antiherodiaries

It is very unfortunate that it makes these kinds of polls inauthentic at times. Though it is fun and exciting to see your favorite rise to top, it is much better to see them rise up due to organic and genuine love of thier work and character, and not just for to be number one for number one sake.

Lol. No one said anything bad about Yangzi. Stating an observation about fandom culture and reciting someone's lived experience as a Yangzi fan is not being disrespectful. Putting words in our mouths because you misunderstood our conversation by skimming and glossing over our talking points—now that's being disrespectful.

Whao...chill. You have mistaken my observation. I am merely reciting an observation about the power of influence, to which, Yangzi has an incredible amount of, and to which, her fan club follows to a T.

There is a strong cause and effect going one here in this CP voting phenomenon. As someone who works in marketing, I find it absolutely facinating. Yangzi nonchalantly remarks that she will pick Feng Long, and in this poll, you can see the power of that statement manifesting.

And her fandom is not the only one, by all means, idol celebrity culture benefits of this kind of parasocial relationship.

And for the record, I am not a YaoJing fan. Heck I'm barely a YaoLiu fan. I am and will always belong to Xiang Liu nation.

It looks like the poll is has changed drastically , all the new and or upcoming CPs has risen to the top. ShenLi being miles ahead! YaoLiu fallen of the top five.

Yes, Yangzi's camp is very single-minded, which I think is a silver lining in disguise. The poll is proving the extent to which Yangzi's camp will organize for her, so if Yaojing was the official CP, that means its popularity in season one was NOT organic! Whereas the results for the other CP were more organic and thus more authentic, resulting in YaoLiu technically being the more AUTHENTICALLY favored pairing overall.

YaoLong is a cute pairing, but because of Yangzi's interview, the results are now pushing him to the top, which is making his results weird and ironically, inauthentic.

In the rules of online engagement, the quality of it determines the value of click-throughs, unearned media, and return on investments. But for some reason, in dramaland and idol celebrity culture, even unauthentic engagement somehow generates investments, and I think it has to do with the strong single-minded mindset found in fandoms.

😆😂 Congratulations to YaoLiu and YaoLong! 🤭

As we wait or season 2, here's a little trivia:

Affecting 72% of Weibo survey takers, YaoLiu is the most popular CP that affected people's heartstrings! 🥹😍🤧🤭😭 Source shared via Susu: https://x.com/tlmssusu/status/1788203163306348648?s=46

XY already loved XL the moment she set eyes on him. The only thing that kept her from pursuing him is the fact that she's always in survival mode. FFB's personality is who XL really is, while XL's personality is who he is with his armor as the general of Shennong.

XY was drawn to Jing out of pity and fear of letting XL into her dreams. Like Tian'er, she was going to fake it until she made it...plus she needed to string Jing along to help CX. *Barf* Didn't you hear the fake-ass voice she had on when she told him she wanted to kiss him? There's a BTS out there somewhere where you can hear the director telling Yangzi to approach the scene from a perspective of pitying Jing for having such low self-esteem, trying to appease him.

The lover's bugs were the ultimate plot device for a love confession. The FACT that it planted successfully proves that she was already IN LOVE with XL. So you are correct, it was definitely wrong of her to confess her love to someone she only pitied when she was already in love with another man. 🥴😆

The only real loser in the drama is Jing, the doormat.

XL is often refer to as the willow because 柳 is the willow tree.

It's great relief that this whole time we weren't the crazy ones. haha.

Affecting 72% of Weibo survey takers, YaoLiu is the most popular CP that affected people's heartstrings! 🥹😍🤧🤭😭 Source shared via Susu: https://x.com/tlmssusu/status/1788203163306348648?s=46

Here's how I have understood them simply by these three distinct features:

Wuxia: Always involves the Jianghu (Martial world). Pure examples would be Condor Heroes franchise, Hero, and most recently Mysterious Lotus Casebook. Would you believe that Winner is King is considered steam punk wuxia! 😭 You have no idea how much I want to see this visualized!

Xianxia: Involves the three realms and multiple life cycles imbued with Taoist philosophy, including demons, deities, and humans. Legend of White Snake, Immortal Samsura, Ashes of Love, and Till the End of the Moon are classic examples.

Xuanhuan: Could be either one of the above or a combination of two above with a strong emphasis on cultivation, and a journey to achieve self-awareness and enlightenment while pursuing a common goal such as revenge or saving the world. Ever Night, Fight Break Sphere, The Untamed, Snow Eagle Lord, and Douluo Continent are examples.

So you see, LYF sits right in between Xianxia and Xuanhuan. It has all the gods, humans, and deities, but it's missing the three realms and the Taoist philosophies. It has the journey of XY trying to find a lifelong companion and CX gaining the throne, but it's missing the cultivation to achieve self-awareness and enlightenment.

In my biased opinion, her true love was Xiang Liu. He was her sea, where she found comfort and relieved her stress, a place she truly enjoyed swimming. But like the sea, he was unpredictable. She had a deep filial love for Cang Xuan, and if he hadn't used her for power, he actually would have been the one to keep her. Tushan Jing was her rebound, the one she could control her feelings for; she could stop loving him if she willed it and never felt like she was on the losing end.

I see... MDL categories are not very reliable. I saw the marketing for LYF, and if I recall correctly, it was like this:

CX = Childhood Love
TSJ = Boyfriend
XL = Lover
FL = Fiancée

LYF is neither quite Xianxia nor Xuanhuan. It has elements of both, but lacks important aspects. Some people think it's more Xuanhuan, but I believe it's more Xianxia. It is definitely NOT wuxia as there are no dealings in the Jianghu.

It's interesting that you think the storyline picks up after she becomes a princess. I believe it picks up when Xiang Liu enters the picture. The Qingshui arc is the most interesting because the setup was great; I wanted to see her grow and overcome her difficulties. Once she became a princess, she was like a caged bird, handicapped by her status and lack of ambition, and crippled by her need for companionship.

As a reverse harem melodrama, it's not that bad, and it also had a little slice of life in it.

It wasn't really promoted as a magical adventure or anything. I remember it was very straightforward about who she would pick, etc.

Basically, people who are drawn to the story are drawn to the characters and not the storyline. I myself think the storyline is rather dull. It could've been better. As far as characters go, it does have some really interesting ones, especially Xiang Liu.

I think it's an interesting aspect of the story that Tong Hua did craft a narrative that challenges readers to reconsider what a male lead represents in reverse harem stories. Is it the one who has the most words dedicated to him? Or is it the one whose story changes the tides of history? I have always believed that Xiang Liu is male lead-coded on purpose.

I said what I said, but I never rejected TH's views. I am merely counter-arguing your consistent need to shut people down and downplay others' interpretations by citing TH's interview as if it's some kind of bible. So don't put words in my mouth. Artists' and writers' opinions of their work change over time, and so does the work itself as it becomes popular culture, so it really is just ONE perception stamped in the timeline.

I've read her interviews and have seen random Weibo archives here and there, but I wouldn't use it to Iimit mine or anyone's else interpretation of the work itself. There are multiple ways to see, different ways to interpret, and sometimes an intended message are lost in translation and often will have unintentional audience reception. So yes, it is quite annoying to see her interview used to shut down someone else's experience with her work.

Have you ever written a screenplay, and have you ever read a well-written screenplay?

I can tell you straight up that LYF is NOT hard to adapt. If LYF is as hard to adapt as she said it was, then it is a REFLECTION of her lack of skills as a screenwriter and not the fault of the source material. If LYF is considered hard to adapt, how do you explain adaptations like Ashes of Time (an incredibly loose adaptation of characters from Condor Heroes yet effectively portrays the stories of these heroes and villains) or even stories like Inception or Matrix, where there are multiple realities? Stories with multiple perceptions, experimental storytelling, or those threading a common theme over generations like The Three-Body Problem or The Hours are hard to adapt, but were done exceptionally well.

So, in comparing screenplays, LYF is a walk in the park. The only reason TH would find it hard to adapt is because she is considered a rookie in screenwriting, and visual storytelling is not her strength—plus she was tasked with trying to emphasize CX and TSJ's roles by deemphasizing XL's role while make XY come across as a courageous lost princess and eliminating her psychological issues. If I was the screenwriter and I was asked to do this, yeah it would be effing hard.

But the source material, the original storyline, not hard at all.

Upon Xiao Yao's introduction, she grapples with deep-seated abandonment issues, an ever-present fear of loneliness, and moments of apparent cowardice. While she yearns for human connection, her dread of being forsaken leads her to settle for relationships where her presence is deemed necessary. This ensures she won't easily be left behind. However, in her more unguarded moments, we witness a transformed Xiao Yao - one characterized by courage and compassion. Her interactions with townsfolk and her adopted human family reveal her kind-hearted nature, exemplified by her determination to aid ailing soldiers.

Curiously, as she assumes her role as a princess, her world inexplicably narrows, with her interactions turning inward. She embarks on a life far removed from the spirited adventures she could have enjoyed as the unruly Wen Xiaoliu, now resembling a diluted version of a palace-bound princess.

In my view, for Xiao Yao (XY) to undergo genuine growth, she must confront the fact that her current self is shaped by her past hardships. It's crucial for her to acknowledge that her desirability and self-worth exist independently of romantic relationships, and that life continues to evolve. However, XY doesn't quite reach the point of becoming empowered as this woman. Her mentor and lover (I say lover because one INDEED can have an emotional/psychological love affair), XL, has even reproached her for her inability to guard her heart. Despite numerous years of training under XL's guidance and being privy to his confidence, XY remains a dreamer rather than a creator of her own dreams. It's as if she takes one step forward with XL, only to backtrack two steps when he's absent.

Tu Shan Jing (TSJ) enters the narrative as a man who has lost it all - his status, pride, and dignity. Tong Hua originally presented him as a child prodigy, a shrewd businessman, and a man deeply connected to the arts. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that TSJ's decision-making is primarily driven by his emotions, a trait that has far-reaching consequences on both those around him and his own well-being. Regrettably, TSJ never manages to transcend this emotional impulse, as evidenced by the numerous instances in which he's outwitted and betrayed by individuals he held dear. His core thinking remains unchanged, and as a result, he fails to develop resilience against his ingrained habits.

Intentionally or not, Tong Hua has established a codependent relationship between Xiao Yao and Tu Shan Jing, which consistently impedes their individual growth throughout the story. This emotional reliance between the two characters is woven into the narrative, making it evident that their paths are like an English vine choking a tree. Their dependence on each other, while initially portrayed as a source of comfort and support, ultimately becomes a hindrance to their personal development.

Xiao Yao finds an emotional cushion in TSJ, relying on him for support, while he, in turn, seeks validation of his existence and manhood from her. Perhaps, in the author's intention, this codependency serves as a catalyst for their consistent union over and over, suggesting that they may indeed deserve each other due to their shared struggles and the understanding they offer one another, even if it comes at the cost of individual growth and independence.

So instead of an empowered couple on equal standing, lifting each other up to be the best version of each other, we end up with a couple hampered with generational trauma. They both end up in each other's arms, one emotionally crippled, the other physically disabled, relying on each other for companionship and validation, happily ever after.

While we wait for second season, here is my two cents about XY's codependency. Proceed with caution. 👇👇