#woh episode 7

[pastelcheckereddreams]

Thinking about Han-tongling's various expressions of being 100% done with diplomacy.  

[dual-domination]

I asked my husband if he wants to go back watching The Blood of Youth (it's his first watch and my rewatch, we stopped at episode 8). Since the only shows he recognizes by name are Word of Honor and The Untamed, he asked:

"Is it the one with the Sword Deity Peacock who lives in the mountain?"

He saw Wei Wuxian calling Jin Zixuan Peacock and now in any show with Cao Yuchen, his character is always Peacock, apparently…

[southasiansource]

toh chhod kyun nahi dete? chhodna hal nahi hai. toh kya hai hal? saath reh kar apna yaar karna. doosre ko apni mohabbat mein giraftaar kar lena, taake woh khud ko aapke hawale kar de.

[Image ID: ten gifs of Wahaj Ali and Yumna Zaidi as Murtasim and Meerab from Tere Bin episode 20. The original Urdu dialogues are in white and yellow, and the subtitles are in blue and green respectively.:

GIF 1: Murtasim covering his injury with his good hand. Meerab reaches out to touch him, laying her hand over his.

GIF 2: Murtasim moving his good hand so he's almost grasping Meerab's.

GIF 3: Meerab looking up from the injury at Murtasim in surprise.

GIF 4: Meerab placing her hand tighter in Murtasim's as she asks him a question. He runs a thumb over her knuckles, dropping his gaze from hers to stare down at their hands together, then nodding slightly. The text reads, "Ek baat poochoon?" and the subtitle reads, "Can I ask you something?"

GIF 5: Meerab looking up at Murtasim as she asks, "Mujhe bachaya kyun tha?" The subtitle reads, "Why did you save me?"

GIF 6: A shot of just their hands. Murtasim is holding Meerab's hand in his injured one, the other running over her bangle, past her wrist before tucking under their joined hands to hold her one hand with both his tightly.

GIF 7: Murtasim watching Meerab with a pained crease between his brows as he says, "Tumhein na bachaata toh khud bhi zinda na reh pata." The subtitle reads, "If I hadn't saved you, I wouldn't have been able to live, either.

GIF 8: Murtasim's hand sliding up and into Meerab's hair, pushing it back from her face as he cradles it. Both of Meerab's hands are balanced around his sling.

GIF 9: A close-up of Meerab, Murtasim's thumb stroking down the side of her face as he cradles her head with one hand.

GIF 10: Murtasim watching Meerab with sincerity, pleading her to understand what he's saying.

/end ID]

[mysteriousboo]

Why I prefer cdramas over kdramas(as an international fan)

kdramas ive watched - business proposal, sweet home, rookie historian goo hae-ryung, mr queen, link: eat, love, kill , the glory , crash landing on you, what's wrong with secretary kim, true beauty, romance is a bonus book, goblin, meow-the secret boy, hometown cha cha cha, see you in my 19th life

cdramas ive watched - the untamed, word of honor, blood of youth, ten miles of peach blossom(i regret watching this one), love between fairy and devil, the starry love, till the end of the moon, put your head on my shoulder, mr honesty, the romance of tiger and rose, love o2o, go go squid!, love and destiny, currently watching back from the brink

1) Cdramas tend to have more developed side characters

ive seen a good variety of kdramas, and i always find the side characters to be lacking! they are often treated as props or only used for comical purposes. meanwhile, in cdramas, they tend to have more personality and are important to the plot as well rather than just being a plot device! (i agree that not all cdramas do it well, but the ones that do leave behind a good impression)

2) Cdramas make the characters interact well

one thing that i have noticed in cdramas is that they make character interactions to be deep and meaningful! personally, i prefer consuming media where both the main characters and side characters stand out, and while it's hard to create something like that, cdramas do it better than kdramas! side characters often don't get enough screen time or are too one-dimensional to make an impact on the viewers! im not saying that kdramas don't do it at all, im saying that a lot of times, it just doesn't hit as hard as in cdramas.

3)The angst hits harder in cdramas!!

now, don't get me wrong, im not saying that kdramas can't be angsty! it's just that a lot of angst in kdramas tends to be more romance related, and as an aroace person, i don't care much for romance and that's why the angst in cdramas(not just romance related) feels and hits way harder! yes, i absolutely adored the angst in the glory freaking loved it! i live for it, but angst in cdramas tends to focus a lot more on familial and platonic relationships, and my lil heart just loves it too much!!

4) kdramas have a lot more filler than cdramas

yes, ik that cdramas are longer, but just hear me out! i have noticed that a lot of times, if you remove a couple of episodes from a kdrama, it makes no impact on the plot whatsoever! or a lot of arcs just feel like they don't deserve as much screen time, and some arcs don't make much sense either after being dragged on for so long!! meanwhile, cdramas are definitely longer, but most of them, if not all of them, are adapted from a webnovel, and that, in general, leads to them being super long! yes, it feels like they are dragging some parts out, but it all seems significant to the plot and is not just filler!

5) relationships between females are better portrayed in cdramas!!

i absolutely adore female friendships or just respectful relationships between females. and cdramas definitely do it better than kdramas! look at li susu and pian ran from TTEOTM or jiele and xiao lan hua from LBFAD or WOH or back from the brink! female connections are better portrayed in cdramas!

6) cdramas tend to be more fantasy focused than kdramas

i enjoy fantasy as a genre a lot, and cdramas tend to be more fantasy based! chinese fantasy is so interesting, and i absolutely adore wuxia/xianxia as a genre! kdramas don't have something similar, and while i adore a lot of historical kdramas, fantasy just hits differently! especially cause there is just so much to explore in chinese fantasy! look at the blood of youth, i had so much fun watching that show. and the fight scenes were so well done!

7) cdramas have beautiful platonic relationships, and i adore the found family arc a lot more in cdaramas

there is definitely a found family arc going on in most of the cdramas ive watched, and i live for it! a lot of time, the characters might not have as much screen time, but they all seem to have depth, and that makes the drama so much fun! yes, kdramas also have found family arcs, but a lot of times, the characters are purely used for comical purposes and have no back stories! they are mostly just used to fill screetime! whether it's the untamed or the starry love, the found family arc would make my heart go so soft cause all those characters have back stories and depth and i am so in love with all of them and even losing one of them can make me go feral and that's exactly why i adore cdramas!!!!!!

shortcomings of cdramas:-

a) the re-dubbing in cdarams- as you all know that China re-dubs their drama, and that can be annoying cause it's always the same va!!

b) the chinese censorship is so strict, and a lot of times, some scenes don't make it into the final cut which can be frustrating or a lot of time even getting past the censorship can be impossible!!

c) i feel that fans seem to be more critical towards cdramas! people behind the scenes put way too much effort so that we can watch their work, but how the drama changes after the censorship is not in their control! they try their best, and adapting novels is not easy!! yet the fans are less understanding towards them! i just wish the audience was a little more understanding!!

d) another problem that's persistent with most cdramas are the poorly translated subtitles! sometimes, the subtitles can be very unclear, or the translation is not accurate at and that can create a disconnect with the international fans in general!!

this is just my opinion! im not saying that cdramas are better than kdramas. i adore them both a lot! im just saying that i PREFER cdramas more! please be understanding and try to be polite when interacting with this post!! that being said, feel free to leave recommendations cause i WILL check em out ;))

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

zhou zishu is genuinely kind of terrifying once he has decided to retaliate

i love wkx so much he is so pretentious and absolutely unaware of how weird he comes off as. its adorable. these moments when he tries to give a grandiose impression like some elegant gentleman, refined yet competent, and it just doesnt land as he thought it would be, are so human. hes so cute

[joylinda-hawks]

Don't chase them. We have to get Cheng Ling out of here. No. I'll tear apart anyone who hurt you. WOH, episode 11, part 7. When PA and EB start attacking ZZS, QS's body is thrown into the room. The women stop and look in that direction. WKX enters with majestic steps. Bloodlust is written on his face. For now, he only sees the women, but when ZCL calls him Uncle Wen, he notices the boy and the exhausted ZZS. This is enough for WKX to wake up to killer mode. WKX takes out a fan and starts attacking, the women take a defensive position. WKX breaks through the defense of the women who jump back, and WKX is immediately by ZZS and ZCL. PA and EB, seeing the fan flying towards them, are surprised, and WKX, supporting ZZS, asks who hurt him. ZCL answers him because ZZS almost collapses in WKX's arms. The boy explains that he was kidnapped and ZZS was wronged by ZCL's kidnappers. WKX looks at the women and ZZS looks at the boy. Both women run away cautiously. WKX wants to go after them but ZZS stops him. ZZS tells him not to chase the women because they have to take the boy away from here. Furious WKX replies that he will tear to pieces anyone who hurts ZZS. Strange moans start coming from outside and ZZS demands that they leave. Walking through the dark forest, silhouettes of people appear between the trees. ZZS, WKX and ZCL run through the forest and around them appear deformed, terrifying silhouettes of people who look monstrous. ZCL holds ZZS by the arm. Soon all three of them come across a large group of these monstrous figures who do not attack them. Terrified ZCL asks what it is. ZZS replies that the boy should not be afraid and WKX tells ZZS to take the boy and leave. ZZS does not answer but takes a step forward. WKX states that if ZZS stays, it is also good. He adds that dying together with ZZS is a great ending. ZZS asks who wants to die with WKX. Suddenly, all three hear a voice saying that in life and death they are always together and adds that it is a moving moment. Among the monstrous people, a new person appears with a pipe in his hands. It is the Scorpion King who majestically jumps down to the ground. He sits on a bench and plays the instruments. He is surrounded by monstrous figures, puppets who serve him. PA and EB approach him. The Scorpion tells WKX that he is glad to see him and apologizes for not greeting him earlier. WKX is irritated, and PA says that those two bastards killed BMJ and maimed QS. The Scorpion tells them that they lost and brought him shame and still come to complain. The women understand that they made a mistake. After a while, Scorpion turns to ZZS, calling him Commander Zhou, and asks him if he intends to introduce his friend to him. WKX, hearing this, looks at Scorpion with contempt and superiority. WKX will do anything to save the boy, and when he discovers that ZZS is also here, he turns on his killer mode. ZZS, knowing that WKX has difficulty controlling his emotions, tries to stop him. The most important thing is the boy's safety. The meeting with Scorpion is not a surprise to ZZS, but WKX is surprised by it. A month before ZZS, Scorpion exposes his identity, but ZZS does not let himself be provoked. Both actors ZZH and GJ played these scenes perfectly, sparingly using emotions in their acting.

[eldritch-bisexual]

Word of Honor episode 7, because I was too sleepy to take notes for 6 yesterday):

-> Nothing is deadlier than a Xianxia shoulder stab wound;

-> "Since the Window of Heaven knows everything, why are you asking me?" BUUUUURRRNNNN

-> "I fear there won't be peace" "Why not?" Shen Shen my boy, you were going around threatening people what do you mean WHY NOT?

-> I'm starting to think the censors were too busy butchering CQL and WOH slipped through the cracks because Wen Kexing's is SO fucking flirty jfc.

-> Oh no. Oh no. I know where this interaction leads. I'm sad in advance.

-> Dad Mode Engaged! That's adorable.

-> Every time I think Wen Kexing can't get any gayer, he says "bet?"

Episode 8: I fucking love the Wen-Gu dynamic

-> HE LOVES HER SO MUCH YOUR HONOR

-> "The most ferocious ghosts tend to disguise themselves as humans" while the camera slowly closes in on his face. Very subtle.

-> It's interesting that they let the height difference stay. It's cute. Makes my boy look even more menacing.

-> Zishu: "One man cannot stop them all" Kexing: "🙄"

-> Why is Wen Kexing so obsessed with him btw?

-> Oh look, vaguely disguised racism! (Not really) (Just shallow rep)

-> HE'S WEARING BRIGHT TEAL AND RED HOW COME YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE THE GUY THAT JUST SAVED YOUR ASS???? You CANNOT tell me that the gauzy veil was THAT concealing.

[llycaons]

hi! ive always wanted to ask because i dont think youve ever mentioned watching this drama before, but have you watched word of honor? and if you did, what did you think of it? i would love to hear your thoughts- good or bad! your criticisms/thoughts are always fun to read <3

hi anon! thank you! I actually found it really hard to get into any other cdrama besides cql. I've watched maybe the first...7 episodes of woh? and I liked the little kid, but the main guys weren't really grabbing me. the one of them was kind of creepy I thought 😭 and then the lust demon (?) was introduced after abducting and sexually harassing this woman and iirc it was treated like a comedic scene/a minor nuisance and I didn't want to keep watching after that. trivializing and making fun of women who are facing sexual violence was one of the nastiest things I'd seen that entire year so I immediately dropped the show and I have zero interest in revising it

also I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt since I know the novel predates mdzs but the marketing was clearly trying to emulate the aesthetics of wx and cql which was not super appealing to me

also wasn't one of the actors involved in a major controversy? it seems like most of the woh fans stopped blogging about it after a while

[katherinevalo]

more SHL/WOH screenshots, this time feat. the iconic veiled hat

1- i'm sorry but the COLOURS! all the blue and yellow/gold, it looks super good

2- more sad wkx looks

3- yep that is what he ACTUALLY said, god i love this show

cue some of my fav zishu outfits

4,6- the veiled hat! a literal crime that he only gets to wear it for two episodes

5- wangwujixian on YT (and by proxy Ren who showed me the fanvid) is responsible for me being obsessed with this scene. BUT I have always loved this outfit on zishu, it's so damn elegant! and the little collar! 🥰✨

7- yk... i don't think i ever paid attention to zhao jing when he was saying this line before because ain't no way that i don't remember... well there is a way my memory is not the best

8- mentioned this in my first rewatch (on discord so you wouldn't know) but during the conference these two perfectly mimic the facial expressions of a first time watcher (shenshen) and a rewatcher (zhao jing); sidenote: i freaking loath this weird cape thing shenshen is wearing

9- shenshen's "grimes up good" period

originally i thought i'd wait till i have more screenshots (yeah idk why either, this is a good amount) but my statistics test is approaching and i may be forced to take a small break from my rewatch ;-;

[remythologise]

word of honor and zhenhun novels were written by the same writer so you might enjoy zhenhun too. zhenhun drama arguably started the whole craze, at least in china, but unlike its successors (the untamed and woh), it suffers from lack of budget so it is not as quality as the other two (except lead acting and soundtrack).

ah yes priest! 🙏 that’s okay I mean I did sit through svsss right after tgcf so I can handle a little budget/style cut! when I was researching woh the other night actually I heard their budget was really low compared to most so even more amazing at how good it looks (ignoring the occasional Four Blurred Guys Crowd Background haha)

[zhongwans]

WORD OF HONOR: PRESENTING THE ROMANCE THROUGH TRADITIONAL WUXIA TROPES.

There is a reason why to the Chinese audience, WenZhou's relationship is indisputably romantic. It's because there are very specific visual cues used to show romance in wuxia, and WOH uses the exact same visual language on WenZhou. These tropes are blatantly recognizable from the wuxia/guzhuang dramas we all grew up watching.

1. Fated meeting in a peach blossom forest.

Although in this case, fate has a name and it is Wen Kexing.

2. Sucking poison from the other's shoulder.

Worth mentioning that in the book, the wound was on Zhou Zishu's arm. The drama deliberately took it up a notch and chose the more tropey version.

3. When the disguise (usually the female lead disguised as a man) is removed, the love interest can't stop staring.

Later on (ep 13) there is a scene where Zhou Zishu is trying on a fake beard that looks exactly like the ones female leads use to disguise themselves.

4. Spinning together in mid-air during a fight, the love interest's hands on the other's waist. Slow motion. Eyes firmly locked together.

Usually male lead saving the female lead. For example, there is a very similar scene between Yang Guo and Xiao Longnv from Condor Heroes. In fact, if you've seen it, you'll recognize similarities between the visual cues used for the two couples.

5. Martial siblings falling in love.

Yes, this is a common thing in wuxia. And no, it is not incest, nor does it make the dynamic any less romantic. What the hell. Martial siblings are often coded as romantic in wuxia, and there are actual examples in the show itself: Wen Kexing's parents were shixiong/shimei and Gao Xiaolian eventually married her shixiong, Deng Kuan.

6. One of them getting kidnapped (usually the female lead) by their sect/family and the love interest swooping in dramatically to save them.

And yes, riding on the same horse.

7. One of them is from an evil/unorthodox sect and it causes problems for the couple. The person is hailed as a villain and the other one challenges all of jianghu to stand by their beloved.

Their confrontation with Ye Baiyi is also a good example: Zhou Zishu defending Wen Kexing despite him being the Ghost Valley Master and choosing to die with him instead letting Ye Baiyi kill him alone. Going against the jianghu is a common trial for lovers in wuxia. Yang Guo and Xiao Longnv went through something similar as well.

8. The male lead fixing the female lead's hair and putting a hairpin on it. Then she looks at her reflection on bronze mirror. This usually happens the morning after the wedding night

This is a very blatant romance trope in guzhuang, so much that I instinctively went "they got married??" when I first saw it. A lot of us were surprised this even made it in. They even had a lingering shot of Zhou Zishu smiling at a bronze mirror!

9. Falling off a cliff together, or one falling and the other jumping in immediately to save them.

WOH gave us both versions. The first one was before they found Senior Long (which also gave us another common trope: the couple spending time in a cave while the other is injured/knocked out) and the cliff scene in the latter episodes where Zhou Zishu jumps in after Wen Kexing.

10. Dual Cultivation to save/heal the other.

Know who else cultivated in a cold place and also ended up as immortal lovers after going through trials and tribulations for each other? Yang Guo and Xiao Longnv again! (Yes, I am a big fan of Condor Heroes) arguably the most famous couple in wuxia. If you've seen the wucai bros reaction series, they all clapped and said "It's just like in Condor Heroes! They are immortal lovers!"

There is honestly a lot more, depending on how detailed you want to get. The point is that it wasn't just the flirting, the hugs, or the poetry. Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu's relationship itself was presented in the visual language of traditional wuxia romance, but this time in a love story between two men. WenZhou was written in the language of love.

[southasiansource]

MURTASIM KHAN + anguished love confessions

[Image ID: seven gifs of Wahaj Ali as Murtasim Khan and Bushra Ansari as Maa Begum from Tere Bin episode 27. They're talking about Meerab. The gifs have both Urdu subtitles and English translations:

GIF 1: Murtasim rejecting his mother's idea of divorcing Meerab, shaking his head as he says, "Nahi, Maa Sahab. Chah ke bhi nahi chhod sakta usko." The translation reads, "No, Mother. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't leave her."

GIF 2: Murtasim firmly telling his mother that, "Woh ek shart toh kya, sau shartein aur bhi laga de, tab bhi nahi chhod sakta" with a slight frown between his brows. The translation reads, "Not just one condition - even if she adds a hundred more, I couldn't leave her even then."

GIF 3: Maa Begum leaning forward in disbelief, shaking her head as she asks, "Itni mohabbat karte ho uss se?" The translation reads, "You love her that much?"

GIF 4: Murtasim's face falling for a minute, blinking repeatedly as he nods quietly, a stuttered movement.

GIF 5: Murtasim shaking his head slightly as he mulls over how to explain it to his mother as he says, "Yaqeen karein, jaan bujh ke nahi ki hai." The translation reads, "Believe me, I didn't do it on purpose."

GIF 6: Murtasim's eyes narrowing as his brow furrows slightly. His dialogue continues, "Khud ba khud hoti chali gayi aur main khud ko rok nahi paaya." The translation reads, "It just kept happening, and I couldn't stop myself."

GIF 7: Murtasim looking unbearably sad for a brief moment as he contemplates what he just confessed before he looks down, his tongue running over his bottom lip.

/end ID]

[surii]

WORD OF HONOR REWATCH EVENT!

Since I was missing the feeling of when woh was airing and with the wait for any new cdramas for me to watch I thought it’d be fun to organize a rewatch! Not to mention all the new fans that have come out can now experience something akin to the feeling of watching woh while it was airing! 

From Nov 13th to 30th you can post any woh content!

from gifs, edits, gfx, videos, etc

or just your thoughts on the episode!

use the tag #wohrewatch so everyone can find your content to reblog!

The schedule I came up with is a breakdown of 2 eps a day since having the event spread out for 36 days felt like too much of a stretch so it’s 18 days in total instead! It’ll go like this:

NOV. 13 - Episode 1 & 2

NOV. 14 - Episode 3 & 4

NOV. 15 - Episode 5 & 6

NOV. 16 - Episode 7 & 8 

NOV. 17 - Episode 9 & 10

NOV. 18 - Episode 11 & 12

NOV. 19 - Episode 13 & 14

NOV. 20 - Episode 15 & 16

NOV. 21 - Episode 17 & 18

NOV. 22 - Episode 19 & 20 

NOV. 23 - Episode 21 & 22

NOV. 24 - Episode 23 & 24

NOV. 25 - Episode 25 & 26 

NOV. 26 - Episode 27 & 28

NOV. 27 - Episode 29 & 30 

NOV. 28 - Episode 31 & 32

NOV. 29 - Episode 33 & 34

NOV. 30 - Episode 35 & 36 + special ep 

Of course you don’t have to participate for everyday! You can make content and use the tag at your own leisure the schedule is here more for a general reference. So if you’re unable to watch the eps on the specific day feel free to still post stuff on the eps you missed at a later date! 

Anyway spread the word! I hope many of you participate!

[absolutebl]

Top 10 BLs without an HEA still worth watching & the 3 that will wreck you

I came to BL via the Thai oeuvre and as such I initially thought one of BL’s defining features was a guaranteed “happy ever after,” like modern day romance novels. It remains one of the things I personally look for and rate highly in BL. But it actually isn’t a requirement of the genre. 

There are a few offerings out there that even HEA obsessed self, still thinks are satisfying and worth watching, even though they don’t include a strictly happy ending. 

Top 10 Non HEA BLs

1. Ingredients the series (Thailand) - the characters end up a couple but apart, since one of them is going away to pursue his dreams, it’s understood (but not depicted) that they will eventually be reunited. 

2. Addicted Heroin (China) - the show was censored mid run so it remains unfinished. If you stop watching after the main sex scene in the final episode it makes for a pretty solid HFN ending. If you don’t stop, it just sets up the next plot point that never happened. 

3. 2 Moons 2 (Thailand) - is kind of a must watch for Thai BL because the original source material is one of the most popular BL novels in Thailand and is responsible for many Thai BL tropes (like pink milk and sharing an umbrella). The main couple PhaYo is the least interesting. They get together, only to then end on a cliff hanger, which is why 2M2 is on this list. However, no one watches for PhaYo. We all watch for ForthBeam and MingKit and both of these side couples get HEAs. 

4. Gen Y the series (Thailand) - a bloated drunken mess of a show but the main couple MarkKit is wonderful, full of super saccharine cheese while simultaneously poking fun at Thai BL tropes. It’s the opposite of 2 Moons 2 in that the main couple ends up HEA but all the side couples are left up in the air. 

5. HIStory 3: Trapped (Taiwan) - is a great mafia action romance, and while the main couple ends up together, they’re anticipating forced separation, so it’s HFN. The fantastic side couple ends up HEA, though. 

6. Silhouette of Your Voice AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan) - a beautiful sweet slow burn romance between a grumpy seme who is going deaf and the loud sunshine uke who is one of the only people he can still hear. The ending is amorphous, we aren’t sure if they will get together or not.  

7. My Tee AKA Cause You’re My Boy (Thailand) - such a confusing show told partly in flashbacks but without distinguishing those flashbacks so you’re never sure exactly what's going on. The story and directing are bonkers but the characters are awkwardly endearing. The main couple ends up HFN but at medical risk. This is probably only worth watching if you are a fan of the early Thai BL high school shows (Love Sick, Make it Right) and the pulps that followed them. What’s good is that these two were given a follow up Our Skyy with an HEA.

8. My Dear Loser: Edge of 17 (Thailand) - the BL arc is for a side couple but they are a GREAT side couple. If you slogged through Puppy Honey for OffGun or Kiss Me Again for TayNew then you can do MDL17 for PluemChimon. This is one of the better high school offerings. The main couple (het) ends up HEA but our boys end up HFN. However, these characters were also given a follow up Our Skyy that solved everything. 

9. HIStory: Stay Away from Me (Taiwan) - technically speaking this one is HEA, it’s just that they don’t really end on a kiss, but more platonically together and since this is a stepbrother trope that make the whole thing a bit amorphous. Of all the HIStory series, many of which could have done with second seasons, I really wish this one was the one that got one. 

10. Advance Bravely (China) - the second major victim of censoring after Addicted, if you love WoH you owe it to yourself to watch Gong Jun playing the spoiled rich kid sunshine uke role against an utra buff hot bodyguard grumpy seme. If it helps, GJ still has his fuck-off fan. The ending is straight up WEIRD but basically HFN? 

New 2023 addition: 

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Thai ) - I truly loved this time travel romance. IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework (much like Until We Meet Again). Steeped in history and family drama it edges into lakorn (but no as much as To Sir With Love and with way less scenery chewing). This is an elegant and classy BL... from Thailand which normally doesn't even try for classy. The main couple (both as a pair and individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. Pity about the ending. Oh it wasn’t that sad but it wasn’t good either. This show should easily have earned a 10 from me except that it fumbled the… erm… balls. Argh. Whatever. More here.

(I do not include shows like Love Sick or Make it Right where the second season solved the non HEA of the first.) 

3 BLs That Will Destroy You 

These are fantastic BLs that have extremely tragic endings. Each one starts out so perfectly gloriously BL that if you end up watching them to their conclusion they might actually wreck your psyche. 

1. HIStory 3: Make Our Day’s Count (Taiwan) - of course this is number one on my list. Basically it’s a pitch perfect BL with all the best tropes, high heat, and great chemistry between two sets of couples. 

But the main couple! 

The main couple features BL’s premier hot himbo jock who falls so gloriously ridiculously goofy in love with the quiet timid broken nerd he once bullied, that it almost hurts to watch him yearn that earnestly. The couple battles the demands of school, family, and society, rising above it all and moving in together into domestic bliss and then... the nerd is killed in a car accident. 

AND THEN H3 graces us with two additional episodes of watching our beloved himbo SUFFER FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. I can hardly bare to type about it. 

2. Forbidden Love (Japan) - gah it’s so pretty. It’s the servant who grew up in the sinister mafia-esk family trope, which I love. It’s a killer pairing of spoiled, rich, loose-cannon seme madly in love with the older, somber, moral-compass uke. It’s a second chance at love since the uke has been abroad and the seme has been waiting and spiraling and pining. 

It goes right up to the edge of “yes they’re going make it!” and it’s hot. And then... it dives deep into murder and incest. 

MUST YOU JAPAN!? 

3. The Effect (Thailand) - betcha thought Thailand wouldn’t make this section, but once upon a time even they dabbled in the darker side of BL. The Effect is Thailand’s commentary on the dark BL that forms its yaoi heritage. It’s also kind of an acknowledgment as to why Thai BL is so different from its roots.  

Adorable uke is in love with the hottest most popular guy on campus. That guy is a typical ultra-controlling seme, and once he decides to love the uke back, he wants full ownership. The uke’s reticence with regards to sex and the seme’s internalized homophobia and terror about coming out combine into the worst possible outcome: physical violence, rape, self harm, and eventual suicide. 

Basically it’s Thailand saying: look if we depict the type of possessive unhealthy relationship almost always shown in BL in a realistic light, this is the real world result. It’s almost worth watching because of that. It’s fighting the tropes we love with the reality of obsessive love, and it hurts but at least it’s honest.

HEA in BL  

“HEA is guaranteed” is an audience contract that comes to romantic cinema out of Western romance literary traditions. Basically the cinematographic version of a “happily ever after” is to end the narrative arc by visually depicting a kiss/hug, an engagement, a wedding, sex, or domestic bliss for the main couple (AKA Acts of Unity). 

A guaranteed HEA is actually not a defining feature of BL on the whole. Although Thai and Korean stuff tends to lean that way. 

Yaoi actually has more in common with the Western erotica genre than with traditional Western romances. That’s because in origin yaoi manga, the objective was the physical relationship of the main characters, not necessarily an emotional/romantic connection. Since BL comes out of yaoi, a great deal of it, especially the early stuff from Japan and China, is high heat but does not end happily. 

Up until about 2017 when Thailand started to dominate the market, fully half of all BL (and prior to that even higher percentages) did not end happily. 

Types of Endings - TERMS 

HEA - happy ever after (as in “they all lived happily every after”) characters end up together and happy in the Disney fairytale romance sense of the concept 

HFN - happy for now, characters end up together but there’s still tension or looming threat to their unity 

amorphous - things are left up in the air either intentionally (common in indie and art films) or unintentionally, because the show did not get a second season/installment, was censored, or lost funding/cast 

tragic - one or both characters die by suicide, murder, or accidental death (AKA kill the gay) 

This is an extra to my series on top 10 BLs from each country coupled with a history of BL. 

Japanese BL

Chinese BL

Taiwanese BL

Korean BL

Thai BL

(source)

[canary3d-obsessed]

Masterpost - Word of Honor

Here’s all of my Word of Honor original content

Costume Appreciation

Search tag “woh costumes” on this blog to find all of these together (on the days when tumblr’s search is working). Core family is at the top of the list, everyone else is alphabetical.

Wen Kexing   1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |15 | 16 | 17  (double NEW)

Zhou Zishu    1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |11| 12 13 |14 |15 |16| 17 |18 |19 | 20 | 21 (NEW)

Gu Xiang       1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 

Zhang Chenling        1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

----------------------------------------------------

Du Pusa (Scorpion Hottie) 1 | 2 

Gao Xiaolian   1 | 2

Gao Chong 1

Gu Miaomiao 1 | 2

Jing An (Noble Lady/Sister-In-Law)   1

Jing Beiyuan and Wu Xi    1 | 2 

Liu Qianquio (Beauty Ghost) 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 

Luo Fumeng (Aunty Ghost) 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 

Qiao Luohan (Stabby Scorpion) 1 

Qin Song (Scorpion Pipa Player) 1  

Qin Huaizhang  1

Qin Jiuxiao 1 

Rong Xuan   1 | 2 

Tao Hongpo  (Granny Watermelon) and Lu Liuweng     1

Xie Wang (Scorpion King) 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 

Ye Baiyi       1  | 2

Yue Feng’Er  1 | 2  

Zhao Jing     1 

Soldiers: Ghost Valley   1 

Soldiers: Window of Heaven   1  

Fanvids

Under the Sea

Pour Some Sugar

Gifs and Memes and Other Stuff

Wen Kexing Waking Up 

Cao Weining explaining romantic love to Gu Xiang

Zhou Zishu asks the wrong question 

Breathless 

Mouth Skills 

Wei Wuxian & Wen Kexing 

Fic Prompt

Professional Dumbasses

Unaltered Screen Cap

Reincarnation theory (spoiler!)

A Friend of the Bosom (clip from Rebecca)

Heather Has Two Daddies

WOH as Psychology Today Articles Part 1 | Part 2

Picrew Hug Maker

Happy Camp Pink Powder Antics 1 | 2 | 3 

Happy Camp Tongue Skills

Child actor Li Zhen Zhen 

How Did You Express the Pain...? (spoilers for NIF, WOH, CQL)

Thirst (Gong Jun)

Crueller than my Master

Thirst (ZZS)

Zhou Zishu in Other Stuff

Crossover AU Writing Prompt

Cosmetics 

Warning: Self-Whump

Hands of a Killer

Yawning and stretching

Shoulder blades

How did you discover that you were soulmates?

In-Show Advertising

Memorable Scene, Episode 28

Wolong Daily Nuts

The Jingshi makes an appearance

Pain in pubic region

Thoughts/Meta

Shaving + Fake Stubble 

Peak Intimacy

The Afterlife

[joylinda-hawks]

The Hero Conference approaches. More and more people from all walks of life come to the city. WOH Episode 9 Part 7. ZCL talks to GX and explains that ZZS has not yet accepted him as his disciple, but Uncle Wen told him that Uncle Zhou is soft-hearted and will accept him if he pesters him and calls him master. GX sighs and asks ZCL if WKX also told him that even stubborn women can't resist pushy men. Surprised, ZCL replies that she is older than GX said and asks her how she knew. GX doesn't answer, only saying that ZZS will never teach ZCL anything smart. ZCL says that since GX is here, does that mean WKX and ZZS are here? He looks around and asks where they are. GX simply says that ZZS and WKX didn't come. ZCL is saddened by this. GX sees this, smiles, and explains that the Yueyang Sect is heavily guarded and not just anyone can enter. She explains that ZZS and WKX sent her to deal with ZCL. Upon hearing this, the boy says that GX is very kind to him and finally asks how GX managed to get into the Yueyang Sect. He explains that it's the inner courtyard and asks if she snuck in. GX replies that of course she didn't and that she was invited. Meanwhile, ZZS and WKX are walking down the street. ZZS explains that the Hero Conference is approaching and that more and more people from all walks of life are coming to the city. WKX, walking alongside ZZS, asks which sect the boys who look like virgins visiting a brothel for the first time are from. ZZS replies that they are from the Hua Peak Sect. He adds that they have always kept their clothes neat, sloppy clothes are against the rules of the sect. ZZS says that he now wonders where GX gets all those mean words from. WKX doesn’t give up and asks about the two people watching, pointing his fan at the two young men sitting at the table. ZZS explains that they are from the Iron Fist Clan. ZZS says that this clan rules Jingxiang and states that two tigers can’t rule the same mountain. He also explains that they don’t get along with the Yueyang Sect. WKX asks ZZS how he knows so much about all these sects and their rules. He also asks if he can tell which sect WKX is from. ZZS says that WKX’s fighting skills are complex and constantly changing. If the WKX master doesn’t know the skills of all the sects, then WKX had more than one master. WKX looks melancholy at ZZS, who says that he should stop making him guess. If ZZS wants to say something, he should say it, not make ZZS guess. GX explains to ZCL that he is in the GC sect to look after ZCL on the orders of the master and ZZS. The boy is happy that both men have not abandoned him and are interested in his fate. Meanwhile, WKX, waiting for events to unfold, walks around the city with ZZS. He tests ZZS's knowledge by asking about other people and pretending to be surprised that ZZS knows so much. He decides to take a risk and asks ZZS which sect WKX comes from. ZZS's answer is a bit disappointing to WKX, he was counting on ZZS to at least make some connections with him. He gave him so many hints. ZZS is irritated that WKX does not say directly what he expects. WKX is not ready for this. ZZH and GJ and their conversations together, which are so natural, as if both men had known each other for a very long time.