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sid_guardian2019-09-26 07:58 pm
extrapenguin) wrote in sid_guardian2019-09-26 07:58 pm
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Guardian Episode by Episode: 29
Welcome to the rewatchalong! This week we watch episode 29. The Imgur screencap album has 40 images. Please tell me what you think about the Thursday vs Friday scheduling!
Previously on:
Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28
This week, we have Merit Brush endgame. Finally.
Characterization
Let's start by a peek into research! Professor Ouyang informs Li Qian that she must ignore all outside stuff and focus only on research. Li Qian probably wishes she'd stuck as Professor Shen's student; he at least was more concerned for her well-being.
Meanwhile in Dixing, Wu Xiaojun yells at Ye Zun because Ye Zun hurt his dad; dad has to bail him out. The next time they're at Ye Zun's pillar, he instakills Wu Tian'en. Oops.
Ye Zun ate Gao Tianyu (from episode 2) and got his gravity powers. Either Gao Tianyu's powers were famous, Wu Xiaojun knew Gao Tianyu and his powers, or everyone in Dixing Just Knows everyone else's powers, which is interesting, considering that there's 900k of them. (It also seems to imply that Dixing powers are unique, or partially so!)
Ye Zun discovers his true calling as a weeaboo and cosplays the Groke from Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka.
Wang Xiangyang-wise, I am very glad we're rid of him! The whole thing with him hating Zhao Xinci due to not understanding blood types is just stupid. I mean, sure, they did go out of their way to establish Wang Xiangyang as stupid and Bai Suxia as morosexual, but blood types are so very basic that it's unbelievable that he'd not have come across them ever before. Like, seriously. Please.
Zhao Xinci and Zhang Shi aren't even pretending to be the same person while in peril – I suppose Zhang Shi, while he could bzzt into someone else and survive, would like to see Zhao Xinci live as well. Zhao Xinci's take is that debating past actions is pointless, while Zhang Shi is very much into the Envoy-approved "It's not too late to turn back" stuff, and everyone can see the double personality.
He also gets the Metalest Line Award: "I can stay silent but I can't have you die stupid."
Shen Wei gets to be useful in figuring out the phone box riddle with Lin Jing and is happy and smug about it. When they use the solution to find Minister Gao, however, he looks shocked after probing Minister Gao with dark energy – are his own reserves low, or did he not expect what he found?
Zhao Yunlan uses "Praise." It's super effective!
When Ye Zun is released/quasi-free due to energy reactors forming, he immediately goes to Dixing to try and stuff his brother back into the pillar, and correctly identifies that the SID will be in deeper shit now (due to Ye Zun getting out on their watch and also freer operations for Team Ye Zun). So he tells Zhao Yunlan to stay out of (greater) harm's way and stay in Haixing and defend from attacks in all directions. He's also alert and tactful enough to give Sha Ya and Hua Yuzhu some space to discuss stuff in private (after suggesting not even that they participate in his catch-and-release program but just in his don't-catch program).
"When I say that I'm 'distracted and likely to not notice happenings around me', I mean 'just sod off so I can shrug at the Regent and say that I had more urgent concerns than those two'. Shoo! Shoo!"
On Hua Yuzhu's tale: Sha Ya correctly identifies Gu Ban as a coward, but I'm left wondering why the hell Hua Yuzhu didn't tell even part of the tale to Sha Ya? She knew she had a very vengeful friend who was all raeg at everything, why didn't she say anything that might at least attempt to nip any potential getting into trouble in the bud?!
Oh, and another thing: how does the revolver work on humans? Based on Zhao Xinci's reactions to Random Assailant shooting Gu Ban, he thought Gu Ban was a human, and told Hua Yuzhu to call an ambulance. So: would a human being shot in the head just cause a concussion? It's not a regular-effect bullet, cf Zhao Yunlan's comments in the Fight Club episodes, but what is it?
Zhao Yunlan's initial reaction to Shen Wei saying he'll go to Dixing alone is that he wants to follow, because he just went through a harrowing 24h of thinking he might lose his Dad and he doesn't want to relive that waiting for another loved one, and he's been awake for at least 18 hours at this point and direly needs a nap. As he recognizes the need for him in Haixing, he pivots to telling Shen Wei to come back alive.
"Come back alive, or we'll organize you the most embarrassing funeral imaginable just to make you come back from the dead to interrupt it."
What this episode is about, however, is Zhao Yunlan's relationship with his father. He thinks about his dad's lesson on clues (lost dog flashback) to give him inspiration to seek out the next batch of clues that'll lead them to their destination. He does his best to be the Good Son and offers to be sacrificed in his father's place. Zhao Xinci, on the other hand, keeps saying Zhao Yunlan won't come (doesn't want Zhao Yunlan to come), and then tries to insult Zhao Yunlan out of his self-sacrifice by going for the jugular. Neither of them wants to see the other one die. Then they tag team to rescue Wang Xiangyang from falling off the building.
Sometimes, love is pain, and sometimes, love is causing pain.
Timeline
13:00 Get keys
17:00 Find the Jeep in daylight
17:04 Guo Ying carries off Minister Gao on his back in the dark with nary a minion in sight
24:00 Showdown on the rooftop
Canon details
Cinematography
There's a shot where we switch from Zhao Yunlan sitting on a desk, the camera stably horizontal, to a heavily diagonal shot of Wang Xiangyang on the roof. The switch to diagonals makes the scene look unbalanced and unstable, and often represents unease.
A man acting on a lie.
When we get to the aftermath of the Merit Brush thing, we get the secrets-shot through a framing device.
The secret is that Ye Zun has found the quick release button for his phallic monument.
We get a few nice shots from afar:
Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan asking Fourth Uncle to give them Ya Qing's car keys. Ye Zun pretending he's a smoky cloud.
And a shot from above:
Guo Ying demonstrates devotion to his boss by carrying said boss on his back all alone.
but all in all, this isn't a very cinematographically technique-filled episode. I do wish to share some nice shots, however:
Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
Just the one jacket he's worn through the day.
Did Shen Wei take off his glasses?
No.
Previously on:
Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28
This week, we have Merit Brush endgame. Finally.
Characterization
Let's start by a peek into research! Professor Ouyang informs Li Qian that she must ignore all outside stuff and focus only on research. Li Qian probably wishes she'd stuck as Professor Shen's student; he at least was more concerned for her well-being.
Meanwhile in Dixing, Wu Xiaojun yells at Ye Zun because Ye Zun hurt his dad; dad has to bail him out. The next time they're at Ye Zun's pillar, he instakills Wu Tian'en. Oops.
Ye Zun ate Gao Tianyu (from episode 2) and got his gravity powers. Either Gao Tianyu's powers were famous, Wu Xiaojun knew Gao Tianyu and his powers, or everyone in Dixing Just Knows everyone else's powers, which is interesting, considering that there's 900k of them. (It also seems to imply that Dixing powers are unique, or partially so!)
Ye Zun discovers his true calling as a weeaboo and cosplays the Groke from Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka.
Wang Xiangyang-wise, I am very glad we're rid of him! The whole thing with him hating Zhao Xinci due to not understanding blood types is just stupid. I mean, sure, they did go out of their way to establish Wang Xiangyang as stupid and Bai Suxia as morosexual, but blood types are so very basic that it's unbelievable that he'd not have come across them ever before. Like, seriously. Please.
Zhao Xinci and Zhang Shi aren't even pretending to be the same person while in peril – I suppose Zhang Shi, while he could bzzt into someone else and survive, would like to see Zhao Xinci live as well. Zhao Xinci's take is that debating past actions is pointless, while Zhang Shi is very much into the Envoy-approved "It's not too late to turn back" stuff, and everyone can see the double personality.
He also gets the Metalest Line Award: "I can stay silent but I can't have you die stupid."
Shen Wei gets to be useful in figuring out the phone box riddle with Lin Jing and is happy and smug about it. When they use the solution to find Minister Gao, however, he looks shocked after probing Minister Gao with dark energy – are his own reserves low, or did he not expect what he found?
Zhao Yunlan uses "Praise." It's super effective!
When Ye Zun is released/quasi-free due to energy reactors forming, he immediately goes to Dixing to try and stuff his brother back into the pillar, and correctly identifies that the SID will be in deeper shit now (due to Ye Zun getting out on their watch and also freer operations for Team Ye Zun). So he tells Zhao Yunlan to stay out of (greater) harm's way and stay in Haixing and defend from attacks in all directions. He's also alert and tactful enough to give Sha Ya and Hua Yuzhu some space to discuss stuff in private (after suggesting not even that they participate in his catch-and-release program but just in his don't-catch program).
"When I say that I'm 'distracted and likely to not notice happenings around me', I mean 'just sod off so I can shrug at the Regent and say that I had more urgent concerns than those two'. Shoo! Shoo!"
On Hua Yuzhu's tale: Sha Ya correctly identifies Gu Ban as a coward, but I'm left wondering why the hell Hua Yuzhu didn't tell even part of the tale to Sha Ya? She knew she had a very vengeful friend who was all raeg at everything, why didn't she say anything that might at least attempt to nip any potential getting into trouble in the bud?!
Oh, and another thing: how does the revolver work on humans? Based on Zhao Xinci's reactions to Random Assailant shooting Gu Ban, he thought Gu Ban was a human, and told Hua Yuzhu to call an ambulance. So: would a human being shot in the head just cause a concussion? It's not a regular-effect bullet, cf Zhao Yunlan's comments in the Fight Club episodes, but what is it?
Zhao Yunlan's initial reaction to Shen Wei saying he'll go to Dixing alone is that he wants to follow, because he just went through a harrowing 24h of thinking he might lose his Dad and he doesn't want to relive that waiting for another loved one, and he's been awake for at least 18 hours at this point and direly needs a nap. As he recognizes the need for him in Haixing, he pivots to telling Shen Wei to come back alive.
"Come back alive, or we'll organize you the most embarrassing funeral imaginable just to make you come back from the dead to interrupt it."
What this episode is about, however, is Zhao Yunlan's relationship with his father. He thinks about his dad's lesson on clues (lost dog flashback) to give him inspiration to seek out the next batch of clues that'll lead them to their destination. He does his best to be the Good Son and offers to be sacrificed in his father's place. Zhao Xinci, on the other hand, keeps saying Zhao Yunlan won't come (doesn't want Zhao Yunlan to come), and then tries to insult Zhao Yunlan out of his self-sacrifice by going for the jugular. Neither of them wants to see the other one die. Then they tag team to rescue Wang Xiangyang from falling off the building.
Sometimes, love is pain, and sometimes, love is causing pain.
Timeline
13:00 Get keys
17:00 Find the Jeep in daylight
17:04 Guo Ying carries off Minister Gao on his back in the dark with nary a minion in sight
24:00 Showdown on the rooftop
Canon details
- In Dragon City, the sun sets fully in about 4 minutes – at 17:00 it's broad daylight, at 17:04 it's already night/darkish twilight
- Bai Suxia died of massive bleeding, but was it the taxi making her stumble or just random bad luck?
- Minister Gao says he's in big trouble, so he has higher-ups somewhere
- The Merit Brush can be used to build energy reactors that break down the barrier around the Sky Pillar, not just buffing everyone's powers
Cinematography
There's a shot where we switch from Zhao Yunlan sitting on a desk, the camera stably horizontal, to a heavily diagonal shot of Wang Xiangyang on the roof. The switch to diagonals makes the scene look unbalanced and unstable, and often represents unease.
A man acting on a lie.
When we get to the aftermath of the Merit Brush thing, we get the secrets-shot through a framing device.
The secret is that Ye Zun has found the quick release button for his phallic monument.
We get a few nice shots from afar:
Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan asking Fourth Uncle to give them Ya Qing's car keys. Ye Zun pretending he's a smoky cloud.
And a shot from above:
Guo Ying demonstrates devotion to his boss by carrying said boss on his back all alone.
but all in all, this isn't a very cinematographically technique-filled episode. I do wish to share some nice shots, however:
Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
Just the one jacket he's worn through the day.
Did Shen Wei take off his glasses?
No.
no subject
That is interesting! Though maybe the guys who went to the surface also become... famous to some degree, so there's some selective knowledge going on?
"I can stay silent but I can't have you die stupid."
This is so great! Probably this guy's best line.
Shen Wei solving the phone booth riddle is THE CUTEST. He looks so pleased with himself! And it's such a nice little touch that he's definitely your guy for phone booth technology!
after suggesting not even that they participate in his catch-and-release program but just in his don't-catch program
LOL! I also totally love that he gives them some privacy for their conversation. Such a nice Envoy.
Zhao Yunlan's initial reaction to Shen Wei saying he'll go to Dixing alone is that he wants to follow, because he just went through a harrowing 24h of thinking he might lose his Dad and he doesn't want to relive that waiting for another loved one, and he's been awake for at least 18 hours at this point and direly needs a nap.
You know, with the way the cases don't match episode length, I don't think I ever fully appreciated that these two things do follow each other in such close proximity? Thanks for pointing that out. That makes the ensuing Pillar Wait even worse for poor Zhao Yunlan, which I didn't think possible, but it's a very good point.
He does his best to be the Good Son and offers to be sacrificed in his father's place. Zhao Xinci, on the other hand, keeps saying Zhao Yunlan won't come (doesn't want Zhao Yunlan to come), and then tries to insult Zhao Yunlan out of his self-sacrifice by going for the jugular.
I find this scene so utterly heartbreaking for Zhao Yunlan. Both he and his father are trying to play the villain, and they know that about each other - so Zhao Yunlan knows his dad is trying to manipulate this guy, and yet the horrible things he's saying are totally hitting him in his weakest spot and he can't help have a reaction. It's so heartbreaking.
One random thing that struck me as pretty funny in all the sadness: Zhao Yunlan wants to take Shen Wei to the hospital for a finger prick, but the minister who was abducted by major bad guys is left to sleep off his abduction on the couch!
I also wonder, as one does, how long that car has been around there and why nobody has removed it...
no subject
Maybe! Or Gao Tianyu was famous for some other reason, like being a colossal asshole. *g*
Yes! And tbh it sort of supports my headcanon that it's not that he can't use a phone, he just doesn't want to, because a phone is a tracking device and he doesn't want people to look too closely at how he disappears into Dixing or portals across the city too hard.
Yup! Actually, I think that after episode 28, we basically get a full run of Zhao Yunlan getting run ragged trying to prevent the apocalypse. (Save for a breather in episode 33?, where he rescues Shen Wei from the pillar and they get the evening off before Ye Zun turns up in his gege cosplay.)
Of course! Shen Wei already checked if the minister guy was okay using dark energy, and Guo Ying was coming to carry him to hospital anyway. Whereas with the finger pricking, had Zhao Yunlan not nobly stepped up to the occasion, who would've taken care of the stunning Professor Shen? Every distressed
damselprofessor needs a knight in shining armor, after all!My personal theory is that it was removed, and the reason it took so long to start this was that Ya Qing had to track down the blasted thing and drive it into place. *g*