Callanthe's Random Musings

[sandydragon1]

Things to Consider when Creating a Magic System

What are the drawbacks of using magic? Does it have mental, physical, and/or emotional consequences for the user?

What tools are needed to harness magic? Wands? Spells? Magical artifacts?

How do people learn magic? Instinct? In school? From family members?

Can everyone use magic or are only certain people capable of using it?

Is the capability to use magic hereditary? What about different ways of using magic (transformation powers, teleportation, etc.)?

What is impossible for magic to do?

How long does it take to master different magical skills?

Can creatures other than humans learn magic? Are different creatures better at using different kinds of magic?

Does it require spells to be spoken, written, or thought?

Is it possible for someone to lose their magical abilities?

How do characters’ emotions affect their ability to use magic? Do their emotions affect the magic’s intensity or controllability? 

How does the strength of a person’s magical abilities change as they age?

Can people normally perform any kind of magic or can they only perform things that fall under their specialty? Are their exceptions?

What rules restrict magic use in society?

How do people’s magical abilities impact their career prospects?

What kinds of magic are the most feared or seen as the most powerful? Which are seen as mere jokes?

How do people use magic to help with everyday tasks?

Can magical energy be stored for later use?

What objects or other factors can amplify someone’s magical powers?

When do magical abilities initially manifest? From birth? At a certain age? Under certain conditions?

What is the first spell a character is likely to learn?

What happens if a spell is performed incorrectly? Nothing at all? A weaker version of the intended results? Pain?

Can different spell casting methods be used to obtain the same result? What are their advantages and disadvantages?

[callanthea]

Faraway Wanderers Review!

I wrote up quite a few reviews on novelupdates.com for various Chinese BL novels I enjoyed, so I decided to post them over here as well!

Next up is Faraway Wanderers, also by the famous Priest! This is very much a Wuxia novel, with comedy, action, and philosophy galore.

Here is the novelupdates page with access to the ongoing English translation: https://www.novelupdates.com/series/faraway-wanderers/

And the raws are on JJWXC here: http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=912073

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Beneath all its hilarious comedy and sweet character interactions, Faraway Wanderers asks us an astonishingly depressing and human question: What does it take to walk out of one's past mistakes? How many good deeds does it take to erase one previous sin? Once one has fallen into the dirt and mud, can that stain ever be washed clean again?

Is true redemption actually possible, or is even the tiniest wrong forever inescapable?

1. Plot

Our MC is the commander of the secret imperial intelligence network, Zhou Zishu, who manages to retire but only by placing a death sentence of three years onto himself. While using his last few days to wander the Jianghu and maybe do some last bit of good to make up just a little for all his previous wrongs... he stumbles onto an overarching conspiracy that threatens to overturn the martial arts world. In particular, he encounters the ML Wen Kexing, a playboy martial artist who insists on sticking to MC's side, and is revealed to possess even more dark secrets than he does pick-up lines. These two men form this adorably funny yet incredibly badass merry band of adventurers by picking up teenagers as their "Adopted children" lol.

Looking back, the plot of Faraway Wanderers was a truly wild ride, with well-foreshadowed plot twists and turns galore. The writing is as smooth as silk, excellently blending together horror, action, comedy, and yes, tragedy (yep, this is a Priest novel). This novel has the perfect amount of Wuxia worldbuilding--not too little and not too much.

The ending especially just blew me away with its ridiculous amount of reveals about certain backstory elements. That very last extra (;__;) reinforces how Faraway Wanderers pulls the old Priest classic: analyzing, deconstructing, and reconstructing the themes and philosophies of its genre of Wuxia. It really does feel a lot like the Wuxia version of Liu Yao by the same author (though this novel came first lol).

Of note, like all Priest novels, the ending was almost a little "too realistic", with that ever-present tinge of bittersweetness and tragedy even though it still counts as a Happy Ending. There is no perfect redemption here, no "becoming famous and celebrated as a hero for saving the Jianghu", no "everyone survives and lives happily ever after all best friends forever". And that's okay.

2. Characters

Ah, every single character in this novel was so nicely fleshed out, with 3D motivations and behavioral quirks. I loved the many sides and facets of our MC. He's kind of like a super badass Tsundere looking for a meaning to his existence. I really enjoyed how he took the role of the "wise Shifu" to a character who would serve a more traditional "young protagonist" role in another Wuxia novel--though an especially Tsundere Shifu.

(I will say that MC's character background wasn't super relevant to the story. I sense that the author wanted to draw more /subtle/ parallels to his past experiences and tell a story of "a dying man finding new meaning in a new world", but he's still an outsider.)

And I absolutely adore the depth of ML's character: he looks like a carefree playboy prankster on the surface, only to unleash surprising amounts of badassery and insight. And that moment in the ending when he broke down and revealed everything was just... god, so painful but so goddamn cathartic at the same time.

Every single side character also had a very unique and fitting role in the story, especially the gaggle of odd and kickass kids following MC and ML around. In general the writing was so tight and sleek--every character's ultimate fate made sense for the choices they made and the environment they were in.

Side note: Faraway Wanderers absolutely loves one storytelling element in particular:

"Hahahaha character X always does X behavior, what a cute and funny running joke"

~70 chapters later~

"Hey remember how you always laughed about character X having that running joke about doing X behavior all the time?"

"That's because all along, they had a horribly tragic backstory explaining why they did X behavior"

"DO YOU STILL THINK IT'S FUNNY NOW, HUH? DO YOU????" ;____;

...Yeah, rereading Priest's novels is a delightfully painful experience.

I will note, however, that the main villains definitely fit very well into the plot but do not come across as sympathetic in the slightest. The morality overall is mostly Gray (for our protagonists) and Black (for the antagonists), so the tone is generally dark despite the comedy on the surface.

Overall:

I said this about Liu Yao before and I'll say it again--Priest's novels are some of the best-written Danmei I've ever read. I only ever want to read her works once, but that "once" is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

While reading Faraway Wanderers, I slapped my knee red from laughing so hard. My teeth hurt from being clenched so tight during the dramatic climax. And yes, I bawled like a goddamn baby at some of the more heartwrenching scenes.

~~~~~~~~

So, does true "redemption" actually exist? There is no easy answer to the question posed by Faraway Wanderers. A good person may be forced into a single horrible situation just once, and end up condemned to the shadows for a lifetime. Sometimes, life is nothing more than trying to make the best out of the horrible hand you're given.

How optimistic and cheerful, right? :) :) :) :')

But despite its realistic pessimism, in the end, Faraway Wanderers chooses to believe in hope, no matter how small that hope may be. It declares that even those trapped in the deepest darkness deserve hope. Even the person who appears to be the greatest sinner deserves the chance to try and do a single good thing for once.

All humans make mistakes, some big, some small. Just like what the MC and ML experience, life may beat us down with its injustice. But no matter what our past may be, we always have a choice in the present: a choice to act for compassion, for goodness, and yes, for love.

[callanthea]

Liu Yao [Six Trigrams] Review!

I wrote up quite a few reviews on novelupdates.com for various Chinese BL novels I enjoyed, so I decided to post them over here as well!

Next up is Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fu Yao Sect, by the famous Priest! This is very much a high cultivation/Xianxia novel, but one with a more somber/serious take on the genre.

Here is the novelupdates page with access to the ongoing English translation: https://www.novelupdates.com/series/liu-yao-the-revitalization-of-fuyao-sect/

And I purchased the raws on JJWXC here: http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=2134415

———————–

First and foremost, Liu Yao is a heartwarming story of found family and blossoming romance. Despite everything I'm going to say below, it has a genuinely happy ending.

But beneath that surface layer, Liu Yao is also a wonderful deconstruction/exploration of the usual themes and messages in the extremely popular cultivation/Xianxia genre.

What does it mean to pursue immortality? Why does one walk down the path of a cultivator? What makes a "good" cultivator? What makes a "good" person?

What happens when we--we utterly foolish, puny, insignificant humans--attempt to defy the will of the heavens? What happens when you attempt to push the limits of what should be possible?

What does it mean to be only human, yet yearn to become something beyond humanity?

Liu Yao forces us to ask ourselves these ephemeral yet timeless questions. Its characters represent humanity's possible answers to these questions.

Some of these answers have better intentions than others, some have better outcomes than others. An answer can be foolish from one perspective, wise from another. Each person who has ever existed will answer them differently. But there is one common thread--in the end, what could be more human than trying to transcend one's own powerlessness?

1) Plot

At its most basic level, Liu Yao is about a ragtag group of kids who are brought together by their seemingly silly master to join the run-down and ramshackle Fu Yao sect. These disciples share a hilarious childhood filled with trouble-making and mutual complaining/teasing. However, good things can never last. A horrible disaster strikes, and this group of disciples ends up separated and away from home for many many years. As they struggle to return home and rebuild that family, the disciples begin to uncover long-buried secrets of the past: conspiracies, magical corruption, evil plots, and... the dark history of their very own Fu Yao sect.

I will say first and foremost that the pacing of Liu Yao is perfect. The author does a superb job building up the sweetness of a familial daily routine, the dread of incoming calamity, the tearjerking grief of having to bid a permanent farewell, the shock and horror of a plot twist... Each arc is the perfect length and tone.

And yes, despite lots of adorable humor and the relief from relationship development... the overall tone is somewhat dark. If you couldn't tell from my opening monologue, Liu Yao is not what I'd call a super optimistic story haha. While the main five disciples earn a happy ending for themselves, the story is always on the bittersweet side. 

Liu Yao's most prominent themes are the inevitability of death, the futility of trying to avert one's fate, and the impossibility of returning to one's nostalgic happy past. All in all, how being human sucks.

Hey, at least it's realistic! :P... :/ ... :(

Still, if there's one thing this novel argues, it's that while we appear to be stuck in despair and grief and hopelessness, we can always do our best within those circumstances. We may never be able to go back to our loving past, but we can try to make our future full of love. Things aren't truly as dire as they seem--we always have a thread of hope. Where the previous generations made mistakes and failed, the bonds of friendship and love between the current disciples give them the strength to successfully earn their happy ending.

2) Characters

Priest does an excellent job writing multidimensional characters who behave in startlingly realistic fashions for their fantastical circumstances. Each of the main five disciples has their own cute quirks, badass moments, and crippling weaknesses.

Our main character is Cheng Qian, the most hard-working and serious disciple of the five, who often plays the straight man to the rest of the group. His wonderful sarcastic tongue makes all his interactions with the sillier characters absolutely hilarious, and I admire his sheer willpower at trying to take all the burdens of the other disciples onto himself. He also has really well-written "obliviousness"--he acknowledges he's not the smartest person in the room, and it makes sense for him to always tackle serious business first. At the same time, Priest deftly explores how these unique characteristics can be turned against him, and how he eventually grows to achieve balance and reclaim his warm dynamic with the other disciples.

The main love interest is Yan Zhengming, who is an absolute joy of a character. He starts off as a complete and utter spoiled narcissist rich kid, pretty much a laugh-out-loud caricature of a lazy dandy. But as the Fu Yao disciples undergo more trials and tribulations, his true core emerges: a real leader who is determined to watch over his younger disciples, who is willing to take on any hardship for the sake of the Fu Yao sect. I also love how he is actually self-aware: he develops an inferiority complex over not being worthy of inheriting the Fu Yao sect and not deserving Cheng Qian's love, which he grows to overcome.

Of course, great character development isn't limited to those two alone. Literally every single character in this novel goes through a complete arc that makes perfect sense for their personality and role in the story!! There are way too many for me to count! 

...Unfortunately, for almost every single side character, that complete character arc ends in their tragic death~  Again, "bittersweet"~

The villains are also handled with immense skill, whether it's the plot twists they're involved in or their actual character. While some were straight-up more evil than others, their initial motivations and how they became the way they are today all made perfect sense. Every villain character advances the themes of the story, which is exactly what all great villains should do!!

3) Overall Thoughts:

Liu Yao is an extremely captivating novel--to be specific, it is the best Danmei that I will only read once.

Everyone in this book suffers. There were times where I genuinely thought the book was trying to tell us that being a human just plain sucks. We are forever doomed to be foolish ants struggling against our own powerlessness, the stupid donkey chasing the carrot on a string eternally out of its reach. 

To be fair, life is literally us suffering in confused futility. Liu Yao just has a more realistic take on the Xianxia genre through this lens of suffering. (Even now, my heart aches at the very thought of the fate of the story's side couple.)

However, at its core, Liu Yao isn't truly a story of suffering. It's a story of love.

Love in all its beauty and ugliness. Love as it drives us to attempt the impossible. To climb the eternal stairway to the heavens, to push our limits to protect our children, to sacrifice everything to resurrect the love of our life.

Because even if we end up falling and screwing up... we can look back and say: "I don't regret a single thing."

[callanthea]

Thousand Autumns Review!

I wrote up quite a few reviews on novelupdates.com for various Chinese BL novels I enjoyed, so I decided to post them over here as well!

Next up is Thousand Autumns by Meng Xi Shi, a Wuxia adventure story and character study!

Here is the novelupdates page with access to the ongoing English translation: https://www.novelupdates.com/series/thousand-autumns/

And I purchased the raws on JJWXC here: http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=2423737

———————–

Thousand Autumns is a fantastic analysis of what makes a strong man. 

A man isn't strong because he can shatter mountains with a single strike, or make a nation bow with a wave of his hand.

A strong man is one relentlessly betrayed and beaten down by everyone he holds dear, who can still take every blow and stand back up even straighter than before.

A strong man is one who can go through hell and emerge on the other side with the same warm and gentle heart he started out with.

A strong man is one who brings out the best of every person who surrounds him.

Shen Qiao is one such strong man. And luckily for us readers, a wonderful character like him is the MC of this novel.

1) Story

The story starts with Shen Qiao as a martial artist at the very peak of the world, until disaster strikes and he finds himself falling to the same level as the dust and mud. At this vulnerable time in his life, he finds himself aided by another martial arts master, Yan Wushi. The only problem is, Yan Wushi is definitely not a benevolent person--in fact, he wants to see how far a good man can be pushed before finally succumbing to the same evils of human nature that plague all of humanity.

It's the classic Boy Meets Girl, except, you know, for the part where it's actually "Righteous gentle Taoist cultivator becomes complex frenemies with an amoral trolling Demonic sect master."

On a more general level, Thousand Autumns feels like a living Wuxia world, with factions and politics galore. Each area and martial arts sect has its own time in the limelight, weaving the plot points together beautifully. Overall, Thousand Autumns nicely juggles numerous characters and plotlines into a coherent epic, all seen through the eyes of best MC Shen Qiao!

Of course, it's not absolutely perfect--I think the 1st half of the story is a bit more compelling since that's when Shen Qiao faces the most hardship (I swear I'm not a sadist or masochist lol). The 2nd half of the plot does have a couple somewhat cliche plot points too, and the complicated politics can make your head spin a little bit. Plus the ending is a bit rushed (effectively ending immediately after the climax, just when Shen Qiao is recognizing his feelings), so we don't get full resolution on some of the side characters that have shown up over this massive plot.

Still, I can only bow in respect to the author for how well the plot flows! I couldn't stop reading to see what Shen Qiao runs into next, and I ended up binging the entire book in 3 days!!

2) Characters

Okay, yeah, I love Shen Qiao. Pretty much everyone who reads this book loves Shen Qiao. The book itself loves Shen Qiao--in fact, Thousand Autumns is very much a character study of Shen Qiao <3

Unfortunately, this means he undergoes lots of horrible tragic circumstances to test his mettle. His allies abandon and betray him, his kindness is repaid with cruelty, his enemies pressure him from all sides, he is spit upon as a useless failure of a beggar. You know, fun fun fun!

However, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, these hardships also grant him the opportunity for his true inner strength to shine. For in the end, no amount of dust can possibly obscure the beauty and shine of a real pearl. This makes Shen Qiao fall into my absolute favorite category of characters: Genuinely good people who suffer horribly, yet keep walking forward just as beautiful and kind as before. Warm as the sun and gentle as the grass, yet with a core as strong as steel and enduring as the mountains.

Now onto the other main character--the amoral, ridiculously powerful, cynical, and hedonistic Yan Wushi. The initial Yan Wushi really did terrify me, especially how he treated Shen Qiao as an experiment and toy. But that only made it that much more satisfying when he finally realizes Shen Qiao truly exceeds his expectations. That just this once, there could exist a real human as wonderful and genuine and good as Shen Qiao. 

I was very much pleasantly surprised at how the dynamic between these two characters continually changed and evolved, until they finally reached a very adorable equilibrium of "genuinely playful Yan Wushi teasing a Dere-Tsun Shen Qiao". Both characters are such complete opposites, yet they both grow to understand the other's perspective while managing to preserve their own core.

Now for the supporting cast... yeah it's massive in this novel thanks to the political aspects. But every single character has their own role to play, and the political alliances/betrayals make those side character dynamics really fun to keep track of. My favorite supporting characters were probably Bai Rong/Fifteen/Yu Ai, as well as the long-deceased Qi Fengge. Now I only wish the story gave us more time with the side characters so everyone could get resolution :P

3) Overall Enjoyment

This is of course entirely subjective. But I will be honest, Thousand Autumns got me absolutely ridiculously invested into one man's story. I smiled with his joy at being able to save a single child, I cheered when he showed his true strength and proved his enemies wrong, and I goddamn wept like a baby every single time he cried.Now if only our current world had someone like Shen Qiao. But if there are none, that's okay too--all we have to do is each aspire to become someone Shen Qiao would be proud of.

P.S. One last warning, whenever Shen Qiao has a flashback to his long-lost happy childhood, get those tissues ready because you know those waterworks are coming!!!

[Also of note, as I previously mentioned, the BL romance in Thousand Autumns comes really late and is pretty downplayed. This is because Shen Qiao is naturally not a very romantic person lol. Still, I feel the romance fits the story really well by bringing out the human side of both Shen Qiao and Yan Wushi.]

[callanthea]

Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System Review!

I wrote up quite a few reviews on novelupdates.com for various Chinese BL novels I enjoyed, so I decided to post them over here as well!

First up is Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, the somewhat overshadowed older brother to the famous Mo Dao Zu Shi!

Here is the novelupdates page with access to the ongoing English translation: https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-scum-villains-self-saving-system/

And I purchased the raws on JJWXC here: http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=2228486

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Reading the Scum Villain's Self-Saving System is a ticket onto a true rollercoaster of emotions: heartwarming fluff, depressing angst, and of course lots and lots of laugh-out-loud humor. Like any good parody, it simultaneously makes fun of common tropes while also triumphantly embracing those very same tropes.

1) Story

The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System is predominantly a parody of the infamous power/revenge/harem fantasy genre of books, nicknamed "Stallion novels". You know, the whole "OP Protagonist is tormented and abused as a child, then gains a sudden boost in magical power which he uses to exact merciless revenge on his old tormentors--while also amassing a giant harem of beautiful ladies."

In fact, the protagonist of Scum Villain is a reader who detests one such particularly poorly written Stallion novel (starring the male protagonist Luo Binghe (LBH)). This reader's hatred of the novel is so great that when he dies, he gets transmigrated into that very same story. Unfortunately, he happens to be given the role of Shen Qingqiu (SQQ) -- the "scum villain who tormented the innocent child protagonist, and was later brutally tortured and murdered by the grown-up protagonist."

As you can expect, our main character, the newly reincarnated SQQ, is very eager not to get brutally tortured and murdered like the original SQQ was in canon. He also has all his knowledge of the original book's plot to help him survive (and poke fun at the cliches). Unfortunately, he cannot act freely. His transmigration comes with a "System" which forces him to act in character and maintain at least some of the canon storyline--including the crucial turning point where SQQ traitorously casts LBH into the equivalent of hell.

The result is a perfect recipe for both hilarity and angst (though mostly hilarity). The story is vaguely split into a fluffy beginning (where SQQ serves as a Tsundere teacher to the adorable teenager LBH) vs. a second half that's both humorous and sad (where SQQ navigates a complicated/uncertain relationship with the powered-up LBH who returned from hell).

On a more general level, Scum Villain's Self-Saving System creates a vibrant high fantasy setting while parodying it at the same time. The use of magic and demons follows the usual tropes, but having SQQ giving silent audience commentary makes everything feel fresh all over again. SQQ successfully fills in many of the original story's plot holes along the way :P

Overall, "Scum Villain's Self-Saving System", is a cohesive and beautifully written story that uses even the smallest of details. 

Of course it's not absolutely perfect. I'd say the 2nd half of the plot has quite a bit of angst resulting from miscommunication, and the pacing can sometimes move at a breakneck speed. However, I personally find these don’t detract from the story, but are handled in a way that actually makes the story more unique. (ex: The miscommunications in question legitimately made perfect sense in-character. The story definitely does not drag.)

2) Characters

I think it's fair to say I enjoy every single character in the Scum Villain's Self-Saving System. It's funny because the original novel's characters were almost entirely 1-Dimensional, but this revised world does feel lively.

First, let's look at our main character Shen Qingqiu. I find his character to be super interesting for a MC. He manages to put on a "calm, smooth, badass" appearance, but we as an audience can see his inner monologues where he is always secretly freaking the hell out, swearing at novel cliches, and smashing the fourth wall. SQQ is a rare protagonist who falls under the "stoic sagely mentor" character archetype but hilariously subverts it at the same time. (Makes you wonder what all the other stoic sagely mentor characters in other works of fiction were always thinking beneath the surface...)

On one hand, SQQ shows himself to be incredibly intelligent, driven, kind, wise, powerful, clear-headed, and easygoing. On the other hand, he has clear flaws that naturally stem from those very qualities! His stoicism successfully hides his inner freak-outs, but also prevents other characters from seeing his true thoughts/feelings. His biggest strength (using the plot of the original Stallion novel to his advantage) also becomes his biggest weakness (thinking the living people around him are still the stereotypical characters they were in the original novel). And yes, it is extremely fulfilling and satisfying when he realizes and overcomes those flaws <3

SQQ is probably the first Isekai protagonist I've ever loved, and I adore his character. (... legit the only thing keeping me from cosplaying him is how he doesn't have an official design yet...)

Now onto the other main character--the male lead of the original novel, Luo Binghe. LBH is a really fun character, with two obvious faces: the "innocent hard-working lamb disciple with a maiden's glass heart", and the post-hell "ruthless overpowered genius demon lord out for revenge". But instead of how you'd expect these two faces to contradict each other, they actually co-exist perfectly!! Given the unique way these two sides interact with other characters, every scene with LBH is a joyous riot to read. (Interestingly enough, he technically falls under the trope of Male Yandere. But when reading the novel I never once thought of him as a tropey character, simply because his thoughts and emotions were written so naturally.)

As you can tell, I love both main characters. But the supporting cast also has its share of badass/touching/heartbreaking/funny moments. My favorite side characters are probably Liu Qingge and Yue Qingyuan. Liu Qingge is absolutely hilarious as the unfortunate straight man to the SQQ/LBH chaos, while Yue Qingyuan is the warm big brother figure with hidden depths.

There's not a single person I can truly hate in this story, even the original "scum villain" SQQ or the spoilery Big Bad. All in all, I honestly have absolutely no complaints about any of the characters. Oh wait, I guess I do have one complaint--I wish the story was longer so we could get more time with all the characters :P

3) Overall Enjoyment

This is of course entirely subjective. But from my personal perspective... reading the Scum Villain's Self-Saving System was the most fun I've had in a long while. It had the perfect blend between drama, fluff, and humor (which I find pretty impressive since the original author seemed like he had a fetish for tragic backstories LOL). It never takes itself too seriously and has a great time poking fun at high fantasy popcorn novels, but it's also not afraid to tell an earnest story that delves into realistic human emotions and situations.

[Miscellaneous Comments: Since the author of Scum Villain also wrote Mo Dao Zu Shi / Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, a comparison is inevitable. I do love both works, especially how each fulfills its own unique niche! I will say that on a subjective level, I find Scum Villain more enjoyable to read. Its humor and fluff is relaxing/easy to digest and pretty much everyone gets a happy ending, while MDZS sometimes ventures into depressing/horror/tragedy territory. Though that's just my personal preference for comedy/optimism showing :P

Also of note, the BL romance in Scum Villain's Self-Saving System is relatively downplayed. While the interaction/relationship between Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu forms the absolute core of the novel, it only become a reciprocated romance near the end. Poor Luo Binghe has most of the feelings, while SQQ is completely oblivious for over half the story. I definitely did not mind this though, and found it felt quite natural.] 

[callanthea]

MDZS Character Tarot Analysis - Part 2

Given my love for the Tarot archetypes, I noticed that the main cast of Mo Dao Zu Shi actually fits these major arcana readings extremely well! I therefore decided to compile all my interpretations of who fits what, including my reasonings.

Part 1 (Arcana 0 to XI) can be found here: https://callanthea.tumblr.com/post/177844446959/

I promised a follow-up post, so this has the remaining Arcana XII to XXI. Again, these are of course my entirely subjective opinions!! I mostly focused on the upright meanings of each arcana, but I gave special preference to character arcs that included both reverse and upright characteristics. There may be some slight spoilers here and there. 

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XII.                Hanged Man: Wen Qing

Suspension, restriction, letting go, sacrifice, surrender, meditation on breaking old patterns/habits, buying time, feeling stuck, vulnerabilities, reversal of perspective, new priorities, selflessness, giving up personal needs for greater good, devotion to bigger cause

(Reversed: martyrdom, indecision, delay, getting nothing in return for sacrifice, unwilling to sacrifice)

Reasoning: In what appeared to be their darkest hour, Wen Qing willingly surrendered everything to save Wei Wuxian and the rest of the innocents of her clan. Unfortunately, the Jin clan continued pursuing Wei Wuxian’s group of Wen clan survivors—her sacrifice seemed to be meaningless, her former pride and beauty and ability all reduced to ash for nothing. Still, even now, the best part of the Wen clan survives. As the martyred Hanged Man, Wen Qing’s words and legacy live on: “I’m sorry. And… thank you.”

Runner-ups: as I’m sure you are all aware, our boy Wei Wuxian gave up so much to do the right thing ;__;

XIII.             Death: Mo Xuanyu/Wei Wuxian

Endings, beginnings, change, transformation, transition, purification, rebirth, closing one door to open another, putting past behind you, embracing new opportunities, letting go of past, breaking old bad habits.

(Reversed: resistance to change, carrying harmful aspects from past, unable to move on)

Reasoning: Oh boy oh boy. If we had to pick a single major arcana to sum up the entire MDZS novel, it would of course be the arcana of Death. Death isn’t scary—it’s an ending, sure, but it’s also a new beginning. Of course it is a painful process, and it’s all too easy to get trapped in those past memories. But Death is ultimately a chance to put the past behind you, to break old habits, to let go of old and bitter burdens. Closing one door to open another, starting a story anew, just like how Mo Xuanyu’s death enabled Wei Wuxian’s rebirth.

XIV.           Temperance: Lan Xichen

Balance, moderation, patience, purpose, meaning, calm, tranquil, taking time, peace, making right choices, adaption, coordination, harmony with others, cooperation, synergy, timing and precision, self-evaluation and new directions

(Reversed: imbalance, stress/tension, excess, conflict/competition, lack of long-term vision)

Reasoning: Ahh, the most chill guy in MDZS~ Lan Xichen very much exemplifies the Temperance Arcana’s focus on patience, calm, peace, and mediation. He brings out the best aspects of those he works with. I specifically chose him for his role in the Three Sworn Brothers dynamic, where Lan Xichen is 100% the balancing and moderating power between Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao. At the same time, Lan Xichen wasn’t perfectly successful. Like in Reversed Temperance, Lan Xichen quelled the short-term disputes but could not prevent long-term conflict from finally erupting.

 XV.           Devil: Jin Guangshan or Wen Chao

Desire, bondage/chains/restriction, addiction, fear, sexuality, materialism, negative lower tendencies, harmful impulses, deception and illusion, feeling despair because of lack of control, obsession, greed, trapped

(Reversed: detachment, breaking free, power reclaimed, detachment)

Reasoning: The two straight-up scumbag characters in MDZS lol. Both Jin Guangshan and Wen Chao act according to their own harmful whims and impulses. And their ultimate fates are also perfectly ironic for the Devil Arcana: Jin Guangshan died from being trapped in the lust he had always indulged in, and Wei Wuxian mutilated Wen Chao into the base animal he always was.

Runner-ups: Jin Guangyao matches the “illusion of lacking control” and the deception aspects. Xue Yang very much works off the low instinct of “revenge”, and he is chained by his own obsessions.

 XVI.              Tower: Xue Yang

Disaster, upheaval, sudden change, revelation, momentary glimpse of truth, destruction of ignorance and false reasoning, turmoil, misfortune, upsetting all old beliefs, shattering illusions and false foundations, insecurity, shaking your very core, awakening, release from bondage, breaking down your personal defenses, pain and anguish, death of ego

(Reversed: avoiding/delaying the inevitable disaster, clinging to the lie, fear of change, intuition of upcoming calamity)

Reasoning: I’ve literally never met a character who fits the Tower Arcana better than Xue Yang. Come on, even his sword is literally named “Falling Disaster.” The moment he revealed the truth to Xiao Xingchen, I could almost literally see the classic Tower Arcana imagery of “Lightning Destroying the Tower”. That brutal revelation completely shattered the false foundations and illusions of that Yi City daily life. And with that anguished awakening, the fates of every Yi City character were sealed. At the same time, Xue Yang wasn’t solely a harbinger of destruction. Like the Reversed Tower, he too feared the destruction of that ignorance and attempted to conceal Song Lan’s arrival. Even after knowing the peaceful lie was gone, he still clung to its broken pieces.

Runner-up: A-Qing’s intuition enabled her to see the disaster coming, yet she too could not escape the tragedy.

 XVII.           Star: Lan Sizhui

Hope, spirituality, renewal, inspiration, serenity, intuition, faith and truth in the universe, fulfillment, enduring challenges and now healing, letting go of damaging memories, stable, forgive and forget, new opportunities, personal transformation, believing in yourself, generosity, giving back blessings

(Reversal: lack of faith, despair, discouragement, loss of enthusiasm, test of faith)

Reasoning: Lan Sizhui is very much Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji/Wen Ning’s ray of hope, healing, and redemption. He went through such hell as a child, but has now been able to let go of that horrible past and make his own brighter future. He is an inspiring and serenely calming force to the rest of the young disciples. His entire existence is basically destiny proving that doing good is ultimately repaid. As the Star, he is the universe’s reward for the selflessness and love of those around him <3

 XVIII.         Moon: Jiang Cheng

Illusion, fear, anxiety, insecurity, subconscious, intuition, dreams, dim and uncertain, mystery, shadow self, repression, secrets, invisible things being revealed, deception, requirement for vigilance and clear perception, misjudgment

(Reversed: release of fear, weight being lifted, unrealistic, feeling stuck, unhappiness, confusion)

Reasoning: I finally decided on Jiang Cheng because of how much his character arc is rooted in hidden insecurity and misjudgment. Both as a child and as an adult, Jiang Cheng struggles to repress his complicated feelings. He feels stuck in the nostalgic past and trapped in the bitterness of Wei Wuxian’s betrayal. His subconscious fear and anxiety manifests as him literally lashing out. And all these years, he had to sit on a certain unspoken secret. Even by the end of the novel, that weight has not yet been entirely lifted. We can only hope that sometime in the future, Jiang Cheng will finally throw off the remaining shackles of the Moon Arcana for good.

 XIX.      Sun: “Mianmian” Luo Qingyang

Fun, warmth, success, positivity, vitality, optimism, fulfillment, source of life, happiness, action, radiation of love, confidence, enthusiasm, energy, freedom, enlightenment

(Reversed: temporary depression, lack of success, difficulty finding optimism/enthusiasm, overoptimistic)

Reasoning: This one is probably more of a stretch, but the character arc of Mianmian (AKA Luo Qingyang) is a bright spot in the cultivation world of MDZS. She started out beaten down and taken advantage of by the horrible Wen Chao and Wang Lingjiao, but she grows to take action on her own. She frees herself from the burdens of her original clan to repay Wei Wuxian’s generosity. And she shows up one last time at the end of the novel--now a confident cultivator in her own right and married with an adorable daughter, as proof that happy endings are possible. Her trajectory towards happiness is a great example of the Sun Arcana’s radiating love and infectious fulfillment.

Runner-up: the optimistic baby disciples including Lan Jingyi, who shine the hope for a brighter future in the cultivation world

XX.           Judgment: Lan Wangji

Judgment, rebirth, inner calling, absolution, inevitable, new beginning, reflection, epiphany, learning from past experiences, awakening, putting the past behind you, cleaning/purging of sins and wrongdoings, control of own destiny

(Reversed: self-doubt, missing new opportunities, overly self-critical, refusal to examine self, fear of making the important decision)

Reasoning: If our major arcana began with Wei Wuxian, it’s only fitting that it ends with Lan Wangji. In their “first life” together, Lan Wangji struggled to pin down how he felt towards Wei Wuxian, constantly doubting his own actions. He finally reached an epiphany: what he was feeling was love. This was his inner calling, his purpose for existence. Yet he was ultimately incapable of expressing his emotions until it was far too late. Only after Wei Wuxian’s rebirth could Lan Wangji take the lessons he had learned from those mistakes, and finally put his reflections into action. Now Lan Wangji can stand straight and proud, declaring even against the weight of the whole world: This is who I am, this is what I want. As Judgment, he is now the one in control of destiny, able to avoid the tragic fate of their first lives and create a new beginning.

XXI.              World: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian

Completion, integration, accomplishment, travel, looking infinitely outward, evolution, balance, victory, success, enlightenment, closure, achievement, everything coming together, celebration, fulfillment, unity/wholeness, giving back, new experiences and beginnings

(Reversed: lack of completion, taking the easy path instead of the necessary one, lack of closure, delay)

Reasoning: Come on, do I even have to say it? Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji complete each other. They are each other’s missing parts. The moment these two lovestruck idiots finally get together is the Mo Dao Zu Shi novel’s peak of achievement, the cheers of success, the point of victory. And of course, you know, the satisfying climax where every single plot thread came together to solve the overarching conspiracy. After obtaining closure on (almost) all the mysteries and starting the celebrations, the two of them can finally elope together, riding off into the sunset to start a new journey across the World <3

And that’s all the major arcana! Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think about these interpretations too!

[callanthea]

MDZS Character Tarot Analysis - Part 1

Given my love for the Tarot archetypes, I noticed that the main cast of Mo Dao Zu Shi actually fits these major arcana readings extremely well! I therefore decided to compile all my interpretations of who fits what, including my reasonings.

These are of course all my entirely subjective opinions!! I mostly focused on the upright meanings of each arcana, but I gave special preference to character arcs that included both reverse and upright characteristics. 

This post has characters for Arcana 0 to XI. See here for the remaining Major Arcana: https://callanthea.tumblr.com/post/177919076369/

There may be some slight spoilers here and there. Please let me know what you think about these interpretations too!

 0.              Fool: Wei Wuxian (Young)

Unlimited potential, spontaneity, free spirit, innocence, beginnings, the first step of a new journey, challenges that are yet to come, potential, sense of adventure, curiosity, open mind, relax and have fun, like a child, courageous, carefree and fearless

(Reversed: Naivety, foolishness, risks, recklessness, disregarding consequences)

Reasoning: Relatively obvious—young Wei Wuxian really did have such unlimited potential and innocence, compared to the trials and tribulations that he faced later. He treats every new experience as a fresh adventure, and is probably the most carefree and courageous character in the entire novel. At the same time, WWX also discovered the downside of the Fool when his risk-taking came back to bite him with unintended consequences.

 I.                Magician: Nie Huaisang

Resourcefulness, power, inspiration, manifestation/fruition of ideas, worldly experience and knowledge, tools, unlimited potential, vision before taking action, creation

(Reversed: Manipulation, poor planning, untapped talent, not yet taking action, greed, trickery, not yet reached full potential)

Reasoning: I chose Nie Huaisang because of his character growth: from an idle and lazy dandy, to a manipulative and resourceful genius. He’s the poster boy for fulfilling one’s potential, for making one’s previously untapped talent manifest. (And given the Magician’s role as a guide for the Fool... if there’s one character who helps “guide” the reborn Wei Wuxian, it would be Nie Huaisang :P)

Runner-up: Wei Wuxian also fits the talented/inventive/creative aspects of the Magician

 II.             High Priestess: A-Qing

Intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, subconscious, the unseen, moon, guide, inner voice, compassion, empathy, calm center

(Reversed: secrets, withdrawal, silence, doubt)

Reasoning: One of the central themes of the Yi City arc is vision, and there is no character who exemplifies this more than A-Qing. Guided by her intuition and subconscious voice, she alone saw the dangers brought by Xue Yang. She calmly walked straight towards Xue Yang’s sword without flinching, she spent all those years as a ghost protecting innocent travelers who enter Yi City. Yet she also struggled with having to keep silent at a time where she wanted to speak. She was left out of certain secrets and histories, which led her to doubt her intuition. All in all, A-Qing is such a wonderful and fresh take on the “blind oracle” trope that serves as the backbone of the Priestess Arcana.

Runner-up: Jiang Yanli for serving as the compassionate center of the Jiang family and just being a divine goddess lol.

 III.           Empress: Jiang Yanli

Femininity, beauty, nature, nurturing, abundance, mothering care and support

(Reversed: creative block, overdependence, overprotective)

Reasoning: Jiang Yanli is hands-down the most classically feminine and motherly character in the novel. She was the one who provided all the maternal nurturing care to Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng in their childhood. She learns from the mistakes of her own parents to become a loving mother to Jin Ling. 

Runner-up: Yu Ziyuan is an interesting twist on the classic mother figure, as someone who genuinely cares for her son and daughter but struggles to express those emotions in a mutually healthy way.

 IV.           Emperor: Nie Mingjue

Authority, establishment, structure, father figure, power, passion, energy, wisdom and experience, the stable rock, powerful leader, systematic and strategic, logical, black/white and right/wrong

(Reversed: Domination, excessive control, inflexibility, self-discipline)

Reasoning: Yep this one is pretty obvious. Nie Mingjue is hands-down the “figure of powerful authority” in MDZS, the rock that will never bend or bow no matter how fiercely the winds blow. He even acts as a pseudo-father figure to Nie Huaisang after their father’s death. It is his black and white view of morality that leads him to conflict with Jin Guangyao. And it is precisely the characteristics of the Reversed Emperor that become his downfall: remaining too inflexible, attempting to dominate the uncontrollable corruption in the Jin family.

 V.              Hierophant: Lan Qiren

Spiritual wisdom, religious beliefs, conformity, tradition, institutions, rite of passage, unlocking mysteries, teacher/mentor/guiding authority, formal study, convention, rituals, heritage, identifying with group

(Reversed: personal beliefs, freedom, challenging status quo)

Reasoning: Also obvious. In almost all the flashbacks, Lan Qiren’s primary role is to pass down clan traditions and ritualistic heritage, serve as a wise teaching authority, and uphold the established institutions of the world of MDZS. He has to bear all the burdens and responsibilities of the Hierophant since his older brother clan leader neglected those very duties.

In contrast, Wei Wuxian is 100% the Reversed Hierophant, running around to knock down those histories and conventions haha.

 VI.           Lovers: Jin Zixuan/Jiang Yanli

Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices, connection and union, desire, connections and meaningful relationships, communication, honesty, trust, respect, belief system, integration of two seeming opposites

(Reversed: self-love, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values, miscommunication, not mutual)

Reasoning: The relationship that develops between Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli is very much a classic love story. Two people with opposite personalities find common ground and shared values, from which they build the Lovers’ harmonic connection.

Runner-up: Jiang Fengmian/Yu Ziyuan as emblematic of the Reversed Lovers – two people who do probably love each other deep-down, but fall out of harmony due to miscommunication and misaligned values.

(And the Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian relationship is obvious but we’re saving that for later :P)

 VII.         Chariot: Jin Ling

Control, willpower, success, action, determination, determinati on, goals, discipline, challenges, focus, confidence, test of conviction, victory, boldness, travel

(Reversed: self-discipline, opposition, lack of direction, changing direction, getting lost, loss of control)

Reasoning: If there is one character who is most determined to prove himself over the course of this novel, it is Jin Ling. He continually tries to challenge himself by taking on new goals, seeking to test his conviction and live up to the legacies of his family. He also struggles with feeling lost and losing his purpose of revenge, when he discovers the situations of Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao were more complicated than they first appeared. Looking into the future, Jin Ling will no doubt continue charging forward as the Chariot, overcoming the obstacles in front of him as he rebuilds the Jin sect.

Runner-up: Jiang Cheng (like uncle, like nephew) doing everything he can for the Jiang clan despite all the hardships and obstacles in his way

 VIII.      Strength: Wen Ning

Strength, courage, persuasion, compassion, invisible influence, taming the lion, purity of spirit, wisdom, endurance, persistence, patience, calm, overcoming raw instincts/emotions/fears, forgiveness/love

(Reversed: inner strength, vulnerability, lacking self-confidence, self-doubt, low energy, raw emotion)

Reasoning: This was probably one of the hardest arcana to pin down since there were a lot of competitors for the spot. Ultimately, Wen Ning has the clearest character arc based on Strength. He starts out as a self-doubting and timid young man, gains power as a fierce corpse to defend the Wen clan innocents, and finally finds a new direction guiding Lan Sizhui. All throughout this journey, Wen Ning has remained a patient, gentle, compassionate, and determined angel :P

Runner-Ups: Jiang Yanli as the archetypal “woman taming the lion”, Lan Sizhui as the inner strength to Jin Ling’s outer willpower, Xiao Xingchen’s entire personality as the “soft grass hiding a heart of steel”

 IX.            Hermit: Song Lan

Soul-searching, introspection, alone, inner guidance, self-awareness, growth, guiding light of lantern revealing next few steps, inner wisdom, contemplate inner motivations/values/principles, seclusion, seeking new direction, changing priorities

(Reversed: isolation, loneliness, withdrawal)

Reasoning: The Hermit arcana is characterized by contemplating one’s inner motivations and principles, going on a soul-searching journey without knowing one’s final destination. And that is exactly Song Lan’s final fate, wandering the world alone, one step at a time, to restore Xiao Xingchen’s shattered soul.

Runner-ups: Xiao Xingchen as a character who struggled with the consequences of entering the world and attempting to withdraw from it, Baoshan Sanren for being a literal hermit (lol) withdrawing from worldly affairs in the pursuit of enlightenment, Wen Ning searching for his meaning in life

 X.              Wheel of Fortune: Jin Guangyao

Luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, turning points, constant change, “This too will pass”, optimism and faith that good will be rewarded, keeping mind open, lack of control, external factors, unpredictability, opportunities, new directions

(Reversed: misfortune, powerlessness, accepting responsibility, resistance to change, breaking cycles)

Reasoning: Wheel of Fortune exemplifies the unpredictability of life, how quickly things can change from the highest of highs and lowest of lows. It’s about remaining patient and keeping one’s mind open to new opportunities and new directions. What other character fits this better than Jin Guangyao, who goes from prostitute’s son, all the way up to Xiandu, and all the way back down to reviled villain? No matter whether he was lucky or unlucky, Jin Guangyao always strove to grab what control he could over his own destiny. Yet he also ends up falling into the same twisted cycles that produced him, and refuses to accept responsibility for those he harmed. In the spirit of the Wheel of Fortune, he finally reaps his rightful karma when his crimes are brought to light.

Runner-up: our boy Wei Wuxian showing up yet again for his own roller-coaster disaster of a life

 XI.           Justice: Xiao Xingchen

Fairness, justice, truth, cause and effect, law, compassion, balance, structure, logical, consequences to actions/decisions, impartiality, without bias, no retrials, search for truth

(Reversed: unfairness, immoral, lack of accountability, blaming others, dishonesty, inner critic, awareness of prejudice or bias)

Reasoning: Besides vision, the Yi City arc had a second major theme: Justice. Every action having both intended and unintended consequences, every event having traceable causes and effects, every crime receiving its inevitable punishment. Xiao Xingchen’s blindness truly exemplifies how he treats all humans equally, impartial and truthful yet always with that tinge of compassion and mercy. He sought to uphold the law, to seek justice for the Chang clan, to fight the Jin clan’s corruption when no one else would. And because of the inherent unfairness of the world of MDZS, his sense of justice brings tragedy down upon him ;__;

Runner-up: Song Lan as the other character who continuously searched for truth, who struggled with blame and the injustice of the world.

That’s the first half of the major arcana! You can see the remaining half of the arcana here: https://callanthea.tumblr.com/post/177919076369/

[callanthea]

I translated a nicely ethereal fansong featuring Xue Yang since I love the singer's high notes! The "Stars" word in the title and lyrics is also a play on Xiao Xingchen's name; the Xingchen in his name means "Stardust", but "Stars" is pronounced the exact same way.  Please let me know if the translations can be improved--that third verse was especially beyond my capabilities lol

[callanthea]

MDZS Month Day 2 - Favorite Pairing: Xue Yang/Xiao Xingchen

Plenty of other wonderful people have covered the heartwarming and touching WangXian pairing, so I'm going to take a different approach for maximum angst.

I can already hear people looking at the title of this post with disbelief and suspicion: "what the hell, Xue Yang ruined Xiao Xingchen's life, how can anyone see them as anything close to a pairing?!"

Don't get me wrong--literally every bad thing that happened in Yi City was Xue Yang's fault. He is 100% a fiendishly evil character driven by selfishness and malice. When faced with any sort of pain, his first instinct is to inflict even more agony on the innocents around him. And I highly doubt Xiao Xingchen had any romantic thoughts towards him, even when they were living that peaceful lie together. (Heck, even if XXC did have any, they would have been harshly broken beyond repair after The Reveal).

But Xue Yang isn't motivated by hatred and revenge alone. It would be so so so much easier if he was. 

If after the dissolution of that peaceful lie, he could happily return to wreaking his usual necromantic havoc without a care in the world. 

If after Xiao Xingchen's death, he could rip apart the corpse and feed it to the dogs. 

If he could use his masquerading skills to dirty Xiao Xingchen's name beyond repair. 

If he could ensure Xiao Xingchen is forgotten by history as a complete failure. 

If he could let Xiao Xingchen's shattered soul disperse to the four winds. 

If he could let go of that last piece of candy as the rotten trash it was.

Yet Xue Yang couldn't. 

That's what saves him from being an otherwise dime-a-dozen forgettable "vicious childlike villain" archetype. 

But that sentiment, that regret, that love, is also what ends up serving as his most fitting punishment.

Xue Yang reminds me of Satan in Devilman Crybaby. A ruthless, callous, and unfeeling monster, who derides the very existence of compassion and empathy and selflessness and love. Only when it is far too late, does he discover he too had those true feelings all along.

I probably have some sadistic tendencies towards Xue Yang's character, because I have tons of fun imagining the best way to torture him in hell. 

Make Xue Yang relive the events of Yi City over and over, making the same cruel decisions every time and losing Xiao Xingchen for them every time. 

Make Xue Yang see what he could have been, if only he had met Xiao Xingchen at age 7 instead of Chang Ci'An. 

Make Xue Yang wander the earth forever, in a futile quest to resurrect a man who rightfully hates him to the very core.

(See, a quick death was too merciful for him. Ahhh what beautifully perfect tortures, just thinking about it puts a smile on my face <3)

Because love, like any other powerful force, can also be used for pain and torment, for justice and punishment, for hope and redemption. 

In the end, if there's one sentence I could use to perfectly sum up Xue Yang's character, it would be this: "A heartless demon whose only weakness was his heart."

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On a more lighthearted note... I also do like reciprocated romance between Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen. I think it works best when XXC gets to see the whole situation and then accepts Xue Yang for all of who he is, while Xue Yang similarly accepts what he’s feeling is affection and, you know, gains at least a teensy bit of empathy to stop hurting people. This ends up being a somewhat similar dynamic to my beloved Luo Binghe/Shen Qingqiu from Scum Villain.

However, IMO the reciprocated pairing is 100% super duper impossible in the canon timeline. I do love me some sweet "future redemption" fics and “happier alternate-universe" fics though <3

[callanthea]

MDZS Month Day 1 - Favorite Character: Xiao Xingchen

For a character we never meet in person, who is long since dead by the time the story begins, who is never mentioned again after the first half of the novel… it’s incredible how much Xiao Xingchen’s character arc touched my heart.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the “good to a fault” character archetype. And Xiao Xingchen is my absolute favorite example of this archetype done right. 

He had really noble ideals, probably the best in the cultivation world: forming a cultivation sect based on shared goals and ideals, as opposed to the easily corrupted bonds of kin. 

He had a strong sense of righteousness, always willing to help those in need. He sought out justice for the murdered Chang clan when no one else would. He opposed the unscrupulous and powerful Jin sect when no one else would. 

He had endless compassion and kindness, and adorable optimism. He left BaoShan SanRen’s mountain because he truly believed in humanity’s potential for good. He never asked anything in return for his good deeds, no matter how much he suffered for them. He cared for A-Qing and Xue Yang with an infinite well of patience despite their freeloading (LOL).

All in all, Xiao Xingchen was basically an angel in human form.

Except...

He gets completely and utterly shit on for being a good person. 

His ideals are shattered and his justice subverted by the whims of politics and corrupt underhanded dealings. He loses his friends thanks to others’ manipulations. He is tricked into killing innocents. His enemies take advantage of his compassion to torture him and mock every one of his efforts as futile. 

He commits suicide in total despair, believing that his existence on this earth did not accomplish a single thing.

And yet, even after reaching such an empty end... Those touched by his kindness could not forget him. 

He inspired A-Qing to stand up and fight for justice. Song Lan wanders the earth searching for a way to save him. Even Xue Yang, the “living demon” and his cruelest nemesis, could not help but admire him to the point of obsession.

Xiao Xingchen is a perfect example of how to make a “incorruptibly pure and good” character compelling. You put them through hell so their compassion becomes a weakness, so they suffer through the worst and most sinful side of this world. 

And then you show how their goodness and kindness ultimately influences the flawed humans around them for the better. Even I want to be someone who Xiao Xingchen could be proud of. 

So wherever you are, the bright moon and gentle breeze... I hope you can finally find peace.

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

P.S. Xiao Xingchen’s name is super awesome. I want a name as cool as “Dawn Stardust.”

[callanthea]

How Lan WangJi’s Character Could Be Improved

@arsnovacadenza​​ recently commented that Lan WangJi isn’t a super compelling character, and I wanted to share my thoughts on this subject!

First and foremost, let’s just make this clear: Lan WangJi is a very good and likable person. He’s always willing to help someone in need, he’s badass, he’s extremely hardworking and studious, he’s very generous and kind, he’s really warm and loving towards WWX, etc. etc. This point is pretty much undeniable. 

However, just because someone is a good person does not mean that they are a compelling character!! 

What do I mean by compelling character? I mean a character who has relatable thoughts, motivations, and development. A character with multiple sides and facets, with various flaws and strengths that are displayed over the course of the plot. A character who you could legitimately see as a real human being.

With these traits in mind, there are two areas of LWJ’s character that I take issue with.

1) LWJ never truly grows much as a character. His only real development was to fall in love with WWX and become less stuffy. This development happens extremely early (when he’s a teenager), and he never changes after this has finished. This is because LWJ never makes any mistakes, so he never has a chance to learn from those mistakes. 

[EDIT: Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoyed LWJ’s development in the flashbacks when he learned to stop repressing himself. But in the present-day story, he really doesn’t go through any changes at all. Sure, you can say him having finished his character arc in the flashbacks is the whole point, but IMO it’s more than a little awkward for LWJ’s character arc to be over before the story has actually begun.]  

(By “mistake”, I mean something the story acknowledges as a mistake. Defending WWX at SPOILER LOCATION was not a mistake, being unsuccessful in taking WWX back to Gusu was not a mistake. The story never treats these like bad decisions, and LWJ never learns anything from them. LWJ has absolutely no regrets about these actions, and would gladly try to do them again.) 

By the time of WWX’s resurrection, LWJ is already too perfect and has nowhere else to grow.

[Compare this to another Kuudere archetype love interest, He Xiuyuan in Poor and Humble Sect. One of the key plot points in that story is how He Xiuyuan goes through immense struggles to suppress his inner shameful nature and desires. He Xiuyuan was also aware of his unintelligence compared to the MC, and initially wanted to be a mindless follower of the MC. These are real character flaws that must be overcome. And of course, it’s super fulfilling when He Xiuyuan allows himself to chase his true desires and gains the confidence to stand alongside the MC as an equal.]

2) LWJ’s motivations are all related to protecting WWX. The moment that WWX reappears, LWJ drops literally everything else in favor of making WWX stay by his side. Okay, don’t get me wrong--based on the sheer tragedy of WWX’s life before his first death, the only way he would ever get a happy ending would be if someone always stood by his side, believed in him, and supported him. But believe it or not, a person can have more than one motivation. It’s a little uncomfortable that Wei Wuxian is Lan Wangji’s entire world for literally all of the  present-day story scenes. The story would be more interesting IMO if a) Lan Wangji had other obligations/goals besides being so incredibly (almost slavishly) devoted to WWX, or b) Lan Wangji’s devotion to WWX was treated with at least some appropriate consequences by the story.

[Compare this to the love interest in MXTX’s previous novel: Luo Binghe in Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System. Luo Binghe was absolutely obsessed with the MC there, but the MC was realistically very uncomfortable with this level of obsession. This became a point of conflict between the two. Overcoming this conflict made their relationship much stronger and their character development more satisfying.]

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The combination of these two points leads to something strange: MDZS is not Lan WangJi’s story at all. It’s very very much Wei Wuxian’s story, while Lan Wangji kind of just... tags along. 

I mean, it’s really nice that MDZS is so focused on world-building and plot that the romance can take a backseat. But I find it strange that almost all the side characters are more interesting/complex (IMO) than the main love interest. Literally every other character in MDZS makes mistakes, and then develops and/or suffers as a result. Even Mianmian grows more than LWJ did, despite her very little screen-time.

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So how could LWJ’s character be improved in my opinion? Again, I have two solutions so far.

1) Play up and analyze LWJ’s flaws over the course of the story. 

LWJ does actually have flaws when you look closely enough, it’s just that the current story doesn’t really treat those flaws as flaws (LWJ doesn’t receive any negative consequences for them). I mentioned that all his motivations are related to protecting WWX--that kind of blind faith can be a flaw! In fact, Lan Xichen suffers because of a similar degree of devotion/faith towards Jin GuangYao. 

-What if the story played up that parallel between the two Lan brothers, and led to their relationship worsening (at least temporarily, before it got better)? 

-What if the public opinion of Lan Wangji went down the drain because of his defense of WWX? Imagine an arc where LWJ and WWX were /both/ on the run.

-WWX’s negative character traits are wonderfully examined through the use of Jin GuangYao and Xue Yang as foils, “what Wei Wuxian could have been.” So, what if LWJ’s negative character traits were similarly analyzed through an antagonist who was LWJ’s foil? (No, I don’t mean Su She. Fuck Su She, he is garbage both as a person and as a character. He has the stupidest motivation imaginable: “hurr durr I hate Lan Wangji for being too perfect, so I’m gonna be evil now.” His entire existence is such an obvious straw man designed by the author purely to make Lan Wangji look good in comparison.) 

I think a perfect third major antagonist would be someone whose main flaw is their undying devotion out of love, which drives them to increasingly villainous acts. Think someone like Wen Zhuliu, but with a bigger role in the story, preferably replacing Su She. Confronting this kind of antagonist would give LWJ the opportunity to grow and prove he won’t make the same mistakes as that character. 

2) Give LWJ a more complex character dynamic with WWX.

I think MDZS would be more interesting if LWJ and WWX disagreed more in the present day. If LWJ was more hostile towards demonic cultivation, if he and WWX legitimately fought over this issue. If LWJ felt more conflicted about WWX’s past crimes when he went berserk at Buyetian. If WWX wanted to reconnect with his old life but LWJ disagreed, and the two had an argument. 

As it is right now, there’s never any real conflict between WWX and LWJ besides the usual “hmmmm should we be a couple???” 

Seriously, just compare the complexity of the LWJ-WWX dynamic to the JC-WWX dynamic or the Three Brothers dynamic, it’s not even fair. 

I’m not asking that LWJ and WWX hate each other, hell no. But you can love someone without worshiping their every move. You can love someone and still think they are making a mistake. In fact, you need conflict in order for a relationship to come out more powerful and resilient than it was before.

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

All in all, I like Lan WangJi’s character just fine. He serves his purpose in the current story very well. I just do not love him the way I love many other characters in MDZS. I’m disappointed that he didn’t get the full character depth/development/exploration he deserves, especially since so many other characters in MDZS do. Lan WangJi deserves to be more than just the “ideal perfect boyfriend” character. He deserves to be as deep as a real human being too.

[callanthea]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: hints of Xue Yang/Xiao Xingchen Characters: Xue Yang, Xiǎo Xīngchén, Ā-Qìng Additional Tags: Fluff and Humor, A touch of Angst because this is Yi City Summary:

"He could say with all honesty that finding descriptive imagery was more difficult than the average night-hunt."

Xiao Xingchen valiantly tries to tell another story, preferably one that doesn't bore people to tears, under A-Qing's wise guidance and Xue Yang's watchful eye.

[my-otp-list]

Stunning is simply an understatement.

@ Mo Dao Zu Shi donghua backgrounds.

[myfandomcauseshanaji-deactivate]

Wei WuXian in novel vs in anime

I think I prefer novel’s Wei WuXian to how they show him in the anime. He is way too goofy in the anime, imo, I’m afraid if he is always shown this way it might be irritating.

What do you think?

[callanthea]

I’ve noticed this pattern too! I don’t think it’s guaranteed to be a bad thing though, since it’s still very very early in the show.

They could be doing more of a fake-out, deliberately making him seem more immature now so it’s more awesome when he shows his true intellect.

They could be trying to emphasize WWX changing/growing to be more mature over the course of the story.

It all depends on where they take it from here.

[my-otp-list]

Mo Dao Zu Shi donghua - Official posters

“Yun Meng Young Master Wei

Parted the world for 13 years

With time, many things have changed

Meeting that person from the old times

The tales of those days

Now retold, feel just as new.”

.

“Thinking about 20 years prior

At Cloud Recesses

We met, still teenage age

Our encounter was too early

Yet our understanding came too late.”

.

“18 years ago

Carrying thousands of treasured books

Escaping Cloud Recesses aflame

Meeting a new friend

It’s a joyful occasion

Smiling, hiding the sadness within.”

.

“At Lotus Pier, the light goes up

The past comes pouring back

26 years

Once we were fellow disciples, now each goes our own way

If one day we meet again, no word is said

Still better than having too much to say.”

.

(I feel that these poetic lines are beautiful and should be shared, so I tried to translate them. But it’s really tough to deliver the message. Sorry folks, I tried T^T)

.

The following 3 posters’ texts are irrelevant to Mo Dao Zu Shi. These texts talk about students’ emotions (probably because last week there was University Entrance exam in China). So I leave these text untranslated.

[callanthea]

The official makers of the Mo Dao Zu Shi / Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation donghua released a fancy relationship chart of all the main characters, so I took the liberty to translate everything into English as best I could! (Yeah the Jiang clan section got super crowded, and I couldn’t get WWX’s and LWJ’s names to look pretty, but I tried haha.)

[callanthea]

In honor of the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation donghua being only 1 day away from release... I finally finished subbing an updated version of the famous "Same Path Different Routes" fansong!  This is probably my favorite MDZS fanwork of all time, a truly ensemble piece featuring the entire main cast of Mo Dao Zu Shi. The song is amazing and the voiced lines from the original novel are equally amazing. There are quite a few well-known voice actors here too (including the same VA that's going to voice Lan WangJi in the donghua)!