Let us all take a moment to appreciate Lan Wangji’s beauty as described in the novel.
Since he was young, he has always been regarded as a model cultivator alongside his brother. He is famous for his talents, his manners, and his handsome face. He’s generally described to have a pristine face with graceful and elegant features and light eyes almost like colored glass. He has a slender yet muscular figure and he stands tall at 188 cm (from MXTX’s footnote in Chapter 115). However, he is described to have a straight face; at times, even described to look like he was always mourning. His aura is likened to smooth moonlight and other times, to snow and ice. He is second only to his brother Lan Xichen in the (unofficial) list of most handsome cultivators of their generation due to his stern and aloof personality around most people.
Here is a compilation of official art used for the novel and audio drama (since they are done by the same artists) along with descriptions from the novel as narrated not only by Wei Wuxian throughout the entire time he has known Lan Wangji, but also by random people from the cultivation society and even by the average noncultivator humans. Also used some screencaps from the donghua, manhua, and live action since there have yet to be any illustrations for some.
Illustration for the Official Vietnamese translation set by Changyang
Chapter 13: Refinement Wei WuXian made the sound of an oh and asked, “Is he a lad who looks quite pretty?”
Jiang Cheng sneered, “Is there anyone who looks ugly in the GusuLan Sect? His sect doesn’t even accept disciples with unclean features. If you can, find me one who has an average face.”
Wei WuXian emphasized, “Very pretty.” He pointed at his head, “White from top to bottom, wearing a forehead ribbon, and carrying a silver sword on his back. He looked rather handsome, but with his straight face, he looked like he was mourning.”
When Wei WuXian turned his head, he could see the side of Lan WangJi’s face. His lashes were long, appearing to be extremely delicate and elegant. His posture was also very upright, looking straight ahead.
Cover art of Season 1 Episode 5 of audio drama by A-Xin
Chapter 125: Lotus Seedpod Extra (Yunmeng Side) He then turned to Jiang YanLi. “Shijie, do you know Lan WangJi?”
Jiang YanLi said, “I do. He’s the Second Young Master Lan who is said to be very handsome and talented, isn’t he? Is he really that handsome?”
Wei WuXian, “He’s very handsome!”
Jiang YanLi, “Compared to you?”
Wei WuXian thought it over and replied, “Maybe more handsome than me, just the slightest bit.”
Wei WuXian raised two of his fingers, a tiny distance in between them. Jiang YanLi smiled as she cleaned up the plate. “Then he must be really handsome. Making new friends is a good thing, you can now go out to play with each other when you’re free.”
Chapter 125: Lotus Seedpod Extra (Gusu Side)
In this disorderly and bustling town, the entirety of his being truly couldn’t fit in, with the way he seemed untouched by a speck of dust and the fact that he was carrying a sword. The stall vendors, farmers, and bystanders rarely saw someone from such high class.
Cover art for season 2 episode 11 of audio drama by Qianerbai
Chapter 55: Courage The glow of the firelight reflected against Lan WangJi’s face as though he was made of warm jade. It illuminated, with utmost clarity, the tearstreaks that ran down his cheek, as well.
Cover art for Season 3 Episode 2 of the audio drama by Changyang
Chapter 69: Departure Lan XiChen and Lan WangJi sat in an upright posture on two snowy steeds as they led the GusuLan Sect’s riding formation slowly forward. The two both wore swords at their waists and arrows on their backs. White robes and forehead ribbons flying in the air, they seemed to be deities themselves. Their snow white boots were so immaculate that it could even be cleaner than the other peoples’ clothes. The Two Jades of Lan truly were a flawless pair of jade, almost as though they were carved out of ice. As soon as they entered, even the air seemed to have become refreshing.
Cover art of Season 3 Episode 3 of audio drama by Changyang
Chapter 71: Departure From there, a white-robed man wearing a forehead ribbon slowly approached, carrying with him a sword and a zither.
The man’s features were of unparalleled grace, but frost and snow seemed to surround his figure. Before he had even drawn nearer, the cultivators quieted on their own, meeting his eyes in respect. The more well-known ones bravened up and went forth to salute him, “HanGuang-Jun.”
Illustration from the MV of audio drama ending song 人间纵我, illustrated by Changyang
Chapter 7: Arrogance He had an aura of smooth moonlight. The seven-stringed zither that he carried on his back was narrower than most. Its body was black, made using wood of soft color.
The man wore a forehead ribbon with cloud patterns. His skin was fair, features both refined and elegant, as if he was a piece of polished jade. The color of his eyes was especially light, like they were made of colored glass, causing his gaze to be overly distant. His expression held the traces of frost and snow, stern to the degree of being stiff, unwavering even as he saw Wei WuXian’s ridiculous face.
There wasn’t a single spec of dust or wrinkled spot on him, from his head to his feet. It was impossible to find any fault with his appearance. Even so, two capitalized words jumped into Wei WuXian’s mind.
Mourning clothes!
Mourning clothes, indeed. Although all of the clans in the cultivation world used extravagant words to describe the GusuLan Sect’s uniform as the best-looking uniform and Lan WangJi as an incomparable beauty who only appeared once in a blue moon, nothing could help the bitter facial expression that made him look as though his wife had passed away.
[..]
Lan WangJi was silent, staring straight ahead, standing motionlessly in front of Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng was already exceptionally handsome, but as they stood face to face with each other, he still seemed a few degrees inferior.
Cover for audio drama extra “Lan Wangji - Accompanying you to sleep”
Chapter 65: Tenderness Lan WangJi was reading a book, his head down. A paper lantern was on the corner of the desk. Against the soft light of the fire, his face was even more like a piece of fine jade. Even his indifferent expression and his light eyes seemed to have been glazed a shade warmer. He was so beautiful that it seemed unreal. Caught by the moment, Wei WuXian was somehow entranced. Involuntarily, he inched closer.
Chapter 122: Gatecrashing (Extra) While he was sitting on Lan WangJi’s legs, he said, “HanGuang-Jun, your face truly is a total scam. Everyone thinks of you as someone with a clear mind who harbors no lust, a noble and chaste figure. I feel so wronged.”
Illustration for the audio drama season 3 poster by Changyang
Chapter 87: Loyalty Lan WangJi’s figure was slender. He seemed to be quite the scholarly young master, but his power wasn’t to be disregarded. Not only was his arm strength shocking, his lower body was steady too. But, after all, it was a grown man who jumped from the tree, so although he caught Wei WuXian, he staggered slightly, walking a step backward. Immediately, however, he steadied himself.
Chapter 92: Longing The owner, “Really! No wonder. I was thinking you two good-looking figures must’ve come from a watery and spiritual place like the Jiangnan* region, Young Masters.”
Lan WangJi seemed as if he heard nothing. Wei WuXian laughed, “I can’t compare to him. He’s much more handsome than I am.”
The owner had quite a good mouth. She grinned, “He’s handsome, you’re cute. It’s different, but both are pretty! Oh, right.”
Would like to note that the physical appearance of a person with high cultivation is preserved at its prime. (Wen RuoHan’s level of cultivation was extremely high, so of course his corporal body was also perfectly maintained in its prime. –from Chapter 49: Guile)
Screencap from MDZS donghua season 2
Screencap from MDZS manhua
Chapter 11: Refinement The person in the spring was quite tall. His skin was fair and his hair was black, wet and gathered to one side. The lines which outlined his waist and back were smooth, graceful yet holding strength. In simpler terms, he was a beauty.
However, Wei WuXian was definitely not stunned and unable to avert his gaze because he was looking at a bathing beauty. No matter how beautiful he was, he wouldn’t actually be attracted to men.
Really, it was the things on the person’s back that made him unable to avert his gaze.
There were dozens of intersecting scars.
[]
At the moment, the person in the spring turned around. Beneath his collarbone and near his heart, there was a clear sear.
Chapter 94: Longing The distinct Adam’s Apple, fair-colored skin, and smooth, aesthetic muscles flashed before his eyes so clearly that he didn’t even dare look at them straight, eyes averting slightly. He swallowed unconsciously, somehow feeling a bit parched. Wei WuXian clenched his teeth.
GIF from audio drama season 1 trailer illustrated by Higga
Chapter 11: Refinement Each place brought up the same kind of people. The GusuLan Sect had always been known for nurturing a lot of handsome men, especially the two jades of the clan’s current generation. Even though the two were not twins, they looked extremely similar to each other, which made it difficult to tell who was the superior one. Yet, although their appearances were similar, their personalities were not. Lan XiChen was gentle and benevolent, while Lan WangJi was overly aloof and stern, keeping everyone at an arm’s length and being the opposite of amiable. This was why, in the list of the bestlooking young masters in the cultivation world, the former ranked first, and the latter ranked second.
GIFs from 陈情令 / The Untamed, Wang Yibo as Lan Wangji
Chapter 100: Hatred But Wei WuXian immediately looked up. He very clearly saw beside Lan WangJi’s lips the transient glimpse of a soft smile that resembled sunlight reflected over snow. This time, not only Su She, even Lan XiChen and Jin Ling paused in astonishment.
Chapter 126: Yunmeng Hearing his words, Lan Wangji smiled faintly. The clear and bright light of the cold moon shining upon the lake was dimmed by this smile.
In the space of a moment, Wei Wuxian was left dazzled and felt light-headed. Involuntarily, that smiling expression also spread to his own face.
(All translations taken from Exiled Rebels Scanlations)
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Last song - #357 of a 413- song Zhou Shen playlist. I’m working my way through ALL of Zhou Shen’s songs!
One of my favorite recent discoveries (I am truly grateful to all those Youtubers who put these long playlists together) is when some show had some people in costume trying to sing 芒种Mang Zhong and doing a terrible job of it -- like, it sounded like me trying to sing, and my kids won’t even let me sing them lullabies --, and then Zhou Shen struts in with an entourage, singing with confidence, power, perfect pitch, and crazy charisma. It’s worth it to hear the bad singing in the beginning just to more fully experience and understand just how different and special Zhou Shen’s singing is.
And then he sang a little bit of 左手指月(Left Hand Pointing at the Moon). Wow.
Last movie - The last movie I watched that was new to me was 刻在你心底的名字 Your Name Engraved Herein, on Netflix. It was crazy good. It was so good that I spent the next week obsessing over it and not feeling the slightest bit tired (my new measure for how strongly something affects me: if it can replace sleep, it’s Good). Some reviews mention that the movie is sad, but I watched through to the last second and actually found it quite positive. It ends with happiness and hope. That’s enough for me to look forward to a(n emotionally wrenching but ultimately sweet) re-watch.
The last movie that I actually watched was 闪光少女Our Shining Days (no longer on Netflix, but still free on Youtube!). It’s the perfect antidote to all emotionally wrenching media, while still being beautiful and subtle and, actually, kinda deep and meaningful, especially for those of us who really care about traditional Chinese arts. And it’s hilarious and the music is Awesome.
Currently reading - 镇魂 Guardian by Priest. I’m only on Chapter 4, but I’m totally enamored. I am still getting used to the new vocabulary and sentence structures of Priest (new to me) vs 墨香铜臭Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (魔道祖师 x2!), though, so it’s slow going right now.
Currently watching - ...still on Street Dance of China Season 3. Someday I’ll finish Episode 9. I really like it, honestly! I just really like to give it my full attention, read all the cute little pop-up comments, and, well, I haven’t figured out yet just when I’m (stealing my kids’ ipad and) doing that.
Currently craving - Anything Asian. Please!
Tagging: @herr-zhou, @coffintownkids, @bimingjue
18 notes
Congratulations to WYB for being Chanel brand ambassador, a long time collaboration. It is, as it should be.
Cr: 星川的绿
The Untamed as text posts (80/?) mad scientists edition
@mdzsnet 24 August 2020 Lan Jingyi Birthday Event (ฅ'ω'ฅ)
AKA The Most Unlan Lan to Ever Lan
And so begins my “Please No American Slang!” tirade, plus a few more grammatical / vocabulary changes to make the story flow more clearly.
The Chinese for this is super funny. I could totally see Jin Ling staring at his JiuJiu, staring so hard that JC felt the stare and looked over to see his teenage nephew absolutely googly-eyed as he tried to Jedi-mind-trick / wish his JiuJiu into saying something nice to him.
Jedi mind tricks don’t work on JC, of course. (Wishes don’t work on him, either.)
More below the cut:
Pages 1-132
I am constantly impressed with how well 2Ha has been translated. It has been an absolute joy to re-read, but this time in English.
I don’t expect everyone to know that “zizi” is another word for “older sister,” though, so here are some notes to help you get through the novel if you aren’t already a fluent Chinese-xianxia reader:
(Also, I’m on mobile today, so Vol2 notes will be separated into four 🙄 posts instead of two.)
More under the cut…
Link back to my Masterlist
Here is Part 3 of my annotations of MDZS Volume 2, pages 163 - 198.
please wait outside the one meter line
eat when you need, but don’t waste the food
please don’t bring in any external food
works/construction in progress
sichuan style hot&spicy chicken dish
marinated wheat gluten with peanuts and black fungus
watch your step/be careful not to slip
ethnic park
please contact with our salesperson before trying it on
detection dog/sniffer dog
i can’t say this one is wrong……
Chinese 🤦🏻♀️
Just this once, I wish they had not simplified a character. I keep mixing up the words for “old friend” vs “enemy”.
Like, really? One stroke difference?
Friends are old 古 but you want to…lick your enemy 舌?
I desperately want to talk about Zhou Shen’s recent stage outfits. (I pulled all these photos from his official Weibo, link below.)
To begin: Zhou Shen is an angel. Witness!
He frequently wears white or pale pastels.
We often see him in fancy jackets with slacks for formal events …
(And those shoes!)
Though he’ll wear t-shirts and other casual outfits that make us smile and feel all the more that he’s an absolute sweetheart.
Sometimes he'll wear dark colors, too.
Anyway, I don’t usually see more than his head, his arms below the elbow, and maybe some lower leg. Very conservative dress. He is a Proper Chinese Idol for All Ages. A veritable Prince 😍
Which, of course, means I get all the more excited when I see, say, a V-Neck?!?!?
And let’s not forget how good Zhou Shen looks in black:
Hot 🔥 😍
Next, let’s talk about the outfits he’s been wearing for Melody Journey 《音乐缘计划》.
It’s nothing overly dramatic, but he’s been singing some rock- and party- songs, darker songs, and so he’s been dressing appropriately in darker colors,…
Here, he still has a black tie Over His Bare Skin to cover the deep V-neck to preserve his modesty. This is OK. (This was his outfit for 《颠倒之间》.)
And then they put him in a black tank top overlayed with a silky wine-red blouse that Does Not Fully Cover his arms and shoulders...
This shouldn't be such a big deal, but paired with all the buckles and the long red ribbon tied around his forearm, I feel a little bit scandalized. In a good way. (This was his outfit for 《MINE》.)
For 《蜂》, I thought that they had put him back in super-modest full-body coverings, ... and then I saw the inside of this knee. And his upper thigh. Wait -- those jeans aren't fully stitched! Every time he takes a step, some part of his thighs are exposed! Wha?!!?
And then No Sleeves at all! We can see his arms! All of his arms! And parts of his sides! And is he wearing ... a collar?!?! I’m clutching at my pearls now!
Zhou Shen singing 《荒芜之地》.
Needless to say, I am fully enjoying Melody Journey 《音乐缘计划》, and constantly laughing at myself that, in an age where so many pop singers wear, effectively, just lingerie; I am getting excited from seeing my favorite singer expose his arms.
Credit: all these pictures are all from https://m.weibo.cn/u/7478855230?jumpfrom=weibocom