antiherodiaries

You have to use Chatgpt to clean up her grammar to understand what she's trying to say. But yes definitely a word salad 🥙🥗

You are so real right now. 🤭😅🤣

This is the reason why Xiang Liu is so beloved. Becuase he forgo all worldly desires to fulfill the duties of his adopted father, and all the soldiers (past and present) wishes to fight for thier country, all the while, honoring his blood oath to XY by loving her wholeheartedly through laying plans for her to achieve her dream and live peacefully. This is our last image of XL.

Do you know why Xiao Yao's flaws overshadow her achievements? It is because her achievements didn't change her world or her perspective. They didn't alter the way she wanted to live, her outlook on life, or the course of her life. Her fears and codependent needs dictated the course of her life.

Because her achievements didn't change these aspects, they didn't leave a lasting impact on audiences. For example, if you want Xiao Yao's medical achievements to be the forefront of her lasting legacy, then you need to write them in a way that truly changes the course of time. And because it is a fantasy, the changes need to be fantastical. For example, as the war raged on, other than her wedding and possible happy ending with Jing, did she ever think about the countless soldiers Cang Xuan sent to their deaths? Did she think about the refugees needing food and medical care? Did she ever wonder if Xiang Liu or his men had enough to eat? Did she even imagine venturing out into the warzone to save as many lives as she could? No, because Xiao Yao is not that kind of person. Her kindness only extends to what benefits her and her family. She gives no care about anyone else but her and her immediate needs and the needs of her family.

A true protagonist that you want people to remember would forgo her selfish needs and set up shop in the heart of the warzone to treat soldiers, despite her status as the Xiyan princess. She would treat anyone regardless of their political affiliations. Her love for the people would change the tide of Da Huang, not Cang Xuan's reign of absolute power and total destruction of the resistance army, and the demise of Xiang Liu. Now if this were the case, Xiao Yao would be revered for her courage, her resilience, and her medical achievements.

Do you also know why Xiao Yao's character cannot be analyzed independently of her male leads? It is because Xiao Yao has made finding a lifelong partner her whole mission and personality. So the requirements of that partner and the partner she ultimately chooses reflect who she is as a person. Who does she end up with? None other than Jing, who by the time they marry is a weak, near-death person who abandons his adopted son to roam the world with her. Her partner's only reason for living is her; he has no other reason for existing and physically depends on her medical expertise to keep him alive. This is our last image of Xiao Yao.

Which female protagonist is more powerful? The woman whose love for her people changes the hearts of the men around her, or the woman who runs away with her weak, near-death husband, abandoning his only son?

hahaha were are only her when XL is around.

Lol. Just because Xiao Yao's character setup is based on that, it doesn't make her a saint. She's not Mary, Mother of God. Funny you should mention slander, because all I see in the paragraph about Xiang Liu is slander. You need to put your money where your mouth is.

Tong Hua's target audience is herself. She is a writer, and most writers or any artists, as a matter of fact, create art from their hearts. Her work just happens to speak to women of all demographics (I myself am a happily married woman with three beautiful children, and I cannot relate to Xiao Yao's choices in life).

No artist sets out to say, "I am going to write a Xianxia novel targeted at emotionally crippled women who seek love consistently and validation from men at the cost of their mental health, dignity, and reputation." And why would you praise such a circumstance where women need protection from men? Women only need protection from other men! If men were taught better and raised better, women wouldn't need protection. Women all over the world have been choosing the bear in the woods over a man in the woods for this reason. You, as a woman, need to think better and do better. Shame on you for encouraging such a backward mindset without considering the institutions that oppress womanhood.

Xiao Yao projecting her worldview on the men in her life, hoping to mold them into her perfect vision, is unhealthy and downright disrespectful of her as a character. It shows how narrow-minded her character is and the extent of her selfishness. If this is the case, the men in her life deserve better than her.

Kokuto and Headintheclouds already have great comments about your twisted, misconstrued, and falsified narrative of Xiang Liu. Do you think we are so inept that we wouldn't know how Tong Hua wrote his story? How dare you think we are so ignorant that we wouldn't see through your defamation?

I don't have any counter for Jing because I don't care for his character. He was always a scumbag in my book.

If I am not permitted to analyze Xiao Yao and her character, and her choices that lead to terrible character development and how her lack of or poor decisions lead to the fall and demise of the men in her life, then why write about her at all? Why spend millions of dollars to make a drama about this? If her character is not meant to be a flawed anti-heroine, then why did Tong Hua write her in such a way that makes her character debatable? As with any imperfect character, there will be discussions, criticism, and analysis. Take away these elements, and you just have a flat, boring, and stupid character. It's an insult to Tong Hua to suggest otherwise. Please make it make sense.

P.S. I deserve to watch and read whatever the eff I want. Thank you, come again.

Just do it! Don't be like XY, instead, have the courage to love XL through it all. Be the woman she couldn't be for him. 🤣😂😅

I'm getting sentimental over Xiang Liu and preparing my heart. Here's a poem for him.

The willow towers on a mound of flesh
drenched in battle, crimson-gore.

His shimmering silver strands of longing dances, stretching for miles.

Each strand searching for a slice of solace in the wind, uncontrollably.

A red thread ties his heart to the present, a gift from the heavens.

His beloved drowns in a jar of wine, hoping to wash away his reflection from her eyes.

While he faces the cries of a thousand soldiers, she cries unable to hold onto him.

As the flames of war rage, she throws her body at another, smoldering her longing.

flesh on flesh

His body seeps into Mother Earth's bosom, long perished.

Her heart seeks his presence upon ocean pearls, among the Siren songs.

The willow sleeps upon a mound of black ash, drenched in the poisons of love.

Thank you. It's a tough world out there. Lol. People believe what they want to believe. For example, I believe:
1. XY fell in love with XL at first sight despite her fear of him. And again at first sight of FFB.
2. XY only have eyes for XL/FBB as his reflection is the only one that is reflected from it. He is and was the apple of her eyes, her soul mate.
3. XY love XY helplessly. It was never unrequited love. The Lover's Bugs is all the proof you need.
4. XY is a prisoner to her abandonment issues and she never truly outgrows this.
5. It took XL death for her to let go of her past....not her marriage to Jing, not even her reconciliation with her mother and father. BUT XL's DEATH!
6. Her choice to live and travel the ocean is her way to make up for lost times with XL. (¬‿¬).
7. Jing is a cunning sly fox...and since his whole existence and personality is XY, he will do whatever it takes to keep her.
8. I also believed without CX, FL and XL, Jing wouldn't have been able to be XY. Each men decisions and actions paved the way for Jing to meet XY's idea of a perfect companion.
9. XY idea of a companion is unhealthy and and though I understand why her ending is this way, I just can't wrap my heart around it.
10. No one put XY first, not even Jing. And people can argue with me all they want. Jing still put his duties before her for a century. But people are quick to use XL's duties as excuse to invalidate XY love for him.
11. Aside form gaining the abilities to protect herself, everything XY learned (heart melting, companionship, living life, enjoying small things, making the first step, having compassion, forgiving) stemmed from her interactions and conversations and time with XL. She gave all that she learned to other people especially Jing, so people are quick to give him credit for "saving" XY. Heck even XY gave Jing credit....but dude was asleep for 37 years...(¬‿¬) and when XY wasn't spitting blood, drunk, or trying break his marriage, she was just making out with Jing. She even compared him to her mom.
Lol...I have so much more but...it's getting long. 😂

In exploring the protagonist of "Lost You Forever," Xiao Yao finds herself at a crossroads, torn between choosing to love and the one she can't help but love hopelessly.

In modern times, people often equate choosing to love with being in love. The prevailing notion is that marriage signifies the union of two individuals. Yet, not long ago, women married for socioeconomic security, and marriage traditionally meant the union of two families. In the world of Dahuang, where bloodlines and loyalty reign supreme, love is reserved for the most privileged. Ironically, Xiao Yao, who is a princess, is privileged to love anyone except the one she truly desires.

Navigating the ideologies of love leads one to question the very essence of marriage and commitment. Is there a difference between "willing to marry" someone and the person you "desire to stay with for eternity"? While romantics would equate the two as the same, marriage technically involves customs, while the latter question signifies a profound desire that one would forgo all wedding traditions just to be with. So why can't Xiao Yao answer whom she would elope and run away with for eternity?

She once said one is willing but not capable (Jing), and the other capable but not willing (XL). Upon XL's probing, Xiao Yao answers to "willing to marry" Jing, which ironically is a reflection of his incapabilities, while her desires mirror the lack of willingness of XL's capabilities. Does this mean she is willing to marry Jing but is incapable of truly desiring him? She is willing to marry him, but she wouldn't dare elope with him? If she truly desires him, why can't she answer the question?

In our quest for answers, we continue to delve into Xiang Liu's probing inquiries into XY's desires. When he questions her willingness to marry Jing, she impulsively responds with a "yes." However, when he delves deeper into the person she wishes to spend her whole life with, she instead clutches her head in pain. Even Xiang Liu, with his profound spiritual powers, couldn't extract a straightforward answer. Consequently, he chooses a path of cruelty, sending her excruciating pain via the Lover's Bugs, avoiding entering her dreams in an attempt to shield her from an agonizing decision.

The assumed love that Xiao Yao has developed for Tushan Jing has always stemmed from pity and her sense of control and security. It never seemed to have stemmed from true love. Upon scrutinizing it multiple times, no passage explicitly describes Xiao Yao's hopelessly falling in love with Tushan Jing. Instead, the depth of her emotions stems from the oath she took in the Dragon Bone Prison, securing his affections to aid her beloved cousin, Cang Xuan, to the throne.

Further implicating her feelings, she somehow finds Tushan Jing's inability to live without her astonishingly romantic. His incapabilities become a lever for XY to hold onto because she has complete control over her feelings, and it further meets her requirements of someone who could never abandon her.

When my own mother asked me why I wanted to marry my husband at 18, I said it was because I loved him and we wanted to go to college together, grow together. Xiao Yao's own answer to her mother was that TSJ is the one who wouldn't abandon her. In my answer, there is an untold understanding that we wouldn't abandon each other, that we should stick together through thick and thin. Yet in Xiao Yao's answer, there is no "I" in the equation, only the result of the union: she wouldn't be abandoned.

In both XY's and my answer, there is a looming uncertainty because the future is unpredictable, and life is full of surprises. So why wouldn't she just say she loved him, like how I simply declared my love? Both of our answers have a level of naivety; I was sure I loved him and that we wouldn't abandon each other, while with XY, she was sure he loved her so he wouldn't abandon her. Both of our answers show our lack of understanding of what the future holds, but in XY's answer, I am unsure and bewildered by how much she truly loved Jing in return. In my pessimistic view, with Tushan Jing's track record of broken promises and illnesses, who is to say he will outlive Xiao Yao's abandonment issues?

For a girl who had hoped for nothing, Xiao Yao becomes unable to guard her own heart and falls ill with lovesickness. According to Cang Xuan's inner thoughts, it would seem that Xiao Yao's lovesickness is due to her turmoil with Jing. However, further reading reveals that Xiao Yao's lovesickness is complicated and layered, appearing more profound than it initially seems. As the narrative unfolds, Xiao Yao's dreams become a canvas of her subconscious desires and fears. Tong Hua delves into two dreams of Xiao Yao that correlate to Xiang Liu, providing glimpses into her emotions.

One is of her genuine happiness picking up ocean stars while sleeping soundlessly in his clam. This dream happens on their second date in the ocean, where after tiring herself out, she falls asleep on the waves. XL's Cinderella carries her to the shell to let her rest, while he stands guard and watches over her. Like all the years parading as FFB, he would let her nap at dance halls and casino lounges.

The other dream: "[Xiao Yao] saw Jing with his son, but she couldn't see his son's face. Only that he curled in his dad's arms and called him sweetly 'Daddy,' while Jing smiled back. Xiao Yao ran away as fast as she could. In a second, she ran from Qing Qiu to Qing Shui Town. Xiao Yao jumped into the river and swam towards the vast blue ocean. She could see endless horizons and the joy of swimming freely, but she was so tired. Where could she go in this entire world? Fang Feng Bei appeared on the surface, sitting on an all-white clamshell, smiling at her with his black hair flying in the breeze. Xiao Yao swam towards him, but in a second, his hair turned all white, and he became Xiang Liu, coldly staring at her. The white clamshell, all-white Xiang Liu; it was like an ice mountain floating on the ocean surface. The black-haired him, the white-haired him, closer and further away... Xiao Yao suddenly turned and swam towards land. As she swam, her tears tumbled down like rain. Xiao Yao startled awake from her dream, feeling coldness next to her. She touched her face and discovered that she was drenched in tears."

Xiao Yao's journey further involves her interaction with Xiang Liu. She once turned down an air kiss from him, citing her princess status as the reason. However, she later admitted that it was because of Jing's oath, which forbade her from accepting Xiang Liu's advances. This oath, born out of pessimism and the assurance that she couldn't be swayed, sets the precedent for Xiang Liu's resolve to push her away, ultimately resulting in her lovesickness.

Xiao Yao's characterization emerges as a complex interplay of being a coward of the heart, a prisoner to her dreams of a peaceful life, and a slave to her fears of abandonment. Her codependency limits her abilities to grow, and she yearns for a situationship that ensures her sense of control, comfort, and security.

In the end, Xiao Yao's decision to marry Tushan Jing is not without its nuances. She doesn't hesitate when asked by XL if she wanted to marry Jing—not because he is the person she has chosen to love, but rather because he's the only one who can afford to meet her requirements. With the sacrifices of Cang Xuan and Xiang Liu, Tushan Jing is able to give up his status for her. Xiao Yao can't help but love Xiang Liu hopelessly and would forgo any customs to be with him if she could. Unfortunately, Xiao Yao and her psychopathic deficiencies don't let her choose; they make the decision for her.

As we wait for the July 8 premiere, here's some food for thought. 👇👇👇

we have a thread! please share when you do! 🔥

I am not holding onto much. I plan to watch the episodes with Xiang Liu and dropping it the moment he dies. Hahaha...the changes takes away the integrity of the novel.

I disagree. Xiao Yao ended up in the exact same character set up as she did when you meet her in Qingshui Town. The only difference is that her environment changes a bit. Her development was minimal at the least, but I wouldn't call it phenomenal.

Shen Yurong is not a grey character. In my opinion, he is a complex villain. Grey characters are known as antiheroes and antivillains. What's the difference? Antiheroes are heroes with some villainous traits, like Duke Su. Antivillains are villains with some heroic traits—the best example would be Magneto from Marvel's X-Men. There are no antivillains in The Double. Shen Yurong has no heroic traits; he doesn't deserve to be categorized as an antivillain. (¬‿¬) Shen Yurong is nothing but an unredeemed villain with a little bit of conscience, he deserved to be belittled by Jiang Li.

lol. Have you never played beer pong or Truth and Dare? These are just some western drinking games.

Why would you feel bad for him? He betrayed his loving wife, the one who, despite his poverty, helped him get where he is. He is nothing; there isn't anything worth praising or sympathizing with. He deserves whatever karma is coming to him. Whatever he is feeling, it better be the fear of losing everything Ah Li helped build for him. Any "protective" feelings he has later on is the least he could do for her.

Me too! 😍🪭

Chinese dramas or any dramas outside of the Western Hemisphere don't need to build historical context to cater to their audiences. You are complaining about a non-issue. Many C-drama viewers have always accepted the fan as a weapon of choice for suave heroes and anti-heroes, regardless of genre.

Duke Su 🪭! where were you when I was suffering and unable to move on because of a certain character (🐍❄️)? 😍🥰🥹🤭