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sid_guardian2019-02-22 08:20 pm
extrapenguin) wrote in sid_guardian2019-02-22 08:20 pm
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Guardian Episode by Episode: 01
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iconbattles!Please note that this episode-by-episode watchalong is more of a re-watchalong, as I'll be discussing things a lot from a foreshadowy perspective. This one will have notes on the cinematography, introductions, and characterization, mostly. As a companion, I also have a screencap album on Imgur.
Introductions
The first introduction we get is that of Shen Wei.
What with the sly looks and later the half-smiles while talking to Professor Ouyang, I cannot help but interpret this as a Villain Introduction. Like, this is how I'd expect a show to introduce its main villain. (Shen Wei is also dressed considerably more palely than his usual fare here, which might be foreshadowing Ye Zun? IDK.) They're essentially putting a huge neon bulb saying there's something up with this dude.
Then, we get Guo Changcheng, meeting Zhao Yunlan and the rest of the SID.
We see Guo Changcheng as being a hapless scaredycat, and also framed as the protagonist here. (Had I not known he wasn't, I'd have considered rage quitting, tbh.) Zhao Yunlan, we get to know as someone uncomfortably touchy and boundary-crossing, a bad boy rebel who rides a motorbike – and then reveals to the rest of the team that they're to tolerate Guo Chengcheng, because the boy's uncle is a minister, and we must suck up to power if we are to get that new location.
Looking at the rest of the SID's introductions, Zhu Hong, Wang Zheng, and lao-Li get introductions accurate to who they are in the rest of the canon, pretty much, but Lin Jing doesn't – he's framed as much more terrifying here, and his hair is Einstein-like after-an-explosion rather than his usual hairstyle.
The final SID member introduced is Chu Shuzhi! He gets to have a big damn heroes moment where he saves damsel in distress Guo Changcheng and Li Qian's gramma. Then he snarls grumpily at the useless newbie.
Characterization notes
Zhao Yunlan is very clearly someone who puts on a mask and never takes it off. He's very much a performance, all the way through, and his compliments of Guo Changcheng all ring false. We also see him ask for the local cops to call him "xiao-Zhao" instead of "Chief Zhao", likely an indication of him only recently stepping into the post, and still thinking of Chief Zhao as being his father.
Another thing to note is that Zhao Yunlan is not at all enthused to see the Black-Cloaked Envoy appear, even if he calls him a good friend to his face (so Guo Changcheng doesn't get taken to Dixing prison for being rude).
Shen Wei is not behaving like a regular professor towards Li Qian at all. He's basically adopted the kid; nothing else makes sense. He walks her to classes and asks about her home life! (Contrast this to how he treats Guo Changcheng when the latter interrupts his dramatic exist as the Envoy.) Then, when she asks him if it's worth doing everything in your power to protect someone, he says that yes it is, always.
Also, please note this important piece of Professorial disguise:
Another thing of note is that Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan almost immediately fall into their ... probing, slippery-evasive-battle of wits manner of conversation. Of note is their third conversation, where Shen Wei straight-up asks whether Zhao Yunlan considers Dixingians to be people "like us", and then Zhao Yunlan evades the question by complimenting Professor Shen's wide knowledge base.
Cinematography
In this episode the show loves framing shots through doorways, windows, etc...
...and also from below.
Canon details
- Dixingians and Yashous' ancestors arrived on Earth over 10k years ago, and are much fewer in number than humans
- Professor Ouyang and his friend Professor Zhou (Shen Wei's mentor and likely thesis supervisor) know about Dixingians
- Guo Changcheng is 24 "this year", so he might be 23 still at the start
- hints are dropped that the arrival of the Proto-Dixing-Yashou spaceship caused a technological breakthrough of some sort
phyrry has informed us that the Envoy's weapon is a sha yu tou dao/yutoudao (shark-head saber/fish-head saber). Here are some shots of the butt of the pole and its silhouette:
Zhao Yunlan jacket watch
Two! Though he wears the first one twice, with a leather jacket in between.
Did Shen Wei appear maskless?
Yes! We see Shen Wei maskless (no glasses, no mask) when he's looking at Zhao Yunlan's data sheet.
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Haha, but that last point is probably the main reason ZYL is willing to give Dixing the benefit of the doubt at all. *g*
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