#youku knows what they’re doing

[snicker-doodles]

love the fact that they made the same actors play father and sons in blood of youth and dashing youth (also ancestor in xiao se’s case I guess)

also, young baili dongjun kinda looks like his dad lol, so it made sense that he ended up looking exactly like him as he grew older

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Japan is Winning on Kisses & Other Alternate Realities

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

March 2024 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Two Worlds (Thurs IQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - It would be great if we got the alternative romance with dead Kram from Tai’s perspective (JBL style.) Still I like this show. It’s a little bit like I Feel You Linger in the Air only with a love triangle. And while I'm not a fan of triangles as a general rule, I don’t mind it here because the set up is clever. Wayu and  ao are fun sides too. It sure is moving very quickly, which I like. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on. But that’s normal for me with this kind of Thai drama. 

Deep Night (Thurs iQiyi) ep 4 of 8 - They are extremely sappy boyfriends. I love that mom has a secret gf. Could we please have more of them? The love triangle sides are ridiculous, but I do like that it’s all out in the open. I also like they are actually addressing the complicated parental dynamics of owning a sex club. Honestly, I think Khem should have to be a host too. Learn him the right way, girl!

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - It’s good, I like the fallout and them actually having to deal with crazy fans and past relationships. They’re so good at communicating it’s kind of a pleasure to watch them suffer through external pressures, because I have faith that they can make it through.

To Be Continued (Thai C3 Thailand grey) ep 6 of 8 - They are such cute puppy dads and so clearly meant to be together, the fact that they aren’t is just frustrating. The fight thing was stupid. And not a whole lot happened... plus singing. I’m getting fatigued with this one. 

1000 Years Old ep 7 of 12 - Did I miss something happening, or did nothing happen? 

Kiseki Chapter 2 (Sun iQIYI) ep 2 of 6 - It’s so boring, there’s so much guitar playing, and it got weirdly voyeuristic (in a very much not sexy way). I’m totally out. DNF

Close Friend Season 3: Soju Bomb! (Weds iQIYI) ep 3 of 6 - I can’t tell if this is trying to be a BL Romancing the Stone, or a BL Hangover, or both. The problem with situational comedy is it must be both situational and comedic, not just option one. The problem with calling something BL, is that it must be BL. This show got 1 of 3 claims correct. 33% is not a passing grade. DNF 

Honestly, it's the HANDS with these two. They do beautiful beautiful things with their hands. If you're one of those hands-obsessed BLabies you should be watching LIBTSTA!

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unknown (Taiwan Tues Youku YouTube & Viki) ep 6 of 11 - So the worst finally happened. The mountain of pain has fallen down upon us. And now, hopefully in the second half things get better for our boys. But what a rough ride. Normally, this is not my style of BL, but everyone is doing such a gorgeous job with it, I can’t fault it… except that it hurts. The red thread symbolism was elegantly done. I’d like to hope we get a reunion in the next one, but knowing this style of series they’re gonna draw it out. There's gonna be a more pain first.

Love is Better the Second Time Around AKA Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 4 of 6 - Those fuck me puppy dog eyes were perfectly executed. I would not have been able to resist either. Gosh they are so damn cute. This is a great show.

Jazz for Two (Korea Gaga/grey) eps 1-2 of 8 - This comes from the Shoulder to Cry On team so I'm scared, but this one is all actors* not idols so maybe they'll be braver. Boy howdy does it have a fantastic opening sequence. Also the lead is fucking adorable. Mr Broody McBroodypants is cute too. Korea sure loves “pretty but broken.” On the JBL end of the spectrum, is everyone in love with their siblings? That’s weird. The dining room scene was painful. All in all, it's good, I'm intrigued. Let's see how you go little show.

I stand absolutely corrected the lead is a member of NEWKIDD (in my defense I'd never heard of them until Build Up last month). I did recognize him from To My Star because at the time I thought he was too pretty to be only a side character.

AntiReset (Taiwan Fri Viki/Gaga) ep 10 fin - Again there was overuse of previous footage and maudlin navel-gazing grief over something we knew was going to happen. So I didn’t really feel much emotional connection to the drama. 7 year time gap.? t was a cute reunion but the moral quandary never really got resolved. I don’t know how to rate this, I’m not sure I will ever watch it again, so that is a big mark against it.

There’s nothing objectively wrong with this BL except how upsetting it is because of the foundational pygmalion story - grown man falls in love with an android who is basically both his slave and, by maturity level, a child. Yet that premise is crystal clear from the get go, so we watch it eyes open. The actors are cute, the romance sweet, the physical chemistry on point (of course, it’s Taiwan) and yet I was left ultimately unsettled by the concept, content, and plot. 7/10 

My Strawberry Film (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 7 of 8 - I'm so ready for this to be over, and for Gaga to have something good on. Soon please?

It's done, ready to binge, but I suck

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps

It's airing but...

Graduation Countdown (Taiwan YouTube) - It's too much to ask me to keep up with 2 minute verticals, I don't have that kind of TikTok endurance training. Waiting to binge.

A Secretly Love (Thai Sat WeTV grey) 10 eps - I watched the first ep but grey is too much work for this inferior of a show. I may pick up and binge if it gets distribution but for now, it gets a DNF from me. KimCop might have held this crap together but Kim without Cop? No thank you.

Lady Boy Friends (Thai WeTV grey) 16 eps - reminds me a bit too much of Diary of Tootsies only high school. Not my thing. DNF unless it turns a corner and is truly amazing.

Tangential to the genre

There has been the occasional discussion on this topic here in this little corner of tumblr so I thought there might be a few intersted in this podcast: AmericanThaiGuy Ron Weaver on the Complicated Issue of Racism in Thailand (The Bangkok Podcast)

Thailand passed its Marriage Equality bill through the lower house. It's expected to pass the high house and get signed by the King, but that hasn't quite happened yet.

And MaxTul dropped a photo shoot.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting Soon

3/31 Only Boo! (Thai GMMTV YouTube) 12 eps - New main couple for GMMTV in an idol romance about a boy who dances good and a food stand vendor. Other side of the tracks grumpy/sunshine pair who fall deeply in love but, of course, baby boy idol can't date. Boyband but from GMMTV? Control your singing and I'm game.

3/31 The Next Prince (Thai ????) 12 eps - trailer. ZeeNew in a fantasy/historical set in a palace where Zee plays a knight and Nu a prince - YES PLEASE. (Apparently this is just the pilot, not the start of the actual show, see comments.)

4/1 Love is like a Cat (Korea ????) 12 eps - This completed filming Aug 2022(!) which means there have been serious problems with post-production. This is another of Silkwood's Korean+Thai colab projects. Mew Suppasit plays a rookie film star, called the Cat Prince (for his cold arrogance) who goes up against a charismatic puppyish animal daycare director (JM of JUST B). There is a side romance (love triangle?) with a veterinarian. Geonu of JUST B is also in the cast. Dual languages.

Hum, trash-watch-a-licious?

4/3 We Are (Thai GMMTV YouTube iQIYI) 12 eps - University ensemble BL featuring PondPhuwin, WinnySatang, AouBoom, MarcPawinPoon - basically the good kind of messy gay friendship group (so more My Engineer and less Only Friends). Looks a bit like the Kiss series but everyone is queer. I'm IN!

4/11 Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan ????) 10 eps - Kindly Ryota goes off to uni only to find his new roommate is his childhood bestie, Kazuhito. Kazuhito doesn’t have a girlfriend and Ryota tries to help him figure out why, they fall in love along the way. Same director as Old Fashion Cupcake.

4/11 Gray Shelter AKA Gray Currents (Korea ????) 4 eps - SooHyuk is only just surviving and reunites with YoonDae, an old friend. They end up living together. One of the leads is played by Choco of Choco Milk Shake.

4/18 At 25:00, in Alaska AKA 25 Ji, Akasaka de (Japan Gaga - may not be global) 10 eps - Yuki lands his first starring role in a BL drama alongside superstar Asami (previously his senior at uni). Said superstar suggests they form a sham relationship until filming concludes. As they actually begin to fall in love, the spotlight begins to burn.

Seriously? You're killing me with these titles, boys.

4/26 My Stand-In (Thai iQIYI) 12 eps - adaptation of Chinese novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng. Stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please) directed by the same team as KP (not a recommendation IMHO - my biggest criticism of that show was the clashing directing styles). This one looks well complicated, lemme try: Joe is a stuntman for famous actor Tong. Joe falls in love with Ming but Ming sees Joe as nothing more than a Tong-replacement. After learning this horrible truth, Joe dies. Joe then wakes up in the body of another man also named Joe. He manages to rebuild the same life as before—with the same people eventually re-meeting Ming. Ming wants Joe back but Joe doesn't understand why. But Ming seems to know what's going on and wants to give him some kind of explanation.

I'm exhausted just trying to describe the plot.

Knock-Knock Boys (Thai WeTV) - 4 college friends conspire to help their friend lose his virginity. Familiar faces like Seng (yes, Billy's previous partner) and Best, news here.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

NOTE: It looks like one of my personal favorites of last year Unintentional Love Story is getting a spin off!

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Just these two, in my head, rent free. Thanks Japan!

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are too much work.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @rocketturtle4

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will add you to the template. Easy peesy. (With so many tags when does a weekly tumblr post become a newsletter? That is this week's philosophical question...)

[shijiujun]

光渊 Justice in the Dark | Silent Reading / Abyss / Modu 默读 LA Review

Summary:

Luo Weizhao (in the novel Luo Wenzhou) is a seasoned police officer together with his partner Tao Ze (in the novel Tao Ran), and they get entangled in several cases that seemingly have nothing to do with each other, together with a younger man they’ve known for seven years, Pei Su (in the novel Fei Du). 

Total Episodes: 

30 in total, each around 50-55 min long. Pacing is not very tight though, which might make the drama a tad bittt boring for those not committed to it lols.

Where to Watch:

Subs are up on Youku international already so go go go.

Novel - Drama Differences:

The plot in terms of cases FOLLOWS for now (in the first 8 episodes from what I can see) with the novel. There are a few setting differences which I have no idea what for, but whatever right, and I don’t think it really affects the plot or the gay itself, but if you’re a real lover idk if you guys got a pet peeve with this:

Set in the future: Like idek why it’s set in the future in a new era cuz there’s nothing different about this era in terms of look or technology, if i had to make a comment it’d probably be that they REGRESSED in time cuz they’re using fucking blackberry and like PSP 

Genetic/Eugenics: There’s now a new category of people who are prone to crimes because they got this gene thing or some mutation argh whatever the hell because they cannot decide how they want to explain this or weave this in properly?? LIKE IDGI and it’s never been a genes vs. nurturing kind of thing ya know, so they’re making it super clear cut for some reason i.e. genetics has been an underlying theme that was reserved for Fei Du and his dad, but suddenly it’s like a whole new race of people like wtf

Everyone’s names are different including the cat’s, BLASPHEMY

CGI Effects: OH SWEET JESUS they green screened RAIN and a CAKE splattering in a fight and BUILDINGS from the top of a building AND THEY DID NOT DO IT WELL we are back at Guardian era CGI and green screen

Gaymeter:

I’d say it’s still there, all the cute moments between Zhoudu and Tao Ran + Fei Du are still there. I assume they’ll continue to adhere to some of it.

How are the actors:

ZXC: He’s great but no one is happy with his wardrobe like as someone on weibo put it, he’s basically like... a young master who’s choosing to dress like his butler, cannot unsee - but he’s pretty as fuck, and he’s very Fei Du, except for the fact that he agrees that people commit crimes because of that gene which is sort of different from what the underlying message of Modu has always been

FXB: He’s okay looking tbh but LWZ in my head was like super fit, a bit older but also like a young DILF type, the current LWZ steps a tad bit into uncledom

Tao Ran: ABSOLUTELY spot on and he’s damn cute too

[darthvaporwave]

Where do you watch C-dramas

this is where i started watching them, and they’re a good repository in my experience, although they don’t have every show (i’m guessing it’s something to do with licensing).

all the cdramas i’ve watched in 2023 have been through the iqiyi international app:

which is very easy to subscribe to with an iphone/apple ID. i am not sure about android — if anyone else knows?

sometimes you can find things through youtube (it really depends; i don’t find it reliable) and netflix as well. there are other apps (youku, bilibili) but these are the two that have had most of what i want.

for full disclosure, i have memberships to both because i hate 1) waiting and 2) ads lol

i am not super knowledgeable but i hope this helps!

[rainbowsky]

Hello! I’m a new turtle who’s silently been around for a couple of months and I’m not really aware of a lot of things. There’s a 🍭 (some people take it as) about “blue sky white clouds” and I am so so lost. Are there any posts you can link me so that I can understand what it all means or if you can explain it to me that would be helpful too. I’ve read a few posts but I still don’t understand anything, I want to know what this phrase/words mean, how they’re linked to ggdd, what was the interview about and why are some taking it as a 🍭? And I noticed it’s also your display name, wow, so I’m even more curious 😂

Hi new turtle! 💛🐢💛

I don't think I've done a post going over all of this before, and it's a question I get asked a lot, so here goes...

Fake, fan fiction, CPN.

Blue sky, white clouds is a bit of a BXG slogan or rallying cry that I first saw during an Untamed promo interview they did back in 2019. They were asked what they remember about filming and GG said, "Blue sky, white clouds." (Although fans have found references to BSWC from as far back as 2017).

GG and DD have repeatedly referenced BSWC in their posts and comments during interviews and events. Here are just a few examples:

June 5, 2020 GG posted a BSWC photo. Kadian 13:28 or "Forever love Bo." The message, "Blue sky, white clouds. What do you see?"

Some BXG believe they see a running shoe in the first picture.

The next day DD did a post with a pair of shoes (DD used shoes a lot in his posts to reference GG, because shoes in Chinese is xie zi), one of them red and the other blue with a white cloud swoosh.

The blue shoe model name is exactly the same wording as GG used in his post, "Blue sky white clouds." The red shoes are called Xing Zhan (using the same character as GG's name).

Hilariously, the next day Youku posted saying they felt that it looked like the Youku logo and savage DD replied, "your imagination is beyond imagination." 😅 (Never stand between DD and a candy!)

June 12, 2020, GG posted again "Look at the blue sky and white clouds... my hair has gotten long."

(Turtles were very 👀 by this post, because it closely resembled a post DD made way back in 2017, where he said, "Should I grow out my long hair?")

They've both mentioned BSWC at strange times, just randomly dropping it into conversations. For example during a SDOC hotpot episode Jackson was asking DD about filming in Yunnan (where he filmed Being a Hero), and DD replied, "The blue sky, white clouds there are really beautiful."

GG mentioned it in the Qingdao snacks video as well (the same one where DD's name was mentioned). When he was doing his end of the video wrap-up, talking about what Qingdao was like for him, he said, "I can see the sea, blue sky, white clouds, black soil."

And of course twice in the recent Mendale product launch event, GG mentioned BSWC. Once when asked if he'd seen the starry sky, and he replied, "Blue sky, white clouds" and the second time when asked about his ideal camping trip, he replied, "Blue sky white clouds, the smell of dirt, and I think there has to be insects, mosquitos."

A lot of the photos they post feature BSWC as well. I don't have room here to post them all, but just browsing their images, you'll see this theme come up again and again.

They've also worn a lot of clothing that seems to reference BSWC.

My CPN on Blue Sky, White Clouds

I think it probably started up totally by accident. Something that maybe they both like (sort of like the moon), that gradually became more of a thing as BXG took note of it, to where now it's something they use as a candy.

I know of at least a few popular Chinese songs that mention BSWC as well, which is maybe another thing they might smile about whenever they hear it.

I think, based on GG's referencing BSWC in that Untamed interview they did way back in 2019, that it's also a nod to that summer they got to spend together filming. Something that reminds them of a special time, that they can share with BXG.

I also just think it's a beautiful, refreshing, optimistic image. That's part of why I personally like it so much. It brings to mind all the things about GGDD that make me happy.

As a new turtle you might find my masterlist post helpful.

[jeriafterdark]

Part 3/4: Youku Antics to hide the ring continued & a Lone Gong's Journey to show he's married af

Part One

Part Two

This is Part Three of the Ring Saga. More on Youku being clowns, and our laogong's journey to show everyone he's a married man now.

Part Two continued: Youku being clowns~

The absolute clowns at Youku accidentally removed ZZH’s ring as well??? But left it in during other shots???

They may have removed the ring on GJ’s hand, but not the one on the screen behind him?? It amazes how sharp fans' eyes are.

His backstage clip has him wearing a ring…

So there you have it! Youku went and tried to delete a ring on GJ’s ring finger. We all assume it’s the pair to ZZH’s hexagonal ring, a TASAKI branded wedding ring which has its own partner ring.

In doing so, they just made it 1000x more obvious that they were trying to hide their relationship. Thanks to the accidental broadcast, fans were able to suss out the truth, and GJ’s refusal to put that ring in his pocket helped a whole lot lol. This is really all pointing towards the idea that they cannot show homosexual relationships in public spaces, so they’d have to hide it / edit it out. It just backfired immensely. 

Part Three: GJ’s journey to show he’s married af

So after 813, GJ looked absolutely terrible. I don’t want to repost the pictures but… I might someday, you may have already seen them. The ones right after 813. He looked absolutely wrecked, his eyes were so swollen, his eyebrows were creased, and he looked like he'd been crying a lot. It took a toll on all of us, and especially ZZH and him. It was dangerous to be associated with ZZH, people were instantly muted/deleted for daring to speak out or even say his name. His accounts were completely wiped. But GJ, one of few people, never deleted any of his posts mentioning Zhang-laoshi’s name, and he never unfollowed.

 To this day, he’s still following an unnamed account on Douyin, which we all assume is the deleted ZZH’s douyin. Sigh, if there’s anything you’ve gleaned from this, you should know that GJ cares about him. A lot. So much. Why wouldn’t he? ZZH lifted him up on his shoulders, taught him the ropes, teased and flirted with him, made him feel at home on set, on stage, and on screen. At a time when no one really knew who GJ was, isn’t that something worth cherishing?

So in the months following, GJ purposely flaunted the idea that he’s a TAKEN MAN. He’s a very smart person, who frequently follows what’s happening on social media (as he’s said in previous interviews). He even followed the LLD supertopic as well as his own topic just to stay on top of what the fans were saying lol. So he KNOWS that everyone KNOWS about the ring. Ok? And he knows that everyone calls him the colander, that he “leaks” information, but he confirmed himself that everything he’s said, he’s decided it’s okay to say. 

During Chuang 2021, an idol competition, GJ sported double stacked rings on his ring fingers. These were Tiffany True Wedding rings. In this infamous appearance, he’s quoted saying that the person who matches him best in the world, is Zhang-laoshi, WEARING THOSE RINGS. OK? OK? He knows. He KNOWS.

And then during his Vogue red carpet, after 813, he wore the same double stacked rings on his ring finger.

Since these accessories kept appearing, it’s assumed that they’re his personal accessories that he chose to wear. The stylist usually allows for that. Also, Tiffany didn’t claim him as being sponsored at the time, which they normally do, but it depends on the contract behind-the-scenes. Anyway, his poses were curious in that they showcased those rings front and center, as much as possible. In addition, he could have been cueing a time when a certain Zhang-laoshi also wore stacked rings to his own event..

During Sept-Nov, GJ regularly got filmed going to and from his work at Hengdian for his new drama, Legend of Anle. The ring was spotted multiple times. He’d take it off right as he was getting out of his car. If he didn’t want people to take a picture of it, why not just take it off inside the car?? HM? And if it was just a regular accessory, that has no meaning, then why hide it at all??? HM? 

That’s right. One Gong Army, the married man himself, carrying this ship on his back. He still won’t let people forget about ZZH, and everytime a new photo came out, I was very very happy. He still is as loyal a husband as ever.

On his birthday, November 29, 2021, he had a livestream where he opened a bunch of presents from staff and etc. It was very cute, and he was so lively and adorable. Fans noticed that the ring finger on his hand had a tan line?

A note on that picture on the bottom left, it was from a short douyin? That he shot for Louis Vuitton. You can see the glimmer of a ring on his ring finger there, but when he had photos taken, there was no ring. Was this a way for him to say that don’t worry fam, I gotchu? The ring’s right here in a flash!

In December, 2021, GJ posted a bunch of photos from the New Year’s Eve Gala.

I’m up to my photo limit AGAIN. So the final part will be all the times we’ve spotted this elusive nut ring on his shows post-WOH.

Part Four - GJ being loud and married

[bizarrequazar]

GJ and ZZH Updates — October 9-15

<<< previous week || all posts || following week >>>

This is part of a weekly series collecting updates from and relating to Gong Jun and Zhang Zhehan.

This post is not wholly comprehensive and is intended as an overview, links provided lead to further details. Dates are in accordance with China Standard Time, the organization is chronological. My own biases on some things are reflected here. Anything I include that is not concretely known is indicated as such, and you’re welcome to do your own research and draw your own conclusions as you see fit. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or additions. :)

[Glossary of names and terms] [Masterlist of my posts about the situation with Zhang Zhehan]

10-09 → Gong Jun posted seven of the Vogue event photos to his Xiao Hong Shu, caption: “Wuhu  Happy!” and his Instagram, caption: “Happy 😁😁😁” 

→ Vogue posted another photo of Gong Jun from the event. They later posted an additional one to advertise the VogueWorld exhibit, which will be open until 10-23, where Gong Jun’s short film “Hello, Hello” is being shown.

→ Tiffany and Co. posted two of Gong Jun’s photos, highlighting their jewelry. 

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted seven more photos from the event. Caption: “The brilliant aesthetics of gradient colors, congratulations to boss @ Gong Jun Simon for finally getting what he wanted, the cool autumn has arrived, and the grandeur is as good as ever.”

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a douyin of behind the scenes footage from the photoshoot. Caption: “Welcome to boss @ Gong Jun Simon's ‘eating and broadcasting’ paradise 😏” BGM is Another Day of Sun from La La Land.

→ Gong Jun’s studio posted a behind the scenes video from the photoshoot. Caption: “Ding 🔔 You have a mysterious call from boss @ Gong Jun Simon to be answered from the Wonderland of Oz 😎~” BGM is Warm Nights by LAKEY INSPIRED.

→ 361° posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Vogue posted a group photo of all the celebrities they had included in their promotional photos from the exhibition.

10-10 → Youku posted four of the green suit photos to Twitter.

→ AllSaints made a post highlighting their biker jacket worn by Gong Jun in “Hello, Hello”.

→ Gong Jun posted a photo of himself with a newly announced Sanrio Tangle Teezer collab design to his Xiao Hong Shu.

→ A planted Zhang Sanjian supporter posted “insider info” saying that Zhang Zhehan won a music copyright lawsuit; a cryptic post by Xie Yihua seemed to back this up. No evidence has been found for this lawsuit actually existing.

→ VogueFilm posted a collection of photos from VogueWorld, one of which shows “Hello, Hello” being shown.

→ Vogue posted a promotional video for VogueWorld featuring Gong Jun, shortly followed by a photo ad. Charlotte Tilbury reposted both of these. [1] [2]

10-11 → 361° reposted a paparazzi video of Gong Jun arriving to work for Fox Spirit Matchmaker’s filming wearing their brand’s clothing.

→ Gong Jun posted four photos to his Xiao Hong Shu of himself posing with a SKULLPANDA Between Light and Dark figure. Caption: “You don’t say (别说)  Really do like it” Fan Observation: This was the second year anniversary of the release of Zhang Zhehan’s Another Me EP, which included the song Don’t Say (不说). [candy breakdown]

→ Vogue posted a short commercial featuring Gong Jun for VogueWorld.

→ Costa began selling cups with a cartoon jellyfish they used last year in their endorsements with Zhang Zhehan, disproving old rumors that he had copyrighted the design for his solo fans.

→ Hogan posted the photos of Gong Jun with the SKULLPANDA figure highlighting their shoes he’s wearing in them.

→ Honor posted a photo ad with a caption that includes 瀚海 (han from Zhehan, hai from haizhe). 

Addition 10-21: ELLEMEN Fresh posted an article about period drama costumes, in which they included a section talking about Gong Jun’s costuming in Word of Honor.

10-12 → Flora posted about a recent tactic being used by planted Zhang Sanjian fans where they’re using KOL-promotion hashtags on Weibo to spread photos of Zhang Sanjian to the general public. Followups: [1] [2]

→ Colgate posted a promotional video spoken by Gong Jun.

Addition 10-21: The Instagram posted photos of Xiao Yu and Zhang Zhehan from the filming of Retro Detective, wishing Xiao Yu a happy birthday. I’m sure he was thrilled. /s

10-13 → Colgate posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

10-14 → A song performed by Gong Jun entitled Little Shoulders was released. [music video] [solo audio with translated lyrics] [Spotify] The song was written to encourage the dreams of children, and was recorded for an initiative sponsored by the Culture, Art and Audio-Visual Communication committee of the China Federation of Radio and Television Associations, which Li Xuezheng is a vice president of. It will also be used as a dedication to the National Congress. Fan Observation: The song shares its lyricist with Zhang Zhehan’s song Heart Towards the Sun.

→ Gong Jun made a post promoting the song. Caption: “Little shoulders carry big dreams. I wish all children can be full of hope and bravely pursue their dreams!” This was reposted by his studio with the added caption, “‘Little shoulders also have big responsibilities’, boss @ Gong Jun Simon joins hands with children in the new era to sing a dream movement, living up to their youth!” (10:04 and 10:06 respectively, possible 511 and 1640 kadians with the date) It was also reposted by 361° and MUJOSH.

→ #Gong Jun’s new song Little Shoulders# got on Weibo hotsearch.

→ Hsu Fu Chi posted a photo ad featuring Gong Jun.

→ Vogue posted a commercial for VogueWorld that briefly features Gong Jun.

→ 361° made a post promoting Little Shoulders.

10-15 → Kangshifu posted three photo ads featuring Gong Jun.

→ Flora posted a translation of an exposé done by a Chinese fan sharing a personal account of attending offline fan-meetups of Zhang Sanjian supporters designed to brainwash skeptics. These meetups are held in remote locations where it’s more difficult for attendees to leave, use various tactics such as psychics and “insiders”, and are designed to target CPFs in particular. The account is a play by play description of cult indoctrination tactics.

Addition 10-21: The producer of Little Shoulder posted a sample clip of it to his Douyin, including photos of Gong Jun with him and the children from the music video.

Additional Reading: → Flora’s daily fan news thread → More followups about Peter from throughout the week: [1] [2] (< added to last week’s post, you may have seen these already depending on when you read that) [3] [4]

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This post was last edited 2022-10-21.

[the-music-maniac]

Okay so, this post here https://multsicorn.tumblr.com/post/649671498154557440/i-believe-were-supposed-to-think-that-evil is actually what made me think deeper about this scene, and also what made me get off my butt to write about this, so go check it out! But I wanted to voice why a couple sentences in the english subs for Episode 21 of Word of Honor irked me slightly in the scene with Du Pusa and Liu Qianqiao, this one onwards:

Now keep in mind, my mandarin is serviceable for casual conversations, but I struggle more with formal language, so feel free to correct me if I’ve gotten translations/the feel of the scene wrong. I’m gonna go through the subs that I’m annoyed with and then explain why I think they’re inaccurate and important to the scenes at the end.

But basically, some of the translations for the Youku english subs lightened Du Pusa’s language when she was talking about the dude that betrayed Qianqiao (still don’t remember his name, so I’m gonna call him cheater dude). And the thing is, I really can’t think of a reason why they wouldn’t translate it entirely? Like is there a reason?

For example, this?

The subs say “this lady’s lover” and I can sort of understand why it’s translated like that, she says “她这个“ which is “her” implying ownership (”her lover” as an example). So ”this lady’s” is correct. But that’s not all?? She says in the second half “狗男人“ which translates literally to “dog of a man”. It’s an insult, and without it, the feel of the sentence is completely different.

The english subs also don’t exactly translate this. She didn’t say “she fell for” in this sentence, instead Du Pusa exact words are, “she was tricked into hand”.

Here too, she didn’t call Qianqiao pitiful (I think, there might be cultural nuance I’m missing so let me know if this one is wrong) and the exact translation is “only a pity that she was blind”.

Finally this one, I’m pretty sure “废物“ is harsher of an insult than loser. It literally translates to “useless person” or “a waste of space”. Now I don’t know which officially ranks higher between “loser” vs “废物“ in the level of burn across languages and cultural contexts, but in my mind, 废物 is harsher.

Okay, now with the scenes and translations explained:

So. The reason why I brought all of these instances up is because I think the wording Du Pusa used to explain the story is pretty important, not for plot reasons but just because it changes the feel of the interaction. The post I linked at the very beginning pointed out that Du Pusa is meant to be a character that basically taunts the women she fights with, with her superiority in beauty, etc., but while she does that, at the same time her character doesn’t have that feel of misogyny that I think is so prominent in media when writing women characters who dislike each other.

Granted, Du Pusa also insults Qianqiao, and that didn’t show up in translation either, she calls her “小娘皮“ in place of “lady” which is not exactly a flattering thing to say. But I think the important thing is that throughout the entire telling of the story, Du Pusa recognizes that in this situation, the person that messed up, and is mostly at fault is cheater dude, and she places the blame rightfully on his shoulders despite how she dislikes Qianqiao.

Particularly in the sentences “she was tricked into hand” and “only a pity that she was blind”, instead of “she fell for” and “only pitiful”. “She fell for” puts more responsibility onto Qianqiao’s shoulders, because she’s the one who fell in love with cheater dude and his sweet talk - that’s her business. But “she was tricked into hand” places more of the emphasis on cheater dude, on the fact that he sweet talked her into believing him, that she in fact was tricked, and not because she just simply fell for him.

(Now I’m not here to discuss whether cheater dude’s feelings for Qianqiao are genuine or not, or whether he purposely tricked her - I do think that he does care about her but that’s also not enough to absolve him of the shitty things he did. So I’m not very willing to be lenient with him here)

“Only a pity that she was blind” also places less of the blame on Qianqiao then the phrase “only pitiful” because pitiful as a word implies that Beauty Ghost herself is pitiful. That she’s a pitiful person who’s too dumb to notice that she was being tricked. “Only a pity” however leaves room for her to be a victim of circumstance, and implies that the situation was “only a pity”, not her as a person.

Finally the two harsher insults, I think are important because for once, a character like Du Pusa doesn’t leave the man relatively unscathed in her process of taunting another woman, and also doesn’t hold misogynistic victim-blaming views about situations like this. She’s fully acknowledging here, even as someone who doesn’t give a shit about Qianqiao, that cheater dude is kind of a piece of shit. You see that fully in these three scenes as well:

First the rolling her eyes at cheater dude’s explanations. I think that one is pretty self-explanatory, it gives me strong “oh god don’t make me laugh” and “cut the bullshit and shut up already” vibes, which I high key love.

Second, this one where she pushes him back, feels like she’s sick of hearing cheater dude’s excuses and his attempts to sweet talk Qianqiao again, and so she decided to interject. Also has a little bit of, “okay, get away from her, I’m sick of you” vibes.

Finally, Du Pusa has an incredulous look on her face, and then gives a huff of disbelief when Qianqiao sorta defends cheater dude, saying she’s the one who had bad intentions. This one gives me a sort of “really? You’re defending him?” vibes, especially since it follows her asking if Qianqiao’s brain is broken for actually trusting him a second time after what he did.

Anyways, this turned out to be a long analysis, but I just wanted to translate/talk about my thoughts on some of the subs, and my low key appreciation for this scene. It sort of feels like Du Pusa almost backhandedly defended Beauty Ghost - although I admit that might be going too far/giving too much credit since Du Pusa isn’t exactly going easy on her either, and she might just be listing things as she sees it. Still though, what I’ve always appreciated so much about Word of Honor is that it creates so many female characters that are compelling to watch and well-rounded; who feel realistic, who are their own people and have their own stories to tell, who aren’t killed off as soon as it’s convenient or just to reinforce the heterosexuality of the male leads, who are vital to the plot, and most importantly, act in a way real women might act, and aren’t all internally misogynistic and apologetic towards guys who act shitty.

It’s really refreshing to see a “bad” character in this show, who’s mannerisms suggest she’s a character that’s a woman who taunts women, do so without piling on deep-seated misogynistic accusations or halfway pandering to the man in order to create some misplaced “jealousy”, and instead manage to taunt people/hit people where it hurts and yet still...almost purposely calls the man out on the shitty stuff he did?

Anyways, overall I think this scene was a pretty cool dynamic to think about, and I appreciate it a lot (although I appreciate the subs a bit less, for obvious reasons).

[mikkaeus]

lads I am feeling FRAGILE

With 执子之手, WKX is quoting 诗经·邶风·击鼓 (Book of Songs). The context:

死生契阔，与子成说 执子之手，与子偕老

No matter what happens, I made you a promise: To take your hand in mine, til death do us part [T/N under the cut, though I’d like to add here that in a modern context these lines seem to be ubiquitously taken as romantic. The original meaning is disputed whether it’s lovers or comrades-in-arms. At the end of the linked article, the author quips “some people may say there is an easy way to resolve this conflict...” (当然啦，我看到有人为了调和二者，认为“战友”就是“恋人”，“恋人”就是“战友”，提出了“基友情“���说法，这个嘛……)]

Some thoughts on this, mostly derived from this meta (in Chinese)

1. The second, unsaid half of the line is 与子偕老, which is more literally “grow old together”. In the face of ZZS’s mortality, with their time together feeling more measured by the day, WKX must feel that he dare not say these words out loud. YBY is allegedly coming with help, but WKX has already been disappointed once, on that night where it seemed like the sky and the heavens were crying with him as well. No cure is guaranteed - the only thing that is certain is ZZS in front of him now, happy and laughing and telling him that he has a home here. So, instead of alluding to promises neither of them can keep, WKX instead continues with 坐看云舒, saying that he’ll enjoy these days as they are, and appreciate the simple joys of life: lying back on the grass to watch the clouds unfold, his lover’s hand in his. (I really like how this parallels the “life is just three meals day” sentiment they toss back and forth throughout the show.)

2. This has to be taken in the context of the whole conversation on names they had. WKX is responding directly to ZZS’ initial toast, quoting how WKX explained his name back to him (天涯孤鸿 无根行客). This is WKX’s line with the characters for “Zishu” bolded: 执子之手，坐看云舒. I just think it’s neat that while 子 is literary “you”, it also emphasises that the “you” here is ZZS (unlike Youku with the “a” lover stuff*). Also, the second half rly gives the vibe of the Person A, looking at the stars: wow so beautiful / Person B, looking at Person A: yeah. [since it’s sit (坐) and watch (看) the clouds unfold (云舒)/Zishu (舒)]

*[More ramblings about Youku’s translation choices & general translation stuff under the cut]

For Youku to add “lover” in there is certainly... a choice. On one hand, the translator went ALL IN with making explicit the romantic connotations of the poem. On the other hand, generalising it to “a” lover makes it somewhat nonsensical and gives me vibes of “ah just two bachelors, staring into each other’s eyes across the table because they’re not gay, just waiting for young maidens to come sweep them off their feet”. Edit: I just realised the first time he says it in this scene Youku uses “the” instead, but IMO this is still very impersonal. It feels like he’s parroting a history book. This is the reason I completely missed even the “lover” bit the first time around bc i was like right theyre just quoting poetry again lmao

T/N: 1. 死生契阔 is literally “life and death, separated and reunited” (契阔=离合). 2. 偕老 might sound familiar if you kept up with shl concert shenanigans. Heizi laoshi said 祝贺他们白头偕老 and then everyone proceeded to collectively lose their minds. 3. I translated as “til death do us part” because “grow old together” just sounds so bland and I wanted to bring in the marriage connotations that 偕老 has. idk if it’s too much localisation though 😔

Biggest shoutout to Sabina on twitter!! their livetweets (in Korean) are where I initially learn about these things. the lines contain multitudes! tweet abt the scene in question

Some evidence for the solid romance/marriage connotations so yall know im not just pulling stuff out of my ass:

If you’re still here, I’m going to take advantage of the read more to keep rambling, so

I think this is a GREAT example of how translation is so contextual & dependent on interpretation (especially literary Chinese, which as my friend said, is a whole fuck). If we were going with the ~soldiers~ meaning of the poem, I’d translate it more like

No matter what happens, we swore an oath To go hand in hand, until the end

Although that discards the 老 aspect of it, which I’m not 100% on what the poet was trying to say with that ngl but I guess it could be like “we swore that we WOULD make it out of this battle to grow old together”. Which obviously doesn’t work with “until the end” because that’s so fatalistic, but brain zero cannot think of nice way to translate surviving

[rebel-in-white]

Ghost Valley is not for evil people

I had a lot of thoughts about episode 10 and wanted to share them. I have seen episodes 11-18 on Youku, but I don’t know Mandarin, so I was mostly admiring pretty people, lol. I also haven’t read the novel.

I’m fascinated by Ghost Valley because of the possibilities it brings to lost, fractured people. There are a lot of villains at Ghost Valley- there’s an abuser, a cannibal, and a man that likes to carve up his victim’s faces. 

During this scene with Wen Kexing and his subordinates, my attention was taken by Tragicomic Ghost and her quietly defiant, prideful stance. And a question struck me- what does Ghost Valley represent for women? 

During this time period, and in many parts of the world today, there aren’t shelters or centers or places where a woman in distress could go to and get help. If her father, her clan, or her husband wasn’t strong enough, or willing, to help her, then she had no place. What would happen to women who were abused, pushed out, mentally ill, or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? A good number of them end up on the streets, facing more abuse and mistreatment. Some might end up in a place like Ghost Valley because there are no other options.

Tragicomic Ghost punishes the unfaithful because the women suffer the most at the hands of their faithless lovers. It’s probably what happened to her before she came to Ghost Valley.

Gu Xiang shows that she lacks experience in the world but is an excellent killer (implied) and fighter. She doesn’t act like other girls, doesn’t know how, as Wen Kexing repeatedly reminds her and the viewers, so that leads us to wonder about her background as well. Where did she come from that she ended up in Ghost Valley? What abuse did she undergo as a child?

I don’t know much about the following ghost, a subordinate of Tragicomic Ghost, but she seems to have a similarly dark past. I believe her name is Beauty Ghost.

A few episodes ago (episode 4), A-Xiang reprimands Lovelace Ghost for stealing women.. again. She says that Aunt Luo asked him not to do that and would physically hurt him if she heard of him kidnapping girls. I’m not exactly sure which one is Aunt Luo at this point, but it’s either Tragicomic Ghost or Beauty Ghost.  

This means that the women at Ghost Valley are protecting and looking out for each other. Tragicomic Ghost seems to be acting as type of second-in-command or working with Wen Kexing in order to protect the women in Ghost Valley. It could explain why he’s so lenient with her because he knows that he needs her to look out for their most vulnerable population, the women.

The two girls that A-Xiang rescues are perfect examples of how rejected women fare in society: they’re seen as property and playthings. In their own words, they were sold around like “puppies” their whole lives. In Ghost Valley, they have a job and a purpose that is beyond servicing others with their bodies or looks. They show this new agency over their lives when they make the decision to fight for the chance to stay in Ghost Valley with A-Xiang.

Yes, Ghost Valley is a home for criminals and evil people, but it’s also a home for the lost, the disenfranchised, and the unlucky souls who find their place in society lost for reasons out of their control. It’s a place where a woman can have power and control over her own life. Wen Kexing is not just the Ghost Master, he’s providing a haven for desperate women in need. Crazy, huh?

[dramashii]

CW: Immortal Samsara

I’ve been watching Cdramas as they air for a while now. One thing I’m still not used to is how unpredictable their scheduling can be. Announcements for air dates sometimes happen 3 days before the actual date. Sometimes they don’t even make announcements at all and automatically drop the first few episodes without any warning. In the case if Immortal Samsara, Youku announced it hours before airing the 1st episode.

I wasn’t exactly expecting to watch this so soon. But life is full of surprises, this is an example of one of those.

I have watched the first 13 episodes and I can say that so far this is built like a typical xianxia drama. It follows the same premise. We have a bubbly female lead who has no care for rules, and we have a rigid male lead who has the greater good of the world in mind always.

Then, because of circumstances, they fall in love against their better judgment, and they go through hell because of it. Most of the time, hell is composed of many lives. So far, we’re still seeing which I believe is their first one.

It’s a variation of a story I’ve seen multiple of times, but I don’t care. I haven’t seen any xianxia dramas this year, so by default, I was always going to check this out. The drought made me thirsty. 

I don’t really have that much major criticisms about the show. The first few eps didn’t draw me in. I didn’t really like the initial set up and found it corny sometimes. But as the story progressed, especially the part after the war, it got interesting. It’s still cliche, but I don’t mind. Truthfully, I didn’t like Yang Dan, Yang Zi’s character in the beginning, but she grew on me later on. I still find her annoying sometimes but it’s tolerable now.

Also, in this drama is a trope I dislike the most: the scheming, jealous, girls that constantly sabotages the main couple. I hate them so much, and the fact that one of them is Yang Dan’s sister, annoys me even more. 

I like the ost that’s released so far. The costumes are just okay for me. Visually, it’s not my favorite production. There are some beautiful scenes and I love how it’s colorful and bright. 

Just look at it.

Beautiful.

But there are some scenes where the CGI effects are so obvious where you know that the actors and the actresses are just standing there behind a green screen. I think if we’re talking about strengths based on effects, the drama does better when they’re doing full-on CGI.

The most surprising for my experience so far, is how much I enjoy Cheng Yi’s character, Ying Yuan. He’s the typical cold main male character you often find in almost all xianxia dramas but I think what attracts me to him is Cheng Yi’s interpretation of the character. I initially kept track of this drama because of Yang Zi, but this made me want to check out more dramas of Cheng Yi. 

The eyes. He looks so good.

I actually have only seen him in one drama prior to this, in Love and Redemption. He looks so good in costume dramas.

Overall, I found it okay. Nothing revolutionary for its genre, but still watchable and enjoyable for me.

I don’t really know much about the original story this is based on, but from what I read, the drama writers have kind of deviated from it. Based on the drama trailer, and from the episodes I’ve watched so far, I think I will need to prepare my heart and my mind for the angst and the constant heartbreak. 

I’m pretty sure at least 2 of those 3 lives won’t have a happy ending. 

[wuxiaphoenix]

On Writing: Making a Steal

There are two “professions” that turn up in a bunch of c-dramas that I think might have great potential for stealing - er, borrowing, into modern fantastic fiction. Tomb robbing, and escort professionals.

...Get your mind out of that gutter, that second job does not mean what you think it means. “Escort professionals” are more along the lines of what we would think of as private security and/or mercenaries for hire. People who get cargo and clients from point A to point B in more-or-less one piece.

I’d love a more accurate translation for 镖行 (biao xing) if anyone’s got one. Mine comes from copying Chinese characters from the title of “The Prequel of Gold Conveyors” series, and hitting Wiktionary. But apparently they do what in fantasy is often done by bodyguards and generic “caravan guards” - only they do it in cities, for hire by large or small groups, and they may even do some investigating and law enforcement. At least of the “track down the guys who tried to steal from us and make it clear you don’t do that to Our Agency” variety. Mengyu in the Chef Hua series works for one of these agencies.

(Yes, his wife’s cooking is important to his work, too. At one point, for example, the delicious smell of it causes a hungry bandit to misstep onto a branch, warning their group of an ambush. The scene was awesome. And hilarious.)

I think this job would have great potential in fantasy stories, especially if you wanted to write characters involved in more day-to-day facing bad guys and solving problems, instead of epic save-the-world stuff. Though of course in a pinch they might do that too....

Tomb robbing has long been a part of Western fantasy; ask any D&D, Indiana Jones, or Lara Croft fan. But there are two aspects of it in Chinese videos that are particularly interesting. The first being the fact that such grave robbers generally take measures to assure any lingering spirits all they’re after is grave goods, they won’t disturb the bodies of the dead. The second is the geomantic aspect. After all if you’re going to rob the right grave you have to find it first, and knowing where someone would have picked to build the tomb is critical. Not to mention it often becomes even more important when you’re trying to solve the puzzles inside....

Here’s two movies that show tomb robbers at work... yes, that’s the same lead actor, two rather different characters.

ENGSUB [Chronicles of the Nine Heavens]  And,

[Exorcism Master] Swordplay/Costume | YOUKU MOVIE

(Yes, I’m still chewing on various things as I work on rebuilding a daily routine. I have a bunch of ideas, I’m just not sure yet which will have the most solidity!)

[shijiujun]

Do you think it's wrong of me to enjoy Chinese bl adaptions as a gay person? Like I know every country has its own ways and even my own country is far from being the most open minded despite claiming to be, but I still feel like a hypocrite for supporting and giving money to such an openly homophobic country.

HAHAHAHA okay sorry I don’t mean to laugh, it’s just this is the first time I’ve gotten this question and it’s a really nice break from all the annoying fandom drama that’s happening.

I think this is a pretty apt question that I feel like we all think about but don’t exactly address or we just try to put it out of our heads for sanity reasons.

So firstly, I think it’s not a smart thing to do to conflate public and private companies/organizations/entities. Sure, the Chinese government does make the laws, and yes they get taxpayer money so some of your support money does go to the government, can’t deny that, and yes we can’t totally look at the government and I don’t know, Youku, for example, separately. 

But it’s good to note that public/perception change and in some way, micro activism (for more LGBT acceptance/representation in media etc.) comes as a private initiative right, it’s a bit out of yours and my control to hope that the central governing authority and body actually like initiates the change. As with all forms of activism and hope for change a lot of things happen at ground level first, so basically I’m saying you can just set the Chinese government aside for now even though yes them changing laws every half a year to make it more difficult for LGBT+ persons and is extremely damaging for that community.

Think of it this way: Media companies and production teams are definitely trying to make headway into more BL and GL representation and acceptance in the country, albeit with restrictions. The worse thing would be for these companies and teams to not have ANY support, then the progress literally stops there. They’ll stop producing, they’ll stop fighting to have the shows reviewed again and again to get it accepted etc. They’ll stop thinking of creative ways to work within censorship for example, and this is scarier than anything else in modern governance.

It’s always good to be aware of the differences, of the layers that are involved in such content production, certainly. I don’t think any of us forgets at any time how anti-LGBT+ China is. Yeah it’s an iffy line I agree, but yup, we make do with what we have and are given.

Of course there’re exceptions - Companies or teams or casts just jumping on the bandwagon just for clout, popularity and money, or in cases where the cast actors themselves come out all homophobic after a show they acted in ends - usually not seen in China because they’re already quite careful with what they say outside in public due to censorship and consequences. SHL is an outlier so far in that the cast is still making not-jokes about how it’s all very gay and calling each other laopo (wife), but I’ve seen this happen with a lot of Thai BL actors. 

So no, I don’t think it’s hypocritical or ‘wrong’ for you to enjoy danmei LAs coming from China. It’s only hypocritical if I guess you start comparing them to other LGBT+ media and content and saying why China’s one is so bad etc. etc (and vice-versa, like saying that China’s one is THE epitome of representation). or if you support danmei but then irl are discriminatory, that kind of thing. There’s nothing wrong to see content that resonates with you and makes you want to support it, that you feel clicks with you, even if the country that it comes from is anti-LGBT+. Because at the very least the production team and the company that is funding it or making it happen supports the content, and the actors/actresses themselves believe in the freedom to love freely etc.

If shows like CQL/SHL/Guardian and any upcoming ones speak to you because of the plot, characterization etc., that’s totally valid. We are always looking for content that mirrors our own experience(s) right, or shows an experience that you want to have. That’s not a wrong or bad thing.

And like I said, not a very smart thing to do to mix politics with entertainment ALTHOUGH yes I admit it’s really not mutually exclusive, but we also recognize efforts for progress (or the lack of it) on both sides. 

As with most things as well, it’s also dangerous to label a country ‘openly homophobic’ and also to classify it that way in generalization in this case because you’re basically eliminating and erasing the efforts, progress, movements etc. however micro they may be, within the country itself. You can’t change any sort of government, yours, mine, whichever, but you certainly can support the small teams and groups of people that do.

[randomingoftherandomness]

Youku really releases a firefighters fanvid and I’m supposed to what? Sit here and not want a firefighter AU??? Anyway, I would be so so grateful if you wrote a firefighter AU for wenzhou - you can write whatever inspires you but I’ve been thinking about one of them being the new captain of the team and either like thirst from the beginning or clash either/both is good? Or like some super dramatic moment where one realizes their love for the other? thanks for reading my request!

Hello friend! Thanks for the prompt. I have a feeling that once The Flaming Heart comes out, the crossovers and stuff are just going to get worse haha...

I decided to weave a little bit of everything and though this may not be in line with what you had in mind, I still hope you’ll enjoy it x

--

The atmosphere of the firehouse was halfway between an organised chaos and a flurry of hens flocking after the prettiest cockerel. More than a few ladies - and a few men, if they were being honest - had showed up today just to catch a glimpse of their favourite ‘Gege’ and ‘Didi’ of their crew.

Zishu feels Han Ying shift on the balls of his feet before giving up the ghost and sighing, “Boss, he’s talking to Xie-er.”

He snaps his gaze over to where he was most definitely not talking to his most ardent admirer, Xie-er from the hair saloon two blocks down.

Han Ying beats the most strategic retreat.

The ‘him’ in question was their new station chief Wen Kexing. His face is bright and friendly, smiling gently as he sells packed rice to a group of giggling aunties who, even from the shadow of the firehouse, Zishu can tell are half promoting their nieces, daughters, and granddaughters, whilst doing marketing for themselves as well.

Zishu has to swallow back the vomit in his mouth. What did they expect him to be? A pretty boy toy being fed by his sugar mummy for forever?

Almost in that same moment, Wen Kexing laughs. He has a distinct laugh; deep and throaty, smoky like he had deliberately pitched his voice into a constant octave of seduction. It was a sort of sweetness someone like Zishu could never attain genuinely in this lifetime.

The first time they’d met, perhaps a little bitter from being passed over for the promotion, he had resolved to dislike the man just a little, showing off some thorns to keep him from getting close. But unexpectedly, somehow, none of his best efforts in spite have kept Wen Kexing away.

If anything, the more venom he throws at the man, the more the man is determined to befriend him.

Zishu’s heart quickens at the remembrance of how Wen Kexing would repeatedly offer to drive him home (as if he couldn’t afford to just take the underground train or call a taxi), make meals for everyone on the same shift as he was but always saving a special pack that was healthy and nutritious for Zishu, never ceasing to be shameless about their banter which had caused more than a few of their brothers to look at them with equal parts curiosity and amusement when Wen Kexing would smile and volley whatever ladykiller pick up line at Zishu.

Pick up lines that never work. At all. He will punch whoever says that they do.

But Zishu isn’t blind and he knows himself; he’s pricklier than a cactus on fire and he’s rigid and unyielding on his best days. He isn’t in possession of some special handsomeness or aura like Xie-er, nor does he have any qualities to promote him as someone who could potentially dare to ask Wen Kexing for a simple meal.

Furthermore, he’s a man. People like Wen Kexing have their whole lives figured out. Even if their line of work cannot guarantee an injury free or even death free future, Zishu can tell that the man probably already knows what sort of beauty he wants to marry.

Even if, just yesterday on a call, he had been carried out of the river by their chief like some fawning maiden, Zishu has enough self-awareness to know he definitely looked like a drowned rat in Wen Kexing’s arms, and the scene was wholly less than the romantic daydream Han Ying and their young summer intern Chengling like to pretend it to be. So what if he had gone home last night thinking about absolutely nothing but the way Wen Kexing holds him so tightly and so securely; so what if he pretended buried himself with pillows just to prolong that illusion?

“Hey Ah Xu!”

Zishu nearly trips over his own feet and looks up to see Wen Kexing waving him over. He trots over immediately, slightly dazed from the daydream and the million watt smile he receives as he comes near enough.

“Ladies, I’d like to introduce to you my Ah Xu,” Wen Kexing announces proudly. “Isn't he everything I told you about?”

The gathering of women sigh and swan in response like a well choreographed troupe. It isn’t until he notices that they’re no longer peddling their female relations or themselves that he realises that Wen Kexing has an arm around his waist and a hand on his hip.

He snaps his head up in alarm only to be gentle smiled back down. Knowing that he has to endure this farce, Zishu bites his inner cheek and does his damn hardest not to let the heat on his cheek show too much.

[rainbowsky]

So it looks like nothing is going to change with the SDC situation! They aren’t going to be putting any subs on YT and they’re still trying to push for that stupid APP of theirs. And if you say it doesn’t work or something, they’re going to say o we are still working on it blablabla…

So it looks like no sdc for me this year unless something changes bcs I’m definitely NOT going to be using their dumb app and waste my money on it!!! 😠 Now this really makes me mad and frustrated bcs I was so exited to each dd but now I’m pissed and not in mood for their bullshit!!!

Anyway sorry for the rant but I had to say it. What are you going to do rainbowsky?

I won't be watching SDOC this year until/unless there is a viable way to do so. Eng subs in 1080 that I can watch on my TV or computer. Since no such option exists for me right now, I am completely ignoring it.

There are some pirate sites who've made episode 1 available, but no Eng subs so far. I don't know what benefit they think they're providing since people can already watch without subs on YT, but whatev. If/when they get subs up I'll let people know.

Youku claims they're working on the app, but they won't have any functionality updates before sometime in September, so it's not going to help viewers who want to watch SDOC (and the cynic in me wonders if that’s totally intentional on their part).

At this point I'm actively seeking any option that enables me to watch without giving Youku more money (I've been a paid YT Youku subscriber for years). While I love to support GG and DD's projects with my subscriptions, etc., I won't ever do that in a way that violates my values, and there are few things that I stand more firmly against than proprietarism and predatory capitalism.

Just a reminder to everyone: being a good, supportive, loving fan should never mean giving up your values or principles. If people side-eye you for not financially supporting the show, or for pirating it, fuck them. They aren't your friend.

Youku can still turn it around and earn my $ by fixing the situation, but I have no faith they will do so.

I've already given my advice on this situation in a previous post. Don't complain to me, complain to Youku. Rate the app. Request a refund. Don't pay for it until they give you what you want/need.

[chalkrevelations]

Moving on to Episode 4 of Word of Honor, and y’all.

Wait, first: If you’re new or just visiting, this is a re-watch, so there are SPOILERS not just for this ep but for the ENTIRE SHOW. Maybe a lot of them. Scroll away and come back later if you haven’t seen all 36.5 eps and want to watch it unspoiled. (They’re all gonna be tagged “word of honor episode reax”)

A couple of big things, first:

So, right up front, I don’t know for sure that this is the first time we’ve heard the word, but it’s the first time I’ve twigged to it in this re-watch. As Zhou Zishu and Chengling are leaving the inn in the morning, at the very beginning of the ep, Wen Kexing asks why ZZS continues to call him gongzi and wants to know if he’s still too much of an outsider for a less formal form of address. He uses the word 外人 (wairen) (at 2:30) for “outsider,” which is how the subs translate it here. Anybody who’s been around for these flailing reactions since the first time I watched the show might remember that I made a deal about this somewhere around in the late 20s of the episodes, based on a post from someone that I scrolled quickly past while avoiding spoilers and that I have NEVER FOUND AGAIN and am STILL LOOKING FOR, that alerted me to the use of this word and its nuances in ep 25. There’s a conversation there about WKX possibly taking over some of Chengling’s training at Siji Manor, and WKX demurs, calling himself “外人.” Youku translated it there as “someone else,” as in having “someone else” train your disciple, and ZZS responds with “And you’re 外人?” again translated as “someone else.” This actually seems to mean “stranger,” or “outsider,” as they do actually translate it here in Ep 4 - presumably someone who’s from outside your sect, at least in the Ep 25 instance, in which WKX is labeling himself that while he’s in the midst of his upcoming crisis, trying to keep his emotional distance from ZZS and Siji Manor. It’s used again in Ep 26, when ZZS finds WKX giving training advice to Chengling, and it’s one of the ways they have WKX and A-Xiang reflect each other, when she uses it in Ep 29, and rejects it as a description of herself, in order to claim a place in Cao Weining’s sect/family (which, now, knowing … GOD. My HEART). Anyway, I found it super-interesting that WKX is using this word here in Ep 4 to push against ZZS’s boundaries, in contrast to the way he’ll use it later, to try to fortify his own walls against ZZS and Siji Manor. I begin to suspect that he doesn’t want to tell ZZS who he actually is because, maybe, just a little bit, he wants ZZS to figure it out, to recognize him, to truly know him (zhiji) without him having to spell it out. We kind of travel back around to this idea near the end of the ep, when WKX is questioning ZZS about the Baiyi sword, and ZZS tells him that their relationship is like the fish that ZZS unsuccessfully tried to cook and threw on the ground – raw (i.e., unacquainted) – to explain why he keeps shutting out and shutting down WKX. Only we know now that isn’t entirely true, and WKX certainly suspects it isn’t entirely true. (Also, just an observation, ZZS says in that later scene that he’s not interested in who WKX is. DON’T TELL HIM THAT, my dude, now it’s going to be 3,246 episodes before he’ll give you any personal info.)

Also, just a note – I think we make the switch from Zhou-xiong to A-Xu in this ep. (ETA: No! I have been reliably informed by @janedrewfinally that this switch happened back at the end of Ep 3 (at 41:18), and it seems to be part of what precipitates the Completely Reasonable, Not At All Flirtatious, Utterly Heterosexual No Really, Like Bros way that ZZS takes WKX's wine jar. You know the incident we mean.)

The second thing that I really started turning over in my head here is the developing relationship between WKX and Chengling, and this is one of the things that took me so long on this one, because I wanted to go back and look at those two, specifically, in the previous eps again, and revisit their interactions both with and without the mediating factor of ZZS. The first time WXK sees Chengling is in the marketplace at the end of Ep 1 when Chengling ends up giving his token to ZZS. But I think the first time WKX sees Chengling is maybe when WKX’s sitting in the cutout window with his drinkie during the massacre of Mirror Lake and ZZS draws the Baiyi sword to protect Boatman Li and Chengling, just before they make it to the boat and float away back to the mainland. I don’t know how much of the beginning of the fight in the abandoned temple WKX then sees before A-Xiang makes her entrance, but there’s a lot of Chengling flinging himself in front of Boatman Li and ZZS in a way that’s not entirely dissimilar to the way Zhen Yan will fling himself at his parents’ bodies in flashback in a later episode, and then WKX definitely sees dying Boatman Li charge ZZS with Chengling’s care, then make Chengling bow, in a parallel to the scene we’ll get later when Qin Huaizhang accepts Zhen Yan as a Siji Manor shidi. In Ep 3, there’s a lot of weird sympathetic looks from WKX as A-Xiang berates Chengling over dinner (she doesn’t quite have this jiejie thing down yet, and she’s probably never had someone younger than her to take care of) for not taking care of himself so he can be strong and get his revenge for his family’s deaths. This time out, Ep 4, we start with the beggar gangs coming after Chengling, which has some resonance with the former Ghost Valley Master and his Ten Devils standing around the bodies of Zhen Yan’s parents and debating what they’re going to do with this kid before they steal him away. You can see WKX’s eyes start to narrow as the lead beggar dude talks, and he eventually even asks them, “What are you going to do if he doesn’t want to go, take him away by force?” We get a LOT of cutting to WKX in this conversation, even though he ostensibly has nothing to do with this, it’s really a convo between Beggar Guy, ZZS and Chengling. WKX pulls focus, and he eventually provokes that fight, and sure, he wants to see ZZS fighting and hopefully get a look at the Baiyi sword, and he even may think that’s the extent of his ulterior motives, but I’m not sure that actually is the full extent of his motives, there. This episode is also when we really see WKX start to encourage Chengling to continue to press at ZZS about taking him as a disciple, including the first use of the infamous “Tough women can’t resist clingy men” saying. Chengling comments that he was just supposed to be Son #3 who stayed home and took care of the old people, and WKX comes back with the Extremely Significant Comment that “When the children want to fulfill their filial piety, the parents have died,” which is not only Extremely Significant, but also sounds like it may be a quote from a poem or other literature? Anyway, a lot of this is just to say, KINDLY AU ANON WHO WAS THINKING ABOUT WRITING THE STORY IN WHICH WKX GETS CUSTODY OF CHENGLING BECAUSE ZZS IS NOT AT MIRROR LAKE, ARE YOU STILL OUT THERE? Hopefully you are hard at work, writing, because I have been having thoughts about this relationship.

What else? Kind of chronologically:

First of all, it continues to physically pain me to have to look at that horrifying facial hair, ZZS. I cannot WAIT to hit Ep 6.

We open this ep on WKX rolling walnuts in his hand in a way that is reminiscent of SOMEONE who we’ve seen do that before – multiple times, given they put that shot of Ghost Valley Master in the opening credits. Nevertheless, I didn’t catch this right away on my first time through. It took me a few episodes, and then I FINALLY noticed the opening credits shot right in front of my face. Point to you, show. Once you know, this ep practically shoves it in your face, recreating not only the walnut rolling, but a dude getting held up in the air and choked out (which we’ve seen before, in Ep 1 (and will see again)) before being slammed down on the ground with WKX crouched over him (which we’ve seen before, in Ep 1). Later, WKX is concerned about his manicure (which we’ve seen before, in Ep 1). It’s actually a little bit funny that both he and ZZS - a master assassin and a guy who literally skinned another dude (and maybe ate him?) to take his throne – are both so prissy about actual, literal blood. Anyway, is it significant or a coincidence that WKX waits until ZZS and Chengling are out of sight before actually going wild-eyed? You know the look I mean.

OH MY GOD, it’s Lovelace. I had blocked this dude from my mind. Eurgh. Nevertheless, there are a number of things I love about his scene, and all of them are related to A-Xiang, my feral beloved - from the way she clomps into the room, completely unworried about stepping the least bit gracefully while making her presence known and stomping (lit. and fig.) all over his dramatic little bit, to the way she berates him, threatens him with “Aunt Luo,” bares her teeth at him, and makes the eye-gouging motion at him. She is the best, and I adore her. I also love how she literally laughs in WKX’s face at his comment that maybe he just wants to be friends with ZZS, OK, is that alright?

The fight with the beggar gangs in this ep may be the first time we see something similar to the cage of spears maneuver in Prince Jin’s throne room all the way up in Ep … what? 30? … although it won’t be the last time we see it, and each time we see ZZS is perfectly capable of avoiding it or escaping it, making me suspect that Tian Chuang only “trapped” him in it because he let them, just like he only got taken back to Prince Jin in chains, in the first place, because he let it happen. We see it at 5:30 with the beggar gang’s staffs, when ZZS breaks it up by literally flinging another dude into the middle of it. We see it at 5:41, when he kicks his way out of the formation. And we see it at 8:15, when the sheaths have come off the swords, and he feints under them to break his way out. Just noticing.

When WKX is talking about the Baiyi sword as they all sit around ZZS’ sad little raw fish in the dirt by the lakeside, he mentions that Rong Changqing created three master works – the White Cloth sword, the Dragonback, and the “Great Wild Land,” per Youku’s translation. ZZS has the Baiyi sword, I assume the Dragonback is Ye Baiyi’s sword. Is the Great Wild Land actually the Ghost Valley? Given what we learn from Ye Baiyi in the back nine about Rong Changqing and his plans for Ghost Valley? Anyway, then we get some magic pipa playing, and ZZS (trying to, apparently) play WKX’s xiao in musical self-defense, and even though he leaves his opponent bleeding, WKX takes the opportunity to make suggestive comments about teaching him how to blow properly, just in case WKX’s been slacking on his act as a cheesy pick-up artist and anyone’s beginning to see through him. ZZS yells at Chengling for his lack of martial skill, then yells at him for crying, because that always works, particularly with traumatized teenagers who have had their entire family and sect massacred like, two nights ago. As a shifu, I’m not sure how you manage to inspire such devotion, my dude. WKX plays the indulgent parent, but also reassures Chengling that ZZS has good reasons for yelling at a traumatized, newly orphaned kid. I suppose he is getting him ready for all the yelling that’s going to go down once they get to Five Lakes Alliance and Chengling has to deal with Gao Chong and Shenshen. Chengling’s response, with WKX’s encouragement, is to ask to be ZZS’s disciple again. Was Han Ying (who I guess we’ve yet to actually meet at this point (EDIT TO ADD: NO WAIT, he was in Ep 1)) this much of a little dumbass to 24-year-old ZZS when Han Ying was 14? (EDIT 2 TO ADD: And who is writing this story, omg.) Although, ugh, that makes me realize that part of ZZS’s bad mood is that Chengling asking to be a disciple must be bringing up a shit-ton of bad stuff for ZZS about how he got all the other Siji Manor disciples killed. (Wen Kexing sees himself in Chengling, making his bow to Qin Huaizhang, one of the few good things that ever happened in his life, while ZZS sees all those red flowers on the mural back in his rooms in Prince Jin’s palace.) A final lakeside observation – A-Xiang pokes at ZZS’s uselessness as a cook here, and WKX will later ask him why he’s so utilitarian about food and drink, when they’re the greatest pleasures of life. (Really, WKX? THE greatest pleasures? Although that’s certainly an interesting comment given where we end up, in the end.) And it makes me begin to wonder – is ZZS so bad at cooking, and does he continue to avoid it, at least partially because he’s already losing his senses enough so that it interferes with preparing a tasty meal?

Also, we meet the Four Scorpion Assassins, and Pretty Arhat and Evil Bodhisattva have some pretty bold names, but now I’m back on my thing about the women in this show, and wondering what kind of enlightenment or release these two feel like they’ve had, and how it may or may not resemble the mindset of the women of the Department of the Unfaithful in Ghost Valley. I’m not well-versed in Buddhism, though, and am maybe not the person to take on how that religious symbolism is or is not used as a metaphor for female freedom in this show.

This is getting kind of long, so one last observation for now, and I think I may have mentioned this before: WKX has color-coded ZZS and Chengling as a unit in the robes he bought for them when he also rented out the entire inn. He’s not in the same color, but he is in a complementary shade and tone, which I find interesting. Also, his sash is sort of salmon, not the red of his Ghost Valley getup, but not completely divorced from it, either.