Guardian (镇魂) 33-35
9 Nov 2018 16:11![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
extrapenguinImportant update: baby Shen Wei is adorable. Ergo, another post.
Now, I was already spoiled about time travel happening, which is half of the reason I picked this show up, but: baby Shen Wei. We got to see little Shen Wei! So shy and adorable and ahhh I want to pat his head and tell him he's doing a good job.
As for the rest, is it just me, or did young Chu Shuzhi look a bit like current Guo Changcheng? IDK how I feel about the rest of the resolution to that, beyond liking Chu Shuzhi snapping out of the dream. Apparently Guo Changcheng's superpower is not dying. He is a cockroach. I liked the dude from episode 1 returning, even if the fact he sacrificed his life was a bit ... well, I'm sure they could've conveyed that better. (Also, Zhao Yunlan looked very good in that stolen guard's unform.)
Shen Wei's awkward smiles upon escape were the best! As was how he missed the sunlight ahh. I really want a fic that explores the ethics and implications of him agreeing to condemn the rest of his race to the darkness, though given the time travel, I ... don't really think he actually did that, necessarily. Or if he did, it was to a Dixing supported by the Hallows, which would increase the resources of Dixing.
Ye Zun and Shen Wei are brothers! And Ye Zun has no idea how to use a shirt, lol. That was quite a tell, given how Shen Wei usually dresses, but Zhao Yunlan used that as an opportunity to flirt. "Your outfit looks good today" ahahahaha. My compliments to the actor behind Shen Wei and Ye Zun, though; he really is good at his craft. Ye Zun's impression of Shen Wei is recognizable as an impression, but also off from the real deal, both in the Hallows-kidnapping conversation and the "Black-Cloaked Envoy says let's invade Haixing" bit.
But back to baby Shen Wei. He is adorable. (Was that lollipop-sucking awfully suggestive to anyone else?) Also a tragic figure, an orphan who thought his brother was dead, and no-one ever asked him anything about himself. Except "Kunlun", who first saved his life, then came to feed him a lollipop. IDK what to think about the "Shen Wéi? Why not Shen Wēi?" name change, but I think Shen Wei would've changed his name to anything Zhao Yunlan suggested at that point, what with the whole tragic orphan thing.
Baby Ye Zun was also tragic and sympathetic! I do feel sad for him, but asschneefink brought up, on this show, the resolution to the "vengeance!" motivation is almost always "you should have stopped to think, you moron". It seems Ye Zun should've stopped to think as well, as I doubt Shen Wei intentionally left him to die. Add 10k years of being left to himself, radicalizing in a pillar ... yeah. Even if Shen Wei believed the lies, even if Shen Wei tried to save him from the Hallow-induced collapse, even if Shen Wei let himself be buried as well, Ye Zun didn't believe it/had already formed his opinions, but if he had only stopped to think. Sigh. (I also read Shen Wei letting the ground bury him as – if not necessarily suicide, at least a suicidal/self-destructive action: if he can't have his brother or Kunlun, he'd like to die, no matter what Kunlun said about reunions. He woke up 10k years later, which brings to my mind King Arthur's messianic return, but the intended resonance, if any, was probably different.)
"You are a human, not a knife." Aw, Zhao Yunlan, you are the best.
Now, I was already spoiled about time travel happening, which is half of the reason I picked this show up, but: baby Shen Wei. We got to see little Shen Wei! So shy and adorable and ahhh I want to pat his head and tell him he's doing a good job.
As for the rest, is it just me, or did young Chu Shuzhi look a bit like current Guo Changcheng? IDK how I feel about the rest of the resolution to that, beyond liking Chu Shuzhi snapping out of the dream. Apparently Guo Changcheng's superpower is not dying. He is a cockroach. I liked the dude from episode 1 returning, even if the fact he sacrificed his life was a bit ... well, I'm sure they could've conveyed that better. (Also, Zhao Yunlan looked very good in that stolen guard's unform.)
Shen Wei's awkward smiles upon escape were the best! As was how he missed the sunlight ahh. I really want a fic that explores the ethics and implications of him agreeing to condemn the rest of his race to the darkness, though given the time travel, I ... don't really think he actually did that, necessarily. Or if he did, it was to a Dixing supported by the Hallows, which would increase the resources of Dixing.
Ye Zun and Shen Wei are brothers! And Ye Zun has no idea how to use a shirt, lol. That was quite a tell, given how Shen Wei usually dresses, but Zhao Yunlan used that as an opportunity to flirt. "Your outfit looks good today" ahahahaha. My compliments to the actor behind Shen Wei and Ye Zun, though; he really is good at his craft. Ye Zun's impression of Shen Wei is recognizable as an impression, but also off from the real deal, both in the Hallows-kidnapping conversation and the "Black-Cloaked Envoy says let's invade Haixing" bit.
But back to baby Shen Wei. He is adorable. (Was that lollipop-sucking awfully suggestive to anyone else?) Also a tragic figure, an orphan who thought his brother was dead, and no-one ever asked him anything about himself. Except "Kunlun", who first saved his life, then came to feed him a lollipop. IDK what to think about the "Shen Wéi? Why not Shen Wēi?" name change, but I think Shen Wei would've changed his name to anything Zhao Yunlan suggested at that point, what with the whole tragic orphan thing.
Baby Ye Zun was also tragic and sympathetic! I do feel sad for him, but as
schneefink brought up, on this show, the resolution to the "vengeance!" motivation is almost always "you should have stopped to think, you moron". It seems Ye Zun should've stopped to think as well, as I doubt Shen Wei intentionally left him to die. Add 10k years of being left to himself, radicalizing in a pillar ... yeah. Even if Shen Wei believed the lies, even if Shen Wei tried to save him from the Hallow-induced collapse, even if Shen Wei let himself be buried as well, Ye Zun didn't believe it/had already formed his opinions, but if he had only stopped to think. Sigh. (I also read Shen Wei letting the ground bury him as – if not necessarily suicide, at least a suicidal/self-destructive action: if he can't have his brother or Kunlun, he'd like to die, no matter what Kunlun said about reunions. He woke up 10k years later, which brings to my mind King Arthur's messianic return, but the intended resonance, if any, was probably different.)"You are a human, not a knife." Aw, Zhao Yunlan, you are the best.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-09 17:44 (UTC)My compliments to the actor behind Shen Wei and Ye Zun
Yessssssss - welcome to the Zhu Yilong Appreciation Society! (He is absolutely fantastic to watch - he's one of those actors who just transforms into his characters.)
IDK what to think about the "Shen Wéi? Why not Shen Wēi?" name change
Oooh are you interested in a short thesis on that or not? :D (Also where are you at with the novel and what are your feelings on novel spoilers?)
no subject
Date: 2018-11-09 17:50 (UTC)I haven't read any bits of the novel, but know the general premise (urban fantasy, darker and grittier than the drama) and that 嵬 wéi is literally just 鬼 "ghost" + 山 "mountain". And I think I osmosed that Shen Wei had much less respect in the novel at that point of his life? In which case Zhao Yunlan might've given him his surname as well, which is also Zhao Yunlan's mother's surname (she's 沈溪 Shen Xi, as seen on her gravestone). As for novel spoilers, idk. I will certainly first finish the drama and write some fics for the drama verse, and I might see if I can get through the first few chapters of the novel, then. A short thesis on the name would be welcome, as long as it doesn't spoil the drama. :P