#tianbao manhua

[garden-of-mythology-and-fate-go]

This is going to be a very niche question, but if anyone here has happened to read/watch Tianbao Fuyao Lu (Legend of Exorcism) and play Trails in the Sky (Kiseki), do you think Ah Tai and Oliver are very similar? Or is is just me?

Like, they both have similar designs, play similar instruments, both are shameless flirts, both are very competent when they get serious, both are secretly princes…

(Official artwork from the comics and Yume no Kiseki)

[unforth]

Danmei and Baihe C Novels and Manhua Officially Licensed in English

Things are getting licensed fast enough that keeping a list like this up-to-date is basically impossible, but I saw someone asking in the tags so I figured I'd try. All titles are danmei unless otherwise noted (very little baihe is licensed so far). I've included Chinese titles, but sometimes publishers change the original titles so much that I can't track them down, apologies. I've hit the link limit on this post so I've had to remove NovelUpdate links, but they're still in the version of this post on Wordpress. Note that Taiwanese titles are not included on this list.

This is everything I know of as of December 11, 2024. There might be more. I tried. Resources used to compile this list: Danmeinews.com; this Carrd, last updated in March 2023; this other carrd last updated October 23 2024; list of danmei with official licenses on NovelUpdates; a similar list on Goodreads; danmei-specific list on Reddit that to my eye looks accurate for the larger publishers but isn't thorough for some of the smaller ones.

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Seven Seas:

The full list of danmei novels licensed by Seven Seas is here. The full list of danmei manhua licensed by Seven Seas is here.

These titles are in various stages of publication, from "entire series released" to "license literally announced less than a week ago." As far as I know, all Seven Seas titles are available world-wide, through major distributors and libraries, and in e-book and print formats. Seven Seas translation quality varies but the editing is general strong and the editions are sturdy and nice. Note that Seven Seas isn't without controversy, especially for treating their contractors poorly resulting in them unionizing. Some people have also been unhappy with the fidelity of their translations compared to the original Chinese (I've been satisfied personally but ymmv).

Mo Xiang Tong Xiu titles:

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System (Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong)

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi)

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (Mo Dao Zu Shi) manhua

Heaven Official's Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu)

Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat titles:

Case File Compendium (Bing an Ben)

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (Erha he Ta de Bai Mao Shizun)

Remnants of Filth (Yuwu)

Meng Xi Shi titles:

Thousand Autumns (Qian Qiu)

Peerless (Wushuang)

priest titles:

Guardian (Zhenhun)

Silent Reading (Modu)

Stars of Chaos (Sha Po Lang)

Fei Tian Ye Xiang titles:

Astrolabe Rebirth (Xing Pan Chongqi), written under the pen name Arise Zhang

Dinghai Fusheng Records (Dinghai Fusheng Lu)

Dinghai Fusheng Records (Dinghai Fusheng Lu) manhua

Joyful Reunion (Xiang Jian Huan)

Legend of Exorcism (Tianbao Fuyao Lu)

Mu Su Li titles:

Copper Coins (Tong Qian Kan Shi)

The Unseen Immortal of Three Hundred Years (Bujian Shang Xian San Bai Nian)

Lv Ye Qian He titles:

The White Cat’s Divine Scratching Post (Shenmu Nao Bujin)

The Wife Comes First (Qi Wei Shang)

Other titles:

After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine (Canji Zhanshen Jia Wo Wei Qie Hou) by Liu Gou Hua

Ballad of Sword and Wine (Qiang Jin Jiu) by Tang Jiuqing

BAIHE: The Beauty’s Blade (Meiren Jian) by Feng Ren Zuo Zhu

The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish (Canji Baojun de Zhangxin Yu Chong) by Xue Shan Fei Hu

I Ship My Rival x Me (Wo Kele Duijia x Wo de CP) manhua by PEPA

HET: Love Between Fairy and Devil (Cang Lan Jue) by Jiu Lu Fei Xiang

Mistakenly Saving the Villain (Lun Jiu Cuo Fanpai de Xiachang) by Feng Yu Nie

My Husband and I Sleep in a Coffin (Wo he Laogong Shui Guancai) by Wu Shui Bu Du

Run Wild (Saye) by Wu Zhe

There’s Something Wrong with the Chief (Du Zhu You Bing) by Yang Su

Thrice Married to Salted Fish (San Jia Xianyu) by Bi Ka Bi

The Villain’s White Halo (Fanpai Baihua Guanghuan) by Hao Da Yi Juan Wei Sheng Zhi

You’ve Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post (Fei Ge Jiao You Xu Jin Shen) by Blackegg

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Rosmei:

Rosmei licenses are Singapore distribution rights only. There is a list of international partners organizing group orders here. I've personally placed my orders through Yiggybean, as discussed in reply to this ask. Most of these titles are only being released as print editions, tho titles that weren't originally on JJWXC (of which there are several here) WILL have e-book editions. My first book from Rosmei arrived, and I found the translation and editing to be very strong. I can't speak to how accurate it may be to the Chinese original, but it read smoothly and had very few errors. Overall, though they've made some mistakes, they've been communicative and responsive.

Huai Shang titles:

Breaking Through the Clouds (Po Yun)

Hunt for the Leviathan (Po Yun 2 Tun Hai)

Ning Yuan titles:

BAIHE: At the World's Mercy

BAIHE (I think???) The Creator's Grace

priest titles:

Coins of Destiny (Liu Yao)

The Defectives (Can Ci Pin)

Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire (Lie Huo Jiao Chou)

Other titles:

Albert, from Earth (Aerbote Laizi Diqiu) by Jie Mo Jun

Art Thou Ailing? (Jun You Ji Fou) by Ru Shi Wo Wen)

The Bat (Bian Fu) by Feng Nong

Beyond the Snowstorm: A Windborne Love (Wo Cheng Feng Xue) by Qi Wu Gou

Don't You Like Me (Ni Shi Bushi Xihuan Wo) by Lv Tian Yi

The Earth is Online (Diqiu Shangxian) by Mo Chen Huan

Everyone Loves the Cannon Fodder (Chuan Cheng Wan Ren Mi de Paohui Zhuma) by Qie Zai Shan Yang

Global Examination (Qianqiu Gao Kao) by Mu Su Li

Gold Class Enforcers (Jinpai Dashou) by Pao Pao Xue Er

How to Survive as a Villain (Chuanyue Cheng Fanpai Yao Ruhe Huming) by Yi Yi Yi Yi

Kaleidoscope of Death (Siwang Wanhuatong) by Xi Zi Xu

The Killer of Killers (Sha Qing) by Wu Yi

Love at First Thaw (Wang Chun Bing) by Fu Li

Nan Chan by Tang Jiuqing

Obsessed (Ki Ma) by Wu Chen Shui

Tailhook (O Gou) by La Rive Gauche

Tales of Zijin Temple (Zijin Si Ye Hua) by Yun Tun Tun

Wine and Gun (Jiu yu Qiang) by Mengye Mengye

You're Too OP! (Nimen Nansheng Da Youxi Hao Lihai O~) by Yi Xiu Luo

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Peach Flower House:

Unfortunately, Peach Flower House has gone out of business. Peach Flower House titles were primarily for sale through their website and through some distributors, such as Amazon.com. Whether titles are e-book only, print only, or both varied by title. In my opinion, Peach Flower House has inconsistent inconsistent editing quality, but the books are very readable.

Da Feng Gua Guo:

The Imperial Uncle (Huang Shu)

Peach Blossom Debt (Taohua Zhai)

Other Titles:

Golden Terrace (Huang Jin Tai) by Cang Wu Bin Bai

In the Dark (Zai Hei An Zhong) by Jin Shisi Chai

Little Mushroom (Xiao Mogu) by Shisi

University of the Underworld (Yinjian Daxue) by Ziloi

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Via Lactea:

The partial list of danmei novels licensed by Via Lactea is here, but there are titles I've seen them selling that aren't on this list.

Via Lactea titles are primarily for sale through their website and through some distributors, such as Amazon.com. All titles are either print-only or e-book + print. Only a handful have actually been released, the rest are licensed and presumably in progress. I've now read three titles published by Via Lactea and while the translations are decent I could wish the editing was more consistent. Everything reads as if it would have been improved by one more thorough proof read.

Jing Shui Bian Titles:

Salad Days (Jing Jiu)

Silent Hearts (Mo Mai)

Qing Lv Titles:

Painting Against the Natural Grain (Huahua Ben Shi Ni Tian Er Xing) by Qing Lv

Raising Myself in 2006 by Qing Lv

Other Titles:

Apocalypse (Quanqiu Jinhua Hou Wo Zhan Zai Shiwulian Dingduan) by Qi Liu

As I've Told You Before by Sheng Jiang Tai Lang

Dawning (Liming Zhihou) by ICE

Embrace You Till the End of the game by Hu Yu La Jiao

Euthanasia (Anlesi) by Feng Su Jun

The Fall of Summer (Ting Shuo Ni Hen Nan Zhui) by Jue Chu

Falling (Luo Chi) by Yu Cheng

I Can't and I Won't (Zhen Bu Xing, Zhen Bu Ke) by Yan Gui Kang

Psycho (Feng Zi) by Xiao Yao Zi

Limerence (Wo Xichen Ni Nan Pengyou Henjiule) by Jiang Zi Bei

Lingering Game (Chanmian Youxi) by Tao Bai Bai

Lip and Sword (Chun Qiang) by Jin Shisi Chai

May I Touch Your Spirit? by Qing Mei Jiang

The Missing Piece (Maoheshenli) by Kun Yi Wei Lou

The Omega Who Wants His Baby Back by Yao Yao Yi Yan

Rose and Renaissance (Wo Zhi Xihuan Ni de Renshe [Yule Quan]) by Zhi Chu

Killing Show (Sha Lu Xiu) by Fox

Soul Vibration (Linghun Saodong) by Dr.solo

To Rule in a Turbulent World (Luan Shi Wei Wang) by Gu Xuerou (pen name of Fei Tian Ye Xiang)

A Tyrant's Cover-up Plan by A Ci Gu Niang

Was I a Scummy Bottom? by Cheng Zi Yu

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Aloha Comics:

A tiny, Hawaii-based press focusing on manhua. Titles are available through major retailers such as Amazon and Bookshop.org. I've purchased one of these titles - Nirvana in Fire - and was please with the quality despite a couple minor errors.

All these titles are manhua!

Day Off by Qing Cai

Heaven Official's Blessing Animation Manhua by Bilibili and Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (this is a manhua made based on the donghua, using donghua art)

Here U Are by DJUN

Link Click by Li Haoling and Haoliners (not technically danmei!)

Nirvana in Fire (Lang Ya Bang) by Hai Yan (not technically danmei!)

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Monogatari Novels:

Monogatari Novels is based in Spain. These titles can also be ordered from at least some major retailers. Note that there has been some controversy about Monogatari Novels. I'm personally not ordering these works until more information is available.

Due to a lawsuit between Monogatari Novels and BLoved Publishing, How to Survive as a Villain and The Legendary Master's Wife are currently on hold.

BAIHE: A Clear and Muddy Loss of Love (Jing Wei Qing Shang) by Please Don't Laugh

BAIHE: Female General and Eldest Princess (NuJiangjun he Zhang Gongzhu) by Please Don't Laugh

How to Survive as a Villain (Chuan Yue Cheng Fanpai Yao Ru He Huo Ming) manhua by Yi Yi Yi Yi

The Legendary Master's Wife (Chuanshuo Zhi Zhu de Furen) by Yin Ya

The Silent Concubine (Ya Nu) by Qiang Tang

BAIHE: Soulmate manhua by Wenzhi Lizi

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BLoved Publishing:

ngl I can't figure out exactly what is up with this, and there seems to be some controversy related to them and their relationship with Monogatari Novels. Their website is depressingly low on details. However, this list is for completeness, so here we are.

Due to a lawsuit between Monogatari Novels and BLoved Publishing, How to Survive as a Villain and The Legendary Master's Wife are currently on hold.

How to Survive as a Villain (Chuan Yue Cheng Fanpai Yao Ru He Huo Ming) manhua by Yi Yi Yi Yi

The Legendary Master's Wife (Chuanshuo Zhi Zhu de Furen) by Yin Ya

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Chaleuria:

As far as I can tell, Chaleuria has not updated their webpage since April 2023, so the current status of in-progress titles is unknown. All titles are digital and/or e-book, and I'm not sure how to purchase them as I haven't tried.

The Complete Guide to the Use and Care of a Personal Assistant (Zhuli Shiyong Zhinan) by Why Radiance

Deep in the Act (Ru Xi) by Tongzi

Fake Slackers (Wei Zhuang Xue Zha) by Mu Gua Huang (no longer available)

From Body to Love (Leng Yan E Nan: Xian Shenhou Ai) by Wan Wan Yi Xia

Interstellar Power Couple (Xingji Qiangli Lianyin) by Kun Cheng Xiongmao (no longer available)

Intoxicated Friends (Zui Qing Zhi Pengyou) by Ye Shu Ying

The Long Chase for the President's Spouse (Zongcai Zhui Fu Lu Manman) by Three Thousand Crow Language

No Money No Divorce (Mei Qian Lihun) by Shou Chu

Reborn into a Hamster for 233 Days (Chong Shengcheng Cangshu de 233 Tian) by Yi Shu

Records of the Dragon Follower (Cong Long Ji) by Yueren Ge

Urban Tales of Demons and Spirits (Dushi Yaogui Lu) by Qie Er

World Hopping: Avenge Our Love (Ni Wufa Yuliao de Fenshou, Wo Du Neng Gei Ni Song Shang) by Xiaomao Bu Ai Jiao (no longer available)

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Webnovel:

When I first made this list, I heard that Webnovel had a few titles but couldn't actually find them - but now I've found them, thanks to a list someone else put together. I'm including direct links to them, since I had so much trouble finding them at all.

Comrade: Almost a Cat-astrophic Love Story (Jintian ye Yao Nuli Dang Zhimao) by Demonic Fire (link)

My Boyfriend is a Dragon (Nanpiao Shi Tiaolong) by Chubby Strawberry Sauce (link)

The National Sweetheart Livestreamer is a Pro! (Quanmin Zhubo Shi Duiba) by Mo Shang Wang (link)

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Honorable Mentions:

There are a handful of titles I know of that are official translations of C Novels. These are not books with contextual queerness, but for folks with an interest in Chinese history and culture, they are worth checking out anyway, especially because understanding these stories can help understand the above books. Also, some have active shipping fandoms (for example, I've written for Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Daomu Biji). I've included two above under the entry for titles from Aloha Comics (Link Click and Nirvana in Fire) and here are a couple others I currently know of:

Dream of the Red Chamber (Hong Lou Meng) by Cao Xueqin, available in translation for free from Project Gutenberg

The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles (Daomu Biji) by Nanpai Sanshu (six volumes are available in English from Things Asian Press)

Journey to the West (Xiyou Ji) by Wu Cheng-en, in four volumes from University of Chicago Press

The Legend of the Condor Heroes (She Diao Yingxiong Chuan) by Jin Yong, in four volumes from St. Martin’s Press

Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo Yanyi), attributed to Luo Guanzhong, available in translations for free from Archive.org

The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants (Zonglie Xiayi Chuan), attributed to Shi Yukun, available in translation for free from Archive.org

Water Margin (Shuihu Zhuan) by Shi Nai’an, from Tuttle Publishing

RESOURCE: List of Chinese speculative fiction in English translation

RESOURCE: More Chinese speculative fiction in English translation

I will add to the "Honorable Mentions" list if I find any other more mainstream titles with official translations.

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Rumored Licenses:

Sometimes, I hear rumors about titles being licensed before the license is announced - and thus before we know which publisher has licensed them (assuming the rumor is even true). I thought I should note these somewhere. Titles I know of rumors about currently are:

A Certain Someone (Moumou) by Mu Su Li

Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know (Mozun Ye Xiang Zhidao) by Cyan Wings (a Spanish edition of this has been formally announced, which might account for the rumor)

The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua (Chenghua Shisi Nian) by Meng Xi Shi

Guide on How to Fail at Online Dating (Wanglian Fanche Zhinan) by Jiang Zi Bei

Immortal Koi is Going to Debut (Jinli Daxian Yao Chudao) by Mo Xi Ke

Mist (Bowu) by Wei Feng Ji Xu

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A handful of other licenses are mentioned on the Carrd I linked at the beginning of this post; I have no idea the status of those titles and wasn't able to find information on them while putting together this post other than what was listed on that Carrd, so I've omitted them.

Now go forth, and buy some books!

[kukuandkookie]

WOOOO yes hello I am just as excited!!! 😳 🙌 💕

Definitely really looking forward to this one because I’ve always felt like it’d be a feast for the eyes, but Li Haoling has also proven with his older work that he has an abundance of cool, pretty unique ideas, and even recently proving with Link Click and Ringing Fate that he can tell a good story with pretty strong emotional beats. 👀

I can’t say for sure I know more about this one than some fans, mostly because I’m a bit behind on some of the promotional info due to it being mostly in Japanese on this side of the Internet—as Bilibili has been pretty quiet about it on its western social media accounts. But that seems to be just how the donghua industry can be lol. They only occasionally release tidbits when they have something to share, and info on plots can be scarce, and info on release dates even scarcer—like I think Aniplex and Crunchyroll are the ones that revealed it will release in April 2025. x’D

That being said, I do have some stuff about it that might be new info to some people!:

When we all first heard of it, most of us assumed it would have a connection with two of Li Haoling’s earlier donghua (also co-produced with Japan), To Be Hero and To Be Heroine.

But even from the first trailer, my assumption was that the connection will be in name only—or that at most, we’ll maybe see a reference/cameo/Easter egg from these other two similarly titled series SKFSJJS. The former is known for being kind of crude, while the latter is known for being kind of chaotic at points. But both had some solid animation, and the latter also interestingly had a Japanese and Chinese combo for just the Japanese dub?? (it’s technically a transmigration story and the new world is in Japanese while the real world is in Chinese. Some anime fans find it jarring, but I think it’s a neat experiment). Iirc though, the Japanese version of To Be Heroine did kind of butcher it by splicing it up weirdly, but the Chinese original is quite hard to find outside of China??

Anyway, the reason I think the connection is in name only is both because we haven’t seen any sign of a tie-in in the promotional material for To Be Hero X, but also because it seems to be a “proper” and “dignified” animated series with its own set world-building and rules that don’t really intersect with its predecessors. Specifically, said predecessors were known for their slightly more indie but also bawdy presentation, as both kind of…focused on underwear (?) a bit more.

That probably sounds really weird ALDJSKDJ, so to try and explain a bit: in To Be Hero, the main character gains superpowers that turns him “unattractive,” and he himself is kind of vulgar and to top it off, he even befriends a perverted older man KSDGFJSD, while in To Be Heroine X, the main character enters a world where there are near-naked superpowered babies and her different articles of clothing can turn into warriors if not on her body.

…Yeah, okay, maybe explaining only made it weirder. 😂

But now you may see what I mean about To Be Hero X appearing to have its own self-contained lore! Not that To Be Hero or To Be Heroine were ever even that closely connected either ahaha. Maybe the connection here is just that Li Haoling likes exploring the concept of superpowers and how that can affect humanity, both in terms of the population and our humanity as people??

Speaking of To Be Hero X’s lore though, I can talk a bit about the premise!:

I got this information a while back and it is in my donghua recommendations list, but we also did get a new tidbit from the OP uploaded by Aniplex. 👁️

So in To Be Hero X, superheroes obviously exist, but only via trust. The more trust you have, the more powerful you are (and what I read back when the first trailer came out was that trust points are displayed on one’s wrist, but I’m not sure if this still applies), and it also means that if you lose the people’s trust, you will lose your powers. And the strongest one of all is the titular X, with his ability to change reality at the snap of a finger. And now the Aniplex trailers have led to me finding out that apparently a tournament—perhaps a bit similar to the one in Ringing Fate—is also held every two years to determine the rankings of top heroes, so I assume the donghua itself will follow one such tournament or something similar as we see heroes perhaps try to challenge X’s spot. That, and some character-driven stories about humanity in general, because that seems to be what Li Haoling likes to explore. 😆

And speaking of exploring…

X’s superpower is evidently a great reason for the really cool blend of both 2D and 3D animation!! 🔥

I’ve seen people claim it’s obviously received influence from Into the Spider-verse and even Arcane (which did work closely with China, it seems), and while I can’t confirm it, I can potentially see it. There does seem to be a rising trend in experimental 3D, which is very fun to see—and while I’ve enjoyed more hyperrealistic CGI donghua too, in Shaonian Ge Xing, The Island of Siliang, The Young Brewmaster’s Adventure, Ling Cage, Slay the Gods, etc, I do really like the experimental ones like Rescue Eternal Desert, No Doubt in Us, Chen He Ti Tong, and You Yao!

So speaking of animation, the studios we know are involved are:

Studio LAN—already famous for Link Click but also an old household favourite for their work with Li Haoling’s studio Haoliners, including some of my favourites like Beryl and Sapphire:

And I guess as this photo from their office showcases, they really do work so closely with Li Haoling, as this banner features quite a lot of his studio (Haoliners)’s donghua, including Beryl and Sapphire. 😳

Paper Plane Animation Studio—which I think have only worked on a few projects, but they may be doing a lot of the 3D CGI scenes, since they’re most famous for this League of Legends short:

Pb Animation Co., Ltd—another one with not quite as many works under their belt, but a bit more than Paper Plane. They’re listed as having been the driving force for Daily Life of the Immortal King season 2 and 3, but also for Light Catcher, one of my favourite donghua shorts of all time that is meant to showcase the beauty and growth of donghua overall—and with a 白鲨JAWS song too!!:

If the above video shows anything, it’s that we can obviously see a pretty solid blend of animation styles too, so that should contribute nicely to To Be Hero X!

And oh boy, putting all these together, I do in fact see the pattern of how we’re probably also in good hands action-wise, as all of these donghua studios have done some form of “superpower-based action donghua”—although I guess a lot of donghua in general place an emphasis on strong action sequences. 😆

For To Be Hero X specifically, we can also see the behind-the-scenes locations and distributions of work in this video from Aniplex:

Speaking of Aniplex, they’ve definitely been more active in promoting it on western social media lol. I do have the social media links in my donghua recs list, but I’ll leave them here too for anyone who wants it:

Official Chinese Twitter account

Official Weibo account

Official Japanese Twitter account

Li Haoling’s official Twitter account

As you can see from the Chinese Twitter account, it’s mostly done promotional and celebratory artworks for like…holidays and stuff, which does seem to be how donghua prefer to promote their stuff?? That’s why we see new illustrations every major Chinese holiday, yet the Twitter account isn’t nearly as active as the Japanese Twitter account in posting actual introductions to the characters and voice actors ALDJDKS.

The info on Chinese VAs does seem to often be delegated to Chinese social media mostly, as seen by Hoyoverse games like Genshin Impact. x’D

Hell, Crunchyroll has such a bad habit of completely snubbing and/or forgetting to promote the Chinese originals of donghua they have—like how Aiyou’s Secret Room aka X&Y was only promoted on Crunchyroll Brazil or All Saints Street is only promoted in Japanese because of Crunchyroll’s ties to Aniplex and Sony... Tian Guan Ci Fu is the luckiest odd one out, but a lot of its marketing on Crunchyroll still focuses solely on its English dub. So the fact they have To Be Hero X and now Mo Dao Zu Shi too, we may soon see more ignoring of Chinese VAs even in official material because they have the Japanese dubs (at least Mo Dao Zu Shi’s Chinese cast is already well-established!) otl.

Apologies to rant a bit there, but with that out of the way, I’m petty about Chinese VAs not getting enough attention—to the point it is technically a pet peeve of mine for them to be completely ignored; although, in my defense, sometimes the ignoring does stem from sinophobia or ignorance (eg those not realizing a donghua is a donghua, especially with anime looks and Japanese voice acting)!—and since I can be the one who shares their Chinese voices...let’s do it! This is for them, but also for everyone who wants to appreciate the Chinese VAs to have easier access to this info. 💪

My information on who the Chinese VAs are comes from this Weibo post, at least for the 10 characters we know most about right now—the top 10 heroes in To Be Hero X, both in people’s trust of them and power:

10. Nice (奈斯 (Nài sī))—VA: Gu Jiangshan: character song PV on YouTube, character song PV on Bilibili

Other notable roles by Gu Jiangshan (谷江山), as confirmed via Baidu:

Yuan Yang in Beloved Enemy aka Tit for Tat

Huiyu aka Raven in Beryl and Sapphire

Jin Zixuan in the Mo Dao Zu Shi donghua

Xia Mingxing aka Jesse in Light and Night

Wangquan Baye in Fox Spirit Matchmaker

9. Hundian (魂电)—VA: Yang Kaiqi: character song PV on YouTube, character song PV on Bilibili

Other notable roles by Yang Kaiqi (杨凯祺), as confirmed via Baidu:

Geely Shrimp and Lamb Paomo in The Tale of Food

Elysium in the Chinese dub of Arknights (lmao you know what, I always struggle to find the Arknights Chinese version and this video is titled “I won’t allow anyone to have not heard the Chinese voice acting for Elysium!!!!!!!!!!” and I’m just like, “You go girl (gender-neutral); what a mood” DGJDSD)

8. A-Hu (阿虎) (literally the diminutive prefix “A-” plus “Tiger”*)—VA: Zhang Fuzheng: character song PV on YouTube*, character song PV on Bilibili

Other notable roles by Zhang Fuzheng (张福正), as confirmed via Baidu:

Xue Yang in the Mo Dao Zu Shi donghua

Sikong Changfeng in The Young Brewmaster’s Adventure

Diting in You Shou Yan aka Fabulous Beasts

Jayce in the Chinese dub of Arcane

*I explained his name since I think official English content will just translate it as “Hu” (or his Japanese name) without the “A-” in front… Oh and I’m crying lmao; Aniplex YouTube forgot to add A-Hu to their To Be Hero X playlist so it took me a bit longer to find it KSDHGDS

7. Xingyu Qing (幸运青) (literally Lucky Green/Blue)—VA: Zhang Shuang: character song PV on YouTube, character song PV on Bilibili

Other notable roles by Zhang Shuang (赵爽), as confirmed via Baidu:

Xiaoyao Xinghe in Wo Jia Dashixiong Naozi You Keng (if not sure which girl she plays, it’s the one with blue hair!)

Sapphire (female form) and Flax in Beryl and Sapphire

Dongfang Qinlan in Fox Spirit Matchmaker

6. Loli (罗莉)—VA: Qian Cheng: character song PV on YouTube, character song PV on Bilibili

Other notable roles by Qian Cheng (钱琛), as confirmed via Baidu:

Furina in Genshin Impact

Robin in Honkai Star Rail

Bu Suantian in Wo Jia Dashixiong Naozi You Keng

Little Spirit (Xiao Jingling) in Beryl and Sapphire

5. Xiao Qiang (小强)—VA: Jinli (Koi): character song PV on YouTube, character song PV on Bilibili

Other notable roles by Jinli (锦鲤), as confirmed via Baidu:

Kong Hongjun in Tianbao Fuyao Lu, both the donghua and audio drama

Lyney and Freminet in Genshin Impact

Lan Sizhui (voice only) in The Untamed (for those who don’t know, cdrama roles can get re-dubbed by not the actor for a variety of reasons, such as vibe, accent, and/or background noises because many dramas film in the same giant area at the same time)

Yue Zhishi in Lovely Allergen

4. Mosha (默杀) (literally “silent kill”)—VA: Chang Wentao: character song PV on YouTube, character song PV on Bilibili

Other notable roles by Chang Wentao (常文涛), as confirmed via Baidu:

Jin Chenyu in Inferior by Nature (goes officially in English by The Selfish Gene on MaoEr FM, but that’s confusing because the author has another novel that translates more accurately into The Selfish Gene—anyway, I recommend this audio drama a lot!!! If anyone’s unclear, Jin Chenyu is the arrogant-sounding guy who shows up partway through, gets called “Gege” by the little boy, is eventually yelled at by the little boy to leave, and laughs at the little boy, aka his brother lol)

*Sadly a lot of his roles do not seem big enough so far for fans to have clipped them, so I only have this one sample!

3. Lianglong (梁龙)—VA: Chenzhang Taikang: character song PV on YouTube, character song PV on Bilibili

Other notable roles by Chenzhang Taikang (陈张太康), as confirmed via Baidu:

Lan Sizhui in the Mo Dao Zu Shi donghua

Hua Cheng in the Tian Guan Ci Fu audio drama

Xiao Xingchen (voice only) in The Untamed (same deal as with Jinli for cdrama voice dubbing)

Lin Yutong in Don’t Say You Love Me (yes, I subbed this clip lmao. No, this role of his isn’t actually on his Baidu page, but I’m biased because I enjoy this manhua/vomic so I’m including it anyway hehe)

Wei Yanzi in I Ship My Rival x Me (Bilibili version here)

Gong Changsheng in Wo Jia Dashixiong Naozi You Keng

Jiaoqiu in Honkai Star Rail

*Sorry for adding way more roles in here than necessary lmfao. But again, I am (very) biased here!!! He may be most famous for Lan Sizhui and Hua Cheng and Jiaoqiu and arguably even Xiao Xingchen, but I love him—and first fell for his voice acting—for Wei Yanzi, Lin Yutong, and Gong Changsheng ehehe. 🥺

2. Queen/Nüwang (女王)—VA: Liu Xiaoyu: character song PV on YouTube, character song PV on Bilibili

Other notable roles by Liu Xiaoyu (刘校妤), as confirmed via Baidu:

Tushan Susu and Tushan Honghong in Fox Spirit Matchmaker

Kang Jinlong in Black Myth: Wukong

Caitlyn and Jinx (see second half of the video; the first half is Jinx’s voice in the League of Legends game) in the Chinese dub of Arcane

1. X—VA: Wei Chao: character song PV on YouTube, character song PV on Bilibili*

*This song was one of the first things to come out of this donghua, so it is out there and it is definitely catchy!!

Other notable roles by Wei Chao (魏超), as confirmed via Baidu:

Lan Wangji in the Mo Dao Zu Shi audio drama

Wangquan Fugui and Wang Fugui in Fox Spirit Matchmaker

Qiongxiong in Tianbao Fuyao Lu, both the donghua and audio drama

Wang Jiexi in The King’s Avatar

*Fun fact: I didn’t list all of them, but while checking everyone’s Baidu pages, I found a surprisingly high amount of Fox Spirit Matchmaker. 👀

I would playfully suggest you take a guess/make an assumption as to the number, but you may spot the answer down below lol. And well, it is definitely a very long donghua with a giant cast, but I was still taken by surprise! Because 8/10 of the top 10 heroes in To Be Hero X also share a voice with Fox Spirit Matchmaker characters!! 😆

Anyway, I think that’s everything I know—and everything I’ve learned while writing this post!!

I hope it was insightful, and I’m sorry for how long it is...! Of course, I could put it under “read more,” but also...I spent so long on this (to the point I discovered a Tumblr limit to providing external links before the draft would stop saving lmfao oops) and I’d love for everyone to know more about this donghua, especially of the Chinese VAs, so...I’m going to be obnoxious and leave it as KSLDGJDSH,,, double sorry!! 🙈

You know what, I might actually turn this into a post for my donghua blog, which I haven’t updated in foreeeeeever ahaha. But yes, I hope this was worth the wait!! ^^

OMG OMG THIS LOOKS SO GOOD

The animation is smooth as fuck and that switching from 3D to 2D and back again??? Holy shit. And the colors! This looks so good, and most of all the guy is so hot 😳

So excited for this donghua aaaah

[wantmangojuice]

more unhinged gushing over tianbao fuyao lu / legend of exorcism

Tianbao Fuyao Lu is amazing, Kong Hongjun x Li Jinglong might just be my favorite couple ever, and the official English translation cannot come soon enough.

So I got cover-artbaited into reading this, managed to finish the entire thing through the power of MTL, and now I am just a puddle of awe. (And to be honest, also a puddle of some confusion, because MTL is so not conducive to fully understanding a plot-heavy story, but hey. *shrug*)

I love love love Li Jinglong. He tries so hard, so hard bless him, and he's just so earnest. I like that his character takes the archetypal "cool, smart and hyper-competent gong", rips it to pieces, and then builds it back up. So far, of the danmei novels I've read, he might just be the most insecure gong I've seen, which most of the time he manages to cover up well enough, and yet sometimes that mask slips.

How many times is this guy gonna be on the verge of death. How many times. He's just some mortal guy. Please have mercy on him.

Also, I appreciate that he and Hongjun had that sexuality conversation, where Jinglong says that he was 13 or 14 years old when he realized he was into guys. And I sympathized with his backstory where his sexuality was used as one more way to dirty his reputation. Somebody give this man a hug. (Hongjun's on it!)

Kong Hongjun's growth from a naive sheltered teenager to someone who can take a stand, not only as an Exorcism Department member but also as the Yao King, was also wonderful to watch.

Kong Hongjun x Li Jinglong is great. It's so great. They get together early-ish (like ch70-80 out of a 220+ chapter novel) so we see them develop feelings for each other, we see them go through the "everyone can see it except for the MC"-stage of obliviousness, and we see how they work together as a couple afterwards. The whole love story spectrum.

I love that Kong Hongjun x Li Jinglong love each other so much, are utterly devoted to each other, and yet there are differences between them that they possibly will never be able to fully resolve. From the start, they were destined to be on opposite sides, and by the end it could be said that they still kind of are, but they manage it.

Genuinely such a sweet couple. They are just so incredibly fond of each other. I'm not always the biggest fan of the "surprise! they actually knew each other as kids and fell in love back then" twist that's present in so many danmei, but here it (1) works, and (2) is actually very important for Plot Reasons.

Such an epic battle couple, truly.

The best romance is where one person puts together the shattered pieces of the other's soul.

The friendships among the Exorcism Department members were cute! I ended up getting fond of nearly every single protagonist-side character we have. (I say "nearly" because I never really warmed up to Zhao Zilong after his betrayal, and my view of him lowered further when he later on had the gall to point out that Li Jinglong never saw him as family. Like, are you sure you're in any position to speak about that? Wanna look in a mirror to see a department member who failed to treat others as family, huh?) Yeah, I'm still Not Happy with him.

OTOH, it took me a while to care for the side couple Mo Rigen x Lu Xu, which was kind of frustrating because I enjoyed them as individual characters. It wasn't until book 4, when they were working together to take care of Hongjun and Jinglong, did I start to warm up to them, in a "Okay, so you*can* work together as a team after all" way. (And even after that I wasn't really too big fan.)

I need! A complete adaptation (manhua, animation, live-action, whatever works) of this because I wanna see the action!! The battles sound so epic that it's a shame we never see them in any other medium. Forever sad at the manhua and donghua's discontinuance. :(

I cannot wait to have the official English translations so that I can read this all over again.

[booksandboba]

Book Releases in 2025

(Last Updated: 12.23.2024)

January

(7) Immortal, Sue Lynn Tan (novel)

(7) Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu, Volume 3, Tang Jiu Qing (light novel)

(14) Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang, Volume 5, Priest (light novel)

(14) Spy x Family, Volume 13, Tatsuya Endo (graphic novels, manga)

(14) Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 13, Kamome Shirahama (graphic novels, manga)

(21) Dinghai Fusheng Records, Volume 2, Fei Tian Ye Xiang, Qian Er Bai, LV FEI (comic, manhua)

(21) The Remarried Empress, Volume 9, SUMPUL, HereLee (comics, unscrolled web comics)

February

(TBA) Pet Shop of Horrors: Collector's Edition, Volume 1, Matsuri Amino (graphic novels, omnibus, manga)

(TBA) Legend of Exorcism: Tianbao Fuyao Lu, Volume 1, Arise Zhang (light novel)

(4) Remnants of Filth: Yuwu, Volume 6, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (light novel)

(11) Case File Compendium: Bing An Ben, Volume 4, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (light novel)

(18) Peerless, Volume 3, Meng Xi Shi (light novel)

(25) Legend of Exorcism, Volume 1, Fei Tian Ye Xiang (light novel)

(25) Father, I Don't Want This Marriage, Volume 2, Hong Heesu, Roal, Yuri (comics, unscrolled web comics)

March

(4) The Undoing of Violet Claybourne, Emily Critchley (novel)

(25) The Ayakashi Hunter's Tainted Bride, Volume 1, Mamenosuke Fujimaru, Midori Yuma (manga, graphic novels)

April

(1) My Happy Marriage, Volume 5, Akumi Agitoki, Rito Kohsaka, Tsukiho Tsukioka (manga, graphic novels)

(22) KinnPorsche, Volume 3, Daemi (light novel)

May

(TBA) Love Between Fairy and Devil, Volume 1, Jiu Lu Fei Xiang (light novel)

(20) Dinghai Fusheng Records, Volume 1, Fei Tian Ye Xiang (light novel)

June

(TBA) Joyful Reunion, Volume 1, Fei Tian Ye Xiang (light novel)

July

(3) Immortal the Blood, Molly X. Chang (novel)

August

September

October

November

December

[minsarasarahair]

But the first volume is not out yet?? Tianbao Fuyao Lu already have beautiful doghua and now pretty cover!

I wish they put their 3 friends in the cover someday but oh well, Danmei tend to not focus on supporting characters. I want to see how they looked like. I'm so used seeing their friends with them in the donghua and manhua.

[shandian-go]

Hi Mel! Will you be doing a GO for Tianbao Fuyao Lu physical manhua vol 1???

I'll add it to my list!

[rinledraws]

I am twelve (12) chapters into the Tianbao Fuyao Lu manhua, and I already love each and every single one of these buffoons.

[potnialabyrinthoio95]

I suggest you to read the cnovels by Fei Tian Ye Xiang: he's a great writer and his works have well-written characters and plots and its settings are often based on different historical periods of China.

These are his best titles:

-"To rule in a turbulent world" is a standalone and it has been licensed in English by Via Lactea Ltd.

-"Twin jades of Jiangdong" is a standalone and it has been fully translated in English by the fangroup Chickengege.org (one has to get a password from their Discord group in order to read their translations

-"Exorcism" series: it's composed, in chronological order, by the titles "Dinghai fusheng records", "Tianbao fuyao lu", "Post training notice: National first-class exorcist" and "Record of all things". "Dinghai fusheng records" and "Tianbao fuyao lu" are historical fantasy set, respectively, in the Eastern Jin dynasty during the 4th century AD and in the Tang dynasty in the 8th AD and they have been recently licensed in English by Seven Seas but it's still possible to find fantranslations in English online, thought they aren't the best. "Post training notice: National first-class exorcist" is a urban fantasy set in modern day China and it can be read in English on Chickengege.org and "Record of all things" is its sequel and its fantranslation is ongoing and made by Asianovel.

-"Star officials" series: it's composed, in chronological order, by the titles "Shan you mu xi", "Yingnu", "Let go of that shou" and "Joyful reunion". They're all wuxia stories with intricated political plots. "Shan you mu xi" is the first in the timeline as its setting is inspired by the late Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, thought it was written last, and its English translation is ongoing by Chickengege.org. "Yingnu"'s translation can be found on Chickengege.org but it's incomplete and I don't know when it should be continued. "Let go of that shou" has been fully translated in English by Lazy Girl Translations. "Joyful reunion" has been licensed by Seven Seas so the author of the fantranslation, Foxghost, retired it and left only the extras online, thought it's still possible to find the first hundred chapters online so you can see if you like it and thus if buying the official English edition is worth.

Since you liked "Thousand autumns" by Meng Xi Shi, I think you would like its sequel "Wushuang". Despite having been translated in English by Seven Seas with the title "Peerless", it's still possible to read online the English fantranslation throught Wushuang carrd.

If you're interested in novels from other countries, comics, mangas, manhuas and manhwas too, I think I could suggest you some titles that a fan of MXTX would like. :)

IT’S MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!!! 🎉🎉🎉

As such, I have a few new announcements:

Send me your favorite cnovels that you’ve read, and of the ones that fit my tastes, I’ll pick one to liveblog along with a liveblog of one of my personal favs of y'all's choice. Danmei, baihe, josei, doesn’t matter! (I really, really need new books 😭)

There is a partial embargo on discussions surrounding these characters: Mu Qing and Shen Jiu. Any asks, notes, or reblogs I receive about these characters meant to spark debate may be ignored until December 1. Good faith discussions have a chance to be engaged. Possibly.

The complete embargo on discussions surrounding the character Jiang Cheng has been extended. Any asks, notes, or reblogs I receive that have anything to do with this character may be summarily ignored until December 1.

[laparosdivinos]

Tu'er Shen / Hu Tianbao - O Deus Láparo

Vamos falar um pouquinho sobre Hu Tianbao / Tu'er Shen?

Um dos poucos deuses gays de fato. O único que vi até agora que ascendeu por ser morto por amar outro homem. Vítima da homofobia dos seus tempos, Hu Tianbao retorna como patrono do amor homossexual.

Eu particularmente gosto de fazer oferendas a este Deus quando presto homenagens a todos os mortos e ancestrais LGBTs, mas também quando quero comemorar o amor homoafetivo.

No caso dos ancestrais, pode ser interessante remeter a esse Deus em datas fúnebres como as de referência ao "Holocausto Gay" e outros tristes eventos de morte e martírio de LGBTs. Hu Tianbao passou por isso, ele entende a dor desses espíritos. Ele encontrou a iluminação mesmo após esse martírio e pode ajudar essas almas a se encontrar também.

Já no amor, o vejo como um Deus que traz fertilidade (que não é só ter filhos), companheirismo, romance, paixão, prosperidade e lealdade no casamento homoafetivo. Aos solteiros, o vejo como alguém que pode ajudar a encontrar um bom parceiro, não só pra cama, mas pra vida.

Essa é a diferença de conhecermos deuses com o qual nos identificamos de formas mais imediatas: a ligação, o Religare ideal para as religiões.

DICAS:

- BUSQUEM O CURTA METRAGEM "THE KISS OF THE RABBIT GOD" EM SITES COMO O FILMESGAYS. É uma obra linda sobre aceitação da própria homossexualidade e da espiritualidade da homotheosis.

- BUSQUEM O LIVRO/ANIME/DORAMA/MANHUA "MO DAO ZU SHI" ou "THE UNTAMED". A simbologia dos coelhos de Tu'er Shen são aplicadas ao taoismo numa história de ação e aventura com protagonistas declaradamente homoafetivos. Não é a toa que é minha franquia favorita. O Dorama é mais censurado, mas ainda é bom. Está na NETFLIX. O Anime completo e traduzido está no site Mo dao zu shi Brasil. O Livro em português (o melhor e totalmente sem censura) pode ser comprado pelo site da editora NEW POP no Brasil.

- O Deus também faz uma aparição na série American Gods (Terceira Temporada).

MPORTANTE: Este pequeno texto foi escrito antes de me aprofundar e montar meu altar pessoal só para este Deus. Hoje, muito mais há para dizer neste espaço, contudo, ainda há muito o que pesquisar. Hoje Tu'er Shen é um dos principais deuses que cultuo, e um dos que tenho mais querido no meu coração. Então, hoje minhas práticas relacionadas a ele tem sido bem além do que relatei acima.

Ao que me parece, Hu Tianbao não é um Deus tão novo quanto os escritos do Yuan Mei em seu "O que o Mestre não discutiria". Hu Tianbao já tinha culto estabelecido naquela época e tenho a impressão de que pode se tratar de um Deus bem mais antigo e cultuado em muitos locais da ásia. O nome que o relaciona a coelhos (tuzi) Tu'er Shen, parece ter sido usado pelo escritor de forma pejorativa ou como zombaria, uma vez que chamavam homens gays de coelhos de forma irônica e preconceituosa. Entretanto, tal qual o Cervo, nós gays pagãos nos sentimos honrados por recebermos nomes em relações com animais. Sobretudo com animais tão versáteis, belos, ágeis e inteligentes como os coelhos e as lebres.

Fico devendo textos e estudos mais aprofundados sobre O Mestre (Da Ye) no futuro, mas para tal preciso de mais estudos e tempo de conexão. O que posso dizer é que O Mestre é um deus calmo, acolhedor, de poucas palavras, resoluto, paciente, versátil, belo, humilde, sábio e bem rígido quando algo deve ser feito. E, vale dizer, uma de suas principais características (ao meu ver) é como este Deus é complexo e misterioso. Até os materiais de estudo sobre ele são escassos e de acesso restrito na web. Por isso mesmo preciso de mais acessos, tempo e prática nos estudos para escrever algo com alguma propriedade.

BÔNUS - História do Deus segundo Yuan Mei + Artes Lindas que eu amo: (Crédito aos artistas):

[unforth]

Chinese BL novels that I know of that have been adapted into animated or live actions shows

I just wrote this up in Discord, might as well post it here.

by priest:

Tian Ya Ke (Faraway Wanderers) (live action adaptation: Word of Honor - on Netflix)

Zhenhun (Guardian) (live action adaptation, same name)

Can Ci Pin (The Defective) (animated adaptation, same name) (I haven't read or seen it yet)

Lie Huo Jiao Chou (Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire) (animated adaptation, same name) (I haven't read or seen it yet)

Mo Du (Silent Reading) (live action adaptation: Justice in the Dark, was pulled after 8 episodes aired due to censorship, I only managed to see one episode before it disappeared)

Sha Po Lang (Stars of Chaos) (live action adaptation: Winner is King, filmed but never aired due to censorship) (I haven't read it yet)

by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Mo Dao Zu Shi (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) (animated adaptation, same name; live action adaptation: The Untamed - LA is on Netflix)

Tian Guan Ci Fu (Heaven Official's Blessing) (animated adaptation, same name - on Netflix; live action adaptation: Eternal Faith, filmed but never aired due to censorship)

Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Scum Villain's Self-Saving System) (animated adaptation: Scum System)

by Meng Xi Shi

Chenghua Shisi Nian (The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua) (live action adaptation: The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty)

Qian Qiu (Thousand Autumns) (animated adaptation: Shanhe Jian Xin)

by Fei Tian Ye Xiang

Tianbao Fuyao Lu (Legend of Exorcism) (animated adaptation, same name - s1 out of 2 is on Netflix) (I haven't read the book yet, but I've read the manhua)

Dinghai Fusheng Lu (Dinghai Fusheng Records (animated adaptation, same name) (I haven't watched it yet)

by Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat

Erha he Ta de Baimao Shizun (The Husky and His White Cat Shizun) (live action adaptation: Hao Yi Xing, filmed but never aired due to censorship)

That's everything I can think of right now.

[whitedeerxu]

Li Jinglong & Hongjun 🔥🖤

[unforth]

Okiedokie as requested brief synopses for things to watch next.

In all of these, the named characters are the main ship. All of these are canon m/m in the source material, and all have happy endings in the source material (but not always in the adaptations!) Most are also available in English as manhua. Some have official English translations of the books, as well.

Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation/The Untamed: universally beloathed raiser of the dead Wei Wuxian dies to general acclaim but utmost distress of his approx. three friends. About 15 years later he is resurrected the body of a twink everyone hated for being gay. When one of those three friends, Lan Wangji, finds him in this new body, Wei Wuxian decides his best bet to try to avoid detection is to play gay chicken. This does not work as planned. (Note: much angstier than I'm making it sound. Trigger warnings for mcd, graphic violence and gore, and others that don't apply to the animated version. The Untamed is the live-action adaptation.)

Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: "Proud Immortal Demon Way" fandom anti Shen Yuan dies and is transmigrated into the PIDW world, a harem webnovel which he detested (but read all of and writes massive hate-filled comments about)...and specifically he is in the body of the main villain of the early part of the story. Determined to survive, but constrained by The System that docks him points if he acts OOC - and he dies again if he hits zero points - Shen Yuan tries to curry favor with the protagonist Luo Binghe and other characters who might be able to protect him so he doesn't befall the "original flavor's" fate. (Trigger warnings for violence, more for the book.)

Thousand Autumns: a nigh-saintly daoist Shen Qiao loses a fight so badly that he's nearly killed and left blind and with scant cultivation abilities. Worse, he has amnesia! This provides the perfect opening for Yan Wushi, leader of an evil cultivation clan, to try to turn Shen Qiao from the path of righteousness to that of darkness and thereby prove his personal belief that no one is actually good and that wickedness is the true nature of all humans. However, Shen Qiao proves much less biddable than he expects. (Iirc the only tw applicable to the available season is harm to children and starvation, and maybe implied sexual violence.)

Tianbao Fuyao Lu/Legend of Exorcism: young half-demon Kong Hongjun is happy living with his adopted demon dads, until he receives a summons to serve in the Exorcism Department to fight demons in the capital. Thus, he sets out into the mortal world accompanied by a carp demon and goes to join the Department. However, mortals consider all demons to be evil (if they believe they exist at all!) and Li Jinglong - newly appointed young leader of the Department - is a mortal...and the capital is being over run by demons aiming to take over the Empire! (Trigger warnings...not many? That I can think of? I've only seen s1 tho, there are 2 seasons, and I haven't read the book for this one. Note that it's set in the same verse as another series that has 1 season, Dinghai Fusheng Records. I've read the book for that but haven't found a good streaming source for the show so haven't watched it yet. Neither is needed to understand the other, both function as stand alone and take place hundreds of years apart).

Bonus 1: Lie Huo Jiao Chou/Drowning Sorrows in Raging Fire. I'm watching this currently! I haven't read the book yet so I don't know the overall context/premise but what I know so far is: young fire...creature?... Xuan Ji gets duped into running the Aftermath Response Team for the government organization that deals with supernatural incidents. Though he's been told it's not a very active position, he's called to duty almost immediately to deal with what appears to be a minor encounter between some hikers and a sentient tree...but turns out to have been the partial summoning of a demon Sheng Lingyuan. But who IS Sheng Lingyuan, and what will he do when his summoning is complete? (Tw it's kinda dark overall - lots of dead random people - but nothing specific in the half-dozen episodes I've watched so far.)

Bonus 2: Can Ci Pin/The Defective. I haven't watched or read it yet but now that I have Crunchyroll it's up next. All I know is that it's science fiction and the main ship is Lu Bixing x ...shit, uh, Lin something? Lin Jinsheng? Something like that. I know the ship name is Lulin. 🤣 and the one surnamed Lin has a twin sister.

Bonus 3: Dinghai Fusheng Records: I haven't found the donghua streaming yet but I've read the book and comic and I know s1 exists. Assuming it follows the book, the premise is that the last exorcist in the world, bearer of the Heart Lamp Chen Xing leaves the mountain where his adopted father (now deceased) raised him and goes into the world to seek his true protector, the person who will stand by him and fight to make sure that evil doesn't win while Chen Xing tries to bring magic back into the world so there can be exorcists again. And he finds him! Except Xiang Shu isn't the shining perfect warrior he expects...he's in jail, nearly starved to death, in a city about to fall in a siege...oh, and he hates Chen Xing. (Trigger warnings for the early parts...mostly violence? Depending how far it gets, death of a child.)

Bonus 4: Tian Ya Ke, adapted to live action as Word of Honor: not available as a donghua. Word of Honor is a loose live-action adaptation of Tian Ya Ke/Faraway Wanderers. Zhou Zishu has led the Window of Heaven, a spy/assassination organization, for the emperor for years, but he's lost everyone he cares about and he wants out so he impales himself with nails that will kill him within three years and forces the Emperor to let him leave. Wandering as a drunk hobo afterwards, he catches the eye of Wen Kexing, a mysterious man who has phenomenal but unconventional martial arts in a style even Zhou Zishu can't identify for sure. He's probably up to no good, but that is so NOT Zhou Zishu's problem. But, despite his determination not to get involved, Zhou Zishu ends up netted into the mess, saddled with an orphan he has to escort to safety, and persistently followed by the stubborn, too-slick-for-anyone's-good Wen Kexing. All he wanted was to drink himself to death in a quiet retirement, damn it! (Tw: mcd, graphic violence.)

Bonus 5: Zhenhun/Guardian: another with a live-action only. Zhao Yunlan leads the Special Investigations Department, the government office tasked with dealing with the incursion of human-like creatures with superpowers (they're ghosts in the book. But censorship). During his depts. latest case, investigating a murder on a college campus, he comes across Professor Shen Wei, who seems over-interested and also...oddly familiar? And if that was all, Zhao Yunlan wouldn't pay much mind, but then his next case ends up involving Shen Wei...and his next...and his suspicions grow. Who IS Shen Wei, and why do supernatural things keep happening around him? (TW for the show is mcd, graphic violence, probably others I'm not remembering.)

Bonus 6: Tian Guan Ci Fu/Heaven Official's Blessing: I know the whole point is that you just watched it, but on the off chance this post spreads I figure a synopsis might help people. Pathetic fallen god Xie Lian manages, through his remarkable cultivation, to ascend to godhood for the third time, but in so doing he accidentally destroys two heavenly palaces. Broke but needing to repay the money for what he damaged, he accepts a mission from the Heavenly Emperor to investigate a murderous ghost who targets brides. While doing so, he meets a strange glowing butterfly and a man in red who seems to control it, and many more of them. The other gods tell him this is Hua Cheng, one of the four evilest ghosts in the world. But is Hua Cheng really a force of devastation in the world? And why does Xie Lian think those glowing butterflies are...actually kind of cute? (Tw: nothing major for s1, minor character death I guess? Definitely more for the books.)

Happy watching!!

Ok finished S1 of Heaven Official's Blessing

Really enjoyed it. I think... I kinda get why people jumped on the ships.

Will keep exploring for sure.

[zam81]

[nahid-d]

A-Tai

— Tegla Isai —

[chengsbutterfly]

(Not TGCF related but…)

I don’t think I talk about TBFYL enough. I don’t think we, as a whole, talk about TBFLY enough.