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alias_sqbrSome rambling thoughts, spoilers up to Chapter 71 of the novel and Episode 13 of the animated version. I am quite enjoying both, and finding the contrasts interesting!
Two main differences between the donghua (anime) and novel:
1) Since it's no longer from the point of view of the protagonist Wei Wuxian, they can include implied scenes where he wasn't present and only heard about events indirectly. This has mostly been used to show his love interest Lan Wangji worrying about him :D Also more scenes of my doomed fave Wen Ning putting himself in danger to keep Wei Wuxian and Jiang Chen safe from the rest of the Wen clan when they barely know who he even is ;_;
2) The novel's main arc is set when Wei Wuxian is 35ish, scattered with somewhat non linear flashbacks to when he was younger and random memories from various ghosts.
The donghua starts at the same point (Wei Wuxian's resurrection at 35) and follows that arc for an episode or two, until the first point where the novel has a flashback to when he was 15. But then it stays in the flashback and shows events from that point linearly. Right now (episode 13) Wei Wuxian is about 18.
Some of the reasons the novel is structured this way are dramatic irony, tragic foreshadowing, and an air of mystery. So I like the novel as it is, but the two together make for an interesting experience, and I'm wondering if I'll get spoiled for novel stuff even though the novel has covered way more material than the donghua overall.
The very first thing we learn about Wei Wuxian is that he was a powerful war hero but died at 22 hated by everyone as an evil necromancer. The novel has been coy about showing exactly how he became so powerful, and what he did to make everyone hate him. The donghua has reached the point where he becomes powerful. In the novel, he gets captured by the Evil Wen Clan and left to die in a cursed graveyard, and then he shows up a couple of months later with a bunch of creepy ghosts at his command, glossing over how he survived. Episode 13 ends with WEIRD SHIT going down in the cursed graveyard and I am very curious to see what happens in episode 14.
While Wei Wuxian is levelling up, all the other non-Wen clans are gathering to defeat the Wen Clan. In the donghua it comes across as this badass moment of YEAH BRING DOWN THE WEN. In the novel it's more bittersweet because we've seen a lot more of how Not Great things end up after the Wen are defeated, and Wei Wuxian's impending death looms more obviously in the near future.
I understand why they made Wei Wuxian and the body he possesses look basically identical but I wish they looked slightly more different. They're not supposed to especially resemble each other asides from being generally good looking.
Meanwhile, the novel's recent flashbacks have been to the peaceful period just after the war against the Wen. At 35 he refers to this as a period when Lan Wangji criticised him all the time. So I was prepared for Lan Wangji to be all "This necromancy is messing with your head, you need to stop". What I was not prepared for was the context being Wei Wuxian surrounding himself with hot female possessed corpses who he gets to flirt with Lan Wangji?? It's also become increasingly clear that while Wei Wuxian likes flirting with women and being seen as a ladykiller(*) he has no actual sexual or romantic interest in them. Clear to the reader, that is, I don't think Lan Wangji has figured it out so he's just in a constant state of "Oh god he keeps flirting with me but he is CLEARLY INTO GIRLS I am just going to DIE or possibly KILL HIM". Wei Wuxian doesn't seem to have figured it out either, because he is a dumbass. Who just thinks Lan Wangji is very handsome and fun to flirt with! In a totally heterosexual way!
In Chapter 69 it gets to much for Lan Wangji, and he kisses Wei Wuxian while he's blindfolded (Wei Wuxian put on the blindfold to obnoxiously beat someone at archery) Which is NOT VERY MORALLY UPRIGHT but Wei Wuxian is absolutely into it.
Such a dumbass.
And then he bumps into Lan Wangji, who is in a WEIRD MOOD for SOME REASON, and even though that was in fact his first kiss he's all "Hey have you ever kissed anyone? I bet not! Unlike me! Who has LOTS of experience haha!" and then starts a fight with a dude and Lan Wangji has to step in before he gets himself killed.
And yet he still has such a reputation for being into girls that later on everyone thinks it's implausible he'd possess a gay dude.
Anyway the gap between chapters and episodes continues to be KILLING ME I have SO MANY FEELINGS. I am waiting on tenterhooks to see the point where Wei Wuxian and Jiang Chen go from close foster brothers to sworn enemies. Also the point where my doomed fave Wen Ning dies and becomes Wei Wuxian's corpse buddy. Considering Jiang Chen's monomaniacal hatred of all Wens I suspect these may be related D: Jiang Chen is my grumpy dumbass fave(**) but even if he doesn't kill Wen Ning have a feeling he's going to cross a moral event horizon for me at some point causing me to feel all Adele song at him.
The only place I can find discussing this canon at all(***) is the odd thread at ffa, which is really not my favourite way to do fandom but better than nothing. And this thread about it as a harem anime was amazing. For context: for a lot of the novel Lan XiChen and Jin GuangYao seem like two nice but boring background characters who are best friends. And Lan XiChen really is a sweetie! Jin GuangYao is...not, as the novel has been slowly revealing with very effective creepiness, and as their other bff (and Jin GuangYao's wife, and son, and half-brother, and possibly father...) discovered too late.
(*)Not literally, I am sure he gathered the hot lady corpses in an entirely ethical manner. One reason he does so well with women is he's just nice to them, and I feel like one advantage of corpses as trophy girlfriends from his POV is he never has to reject them.
(**)Grumpy less-dumbass fave: Lan Wangji. Cheerful dumbass fave: Wei Wuxian.
(***) After posting this it finally occured to me to check out the tag and I found some enjoyable squee. Ep 15 is the end of s1! SO EXCITED. WILL ALSO DIE WAITING FOR SEASON 2 IN LATE 2019.
Two main differences between the donghua (anime) and novel:
1) Since it's no longer from the point of view of the protagonist Wei Wuxian, they can include implied scenes where he wasn't present and only heard about events indirectly. This has mostly been used to show his love interest Lan Wangji worrying about him :D Also more scenes of my doomed fave Wen Ning putting himself in danger to keep Wei Wuxian and Jiang Chen safe from the rest of the Wen clan when they barely know who he even is ;_;
2) The novel's main arc is set when Wei Wuxian is 35ish, scattered with somewhat non linear flashbacks to when he was younger and random memories from various ghosts.
The donghua starts at the same point (Wei Wuxian's resurrection at 35) and follows that arc for an episode or two, until the first point where the novel has a flashback to when he was 15. But then it stays in the flashback and shows events from that point linearly. Right now (episode 13) Wei Wuxian is about 18.
Some of the reasons the novel is structured this way are dramatic irony, tragic foreshadowing, and an air of mystery. So I like the novel as it is, but the two together make for an interesting experience, and I'm wondering if I'll get spoiled for novel stuff even though the novel has covered way more material than the donghua overall.
The very first thing we learn about Wei Wuxian is that he was a powerful war hero but died at 22 hated by everyone as an evil necromancer. The novel has been coy about showing exactly how he became so powerful, and what he did to make everyone hate him. The donghua has reached the point where he becomes powerful. In the novel, he gets captured by the Evil Wen Clan and left to die in a cursed graveyard, and then he shows up a couple of months later with a bunch of creepy ghosts at his command, glossing over how he survived. Episode 13 ends with WEIRD SHIT going down in the cursed graveyard and I am very curious to see what happens in episode 14.
While Wei Wuxian is levelling up, all the other non-Wen clans are gathering to defeat the Wen Clan. In the donghua it comes across as this badass moment of YEAH BRING DOWN THE WEN. In the novel it's more bittersweet because we've seen a lot more of how Not Great things end up after the Wen are defeated, and Wei Wuxian's impending death looms more obviously in the near future.
I understand why they made Wei Wuxian and the body he possesses look basically identical but I wish they looked slightly more different. They're not supposed to especially resemble each other asides from being generally good looking.
Meanwhile, the novel's recent flashbacks have been to the peaceful period just after the war against the Wen. At 35 he refers to this as a period when Lan Wangji criticised him all the time. So I was prepared for Lan Wangji to be all "This necromancy is messing with your head, you need to stop". What I was not prepared for was the context being Wei Wuxian surrounding himself with hot female possessed corpses who he gets to flirt with Lan Wangji?? It's also become increasingly clear that while Wei Wuxian likes flirting with women and being seen as a ladykiller(*) he has no actual sexual or romantic interest in them. Clear to the reader, that is, I don't think Lan Wangji has figured it out so he's just in a constant state of "Oh god he keeps flirting with me but he is CLEARLY INTO GIRLS I am just going to DIE or possibly KILL HIM". Wei Wuxian doesn't seem to have figured it out either, because he is a dumbass. Who just thinks Lan Wangji is very handsome and fun to flirt with! In a totally heterosexual way!
In Chapter 69 it gets to much for Lan Wangji, and he kisses Wei Wuxian while he's blindfolded (Wei Wuxian put on the blindfold to obnoxiously beat someone at archery) Which is NOT VERY MORALLY UPRIGHT but Wei Wuxian is absolutely into it.
He thought to himself, It seems that even if the maiden is quite strong, her personality is both fearful and easily embarrassed? She’s already so nervous. Or else, she wouldn’t have chosen to sneak up to him at such a time. She probably mustered up all of the courage she could find inside of her. Besides, it seemed that her cultivation wasn’t low, meaning that her self-esteem was even higher. If he pulled off the ribbon and accidentally saw her, how ashamed would the maiden feel?
Such a dumbass.
And then he bumps into Lan Wangji, who is in a WEIRD MOOD for SOME REASON, and even though that was in fact his first kiss he's all "Hey have you ever kissed anyone? I bet not! Unlike me! Who has LOTS of experience haha!" and then starts a fight with a dude and Lan Wangji has to step in before he gets himself killed.
And yet he still has such a reputation for being into girls that later on everyone thinks it's implausible he'd possess a gay dude.
Anyway the gap between chapters and episodes continues to be KILLING ME I have SO MANY FEELINGS. I am waiting on tenterhooks to see the point where Wei Wuxian and Jiang Chen go from close foster brothers to sworn enemies. Also the point where my doomed fave Wen Ning dies and becomes Wei Wuxian's corpse buddy. Considering Jiang Chen's monomaniacal hatred of all Wens I suspect these may be related D: Jiang Chen is my grumpy dumbass fave(**) but even if he doesn't kill Wen Ning have a feeling he's going to cross a moral event horizon for me at some point causing me to feel all Adele song at him.
The only place I can find discussing this canon at all(***) is the odd thread at ffa, which is really not my favourite way to do fandom but better than nothing. And this thread about it as a harem anime was amazing. For context: for a lot of the novel Lan XiChen and Jin GuangYao seem like two nice but boring background characters who are best friends. And Lan XiChen really is a sweetie! Jin GuangYao is...not, as the novel has been slowly revealing with very effective creepiness, and as their other bff (and Jin GuangYao's wife, and son, and half-brother, and possibly father...) discovered too late.
(*)Not literally, I am sure he gathered the hot lady corpses in an entirely ethical manner. One reason he does so well with women is he's just nice to them, and I feel like one advantage of corpses as trophy girlfriends from his POV is he never has to reject them.
(**)Grumpy less-dumbass fave: Lan Wangji. Cheerful dumbass fave: Wei Wuxian.
(***) After posting this it finally occured to me to check out the tag and I found some enjoyable squee. Ep 15 is the end of s1! SO EXCITED. WILL ALSO DIE WAITING FOR SEASON 2 IN LATE 2019.
