I love how the author manages to show and entwine the toxic chinese culture of saving face throughout the manhua, and even does it so organically. We southeast asians save face , but not to this extent—at least from my experience. They always put importance on what they'd look like in public, and they even do so collectively.
Gu Qingpei was literally -ed, but he bounced back because of his pride (not arrogance, the self-image ego one if you know what I mean). I don't know, he should be traumatized, but then again, he has a different mindset there shaped by a strong culture or something. Maybe he is traumatized, but just chose to focus more on his "ego" because he did see that as Yuan Yang humiliating him. Do debate me if I'm wrong. Or just correct me haha. He saw that assault as Yuan Yang winning their unspoken game and a humiliation of his image, not something to carry or affect him in a very devastating, psychologically unsurvivable way. I just hope this won't influence or promote to those who don't know any better that is okay if it's to humiliate other people. It's wrong at any capacity. Please.
Anyways, that wasn't the point of the story, though I did hope the author didn't use assault because clearly they used it as a shortcut for two things: 1) to show their dynamic by glossing over it and reframing it as a display of Yuan Yang's dominance, and; 2) to boost their love story by having Yuan Yang "taste" him and then see him from a different light moving forward. Portrayal of assault or attempted assault has always been used in modern asian digital literature (im talking webnovels and webcomics) but rarely has it been used properly. The sad reality is that it's almost always only being used as a cheap shortcut for the two leads to have chemistry, even if the one doing the assault is one of the leads.
Now, I've also mentioned ego. Yes, their country has a very different way of internalizing(idk if i used the right term pls help) their ego. If us in southeast asia can lose face and take a hit from it... they take it more critically up there. If they lose face, it affects their whole social network (I'm talking family level, colleagues, maybe even ancestors). Basically less resilient than us, though I'm not saying all Chinese people are like this. This is such an interesting concept to study, and one we see more often than not woven into their literature at some capacities.
As a writer, it's so easy to see. Losing face is why their drama series are big on shaming competition or bullies instead of building their character — their villains are more often made as caricatures instead of being well-rounded. This is also why their media rarely produce anything involving a protagonist with negative traits. The ones I've read/watched so far that shows well-rounded characters and less linear plots are from authors who are a bit radical with their beliefs compared to the rest of their country (and radical has a different meaning in their context. For example, being gay is already radical for them. I can add more examples if u want). At least a lot of creative people there learned since kung fu panda haha.
Also, they are a very collective culture. They put more importance on stability and identity that they could get toxic. Think Yu Menglong and all those other stories of people there who didn't get justice. (I mus digress: his death could really be just an accident and not an organized crime as what their authorities say, but China had a lot of incidents with the same patterns under different contexts that it's just so suspicious now). Anything that could compromise their social harmony or ego(the public face), they must fix before it sprouts into the public gaze. So they settle things in private, delete stuff that could influence how the public perceives them, etc... This means their offsprings should also do good, because otherwise they failed as parents. One person reflects their whole family name, so they do their best to keep their kin in line.
This is also what their conservatism(not just politics) is basically about. Preserving established customs and anything pre-established. You have to at least grasp Asian conservatism to understand (yes, different regions/continents/countries have different views on conservatism). And saving face, for them, is a cultural mechanism to support their conservative values. You can also look up Confusianism to help understanding haha. Basically you lose face = you and your whole crew lose integrity = y'all lose credibility = your social role is scrutinized and questioned = public won't trust you anymore = you'd be shamed for a very, very long time. Better move to france if you did something bad haha.
We saw an example when Yang's father shared those hot pics, confidently so because his son's face is blurred, but felt threatened when Yang said he'd share the whole video. Sharing the video = Yang's face would be exposed = "what would people think of me raising a gay son?" "What would people think of us Yuans?"
Anyways, I should be preparing for an important exam in the afternoon lol. This is just an analysis, or a comment of fascination at the author's displaying of their culture in an organic manner. You can add to this, or get inspired to build your own fictional community where conservatism and saving face bleeds into their every action/reaction/interactions. I hope this helped in some way, or ragebaited if not lol. Peace out
My stomach is doing somersaults from the event so far. Did Cha Iheon change since he started wearing his hair down? Like.. another personality awakened within him or something, too?? For example... future Iheon from that world?? But he died in the original book tho :(( the mystery's making a knot outta my insides!! (┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻ don't tell me that's Iheon from non-book Huimin's universe and not the book one ToT
Finished without sleeping. Man.. what a TWIST. adding this to my rare treasure trove
It’s in my treasure box too
Didn't know there's a term for turning someone into an omega. Bitching, huh? Wait is that a proper term in the omegaverse or just.. idk the same way we use "bitch" or "whore"?
No way would it be a proper termo(╥﹏╥)
i hope not.. it's too derogatory
i doubt it is but i guess it stems from a female dog (= a bitch) and not the slur lol
Can someone play the devil's advocate for me about the side couple? Promise I won't fight. I just want to put the thought into proper, objective words. I know they need therapy, going back is bad blah blah that's what we all agree on. The author had treated topics maturely so far, and I applaud the author for writing a proper fucked up character other than "oh haha look at me im so fucked up i wont let u get away i have a knife i can threaten u to stay by my side" i understand Xiao Ke's character now BUT why did they make Gao Jin go back?
Wouldn't that go against the author's consistent ideals in the main couple story about a healthy relationship? Wouldn't Gao Jin coming back just reinforce Xiao Ke's unstable personality? Was it really just Gao Jin wanting Xiao Ke anyways even after all the red (which are real crimes bruv) flags? Him figuring out how Xiao Ke's mind works so he can now rest assured in a lion's den? Do they actually belong together? Have I just read their conclusion wrong and it was actually the most proper, most optimistic ending the author could give to the two of them? Am I trying to dig too deep and it's all really just Gao Jin believing Xiao Ke's "just a child" who just turned 18 and it's not the end for him and somehow Gao Jin still wants to go back to.. idk still give him a chance? (considering Gao Jin never called the police on him and all, yet never said he'd forgiven him)
there's no use threatening Xiao Ke or beating the shit out of him if we were to transmigrate to their world because i know he'll just stay the same (unless it's Gao Jin who does it ig).
Is it really just "stockholm syndrome" as one commenter had said??
Boy I don't think he meant it that way but whatever right? ╮(￣▽￣)╭
I don't want the story to proceed yettt prolong the wholesome moments on the ship before that- ༼;´༎ ༎༽
agree but ngl, i feel like they are still a looooooong ways off from actually having sex lol. a sexual awakening does not a romantic encounter make... and something tells me they're not gonna be intimate until their identities are revealed which frankly could be another 20 chapters at this rate so I'll take the smidgy smidge of progress pls!
I meant I don't want the bad part to come yet but it's sooooo nearrrr it'll all go downhill I just know it ToT like, bad stuff first because that would make the intimacy juicier.. except the bad part could possibly make a reader drop this ToT like this story is too fuckn unpredictable huhuhuhu
idk anything about a "bad part" coming and i dont want to i agree, i want the peace to continue. but yeah the plot does have to move/stakes have to rise somehow. i hope the ploy to eliminate the king turns into something short and comical instead of devastating and dramatic. like i just want them to get to the kingdom, fry that blond dukes ass, and then be happy. is that too much to ask?!?!
W-why is this marked as completed already? Σ( ￣□￣||)
Because the main story is completed. The the saucy side stories haven't yet. Seriously checkout the side stories on another site. Its hot hot & wholesome & seriously I want a lot more season of the side story
Do you know what the side stories are called??? ^.^
Read it on bato.. Its not updated here not sure why coz its from the same uploader
I hate people who never admit they're wrong because of their ego. What's worse is that he genuinely doesn't believe he's in the wrong. I hope this won't become one of those plots that would have forced chemistry in the future just because the uke yielded. Sound familiar? lol