Aww… I miss them already. See you in season 6 with more creative, heartwarming, and funny stories and performances. (Hopefully it’s not going to take more than a year of waiting. And also, Xiao Zhan, come back again.) 👋👋
I have all of Xiao Zhan’s episodes saved to my “Watch Later” list on YouTube, but am hesitant to click play because once I watch it and finish it, it’s one less Xiao Zhan thing I have that I can watch when I continually need him in my life 😱😱😱😱😱😰😰😰😰😰😭😭😭😭😭😭
His next upcoming drama is “Oath Of Love” with Yang Zi, airing date is sometime in November 2020, so there is still a little bit of wait time for that one. He also has a period drama, “The Wolf” that keeps getting pushed back and postponed, but he also hopes it will finally air on tv (some reports say it will air sometime in 2020 on iQiyi)—it’s one of his very first dramas that he’s filmed back in 2017
Pfftt… Xiao Zhan trying to keep in character as the infamous “evil killer” while Sa Beining teased him about his super cool attitude.
“I like your attitude, but I don’t like what you’re saying.” 🤭🤭
I’m so going to miss this program with all its clever stories, memorable characters, wonderful and humorous performances.
I’m so hyped for this. After Life, this is the second medical drama that got me this excited. It looks funny, warm, and touching. As expected of Shin PD drama. March come fast!
*chanting alongside you*
Getting my fave actor Jo Jung-seok in my fave PD’s drama is already like dream comes true. And with this ensemble cast to boot, my expectation is sky high.
Unless I have a plan to go outside, my weekend is usually a list of mundane chores. And somehow, along the way, ironing clothes has transformed into a precious stolen ME-time. I would play the latest chapter of my favorite audiobook and let myself being swept into a magical land for a few hours.
A world of lonely assassin and an even lonelier prince.
A world of serpent, dragon, and talking ship.
A world in which people talked and debated about gender equality, slavery, healthy relationship, and fate vs. free will behind its pretty and unassuming fantasy package.
Oh let us know what you think! I’m so behind on my reading these days but I’m slowly working to catch up on my endless list if books. I’m just so happy to see more Muslim women authors in YA these days. I would’ve loved to see this more when I was growing up.
I have to give a little plug for my current audiobook, “As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride” written by Cary Elwes and narrated by Cary Elwes PLUS AS MANY OF THE CAST AND CREW OF THE PRINCESS BRIDE AS HE COULD FIND!
In middle school,
I proudly wore a baby blue backpack with giant teddy bear print on it
because it made no sense to buy a new one just because how child-like my old sturdy bag was.
I carried a hot pink umbrella with big frill on its fringe
because I can and I like it.
I read anything and everything that caught my attention without fear of being called pretentious or know-it-all.
I wrote short stories and musings, and finally shared those with my friends.
I wrote my first poem in English and realized that learning language can be fun.
I found my love for mathematics and felt safe to actually declare it.
I started playing under the rain again.
In middle school,
I unlearned all the previous (wrong) lessons of trying too hard to fit in.
I found out that it\’s okay to be different and unique.
I started liking myself.
To my \”crazy\” classmates in middle school who always told me that being me is real cool,
Love
February 💕
I guess I’m really lucky to find such amazing classmates during my 8th and 9th year. They are the best. And really, I’ve got enough unpleasant school days memories in elementary school (all that crazy competitiveness when we are still so very young… *shudder*).
She is my best friend from middle school. We entered the same high school and our class were right beside each other. I remembered spending most of my lunch time in her class. We talked, joked, and giggled the way only teenager girls can. Sometimes we read my diary, and she would have fun guessing about the unnamed people I wrote.
He is one of my first guy friends in high school. We met in school club and found ourselves as classmates in the 2nd semester. We were the kind of friends who teased each other mercilessly, bickered loudly while comparing homeworks, and proudly boasted our high score in exam. He taught me chemistry and I taught him math in exchange. Once, he curiously asked me about her, and it reminded me of the time she pointed at him to identify him as the silly guy I sometimes talked about.
It was a bright, hot evening. I was waiting for my ride to come in front of her club room. We were commiserating about our loaded homeworks and big projects. And then we saw him walking with his friend from the end of the corridor, heading to the front gate, and clearly taking a long, unusual detour from his dormitory. I raised one eyebrow, almost certain that soon I would witness something incredible.
He stopped in front of her, smiled that charming smile of his albeit a bit nervously, and said, \”Hey, S.\”
She was rooted to the spot in surprise. And I almost burst out laughing right then and there. He then waved his hand, \”See you again,\” and hightailed it out of there with his friend in tow.
We could hear his friend laughingly teased him, \”When did you two become friends?\”
\”Just now,\” was his only answer. And I was pretty sure he sounded uncharacteristically shy.
\”Did he just call me S?\” she asked me, dumbfounded. \”Why did he call me with my nickname? Do we know each other?\” I giggled and told her that he probably just wanted to be friends with her.
Since then, he always cheerfully greeted her whenever they met. She let him called her S despite that little nickname used to be reserved for her handful of close friends. Somehow, they even started making small talk with each other.
And then one day, he asked me if he could ask for her phone number. I told him I needed to ask her permission first. So he told me to give his number to her instead. I laughingly agreed to do just that. And after warning him not to play around with her heart, I curiously asked him why he suddenly pursued her.
Later, I gave his number to her, telling her that it\’s her call to take this relationship wherever she wanted. \”Oh,\” I said, \”and he said you are as cute as a bunny that he couldn\’t help saying hello to you that day.\”
She blushed furiously and groaned, \”Gadis, how am I supposed to talk to him now with that image in mind??\” I burst out laughing.
P.S. In the end, they never become an official couple. But their cute friendship survived even the makjang-est romance scenario that happened much later.
To high school memories and my first time being a cupid,
Love
February 💕
The first time I read a novel in English, I was surprised to know how often people used the word \’love\’ in their everyday live. They said it like it was a common word: to sign off their message, casually thrown before they hang up, a simple word to describe their feeling for each other. I don\’t know how true it was in real life, but I found myself marveling at it.
I don\’t speak for all people in my country, but in my family, love is a big word. A heavy word. We used it (the literal translation of \’love\’) to describe love for our country, for God, for things greater than our existence. It felt like a formal word, a concept that\’s too distant to encompass the messy human emotion for each other. Instead, we have other word to describe that feeling. The closest translation in English I could find is \’affection\’. We used that instead to describe what we feel for our friend, family, and lover. But even that, I can count on my hands how many times we said it to each other during all these years.
I guess we are just people who can\’t directly use the word love to convey our feelings. But we hug, pat other\’s head or shoulder, we said \”take care\” and \”I miss you\”. And we understand that that was our language of love. Thinking back, participating in this event these 2 years is probably the only occasion in which I can sign off my writing with the word \’love\’ without feeling cringy. So, with that spirit in mind…
I can wholeheartedly relate to this!
I speak four languages, and I think English is the only one that is so at ease with using the word “love.”
In my native language, it’s also something you never hear. Not that people don’t mean it, but they express it in other ways. “I love you” is the kind of thing you hear in poems, or songs and such, or in extreme situations of life and death.
So, I’m also not that comfortable using it in english, even though I verbalize it in other ways
I appreciate this, the Love, February post and your response as well. Its something that I’m constantly wondering about when I’m watching dramas. “How come no one says I love you?!” And sometimes I get frustrated because SAY IT, DANG IT!
(how funny, a pizza commercial just came on for Marcos pizza and they said Love no less than 4 times. Including, “love is limitless”)
I was watching CLOY last night and getting so irritated. Who knows when you’ll see each other again? SAY IT. So, to come here and read about other cultures relationship with the word…quite fitting. and lovely. Does that count as overusing the word?
“Does that count as overusing the word?
LOL, in this case, I don’t think so.
But I kind of understand your frustration too, if you’re used to hearing it.
In a sense (but not always), I think people’s actions are so much more revealing. People can say things and not mean them, but one’s actions will oftentimes show you their real intentions.
English has really only one word for all kinds of love so that’s one reason why you see it in books so frequently. I think that seeing and hearing it a lot makes the word easier to use. Although I may love chocolate, that love is nothing compared to the love I have for my children which is different from the love I have for my husband or a dear friend. THE FOUR LOVES by CS Lewis broke down what love was for me and it’s a great book for this month’s theme as well. I hope you’ll read it sometime. I do think that we may actually use the word too liberally in our culture.
This is so right. My language clearly has more than 10 words for love and all mean a different kind of love. That is the reason why they aren’t that frequently spoken and it can also get cringey. People prefer using “love” because it’s used so often so it kind of grows old (loses some of its essence as well) while all those words hold a weight.
@ally-le, I also love C.S. Lewis’ The Four Loves! Great recommendation! I think another, although perhaps a bit less academic and more intense would be The Great Divorce because there are definitely vignettes in which one of the parties thinks what he/she is describing is love…when it actually isn’t. Ah, C.S. Lewis, what a great thinker, lay theologian, and writer!
This is so right. My language clearly has more than 10 words for love and all mean a different kind of love. That is the reason why they aren’t that frequently spoken and it can also get cringey. People prefer using “love” because it’s used so often so it kind of grows old (loses some of its essence as well) while all those words hold a weight.
Ally, I am reading it at the moment and I was literally going to comment the same thing. (I also think of you every now and then when reading it)
Gadis, read it, honestly. It’s amazing and so insightful about all the different human loves, and the One True love that is God.
My first reaction was oh, i love this, and then I chuckled and stopped myself. Hehehe. How easily I use the word (does it fall too short or is it too big? I ask myself). What can I say then…I admire, respect and enjoyed this. I find it clever and insightful, thought-provoking and well-written. I’m happy I spent time to read it, and happy to spend time to think it over more. I was reminded, too, of some lines from one of my favorite poems (abbreviated here): “This is not Love, perhaps, Love that lays down its life…But something written in lighter ink, said in a lower tone, something, perhaps, especially our own.”
The butterfly effect is taking hold on their train!! I love how complicated this case seems to be. And a much anticipated loveline between Xiao Zhan and Gui Gui in this eps. I hope MGTV continues to release the subbed version for this program, because the subtitle for eps 10 is unusually late. (Please don’t drop this. We international fans are helpless without english sub 😭😭)
Since I still have to wait a week for the subbed version, I fed myself with all these raw cut videos despite not knowing what they are saying at all. But even so, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who had a sudden deja vu watching this.
Cannot wait to watch this episode! A few clips I have seen we will get lots of naturally adorable XZ reactions!!
ZRY: Giving you a chicken leg
XZ: Chicken leg…you still haven’t forgotten about chicken leg
ZRY: Right (caption: please accept my sincere love)
XZ: (caption: truly a good leg)
Red Coat Host: Why doesn’t the train conductor have this kind of treatment?
ZRY: He is not merely holding a chicken leg. It is a girl.
XZ: This girl’s smell is little bit…..
If I gave a chicken leg to someone I’m interested in, would they get what I’m trying to tell them?
Yes @hades if that person is a drama fan like us, and if not I sure hope that person appreciates the deliciousness of dark meat and your tasty gesture!
I made it to the end!! 😆 Understandably for me as a fangirl, Xiao Zhan definitely made the last stretch of the drama even more compelling to watch!!
Even knowing that Xiao Zhan is the one who played Yang Bingyun, the way the drama shrouded his figure in mystery still gave me much anticipation for his meeting with Fan Xian in the last stretch of the drama. I love how different his character was here compared to Wuxian. So straightlaced and uncompromising. A perfect foil for Fan Xian’s cockiness and cheekiness.
I took a glimpse at this eps of Who’s the Murderer and it seems like they made a lot of cheeky references to both The Untamed and Joy of Life. They even used Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin’s couple poster from the drama, and changed her to Wei Wuxian. 😆😆
Cannot wait for all the TU and JoL meta in Who’s the Murderer!
I love that we get to see XZ playing almost a role in JoL that is almost the opposite of WWX! I cannot get enough of his furrowed eyebrow and spine that is straighter than a bamboo stalk. The way that story progressed as much as I like Fan Xian I almost deluded myself into thinking that Yan Bing Yun is going to be the main lead next season (but that could also be the fangirl talking 😆)
Too bad that the way his character is setup in the story, the romance feels rushed so I cannot empathize as much as I could with the girl’s devotion. I also had a hard time getting used to a voice that is neither XZ’s own or WWX voice actor 😅
So, I’m going to briefly respond to your response here and then make a fresh post about this because I just finished it and I have some thoughts.
Those aren’t their actual voices?! What?! Argh.
Yan Bing Yun’s “romance storyline” wasn’t really a problem for me in that it served it’s purpose as a plot divice. He’s committed to the job but still loves her–although I seriously question that given the ending. She’s deeply in love and can’t help herself. That gets both her and her brother in trouble. It’s been done before. But I do agree it was a bit rushed and I can see how you might want more for Xiao Zhan’s character.
I don’t know what kind of ending that was. I mean, what? BUT, it could all be some grand Fan Xian plan. But maybe that’s what the writer expects us to think.
Whew… I made it to the other side fairly intact. Well, my jaw is probably lying on the floor somewhere, but who wouldn\’t be with that kind of cliffhanger?
First of all, I need to take back my words about the Emperor and Chen Pingping being normally dangerous. I\’m sure threatening is an understatement for people who played this kind of long game. Second, I should have known that in this drama, even the jokes are important. Yeah, my fault for being arrogant enough to not listen to a mother\’s words.
Now, the waiting game for the 2nd season begin. I hope they\’ll be able to bring back all the original cast because everyone is doing an awesome job with their respective character. Meanwhile, it\’s time to watch Zhang Ruoyun\’s older dramas, I guess?
I finished this last night myself. It was excellent and I’m sad I have to wait for season 2 and 3. I really really hope they get the original cast because they all did an excellent job.
So many twists and turns. I went into this expecting a rebirth/time travel drama and didn’t expect it to have sci-fi elements at all. And all the plots involving the Emperor and Chen Pingping. They are playing a very very long and involved game. And the 2nd prince’s involvement caught me by surprise. I have my theories about who Uncle Wu is (my brother and me were thinking he is an android or something). And we have our theories about the ending (Yan Bing Yun is actually on FX side, and did that to become a double agent). But guess I’ll have a long wait to see!!
That’s one crazy long game by the Emperor and Chen Pingping. Tbh, at the end of this season, I’m more terrified of Chen. At least, the emperor seemed to feel a bit conflicted about using Fan Xian however he likes (I want to believe that him shouting to Fan Xian to just come back safely even if he couldn’t finish his mission is something born of genuine concern), meanwhile Chen and his kind smile send shiver down my spine.
Regarding Yan Bingyun, I’m with you on that. I refused to consider the possibility that he caught Fan Xian off guard. And Fan Xian sleeping the tense night away simply didn’t fit what we knew of him so far. There must be some sort of plan we are not privy to yet between these two. Besides, I kept thinking that Shen Zong stabbing his sister the day before to save her is some kind of foreshadowing for the finale moment.
I didn’t expect the sci-fi element either and some of the viewers’ theories about it are very wild. I love how some fans described Joy of Life as “the aftermath of shoujo sci-fi story gone wrong”, which is ridiculously accurate given how many men seemed enamor with Fan Xian’s mother.
Kyaah!!! Xiao Zhan will come as a guest in variety show Who’s the Murderer. It’s a really happy surprise because I’m a huge fan of both him and the program. I’m anticipating his performance, but also dreading it a bit at the same time because it’s his first time coming there and they assigned him to the last case (a.k.a the closing of the season), which is notorious for being super long, complicated and sometimes downright experimental. Judging from the preview, it seems like the production team does try something new here. Thankfully, the other casts are familiar faces in that show.
Anyway, I’m excited for his reunion with Zhang Ruoyun. And I need to prepare myself for the double smile attack from both him and Wei Chen. I’m too excited to wait for the subbed version. 🤩🤩🤩
Xiao Zhan is actually quite logical and methodical in his way of thinking in real life so I’m sure, despite the last case as being notoriously long and complicated, that he will be up for the task 😁😁😁
Pffftt… the second prince snorting in amusement is such a mood. Thank goodness the Emperor’s wry sense of humor remained intact even after handling a series of headache-inducing schemes. I know it’s probably only a prelude of an even more complicated maneuver, but let me have my fill of laughter while I can.
Wan\’er, why is your mother someone like her? At the beginning, I thought the Emperor and Chen Pingping are the dangerous ones. But they are only dangerous in a normal way. She is… not. Her amused laughter still send shivers down my spine.
And to think that I\’ve unquestioningly trusted her spy all along.
Grrrghhh… ノಠ益ಠノ彡┻━┻
She felt like a psycopath to me with all her speech about Fan Xian making things “interesting” for her. Though given that I’m still on eps 41, she still has enough room to change my mind later. I don’t buy her heart-to-heart talk to Wan’er at all and am dreading whatever “surprise” she might arranged for Fan Xian.
Pfftt, I thought I’m the only one bothered by her perfectly floating bang.
The only drawback of this drama is the fact that the more eps I saw, the less scenes I can convert to GIFs for fear of spoilers. Because every little word and gesture matters here.
Thankfully, even in the middle of huge confrontation between 4 or so different sides in which everyone forced Fan Xian to stand in the eye of the storm, we still get this kind of funny convo. I couldn\’t help chuckling at the Emperor\’s nonchalant attitude that perfectly matched Fan Xian\’s indifferent stance.
And it\’s all kind of hilarious that the one person who managed to make Fan Xian flustered was straightforward Consort Shu, the second prince\’s mother who was just as eccentric as her son. No death threat nor deadly challenge unfazed him, and yet he couldn\’t even maintain his poker face in front of this woman\’s frank and quick change of topics.
Am I the only one who can’t help but liking the Second Prince’s quirkiness? He might be taken a liking to Fan Xian’s lack of deference towards any of the authority figures (himself included), but it’s also equally clear that he befriended Fan Xian because it’s advantageous to his reach for power. In the middle of the Capital’s complicated web of intrigues, his frankness about the political struggle he joined in was refreshing. And from Fan Xian’s reaction, I’m sure I’m not the only one who appreciate it.
Ever since I saw the post which had each character represented by an animal, I can’t unsee that especially for Second Prince. His was the most hilarious.
I think the post was on Discord but we yak so much everyday that it’s lost and I can’t find it on search. Can I give you this link instead? https://www.yangtse.com/content/839035.html
Pfft… that was cutely accurate. I’m always curious about the “husky” comment towards Zhang Ruoyun in his vatiety show appearance. I guess it does look like him 😄
Thanks for the invite. I’ll probably just lurk around when I have time.
The emperor terrified me exactly because of how in control he was of his emotions. He was no short-tempered and impulsive ruler, even when things didn’t go as he planned. And to be honest, his composure couldn’t help but made me think that he was probably the one behind all those unexpected results. He was cunning and manipulative, and it worried me that he seemed fascinated by Fan Xian’s unpredictability.
It’s been quite long since the last time I was this fascinated by a non-gray character. Fan Xian was sharp, kind, just, but also utterly unpredictable. It’s often difficult to comprehend his plan because his mind has already jumped several steps ahead and he acted with motivations that so unheard of in that era. At first, I only pegged it as the result of the modern values he believed in, but I realized that’s not always the case. I’m still not sure if it was because he had been dying once in his previous life that he could be this unfazed when confronted with assassination attempt.
Or probably it’s simply because he was such a troll that he could act like this in a very serious situation. Sometimes, it’s almost like he treated this world and his existence here as something not quite real. And as usual with him, it was both soberingly sad and absurdly funny to come to that realization.
For a guy who only ever wanted to live a simple and happy life, he attracted tons of attention from many different people with much higher standing. It probably started because of the unwanted position the emperor put him in. But each and every choice he took to stop himself from being used as a pawn for power only enamored these people even more. I mean, it takes guts to boldly refuse to kneel in front of imperial decree like this (and the fact that he did that so casually still left me slack-jawed). And those important people must know that Fan Xian was either very stupid or very dangerous to try to \”force\” the Emperor’s hand regarding that matter.
Good question to raise as there’s an important reason why these higher-up people are going easy on him. If he was someone different than what he is now, he would have been killed eons ago :))
I’ve noticed he is very blasé towards the emperor or really any authority. He very rarely bows to anyone, which makes me think it’s because of his modern sensibilities. It certainly makes him a unique and fun character 😆
I’m heading to my moms for the weekend to continue watching this with her and my little brother (we are up to ep 19). We are all quite liking it 😁
gadis
February 20, 2020 at 9:24 PM
Aww… I miss them already. See you in season 6 with more creative, heartwarming, and funny stories and performances. (Hopefully it’s not going to take more than a year of waiting. And also, Xiao Zhan, come back again.) 👋👋
#Who’sTheMurderer
Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
February 20, 2020 at 10:06 PM
I have all of Xiao Zhan’s episodes saved to my “Watch Later” list on YouTube, but am hesitant to click play because once I watch it and finish it, it’s one less Xiao Zhan thing I have that I can watch when I continually need him in my life 😱😱😱😱😱😰😰😰😰😰😭😭😭😭😭😭
gadis
February 20, 2020 at 10:51 PM
Haha… I’m too impatient to save it for later. I only have his movie Jade Dynasty left now. Hopefully his upcoming dramas will come out soon.
Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
February 20, 2020 at 11:27 PM
His next upcoming drama is “Oath Of Love” with Yang Zi, airing date is sometime in November 2020, so there is still a little bit of wait time for that one. He also has a period drama, “The Wolf” that keeps getting pushed back and postponed, but he also hopes it will finally air on tv (some reports say it will air sometime in 2020 on iQiyi)—it’s one of his very first dramas that he’s filmed back in 2017
gadis
February 15, 2020 at 3:06 AM
Pfftt… Xiao Zhan trying to keep in character as the infamous “evil killer” while Sa Beining teased him about his super cool attitude.
“I like your attitude, but I don’t like what you’re saying.” 🤭🤭
I’m so going to miss this program with all its clever stories, memorable characters, wonderful and humorous performances.
#Who’sTheMurderer
gadis
February 12, 2020 at 6:20 PM
Aww.. these bts photos are too cute.
#HiByeMama #LeeKyuHyung
gadis
February 10, 2020 at 5:29 PM
I’m so hyped for this. After Life, this is the second medical drama that got me this excited. It looks funny, warm, and touching. As expected of Shin PD drama. March come fast!
#DoctorPlaybook
Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
February 10, 2020 at 6:25 PM
I still can’t wrap my head around Jo Jung Suk, Jung Kyung Ho, and Yoo Yeon Suk being in one drama together 🤯🤯🤯🤯 Too good to be true!!!
Kudo Ran
February 10, 2020 at 9:43 PM
*drama please be good*
*drama please be good*
*drama please be good*
*drama please be good*
*drama please be good*
please be too good and true <3 !
Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
February 10, 2020 at 9:56 PM
Hahaha
*chants alongside you*
gadis
February 10, 2020 at 10:51 PM
*chanting alongside you*
Getting my fave actor Jo Jung-seok in my fave PD’s drama is already like dream comes true. And with this ensemble cast to boot, my expectation is sky high.
Kudo Ran
February 10, 2020 at 9:42 PM
can’t wait too <3
gadis
February 9, 2020 at 3:55 AM
Unless I have a plan to go outside, my weekend is usually a list of mundane chores. And somehow, along the way, ironing clothes has transformed into a precious stolen ME-time. I would play the latest chapter of my favorite audiobook and let myself being swept into a magical land for a few hours.
A world of lonely assassin and an even lonelier prince.
A world of serpent, dragon, and talking ship.
A world in which people talked and debated about gender equality, slavery, healthy relationship, and fate vs. free will behind its pretty and unassuming fantasy package.
My Sunday is perfect.
Love
February 💕
gadis
February 9, 2020 at 3:55 AM
@katakwasabi @leetennant @ally-le @snarkyjellyfish @bebeswtz @msrabbit @kat23 @hebang @ndlessjoie @yuyuu @lugirl131415 @tspmasala @willow @moomoomoondog @carmen @hotcocoagirl @mindy @sicarius @coffeprince4eva @suriyana-shah @pinklolipop @kimbapnoona @justme @greenfields @wishfultoki @raonah @moana @anothernicole @khalessymd @oppafangirl @natzillagorilla @acacia @sweetiepie54 @waterhyacinth @isthatacorner @fatcat007 @maybemaknae @tsutsuloo @egads @pineapplegongzhu @rukia @eazal @babybeast @bammsie @thetinyl @sensationalfantasy
azzo
February 9, 2020 at 4:19 AM
Is that We Hunt The Flame by Hafsah Faizal?
Because your description fits it perfectly!
gadis
February 9, 2020 at 4:46 AM
Oh, I’ve never heard of her before. *runs to google it*
Actually it’s Farseer trilogy and Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb.
SnarkyJellyfish
February 9, 2020 at 5:13 PM
Have you read this? I’ve been wanting to read it but haven’t had a chance.
azzo
February 10, 2020 at 4:01 AM
No, I haven’t, actually! My book is on it’s way, but the talk of assassins and lonely princes reminds me of it!
SnarkyJellyfish
February 10, 2020 at 7:18 AM
Oh let us know what you think! I’m so behind on my reading these days but I’m slowly working to catch up on my endless list if books. I’m just so happy to see more Muslim women authors in YA these days. I would’ve loved to see this more when I was growing up.
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
February 9, 2020 at 12:31 PM
I have to give a little plug for my current audiobook, “As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride” written by Cary Elwes and narrated by Cary Elwes PLUS AS MANY OF THE CAST AND CREW OF THE PRINCESS BRIDE AS HE COULD FIND!
gadis
February 8, 2020 at 4:37 AM
In middle school,
I proudly wore a baby blue backpack with giant teddy bear print on it
because it made no sense to buy a new one just because how child-like my old sturdy bag was.
I carried a hot pink umbrella with big frill on its fringe
because I can and I like it.
I read anything and everything that caught my attention without fear of being called pretentious or know-it-all.
I wrote short stories and musings, and finally shared those with my friends.
I wrote my first poem in English and realized that learning language can be fun.
I found my love for mathematics and felt safe to actually declare it.
I started playing under the rain again.
In middle school,
I unlearned all the previous (wrong) lessons of trying too hard to fit in.
I found out that it\’s okay to be different and unique.
I started liking myself.
To my \”crazy\” classmates in middle school who always told me that being me is real cool,
Love
February 💕
gadis
February 8, 2020 at 4:37 AM
@katakwasabi @leetennant @ally-le @snarkyjellyfish @bebeswtz @msrabbit @kat23 @hebang @ndlessjoie @yuyuu @lugirl131415 @tspmasala @willow @moomoomoondog @carmen @hotcocoagirl @mindy @sicarius @coffeprince4eva @suriyana-shah @pinklolipop @kimbapnoona @justme @greenfields @wishfultoki @raonah @moana @anothernicole @khalessymd @oppafangirl @natzillagorilla @acacia @sweetiepie54 @waterhyacinth @isthatacorner @fatcat007 @maybemaknae @tsutsuloo @egads @pineapplegongzhu @rukia @eazal @babybeast @bammsie @thetinyl @sensationalfantasy
RenOIshi
February 8, 2020 at 4:44 AM
Cheers to the real you!
Ally
February 8, 2020 at 4:50 AM
Wow, it’s usually middle school that we get all messed up😒, trying to fit in. Glad You learned that lesson early—precocious as you obviously were!
gadis
February 8, 2020 at 5:55 AM
I guess I’m really lucky to find such amazing classmates during my 8th and 9th year. They are the best. And really, I’ve got enough unpleasant school days memories in elementary school (all that crazy competitiveness when we are still so very young… *shudder*).
Cori
February 8, 2020 at 6:39 AM
Being you definitely is real cool 😄
Rumi~
February 8, 2020 at 1:39 PM
That sounds wonderful 👍
deadlybaby
February 8, 2020 at 3:15 PM
this is so lovely i’m so glad you learned early to love yourself!
mugyuljoie is preciousss
February 8, 2020 at 4:21 PM
Hurry for being you!
mugyuljoie is preciousss
February 8, 2020 at 7:27 PM
Or Hurray!
Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
February 8, 2020 at 10:04 PM
Being you–yourself– is always the best plan of action, I find 😉
another woodalchi nicole recruit
February 10, 2020 at 7:47 AM
goalz <3 <3 <3
sirena
March 4, 2020 at 6:18 AM
Made me smile. Glad that you were able to stay true to who you are ♥
gadis
February 4, 2020 at 7:38 PM
She is my best friend from middle school. We entered the same high school and our class were right beside each other. I remembered spending most of my lunch time in her class. We talked, joked, and giggled the way only teenager girls can. Sometimes we read my diary, and she would have fun guessing about the unnamed people I wrote.
He is one of my first guy friends in high school. We met in school club and found ourselves as classmates in the 2nd semester. We were the kind of friends who teased each other mercilessly, bickered loudly while comparing homeworks, and proudly boasted our high score in exam. He taught me chemistry and I taught him math in exchange. Once, he curiously asked me about her, and it reminded me of the time she pointed at him to identify him as the silly guy I sometimes talked about.
It was a bright, hot evening. I was waiting for my ride to come in front of her club room. We were commiserating about our loaded homeworks and big projects. And then we saw him walking with his friend from the end of the corridor, heading to the front gate, and clearly taking a long, unusual detour from his dormitory. I raised one eyebrow, almost certain that soon I would witness something incredible.
He stopped in front of her, smiled that charming smile of his albeit a bit nervously, and said, \”Hey, S.\”
She was rooted to the spot in surprise. And I almost burst out laughing right then and there. He then waved his hand, \”See you again,\” and hightailed it out of there with his friend in tow.
We could hear his friend laughingly teased him, \”When did you two become friends?\”
\”Just now,\” was his only answer. And I was pretty sure he sounded uncharacteristically shy.
\”Did he just call me S?\” she asked me, dumbfounded. \”Why did he call me with my nickname? Do we know each other?\” I giggled and told her that he probably just wanted to be friends with her.
Since then, he always cheerfully greeted her whenever they met. She let him called her S despite that little nickname used to be reserved for her handful of close friends. Somehow, they even started making small talk with each other.
And then one day, he asked me if he could ask for her phone number. I told him I needed to ask her permission first. So he told me to give his number to her instead. I laughingly agreed to do just that. And after warning him not to play around with her heart, I curiously asked him why he suddenly pursued her.
Later, I gave his number to her, telling her that it\’s her call to take this relationship wherever she wanted. \”Oh,\” I said, \”and he said you are as cute as a bunny that he couldn\’t help saying hello to you that day.\”
She blushed furiously and groaned, \”Gadis, how am I supposed to talk to him now with that image in mind??\” I burst out laughing.
P.S. In the end, they never become an official couple. But their cute friendship survived even the makjang-est romance scenario that happened much later.
To high school memories and my first time being a cupid,
Love
February 💕
gadis
February 4, 2020 at 7:38 PM
@katakwasabi @leetennant @ally-le @snarkyjellyfish @bebeswtz @msrabbit @kat23 @hebang @ndlessjoie @yuyuu @lugirl131415 @tspmasala @willow @moomoomoondog @carmen @hotcocoagirl @mindy @sicarius @coffeprince4eva @suriyana-shah @pinklolipop @kimbapnoona @justme @greenfields @wishfultoki @raonah @moana @anothernicole @khalessymd @oppafangirl @natzillagorilla @acacia @sweetiepie54 @waterhyacinth @isthatacorner @fatcat007 @maybemaknae @tsutsuloo @egads @pineapplegongzhu @rukia @eazal @babybeast @bammsie
mugyuljoie is preciousss
February 4, 2020 at 7:59 PM
Looking forward to more cupid stories.
Eazal
February 5, 2020 at 1:08 AM
I’ve just found my theme for today!
Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
February 4, 2020 at 11:25 PM
Awwwww @gadis THIS IS JUST THE CUTEST MY HEART CANNOT TAKE IT ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
gadis
February 3, 2020 at 2:16 AM
Musing about \’Love\’
The first time I read a novel in English, I was surprised to know how often people used the word \’love\’ in their everyday live. They said it like it was a common word: to sign off their message, casually thrown before they hang up, a simple word to describe their feeling for each other. I don\’t know how true it was in real life, but I found myself marveling at it.
I don\’t speak for all people in my country, but in my family, love is a big word. A heavy word. We used it (the literal translation of \’love\’) to describe love for our country, for God, for things greater than our existence. It felt like a formal word, a concept that\’s too distant to encompass the messy human emotion for each other. Instead, we have other word to describe that feeling. The closest translation in English I could find is \’affection\’. We used that instead to describe what we feel for our friend, family, and lover. But even that, I can count on my hands how many times we said it to each other during all these years.
I guess we are just people who can\’t directly use the word love to convey our feelings. But we hug, pat other\’s head or shoulder, we said \”take care\” and \”I miss you\”. And we understand that that was our language of love. Thinking back, participating in this event these 2 years is probably the only occasion in which I can sign off my writing with the word \’love\’ without feeling cringy. So, with that spirit in mind…
dengan cinta,
February 💕
gadis
February 3, 2020 at 2:16 AM
@katakwasabi @leetennant @ally-le @snarkyjellyfish @bebeswtz @msrabbit @kat23 @hebang @ndlessjoie @yuyuu @lugirl131415 @tspmasala @willow @moomoomoondog @carmen @hotcocoagirl @mindy @sicarius @coffeprince4eva @suriyana-shah @pinklolipop @kimbapnoona @justme @greenfields @wishfultoki @raonah @moana @anothernicole @khalessymd @oppafangirl @natzillagorilla @acacia @sweetiepie54 @waterhyacinth @isthatacorner @fatcat007 @maybemaknae @tsutsuloo @egads @pineapplegongzhu @rukia @eazal @babybeast @bammsie
Yuyuu, The Drama Queen
February 3, 2020 at 5:56 AM
I can wholeheartedly relate to this!
I speak four languages, and I think English is the only one that is so at ease with using the word “love.”
In my native language, it’s also something you never hear. Not that people don’t mean it, but they express it in other ways. “I love you” is the kind of thing you hear in poems, or songs and such, or in extreme situations of life and death.
So, I’m also not that comfortable using it in english, even though I verbalize it in other ways
isa: I'm not a serial killer I'm just really passionate about things
February 3, 2020 at 8:13 PM
I appreciate this, the Love, February post and your response as well. Its something that I’m constantly wondering about when I’m watching dramas. “How come no one says I love you?!” And sometimes I get frustrated because SAY IT, DANG IT!
(how funny, a pizza commercial just came on for Marcos pizza and they said Love no less than 4 times. Including, “love is limitless”)
I was watching CLOY last night and getting so irritated. Who knows when you’ll see each other again? SAY IT. So, to come here and read about other cultures relationship with the word…quite fitting. and lovely. Does that count as overusing the word?
Yuyuu, The Drama Queen
February 4, 2020 at 3:56 AM
“Does that count as overusing the word?
LOL, in this case, I don’t think so.
But I kind of understand your frustration too, if you’re used to hearing it.
In a sense (but not always), I think people’s actions are so much more revealing. People can say things and not mean them, but one’s actions will oftentimes show you their real intentions.
Eazal
February 3, 2020 at 4:00 AM
There are many ways to say “I love you”, and those three words it’s just one.
Ally
February 3, 2020 at 4:02 AM
English has really only one word for all kinds of love so that’s one reason why you see it in books so frequently. I think that seeing and hearing it a lot makes the word easier to use. Although I may love chocolate, that love is nothing compared to the love I have for my children which is different from the love I have for my husband or a dear friend. THE FOUR LOVES by CS Lewis broke down what love was for me and it’s a great book for this month’s theme as well. I hope you’ll read it sometime. I do think that we may actually use the word too liberally in our culture.
Briiaaann
February 3, 2020 at 4:37 AM
That’s a nice recommendation Ally! I will put that in my reading list. I love any CS Lewis book.
gadis
February 3, 2020 at 5:02 AM
*adding The Four Loves to my super long to-read list*
Thanks for the recommendation, ally.
wapz
February 3, 2020 at 6:47 AM
This is so right. My language clearly has more than 10 words for love and all mean a different kind of love. That is the reason why they aren’t that frequently spoken and it can also get cringey. People prefer using “love” because it’s used so often so it kind of grows old (loses some of its essence as well) while all those words hold a weight.
pineapplegongzhu
February 3, 2020 at 6:52 AM
@ally-le, I also love C.S. Lewis’ The Four Loves! Great recommendation! I think another, although perhaps a bit less academic and more intense would be The Great Divorce because there are definitely vignettes in which one of the parties thinks what he/she is describing is love…when it actually isn’t. Ah, C.S. Lewis, what a great thinker, lay theologian, and writer!
wapz
February 3, 2020 at 6:56 AM
This is so right. My language clearly has more than 10 words for love and all mean a different kind of love. That is the reason why they aren’t that frequently spoken and it can also get cringey. People prefer using “love” because it’s used so often so it kind of grows old (loses some of its essence as well) while all those words hold a weight.
mugyuljoie is preciousss
February 3, 2020 at 12:15 PM
The Four Loves is a wonderful book!
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
February 4, 2020 at 3:19 AM
Ally, I am reading it at the moment and I was literally going to comment the same thing. (I also think of you every now and then when reading it)
Gadis, read it, honestly. It’s amazing and so insightful about all the different human loves, and the One True love that is God.
another woodalchi nicole recruit
February 3, 2020 at 6:55 AM
My first reaction was oh, i love this, and then I chuckled and stopped myself. Hehehe. How easily I use the word (does it fall too short or is it too big? I ask myself). What can I say then…I admire, respect and enjoyed this. I find it clever and insightful, thought-provoking and well-written. I’m happy I spent time to read it, and happy to spend time to think it over more. I was reminded, too, of some lines from one of my favorite poems (abbreviated here): “This is not Love, perhaps, Love that lays down its life…But something written in lighter ink, said in a lower tone, something, perhaps, especially our own.”
Thanks for this Gadis <3
gadis
January 27, 2020 at 5:51 PM
I always love this kind of fanart. It’s cute to see Xiao Zhan and all the characters he has played. Can you guys recognize who is who?
credit to 寂星Kepler
gadis
January 27, 2020 at 5:31 AM
The butterfly effect is taking hold on their train!! I love how complicated this case seems to be. And a much anticipated loveline between Xiao Zhan and Gui Gui in this eps. I hope MGTV continues to release the subbed version for this program, because the subtitle for eps 10 is unusually late. (Please don’t drop this. We international fans are helpless without english sub 😭😭)
#Who’sTheMurderer
gadis
January 24, 2020 at 7:00 AM
Since I still have to wait a week for the subbed version, I fed myself with all these raw cut videos despite not knowing what they are saying at all. But even so, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who had a sudden deja vu watching this.
#Who’sTheMurderer #JoyOfLife
🍙 kimbap noona
January 24, 2020 at 8:08 AM
Cannot wait to watch this episode! A few clips I have seen we will get lots of naturally adorable XZ reactions!!
ZRY: Giving you a chicken leg
XZ: Chicken leg…you still haven’t forgotten about chicken leg
ZRY: Right (caption: please accept my sincere love)
XZ: (caption: truly a good leg)
Red Coat Host: Why doesn’t the train conductor have this kind of treatment?
ZRY: He is not merely holding a chicken leg. It is a girl.
XZ: This girl’s smell is little bit…..
gadis
January 24, 2020 at 1:25 PM
Thank you for the translation. ☺
하데스
January 24, 2020 at 4:04 PM
Noona for the win!
If I gave a chicken leg to someone I’m interested in, would they get what I’m trying to tell them?
Looks like you’ve caught up noona. I’m like 10 or so episodes behind now. lol.
🍙 kimbap noona
January 25, 2020 at 7:04 AM
If I gave a chicken leg to someone I’m interested in, would they get what I’m trying to tell them?
Yes @hades if that person is a drama fan like us, and if not I sure hope that person appreciates the deliciousness of dark meat and your tasty gesture!
I made it to the end!! 😆 Understandably for me as a fangirl, Xiao Zhan definitely made the last stretch of the drama even more compelling to watch!!
gadis
January 25, 2020 at 2:34 PM
Even knowing that Xiao Zhan is the one who played Yang Bingyun, the way the drama shrouded his figure in mystery still gave me much anticipation for his meeting with Fan Xian in the last stretch of the drama. I love how different his character was here compared to Wuxian. So straightlaced and uncompromising. A perfect foil for Fan Xian’s cockiness and cheekiness.
I took a glimpse at this eps of Who’s the Murderer and it seems like they made a lot of cheeky references to both The Untamed and Joy of Life. They even used Zhang Ruoyun and Li Qin’s couple poster from the drama, and changed her to Wei Wuxian. 😆😆
🍙 kimbap noona
January 26, 2020 at 2:46 PM
Cannot wait for all the TU and JoL meta in Who’s the Murderer!
I love that we get to see XZ playing almost a role in JoL that is almost the opposite of WWX! I cannot get enough of his furrowed eyebrow and spine that is straighter than a bamboo stalk. The way that story progressed as much as I like Fan Xian I almost deluded myself into thinking that Yan Bing Yun is going to be the main lead next season (but that could also be the fangirl talking 😆)
Too bad that the way his character is setup in the story, the romance feels rushed so I cannot empathize as much as I could with the girl’s devotion. I also had a hard time getting used to a voice that is neither XZ’s own or WWX voice actor 😅
하데스
January 26, 2020 at 3:54 PM
So, I’m going to briefly respond to your response here and then make a fresh post about this because I just finished it and I have some thoughts.
Those aren’t their actual voices?! What?! Argh.
Yan Bing Yun’s “romance storyline” wasn’t really a problem for me in that it served it’s purpose as a plot divice. He’s committed to the job but still loves her–although I seriously question that given the ending. She’s deeply in love and can’t help herself. That gets both her and her brother in trouble. It’s been done before. But I do agree it was a bit rushed and I can see how you might want more for Xiao Zhan’s character.
I don’t know what kind of ending that was. I mean, what? BUT, it could all be some grand Fan Xian plan. But maybe that’s what the writer expects us to think.
하데스
January 25, 2020 at 4:26 PM
dark meat…roflmao!
Motivation for the win. Happy you made it to the end. I did 4 eps today. I have 6 more to go. Almost there.
🍙 kimbap noona
January 26, 2020 at 2:46 PM
The drama doesn’t let up with its turns and twists all the way to the end! Enjoy @hades!
gadis
January 23, 2020 at 2:22 AM
This is too funny, I can’t even…
#HiByeMama
parkchuna 🍉
January 23, 2020 at 5:58 AM
do you know why he passed out?
gadis
January 23, 2020 at 7:03 AM
He was called to the police station only to find out that his wife, who has been died for 5 years, suddenly came back alive in front of him.
parkchuna 🍉
January 23, 2020 at 6:40 PM
Ohhh thanks!
gadis
January 22, 2020 at 6:56 PM
Joy of Life final impression
Whew… I made it to the other side fairly intact. Well, my jaw is probably lying on the floor somewhere, but who wouldn\’t be with that kind of cliffhanger?
First of all, I need to take back my words about the Emperor and Chen Pingping being normally dangerous. I\’m sure threatening is an understatement for people who played this kind of long game. Second, I should have known that in this drama, even the jokes are important. Yeah, my fault for being arrogant enough to not listen to a mother\’s words.
Now, the waiting game for the 2nd season begin. I hope they\’ll be able to bring back all the original cast because everyone is doing an awesome job with their respective character. Meanwhile, it\’s time to watch Zhang Ruoyun\’s older dramas, I guess?
Trinity 🍆
January 22, 2020 at 7:10 PM
I finished this last night myself. It was excellent and I’m sad I have to wait for season 2 and 3. I really really hope they get the original cast because they all did an excellent job.
So many twists and turns. I went into this expecting a rebirth/time travel drama and didn’t expect it to have sci-fi elements at all. And all the plots involving the Emperor and Chen Pingping. They are playing a very very long and involved game. And the 2nd prince’s involvement caught me by surprise. I have my theories about who Uncle Wu is (my brother and me were thinking he is an android or something). And we have our theories about the ending (Yan Bing Yun is actually on FX side, and did that to become a double agent). But guess I’ll have a long wait to see!!
gadis
January 22, 2020 at 7:37 PM
That’s one crazy long game by the Emperor and Chen Pingping. Tbh, at the end of this season, I’m more terrified of Chen. At least, the emperor seemed to feel a bit conflicted about using Fan Xian however he likes (I want to believe that him shouting to Fan Xian to just come back safely even if he couldn’t finish his mission is something born of genuine concern), meanwhile Chen and his kind smile send shiver down my spine.
Regarding Yan Bingyun, I’m with you on that. I refused to consider the possibility that he caught Fan Xian off guard. And Fan Xian sleeping the tense night away simply didn’t fit what we knew of him so far. There must be some sort of plan we are not privy to yet between these two. Besides, I kept thinking that Shen Zong stabbing his sister the day before to save her is some kind of foreshadowing for the finale moment.
I didn’t expect the sci-fi element either and some of the viewers’ theories about it are very wild. I love how some fans described Joy of Life as “the aftermath of shoujo sci-fi story gone wrong”, which is ridiculously accurate given how many men seemed enamor with Fan Xian’s mother.
outofthisworld 不愧是我 🏍
January 23, 2020 at 1:21 AM
Uncle Wu has a message for you @trinpie
“I will be back.”
gadis
January 22, 2020 at 2:42 AM
Kyaah!!! Xiao Zhan will come as a guest in variety show Who’s the Murderer. It’s a really happy surprise because I’m a huge fan of both him and the program. I’m anticipating his performance, but also dreading it a bit at the same time because it’s his first time coming there and they assigned him to the last case (a.k.a the closing of the season), which is notorious for being super long, complicated and sometimes downright experimental. Judging from the preview, it seems like the production team does try something new here. Thankfully, the other casts are familiar faces in that show.
Anyway, I’m excited for his reunion with Zhang Ruoyun. And I need to prepare myself for the double smile attack from both him and Wei Chen. I’m too excited to wait for the subbed version. 🤩🤩🤩
🍙 kimbap noona
January 22, 2020 at 4:53 AM
Whoa, just when I am dreading the end of Our Song and wondering when and where we will get more XZ…… Cheers for XZ to murder us all….with his smiles!!
Thanks for making my day, @gadis 😊
gadis
January 22, 2020 at 5:31 AM
Glad to bring you this bit of happy news. 😉
May he murder us all with his bright smiles and laughter.
Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
January 22, 2020 at 8:16 AM
This was filmed months ago lol 😅 I’m glad his episode is finally coming 😁😁😁
Nessa (Bebe) 🌹
January 22, 2020 at 8:24 AM
Xiao Zhan is actually quite logical and methodical in his way of thinking in real life so I’m sure, despite the last case as being notoriously long and complicated, that he will be up for the task 😁😁😁
gadis
January 18, 2020 at 12:15 AM
Pffftt… the second prince snorting in amusement is such a mood. Thank goodness the Emperor’s wry sense of humor remained intact even after handling a series of headache-inducing schemes. I know it’s probably only a prelude of an even more complicated maneuver, but let me have my fill of laughter while I can.
#JoyOfLife
🍙 kimbap noona
January 18, 2020 at 6:42 AM
Just your everyday casual “family meal”!!! 😆
gadis
January 17, 2020 at 9:45 PM
Wan\’er, why is your mother someone like her? At the beginning, I thought the Emperor and Chen Pingping are the dangerous ones. But they are only dangerous in a normal way. She is… not. Her amused laughter still send shivers down my spine.
And to think that I\’ve unquestioningly trusted her spy all along.
Grrrghhh… ノಠ益ಠノ彡┻━┻
#JoyOfLife
🍙 kimbap noona
January 18, 2020 at 6:53 AM
I wish she spend more time to think about how to rework her floating bangs 😅
Her character actually confuses me. I am not sure the end goal for her schemes make sense to me.
gadis
January 18, 2020 at 8:41 AM
She felt like a psycopath to me with all her speech about Fan Xian making things “interesting” for her. Though given that I’m still on eps 41, she still has enough room to change my mind later. I don’t buy her heart-to-heart talk to Wan’er at all and am dreading whatever “surprise” she might arranged for Fan Xian.
Pfftt, I thought I’m the only one bothered by her perfectly floating bang.
gadis
January 17, 2020 at 3:25 PM
The only drawback of this drama is the fact that the more eps I saw, the less scenes I can convert to GIFs for fear of spoilers. Because every little word and gesture matters here.
Thankfully, even in the middle of huge confrontation between 4 or so different sides in which everyone forced Fan Xian to stand in the eye of the storm, we still get this kind of funny convo. I couldn\’t help chuckling at the Emperor\’s nonchalant attitude that perfectly matched Fan Xian\’s indifferent stance.
And it\’s all kind of hilarious that the one person who managed to make Fan Xian flustered was straightforward Consort Shu, the second prince\’s mother who was just as eccentric as her son. No death threat nor deadly challenge unfazed him, and yet he couldn\’t even maintain his poker face in front of this woman\’s frank and quick change of topics.
#JoyOfLife
gadis
January 17, 2020 at 12:43 AM
Am I the only one who can’t help but liking the Second Prince’s quirkiness? He might be taken a liking to Fan Xian’s lack of deference towards any of the authority figures (himself included), but it’s also equally clear that he befriended Fan Xian because it’s advantageous to his reach for power. In the middle of the Capital’s complicated web of intrigues, his frankness about the political struggle he joined in was refreshing. And from Fan Xian’s reaction, I’m sure I’m not the only one who appreciate it.
#JoyOfLife
outofthisworld 不愧是我 🏍
January 17, 2020 at 9:10 AM
Ever since I saw the post which had each character represented by an animal, I can’t unsee that especially for Second Prince. His was the most hilarious.
gadis
January 17, 2020 at 3:10 PM
Oh, what post is this? Can you give me the link? I’m thirsty for more Joy of Life contents right now.
outofthisworld 不愧是我 🏍
January 18, 2020 at 6:05 PM
Sorry @gadis for replying late.
I think the post was on Discord but we yak so much everyday that it’s lost and I can’t find it on search. Can I give you this link instead? https://www.yangtse.com/content/839035.html
See if you can guess who’s who. Join us on discord if you are keen https://discord.gg/mVkwv7
gadis
January 18, 2020 at 9:12 PM
Pfft… that was cutely accurate. I’m always curious about the “husky” comment towards Zhang Ruoyun in his vatiety show appearance. I guess it does look like him 😄
Thanks for the invite. I’ll probably just lurk around when I have time.
gadis
January 17, 2020 at 12:11 AM
The emperor terrified me exactly because of how in control he was of his emotions. He was no short-tempered and impulsive ruler, even when things didn’t go as he planned. And to be honest, his composure couldn’t help but made me think that he was probably the one behind all those unexpected results. He was cunning and manipulative, and it worried me that he seemed fascinated by Fan Xian’s unpredictability.
#JoyOfLife
gadis
January 16, 2020 at 5:47 PM
It’s been quite long since the last time I was this fascinated by a non-gray character. Fan Xian was sharp, kind, just, but also utterly unpredictable. It’s often difficult to comprehend his plan because his mind has already jumped several steps ahead and he acted with motivations that so unheard of in that era. At first, I only pegged it as the result of the modern values he believed in, but I realized that’s not always the case. I’m still not sure if it was because he had been dying once in his previous life that he could be this unfazed when confronted with assassination attempt.
Or probably it’s simply because he was such a troll that he could act like this in a very serious situation. Sometimes, it’s almost like he treated this world and his existence here as something not quite real. And as usual with him, it was both soberingly sad and absurdly funny to come to that realization.
For a guy who only ever wanted to live a simple and happy life, he attracted tons of attention from many different people with much higher standing. It probably started because of the unwanted position the emperor put him in. But each and every choice he took to stop himself from being used as a pawn for power only enamored these people even more. I mean, it takes guts to boldly refuse to kneel in front of imperial decree like this (and the fact that he did that so casually still left me slack-jawed). And those important people must know that Fan Xian was either very stupid or very dangerous to try to \”force\” the Emperor’s hand regarding that matter.
#JoyOfLife
purplefall
January 16, 2020 at 8:17 PM
Good question to raise as there’s an important reason why these higher-up people are going easy on him. If he was someone different than what he is now, he would have been killed eons ago :))
Trinity 🍆
January 16, 2020 at 8:43 PM
I’ve noticed he is very blasé towards the emperor or really any authority. He very rarely bows to anyone, which makes me think it’s because of his modern sensibilities. It certainly makes him a unique and fun character 😆
I’m heading to my moms for the weekend to continue watching this with her and my little brother (we are up to ep 19). We are all quite liking it 😁