Guardian novel translation cover

[trobadora]

As you all probably know, the first volume of the official translation of the Guardian novel is supposed to come out in August, and the cover was just announced today:



(Thanks to people on my reading list for sharing!)

What do you think? I like that it leans into their mutual intensity!

Comments

[cyberbrain]

Ahh, it looks lovely!! I stared at the name for a bit and then I remembered that some time back my phone background was weilan art by this artist *g*

[trobadora]

Oh, that's very cool!

Yeah, the artist is delightful. My favourite of their Guardian pieces (that I've seen) is the illustration in this fic. :D

[cyberbrain]

Love the feelings in that art! <3 The one that stayed as my phone's wallpaper for a long time was the first one here *g*

[trobadora]

Oh yes, that is delightful! I can imagine that makes an excellent wallpaper. :D

[autodach]

This cover conveys perfectly that these two have no chill. Love it <3

[trobadora]

Hee! Yes, that's perfectly put! :D

[awanderingcoyote]

Scream scream scream! Squee! Squeee!

Very excited :D

[trobadora]

Yay! :D

[maggie33]

Marmaladica'a art is amazing. And that cover is great. I'm very tempted to buy it just because of illustrations. :)

[trobadora]

Marmaladica is fantastic, yes! And that would be an excellent reason to get the book(s). :D

[cathyw]

it definitely captures the "you have 1000% of my attention" vibe from Shen Wei.

(am I bad for imagining he's wearing sleeve garters under the suit?)

[trobadora]

Right? And I love that vibe. :D

(Bad? You are very correct about the sleeve garters!)

[aquariusdelamar]

That's so cool! This is my first hearing about it, so I'm really excited! The art really demonstrates the intensity in the relationship through the eye contact

[trobadora]

Hee! Glad to share the news, then. And yeah, the art is delightful in that way. :D

[amedia]

*grabby hands*

I love it!!! The art is so gorgeous, it makes me wish there was a whole donghua series. And a chibi version. And a Lego version!

[trobadora]

Right? It looks excellent.

And I would be so here for a Lego version!

[bethctg]

Yes, LEGO! ;)

[shadaras]

I really enjoy the intensity of their eye contact!

[trobadora]

Yeah, that immediately spoke to me as well! :D

[china_shop]

Ooh, it's really gorgeous!

(Also it makes me very aware that I might not have got hooked into the drama if drama!Zhao Yunlan hadn't had a beard, lol. /so shallow)

[trobadora]

LOL! I'd have been hooked regardless, but the beard really adds a lot of characterisation and hotness. *g*

[satsuma]

wildly off topic but i love this icon <3

[trobadora]

I love it so much myself, it's just perfect Zhao Yunlan. lynndyre made it back in 2019, IIRC.

(And your Shen Wei icon is a perfect reaction to it! :D)

[ratbones]

I'm SO EXCITED. This cover forced my hand on preordering. I had no choice. Shen Wei's red ears are killing me. :D:D:D

[trobadora]

Hee! I've pre-ordered it too. :D

[bethctg]

*jawdrop*
I cannot WAIT.

[trobadora]

So exciting! :D

[mekare]

Oh I remember the artist‘s name. I live their work.

[trobadora]

Yeah, they're awesome, excellent choice! :D

[trepkos]

Is this going to be based more on the series, or on the original? I love the art, but I found the version of the original story heavy going, and never finished it.

[trobadora]

This is an official English translation of the original novel.

I'm not sure if you'll find this easier to read, but a different translation might help?

[littlemiss_44]

Stunning art style. A lot of intensity and flirting, especially from Zhao Yunlan’s side. Really pretty.

From a selling point though, if I were to buy it in a physical shop, without knowing anything about the setting or the show, I'd walk past this book without a second glance.

As fanart, gorgeous.
As a book cover, it doesn't convey much about the story at first glance. Sure there are the subtle clues, but they are so subtle I didn’t notice them until others zoomed in on them, and in a bookstore, with hundreds of other books to go through, I wouldn't have the time to discover those clues.

As someone who ventured into anime and manga, especially yaoi, and seen many similar covers, the story they usually tell is an enemies to lovers one, and this cover too gives that vibe right off the bat.

Comparing it to the Japanese cover might be unfair, but I can’t help it, since I've seen that first and like it better. Not just because it's a full body picture but also because it tells you that this book is a supernatural one right off the bat, at first glance, and that would make me want to buy the book. I am a sucker for supernatural stories and pretty much the only reason I even gave a chance to the show, so yeah, I miss that part from the cover.

It's absolutely pretty, of course. As a fanart, no doubt about the artist's talent.

As a marketing choice, for me, it’s not it.

[trobadora]

I hear you on the supernatural/genre aspects - that's an excellent point! I'm also vastly more likely to pick up a book that signals a genre I'm interested in.

Regarding the Japanese cover, like I said elsewhere the other day, I'm not fond of it because it's very "chaos gremlin/person very done with that", and while that's part of their dynamic sometimes, it's not the main aspect, and on its own not my thing. If I knew nothing but that cover I wouldn't pick up the book either, genre or no. *g*

(Does Seven Seas actually market their danmei translations to people who are going in blind? Will this be in book shops for people to accidentally come across? Somehow I didn't expect that, but I'm delighted if so!)

[littlemiss_44]

I don't know if they would be selling physically copies in physical shops.

I only used that example because that's how I imagined myself doing it, and well, I don’t want the book anymore. Unless the cover looks really good on the physical book itself, like I am sure a lot of people will share it, I will be reconsidering wanting it.

I simply don't like that they are on opposite sides, facing (or more like by their intense gazes facing off) each other. I know it's not the story, and honestly makes me a bit upset how the visual representation doesn't convey that they are partners on cases and in a romantic setting too. Sigh.

I take it too seriously, sorry. 🤗 I don't mean it as a criticism to the art itself. If I saw it within the pages, I would love it more, but as cover, I would have chosen something else.

[trobadora]

Huh, fascinating that you're reading them facing each other as so antagonistic! To me it looks like they're intensely, INTENSELY into each other, with a lot of delicious tension, which seems spot on, and I find that intensity very appealing.