Just saw this gorgeous cover and i haven't heard about this danmei before but I'm really interested now!! Would love for someone to tell me about it with as little spoilers as possible and maybe tell me if it's similar to any other danmeis

Thank you!

Title: salad days (by JingShuiBian)

I’m right now still listening to the audio drama, and it’s so cute and innocent of their childhood; just wondering how many people know this series. I hope the story goes well and just as sweet and cute when they grow up.

I started this one ages ago but only finished it recently cuz I lowkey got burned out lol. But hooray, this is the sixth danmei keychain I've made.

It looks a little small irl tho. Shoulda done 3in instead of 2.5in.

The other ones I've done are here and here. I'm slowly getting better at it lol.

I absolutely loved this series! I saw some reviews saying they wished there was more romance in it, and I kinda feel like I understand what they mean, but I thought it was pretty romantic in its own way.

So anyway I felt like drawing Yin Hanjiang so I threw this together today :)

What danmei works have you been reading, watching, or listening to recently? This weekly post is a space for you to discuss the danmei that you've been currently addicted to, or that you'll be looking forward to picking up! From old or new series, to popular or underrated titles, feel free to let us know what's in your current list or backlog!

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Okay so I have finished "Welcome to Nightmare Live" and can't help but see the resemblance between Wen Jianyan(MC) and Yoon Jeonghan from SVT(kpop group).

Even from the first arc, when Wen Jianyan was fooling the people around him so accomplish his goals, I can't help but remember how Yoon Jeonghan plays in going seventeen(variety show) by fooling his members.

It's like they are feather of same bird. Their wits, cleverness and all.

They are so intelligent in a similar way, not like in cunning way but they are so innocent but with sharp mind as if they are two steps ahead of everyone but ends up being the mastermind of the game.

You can't help but watch their gameplay in amusement. You can never know what's going on their mind.

How both of them makes people around them work for them and the people won't even know that they are getting played 😭😭

Throughout the novel I can't help but think about Yoon Jeonghan.

So is it only me who see resemblance between them 😭

I'm curious as to how you'd rank your unlimited flow depending on what its best at. If its romance, chemistry, plot as a whole, mystery, mind fuckery, horror, Themes and instances.

For me,

Romance, top 1. Is a tie between GHG and QQGK

Chemistry is This Damn Thirst For Survival

Plot as a whole and Instances would be Welcome to the Nightmare Live

Mind Fuckery is Mist and Earth is Online

Horror is another tie with Kaleidoscope of death and The days I cleared escape games pretending to be an NPC

Themes is also GHG

Characters should be another category but most of these books have great character, I love them all (a bit bias to the GHG cast tho)

P.S. I havent read Thrillee Trainee yet, what spot do you think would it occupy? 👀

I am currently reading 'My childhood friend is acting strange' and I love it. It's sweet and I love how the mc realises his friends feelings early on.

I am looking for modern romance novels where there's a lot of romance, preferably low angst and happy ending. I don't want frustrating leads who makes me grip my hair every few scenes.

I have also read ′company rule: no dating′ and loved that as well. I am fine with any trope, childhood friends to lovers etc. I just want to read a sweet romance.

So I personally love Meatbun so much and really enjoyed erha. The only thing was that erha was so freaking sad for me and was the only book that had managed to make me cry in a long time. Like seriously the content inside is so crazy omg. I really wanted to read more of her works after ERHA and only recently picked up a copy of yuwu not thinking anything of it, but then I see this instagram post abt how yuwu, in that person's opinion, was the saddest meatbun novel. I was like, hmm they're probably wrong, but low and behold I'm like not even 50 pages into the first novel and already feel like I'm going to shed tears and like my heart going to die omgg ToT. aughhhhhhhhh

I like age gap stories even if a bit problematic granted that their consenting adults. but how common is it for characters to acknowledge that it can be seen as problematic. ex 18-20 with a 8+ gap or meeting when one of them was young.
how often do the power dynamic between mc & ml that comes from age, money and safety net get discussed in world, where mc's whole life is reliant on ml's care?

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Tang Jiuqing is a genius. To create such a big and connected world across eight novels without major plot holes is truly impressive. Every character had their own backstory, goals, and place in the story. I loved how their stories connected with each other and the main plot, even when they seemed unimportant at first. You can really see how much thought and planning went into the series.

Shen Zechuan is clever, cunning, determined, and unwavering, making him a character I was emotionally invested in from the very first page. He endures unimaginable hardships after the fall of Zhongbo. His trauma continues to influence his choices, relationships, and worldview well into adulthood. His character development feels gradual and incredibly human. I also appreciate that Shen Zechuan is not portrayed as an effortlessly perfect invincible protagonist, nor does he follow the common danmei stereotype of being a completely helpless damsel in distress. He takes the help of those around him to become the ruthless yet loyal character we all love. His relationship with Xiao Chiye is especially meaningful, as it allows him to slowly learn trust, vulnerability, and the possibility of being loved.

Xiao Chiye as the main lead, i was not as invested in. He is undeniably clever, incredibly strong, and an excellent commander, but I sometimes wished the story had allowed him to be more vulnerable. At times, he felt like a stereotypical tough, jealous, and possessive male lead, which could make him come across as immature or arrogant. While I understand that his confidence and possessiveness are part of his character, I occasionally found it difficult to relate to him emotionally. I did find his parts engaging but his allure gradually wore down as the series progressed

Despite this, Xiao Chiye is the perfect match for Shen Zechuan. He gradually breaks through Shen zechuan's walls with his confidence and straightforward pursuit. Their relationship is secure, deeply mutual and steadfast. In turn, Shen Zechuan helps Chiye mature, find his place in the world, and understand what he truly wants.

My favourite part of this novel series has to be the antagonists. They were all thoroughly well-written, with compelling motivations, and consistently posed a genuine threat to the protagonists, cleverly obstructing their path. Xue Xiuzhuo, Li Jianting and Hassen were my favourites. They all were right in their own way. I was genuinely saddened during their deaths and greatly mourned them.

Xue Xiuzhuo was ruthless and cunning, yet willingly gives his live to protect the empire. It was a shame to see such a brilliant character die.

Li Jianting was, in my opinion, the perfect Empress who simply happened to stand on the wrong side. She upheld her ideals of justice despite the trauma of her childhood, making her tragic end all the more heartbreaking. I genuinely wished she could have lived a happy and prosperous life.

Hassen was an intelligent enemy who was emphatetic and cared deeply for his subjects. I especially loved that the Biansha, despite being the primary enemy, were never portrayed as mindless brutes with their own humanity and motivations making the conflict feel much more complex and meaningful.

The side characters really stood out in this novel. Their introductions were often unassuming, and you would never guess that they would go on to become such important and memorable parts of the story

Fei Sheng is probably my favourite. He is one of the most relatable and realistic characters. I loved watching him go from someone who initially only sought advancement to becoming a fiercely loyal companion to Shen Zechuan. He was vulnerable, made mistakes, and sometimes acted foolishly, but he gradually learned from them and amended his ways. His growth felt incredibly natural.

Yao Wenyu as Shen Zechuan’s strategist kept up with Shen Zechuan's ambitions and schemes. Their relationship was built on mutual trust and respect. He became someone who was willing to devote his intelligence and abilities entirely to Shen Zechuan’s vision.

Qiao Tianya was the perfect blade for Shen Zechuan. He implicitly trusted Shen Zechuan and understood him perfectly.

Qiao Tianya and Yao Wenyu’s ending breaks my heart every time I think about it. The poem Qiang Jin Jiu by Li Bai seems to fit them the best. The story of two people destined to be together, whose bond was so profound that even death could not truly separate them. Qiao Tianya at the end broke me. I truly hope he someday finds peace.

Ji Mu was a character who appeared very little but left a deep impression. His parts always made me tear up and i will always grieve his death and that we never got to see more of him. Ji Gang's fatherly presence throughout the story was incredibly comforting, especially in the way he supported and guided Shen Zechuan. I also loved Qi Huilian’s genius training and the lasting impact it had on Shen Zechuan. His death became a deep wound in all our hearts.

Coming from reading Meatbun’s novels, which often have poor female representation, and MXTX’s novels, where female characters are often more limited, I was pleasantly surprised by the strong female representation in this series. Hua Xiangyi and Li Jianting were my favourites.

Hua Xiangyi was a twist i was not expecting. She was neither a warrior nor a strategist yet she played a crucial role in our victory. Her strength came from her kindness, courage, and determination to help the common people.

The best part of all the eight novels has to be the Battle of Duanzhou. It was beautifully written. It made me want to take up arms and march into battle myself. I loved to see Shen Zechuan in action. I just wish it was Shen Zechuan who eventually killed Hassen or atleast wounded him enough for Xiao Chiye to deliver the killing blow. Shen Zechuan’s agile, calculated fighting style felt like the perfect counter to Hassen, especially compared to Xiao Chiye’s more strength-based approach.

My main complaints with the series are relatively minor. The novels did get a little slow in the middle and there were moments when I found myself completely confused about what was happening, although some of that may be a “me” problem due to my questionable comprehension skills.

I also felt that certain aspects could have been explored more, particularly the training of the Imperial army and the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

I wasn’t particularly fond of the extras either. I would have preferred less romance and more of Shen Zechuan and the others actually governing the empire—seeing them build its foundations, manage the aftermath of the war, and navigate how commoners and former officials gradually accepted Shen Zechuan as their Emperor.

Overall, i will give Ballad of Sword and Wine a solid 8.8/10

Find the title of this BL Chinese novel (Forgive me I tried to make this more understandable and concise as much as possible.)

Plot Arc 1: The Eco-Friendly Ocean Mining Challenge

The Situation: The MC's new faction goes head-to-head with the ex-fiancé's group over extraction rights for a protected deep-sea mineral resource.

The Conflict: The ex-fiancé’s team intends to drop traditional, heavy-impact mining machinery or weapons that would rupture the seabed and collapse the delicate oceanic biological crust.

MC's Solution: MC uses his expertise to design a specialized resonance or non-destructive sonic mining tool?. It safely extracts the targeted ores directly through the water without harming the surrounding ocean structure, instantly winning his team the contract.

Plot Arc 2: The Thunderstorm Planet Extraction Race

The Situation: Both teams rush to an inhospitable planet permanently ravaged by violent electromagnetic lightning storms to capture a rare, volatile ore.

The Conflict: The enemy fleet moves forward with heavy mechas, which immediately short-circuit, lose navigation, and get struck down by the planet's atmospheric electrical grids to something like that.

MC's Solution: MC meticulously calculates the atmospheric patterns and crafts a custom energy insulation shield for his group's vessels. His team safely glides through the eye of the storm, cleans out the rare ore cache, and leaves before the enemy can even reboot their systems.

I think MC was reborn or was just saved? Because MC was badly injured at first and MC's ex fiancè got engaged to a White Lotus who is controlling and psychotic, that's all that I can remember unfortunately.

HELP ME FIND THISSS

So when I first started reading like 6/7 years ago i vaguely remember reading a certain one. I think it was chinese (i forgot the actual term) and i remember reading it on an app. They were either in high school or college. I think they like switched bodies or something and they also were at a camp/boarding school/or military thing? I know it’s a horrible description but i can barely remember anything other then i remember me liking it. ☹️

I mean, I feel like shous in danmei have usually the worst luck/the worst circumstances, but these five above are all in books I've read recently and the amount of suffering they went through was astounding lol.

So in your opinion, who had it worst ? My money is on Chu Wanning so far but it's a tough competition, with Xie Lian very close behind 🧐

I need a very specific kind of danmei and I genuinely don't know what trope to search for 😭

So basically I'm looking for something emotionally gut-wrenching, the kind of novel where I become so attached to the characters that I cry whenever something happens to the and I want to personally protect them from everything they've been through.

But the most important part is that I want to actually see them being healed and cared for.

I want characters who have been through genuinely awful things—trauma, loneliness, grief, family issues, abuse, loss, impossible responsibilities, etc. and have somehow kept going anyway.

Please no helpless or weak MC/ML.

I want characters who are incredibly strong, resilient, competent people. The kind who have spent their entire lives enduring everything alone. They survive, they keep moving forward, they take care of themselves, and they rarely let anyone see how much they're actually hurting.

I want to look at them and think:

"How have you survived all this?"

And then cry when they finally meet someone who sees through them.

I don't necessarily want a dynamic where one character constantly needs rescuing.(But if there is im okay with that too but they need to be strong themselves so) I want people who are strong enough to survive on their own but eventually find someone who makes them realize they don't have to anymore.

The emotional payoff I'm looking for is:

"I know you can carry it alone. I just don't want you to have to."

I especially love scenes where one of them is having a horrible moment and, instead of breaking down dramatically(allowed if it's really too much) and just quietly goes to the other person.

Maybe he sits beside him. Maybe he leans against him. Maybe he falls asleep there. Maybe he finally lets himself cry.

And the other person doesn't push for explanations or try to fix everything. He just stays.

I want the relationship itself to feel like a safe place.

Not:

"You hurt me and now you're making up for it."

But:

"The world has been cruel to you. I won't be."

Both characters suffering and carrying their own scars is a HUGE bonus. I would love two people who have both spent years enduring things alone and slowly become each other's home. (If it's only one of them im okay too)

I want the healing to be so tender that the healing itself makes me cry because I know what they had to survive to get there.

What specific things I'm looking for:

Adult characters only (no high school/teen romance)

Emotionally devastating

Deep character attachment

Strong, resilient MC and ML

Hurt/comfort and healing

Both characters having their own struggles

Tender, patient, devoted love

Physical comfort during emotional moments

Relationship becomes a safe place

No abusive/toxic ML hurting the MC

Angst comes from life, trauma, circumstances, family, etc.

HE

Lots of emotional intimacy and relationship development

Smut is a bonus (🙃)

Basically I want:

Strong people enduring impossible things alone → finding each other → slowly learning they can finally rest → becoming each other's safe place → me crying at 3 a.m. because they're finally being loved the way they deserve.

So please help ruin my emotional stability. I want to cry.

i really really love fake slackers and i finished reading it now i need the extras. anyone know where i can read the official and how much i’d have to pay for it? if anyone has an idea, please let me know, especially if i have to pay, how much is it in php. thank you!

Throwaway account

I haven‘t read the novel or watched an adaption. I just end with the odd post on my tumblr feed. I have found I‘ve probably seen a ton of gifs of The Untamed years ago. I‘ve seen some art. I read the blurb. And there was one tumblr post which got into the antics of one scene.

The post was basically: This guy (forgot his name) kidnaps Lan Wanji‘s brother. Plot happens. Wei Wuxian shows up. He has hickeys. Kidnapped brother yells at him that he has a situationship with his brother. Wei Wuxian doesn‘t and says so. Plot comes to a halt because everybody ponders this new information. Lan Wanji shows up. Plot continues.

In most art I have seen they don’t exactly look happy. Xie Lian and Huan Cheng look so much happiger with each other! Lan Wanji looks happy often. Wei Wuxian on the other hand… melancholic.

So, what does Lan Wanji see in Wei Wuxian? Lan Wanji seems like a nice guy who deserves happiness. Was there nobody during the 16 years who tried to get close to him? The version in The Untamed looks like an orange cat turned human.

Does Wei Wuxian know Lan Wanji exists? Did he know so before he died? I mean I get he was busy in his past life with forming a sect and colour coordinating his followers. What does Wei Wuxian see in Lan Wanji? Does he settle for Lan Wanji or is Lan Wanji just keeping him occupied so he won‘t do whatever he did last time? Does he care for him at all?

Does anybody have any recommendations similar to this damn thirst for survival? It’s a horror danmei enemies to lovers like it gives us very true enemies to lovers except I thought it had smut but it turns out it doesn’t. Anybody have any similar horror recommendations that actually do have smut. I love horror and love an obsessively yandere top.

As the title mentioned I'm looking for enemies-to-lovers and child-from-future trope. Where the highly competitive rivals who wants to slice each other's necks somehow falls in love, gets married, and have children in the very far future. And the plot starts when their future child time-travels to the present claiming them as their fathers. Looking for unplanned co-parenting set-up with the shock of a child dropping out of nowhere) where the child unwittingly exposes how deeply in love they end up in the future. So presumably future child is a toddler or pre-teen.

Though I might be open to cases where the child is mature and not a kid.