Fanfiction and Me

1. How long have you been writing fanfic?
I think it might be easier to describe my entire journey with fanfic. I read my first Harry Potter book in 2001. In 2003 I started going online to search Harry Potter and stumbled on a fanfic, a H/G oneshot which will become the foundation for my love of H/G later on. Still as I read the story I still had no idea what fanfic was, and thought it was something really written by JKR and after some time of wandering around the host site, Sugarquill.net, did I finally understand what fanfic was. 

It took me till about 2004/5 (memory is a bit fuzzy) to start writing my own fic, though now looking back, they were pretty horrific and I don't want to ever be associated with that Fanfiction.net account again (it still exists as I have forgotten the password so can't delete the stories). I had a brief spell for a few months writing those horrible Harry Potter fanfic but then more or less fell out of it because school took over. It wasn't until summer 2006, after I graduated high school and had 6 months before I begin university that I started to get back to fanfic, but this time to write in the fandom of Huan Zhu Ge Ge. I think it was because I was rereading the novels or rewatching the series, I can't remember. But since then I've been writing HZGG fanfic pretty much none-stop until now.

2. And what got you into fanfiction to begin with?
I think I just answered that up there :P I guess I might explain what exactly HZGG is. Huan Zhu Ge Ge or Princess Returning Pearl (yes, it sounds funny in Engish) is a Chinese/Taiwanese TV drama set in China in the Qing dynasty under the reign of Emperor Qian Long (around 1760s). It's about an illegitimate daughter of the Emperor (Zi Wei) who comes to Beijing after her mother dies to find her father, meets an orphan (Xiao Yan Zi) and the two girls become sworn sisters. Through a series of unfortunate events, Xiao Yan Zi is mistaken as the princess instead (thus her being named the "returned pearl") and the rest of the series deal with how they have to get back to the proper place. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan Zi sells bean buns to the Empress, climbs palace walls, writes poems about giving the Imperial Tutor a black-eye and falls in love with a prince who is supposed to be her brother.

Fan-made trailer courtesy of AncientChinese.Net

The original series consist of three "seasons" or three parts, simply HZGGI, HZGGII, HZGGIII, and currently they're doing a remake. The original series, aired between 1997 and 2002 were widely popular not only in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong but all over South East Asia, including, of course, Vietnam. People in Vietnam are still obsessed enough with this series so that every couple of years it would be reaired on some provincial TV channel and everyone would despair that they can't get that channel and why won't the central channels like VTV air it again?

This demand makes way for various Vietnamese fansubtitle projects for the series, though as far as I know, people still refuse to sub HZGGIII or acknowledge it as a part of the series, as aside from the change in cast, the character and plot made drastic changes in direction that were not for the better. I was heart broken for the character assassination of my favourite character, Yong Qi, in HZGGIII and that's pretty much what made me write HZGG fanfic in the first place, to attempt to salvage his character.

3. What kind of fanfiction do you like to write?

Considering the fandom and the pairing, my fics inevitably fall under the romance genre. Currently I'm writing to a set of 100 fic prompts, so basically I'm attempting to write 100 different one-shots according to 100 prompts, so the pairings and characters involved vary a bit, not all of it would be romance but probably a majority will be. But considering some characters I write about are historical figures and did exist, I spent too much time researching them as well as other aspects of Qian Long's court, with the aid of Google translate, because I am trying to weave the history and cultural aspects into my fics.

4. Do you tend to write the same pairings/characters? Or are you a fandom whore?

The reason I can only write Yong Qi/Xiao Yan Zi is that this pairing is the one that speak to me the most. While on odd days I can probably slide in and write other characters like Zi Wei, Qing Er or Qian Long, I probably can't write romance for them.

5. What is your most popular fanfic and why do you think people like it so?

Right now, looking at the number of favourites, story alerts and review:chapter ratio, I would have to say The Prince and Me, though it's not meant to be taken seriously. I will admit to everyone that this fic is full of fluff, cliches, cultural rip-offs, self-insert and Mary Sue and it's deliberately written so. It's probably popular because it's a very different take on HZGG. Heck, it takes HZGG - a period drama - to the modern world and trivialises it, but that makes the story all the more fun to write and I guess to read. This one is an escapist piece for me as sometimes it does get rather tiring writing in ancient setting.

6. Forget other people...what is the fanfic you've written that you're most proud of?
I really would have to say The Unforeseen Complications of Leaving, as it's not only one of my longest works but also the plot that I like the most. It was also an attempt to write something that wasn't pure romance and I think I succeeded a bit. Also this was therapy for me after watching the third part of HZGG, the ending of which I deeply disapproved of, so by writing this I was giving myself a sense of catharsis.

7. Do you find writing easy? Hard? What are the most difficult aspects of writing?
Since I have too many plot bunnies floating around in my head for HZGG, most of time it comes easily. Sometimes I do just sit and stare at the computer, wanting to write but it won't come, but those are time when I know it's because I'm not in the mood. The problem with my writing is that my ideas usually consist of the climax of the story and I would get the urge to write that first. After that is written, I then feel drained and no longer want to go back and fill in the exposition or the resolution. But if it's a compelling enough idea then  I can make myself do it. If not it just sits on my computer. There are lot of random bits on my computer now that sounds really dramatic but has no build-up and no resolution.

8. Write a few sentences or so about your favorite pairing or character.
Yong Qi...what can I say? I think when writing HZGGI, the author Qiong Yao didn't anticipate how popular this character would be. He certainly wasn't her usual model of a male lead and would probably be counted as a co-star rather than the star or main character. He was given more screen time and development in HZGGII but from the look of HZGIII and the remake, Yong Qi in Qiong Yao's eyes isn't quite as perfect as I have made him to be. I think in my mind, I've made Yong Qi into a Qing-dysnasty form of Gilbert Blythe with some of Mr Darcy thrown in :D.

9. Are there any fanfiction trends/cliches that you're sick of?

Not so much cliches as...inaccuracies.

I wince every time HZGG fanfic writers have Xiao Yan Zi and Yong Qi leave the palace and live as commoners but still name their son Mian Yi. You can't name your son Mian Yi if you're no longer a prince, sweetie!!

Emperor Kang Xi decided from his son's generation, all male of the Aisin Gioro clan of the same generation would have the same first character of their name, so for Qian Long's generation, their generation name was Huang, for Yong Qi, the generation name was Yong (duh!) and for his son, the generation name was Mian. Therefore, only males of the Aisin Gioro clan would be allowed to name Mian Something! Naming taboo is a huge no-no of Chinese culture, don't do it! For Xiao Yan Zi and Yong Qi who have given up their royal titles and left the palace to name their son Mian Yi is like saying either 1) hey we're from the royal family, or more likely, 2) we're blatantly committing treason, come and arrest us!

Also, on the same subject, if you're going to leave the palace to live as commoners, stop having your children call you Ah Ma and Er Niang! You don't have to advertise the fact that you're Manchurian!

"Mian Yi" does amuse in me in other ways though. Mian Yi was indeed the only surviving son of real, historical Yong Qi, and since fanfic writers have the name of this one son of Yong Qi but no further information on him, in fanficdom, there's a dozen versions of Mian Yi floating around. I think that's probably why I have tried so far to avoid writing a Mian Yi, or at least one that was older than a baby and thereby would have to have character development.

10. Are you guilty of any of these? Or have you committed other crimes?
I have a problem with striking the right balance between narration and conversations. Due to the way my ideas come to me, as an image or as a part of a conversation, sometimes my (usually oneshots) would consist entirely of one or the other. Also I'm struggling with balancing dialogue tags.

11. What was the first fandom you wrote for? Do ou continue to like/participate in it?
Harry Potter and yes, I still do read fanfic, watch the movies (7.2 is NOT showing in Vietnam!! WHAT??) and other random news! I don't think my HP love will ever die.

12. Name your OTPs or most frequently written pairings/characters and explain what it is about them that you love to write.

 Yong Qi/Xiao Yan Zi.

They're cute, the original actors who played them had the best chemistry in the history of onscreen chemistry, it's the Cinderella story turned on its head and tossed into chaos. What's not to love? The thing about them is that they come from two different worlds: he's a prince and she's an orphan who doesn't have a sense of propriety so there's always something to write about, the clashes in class and problems ensuing is endless.

13. What would you call your writing "style"?
How would you definte style? A style to me is the impression the writing gives to you as you read, it's not something that can be described. Though I suppose I could say that there's heavy influence from Austen fanfiction in my fic in terms of use of vocab and structure.

14. Do you read other people's fanfics? If so, what do you find yourself reading the most?
Harry Potter, Narnia, King's Speech (just because I'm in love with that movie right now but the amount of slash in that fandom stagger me), HZGG (obviously), Pride and Prejudice.

15. Name one thing you'd LOVE to write but haven't yet.
I would love to be able to write Anne of Green Gables fanfic, but all my ideas have been done and done better than I could. Sigh.

16. Do you have trouble taking criticism? Or worse yet, do you have a really bloated ego?
I write in a very small fandom where we're basically too happy to get new fics so it's hard to come by criticism. I'm actually still waiting...

 Seriously, I don't pretend that my writing is perfect, but I would like to think that I can take constructive criticism in stride.

17. When you write is there anything that helps? Music? Quiet room?
Tea. Hot tea. Comfortable place to write. An idea. Music, sometimes, depends on the piece. Sometimes music can be distracting.

18. What inspires you?
What ifs. Little details on rewatch that I missed before. Forum discussions on the series. Alternative universes.

19. Lastly, how would you sum up your fanfiction experiences and yourself as a writer?
I don't think I would have the ability to plot and develop a completely original work so fanfic had been my release and saviour, giving me an outlet for the plot bunnies that float around in my head. When I get plot bunnies, I talk to myself. A lot. Then I have to write them down if I don't want to go around always talking to myself. So fanfic keeps me sane.

Bỗng dưng muốn khóc...

...mà đếch khóc được.

Mình đã quyết tâm 1) không kêu ca về Tân HCCC nữa và 2) không viết tiếng Việt trên blog này. Nhưng người tính không bằng trời tính. Mà ông trời ơi, giết tôi đi. Mình cứ tưởng mình đã over cái cảm giác bực tức về độ nhí nhảnh chết người của Tiểu Lố nhố và Vĩnh Thái giám, thế mà các bạn ý lại nhân ngày Va lung tung đưa ra cái ảnh này…….

Vâng, đó là một Vĩnh Thái giám theo nghĩa đen.

Không ngờ có ngày nhân vật này lại có thể bị hạ thấp tới thế.

Ừ đành rằng là phim hài, ừ đành rằng là đổi mới, là cái lọ cái chai, nhưng mà các bác nhớ cho tôi nhờ, người ta là hoàng tử, người ta có cái tôn nghiêm của người ta. Bảo người ta đi mãi võ người ta còn mặt sưng mặt xỉa lên. Tôi thề có dí dao vào cổ Vĩnh Kỳ cũng chẳng bao giờ cải trang thành thái giám chỉ để đi …tặng quà Va lung tung cho Tiểu Yến Tử. Vĩnh Kỳ không phải là Tiểu  Yến Tử! Yêu thì yêu, đương thì đương, nhân vật vẫn là nhân vật, đừng có out of character thế chứ.

Mà cái hộp quà kia…cái thủa đó người ta biết sản xuất nơ ni lông hả người? Lụa là gấm vóc không đủ để buộc thành cái nơ sao mà phải dùng ni lông? 


Mà các bạn đừng có tặng hoa hồng cho nhau nữa...làm mình thấy đau lòng cho một bộ phim thần tượng hiện đại đội lốt cổ trang lấy tên HCCC....

tl;dr version, or English version:

If you want them to celebrate Valentine's Day and have some silly love triangle with a foreign dude, then for the love of all things holy and for the sake of my sanity, can't you just make it  modern?! Gosh darn it, is it so hard to keep some authenticity of the period? You know, that's kind of the whole point of the period drama?? There's artistic license, and then there's pure gratuitousness. This is gratuitous, with a plastic bow on top. 

New Huan Zhu Ge Ge - *Facepalm* plot points that will ruin the remake for me

Ever since Qiong Yao announced the remake of Huan Zhu Ge Ge, I've angsted enough over the wtf were they thinking inappropriate casting, the ugly poor costuming and make up, non-existent lacking chemistry and the fact that there is a remake at all. By now I've pretty resigned to the cast et al, and if it ever comes out in Viet-sub or Viet-dub I will probably still end up watching it just for the laugh, but I know I won't enjoy it. Just what I know of the plot at this moment is already enough for me to headdesk so many times that it's a wonder I don't have a massive bruise on my forehead.

DISCLAIMER: This post is only correct as far as with the information I had at the moment of writing this. New information of the remake had since come out, though it does alleviate certain fears, it doesn't make the remake sound any more attractive to me.

 

1997 vs 2010

(Of course, a lot of this is speculations building on just hints of the plot, but Qiong Yao plots aren't that hard to guess...)

1. Benjamin

Let's get some facts straight here. HZGG takes place in Qian Long's court in the 1700s. Qian Long was notoriously famous for his attitude towards foreigners. He thought China was the centre of the universe and all other countries, especially those "barbarians" in the West, were inferior. So there is no way in hell that there will be a Western painter in his court, much less that said painter (Benjamin) would be allowed to hang around the palace often enough to become best friends with Yong Qi, Qian Long's favourite son (which was also a fact, not something that Qiong Yao made up!) and chatting up his daughters. (Oh, let's stick a Caucasian guy playing the violin the middle of Qian Long's court!)

Yo, baby, you wanna go out with me?

I could pass off Benjamin's existence in this remake under artistic suspension of disbelief, but Qiong Yao practically ruined that chance with a blog entry announcing her reasons for including this Benjamin character. It was because she met the actor who played him at a party and was so astounded at his ability to speak Chinese fluently that she decided to write him a part in the remake. 

Yeah. That's a stupid reason, as far as I'm concerned. It's like the writers of Ly Cong Uan - Road to Thang Long writing in a part for Joe Ruelle just because he speaks good Vietnamese. Ok, the comparison is a little unbalanced, considering Road to Thang Long is a more serious production than HZGG, but still. The reason for Benjamin's existence is still stupid. 

There's a rumour somewhere that Xiao Yan Zi speaks English in this remake as a result of Benjamin being there. Please, no. Just, no. She can't even speak Mandarin "properly", why would she learn English? Wouldn't she be better off learning Manchurian anyway? 

2. Xin Rong 

Apparently Qiong Yao is determined to make me hate Yong Qi and Xiao Yan Zi. Why? Because she invented this Xin Rong Ge Ge out of nowhere. And according to released information, Xin Rong is a typical lady of the court, a favourite with both Yong Qi's mother and grandmother. Yong Qi's mother also arranged a marrige between the two of them since they were children.

That's right. Yong Qi is engaged. Yong Qi is engaged to Xin Rong, and in comes Xiao Yan Zi. 

Somehow, somehow, Yong Qi and Xiao Yan Zi will end up together, regardless of Xin Rong. And I'm pretty sure with Qiong Yao writing this, Xin Rong won't simply back off just because Yong Qi is in love with Xiao Yan Zi. Oh no, it will be love triangle galore a la Qiong Yao. 

If they stayed true to character, this triangle would then be impossible. 

(1) Yong Qi has to know he has an arranged marriage to Xin Rong

(2) If he knows this and still makes a move for Xiao Yan Zi then he's a jerk, thus out of character. (If he knows this, falls in love with Xiao Yan Zi and angsts silently but doesn't take action then Qiong Yao is wasting her time because the plot will then not move.)

(3) If he makes a move for Xiao Yan Zi and fails to mention Xin Rong and the arranged marriage then he is even a bigger jerk. And when Xiao Yan Zi finds out she should have no problem dumping him. 

(4) If he makes a move for Xiao Yan Zi and does mention Xin Rong then there is no way Xiao Yan Zi, in her right mind, would accept his feelings, let alone return them. A more appriopriate reaction (that is, if she was in character) would be to slap him and tell him to shod off. No, Xiao Yan Zi will not care he is a prince.  

But seeing how we know that Yong Qi and Xiao Yan Zi will end up together, we know that (1) and (2) will happen and (3) and (4) probably will not. So now we have a love triangle of Xiao Yan Zi-Yong Qi-Xin Rong. Woohoo. Not.

 It doesn't help that the actress who plays Xin Rong is a lot prettier than Li Sheng who plays Xiao Yan Zi. Haizzz

I have written love triangles with Yong Qi and Xiao Yan Zi in fanfic before but both times it was in reaction to the way Qiong Yao writes them in HZGGIII. As far as I'm concerned, Yong Qi and Xiao Yan Zi have enough problem without love triangles getting in the way. The difference in their social positions, upbringings and character alone creates a myriad of problems enough to last a lifetime, even before you pull in the whole Romeo-Juliet factor of her father opposing the Emperor and thus was executed for treason. 

I don't need Yong Qi to prove anything by giving up Xin Rong to be with Xiao Yan Zi. He already proved that he would give up the throne for her, how would Xin Rong compare to that? I don't need Xiao Yan Zi to prove anything by choosing to be with Yong Qi despite of Xin Rong. I don't need a love triangle to believe in their love story, to believe that their love is real. Why can't Qiong Yao realise that it was Yong Qi and Xiao Yan Zi themselves that charmed her fans all those years ago, to the point that we still care enough today, thirteen years later, to feel outraged at this sudden development? 

Not to mention, if Yong Qi has a prior engagement, that means Xiao Yan Zi is "the other woman". This is the 18th century, people. Engaged = practically married. I am not watching HZGG to see Xiao Yan Zi waltz in and steal someone's husband. 

And I will bet anything that somehow along with all this, Xin Rong will be portrayed as evil/the antagonist. It doesn't matter that she was there first, it doesn't matter that she's only going to try to take back what was hers to begin with, she will somehow come up with crazy schemes to win Yong Qi back and that will be considered evil. Why? Because Xiao Yan Zi is the title and main character of course.  

If she doesn't do anything to win Yong Qi back she will end up this pathetic, pitiful girl who is weak and then shoved together with some random guy who just happens to hang around in a contrived romance to get her off Yong Qi's hands. 

I'm not sure which would be more painful to watch. Both scenarios would be so typical Qiong Yao.

And then there's a rumour that Xin Rong hangs herself. If that happens, I will cry. If that happens, I will want to kill Yong Qi. But I don't think even Qiong Yao could make that happen (touch wood). Still, the end result will probably be like a combination of Elinor Dashwood-Edward Ferrars-Lucy Steele and Leah Clearwater-Sam Uley-Emily. I can only hope somehow Yong Qi and Xiao Yan Zi will retain some of Elinor and Edward's dedency. Either way, Xin Rong will end up with the most pain, which will make me hate Xiao Yan Zi and Yong Qi anyway. Thanks, Auntie Qiong Yao, for ruining your two best characters for me. 

3. Love Triangles

Even more love triangles. Or polygon. Or something. 

You would think that love triangle up there with Xin Rong is complicated enough, but Benjamin has to be in love/has a crush on Xiao Yan Zi too. Huh?

Seriously, do either of these guys look like they're in love, or is one just leering at her, and other just staring off into space? If they're this unconvincing in a photo, how painful will it be to watch in motion?

My biggest question is, What's the point?!

Qiong Yao proclaim to have changed 70% of the plot but she can't very well change the established relationships, not if she wants to keep viewers. We know all Xiao Yan Zi will do is act like her normal clueless self and somehow lead poor Benjamin on but will end up with Yong Qi anyway. 

Huan Zhu Ge Ge is not a love story. Let me repeat that, Huan Zhu Ge Ge is not a love story!

It's a story about Zi Wei looking for her father and all the complications along the way, which just happens to include both her and Xiao Yan Zi falling in love. The point of it is not romance. And that's what made HZGG so successful, that's why people still talk about it today, when all other Qiong Yao work has sunk into the backdrop. It's about more than just Qiong Yao's normal melodramatic, over-the-top, it-doesn't-matter-if-the-whole-world-is-falling-apart romances. 

4. Yong Qi's mother

When I heard that Lin Xin Ru was playing Yu He, mother of Zi Wei (the character Xin Ru herself played in the old version), I laughed and wondered what on earth she was thinking. Does she want to be associated with HZGG for the rest of her career? (That is already happenning anyway, but wouldn't the normal course of action would then be to try to get out of that typecast?)

When I heard that Qin Lan was playing Xiao Yan Zi's mother, I headdesked because of the bizarre and baffling casting choice. I think it's totally inappropriate that the actress who played Xiao Yan Zi's love rival in Part III of the old version should turn around to play her mother in the remake. But I could live with it, since it was only a guest role. And guest role usually meant walk on, do a scene, walk off. 

But then they casted Yong Qi's mother, Yu Fei. I don't know the actress. But my problem was not with the actress. It's with the fact that Yong Qi has a mother at all.

In the old version, Qiong Yao killed Yong Qi's mother off while in history she really lived to be 79 years old. Ok, so now she's alive and it's historically correct. But does that mean that Qiong Yao will be able to really kill Yong Qi off at age 25 too to keep it totally historically correct? 

We all know what happened at the end of HZGGIII. Yong Qi left his family, the palace, his title, the throne to live as a normal person outside the palace with Xiao Yan Zi. Already, as it was at the end of HZGGIII, I have major problems with this decision. Looking beyond the romantic gesture, he's abandoning a lot. His father, his son, his responsibility, his people. There's more to being an Emperor than just getting a huge inheritence of money, there's a chance to do something good for the country and he's giving that up. But ok, I get it, Qiong Yao was restricted by the historical fact that real, historical Yong Qi died at age 25, so in fiction, she has to make him leave so that the palace could announce his "death". 

But now add his mother to the list of things he's abandoning. The decision suddenly becomes 100 times worst. 

Qian Long has a lot of sons (well, not really, by that time he doesn't have that many left alive). But still, without Yong Qi, he still has his choices of sucessors. But Yu Fei only has one child. Yong Qi.

Qian Long doesn't like Yu Fei, however Yong Qi is his favourite son. Her only source of comfort and protection in the palace therefore is her son, Yong Qi. 

And what does he do? He falls in love and runs off with Xiao Yan Zi. Yu Fei must accept what the rest of the world is led to believe, that he "died". And we wonder why Yu Fei might not like Xiao Yan Zi?

I don't care if it's true love. I don't care how bad it was in the palace for Xiao Yan Zi. If Yong Qi does this, I will cry. Again. 

I would like to think that Qiong Yao would not make Yong Qi so heartless as to leave his mother in the end. But the fact that Qiong Yao already let Yong Qi leave his own son at the end of HZGGIII does not assure me. 

This is where I hope desperately that the 70% that Qiong Yao decides to change of the plot includes how she will "finish off" Yong Qi in the end. Like maybe kill him off for real. I really would rather he dies for real, and somehow that pulls Xiao Yan Zi and Yu Fei closer together or something, than that he leaves the palace for Xiao Yan Zi, abandoning Yu Fei (and Xin Rong...and who knows who else too?). I mean, seriously, there has to be a way for Yong Qi to love Xiao Yan Zi and not be totally bất hiếu (bu xiao) in the process! 

-----

I guess after all this rambling, the point is that Qiong Yao is falling way, way, way back into her zone of comfort. That is, melodramatic, saccharine, shiver-inducing sweet romances with lots of tears, love triangles, jealousy and implausibility, where romantic love is the only thing that matters in life and should triumph over everything, literally. She even admits it on her blog, that this will be "the most romantic love story of the Qing dynasty era!" In Qiong Yao talk, that means I won't like it. 

The old version wasn't without flaws. The old HZGG did many times go into Qiong Yao realm of melodrama but still, the cast made it enjoyable. Most of the new cast don't even look convincing in their part, so I don't know what we will end up with when we put them in this new plot. Wait and see, I suppose.

Am I being overly pessimistic about this remake, despite professing myself to be optimistic? Probably. But I won't lie. Half of the success of the old version for me was due to the cast, so with the new cast, it was hard to be convinced in the first place. Then comes the plot summaries. They don't do much to make me curious, just enough to make me cringe. But you never know, someone who has never seen the old version might actually like this version. Either way, lots of people will watch it, whether I like it or not, whether they like it or not, just simply to see what they come up with.

Meanwhile, I am back to hoping that the HZGG Subbing Team will come around to doing English-sub for HZGGII.