Immortal Roomates
The story of Immortal Roommates explores lessons from Daoism in modern society through the figure Lan Caihe of the Eight Immortals. Banished to live among mortals for losing their Immortal Artifact, Lan Caihe convinces a hotshot underground music producer, Yichen, to temporarily house them while they search for it.
The two clash as roommates at different ends of extremes, Yichen’s acute attention to detail against Lan Caihe’s unconventional and sometimes immature habits. However, they learn to co-exist harmoniously through their shared love of music, learning balance through the language of rhythm and melody.
Having been quite the musician in their mortal life, Lan Caihe brings a new sense of eccentricity to Yichen’s music. Similarly, Yichen’s meticulous nature allows the immortal to search for their artifact more effectively, ultimately leading to its recovery and allowing Lan Caihe to return home.
Lan Caihe: Immortal of Eternal Youth
Lan Caihe
Lan Caihe is a member of the Baxian, or "The Eight Immortals,” a specific group of figures within the Daoist Pantheon. Known as the patron of florists and gardeners, they are often associated with a basket of flowers, a gardening hoe, and kuaiban clappers, a traditional Chinese percussion instrument.
Their mortal life as a street performer and wandering musician also closely associates them with minstrels, singers, and the poor. Lan Caihe has been depicted as a wide range of masculine to feminine, leading to many interpretations of the ambiguous immortal. Moreover, their reputation as a symbol of eternal youth adds to their mysterious nature, with unexpected wisdom taught through non-conventional methods.
When approaching the design for Lan Caihe, a different approach to “eternal youth” was taken, opting to represent how they mask their divinity to the mortal plain as a cunning senior citizen who’s young at heart. Their true nature is hinted at with a reinterpretation of their traditional motifs including the flower basket on their track jacket with symbolic herbs, a repurposed hoe used as a cane, and a recognizable color palette referenced from historical depictions.
When approaching the design for Lan Caihe, a different approach to “eternal youth” was taken, opting to represent how they mask their divinity to the mortal plain as a cunning senior citizen who’s young at heart. Their true nature is hinted at with a reinterpretation of their traditional motifs including the flower basket on their track jacket with symbolic herbs, a repurposed hoe used as a cane, and a recognizable color palette referenced from historical depictions.
Yichen
Yichen
Yichen is an up-and-coming music producer on the brink of an explosive career. Through long nights and early monrings, he has crafted a foolproof plan toward success. He is good at what he does, and he knows it, but often takes on an air of nonchalant arrogance for self-assurance. However, after a chance encounter cracks his cold exterior, he allows a stranger in need to reside temporarily in his home. Hanging his burgeoning career in the balance.
The design for Yichen is inspired by fashion in the underground music scene in New York and China. Through sleek lines and personalized accessories, Yichen presents a cool but casual front to the world around him. His design serves to foil Lan Caihe’s, opting for elongated proportions and neutral colors to contrast their bright and stout design.
His attention to detail as a producer translates into his daily life, ensuring everything is in its proper place, not only in terms of physical appearance but also in his personal spaces as well. Lan Caihe’s spontaneous and unpredictable habits challenge this by introducing a new sense of chaos and clutter to his home.