Guardian
A world beyond scientific understanding with a group of passionate adults trying to solve cases done by such forces. Zhao Yun Lan and Shen Wei are tasked with upholding peace between underworld dwellers and humans, and the story will focus on their friendship that transcends past and present lifetimes. (MDL-2018)
I loved it. I didn't think I would loved it as much as I did. It could be many reasons: it is a different kind of genre (sci-fi... it has been millions of years since I've watched something similar), it has a lovely cast with endearing characters; the acting of the leads was top-notch, the music was good; no one was too stupid nor there were many misunderstandings, good pace, action...
I have to agree with most reviewers saying that the highlight of the drama was the chemistry between the leads. Initially I was "??".. how can a drama of 40-episodes with MEH plot be so highly rated only because of the chemistry between the leads? And surprise, it is true. If the leads have chemistry and are good actors and shine, the rest may also shine. The most simple scene can be memorable with the right actors. The only bad acting may come from secondary characters like villains and people with less scenes.
Again a gay romance censored by the China government that ruins "only" the last episode, since they cannot be too obvious with a HEA. Unfortunately with Guardian the ending is more sad than bittersweet... less hopeful than The Untamed. Heck there are TEARS in the last 2 minutes... tears with a sad smile, how much more can they hurt us??
Nevertheless, I loved it and I fell in love with Zhu Yi Long... he did so well as a villain, as a shy professor, as a pure, innocent past Shen Wei, as a ruthless Black Envoy Cloak... The way he looked at ZYL was, ahhhhh *heart-eyes*. From episode 1 you can tell this was a love story between them.
Even the "love triangle" was nice because the girl in love with ZYL was nice and brave and pretty and never bothersome. TBH it is not actually a "triangle" since Zhao Yunlan never encourages her nor looks at her in any other way beside his friend and coworker. And she was never a thread to the couple... she knew she couldn't compare to SW since almost the beginning. Poor Zhu Hong :(
Comparing it to the novel... I would say it is around 30% similar lol. Not ghosts but aliens. Da Qing is sometimes a cat but it is mostly in his human form in the drama (in the novel, he is always a cat). Chu-ge is not a zombie in the drama, although they hint (maybe?) at it in one episode. The synopsis with each hallow is very similar to the novel. ZYL is still flirty in the drama (only "censored" but all those smiles from Bai Yu!). I am still half through the novel though... but I liked both of them equally. Each one has something I like a bit more than the other. The plot was not like the book at all but both Z1L and BY portrayed the characters sooo well <3
I've never skipped the intro song, it is a very good song (but it was also because I loved to read the comments of people in yt)
About the plotholes... there are so many and there were many bad decisions as well :( I guess all due to the censorship :(
- SW did not really wait 10,000 years for ZYL... he was asleep for 9,999 of that, wth.
- the past scenes were so short... please, how long were Kunlun and SW together? It can't be just one day... and because the past scenes were so short, I assume the part where Kunlun said "Little Wei" was cut... it didn't make any sense the SW of the present day to make that expression.
- why was ZYL the chief, and what was so special about him? he had no powers
- i wish Ye Zun was better developed... I wish the ghosts (Wang Zheng and Sang Zan) had a better and proper ending.. they just died like that?? I wish Old Wu had more scenes; his death + the girl cat's were meaningless.
I didn't mind the LQ CGI, nor the cheap wigs. Do people really care about those things when we have a good plot and good acting and good entertainment??
**My rating: 9.5/10**
I loved it. I didn't think I would loved it as much as I did. It could be many reasons: it is a different kind of genre (sci-fi... it has been millions of years since I've watched something similar), it has a lovely cast with endearing characters; the acting of the leads was top-notch, the music was good; no one was too stupid nor there were many misunderstandings, good pace, action...
I have to agree with most reviewers saying that the highlight of the drama was the chemistry between the leads. Initially I was "??".. how can a drama of 40-episodes with MEH plot be so highly rated only because of the chemistry between the leads? And surprise, it is true. If the leads have chemistry and are good actors and shine, the rest may also shine. The most simple scene can be memorable with the right actors. The only bad acting may come from secondary characters like villains and people with less scenes.
Again a gay romance censored by the China government that ruins "only" the last episode, since they cannot be too obvious with a HEA. Unfortunately with Guardian the ending is more sad than bittersweet... less hopeful than The Untamed. Heck there are TEARS in the last 2 minutes... tears with a sad smile, how much more can they hurt us??
Nevertheless, I loved it and I fell in love with Zhu Yi Long... he did so well as a villain, as a shy professor, as a pure, innocent past Shen Wei, as a ruthless Black Envoy Cloak... The way he looked at ZYL was, ahhhhh *heart-eyes*. From episode 1 you can tell this was a love story between them.
Even the "love triangle" was nice because the girl in love with ZYL was nice and brave and pretty and never bothersome. TBH it is not actually a "triangle" since Zhao Yunlan never encourages her nor looks at her in any other way beside his friend and coworker. And she was never a thread to the couple... she knew she couldn't compare to SW since almost the beginning. Poor Zhu Hong :(
Comparing it to the novel... I would say it is around 30% similar lol. Not ghosts but aliens. Da Qing is sometimes a cat but it is mostly in his human form in the drama (in the novel, he is always a cat). Chu-ge is not a zombie in the drama, although they hint (maybe?) at it in one episode. The synopsis with each hallow is very similar to the novel. ZYL is still flirty in the drama (only "censored" but all those smiles from Bai Yu!). I am still half through the novel though... but I liked both of them equally. Each one has something I like a bit more than the other. The plot was not like the book at all but both Z1L and BY portrayed the characters sooo well <3
I've never skipped the intro song, it is a very good song (but it was also because I loved to read the comments of people in yt)
About the plotholes... there are so many and there were many bad decisions as well :( I guess all due to the censorship :(
- SW did not really wait 10,000 years for ZYL... he was asleep for 9,999 of that, wth.
- the past scenes were so short... please, how long were Kunlun and SW together? It can't be just one day... and because the past scenes were so short, I assume the part where Kunlun said "Little Wei" was cut... it didn't make any sense the SW of the present day to make that expression.
- why was ZYL the chief, and what was so special about him? he had no powers
- i wish Ye Zun was better developed... I wish the ghosts (Wang Zheng and Sang Zan) had a better and proper ending.. they just died like that?? I wish Old Wu had more scenes; his death + the girl cat's were meaningless.
I didn't mind the LQ CGI, nor the cheap wigs. Do people really care about those things when we have a good plot and good acting and good entertainment??
**My rating: 9.5/10**