Hua Xu Yin Part I Chapter 1 (I)

I forgot how long these chapters are. They're the length of about two chapters in other books. I will, therefore, be dividing each one into two. It's just easier that way. The story is told in our heroine's point of view, and she tends to start rambling a bit in her inner monologues. Basically we will walk down her train of thoughts which is as random as it gets. I personally find Ye Zhen very endearing and she is one of my favorite heroines. This part introduces us to several characters including Jun Wei, Xiao Huang (who is adorable), and Mu Yan. Our main couple's first meeting (wonderfully translated by Huier) was wonderful and embarrassing at the same time. I also love Ye Zhen and Jun Wei's friendship. Those two are hilarious together.

My translation is a far cry from the actual text, though I do try to preserve some of the original flavor of the novel. There are many idioms used here and I tried my best to explain each of them. I feel that the best way for footnotes in this case is to have them right after the paragraph so you can read them immediately instead of having to scroll down to the end of the page. But if you feel that is too confusing, tell me and I'll change it. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the story as much as I do, for it is truly an amazing one.

Part 1: The Confines of a Floating Life

Chapter 1 (I)

In April, spring had blossomed all over the mountain, and Master Jun finally returned after a six months disappearance. That meant that the stitches on body could soon be cut.

During these six months, my entire body was completely wrapped up in bandages. At first, I could amuse myself by going out and scaring people. But, after a while, I discovered that the people who had been scared by me once would not get scared again, and I couldn’t remembered who I already scared and who I hadn’t. So, my amusement ended there.

[English Subbed] Swordsman Episode 2

I'm still not committing to this project. It's just I had some free time and subbing is so much easier than translating as it only contains dialogues. I think I'm just going to take this one episode at a time. If I have time, I'll continue, but my main priority is still Hua Xu Yin. I don't really plan on joining any subbing team as I don't want to make a commitment unless I could stick to it. Also, I don't have the time or desire to learn how to use new softwares. For those who needs subtitles to watch this, I saw at least one other subbing team subbing this (besides Viki), so don't worry. Just a note, I'm using the TV version, which is cut/edit differently from the DVD version, but, from what I saw so far, there's really no other differences or additional scenes.

In this episode, we finally get a glimpse of our hero. I enjoyed the playful, carefree vibes as shown in the picture above. It's still too early to judge Wallace Huo right now, but I believe in him. I'm hoping for a great portrayal of Yue Lingshan, as other adaptations only showed her as a spoiled, annoying princess. I want to see the side which made Linghu Chong fell in love with her. I don't know much about Yang Rong as an actress, but I have faith in her. Chen Qiao En continues to impress me and I love the part where she "flirts" with Elder Xiang. I could see why he's freaked out. Overall, this episode was alright, though I think I like the first one better. Maybe it's because my expectations are higher now.

Episode is below the cut

[English Subbed] Swordsman Episode 1

This was done as a new year gift to a friend and I thought I might as well post it up. Despite all my misgivings, I actually enjoyed the first episode of Swordsman. Though our main character haven't even shown up yet, so we'll just see how things go. I was most impressive with Chen Qiao En. She definitely portray the aura of Dongfang Bai well, despite being a woman. Yuan Shan Shan's performance wasn't that bad either, but, in the episode, she was playing Ren Ying Ying's mother, which, in my opinion, is a simpler character. My biggest gripe would have to be the portrayal of Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze. He was showing his hypocritical side too obviously. How could his wife still thinks that he was "the gentleman of all gentlemen?" I mean, his actions just screamed, "I'm a two sided bastard!" Anyway, I find it more enjoyable to watch this drama without associating it with the novel. I have a feeling that I will be shipping Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bai, and I need to see the latter as Chen Qiao En instead of a creepy he-she. What does everyone think of the series so far?

Watch with English Subtitles below the cut

Introduction and Prologue to Hua Xu Yin

Hua Yu Xin is my favorite of all Tang Qi Gong Zi’s novels. Though I enjoyed Three Lives, Three Worlds, but it wasn’t really memorable for me. Hua Yu Xin was gut wrenching and I have no idea how many tears I shed for this novel. When I heard it was going to be adapted into a drama, I was ecstatic, only to be disappointed. Unlike most people, I have no problem with the cast. Kevin Cheng has proven his acting ability in Bu Bu Jing Xin, and Yuan Hong is, as always, awesome. Plus it will be a reunion of our Eight prince and Thirteenth prince. What I am disappointed with was the storyline. The only thing which remains the same in the drama’s synopsis is the main concept. I read the spoilers and I think that it would make a great stand alone drama. I just wished they didn’t buy the exclusive rights to the novel, because I really want to see a true adaption made. In order to get over my disappointment, I decide to translate the novel so people can see its awesomeness.

Now, Hua Yu Xin is not a happy book by any means. Forget about the fluffy romance in TLTW. There is romance, but only memorable, heartbreaking ones. The novel is divided into four stories, each with its own couple. My favorite is perhaps the second story, with Rong Yuan and Ying Ge. I truly believed that Hu Ge, Liu Shi Shi, and Yuan Hong, would be perfect the play the Rong Yuan/Ying Ge/ Rong Xun love triangle. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Our main couple's story unfolds slowly throughout the novel, interweaving with the others. Note that there are no traditional happy endings. Though, to me, the endings aren’t really that sad. It just depends on how you look at it. I’m not a fast or efficient translator by any means, so updates might come slowly, but I do plan to finish it. There might be parts where I summarize a bit, but on the important/good parts, I will translate word for word. 

[Fanfic] Bu Bu Jing Xin II Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Place Apart

The next morning, when I got up, Ge’ge was already getting ready to leave. He frowned when he saw me walked out.

“Did I wake you?” he asked

I shook my head, “I usually get up around this time.”

He glanced at the clock, “It’s still early, not to mention it’s Sunday. You should sleep more.”

That was easier said than done. Though my body now was healthier than when I was Ruoxi, I still suffered from the same case of insomnia.

Walking toward the kitchen, I asked, “Do you want something to eat before you go?”

“No,” Ge’ge replied, “But I’ll take some coffee if you have any.”

“How about tea instead? It’s healthier.” I added

He sat down at the kitchen island, “Right now, I’ll take toilet water as long as it has caffeine in it.”

[Fanfic] Bu Bu Jing Xin II Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Meandering Paths

Saturday night came too quick and I couldn’t help but feel nervous about this whole thing. Though I was glad to clear everything up with Kai Ming, I was worried that it might make the evening awkward. Ge’ge offered to go with me again, but I declined. Mom was right. He really shouldn’t skip work right now. Besides, I wasn’t the little girl who used to hide behind her brother’s back anymore. It was time I faced reality on my own. Despite my prep talk, I did jump about two inches in the air when the doorbell rang. Taking a deep breath, I went to open it.

Kai Ming was standing there in a black tux.

“Wow,” he said, glancing at me, “You look great.”

I blushed. It had been so long since I dressed up that it took me a while to remember how to use modern day makeup. Opting for contacts instead of glasses, I put on a light amount of eye shadow and mascara, remembering the last time I did so was for Tenth prince’s birthday. I was never a big shopper, even before the accident, but luckily I still have some formal dresses, saved up for occasions like these. I chose a dark blue one shouldered gown, simple yet elegant. My hair was too short to do anything fancy so I just slightly curled it. Looking at myself in the mirror, I realized this was the first time since I woke up that I felt like a 25 years old again.

Princess Returning Pearl to be Dubbed in English

Check out the video below the cut

If you grew up in any sort of Asian household, it is more likely than not that you have heard of, if not watched, Princess Returning Pearl, or Huan Zhu Ge Ge. It is the story of Xiao Yanzi (Little Sparrow) who befriended Ziwei, an illegitimate daughter of Emperor Qianlong. Xiao Yanzi tried to help Ziwei meet her father, but, in the progress, got misunderstood as the princess herself. You also might have known about the series due to a remake which aired in 2011. I’m not going to even touch on the remake, because that would defeat the purpose of pretending it doesn’t exist. Anyway, the series was a hit across Asia, making its casts Zhao Wei, Ruby Lin, Alec Su, and Fan Bing Bing into instant stars (granted Alec Su was already well known due to The Little Tigers, but it was this series which made him a household name). This was the Chinese series of my childhood. I remembered watching with my parents, laughing at Xiao Yanzi’s antics, though some of the idioms did went over my head. It is the one series that I watch over and over again, to this day still. It is not a perfect series by any means. There are flaws in both the plot and characterization, and the second season tends to get repetitive. But what I love is that the drama has heart. My favorite character is probably Emperor Qianlong. Zhang Tielin, who is one of my favorite veteran Chinese actors, portray the Emperor’s love for his daughters very well, without losing the aura of a feared mighty king. I also enjoy the strong friendship of the characters, especially Jinsuo’s devotion to her mistress. The weakest link of the show is probably the romance, but I don’t mind it that much. Overall, it was a funny yet touching drama.