on the parallels between hualian and quanyin
i'm not used to writing 'meta' posts (since i'm never confident about being able to convey my thoughts, so i try to spread my agenda through my fics and my characterization instead) but on @blue-chatka request and after getting to yap about this on QuanYin nation's discord server, i'm here to share the results of that conversation hehe
I've mentioned this a lot before, but I am a bit insane about the parallels that can be found between these two pairings, and it's quite obvious to me that QuanYin were meant to be a mirror to HuaLian, for the readers to trace those similarities (and divergences too).
I'll start by talking mentioning the ways Hua Cheng and Quan Yizhen parallel each other:
They were both 10 years old when they met their beloved
And by met, I mean were rescued, of course. From that moment on, both of them followed their respective beloved forever, out of a deep admiration that later would turn into absolute devotion.
Because yes, they both have an unwavering devotion to their respective God. If anyone tries to insinuate that Quan Yizhen's faith and devotion is not comparable to Hua Cheng's, I will bite their head off (first and only warning).
They both held to that devotion even when it was explicitly rejected by their respective God, endured that pain, and refused to take that as proof of their beloved being wicked, or evil.
In that same vein, they always kept believing in their respective God's benevolence and kindness.
They both endured the pain of separation, and looked for their beloved without pause.
They both hold the vision of their beloved so dear and close to their soul, and no matter what others think of their respective God, or how they're perceived for keeping that faith. And they defended the honor of their respective God when they were ridiculed and trampled upon, even through violent means. Hua Cheng and the 33 Heavenly Officials, Quan Yizhen and the routinely occurrence of beating his own devotees.
They both were street urchins that had to endure abuse, bullying and being misunderstood and shooed away by others. Hua Cheng routinely called a cursed child, Quan Yizhen called insane and constantly rejected.
They're both fiercely protective and would do anything for their beloved, except forcing them. This is a great moment to add that I think people misunderstand Quan Yizhen's character when it comes to boundaries: if those are explained, he would respect them. After all, he did follow Yin Yu's instructions and always tried to be good!
They both lack filters, even if it's for different reasons: they're both direct, and they both act as if they don't give a fuck about what other people think. But that's only partially true, since...
They both have Issues (tm) (like Hua Cheng's self esteem being abysmal and Quan Yizhen's abandonment issues). They just have to ignore the pain to keep going because if they don't, it would crush them.
They both prefer to work on their own rather than on a team or depending on others
They both struggle with writing and with paying attention to things they deem unimportant to them.
They don't want to have servants, helpers, company around them except for people they deeply trust and love (which is almost no one)
They both have exquisite places they could call home (Paradise Manor, Qi Ying's Palace) but as long as their beloved is not there, they would never consider it home.
Now, about Xie Lian and Yin Yu:
They were both banished and shackled, which is the most obvious and evident. They literally share a specific sort of pain, regret and shame that no one else in the cast can understand.
They both made One Big Mistake that they deeply, deeply regret, to the point that they subject themselves to having to carry that pain with them as atonement, a debt they have to repay. (Xie Lian took a second shackle; Yin Yu sacrificed himself for Quan Yizhen)
They were both rescuers for a child in need, and didn't care about things like their origin or appearance, or what other people would think of them for doing so (Xie Lian interrupting the parade; Yin Yu being constantly questioned for taking in such a problem child)
They both reassured the one they rescued that it was not wrong from them to be who they are, believed in them, and gave them a purpose to go on.
They are both people pleasers who ended up pleasing no one, enraging everyone and losing everything in the process.
Both get turned into laughingstocks for the ones that still remember about them, their image misunderstood and their story turned into gossip.
Both had trouble dealing with the customs and expectations in the Heavenly Court
They were both looked down upon for their kindness and ideals to, and nearly completely overlooked after they fell from grace.
They are both gentle and kind, looking misleading in their strength and getting underestimated, while remaining strong, capable and smart even in banishment (as we know since we follow Xie Lian's POV the whole novel, and we get to see Yin Yu's efficiency during the search for the Brocade Immortal and onward. Plus, come on, would Hua Cheng have him as a right hand man if he wasn't so reliable and capable?!)
They both dislike to be the center of attention, and avoid conflicts to the extreme, to the point that it ends up being worse
Both Xie Lian and Yin Yu are very patient and doting (we see how much they spoiled Hua Cheng and Quan Yizhen, one post canon, one during their disciple days) and end up overlooking/enabling their beloved's "flaws" (emphasis on the " ", please)
They both had an eye for talent, recognizing and fostering it;
They have a nurturing and protective nature
Other obvious parallels are of course that they're both a pairing comprising a God and a Ghost;
Both couples have a strong connection to the Mid-Autumn Festival;
Both have one outgoing/"shameless" half, and a reserved/shy counterpart to it.
Of course they have a lot of differences too! I'm not tryin to say they are the same at all. In fact those differences are what makes them so valuable as mirrors/foils
The main difference being that where HuaLian excels in communicating, QuanYin is the complete opposite;
QuanYin separation is not from bad luck or external intervention but because of Yin Yu's avoidance;
Hua Cheng managed to make himself into exactly who he wanted to be, while Quan Yizhen struggled to find the answers he needed to understand the world without Yin Yu's guidance (which moves him to keep looking for him, to solve the mystery of what it was that went wrong, so he can fix it).
Xie Lian and Yin Yu's flavor of self-repression and bad coping mechanisms are different too.
That's it for now! Feel free to add more things and comment on this >:3 I'm sure I have more ideas about them, but I would probably enter the headcanon area of things, and I'd rather share that in replies instead of directly in this post. I swear it's much easier for me to share the ideas through writing them interacting in fics than elaborating on them like this @____@
And if you disagree with any of this... please be nice about it! <3
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