bao____haus

while not a perfect show, i think this is one of the only, not only of the xianxia's i've seen, but of cdrama in GENERAL that stuck the landing. there are weaknesses and flaws 1000% and parts are for sure rushed, but on the whole? the show has a compelling story, is very fun to watch, and despite some typical cdrama plots, there is no loss of logic or grand disrespect for the audience's intelligence. basically all chekhovs guns are covered and explained, and it hits you with a real emotional impact. i don't need the wheel reinvented, i just want characters, plot and themes that are reasonable, follow a logic, and show a basic level of consideration from the writers. this show was able to do that.

plot is highly enjoyable! from the minute it starts, it immediately pulls you in with nonstop comedic meta references, hijinks and esther's natural slapstick clownery. she's all i want in a transmigration heroine! stupid, smart and lovable all at once. i've said it before and i'll say it again. yu shuxin can perfectly perform the silly goofy cute girl like no other! the woman has no shame and her natural charisma makes these characters come to life instead of feeling fake and forced. generally, i enjoyed the pacing, it moves quickly from one arc to the next, and i always end up interested and invested in all the background characters and side plots. even if we don't spend too too much time on these side characters, each of them all get a basic level of character depth, so i end up feeling something for most of them (gotta pour one out for my lesbian QUEEN liuniang). however i do feel that the excitement i had for the show drops after miaomiao loses her memories of the real world- one of the main reasons i watch the show is for her character and when she loses her edge it can be a bit of a slog. also towards the end i do think certain plots feel rushed, like the silkworm cocoon dead village arc... that didn't need to happen at the exact same time as ziqi's finding my identity arc and it was a bit jarring to keep going back and forth between two high stakes plots. Basically it was three episodes for two side quests, when each one could've easily taken the entire three episodes.

my only real and true gripe with this show is the wooden bracelet arc. i hate that shit!!!! please!!! no more!!! especially because this show is coming from the same creators as lbfad/canglanjue's i'm expecting better from them. while it WAS really funny at many moments and i truly enjoyed xiao houye's character and found him very lovable, the emotional shit during it was unbearable. the writers never bothered to give ziqi and lmm real conflict, or a real reason for heartbreak, so they had to manufacture something?? it was just ridiculous seeing ziqi be so upset and triggered over lmm being afraid of him when like... we all know she isn't and this is all just fake. why are we making this character go through this because this is not true growth or development?? only fanfic levels hurt/comfort, 'let's manipulate the audience to feel sad.' honestly, it felt insulting and really took me out of the show. the emotional impact of lmm finding zq's confession flower room was great, but i wish it was because they had a real conflict and a real reconciliation, not information reveal that depended entirely on cuicui being in the right place at the right time. other than this arc however, and maybe a couple other small things i cant even remember, i was very happy with the plot writing.

i'm so sorry so many other viewers hated the ending, because i really, truly loved it. starting with the in-game ending, i thought the plot was genuinely nicely written. nothing actually came out of nowhere. it was all integrated from the beginning of the story, and the twists (yuannu is ziqi's mom, yuannu is in muyao this whole time, etc.) were compelling and well set up- not random and illogical twists for the sake of twists. i LOVED the moment that lmm refused to accept the original ending of zq sacrificing himself for everyone, and forced the system to give them another chance to write a happy ending. LOVE IT!!! i am so fucking sick of cdrama self sacrifice you die i die, we take turns dying for each other bullshit. i hate that!! i refuse to accept that self sacrifice is the highest, greatest form of love and i far prefer yyxh's self love message. yyxh actively creates a narrative that offers commentary on typical xianxia/xuanhuan storylines and rejects them, in fact even criticizes them by saying it's the worldview of a middle schooler LMAO. to sacrifice yourself without telling anyone, trusting anyone, and offering them a chance to help you or work together with you, is not an act of love, it should not be an acceptable ending. while i have at times found the phrase, 'how the hell can you love someone else if you can't love yourself' to be debatable and corny, it is also true!!! how can you love others, trust others, respect others, if you can't give them the opportunity to support you? if you dont care for yourself first, how can you show up for others? that's why zq only finally reaches 100% favorability with lmm when he has accepted himself, and shown himself love and care. and despite criticizing these narratives, yyxh is also incredibly KIND. when the writer of this specific story was revealed to be a suicidal, lonely, disabled middle schooler whose only escape was fiction?? it got me. like, of course this child wrote himself as ziqi- powerful, brave and cool, but also a loner who hates the world and all people in it, fundamentally a misfit and outsider. like, it made me feel so much emotion knowing that this was a depressed child's self insert, and made me think of myself as a child- hating everyone around me and the world, escaping into anime and manga or whatever to imagine a better, cooler, powerful me. and how great is it, to offer that child kindness, to SEE the little, lost and lonely mind that made this story, to love and accept him, and yet simultaneously, refuse to validate that worldview. my friend put it really well, 'it represents middle school fantasies without repeating or reaffirming them.' it analyzes why people have that view with understanding and moves past it, it says, that's not true, this world is also filled with beauty and kindness, we should love and trust one another. you should love yourself. how powerful was it that ziqi's final wish in surgery, was to survive!! he chose to live and fight for his own life, when like, every xianxia tells us, the greatest thing you can do is die for others. and of course, while watching the show, at many moments i became extremely aware i was watching something made for teenagers, or thought something like, 'wow if i was in middle school i would be losing my mind,' so it is also validating to see them say, actually yes, this IS for middle schoolers, but the foresight and analysis to heal your inner child is something only an adult can reach through time spent living life. i think it's also something that i can only truly appreciate as an adult.

i genuinely enjoyed seeing everything lock into place, all of the significant elements of reality- the swing set, the apple, the pen, etc. etc. all be explained in the show. and of course, that lmm was zq's original inspiration, not just as a muse in his work, but inspiring bravery and courage in him to live! i've seen plenty of transmigration/time travel shows at this point, and they always start getting lost at some point and don't seem to know how to end it or bring it back to reality. this one really went against the grain, provided full meta-analysis of the genre AND the author, and so successfully brought me to reality, to the point where i became more invested in the real world than the game one. really wonderful ending imo, also ending on the dedication about the importance of self love and the implication of his real life re-meeting with lmm was great!! i don't need them to remember or see them meet. the emotional development and arc has been completed! i care about their relationship but i'm not here for shipping candy so the fact that they never kissed? honestly? slay. the ending delivered on subversion, themes, meta analysis, character depth, inner child healing which is just adult healing, AND romance!!!

ok so i loved the ending, but i also have to talk about the characters. i think ziqi is chefs kiss* 10/10, no notes. well written and multi layered, lovable whether as a fictional character, or as the author who created his fictional self and the world we see. ding yuxi is an actor who i find does good/bad depending on the role/project/director, and i think this role is a great comfort zone for him where he shines. he's also an example of really good 'idol acting,' - the ability to move your face minimally to preserve idol perfection, while simultaneously expressing the emotion in a satisfactory way LOLL i think unfortunately, miaomiao isn't as well written. i wish she got a bit more depth and we got to see how this experience also changed her real world life for the better, maybe gave her the courage to stand up to her boss? call her mom even? idk. she had a character arc in the first part of the series, accepting her father's death after being able to meet him again etc. at a certain point though, she seems mainly relegated to helping ziqi's journey. but also.... if we see the story from the perspective that it was written by ziqi and a reflection of his worldview and innermost feelings AS A CHILD then like, of course it is no longer her story. he's the protagonist, she's a girl he has a crush on. to him she IS the symbolic sunshine who gave him strength and helped him believe in himself, and therefore, maybe more of a flat character.... because he doesn't even know her.

but i still appreciate what we are given of miaomiao. she started out not caring about the world, seeing everyone around her as an npc, to being willing to give up reality for them. this reflects what it's like to be a reader!! you start out not caring about the characters and the world, and over time, the characters become real to you, you start to root for them, wanting them to win, to be safe, to be happy! i think in this specific story, her as the reader to ziqi's writer is very special- they were able to change the ending together! the reader's participation in interpreting the story from their perspective is also an important part of the experience of consuming media. i wish they went even further, and Showed how much he inspired her and affected her life through his writing, instead of just Telling us how important he was to her. Even just idk, scenes of her being depressed after her dad died and finding solace in his books? so yeah i have my gripes about it, but ultimately i'm not that mad.

mu yao is also a character with a lot of potential, and i think they did a pretty good job with her! she has a lot going on, and some real depth, i just wish they stuck the landing because i thought the point of her character was learning not to be purely self reliant and self sacrificing... in fact it's the point of the show! but she still did it at the end and went to the tower by herself. as for liu fuyi...... bro has almost nothing going on. i thought his plot was so shoehorned in at the end, like they tried? i guess? not really? this character type never interests me unless they do FULL subversion like for ex. changheng in clj or shaodian youqin in starry love. he was just kind of there. ultimately, the only truly fleshed out character in the main cast is ziqi and everyone else is passable...

all in all!! it's a great show! fun, fast paced, engaging plot, clear and important, powerful themes, especially for the genre, and a very lovable leading characters. i truly think this show is special, even though it has some scattered downsides. well worth a watch, and a great update on the transmigration narrative!!