shadaras (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shadaras) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sid_guardian2021-07-30 12:06 pm
shadaras) wrote in sid_guardian2021-07-30 12:06 pm
Entry tags:
Focus On: Chu Shuzhi Tries to Scare Guo Changcheng (by Pretending to be a Cannibal), Episode 32
This scene takes place in episode 32, from 20:53-24:45.
I’m using the community’s subs as my reference for dialogue. There are a mildly gratuitous number of screenshots because I really like Chu Shuzhi.
Lead-up
The scenes leading up to this conversation are Chu Shuzhi confronting the Regent about where Shen Wei is (wherein we are told he’s three days away from being released from the chunqiu shackles/his punishment), and Chu Shuzhi discovering that Chu Nianzhi’s puppet is gone (and getting understandably upset) and yelling at the Regent over this.
The Regent tells us that Chu Shuzhi was jailed for manslaughter (something Chu Shuzhi says he doesn’t want to repeat) and that Ye Zun has the puppet.
The Scene
Chu Shuzhi stomps through the streets of Dixing, Guo Changcheng hurrying behind. When Guo Changcheng calls his name, Chu Shuzhi stops with a dramatic sigh and eye-roll. He turns to face Guo Changcheng and why he’s still following; doesn’t he know who Chu Shuzhi is?
Guo Changcheng stutters out that he knows, and then says “No, no, I don’t know,” and continues to stammer as he tries to figure out what to say.
Chu Shuzhi interrupts him, shouting, “Didn’t you hear me? I’m a murderer!”
As Guo Changcheng continues not-quite-crying, Chu Shuzhi stalks in and says, “I don’t just kill people.”
He grabs Guo Changcheng by the back of his neck and draws him closer (which is quite sexy of him) before adding, “I also eat them.”
Guo Changcheng looks terrified as Chu Shuzhi really gets into this, asking if Guo Changcheng’s ever eaten human flesh while staring at Guo Changcheng’s neck like he’s about to chomp down.
Chu Shuzhi circles around behind Guo Changcheng while describing how “smooth and tender” human flesh is.
Then Chu Shuzhi grabs him and talks about how chewy cartilage is.
His diction slows as he talks about how fresh meat is so nice and warm, and then Chu Shuzhi chuckles, strokes his thumb along Guo Changcheng’s neck, and sniffs at Guo Changcheng’s ear.
Then he calls himself a man-eating demon, and Guo Changcheng really looks like he’s about to cry.
Chu Shuzhi laughs and ruffles Guo Changcheng’s hair, then lets his hand slide down Guo Changcheng’s shoulder before he begins to walk away.
Guo Changcheng, still very frightened, scurries along behind him. Chu Shuzhi pauses, as if in disbelief, then turns to look at Guo Changcheng and asks, “What, you really want me to eat you?”
Guo Changcheng doesn’t say anything. Chu Shuzhi turns, and keeps walking, and Guo Changcheng continues to follow. This time, Chu Shuzhi shouts, “Run away before I get mad.”
Guo Changcheng responds to this. He’s terrified, but he says, “No,” because Zhao Yunlan told him to follow Chu Shuzhi and he’s going to do it no matter what.
Chu Shuzhi turns and grabs Guo Changcheng by the chin, palm against his neck, and rushes him backwards; it looks like he’s carrying more of Guo Changcheng’s weight than Guo Changcheng is.
When they stop moving and Chu Shuzhi starts talking again, he’s holding all of Guo Changcheng off the ground with a single hand. This looks like it should be very uncomfortable for Guo Changcheng.
The root of why Chu Shuzhi’s so upset comes out now, as he complains (again) about how the penalty should’ve been enough. But now he adds, “How dare they disturb him [Chu Nianzhi] again?”
Chu Shuzhi shouts, “He’s already dead!” as he tosses Guo Changcheng aside.
Guo Changcheng lies on the ground, panting, and a lot of Chu Shuzhi’s anger seems to have been thrown away along with Guo Changcheng. It’s much more grief, now, as he quietly says, “There’s only so much I can do for him.”
He crouches down next to Guo Changcheng, and gently says, “Go back. Tell Zhao Yunlan I am nobody. No courage, no ability.” as a melancholy instrumental theme starts playing (I keep arguing with myself over if it’s ‘I Won’t Be Falling’ or ‘Chuxin’; I think it’s the latter but I’m not sure).
Chu Shuzhi continues, saying, “I’m a nobody anyone can trample on, but now I’m going to get back what is mine. When everything is over, I’ll go back to apologise.”
Guo Changcheng makes a truly agonised face as Chu Shuzhi stands up, and grief is clear on Chu Shuzhi’s face as he turns away.
His eyes are all red-rimmed with tears, and he walks away. Guo Changcheng, still on the ground, watches him go.
The scene ends there, and cuts to Shen Wei chained up on the Sky Pillar. (Chu Shuzhi is about to arrive, try to free Shen Wei, and start having a lot of feelings about Nianzhi because of Ye Zun’s fuckery.)
Some Thoughts
…first off, Chu Shuzhi being terrifying and trying to scare Guo Changcheng off is very hot and I just need to say this so that I can have more thoughtful words go through my head. xD
This scene comes in the middle of an episode that begins with Chu Shuzhi and Zhao Yunlan arguing, continues with Guo Changcheng having a bad dream about Chu Shuzhi choking him, and pivots around the SID team reacting to news spreading that they harbor a “heinous murderer”. All of this is priming viewers to remember Chu Shuzhi’s violence, so that we’re ready to accept the idea that he might have done something so terrible.
We’ve also been primed to wonder what exactly Chu Shuzhi did, because Chu Shuzhi tells Zhao Yunlan that while yes, he broke the law in anger a hundred years ago, he accepted his punishment and that should be the end of it. (A stance Zhao Yunlan agrees with, since he gave a very similar argument to the Inspectorate.)
It’s also a really good lead-in to all the dream shenanigans we’re about to get. Chu Shuzhi’s backstory with Nianzhi is introduced, we’re told to start wondering about what Chu Shuzhi’s crime is (and how true the story he’s telling about it is!), and this highlights the mess of feelings between Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng.
I’m really fascinated by how easily Chu Shuzhi leans into this act of being terrifying and dangerous. He is! There’s no doubt about that! But he takes it a step further, passing into territory that’s easily agreed to be taboo, to try and make Guo Changcheng go away. Has he done this act before? If so, for what purpose? (It feels like he must’ve done this before; he’s got so many details, and is so comfortable acting the part, and seems so surprised when it doesn’t work.)
Guo Changcheng keeps following him despite this, of course, because Guo Changcheng’s always been braver than people expect him to be. He epitomizes “be scared, but do it anyway”; especially in the moment where he’s halfway to crying but still determined to follow Chu Shuzhi as best he can just because Zhao Yunlan ordered him to and he said he would. Gotta keep his promises, after all!
Fear doesn’t work to get him to stop. It’s when Chu Shuzhi finally shows his actual emotions and goes soft and more apologetic that Guo Changcheng stops and stays still. He doesn’t think Chu Shuzhi will really hurt him (and he doesn’t; Chu Shuzhi might grab him by the chin but he doesn’t harm Guo Changcheng at all), so fear tactics aren’t effective.
On the other hand, emotional honesty and an explanation and a promise that Chu Shuzhi will be back eventually? That’s Chu Shuzhi moving to meet Guo Changcheng in the style of communication that Guo Changcheng prefers (and often uses himself). Guo Changcheng might not be happy about this, but he at least lets Chu Shuzhi leave this time. (Even if he does still follow, more slowly, and gets really badly hurt/nearly dies as a result.)
Some Questions
1. They sell this so well. On my first viewing, I did come out of this going “Yeah, that seems like something Chu Shuzhi could’ve done and probably actually did do at some point”. I think it took until we were shown the proper flashbacks for me to go “...oh that’s what actually happened?” Do any of you remember your first viewing and if you believed Chu Shuzhi?
2. Relatedly, how much do you think Guo Changcheng believed Chu Shuzhi? He’s certainly terrified! But even without buying into the cannibalism, Chu Shuzhi’s actions would be scary enough for such a reaction!
3. Why do you think Chu Shuzhi wants to scare Guo Changcheng off? Is it just to keep him out of danger? Because Chu Shuzhi can’t bear to be around people right now? Both of those? Something else? (And, why choose this method? Is this about what Zhao Yunlan says earlier, that Chu Shuzhi resorts to violence as an answer to questions more often than not?)
Please share any other thoughts you have as well! Any questions I give are just starting points, after all. :)
I’d also love to hear about fanworks, meta, etc. related to this scene!
I’m using the community’s subs as my reference for dialogue. There are a mildly gratuitous number of screenshots because I really like Chu Shuzhi.
Lead-up
The scenes leading up to this conversation are Chu Shuzhi confronting the Regent about where Shen Wei is (wherein we are told he’s three days away from being released from the chunqiu shackles/his punishment), and Chu Shuzhi discovering that Chu Nianzhi’s puppet is gone (and getting understandably upset) and yelling at the Regent over this.
The Regent tells us that Chu Shuzhi was jailed for manslaughter (something Chu Shuzhi says he doesn’t want to repeat) and that Ye Zun has the puppet.
The Scene
Chu Shuzhi stomps through the streets of Dixing, Guo Changcheng hurrying behind. When Guo Changcheng calls his name, Chu Shuzhi stops with a dramatic sigh and eye-roll. He turns to face Guo Changcheng and why he’s still following; doesn’t he know who Chu Shuzhi is?
Guo Changcheng stutters out that he knows, and then says “No, no, I don’t know,” and continues to stammer as he tries to figure out what to say.
Chu Shuzhi interrupts him, shouting, “Didn’t you hear me? I’m a murderer!”
As Guo Changcheng continues not-quite-crying, Chu Shuzhi stalks in and says, “I don’t just kill people.”
He grabs Guo Changcheng by the back of his neck and draws him closer (which is quite sexy of him) before adding, “I also eat them.”
Guo Changcheng looks terrified as Chu Shuzhi really gets into this, asking if Guo Changcheng’s ever eaten human flesh while staring at Guo Changcheng’s neck like he’s about to chomp down.
Chu Shuzhi circles around behind Guo Changcheng while describing how “smooth and tender” human flesh is.
Then Chu Shuzhi grabs him and talks about how chewy cartilage is.
His diction slows as he talks about how fresh meat is so nice and warm, and then Chu Shuzhi chuckles, strokes his thumb along Guo Changcheng’s neck, and sniffs at Guo Changcheng’s ear.
Then he calls himself a man-eating demon, and Guo Changcheng really looks like he’s about to cry.
Chu Shuzhi laughs and ruffles Guo Changcheng’s hair, then lets his hand slide down Guo Changcheng’s shoulder before he begins to walk away.
Guo Changcheng, still very frightened, scurries along behind him. Chu Shuzhi pauses, as if in disbelief, then turns to look at Guo Changcheng and asks, “What, you really want me to eat you?”
Guo Changcheng doesn’t say anything. Chu Shuzhi turns, and keeps walking, and Guo Changcheng continues to follow. This time, Chu Shuzhi shouts, “Run away before I get mad.”
Guo Changcheng responds to this. He’s terrified, but he says, “No,” because Zhao Yunlan told him to follow Chu Shuzhi and he’s going to do it no matter what.
Chu Shuzhi turns and grabs Guo Changcheng by the chin, palm against his neck, and rushes him backwards; it looks like he’s carrying more of Guo Changcheng’s weight than Guo Changcheng is.
When they stop moving and Chu Shuzhi starts talking again, he’s holding all of Guo Changcheng off the ground with a single hand. This looks like it should be very uncomfortable for Guo Changcheng.
The root of why Chu Shuzhi’s so upset comes out now, as he complains (again) about how the penalty should’ve been enough. But now he adds, “How dare they disturb him [Chu Nianzhi] again?”
Chu Shuzhi shouts, “He’s already dead!” as he tosses Guo Changcheng aside.
Guo Changcheng lies on the ground, panting, and a lot of Chu Shuzhi’s anger seems to have been thrown away along with Guo Changcheng. It’s much more grief, now, as he quietly says, “There’s only so much I can do for him.”
He crouches down next to Guo Changcheng, and gently says, “Go back. Tell Zhao Yunlan I am nobody. No courage, no ability.” as a melancholy instrumental theme starts playing (I keep arguing with myself over if it’s ‘I Won’t Be Falling’ or ‘Chuxin’; I think it’s the latter but I’m not sure).
Chu Shuzhi continues, saying, “I’m a nobody anyone can trample on, but now I’m going to get back what is mine. When everything is over, I’ll go back to apologise.”
Guo Changcheng makes a truly agonised face as Chu Shuzhi stands up, and grief is clear on Chu Shuzhi’s face as he turns away.
His eyes are all red-rimmed with tears, and he walks away. Guo Changcheng, still on the ground, watches him go.
The scene ends there, and cuts to Shen Wei chained up on the Sky Pillar. (Chu Shuzhi is about to arrive, try to free Shen Wei, and start having a lot of feelings about Nianzhi because of Ye Zun’s fuckery.)
Some Thoughts
…first off, Chu Shuzhi being terrifying and trying to scare Guo Changcheng off is very hot and I just need to say this so that I can have more thoughtful words go through my head. xD
This scene comes in the middle of an episode that begins with Chu Shuzhi and Zhao Yunlan arguing, continues with Guo Changcheng having a bad dream about Chu Shuzhi choking him, and pivots around the SID team reacting to news spreading that they harbor a “heinous murderer”. All of this is priming viewers to remember Chu Shuzhi’s violence, so that we’re ready to accept the idea that he might have done something so terrible.
We’ve also been primed to wonder what exactly Chu Shuzhi did, because Chu Shuzhi tells Zhao Yunlan that while yes, he broke the law in anger a hundred years ago, he accepted his punishment and that should be the end of it. (A stance Zhao Yunlan agrees with, since he gave a very similar argument to the Inspectorate.)
It’s also a really good lead-in to all the dream shenanigans we’re about to get. Chu Shuzhi’s backstory with Nianzhi is introduced, we’re told to start wondering about what Chu Shuzhi’s crime is (and how true the story he’s telling about it is!), and this highlights the mess of feelings between Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng.
I’m really fascinated by how easily Chu Shuzhi leans into this act of being terrifying and dangerous. He is! There’s no doubt about that! But he takes it a step further, passing into territory that’s easily agreed to be taboo, to try and make Guo Changcheng go away. Has he done this act before? If so, for what purpose? (It feels like he must’ve done this before; he’s got so many details, and is so comfortable acting the part, and seems so surprised when it doesn’t work.)
Guo Changcheng keeps following him despite this, of course, because Guo Changcheng’s always been braver than people expect him to be. He epitomizes “be scared, but do it anyway”; especially in the moment where he’s halfway to crying but still determined to follow Chu Shuzhi as best he can just because Zhao Yunlan ordered him to and he said he would. Gotta keep his promises, after all!
Fear doesn’t work to get him to stop. It’s when Chu Shuzhi finally shows his actual emotions and goes soft and more apologetic that Guo Changcheng stops and stays still. He doesn’t think Chu Shuzhi will really hurt him (and he doesn’t; Chu Shuzhi might grab him by the chin but he doesn’t harm Guo Changcheng at all), so fear tactics aren’t effective.
On the other hand, emotional honesty and an explanation and a promise that Chu Shuzhi will be back eventually? That’s Chu Shuzhi moving to meet Guo Changcheng in the style of communication that Guo Changcheng prefers (and often uses himself). Guo Changcheng might not be happy about this, but he at least lets Chu Shuzhi leave this time. (Even if he does still follow, more slowly, and gets really badly hurt/nearly dies as a result.)
Some Questions
1. They sell this so well. On my first viewing, I did come out of this going “Yeah, that seems like something Chu Shuzhi could’ve done and probably actually did do at some point”. I think it took until we were shown the proper flashbacks for me to go “...oh that’s what actually happened?” Do any of you remember your first viewing and if you believed Chu Shuzhi?
2. Relatedly, how much do you think Guo Changcheng believed Chu Shuzhi? He’s certainly terrified! But even without buying into the cannibalism, Chu Shuzhi’s actions would be scary enough for such a reaction!
3. Why do you think Chu Shuzhi wants to scare Guo Changcheng off? Is it just to keep him out of danger? Because Chu Shuzhi can’t bear to be around people right now? Both of those? Something else? (And, why choose this method? Is this about what Zhao Yunlan says earlier, that Chu Shuzhi resorts to violence as an answer to questions more often than not?)
Please share any other thoughts you have as well! Any questions I give are just starting points, after all. :)
I’d also love to hear about fanworks, meta, etc. related to this scene!
no subject
For starters, though, let me say: great post! I love the screencaps, with All Of The Big Emotions On Faces, which is what you get when Chu Shuzhi is around. ♥ Plus: yesssss, hot.
Has he done this act before? If so, for what purpose?
I never even CONSIDERED this question, and it is an excellent one. You make a good point, how naturally he slips into the whole song-and-dance, and as we have repeatedly discussed in previous scene posts, he is not a natural liar/pretender/improviser! So, your question blew my mind wide open, because my first attempt at an answer would be, "In Dixing prison".
I can totally imagine it--he's a gangly youth, chock-full of trauma and grief, tossed in to whatever hellhole this place has (and gets its shock-troops from, as the Shadow Man describes). If daily-life Dixing is already getting dog-eat-dog, I can't imagine Dixing prison being any nicer. So he's potentially in a lot of danger from his fellow prisoners--and thus, constructing a Super Violent Crazy Taboo Persona could've been a desperate maneuver to build himself a protective reputation when necessary. You know, "What're you in for?"/"Manslaughter" just might not seem as tough as he'd feel he'd have to be, at least with some of the worst of the worst.
no subject
Yes, when I saw this scene the first time, I believed Chu Shuzhi! Even though I suspected he might be exaggerating because he was trying to scare Guo Changcheng off. I love your point about how everything in the episode until then has been pointing to Chu Shuzhi's violence, and that certainly lays the groundwork for believing him.
I think Chu Shuzhi wants to scare Guo Changcheng off for the reasons you mention. Chu Shuzhi has decided to face whatever comes next and I think he definitely wants to protect Guo Changcheng from danger. But he's also very much in the middle of all his emotions, and I think he realizes that he can't protect Guo Changcheng like this. That is, if Guo Changcheng follows him into danger, Chu Shuzhi doesn't trust that he'll be thinking clearly enough to save him. But that is very good question about why he chose that method. By now, he's seen Guo Changcheng do a lot of brave things despite being afraid, and he knows Guo Changcheng takes his responsibilities seriously. Maybe Chu Shuzhi was relying on being in Dixing (scary place) to really convince Guo Changchang that he's not the Chu Shuzhi of the SID; that now he's in his element and he's much scarier and has done far worse things than Guo Changcheng can imagine.
So, coming back to the second question, I don't think Guo Changcheng believes it. As you say, Chu Shuzhi's actions alone are terrifying, and that he is trying so strongly to scare Guo Changcheng would make Guo Changcheng anxious and nervous. I think Guo Changcheng knows something's not right with Chu Shuzhi. It's not what Chu Shuzhi is saying it is, but whatever it is, it's something really serious and probably dangerous. And Guo Changcheng stays anyway! Which I love so much. ♥
no subject
Lao-Chu is so delightfully dramatic here, going all out with his act. And Xiao-Guo being terrified but just determinedly following him anyway is him in a nutshell, isn't it? He’s so frequently afraid, but he never lets it stop him.
I keep arguing with myself over if it’s ‘I Won’t Be Falling’ or ‘Chuxin’; I think it’s the latter but I’m not sure
I'm bad with music but it doesn’t really sound like either to me ...
…first off, Chu Shuzhi being terrifying and trying to scare Guo Changcheng off is very hot and I just need to say this so that I can have more thoughtful words go through my head. xDThis scene comes in the middle of an episode that begins with Chu Shuzhi and Zhao Yunlan arguing, continues with Guo Changcheng having a bad dream about Chu Shuzhi choking him, and pivots around the SID team reacting to news spreading that they harbor a “heinous murderer”. All of this is priming viewers to remember Chu Shuzhi’s violence, so that we’re ready to accept the idea that he might have done something so terrible.
That's an excellent point! The context really works to lend credibility to Lao-Chu's act.
I’m really fascinated by how easily Chu Shuzhi leans into this act of being terrifying and dangerous. He is! There’s no doubt about that! But he takes it a step further, passing into territory that’s easily agreed to be taboo, to try and make Guo Changcheng go away.
Not just terrifying and dangerous, but unhinged – and that's new. He unquestionably is dangerous and can be terrifying; that’s not new, but he's usually gruff and grumpy and "why do I have to be the sane one around here", not like that. It's such a striking contrast and perhaps even more shocking than the actual content of his speech.
Has he done this act before? If so, for what purpose?
I hadn't considered this before, but you're totally right, it sounds like something he's said before - it's way too detailed as well as too smooth; it doesn't seem spur-of-the-moment at all. My immediate assumption is that that's the image he projected in prison, to make himself seem more dangerous and therefore protect himself. (And we've seen him in flashbacks when Nianzhi was still alive, and with the SID in the present, and that kind of act doesn't really fit into either scenario, so in-between is really the only place that fits.)
Fear doesn’t work to get him to stop. It’s when Chu Shuzhi finally shows his actual emotions and goes soft and more apologetic that Guo Changcheng stops and stays still.
And even that doesn't stop him for long! He just wasn't ever going to let Lao-Chu go off without following. Genuine emotion and an explanation that makes sense do get through to him, unlike the scare tactic which just gets him to stubborn it out, but they don't stop him either from doing what he's determined to do. He’s really great.
Do any of you remember your first viewing and if you believed Chu Shuzhi?
No, not specifically, but I remember being confused about exactly what Chu Shuzhi did or didn't do for quite a while, even after the second watch.
Relatedly, how much do you think Guo Changcheng believed Chu Shuzhi?
In the moment, I don't think he either believes or disbelieves – he's too terrified by Lao-Chu's unhinged behaviour, and putting all his energy into pushing forward anyway. Afterwards, no, I don't think he believes it.
Why do you think Chu Shuzhi wants to scare Guo Changcheng off? Is it just to keep him out of danger? Because Chu Shuzhi can’t bear to be around people right now? Both of those? Something else? (And, why choose this method? Is this about what Zhao Yunlan says earlier, that Chu Shuzhi resorts to violence as an answer to questions more often than not?)
I think he feels helpless and is trying to gain some control, and projecting violence/anger/madness is his coping mechanism. I mean, obviously he does want to keep Xiao-Guo safe, and he's too upset to want to face Xiao-Guo's earnestness right now, but mainly he's lashing out because that's how he deals with things he doesn't know how to deal with, yeah.
no subject
no subject
Oh, ouch. That makes a lot of sense to me!
no subject
no subject
(Chu Shuzhi's big emotions and expressiveness always surprises me, because he comes off as so gruff and self-contained most of the time, but he's so emotional actually behind that persona of surly loner-dom.)
So, your question blew my mind wide open, because my first attempt at an answer would be, "In Dixing prison".
Ahhhh yessss definitely, he would, and that's so sad and also raises so many questions for me about what Dixing prison was like. So, I love all your thoughts here and will happily sit here continuing to think about them and all the implications they could lead to. <3
no subject
That is, if Guo Changcheng follows him into danger, Chu Shuzhi doesn't trust that he'll be thinking clearly enough to save him.
Ohhhhh yes, that's a wonderful (painful!) point. :)
All your analysis of what CSZ and GCC are thinking/feeling during this confrontation is fantastic! I love how you talk your way to these conclusions. <3 And, yes, I love how much GCC is willing to stay and how brave he always chooses to be...
no subject
It's so possible I'm wrong, but it pinged in my head in a way that made me go 'I think?', so... *shrug*
It's such a striking contrast and perhaps even more shocking than the actual content of his speech.
Yes! That's a very good point!
My immediate assumption is that that's the image he projected in prison, to make himself seem more dangerous and therefore protect himself.
You and
Genuine emotion and an explanation that makes sense do get through to him, unlike the scare tactic which just gets him to stubborn it out, but they don't stop him either from doing what he's determined to do. He’s really great.
Yes! All of this! I love GCC's bravery and determination so much. <3
but mainly he's lashing out because that's how he deals with things he doesn't know how to deal with, yeah.
;_; *hugs CZS*
no subject
no subject
no subject
It’s also a really good lead-in to all the dream shenanigans we’re about to get. Chu Shuzhi’s backstory with Nianzhi is introduced, we’re told to start wondering about what Chu Shuzhi’s crime is (and how true the story he’s telling about it is!)
Even in my recent rewatch, I was very confused about what parts are dreams and what parts are real, so this scene maybe had less impact on me than it otherwise would have -- but I don't think I believed him even the first time around (though I may be misremembering). (He's one of the good guys! Would Shen Wei have chosen a cannibal as his trusted lieutenant? From a Doylist perspective, would the show make one of their heroes a cannibal??)
I think Chu Shuzhi is mad with grief about Nianzhi, utterly enraged by the Regent's games, and worried about Shen Wei. He feels powerless and out of control. And the one person he should be able to influence and threaten -- the one place where he should be able to get his way, dammit! -- is obstinately refusing to bend to Chu Shuzhi orders to GO AWAY.
Chu Shuzhi feels monstrous and tries to push Changcheng (a representative of the SID family, of goodness and duty, of society and civilisation(?)) away, and when that doesn't work, he acts monstrous and tries again. I think it's partly to protect Changcheng, but largely that he feels like he doesn't deserve anything good. No one should look at him trustingly. No one should be around him. He's a failure. He's nothing.
The physicality is really interesting -- a closeness he doesn't usually allow himself? A perversion of that?
Mostly, I feel like this scene is only possible because Shen Wei is AWOL. His absence (possibly permanent!) opens a space where Chu Shuzhi is unmoored and vulnerable to all his demons and past hurts. (It's interesting to me that the Envoy doesn't feature in any of Chu Shuzhi's dreams, but maybe that's a limitation on the dreams themselves?)
no subject
Aw, that is such a great way of putting it! :D
It's interesting to me that the Envoy doesn't feature in any of Chu Shuzhi's dreams, but maybe that's a limitation on the dreams themselves?
I wonder about that. On the one hand, given Lao-Chu's feelings about the Envoy, it should have been easy to twist that in a dream as well; on the other, it would have been very hard to get it right and not ping Lao-Chu's sense of wrongness. Now, Ye Zun obviously isn't aware just how little he understands Shen Wei, but I wonder if the Nightmare Master is a little more self-aware on that front and therefore didn't try?
no subject
on the other, it would have been very hard to get it right and not ping Lao-Chu's sense of wrongness. Now, Ye Zun obviously isn't aware just how little he understands Shen Wei, but I wonder if the Nightmare Master is a little more self-aware on that front and therefore didn't try?
Oh, good point, yes.
no subject
(He's one of the good guys! Would Shen Wei have chosen a cannibal as his trusted lieutenant? From a Doylist perspective, would the show make one of their heroes a cannibal??)
xD Why not choose such a person, if he's redeemed himself? I don't think I believed it's something he would still do, but something he had once done in a long-ago dark past? Sure, that seemed possible! (But, yes, your arguments/reasoning are likely a more common standpoint/direction of thought!)
I love your comment about Chu Shuzhi feeling monstrous! I don't know that I have particular responses, because mostly I'm here like "yes let him be a monster sometimes", which I don't think would necessarily be good for him but sure would be interesting.
The physicality is really interesting -- a closeness he doesn't usually allow himself? A perversion of that?
Oh, huh. Yes? I think so? I'd need to rewatch more of the show as a whole, but it's definitely a distinctly different form of physicality than he normally allows himself. He's still very controlled! But it's pointed in a different direction, less withdrawn/closed-off and more "I could kill you with my bare hands and I am actively choosing not to".
no subject
Ot1h, yes, absolutely! Otoh, I feel like TV has limits (though I have no idea what Chinese TV's limits are!) and I feel like if they were going to make him a cannibal, they needed to be more upfront about it, maybe, so people could factor it into their feelings about him? idk. I mean, the murder has an understandable motive -- even Shen Wei could related *g* -- but Chu Shuzhi really doesn't sound like he's talking about starvation cannibalism here).
Ohhh, and thinking about Shen Wei's relating to the murder motive makes me realised that pretending to be a cannibal parallels with pretending to be Ye Zun? (Whether Chu Shuzhi knows it or not, but he must, right? Because Zhao Yunlan knew that Ye Zun had eaten Zhu Jiu?) It's like Chu Shuzhi's clothes and manner are often sort of a tribute to the Envoy, and here he's acting out a caricature of Ye Zun, the crazy one who literally swallows people whole?
because mostly I'm here like "yes let him be a monster sometimes", which I don't think would necessarily be good for him but sure would be interesting.
HEE! It might complicate his relationship with the Envoy and the SID a little...
But it's pointed in a different direction, less withdrawn/closed-off and more "I could kill you with my bare hands and I am actively choosing not to".
Oh, yes! Because almost all his fighting is hands-off, and this is him being extremely hands-on. Nice! Now I'm curious how much Chu Shuzhi's fond hair-ruffling, etc, of xiao-Guo started here (and with the Sundial exchange) and how much it was already a thing...
no subject
(Also, like, in novel-canon CSZ was a zombie lord; by this point in the show the two canons were mostly separate in my head, but learning more about his backstory did set me up to compare the two mentally. And, like. Eating people is a thing zombies do in most interpretations. So. Yeah.)
It's like Chu Shuzhi's clothes and manner are often sort of a tribute to the Envoy, and here he's acting out a caricature of Ye Zun, the crazy one who literally swallows people whole?
!!! I love this thought! :D I don't have anything coherent to say, but I love this thought!
Now I'm curious how much Chu Shuzhi's fond hair-ruffling, etc, of xiao-Guo started here (and with the Sundial exchange) and how much it was already a thing...
Oooh, that's a good question! Because CSZ/GCC isn't a ship I'm particularly invested in, I don't recall their interactions well enough. :)
no subject
Oooh, that's a good question! Because CSZ/GCC isn't a ship I'm particularly invested in, I don't recall their interactions well enough. :)
I'm now wondering how touch-starved Chu Shuzhi is (relevant even if you don't ship it!). Three years at the SID, presumably not touching anyone, and as you pointed out, even his fighting style is hands-off. *pets him*
no subject
I'm now wondering how touch-starved Chu Shuzhi is (relevant even if you don't ship it!). Three years at the SID, presumably not touching anyone, and as you pointed out, even his fighting style is hands-off. *pets him*
...you said "even if you don't ship it" and my brain returns "yeah but that is part of why I like CSZ/Yehuo, isn't it?", so... xD Sparring as a way of making contact, and all that.
But yeah! He's probably very touch-starved! Especially considering how much he usually keeps himself wrapped up in his coat/scarf, so there's less chance even of accidental brushes/touches. (It's notable whenever he's not wearing it, like when he's training xiao-Guo. I suspect that combat/fighting is one of the few times he stops being quite so preemptively defensive about his body, because he can then move into thinking about his body as a weapon and have the physicality be interpreted differently.)
all of which is to say I really do need to, at some point, sign up to talk about the CSZ/Yehuo sparring match, because I have a lot of feelings about it and this is edging into a bunch of them...
no subject
I meant CSZ/GCC specifically, but yeah. :-)
I suspect that combat/fighting is one of the few times he stops being quite so preemptively defensive about his body, because he can then move into thinking about his body as a weapon and have the physicality be interpreted differently.
Yesssss!
*is definitely NOT going to go through the first half of the show, making a catalogue of any time CSZ touches anyone, even though I would be really interested in that list*
no subject
...ohhhhh, damn, now I want that too...
(I am in the midst of enough cdrama-watching-related projects as it is! I cannot do this! I hope someone else does!)
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject