#jol emperor

[coquelicoq]

i love how the emperor is always in a state of mild déshabille with like. his robe open and the little wispies on the side of his head. but not in a sexy way just in an "i'm too over this shit to get dressed" way. even though he has teams of people specifically employed to dress him. relatable.

[highlynerdy]

my tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart concealing it will break. -shakespeare

[lord-rain-master]

the emperor in nif is evil, yes, but he seems so tame compared to the emperor in nif

[naanima]

What I love about JoL, amongst a million things, is how they take all the guzhuang drama tropes about the royal family, tropes that are so FAMILIAR to the Chinese audience, and somehow still manage to stun the audience with how ruthless & terrifying they are. I think it is because they present the royal family as distinctive individuals with their quirks, make you laugh & love them bcos they can act foolish & have moments of humour. But then turn around & casually order the death of a loyal subject or a whole village.

One of the tropes about the Emperor - that JoL's emperor does so well, is to show the audience over and over again that his love, his sentiment, is a commodity that he can revoke at any second. His love is conditional, it is dependent on your love & belief in his status as the descendent of the divine. He is the supreme power. Question his position, his power, and he will revoke the gifts, the favours and love he gave you.

When he looks upon his children, it isn't just parental love alone, he is looking upon them as potential future heirs for his throne. He needs a candidate that can take over his throne, but who CANNOT be a true competition against him while he is still the Emperor. So he sets up his children against each other, to see who is the smartest, the most ruthless, and the one that can hide just enough so he isn't a threat against the emperor yet. And to that he needs to set his brightest children against one another, to find the best one suited to being the next emperor.

The Second Prince is the whetstone chosen by the emperor to sharpen the blade that's the Crown Prince. He cannot leave the Capital, he cannot be the son that doesn't want power. Bcos the emperor put him in a situation where he is perceived as a threat to the Crown Prince, his manor and base of power was dropped into his laps at a young age, no one, certainly not the crown prince would believe he didn't want to be the future emperor. In order to survive he has to deceive & plan, and try to remove the Crown Prince, to gain the iota chance of taking his spot.

It is cruel, but there is no sentiment in the Imperial Royal Family.

[silviakundera]

Joy of Life S2, ep 13 - 15 comments

Chen Pingping continues to be both using Fan Xian and a good mentor. He contains multitudes! Which is what makes him such a compelling character.

Second Prince is the least interesting he's ever been when he's in scenes with Ye Ling Er playing the victim. It's just too easy to manipulate her and so I can't care very much.

The way Fan Xian's mother is this powerful spectre that haunts the narrative... and it's not just her Seductive Beauty™ . It's in the way we more commonly see with a Great Man trope: a famed marital arts master, a dead legendary general or past king.... a father or grandfather figurehead. I both wish we knew about her but DON'T. She works best as a partial sketch; an unsolved poignant mystery.

Ep 14

Saintess!!!!!!!!!!!! reappears! After Fan Xian finally called her friend in ep 13 (朋友!). I don't believe you either, girl, that it's all about the treasury. You're bros!!!!!! He seduced a bromance out of you.

They basically gave 2P's new guard enough characterization for us to be interested in what happens to him. RIP your hopes & dreams my dude, it's been real

Guao Baokun and Loser Brother is a match made in heaven. I missed all the Beiqi people so much. Fan Xian playing 4D chess and getting them to babysit Guo Baokun. "Let's leave a good impression, he might come back." 😂 The way they have to escort those dumbasses to the border.

Fan Xian wants friends SO BAD it's literally tragic to me. He wants to make Censorate guy his friend because there's no one he can trust not to turn on him for benefits (other than the Fan family).

Ep 15

Chen Pingping & Fan Xian put on a ridiculous show. Very amusing but I feel like they should have been more convincing, if for no other reason than giving the emperor his due. 2nd Prince simply tried harder. Hate to say it about the enemy but facts are facts.

We already got a read on the emperor about Second Prince. A temporary grounding is all he can countenance (even that is a gift to Fan Xian and a warning to not exceed boundaries). To any extent he likes the faction wars and is happy to stir shit up & eat popcorn. But at least right now, he's gonna protect all his sons. In his own twisted way he cares about Crown Prince, Second Prince, and Fan Xian. Just not more than he cares about himself & power & control.

Censor Lai pushing the emperor too far "Are you saying everyone is confused but you?" It's honestly shocking he wasn't executed before this. Bro you just tired of living?

Crown Prince pinching his leg and having fake hysterics while his flunky joins in while 2P looks disgusted. This is why CP is my bestie. He's hilarious.

Fan Xian finally realizing what his brothers already know - that there are limits to the emperor's condescending forbearance. They can't become a potential threat to him and he can't feel they are out of his control. When FX is playing with His Majesty, all is permissible. But when he's not...

The burning indentures scene reminding me of Blossoms in Adversity, a drama I ended up enjoying more than I expected. (If only it was blessed with the quality of acting we see in every cast member of JOL.)

[b00kwyrm7]

WELL 👏👏 22 AND 23 BROKE ME

It's official. Lin Ruofu is best dad. Top of the JOL dad list. Why? Lemme list stuff out cause I need to process too:

Literally keeping Wan'er and Dabao as his children. That scene where they're bowing to him in the flower field as he's going away, possibly to his death, and this old experienced calculating fox is tearing up over his children? Take a stab to my heart, why don't you. Even in modern society one would be judged for keeping a sick illegitimate child, or a child with disabilities. Especially with the position he holds in court, they could be sources of weakness at best, and disposable inconveniences at worst. But he loves them!! With all of his heart!! He takes care of Dabao so well, he peels fruits for him personally, he speaks to him so gently and patiently and can't bear to send him away (my Chinese is horrible but 大宝 roughly means greatest treasure I think. What a dude). And we all know Wan'er is quiet about her needs and feelings, she doesn't speak them out loud most of the time, so when earlier this season he kinda berates Fan Xian for not immediately visiting her, and mentions that she's worried, it's so subtle but like he knows her that well!! To be able to read her so accurately!! And cares about her enough to nag Fan Xian about it when she can't!! Which brings me to my next point,

He brought them up?? So well??? As basically a single dad???? Like Lin Gong's general abrasiveness aside, his children are somehow all magnificently grounded and understanding and most of all, love each other wholeheartedly??? They're the most cohesive family in the show, your honour.

He's...kinda been parenting Fan Xian really well this whole season? Take emperor and Chen Pingping for example: just toss poor Fan Xian off into the deep end and hope he can swim in the direction they want. Lin Ruofu though? I literally didn't catch it until my mom pointed it out but it's classic teacher method: my guy is asking Fan Xian questions in all of their meetings, not giving him answers but guiding his thought process to reach them. Literally tonight's episodes he brought Fan Xian along to meet the emperor just so that he can watch and learn by example, of how he's learned to play the game after so many years of court experience. What a guy, I was vibrating in my seat for that whole convo.

He's doing all of this while literally being the prime minister in this absolute cesspool of a government. Insane. You KNOW he's prob done plenty of corrupt things to get there that Fan Xian would absolutely hunt down if he had been present back then. But also you can respect him? Fan Xian has parental privilege and has made quite a few sacrifices this season, and so one can easily imagine that Lin Ruofu has to have made even worse ones in his tenure, on a much grander scale. And yet, he's chosen this small circle of people he loves to protect, to guide so that they may survive even after he's gone. And he succeeded even more than what anyone would expect out of the characters in this show, all the while somehow maintaining his power and position.

Anyway yeah. I have...so many thoughts. I really like the new character today though, even though I didn't properly catch his name yet. The fanboying def covers years of trauma.

[not-your-npc]

To start, JOL is great - good acting, costumes, storyline, etc.

My point, though, is the topic of equality that comes up.

First off, countries need a government. The emperor, as the manipulative shit that he is, actually knows how to run a country properly and is able to conduct proper checks and balances.

Fan Xian is a prime example because his fathers all want him in important positions. And without proper balance, Fan Xian will become the next dictator, whether or not he chooses to.

In this case, the emperor keeps Fan Xian's power in check by removing any chances of strong political support. (Hence, the execution and exile of ministers)

Secondly, the position of women in such a society. (It is a male-centric story, after all.) The women are either unnamed; e.g. only known as Madam <Husband's surname>, or Lady <Father's surname>, or given childish/babyish sounding names, with the exception of Li Yun Rui, the Elder Princess/Princess Royal, whose name actually has some meaning - her 'Rui 睿' means astute, 睿智 means wisdom.

The women are not allowed to become court officials. The women are not allowed to be in the running for the throne.

Fan Ruo Ruo is acknowledged to be a female scholar, but she can not take the national exams nor hold a court position. Li Yun Rui is as cunning and ruthless as the Emperor, but is not allowed to sit on the throne.

The ruler of Beiqi, the head of a nation, has to present themselves as a man to be acknowledged as a ruler.

For all his talk about following his mother's footsteps and fighting for equality of all humans, has Fan Xian never looked at the court and wondered why there were no women there?

[vyther16]

I love me some angst and this sounds like it would be killer so: qz lives (but no one else does), please and thank you. Anddd if I’m allowed to ask two!!! I would also like: yet another faking of death in the house :D

you can absolutely ask for two; i am always delighted to share!

qz lives (but no one else does)

this one was started as a "wouldn't it be fucked if" type au because @myhamartiaishubris wrote an au where YSS is the only one who lives. I currently have exactly two lines written for this and probably won't write more for a while at least so enjoy!

Qian Zhao wakes to the news that Sun Lang and the emperor are dead. He spares the emperor a brief, snarled “good riddance,” and then demands Shisan take him to Sun Lang’s grave.

yet another faking of death in the house

so this one is another JoL post-canon fixit-ish au. I have nothing actually written for this au beyond the ask that spawned it here, but if you don't want to read all that, here's the basic rundown: Shen-xiaojie fakes her death during the "betrayal" where yby stabs fx. She runs off and meets Grandma Fan and becomes a confident woman. Meanwhile, yby drags fx to the Teng Family Farm, where it's revealed that Teng Zijing was *also* faking his death (again).

[serenasufinjapan]

May 7: Shibuya and Harajuku

Today, we went to Harajuku and Shibuya to experience the scramble crossing, the fashion district, and the Meiji shrine. My friends and I really enjoyed Harajuku, and we all got to buy some fashionable shoes and other clothing items. After the class events of the day, we found a place in Harajuku called "JOL" where we got food and drinks, but then two small idol groups performed! It was very fun and a great surprise. I wasn't able to get pictures since it was not allowed, but the groups were called Shibuya Sixx and Upright. I turns out that JOL is well known locally for their idol group shows, and it is frequented by young women, especially after school. Shibuya and Harajuku both had plenty of examples of "Cool Japan" and kawaii culture. In the 109 department store, there was lots of Sanrio goods, and many foreigners were shopping there. Then, in Harajuku, there was Lolita fashion stores and character goods. As Wink on Pink mentioned, it seemed very feminine, and I understand why conservatives are so inclined to reject that image. However, it does seem very beneficial to their tourist industry, as I saw more tourists than locals in the stores. The Tokyo Olympics stadium reminded me of the concept of soft power as well, as it was the first time Japan was able to return to the world stage. Instead of military influence, the influence this event brought was largely cultural and media-based. The Meiji shrine was beautiful, and much larger than I expected. The space is well cared for, and I could see the respect put into the shrine and the land surrounding it. Emperor Meiji was the emperor that modernized Japan, and it is clear that he is very well regarded for that even today. Visiting this shrine after being at the Edo Musuem yesterday made me wonder if the Edo period was looked down upon for a while after the Meiji restoration. Regardless, the Meiji period is certainly not looked down upon, and the shrine seemed to be continuously modernized with additions such as a Museum and very modern facilities. One thing that surprised me was the use of wine in cleansing rituals at the shrine. I already knew about the sake from my Japanese Culture class, but it was fun to learn that wine is also used at the Meiji shrine because the emperor liked it.

[coquelicoq]

something is up with the emperor in joy of life but i don't know what it is exactly. current theories as of episode 17:

he's a time traveler

he's another version of fan xian somehow

he's fan xian's mother

[nemainofthewater]

Halfway there and Jin Guangshan is winning with 29.5%, followed by Xiao Xuan with 18.1%, and then Zhao Jing with 11.9%.

Tag propaganda under the cut:

The King of Western Xia

#SO MANY BAD DADS THEYRE ALL SO BAD#had to vote for the king of western xia#nothing like trying to cheat on your new wife (whose husband you just killed) with your son’s fiancée#among other crimes#(also he definitely won’t win) by @jianghushenanigans

Xiao Xuan

#so many options so little time#i was predictable and went for xiao xuan because well. to have one son killed for rebellion might seem like misfortune#to have two (and very newrly a third) killed for rebellion looks like YOU REALLY FUCKIN SUCK#but the competition is. very strong here by @sinni-ok-sessi

#i had to vote for xiao xuan#cdrama by @circumference-pie

Zhao Jing

#for everyone choosing jin guangshan: yes he sucked but he at least let jgy be recognised as his son FINALLY#even if that then. also supremely sucked#voting for zhao jing here because. his son didn't even get THAT by @betweencrossedblades

#zhao jing takes this one imo by @nutcasewithaknife

#went for zhao jing because there's something specifically more visceral about his shade of yikesness#but it was a very difficult choice and so I went for which one made me /feel/ the most yikes rather than more objective measures#word of honor#nif#guardian#the untamed#mdzs#jol#mlc by @muninnhuginn

#jin guangshan fucked up multiple children#but zhao jing FUCKED his child(ren)#sooooo by @vergoftowels

#ah geez how can i choose#zhao jing is a strong candidate#but like. jgs had someone throw his kid down a giant stone stairway#he and bixia nif also big fans of genocide#tang fan's bil absolute shit husband and father. no genocide though i guess?#those are just the ones i know#i'd also nominate sky daddy from clj but he's a terrible BROTHER#not sure if he had any actual kids#jiang fengmian is so mid next to these other true paragons of parenting#cdramas#as someone else said. zhao jing made me feel the most yikes#and specifically about his 'parenting' by @jill-question-mark

Shan Gudao

#it's hard because there's so many shit dads#I voted for Shan Gudao who rocks up after 20 years to be an arsehole#and get mad his son doesn't want to help commit treason#but also every emperor dad in fiction is terrible by @thawrecka

#I’m sorry but how JC pilled do you have to be to think JFM even comes close to the top here#like come on#anyway I am voting for DFQC’s dad in my heart#we do see his ghost at least#but of these ig Shan gudao gets my vote#polls by @harocat

Ling Yi

#gotta go for ling yi because he married his cousin the moment his wife and son went missing#and then poisoned her to make her infertile#and blamed her for not giving him a son#💀 by @istgidek1234

These dads are the sort that have you yelling at the screen. They're the sort of dad who wonders why their children never visit after they've grown up.

Choosing these dads was quite subjective on my part: if you disagree on their inclusion in this poll, let me know!

Shoutout to Dongfang Qincang's dad who is emphatically not alive but isn't letting that stop him from being terrible to his son.

SPOILERS FOR CHARACTERS IN MYSTERIOUS LOTUS CASEBOOK

*an AO3 tag, very much ironic

Propaganda, examples, and write-ins absolutely welcome!

[lord-rain-master]

damn i haven't been paying much attention to the pm but it's so impressive how well he knows the emperor despite not being "close" to him like chen pingping is

[dangermousie]

Screaming into hands.

Because yes yes yes yes. We have never seen Chen Ping Ping fight personally or even use his hands for the mildest form of violence but he is the kind of killer with the amount of kills not even Wushu could ever match.

(JoL is a rare drama where 95% of the characters are terrifying and competent and 90% not good people and yet I find them all equally fascinating and they make me feel nonstop, even if that feeling is a strong desire to hide. And Fan Xian is the smartest man in the room 95% of the time and it's a grace that he's in the good person category because with his brains/drive/ruthlessness combo, if he did not also have a conscience he would be the Emperor Next Generation and that is a fucking terrifying thought.)

[naanima]

Something I don't know if people caught on during S1 of JoL or realised the implications of IRT the Fan Family. Bcos the drama was careful about not being explicit about it ... Or perhaps didn't want to delve into it too much.

A few things:

There's a reason why Chen Pingping tells FX to be good to Fan Jian, that the man sacrificed the most for Fan Xian.

Fan Jian had a wife that birthed Fan Ruoruo. The Main Wife, mother of the household etc. We don't know what happened to her though we can guess she passed away. In fact Ruoruo even said at one point she had another brother.

The reason NO one questions Fan Xian's true identity, i.e. son of Fan Jian instead of the Emperor is that Rourou's mother gave birth to a son the same day as Fan Xian was born. The assassins DID kill a baby boy with Ye Qingmei, and yes it was Fan Jian's son.

Let that sink in a bit. In order to save Fan Xian, Ye Qingmei's son (and the emperor's), Fan Jian sacrificed his own new born son. And instead of any lingering resentment FJ has treated FX like his own son.

[silviakundera]

Joy of Life E1 E37 liveblogging

watching for the 1st time, don't tell me secrets ;)

Fan Xian carried a war banner all those miles just to start shit. I really admire his dedication to the troll lifestyle

the emperor hassling beiqi with his border troops to back up Fan Xian is too cute. what an asshole.

so ML is wuxia advancing as he fights big players

Yes let's meet the emperor!

lmao she just wants an update on Dream of Red Chamber. I get her. WIP are so frustrating

as a guy with memory of modern china, he shouldn't be too surprised at a female emperor. China had one.

ML very respectful of the dowager. Who clearly is the power behind the throne

emperor wants to chat w him solo..does she ALSO need a rescue? damn this man does not have a big enough carriage to hold y'all

saintess just exposing him 😭😂😭😂

Fan Xian is the best when he's a flailing dork

She DOES need a rescue

(the empress dowager is hot btw)

They keep using the male pronoun for the emperor but I can't figure if it's a emperor role-based thing or actually a chosen gender. (Verbally there's no gender attached to ta but the english subs say 'he' and the mandarin subs are using 他 instead of 她)

he just invited the saintess to poison him, he really DOES want to make friends

official meeting of the Fan Xian's Mom fan club at Taiping Villa 🎣

Emperor was correct that the Dowager Empress party is not gonna let him take Yan Bingyuan home without a lot of quality schemes

We actually get a tiny flashback to prior generation with who I presume is Marvolous Mom! !!! I note that she feeds all 3 of them. (JOL still playing coy about who is the real bio dad.) This drama is obsessed with nothing more than refusing to show us people's faces so I'm not surprised we only get her back 😒

Part of me really wants to believe that the whole fishing in a lake with no fish, and then there IS fish is an homage to Stargate but idk how popular it was with VPN savvy cn screenwriters

Yan Bingyuan's life is in Gao Baokun's hands? RIP

Luckily he's obviously a decoy

[xiaosean]

I just heard that a lot of Chinese JoL fans who aren't XZ fans actually hated him as Yan Bingyun. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion but I'm sad because I think he did well, especially with how different yby is personality wise with all other characters he has ever played. Maybe that's why he doesn't seem to be cast for season 2.

lmao don’t kill me but personally (even as a xz fan) i thought yby wasn’t a right fit for him? although oh! my emperor was a terrible drama, he still stood out to me as btmr despite being 3rd male lead // yby just seemed kinda constipated to me all the time 🤕 and i know xz could do better bc he honestly looked better behind the scenes; and yeah… im okay if season 2 doesn’t have him reprise