Slo-Mo Rewatch: Guardian episode 6, part 1

[china_shop]

Hi, and welcome back to the Guardian drama Slo-Mo Rewatch. Watch half an episode a week, at your leisure, and then come and chat about it here in comments. Or you can just jump into the comments without rewatching, of course!

Here are the previous weeks' rewatch posts.

Episode 6, up to 22:45

Summary
The SID interview and fail to comfort Ji Xiaobai about his missing fiancée, Weiwei. Chu Shuzhi and Changcheng take him out for some air, and Chu Shuzhi sees something of his twin brother in Changcheng. While they're gone, Weiwei comes back. At night, Shen Wei asks half-transformed Ying Chun if she can help him find someone. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Zhao Yunlan on his motorbike. In Shen Wei's office, Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei discuss the case and flirt. ♥ ♥ ♥



Ji Xiaobai knows the returned Weiwei isn't the woman he loves; he tracks down Changcheng, and the SID go into the mirror dimension to get to the bottom of things. In the mirror, Ji Xiaobai chooses the wrong (human) Weiwei. Spurned (Dixingren) Weiwei threatens to explode them all. The Envoy stops her and takes her away, but not before he and Zhao Yunlan talk privately about softening the SID's deportation policy.

Quote
Shen Wei: This is the first time.
Zhao Yunlan: What first time?
Shen Wei: The first time you don't think I am linked to a case and simply come to consult me.

Detail
I'm always amused that Chu Shuzhi produces (randomly, from his coat pocket?) two cans of beer and offers one to Ji Xiaobai, completely unapologetically leaving Guo Changcheng out. He still thinks of Changcheng as someone he's babysitting, not a partner.

Questions
Do you have a stand-out favourite scene or quote from the first half of episode 6? What do you think of Guo Changcheng's technique for handling Ji Xiaobai? How about Chu Shuzhi's? How happy are you to see Ying Chun in bush and half-transformed states? Best thing about Zhao Yunlan consulting Shen Wei in his office at night? (Hint: all of it!) Any thoughts about how the mirror 'verse works? (Are all mirrors connected? What about mirrors in Dixing? If Zhao Yunlan and the others can pass through, can anyone at any time?) What's with all the bathrooms? Did you see any parallels in these scenes with other parts of the drama?

If you're familiar with the novel, any thoughts about how the drama adaptation compares, if at all?

(As usual, 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. We'd love to hear your thoughts!)

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Comments

[facethestrange]

"And I don't personally think Shen Wei is ready to act on it yet (mmv!), but still, he's enjoying it SO MUCH!! :D :D"

AWWWWW. :D ♡♡♡ Yeah, I'm a simple person, to me he's been ready since the moment he saw Zhao Yunlan in the window (or since he woke up a few decades ago and kept waiting for this moment, but that was unfortunately only theoretical ;D). :D :D

"Aww! I like that there are a lot of trees behind the bench, too. :D"

Because of the trees I always think it could be some different side of the park where Weilan had the name conversation. :D

"<3333333333333333 (Hee, I'd forgotten that bit. :D)"

LOL AWW, it's so 100% unforgettable to me! ♡_____♡ :D :D I've written writing on skin already (for now only the other way around), and I'm so tempted to do something with the seal too, guhhhhhh. :D

"I love how sure of herself she is, too. Like, polite but not overwhelmed or anything. :D"

Yes! :D I'm always glad they made her a much more important character in the drama! Her novel scene is delightful, but in the drama she got that one too (dreamboat Guardian, lol) and so many other great scenes on top of that. :D

"Yessss! I just really really adore that they like each other so damn much (as well as the attraction, obviously). They're just really enjoying discussing the case together. <3 <3 <3 asadfja;sklfdjafd :D :D :D :D"

Awwwwww YES, Zhao Yunlan is like 'anything new happens -> need to tell Shen Wei'. :D :D ♡♡♡

[trobadora]

I always think it could be some different side of the park where Weilan had the name conversation. :D

IMO it also looks similar to the place where Wang Xiangyang and Bai Suxia take their wedding photos. Maybe it's all the same park!

Zhao Yunlan is like 'anything new happens -> need to tell Shen Wei'. :D :D ♡♡♡

:D :D :D

[china_shop]

Oh, the park with the avenues and roads through it? I wonder if the gate to Dixing is there, too.

[trobadora]

Yeah, that one! It all looks vaguely similar to me, and there's no reason it couldn't all be the same park. :D

[facethestrange]

"IMO it also looks similar to the place where Wang Xiangyang and Bai Suxia take their wedding photos. Maybe it's all the same park!"

Hee, right?? I keep going between 'it is all the same park' and 'it can't be, Dragon City must be bigger than that'. ;D (And funnily enough it's not even a filming location vs. in-world thing. Dragon City is so quaint to me that having one big park somewhere in the center would be right on brand. :D)

[china_shop]

Because of the trees I always think it could be some different side of the park where Weilan had the name conversation. :D

Ooh, I wonder. They're very regular -- but maybe!

I've written writing on skin already (for now only the other way around), and I'm so tempted to do something with the seal too, guhhhhhh. :D

*cheers you on* :D :D :D :D

Her novel scene is delightful, but in the drama she got that one too (dreamboat Guardian, lol) and so many other great scenes on top of that. :D

Yes, and her own political position -- trying to help the Envoy without crossing the neutrality lines. And being like a big sister/aunt figure to Zhu Hong. :D

YES, Zhao Yunlan is like 'anything new happens -> need to tell Shen Wei'.

LOL, he really is. He's like 'Secret government agency, what secret government agency?' :DDD (Ohh, I wonder if that's another reason he wants to recruit SW (on top of everything else) -- so that he's not spilling classified info into civilian ears every second day? *g*)

[facethestrange]

"Ooh, I wonder. They're very regular -- but maybe!"

Hah yeah, trees are trees, and Dragon City probably has several parks. :D :D (It's not a megacity like in the novel, so I tend to see it as relatively small, but they do quite a bit of driving so it's not THAT small. :D

"*cheers you on* :D :D :D :D"

AW THANK YOU. ♡♡♡ :D :D

"Yes, and her own political position -- trying to help the Envoy without crossing the neutrality lines. And being like a big sister/aunt figure to Zhu Hong. :D"

Yes! :D It's funny that Ying Chun always feels young to me even though she's clearly not; she's not even young for a Yashou because Zhu Hong is clearly younger. Kinda like Da Qing, but with an entirely different personality. :D

"LOL, he really is. He's like 'Secret government agency, what secret government agency?' :DDD (Ohh, I wonder if that's another reason he wants to recruit SW (on top of everything else) -- so that he's not spilling classified info into civilian ears every second day? *g*)"

Lolol! :D :D :D As much as I rarely see the recruitment as a storyline in itself (because to me it's mostly just a censored stand-in for novel ZYL's desperate seduction attempts + a way to give SW something to reject since in the drama he has no reason to stay away from ZYL), THIS is a very, very good reason to get your crush/new boyfriend officially hired! xD *does the pointing gesture that ZYL does* You have a point! xD :D

[trobadora]

It's not a megacity like in the novel, so I tend to see it as relatively small, but they do quite a bit of driving so it's not THAT small. :D

Dragon City always gives me the feel of a fairly small city too! But there's that bit in episode 28 where they say there are 119 people called Hua Yuzhu in Dragon City. extrapenguin did some maths in a post once, concluding that Dragon City likely has upwards of a million people. Which is still not a megacity, but much larger than its vibe suggests to me! (Both could be true to some degree, I guess, if Dragon City proper is fairly small but there are several large suburbs that count as part of the city.)

[china_shop]

Part of it is that we mostly see low-ish old-fashioned buildings, isn't it? But in the sudden ageing case, there's a large office block, so there might be a whole CBD we don't otherwise see...

[trobadora]

Yeah, and even with everything we do see (including in the Dragon City establishing shot and in the views from the uni rooftop), it's a fairly limitted part of the city. There could be a lot of urban sprawl beyond that.

[china_shop]

And suburban sprawl into traditional Yashou territory -- yeah, absolutely. (Maybe I need a fierce Ya Qing icon for Yashou political discussions. ;-p)

[trobadora]

I never feel like I have enough icons for everything! Glad it's not just me, LOL.

[facethestrange]

"Part of it is that we mostly see low-ish old-fashioned buildings, isn't it? But in the sudden ageing case, there's a large office block, so there might be a whole CBD we don't otherwise see..."

It's definitely this to me, and also the areas where people walk freely, with little to no cars. But there are regular streets too, so this alone doesn't necessarily make it small either. :)

[china_shop]

Oh yes, good point about the low-traffic areas. Plus, Shen Wei moves away from the university with no obvious means of transport, and no one remarks on that (the transport, specifically).

[trobadora]

FWIW I don't think people would remark on it here either. I guess Dragon City has decent public transport!

[china_shop]

That's a nice thought! Funny that we don't see any of it. We get taxis, but no buses, trams or trains.

[trobadora]

Cars are better for intimate scenes between two people. *g*

[china_shop]

Ha, I wasn't even thinking of that. I was thinking of Bai Suxia...

[trobadora]

Oh, yeah, I didn't even think of her! You couldn't do that plotline with a bus either, too many other people would be involved ...

[facethestrange]

Ohhh, this is really cool, thank you for the link! ♡ Hey, maybe Hua Yuzhu is like Jane Smith in Haixing. ;D (But yep, I definitely agree that there are parts of Dragon City that we just don't get to see.)

[trobadora]

Yeah, we can't know how common it is. But also, I figure Dragon City has to be like Dixing - much larger than the parts we get to see. *g*

[trobadora]

Ohh, I wonder if that's another reason he wants to recruit SW (on top of everything else) -- so that he's not spilling classified info into civilian ears every second day? *g*

Haha, a very good reason! :D