I just read the available translation of the novel and I have to say the manhua doesn’t do the beautiful story justice, even though it may be unfair to judge the manhua in its incomplete state, but I wholeheartedly recommend the novel to everyone that has been following this story. From my personal perspective, what I took from the manhua is the typical yaoi ravishment/rape trope within a historical setting. The manhua presents us with an amoral bandit, Lu Cang, who has young women kidnapped to ravish them in his mountain stronghold and gets his comeuppance when he ends up kidnapping an ethereally beautiful androgynous emperor, Jing, whose cruel sadism makes the amoral bandit look like an angel in comparison. Most likely because of its incomplete state, the manhua is limited in presenting to the reader one-dimensional characters typical of the genre; however, not surprisingly, the novel allows the reader to delve much deeper in the nuances and characters’ motivations and inner thoughts that makes them complex.
Both Lu Cang and Jin start as simple creatures that are products of their environments. One is an uneducated mountain bandit leading an immoral and hedonistic lifestyle whose sense of self is rooted in chauvinism, independence, and brotherhood bond; the other is an emperor whose sense of self is rooted in narcissism (arrogance, lack of empathy, selfishness, possessiveness, etc.), not surprisingly, as a result of his preeminent station in life. What ensues is a battle of wills, with Jin determined to break Lu Cang and make him submit, and Lu Cang equally determined to retain his manly pride and regain his freedom. It becomes a cycle of cruelty, hurt and moments of levity between the two characters. Considering the background and temperament of both Lu Cang and Jing, their violent clashes are inevitable. I can understand why a lot of people would diminish this particular story and label it as another “trashy rape” yaoi; however, I would argue that this love story transcends the genre.
Because the novel allows us to delve into the inner motivations and thoughts of the characters, we realize that despite what both, Lu Cang and Jing, might think, they are not free creatures at all, they are both trapped by the rules and expectations of their environments. As taught in the social sciences, even though we humans love to believe in self-determination and free will, the truth is that we are all prisoners of the rules of socialization we are raised in and the social norms that absolutely guide our every-day behavior in society. Our sense of selves is essentially rooted in our place in society, in how others see us, and when that is compromised, we suffer extreme anxiety up to existential crises. This is what drives the conflict between Lu Cang and Jing; they are both a threat to each other, not so much physically, but a threat to their very identity, their sense of self. For Jing, Lu Cang’s defiance goes against everything he stands for, it is an affront to Jing’s sense of omnipotence. Jing’s obsession in breaking Lu Cang and make him submit is at first an imperative affirmation to his power, to his sense of self, and as his feelings for Lu Cang grow, he fears he’s becoming weak, becoming an inefficient ruler and putting his kingdom in jeopardy. For Lu Cang, Jing’s sadism and rape go against everything Lu Cang stands for, it threatens Lu Cang’s freedom, his bond to his mountain brothers, but most importantly, what threatens and frightens Lu Cang the most, is the sexual pleasure he gradually starts experiencing with Jing. It is that sexual pleasure that torments Lu Cang the most and drives his defiance, because to him it means that Jing is destroying his sense of masculinity, and as his feelings for Jing grow, Lu Cang fears he’s losing his very core as a man and that he’s betraying not only himself but his mountain brothers as well.
It is this inner conflict within each man that drives the passion in this story, and make no mistake, this manhua/novel is beautifully woven as a romance. It is fascinating to see how these two men gradually chip at each other’s “armors”, how they compel changes in each other that would have never been possible with anyone else. Only through each other are they able to transcend the identity imposed by their societies and ultimately embrace a sense-of-self more honest to their individual potential and self-determination and not subjugated by external factors; at least, in the case of Jing, as much as his position of Emperor allows. Through their love, both Lu Cang and Jing attain their ultimate freedom.
This is the link to the novel’s translation which I found posted in previous threads and I thank with all my heart those that shared it:
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/hua-hua-you-long/
How could he not fall in love after that?
(▰˘◡˘▰)
I know right! (●♡∀♡)(´∀｀)♡
I've gone and "read" myself into "cuteness coma" (≧∀≦)
LOVE IT SO MUUUUUUUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My favorite threesomes are Seme --> Seke --> Uke
Would've enjoyed it more ┑(￣Д ￣)┍
Oh, the irony...not! LOL. Despite a very conspicuous and concise warning that the manga incorporates the rape trope, we are still subjected to the predictable pontification of cyber sjw's. I just love how they bloviate their outrage at the trope; oh, how authors that use the trope are "lazy", shame on them! How the rape trope is “soooo over" and "boring", “Noooobody wants to read rape in yaoi” (rolling my eyes). If only facts didn't negate such banalities, smh. The rape/ravishment trope has been an integral literary device of the Yaoi genre since its inception. It is used in Romance to emphasize the excitement of seduction and sexual desire. It caters to what the empirical data has proven to be a universal female fantasy. Universal in the sense that females from all social, educational and cultural backgrounds and from different countries across the globe (those that have been tested), indulge in the ravishment/rape fantasy because it happens in a controlled romantic domain that excludes the brutality of rape in real life. There’s nothing more delicious than fantasizing about a gorgeous dominant specimen (whether male/female/non) to forcefully seduce and fuck you from “no, no, no” into, “yes, yes, yes, baby!” This is precisely why the ravishment/rape trope is integral to the yaoi genre, because yaoi caters to females, and females, universally, greatly indulge and enjoy in the rape fantasy. Which means, that includes a great portion of the swj’s that are pontificating against the trope in these very yaoi forums. Yep, 85% of yaoi readers are females, so these righteous swj’s ranting on their soapbox indulging in their false sense of moral superiority are highly likely to be the greatest fans of the rape trope; they just read it in their little closets and come out here to bore the rest of us with their platitudes. Case in point, they still read this manga despite its very conspicuous warning not to. If that is too difficult to understand for our righteous pontificators, then the numbers should speak for themselves, Yep, the Yaoi genre generates on an annual basis 20+ billion yen and the market is still expanding. Not too shabby, eh? Yeah, doesn’t seem like the genre with all its tropes, including one of its most integral ones, is becoming extinct or boring; and the authors that incorporate the trope in their stories instead of being “lazy” what they are is being business savvy, or they just happen to have a great understanding of the female psyche and what appeals to them; I would argue it's both. As good old Will would say “Ignorance is the curse of God; knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven”.
I get what your saying but i think this rape trope needs to be adressed, i understand its a huge part of yaoi but times are changing and rape is not ok... I agree that the author is being buisness savvy but i think thats just sad.. instead of writing a story with heart and good art they chose the rape way to make a quick buck selling volumes to women with sexual fantasies. Also its a bit scary that the rape fiction makes 20+ billion yen...
My above post completely went over your head, didn't it? Yaoi doesn't endorse rape; no romance vehicle that uses this literary device is endorsing rape. The rape trope has absolutely nothing to do with rape in real life context; it is two very separate animals. One is a sexual fantasy to be enjoyed in the safety of one's imagination and the other is brutality in all its grotesque form; unfortunately, this simple distinction seems too difficult s concept for some people to understand. You're just not smart enough if you don't recognize the difference between reality and fiction; but most importantly, the root and purpose of any literary device. When you start your argument with ""but rape is not ok" , you're operating from ignorance from the get go, because the fact is that nobody , not Yaoi, not any author, not any genre and not any reader, is saying that rape is ok; that is just fallacious. If you still don't get it, most likely you will never get it.
Hmm dont agree but k
No matter how many times I read any of of the Hans/Rosenberg mangas, they never fail to get me rolling my ass on the goddamned motherfucking floor! No joke when I say I'm hysterically laughing like a maniac and my family is looking at me like I'm crazy....never fails! (≧∀≦)
Yeah, I share in the visceral reaction this chapter is provoking in everyone. It's pretty much a statement that sincere emotions and proven long-years loyalty are nothing in the face of primal lust. How fucking depressing. I'm overwhelmed with second-hand hurt on behalf of Fuji. This particular depiction of the Omegaverse is a spit in the face of romanticism, and as a purist romanticist, it offends me profusely (╯°Д °)╯╧╧
I must say these two chapters do not coincide with the raws that are already there with 10.1, 10.2, 11 and, 12 so how did end up like this I would love to know ╥﹏╥
Could chapter 4 be any more ridiculous? LOL!! I loved it (≧∀≦)