Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 35 part one

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Warning! Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Perfect Date, part one: Moon Gazing

While Wei Wuxian has been out unpacking emotional baggage with his family, Lan Wangji has been busy planning the perfect date. He's found the tallest bridge in town and placed himself there where his crush is most likely to see him in profile. 

When Wei Wuxian arrives, Lan Wangji is gazing at the moon to pass the time. I wonder what phase the moon is in? Crescent, maybe? Waning? 

Ha ha ha ha, this is television, the moon is full, of course.

Wei Wuxian is downtrodden and bummed out until he sees Lan Wangji, at which his whole demeanor brightens and softens, and he cat-blinks up at him. 

Then he reflects for a moment on the reversal in his expectations. He's not one to dwell on gains and losses, but in this moment he sees that he's both lost Jiang Cheng and gained Lan Wangji.  Wangxian, flute solo edition, plays on the soundtrack while he somewhat dejectedly goes to meet up with Lan Wangji.

Get Your Hair Did

Lan Wangji didn’t do his hair specially for this date, because his hair is always so extra it would be too obvious if he tried to make it more extra. But he sure does look beautiful. 

The Lans have a rule about not wearing excessive bling. It’s good to know that wearing two pieces of silver on your headband (one of them is not visible here, it’s on the part that wraps around his ponytail) and four more on top of your head is not excessive. 

(More after the cut!)

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 34

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Warning! Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Dog Days

We jump right into some comic relief, in which Wei Wuxian runs away from Fairy, Jin Ling's dog, and Lan Wangji protects him. Wei Wuxian's terror of dogs comes from trauma, like so many features of his personality, but the show takes this opportunity to play it for laughs, with broad comedic acting from both of our leads. This is tonally jarring for me, because I know fuck-all about the very long and deep literary traditions that create the framework of comedy in Chinese drama.  I’m confident that it’s not jarring for its intended audience.

In any case, I love that CQL and all versions of MDZS constantly leaven the heavy stuff with moments of ridiculousness and whimsey. The mix goes both ways; under the absurdity is often something serious. In this moment, we see that when Wei Wuxian is viscerally afraid, he calls for Lan Wangji to save him, and Lan Wangji immediately does.

Afterwards Wei Wuxian briefly looks at Lan Wangji like this:

He is SO gone for Lan Wangji.

Then they go to talk to the art seller, to try to get some information about weird things happening in town. He claims to know everything, and tells Wei Wuxian about the man eating bunker on the ridge.

The seller does not, alas, know all that much, and Wei Wuxian roasts him for being useless while Lan Wangji half-smirks in the background.

He is so gone for Wei Wuxian.

(more after the cut!)

Lost Tomb Lewks, Part 15: Pangzi Special

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Warning: Spoilers for Both Seasons of The Lost Tomb Reboot!

Let’s take a break from Wu Xie’s Lewks to check out some of Pangzi’s best (in OP’s 100% objective assessment) outfits. The Lost Tomb Reboot version of Pangzi avoids tailored looks, preferring a colorful, aggressively casual style that’s a little bit edgy.

Fat Cat

Pangzi’s in-town street wear generally consists of cargo pants, hiking boots, a graphic short-sleeve tee-shirt layered over a long-sleeve tee, a jacket, and jewelry.

The necklace he’s wearing has some kind of teeth? on it? and is similar to (but not identical to) a necklace he wears in Sha Hai/Tomb of the Sea. His tee shirt features a cat version of himself, basically - a cool chubby cat with sunglasses, a tee shirt, and a necklace.

Being happily married to at least one dude doesn’t keep Pangzi from acting like an idiot whenever he’s near an attractive women [OP has this same problem]. 

Usually he’s politer about it, being an incurable romantic, but Tattoo Girl is ridiculously hot, so I guess I can understand his “hey girl” reaction.

Pangzi’s outfit is perfect to wear when you’re trying to impress a woman...

...by pouring hot water over your sexy, sexy boyfriend’s bare chest and back in front of her. Use what you’ve got, right?

(more after the cut!)

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 31, part two

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Warning! Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Flute Solo

Wei Wuxian is at the end of his tether, becoming more and more emotional until he decides he’s done talking and would rather express himself with a flute solo, like his sometimes-buddy Lan Xichen.  

Yeah I know I keep making this same joke but it will never not be funny to me, how slowly Wei Wuxian gets into flute-attack position. And nobody ever interrupts him! Lan Wangji and his guqin would have taken out 40 guys in the time it takes Wei Wuxian to start playing. 

Wei Wuxian likes to play with his eyes closed so that he can concentrate on the music and not be distracted by his minion(s) going ape shit in front of him. 

Wen Ning takes advantage of the tight camera angle to sneak into the frame and punch his fist into Jin Zixuan’s spine. 

Do we need a gif of Wen Ning punching his fist into Jin Zixuan’s spine? No, no we don’t. 

Jin Zixun is so horrified I actually feel sorry for him. He’s a prick but he’s a loyal prick; he would never hurt Jin Zixuan, and probably really loves him. 

Jin Zixuan is also horrified.

Goodbye, Hummington font; I’m going to miss you. 

(more after the cut!)

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 31, part one

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Warning! Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

The Mayor of Simpleton

We start off with an idyllic day in the Burial Mounds. Farmers are farming, mayor Wei is farting around in his lotus patch showing off his sexy leg hair, and Wen Ning is the only fierce corpse in the vicinity. 

Everyone is wearing new clothes and there's a general sense of, if not plenty, at least sustenance. A-Yuan tries to eat a lotus seed, but these are apparently not the edible type. Wei Wuxian explains that these seeds ward off evil because they grew in the burial mounds, and that A-Yuan can carry one with him for protection.

 A-Yuan tucks it away. This is either superstitious claptrap that Wei Wuxian made up to distract A-Yuan, or it's deep magic that is the reason A-Yuan survived being left alone here. 

Wen Ning comes into the clearing sporting his new goth sugar-baby look. He’s hot with his hair down like this.   

He tells Wen Qing that a Jin cultivator delivered an invitation. It's from Lan Wangji, and it's an invite to go to Jin Ling's party. The invite says 100-days celebration, which is the normal time to have a baby party, but the dialog keeps calling it his one-month celebration. That's ok, time is meaningless in this show anyway. 

(more after the cut!)