The introductory chapters of Lost You Forever are done and now we’re headed into the good stuff. And when I say good stuff, pretty much every chapter gets better and better and the world of these gods and goddesses, demons and humans, it all takes on this epic quality with so much delicate detail that touches the heart. One of … Continue reading →
Time to welcome our third male lead to Lost You Forever, and I don’t mean he’s third in line to win our leading lady’s heart. While he’s the final guy to show up in the story, narratively he’s got a much much deeper tie to Xiao Liu than either of them knows right off the bat. As usual with stuff … Continue reading →
Chapter 1 of Lost You Forever was good, wasn’t it? I was hooked before I knew it by how different Tong Hua chose to delve into what was billed as a majorly epic story. The novel has three volumes and volume 1 alone has 17 chapters so be patient as I try my best on the translations and pray my … Continue reading →
Why stick with a lackluster drama when there is an amazing book to be read. When a good novel comes along it’s hard to put down, when a great novel comes it’s impossible to not want to share. Last year right around this time I read C-novelist Tong Hua‘s Da Mo Yao (Ballad of the Desert) and fell promptly in … Continue reading →
The above picture is the cover for the novelization of the drama Empress Ki which was published by MBC as written by the screenwriting tandem behind the drama. The novel was released in two volumes and is currently only available in Korean. Unlike dramas adapted from existing novels, this was not a standalone novel written about the life of Empress Ki … Continue reading →
I try not to be someone who says I’m going to do something and not follow up. It was with a heavy heart I had to concede defeat in translating all of Yun Zhong Ge (Song in the Clouds), its three thick volumes made for an epic read but created an overwhelming translation project. A few months ago I said … Continue reading →
Next time I fall in love with a C-novel and decide to translate it, I really ought to pay closer attention to page length. My Yun Zhong Ge project clearly got away from me. Even if the pen is mightier than the sword, my will was not mightier than my ability. I do want to finish the remaining two chapters … Continue reading →
Chapter 55 is really a long overdue moment for Xu Ping Jun and Meng Jue to talk again. It’s probably been years since these two really had a heart-to-heart, not since a young Xu Ping Jun begged Meng Jue for help so that she didn’t marry her betrothed and could be together with Liu Bing Yi (Liu Xun). What I … Continue reading →
All of Yun Zhong Ge volume 3 has chapter headings pulled straight from Chinese lyrical poetry. I joked once that the chapter titles of YZG kept getting longer and longer that by the time Tong Hua reached volume 3 it was out of control. The full title for Chapter 54 is “That Time Was Not a Mistake, A Good Floral … Continue reading →
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the maestro of crazy himself producer-screenwriter Yu Zheng just dropped a nuclear bombshell on his upcoming adaptation of Yun Zhong Ge. With rumors flying that Tangren’s Da Mo Yao won’t get the green light to air unless it changes the ending (to align with history), plus Yu Zheng’s own dramas The … Continue reading →
Surprise! Haha, if anyone is watching Big with me, you’ll totally get that inside joke. I’ve always said I write what I feel like, and my desire to translate Da Mo Yao and Yun Zhong Ge was prompted by my love for the novels rather than doing a public service of generating content. I was in the mood yesterday and … Continue reading →
Oh lordy, I had forgotten how awesome this chapter of Yun Zhong Ge was. It’s all happy, so don’t worry, pure happiness and then some. At times I felt like I was translating a steamy chapter of a romance novel. Let’s just say….there be A LOT of kissing. Watching Yun Ge try to seduce Liu Fu Ling had me chortling … Continue reading →
It’s here – the famous chapter Lily Boat Night Song in volume 2 of Yun Zhong Ge, the one Tong Hua wrote just for Liu Fu Ling. I’d be remiss not to share it with everyone, especially since it’s not just a fun chapter, it also heralds a dreaded moment in Liu Fu Ling’s life. What struck me in re-reading … Continue reading →