#the fl is so badass

[petrichorium]

If you’re wondering why I dropped off the face of the planet yesterday it’s bc I binge read the most pluvibait manhwa to ever fucking exist so if u wanna know my taste in plots and male leads and female leads and motifs I direct u all towards the lady and the beast……….

[jjands]

As an olgami enjoyer, I'm so curious about yakuza fiancé's level of toxic romance

[myurucrie]

GOD I love how now yexuan thinks of little painter as someone he can depend on someone who can help him when he’s in trouble and not someone he should protect I really love the his development so much

[fiddleyoumust]

I've been thinking about my taste in historical c-dramas and realized I always lean toward political/palace intrigue over xanxia or wuxia fantasy dramas. So, without further ado, my list of favorite historical c-dramas (with a happy ending) that ground the romance in political power struggles.

1. The Double

Cast: Wang Xing Yue, Wu Jin Yan

Synopsis: After being framed for adultery by her husband and his family, Xue Fang Fei takes on the identity of the deceased daughter of a high-ranking court official in order to clear her family's name and take revenge on the people who wronged her.

This drama is flawless. Both the FL and the ML are two of my favorite characters of all time. They're both smart, funny, and badass in their own way. Their relationship is one of mutual respect and admiration, and the way they fight for and support one another is beautiful and romantic. The villains are fleshed out and great at making you hate everything about them while also understanding their motivations. Wang Xingyue gives an INCREDIBLE performance as Duke Su, and while I think Wu Jin Yan is too old to believably play a teenager, she is a fantastic actress who does a complicated character justice. I really have nothing negative to say about this drama. It's perfect to me.

2. Blossom

Cast: Li Yun Rui, Meng Zi Yi

Synopsis: A chance meeting between a woman leaving her cheating husband and a general helping a second prince overthrow the crown results in both of their deaths, intertwining their fates. When the woman wakes up reborn in her 10 year old body with all her memories intact, she has the opportunity to change her fate, the fate of the general, and maybe the entire country.

Dou Zhao and Song Mo are my parents, full stop. This couple is so good - both smart and capable in their own right, but damn near unstoppable together. Their chemistry is great. Their love and devotion for each other is crazy, and they're both just so, so pretty 🩷. I never found this drama boring, but I have seen some people say they thought the back half drags a bit. I think if you're not fully enamored with the couple, that might be the case since the back half focuses more on palace power struggles, but I'm a political intrigue girlie, so I was hooked the whole time.

3. Are You The One

Cast: Zhang Wan Yi, Wang Chu Ran

Synopsis: An anti-heroine bandit and a vassal Prince army general find their lives entwined when he saves her from near death and uses her resulting amnesia to trick her into thinking they're a married merchant couple in order to use her to catch the mastermind behind her bandit stronghold. As he sinks deeper into his own lies, he desperately tries to cling to their made-up life, fearing the day she regains her memories...

THIS SHOW!!!! My beautiful power couple who outsmart everyone but each other and wield death with knives and swords. This show does so many things right. The palace politics are interesting. The second male lead is compelling and complicated in a way that makes you seriously consider him as a contender. Both of our protagonists are smart, capable fighters who slowly realize they want the same things but have chosen different paths to achieve their goals. Also, the ML is a SIMP, which I am always here for.

4. New Life Begins

Cast: Bai Jing Ting, Tian Xi Wei

Synopsis: Ignored by his Emperor father and neglected by his concubine mother, the 6th prince of Xin Chuan marries the daughter of a farming family from a neighboring country as part of an annual marriage selection. Together, they face the challenges of court politics, royal etiquette, treatment of women, and international relations as the prince's reputation rises in the court of Xin Chuan and he begins to earn the respect of his father.

The ML and FL are great, and their relationship is solid, lovely, and heartwarming. But the real delight of this show is the women and their friendships. The unwavering support and love all the female characters have for one another is the true heart of this show. If you love women supporting women and women fighting for change and equal access to power while a few great men support them, I can not recommend this one enough.

5. The Princess Royal

Cast: Zhang Ling He, Zhao Jin Mai

Synopsis: After 20 years in an arranged marriage, Princess Li Rong has her Prince Consort, Pei Wenxuan, assassinated after she believes he's been slowly poisoning her. She dies from the poison soon after his death and wakes up to find she's gone back 20 years, memories intact, to before she and Pei Wenxuan got married. She quickly realizes that Pei Wenxuan is also back, and the two of them must decide what parts of their past they'll repeat and what parts they can change to avoid their fate.

Li Rong is one of my favorite female characters. She's cold, closed-off, analytical, and so repressed it's painful. She's tries so hard to protect herself, that she ends up missing out on the most important thing in her life the first time around and her bravery in trying to change herself enough to not miss it a second time is breathtaking. Watching fiery and charismatic Pei Wenxuan try to properly win her heart in their second life is one of the most swoonworthy romances I've watched. The politics in the show are engaging, and there is interesting meta to be had around how our desires and how we prioritize those desires affect the course of our lives.

6. The Story of Kunning Palace

Cast: Zhang Ling He, Bai Lu

Synopsis: A wicked Empress is pushed to her death after a coup overthrows the Emperor. She wakes up in her 18 year old body and vows to make different choices this time around. But changing her course is more difficult than she imagined, and things become more complicated when she gets entangled with the man responsible for the coup and her death in her first life.

I thoroughly enjoyed the politics and court drama of this show, but ultimately, it's the performances of Bai Lu, Wang Xingyue, and especially Zhang Linghe as the intense and unhinged Xie Wei, that really make this drama worth watching. Bai Lu's chemistry with both MLs is fantastic, and her scenes with Zhang Linghe are so charged that you'll be holding your breath. They both chew their way through this drama immaculately. Watch it for the simple joy of watching two actors ACT.

7. Melody of Golden Age

Cast: Ding Yu Xi, Ancy Deng

Synopsis: In order to protect her family, the 6th daughter of a low-level court official marries the favored general of the queen dowager in place of her older sister. Neither party wants the marriage, but neither can afford to anger the queen. They decide to bide their time and divorce in a year, but in the meantime, they help one another achieve various goals... and, of course, fall in love for real.

I can't be rational about Ding Yu Xi. If he's in it, I'm tuned in. His chemistry with Ancy Dang is fantastic, and watching his character, Shen Du, slowly melt and fall for his wife, Yan Xing, is so, so enjoyable. I was less interested in the mystery/court politics of this one, but I still liked it a lot. The romance is very good and Shen Du and Yan Xing are dreamy protagonists.

8. Blossoms In Adversity

Cast: Hu Yi Tian, Zhang Jing Yi

Synopsis: The feisty and brilliant daughter of a noble family must find a way to keep all the women and children in her family alive when her grandfather offends the king and gets their family's wealth, property, and status stripped away, as well as all the men banished to a labor camp.

This show is all about the FL, Hua Zhi, for me. She is a fantastic character - strong, sensible, smart, and fearless - while still managing to hold on to her heart and see the good in the people around her. Her love story with the prince/commander lacked something for me. I think I wanted it to be more intense than it was and might have worked better if a different actor played him. But, Hua Zhi, her family dynamics, the court politics, and all of the side characters were beyond enjoyable.

9. Flourished Peony

Cast: Li Xian, Yang Zi

Synopsis: A woman in a terrible marriage makes an escape with only the clothes on her back and a rare potted peony her mother left her. She ends up pawning the peony to the king's flower envoy in order to start a business, and the two become entangled as a result.

The FL, Mu Dan, is a badass. She tackles villain after villain with just her wits and the sheer determination to live her life freely. The ML, Cheng Yang, realizes early on that he's found a kindred spirit, but neither of them are interested in romance at first. I loved that they are genuinely friends for the majority of the show and that the ML trusts Mu Dan to solve her own problems, rarely stepping in to help her because he knows she's strong enough to solve it herself. This show, much like New Life Begins, highlights the horrors of being a woman in this time period. And like New Life Begins, one of the best things about this show is the women Mu Dan collects throughout her journey, building her own little found family. Flourished Peony has a 2nd season on the way that will air some time in the back half of 2025, but the end of S1 is solid and won't leave you hanging if you decide to watch it before S2 comes out.

10. The Rise of Ning

Cast: Zhang Wan Yi, Ren Min

Synopsis: After spending most of her childhood in the country away from her scholarly family, Yi Ning, the black sheep daughter, returns home for her grandmother's birthday. Rivalry between her and her other siblings and cousins cause tension, but she finds an ally in her father's illegitimate son, Shen Yuan, another black sheep who has cultivated a life for himself in the shadows of a family that doesn't acknowledge him. Together, they try to solve the mystery of Yi Ning's mother's death and decades old case involving Shen Yuan's master. A case that puts them in contact with a dangerous man from Ning's past.

Full warning, the romance in this is between Yi Ning and Shen Yuan. Spoiler: No, they're not really siblings. He knows they're not very early on. She finds out much later, and the romance starts after that, but he's very clearly already fallen for her while she still considers him a brother. If the trope bothers you, skip this one.

If you're like me and don't care 😂, this show is great. Yi Ning is a sweetheart with a spine. The second male lead is a combination of incredibly handsome and scarily unhinged, which makes him all the more sinister. Shen Yuan is smart, calm, and deadly - my male lead kryptonite!!!, and his devotion to Ning is so wonderful. I also have a Zhang Wan Yi bias. His face is just very, very good to me. The mystery plot is engaging, and I didn't ever find myself bored with this show.

[exitvelocities]

2023-2024 cdramas year in review

i'm borrowing this idea from thai bl tumblr, but with less fun categories because i'm tired. i'm including shows from this year and last year since i mainly watched a mixture of the two in 2024.

tagging whoever wants to do it!

overall favorite show (2024): fangs of fortune it's gorgeous, i love the characters, and it's got one of the most shippable poly casts i've seen in basically ever.

overall favorite show (2023): mysterious lotus casebook i actually did watch this one last year and i liked it, but it wasn't until i rewatched it again in 2024 that i lost my mind over it.

favorite character: di feisheng from mysterious lotus casebook my love my darling my heart. i adore him with every fiber of my being. i honestly never really noticed xiao shunyao too much before this but he's sure got my attention now.

favorite character runner up: pei sijing from fangs of fortune sorry, you can't give me a badass kuudere archer and expect me to NOT be absolutely nuts about her. cheng xiao has also improved SO much from her early days acting and i think it's super neat that they incorporated her dancing background into her fight scenes.

favorite ship: dihua from mysterious lotus casebook see above about losing my mind. it's got everything i love in a ship: history, tension, longing, being totally obsessed with one another. i've written so much this year and most of it is for them.

favorite ship runner up: jingxiao from fangs of fortune GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS i love them and they love each other. i love how flirty wx is with psj and how sincere and open psj is with wx.

favorite canon ship: song mo/dou zhao in blossom this is still airing so i hope they don't fuck it up, but it's such a refreshing dynamic. they're really partners, and he's so gone for her.

favorite canon ship runner up: gu jiusi/li yuru in destined i'm not really a fan of straight romance dramas but the strongest arc of this show is undoubtedly the first one, where they unwillingly get married and slowly fall in love. bjt is particularly charming in this role and song yi is lovely per usual.

favorite fl: dou zhao in blossom i love that she's careful and meticulous but not omnipotent. she's working at changing what she can but she's not a miracle worker. she feels warm and human and fallible in the best way. also mzy is gorgeous and i love her, fuck the haters.

favorite fl runner up: xue fangfei in the double she's batshit overpowered and it's still contrived in some instances but wu jinyan sells it enough that i just eat it up hahah.

favorite ml: li lianhua in mysterious lotus casebook his burnt out gifted kid ass is captivating. he has so many complex layers; it's a role that really gives cheng yi a chance to stretch his muscles and i think he did a great job.

favorite ml runner up: pu yiyong in oh no! here comes trouble he's a dumbass delinquent with a hereditary power to see spirits and release them, what's not to love.

favorite female supporting role: yang ying in a journey to love one of the best character arcs i've seen in a long, long time. i love her journey and where she ends up and i hope she gets everything she ever wants. iconic role for helan dou imo.

favorite female supporting role runner up: feng baobao in am nobody she doesn't understand human interaction and she loves knives and is good at them. she was made for me.

favorite male supporting role: yu shishan in journey to love breakout role for fang yilun, suave playboy with a heart of gold, faithful brother in arms. i adore him.

favorite male supporting role runner up: wang ye in i am nobody lazy, lowkey, and the best in the world. a good look for hmh also.

favorite antagonist: shen yurong from the double what a thoroughly unhinged man. i particularly loved the middle section of the show and the back and forth between him and xff. i wanted him to take a different path, but he couldn't.

favorite antagonist runner up: li lun from fangs of fortune oh my beautiful, bitter, lovelorn tree demon. he's like catnip for me.

favorite antagonist honorable mention: gong shangjue from my journey to you so intense, so brooding, so murderous.

bonus 2023 thai show section

favorite overall show: moonlight chicken i just really loved this show. i like both gemfourth and earthmix and while i did not enjoy the bit of firstkhao pandering at the end, i thought it was a generally thoughtful exploration of human foibles.

favorite cast: my school president they're adorable and i love them. this is overall such a fun, feel good show with great music. tinngun are wonderful and so are the secondary couples. special shoutout to babygirl por's outfits.

most ridiculous sex scene: bed friend you know the one.

biggest disappointment: only friends i still haven't finished it. i'm just not invested in anything or anyone. i think part of it is that i don't really love the cast, out side of neo and mark. i do like first and khao but not really together, sadly.

[pruneunfair]

Characters I think would've gotten along with Rashta.

Helena

She's such a sweet heart! 🤧 this was the same girl who had a change of view of og Eris who she was resenting for mistreating her, after seeing her crying and even when she was treated horribly she still had a heart of gold. So if she met Rashta (albeit at the right moment) I know she would've extended a hand. They probably would be besties.

Ruby

Honestly Ruby was a whole new perspective of the typical og fl or in general damsels who are often made fun of for not being badass. I've even seen some people say she's like the good version of Rashta so yeah, Ruby would definitely have empathy for Rashta and would probably bond over their hardships.

Aisha

Aisha is literally the good old fashioned saintess with a kind personality and the belief that everyone deserves a chance. She would have understood the situation and as long as Aisha met Rashta before she started going too far in protecting her position. Aisha would've helped Rashta steer back to her humanity and let her improve who she is as a person.

Adelaide

Adelaide is a true girls girl, the moment she learned what Diane was going through she didn't see her as an enemy and even felt a little bad for her. So let's just say it was Karl who brought over Rashta as a mistress, and Adelaide finds out at some point that she was a slave. First off she'd be calling for slavery to be abolished given that she was proven to be upset that the poor people were living in such dangerous conditions, second off she'd probably show Rashta more understanding and it could bloom into a sisterly relationship.

Pereshati

I love her so much!! Not only is Pereshati a girls girl but as a very motherly figure herself I just know she would have reigned absolute hell over the Rimwell family after hearing about the dead baby they gave Rashta after she gave birth. Just saying if she was able to deliver justice to her step family even when it all seemed hopeless then she would put Lotteshu in his place. Shs would've been an amazing aunt to Ian and Glorym 😢

Edith

like a lot of these characters, It would really depend based on WHEN Edith meets Rashta but if they met when Rashta was still a concubine and had yet to commit any crimes I think they would've gotten along. Edith was already treating Rhyse with the utmost respect and friendship so I could imagine Edith would feel for Rashta. Ngl I could see them shopping together.

Yerenica

Those 2 would be great friends plain in simple, Just two silly little girl failures. Plus I think it would be very in character for Yerenica because her whole thing is trying to stop a depressing future where most of her favorite characters die so becoming friends with the villainess so she doesn't end up on a dark path and her so her children don't wind up being ashamed of their mother would fit well with Yeni.

honestly in another universe this trio would absolutely slap.

[ofmdrecaps]

01/05-08/2025 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; OFMD Recaps on Mastodon; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Samba Schutte; Wee John Wednesdays/Kristian Nairn; Rachel House; Dominic Burgess; Kristen Johnston; Hugo Pierre Martin; Aotearoa Treaty Principles Bill Submissions; Articles; AdoptOurCrew: Call To Action; LettersToSeaForSeason3; Fan Spotlight: Jax/North FL OFMD Cosplay/ Fandom Meet Up; Love Notes/Resources;

== OFMD Recaps on Mastodon! ==

Some awesome news! The absolute sweetest person alive, Lowrah (https://gaypirates.club/@lowrah) has been kind (and brave) enough to join my team and create an OFMD Recaps for Mastodon! She has offered to help crosspost the recaps over to Mastodon (blorbo.social) and manage that which I appreciate so much because I am completely inept at that site! She's also the one helping me with all the alt text (that I am behind at updating tumblr with sorry!) so please send her some massive love if you see her around because she is helping me out so much right now! One thing to note -- Since she's on the other side of the world for me, the recaps cross-posted there will be a bit delayed, so please bare with us :) Thank you so much Laura for all your help! You can check it out here!

Source: OFMD Recaps Mastodon

== Cast & Crew Sightings ==

= David Jenkins =

David's giving us some interesting updates on the eve of the first cancellation of S2.

Source: David Jenkins bsky

= Rhys Darby =

Rhys was in Auckland recording the first Cryptid Factor show of 2025! For all of you Cryptid Factor fans out there, he's also finally gotten to come in contact with the Sir Ed YETI Expedition backpack!

Source: The Cryptid Factor's IG

= Taika Waititi =

The Golden Globes celebrations were this past weekend and Taika was everywhere!

Source: Loop Mag

Source: Instagram

Source: VasJMorgan's Instagram

= Samba Schutte =

"14 years in LA today✨ Arrived on Ethiopian Christmas with one suitcase and 5 guiding steps I had come up with in my hut while staying in a remote Kenyan village, for my future self who would eventually make it to Hollywood. Hope you’re proud Past Samba🫶"

Source: Samba's Instagram

= Kristian Nairn and Nathan Foad =

Some great news! Wee John Wednesday is back on Wednesday the 15th! This news also has some clown potential, so please clown responsibly everyone!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Bsky

Kristian is also going to be attending MegaConLive in Dublin on January 18-19, 2025! Get your tickets at megaconlive.com!

Source: MegaConlive Instagram

= Rachel House =

Rachel House was out with friends looking badass!

Source: Maria Lewis IG

= Dominic Burgess =

Dominic is back from the UK and posted some great "Beef" pics from Skeleton Crew. He fits the Star Wars Vibe so well!

Source: Dominic's bsky

Dominic and several of our other cast members live in California so a lot of folks are being affected by the fires. I'll try to post what I can about safety/news but for now, looks like Dominic and family are prepared.

Source: Dominic's Bsky

= Kristen Johnston =

Our "The Widow Evelyn" is now on Bluesky too! Special thanks to @jilliansauers for catching her!

Source: Kristen Johnston's bsky

= Hugo Pierre Martin =

Our friend and crewmate Hugo Pierre Martin is on Bluesky now! HPM's Bluesky

Source: HPM's Bluesky

= Aotearoa Treaty Principles Bill Submissions =

Now, I generally try to keep "politics" out of the recaps because this is meant to be a positive space for the fans-- but I do know that A LOT of our cast and crew are affected by this bill personally so I do want to throw this in there. It looks like you don't actually have to be a resident of Aotearoa to submit your feelings on the bill. Here is helpful linktree with things you can say and how to submit that I tracked down via a post Rachel House reposted.

Source: NZGreenParty

== Articles ==

Thank you @adoptourcrew! You are article maniacs! So many in so little time! Thank you for always sharing!

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Bsky

== Call To Action From AOC ==

January 9, 2024 marks the first cancellation of S2 of our beloved Show. Our fan-crew, @adoptourcrew has asked that you help support our show by: 1. Taking Action 2. Sharing your love 3. Showing your pride. In short-- sign a petition, share something about the show, tell the world how it affected you! If you can get the #OurFlagMeansDeath, #SaveOFMD and #AdoptOurCrew in there, that's great too! Show all the new and seasoned fans how much you love the show!

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Bsky

== Letters To Sea For Season 3 ==

The Letters to Sea for Season 3 campaign that was being spearheaded by the darling Molly, aka aproperpirate, is finally coming to fruition! Tomorrow is the day the letters should be arriving! Molly had a special message to share re the letting writing campaign!

Source: AProperPirate's Bluesky

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Jax/North FL OFMD Cosplay/ Fandom Meet Up =

Florida crew! One of the Truly Docked members @ladymekaella is hosting a little get together in Jacksonville on Jan 19! Wanna join in? Follow them on facebook! Deets below!

1/19/2025 11am - 2pm, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233

Source: Truly Docked Instagram

== Love Notes / Resources ==

Hey Lovelies, I know 01/09/25 is going to be a very mixed feeling kind of day for everyone. It's the anniversary of the first time S2 was cancelled. It's going to bring up a lot of sad feelings, and you should absolutely sit with those feelings and embrace them. It was a rough time for all of us. There's no shame in feeling that grief again. I know I didn't show it much, but I cried so many times. Seriously, like SO MANY TIMES. My parents asked me if someone whacked me in the face with a shovel (which, thanks folks, I feel so pretty) but it was true-- I was devastated. It was a slow burn for me too because I wanted so very much to keep up hope. Seeing you all really push for the show helped keep me going-- and helped me learn more about how to cope with that kind of grief (and it was grief for so many of us because the show meant so very much-- and changed some of us at our core). No matter how tomorrow makes you feel though, I do want to remind you what came of it. This beautiful community rallied together and did some absolutely AMAZING things this past year (I wish I hadn't been sick this past two weeks cause I wanted to get you some stats). From billboards, to faxing, and calling in to Max, and Netflix, and Amazon, and Apple TV, to raising a SHIT TON of money for SO MANY charities-- to making beautiful works of art and fiction-- to making our cast and crew (not just the actors) feel loved and impactful-- this cancellation brought SO MANY OF US TOGETHER. People stepped out of their comfort zones-- talked to people they didn't know, reached out to streaming platforms and learned to use their voices in ways they'd never done before. We all built our own little communities within the fandom, bit by bit-- and those little communities have spread so much love, and kindness, and made life worth living for so many of us. It's been almost a year for my recaps too-- those officially started on Jan 13th, once again, because of the cancellation, and because of the camaraderie of the crew and all the support we all gave each other. Jan 9 is probably a tough day for most of us, but it's also the catalyst for so many wonderful things, and I'm so very grateful for it in a way. I've gotten to know so many of you, gotten to experience your joy, and participate in your struggles, and vice versa. I've met so many people from all over the world I'd never have once dreamt I could meet-- and I know SO MANY of you have too. This fandom is one of a kind-- and this special show and it's cancellation brought us together. I am still in full clown mode at all times, and I believe S3 is an inevitability, it's just a matter of when-- but no matter when it happens, I'm grateful we got this past year together, and all that came with it. So thank you lovelies. Thank you for being a huge part of my life, and turning it in a much better direction I could ever have thought possible given where I was. Lean on each other tomorrow, okay? We got through this past year together, and we'll get through whatever happens going forward, as a crew. Take care of yourself lovelies, drink some water, and get some sleep. Love you <3

= Resources =

Outside of the fandom in my day job, I work for a company that works with 211's and non profits, and so resources are really important to me. I have a lot I'm aware of, but if anyone has more they'd like to share around, please let me know! I'm happy to spread the word to help people get support they need right now!

For those of you in California or who know some folks who are-- please be sure to download the Watch Duty App, it keeps track and notifies you of nearby fires in real time.

In addition here's some additional info on go bags if you are in the evacuation areas:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brown Issues (@brownissues)

Source: Brown Issues Instagram

Also looks like Airbnb will be pairing up with LA 211 to offer shelter for those evacuated from the Palisades fire. You can visit www.211la.org for more information.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Drew Droege (@drew_droege)

Source: Drew Doege's Instagram

As I hear more resources I'll try to share more in the recaps/on socials. I hope you all are staying safe out there!

[dangermousie]

Do you have any recommendations of some historical/fantasy c-drama's with well fleshed out women characters? Or ones where they get to be a bit badass even if not in fighting ways?

You seem to have really good taste so wanted to ask, no worries if not though!

Awwww, thank you!!!

Imperial Doctress is an older drama but is great for that. It's a female centric story which focuses on a female physician, her cases, her involvement with two royal brothers, there is war and all sorts of awesome stuff. She's a great character.

Return of Condor Heroes is great (there are a ton of versions, my favorite is the 2006 one but everyone has their own favorites) in which the FL is ML's master and a total badass.

Singing All Along and Schemes of Beauty - Ruby Lin in female centric narratives about the power behind the throne. They are also older dramas.

A Journey to Love is recent (from 2023) and the FL is an assassin who grows as the story progresses.

The Rise of Phoenixes is a historical and Ni Ni is amazing as a smart and complex protagonist (she plays opposite Chen Kun and they equal importance in the story and are allowed to be equally complex.)

The Story of Yanxi Palace is well known and the FL is OP (but in the best way) and smart as hell.

Love In Between - relatively little known but a surprising number of interesting female characters, my favorite being FL, who is mission driven to save her shifu (who is a father figure) and is a fighter unlike ML who relies on brains.

The Ingenuous One - Set in wuxia world, a lot of complex and tough female characters, but my fave is FL who is a wonderful fighter (to say more would be spoilers.)

I have more probably but these are the first that come to mind.

[silviakundera]

with the conclusion of Snowfall...

why do i enjoy Republican Era chinese dramas so much?

aesthetics! there is this blend of 1920-30s western fashion influences and traditional chinese garb & architecture that just pleases my eyes.

everyone looks very depressed & dangerous & sexy

chaotic period of transition - no matter if you're in the 1910's, 20's, 30's some absolutely wild historical shit was going down

cars and guns and gloves and swords. rotary phones!

dancing & drinking in night clubs, in glamorous pockets amid the violence & instability outside; a lil touch of mask of the red death vibes

end of empire themes, as a country tries to find its way after the end of the last imperial dynasty

there's those gangster, mob boss vibes from american and british dramas set in the 1920s, except everything is cranked up x100 because of general lawlessness; central government and law & order was a paper thin veneer over warlords

the start of WW2 from an entirely different perspective than the common narratives that I was exposed to growing up in the US (which is 99% stories about the european stage)

sino-japanese war / war of resistance material like Hidden Blade is fucking badass ok 🤷

in a time of resistance to occupation, colonizers encroaching, warlords fighting over cities, brewing civil war.... there are many different options of protagonists and unlikely "heroes" who are picking their battles and discovering what they are willing to fight for

Beautiful 👏 women 👏 in heels 👏and 👏 slinky 👏dresses 👏

Lots of revenge narratives. I love an over-the-top, bloodthirsty & destructive revenge narrative

Depending on the genre, there might be little or heavy politcal /patriotic discourse. But tbh none of the rah rah patriotism stuff distracts me much, because all the american and british produced stuff set around WW2 has rah rah patriotism & propaganda in it, so I just consider that part of the essential genre vibes. It's just another country's version. (Of course, others will have less patience when it becomes heavy-handed. YMMV.)

Dark & Gritty

Hidden Blade (film) - a masterpiece, if you enjoy dark WW2 spy films that play with narrative style and challenge the viewer to follow the story as it's woven. Had to review detailed historical context for the years in question, to be ready to consume. But worth it. I've watched it 3 times. 💀

Heroes (2024) - the very beginning era of this genre/the transition into repulican period. rocks fall, everyone dies. Primarily a tragic wuxia & pre-republican fusion. Excellent enough that I didn't mind the bleak storyline. 💀

Detective-ing

Miss S - adaption of 1920s Australian mystery procedural Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, staring Vengo! ML actor of Snowfall

Checkmate - Agatha Christie stories adapted to the setting & time period, plus bromance. I watched half the episodes w my brother, as we are both huge agatha christie fans. It was fun if you can be chill about adaption changes.

My Roommate is A Detective - for mystery & bromance lovers. Same actor duo as Checkmate.

Detective L - don't know much about this one tbh

Romance arc, with a somewhat happy ending for the 2 leads

Provoke - Gorgeous, glamorous, vibes vibes vibes all day long. Revenge and romance. ❤

Fall in Love - sons & daughters of warlords and their supporters get sexy and dangerous and decide even joining the civil war is better than the prior generation's bullshit. This is an objectively bad drama that I really enjoyed anyway (it helps that I skipped every scene for the 2nd and 3rd couples). This one turns v propaganda heavy at the end, if that bothers you. ❤

Arsenal Military Academy - military training hijinks w a side of cross dressing romance. Xu Kai and Bai Lu! It's soliders and japanese invasion et al, so be prepared for the standard patriotism. Comedy & drama. HE for the FL/ML but expect character death in this subject matter. ❤

Rookie Agent Rogue - Late 1930s spy drama with small romance side-plot. Expect the standard wartime patriotism, like with Arsenal Military Academy. The draw is the lead actress, the FL from Princess Agents, Minglan, Legend of Shen Li. HE for the FL/ML but expect character death in this subject matter. ❤

City of Streamer - Older woman seduces younger man who is the son of her revenge target. Melodrama with people serving looks. ❤

War of Faith* - Young man just wants to join the banking industry and have a subtextually gay relationship with his mentor in peace, but there's a civil war going on. Protagonist would like to be excluded from this political narrative, but ultimately is forced to pick a side. ❤🌈 *(Is it censored gay romance? No, not based on a gay novel. So not officially! But some viewers felt there was a subtextual romance storyline #shenlai ; YMMV. The happy ending is Untamed-esque; implied only)

many, many pulpy mini-dramas about revenge! warlords! ladies with pistols! (Miss Mystery, First Marriage, Maid's Revenge, etc)

Also... (happy ending not guaranteed)

Siege in Fog

Love in Flames of War

Couple of Mirrors - censored F/F 🌈

Stand by Me - censored m/m 🌈

Killer and Healer - censored m/m 🌈

Winter Begonia - censored m/m 🌈

[harocat]

Perhaps this is inaccurate, but does it ever feel to you like general cdrama fandom takes the FL being a “mature” character as the end-all indicator of the show’s quality? Recently with legend of Shenli I see quite a few people start their praise along the lines of “unlike those other garbage xianxia with their annoying FLs”. And often it becomes clear they’re trashtalking Lbfad specifically

This is not just Cdrama fandom, it's fandom on the whole; the girlbossification of female characters.

I've generally always favored characters that get this treatment. Riza Hawkeye (badass) vs. Winry Rockbell (immature), Sango (badass) vs Kagome (immature). Sorry those examples are anime, but they're very well known so 🤷

These are also often healer characters, which is a trope that tends to be... sort of maligned. How dare a women be relegated to just being a healer! But IDK, I'd rather have a well written healer than a generic, flatly written warrior any day. XLH would definitely fall under the healer class.

(One good thing I've noticed is that while all the above mentioned girls got a lot of hate back in the day, as time has gone on, they've grown to become beloved characters. You rarely see hate for any of them nowadays. It's great.)

Keeping in mind fandom's general disinterest in women, so naturally the appreciation that does exist is often extremely shallow. Characters that tend to catch their attention because of this are ones that are 'badass' or that they want to 'step on them' or whatnot. A character that starts out more mature is more likable to them because they don't need to look beyond the surface to see how 'cool' she is.

This is not an implication that Shenli is a shallow character (I am only on ep twelve, so I'm not here to give any kind of overall impression), but just that she from the beginning has more traits that are easy for people to glom onto as a 'strong female character' Do these specific people (this is obviously not all fans of Shenli) who say 'finally a mature character' write meta about Shenli? Do they gush on her and share fanworks and create and all the like. Generally no, because in my experience people who like characters for 'girlboss' reasons don't really appreciate them beyond the surface.

These people will gripe about characters like XLH, sing the praises of 'strong female characters', then go back to only caring about male characters 90% of the time.

Xiao Lanhua takes too much work for these kinds of fans. Obviously we know she is strong, we know she is badass and brave, but the XLH we meet at the beginning is silly, immature, and boy crazy. To appreciate her character fully, you have to do more than just look for five seconds and go 'wow badass'. She's a layered, richly written character, but she doesn't start out as the kind of character that fits a girlboss reading.

On the other hand, almost because of this, you can find pages and pages of meta, fic, and fanworks about her, and almost any fan of hers can give you a plethora of reasons they love her that have actual depth.

On the subject of maturity, it's often a case of the kind of immaturity that's acceptable. Dongfang Qingcang is deeply immature at the start of the series. I don't need to explain why.

But his immaturity is appealing to fandom; cute, likable, and funny. It's good immature, cool immature. And I think this is because in addition to being a male character, we're also taught that being immature like Xiao Lanhua is--- is like... a horrible thing to be? But that's not the case at all. It's just normal! Again, back to girlboss feminism. Women and female characters are held to an impossibly high standard. Female characters that act in a way that might be seen as cringe (if they aren't also badass)? Yikes.

Yes, Xiao Lanhua starts out flighty and silly, but she's also a hard worker, and even from the beginning, she's courageous (despite her timidity when confronted with bullies). She's a good character, even at the beginning; she is lovable, charming, and so, so funny. People just refuse to see beyond their first impression.

The goal in writing a female character should be to make them well written, and in that sense, Xiao Lanhua is a great character. She just happens to also be extremely brave and badass, but some people are too shallow to see it. At this point in time I don't even argue with XLH haters. I'm just like 'well fine, I'd rather not have you here anyway.'

[dramashutup]

The thing with Back From the Brink came out before FoF is...we already got gold like

1. Riley Wang as Bai Xiaosheng smiling a lot. And having a lot of screentime. A lot. So much. I love it. I love him.

This is only from the final ep. He's a precious precious bean to me

2. HMH as Tian Yao losing his loved one for a change. My fave au idea is what if Wen Xiao insisted on dying and dies :D

Tianyao being the no joke kinda guy who's quite the opposite of ZYZ in terms of personality. Yan Hui is the energetic, happy-go-lucky badass demon (at the end) lady.

My genderbend au lives on ����🥰

And then waiting for Yan Hui (the fl) to reborn

It's a happy ending !!! :DD

My review of this drama :

the actress really carried the drama. Zhou Ye I'm waiting for your Legend of Female General tho that's really different from BFtB. I love seeing Zhou Ye and HMH natural interactions in the bts idek why this is in the review lol. They're a cute couple from the drama 🥰

[snowswan-royalehigh]

I just figured out why I'm so obsessed with Remarried Empress. Navier is actually a hypocrite. Like, she actually really is. Such as her brother cheating on HIS fiancee. And her not caring. I can't root for anyone, but Rashta the so called villainess- I find it funny everybody who hates Rashta is more obsessed than me. (A Rashta Stan!) The entirety of RE is hypocritical, Navier's whole narrative of 'I'VE BEEN BETRAYED!!' isn't all that good anymore, because she clearly is selfish (Which is okay, cause it's realistic) and she doesn't make the best decisions either. However, the whole 'good' role feels forced. BECAUSE EVERYONE'S AWFUL LMAO- But it's so fun to watch. I can't help but read the next dramatic page, with all it's flaws. However, I feel like the only problem is the fandom's reinforcement of 'NAVIER'S SOOOOO GOOOOD' Everybody definitely focuses on Navier's fanon version. With the rise of BADASS (Fire Emojis,) Female leads, I feel like their characters have been sacrificed, to make them actual arrogant assholes, that people deny are arrogant assholes. The whole 'BADASS' FL narrative can really make characters unlikable. Because she's only being rooted for while she still does some bad things, that would've had Ppl rooting for her downfall. It's so sad Rashta's so well written that I side with her more than the literal protagonist, lol.

[the-reincarnated-princess]

no but really I went into The Age of Arrogance thinking it was going to be yet another "badass FL gets with royal prince in order to topple the corrupt royal family and get the prince on the throne" story, which is fine in itself. Many such cases. Many such cases being good or at least compelling stories (I will live the life of the villainess; Angelic Lady; I'm the queen in this life; The Cup of Vengeance is in your hands; et al). (If you want to have a wider range and add grand dukes and other senior peers to the list of ML that help topple the corrupt reigning family, add Leveling Up my husband to the max, For My Derelict Favorite, Cierra, Remarried Empress kind of and probably where I abdicate my title as empress is going, and that's only the ones that aren't explicitly set in fantasy Japan/Korea! also that's only the ones I am reading myself)

BUT NO! THE AGE OF ARROGANCE IS BETTER!

It's a story about an action girl who had to take up arms or literally die and have her people be wiped out. She enjoys fighting now that it's less of a life or death situation but she doesn't enjoy war. She wants the good of her people. Her husband and her act like actual medieval lords, as in they manage the estate, make sure their people are fed and clothed and the roofs are repaired. That's already two things that are often enough cast aside (one for blind blood lust, the other for no management or the minimum) that I would enjoy it!

But then! Aha! In a world populated by stories in which the temple/religion/church are always corrupt and the bad guys, The Age of Arrogance manages to make clear that 1) their religion isn't bad 2) the heroes are pious too, at least offscreen 3) the priest who allied with the bad guys is an heretics that was disavowed by the Church he pretends to serve.

So on top of the rest, you're telling me we have nuanced storytelling about religion? But wait, there's more!

On top of that, the tough woman we have as a female lead struggles with intimacy despite slowly falling in love! We don't have instant lust, we don't have red chibi faces thinking "aaargh i want to kiss him so bad it hurts"! We have slow progression in the story of an already married couple (political marriage) learning to be with each other!

Anyway it's neat.

[canyousonicme]

Despite only appearing in fifteen episodes over the show's more than 60 year history, Alex Kingston left an indelible mark on Doctor Who, bringing to life one of the most beloved characters in the entire franchise: River Song. Along with being the woman the Doctor married, River was a captivating character with a complicated history. She danced up and down the Doctor's life as their love story, which transcended time, saw the two constantly meeting out of order. Kingston's last on-screen apperance as River took place over eight years ago in the Christmas special, "The Husbands of River Song." The episode seemingly served as an end to her story, as she and the Doctor spent one last (twenty-four year long) night on Darillium together. However, that hasn't stopped audiences from hoping to see River again — and maybe fans just might get their wish.

Kingston stopped by MegaCon in Orlando, FL this weekend to speak on the "Women of Sci-Fi" panel. When asked which Doctor she would like to see River team up with that we haven't seen her with yet, Kingston enthusiastically named Ncuti Gatwa, calling him "a twinkly badass too," referring to a description she'd given her own character earlier in the panel. While there hasn't been any announcement made indicating a return for Kingston, she did indicate that perhaps we haven't seen the last of River Song: "It was such a wonderful journey and the journey may still continue," she said. "Who knows? I mean can you imagine just flying the Tardis and going to all those incredible different dimensions in time and space. I mean, it's been an amazing journey and I fly the Tardis better than he does."

Luckily, Kingston is no stranger to playing this character opposite a range of Doctors. Though the majority of her episodes were with Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor, the ER actress also appeared opposite David Tennant's Tenth Doctor and Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor. When asked if she felt that her character changed at all from Doctor to Doctor, Kingston said:

"No, I don't think my character differed, actually. She just sort of adapted to the personalities of each new Doctor. I mean, essentially, it's the same spirit but in a new body a little bit like when a snake sheds its skin. So it was sort of more like, oh hello. This is another facet of the person that I love that suddenly kind of opened up to me. And so I always found it's actually super exciting working then with a new incarnation of the doctor." [X] 📸Gerardo Morera

[hanafubukki]

for the ship ask game 💞💞💞

☕️: What are the most common plots of shipping fics between you and your f/o?

aswell as

what trait would fanon exadurate 👀👀👀?

[selfship ask]

Hi Wi!! 💚🫂💞

Thank you for sending this in 💞💞💚💚🌺🌺

What are the most common plots of shipping fics between you and your FO?

All the AUs!!! Absjsjs because that’s what I usually do with me and Lilia lolol I have so many branches and what ifs and Aus. It’s endless. 😂😂

But if we go more specific, I love time travel, reincarnation, soulmate, “no matter what” it’s always you, etc. kind of fics so I can see that being constantly used. 💞💞💞

There’s a lot of angst potential too given the role I have for Hana as a Starlet and Lilia himself has so much angst so I can see people running wild with it 😂😂

What trait of yours would fanon exaggerate?

Omg, I’ll try and not go on an essay on this but I think fanon would take the kindness and…make it a negative thing?? If that makes sense???

From my experience in shoujo, especially fruit baskets era, people really took tohru’s kindness and made it seem like it’s something weak? Or a pushover? So I can see fanon doing that too.

Though I never believed kindness to be a weakness. It’s a strength to be kind and patient despite what comes at you. To persevere and still have that ability despite loss.

And?? I don’t know, it always irked me that those Fls who are not “badass” and “femme fatale” are seen as weak and a mat to walk over 😭😭😭

So I can see some people going over the top with that lol.

Thank you so much for sending this Wi 💞💞🫂🫂

[scalamore]

Lari's character development (spoilers throughout the series)

Lari is one of my favorite FL in any media. She's just so well characterized, where her character development occurs so organically and reasonably. Overall, through the story and Rupert's POV, we have a good idea of Lari's strengths that is briefly mentioned, but accumulate over time:

works hard, is diligent

tries her best

is a nice and warm, overall a good person

studious and able to problem solve

mastered etiquette (the only skill she had from TL1)

able to learn politics overtime, and has a good idea of leadership

knows how to influence high/society with nobles (in combination with Rupert's authority and support) Lari is one of those characters who is NOT a badass OP FL lead. What has instead, is a quiet type of feminine strength. She doesn't have to be the smartest, or strongest, but she can still be a gentle person to acheive her goals. She may not be physically strong or intimidating, but she does have the support of Rupert; and he is more than happy to help support her in whatever she needs/wants. That's his role: to support her so she can be comfy and relax. Isn't that a nice idea on it's own? :) On the other hand, Lari IS a flawed character, with her own weaknesses:

extremely reckless

distrustful

due to being betrayed and gaslighted in TL1 and the first part of the story, she becomes hypervigilant to the point where she stops relying on ANYONE for help, becomes hyperindependent to the point of self-sabotage.

As Rupert says a few times throughout the series, Lari makes A LOT of stupid mistakes and bad decisions throughout the series, decisions any normal, rational person wouldn't do. That's the point. Unlike Rupert, who has Tori and Louis to discuss things with, Lari has no one. She's utterly alone. So if she DID have someone to rely on, that someone would tell her how stupid she was being, and she wouldn't have done the stupid thing. Her poor decisions is the result of being utterly alone, with no one to turn to.

Lari knows how bad her decisions were and agonizes over it afterwards, but Louis is the one who reassures her that in her situation, even if it wasn't the right call, to her, at that moment, it was the correct choice.

Rupert is the one who eventually realizes despite how she appeared, Lari is actually more lonely than anyone else. She had all these secrets about TL1 hidden inside, he was unable to ever fully earn her trust, and even if he wanted her to rely on him, the current [him] failed to do that. Before the separation, he was wishy washy - did he want to get closer to her? did he want to keep his distance? Eventually he realized that HE needed to change the way he treated her to earn her trust

It was nice that Lari already cared deeply for him; he didn't have to work TOO hard to earn her trust and have her rely on him when they reunited, but true to his word, he will always be there to support her, and if she allows it, he will be the one to protect and she can always rely on him. :)

After becoming a couple, RupeLali are hanging out often anyways, and they always have open communication. No judgement, and Rupert encourages Lari to speak her mind and any worries, and that is a tremendous relief for her, and their bond gets stronger from that :D

This is basically a story of Lari growing up and learning to trust and rely on others, and to let go of the toxic people who held her back from her own personal greatness!