30 Days of Guardian

[extrapenguin]

15. Villain you’d like redeemed or whose redemption you liked
I think I'll treat this as two questions!

Villain whose redemption you liked
I don't think we saw anyone but Ya Qing actually reform properly? (And even she didn't have the remorse phase "redemption" might typically imply.) It was nice, though not that epically amazing, as she was a secondary character and the narrative was busy at that point.

Villain you’d like redeemed
Zhu Jiu! He was very super loyal to the Black-Cloaked Envoy until he was made to doubt the Envoy's good intentions towards Dixing, at which point he became super duper loyal towards his new boss Ye Zun. As loyalty kink is my catnip, I would like for this vehicle of loyalty kink to redeem and reform himself, and try to reform his boss as well because loyalty.

1. Favorite episode
2. Favorite case
3. Least favorite case
4. Favorite Holy Tools arc
5. Least favorite Holy Tools arc
6. Which character would you resurrect?
7. Favorite SID member
8. Favorite guest character(s)
9. Favorite piece of worldbuilding
10. Favorite rarepair
11. Favorite headcanon
12. Least favorite headcanon
13. Favorite main villain
14. Favorite minor character relationship
15. Villain you’d like redeemed or whose redemption you liked
16. Favorite conversation between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei
17. Favorite bit missed on first watch but picked up on rewatch
18. Least favorite villain
19. Least favorite character
20. Most appealing point for a canon divergence AU
21. Favorite point of characterization
22. Favorite science moment
23. Wwhich two characters who didn't meet should have, and how might that scene go?
24. The one thing you most wish they'd expanded on because it was a cool idea and needed more details
25. Favorite fashion moment
26. What Dixing power do you wish would've existed in the show?
27. What minor plot arc should have gotten another episode, and why?
28. Thoughts and feelings on the ending
29. Favorite interpretation of why the Hallows do the things they do
30. Favorite unanswered question (and what you want the answer to be)

Comments

[phyrry]

Yeah, there wasn't really a lot of attention paid to what went on with Ya Qing at the end. She basically joined up with the Yashou for the election sacred wood ritual and then fell into line under Zhu Hong's leadership. It was a little disappointing, given she was the villain with the best plans, but at least she came out of everything alive and well, which is more than I can say for some people.

I have a lot of ideas for what to do with Zhu Jiu. Getting himself et to get his boss out of prison, while entirely in character, was also entirely unsatisfying. I would have liked an episode or two of Zhu Jiu interacting with de-pillared Ye Zun and following him around like a lovestruck puppy, at the very least.

[extrapenguin]

Yeah, Ya Qing got a happy ending, which was nice for her. I really wish the last 5 eps would've had more screentime devoted to them...

I would have liked an episode or two of Zhu Jiu interacting with de-pillared Ye Zun and following him around like a lovestruck puppy, at the very least.
Same! Or lovestruck puppy slowly realizing its master isn't actually that great. Or a minion who wants to cuddle his master! (Zhu Jiu canonically held on to Zhao Yunlan's shoulder; surely we could've gotten some canonical villain-minion touching and Ye Zun a hug?)

[phyrry]

I really wish the last 5 eps would've had more screentime devoted to them...
The end could have used another five episodes to expand on a lot of what happened, but then there'd be more melodrama too, so... tradeoffs.

Really, I think the biggest problem with the Yashou is that they weren't that important to the story - the focus was on Dixing and Haixing and the Yashou hung around in the background waiting for their time to be relevant. And it never quite came. I'd love to see some post-epilogue fic (with a fix-it that doesn't cut off Dixing) where they take their place as one of the three nations. (I'm kindasorta writing one, but that part is so far away it may as well not exist right now.)

Or lovestruck puppy slowly realizing its master isn't actually that great. Or a minion who wants to cuddle his master! (Zhu Jiu canonically held on to Zhao Yunlan's shoulder; surely we could've gotten some canonical villain-minion touching and Ye Zun a hug?)
There were a lot of ways to take those two! I'm fond of unreasonably loyal!Zhu Jiu due to the mind control. There's a great opportunity for a fic where it slowly wears off and Zhu Jiu puts together what his boss is REALLY trying to do, along with a better understanding of what's going on in Dixing politics (between the Lord, Regent, and Envoy), then finally does a heel-face turn and goes to Zhao Yunlan for help.

[extrapenguin]

Really, I think the biggest problem with the Yashou is that they weren't that important to the story - the focus was on Dixing and Haixing and the Yashou hung around in the background waiting for their time to be relevant. And it never quite came.
That is an apt summary, yes. And I can see why Ya Qing would want to bring them out of the background!

There's a great opportunity for a fic where it slowly wears off and Zhu Jiu puts together what his boss is REALLY trying to do, along with a better understanding of what's going on in Dixing politics (between the Lord, Regent, and Envoy), then finally does a heel-face turn and goes to Zhao Yunlan for help.
Yesssss ♥

[jo_lasalle]

I don't think we saw anyone but Ya Qing actually reform properly? (And even she didn't have the remorse phase "redemption" might typically imply.) It was nice, though not that epically amazing, as she was a secondary character and the narrative was busy at that point.

I rewatched the last three episodes last night, and for the first time noticed right at the end, when Zhu Hong is opening that Yashou tribe meeting, that Ya Qing gives her this totally bright, fond smile - it's a very interesting expression different from anything else we see from her on the show. I kind of assume there might have been a bit more actual reforming going on in the timejump year; it's true that everyone was busy being in a fight, and even people who might not have been satisfied with her "redemption" given that she did quite a bit of murdering weren't in a position to look a gift ally in the mouth.

[extrapenguin]

I rewatched the last three episodes last night, and for the first time noticed right at the end, when Zhu Hong is opening that Yashou tribe meeting, that Ya Qing gives her this totally bright, fond smile - it's a very interesting expression different from anything else we see from her on the show.
Ooh, yeah, that's interesting! I do think we're meant to gather that Zhu Hong's leadership has been good for the Yashou and that Ya Qing approves. IDK about reforming, but that'd certainly be logical.