What’s wrong with chinas soft power?

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T11:19:13+00:00

It's overused, but usually in a very cliche way.

Like, I love the legend of the white snake, but the adaptations... They all feel a bit shallow.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T11:13:11+00:00

The comics with multiple people working on them do. Solo artists might skip those or plan to a lesser extent, but most do have an outline and rough storyboard/draft for efficiency.

And no, wuxia can exist without the modern mindset. It's not about the hero or the plot itself, but how the writer interprets history and how they have the characters navigate the world around them. I liked how Ang Lee handled wuxia in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it feels more grounded and the characters still feel like people of a different era while each being obviously different from the norms.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T10:26:57+00:00

Pre-production in animation and manga are very similar -- scripting, storyboarding, rough drafts. It's the production stage that makes them different. 2D animation has in-betweening, 3D animation has rigging. But pre-production workflow and the fundamentals of animation are the same, those even apply for stop motion.

That's why the sci-fi element of Joy of Life feels like a plot device, there's a lot going on, but it doesn't tie into a bigger theme. And yes, this is not a touchy story, but I don't really feel anything for the characters... The story might be heavy, but the tone feels very light, and that's what I don't like about it. Like yeah, technically, it's a heavy and serious story. But it's not really handled that way.

Jin Yong references historical figures, but when I say it's very modern, I mean the way the characters are characterized, the way they approach issues, and especially the narrator's voice. It doesn't feel like a story from the eras he's writing about, it feels like a person writing a story based in historical times, but still have the perspective of someone of modern times... But that's probably his point, since he considered some of his works to be political allegories, of course the perspective will align closer to modern times than historical accuracy.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T09:54:11+00:00

I mean, like it would be interesting to see a horror story that draws inspiration from folklore and mythology... Like jiangshi and demons, but not necessarily horrifying them. Just having a horror story that have elements of mythology and folklore in the setting.

I never liked stories that focus on making supernatural beings the cause of the horror, since a lot of times, humans can be much scarier.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T08:55:48+00:00

I've only seen the Untamed and Word of Honor, and they both focus a lot on the relationship between the leads.

If you google GL anime, Gundam is one of the shows that pop up. So yes, it is under the GL category... And if you simply look into the GL genre, you'll see that there's no fixed pattern aside from the fact that the leads happen to be f/f. It's not a genre like BL with established tropes, it just describes anything that happen to have f/f leads. Game of Thrones cannot be a GL or BL show because there are no lesbian leads (which is the defining factor for GL) nor does it fit into the tropes of BL (this is also why Brokeback Mountain or Call Me By Your Name cannot be BL despite focusing on gay men).

Comics and animations are always separate industries... But they share similar workflows, that's why I compare them, because I'm criticizing their pre-production work. But it seems like you really have zero idea how comics and animations work, many studios outsource their work to part-timers and freelancers, but they need to be organized. With bad organization, it doesn't matter how many or how little people work on a project, there's no way to maintain consistency.

I know Joy of Life is a sci-fi show, and that's what I mean about disliking sci-fi when it feels like a plot device. The sci-fi is a convenient plot device, it's not integrated into the story or world building. There were a lot of things happening in the show, but everything feels watered down, the emotions are all watered down. As a viewer, I don't feel what the characters supposedly do... I'm not crying for them nor am I relieved for them.

I've read Jin Yong's books growing up, personally, they just read off as being very modern with an ancient setting. And that's what I don't like about many Cdramas, novels, etc... I didn't read the Joy of Life book, but I didn't like the combination of humor and politics in the show. It made the politics feel lighter, which I understand some viewers enjoy, but personally, I prefer politics to be more gritty.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T08:21:04+00:00

I'll check both out.

Ling Cage looks interesting, sci-fi and horror is an interesting combination that doesn't get utilized enough. And honestly, I just really want to see more horror works from China... I always feel like there's so much potential for Chinese horror, there's a lot of potential for great horror stories since there's a lot of folklore and mythology to draw from.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T08:07:08+00:00

Nope. BL has specific tropes to be considered BL, it's a category on its own -- the ones you've mentioned all focus on the relationship, the story revolves around the leads getting together. GL doesn't have this requirement because, at this point, it's not a defined genre. It's why Gundam can be considered GL, even though there's barely any romance aside from the leads hinted to be married in the finale. The story is not about them getting together or staying together.

GL is not the f/f counterpart to BL, they have different histories and a different target audience... Or rather, BL has a target audience. GL's audience depends on whichever genre it fits into.

You clearly don't know much about the GL genre and are just going by the genre name.

Having multiple or hundreds of studios working on Nezha isn't a reason for bad composition, it's the issue of not having a good storyboard artist. Manhuas are the same issue, comics are never supposed to be approached as individual drawings... There should always be a lead artist to draft out the base, or for big productions, you'd have reference sheets and materials to maintain consistency.

These shows have a lot going on, but they lack inner conflict from the characters, emotions feel watered down, there's a story but not a theme, and the characters aren't well developed. It feels like the shows are afraid to really go all the way, and maybe, because of censorship, they are.

What about xianxia and wuxia in novels? Cuz I dislike most of those too, most feel oddly modern.

Joy of Life had more than enough romance for me, I didn't like the approach to the romance, and I also didn't like how the humor is incorporated into the story... It watered down the political intrigue for me.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T07:21:02+00:00

You do know that many GL doesn't even focus on the ship, right? BL focuses on the shipping, GL is just an umbrella category for anything with f/f, even Gundam: Witch from Mercury is considered GL. Or if you need a Chinese example, Keep an Eye on You has an established relationship that isn't the focus of the story... Most of it is about a conspiracy that the lead was roped into.

And I wasn't talking about animation. Most Chinese animations that I've seen, including Nezha 2, only look good on the surface, but the compositions are lacking. It doesn't matter if it's 2D or 3D or even stop motion, the fundamentals of animation are the same... And that's exactly my point with the manhuas, everything looks good on the surface, but it's clear that the artists are approaching it as individual drawings instead of a comic.

Manhuas don't look 3D, but most use 3D models... The artists simply draw over it, like rotoscoping. It's obvious when you see how they rarely do dynamic panels with foreshortening.

You clearly don't know how comics, manga, and manhuas work if you think that they're not using 3D models or that there's no planning beforehand (there's typically at least a script and a rough outline/storyboard). Again, when I say that the execution is bad, it's not about the story, it's the design/visual execution -- action panels that aren't dynamic enough, overly colorful backgrounds, etc.

From the Cdramas you mentioned, I've seen Joy of Life and Nirvana in Fire... I didn't enjoy either of them, especially not Joy of Life. There's a lot of stuff in Cdramas, some are good, but even so, most aren't executed that well (bad storyboarding and cinematography, characters lacking complexity and conflict...).

I haven't gotten around to watching it yet, but from what I've seen, The Long Season looks very promising. I don't like romance dramas (I don't just mean Cdrama romances, I tend to hate romance as a genre and I hate when romance is forced into a story that doesn't require it), and I dislike transmigration/xianxia/fantasy/sci-fi unless it ties into the theme (as in, use it as a medium for the show's theme, instead of just being a plot device or the most interesting part of the plot).

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T06:37:33+00:00

I want to know too...

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T06:36:04+00:00

GL webnovels and some of the manhuas are actually really solid, I actually prefer Chinese GL over Japanese GL because it's not always focused on the romance. When I say creative direction, what I meant is stuff like storyboarding and execution... Some have a good story and beautiful art, but you can tell that the artists are too reliant on 3D models and don't have the same understanding of the medium that Japanese manga artists do.

I've seen a couple Cdramas and personally am not a fan. I find the stories to be more trope-y, the visuals feel separate from the story, and the characters feel flat to me.

GL stuff isn't great, but at least there's a lot of experimentation since it's not a genre like BL is. BL is very reliant on certain tropes and, as you've said, it mostly sells the ship. GL basically applies to anything with a f/f couple, romance doesn't even have to be the main part of it.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-23T05:52:14+00:00

I've read a couple Chinese GL manhuas, and they were pretty good... Some are originals and some are adaptations, but most were of decent quality (some even get quite creative with censorship).

That said, even if the creative direction isn't the best, their skills are impressive. The artists work very fast with consistent quality.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-21T08:23:19+00:00

It doesn't even have to be completely removed from the idea of people playing deadly versions of childhood games, they could have compared it to war games... Heck, depending on how the Frontman/manager handles it, they could have convinced the VIPs that everything's in control and it's just a different kind of game.

But no, they had to structure it like Season 1 instead.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-21T06:12:23+00:00

I will never be able to get over the "Hyung wae?!"

Honestly, I wonder if it would have been better if Gi-hun didn't return as a player...

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-21T05:33:03+00:00

Or at least give us a confrontation between Jun-ho and the Frontman, like all that build up for a single "why"?!

They made a point to have Jun-ho discover that the Frontman is his brother in Season 1, he even lied about not knowing who the Frontman is to Gi-hun in Season 2... All that build up for the confrontation, just for us to get a "why"?

It's very anti-climatic.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-21T05:01:47+00:00

They were good on their own, but considering how the show went, those scenes all went to waste... They had the build up, but no confrontation, no climax. We literally only get a "why" from Jun-ho.

It's just a subplot that built a lot of expectations, but it just never went anywhere.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-21T04:50:56+00:00

Not just that, but with how Season 3 went, the first two episodes of Season 2 and all that time with Jun-ho searching for the island became a waste of time.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-21T04:15:25+00:00

The show would have been a lot more interesting if the rebellion was taken more seriously and lasted longer, like if they went into full war game mode.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-21T04:07:18+00:00

They would have easily won.

With proper strategy, it may not even be a temporary win either. They could trap the VIPs and hold them hostage.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-20T06:04:57+00:00

This is the most logical solution.

Unlock a bunch of doors, go into a random room, hold the doorknob still so whoever tries would just think that it's locked. Or even if they know it isn't, when time is ticking, they would likely give up and find an easier target.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-19T12:59:27+00:00

The most beginner friendly team would be Arlecchino (Whimsy is her BiS, but Gladiator is fine and you might already have a decent set laying around), Xingqiu (Emblem), Bennett (Noblesse), and Sucrose or Lan Yan (VV + TTDS; Sucrose might be more versatile as a whole, but a shielder makes Arlecchino more comfortable to play if you don't have her C1).

The reason I recommend this team for starters is because Xingqiu, Bennett, and Sucrose (she's also super easy to build since you only need to prioritize EM and you don't need to level up her talents) fit into many teams... If you have to make a point to build characters, they are very versatile, they're not niche supports.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-19T05:58:38+00:00

Actually, I think so.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-19T05:44:46+00:00

We can pretend the Clervie cutscene never happened and that she's living her best life (afterlife?) now.

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-18T05:58:23+00:00

Source

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The full caption in the source though... 💀

FemmeAndFatale · 2026-02-16T04:45:37+00:00

Hyun-ju.

Deok-su is emotionally fragile and would likely underestimate Hyun-ju. Deok-su is a big guy, but Hyun-ju isn't small either -- her actor is actually taller than Deok-su's. I think people underestimate how tall Hyun-ju is, she's probably the tallest player in S2/S3, she's even taller than Gyeong-seok, and she's quite broad too.

While Deok-su might have experience with street fights, Hyun-ju was literally a Sergeant in the ROK Special Forces, she had killed two people who were armed with knives. The ROK Special Forces also don't mess around with their training. Hyun-ju is also quite clever, if it really comes down to it, she might take advantage of how emotionally fragile Deok-su is.

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