#xiao longnu

[the-monkey-ruler]

I wanted to ask about the gender of demons (Yaoguai). How, a while ago I found out about a version that said that the green snake (from the legend of the white snake) was a male but changed to be a female to be the sister of the white snake. so I wanted to ask how gender works for the Yaoguai (I also found out that Longnu changed gender to that of a boy). Do they care? Or is it more free for them to change or choose a gender? because I understand that some I also wanted to ask if the Yaoguai who cultivate can choose whether to be a man or a woman when taking human form? Does that mean that when they are animals still farming, they still do not have a defined gender? Could we say that they are hermaphrodites or not? Is there something like hermaphrodites in Chinese culture? or some character like that?

Great question! The funny thing about Yaoguai is that on some level they really aren't tied down to the idea of gender or sex considering that their humanoid body is a production of their cultivation. In most cases from I have seen it does follow that animals usually transform into their given sex like Bull = Man (where Cow would be Lady) being an obvious example but there are cases where that is not always the case. I do not think that Yaoguai were intersex when they were in their animal form (any animal can be a Yaoguai it doesn't depend on their sex), but they are able to change than they have their cultivation (I can't tell you what animals think about gender, I don't think animals think about that stuff honestly). Also, I'm not sure if there are any intersex mythos figures but I have been told Lan Caihe one of the 8 Immortals is someone who is "genderless" and could be regarded as such?

A prime example that I didn't even know people were talking about is in Xiyouji when the Jade Rabbit was transformed into a woman. I was under the impression that most Jade Rabbit content was that they were a girl as that was how I was instructed to the character but it was only a few years ago that I saw that people referenced to the Jade Hare as a boy. In this case it wasn't just that the Jade Rabbit transformed into a girl but that the cultivated humanoid body that they created on earth was always a girl regardless their animal body.

But there have been other cases of Chinese mythos having character change their physical forms. Such as Guanyin's original myth being from an Indian Prince and slowly transforming into a more feminine form. And Longnu went from a young girl into a young man instead when they were cultivating through Buddhist scriptures.

But yes White Snake is considered in modern media a kind of trans-experience as it does have similar struggles of having to "pass" in a society in order to live peacefully. White Snake not only does this physically but in the story as well as she tries to come off as completely human for the sake of her husband and herself so they can continue their marriage. It is a beautiful allegorical representation that I think can be interpreted as such because of how dangerous or scary it is to be vulnerable in a society that is built on principles that reject who you are. There is a great summary of these kinds of portrayals done by AntidotefortheAwkward here!

But technically speaking considering that a lot of terminology I see when it comes to cultivation (at least in literature) do show how the body is simply an illusion and how to become enlightened (or cultivated at least) is about how to overcome the body and focus on one's mind. In those terms, for Yaoguai the humanoid body they create for themselves is simply just another illusion that they have created in order to reach a more human-like experience. Their humanoid body isn't what they were born with but something that they have crafted through thousands of years of study and training. So it would be well within their reach for them to choose any and every aspect of their body as long as they continue to cultivate. The longer they train, the more control they have over how they are perceived. That is why you could see in modern media, that the more powerful a Yaoguai is, the more they look like a human, while weaker Yaoguai look more like their animal forms. And that is because the more you cultivate the more in control of the illusion of the body you have.

I can’t say for certain how common it is for Yaoguai to change their gender as we rarely even get to see their original animal forms but I will say that the few examples we do have do show that Yaoguai are able to change their humanoid bodies to what they want the world to perceive by how powerful they are to do so. All their bodies are constructions of their own cultivation and as such they are open to their personal preferences. We do see that most Yaoguai do enjoy the body type of being larger and more menacing for the sake of presenting their power, but there is also cases of Yaoguai coming off as more petite and feminine in order to better trick humans to their will. While not all cases Yaoguai create human forms for malicious purposes (such as White Snake and Green Snake) we do see that in most if not all examples, Yaoguai do have control of their human bodies to a great extent. I hope that kinda explains some things!

[lizzymayi]

I watched some clips of Return of the Condor Heroes, 2006 version, with Liu Yifei and Huang Xiaoming. And oh my granny, what is this acting... That Yang Guo was so terrible I almost turned it off in disgust. I have almost no respect for Liu Yifei and she was better than him. But to his credit, HXM has improved more than LYF. She hasn't progressed as much considering I watched most of A Dream of Splendor. She's definitely better now, I will give her that. Natural talent does matter in acting, but when it comes to your acting career, a pretty face matters more. smh

[dorkshadows]

God with Three Eyes (2020)

In other news, 2 animated movies about our favorite 3-eyed demigod, Erlang Shen, have been announced! I’ll explain the announcements below. Anyway, it started with this one, an article about an Erlang Shen animated film slated for 2020.

God with Three Eyes |  二郎神之深海蛟龙 (Erlang Shen: the Deep Sea Dragon)

Here’s the poster below, originally claiming to be from the team behind Ne Zha: I am the Destiny (2019), Monkey King: Hero is Back (2015) and Jiang Ziya (2020):

Tagline roughly reads: A proud heart that does not acknowledge the heavenly family, [the] prideful god returns to Guanjiang

Synopsis (x):

After he was demoted and sent to the mortal world, Erlang Shen (Yang Jian) needs to open his third eye in order to subdue the thousand-year dragon that violated heaven’s law and broke through the dragon gate. This is the only way he can return to heaven.  However, the dragon turns out to be Yang Jian’s elder brother, Yang Jiao. The dragon girl (Longnu who is this lmao) and Xiao Tian Quan, as well as the innocent civilians of Guanjiang all think of [Erlang Shen] as a messiah. Faced with the safety of these civilians and the blood bond of brotherhood, what choice will Erlang Shen make? 

With a huge story and exciting tone, [this film] will show audiences a never before seen Erlang Shen!

Original: 二郎神杨戬被贬下界，他必须打开自己的第三只眼，并制服触犯天条冲破龙门的千年蛟龙才能重回天庭。岂料蛟龙的真身竟是杨戬的同胞兄长杨蛟。龙女和哮天犬以及灌江两岸的无数百姓都视他为救世英雄，面对百姓的和平安宁与同胞骨肉的手足之情，二郎神该做出怎样的抉择？浩大的设定与高燃的剧情，或将重新定义一个观众前所未见的二郎神！ 

*However, literally 2-3 days after this article came out, October Studio stepped out to say they have nothing to do with this movie. It’s not part of the Ne Zha, Monkey King, Jiang Ziya lineup. (And apparently by “same team,” the op was only referring to an overlapping producer lol) 

The good news is that October Studio, in the same debunk post, revealed that they’re currently developing an Erlang Shen animated movie for their Fengshen/Investiture of the Gods universe (it’s just not the one that other studio announced!). October’s Erlang Shen movie will be take place in the same universe as Ne Zha (2019). 

So in conclusion, we’re getting two separate Erlang Shen movies, one in 2020 and one from October Studio in the future.

[letstalkzj]

Da Nai Nai? The first person i would think of is Siren from iron dimension because he knows what's gonna happen and because of the reference of Xiao Longnu with the AAAAh, I can't hear you! not only that, if i'm remembring correct, i think yehenala siren also has fire as power, since his first son is a fire user (Gui Feng) ALSO not to forget, GPS code they got to find Diao Chan, they got it from the pub owner = Siren's job in iron dimension. Yellowscarf guy & da nai nai were at contest together

I think it’s too trippy for Siren to be Da Nai Nai... I think the writers just needed a character who can pull off the deus ex machina and move the plot along.

[normallyiminsane]

30 Days of Shipping Meme Day 23

Day 23: Favorite Scene? (pt. 4)

Yang Guo x Xiao Longnu [Chapter 14, Shen Diao Xia Lu)

This is the ship that made me read (and eventually help translate) wuxia novels into English. The forbidden love between Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu is the stuff of fairytales and I loved it. Although there were many scenes between the couple that I liked, my favorite occurred in the earlier part of the story when Xiao Longnu, who has left the Tomb of the Living Dead to search for Yang Guo, encounters him at the Great Feast where the Duel for the Chancellorship of Wulin is being held. Their reunion was just...beautiful.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Journey to the West Red Boy (2021) 西游魔童红孩儿

Director: Chen Juli 

Screenwriter: Zhu Xuan / Bai Xiaolong / Guo Jiaming / Niu Mao Mao 

Starring: Geng Yeting / Wa Er / Duan Xingyu / Lou Ming / Fang Jiayi / Heizi / Juanzi

Country/Region of Production: Mainland China 

Language: Mandarin Chinese 

Date: 2021-09-01 (Network in Mainland China)

Type: Reimagining

Summary:

It tells the story of Red Boy, who has been accepted by Guanyin as the Boy of Good Fortune, and follows his teacher's order to go to the Tianji Trial Association to practice. He wanted to be a hero, but he was rejected by everyone because of his identity as an immortal and a demon. Facing the misunderstanding of the people and the coming catastrophe of the Three Realms, Red Boy resolutely abandons his prejudices at the critical moment, puts down his competitive spirit, and bravely faces the evil together with Nezha, Xiao Longnu and others, and finally defeats the devil and wins the recognition of the world’s story.

Source: http://chinesemov.com/2021/Red-Boy.html

Link: https://youtu.be/xKhtEfqN928

[the-monkey-ruler]

Zhu Bajie: The Spring Years (2021) 春光灿烂猪八戒

Director: Jiang Cheng Screenwriter: Wei Song / Jiang Cheng / Li Zhongshan Starring: Xu Zili / Yang Qiru / Hao Shaowen / Wei Xiaoxuan / Han Zhenhua / Tao Hong / Weng Hong / Li Liqun / Kong Lianshun Genre: Comedy / Romance / Fantasy / Adventure Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2021-10-17 (Mainland China) Duration: 79 minutes Type: Reimanging

Summary:

This film is adapted from the classic youth inspirational comedy "Spring and Bright Piggy" from 20 years ago. It tells the story of a lazy pig who just wants to live a comfortable life without worries. He unexpectedly gets the opportunity to be a human being and is told by Taibai Jinxing that he is the eighth reincarnation. The reincarnated Zhu Bajie was then involved in the journey of the cat demon and Xiao Longnu to find the golden elixir. He experienced the pain and joy of being a human being, and also understood the responsibilities of a human being. He gained love with the Xiao Longnu. In the end, Zhu Bajie defeated the cat demon saved the innocent people of Chunshui Town.

Source: https://movie.douban.com/subject/35265494/

Link: https://kissasian.pe/drama/zhu-bajie-the-spring-years-2021-episode-1

[the-monkey-ruler]

Big Trouble in Dragon Palace (2019) 齐天大圣之大闹龙宫

Director: Chen Zhihong Screenwriter: Ji Zhicheng Starring: Fan Shaohuang / Du Yufeng / Zhu Lilan / Li Xianshi Genre: Action / Fantasy / Martial Arts Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2019-02-01 (Mainland China) IMDb: tt9698044 Type: Retelling

Summary:

There was a severe drought in the world. The Flower-Fruit Mountain was harassed by the surrounding monsters because it occupied the water source. In order to find out the truth about the drought and to fight the monsters, Sun Wukong and his brother Red-Butted Horse Monkey went to the East China Sea Treasure Competition to find a weapon, but they were involved in a conspiracy. In order to stop the evil dragon Ao Shuang from destroying the world, Sun Wukong defeated Ao Shuang with the help of Xiao Longnu and finally got the Ruyi Jingu Bang, which resolved the crisis in the world.

Source: https://mov-10.chinesemov.com/2019/Big-Trouble-in-Dragon-Palace

Link: N/A

[lizzymayi]

But seriously, how did they not make a single joke about Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu? (Unless I was dense and missed it? Possible.)

I finished One Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain.

LOVED IT. (Not just because of Xu Kai either.)

It was funny and smart and had great characters. I loved the competition story because it gave Wang Lu a chance to shine in his element.

They better announce S2 asap.