listening snow tower has been making me think about drama villainesses and why they work or don’t imo. i thought it would have something to do with how much about a man she is, but there’s too many like that for me to hate them all. after making a list of the lady antagonists i’ve watched so far, i’ve come to the (perhaps concerning) conclusion that i love an evil bitch way more when she is extra unhinged and extremely committed to the bit.
examples:
jiao li qiao in mysterious lotus casebook: she is literally only about a man (who can blame her, those shoulders) and yet i found her cartoonish style of villainy to be a delight. she never claims righteousness; in fact she’d be insulted by it. she gets to be obsessed with a hot guy and she has the absolute best time doing it.
princess wanning in the double: everyone’s favorite crazy girl knows exactly what she is and relishes in it. they also gave her a few layers, which makes the way she is more interesting and understandable. although her focus is on a man, she gets to be more than that and it makes her so much more impactful as a villain.
li yun rui in joy of life: now this is a baaaaad biiiiish. and i fucking love her. i’ve heard in the novel she’s more about a man, but so far the drama version is just a ruthless, calculating, lethal, scary lady. she has complexities and mysteries and is just soooo compelling. every scene she has i want to know more about what made her who she is. sometimes i almost wouldn’t mind if she beat fan xian.
i probably have a lot to unpack with my therapist about this.
