Poll: Running through Dragon City (drama)

[china_shop]

Poll #33468 Winded

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 14

View Respondents

Why does Zhao Yunlan get winded running through Dragon City in episode 20?

View Answers

he's out of shape (he only went jogging that one time)
3 (23.1%)

he hasn't recovered from his earlier visions / energy corruption
6 (46.2%)

he's running at top speed
7 (53.8%)

it's just a really long way
6 (46.2%)

he didn't warm up first
1 (7.7%)

other
2 (15.4%)

When you first saw the flashbacks in the first few episodes, what did you think?

View Answers

reincarnation
3 (25.0%)

time travel
1 (8.3%)

amnesiac immortals
3 (25.0%)

robot doppelgangers
0 (0.0%)

other
2 (16.7%)

I was already spoiled
5 (41.7%)

I was misleadingly "spoiled".
1 (8.3%)

Comments

[trobadora]

1) He's going as fast as he can, and most people can't do that for long. /boring

2) My "other" is an "I don't remember". But I have always wanted to know if there were people, when the drama first aired, who took one look at that lollipop conspicuously in the flashback, and figured it out right then and there.

[china_shop]

1) *nodnod* Sprinting a marathon. Otoh, he did collapse from groping the Awl not long ago, and he just had an auditory hallucination before getting in the taxi, and then a prophetic dream/hallucination *in* the taxi...

2) I think it's super easy to miss the lollipop, but yeah, it would be interesting to know! :D :D

[trobadora]

1) Yeah, I'm sure all of that plays into it, but I think even if it didn't, he'd still have pushed himself to his limits here, just his limits would have been in a different place. *g*

2) I don't even remember if I noticed the lollipop! *tears hair* Do you remember what you were thinking?

[china_shop]

2) I think I assumed reincarnation (having been vaguely spoiled in a confusing not-realising-it-was-novel-related way). It was so long ago, though. (FWIW, this is what you said last time I asked this question, in 2020. :D)

[trobadora]

Oh wow, 2020! So long ago! And I still have the same question as my past self, LOL.

[china_shop]

Funny how five years feels simultaneously like ages and no time at all! :D

[trobadora]

Here's to the next five! :D

[china_shop]

*clinks glasses* :D

[facethestrange]

"I don't even remember if I noticed the lollipop! *tears hair*"

Saaaame, it wasn't even that long ago for me (2 and a half years), but I completely don't remember what I noticed and what I didn't. xD

[trobadora]

*high fives*

[facethestrange]

"But I have always wanted to know if there were people, when the drama first aired, who took one look at that lollipop conspicuously in the flashback, and figured it out right then and there."

Lol, now I want to know that too, and tbh I'm sure there are. :D :D

[donutsweeper]

I assumed the air was different there, less oxygen or something, which is why he was winded because he wasn't used to it (and wasn't Dixingren, maybe there's some biological difference as well?)

I think I'd been vaguely spoiled so assumed/thought Shen Wei was immortal and Zhao Yunlan had maybe been reincarnated or something? I don't honestly remember.

[china_shop]

This is in Haixing (Upstairs), not Dixing. (He also got winded/nauseated traipsing around Dixing, now you mention it, but that was mostly because of Wu Tian'en's speedwalking power, I think?)

I think I'd been vaguely spoiled so assumed/thought Shen Wei was immortal and Zhao Yunlan had maybe been reincarnated or something?

Ha, novel spoilers muddying the water. :D

[donutsweeper]

Ah, I was thinking about the time he was going around Dixing. Hmmm, then idk, probably still affected by the awl and whatnot.

[china_shop]

*nodnod* Plus he didn't get any dinner before he and SW had to leave the feast. (I should have mentioned hunger in the poll, doh! ;D)

[facethestrange]

"Plus he didn't get any dinner before he and SW had to leave the feast. (I should have mentioned hunger in the poll, doh! ;D)"

D: D: Okay, that sounds not good at all (with the problems he has when he doesn't eat) and I would have voted for that. *adds 'other' vote* :P

[china_shop]

I really have to stop and think for longer before I post the poll. I always think of more options too late! ;D

[facethestrange]

Eh, that's what the 'other' option is for. :D The polls are 100% flawless as they are. :D :D ♡

[china_shop]

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[trobadora]

No, you see, one of the most fun things abouit these discussions has been the recurring "oh, now that you mention this I must change my vote and add 'other'" reaction. :D

[china_shop]

Haha, true! Like, right now I want to add an "other" to my vote (the "hasn't eaten" one). ;-D

Poor poll design, but excellent discussion bait. ;D

[facethestrange]

YESSS, it totally is, so many new thinky thoughts always coming up! :D :D

[facethestrange]

"I think I'd been vaguely spoiled so assumed/thought Shen Wei was immortal and Zhao Yunlan had maybe been reincarnated or something? I don't honestly remember."

I like how common it is to just not remember. :D :D *HIGH FIVE*

[teaotter]

My *first* thought was amnesia, but I blamed that on being a Western viewer. By the second episode, I was thinking reincarnation.

I fell in love with the idea that Shen Wei also thinks it's reincarnation until the Hallows start giving Zhao Yunlan precognitive visions, and then he slowly puts it together. I can understand why people think Shen Wei knew all along, but I just really like having him as puzzled by the central mystery of the show as I am.

[facethestrange]

"I can understand why people think Shen Wei knew all along, but I just really like having him as puzzled by the central mystery of the show as I am."

OHH, yep! I always enjoy everyone's headcanons for when and how much Shen Wei has figured out about this. So much that I don't have a personal headcanon about this myself - anything from really early to really late works for me. :D

[china_shop]

I fell in love with the idea that Shen Wei also thinks it's reincarnation until the Hallows start giving Zhao Yunlan precognitive visions

Aww! (Why are the visions the give-away in this scenario?)

[teaotter]

Whoops! I missed the notification for this comment.

Hm. I don't have the psychology background to name it, but there's a kind of cognitive error where you make a mistake about something because you don't examine your assumptions. The real explanation doesn't occur to you because you jump to the "obvious" conclusion too fast. People see what they expect to see.

In my mind, Shen Wei was assuming the explanation was reincarnation because it's the most obvious one, culturally. He didn't go looking for the details that didn't fit because the explanation was too obvious.

But once Zhao Yunlan starts having the visions, Shen Wei digs into the history of the Hallows over the last 10,000 years and finds out they do strange things with time. I think that would eventually make the idea of time travel occur to him, and once it did, he'd see that it fit the facts as well as or better than reincarnation.

[facethestrange]

First of all, DAMN, THIS PICSPAM IS HOT. :D ♡_♡ I always just assumed that he ran too far at full speed, so I guess it's two options at the same time. :D (But the visions and energy corruption make a lot of sense!)

And re: the flashbacks, I just had no idea until I osmosed everything from the fandom (correctly, as far as I remember :D). I watched the first few episodes for the comm re-watch, and the only thing I knew about Guardian at that point was the title, lol, I had zero other information or context, so I think the past scenes were just as confusing as everything else and I just rolled with it. :) If I had any lowkey theory at all, I think it was that they're both immortal? But I honestly don't remember anymore. :D

[china_shop]

First of all, DAMN, THIS PICSPAM IS HOT. :D ♡_♡

So much physicality!! :D

I always just assumed that he ran too far at full speed, so I guess it's two options at the same time. :D (But the visions and energy corruption make a lot of sense!)

Right? So many plausible reasons. (It always strikes me, because he usually manages to rise to the occasion and summon up the willpower and energy he needs -- at least when it comes to work.)

so I think the past scenes were just as confusing as everything else and I just rolled with it. :)

Hee! Aww! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[facethestrange]

"So much physicality!! :D"

YESSS. ♡♡♡ I legit need a moment to go all *heart eyes* and scroll up and down a few times every time I look at this post. xD

"It always strikes me, because he usually manages to rise to the occasion and summon up the willpower and energy he needs -- at least when it comes to work."

Very true, but also in my book running until he collapses (vs. stopping earlier) still counts as doing that. :D

[china_shop]

:D :D :D :D :D

but also in my book running until he collapses (vs. stopping earlier) still counts as doing that. :D

Yes, great point -- but it might have taken him longer to collapse if he were better rested and fed, and hadn't recently collapsed of Awl-groping. ;D

[facethestrange]

Indeed! Keeping a Zhao Yunlan fed and rested and away from the Hallows is very important. ;D Shen Wei knows that. :D

[trobadora]

I watched the first few episodes for the comm re-watch, and the only thing I knew about Guardian at that point was the title, lol, I had zero other information or context, so I think the past scenes were just as confusing as everything else and I just rolled with it. :)

Hee!

I think it's so funny that none of us can remember, LOL.

[autodach]

Not warming up really screws you over, more than people think. I voted for that and for going at top speed.

I was spoiled but it's funny to me how novel readers would watch the first episode and naturally assume they know what's going on here. Only to be proven wrong by surprise time travel.

[china_shop]

Not warming up really screws you over, more than people think.

Ha, yes. \o/

but it's funny to me how novel readers would watch the first episode and naturally assume they know what's going on here. Only to be proven wrong by surprise time travel.

Hee, yes! (And it's not even like the novel doesn't have time travel -- just not like that! :D)

[facethestrange]

"I was spoiled but it's funny to me how novel readers would watch the first episode and naturally assume they know what's going on here. Only to be proven wrong by surprise time travel."

Lol, I never even thought of that, it must have been a really powerful reveal for those fans! Thinking that you know something for sure means you're not gonna keep guessing, and then bam, you didn't actually know anything. ;D :D

[trobadora]

Haha, you're totally right, that's hilarious!

[maggie33]

I was spoiled about time travel. But that was one of the reasons I started watching this drama. Because time travel is one of my favorite tropes. :)

[china_shop]

Aww! I'm so glad you got spoiled and it drew you in! <3 <3 <3

[facethestrange]

Mine toooo, and what an absolutely wonderfully written time travel story it is!! :D ♡

[trobadora]

It's one of my favourite tropes too! And Guardian is such a fantastic execution of a time loop. :D :D :D