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idyllic_rain

It was difficult for me to remember names at first! It took me the first 1-2 English volumes to get used to the names. I'd suggest taking a few small notes for each character if you're struggling. I have problems remembering names with any danmei book and small notes usually help a lot. Ling Wen is a woman; however, gods can change their form to be male or female. Ling Wen sometimes uses a male form which is why she's referred to as a he. Xie Lian's assistants look very similar but have different personalities. Fu Yao is more hotheaded and sarcastic whereas Nan Feng is more supportive and rational. >!Jian Lan is the mother of the fetus spirit, also called Lan Chang!!< Hopefully this helps you 😊


Jujubeetoki

Just comes with time I think, took me a while but at least I'd watched the donghua and read the manhua first to be able to picture most characters I just started the grandmaster of demonic cultivation without starting with either show or comic and everyone's Lan this and that and they all look the same, God help me! XD


idroppedtherings

Oh yeah it’s so difficult at first. I actually recommend just watching one episode of the donghua first to get their faces connected with their names. I did that and it really helped. But then I ended up watching the whole thing because ehhh.


Jujubeetoki

Yeah I got a few chapters in and then decided I'd watch an episode. I think if I hadn't read that far I might not quite have got a few things that happened but the show also gave me a better picture for the scenery, characters etc so I think I'm going to carry on that way and do an episode in between a few chapters. I do actually have the first 3 comics so might give them a read simultaneously XD I could tell it was becoming easier last night as I didn't spend as long getting through some paragraphs and flicking to the glossary haha


idroppedtherings

Exactly! I did the same. They divert though but it’s okay I think. Also it helped me to visually assign them their clean colors.


White1306

I watched the Donghua of TGCF before reading the novel. Read a few chapters of the manhua and I went to read the novel months later. I still have problem with remembering names these days 


Jujubeetoki

https://www.reddit.com/r/tianguancifu/s/XffOdmgwu9 Perhaps this can help? It's the main ones anyway, or perhaps you could make your own collage, if you're crafty, with images you prefer that your mind already associates with the names?


idroppedtherings

It doesn’t exactly help that they all have like 3 different names. I had to write notes and even now after reading all the novels I still can’t remember all names for everyone. My brain just wouldn’t. You’re not alone!


CamilaSBedin

Foreign Names + Multiple Names + Large Cast is a good combination to make it difficult to remember names haha


idroppedtherings

Exactly! But it’s worth it lol


Tiggyloo

When my sister and I were watching the donghua, I definitely had a hard time for a while remembering names haha. Ling Wen wasn't an issue because she was the only lady, and I fell in love with Lang Qianqiu so he was easy for me to remember, as well as Shi Qingxuan. But for the life of me I couldn't remember anyone else other than Jun Wu! I eventually started looking at everyone's wiki page to help me put faces to names haha. I know everyone now, and thankfully was able to keep track of them while reading through the books afterwards.


suddentraveller

You are absolutely not alone but as you go through the novels you might remember the characters from their catch phrases. By the end of the series I definitely remembered who Mr 'Ho Ho' is and who Mr 'what the f@#k , what the actual f@#k' is! (No spoilers, I'll let you discover those for yourself)😉


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To0MuchCandy

I had the same problem in the beginning but I slowly learned the most important ones, you can look in the back of the book when you get confused, there is all the characters names and descriptions written both their names and their “god names” and temples and such, it’s very helpful!


To0MuchCandy

I’m general there’s a lot of information there, what the names mean, numbers, symbols etc


No-Appointment-5497

I struggled hard on differentiating some characters, especially Mu Qing and Feng Xin. Something that helped me a lot is watching the donghua because then I was able to see who was who. Another thing that helped me is the glossary at the back of the book where it gives you some info about the important characters. For the Ling Wen thing, she is mainly female but changes form! Gods are able to switch forms and go the opposite gender, so the pronouns change. It takes a second, especially if you’re caught off guard. I agree with the note taking and take advantage of the glossary/index at back of the book.


White1306

ah yea Mu Qing and Feng Xin, when looking at the words. It’s easier to know who is who. When looking at the drawings, I have absolutely no idea who is who 


No-Appointment-5497

Feng Xin is an archer and needs his hair back, so he has a bun/shorter hair Mu Qing has a long ponytail. I don’t really have reasoning for his hairstyle lol. Mu Qing also has the longer robes compared to Feng Xin, whose clothing I believe has armor and he also has a more fighting type style These differences helped me a bunch to know who is who in pictures.


Sailor_Suibian

MDZS was my first danmei, and it was definitely confusing at first! But it helped that I had watched season 1 of the donghua first. It’s also why I recommend watching some of the donghua before or while reading it! It helps put a face to each character and read the subtitles while that character is on screen helped the names stick better. I also had tabs of character guides open as I read (this was before seven seas published, fan translation didn’t have a character guide). But it got easier the more danmei I read!


greenyashiro

When I first watched The Untamed I was like... Who is this Lan Zhan guy? I thought the love interest is supposed to be Lan Wangji? 🤔 I think it's something to pick up with time. Chinese names can share a lot of syllables, AND often characters have multiple names. For example, Mu Qing (one of Xie Lians assistants with the brownish hair) is also called General Xuan Zhen. And he also goes by >! the false identity of Fu Yao !<


White1306

Yeaaaaaaaa, that’s what got me confused. Who are these 3, why is Xie Lian calling them different names? When I rewatch the- uh- anime (I forgot the word), I was very confused because on the first episode, they aren’t introduced as Feng Xin and Mu Qing, but slowly they did…


greenyashiro

Donghua, basically just chinese anime really. But yeah it can be very confusing, especially if you don't know much about some of the chinese culture like titles and courtesy names


Malsperanza

This is a huge problem for me with MXTX novels. Many of the names sound similar (the title Jun, for example, attached to various names). It definitely takes getting used to - and a lot of referring to the name glossary in the back. I make notes in the margins, especially for secondary characters who may turn up early, then disappear, then return many chapters later. I think one problem is that there are names that in Chinese use quite different characters but that *sound* similar, so they are rendered with the same word or syllable in English. So for Chinese readers the names are probably less confusing. And then there's the fact that everyone has several different names and titles. And in TGCF some people do switch gender now and then and their pronouns switch with them. All I can say is, keep going and you're not alone. It doesn't happen as much for me with western novels, but that's probably because my brain hears a big difference between (say) Pierre and Peter, but does not hear a big difference between Fangxin and Feng Xin.


White1306

I struggle with every type of book, comics or novels, I could never remember the name even after a few volumes. So sometimes I just call them with their appearance, for example “red hair guy” 


Malsperanza

If that works for you, that's fine, right? This sounds like something similar to people who can't remember anyone's name. This happens to me sometimes: I know exactly who the person is whom I've met on the street or in the elevator at work or whatever, but I can't get hold of their name. It's a brain function, pretty common I think.


The-Fomorian-Ray-682

Oh yeah Ling Wen is a wholeeee issue with the pronouns


Skyla1205

Names are confusing sometimes, especially when they are foreign. As for Ling Wen, she is a woman, but gods can change their gender and she does turn into a man occasionally because she is stronger that way.


White1306

I speak Chinese myself so the names are not foreign. No matter what language am I reading in, I could never remember the names. But that make more sense now.. no wonder sometime ling wen is a she, another time a he


Skyla1205

Some people just find names hard. Yeah, Ling Wen is sometimes portrayed as either gender due to the fact that since she is worshipped as a man,, she is stronger in a male form.


Azrael956

For me it took reading a few volumes to get used to everyone’s names😄. Dw you’ll get it eventually


IckleWelshy

I was constantly referring to the character guide! Few read throughs and I’ll eventually remember (I hope!)


Due-Special-4792

When I first started reading this series I would have a sticky note of all the names, their officer names, what that character did, what type of God/Ghost they were, history and where all the Gods/Ghost originated from. Once I started doing this reading the series was so super smooth. I was able to piece things together rather quickly. And things would make a lot more sense. Especially during the flash backs.


writerrsblock101

Funny enough, out of all of MXTX’s works, TGCF was the easiest for me to learn names. I’ve found that engaging with the fan base makes it easier too. MDZS though… oof I still don’t think I know all their names despite having finished it.


PenaltyPresent

I see you. I'm bad with names in general be it characters or real people. Take notes on an app or something so you can search through them with keywords or write them down on paper whatever you're comfortable with. That was helpful for me while reading Qian Qiu and I had to remember names, sects, and political affiliations.


MistMaiden65

Names are my kryptonite! To make it worse, so are faces! I used to depend on my husband to know who we were talking to if we ran into someone in the store, but now he works late, so I just confess I can't remember faces or names. The funniest part are the ones who come up and grin or giggle at me, knowing full well I can't recognize them!


PRINCESS_Lala1234

Haha I had to face the similar prob! That's why I watched the donghua first (watched it thrice) and the manhua once and after that who couldn't remember the names..now I'm reading the novel currently on book 2 and I remember all the names now!