Poll: Shen Wei's Clark Kent moments (drama)

[china_shop]

Poll #33087 Ordinary

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 27

View Respondents

What's your favourite of Shen Wei's lies, obfuscations and misdirects?

View Answers

"I am an ordinary person. I have no right to interfere with these things." (ep 1)
2 (7.4%)

holding his hip as Jiajia helps him out of the bushes, after he fell off the biology dept (ep 2)
10 (37.0%)

climbing to his feet, rubbing his very lower back in the hospital (ep 2)
5 (18.5%)

being trapped in the car while the hospital attacker goes after Li Qian (ep 2)
3 (11.1%)

"I really was at the wrong place at the wrong time," during the interrogation (ep 4)
6 (22.2%)

pretending his arm wasn't just bleeding a second ago (ep 4)
3 (11.1%)

deliberately pricking his finger to make it bleed (ep 4)
8 (29.6%)

don't ask me about Dixingren; let's talk about bears (ep 7)
12 (44.4%)

"I have a magical sixth sense." (ep 8)
3 (11.1%)

the innocent smile from the balcony, during the Hanga arc (ep 11)
6 (22.2%)

"To be honest, I'm just a normal person who happens to be unlucky. I don't know why, but I somehow became involved in these strange cases. And that's all there is to it." (ep 12)
3 (11.1%)

"I work out a lot." (ep 13)
14 (51.9%)

in the car, post-Envoy reveal, "I'm just an ordinary..." *trails off* (ep 14)
10 (37.0%)

other
4 (14.8%)

Thanks to trobadora for help compiling the list. :D

Comments

[china_shop]

Well, it would still be the case if it's just his class materials

True! I guess I think of biological engineering as being more technical and geneticsy, and less about species and animal behaviour. But what do I know? :D

Awwww, so precious, thanks for pointing it out

And then I noticed that at the end of the "I work out a lot" scene, he can hear both sides of ZYL's phone call, so I think that's actually right. :D

And the youchu come from Dixing

This raises so many questions for me (in terms of the dramaverse). In the ep 11 flashback, Shen Wei tells them, "You beings openly went beyond your boundary and escaped from the forbidden place. You should be executed." ...so I guess that's part of Dixing somewhere? (I hope they don't get packs of youchu roaming the streets down there!)

[facethestrange]

"I guess I think of biological engineering as being more technical and geneticsy, and less about species and animal behaviour. But what do I know? :D"

Hah, definitely, but I thought something like intro to a new chapter maybe, or a 101 class, where you start with this obvious thing that everyone knows as an example, and then it gets really complicated really fast. :) Also maybe he doesn't talk about the behavior in class, just about bears in some other context, and he just knows all about it anyway because he studied biology. Or because he personally likes bears, obviously. :D

"And then I noticed that at the end of the "I work out a lot" scene, he can hear both sides of ZYL's phone call, so I think that's actually right. :D"

Thanks for another excuse to rewatch it. :D :D Is he using a power to hear it or is the phone just this loud? Because it would make even more sense that the power doesn't work over a video call, but he's still gonna try. :D

"This raises so many questions for me (in terms of the dramaverse). In the ep 11 flashback, Shen Wei tells them, "You beings openly went beyond your boundary and escaped from the forbidden place. You should be executed." ...so I guess that's part of Dixing somewhere? (I hope they don't get packs of youchu roaming the streets down there!)"

So many questions indeed! Maybe the youchu lived underground before the Dixing people even got there, and then they had to be contained in just one part of Dixing so that people could live everywhere else safely. I'm assuming there are no packs of youchu if they don't escape.

[china_shop]

but I thought something like intro to a new chapter maybe, or a 101 class, where you start with this obvious thing that everyone knows as an example, and then it gets really complicated really fast. :)

LOL, that seems so dangerous, because then all his students will think he's a bear fan, and they'll start giving him teddy bears and other toys, and this could easily get soooo out of hand. :D :D :D :D

Is he using a power to hear it or is the phone just this loud? Because it would make even more sense that the power doesn't work over a video call, but he's still gonna try. :D

I think he has super-acute hearing (like DQ). I don't know if it's a power, though.

Maybe the youchu lived underground before the Dixing people even got there, and then they had to be contained in just one part of Dixing so that people could live everywhere else safely.

Oh, hm, maybe. I don't know how I feel about colonisers corralling this semi-sentient species and forbidding them to roam over their traditional lands, though... /dork

[facethestrange]

"LOL, that seems so dangerous, because then all his students will think he's a bear fan, and they'll start giving him teddy bears and other toys, and this could easily get soooo out of hand. :D :D :D :D"

Heeee, I LOVE THIS SO MUCH THO - he would have all the gifts for Zhao Yunlan (and Da Qing, and all of SID). :D :D :D Cat-shaped DQ can kick and eviscerate the teddy bears. ;D

[ETA: I am legit writing a fic about this right now because another comm had the prompt 'teddy bear' and I just couldn't resist when I saw it. :D :D :D I'm even attempting to finish it tonight but I probably shouldn't because sleep is a thing. xD]

[ETA 2: Yeah, sleep is overrated, fic wanted to happen. :D :D It's here. :D :D]

"I think he has super-acute hearing (like DQ). I don't know if it's a power, though."

Yeah, idk either, but I'm thinking it may be a power because DQ obviously has cat-hearing, and I'm assuming other Dixingren have regular human-like hearing.

"I don't know how I feel about colonisers corralling this semi-sentient species and forbidding them to roam over their traditional lands, though... /dork"

Yeah, I'd definitely not feel good about that either! But it's clearly a novel residue (not recontextualized enough, as you said elsewhere) where this is more-or-less what's happening, and also it is a pretty terrible regime in the drama too. Maybe post-canon they can make a more fair arrangement. :) (If the youchu don't like light, maybe there are still dark part of Dixing somewhere outside the city and they'll stay there willingly. :))

[trobadora]

I am legit writing a fic about this right now

!!!! *cheers you on* So much fun! :D :D :D

ETA: LOL, you posted just as I was commenting! Congrats on finishing! :D

But it's clearly a novel residue (not recontextualized enough, as you said elsewhere) where this is more-or-less what's happening, and also it is a pretty terrible regime in the drama too.

Agreed about the novel thing. I don't like the idea of this being part of the set-up of Dixing as a whole, but the current regime being terrible can definitely be part of things! Still, what I'd like best would be drama-verse worldbuilding that makes it not-terrible overall. *greedy*

[facethestrange]

:D :D :D Thank you! :D ♡ (Now I really need to sleep, lol, but FIC FIRST. xD)

"Still, what I'd like best would be drama-verse worldbuilding that makes it not-terrible overall. *greedy*

Oh, ITA! Any ideas what could make it not terrible? Because it sounds pretty terrible to me no matter how I look at it. *pokes this concept*

[trobadora]

See my other comment from just now - that's the best I managed to come up with so far.

Sleep well! ♥

[china_shop]

Still, what I'd like best would be drama-verse worldbuilding that makes it not-terrible overall. *greedy*

Yeah. I'm like, it's fine if it's terrible because everyone's been misunderstanding Youchu all this time, so there's an opportunity and move to fix it, but really not okay if everyone is right about them. ;-p

[china_shop]

Heeee, I LOVE THIS SO MUCH THO - he would have all the gifts for Zhao Yunlan (and Da Qing, and all of SID). :D :D :D Cat-shaped DQ can kick and eviscerate the teddy bears. ;D

Haha, AWESOME! This makes me so happy! :DDD twirls you

but I'm thinking it may be a power because DQ obviously has cat-hearing, and I'm assuming other Dixingren have regular human-like hearing.

Eh, I can handwave away Shen Wei being extra special. Maybe some of his powers are on all the time, by default, so much that they've become a regular part of him. :D

and also it is a pretty terrible regime in the drama too.

Do you think it's always been awful? I've been assuming the awfulness was linked to (or coincided with) the Hallows being lost...

Anyway, yesterday I tried to semi-fix the Youchu problem, in a flashfic from the category Nobody Asked For This, Nobody Wants It, in which an original Youchu character is dying of natural causes when the SID finds them. (Srsly, no obligation!)

[trobadora]

I've been assuming the awfulness was linked to (or coincided with) the Hallows being lost...

Yeah, same here!

[facethestrange]

"Haha, AWESOME! This makes me so happy! :DDD twirls you"

:D :D :D It was my first time grabbing ideas from the comm and writing a fic (as opposed to drawing, which I have obviously done before :D), IT'S SO MUCH FUN! ♡

"Eh, I can handwave away Shen Wei being extra special. Maybe some of his powers are on all the time, by default, so much that they've become a regular part of him. :D"

Hee, yep, that's what I meant - not actively using a power, just having one without even thinking about it. :D

"Do you think it's always been awful? I've been assuming the awfulness was linked to (or coincided with) the Hallows being lost..."

It is my assumption too, yeah. It's just that re: Youchu I would prefer if it has always been awful because at least it would explain why they got locked up like that.

"Anyway, yesterday I tried to semi-fix the Youchu problem, in a flashfic from the category Nobody Asked For This, Nobody Wants It, in which an original Youchu character is dying of natural causes when the SID finds them. (Srsly, no obligation!)"

I saw it on ao3 before I even seeing this comment, I have it open right now! ♡ That's a very good and important and necessary category of fics, and yay for this comm inspiring all the fanworks. :D :D

[china_shop]

:D :D :D It was my first time grabbing ideas from the comm and writing a fic (as opposed to drawing, which I have obviously done before :D), IT'S SO MUCH FUN! ♡

Yayay! *twirls you more* :D

It's just that re: Youchu I would prefer if it has always been awful because at least it would explain why they got locked up like that.

I can easily imagine people judging them by their appearance and misunderstanding them (assuming they do have any sentience), and banishing them "for the sake of the kids" or whatever. It would only take a few incidents. And maybe the youchu didn't originally view Dixingren as "people" either -- the misunderstanding could go both ways. You know? (Ha, now I'm imagining a Tarzan-like figure -- a Dixingren who was raised by youchu, trying to return to regular Dixingren society...)

That's a very good and important and necessary category of fics

Haha, is it though? But yes, yay for this comm and its endless sprawling comment threads! :D :D :D

[facethestrange]

"I can easily imagine people judging them by their appearance and misunderstanding them (assuming they do have any sentience), and banishing them "for the sake of the kids" or whatever. It would only take a few incidents."

Oh, yeah, I could see that. Like, it was never that malicious to begin with, just misguided, and now no one thinks about it anymore. (The execution still doesn't sit right with me though, if they're sentient. But maybe at least this could be blamed on the regime? Maybe they were just locked up before and people defended themselves when any Youchu escaped, but there were no 'formal' executions? It's not like the regime doesn't execute people.)

"And maybe the youchu didn't originally view Dixingren as "people" either -- the misunderstanding could go both ways. You know? (Ha, now I'm imagining a Tarzan-like figure -- a Dixingren who was raised by youchu, trying to return to regular Dixingren society...)"

Both of these ideas are so cool! And if the misunderstanding goes both ways, it's even easier to end up there - easier to be seen as dangerous because your existence itself is already threatening, and obviously easier to overreact and attack (which both sides did, I'm assuming).

> "That's a very good and important and necessary category of fics"

"Haha, is it though?"

It really is! Leave no corner of canon unexplored! :D :D

[china_shop]

The execution still doesn't sit right with me though, if they're sentient. But maybe at least this could be blamed on the regime? Maybe they were just locked up before and people defended themselves when any Youchu escaped, but there were no 'formal' executions? It's not like the regime doesn't execute people.

That's true, but the difference for me is that this time it's Shen Wei doing it. I'd like to think he's even-handed. But I guess if someone's convinced him that youchu are all evil by nature, and he's given them a space where they're allowed to live peacefully... and oh no, now I'm like this is a terrible parallel with Zhao Xinci's SID and Dixingren. /o\

And if the misunderstanding goes both ways, it's even easier to end up there - easier to be seen as dangerous because your existence itself is already threatening, and obviously easier to overreact and attack (which both sides did, I'm assuming).

Yeah, exactly!

Hmm. Zhu Jiu and Shen Wei both talk to youchu as if they understand them (though that could be rhetorical, and/or the way people IRL talk to animals). I wonder if youchu have their own language(s), whether they do understand Mandarin/Dixinghua to some degree, and whether they're capable of speaking recognisably human/Dixing languages if people would just stop to listen... (difficult to do, when you're being attacked).

<3 <3 <3

[trobadora]

I always wondered about that line in episode 11! The youchu are such a mystery, I know they don't look great but I wish we could have had a little more worldbuilding around them.

[china_shop]

Yeah, one of those rare instances where it feels like they were imported from the novel, rather than adapted.

[facethestrange]

Yeah, it's clearly novel residue that didn't get enough drama context. What feels especially off to me is that they're sentient enough to be executed but also don't have any rights? Like, they're very dangerous but they can't be inherently evil, because there's no such thing as inherent evil in the drama, so they kinda really should be treated better than that. (And that's not even including the question of where they even came from at all, or where they're kept now.)

[trobadora]

What feels especially off to me is that they're sentient enough to be executed but also don't have any rights?

Yeah, something's definitely off there. With the info we have, it doesn't come together. Either the sentencing is just an affectation (like animal trials in real-world history) and they're less sentient than they seem, or this is awful in a way that doesn't fit with the worldbuilding at all.

because there's no such thing as inherent evil in the drama

Yes! And I really love that about it, so I really want a youchu explanation that fits in with this! (My current vote is on weird Dixing animal trials, LOL.)

[china_shop]

or this is awful in a way that doesn't fit with the worldbuilding at all.

Ohh, now I'm all, "realising the awfulness and fixing it is what season 2 should have been about!" It would be so interesting to see the ways it mirrored and contrasted with the anti-Dixing sentiment in season 1! ;-p

That said, I do like the idea of weird animal trials, ha! Good fixit! I guess Zhu Jiu more or less talks to them like they're dogs.

[trobadora]

Oh yeah, that could have been a fascinating thread for a second season!

(Damn, I really need a Dixing icon ...)

[facethestrange]

"Ohh, now I'm all, "realising the awfulness and fixing it is what season 2 should have been about!" It would be so interesting to see the ways it mirrored and contrasted with the anti-Dixing sentiment in season 1! ;-p"

Ooooh, I'd love that! They would also have to explain how it even came to be in the first place if the regime wasn't always oppressive. Like, I can see it being just one big collective misunderstanding, but the people do consider the youchu both sentient and non-sentient at the same time, so idk how much can be misunderstood there - it just sounds malicious. (Unless it's animal trials and they're not actually considered sentient - it is such a good idea! :))

[china_shop]

They would also have to explain how it even came to be in the first place if the regime wasn't always oppressive.

Yes! War and propaganda are the traditional way... Or maybe Dixingren just took one look at them and assumed they were mindless monsters (as humans definitely would have, too)... (Oh no, I did not intend to stray into youchu rights activism, lol!! :D)

[facethestrange]

Ngl, I am loving the youchu rights activism that we somehow created. :D :D

[china_shop]

:D :D :D :D :D

I wonder if they'd smell as bad if they could get their tumours treated. /idle speculation (I'm assuming they don't have medicine or anything like that.)

[facethestrange]

Oooh, I've never heard of animal trials before, that's fascinating, thanks for the link! I hope it's something like that. *nods*