#surprise I like danmei too

[thelegendofameree]

Fengqing

because I am losing my mind

I know that people have objections to them: for one, Jian Lan and Cuocuo. I respect that. I just want to see it another way. If you disagree, that's fine.

For Mu Qing, I think we all know how hard it is for him to say what he really feels about anything. The minute he's met with the shadow of a negative response, he's extremely quick to back off. He most likely feels inferior to Feng Xin because Feng Xin was always closer to Xie Lian, more privileged, more bright. The way Mu Qing was brought into the Xianle Court was bound to inspire some resentment.

But I don't really think Feng Xin means half the things he says. If Mu Qing and Feng Xin really hated each other, someone would long have exploded, since they govern the South together. Looking at it another way, Mu Qing has put himself in danger time and time again for Feng Xin and Xie Lian, despite his own high desires for self-preservation.

Some people call Mu Qing less dedicated for always being the one to go get help, but consider this:

doesn't that mean that he trusts Feng Xin enough to handle it on his own? doesn't that mean that Feng Xin trusts him to come back?

There's mutual trust in each other there. Otherwise Feng Xin wouldn't let him go, and Mu Qing wouldn't leave. I have a firm belief about that.

Feng Xin and Mu Qing are almost destined to be together, if it's been 800 years and they're still popping up in the same places every time. Feng Xin is there? Mu Qing is probably close by. And personally? That sits right with me.

[munchy-k]

danmei list that no one asked for (long post incoming)

ok so I've accumulated a pretty decent list of danmei that aren't as well known and I want to talk about them!! so here we go! these aren't in any particular order btw

Nan Chan

an aloof, listless immortal and a very hungry caterpillar fish demon go on an adventure to retrieve a runaway bell 🔔. and also they both have amnesia. CUE ANGSTY BACKSTORY REVEAL!!!! 🔪🔪🔪

I'm sure it's to no ones surprise that this is first because I'm a SLUT for nan chan. if nan chan has one fan it is ME and if there r no fans I am DEAD!! I love this novel so much it has the perfect combination of painful angst and sweet sweet lovin' !! the main couple's relationship makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside 🥺👉👈 (probably because I am a touch love language girly and these bitches be touching!!!) and I LOVE the characters sm. especially my little meow meow Jing Lin and his adorable little stone figure. I live for the interactions between Cang Ji and the stone figure! it may be a little difficult to read the first time around since the plot gets a little convoluted but it all makes sense in the end! 10/10 really recommend!!

How to Survive as a Villain

transmigration plot! rich ceo gets transported to a novel as the villain emperor and gets buddy buddy with the novel's MC so he doesn't get killed. ends up buddying too close to the sun and accidentally becomes the leading lady. drama ensues!

this is another favorite of mine!! this one is another good mix of angst and romance and the MC is so funny and likeable. there are also two cute side couples which is always fun! (one of them is f/f so it gets extra brownie points with me🤭) its also not too complicated which makes it great for casual reading ^^ p.s. this one has an official eng tl now! its being published thru rosmei (like nanchan) so it has to be ordered thru a 3rd party distributor but I think its worth reading 👀

Living to Suffer/ Till Death Do Us Part

living to suffer: ancient wuxia style prequel where the characters meet as a humble doctor and member of a demonic sect and their fate intertwines. this one has a BE

till death do us part: early to mid 1900s setting sequel. the reincarnated characters meet again as a elementary school teacher and rich playboy and face the struggles of having a relationship. this one has a bittersweet ending

THIS...... OK THESE NOVELS... let me tell you something. this made me SOB. oh my god especially the ending of TDDUP. I saw a review saying "I honestly could believe there lived a Shen Liangsheng and a Ch'in Ching, and that they fell in love..." and hard agree because something about this story felt so real?? which made it all the more intriguing and heartbreaking!! its set around the time of the japanese invasion of china and the cultural revolution so it does talk a lot about politics but it wasn't a difficult read imo. BUT BE WARNED! there is a LOT of smut. (not rly vanilla either..) and the relationship does get pretty toxic at times 😬 but it gets better by the end of the book and the toxicity actually does add to the story and character development. if u give it a try please read the prequel (living to suffer) first!

After Being Forced to Marry the Evil Star General

a deputy prime minister MC who's powerful, high-maintenance, and hated by the public is arranged to marry a laid-back general who is much loved and praised (but also rumored to be cursed!). this is an arranged marriage + enemies to lovers novel

I'm actually in the middle of rereading this one rn 👀. I think this one is also good for casual reading since it isn't very complicated. in the beginning the interactions between the main couple r rly funny because they just clash all day long lol. its also got a little angst sprinkled in 😎👍 I did see some reviews saying that the MC is not likeable since he does some kinda bad things and he's stuck up but I still liked him idk 😭 I feel like his flaws made him more interesting

Married Thrice to Salted Fish

a doctor MC who only wishes to study medicine (and poison oop) gets arranged to marry a guy whos dying. turns out that guy has been taken over by a transmigrator! transmigrator ML then proceeds to die and come back as someone else.. more than once 😭

if you love a couple that schemes together then this is the novel for you! the MC in this book kinda reminds me of the MC from the book I mentioned right above. (these titles too long man 😅) I found the repeated "reincarnation" plot to be pretty interesting. the interactions between the couple were pretty amusing as well and since the ML is from modern times he randomly uses modern slang. MC even picks some lingo up from him loll

Xiao Jiu

about a 9th prince MC whos trying to win the heart of the emperor's cold and aloof bodyguard! call him the prince of rizz because it works eventually 😎 this is an age gap romance with a smidge of angst and political drama

this a short and sweet story! the ML is described as cold a lot but he actually becomes rly sweet and warm later on so he isn't one of those stone faced characters. I don't have much else to say about this besides "its cute, I like it" 😅

Guanshan Muyu

wife-chasing crematorium story! it's about a outlaw MC who's kidnapped by the very guy who betrayed him. ML wants to win MC's heart back but issues from the past cause a bunch of misunderstandings :( but it is a happy ending!!

man.... I haven't read a wife-chasing crematorium story before this and I was not prepared for the amount of ANGST. basically everyone is miserable for the entire damn time! 😭😭😭 but that's not to say it wasn't a good story!! all the suffering made the ending feel even sweeter 🥰 if you cry easily maybe keep a pack of tissues on hand when you read this 😂

I wrote this in my notes app while reading and I feel like it summarizes the ML pretty well bahaha 👇

"qi yan: my girl is mad at me. I hope I die"

It’s Not Easy Being a Master

transmigrator becomes the villainous shizun in a novel he read and attempts to avoid a bad ending but *gasp* the novels MC (ML) has been reborn with all the past memories!! MC tries to get close to ML while ML is like wtf is going on ! seems like a typical "transmigrated as a villain" type plot until suddenly it's not... 👀👀

this one was rly fun! there's a big plot twist that I found rly interesting and unique! very fresh!! fresh produce!! 🥒🫑🥕🍅 I also like the MC a lot he had a rly silly personality hehe. I think this novel is good for people who like solving mysteries alongside the characters since a lot of hints are dropped throughout

Golden Stage/ Terrace

arranged marriage between a court dog and a general who's become phsyically disabled. everyone knows that the two HATE each other... but do they really? 👀 no, it's not an enemies to lovers, but the other characters seem to think so! 🤭

great novel!! very good!! I love the dynamic between the main couple! they love to banter so their interactions are entertaining. there's a bit of political plot but it's nothing too complicated and the angst is minimal. I also like that one of the main characters is a ambulatory wheelchair user. this one also has a official eng tl now but I'm not sure from which publishing house

Sharing Rain and Dew

MC whos staying in the palace dies a painful death but then gets reborn several months in the past. he spends his time stressing about his impending death but for some reason the Emperor has suddenly become super clingy and doting

this one is very very short, only 5 chapters + 3 extras, but it's quite funny and cute. despite being so short the story is actually pretty interesting? good for a quick, casual read

list over!! I have a few more but this is already too long of a post 😭 I hope someone can find this helpful for some reading recs!

[liverbiver9]

The more I read danmei in my monthly book club that I otherwise wouldn’t have read or even known about, the more it becomes painfully clear that most of the mdzs fandom (and possibly the other 2 mxtx fandoms but I’m not as well versed with them) have not interacted with the genre at large beyond mxtx, and it shows in the meta analysis people make (especially westerners).

And I am not excluding myself here! So much of my initial assumptions and interpretations of mdzs has changed after reading other danmei authors, especifically the less western-internet-popular ones.

My point is this: when reading a book from a culture that is not your own and in an unfamiliar genre, it will be impossible to grasp all the intricacies and subtleties nestled within the narrative and characterization until you’ve become more familiar with the culture and genre itself.

Don’t limit yourself to mxtx. There are more and more danmei being translated into English by publishing houses and even more are fan translated.

If you’re looking for a place to start, I have some recommendations!

1. Golden Terrace by Cang Wu Bin Bai.

Literally one of my favorite books I’ve ever read in my life, and I’m an English major. It is only 2 books and both are already published, so you won’t have to wait. The most tender, loving relationship I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about. The translation is phenomenal, and it feels very similar to Jane Austen in its diction, plot, and characterization. I literally cannot explain with words how much I love this book.

2. To Rule in a Turbulent World by Gu Xue Rou

This series is just being translated and published, so it may take a while for the other books (I think 3-4?) will be out, but don’t let that scare you away! Without too much spoilers, the vibes of this first book reminds me of Harvest Moon games. Also a very sweet and tender main couple. Plus, this book is written by a male author!! Pretty rare in danmei, at least to my knowledge.

3. Thousand Autumns by Qian Qiu

Pretty dense with lots of philosophy, poetry references, and a more traditional wuxia world. This series is finished with 5 books in total. I had a hard time reading the first book, mostly because I didn’t connect that much with the mc at first, but I loved the world building and all the information I learned. I did eventually start connecting with the mc and ended the series fully besotted! Not a quick or easy read, but a worthwhile one.

4. Ballad of Sword and Wine by Tang Jiu Qing

The first book is out for this series, with the second being published later this month. It’s going to be a long one like tcgf, so it is a commitment read—but absolutely worth it!! Lots of palace politics and more Taoist-focused martial arts (think Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). It is both fast and slow burn (I know that doesn’t make sense now; trust me, it will later on) and the main character is SO FASCINATING!! I want to study him like a bug. The overall characterization is phenomenal. The cast can be… intimidating, as there are a LOT of named characters, but they’re mostly there for world building (and the world building is fantastic!). Also, the translation here is GORGEOUS. You can tell it was translated by a writer, or at least someone who’s read the whole text (you’d be surprised…)—everything is so vivid!

[nyerus]

Overview of TGCF Versions

Due to recent(ish) events, I thought it would be good to make another post cataloguing all the different "versions" of TGCF, for newcomers and old fans alike! I'll also be going over some FAQs that I've seen or been asked so this post can serve as a decent info thread.

For simplicity's sake, first think of there being two "main" version of TGCF:

The Original -- what all the translations are based on, as well as the manhua and donghua.

The Revised -- what was released in print last year in China (only), and what was recently updated on JJWXC. The audio drama is adapting this

The original webnovel was itself not "censored." By that I mean, it contained everything MXTX originally wrote including kisses, swearing, innuendo, etc. MXTX did self-censor to avoid Real Censorship (hence the lack of NSFW scenes we may have gotten like in her previous novels), but that's a whole different thing. For all intents and purposes, consider the original version and (most of) its translations as being uncensored.

The revised version was first publicly released as a print novel in China. As such, it was actually censored. While "Hualian" is still there, and things are alluded to, it's a lot more vague. Kisses and a lot of other things were cut, including certain dialogue tidbits that perhaps were deemed a bit too obvious. (Plus a lot of Feng Xin and Qi Rong's cursing was removed lmao.)

HOWEVER, shortly after the print release, the audio drama started adapting the uncensored revised version. So we all knew there was an uncensored revised version somewhere in existence. It wasn't until the end of last month that we actually saw it! TGCF was available again on JJWXC after years of being "temporarily locked" to comply with regulations. (Though it was possible it was locked for other reasons. We will never fully know!) Not only was it finally unlocked, but it was actually updated to the uncensored revised version!

F.A.Q.s

1.) Why did MXTX make a revised version anyway? MXTX has mentioned before that she was not entirely satisfied with the original version of TGCF. Because she wrote and released each chapter in a serialized manner, with frequent (possibly daily?) updates, it doesn't surprise me that it didn't turn out exactly how she wanted. Now that she has the opportunity to sit down with it and go over everything on her own time, she's able to get it closer to what she wanted. In short: she's just really passionate about this story!

2.) Is there and English translation, or will there be? What about other languages? Officially, not yet. We don't know if there ever will be, as MXTX would have to re-negotiate the rights with publishers for translations, and at this time, we don't know if that'll happen. Unofficially, there are a few options: a. ClearNoodle has done some fan-translations you should check out here! b. By purchasing the webnovel on JJWXC now, you can MTL (machine translate) the novel. If you've seen screenshots in English floating around that aren't part of the fan-translations above, this is probably the source.

3.) What is JJWXC and how do I use it/purchase TGCF on it? JJWXC is the webnovel publishing site where TGCF was originally released. It hosts a giant array of C-novels, including most other danmei that you may have heard about. SV and MDZS were indeed also on JJWXC, but are currently (still) locked. To purchase TGCF (or any other novel) on JJWXC, cangji.net has an excellent guide and list of other helpful links to get you all set up. Please do check it out! Additionally, buying on JJWXC seems to be the most direct way to support authors. You can also throw bonus tips at them!

4.) How much has really changed in the revised version? A fair bit. Mostly, the changes are to do with plot structure, minor characters, overall flow, and so on. It's still essentially the same story, but in a way that feels fresh. Hualian in particular have exactly the same dynamic as before. MXTX added extra scenes between them, including very sweet and tender domestic stuff haha! There's also a few new lines of spicier dialogue to go along with some of the scenes that already existed in the original.

5.) So what is considered canonical? Both, in a way. MXTX has stated that she's happy if fans can enjoy both at once, and that we're free to pick-and-choose as we wish. Personally, while there are many things I prefer from the original, the revised version is something closer to MXTX's true vision for the novel. So I feel that holds a little bit of weight there, too.

6.) Will the manhua/donghua be adapting any of the newly revised content? So far that seems unlikely. The revised version facelifts a lot from the early parts of the story, which is stuff these adaptations have already covered. It would be hard to change things down the line now. At most they could add some of the extra dialogue or such, but we'll see if that's the case. For now, we simply don't know and shouldn't count on it. If you'd still like an adaptation of the revised, please absolutely check out the audio drama! It's easily become my personal fave adaptation of the story, and is made by a small but very passionate team who are close to MXTX. Thus, it's quite faithful and does the source material such justice! <3

[fixaidea]

So here's the thing: I don't usually engage with or care about top/bottom discourse EXCEPT when I think it's funny, sooo...

Let's do some Science and examine Pingxie in a Very Serious Manner.

To do this, first let's take a look at some data gathered from all the danmei novels and shows I know (relevant for calibration you know, since they have actual canon top/bottom dynamics.)

SVSSS

Shen Qingqiu - Since his cause of death wasn't starvation we can assume - well, at least hope - that he can make instant noodles, if nothing else, but he will absolutely avoid having to cook if he can help it.

Luo Binghe - As the Protagonist he of course has to be The Bestest at everything (...except sex, apparently) and it's mentioned that both Bingge and Bingmei use their culinary skills to woo the people they want to sleep with. He's also the top, even though everyone involved would be better off if he wasn't.

MDZS

Lan Wangji - Becomes a pretty decent cook, as per the extras. Prefers to top.

Wei Wuxian - It's not like he's incompetent, he doesn't burn or undercook the food, it's just that his taste is so extreme that his dishes are basically inedible to anyone else.

TGCF

Hua Cheng - No special talent for cooking, but at least he's not actively dangerous. There's no on-page sex scene in the novel, but it's made obvious that he tops.

Xie Lian - Biohazard. Weapons-grade culinary anti-talent. Gastronomy's answer to Vogon poetry.

Golden Stage

Ulike in most of the other novels on the list, food doesn't really have much symbolic meaning and not much is said about either Fu Shen's or Yan Xiaohan's cooking skills, exept for a brief mention of Fu Shen pickling eggs to pass the time. This is a rare couple that canonically switches.

Guardian

Zhao Yunlan - This man considers instant noodles cooked with coffee an okay way to surprise a boyfriend. He really wouldn't mind topping, which he keeps lamenting throughout the book, but he's paired with Shen Wei who might just have the strongest set preference out of everyone on this list.

Shen Wei - Likes to dote on Zhao Yunlan by cooking for him and is genuinely very good at it.

Word of Honor (mind, I have only watched the show here)

Zhou Zishou - Can keep himself alive, but left to his own devices would probably make due with charred-and-yet-undercooked fish or something.

Wen Kexing - A competent cook. While obviously not detailed in the drama I looked it up (or asked someone, I can't remember) and he's the top here.

Erha

Chu Wanning - Perfected exactly one (1) dish, is rather... unfortunate otherwise. You could not pay this man to top.

Mo Ran - Excellent cook. Actually worked in a kitchen at one point in his life, giving and receiving food is basically his main love-language.

Now that we have examined these canon couples and have drawn all the relevant conclusions, let's apply what we learned to our non-danmei, might-as-well-be-canon-but-isn't ship.

Wu Xie - Can cook just fine both in the novel and the drama-verse even if it doesn't come up too often. In the first season he cooks up a pretty decent feast for his friends and in the Yucun books he helps come up with the dishes they would serve in their restaurant.

Zhang Qiling - The entire Thing of this poor sod as a character is that he knows how to survive but not how to live. Taking the time to prepare nice meals or cook anything beyond basic sustenance just... doesn't fit that picture.

So.

I rest my case.

[adispit]

I wanna try something more angst centric with you guys…that isn’t smut. I already have a draft, but if you guys are familiar with danmei which is Chinese gay literature in the form of novels! I’ve been binging some on jjxwc recently which is a primary site I use to read those in chinese. And well I want to make a fic heavily inspired by 二哈和他的白猫师尊 which the english title I believe is Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun? Anyways imagine this haha

Shizun is the chinese pinyin term for a master but the context is a more teacher way.

This is set in a cultivation setting.

Reader is this cold and strict shizun who treats this one singular disciple amongst his disciples with seemingly excessive sternness. His disciple admires him, always doing feats to get his validation, trying his best to keep up with reader’s expectations. Till one day, when he gets framed for being a “demonic cultivator”, his shizun to his very horror says that, “He is no disciple of mine. Cast him out.” He is heartbroken and dismayed. He “blackens” (having a villain arc), if his shizun thinks he is one then he will become one. Classic villain conquers the world, slaughters sects. And then he imprisons reader and tortures him, taking his cultivation, making him into a mortal. He has a harem of women and etc. like your typical isekai harem mc anime. Plot twist all along his shizun actually believed him, he never wanted to cast him out because that night he got cast out, his shizun was waiting to secretly bring him back but he never appeared before him again. His shizun only wanted the best for him and actually harboured romantic feelings for him. But it’s too late, all the heartbreak, pain, regret etc causes his shizun to commit suicide. He regrets but it’s too late and he finally also acknowledges he loves his shizun. Shizun dies with one regret, being his shizun.

Cue a second life where he got reborn and swears to treat his shizun better but to his surprise, his shizun seems to have been reborn too???

Anyways that’s about it, if y’all are interested I wanna make it into a series. I get it’s like 80% similar to Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun, if you have read it but I love LOVE the trope of cold shizun (actually loves his disciple doesn’t know how to express it) x disciple who is a fucking idiot.

[mxtx-novels-own-my-soul]

This is my mini little pitch post for "Mistakenly Saving the Villain" because ever since I've read it, it won't leave my mind and there's woefully little fan content for it. I think it might actually be my favorite webnovel now.

It is completely translated with a total of 120 chapters (translation link here) (novelupdates for full list of tags) ***extremely important to pls look at the trigger warnings and tags before reading***

It's a xianxia danmei novel about a terminally ill medical student, Song Qingshi, who transmigrates into the immortal cultivator who is master of the Medicine King's Valley. His system issued mission is "to rescue the gentle, kind and tragic protagonist shou of the novel 'The Exceptional Furnace'". Naturally, he instantly fails this task by saving the "wrong" person.

Overall, the story is about healing, so enter the story with caution, since the first half of the novel is very painful and at times quite hard to read with how heavy the subject matter is. That being said, I really admire how the author made healing a long process that can't be fixed by love alone.

Also, both the mc and the ml are veryyyyy devoted to each other, and without spoiling too much... you might think while reading that there's no way that mc can match the ml's intensity but he can ;)

I think I would recommend this story to people who enjoyed tian guan ci fu, since the past is also extremely important in misvil and the story takes place on a similarly large scale (if not larger).

I feel like this story works best when you don't have any spoilers, because the twists in this story really elevate it from being just your run of the mill transmigration story to something more like an epic. I'm still surprised that the author had an explanation that wrapped up every single loose thread while also adding a whole new layer to the novel.

For an added incentive ;) read the novel so you understand why this is literally the main couple:

[fiftysevenacademics]

hiii I’m prompting for danmei fanfic nightclub:) could I please request some wangxian fluff?♡ whatever setting, modern, AU, canon, etc. I don’t mind!

Hello! Thank you for your request. I hope you like this.

Lan Wangji couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so awful. Every breath hurt and racked him with coughing. He felt unbearably hot, even though it was winter and his room was quite cold. His muscles ached too much to get out of bed for more than the most urgent necessities, and overall, he thought he might feel better if he were dead.

Wei Wuxian dabbed a wet cloth on his forehead. His presence was comforting, but frankly, even the slightest touch hurt and Lan Wangji just wanted to be left to suffer alone.

“I’ll go make you some soup,” Wei Wuxian said gently, kissing him on the forehead. Lan Wangji smiled, but grimaced inwardly.

Wei Wuxian returned with a steaming bowl that smelled interesting, for lack of a better word. All medicinal soups tasted awful, of course, but Wei Wuxian’s were next level. Lan Wangji had been laying with his eyes closed and elected not to open them when his husband returned, hoping to pass for a sleeping patient. The ruse did not work.

“Lan Zhan, I know you’re awake. Here, take some of this soup. You’ll feel better.”

A lesser man would have groaned but Lan Wangji simply sat up, took the bowl he was offered, and said, “Thank you, Wei Ying.” 

He lifted the spoon to his lips and was instantly struck by its bitterness and hot spice. He looked at Wei Wuxian, who regarded him expectantly, and swallowed the whole spoonful. He choked, coughed, sputtered, and cried as he struggled to get the liquid down, but he did in the end, and Wei Wuxian looked delighted.

Lan Wangji felt better immediately. He took another spoonful, and it didn’t seem as bad this time, because he hoped it would make Wei Wuxian even happier the second time around.

It did, so he lifted a third spoonful to his mouth. Wei Wuxian looked surprised, like he was considering something, but Lan Wangji swallowed the medicine before he made up his mind. Lan Wangji was about to say something complimentary about the decoction when Wei Wuxian interrupted, laughing. 

“Lan Zhan, I should tell you that I made up the recipe for this medicinal soup.”

“I know.”

Wei Wuxian looked surprised, but not upset, and continued.

“It’s OK if you don’t want to eat it. I can call a doctor to prescribe you proper medicine.”

Lan Wangji looked at him deliberately and dipped the spoon into the bowl a fourth time.

“You can do that if it makes you feel better,” he said. “But this is what gives me life”

[wangmiao]

Hi! I love your blog! Seeing a Three Body gif on my dash always makes my day better, and yours always look so nice. Thank you for the effort you put into running this blog!

I was also wondering—do you have any cdrama recommendations for folks who enjoyed Three Body? I loved the style and suspense of Three Body, and I loved how it trusted its audience and didn’t feel the need to over-explain itself. I usually watch romance and period dramas, but I’m looking to branch out. Thank you so much!

aww, thanks! i'm glad you like my blog and three body <3. LOL and i'm glad you think i'm nice. I always feel guilty whenever i rant about the lack of interest/interaction on here from time to time xD...i kinda feel that most of you are already fed up with me because of that...

it's hard to exactly find any match to three body because it's so special. but since it's realistic sci-fi with suspense, i think you are looking for realistic style suspense/crime cdramas? honestly, that's usually what i watch, so i can only recommend from this type of dramas. most of the shows below have reputable and famous dilfs and nice bromance in them lol:

day and night/白夜追凶 (2017), the one crime drama that dragged me back to watching cdramas in 2017.

the long night/沉默的真相 (2020), one of the best crime dramas in 2020s. bai yu who's pretty popular on tumblr is in it, and i was surprised by how unpopular this show was on tumblr. disclaimer: i'm not a bai yu fan (i don't dislike him either) just because i mentioned him lol, i'm just trying to "bait" you to watch the show using his tumblr fame. i don't know him enough to rec his shows to you, sorry!

the bad kids/隐秘的角落 (2020)

the long season/漫长的季节 (2023) - the best cdrama in 2023. yes, i'd rank this before three body even though i personally love three body more, but the quality of this show is undenaible.

thirteen years of dust/尘封十三载 (2023)

the knockout/狂飙 (2023) - one of the most popular shows in china in 2023. too bad that it's not getting popular on tumblr at all. i kinda only like the first 2/3 of the show.

escape from trilateral slopes/边水往事 (2024) - one of the better crime shows this year. similar to the knockout, i prefer the first 2/3 of the show.

winter begonia/鬓边不是海棠红 (2020) - not a crime show. it's a beijing opera centric danmei adaptation. in fact, the only danmei adaptation that i watched and didn't regret watching lol. i was quite pleasantly surprised when i noticed that a lot of three body fans were fans of this show as well on tumblr.

(i don't think douban rating is that important, but except for the 2024 drama which has a 7.9 rating, all the dramas on the list along with three body have a 8.0 or higher rating on douban)

[yeliuxi]

In Bloom

In which Jing Beiyuan, Helian Yi, and Bai Wuchang all deal with their unrequited feelings, and the flower-spitting sickness that comes with them, throughout the seven lifetimes. For @eghfeithrean! Thank you for your prompt for @danmei-action <3 There are many free prompts gifted for other fans to request their ideas. Check them out here!

Words: 1.4k Rating: Gen Additional Tags: Implied Canon Major Character Death, Set During Jing Beiyuan's First Lifetime (partly), Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Hanahaki Disease

Read on Ao3 (also under the cut)

In the first lifetime, Jing Beiyuan stares down at the white silk in his hands, unable to find it within himself to be surprised.

The rope of silk is strangely luminescent in the hour's low light, soft and mournful. It's almost soothing. The strangely melancholic peace is only disturbed by the sudden, violent cough that wracks his body. Petals fall from his mouth and into his half-open palm, fall against the three zhang of silk that he holds, red stark against white.

Yes. He suspected something like this would happen.

He had to assume something had changed, after all, in the weeks leading up to this evening.

Jing Beiyuan has been suffering from the flower-spitting sickness for some years, almost as soon as his hair started to prematurely turn white. He had known he loved Helian Yi quite a bit before that, always admiring him as children and teens. He had some assurance, then, that his feelings were returned, however privately; or, at least, that they would be.

Jing Beiyuan would be lying to himself to claim to not know the reasons for the sickness's development. The flower-spitting sickness first started as a few small petals, an unexpected surprise when trying to clear his throat after being sent away from the eastern palace, the servant claiming Helian Yi was resting, and had requested not to be disturbed. It was no coincidence Helian Yi started to create space—but not too much, never too much—between them after Jing Beiyuan and Zhou Zishu first proposed their scheme to oust the Second Prince.

It only grew worse from there. Their major falling out had only exacerbated the sickness. From a few petals, easily hidden, to long fits and bouts, a constant ache beneath his ribs and a scratching in his throat. But everything—everything—was all for him. Only for him. 

Jing Beiyuan still can't seem to make himself regret it.

"Master!" a voice calls, breaking him out of his thoughts. He looks up to the doorway, unsurprised to find the one member of his staff who might be up at such an hour already rushing over to him. "Master," Ping'an says again, hurriedly grabbing onto his arm to steady him. "Master, your medicine—"

Jing Beiyuan cuts him off, shaking his head. He draws in a firm breath, choking back the rest of his coughing fit.

"Master..." Ping'an trails off, his face growing as white as a ghost's.

Jing Beiyuan follows his gaze down to the white silk in his hands. He shakes Ping'an off with a huff, even as some guilt pangs in his heart. I'm sorry. I haven't been a very good master, and I'm unable to continue being yours. "Leave me," he says, voice rasping.

Ping'an hesitates, staring back at him with a tightly knit brow, his mouth hanging open in shock. "Master..."

"Leave,"  Jing Beiyuan says, sharper this time.

Though he hadn't raised his voice, Ping'an flinches away as if slapped. 

Ping'an ducks his head, tears already gathering at the corners of his eyes, and steps out without another word. He does not miss that Ping'an has taken the bowl of medicine with him.

And like that, it's just Jing Beiyuan. Jing Beiyuan and the dark emptiness of his own residence.

His chest aches, his ribs tender from coughing. He moves toward the low table, but is wracked with another fit halfway over, and drops the white silk onto the ground.

Beiyuan, why even bother being this way?

He pounds his chest with his fist, letting out a painful wheeze as he shakily lowers himself to the floor.

In the dimly lit Prince Estate, Jing Beiyuan sits on the floor amongst a small pile of red petals, and already knows what he will do. What he must do.

Zhou Zishu will arrive later, and Jing Beiyuan will tell him as much, too.

(What he doesn't know, in fact, is that deep within the palace, the emperor, too, is spitting up flowers.)

---

It happens sometime after the first lifetime, the year Bai Wuchang is punished to stand in the corner. His form is stiff and stifling, and does not allow him to become more than mildly agitated when reflecting on his mistake.This is why it comes as a surprise when, after months of ruminating on that person's fated love that he had ruined, he first feels the itch in the back of his throat.

Such a thing has never happened in the many years he's served as Soulhook Envoy in the underworld. He has not gotten sick, in large part because his current form won’t allow himself to stress enough. Standing still in place, he coughs, trying to clear whatever was stuck in his throat. Two small white petals flutter to the ground, right out of his lips.

He blinks, staring mutely at the two petals beside his feet.

It only happens twice more during the ten years that he stands in that corner.

When the human whose life he ruined returns to the underworld, over and over, Bai Wuchang occasionally feels the stirrings in his chest, one of the only things he's able to feel in this form. As always, the human sits beside the Three Life Rock, and waits.

Every day, Bai Wuchang crosses the Naihe Bridge, and watches the person at the rock. And almost every time, seeing that person never once turn their head toward him, that feeling in his chest returns. It crawls up his throat when he's talking with Hu Jia while watching that person, persistent and almost painful. He coughs into his sleeve, and watches the small flowers fall. He clears his throat as Hu Jia stands by, concerned, spitting out the last of the petals.

"Soulhook Envoy, are you alright?" Hu Jia asks, staring down at the petals in alarm and disbelief.

Bai Wuchang knows what humans call this: the flower-spitting sickness. "This is..." he trails off. An infection, formed by unrequited feelings. There really is no explanation that he can come up with. And yet, as Soulhook Envoy...

Bai Wuchang shakes his head. The Netherjudge, standing some distance away from the Naihe Bridge, is watching them. He looks over at Bai Wuchang, but does not approach. He simply watches, then sighs, and turns away.

Somehow, Bai Wuchang is left feeling like a child who does not know what they've done wrong.

---

In the seventh lifetime, Helian Yi already knows his case is helpless the minute he hears of this Ming Hua from brothel grounds. The shards of his teacup remain sharp and stinging in his hands, which drip with red.

He's already alarmed the servants enough with his outburst, draining the color out of the maids' faces. What seems to alarm them more is the sudden cough that follows, the sudden rain of small pink blossoms.

The jealousy that grips his heart is indeed a new thing, but he swallows this, along with the rest of the iron-tasting petals, down just enough to contain himself. His hands are still shaking with the effort.

He takes a carriage straight to the Prince Estate, after yelling at the maids and refusing to see the imperial physician. It can wait, this all can wait, until he can confront the person in part responsible for--for everything. All of this. All of the bitterness and flowers that well up in his throat until he's choking on them.

Helian Yi is let immediately inside, and storms the entire way to Jing Beiyuan. The worst part about it is that he seems unconcerned, unbothered by it all. He's lazing around, as usual, books haphazardly left about the room. Jing Beiyuan just tells him to sit, as simply as that, and has the audacity to scold him.

Jing Beiyuan's hands are warm when he bandages the wounds. He doesn't know why that surprises him. Jing Beiyuan is warm.

(Something in the back of his mind tells him that seems wrong.)

His touch is gentle, light, almost like he doesn't dare to linger long on Helian Yi. Of course not. It sends a pain through his chest, in his gut, and that iron-like taste rises in the back of his throat again. It surges violently through him, his body shaking with his contained coughs. He feels the flowers, the petals already in his mouth. He presses his lips shut, refusing to let anything out. He swallows it back. (He thinks about chocking that neck of Jing Beiyuan's.)

When he looks up again, Jing Beiyuan's hand is still raised to him. He stares at Helian Yi, some unnamable, dark expression crossing his face.

(In the future, Helian Yi will become even more familiar with this unnamed expression. And each time, he will not like it any more than he does now.)

"Your Highness," Jing Beiyuan says, seeming to snap himself out of it. "You need to take care of yourself..."

Neither of them dare to mention the cough that will plague him for a lifetime.

[theyilinglaozus]

So I just came back from vacation yesterday, and to my delight a few hours after arriving home I recieved a surprise package -- which turned out to be my rosmei danmei (+ Nirvana in Fire) arriving a few months earlier than planned! This is my first order of any rosmei danmei releases, and I can honestly say that I will be buying them again! The quality is so good, and you can tell that there is so much love and effort put into these translations. I've been following rosmei's account a while for a few other titles they have lined up, and one thing I truly appreciate is how much they listen to their customer base and ask for feedback about things like cover design before coming to final decisions. Both Coins of Destiny (Liu Yao) and Nan Chan come with dust jackets - hents the two differing covers in the above photos - and although How to Survive as a Villain does not it does come with french flaps -- remember those from the earlier Seven Seas releases before they removed them in later licenses? Well, rosmei knows how much we love them too! I really struck lucky with my order, as I was aware when placing it that both Coins of Destiny and Nan Chan would come with the preorder bonuses. How to Survive as a Villain was not originally supposed to as I missed the deadline for that, however I was surprised to find when I opened my order that it came with the preorder bonuses anyway! I'm guessing there must have been spares left over since it was an earlier preorder, and I just got lucky that they sent a preorder version one out for me. I'm so happy though, as I was a little sad to miss out on that. I'll be posting pictures for the aloha comics release of the Nirvana in Fire manhua seperately, as I know there are a few people that are wanting to see what that's like since the english translation seemed to sneak past the radar for many of us, so that'll be posted shortly. But otherwise, enjoy these pictures of my latest little haul!

[lgbtlunaverse]

3zun data analysis part 2 electric boogaloo

So in my first post on 3zun data analysis I said I manually excluded all non-3zun ships in the 3zun tag to figure out how many of them were actually centered around 3zun.

So that's... actually not how i first went about that. Instead, I decided to, one after the other, include each 2-out-of-3zun ship, and then manually exclude every relationship not contained in 3zun. (leaving te other 2-out-of-3zun ships alone) Then, I'd figure out how many of these fics were exclusively tagged the ship I included, how many included only one of the other 2 ships, and how many included all 3, which would allow me to calculate how many 3zun fics in total had 2-out-of-3zun ships included but no other side pairings, which, upon being added to the otp:true fics, should give me the total number of 3zun fics exclusively focused on 3zun.

"Wow! That seems really inefficient" yes! But it did give me more information for this post. Because with these numbers, I can somewhat crudely estimate what 2-out-of-3zun pairing tends to get more narrative focus within 3zun fics.

Here are the results, data collected on march 18th 2024:

There are 196 3zun fics tagged with xiyao and no non-3zun relationships. Of these, 151 are also tagged nieyao, and 137 are tagged nielan.

Coincidentally, nieyao has the same number, also 196, 151 of wich are also tagged xiyao, but only 117 are tagged nielan.

Then there are 159 3zun fics tagged nielan with no non-3zun pairings, with 137 of them also being tagged xiyao and 117 nieyao. (I hope you've all noticed those numbers matching up!)

by the way, here are the raw stats in just the plain vanilla 3zun tag, no filters, for how many fics are tagged with the different ot2s.

Also, this has nothing to do with anything, but for nielan and xiyao i mostly had to filter out relatively normal side pairings, a few crossovers with mxtx's other works or different danmei, nothing too weird. But the nieyao tag had THIS

JESUS/JUDAS??? IN MY NIEYAO?? It's more likely than you think!!

Anyway, to the complicated numbers! Selecting for all 3 after excluding everything else gives you 112 fics.

With these numbers you can now calculate some really fun stuff. Taking the fics tagged with both xiyao and nieyao (151) and subtracting the fics tagging all 3 (112) you get the number of 3zun fics that are only tagged as xiyao and nieyao, excluding nielan. In this case: 39

"Couldn't you just exclude nielan on ao3" you have to understand I like doing things the hard way.

Doing this gives:

Fics tagged nieyao and xiyao but not nielan: 39

Fics tagged xiyao and nielan but not nieyao: 25

Fics tagged nieyao and nielan but not xiyao: 5

Generally tagging 2 ot2 pairings in an ot3 signals that either the relationship is a V and the excluded ship are not together, or that- even if they're a triad- the excluded ship doesn't feature in the narrative much. As you can see, xiyao is by far the least likely to be excluded here.

Now doing some more math (or, if you're normal, clicking a few extra times on ao3) will give you the fics exclusively tagged with one ot2 pairing besides 3zun. Generally that means that this relationship is the narrative focus, even if all of 3zun are together.

And these results actually surprised me.

Fics exclusively tagged xiyao: 196 - 112 - 39 - 25 = 20

Fics exclusively tagged nielan: 159 - 112- 25 - 5 = 17

Fics exclusively tagged nieyao: 196 - 112 - 39 - 5 = 40

I checked the answers by actually filtering on ao3 (making all my work redundant) and uh. Yeah. I had expected that, with xiyao being the least likely to be excluded, the most commonly tagged ship in 3zun overall, and simply the most popular ship, they'd be first here too.

And yet, not only does nieyao have more fics, it has more than nielan and xiyao combined. Despite having less fics in total than either of the other 2!

Out of interest, I repeated the experiment without manually excluding all the unrelated ships.

Basically, for each 2-out-of-3zun ship, I only filtered out the two other ships. This data will give us the same insight into narrative focus, just without excluding all other non 3zun rleated side pairings.

This time I just included one ship, and excluded the other 2-out-of-3zun ships. (the hard math comes later)

Doing this gives:

3zun fics only tagged xiyao: 45

3zun fics only tagged nielan: 33

3zun fics only tagged nieyao: 59

It's a less drastic difference, but nieyao still come out on top!!

What this means, I think, is that people with nieyao as their absolute favorite side of the triangle are a lot more likely to write 3zun fics than those for whom the same is true for nielan or xiyao.

That is to say: Someone who likes all 3zun pairings equally is more likely to write 3zun where the pairings all share narrative balance. And if you really really really love xiyao, and think nieyao and nielan are pretty ok but you don't go crazy over them, you're a lot more likely to just write a solo xiyao fic than you are a xiyao-focused 3zun fic. Idem ditto for nielan. But if nieyao is your absolute fave, you wanna put those guys in a throuple anyway.

What I'm saying is I think nieyaoists are the subfandom of triangular desire. Which... *looks at my own mutuals*... is the least surprising thing i've ever said.

Anyway! I didn't stop there! I wanted to see which pairings were more likely to get tagged together again. I also decided to make things even harder for myself!

Instead of filtering one ship at a time and seeing how many of each of the others were tagged alongside it, like i did last time, I only gave myself a few figures to calculate it manually: The overall number of tags each had in the 3zun tag (348, 328, and 284, as pictured above) the afformentioned data about exclusively tagged fics, and the number of fics tagged with all three 2-out-of-3zun ships (175)

Rather than a simple subtraction, I had to... Well i'm just gonna let y'all look at my notes app. I wanna stress that i could have looked all of this up in minutes and in fact did later to check my answers! No time was saved! A lot was wasted!

But I like number so 👉👈

Tldr:

Fics tagged xiyao and nieyao but not nielan: 73

Fics tagged xiyao and nielan but not nieyao: 55

Fics tagged nieyao and nielan but not xiyao: 21

Once again, similar but slightly less drastic results.

With this I can only come to one conclusion: the fandom likes to joke about 3zun being a love triangle with xichen in the middle. But looking at these numbers? The real center is jiggy. Everything revolves around a-yao, baby!.

[miyamiwu]

Essential Elements of an Unlimited/Infinite Flow Story

As someone attempting to write my own Unli Flow, I thought I’d take note of the different elements so I can have a guide I can always refer back to.

I’ve explained what Unli Flow means many times before, but in case you missed it: Unlimited/Infinite Flow is a genre in Chinese web novels that feature characters entering multiple “instances” where they have to complete a challenge and/or solve a mystery. Failure in doing so would lead to consequences, most often death.

There’s also this definition by AshuraYami from the NovelUpdates Forum:

Unlimited Flow/Infinite Flow is a genre originating from the CN novel Terror Infinity. The genre mainly revolves on world hopping involving fictional works (anime, comics, movies, games and novels) and/or original worlds created by the author. Infinite Flow, as it’s ‘infinite’ namesake suggests, can accommodate all other genres, be it fantasy, sci-fi, horror, romance, etc. Representative works are Terror Infinity (origin of genre), Reincarnation Paradise (most chapters and word count), The Ultimate Evolution (promoter of data flow, an infinite flow derivative that is more game-like litRPG) and Thriller Paradise (most famous horror infinite flow).

With the definition out of the way, let’s goooo

[This post will also serve as a rec list of sorts, since I’ll be giving examples of each element from different danmei novels.]

----------

1. The Authority

The entity/system in charge of the Unlimited Flow system as a whole. Most stories just chalk it up to the Unli Flow being some kind of otherworldly being/extremely advanced AI that just likes to mess with people.

Examples of The Authority

(based on what I remember, at least… Also, beware of spoilers)

The Earth is Online: The Universe

Mist: I forgot what it’s called, but that high tech system in charge of all the Time Traveling stuff...

High Energy QR Code: That black and white cube thing

Surprise! The Supposed Talent Show was Actually—?!: … The TV station...

From left to right: Tang Mo from The Earth is Online and Wu Jin and Wei Shi from Surprise! The Supposed Talent Show was Actually—?!

[Spoilers End]

From having read numerous Unli Flow stories, I conclude that crucial to a great, not just good, Unli Flow story is a well-defined Authority. The explanation behind the Authority’s existence and motives is the foundation to the entire story.

You can have a very fancy building (cool instances, well-developed characters, an exciting enemies to lovers couple, etc.), but if the foundation is flimsy, the building’s value would plummet in your eyes. You can still appreciate the building, of course, but you will never be content with it.

Examples of some novels that are good in almost everything else except The Authority (in my opinion): [spoilery]

Supernatural Movie Actor App: It was too profound with not enough groundwork laid for it, resulting in The Authority feeling detached from the main story.

I Upended Yet Another Campus Urban Legend: The Authority was not exactly bad; it was just inadequate. The justification of the Unli Flow existing became unconvincing because of this.

Escape the Infinite Chamber: THE AUTHORITY IS SO FUCKING RIDICULOUS THAT IT’S ABYSMAL. And the entire thing was explained in just one scene and from one extra??? SO MUCH PAIN AND SUFFERING AND THAT’S THE ONLY EXPLANATION WE GET??? HORRENDOUS!

[Spoilers End]

From left to right: Book covers of I Upended Yet Another Campus Urban Legend and Supernatural Movie Actor App

2. Instances

Also known as “copy.” The other world/dimension where players have to face the different challenges.

The Authority may be the foundation, but the Instances are the defining aspect of the Unlimited Flow.

A lot of novels, however, are quite perfunctory when it comes to instances, just using it to further the main couple or as a mere stepping stone to the overarching plot. Or, if they’re not being perfunctory, then the Instances are just plain boring.

The first instance, especially, tend to be the most boring. Authors often use this to dump all the information about how their unli flow works. This usually gets better by the time the 2nd or 3rd instance comes around....

Upon successful completion of an Instance, players will then be rewarded with either points, special abilities, magic items, etc.

Examples of novels with GREAT instances (based on logic, thrill, horror, etc. Again, all in my own opinion):

I Became a God in a Horror Game: The horror is present all throughout. I can still remember the fear I felt while reading about the statues in the first Instance. Each instance/arc also emotionally impacts you, an effect that most Unli Flow writers don’t really aim for or just generally tend to fail at. (This is also my favorite unli flow novel at the moment~)

The Earth is Online: (same author as Fourth Perspective, which I’ve posted a lot about before) What I love about Mo Chen Huan, the author, is how they write intelligent MC’s but without making them seem too OP. And this is because she actually shows us the MC’s thought process, inviting us to think along with them and figure out how to solve the challenge, and not just make her characters say “aha!” This is what makes the Instances in TEIO great and memorable.

High Energy QR Code: The story could make use of more showing than telling, but I actually love the Instances in this novel. You know how good stories are often described as a well-made tapestry in that every little thread contributes to the big beautiful picture? That’s how each Instance reads in this novel. (Absolutely love the Instance about the town where everybody lies.)

Fu Wendou, the male lead of The Earth is Online

3. NPCs

A gaming term which stands for “Non-Player Character.” Refers to characters who live within Instances and act in such ways that further the plot or challenge presented by the Instance. They may go against players or assist them. May or may not have a will of their own.

Examples of NPCs:

Xu Beijin, the protagonist of Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game

Lu Chu, the protagonist of Insider.

The iconic Mosaic from The Earth is Online

The male leads from Escape the Infinite Chamber, I Became a God in a Horror Game, Killing God with Junk Cards, etc. (Most danmei ML are special!NPCs 😩)

From left to right: Book covers of Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game and Killing God with Junk Cards

4. Player Hall

A space outside of instances where different players can gather and exchange information. Most of the time, this is in a space still separate from the real world. Players are often prohibited from using their powers in this space.

In some novels, Players have no choice but to live here, completely cutting them off from the real world. In this case, accommodation quality will depend on the Player’s level or points.

5. Personal System

The Personal System issues challenges to the player and keeps track of their current attributes, physical and mental states, etc.. It also calculates rewards and punishments for the player. First and foremost in service to The Authority. (If they aren’t, then they’re most likely the Love Interest in disguise. If not, the Player had somehow swayed it to their side).

6. System Store

The points earned from the different Instances serve as the Players’ currency, and they can use it to buy things from the System Store. The Store may sell weapons, medicine, magical items, or even special abilities. Basically, any item that can help the Player during Instances. Of course, it may also sell non-magical items, like food and everyday items, at a much lower price than special items.

7. Player’s Goal/Wish

In some novels, the Goal is simply to clear all the Instances and leave the Unli Flow for good. But in others, the Unli Flow allows Players to exchange their points for a Wish. The more difficult the Wish, the more points are needed, and the more Instances are needed to be cleared.

Examples of a Goal/Wish:

Supernatural Movie Actor App: Xie Chi wants to give his second personality a body of his own.

I Became a God in a Horror Game: If I’m remembering it correctly… Bai Liu just wants to have lots of money.

I Upended Yet Another Campus Urban Legend: Lin Yi wants to learn the truth about his parents.

Thriller Tour Group: Wei Xun wants to find the truth about his family’s disappearance… and his Wish is to uhh… feel pain?

After the Little Crybaby Enters the Nightmare Cycle: Chi Nan’s Wish is to regain his vision, stop crying and get his memories back.

Death Spiral: To uhh… figure out what the voice in the Elevator is trying to tell them? To regain their memories? [The actual Wish is a big spoiler, so I won’t mention it here.]

From left to right: Book covers of After the Little Crybaby Enters the Nightmare Cycle, Thriller Tour Group, and Death Spiral

Aaaand there you have it! I was hoping to list 10 elements, but I can only think up to 7 😔

Although I said this post is a rec list of sorts, the quality of the novels I mentioned actually varies. I’m just listing whatever novel would be good as an example (and also what I can remember and have more or less completed, since many of the Unli Flow novels I’m reading are currently on-hold).

[jenyifer]

Book List Time!!!

And with that I have 10 give or take books to discuss. Now I’m up to over 30 books since May woooo telling tumblr about each one has been a great motivator so I hope my reviews and list help people out in a non spoiler fun way. Gonna rank these in order I want to reread them.

1. Green Creek the series by TJ Klune 🏳️‍🌈🐺🌶️🌲 Wolfsong Ravensong Heartsong Brothersong I am obsessed. Literally read all four books in 3 days. I have bought physical copies and marked them up. Will make you cry, laugh, and stay in your heart forever. Just……. Go read it. But the quick synopsis is Powerful Humans Wolves Witches have to pay for the sins of their fathers over and over again while maintaining their found family and finding their true soulmates. There is Ace Lesbian non binary rep in here as well.

2. The Warden by Daniel Ford🏳️‍🌈 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩🧙‍♀️❄️🪦truly a fantasy masterpiece the romance isn’t the focus but it’s fucking good. First sapphic book to get a 10/10 for me. About a witch(with a magic system that is interesting surprising) growing up and finding herself a family without sacrificing who she is. I loved her and at first you think ehhh is this going to be boring no definitely not. Was surprising made me laugh and cry. Can’t wait for part 2 cause more of the hot gf in there I hope.

3. A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland🏳️‍🌈👑⚔️🌶️🌶️ I listened to this book two times in a row I enjoyed it so much. It’s a bodyguard and prince story. The prince’s depiction of depression anxiety panic attacks was so real. The bodyguard is very endearing. The themes of family are strong and interesting. The mystery was easy to solve but I found it rewarding because I wanted the prince to win so badly haha.

4. Spindle Splintered by Alix E Harrow🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👸🏼🥀😢

Short story about a dying girl who has a special interest in sleeping beauty. It does have a…. Debatably Sad ending. I did enjoy it for what it was trying to talk about. I lost a friend when she was too young. I’m glad I read it.

5. Scumbag Villains Self-Saving System series by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu 🏳️‍🌈🚩⚔️😈🕊️🤓🌶️? I’m putting it up this high because besides that scene in chapter 21 that slapped me in the brain I really enjoyed the series. Only Danmei I HAD TO GET THE REST OF THE SERIES IMMEDIATELY Hell I’ve even now written fan fic for the side ship. About a Nerd being put into his favorite love to hate stallion novel (story about a hero who fucks his way to success) but he’s in there as the abusive villain who the hero is destined to kill. The nerd has to save himself and unintentionally builds himself a harem featuring the most red flag the hero who so sololy motivated by the nerd. It’s great easy to read very fun. But 🌶️ scene in book 3 is a definite skip and delete from memory.

6. Case File Compendium Vol 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou 🏳️‍🌈? 😈🚩🩸🕵️🥼

I did just finish reading this so maybe I’m bias but I really did find it a book I couldn’t put down. I even brought it with me to work to read a chapter during my lunch breaks. Main characters are heavy in their homophobic lifestyles but they kiss and protect each other? True crime and mentally ill characters. MC is has a fatal mental illness that makes him unstable and MIL was his former private doctor. MC is trying to date MIL’s little sister. While getting up to shenanigans they stumble into a corrupt hospital and evil forces are maybe after them?! Idk its exciting fun to read but only if you like 🚩’s

7. The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish Vol 1 by Xue Shan Fei Hu 🏳️‍🌈🐟👑🎨🖼️ I did genuinely laugh my ass off during reading this book. It was incredibly easy to read I think I finished it in 4 hours. Very cute. I love the inside and outside art. About a nonverbal Prince who has anger issues and his crush on the modern man who is trapped within an ugly little fish. Now yes the Prince is becomes actively in love with the fish. Lucky for us we are stuck in the man who is trapped as the fish’s pov and he is genuinely just trying to get back to his world by obeying the powers that be System’s prompts to go home. Fish is not trying to seduce the Prince or anything. It’s just funny I had a great time with vol 1 probably will read vol 2.

8. So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole 🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨🐉🏝️ while having dragons and diverse cast it ultimately falls short of expectations wishing for more depth and clarity. The asexual spectrum representation feels muddled and Jamaican inspired cultural elements are unexplored which is at odds with its rich backdrop that could have enhanced the story. The story’s mystery element lacked cohesion resulting in a frustrating bittersweet ending that suggests a sequel and left me unsatisfied. I won’t read the next book. Won’t suggest it.

9. Faithless Book2 by C L Clark 🏳️‍🌈🚩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩⚔️👑😩 a big let down from book 1 but I’m locked in for life I guess. Luca is back in France navigating a way to get the crown. While Touraine shows up with a priest and Teen to some how get food for her people. Most of the plot feels useless both MC characters are stupid and do no growing. The new teen character was interesting. I disliked the poly romance I didn’t particularly feel comfortable about Touraine and Luca why not add another person in what could go wrong? Luca’s reign as Queen looks to be very bad and you will feel extremely disappointed at the end. I’m going to read the next book but only because I like the characters who didn’t go to France.

10. Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore.

I read 90% of this book and I regret it. It’s a trans characters as the leads gay retelling of the great gatsby. I was truly excited to read it I’ve read The Great Gatsby many times. However this book just laughs at the source material. I’m tempted to say maybe the Chat GPT’d the plot and didn’t ask for any over arching themes in the book. I couldn’t do it I’m gonna have to find a better trans representation book in my next set of ten.

DNF’s

Last Night at the Telegraph Club, The Once and Future witches, Gearbreakers, the emperor and the endless palace.

[cyaneyedcl]

fandom culture rant

tldr; dont go shitting on people's works just bcs u didnt like it, thats some disgusting asshole behavior, fuck u if u do so.

and pls show your fanfic writers lots of appreciation, they are the biggest backbone in most fandoms, they deserve nothing but love.

there's something so insane and illogical when it comes to the people that read fanfics (which have clear explicit and alternative universe tags) yet proceed to complain about how these had — surprise, suprise! — sexual content and scenarios/personalities that weren't an exact copy of the ones in the source media.

and usually one would want to believe people will keep their opinions to themselves or rant about it in a private space with close friend(s), because that's the bare minimum one can do to show some respect towards a writer that shared their fanwork for free.

but recently, that's not been the case.

bcs now there's this new trend going around (specifically in tiktok, to the surprise of nobody) where people publish videos talking about how a certain fanfic was — and i quote — "incredibily ooc", "genuinely weird", "overrated", "poorly written", "a freak fest".

and this type of behavior wouldn't be so shocking (even tho is not ok) if it was coming from one random person in the internet, but because this is happening in tiktok (which is a well-known platform for having the biggest audience reach when it comes to social media apps) the hate is extremely amplified.

when i tell u the amount of hate these tiktoks gather is insane, i mean i've seen them surpass the 3,000+ comments (which is more than half of the comments the fanfic has). and most of these consist of people sharing their even more aggressive opinions about the fanfic, or even saying how "this other fanfic is better".

it honestly mind blows me every time i see this happening, because — or at least in my experience — there's always been this unsaid rule (even though i'd dare to say it's more of a sense of logic) in fandom spaces where everybody knows that if you didn't like the work of a fan, you close the tab and move on with your day. because, what do you gain for belittling the efforts/hard-work someone put in something that won't change the source media, or ur life?

and if you are one of those bystanders that applies the whole "people need to learn to take criticism" to this situation then u are wrong. no debates. because,

in this case, this so-called criticism it's just a sugar-coat for hateful comments.

that is NOT how criticism works, not when the author didn't ask for any feedback what-so-ever and even less when we are talking about a story that nobody pays for to consume it.

it's baffling to see readers develop this liberty that makes them think it's ok to say whatever they feel like saying about fandom works, without taking in consideration that behind every fanfic, fanart, music, skit, etc. there's a person that probably felt proud of their work and is happy about creating something.

also, i feel in the need to clear out that even though i'm talking about a specific fanfic in this post (which is in the tags in case u haven't figured it out yet), it's definitely not the only one that's received this treatment. i've seen it happen in the kpop, danmei, and harry potter side too, specially in marauders.

i believe this behavior is due to a shift in fandom culture that started because of covid, but that's like, a whole other rant post for another day.

[ruanbaijie]

Did you enjoy meet you at the blossom? I’m not here to argue, I’m just curious, so don’t take anything that I may say as an offense. I didn’t like it and dropped the last four episodes. I was so excited and looked forward to it, but in the end I was disappointed because in my opinion there was no chemistry between the protagonists and at least for what I have seen Jin Xiaobao was abused at least two times and cried for it, so I couldn’t stand it and dropped it, that’s not love. It made me so angry that the first uncensured BL was like that.

hello! apologies for replying this after a while; i was taking some time to think about what to write. i looked forward to it airing given that it's the first uncensored danmei adaptation, and i appreciate how they managed to adapt it into a live action drama despite their low budget (just a tiny side note: i tend to get very distracted by bad wigs and unfortunately this show had them). that being said, i did enjoy it, because it had its share of fun and light-hearted moments, but i'll be very honest and say that it's not one of my favourite shows and i didn't rate it that high on mdl, because i tend to prefer shows that have a little more in plot and character development, bonus points if they happen to fall under my favourite genres. but i feel that the major reason is not so much the show but the novel source itself. out of all the danmei i've read, among my least favourites are usually those that have abusive/ scummy characters (especially the tops) - scum villain, lantern: behold the bayonet (and this was written by one of my favourite danmei authors no less), case file compendium - so i'm not surprised that this one wasn't quite too my liking (the author of myatb is known for a more popular series 188 which is all about scum tops needless to say i avoid touching that series completely). so i kinda get where you're coming from! as much as the dynamics disturb me though (that's what trigger warnings are for right), i do hope it paves the way for uncensored adaptations of better novels in the future - and still keep the subtle cues and hints of something going on while they're at it (because that's one of the things i really love about how most of the danmei adaptations to date have gone around the censors)