#i can't remember if id actually WATCHED cql at this point or not

[birbfeeder2artisticboogaloo]

feel too shit to draw, here's an old lan xichen from idk months ago i guess?? february?? idk its fuck o'clock lol

[mushroomjar]

[ID: Multiple slideshows explaining the webseries The Untamed. They all have black text against a blue background.

The first slide simply says: Okay so what is the deal with all the pretty sword boys? An intro to The Untamed by PorcupineGirl.

The second slide says: "You've seen all the pretty boys with long hair and flowing robes and swords taking over your friends' tumblrs and you have to admit you're getting kinda curious, right?" "Of course I am! They're pretty! And they're sword boys!" "I am here to explain them to you so that if you watch them, you won't be completely lost - because they are pretty, but they are also very confusing sword boys." The slide includes a picture of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian's first meeting, with the caption: "Sword Boy Meet-Cute."

Third slide: This show is called The Untamed (in English). You might also see it referred to as (already a lot of information going on!): Mo Dao Zu Shi/MDZS (yep the novel was written in Chinese), this is the novel it's based on (yep it's based on a novel); Chen Qing Ling/CQL, this is the Chinese name of the TV show (yep the show was produced in China and is in Chinese with English subtitles. For some people, this is Reason #1 it's confusing.)

Fourth slide: "Okay okay, before we get started: I heard it was Very Gay™, but also that it's ~subtext~. So for real is this more queerbaiting? Because after the whole Destiel thing I cannot even."

Fifth slide: Yes it's Very Gay™, yes it's basically subtextual (barely), NO it is not queerbaiting! "... That last part sounds fake after that second part." I know I know let me explain.

Sixth slide: Remember how it's based on a novel? "Uh, yeah?" In the novel it's Very Gay™ as in the leads get married-married and have rather kinky buttsex. "Okay, you have my attention..." Unfortunately, China is big on censorship. Not like "this website doesn't want me to violate its TOS," like actual government censorship. One of the censorship rules is No Gay.

Seventh slide: So basically the creators have kept the Absolute Maximum Gay that they can possibly get away with and fly under the censors' radars. "By which you mean they kept in just enough staring to keep novel fans happy?" LOL NO. When I say they kept the Absolute Maximum Gay I mean...

The eighth slide says: "... the actors are very clearly aware that they are playing a romantic couple, even if they can't say it. Check out this interview:" and includes screencaps of an interview to Xiao Zhan, Wei Wuxian's actor. An interviewer asks him: "If Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji both liked the same person, what would you do?" Xiao Zhan opens his eyes wildly, and even his mouth in shock, thinking very hard of what to answer. Finally, he crosses his arms and looks away as he says: "I don't think that's very possible."

The ninth slide says: "... they kept or added in bits referencing things like Chinese marriage rituals wherever they could. For example, it was an old Chinese tradition to give your bride two fat chickens..." and includes screencaps of a scene from an episode in the series. Wei Wuxian is receiving fat chickens from Lan Wangji, and, confused, he asks: "But what are you giving me chickens for?" Wangji just asks him: "Aren't they fat?" There's an arrow pointing at Wangji saying "(He is drunk right now.)"

The tenth slide says: "Additional Gay Stuff includes but is not limited to: Lan Wangji writes Wei Wuxian a song. In the book, it's called Wangxian. In the TV show, it's the show's theme song, called Wuji. At one point he sings it to an injured Wei Wuxian and there's a whole-ass music video that's just like a montage of their happiest moments together or some shit. It's the gayest." "In Chinese mythology there's a god of gay love, named Tu'er Shen, which means Rabbit Deity. Guess what animal shows up all over the place in this show?" "Since the gay couple doesn't get to kiss, neither do any of the hetero couples, even the two who get married and have a kid." "There's a blink-and-you'll miss it shot of actual ancient Chinese gay porn. Wei Wuxian slips it into Lan Zhan's book in the library." The slide also includes a picture of Wei Wuxian holding a rabbit.

Slide eleven: "Okay, okay, I get it! It's pretty dang gay! So why is it so confusing (other than the subtitle thing)?" Well, Reason #2 that it can be confusing for Western audiences is because it's in a genre called xianxia that we don't have here. And because xianxia is an established genre there, they don't waste any time explaining how any of it works.

Slide twelve: Xianxia in a nutshell: Set in non-specific Ancient China (it's real pretty). Contains supernatural elements like monsters and ghosts. Some people (called cultivators) do magic. The magic is based on some martial arts with Daoism thrown in.

Slide thirteen: Cultivation 101: Cultivators go around defeating monsters for mundanes. They're organized into Clans/Sects. They meditate and use their qi to cultivate a "golden core" which is a physical thing inside of them that allows them to do the magic (if they're really good at it they can become immortal).

Slide fourteen: Reason #3 it's confusing: Names. Oh god there are so many characters. Like so many you have no idea. And most of them go by 2-3 different names.

Slide fifteen includes a picture of Lan Zhan and says: For example, this guy's birth name is Lan Zhan (your birth name is only used by people you're very close to or who are older and talking down to you, for the most part.) But he also has a courtesy name, Lan Wangji. Later, he also gets a title: Hanguang-Jun or Light-Bearing Lord (depending on whether the subtitles you're watching translate the title or leave it). Plus, in Chinese people often refer to each other by familial terms so there are many forms of brother, sister, etc used all over the place.

Slide sixteen: I will give you a rundown of some of the main characters and their many names in a minute... First, let's talk about Reason #4 it's confusing...

Slide seventeen: This fucking show starts IN MEDIA RES with what would be, in any other show, the biggest fucking spoiler in the whole thing:

Slide eighteen says: "THE VERY FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS IS THE PROTAGONIST DYING." It also includes a picture of Wei Wuxian's death scene, first with a photo of him falling off a cliff and an arrow pointing at it saying "Actual footage of Wei Wuxian falling to his death," and a photo of his crying face with an arrow pointing at it saying "His sad I'm-about-to-die face." The slide has some more text that reads: "THEN, THE NEXT THING THAT HAPPENS?"

Slide nineteen: WE SKIP AHEAD 16 YEARS. YOU STILL DON'T KNOW WHO ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE. But now you're gonna spend two whole episodes watching Wei Wuxian get resurrected and then hide from all his old buddies. You will understand exactly NONE of what is going on. That's okay, push through it.

Slide twenty: THEN FINALLY, WHEN YOU ARE SURE THIS SHOW WILL NEVER MAKE SENSE, IT GOES INTO A 30-EPISODE FLASHBACK TO EXPLAIN THE ENTIRE BACKSTORY LEADING UP TO THAT, STARTING WHEN THE TWO PROTAGONISTS MEET AS TEENAGERS.

Slide twenty-one: "I'm already confused and I haven't watched a single episode." I know. By like episode 4 you will get the hang of it. I promise. So anyhow, everyone is now 16 years old and they're headed to the Cloud Recesses, where the Lan Sect is holding cultivator summer school.

Slide twenty-two: Okay, let's sort out some of these characters! First we have Wei Wuxian; you might remember him from the whole dying in the first scene of the show thing that he does. He is easy to recognize, as he is the one who is simultaneously a ray of sunshine and a pain in everyone's ass. His birth name is Wei Ying.

Slide twenty-three: Then there is Lan Wangji, whose many names I've already explained. He is easy to recognize as he is the one who is glaring at Wei Wuxian with no facial expression whatsoever (that is a lie, by the end of the show you will be able to differentiate his 80 microexpressions.) Also, romantic music swells whenever they interact.

Slide twenty-four: Jiang Cheng. Wei Wuxian's adopted brother. He is easy to recognize as he is the one who's glaring at Wei Wuxian with all of the facial expressions. Sometimes at once. Jiang Yanli. Jiang Cheng's biological sister and Wei Wuxian's adopted sister. She is easy to recognize because she is the only one smiling at Wei Wuxian.

Slide twenty-five: Lan Xichen. Lan Wangji's big brother. He is Very Serene and is always trying to set Lan Wangji up with Wei Wuxian help his brother make friends. His title is Zewu-Jun. Lan Qiren. Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen's uncle. He's teaching the cultivator summer school, and sadly for him that means he is teaching Wei Wuxian. Womp-womp.

Slide twenty-six: Jin Zixuan. He has a dot. He's engaged to Jiang Yanli via an arranged marriage when they were kids, but turns out he's kind of a fuckboy. Meng Yao. Jin Zixuan's illegitimate half-brother, BUT their dad isn't willing to claim him, so he lives with the Nie Sect. Nie Huaisang. Always has a fan, and is almost as good at getting into trouble as Wei Wuxian. Would rather be the comic relief than the hero.

Slide twenty-seven: Wen Qing. She's been sent to Cloud Recesses with her brother, but isn't taking part in the summer school. Up to something??? Wen Ning. Her brother. Babie.

Slide twenty-eight: Wen Ruohan. You know he's a villain because he lives in a fucking volcano and looks deranged all the time. Wants the Wens to conquer the other sects. Xue Yang. You know he's a villain because you see him talking to Wen Ruohan. Smirks a lot, voted Most Psychopathic.

Slide twenty-nine: Okay, those THIRTEEN CHARACTERS should be enough to get you started. Not included in this slideshow: Nie Mingjue, Jin Guangshan, Mianmian, Wen Chao, Wang Lingjiao, Jin Zixun, Wen Zhuliu, Jiang Fengmian, Madam Yu, Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan, Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jin Ling, Ouyang Zizhen, Sect Leader Yao (spits on floor)... and many more!

Slide thirty: A few other random bits of information... The fandom often refers to the charactersby acronyms: WWX for Wei Wuxian, LWJ for Lan Wangji, etc. Although the costumes and scenery are gorgeous, the CGI and other special effects are pretty bad. Just, like, be prepared. Most of the cast is made up of pop stars. Xiao Zhan (Wei Wuxian) was the top-selling male singer in China this year, and Wang Yibo (Lan Wangji) has plenty of hit songs himself. They sing the theme song (y'know, the one named after their ship) together. Some of the other guys formed the group The Untamed Boys after the show wrapped and went on tour together. Character vs Actor. Jiang Cheng, angry grape, vs Wang Zhuocheng, the purest and most beautiful of cinnamon rolls. Lan Wangji, stoic, cold, noble, dignified, vs Wang Yibo, a gremlin who loves to dance, race motorcycles, and smack Xiao Zhan with the sleeves of his robe.

Slide thirty-one: The stages of Untamed fandom. 1: WTF is going on. 2: Ah, ok, I think I know some of their names. Still not sure I'm gonna watch the whole thing? 3: This is actually kinda entertaining. 4: I would die for Wei Wuxian, but I'm not gonna get that into this. I'm not gonna, like, read fic or anything. 5: Oh no I need fic. 6: Oh no I have a plot bunny. 7: I'm learning Mandarin, reading one of MXTX's other novels, watching either The Wolf or Legend of Fei if not both, and I have Opinions on Wang Yibo's dance performances and his Chanel outfits.

Slide thirty-two says: "I got many of the graphics in this slideshow from the screenshots in Tippy's recaps," and includes a link to the tumblr of tiptoe39. "Also some from dramamlky.com/the-untamed and reddit.com/r/MoDaoZuShi. You can watch The Untamed on Netflix, Youtube, or Rakuten Viki (viki.com). All three have slightly different translations for the subtitles. You can read Mo Dao Zu Shi at exiledrebelsscanlations.com, or there is another translation in progress at mdzstranslation.wordpress.com . Many thanks to avawtsn, afoolofatook, and the rest of the discord beta comments!" End ID]

Still not sure what’s up with The Untamed and at this point you’re a little scared to ask?

I have ignored all my other responsibilities and projects for the past 2-3 days to bring to you this Stupidly Thorough Introduction to The Untamed. The entire slideshow is 32 slides long - the rest is under the cut, or you can view the whole thing as a PDF here.

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