March was just a fog of Zhang Xincheng-related output and I can't be bothered to link them all here. It was also my cousin's wedding, so I spent some time low-key fretting over it. I got my booster shot and a hair cut, and then my sister-in-law tried one of those bubble dyes on me. My hair is so fine that she got to do 2 separate applications on me, but the color didn't really take haha. Due to logistical reasons, we actually ended up skipping the actual wedding (which apparently had several mishaps) and only attended the reception, which was an outdoor one and more intimate than I feared and expected. At one point the wind toppled down a small tree, which landed on a table (no one was hurt, so it was funny).

Media

Turning Red (2022)
I'm not sure how much I enjoyed this one because I don't enjoy coming-of-age stories and this had all the coming-of-age beats, but it was CUTE and well-executed--the visual build-up and play on scale were masterful, as was every single beat of the boyband storyline. I was a lot more interested in the mother's generation, and loved how much backstory and personality was informed through the animation and the designs. It's really interesting to me because, though accessible to all, the movie inhabits a specifically millenial space, in between Mei's and Ming's generation as though we are both of them, and I felt this most at the bamboo forest scene towards the end.

I didn't realize it when I was watching, but I learned from this review (video/podcast format; h/t lunarflares) that the movie used a lot of color language to depict relationships. (I haven't finished that episode, it gets deeply personal among the hosts, but the general discussions happen in the first 30-60 minutes).

In terms of relatability, this definitely was not for me even though I recognized so much of Mei's teenagerhood haha. I think, partly, it's because of the setting: I was always an Asian among Asians, and while I have completely severed most of my connections, I grew up in Chinese communities. But also, I just was not Mei. XD And I had no desire to gyrate LMAO. But I did recognize so many people in Mei, which made her all the more enjoyable.


Who's the Murderer S7
Due to Deng Lun's tax evasion reveal, the puppet episode sequel that he was meant to be in was cancelled like... a day before it was meant to air??? I'm still mourning the set and the costumes and Qi Wei's appearance. They promptly aired the first part of the following episode (NZND as Old Boys) instead, but they... have not released the second half of the episode. Who's The Murderer and several other variety shows have suspended broadcast for two weeks after that. I'm not sure how much of it is related to Deng Lun, but it certainly feels huge; viewer comments that were initially sympathetic and understanding became angry the following week. (It certainly seems like they meant to release the episode, and were trying to, but something behind the scenes was happening. The "no episode this week" announcements were made around an hour before the scheduled airtime.

EPISODE 5 (which also had Deng Lun, pre-cancellation) WAS REALLY GOOD THOUGH!!!


Delicious Romance
Technically finished this on April, I just want to get this out of the way. XD

Main thoughts: I loved eps 1-6 and then 11-15, and in some ways I do love the messaging about still being a work in progress at 30; but sometimes the messaging didn’t fit the situation, and its perspective of work is still kinda… teenager-ish. I dislike most of Fang Xin's career storyline (which makes her relationship with her younger female coworkers antagonistic, instead of acknowledging that they're both victims of the corporate system and bad leadership), and eventually Liu Jing's. I... actually don't know how I'm meant to read Liu Jing. Emotionally it feels like she's meant to succeed, but logically, going by her conversations with her own parents and Song Chao's friend, it looks like she's setting herself up for failure. The latter would have been interesting to me, though, because I love the idea of having the freedom to fail.

The strongest relationship of this show was easily the Xia Meng/Wang Jichong storyline, a long-term couple that, due to their work and pandemic living conditions, broke up and had to learn to grow without each other. I feel that they could have pushed Xia Meng's growth and self-realization further since she has the highest amount of accumulated insecurities among the three characters, but the show is open-ended enough that I can accept it.

The best part was definitely ALL the child actors, from Wenwen (my favorite), to the child versions of the trio who were cast and directed so well I could see them in the adult versions and vice versa. And also the scene at the divorce registration queue which is what sold me to this show.

THIS SHOW CONTAINS: body/weight issues, fad diets and disordered eating, sexual harassment (several times, verbal and, at one point, physical), A LOT of fun meta about cdramas, a pointed portrayal about how marriage shouldn't be the default expectation from women, canon LGBT characters.

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Currently:

Reading: a bunch of things but due to my focus/reading issues, I have temporarily dropped everything /o\

Playing: I spent 3 straight days losing myself in short mobile puzzle games (Monument Valley, and Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise) and just now resurfaced. XD

Watching: Starting Under The Skin (crime/forensics cdrama) next!

Links:

ADORABLE Cardcaptor Sakura birthday animation by NzeNeee

Episode preview of the chaotic Who's the Murderer 7 Puppet Episode that got cancelled when Deng Lun got cancelled

Cat day fanart of Xiao Hei being piled on by ordinary cats by ne5zee