#geng lin

[ladynamie]

The Legend of Shen Li 与凤行 (2024) | Episode 38

[whumpetywhump]

Favourite Trope: Held Hostage (191/?) Legend Of Shen Li - Ep. 6

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[dangermousie]

I have speedrun finished my rewatch of Princess Agents. It is a very very uneven drama but when it's good, it's so good. And it's genuinely dark and with horrifying stakes and arcs newer dramas do not do.

My two favorite characters on this rewatch actually ended up being Yan Xun and Chun'er. Both have somewhat similar arcs, don't they? They both start as loved and loving darlings and then the world breaks and breaks them and they end the drama as monsters who lost everyone who loved them and who they loved and it's tragic and you completely get why they became what they became.

Also, the moment Yan Xun declares his rebellion (pushed into that timeline by the emperor who plans to use his wedding to Chun'er as a trap to murder him) is still just BLOOD PUMPING!!!

When I first watched this when it aired back in 2017, I was hardcore Chu Xiao x Yuwen Yue but i found myself not only utterly switching ships this time around, I also genuinely don't like YY as a person. LGX is wonderful in the role and he and ZLY have genuinely insane chemistry but YY is just...privileged and smug with it. Let me put it this way - he can talk about morals and what not, but he's one main character who's never been tormented and taken apart - the way Chu Xiao, Yan Xun, Chun'er, Chun'er's brother etc ever were. It is so easy of him to sit there and pronounce judgment when it's his action and inaction that led to so much of it. When CX accuses him of being a bystander and thus guilty, she is not wrong.

By the end, it is very clear that Yan Xun and CX can never be - their morals and paths diverged too much (his trauma has driven him into a different kind of hell than he was in Chang'an and she won't follow him into it, rightly.) In fact, in a different story, I'd love to see him and Chun'er actually end up together and find fucked up and fitting love. And I get why she chooses YY but but BUT - I am actually content with the ending of the drama i.e., her getting neither. It's a really fitting dark ending for every character, tbh.

Side note - I have nothing against gorgeous elegant fragile looking recent cdrama MLs. They are works of art. But I miss the era when generals looked like generals. LGX and Shawn Dou and the rest of them look like they can actually lift a spear without keeling over.

[ryin-silverfish]

Hello ryin! I saw in a recent post of yours that you dislike the "class warfare" reading of the Havoc in Heaven arc in JTTW and would honestly love to hear more about your thoughts on that! Your takes have been really interesting.

Thank you!

My biggest problem with the "class warfare" reading is, first and foremost, what it has been historically used for.

Like, after the Havoc in Heaven opera and movie came out, the propagandists absolutely ate it up; SWK was associated with Mao Zedong and used to promote Mao's personality cult, and soon after, the White Bone Spirit story would be interpreted as this fable for the Sino-Soviet split.

Whereas Havoc in Heaven was intended and viewed as a metaphor and love letter to the victory of Chinese revolution, the White Bone Spirit story was interpreted in the context of the horrific fuck-up that is the Great Leap Forward, where the party were starting to doubt its leadership, and the path to the future seemed an uncertain and arduous one——much like the pilgrimage.

So, in the new twist on the "class warfare" narrative, Tripitaka and Pigsy became the poster-boy for "party members who were easily captivated by revisionist ideas" and needed to see how wrong they were, the WBS became the personification of Khruschev, imperialism, capitalism, revisionism...you name it, and SWK the Mao expy who could do no wrong yet was unfairly blamed by everyone.

Came the Cultural Revolution era, SWK would then become a sort of hero and role model for the Red Guards, smashing down all that was considered archaic and backwards, tearing down older authority figures and perceived "class enemies" alike, all the while emboldened by Mao's saying that "To rebel is justified" (造反有理).

Yeah, no, fuck that shit.

Terrible historical baggages aside, it is also a reading that reeks of presentism, and Lin Geng, a renowned professor of literature, had done a thorough takedown of the "SWK as peasant rebel" idea in his 西游记漫话.

Namely, it neither fits the circumstances of Havoc in Heaven, nor SWK's backstory and motivation. He's not rebelling because his monkeys are oppressed by the Celestial Realm, he's doing it because he feels personally slighted.

His mindset is also not that of a traditional peasant; compare and contrast that with Zhu Bajie, whom the author argues is very much peasant-coded in terms of his obsession with going back to Gao Laozhuang, his rake, and his comedic ignorance that stems from urban stereotypes of rural farmers.

To paraphrase Lin Geng, "Not all rebellions and rebel narratives in Chinese history are peasant ones, and we shouldn't just cry 'peasant rebellion metaphor!' the moment we saw a rebellion in fiction."

Lastly and more personally? This reading also tends to remove SWK's depth as a character. The representation of the Mind can be both heroic and flawed, capable of great feats and fuck-ups alike, but the representation of The Revolution has to be heroic and his opponents, whether celestial or demonic, must be evil oppressors and political boogeymen.

Like, the demons in the novel are representations of the mental obstacles a person will face on the path to Enlightenment, but they are also capable of being funny and very human characters, and not all of them wanted to eat Tripitaka.

The Celestial Realm is a satire of the imperial bureaucracy, sure, but the novel is also a product of its time and cannot magically promote 20th century ideas of revolutions and political reforms 500 years before they were a thing. Besides, SWK can still get help from them on the Journey and their relationship is more complicated than "oppressed rebel and oppressors".

And that's exactly why I dislike the "class warfare" reading: it creates a simplistic opposition of good and evil, and tries to squeeze the work into a narrow political framework that is neither nuanced nor accurate.

[ella-felicityqueen]

I'm so lucky to have met you in this lifetime.

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: The Legend of Shen Li (2024)

EP 152. @จ้าวลี่อิง#赵丽颖#ZhaoLiying#ปฐพีไร้พ่าย #Lingengxin#林更新#KennyLin#หลินเกิงซิน➰💌

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dl56f6xU4Zg

[queensqewed0722]

I’m watching “Princess Agents” now and I’m already quite spoiled about this drama having a sad ending for the characters of Lin Gengxin and Zhao Liying. And I also know that there is an interval wherein she becomes part of Yan Xun’s trusted inner circle (and the way I understand it, they become romantically involved).

I don’t really know how I’m going to take the sad ending that apparently, most viewers found quite traumatic. This is the reason why they are clamoring for Season 2 and quite over the moon with the release of “The Legend of Shen Li”.

In any case, "Princess Agents" or "The Legend of Chu Qiao" has a very compelling story and I like the dynamic between Yuwen Yue and Xing'er. He's so cold and aloof on the outside but he hides a sensitive and caring nature, which his role as the emperor's head of the spy network doesn't allow him to reveal. Yet he finds himself caring for this intriguing young slave girl who seems to have been blessed with the inherent instincts and reflexes that would make her a very formidable warrior and assassin.

For Xing'er, she finds herself liking her strange young master, despite his attitude towards her. More often than not, he treats her with disdain and his words are spiteful and cold. Yet she is able to see through his seemingly cruel treatment of her and realizes that his "punishments" are really training sessions in disguise, designed to hone her natural skills as a fighter.

I find that what I like with both "Princess Agents" and "The Legend of Shen Li" is first, the fact that their female leads - both played by Zhao Liying - are not damsels in distress. They are strong and resourceful young women, highly intelligent and self-possessed. They have no need of a man to take care of them, yet they are willing to give their heart to a man who will respect them and accept them for who they are.

Second, their male leads aren't toxic narcissists. They are very secure about their masculinity and don't see a strong woman as a threat. Instead, they see them as partners and someone they can rely on. Yet they're more than willing to be their protector should they need it.

I love empowered heroines and confident heroes!

[binging-asian-dramas]

To Love. 9

Story: 9

Acting: 10

Chemistry: 10

Comparable to: Love Me If You Dare (cdrama) ; Memory Lost(kdrama)

A very underrated hidden cdrama gem. Loved loved loved the crime thriller mystery aspect to this. It has a very unique way of telling the story through flashbacks and backwards storytelling in both perspectives of the main leads in the first half, then after in the middle it takes place in present time. The whole mystery revolves around the murder of Zhan Yu which you soon become quite attached to and know his ill fate. The entire cast does a phenomenal job with the acting as does the writers writing the characters perfectly with the exception of the female lead as being written somewhat as a clueless naïve clumsy woman sometimes. Overall definitely recommend for those who love crime thriller romances.

[lizcuesta]

[ladynamie]

The Legend of Shen Li 与凤行 (2024) | Episode 38

[dangermousie]

This poster for The Legend of Shen Li is EVERYTHING!!!

[smittenskitten]

ZHAO LI YING as SHEN LI & LIN GENG XIN as XING YUN The Legend of Shen Li 与凤行 (2024)

[blobofcolour]

39集真是画龙点睛，终于有人把番外也拍出来！！

I love love love ep39, it was the perfect icing on the cake to end off The Legend of Shen Li.

霸气王爷和她那柔弱不能自理的林小娘。🤣

I’ve seen complaints that this drama is too slow and/or boring and hey, it’s ok if this doesn’t work for you, just move on to one that does. But me? I’d watch 10 episodes of their married life in the mortal realm where Xing Zhi is now free to unleash his gremlin self.

Hotpot, mahjong and drinks! I definitely did something like this with my girlfriends where we talked about our relationship problems lol.

It’s hilarious how much details the drama went into for these ‘casual’ scenes cos Xing Zhi was being serious with his sauce mixing (as we all are when we go Hai Di Lao) only to have it taken away by Boss Wifey. And Ms Jin orders to have the beef tripe added to the hotpot without missing a beat. 感情再苦，也要好好吃！

Thank you director for all the lovey-dovey scenes and letting me witness Lin Geng Xin be 小鸟依人.

给导演100只鸡腿🍗

完结撒花🎉

能看到如此有诚意的作品，我心满意足了。❤️

[tomorrowsdrama]

You’re telling me that if I were a chicken Lin Geng Xin would take me home to live with him in an idyllic countryside cottage with a beautiful view where he’ll bathe me, call me a cute nickname, cook delicious food for me, and look at me lovingly while he strokes my back?

Goes on Amazon:

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: The Legend of Shen Li (2024)

EP 143. @จ้าวลี่อิง#赵丽颖#ZhaoLiying#ปฐพีไร้พ่าย #Lingengxin#林更新#KennyLin#หลินเกิงซิน➰💌

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EO-18YBZ_X8

[simply-whump]

Legend of Shen li (与凤行) - Whump List

Whumpee : Xing Zhi played by Lin Geng Xin

Synopsis : Shen Li is ordered by the Immortal Lord to fulfil an alliance marriage to a member of the Divine Clan. This concerns the peace of both realms, who have been at war for a long time. She refuses and while the guards give chase, she is wounded and falls into the mortal realm. Xing Yun is an aloof, lonesome man who helps treat her injuries. This peculiar human enjoys pranking her and loves hiding secrets. Through their time together, Shen Li begins to understand just how frail mortals are, and to repay his kindness, she decides to protect her sickly saviour. (MDL)

Genres : Romance, Wuxia, Fantasy, Historical

Warning! Possible spoilers below!

Xing Zhi / Xing Yun

Ep 1 : (13:40) Coughing, feet got numb — (26:43) Coughing up blood

Ep 2 : None

Ep 3 : (11:22) Falls into the water, saved (comedic) — (19:10) Kicked to the ground, manhandled — (23:13) Thrown to the ground, whimpering, exaggeration his injuries (comedic) — (26:10) Pretends to have a headache (Comedic) — (31:20) Wearing a sling

Ep 4 : (15:45) Splashed with hot tea, at sword point, in pain

Ep 5 : (28:24) Hand slightly injured — (32:12) Coughing after inhaling some weird smoke, nauseous (comedic)

Ep 6 : (08:00) Coughing, hand injury became worse, unwell, on one knee, pretends he’s alright — (17:05) Coughing, coughing up blood, injury discovered, concern for him — (19:00) Unwell, injury superficially treated — (27:23) Weak, starting to get healed with magic, interrupted — (33:03) Taken hostage, at sword point, protected, coughing, dying

Ep 7 : (02:25) Saved with magic

Ep 8-9 : None

Ep 10 : (26:04) Magical injury on his arm

Ep 11 : (10:09) Overexerted himself, coughing, stumbling

Ep 12-22 : None

Ep 23 : (34:15) Learns that someone he cares about has died, shocked, lashing out 

Ep 24 : (04:45) Using a lot of power for something he shouldn’t do, struggling, struck by lightning multiple times, keeps going (my man is freezing a whole ocean, grabbing lightning by hand then freezing the lightning and the sky itself, all for a woman), bleeding, walking unsteadily — (15:55) Spitting blood, collapses to his knees, concern for him — (17:58) Tries to get up but collapses, passes out — (18:51) Unconscious in bed 

Ep 25 : (22:26) Still unconscious, wakes up

Ep 26-27: None

Ep 28 : (10:21) Wound on his back shown, treated with magic 

Ep 29: None

Ep 30 : (25:35) Bleeding, concern for him — (31:00) Old injury flaring up

Ep 31 : (35:50) Hit again on his injury

Ep 32 : (16:27) Using a lot of power, coughing up blood, visibly in pain — (22:22) Spitting blood, concern for him

Ep 33 : (Flashback) (04:48) Stepping on glass shards, drunk

Ep 34-35 : None

Ep 36 : (09:07) Using a lot of power, bleeding — (32:10) Using a lot of power, blood at his lips, back cut — (35:30) Fighting, shoulder cut, spitting blood — (36:37) On one knee looking pretty roughed up, concern for him

Ep 37 : (04:30) Using himself as a shield and using his powers while heavily injured — (15:35) Walking unsteadily, heavily injured, bleeding, collapses to his knees, coughing blood, using a lot of power, struggling, exhausted — (32:51) Thrown to the side 

Ep 38 : (02:25) Injured and exhausted, spitting blood, stumbling, concern for him, collapses into his loved one arms, dying, more blood coughing and collapsing, crying, dies — (30:30) Comes back to life

Ep 39 : (06:06) Cold (comedic)

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