Pan Zi is big on sewing I see. _Two_ Danish cookies tins, one of them extra large!
#UltimateNote #SetDesign #EnvironmentalStorytelling #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
#urbanxianxia — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #urbanxianxia, aggregated by home.social.
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The end credits always have a roll of bloopers and behind the scenes stuff. Unfortunately not subtitled, but the editor has taken great care in collecting the pieces belonging to the episode (like movies and streaming shows I'm pretty sure dramas aren't filmed chronologically). Anyway, here's the stuntmen playing Mi Luo Tuo, this time in green morph suits.
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When I saw the Mi Luo To the first time - the green knobbly person in this pic - I was convinced the actors wore complete costumes. After all it's a very Star Trek TOS over that look. But it's actually stuntmen in blue morph suits, and the green jade-ish "skin" is a CGI overlay. Granted, I'm not that good at identifying digital additions, though I still feel it's a win for the production's VFX team.
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A _red_ belt btw... That's something you wear for luck and protection. Aaaaand in Fatty's situation that makes a lot of sense. (Am I a bad person if I want a crossover where he ends up in Europe, and someone picks up on his habit of wrapping himself in talismans?
"You need European ones! Have some Holy Water! And iron! Iron's good! Always carry a Bible...
*hands over a 19thC family bible*") -
Fatty's character has a Wild fashion sense. Unfortunately production has decided on a muted palett for the clothes, and that kinda' hides it. Took me about three episodes of mundane clothes to realise he was still, well, flamboyant. But here we can see it. For reference; the most daring things the others do are Xie Hua sometimes wearing microscopically pink cardigans, and those green pants of Wu Xia.
#UltimateNote #Costuming #CharacterDesign #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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Architects use lego since the bricks are standardised, and iirc Lego produced (or produces - wading through internet is A Chore rn) special sets for them. Wikipedia doesn't mention this, but I remember that the blocks are supposed to be only white. Anyway, it doesn't look like ms Huo is playing here. At all.
#UltimateNote #EnvironmentalStorytelling #UrbanXianxia #xianxia #CDrama
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In case you're wondering why I think Nuada wouldn't impress anyone. Everyone inside that restaurant, save for maybe Wu Xie and Pangzi, is nastier than the prince'll ever be. While the outcome still is uncertain they'd be
"Oh yeah. We eat pretty elf boys for lunch, and you're not even worth pearwood chopsticks."
(Death mention in pic)
#UltimateNote #HellboyTheGoldenArmy #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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The crossover of the millenia would be if prince Nuada showed up at this auction, and tried to rain hellfire on the filthy rich people bidding on antiquities. He wouldn't exactly impress anyone, and the outcome is uncertain, but it _would_ be interesting. Right?
#UltimateNote #HellboyTheGoldenArmy #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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Guys... you're going to a restaurant, not joining the mo...
...
...Well, this _is_ concerning the Mystic Nine, so definitions are fluid. Still, maybe not be so obvious about it.
(Also: note how production manage to get individual profiles and ~colours, despite all three being in suits. The devil really is in the details.)
#UltimateNote #CharacterDesign #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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This guy, who guards the Archaeological Institute of Changsha University, somehow reminds me of prf Neil Price at the Archaeological institution of Uppsala university. I don't know what to do with this information.
So I'm sharing.
(And if any archaeologists wonder what the heck I'm talking about; the still is from a C-drama that makes Indiana Jones pale in comparison. And yes - there's snakes.)
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When he's not singing opera this is Xie Hua's entire character.
(Side eye contact in pic)
#UltimateNote #CharacterDesign #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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On so many layers... It's not just that it's an actor saying the line, the character works (or is at least a serious hobbyist) as an actor in Chinese opera. In addition I suspect he's into shenanigans with mr Black. But Xie Hua's main hobby is standing around looking like he despices everything, so the role is probably as heavy as mr d'Arcy.
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Yes, I know; his camping setup is made to reflect that he's some kind of evil-ish super villain. But I really, _really_ want his tent/collapsible house thingy! There's an alcove for the bed, and potted plants! We're roughing it with style!
#UltimateNote #SetDesign #FurnitureFandom #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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My knowledge of the source material for Ultimate Note is dim - it's either a novel or a manga. That means I don't know who first created this character, but I want to thank everyone involved in making this digital age hippie! He refuses to do anything unless he gets ~upvoted on QQ.
#UltimateNote #CharacterDesign #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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Considering the massive amount of trigger stuff in ep 10 to ~15 I thought it was strange these were left out. But it looks like production is glad to be of "service"; here they come!
#UltimateNote #TriggerWarning #spiders #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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Individual colours and profiles are not just for wuxia/fantasy and sf. These four are wearing modern clothes in a realistic setting, and still
•Fatty; different shades of ochre, hair ridge
•Zhang: black, with Mysterious Hood(ie)TM
•Wu Xie: greenish, normal hair
•Guide: blue, with flat hat and a tassle(Eye contact in pic)
#UltimateNote #CharacterDesign #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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Gratuitous Zhang feet photo* aside, I paused for the enamel basin. The edge is black, not blue like Kockums' equivalents from the 30s. If IKEA hadn't discontinued their basins ~20yrs ago I'd...
*cough*
Well, it's not snakes anymore.
(*Try to say "Zhang feet photo" fast three times, I dare you.)
#UltimateNote #FurnitureFandom #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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Of all the ghosts in Ultimate Note this _may_ be the scariest one. Granted it's comparably easy to handle, but boy what a PITA it was back in the day.
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I decided on a whim that if I ever can afford visiting China again, I'll spend a week or two in Hangzhou. Now that city pops up _everywhere_. Since I dream travelled via XHS it's understandable the algorithm showers me with related stuff, and there's also selective perception in play. But that doesn't cover my favorite youtuber moving there. And nothing in the drama blurb revealed that Wu Xie lives in Hangzhou. Is this some kind of sign???
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CW: Snake, snake eye contact (Ultimate Note)
_Finally_ a snake that doesn't squick me out (yet)! And I dare say the cgi is good - kudos to the artists!
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This will only make sense if you seen Ultimate Note up untill ep 15 (and know a bit of Junji Ito) but I can't resist.
This is my hole! It was made for me!
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The benefit of stealing an armour design from historical artefacts* is that you get one that is pretty good. Yes, it's a _gigantic_ hole under the fighter's shoulder protection, but it's where it should be (it allows the arm to move, though it should be smaller). Other joints between parts overlap completly - something you're not always blessed with when it comes to movie armour.
(*If I'm correct this is based on an old funeral armour)
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If you have any kind of phobia or trauma around snakes you can't watch Ultimate Note beyond episode 10. After that it's too bad. I'll post if they change to some other drama element in later episodes
*huuuUUUUuuuuUUUuuurv**
(*hurv = northern Swedish word for shivering out of discomfort)
#UltimateNote #TriggerWarning #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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Aaaaand your reward for stand all those triggers is seeing Zhang, Fatty, and Wu Xie together in the shower. Just dudes being nudes, you know?
#UltimateNote #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama #NoTheCameraDontGoLowerThanThat
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Those bowls would have been a hit in 1950s Sweden, just sayin'. Kockums factory made enamel ware in two colour combinations; white with blue accents, and cream with green accents. While the bowls on screen are China made, they _are_ cream coloured, and that version was like catnip to...
*cough*
...maybe we should return to the adventure? I'm sure embroideries will show up soon.
#UltimateNote #MarthaGetsDistractedAgain #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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CW: Snakes (Ultimate Note)
Fun fact: I had snake phobia as a child. That was ~cured by my parents (trained professionals - don't _ever_ try that on your child unless you are), which means the phobia was downgraded to a squick. Guess which one of the triggers that is most popular here? I can answer with the immortal question pf dr. Jones
"Snakes. Why does it _have_ to be snakes?"
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CW: Spoilerish, Ultimate Note, another trigger warning
I'm beginning to believe someone sat down with a list of phobias and tried to get in as many as possible for this drama! Now we're getting one of the rarer; butterflies.
So far the triggers have been fairly 'light touch', they're shown matter-of-factly rather than gloating on them (like some Hollywood movies do). So there is a chance to stand them, but don't force yourself.
#UltimateNote #TriggerWarning #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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You know what? Spoke too soon! Visual storytellers don't destroy valuable dungeon infrastructure challenge seems impossible! And I'm sure it's purely coincidental that these two, who run around in the in the underground, are dressed one in black and one in white like Black and White Impermanence.
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Ok, most C-dramas have some common triggers, and I warn about them when I can. It's not always I notice, because they tend to also be popular storybuilding blocks, and I get too engulfed in the action. Anyway, trigger warning; between ep 5 and 10 of Ultimate Note you can expect parasites, fungus, insects, tryptophobia triggers, and snakes. They really tried to fill the entire bingo card!
#UltimateNote #TriggerWarning #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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CW: Ultimate Note spoiler (but good tip for storytellers)
Love this! This is a trap mechanism that is deadly but _doesn't destroy the entire contraption_. Here the steps tilts once the adventurers reached a certain height, turning the staircase into a slide. Much more logical than making it collapse. The latter would waste resources on a one time trap, possibly leaving the path open to a future party with better climbing gear.
#UltimateNote #Storytelling #traps #UrbanXianxia #Xianxia #CDrama
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I'm convinced a key person for the production, could only be sold on the drama by
"We get to drive a lot of cars through the desert, making biiiiiiiiiig clouds of dust."
Moreover, whoever it was had enough sway to make sure tons of that photage stayed in the finished series.
Living the best life looks different from person to person.
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Is... isn't that the actor who was the chatty demon in Back From The Brink? Was this role* so hard he swore off silence for the rest of his life?
(*The character has the moniker "mute" since he rarely talks.)
(Eye contact in pic)
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In Sound of Providence Wu Xie is a grave plunderer / antiquarian (depending on who's asking). We haven't been informed of his title in this drama, he may even be an archaeologist like his older relative. Whatever it turns out to be this sounds like a habit he should get rid of.
(Eye contact ish in pic)
#UltimateNote #archeology #OccupationalHazard #UrbanXianxia #CDrama
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On one hand; I've always thought it looks weird when someone in Sweden _fills_ their home with things from China (or any other country/culture). Having things as part of the mix is one thing - but letting it be dominant... naah.
OTH: I wonder if I can find similar dragons at Alibaba?
(Edit: story in toot below)
#IAmNobody #MarthaGetsDistractedAgain #UrbanFantasy #UrbanXianxia #CDrama
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Wang Ye wearing only a towel off camera. A+ acting - if it is acting.
Seriously, how do you cast for roles like Wang Ye? Does the casting agent keep a list of C-drama land cutiepies, with marks for the ones comfortable showing skin, and then just grabs the one who happen to be free at the moment?
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Utterly wild jackets and cardigans seem to be high (expensive) fashion for men in China rn. So Wang Ye's jacket isn't a thrift store find* - it marks him as jet setter.
(*To people of my age it would be, but before any of my peers feel superior; our generation bought jeans with ready-made holes.)
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*snrk!* Like I said... but I've sworn to ice box the b-word for a while, so let's just say Wang Ye is raking his father over coals. (Aaaand Neo Hou will soon star in a classical historical romance - at least it looks like that - so we may have to savour these scenes.)
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Producer: I want the light to shine through the windows so we get dramatic shadows...
Location scout: Mhm...
Producer: ...and I want Zhang Zhiwei's reflection in the window.
Location scout *suddenly remembering some basic physics*: Errrr...
Producer: It's _symbolism_!
Location scout: *sigh* We'll fix it in post...
(They did their best by having the bottom part of the pane in deep shadow, because it is, indeed, good symbolism.)
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We're not in Heng Dian World Studios anymore! While it is possible to weather sets the carvings are a bit too detailed - HDWS does great work, but they err on using modern materials and reducing complexity. I wonder which old temple had to bear a drama production for days?
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Ok, normally I start rooting for the Bad Guy when the plot gets too dumb, but that's not the case here. The plot is good. But the sheer ambition of Sinister Pleasure bringing a _band_ to their riot, with both traditonal Chinese instruments, Western ones, and a pianist (not in picture)...
...Sorry Good Guys! I'm with the grand piano!
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Real fire or not - I suspect that inside every vfx person there's a 10yr old who wants to do explody stuff.
I mean... I do...
(Not sure about this scene, but so far production seems to have combined digital overlays with on-site practical effects - ie. double bang for the buck.)
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It's a crap pic because it's a crap still - the fight is so fast paced I have a hard time getting something not-blurry. But I am impressed by the vfx in this drama, especially here where the lightning shoots chunks of dirt out of the ground. Could it be better? By a _small_ margin yes; China is levelling up fast, and most of it is totally agreeable.
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CW: Caps (I Am Nobody toot)
I feel I'm overusing this word, but... just for the last time*
ONE GIGANTIC BITCH SLAP _COMING IN HOOOOT_!!!
(*because that brat, _that_ brat, deserved it)
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🎵 When your spirit smokes more,
and it belts out a roar,
that's a moray 🎵 -
This is the third actor* I sample a scary face from. I think I'll make a special folder for them and use them for drawing practices - it's bound to be more. And yes, I'm serious; _good_ scary faces are hard.
(*Neo Hou in this case, the other two are Ryan Ding and Cheng Yi.)
(Eye contact in pic)
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CW: Strangling (IAm Nobody toot)
Feng Baobao is taking no chances with Wang Ye, I see. I have never seen the correct configuration, so I hope there's some safety loops somewhere, because with a rope tied like this it tightens around the neck for every move the tied person tries to get lose.
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I have mixed feelings; production should have forked up for more extras in the audience - it looks straight up anemic for a competition like this. But this fight is (unironically) epic, so I guess they saved their coins for special effects. And this is one of those stories that needs those Vibes of OP Awesomeness, so I'm not sure what's the right balance.
#IAmNobody #WorldBuilding #UrbanFantasy #UrbanXianxia #CDrama
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Looks like Xiao Xiao has one fan he's really close to.
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I've only seen him in three dramas, so my sample size is way too small, but doesn't it look like Neo Hou
•prefers weird dramas over, say, historically accurate ones
•and migrate towards roles where he gets to play a little bitch
?
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Eavesdropping, a time honoured tradition in C-drama land. Being discrete, not so much.
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I'm burning midnight oil. I feel called out.
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CW: Violence, murder (I Am Nobody toot)
For some reason I tried to pinpoint this flashback in history (it's apparent from the qipao at the beginning - I think my brain tried too hard at digging up old academic knowledge from the archives), this line should be enough. While a lot of things in the drama is exagerated for genre style, it's hard to do it here - the Warlord era in the 1920s kinda' was like that.
#IAmNobody #WorldBuilding #UrbanFantasy #UrbanXianxia #CDrama
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There's a strong Harry Potter* vibe to I Am Nobody, especially with the contest Zhang Chulan and Baobao competes in. And seen from that angle I like that the Outsiders are completly aware of the normal world and effortlessly use its tech. They also have modern designs for their magical food, like the "qi enhancing" beverage in the background.
(*not a fan of drawing that parallell, but the franchise did steamroll the fantasy genre)
#IAmNobody #WorldBuilding #UrbanFantasy #UrbanXianxia #CDrama
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Zhang Zhiwei's design is the one that most obviously reveals that I Am Nobody is based on a comic. Yes, I should know better than reading the comments on YouTube and getting info from them (together with some major spoilers 😭), but even without that nugget I'd say the round shades together with the classical flowing eyebrows screams manga. He'd even fit into 'The Way of the Househusband'.
#IAmNobody #CharacterDesign #UrbanFantasy #UrbanXianxia #CDrama
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I notice a difference:
Western superhero movies/shows: restrooms are for relaying secret messages, and Horrible Violent Fights.
Chinese superhero dramas: implied penis jokes.
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Not at airports (I hope) but I once had a friend who delighted at doing that in similar situtations. His pièce de résistance was to remove his false leg, since he sometimes used it when he trained martial arts.
#IAmNobody #UrbanFantasy #UrbanXianxia #CDrama #ICanOnlyDoItWhenItsFunny
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*takes a deeeeeeep breath*
*envisions a field full of dandelions*
*exhaaaaaaaales*This series have a recurring theme of the main (male) character being brutally manhandled by women. I'm trying to not make a joke about it, but it's getting harder and harder.
Also; this character is chained to wealth, so that necklace is there for a reason.
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The story just got so absurd I didn't even react when a makeup ad started playing 😂 Absurd in a good way, I might add - so far highly recommend!
Also; note the watermelon on his shirt - it definitely aligns with his abilities.