#guaridan

Shen Wei:

The epitome of the classic Chinese scholar gentleman beauty, heartthrob Chinese literature/biology professor of the university (depending on if we’re talking the novel or the show, although I lean more towards the Chinese Lit side), Ghost King/Ghost Slayer/Black Robe Envoy (again depending on the novel or the show), Shen Wei.

Is a very kind professor (although he probably drives his grad students up the wall with how bad with modern tech he is), but is absolutely dedicated to his duties as Ghost Slayer/Black Robe Envoy and is kind of terrifying when he really lets loose (more so in the novel than in the show since after all, never forget that in the novel, he’s a Ghost King).

Look, as soon as I saw Shen Wei’s fussy little glasses and perfect suit, I was just like, who is that, he looks like a fun character, AND I WAS RIGHT. Perfectly pressed on the outside, but feral on the inside (although not as much as his twin), Shen Wei was perfectly portrayed in the drama by Zhu Yilong, and is a great terrifying character.

Zhao Yunlan:

Chief of the Special Investigations Department, reincarnation of the deity, Kunlun/time-travelled and was Kunlun (look the book and the show had to split because of censors), Zhao Yunlan. He looks like a dirt-bag Gege (it’s that mustache), he smokes like a chimney/is constantly popping lollipops into his mouth (again, book vs. show), can’t keep house for the life of him, but despite his unkempt appearance, there’s a reason he’s the chief, and he’s extremely sharp and canny.

He’s also flirty as hell, hitting on Shen Wei almost as soon as they meet (moreso in the book), and I really love how Bai Yu played him hahahaha. He’s a troll at heart, but he’s also going to get to the bottom of the cases he gets and make sure the appropriate people are punished. He’s a fun character, who probably gets the best character interactions with every member of the cast (because he’s usually trying to press all their buttons).

WeiLan:

Okay, you see that gif up there with them in the car? That gif was enough to convince me to watch the entire terribly CGI-ed and censored to hell show and then to try to read the book as well. Their chemistry is OFF THE CHARTS, and not even the censors could hide it, so Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu deserve all the kudos for carrying that show on their shoulders (because honestly, everything else is kind of terrible).

But anyway, talking more about the book than the show (because while the show gave you SO MUCH chemistry, its plot was nonsensical, and they can’t do reincarnation in a modern day show so they had to go with time travel instead), I do love some reincarnation romance, especially when it’s got a god who gave some of his soul to a little ghost king (who had gathered up the shards of his soul in exchange for another forehead kiss), and then said ghost king agreed to stand at the god’s post for the next thousands of years to let the god enter the cycle of reincarnation. He’s also required to never approach the god’s reincarnations, so he does...up until Zhao Yunlan, and Zhao Yunlan once he figures all of this out is also completely fine with dying for real at the end of this life as long as they can spend this one together. Just--sdfjsdfjlksjflkj so much devotion! It makes me want to scream.

But setting aside their backstory, their interactions are just really fun too! Zhao Yunlan is flirty and a troll who will never give up any chance to flirt with/have fun with Shen Wei, and Shen Wei, normally so serious and buttoned-up, will gladly indulge in anything Zhao Yunaln wants to do. To say nothing of the two of them in battle couple mode--really, no one stands a chance. Zhao Yunlan BUYS A HOUSE for Shen Wei before confessing (and if you know the Chinese real estate market, you know how difficult that is), and introduces him to HIS MOTHER (who after the initial worries about her son coming out in a homophobic society is actually delighted to have a professor son-in-law, although how her son ever landed him, she has no idea). And of course, Shen Wei is utterly devoted to Zhao Yunlan (and a bit of a stalker because, you know, ghost king immortal has to keep an eye on the reincarnations even if he can’t get close usually. Look, Shen Wei is a little bit of a freak, but that’s why we love him.)

juu, should I watch the show or read the book?

Despite how much I’ve ragged on the show, you should totally watch it! Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu are amazing as Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan, and it’s a delight to watch them!  It’s also free and subtitled on Youtube so there’s really no reason for you not to at least try it! (Just ignore the terrible CGI. And the fact that they had to change the ghost and underworld plotline to aliens because Chinese shows are not allowed to have ghosts and gods in shows set after the 1940′s/when the Communist party took over the country). 

The book is a different beast, much darker and more complex, and obviously I recommend reading it. Also, it was written before the crabs were unleashed on jjwxc, so it’s got smut! Seven Seas is coming out with the official English translation in 2023, so preorder it and support the author!

juu....aliens?

Aliens. Because I guess aliens are still possible under the CCP. And yes, there’s a “light form” alien that acts EXACTLY like a ghost. I did say the writing on the show was weird, but that’s what happens when you have censors.

juu, is this a happy ending?

It is in the novel! In the show...there’s some ambiguity going on there. But you know guys, there’s always fic!

juu, do you have any fic recs?

I sure do! There’s this hilarious fic about all of Shen Wei’s students thirsting over him and seeing some events from the T.V. show/novel, and there’s of course rageprufrock’s amazing fic with Shen Wei and his in-laws (check out all of rageprufrock’s Guardian fics, seriously).

juu, I’ve heard all the characters are much nicer in the show than in the novel?

Yeeeeeah, there’s some truth to that. Honestly, the SID division in the novel didn’t have much of a camaraderie feel (although they are much more competent that show!SID, who while they all seem like good friends, come off as dumbasses), and the show definitely toned down how dark Shen Wei could get. I’ll be honest that I feel like Weilan had more chemistry in the show than in the books (priest’s romances are usually a miss for me sadly--but bizarrely, I always like priest romances adapted into TV shows, who knows what’s going on there). Still, the world building and mythology and plot is much better in the novel.

juu, why are Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu so good?