#dani's post

[dani474]

Official Art by Tan Jiu.

[dani474]

Fan Art by Mian Lang for SQ Begin w/Your Name.

Official Art by Tan Jiu for SQ Begin w/Your Name.

I absolutely love how often Tan Jiu creates companion artworks for Sun Jing and Qiu Tong. Like, her art is beautiful of course, but I think the emphasis on their contrasting senses of style/color schemes pairs really well with their matching outfits in other works. The way her art style has developed over time helps them appear more mature, which helps the "future" scenes feel more authentic.

I decided to add the companion fan art above because I really like the watercolor style and the more black-and-white colors.

[dani474]

PS. you can steal the collage if you want it. No credit needed.

Kohaku is a character I really like but I also don't get to see explored a lot. Shounen has often had the issue of leaving female characters with less developed backstories or story arcs, but I actually think that, aside from minor issues, Dr. Stone does a fairly good job of creating fleshed out characters.

One of the first things we learn about Kohaku is her sense of compassion/concern (in sending the smoke signals despite the village's practice being to exile criminals, so she would have no clue who these people are or what they are doing) and her sense of justice or protectiveness alongside her fighting skills (in that she perceives Senku as a sorcerer -- something her village is noted of being slightly skeptical of, though we learn that Kohaku is close to Chrome and simply doesn't understand his interest in it -- but also as someone wrongfully killed after protecting a young woman from an aggressor).

She skillfully tracks Tsukasa's movements and then hides her weapon/intent until she's within a close enough range to use them. This is unusual even in the stone world. There are no other female fighters in Ishigami village, and the only other official stone world fighter we meet is Kirisame. Her flexibility, speed, and strength are no joke. Tsukasa's immediate comparison to martial arts standards of the modern era is only ONE indication of that. Kohaku trained and taught herself how to fight, likely by watching others in the village but also walking up and down the mountain with the jar of spring water. We learn from Senku that not only is this a fairly long or steep trek, but that the jar itself would be pretty heavy and required multiple trips. She makes the journey out of love and concern for her sister. We see another layer of her character within the first two or three chapters of meeting her.

Something else I like about her is that we know she doesn't fully "get" Senku or Chrome's interest in "sorcery" but is not only willing to help them out but to learn more about the process itself.

She's passionate about what's important to her: protecting her village, helping her sister or Suika, dedicating her energy to Senku/Chrome in the early kingdom of science.

She's impulsive in fights, and she admires hardworking people. It's a trait she values in herself and it's one of the things that makes her a great fit for the kingdom of science. She learns how to work with others even when she's initially unsure of them. She, like Senku, gave Magma and Tsukasa a second chance.

Kohaku is also very emotionally intelligent. Not only in her ability to read or understand Senku, even when he's hiding his emotions from the rest of the crew, but also an ability to find the right words. She is able to deduce Gen's character in just a few moments but also allowed her perspective of him to grow over time, which is why she knows he's trustworthy. It was something Senku said, sure, but it was also her own observation that helped her figure out WHY and HOW he behaves that way. She did the same with Senku.

She saw herself in Chrome when he told Senku he wouldn't do any job that allowed Senku to die.

Kohaku was very forthright in her concern for Suika's wellbeing. It was such a short yet strong moment of sisterly love.

One thing I do think is interesting about Boichi's character design is that Kohaku is pretty. She's tall and lean. She's got some incredible arm strength (clearly shown by her hits) but is not drawn with much muscle. This, in many ways, looked like a reflection of the usual shounen tropes. A female character has surprising and competeing physical strength but never has the muscle for it. In Boichi's case though, we have seen characters like Nikki or Maya drawn with distinct, visible musculature. However both of these characters are, within the text, regardless as less attractive.

Kohaku, in contrast, is noted as being more ANNOYING or hard to handle due to her brash nature. She's generally unconcerned about her appearances but dislikes when people (Chrome, quite often) compare her to a gorilla. She expressed annoyance with Senku's lioness comparison, but this leans more toward affirming her skills without diminishing her identity as a woman, but I can't say the same of "gorilla." It's played for laughs, of course, but when paired with the question of how "womanly" Kohaku WOULD be if she wasn't a fighter, it stinks. Her worth as a character is not diminished, in fact it is elevated, due to her strengths and skills, but is an unfortunate example of how misogyny is perpetrated even in a society pretty much untouched by larger social systems. It was still led mostly by men and likely lacks outright recognition of sexism.

Still, we know that Byakuya likely had stories about respecting others and such in his 100 tales, especially if we compare the way the Ishigami village and the Treasure Island villages developed. Kirisame is elevated as a one-of-a-kind fighter among her people, Amaryllis has no choice but to use her beauty and intelligence to protect herself and sneak her way into the harem. It's the same reason why Kohaku was forced to undergo a "beautification." Implying she's ugly is annoying but unsurprising, but at the same time, they weren't wrong to correct her "brash" behaviors. In Treasure Island's villages, there are no women allowed to act in such a manner, there are no female warriors outside of the one, because it is a threat to the harem. She would not be able to sneak in without carefully withholding those skills until the right moment. (Though, there's also something to be said about the way Ginro is emasculated in this arc too).

While Kohaku IS an oddball in Ishigami village, the women there are treated with much more independence and respect than we might have expected.

Besides. I love that Kohaku is always willing to speak her mind. She speaks crassly and loudly but can be strategic and concise whenever she needs to. I can see why she's such a respected party to Senku and the kingdom of science from that. While she doesn't have the deep love of science that Senku and Chrome do, while she doesn't have the modern psychology or the skills of a decades experienced craftsman, she still completely embodies the spirit of Senku's philosophy. Courage, skill, determination, and hope. Kohaku is in no short supply of that. Not to mention that she is a parallel — not to Senku — but to Byakuya, in her complete and utter dedication to leaving footholds for her sister, for Suika, and for her allies, to grab onto, even if it takes years of effort. I have to admit that Senku's willingness to show Kohaku his vulnerability, even without saying anything, is because he sees the traits he respects and admires in others — in his father — also in her.

On a less serious note, her reactions to Senku's wild ideas, to people's slights, to all the crazy things the crew gets up to, are just gold. Her expressions can be very cat-like at times. Her fighting moves look super springy and cool. And her tomboyish nature makes her very amusing but also pairs nicely with her more soft side. (Nikki is similar actually, expect she's NOT a tomboy, she's a total girly-girl who gets mistakes for one and decided to embrace it, but she never lost that either. If I haven't made it clear, I like Nikki quite a bit as well). She's also pretty damn scary when she needs to be.

Side note: I know I mentioned Senku and Chrome a lot, but a large portion of her scenes include them in some way. Her relationship to the other women in this series is less developed than they could be, but I also acknowledge that the others are side characters by comparison. Even with that, one thing I really like is that Kohaku isn't written to be jealousy or petty towards any of them, and none of them are written that way in turn. They all develop respect for each other's skills and character. And I didn't mention too much of the later arcs because there's just a LOT going on and the cast is much larger. Plus, there would be a lot of major spoilers, but in short: Kohaku never stops proving how damn awesome she is.

I love her. This is a completely incoherent ramble about it.

[dani474]

她们的故事 / Tāmen de Gùshì / Their Story - Sun Jing.

I love that she's so kind to others, sweet around Qiu Tong, and clearly well-liked by her peers. She's a basketball player and well known for being the tussling type. I have a lot of fun following her shenanigans at school. I love the slice-of-life nature of this story and how it focuses on these characters enjoying their mundane lives. There's no real plot but we get to see how the relationship between Sun Jing and Qiu Tong develops from the sheer awkwardness of their first meeting.

I decided to make a few moodboard using images from this manhua because it's not often talked about in the English fanbase. I think it's a shame that there's not as much material for us to work with, as the author has been unable to finish the story as she wished but I'm happy with the story we did get to have.

Art Credit: Tan Jiu and Name Card by Me.

/ Qiu Tong's moodboard /

[dani474]

她们的故事 / Tāmen de Gùshì / Their Story - Qiu Tong.

I love the sweet, lighthearted nature of her character. She's well known in school but struggles to make friends. I like the detail that her family is often away and she's lonely. By becoming friends, and as their relationship grows into something romantic, we get to see just how affectionate and playful she can be. She was unsure at first, but I love that she was the one to kiss Sun Jing. They spend a lot of time just...going about their mundane lives together...and even in the future artwork, there's no sign of discontent.

"I decided to make a few moodboard using images from this manhua because it's not often talked about in the English fanbase. I think it's a shame that there's not as much material for us to work with, as the author has been unable to finish the story as she wished but I'm happy with the story we did get to have."

Art Credit: Tan Jiu and Name Card by Me.

Edit: I corrected the name on the title!

/ Sun Jing's moodboard /

[dani474]

TRYING TO FIND GIFS OF SHOWS I LIKE

Hannibal (2013) [NBC]

House (2004) [FOX]

Stargate Atlantis (2004) [SYFY]

Dead Boy Detectives (2024) [NETFLIX]

Killing Eve (2018) [BBC]

Teen Wolf (2011) [MTV]

Sherlock (2010) [BBC]

Ghost Whisperer (2005) [CBS]

Our Flag Means Death (2022) [HBO]

Gilmore Girls (2000) [The WB/The CW]

[dani474]

I absolutely love the characterizations in mo dao zu shi. I love the main cast so much. The villains are nuanced and well written and often sympathetic (and pathetic at times, too). The official art is pretty. The family dynamics are beautiful, and the relationships are complicated. None of them have it easy. The main character died a man hated and feared by everyone except one man and was forcefully revived to see that flipped on its head. His brother figure hates him and cries in the middle of a battle over him. His shijie's son stabbed him and felt guilty over it because he came to care for the man he began to know. The love of his life spent 13 years remembering him and living for him and didn't hesitate to protect him this time. The remnants of the family he made in the past survived in a fierce corpse and a Lan disciple. They rose as ghouls from a blood pool to protect him and the youngest of their family. The entire story is a contrived, nuanced, complex plot formulated by a man known as the 'head-shaker'. The final villain was the son of a prostitute and a man whose trauma over his class led to an extreme hatred of his own position. The parents of the story haunt the narrative subtly but inextricably. The main pairing is a wretched love that persisted past death. The juniors all become unlikely friends with weird uncles. The sisters of the story are in the thoughts of their siblings for its entirety. The music is an intimate and necessary part of the narrative. The story is so fucking well done. It's super gay, yes, but it's also built on family and the deterioration of it. It's about the confusing relationships and the descent into madness and the path of recovery. It's about a queer man who didn't know he was queer until the final arc of the series. It's about kinky sex. It's about a supreme slow burn. It's about betrayal and love. It's everything I ever wanted, and I'm obsessed with it. I read the manhua in one night, and I read the novel in three days and finished the donghua (animation) in about five. I can't stop thinking about them and I've already started the TV drama. I'll never get over it. I want the books so damn bad.

[dani474]

Jiang Cheng, the Golden Core, and why it's love. [PART 1]

First off, this has been a topic on my mind for a few weeks now and I've finally gotten around to putting my thoughts into a document. I was sharing my thoughts through tags and little notes in my drafts, but after some lovely encouragement from @travalerray I decided I'd go ahead and do it.

This didn't have as much focus on the fandom, but nevertheless gets my thoughts on this character and his relationship to Wei Wuxian across.

On my methods here, I went back through the manhua (mostly because it's much easier to skim through and get clips from) and I was making the draft as I went. That document turned out to be around 26 pages/11,200 words. I finalized by reordering what I wrote to make it more coherent (I hope) and added the novel clips needed so this is going to be super long.

Here we go.

The very first thing we learn about Wei Wuxian is gossip. Nothing in the first chapter is from his or Jiang Cheng's point of view. While not discussed overmuch in this, gossip is a HUGE factor in why their family relationship is so strained, including why the children are treated in much a way. This, of course, affects how Jiang Cheng navigates the world and his relationship with Wei Wuxian.

When we take a look at their youth, we can see quite a lot about their dynamic. The cloud Recesses Arc shows us:

“...You’ve already buried my corpse so many times. There’s nothing wrong with once more.” - Wei Wuxian

“Shoo, shoo! Don’t let me know the next time you’re doing such a thing! Don’t ask me to watch either!” - Jiang Cheng, in reply.

Even when he says this, Jiang Cheng follows Wei Wuxian around pretty often when he gets into trouble. Wei Wuixian often throws his arm around Jiang Cheng and teases him. They do the whole elbowing and tussling thing.

It’s very casual, reflecting certain loose boundaries due to being raised in the same household and being very close in age, while also being a contrast to what’s expected of them as people know Wei Wuixian is the son of a servant. This is a conflicting status that permeates their relationship.

Loud talking, playing, and loud arguments are common among the Yunmeng folks due to the nature of the sect’s rules and culture.

This gives us some context as to why Wei Wuixian is often speaking frequently and loudly and doing things with a looser regard for rules/politics other than just personality. It also tells us why Jiang Cheng responding to teasing and annoyance the way he does wouldn't be very noteworthy in Yunmeng.

Loudness and freeness are part of the philosophy and -- despite what his parents think - Jiang Cheng does reflect that, outside of having learned his attitude from his mother. Just differently than Wei Wuxian does. I'll come back to that.

Anyway. We get another hint at the complicated relationship and status dynamic when Lan Xichen, on the topic of the Water Ghoul hunt, says: "the head disciple and son of sect leader Jiang are quite well-known in Yunmeng.” Usually, the heir would be referred to first.

On top of this, the current social culture during this period is gradually getting tenser. Lan Xichen silently pointing to the sky to imply the waterborne abyss was a result of the Qishan Wen Sect and the others immediately getting it shows how people have gotten used to being unable to speak openly about the things happening. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian talk quickly about how there will be no repercussions or acknowledgement, but otherwise do not speak of it out loud, much less by name in public.

Still, they are children, and no one truly comprehends the scope of the Wen sect’s actions yet. Up until the Indoctrination, the biggest issue between them was Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian’s treatment of them. They try their best to deal with it.

For example, I noticed that while Wei Wuxian is arguing, stepping forward while they talk about Yanli and the arranged marriage, he doesn’t actually punch Jin Zixuan until this:

He clearly doesn’t like that people think this and this defense is about both of the Jiang siblings.

I don’t really have to point out the camaraderie in Jiang Cheng checking on Wei Wuxian while he’s kneeling during his punishment. Despite the brashness, their whole conversation here is casual and holds no jealousy about the last comment Jin Zixuan made. 

From here though, we can see how their relationship beings to become more fractured and malformed.

To start, I want to talk about Jiang Cheng’s view of Wei Wuxian and the internal philosophy that stems from his position as a sect heir. We all know Jiang Cheng complains that Wei Wuxian gets involved in other people’s business (ex. water ghoul/waterborne abyss) and this plays into the idea that Wei Wuxian is attempting to be a hero. In response to Wei Wuxian worrying about Lan Wangji’s leg injury during the indoctrination, says: “Stay out of it if you know what’s good for you.” Considering how tenuous their position is right now, this is understandable. Standing out is not a good idea, however they have no idea that their situation is much worse than they’re assuming. This is because they don’t know the Cloud Recesses were attacked, so having the Indoctrination right after is incredibly worrisome. 

I’m pointing this out because it’s a fundamental difference in perspective that causes the most prominent issue between them. Jiang Cheng, like his parents, believes that if they stay out of Wen business and keep their heads down, nothing will happen, but they’re severely underestimating the Wen’s ambitions. We learn proof of this later, when Madam Yu is surprised to hear about the Supervisory Offices. Wei Wuxian, in contrast, responds to the immediate threat of the Indoctrination and is ultimately unable to strategize about the long-term political consequences.

On one hand, they’d work well as strategists, because Wei Wuxian can adapt on the fly very easily and Jiang Cheng can observe and move according to the politics overall, they do not have the luxury here. (And, as the result of canon, are unable to do so in the future.)

This is why YunmengJiang sect was so unprepared. The response to the Wen’s, from pretty much everyone, was to stay low and wait it out. The larger sects relied on their status but, unlike the LanlingJin sect, couldn’t buy patience or leniency from the Wen. Because the disciples don’t fully comprehend the scope of what’s going on, they can’t respond to anything outside of immediate circumstances and can't predict the consequences. This is an issue for every single one of them.

During the Indoctrination, the two of them argue over whether or not Wei Wuxian should carry Lan Wangji (after learning about the CR burning), and once again, Jiang Cheng approaches with a specific philosophy: “If we can’t take care of ourselves, how can we take care of other people’s difficulties?”

This, here, is why Wei Wuxian protecting the Wen’s leads to Jiang Cheng agreeing to a staged defection. He cannot protect his sect and Wei Wuxian if he continues to involve himself with the Wen remnants and their difficulties. That was not a lack of care, but quite literally a lack of strength. I'll come back to this with more detail later.

When Wei Wuxian wakes up in Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng is able to bicker with him a little about the Xuanwu, but becomes increasingly upset, even as he gives a congradulations.

His comment about how Wei Wuxian shouldn’t have helped Lan Wangji results in Madam Yu and Jiang Fengmian arguing over Wei Wuxian being favored while their son and heir is treated like he cannot understand their sect’s motto. By both Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu's own words belittle their son, even as they argue about it.

Of course, Madam Yu is blaming Wei Wuxian for the issue, even though the thing that started the “rebellion” was MianMian being threatened with her life. She ran to hide behind Lan Wangji and Lan Zixuan. They guard her by their own choice and only block her. Jin Zixuan arguing with Wen Chao causes Wang Lingjiao to order the soldiers to attack. Only after that does Wei Wuxian unsettle Wen Chao by reciting one of their ancestors. It’s unsurprising that Madam Yu never bothers to learn the circumstances. Nor that she dismisses the threat that the Wen’s truly pose.

I'm not blaming her for the attack on Lotus Pier, only her willful misunderstanding of the situation.

“One day he’ll definitely land our clan in some serious trouble.”

“Sect leader Jiang, take a good look at your biological son. I’m sure you know about the rumors, that people think Wei Ying is your..”

I want to note something here.

Madam Yu is angry because of the rumors. She is angry at Wei Wuxian because people believe he is Jiang Fengmian’s bastard. That she's been disrespected and dishonored. Jiang Cheng is upset because his father hates his mother – and by extension, him – and favors Wei Wuxian as a result. That's not even getting into his father's feelings for Canse Sanren.

Jiang Cheng is hurt and jealous because Wei Wuxian is noted as being able to follow the sect motto while he is scolded for not being able to. Here, his actions after the indoctrination went unsupported and unacknowledged. This is a very reasonable thing to be upset about. Pitting people so close in age, especially those raised together, is super unhealthy -- not to mention unfair-- especially for the one overshadowed.

Like how Yu Ziyuan can't seem to break out of Canse Sanren's shadow in her husband's eyes, or even the eyes of the public due to the favoritism, Jiang Cheng cannot either. Are their reactions always proportional? No, but there is a reason behind them.

Wei Wuxian responds by reassuring Jiang Cheng that even if he doesn’t understand or follow the sect motto by tradition, he can still be a great sect leader. This calms Jiang Cheng down enough that Wei Wuxian can put an arm around his shoulders again.

Here, Wei Wuxian promises: “In the future, you’ll be the sect leader and I’ll be your subordinate, just like your father and mine.”

I want to talk about what Wei Wuxian is actually saying here.

Yes, they can be the Twin Prides of Yunmeng, but the position he offers is one of servitude. Literally. 

In an attempt to reduce the tension between them, he leans into the perception that he is the son of a servant and offers to fulfill that role for Jiang Cheng* as his father had (“Wei Changze–Jiang Fengmian’s most loyal servant.”). Wei Wuxian is not doing this from a place of self-depreciation (as we know from how he talks about his parentage) but is probably an unconscious comparison to make Jiang Cheng feel less threatened. As head disciple, he shouldn’t really compare it to their father's relationship or positions, but he does. I don’t think Jiang Cheng caught it. 

*This is an issue that will crop up again later.

Half a month after the disciples returned from the indoctrination, Wang Lingjiao comes to Lotus Pier. They use an archery target as “proof” that a younger disciple is plotting against the Wen sect. This already tells us they just want an excuse to start trouble.

Then, Wang Lingjiao says she came to punish someone (WWX). She actually uses the rumors about Wei Wuxian’s parentage to goad Madam Yu into listening to her, by implying that protecting Wei Wuxian would be lending credit to them. This is a great example of how gossip has a huge influence on how people are perceived and the power it can wield over certain politics. 

Madam Yu does whip Wei Wuxian, saying: “...hadn’t I told you, long ago, you…unruly thing! Sooner or later, you’ll bring trouble to the Jiang clan!” Note the dehumanizing language.

Jiang Cheng is trying to stop his mother but is physically restrained by her two servants.

“While Madam Yu always pelted him with hostile words, she’d never really hit him hard before—two or three lashes at most, or being made to kneel or confined indoors, and it never took Jiang Fengmian long to release him from that. But this time, he took dozens of hits from that whip, each lash so hard his back burned with pain until it went numb.”

Remember, he ends up walking around and carrying Jiang Cheng with these injuries. He didn't truly complain about his injuries during the Indoctrination, and he doesn't -- even once -- complain here.

After finishing, she tells Wang Lingjiao that it would take at least a month to heal. When WLJ says she can chop off one of his arms and be left alone, Madam Yu genuinely looks to be considering it.  Jiang Cheng breaks away from the servant’s and covers Wei Wuxian’s body, telling his mother: “...It’s not like what she said at all…” [Regardless of what Jiang Cheng says in the immediate aftermath of seeing Lotus Pier, this is what he thought.]

Besides that, the only reason she didn’t was because Wang Lingjiao mentioned the Supervisory Office. Jiang Cheng trying to hold her in place doesn’t seem to deter her at all.

We could talk all day about the parenting of Madam Yu (and Jiang Fengmian), but it's not the point here, so I'll go on.

It takes two hours for Lotus Pier to be annihilated. That’s it. 

 Right after, he starts to cry because he wants his parents.

While his actions here were hurtful, it is not entirely intentional or malicious. Logically, he understands there was little to stop them from coming, but emotions won’t be soothed by that, so all he has is his pain and rage.

And once Jiang Cheng is rescued from Lotus Pier. Well.

Wei Wuxian mentions his self-esteem for a reason.

“I want revenge but…I don’t have a golden core anymore. How can I get revenge now? Core-melting hand. Hahahahahaha. Core-melting hand. Wei Wuxian, why did you save me? To let me live in this and understand that I can’t change anything?!”

He’s literally having a breakdown due to trauma and stress.

He attacks Wen Ning and is worried that Wei Wuxian brought them into a trap (fair concern). He chokes Wei Wuxian again for a moment before Wen Qing steps in. Jiang Cheng was mostly laughing and shouting here, and I have no idea (am given no indication even later) if he remembers any of this.

They stay in Yiling for 3 days and Jiang Cheng looks…Well dead inside. He’s mostly distant now that his initial rage is dampened. Wei Wuxian brings his spirit up by mentioning the golden core. Note here that Wei Wuxian wants to get revenge as well. He wants Jiang Cheng to be able to get his revenge. He went out of his way to do research in the novels to help achieve this. I don’t think I have to elaborate on why this is a contributing factor in the Golden Core Transfer.

Wei Wuixian leads Jiang Cheng to the mountain and says he can receive a golden core with the help of Baoshan Sanren, and remains there for 7 days. We don’t see Wei Wuxian’s thought process in the manhua, and I'll go into more detail later.

Unfortunately, when he tries to go to the town and into a winehouse, he gets cornered by Wen Chao and his goonies. Then you know, the burial mounds happened.

There's so much happening after Wei Wuxian's return, but for the most part, their personal relationship remains quite good.

 Look at how happy Jiang Cheng is to see Wei Wuxian again. His words are fond.

Wei Wuxian looks tired and less happy, but not upset either. Unsurprisingly, Jiang Cheng's response to worry and relief is to yell a bit and lightly punch him. It's not at all malicious and is typical of close male friends.

When Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian have *their* typical brand of misunderstanding here, Jiang Cheng is quick to step between them and support Wei Wuxian as his sect leader.

This is the first time he's given the opportunity to do so, and yet, during the Phoenix Mountain Hunt, we see Jiang Cheng overhearing gossip, having the strength of the Yunmeng Jiang sect attributed to Wei Wuxian, once again with no acknowledgement of his work to rebuild the sect. His insecurities over this are deeply rooted, but the more external pressure he faces over it, the deeper the wedge between them becomes.

[We hear Jin Guangyao point out the weakness of this wedge outright, years later, but it's still surprising to see how much manipulation was going into that, and how much is due to sect weakness.]

In the aftermath of Wei Wuxian liberating Qionqi path, Jiang Cheng attempts to soothe the distrust and anger shown by the other sects, but Jin Guangshan specifically plays at his insecurities and lack of support to guide him to abandoning Wei Wuxian.

Stating: “Wei Ying is your right-hand man. You value him a lot. However, whether or not he respects a sect leader like you is hard to tell. During the flower banquet, he dared to throw a fit right in front of you. Yesterday, he was even more presumptuous with his back on you.” 

JGS continues: “He even dared to say something like ‘I never look up to Jiang Wanyin, this sect leader! --” and this is an outright lie. Lan Wangji tries to push against this; however, the Jin’s follow up with their own additions and ultimately speak louder. 

MianMian struggles with this as well, when she tries to defend WWX’s actions at Qionqi path. Her words, of course, are dismissed due to misogyny, more so than sect power dynamics. Even so, her words here are extremely relevant: “Fine! Your voices are louder! Fine! You’re the rational ones!”

Her statement here is exactly why this happens:

He does not have the political backing nor experience to outweigh everyone else, and their voices are so loud that his words end up carrying no meaning and no weight. Look at the expression there. He's not even frustrated, he just seems sideswept by it.

Jiang Cheng did not want to. He supported Wei Wuxian and was trying to protect the Wen’s due to Wen Ning and Wen Qing’s support. He is ultimately outweighed and outnumbered, regardless of how true Wei Wuxian’s claims about the prisoners or Jiang Cheng’s promises of alliance actually are. 

Initially, Jiang Cheng's visit to the burial mound is pretty non-judgmental. it's not until they being to discuss Wen Ning that the fractures forming show.

“Don’t you know how many eyes are watching you right now? We burn this corpse right now and return all of these remnants of the Wen sect, that way people will stop talking!”

We can talk all we want about Wei Wuxian’s goal here, but Jiang Cheng is in a completely different position. He’s a young, inexperienced sect leader and his sect is still diminished. Wei Wuxian is not trusted and the only people who spoke in support of either of them were shouted into silence. Right now, he does not have the room to think about how to protect the Wens, only how to reduce the backlash Wei Wuxian and his sect will face for it. 

Not to mention, those in power fear Wei Wuxian’s strength while also seeking his Stygian Tiger Seal. 

Everyone is familiar with this panel. But I think people often ignore its context (or its actual meaning entirely) when discussing Jiang Cheng as a character. He is taking Wei Wuxian’s side. He’s also saying that Wei Wuxian’s attempts at justice will not be regarded positively.

“Do you want me to say it clearer? If you insist on protecting them, then I won’t be able to protect you.” 

Wei Wuxian is the one who decides that Jiang Cheng – and the Jiang sect – should not protect him. Jiang Cheng never even implied such. In fact, he says the opposite. This is relevant because it speaks to how their goals, restrictions, and philosophies are different.

Jiang Cheng wants to protect his sect and stay out of other people’s business as they do not have the political clout or manpower to support anyone else. Wei Wuxian has no limitations because he no longer plays an active role as head disciple, and his own moral compass tells him that it’s more important to protect the Wens – the people currently facing an injustice – over safety. Both of them are unwilling to give up on their goal of protecting someone, and the current situation doesn’t allow for much compromise between these two things. Protecting the Wens automatically makes Wei Wuxian’s goal a threat to the current powers and Jiang Cheng knows it.

That doesn't mean he wanted to denounce Wei Wuxian, though.

And yes, he snarks here about Wei Wuxian understanding the Jiang sect motto more than him but has no space to linger on it. Instead, he proposes for a duel.

I want to point out that Jiang Cheng has no idea what the state of the prison camps were like as he had no chance to actually investigate. All he has is Wei Wuxian’s claims and everyone else’s scorn and manipulations.

Also, him stabbing Wei Wuxian can look pretty bad, but remember, Jiang Cheng does not know about the Golden Core Transfer, so he has no way to gauge the risks properly. And considering Wen Ning was involved in the duel for at least some of it, not using his sword would immediately give them away. Zidian is likely avoided because it’s a bit too. hm. Real.

The emotions driving their actions are genuine, even if the duel itself was staged.

In the end, it came down to protection for justice and debt (to Wen Qing and Wen Ning) vs. protection for security and stability.

This is a conversation between LWJ and WWX, but at its core is the whole issue:

“To be honest, I’d like to ask as well. If not like this, what else can I do? Give up the demonic path? Then what about the people on this mountain? Give them up? I can’t do that. Neither can you.* Is there anyone who could give me a nice broad road to walk on? A road where, even without the ghost path, I could still protect the ones I wish to protect.”

*And neither could Jiang Cheng. He can't give up on his sect.

Wei Wuxian holds no grudge over this because there was not really any other option. Because of the communication issues between them in general, they could not have had such a frank question of their options. Lan Wangji does not have the external pressure of a sect on his shoulders restricting him and he’s clearly weighing the risks. Jiang Cheng can care as much as he wants and can want to protect Wei Wuxian with all his strength, but unless they could talk like this and could open another path, they wouldn’t have been able to fulfill both goals.

Even after their duel though, Jiang Cheng arranged for Wei Wuxian to locate him and see Yanli in her wedding robes. He’s the one who got the idea of Wei Wuxian giving Jin Ling his courtesy name. Despite all circumstances, he’s still trying to keep Wei Wuxian as part of their lives. They even talk about the duel they had in a casual way. You can take Jiang Cheng's brutish words at face value, but his actions are telling us how much he cares, and his circumstances are telling us how much of a struggle it actually is. He even warns Wei Wuxian of it.

He adds: “You never listen to any of my opinions. One day, you’ll come to understand that what I said was right.” Fandom often mentions Jiang Cheng’s arrogance but let’s be real, Wei Wuxian is severely underestimating the dangers around him, and Jiang Cheng is right. Because he’s involved with the current politics, he can see that people will not be willing to leave them alone. 

They get one year of peace. No more.

The saddest thing is Jin Zixuan had genuinely invited Wei Wuxian to Jin Ling’s one month banquet. None of them could have even imagined that Jin Zixun would set up an ambush, nor did anyone know about Jin Guangyao playing behind the curtains for his father. Due to lack of information, they had no way to prepare. Wei Wuxian struggling to manage his emotional response to the situation is only one factor. Jin Zixuan wouldn't have been there without someone influencing him to.

By the way, Wei Wuxian being blamed for something he didn’t do, with no opportunity to defend himself proves Jiang Cheng’s point. He didn’t do anything for a year. And he was still the villain somehow. They did not care to figure out the truth. They already decided Wei Wuxian was guilty and that his death would be justified.

As a result, Wen Ning and Wen Qing sacrifice themselves in hope that the Lanling Jin sect will leave Wei Wuxian alone. The themes of love and sacrifice are repeated to us again.

I have no idea why Yanli would be at a siege conference, but she was. She went outside searching for Wei Wuxian specifically because she wanted to see him, and because she wanted to help him. When it comes to each other, the three of them are very impulsive and irrational. This is very much a mutual issue.

She saw a threat to her A-Xian, even as he began to stop the corpses, and jumped to defend him. She would’ve been safe had she stayed in JC’s arms (or WWX’s in the novels, I think), but it was instinctive.

[And again.]

I’m not surprised this, of all things, would severely damage Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian's relationship. And using the Stygian Tiger Seal makes sense in context, but now, there’s nothing that can convince the others to leave the Burial mounds alone. Jiang Cheng wouldn't be able to argue for rehabilitation even if he tried.

The fact that this siege ends in Wei Wuxian's death and still isn't the end of their relationship is just. yeah. I'll be going over that in part 2.

LINK TO PART 2