Xianxia changed to xuanhuan

Discussion in 'Novel General' started by elengee, Sep 1, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. elengee

    elengee Daoist Ninefaps

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2016
    Messages:
    13,488
    Likes Received:
    25,896
    Reading List:
    Link
    So, why are so many typical Xianxia novel tags changed to Xuanhuan, just looking at the ranking for top novels i see Martial God Asura, Emperor's Domination, Martial World and Peerless Martial God? Correct me if i'm wrong but these and many more used to be tagged as Xianxia.
     
  2. Nimroth

    Nimroth Someone

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2016
    Messages:
    4,072
    Likes Received:
    3,615
    Reading List:
    Link
    Probably because xuanhuan is the more correct one for most of them since xianxia is a much more specific and narrow sub-genre.
     
  3. LysUltima

    LysUltima Riichi! Tsumo! Toitoi! Suuankou!?

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2017
    Messages:
    2,144
    Likes Received:
    5,554
    Reading List:
    Link
    Because Xianxia = Xuanhuan + Dao?

    I'm guessing that someone confused the genres, and, since they (I don't remember, at least) don't have the Dao in it, they're xuanhuan.
     
  4. raltzero

    raltzero Last Year Until BS in IT | Lazy Overlord TL

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2015
    Messages:
    578
    Likes Received:
    375
    Reading List:
    Link
    Xianxia usually has more Taoist/Daoist and Buddhist influences. MGA, ED, MW, and PMG don't really have that. Instead, their "cultivation" is more of something vague and isn't influenced by anything but the author's mind. Thus, it's more of a 'Xuanhuan(Fantasy)' story than 'Xianxia(Immortal Hero)' story.

    You see Dao in a lot of these novels, but you don't really see it extensively written about. It's usually more of young masters of rich clans, face-slapping, etc.

    I would say that 'Grasping Evil' is a Xianxia because it actually shows a character's comprehension of 'Dao' as a focus instead of a typical face-slapping story.
     
    Slayerwolfx2 and asriu like this.
  5. elengee

    elengee Daoist Ninefaps

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2016
    Messages:
    13,488
    Likes Received:
    25,896
    Reading List:
    Link
    If it has immortal cultivation and cliches all over the place xianxia should fit just fine. Narrowing things down is good or it wouldn't even have needed tags and they'd all just be 'novel' so it covers the whole spectrum.

     
  6. chencking

    chencking [Daolord Grammar Nazi]

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2016
    Messages:
    6,075
    Likes Received:
    4,160
    Reading List:
    Link
    I think it's a dumb to change to make, but RWX and CD popularized xuanhuan = western fantasy when apparently it should of been eastern fantasy. Whether from readers, fans, MTLers, or RWX himself, there was a mix-up. I think it should stay as is no matter what xuanhuan originally meant, but...
     
  7. raltzero

    raltzero Last Year Until BS in IT | Lazy Overlord TL

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2015
    Messages:
    578
    Likes Received:
    375
    Reading List:
    Link
    To be honest, it's suppose to just be Xuanhuan = Fantasy. It doesn't matter whether it's western-based or eastern-based. It's just that since it's Chinese web novels, there are more eastern-based ones.

    I don't think the authors over at China really care how it's popularized though......
     
  8. elengee

    elengee Daoist Ninefaps

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2016
    Messages:
    13,488
    Likes Received:
    25,896
    Reading List:
    Link
    Coiling Dragon has Dao though, still tagged Xuanhuan.
     
  9. raltzero

    raltzero Last Year Until BS in IT | Lazy Overlord TL

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2015
    Messages:
    578
    Likes Received:
    375
    Reading List:
    Link
    That's because there's "western" magic included in it. It's a western-based novel and thus doesn't truly have 'Dao'. Rather, it's more of a 'Fantasy(Xuanhuan)'.

    You can argue that it's a Xianxia since the MC does become an 'Immortal Hero(Xianxia)' and I really can't argue back, but it sort of became ridiculous when the MC became a god.

    In addition, speaking about that view, MC and his wife became gods because they cultivated in a space for some years, if I recall correctly. They didn't really comprehend the 'Dao' their unique ways, I think.
     
  10. elengee

    elengee Daoist Ninefaps

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2016
    Messages:
    13,488
    Likes Received:
    25,896
    Reading List:
    Link
    Can still have both tags though, now i search for xianxia and miss a lot of titles. If you can become a Xiantian in the novel i just assume xianxia.
     
  11. Asf

    Asf 《《The aria of souls》》

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2015
    Messages:
    7,413
    Likes Received:
    5,868
    Reading List:
    Link
    I guess xianxia is just a really2 specific type of novel genre.
    It have to have..
    1. MC aiming to be immortal
    2. Taoist cultivation level
    Even if you have the same xianxia story, but rewrite it with a different power level types. Using magic aura for example.... that is no longer xianxia. Thats a xuanhuan.
    Its flawed as a genre..
     
  12. raltzero

    raltzero Last Year Until BS in IT | Lazy Overlord TL

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2015
    Messages:
    578
    Likes Received:
    375
    Reading List:
    Link
    Again, isn't that more of a martial arts based fantasy? Most novels with that 'Houtian', 'Xiantian' and above realms don't really explore what the MC's 'Dao' really is; what he really wants to do with that power. Most of the time, it proceeds to go into a slaughtering arc.

    Even if his original reason was to 'protect his family' or something, it goes right out of his head once a young master provokes him.
     
  13. elengee

    elengee Daoist Ninefaps

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2016
    Messages:
    13,488
    Likes Received:
    25,896
    Reading List:
    Link
    Still xuanhuan is too general, might as well just Fantasy tag it. There could be Xianxia (depth) and Xianxia (shallow/cliche) distinction.
    Now if i wanted some of the shallow kind, i'd have to go through every fantasy listing, like terror infinity or pretty much anything Chinese.
     
  14. Asf

    Asf 《《The aria of souls》》

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2015
    Messages:
    7,413
    Likes Received:
    5,868
    Reading List:
    Link
    Atleast in NU, xuanhuan isnt just fantasy. Its a chinese fantasy novel. Nothing japanese or korean have the xuanhuan tag in it.
     
  15. Nimroth

    Nimroth Someone

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2016
    Messages:
    4,072
    Likes Received:
    3,615
    Reading List:
    Link
    Not as general as Romance, Action, Adventure and most of the other genre tags, personally I'm not even sure why xianxia is given it's own genre tag when it is just a sub genre that can be easier covered by trope tags such as the cultivation tag.
     
  16. Ai chan

    Ai chan Queen of Yuri, Devourer of Traps, Thrusted Witch

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2015
    Messages:
    11,278
    Likes Received:
    24,346
    Reading List:
    Link
    I think it should be retained as xianxia. It all have the same elements. Copy pasted conflicts, paper-thin characters, young masters picking fights, protagonists getting offended by being stared at in Chinese, not giving face, impossible math and jade-skinned beauties. I wonder if I missed anything.

    I like to keep things simple. I like to exclude 'xianxia' from my feed. I actually like some xuanhuan on NU. I don't want to exclude 'xuanhuan' as well. So please don't change it.

    I know this is a thing in China. Heck, Vicky Zhao was even sued for staring at a man too intensely from inside a TV screen in China. But I kinda like some xuanhuan listed on NU. Don't put it in the same category as xianxia.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2017
    readerz likes this.
  17. chencking

    chencking [Daolord Grammar Nazi]

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2016
    Messages:
    6,075
    Likes Received:
    4,160
    Reading List:
    Link
    They don't, but translation nazis care. Also, while I have no knowledge of Chinese, several people have told me Xuanhuan specifically translates to Eastern Fantasy, but it's all meh to me.
     
  18. raltzero

    raltzero Last Year Until BS in IT | Lazy Overlord TL

    Joined:
    Oct 22, 2015
    Messages:
    578
    Likes Received:
    375
    Reading List:
    Link
    Well, it actually translates to 'Mysterious Fantasy', which can be attributed to a more Chinese-based or eastern-based fantasy.

    But as you said, meh.
     
    chencking likes this.
  19. _Selutu_

    _Selutu_ 灭世魔尊

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2016
    Messages:
    864
    Likes Received:
    818
    Reading List:
    Link
    But Xuanhuan is the correct term. The use of Xianxia to categorize Xuanhuan novels was a translation mistake done by RWX which then stuck.
     
  20. Pipipingu

    Pipipingu Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2016
    Messages:
    141
    Likes Received:
    102
    Reading List:
    Link
    These categorisations seem quite redundant and tbh I feel they are. They really just apply to web novels.

    Xuanhuan is probably the broadest of all the categories. It is mainly just fantasy, but given the fact that it's Chinese novels, it's 'eastern' fantasy. Xianxia is rather strict, as mentioned above; you need certain factors (cultivation for immortality, specifically focused on the first character of the phrase, xian (仙), which means immortal). Coiling Dragon would be Qihuan, or western fantasy. Western fantasy is rather strict too; a good rule of thumb is to look for western elements (such as elves, dwarves, magic etc.).

    Keep in mind, one of the reason why these genres are a fuckfest is because the author decides the genre of the novel before writing it. This means that a novel can be listed under xianxia or qihuan, but take weird twists or elements that don't really belong to either one.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.