LadyS @ladysalieri - Tumblr Blog

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fuckyeahchinesefashion

OP: In case you're not sure how to use fazan发簪(hairpin)

ladysalieri

#saving this for later

gummybearattacktheworldofdespair

#this is just so hilarious to me #I need to figure out how to use this quote in real life

cassandra-silver

Don't get me wrong I love the plot of that show and almost everything about it in general but COME ON

ladysalieri

Me: I'm going to watch S2 again from the start so I can boost its viewership.

Me: Skips through everything else to watch the best J/C moments.

#janeway x chakotay #star trek prodigy

partywithponies

Some people in fandom desperately need to become obsessed with something SUPER niche and obscure. Something with like 10 active fans at the very most. Something with only 6 fics if you're very lucky, all but one written by the same dedicated fan. Something where when you do find a fan account, it's been innactive for years. Something that's not available on streaming and its only physical release was never released in your country. Let it humble you.

partywithponies

Tags from @nalivaa

Yes!! You!! You get where I'm coming from!!

#is this about samflam?#samurai flamenco #cries in masagoto

rainbowsky

Help! This is too precious! 13 year old Yibo performing "The Strongest Player" 20101029. One of the best young Yibo performances. He was born for the stage!

wangxianficfinder

Fic finder

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1. I'm looking for a fic that's during the Cloud Recesses study arc where, WWX I think, found out Wen Chao couldn't read and started teaching him. I think a couple of the other kids started helping him, MianMian maybe? I can't remember much but they definitely helped him learn how to read and became friends. TIA

FOUND? Wei Wuxian’s Super Special Super Secret Book Club by Anonyma (T, 31k, WWX & WC & LQY, WangXian, Canon Divergence)

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2. hello!! All good? I'm looking for a collection of one shots, and I can't find it, I read it a little while ago but I remember a one shot, where Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying were discussing the fact that Wei Ying had saved the heirs of the sects in cave and Jin Ling was listening and Wei Ying was saying that if he hadn't saved the heirs Jin Ling wouldn't exist and Jiang Cheng said something like, Whatever.... Honestly, I don't even remember the tags, but Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying realizing that Jin Ling had heard, Wei Ying asks what Jin Ling wants. @sweettiebah

FOUND? 🔒 Chapter 11: Careless Words of Short Prompts by Vrishchika (JL POV - Not JC Friendly - WWX loses his patience)

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3. Hello !! Ive read this fanfic a while ago and I have multiple ss of it since i like to save memorable parts of the fic but now i cant remember it anymore </3 i dont remember the synopsis but there was a scene where Lwj and Wwx were in an inn while out night hunting, and wwx suspected the person serving them to have poisoned lwj, wwx got really angry and threatened the guy to the max

quote:

Wei Wuxian slammed him against the wall again, cutting off his rapid ramblings and jostling his fractured arm. "Your stories bore me," he spoke lowly, peering his head around slightly so as to almost look into Heng She's face. He still had yet to acknowledge Lan Wangji's presence. "Tell me why you poisoned the tea, or I will hang you in the street by your intestines, ripped open to let the crows feed on your liver." @jingyisbff

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4. Hello! T__T I have my focus mode on so my distracting apps like twitter (x) are paused. I took a 5 minutes break and opened it. I saw a threadfic of Bottomji/Topxian (Omegaverse) They already have 3 kids (Yuan, Twins) but they are all alphas. lwj wants a daughter (or an omega son). He rode wwx that night then let him knot him for 3x. They were on a date and lwj bought some robes for a girl the confronts wwx that he wants a daughter.... Thats all Ive read. I want to read the whole thread but my app closed. 💔 Can you guys help me with it? I cant find it anymore.

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5. Hi, I need help finding a fic I’m pretty sure I’ve seen recommended on here a couple years ago.

I don’t remember the title or the author. It was on AO3. It was an Alternative Universe fic where WWX is an art student (and lived in a dorm with the Wen siblings) and LWJ has a very active but discreet sex life. WangXian know each other but they’re not together. Eventually they start sleeping with each other (WWX doesn’t realize LWJ actually likes him and he’s not just another hookup). There is also a secondary plot about one of LWJ’s past hookups stalking and tormenting them at a club or party at some point? T

his is all I can remember, unfortunately. I hope to reach someone who knows which fic this is by asking on here. WangXian nation, do your thing! 🙏

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6. For fic finder, a fic I read a good while back.

It was one of those “jgs magically spies on the burial mounds to get people to hate wwx and the remnants” but in this one wwx and lwj did the “a-yuan is birthed from wwx” thing and the people spying believe it. Lqr passes out for a bit and lxc and jc start planning a wedding since lwj apparently deflowered wwx. I think it was completed

FOUND? Assumptions by draechaeli (T, 50k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Mainly Novel with a few CQL and Donghua bits, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Adoption, Adoption but WWX birthed them all, not mpreg, Not Established Relationship, Fluff, Canon-Typical Violence, Fix-It, gender non-conforming titles)

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7. Hello! Here's one I've read a dozen times and would swear I have bookmarked, but now I can't find it. Basically, LZ is a courtesan/assassin who's sent by JGS to seduce and kill the powerful Yiling Patriarch. Meng Yao is working with LZ, although he has his own plans against JGS, of course. WWX later realizes LZ's brother is alive and looking for him, so he brings them together. (By the way, are you thinking of adding a Courtesan compilation? There are plenty of good ones to rec!) Thank you! @ladysalieri (we don't have a courtesan au specific comp but we do have a royalty one that includes a few! ^^ - Mod C)

FOUND? out to get you (to get you) by iliacquer (E, 41k, wangxian, graphic depictions of violence, switching, top/bottom LWJ, top/bottom WWX, power play, courtesan LWJ, assassin LWJ, dark lord WWX, bondage, happy ending, past slavery)

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8. Hello i am looking for a fic where modern lwj time travels to the canon era and becomes original lwj, in the fic he is betrothed to yilling patriarch wy who sends him letters, and wy becomes more desperate and insane because lwj doesn't answers his letters. @ahiku-chan

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9. hello! i'm looking for a fic from lwj's pov. he runs into wwx (dark) in yiling i think, after burial mounds but before his new body. lwj is horrified by how bad he looks and convinces him to go to an inn (wwx mean), they have sex. during this lwj realizes that wwx's bones are all broken from his fall in the burial mounds and he is holding them stable with resentful energy. he can't heal them, but the resentful energy is working as a stopgap. possibly of it's own volition? bittersweet? thx! @saydams

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10. Hello!! I love this blog, where I find fics to read!! A few days ago, I asked someone to find me a fic, but I'm here again because I remembered med and another fic that I loved reading, but currently can't find.

The things I remember: Wangxian has an spiritual connection, which is why the golden core transfer does not occur (and it is qing who informs Wei Ying of the connection, as Madam Yu knew and gave tea to undo the connection but it did not work ) and if I'm not mistaken Yanli is the one who told Wei Ying that the spiritual connection no longer exists (which is obviously wrong)

If you can't find it, I ask you to recommend something similar.

Thank you ❤💛🖤 @sweettiebah

FOUND? Half of my soul by Asphodel_Meadow (T, 8k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, No Golden Core Transfer, Fix-It, 5+1 Things, kinda soul bond but with their golden cores, POV Outsider, POV Alternating)

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11. Hi, im looking for a fic where when Wei Wuxian was dead others tried to flirt with Lan Wangji. I remember one of the scenes where Shizui was walking to the jingshi and overherd someone (a cousin of Lan Jingyi?) trying to flirt with Lan Wangji. I think it was a 5+1 type of deal. No matter the way i word it, i cant find it. I`ve been looking on and off for months. @herebedragons02

FOUND? Criteria by incendir (T, 10k, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian) Criteria from the Resolutions series! I've reread ot enough to know that description on site

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12. I hope you don't mind me asking, i'm looking for a wangxian fic where there is a scene that takes place in the cloud recesses where jiang cheng injures nie huaisang and nie mingjue almost declares war on the jiang sect. Thats as much as i remember I hope it's enough to go on. If it helps any it was either a Jiang Cheng bashing fic or a Jiang Family bashing. / Hi i'm looking for a Jiang Cheng or Jiang Family Bashing fic (can't remember which it was) where Nie Huaisang gets severely injured by Jiang Cheng and Nie Mingjue almost declares war on the Jiang Sect. Thank you. @hanabichan2018

FOUND? Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending)

FOUND? A Future Family In A Broken Past by Hauntcats (T, 121k, wangxian, Not JIang Family Friendly, Not Cultivation World Friendly, WWX Needs a Hug, Family Dynamics, What is a good family?, Fear of emotions does not excuse abuse, Not Jiang Clan Friendly, Angst with a Happy Ending, Time Travel Fix-It, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, LXC needs a hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Not YZY Friendly)

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13. Hello I’ve been looking for this fic but I cannot find it I remember seeing it before it’s where in order to survive the burial mounds WY exchanges his heart which changes how he acts and then at the end JC, JYL, LWJ and NH decide to go to the burial mounds to see what happened to WY

FOUND?🔒 between the shadow and the soul by Reverie (cl410) (M, 22k, wangxian, JYL/WQ, JC/NHS, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family, Dark WWX, Feral WWX, Memory Loss, Magic, Magical Realism, Protective LWJ, Protective JC, Protective JYL, Grief, BAMF WWX, POV Alternating)

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14. Hi! For next fic finder, could you help me find a modern wangxian au with combination of arranged marriage, marriage of convenient (i think it is), and contract marriage. YZY arranged a marriage between WWX and LWJ for a bussiness cooperation. WWX agreed to that so he can get away from the Jiang (especially YZY) and to make his own carrier. Then LWJ and WWX make a contract to make the marriage last until 2 years and decided if they want to keep the marriage or not. I think LWJ playing his guqin and WWX is used to that and when 2 years almost up, WWX didnt want to get divorce. The fic is focused about them getting to know each other. I think thats all i can remember. I read that in 2021 so the detail is kinda patchy. If you dont know the fic at least a confirmation that im not the only one that ever read this. Thank you! @idontknowwhattowriteforusername

FOUND? you're the only thing i think i got right by sandustorms (lucianclouds) (M, 48k, wangxian, Arranged Marriage, Falling In Love, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Domestic, Married Life, Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, do you remember that fake reddit post abt the guy that fell for his husband, that he was arranged to be married to, that was kind of what inspired this, Happy Ending, Modern, Strangers to Lovers, Romance)

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15. Hello Mods, hope you are having a good day (^ ω ^)

This is for the fic finder and I'm not quite sure about this so just to be safe I don't want to upset anyone so

Trigger Warning! Trigger Warning! Trigger Warning!

This is what I remember: WWX is roofied or SA'ed in the Cloud Recesses ( I don't remember if that is shown) and there's a lot about how he handle it (denial? minimizing? disassociation?), and LWJ is there, he didn't do it, he is good, and anti-victim-blaming? if that makes sense?

FOUND? obscura: ink stain by AvoOwO (M, 20k, wangxian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Canon Divergence, Emotions, Heavy Angst, Painting, Temporary Amnesia, Drugs, Drug Use, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Drink Spiking, Victim Blaming, LWJ Has Feelings, LWJ Has a Crush, Soft wangxian, Holding Hands, Blood and Violence, Good Sibling JC, Protective JC, WWX is a Mess, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Politics, Protective LXC, Good Sibling LXC, Good Uncle LQR, LQR Tries, OCs, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, WWX Needs a Hug, someone gets punched a lot, LWJ contemplates murder for a moment, JC almost gets it done, not quite about romance, as much as romance elements there, more so about the small things, LWJ loves how WWX smells, some nasty things are said, WWX def needs a nap, he gets one dw, LQR Gets Shit Done, NHS Is A Little Shit, Scheming NHS)

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16. Hi! For fic finder, I am looking for a short-ish fic where Jin Ling learns that Wei Wuxian is the one who named him “Rulan.” Jin Ling then realizes he is named after the Lans, and he has a teenage meltdown about how he is named after his uncle’s crush. Does this sound familiar? Thank you, everyone, for all your help! @gloriousclotpole

FOUND? three days gone by occultings (microcomets) (G, 4k, JL & WWX, WangXian, Post-Canon, Family Bonding, Homophobic Language, Fluff) there may be a few fics that fit, is it maybe the one where jin ling and jiang cheng are reading sect letters together, and jin ling got mad about being called "rulan"? so far i found another fic, ig it's "similar" since jin ling's only mad for one sentence, but i thought to link it anyway

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17. Hi! I'm looking for a fic, but i only remember a specific scene from it: wwx and the wens on the horses and it's raining and lan zhan lets them go, but then i guess granny wen says go back and get him, and when they return, lan zhan is soaking wet and she says something along the lines of 'dramatic young people'. Thank you so much!

FOUND? Turn Around by mondengel (Not rated, <1k, wangxian, humor)

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18. Hi, I'm looking for an AU WIP fic where WWX has to wear a mask; nobody but family is allowed to see his face. He and LWJ have an arranged marriage, but LWJ still refuses to let him take his mask off, and doesn't make any effort in the marriage. Very soon after they are married, he takes Wen Qing as a concubine, without explaining anything to WWX. WWX moves to a house near Lotus Pier, and there is a bit about him adopting children, but I can't remember how that came about... Thank you! @godiva696

FOUND? Sounds like the deleted "A price to pay" by wangxianist.

FOUND? sounds sorta like shana's identity porn fic here on tumblr

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19. Hello! 😃 I hope you can help me find this fic that I have been looking for!

I only remember that Wei Wuxian gets reunited with the sect leader of the Yu sect,(she is basically his grandma I think) and he get very emotional, it is also at a discussion conference or something like that, it is a very sweet/happy scene.

thank you 😊

FOUND?🔒补救; to remedy, to do something to correct or improve something that is wrong by ravenditefairylights (G, 21k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Fluff and Angst, Healing, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Getting Together, Everybody Gets Their Shit Together, Family Feels, Teacher WWX, Soft WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Crying, Marriage Proposal, Assassination Attempt(s), Family Bonding, soup as a metaphor, Meishan as a metaphor, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Feels, Forgiveness, BAMF WWX, Assassin WWX) i'm not positive this is it, but has a scene like that

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20. Hello! I’m looking for a fic where during the Sunshot Campaign, Wei Wuxian was able to tame the Xuanwu, resulting in victory. However, he wasn’t fully able to control its bloodlust so it was sequestered onto an island in Lotus Pier.

However, he leaves one day for a brief visit to Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli, JGS paid a child to visit the island and the child is killed. This causes WWX to go with the Xuanwu into the water surrounding the island and he disappears for many years.

Later on, Jin Ling ends up trying to prove himself by going into the forest surrounding this island (which has since filled with resentful energy). And finds that WWX has come back and the Xuanwu has been purified.

I’m not sure if it’s been deleted??

FOUND? The Turtle Master by Gotcocomilk (M, 40k, wangxian, JC & WWX, JL & WWX, Eventual Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Temporary Character Death, Character Death Fix, shijie lives, Hurt/Comfort, OC Child death, zombie turtle!!, BAMF WWX, isnt he always, Fluff and Angst, first half is pain second half is soft)

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ladysalieri

Thank you for helping me find my fic (number 7). And hey, I can help you with #3: it's Let Me Sing to You by greybird_crookedbranch https://archiveofourown.org/works/32416255?view_full_work=true

rainbowsky

RIP Sinéad 💔😢

Ugh. This one hurts.

Such an iconic, powerful, smart, beautiful, talented human. Her voice, her style, her personality were so distinct and authentic. She was a transformative force in music and culture.

Brave and bold in ways I wish more people would strive to be. She stood up for what she believed in, in the face of breathtaking cruelty and hate.

She was one of the first people on the planet who was willing to speak out against the Catholic church, decades before any real movement for change actually occurred. The strength it took for her to do that... the venomous wall of hate and intimidation she faced, the slander and vitriol from all sides... she was far ahead of her time.

When music execs wanted to turn her into a sex symbol she walked straight out of their office and into a barber shop and shaved her head.

One of the few people willing to put her money where her mouth was. She was The Real Thing.

She was an inspiration, truly.

Rest in peace, you beautiful soul. 💔🤧

[CW suicide discussed in the context of prevention]

ladysalieri

So much talent, and so many troubles. I’m really heartsore over her passing, and if there really is a hereafter, then I hope she’s in a better place.

#loved her voice #her sound carried me through so many of my own troubles #rest in peace #sinead o'connor

harocat

I really want to babble about how thematically, this ending makes no sense, and it's so contrary to what we've seen up to this point, and how it's not just that it's sad and that TTJ deserves better (though both are true); it's a story about a man who wanted to die that ends up with him… basically committing assisted suicide to save the world, because well, I guess he was right to want to die all along, even though his reasons were ALWAYS because of the cruelty of others, not because of his own self.

Then he finally gains agency and a life that he wants to live, a simple life filled with love and fulfillment that is enough for him, and he doesn't want to die any longer. And it’s taken away from him and he is forced to go back into that mindset of seeking death. He was ready to live. He’d defied fate and he was ready to live. It’s bad. It’s not fulfilling. We already KNEW he would do anything to save LSS and her world. We didn’t need that proven.

It doesn't matter how hard you fight against your fate, how much you love and how much you strive to be a better person, if you are doomed to suffer and die, you will, is what TTJ's story tells us. And if you want to die, you may as well give in, because happiness never lasts.

I also want to ramble about how unfair it was to LSS, who at the end was deprived of agency and essentially just shifted around wherever she was needed, not being allowed to make decisions of her own. How episode thirty-five WOULD have been a much better ending, and if anything, what we see in TTJ's bo’re life in episode thirty-nine reinforces this.

But more than that it's just upsetting to me because this was such a good show, that presented such compelling ideas and did so in SUCH an entertaining way. And yes the scenery and costumes and aesthetics absolutely slapped. It's gorgeous as hell. But also the character dynamics were interesting and complex, and their relationships were easy to get invested in. There were fascinating relationships among the entire cast as well, not just between the leads and couples (XL and TTJ, LSS and Pian Ran). Yes, there were missteps along the way; the dream arc was about twice as long as it needed to be, and even Clam Gege and his sparkles could not save it, the show plodded along a bit in the early thirties (episodes like thirty-three were super disjointed because of time cuts), Mo Nv was added in as a new character for who knows what reason, etc. But nothing is perfect. This is still one of the better shows I’ve watched in a long time, and I was on edge for every new episode. A genuine enemies to lovers story with chemistry and anguish, hatred and tenderness, sometimes all at the same time. I was obsessed.

And… Tantai Jin is one of the best male leads I’ve seen for years. He’s so layered, so interesting, and so heartbreaking, and Luo does a beyond incredible job with every moment of his portrayal of him. He’s legitimately a tour de force in the role. Luo and Bai Lu both deserved better than this. But a great lead requires deserves a story that lives up to him, and TtEotM isn't that.

I hate that TTJ is going to probably kind of fade into obscurity, at least among English speaking fans, because people are going to be rightfully wary of recommending this drama now. And I can’t blame people, because if I’d known the ending, I probably wouldn’t have watched either. It left me feeling so empty today, and not in a ‘wow hurts so good’ way that true, well done, and cathartic tragedy does.

One can hope youku releases a ‘fix it’ clip like has happened with some other shows, that at least gives a happier ending for TTJ and LSS. Even then, that’s kind of putting a bandaid over a gaping wound, because a lot of the issues with the ending will still exist, but at least it might make it so I can recommend it with a ‘yeah the ending isn’t great, but it’s overall really good.’ And no the audio clip does not cut it.

ladysalieri

I agree with this SO much. Despite all its flaws, despite how the cracks in the story’s seams started to show as it went further away from the novel, despite loose threads and weird cuts from trying to wedge a longer story into 40 eps, and despite how the cultivator arc was never QUITE as compelling as the mortal arc, I was still prepared for all the reasons above to count this in my top 5 wuxia dramas ever if they’d ONLY just stuck the ending.

And instead they gave us that.

#and sure I'd be happy to get an HE extra #but it wont fix the sour taste left by this ending #and I'll think twice about getting caught up in a drama like this while it's still airing

accio-victuuri

xiao zhan @ xnine shenzhen concert performance of signal ♥️

ladysalieri

This just reminds me how much I miss XZ’s singing...

#like okay the mag covers and endorsements are great #and i get that his focus is acting now #but it's been a long time since we've seen him performing a new song #and that makes me sad

p-h03n1-x

Xiao Zhan Douyin update 3.2.2023 “Rainy day 🚶”

ladysalieri

It makes me happy to see him out and about without a mask/hoodie/glasses disguise. Enjoy all these little moments of anonymity, GG!

#his posts really give me the urge to explore italy #haha among other urges #handsome gege

No one has ever asked whether Samurai Flamenco is good, because the question is a loud and simultaneous "no" and "yes." But the question of whether it "counts" as queer romance has waged on for eight exhausting years now. Incidentally: yes, it does.

#feelingnostalgic #samflam #masagoto #and i don't care what anyone says #it was a romantic confession #and they are a couple at the end

accio-victuuri

Hello! I’m doing okay so far, It’s Friday! I hope you’re doing well too. 😌

I just wanna start this by saying I am very disappointed that this issue is getting so much traction rather than the fact that we have new content from GG. I can’t even imagine how hard this filming period was for GG. Then to have it out, of course people were excited, it went #1 on HS, then to have this. Whatever the fuck this is — take the spotlight is very unfortunate.

This kind of attitude coming just days after alot of c-net artists voiced support w/ CAC’s Clean & Bright initiative. XZ studio posted about it. Why is there some collective amnesia going on? Especially this part 👇🏼

Respect every working partner’s hard work and diligence. Focus on the work themselves and communicate in a civilized manner.

NOT TO MENTION ACE TROOPS IS A TRIBUTE DRAMA. That is backed by CCTV. That will most likely air this year just in time for CCP’s 100th anniversary. So newsflash. Not everything is about GG. The sooner people realize that, the better. I get when people are upset because they have expectations, but there is no need to pull their guns out.

ladysalieri

Honestly, I have a low tolerance for dumbf*ckery, and this is dumbf*ckery at its worst. Are fans also forgetting that this is (if not the first) then one of the first acting jobs for XZ following the 2*7 insanity, cast at a time when fans were still worrying about whether he’d been so completely poisoned by the incident that we might never see him acting again? Seems to me that casting him as second lead wasn’t without risk (even if it is a CCTV production, and for that reason along with the film’s subject was probably more anti-proof than most), and why wouldn’t the film take advantage of its producers’ good judgment now that XZ’s back on top of the c-ent world again?

inthetags

Reblog and put in the tags how you would die if your URL predicted your death

#uh oh #crazy as a loon #still raving about that one guy #who got all the breaks #and will be remembered forever #while my mediocre life is lost to history #so i killed him

elvencantation

Hearing all news today really makes me appreciate shows like the guardian and the untamed. How is that places with censorship could write better lgbtq romance than a country that doesn't? Please don't me how?

honestly- is all about the creators. the showrunners and show writers. the people who run and write supernatural have, time and again, shown nothing but contempt for their queer fans, and have only created intimate moments between cas and dean so they could keep that audience but still completely deny that it was anything but platonic. it seems like plausible deniability just to disrespect their shipper fans

on the other hand, the people who write and make cdrama, especially cdrama based on BL source material- you go in with your eyes open. or I assume so anyway. it seems like, especially for the untamed and guardian- the creators and writers have so much respect for the original love story that they try to honor it the best they can. the plausible deniability is not there because of their own homophobia, but because of their government’s censorship. they know their audience will see what they are creating- they will analyze it and catch all the little things, all the hints they’ve hidden and all the things the actors have added through their dedicated and truly wonderful performance. especially with guardian, which had a considerably smaller budget than the untamed. it really feels like a labor of love

ladysalieri

Sorry, but I 100% disagree with this take, and honestly, I’m annoyed at how much I’m seeing takes like this on my timeline (usually from people who’ve never seen the show, or who quit years ago but still inexplicably get off on hate-blogging it).

I mean, I love The Untamed like nothing I’ve seen possibly ever, whereas SPN is more like a decade-long guilty pleasure, but… a network genre television show just had one of its male leads declare romantic love for another male lead. And if you think that’s no big deal, I invite you to go back through the history of Western media, and tell me how many other examples you can find of shows doing as much, or doing it better.

(Yes, romantic. You have to do some serious mental gymnastics to find a platonic reading of “I thought about what would make me truly happy, but I couldn’t find the answer because the one thing I want, I could never have. But now I see the happiness isn’t in the having, it’s in being. In saying it. I cared about the world because of you. You changed me, Dean. I love you.”)

And if your argument is some variation of unrequited/bury your gays, then at best your argument is premature. Maybe I’ll be wearing a clownface in a few weeks, but I honestly don’t think that’s the story they’re telling. And even if I’m wrong, I’m still going to walk away feeling great that a stupid little action series about two monster-hunting bros ultimately carved out a space for a textual gay love story at the heart of the show.

victuuri-is-hecking-gay

Episode 12 Thoughts

So I am very sick right now, and I barely got any sleep last night, so we’ll see how this goes…

Ok so I typed out a whole thing for this, but it got really nit picky really fast, and that isn’t exactly what I wanted to do here, so I’ll just get on to my main point and complaint about the finale, which I have seen many other people comment on.

In my eyes, this show has always been building a very specific narrative between the three main characters: Victor accepting that he is at the end of his career, and finding his “life and love” in Yuuri; Yurio just beginning his career and learning that you don’t get to just start out on top; and Yuuri working through his anxiety and proving to himself that he can reach his goals and does deserve happiness. These are very over-simplified descriptions, but you get the point. The first 11 episodes did an incredible job of showing those three stories unfold and cross over each other in various ways. And then episode 12 just kind of, tossed them (especially Victor and Yurio’s) out the window. And if I’m being quite honest, they did not do it in the most graceful manner.

Now don’t get me wrong, I know why this happened. It was immediately clear to me as soon as Victor told Yuuri about his plans to return that this was not the original ending. Because there’s no reason for him to return. We spent episode 10 seeing everything from Victor’s point of view. We saw that he had accepted the end of his career, and was ready to start the next stage of his life with Yuuri. That was what they built up throughout the show, and then… BAM… “Never mind guys, I’m coming back for an indeterminate amount of time for some reason that you’ll never fully get to understand!” What. Why. Well, I know why, but I’ll get more into that at the end.

Okay, so next up we have… YURIO. I could honestly rant about this all day, but I’ll try to keep it as short as possible. Look, I know there are people out there who will disagree with me on this, but YURIO DID NOT DESERVE TO WIN. LIKE AT ALL. Don’t get me wrong, I love Yurio. He’s a great character, and he seemed to have some some really interesting character growth throughout the series. But he didn’t deserve to win. Yes, he worked hard. So did all of the other skaters, GPF finalists or not. And yes, it was nice to see that he had actually looked up to Yuuri the whole time, and cared about him, but aside from that, what did he really learn from this whole experience? How did he change in a way that would benefit him again later on? In terms of character growth, it really just ended up being traits that he already had being revealed to us. At least that’s how I see it. He started the series as an annoying kid that claimed he would win the GPF, and for the most part, that’s how he ended the series as well. He got exactly what he wanted in the end, so what can he do now? There aren’t really many places for him to go in terms of figure skating anymore, so what will he do with the rest of his career? I’m curious to see.

Speaking of winning and losing, did Yuuri deserve to win? Maybe. In terms of narrative, I think it definitely would have made more sense for him to win, and I think he may have in the original ending. Whether or not he should have retired is a completely different issue. With the ending we got, yes, I believe he made the right choice in not retiring, but what if (and this is what had hoped to see) Yuuri and Yurio’s scores were switched. Not necessarily exactly, but the same type of scenario in which Yuuri wins, but only by a very tiny margin. In this case, I think it would have been fine for him either way. He won gold, so he can retire with Victor and do whatever it is they’re going to do, or alternatively, he sees the narrow gap between himself and Yurio as a challenge of sorts, thus providing motivation for both of them whatever their next competition may be.

So why did it turn out like this? Well, to me at least, it was fairly obvious. Season 2. Now, I don’t want anyone thinking I don’t want a season 2, because I do, and I’m so glad that it’s probably happening. However, I feel inclined to point out, as I have done (maybe?I hope so) in this post, that the way in which they transitioned into it was less than graceful. Instead of completing the stories of the main characters, and slightly altering them to allow for more content, they took all the development that had happened throughout the series, and took out the parts they didn’t want anymore in order to give us a scenario for season 2 which, if I’m quite honest, seems really hectic and out of place based on what we saw in season 1. Do I think it will be bad? No. Do I think they should have considered doing something else? Yes. I would have much rather seen the second scenario I described in the last paragraph unfold, in which Yuuri only wins by a small margin, and uses that as motivation to keep skating, while simultaneously also giving Yurio a chance to further develop as a character. This also allows for each character to complete their story/goal while still leaving room for more development in the next season.

Well, we didn’t get that. So what do I want in season 2? The main thing I want to see is relationship development. Between all the characters, but especially Victor and Yuuri. If you thought there were overwhelming, tense moments in their relationship this season, it will be nothing compared to season 2. We’ve already seen how Yuuri has trouble dealing with having both a romantic and coach/student relationship with Victor, but he now must also see him as a competitor. I want them to have at least one or two very serious discussions about what this means for their romantic relationship, because even though season 1 got away without really having that conversation, it can’t be put off anymore. If they want to stay together(and I know they do), they NEED to have this conversation. I recognize that this is a somewhat dangerous thing for the creators to have to do though. Season 1 already walked a fine line between being labelled a sports anime and a shounen-ai/bl/yaoi/whatever. We got away with it this time, but they’ve really set themselves up for a challenge on this one. That’s mostly the only thing I want from season 2, honestly, along with Yuuri getting the gold medal. Maybe a new character or two would be fun? More domestic Victuuri moments are also always appreciated.(Edit:Also, how could I forget backstories. Backstories would be great.)

Anyways this got way longer than I really wanted it to be, and I probably have more to say, so I’ll end it here for now. And even though this last episode kind of threw off the whole narrative of the show in many aspects, that doesn’t mean I didn’t love it with my whole heart, so I’ll end off with some things that I really LOVED about this episode.

-The conversation at the beginning (even though it kind of weirdly cut off at the end)

-I never thought I’d say this but… JJ. I never liked him, even after episode 11, and I’m still not sure I can say that I really “like” him even now, but I will admit he has kind of grown on me.

-PHICHIT!!! I love him and I hope his dream of getting to do an ice show with all of his friends comes true.

-Hand holding+dialogue before Yuuri’s FS. Also his FS. It was beautiful and everything I had hoped it would be. Also breaking Victor’s record. Nice.

-Chris and his flower crown

-Otabek’s inner monologue (also his music really setting the mood for the exchange in the hallway and Yurio’s entrance)

-Yurio+Otabek’s thumb’s up thing

-The silver medal scene (I actually hated this scene the first couple of times I watched it, but here I am now. I love it)

-PAIR SKATING OH MY GOD (another thing I could talk about all day)

-Yuuri w/longer hair!!!

-Yuuri living(?) in Russia with Victor!!!

If you’ve made it this far, wow, thank you so much. I’ve never written anything like this before, so it’s probably shitty, but I’ll work on it, so that next season I can actually write metas while the show is still coming out! Please feel free to add anything onto this if you want, since I clearly have no idea what I’m doing here.

ladysalieri

I love reading other people's take on an ep, so thank you!

Interestingly, I always thought that the series would end with Viktor & Yuuri continuing to skate. Pre-ep 10, my pet theory was that Viktor was bored with his dominance of the sport and saw in Yuuri's performance of V's routine someone with the potential to challenge Viktor, even if Viktor was the only one smart enough to see it!

(Though now that he’s back, I’m kind of hoping in season 2 that we’ll get to see Viktor struggle with being at the age where maybe he doesn’t have quite the resilience of his younger years; maybe a nagging injury?)

I'm a bit sore about Yurio's gold, for many of the same reasons as you, but after stewing on it for a while, I feel like silver has brought out the competitive spirit in Yuuri in a way that gold never would have, and I kind of love the idea of Yuuri taking his new confidence and fighting to get those five world championships he’s promised Viktor.

(As for Yurio, I’ll be very disappointed if in season 2 we don’t see him struggle with a serious--and hopefully empathy building--sophomore slump. Maybe that growth burst he’s so worried about will come?)

If it’s not obvious from my side notes, I guess what I’m saying is that I’d love to see some of the other characters’ emotional issues take a starring role in the next series. While I don’t believe, or even want, Yuuri’s self-confidence issues to be forgotten in season 2, my ideal would be to see Yuuri working on his own dreams, sure, but at the same time learning how important he is to the people he loves and how his “life and love” can lift them toward their dreams too.