#the most epic version of “worst thing she can say is no”

[katerinaaqu]

Imagine being Priam and just having received your son with his new spouse and be like "Okay...the worst has happened. Now we expect retaliation from Sparta coming at any moment"

A while later when Troy was minding their own business like every day and suddenly the retaliation you expected finally arrives. However is not just Sparta...

You see over 1000 ships arriving from afar with their colorful sails carrying all major kings of all major cities of Greece under the banners of the previous suitors of Helen's including the richest of all, Agamemnon, the offended husband Menelaus from yet another rich city, a freaking demigod Achilles known for his strength in battle and rumored to be invulnerable by weapons and the infamous Odysseus known for his cunning and indirect ways.

You know you are up for a wild ride. Potentially you already know you are screwed.

And now the music called "Pines of Rome" from the version of Fantasia 2000 plays rentfree in my head!

[the-lying-heavens]

"Defeat"

[Heroes of Olympus/Odyssey(and techically EPIC) crossover]

Masterlist

Goofy blurb inspired by this post cause yes

Warnings: Not proofread, nothing else I believe

Word count: 830 words

Odysseus is ready to strangle the Olympians—one by one—for forcing him into this volleyball match. And then the teenagers who are absolutely destroying his crew.

Eurylochus crashes to the ground, the ball bouncing off his head and landing on the court.

The other side erupts in cheers. If Odysseus hears them shout in joy one more time, he might just summon a storm with his anger.

"I think I may have broken a bone," Eurylochus groans, while Polites helps him up.

"Eurylochus, do not���" Odysseus begins, fully prepared to curse out his brother-in-law.

"We will beat them, don't worry," Polites interrupts brightly.

The scoreboard blares 12 to 0.

Perimedes points it out. Elpenor quickly shuts him up.

He glared at the kids across from them. They had been introduced to each other, so he knew all their names and their parents. The first one, and the one who had gotten the most points, was Percy Jackson, a child of Poseidon. He wondered what the sea god would do if he poked Jackson's eye out.

He debates whether it was worth it.

He decides it is. As soon as he got his hand on something sharp-

The others included, Annabeth Chase, was a child of Athena, which strangely stung.

A child of Zeus, Jason Grace. Eurylochus had declared if he hit the blonde kid in the face with the ball, it would be a victory for him.

Leo Valdez, a son of Hephaestus, who clearly was not taking the game seriously. He got distracted by everything and could not stay still for 10 seconds.

Frank Zhang, a child of Mars, who was Roman version of Ares. Odysseus groaned when he was told that there were a different versions of the Greek Gods who weren't very different at all.

And Piper Mclean, a child of Aphrodite. He didn't know how to feel about her.

There a child of Pluto, the roman version of Hades, watching from the sidelines named Hazel Levesque.

He’s a hero, a legend remembered by history, and these children are laughing at him!

Annabeth calls. “You might want to work on your serve. It’s kinda… underwhelming.”

“Underwhelming?” Odysseus snaps, grabbing the ball. He winds up and serves with all the force of a furious storm.

The ball flies sideways and misses the net entirely.

Jason bursts out laughing. “Nice shot! Want me to get it for you?”

Piper chimes in with dripping sarcasm, “Yeah, we can take it easy while you go on a quest for the ball.”

"Perimedes, go get it," Odysseus grumbles.

"Why me?" Perimedes whines.

Odysseus glares daggers at him. Perimedes stumbles to retrieve the ball.

Odysseus growls and tries again. His serve barely clears the net and is intercepted by Frank Zhang, who spikes it so hard it almost knocks Odysseus over.

“You know what’s the worst part?” Odysseus mutters. “They’re enjoying this.”

Annabeth catches his eye, smirking. “We do have a tendency to be good at things like this,” she calls out.

“Yeah, well, so do I!” Odysseus snaps back. “I could sink your whole ship with a single command!”

Leo Valdez, inspecting the ball like a piece of machinery, barely looks up. “Cool story, bro. But this isn’t the Odyssey. It’s volleyball. And we’re winning.”

"You haven’t done anything!" Odysseus retorts.

"Well, neither have you." Leo motions at the scoreboard, barely glancing up.

“You know, we’re having fun. I think that’s what counts," Jason says.

Odysseus turns to his team, who look equally dejected. “Alright, let’s try a new tactic,” he says, trying to salvage some dignity. “We’re going for a strategic play!”

Eurylochus mumbles, “You mean, like hiding the ball in the bushes?”

“No!” Odysseus snaps. “We’ll use the element of surprise.”

Perimedes, finally back with the ball, looks at him skeptically. “What’s the plan?”

Odysseus whispers dramatically, “We’ll fake a serve and then—”

Before he can finish, Leo Valdez, who’s just fixed his shoelace, tosses the ball back into play. The ball sails over the net, and instead of following his own plan, Odysseus dives for it, accidentally bumping it into his own face. The ball ricochets back over the net.

Percy spikes it with ease, and it lands with a decisive thud on Odysseus’s side. The scoreboard updates: 19 to 0.

The final whistle blows. Odysseus stares at the ground, his pride in tatters.

Percy Jackson and his team erupted into cheers and high-fives, their victory sweet and complete. Percy, with a grin as wide as the Mississippi, calls out, “Great game, guys! You definitely kept us on our toes!”

Annabeth, grinning, adds, “And hey, it was good practice for us, too. We’ll be ready for anything now!”

The child of Mars chuckles. “You should’ve seen it, Odysseus. You almost made us break a sweat.”

Odysseus grumbled, “I’d rather face the Cyclops than play another round of this.”

"I wouldn't…" Polites mumbles.

As his team trudges off the court, Eurylochus, still grumbling about his 'broken bone', picks up the ball. In a fit of frustration, he hurls it toward the demigod team.

The ball smacks Jason Grace in the face. He stumbles and falls backwards, landing on his behind.

"AHA!" Eurylochus yells in victory, throwing his arms up, then winces.

Odysseus, struggling to hide a grin, says, “Well, at least we hit something.”

The crew quickly gathers their things and moves away, leaving behind the stunned demigods.

[enixamyram]

Long Rant About Greek Retellings

This is a post I'm using to vent. Feel free to ignore it or not, I just need to get these thoughts out in the open.

Summary of my rant: It's dumb to hold the "crimes" of the original stories against retellings that change these things. And stop being an asshole to people who write/enjoy harmless retellings.

This comes about because TikTok's keep popping up on my FYP and they're genuinely making me want to bang my head against a wall.

The most common that I've seen is people bitching and moaning about the artist on Webtoons who is doing a retelling of Ganymede's story. These people are definitely the worst since I saw them bragging in the comments about how they are constantly tagging the artist (aka, harassing them!) in other videos about the original story and messaging them and just being bullies. Now this is just shitty in general because I'm pretty sure the artist has stated this will not be a romanticized version. But for the sake of my rant, let's pretend that it is. Let's pretend that someone is retelling the story of Zeus and Ganymede with a romantic focus.

Why is that so wrong? I keep bringing up Hades and Persephone because they are a perfect example of this being done multiple times. Both Persephone and Ganymede's stories are incredibly similar with them being kidnapped, held hostage and eventually settling in their new lives. Obviously there are many versions, but one of the versions I read had both of them coming to enjoy their new lives and being happy there. Now in our world, we would agree that's very Stokholm creepy coded but back when these were written it probably wasn't intended that way.

Now if someone decides they want to rewrite the story, fixing the toxic parts of the story (eg. having Persephone willingly go with Hades because she fell for him before he took her to the Underworld and having her willingly eating food in order to stay with him) and keeping the later romance... That's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. There are many retellings and reboots that try and "fix" things that didn't quite work in the original and I'm always in favor of that because it's interesting seeing another version of this updated.

So if someone wants to age up Ganymede and rewrite it in however they choose to write it, why is that wrong? People against it usually respond with "in the original...!" and my response to that is: This isn't the original! That's the whole point! If you genuinely can't let go of the original source, then I suggest you don't read/watch anything that retells it.

Another example I want to give is Calypso. I'll admit, I don't know her original story (I really want to look it up because I'm curious but as of writing this, I am ignorant to it) but since Epic has blown up, I've seen a lot of people talking about her. Especially during her song in the Vengence Saga and a bit of a debate has started over whether or not she's genuine or manipulative. Now whatever your feelings of her and her story/song, I just want to focus on one thing I saw, again on TikTok:

Someone said they hated people making Calypso's story a tragic one, that she is the villain and nothing will undo her S-A-ing Odysessus and - I'm literally quoting them here - "not even if you do a retelling where she didn't"...

Am I alone or is that the dumbest thing to say?

You can feel whatever you want against the "originals", but you cannot hold the original toxic traits against retellings, especially if they make a point of changing these things. That's ridiculously stupid. If you cannot handle this, then don't read/watch retellings because you don't actually get to dictate what story someone tells or how they tell it.

If you want an "accurate" (I use that term very loosely) story of Ganymede or Calypso, then bloody write it yourself. Don't give artist and creators shit because you don't like the choices they made.

One side note I wanna add: You cannot have a high horse against retellings unless you have somehow successfully managed to avoid the dozens and dozens of retellings that have existed all our lives. Just for a quick example, every Disney version of the Fairy Tale is a retelling of it that changes details to make it more romantic/fix little details like the ages of the princesses at the time.

I have my own personal opinions on certain stories. I'm not a fan of Hades and Persephone stories that demonize Demeter. I might make a post saying as such, but then I will move one. Because there's nothing wrong with a retelling, even if I don't personally find enjoyment in it. And giving others a hard time because they don't agree with you on this is just the height of arrogance.

[bohemian-nights]

Omg yes about the Laena stuff!Likr have these writers read the books at all? Dying by fire us one of the most awful deaths a person can be given like hello at R being eaten by Sunfyre and traumatising young Aegon for life. It’s not supposed to be “empowering”or a”dragon rider’s death”(whatever that even means).And D also seems pretty traumatised by her death yet by next ep he’s laughing at her funeral,not giving a damn about his kids and hooking up with R! Seriously WTF?! Even the Green kids get more complex characterisation than D who just stands around smirking and doing “badass”stuff. It’s frustrating because he’s been stripped from every important relationship he has(Mysaria,Laena,his kids)ok contrast to R who’s allowed to love Harwin and interact with her children and still have some sort of relationship with Alicent. The worst thing is that supposed D stans were cheering over the fact that he treated all the other women except R(in their eyes)like trash so when he chocked her they went into mealtdown mode accusing the writing of being misogynistic when D lashing out in violence at something he has no control over/feels angry about has been pretty in character for him through the season. The gaslighting in this fandom is awful and It really doesn’t help that HOTD attracted the worst of what was in the GOT one. Most of the people I’ve seen in twitter especially those who’re team Black actually buys into the Targ supremacy BS so ofc a character like Netty who challenges that belief both in universe and out is threatening to them so they try everything to make her as important as possible. None of this happened when Laena died and R got with D at her funeral and married him soon after even now stans are searching for ways to validate their mediocre ship with bad chemistry(because actors emoting and lightning up badly shot scenes is chemistry!😒)but when a WOC is involved in a romance she’s held to impossible standards and constantly judged. Right?And thing with Daemyra is that it’s not like N is the one coming between them their entire relationship has been rooted in grooming and physical violence aster ep.10 so the fact that they excuse all those very serious issues yet hate on the black girl is very telling and super problematic. Ultimately no one will be forcing D to be with N. If he doesn’t want to be with her he wouldn’t be. Period. So hating on and victim blaming the low born girl whose had an awful life before claiming a dragon is reeking of both misogyny and racism.

I don’t know if the writers read the books. I’m sure a couple did, but even if they did they probably were like I can make it better. Lol. Yeah I have to wonder if they are going to have Rhaenyra die in the same way as in the books cause why kill Laena like that then turn around and do a version of the same thing with Rhaenyra.

Daemon has no characterization other than being an a**hole. Characterization is actually all over the place for all the characters(including Rhaenyra but she’s shown in a more nuanced light), but Daemon is suffering a lot from them stripping away all the good parts of his narrative. Lol the meltdowns when he choked out the love of his life were epic.

I even saw some Daemyra stans try to say that Rhaenyra liked being choked in that scene. Like it was some kinky foreplay 🫠when in reality Daemon was pissed off to learn that his big bro never considered him to be his true heir. Daemon took his anger out at the nearest target(it doesn’t take much to goad him and bring out his violent streak, divorce rock anyone 🪨?) lol Again you can’t make this ish up.

Daemon and Rhaenyra seem like a business transaction to me. Daemon has 0 chemistry with adult Rhaenyra. As you stated they don’t like Nettles cause when she pops up there house of cards will come tumbling down. They are literally scared of book canon being played out on the small screen.

Daemon murdering his first wife(not book canon), then treating his second wife like an unloved puppy(not book canon) is fine, but him “cheating”(they had an arrangement at that point in their marriage, but then again these stans are allergic to reading🙃) on Rhaenyra with Nettles is where they draw the line?

Daemon could not possibly be in love/sleeping with a “common” (black) witch over our Targaryen self insert Queen Rhaenyra 👸🏼 He saw her as his daughter. The four accounts(plus the lore from a GOT special) that say otherwise are lies and anti-Rhaenyra/anti Targaryen propaganda and can not be taken as the truth.

Those bath’s where they bathed butt a** naked was father daughter bonding time 🫠 They were only trying to save water 🙃

I won’t mention Daemon and Nettles last night together/how they and their dragons parted, but you get my drift.

Like you said, Daemon was in the position of power here. If he didn’t want to be with Nettles he wouldn’t have been with her. He obviously saw something in her that he liked(I mean who wouldn’t she’s awesome).

Nettles is held to a higher standard/pushed to the side cause she’s Black and they can not or at least will not relate to a Black woman. It is misogynistic and racist, but they’ll plug their ears and deny all day long. If they could get over their hate they’d see that Nettles is one of the most interesting characters in F&B and ASOIF as a whole, but haters gonna hate 🤷🏽‍♀️

[hellcatinnc]

Loving Yamada Lv 999 Review

Includes Spoilers....

So I went into this show knowing it was going to be different than most which I was happy. Most don't feel as real for me more fantasy but this was one that hit close to home to me. I have in the past met a guy that brought me into mmo world who later cheated on me and left me for the girl he met online, this I can relate completely with Akane for this. Not gonna lie her ex is attractive but such a asshole especially in how he broke up with her like he had already been seeing the girl. Worst part is its bad when a guy cheats on you but bro seriously what the fuck why is chick ugly as shit... see what I mean below.

Like seriously what the fuck he is one stupid MF thats all I got to say. Akane is beautiful and he was too blind to see it. Not to mention as you get to know Akane you realize she is a sweet girl maybe Takuma just didn't bring that out in her I don't know but I'm glad Yamada ends up being the guy she is with. I also think its funny when Takuma finds Yamada at her apartment like the realization the man he stalks on social media as a gamer is in his mind fuckin his ex lmao priceless. Now Yamada is actually kind of funny with how he says things at times the no care attitude but you can tell its cause he has never let anyone really effect him. So when she starts getting to him with little things she does its sweet watching them fall in love. It is I guess somewhat of slow burn due to his Kuudere personality however it is just the sweetest watching him change. Like from running after her, or giving her his umbrella and even calling out her name in the middle of the hallway. Like dude is sexy in his own way. So sweet when he takes care of her when she is sick like by her bedside care.

Then there is the way he looks at her like seriously you can tell when he falls for her even before its even said. From the firs time he looks at her til later til the last picture his look changes so much in how he feels. His smile is full of love and contentment by the end I love that gentle side of him.

Then there is that epic ending where he tells her he really likes her, I say like because its weird in the Japanese version Suki da 好きだ is said which in the Japanese language means both I like you and I love you if its someone you feel something for that is intimate. that being said he practically said he loved her however in English language we dumbed it down to just I like you which I hate. I saw this because I originally watched in English but watched the last 2 episodes in Japanese before it was dubbed and I thought was sweeter in Japanese for that reason. That smile he gives though when she asks him if he likes her omg he has a really nice smile.

The way he holds her hand is so delicate how he held her when she was upset. I mean yes he may not be the most skilled in what to do but I think Yamada did a good job being there for the best way he knew to. He was there when she was drunk or when she just needs a shoulder to cry on he is always the one there to take care of her.

Then there is the girl he let down he even did that nicely. Like he was soft and gentle and just didn't dismissed how she felt, he let her tell him everything she needed to then admitted his heart was with Akane. I respect him for how he handled this he really is that genuine guy that I think someone like Akane needs in her life after the shit she has dealt with.

Honestly all in all I think its a really good anime with alot of heart to it. Has good characters and most are very relatable. I think Yamada needed her in his life more than he even knew and she definitely needed him. I hope there is another season but I do plan to read the manga as well. Hope yall give it a chance and love it as much as I do.

[deng-yi-deng]

CDramas I watched 2022 edition

I thought this would be my shortest cdrama list ever (+ 1 kdrama) because the year started out so slow, but it picked up dramatically towards the end. Still, this year was more about excellent English language shows (OFMD, WWDITS, Sandman) and dropping dramas when they did not spark joy, which was often.

Surprise shoutout to NRTA for doing one (and only one) thing I agree with - trying to cut down on the overall number of episodes per drama. I do think this is improving overall quality, forcing dramas to tighten up writing and pacing.

I had zero interest in watching this year's hits (Love like the Galaxy or Love Between Fairy and Devil) because of petty personal preferences so here's my 'best of the rest'. Fave of the year goes to Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty, the surprisingly well-done costume-buddy cop-mystery-dramedy that I didn't know I needed. Honorable mention to New Life Begins (adorable) and Side Story of Fox Volant for favorite wuxia.

If you want to read a very thorough review of Strange Tales, check out the top review on my drama list (for once I agree with mdl ?!).

*Indicates that the drama was dropped - not an indication of lack of quality, just that I didn't finish

Luoyang

Bad and Crazy (kdrama)

Sword Snow Stride*

The Wind Blows from Longxi*

Heroes*

A Dream of Splendor*

The Side Story of Fox Volant

Light Chaser Rescue

Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty

New Life Begins

see below the cut for my insightful complaining biased reviews

Luoyang (风起洛阳 ) (2021) 2.5/5🌶

I finished this in 2022 so it's on the 2022 list :)

Fun fact: WYB's character is not the main character despite the 217,876 gifs you may have seen. I had high hopes for this one as the novel it was adapted from was written by the same author of Longest Day in Chang'an which I liked. TL;DR version: it does not come even close to Chang'an in terms of the level of screenwriting, directing, art direction, or production. Acting is also weaker on average, but some actors weren't given much to work with.

Huang Xuan is very good, as are many of the actors in minor roles (Old Carrot!!) - I may try to check out some of his other dramas, and would LOVE to see him work with LYX but alas probably never gonna happen. (they're both dancers! and can act! and are handsome! haha, that makes me sound so shallow.) WYB looks like a block of wood through the majority of the drama. Even if (like me) you interpret him as being autistic, it doesn't work. Song Yi's character might win for worst writing for a female character ever! Which is really saying something in cdrama world. Literally the most epic fail of the Bechdel test - she can't even mourn her father for a minute before refocusing all her attention on Erlang-bae. The romance - for either couple - was completely unnecessary to the thriller plot. Erlang and Liu Ran are on my NOTP list for sheer gag-inducing pointlessness. Huang Xuan and Song Qian tried to have a little chemistry but the sparks failed to ignite (see plot) and...sorry Victoria, after seeing you in Broker and then this...not impressed.

Sets & costumes were supposedly expensive (though the ghetto/Unwelcome Well set looked as fake as an old Shaw Bros set) I think most of the $ was spent on hiring lots of extras which - good to get people employed but ? Action scenes - well, you may have already read about them. If not, go ahead and do that I won't pile on. Pacing was brisk but the plot holes. Oh lord. The plot holes. Ending has a completely unnecessary twist (of the knife). Like Chang'an it got progressively weaker after the big mid-way shocker and ended not with a bang, but with a whimper.

Bad and Crazy (kdrama) 4/5 🌶

This was one of the more entertaining things I watched this year - actually looked forward to a new ep each week. Good acting, lots of action, satisfying ending. I was a little uncomfortable with how they characterized mental illness, but once I gave up and told myself (10 times before each ep.) that it's just a drama, was able to enjoy it.

*Sword Snow Stride (雪中悍刀行) 2/5 🌶

I wanted to like this SO MUCH. Finally some wuxia! With actors I like! The plot is ok, the characters are fun and interesting. Lots of really good actors, many familiar faces. There was humor! And some original ideas but... it was s o o o o s l o w. I lost interest during each episode (sometimes falling asleep) and had to force myself to watch the next one - there was just no momentum episode to episode. I gave up around ep 20. Fight scenes could've been better, which for wuxia is kinda important ya know? (I won't even comment on the cgi since others have already done that - it's not great). I really can't emphasize enough how much I wanted to like this. It's like all the ingredients were there for an amazingly satisfying dish but it was served lukewarm and watered down? I'm also getting a little tired of Zhang Ruoyun playing an all-knowing smartass.

*The Wind Blows from Longxi (风起陇西) 2/5 🌶

Acting: fine. Music: too loud in spots. Sets/styling: good. I didn't mind the dark palette, it seemed appropriate for 3 Kingdoms spy drama. The problem? I found myself wandering away to get snacks or looking at my phone too often, then having to go back and see if I missed a crucial bit of dialog. There was no momentum, nothing felt like it was at stake - which for a slice of life drama might be ok, but this was a spy/political thriller! Chen Kun and Bai Yu were ok (but just). I've heard the dialog is disconcertingly modern in spots, which is not a problem when you're using eng subs. The big red flag for me was the guy at the end who explains what just happened. Like. No. If you have to do that to your film/drama you have FAILED storytelling 101. I should be able to enjoy the story knowing only the basics of history (which I do) and then you fill in the exciting bits. Dropped this mostly because the ending was spoiled for me around ep 16 by a mutual who reblogged a gifset that gave away the identity of the double agent and had NO TAGS AT ALL much less a 'spoiler' tag. And this was before it wrapped for non-VIPs. Uncool. SO UNCOOL. TAG YOUR POSTS PEOPLE.

*Heroes 说英雄谁是英雄 3.5/5🌶

Another wuxia! Maybe...please...maybe? Pros: Baron Chen doing the most dramatic cape flipping, blood coughing, suffering stoically performance ever. And he wasn't wearing a wig - it was. his. own. hair. Just inject that sh!t directly into my veins. Good pacing, decent acting and characters (at least for the guys). Trope-y but it's the tropes I like, so yay!

Cons: fight scenes were of the comic-book pose/quick-cut type rather than actual fight choreography. Which is what you get when you cast actors and not martial artists so yeah, but man, it really makes me want to just watch some old HK movies. And surprise, surprise: tissue paper thin female characters particularly Wen Rou (and her costumes - ugh just no to the western-style ruffles.)

Though I was eating this with a spoon for the first 24ish episodes, I ended up dropping it (probably not forever) because it turned into a smorgasbord of angst and I wasn't in the mood. So if you are looking for angst with a side of suffering, then that would be a pro, I guess?

*A Dream of Splendor 梦华录 3.5+/5🌶

What? Well written female characters? In a female-centric historical drama? For me? Aw, you shouldn't have - no, actually you should have, and you should do it again!

Dropped this because I had English language shows to watch (hello Sandman) and it sort of lost steam for me - somehow the way it's shot made it a bit more of a slice of life than plot-driven drama? and NGL I was also tired of reading my tv, but I will try to finish someday.

Pros: production, costumes, pacing all pretty good. Aforementioned prettiness. The plot revolves around the women supporting each other, with the romance being sort of second? kind of? which I love, but also the FL & ML have great chemistry.

Cons: both the FL and ML are a little toooo perfect - too pretty, too smart, too accomplished (the ML was the #3 scholar, passing the test when he was young yet also is a master at wushu and swords? ah, ok) but this is a minor quibble since this is a cdrama.

Fun fact: was watching this and Heroes at the same time and Sun Zujun is in both and plays...a rich, hot, sexual predator in both. Um, hope you don't get typecast my dude. (his acting is pretty good so best of luck to him.)

The Side Story of Fox Volant 飞狐外传 4/5 🌶

Yay! More wuxia this year! please let this be the one....

The first few episodes are movie-quality: sets, action, art direction, sound, acting are all fabulous. Towards the middle it settles down into more typical cdrama territory. Based on a Jin Yong novel, it's what you would expect, and I think has been adapted before. Since I haven't read the novel or seen other adaptations I can't compare, so perhaps this wasn't as well received because it diverged from the novel?

Unlike the other wuxia this year, did not suffer from bad writing for the female characters! Full of tropes, but everyone was pretty well written - despite immediately loving Miao Renfeng, I also loved the 'bad guy' (who's character name I always forget, so will be referred to only as Peter Ho - he did a great job of making a bad dude sympathetic.) Qin Junjie was giving me Chen Kun vibes all over the place - I may try to watch Listening Snow Tower just for him.

Not really sure why this didn't do better. I assume because it's yet another Jin Yong adaptation, and the competition (LLTG and CJL) were more appealing to a (female) audience.

Pros: good acting, great actors, solid wuxia story with a strong start and well done (if tragic) finish

Cons: weak middle - pacing and overall quality dipped a lot. like they put the B team on all the middle eps for cinematography, editing and direction

Light Chaser Rescue 追光者 3.5/5 🌶

Finally a Luo Yunxi drama I can watch, though I'll admit if he weren't in it, no way I'd be watching. Though some of the marketing makes it look like a cp drama, it is in fact an ensemble cast, with the focus being on the diverse people that make up volunteer rescue squads. It's very politically safe and tbh was not surprised they chose to air it during the party congress.

Surprisingly for the moralistic/didactic theme, all the couples were really cute and well done, so if you want romance, there is some. The effects and sets were realistic, and everyone's tragic backstory was tragic. You may need tissues for this one if you're a crier. It wasn't without some super cringe moments (spoiler: the little orphan would be doubly scarred for life by their attempts to help him 'heal') but in general was ok.

Wu Qian (Janice Wu) was really good - I'd only seen her in two things when she was much younger, and she really is a mature talented actress. I'll say it - even better than Xixi, who did pretty good but still can improve, especially in shouty scenes where his emotion looks a little forced. (see, see, how I can critique my fave?)

Pros: Luo Yunxi and Wu Qian

Cons: not enough of the cute dog, didactic and moralizing, weak plot that is barely credible half of the time, often felt more like a bunch of 'how to survive x disaster' instructional videos strung together rather than a coherent drama due to choppy editing

Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 4.5/5 唐朝诡事录

Please cdrama gods consider blessing a season 2 of this because it was so much fun! Even though Su Wuming is a disciple of Dectective Di, I think I liked this even more than the Detective Di movies I've seen (!) because as much as I love Su Wuming, the genius detective trope is a little played out for me, and giving him a great foil in Lu Lingfeng made the whole thing more enjoyable.

The writing for and acting of the two leads was so enjoyable to watch. They had great buddy cop chemistry that really elevated the whole drama. Female characters were pretty well written and realized, and some of the villains were downright enjoyable (creepy ghost guy, you looked like you had so much fun!) Production values were fairly high across the board - sets, visuals, costumes, sound, for what could have been a very cheap drama. Everything seems to have been done with care and attention to detail. Though the plots are a little silly sometimes I didn't mind because they were entertaining. Also tw to people like me who are sn*ke phobic - uh there are lots of scenes you will need to skip in the second mystery.

The drama starts at the end (!) which was an interesting way to wrap the whole thing up, but also an odd choice because they ended up basically reusing most of the first ep for the final episode? In between there are several loosely strung together 'supernatural mysteries' that our guys find themselves solving in different places all across the country. Each mystery is only slightly more difficult to solve than your typical Scooby Doo plot, and similarly any supernatural element is soundly debunked by the end.

Pros: writing, acting, chemistry between leads, production values, almost no romance (a pro for me)

Cons: easy 'mysteries', almost no romance (a con for many people it seems)

New Life Begins 卿卿日常 4/5

I hadn't planned on watching this, but I like Bai Jingting ok and needed something to watch after Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty and this looked cute. Spoiler: it is pretty darn cute.

If you're looking for an angsty palace/harem type drama this won't be it. Instead, they use the conceit of 9 vassal states sending a bride for the princes of the Xin kingdom to explore the different ways a society can treat women. It's a very very girl power drama. As such the female characters are pretty well done and acted, but the male characters aren't reduced to being caricatures - all have reasonable personal failings.

Is it realistic, even for a costume drama? I don't care. Sometimes a work of fiction is to show you how things could or should be - in this case the jerks get their comeuppance and the ladies get to succeed. Sure, sometimes the girl power message is a lil' too heavy handed but I'll take it for the overall message and the humor.

Just realized I rated this higher than Dream of Splendor and I should justify myself - Dream of Splendor is overall a better drama, but this was more tightly paced and because it had a larger ensemble there was more going on to keep my interest. That and the fact that this had humor pushed it up a little notch for me.

Pros: cute, mostly light and funny, well paced, decent plot

Cons: I didn't really feel any of the cps (I came closest to shipping Li Wei and Yuan Ying) but YMMV

[taldigi]

I never heard any of the tales of Reynard, so could you describe some of the characters that inspired your fae?

its worth looking into.

Overall there is a bunch of variation/Interpretation on the story, even with the limited translation. Some of the French Court were totally original to the concept (Heehaw) and some recycled (Brocc). Overall, I'm pretty flexible with interpretation.

Tales of Reynard are a dark comedy- which, i feel, fits the idea of Fae very well. It's one of the most influential beast mock-epics of french """""""origin"""""""" which is way more fitting of something (that should be) uniquely french.

this is, however, coming from an American. But I don't care. We tried giving the french a chance and they just appropriated chinese myscisism in the worst way and even gave us a ton of racist stuff and copied marvel's homework instead.

Reynard, of course, is Trixx. The title protagonist, but hardly heroic, of the tales. A trickster, a liar- a murderer (amongst the tamer things) is a character who serves only his own whims and desires and cares only for the well-being their own family. While, a largely heroic character in the French Court- using their wit and cleverness for the greater good, they are still reviled by the majority of the other fae for various slights and.. murder attempts.

Royale is King Nobel the Lion... who is arrogant and selfish and greedy, and very foolish. Royale isn't a 1-1 though, and is more a representation of that "holier than thou" attitude... able to keep that role as the king of the fae via brute strength and a LOT of power... which is ironic, considering that Brocc and Trixx are able to sway him easily with honeyed words.

Tikki is the Queen Lion, with some elements of Hirsent the she-wolf. I would say her role is the most different, as the Lion Queen is a paranoid individual and a largely minor role... Tikki is very much not. She was once a lion kwami as well, until she fell in love with Plagg, who fostered her sense of self-confidence and sense of individuality- so her fur fell out and she became a ladybug instead of a mirror of Royale- with bright red chitin and black spots where Plagg had kissed her. (I'm a sucker for romance and in this house we love Plikki.) She is the only fae that is able to subdue Royale through anything other than Trickery with vicious ex-wife energy.

Plagg is Tybalt the Cat. Loyal servant to the king, and was sent to retrieve Reynard for a court hearing, and was beaten half to death by farmers after being tricked. Plagg has a hatred of Trixx and Brocc, but is willing to work with them for the greater good.

Plagg and Tikki together are some of the strongest kwami, and are still on the court due to Null being a threat. However, they are also trappped inside magical artifacts,

Brocc is Grimbard the badger, advisor to the king and is absolutely in it for themselves and for Reynard. Brocc's only allignment is for Trixx, otherwise, is a manipulator with a golden tounge.

Orikko is Chanticleer, who came before Nobel with damning evidence that Reynard was an awful creature- as Reynard had murdered and eaten his daughter. Other tales- especially about Chanticleer specifically, feature Reynard as antagonist. Court-wise, He is one of the few that can actually outsmart Trixx- thus, they have a fierce rivalry. Orikko is noble, dutiful, and hardworking but proud. I would describe him as more knightly than most other characters here.

Awoo is Isengrim- vicious and strong, he is easily tricked by Reynard and the two are constantly at each other's throats. I believe in most versions, Reynard ends up killing Isengrim in a duel.

Hunni is Bruin the Bear and Rukenawe the Ape (i dont like monkeys so she is not a member of the court skjdfhlksda), lazy and stupid. Hunni is lazy and selfish, but hardly stupid. Otherwise, she often comes to blows with Heehaw- as they are polar opposites. She will exert her strength in exchange for.. food, pampering, or the end of the world (which would interrupt her lounging, honestly.) She's a good conversationalist when she's in the mood, and actually is very insightful- especially if sugared up with treats and not asked to move from her warm spot.

Fluff is Kyward the Hare, i think Reynard ends up eating him for the crime of.. trusting him. Fluff is very flighty and kinda stupid, but also has elements of... and yall'regunna hate me for this but, Hammy from Over the Hedge.

Heehaw is Baldwin the Donkey.. of which i cannot find much about.. But his part in the original was more a folk tale about how flatterers will win great prizes but laborors are mistreated and hardly intertwines with the Reynard tale (as far as I could find, he i think he was a doctor???). But he has elements of Rukenawe the Ape as well, who was an advisor and mentor to Reynard.. Heehaw is nothing of the sort, and acts as a wise ear to the others and acts more like the true leader of the Fae. He's a kind, patient, and understanding fae who approaches things bluntly and with honesty. He is a believer in hard work and perseverance. Thusly, he often comes to blows with Hunni.

[sofipitch]

3 14 18 19 and a special personal question, do you prefer to read physical books or like ebooks and stuff? Hope you’re doing well 🖤

3. What is your favorite genre?

That is kind of a hard question bc I do read a lot of genre stuff like horror or historical but when you think of the big names, like Stephen King and Dean Koontz for horror, that's not really what I like. According to Storygraph my highest genre is fantasy but I hate high fantasy. So probably horror, historical, or fantasy but like usually the less hardcore versions of that genre if that makes sense

14. Do you ever mark/dog ear books you own?

Yes, I was taught to dog ear to save my place by my mom and I literally never knew it was a thing ppl hated until like high school. And it's just a piece of paper... I also will dog ear a library book (not write in tho) and I like seeing creases where other ppl have dog eared. I think it shows love. I also crack spines on hardcover and paperbacks. It's my book and I would like my hand not to hurt when holding it. The book I'm currently reading I got from a used bookstore and was in kind of rough condition and I dropped it and it split in half, it's currently taped back together, I think it looks cute.

18. Do you like historical books? If so what period?

Yes! I love historical fiction, I learn things and am entertained. I will read any time period except WW2. That time period is incredibly overused in the USA bc "we were the good guys!" It's often a propaganda machine and has extremely oversaturated the historical fiction section

19. Most disliked popular books?

Oh boy. This actually just came up at dinner so The Poppy War I don't think I can go into everything I hated in a reasonable amount of time so: bad politics and trauma porn. It also has a TON of overused tropes to the point I predicted a lot of the plot ahead of time. A Little Life, also trauma porn. A Thousand Ships, literally the worst Greek myth retellings. The whole thing is supposed to be feminist and will rub your nose in it too, not subtle, yet it still mostly summarizes myths about the male characters in a boring way. I don't think saying "hey the women deserve more attention!" And then not doing that makes sense. Also bad opinions on Helen, again #feminist yet enjoys slut shaming 🤔

For VC books, everyone knows I don't like books 4-10, however I have not read a lot of the worst offenders. So out of the ones I have read, Pandora and Blood Communion. Blood Communion had like 0 plot and what it has hinges on Lestat acting INCREDIBLY OOC. Pandora I was SO disappointed in. I liked her in QOTD so I thought I might enjoy her book, she is a 2 thousand year old vampire, this should be epic right? No it is extremely limited and only focuses on the part of her life involving Marius, basically anything that does not involve him is not included, like HUGE time skips. Even when we meet Pandora at age 30 before she was turned she had been previously married and we hear nothing of that. After her big fight with Marius when he abandons her, her life is just summarized in a few pages, saying she lived for thousands of years depressed bc of this one guy. Girl, get over him. Also I mentioned how I love historical fiction, Pandora not only has like accuracy issues but she doesn't experience a lot of events herself, she will summarize important events like gossip/AR reading a Wikipedia page. To me the appeal of historical fiction is to feel like you are actually there experiencing the event. Pandora telling me some previous emperor drama when she never interacts with them is not it. It was SUCH a huge let down and did not pass the Sofi Feminism test

Do you prefer to read physical books or ebooks?

If I read with my eyes I prefer a physical book, I like that I don't have to worry about charge or internet. I'm also just used to it, having to scroll on a page feels weird. I also accidentally tap and turn pages when I didn't mean to a lot

Thank you for your questions, this was a lot of fun 💗💗

[redemptioninterlude]

what is she supposed to do but chase after her own insatiable curiosity? there ought to be a limit to things like this, but frankly, she doesn't give a damn! this world has spun itself upside down, from the things that they'd known, a world that seemed outside of the time that they'd felt had passed... for them, it was an odd journey of discovery, watching what hardly seem to meet within their brains, in terms of WHERE AND WHEN they happened to be stashed within time. because wasn't that it? a piece? a part? that this world was something that could be stretched into something quite fantastical...

and oh, was she EVER DETERMINED to see it through til the end.

but what sweet end would it be? tongue pressed to pocket, she'll study ann. who seems to one of the more level headed in a place that seems to have turned all the things that they know about the world upside down! they were supposed to all be different people, back before. or so they say, though here they remake themselves anew in the image that they hoped to be beneath the EYES OF GOD. at least that's how some see it, as if only the divine could imagine such cruelty, when frankly, alice saw this as simply the curious boredom of humanity itself. that she could imagine that high, that low, and how clever people like ann were simply here to bare witness to a game wrought of epic proportions.

"death isn't even really the goal here. sometimes it feels like a consequence~ sure, there's an element of luck to all of this. but really, it seems like they punish LAZINESS and a lack of creative thinking. it isn't enough to be good and to be clever! you must be someone who can think outside of the box! otherwise, what's the use of all that book knowledge when the world itself isn't quite so accommodating?" what did ann see? with that analytical eye of hers, turned both towards survival, but more than the rest, towards goodness - which would be her downfall, wouldn't it. so many of those here were looking to the worst versions of themselves, but oh, she would call them weak... ann. she's been like this always, hasn't she?

and that's why she's both A FAVOURITE and one due to meet her end.

selfish games never did favour the kind, and the radically optimistic. the question prickling at alice's senses, sitting a little bit straighter at the thought. "well, it certainly could even be someone playing the game too. because it is a game at the heart of it. WE EVEN GET RULES. it's like how children play, in absolutes. i don't think that the face of our enemy here looks anything like we'd hope. the banality of evil is often at play, but this time? i think it's something else." it's more than she admits to most on the subject, bur frankly, it's a good thing, isn't it? the full-hearted embracing of their truth. "a level head, i think, is what you need to make it to the end. don't get caught up in the worst of it! but, you know all about that, don't you?"

- @sharpsuite

Ann considers the words that Alice offers in return. Skepticism stifles innovation. " I can't say I particularly agree with that sentiment. " She replies after a moment. SHE DOES NOT SAY ALICE IS WRONG. People can have their differences ; Ann is not so controlling nor close-minded to think everyone needs to share the same perspective as her. ON THE CONTRARY! Different opinions and mindsets allow for different perspectives of similar situations. Where one person might see an impassible problem, another may find a solution the first did not consider. It is advantageous to have people of different opinions and thoughts despite the conflicts that may rise on occasion.

" I understand where it comes from of course. " She continues, an OFFER to enlighten the other to the inner workings of the scientist's mind. " Skepticism certainly has the POTENTIAL to stifle innovation. But on the other hand, it can be the very thing that leads and drives people to innovation as well. Skepticism, like many pieces of human nature, is a double edged sword. One must be skeptical but not close-minded is how I like to look at things. That is where the danger lies, becoming close-minded. A healthy dose of skepticism is good, but too much CAN stifle innovation. " Or, at least in her line of work, lead to the wrong person being targeted for a crime. She's seen it happen too many times.

Ann tilts her head, and dark lips lift into a faint smile when Alice continues. " It seems I'm not the only one who has been contemplating the nature of this world. " She's thought about this a fair amount since arriving here. Everyone seemed to arrive at different times unless they appeared with a group. It's an INTERESTING situation. " Ideally, I'd prefer to find the ones who are masterminding this, though death is a high probability. " And UNLIKE OTHERS, Ann isn't afraid to look at the statistics and likelihood head on. She's seen far too many horrible deaths even before the Borderlands. Maybe others cower and flinch, telling themselves they certainly won't die. Ann looks at death and knows she might, but she's determined to survive.

" I think any answer we finally discover will likely be odd. " Her tea cup rests gently back on its platter as she places it back down. " I think there's likely some kind of requirement to even arriving here in the Borderlands. It's only a theory at the moment, but those who I've talked with and observed all seemed to be unhappy in the real world. Unhappiness is uncommon, but it is strange that with hundreds or perhaps thousands of players thus far, no one has been content. It's almost as if this is all a test of will. " By who or what? She isn't sure. She just finds it INTRIGUING.

[jinxquickfoot]

Just saw that you saw Dr Strange 2, thoughts? 👀

It took me a long time to put my thoughts together on this movie. I've never had such conflicting feelings about a Marvel property. 

To start positively, there was so much I enjoyed about this movie. The performances were stunning, the score was epic, and I really loved that they let Sam Raimi do his thing to the point where I wished they'd given it an R rating and let him Sam Raimi even harder. I did enjoy villain!Wanda, and I thought this film had some of the most original and creative fight scenes in the MCU so far, especially the music note scene. I was also impressed that they followed up the "Dormammu, I've come to bargain" ending of the first one with another creative solve from Stephen that showed character growth as opposed to a more straightforward fight scene as the third act closer.

But at the end of the day, I don't think this movie ever had a chance of escaping the truth that it was written to be one story, and then was reshot to be another. Because this story was worked out in reshoots and editing, and not on the page, we ended up with a lot of clunky exposition and convenient plot moments, and moments that were right for the structure or character arcs but didn't feel earned.

Some examples of that exposition include the memory lane scene, which I think is one of the worst 'here is the character backstory' ideas I've seen. Even having America and Stephen just talk to each other without the visuals would have felt more natural. Another offender was the "You never told me her name, did you?" line from Wanda, which is so cliche and overused that I physically rolled my eyes in the cinema. Another offender was Stephen giving us a rundown of how Mordo is his enemy when we've only seen this in one post-credits scene from years ago, and also just awful lines like America saying "You're my friend and you're killing me!" in the opening scene. Like yes...we can see he's doing that, you don't need to tell us.

And then there were the unearned moments. As much fun as I had watching the Scarlet Witch obliterate everyone, having a first act where we were shown Wanda being corrupted by the Darkhold instead of just being told it happened off-screen would have gone a long way. Even the premise itself is very clunky - there were plenty of options for Wanda that didn't include killing America, or traveling to a universe where her boys were orphans, and it was very odd that being with Vision as well wasn't part of her plan if she had (what seemed to be) infinite universes to choose from. The entire scene with Sinister Strange, with discussing Stephen's dead sister, and the falling dreams, and him killing other Stranges from other universes felt like it was a reveal scene from an entirely different movie. (Which, how cool and creepy would it have been for Stephen to have kept finding dead versions of himself that looked like they had been killed by Wanda, only to discover that it was another version of him who was the true enemy.)

Even the ending, which felt like the correct place for all the characters to end up in, didn't quite work. America came into her powers so quickly that it felt rushed. This movie wasn't even two hours long, they definitely could have added in more Stephen and America time to make this payoff between them really resonate. And, my least favorite part of the movie - Wanda's 'death' was so lazy. Either commit to it and show us a body, or show us her being alive in a post-credits scene. This felt so much like "We don't know what we want to do with her next, so we're going to leave it as open-ended as we can", and (for me at least) that robbed her sacrifice of any real meaning, as did Stephen's lack of comeuppance. He committed similar acts to Wanda (in terms of using the Darkhold) and giving him a third eye post-credits wasn't a satisfying payoff for that. It made the movie feel like it fizzled out instead of having an emotional resonance. And lastly - I wasn't expecting a ton of cameos in this movie, and I think it worked fine with the ones it had, but there were missed opportunities. The part where America and Stephen travel through all the universes in a row could have featured Lokis or more references to the comics or to What If. They could have included Ned learning magic during the final scene, esp. as a Ned and Wong show has been mentioned. After seeing No Way Home, which took so much love and care in its references and callbacks, the lack of those in MoM really highlighted that this movie wasn't as well-thought-out as it had the potential to be.

Overall, I think future Marvel properties are going to affect how I view this film as a whole. I'm really hoping Wanda isn't dead, that she'll show up in Agatha: House of Harkness or another property, and that the third Doctor Strange movie will give some much-needed context to scenes in the second one.

[inamindfarfaraway]

So I’ve seen some EAH fans saying Crystal Winter should have been raised as a villain and her parents should have been evil because the Snow Queen is the villain of the fairytale, and I get why you’d think that, but to me the Snow Queen really isn’t. She’s definitely the antagonist; the protagonist is Gerda, her goal is to reunite with her best friend Kai and the SQ stands in the way of that by taking him to her ice castle and keeping him there. But she doesn’t come across as evil. In fact, she features surprisingly little in her namesake fairytale. Here’s a list of her actions:

She discovers that Kai has tied his sled to her sleigh. Due to being having a tiny shard of a broken magic mirror that reflected the worst possible versions of everything in both his eye and heart (this mirror is totally unrelated to the SQ, and the inspiration for the kindness blindness is Epic Winter), Kai is blinded to all the good in life and deadened to all emotion, and the one thing that he takes joy and interest in is the cold, mathematical beauty of snow. The SQ herself has the same perfect beauty. So he’s cool (pun intended) with the situation, happy even. SQ shows no indication of awareness he isn’t in his right mind. She gives him two magical kisses. The first prevents him feeling the cold, the second makes him forget his home, and she could kill with a third but doesn’t. Her motivations for this are never explained. It seems she genuinely cares to some extent about this random child. Why else would she continue to look after him and prevent him feeling any physical or emotional pain?

She takes Kai to her castle. He’s offscreen for the whole middle of the story. She never even shows up again. When Gerda finally arrives at the castle, she’s threatened by its magical blizzard/snowflake monster security system, but SQ never personally does anything to her and the security system was just doing its job of fending off intruders.

We find Kai is… unharmed and as okay as he can be in his state. He’s alone on a frozen lake, deriving literally the only pleasure he can, the intellectual kind, from a task SQ has given him to arrange some ice pieces to form the word ‘eternity’. If he succeeds, she’ll release him from her power and give him a new pair of ice skates. We again get no clear motivation for this, and the most intuitive one to fill in is that she just likes him. Gerda frees Kai from his magical afflictions with the power of love and tears and they go home.

That’s it. That’s the whole of her involvement in the story. She semi-accidentally kidnaps a kid, finds him to be detached from humanity, prevents him feeling any physical or emotional pain about becoming her ward, keeps him mentally engaged while she’s out, and promises him freedom for doing a single task and throws in new skates! Not very evil, is it? It’s still kidnapping of course, but it makes sense she wouldn’t adhere human ideas of right and wrong - she isn’t human. She’s a force of nature, a supernatural being. Like how the Greek gods and traditional fairies have alien self-righteous moral compasses. She’s at worst amoral, not immoral.

Crystal having a healthy upbringing, love, empathy and a sense of justice doesn’t make her less qualified to be the Snow Queen, as long as she’s willing to roll with some ultimately harmless temporary child abduction. And with the legacy system in place, she would know for certain beforehand that no harm would come to her Kai in The End. She doesn’t need any malice to play the role. So I think her and her family’s benevolent portrayal in EAH is fine.

[iamthenightcolormeblack]

Impressions of Bride and Prejudice (2004)

I finally watched this movie as it is currently free on YouTube! It's a really interesting "modern-day" adaptation (specifically a Bollywood musical) of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice which takes place in Amritsar, India, London, England and California, USA instead of the English countryside. It stars Aishwarya Rai as Elizabeth Bennet (now Lalita Bakshi) and Martin Henderson as Mr. Darcy (William Darcy).

Names:

Bakshis = Bennets

Jaya Bakshi = Jane Bennet

Lalita Bakshi = Elizabeth Bennet

Maya Bakshi = Mary Bennet

Lakhi Bakshi = Lydia Bennet (Kitty isn't included here)

Kholi Saab = Mr. Collins

Balraj = Bingley

Chandra Lamba = Charlotte Lucas

Kiran = Caroline Bingley

Darcy's mother (Catherine Darcy) = Lady Catherine de Bourgh

The Casting:

Aishwarya Rai as Lalita Bakshi. She's captivating and beautiful as Lalita, with intelligence and wits to match. The film understands why Elizabeth Bennet is one of literature's greatest heroines: she has a lot of self-respect, speaks her mind, and refuses to compromise on her values. What's most important is that she achieves the balance between the two clashing cultures: she cares about her family and respects Indian traditions yet is also a strong individual who keeps her dignity.

Martin Henderson as William Darcy. I don't like that Darcy is an American in this movie because (in general) Americans are usually less reserved than British people, so it takes away a key part of Darcy's character (his repressed emotions). He's much more sympathetic than book Darcy because he seems to be more open-minded towards Indian culture the more he learns about it (unlike book Darcy, who is stubborn and insists that his "good opinion once lost is lost forever"). In the book, Darcy's pride has several characteristics (belief in the correctness of his opinions, belief in his social superiority, bad treatment of others he thinks is beneath him). I don't like how the film simplified his pride into imperialism/ethnocentrism, which he lets go of pretty quickly. Plus his "rudeness" can easily be perceived as discomfort in a new cultural environment because he hasn't been exposed to Indian culture, whereas in the book it seems to be intentional (and Darcy acknowledges to Elizabeth that he was taught to treat others beyond his own social circle meanly). Overall I had rather too much sympathy for him because he's too easy to read; he's experiencing a lot of culture shocks which he isn't prepared for, and his imperialistic beliefs (which come from his mother) don't help. One of the reasons book Darcy is interesting is because he's mysterious; his emotions remain hidden and the only sign of his growing love for Elizabeth is his staring at her. This Darcy is just a typical white American boy who is in love with a woman far superior to him in terms of intellect and cultural awareness.

Nitin Ganatra as Kohli Saab. Mr. Collins is one of my favorite cringe characters ever and never fails to disappoint. In this movie, he's an accountant who lives in the Beverly Hills area in Southern California and is very arrogant because he thinks he's a big shot living close to celebrities in a one-of-a-kind colonial home (when in actuality he lives in a cookie-cutter house in a suburb). He peppers his speech with Western slang to show off how "American" (and thus wealthy) he is, yet still clings to outmoded beliefs that women should be submissive housewives. He represents the very worst of Western culture in that he's materialistic and looks down on Indian culture as beneath him. In his quest for riches he has lost his Indian identity and become greedy.

Notable Scenes:

The first dance. Balraj is happy to have fun and show off his awesome dancing skills. Darcy, meanwhile, observes that the mothers are eyeing Balraj for the marriage market and is worried that his friend may be trapped by gold-diggers. He's clearly uncomfortable and out of his element here, so Kiran helps translate the songs for him. It's interesting seeing Kiran as a translator here because it would explain why she's one of the few people Darcy hangs out with; she's a cultural intermediary here to help him acclimate to a strange new environment.

Darcy snubs Lalita. This part in the book where Darcy insults Elizabeth by proclaiming her "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me" is significant in forming Elizabeth's hatred of Darcy. Not only is he impolite in refusing to dance with Elizabeth, he also shames her by criticizing her looks. In the movie, Darcy excuses himself from dancing with Lalita by saying that he's busy preparing for a conference (in this version, he's a rich businessman who operates luxury hotels). I wish they had kept the original insult in because without it, Lalita's dislike of Darcy has less merit. While it was impolite of him to not dance, he did use a proper excuse and didn't insult Lalita, so unlike in the book, it doesn't make sense why she would hate him so intensely after that one meeting.

A Marriage Has Come to Town song. In this song-and-dance number, Lalita and Jaya are preparing for the wedding to Balraj. The whole town is excited for the wedding and Lalita wonders if life for a woman is all about getting married to be a mere wife: "It seems they had nothing in their lives before today / and why are they so happy to give a daughter away."

Darcy and Lalita conversation #1: Lalita points out most Amritsar residents can't afford to stay at Darcy's luxury hotels; Darcy says standards are necessary, justifying the high price. Darcy says he finds arranged marriages strange and "backwards," hinting at an affinity with Lalita as they are both "romantics." Lalita, still thinking that Darcy is attempting to insult Indian culture, says that arranged marriages have evolved and may not be so evil as he thinks it is.

Lalita and Darcy "accomplished woman" scene. So they have the part from the book where they have Darcy's unrealistic list of the characteristics of his perfect woman and then it becomes a culture clash. Lalita says Darcy's whole hotel business is imperialism (the tourists visit without appreciating Indian culture and the jobs created only benefit the well-off). Darcy replies: "But I'm not British" ("American exceptionalism" is just another form of imperialism).

Dinner with Kohli Saab. I love watching all the "Dinner with Mr. Collins" scenes from all Pride and Prejudice adaptations because it reveals Collins' great arrogance in assuming himself to be of greater importance than he is, as well as his bad manners. This movie does not disappoint; Kohli Saab literally eats with his fingers, shoving rice into his mouth while talking at the same time. Meanwhile, he spews out misogynistic views of women, stating that he came to India to find a "traditional" wife who will serve and obey him; after all, there is "no life without wife." He notes that the Indian-American girls have "a conceited sort of independence" (not what he actually said in the movie, this is a quote from the book which really fits here) and that some of the Indian-American girls "have turned into the lesbian." Lalita later recalls that watching Kohli Saab eat is like observing "a Jackson Pollock painting."

"No Life Without Wife" song. An accurate reading of Kholi Saab: he's "crude and loud" and came to find a wife by flashing his "green card, new house, and big cash." The song reveals what a hypocrite he is; he's lonely and pathetic because there is "no life without wife" yet he won't respect his wife as his equal. I love the "Kohliwood" fantasy sequence where Lalita pictures herself unhappily serving Kohli as a submissive wife. After the song ends Lalita imagines herself marrying Wickham in the English countryside before it turns out Darcy is the groom; she runs away from him.

The Cobra dance. Maya shows off her dancing skills in an awkward dance. Kholi criticizes Indians for being "unsophisticated" (what an arrogant person) while Darcy, in a change of heart, praises how highly they value family.

Kholi's proposal. I love how he tries to train himself to power walk because it's trendy and before proposing stretches himself clumsily, knocking over a pot (he definitely isn't husband material). Lalita mocks Kholi's obsession with physical health, pointing out that many people are physically healthy but don't exercise their minds.

Visiting Kiran. Kiran is arrogant and takes the Bakshis over to her fancy apartment where the mother tries and fails to show some cultural knowledge. I find it interesting that the movie made Lalita and Kiran foils of each other. They are both intelligent women who are "multicultural" in that they can navigate both Indian and Western culture, but they use their cultural knowledge in different ways. Kiran uses it to belittle others and demonstrate her own superiority, while Lalita uses it as a means of gaining respect for herself and others.

Darcy ends up on the same airplane flight as Lalita. This is a cute scene where he gives the first class seat to Mrs. Bakshi just so he can sit with Lalita in economy class (he's totally in love with her!).

Kohli Saab's epic house tour. Love how he pays great attention to the jet tubs and the closets.

Meeting Darcy's mom. She's totally ethnocentric and possibly racist. The first thing she asks Lalita is "tell me about India" and she expresses her disappointment at Darcy's decision (because of Lalita, it's so obvious he's in love) not to buy the hotel in India because "everybody has their hand on India these days" (brings to mind spheres of influence/colonialism since the mother sees India as a place to make a profit). Then the mother reveals that she really isn't interested in India and only knows about its stereotypes: "well, with yoga, and spices, and...wonderful Eastern things here there's no point in traveling there anymore." Meanwhile Lalita retorts that "people haven't stopped going to Italy because Pizza Hut's around the corner."

The first proposal. Darcy's conflicted feelings for Lalita are effectively summed up (perhaps better than in the book, where he begins well but ends with a long account of the inferiority of Elizabeth's connections): "he loves her in spite of the fact that he tried to forget about her, he still wants to marry her in spite of the fact that his family (specifically his mom) will disapprove." Unfortunately, the emphasis on the social inferiority of Lalita's family is left out; Darcy doesn't say anything else until Lalita claims that he thinks her family is inferior and blames him for separating Jaya and Balraj. I don't like this because it seems like the separation of Jaya and Balraj was the only reason Elizabeth rejected Darcy. Also Elizabeth's admission that she did try to overlook her prejudice of Darcy doesn't make sense, because only after the first proposal does she do so.

Plot Changes. The major plot points are all included but the "order of events" has changed:

Lalita and Darcy become friends and she meets his family before his disastrous first proposal. There's a montage where they are traveling alone together, visiting the Grand Canyon and sharing a moment on the beach. I don't like this change because Darcy's separating Jane and Bingley wasn't the only reason Elizabeth rejected him, it was because she hated him (arrogant, proud, doesn't treat others nicely). By showing early on that Darcy is a good person, Lalita's prejudice against Darcy makes less sense because she now has a glimpse of Darcy's true character which in the book doesn't happen until the Pemberley visit.

Their early friendship disrupts Darcy's character journey because it reduces the significance of the first proposal to his character development. In the book, he doesn't start to reform himself until Elizabeth tells him that he needs to behave in a "more gentleman-like manner."

The first proposal is the consequence of all the miscommunication and false perceptions affecting Elizabeth and Darcy, and it motivates both characters to change. Elizabeth rightly scolds Darcy for being inconsiderate; he did the proposal for the selfish reason of purging his feelings so that he wouldn't have to suffer anymore and assumed that she would say yes. Elizabeth rejects him because of his rude manners and lack of consideration, and his defensiveness (where he portrays himself as the victim of feelings and implies he's such a good boy for wanting to marry her in spite of her horrid family) doesn't help. After realizing the extent to which Elizabeth hates him, Darcy writes The Letter to set things right, and Elizabeth realizes that she is not the best judge of character. Thus, giving us a fuller picture of Darcy's character and letting him charm Lalita before the first proposal reduces the significance of the event to the plot and character development.

Wickham and Lakhi have a connection early on, making Lakhi's attempted elopement inevitable. Right after the failed first proposal, Lakhi runs off with Wickham and Lalita and Darcy find out about it at the same time that Darcy comes to apologize and tell Lalita that Wickham is bad. I love that Wickham was punished really badly; after Darcy fights him, he gets slapped twice, once by Lalita and the second time by Lakhi. Even better is that Lakhi doesn't end up with Wickham.

Themes

The film uses the culture clash between India (Eastern) and Western cultures to examine what makes a good marriage.

Indian culture as presented by the film is more collectivist ("we" over "I"). It also promotes traditional gender roles, with women expected to be "meek and submissive" wives. In contrast, Western culture in the film is more individualistic and aspirational (careers and love are possible). But at its worst it condones exploitation of others for profit and cultural intolerance.

In the book, there are different kinds of "culture clashes:" traditional nobility versus new money (the Bingleys made their fortune in trade and Caroline is hoping to be an accomplished woman to make up for this), country versus city (Darcy offending Mrs. Bennet by claiming that the society is "confined and unvarying") and arranged versus romantic marriages.

The misunderstandings that propel the story (Darcy's dismissing of Elizabeth as "tolerable," him falling in love with her even though she still hates him, her belief in the legitimacy of "first impressions") are emphasized through the culture clash. Many of the conflicts in the film are a result of cultural stereotypes and conflicting beliefs.

Interestingly the film doesn't resolve the question it raises of how best to appreciate India and its culture. Lalita raises a lot of points about not oversimplifying Indian culture to a few stereotypes, but one could argue that India as represented by the film might be stereotypical. With the exception of the resort scenes and Goa beaches (which are tourist traps according to the film), the scenes in India heavily emphasize the "developing country" aspects of India with lots of pastoral scenes (cows crossing the road unharmed, farmland, dirt, shacks, dirty motorcycles fighting each other in traffic). Plus the "culture" as represented by the film's dance sequences seems to be the dominant Hindu culture with lots of elephants and saris and curry. Yes, I know this film is a romantic comedy, but the assertion that India is a complex, diverse country is contradicted by what we are presented. Presenting the rustic aspects of India would explain why the characters want to get out of India and go to the richer Western nations, but it harms the premise of the story that we shouldn't judge based on first impressions because the India scenes seem to confirm a Westerner's stereotypes of India (exotic people living in a primitive land).

Changing views on marriage: In the film, as in the book, we are presented with traditional and modern views on what makes a good marriage. Mr. Collins' marriage represents the traditional view in which marriage is a practical "economic proposition," much like a business deal where the marriage is made for the securing of material wealth and happiness comes last. Lady Catherine and other members of the aristocracy view marriage as a means of producing heirs (and bringing large amounts of money through dowries) to keep the property (source of power and wealth) in the family. The modern view of marriage is a partnership of equals who love and respect each other; happiness rather than material wealth/power is the priority. It threatens the power of the traditional nobles as it provides the potential for social climbing. Finally, it becomes another part of the culture clash, as it also ties in with the Western value of individualism, putting it at odds with the more collectivist Indian culture as presented by the film.

Elizabeth and Darcy in the book and in the film are united by their belief in a marriage based on love (the modern view). In the film, Darcy says he wants to look forward to starting each day with his wife, while Lalita says she wants a man who is a romantic and respects her for her mind. For instance, Elizabeth states that "only the deepest love will induce me into matrimony" and that Jane and Bingley should have some time to get to know each other before being rushed into marriage. To Elizabeth, mutual love and respect are essential for a marriage to succeed.

As for book Darcy, when Caroline catches him admiring Elizabeth and asks if he will marry her right away, he jokingly rebuffs her for making that assumption: "A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment. I knew you would be wishing me joy." Significantly, he mentions love needing to come before marriage, hinting that he shares the same belief about respect (admiration) and love being necessary for a good marriage. In fact, a big reason he separated Jane from Bingley was because he feared that Jane did not love Bingley in return. In short, love in marriage is just as important to Darcy as it is to Elizabeth.

Conclusion:

Bride and Prejudice, as shown by the title, focuses heavily on the theme of marriage and uses the culture clash between India and the West to emphasize the importance of first impressions in our treatment of others.

Even if you aren't into Pride and Prejudice, the movie is worth watching for the Bollywood dance sequences. I also liked the songs because they effectively developed the marriage theme.

The characters are mostly true to the book, except for Darcy, who isn't proud enough and is quick to reform his character.

Last but not least, the real villains of the story were imperialism and ethnocentrism.

Tags: @thatvermilionflycatcher @appleinducedsleep @princesssarisa

[spaceorphan18]

99 Perspectives on a Single Love Story #49

A/N: The Story of Kurt and Blaine told through the eyes of everyone else but them. Each chapter is a different perspective in the ongoing tale of their love story.

I started something like this a while back - and now I’m taking the idea and really running with it. Each chapter is a ficlet of a different character at a different point in Kurt and Blaine’s life - documenting their love story. This starts in Audition, and each chapter will be paired with a different episode until reaching Dreams Come True.

[Ao3]

***

Artie Abrams (The Role You Were Born to Play) 

Artie Abrams usually revels in his friends’ melodramas.  They’re going to make for a fantastic script someday.  However, lately, the atmosphere has been less of the quirky, indy comedy that Artie intends on creating and more like a sour sitcom with a sadistic showrunner trying to piss off all his fan bases at once.  Artie wouldn’t mind so much if it didn’t directly affect him or his vision.   He just wants to create the most epic version of Grease that he can.  West Side Story had been a hit.  Grease will be like the icing on the cake.  Having everyone be depressed trying to make it, however, is proving to be an unforeseen difficulty.  

Coming back from summer break to learn Mike and Tina had split had been shocking to say the least.  He had always made his peace knowing that he’d have to attend their wedding someday, but now that that probably isn’t going to happen? Well...  Tina has been unusually difficult lately - but knowing that she’s back on the market always occupies a place in the back of his brain.  

One break-up after graduation makes sense.  All the rest of them, however? Is like a slaughterfest.  Brittany had been mopey for days, though Artie doesn’t think it’s the worst thing for her to have some time away from Santana.  Besides - she and Sam are getting cozy, so that’ll resolve itself pretty quickly.  Meanwhile, getting Finn back on track has been a labor unto itself.  He and Rachel have already broken up a ton of times (and will probably get back together and break up a few more times before the end, Artie guesses), so Artie isn’t necessarily concerned about that whole megadrama.  He is concerned for his friend, though, and there are deeper issues going on than just no longer making out with Rachel Berry.  

The truly bizarre turn of events has been whatever the hell is going on with Kurt and Blaine.  And no one actually knows because Blaine has been almost silent for days now.  Finn won’t come clean about it either - as much as Artie’s tried to pry it out of him.  Says it's none of his business and leaves it at that.  

Artie eventually texts Kurt: Hey, I think you might have broken Blaine.  What gives?

Kurt’s only reply: He broke me.

None of it really makes any sense.  Kurt and Blaine used to talk endlessly about their ridiculously over-the-top wedding, and some weird vision of their future where they own a lighthouse? Artie tried not to follow too hard.  The two of them were often so lost in their own little world, the rest of them let them have it.  But now - Artie might lose his go-to leading man.  And that’s enough for him to try to figure it out.  

“Dude, what’s going on?” Artie asks, blocking Blaine’s path in the hallway one day.  Blaine doesn’t push back, just stands there looking sad and distant.  Despite the polish of his hair and the neatness of his clothes - Blaine doesn’t look like he’s slept in days.  His face is pale and gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes.  He doesn’t even look like the Blaine Anderson Artie knows -- just a shell of a pod person living in his body.  “That audition was… something else.  Where’s my leading man, bro? I need you on this one.”

Blaine doesn’t say anything.  Clenches his jaw, looks to the floor, anywhere but at Artie.  “I can’t, Artie.”

“Why not?”

Blaine starts to walk away.  “Because I can’t.”

Artie rolls after him.  “C’mon, Blaine, you’re an excellent performer.”

“I told you - I’ll do Teen Angel.  It’ll be...ironic.” Blaine turns away from him, wanting to leave.  

“Blaine!” Artie calls.  “You can talk to me, man.  Kurt said something about you breaking him and that just seems like a weird thing for him to say.  I can’t imagine anything breaking Kurt Hummel.”

Blaine turns back at him, tears in his eyes, and Artie realizes that what Kurt had texted had been true.  However, Kurt is not the only one Blaine broke. “He said that?” His voice gives a little squeak as he talks.  

“No, not exactly,” Artie tries to backtrack.  “Look, it’s going to be okay, Blaine.”

“No,” Blaine shakes his head, a bit of clarity in his tired eyes.  “I’ve broken something I’m never going to be able to fix, and it’s never going to be okay.”

Artie lets out a little sigh as Blaine walks away.  He feels a little guilty for sharing what he did, but what can he do?  They have all come back from breakups.  And he has no doubt that Blaine will, too.  This one, however, is just going to take a lot more time.  

In the meantime, the reality settles in that he has to find a new leading man.  Alas...the show must go on.  

[amedetoiles]

@suibian-chenqing​ ME TOOOO!!! It is my ultimate endgame in any version of cql/mdzs. Just Lotus Pier in some way, shape, or form being the home where everyone returns to.

So please consider a universe where everyone makes better choices, has healthier conflict resolution skills à la conversations over soup, and lives happily ever after. Hear me out:

We all know that the chaotic Jiang disciples are the unsung heroes of the story, always merrily dragging their grumpy grape sect leader from danger and picking up after his dramatically discarded capes across various parts of the country.

What if after that staged fight while Jiang Cheng angrily copes with brozilla wedding planning (they hear him crying yelling multiple times at all the notebooks full of wedding ideas Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng have jotted down over the years), they decide that this is just not conducive to the happiness of their two favorite Young Masters?

Or equally important, the continuation of their beloved tradition of monthly Lotus Pier lake parties. A Jiang pool party without their resident chaos king and undisputed champion for the highest caliber splash swan dives? This Will Not Stand!

Obviously it is their Duty and their Right as the protectors and purveyors of Jiang culture for a few of them to secretly stow away while Jiang Cheng is having an epic meltdown over fabric.

“800 thread count? Are you out of your goddamn minds? My only sister, and you expect us to throw her a wedding with disgraceful eight hundred thread count fabric?! Do we Jiangs look like barbarians to you?!”

The Jiang disciples go to Yiling, rush up the Burial Mounds, and shout very convincingly, “Da-shixiong! Da-shixiong! Zongzhu, he – he –”

Wei Wuxian, war-torn, living with ten thousand ghosts, and constantly on edge, panics immediately, jumps to the absolute worst conclusion, and doesn’t even clarify before he rushes down the mountain because oh god, oh god, no, not again, didn’t he leave so his siblings would be safe, didn’t he promise to keep Jiang Cheng safe?????

Wen Qing warily agrees to come along because they clearly now have this well-established ongoing unspoken agreement to constantly save each other’s little brothers.

If the Jiang disciples have caught Jiang Cheng brooding over a pretty redwood comb wrapped in a silk handkerchief more than once, then they don’t say anything. Just share silent looks of glee when no one is watching.

By the time they reach Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian has worked himself up into such a state of frenzy that he bursts through the doors of Lotus Pier like a black thundercloud of overprotective fury and worry, screaming, “JIANG CHENG! JIANG CHENG!”

.... Jiang Cheng is sitting on the floor of the Sword Hall, surrounded by a mountain of square fabric samples, with bits of thread stuck in his hair, totally gobsmacked at the sight of his windswept big brother.

Wei Wuxian, still panicked, falls to the floor in front of him, grabs Jiang Cheng by the arms before he can even react, and frantically checks him over. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened – I thought –”

Jiang Cheng stares at him. Wei Wuxian blinks. The Jiang disciples have all conveniently disappeared.

Behind them, Wen Qing heaves a big sigh, slow and long through pursed lips. She bows respectfully, says “I will be outside,” and gets the fuck out of there.

There is a tense silence. Wei Wuxian realizes he’s been tricked, but he is so overcome with relief after all that soul-crushing fear that he doesn’t even get mad, just sags forward with his face in Jiang Cheng’s chest as the adrenaline leaves him all at once. He pretends he’s not shaking.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t know if he wants to shove Wei Wuxian away, hug him back, or wrap him in as many blankets as he can possibly find until a-jie comes home. He does none of those, just demands, half-strangled, half-something-like-worry, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“They said – I thought you were in trouble or – or –”

[long pause] “You – came all the way here shouting like a possessed lunatic because you thought I was in trouble?”

Wei Wuxian hunches a little defensively and starts to move away. “Of course I did.” He makes sure to add, with emphasis, “Idiot.”

It doesn’t matter if Jiang Cheng can’t make up his mind because apparently his hands can, and they grip both of Wei Wuxian’s elbows to keep his brother from pulling away. They stare at one another.

”You said you didn’t want anything to do with the Jiang sect.”

Wei Wuxian looks away, grumbling. “How else was I supposed to keep you and shijie safe? Besides, you’re the one who stabbed me.” He is very pouty about this.

Jiang Cheng, immediately incensed and indignant, shouts, “You broke my arm! I had to be in a cast for a whole month!”

An almost smile flashes over Wei Wuxian’s face. “Hey, it was only your left arm. You were still able to write.”

Jiang Cheng glares at him and shoves his shoulder. Wei Wuxian instinctively shoves him back. They stare. Wei Wuxian scrubs his face tiredly with his hands. Jiang Cheng has to push away the urge to motherhen with blankets again.

He says, “I never asked you to protect me.”

Wei Wuxian gives him a look. “I don’t need to be asked.”

Jiang Cheng grits his teeth. “I don’t want you to protect me, idiot.”

Wei Wuxian heaves a very resigned sigh. “Then what do you want?”

Several answers come up, all too serious and too revealing without the support of a-jie’s soup and copious amount of alcohol. So Jiang Cheng just throws a handful of fabric samples at Wei Wuxian’s face. “Help me pick through these until a-jie comes home. You should have fucking heard Jin Zixuan’s suggestions last week. If we let the peacock plan a-jie’s wedding, it’s going to be an absolute disaster.”

Wei Wuxian’s smile this time is real and genuine and lasts the entire afternoon of bickering over fabric squares until Jiang Yanli rushes into the pavilion with many Jiang disciples in tow and hugs both her brothers for the first time in months. They manage to not horribly cry all over each other.

Jiang Yanli insists Wen Qing has dinner with them. There’s plenty of soup after all. Jiang Cheng is awkwardly stiff and doesn’t look Wen Qing in the eye the entire time, and Wei Wuxian pokes him repeatedly with silent  what the hell is wrong with you.

They talk about growing turnips, purifying rice wine, that the scariest thing about Wen Ning is his ability to create a disturbingly large variety of dishes from turnips, and how Wei Wuxian has essentially adopted baby A-Yuan as his own.

Later, Jiang Yanli tells Wen Qing, with a smile, her eyes alight like a flame, that she will take care of it. Wen Qing has no idea what this means. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian share a look as only little brothers with intimate knowledge of their big sister’s stubbornness could and wisely choose to remain silent.

Jiang Yanli enlists the help of both Jin Zixuan and Madam Jin and somehow does indeed take care of it.

Many back door conversations occur between Jiang, Jin, Lan, and Nie sects. Jin Zixuan is the sole Jin representative. Nie Mingjue is initially leery but comes at the behest of Huaisang and Xichen.

At some point, Wen Ning tells Wei Wuxian that if they are going to do this, then it’s best if they have no more secrets. Wei Wuxian glares and tries to pretend that he has no idea what he is talking about, but neither Jiang Yanli nor Jiang Cheng allow Wei Wuxian to run away this time.

There is an emotional golden core reveal, followed by an equally emotional I didn’t go back for their bodies, with lots of shouting, shoving, crying, and clinging. In the aftermath, the Jiang siblings form an even stronger co-dependent unit around each other.

Jiang Yanli coordinates with Lan Xichen (and a begrudgingly cooperative Jiang Cheng) to bring Lan Wangji to Lotus Pier to help Wei Wuxian control his powers. Wangxian are desperately cute, and Jiang Cheng makes pointed gagging sounds whenever he’s around them that leads to several incidents of lake shoving, an excitable gaggle of Jiang disciples swan diving into the water after them, and a very, very confused Lan.

In the end, Wei Wuxian refuses to hand over the Stygian Tiger Seal to any of the sects, but he does agree to destroy it if Wen Qing, Wen Ning, and the remaining Wens are granted clemency and allowed to live freely without persecution. Jiang, Lan, and Nie sects agree.

Jin Guangshan tries to make an uproar, but in a surprising turn of events, Jin Guangyao (grateful for Jiang Yanli’s non-judgmental kindness over the past year) reveals all of his father’s treacherous secrets, including ordering the slaughter of Wen civilians, pardoning and releasing Xue Yang, and purposefully fueling the mob against Wei Wuxian to acquire the seal for himself. Jin Guangshan is shamed, sentenced, and dies imprisoned some months later.

Jin Zixuan formally recognizes his newly renamed brother Jin Ziyao.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian decide that their sister is even scarier than they had believed.

The Wens leave the Burial Mounds and build a small village together in Yiling where they branch into farming non-turnip crops much to the delight of Wei Wuxian. Jiang disciples are dispatched to help with the construction of several buildings, including one extremely beautiful apothecary. Jiang Cheng is seen in Yiling fairly regularly.

Jin Zixun, the most vocal opponent against the pardons for Wei Wuxian and the Wens, tragically falls off a cliff one day. Sect Leader Yao tries to pin it on Wei Wuxian, but Jiang Cheng shuts him down with scathing ferocity.

Someone also puts a Silencing Spell on Sect Leader Yao and keeps it going. Every Lan swears it was not them and thus cannot remove the spell. It lasts for two glorious months. Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji get along disturbingly well from that point on.

Wei Wuxian is there when Jiang Yanli gets married in a magnificent splendor of red and gold. He is there to see Jin Ling born, to watch Jiang Cheng tie a purple bell to their nephew’s robes, and to gift little A-Ling a bracelet on his first month birthday. He is there to watch Jiang Cheng rebuild their sect with unending grit, respect, and loyalty. He is there to see Jin Ling and A-Yuan grow up underneath a sky he helped clear, loved and adored by all the different parts of their family. And some years after he and Lan Wangji are happily married, Wei Wuxian is there when his little brother dons red robes and bows to the heavens, to the earth, and to a woman with a redwood comb in her hair whose life became entwined with theirs so very long ago.

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Comic Review - Amongst Us Book 1

A masterful combination of comedy, subtle romance, and incredible sensuality

I make no attempts to hide my complete admiration and infatuation with Shilin Huang's Yuri webcomic Amongst Us. The slice of life AU featuring reimagined versions of the lead characters from fantasy series Carciphona as a lesbian couple has held a special place in my heart for a long time. I named the series one of the best Yuri works of the past one-hundred years, can frequently be found lurking in the author's Twitch streams, and even have a wall in my office dedicated to the artwork of the main couple (or I did before my office became a remote classroom). So, when a Kickstarter by Shilin and Hiveworks Comics launched promising a print version of the work, I was eager to support it financially and promote it with my humble platform. The Kickstarter took place in March, and books were initially estimated for release in May of 2020. However, as you have probably realized by the dates alone, the world went very South around this time. A combination of disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, a healthy amount of bad luck, and what I am inclined to believe, for various reasons, was some awful mismanagement by Hiveworks led to numerous delays. Indeed, by the time the book finally shipped, I had moved, so my copy arrived a little later as it had to be forwarded. But, at the end of this frustrating and anticipation-building event, I finally have the volume in my hands, and it was worth the wait. While I adore the webcomic, this gorgeous print volume completely enthralls me. The book is absolutely the preferred way to read this spectacular comic.

Before getting into the exquisite details of Amongst Us Book 1: Soulmates, I need to take a minute to praise how well this book is put together. The paperback binding is thick and features amazing spot glass that sparkles in the light. This feature only accentuates the fantastic and bright the cover illustration of main characters Veloce and Blackbird loving holding each other is. The back cover has a simpler but more imaginative illustration of the two flying through the sky, and the character's expressions tell you everything you need to know about this fantastic, odd couple. There are a few things you will notice upon opening the volume. The first is how well Amongst Us made the challenging transition from vertical webcomic to the page. The assembly and paneling are fantastic and clear, and chapters feature stylized illustrations and title cards. You will then see the inside cover, a powerful display that perfectly contrasts the front's glowing and tender love. Finally, there is Shilin's presents moving forward and dedication, where she lovingly dedicates the book to her partner, Kristen.

I assure you, as good as the book's presentation and assembly is, the contents within are even better. Amongst Us follows Veloce and Blackbird's bombastic relationship. The two women are eccentric and striking musicians in their early twenties, and I swear you will never forget them. The slice of life storylines are, per the genre's definition, mundane and include events like shopping at the mall, riding the train, and having lunch with a friend. The charming simplicity of the story serves well to the reactions of the characters. Shilin effortlessly transitions from adorable moments of affection to explosive and hilarious comedy and irresistible and delightful moments of sexual tension; Veloce's neck and jawline alone could topple a monarchy. Often, slice of life works can become dull or repetitive, but these stories and the frequent changes in tone help the reader stay engaged and excited.

Putting slice of life aside for a moment, it is also important to note that Amongst Us is also has an interesting place within the Yuri genre, or "Girl's Love/GL" as it is often called in webcomic circles (originally an analogous term of Boy's Love). Webcomics have often been a bit more adventurous with their storylines and styles than Japanese manga. While the genre rose to popularity in the space thanks to digital manhwa and manhua, some (not all) of the Yuri tropes did not carry over between the similar mediums. Many modern webcomics and webtoons take their inspiration more from manhwa and manhua GL, which has developed its own canon and tropes over the years. However, even for a webcomic, Shilin's work feels somewhat divorced from most other worlds of Yuri. This first volume exists mainly against the Yuri genre's expectations. However, the next book, which flashes back to the couple's origin, undoubtedly is more in line with convention, for better or worse. It feels like the author decided to screw the norms and write a work that she would enjoy, and I am so glad that she did. Veloce and Blackbird are young adults, out of school in an established relationship with no drama. This (sadly) unconventional setting is made all the more irregular because of just how distinctive, and unwonted Blackbird and Veloce are.

Blackbird and Veloce, originally from the fantasy world of Carciphona, take on a new life, literally, in this wonderful modern reimagining and homage. You do not need to be a fan of the original work to enjoy their bizarre and larger-than-life personalities. Indeed, when I read Amongst Us online for the first time, I had not ever even heard of Carciphona. Veloce is the quieter and more stoic of the two, although she is not afraid of showing a more relatable and human side as she reacts to Blackbirds wild antics. Veloce's (not)straight man approach is hilariously sobering. But, her best moments are in those when she lets loose a little bit, like when she is rendered drooling by the promise of her favorite smoothie or in her stoic yet alluring flirtations with Blackbird, only to get close enough to steal a healthy chomp of ice cream.

Blackbird, on her part, is completely insane. She continuously pulls of wild antics like jumping on Veloce to surprise her or singing an especially threatening song after a glorious battle over lunch. However, she is perfectly capable of showing her love and admiration for Veloce in her own cheeky way. However, true to form, each softer or more personal moment between the two is often immediately and perfectly juxtaposed with comedy, with the apparent exception of the book's touching and thoughtful finale. Veloce and Blackbird will both more than please readers individually, but you will fall in love with them as a couple. I must have read this at least a few dozen times between the webtoon and the book, and I am just as enchanted as ever by their loud and unapologetic love.

The ordinary misadventures of Blackbird and Veloce are accompanied by genuinely astounding artwork. No, that statement does not do Shilin's illustrations justice. Veloce and Blackbird lead from the page thanks to stunning, full-color illustrations that detail every moment of hilarity. Every movement from the slightest smirk to the over-the-top dramatizations of regular events thoughtfully and beautifully sprawl across the pages and invite you to stare for hours. Shilin is the only person possible who could make something as simple as someone softly singing Happy Birthday so epic and sultry. Speaking of which, my goddess of Yuri is this work titillating. No, there are no gratuitous scenes, but just the characters leaning over each other or touching the other's chin makes my hands shake. My only small complaint is that some early chapters show their age slightly with noticeably lower quality linework and flatter colors than the dazzling and dynamic work demonstrated towards the end. Still, even on its worst day, Amongst Us looks better than most of its peers and the entirety of its many inferiors.

Amongst Us is nearly the perfect work. It has a uniquely compelling and mirth-inducing way of displaying a young yet very unordinary couple's everyday life. Its characters, from design to personality, are instantly memorable and striking. Despite being ready to rip each other's heads off at the drop of a hat, or rather because of it, Blackbird and Veloce feel the perfect and natural couple we so rarely witness. Shilin's masterful combination of comedy, subtle romance, and incredible sensuality is astounding. This book is worth it for the outstanding and vibrant artwork alone, but its combination with excellent writing create a sonorous and majestic modern romance unlike any other. I believe that Shilin has created something genuinely special here, and I can confidently say that out of the hundreds of webcomics I have read, this one is the pinnacle of its kind and my absolute favorite.

You can purchase Amongst Us book 1: Soulmates exclusively on Shilin's online shop and read the webcomic now for free on Twitter, Webtoon and Tumblr​ @okolnir​.

Ratings: Story – 9 Characters – 10 Art – 10 LGBTQ – 8 Sexual Content – 5 Final – 10

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

A Guide to the Best Editions and Translations of Some Classic Literature

TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA BY JULES VERNE

IMPORTANT: Whatever you do, DO NOT BUY the edition translated by Lewis Mercier. In fact, NEVER buy any translation of ANYTHING by Lewis Mercier. Mercier’s translation is unfortunately the most “standard” and popular translation. This translation is said to have removed about 20-25% of the original novel, and also removes a lot of Verne’s original meaning. In short, it was a botched translation that somehow became very popular and accessible up until the 1970′s, but always still check for before buying. Barnes and Noble still has his translation lying around for sale.

If the name of the translator isn’t on the cover or back cover of the book, you can check the first few pages where they write the publication history. It might be in fine print.  Frankly, any translation that is NOT by Lewis Mercier is good. The pictures I have attached here are of the edition I bought published by The Franklin Library. It was translated by Mendor T. Brunetti. It also includes the original illustrations, which is cool.

THE HOLY BIBLE

Oof. This one can get really dicey. But I’ll explain it the best I can.  There have been dozens of translations of the Bible, if not hundreds. Not everyone uses the same one, especially evangelical groups like Pentecostals and Jehovah’s Witnesses. These more radical groups have willingly altered the Bible to further their views. So, a Bible that a Jehovah’s Witness holds is not the same Bible that a Roman Catholic priest holds.  The King James Bible (KJV, or King James Version) has often been considered the most popular version of The Bible throughout modern history. Many of the Bible’s most memorable quotes are directly taken from the King James Bible. It’s considered dignified, poetic, and beautiful. It’s also wrong. So very, very wrong. It’s quite possibly the worst translation of the Bible ever made. I grew up in Catholic school and even there we never once touched the King James Bible. The problems with the King James Bible include certain “theological biases” (i.e. implying Jesus appeared somewhere when he didn’t) and all-around bad translations (i.e. it says there were unicorns but the real meaning is supposed to say “horned beasts”) (see ReligionForBreakfast). The other annoying thing about the King James Bible is that quotation marks are not used. This can be very confusing for readers as it becomes unclear who is speaking.  If you’re curious to see how an exact literal translation of the Bible into English goes, check out the Interlinear Bible. It has the original Hebrew and Greek text with the English words underneath (or besides). You will quickly realize just how complicated translating the Bible is, as Hebrew does not have many words. The English prose in the Interlinear Bible therefore can read like gibberish.

If you want to read the Bible with as close to the original intent and meaning as possible while also being readable, then go for the New American Standard Bible. It can still be a bit difficult to read though. The current popular edition is the New Revised Standard Version. This newer edition from 1989 is considered the most neutral of all translations, as it does not hold any denominational bias. The translators even placed gender-neutral words, such as “people” instead of “mankind”. 

FRANKENSTEIN BY MARY SHELLEY

The original 1818 text by Mary Shelley has been given more spotlight as of late. The text that we are most commonly familiar with from 1831 had the story toned down because of course it would be scandalous for a woman to write about such things at the time. Mary Shelley had suffered critical outrage and pressure for editorial changes from her husband Percy for her original vision. For the 1831 edition, she was forced to edit the novel so that Dr. Frankenstein would be a more moral character, whereas the original Dr. Frankenstein in the 1818 text did not go through much moralizing. 

Penguin Books recently released an affordable edition of the 1818 text.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS BY ALEXANDRE DUMAS

There are numerous translations but I want to highlight the one I read by Richard Pevear. This made the story very readable while also remaining faithful to the story. Pevear didn’t censor Dumas’s original meanings at all like previous translations did for their time. I thoroughly enjoyed his translation and was lucky enough to get the hardcover of his first edition back in the day. My mom completely surprised me by buying that book for me, and it ended up happening to be the best translation. The best thing about Pevear’s edition is that it includes footnotes for archaic terms. The original hardcover of Pevear’s edition is difficult to find by now, but his translation has been re-released by other publishers. As of a few years ago, a new translation by Lawrence Ellsworth has been released. I have not read that one but have heard good things. The publishers of the Ellsworth translation have also been republishing ALL of the Musketeer stories to provide a series of consistent editions, which has always been rare for the Musketeer saga. 

HOMER’S ODYSSEY, ILIAD, and VIRGIL’S AENEID

First off, read these epics in verse form. I cannot believe there are editions out that written in prose form. I’m sorry but that should be illegal. I grew up reading Robert Fagles’ translation, which is pretty damn good and is the standard in schools. However, also look for Richmond Lattimore’s translation. Lattimore translated The Odyssey and The Iliad in the original rhythm that Homer intended. Fagles wrote in freeform for the sake of being easier to read. Both translations retain the original meaning, so it’s up to you really what you prefer. As for The Aeneid (Lattimore only translated Greek classics), go with Fagles.

DON QUIXOTE BY MIGUEL DE CERVANTES

Read the translation by Edith Grossman. That’s all I can say. I devoured that book in days. Grossman did to Don Quixote what Pevear did to The Three Musketeers. It’s just that good and readable. Ormsby is the second-best, being the most scholarly of all translations. The translation is the most accurate but the humor can be dry and doesn’t pack the same punch as Cervantes probably intended. The translations to avoid like the plague are by Motteux, Smollett, and John Phillips. SHERLOCK HOLMES BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

Surely, most people reading this have a copy of the Sherlock Holmes tales in one form or another. But which is the best?  Every text out there is the same no matter the publication, but I prefer to read the way it was originally formatted with all the illustrations. The automatic assumption people might have is that all the original Sherlock Holmes stories were published in The Strand Magazine. This wasn’t the case. There were several stories published in other magazines at the time, such as A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four, to name a few. Therefore, if you find an edition boasting to have “all The Strand illustrations” it probably only has the stories that were published in The Strand Magazine. More confusing yet, some editions do say “All the Strand illustrations” but also include A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four.  Keep in mind this magical number: 60 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a total of 56 short stories and 4 novels with Sherlock Holmes. If the copy you are holding does not add up to 60 stories, don’t bother. You might get a copy that comes in two or three volumes.