#lu zhan xiang

[dangermousie]

In support of Hot General Summer (tm)

I realized that my recent poll not only lacked visual support but also left out a lot of my fave cdrama generals. So, in support of my Hot General Summer agenda:

Xiao Qi, Rebel Princess

Wei Wu Ji, Sound of the Desert

Ling Buyi, Love Like the Galaxy

Zhousheng Chen, One and Only

Zhao Yun, God of War Zhao Yun

Sima Yi, Secret of Three Kingdoms

Han De Rang, The Legend of Xiao Chuo

Zhan Beiye, Legend of Fuyao

Gao Chang Gong, Lan Ling Wang

Xiang Yu, Story of Han Dynasty

Cao Pi, The Advisors’ Alliance

Meng Tiang Fang, Ancient Terracotta War Situation

Chu Bei Jie, General and I

Zhu Zan, Jin Jiu Ling

Wolfie, The Wolf

Xiang Yu, Legend of Chu and Han

Cheng Yi, The Promise of Chang’an

Liu Xiu, Singing All Along

Huo Xin, Painted Skin the Resurrection

Meng Qi You, Glamorous Imperial Concubine

Yang Bros, The Young Warriors

Weng Gui, Princess Jieyou

Xiao Ping Zhang, Nirvana in Fire 2

Pei Zhao, Maiden Holmes

Ji Ye, Novoland Eagle Flag

Zhu Qi Zhen, Imperial Doctress (it’s a reach he’s an emperor. But he leads his force in battle and I wanted Wallace Huo there so...)

Yuan Ling, Lost Love in Times

Yi Xiao Chuan, The Myth

Gu Tingye, The Story of Ming Lan

Lu Bu, Three Kingdoms 2010

Xu Lingyi, The Sword and the Brocade

Yue Fei, Patriot Yue Fei

Xiang Yu, The Myth

Ping Zhang, Nirvana in Fire 2

Guo Jing, Legend of Condor Heroes 2008

Xiang Yu, The Legend of Qin

[reinaka42]

Wang Chuan Feng Hua Lu (忘川风华录) Masterpost

Wang Chuan Feng Hua Lu (忘川风华录) is a Vocal synth (Vocaloid and SynthV) music project. It consists of songs themed around different figures throughout Chinese history. The project is a collaboration between different artists and creatives, with music and videos featuring prominent traditional Chinese elements. The project's title translates to "The Records of Magnificence of the Wangchuan" - In Chinese mythology, "Wangchuan" (or River of Forgetting) is a river in the Underworld that can rid one of their past life's memories, similar to the river Lethe.

A mobile game adaptation has also been developed by NetEast. Unfortunately, I haven't played it so I can't give much insight on it. However, I assume that its premise is similar to that of the idea behind the project as a whole: all these historical figures meeting each other in the Underworld after they died. Maybe.

You can find all the songs on Bilibili. The official Weibo can be found here. The game's website, which includes all characters appearing so far in the game, can be found here, and its Weibo can be found here.

(If you prefer YouTube, I've also put together a handy playlist. Please know that most of these videos are reposts though, so please watch the original Bilibili MVs if you can!)

This blog is where I will be posting everything I feel like I need to say about the songs in this project. A lot of it is lifted from my Twitter account but will be in much more detail. Note that I probably won't touch collab songs, or songs that don't focus solely on the project's own characters.

Disclaimer: I do not speak Chinese, nor am I an expert on Chinese history. Therefore, I cannot reliably translate the lyrics to these songs, nor my words should be taken as gospel. I am merely a nerd gushing about my hyperfixation.

Playlist

多情岸 【Duo Qing An】 ➼ B link

洛阳怀 【Luo Yang Huai】 ➼ B link

易水诀 【Yi Shui Jue】 ➼ B link

山河令 【Shan He Ling】 ➼ B link

簪花人间 【Zhan Hua Ren Jian】 ➼ B link

栖凰 【Qi Huang】 ➼ B link

心上秋 【Xin Shang Qiu】 ➼ B link

祖龙吟 【Zu Long Yin】 ➼ B link

如见青山 【Ru Jian Qing Shan】 ➼ B link

竹林间 【Zhu Lin Jian】 ➼ B link

天下局 【Tian Xia Ju】 ➼ B link

青鸟衔风 【Qing Niao Xian Feng】 ➼ B link

木兰行 【Mu Lan Xing】 ➼ B link

好字唯之 【Hao Zi Wei Zhi】 ➼ B link

不可道 【Bu Ke Dao】 ➼ B link

水叙湖风 【Shui Xu Hu Feng】 (collab) ➼ B link

是非 【Shi Fei】 ➼ B link

风起甘露 【Feng Qi Gan Lu】 (collab) ➼ B link

谓剑 【Wei Jian】 ➼ B link

万象霜天 【Wan Xiang Shuang Tian】 (New Year event song) ➼ B link

千秋梦 【Qian Qiu Meng】 ➼ B link

易安难安 【Yi An Nan An】 ➼ B link

惊鹊 【Jing Que】 ➼ B link

高歌破阵 【Gao Ge Po Zhen】 (collab) ➼ B link

不赴 【Bu Fu】 ➼ B link

西行 【Xi Xing】 ➼ B link

大航海家 【Da Hang Hai Jia】 ➼ B link

牡丹乱 【Mu Dan Luan】 (collab) ➼ B link

倾国 【Qing Guo】 (collab) ➼ B link

相虎 【Xiang Hu】 ➼ B link

补天裂 【Bu Tian Lie】 ➼ B link

此期盈期 【Ci Qi Ying Qi】 (1st anniversary song) ➼ B link

破云来 【Po Yun Lai】 ➼ B link

归钓吟 【Gui Diao Yin】 ➼ B link

始见千秋 【Shi Jian Qian Qiu】 ➼ B link

临川浮梦 【Lin Chuan Fu Meng】 ➼ B link

将军行 【Jiang Jun Xing】 ➼ B link

妄语人间 【Wang Yu Ren Jian】 ➼ B link

数风流 【Shu Feng Liu】 (2nd anniversary song) ➼ B link

问剑春秋 【Wen Jian Chun Qiu】 ➼ B link

起战令 【Qi Zhan Ling】 ➼ B link

人间应又雪 【Ren Jian Ying You Xue】 ➼ B link

旷古回响 【Kuang Gu Hui Xiang】 ➼ B link

墨隐侠声 【Mo Yin Xia Sheng】 ➼ B link

桃源故人 【Tao Yuan Gu Ren】 (3rd anniversary song) ➼ B link

燕双归 【Yan Shuang Gui】 ➼ B link

拜云台 【Bai Yun Tai】 ➼ B link

思华年 【Si Hua Nian】 ➼ B link

承天 【Cheng Tian】 ➼ B link

*Note: The anniversary songs are probably for the game's anniversaries, as the project itself is more than 5 years old.

Albums

Vol 1: 溯洄 【Su Hui】 Includes character songs from Duo Qing An to Zhu Lin Jian. Features human vocals.

Vol 2: 踏浪 【Ta Lang】 Includes character songs from Tian Xia Ju to Yi An Nan An + Shui Xu Hu Feng.

Vol 3: 数风流 【Shu Feng Liu】 Includes character songs from Bu Fu to Yan Shuang Gui, and the two anniversary songs.

Visual character guide:

PRE-QIN | QIN | WESTERN CHU | HAN | THREE KINGDOMS | JIN | NORTH & SOUTHERN DYNASTIES | TANG | FIVE DYNASTIES & TEN KINGDOMS | SONG | YUAN | MING | QING | DREAM

[sorairokakera]

Favorite BL Manhua

This beginning of year I feel like trying to make a list of my favorite BL. I've been reading more these past years, specially manhwa and manhua (I used to read manga only for BL, for several years before I started to read another).

My history of reading BL manhua began with 19 Days. I saw their illustrations popped up pretty often and I was getting more and more interested to read it. I really like 19 Days a lot~!! I was wondering is there another BL manhua I would be interested to read. For some months, after I caught up with 19 Days' latest update (at that time), I saw Mo Dao Zu Shi's illustrations pretty often. It seems to be a very popular danmei (it is), their drama series adaptation also a huge hit. Then, I tried to read its manhua adaptation first, before trying to read its danmei/watch the series. MDZS catches my heart quite deep, after that I checked more BL manhua, specially danmei adaptations. Last year, I couldn't manage my time well to be able to read some danmei >_< I wish I can read more starting this year, there are several danmei that I really want to read as soon as possible.

I tried to pick 17 (+1) titles here~

1. 19天 19 Tian / 19 Days by Old Xian (old先)

I really adore these 4!! He Tian, Mo Guanshan, Zhan Zhengxi, Jian Yi ♥♥♥♥ I love TianShan a lot but, I like it most when four of them are together. They are very endearing, their funny moments always brighten up my night after I read it. He Cheng and Brother Qiu also very exciting to see/read when they're together. It's a long series but I want to reread it whenever I can~!

2. 小蘑菇 Xiǎo Mó Gu / Little Mushroom by Shisi (一十四洲), art by Mao Mao Tou (猫猫头)

This is really an interesting read and the manhua adaptation has beautiful visuals. I really like visuals of Lu Feng and An Ze and their chibis are very cute. I usually not into science fiction and/or apocalyptic stories, but maybe because I really like both main characters (Lu Feng An Ze ♥♥) and their interesting world-building, they make me want to keep reading. At the time I posted this I haven't properly read the novel yet, it's on number one position of BL-novels-that-I-want-to-read-soon list.

3. 撒野 Sā Yě / Run Freely by Wu Zhe (巫哲)

SaYe is precious, it's so heartfelt. I really adore Gu Fei and Jiang Cheng ♥♥ Gu Miao also adorable~ They are lovable and as they grow up, we learn together about their own selves and how they live. Their characters development, their very equal relationship, very nice balance they have between them. I really hope any adaptations of this story would be proper and great.

4. 将进酒 Qiang Jin Jiu / Ballad of Sword and Wine by Tang Jiuqing (唐酒卿)

At the time I posted this I haven't properly read the novel yet (it's on number two position of BL-novels-that-I-want-to-read-soon list), but from some spoilers this sounds like the type I would really like. Their sexual tension, enemy to lovers that have truly exciting dynamic. Both are equally powerful and their interactions make me want more. I also really like their visuals. Hopefully the manhua will adapt the novel very well. Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan ♥♥

5. 魔道祖师 Mó Dào Zǔ Shī / Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (墨香铜臭)

This is the first danmei adaptation I tried to read and the beginning of my interest in danmei. I didn't expect I would be that hooked that I spent hours continuously reading this for days. It's so heart-wrenching yet beautiful, even the side characters' stories also heartbreaking. Wei Ying/ Wei Wuxian's life so tragic I think I cried quite a lot (it's quite a long while ago, my memory's blurry but I remember it hurts). Lan Zhan and Wei Ying ♥♥ Their interactions are so lovable, the dynamic between them is one of a couple/pairing's dynamic types I like a lot.

5. 天官赐福 Tiān Guān Cì Fú / Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (墨香铜臭), art by STARember

TGCF's manhua art/visual is soo pretty, soo beautiful~! I really like Hua Cheng and Xie Lian a lot ♥♥ Their interactions, their heartfelt love story. I haven't read everything (of TGCF) yet I'm not sure which one I like more, I put MDZS first here since I finished that manhua. I have a bit feeling that I might like TGCF more later (for a moment I put them both on number 5 here).

7. 全球高考 Quan Qiu Gao Kao / Global Examination by Mu Su Li (木苏里)

Global Examination is so interesting~ It feels fresh/new for me to read this kind of story, but the biggest force that makes me excited to keep reading is two charming main characters~! Qin Jiu and You Huo ♥♥ I really like their dynamic, feels like my heart jumping in joy and excitement when their romance appears (I want more~~). I like their visuals a lot too.

8. 犬大欺主 Quǎn Dà Qī Zhǔ / The Grown Dog Bullies Its Owner by Ruo Li, art by Zu Zhuan Jiu San

This is very adorable and enjoyable to read, also it's pretty~! Lin Lang and Xia Zhixing are so lovely and the second couple also very cute ♥♥ I equally enjoy reading both couples (which doesn't happen often). This one probably my most favorite in gamer setting BL.

9. 我嗑了对家X我的CP Wo Ke Le Dui Jia x Wo de CP / I Ship My Rival x Me by Pepa, art by Qualia

They're very adorable together~ I usually not that interested in showbiz setting (main couple here are actors) but I like this one. It's a light, fun, and cute read. That Yiliang's Diary part is amusing >w<

10. Jīng Jiǔ 经久 / Salad Days by Jing Shuibian 静水边, art by Tang LiuZang

Salad Days is so wholesome~! It's a great journey reading main couple relationship grows from childhood, teens to adults. They also have supporting side characters around them that makes this story is so heartwarming (there's very sad side chara background story though, I also cried when Song Xin helped Shen at that crucial time ; ; kind pretty soul). Jiang Shen and Bai Jinyi are so lovely together ♥♥

11. 解药 Jie Yao / Antidote by Wu Zhe

This probably the first Chinese BL I read which one of main characters has mental illness. The development of Jiang YuDuo and Cheng Ke relationship is very nice and interesting to see. I enjoy watching pairs that both sides feel equal (physically and character/personality-wise), this is one of them~

12. 貔貅饭馆，只进不出 Pi Xiu Fan Guan, Zhi Jin Bu Chu / Pixiu's Eatery, No Way Out by Hai Jingluo (海鶄落), art by Jiu Aoao

I thought this one would be an adorable fun light read at first, but it also has some touching moments. It's very enjoyable to read, entertaining and lovely. I really like Chinese mythology touch in this story. Pixiu and Wen Xi are so lovely ♥♥

13. 伪装学渣 Wei Zhuang Xue Zha / Fake Slackers by Mu Guahuang (木瓜黄), art by C7

I first attracted with this because of their visuals. Actually I'm not interested in reading high school romance anymore (except the funny one) but as I tried reading this, I like their dynamic a lot~! It's fun, lovely, enjoyable, they're so adorable. He Zhao and Xie Yu ♥♥

14. 这题超纲了 Zhe Ti Chao Gang Le / Beyond The Outline by Mu Guahuang (木瓜黄), art by JiJing Jun

I tried reading this because it's the same author from Fake Slackers (shared universe), it's pretty fun, lovely and enjoyable. Shao Zhan and Xu Sheng are cute~~

15. 迪奥先生 Dí'ào xiānshēng / Mr. Dior by Lu Ye Qian He (绿野千鹤)

This one is very funny light read~! It shows various tropes in BL, while they go through those roles they also learn more about each other and deepen their lovely relationship. I think it's the first BL manhua I read which the main couple is married.

16. 破云 Po Yun / Breaking Through the Clouds by Huai Shang (淮上)

I wish they would have adapted everything in manhua and not cut it a lot like that ;_; But since I like them I put this one on this list too. I usually enjoy reading mystery and this one is interesting. Though I don't enjoy the imposition of hetero dynamic there, Jiang Ting and Yan Xie, both as characters and as a couple, are nice.

破云2吞海 Po Yun 2: Tun Hai / Breaking Through the Clouds 2: Swallowing the Seas by Huai Shang (淮上)

I put this one here too since it's Poyun's sequel and it feels like they are one package (?). I feel that Jiang Ting and Yan Xie are more endearing but Wu Yu and Bu ChongHua are pretty nice too. I like when both couples interact~

17. 二哈和他的白猫师尊 Èr Hā Hé Tā De Bái Māo Shī Zūn / 2ha / The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat (肉包不吃肉)

I haven't read this danmei yet, from spoilers it seems this one filled with a lot of angst. Though it seems very heart-wrenching, specially the past lifetime (and second timeline?), it's interesting and 2 main characters interactions are fun to see/read. Hopefully they will adapt everything till the end, I enjoy their visuals. I'm excited to enjoy Chu Wanning and Mo Ran moments in manhua.

//1st edition SK-FCBL

[geekygirl24]

BL Prompts Chapter 19 Links

Prompt from Sunmorkholic - If the promt list still has some space, I'd love to ask for a SunMork(DBK_thailand)AU. Where SunMork is already officially boyfriends, but still Mork hasn't said that very short three words "I LOVE YOU" . I'm dying to know how the first verbal confession went…!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46207009/chapters/121768756

Prompt from Basilikum - Regarding a prompt: It took me quite long to love any MODC couple but after the pottery class & their wedding (aka after Sun Bo matured), I now really root for Sun Bo Xiang & Lu Zhi Gang. So anything really with a hurt Lu Zhi. Maybe some guys making fun of him, teasing or humiliating him in the gym or café!? With Sun Bo being a very protective bf/husband!?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46255276/chapters/121839280

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46231810/chapters/121903471

Prompt from SmoothieMaker - Hello~ is there any slot left? If there is, I'd like to request Kieta Hatsukoi - Ida/Aoki where Ida isn't as innocent as people see because he has naughty thoughts on Aoki that even Aoki doesn't know. It would be great if you make it nsfw. Thank you!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46179736/chapters/121964293

Prompt from TroisZKG - My prompt for Bai Yutong/Zhan Yao from S.C.I Mysteries. Zhan Yao gets sucked into an Zhao Jue illusion and Bai YuTong is needed to break him free of it. (I found that scene in episode 5 pretty intriguing). Zhan Yao starts to obsess and doubt his ability to compete again Zhao Jue but Bai YuTong, his ultimate cheerleader, is there to reassure him that they can defeat him together.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46279000/chapters/122029306

[pugur]

Lai Zhan - 来战 (2026)

Drama baru untuk kita pantau bersama~! Akun official Lai Zhan 来战 di Weibo, drama ini baru saja diumumkan kedua cast utamanya, yaitu Ju Jingyi sebagai A Dai dan Zhang Yunlong sebagai Xiao Yihan. Drama ini sendiri diadaptasi dari Shi Fu Lai Zhan 师父来战 karya Jiu Lu Fei Xiang. Sayangnya hingga saat aku menulis ini, masih belum ada sinopsis yang mumpuni, jadi aku akan menambahkan dalam update yang…

[movielosophy]

The Yin Yang Master: Dream of Eternity | Guardians

[binging-asian-dramas]

The Song of Glory. 9

Story: 9

Acting: 10

Chemistry: 10 👌

Comparable to: The Princess Wei Young (cdrama) Legend of Fu Yao (cdrama)

At first I was about to bail on this drama but something magical happened in terms it got super crazy good around five episodes in. So in other words don’t judge this drama too quickly, you might be missing out. It’s a historical drama that has beautiful scenery and costumes. It’s very melodramatic (what can I say I love me some melodramas) at times and the fighting sequences are 😘 You have Li Qin who’s character portrays one bad-ass female lead. She doe it wonderfully too while her chemistry with the main male lead is 🔥oofing sizzling (yes they don’t much kissing scenes but the chemistry is oozing through the scenes) The only drawback I have with this drama is the finale. For me the last episode was a mess and probably should of ended wrapping everything up on episode 52.

[edenreign]

a few gifs of yanli with her brothers, and three a'xiang gifs too. my favorites 💜

[anemicwuxian]

[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

[screaming-apple]

TOP 5 TV DRAMA EACH YEAR WITH THE HIGHEST BAIDU INDEX RANKING

(from 2011 to 2021/known internationally)

🔥2011:

No.1: Scarlet Heart (Bu Bu Jing Xin)

No.2: The Temptation To Go Home (Hui Jia De You Huo)

No.3: The Lock Heart Jade (Gong Suo Xin Yu)

No.4: The Glamorous Imperial Concubine (Qing Shi Huang Fei)

No.5: Palace (Gong)

🔥2012:

No.1: iPartment season 3 (Ai Qing Gong Yu)

No.2: The Magic Blade (Tian Ya Ming Yue Dao)

No.3: Locked Beaded Curtain (Gong Suo Zhu Lian)

No.4: Empresses Of The Palace (Hou Gong Zhen Huan Zhuan)

No.5: Xuan-Yuan Sword: Scar Of Sky (Xuan Yuan Jian Zhi Tian Zhi Hen)

🔥2013:

No.1: Little Daddy (Xiao Ba Ba)

No.2: We Get Married (Zan Men Jie Hun Ba)

No.3: Prince Of Lan Ling (Lan Ling Wang)

No.4: Swordsman (Jin Xiao Ao Jiang Hu)

No.5: Legend Of Lu Zhen (Lu Zhen Chuan Qi)

🔥2014:

No.1: iPartment season 4 (Ai Qing Gong Yu)

No.2: My Love From The Star (Byeoreseo On Geudae)*

No.3: Swords Of Legends (Gu Jian Qi Tan)

No.4: Boss & Me (Shan Shan Lai Le)

No.5: The Empress Of China (Wu Meiniang Chuan Qi)

🔥2015:

No.1: The Legend Of Mi Yue (Mi Yue Zhuan)

No.2: My Sunshine (He Yi Sheng Xiao Mo)

No.3: The Journey Of Flower (Hua Qian Gu)

No.4: The Lost Tomb (Dao Mu Bi Ji)

No.5: Nirvana In Fire (Lang Ya Bang)

🔥2016:

No.1: Ode To Joy (Huan Le Song)

No.2: Love O2O (Wei Wei Yi Xiao Hen Qing Cheng)

No.3: The Princess Weiyoung (Jin Xiu Wei Yang)

No.4: Go Princess Go (Tai Zi Fei Sheng Zhi Ji)

No.5: Descendants Of The Sun (Taeyang-ui Huye)*

🔥2017:

No.1: In The Name Of The People (Ren Min De Ming Yi)

No.2: The First Half Of My Life (Wo De Qian Ban Sheng)

No.3: Eternal Love (San Sheng San Shi Shi Li Tao Hua)

No.4: Princess Agents (Chu Qian Zhuan)

No.5: Ode To Joy season 2 (Huan Le Song)

🔥2018:

No.1: Story Of Yanxi Palace (Yan Xi Gong Lue)

No.2: The Story Of Minglan (Zhi Fou? Zhi Fou? Ying Shi Luo Fei Hong Shou)

No.3: Ashes Of Love (Xiang Mi Chen Chen Jin Ru Shuang)

No.4: Legend Of Fuyao (Fuyao)

No.5: Ruyi’s Royal Love In The Palace (Ruyi Zhuan)

🔥2019:

No.1: Joy Of Life (Qing Yu Nian)

No.2: Go Go Squid! (Qin Ai De, Re Ai De)

No.3: Hope All Is Well With Us (Wo Men Dou Yao Hao Hao De)

No.4: The King’s Avatar (Quan Zhi Gao Shou)

No.5: The Untamed (Chen Qing Ling)

🔥2020:

No.1: The Bad Kids (Yin Mi De Jiao Luo)

No.2: Nothing But Thirty (San Shi Er Yi)

No.3: Go Ahead (Yi Jia Ren Zhi Ming)

No.4: Find Yourself (Xia Yi Zhan Shi Xing Fu)

No.5: I Will Find You A Better Home (An Jia)

🔥2021:

No.1: Crime Crackdown (Sao Hei Feng Bao)

No.2: My Heroic Husband (Zhui Xu)

No.3: You Are My Glory (Ni Shi Wo De Rong Yao)

No.4: Word Of Honor (Shan He Ling)

No.5: Rattan (Si Teng)

(*) Korean dramas. I have no idea why there are two of them on this Chinese dramas list but okay, they are still accepted here.

The list in picture form: (You can see the Baidu index of the dramas here - click in to see better)

---

So, what do you think of this ranking? How many of these dramas do you know of/have you watched? Which is your favourite?

(The tags can not cover every drama. So I have tried my best to pick out some I think would be more well-known among international fans.)

[reinaka42]

忘川风华录 Cheat Sheet - PRE-QIN

Character list for the music project/game Wang Chuan Feng Hua Lu

Created solely for my own convenience

All images etc taken from the game's official website

Info taken from Wikipedia

Mao-mao not included, sowwy

姜太公 | Jiang Taigong | Khương Thái Công

1128 BC - 1015 BC

Also known as Jiang Ziya / Taigong Wang / Lǚ Wang

General, strategist to King Wu of Zhou, helped establish the Zhou Dynasty

Song: Gui Diao Yin

Also appears in: Kuang Gu Hui Xiang

In-game rarity: 天

屈原 | Qu Yuan | Khuất Nguyên

c. 340 BC – c. 278 BC

Poet, author of Li Sao, one of the first verse writers in ancient China

Theme song: N/A

Also appears in: Kuang Gu Hui Xiang

In-game rarity: 天

韩非 | Han Fei | Hàn Phi

c.  280 BC – c. 233 BC

Philosopher of the Legalist school, author of Han Feizi

Song: Shi Fei

Also appears in: Kuang Gu Hui Xiang

In-game rarity: 天

西施 | Xi Shi | Tây Thi

One of ancient China's Four Beauties

Given to Fuchai which allegedly led to the fall of the State of Wu

Song: Qing Guo

In-game rarity: 天

范蠡 | Fan Li | Phạm Lãi

Strategist of Yue (Warring States)

(According to legends) discovered Xi Shi and later lived with her after the fall of Wu

Song: N/A

In-game rarity: 地

荆轲 | Jing Ke | Kinh Kha

Died 227 BC

Retainer of Yan (Warring States)

Attempted to assassinate Qin Shi Huang

Song: Yi Shui Jue

Also appears in: Kuang Gu Hui Xiang

In-game rarity: 地

高渐离 | Gao Jianli | Cao Tiệm Ly

Musician of Yan (Warring States), friend of Jing Ke

Also attempted to assassinate Qin Shi Huang

Song: Yi Shui Jue

Also appears in: Kuang Gu Hui Xiang

In-game rarity: 地

干将 | Gan Jiang | Can Tương

Part of a swordsmith couple during the Spring and Autumn period

Forged a pair of swords that also bore their names

Song: Wei Jian

Also appears in: Kuang Gu Hui Xiang

In-game rarity: 地

夫差 | Fuchai | Phù Sai

Reigned 495 BC – 473 BC

Last king of Wu (Spring and Autumn period)

Responsible for capturing and releasing Goujian, leading to the fall of his state

Song: Wen Jian Chun Qiu

Also appears in: Kuang Gu Hui Xiang

In-game rarity: 天

勾践 | Goujian | Câu Tiễn

Reigned 496 BC – 465 BC

King of Wu (Spring and Autumn period)

Exacted revenge on and defeated Wu

Song: Wen Jian Chun Qiu

Also appears in: Kuang Gu Hui Xiang

In-game rarity: 天

伍子胥 | Wu Zixu | Ngũ Tử Tư

Died 484 BC

General and politician of Wu (Spring and Autumn period)

First served King Helü of Wu, was not entrusted by King Fuchai

Song: N/A

Also appears in: Wen Jian Chun Qiu

In-game rarity: 地

白起 | Bai Qi | Bạch Khởi

c. 332 BC –c. 257 BC

Military general of Qin (Warring States), whose victory paved way for the establishment of the Qin Dynasty

Extremely high kill count

Song: Qi Zhan Ling

Also appears in: Kuang Gu Hui Xiang

In-game rarity: 天

墨翟 | Mo Di | Mặc Địch

c. 470 BCE – c. 391 BCE

Also known as Mozi

Philosopher, founder of Mohism

Talented in carpentry

Song: Mo Yin Xia Sheng

In-game rarity: 天

公输班 | Gongshu Ban | Công Du Ban

c. 507 BCE – 444 BCE

Also known as Lu Ban

Carpenter, engineer, inventor of several things including the saw

Song: N/A

Also appears in: Mo Yin Xia Sheng

In-game rarity: 天

庄周 | Zhuang Zhou | Trang Chu

c. 369 BCE - c. 286 BCE

Also known as Zhuangzi / Chuang Tzu

Philosopher, author of Zhuangzi, established the foundation of Taoism

Song: N/A

In-game rarity: 天

[baoshan-sanren]

best dramas I’ve watched so far in 2021 (and some not so good ones) part 1 out of god knows how many

Word of Honor - based on danmei novel Faraway Wanderers by Priest. The gayest thing I’ve seen in my entire life. Exhilarating story line, excellent villains, tight fast pace with no screen time wasted. Superbly acted by the entire cast. Emotionally devastating and devastatingly rewarding. Budget of two pieces of string and duct tape. A drama I will be obsessed with for at least the next two years and then some. 11/10

Nirvana In Fire - based on historical novel Lang Ya Bang by Hai Yan. Every drama I’ve ever watched and rated 10/10 has been downgraded. This is, hands down, the best drama I’ve ever watched in my life. The plot, the acting, the characters, the goddamn ending, everything in this drama will ruin you. As someone else said, the only problem with Nirvana In Fire is that there are no other dramas like Nirvana In Fire. 10000/10

Dance of the Sky Empire - based on wuxia/xianxia novel of the same name by Bu Fei Yan. Short and entertaining. This drama is like a light, sweet snack. You can probably expect to be hungry an hour later. It starts off with excellent potential for complexity and growth, but then… nothing really happens. Mediocre budget. Good found family tropes. Xu Kai does a decent job, but hardly even stretches his acting muscles. 5/10

The Lost Tomb: Ultimate Note - based on Grave Robbers’ Chronicles by Xu Lei. Honestly, I put off watching this because I was sure it wouldn’t be as captivating as the Sound of Providence, so I didn’t wanna end up disappointed. I was wrong. It is amazing. At no point did the different cast throw me off; absolutely incredible job done by everyone involved. Visually stunning, intricate plot, excellent horror elements. Ends in a cliffhanger so be wary if it’s the only season you plan to consume. If Xiao Ge is your weak spot, this season will fuck you up hard. 9/10

The Lost Tomb (2015) - based on Grave Robbers’ Chronicles by Xu Lei. The first, and by many accounts, the most shoddily done season of the Lost Tomb. That said, I love it to pieces. Wu Xie wears a studded belt like it’s 2009, and Xiao Ge has peak emo hair. Prime pingxie fanfic material. Absolutely ridiculous and enormously entertaining. A an absolute gem of a drama that deserves a cult following. 8/10

The Legends - based on xianxia novel Ostentatious Zhao Yao by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang. This meandered to hades and back, multiple times, for the entirety of the 56 episodes. Beautiful visuals, set designs, and choreography. Depressing as fuck. An emotional rollercoaster that Love and Redemption can only dream about, without the bonus of the happy ending. I was mentally numb to every aspect of it by episode 40. However, Xu Kai is pretty amazing in this role, and this drama is the sole reason why I’m willing to fancast him as Hua Cheng, so take from that what you will. 6/10

Douluo Continent- based on xuanhuan novel Douluo Dalu by Tang Jia San Shao. Probably the most entertaining, fast paced drama I’ll watch this year. Interesting premise and a plot that doesn’t meander. Contains the first het couple I’ve been invested in so far this year. Immensely satisfying found family tropes, plethora of female characters, relatively satisfying ending, especially considering that season 2 is uncertain, and may not have the same cast. 9/10

Still in the process of watching:

My Roommate is a Detective

Detective L

The Lost Tomb 2

Looking forward to:

Immortality - based on danmei novel The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by 肉包不吃肉 starring Chen Feiyu and Luo Yunxi

Winner Is King - based on the danmei novel Sha Po Lang by Priest starring Tan Jianci and Chen Zheyuan

Step By Step Lotus - based on historical novel Return to Ming Dynasty as Prince by 月关 starring Zhang Binbin and Luo Yunxi

The Wind Blows From Longxi - based on historical novel of the same name by Ma Bo Yong starring Chen Kun and Bai Yu

Sword Snow Stride - based on the xuanhuan novel The Snowy Path of the Heroic Blade by 烽火戏诸侯 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Hu Jun

Heaven Official’s Blessing - based on danmei novel of the same name by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu - cast unknown

Thousand Autumns - based on danmei novel of the same name by Meng Xi Shi - cast unknown

Joy Of Life Season 2 - based on wuxia novel of the same name by 猫腻 starring Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin

A League of Nobleman - based on danmei novel The Society of Four Leaves by Da Feng Gua Guo starring Song Weilong and Jing Boran

Flying Phoenix - based on danmei novel of the same name by 風弄 starring Dai Jingyao and Shu Yaxin

The Long Ballad - based on wuxia manhua by 夏达 starring Dilraba Dilmurat and Wu Lei

Luoyang - based on a historical drama of the same name by Ma Bo Yong starring Wang Yibo and Huang Xuan

The Story of the Bat - based on danmei novel Bat by Feng Nong starring Mao Zijun and Zhang Yao

Jade Bone Ballad - based on xianxia novel Mirror: Zhu Yan by 沧月 starring Xiao Zhan, Ren Min, and Zhang Yunlong

[psqqa]

Nirvana in Fire Character Reference Sheet Roughly in the Order Those Characters Are Introduced

For @howdydowdy, as promised, and for anyone else who, like me, is terrible at names and needs some kind of “Who?? Ohhh right. That guy.” reminder.

Basically, my Nirvana in Fire Journey started with me watching half the first episode, being wildly confused, realizing I was in over my head re: names and thus deciding to go back to the beginning and watch it again But Taking Notes This Time. I watched the whole show with a notebook and pen at my side. I figured I may as well spare you all the labour by typing it up. 

As more information was revealed, I often added it to a character’s initial note, but by and large I’m leaving those extra notes out so you can experience the joy and confusion and anguish of New Information yourself. The exception to this is generally a person’s name, title, and position. E.g. Duke Qing’s name, Bai Ye, isn’t mentioned until a number of episodes after he’s first mentioned, if I recall correctly, but knowing that the person named “Bai Ye” is the same person called “Duke Qing” is exactly why I took these notes for myself in the first place.

Basically this isn’t intended to be a character guide that lays out exactly who a person is, their relationships to the other characters, and their place in the story, but rather something you can look at whenever someone mentions a name that jogs your memory just enough for you to be able to place to person. Which is why the notes tend to be either the context in which the person was introduced or the relationship through which they’re introduced.

Some names and notes are inherently spoilers, but hopefully by virtue of the fact that this is broadly in the order a character is first mentioned/introduced, you can avoid spoilers simply by not scrolling down too far. For those persons where their name or an alter ego comes in significantly after their initial introduction and is a spoiler, they are listed a second time starting with the “new information” and with the note in italics indicating their original entry (there aren’t a lot of these, don’t worry).

I will readily admit that some of my handwritten notes are just a name and then a blank space because apparently I just never actually added a note for them. I haven’t bothered adding those people here. Yes it’s because I’ve forgotten entirely who they are, but I’m pretty sure that means you’ll be okay if you immediately forget who they are too. (That being said, I get the sense there are actually relevant people missing from this list. As the show carried on and introductions became less frequent, remembering them became less difficult.)

The List

Lin Xie –> Commander of the Chiyan Army

Lin Shu –> “Xiao-Shu” –> Lin Xie’s son –> Mei Changsu --> Chief of the Jiangzuo Alliance --> Su Zhe

Lin Chen –> Young Master of Langya Hall –> NOTE: The “Lin” of Lin Chen and the “Lin” of Lin Xie & Lin Shu are both written and pronounced differently. These people are not related.

Northern Yan’s 6th Prince –> Now Northern Yan’s Crown Prince

Minister Xu –> Da Liang’s envoy to Northern Yan

Prince Yu –> Xiao Jinghuan –> 5th Prince of Da Liang

Xiao Xuan –> Emperor of Da Liang

Empress Yan --> Prince Yu’s adoptive mother

Consort Yue --> Crown Prince’s mother

Grand Empress (Dowager) --> Emperor’s grandmother

Xiao Jingxuan --> Crown Prince of Da Liang --> metonym is “Eastern Palace”

Zhuo Dingfeng --> Master of Tianquan Manor

Zhuo Qingyao --> Eldest son of Zhuo Dingfeng --> guy on the horse and later the guy helping the old couple on the boat and later also the guy who calls Xie Yu “father-in-law” (I am telling you this specifically because I am not bad at faces but this guy added so much confusion to my life that was cleared up the moment I realized these people were the same person. And also because my mother is terrible at faces and for like 15 episodes every time he showed up in another random place I would say “that’s horse and boat guy” and she would say “wait what? really???” So I’m assuming at least one other person will share in this struggle)

Xie Yu --> Marquis of Ning

Qin Banruo --> Prince Yu’s strategist

Duke Qing --> Prime Minister --> Bai Ye

Ji Ying --> member of Double Sword Sect

Li Gang --> member of Jiangzuo Alliance

Fei Liu --> Mei Changsu’s bodyguard

Yan Yujin --> Son of Empress Yan’s brother

Xiao Jingrui --> Eldest son of Xie Yu

Mu Nihuang --> Commander of the army in Yunnan --> Princess of Yunnan’s House of Mu 

Xie Bi --> Second son of Xie Yu & Xiao Jingrui’s younger brother

Mu Qing --> Mu Nihuang’s younger brother

Xia Dong --> An officer of the Xuanjing Bureau

Nie Feng --> Xia Dong’s late husband --> Vanguard General of the Chiyan Army under Lin Xie

Meng Zhi --> Commander of the Imperial Guards

Xuan Bu --> From Da Yu --> stronger than Meng Zhi

Gao Zhan --> Emperor’s chief eunuch 

Fei Changshi --> Prince Yu’s guy out looking for Mei Changsu

Prince Jing --> Xiao Jingyan --> 7th Prince of Da Liang

Concubine Jing --> Mother of Prince Jing

“Xiao-Xin” --> Attendant to Concubine Jing

Grand Princess Liyang --> Xie Yu’s wife & Emperor’s sister

Eunuch Zheng --> Eunuch who is mean to Tingsheng

Prince Qi --> late Crown Prince of Da Liang --> Xiao Jingyu

Tingsheng --> servant boy caught reading

“Lao-Wei” --> Mu Qing’s subordinate of some kind

Wei Zheng --> member of Chiyan Army at Battle of Meiling (and survived)

Sima Lei --> member of Royal Guard --> Consort Yue’s preferred suitor for Mu Nihuang

Liao Tingjie --> Son of the Marquis of Zhongsu --> Empress Yan’s preferred suitor Mu Nihuang

Baili Qi --> Mu Nihuang suitor from Northern Yan --> A favourite of the 4th Prince of Northern Yan

Lady/Madam Zhuo --> Zhuo Dingfeng’s wife

Xie Qi --> Zhuo Qingyao’s wife & Xie Yu’s daughter & Jingrui’s sister

Consort Hui --> bullied by the Empress

Young Lady Zhen (I think is what my handwriting says) --> servant being sneaky at late dowager empress’s palace

“Wu-momo” --> older servant with the Bad Wine

Consort Chen --> now dead --> son was a rebel

3rd Prince of Da Liang --> Xiao Jingting --> Prince Ning --> disabled

6th Prince of Da Liang --> no ambition 

9th Prince of Da Liang --> too young to fight for throne 

Former Crown Princess --> late Prince Qi’s late wife

“Qi-momo” --> Grand Princess Liyang’s senior attendant

Gong Yu --> window lady who works with Mr. Shisan --> a musician

Mr. Shisan --> member of Jiangzuo Alliance --> connection to Lin family

Minister Lou --> Lou Zhijing --> Minister of Trade/Finance/Revenue/other words that mean “money” --> Knows about the corpse well --> Crown Prince’s faction

Zhang Jing --> Owner of corpse well house (Lan Mansion) at the time the corpses ended up in the well

Shi Jun --> Servant at corpse well house at relevant time --> has record book

Magistrate Gao --> Gao Sheng --> The Capital Magistrate

Princess Xuanji --> ruler of a previous dynasty --> founded the “Hong Court”

Minister Qi --> Qi Min--> Minister of Justice --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister He --> He Jingzhong --> Minister of Personnel --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister of Public Works --> Prince Yu’s faction

Minister Chen --> Chen Yuanzhi --> Minister of Rites --> Crown Prince’s faction

Minister of Defence --> Li Lin --> Crown Prince’s faction

Bai Xun --> Duke Qing’s brother

Lie Zhanying --> Staff Officer under Prince Jing

Qi Meng --> One of Prince Jing’s men --> fights Fei Liu and commits Great Offence

“General Bian” --> One of Prince Jing’s men

Shen Zhui --> Acting Minister of Finance

Princess Qing He --> Shen Zhui’s mother

Cai Quan --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> Did well-received report on the Bing case 

Han Zhiyi --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Zhang Jianzhen --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Wei Yuan --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Yuan Shiying --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Qin Yue --> Works at Ministry of Justice --> worked on Bing case

Tong Lu --> Vegetable cart guy --> brother of one of the corpse well girls 

Qiu Zhe --> Son of Count (Duke?) Wen Yuan

He Wenxin --> Son of Minister He --> dislikes Qiu Zhe 

Grand Prince Ji --> Emperor’s youngest brother --> Owns hot springs

Yang Liuxin --> A dancer

Hong Xinzhao --> Has “understanding girls”

Xinliu & Xinyang --> Brothel sisters --> their younger brother was murdered by Qiu Zhe

Princess Consort --> Lanjin --> Prince Yu’s wife

Zhou Xuanqing --> renowned scholar

Li Chong --> former Imperial Tutor --> former teacher to Lin Shu

“Brother Zhao” --> Canal transport guy --> Jiangzuo Alliance

Lin Xiangru --> famous literary envoy

Marquis Yan --> Yan Que --> Yan Yujin’s father & Empress Yan’s brother

Lin Yueyao --> Prince Qi’s mother --> Consort Chen

Zhen Ping --> Jiangzuo Alliance --> sword challenger

Xia Qiu --> An officer of the Xuanjing Bureau

Xia Chun --> The most senior of the officers of the Xuanjing Bureau

Prince Jingli --> Consort Hui’s son

Yuwen Xuan --> Prince Ling --> A prince of Southern Chu

Yuwen Nian --> “Niannian” --> A princess of Southern Chu --> student of Yue Xiuze

Yuwen Lin --> King of Southern Chu --> Yuwen Nian’s father

Ouyang Chi - Head of CApital Patrols

Xia Jiang --> Head of the Xuanjing Bureau

Li Chongxin --> Schoolteacher assassinated by Zhuo Dingfeng 

Jun Niang --> former member of “Hong Court” under Princess Xuanji

“Miss Liu” --> Granddaughter of former Chief Secretariat Liu Cheng

Wei Qi --> The general at Jiaxing Pass --> was Xie Yu’s lieutenant for years

Su Tianshu --> Chief of Yaowang Valley --> 7th on the Langya Rich List

Su Xuan --> Su Tianshu’s adopted son --> Wei Zheng

Yun Piaomiao --> Su Xuan’s wife 

Concubine Xiang --> Prince Yu’s birth mother

Zhu Yue --> Head of the Review Court --> Prince Yu’s brother-in-law

Cheng Zhiji --> Elder Master of Feng Hall --> 75 years old

Princess Linglong --> A princess of the Hua Kingdom --> Princess Xuanji’s sister --> Concubine Xiang

Grand Princess Jinyang --> Lin Shu’s mother & Lin Xie’s wife --> Emperor’s sister

Yao Zhu --> Official Fan’s servant who knows The Secret

Official Fan --> Harbouring Xia Jiang

[nefelibatateaser]

Could you suggest FCs for each family?

*keep in mind that this rp WILL NOT be resource oriented, so model faceclaims will be suggested (especially for lord leto whose canon counterpart has been explicitly stated as a beautiful young man (not handsome, but beautiful, like an androgynous greek myth figure. with long hair and all that)).   *we also do not have a set “age bend” rule in place. we just ask that you be reasonable

HOUSE LETO

DUCHESS LETO (50+) : indira varma, aishwarya rai, madhuri dixit, rani mukerji, sarita choudhury, preity zinta,  kajol devgn, sridevi, juhi chawla, mahima chaudhry, manisha koirala, karisma kapoor, raveena tandon, geetanjali rao, deepti naval. 

SER LETO (30+) : UNLOCKED AT CH. II

LORD LETO (26-30) : kaya holl, tom ali, saket sharma, aramis knight, akshay kumar, avan jogi, callum stoddart, sebastian de souza, daanisj mahabier.

LADY LETO (23+) : alia bhatt, janhvi kapoor, sara ali khan, shalini pandey, ,anushi chhillar, alaya f, khushi kapoor, keerthy suresh, banita sandhu, aditi rao hydari, kelly gale, neelam gill, ulka gupta. 

HOUSE AERDDYD

DUCHESS AERDDYD (45+) : naomi harris, estella daniels, cynthia addai-robinson, carmen ejogo, jill scott, kerry wahington, thandie newton, sophie okonedo, tika sumpter, naomi campbell, catherine lough haggquist, thandie newton, angela bassett.

DUKE AERDDYD (45+) : adrian lester, idris elba, sope dirisu, djimon hounsou, paterson joseph, howard charles, danny sapani, david oyewolo.

SER AERDDYD (30+) : adopted

LADY AERDDYD (27+) : lashana lynch, aalijah hydes, gugu mbatha raw, nathalie emmanuel, susie wokoma, jodie turner smith, laura harrier,  pippa bennett-warner, leonie elliott, salem mitchell, grace bol.

LORD AERDDYD (25+) : marcus sivyer, jacob anderson, elliot knight, lucien laviscount,  ntonga mwanza, alfie enoch, adonis bosso, torrin verdone.

LORD/LADY AERDDYD (21+) : cara ricketts, assa miriam, tiffany boone, ebonee noel, alexandra metz,  crystal clarke, evelyn rain, halle bailey, jemal etnel, odiseas georgiadis, chance perdomo, jacob artist, bruno fabre, masao parris.

HOUSE ANLE

@howlscifer and @herorps are doing GREAT job at making resources for chinese faceclaims. so especially for the the anle children, i suggest going to their blog and giving their packs a look!

DUKE ANLE (46)  : wallace huo, li guangjie, qiao zhenyu, hu ge, huang xiaoming, feng shaofeng, liu ye, rick yune, pierre png, 

LADY/LORD ANLE (40) : hu caihong, tiffany tang, gao yuan yuan, fan bing bing, ruby lin, juan zi, zhou xun, qin hailu, li bingbing, cynthia koh, cao xiwen, deng sha, jiang xin.

VISCOUNT ANLE (27) : zhang yicong, ding yuxi, fang yilun, tang xiaotian, wang yibo, darren wang, jing boran, chen xiang, gao taiyu, leon li, zhang zhehan, xiao zhan

LORD/LADY ANLE (<27) : li hongyi, lin yi, sheng yinghao, zheng shuang, zhao liying, shao yuwei, li mengmeng, song weilong, gulnazar (nazha), wu qian, song jiyang, wu jinyan, xu kai, angela baby, li qin, chen xinyu, dilraba dilmurat, guli nazha.

LADY ANLE (20+) : zhao lusi, ju jingyi, zhou zixin, jiang yiyi, bai lu, guan xiaotong, jiang zixin, lin yun, meng ziyi, ren min, song zuer, sun yi, xiao yan, zhang xueying, zhang yaqin, yang chaoyue. 

HOUSE BAVLENKA

GRAND DUKE BAVLENKA (55) : benjamin bratt, emilio rivera, benicio del toro, andy garcia, esai morales, demian bichir.

DUCHESS BAVLENKA (30-35) : maría mercedes coroy, nathalie kelley, ishbel bautista, emily rios, barbara de regil, maría gabriela de faría.

LORD BAVLENKA (25+) : jorge antonio guerrero, peter gadiot, diego boneta, tommy martinez, chay suede, jessey stevens, vadhir derbez, yago muñoz, jorge lopez.

LADY BAVLENKA (18+) : adopted

HEAD BUTLER (50+) : staff member

*these are just suggestion so feel free to apply as anyone you like as long as they fit !

[syncogon]

[QZGS meta] what’s in an OP? dawning glory (pt 3)

(part 1) (part 2) 

This is the third and last post in my little series analyzing the opening theme of The King’s Avatar Season 2! Honestly, this whole thing became way longer than I was expecting. I guess this is what happens when all my immense amount of love for this series, accumulated over years of no-donghua-updates, overlaps with my immense amount of love for anime openings. 

Watched the first and second episodes yesterday, and they really sparked a lot of joy. :D I missed Blue River so much :D

Yesterday, they released the OST for Season 2, which includes the TV cut and full versions of the OP and ED, as well as two insert songs, and the instrumental versions of all of the above. I’ve yet to find anywhere that lets me download the audio files (hoping they’ll be reuploaded to youtube or bilibili soon), but in the meantime you can listen here. They’re really good songs!  https: //www. kuwo. cn/album_detail/15792659

Anyway, let’s finish up this OP analysis!

Now here, we reach the true climax as we enter the chorus section. This next segment is definitely the highest-energy part of the entire opening. It’s a montage of Happy’s characters showing off their moves, timed to the music; there’s not too much deeper meaning, but damn if it doesn’t look fantastic. The animation flows from one character and scene to the next so smoothly, so beautifully, it’s just incredibly hype to see. This is what you get when you specifically choreograph/animate sequences for the opening instead of just reusing shots from the main show! (Parts of some of these shots appeared in episode 1, but I do honestly think that it’s more likely that the show reused shots from the opening than the other way around, just because of how perfectly the OP fits together. I also don’t think it’s super noticeable in-show; I’ve just been watching this obsessively.)

In particular I love the line that kicks this all off: “just put on your battle armor and step onto the road to the unknown.” Specifically, though, the rhythm of the lyric is, “jiu pi shang zhan jia ta shang wei zhi qian fang,” with emphasizing accents on the -ang sounds. This isn’t how you would divide the phrase naturally, but because the (syncopated!!) melody accents these notes/syllables, the rhyming effect really stands out and it feels as clever and satisfying as a rap lyric. Moreover, the emphasis times juuust right with the attacks of Soft Mist, Steamed Bun Invasion, and Windward Formation, a perfect example of how music and visuals mutually reinforce each other for maximum cool effect. 

It’s generally easier to rhyme in Chinese than English, because of a smaller phonetic vocabulary. From the chorus onward, the key rhyme is on the “-ang” sound (think “ahng” or “ong”, not “aang” like the Avatar), which is a good choice - powerful, reverberant. The asymmetry of the syllable’s use in this section - the song’s lines are all different lengths at this part, so you’re kept on your toes as to when the pattern will reappear - helps add to the engaging excitement of the song. This is also the syllable used for most of the rhymes in the second half of the first OP. 

jiu pi shang zhan jia ta shang wei zhi qian fang

hui qi shou zhong wo jin de na shu guang

you ni men zai lu shang__

shi li liang

I really love One Inch Ash’s design. Concealed Light had a big redesign for this season, and honestly I like it as well. And notice here that he’s holding a book - exactly how we left Luo Ji when we saw him last! 

“Waving the light clenched tightly in our hand” - that is to say, brandishing our light as our weapon, no matter what form it may take - a sword, a book, our hope and determination. 

On a purely musical note (ha), right at this point, specifically the measure beginning with “那束光,” you can hear a three-note “ooo” harmony line in the background, and wow it’s so subtle but I love it so much! A similar three-note line actually appears earlier too (during the “crossing the frozen finish line,” right as the music is building up), also to great effect.  

We follow Concealed Light’s gaze upward to the building to see Deception running along the wall, from which he does a flip and slashes downward with twin blades. I love that transition a lot, but my favorite transition of this entire sequence has to be the following one:

Yes! Deception’s cross slash resolves perfectly into the cross held by Little Cold Hands. It’s so fast and so natural you don’t even notice it, and that’s the absolute beauty of it. The first time I saw this, I was in awe - the animators really brought their A-game to this, far better than I ever would have dared hope for this series.

And Little Cold Hands is so pretty! When we got our first art of her official design, the comments were filled with people simping for her, and honestly, valid. I’m surprised her hair is purple instead of pink, but that’s just a minor thing. 

There’s something especially powerful about how she raises her cross in time with the lyric “having you all here [with me] on this road,” and then the cross flashing brilliantly with “it’s power.” More than any other role, the healer is a team player. And this theme of team togetherness is particularly important for An Wenyi, who is deeply moved by the team’s perhaps illogical faith in him. Remember that analogy Ye Xiu tells him, of the straw tied to the deluxe mitten crab? 

An aside: listening to this, I always thought the line should be 有你们在身旁 instead of 有你们在路上, because it still fits the rhyme, because my past experience has somewhat conditioned me to expect that phrase, and because the full message of “having you by my side is power” just makes me wanna tear up like what a good line! So it felt like a missed opportunity that they didn’t use that. But as it turns out, the final iteration of this chorus in the full version of the OP does, in fact, use “by my side”! And I think making this tiny tweak to the lyric the final time you here it just makes it that much stronger :’)

I’m also just a big fan of the “it’s power” melodic flourish in general, since it comes as a surprise. You kind of expect the melody to end with the previous phrase, but the extra notes here add a really nice emphatic beat to finish off the line. 

So to recap the transitions: we see Soft Mist falling from the sky and get a close up of her face as she stabs her spear; this takes us to a closeup of Steamed Bun’s face facing roughly the same direction before we zoom out to his torso and he slashes from lower left of the screen to upper right; following the motion of that slash we see Windward Formation’s torso rotate in that direction as the camera zooms out farther; we follow the rays of his attack to see One Inch Ash drawing his sword; we zoom in on the flashing blade and zoom out on Concealed Light’s glowing book; we follow his gaze upward to see Deception running along the building behind him; Deception leaps and slashes and the slash becomes Little Cold Hands’ cross, which raises up and triggers an explosion. It’s just so dynamic and smooth even without taking place in one continuous setting, and it just really, really gets you hyped. 

Also, starting from Happy’s team picture at the start of the chorus, which is during the day, it feels like Soft Mist and Steamed Bun’s moves are at late afternoon, Windward Formation and One Inch Ash take us to nighttime, and then you can see the first rays of morning in Concealed Light and Deception’s segments. This continuity also definitely helps with the feeling of natural flow through these scenes. 

Anyway, this entire action segment is just so beautiful, I could watch it on loop. But we still have the final segment of this OP to analyze, so let’s keep going.

After the action sequences of the climax, we settle down a bit now as we approach the end. Here we see the Excellent Era team picture, in the same style as the team pics we saw earlier, but presented separately. It makes sense, as the role they play in the story is different from the roles of all the other teams. 

Sun Xiang, Liu Hao, and Cui Li are at the bottom. Because we’re panning up, these three are the first we see. At first glance, the way they’re positioned is fairly consistent with the team pics we’ve seen already: Captain Sun Xiang at center-right, the largest figure; vice-captain Liu Hao, manager Cui Li in the background. 

Sun Xiang’s position and expression is really the only one that fits the healthy pattern of the teams we’ve seen already - looking toward the camera, a confident (though arrogant) smile. He might be misguided, but there’s hope for him yet. Notice how Liu Hao isn’t even looking at the camera, which as we’ve seen before is somewhat of an indication of how unified and focused the team is toward its goal; instead, Liu Hao is doing his own thing, determined to prioritize his own desires over what’s best for the team. And manager Cui Li is in this image too, despite not even being a player. His sinister presence reflects the unhealthy interference of the business side in the gaming side. Excellent Era’s downfall comes about because of its prioritization of profit over victory.

As we pan up, Excellent Era’s logo comes into view. It’s larger than any of the other team logos we’ve seen so far, spanning around three-quarters of the screen whereas the others looked to span no more than half. Excellent Era’s legacy is a weighty one, to date the only team to have ever won three championships, and consecutively to boot. 

It’s this immense, shining logo that seems to be casting Tao Xuan on the left into shadow. He cuts a large figure, reflecting the deep impact his actions have had upon the main plot of this story, even though he’s only now appearing for the first time in the donghua.

However, he’s also turned away from the camera, such that we can barely even see his closed eye. Because of that, it’s difficult to read his expression, but the impression given by this pose is not one of vindictive pride, but one of shame, as though he can’t quite bear to face what he’s done. On some level, no matter how he might try to rationalize it as necessary, Tao Xuan knows that his profit-driven betrayal of Ye Xiu was a pretty awful thing to do. It might be this amount of guilt that leads him to offer Ye Xiu a wish granted, a tribute to their years of friendship and partnership before their ties are severed completely.

In the end, Tao Xuan’s greed leaves him with nothing really to show for it. What had he gained? What had he lost? Those realizations are still a ways off in the story, but I like how this OP is already hinting at the depth of his character. Tao Xuan isn’t some glasses-flashing, evil-laughing, one-dimensional antagonist; he is in fact very realistic for the setting. We can condemn his actions and priorities, but at the same time we can understand how he ended up here.

As for Su Mucheng, her eyes are closed as well. She’s brightly illuminated, but pointedly turned away from all of the others in Excellent Era; she knows the direction of her future, and that it no longer lies with Excellent Era. Her loyalty was always to Ye Xiu, and as soon as he was banished, her relationship to the team was professional and nothing more. 

“This light hidden in my heart is burning” - there are many ways to read this lyric and what exactly the light referenced here is, but because the line is paired with this image, I naturally think about Su Mucheng’s situation. Despite her pretty-vase, sweet-girl appearance, she holds a deep, profound anger at everything that happened regarding Excellent Era. It’s a testament to her immense strength of character that she lasted the remaining one and a half years of her contract in this hostile environment. 

Yet even as she resolves to cut ties, there’s a sadness in her expression. She was here from the very beginning as well, when Excellent Era was no more than an internet cafe, and it pains her immensely that the powerhouse, championship team that they and her brother had built from the ground up would ultimately meet this tragic end.

It’s interesting to note that both of the “redeemable” characters here (namely Su Mucheng and Sun Xiang) are on the right, more brightly-lit side of the screen, so there’s a nice little dividing line you can draw there. Sun Xiang’s eyes are still looking toward the left, though, revealing how his character development still has yet to play out.

From there we cut to Ye Xiu holding Lord Grim’s account card. He’s standing back on top of the roof from the beginning of the OP, now in full daylight.

As mentioned… the animators really went ham on the bangs animation.

Ye Xiu turns away from the railing, the camera cuts to an image of Happy’s logo on a flag waving in the wind, and then we zoom out to see the current members of Team Happy gathered together in uniform, standing proud in the light of day. Left to right, Steamed Bun, Tang Rou, Luo Ji, Ye Xiu, An Wenyi, Wei Chen, Chen Guo. Presumably, this will be Happy’s lineup by the end of the season. 

Up until now, we’ve only seen the real players separate from each other - they’ve all been in different places, never even in the same frame together. (This, of course, also contrasts the pro team pics that we have, which show everyone together.) Halfway through the OP, we got the group shot of them meeting in game with their characters. And now, they’ve finally met up in the real world as well. 

One thing I like about this final pose is how it compares to the final pose of the OVA OP. It’s the same kind of power-pose vibe, but there we only had Ye Xiu, Chen Guo, and Tang Rou. Look at how we’ve grown since then! They’re well on their way to being a proper pro team! 

And that’s a wrap! With this final image of Team Happy gathered together, we’re ready to enter the episode proper. 

So let’s talk about the OP as a whole. Generally, an OP serves a couple of main roles: a) tells you a bit about what the show is about, b) gives you an overall feeling / mood for the show, c) gets you hyped and ready to watch the upcoming episode.

How well does this opening achieve those goals? Pretty well, as we’ve seen. Past OPs did a pretty good job of setting the mood, but they honestly just put some pretty visuals on the screen, only vaguely aligned to the music, and called it a day. This OP, however, has a cohesive storyline to tell, framed around Team Happy’s coming together (following the tagline of this season). Even in such a short span of time, it manages to convey so much information about its story and characters, both overt and implicit (as I hope this series of posts has managed to convince you). Paired with the music, which has its own deeper meanings encoded in the lyrics, the OP becomes incredibly effective and memorable as it makes its statement.

I mentioned an “interest curve” earlier (interest in the sense of interesting, not the money); this is part of the standard formula for anime opening songs, in my experience. I’m a little too lazy to draw a graph myself, so take a look at this image:

(source: https: //www. researchgate. net/figure/Example-of-an-interest-curve-for-a-successful-entertainment-experience_fig1_333917625 )

Although not all of the relative heights and segment lengths are accurate in this specific case, hopefully the general shape of the interest curve is enough to demonstrate my point. You’ve got the A-B peak at the opening instrumental segment, the C-D peak/arc over verse 1, the D-E-F peak/arc over verse 2, then the sharp F-G-H peak over the chorus before dropping off for a smooth landing right into the episode. This general pattern is effective at holding the viewer’s focus and managing their excitement over the course of this one and a half minutes. 

Visually, the OP is just such a treat for the eyes. I’ve already talked about many of the little details I love - lighting, character designs, animations, transitions, etc. - but all in all the new animation studio is doing a really good job here. An OP is how you hook people, and I’d definitely feel comfortable using this to try and bait people into watching this show. 

One comment I want to add is about the incorporation of the credits, which we didn’t see until the episode premiere. I don’t think there’s anything too exciting to say (and I also don’t have access to any images right now since the OP was only shown in episode 2), but the fonts and styling were a nice choice - it gave a gaming vibe, but if I recall it still used a serif font, so it didn’t feel overly modern - and the text positioning generally complements instead of distracting. I also liked how they showed the lyrics! I didn’t really expect them to include them onscreen, or if they did, I thought they would just be plain subs like they were in this video. But in the actual OP that plays at the beginning of the episode, they’re as much a part of the art as the credits!

If I had to make any criticism, my biggest complaint about the OP is, I think, the singers. I think having two different singers trade off can work nicely, but in this case, the switches are jarring because their voices are so different. The first singer has a lower, gravely voice, while the second singer’s voice sounds much brighter and more nasally. Furthermore, the first switch doesn’t come until we’re fully halfway through the song, which means that by that point we’re already used to this first singer. It’s also strange that they’d switch back to the first voice at the climax of the song, when I think the second voice would suit the high-energy segment much better. Switching from second to first right at this point feels like we’re actually taking a step down in energy, which is the opposite of what should be happening here. 

Still, my main problem isn’t with the voice switching but with the voices themselves, and I think the voices are something I could get used to. The third switch, going from the first voice back to the second voice during the shot of Excellent Era, is much less jarring than the others - I actually like how it feels like the solo is passing naturally from one person to the next, emphasizing the ideals of this not being a single-player game and all that. For that transition in particular, I think (because of the added “it’s power” flourish) it happens too quickly for one person to sing it comfortably, so having another person pick up the line works best. And I do like how the voices sound when they overlay together for the final lines of the song. 

So, overall? Overall, this OP is really damn good. It’s everything I could have asked for and more. After such a long wait, the OP, at least, does not disappoint, and I’m extremely excited to see what the series has in store for us. 

If you’ve read to this point, thank you! I like this series a lot, as you can probably see, and I’m treating it as my glory :)