For this one I wanted to see what would happen if I tried to increase the palette and did ten colors. How exciting! Except it didn’t really do much for the end result and I happily went back to 5-8 colors from there on out. 6-7 is my sweet spot. Five is usually for gifs or really such warmups while 8 is really the most intense I want to deal with. I do like Wen Kexing’s eyes and hair here. Enjoy!
love it when people link wikipedia pages instead of explaining the point. The url alone conveys so much disdain and contempt. Here is the information you desire, i found it with ease.
I don’t even have any interest in Dazzling but this exchange omg:
MDL User 1: they should have made X characters unrelated! (Complaining about there being a family connection between ML and FL.)
MDL User 2: explains ML and FL have no blood relation, never thought they did, at some point mom of ML got taken in by FL family or whatever
MDL User 1: oh I got all that! I just don’t like any romances with people who grew up together even if they aren’t related, I wish it was about strangers falling in love.
Me: primal scream!!!! Not everything has to be for you!!!! It’s OK! It’s also OK not to watch something the premise of which is not your thing and go find something else to entertain you!!! It’s one thing to complain that something is done badly or that there is an actual trope that is (according to you) morally iffy (tho we are on thin ice here) or that you went for X and were severely misled and it’s all about Y or w/e but this is like going to watch a horror movie and going you know what, I think it would be way better if this was a romcom. Why isn’t it? There are plenty of romances involving people who never met before and/or whose families did not grow up together. In fact I’d say the bulk of them are that. Pls why on earth not find one of them instead of demanding everything cater to you? It’s the whole tone of it that isn’t even “I would prefer that they were strangers” or something but basically a diktat of “they should have…”
I realize this is a random innocuous exchange but it so summarizes what is so annoying about comments and often fandom - that bizarre assumption that every story is made for you. It’s not enough to get stuff that you like, all of it has to be this way. It’s like if I lost my mind and started going into a page for this drama or basically any romcom or modern romance going “they should have had ML’s family murder FL’s family or vice versa. And set it in the old days.” Because that’s the type of narrative I prefer. But that would be not just delusionally entitled but insane because I don’t expect every narrative to be made for me. Because I am not the center of the universe (yet, plans are in motion.)
Yes to all of this and also this is my perpetual grumbling in the cdrama fandom.
CDRAMAS JUST MEAN DRAMAS MADE IN MAINLAND CHINA. THAT IS IT.
It's media catered to a country of 1.4 billion people, SO THERE WILL BE THINGS YOU (not you, but the general you) DON'T LIKE. It's like me complaining that not every american show is made like the Pitt or something.
(ETA I don't actually like the Pitt, but just trying to think of a moderately fandom popular american show)
Yes! It’s so odd when they get treated as a genre.
I am someone who watches shows from all over provided they give me what I want and there is no difference between American, Chinese, Korean, Turkish, Russian, Spanish etc etc shows in terms of “they have lots of genres and target different audiences.” It’s just the language, certain cultural attitudes, types of acting and filming and script conventions. Yes, the shows are different from each other in certain ways because they are made by societies that are different from one another but they all have variety of genres and appeal, unless the place making the shows is very small in the sense of doing three shows a year or something.
I can find a period family show, a mystery, a romcom, a prestige show, a melo etc etc in all of these. No place making shows will always cater to my tastes (or conversely, never cater to my tastes) and that’s fine. Just go watch something else. Or whatever.
Rewatching Word of Honor and that scene in episode 12 really has my heart. The entire thing lives rent-free in my mind.
There's also a gifset over here, which gives more justice to the acting than screenshots can.
But that conversation? Love it. Love every word and every intonation in it. Love how everything from their expressions and eyes to their silences exudes affection and contentment and peace.
The jianghu's soon going to go to shit and Zhou Zishu is still dying but right now, it doesn't matter. They're just enjoying the sun, the wine and each other.
So it starts by Wen Kexing asking :
“A-Xu, why don't you dare to bet that I am the one you know? What kind of person do you think I am? A good guy or a bad guy?”
“Save your words. Are those thongue twisters?”
“Tell me I’m curious about it. In addition to be good-looking at first glance, what do I look like in others eyes ?”
[I mean in your eyes A-Xu, what I’m interested in is what I look like in YOUR eyes]
So Zhou Zishu looks at him like that :
And answers:
“A stupid guy.
I’ve been experiecing a lot in the mixed crowd. If I can’t even tell the good guys from the bad guys, my life would be a waste.”
Wen Kexing's probably melting inside at that smile, is slightly taken aback but obviously happy at that answer because he has a tentative:
“So you think...I’m a good guy ?”
“A bad guy can be forgiven if he puts down his sword. So why should a good guy be sent to hell if only did something bad once? That doesn’t make sense.”
And Wen Kexing smiles back at him, and has a small laugh. He is so relieved A-Xu just said that.
“So I’m a good guy.”
Look at him!! He's so happy ! So he gets teasing :
“No, you’re wrong. I’m more than a good guy, I’m Philantropist Wen.”
Zhou Zishu snorts a laugh at that. Such a genuine, fond sound.
“Come on, Philantropist Wen.”
And that's when Wen Kexing calles him:
“A-Xu.”
“What?”
He then slowly moves around the table to be in front of him because that damn table's putting too much distance between them he need to get closer to flirt.
He has a little laugh and happily calls him again:
“A-Xu!"
I love the cute little frown Zhou Zishu has at that: “Will you stop calling me?”
Wen Kexing - wearing a big-ass smile - finally sits down in front of him...
... And says for the third time, more softly :
“A-Xu.”
He puts so much emotion into this one affectionate name that Zhou Zishu has a little start while hearing it, sighs, then looks aside because help this is tugging at heartstrings and he was not ready for that.
Then he smiles.
“Enough, Philantropist Wen. Shut up, Stop calling my name, you’re making me scared.”
And Wen Kexing just laughs at that, then moves to turn toward the sun and closes his eyes. And has these words:
“I just feel that it’s good to be alive to have the sun shining, and to have someone for me to call.”
Have someone to call. For him, who had so little people to call. I'm unwell.
Zhou Zishu stares at him for a little moment and smiles fondly (so many smiles in that scene !)
“Yes you’re right.”
[Small silence]
“Lao Wen."
Wen Kexing is so confortable (probably not something that happened a lot in the past, I guess) doesn't even open his eyes or move, just goes “Mm?”
I love the way Zhou Zishu then tilts his head juuust a little, repeating a more interrogative
"Lao Wen."
Which prompts Wen Kexing to open his eyes, puzzled. "Ah?"
Zhou Zishu then leans forward with yet another smile, saying a third
"Lao Wen."
Both smile. Again.
“What ?
“Let’s drink”
And they both smile and laugh and go to drink.
I. Love. That. Scene. They were saying what they were not allowed to say on screen with everything but words.
The writer in me is almost taking this as a personal challenge to see if I could write the same scene and manage to pour as much emotions into it. Answer is : "probably not"
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