Gorging on Scraps
why we shouldn’t settle for bare minimum representation
(an analysis of cultivation novels)
Source: Robynne Hu (Unsplash)
Serene immortals coast on swords. The maws of demonic beasts gape while the blades of heroes flash. Some guy manages to attract a harem of women amidst rampant misogyny. Such is an introduction to the world of cultivation novels.
Cultivation novels feature some amount of seeking to defy the heavens by going both with and against the dao (the path) to achieve immortality and great power. Whether set in ancient (xianxia) or modern settings (huaxia), cultivation novels offer a distinctly East Asian flavor of magic and mythology through their usage of Daoism and an Asian cast. They often depict a weakling’s journey to the top of the world. Part of these tales’ popularity can be attributed to their ability to let readers live vicariously through a character who was once a mere mortal like them who then becomes powerful and renowned. Unfortunately, because of conformity to cisgender heterosexual norms and misogyny, many novels end up with shallow characters and overexaggerated gender roles, which can make it difficult to enjoy the stories. Amidst this oversaturation, of course, works with even the slightest bit of queer representation can feel like breaths of fresh air.
Since their inception, many common tropes specific to the genre have developed. A typical journey begins with its protagonist as a weakling in either the Orthodox or Demonic path of cultivation and then they surreptitiously stumble upon a miracle like reversing a curse or finding a great master or gaining a system that kickstarts their adventure. Whether they’re seeking revenge for either family or love, the main character makes their way through the cultivation levels, toppling their enemies and arriving at the pinnacle of the universe.
Though readers may get lost in these fantasy worlds, the real world is not as cishet as the tropes of cultivation novels would have us believe. From queer-coded villains (perfected by Disney) to queerbaiting to the unfortunate “bury your gays” trope, LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media has always been either mostly awful or virtually nonexistent. With the rise of danmei cultivation novels, specifically, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s Mo Dao Zu Shi (MDZS), reaching meteoric heights in popularity — its live-action adaptation is on Netflix! — I hoped that queer Asian works would gain popularity outside of the realm of their genres and increase queer representation that gives the gays everything we want.
Source: MZDS Season 3 Official Art
SPOILER WARNING: The following contains spoilers about MDZS, skipping will not affect your understanding of this article. Read at your own risk.
End of spoilers is marked.
MDZS, to its credit, does flip several classic cultivation novel tropes. The cultivation system in the novel stops at Golden Core, and there’s little focus on becoming incredibly powerful or reaching immortality for a cultivation novel. Even the demonic cultivation, which is included in the work’s title (The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation), is heavily glossed over. In fact, the protagonist Wei Wuxian (WWX) is the only person who practices it. Moreover, rather than starting with a weakling’s training journey, we begin with a resurrection and massive flashback that lasts most of the first season of the MDZS donghua.
Instead of seeking the typical cultivation objectives, Wei Wuxian, while morally grey and a demonic cultivator aims to protect those around him and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Between the oblivious chaotic gay, Wei Wuxian and the rule-abiding (except for when it comes to the former) Lan Wangji, add a splash of thirteen years of yearning, and what might we have but an excellent recipe for romance?
But, does MDZS truly give the gays everything we want? By evaluating the characterization or survival rates of female characters for instance, MDZS falls short. Neither the kind Jiang Yanli, WWX’s benevolent sister, nor the powerful Yu Ziyuan, the legendary Violet Spider and WWX’s adopted mother, nor the witty Wen Qing, a genius doctor, survive. By the end of the novel, we’re left with Luo Qingyang, a minor character whose sole contribution is her notable attractiveness. One queer couple is not an acceptable tradeoff for the series’ misogynistic undertones.
Source: The Untamed
Considering the avenue of queer representation, aside from WWX and LWJ, no one else is explicitly queer. All other hints of LGBTQ+ interactions and characters are just that — hints. While subtext may be something audiences enjoy reading into, it lets creators off the hook too easily. There’s an incredibly thin line between subtext and queerbaiting, and queer readers aren’t reaffirmed by it. There’s also the red flag of some dubious consent involving LWJ and WWX that usually gets brushed off as teenage folly. Has fandom, once again, lifted MDZS higher than it could or should have gone?
End of Spoilers
Source: Tian Guan Ci Fu / Heaven Official’s Blessing, Netflix
For decades, the lack of queer representation, even more so within East Asian media, has starved the LGBTQ+ community, so much so that fans will accept bits and pieces of representation. I, too, am guilty of taking any queer portrayals I’m given. So, when we get a bigger scrap, one that perhaps looks a bit more like actual food, who’d blame us for thinking it was an actual meal? When the fandom sprouts beautiful threads of interwoven and ever-expanding lore, our hunger begins to dissipate. Multiple morsels come together to create a potluck. But, that is because of the passion and effort of creators within the fandom, a gorgeously vibrant community, rather than the work of one author.
The MDZS community has created over 56,000 stories on Archive of Our Own (AO3), a fanfiction hosting site, in addition to numerous works of fanart, original compositions, animations, translations, and more. Such endeavors build and expand the MDZS world, supplementing the source material with fanon. Through the blurring of lines between canon and fanon, every MDZS fan synthesizes a world of their own interpretation which recrafts and reimagines the original piece. But, maybe we shouldn’t have to heavily rewrite and recreate our beloved worlds. While authors are never infallible, maybe one day we’ll finally be able to simply expand and not redirect the universe of these bewitching tales.
Yet another issue still remains. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying a queer story, the popularity of BL among straight women calls into question whether these gay relationships are being fetishized by them. These cishet women tend to make up a majority of the fandom and there’s even a word to describe women obsessed with (or rather, overly passionate about) male same-sex relationships — fujoshi. And indeed, often the BL writers of, whether it be Guardian, another popular BL, or MDZS are women as well. It’s possible that these authors just wanted to write something outside of their comfort zone or to elevate the experiences of others. The works deserve at least some of their acclaim, but I wonder why we rally behind scraps of representation from straight authors.
Source: Illustrated by Marina Privalova (for official translated cover art)
In this world, where the voices of these straight women ring louder than those of queer creators, we must uplift the rainbow breadth of works. By choosing to demand more and amplifying queer voices, we may be fed a meal so nourishing and beautiful that we finally feel full. If our community doesn’t push for the works we love, with accurate representations of our experiences, who will?
While we champion and advocate for more queer works to hit the mainstream, here are some other pieces of media to consider. From my to-consume list I recommend:
The Owl House (animated television series)
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once (movie)
She is the Protagonist (C-Novel) by Re Dao Hun Jue
Last Night at the Telegraph Club (YA historical novel) by Malinda Lo
Tamen De Gushi / Their Story (manhua) by Tan Jiu
Heartstopper (webcomic and Netflix series) by Alice Oseman
I strongly encourage everyone to seek out hidden gems with excellent representation. Perhaps someday soon, we can more easily call to mind works that give us everything we want and more.
Z Luo (no pronouns) is a staff writer for juxtapose magazine.
Z is a student at USC who enjoys writing and reading, wordplay and genrebending, languages, anime, tossing words into the air for the price of raindrops, poetry, and, of course, run-on sentences.
