Magic x Culture: Understanding Chinese Fantasy Shows

Oh, how times have changed. I once only watched Korean dramas, content with the innocent modern romance of witty bickering, occasional wrist grabbing, and oh-so-sweet back hugs. Everything I had heard about Chinese dramas was negative: they're dozens of episodes long, poorly written with little plot movement, pretty actors who can't really act, etc. But in the last few months, everything changed.

I've fallen for Chinese fantasy dramas.

The Untamed, a low-budget BL drama based on an online novel that has become incredibly popular in China and abroad

But I have not succumbed to this new genre without assistance! As it turns out, the magical norms of Lord of the Rings / Narnia / Harry Potter do not apply to Chinese fantasy, and while watching some new shows I was often confused -- and not by the translation. My Chinese husband had to explain a lot in the beginning, and I am here to tell you the secrets...

How Heroes get their Magic (or, Who are Cultivators and what in the world are they Cultivating??)

Ok, so this concept might be similar to Western fantasy norms in that there are people who can do magic and people who can't. People who can do magic are called Cultivators in English. It has nothing to do with farming.

How do Cultivators get their magic? Born with it? Freak accident? No, my friends, they cultivate it -- they study. Like kungfu masters, Cultivators cultivate their magic for years and years to achieve stronger and higher powers until they have long, white hair and can fly. In dramas, this usually means training or some kind of school in the early episodes -- like literally reading books and attending lectures and maybe a few field trips (with minimal adult supervision of course). In fight scenes, young and low-level Cultivators may easily die while their elderly teachers can appear mortally wounded and survive simply because they're more powerful -- that is, they studied longer. If this doesn't fulfill Chinese stereotypes, I don't know what does.

Also, musical instruments can be weapons.

Revenge is not That Bad, ok?

Once I understood the basics of how the magic works, I was then thrown off by the Good Guys seeking revenge -- literally torturing / killing those who had done the same to them / their loved ones. An eye for an eye. Countless Western movies have shown Good Guys rising above their desires for revenge, crying out "I'm not like you!" as they spare the Bad Guy's life and let him/her rot in prison instead. But Chinese fantasy functions in an ancient-Chinese-history-inspired world where revenge is viewed as justice. It's not odd or evil to have a main character, a good person, wreak havoc on the Bad Guys and pay them back exactly what they deserve. 

Clan Drama (or, Why is no one helping each other??)

Since Chinese fantasy shows are partially based on ancient Chinese history, they usually involve amazing outfits and family clans. People from the same clan are fiercely loyal to one another -- obviously. What frustrated and confused me was people from different clans appearing to be good friends and then leaving each other to die later on in the show. Or one clan decimating another and everybody else being all "Oh, that's very sad. Let's have tea." Or clans being incredibly slow to unite against a common enemy, no matter how evil. Or people just being hesitant to help others in general.

What's going on here is collectivism, or valuing the group above the individual. Outsiders are outsiders, and one's responsibility applies to one's clan members -- no one else. Helping others beyond the clan is crossing a line. Of course, the Hero may do it and we may root for him/her because of it, but most characters are not going to go there. This comes down to clan loyalty and the structure of society. The most powerful clan rules the land, and to jeopardize your position with that clan by helping the underdog is not worth the risk for the average person. It's normal and expected to only protect your own people.

This is still difficult for me to wrap my head around, as Western media always shows kindness-to-all as not only an admirable trait but one that only has good results. Chinese dramaland is a bit more realistic -- helping somebody outside the clan will very likely lead to their enemies becoming your enemies. Helping someone will cost you something. When a character in a Chinese fantasy decides to help somebody outside the clan, it carries much more weight.

Ever Night

These are some of the cultural differences I've found while watching my first few Chinese fantasy shows. Hopefully they help you better understand amazing dramas such as The Untamed (Netflix and YouTube) and Ever Night (Viki). Enjoy!!