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sid_guardian2019-05-05 06:55 pm
in_the_bottle) wrote in sid_guardian2019-05-05 06:55 pm
Entry tags:
Rabbit Hole that is this show/novel...
Hi, I'm new here all thanks to bonibaru. Anyway, I posted a version of the below to my f-list earlier and thought I should share it here. Its mostly just squeeing and comparing the series to the novel.
So, I've basically disappeared down the rabbit hole that is Guardian in the last week. I started watching the show Sunday last week, finished it around Thursday night, had a bit of a crisis over it on twitter and I went back to the source material and for the first time in a looooong time, I read a Chinese novel.
Aaaaanyway, the novel? MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE! There were quite a few things in the show that had me going WTF, like the fact that Zhao Yunlan is the Zhenhun Ling Zhu (how was that translated in the subs??), but its never really explained WTF is the Zhenhun Ling?! At least I didn't noticed it in the series? It seemed like he was just suddenly referred to as Zhenhun Ling Zhu and that was it? But its all properly set out and explained in the novel!
And Shen Wei's necklace? That utterly WTF explanation in the TV series? Well, in the novel, Kun Lun is Zhao Yunlan's past life, and that necklace contains part of Kun Lun's eternal soul that was given to Shen Wei by Kun Lun. I mean, ADSKHASHD!!11!!?!
The thing is, the setting in the novel is completely different from the TV show. The novel is pretty much supernatural and the Chinese origins of universe mythos that is also heavily influenced by a lot of Chinese beliefs/superstitious and religious (Taoist) practices (come to think of it, quite a bit of Buddhism as well), while the TV series is definitely more sci-fi. And when you try to adapt supernatural into sci-fi, some stuff just don't translate well and as it was in this case, makes no sense. I remember I kept thinking "WTF is a Zhenhun Ling?!?" but if it was ever explained in the series, I missed it.
Also, THEY HAVE A HAPPY ENDING IN THE NOVEL AFTER ALL THAT H/C!! My god, Shen Wei is just a big huge woobie across all universes I think.
There're a few post main story small 'slice of life' type scenes set after the novel, and one of the longer ones have them trapped in alternate time-loop bubbles that Zhao Yunlan had to basically live through in a what's essentially a seriously prolonged game of "spot the difference/black cat moment" that ranges from 10 minutes to 10,000 years, and I choose to believe that the TV series adaptation is one of those time-loop bubbles that he had to live through. Sure as hell made more sense in my head! :D
So yeah, my brain is just all Zhao Yunlan/Shen Wei at this point. HELP!
bonibaru. Anyway, I posted a version of the below to my f-list earlier and thought I should share it here. Its mostly just squeeing and comparing the series to the novel. So, I've basically disappeared down the rabbit hole that is Guardian in the last week. I started watching the show Sunday last week, finished it around Thursday night, had a bit of a crisis over it on twitter and I went back to the source material and for the first time in a looooong time, I read a Chinese novel.
Aaaaanyway, the novel? MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE! There were quite a few things in the show that had me going WTF, like the fact that Zhao Yunlan is the Zhenhun Ling Zhu (how was that translated in the subs??), but its never really explained WTF is the Zhenhun Ling?! At least I didn't noticed it in the series? It seemed like he was just suddenly referred to as Zhenhun Ling Zhu and that was it? But its all properly set out and explained in the novel!
And Shen Wei's necklace? That utterly WTF explanation in the TV series? Well, in the novel, Kun Lun is Zhao Yunlan's past life, and that necklace contains part of Kun Lun's eternal soul that was given to Shen Wei by Kun Lun. I mean, ADSKHASHD!!11!!?!
The thing is, the setting in the novel is completely different from the TV show. The novel is pretty much supernatural and the Chinese origins of universe mythos that is also heavily influenced by a lot of Chinese beliefs/superstitious and religious (Taoist) practices (come to think of it, quite a bit of Buddhism as well), while the TV series is definitely more sci-fi. And when you try to adapt supernatural into sci-fi, some stuff just don't translate well and as it was in this case, makes no sense. I remember I kept thinking "WTF is a Zhenhun Ling?!?" but if it was ever explained in the series, I missed it.
Also, THEY HAVE A HAPPY ENDING IN THE NOVEL AFTER ALL THAT H/C!! My god, Shen Wei is just a big huge woobie across all universes I think.
There're a few post main story small 'slice of life' type scenes set after the novel, and one of the longer ones have them trapped in alternate time-loop bubbles that Zhao Yunlan had to basically live through in a what's essentially a seriously prolonged game of "spot the difference/black cat moment" that ranges from 10 minutes to 10,000 years, and I choose to believe that the TV series adaptation is one of those time-loop bubbles that he had to live through. Sure as hell made more sense in my head! :D
So yeah, my brain is just all Zhao Yunlan/Shen Wei at this point. HELP!
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Ah, Merlin... that was quite a few fandoms ago but yeah, I was into it for a while. I have so many fandoms... :D