Guardian (2018)

Great first half, meh second half, fantastic CP

This show most strongly reminds me of Doctor Who, which (back when it was good!) would lead us on a lot of ridiculous adventures - some epic, some absurd, maybe even straight up silly. But no matter how nonsensical the writing got, there was always the emotional throughline of the Doctor's character (and maybe his relationship with his companions) to keep you invested and engaged with the story.

So that's kind of like Guardian - Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's relationship is the emotional throughline that keeps you invested in this show. The writing really does go off the rails after episode 20 or so. After that I was basically watching for Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's CP moments - I guess that was kind of the point? They were basically the ones who injected all the feelings and intensity into all the silliness of that plot. This isn't a new insight or anything, but Bai Yu and Zhu Yilong's chemistry and their dialogue with each other saved this show. The whole show basically rides on these two men's excellent acting chops.

(As an aside, I think Zhu Yilong's Shen Wei is stronger than his Ye Zun. His portrayal of Ye Zun isn't bad by any means, but he did have these cartoon villain moments where he would yell some lines randomly or do that villain laugh that made me not take him as seriously. Maybe that's down to the writing or directing though? I can't say for sure.)

I think the show is really at its strongest when it has that episodic format, with relatively self-contained stories around different paranormal crime investigations. I was absolutely hooked during that part of the show, and if the rest of the show had that quality of writing throughout I would have rated this at least an 8, maybe even a 9. Those episodes introduced some really interesting concepts and narratives, and generally had very satisfying emotional pay-offs. Li Qian's story with her grandmother? Brought me to tears. That episode with the mirror girl and her boyfriend? Heartbreaking. Some episodes were genuinely creepy and gave me chills - see: the mirror girl episode. The performances from the one-off actors in those episodes weren't anything to write home about but it didn't matter that much to me because I liked the stories they were in. Even the Purple Hair Guy was properly creepy and intriguing until he started appearing a lot more - at that point he basically became a cartoon villain and I really couldn't take him seriously as an antagonist.

The latter half of the show is where I think censorship really impacted this production. I know something of the original setup in the novel as well as the original ending, and I think it's a real shame that such an epic-sounding story was de-fanged like this. The censorship-friendly re-work of the concept wasn't in itself a bad idea - a sci-fi paranormal setup with aliens, superpowered people, and altered genetics actually sounds kind of cool. And when the show was very episodic, that was probably quite easy to work with. But when the writers had to rework the more epic fantasy parts from the novel into the latter half of the show... that's when they ran into some problems. Based on what I know, the latter half of that story draws *a lot* on the Chinese fantasy setups of the main characters and story - you know, the censored parts. And I can tell the writers really struggled to work these plot points into their sci-fi/paranormal rework. I don't think it was impossible to do at all, and I think they should have given all these writing decisions a lot more thought. But I do sympathize with how difficult a writing task like that probably is. There were some bright spots here and there, like the episode where everyone's personality gets messed up by that mind-altering substance which was super hilarious. But ultimately the result is a second act that is convoluted, unevenly paced, and generally doesn't make sense plot-wise. I actually felt bad about how uninvested I was in the plot, but I only really wanted to see the main CP. I will say that the bromance between Xiao Guo and Lao Chu was fun and touching at times though.

The other secondary characters were fine, although I feel like I'd prefer them in their original book context. I like Da Qing, but I don't like a lot of things the writers did with him. They half-heartedly tried to give him a romance and a father figure but I wasn't very invested in those relationships because they just didn't seem to go anywhere. Zhu Hong started out interesting, but so much of her character arc was consumed by her one-sided crush on Zhao Yunlan, which was cringey and made me lose interest in her. That cute librarian couple - I always forget their names, dammit - talk about two people who deserved better. (Also why did the guy have a stutter? Is that really what happens when you're imprisoned in a crystal column for thousands of years? I mean, this person led a whole rebellion against the elites in his society - was the trauma he went through afterwards enough to make him develop a stutter?)

As for the technical issues, the most glaring one is the dubbing quality. You have these weird moments where a character will be talking and all of a sudden the acoustics of their voice will be different, like they suddenly went into a different room, switched microphones, or maybe moved away from the microphone. Super distracting. Also there's the bad CGI... but that's just kind of par for the course in Chinese dramas. It's not that much worse than the early days of the Doctor Who reboot, if you ask me.

I probably wouldn't rewatch this entire show, but just the episodes with my favorite Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan moments. However, I might be interested in a rewatch after reading the novel, which sounds really intriguing to me. Maybe it would help recontextualize a lot of things for me?

Leia Mais

why do i still put a 6.5?

CRITICISM: the story and pacing was hilarious. same things happen repeatedly and barely has connection to the main story. and all those mystery that SID had to solve was ridiculously simple. each time some new support character would show up and eventually disapper. can you believe a brother hating his own brother/ girl ignoring her best friend for thousands of years just because of an unproven misunderstanding?
the villain with purple blue hair, i couldn't even take him seriously. not sure if the director was confused or what. the CGI sucks. clearly shows the cheap production.

SUPPORT: tell me how's this possible to scream I LOVE YOU TO DEATH without uttering a word?
i feel like Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan DID give us and DID NOT give us the thing we need at the same time.
they make me feel a strong mutual bond, an extreme expression of love through their eyes. (they literally satisfied us, at the same time the viewers and the China censorship!!!)
idk why people call it a BL drama . its clearly a love story. who shall keep your lollipop pack you left 10000 years ago in his locket? who shall wait for someone to reincarnate for 10000 years? who shall look at someone with intense unverbal words in his eyes? a friend? a brother? or a Lover?


(I've only talked about SW and ZYL pardon me. im following my heart instead of brain)

ACTING: i cant babble enough about HOW THE HELL OF A GOOD ACTOR ZHU YI LONG (shen Wei) is! how could he blob up thousands of words inside my head with some limited expression?
ZYL did nice too. an extrovert cutie. i bet SW wanted to kiss him everytime ZYL is smiling and being himself.
im not satisfied with the support characters. there were too much "acting" in their "acting" .

OST: love that bro

FANGIRL WORDS: i seriously cannot move on from it. i have a hollowed feeling inside my chest. a diffrent emptiness which is beyond control. i dont know what should i say but i wholeheartedly fell in love with Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan.

rating: the 6.5 whole, deserves our two main leads. its for them onlyyyyy.

Leia Mais

Low-budget production that affects my viewing enjoyment - watch for the male leads

10/15/2021

As one of the first mainstream BL adaptations, I am sure it has paved the way for future BL hits (e.g. The Untamed and Word of Honor). I have not read the novel, so my review is based solely on the drama itself. Unfortunately, I do not share the same positive experience as most reviewers here. I failed to see why it has garnered so many positive reviews. Is it because it's a BL adaptation? The low production value of this drama greatly affected my enjoyment. I've watched other low-budget dramas in the past, but for some reason, this one bothered me the most and did not keep my focus throughout the drama.

What I like:
1) Main Lead's acting/chemistry: Without a doubt, the best part of this drama are Johnny Bai and Zhu Yi Long. This is my first Johnny Bai drama and my second of Zhu Yi Long (I've seen him in "The Story of Ming Lan"). Their acting is great and I would have dropped this drama long time ago if not for them. I believe in the deep affection when they look at each other. I love how their characters' personalities complement each other as well. It is definitely a love story, and not a bromance. I will be looking out for more of their dramas in the future.

2) Opening/Ending Theme songs: It says a lot about a drama when the only other positive thing I can write about are the opening and ending theme songs. It's interesting to have an English song in the opening. But the melody sets the mood and the tone for the drama. I also enjoy the ending theme, and also the behind-the-scene footage as well. I wish more dramas would do the same, instead of giving us spoilers.

What I don't like:
1) Low Production - Unfortunately, all of my complaints stem from the low-budget production value. As I've said before, I've watched other dramas that are low budget, but this one really bugs me.
* Sound/Voice dubbing - I watched this drama both on YouTube and on Viki, so I am sure it's not because of the platform, but the drama itself. The volume of the dialog fluctuates in each episode. The worst is that when the actors are speaking, you can hear the change from one voice to a dubbed voice. This happens ALL THE TIME for all the characters. Sometimes, the sound effects are louder than the dialogs.
*CGI/Sets - The special effects are quite bad in this drama. This is a 2018, so it's not like it's made in 2015. The set designs all look very fake to my eyes. The only acceptable sets are the leads apartments. Every other place gives a very "cheap" look. Maybe it's the director's fault in not knowing how to take better shots?

2) Acting - Aside from Johnny Bai and Zhu Yi Long, the rest of the supporting cast's acting is just OK. I am referring to the Investigation team. The other extras and other cast members for the shorter storylines, their acting is not good at all. Some are wooden and bland, others overact and exaggerate. It was really not enjoyable at all.

3) Plot/Stories - I feel that the plot lines of the shorter crime stories were too simple and not sophisticated enough. They are so easily solved and not creating enough mysteries to tie back to the bigger plot. As much as I love the leads to have this star-crossed romance, I don't think having just one deep conversation 10,000 years justifies the deep love that Shen Wei has for Zhao Yun Lan. I want more of their stories 10,000 years ago and there aren't enough scenes of them together. The minor love triangle plot is somewhat weak as well. The drama tells us how much Zhu Hong loves Zhao Yun Lan, but it's not showing us throughout the drama. I enjoy the dream scene when she finally confessed, but I want to see more of this unrequited love before this, so that that dream scene has a bigger impact. There are also a few head-scratching plot holes but they are minor in this case.

Overall, watch this drama for our two male leads. They are indeed great and they have great costumes (one thing I couldn't fault because of the low budget).

Leia Mais

Let's face it, this was beyond bromance!

This is yet another Chinese drama where censorship means literally nothing. The chemistry was legit noticeable and didn't feel like bromance whatsoever. This is a real masterpiece. If I had to choose a drama among thousands to have a sequel, this drama would definitely be at the top of the list. This is one of those drama that doesn't need a kissing scene or a bed scene to make you feel and notice the chemistry between the leads. Although the drama and the novel are slightly different, the overall feeling remain the same. This was beyond bromance and I was there for it. Honestly, they both were made for their role and I seriously wouldn't see anyone else playing the part. The story was fairly interesting and there was no boring moment. I have to be honest, the special effects weren't that great and at time quite laughable, but you really shouldn't let this hold you from watching it. If you are like me, the type of person who usually doesn't like to watch a drama that has over twenty episodes, I just want to tell you that there's always some exceptions. Guardian has forty episodes and it truly wasn't enough. You should diffidently give it a try.

Leia Mais

Can't fill 40 episodes with just chemistry of the two leads

What a colossal disappointment. I'm a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy content, so I was so hyped to start this drama. It took me months to finish because I just had to take a break from this mess. This drama really left me unsatisfied. I don't understand how it could possibly have such amazing reviews. I have already forgotten most of the things that I wanted to mention, but here are some of them:
1. The chemistry of the two male leads is undeniable from the start. Sadly, censorship took a huge toll on this show and not just in the BL department...
2. There's barely any character development. Some characters are written as if they were babies incapable of rational thoughts. Most of them never learn and make the same mistakes throughout the show.
3. There are so many moments that will make the viewer so incredibly confused, especially if you are not familiar with the original material.
4. Characters randomly teleport to their locations in a instant or they take so long that you forget they exist.
5. There are additional voiceovers that they had to do, probably due to the censorship. They kinda ruin the dialogue with the audio changes.
6. The special effects are forgivable, sometimes they were really good, other times they were so awful I could barely watch.
7. I really enjoyed some of the locations that they shot at. Too bad they never really used them properly.
8. I really liked some of the costumes.
9. Random characters are introduced with even more random storylines and backstories society every episode.
10. The cat was so cute, but it was criminally underused.
11. Most of the characters are so useless that they shouldn't be alive. 'Let's just stare at the evil and not do anything' trope is extremely prevalent here.
12. At times, the acting of the supporting cast was so awful it made me laugh in sad moments.
13. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and no episode made me feel sad for any of the characters. Deaths were so laughable.
14. Johnny Bai, Zhu Yi Long and Ocean Jiang carried this show so hard with every episode.
15. The cast was beautiful.

Honestly, I have no idea how I finished this. I suppose it's mostly because I expected to see some development between the two lead characters, but they had so little screen time together.
This could have been great if it was 16 episodes or less because it's mostly filler content. The storylines that should connect only cause more confusion with each added new episode. This is not worth the watch at all.

Leia Mais

Maybe one could say I'm hardly objective after watching this drama twice in a little over one month but on the other hand I do know that even this drama is not perfect.
Don't get me wrong, I really love it but due to Chinese political restrictions the original novel on which this drama is based on couldn't be adapted as one might wish.
Zhen Hun (original title) is a Boys Love novel and includes supernatural elements on a regular basis, two themes that are forbidden and because of that quite delicate in China or directly banned.
With that I wonder why it even was adapted as drama, but I'm glad it was.
While the script needed to rewrite a significant amount of the original storyline it still shows many things you could call "easter eggs" you'll only fully get when you read the novel. Therefore I recommend to watch this drama at least twice. Once before and once after you've read the novel (which is translated to english).

So the story: Of course Boys Love couldn't be shown so the relationship between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan is mostly described as Brotherhood or Soulmates. Still, when you see the actors in their roles it basically screams "love" all over. Nothing explicit is seen but they portray their characters perfectly and I got lost in their mimic as both of them can easily deliver feelings only through their faces or subtle small things like a finger lingering on the other's hand for a while longer than necessary. The supernatural parts were mostly removed so we get to see a bit of ghosts here and there though anything is rarely named as such whatsoever and some CGIs that don't reach the requirements of Hollywood-spoiled eyes but is pretty decent and thankfully spares us badly animated things.

As mentioned the acting is superb. Both main characters are totally convincing and carry the story. But also the support characters and those with smaller roles fit in perfectly and make it whole. In fact many of those that appear as side characters reappear through the drama and I grew quite fond of them. The cast has a great chemistry and I think you can see it in the final product if a cast got along with each other or not.

Before I even watched the drama completely I had to get my fingers on the OST. The soundtrack is fantastic. The drama has an english opening song and each track on the OST is recognizable which is rare in my opinion. I love to listen to this soundtrack and kept it playing all the time when I wasn't watching an episode. It's worth to mention that the main actors Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu contributed a song to the OST that they sang together.

This drama has a high rewatch value for me. There are many things that might not be seen at the first glance and the scenes that they included from the novel will give you more once you've read the novel and know on what details you have to focus. But the first watch is enjoyable too. The drama has comedy, suspense, mystery and more.
I always watched a couple of episodes in a row and spent many long nights as it's hard to stop.

Overall I have nothing to complain on this drama. They made the best out of what they were given to work with and even with the knowledge that there could be more supernatural stuff if it wasn't for the strict policy of the Chinese government I think it's pretty good. The episodes often ended with cliffhangers which could annoy people but that's mostly because the storyline flows through the whole series and cases of the Investigation team are intertwined through episodes. I like this way of storytelling so it's not a negative aspect for me.

I can recommend this drama to everyone who wants to watch a good storyline with loveable characters or is curious in any way. Check it out, it's absolutely worth it. ^.^

Leia Mais

this is the best drama i have ever watched in my entire life

i am literally writing this with tears streaming down my face. i have never wrote a review before but i have to write one for this drama.

where to begin with this absolute masterpiece. the story is flawless and the writing is immaculate. i do not know how anybody could disagree with me, unless they are simply stupid. this is so well written with everything tying in perfectly to create one of the most heart warming and beautiful endings to any drama i have ever seen. i was, to put it simply, brought to tears several times because of the final 2 episodes. although not fully a bl, it is practically a bl because it is just so blatantly obvious that shen wei and zhao yunlan are soulmates. if you are here to watch a bl or anything to do with soulmateism, watch this. if you are here to read one of the most beautiful and moving storylines with supernatural elements, watch this. i cannot begin to describe just how much this story has moved me. finally if you are here for the most amazing well-developed side characters, watch this - you will fall in love with every single one of them deeply.

next, the acting. every single person in this show conveyed their characters in the most perfect way possible. but, both of the mains acting was phenomenal. i can't fault them. they were both amazing and brought out the most heart wrenching performances in their characters. i have been deeply moved by their performances specifically. i must give extra credit to zhu yi long playing both shen wei and ye zun as this is seriously phenomenal.

the ost is extremely well made, beautiful, moving and matches every scene perfectly. i will be listening to it everyday.

ultimately, i will be rewatching this series over and over and over because it has seriously impacted my life and changed me as a person. YOU MUST WATCH THIS DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it will change your way of life

Leia Mais

Although there are so many bromance and boys love dramas and movies out there, one thing unique about Guardian is that the chemistry between the two male lead pull you into their love story. Weirdly enough, from my tryout of just 5 episodes I finished the whole 40 episodes in just 3 days like I literally called in sick to work on Monday just to finish the whole 40 episodes. The acting between the two male lead were so intriguing and the story that developed between the two make it all worth it to rewatch it over and over again. I can't recall how many times I repeated this drama over the course of this summer 2018. The ost complements the story a lot and some episodes bring me so much tears.

Since episode 1, the meeting between the two will pull the watchers into the world of Guardian. The eyes contact, the hand shakes, and the small details in the acting are gold.

Leia Mais

It's one of my top 3 all-time favorite C-dramas!

The cast is amazing. It's like Bai Yu and Zhu Yi Long jumped out of the novel. Find the novel and read the character descriptions - it's uncanny - both their physical appearance and energy is spot on. Their chemistry is YOWZA. Chinese censorship is probably the only thing that kept my heart from exploding from the joy and pain in this relationship. The show would not work without their chemistry even though it's a bromance *cough*. Zhu Yi Long is impressive as Shen Wei. He is basically playing 4 different characters when you consider the maturity of his character and his nemesis. Each character has a distinct presence - his performance is flawless. The music is beautiful - especially the OST at the end of each episode. I don't want to give it a perfect 10 due to the two main issues: censorship and CGI. It could have been better so I shouldn't give it a ten although I truly love it. This show was made with a lot of love and it's that love that rises above its limitations and lets me ignore the flaws. It's the censorship that gets me down. Still, I hope this cast works together one day and a tiny part of me wishes we'd get another shot at this storyline if censorship laws ever changed.

Leia Mais

Watch it for Shen Wei's sleeve garters.

Let me just tell you the most redeeming thing about this drama first- the leads. I only exclusively watch BL or danmei adaptations because, reasons and this is something I would highly recommend.
The story is very very different from the source material which is both good and bad. The priest novel is so complicated especially for people who are not familiar with Chinese mythology. Here they attempted to simplify it but ended up loosing a lot due to sloppy writing.

One of the main characters, Shen Wei is adorable and sweet and very mild mannered while the other, Zhao yunlan is crude, brazen and yet brings in an effortless charm and they are just perfect for each other. A lot toned down obviously but enough present as far as a c-drama is concerned.
The music overall is okay, some might like the OST some might not.

The production value is low and it shows, the cgi, props, set etc are not good. A lot of scenes feel illogical even with its fantacy setting.

The acting is okay-ish, some side character performances were okay while others were just plain cringe. The leads did a pretty decent job especially the actor who played Shen wei.

The thing is despite the negatives the drama is worth watching if you like BLs.

Leia Mais

The bromance is really good in this drama and you can truly see the love between both of the main leads. I really recommend watching this drama, because it caught me already when I watched the first episode (and I usually watch a drama that gets me with the first to five episodes)! The music is just amazing! It fits with every scene and the opening theme is truly my favorite :)
It's totally worth the time and a drama you shouldn't skip! It's just phenomenal!

Leia Mais

okay this is my honest rating and review. first, i did liked the story but not so much ah..such shame there's just so many plot holes. im not sure if it's because of the bans or what. And if you characterize yourself as one of those who are into 'plot development' and values the story most.. i highly suggest to think first before watching this might not be your thing and it's 40 episodes. it'd really consume your precious time . i honestly watched it only because of the friendship bromance (bl) in it but other than that the story was just all over. the novel is interesting as they say (ididnt read it) but for this live action idk if it gave justice to it. Zhan yunlan's actor was a great lead but i find him weak in the story sometimes. i can only appreciate Old Chu's actor. His acting skills is superb almost felt like he really meant every word he acts. he's one that made me kept watching tbh and ofc Shen wei's actor too he's great and cute uwu

Leia Mais