Help I Can’t Get Over This Show And This DAZZLING SMILE ™ 😢✨💗

Hi! Loving your meta on suibian :)) Just wondering what were your frustrations with cql, especially considered you've watched this in multiple mediums? (I've only watched cql)

Hi anon! thank you so much!

Oh boy, you’ve unlocked a boatload of hidden dialogue, are you ready?? :D (buckle up it’s oof. Extremely Long)

@hunxi-guilai please consider this my official pitch for why I think the novel is worth reading, if only so you can enjoy the audio drama more fully. ;)

a few things before I get into it:

I don’t want to make this a 100% negative post because I really do love CQL so much! So I’m going to make it two parts: the changes that frustrated me the most and the changes I loved the most re: CQL vs novel. (again, don’t really know anything about donghua or manhua sorry!!) Sound good? :D

this will contain spoilers for the entirety of CQL and the novel. just like. All of it.

talking about the value of changes in CQL is difficult because I personally don’t know what changes were made for creative reasons and what changes were made for censorship reasons. I don’t think it’s entirely fair to evaluate the narrative worth of certain changes when I don’t know what their limitations were. It’s not just a matter of “gay content was censored”; China also has certain censorship restrictions on the portrayal of the undead, among other things. I, unfortunately, am not familiar enough with the ins and outs of Chinese censorship to be able to tell anyone with certainty what was and wasn’t changed for what reason. So I guess just, take whatever my opinions are with a grain of salt! I will largely avoid addressing issues related to how explicitly romantic wangxian is, for obvious reasons.

OKAY. In order to impose some kind of control on how much time I spend on this, I’m going to limit myself to four explicated points in each category, best/worst. Please remember that I change my opinions constantly, so these are just like. the top contenders at this specific point in my life. Starting with the worst so we can end on a positive note!

Henceforth, the novel is MDZS, CQL is CQL.

CQL’s worst crimes, according to cyan:

1. Polarizing Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao on the moral spectrum

I’ve heard rumors that this was a censorship issue, but I have never been able to confirm or deny it, so. Again, grain of salt. 

The way that CQL reframed Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao’s character arcs drives me up the wall because I think it does a huge disservice to both of them and the overarching themes of the story. Jin Guangyao is shown to be responsible for pretty much all the tragedy post-Sunshot, which absolves Wei Wuxian of all possible wrongdoing and flattens Jin Guangyao into a much less interesting villain.

What I find so interesting about MDZS is how much it emphasizes the role of external forces and situations in determining a person’s fate: that being “good” or “righteous” at heart is simply not enough. You can do everything with all the best intentions and still do harm, still fail, still lose everything. Even “right” choices can have terrible consequences. Everyone starts out innocent. “In this world, everyone starts without grievances, but there is always someone who takes the first blow.”

Keep reading

(We’re taking a calculus final. The TA is a well-known Lord of the Rings fan, and we’ve had running LotR jokes all semester.)

TA: “Okay, guys, everyone look at me. We’ve been over the rules, but just in case: no notes, pencil your answers in on the scantron sheet, and graphing calculators only – no more ‘can I just used my cell phone’ nonsense.”

Student: “[TA's name], my calculator batteries just died! What should I do?”

TA: “Here, I’ve got a big box of spares.”

Student: *struggling* “I can’t get this packaging open…”

Student 2: “Here, I’ve got a pocket knife.”

TA: “And I’ve got a pair of scissors if you need them.”

Student 3: *from the back of the room* “OR MY AXE!”

(Everyone starts laughing.)

TA: “The only axes allowed on the exam are in the graph section.”

(Everyone groans.)

TA: “Oh, come on, you’re in a math class. Deal with the math jokes.”

(The professor enters with a stack of exams. With him are two exam proctors.)

Professor: “Tolkien jokes already, [TA's name]?”

TA: “Hey, I didn’t start it.”

(The professor starts handing stacks of exams to the TA and proctors.)

Professor: “But I’m about to finish it. [TA], take these exams down the left flank. [Proctor 1], follow the desks down the center. [Proctor 2], take your exams right, along the wall.”

(At this point, many of the students have realized where this is going: Theoden’s lines from ‘Return of the King.’)

Professor: “Forth, and fear no problems! Solve! Solve, students of calculus! Points shall be taken, scores shall be splintered! A pencil day! A red-ink day! Until three thirty!”

(The professor pulls out a pencil, holding it out like a sword, and runs down the first row holding it out. Students hold up their pencils, hitting his as he passes.)

Professor: “Solve now! Solve now! Solve to good grades and the class ending! MAAATH!”

Entire Class: “MAAATH!”

Professor: “MAAAAATH!”

Entire Class: “MAAAAAATH!”

Professor: “Forth, exam-takers!”

(The entire class rises to their feet and gives him a standing ovation. A week later, we get an email from the professor.)

Professor: *at the end of the email* “PS: I appreciate all of you who wrote in their evaluations that I was the one professor to rule them all, but the best one yet was the student who called me ‘Mathrandir.’”

MDZS Vol 2 Annotations, part 2

Here is Part 2 of my annotations of MDZS Volume 2, pages 87 - 160.

On HanGuang-Jun’s peerless beauty

Let us all take a moment to appreciate Lan Wangji’s beauty as described in the novel.

Since he was young, he has always been regarded as a model cultivator alongside his brother. He is famous for his talents, his manners, and his handsome face. He’s generally described to have a pristine face with graceful and elegant features and light eyes almost like colored glass. He has a slender yet muscular figure and he stands tall at 188 cm (from MXTX’s footnote in Chapter 115). However, he is described to have a straight face; at times, even described to look like he was always mourning. His aura is likened to smooth moonlight and other times, to snow and ice. He is second only to his brother Lan Xichen in the (unofficial) list of most handsome cultivators of their generation due to his stern and aloof personality around most people.

Here is a compilation of official art used for the novel and audio drama (since they are done by the same artists) along with descriptions from the novel as narrated not only by Wei Wuxian throughout the entire time he has known Lan Wangji, but also by random people from the cultivation society and even by the average noncultivator humans. Also used some screencaps from the donghua, manhua, and live action since there have yet to be any illustrations for some.

Lan Wangji at 15

Illustration for the Official Vietnamese translation set by Changyang 

Chapter 13: Refinement Wei WuXian made the sound of an oh and asked, “Is he a lad who looks quite pretty?”

Jiang Cheng sneered, “Is there anyone who looks ugly in the GusuLan Sect? His sect doesn’t even accept disciples with unclean features. If you can, find me one who has an average face.”

Wei WuXian emphasized, “Very pretty.” He pointed at his head, “White from top to bottom, wearing a forehead ribbon, and carrying a silver sword on his back. He looked rather handsome, but with his straight face, he looked like he was mourning.”

When Wei WuXian turned his head, he could see the side of Lan WangJi’s face. His lashes were long, appearing to be extremely delicate and elegant. His posture was also very upright, looking straight ahead.

Cover art of Season 1 Episode 5 of audio drama by A-Xin

Chapter 125: Lotus Seedpod Extra (Yunmeng Side) He then turned to Jiang YanLi. “Shijie, do you know Lan WangJi?”

Jiang YanLi said, “I do. He’s the Second Young Master Lan who is said to be very handsome and talented, isn’t he? Is he really that handsome?”

Wei WuXian, “He’s very handsome!”

Jiang YanLi, “Compared to you?”

Wei WuXian thought it over and replied, “Maybe more handsome than me, just the slightest bit.”

Wei WuXian raised two of his fingers, a tiny distance in between them. Jiang YanLi smiled as she cleaned up the plate. “Then he must be really handsome. Making new friends is a good thing, you can now go out to play with each other when you’re free.”

Chapter 125: Lotus Seedpod Extra (Gusu Side)

In this disorderly and bustling town, the entirety of his being truly couldn’t fit in, with the way he seemed untouched by a speck of dust and the fact that he was carrying a sword. The stall vendors, farmers, and bystanders rarely saw someone from such high class.

Lan Wangji at 17

Cover art for season 2 episode 11 of audio drama by Qianerbai

Chapter 55: Courage The glow of the firelight reflected against Lan WangJi’s face as though he was made of warm jade. It illuminated, with utmost clarity, the tearstreaks that ran down his cheek, as well.

Lan Wangji at 20

Cover art for Season 3 Episode 2 of the audio drama by Changyang 

Chapter 69: Departure Lan XiChen and Lan WangJi sat in an upright posture on two snowy steeds as they led the GusuLan Sect’s riding formation slowly forward. The two both wore swords at their waists and arrows on their backs. White robes and forehead ribbons flying in the air, they seemed to be deities themselves. Their snow white boots were so immaculate that it could even be cleaner than the other peoples’ clothes. The Two Jades of Lan truly were a flawless pair of jade, almost as though they were carved out of ice. As soon as they entered, even the air seemed to have become refreshing.

Cover art of Season 3 Episode 3 of audio drama by Changyang

Chapter 71: Departure From there, a white-robed man wearing a forehead ribbon slowly approached, carrying with him a sword and a zither.

The man’s features were of unparalleled grace, but frost and snow seemed to surround his figure. Before he had even drawn nearer, the cultivators quieted on their own, meeting his eyes in respect. The more well-known ones bravened up and went forth to salute him, “HanGuang-Jun.”

Lan Wangji in his 30s (present timeline)

Illustration from the MV of audio drama ending song 人间纵我, illustrated by Changyang

Chapter 7: Arrogance He had an aura of smooth moonlight. The seven-stringed zither that he carried on his back was narrower than most. Its body was black, made using wood of soft color.

The man wore a forehead ribbon with cloud patterns. His skin was fair, features both refined and elegant, as if he was a piece of polished jade. The color of his eyes was especially light, like they were made of colored glass, causing his gaze to be overly distant. His expression held the traces of frost and snow, stern to the degree of being stiff, unwavering even as he saw Wei WuXian’s ridiculous face.

There wasn’t a single spec of dust or wrinkled spot on him, from his head to his feet. It was impossible to find any fault with his appearance. Even so, two capitalized words jumped into Wei WuXian’s mind.

Mourning clothes!

Mourning clothes, indeed. Although all of the clans in the cultivation world used extravagant words to describe the GusuLan Sect’s uniform as the best-looking uniform and Lan WangJi as an incomparable beauty who only appeared once in a blue moon, nothing could help the bitter facial expression that made him look as though his wife had passed away.

[..]

Lan WangJi was silent, staring straight ahead, standing motionlessly in front of Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng was already exceptionally handsome, but as they stood face to face with each other, he still seemed a few degrees inferior.

Cover for audio drama extra “Lan Wangji - Accompanying you to sleep”

Chapter 65: Tenderness Lan WangJi was reading a book, his head down. A paper lantern was on the corner of the desk. Against the soft light of the fire, his face was even more like a piece of fine jade. Even his indifferent expression and his light eyes seemed to have been glazed a shade warmer. He was so beautiful that it seemed unreal. Caught by the moment, Wei WuXian was somehow entranced. Involuntarily, he inched closer.

Chapter 122: Gatecrashing (Extra) While he was sitting on Lan WangJi’s legs, he said, “HanGuang-Jun, your face truly is a total scam. Everyone thinks of you as someone with a clear mind who harbors no lust, a noble and chaste figure. I feel so wronged.”

Illustration for the audio drama season 3 poster by Changyang 

Chapter 87: Loyalty Lan WangJi’s figure was slender. He seemed to be quite the scholarly young master, but his power wasn’t to be disregarded. Not only was his arm strength shocking, his lower body was steady too. But, after all, it was a grown man who jumped from the tree, so although he caught Wei WuXian, he staggered slightly, walking a step backward. Immediately, however, he steadied himself.

Chapter 92: Longing The owner, “Really! No wonder. I was thinking you two good-looking figures must’ve come from a watery and spiritual place like the Jiangnan* region, Young Masters.”

Lan WangJi seemed as if he heard nothing. Wei WuXian laughed, “I can’t compare to him. He’s much more handsome than I am.”

The owner had quite a good mouth. She grinned, “He’s handsome, you’re cute. It’s different, but both are pretty! Oh, right.”

Would like to note that the physical appearance of a person with high cultivation is preserved at its prime. (Wen RuoHan’s level of cultivation was extremely high, so of course his corporal body was also perfectly maintained in its prime. –from Chapter 49: Guile)

Lan Wangji’s 33 scars and the Wen Sect brand mark

Screencap from MDZS donghua season 2

Screencap from MDZS manhua

Chapter 11: Refinement The person in the spring was quite tall. His skin was fair and his hair was black, wet and gathered to one side. The lines which outlined his waist and back were smooth, graceful yet holding strength. In simpler terms, he was a beauty.

However, Wei WuXian was definitely not stunned and unable to avert his gaze because he was looking at a bathing beauty. No matter how beautiful he was, he wouldn’t actually be attracted to men.

Really, it was the things on the person’s back that made him unable to avert his gaze.

There were dozens of intersecting scars.

[]

At the moment, the person in the spring turned around. Beneath his collarbone and near his heart, there was a clear sear.

Chapter 94: Longing The distinct Adam’s Apple, fair-colored skin, and smooth, aesthetic muscles flashed before his eyes so clearly that he didn’t even dare look at them straight, eyes averting slightly. He swallowed unconsciously, somehow feeling a bit parched. Wei WuXian clenched his teeth.

Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen, the top 2 most handsome cultivators of their generation

GIF from audio drama season 1 trailer illustrated by Higga

Chapter 11: Refinement Each place brought up the same kind of people. The GusuLan Sect had always been known for nurturing a lot of handsome men, especially the two jades of the clan’s current generation. Even though the two were not twins, they looked extremely similar to each other, which made it difficult to tell who was the superior one. Yet, although their appearances were similar, their personalities were not. Lan XiChen was gentle and benevolent, while Lan WangJi was overly aloof and stern, keeping everyone at an arm’s length and being the opposite of amiable. This was why, in the list of the bestlooking young masters in the cultivation world, the former ranked first, and the latter ranked second.

LASTLY

Lan Wangji’s rare smile

GIFs from 陈情令 / The Untamed, Wang Yibo as Lan Wangji

Chapter 100: Hatred But Wei WuXian immediately looked up. He very clearly saw beside Lan WangJi’s lips the transient glimpse of a soft smile that resembled sunlight reflected over snow. This time, not only Su She, even Lan XiChen and Jin Ling paused in astonishment.

Chapter 126: Yunmeng Hearing his words, Lan Wangji smiled faintly. The clear and bright light of the cold moon shining upon the lake was dimmed by this smile.

In the space of a moment, Wei Wuxian was left dazzled and felt light-headed. Involuntarily, that smiling expression also spread to his own face.

(All translations taken from Exiled Rebels Scanlations)

Get to know you?

Tagged by @theji

Tag some number of people you want to get to know better/catch up with.

Last song - #357 of a 413- song Zhou Shen playlist. I’m working my way through ALL of Zhou Shen’s songs!

One of my favorite recent discoveries (I am truly grateful to all those Youtubers who put these long playlists together) is when some show had some people in costume trying to sing 芒种Mang Zhong and doing a terrible job of it -- like, it sounded like me trying to sing, and my kids won’t even let me sing them lullabies --, and then Zhou Shen struts in with an entourage, singing with confidence, power, perfect pitch, and crazy charisma.  It’s worth it to hear the bad singing in the beginning just to more fully experience and understand just how different and special Zhou Shen’s singing is.   

And then he sang a little bit of 左手指月(Left Hand Pointing at the Moon).  Wow. 

Last movie - The last movie I watched that was new to me was 刻在你心底的名字 Your Name Engraved Herein, on Netflix.  It was crazy good. It was so good that I spent the next week obsessing over it and not feeling the slightest bit tired (my new measure for how strongly something affects me: if it can replace sleep, it’s Good).  Some reviews mention that the movie is sad, but I watched through to the last second and actually found it quite positive.  It ends with happiness and hope.  That’s enough for me to look forward to a(n emotionally wrenching but ultimately sweet) re-watch.  

The last movie that I actually watched was 闪光少女Our Shining Days (no longer on Netflix, but still free on Youtube!).  It’s the perfect antidote to all emotionally wrenching media, while still being beautiful and subtle and, actually, kinda deep and meaningful, especially for those of us who really care about traditional Chinese arts. And it’s hilarious and the music is Awesome.

Currently reading - 镇魂 Guardian by Priest.  I’m only on Chapter 4, but I’m totally enamored.  I am still getting used to the new vocabulary and sentence structures of Priest (new to me) vs 墨香铜臭Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (魔道祖师 x2!), though, so it’s slow going right now.  

Currently watching - ...still on Street Dance of China Season 3.  Someday I’ll finish Episode 9.  I really like it, honestly!  I just really like to give it my full attention, read all the cute little pop-up comments, and, well, I haven’t figured out yet just when I’m (stealing my kids’ ipad and) doing that.

Currently craving - Anything Asian.  Please!

Tagging: @herr-zhou, @coffintownkids, @bimingjue 

18 notes

Stars of Chaos 杀破狼 Vol 1, Notes 1

pgs 12 - 81

Here are some notes from Stars of Chaos Vol 1. Some are quick translations that don't really matter in the grand picture, but which are really fun and clever and it would be so much better if you could just see and understand it right now!

Here they are:

More under the cut

Did any of you learn the Ballad of Mulan (poem)? Yah. That poem talks about the difficulty of determining a rabbit’s sex, especially when it’s running.

I think “equipped” could be the correct word, but I’ve never seen it used as a verb in this context. It just means he put the thing on.

You will see many, many “Yifu!”s from here on. It’s a non-religious “godfather,” closer to “adopted” or “sworn” than “god.”

Remember: in Chinese, it’s good to be old :)

It’s a 蛟 jiao, not a fancy 龙 long。

Chinese has the Best Euphemisms for death! My favorite is 驾鹤西去: fly on a crane to the west(ern paradise).

Stars of Chaos - All The Notes List

All The Seven Seas Books Masterlist

      Bookshelf inserts

hey say that you can’t judge a book by its cover. But what if the cover alone can tell you the whole story? Welcome to the world of book nooks where creativity runs wild!

These hand-made creations will draw you into tiny places of wonder: from the hobbit hole to the Blade Runner-inspired apocalyptic alley or Lord of the Rings-themed door replica equipped with motion sensors.

This book nook my mother got on Ebay

A Magical bookshop in your own bookshelf

I made a booknook for a christmas gift, my inspiration was Blade Runner. It’s 11" X 6"

Not only are book nook inserts a fun way to train your creativity muscle, they can also be a solution to making reading great again. A recent study done by Pew Research Center showed that a staggering quarter of American adults don’t read books in any shape or form. The same study suggested that the likelihood of reading was directly linked to wealth and educational level. Add high levels of modern insomnia and full-time employment that leaves many of us drained at the end of the day, and the idea of opening a book seems unappealing, to say the least.

Now imagine yourself walking past a bookshelf full of these mini worlds—the dioramas of an alley. They catch your attention and you cannot help but see what’s inside. The pioneer of the book nook concept is the Japanese artist Monde. Monde introduced his creations to the Design Festa in 2018 and received overwhelming feedback. 178K likes on twitter later, Monde has become an inspiration to the aspiring arts and crafts lovers who join on r/booknooks to share their spectacular ideas.

Hobbit Hole

Design, print and paint a small shelf to decorate shelves

worlds hidden in a bookcase

A double wide endor inspired wilderness piece

Old Italy book nook

Diagon Alley booknook

Witch is watching you

Warhammer-style booknook

Creature from the Black Lagoon bookshelf monster

A booknook inspired by Les Miserables

source https://www.boredpanda.com/book-nook-shelf-inserts

I love this so much,  thank you!😊❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

zhou shen + a non-exhaustive list of chinese new year 2021 appearances

↳ 归处 / gui chu: happy camp + jiangsu tv ↳ 大鱼 / da yu ↳ got it (with mao buyi) ↳ 我在这 挺好的 / wo zai zhe, ting hao de ↳ 灯火里的中国 / deng huo li de zhong guo (with zhang ye) ↳ 牛仔很忙 / niu zai hen mang ↳ 达拉崩吧 / da la beng ba ↳ 微光海洋 / wei guang hai yang ↳ bonus clips: singing 吉祥三宝 + 恭喜发财 + 同桌的你 edit to add: ↳ 达拉崩吧 / da la beng ba (with morin khuur and dombra by shui guo xing qiu) ↳ 春天到万家 / chun tian dao wan jia (with zhang ye)

Wherein we have a meltdown over just how filthy of a mouth Zhao Yunlan has in the Guardian webnovel, so like, reader beware I guess.

Moggiesandtea: I’m gonna be curious to see what ZYL calls Shen Wei after they’ve hooked up, since he’s been calling him his wife and variants thereof for 70 some chapters

Keep reading

I now own Stars of Chaos, Vol 1!!! And pre-ordered Vol. 2 while I was out!! Yay!!!

And now, a brief yet pathetic looking-for-sympathy note:

The 南疆山匪 (southern border mountain bandits??) arc is So Hard for me! It’s all “This character who is a friend of that character who you just met is laying a trap for this other character who is a friend of yet another character that you have Not yet met yet, plot plot convoluted plot” with absolutely no kissing and practically no pining and this is exactly why I am re-reading 杀破狼 Stars of Chaos while making a chapter-by-chapter Notes document of Romance Only for future rereads.

My 杀破狼 Romance Only Notes only have a couple of paragraphs from Ch 40, and it doesn’t look like I’ll have much from Ch 41.

This is taking too much discipline to read.

Priest, give me less massacring and more Mutual Magnetism!