The homosexual subtext of STATE OF DIVINITY

[Ken Cheng]

The content of this thread is potentially controversial, so everybody exercise good judgment in discussing this, all right?

It's no secret that STATE OF DIVINITY has a homosexual subtext to its story. That's what the Qwai Fa Bo Deen was all about: men emasculating themselves for the sake of ambition.

Beyond the Qwai Fa Bo Deen, however, I'm wondering if there weren't further homosexual subtexts in SOD. In particular, I'm thinking of those two musician/martial artists who played the flute and the guzhang. I remember very little of the SOD storyline from my long-ago halfhearted viewing of SMILING PROUD WANDERER, but there was something about those two guys' friendship that seemed...well, very different from the macho brotherly affection that most wuxia men share. The way TVB depicted it in SPW, there was something vaguely homoerotic about it. I'm not sure if the novel depicted it the same way.

OK. Topic's open. Discuss it maturely.

[Candide]

The way TVB depicted it

In TVB adaptations, every male is emasculated. I'd top myself if I were male talking to my chick with such overly dramatic and feminine theme music in the background. And the hugs! FFS, even females show more aggression in their hugs.

[kidd]

I've only watch SOD96, and the 2 musicians don't look particularly homo to me. Just 2 really good friends in the same wavelength.

You can't expect musicians/poets/artists/ to interact the same way as hunting/drinking buddies.

[Extremer88]

Both Liu Zhengfeng and Qu Yang are just two normal guys that have the same interest which is their love for music. What prevented them from being buddies was the fact that one was from the orthodox sect, while the other was from an unorthodox sect, and they were critised by many Jianghu people.

Certaintly very different from those TVB adaptations.

[Ken Cheng]

SPW heavily suggested something homoerotic going on between Lau and Kuk. One of the two was played by Simon Yam (don't remember who played the other). In the scene where the two were composing the "STATE OF DIVINITY" song, they were seen flying through the air holding hands. When the two of them were dying, they reached towards each other in the manner you associate with dying lovers a la Romeo and Juliet.

I first saw this when I was about twelve years old. It was...an eyeopener.

[ChronoReverse]

Ken, you always seem to base too much of your ideas on TVB adaptations =P


The impression I get from the novel is one of great comradeship.

[Ken Cheng]

Ken, you always seem to base too much of your ideas on TVB adaptations =P.

It can't be helped. I'm Chinese illiterate (mostly).

And I'm not touching the translations until the three books of the CONDOR HEROES TRILOGY are finished.

[tyrantashen]

I don't think in my careful viewing of SoD '96 I've detected any sense of homosexuality conveyed between the two musicians. However, the same cannot be said of Dun Fang Bu Bai and his lover dude.

[kidd]

SPW heavily suggested something homoerotic going on between Lau and Kuk. One of the two was played by Simon Yam (don't remember who played the other). In the scene where the two were composing the "STATE OF DIVINITY" song, they were seen flying through the air holding hands. When the two of them were dying, they reached towards each other in the manner you associate with dying lovers a la Romeo and Juliet.

It can't be helped. I'm Chinese illiterate (mostly).

And I'm not touching the translations until the three books of the CONDOR HEROES TRILOGY are finished.

Watch State Of Divinity 96. The 2 musicians in there certainly didn't act so gay. They just stand/sit around and play music together and the 'Xiao Ao Jiang Hu' music in that series is awesome. In the composing 'Xiao Ao Jiang Hu' scene, the Lu Zheng Feng just stood beside Qu Yuan playing the flute while Qu Yuan played his GuZheng.

[PJ]

One of the two was played by Simon Yam

That explains it.

Best guy character actor ever.

[Extremer88]

That explains it.

Best guy character actor ever.

Guy or gay?

[PJ]

Guy or gay?

GAY.

Thank you.