Wuxia - Tumblr Posts
wuxia, xianxia, and cultivation differences meta
translations: wuxia 武俠, xianxia 仙俠, and cultivation 修真/修仙 (xīuzhēn/xīuxiān)
think i've seen posts on this eons ago, and i'm pretty sure there are tons of these online, but since this has been written up already let's just have another one.
wuxia 武俠
wuxia and xianxia sound similar, but basically for wuxia it is about the pugilistic world (江湖 jiānghú). It is relatively more down-to-earth, and people practice martial arts ("kungfu") in their current life -- they do not do it to become xians (仙) and gods (神) however.
Like Thousand Autumns and Faraway Wanderers/Word of Honor, it has more historical background and ties to the current court and kingdoms, because people are living in the moment and concern themselves with worldly issues.
Martial arts may seem unrealistic, but in view of chinese fantasy it would be considered "real". It consists of fighting moves and internal energy, which they call qi or nèigōng (內功), and at times you see people flying around, climbing hills and jumping across rooftops which is qīnggōng (輕功).
xianxia 仙俠
A level up would be xianxia, where characters in the story cultivate to become xians (and gods, like in the heaven official's blessing). They don't really care about earthly issues here now, because their ambitions lie beyond the current world, and cultivation, getting stronger, and an immortal life are majorly all their goals.
You may not always see them working towards that purpose, such as in mdzs they are considered a lower-xianxia society (低魔), meaning people don't go through all the steps of cultivation and only stay at the stage before the "golden core" stage.
In xianxia, characters still learn basic fighting moves aka. martial arts, but to direct the internal energy they use línglì (灵力), zhēnqì (真气), and fǎlì (法力), all xianxia terms you commonly see. "neigong" is practically nonexistent in this genre. That's why people building up their "neigong" instead of "lingli" are likely never going to be able to cultivate.
cultivation 修真/修仙
A subgenre in the xianxia category would be cultivation. Characters actively go through the stages of cultivation, and likely for the MC, because they are the main character, they successfully become a xian and exit the world at the end of the novel.
There are many stages of cultivation, usually defined at the beginning of the novel in the synopsis, and a typical example of the different levels would be this:
练气，筑基，金丹，元婴，化神，炼虚，合体，大乘，渡劫
And with a cursory search, an English translation would be something like this, albeit not with all the cultivation ranks identified.
Qi condensation (练气), Foundation establishment (筑基), Core Formation (金丹), Nascent Soul (元婴), and the names after that vary too greatly with translation and fandom so I'll jump straight to Immortal Ascension
extra info: getting into the philosophy of it all
It'd be interesting to note that the word "xiá" (俠) permeates all these genres. This is something akin to the concept of "hero", but not at all also, and I'd love to speak more on this but this post has already gone way longer than I hoped it would be, so perhaps another day.
Regardless, it is interesting to note that wuxia has a greater emphasis on "xia" than xianxia. (some joke that cultivation doesn't have the word "xia" in it, and much of that is because characters have foregone heroism and focused on gaining powers and working towards ascension instead). As a result, wuxia is more confucianism-oriented, though not without its taoism and buddhism influences.
xianxia, on the other hand, is mainly derived from "dào" (道), from taoism, which is another lengthy concept if I ever get to it.
And some may have heard of the "farming" genre, 种田 (zhòngtián). This has to do with golden fingers (mary sues) in imperialistic china, earning a wealth of money, and all that. It has nothing to do with cultivation, alike they sound in english.
that's it for now, hmu if you wish to ask/discuss!
(and apologies for the pinyin translations, hope it's understandable still! formally writing pinyin they are supposed to be two separate words not one.)
Finally starting my read of Qian Qiu since the second volume (translated) will be released in August. Have watched the donghua, listened to part of the audio drama. Am excited to see how the novel itself differs from the two. (≧◡≦)
Possibly a story prompt...
I've had this idea in my head all day and I needed somewhere to put it, then I remembered that Tumblr exists....
So story is based off of SVSSS and MLC and BOY but lesbian.
also bad at naming especially in Mandarin(I am not a native speaker) but I really like C-dramas and Danmeis and also wuxia/xianxia sort of things.
Title: The Plum Chronicles
Synopsis: Emma Walker, a lively teenager from southeast England, unexpectedly finds herself transported to a xianxia wuxia world. Here, she encounters Chen Wei, a skilled martial artist initially misunderstood as the antagonist of the realm. As they face pursuit, Chen Wei becomes Emma's martial arts master, and a genuine friendship forms.
However, a true villain, Li Kun, emerges, framing Chen Wei and forcing Emma to rid herself of all emotions to confront the threat. Upon returning to her world, she discovers she has been in a coma for years, retaining her fighting skills but losing her powers. Misunderstood by her parents, Emma moves in with a diverse group of roommates – a streamer, an office worker, and a pet store employee.
Working at a nearby cafe, Emma strives to save money to complete her college qualifications. She becomes a translator for wuxia xianxia works online, showcasing her exceptional Mandarin skills. Accidentally sent back to the xianxia world with her roommates, Emma discovers a way to regain her emotions but loses her overpowering abilities in the process.
Now, with extreme emotions and reduced strength, Emma relies on her roommates' protection. Returning to their world, Emma exhibits newfound bravery. With enough money for college, a bus crash thrusts her into a cave, prompting a revelation on how to balance emotions and power.
On her journey, Emma encounters a potential lover, Li Xiu, faces former enemies, and reunites with her master, Chen Xun. A chance encounter at the tea house, where Li Kun is killed by an unknown assailant who seems like Chen Wei, leaves them puzzled. Chen Wei denies involvement, and the mystery deepens.
As they grapple with this enigma, a college friend, revealed as a formidable power-player, emerges as the true orchestrator behind Li Kun's demise. The group must navigate the complexities of this revelation while facing a looming threat that transcends dimensions.
Characters:
Emma Walker:
Energetic, broken-humour enthusiast from southeast England.
Empathetic, dirty-minded, and a fan of K-pop, J-pop, and 80s music.
Sings and dances to modern world songs, a former fanfiction reader.
Chen Wei(actual name is Chen Xun):
Annoyed and tired master with a mysterious past.
Quick-witted, intelligent, and mischievous when comfortable.
Initially misunderstood as the antagonist, becomes Emma's master.
Li Xiu:
Determined martial artist princess with advanced sword skills.
Calm, collected, and exhibits innate leadership.
Develops a romantic relationship with Emma.
Li Xiu's Family:
Emperor Li Chen: Li Xiu's father, ruling with a strong yet conflicted hand.
Li Kun: Li Xiu's uncle, the true villain manipulating events.
Empress (Cuì Fēi): Li Xiu's mother, a strong and elegant figure.
Li Xiu's Siblings: Two older brothers, a younger sister, and a younger brother.
College Friend:
Daniel Wright:
A seemingly ordinary friend from Emma's college days.
Revealed as a power-player in both worlds, harbouring sinister motives.
Other Characters:
Master Bai Hua: Wise martial arts master.
Ling Feng: Mysterious martial artist with ambiguous loyalties.
Zhao Ming: Brash martial artist seeking recognition.
Setting:
Southeast England (pre-isekai)
Xianxia wuxia world
Multiverse with interconnected dimensions
Plot Elements:
Li Xiu, the Emperor's daughter, runs away from the palace to explore the world.
Emma, Chen Wei, and Li Xiu travel together, facing challenges and gaining experience.
Multiverse conspiracy involving inter-dimensional travelers.
Revelation of a college friend's involvement in the overarching conspiracy.
Relationships:
Emma's unique bond with Chen Wei, marked by mentorship and friendship.
Li Xiu's complex relationship with her family and the challenges they face.
(havent done alot about Emma's Roommates)
wuxia, xianxia, and cultivation differences meta
translations: wuxia 武俠, xianxia 仙俠, and cultivation 修真/修仙 (xīuzhēn/xīuxiān)
think i've seen posts on this eons ago, and i'm pretty sure there are tons of these online, but since this has been written up already let's just have another one.
wuxia 武俠
wuxia and xianxia sound similar, but basically for wuxia it is about the pugilistic world (江湖 jiānghú). It is relatively more down-to-earth, and people practice martial arts ("kungfu") in their current life -- they do not do it to become xians (仙) and gods (神) however.
Like Thousand Autumns and Faraway Wanderers/Word of Honor, it has more historical background and ties to the current court and kingdoms, because people are living in the moment and concern themselves with worldly issues.
Martial arts may seem unrealistic, but in view of chinese fantasy it would be considered "real". It consists of fighting moves and internal energy, which they call qi or nèigōng (內功), and at times you see people flying around, climbing hills and jumping across rooftops which is qīnggōng (輕功).
xianxia 仙俠
A level up would be xianxia, where characters in the story cultivate to become xians (and gods, like in the heaven official's blessing). They don't really care about earthly issues here now, because their ambitions lie beyond the current world, and cultivation, getting stronger, and an immortal life are majorly all their goals.
You may not always see them working towards that purpose, such as in mdzs they are considered a lower-xianxia society (低魔), meaning people don't go through all the steps of cultivation and only stay at the stage before the "golden core" stage.
In xianxia, characters still learn basic fighting moves aka. martial arts, but to direct the internal energy they use línglì (灵力), zhēnqì (真气), and fǎlì (法力), all xianxia terms you commonly see. "neigong" is practically nonexistent in this genre. That's why people building up their "neigong" instead of "lingli" are likely never going to be able to cultivate.
cultivation 修真/修仙
A subgenre in the xianxia category would be cultivation. Characters actively go through the stages of cultivation, and likely for the MC, because they are the main character, they successfully become a xian and exit the world at the end of the novel.
There are many stages of cultivation, usually defined at the beginning of the novel in the synopsis, and a typical example of the different levels would be this:
练气，筑基，金丹，元婴，化神，炼虚，合体，大乘，渡劫
And with a cursory search, an English translation would be something like this, albeit not with all the cultivation ranks identified.
Qi condensation (练气), Foundation establishment (筑基), Core Formation (金丹), Nascent Soul (元婴), and the names after that vary too greatly with translation and fandom so I'll jump straight to Immortal Ascension
extra info: getting into the philosophy of it all
It'd be interesting to note that the word "xiá" (俠) permeates all these genres. This is something akin to the concept of "hero", but not at all also, and I'd love to speak more on this but this post has already gone way longer than I hoped it would be, so perhaps another day.
Regardless, it is interesting to note that wuxia has a greater emphasis on "xia" than xianxia. (some joke that cultivation doesn't have the word "xia" in it, and much of that is because characters have foregone heroism and focused on gaining powers and working towards ascension instead). As a result, wuxia is more confucianism-oriented, though not without its taoism and buddhism influences.
xianxia, on the other hand, is mainly derived from "dào" (道), from taoism, which is another lengthy concept if I ever get to it.
And some may have heard of the "farming" genre, 种田 (zhòngtián). This has to do with golden fingers (mary sues) in imperialistic china, earning a wealth of money, and all that. It has nothing to do with cultivation, alike they sound in english.
that's it for now, hmu if you wish to ask/discuss!
(and apologies for the pinyin translations, hope it's understandable still! formally writing pinyin they are supposed to be two separate words not one.)
old school wuxia defined my childhood, and this post is absolutely spot on. more mutant clones please !!
Bring on the mutant clones!
So apparently, the way to get a good, 'proper' wuxia drama these days that isn't yet another Jin Yong or Gu Long adaptation is to make a well-constructed fanfiction-style re-imagination of a JY or GL classic. That way it can be simultaneously fresh and familiar. And if the writing, acting, action sequences, etc. are good, it's so much fun and I love it. These past few years, I really enjoyed watching "Word of Honor" and "Mysterious Lotus Casebook", both of which are clear cases of this. (Note: I haven't read the books for WoH or MLC, so this is based on the dramas only.)
"Word of Honor" is obviously heavily inspired by Jin Yong's "Smiling Proud Wanderer" (Xiao Ao Jiang Hu), except redone as a BL/danmei. It even keeps the various orthodox sects from XAJH (the Five Mountains Sword Schools Alliance! plus the Shaolin, Wudang, Beggars, etc.) as part of the setting, features a hunt for a MacGuffin (key to some ultimate power or other), and is full of that flavor of treachery and scheming for power reminiscent of XAJH. It's been a while since I watched WOH, so I've forgotten most of the details, but I remember getting a strong XAJH vibe from it.
"Mysterious Lotus Casebook", which I just finished watching and loved even more than "Word of Honor", has more of the feel of Gu Long's "Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword" (Xiaoli Feidao series, book 1). Come on, the protagonists even have the same surname: Lotus Li (Xiangyi/Lianhua) vs Flying Dagger Li (Xunhuan)!
Both of them can pass as scholarly types (though Gu Long's Mr. "Number Three in the Exams" Li more so) and went from a high status position to retiring from the jianghu for ten years. Both are clever, tricky types who live by their wits.
Both of them pushed their female love interests (and deceived them) onto their 'friend' who actually hated/plotted against them. The protagonist comes off better (as in, I don't want to punch him in the face quite as much) in MLC than in "Sentimental Swordsman" --- he doesn't treat her as his property to be traded away. And in theory the female character had more agency in MLC, though I felt let down by the actor here. I think she was supposed to be more driven by guilt (because she broke up with the male lead right before his supposed death) rather than sadly pining after and still in love with him. It would have worked better if she came off as being genuinely in love with the other character, but on screen it feels like she was just worn down and never liked him that much. So as a 'fix-it' to that aspect of "Sentimental Swordsman"… maybe. In theory.
They both get the "enemy is someone you thought you had good relations with" trope (admittedly a common one in wuxia)…
…While their real friend is called "A-Fei" and is a top-notch swordsman. And both A-Fei's are plagued by a professional seductress (who uses drugs and poisons) who clings to/falls in love with them!
They both meet their number one fans. Dagger Li actually marries his in the end, but in MLC that only happens in the eyes of the real life fans (the subtext is definitely there, though I prefer to read it as platonic bromance). The whole thing is funnier in MLC, with Fang Duobing starting out as a naive doofus who claims to everyone he's a disciple of (supposedly dead) Li Xiangyi, including to the man himself and to A-Fei who knows the truth. Then he feels so betrayed when he finds out the truth, and that was all done really well in the show. Another similarity: the girl in "Sentimental Swordsman" has a kick-ass granddad, while Fang Duobing has his mom (another great character), the leader of Tianji Hall (I love a good mechanism specialist).
There's an actual book in-world that lists the top-ranked martial artists! The MLC one seems to be updated regularly, even. That was also a thing in "Sentimental Swordsman", with characters constantly citing the book at each other, and some were completely obsessed. It's kind of a running joke in both.
Solving all the mysteries (and the tomb raiding!) was reminiscent of Chu Liuxiang, another Gu Long protagonist (my childhood favorite). And for non-wuxia influences, Li Lianhua reminded me of Howl from "Howl's Moving Castle" with the lying and slithering out of situations, not to mention the cool-looking mobile home!
So yeah, instead of trying to get a fresh take on adapting a book that's already been adapted like twenty times and offending the purists if you make too many weird changes, file off the serial numbers and take a few steps to the side for a more interesting and coherent re-mix! And set it in a fictional dynasty so you can use fake historical figures and kingdoms to suit your plot without worrying about slandering real people (while I love Jin Yong's use of actual history, even he ended up changing some characters in later revisions because of that) or how much the characters are allowed to affect things on a bigger scale. Plus you can update and improve on the things that were annoying or outdated in the "classics". You're free to change the meaning of the tale to suit yourself without any need to distort the intentions of the original writer.
That's not to say it's impossible to come up with completely new wuxia stories, but building new variations on old stories is worthwhile, too. And beneath any surface similarities, each version has its own story to tell. That said, ninety percent of everything is crap… so besides these two shows I liked, there were a bunch of ones I didn't, whether an adaptation of an old wuxia classic or something newer. (Some of those may improve in later episodes, but I guess I'll never know…)
Long live the mutant clones!
Are you watching The Rise of the Phoenixes on Netflix? If so what’s your fav outfit so far?
Hi, thanks for the question!
I’m going to combine this question with another one I received that mysteriously disappeared (tumblr must’ve eaten it…), which asked to identify the clothing in “The Rise of Pheonixes”. Disclaimer that I haven’t watched the actual show, so everything here is going to be based off of photos.
Similar to “The Empress of China”, the costumes in “The Rise of Phoenixes” are mostly based on Tang dynasty hanfu, with some creative liberties taken by the designers. Female lead Feng Zhiwei’s most commonly worn female outfit is the chest-high ruqun, an outfit consisting of a top (ru) and skirt (qun), in which the skirt is tied above the breasts or at the bust point. It’s often accessorized with a large-sleeve outer robe called daxiushan.
Feng Zhiwei seems to be fond of wearing sheer ru & matching qun and daxiushan cut from the same cloth:
Sometimes she’ll wear a short outer skirt called weichang over the qun (in the outfit below, the weichang and daxiushan are matching):
This outfit comprises a non-sheer purple ru & dark blue polka-dotted weichang, as well as a light purple beizi (jacket):
Ruqun is often accessorized with a long scarf called pibo, that’s worn wrapped around the arms & behind the back, as can be seen in the photo on the left:
Another style of women’s hanfu on the show is heziqun, an outfit that consists of the hezi (strapless chest cover), skirt (qun), and top (ru). The hezi is worn over the top, and a thin cloth belt is typically used to hide the joint between the hezi and skirt. Heziqun is also accessorized with daxiushan and pibo:
Feng Zhiwei also wears parallel-collar waist-high ruqun:
…and what appears to be a zhiju (straight-hem robe):
The male costumes worn on the show are mainly based on Tang, Song, and Ming dynasty fashions, and mostly comprise a variety of round-collar clothing based on the hanfu styles of yuanlingpao, yuanlingshan, and lanshan.Feng Zhiwei’s most common male outfit is the yuanlingpao (round-collar robe):
Here are some of the various round-collar outfits worn by the men on the show, including male lead Ning Yi:
Here’s Ning Yi in mianfu, the ceremonial hanfu of the Emperor:
As for the question of what my favorite outfit is - personally, from looking at the photos, I find the male costumes more captivating than the female ones. Still, if I had to choose a favorite outfit worn by Feng Zhiwei, it’d be this ruqun below (the outfit also appears in this gifset). I love the sheer ru and the earthy color scheme:
For favorite male outfits, I really like the dark brown yuanlingpao worn by Ning Yi in this shot. It goes really well with his long black hair and blue tuanshan (fan):
Finally, of course we can’t forget assassin/bodyguard Gu Nanyi’s Wuxia-inspired outfits - they make him look especially stunning!:
Hope this helps!
Photos via: 1, 2
Hey, my Jiāng Yanli/Wen Xu fic but just got its first confirmed outfit.
Wuxia Costume
via Hanfu Photographer: Bo He Bai
Feng Shui 2
[English first, poi in italiano]
This game mixes 80's Hong Kong action flicks with Mortal Kombat (and a lot of other cool things) with a passion that transpires from every page, and every chapter's title. The setting puts effortlessly together different timelines and moods with an admirable coherence, giving a main campaign model that brings it all together, and a number of story hooks, if you'd rather focus on more contained narratives. The basic action resolution is simple enough, but action scenes bring quite a bit of maths in the mix, that might scare off some players. That being said, it really fits the setting's touchstones, and is built to serve the game's mood. Other bits I really appreciated of this system is the character advancement strictly bound to the narrative, and the absence of character generation: you choose from a roster of 36 archetypes, that clearly reference action movie characters, and you can customise a little. I have to add that my players never felt the need to customise the premade characters, though. Last, but not least, the game's car chase rules are the best I've seen, yet.
Questo gioco mischia i film d'azione hongkonghesi degli anni '80 con Mortal Kombat (e un mucchio di altre cose spassose) con una passione che traspira da ogni pagina e titolo dei capitoli. L'ambientazione mette insieme senza sforzo diverse linee temporali con una coerenza ammirevole, mettendo a disposizione un modello di campagna che tiene tutto in considerazione, ma anche una quantità di spunti narrativi per chi vuole concentrarsi su meno aspetti. Il sistema di risoluzione base è abbastanza semplice, ma le scene d'azione necessitano un po' di calcoli che potrebbero far storcere il naso ad alcuni giocatori. Detto questo, è evidente che è stato sviluppato per servire il tono del gioco e riproduce bene le dinamiche delle sue ispirazioni. Ho anche apprezzato particolarmente la progressione dei personaggi strettamente legata alla narrativa e l'assenza di un sistema per generarli, sostituita da una scelta di 36 archetipi che richiamano esplicitamente protagonisti di film d'azione, con la possibilità di personalizzare alcuni dettagli. Mi sento in dovere di aggiungere che, finora, i miei giocatori non hanno mai sentito la necessità di modificare le schede prefatte, tuttavia. Da ultimo, ma non meno importante, questo è il gioco con la migliore gestione degli inseguimenti che abbia visto ad oggi.
Feng Shui 2 (the Revenge!).
Qin if it was a wuxia/xianxia.
Qin si fuera un wuxia/xianxia.