Media Round Up: Fluff and Murder

[forestofglory]

Here's what I've been reading and watching lately:

The Lord of Stariel by A.J. Lancaster— I picked this up because calissa recommended it. It’s a 1920’s inspired fantasy about a young woman who left home and became an illusionist working at a theater. Her estranged father dies so she returns home to his funeral and the ceremony deciding who will be his successor as Lord of Stariel. I really enjoyed the big messy family but got a bit impatient with the mystery. Overall a fun read.
(content note: referenced societal homophobia)

Empire of Style: Silk and Fashion in Tang China by Buyun Chen— This very thorough look into the “fashion system” of Tang China, looking at the aesthetics, social systems and economics. There’s a lot here about seeing fashion as part of the larger picture. I also found that the basic historical outline of Tang China made way more sense to me as presented here in economic terms than any of the names and dates focus overviews I’ve encountered. I did find the language in this book a bit dense, and had to work to understand the argument in places. Overall I really enjoyed the way the book made connections between things.

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho— I saved this book to read on our trip to Santa Cruz and this was a good choice! It was lovely to sit around reading a highly anticipated book with the longer chunks of time I had there. (I managed to read it before the heat exhaustion too) It’s contemporary fantasy set in Malaysia, featuring a queer main character, ghosts, and complicated family secreates. As alway I love how Cho writes older female characters. The book lived up to my high expectations!
(Content note: sexual assault, off screen domestic abuse)

Word of Honor episodes 16-36 —
My progression with this show was: A lot of people I know are into but it really doesn’t sound like my thing -> Well the group watch is watching it I guess I’ll check it out -> oh, actually this grumpy reluctant mentor stuff is good -> Oh dear, I’m having a lot feelings, I’m not sure I wanted to have this many feelings. So this show really got to me, I got sucked into the story and I had a lot of intense feelings about it! I’m happy that my group watch got me to watch it.

Slowly teaching myself honorifics commonly used in wuxia really paid off here! There were several moments where the subs let me down but I was able to hear the forms of address. Which was key to some moments that had a big emotional impact!

I didn’t like the ending. (Yes, I did watch the extra scene) I know a lot of people love it, but for me it really undermined a lot of the things that I enjoyed most from the show.

(Content ableism, wuxia typical racism, suicide, even more mass murder)

Comments

[rekishi]

I actually think I prefer the ending of the novel WoH is based on.

Glad you enjoyed it though!

[forestofglory]

Oh, what's the novel ending like?

[rekishi]

You asked for spoilers so I'll give you spoilers.


In the novel, WKX is gravely injured during the battle at Fengya (Qingya, I think in the drama) Mountain, but ZZS takes him away. They go to Changming Mountain where the Great Shaman (Da Wu, Wu Xi) removes the Nails while WKX frets and Jing Beiyuan is relatively relaxed about the whole thing. ZZS is in a coma for three months and then wakes to WKX holding his hand. There are 4 extras, one of which tells the story partially from WKX perspective.

You should also know that in the novel they're not martial siblings, there they are truly strangers (and Prince Jin doesn't exist, his role is actually a decent ruler named Helian Yi and he's also not ZZS' cousin) and there's a bit less self-sacrifice going on and they're better at communicating (not at talking, but at communicating).

So all in all, I like the drama but I like the ZZS and WKX characters better in the novel. The side characters are so much better in the drama though.

I'm looking forward to getting further in the reread with the comm, I'm sure I missed a bunch of stuff my first go around.

[forestofglory]

Thank you for the spoilers!

That does seem like a nicer ending. Being stuck on a mountain not being able to eat seems like it would suck.

I actually really like that they are martial siblings. Maybe that's strange, but it plays into my love of found family. (Some of those forms of address I mentions having feelings about are Shidi and Shixiong, so)

[rekishi]

And abandoning Chengling again, which was what I was most annoyed about.

There's found family in the novel as well, it's just not that....whole fated aspect I'm not super keen on, it rubbed me the wrong way tbh. I like that they're strangers who found each other by chance and re-discover their humanity together.

But yeah, Chinese honorifics/suffixes are incredibly useful!

[forestofglory]

Yeah, the fact that they abandon Chengling is what I really don't like about the ending. I wanted them to all be together rebuilding the manor! (I'm far too into fictional characters being teachers and/or mentors)

I see why the fated aspect would rub you the wrong way. I what I liked about it is that they where both invested in rebuilding the sect -- but that could happen without the childhood meeting.

[shadaras]

"I'm not sure I wanted to have this many feelings" sure is a Word of Honor mood. xD

Yeah, the ending is... not a bad ending, necessarily, but not one I particularly like.

[forestofglory]

I'm glad I'm not alone in not liking the ending!

[libitina]

What are all the things you do you do not like about the ending? The characters' part or the world's (the answer was farming all along) part?

I was yelling at the screen of the lack of communicating when ZZS left, so I spent most of that energy very glad that YBY had decided to not tell everything to WKX. I didn't have a lot of frustration left for WKX not fully disclosing to ZZS, even though that would have been a continuation of a cycle of loneliness if things happened as YBY expected.

[forestofglory]

The lack of communication was frustrating but that wasn't the core of my problem with the ending. I really liked that the main characters started out wanting to die and burn down the world respectively and gradually came to want to rebuild their sect together instead. So I was unhappy that they didn't get to rebuild but instead where suck on mountain not being able to eat real food. I'm also sad that Chengling had to lose even more family. I wanted all of the found family to be together in the end! (At least everyone who is still alive)


I didn't mind that the answer was farming all along, all though I thought the way in was framed played into problematic tropes about central Asian cultures. Specifically that farming discussed as better than being a nomad.

[libitina]

I thought they managed to have a decent amount of compromise, since the sect got rebuilt for them - and by removing them from the actual sect you get to have a "pure" martial arts style with only 1 influence of however Chenling has synthesized what he has learned. But they also got to have visitors and be consultants and watch over the sect.

I think it's pretty amusing that these flawed dudes get to be a pilgrimage destination.

Then again, my definition of family does not require everyone sitting down to dinner together (like Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty <3 ) - but it also includes people I only talk to every three months or so.

But, yes, we were robbed of them puttering around and poking at disciples and being ridiculously cute about it.

[forestofglory]

Well I hope some writes cute fic about people visiting them or them visiting the sect.

[libitina]

I think the only one I've come across so far is the Siji Mountain Rest Stop one

[forestofglory]

I have that one downloaded! This is making me more excited to read it.

[merit]

I have both The Lord of Stariel and Black Water Sister! And your reviews made me more excited to read them :)

[forestofglory]

Yay! I hope you enjoy them!