters. But he decided to really confuse everyone by being Zhuge Liang's beloved liege lord Liu Bei in the 2010 adaptation, as well as Liu Bei's primary sworn enemy Cao Cao in the Advisors Alliance (2017). So yeah, we all like to laugh about that.

Yu Hewei every time he sees someone is making a new ROT3K adaptation:

As for Nirvana in Fire, that's pure fiction and functionally unrelated to The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (though perhaps the author took some inspiration, who knows?) But the main female lead is played by the same woman in both AA and NIF, the delightful Liu Tao:

And both shows also share another cast member, Wang Jinsong, who plays "disillusioned old friend of the king/emperor who now wants a divorce".

As for which you want to watch first? Well I guess that's up to you. Nirvana in Fire is a GREAT piece of fiction and is certainly more popular fandom-wise. If you're interested in digging your teeth into some messy, bloody political history full of homoerotic yearning, watch The Three Kingdoms. And AA is kind of like, a cross between the two!

P.S Red Cliff (2008) is another good fun adaptation that focuses on just a small part of the three kingdoms story, and has what I think is personally the best (or at least, fairest and kindest) of all the Zhou Yu portrayals.

[three--rings]

Okay so I'm rewatching the Hikaru no Go cdrama (Qi Hun) and in the first episode the board Shi Guang and Yu Liang play on as kids has a name on the side. It says "Akira."

OMG.

(In case you are unaware, the original animanga character adapted into Yu Liang's name is Touya Akira.)

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group G Round 4: No Doubt in Us vs The Royal Tutor

#G6: No Doubt in Us (Liang Bu Yi)

Emperor and Empress bodyswap in ancient China

#G8: The Royal Tutor (Oushitsu Kyoushi Heine)

A tutor tries to teach eccentric princes for the throne

Details and poll under the cut!

#G6: No Doubt in Us (Liang Bu Yi)

Summary:

Within the Chinese imperial court, stern-faced Emperor Xiao Jinyun and spirited Empress Xu Yu are at constant odds with one another. But the universe has an interesting way to solve their issues: an accident causes the two to switch bodies, forcing them to put themselves in the other’s shoes—literally. Now responsible for unfamiliar duties and court dynamics, the Emperor and the Empress must navigate the maintenance of their identities, unruly concubines, and the nation itself. In doing so, Xiao Jinyun and Xu Yu’s personal qualities and unconventional skills find new purpose, and a sense of understanding and compassion grows between the two.

However, great threats loom within and outside the court. If the imperial astrologer cannot discover the key to switching them back in time, then internal strife and suspicion may lead to the duo's untimely demise.

Propaganda:

Liang Bu Yi/No Doubt in Us is one of the most interesting donghua I’ve ever watched. The characters have varying personalities and, because it’s set in ancient China, are rather unique. Considering that Emperors had to keep harems and the fact that this is a straight couple rom-com makes the drama rather spicy. Plus, the Empress is far more qualified in the things a woman in those times wouldn’t be interested in, like sword fighting, archery etc.

To be honest, the contrast between Xu Yu (the Empress) and Xiao Jinyun (the Emperor) results in the show being far more interesting than other ones with the same trope.

Trigger Warnings: None.

#G8: The Royal Tutor (Oushitsu Kyoushi Heine)

Summary:

Equally charming and stern, Heine Wittgenstein is a brilliant man who commands respect, despite his short, childlike stature. Thus, the king of Grannzreich has called upon Heine to undertake a daunting task that has driven away many before him—become the new royal tutor to four princes who are in line for the throne.

The four heirs each have very distinct and troublesome personalities: Licht, the flirtatious youngest prince; his immature older brother Leonhard; Bruno the studious third prince; and Kai, the oldest of the four and the most reserved. Hilarity ensues as Heine attempts to connect with each of the princes in order to groom them for the throne. However, Heine's mysterious past and dark undercurrents in the present may threaten the harmony within the kingdom.

Propaganda:

This is just such a feel good anime, and it teaches important life lessons through the daily struggles each of them princes go through. The princes each go through some kind of development, be it overcoming a weakness or feeling more sympathy for the common people. And despite it being much lighter in tone, it doesn’t shy away from sometimes delving into more serious topics, since of course one of them is supposed to run the country one day. They all have exaggerated personalities, and despite being seen as too posh or selfish at first, it develops so well.

And let’s not forget the glossy art style that’s just eye-candy or the comedy, which is a primary genre of the series. Just the way Heine structures his lesson, starting with more traditional methods and then delving more into each of their passions, makes me want to have him as a teacher. Despite being strict sometimes, tho.

Overall, it doesn’t present many new ideas, but it just makes you feel nice and warm inside, and maybe you can learn a lesson or two, even if you are not royalty.

Trigger Warnings: None.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form with your revisions, and I’ll consider adapting those changes.

New: Starting round 5, screenshots will be included in the poll post. You can submit screenshots through the form linked above, or through here, via ask or dm.

Guidelines in submitting screenshots:

No NSFW or spoilery images.

Pick some good images please. Don’t send any blurry or pixelated ones.

You may send up to 9 screenshots, but not all may be used.

[movielosophy]

The Double | Why?

[mtkay13]

Qi Ye cast poster!!

This had started as a sketch, waaay back as I was still reading Qi Ye. The original is pretty different from this (I considered adding it in the post but I actually don't like it anymore haha), but the plan was already to make this big spread with most of the -more or less- important cast.

I will add here some thoughts about the whole piece, and I guess, Qi Ye itself. My main goal was probably to express my deep and intense feelings for Qi Ye, its grandness, and its awesome cast-- and along with that, flesh out my mental image of each of them, their personality, their style. Here is a table with the names, so we know who is whom, and so I can add some details about my perspective on them and their design.

Jing Beiyuan has always come quite naturally. I just go for the "prettiest face" I ever came with in terms of : my own taste, and the features I find the most delicate. I'd argue he's the easiest character to draw for me across both QY and TYK. On this image, he's probably around 16 or 17. I find his expressions to be very fun to work on in general.

Ping An is also quite an easy character to draw, just for how specific Priest is when describing him.

Wu Xi's design is mainly inspired by a discussion with my friend Hanya, who talked about how, in SHL, Wu Xi more resembled a northern shaman than a southern shaman. It made me want to explore the designs and characteristics a bit more, and come up with more colourful fabrics, patterns, and darker skin color. Same goes for Ashinlae and Nuahar, to have them matching Wu Xi's aesthetic.

Ming Hua was included in this just because of the mess the mention of his name caused in the story. The two jealousy tantrums are just so delightful!!

Su Qingluan was made to resemble Jing Beiyuan, of course. What I wanted to reflect in her face was her frustration, mainly.

Ji Xiang and Hua Yue... Well. Nothing particular about their design either, but they had to be there. Of course, of course they had to be there.

Finally, an opportunity to draw Zishu with his fan and henchmen! Not mad that he kinda looks like a villain, here.

Lu Yu!! I drew him with an Ashinlae mask, since he disguises himself as Ashinlae. I included him because he matters a lot in my headcanons about Siji Manor. (it isn't specified, in Qi Ye, whether or not he's actually part of the manor, but I like to consider that he is for various reason that I may detail if I ever make a Siji Manor post)

I'll skip Jiang Xue and Liang Jiuxiao because their designs are steady for me, now.

I hesitated a lot for Helian Pei's pose, but ended up going for this one (looking bored, out of his depth, lost in the distance with his birds around him). I considered showing him with a bird in his hands, but I guess that's not the main vibe I get from him. And then, well, golden, flashy clothing, suited for an emperor.

Helian Zhao had to be in a showy armor, and I hated making it because it's so much work, haha. I took inspiration from an armor in NiF. I'm quite happy with how he came out in terms of both vibe and showiness.

I tried going full out on Helian Qi. Making him the villain that Qi Ye deserved. Dark, showy, elegant and horrible.

Helian Yi is also pretty solid for me, by now.

About the illustration itself, the main challenge was definitely to make a nice colour palette while still differenciating all the characters. I wanted to go with something intense, eerie, that could also complement the main tones I would go for (= red, purple, blue and green). I'm quite happy with how the golden tones, along with the green and reddish lights, make the whole thing come together. I struggled a little bit with the composition at first, but once I got the flow and the main figures down, it just happened quite easily. Anyway, I'm quite proud of this, and hope it conveys the love and admiration I have for Qi Ye well.

[noonecaresaboutmyreview]

The Double - Cdrama Review

Hi everyone! I am back again with another historical chinese drama review! I first saw The Double on Netflix with only 12 episodes released. After binge watching all 12 episodes in 1 day, I was hooked and immediately re-subscribe to Youku for the full 40 episodes. Personally, no regrets there.

My all time favourite drama will always be Love Like the Galaxy and The Double have come close to being second. There are a lot of similarities between the two dramas that I am not mad about.

The Double is about Xue Fang Fei (Wu Jin Yan) who was betrayed by her husband Shen Yu Rong (Liang Yong Qi). He, along with the eldest princess, Princess Wanning, plotted to annihilate the Xue family (her father and younger brother). She was saved by the daughter of the Secretariat Director, Jiang Li would was sent away in the mountains due to a false accusation. There original Jiang Li died and Xue Fang Fei took over her identity for her own revenge and to avenge original Jiang Li's death. She meets Duke Su (Wang Xing Yue) who took her as his pawn to fight against the corruption in the imperial court and defeat a potential rebellion that was bound to happen.

This review is going to be a long one, with spoilers.

Story: I love that there was no boring episodes. Each episode moved quickly and the revenge plot remained the main plot. I have a habit of fast-forwarding scenes especially for cdramas but I barely did it here. Each episode kept me at the edge of my seat. I love how each scheme, both from the good and bad side of the drama is cleverly plotted. No lazy plots here.

The romance in this one is slow-burn but not boring. Each interacting Xue Fang Fei had with Duke Su was intense. I am impress by how we could see their chemistry without them even physically touching or using romantic words. The drama is also good at showing us stories about the villains. They all have back stories and reasons to why they turn out that way. Of course, it didn't evoke sympathy when they finally got their retribution but it is good to know that no one was born evil.

Characters:

My favourite character in this drama is Xue Fang Fei. She was a good wife to her husband until he decides to murder her. When she came back with a vengeance, she did not hesitate to scheme and take opportunities. She is not too proud to ask help from Duke Su as she knows that she alone is not influential enough to carry out her plan. Every action she makes serves a purpose, but she always make sure that she doesn't hurt the innocent.

Wu Jin Yan was the perfect Xue Fang Fei. It was my first time watching her and she impressed me. Her eyes showed a lot of anger and pain yet her demeanour is always calm. She is eloquent and has a sharp tongue. I love that she is not so blinded by her revenge that she becomes reckless.

Oh Duke Su, Duke Su. He reminds me so much of Ling Bu Yi from Love Like the Galaxy. He is a loyal servant of the Emperor whom he's friends with since childhood. He is ruthless and always alone with his two trusted guards. He always carry this ice cold stern expression. Nothing seems to amuse him other than his own play that he orchestrate with his own pawns.

Wang Xing Yue as Duke Su is the perfect casting. I watched him in Story of Kunning Place and wasn't too wow-ed by him there. But here, his acting is so mature and strong; I am surprised by how young he really is. And thank you to whomever who thought his character needed eyeliner cause it make him look more vicious and charming.

Their relationship and how it developed was everything. They didn't even kiss till the last episode but I could feel the love and trust they had for each other. Their conversation turns from a push and pull to full on flirting. They never hide their attraction and worry for each other. Duke Su never tried to "baby" Xue Fang Fei in the name of protection. He trust that she is capable enough. When there are scenes of jealousy, Duke Su was never aggressive nor blame Xue Fang Fei. He was her safe place where she knows she could go to. Duke Su was a whole green forest.

Just simple gestures like this was enough to make my own heart flutter. Ah the chemistry.

Xue Fang Fei + Duke Su love story is very much on par with Cheng Shao Shang + Ling Bu Yi to me.

Special mentions to Princess Wanning and Shen Yu Rong. Their scenes together make me so uncomfortable, like I am watching a man cheating on his dead wife.

Princess Wanning as a character was complex. She was a hostage princess before she was rescued. When she was a hostage, she was tortured and beaten to the point where she cannot bear children anymore. When she is finally free, she feels the need to overpower everyone. She will get rid of anyone that gets in her way. She would make the perfect evil princess, except, she fell in love.

Out of all the villains in this drama, the one I hate the most and have zero sympathy for is Shen Yu Rong. He was a poor scholar who wanted to work for the imperial court. He had to work really hard to get to his position and he always blamed his poor background for the disadvantage he faces. When Princess Wanning took a liking towards him and ordered his family to kill his wife, he did it with the excuse that he is powerless to go against the royal family. When Xue Fang Fei came back as Jiang Li, he kept his head down and went with it because he doesn't want to face the guilt of killing his own wife.

To me, where he lost it all was when he got angry that Xue Fang Fei likes Duke Su. He started to plan and scheme and kill, with the excuse to protect Xue Fang Fei. He truly lost his way and had a terrible case of victim mentally.

But I got to praise Liang Yong Qi. He acted very well as Shen Yu Rong. It was very hard to tell how he truly feels. It was hard to tell if he truly cares about Xue Fang Fei, if he did like Princess Wanning or he was just became a terrible person. Shen Yu Rong always had this dead eyes with no emotions, it was creepy. Amazing.

Overall, this drama was surprisingly impressive. The costumes, make-up and accessories were all so charming. The scenes are shot beautifully. With a good script, plot and good acting, The Double is a good drama to watch.

Rating: 4.9/5

-- Fary

[rose-tinted-vision]

Floating Youth (冰球少年 lit. trans: Ice Hockey Youths)

For Gab @randomingoftherandomness, who so kindly asked me to yap about them

Now, if you liked Hikaru no Go (2020 live action), this might be up your alley too.

Floating Youth is at its core, a slice of life drama about a group of teenagers/university students who dream of winning an Ice Hockey championship, and tells the story of their growth and relationships with one another as they work towards that goal.

(you can skip this part if you're here for the Tea 🍵)

Main Character 1: Shen Zhouzhou (portrayed by Zhu Zhengting)

the textbook rich kid who is pressured by his father to Reach Greater Heights

is actually a softie under that cold and aloof personality

actually listened to Chen Che when he told him to gtfo (it's a Whole Thing)

deserves the world honestly

Main Character 2: Chen Che (portrayed by Bai Shu)

was raised by his grandmother and loves her dearly

is the passionate, hot headed half to Shen Zhouzhou's (MC 2) rational and taciturn's other half

has a high EQ when it comes to everyone else but Shen Zhouzhou

Shen BingBing (portrayed by Xu Hao)

Shen Zhouzhou's little sister

unofficial PR manager of the Ice Hockey team, occasionally livestreams, extroverted unbothered queen

cares for her brother a lot

The Tea:

So I likened Chen Che and Shen Zhouzhou to Shu Guang and Yu Liang mostly because Chen Che is also the more 'happy go lucky' character to SZZ's level headedness.

(Though they differ in the sense that they weren't childhood rivals but childhood best friends who were practically joined at the hip. Until university, where their family circumstances drive a wedge between them).

so over the course of the first few eps they break up argue at least 3 times

honestly though they just have each others best interest at heart but as I mentioned above, Chen Che has EQ with everyone but SZZ (poor guy)

SZZ also goes Abroad to train (like Yu Liang) but its Worse in his case because he didn't willingly go and well. He wasn't welcomed there either.

He does eventually manage to come back though! But It Gets Worse because Chen Che thinks that SZZ will only be able to reach his full potential in Ice Hockey if he trains abroad rather than in their small town, so he tries pushing him away (it does not go well. my boy develops anxiety).

"What do you mean the two of you are fine! You guys never communicate clearly, each one dawdling more than the other!"

and honestly everyone can see how they're hurting and messed up because of their communication issues. everyone but them im-

If my shitty sales pitch somehow convinced you to watch the drama, here are some links to watch it on YouTube:

There's the English Dub version, original Chinese version (no subs), and Indo subs version

The only painful thing about this drama is that there's no English subs for it 💔 it's truly putting my Chinese to the test

[andwhatnot1]

Three Kingdoms commentary

my adventure continues :)

episode 15-16

Sun Ce is here again! Can't wait for Sun Quan to make an appearance too again! He should be an adult by now (?)

Nice to see some familiar faces! His acting was phenomenal in NIF! I love Zhou Yu already :)

Cao Cao really said: Yuan Shu declared himself emperor. Funniest shit I've ever seen.

Wow. Everyone is growing more facial hair now. I don't know how to feel about Lü Bu's stache but I won't be seeing him for too long, according to my history spoilers so I won't have much time to get used to it :(

And this point I would like to note that originally I started watching this show mainly because of Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei but I grew attached to so many characters that it even surprised me

I love how Chen Gong going around ,scolding Lü Bu like: I cant leave you alone for even a few days SMH

Liu Xie still looks miserable. i just wanna hug him,,

This is so unreasonably funny to me help

Cao Cao is an interesting man. I have never despised someone more than him, but at the same time, I'm glued to the screen whenever he appears. Fascinating.

In episode 16, he was so quick to find a solution to the "only three days worth of food has left and we can't win in three days" problem

Find a scapegoat who will be responsible for the food shortage, shake the morale with him only issuing very little portions, kill scapegoat who is 'responsible for everything', morale boosted again, they actually win in a short time.

I will make an exception cause he looks polite