Focus on Supporting Characters - character claims round three!

[trobadora]

Want to share your love for one of the other Guardian characters and host a Focus on Supporting Characters discussion post? Here's where to sign up for round three: Dealer's Choice Redux!

Hosting simply means making a short post about your character (there's a template below, if you're not sure where to start) and replying to comments. If you want to include screencaps and can't make or find your own, we can help with that.

Index of previous character discussions.

Characterisation and backstory may differ between novel and drama - and some characters only exist in one or other canon. You don't need to know both canons to host - you can base your post on either or both, and the discussion will be open to both. People new to the fandom are more than welcome! Be aware that discussions may contain spoilers for the whole drama and for the novel.

Posts should go live sometime on the Friday or Saturday, according to the schedule below.

Template (optional)

<i>Subj:</i> Focus on: [Character name]: [optional quote] [A few facts about the character and their canon relationships. Maybe some quotes by or about the character. You can include drama timestamps or novel chapter references, if you want.] [screencap] [discussion starters, e.g. things you like or don't like about them, things you find interesting about them, questions ...] [links to favourite fics, art, vids, meta, picspams etc. about the character, if you have them] <b>So - come and talk about [character]!</b> Share links to meta, picspams, and related fanworks, new or old! Self-recs whole-heartedly encouraged. Basically, this is the place for anything you want to say or link to about [character]. <b>Important:</b> If you're commenting with meta/discussion/thoughts, please say whether you're coming from a novel perspective, a drama perspective, or a blend of the two, so we don't end up talking past each other. Thanks!

We’ve already covered the SID members, Ye Zun, Li Qian, Dong Nan, Zhu Jiu, Ye Huo, the Regent, Zhao Xinci, Ya Qing, and (upcoming) Fourth Uncle. Any other character except Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei is fair game, including one-offs. For example, Cheng Xinyan, Cong Bo, Lao-Li, Ying Chun (and the Flower Tribe generally), Sha Ya, Ding Dun, Da Ji, Ma Gui, etc. Note: You can claim a combination of side characters if their stories are inextricably entangled, such as Wang Yike and Zhang Ruonan, or Tan Xiao and Zheng Yi.

For a list of drama characters and descriptions, see extrapenguin's Dramatis Personae. (Does anyone know of a similar or supplementary list for the novel?)

Comment here to claim a character and date!

Sign-ups:

26/27 June: Mi Lu, extrapenguin
3/4 July: Fu You, waterscroll
10/11 July: Lao-Li, sakana17
17/18 July: Tan Xiao & Zheng Yi, maggie33
24/25 July: Cheng Xinyan, extrapenguin
31 July/1 August:
7/8 August: Ying Chun, trobadora
14/15 August: Wang Xiangyang & Bai Suxia, china_shop

Also, china_shop has called dibs on Ji Xiaobai and Zhou Weiwei - date to be determined.

Once we near the end of this round, we'll make another sign-up post.

Comments

[extrapenguin]

I think I'm going for Mi Lu on the 26th/27th.

[trobadora]

Excellent! Looking forward to looking more closely at her.

[sakana17]

I'd like to do Lao Li for 10/11 July.

[trobadora]

Oh, cool! Got it. :)

[china_shop]

I'll take Wang Xiangyang and Bai Suxia on 14/15 August. :-)

[trobadora]

Great! You've got it. :)

[maggie33]

I'll take Tan Xiao and Zheng Yi for 17/18 July

[trobadora]

Fabulous! Got you. :)

[trobadora]

I'll take Ying Chun for 7/8 August.

[extrapenguin]

For future reference: I made a list with strikethroughs about characters already claimed vs available characters. It's basically the dramatis personae plus the barkeep. (And for future rounds, it might be worth thinking about whether the Hallows count as a character? I think one could make an interesting post on them.)

[trobadora]

Thank you, that's an excellent resource!

Going to have a think about the Hallows ... that could definitely be an interesting discussion.

[china_shop]

And for future rounds, it might be worth thinking about whether the Hallows count as a character?

Were you thinking individually or en masse? I'd be interested in separate discussions on each of them, personally -- and maybe how they work in concert, too?

[extrapenguin]

My original thought was en masse (provenance, why they were made, etc), but I can see how discussions on them individually would also be interesting! Even if there's not much on e.g. the Guardian Lantern.

[china_shop]

Even if there's not much on e.g. the Guardian Lantern.

That's okay -- we can always speculate wildly. *g*

*makes a note for next round* Thanks for the suggestion! (Ooh, we could do the Guardian Treaty, too...)

[waterscroll]

I'll take Fu You for July 3/4. I'll definitely need help with screencaps, thank you

[trobadora]

Excellent, yay! Looking forward to this.

If you give us time stamps, we can make screencaps for you. :)

[extrapenguin]

I went to check if I'd taken caps of her for my rewatchalongs, and found two:
ep 34, ep 40, plus Ma Gui only in ep 38 (Fu You turns up later in the scene).

[waterscroll]

Thank you! I'm going to grab the one from episode 40.

[extrapenguin]

If duplicates are allowed at this point, then Cheng Xinyan for 24/25th July.

[trobadora]

Sure thing! You've got it. :)

[china_shop]

I can do Ji Xiaobai and Zhou Weiwei on 31 July/1 August, if no one else wants that spot. :-)

[trobadora]

Great! Do you want me to put you on the list, or should I leave it open in case someone else would like it?

[china_shop]

Can I book the characters but not the dates? That way I can start prepping, and if someone else comes along, I'll just save it for next round.

[trobadora]

Sounds good!