Chinese Dramas

[RhystaRose]

I'd say it was just an excuse to post pretty pictures, but these really are fascinating shows to watch. Highly recommended!

Word of Honor

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The Untamed

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[RhystaRose]

Word of Honor

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[RhystaRose]

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[Glitter]

Things to consider when watching Chinese dramas:
1 – You are NOT going to know what’s going on for at least the first 5 eps. Keep going! Do not be ashamed to go back and watch the first couple of eps again once you know what’s happening to catch things you missed when you were lost. Cause there will be important things you missed.
2 – It’s going to take time to get faces and names. Pick nicknames to start with “braided beard”, “soccer boy”, “princess chicken wing”, “evil eyebrows”. If necessary by ep 5 if you are still lost – consult wiki or mydramalist.com.
3 – Most dramas will have characters with more than one name/title. Stick with learning the faces and the titles will come later.
4 – Reading subtitles and watching the action is a skill that needs to be practiced. Also translations are not always the best. As you get into things, some times the character will say a name or place or family name that you catch while listening but doesn’t get translated. ::shrug:: It’s likely a more formal way of speaking that English doesn’t usually use.

I did not write the fabulous explanation below but it really lays it out well.

Wuxia (武侠)
The term wuxia in Chinese basically means “martial arts”, which is fitting since the main element of wuxia novels and dramas is martial arts. A wuxia drama is typically very easy to distinguish from your typical historical story since there will be a lot of fight scenes in a wuxia production.
Jianghu (江湖)/Wulin (武林)
One term that is used extremely often in wuxia dramas, and in other historical dramas as well, is jianghu or wulin. Jianghu and wulin have basically the same meaning, and those two terms can be used to describe the same thing. Jianghu in Chinese (江湖) literally translates to “rivers and lakes”, while wulin (武林) translates to “martial arts”. One common mistake people make in trying to understand the concept of “jianghu” is believing that jianghu is a place. Because wulin could also literally translate to “martial arts forest (wu - 武 - meaning martial arts and Lin - 林 - meaning forest)”, people often mistake the wulin for a place with concrete borders instead of what it actually is - a community. The jianghu is composed of people, sects, or schools that practice martial arts, and those who are “outcasts” from normal society. It is the counterculture society of workers who made their living with the skill of their own two hands: craftsmen, beggars, thieves, street performers, fortune tellers, wandering healers, and many martial artists. However, the wulin consists solely of martial artists and the schools and sects that practice martial arts. Jianghu is often seen as a lawless, chaotic place full of unpredictability, but also endless potential. Jianghu can be treated like a place, or work in sentences. Often wuxia heroes will “wander the Jianghu” and many endings have wuxia heroes, “retiring from the Jianghu”. Another important term that often appears is “Xia (侠)” meaning “hero or chivalrous”. Often people on the jianghu will refer to each other as “Xia” in a way of respect.

Fighting and Skills
Many heroes in wuxia will practice “qinggong (轻功)”. This is what allows many of our heroes (and villains) to fly across rooftops and walk across water. The word “qing” means light, while the word “gong” means work. Together they literally mean “light work”. This is one one of the first practices wuxia heroes have to learn.

Another common skill that martial arts must train is Internal Energy (内力). It is the cultivated energy within a martial artist’s body. Utilizing it, a martial artist can accomplish superhuman feats of speed, agility, strength, endurance, etc… It can even be used to heal wounds and nullify poisons. It is the practice of controlling ones breathing and internal mechanics to stronger martial arts capability.

Another skill character use in wuxia novels and dramas is Striking of Acupoints (点穴). This technique can be used to kill, cripple, immobilize, or control the opponent. This technique basically involves a few “key” acupoints on the body that, once they are pressed, can result in paralyzation or immobilization.

Xianxia (仙侠)
Xianxia is very similar to wuxia in that there’s a world that almost all xianxia dramas take place in. The concept of xianxia is actually very similar to the concept of wuxia, only it is even more exaggerated. The world “xianxia” comes from the Chinese words “Xian (仙)” meaning immortal being and “Xia (侠)” which means hero. This genre is heavenly influenced by Chinese mythology, folklore and Daoism.

One of the most popular Chinese dramas ever, and (probably) the most viewed xianxia drama - Eternal Love (三生三世十里桃花)
The Three Realms
In almost all xianxia dramas you have three realms:
• Heaven Realm
• Human Realm
• Demon Realm
However, traditionally, the xianxia world is composed of six realms:
• Spirit Realm (神界)
• Heaven Realm (仙界)
• Human Realm (人界)
• Demon Realm (妖界)
• Devil Realm (魔界)
• Underworld/Ghost Realm (冥界/鬼界)
Characters of xianxia pieces fall into those six races - spirit, immortal, human, monster, demon, or ghost. An example of a drama that clearly points out, from the very beginning, what race each character is, is Chinese Paladin 3 (仙剑奇侠传3). In Ashes of Love (香蜜沉沉烬如霜), the writers add another world called the Flower Realm (花界), though from what I know that is the only drama to feature the Flower Realm.

Often people will get confused between the “demon (妖)” and “devil (魔)” concepts. Demons are not inherently evil, however some may prove to be antagonistic. Devils on the other hand are cruel and villainous.
There are many types of “Immortals” and the different types have differing ranks and levels as well.
• Celestial Immortals (天仙) - the top level of immortals. Known as Heaven Immortals. They are the immortals who have ascended to Heaven.
• Earth Immortal (地仙) - these are mid-tier Immortals who have not yet ascended to the Heavens.
• Ghost Immortal (鬼仙) - these are low-tier Immortals who will forever be restricted to the Earth/Underworld. They’ve cultivated too much Yin to be able to ascend to the Heavens.
• Loose Immortal (散仙) - these are Immortals who, for whatever reason, have lost their position or have not been conferred a title/post in the Celestial Bureaucracy. In some novels, they are instead Immortals who’ve lost their physical body and now exist only in spirit form.
Another place that is mentioned often in xianxia (or even wuxia) is “Amnesia River (忘川水)”, which is a river that allows those who jump into it to forget all problems with love. Those who jump in will forget all the romantic relationships they have had.

Cultivation
Xianxia novels and dramas often feature characters practicing to become immortals (and in very rare cases - demons). Characters often go through taoist means of cultivation in order to achieve the status of an immortal. Protagonists (usually) attempt to cultivate to Immortality, seeking eternal life and the pinnacle of strength. It is the process of improving health, increasing longevity, and growing powerful. This is accomplished by cultivating Qi and training in martial & mystical arts. In many of these novels, the ultimate goal of cultivation is to become an Immortal or attain godhood. Reincarnations are also a common element in xianxia. Those who die retain their spirits, who can later possess another body.

The Difference Between Wuxia/Xianxia
Wuxia novels focus on humans and the struggles of the human world, while xianxia novels usually focus on celestials or immortals. The skills in wuxia may be exaggerated but martial arts is a true concept, and if one achieves mastery of martial arts, they could use it in self defense and defeat a good amount of people. The skills in xianxia are completely fictional (no one can shoot fire balls at other people). Wuxia focuses on humans and their quest to achieve mastery of martial arts, and xianxia focuses on humans who cultivate into immortals.

[WolfofWords]

Clearly, you need to run a game based on all of this.

[Glitter]

There are, of course, all the regular kind of shows. Modern romance, modern romance comedy, police, firefighters, military, youth, "republican era" which I think is the 1910-1940s?, all of these straight plot but most with a romance for the leads. The one genre that seems majorly underrepresented is Sci fi.

I just prefer the sword and sorcery with the magic and the fighting and the costumes and the hair. The rest of it is because the is the best write up of the genre definitions I've come across.

[Glitter]

Show rec!!!!!!!!!

JOY OF LIFE

A literature grad student falls into his story set in ancient times. He trains as a spy and falls in love with a princess while trying to find out what happened to his mother. At the same time, he dances through the webs from both the Royal Family and the Spy Master who both want to use him as he tries to rescue a spy from the enemy kingdom whose cover is blown. Zhang Rouyun as Fan Xian and Li Qin and Lin Wan’er.

Here is the trailer that goes with the above description:


And the much more Dramatic trailer:


Joy of Life is available on both Viki and YouTube

https://www.viki.com/tv/36367c-joy-of-life

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTB7 ... 6lo3pQjNMW

[WolfofWords]

There are, of course, all the regular kind of shows. Modern romance, modern romance comedy, police, firefighters, military, youth, "republican era" which I think is the 1910-1940s?, all of these straight plot but most with a romance for the leads. The one genre that seems majorly underrepresented is Sci fi.

I just prefer the sword and sorcery with the magic and the fighting and the costumes and the hair. The rest of it is because the is the best write up of the genre definitions I've come across.

Just going to ignore the part where I said you should run a game based on some of this stuff, huh?

[Glitter]

There are, of course, all the regular kind of shows. Modern romance, modern romance comedy, police, firefighters, military, youth, "republican era" which I think is the 1910-1940s?, all of these straight plot but most with a romance for the leads. The one genre that seems majorly underrepresented is Sci fi.

I just prefer the sword and sorcery with the magic and the fighting and the costumes and the hair. The rest of it is because the is the best write up of the genre definitions I've come across.

Just going to ignore the part where I said you should run a game based on some of this stuff, huh?

Yes. :examines the ceiling: An interesting idea though....
Still I really don't want to run a game. Maybe we can talk Jill into it.................

[Glitter]

SHOW REC

The Lost Tomb

Here are 2 summaries but I couldn't find a trailer....


Wu Xie's (Li Yi Feng 李易峰) grandfather was one of the infamous nine grave diggers who dug up from a Warring State tomb, a silk manuscript of the Warring States. Now that the Warring State silk manuscript has resurfaced again, the younger generation embark on a treasure hunt. None has ever thought that they would get caught up to an unfathomable mystery. If you’re a fan of “Tomb Raider,” “National Treasure” and “The Mummy,” you’ll love “The Lost Tomb”!

Wu Xie (Li Yifeng) is an antique shop owner who comes from a family of tomb raiders. As he continues the family trade with his team of tomb raiders, he finds lost treasures of the Warring States as well as the answers to the tragedies of his family's past. With the help of his grandfather's notes and his team – the quiet Zhang Qiling (Yang Yang), the resourceful Pang Zi (Liu Tianzuo), the experienced Wu Sanxing (Ken Chang), San Xing's loyal helper Pan Zi (Wei Wei), and the skillful Ah Ning (Tiffany Tang) – Wu Xie sets out to find the lost treasures as well as the people responsible for the massacre of his family.

Based on a series of books whose English titles is the Graverobber Chronicles. This was the first of the series made and the best place to start, especially with only 10 episodes.

The whole series is:
The Mystic Nine
The Lost Tomb
The Lost Tomb 2
Ultimate Note
The Tomb of the Sea
Reunion: Sound of the Providence
with several movies and mini series that are not subbed

https://www.viki.com/tv/25731c-the-lost-tomb?q=lost

https://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Tomb-En ... B01A7K0GPG