[Chinese BG novel] 我修世贤语录问鼎大道[快穿] / Verbal scumbag practice towards Dao*

* I freefloatingly translated the title with the help of MTL and the actual content of this novel.

The content of this novel is basic QT, bound host that doesn't act according to normal logic and the system, which is always MTL's as wardrobe. I don't know why but the pun is used throughout the novel and at the beginning of the last arc too:

"Do you know Wardrobe?"

"I don't have one, I'm poor"

Something like that.

The story follows Ming Xiao, she bound the system, not really knowing why. The thing is she mistakenly considers herself as the original host, but reincarnated, so her feelings are conflicted. From one side she bears the burn from the "past" life and from the other bears her own indifference, which belongs solely to her. These occurances happen only in the travel world, though to make things entertaining the author adds world where there's no system from beginnning to end or MingXiao remembers everything about her true self.

But this novel to me was truly hilarious, simply because MingXiao was beating and cursing left and right. Her verbal attack could piss off even saint I think. So she was this cool heroine who did not bend and stretch, but bulldozed her way you could say. Most of the text I basically laughed at the way she makes people submit with her poisonous tongue. Because of this the relevation of who she is and why she was sent to reincarnate didn't matter much in the final chapters tbh, so it was underwhelming, not because it was bad, just because you could care less after the rollercoaster. But if you want to know it's the basic sent to live a life worth it and not follow past predicaments to eventually nourish her soul and mana and get back to the "original" world and find out where this entire shite started.

The system is basically unimportant, except that it keeps the host company, but it's practically useless most the time.

Oh yeah, except the poisonous tongue MingXiao actually has a super physical power, so she can subdue anyone.

Oh yeah x 2, the thing about this novel being tagged as romance, don't wait for ML, in entire novel where author wanted to express that MingXiao slowly teaches herself some human emotions, though I barely noticed it, yet there was an arc where she actually got together with a person on her own. Although the teaching feelings, especially of love was subtle. Foe example, there was a lot of mentioning of her indifferent attitude, though her principle was like - I will save you face if we're good, if you cross my line don't expect to end well. And though sometimes her not making people well seemed brutal, but it wasn't as sinister as some novels portray.

Tha arcs are as follows:

1. In this arc there is a background for MingXiao, her biological mother was a granddaughter of influential family abroad, she escaped, was in a happy marriage with her husband, had three kids, but grandfather asked for one child in return, so MingXiao was sent away, many years later she was called back and soon after was married to a scum. Original MX had no idea about underwater and soon died. But our MingXiao realized that all this is closely interwined with interests. Also because the plot was locked she had to grope for herself. Her scum husband was subdued, his family too. She also managed to save her little sister, not out of good will, from predicament with a man, who was actually her ex-boyfriend. They traveled back to country where grandpa lives after a series of events, this broke the line between her sister and ex-boyfriend too. She never divorced since she realized there is something about in the dealings about it too. But in general after she gained power she absorbed forces abroad and domestic, including her father who treated everything with interests and her husband's family, who even allowed her scumbag husband have a mistress who should give birth while MingXiao was away for several years, but their plan failed through when she returned and showed who is the daddy Xiao. At the end she returned to her abode where she was confined by the Heaven, small abode where she watched the same TV melodrama again and again, soon after they started off to a new world.
2. In second world we travel to the ancient times. In this one her father pissed the emperor and all women were sent away separately, when they found out their future fate they committed suicide, but two were alive, one is fainted MingXiao and the other was her jealous sister. Sister was picked up by a general, while MX was spotted by a passing dude and sold to a brothel. Original host was timid and cowardly, only left with her mother's will to live well, but she was tossed in brothel, then became a servant girl and when her original family managed to rebel, her family became royals, but she was found and recognized even through scarred face, she couldn't handle and offed herself. Now our MX took this place as her own, reformed it into entertainment venue and slowly accumulated power, while thinking of the plotline where the heroine actually sent the border map to the enemy country. She was described as a strong woman, but MX always called many of these children of luck as braindead. Her economical power was great, yet it was hysterical how she wanted to become an oiran and even created a competition where she solely performed some power tricks instead of beaty tricks and the audience was scared to pee saying bad things. She prevented several events btw and even met the heroine. Knowing that the enemy country is about to attack they followed to the border, this is the only part where MX is more human, since she does not want to implicate innocent ppl who believe in her. They managed to win beautifully and return. Due to her intervention, her sister never became a princess, her brother did not manage to rebel successfully and everything turned like that, main line collapsed. Again turning to abode and soon going to new world.
3. In the third world MX travels to 70' before exam resumption. In this world her biological father has rotten peach blossoms. He has a white moonlight in his heart with whom he had relationship shortly and this woman escaped, later tossed her child at his feet. The child he thought was his daugher (true or not who knows), but she entered a household of his brother who had no children, they also had another kid, a boy Chu Yan of this man's brother-in-arms. Originally MX should have been tossed in river, fell sick, was sent hometown with household registration changed to this half-sister who would enjoy life, while she was played by a educated youth and died young in birth. Chu Yan also had a bad ending in that life. Now MX realized that her sister might be reborn, but she played them as well, she made them pay her money, promised to change the household but on the back sold her position to a person who is rival with her father. She also tossed the guy and this sister naked on the street, just like she was arrested in previos life. She went to hometown with Chu Yan where she basically subdued everyone. The funny thing is her body was really poor and looked sickly, so she couldn't toss for a long time (stuff like cracking brocks with her own hands). The village was afraid of her tossing and no one acted like a demon. except the pair of step-brothers and sisters, who ruined both her and Chu Yan in previous life, instead MX tossed them all together several times, which started rumors of their behavior and the second time when her step-sister was sent back hometown. After all the tossing their fate wasn't good. But this sister had a problem, she was stupid and she basically went to black market with stolen family money, as an accident her stepfather went to retrieve money but encountered accident and lost his life, the wife might have not followed if this daughter had not changed the medicine. Basically she was sent to prison like in her last life.
4. This is the funny one where MX had no idea about the system and lived in this world since childhood, but it never changed the trajectory of changes and her influence. She was a smart kid since beginning, but her family was complicated (author took this frame and wrote an entire novel similar to this). Her mother chased her husband since she was young and wasted too much energy, but was faced with a cold person who never thought it was necessary to toss. She lived with rumors as a third party, she was a stepmother to the kid of his first marriage, she gave birth to a daughter (MX) but was irresponsible and sent it to her parents, she also gave birth to a boy, but due to her lack of response the kid almost became autistic. In past life of her mother she offed herself, then her father regretted this love but still did not pay attention to children, MX lost her life to a scheme of others, eldest brother lost his life due to accident and youngest became biggest villain. Too much tossing. But here we have MX with her sharp mouth. She tossed her brothers first, though it basically made them stronger and more experienced in recognizing people (like white lotuses and green tea bitches), she also tossed her family, her mother who was also reborn at one point and failed to be a normal mother so she said not to toss, her father who after divorce realized how many wrong steps he made and allowed others to be unscrupulous about his family. In the end it was quite a funny family situaton actually. Wife lived and worked with three kids who were on their own and were happy tbh, husband who tried to win his wife back. Grandparents of this wife. Grandparents of the husband family were annoying. MX had a goal to be on top so others would bow, she started from learning then starting the company, then going against her natal family, absorbing them and those who dared to toss and basically renamed entire group which pissed the parents of her father. She tossed the supposed children of luck too. But in the end all three children were ok, including her brother who was also reborn at the age of five. Anyway family drama with chasing wives back, while kids watch it as TV drama with relish. 
5. In this world MX managed to escape calamity when she arrived. Original MX lived in domestic violence, incompetent father was lashing his dissatisfaction on his wife and child, entire family lived on wife's earnings. They were also in debt to another family, so MX was asked to be a horse for the boy of their family, she was and others thought she was in love, but she was taciturn and he never clarified, yet gladly used her as a nanny. She became a cannon fodder to a story of a love triangle. The heroine loved another boy, she sent him a letter, the boy MX served also loved this girl, she saw the letter and wanted to rip it, but not to get into trouble he tossed this letter into MX's desk, it was found, spread and ridiculed, not this boy nor the heroine walked out to clarify so she was used as a gunman. At the height of her emotions during fight she killed her father, her mother bled to death, she was arrested and sentenced, her bleak life was like that and her mental state worsened, walking out she became a serial killer of domestic abusers, was caught by the boy she served when he apologized for the past, while it really didn't matter to her, to him it's an apology, to her a ruined life. MX escaped the killing part, beat her father, tied him up and sent her mother to the hospital. Thinking of rehabing her father he was tossed and beaten at every turn before he succumbed. At school she got the letter, the cmposition for comparison and wrote a summary of brain-dead drama and made hundred of copies and spread it in school and went on a month's vacation not to let her violence get the best of her. She also met a newly opened gym with dad and a son, they helped her tend to her wounds she had. Basically she came across several times, became acquainted, seemingly worked in the gym, but also eventually made her father cook lunch she brought, since the gym dad has no talent in cooking. She cleared herself from past relationships, though when she got back to school she became an overlord, even teachers were shocked of her. The heroine thought she had something to do with the boy she liked and later with the spare tire she grew. But MX only used it as tossing, showing this boy the "love" she had. She joined mixed martial arts as advice from gym dad and her career was here. She also was togethe with the gym son, who first was joked by her into oblivion since he was shorter than her, later he grew very tall. So she became a champion, even met the heroine when she visited her now boyfriend, who looked complacent, but had no idea MX came from becoming a champion just a while ago and MX also reminded her of those slaps she presented her for dragging her into their tossing. MX and her bf made an agreement, live freely until 35, since one travels around and is a sportswoman, and another wanted to be a doctor without borders. In the end they still got married and went to their hometowm. Her mom since long been divorced, she divorced her husband and got compensation having the house and some money, now she went on travels around the world. She opened a gym, close to her her now husband worked as a doctor near and gym dad opened a bakery, it was the oly thing he could cook well. The boy she served met her and he realized her place in his heart long ago, but she didn't care. The heroine also had some troubles she was involved with a married man but was stupid enough to go to the wife and say to promise them and let go it's all love. The hero was too much under influence of his posessive mother and had to go back, their relationship also was ruined after the love letter spread, but it never truly revived. So that's basically it. FUnnily sustem promised now her power will be partially sealed, but she still could beat people to oblivion. Onto the next one.
6. Second to last is an ABO world. I'll be short. MX was supposed to be a heroine, but she was tossed too much being a stand-in for three A's. When being reborn she dissipated herself, but it alsmot broke the world. WX escaped many calamities, tossed all three A's and created potions that helped her get rid off her newly acquired O identity, but also inverted those thre A's into O's. This is a wordl dominated by A, which has very not equal social statuses, but the Federation actually created star thieves and supported them to create this idea/illusion that strong A's will protect everyone, it's all a myth for power and dominance, MX basically revealed this dirty underwear. The world underwent great changes as a result, especially thanks to her invented potions.
7. The last world I basically skipped, it's a world of cultivation. In general the idea was similar to this, the Heaven wanted the power of Phoenix soul (which is immensely cool and strong, I suppose) and couldn't rob it, so created a plan, the one who bore the soul was cheated again and again making her sound as a stupid heroine. Before both Heaven and her were tossed, part of her, which was sealed in MX traveled and nourished you could say, but how MX could let go. The ending is as expected.

This novel of course is not without loopholes if you think about it, like where is intelligence for some things is coming from, what are those worlds. But when you laugh at MX making people surrender it is really distracting, at least it was for me. I especially liked how there was undergoing criticism of some really brain-dead tropes used and how MX didn't take part in any of those, did not do any tasks, never suffered really. It was wild and MX is a wild horse.

RATE: 4/5.

[Chinese BG novel] 穿到六零致富发家 / Wear back to 60's and get rich

The novel tells a story of Jiang Jingyu, she was on her way to blind date, but as righteous as she is she saved kids and traveled to 60's as a result of her accident. Here she finds herself a part of a complicated family, but also a hard life in the village with everyone not having enough to put on table. This is also a novel with a reborn person and she has to be a cannon fodder, the heroine should be her cousine who wanted to ruin her reputation and get her man who supposed to become richest in the province, but JJY did not allow things to develop in this way, she managed to escape her ruin, but also dumped these two together, which deviated the whole storyline. Yet what was helpful to her is that she was bound to a farming game, similar to her mobile version, but it was a live version here. It helped her to go on and do some small things here and there to provide for family. Although her family wasn't that bad, but everyone had to tie their belts. She also used her talent for drawing to publish in newspaper and cover up many of her purchases as well as taking things out from the game. And she also found out with upgrade that she has a neighbor. As it hapened, the ex-fiance who her cousine wanted to dump was a traveler from future like her, and not only - it was her blind date man. He traveled to become a soldier, he asked for job change and got back to their village, since he remembered that his future grandma could not survive flood that will hit this village and he wanted to do something for it. He also found a new neighbor, as it happened it's the girl he knew from the village and who helped him cook, but it's also his blind date. This hit off their relationship.

Maybe it sounds great, but in reality it was underwhelming. I had to skip many places, simply because they brough nothing. It was constant switch to cooking and description of food, though it wasn't a gourmet novel. It also included so many family relations, which also did not bring anything exciting, it's just many family members with their own situation.. And actually these family members might be close to people who have big families, but also why write about them all. And I don't mention that some of them were brought up and lost in text and were not mentioned much, like what was the point. So far I haven't seen a novel with family so big, they could occupy several seasons of Santa Barbara

In the end this one was incredibly... boring actually? The initial conflict with the reborn cousine isn't anything exciting. JJY with her direction in life had changes of mind several time, more like the novel was leading you to one thing and then the other, especially considering her career.

Family tree and why I think it's too much. I don't put on names, since they're MTL version and I honestly forgot most of them.

Jiang Yuantong (grandpa of the family). His wives:

- 1st wife died of illness.

- 2nd wife escaped with another man, but was said to have died from illness. She left her son behind (2nd son), to live a good and rich life, appears in the novel for a short while, has enmity with grandpa just because he refused to leave the country.

- 3rd and current wife is from humble background, JYT basically saved her from starvation, but they live a fullfilling and good life.

JYT's children:

- 1st son. has shallow relationship with his father, they also separated early. Became a teacher in the village. Married a wife who actually subsidizes her natal family a lot, basic giving everything to parents then to brothers and nephews. She is also one who came to insist on relationships and seek benefits, though never got what she wanted. They have a son who later entered factory and became a regular on his own, married a city girl who was attracted to him, he was one of few who knew his worth and led a stable life. If I'm not wrong they should have two daughters, but mostly the eldest was mentioned, like she was married, her husband had accident when she was 30+, they had two children, she remarried a factory worker who came from neighboring village.

- 1st daughter. Was a military doctor. She and her husband had two kids, when husband remarried it was the same as having a stepdad. brother was older and had his own place, daughter traveled early to JYT and lived with her grandpa. Later was together with anouther educated youth. Forgot if she succeded going to the city since he passed the exam first, but she did not.

- 2nd son. Also has shallow relationship with JYT, basically because of his mother, before he knew the truth that his mother escaped and later did not recognize him. He was all about his own family and was a simple farmer. Married wife who also liked to seek benefirs from relationships, but also with shallow eyelids. They have three children, two unpromising younger sons and Jiang Qiao, the supposed heroine of this novel.

- 2nd daughter. University teacher. She and her husband have two children, one older and one they had much later. They were sent to reform in original novel, but this time JJY reminded grandpa to make them go on their own volition. This is how they preserved. Both sons lived with grandfather JYT before returning to their original city. Eldest came together with a girl from medical family who were friends of their family. She was also the one who gave many benefits when she could, but in hard time 1st and 2nd son never even asked about her, it was the 3rd's family who helped.

- 3rd son. Father of JJY. He is a carpenter, learned from his father, married to Ye Hongxiu with whom they have eldest son, daughter and younger son. Eldest son worked with his sister in the factory their village opened and which JJY and ML helped to build and open. After JJY retired and decided to do business he became the director. Youngest went to study in the capital and later was assigned to foreign affairs. Eldest married a girl and had two daughters, but wasn't sad about it, while youngest also found a wife (a researcher), but was assigned to go abroad when they had first child.

Ye Hongxiu also has her natal family, but she didn't help much, especially when it endangered position of her daughter or her son-in-law might be implicated. She only has a younger brother, whose wife also mentioned relationships and such. In the later part the didn't act as demons, but they also had their own fill with te eldest son who made a girl from a notorious family pregnant and was forced to marry. This daughter-in-law was brought up in a patriarchial family where daughters were treated like shit, and there were many. Almost all were sold off for dowry. But they were brainwashed to help the youngest brother who grew up spoiled and lazy, basic story.

Gu Xiangheng (ML), his family was simpler. His mother and father died, before his father passed away he asked his youngest son to marry the girl from Chen family, the ones who took care of their siblings in hardest times. After his return he became a captain and started to drive the village economy. They started from expanding the number of raised pigs, chicken and ducks, sold most of the egs and meat. Crops also grew in number. They expanded it and built a factory that at first produced canned food and later they were first to create ham/ham sausage. He was promoted to the city, while JJY stayed as a new captain and also factory manager, because it's basically them who proposed and implimented the factory idea, which in the end grew, created thousands of jobs, village was almost better than the city, business expanded even abroad. They also built several branch factories. Many of the villagers who could be smart in this held quite high positions. GXH also has two siblings, namely:

Gu XiangXi, youngest daughter, she grew up along with her brother in Chen family, and always remembered the kindness. She refused to marry at first, but later met her future husaband in the city. Had few conflicts with mother-in-law but in the end her husband was on her side, which was reassuring.

The second brother Gu XiangXing was married to Chen girl on the basis that kids will have Chen last name, he agreed, but when he became a worker and was embarrassed of this situation, so he was obsessed with having the kid with his last name, in the end Chen Ying agreed, but it was a girl and she tried to keep this marriage, but later both were divorced, since the second brother was all about having son and got together with a widow. GXH broke his arm and broke off relationship. Everyone stood by Chen Ying. GXH also helped to build a house for the son of Chen Ying. The widow tried to let children of GXH become closer to the newly baked young brother, but her plans fell through.

GXH and JJY children:

Gu Sheng and Gu Xi are twins and their biological children, but don't really look like each other. Gu Sheng followed his father in appearance and Gu Xi followed JJY. Both grew up in good environment and with load of family members. Always excellent in their studies and are affectionate with their parents. Gu Xi followed her mother a lot and loved work in the end and did not marry as a result, but had two children from two different men. It was already times in the future, so it wouldn't be a big deal. Gu Sheng in the end was with the girl they both saved from a gangster. At first he was indifferent even if the girl followed him to university and even to impoverished village where GXH sent him to get experience (after all Gu Sheng decided to follow father's political career), but later it was basic story, when she gave up he chased her back. Honestly, I loved that Gu Xi was the only one who was not bothered by marriage, but wanted kids, her second child, daughter, was born much later and was a big surprise. This daughter also has a passage, since she describes herself as second generation salted fish (though she should be third if we count), but she was a big fangirl of her grandma (JJY).

GXH also adopted son and daughter of his comrade-in-arms who died. Their mother wasn't around too long ago. Both children were abused despite their father's origin, so he took both children who grew up with love and care. Eldest son went to military academy when he grew up, while the sister went to foreign languages and basically was in the business later.

Jiang Qiao, unlike the first part where she tried to trip JJY she rarely appeared on screen, both regretted their initial choice not once. At first JQ thought that her current husband will develop later and she wanted to wait and be a wealthy lady, for this she endured a lot. First that she gave birth to a daughter at first and was shunned by their family. Later her husband got the job in factory, but became regular through unknown means (due to his relationship with a woman he cheated with). At that time JQ realized that he cheated, but she endured for the future wealth. In the end he couldn't be promoted and stayed on his job, thinking those who go to do business are stupid. By that time more than a decade passed, JQ had three children (two daughters and a son), lived in a small home and endured bad attitude of her husband towards her and especially their children. She regretted her choice, since GXH developed well in his political career and she could live well by now, same goes for her husband, JJY was his initial fiance, but he wasted it on JQ thinking she was more talkative and had more common topics. In the end this is the only part that I could say I liked, JQ endured for future, but was cowardly to do things herself, she mostly wanted to rely on others, but in the end things weren't going how she expected and it was late to change. She married her eldest daughter to a man twice her age to get a regular's job, her youngest daughter escaped when she knew her mother wanted to do the same to her. Their son was a disappointment, he failed in studies, thought he would get a job and be okay, but married some vixen village girl who talked him into squandering family money he got for relationship and getting connected with people. At this point JQ went crazy, but met with indifference of her family and they sent her to a hospital. She failed in two lives.

There's a lot of characters in this one, sometimes it's hard because of MTL, since everyone becomes daughter- son- father- mother-in law, the interpersonal connections are abudndant, but I can't say I care. Since I don't. Many times I asked myself - who is this? Because people appeared and disappeared from screen, but the stories weren't deep enough to care. So I do not mention countless cousines and other relatives and mention of their wives, husbands and kids. And let's not forget all the side-kicks. It's tedious.

The thing is this all took away so much from MC and ML. Their relationship to me was on such a deep background that I barely noticed it sometimes. The only good thing is the reminder how they met in game at night, which was a nice thing as for romance, that no matter where they were they actually could meet in this game. But still it felt like a passing wind. I understand the whole story has strong emphasis on family and connections, but it's all marriage, school, kids, work and because there are so many characters it's hard to even care about any of those, since author themselves doesn't concentrate on any specific character or topic, they're all basic stuff written many times before filial piety, working, conflicts of generations, conflicts of mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws, patricrchy, those who worked hard got what they deserved, those who didn't bother stayed stagnant on the bottom etc.

For such a small number of chapters you'd think it'll be easy, but honestly I was bored, chapters are really long and there's nothing to think about, it's just random.

What I also could not appreciate is that at first it felt like after they go out of this poverty situation and things get better they don't really need to follow the basic rebirth pattern of going to do business, play stock, get really rich etc. But they did, JJY after many years actually retired from food factory and started her own food business. She started from making sauces, commodity, but a popular one, they opened a market that was close in concept to future supermarkets, she dipped her fingers in real estate too. She's most promising in the family and JYT appreciates daughters actually, since they're so proactive. At first she used her drawing skills from future to publish, they also went to black market to buy and exchange, especially for things that were worthless at that time, like antiques and precious stones. They went with GXH btw. They also used some info from the past to earn something in stocks, but not their main thing. They basically have quite accomplished life when they brought up their village to prosperity, but honestly nothing I noticed why she decided to change. But whatever. She also knows martial arts, but she was described as someone who really knew stuff and was exceptionally strong, despite her small frame. It felt so random. And the story was random too tbh. Do I feel like I was entertained? NOPE. I mostly think that it wasn't worth to keep up till the end, but also skipping many parts helped a lot, otherwise I'd be stuck. There's no literal content to wonder around. So *shrugs*

h forgot to mention, they were vegetative in real life and when they ended their life in the novel they woke up and of course the happy ending.

RATE: 2/5.

[MOVIE] Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Although Hollywood might not admit it when they openly buy the license to reproduce tv show/anime etc. in the form of a movie, but let's be honest, Hollywood "borrowed" a shit ton of ideas, scenarios and inspirations. And to be completely honest this secretive borrowing to me is more successful, because so far I'm yet to see a good adaptation that they advertised with a high profile. And making Takeshi Kitano appear in your movie with a weird hairdo won't help.

Casting. To take an American actress Scarlett Johansson to play Motoko Kusanagi was the same choice as to take an Asian actor to play a character with a name Spike Spiegel. What are your priorities Hollywood? I'm still not over with you because of Cowboy Bebop (and never will). The only people who really did not care were Japanese and I can understand why. First of all it's an American adaptation, so who cares, funnily it's only Americans who care for cultural appropriation. Secondly, Motoko wears a cyborg body, it's like a sleeve in Altered Carbon, your cyborg body can look like any nationality. And also if you remember the end of Ghost in the Shell anime you know that Motoko got rid off the shackles and only her consciousness lived. My problem with casting is the actress herself, yes the Black Widow and all that jazz, so Scarlett was considered one of the biggest action actress by the time, though she doesn't look action to me, but body-wise I don't agree. Because Scarlett has a duckling walk, nothing made me laught so hard as her walk at the end of the movie, I ghosty hear 'quack, quack' in my head too, because she walks like a duck. Secondly, I could not believe her play, she played an actress and not a cyborg. The thing is I saw the concept art of Motoko's cyborg body, not to mention that the movie also is referencing to her body being full cyborg body, then let me ask you one simple question - can the cyborg breathe? No answer? The answer is - she doesn't need to, but not once you can see her GASPING, which may be her psychological reaction, but her body isn't a real body, it can't do things like a normal body woul do. I fucking saw your concept art, I fucking saw the beginning of your movie, had not seen lungs there. And this is why I was disappointed, not only her who completely left this part out, but the whole team did too. And imagine if most of the movie was done the opposite way, building a true image of a cyborg body. I remember in the anime there was a shot that impressed me a lot, season 1 or 2 can't remember, but it was a flashback of a team member (sniper), when she had water pouring down her face and she never blinked, because she's not a real human, her eyes won't react, she won't blink unlike him, that's what made you believe she's a full cyborg body. 

(gasping in the body that should not breathe, also what a lousy wig)

Reference to anime. This was basically annoying to me, because the storyline was a mixed version of all GitS animes that came out by that time. But basically the first GitS movie and also Stand Alone Complex (both season 1 and season 2 of that awesome anime okay~). Yet the storyline of the movie failed to be interesting. Even failed to be phylosophical in terms of exploring the theme of self, since it's the basis of the whole Ghost in the Shell, it's the ghost (spirit/memory) that exists in the shell (cyborg body). After all it's a full brain transplant. And no matter what others might think of the first movie, I love the concept of fucking with a person's memory/brain, which is completely dangerous in concept. I wonder why they didn't make it into its' own version of something with just visual reference, but they basically used both - visual and the story.

(the whole intro is basically ripped off from the first GitS movie)

(who done it better? x'D anyway anime isn't afraid of nipples)

Story. So, we start from the intro where it is implied that a young girl is taken for an operation, the intro rolls in and we have a gasping Scarlett post-op being told that they got her a synthetic body. The whole future with synthetic bodies erasing boundries narrative, you know that, of course not without military involvement. The first scene we see a doctor having discussions (which failed) and they were monitored, major, which is Scarlett goes first, because others won't arrive on time. Which again ripped off the famous GitS movie scene, 

(this is so blatant I can't, but it has no impact, Motoko in anime was always connected to the net, thus the glasses, here it doesn't work the same)

(major~~~ I'm simping okay, she's gorgeous and muscly and I love her)

though the content of the talks here and there are different. I don't mention the dumbesy thing I've seen where she shoots the geisha robot. Where again the geisha robot is reference to anime (2nd movie) and the way it asks for help is also the same, though here and there are two different purposes. How could they ruin it.. why am I surprised.

(it's also funny how face is opened, Scarlett shoots, the face closes but has shots on the outer casing of the face, though she couldn't scrape it cause the face was opened, such blatant mistake)

(yes, the thing about GitS Innocence was way scarier ahaha honestly it was really like a jumpscare, but also the sexbot was at the moment of self-destruction, that's why she acted like that, while the movie version opened her "face" for no apparent reason)

And also Scarlett's pose was funny. I don't mention this sudden scene where Batou comes in and says they're different, like why you suddenly say this.. Why is she a major then if she's so sensitive, like she walks away and disappears right after, which is so emo and so bad. Major I know would not walk away, Motoko in anime is the epitome of a strong woman not only in concept, but even influenced me from childhood (basically same strong impression as Sarah Connor or Ellen Ripley). Motoko in anime made you think of existentialism, Scarlett in the movie makes you think she's brooding and that she's a wood. But later you kinda realize that they overturned the whole thing and it seems like Major we knew is not the same, this Major is like a sent product, she's the strongest weapon to use (does not leave such impression though) in Section 9. But I wanna ask.. why she's a major? Motoko in anime became major since she deserved it through her military exploits, she came to Section 9 not to take some high place, but this is her team and she went through thick and thin with almost all members of Section 9, of course this can be explained either breifly or in detail like in anime, but yet here she feels like she only came around and is like a new member. And her connection with the doctor is on a deeper level. No wonder she beats the guy (again they use the scene from the anime) 

(it's funny how she storms away every fucking time)

(of course the reasons for this scene are different, in the movie Kuze/Hideo uses the guy as proxy for attack on doctor, in anime Puppet Master uses different people as proxy of a proxy for hacking, while these people don't have any original memories, it's actually more impactful than the movie)

who was cracked and used to attack the doctor. Now we're close to the Kuze guy and the discussed project 2571 (the dumbest thing is when one of the doctors looks through the project, they say she must have found something and later show she's one who took part in the project thus was killed... shouldn't she know beforehand if she's one of those who took part in it? I don't get the logic).

(honestly, where did he get the guns when he was over with his speech.. but, Scarlett plays like wood compared to Michael) 

Anyway, Scarlett fianlly finds out that she's not the first one and 2571 is a failed project that was before her. Which undermines authenticity of the previous conviction. I laugh how she looks like - you lied to me?! Bit if we think about it... if her own body was only a teen when her brain was taken out then it's understandable why she plays/reacts like a teen, but who would involve a teen into such serious things. Whatever, she confronts the doctor and finds out that even her own memories are false. But what impressed me - was the sudden diving scene in the middle of it all. As if - well, I found out that I have false memories, everything is a lie.. LET'S DIVE. Like wth. Diving of Motoko was her hobby, since her body was actually so heavy (cyborg yo), that she basically could have drowned under he rown weight, but she does it, like a normal human. Though anime also gave her a mask, though I think it was not needed after all her whole body is like that, but I guess they didn't want any water inside lol.

(I could not understand their emotions at all and this scene was dull)

(In anime the diving scene makes much more sense, since it has more meaningful dialogue, movie cut it to some nonsense, while Motoko simply and calmly talks about all the body parts that make them human and individual. This dialogue has more of an existential spirit than entire GitS movie. It is also interrupted by a voice that does not belong to either Motoko or Batou, which implies how someone can listen to your conversation. Which later leads to the scene with the escaped body that has a copy of a ghost inside of it without a brain of a human, yet it functions, which of course is not a simple hacking case, because this body belongs to Megatech, which is same company that also created Motoko's body and also parts that augmented people in Section 9 and this undermines the ability of those to protect their own body and mind from hacking. Anyway, to me it's way more interesting than the movie bs)

It's also interesting how we quickly switch to action and that is the arrest of Scarlett (yes I still refuse to call her Mira, the movie name) and bringing her to Hanka Robotics where she is to be desposed off, since she can't be controlled. In the end the doctor she's so close to became emotional, gave her the data with her past and allowed her to escape. Hanka instantly tore faces, even accusing her of killing the doctor and escaping, now she's wanted. Which will lead to questioning Section 9 too. It's funny how Hanka blatantly targets all of Section 9 members, but those prevail and even the section chief played by kitano goes to report to premier, which allows them to counter Hanka in return. It's funny that Hanka chielf used a tank to deal with both Scarlett and 2571 played by Pitt. This is again a reference to the original anime and here we find out the name of 2571 - Hideo, since he and Motoko, which is her original name, were aqcuainted. Again, a big storyline mistake, both of them are shown to be taken away at the same time, but he entered the project first and she came later, was she kept by them somewhere like a hostage? Anyway, the timeline definitely was played with.

The logic suffered in this movie so much, many details were handled so badly that I can't.

And the whole story should have been packed in a simple story like. Motoko and others, including Hideo were just teens from a poor district, but they had their own ideas about technologies. They were forcefully taken away, Hideo and Motoko became part of an experiment where a brain was fully intigrated in a cyborg body. Hideo was a failed project, now known as Kuze. While Motoko was a success, she joined Section 9, got a major title and took part in different operations. Hanka Robotics responsible for both experiments have several of their doctors killed, the lead points at project 2571, which is the failed experiment on Hideo. Mira aka major finds out she's been lied to, her memories are false. Hanka wants to dispose her, but doctor gets emotional and lets her escape. Hanka frames Mira as a perpetrator and aims at Section 9. Mostly their plan is to get position similar to Section 9. In the end Hanka chief is accused of going against country and is offed. Mira aka major survives the assasination, during which Hideo aka Kuze enters the big Net. Mira stays and works with Section 9 now.

Basically, this shit played a full suit to create her past and how she stayed in Section 9. Which is again taken from anime (in one of the seasons we follow the past storyline, but movie only plays with some ideas). The end. Was it disappointing? Absolutely. Some emotions were delievered so badly. The story itself isn't bad, but execution is weird. The weirdest interruptions to watch scenes that only are homage to the original work and nothing else and play absolutely no role in the movie itself. Like the diving scene, Togusa wasn't mentioned at all (btw actor who played Togusa also was taken to play Spike..nope))), the mentioning of the Batou's dog etc. Don't they know the story behind the dog? That entire Inncence was build on Batou and his dog story, because the creator lost his dog. many references don't work. Just don't do it.

In the end major again walks away, she walked away so many times in this movie that it's like a meme. She walks away with her duck walk into the sunset.

(best shot in entire movie, all that last motivational talk before the ending is so bs, now this is art)

I hated that they exploited the franchise and milked the references so much, but in the end failed to create a decent product and the ending had the stench of every American blockbuster with motivational speech, like we're the ones who will watch you type of bs. Scarlett is bad, she tries to play and not play, her wrinkly brows give me pet peeves, while her body can't be emotional, while I suppose she tried not to be too animated due to the origin, but failed. During some scenes I wished she wouldn't show her dazed expression, I wish they casted someone else, she really does not fit and not because of her face, but I don't like her as an actress, she fits her role in Avengers, she's not a big blockbuster star to me just because she became popular due to Avengers. The wig was atrocious. CGI sucked SO BAD. CGI was the worst part of it all. Last scene was dark, only to cover up how bad it was. The physicality didn't play well. At one scene major is shown to be heavy, at other times she flies like she's a fucking butterfly, weightless. While she's full-packed metal. The story could have worked if it wasn't overstuffed with references. Anyway, to me they failed. You tried hard, let's give you a medal for the effort.

(Let's go back to the scene at the hotel and movie Batou saying to major - you're nto like her and Scarlet storming away. You might ask - why the fuk is she storming away. Now, if you've watched the anime you know that Motoko mentions it how she looked at the escapee body and mentions how she, as someone with fully augmented body may ask herself if her life is real, or she's been dead long time ago and her whole life is just a made up story and she has no human parts in her body at all. Once again, the existential theme in anime is really strong, which the movie failed to even touch upon, basically because they build the movie around a different story, but also tried to refer to original anime)

It's ironic that the movie is called "Ghost in the Shell", but it doesn't even touches upon what is actually a "ghost". Nope, it's better to say it tries, eventually, very rarely and it's not the best attempt, so I wish they would not touch it at all. Because for a person who loves the GitS series this movie was a total flop, I wished they did their own thing without awkwardly integrating this and that. And again Scarlett is wewd and CGI was bad.

[AMBIENCE] Magical Night in Fairy Town - Music & Ambience

 

[SHORT REVIEWS] #2

 男神黑化之前[快穿]

(mtl: Before the male lead blackens)

Author: 唐宓. BG. First reaction is - unhh what? Because it's pointless, takes itself too seriously. Ridiculous to the max. I spent time only on reading arc 1, I can tell I won't really like the rest of it.

Arc 1 tells this: Wen Nuan (our heroine) gets hired as a nanny for the heir of Feng group - Feng Yue, who is in the state of paralyzed with meds person. He was planned by his "best brother", a friend who was fed since childood by his father that if it wasn't for Feng father he would be successful, though he simply did not manage to invest correctly himself thus failed in business and this failure basically broke him mentally, he abused his wife and son. Thus his son grew up hating everything, he was poor and shunned by everyone, so he hated Feng Yue, in the end he managed to plan him and not after accident Feng Yue was fed meds that kept him from moving. His "fiance" was an orphan who was brought in by Feng mother, but she basically did nothing and played victim to jastify her immoral behavior when this good brother used her as a bed partner (even in front of Feng Yue). Anyway Wen Nuan comes here and basically changes the situation slowly. My pet peeve number one, FY feels good towards WN right away, though always was more on a suspicious side. Next pet peeve is how in these novels you can't really get if the heroine is good or bad, she plays a character or she is really this silly white. She basically did nothing, only accompanied him and changed meds to vitamins. But it was all sunshine in this dark world of course. Anyway, the disgusting part that almost entire arc it's all fiance and good brother humping in every corner, basically good brother wants to get a reaction from FY. When he realized that FY doesn't really care about fiance then he switch to the bunny, though he didn't say he would make a move. It's so tasteless, like it's a short arc with only 12 chapters, most spent in a villa, few scenes that should bring the warming up (not only emotionally but physically too), but they feel gaudy, the situation is simply unimaginable that a heir to a huge group won't have any decent loyal assistant or other person smart enough to see the design, that he was like this. And only his friend doctor found out his situation and helped him, but it was all like help in secret...what? The finale is stupid af, where during fiance's b-day dinner good brother proposes to WN thinking no sane woman would choose person in a wheelchair, but he miscalculated, also suddenly the band that was playing while all fuckery was going on are police who wanted to witness firsthand before arrest. This is so stupid that I'm speechless. Like before that if one knew that meds are changed, that's the evidence. You can force him out and recuperate. It's so pointlessly written. I'm simply shocked, good thing arc is short with all the happy ending etc. But I just wanted to drop it into book hell where it belongs. Haven't read something so stupid in a long time. I join everyone who was confused in comments under this novel on jjwxc - why is this in recommended. And also where are the ratings coming from? RATE: 1/5.

为了吃饱我嫁给了新帝

(mtl: To get a meal ticket I married the new emperor)

Author: 逸烛. BL. Dropped this one after several chapters. I might be wrong, but honestly, I have prejudice towards novels that have characters traveling from end of times to ancient or modern times that have abundance of food. What I do not believe is their reaction. Because it's always the same, I met several novels like that and they all start the same, MCs start gobbling food and they kept eating and it became their daily activity, which isn't anything fun number one. But also they act to me like people who saw oasis in the desert. I can accept their oversaturation with food within the first contact, but I can't completely believe how they consume food constantly after that. First of all, at first they can consume psychologically, but physically they overstrain the body they travelled to, by far haven't seen one author who would actually describe a stomachache from overeating. Secondly, I think there's part of adaptability to new environment. Anyway, it's my take on it. Authors can write as they want, but they all write the same.

As for the story itself, well, MC goes back to his first life, if I'm not wrong I stopped paying attention. He can't remember shit though. He is married to a king who in the future will be new Emperor, also has a pretty notorious reutation, but he actually wants revenge on his family who were falsely accused by the emperor who was simply afraid of the military power. This king witnessed the aftermath of the execution and went berserk, met a cute child who helped him and figured out the child is MC because the sachet with crokked embroidery was the same. I know it should be interesting and I was also hooked up by the summary, but honestly it was eating, eating and almost always eating at all times, I can't handle it. I don't even want to figure out that MC might be really cool at other times, but so far he had no redeemable sides to him, just eating. Bye.

和死对头协议结婚后怀崽了

(mtl: Getting pregnant after marrying my rival)

Author: 森木666. BL (mpreg). I wanted to sigh when I started this. Again I see MC with no redeemable sides to him. I could not get why ML fell in love with him, but it was described as love at first sight and that's it, deeply rooted emotion. I started it and read last chapters and it was enough. This novel is short and is basically starting like this: MC's family is going bankrupt, MC's nemesis, as he calls him, offers help, which is accepted by MC's family. Their business is saved but also they have to get married. MC always hated on ML, but this hate to me is pretty childish. MC is basically a dude, no motivation, only acts like a cool dude and fights. He fell in love with a girl who friend-zoned him and said she liked ML, which sparkled hate. Basically it's like excellence of one person made you dislike them and MC went to fight time and time again, though was defeated a lot. That's why I think it's childish, he should be an adult by this time, he went to their family's company to work, but still acted like that, while ML was already handling a huge family business. ML is basically the one in love and that's why he wanted the marriage to be held, so he could tie the person he loves and slowly warm his heart. Well, actually the bed was warmed up first, but mostly thanks to MC, he forgot how he got drunk and so on. In general there is nothing interesting about such storyline, MC with his character doesn't help, I like more motivated MCs, like the one reviewed previously is full of love for life and wants to have his own business and works for it. Maybe it was mentioned here too, but I simply skipped the middle and went to the end. In general from what was said you could understand that most of the time was spent on accepting the baby and despite the danger trying to give birth to it, but also the whole situation was put out in public by a person who was in love with ML. 

It's the third mpreg novel (I was on a spree) which I read and it had similar situation of finding the MC is pregnant, the doctor says it's very dangerous that can endanger life. The rest is of course different, but what is similar like a template is the same danger to life, getting specialists from abroad etc.

Well, there is also this last one I'd like to mention - 豪门假少爷又炸毛了, but will continue reading it later, one day.. and it deserves a separate post actually, since it has a great character motivation and depiction of emotions.

[Video] Poolrooms

 

[Chinese BL novel] 婚后每天都真香[穿书] / Every day is fragrant after marriage

This was a really light-hearted novel, very easy to read, especially for those who prefer easy to digest content over drama. Lately I can't read or watch drama due to events, at most those are episodic here and there, but I can't handle the full-forced never-ending dramatic novels.

Anyway, this novel by 东风几许 tells a story about Yu Antong who travels to a book he read right before the crossing. In which a protagonist, who is more like a cannon fodder, with the same name as his was forced to marry a big guy. But their temperaments are too far apart. Protag in the book is cowardly and indecisive and as a result the readers were too dissatisfied with him and could not see the ending which was discarded. Yu Antong on the other hand was born with a sickly body, but he was lucky to be adopted by a rich man, in the end he also helped the parent get even more money, since Antong had a culinary talent and invented several popular sauces etc. He lived an accomplished life as far as his bdy allowed. But when he crossed and thought that in half a year he will be off the list he decided to live the full life in this healthy body. As a result he pestered his new husband who was pretty dissatisfied with the situation into bed, pestered and fooled him with cooking. And as the saying goes the path to mans heart lies through his stomach (yeah, not always through his groin). Xing Lixuan had no idea how the sleazy uncle Yu managed to talk his grandmother into this marriage, but because of grandma's health he agreed and proposed an agreement, that they will peacefully divorce in half a year. Both parties were happy about it. On the other hand Xing Lixuan with his pickiness truly enjoyed cooking of his new husband, but also was not against the bed part. Slowly but surely his negativeness evaporated and he started seeing this marriage as not a bad thing. So his heart was slowly opening up to feelings.

Antong actually was a bit of a detached person, due to his sickly phisique it was hard for him to have friends or lovers and he could not have someone's love knowing that he may not live that long. Lixuan was the one who with care and adopting his temperament brought him the sense of being cared for and love, that's why he fell in love too.

Both had no idea that uncle Yu, who wanted to aim high, shared with grandma one secret - Antong can have children. So they had load of fun (even joking about pregnancy too), but in the end Antong really became pregnant. He found out from Xing parents actually, he was clueless himself. So the two of them were happy to become parents to a wonderful smal bun.

The storyline itself isn't anything special, it's mostly because of the light-hearted feeling that Antong gives through dialogues that you go on pretty fast, you could say that there are some stumbles, but they don't appear again after being solved and they're solved quite easily.

The storyline itself is as follows. Antong crosses, has his happy life with new husband that hits all his aesthetic points. He deals with his uncle. This is his biological uncle, brother of his father, who took their custody and treated them badly, but also wanted to fully incorporate their inheritance. Getting the money he bought few restaurants and a factory and started operating them, getting back to his old business - cooking. In the end he got a bit of popularity and business started to grow. He also dealt with husband's peach bossoms, who tried to destroy his new business, but was smart enough to deal with it, afterwards Lixuan who started warming up to Antong helped him here and there, including this case too. Later for the growth and advertisment of his business he took part in the cooking show of his friend, he also found out that he wasn't dying but was pregnant. The show was a huge success. It's interesting that Antong wasn't always the first, even if he won in the end. Later he happily unloaded the goods with the help of professionals and got back to his happy family life.

Despite the fact that sometimes Antong can be a bit petty, demanding and unreasonable, so Lixuan has to almost always accomodate him, his personality is like a cheerful bird here and there, he can also act like a small peacock complimenting himself, bu he is also very loving towards his husband and also his son.

RATE: 4/5.

Getting 4 from me is already high enough, 5 I give only to amazingly cool novels. This was a good one, not outstanding, but good. Also, one thing that I openly skipped were gourmet/cooking parts. I still find those parts boring.