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sid_guardian2025-09-07 09:20 am
china_shop) wrote in sid_guardian2025-09-07 09:20 am
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Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 1, part 1
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!)
And here is our schedule, where you can sign up to host a post!
no subject
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
meanchaotic, 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!)
no subject
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
no subject
I'm already loving the relaxed vibe of it, and it's only been a few hours. :D ♡
"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"
Yeah, once they're inside it's all kinda just sweet, as terrifying as it must be when you
are GCCdon't know what's going on. :P (I can't be mad at ZYL being inappropriate even if I tried. xD :D :D)But I don't feel like they're being mean? They're literally just being themselves. *pets everyone*"
I do feel like intentionally dialing up the weirdness without trying to talk to him is a bit mean, but I don't mean it negatively - they're chaos gremlins and it is indeed who they are and how they're going to act in the future, so it's best if he just gets used to it? xD Like, if they acted all kind at first and then suddenly started acting like their real selves, I think I would find it meaner, and definitely more insincere.
"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?!"
(HEE YAY, I'm always excited when I notice something 'new'. :D :D) Maybe to see how GCC would react this time? :D And he didn't react at all, so DQ started speaking again to test him some more, and that didn't go very well. xD
"Like I said in my comment, I think GCC is metabolising his fear really fast!! *g*"
I'm still loving this expression, hee, so accurate! :D :D
"I'm just an ordinary person. Super ordinary! Nothing to see here. It's all just a coincidence. Good day to you." :DDDD"
Heeee. :D I can't wait for SW to add *adorable confused blink* and *holding his back like an elderly person* to this repertoire. ;D
no subject
I'm already loving the relaxed vibe of it, and it's only been a few hours. :D ♡
*twirls everyone and sets out bowls of chips and dip*
(I can't be mad at ZYL being inappropriate even if I tried. xD :D :D)
Haha, I know what you mean. I'm not mad at him -- I'm just glad I'm not GCC at that point. Super uncomfortable (I think I'd be too unnerved to notice the hot at that point).
and it is indeed who they are and how they're going to act in the future, so it's best if he just gets used to it? xD Like, if they acted all kind at first and then suddenly started acting like their real selves, I think I would find it meaner, and definitely more insincere.
Yes, exactly! 100%. :D
I can't wait for SW to add adorable confused blink and holding his back like an elderly person to this repertoire. ;D
LOL! *hearts* (While also mentioning Dixing and powers and the SID. So contradictory!! :D)
no subject
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
no subject
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?
That's after Changcheng's fainted. I think Wang Zheng's lack of feet was the last straw, lol. (Speaking of which, WZ is definitely being especially ghosty. Zhu Hong with her tail, too.)
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
Same. I'd totally avoid him till at least ... when does he start being nice to random strangers? Does the Zheng Yi case and the Envoy reveal do it? I'm going to have to keep an eye out. ;-p
no subject
No, he speaks once before that, at 10:03. He slides down, jumps and transforms, asks about the newbie, and then Lin Jing's explosion happens.
when does he start being nice to random strangers?
I think the turning point is the Hanga arc? But yeah, worth keeping an eye out for that!
no subject
No, he speaks once before that, at 10:03. He slides down, jumps and transforms, asks about the newbie, and then Lin Jing's explosion happens.
Oh, right! So much going on, lol.
I think the turning point is the Hanga arc? But yeah, worth keeping an eye out for that!
True -- offering Sang Zan a job was kind
even if he isn't paying him. *waits to see*