#sifeng just give in

[dangermousie]

Gotta love the supposed righteous cultivators going “eh who knows if he’s guilty and who cares, let’s murder him and sort it out later.”

This is a man who is fighting not just destiny but predestination and utterly refuses to give up. And all despite a world that has been 99% horrific to him. 

Ummm if devil god is unkillable and will always come back as long as people have grievances, why are you even bothering to murder this poor guy? (It’s nice to know Susu’s trash bio dad is trash in any timeline. One would wonder why sects believe a rando but it’s only because he says what they want to hear.)

God, I love him. Those are very different narratives and characters but it reminds me of Love & Redemption where Sifeng went “ fate? fuck it!”

[tidal123]

LHJD appreciation post (and some headcanon)

So Luohou Jidu, one most under-valued character in the show. Not that the show didn't demonstrate his very awesome full range, but we didn’t get to see him much before the current events, what’s he really like without all that revenge. In the demon’s realm his title was “the respected/revered one”. Not “the feared one” mind you. And Wu Zhiqi, in Zihu’s words ‘the most free, big-hearted person in the world’ admits that among all of the Shuras he admires Luohou Jidu the most. That must count for something. And considering he didn’t overthrow King Shura when he easily could, if he wanted, Luohou Jidu was not motivated by power, even if he have abundant.

Major spoilers and some images below.

It was said in the novel he wanted to become a woman(before that choice was stole away by the real villain and twisted so horribly that he hated being called his chosen female name). In the show this was not mentioned. I don’t like to think that he wanted to become a woman just to be better accepted to love men, that’s too narrow. Instead, I want to give him some back story, where this decision has more to do with his culture and his self-actualization. So Luohou Jidu did not choose to be female because he feels he had to, but because he decided to. It was said that in the novel his people were initially all born with a male form due to their aggressive nature and the wrath energy they control, but could choose their gender as they reached adulthood. I’d like to think Luohou Jidu would choose to turn female mainly because of his own thoughts, nature and aspirations, because being female is considered as much more difficult but a higher choice, something to aspire to, and very few could manage it. I’d like to think for his people being female is not only not ‘less’ but ‘more’, a way to expand your being and ability, because it’d be especially difficult for those who naturally wield the wrath energy to reconcile that with femininity. Most wouldn’t even bother because they enjoy being males more anyway. So Luohou Jidu’s choice would still be unusual, but not completely shocking among his folks.

Besides, becoming female does not mean being submissive—it’s obvious who tops and who bottoms between Xuanji and Sifeng. There was also none of that female must be mild bullcrap involved. Instead, being female probably means not just able to strike but also protect, to have an ability of gentleness on top of their fierce nature. From the beginning it is shown that Xuanji has strong instinct to protect others and be just, so it’d be natural to assume this is also true for Luohou Jidu. He was not a simple brute who is just a vehicle to carry out some of fic writers’ fantasies.

I like how there was superposition and wholeness in the show. LHJD was very comfortable in his maleness, as Xuanji/God of War was comfortable in her femaleness. It speaks to the truth that human nature cannot be constrained by gender norms expected from society. A very capable mind would naturally shrug off such artificial constrictions. I’d like to think a more capable mind can instead enjoy such artificial constructions and be more. And I think this is one of the reason I really like Xuanji/Luohou Jidu being the same being, but in different manifestations. We can see that Luohou Jidu is a more unrestrained version of Xuanji/God of War and Xuanji as a more happy and agreeable version of Luohou Jidu. Yet they would both fall in love with Sifeng and let themself be anchored to the mortal world because of that love. 

[tidal123]

Translation:

“Xuanji’s life should be decided by herself. You have no right to decide for her.”

“The way I do things is not about whether it’s worth it. It’s about whether I’m willing.”

“But this disciple doesn’t find fault in that. The seven emotions and six desires are after all the most normal thing in this world.”

“If just because someone cannot give you response, you’d want to kill them. Then this kind of person will eventually not be loved by anyone, nor are they worthy to love anyone.”

All Sifeng’s words from the show. Gosh I love Sifeng so much!

200821 | Cheng Yi Studio Weibo

[andoqin]

LaR Rewatch ep 7-9

My watch continues and ohhh we’re finally starting to get into the juicy “How long does it take for Sifeng to suffer” hours.

It uh does not take very long at all because after being locked up thanks to losing his mask (and the viewer getting introduced to Liu-ge aka one of my favourite side characters) he gets sent to Turbo Ice Hell and it does not go well for him, but good for me, because look at this, he suffers Oh So Prettily.

Meanwhile, Xuanji keeps getting gaslit by the psycho Shixiong who is obviously more than a mere shixiong and whenever he says anything I keep getting rage blackouts.

Here is Xuanji, expressing a very Normal interest in possibly regaining her senses and he’s all HOW DARE YOU, STOP IMMEDIATELY I FORBID YOU. (It’s probably *not* a homosexual metaphor but man it is so so easy to make it one) and of course he tries to literally MINDWIPE her so she can’t have independent thoughts and only be what he allows her to be. 

Thankfully the narrative doesn’t allow him to do it, since he can’t use his magic in the mortal realm (first inclination of who he is) so Xuanji can keep that part of herself, but he does maneuver it so she doesn’t contact Sifeng for the whole time she is training and he is in Icy Turbo Hell. This is a time period of LITERALLY YEARS. jesus christ poor Sifeng. 

And just before he spends years in ITH he gets visited by his Master and the Vice-Leader and tells them to fucking stuff it because Sifeng is my favourite kind of hero. Yes he suffers, but his belief system is pretty unshakeable and he knows what’s right and what’s wrong.

I gotta say tho, CWN would like to have a word! there’s no need for uncalled for plant dissing Sifeng! Plants can have feelings!!! 

This is just here because Mickey He has ginormous Claws and I want to congratulate whomever made that costuming decision I hope they got a raise. 

But things can’t go well for Sifeng of course, whenever he expresses his opinion (the correct opinion btw) the universe punishes him for it, so he hears Xuanji talking about how she loves her 6th Martial Brother and that’s when Sifeng is like .. you know what maybe cutting off my feelings is a Good Idea Actually and puts on the lovers curse mask. 

Cue Several Years later and Xuanji is no longer the useless rube who can’t cultivate but a badass who dispatches evil ghosties with her umbrella with ease. 

She, her sis and 6th bro meet up, get to go down the mountain and explore without adults for the first time in their lives. Xuanji and her sister have an extremely cute reunion that warms my cold black heart and i’m honestly so happy that the relationship is as good as it is. 

And wouldn’t you know it, they meet up with Sifeng (whom they were trying to reach anyway since he’s ignoring Xuanji’s calls) and he is all “oh i am totally above everything I dont care about you Xuanji, not at all. “

He does give Xuanji the peice of Bahuangbut Xuanji can’t read the rooom and is all “oh i dont need it anymore “ which makes him go even harder at OH OKAY I GUESS I HAVE EVEN LESS NO FEELINGS NOW THIS IS COOL.

Xuanji is sort of understandably confused, but girl you ghosted him for like 4 years what was the poor dude supposed to think.

She does not let this get her down tho and as she continues to be around him, his resolve to not have feelings for her melts like ice in the sun, quite literally bc he starts sweating VERY quickly hahahah. 

I dont blame Sifeng entirely though, because who could stay mad for long with Xuanji being cute and adorable around you. Especially when you have as big a crush on her as Sifeng does. 

[astarlightmonbebe]

i’m in spain with the s after episode 47 of love and redemption

[aquynh]

everyone who’s raved about love & redemption has to justify themselves rn im at 21/59 eps and all that’s happened is me and cheng yi suffering . im here for cheng yi but im starting to dread seeing the camera pan to him every time 😭😭✋🏼

[ruiconteur]

continuing to make wild guesses (at ep 31):

yu sifeng is gonna end up revealing he's a 金赤鸟 in front of all five righteous sects when hm. idk. maybe when his 副宫主 reveals himself as the 天墟堂堂主 and attacks someone from the chu family

this will most likely occur during the 簪花会 bc nothing good EVER happens when the righteous sects are all gathered in the same place

there are gonna be so many fucking misunderstandings bc of this. the other four sects will turn their backs on 离泽宫 and chu xuanji will be forbidden from meeting with yu sifeng again. and also likely turned against him somehow using coincidence and his identity as a 妖. despite the fact that he's always protected her because this is a xianxia romance someone fucking spare me

the fact that they sorta led us to assume that yu sifeng is the reincarnated 魔煞星 will come into play somehow. probably by having him fake being him to gain the trust of 天墟堂?

i think this will either be extremely 离谱 or very accurate but fuck it we're making wild guesses here: is chu xuanji part of the 魔煞星 somehow. bc they made such a big deal of their 双星相汇, and if the 魔煞星 isn't yu sifeng then it can only be chu xuanji herself right. i mean it's definitely not chu linglong

if so then 柏麟 was definitely the one behind it all. did he love the 魔煞星 or smth is that why he's so obsessed with shaping the war god/chu xuanji into what he wants her to be (and why he's so creepily possessive of her)

i don't think yu sifeng's 情人咒 has been lifted which means it's definitely going to flare up at least once more (likely during aforementioned misunderstandings) and he's gonna run away from chu xuanji to prevent her from having to see him die. and then he's gonna attempt to reject her so she gives up on him. but she won't and instead works some miracle cure?? after his "last hope" fails and he all but dies in front of her

okay yu sifeng is almost definitely the 金赤鸟 war-god!chu xuanji confided in but his 身份 can't be that low since he's the male lead so: is he the 天帝之子 or smth. esp since he can just 闯 into the place where they chained the war god up to trial her. but he's also a 妖 which means......... the 妖界 definitely has their own royal family so i'm betting his mother is from there

also i think he's the 宫主之子 in this lifetime lol since the 宫主 bitched out the 副宫主 for not esteeming yu sifeng's 身份

gonna make a bunch of wild guesses here but:

idt yu sifeng is the 魔煞星? why did i even think he was anyway i forgot

are disciples of 离泽宫 all 妖s 👀

just bc i think it'd be really funny: the 腾蛇 dude is gonna lose to chu xuanji when he finally gets to fight her and end up having to be her servant or smth

is the 离泽宫副宫主 the 天墟堂堂主. the voice kinda sounds the same

speaking of 离泽宫宫主s did the main dude personally raise yu sifeng or smth 怎么这么宠他

okay that's it. i'll find out if i'm correct soon ig

[mylovelyrainblog]

I did some edits on this screenshot, but look…

Even in this perfectly happy moment, Sifeng’s eyes were wet. You can see how happy Xuanji was. Mind, it was also bittersweet for her, but for Sifeng, it was wholly on another level. Even with Xuanji professing her undying love to Sifeng, he couldn’t dare to feel completely happy, not only because he had just found out about what happened in their previous reincarnations, for him to finally gain Xuanji’s love and care in this life, but he also knew that he was hiding the big, sober secret of his non-human identity from her(to be fair, not only was he scared to tell her this, it was also more than his secret to tell). Sifeng really went through so much. He deserve to be with Xuanji and have their happily ever after.

(And just giving us one episode of their happily married life is so unfair! I’d never get enough Xuanji/Sifeng!)

[skullsandwineglasses]

I’m caught up to episode 39 of Immortal Samsara, and I’m waiting for the new episode on Monday, but I can’t seem to get the drama out of my head. I can’t bring myself to be productive and focus on anything else. 

I don’t want to start a new drama to distract me from it. And I’m trying hard to avoid spoilers, although the MVs on bilibili have all worked in spoilers into their videos, so I do know what’s coming and what to expect. 

It’s just weird how much I am fixated on Immortal Samsara because xianxias shouldn’t affect me anymore since I’ve already watched so many of them and have seen all the tropes, and Immortal Samsara isn’t even that great of a xianxia. 

I’ve also watched the BTS to help me detach myself from the story by looking behind the curtain. And so in theory, I shouldn’t be so absorbed and immersed into the storyworld. Usually watching the BTS helps me break the illusion. But this time, it hasn’t. (Sidenote: I thought Cheng Yi was especially chaotic on the set of Love and Redemption, but it turns out that this man is just extremely chaotic and unhinged off-screen in general, especially when he’s with people he’s comfortable with, like Yang Zi. He’s yelling and jumping and dancing and singing and screaming and mocking. He’s just so loud lol. I’m amazed at how anything was filmed at all when he’s so goofy and doesn’t take anything seriously, and yet he’s the poster child for whump and tragic suffering. I want to see how he flips the switch between being the class clown to the tragic, heavenly hero. And then in interviews, he’s the complete opposite where he’s shy and anxious and flustered.)

But I think the problem is that we’re at episode 39 already, and the leads haven’t gotten together yet. Like at all. The angst has only just begun. Usually, the leads would have already had some kind of mutual declaration of love and have gotten together at this point, even if briefly before being separated by a misunderstanding. When couples get together in dramas, it gives me peace of mind. I feel that I’m able to detach myself from dramas when this happens, sometimes even losing interest afterwards if the affirmed relationship drags on for too long.   

But in Immortal Samsara, this hasn’t happened yet. Yan Dan and Ying Yuan/Tang Zhou have never had a true moment yet where they were able to be happily together with their feelings out in the open. It was only in that short dream sequence in the ash forest, but that doesn’t count since it wasn’t their real selves, but their idealized dream selves. 

And so I’m just sitting here, rocking in a fetal position, waiting for the next episode to come out because I need them to face their feelings, accept each other, and be together, even if only temporarily, so that I can have some closure. I know I said that I’m proud of Yan Dan for finally maturing, moving on, and wanting to live for herself, but after re-watching some of their scenes in the earlier episodes, I do miss seeing them together. 

The last drama I watched was A Dream of Splendor, and the leads got together pretty early on, and even when they had a misunderstanding afterwards, at least they were able to be together for a moment, and so the first chapter of their story was able to get some closure. But I guess you can argue that non-fantasy dramas allow characters to romantically get together more quickly

But even in Love and Redemption, probably the angstiest xianxia there is, had a period where Sifeng and Xuanji were able to be happily in love and officially together before hell broke loose. 

But it’s been 900 years. 39 episodes. Yan Dan still hasn’t gotten a confession or explanation directly from Ying Yuan himself. She still has a festering open wound that was never able to close. Tang Zhou’s confession doesn’t count because his worldview and responsibilities are much simpler than Ying Yuan’s, so it’s easy for Tang Zhou to confess, make promises, and give everything up, because he doesn’t have much to give up in the first place in comparison to Ying Yuan. 

Usually the plot structure of xianxias goes like this: ambiguous feelings -> get together -> misunderstanding and angst -> resolve angst -> second conflict -> get together

But the plot structure of Immortal Samsara so far has been: ambiguous feelings -> misunderstanding and angst -> ambiguous feelings (but more lighthearted and fun) -> more misunderstanding and angst (i.e., where we are currently). 

Angst! Has! Never! Been! Resolved!

They! Have! Never! Even! Had! A! Chance! To! Get! Together! Before! Yan Dan! Regained! Her! Memories!

I’m spending way too much time and mental energy on this drama tbh, while others are spending their time and mental energy on more worthwhile dramas like LBFD and LLTG. I really do question my taste in dramas, but the heart wants what the heart wants. 

On reddit, someone said that Immortal Samsara is not worth hating but also not worth watching, and while I see their point, I can’t help but want to defend the drama because it’s not that bad. 

Like yes, sure, it’s not original, but when have xianxias ever been known for their originality? 

I saw a video on bilibili that was like, what kind of bullshit love is worth remembering for 900 years? And I burst out laughing because, true, the premise is ridiculous, but the idea of enduring love is pretty much the point of xianxia? It’s like a fairy tale. Insta love isn’t supposed to make sense. I’m still very much a trash teenager at heart. 

Anyway, thanks for reading my Saturday night rant as I try to purge my feelings. 

[storge]

Hi~ I was wondering if you know any cdrama where the main characters are not your typical 'we like each other at start and save each other' kind of thing. Sorry I don't really know how to explain it but I want something different to watch. Maybe something like a weak male character, friends to enemies, female character who dont give a damn, etc

Hello friend!! Okay sooo Imma be honest... I don't really know what level you mean.😂😂😂😂 It doesn't sound like you want enemies to lovers (and i don't really ever see the enemy part in those types so i couldnt help anwywaysss lolol). Noooo "We like each other at the start, and save each other." hmmmmmmm... I don’t know the level you mean by “liking each other.” Most of dramas I watch are romances that have main characters that "I" know have feelings.. but one or both of them don't,so im gonna assume that's okay.

+ a very tiny list of dramas that I think weren't too cliche and went a different route... maybe one of these might be what your looking for:

Weak Male Character: Oh my General, Love and Redemption (compared to Xuanji, Sifeng was weakkkkkk lol)

Friends to enemies lololol idk about that: Legend of Ruyi, Goodbye My Princesss (yes once again lolol), Maybe The Kings Woman(?)

Female Characters that don't give a dang: Bai lu in the Legends(?), The Song of Glory(?)

+ otherssss

Love better than immortality (the whole him saying he is her brother was different lolol + the Main girl thinks she is destined with other guy)

Bloody Romance (the fact that he was beneath her in status and the whole face scaring heartbreak section was different)

Under the Power (They work together so it's not like he just saves her on his free time lolol)

Idk friend I tried. I know its hard to explain. And none of these are modern sorry. Maybe someone can comment some more suggestions.

[tidal123]

When you look at the framing of various stories there are often a problem of equating the rising of the oppressed with total, utter destruction of the world. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

What I like about LnD is the “flipping the villain”

You assume from the start of the show with those in the show that LHJD was the big terror, the destroyer of the world,

and you learned it is the inverse, that Bailin, who is the shepherd of privileges, who has been disseminating lies of ultimate villainy of LHJD, is the real culprit actively destroying the three realms for a thousand years

There are so many unreliable narrators, everyone in the show has incomplete information and imperfect thinking, including the main heroes, their friends, the real villains etc

Like Brother Liu assuming Xuanji would become a mindless killing machine as LHJD returns, and how Sifeng initially asked LHJD why couldn’t he just simply give up hate? Only one who questioned that narrative is Tengshe after he found out about the tremendous horrors behind how the Star of Mosha became GoW, and he rightfully called out everybody else.

but is the show perfect in this? Nah, it still got back to that old narrative. The rabid fear of a big change, of possible chaos. Why should tipping the primordial caldron instantly destroy all life? It is a narrative choice which doesn’t necessarily make sense projected to real life. But I choose to view it this way: accepting such a possibility as crucial to not fall to the ‘at all cost’ trap, which led to the formation of Bailin

Who, as his boss directly told him, has became too obsessed with maintaining heaven realm’s privilege and absolute dominance over others that he had become the real evil of the show and causer of the very possibilities he feared the most.

[rhysand-vs-fenrys]

Okay, I watched Love and Redemption like you recommended, but... I don't understand the relationship between Sifeng and Xuanji? The current one where they love each other, sure, but like all the history really confused me? Help?

Okay, I haven't seen the show in like a year, but I'm going to try to remember/summarize!

So, Sifeng's true identity is the son of the Emperor of Heaven. With these xianxia type shows (fantasy), the general rule seems to be the offspring of powerful gods has an animal form until it learns to take human form by gathering power to it until it is Divine. Sifeng's form was a phoenix (always indicative of royalty).

After Xuanji's soul was ripped in two, creating the imprisoned Star of Mosha and the Goddess of War, Sifeng the Bird fell in love with her and would frequently fly by her. Bit by bit, he cultivated a human form so that he could speak to her.

But by then the Goddess of War realized who she was- and that she had been forced to commit genocide against her own people. She goes insane and has to be subdued by the King of Heaven (Who is NOT Sifeng's father, kind of more like a steward?)

To control Xuanji, the King of Heaven (who had also fallen in love with her) forced her to go through 10 incarnations as a mortal, with some of her hate bleeding off each lifetime.

Sifeng threw himself into the catalyst as well, binding his soul to hers through the reincarnations.

For 9 lifetimes, Xuanji is filled with hate and malice at the world around her. And in critical moments in those lives, Sifeng appears before her as a savoir of sorts to grant her vengeance and hatred an outlet.

And in each life, she betrays him in some way to his painful death.

With every life, Xuanji's hatred diminished just a bit.

But he has shown her unconditional love and support for 9 lifetimes, and gotten nothing in return. So while Sifeng still loves Xuanji with his very soul, some lingering pain has built more and more.

So when he finds the mirror that helps them both remember the past lives, it breaks Sifeng. All of that unfairness and sorrow has accumulated to the point where he cannot stand his own love for Xuanji.

In this 10th life, after he finds out their past, it doesn't matter that Xuanji is innocent and loving. He's still giving too much of himself for her without understanding how she feels in return. And she acknowledges this- this is a known problem that she is doing her best to try and figure out.

So after their massive fight, Xuanji hunts down Sifeng and takes care of him as he is dying. It finally cracks the ice that formed in his heart that 9 lifetimes of one-sided-love put there.

In the final battle with the King of Heaven and Star of Mosha, the Star of Mosha (remember, the darkest half of Xuanji's soul from before) is overwhelmed by Xuanji's love for Sifeng. So the Star of Mosha destroys himself in order to save Xuanji's love, as it has become his love too.

For 9 lifetimes, Sifeng has died for his love of Xuanji; with the Star of Mosha's gesture, in this 10th lifetime a piece of her has died to save him instead.

So the Goddess of War and the son of the Emperor of Heaven will live out the rest of this 10th lifetime, finishing the punishment of Heaven, and earning a future of simple, honest, uncomplicated love.

And many fat babies.

And then the extra little special thing they aired because of the popularity of the series, you see Sifeng and Xuanji cross paths again in their 11th mortal lifetime (modern day) and it implies that they still remember the last 10 lives and still are deeply connected as he recognizes his name from the 10th lifetime immediately.

[andoqin]

LaR rewatch ep 4-6

 Because I was bored I started reading the novel for Love and Redemption (which sadly reads like a barely edited MTL at times) and I was very surprised how much stuff from the general plot made it to the show. A lot of it was expanded upon though and there is one major *major* change. The novel does not have Gaslight McPunchyface who turns Xuanji into his personal sociology experiment. And Xuanji starts the novel much younger and much less.... naively? I mean she’s still naive and doesn’t know anything about the world in the novel, but maybe it’s because in the novel she’s a fairly believable 11 and then 15 year old, who does have some sort of affection issue and is very lazy. But she also is described to be as very smart when she wants to be and her eventual teacher is the only person who knows how to motivate her lmao. 

Then again, the show gives us some delightful shenanigans later on so I can’t be too mad at the change I guess. 

Some general impressions as I watch on: 

Lmao the CGI 

It doesn’t even look that bad as a still image, but in motion it is very much 2 interns got like 2 hrs for some smoke effects.

Sifeng gently cradling the merman in his arms. He truly never was very straight, was he?

Putting the rest under a cut because it gets kinda long...

This line struck me as hilarious on rewatch, because how do you even find that out??? Who gets one of those tear-pearls and is like ... I know I’m gonna stick it under my TOUNGE. Oh shit I’m crying? 

These eps had a distinct lack of Sifeng being tortured, but I guess we got them being very cute and sometimes even flirty, so mmmmaybe that’s a fair trade off. 

Xuanji Standing In Front Of Her Man Take 1 of Infinity! This is honestly one of my favourite things in this drama I just love seeing it so much. And it is so delightful because Sifeng is pretty much always surprised??? He’s never had anyone stand up for him in his life!

!!! Excuse me sifeng!!! i didn’t think you knew how to flirt! sadly Xuanji is too dumb yet to understand hahaha but oh, he likes her so much already. 

And like a blind chicken finding a corn, sometimes Xuanji makes a lot of sense!

Yes, linglong, why not! let xuanji ogle! 

I need to find gifs for Mickey He when they are in Lize Palace because oh my god that man is chewing scenery like it’s going out of style. Still images do not do him justice tbh. 

[dangermousie]

Hi dangermousie I would like to ask for some recs, if you're feeling up for it. I love great characterization, a good story, and a mystery or genre mashing but like. At least good characters lol ToT. So The Wolf gave us Darren Wang, and Monarch Industry gave us that handsome general - any more cdramas with handsome male leads you can think of, more of that vibe rather than the super-pretty idol dramas tend to have? I'm guessing Novoland and Secret of The Three Kingdoms may have that?

(2) My other rec ask is: any dramas with a regular person and a royal as the leads? I can think of a few that are demon/heavenly clan (I'm VERY into if they have a happy ending let me know like Xuanji/Sifeng), but pretty much all the historical/costume dramas I've seen are 2 royals (which was good but I'm looking for a specific setup lol). Goodbye My Princess almost has that feel just because the 2 leads come from such different societies, and I'm looking for more stories where the leads really feel

(3) (part 2) like they came from very different backgrounds/lives. LWSS kind of gives me that feel, Guardian definitely did, Romance of Tiger and Rose did while the main love was a pirate (but I think he's actually a noble so it didn't stay so very different), Till Death Tear Us Apart they came from quite different bgs (loved that drama). Bonus if its a historical drama/costume drama since I'd love more contrast like what Goodbye My Princess had, potentially even more. But idk what's around...

Oooooh, I love this ask!

Handsome but a bit grizzled male lead? That is my favorite thing in the world despite cdramas not going for that much. I say skip Secret of Three Kingdoms if you want that because despite the fact that I am very fond of both Elvis Han and Ma Tianyi, neither is really manly - Secret is really more like idol take on Three Kingdoms. As to Novolands, Novolands Tribes and Empires is definitely gonna satisfy that need, but Eagle Flag leads are pretty young though definitely not in the least pretty or idolish.

Now, on to other recs for this. Well, let's be honest - you can't do better than Three Kingdoms 2010. It's an amazing drama in its own right but if one has a Daddy thing *ahem my finger is not pointing at self nope nope* you might as well be in the brothel with this drama.

There is also The King's War with Peter Ho and Chen Daoming. The upcoming Imperial Age also looks wonderful on that score if it ever leaves development hell.

Honestly, your best bet for that sort of thing is in hardcore historicals. But if you want something less of that genre, how about The Longest Day in Chang'an? Nirvana in Fire 2? Vigilantes in Masks? The Lady and the Liar? General and I? Love and Fight with a Terracotta Warrior? Demi Gods and Semi Devils 2003 (I think that's the year - with Hu Jun and Jimmy Lin), Story of the Han Dynasty (I have a thing for Hu Jun, sue me.)

Regular person and royal as leads.

Imperial Doctoress (she is a doctor, he's an emperor. It's a solid drama.) Novoland Eagle Flag (one of the main trio is a concubine born son of a minor gentry person, his OTP is a literal princess.) Jade Palace Lock Heart (I love this drama!!! - Feng Shao Feng is a Qing prince, Yang Mi is a modern day time traveler.) Sound of the Desert (he's a general/prince and she's a random nomad girl), The Myth (she's a princess, he's a modern day time traveler. I love that drama), Colourful Bone (sort of - he ends up being the emperor but for the bulk of it he's a bodyguard with no idea who he is and she's a princess), Princess Jieyou (well she turns out to be a princess but either way she marries into a barbarian land and so there is a bunch of culture shock), Princess Agents (she’s a slave, both dudes are princes.)

Hope this helps!

[sifeng]

Review: Love and Redemption

While I first started watching this drama out of pure curiosity of why people claimed it to be “the second most tragic drama” (after GMP, of course). While there are certainly aspects of this show that could be better, I find it fair to claim that it is a wonderfully made xianxia, and certainly one of the best in the genre within this decade. 

Plot:

According to legends, the god of war saved the heavens in a deadly battle against the demon a thousand years ago. Both fell from the heavens and disappeared from the world. Chu Xuan Ji was born to the world lacking in the six senses which makes her rather clueless and inept. She befriends Yu Si Feng, the outstanding head disciple of Lize Palace who falls for her, thus beginning a xianxia romance that is entangled with the conspiracies from the past. The Zan Hua Tournament is being held in the Shaoyang Sect and its leader Chu Lei has two daughters - his trusted eldest daughter Chu Ling Long, and the youngest daughter Chu Xuan Ji who is lazy and terrible at martial arts. When Yu Si Feng and Chu Xuan Ji meet through a coincidence, they forge a friendship with each other. Yu Si Feng falls for Xuan Ji despite the harsh consequences that he must face as it is forbidden for students of Lize Palace to fall in love. Meanwhile, Ling Long clashes with Wu Tong after she criticized his foul actions at the tournament. In retaliation, Wu Tong accidentally injures Xuan Ji and gets expelled. Having recovered from her injuries, Xuan Ji promises to concentrate on cultivating. Four years later, Xuan Ji and Yu Si Feng meet again. Si Feng wears a mask due to a curse that can only be broken if he finds true love. 

Cast:

Cheng Yi (成毅) as Yu Sifeng (禹司凤)

Yuan Bingyan (袁冰妍) as Chu Xuanji (褚璇玑)

Liu Xueyi (刘学义) as Hao Chen (昊辰)

Zhang Yuxi (张予曦) as Chu Linglong (褚玲珑)

My Opinions:

Plot (My Rating - A-):

First of all, I quite like the pacing in this drama. As the matter of fact, towards the end I actually feel like some things were rushed, not dragged out. It’s never a show that allows you to press the fast forward button, because 1. the tragic moments are super intense and dramatic, and 2. you don’t dare skip over the cute/funny moments because you know there won’t be many left. Second of all, I really appreciate that the writers of this drama really decided that they were going to make the most tragic drama ever. They really dedicated themselves to that craft, and I think they succeeded wonderfully. In terms of plot points, I absolutely loved the whole 9 lifetimes idea. It really brings out the tragedy and beauty of Yu Sifeng - he will do anything to protect those he loves, especially Xuanji. I would not complain if every single lifetime was made into a 45 minute episode, though that would be 405 more minutes of Sifeng being tortured by love on top of the infinite amount of minutes that already exist in this drama. 

One problem I had, again, was with the misunderstanding that separated our two leads. I understand that this misunderstanding was one that had to do with the morals, backgrounds and fates with both of them, and thus was obviously meant to be a separating factor, but with the way the two characters were written, it felt odd that it created such an amount of misunderstanding. Overall, the plot was good, it didn’t have any revolutionary ideas, but it turned up the tragedy factor and had consistent pacing (if not too rushed towards the end). I’m sure there were probably a few plot holes here and there (one of which is why is it so easy to destroy that huge jar thing towards the end? If that’s what’s keeping the universe at balance, shouldn’t it take more than just one Yuan Lang to destroy it?), but overall, solid plot.

Characters (My Rating - B):

Sifeng is an absolute angel. He’s probably the most heroic lead in a drama who acts totally out of selflessness, who will help his loved ones no matter what pain it puts him through, and who can remain so kind, so unbothered mentally by whatever pain everyone puts him through. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have faults. He acts irrationally in the face of love and he often mistrusts the people around him. He’s a very complete character that not only evokes viewer’s sympathy, love and admiration, but also makes sense when taking into consideration his morals. He rarely does things that are out of character. If I were to rate just his character I’d probably give an A+.

But, there are other characters in this drama. I do like Xuanji, not as much as I like Sifeng, but I like her more than most drama leads. Despite the whole lacking six senses thing being a super confusing plot hole of sorts (like she clearly likes people in the beginning, Linglong, Minyan, her father, and dislikes people, Wu Tong, but isn’t she supposed to be unfeeling? Also she screamed out of fear when she fell using the teleport tool etc etc), I liked how she wasn’t stupid, but simply naïve. She’s actually a pretty smart person, especially in the first half of the drama, when she defended Sifeng against the Five Sects, and then Minyan after he was caught from Tianxu Tang. She didn’t let herself be manipulated by her father or Hao Chen, but rather thought for herself, took into account what she knew of their characters and came to the correct conclusion that the Five Sects were being stupid. I found myself a slight bit annoyed when she took the Five Sects side on the whole Mosha Xing issue, but given that the argument was no longer Sifeng vs. her father, but rather demons vs. humans, I can sort of understand why she didn’t trust him. Also, he did lie to her a bunch of times so, I suppose that adds to the fact. Though, she failed to use the trait that I used to really like, which was the ability to take logic and character into consideration. Did she really think that Sifeng never loved her? Because like, with all the evidence right there in her memory, I find it hard for anyone logical being to come to that conclusion. Also, I really like how she eventually became as loving of Sifeng as he was of her. She was literally willing to destroy the world, and herself, just to save him. 

As I have said before, no one likes Hao Chen, and that’s good. He’s obviously written to be a character that you should dislike, not only because he gets in the way of Sifeng and Xuanji, but because he is clearly so biased against demons (despite the fact that most demons aren’t even bad at all); because he manipulates Xuanji/God of War so many times and doesn’t even feel guilty whatsoever; because he always says “for the three realms” and yet happens to do things that will completely destroy the peace of the three realms. There are things to like about him, like I am pretty sure that he does actually care about the three realms, and he does want there to be peace, but his ideology about peace, and love, and war are just so skewed that he ends up doing the opposite of what he wants to do. 

Other characters were mostly likable, like Linglong, Zi Hu, Teng She, Minyan (most of the time), Xiao Yinhua, Ruo Yu (sometimes), Wu Zhiqi, etc etc. Some were evil for no apparent reason like Yuan Lang (why does he want to control the three worlds? What happened to him in the past for him to become this power hungry? If these questions were answered this character could be sooooo much more compelling) and Wu Tong (again, why did he start out so violent and cruel? I understand why he become a demon and helped them, but like does he not realize that it was clearly his fault first?) Also, the Heavenly Emperor seems like such an odd character. I understand he is the emperor and so he shouldn’t hold his relationship with Bailin and Xixuan above their faults, but like why was he so okay with like letting a totally faultless Xi Xuan endure several mortal trials all ending with painful deaths? And if that was because he was being a good and fair emperor, why does he let a game board decide fate? He also just stood there while the world was ending, and it took Xuanji to convince him to help her. I would like to know more about this guy and his complete lack of ability to care about anything.

So overall, while I think the main characters were written very well, with complex characteristics, some of the villains were just left tools to push forward the plot. 

Acting (My Rating - A-):

So first of all, Cheng Yi’s portrayal of Yu Sifeng was absolutely amazing. He brought out all of Sifeng’s traits super well, from shyness initially to the cruelness Mosha Xing to his loving gaze at Xuanji to the heartbreak in tragic parts. I’m pretty sure he’ll become a star after this show, and can I just say, he totally deserves it!

(Like can you see the pain in his eyes?)

I was pleasantly surprised by Yuan Bingyan here. I really like how her acting style changed along with the new role she took, as Xuanji she was bright and cheerful, as God of War she was heartless and cruel. You can see in the nine lifetimes that the way she reacts to Sifeng’s death slowly changes. Her crying scenes need a little more emotion, but overall, a super stable performance. 

Chemistry/Romance (My Rating - A):

The chemistry was just amazing. I find it interesting that their kisses slowly got more and more passionate as time went on. 

I think part of the reason they have such good chemistry is because of the acting. Like oh my god their tiny reactions to when the other gets hurt really gives it away that they love each other. 

The romance was also written nicely. While some people complain that Xuanji didn’t suffer enough, I feel like they don’t have to be equal in suffering in order for them to be a good pairing. You could tell from the very beginning that Xuanji liked Sifeng in a different way from other people. And the fact that they went through nine lifetimes together, each one when Sifeng died because of Xuanji... it just makes their romance so much more epic. Add that with good chemistry, good kisses, and good acting, well of course people love this ship so much! Xuanji would destroy the world for Sifeng, because the only person that matters in her world is Sifeng. Sifeng would put himself through ten lifetimes of torture just so Xuanji can be happy, because so long as Xuanji is happy, he will be happy. 

Music (My Rating - A): this one is simple. Just listen to the soundtrack and you’ll understand my rating. I didn’t give it an A+ though, because while all the songs are great, there isn’t one in particular that I love. 

Costumes (My Rating - A-): Sifeng’s costumes are really pretty. Some of Xuanji’s are pretty too, they get prettier as the show goes on, but some of the ones early on were kind of meh.

CGI (My Rating - A+): the best CGI in a cdrama. Just look at the scenes where Sifeng shows his wings! 

Overall Rating: A-

Recommend For: People who like xianxia dramas and dramas that try to incorporate a lot of themes. People who don’t mind their heart breaking a thousand times while watching a drama. People who want to find a couple that you have to root for. People who like super epic guzhuangs with lots of subplots, mythology, reincarnations etc. 

[purposelynana]

What Did I Watch: #4

Right, first of all, I didn't prolong my netflix subscription because even thought netflix's library is quite impressive and filled with many interesting stuffs from around the world, it just couldn't grab my attention. I'm not a movie buff like I'm used to and honestly, I'm too lazy to adding my watchlist.

Next, aaaahhhh.... these days I felt like wanting to watch some angsty romance. And it started with my sister's rambling about Love and Redemption. She's into Cheng Yi nowadays and I couldn't help myself not to stanning him. He's gorgeous, or maybe I'm just too absorbed with his performance as Sifeng.

Enough about him though, hahaha, I'm gonna talk about him more later.

So, in another different topic, you came here, want to know what did I watch in the past weeks. So here we go. As per usual starting with the completed ones.

1. Go Go Squid

Finally finished it. Finally get the hype, one year late. It's okay. They're cute. But for me, the ongoing friendship between Li Xian and Yang Zi even after they ended the filming is wholesome. Maybe it got all the tropes, the cliches, and I don't find myself the urge to recommend this to other people, yet I love it. I love how it managed not going over-the-top, easy-watch despite many foreign terms being thrown out, and cute. Like I said, they're cute and lovable. And sometimes in life, you need lovable things to keep going.

Kinda wish these 2 meet again in Republican drama with plot twists and angsty plot. (Yep, I love torture my ship)

2. Perfect and Casual

I just finished it yesterday. It's so easy to watch. It doesn't have any substances or life lessons. Except, it's okay to falling in love with your lecturer if he's Miles Wei, which is impossible. Hahahaha.

The soundtrack is good though. Kinda have that feeling early 20's Indonesian pop songs. But currently not available in Spotify Indonesia. Booo...

Now what I'm watching are....

1. The Blooms At Ruyi Pavilion Ep 5

Zhang Zhehan is national's treasure. Ju Jingyi is annoyingly beautiful. The story is simple but there are so much more to be seen. The action sequence is laughable. But I didn't come for the thrill-of-it-all. I came for my husband, Zhang Zhehan. Hahahaha.

2. Love and Redemption Ep 17

I didn't dare continue to watching it. It's good, and maybe it felt like too grand for my taste. It kinda reminds me of Star Wars and a little bit Greek mythology. But, Sifeng is just too pure for this world and I couldn't handle how poorly other characters treated him. Maybe I'm going to make an essay after finishing all 59 episodes, then drowning in despair because no more new episodes. Or maybe both of them, Cheng Yi and Yuan Bingyan are star-crossed lovers who destined to meet once in a lifetime. Maybe I'm the one who felt really terrible not be able to do anything. Love will find its way, afterall.

3. Watashitachi Wa Douka Shiteiru Ep 5

It's one of those days, you find a gem. You find a gem that it's so good, and you just want to keep it to yourself. Cherish it, preserve it. The story lies on tho ugliness of the people who watching it, I guess. Too soapy sometimes, and I need to take a break, just to breathe and remind myself. Thank god, I didn't met these people.

Ryusei Yokohama and cat???? Give me a break!!!!