![]() It is possible to read it as there are people who are capable of redemption and work towards it, but that interpretation doesn’t work for me. There’s a throughline that there are ‘types’ of people who innately deserve redemption and people who don’t. Yup, excuse me, there’s a pillow that needs screaming into. In fact, indentured servants were compared with dogs at one point, because their masters must be able to take care of them and protect them… Yuuup. There are indentured servants in the show, and first, why is there a Beggar sect? Just…WHY? Where the show didn’t use indentured servitude as a small, fiddly bit of window dressing, it used indentured servants to prop up the ‘benevolence’ and ‘good heart’ of other characters. How the show handles class is even more haywire. Being part of the East Asian diaspora, I understand the logic underpinning these different choices, but I’m still very frustrated with them. ![]() There were many other parts of the show that underscore the importance of emotional intelligence and how demanding that children adhere to certain norms or what the parental figure thinks is right can be disastrous. The scenes of Zhōu Zǐshū pushing Zhāng Chénglǐng to over-train slaps an unsolicited layer of toxic masculinity over it all. There were times when Zhōu Zǐshū was unreasonably harsh to Zhāng Chénglǐng, and Wēn Kèxīng tells the boy Zhōu Zǐshū is only like that, “Because he cares.” It’s an incredibly toxic and dangerous narrative that perpetuates the idea people you love are allowed to, supposed to, disrespect and even abuse you. What I didn’t appreciate was moments like Zhōu Zǐshū embodying the Stern and Demanding Patriarch and Wēn Kèxīng taking the role of Peacekeeping Mother. There were really cute moments like Zhāng Chénglǐng going in for hugs when he’s a little nervous to be separated from them for a while or asking for bedtime stories then complaining to Wēn Kèxīng about how Zhōu Zǐshū’s stories are too boring. ![]() Family is a big theme in the show, and I thought it was handled better in some places than others.įirst and foremost, it was mostly a positive representation of two dads and their son. These are just the tip of the iceberg of how lushly romantic this series is, and there’s also other queer couples in the story! Avenue X’s videos on youtube were my main source for learning about all the ways cultural and literary references were used to layer romance in, so definitely check out her videos if you’re interested! Even if you’re not, there’s still sparring as foreplay, gazing starry eyed into each other’s eyes, domestic bliss, loving support, and aaaalll kinds of romantic tropes piled on besides.Ĭombined with the chemistry between the leading actors, the show served up soooo much squee!!! Among my favourite squee moments are Zhōu Zǐshū and Wēn Kèxīng spending time with Zhāng Chénglǐng, who is effectively their adoptive son. You can show a straight-laced grouch vaguely agreeing to meet the sly, sunny, shameless man again, “If the fates allow it”…only to turn around and almost immediately see the same shameless man pulling up in his boat.Īnd what about referencing romantic poetry all over the place and gifting hairpins the way married couples do? Or how about referencing a specific m/m webnovel trope from a particular decade?
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