#it not just ao guang

[the-monkey-ruler]

How do you differentiate between dragons that have the water element and those that have the fire element? I assume that Ao Guang's family would technically be dragons that can use only water. And according to jttw, dragons can control the weather (clouds, water, etc.). However, how do you know which dragons can control fire? Or can be assumed that all dragons can handle these two elements? Or a sea dragon that controls water couldn't control fire?

I guess I would ask you what makes you think dragons can control fire? I know that European dragons that it’s a common connection to their folklore, but Chinese dragons are connected to water such as rivers, oceans, and rain. I don’t think I’ve seen Chinese dragons that control fire if it wasn’t connected to the weather in some way.

Like I'm sure there are but I guess I don't understand what makes you think that dragons would have a fire element instead of a water element. Can you give an example from maybe like a story or something? I've read a lot of chinese tales but certainly not ALL so it would be cool to see how other tales could show dragons in a different light.

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, talking to his son Ao Bing, "Let me see your war face!" (cr takehisa) (from Chinese box office god donghua movie NeZha 2) (sound on please)

[nattodoobles]

hello. is this thing on.

[awallflowerdraws]

like father, like son

[callmesel]

I love Nezha 2

Like, damn

Best movie ever, omg

I just know that Ao Guang loves his son very much

They are so cute

[lotusloong]

After watching clips on YouTube I have decided to take LMK Wukong away from Lego and keep him for myself.

That show doesn't deserve him.

[milfhandholder]

Gaslit my best friend into watching Nezha and we decided that it'd be fucking funny if Taiyi had a one-sided situationship with Shen Gongbao which in turn, became this abomination of a Whiteboard:

Bonus, bcs I made a one-off joke abt them being Chinese gelphie

[dorkshadows]

Bonus Writeup

And another quick update/trivia for the Nezhaheads, Voice Actor addition. I think everyone's already aware of how much Nezha/Ao Bing's VAs enjoy the ship and the oubing song they made for it, so skipping over it here.

Lutong's VA didn't know any of the context when he recorded his lines so he had no idea he was playing one of the antagonists. He woke up one day and everyone was yelling at him (or rather, his character). He said he Understood when he finally saw the movie.

Ao Guang's human!VA is seemingly aware of dilong, or at least of Tiandi's popularity in the fandom. He did not elaborate.

Shen Gongbao's VA is following the longwangbao (Ao Guang x Shen Gongbao) ship tag. The other VAs' playing into the shipper side of the fandom isn't surprising, they're young, they know what they're doing, they understand the slang and trends! SGB's VA is very much an Old Man who's never online, inexplicably switches between simplified and traditional cn when typing, and spends every other post talking about chinese opera. His weibo handle is very obviously a variant of his own name + his birth year. This is not an online person. Why is he here??? Maybe he genuinely thinks longwangbao is an abbreviation for the Ao Guang Shen Gongbao duo. Or it awakened something in him. We'll never know. Either way, congratulations longwangbaos!

We may be getting an English dub with celebrity VAs. Either some known names will play the new characters or they'll recast the original dub actors.

[steamedlotusroot]

reminder that ao guang, dragon king of the east sea, has a son and a daughter named “third kid” and “dragon girl” respectively

[viridianvulpine]

These bitches gay good for them 👍

[deliveryboysomewhatequaltoheaven]

The Macaque Problem

I would definitely say Macaque's character is an issue for the show. His redemption arc is not good, and it brings down the other characters and takes up their time and arcs.

When we first see him in S1 and 2, he is an old frenemy of Wukong's bitter over an unspecified falling out. He is angry and lashing out at MK and his friends, projecting this feud onto them. He claims MK didn't notice his friends were gone, but we see him trying to call Mei, and that the others were resentful, but we see tang looking upset being forced to attack MK. Seems like a clear enough villain concept with some room forward right? But S3 and 4 derail that.

Chronologically, we can talk about the Brotherhood, (which he was not a part of in JTTW, and he complained abt being left behind in S2 but here he was?? Eh) He claims that Wukong pushed ahead without thinking or listening and that's what got him trapped in the mountain. But what do we see before Wukong surrenders to the Jade Emperor?

The rest of the Brotherhood trapped by the Celestial Army. We don't see Wukong fight the Jade Emperor. He was an immortal shapeshifter, I have no doubt Wukong could have escaped. But he turned himself in to save his friends. Was he in a bad mood in the mountain? I mean, yeah, but Macaque doesn't seem to consider that he's free because Wukong is not.

We still don't know about the final falling out and Macaque's seeming death, though S5 implies that Macaque pushed the situation. Still, it's not good, because if they can't properly resolve it, than it's just going to remain between them and Macaque's grudge against Wukong can't be properly moved past, which hampers his arc.

But then S3 happens, and honestly I think Macaque's motives are dumb. Why is he trying to get in the way of them stopping LBD if he also wants to be free of her? It's a positive for you! But they also start trying to portray him as someone who 'calls Wukong out' because S3 and 4 really try to make Wukong out to be a jerk. He made mistakes but it was a desperate situation against the Lady Bone Demon. I love Mei and Pigsy but they also call him out when they said nothing about the Fourth Ring/visions.

'You will make things worse for MK when I personally attack and threaten him and his loved ones for my own gain' OK Macaque!

But the S3 special is the real kicker. Macaque apparently changes his mind and we don't know why. They show some mistrust at first until MK says he knows Macaque is not a bad guy deep down... but doing one or two helpful things after three seasons of stalking, threatening, and attacking the gang doesn't exactly convince me.

And then this bit from the S3 special finale:

Uh, how??? Wukong is right, Macaque was until very recently willing throw everyone under the bus so he could get away from LBD. It's pretty rich that he would call Wukong self centered. Whatever Wukong did was trying to stop her and protect MK from having to deal with it.

In the S4 special, they also have Macaque talk about Azure Lion, and again I'm not sure why we are listening to him on characters' morality

Says the guy who wrote a play about how 'Sun Wukong is a big old meany who hurt my precious little fee-fees' if I never see or hear the hero and warrior monologue again it will be too soon but I will say he at least seems to consider he might have been wrong, though they don't really dwell on it...

Even in S5, we get this bit.

Once again, Wukong is right!! After 3 seasons of attacking and harassing MK I don't think he really gets to give advice. Plus WUKONG WAS TRYING TO TALK TO MK ABOUT IT RIGHT BEFORE THIS! But MK was not doing well emotionally and Wukong was trying to be mindful and not push!

And honestly I think they all let Macaque off easy for the S3 events, he literally choked out Mei and threatened to kill her! (Sidenote: he can call MK and Tang by their names, but Mei was just 'the girl' throughout S3... urgh)

But when Wukong gets mad at him, Macaque says "I didn't do this!" Well you forced the gang to do something that you didn't know what the consequences of would be! But Tang intervenes saying he did it, even though he awkwardly admits Macaque forced him but that he felt he should because of the golden cicada. Macaque later decides to leave the situation he forced. He later does help some, but doesn't really get held accountable for his part in everything.

But I guess it's fine bc at the end of the special MK gives him this drawing. This is actually kind of really upsetting and again makes little sense considering how much he and Mei care about other otherwise. But nah Macaque is cool now it's fine...

And Ao Guang! This is a tougher one, but in S5 they had Macaque let himself get sent to the Pagoda to buy others time... well I just say that's karma!

And Macaque comes back, of course, but we never hear more about Ao Guang. Even when they send the power of the Stones out, we do in fact see the East Sea Palace and the attendant, but not him, so his fate is unclear.

So yeah, overall, I think he was forgiven too fast, the root issue of his fight with Wukong unaddressed, and he takes up time from the others characters.

[imagobin]

More Ao Guang Sillies

Finally got to color these old sketches! First two are inspired by scenes from the movie, and then... I had to draw him getting his snoot booped, that was very much a necessity

[dawnofplumeria]

Finding out that Ao Bing has a mother (Yinlong) in the prequel webcomic series, I'm hoping his mother isn't subjected to a misogynistic hate campaign online just because there's people online preferring her husband with another man (no hate to Dilong, I dig it too!)

[mintaikkcorpse]

I don't think the fandom talks enough about how Mei can turn into a gigantic fucking dragon

[m0dernchr0n1cles]

Ao Bing learns the truth of his birth

Ao Bing is kidnapped by He Tong and Lu Tong, members of the Chan sect 阐教

Ao Bing: "Where is my brother?"

Lu Tong: "Regrettably, his fate wasn't among your father's lies."

Ao Bing: "You killed him."

Lu Tong: "We gave Ao Guang every opportunity to atone for his transgressions. He chose pride over progeny."

He Tong: (gently) "But you need not bear his crimes."

Ao Bing: (scoffs) "The test. This whole charade. You want to recruit me."

Lu Tong: "Your talents developed quickly."

He Tong: "It's no coincidence. The Spirit Pearl is waking up."

Ao Bing: "What has my father done?"

He Tong: "A calamity is approaching, rivaling even the wars of the Yellow Emperor."

Lu Tong: "Ao Guang sits at the helm, blinded by his thirst for legacy."

He Tong: "Our efforts to divert his course have foundered."

Lu Tong: "We can't afford another failure."

Ao Bing: (incredulous) "This is what you see in me? A silver bullet?!"

He Tong: "We see salvation of your kind, countless others beyond."

Ao Bing: (almost to himself) "He's my father. For all his faults, he has always done what he thought was best for the family."

Lu Tong: "Your brother thought so too, until he uncovered his secret."

[Ao Bing is taken aback]

[He Tong and Lu Tong move closer]

He Tong: "Your birth, the entire course of your life, was no accident."

Lu Tong: "He hid you because you are that which he covets most..."

Lu Tong & He Tong: "A weapon."

[cratastica]