#character: yun que

[heymeowmao]

云之羽 | My Journey to You E24 ° What about you? Are you happy? Yes.

+ I will definitely recognize you.

[anagrammaddict]

jackdaw, wheeling in the sunset

In the mountain, there is a jackdaw with feathers whetted into spines and blackened with poison, with eyes that chase the sun as it wheels across the sky, before dipping behind the snow-scabbed slopes.

-

Everyone who lives in the mountain is nameless, and so is the jackdaw. The jackdaw is known as Hanya Si, which is not a name, but an assignment.

-

The jackdaw scavenges for young orphans on the streets, those who are also nameless and fateless, to be consumed by Wufeng, the mountain. These foundlings will die anyway, snagged by their own downy wings among the thicket of knives that is the jianghu. The jackdaw sends them to the killing pools in the depths of the mountain, and teaches them to turn against others, and most importantly, teaches them to claw and slither and writhe and live by any means possible.

-

Too much yin in your body, a swindler of a physician tells him, grabbing his wrist on the street and trying to sell him a pill the size of an oriole egg.

The physician is dead by nightfall.

That is what happens when you look into the eye of Wufeng and feel the stab of its pulse and tap into the snakes' nest of its meridians.

-

Yun Weishan and Yun Que are not the real names of the pair of wishbone sisters that the jackdaw comes to care for.

All his other nestlings are dead. Some of them have been killed by the jackdaw himself, either by swift merciful strikes in the dark, or gentle poisonings that make them drowse off into dream and never wake up. Those are the weak ones, doomed to fail if Wufeng sent them out on its missions. Better for them to die painlessly by his hands, than be caught alive by Wufeng's enemies, and have their bodies and minds stripped away, sliver by sliver, down to bone and keening ghost.

The Yun sisters are not blood sisters; they meet for the first time, among a crowd of other Wufeng novices, calf-deep in the icy mire of the mountain's killing pool.

The moment of first eye contact between them is a lightning strike of a pact. Together, they slaughter everyone else in the pool.

They become attached to each other, sharing everything from food to bedding to half-remembered poems, to the dangerous wishes that they shouldn't make. They don't laugh openly, and they are careful with their talk as they move around the mountain, but Hanya Si knows that they dream, fiercely: in each other's arms, in resolute whispers, in torn lips where wounds translate to promises, in the back-and-forth transactions of jolting awake to nightmares and forlornly consoling the other.

The fused pair of them are a puzzling strut of iron-cold hope and despair that sits in Hanya Si's chest, clamping his heart, and he loves them both, unwittingly.

-

Ah, the sun! That distant three-legged crow that Hanya Si has always dreamed of catching. The blinding mass of it, racing away, always away, from the corpse of this earth.

-

Yun Que is a sparrow of a girl, the smaller and the stronger of the sisters: unassuming and pleasant, perfect for infiltration missions.

But if a bird mother can have favourites in its brood, then it is Yun Weishan that Hanya Si secretly favours.

He found her as a tiny child, wandering alone among the streets in the town of Lixi. Later, he learnt that her mother had been a despised concubine in the Yun household, who had hanged herself from the rafters of the family's ancestral hall, and after that, no one spared another glance at the leftover child.

Yun Weishan will be a different weapon: a bride. Wufeng will choose her groom, and she will go to him in a glittering sea of dowry, red as hawthorn and gold as the sun-touched clouds.

Hanya Si trains the Yun sisters ruthlessly. He cuts them down. He drags them through cycles of poisons and antidotes. Too often, his hands have crushed their windpipes to an inch of their last breath.

Wufeng will never be done with them, he tells them. Wufeng will take their bones when they die.

He teaches them the ways of the jianghu and its array of mannerisms and social codes. He teaches them to sketch maps in their eyelids, carry poisons in their sleeves, lower their lashes and offer only veiled eye contact with their potential targets. To fit themselves into stolen names. To scheme from the peripheries. To usurp positions and infiltrate hierarchies. To spin words into consolation, pry out layers of information. To impersonate sincerity. To kill in many ways and with nothing in hand. To die in many ways and still with nothing in hand.

Better to die than be caught alive by Wufeng's enemies.

He also feeds them and treats their wounds and teaches them to identify medicinal herbs and brew antidotes.

Wufeng will never let you go, he tells them over and over.

But he also tells them, if you ever find a way, then go, and never turn around, not even for a last glance. Never look back at the mountain.

This is the only conspiracy that he seeds into their hearts.

He shares bitter wine with the sisters in the evenings, by the light of the dying sky. In the shadows, leaning close toward each other, they look like a grim hook of a bird mother and its two starved fledglings, trapped in a desolate nest.

And every time, the sun leaves them behind on the mountain.

-

Wufeng turns everything into a weapon.

The sisters dream of freedom. That becomes a weapon.

Hanya Si falls in disconsolate love with the sun. The sun becomes a weapon.

Hanya Si stays away from the sun, thinking he will learn to live in its shadow. But that too, is a weapon against him.

-

Yun Que dies first.

Hanya Si buries her himself on a wind-chewed plateau, clawing the scree apart and lowering her into the unwilling earth. Neither she nor the mountain want each other.

Yun Weishan, not trusting the mystery around her sister's death, never truly forgives him.

-

You will never see the peak of the mountain that is Wufeng. You will never see the tip of the knife that is Wufeng.

The peak is hidden in thick cloud, unlit by the sun. You cannot map the land around the mountain, nor can you find your bearings; the mountain will not help you.

As for the knife that is Wufeng, they say it has many points and no point, shrouded in darkness, moving too swiftly for the naked eye to detect. Even when the blade strikes, you will never see its tip, because by then it will be buried deep in your heart, and nothing is more opaque than the human heart.

Or perhaps the truth is that Wufeng is just another broken knife of the jianghu; it doesn't need a single point; every edge cuts just as sharply.

-

He tells Yun Weishan to go. She has passed the test.

But the jackdaw, nameless and fateless, remains where he is, on the carnage-strewn steps where a procession of blood-red brides had passed earlier.

Yun Weishan is a fleeting cloud at the edge of his sight. To look upon her face again would be hope and despair for them both.

But she will not turn around. She will never be a bird, but still he has primed her for flight all her life, and now she has fledged. He too, has passed the test.

Hanya Si kneels on the steps, the shadow of the mountain cold on his shoulders, a broken wishbone in his chest, piercing his heart.

Yun Weishan disappears. But something else takes her place: a warm wind, a cascade of blazing pinions. The sun-crow's belly is low enough to singe his hair. It swoops low and ascends steeply before plummeting again, wheeling around him, turning cloud and roof into silhouette and embroidery and flame. Hanya Si raises his hand, reaching out to a light that is neither sunrise nor sunset, to catch a feather from those fiery wings.

[xiao-hudie]

a non extensive list of gjm's cinematic universe (tm) references (excluding recurring actors bc that would actually take all day)

starring: wuliang (2020), yin yang master: dream of eternity (2020), my journey to you (2023), fangs of fortune (2024)

in my journey to you (2023), the concept of the wuliang heat is something that was mentioned in his 2020 short film wuliang albeit in a different form (无量流火 vs 无量心经). even the sword wielder body tattoo is similar to the one we see in wuliang.

in fangs of fortune (2024) in ep 1 we get a callback to gong shangjue and shangguan qian's epic romance in a scene that very closely mimics one of the scenes in mjty. we hear the gsj x sgq theme music in the background and they even mention the bay flower (another name for laurel) in the fof scene.

(on rewatch, i literally gasped when i realised the dude e shou was seducing was the piece of shit that started the riot against zhuo yichen in tianxiang pavilion in ep 25)

as many people have pointed out, zhuo yichen's wings in fof are very reminiscent of boya's wings in yin yang master: dream of eternity (2020). it's even got a similar(ish) context; one of the Boyfriends temporarily obtains wings to fight against the Big Bad. (even the wing designs are pretty similar)

this One Specific line both zhuo yichen and po xiao (wuliang) say after their boyfriends die (or supposedly die):

and

while what they say isn't completely the same, the sentiment and the way both of them say ‘但你没有’ is pretty dang similar and as soon as i heard zhuo yichen say the line i was instantly brought back to po xiao.

the doomed lovers in mjty (ai mi and zuo ye)!! oh how they make my heart hurt. in mjty, yun que tells yue-gongzi that when people die, they turn into insects or animals and go visit their loved ones. after this flashback, a little bird flutters down and lands next to yue-gongzi, the implication being that it's yun que.

and then in fof, ai mi's character is a bird 妖 (yao - demon/monster). how the turn tables.

and thus concludes my epic list of surface level observations lmao

[romchat]

My Journey to You Ep. 23 visuals: Ravens only belong to winter

Say what you will about this show's writing for the lead characters (particularly Gong Ziyu and Shangguan Qian), but you can't deny MJTY's writing when it comes to its minor characters. I came to care for so many of them with just a few scenes, and I think a lot of that is due to the show's visual storytelling, which is used to reinforce its themes in an almost brutally efficient way.

Nowhere is this truer than with Hanya Si and the show's use of shadow and light to communicate his story.

The death and violent secrecy surrounding Wufeng have been etched so permanently on Hanya's soul that he can't escape its darkness. He no longer sees himself as a man, but as something less than:

"[Ravens] know there are hunters and traps in the dark forest, but they can never fly to the light. They've been eating dirty mice and rotten meat since they were born. Even their screams are fearful and ferocious. They can only live in the dark and beneath the sunset."

This is communicated over and over again with how the show physically positions Hanya either against or away from light for most of his scenes. Whether at the Wufeng headquarters or in the Gong residence, he is placed in the shadows--even as other characters stand in or move toward light.

Interestingly, he's really the only assassin we're officially introduced to who is shot like that. For example, check out the scene below where he, Hanya Qi, and two of the wangs meet. Even though the overall scene is dark, Hanya Si is the darkest as he's positioned furthest away from the overhead light. And in the final showdown at the Gong residence, the other assassins fight during the day (which Hanya Si has never been portrayed as doing until his final scene). Unlike the others who revel in killing their targets in broad daylight, Hanya has become so consumed by his sins that he doesn't believe he's worthy of existing anywhere but the darkness.

(Side Note: I found it telling that the last Wufeng attack that killed Gong Shangjue's mother and brother also happened during the day rather than at nighttime. There's a startling brazenness to Wufeng's violence.)

The exception to this pattern, of course, is when Hanya is shot with either Yun Weishan or Yun Que. Those moments with his protégés are the only times he embraces his own humanity and dares to step out of his self-imposed prison to provide care in whatever misplaced way he can. It's only in those scenes that his face becomes awash in direct light.

So when Hanya decides to help Weishan fight Ziyi, it's fitting that the show commemorates this character-defining moment by drenching the entire screen in sunlight.

I absolutely love this shot with the lens flare. The show rarely uses this camera effect in its outdoor cinematography so you can feel the foreignness Hanya must have felt walking into the early morning light to face his destiny. The blown-out sky is wondrous and almost overwhelming in its brightness.

And it also seals his fate because we know ravens can never fly to the light; they can only live in the dark.

The mirroring of Weishan and Hanya’s first sunset and last sunrise together nearly took me out. Director Edward Guo clearly likes reusing certain compositional elements to establish his characters, and with Hanya's scenes that repetition not only lends itself to a feeling of tragic inevitability but also freeing closure.

"I watched the sunset so many times with you. This time, I can finally watch the sunrise with you."

What a perfect way to send off this character.

[thegreymoon]

Lighter and Princess

Episode 22 and I am still on the flashback and bored af. It's the entire show at this point.

***

The only thing getting me through this episode is his pretty face.

Watching him just blow up his entire life is predictable but really not fun. He has so much trauma and the emotional regulation skills of a toddler, so it was inevitable that he would hit a point where his high IQ would no longer be enough to shield him from himself. He needs a ton of therapy before he is even remotely ready for a relationship of any kind and he is not going to get it because he's on his way to prison. I just want this flashback to be over so that we can start working towards some kind of resolution.

***

I mean, yeah, he is a self-destructive moron with no coping skills whatsoever and no excuses for him, but honestly, fuck Xu Lina.

***

Yeah, and we don't like you either.

***

LMAO, the irony of her calling someone else pathetic.

Repulsive woman.

***

Well, this is the second Chen Feiyu drama where I've irrevocably unshipped the main couple because of his character.

Girl, it's already over.

I'm so pissed on her behalf because I know they are endgame anyway. She deserves so much better than his dysregulated ass.

***

Oh, Zhu Yun 😢

***

Go fuck yourself.

***

I didn't quit Ever Night when Ning Que crossed lines that cannot be uncrossed and I deeply regretted it, so I am seriously considering quitting this show now. Not even a favourite actor can save a character you dislike.

***

Ooooh, finally, we get to the murder!

Like... if you are an asshole out ruining people's lives, it's only a matter of time before someone comes along and beats the shit out of you.

***

Smh. And he didn't even die.

Why did I think that Li Xun murdered someone all this time?

So, he kicked the ass of an evildoer who more than deserved it. SO FUCKING WHAT?

***

Oh! LMFAO.

Still deserved. But I can see now why he went to prison.

***

Oh my god, these people.

Exactly, she's an adult! You can't lock her up or force her to go abroad. That is kidnapping.

***

Finally, we get to the prison time.

And how much prison time do overbearing parents get for unlawfully imprisoning their adult child because she is dating another adult they disapprove of?

[myechoecho]

Finished up My Journey to You. While I do think it got a little too convoluted and talky for it's own good, overall it's fairly enjoyable and mostly holds up. I'm also going to ignore the last two minutes of the show since that was just dumb.

Shockingly, my favourite relationships were not the two main ships at all. I really enjoyed the found family father/daughter assassin relationship between Han YaSi and Weishan. We didn't see much of them but they had genuine love and affection for one another. I can even include Yun Que in that, though we saw even less with her.

Secondly, I really loved Shangjue and Yuanzhi. They were really tight, had absolute trust in one another and were each other's weakness. Also, once they stopped being really stupid with one another the trio of Shangjue, Ziyi and Yuanzhi were amazing.

I kept saying I wanted them to stop and just work together and to find out that is what they were doing was the best part.

Even weirder, Shangjue wound up being my favourite character. As much as Shangjue could annoy me (and um, I'm really sorry for thinking you could turn dark), I did always think he was the best choice for Sword Wielder. He did follow the rules, respected the elders and wanted what was best for the Gong family. Once he had assurances that Ziyu was competent and completed the three trials he totally supported Ziyu as Sword Wielder.

Now I feel bad that he had to let SGQ go, but really it was for the best. Not going to lie, I was chanting "kill her" in that scene. I have my doubts about her telling the truth about being pregnant, but Shangjue believes it so it makes me sad for him. Despite the satisfying night in the bath, still don't think that SGQ particularly cares for him. SGQ was the most disappointing character.

Weishan and Ziyu got some happiness in the end. Weird how Weishan decided to stay instead of looking to visit her twin sister because that would be a terrible idea and ultimately wind up with a really stupid open ending, which while open endings aren't inherently bad, this one would have been dumb in particular since it just leaves more questions and is pointless.

[reinaka42]

Wang Chuan Feng Hua Lu (忘川风华录) Masterpost

Wang Chuan Feng Hua Lu (忘川风华录) is a Vocal synth (Vocaloid and SynthV) music project. It consists of songs themed around different figures throughout Chinese history. The project is a collaboration between different artists and creatives, with music and videos featuring prominent traditional Chinese elements. The project's title translates to "The Records of Magnificence of the Wangchuan" - In Chinese mythology, "Wangchuan" (or River of Forgetting) is a river in the Underworld that can rid one of their past life's memories, similar to the river Lethe.

A mobile game adaptation has also been developed by NetEast. Unfortunately, I haven't played it so I can't give much insight on it. However, I assume that its premise is similar to that of the idea behind the project as a whole: all these historical figures meeting each other in the Underworld after they died. Maybe.

You can find all the songs on Bilibili. The official Weibo can be found here. The game's website, which includes all characters appearing so far in the game, can be found here, and its Weibo can be found here.

(If you prefer YouTube, I've also put together a handy playlist. Please know that most of these videos are reposts though, so please watch the original Bilibili MVs if you can!)

This blog is where I will be posting everything I feel like I need to say about the songs in this project. A lot of it is lifted from my Twitter account but will be in much more detail. Note that I probably won't touch collab songs, or songs that don't focus solely on the project's own characters.

Disclaimer: I do not speak Chinese, nor am I an expert on Chinese history. Therefore, I cannot reliably translate the lyrics to these songs, nor my words should be taken as gospel. I am merely a nerd gushing about my hyperfixation.

Playlist

多情岸 【Duo Qing An】 ➼ B link

洛阳怀 【Luo Yang Huai】 ➼ B link

易水诀 【Yi Shui Jue】 ➼ B link

山河令 【Shan He Ling】 ➼ B link

簪花人间 【Zhan Hua Ren Jian】 ➼ B link

栖凰 【Qi Huang】 ➼ B link

心上秋 【Xin Shang Qiu】 ➼ B link

祖龙吟 【Zu Long Yin】 ➼ B link

如见青山 【Ru Jian Qing Shan】 ➼ B link

竹���间 【Zhu Lin Jian】 ➼ B link

天下局 【Tian Xia Ju】 ➼ B link

青鸟衔风 【Qing Niao Xian Feng】 ➼ B link

木兰行 【Mu Lan Xing】 ➼ B link

好字唯之 【Hao Zi Wei Zhi】 ➼ B link

不可道 【Bu Ke Dao】 ➼ B link

水叙湖风 【Shui Xu Hu Feng】 (collab) ➼ B link

是非 【Shi Fei】 ➼ B link

风起甘露 【Feng Qi Gan Lu】 (collab) ➼ B link

谓剑 【Wei Jian】 ➼ B link

万象霜天 【Wan Xiang Shuang Tian】 (New Year event song) ➼ B link

千秋梦 【Qian Qiu Meng】 ➼ B link

易安难安 【Yi An Nan An】 ➼ B link

惊鹊 【Jing Que】 ➼ B link

高歌破阵 【Gao Ge Po Zhen】 (collab) ➼ B link

不赴 【Bu Fu】 ➼ B link

西行 【Xi Xing】 ➼ B link

大航海家 【Da Hang Hai Jia】 ➼ B link

牡丹乱 【Mu Dan Luan】 (collab) ➼ B link

倾国 【Qing Guo】 (collab) ➼ B link

相虎 【Xiang Hu】 ➼ B link

补天裂 【Bu Tian Lie】 ➼ B link

此期盈期 【Ci Qi Ying Qi】 (1st anniversary song) ➼ B link

破云来 【Po Yun Lai】 ➼ B link

归钓吟 【Gui Diao Yin】 ➼ B link

始见千秋 【Shi Jian Qian Qiu】 ➼ B link

临川浮梦 【Lin Chuan Fu Meng】 ➼ B link

将军行 【Jiang Jun Xing】 ➼ B link

妄语人间 【Wang Yu Ren Jian】 ➼ B link

数风流 【Shu Feng Liu】 (2nd anniversary song) ➼ B link

问剑春秋 【Wen Jian Chun Qiu】 ➼ B link

起战令 【Qi Zhan Ling】 ➼ B link

人间应又雪 【Ren Jian Ying You Xue】 ➼ B link

旷古回响 【Kuang Gu Hui Xiang】 ➼ B link

墨隐侠声 【Mo Yin Xia Sheng】 ➼ B link

桃源故人 【Tao Yuan Gu Ren】 (3rd anniversary song) ➼ B link

燕双归 【Yan Shuang Gui】 ➼ B link

拜云台 【Bai Yun Tai】 ➼ B link

思华年 【Si Hua Nian】 ➼ B link

承天 【Cheng Tian】 ➼ B link

*Note: The anniversary songs are probably for the game's anniversaries, as the project itself is more than 5 years old.

Albums

Vol 1: 溯洄 【Su Hui】 Includes character songs from Duo Qing An to Zhu Lin Jian. Features human vocals.

Vol 2: 踏浪 【Ta Lang】 Includes character songs from Tian Xia Ju to Yi An Nan An + Shui Xu Hu Feng.

Vol 3: 数风流 【Shu Feng Liu】 Includes character songs from Bu Fu to Yan Shuang Gui, and the two anniversary songs.

Visual character guide:

PRE-QIN | QIN | WESTERN CHU | HAN | THREE KINGDOMS | JIN | NORTH & SOUTHERN DYNASTIES | TANG | FIVE DYNASTIES & TEN KINGDOMS | SONG | YUAN | MING | QING | DREAM

[shewholovestoread]

My Journey To You - Thoughts and Impressions Part 2 of 2 - The Characters

Part 1 HERE

The format of the post will be as follows:

1) Yun Wei Shan

2) Gong Zi Yu

3) Their Relationship

4) Shangguan Qian

5) Gong Shang Jue

6) Their relationship

Spoilers below, beware all who enter.

Yun Wei Shan:

On paper, Yun Wei Shan seems like a perfectly fine character, she's empathetic, kind in an unkind world and willing to go to extremes (even putting her life on the line) to protect those she loves and cares about. The problem is just that though, in a book, we would have access to her thoughts and her perspective which would make for interesting reading. But when viewed visually, it's not as compelling. Visually, you have a character who seems to have the range of 2 expressions and there's no sense of internal conflict. Take her 'allegiance' to Wufeng for instance. From the very beginning, we the audience, can tell that she's not truly aligned with them or their ideology. She doesn't agree with their methods and if not for her foster sister, Yun Que she would have quit long ago. Not even the poison that Wufeng uses to keep all their assassins in check, would stop her.

What I will commend her characters for is her innate kindness. She is kind in a world that should have snuffed that light out a long time ago and yet, it persisted. This was in no small part due to her bond with Yun Que. She wasn't simply a dorm-mate, a fellow assassin. She was a sister in every sense of the word. She had someone to care for and protect. Even her mentor, Han Ya Si, is not like the cold and unfeeling mentors we meet later. You can tell that he genuinely cares about those under him. For all intents and purposes, he raised these women since they were children and unlike the others, he doesn't view them as tools to be used and then discarded when no longer useful.

When she goes to the Gong Family as a prospective bride, we also know that Yun Que is dead, her one tangible tie to Wufeng is gone. She's now thrust into this family that Wufeng claims is their arch-nemesis but throughout the show, we never find out what her actual mission is, what is she after? Why was she sent? She's clearly not supposed to kill anyone. Evade discovery but then what? We never find out. But because she's not particularly loyal to Wufeng, there's never any sense of conflicting desire inside her. So in that sense, she becomes a very one-note-character.

In terms of character growth, there is very little. Throughout the series, her one desire for freedom which, in a sense she does achieve (if you ignore the last 5 minutes of the show) All her life, she's been told what to do and that love is a weakness. At the end, she chooses to stay with Gong Zi Yu and embraces her love for him and those around her.

Gong Zi Yu:

Gong Zi Yu is perhaps the weakest link among the four main leads. If Yun Wei Shan's growth seemed negligible, Zi Yu's felt unearned.

I understand what the writer and director were going for, they set him up as a contrast to the other clan warriors who are cold and calculative, he was warm and kind. He starts off the series as someone who doesn't much care for the Gong family traditions, preferring instead the company of courtesans, he likes poetry and music. However, with the sudden death of his father and brother, he's thrust back into the family and worse into the role of Sword Wielder (SW), the leader of the Gongs. To officially become the SW, he must pass 3 tests and this is where things become a little strange. He passes them with ease and it feels unearned because while others who trained their whole lives took considerably longer to pass those tests, he came in with essentially no training and aced.

Now, you can be special but the fact that you are "special" must be made noticeable in text, like foreshadow it, or leave subtle clues that hint at it. The show does none of this and instead just asks the audience to believe it. That is not how you write a compelling character.

He's also probably the least mature character in the show (and I'll get to big reveal in a bit) but his blatant disregard for the Gong family protocols more than once, illustrate his cavalier attitude. Another way of looking at this is that he breaks tradition because he wants to create a better world for the generations to follow but all of that gets negated at the end.

The big reveal at the end, where we realise that everything that happened since Yun Wei Shan's reveal as a Wufeng assassin, was his grand plan does not make sense one bit. It comes completely left of field with little to no set-up at all. There was no foreshadowing, no little seeds left by the writer/director, little things that the audience could notice upon rewatching the show. In their effort to be ‘unexpected’, they sacrificed coherent story-telling.

Even his relationship with Yun Wei Shan is boring. I get that it was meant to be sweet but sweet will only take you so far especially in a show where the tone is anything but that. I know we're meant to swoon because of how steadfast he is when it comes to her but there are times when it seems straight up stupid. She is an assassin who has infiltrated his family and her mission could possibly be to kill him or someone close to him. Unlike the audience, he doesn't know that she is kind and even if he sees it, how can he know that it's not a facade? This also makes it seem like their relationship has no stakes, like what could she possibly do to make him doubt her or vice-versa.

I know you could be thinking, "but this is a healthy relationship." Okay but how is it healthy? It would have been if they explicitly trusted each other and communicated (like a Dream of Splendor, now that was a healthy relationship) but Zi Yu and Yun Wei Shan don't do that either, at least she's not always honest. If we're meant to believe that they do indeed communicate, then we need to see it, you can't plug it in as an extension of a previous scene and call it a day.

One of the best ways of making a compelling couple is the push and pull of the relationship and this ship had all of the ingredients; The Assassin and The Target, both suspicious of each other but inexplicably drawn together, so much sexual tension and angst. Instead, all we got was bland love at first sight and then sticking through it.

Shangguan Qian:

Shangguan Qian is the other assassin sent by the Wufeng (why send only one when you can send two and double your chances of success) and her character is infinitely more delicious than Yun Wei Shan's.

Shangguan Qian is very hard to pin down and stays so till pretty much the end of the series. Her motives are complex and you can never tell just whose side she's on. I also love the way she gradually warms up to the Gong brothers. I think that Wufeng feeds it's assassins a lot of lies about the family and her being with them, i think starts to dispel some of the myths.

She is also set-up as a foil to Yun Wei Shan. Where Wei Shan is kind and straighforward, Shangguan Qian is cold and unpredictable. Her demeanour makes sense when you look at her relationship with her mentor, Han Ya Qi, who in contrast to Han Ya Si, does seem to view his pupils as expendable. He recognises, correctly, that the only person Shangguan Qian cares about her is herself and that's because of the world she was raised in, caught in a perpetual dance between survival and death, there was little time for luxuries like love.

But even here, the show and Shangguan Qian surprise us. At the end, we learn that Han Ya Qi did take steps to protect Shangguan Qian and when he is at death's doorstep, alone, she does come back for him and tries to save him. The Shangguan Qian we met at the beginning of the series, would have left him there to die without a backward glance. Her time with the Gongs and especially with Yun Wei Shan and Lady Wuji, gave her glimpse of what life could be like, it's subtle but it's there. Every time Wei Shan helps her without asking for anything in return, there's always a beat where you can tell that Shangguan Qian is wondering what her motives could be. She never trusts the other women fully, they are after all Wufeng assassins but I do believe, by the end of the series, her opinion of them is kinder at the very least.

I also loved how unapologetic Shangguan Qian is. She's not sitting there wringing her hands, fussing over things she has to do. To her knowledge, if she fails her mission, she dies. Her mentor doesn't seem to care beyond training her, she has no one to fall back on. She has a job to do and she's gonna do it to the best of her abilities.

I must also talk about the actress, Lu Yu Xiao, and her performance. Her character is someone who is always on alert, always plotting her next move, carefully observing those around her for weaknesses she can exploit. She goes from seductive to hurt to unaffected in a beat and conveys it all through her eyes and the minutest of facial expressions. Her performance is so understated and it's a pleasure to watch.

Gong Shang Jue:

Gong Shang Jue is the resident emo dude and he is easily one of the best characters in the show. He makes no bones about his opinion of Zi Yu and for the most part, his criticisms are on point. He is an also incredibly traumatised character, having lost his mother and younger brother during the previous Wufeng attack. His zeal, therefore, to find and root out any and all Wufeng assassins who could have infiltrated the family makes sense, he's already lost the people closest to him, he doesn't want to lose any more. He is so single-minded that he doesn't even spare his own prospective bride when he suspects her of being from Wufeng.

Unlike Zi Yu, Shang Jue realises why the Gongs put in the protocols that they did. At the beginning of the show, he is painted in a more antagonistic light (this is to land the big reveal at the end) but you can see that Shang Jue doesn't really care about power. His quest for position of SW, is more about keeping his family safe and he believes that he is the best candidate for that job.

His cold exterior only ever cracks when he's with his other brother Gong Yuan Zhi (he's the resident psychopath) With Yuan Zhi, you can see what Shang Jue could have been like, if not for the events of the past.

The relationship between Shang Jue and Shangguan Qian is a treat to watch. There was so much sexual tension between them, so much suppressed yearning, I loved it. Theirs was such a cat and mouse game with each constantly trying to outwit the other.

Is it a healthy relationship? Not really, he literally interrogates her and threatens to torture her even more if she doesn't talk. But he's not someone who is demonstrative of his emotions and feelings, like I don't think he knows how to open up. But with Shangguan Qian, his cold heart begins to thaw and you can see that in their interactions.

Every time, Shangguan Qian initiates physical intimacy or tries to, you can see the confusion on his face and the inner conflict. On the one hand, he doesn't fully trust her and is suspicious of her motives, but on the other, there is a part of him that genuinely likes and yearns for it. There are instances where he wants to reach out to her or touch her but always holds himself back.

Shangguan Qian is also only ever honest with Shang Jue, she tells him the truth and I think a lot of their later interactions (at least on her part) are largely genuine.

They are also unnervingly similar to each other, both owe their allegiance to something larger than themselves and are shaped by their trauma (Shangguan Qian with the loss of her entire family and Shang Jue with the death of his mother and brother) They are drawn to each other despite everything because they see that they are the only people who are capable of understanding exactly what the other is going through.

What differentiates them however, is that while Shang Jue is driven by loyalty, Shangguan Qian is driven by vengeance and therein lies their greatest obstacle, the one thing that neither is willing to compromise. They are so beautifully written and executed that, even knowing that it could never work out, they still make the audience root for them.

And yet, by the end of the show, they are both fundamentally different people. Shang Jue chooses to let her go when he finds out she's pregnant and instead of going back to Wufeng, Shangguan Qian chooses to stay in a small isolated house with azaleas planted around the house. She chooses to peace and safety for her unborn child over her thirst for revenge.

If there is to be a season 2, a Shangguan Qian and Shang Jue reunion is inevitable and I for one, would love to see how that unfolds...

[sassybluee]

tears in the rain

Rating: Explicit

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: F/M            

Fandom: 苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil (TV)

Relationship: Dongfang Qingcang/Xiao Lan Hua

Characters: Dongfang Qingcang, Xiao Lan Hua (Love Between Fairy and Devil), Chang Heng (Love Between Fairy and Devil), Jie Li (Love between Fairy and Devil), Shang Que (Love Between Fairy and Devil), Yun Zhong (Love Between Fairy and Devil), Rong Hao (Love Between Fairy and Devil), Chidi Nüzi

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Blade Runner Fusion, Science Fiction, Case Fic, Sort Of, Replicants (Blade Runner), Character Death, Gun Violence, Mild Blood, Smoking, Explicit Sexual Content, Ambiguous/Open Ending

Summary:

Early in the 21st Century, the Shuiyuntian Corporation advanced robot evolution into the NEXUS phase by creating a being virtually identical to a human, known as a Replicant. After a bloody mutiny, special task forces, known as Blade Runner Units, were created to subdue unruly Replicants.

Dongfang Qingcang was designed to be the ideal Blade Runner: stronger than most humans, devoid of any emotion to distract him. After being given the task to locate a missing Blade Runner, the evidence leads him to Shuiyuntian employee Xiao Lanhua, whose very existence makes him question everything.

Status: complete, 5 chapters, 29k

No knowledge of Blade Runner canon necessary!

Some wonderful art I commissioned for the fic!

[blmpff]

Red Peafowl The Series: supporting characters

- Natasha (Yok Kanoklak): famous model, her father, former chief of police, wants her to get together with Lu Yi Peng (ML Maiake Kandis) - Liu Guo Shi (Yacht Patsit): famous editor of a popular magazine, supports the plan^ - Chin Chiang Yen (Gun Napat): business partner of Hong Kong Que (ML Dollar Patchara) - Jackie (Ten Apivit): police officer, likes violence. Flirts with nurse Guo Yong (Deam Wutthiphat) - Zi Hao (Rome Siwapong): young architect, friend of Lu Ma Yun (Earth Cooheart) - Rufus (Benjamin Brasier): business partner of HKQ

31.10.23

[ceruleanvermillion]

Enjoying all this shangjue and qian development we're getting. And the twist ohhh brings me back to that bracelet.... yun que... is she and weishan actual sisters, is yun weishan her actual name? it seems like the same surname, so what does it mean? Next spill the gong ziyu lore pls mjty he's so suspicious to me I truly doubt his character is the simple role he seems to appear as... Learning those moves that quickly + being always cold + the tattoo thing on his back that he got as soon as he was made sword wielder....Though, I do love that they take sweet time developing all these characters

[yutamahidayati]

Rising Feather Episode 11 - 12 ENG SUB

Attention all drama enthusiasts! Brace yourselves as the much-anticipated Rising Feather Episode 11 - 12 with English subtitles has been unleashed into the streaming sphere. In here, we take pride in being the trailblazers, delivering the freshest episodes straight to your screens. This latest installment is ripe with intrigue, emotion, and unmissable plot twists. Make sure to bookmark our platform for instant access to all the newest episodes, and stay tuned via our Facebook page for real-time updates on your favorite dramas. Indulge in this engrossing episode and immerse yourself in the captivating world of drama. Don't miss out – it's time to delve into the magic of Rising Feather Episode 11 - 12!

Rising Feather Episode 11 - 12

Watch on Website : Watch Rising Feather Episode 11 - 12 Eng Sub Full Episode (Free) Watch on FB Groups : fb.com/groups/englishsubsasiandramaclub (Join) Watch on Telegram : @englishsubsasiandramaclub (Join)

Details Drama: Rising Feather Country: China Episodes: 30 Aired: Dec 6, 2023 - Dec 21, 2023 Aired On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday Original Network: Youku Duration: 15 min. Content Rating: Not Yet Rated Rising Feather: Native Title: 青雀成凰 Also Known As: Qing Que Cheng Huang Genres: Historical, Romance Tags: Short Length Series, Web Series Statistics: Score: 7.1 (scored by 26 users) Ranked: #57382 Popularity: #11019 Watchers: 523 Rising Feather Episode 11 - 12 Eng Sub (Full Episode) Rising Feather also know as Qing Que Cheng Huang, 青雀成凰 the third installment of the renowned drama series, Rising Feather unfolds with an amalgamation of wit, humor, and emotional depth. As the story continues, viewers are drawn deeper into the lives of its vibrant characters, experiencing a roller-coaster of laughter and heartfelt moments. Set against the backdrop of Princess Qing Que, the orphaned daughter of prince Huai, grew up in Mu Wang's mansion, where she always received harsh treatment from the princess Mu Qing Cheng. While trying to escape from there, she meets Yun Huan. After saving each other, they promise to spend their life together. However, though Qing Que gave him all her heart, Yun Huan rewarded her with a fatal blow. Qing Que, who had escaped death, then reincarnated as Que Er, wandering in a dangerous relationship between Mu Wang and Yun Huan, playing tricks on people's hearts every step of the way., Episode 11 - 12 brings to the forefront the complexities and bonds between the central characters. The episode weaves a narrative that effortlessly oscillates between comedic interludes and touching revelations. Episode 11 - 12 , the characters who are full of charm and uniqueness are each involved in unexpected situations. Funny conflicts and hilarious moments present a series of scenes that invite laughter while conveying touching messages. This episode not only displays fresh humor, but also displays interesting character development. From light scenes to emotional moments, every aspect of this story is designed to appeal to the audience. The actors in the Rising Feather series deliver extraordinary performances, making every scene full of warmth and undeniable quality. While inserting a deep moral message, this series succeeds in expressing joy, silliness and immersive emotional depth. With a smart and interesting point of view, Episode 11 - 12 of the Rising Feather drama series promises exciting entertainment for loyal fans and viewers who have just joined this exciting adventure. From the cuteness to the depth of the story, every moment in this episode encapsulates the essence of what makes the Rising Feather drama series so interesting. Certainly, every viewer will be carried away by the storyline which is full of joy and warmth, making this episode an unforgettable experience. The production values ​​are commendable, as evidenced by the smooth cinematography that is able to capture the essence of every scene produced by Youku and the cast Li Jiu Lin, Xiao Yu, Terry Guo, Liu Yuan Yuan, Wang Lu, Xie Zi Chen. Overall, Episode 11 - 12 of Rising Feather encapsulates the series' signature blend of humor and depth. It not only entertains but also resonates emotionally, leaving a lasting impact on the audience. As the narrative progresses, viewers eagerly anticipate the subsequent episodes to witness the further evolution of the storyline and characters.

[bvdream]

yun hyejin

nome: yun hyejin. idade: ~27 anos. ocupação: dançarina, coreógrafa e professora de dança. sexualidade: bissexual. faceclaim: jeon somin. status: aberta para qualquer gênero.

about completo ♡ character tag

intro

triggers: a história completa dela contém gatilhos para ansiedade social, bullying, traição e relacionamentos abusivos, além de relações familiares disfuncionais e trabalho sexual (no passado/cam modeling).

hyejin é uma performer nata com uma presença de palco tremenda. 100% gostosa tatuada. também é uma professora bem exigente e detalhista quando acaba dando aula, mesmo que do jeito mais gentil possível. mesmo assim, no dia a dia é toda soft, de fala mansa, e pode até ser um pouco tímida. a mom friend. sabe que é bonita, mas ainda está trabalhando em outras inseguranças. já se machucou muito no amor, mas segue sendo uma hopeless romantic mesmo quando não quer ser. (não que isso a impeça de passar o rodo na ocasião de alguém jogar água).

plots sugeridos

um plot idol/coreógrafa ou idol/dançarina no geral! hyejin e muse podem trabalhar juntes com frequência, ela coreografar e/ou dar aula pra elu sempre, ou podem estar fazendo sua primeira colaboração em uma coreografia para um comeback ou uma performance/um stage em específico. algumas inspos para o que eu estava pensando incluem a bada lee e o taeyong do nct, a bada lee e o kai do exo, e o b.i. e as gostosas da 1million (o plot não precisa ser m/f! essas foram só as primeiras inspos que consigo puxar da memória) alternativamente, qualquer plot (friends to lovers, fwb to lovers, exes, ex-quase) com ume muse da cena musical, em especial do pop ou! do hip hop, porque hyejin admite que tem um tipo, e ela meio que circula pelo meio de qualquer forma

[ladysunamireads]

Cangyan Sea Wedding

Cangyan Sea Wedding by what katy did 1234

This is a continuation of the TV series after the epilogue. It arose because a friend and I were imagining some funny scenes at Dongfang Qingcang and Xiao Lanhua's wedding, if Lord Yunzhong had to visit Cangyan Sea. And me being me - it grew.

I have kept to the TV series storyline and tried to keep consistent with the feeling of the series and characters. (I also read a translation of the original novel.)

I have used the English Pinyin transliterations from the TV series. Any errors, let me know. I only know a very little Mandarin.

Words: 431, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: 苍兰诀 | Love Between Fairy and Devil (TV)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, Gen, Other

Characters: Dongfang Qingcang, Xiao Lan Hua, Chang Heng, Jieli, Shang Que, Yun Zhong, Shan Sheng, Dongfang Xunfeng, Qing Chuan, Liyuan

Relationships: Dongfang Qingcang/Xiao Lan Hua

Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Weddings, Wedding Planning, Wedding Night, Cultural Differences, Drinking, Romance, Fireworks, Fairies, Dysfunctional Family, Family Dynamics, Protective Older Brothers, Brothers, Big Brothers, Little Brothers, Brotherly Love

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48023071

[mirajanefairytailmage]

Rambling About a Show (02/09/2023)

⚠️SPOILER?!⚠️

😭 The last like five or so episode had me bawling so hard.

I seriously love how Orchid and Dongfang Qing Cang/Moon Supreme/Big Blockhead went from ‘don’t fall in love with me I like someone else’ and ‘there is no love between us’ to ‘I love you so much that I will sacrifice myself just so that you may live on’. 🥺 They were both willing to go through hell just to prove how real the love is. They didn’t care that they’re from rival realms. I felt a little heartbroken when it was revealed that Lady Arbiter was banished for falling in love with someone she wasn’t supposed. Poor Orchid was told that her master was traveling the world. They didn’t tell her the truth. However, it’s good to know that Moon Supreme and Orchid weren’t the only ones that had a forbidden love. Not only Lady Arbiter but also Li Yuan falling in love with and having children with a woman from the Moon Tribe. That was a twist I wasn’t expecting. Also can’t forget about the time Moon Supreme threatened to invade and conquer  Shui Yun Tian and also get rid of anyone who dared to bully or harm Orchid. That was extra, but very like him. Well, the beginning version of him. Thanks to Orchid he slowly becomes more compassionate, understanding, patient, and loving. 

Another thing is I ended up becoming more interested in Shan que and his budding relationship with Jie li. Poor Jie li felt she didn’t deserve his love because she was deceiving him. Granted she was doing it to survive because her heart was poisoned. Also, finding out she is one of the daughters of Li Yuan was a bit of a shocker. Wasn’t too surprised though. Especially when they showed Li Yuan’s secret about Dan yin. I thought Shan que proposing and Jie li saying yes was the most adorable scene. The way he lifted her up and spun her around out of happiness. So, of course I was heartbroken when at one point she said it was all fake and a lie. She only said that because of her circumstances. I’m glad that these two sorted everything out in the end.

Rong hao... I felt he was a shady character. However I didn’t expect him to be the Lord of Haishi. He had his reasons, but that doesn’t excuse his actions or his behavior. Also, not sure if his feeling for his master was familial or romantic. That wasn’t very clear. I mean, he did mention that he would do anything to bring back his master. Who happens to be the former God of War Lady Chidi. 

As I was watching this, I couldn’t side with the fairy realm at all. The way most of them treated Orchid, before she risked her life to save them during the Immortal Examination was heartbreaking. Not only that but I thought it was extreme that they wouldn’t allow interracial marriages or love. Another thing that has been on my mind is why did Dongfang Qing Cang say he was the one who killed the Xilan people? Because if I remember correctly that was Rong hao’s fault because he was looking for the Goddess Xiyun. Because she was the only one that could bring Lady Chidi back to life. Which she turned out to be Orchid in disguise for that very reason.

I was living for all the silly parts between Orchid and Dongfang Qing Cang. When Orchid had to sacrifice herself I cried so hard. Also when Moon Supreme broke her heart just so that she would stop loving him. Because that was the only way for the Bone Orchid bracelet to be removed. That scene alone was hard to watch without crying. Then there’s the fact that she chose him over Lord Chang heng. Another scene that had me crying. Listen, this show had me all sorts of emotional from beginning to end. I loved every bit of it. 

I forgot to mention that I love the duality of Dongfang Qing Cang and Orchid when they switch bodies. Because it's absolutely hilarious how he can go from stoic and stern to silly and adorable. Then Orchid goes from silly and adorable to stoic and stern. 🤣 It's just fantastic.

[mengyan]

may we hear any extended thoughts you have about yunzhiyu/my journey to you?

anon, i feel like the fact that i had to start writing a fix-it fic right after i finished and i'm currently 40k/60k+ words in, that already says a lot about what i think... 😭

you have opened a can of worms really. you asked for this

THE SHIPS: i have to start with this, sorry. neither of the two main ships compelled me. gzy/yws was alright, i could see the appeal, and i mean i do like them enough. they're good for each other, i'm glad they're happy. as for gsj/sgq i will just say concisely: no. jf/gzs were very cute and i enjoyed them, yun que/yue-gongzi as well!

THE SHIPS (NON-CANON): THANK YOU GJM FOR GIVING ME SHANGGUAN QIAN AND YUN WEISHAN. THANK YOU FOR CAPTURING THEIR INTENSE, INSANE CHEMISTRY SO PERFECTLY. THANK YOU FOR HANDING THEM OVER TO ME, THEY'RE MY OCS NOW. MY TOP YZY SHIP WHO'S DOING IT LIKE THEM

THE DYNAMICS: now here is where yzy NAILED IT!! i may not have liked gsj/sgq as a ship, but as a DYNAMIC? amazing. perfect. all the two of them are is a game of weiqi and a guilt-ridden tragedy. lovely stuff. juezhi? absolute gold. the family dynamics? so complex and tasty. the hanyas, dianzhu, zhuo mei in relation to yws and sgq? i could go on forever. and any dynamic with sgq makes me insane.

THE PLOT: started off strong and ended........ well. see above (my estimated to be 60k fix-it fic). some parts definitely could have been cut or made more concise. there are... a lot of holes to patch. some lore really should have been used better too.

THE DIALOGUE: good at some parts and too direct at others. a lot of telling and not enough showing.

THE AESTHETICS: 100000000000000000/10 NO NOTES

THE ACTING: 100000000000000000/10 NO NOTES X2

THE OST: 100000000000000000/10 NO NOTES x3

OVERALL THOUGHTS: this is definitely an interesting drama to rewatch because for all the scenes you sped through before, you learn several pieces of information you missed 😂 i rated this drama 8/10, which was carried by its production, cast and characters. my biggest issues were the plot holes and main ships, but otherwise, it's a worthwhile watch. i don't regret watching it for sure- i can't imagine how empty my brain would be without shangguan qian (and yun weishan) haunting it daily 😂