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extrapenguinSo I finished it.
I love how this show does the "show a scene, then do a flashback where it's revealed the scene continued", frex with Lin Jing's loyalties. Lin Jing's arc in these episodes was nice as well, what with his pre-timed posthumous message and video footage he filmed, like, wow dude. Well prepared. And then he comforted Shen Wei in his final moments.
I liked how we got to see all the minor players return – Yehuo, Doctor Cheng Xinyan, Cong Bo, that death-scream girl and her adoptive older brother, Da Ji – and do their best to help with the Haixing end of things. Also Professor Ouyang the deranged. That serum really wasn't yet good enough to use, since I think it at least excacerbated his delusions of grandeur and aggressive tendencies.
The way the SID continues to care about the common people is very good. Zhao Yunlan's "please don't panic" speech, too, and the way he said "Dixingians are people just like you" and omg. Shen Wei's spent a lot of time hiding himself and being the Other, knowing that the humans will consider him an enemy if they find out – and then Zhao Yunlan goes out and tells the entire city that no, Shen Wei is a person just like them. Can fall in love and experience heartbreak, etc.
We got another flashback to Shen Wei pardoning Chu Shuzhi, and I remain convinced that Shen Wei did it at least in part because Chu Shuzhi went to jail for avenging his younger brother, while Shen Wei couldn't save his or avenge what happened to Ye Zun.
I liked the team get-together and task assignment! Teamwork is a thing I love. And Guo Changcheng would obviously use his ability for good, even if it was given to him nonconsensually and involves the last wishes of dying people, which is emotionally tough.
I loved the scene at the Yashou tribe gathering. Zhu Hong got to show some ass-kicking skills, then she became the leader of the Yashou! (Even if the latter bit was perhaps cheating, since Zhao Yunlan helped.) And everyone kneeled, even Ya Qing! Speaking of which, I like that the villains are given chances to turn back, and while leaving Ya Qing unpunished was probably just realpolitik, she got to have a happy ending. She'd had some doubts earlier on, but when Illusion Labyrith Dixingian was rude to her, I think it cemented her doubts into "nope, Ye Zun will use us" and she took action.
Shen Wei wore a t-shirt for the first time in his life! Likely because the production crew couldn't bear to ruin an actual expensive button-up with fake blood. His speech to Ye Zun in episode 38 while being whipped was excellent – "the blood I bleed is red, just like theirs" – and his speech to the Chancellor and the fact that even beat up, he will save his Zhao Yunlan with a flying kick. Even if it was all in vain, because Zhao Yunlan refused to leave him behind, and they both got captured again.
The scenes where Ye Zun tortured Zhao Yunlan and discussed with him were nice, even if Shen Wei died. (My notes for the bit where Ye Zun snorted up his big brother were "NO" in allcaps and letters half again as large as my usual handwriting.) Zhao Yunlan's whole "Shen Wei is dead so please just kill me" attitude was sad and tragic, and the getting drunk as well.
As a redux to the "minor fry returning", the barkeep whose bar Zhao Yunlan visited the previous times in Dixing also returned! And got to store the Guardian Lantern! And he replayed Ye Zun's confession of "I just want to destroy everything" to the surrounding people and ahhh I love how despite the stars of the show being elsewhere, the bit players still do stuff.
Another little tragedy: Zhao Yunlan was the first person to ever ask Ye Zun why he was doing this all. And all that hatred carefully nourished by the original anti-Haixing dude festered into hating the entire world, everyone who would disagree with him and then abandon him. If he abandoned all his allies and minions first, well, then being abandoned by them wouldn't hurt him, right? And in that one last post-death scene, he gets to realize that no, Shen Wei never abandoned him at all. "Let's go home." "Where is home?" ahhh my heart. Ye Zun might have been the villain, but he deserved a hug. At least he got a happy ending – walking off with his brother, hand in hand.
Zhao Yunlan, recently widowed, sacrificed himself so the Guardian Lantern could be lit. Remember that bit earlier where they said the Hallows were given to Dixing so that they'd have more resources? Zhao Yunlan set himself on fire so Dixing could see dawn. (Also they were lost 10 years ago, apparently. The flame of the lantern was probably extinguished much before that.)
On Shen Wei's energy: very well foreshadowed in retrospect, even if I didn't realize his difficulty opening the portal was because his energy was no longer dark energy. It was probably also the reason he didn't/couldn't heal himself – Dixing is full of dark energy, and Shen Wei's had turned green. (Things to explore in fixit fic: was Shen Wei turning into a human, complete with giving up his powers and immortality, or simply changing power source to something that didn't work so well with Dixing?)
On the epilogue: I liked the endings Zhu Hong and Ya Qing got, as well as Minister Gao. Zhang Shi taking over the ghostless machine Zhao Yunlan left behind ... must have been soul-destroying for Zhao Xinci. Also awkward for Zhang Shi, being hailed as a hero for things he didn't do, even if he's 10k years old as well and taught by Ma Gui, the first of the guardians and also master of ensuring his portraits get preserved. Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi continued their life, and I think it was implied Guo Changcheng will eventually head the SID, even if there is less for the SID to investigate now. Maybe crimes committed by Yashou?
The final scene of Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan in that space out of time was nice and fitting, though they really really should have hugged. (They're even played by different actors, so none of the logistical body double difficulties of hugs like with Shen Wei and Ye Zun, but I guess the no homo requirements were strong.) It also leaves the possibility of a happily ever after where they just get tossed out by a wormhole into whatever era, so while the ending was tragic, it doesn't even require much fixing to make better. (I did also dream of fixit fic ideas, though. My main challenge is that I want Ye Zun to have a happy ending, too, so canon divergence it would have to be. I have ideas, but I'm still chewing on them. I'll write a few fics before reading the fandom tag.)
In conclusion: I know this has been ragged on for bad CGI, nonsensical plots, and bad editing, but honestly, it was entertaining, and the plots did make sense (giving allowances for CGI limitations). The main draw is Zhu Yilong's face, which he uses well, and Bai Yu can also act! Get into it for Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan emoting at each other and also brotherhood feels.
ETA: unanswered questions! Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's mother Shen Xi share a surname; was this a red herring, or are we supposed to divine that they're related? (Or, more likely, did Shen Wei completely lack a surname in the novel, and Zhao Yunlan gave him his mother's?) Did Ye Zun ever have a name, or was he always called Ye Zun? (Shen Ye?) Additionally, I kinda want fic that deals with why Ye Zun, "Lord of the Night", walks around in white clothes all the time. Merely a visual distinguishing feature + childhood nostalgia, or something else as well?
I love how this show does the "show a scene, then do a flashback where it's revealed the scene continued", frex with Lin Jing's loyalties. Lin Jing's arc in these episodes was nice as well, what with his pre-timed posthumous message and video footage he filmed, like, wow dude. Well prepared. And then he comforted Shen Wei in his final moments.
I liked how we got to see all the minor players return – Yehuo, Doctor Cheng Xinyan, Cong Bo, that death-scream girl and her adoptive older brother, Da Ji – and do their best to help with the Haixing end of things. Also Professor Ouyang the deranged. That serum really wasn't yet good enough to use, since I think it at least excacerbated his delusions of grandeur and aggressive tendencies.
The way the SID continues to care about the common people is very good. Zhao Yunlan's "please don't panic" speech, too, and the way he said "Dixingians are people just like you" and omg. Shen Wei's spent a lot of time hiding himself and being the Other, knowing that the humans will consider him an enemy if they find out – and then Zhao Yunlan goes out and tells the entire city that no, Shen Wei is a person just like them. Can fall in love and experience heartbreak, etc.
We got another flashback to Shen Wei pardoning Chu Shuzhi, and I remain convinced that Shen Wei did it at least in part because Chu Shuzhi went to jail for avenging his younger brother, while Shen Wei couldn't save his or avenge what happened to Ye Zun.
I liked the team get-together and task assignment! Teamwork is a thing I love. And Guo Changcheng would obviously use his ability for good, even if it was given to him nonconsensually and involves the last wishes of dying people, which is emotionally tough.
I loved the scene at the Yashou tribe gathering. Zhu Hong got to show some ass-kicking skills, then she became the leader of the Yashou! (Even if the latter bit was perhaps cheating, since Zhao Yunlan helped.) And everyone kneeled, even Ya Qing! Speaking of which, I like that the villains are given chances to turn back, and while leaving Ya Qing unpunished was probably just realpolitik, she got to have a happy ending. She'd had some doubts earlier on, but when Illusion Labyrith Dixingian was rude to her, I think it cemented her doubts into "nope, Ye Zun will use us" and she took action.
Shen Wei wore a t-shirt for the first time in his life! Likely because the production crew couldn't bear to ruin an actual expensive button-up with fake blood. His speech to Ye Zun in episode 38 while being whipped was excellent – "the blood I bleed is red, just like theirs" – and his speech to the Chancellor and the fact that even beat up, he will save his Zhao Yunlan with a flying kick. Even if it was all in vain, because Zhao Yunlan refused to leave him behind, and they both got captured again.
The scenes where Ye Zun tortured Zhao Yunlan and discussed with him were nice, even if Shen Wei died. (My notes for the bit where Ye Zun snorted up his big brother were "NO" in allcaps and letters half again as large as my usual handwriting.) Zhao Yunlan's whole "Shen Wei is dead so please just kill me" attitude was sad and tragic, and the getting drunk as well.
As a redux to the "minor fry returning", the barkeep whose bar Zhao Yunlan visited the previous times in Dixing also returned! And got to store the Guardian Lantern! And he replayed Ye Zun's confession of "I just want to destroy everything" to the surrounding people and ahhh I love how despite the stars of the show being elsewhere, the bit players still do stuff.
Another little tragedy: Zhao Yunlan was the first person to ever ask Ye Zun why he was doing this all. And all that hatred carefully nourished by the original anti-Haixing dude festered into hating the entire world, everyone who would disagree with him and then abandon him. If he abandoned all his allies and minions first, well, then being abandoned by them wouldn't hurt him, right? And in that one last post-death scene, he gets to realize that no, Shen Wei never abandoned him at all. "Let's go home." "Where is home?" ahhh my heart. Ye Zun might have been the villain, but he deserved a hug. At least he got a happy ending – walking off with his brother, hand in hand.
Zhao Yunlan, recently widowed, sacrificed himself so the Guardian Lantern could be lit. Remember that bit earlier where they said the Hallows were given to Dixing so that they'd have more resources? Zhao Yunlan set himself on fire so Dixing could see dawn. (Also they were lost 10 years ago, apparently. The flame of the lantern was probably extinguished much before that.)
On Shen Wei's energy: very well foreshadowed in retrospect, even if I didn't realize his difficulty opening the portal was because his energy was no longer dark energy. It was probably also the reason he didn't/couldn't heal himself – Dixing is full of dark energy, and Shen Wei's had turned green. (Things to explore in fixit fic: was Shen Wei turning into a human, complete with giving up his powers and immortality, or simply changing power source to something that didn't work so well with Dixing?)
On the epilogue: I liked the endings Zhu Hong and Ya Qing got, as well as Minister Gao. Zhang Shi taking over the ghostless machine Zhao Yunlan left behind ... must have been soul-destroying for Zhao Xinci. Also awkward for Zhang Shi, being hailed as a hero for things he didn't do, even if he's 10k years old as well and taught by Ma Gui, the first of the guardians and also master of ensuring his portraits get preserved. Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi continued their life, and I think it was implied Guo Changcheng will eventually head the SID, even if there is less for the SID to investigate now. Maybe crimes committed by Yashou?
The final scene of Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan in that space out of time was nice and fitting, though they really really should have hugged. (They're even played by different actors, so none of the logistical body double difficulties of hugs like with Shen Wei and Ye Zun, but I guess the no homo requirements were strong.) It also leaves the possibility of a happily ever after where they just get tossed out by a wormhole into whatever era, so while the ending was tragic, it doesn't even require much fixing to make better. (I did also dream of fixit fic ideas, though. My main challenge is that I want Ye Zun to have a happy ending, too, so canon divergence it would have to be. I have ideas, but I'm still chewing on them. I'll write a few fics before reading the fandom tag.)
In conclusion: I know this has been ragged on for bad CGI, nonsensical plots, and bad editing, but honestly, it was entertaining, and the plots did make sense (giving allowances for CGI limitations). The main draw is Zhu Yilong's face, which he uses well, and Bai Yu can also act! Get into it for Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan emoting at each other and also brotherhood feels.
ETA: unanswered questions! Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's mother Shen Xi share a surname; was this a red herring, or are we supposed to divine that they're related? (Or, more likely, did Shen Wei completely lack a surname in the novel, and Zhao Yunlan gave him his mother's?) Did Ye Zun ever have a name, or was he always called Ye Zun? (Shen Ye?) Additionally, I kinda want fic that deals with why Ye Zun, "Lord of the Night", walks around in white clothes all the time. Merely a visual distinguishing feature + childhood nostalgia, or something else as well?
no subject
Date: 2018-11-11 22:15 (UTC)Ye Zun is another one whose quest for vengeance was just stupid (and I really want the story where after waking up Shen Wei goes to talk to him and they reconcile and work together to get Ye Zun out of the pillar.)
no subject
Date: 2018-11-12 18:23 (UTC)In conclusion, Ye Zun is my fave, and I want to give him a redemption arc. I have a few ideas already, at least one of which I'll turn into a fic...