Back when the first episode of Chuang 2021 aired, I wrote an impressions post and listed my favourite trainees at the time. Thanks for the 700+ views on that post. ^_^
The second stage performance aired this weekend, so I thought that I would write an updated list.
#1 – Bo Yuan
I mentioned Bo Yuan in my first post, but he wasn’t at the top. However, after seeing more of him on the show and his vlogs, he is #1.
Skill-wise, I definitely that he is within the top 11. He made it to A class in the initial ranking and theme song, both of which were decided by the trainees/mentors. Honestly, skill does not guarantee a spot because trainee shows are popularity contests. I believe that Bo Yuan has trained for six years. He deserves to debut.
People talk about his age (he is 28) but I like his maturity. He has amazing leadership skills and will make a great leader for the group. He takes care of the younger trainees.
I think that Bo Yuan can be a little more confident about his appearance. I think he is one of the most attractive trainees on the show, if not the most.
Bo Yuan climbed up from #46 to #36 to #20 to #7 (latest). I’m so happy that more and more people are noticing him. I hope that he maintains his rank and gets to debut. ^_^
Otherwise, I will be devastated. Like, for real.
P.S. Bo Yuan loves Jrock and is a weeb.
#2 – Yu Gengyin
I didn’t pay attention to Yu Gengyin in the initial ranking, but that changed completely when the first stage performance aired. Like Bo Yuan, Yu Gengyin is within the top 11 when it comes to skills. He also made it to A class in the initial ranking and theme song. He has also trained for several years and makes a great leader. He also takes good care of the younger trainees. I think these are the qualities I like in trainees. I like trainees with leadership skills, maturity, and talent. Yu Gengyin is also at the top when it comes to attractiveness.
Honestly, I cried at the first elimination episode because his rank was low (#22). He was dissatisfied with himself. He is underrated and deserves more attention. I hope that people will notice him and vote for him.
His vlog was one of my favourites. It was weird, but in a good way. I also loved him in Werewolf.
P.S. Yu Gengyin is a JJ Lin fan.
#3-5 – Mika/Rikimaru/Santa
When it comes to trainees, I look at talent first and foremost. Then, I look at qualities like personality and appearance. These trainees have everything. Although their ranks have been fluctuating, I believe that these three will make it to the final group. They have enormous fanbases and have consistently remained within the 11.
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I also like Oscar, Lin Mo, Caelan, Liu Yu, and Nine. I like Zeng Hanjiang but his ranking is low. I was really impressed by Luo Yan in the original rap performance, but his ranking is super dangerous right now.
Thanks Minty for the tag. ❤ There are so many prompts, hahaha. 95% of the music I listen to are from Asian dramas, anime, other shows, and games. That’s why most of the songs I listen to are in Chinese, Japanese, Thai, or Korean.
Rules
Link back to the original (Sophie @ Me and Ink) so she can see your answers and listen to the tunes.
For every prompt you choose, name 1-5 songs (you can use Sophie’s grapics)
Have fun and play your music LOUD!
1) Home Town Glory
Songs that remind you of home
The gist of it is: Suddenly, it seems that time has passed by so quickly and you’re left feeling confused where exactly that time went. It’s a very sad song.
2) It’s a Love Story
Your favourite songs about love
This is from The Phantom of the Opera musical. Raoul is played by Kwang-ho Hong. I actually don’t like Raoul and prefer Erik, but I like Kwang-ho Hong too much. I like this specific performance.
Another favourite is Time of Flight 時間飛行 by Bai Yu 白宇 and Zhu Yilong 朱一龍. It’s from the Chinese BL drama, Guardian. I talk about this song more in #11.
3) Shut Up and Dance
Songs you have to dance to
I’m a boring person and never dance to music.
4) If This Was a Movie
Songs from movies/TV/Broadway
I love the songs from the musicals, Jekyll and Hyde, The Phantom of the Opera, and Death Note. My favourite musical singers are Kwang-ho Hong and Zheng Yunlong.
I like anything Kwang-ho Hong sings. Here, he sings This is the Moment from Jekyll and Hyde.
5) Comfort Crowd
Songs that make you feel calm
Kago no Naka ni Tori 籠の中に鳥 by yourness makes me feel calm. It’s from the anime, Sing “Yesterday” For You.
A chill instrumental song is Revelation, also known as Oracle. It’s from the Catherine OST. Catherine is one of my favourite video games.
Another calm song is Artic Whispers by Bai Yu. It helps me fall asleep.
When I was in a child, I listened to S.H.E, Fahrenheit, and JJ Lin every day after school.
I believe this song is from 2006 because it has clips from the Taiwanese drama, Hana Kimi. Two of the Fahrenheit members starred in it.
7) Let’s Get Down to Business
Songs that motivate you
I was feeling down one day and then Man With a Mission’s Fly Again played on my phone (it was on shuffle). At the time, the lyrics and the overall feeling of the song lifted my mood. I still feel lucky about getting a pick at their concert.
8) Old Town Road
Songs from the past (like really old ones) that you love
I feel like this and #6 are the same for me.
9) Cry With You
Songs that make you cry and cry
Where Has Time Gone? (See #1) makes me cry.
10) I Think I’m in Love
Your latest music obsessions
This one is easy to answer. The songs that I listen to repeat are from the shows I’m currently watching.
The first one is The Love Letter 唯一寫過的情書 by Alex Chou 周予天. It’s from the Taiwanese BL drama, We Best Love: Fighting Mr. 2nd. I loved the first season, but this season feels so… raw. I’m enjoying it a lot more. I don’t know why I love dramas that are painful to watch.
The next song is Ask Heaven by Liu Yuning. It is the opening song for Word of Honor, a Chinese historical BL series. I’ve been listening to the entire album non-stop these days.
This series was recommend to me by a Twitter stranger, and I’m thankful for them because I’m enjoying it a lot. If you like The Untamed, I definitely recommend Word of Honor.
11) Writer in the Dark
Favourite lyrics from songs
The English translation for Time of Flight by Bai Yu and Zhu Yilong (#2) probably won’t make a lot of sense.
In Guardian, Bai Yu plays Zhao Yunlan and Zhu Yilong plays Shen Wei. Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei are soulmates, and this has been proven time and time again. No matter how many years pass (and I’m talking about thousands of years), the feelings are never lost. They will find always each other again.
Zhu Yilong: How much more serious and how firm it is to make a difference
How many exercises will you become like this?
Bai Yu: I am always waiting for a message here, you have not given up.
Chorus: Flying together across time”
I also like the lyrics from Joker Xue’s Animal World. I’ve interpreted the lyrics in this post.
別再進化 別讓動物世界太假”
12) Sign of the Times
Songs in the charts that you love
I have no idea. I just listen to what I like.
13) More Than a Memory
Songs you have specific memories attached to. Tell us the memory.
When COVID was a new thing, I got into Thai dramas for the first time. Listening to the songs from the dramas reminds me of that period because I had so much energy at the time. No one wants a pandemic, but I made the most of my time and tried a lot of new things.
This song is sung by Bright Vachirawit, who played Sarawat in 2gether: The Series. I’m currently watching Lovely Writer: The Series. Thai dramas make me so happy and I love the music.
Another song is Wu Ji 无羁 by Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo. The reason is because I watched The Untamed with my friends and did a blogger collab on it. Instead of watching alone like I normally do with shows, I had people to watch and talk with. I talk about it more in #17.
14) Sing to Me Instead
Those songs you have to sing to
…
15) I Wasn’t Expecting That
Songs that you didn’t expect to love, but you do
In 2018, I knew that the opening song for the anime, Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii, was popular. When I listened to it the first time, I thought it was overhyped. I didn’t include in My Top 5 Spring 2018 Anime Opening Songs post. After I published that post, I couldn’t stop listening to it. LOL
The song is called Fiction by Sumika.
16) Favourite Record
Albums you can’t live without
My favourite album is The Untamed OST by various artists. The Untamed is my favourite Asian drama, so I hold the music dear to my heart.
My other favourite albums are the Guardian OST (#2 and #11) and the Word of Honor OST (#10).
17) Video Games
Name your favourite music videos
I’m a little confused why this is titled “Video Games’ when it’s asking about music videos. Anyway, my favourite music video is Wu Ji 无羁 by Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo. It’s the opening song for The Untamed. It’s my favourite music video because my feelings for this drama resurface every time I watch it. It’s one of my favourite songs.
From my personal experience, it is hard to be creative if you don’t have much energy. If you’re tired all the time, you’re not going to be thinking about creative ideas. So, I think that having energy is #1, almost like a requirement to being creative. When I have a lot of energy, I will cosplay, blog, draw, and do a bunch of random crafts.
I mostly get inspiration after having fun with my friends. I think this ties in with what I wrote above about having energy. It naturally comes to you when you feel happy and motivated.
I agree that other bloggers and creators are sources of inspiration. If it wasn’t for Annie’s post, this post wouldn’t even exist.
Thinking about my posts, I got a lot of inspiration from anime, songs, and a lot of other things. I’m driven by my passion and love for my interests and hobbies. One of my main reasons for blogging is to have a space to talk about my interests, often because I don’t have anywhere else to dump my thoughts.
Hmm, I don’t think that you can force out creativity. I don’t think it would feel very authentic. Breaks are fine, and sometimes we need them. That way, we can blog with a fresh mind and new ideas. I feel that prolonged breaks are scary, though. What if you become too comfortable and never return to blogging? Or, what if you lose your enthusiasm towards blogging? This is similar to what Annie voiced re: those who never come back. Here’s what I think: Your health comes before blogging.
Wretched and Divine 