state of current fannishness

[waterscroll]

starandrea made a strong case for why The Untamed is a logical next thing to watch after Guardian, so I watched the first episode of the animated version and the first two episodes of the drama. Both are good, but the drama hit me in the 'I must keep watching this' place. Especially that arm-touch from the second episode. You know what I mean. It gave me the same feelings I had from early Guardian, when all I cared about was the two protagonists somehow getting together. I expect that, like Guardian, it will eventually distract me with worldbuilding, woe and epic angst, but for now I'm having fun.

Those of you who are in the fandom, anything you want to tell me about it?

I also started playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Black Eagles, because Edelgard is relevant to my interests and also very pretty. It's slow going so I'm not sure if I'll stick with it. And I am not at all enjoying the fights. It reminds me of Dragon Age: Origins, a good story that you have to slog through a lot of annoying stuff to get through. With Dragon Age I just ended up watching the story clips on youtube so I might do the same here.

Meanwhile in Guardian I feel like I still have more stories in me but I haven't settled on what to write next. I have the beginnings of a backstory shippy fic in which Ye Zun and Shen Wei are childhood sweethearts rather than brothers (and have the same face for Reasons). I also have the beginnings of a fic about Fu You convincing Shen Wei to join the Alliance. Meanwhile I have some growing interest in writing about the Regent, he gets zero villain-sympathetic fic and I feel like someone should look out for him, and I have the beginnings of a piece about him being a petty bureaucrat haplessly trying to deal with Dixing's utter mess. I have a major RL deadline in three weeks so I can't write much fannish now, but I still could do something short if I get an idea that won't take me too long to write. Do any of the above sound like something you'd like to read? Or do you have other ideas to throw at me?

I know I owe Zhao Xinci fic but I don't think I can write it yet, my head is so firmly in Dixing that I can't deal with Haixing politics right now.

Finally: Do any of you do this thing where your favorite story by an author is paradoxically the one that you comment on the least? I've noticed myself doing this - I'll read a story by someone, love it, and then read all their other stories and comment more and more as I'm reading, but meanwhile the first story that drew me into their work gets a kudos or maybe a one-line comment. I just noticed that I do that sometimes. I thnk I might need to work on changing that.

Comments

[solo]

Those of you who are in the fandom, anything you want to tell me about it?

It gets just as painful as Guardian, but at a different point in time, and the ending is happier (in every version, the Japanese one is best).

[waterscroll]

and the ending is happier

That is a relief, I'm not sure I want to suffer like that again.

Which is the Japanese version?

[solo]

They showed the series in Japan recently, just subbed like we also got, but they re-cut the ending so things are in a slighty different sequence and just that little more swoonworthy. (Probably because they had to worry less about censorship than they do in China.)

But only a snippet of that is on youtube, so I'd say go with the original and then check out the snippet. :) The original is also fine.

[waterscroll]

This is good to know, thank you!

[china_shop]

I also have the beginnings of a fic about Fu You convincing Shen Wei to join the Alliance.

Ooh, that sounds awesome! *is intrigued*

:-)

[waterscroll]

Okay! I will work on fic about them next. Thank you for the push.

[alias_sqbr]

Ooh!

I'm a fan of the book and never got into the Untamed, but afaict the basic plot and characters are similar, just made less morally ambiguous and more romantically ambiguous to placate the censors, and I think you'll like it.

I'm not really involved with the fandom at large, and have heard Troubling Rumblings of Drama, but I've had a good time myself. There's a lot of great fanworks, which along with the original book provide many variations on the two leads getting together :D

I look forward to hearing your reactions!

[waterscroll]

Thank you! This is all good to know. Do you have posts about it?

[alias_sqbr]

Yep! https://alias-sqbr.dreamwidth.org/tag/grandmaster+of+demonic+cultivation https://sqbr.tumblr.com/tagged/grandmaster%20of%20demonic%20cultivation

[waterscroll]

Thank you!

I found Wei Wuxian completely charming as a reincarnated terrifying flute-playing necromancer in love and super-annoying in the flashback as a smart, rebellious teenager who is too cool for rules. I'm a little worried that the drama is going to make too many excuses for him so I may need to look up the novel.

[alias_sqbr]

Yeah, that aspect didn't bother me personally but it's a common complaint. It bugs some people in the book too, so I can't guarantee you'll enjoy it more, but I get the impression the Untamed goes more for Wei Wuxian Did Nothing Wrong, and by comparison the book is more Wei Wuxian Did Many Things Wrong But Mostly Meant Well. There's a few translations around but afaict they're all kinda clunky, I hope you enjoy it.

[waterscroll]

the Untamed goes more for Wei Wuxian Did Nothing Wrong, and by comparison the book is more Wei Wuxian Did Many Things Wrong But Mostly Meant Well.

Interesting. The novelverse and dramaverse versions of Shen Wei are similar, so I wonder if it's a thing that happens with cnovel adaptations. I've started reading the novel as well, I expect if I get into it I'll appreciate seeing both versions.

Thank you!

[alias_sqbr]

Yeah afaict it's something the Chinese government insists on.

[scytale]

I'm glad The Untamed is fun! At some point I will get around to it.

It's slow going so I'm not sure if I'll stick with it. And I am not at all enjoying the fights. It reminds me of Dragon Age: Origins, a good story that you have to slog through a lot of annoying stuff to get through. With Dragon Age I just ended up watching the story clips on youtube so I might do the same here.

Yeah, it's *very* slow, and the fights can be so annoying. I ended up dropping the game for months because I was just so bored until...chapter 15 or something.

You could probably just watch the story clips, and then support conversations for the characters you care about.

(and have the same face for Reasons).

:D

I have a major RL deadline in three weeks so I can't write much fannish now, but I still could do something short if I get an idea that won't take me too long to write. Do any of the above sound like something you'd like to read? Or do you have other ideas to throw at me?

Good luck with the deadline!

And all of the above sounds amazing, actually. More Fu You (I'm fascinated by her just from your ficlet), and the Regent!

I am also deeply appreciating your dedication to looking out for the villains. :)

Do any of you do this thing where your favorite story by an author is paradoxically the one that you comment on the least? I've noticed myself doing this - I'll read a story by someone, love it, and then read all their other stories and comment more and more as I'm reading, but meanwhile the first story that drew me into their work gets a kudos or maybe a one-line comment.

I don't usually tend to go through backlogs, but there have definitely been stories I liked where I've commented less! I find that there are some things I love where I have less to say, or I was too short on time or totally planning to go back and leave a better comment. And then there are the ones where I'm like, "but where do I START" and therefore never comment and just pine away, hoping the author will pick up on my incoherent telepathic comments.

[waterscroll]

I'm finding The Untamed really addictive, despite having no time I'm now on episode 7. The 'play next episode' button just clicks itself!

I like the premise of FE3H so much but I do not have 15 hours to put into boring gameplay. I'll start looking for youtube clips, or maybe put it aside for a bit.

And then there are the ones where I'm like, "but where do I START" and therefore never comment and just pine away, hoping the author will pick up on my incoherent telepathic comments.

Yeah I've been doing a lot of that too. There are a few stories that I've bookmarked because I love them and I keep meaning to go back and comment properly but where do I start? So yeah, I should do that.

[scytale]

I'm finding The Untamed really addictive, despite having no time I'm now on episode 7. The 'play next episode' button just clicks itself!

Oh, nice! I look forward to your thoughts on it! :D

[stultiloquentia]

Hello, I'm here from my reading circle, and enjoying these Untamed posts. I started with Guardian too, but was lured sideways by The Untamed's abounding and spectacular fanfic offerings.

Do any of you do this thing where your favorite story by an author is paradoxically the one that you comment on the least?

Ack, yes, sometimes I have SO MUCH to say about my favourite stories, or so many praises to sing, that I get overwhelmed and put it off...and put it off.... I manage as often as I can, but it's so dependent on my energy levels.

[waterscroll]

Welcome! It's nice to see you here.

I've been in small-ish fandoms for a while so it's interesting to see how much is going on in The Untamed. So far I'm linking it.

sometimes I have SO MUCH to say about my favourite stories, or so many praises to sing, that I get overwhelmed and put it off

Yes! Or another thing I do is I'll start reading fic before I've finished canon but not want to comment because I'm afraid in my ignorance I'll say something stupid, and then by the time I've finished canon I'm so far behind on fic commenting that I never catch up.