Musings of the Obsessive Kind

Game of Thrones has a sex scene that does not involve either whores or rape and consists of two participants who have feelings for each other? The scene is actually...gasp...romantic?! Is the world about to end?!



I am not following GoT season 2 (in large part because of my issues with endless rape and treatment of women in s1) but this scene made me melt about 100 different ways and the whole idea of Robb/Talisa would almost make me change my mind about following this, except for the fact that in Martin's world, any character I remotely like (and they are hard enough to find in his singularly repellent world) ends up dying gruesomely while the bad guys prosper.

Talisa - not evil/not whore/not victim = dead
Robb - has honor/not rapist/idealistic = like Ned = dead.

No thanks.

Have a shippy MV though:

Game of Thrones has a sex scene that does not involve either whores or rape and consists of two participants who have feelings for each other? The scene is actually...gasp...romantic?! Is the world about to end?!



I am not following GoT season 2 (in large part because of my issues with endless rape and treatment of women in s1) but this scene made me melt about 100 different ways and the whole idea of Robb/Talisa would almost make me change my mind about following this, except for the fact that in Martin's world, any character I remotely like (and they are hard enough to find in his singularly repellent world) ends up dying gruesomely while the bad guys prosper.

Talisa - not evil/not whore/not victim = dead
Robb - has honor/not rapist/idealistic = like Ned = dead.

No thanks.

Have a shippy MV though:

So, I am reading Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed, which is actually a very entertaining YA supernatural novel (short take on plot - demigod clans live and fight among us, and heroine discovers she is member of one, when a different clan shows up and her imperative to murder them all acts up. In the middle of high school.)

I actually even like the heroine and the rest of the characters, including the heroine's love interest, who seems a decent guy. For a decent chunk of the book, heroine and her hunky dude have a problem - they can't be together or WW3 will start and the world will end. Cue emo! OK, fair enough, WW3 would suck.

Then, it turns out, they were wrong and WW3 will not start. Crisis averted and initiate make-outs? Not so fast! For an evil more impenetrable, deadly, scary obstacle faces them and they can never be together - they are first cousins.

How I laughed and laughed and laughed. I get that Cassandra Clare's City series might be giving Ms. Angelini's no peace, or that she just tried to find a general bad taboo but City series involved people who believed they were full siblings and, as far as taboos go, first cousins isn't really one!

I mean, sure, people will think it's slightly icky, on the par with marrying your teacher or someone who's too young/too old for you, but you know what it has in common with the latter examples? It's legal and only slightly gross! First cousin marriage is legal in 1/3 of the states (the book takes place in the US and the characters are Americans) which means, due to full faith and credit clause, it's legal in every state. Recent studies have also indicated that there is no harm to the putative kids, either, unless you've been doing cousin marriage for generations.

So, basically - ahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Instead of buying it as this big doomed and angsty thing, I ended the book laughing my head off. Really? Really? This is your big obstacle? Oh my God, how more idiotic could you get? Just get together, idiotic OTP, before I consider you are utterly mentally deficient.

You guys have GOT to read fishcake's explanation to me of the family background of one of the two main male characters (Qi You, played by Yan Kuan) in Qing Shi Huang Fei. Mainly because I am still boggling and need people to share my bogglement.

Umm, I this think wins the title of most messed-up drama family ever, and that's saying something (if you are too lazy to click on link, hero manages a feat I have not seen before - have both his birth-mother and his bringing-up mother want him dead and his father be OK with it. Family unanimity yay?) Also, just to add more irresistible wrong on top, heroine is a dead ringer for his first-loved-then-hated stepmom? Who (the heroine) he wanted to seduce his brother but then fell for himself? Sooooo messed up - there is a team of shrinks salivating to get to these people! Where are my subs!!!

Overall, I guess my earlier advice to Qi You to kill himself now and be better off was even more prescient than I thought. Ah, cdramas!



On plus side, he looks very pretty angsting, which seems a necessary skill in his circumstances and will come in even handier as the story progresses - I've seen the trailers. Nothing good happens ever! To anyone!

P.S. Do not breed with anyone, Fu Ya! Qi You OR Lian Cheng! Insanity may be hereditary!

You guys have GOT to read fishcake's explanation to me of the family background of one of the two main male characters (Qi You, played by Yan Kuan) in Qing Shi Huang Fei. Mainly because I am still boggling and need people to share my bogglement.

Umm, I this think wins the title of most messed-up drama family ever, and that's saying something (if you are too lazy to click on link, hero manages a feat I have not seen before - have both his birth-mother and his bringing-up mother want him dead and his father be OK with it. Family unanimity yay?) Also, just to add more irresistible wrong on top, heroine is a dead ringer for his first-loved-then-hated stepmom? Who (the heroine) he wanted to seduce his brother but then fell for himself? Sooooo messed up - there is a team of shrinks salivating to get to these people! Where are my subs!!!

Overall, I guess my earlier advice to Qi You to kill himself now and be better off was even more prescient than I thought. Ah, cdramas!



On plus side, he looks very pretty angsting, which seems a necessary skill in his circumstances and will come in even handier as the story progresses - I've seen the trailers. Nothing good happens ever! To anyone!

P.S. Do not breed with anyone, Fu Ya! Qi You OR Lian Cheng! Insanity may be hereditary!

Well, I believe the upcoming cdrama Sealed with a Kiss just may be your chance. The plot involves a rich and ruthless businessman who is seeking to avenge his father's death by blackmailing the daughter of the man who caused the death. Basically he tells her that her uncle is going to jail due to embezzlement unless she becomes his mistress. And then he treats her like dirt. Yup, hero of this blackmails his OTP into sex and 'relationship' (I fail to see how this is revenge but I am not sure I want to enter into his headspace).

Ummmm. WHUT.

Since this is pretty much a 1980s romance in disguise, of course he falls in love with her and angst ensues. Did I mention he is married?

What a Prince Charming!

Personally, after reading the synopsis/watching the trailer, I hope most of the cast kills each other and mistress gets together with her first love. I mean, I love Hawick Lau (who doesn't?) but there are limits.

Trailer:



I am so there - trainwreck!!!!

Also, in happy news, according to my cdrama guru mookiehyun, Peter Ho got cast in 楚汉传奇 (haven't seen it romanized anywhere) as Xiang Yu. alexandral, come squee with me! Chen Dao Ming is Liu Bang. Did they cast the ladies yet? I think I have my most anticipated drama! It probably won't air until 2013 or something, but I don't care! EEEEE!

This is from presscon, I think:



I wonder if the lady on the right is in the cast. Hmmm. I am especially dying to see who will be Lu Zhi.

have just started ep 1 and, surprisingly (because wacky is a major hit-or-miss for me), I like it. I don't know if I'll be OK with wacky for 16 eps, because in order to stick with a drama I need heart and emotional investment and I don't know if this will have it; but for now, it's entertaining.

Also, this is our first glimpse of Ji Sung:



WTF LOL. Is he supposed to be some sort of major hypochondriac or something?

So, I've been perusing the stills of the upcoming Beauties of the Emperor and my thoughts could be summed up as follows:

1. Really gorgeous outfits.
2. I cannot tell the female leads apart at all. Like, I literally have no idea whether in any given still, Ming Dao is with Empress Liu or Consort Yu. That's going to be problematic if I watch the drama.
3. The thought of Xiang Yu and Empress Liu being an OTP in this version makes me want to roll on the floor howling. The equivalent would kinda be Wellington and Empress Josephine getting it on. Do not want. Breaks my brain. Trust Yu Zheng to break up a legendary historical OTP for some complete insanity (WHERE IS MY XIANG YU/CONSORT YU, DAMMIT! WHY ARE YOU BEING REPLACED BY SOME SORT OF ANCIENT TAKE ON IDOL TWDRAMA, WTF!!!!!)
4. Ugh.
5. And yet I still may check it out because HALLO THERE SEXAY SEXAY LIU BANG!!!! I am going to be rooting for ya in this civil war, baby! Never thought Liu "lemme throw my kids out of my carriage so I can run away faster" Bang would be so hot.

( Caps caps caps. For the love of holy, help me figure out which woman is which! )


I think I am gonna need that upcoming Feng Xiao Feng/Crystal Liu movie as Xiang Yu/Consort Yu to scrub my brain with after this.

I am not one of Yu Zheng's antifans (loved JPLH, liked Red Rouge and Four Women, thought Schemes of Beauty was OK) but this...good Lord! Yikes. Liu Bang better run around naked for half the story, is all I am saying.

hanjae posted about it but her entry is flocked so I am not linking to it.

ETA: She unlocked it. Check it out, it has the sources.

You know JPLH the movie sequel to JPLH the drama?

Apparently Yu Zheng has lost his marbles entirely and cast Ming Dao as the main male role. Ming Dao. As the main male role. Anyone remember Ming Dao in the drama? I didn't think so.

No, he is not playing Eight as FSF is still in this but had his role drastically reduced (no idea why and, honestly, don't care why, just care about the outcome). Ming Dao, who is hands down my least favorite tw/cdrama actor and this close to making it on my "won't watch if he's in it no matter what else is going on" list, is playing an 18th century general (replacing the drama actor who played Xiao Chun who became that general).

Bwahahahaha.

Oh no you didn't. FengMi were JPLH's biggest selling point and you just threw it away. Are you sure you thought this through?

The plot of the movie sounded iffy from the get-go (something about Eight not hacking it in the modern world, disappearing, QC tracking him down and finding the source of Eight and Four's 'eternal battle' (wtf - I don't think she needed to look for anything special - they bth want the throne and the girl, not that complex)) but I was still going to watch this for FSF/Yang Mi's chemistry.

Instead, this is going to have barely any scenes with them, throw in love rivals who get the lion's share of the screen-time (honestly, by the end, haven't QC/Eight moved past any stage where a love rival is even feasible?), and possibly screw the ship over and "compensate" me by making me look at Ming Dao for two hours straight, a Ming Dao who might be making out with Yang Mi for all I know?

That's like the perfect anti-movie for me. No thanks. It's not as if JPLH has an open ending so I need to see the movie.

Clearly, JPLH joins the long list of dramas I adored that ended up having second seasons or sequel movies I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole - Meteor Garden 2, Black and White movie, IRIS the movie (and Athena). The sole time a drama I loved had a sequel I adored was Hana Yori Dango s2.

Buh-bye, movie. There's still two dramas they are doing together to compensate me, so I am not feeling too bad.

hanjae posted about it but her entry is flocked so I am not linking to it.

ETA: She unlocked it. Check it out, it has the sources.

You know JPLH the movie sequel to JPLH the drama?

Apparently Yu Zheng has lost his marbles entirely and cast Ming Dao as the main male role. Ming Dao. As the main male role. Anyone remember Ming Dao in the drama? I didn't think so.

No, he is not playing Eight as FSF is still in this but had his role drastically reduced (no idea why and, honestly, don't care why, just care about the outcome). Ming Dao, who is hands down my least favorite tw/cdrama actor and this close to making it on my "won't watch if he's in it no matter what else is going on" list, is playing an 18th century general (replacing the drama actor who played Xiao Chun who became that general).

Bwahahahaha.

Oh no you didn't. FengMi were JPLH's biggest selling point and you just threw it away. Are you sure you thought this through?

The plot of the movie sounded iffy from the get-go (something about Eight not hacking it in the modern world, disappearing, QC tracking him down and finding the source of Eight and Four's 'eternal battle' (wtf - I don't think she needed to look for anything special - they bth want the throne and the girl, not that complex)) but I was still going to watch this for FSF/Yang Mi's chemistry.

Instead, this is going to have barely any scenes with them, throw in love rivals who get the lion's share of the screen-time (honestly, by the end, haven't QC/Eight moved past any stage where a love rival is even feasible?), and possibly screw the ship over and "compensate" me by making me look at Ming Dao for two hours straight, a Ming Dao who might be making out with Yang Mi for all I know?

That's like the perfect anti-movie for me. No thanks. It's not as if JPLH has an open ending so I need to see the movie.

Clearly, JPLH joins the long list of dramas I adored that ended up having second seasons or sequel movies I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole - Meteor Garden 2, Black and White movie, IRIS the movie (and Athena). The sole time a drama I loved had a sequel I adored was Hana Yori Dango s2.

Buh-bye, movie. There's still two dramas they are doing together to compensate me, so I am not feeling too bad.