Nirvana in Fire
Feb. 1st, 2021 11:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
semperfionaI finished watching last night. I think I watched like 35 episodes in the last week, after taking it pretty slow for the first third. I don't *do* that. But here's the second thing that I've done that with, so maybe I do.
Let's see if I can say anything non-spoilery
Something very reminiscent of King Lear about the overall plot, with a side of Huaisang's revenge plot from his perspective: burn down the world to avenge one's family--but Mei Changsu cares more about building a better world in the aftermath than Huaisang seemed to.
LOTS of wonderful women characters, with agency and goals of their own, who don't get killed or sidelined in favor of some man's story. A princess whose introduction brings her in full armor (and not boob armor, neither), who defeats men in single combat all the time.
Wider variety of characters in general than the Untamed. All ages, both men and women, not a uniformly gorgeous array of twinks. (Not that I minded the uniformly gorgeous twink array, don't get me wrong here.)
This is the first media I've consumed in quite some time that made me ship a het couple. Even if a big part of me wants to make that an MFM OT3.
I cried so hard last night at the end. But people (I can't entirely remember who--probably folks on the podfic discord) who said the ending was bittersweet but also *right*--were correct. And now I am going to go find all the fic that changes it.
Duolingo Chinese is paying off. I understand quite a bit, although it's still more a matter of "oh, the subtitle has the clauses in a different order" or "so that's how you say 'your majesty' in Chinese" and less "I can turn the subtitles off and still follow this".
Oh, and I was tickled pink when I learned there had been Nine Princes.
And now for some more specific spoilery comments. I spent 45+ episodes being angry with Lin Shu for never telling Jingyan who he was, and then in episode 50 figured out WHY he did that, and wow, that hurt.
I suspected Physician Yan of being a traitor to him for a long time because Lin Shu's illnesses always seemed *so* convenient for the other guys, but apparently not? He just got sick A LOT--and the other side(s) took advantage.
I always thought Gao Zhan seemed smarmy. And in the end he seems to have been playing a very long game as well? But with the right goals at heart?
TWO birthday parties used as means to achieving his goals? Careful, xiao-Shu, you're getting a little predictable. I felt really terrible for Jingrui after that episode; I was really glad to see him return near the end, none the worse for his shocks or his travels.
Let's see if I can say anything non-spoilery
Something very reminiscent of King Lear about the overall plot, with a side of Huaisang's revenge plot from his perspective: burn down the world to avenge one's family--but Mei Changsu cares more about building a better world in the aftermath than Huaisang seemed to.
LOTS of wonderful women characters, with agency and goals of their own, who don't get killed or sidelined in favor of some man's story. A princess whose introduction brings her in full armor (and not boob armor, neither), who defeats men in single combat all the time.
Wider variety of characters in general than the Untamed. All ages, both men and women, not a uniformly gorgeous array of twinks. (Not that I minded the uniformly gorgeous twink array, don't get me wrong here.)
This is the first media I've consumed in quite some time that made me ship a het couple. Even if a big part of me wants to make that an MFM OT3.
I cried so hard last night at the end. But people (I can't entirely remember who--probably folks on the podfic discord) who said the ending was bittersweet but also *right*--were correct. And now I am going to go find all the fic that changes it.
Duolingo Chinese is paying off. I understand quite a bit, although it's still more a matter of "oh, the subtitle has the clauses in a different order" or "so that's how you say 'your majesty' in Chinese" and less "I can turn the subtitles off and still follow this".
Oh, and I was tickled pink when I learned there had been Nine Princes.
And now for some more specific spoilery comments. I spent 45+ episodes being angry with Lin Shu for never telling Jingyan who he was, and then in episode 50 figured out WHY he did that, and wow, that hurt.
I suspected Physician Yan of being a traitor to him for a long time because Lin Shu's illnesses always seemed *so* convenient for the other guys, but apparently not? He just got sick A LOT--and the other side(s) took advantage.
I always thought Gao Zhan seemed smarmy. And in the end he seems to have been playing a very long game as well? But with the right goals at heart?
TWO birthday parties used as means to achieving his goals? Careful, xiao-Shu, you're getting a little predictable. I felt really terrible for Jingrui after that episode; I was really glad to see him return near the end, none the worse for his shocks or his travels.
no subject
Date: 2021-02-08 07:02 am (UTC)You are welcome to ask for fix-it fic recs there, if you’d like to do so. I’m sure you’ll find some in the tags already and other members can add new ones.
no subject
Date: 2021-02-08 09:17 pm (UTC)I peeped your journal a bit; you got a gift in the NiF exchange that is a fic I quite enjoyed when I read it the other day ("needing/getting")! yay for more OT3 content!