#659, Bashō
Jun. 8th, 2025 09:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
runpunkrundon't be like me
even though we're like the melon
split in two
-1690
Translation by Jane Reichhold.
( 俳句 )
even though we're like the melon
split in two
-1690
Translation by Jane Reichhold.
( 俳句 )
Recently watched (not Cdramas)
Jun. 5th, 2025 08:44 pmsakana17This week I watched Dept. Q (2025) on Netflix. Set in Edinburgh, it stars Matthew Goode as a detective who is assigned to a newly formed cold case unit.
Matthew Goode's character falls into the "brilliant asshole" type of detective, which I'm bored with, but Goode played it well and there were signs that he cares a little beneath his assholish exterior. I liked the rest of the team: Rose, Hardy, but especially Akram. I loved Akram!
Good to see Mark Bonnar again. :D
Mystery-wise? Meh. I think I'm too jaded. I had the whodunnit figured out early and could guess at why they did it, despite some major details kept until the final reveals. I'm always bothered by elaborate revenge schemes that involve sizable infrastructure and investment, and though the show leaned heavily into the disturbing atmosphere of it, I could never shake my feeling of "oh puhlease." At least there was some explanation for how they happened to have such things lying around, but I kept wondering about their electricity bills... But the thing that bugged me the most was that it took 4 years for Merritt to figure it out. Really? When she had literally nothing else to do?
Mehness about the mystery aside... I'd watch another season of it should there be one. Mainly for Akram. But also because I'm curious about the unsolved shooting that is probably going to lead to a major corruption scandal because these things usually do. And it was fun to see Edinburgh.
For something completely different in tone, I started watching the Japanese series Inheritance Detective | 相続探偵 (2025), also on Netflix, because it stars Akaso Eiji, who played Adachi in Cherry Magic. I've only watched one episode so far but I enjoyed it enough to keep watching. It has the adapted-from-a-manga style and feel, but I'm kind of used to that by now.
After a groupwatch of it, I'm rewatching the Korean BL Love Tractor | 트랙터는 사랑을 싣고 (2023). It's short (8 episodes of ~25 minutes each) and sweet, with humor and the right amount of seriousness. Great for escapist distraction.
New promo pics are out for upcoming The Truth 3 Bai Yu costumes. (Don't ask me. But compare it to Liu Yuning's look for the same case.) (IDEK) I feel like this season the show figured out half of the fun for the audience is seeing them dressed up in outlandish costumes and decided to run with it. (I don't think anything will top the pirate look, though.)
It was pretty good. (Spoilers)
It's based on a novel series and felt like it, not necessarily in a bad way. It had a bit more graphic violence & gore than I wanted to see, and a major part of the mystery they're investigating is highly disturbing, especially if you have claustrophobia.Matthew Goode's character falls into the "brilliant asshole" type of detective, which I'm bored with, but Goode played it well and there were signs that he cares a little beneath his assholish exterior. I liked the rest of the team: Rose, Hardy, but especially Akram. I loved Akram!
Good to see Mark Bonnar again. :D
Mystery-wise? Meh. I think I'm too jaded. I had the whodunnit figured out early and could guess at why they did it, despite some major details kept until the final reveals. I'm always bothered by elaborate revenge schemes that involve sizable infrastructure and investment, and though the show leaned heavily into the disturbing atmosphere of it, I could never shake my feeling of "oh puhlease." At least there was some explanation for how they happened to have such things lying around, but I kept wondering about their electricity bills... But the thing that bugged me the most was that it took 4 years for Merritt to figure it out. Really? When she had literally nothing else to do?
Mehness about the mystery aside... I'd watch another season of it should there be one. Mainly for Akram. But also because I'm curious about the unsolved shooting that is probably going to lead to a major corruption scandal because these things usually do. And it was fun to see Edinburgh.
For something completely different in tone, I started watching the Japanese series Inheritance Detective | 相続探偵 (2025), also on Netflix, because it stars Akaso Eiji, who played Adachi in Cherry Magic. I've only watched one episode so far but I enjoyed it enough to keep watching. It has the adapted-from-a-manga style and feel, but I'm kind of used to that by now.
After a groupwatch of it, I'm rewatching the Korean BL Love Tractor | 트랙터는 사랑을 싣고 (2023). It's short (8 episodes of ~25 minutes each) and sweet, with humor and the right amount of seriousness. Great for escapist distraction.
New promo pics are out for upcoming The Truth 3 Bai Yu costumes. (Don't ask me. But compare it to Liu Yuning's look for the same case.) (IDEK) I feel like this season the show figured out half of the fun for the audience is seeing them dressed up in outlandish costumes and decided to run with it. (I don't think anything will top the pirate look, though.)
Every picture tells a story, don't it?
Jun. 4th, 2025 09:25 pmgwynUgh, there's nothing like having to get a new roof on your house. Just the whole thing: the heinous cost, especially at a time when tariff bullshit/supply chain/tanking economy makes that 100 percent more devastating, the having to get multiple bids, then the having to tell people you went with someone else when they're awesome too...it's like something specially designed to make me miserable. I ended up getting bids from some great roofers, and it came down to two and it was so hard to make a decision, they were within a few hundred dollars of each other and they both had 4-star ratings everywhere and lots of good references. But I'm such a coward, the part where you have to tell the one company that you went with the other one is just excruciating omg.
Anyways, in about a month to six weeks, I'll be getting a new roof on the house. Poor Blues will be a wreck, but I don't know where I can really take him so he doesn't have to deal with the noise. I didn't have him when I did the kitchen remodel/addition, and Olive was the chillest cat you could ever have and she was fine with the construction (she literally slept through jackhammering my old concrete back stairs out), but my little sick, decrepit old man Blues will NOT do well in this situation. Home ownership sucks sometimes, so much.
I've been doing small things sporadically here and there--a tiny bit of writing, a bit of reading, lots of watching things. It doesn't feel like I ever accomplish much of anything; some days, the side effects are just awful enough that I don't really have the wherewithal to get much done. I'm trying to do accountability buddies withbelmanoir to force myself to walk at least a few days a week, but if I'm having a lot of side effects, even that can be hard to make myself to do.
I *have* been watching things on TV, though--I signed up for a couple months of Disney and Max so I could watch a couple shows there, even though I couldn't really afford it. But the most important one to me was Andor, and so I can't regret spending the money.
Andor season 2 was just...wow. Holy crap. SO FUCKING GOOD. I mean, I can always find things to quibble with or critique, but when something is that amazing, it's just easy to handwave the details. What an incredible series, what an incredible season, what an incredible showcase for good writing and real production values instead of plastic manufactured crap filmed in that giant egg thing they call the volume. The costumes, the sets, the acting, it's all astounding and adult in the best way. I want to talk more at length about it, but I'm still digesting it all, and I need to sit down and rewatch it again, really take it in now that I know where it's going.
While I had HBO Max (or just max or whatever the fuck it's called), I figured I'd try The Pitt, even though I swore off hospital/medical shows a long time ago (I think anyone who knows my history, especially with regards to my sister's death, knows why). But I couldn't escape it on tumblr, and so somehow ended up deciding to give it a whirl, and...well, it is definitely as good as most people say. I do hate the medical show thing where everything has to be ramped up to 11, like, regular medicine in an emergency setting isn't dramatic enough, no, we have to have a mass casualty event. Okay.
I liked most of the characters, and while I've never cared about Noah Wyle, I will say that as Dr. Robby, he was much more appealing to me: I simply can't resist the broken, damaged, compassionate, competent guy who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, fuck my life. And also, *of course* I fall for the piping hot mess of a dude that is Langdon--he has a total WWII Bucky thing going on with his looks (tell me he couldn't be Bucky's double in First Avenger), so it just figures. I *had* to go for the guy with Big Problems who's a little bit of an asshole underneath the really good doctor veneer. I absolutely loathe Santos, every minute with her was torture, and I couldn't stand Javadi, either, with her perpetually wide eyes and grimaced mouth. They are both awful. Lest this sound like I just hate women characters, everyone else I loved, especially Mohan and McKay and Collins and OMG Dana. I adore Dana, I am really hoping she's coming back. And Dr. Ellis, I think was her name? at the end there, please tell me she's going to be front and center next season. It's funny, too, that I despised Shawn Hatosy after Southland, like, he was just the *worst* character ever and so obnoxious that it seemed like it had to be because of the actor, so color me shocked that I kinda...love him? on this show as Abbot. Very weird.
After Andor, I went over to Netflix to find something mindless and soft to watch, and checked out Mike Shur's latest show with Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside. It was very cute, but I couldn't get over the fact that this retirement center, which was very much like my dad's luxurious retirement center (in that it had the same apartment-->assisted living/memory care-->nursing facility progression structure), had only 100 residents and all those incredible amenities. Like, there is just no way to run something that incredible (it made my dad's place look like a dump) with so few residents, especially in the middle of downtown San Francisco. It would cost like $10,000 a week. It's a charming show, but I just could not stop thinking about the financial structure the whole time I watched. But if you're looking for something soft and short, it's a good show, especially if you enjoyed The Good Place.
And as so many people are, I'm enjoying the hell out of Murderbot. I really side-eyed the casting of ASkars as SecUnit, but I have to say, his inherent weirdness and goofiness is really turning out to be an asset. Some of the changes to the stories threw me a bit, but when I went back and rewatched the eps knowing what the changes were, it felt a little less jarring, and now the show really feels like it's hitting its stride. I am excited about Friday nights! I love the casting for Dr. Mensah and of course, the glimpses of Sanctuary Moon are just the fucking best. And anytime John Cho is on my TV is a good time.
Anyways, in about a month to six weeks, I'll be getting a new roof on the house. Poor Blues will be a wreck, but I don't know where I can really take him so he doesn't have to deal with the noise. I didn't have him when I did the kitchen remodel/addition, and Olive was the chillest cat you could ever have and she was fine with the construction (she literally slept through jackhammering my old concrete back stairs out), but my little sick, decrepit old man Blues will NOT do well in this situation. Home ownership sucks sometimes, so much.
I've been doing small things sporadically here and there--a tiny bit of writing, a bit of reading, lots of watching things. It doesn't feel like I ever accomplish much of anything; some days, the side effects are just awful enough that I don't really have the wherewithal to get much done. I'm trying to do accountability buddies with
belmanoir to force myself to walk at least a few days a week, but if I'm having a lot of side effects, even that can be hard to make myself to do.I *have* been watching things on TV, though--I signed up for a couple months of Disney and Max so I could watch a couple shows there, even though I couldn't really afford it. But the most important one to me was Andor, and so I can't regret spending the money.
Andor season 2 was just...wow. Holy crap. SO FUCKING GOOD. I mean, I can always find things to quibble with or critique, but when something is that amazing, it's just easy to handwave the details. What an incredible series, what an incredible season, what an incredible showcase for good writing and real production values instead of plastic manufactured crap filmed in that giant egg thing they call the volume. The costumes, the sets, the acting, it's all astounding and adult in the best way. I want to talk more at length about it, but I'm still digesting it all, and I need to sit down and rewatch it again, really take it in now that I know where it's going.
While I had HBO Max (or just max or whatever the fuck it's called), I figured I'd try The Pitt, even though I swore off hospital/medical shows a long time ago (I think anyone who knows my history, especially with regards to my sister's death, knows why). But I couldn't escape it on tumblr, and so somehow ended up deciding to give it a whirl, and...well, it is definitely as good as most people say. I do hate the medical show thing where everything has to be ramped up to 11, like, regular medicine in an emergency setting isn't dramatic enough, no, we have to have a mass casualty event. Okay.
I liked most of the characters, and while I've never cared about Noah Wyle, I will say that as Dr. Robby, he was much more appealing to me: I simply can't resist the broken, damaged, compassionate, competent guy who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, fuck my life. And also, *of course* I fall for the piping hot mess of a dude that is Langdon--he has a total WWII Bucky thing going on with his looks (tell me he couldn't be Bucky's double in First Avenger), so it just figures. I *had* to go for the guy with Big Problems who's a little bit of an asshole underneath the really good doctor veneer. I absolutely loathe Santos, every minute with her was torture, and I couldn't stand Javadi, either, with her perpetually wide eyes and grimaced mouth. They are both awful. Lest this sound like I just hate women characters, everyone else I loved, especially Mohan and McKay and Collins and OMG Dana. I adore Dana, I am really hoping she's coming back. And Dr. Ellis, I think was her name? at the end there, please tell me she's going to be front and center next season. It's funny, too, that I despised Shawn Hatosy after Southland, like, he was just the *worst* character ever and so obnoxious that it seemed like it had to be because of the actor, so color me shocked that I kinda...love him? on this show as Abbot. Very weird.
After Andor, I went over to Netflix to find something mindless and soft to watch, and checked out Mike Shur's latest show with Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside. It was very cute, but I couldn't get over the fact that this retirement center, which was very much like my dad's luxurious retirement center (in that it had the same apartment-->assisted living/memory care-->nursing facility progression structure), had only 100 residents and all those incredible amenities. Like, there is just no way to run something that incredible (it made my dad's place look like a dump) with so few residents, especially in the middle of downtown San Francisco. It would cost like $10,000 a week. It's a charming show, but I just could not stop thinking about the financial structure the whole time I watched. But if you're looking for something soft and short, it's a good show, especially if you enjoyed The Good Place.
And as so many people are, I'm enjoying the hell out of Murderbot. I really side-eyed the casting of ASkars as SecUnit, but I have to say, his inherent weirdness and goofiness is really turning out to be an asset. Some of the changes to the stories threw me a bit, but when I went back and rewatched the eps knowing what the changes were, it felt a little less jarring, and now the show really feels like it's hitting its stride. I am excited about Friday nights! I love the casting for Dr. Mensah and of course, the glimpses of Sanctuary Moon are just the fucking best. And anytime John Cho is on my TV is a good time.
Fancake's Theme for June: Female Relationships
Jun. 4th, 2025 08:45 amrunpunkrun
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fancake's theme for June is Female Relationships! That's any kind of relationship with any kind of female—cis, trans, alligator priestess, whatever you got! We already have recs in Star Trek Reboot, Mo Dao Zu Shi/Chen Qing Ling, a stop animation film featuring Barbie dolls and a Cher song (yes, it's as amazing as it sounds), Ghosts (US), and King Falls AM.If you have any questions about this theme, or the comm, come talk to me!
runpunkrunMiserable teenage lesbian makes bad dating (and life) choices while her best friend looks miserable about it: A Graphic Novel.
I didn't love all the bad choices and self-induced misery, but I did enjoy how effortlessly queer this is, and the ebb and flow of the friend group. I also loved how on target the fortune teller's advice was, but that Freddy was just too deep in her own bullshit to understand it. The greyscale art is modern and expressive, with a lot of movement and delightful pink highlights. A good read, and the ending improves on the beginning.
Also the cover is just so good.
Contains: infidelity; unplanned pregnancy; abortion.
I didn't love all the bad choices and self-induced misery, but I did enjoy how effortlessly queer this is, and the ebb and flow of the friend group. I also loved how on target the fortune teller's advice was, but that Freddy was just too deep in her own bullshit to understand it. The greyscale art is modern and expressive, with a lot of movement and delightful pink highlights. A good read, and the ending improves on the beginning.
Also the cover is just so good.
Contains: infidelity; unplanned pregnancy; abortion.
DS Story: W Is For Wolf
May. 31st, 2025 05:10 pmgrey853Series: The Due South Alphabet Series
Title: W Is For Wolf
Author: Grey/Grey853
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Rating: Explicit
Word Count: 39,932
Tags: male slash, alternate universe-canon divergent, explicit language, explicit suggested sexual content, angst, Christmas
Summary: Dief has a medical problem. Vecchio has a close call. There's a big winter storm. Will Ben and Ray have a great Christmas?
Link:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/66072517
Snippet:
″Have you noticed anything different about Dief lately?″
Ben turned from doing the supper dishes and stared at Ray in surprise. ″What?″
″I said have you noticed him being off a little lately.″
″Off?″ Ben dried his hands on the towel and walked over to his partner. ″In what way?″
″Slower, sleeping more, not really eating as much. He’s got a little come-and-go limp on his right front leg, too.″
Ben frowned and came around to sit next to Ray on the sofa. He kept his eyes on his sleeping friend. ″You’ve noticed these things?″
″I was asking you that.″
″To be honest, I’ve been so busy with work lately I’ve not paid that much attention.″
Ray hated to bring it up, but he’d been noticing changes for a while. At first he’d hoped he was just imagining it, but he was pretty sure he wasn’t, not anymore, not after the whole turning down the doughnut situation. Dief never met a treat he wouldn’t eat. ″It’s been going on for a few weeks. I wanted to brush it off, but today when Cheri had a powdered doughnut, he wasn’t even interested. Only ate about half his kibble, too. I’ve never known Furface to turn down food. You think something’s wrong?″
″He’s not said anything.″
″I know he’s not due for his shots, but maybe I should take him to the vet tomorrow.″
″I suppose it couldn’t hurt.″
Ray noted Ben’s worried expression and put his hand on his arm for comfort. ″I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe he just needs a tonic or something. He’s getting older.″
″I hope that’s the case, but it could be something serious. I should’ve been paying closer attention.″
″Like you said, you’ve been busy. It’s getting closer to Christmas. Things get hectic for cops this time of year.″
″You’ve been busy, too, Ray.″
″I know. I’ll call the vet first thing tomorrow morning and take him in. I’m sure it’s nothing big. Maybe he ate a bad rabbit or vole or something just as disgusting.″
″Perhaps.″
″Don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have said anything.″
″No, I’m glad you did.″ Ben got up and stooped beside Dief and petted his head several times. It was their regular signal to go out for their nightly walk. The animal opened its eyes, but instead of getting up, Dief only snuffled softly before closing his eyes again.
His expression darkened and Ben took the time to run his hand slowly over Dief’s back, along his sides, then under his belly and his over neck. His hand stopped right at where the right leg met his chest. ″There’s a lump here.″
Title: W Is For Wolf
Author: Grey/Grey853
Fandom: Due South
Pairing: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Rating: Explicit
Word Count: 39,932
Tags: male slash, alternate universe-canon divergent, explicit language, explicit suggested sexual content, angst, Christmas
Summary: Dief has a medical problem. Vecchio has a close call. There's a big winter storm. Will Ben and Ray have a great Christmas?
Link:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/66072517
Snippet:
″Have you noticed anything different about Dief lately?″
Ben turned from doing the supper dishes and stared at Ray in surprise. ″What?″
″I said have you noticed him being off a little lately.″
″Off?″ Ben dried his hands on the towel and walked over to his partner. ″In what way?″
″Slower, sleeping more, not really eating as much. He’s got a little come-and-go limp on his right front leg, too.″
Ben frowned and came around to sit next to Ray on the sofa. He kept his eyes on his sleeping friend. ″You’ve noticed these things?″
″I was asking you that.″
″To be honest, I’ve been so busy with work lately I’ve not paid that much attention.″
Ray hated to bring it up, but he’d been noticing changes for a while. At first he’d hoped he was just imagining it, but he was pretty sure he wasn’t, not anymore, not after the whole turning down the doughnut situation. Dief never met a treat he wouldn’t eat. ″It’s been going on for a few weeks. I wanted to brush it off, but today when Cheri had a powdered doughnut, he wasn’t even interested. Only ate about half his kibble, too. I’ve never known Furface to turn down food. You think something’s wrong?″
″He’s not said anything.″
″I know he’s not due for his shots, but maybe I should take him to the vet tomorrow.″
″I suppose it couldn’t hurt.″
Ray noted Ben’s worried expression and put his hand on his arm for comfort. ″I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe he just needs a tonic or something. He’s getting older.″
″I hope that’s the case, but it could be something serious. I should’ve been paying closer attention.″
″Like you said, you’ve been busy. It’s getting closer to Christmas. Things get hectic for cops this time of year.″
″You’ve been busy, too, Ray.″
″I know. I’ll call the vet first thing tomorrow morning and take him in. I’m sure it’s nothing big. Maybe he ate a bad rabbit or vole or something just as disgusting.″
″Perhaps.″
″Don’t worry about it. I shouldn’t have said anything.″
″No, I’m glad you did.″ Ben got up and stooped beside Dief and petted his head several times. It was their regular signal to go out for their nightly walk. The animal opened its eyes, but instead of getting up, Dief only snuffled softly before closing his eyes again.
His expression darkened and Ben took the time to run his hand slowly over Dief’s back, along his sides, then under his belly and his over neck. His hand stopped right at where the right leg met his chest. ″There’s a lump here.″
Recently watched, read, written down
May. 29th, 2025 07:13 pmsakana17Cdramas: I finished watching Blossom | 九重紫 (34 episodes) starring Meng Ziyi and Li Yunrui. It's a historical romance with a fantasy element at the beginning.
I loved Meng Ziyi and Li Yunrui in this and thought they had great chemistry together. The relationship between Dou Zhao and Song Mo was nicely developed, and when they get together it didn't lose interest for me. They're both strong and supportive of each other, which I loved to see. Dou Zhao also has great female friendships.
The families in this show rank among the most horrible Cdrama families I've ever seen! (Which is saying something.) But what I absolutely loved is that we see the reasons why everyone is the way they are, and some of the reasons are quite poignant. Not all the antagonists get fully fleshed-out backstories, but they all get at least some indication of their motivations, which I really appreciated. I was amazed how I came to see Dou Zhao's scheming stepmother (played by Alina Zhang) as a tragic character after loathing her so much.
Another thing I loved was the dramatic do-over version of Dou Zhao's awful husband and his affair with Dou Zhao's half-sister. That was handled so well and ended up so painfully tragic!
The series has a happy ending for the leads! ♥
The actor Xia Zhiguang was in it as a major side character, so I've started watching The Spirealm, where he's one of the leads. I'm only on episode 4 but I'm finding it interesting so far.
After Blossom, I watched The Story of Pearl Girl | 珠帘玉幕 (40 episodes) starring Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning. Another historical romance, this one about the rise of Duanwu, a pearl diver, who meets Yan Zijing, a mysterious trader.
But on the other hand! I loved Duanwu and her growth and strength as she goes from mere survival to pursuing her ambitions. I especially loved how she learns to treat others with kindness, and how that is contrasted against Yan Zijing's obsessive drive for revenge that underlies everything he does. I liked their relationship, and I loved that the set-up for a love triangle where Yan Zijing and Zhang Jinran (played by Tang Xiaotian) compete for Duanwu never really goes anywhere and Zhang Jinran remains a friend to them both. Zhao Lusi is so good in this and I was really impressed with Liu Yuning. (Plus he looks great in the costumes and braided wig. *g*)
There are some great side characters, too. I especially loved Kang Ju, Yan Zijing's right-hand man and confidante. But I have to say, Cui Shijiu (played by Xie Keyin), nearly stole the show with her ruthless determination (and crossdressing swagger). I enjoy stories where two strong, competent women go from enemies to frenemies to wary friends. The drama delivered on that point, but I wasn't crazy about how in the second half both Cui Shijiu and Duanwu seemed more passive and in peril.
I didn't find the ending very sad despite the tragic, doomed romance. Yan Zijing's fate is set up from the moment we meet him and I never really believed it would play out differently. I liked that Duanwu knew and just wanted as much time as they could have together. The very end, where we find out Duanwu went on to become successful for the next 40 years, felt oddly tacked-on but was a nice conclusion to what should've been a story that stayed focused on the female lead and women's empowerment against the odds.
Speaking of Liu Yuning, I'm currently watching The Truth 3 with him, Bai Yu, Zhang Linhe, Dilraba, Jin Jing, and Zhou Keyu. The show is kind of like celebrities doing RPG to solve murder mysteries in escape rooms. It's fun! Loving the costumes this season. ♥ Hope this BlueSky link to Bai Yu's pirate look works. :D
The other Cdrama I finished recently is Love in Pavilion | 淮水竹亭 (36 episodes) starring Zhang Yunlong and Liu Shishi. This is the second series in the "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" xianxia romance trilogy, and I didn't watch the first one but I don't think that would've changed my feelings about this one.
On the plus side, some of the embedded mini-arc stories were interesting (though, to be fair, they were part of why I felt the pacing was so bad). And I own my bias in this, but Zhao Yibo as Li Quzhou brought a welcome liveliness and spark. And his character didn't die! (Though what we see of the end of his story isn't happy, either.) Content warning for ableism in Li Quzhou's storyline.
It ends tragically, which unfortunately I wasn't particularly moved by because I'd lost interest by then. Just not my cup of tea.
Speaking of the farmboys, I found Chen Shaoxi's movie The Midsummer's Voice | 倒仓 on YouTube. I thought it was a well-made coming-of-age story about three friends in a school for traditional opera singers. Shaoxi plays the male lead's friend and though he doesn't get to sing he has a good role. It was interesting and enjoyable.
More speaking of the farmboys: Wang Yang returned as a guest in season 3 and it was wonderful. He seems like a big fan (he wowed them by knowing all of their birth years) and they think he's the bee's knees and cat's pajamas and I was so happy for everyone. ♥___♥ The episode is on YouTube: part 1 and part 2.
I finished reading Golden Terrace, translated by E Danglars.
And in non-Chinese media, I watched Andor season 2.
I wasn't surprised by Brasso's death but it was still a gut punch. *sob* I didn't hate the ending with Bix. I just kept thinking how awful for her, because we know Cassian's never coming back. *sob* (And who knows what happens to the planet she's on...) The whole episode about Kleya and Luthien! And "Who are you?" Wow.
I really appreciated how the force was mentioned and its context. It was a great way of including that part of Star Wars lore but in a way that didn't jerk me out of the very specific worldbuilding of Andor. In the same way, I appreciated seeing the backstory of how K2SO joins Cassian.
I'm so glad season 2 didn't disappoint. I KNOW I will be rewatching it soon.
( Chinese language stuff )
There's probably other stuff I'm forgetting. Ah, well.
I loved it! (Spoilers!)
It's a "do over" fantasy where the main character, Dou Zhao, is magically sent back in time and gets the chance to avoid the pitfalls that led to her disastrous marriage and ill fate the first time. This time around she crosses paths with Song Mo, a young general who's drawn to her. There's a good political plot revolving around Song Mo and his complicated family, but the main plot is about how Dou Zhao, aware of how and why her life turned out so horribly the first time, doesn't back down from changing her life this time.I loved Meng Ziyi and Li Yunrui in this and thought they had great chemistry together. The relationship between Dou Zhao and Song Mo was nicely developed, and when they get together it didn't lose interest for me. They're both strong and supportive of each other, which I loved to see. Dou Zhao also has great female friendships.
The families in this show rank among the most horrible Cdrama families I've ever seen! (Which is saying something.) But what I absolutely loved is that we see the reasons why everyone is the way they are, and some of the reasons are quite poignant. Not all the antagonists get fully fleshed-out backstories, but they all get at least some indication of their motivations, which I really appreciated. I was amazed how I came to see Dou Zhao's scheming stepmother (played by Alina Zhang) as a tragic character after loathing her so much.
Another thing I loved was the dramatic do-over version of Dou Zhao's awful husband and his affair with Dou Zhao's half-sister. That was handled so well and ended up so painfully tragic!
The series has a happy ending for the leads! ♥
The actor Xia Zhiguang was in it as a major side character, so I've started watching The Spirealm, where he's one of the leads. I'm only on episode 4 but I'm finding it interesting so far.
After Blossom, I watched The Story of Pearl Girl | 珠帘玉幕 (40 episodes) starring Zhao Lusi and Liu Yuning. Another historical romance, this one about the rise of Duanwu, a pearl diver, who meets Yan Zijing, a mysterious trader.
I really liked this a lot. A great cast in a high quality production, gorgeous costumes, and an interesting story that grabbed me from the start. (Spoilers!)
I want to say I loved it, but unfortunately there are two halves to this drama, and the second half was just not as strong as the first half, although the story as a whole was still interesting. There are some pacing problems in the second half (as well as some disconcerting editing jumps, where things seem to happen out of order), but for me the main problem with the second half is that the focus moves away from Duanwu and Yan Zijing and we seem to spend a lot more time with the villains. Also, unlike Blossom, not all of the antagonists feel well-rounded or sufficiently motivated.But on the other hand! I loved Duanwu and her growth and strength as she goes from mere survival to pursuing her ambitions. I especially loved how she learns to treat others with kindness, and how that is contrasted against Yan Zijing's obsessive drive for revenge that underlies everything he does. I liked their relationship, and I loved that the set-up for a love triangle where Yan Zijing and Zhang Jinran (played by Tang Xiaotian) compete for Duanwu never really goes anywhere and Zhang Jinran remains a friend to them both. Zhao Lusi is so good in this and I was really impressed with Liu Yuning. (Plus he looks great in the costumes and braided wig. *g*)
There are some great side characters, too. I especially loved Kang Ju, Yan Zijing's right-hand man and confidante. But I have to say, Cui Shijiu (played by Xie Keyin), nearly stole the show with her ruthless determination (and crossdressing swagger). I enjoy stories where two strong, competent women go from enemies to frenemies to wary friends. The drama delivered on that point, but I wasn't crazy about how in the second half both Cui Shijiu and Duanwu seemed more passive and in peril.
I didn't find the ending very sad despite the tragic, doomed romance. Yan Zijing's fate is set up from the moment we meet him and I never really believed it would play out differently. I liked that Duanwu knew and just wanted as much time as they could have together. The very end, where we find out Duanwu went on to become successful for the next 40 years, felt oddly tacked-on but was a nice conclusion to what should've been a story that stayed focused on the female lead and women's empowerment against the odds.
Speaking of Liu Yuning, I'm currently watching The Truth 3 with him, Bai Yu, Zhang Linhe, Dilraba, Jin Jing, and Zhou Keyu. The show is kind of like celebrities doing RPG to solve murder mysteries in escape rooms. It's fun! Loving the costumes this season. ♥ Hope this BlueSky link to Bai Yu's pirate look works. :D
The other Cdrama I finished recently is Love in Pavilion | 淮水竹亭 (36 episodes) starring Zhang Yunlong and Liu Shishi. This is the second series in the "Fox Spirit Matchmaker" xianxia romance trilogy, and I didn't watch the first one but I don't think that would've changed my feelings about this one.
I ended up skimming a lot and only watching it because one of my beloved farmboys, Zhao Yibo, had a supporting role and was surprisingly good in it, I thought. (Spoilers)
I started off very frustrated by this drama and ended up losing interest. I tried to find the leads compelling, tried not to be bored by all the effects-heavy swooshing fights, tried to follow the plot through its complex detours and mostly one-dimensional villains. That was a lot of effort and unfortunately I couldn't sustain it. I thought the pacing was slow and the production which was apparently quite expensive didn't look it.On the plus side, some of the embedded mini-arc stories were interesting (though, to be fair, they were part of why I felt the pacing was so bad). And I own my bias in this, but Zhao Yibo as Li Quzhou brought a welcome liveliness and spark. And his character didn't die! (Though what we see of the end of his story isn't happy, either.) Content warning for ableism in Li Quzhou's storyline.
It ends tragically, which unfortunately I wasn't particularly moved by because I'd lost interest by then. Just not my cup of tea.
Speaking of the farmboys, I found Chen Shaoxi's movie The Midsummer's Voice | 倒仓 on YouTube. I thought it was a well-made coming-of-age story about three friends in a school for traditional opera singers. Shaoxi plays the male lead's friend and though he doesn't get to sing he has a good role. It was interesting and enjoyable.
More speaking of the farmboys: Wang Yang returned as a guest in season 3 and it was wonderful. He seems like a big fan (he wowed them by knowing all of their birth years) and they think he's the bee's knees and cat's pajamas and I was so happy for everyone. ♥___♥ The episode is on YouTube: part 1 and part 2.
I finished reading Golden Terrace, translated by E Danglars.
I enjoyed it so much! (Spoilers)
Arranged marriage, yay! I loved the reveals of the characters' feelings for each other, their competence, and the political plot. If anyone ever did a poll for "Cnovel BL couple most likely to switch" I think my vote would go to Yan Xiaohan/Fu Shen, lol.And in non-Chinese media, I watched Andor season 2.
SO GOOD! (Spoilers!)
I rewatched the first season before starting season 2, and season 1 is nearly perfect in my opinion, so I was pretty wary about season 2. But I thought season 2 was almost as good as season 1, and it kept the same feel throughout. Great storytelling and sustained tension. And the cast is so, so good. ♥ Diego Luna.I wasn't surprised by Brasso's death but it was still a gut punch. *sob* I didn't hate the ending with Bix. I just kept thinking how awful for her, because we know Cassian's never coming back. *sob* (And who knows what happens to the planet she's on...) The whole episode about Kleya and Luthien! And "Who are you?" Wow.
I really appreciated how the force was mentioned and its context. It was a great way of including that part of Star Wars lore but in a way that didn't jerk me out of the very specific worldbuilding of Andor. In the same way, I appreciated seeing the backstory of how K2SO joins Cassian.
I'm so glad season 2 didn't disappoint. I KNOW I will be rewatching it soon.
( Chinese language stuff )
There's probably other stuff I'm forgetting. Ah, well.
The Sixth of the Recced Book Reviews: Rules for Ghosting
May. 29th, 2025 04:37 pmbethbethbethOn May 8th, I offered to read the first five books people recced - assuming they were available (preferably from the library) - and I'd give a short review [https://bethbethbeth.dreamwidth.org/701769.html].
This is the sixth recced book review.
Rules for Ghosting (2024), by Shelly Jay Shore (recced by mx-sno on bluesky)
Yes, this is a romance (gay cis man/bi trans-man), but it's also a story about family dynamics, grief, birth and death, found family, Judaism, and a dog named Sappho.
Oh, and ghosts!
I'm passing on the rec, but I'd offer two caveats:
One...if you have anxiety surrounding death rituals, including taharah (the "ritual washing, purification, and dressing of a deceased Jewish person before burial"), you might want to think twice.
Second, on a pure story level, there's sometimes a little too much "not telling people important things either for their own good or because you don't know how to start the conversation" for my personal tastes, but for all I know, that's your favorite trope. :)
However, Rules for Ghosting is generally an interesting, good-hearted story with a clever premise and a diverse group of likable characters.
This is the sixth recced book review.
Rules for Ghosting (2024), by Shelly Jay Shore (recced by mx-sno on bluesky)
Yes, this is a romance (gay cis man/bi trans-man), but it's also a story about family dynamics, grief, birth and death, found family, Judaism, and a dog named Sappho.
Oh, and ghosts!
I'm passing on the rec, but I'd offer two caveats:
One...if you have anxiety surrounding death rituals, including taharah (the "ritual washing, purification, and dressing of a deceased Jewish person before burial"), you might want to think twice.
Second, on a pure story level, there's sometimes a little too much "not telling people important things either for their own good or because you don't know how to start the conversation" for my personal tastes, but for all I know, that's your favorite trope. :)
However, Rules for Ghosting is generally an interesting, good-hearted story with a clever premise and a diverse group of likable characters.