The first chapter in volume 2 of Da Mo Yao starts off with a bang. Sometimes I find myself re-reading this chapter and then giggling like a loon. It was brilliant of Tong Hua to up-end convention and have her alpha male be the titular second male lead in volume 1, which worked effectively to keep him under wraps until … Continue reading →
We’re here! The end of volume 1 of Da Mo Yao, and I’m sure you all want me to stop chattering and start translating volume 2. If you told me two weeks ago I would have translated mostly word for word an entire volume of a Chinese novel, I would have laughed in your face. Clearly DMY holds me in … Continue reading →
We’re almost nearing the end of volume 1 of Da Mo Yao, with the emotional intensity starting to burst at the seams for Yu Er. She’s such a passionate person, having all these feelings for Jiu Ye inside her that she plants vines for him and writes down her thoughts on cloth diaries to alleviate her pining. But while Yu … Continue reading →
Can one girl be in love with two guys? Sure she can. Can one girl think she loves one guy and not realize she also loves the other one? For sure. Yu Er effectively gave Huo Qu Bing a sucker punch in the last chapter of Da Mo Yao, but luckily General Huo is made of teflon stuff. For every … Continue reading →
Oh lordy, this chapter is lovely but just breaks my heart. My Huo Qu Bing finally sees his competition, and it’s just gut-wrenching. Normally when there is a viable love triangle, the girl may be accused of leading both men on. It’s not like that in Da Mo Yao, where currently Yu Er is all about Jiu Ye, and does … Continue reading →
He’s back! Huo Qu Bing goes off to war for the first time and makes a huge mark on the battlefield. But when he returns to Chang An, will things remain the way he left it with Yu Er? Timing really is everything, but true love sometimes can’t be stopped. Remember Jin Yu’s first meeting with her two guys in … Continue reading →
[Breaking Update:Â WAAAAA!!!!! Liu Shi Shi is confirmed for Da Mo Yao as Jin Yu. In an interview today, she said that despite being recently sick, she’s headed for Ning Bo shortly to start filming DMY. T_____T OMG, crying happy relieved tears. ShiGe FTW!] While these two chapters of Da Mo Yao aren’t necessarily short, it includes a lot of exposition … Continue reading →
Da Mo Yao rewards the patient by taking its time to develop the characters and their interactions. One moment I am touched by a Yu Er and Jiu Ye scene, and the next I’m gushing over a Yu Er and Qu Bing interaction. It’s crazy to think that neither guy knows about the other guy at this point (though Huo … Continue reading →
We all knew Yu Er would see Yi Zhi Xie again, and their almost reunion on the streets of Chang An was forestalled because she had Huo Qu Bing to protect her. This normally fearless girl was frightened out of her wits, reminding us that her past is such an emotional scar on her despite how she hides it and … Continue reading →
Did anyone order a beauty to topple a country, with a side of hotblooded protector? Episode 8 of Da Mo Yao ratchets up the political machinations from pure plotting into action, and to no one’s surprise, Li Yan makes a stunning debut to the eyes of the Han Emperor. Is Yu Er doing the right thing in helping her? She … Continue reading →
It’s getting good, isn’t it? I can say that the second time I’m reading Da Mo Yao to do this translation, I’m getting a much deeper insight into the story, characters, and conflicts. My impressions haven’t changed, but they have grown richer, more nuanced. I cried a lot more the second time around, in scenes that I initially felt bad … Continue reading →
Now that all the majority of the main and secondary characters have been introduced in Da Mo Yao, the story can finally start delving into the political intrigue of that era. The war stuff will come later, because my precious Huo Qu Bing didn’t become a great General at a young age by staying in Chang An and doing nothing. … Continue reading →
Waaaaah, Xiao Huo is back! And back for good, with chapter 4 being pretty much the only time he’s not around to tease, annoy, and confuse the heck out of Jin Yu. From chapter 5 onward, Da Mo Yao is full speed ahead without looking back. Strap on your seatbelts, folks. Since DMY takes the real life historical annals of … Continue reading →