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1000 results for “LingF”
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Lu Lingfeng gives Xijun a hug! The sky has fallen! 😆
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Bless Lu Lingfeng, he can be a huge träbock, and it's making this scene _painful_ to watch.
Träbock: while it translates to "wood ram" it has nothing to do with bed chambers. It's a Swedish term for stickler for rules. Can be used mildly derogatory, ie. the bus driver who denies you a ride because the fare is 6 and you only have 5.99 is a träbock. But it can also be used for aimiable people who Just Don't Notice the girl is into them.
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Next was an interesting talk by Lingfei Wu on the challenges of large teams in understanding scientific output at the Oxford Martin School https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMX0zpk_Njs (5/6) #ScienceOfScience
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Maho Bay and Maltese Cross Lock Horns at Lingfield https://www.byteseu.com/2003525/ #ClassicTrials #fields #Lingfield #Malta #MiniPreviews #SaturdayAndSundayFields
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Not for the faint of heart @linguisticsmemes #linguistics #morphosyntax #lingfun
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In 2018, a spokesperson for Lingfield Park said horse welfare is an "absolute priority"
In 2018, two hundred and two horses were killed because of horse racing.
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Thornberry on #Peston expects the election results next week to be better than she first thought
I thought they would be terrible for Labour before #Mandygate
Now I think they will be catastrophic
I went to Lingfield in rural Surrey today
It was smothered in Reform postersHe will make hay
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'Random Pruning Over-parameterized Neural Networks Can Improve Generalization: A Training Dynamics Analysis', by Hongru Yang, Yingbin Liang, Xiaojie Guo, Lingfei Wu, Zhangyang Wang.
http://jmlr.org/papers/v26/23-0832.html
#pruning #pruned #generalization -
And here we have the four* stages of male wuxia characters in one picture;
Xue Huan: hot headed youth
Lu Lingfeng: fighter/lover
Su Wuming: roundbellied expert
Lao Fei: flirtatious old man
(*one extra stage is extremely rare: intelligent boy, so I treat it as an exception)
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If you thought that racing on the flat was benign, think again.
30 horses have died after races at Kempton, Lingfield, Epsom and Sandown in 22 months
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/30-horses-died-after-races-16271735
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CW: Politics, negative twist
Then Trump spoke after. “He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry. I am sorry, Erika.”
:|
https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/boilingfrogs/erika-kirk-charlie-kirk-donald-trump/
^ Good article. #TheDispatch -
Today we observe the #Transgender Day of Remembrance to honor the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.
Sad that this comes with the #news that 5 people were killed & 18 wounded in a Saturday night in shooting at #ClubQ, a #lgbtq nightclub in #ColoradoSprings. https://www.npr.org/2022/11/20/1138045219/colorado-springs-shooting-lgbtq-club-q-5-dead
Donate at: https://www.coloradogives.org/donate/COHealingFund
#lgbt #Colorado #antigay #LGBTLivesMatter #hatecrime #transgenderlivesmatter #transgenderawareness
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DATE: May 10, 2026 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: A half hour of aerobic exercise reduces test anxiety and boosts cognitive focus in students
A brief session of moderate aerobic exercise can ease the psychological burden of test anxiety while sharpening the specific mental skills needed to ignore distractions. Researchers found that a quick run on a treadmill rebalances brain activity, helping students process conflicting information with greater speed and focus. The findings were recently published in Physiology & Behavior.
Test-related distress is a common experience that goes beyond simple nervousness. It involves intense worry, physical tension, a racing heartbeat, and scattered thoughts that arise before or during an evaluative situation. People facing this condition often struggle with a cognitive skill known as inhibitory control.
Inhibitory control is the brain’s ability to tune out irrelevant information and suppress impulsive responses. It acts as a mental filter that allows a person to focus on a test question rather than the ticking of a clock or their own internal worries. This mental barricade prevents distracting signals from derailing a person’s train of thought.
When psychological distress disrupts this mental filter, students become easily distracted by their own fears. Their brains dedicate precious processing power to managing the worry itself, leaving less energy available for actual problem-solving. This scattered focus degrades their academic performance and fuels even more worry.
The experience can create a loop of poor performance and escalating anxiety. To break this cycle, psychologists Lingfeng Wu and Renlai Zhou from Nanjing University designed an experiment to see if physical activity could serve as an immediate remedy. They wanted to evaluate whether an acute session of aerobic exercise could temporarily repair the mental filters of affected students.
The research team recruited forty university students who scored very high on an established anxiety questionnaire. These participants were randomly divided into two groups of twenty. One group was assigned to an aerobic exercise intervention, while the other served as a resting control group.
During the main phase of the experiment, the exercise group spent thirty minutes walking and jogging on a treadmill. The researchers continuously monitored the participants’ heart rates to ensure the activity remained at a moderate intensity. The control group spent the same thirty minutes sitting in a quiet room reading neutral, sports-related magazines.
Both before and after these thirty-minute sessions, the students underwent a specialized cognitive assessment known as the Flanker task. This computer-based challenge is specifically designed to measure a person’s inhibitory control abilities.
In the Flanker task, participants stare at a computer screen and wait for a row of five arrows to appear. They must quickly identify the direction the middle arrow is pointing, choosing either left or right. The challenge comes from the surrounding arrows, which act as deliberate visual distractions.
In some trials, all the arrows point in the exact same direction, making the response relatively easy. In other trials, the outer arrows point in the opposite direction of the center target. This creates a visual conflict that the participant must mentally override in order to choose the correct answer.
Throughout this task, the researchers recorded the students’ brain activity using an electroencephalogram. This device consists of a fitted cap with small sensors placed across the scalp to detect electrical signals in the brain. The scientists paid close attention to two specific brain wave patterns, known as the N2 and P3 waves.
To replicate the pressure of a real testing environment, the researchers manipulated the stakes of the computer task using a standard psychological tactic. They told the students that they were taking a highly reliable aptitude test that would successfully predict their future university performance. They also offered a cash reward for the top performers and informed the students that they were being recorded on video for expert analysis.
The results showed that the thirty-minute exercise session had an immediate, measurable impact. Students in the treadmill group reported lower levels of subjective anxiety on their questionnaires after working out. The control group saw no statistical difference in their self-reported anxiety levels.
The behavioral data from the computer task mirrored these emotional improvements. After exercising, the treadmill group became much faster at identifying the correct arrow direction across all trials.
More importantly, the exercise group showed a marked improvement in the difficult, conflicting trials. The reaction time gap between the easy trials and the hard trials shrank considerably. This reduction suggests a direct upgrade in their ability to filter out distracting, conflicting information.
Accuracy remained very high for almost all participants across both groups. The researchers note that anxiety usually damages processing speed rather than raw accuracy. The fact that the exercise group got faster without making more mistakes confirms that their overall processing efficiency genuinely improved.
The brain wave recordings provided an internal view of how the exercise changed the participants’ cognitive processing. The researchers looked first at the N2 wave, an electrical pulse that peaks just after a person encounters conflicting information.
In the exercise group, the electrical amplitude of the N2 wave became noticeably smaller after the treadmill session. A smaller N2 wave typically means the brain is exerting less effort to detect and manage conflicting stimuli. The physical activity seemed to make the brain’s early conflict-monitoring system run more smoothly.
The team also measured the P3 wave, which appears slightly later than the N2 wave. The P3 wave is tied to how effectively the brain allocates its attention to a given task.
After the treadmill session, the exercise group generated a much larger P3 wave. This expansion indicates a heightened capacity to direct mental resources exactly where they need to go.
The control group essentially spun their wheels. The brain wave readings for the seated control group were not statistically significant when comparing their before and after states. Their brains processed the conflicting arrows with the exact same level of effort and attention as they had during the baseline test.
The researchers attribute these mental shifts to the neurochemical changes sparked by physical exertion. Moderate aerobic activity prompts the brain to release chemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These neurotransmitters help regulate mood and boost the function of the prefrontal cortex, a brain region heavily involved in higher-level reasoning and maintaining focus.
Lowering the students’ subjective anxiety likely freed up mental energy as well. When people aren’t dedicating active brainpower to worrying, they have more cognitive resources available to tackle the task in front of them without feeling overwhelmed.
While the results are promising, the research team noted several boundaries to their experiment. The study only monitored university students, entirely omitting middle and high school students who often experience the highest rates of academic distress. Future studies will need to test younger age groups.
The experiment also relied on an artificial testing scenario. While the researchers used cash prizes and video recordings to simulate stress, this setup does not perfectly mirror the emotional stakes of a real university exam. Tracking students during an actual testing week would provide more realistic data.
In addition, the study did not include a control group composed of students with low anxiety levels. Without this baseline, it is difficult to determine if the exercise brought the anxious students’ mental skills back to an average level or just elevated them slightly from a severe deficit.
Finally, a thirty-minute run is a temporary intervention. Even after the treadmill session, the students’ distress scores still registered moderately high. Researchers hope to investigate whether a consistent exercise routine, perhaps combined with psychological therapies, might offer a more lasting solution to academic anxiety.
The study, “Acute aerobic exercise improves inhibitory control in individuals with test anxiety: evidence from event-related potentials,” was authored by Lingfeng Wu and Renlai Zhou.
-------------------------------------------------
DAILY EMAIL DIGEST: Email [email protected] -- no subject or message needed.
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org
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It's primitive... but it works... mostly...
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #TestAnxiety #AerobicExercise #CognitiveFocus #InhibitoryControl #FlankerTask #BrainWaves #N2P3 #PrefrontalCortex #AcademicPerformance #MentalFocus
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DATE: May 10, 2026 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: A half hour of aerobic exercise reduces test anxiety and boosts cognitive focus in students
A brief session of moderate aerobic exercise can ease the psychological burden of test anxiety while sharpening the specific mental skills needed to ignore distractions. Researchers found that a quick run on a treadmill rebalances brain activity, helping students process conflicting information with greater speed and focus. The findings were recently published in Physiology & Behavior.
Test-related distress is a common experience that goes beyond simple nervousness. It involves intense worry, physical tension, a racing heartbeat, and scattered thoughts that arise before or during an evaluative situation. People facing this condition often struggle with a cognitive skill known as inhibitory control.
Inhibitory control is the brain’s ability to tune out irrelevant information and suppress impulsive responses. It acts as a mental filter that allows a person to focus on a test question rather than the ticking of a clock or their own internal worries. This mental barricade prevents distracting signals from derailing a person’s train of thought.
When psychological distress disrupts this mental filter, students become easily distracted by their own fears. Their brains dedicate precious processing power to managing the worry itself, leaving less energy available for actual problem-solving. This scattered focus degrades their academic performance and fuels even more worry.
The experience can create a loop of poor performance and escalating anxiety. To break this cycle, psychologists Lingfeng Wu and Renlai Zhou from Nanjing University designed an experiment to see if physical activity could serve as an immediate remedy. They wanted to evaluate whether an acute session of aerobic exercise could temporarily repair the mental filters of affected students.
The research team recruited forty university students who scored very high on an established anxiety questionnaire. These participants were randomly divided into two groups of twenty. One group was assigned to an aerobic exercise intervention, while the other served as a resting control group.
During the main phase of the experiment, the exercise group spent thirty minutes walking and jogging on a treadmill. The researchers continuously monitored the participants’ heart rates to ensure the activity remained at a moderate intensity. The control group spent the same thirty minutes sitting in a quiet room reading neutral, sports-related magazines.
Both before and after these thirty-minute sessions, the students underwent a specialized cognitive assessment known as the Flanker task. This computer-based challenge is specifically designed to measure a person’s inhibitory control abilities.
In the Flanker task, participants stare at a computer screen and wait for a row of five arrows to appear. They must quickly identify the direction the middle arrow is pointing, choosing either left or right. The challenge comes from the surrounding arrows, which act as deliberate visual distractions.
In some trials, all the arrows point in the exact same direction, making the response relatively easy. In other trials, the outer arrows point in the opposite direction of the center target. This creates a visual conflict that the participant must mentally override in order to choose the correct answer.
Throughout this task, the researchers recorded the students’ brain activity using an electroencephalogram. This device consists of a fitted cap with small sensors placed across the scalp to detect electrical signals in the brain. The scientists paid close attention to two specific brain wave patterns, known as the N2 and P3 waves.
To replicate the pressure of a real testing environment, the researchers manipulated the stakes of the computer task using a standard psychological tactic. They told the students that they were taking a highly reliable aptitude test that would successfully predict their future university performance. They also offered a cash reward for the top performers and informed the students that they were being recorded on video for expert analysis.
The results showed that the thirty-minute exercise session had an immediate, measurable impact. Students in the treadmill group reported lower levels of subjective anxiety on their questionnaires after working out. The control group saw no statistical difference in their self-reported anxiety levels.
The behavioral data from the computer task mirrored these emotional improvements. After exercising, the treadmill group became much faster at identifying the correct arrow direction across all trials.
More importantly, the exercise group showed a marked improvement in the difficult, conflicting trials. The reaction time gap between the easy trials and the hard trials shrank considerably. This reduction suggests a direct upgrade in their ability to filter out distracting, conflicting information.
Accuracy remained very high for almost all participants across both groups. The researchers note that anxiety usually damages processing speed rather than raw accuracy. The fact that the exercise group got faster without making more mistakes confirms that their overall processing efficiency genuinely improved.
The brain wave recordings provided an internal view of how the exercise changed the participants’ cognitive processing. The researchers looked first at the N2 wave, an electrical pulse that peaks just after a person encounters conflicting information.
In the exercise group, the electrical amplitude of the N2 wave became noticeably smaller after the treadmill session. A smaller N2 wave typically means the brain is exerting less effort to detect and manage conflicting stimuli. The physical activity seemed to make the brain’s early conflict-monitoring system run more smoothly.
The team also measured the P3 wave, which appears slightly later than the N2 wave. The P3 wave is tied to how effectively the brain allocates its attention to a given task.
After the treadmill session, the exercise group generated a much larger P3 wave. This expansion indicates a heightened capacity to direct mental resources exactly where they need to go.
The control group essentially spun their wheels. The brain wave readings for the seated control group were not statistically significant when comparing their before and after states. Their brains processed the conflicting arrows with the exact same level of effort and attention as they had during the baseline test.
The researchers attribute these mental shifts to the neurochemical changes sparked by physical exertion. Moderate aerobic activity prompts the brain to release chemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These neurotransmitters help regulate mood and boost the function of the prefrontal cortex, a brain region heavily involved in higher-level reasoning and maintaining focus.
Lowering the students’ subjective anxiety likely freed up mental energy as well. When people aren’t dedicating active brainpower to worrying, they have more cognitive resources available to tackle the task in front of them without feeling overwhelmed.
While the results are promising, the research team noted several boundaries to their experiment. The study only monitored university students, entirely omitting middle and high school students who often experience the highest rates of academic distress. Future studies will need to test younger age groups.
The experiment also relied on an artificial testing scenario. While the researchers used cash prizes and video recordings to simulate stress, this setup does not perfectly mirror the emotional stakes of a real university exam. Tracking students during an actual testing week would provide more realistic data.
In addition, the study did not include a control group composed of students with low anxiety levels. Without this baseline, it is difficult to determine if the exercise brought the anxious students’ mental skills back to an average level or just elevated them slightly from a severe deficit.
Finally, a thirty-minute run is a temporary intervention. Even after the treadmill session, the students’ distress scores still registered moderately high. Researchers hope to investigate whether a consistent exercise routine, perhaps combined with psychological therapies, might offer a more lasting solution to academic anxiety.
The study, “Acute aerobic exercise improves inhibitory control in individuals with test anxiety: evidence from event-related potentials,” was authored by Lingfeng Wu and Renlai Zhou.
-------------------------------------------------
DAILY EMAIL DIGEST: Email [email protected] -- no subject or message needed.
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org
READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org
It's primitive... but it works... mostly...
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #TestAnxiety #AerobicExercise #CognitiveFocus #InhibitoryControl #FlankerTask #BrainWaves #N2P3 #PrefrontalCortex #AcademicPerformance #MentalFocus
-
DATE: May 10, 2026 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: A half hour of aerobic exercise reduces test anxiety and boosts cognitive focus in students
A brief session of moderate aerobic exercise can ease the psychological burden of test anxiety while sharpening the specific mental skills needed to ignore distractions. Researchers found that a quick run on a treadmill rebalances brain activity, helping students process conflicting information with greater speed and focus. The findings were recently published in Physiology & Behavior.
Test-related distress is a common experience that goes beyond simple nervousness. It involves intense worry, physical tension, a racing heartbeat, and scattered thoughts that arise before or during an evaluative situation. People facing this condition often struggle with a cognitive skill known as inhibitory control.
Inhibitory control is the brain’s ability to tune out irrelevant information and suppress impulsive responses. It acts as a mental filter that allows a person to focus on a test question rather than the ticking of a clock or their own internal worries. This mental barricade prevents distracting signals from derailing a person’s train of thought.
When psychological distress disrupts this mental filter, students become easily distracted by their own fears. Their brains dedicate precious processing power to managing the worry itself, leaving less energy available for actual problem-solving. This scattered focus degrades their academic performance and fuels even more worry.
The experience can create a loop of poor performance and escalating anxiety. To break this cycle, psychologists Lingfeng Wu and Renlai Zhou from Nanjing University designed an experiment to see if physical activity could serve as an immediate remedy. They wanted to evaluate whether an acute session of aerobic exercise could temporarily repair the mental filters of affected students.
The research team recruited forty university students who scored very high on an established anxiety questionnaire. These participants were randomly divided into two groups of twenty. One group was assigned to an aerobic exercise intervention, while the other served as a resting control group.
During the main phase of the experiment, the exercise group spent thirty minutes walking and jogging on a treadmill. The researchers continuously monitored the participants’ heart rates to ensure the activity remained at a moderate intensity. The control group spent the same thirty minutes sitting in a quiet room reading neutral, sports-related magazines.
Both before and after these thirty-minute sessions, the students underwent a specialized cognitive assessment known as the Flanker task. This computer-based challenge is specifically designed to measure a person’s inhibitory control abilities.
In the Flanker task, participants stare at a computer screen and wait for a row of five arrows to appear. They must quickly identify the direction the middle arrow is pointing, choosing either left or right. The challenge comes from the surrounding arrows, which act as deliberate visual distractions.
In some trials, all the arrows point in the exact same direction, making the response relatively easy. In other trials, the outer arrows point in the opposite direction of the center target. This creates a visual conflict that the participant must mentally override in order to choose the correct answer.
Throughout this task, the researchers recorded the students’ brain activity using an electroencephalogram. This device consists of a fitted cap with small sensors placed across the scalp to detect electrical signals in the brain. The scientists paid close attention to two specific brain wave patterns, known as the N2 and P3 waves.
To replicate the pressure of a real testing environment, the researchers manipulated the stakes of the computer task using a standard psychological tactic. They told the students that they were taking a highly reliable aptitude test that would successfully predict their future university performance. They also offered a cash reward for the top performers and informed the students that they were being recorded on video for expert analysis.
The results showed that the thirty-minute exercise session had an immediate, measurable impact. Students in the treadmill group reported lower levels of subjective anxiety on their questionnaires after working out. The control group saw no statistical difference in their self-reported anxiety levels.
The behavioral data from the computer task mirrored these emotional improvements. After exercising, the treadmill group became much faster at identifying the correct arrow direction across all trials.
More importantly, the exercise group showed a marked improvement in the difficult, conflicting trials. The reaction time gap between the easy trials and the hard trials shrank considerably. This reduction suggests a direct upgrade in their ability to filter out distracting, conflicting information.
Accuracy remained very high for almost all participants across both groups. The researchers note that anxiety usually damages processing speed rather than raw accuracy. The fact that the exercise group got faster without making more mistakes confirms that their overall processing efficiency genuinely improved.
The brain wave recordings provided an internal view of how the exercise changed the participants’ cognitive processing. The researchers looked first at the N2 wave, an electrical pulse that peaks just after a person encounters conflicting information.
In the exercise group, the electrical amplitude of the N2 wave became noticeably smaller after the treadmill session. A smaller N2 wave typically means the brain is exerting less effort to detect and manage conflicting stimuli. The physical activity seemed to make the brain’s early conflict-monitoring system run more smoothly.
The team also measured the P3 wave, which appears slightly later than the N2 wave. The P3 wave is tied to how effectively the brain allocates its attention to a given task.
After the treadmill session, the exercise group generated a much larger P3 wave. This expansion indicates a heightened capacity to direct mental resources exactly where they need to go.
The control group essentially spun their wheels. The brain wave readings for the seated control group were not statistically significant when comparing their before and after states. Their brains processed the conflicting arrows with the exact same level of effort and attention as they had during the baseline test.
The researchers attribute these mental shifts to the neurochemical changes sparked by physical exertion. Moderate aerobic activity prompts the brain to release chemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These neurotransmitters help regulate mood and boost the function of the prefrontal cortex, a brain region heavily involved in higher-level reasoning and maintaining focus.
Lowering the students’ subjective anxiety likely freed up mental energy as well. When people aren’t dedicating active brainpower to worrying, they have more cognitive resources available to tackle the task in front of them without feeling overwhelmed.
While the results are promising, the research team noted several boundaries to their experiment. The study only monitored university students, entirely omitting middle and high school students who often experience the highest rates of academic distress. Future studies will need to test younger age groups.
The experiment also relied on an artificial testing scenario. While the researchers used cash prizes and video recordings to simulate stress, this setup does not perfectly mirror the emotional stakes of a real university exam. Tracking students during an actual testing week would provide more realistic data.
In addition, the study did not include a control group composed of students with low anxiety levels. Without this baseline, it is difficult to determine if the exercise brought the anxious students’ mental skills back to an average level or just elevated them slightly from a severe deficit.
Finally, a thirty-minute run is a temporary intervention. Even after the treadmill session, the students’ distress scores still registered moderately high. Researchers hope to investigate whether a consistent exercise routine, perhaps combined with psychological therapies, might offer a more lasting solution to academic anxiety.
The study, “Acute aerobic exercise improves inhibitory control in individuals with test anxiety: evidence from event-related potentials,” was authored by Lingfeng Wu and Renlai Zhou.
-------------------------------------------------
DAILY EMAIL DIGEST: Email [email protected] -- no subject or message needed.
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
NYU Information for Practice puts out 400-500 good quality health-related research posts per week but its too much for many people, so that bot is limited to just subscribers. You can read it or subscribe at @PsychResearchBot
Since 1991 The National Psychologist has focused on keeping practicing psychologists current with news, information and items of interest. Check them out for more free articles, resources, and subscription information: https://www.nationalpsychologist.com
EMAIL DAILY DIGEST OF RSS FEEDS -- SUBSCRIBE: http://subscribe-article-digests.clinicians-exchange.org
READ ONLINE: http://read-the-rss-mega-archive.clinicians-exchange.org
It's primitive... but it works... mostly...
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #TestAnxiety #AerobicExercise #CognitiveFocus #InhibitoryControl #FlankerTask #BrainWaves #N2P3 #PrefrontalCortex #AcademicPerformance #MentalFocus
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Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty season 2 (drama review)
Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty season 1 was my comfort watch during the tail end of the pandemic. iQiyi had dropped the entire season free on Youtube, which totally boggled my mind as it seems like a totally unChinese thing to do (speaking as a Chinese myself) to offer someething 100% free, but with the number of ads I had to endure watching it maybe they’re making a killing.
The strength of Strange Tales is the relationship between our two main detectives: The hot-tempered, obstinate, stubborn-as-hell Lu Ling Feng and the sly and charming Su Wu Ming, the legendary sleuther Di Renjie’s disciple.
Its episodic nature was also a draw, which meant that I could watch episodes arc by arc and take a rest.
It doesn’t have the usual “idol traps”. (For one, this drama isn’t considered one.) While Yang Xu Wen is indeed a looker, there are not many gorgeous men here, and the romance is dialed down so low I completely forgot that Su Wu Ming and Lu Ling Feng both have love interests now!
This drama’s season 1 was fairly popular in China, can season 2 do just as well?
The story
The team is once again embroiled in several mysteries:
Mara’s Defeat
Su Wuming is called out of seclusion after Lu Lingfeng disappears on a case. Apparently the god Mara is out hunting for souls… has Lu Lingfeng become his latest victim?The Death of the Coroner
A coroner is found mysteriously murdered at his funeral shop.Mo’s in a Snowstorm
On the way to their new outpost, the team gets stranded at an inn in the middle of a snowstorm. Many strange things happen at the inn, starting with them having to “prove” their worth to lodge at the inn.Qianchong Dock
The team tries to board a ship on a mysterious dock, but finds themselves at the centre of a strange mystery.Tongtian Rhino
Rebel factions from an old empire threatens to kill off the Tang Dynasty.Drunk in Yunding
Letter from Shangxian Hall
A man is found dead in a bathtub after having read a mysterious letter.Provider
The team finally reaches the West, and meets a prominent and mysterious family with many secrets.Characters
- Su Wu Ming (苏无名) – Played by Yang Zhi Gang (杨志刚) A brilliant detective and disciple of the famous detective, Di Renjie.
- Lu Lingfeng (Yang Xuwen): Su Wuming’s sworn brother and capable partner in solving cases.
- Wu Ting(Liu Zhiyang): assisting the duo with key insights.
- Pei Xi Jun (裴喜君) – Played by Zhai Zi Lu (郜思雯)
A clever and resourceful woman who assists in the investigations. - Fei Ji Shi (费鸡师) – Played by Chen Chuang (陈创)
A quirky and eccentric character who provides comic relief and assists in solving cases. - Xue Huan (薛环) – Played by Shi Yun Peng (石云鹏)
A young and talented individual who aids the team in their investigations. - Princess Taiping (太平公主) – Played by Yue Li Na (岳丽娜)
A powerful and influential figure in the Tang Dynasty, involved in the political intrigue of the era. - Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (唐玄宗) – Played by Zhang Zi Jian (张子健)
The emperor of the Tang Dynasty, whose reign is marked by both prosperity and mystery.
What I liked
- The writing is solid.
- The cases were not only intriguing and kept me guessing, they had an emotional payoff and a deep message. It’s not a mystery box for mystery box’s sakes.
- The friendship between our main detectives remain solid and entertaining.
- There were character growths for almost everyone.
What I didn’t like
- The female characters remained bland, even if they had more things to do in the second season.
- The romance for Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng feels rather forced. Fortunately, this isn’t a romance drama!
Final thoughts
The second season of this drama was, in my opinion, better than the first—or at least of equal quality. The writing, camerawork, sets and costumes have gone up in quality.
Our duo still retains their contrasting and delightful personalities, even if they are sworn brothers now.
While the first season focused on building the relationship between Su Ming and Lu Lingfeng, the second season deepened their friendship while introducing new obstacles.
At the end of the first season, Liu Lingfeng’s true identity was revealed (though never really confirmed, leaving it a big question mark). This explosive revelation complicated their crime-solving work and the dynamic between the now sworn brothers because it forced the team to navigate political sensitivities to ensure Lu Lingfeng’s safety. This adds lovely layers of tension and intrigue to the story.
Su Wuming took the noble idiot route as a result, acting unilaterally, making choices for the team without consulting them. (Which of course, didn’t go down well with any of them.)
While this behavior frustrated some viewers, I actually thought it was in line with his personality and an understandable trait for his character.
It created significant tension within the group, which, in my opinion, was necessary to keep the story engaging. Without this friction, the drama would have lacked the emotional stakes that made it so gripping.
That said, the season wasn’t without its flaws. Our two female leads is still bland compared to our male cast, who were far more interesting and memorable.
And the romantic subplots? Oof, it felt forced, especially the one between Su Wuming and his love interest. Their relationship lacked natural chemistry, and I couldn’t help but feel that a platonic friendship would have been more compelling.
Thankfully, romance isn’t the focus of the show, so these moments didn’t detract too much from the overall experience.
Where the drama truly shines is in its mysteries and cases. Each case is not only creative and unpredictable but also carries a deep emotional and social message. One standout mystery involved the coroner—a poignant and emotionally charged story that kept me guessing until the very end. Another favorite was the Mo’s Inn mystery arc, which felt like a classic whodunit reminiscent of Cluedo. The team gets stranded at an inn during a snowstorm, surrounded by mysterious characters whose motives are unclear. The twists and turns were masterfully executed, making it one of the most enjoyable episodes of the season.
Another memorable case was Tongtian Rhino, which explored themes of legacy and fate. It told the story of someone dragged into a life they never wanted, simply because of their family’s history. The emotional weight of this story stayed with me long after the episode ended. Similarly, Letter from Shangxian Hall was another brilliantly written mystery that delivered a powerful message by the end.
As you can see, drama’s biggest strength lies in its writing. While the acting was uneven in some parts, the main male leads were the glue that holds the drama together, and without them, the story would not be as fun. The supporting characters also played crucial roles, particularly Fei Ji, whose quirky personality provided much-needed comic relief.
One of the most surprising aspects of the second season was how quickly Lu Lingfeng’s identity was addressed. The first case of the season revolved around his disappearance, which immediately set the tone for the rest of the series. This arc introduced a cult-like faction aiming to topple the Tang Dynasty, and it featured some of the best fight sequences in the drama. The eccentric painter, played by a singer who also happened to sing the show’s credit song, was another standout character.
While the drama isn’t entirely historically accurate—costumes are tailored more for appeal than authenticity—it still captures the essence of the Tang Dynasty era. The production quality has noticeably improved, with exotic settings like the western regions and the caves adorned with ancient art adding richness to the story. The fight scenes remain stellar, and the cinematography, while not groundbreaking, is solid and effective.
Themes of justice, loyalty, and brotherhood are central to the drama, especially in light of Lu Lingfeng’s secret identity. Throughout the season, the bond between Su Wuming and Lu Lingfeng is tested, but they ultimately prove their loyalty to each other. Their relationship is the heart of the show, and seeing it withstand political intrigue and personal challenges was deeply satisfying.
The second season left me eagerly anticipating a potential third instalment. It’s rare for Chinese dramas to have second seasons, let alone third ones, so if the series continues with the same level of quality, it will undoubtedly stand out as a unique and remarkable production in Chinese entertainment history.
What’s even more impressive is that the drama doesn’t rely on big-name traffic actors to succeed. Instead, it proves that strong writing, good acting, and high production values are the keys to creating a compelling story.
So, what are you waiting for? This drama is a rare gem that combines intricate mysteries, emotional depth, and stellar production quality.
If you haven’t watched Season 1 yet, I highly recommend giving it a chance. (Yes, I feel you need to watch Season 1 to truly enjoy the team dynamics to the full, even if the mysteries are self contained.)
Here’s hoping the team behind it continues to create more exceptional dramas in the future, because we sure need more of those in CDramaland.
Final rating 4 out of 5 stars
#4Stars #CDrama #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #StrangeTalesOfTangDynasty2
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Kill Me Love Me review
Liu Xueyi is an actor I’ve been watching for a long time. He really stood out in his second male lead role, In Blossom, even if the acting and storytelling of the drama were … inconsistent, so I really want him to be in a drama that really propels him to the big leagues soon. This is one actor that truly deserves to be there.
Kill Me Love Me could be it. (Cross fingers)
If you have not watched Kill Me Love Me, be sure to avoid the spoilerific Watch Log and head straight to the non-spoiler Final Review section instead.
- The story
- Characters
- Watch Log
- Thoughts about the ending
- What I liked
- What I didn’t like
- Conclusion
- Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars
If you’re accessing this from Mastodon, please head to my blog and bookmark the page as it’s not the final edition. I will be updating it until the drama ends.
The story
Prince Murong Jinghe of the Great Yan Dynasty is known as the “lunatic prince”, the “butcher general”. Ten years ago, he led his Weibei Army to reclaim Qingzhou, a lost territory. But soon after his army entered the city, a devastating fire broke out. The people of Qingzhou, angered, accused Murong Jing He of ordering the fire, massacring the people in retaliation against the people for their alleged betrayal of Great Yan.
Mei Lin lost her entire family in the fire. Consumed by vengeance, she joins a secret organization called Shadow Works, where she undergoes years of brutal training. After ten years, Mei Lin receives her first mission: Kill Prince Murong Jinghe, her greatest enemy.
Characters
- Murong Jinghe (played by Liu Xue Yi): A hated prince who is said to have ordered the death of countless civilians ten years ago.
- Mei Lin (played by Wu Jin Yan): An assassin and survivor of Qingzhou. She is tasked with killing Murong Jinghe.
- Murong Xuanlie (played by Baron Chen): They may be brothers, but the crown prince schemes against Murong Jinghe actively.
- Yue Qin (played by Bi Wen Jun): A prince of Xiyan who is a hostage in Yan. He knows Mei Lin from the past.
- Luo Mei (played by Zhao Xiao Tang): A general of Yan and childhood friend of Jinghe.
- Zi Gu (played by Huang Ri Ying): A princess of Xiyan sent to marry the Emperor of Yan as a gesture peace.
Watch Log
Read this part only after you’ve watched or while watching the Show. You’ve been warned!
Episodes 1 to 3
What can I say? Drama hooked me in immediately, especially with THAT kiss. Sweet, summer chile, I wasn’t ready.
I mean, the red robe ☝️ (and its occupant) says everything you need to know about why I’m watching Kill Me Love Me live 🙃
OK, fine, it has a thrilling, pulpy plot involving an assassin and a crazed, murderous prince, so what’s not to like?
Episodes 4 and 5
I thought it was rather brilliant that Murong Jinghe used his awful reputation to save Mei Lin. As he was explaining to the emperor, who doubted his plan, “If they could believe the general of Weibei army massacred Qingzhou, they would have no problem believing I’ve become a lecher.”
Ouch, dad, did you hear that? No, you didn’t, because you belong to the cohort of stupid emperors in Cdramaland who can’t see your sons plotting right under your nose. UGH. Cdrama dads are going to be the death of me.
Xiyan prince – Giving Meilin those cakes was a chance for the enemy to use his act of kindness and also, even if he did execute his plan, it would’ve destroyed the Xiyan peace treaty. Dude, you’re as naive as your sister. Oh dear, I hope you wise up quickly in the Yan court because it ain’t for the naive. I’m not that enthused about the second male lead coming in.
Mei Ling’s hallucinations – At first I was eh about the whole hallucination that Mei Ling was having. Sure, it was a little funny, but it kinda broke the angst/tension for a bit, but it was insight into her inner thoughts which Jinghe will never see.
Jinghe’s encounter with the lady general – it’s rather sad that he had to put on this act of being an indolent shadow of what he was, but you have to do what you have to do to execute your plan. But imagine having all your loved ones view you as a useless, hopeless case, not sure how it doesn’t eat him every day.
I can see that he’s been “lightened” a bit, and you can see he has a good streak beneath all that darkness. Still, I hope they don’t do it too quickly.
Episodes 6
The second male lead comes in with his schemes and I’m like, go away you irritant. You’re taking precious time from our couple and wasting our time with your impossible mission. But alas, it’s an unspoken rule of CDramaland to have a second male/female lead to cause trouble and it would seem that our Xiyan prince Yue Qin and General Luo Yin is it.
I’m pretty glad that in this episode, Jinghe told the Crown Prince to stop his “concerned brother” act because I think I’m genuinely going to puke if he continued all that smarmy acting.
It’s good to see the claws unsheathed, and our men declaring war on each other. Still, it’s pretty heart-breaking to know that when they were boys they created mischief with each other and generally had a friendly relationship (at least on Jinghe’s part). The handprints in the memorial hall is a haunting reminder of their lost brotherhood.
I wonder what happened to their relationship. (Looks sideways at the emperor.)
Episodes 7
I’m actually surprised that Mei Lin is over her hatred for Murong Jinghe so quickly. 10 years is a long time to hate someone and want to see him dead. But I suppose our assassin is a practical lady who just wants to get on the business of avenging the dead, and she sees an ally in him. And as the mystery behind the embroidery comes to head, she must see him as a fellow victim of the massacre and form some kind of emotional bond with him.
Uhm, can’t wait for the inevitable severing of ties when she finds out that he’s her Master. eheh.
Of all scenes in this episode, I did not expect Murong Jinghe to do some embroidery with Mei Lin. Hey, this is what bonding is all about! (He’s probably the first male lead I’ve seen doing embroidery with the heroine!)
In this episode we see our Crown Prince smoothly lying his way into General Luo’s heart. She’s not buying it for now but the trailers seem to indicate something else. Girl, run! But you’re second female lead so you’re destined to do something to trip our main couple so, I don’t think you’ll be running anytime soon.
Got to say that I admire the ruthless efficiency of the Crown Prince’s plan – it had demolished Jinghe completely 10 years ago. Not only was he left disabled, his reputation was completely ruined in the eyes of the nation and the people that mattered – his loved ones.
I think if there’s anything to be said, is that Jinghe belongs to a family where there’s a … trust deficit. The heartbreak of knowing that your family will believe the worst of you must be unendurable. And seeing how the two brothers were before, the Crown Prince have always had this malicious, lying streak, and the young Jinghe appeared naive or unaware of it.
So far, I’m still loving the pace of the storytelling, though I’m a little uncertain about the humorous moments. I just want them to retain more of the angst, ya know? But that could make the show very dour indeed. However, the comedy moments didn’t work with me. Oh well.
But I’m sure more suffering is coming, so angst will be returning. I’m seated.
Episode 8
Murong Jinghe and Mei Lin go … dating? More cute moments with our “couple” as they put on a show for the whole of Yan and the Crown Prince to convince him that, nah, he isn’t up to anything and he’s 100% a lecherous bastard.
The crown prince makes moves with General Luo and she’s not impressed. Yue Qian gets a shock when his manservant’s Shumo plan to smuggle Mei Lin out of Yan goes horribly wrong. Murong Jinghe manages to capture Minister Zhang, one of the Crown Prince’s henchmen.
NGL, episodes 8 and 9 were the eps that got me really worried and fearing for the drama’s health. I don’t think the writers (or perhaps Wang Jinyan) managed the transition from stoic angry assassin to semi-bubbly accomplice very well. I found the comedic moments between Jinghe and Mei Lin rather painful and wanted them to stop lol.
Episode 10
My faith in the show is raised when Jinghe’s public displays of crackheadedness make a reappearance. Hello, mad prince! I missed you! Our fake couple ramps up the Public Displays of Affection. Oddly this was far more tolerable for me than their cutesy moments.
And then more palace intrigue stuff. More please! So much so that it leaves General Luo mad and the Crown Prince smirking that he’s winning General Luo. (Yeah, no.)
Episode 11
The crown prince and Jinghe fights over “ownership” of Minister Zhang in a dramatic way.
I’m enjoying the poisonous banter between the Crown Prince and Jinghe. Ah, shades of Joy of Life, where Fan Xian and the second prince exchange pleasantries laced with threats. Jinghe and Crown Prince’s exchanges may not be as delicately terrifying as our JOL duo but it’s really wonderful to see two great actors – Liu Xueyi and Baron Chen – duke it out.
(Speaking of Baron Chen, you really need to check out Meteor, Butterfly, Sword.)
Something shifted in episode 10.
While episode 8 and 9 made me wonder if the show had jumped the shark, 10 and 11 made me worry a little less.
I was especially ecstatic when I saw trailers for eps 12 and 13. 100% celebrated when I saw that our “couple” is back to being furious with each other. Yay! Can we keep them this way, please?
Also, Mei Lin, if you thought what he did with the 10 beauties was bad, wait till you find out about that master of yours …
To be honest, I initially worried about the direction of the show. But after rewatching the trailers and the feature on how they made the drama, I regained some of that lost confidence because I could see that there are some exciting upcoming arcs, and I really want to see them played out, such as a rebellion by the Crown Prince, a war, some shenanigans with dead bodies with Jinghe being the unhinged prince again…
So, I’m back to enjoying the drama. Maybe I’m just an eternally optimistic person who can see the silver lining in everything. Maybe it’s the sight of Jinghe in his resplendent burgandy robes, staring down at Mei Lin as she dances. (Damn you, producers, for weakening my rational side.) Who knows? I’m just enjoying myself.
To be honest, I never really wanted Jinghe to be thoroughly dark despite what the trailers hinted. I knew that it also wouldn’t be 100% possible with the rules in Cdramaland right now, but most of all, I don’t think I’d have enjoyed it very much if he was truly callous, cold and basically mad like he is in the novel.
In my heart, I knew Jinghe would be a green flag cloaked in red. But my disappointment stemmed from the poor character writing of Mei Lin and the awkward transition of Jinghe being menacing to … nice? I get that’s the face he shows the people at his side, but I feel that it was too quick with Mei Lin.
Perhaps it’ll improve.
I’m quite pleased with Jinghe’s character writing, however. (Ok except for the quick acceptance of Mei Lin.) And even the Crown Prince has a good treatment by the writers. But Mei Lin needs better definition and steel to reflect her supposed deadliness and resilience.
So, I think I’m on the side of, “I’m still enjoying this drama, but I’m lowering my expectations a tad.”
I have to remind myself that Legend of Shen Li lost me for a good half a dozen or more episodes, so much so that I nearly gave up on it. Then, somehow magically around the 20th episode or so, it regained its initial spark, and it ended up being one of my favourite dramas of 2024.
Episode 12
The Xiyan prince is about to leave and he can bring the beauties with the burnt mark home, but of course, the crown prince has other ideas. Meanwhile, Jinghe and Mei Lin fall out when she discovers just how ruthless he can be to achieve his plans.
(Uhm ya, you don’t know half of it, lady)
Episode 13
The royal hunt is on and the Crown Prince is up to no good. Well, so is Jinghe as he’s intent on capturing Li Qi, a man who is connected to the tragedy at Qingyuan 10 years ago. But his plan involves jumping off cliffs…
Here’s what I can say, it is funny how quickly the story improved once the Xiyan prince left and we don’t have to endure 2ML shenanigans (for too long anyway) 😆
His little arc in ep 12 is pretty interesting tho. Try not to spoil yourself before watching it.
Anyway, I was super concerned about the drama, as I said, esp with episodes 7-9, that the show had jumped sharked. My primary concern was tha they were going to shortcut their emotional and relationship growth by making them be cute with each other from the get go.
But something turned at ep 10, and I can say at eps 12 and 13 that the tension, darkness and Murong Jinghe we knew in eps 1-3 is baaaack. Even Mei Lin seems better defined and her character writing is more solid.
Our couple is back to threatening each other and dang it Liu Xueyi somehow makes threats sound like seduction.
But what really shocked me, was the last 10 min of ep 13. Such a short scene, but a massively important one as Mei Lin finally realised the depth of suffering Jinghe had gone through.
It was a scene I never ever thought I will see in a cdrama, a kind of humiliation that is so awful in its rawness it will make you turn away in shock.
I am so used to Cdrama heroes being portrayed as perfect, always with beautiful skin, always suave and sure of himself.
But here, Jinghe is at his lowest in front of possibly the worst person: someone he has growing feelings for.
I am not going to spoil you about what happened, because this is a scene that needed to be seen to feel the impact.
Personally, I am actually agog that the producers a actually went there! But I really, really liked that they did. That’s brave writing.
Liu Xueyi and Wu Jinyan acted the heck out of that scene. That quiet, respectful way she treated him. She didn’t say a word and went to gather wood.
His devastated look as he was forced to LOOK AT THAT LOG as Mei Lin drags him away… the whole scene left me speechless really.
Perfectly acted, all of it. And both actors hardly said a word to each other during this time. I can see that LXY WJY are not the type of actors who want to pose and look pretty for the camera all the time, that’s for sure.
Honestly, I am glad Liu Xueyi was given this moment because he really showed what he was capable of here.
And ya know, I am not the type to cry when watching any drama. Heck didn’t even cry watching the Titanic, but I almost did with this one, because this is a humiliation none of us want to ever endure.
Anyway, they have An Important Conversation after the whole thing which will define their relationship now. If they ever do have lovey-dovey moments in future ep, it will feel more organic than forced.
Episodes 14 to 15
Jinghe’s night terrors AKA can we get him a therapist?
Mei Lin sees Jinghe at a vulnerable moment once more as he suffers through a horrible nightmare of the moment he was nearly beaten to death and crippled. So fierce was the dream that it left him trembling for a few good minutes. Again, Mei Lin just quietly does what needs to be done, no fuss as she gathers herbs to help Jinghe sleep. I love her style. She knows that Jinghe doesn’t need sweet words but practical help.
Though I have to be amused at his earlier attempts to literally get in bed with her. I thought he would’ve benefited from a cuddle or two but Mei Lin is having none of that LOL
As usual, this was a great performance from Liu Xueyi and Wu Jinyan.
The best fight I’ve seen in a while
For one, it has some of the most intense and well done fight scenes done in a Cdrama since forever. I wrote about it in my last post.
A contrast between the princes
Some will question why the writers included that small storyline with Commander Yang of the prison camp and his subordinate. I actually thought it was brilliant – episodes 14 and 15 contrast how the two princes differ in their treatment of their men.
The Crown Prince does command loyalty, but it’s all through deceit. Just like how he deals with all the people in his life, from General Yin to the Emperor, he projects an aura of kindness and benevolence and strikes at his enemies from the shadows when they least expect it. (Luo Mei will be his latest victim 100%.)
His men think that he’s a great man but will almost always realise it too late what he really is, as Yang’s subordinate finds out. RIP. Commander Yang, I hope you don’t get too big a shock in the afterlife when you find out the truth.
Meanwhile, Jinghe is the total opposite. He projects an image of a decadent and murderous bastard who is willing to kill people for amusement, but in truth, he is kind and loyal to his men. He worries for Qingyan when they separate, and when one of his men died during that massive battle in the bamboo forest he grieved so deeply that Mei Lin and Qingyan had to drag him away.
Both princes command loyalty in their men, but only one is truly loyal to them.
A quiet interlude So they had to go through hell (well, a snowstorm anyway) to reach an isolated, idyllic village.
Btw can I express my appreciation to the producers for filming in actual places? It was soooo satisfying to see a fight in an actual bamboo forest and a whole village! According to a BTS video, they hardly shot in the studio. After the tense, angsty episodes of 13-15, it’s good for our leads (and our brains) to have a vacation lol.
When I saw these scenes in the trailer, I just couldn’t imagine HOW Jinghe and Meilin’s relationship could’ve ended up being so … sweet!
But in episodes 13-15, our couple has seen each other at their worst; they’ve fought side by side like comrades and they’ve saved each other numerous times. The next step, love, is 100% more logical than episode’s 8-11’s cutesy moments. I’m so so glad that my fears about the drama devolving into a frivolous mess didn’t come true. And thank god for the intensity of ep 13. This couple really needed that moment.
(Speaking of which, I had fun reading through Weibo’s reaction to ep 13 – I posted the Weibo reactions to ep 13 on my Tumblr, so you can read it if you like.)
Anyway, 100% for sure they are going to have a Meet Yourself slice of life time in that village where they connect and ya know, get “heated up”.
Darlings, you know what that means, right?
PAIN IS COMING!
My not favourite moments
Xiyan prince is back. WAIIII. I get you need to be second male lead and all, but can you like stop taking up so much screentime? Each time we switch to Xiyan I just legit want to throw a mantao at the TV
Episodes 16-18
Many people complained that these episodes were “out of sync” or that the drama suddenly became another genre. But these episodes stuck with me for a long time. So much so that I rewatched them over and over again. For some reason, they were just so meaningful to me, as impactful as the pivotal episode 13 where we saw Murong Jinghe at his very lowest.
For me, the most meaningful and moving scene was this one – of them dancing around the bonfire.
I couldn’t really articulate why before, but today I decided to write down what I saw in it that moved me so much.
After a while I realised that that dance around the bonfire was a celebration; Jinghe and Meilin had been in pain for so long, tortured by their mission and inner demons, but the dance around the fire marked a turning point in their journey.
These are the reasons why their time in the village was so important to their growth:
It was a reminder and restoration of their true selves
Were they deluding themselves to forget about the outside world, their mission, and their vengeance and indulge themselves in this bucolic paradise? I think in that beautiful village, it was impossible to hold on to the darkness. And who would blame them to indulge in some peace and tranquillity?
During this time, away from the stifling confines of the capital and from the people who smiled at them but held daggers behind their backs, they could finally relax … and fall in love.
A dose of hope that their lives could be more than just about vengeance
Meilin and Jinghe had led such tightly focused lives for ten years: It was for vengeance, and nothing else. There was no space for anything else. Certainly nothing happy.
In this village, there was suddenly a new focus: Love. This made them realise that there was life beyond their quest to take down the crown prince.
Not only do the villagers give them a more human reason to strive for their goal, they could now focus on living for each other.
A reminder of why they have to do what they need to do
By living side by side with the villagers, they are reminded about the ultimate reason why they are fighting for justice and vengeance — to preserve and protect the lives of these good-hearted common folk, so that their children can still run in the fields, and the village could celebrate and have tables of food.
For Murong Jinghe, it’s a restoration of his faith in the common folk
For Jinghe, his time in the village is especially profound. He has never lived as a commoner. His life had always been about privilege and responsibilities. He’s used to being served and bowed to by these folks, and the only other experience he had with commoners is being crippled by them.
In episode 2, we see Jinghe say bitterly, first to Mei Lin and then to his dead mother, that for 10 years, he had regretted the mercy and restraint he had showed towards the people of Qianzhou, because it only resulted in him being crippled and his men dead.
His time in the village was important to give him an insight into how normal people lived and a reminder that they are more than irrational monsters.
When he played with the children, interacted with the village aunties and even sweet, hapless Wei, he is reminded of their humanity. They are kind, good-hearted villagers. These are the people he was meant to protect.
They are no longer the weapon-wielding objects of his hatred, his tormentors, but people with dreams and hopes, whose lives should stay free of fear.
When they danced around that fire, I truly celebrated with them because of all the healing they had done. This village helped them heal.
And notice in this scene that the frame pans back to the bonfire. I think, intentional or not, this is symbolic. Fire has been the source of both Meilin and Jinghe’s tragedies. But this time, the fire is at the centre of a celebration. The meaning of fire has been transformed.
Episode 19
First, have THIS face ☝️
Two, steal his armour and horse
Three, hide the target of your bro’s frantic search at his wedding reception and let her strut out like a queen
Four, ignore your brother completely when he talks to you and talk to his bride instead
Five, ride away like a king
Six, make his bride run after you
Let’s face it, Jinghe is a total drama queen, but man, does he know how to use this skill to his advantage. He wanted people to spread the news of him being alive and well? What way to do it than to gatecrash your bro’s big day with maximum style and drama?
Luo Mei – there are two ways our general will go from here on:
a) Get so pissed off at Jinghe that she joins forces with the Crown Prince to bring him down
b) Pretend that she’s with the Crown Prince so that she can get intel to help Jinghe
I am leaning towards b, mostly because Luo Mei’s character has not shown any tendency to be petty and she puts the safety of her nation first most of all. So far, the writers in this show have been quite consistent with their character writing, so I’m expecting it to be the same.
But hey, you can never know.
Other thoughts:
- I can’t tell if Luo Mei is just naturally expressionless or is it the actress. Hard to judge with her interaction with the Crown Prince if she really means what she says or is playing along. Oh well maybe that’s the purpose lol 😅
- It’s so sweet in a way to see the emperor so excited to hear the news about Jinghe … until he gave him the speech about betraying the people. You are going to so regret this, dad
- Zigu still believing the worst of Jinghe despite what Meilin told her is so annoying 🙃
- Yue Qian be plotting 😑 When is he going to be over?
Ep 20 trailer omaigawd after The Rise of Ning, I’m so done with elders fainting at crucial moments.
Also, ok now we have a valid reason to hate Yue Qin (besides him being a c@kblocker) – he has been a double agent for crown prince all the while. Can someone lend me a cudgel? Need to use it for something.
Episode 20-22
I made this gif so that Luo Mei can slap the Crown Prince endlessly.
You can thank me later.
Our crown prince is peak Evil Villain in these episodes.
Gotta give credit where credit is due: Baron Chen is doing a phenomenal job as the villain. We have pathetic villains, dumb villains, smarmy villains, but he’s not any of those. We all can’t wait to slap him all together. Good job Baron! *slow claps*
He’s that dirt you find at the edge of your sink that you can’t seem to scrape off. And then when you do scrape it off it’ll give you some kind of deadly disease. That kinda villain.
He manages to corner Jinghe to a desperate situation and poor Eunuch Liu !
What a good man, loyal till the end. I loved that little flashback of him and little Jinghe where he taught the rascal a secret gesture which Jinghe used to communicate the emperor’s poisoning.
Jinghe’s suicide mission
Also speaking of nefarious substances, you want couple goals? Most couples get matching T-shirts. Murong Jinghe and Meilin gets matching poisons . Can you significant other do that, huh?? (Talk about spoiling the market.)
Admittedly, when I first found out about Jinghe’s decision to be a lab experiment, I went: I know you love her and all, but bro, talk about terrible timing!
But the more I think about the more I think this is pretty much what Jinghe would do. Ruthless and calculative even with himself, he knows that his time is running short, and what with the crown prince now holding the reins of power (with Luo Mei’s army at his command on top of that) and Jinghe about to execute a suicide mission, he had very little room to manouever.
He had so little confidence that his plan would work that he had his memorial tablet installed in the secret room where he meets with his comrades.
The Reveal
And the whole I am the Shadow Master reveal in episode 23 – initially I thought it was an act of noble idiocy. I mean, yes, it was (as if my girl needs rescuing), but in his eyes, he knew that the only way for her to give up on him completely and not put herself in harm’s way is for her to find out in the most brutal way he was the one who poisoned her and caused her endless misery for ten years.(By the way, did you know that Liu Xueyi crafted 3 different voices for his different personas? You can actually notice the subtle shifts in his voice acting the first 4 episodes of the drama when the personas were present then. I will say this, but Liu Xueyi is someone that you should never ever dub (like Zhang Wanyi) – he is pretty masterful with the line delivery. If you hear him speak in real life, it is NOTHING like the voices he uses in his dramas.)
Back to the whole Yue Qian and Jinghe shall make Mei Lin’s decisions for her arc, the Reveal actually made a lot of sense, and him handing her over to Yue Qian is an expedient and efficient way to keep her alive. And I shall give Yue Qian a pass this time because we have plenty of time later to hate him once Crown Prince exits the stage.
Still, Yue Qian’s “I love her” got me thinking, like how, lil prince? You knew Meilin for only 1.5 seconds and you’re in love with her? You say you want to give Mei Lin a choice and here you are bargaining with Jinghe like she’s a chess piece? Yeah, I’m really convinced.
Anyway, I just have to say I’m so proud of Mei Lin for not falling for Jinghe’s I never loved you because I’ve been an evil bastard all along . I love that this drama never relied on misunderstandings to heighten tension. Meilin is smart as a whip, and she does us proud.
Luo Mei in love? Hard to tell, really
Meanwhile, the Internet is screaming at Luo Mei for falling in love with the crown prince. But I think the scenes of her crying in front of the altar and even killing Eunuch Liu is her coming to terms with the fact that she made a Big Mistake and wrestling with what she must do to preserve the Yin family honour.
I am still not sure if she really loves the prince or is upset that she got conned, because the actress is *not the most expressive* of persons. (Does she have working facial muscles? Asking for a friend.)
Anyway, episode 22 ends in the best way, with Jinghe making his last stand and running his suicide mission. The trailer for episode 23 is murderous (in that it will murder me), and 1 day seems like a damn long time to wait.
Episode 23
Jinghe is beaten and stabbed to every inch of his life in this episode
And really, really paid for his loyalty to the Weibei army and clueless dad
Yet, despite losing 50% of his blood and at death’s door, dreaming of snow
He still looks gorgeous
Life is unfair
Jinghe’s desperate battle
Murong Jinghe’s suicide mission is in full swing as he storms the castle gates (so to speak) with his men. They are vastly outnumbered, and Jinghe isn’t confident that he’ll make a dent, but he is going to try anyway. It’s his last ditch attempt to save the emperor as previous attempts to give him the antidote had failed .
We get a big skirmish, and as far as palace skirmishes go, it isn’t bad, though the fighting scenes in this episode is not as good as episode 14’s or even Mei Lin’s battle with the Crown Prince’s men in episode 22.
It’s a bloody battle and I’m actually appreciative of the director really hurting Jinghe instead of making him some kind of superman with crazy wuxia skills. (Though hilariously on Weibo, some people complained that Jinghe’s martial arts must be bad cos he got hurt so much lol.)
Also, can we say yay to the Lu Lingfeng spear moment we got!
Why did Meilin go off with Yue Qin?
Damnit, Yue Qin c@!kblocker #1, you’re back with a vengeance and I’m back to hating you full time. But in case you missed it Meilin decided to go off with him because if he she didn’t, apparently his life would be in danger. Why do I think this is an absolute bullshit lie
Jinghe was left stumbling after her, unable to stop her.
Did I mention how unfair that someone can be half dead and look this gorgeousBut there’s probably another reason. She’s fulfilled her revenge (though denied having a hand at it towards the end, she bitterly said to Yue Qin at one point), and she no longer has any other reasons to stay around. And I think Jinghe’s admission of being the Assassins’ master rattled her, despite her logical reaction. She probably needed a break from Jinghe and to regain her confidence and some peace.
Thus ends the Crown Prince arc, but I’m with the camp that he got off too easy. I wanted a public trial damnit, not a quiet dispatch in a dark prison. Though, maybe for him and his big ego, such an ignomious death was probably fitting because he’s being told by the emperor, that he doesn’t even warrant a public execution, he should be quickly dispatched like month-old rotting food at the back of the fridge – quickly and with as much disgust as possible.
The emperor
One thing that dissatisfied me with this episode was that he didn’t even visit Jinghe after he fell from battle. Hey, dad, he literally took a sword for you, not once but many times, and not even a visit? Most probably it was an oversight from the writers/producers’ part, as they prob wanted to prioritise Meilin’s bedside visit, but having the emperor just be there, would go a long way to convey that he was concerned.
Alternatively, it could be that the emperor was in a tight spot. Both of his sons had fought with each other. One was downright evil in what he did, killing loyal officials and then poisoning him, his other son, meanwhile, had a secret army (and a secret assassin’s league but don’t tell dad). This does not look good for him, and he needs to show that he’s above it all and in control.
Still, one significant moment that you probably missed was the emperor admitting, in court, no less – that he didn’t teach his sons well, Qingzhou’s disaster was also his fault; basically putting the blame on himself, and declaring that he will write what amounts to a public admission that he fucked up.
He didn’t have to do that; he could’ve downplayed it or just blame the Crown prince entirely, but he took some of the blame.
This is a very BIG move for an emperor in China back then as this is almost close to admitting that he was wrong and had failed the people, and the philosophy behind the Mandate of Heaven is that the emperor is given the right the rule only if he serves the people well, but it’ll be removed if he does the opposite. that admission puts him in a vulnerable position politically.
That little surprised look Murong Jinghe gave showed just how significant this move was.
This is the emperor apologising to his son in the most public way possible. Rather moving, really.
And as Jinghe walks out of the hall, he sees his dead men (including the warrior that died in episode 14), walking back ot the palace, finally able to return home with dignity after having their names cleared. And Jinghe and the Weibei soldiers bidding each other farewell. 😭 What a moment. SNIFF.
Luo Mei’s decision
As I suspected, Luo Mei comes to Jinghe (and the emperor’s) rescue, though that doesn’t excuse her killing Eunuch Liu in the last episode, though it’s said that Liu was begging her to kill him, so maybe she was right to do so.
But what happens next got me scratching my head. She … decides to visit the crown prince in prison in her wedding gown, and it seemed like she really does love the Xueling.
Like girl, you must’ve smoked that incense good, it changed your brain chemistry and downgraded your IQ or something.
Yes, I did not understand how or why Luo Mei would STILL be in love with the prince, despite knowing that he’s traitorous bastard, This is probably down to the actress’ inability to portray the nuance needed for such a role. Luo Mei is reserved, cold and it probably takes an exceptional actress to convey her slowly falling in love with Crown Prince, being torn by what she discovered by him etc. Instead, it left me confused by it all. Eh.
Did the crown prince get off easy?
Life is unfair, but his death by poison in a dark prison cell is kinder than Li Qing’s death by fish scale flaying (whatever that means but it sure sounds painful as eff), but this is inline with royals getting a kinder punishment than commoners back then.
What’s bizzaro to me was that final “love scene” between Luo Mei and our crown prince. Felt zero emotions for them during this scene. And are they telling me that the prince did all those evil things for looooove?
And why was Luo Mei the one to deliver the cup of poison?
—
Final verdict: A fantasic episode but I felt that there were moments where they could’ve upped the emotional stakes and tension more.
Episode 24
I told myself that I’ll only watch Kill Me Love Me episodes on Thursday.
WHO WAS I KIDDING BWAHAHA
I pounced on this sucker the moment it was released like I was a Swiftie trying to buy Taylor Swift concert tickets. Pathetic lol
Luo Mei sets off
Luo Mei caused quite a ruckus in fandom in the last episode, with lots of people confused by her love for the Crown Prince, but I’ve come round to thinking that she just had a soft spot for someone who expressed love for her. Her redeeming moment was when she thanked Jinghe for helping her choose correctly.
So, in essence, she was blinded by love (I guess?) or desire to be loved, rather, and snapped out it in the nick of time, but the price is high.
Do you hate me?
But yes, we finally get THE CONVERSATION between the emperor and Jinghe. It’s interesting that he has this conversation in the same place he prayed to the empress and Jinghe, asking their forgiveness for not pursuing/revealing the truth behind Jinghe’s “death” and letting the Crown Prince continue unconvicted.
And the Emperor asks the million dollar question: Do you hate me?
Lemme think, dad. You exiled your crippled son to some cold corner of the kingdom, never defended his honor and basically stripped him of everything that made him who he was by believing the Crown Prince’s lies. I don’t know? What do you think??
Jinghe, surprisingly, said almost as quickly: Yes, I hate you.
Well, that was refreshing!
But quickly toned it down with a diplomatic answer, like a dutiful subject would do. The emperor wasn’t buying it and basically said that he was lying to him.
And yes, the gloves come off and Jinghe demands, why didn’t you believe me? Why didn’t you investigate?
And, the emperor basically told Jinghe that he was a convenient explanation to appease kingdom about the Qingzhou disaster, he had to placate the kingdom, and that well, it wasn’t a convenient time to investigate.
You can see immediately that the emperor realised he done f**ked up, as Jinghe instantly clams up and goes back to loyal subject mode, and gives a flat, diplomatic answer: “I understand. You’re the emperor of the nation, not just my father.”
The emperor tries to bridge the gap, but stops himself. He probably realised that he totally deserved that cold shoulder.
And he finally admits his real motives: Greed. This is interesting because during his “confession” a few moments earlier, he admitted that he told Jinghe that he had convinced himself that Jinghe was greedy and thus caused the massacre. But now he admits that he was the one that was greedy.
This is what I love about Kill Me Love Me. The writers (when they’re doing great anyway) doesn’t feed me the story nor overexplain things lest they think I’m too stupid to get the subtext.
Also, with actors like Liu Xueyi and Jiang Kai (who plays the emperor), it’s a delight to interpret the microexpressions being exchanged. I love that Jinghe refuses to meet the emperor’s eyes when he speaks those “diplomatic” lines, but only does so when he’s truthful.
(But with less than capable actors, however… it can be confusing, as we endured with Luo Mei.)
Is the emperor a bad dad? Well, yeah. But in the pantheon of bad emperor dads, he is at least trying to be better.
Xiyan Xiyan Xiyan
Yeah you can hear my lack of enthusiasm about the whole thing happening o’er there.
I have this theory that Yue Qian may not be this arc’s Big Bad, but my confidence is shaken somewhat when he starts mooning about making Meilin his Princess Heir … despite telling her that he wants to give her freedom.
Sorry man, but the actor is not capable of being Big Bad #2. I’m thinking that the Xiyan general and the king could be the real antagonists and Yue Qian is just there to make things worse for everyone LOL
Budding romance?
And then there’s this moment with Zigu and the emperor. Er, I’m seriously not sure what to think between the two. Is it more like a father-daughter relationship, or, er, something more? In this episode there seems to be an indication it’s more than that. LOL. Oh dear, I can almost hear international fans screaming in horror. (On Weibo I don’t hear as much of this, interestingly.)
Although marriages like these is common practice back then, I’m not sure what to feel about it. It’s just awkward for me lol. I guess I’m just a modern gal.
Qingzhou’s restoration
I’m actually very excited for this storyline. It gives our poor dejected prince something to do besides mope over Mei Lin and water plants. It’s a full circle for his story, and it’ll help him heal by restoring Qingzou after what the crown prince did.
Something interesting I found on Weibo was that some users commented that the reason why Jinghe didn’t tie his hair up was because he was never given a coming-of-age ceremony due to being framed for the massacre. I think that’s part of the reason, but it’s also part of his “mad prince” persona, who doesn’t care for the rules of propriety, who is very far from respectable.
But now that he’s cleared of the crime, about to be made crown prince (as heavily hinted by the emperor) he can now put up his hair like any respected official.
Episodes 27-32
I bought Xpress episodes but goddamn it there’s some bug that prevents me from unmasking it, but I’m a tech nerd so I have my ways. I wrote a whole lot of thoughts and then Reddit decides to erase it randomly lol. Tech is not playing well with me tonight.
Warning: Sincerely, don’t click on this before watching the episodes.
Yue Qin’s craziness
Er, YQ going all Count Dracula was weird, but I guess it works to cause more drama for Meilin.
Jinghe’s mad era
Yue Qin, you had ONE JOB.
He deserved all the punches Jinghe gave him.
But, yeah omg it’s so sad to see Jinghe completely off his sanity. You may wonder why, but he’s been through hell for ten years, and Meilin was the only hope he had for a better life beyond revenge. The thought of revenge sustained him, and I think if he hadn’t met her, and successfully executed his plan, he probably would’ve killed himself from the despair.
He also probably blames himself like hell for what happened to her. In that speech to her “corpse” he said, “It’s my fault that you died. I harmed you. It was me who handed you to someone else”.
It must’ve been difficult for Qingyan, already a mother hen, to see him deteriorate to this point. And stopping him in the nick of time before he killed himself! The poor man has been to hell and back for his master, seeing him at his very worst to … his happiest to his very worst again.
As usual, it was mesmerising to see Liu Xueyi in this segment. Now we can proceed to …
Thoughts about the ending
Seriously just a warning not to proceed and unclick before watching the drama. I think you should watch the show before you do this, trust me lol.
Click HERE to read thoughts about endingYes, right, so remember what I said about NOT CLICKING THE ENDING? I was impatient and decided to do so lol. I just wanted to be over the anxiety of waiting lol.
I suppose for a CDrama, it was a better ending than I thought. I think mentally, I prefer to end the drama at their wedding and not proceed – and if you prefer to remember them at their happiest, maybe end it there.
Uh, Zigu dying. Why? What was the point of her arc beyond: Life sucks and then we die? lol
I think the cruellest thing was that on Weibo, the wedding scene was leaked first so everyone thought it was a good ending.
Then the express episodes landed and now people are hella mad.
Let’s not get started with MDL lol, they be rioting there.
I think, thematically, it didn’t make sense to end it this way, what with the talk about undying flowers and all that. It should’ve ended the way the novel did, happily with them as emperor and empress.
However, since they said that she got to live to be empress, I’m of the opinion that he managed to prolonged her life somehow, and he joined her quite quickly after. Life does happen, I guess. Why do we Chinese people like tragedy so much hahaha
That little scene of them meeting if the Qingzhou fire hadn’t happened, however, was a little cruel lol. Like yeah, remind us about the what if, thanks!
I think for me is I find it hard to process that Jinghe got to live with the guilt that he caused her early death for the rest of his life. It just doesn’t feel like a good closure for him What do you think about this?
Personally, I think the scriptwriters wanted to be artsty & memorable rather than conclude the story in a satisfying way for the audience.
But so yeah, I’m heartbroken but yet at the same time I’m rather pleased that they still got to spend some time together. This was the same feeling I got from Mysterious Lotus Casebook. You can only do so much to twist fate to meet your needs. In the end, your previous actions and decisions will catch up with you, no matter how noble your intentions in the present.
I wrote such a long essay about the ending that I turned it into a separate post: Kill Me Love Me reflections about the ending.
(Funny story: My post eventually got picked up and translated into Chinese by someone I was following on Weibo. Thought about meta!)
What I liked
- Camerawork – The crew actually bothered to shoot in actual locations. You do not know how rare this is! It was a delight to see these beautiful locations instead of pretending that this studio set was a forest, a town or a temple.
- Fight scenes – I thought Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2 was great. This exceeded it!
- Kissing scenes – The steamiest, most real and emotional kissing scenes that have ever graced Cdrama screens!!
- Solid, high-tier acting – Liu Xueyi and to an extent, Wu Jinyan, has set the bar so high for me I couldn’t move on to other dramas after that unless it was that good. And … no other dramas matched this quality of acting for me this season. Sobs. It has ruined me.
What I didn’t like
- The script fell short of what it could be, had plot holes, and did not coherently communicate the drama’s themes. If they did that better, the ending would’ve been more appreciated.
Conclusion
As you can see, the drama had mostly good points for me, and very few bad points … except where it mattered, the script. Sigh. It was NEARLY there!
This made this a tough drama to rate, so I’m going to use some math!
- Fighting scenes: 9 (the best I’ve seen in years)
- Acting: solid 9 for Liu Xueyi and Wu Jinyan
- Writing (Script): 7 (sigh). It has moments of utter brilliance and is especially good at character development, but fumbled many major plot points. The last arc was a big, big drag.
- Costumes: 8
- Camerawork: 8 (they took pains to film in actual places, and didn’t do much studio work! Highly appreciated.)
And I average out the score to …
Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars
#3Stars #CDramas #China #ChineseDrama #CostumedDrama #KillMeLoveMe #LiuXueYi #LiuXueyi #TV
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Great gift for a #woodworker. Some boards and others rescued by a friend of mine at a #temple (お寺).
Am planning to make a #shelf or simple #bookcase.
What kind of wood, I wonder. Anyone familiar with it? -
Spring Luxury
This is what a #spring luxury looks like. A combo of nature's gifts in a serving in #pasta.Sauge and cabbage sauted with #Japanese #dashi, #fuki shoots and #wasabi-na shoots boiled placed on top, now-rarely-found grandma's #umeboshi pickle atop.
In case one may thirst for tongue-tingling punchy spice, #homegrown peppers side-dished.
#Fuki-no-tō is bitter and removes "poison," #wasabi-na tastes like #wasabi, akin to #daikon and #karashi-na.
Nothing like spring luxury. -
..and ideas and designs ingeniously generated suited for the environment where they are used.
Using #handtools in woodworking is becoming in harmony with the speed of nature, cycle of nature, and maximizing one's internal capabilities to match the interfaces of nature.
This is how I understand #handtool woodworking now.
Th'O.A.Q.Tr'T -
Why #handtoolsonly woodworking? I've thought over it for a couple of years now.
It's not speed, not efficiency at the time when a gvt can change the world overnight firing #executiveorders, whether legal or not.
It may be, as Rex Krueger said, history of the process of making, or little stories thereof regarding "obstacles."
Stories of tools used, maintained or found and restored, how a material came to be obtained, techneques learned and bettered... a bit of spice to the "superlying" world.
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#Morticing. Btm, finally #sumi-sen markings done. Took me a few hours.
Top, #morticing done halfway. Notice on another side, another mortice done! Looks professional! Hehe!
The #nomi # chisel is a name engraving read "kore-saku(是作)." Information lacks in it, despite search in #Japanese. If anybody knows about it, please let me be referred to it.
Th'O.A.Q.Tr't -
Two pinnacles of two projects. First tries. #Tenons properly seated on both projects.
As an enthuasist, feeling a humble degree of fulfillment and delight to see these long-standing projects finally coming together.
Th'O.A.Q.Tr't -
Not sure if proper #JapaneseWoodworking has this way of doing, but I found wetting the material first would help prevent fibers from squashing. Squashing happens especially when the air is dry, which deprives the wood of its water content.
Maybe because the material I mostly use is #Sugi, of which #ShouSugi is made, as it's the most cheaply available material around. It gets brittle when dry.
It is useful esp. before finalizing a cut with precision like a mortize (hozo-anaほぞ穴) .T'O.A.Q.Tr't
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In my last post, I sharpened my chiesels. In practice in #JapaneseWoodworking, there is much emphasis on maintaining and its techniques.I spend half the w.w. time.
Top-left: before, top-right & btm-left: after sharpening. Btm-right: test-fit after Men-tori (面取り) champhering. Cut well.
Test fitting of C-D legs came out fine. One moment to feel bits of fulfillment.
Wish the world be a little more permissive.T'O.A.Q.Tr't
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These #JapaneseWoodworking #nomi chisels by Takashiba (高芝) needed a due care of sharpening.
I tend to keep it at a smaller angle on the stone than should somehow, having long been learning to sharpen it at a desirable angle: as the saying goes, "practice makes perfect."
The wider chisel has a scoop in the center from previous owner.I stopped at Naka-do(中砥) .Great respect on the manufacturer and equal respect on these tools, and the need of caring for tools. Let us keep this ride.
T'OAQTr't -
I'm in no way trained in #JapaneseWoodworking, I'm only practicing what I think is at the edge of it.
It's #mukoomachi #nomi #chisel that's holed out a #hozo-ana #mortise.
No power tools, no harsh sounds. Just enjoying the work of the hands. #handtoolsonly
The OAQ Treatment -
Can't believe I found these at a local secondhand shop! Traditional #JapaneseWoodworking tool, #ChÔna! Have been used for hundreds of years. Can't wait to use them!
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@RagnaJa Waar #ligfietsen in voorkomen:
- Brainstorm
- The Straight storyThema Mongolië:
- The story of the weeping camel
- The cave of the yellow dog
- Khadahk
- Mongolian ping pong -
Vrijdagbericht #ligfietsers