#its seriously weird how distinctly different mdzs is compared to tgcf and svsss

[lryghe]

MDZS thoughts; wangxian

Out of all the MXTX couples, I think Wangxian is definitely the most polarising,  especially when you consider how like-minded Hualian are, and how mutually ridiculous Bingqiu are. It’s interesting to think about, because even through character design, Bingqiu’s christmas tree themed robes and Hualian’s red and white complimentary robes, Wangxian falls outside of that, their black and white robes always being a direct contrast to each other in the most basic form. But after deeper consideration, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are shown to be incredibly similar in the ways that draw them together (with of course, some fundamental differences). This post will contain spoilers, but why would you be on Tumblr if you didn't want to get spoiled?

I think a good place to start this would be with ‘righteousness’, because it pretty much explains the other points I had planned to make anyway (e.g. loyalty, isolation, duty). It’s a running bit throughout MDZS that Wei Wuxian is just a depraved evil demonic cultivator, but that’s the beauty of the statement, because it contrasts his actual, very noble personality. The way in which he presents his righteousness is where the majority of the problem arises though, because Wei Wuxian is a true and staunch defender of people he deems less fortunate, and those people also happen to be the ones which everyone else is venting their hatred at. His defence of the Wen’s was truly admirable, but even through his friendship with MianMian, or his obsession with being friends with Lan Wangji, his dedication to doing what he believes is right is unmoving. And this drives people away from him, casting him aside as a traitor and eventually leading to his own demise, but he stays true to what he believes is right, which is protecting those who need it. 

Lan Wangji is much of the same type of person. Lan Wangji has always been (and I quote) ‘righteous, perfect, and void of worldly desires’, the very pillar of how everyone else should act. He not only holds everyone around him to impossibly high standards, but lives by them himself, which drives a wedge between him and everyone around him. People are uncomfortable with the staunch and unyielding standards of righteousness that he holds people to, which leads to them pushing him up as this impossible standard that they should be trying to emulate but they just end up saying ‘really, who can be like Hanguang-jun, he’s always been perfect!’. ‘It’s lonely at the top’ is something that is so perfectly applicable here, because Lan Wangji’s desire to uphold the standards of righteousness to protect those who cant protect themselves divides him from the general populace, placing him firmly as unreachable, above all the rest. 

Both Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian’s unyielding righteousness and nobility is one of their greatest strengths and a very admirable character trait to have, but it also ends up being their greatest tragedy, because it isolates them from all that they love or could love. It even pushes them away from each other, because Lan Wangji is trying so desperately to pull Wei Wuxian to his side and make him adhere to the only way he can understand others (through his impossible standards), but Wei Wuxian is unmoving in his defence of the Wen’s, helping them when no one else will. Unstoppable force meets immovable object? 

Of course, there are so many differences between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian but really, those are all pretty surface level. Wei Wuxian’s mind works a million miles per hour, thinking of countless solutions and strategies, whereas Lan Wangji adheres to the traditional problem solving solutions. Wei Wuxian is loud and vibrant, and Lan Wangji is stoic and cold. Wei Wuxian wears black, and Lan Wangji wears white. Simple observations can tell you how they differ, because they obviously aren't the same and it would be weird if they were. These differences are important to consider, but their similarities are crucial to the development of their relationship too.

Words: 671

Reading time: 2 mins