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terapsina · 2 years

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Can I take a moment to talk about how I enjoy the fact that Dongfang Qingcang was NOT ever actually evil?

He was without feelings. He was ruthless. Thirty thousand years ago he tried to attack Shuiyuntian and there would undoubtedly have been innocent victims but he did not do so because he was being a conqueror. He did so because his people were clearly quite desperate (and yes, as revenge against the Fairy Realm for their treatment of the Moon Tribe).

The story describes him as this great evil but it feels more like the victors of the war rewriting history the way they liked, rather than actual description of Dongfang Qingcang as we get to know him. Even in the beginning when his feelings are only barely beginning to wake he's not so much cruel or malicious as angry after all.

Infuriated by being tied to Xiao Lanhua. But he doesn't really do anything truly horrific to her does he? He's kinda mean when she's irritating him - especially when she keeps unknowingly describing him as a green skinned monster with bad breath (which: ICONIC); incredibly grumpy; throws around a few empty threats; gets kinda hilariously excited about the opportunity to kill people and beings FOR her.

But he doesn't kidnap her until it's to save her life. He tries talking/tricking Xiao Lanhua into fixing the previous God of War's destiny book but doesn't hold swords to the throats of the people she cares about to make her do it.

And then he multiple times tries to make Xiao Lanhua feel better whenever she's upset (very resentfully in the beginning to be fair and with the frequent addition of murder eyes as he does it but not in a... calculated way. There's no real manipulation or seduction going on, he's even right when he tells her he never lied to her when she learns exactly who he is).

I just... I like that the story ISN'T 'evil man falls in love and this fixes him'. He wasn't evil. And falling in love didn't fix him. Falling in love was more a consequence of his Heart Tree being given a spark of life, which gave him the ABILITY to fall in love, and not at all the kind of toxic power play that shows often try to make romantic and which just end up making me vaguely ill.

He's not an evil overlord out for his own selfish goals who then starts caring about one person and one person alone. He cares about his entire realm, he cares about the souls of those 100'000 trapped soldiers. He always did, even if up to that point he was loyalty without affection. He's dangerous. Both the leader of and the weapon for his people. But he grows into more than that through the story as he learns selflessness and forgiveness and compassion.

Ultimately I guess I like that though he might have changed because of Xiao Lanhua, he didn't do it for her. At least not the way this trope is usually used in many of my NOTPs.

#dongfang qingcang #love between fairy and devil #moon orchid #otp: in thousands of identical orchids i will find you in an instant #terapsina rambles #terapsina's lbfad rambles #lbfad spoilers

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terapsina · 2 years

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Reasons to watch Love Between Fairy and Devil.

A Chinese fantasy romantic drama with a dash of comedy in the beginning and a huge wallop of angst in the second half.

One, the romance.

(take careful note of this gesture, please, it will break your hearts in the future)

Okay, so this is honestly one of the best told love stories I've watched in recent memory. And that is honestly very impressive when you consider how very easy it is to mess up this kind of love story.

She's Xiao Lanhua (or 'Little Orchid Fairy'), bright and innocent and kind. And in the beginning more than a bit naive and foolish. A fairy who is looked down on because of her damaged immortal root, who bends under the pressure of the bullying she's always known from the other fairies. Lonely in her home of Arbiter Hall where she looks after the destiny books alone by herself because her shifu left to wander the mortal realms.

He's Dongfang Qingcang. The Moon Supreme, the leader of the Moon Tribe who has been imprisoned following the last war between his people and the Heavenly Realm 30'000 years ago. He's cold and unfeeling and quite literally heartless (this involves fantasy reasons and some pretty horrible childhood trauma that gets slowly unraveled through the story).

And in the beginning the only reason he doesn't kill her as soon as he's free is that there's an accidental curse that ties his life to hers. If she dies so does he. If she's cut, so is he. And whatever emotion she feels, he will feel too. Whatever order she gives, he must follow. And sometimes, under certain conditions, they switch bodies.

(the actors have great fun with it, warning of huge amounts of second-hand embarrassment in two out of 36 episodes, I nearly died, it was worth it)

He keeps her safe because he has no choice.

And the thing is that he doesn't actually ever try to seduce her. The normal formula of this kind of story is 'he lies, seduces her, then falls in love, but still breaks her heart, she forgives him' right? This show though? It plays with the formula, yeah, but it twists it in a very interesting (in my opinion) way.

There's a misunderstanding between them. And here's some of the comedy of the show. She thinks he's fallen in love with her and she's trying to gently let him down. Meanwhile he's not actually pretending that he's in love with her, he's just not telling her exactly why he can't let her out of his sight.

And the development in both their characters is incredibly detailed and intricate. They both grow immensely through the story. As Dongfang Qingcang first experiences emotions through her and then as his own emotions begin to wake up following that. As Xiao Lanhua starts out wanting to return to her normal life and then falls in love not only with him but also his land and his people.

They're very Hades and Persephone (minor kidnappings including). And very Romeo and Juliet (though more mature about it, she isn't actually willing to compromise her own morality just because she's fallen in love with him).

And their love story isn't at all rushed. It takes nearly three quarters of the story for them both to fall in love, it is gradual and believable and mutual. And then once they have fallen in love despite the fact that there are all kinds of very familiar angsty plots thrown at them, none of them get dragged out to annoying lengths and many of them get resolved in very refreshing ways.

(angst, there will be such big whallops of angst, my friends)

But the romance is not the ONLY thing this show has going for it. It is what changes the fate of all three realms, yes, but there are other relationships that deserve to be mentioned.

And other characters, because this is actually a pretty beautifully built ensemble show.

One character is Dongfang Qingcang's brother Xun Feng, the character that in a different show would be the malicious underhanded brother who wants to steal his brother's throne and cares only of power.

Here though, after an old secret is revealed and he finds out the truth behind the reason (a good one) he's hated his brother for thousands of years his wish to rebuild his relationship with his brother is genuine. And though there are things he does after that which could have been because of cruelty in a different show, here they are simply misguided.

(there are lots of awkward Dongfang Qingcang trying to show affection for the first time since childhood scenes, they're adorable, and hilarious)

Then there's the false friendship between Xiao Lanhua and Jie Li which slowly develops into a real one through the power of Xiao Lanhua being simply too stubborn and too good and too genuine for Jie Li to remain stone against.

(here portrayed scene of Jie Li flinching under horror that is Dongfang Qingcang doing his very best to make Xiao Lanhua as ugly and unattractive as possible)

Jie Li is an orphan of the Moon Tribe from Haishi City who has spent her entire life scrapping for survival by lying and cheating. Including by selling to Xiao Lanhua fake cures for her damaged immortal root.

Again, there are certain ways you'd expect her story to go. You'd be wrong.

And then the relationship between Dongfang Qingcang and his most loyal guard, the Black Dragon Shang Que.

(here shown the reaction to the miracle of his lord patting his brother on the shoulder).

Poor dragon needs to deal with a lot and deserves a raise. He's also just as dumb as the rest of them. And FYI falls in love with Jie Li.

And then of course is the very healthy way this show portrays unrequited love too.

There are two characters who this is shown through. One is fairy Dan Yin who is in love with the God of War Chang Heng and is introduced as a spoiled bully but very quickly is shown being capable of fairness and ultimately gets developed into a character that you want to see gaining happiness.

The other character is Chang Heng himself who is secretly in love with Xiao Lanhua (who actually does have a crush on him bourne from gratefulness and a little hero-worship at the start of the story), but he ultimately loses his chance through inaction and silence that he abandons too late. But I want to make clear that he is not an unlikable character. In a different show he would have been the other lead. Just... not in this one.

Anyway, the two characters experience unrequited affection and though both go through stages of denial and unwillingness to abandon hope, neither do either one of them ever turns into something despicable - and when the time where they must choose between selfishness that would hurt the ones they love, and selflessness that would save them comes around both do the right thing.

Which is something I found refreshing and a relief.

And this show has so many relationships that get fully developed and explored. Not simply between the main couple and those around them. But between the secondary characters themselves. Other than the relationships I've already mentioned, other ones that have their chance in the sun are Xiao Lanhua and Dan Yin, Dan Yin and Jie Li, Dongfang Qingcang and Chang Heng, Xun Feng and Xiao Lanhua. And more besides.

And then there's the villain of the story who is both monstrous and utterly unforgivable and yet also has a very sad story and motivations for what they do. I can't really say anything more though.

Basically I just really recommend this show to fans of fantasy and people with a weakness for a very compelling, well developed love story.

For those interested, the first five episodes are available to be watched free on the official streaming site here (at which point you can decide if it's worth subscribing for a single month to finish watching).

I think it's also going to be available on Netflix on September 18, 2022 update: September 9, 2022.

That's of course for the... official sites. There are of course other options available 🏴‍☠️.

P.S. I finished the entire show with all its 36 episodes in three days (despite it being my first time watching a live action Chinese TV series) am now going into withdrawal. Seriously, this show is SO GOOD, I PROMISE.

P.P.S. It's got a happy ending. I will not tell you anything other than that. But yes, it's got a happy ending.

#love between fairy and devil #xiao lanhua #xiao lan hua #dongfang qingcang #xun feng #jie li #shang que #dan yin #chang heng #terapsina rambles #can lan jue #苍兰诀 #tv rec #tv recs #otp: in thousands of identical orchids i will find you in an instant #terapsina's lbfad rambles #moon orchid

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terapsina · 2 years

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Also. Let's talk about Xiao Lanhua.

I've seen people complaining about her for multiple reasons. And most of them rub me wrong.

Is she introduced as a bit of a one dimensional character in the beginning? Yeah. But so is Dongfang Qingcang.

Just from the opposite direction.

The whole point is kind of that they meet in the middle?

She's young and sheltered. Believes what she's told at face value. Sees the best in everyone and shows kindness and friendship to people who might not strictly "deserve" it (this isn't contained to the Moon Supreme either, -> her initially one sided friendship with Jie Li, her lack of any anger or dislike of Danyin).

And she's not at all a passive character.

She makes decisions constantly. Takes actions constantly too. And this gets more true the further into the story it gets.

I mean she's the one who throws them off the Arbiter Hall when Changheng shows up with the soldiers that first time? She drugs Dongfang Qingcang and tries sending him off to Cangyan Sea to protect him? Put in a position where she might be trapped forever she literally and with full intent switches bodies with Dongfang Qingcang because as a fairy she might be trapped but as Moon Supreme she's got opportunities to change that?

She might not have been all that great at pretending to be him but you can't say that it wasn't utterly GENIUS!?

She also argues with Dongfang Qingcang and holds her own constantly? I'd actually say she wins most of said arguments? And when she realizes that giving that destiny book to him might have terrible consequences for her home and her people she makes her own plans?

There's so much growth in her character. But it's also the BEST kind of growth, in that she doesn't actually lose her base personality. She still keeps seeing the best in people. She still forgives easily. Still smiles no matter how much sadness she comes to see.

It's just that she also opens her eyes to other things too.

Like coming to understand the pain that the Moon Tribe is suffering because a 100'000 of their sons, husbands, fathers and brothers have been sealed away and missing for 30'000 years? Because they've been at civil war for that entire time? And that everything the fairy realm believes of Dongfang Qingcang and the Moon Tribe is not truth?

I don't know, to me at least Xiao Lanhua is just as fascinating and multifaceted a character as Dongfang Qingcang.

#xiao lanhua #xiao lan hua #moon orchid #love between fairy and devil #lbfad spoilers #otp: in thousands of identical orchids i will find you in an instant #terapsina rambles #terapsina's lbfad rambles

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terapsina · 2 years

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So is it the accepted headcanon that Xiao Lanhua actually also remembers the time where she and Dongfang Qingcang were married for 500 years in his dream? At least partially?

I mean she was resurrected because there were traces of her left inside his heart tree, right? So in essence her spirit was inside him during the time he created that dream reality to hide from his grief.

So it might really have been Xiao Lanhua who begged him not to leave her as the dream was dissolving around them. She might not have been fully conscious of herself but it might still in essence truly been her.

#love between fairy and devil #dongfang qingcang #xiao lanhua #xiao lan hua #otp: in thousands of identical orchids i will find you in an instant #terapsina rambles #terapsina's lbfad rambles #moon orchid

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terapsina · 2 years

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You know what is objectively HILARIOUS to me?

The way Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang actually genuinely thought that the post-fake-mortal-marriage-ceremony-switcharoo would be anything other than a complete disaster?

I mean. They seriously thought putting Xiao Run and Xie Wanqing in the same room would make them fall in love at first sight despite the fact they LITERALLY JUST married other people?

Meanwhile, the two of these idiots. Very calm, sharing tea. One busy describing how he's never seen her looking as beautiful as she does in wedding dress, and basically fully having edited the surplus spouses out of his memory already. The other busy with the angsty Poison in His Drink - Take Two.

But essentially. Chilling in place. Not at all concerned with their currently mortal not-spouses potentially coming across these two idiot not-siblings?

No brains. No brains anywhere.

#love between fairy and devil #dongfang qingcang #xiao lanhua #xiao run #xie wanqing #terapsina rambles #terapsina's lbfad rambles #moon orchid #otp: in thousands of identical orchids i will find you in an instant #lbfad spoilers

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terapsina · 2 years

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The first 6 episodes of Love Between Fairy and Devil are officially on Netflix.

Here, look at some scenes that might encourage you to check out this absolutely EXCELLENT series:

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(the aesthetic excellence is out of this world)

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(the comedy timing is top notch)

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(the scenery and cinematography is consistently amazing)

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(the romantic chemistry is absolutely gorgeous)

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(the magical badassery delivers constantly)

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(the world even has colors)

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(the costume department was given SO MUCH MONEY)

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(the angst of it all will utterly break you)

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(AND it's got the most pretty opening credits I've seen in my life)

#love between fairy and devil #moon orchid #xiao lanhua #dongfang qingcang #terapsina rambles #terapsina's lbfad rambles #flashing gif #otp: in thousands of identical orchids i will find you in an instant #tv recs #tv rec

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terapsina · 2 years

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You know the more I think about it the more I come to the decision that even though Rong Hao is utterly delusional in almost every single way, he actually had every right to be utterly pissed off that the only person other than him visiting Chidi Nvzi's grave was Changheng.

Like. Ungrateful.

#ronghao #chidi nvzi #love between fairy and devil #lbfad spoilers #terapsina rambles #terapsina's lbfad rambles #rong hao

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terapsina · 2 years

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Okay. So who actually knows that it was Rong Hao who killed the Xishan Clan?

So events as I understand them.

Chidi Nvzi kills herself and uses the act to seal away a 100'000 soldiers plus Dongfang Qingcang himself.

Rong Hao rapidly goes utterly evil and slaughters an entire clan (plus lots and LOTS of other people).

There are no survivors so everyone assumes the Moon Tribe did it.

Now for my speculation.

The Moon Tribe had split into factions because of the power vacuum so THEY TOO might very well have thought that one of the other factions did it.

Dongfang Qingcang comes back.

Plot happens. Certain people eventually at separate times find out Xiao Lanhua is the missing Goddess Xi Yun and the sole survivor of her people's genocide.

Changheng accuses Dongfang Qingcang of killing her clan and her family.

Dongfang Qingcang broods about how Changheng will definitely tell Xiao Lanhua that he killed her family even though he didn't (and couldn't have?). But goes along with it for angsty plot reasons.

Or possibly mistaken 'guilt by proxy' reasons? He too thinks his people did it after he was sealed away and as their leader it is still his responsibility to carry the consequences?

But does Rong Hao actually confess to the genocide of Xishan Clan? I know he admits to killing the Shuiyuntian soldiers (which Lord Yun Zhong then covers up because it's more useful to name Dongfang Qingcang as patsy). But how much of his earlier crimes did he admit to?

Anyway. In the end I think only Rong Hao knows (and maybe his right hand venomous butterfly woman)?

And then of course Xiao Lanhua knows once she remembers her previous life as Xi Yun because she was present for it and actually SAW Rong Hao.

So. Basically this part was a bit confusing to me and I wanted to write it out to see how it fits together.

#love between fairy and devil #xishan clan #rong hao #xiao lanhua #dongfang qingcang #goddess xi yun #terapsina rambles #terapsina's lbfad rambles #lbfad spoilers #spoilers #love between fairy and devil spoilers

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terapsina · 2 years

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Also another thing that I like about Xiao Lanhua.

She's actually quite selfish to start with.

I mean she steals money from her plant friends to buy yet another cure from Jie Li (something that seems to be a habit for her).

She wants the things she wants and does whatever she feels like to get them.

So yeah, she's selfish and self-involved. She's also sweet and truly kind and possessing a hidden spine that might bend under the abuse from the other fairies but hardens a long way away from breaking when it's truly important for her. And she's very very brave.

There are FACETS in her character and not all of them are pure and perfect and I ADORE that about her.

#xiao lanhua #xiao lan hua #love between fairy and devil #terapsina rambles #terapsina's lbfad rambles

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terapsina · 2 years

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You know what? I'm going to take a wild guess here but I'm not actually sure there's that big of an age difference between Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang?

I mean they keep coming back to those 30'000 years. But. He was UNCONSCIOUS for 30'000 years, I'm PRETTY sure they don't count towards his actual age.

She's 1500 years old.

He might have been a bit older than her when his primordial spirit got imprisoned but by the way he acts I wouldn't say he's THAT much older.

Even without considering the way his emotional maturity got stunted by getting his emotions literally torn out of him during his teenage phase of life, he does rather act like a very young ruler?

Still following the plans his predecessor implanted in him. Afraid to trust even those clearly loyal to him as if his position isn't quite cemented despite his vastly superior power.

So yeah. I'm not sure I agree with reading him as incredibly older than Xiao Lanhua.

(literally the one snag I keep coming across is why exactly his younger brother still looks like his younger brother, but I'm putting that in the jar of 'artistic liberties' and dropping it)

#dongfang qingcang #xiao lanhua #moon orchid #love between fairy and devil #terapsina rambles #terapsina's lbfad rambles #otp: in thousands of identical orchids i will find you in an instant

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terapsina · 2 years

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Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang seriously need a ship name. I need something to tag them with, okay?

A portmanteau is going to be way too complicated though, so...

Hellfire Orchid? Moon Orchid? Glazed Fire Orchid?

I’m bad at this. Help?!

Edit: further suggestions for their ship name I've seen through comments.

Supermoon Lovers. Clown Orchid.

Still no larger agreement though.

#love between fairy and devil #xiao lanhua #xiao lan hua #dongfang qingcang #hellfire orchid #moon orchid #glazed fire orchid #terapsina rambles #terapsina's lbfad rambles #otp: in thousands of identical orchids i will find you in an instant

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terapsina · 7 months

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Now that the writers and actors strike is about to begin being felt (and as we wait for those greedy billion dollar companies who are refusing to negotiate fair pay and conditions to give up) here's 10 of my favorite (all around best) fully finished older series you should definitely check out if you haven't watched.

I mean it, these are the shows with continuously great writing and a satisfying endings that manage to actually deliver on their promises.

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1. Leverage - (containing 5 seasons, or 77 episodes) - trailer here.

Hitter, Hacker, Grifter, Thief and Mastermind. Heists and cons. Stealing from the rich and giving to their victims. They provide... leverage.

Meant for anyone who enjoys bad guys being the best good guys, who will burn down the lives of evil CEOs and then gloat in the background. Very satisfying.

Hands down the best example of a found family trope I've ever seen on screen. Barring none.

2. Killjoys - (containing 5 seasons, or 50 episodes) - trailer here.

Space Bounty Hunters. Another case of found family trope. Bisexual space princess assassin. Quippy sentient ship. Green alien goo. Evil lesbians (but like... in a good way). The warrant is all.

More seriously though, it's a story about three killjoys and the bounties they go after. Initially. And then they have to save the entire Quad from some very terrifying... stuff.

Contains one of the best friendships I've ever seen on television.

3. Orphan Black - (containing 5 seasons, or 50 episodes) - trailer here.

Found family trope but with clones.

Low level grifter sees a woman who looks exactly like her kill herself and plans to take over her identity long enough to cash out. Except then there's two other women who also look exactly like her. And apparently they're all clones and someone's killing them.

Enter a global conspiracy. Human experimentation. Lots of clone shenanigans. Some serial killings. And a few murders 💖.

4. Person of Interest - (containing 5 seasons, or 103 episodes) - trailer here.

Okay I'm beginning to see how I might have a found family trope issue.

Former CIA agent gets recruited by a reclusive billionaire computer programmer who developed a... machine that can predict acts of terror before they happen. But it also predicts 'irrelevant' acts of violence that will result in someone's death.

Unless someone interferes.

I'd really like to spoil some stuff to get you all to watch this one. But I'm going to maintain self control and just mention that early on they get a dog named Bear. Bear is a very good boy. Watch it for Bear.

Also for excellent commentary on rights of privacy, government surveillance and what does 'greater good' even mean? But mostly Bear.

5. 12 Monkeys - (containing 4 seasons, or 47 episodes) - trailer here.

The very best time travel show out there. What starts out as a confusing mess of causality basically exploding, by the end of the series all makes complete and total sense.

(when that final timey-whimey loop slid into place and revealed the entire pattern it was like a choir of angels started singing in the back of my head. It was freaking glorious).

Anyway, a man from a post apocalyptic future travels into the past to stop a plague from decimating nearly the entire world population.

He has the name of the man who released the virus and it's supposed to be a single trip. One trip. One bullet. Simple. Done.

Except then things keep escalating, and escalating until time begins eating its own tail and it might start looking like the end of the world might be a better ending than erasing all of time and space from reality.

Because when our guys screw it up, they screw it up GOOD.

And oh yeah... found family.

6. The Good Place - (containing 4 seasons, or 53 episodes) - trailer here.

A self-proclaimed Arizona dirtbag opens her eyes and finds out that she's dead and got accepted in the Good Place. Except that as soon as she arrives the Good Place starts glitching, and she really, REALLY needs to become a better person before she can be found out and kicked out to the Bad Place.

Luckily her assigned soulmate was a professor of ethics and moral philosophy.

One of the funniest, most thoughtful and clever comedies I've ever watched. Ever. The characters are delightful and by the time the final minute rolled around I had sobbed my heart out multiple times (which, as we all know, is a sign of the very best comedies out there).

As for the question of whether or not this too contains Found Fami- Yes! Obviously, yes.

7. Avatar: the Last Airbender - (containing 3 seasons, or 61 episodes) - intro here (couldn't locate the trailer but it's basically the same thing in this case).

The four nations lived in harmony. Until the Fire Nation attacked.

It's been a hundred years since the beginning of the war when two kids from the Southern Water Tribe find a boy frozen in ice and wake him up. A boy who's able to bend all four elements... though not very well.

Enter multi-nation flying road trip (thank you Appa, we love you most of all) as they try to find teachers for the Avatar and save the world.

Includes found family (shut up), amazing fight scenes, the most heartfelt and vivid characters ever, and the best example of a redemption arc actually done well.

8. Love Between Fairy and Devil - (containing 1 season, or 36 episodes) - trailer here.

This one gutted me. I'm saying this as a compliment. But it had to be said. Completely destroyed me. I just haven't been the same.

A love story between an Orchid Fairy and the leader of the Moon Tribe that starts out with her accidentally releasing him from millennia long imprisonment and then takes you through the caleidoscope of all possible human emotions (it's a body-swap comedy through the first part, then a romcom, then a dramatic romantic tale, and finally a tragic love story).

But it's such a satisfying slow burn.

And it carries this... humanity through the whole thing that makes it so visceral.

If you're a romantic who's very tired of instalove and characters dropping all their morals because 'ooh, attractive person' then you've got to watch this. Because this story does NOT take the easy road there.

(my more extensive rec for this series can be found here)

9. Star Wars: The Clone Wars - (containing 7 seasons, or 133 episodes) - fanmade trailer here (it was better than any of the official ones).

This series did so much. Introduced Ahsoka Tano, and made us love her. Gave names and faces and souls to the Clone Troopers (okay, it's the same face but you know what I mean), to a point where their endings during Order 66 destroyed me just as much as the ending of the Jedi Order. And somehow made me both love Anakin AND be a million times more angry with him.

There are some arcs in this series that might be a bit weaker. But there were some... god, there's a reason I love Clone Wars more than any other series or trilogy in this universe. And I'm not even a little ashamed to say it.

Must watch for Disaster Lineage shenanigans; for the vod'e; AND for the Jedi (who did their best okay? They always did their best 😭💔).

(and on the subject of found family... do I even need to comment)

10. Nikita - (containing 4 seasons, or 73 episodes) - trailer here.

A rogue assassin that escaped Division - covert government agency that takes recruits out of prison, fakes their deaths and then forces them to become spies and assassins - has come back to take it down. Brick by brick if she has to. With guns and explosives too when that works better.

Contains soooo many cool fight scenes. Is full of incredible characters you'll fall in love with (and hate with) very quickly. And most of all has an incredibly complex relationship of mentorship and friendship between two women that holds both great admiration and betrayal, real care and love as well as rage and hatred, forgiveness, mutual respect and an unbreakable kind of bond that so very rarely involves even one female character on TV, let alone two.

(as usual, found family tropes up the wazzoo).

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In conclusion. We all know there's going to be a large space between seasons of our favorite shows now (and some shows that aren't going to survive it). Let's fill that space with some excellent TV we haven't had a chance to see yet.

And direct the blame for the wait towards the right place (i.e. the studios).

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terapsina · 5 months

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People who have watched a lot of C-dramas. Please help.

I spent a solid amount of time being obsessed with Love Between Fairy and Devil, and am now in a mood to watch something that would scratch a similar itch.

Some research has lead me to two options.

The one with the ship made up out of 'The Silly One and the Grouchy One' but gay:

Or 'Two Chaos/Order Ships for the Price of One' one:

#love between fairy and devil #lbfad #the untamed #the starry love #cdrama #cdramas #terapsina rambles

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terapsina · 2 years

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Okay, so a lot of people have taken up this quote to comment on Love Between Fairy and Devil and I have THOUGHTS:

(spoilers for the entire show)

A hero would sacrifice you to save the world but a villain would sacrifice the world to save you.

Changheng is that first one. He puts his duty above his heart which is admirable if more than a bit sad (but he also puts his piety to his clearly corrupt brother above his heart, which is not, and he learns this lesson too late).

Ronghao is that second one and this makes him truly a monster. It is not beautiful, it's ugly and awful and no matter how satisfying it sounds to imagine that a villain would burn down the world for you, the reality of it is horrific.

(in fact, we even KNOW that because our universal reaction to the 'I will destroy your home and kill everyone you know for you' rather made us all slap our own foreheads at the sheer stupidity)

But Dongfang Qingcang and Xiao Lanhua? They're the third kind. The ones who would sacrifices themselves so that the one they love would not need to be the one who falls in their duty to save the world.

(at least by the end, in the beginning... there was the before mentioned stupidity)

First she does it for him (as well as for both her own people and his). Because if she had not he would have died.

In fact this is exactly what she tries to do again once she comes back.

And then he does it for her because he does not want her to sacrifice herself for him and the world a second time. And so he takes her place.

Really it's Xiao Lanhua who says it best herself.

I love all the people. I also love one person.

They do not place the world above their love for each other, but they also by the end have come to respect each other's sense of duty and loyalty and so she cannot hate him for his need to defend the Moon Tribe (or to seek vengeance even). And he does not try to whisk her away once he realizes that she plans to give her life to stop the Evil God Tai Sui.

They would not burn down the world for each other. But they would burn down themselves for each other without thought.

#love between fairy and devil #xiao lanhua #xiao lan hua #dongfang qingcang #moon orchid #ronghao #changheng #lbfad spoilers #terapsina’s lbfad rambles #terapsina rambles #otp: in thousands of identical orchids i will find you in an instant

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terapsina · 2 years

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Thinking about how Lbfad is all about love- and not just romantic love, but all kinds. Romantic, Platonic, Familial, Brotherhood, sisterhood, love towards the people, even self-love.

Oh, absolutely. This show portraying the variety of love in all its forms is one of my favorite things.

Plus I also love how there's such different ways that this love is shown in both healthy and decidedly less so ways. Seriously every relationship in this show has its darker reflection.

Like the love between Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang in stark mirror against the very obsessive and selfish love that Ronghao has for Chidi Nvzi.

The brotherhood of Dongfang Qingcang and Xunfeng that was so deeply broken but then starts healing once the truth comes out, held against Changheng's blind loyalty for his brother which is clearly utterly without reciprocation.

Xiao Lanhua's love for her shifu and the way Siming's lies were told in order to protect her, against Dongfang Qingcang's relationship with his father and how his father put his country before his son and did utterly terrible things to someone who only wanted his father's love.

Shangque's earned loyalty to the Moon Supreme, against Dieyi's loyalty to Ronghao and how he constantly betrays it.

The friendship between Changheng and Ronghao. Against the more true friendship between Xiao Run and Cricket. Or the eventual one between Changheng and Danyin.

Though it's not just darker reflections either. There's also just... reflections too.

Like the initially reluctant and one sided friendship based on lies between Xiao Lanhua and Jieli. In mirror to the initially reluctant and one sided friendship based on lies between Dongfang Qingcang and Xiao Run.

Or the unrequited romantic love that Changheng felt for Xiao Lanhua which would eventually be a requited friendship. In mirror to the unrequited romantic love that Danyin felt for Changheng which would eventually be a requited friendship.

Seriously, this show is so FULL of various relationships which show both the best and the worst of all the various colors that love can come in and I think that if anything makes this show special, it might truly be THAT.

#love between fairy and devil #dongfang qingcang #xiao lanhua #ronghao #changheng #danyin #jieli #shangque #dieyi #siming #chidi nvzi #anonymous #answers #terapsina rambles #terapsina’s lbfad rambles #lbfad spoilers

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terapsina · 2 years

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Okay. THIS is how you write a love story between a vengeful demon king and a lowly pure hearted fairy and make it WORK.

You tie his fate to hers so that any harm to her befalls him, make it so he has to follow any order she gives him and he ends up needing to count every flower in her garden while seething with absolute FURY, then add some body-swap hijinks, grumpy gathering of morning dew to help her heal while having angry murder thoughts.

(No but seriously, THE BODY-SWAP HIJINKS)

And to add comedy to the entire thing make the fairy oblivious to exactly why the demon king is doing any of it - or even of his identity of being the demon king so she keeps telling him about how the "dead" demon king is known to have had bad breath and green skin and was very ugly while he's visibly going impotently berserk.

It's great.

Can't wait to see how Orchid ends up completely stealing Qingcang's heart through all this drama.

(No, I haven't gotten this far in the show yet but as this was actually the scene that made me aware of Love Between Fairy and Devil and then made me start watching it...)

#love between fairy and devil #dongfang qingcang #orchid #xiao lan hua #qingcang x lan hua #terapsina rambles #also i'm beginning to suspect there's some kind of racism/genocide stuff happening here and it's not actually fairy=good and demon=evil #otp: in thousands of identical orchids i will find you in an instant #terapsina’s lbfad rambles #moon orchid

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