tianshanforlife

[tianshanforlife]

🎸 guitar lessons 🎸

#I love your art style!!! #they are so precious #19 days fanart #he tian #mo guan shan #tianshan

[tianshanforlife]

I know everyone is talking about tianshan (because really who wouldn't die for Mo rn) but zhanyi holding hands clingy zhanyi head in lap heart eyes zhanyi

#i love them so much #my precious lover boys #19 days #jian yi #zhan zheng xi #zhanyi

[tianshanforlife]

These two go together

#precious rays of sunshine #19 days #he tian #mo guan shan #tianshan

[tianshanforlife]

finally mo has people in his life he can trust. finally he has friends that make him genuinely laugh and forget about his problems at least for a little bit. finally he lets himself enjoy the present

these boys he's known for such a short time made such a big impact on his life and he knows that! real friends finally found him.

#what if i cried #i love them #they are so precious #19 days #mo guan shan

[tianshanforlife]

I think I just died and went straight to heaven 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️

The calm before the storm... This will hurt so much more than I ever anticipated...

#they are so precious #so dorky #so silly #they finally act like regular teenagers #just having a friendly banter and laughing #THEY ARE LAUGHING OUT LOUD #THIS IS LITERAL HEAVEN #ZZX trying to hold his laughter but being unable #Momo finally laughing literally for the first time ever I think #i am at my fucking limit #this will be the death of me #19 days #old xian #19天 #old先 #mo guan shan #jian yi #he tian #zhan zheng xi #tianshan #zhanyi #i love them so much

[tianshanforlife]

5 p.m. 2 a.m.

"A truth so loud you can't ignore My youth, my youth, my youth My youth is yours"

#this is so fucking cool #i love it so much #19 days fanart #19 days #jian yi #zhan zheng xi #mo guan shan #he tian #zhanyi #tianshan

[tianshanforlife]

Fixed it!

Re-draw, with slight modifications. We all thought there was a missing frame on this, right?

#such cuties #i love them so much #19 days fanart #19 days #jian yi #zhan zheng xi #zhanyi

[tianshanforlife]

PLEASE LET THEM KISS ALREADY, DON'T PLAY WITH OUR HEARTS SO MUCH 😭😭😭

#don't get me wrong #I'm glad we're getting any zhanyi content #but guys #those are literal crumbs #yeah tianshan is cool but please give me zhanyi please #19 days #old xian #jian yi #zhan zheng xi #zhanyi

[tianshanforlife]

Even at my worst? Even at your worst.

#it's got a little kick #i love them so much #my babies #19 days #tianshan #zhanyi #mo guan shan #he tian #zhan zheng xi #jian yi

[tianshanforlife]

I want to say something about the sparkler scene, from the 2024 Chinese New Years special.

We don't often (if ever) see Jian Yi being overtly active in providing for Zhengxi's needs. He is mostly reactive to Zhengxi's wants, e.g. deferring to Zhengxi whenever he clearly marks a boundary and quickly accepting his preference for privacy and reticence, even when it conflicts with his own desire for open and demonstrative affection.

In the New Years chapter we see a more mature approach to their relationship from Jian Yi than we've otherwise been shown. He is usually pretty stupid about being honest with Zhengxi about his feelings, generally overstepping, being too agressive with his attentions or overly demanding in childish ways to get Zhengxi's attention. Here he shows an attentiveness to Zhengxi that parallels the romantic birthday date Zhengxi sprang on him, when they were just fumbling their way into a more-than-friends relationship early on in the story (which is, in story, no more than a few months ago at the most, although special chapters seem to take place on alternate timelines).

It's New Years and they're out with their friend group. Gifts are traditional and Jian Yi wants to give Zhengxi a gift. Nothing expensive or flashy, because that would be more like showing off, and besides, Zhengxi doesn't like anything that draws attention. So he picks something that evokes an intimate personal memory to them, and passes it discreetly to Zhengxi. When Zhengxi pulls him aside he doesn't say anything to their friends, but immediately follows Zhengxi so they can share the moment together in privacy.

In most of their interactions Jian Yi will center himself. But here he sits quietly besides Zhengxi, watching him. He is centering Zhengxi completely here, both in his choice of gift, how he gives it, and making space for Zhengxi's emotions in the moment. The scene showcases how aware Jian Yi is of Zhengxi's feelings in ways we are not normally shown. I believe it's the only scene we have of Jian Yi cherishing Zhengxi's love for him, without immediately jumping in to demonstrate his own for Zhengxi. It's touching.

<3

#I love love loooove it #such a good analysis #they are so precious #19 days #jian yi #zhan zheng xi #zhanyi

[tianshanforlife]

I totally get that. I've been following the story since I think 2014? And I still feel like OX doesn't really know where they want to take the story. It was always more of funny random skits than a consistent story, and maybe it should have stayed that way?

First, we had just random shenanigans, and then we started to get more character development, relationship development, and bits and pieces of the story. Then the big plot points for a moment and now we're back to nothing more than repetitive comedy and some relationship development (not for Zhanyi though).

I feel like OX is doomed by their own narrative of both JY and HT disappearing. Because it looks like now they don't want to do it anymore. HT was supposed to transfer somewhere, He Cheng has already things in motion and yet HT just runs away for the 100th time just to have some shenanigans with the boys. Why? We've seen this all before.

And then the fact that we're getting more story development from the special chapters than the regular ones? Don't really know how to feel about it all.

I wonder if OX has lost interest in the story. It's been pretty much an entire year since there was anything but slapstick shenanigans, the last pieces of (what I would call actual) storytelling were posted almost exactly one year ago: the backstory on Jian Yi's paternity and TianShan's aftermath of the She Li fight (where they visit the grave of He Tian's mother).

There have been other periods of slapstick comedy, between the more serious chapters, but have they ever lasted this long? An entire year of not really wanting to update the overarching story seems like a lot. I'm new to reading 19 Days, starting last year in... May? What do older fans think; has there been year long breaks from the story before, only focusing on the comedic skits?

#I still like the story #don't get me wrong #but can we please get some real story development? #and not just another comedy chapter? #19 days meta #19 days #old xian #jian yi #zhan zheng xi #mo guan shan #he tian

[tianshanforlife]

Zhanyi

#19 days fanart #jian yi #zhan zheng xi #zhanyi

[tianshanforlife]

The last years on the playground

This takes a look at the story from the perspective of the boys teetering on the threshold of adulthood. They are 16 (give or take 6 months) and in their last year of middle school. In two years time they will be legal adults, but for now they are still very much just big kids.

Mo Guanshan has already had one foot in adulthood for years, but the other three are dragging him back to the playground, enticing him to play hooky from his hard life. The way he tries to escape, and keeps getting dragged back into the morass of debt, violence, crime... It's heartbreaking character-wise, but so very good story-wise. He is such a good and stark illustration of the way adulthood is looming in these kids' lives: as a threat, as much as (or even more than) a possibility.

Again, the four are split by their backgrounds:

Zhan Zhengxi is largely unthreatened by adulthood. His solid middleclass background has him well equipped to find his way. Only his marginalised sexuality, and deep attachment to Jian Yi, complicates things somewhat.

He Tian is also equipped with an easy, streamlined entry into adult life, facilitated by his family. He has strong objections to what the family envisions for him, but it's available, as is money and an ally he can appeal to (his brother). There are lots of oportunities for him to influence the details of the privileged adult life being handed to him.

Jian Yi is adrift. He has hitched his boat to Zhan Zhengxi and is hoping to follow him into whatever adult life is available there. At the same time, he is threatened by the unknown of his father's family, what they might offer and what they want from him in return. Adulthood is a looming threat, confusing and frightening. His mother is not providing guidance.

Mo Guanshan has already been shouldering adult burdens on his narrow tween and teen shoulders for years. His prospects are bleak, and his main struggle is to retain some hope of breaking free from the grim and sordid future he's been made to expect. Education is held out as a possible escape door. Maybe he will be able to take it, maybe not. So far he's made new friends, who support him towards a different future than the gangs he's been hanging with since his tweens. His mother provides superficial guidance ("keep up with school"), but little support and no oversight (e.g. letting She Li pick him up at their house and take him out to be abused).

Clearly, being the child of a single mother is highly detrimental to your prospects here, even when you're not exactly poor. Or perhaps it's more the general absence of parental care. Of an actual adult who is, in a practical and present way, invested in you thriving and succeeding. Either way, the friend group is split down the middle in terms of solid prospects.

I like how the group of four is often split on various aspects, and never in the same ways. Some have Jian Yi and He Tian in one group and Zhan Zhengxi and Mo Guanshan in the other. Some have Zhan Zhengxi and He Tian in one group, and Jian Yi and Mo Guanshan in the other. The romantic pairings have them split into twos in the most obvious way, but I find the other splits more interesting tbh. I should probably do a compilation at some point.

#this is a really good analysis #i love 19 days so much #19 days #19 days analysis #zhan zheng xi #jian yi #mo guan shan #he tian

[tianshanforlife]

Wanna cuddle, Xixi?

#🥺🥺🥺 #19 days fanart #jian yi #zhan zheng xi #zhanyi

[tianshanforlife]

Mo Guan Shan

#19 days fanart #mo guan shan

[tianshanforlife]

19 Days Chinese New Year Special Chapter - Text post

#19 days #19 days meme #he tian #mo guan shan #jian yi #zhan zheng xi #tianshan #zhanyi

[tianshanforlife]

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH 😭❤️

I feel so special now 🤭

HELL YEAH SQUAD special for @tianshanforlife

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