Falling Chrysanthemum Petals: Author Commentary


This commentary came earlier than I planned. 

This series started as a fanfiction, but I changed all the names midway and made it kinda-original-ish. I decided so because the site I read the original series (yes, the very same Rong Ju reincarnated into) is not really a legal proper site . I read it through Google Translate embedded in Chrome, too, so I think it would be hard for anyone to find the series. Besides, I don’t really recommend the series itself. It’s a fun, quick read (despite having 100+ chapters) that doesn’t come close to the level of literature I’ve reviewed in the blog.

[All the commentary below contains spoilers from FCP.]



FCP itself is something I’ve long envisioned making: a character who reincarnates into a book and just fades. That aligns with what I think if I were ever to reincarnate with all my previous memories intact: stay still. Completely integrated into the surroundings. Wishing relief on my past life’s sins. 

Living once is already tiring enough. Why would I want to do anything else for a second life? Yes, not even the effort to make oneself comfortable. With modern life’s level of convenience, any periodical/historical life I’ll reincarnate into would be a big ol’ dampening on my spirits. But just living a dull life won’t really make an interesting story, does it? Then I read the original Mary Sue series as mentioned above—voila, Rong Ju was born. 

At the very last of FCP, ‘Rong Ju’ revived with slight amnesia, but Yanling confirmed throughout the years she’s adapting much better to the environment. Now, if you read the whole thing, you know there’s more to it than that. 

Through the creation lens, though, I was making a little parody of the transmigration genre with the last scene, before the transmigrator came to occupy the body. I could definitely continue with it, but writing a spirited “Hooray second chance!” type is not yet in my forte. 

Besides Yanling, everyone in the residence noticed the big difference and the 180-degree change in personality, but well, they prefer that Rong Ju. Yanling was the only one mourning. 

I had pondered that Yanling and Rong Ju deserve another second chance. But you know, that’s tiring. I don’t think Rong Ju wants another round of life after technically going through three deaths; she deserves eternal peace. So maybe Yanling will be the only one with memories… but there’s not much to write about Yanling when he’s taken out of the surrounding elements that made him stand out. That’s my literal opinion of the original “Yanling” of the original series. 

So, that is all the commentary and context on how this series came to be. 

If you don’t want to go to the hassle of commenting but have questions, I’m free to reach out at asshurenge@gmail.com. Your emails might go to spam, though, so don’t expect a speedy response. 

Thank you for reading this far!

 

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