Guardian re-watch (ep. 9 - 11)

[020104isme]

Random musings after watching the three episodes back to back.

I like that this is the part of the story where Zhao Yunlan starts to figure things out. The slow awakening of understanding and piecing the clues together was not introduced too soon into the show. By this point, it was believable.

Having said that, the adorable cannot be overlooked in every interaction of Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. I will forever approve of the use of blatant sleeping on shoulders.

I like the teasing of Little Guo interspersed with the map scene where his chief and his mentor are actually sort of training him. The moments of teamwork for the SID crew are again a reminder that - for most of them - there was life and a job to do before they crossed paths with Shen Wei.

Zhao Yunlan's protective nature for his people (not just Shen Wei) is demonstrated well.

I am still a bit bemused with Shen Wei and his alcohol intolerance. I know it was already touched on in the earlier episode when he's escorting a certain other drunk professor to a taxi. Since there is a bar type establishment in Dixing in a later episode, why is the all powerful Envoy different to others of his kind?

Comments

[rheasilvia]

These eps are among my favorites - for so many reasons. I LOVE how the show handles the development of the relationship, and how intense, complex and ambiguous Zhao Yunlan's feelings are for Shen Wei. Shen Wei's emotions are far more straightforward, but his behavior is ambiguous, and it's such a lovely complementary contrast.

And yes, it is also adorable. :-)

I also love Wang Zheng and her backstory!

why is the all powerful Envoy different to others of his kind?

I see it as nothing more than a personal idiosyncracy, and one that emphasizes that for all of his immense power, Shen Wei is still... not human, but the Dixingian equivalent. ;-) It's not that he's different; IMO it actually makes him more like other people that he has such ordinary quirks and weaknesses.

[trobadora]

I see it as nothing more than a personal idiosyncracy, and one that emphasizes that for all of his immense power, Shen Wei is still... not human, but the Dixingian equivalent.

Yes! That's exactly how I see it. He may be ridiculously overpowered, but he's still a normal person, and not immune to a normal person's weaknesses.

[020104isme]

Interesting point, I hadn't quite looked at it that way.

[bonibaru]

I like to think that he once ran into a Dixingren with the lame power of being a terrible drunk and he accidentally learned it and now can't unlearn it :D

[riventhorn]

lololol that would be the best

[qikiqtarjuaq]

It might just be a quirk of Shen Wei's that he is a total lightweight! Which I find adorable for some reason. (Although I guess the meta reason is that in the books, Shen Wei gets drunk and then things happen until Shen Wei ends up in the hospital and this was just their way of skipping those scenes XD)

[riventhorn]

I really enjoy how they handle Zhao Yunlan's dawning comprehension too. And how he definitely gets very frustrated with Shen Wei, but is also not willing to push Shen Wei too much and make him tell him because he can see how Shen Wei is struggling with the whole thing.

My favorite thing about the scene with the alcohol (this is when they're off in the "wilderness" right?) is that Shen Wei only drinks it because he can see how ZYL is being pressured into drinking when he doesn't want to keep doing so. Even though it leaves him totally defenseless and ZYL can pry into what he's trying to hide, Shen Wei isn't willing to let ZYL suffer.

[020104isme]

I must admit to liking that about the alcohol scene as well.