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I think abt the concept of fatedness & wangxian a lot, esp as like a "soulmate" concept, & actually, I think viewing them thru "soulmates" lens changes the whole interpretation of lot just them but mdzs as a whole, esp if you think about indictments of "selfishness"
hear me out
hear me out
So first off, while I understand the whole "inherent romanticism of fatedness," I always kind of struggle w/ the concept as applied to wangxian except in perhaps a more hindsight way & less prescriptively
part of the point is before they got together, they had no idea they would
part of the point is before they got together, they had no idea they would
and actually that imo strengthens their bond bc it's not a "they would inevitably get together" but a "thru work and also a measure of happenstance, they made it where they are together"
something about a prescriptive inevitability imo changes the context/path of a relationship
something about a prescriptive inevitability imo changes the context/path of a relationship
and actually lol this imo is an underexplored concept in soulmate AUs too. how the prescriptiveness of an assigned soulmate changes how you approach a relationship and how it may actually cause tensions bc maybe you're trying too hard to force it instead of letting it happen
anyway: one crit I see of wangxian is about how selfish they are or how unrealistic it is they just run off in the end & leave everything
and like, certain biases aside, I feel like part of it comes from ppl seeing wangxian as inevitable. Which Doylistically, maybe, but
and like, certain biases aside, I feel like part of it comes from ppl seeing wangxian as inevitable. Which Doylistically, maybe, but
but from a Watsonian persp, I don't think wangxian was inevitable at all.
they very much could have just kept missing each other('s cues) and their paths not quite meeting as far as wangxian'ing goes.
and that's why it's so precious to them when they DID come together
they very much could have just kept missing each other('s cues) and their paths not quite meeting as far as wangxian'ing goes.
and that's why it's so precious to them when they DID come together
I mean, I guess if you go philosophical abt it, you can say what is fate? is it an invisible external force which predetermines our future?
or is it sth we declare retroactively, a sense of "well we were led exactly where we are now, so in a sense that's where we're meant to be"
or is it sth we declare retroactively, a sense of "well we were led exactly where we are now, so in a sense that's where we're meant to be"
I know 命定之人 is a canon concept, and it's folded in with the forehead ribbon mythos, but I also feel like the approach to fate is more of the philosophical kind, where it's applied in retrospect, but like ymmv on this specific pt ofc
anyway I'm also reminded of mxtx's interview answer wherein she says how if you're trying to make a ship happen then that can distort priorities when it comes to characters, and I just think that's so profound and... so true
like it really does, damn
like it really does, damn
