Mo Dao Zu Shi: Audio Drama, Manhua, & Novel Review - Part Fifteen! ALL ABOUT YAO!
Added 2021-12-27 14:01:02 +0000 UTCOh, Yao, you complicated man...we get really into his character in this chapter of the novel and see into his complex psyche and relationship with both Xichen and MingJue. And poor HuaiSang; I felt for him and for WuXian having to experience his former self's cold attitude towards Wangji...at least we know that WuXian has a second chance with our stoic Lan Zhan in the present! ^^
We also look at the extras "Drunk" and "Flower Banquet," which were some nice levity after this heavy chapter!
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Thank you for watching with me and for all the support!
Comments
I love that -- the two being devoid of either empathy or righteousness! Maybe, if you remember, feel free to send me the link towards the end of the novel, hahaha! I love the connection and contrast between them, though! :0
Romaniablack
2021-12-29 01:31:40 +0000 UTCAlso reminds me of hamliet on tumblr putting Nie Mingjue VS Meng Yao in this way. Meng Yao is empathy without righteousness (not to say he doesn't want to be righteous, he just often can't or thinks he can't afford it). Nie Mingjue is righteousness without empathy (not to say he never feels sympathy for people, he just doesn't understand them the way Meng Yao does, often expecting them do behave like he does). I would link you the whole post by them but it has spoilers.
kuskus
2021-12-28 07:46:59 +0000 UTCThank you so much for the kind words! The Choice Philosophy, indeed! I think that describing Yao as a "villain" is....generalizing a very complex character. Yao, to me, is more of an "antagonist" than a straight-up villain. He clearly has good intentions, but he also major flaws and some of his decisions lead to horrible consequences -- that's interesting to see how censorship wanted to make him less complex. Interesting, indeed! "He had no choice." Man, that line just hits hard with his character, especially in this chapter! Thanks for the comment!
Romaniablack
2021-12-28 03:38:47 +0000 UTCYessss, the two sides of the drunken spectrum! If Qiren turned out to be a "flirty drunk," I'd eat my hat! Hahaha! And yessss, Character Growth! That's insane that daddy Jin would consider taking in Xuanyu over Yao...yikes. #_# And that makes MUCH more sense that it was Madame Jin that didn't like him rather than his own mother -- gotcha! Thank you for that clarification! Yeah, especially since Yao was born the same day as ZiXuan. And hooooo buddy, I'm excited! :) Thanks for the comment!
Romaniablack
2021-12-28 03:22:49 +0000 UTCYao is so complex and this novel has really helped me appreciate his character even more! Thank you for the kind words!! :) The audio drama has just gotten better and better and I'm REALLY excited to see what's to come! :D :D Cheers, indeed!
Romaniablack
2021-12-28 02:41:56 +0000 UTCYao is so complicated. I totally agree with you on so many points you've mentioned in the reaction! My thoughts towards him and Mingjue are always ambivalent, and this is exactly what makes the story of MDZS amazing! I am sooooo excited for what's gonna come in the audio drama! Cheers :)
goldmund
2021-12-27 18:42:19 +0000 UTCThe Drunk extra is the best thing that happened to The Jades XD A happy drunk and a moody drunk! Do you think Qiren would be a bossy drunk if he was lured into that? Character growth arc! Yesss Wei Ying you were too embarassing in your emo edgelord phase, you're right to slander yourself. It must have been pretty hurtful for Lan Zhan. And your brother as well. Also, that one line that Daddy Jin would rather take in another illegitimate child rather than making Yao his heir? Yepp that's Xuanyu all right! He's probably the same age as Xue Yang at that moment, around 14... And yeah, WWX totally could play that melody no worse than Yao to make the Lans recognise it, he is a musical cultivator as well and probably has great memory for all things cultivational. When Xichen talks about Yao's mum not liking him, it's about madame Jin, she's an "official mother" since he's accepted into family. Just like for every child of the emperor the empress is considered "Mother" and must be revered over his own biological mom. Can't imagine how much Madame Jin must have hated Yao... Mm, that preview for the next part! "Wo zai"! Incoming, indeed!
Anastasia -
2021-12-27 17:45:15 +0000 UTCAs always, brilliant analysis! Love your comparisons, pointing out differences and similarities between Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang, between Nie Huaisang and Meng Yao, between Meng Yao and Wei Wuxian and Xue Yang... The choice philosophy! The selfishness VS selflessness! Oh, my! Although I personally don't consider not being willing to sacrifice oneself as villainous, I can see how it frames Meng Yao as an antagonist in this world especially compared to Wei Wuxian. Such way of thinking is taken to its logical extreme in Xue Yang's case. "My finger is worth 50 lives, it's MY finger and it's THEIR lives afterall". As an A-Yao apologist I have to point out that he is painted as more villainous in other adaptations outside the novel, some rumours in the fandom say it's for censorship's sake (antagonist should be bad bad, the hero should be good and/or fully redeemed), I'm not an expert on chinese censorship but other adoptations cerainly paint him as less complex antagonist, polarizing him with less complex protagonist Wei Wuxian. Then again, it's the nature of adapting a well-written book many things get left out, you will see the differences and similarities in their characterixations and narrative choices as you go along, no spoilers. I do believe his tears were at least partly sincere when Mingjue died. Unlike in the donghua, he doesn't smile (which was quite sinister animation), the peonies on his clothes "as if smile in his stead" signalling that he chose them over Mingjue and that brotherhood, chose Lanling Jin, his father. Did he even want to do it before Nie Mingjue kicked him down the stairs and called him a son of a prostitute? He had earlier a great opportunity to kill him at Wen Ruohan's and have Nie Huaisang as "useless" and "unthreatening" Nie leader, if he had truly hated him then. But at the point when he does he just... Had no choice, you know?)
kuskus
2021-12-27 16:54:03 +0000 UTC
