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!)

And here is our schedule, where you can sign up to host a post!

Comments

[china_shop]

Oh, how very weird! I just looked at the Chinese again, he says 嘴里非得叼一点什么, so the other translation is spot on.

Maybe they were downplaying the innuendo for some reason...

Either way, I do think on some level it's definitely for comfort, whether there's another reason or not.

Yes, agreed. I feel like she might well subconsciously sense her grandmother's spirit there.

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

I guess they're being discreet out of habit -- or because they're in semi-public.

LOL! But unlike with the novel, there is only one Chinese version, and we can easily check it for ourselves. *g*

Well, you can. (And then we can debate whether a literal word-for-word translation is most accurate or not, in terms of getting the meaning and nuance across. ;-)

Oh, a further thought about ZYL leaving his hand sticking out -- it's not completely unlike how he lets his arm hover after GCC pushes him away at the start of the arriving-at-the-SID scene.

And yeah, presumably Ma Gui, possibly in combination with a general boom after the end of the war?

Ooh, yes. That would be nice. *wishes good things for post-war Fu You and Ma Gui*

[trobadora]

I feel like she might well subconsciously sense her grandmother's spirit there.

Oh yes, I like that! ♥

And then we can debate whether a literal word-for-word translation is most accurate or not, in terms of getting the meaning and nuance across.

I mean, I think generally it's ideal to have both word-for-word and a more idiomatic translation, to get as much as possible across. *g*

*wishes good things for post-war Fu You and Ma Gui*

*joins you in the wishing*