#hua wu zong

[dan-fei]

[kdram-chjh]

Tdrama: Meet You at the Blossom (2024)

and they both fell......... down the stairs 😭😭😭 #meetyouattheblossom #behindthescenes #chinesebl #bl

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tg7iZsHSEkY

[atamascolily]

Lily liveblogs: Thunderbolt Fantasy 4x05, "The Demon Court Nobles"

"Have fun storming the castle!"

picking up from where we left off last week with the road trip through the Wasteland of Spirits and Juan Can Yun and Dan Fei asking "Are we there yet?"

Shang: Don't make me turn this expedition around!

they want to stop and rest in a crevasse and Shang thinks this is a bad idea but they do it anyway

they are attacked by evil vines and NOPE it back out into the sandstorm, lololol

Wasteland of Spirits is Tatooine from Star Wars, confirmed

I don't know why Shang thought he could just let these kids go off by themselves, thank goodness he got smacked by plot or else they'd be toast.

meanwhile, in the demon realm, Chao Feng's sole surviving officer freaks out and runs off... straight into a han jiao's mouth and is devoured on camera with lots of blood and gore. OM NOM NOM.

Chao Feng also freaks the fuck out, but is saved by Mu Tian Ming. When Chao Feng asks why, she's like, "I dunno, seemed like a good idea at the time". beautiful cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure.

Instead of thanking her, Chao Feng yells at Tian Ming for taking Lang away and says it's all her fault; Tian Ming does not slap her across the face, but says that that might be true if Lang came here by chance, but she thinks he has a purpose. AND SHE'S RIGHT.

I hope Chao Feng has a redemption arc, but I fear for the worst for Lang and Tian Ming and everybody else as soon as she finds herself on more solid ground. (you just know Azibelpher will LOVE her scheming little mind)

The Order of the Divine Swarm arrives at Azibelpher's castle and Ba Wang Yu decides to storm the gates while Hua Wu Zong turns invisible and slips inside in the chaos. Lin, disguised as Piao Miao, opts to wait outside and watch.

this pays off when Xing Hai shows up with Lang and he immediately switches back to his normal form to surprise them.

Lin immediately picks up that Lang is part demon (the horn kinda gave it away, lol) and turns him temporarily invisible so he can sneak into the castle. He then turns his attention to charming exposition out of Xing Hai and plays her like a damn fiddle.

elsewhere, Ansaato is skittering around the Demon Court on his little insect legs (complete with sound effects) and is pissed that Azibelpher is early for their meeting (and apparently in the flesh???)

the other nobles show up, including Parasol Lady my beloved, but unfortunately, we don't get a good sense of their personalities in their brief back and forth. Other demons include: Covid Safety Protocols (wears a mask); Megamind (turban, big head); and Blue Enforcer of the Status Quo. I thought Megamind was going to be an evil advisor based on his character design, but he's just a guy, I guess??? At least there's nothing much to distinguish him here.

the demon king is a shadowy figure hidden behind a screen and HMMM THAT SEEMS FAMILIAR WHERE HAVE I SEEN THAT ONE BEFORE, but he's got a new VA, so he's probably not somebody we already know. Probably.

(can you tell I'm still scarred from last season's reveal, lol)

turns out that the statue macguffins are seals that allow you to summon demon gods if you get a quorum (4). There are 8 total, one for each demon noble and the king.

everybody is freaked out that Jia Li is dead and her seal is missing. Azi plays innocent, lol.

Lin finds all this out from Xing Hai, so he'll probably start collecting them now because thieves gonna thieve. Lang is also collecting them, but he's the only one at this point who doesn't know what they do, and this is probably all part of Azi's plan to awaken the demon gods and start the War of the Fading Dusk in earnest.

[look, if you put a sleeping demon god in the first episode, it had damn well better wake up by the last episode, I'm just saying].

also Lin has decided to torment Xing Hai by speculating he might be a demon, too because he's not affected by the demon realm the way a normal human should be.

he's trolling, obviously, but it's funny because he uses the same phrase Shang does: "no matter what anyone chooses to call me, it doesn't matter because I know who I am"

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Shang and Lin are opposites, complements, parallels, and foils, and also archetypal, and this extends to their backstories as well, which means it's unlikely that we'll see parents for either of them.

Xing Hai is objectively speaking a terrible person but I feel so bad for her because her shitty kind-of ex being a demon would solve a lot of problems for her because demons are supposed to be shitty to each other. So she's actually really into this, and while nothing Lin says is an outright lie, it certainly isn't the full truth.

{Xing Hai being in love with Lin is mostly subtext in the show itself, but it's in the light novel, and also there is a delightful series of social media posts where she fantasizes about what to do with him when he's theoretically under Seven Blasphemous Death's control and one of them is marrying him in a Western-style wedding with Azibelpher as the minister. And even then they're STILL not the most toxic het couple in the show by a wide margin!!!!}

meanwhile, Ba Wang Yu murders everybody and walks into the castle and Lin tells Xing Hai that Azibelpher isn't there because otherwise some would have stayed back to defend their master.

[this is why Azi was at the meeting early, lol]

Cut to Lang Wu Yao wandering around the empty castle, only for Spider to sneak up on him with chains, believing him to be Azibelpher.

.... you know what, he's not exactly wrong, Lang really does resemble his dad and the portraits are everywhere because Azibelpher lives in a gothic castle and has decorated accordingly

I really hope Wasp and Spider team up with Lang since they all hate Azibelpher, because the alternative is that Lang kills both of them next episode and I want to keep them around for as long as possible.

this episode is so fucking funny and I laughed so hard, twenty minutes just FLEW by, can't wait for next week

[shookethdev]

a o e i i er ai ei ao ou an en ang eng ong i ia iao ie iu ian in iang ing iong u ua uo uai ui uan un uang ueng ü üe üan ün a o e er ai ao ou an en ang eng yi ya yao ye you yan yin yang ying yong wu wa wo wai wei wan wen wang weng yu yue yuan yun b ba bo bai bei bao ban ben bang beng bi biao bie bian bin bing bu p pa po pai pei pao pou pan pen pang peng pi piao pie pian pin ping pu m ma mo me mai mei mao mou man men mang meng mi miao mie miu mian min ming mu f fa fo fei fou fan fen fang feng fu d da de dai dei dao dou dan den dang deng dong di diao die diu dian ding du duo dui duan dun t ta te tai tei tao tou tan tang teng tong ti tiao tie tian ting tu tuo tui tuan tun n na ne nai nei nao nou nan nen nang neng nong ni niao nie niu nian nin niang ning nu nuo nuan nü nüe l la le lai lei lao lou lan lang leng long li lia liao lie liu lian lin liang ling lu luo luan lun lü lüe g ga ge gai gei gao gou gan gen gang geng gong gu gua guo guai gui guan gun guang k ka ke kai kei kao kou kan ken kang keng kong ku kua kuo kuai kui kuan kun kuang h ha he hai hei hao hou han hen hang heng hong hu hua huo huai hui huan hun huang z za ze zi zai zei zao zou zan zen zang zeng zong zu zuo zui zuan zun c ca ce ci cai cao cou can cen cang ceng cong cu cuo cui cuan cun s sa se si sai sao sou san sen sang seng song su suo sui suan sun zh zha zhe zhi zhai zhei zhao zhou zhan zhen zhang zheng zhong zhu zhua zhuo zhuai zhui zhuan zhun zhuang ch cha che chi chai chao chou chan chen chang cheng chong chu chua chuo chuai chui chuan chun chuang sh sha she shi shai shei shao shou shan shen shang sheng shu shua shuo shuai shui shuan shun shuang r re ri rao rou ran ren rang reng rong ru rua ruo rui ruan run j ji jia jiao jie jiu jian jin jiang jing jiong ju jue juan jun q qi qia qiao qie qiu qian qin qiang qing qiong qu que quan qun x xi xia xiao xie xiu xian xin xiang xing xiong xu xue xuan xun

NAKU 🫵

[eyenaku]

Ji ji fu ji ji

a o e i i er ai ei ao ou an en ang eng ong i ia iao ie iu ian in iang ing iong u ua uo uai ui uan un uang ueng ü üe üan ün a o e er ai ao ou an en ang eng yi ya yao ye you yan yin yang ying yong wu wa wo wai wei wan wen wang weng yu yue yuan yun b ba bo bai bei bao ban ben bang beng bi biao bie bian bin bing bu p pa po pai pei pao pou pan pen pang peng pi piao pie pian pin ping pu m ma mo me mai mei mao mou man men mang meng mi miao mie miu mian min ming mu f fa fo fei fou fan fen fang feng fu d da de dai dei dao dou dan den dang deng dong di diao die diu dian ding du duo dui duan dun t ta te tai tei tao tou tan tang teng tong ti tiao tie tian ting tu tuo tui tuan tun n na ne nai nei nao nou nan nen nang neng nong ni niao nie niu nian nin niang ning nu nuo nuan nü nüe l la le lai lei lao lou lan lang leng long li lia liao lie liu lian lin liang ling lu luo luan lun lü lüe g ga ge gai gei gao gou gan gen gang geng gong gu gua guo guai gui guan gun guang k ka ke kai kei kao kou kan ken kang keng kong ku kua kuo kuai kui kuan kun kuang h ha he hai hei hao hou han hen hang heng hong hu hua huo huai hui huan hun huang z za ze zi zai zei zao zou zan zen zang zeng zong zu zuo zui zuan zun c ca ce ci cai cao cou can cen cang ceng cong cu cuo cui cuan cun s sa se si sai sao sou san sen sang seng song su suo sui suan sun zh zha zhe zhi zhai zhei zhao zhou zhan zhen zhang zheng zhong zhu zhua zhuo zhuai zhui zhuan zhun zhuang ch cha che chi chai chao chou chan chen chang cheng chong chu chua chuo chuai chui chuan chun chuang sh sha she shi shai shei shao shou shan shen shang sheng shu shua shuo shuai shui shuan shun shuang r re ri rao rou ran ren rang reng rong ru rua ruo rui ruan run j ji jia jiao jie jiu jian jin jiang jing jiong ju jue juan jun q qi qia qiao qie qiu qian qin qiang qing qiong qu que quan qun x xi xia xiao xie xiu xian xin xiang xing xiong xu xue xuan xun

[louisbernadisblog]

真情像草原廣闊

zhen qing xiang cao yuan guang kuo

The truth is like the grassland

層層風雨不能阻隔

ceng ceng feng yu bu neng zu ge

The wind and rain can not stop

總有雲開 日出時候

zong you yun kai  ri chu shi hou

There’s always a cloud at sunrise.

萬丈陽光照耀你我

wan zhang yang guang zhao yao ni wo

The sun shines on you and me

真情像梅花開過

zhen qing xiang mei hua kai guo

True love is like a plum blossom

冷冷冰雪不能掩沒

瞭解詳情

leng leng bing xue bu neng yan mei

Cold and ice can not cover it

就在最冷 枝頭綻放

jiu zai zui leng  zhi tou zhan fang

The branches always bloom during the coldest weather 

看見春天走向你我

kan jian chun tian zou xiang ni wo

See the spring towards you and me

雪花飄飄北風嘯嘯

xue hua piao piao bei feng xiao xiao

The snow is fluttering and the north wind is whistling

天地 一片 蒼茫

tian di  yi pian  cang mang

The world is vast

一剪寒梅 傲立雪中

yi jian han mei  ao li xue zhong

A cold plum standing proudly in the snow

只為 伊人 飄香

zhi wei  yi ren  piao xiang

Only fragrance for the beautiful girl

愛��所愛無怨無悔

ai wo suo ai wu yuan wu hui

Love what I love without regret

此情 長留 心間

ci qing  zhang liu  xin jian

This love long stays in my heart

[phoenixlionme]

Asian Martial Arts

I will be doing a set of posts of all of the martial arts from each of the country they all originated from. I can’t be entirely sure how many martial arts there, so I had to google and went to a site called, wayofthemartialarts.com as well as using Wikipedia on the “List of martial arts” page. If I missed any from this country, please add it but BE polite. I don’t tolerate rudeness. Also, some of these martial arts may include a weapon (s).

1. Bangladesh -> Butthan, Lathi Khela, Boli Khela

2. Cambodia -> Bokator, Pradal Serey

3. China -> Ba Fa; Ba Ji Quan Kung Fu; Ba Gua Zhang; Ba Ji; Bak Mei Kung Fu; Bai Mei; Bao Quan Kung Fu; Bei Tui; Chang Quan; Cha Quan; Chin Na; Choy Gar; Choy Li Fut; Chuo Jiao; DiSom; Di Tang Quan; Drunken Money; Drunken Fist; Duan Quan; Eagle Claw; Emei Quan; Fanzi; Feng Shou; Five Ancestors; Five Animals aka Ng Ying; Fujian White Crane; Guzhuangquan; Fu Jow Pai (Tiger Claw Style); Fut Gar (Buddhist Family); Hei Hu Quan (Black Tiger Fist); Hou Quan Kung Fu; Hua Quan; Hung Fut; Hung Ga; Hung Gar; Jow-Ga Kung Fu; Kunlun Quan; Kuntao; Lai Tung Pai; Lama Pai; Lau Gar; Leopard Style; Liu He Ba Fa; Li Gar Quan (Li Family Fist); Long Quan; Luohan Quan (Arhat Fist); Mei Hua Quan (Plum-blossom Fist); Mian Quan (Cotton Fist); Mi Zong; Mizongyi; Mok Gar; Monkey Style; Nan Quan; Northern Praying Mantis Style; Northern Shaolin; Pao Chui; Pi Gua Quan (Chop-Hanging Fist); Pushing hands; San Da (Chinese Kick-boxing); San Soo; Sanshou; Shaolin Kung Fu; Shuai Jiao (Chinese Wrestling); Shui Quan (Water Fist); Snake Style; Southern Dragon Style; Southern Praying Mantis Style; Tai chi; Tan Tui; Tien Shan Pai; Tong Bei Quan; Wing Chun; Wu Dang Quan; Wushu; Xing Yi Quan; Yau Kung Moon; Yi Quan; Yue Jia Quan; Zi Ran Men; Zui Quan

4. India -> Adimurai; Andhra Pradesh; Bal Vidya; Bihar; Dhanurvidya; Gadayuddha; Gatka; Huyen Langlon; Malla Yuddha; Mushtiyuddha; Kalaripayattu; Karnataka; Kashmir; Kerala; Kick-fighting; Maharashtra; Manipur; Nagaland; Niyuddha; Odisha; Pehlwani; Pugilism; Silambam; Vajra-mushti

5. Indonesia -> Caci; Cakalele; Debus; Fitimaen; Kabasaran; Kuntao; Mekare-kare; Pasola; Payuq; Pencak Silat; Silat; Sisemba; Sitobo Lalang Lipa; Tarung Derajat; Tinju

6. Israel -> Kapap; Krav Maga

7. Iran -> Kung Fu To’a

8. Japan ->  Aikidio; Aikijujitsu; Araki Ryu; Bajutsu; Battojutsu; Bojutsu; Bujutsu; Byakuren Kaikan; Daido Juku Kudo; Daito-Ryu Aikijujutsu; Enshin Kaikan; Goju-Ryu Karate; Hanbojutsu; Hojojutsu; Iaido; Iaijutsu; Isshin-Ryu; Itto-Ryu; Jojutsu; Judo; Jujutsu; Jukendo; Juttejutsu; Karate; Keijojutsu; Kendo; Kenjutsu; Kickboxing; Kobudo; Koryu; Kyokushin Karate; Kyudo; Kyujutsu; Kyusho Jitsu; Naginatajutsu; Ninjutsu; Nippon Kempo; Niten Ichi-Ryu; Nunchaku Jutsu; Shindo Jinen-Ryu; Shintaido; Shito-Ryu Karate; Shootfighing; Shooto; Shorinji Kempo; Shorin-Ryu Karate; Shotokan Karate; Sojutsu; Spochan; Sumo; Taido; Taiho Jutsu;  Tanto Jutsu; Tessenjutsu; Wado-Ryu Karate; Yabusame; Yamanni-Ryu; Yoseikan Budo

9. Korea -> Gongkwon Yusul; Gungdo; Gungsol; Haidong Gumdo; Han Mu Do; Hapkido; Hwa Rang Do; Korean swordsmanhsip; Korean spears; Kuk Sool Won; Kumdo; Kyuk Too Ki; Sibpalki; Soo Bahk Do;  Ssireum; Taekkyeon/Taekkyon; Taekwondo; Tang Soo Do aka Soo Bahk Do; Subak; Teukgong Moosool; Wong Hwa Do; Yongmudo

10. Laos -> Muay Lao

11. Malaysia -> Silat

12. Mongolia -> Bokh aka Mongolian wrestling

13. Myanmar (Burmese) -> Aka; Bando; Banshay; Lethwei; Naban; Pongyi thaing

14. Philippines -> Dumog; Eskrima; Kino Mutai; Panantukan; Sikaran; Yaw Yan

15. Sri Lanka -> Angampora

16. Thailand -> Krabi–krabong; Lerdrit; Muay boran; Muay Thai; Silat Pattani

17. Turkey -> Matrak; Oil Wrestling; Sayokan

18. Vietnam -> Cuong Nhu; Nam Hong Son; Qwan Ki Do; Tam Qui Khi-Kong; Võ thuật Bình Định/Bình Định Gia; Nhất Nam; Võ Việt Nam aka Võ Đạo of Phạm Văn Tan; Vovinam

[arlothia]

MEN IN BLUE

Time to celebrate a beautiful color on beautiful men!

Hu Ge: Mei Chang Su - Nirvana in Fire

'Leo' Wu Lie: Fei Liu - Nirvana in Fire

Jin Dong: Lin Chen - Nirvana in Fire

Chen Long: Meng Zhi - Nirvana in Fire

Sun Chun: Xiao Ting Sheng - Nirvana in Fire 2

'Turbo' Liu Yuan: Xiao Ping Jing - Nirvana in Fire 2

'Jaco' Zhang Bo: Xun Fei Zhan - Nirvana in Fire 2

Huang Xiao Ming: Xiao Ping Zhang - Nirvana in Fire 2

Kanazawa Hao Kim/Kim Jin/Jin Xin: Yue Yin Chuan - Nirvana in Fire 2

Zhou Yi Wei: Xiao Qi - The Rebel Princess

Fu Meng Bo: Sui Zhou - The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty

'Thomas' Tong Meng Shi: Yang Guo - The New Version of the Condor Heroes

'Wallace' Huo Jian Hua: Ling Hu Chong/Yang Lian Ting - Swordsman

Liu Yao Yuan: Wang Zhi - The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty

Wang Kai: Zhao Zhen/Emperor Song Ren Zong - Serenade of Peaceful Joy

'Darren' Chen Kuan Hong: Zhan Yan - No Boundary

Zhang Zhe Han: Zhou Zi Shu/Zhou Xu - Word of Honor

'Andrew' Yin Zheng: Xhang Xi Rui - Winter Begonia

Jang Hyuk: Lee Bang Won - My Country: The New Age

Yoo Ah In: King Suk Jong - Jang Ok Jung

Jo Seong Woo: Baek Gwang Hyun - Horse Doctor

Ji Chang Wook: Lee Choon Bae (young) - The Bros

Woo Do Hwan: Nam Seon Ho - My Country; The New Age

Lee Jun Ho: Heo Saek - Homme Fatale

Yoo Yeon Seok: Gu Dong Mae/Ishida Sho - Mr. Sunshine

So Ji Sub: King Jung Jo - The Throne

Lee Min Ho: Ghoi Yeong - Faith

Liu Hai Kuan: Lan Xichen - The Untamed

Liu Duan Duan: Li Cheng Ze - Joy of Life

Wang Yi Bo: Lan Zhan - The Untamed

'Vardy' Wang Hao Xuan: Yu Ming Ye - Dance of the Phoenix

'James' Huang Zi Teng: Lan Qi Ren - The Untamed

'Marius' Wang Zhuo Cheng: Jiang Shao - Legend of Two Sisters In the Chaos

Zhang Ruo Yun: Fan Xian - Joy of Life

'Sean' Xiao Zhan: Bei Tang Mo Ran - Oh My Emperor

Guo Qi Lin: Fan Xizhe - Joy of Life

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is part of an unofficial series @terribleteej and @smylealong have been having fun with. Check their stuff out here:

Teej's Men in Modern Red

Teej's Men in Traditional Red

Lea's Men in Modern Black

Lea's Men in Traditional Black

[ourimpavidheroine]

Wuko Fic Character List - submission by Tortoisesforhire

So I’ve definitely missed some but I think I got most of the recurring character and all the main story characters. Hopefully this makes sense and isn’t confusing, I put all the side characters or one-off’s at the bottom. Please let me know if I got anyone’s name wrong. 

I hope you’re feeling well Impavid! And I hope this helps with anyone’s confusion with characters. 

By Family

HouTing

King Kuei HouTing - (various wives)

    King Zaichun HouTing - Yu - Narumi - Xiaozheyi - Wan - Ji

        (Wu’s father) - Meili - (Lady Chun)

             King Wu HouTing - Mako - Qi Beifong

                 Naoki HouTing - Sozui

                    Firelord Lozan

                Yaozhi HouTing - Ping

                Meili HouTing - Tupilek

                    Linyi HouTing

                    Tarralikitak HouTing

                    Aglakti HouTing

               Sayuri HouTing - Zu Chongzhi

                    Radiant HouTing

                    Star HouTing

                          Zetian HouTing   

Beifong

Lady Poppy Beifong - Bao

     Toph Beifong - (two unnamed men)

        Lin Beifong - Lozan I

           Qi Beifong - Wu HouTing*

       Suyin Beifong - Baatar Sr

           Baatar Beifong Jr - Ikki

              ��Goba Beifong - Kelden/Hua Beifong

                     Yimu

                     (several other children)

          Huan Beifong - Ikki

              Katara Beifong

              Tseten Beifong

              Bhuti Beifong

         Opal Beifong - Bolin

             San Beifong - Amak

                (two sons)

                    Avatar Bo Beifong

             Norbu Beifong

            Pearl Beifong

                Emerald Beifong

          Wei Beifong - Sitiak

         Wing Beifong - Nuo Beifong

            Orchid Beifong - (two unnamed husbands)

               (at least four children)

           Iris Beifong - (unnamed wife)

           Rose Beifong

           Poppy Beifong - Jai

               (two sons)

Airbenders

Avatar Aang - Katara

   Bumi

   Kya

   Tenzin - Pema

      Jinora - Kai

      Ikki - Huan Beifong/Baatar Beifong Jr*

      Meelo - Dolma

         Gyatso

         (unnamed son)

      Rohan

Fire Nation

Iroh I

   Li Ten

Firelord Ozai - Ursa

   Firelord Zuko - (assumed to be Mei)

      Firelord Izumi - (unnamed husband)

         Mizuko - (unnamed husband)

            Firelord Juziya

            Sozui - Naoki HouTing*

         Iroh II

         Ursa

   Azula

Water Tribe

Chief Tonraq - Senna

   Korra - Asami Sato

Chief Unalaq - (unnamed wife)

   Desna

   Eska

Side or Small Characters

Grand Secretariat Gun: a father figure in Wu’s life

Lighting Bolt Zolt: Gang leader, Mako’s first teacher

Madame Zong: secretly Narumi, Zaichun’s second wife

Miwa: Wu’s ember island majordomo

Bora: Lin’s cousin on her father’s side

Yung: airbender, father of Bora’s children

Grandma Yin: Mako and Bolin’s grandma

Liling, Chow, Chow Jr, Tu, Bai, Rong: Mako and Bolins family

Shu: Liling’s daughter, found with Naoki as a child

Yumi: Kyoshi Warrior, Meili’s birth mother

Mauja: Amak’s mother

Cork: takes over as HouTing majordomo after Lolo

Zip: Qi’s childhood friend

Chiyo: Mako’s police partner

Varrick: canon character, inventor

Zhu Li: canon character, Varrick’s wife

Tahno: canon character, pro-bending waterbender

Changying: Imperial Jade Hotel concierge

Grandmaster Kana: one of Naoki’s teachers, briefly

Iraka: stuffy embassy consul

Sir Sotan: Sozui’s former bodyguard, asshole

Ambassador Tora: fire nation ambassador to republic city

Lady Feiyan: tried to scold Sayuri once

Koska: pro-bending healer

Madame Tan: HouTing dancing teacher

Bingwen: yangqin player

Apirlaat: pro-bender

Setsu: pro-bender

Jiahao: one of Yumi’s students

Hiro Mononobe: fire nation noble that Naoki killed

Maya Mononobe: left at the altar by Sozui

Hina: Naoki’s handmaid

Zihao: son of Bora and Yung

Kaito: boy Naoki kissed to make Sozui jealous

Noriaki: boy that zhi had a crush on as a boy, father of budding lepidopterist

Kame: Noriaki’s wife

Yumisa: budding lepidopterist

Kyra: shop girl at little ba sing se mall

Jun-Yi, Tsung-Han, Koemi, Risa, Dihn, Soon-Ja, Xinyi: Spring Festival Committee

Yuka: Naoki’s school friend

Aruna: Museum currator

***********************************************

Impavid here! Okay, this is pretty amazing! I do need to make a few corrections (Zaichun was never king; his older sister Guang was the queen - the Hou-Ting killed by the Red Lotus, for example) and sure there are a few missing characters (how could there not be, there are so damn many) but even still, AMAZING.

Also, I laughed a lot at your little comments, @tortoisesforhire. “Budding lepidopterist.” “Tried to scold Sayuri once.” (Tried being the operative word, good luck on that one.) THAT MADE MY DAY.

I can also add in some of the missing names, for sure.

Anybody else? Please add in. I know @peoniequeen is also making a list just as I know there are a lot more characters. (God help us all. But me. Especially me.)

Once this is all complete I’ll create a page for it here on Tumblr and post it permanently. Also, I think I can post it on AO3 as well.

[the-archlich]

Why did Wu and Shu seem to have a significant decrease in the quality of their Generals and officials in the latter days of the Three Kingdoms Era?

They didn't.

The folktales tend to be about the figures of the Sanping and Jian'an eras. Cao Cao, Guan Yu, and the like. There are a handful from the Three Kingdoms who get stories (Deng Ai and Jiang Wei, for example) but not nearly as many as in the previous era. That leads to a very confused perception that the commanders of later years were inferior to those of the earlier times.

There's also the fact that warfare during the Three Kingdoms had lower stakes. During the Sanping and Jian'an years, a single battle could determine the fate of a warlord's entire army. There were many desperate do-or-die battles, which provided more opportunities to display individual heroics.

The battles of the Three Kingdoms were not so desperate. A loss here or there (or even frequent losses) did not put the state in peril. And armies were larger, better organized, and campaigns were better planned. That leaves room for fewer individual actions.

The commanders of the Three Kingdoms were by no means inferior to their predecessors. Off the top of my head, here are some people who are comparable to those Sanping-Jian'an figures when you strip away the folktales.

This list begins with those who became famous during the Three Kingdoms proper; after 220. Some were active before then, but this is when they became significant. It excludes, to some extent, figures who only became famous after Jin's conquest of Wu in 280.

Xiahou Shang, Xiahou Xuan, Jia Kui, Fu Jia, Chen Tai, Gao Rou, Guo Huai, Wang Ji, Wang Ling< Guanqiu Jian, Deng Ai, Zhong Hui, Dong Yun, Chen Zhi, Li Yan, Huo Yi, Xiang Lang, Qian Zhou, Li Hui, Ma Zhong, Wang Ping, Zhang Ni, Jiang Wan, Fei YiGu Tan, Pan Zhang, Ding Feng, Zhu Ran, Shi Ji, Lu Ju, Zhu Yi, Zhu Ju, Lu Kang, He Qi, Quan Zong, Lu Dai, Pan Jun, Zhuge Ke, Teng Yin, Sima Yi, Sima Shi, Sima Zhao, Sima Yan, Zheng Chong, He Zeng, Shi Bao, Yang Hu, Du Yu, Chen Qian, Pei Xiu, Wei Guan, Zhang Hua, Sima Fu, Sima Wang, Sima Jun, Sima Zhou, Xun Yi, Xun Xu, Jia Chong, Wang Hun, Wang Jun, tang Bin, Shan Tao, Wang Rong

There are no doubt many who I am forgetting to mention because this is just shooting from the hip.

[bookofjin]

Rise of Sixteen States: 300

(Zhao Xin rebels)

7 February 300 – 25 January 301

(Jin's 1st Year of Yongkang)

Summer, 4thMonth, guisi [7 May], the King of Liang, Rong, and the King of Zhao, Lun, falsely decreed the demotion of Empress Jia to be a commoner. The Minister of Works, Zhang Hua, and the Supervisor of the Masters of Writing, Pei Wei, were both murdered. Palace Attendant Jia Mi and his faction with several tens of people were all executed.

On jiawu,[8 May], Lun falsely decreed a great amnesty, himself to be Chancellor of the State and Commander-in-Chief of All Armies in the Centre and Outside and like Xuan and Wen assisted in the old affairs of Wei.

(Li Te)

1stYear of Yongkang [300 AD], a decree summoned the Inspector of Yi, province, Zhao Xin, to become Great Prolonger of Autumn, and moved the Interior Clerk of Chengdu, Geng Teng, to be Inspector of Yi province and General of Smashing Charges, and follow the clothes and pendants worn by Xin. Xin was Empress Jia's relative by marriage, and when he heard the summons was very afraid.

Earlier, Xin considered Jin's government to be declining, and the Stars of Zhao's Yellow Divinations said “The one whose star is yellow will be King.” Xin thereupon secretly held close disloyal plans and had aspirations of the Liu clan for cutting away and occupying. The lands of Shu had defiles on all sides, and could be used to secure oneself. He therefore poured out the granary stores, to succour and provide for the drifting people, and so gather the heart of the multitudes. Li Te's partisans and kind were all people of Baxi, they and Xin were of the same commandery, and they led many brave and strong. Xin treated them lavishly and considered them as claws and teeth. For that reason Te and others assembled a multitude, and concentrated on robbing and thieving. The people of Shu suffered from them.

Teng several times covertly petitioned:

The drifting people are tough and simple minded, and the people of Shu are weak and timid. Guest and host being unable to regulate each other will surely be the base for chaos. [We] ought to move them back to their original lands. [If we] do not, grant them the narrow passes of the eastern three commanderies. Observe their feelings and attitudes, and do not gradually allow it to grow, otherwise [I] fear the calamities of Qin and Yong will collect in Liang# and Yi.

He also told:

The granaries and storehouses are empty and exhausted, they have nothing with which to respond to the urgencies of spear-points of and arrowheads. Certainly this will add to the sagely court's worries over western concerns.

Xin heard and detested him.

(According to HYGZ2, the “eastern three commanderies” refers to Weixing, Shangyong, and Xincheng, located east of Hanzhong.)

At the time Chengdu was seated in the lesser city, and Yi province was seated in the greater city. Xin was still in the greater city and had not yet departed. The province had received the written decree, and had already dispatched civil and military officials, more than a thousand people, to go and welcome Teng. Teng, since Xin and not yet set out from the province, was at the commandery. Xin summoned Li Xiang's partisans Luo An, Wang Li, and others to take Teng by force, and kill those who had passed on the decree. They where greatly defeated at Xuanhua precinct in Guanghan.

Teng discussed his intention to enter the provincial city. The Board of Merit [official] Chen Xun remonstrated, saying:

Now province and commandery both administer troops, the enmity and discord is deepening daily. To enter the city will surely be a great disaster, It is not as good as calmly lodging in the lesser city, to observe their alterations, and call to arms the various counties to combine villages for protection, and so prepare against the Di of Qin. Chen of the Western Yi is going to arrive, [we] should wait for him. If [we] do not, [we] can withdraw to stay in Jianwei, and go west and cross at Jiangyuan to forestall irregularities.

Teng did not follow.

Winter, 12thMonth [28 December 300 – 25 January 301], Teng led the multitudes to enter the province, and ascend the western gate. Xin dispatched a close intimate, Dai Mao, to attack Teng. Mao told him and then left. Xin again dispatched troops to chastise Teng. Teng's army was defeated, he threw himself off the lesser city and died.

A functionary, Zuo Xiong, carried Teng's son Qi, and relied on a commoner, Song Ning, to hide them. Xin offered as reward a thousand gold, but Ning did not set out. Xin soon after was defeated, and he managed to escape.

The commandery functionaries all ran away and fled, only Chen Xun bound himself and went to Xin, requesting mourning for Teng's death. Xin [found him] right-principled and did not kill him. Xun and a Board of Households official, Chang Chang, together prepared the coffin and tomb, and buried him.

Xin again dispatched troops to confront the Colonel of the Western Yi, Chen Zong. Zong arrived at Jiangyang, and heard Xin had disloyal aspirations. The Master of Accounts, Zhao Mo, advanced to say:

Now province and commandery, are not in concord, surely this will birth a great disaster. However by taking quick action, our office have troops of critical importance. Assist the compliant and chastise the disobedient, and nothing will happen.

Zong increasingly clung to the road, slowing and halting. Hence when he arrived at Yufu Ford in Nan'an, he and Xin's army met each other. Mo made clear to Zong:

Scatter wealth and goods, and recruit soldiers to resist in battle. If we overcome the provincial army, then the province can be gained. If we do not overcome, follow the currents and withdraw, there surely will be no harm.

Zong was not able to again, and said:

Zhao of Yi province was furious at Marquis Geng, and for that reason killed him. He and I have no enmity, how could it be like this?

Mo said:

Now when the province has launched an affair, they surely will establish dominance. Even if we do not fight, we will have no gains.

He talked until tears flowed down. Zong did not listen, and the multitudes slackened. Zong escaped into the grass. Mo put on Zong's clothes, and grappled and fought. Xin's troops killed Mo, and saw he was not Zong, they then searched and looked for Zong, and killed him.

(JS004: 12thMonth [28 December 300 – 25 January 301], a broom star seen in the east. The Inspector of Yi province, Zhao Xin, and Li Xiang, a drifting person of Luoyang [sic], murdered the Interior Clerk of Chengdu, Geng Sheng, the Grand Warden of Jianwei, Li Mi, the Grand Warden of Minshan, Hou Gu, and the Colonel of the Western Yi, Chen Zong. They seized Chengdu in rebellion.)

Xin declared himself Great Commander-in-Chief, Great General, and Shepherd of Yi province. He used the Prefect of Wuyang, Du Shu of Shu commandery, the Separate Carriage Zhang Can, Zhang Gui of Baxi, the Marshal of the Western Yi, Gong Ni, the Prefect of Jiangyuan, Fei Yuan of Jianwei and others as Senior Clerks of Left and Right, Marshal, and Army Advisors. He moved the Grand Warden of Jianwei, Li Xiang, to be General who Daunts the Bandits. He summoned the Prefect of Linqiong, Xu Yan of Fuling, to be Commander of the Serrated Gates. He summoned the various kingly officials, and nobody dared not to go. He also used the Grand Warden of Guanghan, Zhang Wei, the Grand Warden of Minshan, Yang Bin, and the Prefect of Chengdu, Fei Li, as Army Libationers.

At the time Xiang, his younger brothers Liu and Xiang#, his brother-in-law Li Han, Ren Hui of Tianshui, Shangguan Jing [also of Tianshui], Li Pan of Fufeng, Fei Tuo of Shiping, the Di [leaders] Fu Cheng, Wei Bo, Dong Sheng, and others were at the northern gate with 4 000 cavalry.

Xin sent Xiang to block the northern road. Xiang had long standing as Good Commander of Eastern Qiang and was aware of army deployment. He did not employ banners and flag, but raised a lance to make them move in squads. He beheaded people among his section subordinates who had not followed instructions, and the section columns became respectful. Xin detested his uniform orderliness, and wished to kill him but had not yet talked about it.

Senior Clerk Du Shu and Marshal Zhang Can talked to Xin, saying:

The Transmittals state “the Five Greats do not stay at the border”. The General raising troops has begun this way, readily dispatching Li Xiang to hold strong troops at the outside, [I] humbly venture to be puzzled by it. Moreover he is not of our kin and kind, and his heart is surely different. To turn around the halberd and hand it over to [another] person, [I] venture is not possible, and desire the General plan for it.

Xin with composed features said:

The Dignitaries' words precisely fit my thoughts, and can be spoken of as “The one who raised me up is Shang.” This is Heaven sending the Dignitaries to complete my affairs.

(Du Shu is quoting the Zuo zhuan, and Zhao Xin the Analects.)

It happened that Xiang was at the gates, and requested to see Xin. Xin was greatly pleased, and pulled in Xiang to see him. Xiang wished to observe Xin's thoughts and aims, and bowed twice, advanced and said:

Now the Central States are in great chaos, and are again without mainstays and support-ropes. The house of Jin will not be able to flourish again. Your Enlightened Excellency's Way puts together Heaven and Earth, your potency is delimiting their eaves. The affairs of Tang and Wu are truly happening in the present. [You] ought to respond to the Heaven-given time, obey the hearts of the people, help the hundred families among the mud and soot, and cause the beings' feelings to know where to revert to. Then Under Heaven can be settled, not only Yong# and Shu and that is all.

Xin angrily said:

How are these proper words for a subject!

He ordered Shu and others to debate it. Hence Shu and others sent up that Xiang was greatly disobedient and did not follow the Way. Xin therefore killed him, and his sons, nephews and clansmen, more than thirty people.

(HYGZ08: Xiang recommended he declare the great title of Han. Xiang's section subordinates were unrestrained and agitated, Xin and others were hostile to him. Thereupon at a meeting they beheaded Xiang, and his older brother's son Hong and others, more than ten people.)

Xin worried Te and others would make difficulties, and dispatched a person to explain to them saying:

Xiang had improper words, and the response to his crime reached death. It does not extend to his brothers.

He also instructed them to be supervising commanders, and to calm and comfort their multitudes, and returned to Te Xiang's body. That night, Te and Liu thoroughly dispersed the multitudes and returned to Mianzhu. Xin dispatched the former Prefect of Yinping, Zhang Heng, Sheng Qian, and Fei Shu to go and soothe and take them in. All were killed by Te.

The Commander of the Serrated Gates, Xu Yan, sought to be Army Overseer of Badong. Du Shu and Zhang Can firmly held it was not allowable. Yan was angry, and at the provincial postern gate, blade in hand, killed Shu and Can. Shu and Can's left and right then killed Yan. All were Xin's belly and heart.

Li Xiang, courtesy name Xuanxu, was Te's third younger brother. As young he gained a reputation due to his ardent spirit. He served the commandery as Supervisor of Couriers and Master of Accounts, in both cases he was commended by the officials. 4thYear of Yongkang [294 AD], he was examined as Filial and Upright, but did not go. Later, since he was good at riding and shooting, he was recommended as Good Commander, but likewise did not go.

The province considered Xiang's talents to combine both the civil and martial, and recommended him as Flowering Marvel. He firmly refused due to illness. Province and commandery did not listen, and so his name was sent up and made known. The Army Protector of the Centre urgently summoned him, he could not avoid and responded to it. He was designated Cavalry Supervisor of the Centre Army. With bow and horse he was practised and nimble, his bodily strength was beyond other people. At the time opinion compared him to Wen Yang.

Since Luoyang was soon to be in chaos, he claimed illness and left office. He by nature was dutiful and gallant, and fond of helping people with their difficulties. The province's factions strove to adhere to him.

He and the drifting people of the Six Commanderies escaped from difficulties to Liang# and Yi. On the roads and paths there were those who were straving or ill. Xiang regularly kept watch over and protected them, and grieved and cared for them. He aided and provided for the destitute and poor, and greatly gathered the hearts of the multitudes.

When he arrived in Shu, Zhao Xin deeply esteemed him. He discussed the principles of war with him, nothing he did not praise as good. Always when speaking about him to his friends, he said:

Li Xuanxu is perhaps the Guan and Zhang of these times.

When he was about to have disloyal aspirations, he entrusted him with duties of heart and spine, and therefore petitioned for Xiang to be Supervisor of Private Troops. He sent him to summoned and unite the strong and brave of the Six Commanderies, they reached more than ten thousand people.

Due to his merit in chastising rebellious Qiang, he petitioned for Qiang to be General who Daunts the Bandits, to make use of red banners and curved canopy, be ennobled Marquis of Yangquan Precinct, and be bestowed a million cash and fifty-four horses. On the day of his execution, nobody among the gentlemen and myriads of the Six Commanderies did not fell tears for him. At the time he was aged fifty-five.

[dan-fei]

[kdram-chjh]

Tdrama: Meet You at the Blossom (2024)

Special Ep 🥹 | Meet you at the blossom 🌸 #MeetYouAtTheBlossom #BloomingFlowersSilentSorrow

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BynUxFlTl0E

[fuyonggu]

Biography of Zhao You & Zhao Yin (Book of Jin 57)

No Wu association with this one.

趙誘，字元孫，淮南人也。世以將顯。州辟主簿。值刺史郗隆被齊王冏檄，使起兵討趙王倫，隆欲承檄舉義，而諸子侄並在洛陽；欲坐觀成敗，恐為冏所討，進退有疑，會群吏計議。誘說隆曰：「趙王篡逆，海內所病。今義兵飆起，其敗必矣。今為明使君計，莫若自將精兵，徑赴許昌，上策也。不然，且可留後，遣猛將將兵會盟，亦中策也。若遣小軍隨形助勝。下策耳。」隆曰：「我受二帝恩，無所偏助，正欲保州而已。」誘與治中留寶、主簿張褒等諫隆：「若無所助，變難將生，州亦不可保也。」隆猶豫不決，遂為其下所害。誘還家，杜門不出。左將軍王敦以為參軍，加廣武將軍，與甘卓、周訪共討華軼，破之。又擊杜弢於西湘，太興初，復與卓攻弢，滅之。累功賜爵平阿縣侯，代陶侃為武昌太守。時杜曾迎第五猗於荊州作亂，敦遣誘與襄陽太守朱軌共距之。猗既愍帝所遣，加有時望，為荊楚所歸。誘等苦戰皆沒，敦甚悼惜之，表贈征虜將軍、秦州刺史，諡曰敬。

Zhao You, styled Yuansun, was a native of Huainan commandary. His family had served as conspicuous generals for generations. He was recruited by the provincial office as a Registrar.

At that time (in 301), the Inspector of Yangzhou, Chi Long, had received the proclamation from the Prince of Qi, Sima Jiong, calling on the ministers and generals of the realm to join his uprising against Sima Lun, who had usurped the throne from Emperor Hui and named himself Emperor. Chi Long was hesitant on how he ought to respond. He considered supporting Sima Jiong's cause, but his sons and nephews were hostages in the capital at Luoyang, and he feared for their lives; he considered doing nothing for now and watching to see which side would prevail in the struggle, but he was worried that Sima Jiong would hold him responsible for not helping at once. He could not make up his mind alone, so he summoned a meeting of the officials of Yangzhou to discuss the matter.

Zhao You advised him, "The Prince of Zhao (Sima Lun) is a usurper and a traitor, and everyone within the Seas despises him. Even now, soldiers are rising up against him like a gale for righteousness, and he is certain to be defeated. Commissioner, if I may offer my strategies for you, the best plan would be to personally lead your best soldiers and meet up with the other loyalists at Xuchang. The next best would be to bide your time briefly before sending a fierce general to join the others. The worst thing you could do would be to just send a small army at the very end, to assist in following up on the victory."

Chi Long replied, "I have received favor from both Emperors (Emperor Hui and Sima Lun), and I cannot throw my support behind either side. I will defend my province, and do no more."

Zhao You and others objected to this, including one of the 治中s, Liu Bao, and another of the Registrars, Zhang Bao. They told him, "If you offer no assistance to the loyalists, then if any difficulties should arise in our province, you will have no means to protect it."

But Chi Long still could not follow their advice, and in the end he was killed by his subordinates. Zhao You returned home, closed the doors of his house, and did not come out again.

Several years later (~311), when Wang Dun was serving as General of the Left, he recruited Zhao You as an Army Advisor. Zhao You was later promoted to be General of Broad Valor. He worked together with Gan Zhuo and Zhou Fang to campaign against Hua Yi, and they routed him. Zhao You also fought Du Tao in western Xiangzhou, and at the beginning of the Taixing reign era (~318), he and Gan Zhuo attacked Du Tao and vanquished him. Zhao You was appointed as Marquis of Ping'a county for his achievements, and he replaced Tao Kan as Administrator of Wuchang.

Around that time (~317), Du Zeng had welcomed Diwu Yi to Jingzhou, and they were causing turmoil together. Wang Dun sent Zhao You and the Administrator of Xiangyang, Zhu Gui, to oppose them together. But since Diwu Yi had originally been granted titles and sent south by Emperor Min, he enjoyed a certain influence in the area, and many people of the Jing and Chu regions were willing to serve under him. Zhao You and the others fought bitterly against Diwu Yi and Du Zeng, but they were all lost in battle. Wang Dun deeply grieved their deaths, and he petitioned the court to posthumously appoint Zhao You as General Who Conquers The Caitiffs and Inspector of Qinzhou, with the posthumous name Jing ("the Respectful").

子龔，與誘俱死。元帝為晉王，下令贈新昌太守。龔弟胤，字伯舒。王敦使周訪擊杜曾，胤請從���。訪憚曾之強，欲先以胤餌曾，使其眾疲而後擊之。胤多梟首級。王導引為從事中郎。南頓王宗反，胤殺宗。於是王導、庾亮並倚仗之。轉冠軍將軍，遷西豫州刺史，卒于官。

Zhao You had two sons. The elder son was Zhao Gong; he died alongside his father. When Sima Rui became Prince of Jin (in 317), he issued a decree posthumously appointing Zhao Gong as Administrator of Xinchang.

Zhao You's younger son was Zhao Yin, styled Boshu. When Wang Dun sent Zhou Fang to attack Du Zeng (in 317), Zhao Yin asked to accompany the army. Zhou Fang was worried about the strength of Du Zeng's forces, so he wanted to have Zhao Yin lead the vanguard ahead to bait Du Zeng and tire out his army first, then Zhou Fang could send the main body to join the fight and defeat him. Zhao Yin took a great many heads during the battle. Wang Dun recruited Zhao Yin to his own staff to serve as his Attendant Officer of the Household Gentlemen.

When the Prince of Nandun, Sima Zong, rebelled (in 326), Zhao Yin killed him.

Both Wang Dao and Yu Liang came to rely upon Zhao Yin. He was transferred to be Champion General, then sent out west to serve as Inspector of Yuzhou. He passed away in office.

[uoongs]

[translation] MXTX Interview - TGCF questions

this is rlly for everyone to love hc more TT // split by general/book1, book 3 spoilers, and book 5 spoilers via headings (though all are minor spoilers imo, except for the one in bk 5?)

there’s another question that pertains to TGCF’s comments, which I found interesting but have left out for now because it’s very very long. it’s half translated, so maybe i’ll finish it later

CW: domestic violence, Q.21 suicidal thoughts

the mdzs parts were prev translated here by @bigbadredpanda

original interview here

reposts and translations OK, but pls give credit!! twt @/uooongs, tumblr @uoongs, ig @/duoj1ao

GENERAL / BOOK 1 REFERENCES

Q14. TGCF characters’ heights?

Xie Lian 178cm (but can perfectly seem like 180), Hua Chen 190 (first appearance as a cute fresh youth was 185cm), Jun Wu 191, Feng Xin 188, Mu Qing 188, Mo Shui 189, Shi Wudu 187, Shi Qinxuan 186 (woman form 176), Pei Ming 188, Ling Wen 180, Quan Yizhen 184 (but has a very tall presence), Yin Yu 186 (but miraculously no matter how tall he is it’s hard to notice this person).

PS: Yu Shi [rain master?]’s cow is 150 without standing up

Q17. What was XL doing after his second time getting banished to the human realm? What was HC doing? Why couldn’t he find XL? HC previously swore to not let XL know he’s protecting him, so why did he decide to meet XL again after 800 years?

XL tried doing other jobs, but all didn’t go too well, and would bring sadness/strife to others, so could only collect trash by himself.

HC was looking for him while also working on his skills + earning money, expanding his power, and worked hard to become the strongest dude!

Really, it was because XL’s luck was so terrible and stuck to him so closely that he couldn’t meet HC. Actually, many times they almost saw each other, like in Banyue, and also when XL was Fangxin head priest, but both times they just missed each other. Finally XL ascended by himself and CEO Hua couldn’t contain himself and rushed over.

T/N:

strongest dude: the word here used is “jiahuo” 家伙 which is an informal, sometimes affectionate way of calling someone, kind of like “brat” ? but without the parental figure tone

CEO Hua: 花总 “hua zong” the zong here is used as a suffix of respect, usually used for business partners/ ppl holding business positions

Q18. When they first met again, why did HC not let XL touch him?

Because he loved and respected him. He was scared he’d get too excited and do something wrong. Later, the reason was that sometimes if he thought he made a mistake, like not protecting Dianxia well, he would not let himself touch his idol. Even if he wanted to a lot, he wouldn’t let himself touch, because it’s his own punishment for himself.

Q19. What did XL like doing as a kid? Did he whine like a kid?

He liked going on swings, calligraphy, drawing, reading books most people wouldn’t read, building and knocking over golden toy block houses. Whined a lot, and would insist on sleeping with his parents. So when he stopped whining like that the king didn’t find him as cute.

T/N: the “whine” here is the best English equivalent as far as I know, but perhaps you’re more familiar with the term “aegyo”? lol. Original word is 撒娇 “sa jiao”

Q20. Where did HC’s name and San Lang come from?

Why Hua Cheng, only he himself would know, since names are based on intuition and he didn’t tell me anything. San Lang was firstly because he was actually the third child at home, secondly because he fell during the third lap during the Offering to the Gods parade, thirdly because BLABLABLABLA many reasons to guess. Being the third seme of the novels is also an interesting Easter egg, but that wasn’t the main reason. Just as why Lan Wangji is Lan Er-Gege, or why Qiu Chi is called Si Shao, one can find many fitting explanations in the novel.

T/N:

BLABLABLABLA is actually what appeared in MXTX’s response lol

Qiu Chi 秋迟 is the name of a character (not sure MC or ML) for her next novel, and Si Shao 四少 means fourth, or fourth child/youth ?

“Offering to the Gods ceremony” translation is taken from Sakhyulations translation! https://www.sakhyulations.com/novel/heaven-officials-blessing/chapter-1/ bless them uwu

Q22. Why did HC not have confidence in his looks?

Because he was always told he was ugly, a monster, etc as a kid, so there was a deep “I’m ugly” impression of himself. Later he started suspecting that “maybe I’m kind of good looking”. But before the person he likes the most, he would still instinctively be self-deprecating, and sometimes will wonder if he’s an ugly person.

Q24. Why did XL give himself the surname “Hua”? 

Because he likes flowers, and used to be called the Flower Crown Martial God. Also, in the initial character sketch, when XL was banished he became a flower god, in charge of flowers’ blooming and wilting.

T/N: The word for “wilt”, amazingly, is 花谢 “hua xie” which is HC’s surname + XL’s surname (!!!). Also is the fake name XL used in Banyue, and the surname he gave to HC in the amnesia extra.

Q27. When will edits be made on TGCF?

Edits have already started, and when they’re done they will all be added with an announcement. Because it’s a long process, and because JJ has inconvenient limits on edits, Iwon’t know when. Not sure if it’ll be before or after the fourth novel. Also will depend on novel adaptations (of prev novels) and how the fourth book goes.

Q28. Will there be more extras for TGCF?

I’ve been wanting to write a human realm commoner storybook, a collection of short fairytales.

BOOK 3 SPOILERS

Q15. Where was Hualian’s first time? Does Hua Chen know that Xie Lian made the first move in kissing him in Qiandeng temple?

Huangji temple in Taicang mountain! HC didn’t know at first, but later Huahua teased it out + closely interrogated it out of XL.

Q16. What was the last mural and the lying down sculpture of XL in Wanshengku (hundred thousand-gods temple)?

It was that you know. That.

T/N: papapapapapa

Q21. Why did HC always have bandages on his face as a child? Why did he fall from the building? Why was he always getting bullied but still physically very strong/healthy?

He was always beaten up because his right eye is red. Others thought it was scary, and his face had a lot of scars that had to be covered;

One day he was beaten up so much that he wanted to kill himself, and also he’s a very bratty and petty kid, so when he heard there’s going to be a Offering to the Gods ceremony -- which if went wrong will bring strife to the whole country -- he especially chose that day to ruin the ceremony. As in, “if I’m unlucky and having a hard time, I want this entire country to die with me”. But he ended up climbing up there saw his wife and was shook, so he forgot to kill himself. But because he wanted to see more clearly, wanted to be closer so badly, he accidently fell off. 

He is just very tenaciously surviving! He’s strong like XL, won’t die even after getting beaten up hundreds of times, and forever will be able to hold onto a last breath and crawl back up again to return, against fate.

Q23. What did Mu Qing say when he drove HC away?

MQ just speaks like that...like, you brat are not even useful to Taizi Dianxia, you’ll only weigh him down, the army doesn’t need trash like you, don’t think you actually have talent! etc. Also because in the army the youths’ death rate is actually quite high, so MQ didn’t think he was doing anything wrong in driving HC away.

BOOK 5 SPOILERS

Q25. So is Shi Qinxuan a human now? Will his hands and leg ever recover? If he reincarnated, would he still have a hard life? Is Shi Wudu really gone? What did Mo Shui take the water master’s head for? What did he say to Shi Qinxuan on Moshui island at the end?

SQX is human. He can’t recover, and he doesn’t want to. Heavenly Officials won’t reincarnate. SWD is gone for good. The head was used for an oblation. He didn’t say anything in the end, because SQX was very out of it, so even if he said something SQX wouldn’t be able to understand.

T/N: To refer to SWD MXTX uses 15° (15 degrees) because phonetically it sounds like SWD’s name.

[moviewarfare]

A Review of IP Man 4: The Finale

I have a been a huge fan of the Ip Man series ever since the first movie came out in 2008. I watched all of the films in the series including the spinoff "Master Z: Ip Man legacy". So, of course, I was going to go see this movie as well, especially considering its the last one in the main Ip Man films. Unfortunately, I came out feeling very disappointed in this movie.

Let's start with the good points in this movie. The first and probably the reason most people come to watch this film is the fight scenes. They are still very well choreographed and this iteration features a variety of different type of martial arts including western Karate. Seeing how they choreographed different fighting styles. The fighting is also fast-paced and stylistic. The second has to be Donnie Yen's marvelous performance as the titular character Ip Man. He continues to embody the character perfectly and give a convincing dialogue as a man with many wisdom. Likewise, I also have to praise Wu Yue as Wan Zong-Hua (chairman of the Chinese Benevolent Association) for providing a contrasting character to Ip Man belief but still give that aura of wisdom. Danny Chan returns as Bruce Lee from Ip Man 3 and he is still great and resembles him. The score from Kenji Kawai returns and is also still really good at elevating every scene albeit it is still kinda similar to that of all the previous entries.

Now let's get to all the negatives from this film. Firstly, while I did praise the fights and its choreography; it's not very memorable. Each film tends to have one or multiple fights that stick in your mind: The first film had the fight against 10 Japanese karate fighters, the second with the fish market fight and the table fight and the fight against the boxer, the third film with the fight against Mike Tyson and the final fight. However, the fights in this film don't come close to the memorable fights of previous films. The closest it gets is maybe the Ip man vs Wan Zong-Hua or the Ip Man vs Scott Adkins (can't even remember his character's name...). Even those fights feel short and underwhelming at points. Secondly, why is every character in this film also borderline cartooney? There have been some over the top characters in previous entries but it was usually just one for comic relief but in this film, it feels like apart from the three characters I listed above; everyone else is over the top. This blend of serious performances from some actors with the over the top from others is very jarring. For example, Scott Adkins plays this over the top racist general but he is so blatantly racist and acts like a stereotypical general that it makes you wonder how he was even employed. Thirdly, the story is atrocious and lacks any nuance or depth. The story is simply Ip Man goes to America to get his son a school there and some weird racist stuff happens with Bruce Lee doing just kind of being there. The message in this film is, of course, exploring racism and they do kind of try to make it subtle with Bruce Lee who trains western people despite criticism from the Chinese people. HOWEVER, they waste Bruce Lee in this film by not even remotely having him involved in the main plot! He could have been used to show that it was possible for acknowledgement between Chinese and western people but they don't even utilise this. Instead, we got over the top racist people trying to get rid of all Chinese people and prove Kung fu sucks so Ip Man has to stop him and convince some people otherwise. Due to them not utilising Bruce Lee more, the message of this film ends up feeling like western people are racist and bad even though this contrast Bruce Lee and even Ip Man point within this film. It doesn't feel like a necessary story to tell for Ip Man with only a couple of things adding to his character like cancer and filming his training I guess? Also, this racist thing has already been done in Ip Man 2 so it is weird they are doing it again even if it explored slightly better. It just feels like similar ground and too much of a retread. Additionally, they decide to up the melodrama with all these family drama that really feels like they were trying to force some kind of character development. 

Overall, this film is a disappointing entry with its huge waste of story potential. However, the movie retains a lot of what makes IP Man a great martial art movie. The grounded, brutal yet fluid realistic fights are still there and are still great as always. The fluid interplay between contrasting martial arts are still great. Donnie Yen continues giving a wised yet graceful performance as the titular character with an elegant yet ferocious fighting style. Additionally, the last 15-20 minutes of this movie is very thrilling and also a very satisfying conclusion to the legacy of this franchise. In the end, this movie still provides fans with what made them fall in love with this franchise in the first place and sticking to its strengths still makes for a very good time.