Why I love Ranwan so much it hurts
So because I re-read the entirety of erha in the course of three days and I have feelings about it. It’s my new favorite danmei ship and I will explain why (Please hear me talk) (I don’t have friends)
Okay first of all, from reading all the reviews and people speaking of Ranwan, I was expecting there to be a dynamic so much more toxic and cruel than what I ended up getting. I was also led to believe the relationship is a lot more one sided than it ended up being (which is to say not one sided at all)
They have one of the most intricately built relationship dynamic, yes there’s plenty of toxicity but honestly shut up. We all know.
First, the way their lives both begin and end at each other is beautiful. The coat Chu wanning gave little baby Mo ran the strength to go on. Instead of dying as a child, he was able to find madam mo and trek all the way to the city. Maybe, without Chu wanning’s help, he would’ve never left that street corner. Similarly, by helping Mo ran, Chu wanning discovered his passion to help people and left wubei temple. Their lives, as we know them to be, began at each other and in an other life ended with each other as well.
Second, THE SELF SACRIFICE for each other. Just the way these two are willing to absolutely butcher themselves for each other, not for the people, not for their family, no, their worlds begin and end in the other
1. Chu wanning climbing 3799 steps to save Mo ran’s life and DYING over it
2. Chu wanning giving all three of his souls up for mo ran. Chu wanning giving his chance of escaping taxian jun to trying to protect him. Chu wanning dying in taxian jun’s arms and using the last bit of his strength to connect their foreheads and give his souls to him. Chu wanning using every last bit of life inside him, to bring back Mo ran’s kindness
3. Mo ran taking the flower of eightfold sorrow in wanning’s place. I want to remind you all, Mo ran knew that the flower will take away every single memory of kindness he had, he knew it would make him shi mei’s puppet, he knew he will never be the same again, he lost every single instance of happiness from his life all because he couldn’t live in a world where chu wanning lost his
4. Mo ran sacrificing his core to protect everyone, not because of some false pretense of nobility, not because he sought redemption, but because as he gazed across the terrible things he had done in his life, the person he wanted to be wasn’t Taxian jun, wasn’t mo ran but Chu wanning. The kind of love where you will ruin yourself to embody the kindness your lover has shown you. Take my money meatbun. Just take my money.
(Special mention to the fact the first time mo ran saw Tianwen be wanted it and then he went on to get Jiangui in his second life)
5. Mo ran claiming he is no longer Chu wanning’s disciple to protect him and Chu wanning fighting the entire cultivation world, making an enemy out of every powerful being, to bring mo ran to safety. Chu wanning fighting even Taxian jun, to bring mo ran to safety
Third, they’re so real as characters. Chu wanning is a wonderful person but in theory neither of them are dealt “perfect” people. Chu wanning whips his fifteen year old disciple and struggles with communicating literally anything and Mo ran is mo ran. I like being able to read about characters who have realistic reactions to terrible shit. I liked the fact that Chu wanning very seriously considered killing Taxian-jun. I liked the fact that Mo ran, even without the flower, held onto grudges against madam mo and mo nian. I really appreciate how honestly pathetic these two were for each other and the things which happened to them
Fourth, the way they understand each other. I actually was concerned about this being another one of those toxic Stockholm kind of dynamic but actually the 4th to 6th book did a very good job developing their relationship as beyond that. Both of them make sense together. Mo ran gets Chu wanning in a way no one else ever tried to, he gets his insecurities, his fears, his grudges and mood swings, even his petty jealously. After book three, I liked the fact that the wanton reveal actually resulted in actual character development, that after that Mo ran made an active effort to ensure he understood Chu Wanning. I really liked that we left the miscommunication arc behind after book three. It showed how much these two began understanding each other. And Chu wanning gets Mo ran in a way no one else did. No one but Chu wanning believed in mo ran so completely, no matter what mo ran did, Chu wanning always saw the kid who tried to save the earth warms. The kid who wanted tianwen and said he’ll use it to protect insects. He never stopped seeing the best in mo ran, and that became single handedly the reason these two found a happy ending
Fifth, the other relationships in Erha. Man, Mo ran and Ye wangxi as well as Xue meng and Mo ran. I love when we get to see characters get development with side characters. Mo ran’s character arc was amazing. Genuinely amazing. I loved the fact he developed respectable relations with almost everyone and be a decent guy. He wasn’t perfect in his second life but I liked the fact that he was cared for and loved by more than just Chu wanning. It always frustrates me a little when in danmei, the only meaningful relationship developed is the romance. Similarly, I liked Chu wanning’s relationship with Xue meng and Nangong Si as well.
Sixth, Chu wanning as a character. Holy fucking shit. He was amazing. He was flawed. He wasn’t perfect. He was one of the kindness human beings I’ve seen. His entire character arc was so well written, there’s something so beautiful about someone who was made from wood and believed to be emotionless ended up using his souls— proof of his life, that he’s alive— as a way to save the man he loves.
Mo ran is in a way, proof of Chu wanning’s humanity. And Chu wanning is the anchor to mo ran’s.
Seventh, Mo ran’a redemption. Bro goes THROUGH it in book eight and nine. Holy shit, I used to really hate him, but after these books even I felt bad for him. I think he got his karma. Public execution, public humiliation, torture, losing his core and then dying— I mean, bro got what he deserved and more. I really liked his childhood arc too, just a very well written character
Lastly, Meatbun’s writing. Wow. Honestly just wow. She is an amazing writer. Genuinely she’s so good at writing. Her dialogue and description are so well done. Yes the books are long but I will read every single one many times over
With this all being said,
Yes, the books are toxic. Yes, Mo ran and Chu wanning don’t have the most healthy relationship dynamic. And yes despite the flower Mo ran does hold accountability for his actions. No, nothing justifies the rape and abuse Chu wanning went through and honestly no matter what happens, the trauma will be with Chu wanning. Mo ran and Taxian-jun switching places every three days was definitely something I was unsatisfied with but other than that, I do think the relationship between Mo ran and Chu wanning is very nuanced and honestly, can’t be judged until you actually read the books. I also think the accountability is a little harder with Mo ran barely having control of his actions. As per Taxian-jun, I like him as a character but I don’t know how I quite feel about him in the end yet
Anyway, here it is, the reason why Ranwan are now my favorite ship Ehe
