#the untamed episode 43 spoilers

[cynosurus]

I also tried to look for that mystery character without result. There must be a historical dictionary like OED for Chinese somewhere?

But I did find a gem which I perhaps wouldn't have learned from danmei otherwise:

腟 zhì vagina

So the character for vagina is 月 yuè​ (moon) + 室 shì (room).

Guys, I just now noticed one more interesting little detail in the Untamed!

You know the names of the buildings in the Cloud Recesses: the lecture room/hall Lanshi (兰室, Lánshì, "Orchid Room"); Yashi (雅室, Yǎshì, "Elegant Room") – the reception room/hall; the spirit-summoning room/hall Mingshi (冥室, Míngshì, "Underworld Room" or "Room of Darkness"); Hanshi (寒室, Hánshì, "Frost Room") - Lan Xichen's residence; and Lan Wangji's Jingshi (静室, Jìngshì, "Quiet Room"), right?

The character used to write the "shì", room, in the names is 室, here seen in the Lanshi and the Yashi (the names are read from right to left):

As a side note, the Lan seem to use the traditional rather than the simplified characters, so the "lán" in the Lanshi is written with 蘭 rather than 兰.

BUT. Not so in the Jingshi! Instead of the 室, a slightly different character is used for the "room":

My trusty dictionary did not know the character in question, so I started to look at what was different:

As such, the character 凶 (xiōng) means act of violence, murder, evil. An evildoer. A murderer. And as Lan Xichen told Wei Wuxian, we know who lived in the Jingshi before it became Lan Wangji's residence: "It is the place where our mother lived in the Cloud Recesses".

So, it seems that when the house became Madam Lan's prison, the character was changed to reflect her crime, denoting the place as the quiet room of a murderer. Accentuated by the reversed colours of the sign:

This has probably been quite self-evident to anyone who actually speaks and reads Chinese, but was quite an oooff! to me as I realised. One more killer detail in CQL 😟.

And while I was at it, I just had to check what it says above the gate (seen here when LWJ returns home with the Emperor's Smile):

As far as I can read it, the characters are 影竹堂 (yǐng zhú táng), which I freely translate as "Bamboo Shadow Court". An apt name for the place.

Hopefully it offered some solace to Madam Lan.

And oh, I just have to add! As Hanshi is the Sect Leader's residence, Lan Xichen is living in their father's house, while Lan Wangji is living in their mother's. And the two houses are more or less identical, down to the furnishings (just check the scene where Lan Xichen confronts Wen Chao and his muddy boots in ep8 vs. The Wangxian Scene in ep43). So did Qinghen-jun have the house built for his wife, identical to the house she was not allowed to live in? That is quite plausible, in universe. Out universe, they probably had only so many buildings to shoot in :).

[cynosurus]

Watching the Untamed episode 43:

I feel so sorry for Lan Xichen. He has such a presense of wisdom and kindness, but through the series he hasn't been a very effective leader.

He's been passive and he wasn't able to prevent the Jin atrocities agains civilian Wen survivours, nor rein in Lan Qiren's penchant for overexcessive punishment, even though we assume he wanted to.

Honestly what he has been most sucessful at is matchmaking.

But I guess we have to remember that he's also very young, much older than his brother really.

And perhaps the Lan Clan could have taught a little more conflict resolution skills and diplomacy and rhetoric and negotion techniques and other things a statesman could use in addition to sitting very straight and wielding a sword and music.

[historyhermann]

“Craig of the Creek”: An Exciting Adventure for All Ages

Craig of the Creek follows Craig and his two friends, Kelsey and JP, who explore the creek near the fictional suburban town of Herkelton, Maryland. They face family conflict, snobs, witches, and other challenges along the way.

Reprinted from The Geekiary, my History Hermann WordPress blog o Feb. 9, 2023, and Wayback Machine. This was the forty-seventh article I wrote for The Geekiary. This post was originally published on July 21, 2022.

Craig of the Creek is an animated slice-of-life adventure-comedy series created by Matt Burnett and Ben Levin, who previously worked on Steven Universe. With the pilot debuting in December 2017, the series has run for four seasons and over 140 episodes. The season 4 finale aired on July 15, 2022.

As a warning, this recommendation discusses some spoilers for the first four seasons of Craig of the Creek.

Kelsey (left), Craig (middle), and JP (right)

Craig of the Creek centers around the adventures of a 10-year-old Black kid named Craig Williams (Philip Solomon) and his two friends, Kelsey Pokoly (Noël Wells) and John Paul "J.P." Mercer (Michael Croner). All three are the show's protagonists. Kelsey's animal companion, Mortimor, also has an important role.

As the opening theme states, the series is focused on mysteries, danger, and friends who are "always by your side". The theme asks who will be around to not "let you down" when you go on a "wild ride". It claims that Craig, the eponymous protagonist, will "save the day".

Other characters are introduced as the series moves forward. This includes Craig's family, such as his father, Duane (Terry Crews), mother Nicole (Kimberly Hébert Gregory), his 16-year-old brother, Bernard (Phil LaMarr), and younger sister, Jessica (Lucia Cunningham). Also appearing is his grandfather Earl (Phil Morris) and his grandmother Jojo (Saundra McClain).

There are many more characters that Craig, Kelsey, JP, and Mortimor come across in their adventures through the Creek. Since the series is aimed at children and families, it, predictably, has affirming messages. The family-oriented Common Sense Media described the series as filled with "creativity, joy, adventure, individuality, and self-discovery".

Unsurprisingly, that focus has garnered Craig of the Creek various award nominations since its premiere in March 2018. This has included an Annie Award, two Daytime Emmy Awards, an NAACP Image Award, and a GLAAD Media Award. In 2018, the entire series won the "Common Sense Seal, an award given by Common Sense Media for the "diversity of its characters and inclusion of minorities", meaning that the organization recommends the series for "children aged six and above."

This diversity is reinforced by the show's writing staff. In August 2021, Jeff Trammell, head writer for the series, stated that the series has a writing room full of people with "different backgrounds and different experiences". He said the room is open in such a way that "it never feels like you're the one representative", especially for people of color.

The series has garnered a broad fanbase since its debut, with hundreds of thousands of people watching each episode. This is reflected in the 120 fan fiction works on Archive of Our Own, 43 fan fiction offerings on FanFiction.Net, and over 15,000 followers of the crew's Twitter account.

Bernard and his girlfriend, Alexis

Although the series is for all ages, it also focuses on adult issues, like breakups and pressures on young adults. At the same time, there is a focus on safety, family clashes, and interracial relationships. This includes the romance between Bernard and his girlfriend, Alexis (Karen Fukuhara).

The untamed wilderness, i.e. "Creek", in this critically acclaimed series is a place where rules of the outside world don't apply and where children rule over all. However, there are some older kids. Three teenagers who play card games in a cave are known as the "Elders" (Mark, Barry, and David). While the show's creators voice two of these characters, Zachary Steel voices David.

There are many subgroups in the Creek. This includes the Junior Forest Scouts, the Horse Girls, the 10 Speeds, the Tea Timers, the Witches of the Creek, the Ninja Kids, the Sewer Kids, and the Alliance of Science. There's also Cardboard City and the Creek's main market, the Trading Tree. Some kids don't easily fit into any of the aforementioned groups.

However, these groups are occasionally united together by Craig. He organized the Council of the Creek, based on what his grandmother Jojo does as a local politician. He, and his friends, meet at the Stump, which they have turned into a hideaway.

Unlike other series, the Creek kids are a diverse group. The series has been praised for "broadening the ethnic-racial representations in children’s media" along with Molly of Denali on PBS, Dora the Explorer on Nickelodeon, and Elena of Avalor on Disney. The latter ended in August 2020 when Disney canned the series after three seasons.

Diverse characters in Craig of the Creek include Cannonball (Trammell), a member of the Ten Speeds, a group of kids who love riding mountain bikes. Then there's Carter Brown (Zeno Robinson), a kid obsessed with building cardboard contraptions. My favorites include Wren (Ashleigh Crystal Hairston), a nerdy girl who conducts wild experiments, and Kitherine "Kit" (Davis) who runs the Trading Tree.

This racial diversity is no accident. Black storyboarders and writers make sure the show "strikes the right cords". Characters like Craig's father were composites of Trammell and Tiffany Ford's fathers. Lamar Abrams created Craig's grandmother.

Levin and Burnett said that they wanted to have a "positive impact" with a show that is fun for kids and reflects diversity from the actual world. They argued that the show combines the experiences of the show's crew.

The show taps into, as some critics described it, the "adventurous side of Cartoon Network’s viewers". Plots are a combination of the character's real-life experiences and their vivid imaginations.

13 characters in the series stated as LGBTQ in Insider's LGBTQ characters and cartoons database

LGBTQ+ representation shines through in Craig of the Creek. The Insider database of LGBTQ cartoon characters lists 13 characters for the series. Some of these characters only appear occasionally. Others are more prominent.

This representation is genuine. For instance, Angel José, a 10-year-old that runs the Creek Daycare, is non-binary, agender, and uses they/them pronouns. For much of the series, non-binary storyboarder and writer Angel Lorenzana voices them.

In the show's fourth season, Ben J. Pierce, a non-binary actor, voices Angel. Laura Mercer, the older sister of JP, is a lesbian and in a relationship with another girl, Kat. Fortune Feimster, a lesbian comedian, voices her.

There are other lesbian characters in the series. Tabitha and Courtney masquerade as "witches of the creek". In the episode "The Haunted Dollhouse" they kiss. In others, they hold hands or hang out together.

Craig of the Creek also has implied queer characters. This includes Jasmine Williams (Tawny Newsome), daughter of Darnell and Kim, and Craig's cousin. In the episode "Cousin of the Creek", she tells her cousin that she is texting her girlfriend.

It is implied that Pullstring and Merkid are non-binary. Some reviewers compared the number of non-binary characters in the series to Steven Universe, where every Gem is non-binary.

In the episode "Silver Fist Returns", Ben (Cole Escola), the "Secret Kid", keeper of Creek kids' secrets, reveals his crush on George (M. Michael Croner), a member of the Tea Timers. George reciprocates Ben's romantic feelings. Ben is also gender non-conforming.

Kelsey is a queer series protagonist. In the episode "Fire and Ice", she confesses her love for Isabella "Stacks" Alvarado (Montse Hernandez), a Latine bibliophile who hangs out in the library. While it was implied that both had feelings before that episode, they become a couple in the episode after Stacks admits her feelings for Kelsey during a secret book club.

Kelsey seems to have a crush on Vanessa "Wildernessa" (Izabella Alvarez), a girl who roams across the Creek on a huge Tibetan Mastiff named Cheesesticks. However, Vanessa does not have the same feelings toward Kelsey. Instead, she has a crush on Craig.

Queer show writers such as Kate Leth and voice actors like Stephanie Allynne (voiced Marie) buttress this representation. The Creek is a place you can be free to be yourself, as a recent Cartoon Network tweet stated. Lorenzana's art accompanied the message.

Craig challenges King Xavier in the series Season 3 finale

Craig of the Creek goes further, with a clash between good and evil. King Xavier (Charles DeWayne) rules the other side of the Creek, known as Herkleston Mills, with an iron fist. He inherited the title from his older sister Cheyenne (Najja Porter). Previously, Kenneth (Lamar Abrams) ruled over Herkleston Mills as the first king, after a highway overpass divided the Creek.

Xavier's right-hand woman is Maya (Sydney Mikayla). She helps preserve Xavier's hierarchy. Others assist the King as well. This includes a fast-runner, Keun Sup /"The Blur" (SungWon Cho), Jackie / "The Arm" who is deaf and uses ASL, and Aggie / "The Squashinator" (Zahra Fazal).

Some are disaffected by Xavier's rule. This includes Raj (Parvesh Cheena) and Shawn (Croner) who are the Honeysuckle Rangers. Both are from a nearby neighborhood and have feelings for each other. Cheena is also a gay actor.

Raj and Cheena become allies of Craig. The Green Poncho, otherwise known as Omar (Robinson), becomes Craig's ally. He tries to protect Craig's side of the Creek from Xavier, and his domination, by standing guard at the overpass.

This all changes after Xavier takes photographs of Craig's map. He plots to take over Craig's side of the Creek. The final five episodes of Craig of the Creek's third season are a showdown between the King, his lackeys, and other Creek Kids.

At first, Xavier engineers a crisis to take control of Craig's side of the Creek. He takes over the Trading Tree, bans games, destroys skate ramps, and tempts kids to support him with candy.

It seems he has won, at first. He even screws with the magical girl-esque Sparkle Cadet (Kamali Minter). He even manipulates a situation that forces Craig to leave the Creek and return home. But, this is short-lived.

A high-stakes winner-take-all game of Capture the Flag begins. At the last second, Craig is victorious. Xavier loses his power. Craig declares that the Creek belongs to everyone. He says there is no need for a King and states that there is a whole other side of the Creek to explore.

This clash reminds me of the final four episodes of Steven Universe, which concluded that series. Considering that Steven Universe writers created the series and easter eggs to that show are present throughout Craig of the Creek, this may not be a coincidence.

The show's fourth season picks up where the third season left off. Craig, and his friends deal with the aftermath of Xavier's defeat. It somewhat echoes Steven Universe Future, where Steven dealt with the consequences of his victory over the Diamond Authority.

Omar, formerly the Green Poncho, becomes one of the stump kids. Craig tries to find his place in the Creek. Those from the "other side" of the Creek have more opportunities available to them as they are not hemmed in by Xavier.

These changes accompany continued diverse stories and characters. This includes a focus on the Filipino family of Sewer Queen, Latine mythologies told by Stacks in the library or Raj's Indian family.

In one episode, a Black woman, Maya, reconnects with Craig. She gives him advice, telling him that he should be himself, and not agree with what anyone else believes. In another, Craig bonds again with Sparkle Cadet.

Craig and animesque magical girl, Sparkle Cadet, in episode "The Sparkle Solution"

Craig of the Creek continues to have institutional support from Cartoon Network executives. The series has been renewed for a fifth season and an original movie. In February 2021, Jessica's Big World, a preschool spinoff series for Cartoonito, began production. While it is not known when the spinoff will premiere, the fifth season of Craig of the Creek will begin in 2023.

This means that this show will continue. This is a positive. It will be a boon for cultural diversity, LGBTQ+ representation, and inclusion in animation. It joins other series such as the Proud Family revival series, Amphibia, and The Owl House, all with similar themes.

While the music of the series is nice, as are rap beats by MC Deltron (Teren Delvon Jones). I stayed with the series thanks to its voice actors, animation, and story, more than anything else. The often fourth-wall breaks also made the series enjoyable.

I recognized some of the voice actors from elsewhere. This includes Gunnar Sizemore, Kari Wahlgren, Michaela Dietz, and Deedee Magno.

However, the number of episodes (145) and seasons is a major stumbling block. It is a huge time commitment, which wears you down by the end, even if watched over a long period of time. It is not a series that is easy to binge over one weekend. So, prepare yourself.

The series felt strange to me because it mainly appeals to kids. From early on in the series, I realized that I wasn't the intended audience. A series where the characters are young adults would be more my speed than this series.

Despite these criticisms, I would still recommend Craig of the Creek due to its characters, plotlines, and themes. After watching all the episodes, I came to realize why it is such a wonderful show. The fifth season will likely continue in the same manner. Xavier may make a reappearance in the upcoming season, although it remains unknown what role he would play.

For those interested, Craig of the Creek is currently airing on Cartoon Network and streaming on HBO Max. It is also available on Amazon Prime and other platforms.

© 2022-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[howpeacefulislwj]

Episode 43

Oh yes, we can all take the time to Carefully Consider now, but where was this Careful Consideration when it was Lan Wangji’s Evil Boyfriend who was engaging in Horrible Demon Magic and Potentially Murdering a Bunch of People, hmm??? 3/10

Sorry babe you’re right I’m cool. 6/10

Lan Wangji will never, ever miss a chance to tell Su She that he Totally Fucking Sucks. Because he Does. Lan Wangji is Half Out of His Mind with Grief and he is still serving Absolutely Ice Cold Burns. 1/10

They can hit him with the Rule Sticks all they like. Lan Wangji has fully committed to Disobedience. He’s here to Be Gay and Question His Teachings and His Gay Just Fell Off A Cliff. 1/10

I Hope That Suffering The Devastating Loss Of Those I Love And The Subsequent Extended Mourning Doesn’t Become A Theme For Me. 1/10

Just Brazenly Breaking the Rules in front of the literal Sect Leader. So Shameless. Who is this man?? Not the Good Student That Lan Qiren Taught that’s for sure. 8/10

It’s Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji is the one who believes in you, Wei Wuxian. 8.5/10

Wei Ying Please Stop Falling Asleep On Me What Will The Censors Say. 9/10

Lan Wangji is Very Calm. Listening to the slimy little snake boy who was responsible for The Greatest Suffering in his Life lie straight to his brother’s face? Yes, this is Fine. He can meditate through this no problem haha. 4/10

Lan Wangji indulges in a Hint of Smug Satisfaction at Wei Wuxian playing their love song, and finally, Finally, putting his One Brain Cell to work and figuring out how Lan Wangji recognized him. 8/10

Look at this Impossibly Soft Boy. I can’t deal with him. Crouching behind a haystack and just exuding Elegance and Peace like it’s No Big Deal. So Soft for anybody speaking the Truth about Wei Wuxian. 9/10

[tenma-udai]

Did you start watching the Untamed recently?? Do you like it? What are your thoughts and whose your favorite character?

I HAVE BEEN WATCHING IT WITH @spookysp-ace AS MY CUTE LIL TOUR GUIDE AND I'M A LIL BIT OBSESSED HOLY CRAP like I really really really love it IT FEELS LIKE POETRY like so much of it comes back into play and is INTERWOVEN I HHHHHHSJHDIEHFKSNDKFJDKWKDO No spoilers I am still on ep 43 BUT I ALREADY WENT BACK TO REWATCH THE FIRST COUPLE EPISODES AND THERE'S???? SOOOOO MANY THINGS THAT ARE LIKE KILLING ME LIKE LITTLE DETAILS I DIDNT NOTICE HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

there's something so epic and tragic about so many elements and yet it never feels hopeless?? hhhhh I love Wen Qing and Wen Ning and I REALLY REALLY ove Wei Wuxian but like idk idk idk ITS LAN ZHAN BY A LONG SHOT he's just LAN ZHAN and he's YEARNING and HIS LIL STOIC FACE KILLS ME, THE WAY HE'S DEVOTED and like ???? Like I just every "Wei Ying" fucking SLAUGHTERS ME how does he say it with so much LOVE and CONCERN and the way he loves Wei Ying is so intimate and soft like he doesn't even have to say anything and I am like fuck oh my God there he is. THERE HE IS. like. the love interest energy is incredible

HHHHHHHHHHH like it's just so beautiful to look at too like I am not finished with the series and I am already like hhhhh more wait more I am like ✨✨✨✨✨ wow it's really good, like the timeline is way confusing at first and sometimes the effects are a lil eh, but the WRITING and the CHARACTER DRAMA and the way all these relationships feel dynamic and real and like ???? idk there's so much feeling behind everything it's perfect for my lil ADHD brain to hyperfixate on I am truly thriving

[reallysporadicsterekart]

The Untamed Meta

I have thoughts, and although some ideas will surely find their way into fic, I want to rant about it like this, too:

First Scene:

Thoughts and meta on The Untamed, episode 43, the scene at the end where WWX and LWJ leave for the Burial Grounds. You know, the talk about their song.

First thing, which is not the main focus of this rant, but a detail I found a nice touch:  Lan Wangji is leading Apple, after Wei Wuxian complained in the previous scene that animals like Lan Zhan and not him, which was promptly demonstrated when he had to pull Apple to get him going. With Lan Wangji Apple is docile, being led smoothly. I think this small element shows how the WangXian relationship works: If I can do something that you can’t, I will do it for you naturally, no question asked or needed. Lan Wangji protects Wei Wuxian with the sword, Wei Wuxian drinks in Lan Zhan’s stead, Wei Wuxian safes his own medicine for Lan Wangji’s broken leg, when the other has no chance to get medicine himself, and when walking is too hard, one will carry the other. Lan Wangji will lead Apple, when it makes travelling easier for Wei Wuxian. It comes easy and naturally as a matter of course. There’s no shame in it. They complement each other with their strengths. Sigh, go team WangXian. End of small excursion, on to the main event, that I actually want to talk about:.

The conversation about the song WangXian through Lan Wangji’s eyes, and the general metaphor of the song.

So, in the scene WWX plays their song, smugly fishing for LWJ’s reaction, because clever bastard that he is – with most things, ha – he finally figured out how LWJ recognized him. LWJ hears the song, and he simply radiates love, happiness and contentment right then and there. This - in that moment - is the essence of their relationship, it is all there, they are together, at each other’s side, they travel to fight the evils of the world, are there to protect each other, LWJ is leading Apple, see above, this is what and how they are. This is their love. And LWJ is living right in the middle of it in that very moment. WWX is too, though he doesn’t know it yet the way that LWJ does.

So WWX is like: I figured it out, how you recognized me. That tiny reaction on LWJ is wonderful. Like: ‘Took you some time, but I knew you would’. Because LWJ knows, and that is important, some things he must let WWX figure out on his own. Like the name of the song between them. The name of that everything between them.

Who’s the composer? He gives a clue, but not too much. You will get there.

What’s its name? And the delivery of the next line is something beautiful. Because I fully believe Lan Zhan is… flirting. ‘What do you think?’ He’s playful and light and takes a chance, like: Okay so while you’re at figuring things out, let’s see if you have figured that/us/me out yet. He is not asking WWX to give the song a random name, the song has a name, has a meaning and is what is it for him, he is asking if WWX knows it yet, knows that song and thing between them for what it is yet, for WWX, the same way that LWJ knows what it is for him. Because When LWJ plays WangXian, it means I love you. WWX is playing the song already all the time, and it might even mean something similar, but he hasn’t come to that conclusion, hasn’t realized the final name he will give their relationship yet. But still he is already doing it, playing the song, acting out feelings he hasn’t named yet.

So when WWX misses the mark with his answer, LWJ is maybe a tad disappointed for the blink of an eye, but then simply aborts the conversation that won’t bring the insights and revelations he hopes for this time, on an upbeat note. Not yet, it is, I will wait. Wei Wuxian, clever bastard in all but this.

Because I think for LWJ time doesn’t really matter all too much right now, He’s waited more than 16 years, he can wait longer as long as WWX is back in his life. He will keep looking at WWX with the song in his eyes and wait until WWX will recognize it.

He will even let him go in the hope for having WWX come back knowing everything they are and COULD BE. Because LWJ might really want those kisses, after all, right...

And when WWX tells him later on to better have a name for the song when they next meet, the ‘way ahead of you’ makes it clear. I am only waiting on you, but I will, patiently, serenely and full of hope, because I know you will get there. Your mind will get where I feel your heart might already be.

Anyways, I was looking for words for the feelings that that whole scene, and LWJ especially evoke in me.

It is serenity, love and peace.

It’s lightness and profoundness. It’s Hanguan Jun, Light bearing Lord.

Peace. Because they are already there. WWX expressed how he doesn’t fear, even if it is a dangerous trip. How he doesn’t care how they slander him, as long as he one true friend. Like this, he can go on.  Their consciences are clear, and LWJ is at peace since WWX came back to him, but you can really feel it in that scene.

And I think that is why with that portrayal, I don’t mind the effects of censorship too much in this drama, because their love is felt completely.

They are both already playing that song, they are living it, and I for one think, that WWX realizing its name, is what finally happens in the very last scene of the drama.

But that might be worth another meta.

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 22 part one

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff) (Previous Post)

Warning: Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Not Quite Like Old Times

We ended the previous episode in daylight, with Lan Wangji putting Wei Wuxian and swordpoint and declaring his undying love lecturing him about his lack of sword skills.

We start this episode in full night, with the two of them sitting on a roof together. Presumably they spent the missing scenes getting dinner in the mess hall, doing some laundry, and definitely not making out. Fic writers, do your thing.

Finally, FINALLY, Lan Wangji has chilled out enough to actually sit and listen to Wei Wuxian, instead of yelling at and/or physically attacking him. The Zoloft is really helping!

Wei Wuxian is indulging in romantic recollections of their first rooftop encounter. Lan Wangji, who has loved him since he first laid eyes on him and who wrote a whole song with an entire music video about their love, featuring that very same rooftop encounter, shuts him down so completely he might as well have whipped out Bichen again.

First he corrects his description of events by pointing out they were fighting, not talking, back then. Then when Wei Wuxian continues in his charming, smiley reminiscing vein, Lan Wangji says "things change, how could they stay the same" with a deep, sad, weariness.

He seems like an old man in this moment, and I feel for him, really, I do. But he's not the one who's carrying the actual essence of death around inside him. Wei Wuxian is being much more generous in this interaction than Lan Wangji is.

Wei Wuxian thanks him for not narkng to Jiang Yanli about the whole talisman/forced suicide/ghost hummer/ghost flaying thing he did back in Yiling. Like there is any way Lan Wangji would ever tell Jiang Yanli, of all people, something like that about Wei Wuxian.  He's lying to his own brother to cover for Wei Wuxian, and Wei Wuxian totally doesn't get it.

(more after the cut)

Unfortunately, there's no reason Wei Wuxian SHOULD get it, at this point; Lan Wangji has not communicated anything but disapproval to him since his return, and Wei Wuxian, despite their (apparently temporary) mental linkup in the Turtle cave, is not a mind reader.

Lan Wangji is so hurt here, and Wei Wuxian appears to ignore that, continuing to smile and laugh; he’s still sunny, still happy. Seriously, they are so tonally out of step with each other in this conversation, it's excruciating.

Lan Wangji: I’m feeling good about my tear-holding-back ability Wei Wuxian: do I look more fuckable sitting up? Or leaning back?  

But every one of these smiles is an absolute lie. This is Wei Wuxian appeasing an authority figure; baffling with bullshit and skating by on charm. This is not a young man confiding in his soulmate.

Even when the conversation shifts, and they talk seriously about what is going on with him, Wei Wuxian is barely confiding anything. He briefly acknowledges that he was in the Burial Mounds for three months, and shudders at the memory, but Lan Wangji doesn't respond to that other than to look away from his face.

This is almost the last thing Wei Wuxian will ever say to anyone about that experience.  He only alludes to it again when Jiang Cheng visits the settlement and talks smack about their corpse turnips. Lan Wangji says he wants to know why Wei Wuxian’s cultivation changed, but he really doesn’t; he just wants to convince him to change it back.

Wei Wuxian explains about using Lan clan techniques to protect his temperament, as well as the flute and talismans, to control the resentful energy. This is a good reminder that Wei Wuxian was never a bad student. He was an outstanding cultivator within the Jiang Clan, and he learned a hell of a lot during his time in Gusu, despite getting expelled for fighting.

His original golden core was stronger than Jiang Cheng's, even though he apparently started cultivating later. Yes, he fell asleep during meditation that one time in Episode 43, but that's not because he's bad at meditating, it's because he was tired from getting railed all night by his boyfriend stabbed in the gut by his nephew.

Lan Wangji eventually manages to ask him a question like an interested fellow human being sharing knowledge, instead of like an authoritarian dick calling him to account.  

Side note: I still am flopping around trying to find good-sounding English terms for Chinese philosophical concepts. I kind of like "ghost path" vs "sword path" for the two styles of cultivation - I don't know where I saw that, apologies to the translator. I like "necromancy" for the part where the dead are reanimated and controlled, because we definitely have that in English. But there are many layers of nuance in these conversations that English is not equipped to render in a natural-sounding way.

Lan Wangji tells him, again, that it's dangerous, but this time he does it in a gentler and more poetic way, saying it's like taking grain from a burning fire, and says he's in danger of becoming the novel version of Wei Wuxian a demonic cultivator.  Wei Wuxian, also gently and seriously, says he knows.

Then he immediately goes back to his lightest tone and promises, with his three-fingers gesture, that he will not fall into demonic cultivation. This gesture is basically the Wei Wuxian "I am totally fucking lying" salute.

He is totally fucking lying, and he MUST know it. He's baking the Yin tiger amulet every day during his meditation, getting ready to use it against Wen Ruohan, getting ready to take over his army of the dead.

He has the audacity to ask Lan Wangji, "do you believe me?" and Lan Wangji, also totally fucking lying, nods.  Their relationship is just as broken right now as it was before their courtyard sparring session.

You can tell it's broken, because after they've reached this apparent place of peace, Wei Wuxian just hops down off the roof and LEAVES Lan Wangji sitting by himself. When has Wei Wuxian ever been like "gotta go!" with Lan Wangji? The last time they were here, he spent the night sleeping on the roof tiles just so he could be near him.

As he leaves, Lan Wanji stands up and says "let me help you." Wei Wuxian is not a fan of that idea, at all, if his expression is any guide.

He agrees, though, and leaves smiling, apparently for real, but maybe just practicing for all the fake smiles in his future.

Hooray for War

In the morning, Nie Mingjue makes an angry speech to the 2 dozen cultivators who apparently make up the army. Extras are expensive, y'all.

The senior cultivators are standing to the right or left of him, with the Lan brothers bracketing the Yunmeng sibs. Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng are both staking their claim to Wei Wuxian, while Lan Xichen is standing in the spot closest to Nie Mingjue; Nie Huaisang is on the opposite side with the Jins.

All of the random cultivators yell a war chant in response to Nie Mingjue's speech, while the senior cultivators are like, we don't have to do that yelling stuff, thank goodness.

Nie Mingjue's war outfit includes metal (ish) epaulets on his shoulders and a totally not-kinky belt featuring multiple rings with nothing attached to them (yet) and an angry demon face right above his junk.

Nie Mingjue says we're going to storm into Nightless city and I'm going to chop off Wen Ruohan's head! By which he means, I'm going to get captured and get my ass beat, and then my murder-babie ex-boyfriend who had this belt specially made for me is going to stab Wen Ruohan in the back while he's distracted. They do say no plan survives contact with the enemy.

Side note: Baxia makes a loud metallic "shnk" noise when NMJ takes it off his back during this speech, even though Baxia does not have a scabbard. You do you, Baxia.

All the senior cultivators file out down the center while everyone else parts to let them pass. Then everybody does the Electric Slide.

Jiang Cheng tells Wei Wuxian they should go ahead of the main force to get some killing in early, but Wei Wuxian just pulls a face and looks down, staying with Lan Wangji. 

Jiang Cheng is disappointed, and no doubt takes this as a sign of WWX choosing LWJ over him. But actually, WWX can't fight side-by-side with Jiang Cheng without showing his weakness.

LWJ and WWX exchange one of their unspoken "let's go" eye touches and get ready to ride out together with the main force. 

Lan Wangji is still super, super sad. Wei Wuxian is still fake. But something is starting to knit together between them, and once they can hit a battlefield together, it will get a lot stronger.

On A Horse With No Name

Everyone rides out on horses, which will presumably get eaten somewhere along the way, because they appear to travel on foot after this. While Wei Wuxian practices his horseback-flute-twirling, Lan Wangji asks why Wei Wuxian didn't go with the forward force to fight.

Wei Wuxian says that he has a case of the don'wannas, and Lan Wangji snarkily points out that he used to like fighting. Wei Wuxian reacts, just as he did at the end of their sword fight, with embarrassment, and doesn't answer.

Lan Wangji, sweetie. You are really not helping. 

At this point, despite their ongoing fighting, Wangxian are clearly together again. Lan Wangji isn't riding with his brother; he's RIGHT next to Wei Wuxian, and will stay close to him through the rest of the campaign.

Nie Huaisang hollers "Wei-Xiong" from the top of the battlements and tells him to take care. Wei-Xiong lifts his flute in acknowledgement while Nie Huaisang looks worried. He doesn't tell Nie Mingjue or Lan Wangji to take care, just Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian is his particular friend, more than Lan Wangji is, but he may also be concerned because he can tell that Wei Wuxian isn't well.

Nie Huaisang hasn't yet developed the deep cynicism that he calls upon in his quest to avenge his brother, but he has always been a voracious collector of information, and he is keenly observant.

Side note: what the fuck is going on with this sculpture? Kudos to the artist. This has beautiful forms, and is weird and disturbing. The main head is wearing a horned skull on its forehead, small ungulates that I hesitate to call “deer” chilling on its horns, and...snakes? biting its ears? 

Boring Wen Interlude

Wen Ruohan is waving his hands around. Sigh. This is one of the more boring villain performances ever, and it's not the actor’s fault. They could have given him a sidekick to yell at or something, so we could get more than just hand waving. I’ve given up screen capping any of this; there are more interesting things to look at. 

Battle Moves

Jin Zixuan and Jiang Cheng and their forces have an extended fight scene with a bunch of puppet dudes and stuntmen in harnesses. 

It's pretty fun to watch. (Fanvid with more over here)

The gist of the fighting scenes is that Wen Ruohan is getting stronger, and Klingons are hard to beat.

Battle Planning

Finally we see a sidekick with Wen Ruohan, although he's blurry so it's hard to tell that he is totally Meng Yao.

The Sunshotters have set up a Battle Camp Playset. It's got chunks of gates and walls that don't connect to anything, like a Duplo set. It's just randomly open for most of the back area so that anyone can walk in. 

They've got a cage of hilarious definitely-not-zombies set up, and the rest of the wounded cultivators are lying on the ground. 

The main battle trio go chill in Nie Mingjue's incredibly fancy tent. They talk it over and say it's impossible to kill unkillable enemies, "even when we have millions of troops." And by “millions” they mean “dozens.”  

Nie Mingjue decides the way to handle it is to kill the leader and everyone else will collapse, because he has watched vampire movies and the last season of Game of Thrones and that's how it works. Watching the last season of Game of Thrones is why he is so angry all the time  He says he's going to sneak into Nightless City and assassinate Wen Ruohan.

Okay, first of all, Nie Mingjue can sneak? I don't believe it.  Second of all, if that was possible, why didn't he do it as soon as Wen Ruohan attacked his clan?

Nie Mingjue wants to take the biggest risk because he's the commander in chief, which is not how commanding is supposed to work, but okay.

He says if he dies, Zewu Jun will take over. Jiang Cheng starts to protest but Zewu Jun appears as if conjured, and shows them a map that will...dear GOD his hands are beautiful.

It's a helpful map, painted in multiple colors with careful writing on it, so if anyone were to show it to Nie Huaisang he would probably go "oh cool Meng Yao painted that" because anyone who could paint that well probably spent a fair amount of time at it on a regular basis. But, Nie Huaisang isn't here so, nope.

It’s always nice to see Jiang Cheng smile.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Waniji examine some of the puppets to see what's up. It's transmitted by touch, and Lan Wangji says that curing one dude takes three months of spiritual power. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Writing Prompt: Missing scene! How did they get from the fight in the courtyard to the talk on the roof? 

Soundtrack: 1. Shine on You Crazy Diamond, by Pink Floyd 2. Electric Boogie, by Marcia Griffiths

[trensu]

WangXiantics: The (unofficial) Untamed Episode Guide

Sometimes, if i’m feeling down or whatever, i like to rewatch favorite episodes or scenes from a given show as a pick-me-up. In The Untamed, this means basically any wangxian scene. 

For other shows, it’s no big deal because they have like, 25 episodes or less per season and each episode has a proper title. The Untamed, tho? FIFTY (50) episodes whose titles are literally just a number. I’m queer!! We’re notoriously bad with numbers!!!

So I thought to myself, no biggie, I’ll just look up an episode guide to find out which episode has that scene where they gaze longingly at each other in a busy street and buy a lantern together.

The episode guides I found? Don’t mention those scenes. They do this thing were they summarize the plot of each episode?? For some reason????

Guys, this cannot stand. I have decided I am Doing a Thing. I am taking it upon myself to create my very own wangxian episode guide. Because I need a quick reference to Important Wangxian Moments. (And also I need to justify watching the show for a third time in a row).

This here will be the Masterpost. Please be aware that my episode guide will consist mostly of me screaming about wangxian. it will not be spoiler-free. and it probably won’t make sense. And as of now, it is a WIP. But I’m having fun and that’s what matters lol.

THE GUIDE IS NOW COMPLETE!!! AND IT ONLY TOOK ME 3 MONTHS TO DO IT!!!! 

(Thanks to @theuntamednarrator and @absolutelynogravitaswhatsoever who encouraged me to post my ramblings here, and a special thanks to @mylastbraincql whose brilliant mind came up with the title/tag WangXiantics)

On to the Guide!!

Episode 1: The One Where They Don’t Quite Cross Paths YET

Episode 2: The One with THE ICONIC REUNION

Episode 3: The One with the SWORD FIGHT OF ~LOVE~

Episode 4: The One with That Many Minutes of Wangxian Screen Time*

Episode 5: The One with Angry bb!LWJ

Episode 6: The One where LWJ is Drunk and Gets Married

Episode 7: The One where At Last LWJ Sees the Light

Episode 8: The One where NHS is a Total Cockblock*

Episode 9: The One where They ~FROLIC IN THE FOREST~

Episode 10: The One with ANOTHER Moonlit Rooftop Moment

Episode 11: The One where We Learn the Value of Patience (and Hate It)

Episode 12: The One where Everyone Goes to Evil Summer School and Has a Bad Time

Episode 13: The One where WWX’s Gaydar is Completely Nonexistent

Episode 14: The One where LWJ Sings to WWX, y’know, Like a Bro

Episodes 15-18: The Ones where We Gross Sob FOREVER

Episode 19: The One with the Return of the Gay Yearning Death Grip, Now with More Sword!*

Episode 20: The One where WangXiantics becomes W(angst)Xiantics*

Episode 21: The One where the Siblings Know Things

Episode 22: The One with ANOTHER Other Moonlit Rooftop Scene

Episode 23: The One where JYL Captains the Ship

Episode 24: The One where LWJ Starts to Question Everything (except his sexuality)*

Episode 25: The One where they Frolic in the Forest but like, Sad This Time

Episode 26: The One where the Rain is Actually the Fandom’s Endless Tears

Episode 27: The One where I Want to Punch Basically Every Sect Leader in the Face. Repeatedly. With a Chair.

Episode 28: The One where LXC Loses his Title as Greatest Wingman 

Episode 29: The One where WWX is the Grandmaster of Self-Loathing and It Kills Me

Episode 30: The One where LWJ Wishes Jin Zixun Would STFU and Die Already

Episode 31: The One where Jin Zixun Dies but God at What Cost

Episode 32: The One where the Moonlit Rooftop BETRAYS Us

Episode 33: The One where WWX Needs to Stop Touching Swords of the Un-Sexy Kind

Episode 34: The One where Detective Wangxian is on the Case!

Episode 35: The One with the Moonlit Bridge Rebound (Moonlit Rooftop Who?)

Episode 36: The One where LWJ is Gay and Does Crime

Episode 37: The One where We Watch WWX Be a Dad

Episode 38: The One where We Unwillingly Take a Break From Wangxiantics

Episode 39: The One where Parallel Wangxian Makes Us Sob Like OYZZ*

Episode 40: The One with the Return of Paperman!WWX

Episode 41: The One where LWJ and Suibian are Loyal Bitches*

Episode 42: The One with the GREATEST ~LOVE~ CONFESSION OF ALL TIME

Episode 43: The One where WWX is Soft for Children and Bunnies

Episode 44: The One where Su She Gets Rekt

Episode 45: The One where the Juniors Stick It to the Old People

Episode 46: The One with All the Yunmeng Bros Angst

Episode 47: The One where JGY Gets Kinky with WWX and NO ONE Likes It

Episode 48: The One where JGY and SS Host a Pity Party and Everyone Wishes They Hadn't

Episode 49: The One with Too Much JGY and Not Enough Wangxian

Episode 50: The One with the Greatest Family Reunion(s) of All Time

NOW FOR SOME FUN EXTRA SPECIAL BONUS STATS**:

~Their Song~ was played: 54 times

Total Word Count for the Whole Guide: 116,362

Top 5 Episodes (based on note count as of 5/8/20):

Episode 47: The One where JGY Gets Kinky with WWX and NO ONE Likes It

Episode 6: The One where LWJ is Drunk and Gets Married

Episode 13: The One where WWX’s Gaydar is Completely Nonexistent

Episode 36: The One where LWJ is Gay and Does Crime

Episode 44: The One where Su She Gets Rekt

*these episodes were titled with the help of @theuntamednarrator​

**I may be off by a number or two but you can’t hold it against me bc i’m Queer and that would be Homophobic of you

[mollyringle]

Masterlist: My husband watches The Untamed

I’m finally getting around to putting them all in one masterlist so you don’t have to search through the tag! Go me. These all contain ALL THE SPOILERS, as you can guess.

In order of our watching them: 1. Episodes 3-7 2. Episodes 8-10 3. Episodes 11-12 4. Episode 13 5. Episodes 14-15 6. Episodes 16-17 7. Episodes 18-19 8. Episodes 20-21 9. Episodes 22-23 10. Episode 24 11. Episode 25 12. Episodes 26-27 13. Episode 28 14. Episodes 29-31 15. Episode 32 and the first 15 minutes of episode 33 16. Episode 1 17. Episode 2 18. Episodes 33-34 19. Episodes 35-36 20. Episodes 37-38 21. Episodes 39-40 22. Episodes 41-42 23. Episodes 43-45 24. Episodes 46-48 25. Episodes 49-50

[theweeklybinge]

MDZS Master Post

Did I revive an old, unused tumblr from six years ago just so I had a place to take notes as I rewatched The Untamed / CQL? Yes, yes I did.

The Untamed — Rewatch Analysis

I usually never rewatch anything in full — usually I just pick scenes that I really liked (which for CQL has been mostly post-resurrection WangXian scenes) but in the process of doing that I kind of realized just how rich the story and character arcs are, and how much foreshadowing I missed the first time around.

So here we are! For the next few weeks/months I’ll be rewatching CQL (no fast forwarding which means LOTS of detail) and focusing on WangXian (obv), Nie Huaisang’s big brain, Sizhui hints, horrible CGI, etc. Except for a few nods to the novel where the drama was an unfortunate victim of Chinese censorship, I’ll be going off of CQL only (which is still BL, so don’t give me any of that bromance nonsense).

And of course, this is a rewatch so there will be spoilers for all 50 episodes. Enter at your own peril...

[1 — Part 1 | Part 2] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50]

The Living Dead [tbd]

Fatal Journey [tbd]

Mo Dao Zu Shi Donghua [tbd]

[farmerlan]

Farmer Lan’s Rewatch Guide to The Untamed - Episode 1

HERE WE GO I am strapped in with my Topo Chico and ready to take on Episode 1 of The Untamed. It’s going to be wild. I have no idea what I’m doing. If you’re reading this and have a better suggestion on how I should format everything, feel free to tell me because right now this is just the diary of a madwoman.

CAUTION: Due to the chronological differences between the novel and the drama, there will be instances where I bring in references further along in the novel and/or drama to explain what is going on, so there will be spoilers if you haven’t finished the series.

[Starting scene – there’s a voiceover of people rejoicing over WWX’s death, we see a chaotic battlefield and people fighting over the Stygian Tiger Amulet (here forth abbreviated as the STA because abbreviations are my jam). WWX commits suicide by falling off a cliff, LWJ tries to stop him and then JC sends him to the depths of hell. Flash to the present when some storyteller is narrating this story, and we’re told 16 years has passed since the Nightless City incident and WWX is seemingly gone forever – although his body has never been recovered despite extensive search efforts.]

Differences from the novel:

In the novel, there is no mention of clans trying to fight over the STA during the bloodbath at Nightless City. It’s definitely true that the existence of the STA and WWX’s unchecked power led to the actions of the Nightless City, but it was a combination of multiple events that led up to the battle, and not an explicit cause and effect.

It is also explicitly stated during Chapter 1 as people recount the tale of WWX that he destroyed the STA prior to his death.

In the novel, it is stated in Chapter 1 and confirmed by WWX himself (in Chapter 43) that WWX’s death was caused by his own power rebounding upon him and he ended up being torn apart by his own undead creations. So unfortunately the epic cliff scene was entirely scripted for the drama.

13 years has passed in the novel vs. 16 years in the drama. I can’t remember if there was an exact reason why they switched up the timeline, but just know that the timeline of the novel series of events itself is also very confusing and I will probably do a post with my take on it sometime later.

[Cut to present – WWX is summoned by MXY’s sacrifice, there’s some weird mask action going on, WWX creates a ruckus at the arrival of the Gusu disciples, they set up shop with the Demon Summoning flags, tell WWX to go wait inside and then they wait for the spirits to come their way.]

Differences from the novel:

The mask does not exist in the novel. In the novel, the body that WWX is summoned into is that of MXY’s, and MXY is a different person in every way from WWX in terms of face, height, etc. So everyone who sees WWX thinks he is MXY up until he finally reveals himself. It’s obviously a stylistic choice made to reflect why no one can recognize WWX in the drama series even though they are played by the same actor, because otherwise I can see how it can get confusing for viewers.

WWX is shown to be playing the WangXian melody in the room but this does not happen in the novel, although it does lead to a pretty epic snark from my favorite boy LJY about how awful WWX’s playing is (which IS in the novel, but happens later in the story instead). WWX does NOT use a flute at all until the Da Fan Shan arc in the novel. Also Jingyi, never stop being you.

It is not explicitly mentioned that MXY went to Lan Ling Jin sect in the novel at this current point, only that he was accepted as a disciple by a sect before being kicked out. We find this out later.

Other than that, the scenes with MXY closely follows the novel up until the Demonic Left Arm (DLA) to show up.

[WWX is hauled in to confess his crimes by Matriarch Mo, things go to shit in about 3 seconds and the disciples realize they need to call for backup STAT, the flare for LWJ is sent. WWX realizes this needs to end fast in order to avoid meeting LWJ and exposing himself. A-Tong becomes possessed by the DLA, dies, and then the DLA possesses Matriarch Mo. Attempts to restrain her fail and WWX revives the other now-undead Mos to fight her.]

Differences from the novel:

The sassy verbal takedown of Matriarch Mo by WWX is indeed in the novel and just as great.

The drama identifies the black marks on the victims’ necks as being caused by the STA. There is no such scene in the novel. Basically, there is no mention of the STA being the cause of ANY of this, because in the novel, it’s not.

In the novel, the disciples send flares for back up but are uncertain how quickly back up will arrive, and they definitely did not specifically call for LWJ. However, WWX realizes he needs to intervene to end this quickly because the spirit is too powerful for the disciples to deal with, and he can’t leave the Mo household until the revenge curse put upon him by MXY is lifted (i.e. until everyone MXY wants dead is dead).

A funny scene that gets left out of the drama is: Matriarch Mo leaps to attack LSZ, who can’t dodge in time. Instead, WWX literally KICKS LJY into her path because he knows that the Gusu robes are imbued with magical protective spells, so he basically used LJY as a human talisman as a last resort. LJY did not find this funny, and WWX plays the “I didn’t do anything, I have no idea what I just did and I can’t be held culpable because I’m batshit crazy” card. Ah, my boys.

 [LWJ appears just as Matriarch Mo appears to have gotten the upper hand, and subdues her with the POWER OF MUSIC dundun (also sensually massaging the guqin strings helloooo). WWX is hiding but HE IS HERE for all of his boo’s actions. LWJ clarifies that the DLA is a spiritual sword ghost with traces of the STA, everyone gasps because didn’t WWX die? OR DID HE NOT? Time will tell, my friends. Anyway, with the DLA subdued for now, LWJ hears the footsteps of WWX running away and chases after him but sees nobody. He thinks….”WEIYING IS IT REALLY YOU??” WWX A MYSERIOUS PERSON (to be revealed...but OK it’s NHS I told you there would be spoilers) gives money to the storyteller, and then we see WWX with Little Apple and he has one more wound left on his arm, indicating there’s someone else he needs to kill on behalf of MXY.]

Differences from the novel:

In the novel, WWX leaves the moment he hears LWJ’s guqin and does not stay to spectate.

See above re: no mention of what caused this, and certainly no discussion of the STA.

There’s no mention of LWJ suspecting that it is WWX in MXY’s body, or even suspecting that he has returned at all.

In the novel, the four wounds left as a physical reminder of the body count for the revenge curse is for the three members of the Mo family and for A-Tong. Therefore, WWX leaves the Mo family effectively free of his debt to MXY, but in the drama, he is shown to still have one remaining person left to kill…dun dun dun.

Storyteller man is not around in the novel – consider him a convenient voiceover tool for the drama ha. Thanks to the @redisthecolouroffate​ for the catch, I missed this but this is also the episode where NHS first shows up to reward the man for his storytelling, which is a nice bit of foreshadowing done by the show which is not in the novel at all.

Overall Thoughts

The drama does a really good job of setting the tone from the beginning. There’s not too much deviation here compared to the first five chapters of the novel (which covers this whole Ep 1 arc) since the majority of it was to set up the premise for the show and introduce our main characters.

The main difference here is we can see the drama is already setting itself up for the STA to play a much bigger role than in the novel. In the novel, our protagonists really have no idea what is behind the DLA at this point, and they certainly don’t immediately assert that it is a ‘sword ghost’ that has been tainted by the STA. In the novel, the only explanation for the DLA at present is in Chapter 5, when WWX notes that the spirit is more powerful than most, given that this spirit has already claimed three lives in the span of a few hours. WWX also deduced that this was the arm of a person who died by dismemberment, and to summarize the novel, the ghost arm is effectively trying to find the rest of its body. Until then, it moves between ‘live hosts’ like a parasite.

Also – WWX is also noted to be wearing badly applied make up in the novel but not in the drama. It is clarified in Chapter 1 that MXY was homosexual and was kicked out of his cultivation sect as he harassed a fellow male disciple and is now basically a gay lunatic, which is unfortunately not a great look in ye olden days.

Lastly, cute tidbit in the novel in Chapter 3 that didn’t make its way into the drama – WWX secretly marveled at LSZ’s knowledge and manners, and wondered “Who in that godforsaken, old-fashioned place (referring to the Cloud Recesses) could have brought him up/taught him so well?” OH YOU’LL FIND OUT WHO HA.

[wxsuthorn]

ranking every single asian drama/series/movie that i have ever watched

(this isn’t 100% accurate cuz I’ve decided to include shows that are still airing and they may move up or down on the list once they’ve finished airing. Shows with multiple seasons/spin-offs will be counted as one unless I decided that they’re too different to be in one rank. And lastly, I don’t dislike the shows that are low on the list—unless I explicitly say so—I’ve just watched a shitload of dramas, so don’t attack me if ur fave is at 26 or smth lmao)

I did my best to keep the explanations short and avoid spoilers

1. The Gifted

Are you surprised? Do I even need to explain?

2. HIStory 3: Trapped

Again, should be pretty self-explanatory. The plot? The acting? The tropes? Utter perfection. 

3. 3 Will Be Free

Haha. 3wbf... is 3rd place. It’s just amazing and so criminally underrated. 

4. Until We Meet Again

I LOVE THIS SHOW SM I WATCHED IT 7 TIMES KLJFSLKJDFS I JUST LOVE IT PLUS FLUKE’S ACTING AND DEANPHARM ARE JUST SO HEALTHY AND WHOLESOME AND CARING I LOVE THEM.

5. He’s Coming To Me

a GODLY show !!! SO UNDERRATED. Ugh that rooftop scene TT.

6. The Untamed

I know it’s shocking that this isn’t higher up IM SORRY OKAY but this show was so good i cried so much lksjlfjdsfdjlkf GOD TIER.

7. Theory of Love

G O D L Y. It has the best scenes that just punch you in the gut and make you cry while you think about them at night.

8. Great Men Academy

WHY DOES NO ONE TALK ABOUT THIS SHOW. anyways i would die for tangmo.

9. Cherry Magic

MY FAVOURITE ON AIR SHOW. It’s so fucking good and it’s sooooo relatable and cute and fun and just GOOD. Ugh it’s a whole blessing. Literally the concept is also just amazing, plus the representation is actually accurate?? LIKE ITS SO RELATABLE JLSJFKJKJKD AND REAL. AND THE CHARACTERS ARE SO KLJLKFJDLKJLSKJD.

10. I Told Sunset About You

THE SETS ARE SO PRETTY. THE VISUALS. ASTOUNDING. THE ACTING KSLJFKJLDF. It exceeded my expectations holy crap and the chinese culture incorporated into it feels so nice and genuine. literally i watched some of it today before my chinese class lmao. OMG AND THE OST.

11. Mr. Heart

ugh this show stole my heart (pun intended).

12. Dark Blue Kiss

SO. GODDAMN. UNDERRATED. THE WAY IT ACCURATELY REPS LGBTQ+ YOUTH’S RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR PARENTS AND COMING OUT AND EXPECTATIONS G O D L Y

13. Oxygen

SOFT. HEALTHY. CUTE. H E I G H T  D I F F E R E N C E.

14. 2gether

would’ve been higher if it werent for the last two episodes of the show, but still2gether redeemed it quite a bit.

15. HIStory 2: Crossing The Line

QIU ZIXUAN LKDSJFLDJLJFDKJSLJ CUTE AS FUCK.

16. Where Your Eyes Linger

tHAT OST. AND THE LAST SCENE. I MEAN SHIT SLJFSDKJFLSDJFK.

17. HIStory 2: Right or Wrong

it’s so soft and at first i was so hesitant to watch it with the age gap but it was surprisingly like really healthy? and like the mom with the fruit knife?

18. Love By Chance

IM SORRY I PUT THIS SO LOW its just that klano and tumtar were not my cup of tea and i watched it mostly for aepete only for them to be apart at the end of season 1. I like season 2 but this time i only have tincan...

19. Gameboys

okay i was going to put this way higher because ITS SO FUCKING GOOD LITERALLY but then again i felt more impressed/attached to the ones above... BUT LITERALLY PEARL AND CAIREEL ARE JUST SDLSJDFSKDFL THE BEST.

20. Sotus

If i could put multiple shows in one rank i would but ive decided not too cuz then there would only be 6 ranks with 10 shows in each one... that’s why sotus is so low TT SORRY I LOVE IT BUT I LOVE OTHER SHOWS A LITTLE MORE.

21. 2Moons2

it was enjoyable. I didn’t like the main couple much tho.

22. Red Wine In The Dark Night

omg this movie i really liked it especially the ending it was really symbolic and i really like slight-horror type things. also FLUKE !!!! a KING of acting.

23. Transit Girls

SOFT WLW.

24. My Engineer

don’t get me wrong i love this show BUT it’s yet another engineering concept and i just don’t see it going above the other dramas...

25. Why R U

the plot was messy but the chemistry between the actors saved the entire show.

26. TharnType

I KNOW ITS LOW DONT KILL ME the plot was good but i don’t like how lhong was painted as a misunderstood little boi like HE IS A CRIMINAL DONT GIVE HIM A REDEMPTION ARC AND DONT TRY TO MAKE ME PITY HIM. also the non-con was uncomfy as hell.

27. A Round Trip To Love

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY AND SYMBOLISM ON GOD ISLJFDLJD. i don’t see this movie as like... an example of a healthy relationship... but the story itself is really interesting and the way the characters change yet stay the same is cool.

28. The Shipper

i enjoyed watching it but i dont think i could rewatch it. it was good nonetheless, i don’t regret watching it at all.

29. Together With Me

it’s good. but the side plots/side couples were not it. yihwa is a queen tho.

30. Ingredients

SOOOOO CUTE LSKJFDKJJF. but the plot is kinda nonexistent but IT DOESNT MATTER CUZ ITS CUTE AND FLUFFY AND UWU AND JEFF.

31. The Effect

this show gave me depression but damn the theme was so real. 

32. Guardian

everything was going great until the jin ling dude got a girlfriend and the end happened.

33. History 3: Make Our Days Count

i was spoiled for the ending and it ruined my watching experience TT

34. YYY

i love it

35. Addicted

It was my first bl drama and i really liked it but again the non-con/kidnapping thing makes me uncomfy. also IT WAS DISCONTINUED IM SO SAD SLKDJFLSKJDFKSJD IT ENDED ON A CLIFFHANGER THEN WAS CANCELLED TT

36. Make It Right

fuse took too long to break up with his gf honestly oasflsajdfaldj bUT FRAME AND BOOK.

37. My Gear And Your Gown

CUTE but its another engineering x medical student trope and it’s still airing so i dont have too much of an opinion on it.

38. Pearl Next Door

its still airing (only 2 eps are out as of the time im writing this) and istg if pearlex isnt endgame im suing.

39. Friend Zone

first season was good but season two is gripping me by the throat. 

40. Because Of You 2020

CUTE

41. The Lover

i only watched the bl cuts but they were cute

42. Lovesick

season one was great but season 2 was too long i skipped so much of it lmao.

43. Puppy Honey

ngl i only watched it for offgun lmao. season one was good and i watched the hets too but season 2 was when i only watched the offgun scenes lmao

44. En Of Love

tossara was my fave cuz they cute and healthy. 

45. As If You Whisper

it was so short but so nice TT.

46. I’m Tee, Me Too 

still airing... kinda pointless?

47. 2 Moons

the acting... oof

48. My Dream

it started out so promising but THE FUCKING ENDING WAS LKSDJFLKS

49. Kiss + Kiss Me Again

I only watched the petekao scenes lmao.

50. History 1: Away From Me

cutee

51. History 1: Obsession

interesting? 

52. HIStory 1: My Hero

fine

53. My Day

i dropped it... tell me if i should get back into it cuz i kinda just wasn’t feeling it.

54. Lily Fever

cute wlw but it made no sense?

55. Hotel Stars

sorta dry lmao

56. The Best Twins

i dropped it but thor was epic

57. Reminders

PERTH’S ACTING KSJLFDJL but like what was the point? idk it was kinda frustrating.

58. 2Wish

i honestly don’t even remember what happened lmao

59. The Moment; I Need You

i just couldn’t when the guy faked an od. other than that it was eh. second season was better than the first (idk if it counts as a season tho cuz its so short)

60. Waterboyy (series)

DISGUSTING I HATE IT SO MUCH ITS TERRIBLE FUCK THIS SHOW I DESPISE IT

[pumpkinpaix]

hi again! previous anon here, just remembered a question. there's something that's been nagging at me about the show's lan parents storyline — LXC tells WWX that story about his parents and it seems like it's meant as a parallel for LWJ and WWX. But the Lan parents thing sounded like a super toxic/unhealthy relationship? like their mom was literally being kept against her will... maybe i'm just missing the nuance for the parallel? would love to hear your thoughts on this!

(ask con’t, sorry it’s long) i’ve just gotten out of a bad relationship not too long ago and gets really leery of cdramas portraying control as love (ie one love interest preventing the other from leaving, or clear power imbalances as with period dramas). i really don’t think that’s what’s happening here but got kind of uncomfortable too at the “i want to bring someone back to gusu/hide them away” line LWJ had earlier. might you have an alternate interpretation? i’m almost sure i’m misreading!

So a couple things first: thank you so much for asking me this question because my thoughts about the untamed/mdzs have been so much and turbulent that having a specific thing to focus on is really helpful, AND it’s also really flattering that you think I??? would have worthwhile thoughts???? about this really complicated thing.

Second: I want to make sure to say that no matter how strongly I feel about my interpretation, no matter how long I spend composing this response, you are not obligated to change how you feel. If that line still bothers you, it still bothers you. Our experiences are different! And it’s okay! That being said, haha, buckle up I guess, because WOW do I have a lot of things to say.

Spoilers up through episode 43, obviously, with allusions to the novel. I will try to keep any details about things that happen post-43 vague.

Let’s begin with this moment:

“Was he right to do this?” || “I don’t know.”

[id: image 1 is a screenshot of lan xichen asking “was he right to do this” and image 2 is a screenshot of wei wuxian responding “i don’t know” from episode 43 of the untamed /end id]

I think we need to think about how to answer this question before we can answer your question: how can we interpret the relationship between lan wangji and lan xichen’s parents? Was it moral? Was it okay? Was it right? This is clearly a question that lan xichen has been wrestling with his whole life. And from this scene, I think that he’s made his peace with the fact that it’s always going to be a question for him, not because the inherent morality is unclear, but because of the emotional subjectivity he’s always going to hold for it. He doesn’t expect wei wuxian to have an answer because he doesn’t have an answer himself.

Something that I remember from the novel that doesn’t make it into this scene, though, is what wei wuxian says after lan xichen asks, “can you understand why my father acted this way?” and he nods, is the explanation he gives: he hated the person who had murdered his mentor, but he also loved her so much he couldn’t bear to see her destroyed. Unable to live with himself, he married her, swore to protect her, and then imprisoned her for the rest of her life. Tormented by his contradictions, he then locked himself away as well. lan xichen agrees.

lan wangji and lan xichen were raised without their parents—largely, they were raised by their upright uncle, who, due to his brother’s behavior, took up the responsibilities of sect leader and parent at the same time. (It’s really no wonder that lan qiren has such a vicious dislike for wei wuxian: he loves lan wangji so much, and he’s so afraid to watch the child he raised repeat history. Beyond that, I think it’s pretty safe to say that lan qiren probably harbors not insignificant resentment towards his brother for the harm he did to both his children and to lan qiren himself.) Lan qiren is not married and as far as we know, never has any romantic entanglements after he begins raising the lan brothers. So where does that leave lan wangji and lan xichen in terms of models for romance? All they have is the fraught relationship between their parents. 

lan wangji is not good with words. He expresses himself primarily through action, which we see time and time again. When lan wangji says to lan xichen, “there’s someone I want to take back to the cloud recesses. take them back and hide them away,” I think he’s trying to explain (with words) his feelings for wei wuxian in the only way he knows how: by making a reference to the only romantic relationship to which he and lan xichen were firsthand witnesses. lan xichen canonically understands wangji better than pretty much everyone: he sees straight through him at Biling lake when he invites wei wuxian and jiang cheng along to hunt the water spirits because he knows lan wangji wants wei wuxian to come. He asks if he wants loquats even when wangji refuses them. So when lan wangji says that, lan xichen first repeats the statement carefully to make sure he understands what’s at stake, and then he says something very crucial: “you only fear that he isn’t willing”.

I think this says a lot— specifically, that both lan xichen and lan wangji understand firsthand the pain their father caused and what exactly was wrong about it. I think what lan wangji is saying between the lines is, “I’m in love with someone. I want to take them home with me. I want to hide them away from the world to protect them. I fear this makes me like our father, whose love led him to do such terrible things to our mother, and by extension, to us and our uncle. I can’t repeat his mistakes.” And lan xichen, understanding all of that, gets to the heart of lan wangji’s inner conflict: wei wuxian is not willing, and lan wangji refuses to follow in his father’s footsteps, no matter how tormented he feels about the person he loves, no matter how much he wants to.

Every time lan wangji tries and fails to get wei wuxian to return with him to gusu, it’s with the intention of trying to help him, trying to protect him from the other sects, trying to pull him back before he does something unforgivable, much like his father’s motivations for bringing his mother back to gusu (“he swore that this was his beloved wife and that anyone who wished to hurt her [for her crimes] would have to go through him”), but unlike his father, lan wangji never forces wei wuxian to do anything. He never keeps him locked up, never forcibly kidnaps him. Not only that, but lan wangji is also willing to fight wei wuxian when he believes that wei wuxian is doing something inadmissible: heis the only one to stand against his initial forays into demonic cultivation, and physically confronts him on the roof at the nightless city. Would he have actually followed through on killing him, had things gone differently? Maybe, maybe not, but at the very least, it shows that he, unlike his father, was willing to try to destroy the person he loved when he crossed the line.

Anon, you’re right that there’s a parallel between the lan parents and wangxian, but I think the key is how they parallel each other. Lan wangji doesn’t repeat his father’s mistakes. When he finally does bring wei wuxian back to gusu and hide him away to protect him, wei wuxian is not there against his will, and, I think also importantly, lan wangji is with him. It’s no accident that lan wangji’s residence is the jingshi, the place his mother was imprisoned for his whole life, and it’s no accident that he brings wei wuxian there. But lan wangji doesn’t lock him there and abandon him like his father did with his mother: he’s there with him the whole time. Lan wangji, when all is said and done, is finally ready to stand by wei wuxian in spite of everything he did, unlike his father, who couldn’t do so with his wife: couldn’t destroy her, couldn’t stand with her. lan wangji makes his choice. “I regretted that I couldn’t stand with you at the nightless city.” The parallel is one that emphasizes contrast in spite of similarity.

All this ties vaguely into bigger themes present within the story, particularly the tensions between freedom/restriction and parents/children. These are like, two whole other essays haha, so I won’t get too deep into the weeds (unless you or anyone else wants to ask me!!! bc, anon, believe me, I would BE WILLING!!!) but:

1. lan wangji and wei wuxian are fundamentally very similar people, even if their personalities are not. They have incredibly strong moral compasses and want nothing more than to be righteous and to live with clear consciences about their choices. The difference is in how they go about that. wei wuxian chafes under rules, breaks them when he finds them unjust or unimportant, and thinks that he doesn’t deserve to be punished. When lan wangji finds that his moral compass conflicts with the rules he chooses to live by, he prioritizes his own sense of justice, much like wei wuxian, but he also accepts the punishments that are given to him without complaint. wei wuxian cherishes freedom over all while lan wangji lives under strict regulation, but the point is that they both take it too far. wei wuxian is righteous to the point of arrogance, flaunts his peers’ judgments and warnings to his eventual downfall. lan wangji, after doing what he thinks is right, allows himself to be punished without protest so severely he’s bedridden and imprisoned for three years. I would say neither of these approaches is… ideal, and I think that’s part of why wangxian feels so profound. They temper each other’s worst weaknesses. (rereading this, i’m not sure i’m 100% behind everything I just said lol, but again, an essay for another time)

2. Like lan wangji is paralleled with his father, wei wuxian is paralleled with his mother, zangse-sanren: free-spirited, mischievous, and ultimately meeting a tragic end for the choices she made out of that desire for freedom. He too is able to eventually escape his mother’s fate, just as lan wangji escapes his father’s. The parallels between parent and child are strong for almost all the mains, though not all of them manage to free themselves and achieve some measure of happiness, and this in itself relates to the even bigger questions of what matters more: your heritage, or your actions? Your heritage, or your upbringing? What can you do to avoid making the same mistakes as your predecessors?

I’ve already talked about this wrt wei wuxian and lan wangji, but the same goes for characters like jiang cheng, jin zixuan, wen qing, wen ning, mianmian, jin guangyao, su she, nie huaisang, jin ling, lan sizhui, ouyang zizhen, xiao xingchen, song lan, xue yang etc. like the list is endless. Part of why mdzs/the untamed is so heartwrenching is watching history repeat itself while the protagonists, who are also acutely aware, are nearly powerless to stop it. The juniors end up being the breaking from all that: willing to defy their parents, make their own decisions about right and wrong, recognize that a person’s actions should speak louder than the rumors that run on their account.

tl;dr: the lan parents’ relationship is toxic and hurtful to everyone around them. wangxian absolutely parallels it, but in a way that highlights how they differ from their predecessors, tying into larger thematic issues of the story.

eek that was almost 2k words yikes!! I hope my enthusiastic rambling helped you see that “take them back, hide them away” line in a different light haha, but I want to say again: you’re not obligated to take my interpretation as fact, and you also don’t have to think everything about wangxian is perfect to still like it. We all consume and like imperfect stories! I totally get your feelings on weird power dynamics/inequalities in relationships because… it’s abusive? it’s terrible? It hurts to see?? esp given what you said about your own experience, like yeah, for sure!!! but for me? when lan wangji says, “I want to take someone back to the cloud recesses—take them back, hide them away”, it reads as a really powerful, self-aware expression of what it means for someone like him to fall in love.

EDIT 16 APR 2020: I find myself only agreeing with ~85% of this after many months of reflection. /o\ *hides face* leaving it as-is because it’s what I wrote at the time, but! you know. I have changed some of my views.

[giraffeter]

**The Untamed Episode 43 Spoilers**

Lan Xichen: He didn’t say anything, but I knew the pain and confusion in his heart, exactly what he felt for our mother.

Lan Xichen: [pulls out his flute and begins to play it]

Wei Wuxian’s internal monologue: Oh OK, I guess this is the part of every conversation with a Lan where they abruptly stop talking and play an instrument at you

[flannelshirtandjeans]

Oh I’ve been meaning to say this but as an emetophobe who watched The Untamed, to anyone who might want to watch it and struggles with emetophobia:

BE WARNED!!! I have timestamps for the actual puke scenes I remember under the cut with some mild spoilery descriptions. Feel free to add, or request me to add any if anyone remembers more!

characters often, and I mean OFTEN, spit up blood. This is sometimes just literally spitting it, and sometimes looks/feels more like puking it up. I was personally mostly not bothered by it, but there were a couple of scenes where I liked it Less - I’ll timestamp one of these below  as well, I don’t remember where the second one that bothered me personally happens at all. This is never really explained afaik but I figured that it’s related to like. I guess using too much of your spiritual power, or running out of it!

In any case, I won’t timestamp all of those because I’d be here for like. days. See if they bother you and see if they feel bad. xD

There are, from the top of my head, three, four(?) scenes where actual puking happens, or is threatening to happen, but I’ll mark down any more if I find and remember any. spoilers for these ahoy (longer text can be skipped but I’m writing notes anyway) Oh and. timestamps are based on the Netflix bar:

Episode 6 [about 5:20 to 5:26 or 27] - characters fake the need to puke, running away hands on mouth and making distressed noises. Just in case the imagery upsets people still and bc it’s possible to miss the first time what’s actually happening (I did): in the Cloud Recesses when Wei WuXian, Nie Huaisang, and Jiang Cheng have been drinking and are interrupted. After Lan WangJi turns away to refuse Wei WuXian’s invitation to sit down and talk, Nie Huaisang and Lan WangJi run out hands over their mouths and making distressed noises.

Episode 13 [36:19 to 36:30] after Wei WuXian says “I’ll take mine off”, Lan WangJi turns, and spits up blood. Direct visual & audio more reminiscent of puking than most of the milder blood spitting scenes. Wei WuXian is tending to Lan WangJi’s wounds and thinks to himself that they need to get the spoiled blood out before applying medicine - when I first saw this, I thought he meant from the leg which was the bit that was actually hurt, but he then proceeded to tease Lan WangJi until he puked up the blood so. Safe to say I was startled and didn’t expect that.

Episode 14 [9:22 to 9:26] AND [10:08 to 10:18] This entire sequence is pretty gross, but these are the only times Wei WuXian actually comes close to puking instead of just covering his nose and looking disgusted - you can see him struggling to keep it down and can only hear a small sound in the first one. Be careful nevertheless! After Lan WangJi asks Wei WuXian how it is, WeiWuXian answers that Lan WangJi is lucky that he is not there because the smell might make him vomit - at which point the scene cuts from Lan WangJi’s face to a little clip of Wei WuXian mildly gagging. The second scene is right after Wei WuXian finds the standing corpses.

Episode 40 during the paperman heist: [the entire scene from [28:25] forwards features Qin Su fighting not to puke and clearly sick to her stomach a lot of the time (more clearly feeling sick than actually heaving tho) - it’s a long scene, and pretty interesting. The heaving/gagging bits are these, real quickly and loosely: [28:25-28:43] gagging a little, coughing; [31:08-31:30] after she asks “how could you?” - almost throwing up, some gagging noises.

Epidode 41 [9:49 to 10:01] VISUAL AND AUDIO OF A DRUNK GUARD PUKING. RED ALERT RED ALERT. This scene has a pretty obvious lead-up to it, you will be able to tell when it’s coming up - the guard drinks from a jar, staggers to the railing, and the rest is history. This was the worst scene for me personally, because of both the direct visual and sounds.

[frizzyanya]

The Untamed Episode 43, My Commentary!

Spoilers below! THERE WERE BUNNIES!!!! and I attempted to sort the Twin Jades into Hogwarts houses, not sure if I got that right, but it made sense at the time. Anyway, enjoy!

I still can’t get over that the do gooder Lans keep an instruction manual on how to murder people through music, just casually on a shelf in the library’s basement. Like, you do you, but I’d have thought it’d be a better idea to burn that ish.

At the end of last episode, LXC was like LWJ you can trust your guy, I will trust mine. Now that they’ve seen the page ripped out LXC is just like well shit, 10 points to Gryffindor for LWJ being right, and -10 points to Hufflepuff for me being very very wrong. Damn it. (I thought long and hard about what houses to put them in for about 45 seconds. Feel free to correct me.)

Oh wait no! He’s so Hufflepuff and trusting/loyal to his friend that he’d straight up rather test the demon music on himself than believe the worst in JGY!

That’s precious.

He’s an idiot. 

But a likeable one. <3 

Flashback to LWJ/Jin standoff over the Wens (WILL I GET TO SEE A GLIMPSE OF MY POOR LATE LOVE, WEN QING?) and his “You are not qualified to talk to me.” GOOD GOD.

I love the man WWX turned LWJ into. It’s a thing of beauty to behold.

More realistically, do we get to see A Yuan here…? DOES WWX GET TO KNOW??

Okay not yet.

Poor LWJ. Ouch.

Ohhhh and now we’re getting the backstory on his childhood. LWJ has some serious heartbreak, poor baby.

AWWW LWJ JUST CAME UP TO THEM ALMOST SMILING CARRYING EMPEROR’S SMILE I CAN’T but like boy you don’t even know what you just walked into, now WWX knows alllll about your trauma and probably just fell more in love with you omg

Aaaaand yes! We’re being reminded of the OTHER demon flute guy. I’d wondered about that.

Okay so our protagonists just had a heart to heart and then LWJ just started playing their song for WWX while WWX gave him the sexiest bedroom eyes of all time. (Xiao Zhan’s beauty is Way Too Fucking Much tbh.) Like what?!?!? Can we just get one kiss here?!? Just one!! Like you can fade to black, no need for anything explicit. The censors probably won’t notice, right? Right?!?! Plus, I’m not even IN China! Can’t they have an uncensored version for the rest of us, and a censored version for them?? (Which we would obviously share illegally, but I digress.)

Wow okay that scene was powerful and left me Feeling Things.

Stop playing Wu Ji. It’s just not fair, you’re taunting me!!!

Just kidding. Never stop. It should be on the soundtrack of every other show I watch too. It’s on my 2020 playlist. It’s great. But it’s making me feel so AHHHHHH

Lmao so LWJ may have changed a lot, but WWX certainly hasn’t. They’re supposed to be sitting in silence focusing or meditating or something and WWX jerked awake from having fallen asleep. Wow.

He almost fell onto LWJ’s shoulder okaaaaayyyyy.

WHAT IS JGY DOING HERE

IS HE SUPPOSED TO BE?

IS HE GOING TO DO SOMETHING BAD

LIKE THE MOTHERFUCKING BAD GUY THAT HE IS

You are not allowed to try and search Cloud Recesses, sorry brosky

JGY is saying things that are all wrong (of course, since he’s a demon and knows the truth) and WWX looks like he’s going to start backtalking under his breath. DO NOT DO THAT.

Okay he held it in, phew!

Bunniiiieeeessss!

Tbh the best part of this show.

Like I’m going to die right now?? LWJ is holding a bunny and WWX is petting/scratching it, and I’m supposed to be okay right now while watching this?? Do the creators know what this is doing to me?? Are they trying to singlehandedly make me melt??

Because like the bunnies alone would be heart eyes emoji.

Them playing with a bunny together? Death, death I tell you!

Somebody made the comment that way back when with A Yuan in the market, you get to see the moment LWJ realizes that he wants kids, that he loves bonding with WWX’s kid. 

This scene I feel like we get to watch LWJ realize that he wants kids NOW and that seeing WWX with a bunny is giving him the most paternal feelings of just like We are going to raise a child, and I am going to love that child, and see you love that child, and it’s going to make everything right in the world, let’s have a baby NOW. Oh also he looks like he wants to jump WWX in this animalistic, sexy way. Like okay bunny this was fun but gtfo I’m going to pounce on him and do all of the dirtiest things to him right this second.

Oh Good Heavens. 

Oh dear sweet baby Jesus.

They’re leaving Cloud Recesses and the bunnies are following them like LWJ is some sort of Gay Superhero Snow White who they love so much and want to follow on his adventures. Like Giselle from Enchanted, where they follow her even when she doesn’t plan it or want it. The bunnies just love LWJ so much!

Bye bye bunnies!

Mianmian!

An ally!