Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 1, part 1

[china_shop]

Hi, and welcome to the Guardian drama Slo-Mo Rewatch! Join us to watch half an episode a week (at your leisure) and then come and chat about it here in comments. If you already know the drama, of course you can jump in without rewatching if you prefer!

Episode 1, up to 22:28

Summary
The prologue explains Haixing's history. Professor Shen Wei presents a public lecture and turns down a job offer. Guo Changcheng reports to the SID in the middle of the night, where Zhao Yunlan is outrageous and the rest of the team scares Changcheng into fainting. Twice. An unseen threat chases Li Qian through the night. Zhao Yunlan investigates a murder at the university, where he and Da Qing dangle Guo Changcheng out a window while they discuss the case. Guo Changcheng's cries draw Shen Wei's attention. Cat!Da Qing gets strokes. Shen Wei is very intense, and Zhao Yunlan notices. Afterwards, Zhao Yunlan interrogates Li Qian about the murder; Shen Wei comes to pick her up for class and further arouses Zhao Yunlan's suspicions in the process. Zhao Yunlan sends Guo Changcheng to tail Shen Wei.



Quote
ZYL: By the way, I'm Zhao. I'm handling this case. What's your name, sir?
SW: No "sir". I'm Shen. Shen Wei. I teach here.
ZYL: Shen Wei? A good name.

Detail
I love the contrast between:

Zhao Yunlan: Damn Fatty.
Li Qian: What a fat black cat!
Guo Changcheng: It can speak?! *faints*
Shen Wei: *strokes* This is a very intelligent cat.

:D :D :D

Questions
Do you have any thoughts or feelings about the prologue? What was your first impression of Shen Wei -- good guy or bad guy? First impression of Zhao Yunlan -- would you trust him? Do you empathise with Guo Changcheng's fear? (If someone turned into a cat in front of you, would you be terrified, delighted, or both?) When Guo Changcheng falls from the window, is he unhurt or does Shen Wei surreptitiously heal his ankle? From Zhao Yunlan's POV, what is the most suspicious thing about Shen Wei at this point?

Do you have a favourite scene or quote? If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation starts? The absolute perfection of the casting? :D :D :D Anything else?

(These are all just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, and to say as much or as little as you like! You don't have to be keeping up with the rewatch to join in!)

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Comments

[salamandras]

I'll try to put my thoughts down later after re-watching, but I want to say how excited I am about this slo-mo re-watch!

[china_shop]

Yay! Me too! :D :D :D

[trobadora]

Me too! *flails*

I'm going to watch and comment tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to it! :D

[facethestrange]

Saaame. :D ♡♡♡ As someone who literally got into this fandom because of the previous rewatch (even though I was only around for about 2 posts before I fell behind), I'm so excited to be a part of it this time! :D

[china_shop]

Drama, my beloved! ♥ ♥ ♥ This was like coming home. *loves everyone in this bar, srsly*

A few reactions/things I noticed:

1. There are different translations in the various subs when Professor Ouyang alludes to dark energy:

VIKI: Shen Wei, we are both people who're in contact with top secret information. I will speak frankly. You clearly know that the genetic variations you mentioned have already occurred in reality, and it had occurred since a long time ago. What if I ask you to join the research team that your teacher and I work with?

Original fansubs: Shen Wei. You and I both got the information first-hand. I won't beat around the bush. You should be clear, your supposed genetic mutations have already appeared in reality. They've been here for a long time. If I told you that your teacher and I are in the middle of investigating this, will you be willing to join us?

I'm really curious i) how much Professor Ouyang knows about Dixing, Dixingren and dark energy (presumably quite a lot), and ii) how much he (and Professor Zhou) knows Shen Wei knows. They're only speaking of genetic variation, not different species from another planet, but is the latter implicit? Also, iii) is this information that's widely known in biology academic circles -- was Li Qian sent away to stop her hearing that, or just so Prof Ouyang could make the job offer in private (not something you'd do in front of a student!).

2. Aww, GCC speed-metabolising his ignorance to the point where he loses consciousness twice! He's still afraid after that, but he accepts the others and learns fast. <3 <3 <3 (ZYL is so disreputable in this scene, I love him so much!!! And the others are just being themselves but maybe turning the dial up to 14. ;-)

3. There's a theme of people's identities/authority/connections not being recognised: so far, we have a) Guo Changcheng initially being taken for a random noob and then being discovered to have political connections, b) ZYL being denied entry to the crime scene because a newbie cop doesn't know about the SID, c) LQ mistaking Da Qing for an ordinary cat. And that's only the ones a first-time viewer would know about, but it's enough to make Shen Wei's ~weirdly intense~ reaction to ZYL take on extra significance, I think. (Is this a case of mistaken identity? Who is ZYL really? Who is SW??) There's even more to come in the second half of the ep!

4. Shen Wei turns down a job offer. That's going to happen again. He doesn't want to work for a secret Haixing government agency. Just let him teach! <3

5. It was incredibly hard to choose only one screencap for this post!! Other things I considered: close-up of DQ as ZYL & SW pet him; ZYL and DQ leaning out the window; GCC dangling from the window; the extended handshake; group shot from the interviewing-Li-Qian scene, with SW & ZYL looking at each other challengingly. But this one of Shen Wei is so iconic, in the end I had to go with it. ♥

ION, I've set a goal for myself (which I'm unlikely to maintain for the whole rewatch) of reading the subs in Korean as we go. I had to skim most of the prologue and Shen Wei's lecture, lol, and even then, I've forgotten all my vocab, but that's fine. If nothing else, it helps me pay attention to incidental dialogue. Unfortunately, the subs I have access to are translated from the English, so I'm not getting new info on the original Chinese text.

[china_shop]

> Do you have any thoughts or feelings about the prologue? Horses! I wish there were horses in YOHE. ;-p
> What was your first impression of Shen Wei -- good guy or bad guy? Dangerous guy. :-)
> First impression of Zhao Yunlan -- would you trust him? I adore him, but no. He comes across as cynical and insincere.
> Do you empathise with Guo Changcheng's fear? (If someone turned into a cat in front of you, would you be terrified, delighted, or both?) Both, I think. Like, "this is not the world I know! what happened to reality!!" but also "aahhhhh, kitty!! :D :D :D"
> When Guo Changcheng falls from the window, is he unhurt or does Shen Wei surreptitiously heal his ankle? Idk, he does fall quite a long way, and Shen Wei does briefly touch his leg. Healing isn't out of the question.
> From Zhao Yunlan's POV, what is the most suspicious thing about Shen Wei at this point? a toss-up between the extended handshake and SW's being so calm about the murder.
> Do you have a favourite scene or quote? "I just quit smoking. I need to have something in my mouth." /fansubs
> If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation starts? I appreciate the prologue for context and sci-fi-icising the story. <3 <3 <3 And interesting that the prologue leads in to a conversation with Ouyang. I think that supports the theory that Ouyang <=> Shennong. :-)
> The absolute perfection of the casting? SO PERFECT, ALL OF IT!!

[facethestrange]

"Drama, my beloved! ♥ ♥ ♥ This was like coming home. *loves everyone in this bar, srsly*"

YAYYYY! ♡♡♡

"Also, iii) is this information that's widely known in biology academic circles -- was Li Qian sent away to stop her hearing that, or just so Prof Ouyang could make the job offer in private (not something you'd do in front of a student!)."

All very good questions, but I have nothing to add to the other two, lol. Re: this one, I assume it's not widely known and definitely not by students, otherwise Shen Wei's lecture could be more open about it?

"Aww, GCC speed-metabolising his ignorance to the point where he loses consciousness twice!"

:D :D :D This is such a fantastic way to phrase this! :D

"ZYL is so disreputable in this scene, I love him so much!!!"

Saaaame, and I love that post too! :D ♡♡♡

"There's a theme of people's identities/authority/connections not being recognised: so far, we have a) Guo Changcheng initially being taken for a random noob and then being discovered to have political connections, b) ZYL being denied entry to the crime scene because a newbie cop doesn't know about the SID, c) LQ mistaking Da Qing for an ordinary cat."

Ahh, that's a fantastic list, I don't think I would have put these together! ♡ And yesss, it ties in so well with the Weilan scene and so many later reveals! :D

"He doesn't want to work for a secret Haixing government agency. Just let him teach! <3"

AW!! ♡

"It was incredibly hard to choose only one screencap for this post!! Other things I considered: close-up of DQ as ZYL & SW pet him; ZYL and DQ leaning out the window; GCC dangling from the window; the extended handshake; group shot from the interviewing-Li-Qian scene, with SW & ZYL looking at each other challengingly."

I love how many of these are from their first meeting (and I can definitely see how hard it would be to choose just one)! :D

"ION, I've set a goal for myself (which I'm unlikely to maintain for the whole rewatch) of reading the subs in Korean as we go."

*cheers you on* :D

Also I entirely forgot to appreciate this part of the post:

"Zhao Yunlan: Damn Fatty.
Li Qian: What a fat black cat!
Guo Changcheng: It can speak?! *faints*
Shen Wei: *strokes* This is a very intelligent cat."

xD :D :D I don't think DQ minds anyone's reaction, but this is a wonderful contrast indeed. :D

[trobadora]

Drama, my beloved! ♥ ♥ ♥ This was like coming home. *loves everyone in this bar, srsly*

:D :D :D

It's SO GOOD to come back to, yes!

I'm really curious i) how much Professor Ouyang knows about Dixing, Dixingren and dark energy (presumably quite a lot), and ii) how much he (and Professor Zhou) knows Shen Wei knows. They're only speaking of genetic variation, not different species from another planet, but is the latter implicit? Also, iii) is this information that's widely known in biology academic circles -- was Li Qian sent away to stop her hearing that, or just so Prof Ouyang could make the job offer in private (not something you'd do in front of a student!).

Very good questions all! I assume Professor Ouyang and Professor Zhou know everything the Inspectorate knows, since the lab they're working at is the Inspectorate's. And they know Shen Wei knows at least about the existence of mutants and mutant powers, if perhaps not about Dixing. I think "people with weird powers exist" has to be MUCH more widely known than where they're coming from, and the scientific community - at least within this specialised field - is definitely aware of that much.

GCC speed-metabolising his ignorance to the point where he loses consciousness twice

LOL, I love how you put that!

There's a theme of people's identities/authority/connections not being recognised: so far, we have a) Guo Changcheng initially being taken for a random noob and then being discovered to have political connections, b) ZYL being denied entry to the crime scene because a newbie cop doesn't know about the SID, c) LQ mistaking Da Qing for an ordinary cat. And that's only the ones a first-time viewer would know about, but it's enough to make Shen Wei's ~weirdly intense~ reaction to ZYL take on extra significance, I think.

Ooh, that's an excellent point, yes! There absolutely is a pattern, and you're totally right that it highlights the part that isn't obvious yet and makes it more significant. :D

That's going to happen again. He doesn't want to work for a secret Haixing government agency. Just let him teach! <3

LOL! ♥

ION, I've set a goal for myself (which I'm unlikely to maintain for the whole rewatch) of reading the subs in Korean as we go.

Ooh! Good luck with that!

Lin Jing as Super Saiyan

[amedia]

Eeeeee, I started reading the comments here and then I went and followed china_shop's link to an earlier discussion and suddenly it was half an hour later! I love this comm and its insights SO MUCH.

There was a brief discussion in the earlier post of the saiyans from Dragonball Z, but unless I missed something, it didn't explain WHY Guo Changcheng would refer to Lin Jing as such. Getting to be a Super Saiyan is a big step up for a character, and one sign of it is that their hair goes from ordinary scruffy black hair to a fancy blond spiked do. Well, in that scene, the explosion has left Lin Jing's hair sticking up in the air and it's been considerably lightened by all the particulates in the smoke, so he *does* look kinda like a Super Saiyan! And he clearly recognizes the reference and takes it as a compliment (rightly so).

Based on the GCC's reference and LJ's recognition, I decided that somehow, on the faraway planet of Seastar, the characters were familiar with anime, which is why I figured it would be plausible for GCC to write Boku No Hero Academia fanfic about CSZ in a story I wrote that spun off from a comment thread on china_shop's delightful Transformative Work.

My source for this info, btw, is that when my son was a kiddo he watched Dragonball Z every freaking day, and we lived in a pretty small place, so I wound up seeing a lot of it too.

Re: Lin Jing as Super Saiyan

[china_shop]

and suddenly it was half an hour later!

Hee! Sorry! :D

Thank you so much for the Saiyan explanation. It all goes right over my head, but it's good to know! :D

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Re: Lin Jing as Super Saiyan

[facethestrange]

Oooh, thank you for the explanation! :D My subs say it's a Dragon Ball reference, so I just always assumed it's because they have weird hair like that (I've never watched Dragon Ball, but I know the general imagery from fandom osmosis), and apparently I wasn't entirely wrong, lol. I like that it's also a compliment in-universe - I thought Lin Jing liked it because he's a Dragon Ball fan. :D

"Based on the GCC's reference and LJ's recognition, I decided that somehow, on the faraway planet of Seastar, the characters were familiar with anime, which is why I figured it would be plausible for GCC to write Boku No Hero Academia fanfic about CSZ in a story I wrote that spun off from a comment thread on china_shop's delightful Transformative Work."

This is a fantastic implication that I didn't think of at all! :D I probably won't grab it for my own fic anytime soon, but who knows. :D :D

"My source for this info, btw, is that when my son was a kiddo he watched Dragonball Z every freaking day, and we lived in a pretty small place, so I wound up seeing a lot of it too."

Best reason to know things like that, hee, I still know so many Digimon transformations because my nephew loved it. :D

Re: Lin Jing as Super Saiyan

[trobadora]

Thank you for sharing this detail! That's fascinating, and great to know!

[donutsweeper]

Some thoughts:

Shen Wei's got a vaguely "other"ness to him when we first see him - not just the comment about not being good with tech but he's also holding himself stiffly, I wonder if it was due to not just being in front of his students but also Professor Ouyang etc.

I always thought the intro of the team is a bit meanspirited. Zhao Yunlan knew he was Minister Guo's nephew and still throws him to the wolves with that kind of intro (pushes him into the room and lets everyone have their fun until telling them everything after Guo Changcheng's passed out) which is kind of mean but also does set up the whole Unit pretty well, even if they aren't really explained who is who/what they do - but that's fixed pretty much right after. It was sneaky to have the first cop at the murder scene have to be schooled in who Zhao Yunlan is and whatnot since it lets us know as well.

Zhao Yunlan's reaction in the window to being spotted by Shen Wei doesn't really make much sense? He doesn't actually know Shen Wei here/now, the reaction seems a little more extreme than it should be in that case.

*sighs at the business card* Mark Stewart? WHY show, why

and last but not least... the handshake and grab, THAT SCENE. sighs happily

[china_shop]

Shen Wei's got a vaguely "other"ness to him when we first see him - not just the comment about not being good with tech but he's also holding himself stiffly, I wonder if it was due to not just being in front of his students but also Professor Ouyang etc.

That might be it. Though he doesn't seem nervous exactly. Maybe it's because he's talking about Dixingren (even if he's not calling them that) in public in Haixing?

Zhao Yunlan knew he was Minister Guo's nephew and still throws him to the wolves with that kind of intro

I think that ZYL probably doesn't realise the connection until after he's thrown him to the wolves. My guess is he either made a call or went and found GCC's paperwork, and suddenly started taking him seriously. I doubt he would have messed around with the lollipop business as much if he'd known GCC was so well-connected?

And everyone else is really just being themselves...

It was sneaky to have the first cop at the murder scene have to be schooled in who Zhao Yunlan is and whatnot since it lets us know as well.

Ha, yes, good exposition skills. :D

Zhao Yunlan's reaction in the window to being spotted by Shen Wei doesn't really make much sense?

I was thinking of doing a poll about that! I wonder if it's because SW just looks so respectable, and he's staring, and ZYL knows that dangling young men out the window isn't really a good look? g

the handshake and grab, THAT SCENE. sighs happily

Yessssss! :D

[facethestrange]

"It was sneaky to have the first cop at the murder scene have to be schooled in who Zhao Yunlan is and whatnot since it lets us know as well."

Very neat exposition indeed! :D

"Zhao Yunlan's reaction in the window to being spotted by Shen Wei doesn't really make much sense? He doesn't actually know Shen Wei here/now, the reaction seems a little more extreme than it should be in that case."

Yep, I always wonder about this too! I guess it's something between 'oops, now we pissed off the professors' and 'a hot guy is staring at me'. xD

"and last but not least... the handshake and grab, THAT SCENE. sighs happily"

Saaaaame. ♡♡♡

[trobadora]

but he's also holding himself stiffly, I wonder if it was due to not just being in front of his students but also Professor Ouyang etc.

Yeah, and (circumspectly) talking about Dixing matters in public, too, but probably especially in front of Professor Ouyang, who he presumably knows is aware of the truth.

Zhao Yunlan knew he was Minister Guo's nephew and still throws him to the wolves with that kind of intro

FWIW, my impression is that ZYL only realises he's Minister Guo's nephew after he's already pushed him into that.

It was sneaky to have the first cop at the murder scene have to be schooled in who Zhao Yunlan is and whatnot since it lets us know as well.

Hee! Yes, great way to insert necessary exposition. *g*

Zhao Yunlan's reaction in the window to being spotted by Shen Wei doesn't really make much sense? He doesn't actually know Shen Wei here/now, the reaction seems a little more extreme than it should be in that case.

He's just been caught not just dangling someone out of a window, but letting him fall. And the person who's seen this isn't a student; it's someone who looks very prim and proper and might make a fuss about it. So I think his wince makes perfect sense.

*sighs at the business card* Mark Stewart? WHY show, why

I always love that the designer apparently just reused a template already used for S.C.I., LOL.

and last but not least... the handshake and grab, THAT SCENE. sighs happily

:D :D :D

[facethestrange]

Eeeeeeee, the rewatch is here! :D :D :D *BOUNCES* ♡♡♡ (I literally wouldn't be in this fandom if it wasn't for the original rewatch, even though I couldn't keep up with it at all and watched most of the show nearly 2 years later. xD)

Unlike the readalong, this time I'm not liveblogging anything, lol - in my experience visual media takes a whole lot longer to liveblog than books, and the novel regularly took ~4 hours a week. xD So my plan for now is to list a bunch of my favorite things (maybe 5 but I'll probably end up with more xD), and maybe some novel comparisons and other things I haven't noticed before (idk if I notice something new every time, but it's not unlikely :D), and then whatever the questions of the week are. :D Let's see how it goes. :D

Favorite things (in the order I thought of them, lol):

- XIAO GUO, alllll things Xiao Guo, he's the sweetest permanently terrified (and therefore extremely brave) cinnamon roll, I adore him and everything he does to pieces. ♡♡♡ His opening scene is one of my favorites in both the drama and the novel, and it's such a fantastic adaptation of it despite so many details being different! (And what I think I haven't noticed before is how it directly cuts from creepy-dark-scary to domestic Lao Li cooking. :D)

- Zhao Yunlan who needs to have something in his mouth asdfgfhdjskldfjkl;; I feel like don't even need to say this because it's obvious, but I can't just NOT. :D :D :D

- All the SID people being mean chaotic, hee and how there is something happening everywhere around GCC - the weird stuff just doesn't stop, no matter where he looks! (Also I didn't notice that DQ shifted during the conversation on the couch, and apparently GCC didn't either because he was only terrified of the cat speaking - I feel like shifting may be at least equally concerning, but maybe he's somehow used to that already. ;D)

- Shen Wei's YEARNING. The picture in this post ^^^ SO MUCH YEARNING.

- Shen Wei's slow-motion opening scene, and Zhao Yunlan's slightly-less-slow-motion one. :D

- Zhao Yunlan getting off the motorcycle at the crime scene, and brushing off the invisible dirt from his jacket, and measuring handprints with a lollipop. :D (Did he throw the lollipop at Da Qing?? xD)

- Da Qing's YOHE self in the prologue! :D

Also: I can't unsee professor Ouyang as novel Shennong now, and his conversation with Shen Wei doesn't even have much to do with that, so idk where exactly I'm going with this, but liked this scene in this light. :D Like, it's both the opposite re: who is doing the asking, and sort of similar re: the other person accepting Shen Wei's argument.

---

Questions!! :D

Do you have any thoughts or feelings about the prologue?

I like the animated style and how elaborate it is sometimes (and now I'm thinking that the landscapes/scenery are very novel-like :D). And I still don't know who some of the characters are meant to be, if anyone (are only the Yashou actual named characters and everyone else is an OC?). And, as I said above, I like that is has Da Qing's YOHE self. :D

What was your first impression of Shen Wei -- good guy or bad guy?

I don't remember anymore, but it was either 'he knows a lot more than he's saying' or 'he's the alien', but probably the former. :D I don't think I ever considered 'good or bad'.

First impression of Zhao Yunlan -- would you trust him?

It really depends what I'm supposed to trust him with, lol, but I wouldn't find him suspicious or anything, he's just an ass who's also absolutely gorgeous and fun to be around. :D

Do you empathise with Guo Changcheng's fear?

SO MUCH, but even more about going to the completely unfamiliar place to do something he has never done in the middle of the night than about the supernatural. xD

If someone turned into a cat in front of you, would you be terrified, delighted, or both?

If there was any hint that it's possible, I would be delighted. :D (I'm assuming GCC hasn't heard anything about Dixing/Yashou powers, not even as rumors?) If I knew for a fact that it's impossible, I'd probably be terrified of what happened to my mind, not of the person who turned into a cat. :P

When Guo Changcheng falls from the window, is he unhurt or does Shen Wei surreptitiously heal his ankle?

I've never considered this possibility and I've always just assumed that he's unhurt and panicking, but now I'm adopting this interpretation immediately. :D (And maybe the pain going away helped with the panic too. :))

From Zhao Yunlan's POV, what is the most suspicious thing about Shen Wei at this point?

Hanging around crime scenes like it's the most natural thing in the world? :P (The suspicion storyline is not something I generally focus on/follow well. :))

Do you have a favourite scene or quote?

See above for more favs, but my favorite quote is "Good name!" (there's a post somewhere on tumblr that says you can see the moment when Shen Wei dies inside, lol, and yeah, you can; and I just love how much meaning this line actually has!), and my favorite scene/FACT is Zhao Yunlan needing to have things in his mouth. ;D

If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation starts?

I always focus on GCC's first scene here (I love both versions of it so much, and they're sort of the same scene to me despite the differences - the adaptation of the vibe is PERFECTION), but I also want to mention Weilan's first meeting that immediately establishes that Shen Wei's touch is not harmful to Zhao Yunlan - novel Shen Wei withdraws his hand as soon as possible, and drama Shen Wei does the exact opposite. :D

The absolute perfection of the casting?

It's not just perfect, it's better than what I would imagine, especially for Zhao Yunlan. :D (I read the novel after watching the drama, so I guess ymmv if you read it first. But while reading I always lowkey wish that he looked more like his drama self. xD And Shen Wei already does. :D And GCC's entire body language is SPOT-ON!)

[china_shop]

Eeeeeeee, the rewatch is here! :D :D :D *BOUNCES* ♡♡♡

:D :D :D :D :D <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

So my plan for now is to list a bunch of my favorite things (maybe 5 but I'll probably end up with more xD), and maybe some novel comparisons and other things I haven't noticed before (idk if I notice something new every time, but it's not unlikely :D), and then whatever the questions of the week are. :D

Yeah, same here. I'm sure we'll find plenty to chat about! :D :D :D

XIAO GUO, alllll things Xiao Guo, he's the sweetest permanently terrified (and therefore extremely brave) cinnamon roll

*pets him forever* (He hadn't quite won my heart at this stage, but he definitely did by the end of the ep. :D)

And what I think I haven't noticed before is how it directly cuts from creepy-dark-scary to domestic Lao Li cooking. :D

Oh, true! And the entranceway of the SID is quite cheery, really. Except that ZYL is creeping all over GCC in such a weird, inappropriate way, lol. :D

Zhao Yunlan who needs to have something in his mouth asdfgfhdjskldfjkl;; I feel like don't even need to say this because it's obvious, but I can't just NOT. :D :D :D

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!?!?!? What a gift!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

the weird stuff just doesn't stop, no matter where he looks!

Exactly! (But I don't feel like they're being mean? They're literally just being themselves. *pets everyone*) (I'm pretty sure DQ only shifted at the bottom of the stairs, before GCC's first faint? Omg, you're right! I never noticed that shot of human!Da Qing at 11:28 before!! Ha, I wonder why he changed and immediately changed back again?!)

but maybe he's somehow used to that already. ;D

Like I said in my comment, I think GCC is metabolising his fear really fast!! *g*

Shen Wei's YEARNING. The picture in this post ^^^ SO MUCH YEARNING.

Yesssssss! AFTER ALL THIS TIME!! :D

and brushing off the invisible dirt from his jacket

That makes me scream internally Every. Time. :D

Da Qing's YOHE self in the prologue! :D

Aww, yes! (And great point about the canon Yashou characters in the prologue, vs all the OC Dixingren. Weird!)

It really depends what I'm supposed to trust him with, lol, but I wouldn't find him suspicious or anything, he's just an ass who's also absolutely gorgeous and fun to be around. :D

Ha, yes! :D

Hanging around crime scenes like it's the most natural thing in the world? :P

"I'm just an ordinary person. Super ordinary! Nothing to see here. It's all just a coincidence. Good day to you." :DDDD

but I also want to mention Weilan's first meeting that immediately establishes that Shen Wei's touch is not harmful to Zhao Yunlan - novel Shen Wei withdraws his hand as soon as possible, and drama Shen Wei does the exact opposite. :D

Yes!! I love that! Thanks so much for pointing it out on the readalong, and again here!! <3333

it's better than what I would imagine, especially for Zhao Yunlan. :D

*high fives* :D

[trobadora]

I literally wouldn't be in this fandom if it wasn't for the original rewatch

I'm still so delighted by that! :D :D :D

in my experience visual media takes a whole lot longer to liveblog than books

Yeah, 100% - I took so many notes during the last rewatch, and it took forever, and then writing it all up into something coherent took even more time, LOL. Definitely happy to be doing something more relaxed this time!

Also I didn't notice that DQ shifted during the conversation on the couch, and apparently GCC didn't either because he was only terrified of the cat speaking - I feel like shifting may be at least equally concerning, but maybe he's somehow used to that already. ;D

He's already seen him shift before, so maybe that's not as shocking the second time? But hearing him speak is new and therefore terrifying!

ETA: No, wait, Da Qing did speak in cat form the first time, too - but maybe Xiao-Guo didn't properly process it at the time?

(Btw I never noticed that shot of Da Qing in human form before! Amazing, he did A LOT of shifting in this episode! *g*)

Did he throw the lollipop at Da Qing?? xD

Yes! Looks to me like Da Qing catches it!

And I still don't know who some of the characters are meant to be, if anyone (are only the Yashou actual named characters and everyone else is an OC?).

The Dixingren characters don't seem to turn up elsewhere, yeah.

he's just an ass who's also absolutely gorgeous and fun to be around. :D

I'll give you "ass" and "gorgeous", but I don't think I'd find him fun to be around, heh. He's fun to watch on TV, but IRL I wouldn't want to be targeted by someone who acts like that, no matter how gorgeous they are. :p

[trobadora]

HI!!! Yay rewatch! :D

This was such a delight to come back to. Just starting the episode and seeing the opening credits - the hand of the clock moving! And We Won't Be Falling. Chen Xueran is so good, I love this song. And the story will keep on going, indeed! ♥ ♥ ♥

I love the prologue, situating us in a sci-fi universe. I also always notice four things in particular:

• the narrator's "we", situating us in a Haixing POV


• the Sundial, floating upside down just like in the opening credits, LOL


• the Dixing woman illustrating Dixing powers who turns up nowhere else in the drama


• the horses, the thatched huts, the arrows and swords, the battle scenes - all the stuff we never got to s ee in the actual YOHE sequence

For the last point, I wonder if that's the last remnant of how the YOHE sequence was originally envisioned, when they thought they'd have the budget for it, and it was all rewritten and cut down to the bare essentials before it ever got to filming. And come to think of it, I wonder if the Dixing woman might have turned up there, too ...

I love that both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan get very ominous intros! Shen Wei with turning away from the blackboard, and that smile - he hasn't done a thing yet, or said a word, and yet it's already very clear Something Is Up with this guy. *g* And Zhao Yunlan with the motorcycle helmet and the threatening appearance, and then the way he handles Xiao-Guo! Hee!

But back a step first, I always love that Professor Ouyang mentions his favourite student in his conversation with Shen Wei, giving us some foreshadowing for the later reveal about Lin Jing! And when Professor Ouyang quotes Professor Zhou as saying no one knows what SW is thinking, it makes me want so much more Shen Wei from Professor Zhou's POV!

Favourite line: "I need to have something in my mouth", AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

I love Li Qian touching her pendant when she senses something amiss! And that we see her running, then we get info about a dead girl, and we have a five-second misdirect where we might think it's Li Qian, before we get to see the dead Lu Ruomei. *g* (Already starting out with things not being as they appear!)

I'm always so fascinated with the police guy explaining to the newbie about the SID, right in front of all these bystanders - clearly the SID's existence isn't particularly secret, only what the "strange" cases they handle actually are about.

ZYL measuring the handprint with his lollipop stick, hee!

ETA: And both ZYL and DQ refer to Dixing as "over there" in their conversation, I wonder why that is ...

I'm still wondering about dangling Xiao-Guo out the window. In the novel, that doesn't happen - ZYL tells GCC to see what's outside the window, and he's standing on the window sill when SW turns up and startles him so he slips and falls. (No, I didn't remember all this detail, I just looked it up *g*) Whereas in the drama, it looks like they're re-enacting Lu Ruomei's death, since Li Qian saw her dangling from the window (held by shadows rather than rope). I wonder if ZYL is trying to figure out whether a mundane explanation is possible? (Which makes me wonder why the SID was called in in the first place ... Because of Li Qian reporting a shadow? Or did she not say that until ZYL questioned her?)

Anyway, Shen Wei turning up and calling Xiao-Guo "student", asking what he's doing - yeah, he's seen some students doing weird inadvisable dangerous stuff, LOL. :D

ZYL flinching back when he's caught having let Xiao-Guo fall, aww!

Shen Wei musts recognise Da Qing in cat form, since he's got the bells on, right? Especially since he's just seen "Kunlun" in the window.

I always adore the handshake. Shen Wei forgetting to let go of Zhao Yunlan's hand ... and then after he does let go, Zhao Yunlan standing there still sticking out his hand for another long moment, hee! ♥ ♥ ♥

Yay for Da Qing's presence pulling Li Qian out of her flashbacks and making her smile! BEST KITTY. ♥

I love Da Qing complaining about having to work while everyone else except Lao-Chu gets to slack off in the office, LOL! And he absolutely subconsciously recognises Shen Wei for a moment, doesn't he?

I always wonder about "the technology explosion 10,000 years ago" that Shen Wei mentions. And very cool that Haixing history not only goes back that far, but is well enough known that he can casually mention this, without it being suspicious in its own right!

Though of course Zhao Yunlan is immediately suspicious of Shen Wei. Not that Shen Wei is in any way trying to be non-suspicious! He very much wants Zhao Yunlan's attention, and he's definitely getting it. :D :D :D

Zhao Yunlan sends Guo Changcheng to tail Shen Wei.

Yeah, about that - do we think he actually thinks Xiao-Guo can do that? Or is he setting him up to fail?

I love the contrast between:

Ooh yes! Those are excellent quotes all. I love that!

Do you have any thoughts or feelings about the prologue?

SO MANY. I just mentioned a few above, or we'd be here all day. *g*

What was your first impression of Shen Wei -- good guy or bad guy?

I knew about him going in, so that was never in question.

First impression of Zhao Yunlan -- would you trust him?

LOL no.

If someone turned into a cat in front of you, would you be terrified, delighted, or both?

I'd think it was some elaborate kind of prank at first, some kind of Candid Camera thing, tbh. But definitely delighted otherwise, even if worried about the laws of nature, LOL.

When Guo Changcheng falls from the window, is he unhurt or does Shen Wei surreptitiously heal his ankle?

I think even if he doesn't heal him, he definitely does check him out to see if he needs healing! Possibly he doesn't, depending on how well the rope did at slowing down his fall.

From Zhao Yunlan's POV, what is the most suspicious thing about Shen Wei at this point?

Too calm about the murdered student. And also that handshake is weird! *g*

[china_shop]

YAY REWATCH!! *twirls us and everyone*

(I completely skipped over the credits. Bad habit from streaming things. /o\ I'll watch them for ep 2.)

the narrator's "we", situating us in a Haixing POV

Oh, yes, great point. So much! That's part of the arc of the show, isn't it -- moving towards a more encompassing "we".

And come to think of it, I wonder if the Dixing woman might have turned up there, too ...

Ooh, they could have had a YOHE case to investigate! Ooh. *wants*

I love that both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan get very ominous intros!

Ha, yes. <3 <3 <3

Favourite line: "I need to have something in my mouth", AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

Hee! There seems to be consensus about that line. :D (So sad it's not in the VIKI subs; they read, "I just quit smoking. I need to eat something.")

I love Li Qian touching her pendant when she senses something amiss!

Do you think that's for comfort or because she senses/guesses her pursuer is after it?

And that we see her running, then we get info about a dead girl, and we have a five-second misdirect where we might think it's Li Qian, before we get to see the dead Lu Ruomei.

Oh, great point. By this stage, it never ever occurs to me that it could have been LQ. I can't remember if it did the first time. Surely it must have.

And both ZYL and DQ refer to Dixing as "over there" in their conversation, I wonder why that is ...

Again, the VIKI subs are a bit different:

ZYL: This was surely done by those people.
DQ: Those people? Are their reins loosening? How could they allow their people to escape up here?

(Oh noooo, we're back in the drama but we still have translation variants! LOL!)

Whereas in the drama, it looks like they're re-enacting Lu Ruomei's death, since Li Qian saw her dangling from the window (held by shadows rather than rope).

Yes, although this is before they interview LQ, so they must be going off the police report. Maybe LQ de-mysteried her explanation for the cops so they'd believe her.

Shen Wei musts recognise Da Qing in cat form, since he's got the bells on, right? Especially since he's just seen "Kunlun" in the window.

100%! :D

and then after he does let go, Zhao Yunlan standing there still sticking out his hand for another long moment, hee! ♥ ♥ ♥

Aww, I had to go back and rewatch that. ZYL lets his open hand hover there a moment, and then he curls it closed and pulls back. That speaks to some kind of feeling, I think. I wonder if anyone's ever tried to hold on to him before; he does so much being prickly and keeping people at a distance...

And he absolutely subconsciously recognises Shen Wei for a moment, doesn't he?

Something is rustling in the back of his mind, for sure. (I love that Shen Wei can quite plausibly go around calling anyone who looks under 30 "student" -- so convenient for pretending he doesn't know what's going on. :D (I mean, for Xiao-Guo, he didn't know what was going on, but still.))

I always wonder about "the technology explosion 10,000 years ago" that Shen Wei mentions. And very cool that Haixing history not only goes back that far, but is well enough known that he can casually mention this, without it being suspicious in its own right!

Oh, true! We never hear more about that, do we? Presumably a reference to some of Ma Gui's inventions, since his portrait still hangs in Haixing Admin??

do we think he actually thinks Xiao-Guo can do that? Or is he setting him up to fail?

I think if Shen Wei were ordinary and oblivious, GCC could maybe have done it, so it's a test of both of them. If ZYL were really worried, he'd have sent DQ, though.

I'd think it was some elaborate kind of prank at first, some kind of Candid Camera thing, tbh.

Ha, that makes sense. <3

Too calm about the murdered student. And also that handshake is weird! *g*

:D :D :D

[salamandras]

the horses, the thatched huts, the arrows and swords, the battle scenes - all the stuff we never got to s ee in the actual YOHE sequence

For the last point, I wonder if that's the last remnant of how the YOHE sequence was originally envisioned, when they thought they'd have the budget for it, and it was all rewritten and cut down to the bare essentials before it ever got to filming. And come to think of it, I wonder if the Dixing woman might have turned up there, too ...

Even this watch I still missed the horses /o\ I like your idea that this was what we could have gotten if the budget had been there.

[salamandras]

Instead of finding my files of the episodes, I watched on YouTube with mismatched subtitles, which were delayed by several minutes, so I actually watched the acting much more than I have the first two watches. It was Shen Wei’s intensity, longing, and general emoting/facial expressions that originally really pulled me in. I generally let things go that don't make total sense the first time I’m watching a show, assuming that they’ll explain more later. I'm not someone who actively tries to guess what's going to happen next.

I did enjoy seeing the Ying Chun and SW as cartoon versions of themselves in the intro, and I got a better view of how the Dixing arrived underground, but I’m still unclear on if SW was born underground before the meteorite or above ground, and can't remember if it's ever mentioned later. I really like how Guo Changcheng, even when he is being painfully awkward and silly, sees Li Qian’s grandma in need and becomes confident and caring and automatically helps her. And I really, really feel for SW since I’m watching so much closer and have the whole story, unlike the 1st time watching- it’s really painful to see the lack of recognition ZYL has for him and the cockiness instead of the caring kindness SW experienced in the past.

When Guo Changcheng falls from the window, is he unhurt or does Shen Wei surreptitiously heal his ankle? Oh, I don't think I considered this before. I figured he had a lucky fall! But now I'm suspicious.

From Zhao Yunlan's POV, what is the most suspicious thing about Shen Wei at this point? That SW is suspiciously attractive and intense! :) I don't get impression that he's suspecting SW yet.

[china_shop]

Instead of finding my files of the episodes, I watched on YouTube with mismatched subtitles, which were delayed by several minutes

Ahaha, oh no. That would drive me nuts. I take it you remembered enough that it didn't interfere with your enjoyment too much?

It was Shen Wei’s intensity, longing, and general emoting/facial expressions that originally really pulled me in.

Aww! He is definitely wearing his heart on his sleeve. *pets him*

I did enjoy seeing the Ying Chun and SW as cartoon versions of themselves in the intro

Ha, I kept staring at that figure wondering if it was supposed to be Shen Wei. I'm still not sure! ;D

I really like how Guo Changcheng, even when he is being painfully awkward and silly, sees Li Qian’s grandma in need and becomes confident and caring and automatically helps her.

Yes, that's wonderful. He's very good when someone needs help or protection. (We're starting from there this coming weekend, jsyk. I should have said the end scene for this week in the post, doh!)

it’s really painful to see the lack of recognition ZYL has for him and the cockiness instead of the caring kindness SW experienced in the past.

Yes, so much. And ZYL has no way to know what's going on or what SW is thinking.

I figured he had a lucky fall! But now I'm suspicious.

:D

That SW is suspiciously attractive and intense! :) I don't get impression that he's suspecting SW yet.

He does send Changcheng to tail him, but yeah, it's not serious suspicion yet, I agree.

[veetvoojagig]

I was sick all weekend and forgot to drop in. I'll catch the next one I hope!

[china_shop]

Oh no, so sorry to hear you've been sick!! :-(((

Feel free to comment here whenever you catch up (if you want to). There's no time limit, but also no pressure. <3 <3 <3

[veetvoojagig]

Watching the whole episode to catch up for this week's, so doing the first half here, LOL.

1. The opening slaps. I fucking love the theme song. I was hooked from the start the first time I watched. (slaps is a thing I've heard the kids say and I think I used it correctly)

2. I think I instantly forgot all this lore the first time I watched and did not realize they were supposed to be aliens, LOL. I think I just assumed they were people of the underworld, like it actually is in the book.

3. It took me a while to learn everyone's names, so Shen Wei was affectionately known as "Professor Sleeve Garters" for quite a time. Like who are you wearing those sleeve garters to impress? Other men?

4. Oh no, Changcheng's all alone on a dark street, he needs a strong man to protect him. Unfortunately they haven't met yet.

5. Yunlan just has to make a badass entrance.

6. Oh my GOD the lollipop thing. And then he just shoves him into the fray, LMAO.

7. It took me a while to warm up to Changcheng but he's now just about my favorite character.

8. I am a mere beginner in Mandarin, but I love when I can pick something out. "Shen Wei? Hao mingzi!"

9. Shen Wei just doesn't want to let go of that hand, huh?

10. "I am an ordinary person" Hmmm sounds exactly like something an ordinary person would say. Yes, indeed. Nothing to follow up with here.

[china_shop]

Ah yay, so glad you had time! :D

1. It's so good, isn't it?! And so earwormy. :D :D

2. Yeah, the opening was a blur for me the first time or two, too. I genuinely didn't notice the spaceship until someone pointed it out. It's a lot of information to absorb.

3. LOL! I was just all "scruffy guy" and "glasses guy". ;D

4. Hee! *pets Changcheng*

5 & 6. So much, lol! (I love him!!) And yes, ZYL is completely outrageous, hee!

7. He's amazing, isn't he? Terrified and brave and determined. *hearts*

8. That's so cool!

9 & 10. Genuine lol. :D :D :D But I think he's, like, comparing himself to the SID, so it's not ~quite~ as suspicious as it sounds out of context?