Sundial Exchange Love and Friendship meme!

[sundial_exchange_mod]

Happy March or Happy Leap Day, depending on where you are in the world!

We’re still glowing from the lovely energy that the exchange created, thank you all so much for making it such a wonderful experience for everyone! It exceeded our wildest expectations in both number of fanworks and type of fanworks, and we are so honoured to have been able to create a space to make that possible 🥰🎉✨

At asya_ana’s suggestion we are hosting a Love and Friendship meme for Guardian and Guardian-related canons. You can use the form in the textbox below if you like or go wild!

<strong>User names:</strong> <strong>Pronouns:</strong> <strong>Language(s):</strong> <strong>How did you first get into Guardian fandom?</strong> <strong>What is one thing you love about the show?</strong> <strong>What is your favourite terrible special effect?</strong> <strong>What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship?</strong> <strong>Do you have a favourite character?</strong> <strong>Do you have a favourite villain?</strong> <strong>Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons:</strong> <strong>Do you like RPF?</strong> <strong>Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)?</strong> <strong>What other fandoms are you in or have you been in?</strong> <strong>What are some of your general fanwork likes:</strong> <strong>Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things?</strong> <strong>Anything else you want to say?</strong>

There is also an ongoing Guardian fandom friending meme over at sid_guardian, for more of your meme needs✨

Comments

[glymr]

User names: glymr
Pronouns: she/her
Language(s): English! Some Japanese and a TINY bit of Chinese
How did you first get into Guardian fandom? I think I first encountered it at Escapade 2019, when I saw some vids, including bonibaru's. I forgot about it for awhile, then saw a fandom explainer for it in the Rec Center, which included the info that there were fansubs for it, and finally got off my butt and downloaded it. It was love at first ep.
What is one thing you love about the show? The secret identity shenanigans. I'm WEAK for identity porn. <3
What is your favourite terrible special effect? Probably Da Qing's transformation? I know it's not very convincing, but I still liked it. Either that or poor Ziu Jiu's terrible wig. XD
On the other hand, there are some effects I think don't get enough credit. Zhu Yilong's STELLAR acting differentiating his various characters, the excellent camera angle work, the beautiful soundtrack...
What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? I love that Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei are such a strong, devoted couple so early in the show. I love 'getting together' stories, but this one is particularly special because we get to see that but we also get to see after the characters ARE together, when they're an amazing power couple!
Do you have a favourite character? Shen Wei Shen Wei Shen Weiiii <3
Do you have a favourite villain? Ye Zun
Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I've seen Detective L, Fairyland Lovers, and most of Granting You a Dreamlike Life. The Story of Ming Lan is next on my list!
Do you like RPF? Yes! I didn't until this fandom, but then I fell HARD. I like reading it and writing it.
Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? There are a lot of wonderful ones to choose from that are very beautiful, but I think my favorite for the amount of worldbuilding and incredible storytelling in three and a half minutes has got to be Time Engraver.
What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? I started in Sailor Moon fandom, and from there branched out into Cardcaptor Sakura and D.N.Angel. Around 2011ish I got into DC comics fandom in a BIG way and wrote a lot for it, some of which still isn't archived on AO3. I was into Dresden Files for a little while in 2018 (about 6 years too late for the big rush) and Detroit: Become Human in 2019, until I watched Guardian.
What are some of your general fanwork likes: I enjoy reading and writing smut. Favorite tropes are probably identity porn, sex pollen and genderswap, though there are plenty of other things I love as well!
Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Dreamwidth is great, but I'm also on Twitter at glymrs and Discord at Discord at glymr#7185,and AO3 at glymr. Please feel free to follow me at any of those places! Be warned that I do post smut on Twitter, DW and AO3, though!
Anything else you want to say? I love making friends! Feel free to send me a message if you're looking for a beta or if you want to talk about Guardian. You'll make me really happy!

[asya_ana]

Oooh you were one of the Escapade victims. Excellent! I remember when that was going on and we were all hoping some new people would be seduced. LOL. Also, yes, for identity porn! I forgot to mention that in mine. But when I look back on my fandoms... um yes. That has been a trend. :D

[clevermanka]

the excellent camera angle work
They did GREAT work with the cinematography for this show.

[yue_ix]

Weeeee, love to have met you in this fandom!

Looking at your lists of previous fandoms and likes and going :eyes 👀: . We’ve already talked about a Card Captor Sakura AU, but now I wonder what a DNAngel AU might look like?

Also: genderswap!!!!! We need a billion of these. Who would you most like to see as a different gender and/or sex? Temporary or not? Femslash?

[winter_blossom]

User names: winter_blossom

Pronouns: She/her

Language(s): Apart from my mother tongue (which is so obscure there's no point in mentioning it), I'm pretty fluent in English. I have some passing knowledge of spoken Japanese that's been cobbled together from extended exposure to anime and manga, and can read katakana, hiragana, and maybe 10-20 kanji.

How did you first get into Guardian fandom? Guardian is the first (and currently only) C-drama I've watched, but I do watch the occasional J-drama. A fansubber for one of those J-dramas mentioned the show, though she was mostly being critical in the vein of, "Just watch it for the two MCs' acting and chemistry, everything else sucks." But I took one look at its KissAsian page and fell head-over-heels for, to quote my comment to my sister, "That ridiculously handsome glasses guy who's definitely dead-loyal to the protagonist and who'll probably end up dying for him." And the rest, as they say, is history.

What is one thing you love about the show? I like the whole setup, actually. Sure, the execution could have been smoother, but the premise and the world are both fascinating to me. I also love how well-developed and likeable the main members of the supporting cast are.

What is your favourite terrible special effect? I rarely pay attention to SFX and didn't really notice them enough to hate or like them. I tend to focus more on plot and characters anyway.

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Obviously, the relationship between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. I like how quickly they went from the "courtship" phase to the "old married couple" phase, and I love how mature and sensible they were about it. (Extended pining and angst is one of my major issues with most romantic pairings.) Also, they're a power couple, with Zhao Yunlan's wit and brains and manipulativeness perfectly complementing Shen Wei's supernatural abilities and his more cautious, straightforward and reserved approach to things, to the point where even my notoriously hard-to-please competence kink was satisfied.

Do you have a favourite character? Obvious answer is obvious XD Shen Wei, all day, any day.

Do you have a favourite villain? I like Ye Zun as an antagonist. But I'm not interested in seeing him being redeemed and I'm definitely not interested in shipping him with anyone. If that still counts, then yes, Ye Zun is my favourite villain.

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I have a policy of not following actors into shows if the premise of the show itself doesn't strike me as something I'd like. So as of now, I'm waiting on Lost Tombs 3 with all fingers crossed, but I haven't watched any of Zhu Yilong's or Bai Yu's other shows (though I have read some meta, squee, etc., just for fun).

Do you like RPF? Not really. I've read a couple of total AU's where they aren't actors and have different personalities from their real ones, plus a few Guardian derivative fics (all of which were lovely), but I don't tend to seek out RPF as a general rule.

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? The L'Oreal Time Engraver ad's the only one that really captured my attention. (Beyond the "Wow, so pretty!" factor, anyway!)

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? BBC Sherlock, Inception (2010), BBC Merlin, X-Men Alternate Timeline Movies, Welcome to Night Vale (podcast), Les Miserables (2012) and Clamp-verse (anime and manga) are the series I've read a lot of fic for, but Guardian is actually the only fandom I've interacted with to this extent.

What are some of your general fanwork likes: I'm a complete and utter plot-whore. I love action, suspense/mystery/thriller, psychological, horror, supernatural/fantasy, sci-fi, etc. I'm an avid fan of total AU's, both powered and mundane. I have a huge competence kink and my greatest joy is seeing my favourite characters being BAMFs. I don't like fluff or smut in general, but Guardian is the very marked exception to that rule.

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? My Dreamwidth is practically devoted to Guardian, since I made it specifically to join sid_guardian. I'm also on LJ as sylphaen1637 and on AO3 as Tree_Peony.

Anything else you want to say? I think I've babbled enough already? XD

[clevermanka]

That ridiculously handsome glasses guy who's definitely dead-loyal to the protagonist and who'll probably end up dying for him
Ha ha ha WELP.

[asya_ana]

User names: asya_ana

Pronouns: she/her

Language(s): English, studying Chinese

How did you first get into Guardian fandom? The evil rheasilvia posted a really compelling Guardian primer at a time when I was apparently vulnerable. Within the first 15 minutes of episode one, I was toast.

What is one thing you love about the show? It's very earnest and it tries hard to do a good job. I find the visibility of this comforting. I also love how openly the entire show as well as Bai Yu and Zhu Yilong embrace the intense commitment between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. (I know you asked for one thing, but... ) Plus I'm a sucker for both the fun romance tropes the show trades in (e.g., cooking dinner for each other) with the meatier, angstier themes of a love so enduring it transcends time. 

What is your favourite terrible special effect? There are many to choose from, and they're all wonderful, but I continue to be impressed by the pretty sequence where the sky darkens when the BCE makes his first appearance, and all the smokey fanfare when he arrives during the early episodes. Zhu Yilong looks so badass in that cloak against those stormy clouds and/or emerging from smoke! 

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Look, I'm here for Weilan. I love them to pieces with a fiery passion. But since that is obvious, I really adore the cozy found family of the SID, and I'm really *interested* in Zhao Yunlan's relationship with his father and the effect that has had on him (and how he's managed to become a very different person from his father despite that influence).

Do you have a favourite character? I feel very warm and fuzzy about most of the main characters, and I couldn't choose between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan if I tried. They're both wonderful characters in their own ways and perfect for each other. The characterizations are one of the best things about this canon.

Do you have a favourite villain? I like complex, shades-of-grey villains, and I thought the show made some noble attempts at that. I would have loved them to more fully explore the greyness of Ye Zun especially. I think they carried off the moral greyness of the Regent most successfully. I find it difficult to put a finger on what's going on with him. I can't entirely condemn or excuse him, and I like that.

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I'm not very good at watching TV, so I've never seen another of their shows outside of an episode here and there. I do, however, immensely enjoy the gifs. :D

Do you like RPF? YEp

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? For sure it's Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot. It took me a really long time to assimilate those images. I'm probably ok now, but it was a near thing.

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? At the moment I'm also fairly taken with Nirvana in Fire and Sha Po Lang, although nothing is as intense as Guardian for me. I'll probably always think about Merlin as being my forever fandom home, and I was also active to some degree in XMFC and Teen Wolf. I was very fannish (but not active) in a few others, including Inception and Eagle.

What are some of your general fanwork likes: In fic, I like to be swept away by the writer, so I forget myself or that I'm even reading something. How the writer achieves this is a very mysterious thing to me. The specifics of plots, tropes, etc. don't matter as much because I've found this can be achieved with almost anything, although I'm here for romance so I do like the romance to be central.

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Dreamwidth!

Anything else you want to say? Yay!

[yantantether]

Within the first 15 minutes of episode one, I was toast.
I *love* that it got you so fast <3

[clevermanka]

User names: clevermanka, pretty much everywhere.

Pronouns: she/her

Language(s): English

How did you first get into Guardian fandom? mekare posted fanart and talked about the show and it seemed relevant to my interests, especially after I watched a couple vids. Took me a while to get into it, but once I did, hoo boy.

What is one thing you love about the show? The absolute devotion of the entire crew to make this show what it was.

What is your favourite terrible special effect? Um...any attempt to tone down the romance?

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Obviously I am head over heels for Shen Wei + Zhao Yunlan but I adore the relationship Zhao Yunlan has with Da Qing. It's cozy but not soft. I love seeing various aspects and possibilities of their relationship explored in fic.

Do you have a favourite character? Other than the main leads, I'm 100% team Zhu Hong, and it kills me that I don't have anyone to ship her with.

Do you have a favourite villain? I actually enjoy how much I hate the Regent, which is something I can't say for the others whom I find either annoying or enraging. Seriously, I just can't with Ye Zun. Like, at all.

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I only watched the first three episodes of Detective L--loved it, but am at a place right now where I need satisfying endings, so...I'll probaby watch the rest of it eventually, but not yet. Other than that, just the constructed reality vids from their various productions.

Do you like RPF? I didn't until Guardian! It's gotta be AU type stuff, though, because my heart can't take thinking about them in love when they can't be out about it.

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? Bai Yu's Addicted Blue shoot vid paired with Schwarzkopf Color. Also the Thermos Magic Cottage.

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? Currently, History 3: Trapped and due South, although I hung out in Sherlock fandom for a while *sad trombone*. Haven't been able to even re-read old fics since Season 3 tho. I still read ACD and Ritche!verse Sherlock Holmes, as well as Will/Hannibal, Arthur/Eames, Kirk/Spock, Marcus/Esca, and occasionally I peek at what the Venom fandom is up to. I also love Resonant's Brian/Bender fic (Breakfast Club) and Transfigurations (the only Harry/Draco fic I'll ever need).

What are some of your general fanwork likes: Honestly, I came to fanworks for the smut and that hasn't changed. Guardian is the first fandom that's pulled me in enough to read Gen or T. I like pining, angst with a happy ending, and porn with feels.

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Here on DW since it best facilitates conversation, but I'm also clevermanka on Tumblr and Twitter.

Anything else you want to say? Fandom is my life, not even joking. Kinda wish I was, but I'm not. A million thanks to the fandom friends who helped me limp through last year and here's looking at y'all who're gonna help haul my ass through this one, too. Gold star medals for everyone.

[yantantether]

I actually enjoy how much I hate the Regent
This is a great shout! He's such an entertainingly dreadful weasel.

[yantantether]

User names: yantantether
Pronouns: She/her
Language(s): English is my first language. I read and understand reasonably well in French and Spanish and speak both badly. And I'm learning a bit of Chinese, but not really in any kind of organised way.
How did you first get into Guardian fandom? I watched this video by AvenueX, somehow managed to persuade a friend to watch the show even though I hadn't yet, and then she pimped me into it.
What is one thing you love about the show? They're so!! in love!! UGH
What is your favourite terrible special effect? 😂

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? OBVIOUSLY Weilan. But I also love Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing's friendship - I love that they're so casually physically affectionate with each other, and they're super fun to write.
Do you have a favourite character? I am stupidly and ridiculously in love with Zhao Yunlan's flirtatious, lolling, orally-fixated, brave, loyal self.
Do you have a favourite villain? I'm not really a villain fan, but Zhu Jiu at least has entertaining hair.
Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I love Detective L, because Bai Yu has never been more beautiful, the clothes are amazing, and I love period detective stuff in general. Also, Qin Xiaoman is a tiny brawler and I adore her. I've never managed to get into anything else Zhu Yilong has done, but I'm looking forward to Lost Tomb 3!
Do you like RPF? To PIECES omg
Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? My brain just went into shutdown here because I started thinking about Zhu Yilong tenderly stroking his finger down a phallic object, so there's your answer!
What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? I love Nirvana in Fire, but I'm not really active in the fandom at all, although I've written a couple of fics. Bandom was the fandom of my heart for a long time, and the one that made me create a journal, stop being solely a lurker, and start making fannish friends.
What are some of your general fanwork likes: Pining! Fluff! H/C but with a LOT of comfort! Identity porn! Regular porn! This fandom was made for me.
Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? I love twitter (yan_tan_tether) and spend WAY too much time on there. Right now I'm tweeting a lot about my current rewatch - up to ep 9! And my fic is at yantantether (ETA: and Dreamwidth too lol.)
Anything else you want to say? I love the Guardian novel a LOT and am unbearably excited that the translation is almost finished!

[yue_ix]

Those CGI naked monster butts are really something!

UUUUUUUUUNF The ReFA ones. It's been almost a week and I still cannot compute them.

Your fanwork likes really work wonderfully with the show. XD

[tinny]

User names: tinny
Pronouns: she
Language(s): English and a few more, I studied Chinese for 10 years and can cobble together bits and pieces, but have no listening comprehension to speak of. I love the language, though, and got back into studying it through Guardian and related cdramas.
How did you first get into Guardian fandom? The gifs on tumblr, and my friend simboo, who kept reccing me other Asian BL. I first didn't want to watch it, because it's not explicit BL, but I caved in the end. I have no regrets, other than that being in the middle of a fandom is stressful. But I'm not really complaining. *g*
What is one thing you love about the show? How much Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan are in love.
What is your favourite terrible special effect? The monsters in the mountains, because I love to see Shen Wei fighting them.
What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Weilan all the way. I also adore the way Zhu Hong can be in love with Zhao Yunlan and still her own person (and his friend), and the episode where he lets her down gently is one of my favorites in the whole show.
Do you have a favourite character? I have trouble with Shen Wei's insistence to sacrifice himself, otherwise I would say Shen Wei.
Do you have a favourite villain? Ye Zun. Zhu Yilong is amazing in everything he does.
Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I have watched all of their works that are not historical dramas and that I could get my hands on. So I guess I could make an informed decision here, but... really, the one I care most about is Luo Fusheng! Literal Kitten! Dreamlike Life is so terrible (like most of Zhu Yilong's shows), but his character Luo Fusheng is absolutely adorable and I want him to have all the good things.
Do you like RPF? Oh boy, yes. It is what still keeps me hooked on this fandom.
Do you have a favourite ad campaign? Nope. I hate ads, and I don't like the prevalent opinion in Chinese fandom that the endorsed products must be supported/bought. I could do without the ads (especially the ReFa ones, because they trigger my embarrassment squick on Zhu Yilong's behalf).
What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? Actively: only The Librarians. I was a passive onlooker in other fandoms, starting with X-Files in the 1990s, and hitting on SGA, SPN, Doctor Who, and Sherlock on the way. My fave will always be Farscape. I'm into fantasy/sci-fi in general.
What are some of your general fanwork likes: Smut. Art. Icons (which I make myself, a lot.)
Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Here on dw. My journal has almost exclusively Guardian and adjacent content, and about half of that is icons.
Anything else you want to say? I love this fandom ditch.

[clevermanka]

FARSCAPE! \o/

[yue_ix]

User names: Yue-IX
Pronouns: She/her
Language(s): French, English
How did you first get into Guardian fandom? Kalakirya made compelling h/c arguments, then Fayjay wrote some porn.
What is one thing you love about the show? How often Zhao Yunlan is unconcious. Close second is Zhao Yunlan's inability to not sit on things.
What is your favourite terrible special effect? The never-burning lava.
What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship?

Da Qing & Zhao Yunlan - I love how "cat and his pet human" they are.

Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan because it's extremely domestic yet full of tension in every way.

Hurt/Comfort because it's this undercover relationship that just spans the whole show, and it's so established that often the show just assumes they happened. I really love how we as fan just caught on it and explored this relationship in fanworks.

Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan/Ye Zun because it's hot.

Do you have a favourite character? Zhao Yunlan, probably.

Do you have a favourite villain? Ye Zun, hands down. He's.. so much.

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I can't stop thinking of yantantether's universe from this PWP story featuring Bai Qi from Fairyland Lovers and Fu Hongxue from Border Town Prodigal crossover universe. Despite knowing nothing but thirsty gif from both canon.

Do you like RPF? Yes. I've created fanworks for it, too.

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? All of them? They're so wild and fun sandboxes. The ReFa ones are sending me around the bend with how NSFW they are for an so-called G-rated product.

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? lots of manga/animes (CLAMP supplied most of my favourite tropes), Merlin BBC, Teen Wolf, Stargate Atlantis, Good Omens, Sarah Monette's Labyrinth series, Venom (2019 movie), podfics.

What are some of your general fanwork likes: hurt/comfort, wings, altered states, bondage, tentacles

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? private Twitter for PWP thirst is yue-ix, my public fanart account is yuedraws, yue_ix on AO3, Yue on Discord or here on DW where I don't really post but can leave comments.

Anything else you want to say? Hi! I'm not good at reading a lot of words but I love drawing and listening and short texts like Tweets. Always happy to squee or throw plot bunnies at people before running away.

[yantantether]

How often Zhao Yunlan is unconcious. Close second is Zhao Yunlan's inability to not sit on things.
This made me giggle!

I didn't even *have* a tentacle thing before Guardian (I feel like I say that about so many kinks) and now I'm like... we need more!! tentacles!! Also I now can't even find the one tentacle fic (the anon one) that I swear I had bookmarked - maybe it's been deleted??

[sakana17]

User names: sakana17, sakanaoneseven
Pronouns: she/her
Language(s): English; some rusty Japanese and German; and 2 years of Mandarin back when dinosaurs roamed the earth
How did you first get into Guardian fandom? ranalore wrote a post about it in April 2019 and it sounded exactly up my alley but I didn't watch it until June/July 2019
What is one thing you love about the show? Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan and their eternal love for each other (but I love so many other things about the show, too!)
What is your favourite terrible special effect? I don't think the special effects are as terrible as everyone else thinks... but my least favorite effect is the youchu
What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan. Hot for each other. Competence Couple. Domestic scenes of care taking. They are not always perfect, they do not always make the best choices, but they love each other so much.
Do you have a favourite character? I can't choose between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan
Do you have a favourite villain? Ye Zun
Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: Granting You a Dreamlike Life is not a good show, but Luo Fusheng (Zhu Yilong's character) is *everything*! KITTEN! Detective L is a good show, sadly too short, and Luo Fei (Bai Yu's character) is *awesome*! So naturally I want to slash the two Luos. *g* I'm currently watching Zhu Yilong as Lian Chengbi in Shaw Eleven Lang which is a cracktastic fun supernatural martial arts drama. And I loved Bai Yu's drama Fairyland Lovers.
Do you like RPF? Oh yes!
Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? I enjoy looking at them in the ads, but I don't know if I have a favorite. The ReFe ads are certainly... thought-provoking. *cough*
What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? Too many to list. The main ones in the past were Dong Bang Shin Ki OT5 RPS (K-pop), Stargate SG-1, Master & Commander (Aubrey/Maturin). Currently it's Guardian and adjacent fandoms 24/7 but I've just started my first rewatch of History3: Trapped.
What are some of your general fanwork likes: Competence, equality, hurt/comfort, m/m porn with feelings, casefic, domestic life as a couple, unreliable narrators, past tense
Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Here on Dreamwidth or on Twitter: sakanaoneseven. I occasionally post Guardian screencaps to Tumblr and I check Discord at least once a day (I'm sakana17 on both of those)
Anything else you want to say? I am really enjoying this fandom! I'm intimidated by all the talented authors and fanwork creators - but I love all the wonderful stories and creations!

[clevermanka]

They are not always perfect, they do not always make the best choices, but they love each other so much.
This, so much this.

[umadoshi]

User names: umadoshi.

Pronouns: She/her.

Language(s): English only, alas.

How did you first get into Guardian fandom? By early summer or so last year it felt like so many people on my DW list were in love with it that it seemed like the obvious next thing to try from my to-watch list (many of you know that my media-to-consume lists are terrifying and already way too long to ever be gotten through in my lifetime), so I gave it a try...and it took me quite a while to bond, in large part because the YouTube subs kept completely jarring me out of it. I lasted about ten episodes before I cried for help on Twitter, and after that I enjoyed it a lot more. But for me it was still a very gradually-then-suddenly tumble into being in love with the show, although there's still no specific moment or episode I can point to where I knew it had me by the heart.

I also really enjoyed what I read of the novel (and am looking forward to reading the whole thing, and hoping to someday get an official English edition), although the drama is what I'm in love with.

What is one thing you love about the show? Its dedication to showing us Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's relationship for what it is + Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu's ludicrous chemistry together.

What is your favourite terrible special effect? I don't think I have one? (I know which one makes me cringe the most. ^^;)

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Weilan! I love how they're so many things to each other--friends, lovers, partners, brothers-in-arms--and the depths and varied manifestations of their trust and intimacy. I love that it's such a bedrock-solid connection that simultaneously has genuine and understandable conflicts and tensions.

I also have a special love for Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing's relationship, with all its deep familiarity and comfort and squabbling.

Do you have a favourite character? If I have to pick, it's Shen Wei. He's so very much my type of character. But on paper, Zhao Yunlan doesn't tick many of the boxes that tend to go with characters I especially love, and I completely love him anyway, so that's more remarkable than my love for Shen Wei. *g* (And in terms of the supporting cast, I love Zhu Hong and Da Qing best.)

Do you have a favourite villain? Hmm...the Regent is the one I most love to hate? But probably Ye Zun, really, thanks to Zhu Yilong's unfairly good acting and the number of people who write him in a persuasively sympathetic way in fic. The show set him up with all the notes to make me feel terrible for him, and Zhu Yilong made them feel real enough that the fleshing-out in fic works for me.

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: Alas, the only other one of Bai Yu or Zhu Yilong's shows I've seen all the way through is Fairyland Lovers, and I didn't really bond with it. I'm hoping to love Detective L when I get back to it (I've only seen three episodes) and am excited for Zhu Yilong's Lost Tomb series.

Do you like RPF? In general? It's never been my thing. But then this series. And those two. And so many fic writers doing interesting things...! So in practice, what seems to be happening is that I don't go looking for Zhu Yilong/Bai Yu RPF but so much of it crosses my radar that sounds interesting that I'm reading and enjoying a fair bit of it anyway. ^_^

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? Not at this time, no, although I very much like looking at the pretty pictures.

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? As many people in this comm know, I'm very monofannish and only move into new fandoms occasionally (although I love plenty of shows/books/etc. that I don't feel fannish about). My primary online fandoms before Guardian have been Sailor Moon ('90s anime), Revolutionary Girl Utena (anime), Fruits Basket (manga), and Mira Grant's Newsflesh trilogy (English novel series); my secondary fandoms have been Evangelion ('90s anime), X (manga), and Warehouse 13 (English TV series). The Untamed should probably be on the secondary-fandom list now too, although I've had zero impulse to write fic for it. And to make this really quite exhaustive, in childhood/adolescence I was fannish about New Mutants, X-Men, and ElfQuest comics.

What are some of your general fanwork likes: Having it be character focused and intensely emotional are the key things for me, more than any particular tropes or genres. Vividly intimate and emotional smut is amazing.

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Here on Dreamwidth is my favorite place, and on Twitter my outright fannishness is mostly on MermaidLure . (I'm also ysabet_m, but that's where I do tons of RTing and talk to manga-industry folks and stuff.)

Anything else you want to say? Only that this is a marvelous fandom and I'm so glad to have wound up here. ^_^

[clevermanka]

I gave it a try...and it took me quite a while to bond
Nice to know I'm not the only one who took a while to warm. Re-watching the first episodes, I don't understand why, but... yeah. *fistbump*

[undeadrobins]

(I'm attempting to do this on my phone while on a train. I apologise for typos, bad links and terrible spellings...)

User names: UndeadRobins (previously known as Kayim)
Pronouns: she/her
Language(s): Only English, despite vague attempts with various Duolingo languages.
How did you first get into Guardian fandom? I fully blame umadoshi. And all the people on my various flists who have been watching. I literally only started watching a couple of weeks ago, and I'm on about episode 25, so it's all new and exciting for me!
What is one thing you love about the show? Found family trope. And competence. I know that's two things, but they're the two things that are pretty much guaranteed to get me hooked on a show, and this one has them in abundance.
What is your favourite terrible special effect? Da Qing turning into a cat. I'm so glad they just cut from the human to the cat now and don't bother with the CGI.
What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Obviously I love Zhao Yunlan/Shen Wei, because how can you watch the show without loving their relationship. I mostly love the way it's a full blown romantic relationship, and we understand that without needing to see them making out (although we all still *want* to see that). However, I also have a growing interest in Chu Shuzhi/Guo Chengchang (which I've just typed without looking up, so may be spelled wrong). I love the protective relationship there, and the adoration that Guo Chengchang has for Chu Shuzhi. I'd love it more if he wasn't portrayed as an annoying imbecile, but we can't have everything. Oh, and I also love Zhao Yunlan & Da Qing, because they're all kinds of fun together.
Do you have a favourite character? So far, it seems to depend on the episode. I've changed my mind dozens of times. I just seriously love them all.
Do you have a favourite villain? Not yet, but I'm only just gotten halfway through, so that will probably change.
Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: This is my very first non-Western fandom. I suspect it won't be my last.
Do you like RPF? Depending on the story itself. I'm a little picky about these things. I've read and written RPF in other fandoms (hockey mainly), so I definitely won't rule it out.
Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? What's the one where Zhu Yilong is playing with the dildo facial massager? That one.
What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? Too many to list, but they're all on the sticky post in my journal.
What are some of your general fanwork likes: Again, too many to list here, but all in my sticky post.
Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Either here on DW or on Twitter under the same username. I'm always looking for new friends!
Anything else you want to say? I'm still getting to know the fandom, so if you want to throw useful links, meta, favourite stories, behind-the-scenes videos, or anything else, at me, please do!

[clevermanka]

Welcome to the show and the fandom!

[naye]

User names: naye, naye, unnaye, for-the-flail

Pronouns: she/her

Languages: English, Swedish, French, Intermediate Japanese & Beginner Mandarin Chinese

How did you first get into Guardian fandom? I had people on my Tumblr dash who were watching it as it aired the summer of 2018, and were having a lot of feelings about it, so I got intrigued. The first gif I can remember seeing was the scene in #38 with Shen Wei throwing himself in front of Zhao Yunlan. This piqued my interest as h/c and self-sacrifice are absolutely my cup of tea. Then I came across a gif set of the taxi scene in #8 and the tenderness and longing in it had me absolutely undone.

What is one thing you love about the show?
Everything about the relationship between Shen Wen and Zhao Yunlan, from the absolutely tangible chemistry between Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu and all their acting choices to the way the story handles the identity porn and lets them become each other's most beloved, most important person.

What is your favourite terrible special effect?
Okay see if you ask that question you're going to get an actual answer. You may regret it because by "favorite" I mean "the one that always makes me scream". Here. I apologize:


What is (one of) your favourite relationships on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship?
Obviously I adore the relationship between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. I'm also very fond of Zhao Yunlan & Da Qing being best friends who are also a human and a cat.

Do you have a favourite character? Shen Wei & Zhao Yunlan

Do you have a favourite villain? Ye Zun

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I really like gifsets and clips from many of Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu's other shows. Especially when they play characters with long hair and wuxia/historical outfits. :D

Do you like RPF? I have been taken in by the RPF fandom for Guardian - tiny but full of awesome creators and lots and lots of happy fanning.

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? Oh no these examples are both coming for me! Here is where I first came across Bai Yu's Tiffany shoot, and having fic for it is a dream come true. ♥ Aside from that, I also adore this mechanic photo shoot he did for his Weibo profile pic. My favorite Zhu Yilong ad campaign is probably the Lenovo one.

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? I've been in fandom since the days of mailing lists and Geocities, but I'm strongly monofannish. The three most recent fandoms I had before Guardian were Gintama, Nirvana in Fire and Dragon Age.

What are some of your general fanwork likes: Guardian has really blown my likes wide open. I'm a gen fan at heart, but I OTP wildly for Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan. I have a weakness for h/c, angst with a happy ending, mutual pining.

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? I usually post to Dreamwidth several times a week, and read it every day. I chatter a lot on Twitter as unnaye - Tumblr (for-the-flail) I mostly use to reblog fanart and post any gif sets I make.

Anything else you want to say?
This fandom has been the best thing ever. ♥ Honestly, I have learned so much here, and met so many awesome people. It's been a gift.

[yantantether]

The!! blobby!! stomach!! I honestly picture the CGI artists cackling as they added more wobble, more dust falling from the roof, and more inexplicable bin bags. (Did they have any context?? One wonders. Or were they just emailed some instructions at midnight like: hey two guys have been swallowed by another guy and btw we need something by 9am...)

[wrote_and_writ]

User names: wrote_and_writ
Pronouns: She/her
Language(s): English, enough French to get by when I travel and to talk to dogs
How did you first get into Guardian fandom? I moved to China in 2018 and got TV channels with my internet. There aren’t many English-language options (duh), so I was channel-surfing (it’s kind of set up like Netflix where you choose shows) and saw Guardian. I remembered seeing some gif sets on Tumblr, so I started watching it with no subtitles and wow did I fall hard. I immediately went looking on Tumblr and AO3, and here I am! I still haven’t watched the whole thing with subtitles, although I’m working through now that it’s on Amazon Prime.
What is one thing you love about the show? Shen Wei and Zhu Yilong’s ability to convey emotions with the tiniest expressions. It doesn’t hurt that he and Bai Yu are easy on the eyes.
What is your favourite terrible special effect?The makeup tbh, like Wildfire’s scars. The whole show kind of reminds me of a low-budget Torchwood.
What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Aside from the obvious Weilan, I love Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi. I am so weak for the storm cloud/sunshine dynamic. And I like how GCC earns CS’s respect as he does work hard to be more brave and skilled.
Do you have a favourite character? Zhao Yunlan all the way. Even though it would be disastrous, I wish I had a bit of his brashness.
Do you have a favourite villain? I really like Ya Qing. I like motivations that are a little more complicated than REVENGE!
Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: Mmm, I like the found family dynamic of the SID. I like that it’s not just a job but a group of people who care about each other, about doing the right thing, helping out, breaking unjust rules, all of it. I would absolutely work there, risk of death and all.
Do you like RPF? I don’t. It makes me incredibly self-conscious for whatever reason. It’s also why I’m a champion lurker.
Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? Look. Look. Those ReFa ads will be the absolute death of me, but I’m fine with it. And living in China, I like that I can see Zhu Yilong on bottles of drinkable yogurt at my local grocery store, staring at me from a Coco Cola bus stop ad, enticing me into KFC. I own three Thermos products because I am susceptible to advertising, and took an hour-long metro ride to go to the L’Occitane store, although to be fair, I’ve used those products since 2002. It had just been awhile since I splashed out and bought some. I want to see more Bai Yu, though. He was in a Nivea (I think) ad that hung up in the local WalMart for months before I realized it was HIM, and then it was gone when I went to take a picture.
What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? I started in earnest in The Raven Cycle books fandom, have dabbled in Harry Potter and MCU, but for the last year or two, it’s been Guardian, The Untamed, and some assorted Thai dramas. Oh! And Detective L! Holy cow, that show has checked every one of my boxes! Qin Xiaoman is GOALS.
What are some of your general fanwork likes: I prefer fics because I like to read. I LOVE those who make gif sets, though, because they are what get me interested in a media in the first place. I like crafts inspired by fandoms, art, but fics are my main way of interacting.
Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Sorry I don’t know how to do links, but I’m wrote_and_writ on AO3, trixietricoter on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. Shout at me any time!
Anything else you want to say? Like I said, I’m a professional lurker, so please come say hi to me! I very much want to be friends, but I’m shy to the point where people think I’m aloof irl.

[yue_ix]

Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi. I am so weak for the storm cloud/sunshine dynamic.
What an beautiful and perfect way of describing them!

The concept of seeing ads in our daily life with our fannish people of interests is so alien to me, it certainly must be quite something! XD sorry you missed the chance to photograph the Bai Yu one.

And awww, yes, the Found Family aspect of the show is quite wholesome and kickass, isn’t it? Thank you for mentioning it, it’s giving me good feelings all over again.

Parler en Français à des chiens est une excellente façon et raison d’apprendre et d’utiliser une langue. <3

[kimboo_york]

User names: kimboo_york

Pronouns: she/her

Language(s): English

How did you first get into Guardian fandom? In spring 2019 a few different moots made recruitment posts here on dreamwidth about the drama. I was iffy but decided to see what the love was about and...here we are. :)

What is one thing you love about the show? Not to be a stereotype but I love the relationship between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. That really grabbed me from the start, how different and yet attuned to each other they are (thank you, BY and ZYL!)

What is your favourite terrible special effect? *sighhhh* the Hollows. All of them. Every time they show up. They just...they look like carnival ride decorations.

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Aside from Weilan? Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing. I love their banter, their easy familiarity, and their obvious love for each other. Found family is a huge plus for me!

Do you have a favourite character? Shen Wei, predictably. I love the quiet ones.

Do you have a favourite villain? Ye Zun, always and forever amen.

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: Look I'm a sucker for timey-wimey time travel shenanigans so I love that Weilan had TWO "first meetings" and I just wish we had gotten 10 episodes set in YOHE too.

Do you like RPF? Yes!!!

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? Bai Yu, Tiffany (although his Lancome game is strong, it fails b/c they never show him putting ON the lipstick)

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? Oy vey. A very long list? Old school K/S girl from the way back and many in between (due South, SGA are in the mix). These days I'm heavy into c-drama fandom with Nirvana in Fire and Untamed/CQL, and also getting into c-novels (PLEASE ask me about "I Ship My Adversary and Me"!!!)

What are some of your general fanwork likes: I love long fic b/c I'm a fast reader, so anything less than 10k is, like, a snack. I want to be immersed in the story for a while! I am partial to fix-it fic and happy endings b/c life is grim enough thankyouverymuch. I really enjoy deep, character-driven plots but I also really love me some good old fashioned tropes like arranged marriage, time travel, found family, friends (or enemies!) to lovers, and OMG GIVE ME THE IDENTITY PORN ALL OF IT *grabby hands*

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Right now I seem to be mostly on twitter, but I am on discord if it comes to that and of course here on dreamwidth!

Anything else you want to say? I love Weilan a lot. Like, a lot. :D

[naye]

They just...they look like carnival ride decorations.
IT'S TRUE. XD

[geckoholic]

User names: geckoholic, lostemotion, spacenerdz
Pronouns: she/her
Language(s): German, English, a bit of French and an even smaller bit of Spanish.
How did you first get into Guardian fandom? A friend dragged me down with her and we proceeded to watch it together.
What is one thing you love about the show? The chemistry between the characters and the obvious care put by everyone involved into that aspect of it even if they didn't have a high budget.
What is your favourite terrible special effect? The terrible "darkness" in Dixing comes to mind, and the animal transformations.
What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Weilan. Their relationship comes alive from the first time they meet in canon and it's a pleasure to watch it deepen and become more important to both of them. Plus they're both great characters in their own right and they meet each other on equal footing despite the difference in power and I love that.
Do you have a favourite character? Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. Do not make me choose between them. I can't.
Do you have a favourite villain? Not really.
Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: DETECTIVE L. It combines so many of my favorite things: crime, history, and uhh, Bai Yu. XD
Do you like RPF? Nope.
Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? The rentboy photoshot sure is up there, yes.
What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? Too many to list, seriously. US shows, comics, anime, movies, it's a loooooooong list indeed.
What are some of your general fanwork likes: Well-written and emotional smut, hurt/comfort and recovery, and art that uses bold colors, unusual perspective and plays on classic motifs.
Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? On this DW, and on twitter geckoholic.
Anything else you want to say? Adult life is a sham and I just want more sleep.

[naye]

and they meet each other on equal footing despite the difference in power
Ahhh! Yes. This. ♥

[no_detective]

OH HI.

User names: no_detective pretty much everywhere (no_detective, no_detective, no_detective, no_detective on spotify)

Pronouns: she/her

Language(s): english, serbian

How did you first get into Guardian fandom? bonibaru's vid heartlines got me hooked; at the time, i didn't realize it would be the fandom that brings me back into fannishness - and MORE - but wow, it's been a wild year+ ♥

What is one thing you love about the show? ONE thing?!?!? okay, okay. i wasn't spoiled for the time loop so i assumed the flashbacks were an earlier incarnation (or something along those lines that would pass censorship), and - I WAS NOT PREPARED. it whammied me so, so hard. i may never recover.

What is your favourite terrible special effect? technically not a special effect, but i will never not be deeply amazed at the painting of ma gui in the minister's office. i don't have a screenshot handy but you know the one: stunning likeness of a dude who lived 10K years ago, with white background. incredible, y'all.

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? i'm INTENSELY into the weilan otp, but i also really love what the show has done with zhu hong's crush on zhao yunlan. she wasn't a one-note jealous woman whose unrequited feelings could turn her into a villain, her feelings were not treated as a joke or dismissed, her crush is not the primary thing about her character, and she and zyl are truly friends in addition to being fellow fighters against evil.

Do you have a favourite character? zyl reeled me in first - i have such a soft spot in my heart for slouchy, slutty, in-position-of-authority-but-mostly-thinking-about-assuming-other-positions type of character... and then shen wei happened to me like a force of (super)nature and - YEAH. can't pick one because each of them is so deeply and profoundly defined by the other; i can only really think of them as a paired unit, so to speak. :D

Do you have a favourite villain? hmmmm... i enjoy ya qing's opportunism, but frankly none of the villains really intrigue me on this show; they tend to be sort of underwritten (like ye zun) or, well, overacted (like quite a few others). does it count as a "favorite" that the regent is the character i most fervently wished would die a horrible, painful death? eh, probably not.

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: i've seen a few; zhu yilong's phantacity appearance and detective l are the ones i found to be the most relevant to my interests. but i'm always super appreciative of any media in which they get to don robes and fight with swords and have gorgeous long hair...

Do you like RPF? um, YES.


Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? i mean those two are pretty astonishing! i also adore zyl's schwarzkopf ad bc long hair and that jacket... yeah.

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? first fandom was buffy; first slash fandom was smallville; went through MANY since. currently also enjoying history3: trapped, which hits a LOT of my favorite tropes, and the king's avatar (tho i haven't had time to look for its fandom yet)

What are some of your general fanwork likes: enemies to lovers; identity porn; h/c - tho i'm not huge on angst so i need TONS of comfort; happy sex... and because the show's canon ends in knives, i find that i'm also really into AUs (even moreso than usual) for guardian. in rpf, i'm a fan of opposites attract, of individuals discovering that being with the other person makes them better, and - for actors specifically - of performance and performativity and character creation/character bleed. i love competence and teamwork and found families and laughter and working to make the world a better place. i also love genre and mixing up tropes and fannish ideas that bloom into different expression (fic, vids, art, manips, icons, music mixes - bring it!)

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? i'm on dreamwidth maybe once a week, desperately trying to catch up; more likely to make a daily appearance on twitter.

Anything else you want to say? weilan is the most intense otp i've EVER been into, and i'd like a lifetime supply of happy endings* for them, please!

*yes, that was a double entendre, i am a dirty old woman

[umadoshi]

i wasn't spoiled for the time loop so i assumed the flashbacks were an earlier incarnation (or something along those lines that would pass censorship), and - I WAS NOT PREPARED. it whammied me so, so hard. i may never recover.

YES. I don't know anymore WHAT I thought the flashbacks were, because I did at least vaguely know it wasn't allowed to be actual reincarnation, but somehow I never really sat down and tried to figure it out and then the time loop merrily punched me in the heart.

i also really love what the show has done with zhu hong's crush on zhao yunlan.

So much this! I could've done without the unrequited love being a thing at all, I think, but given that it's a thing that happened, I love how it was handled. (And I do appreciate the strategic value of using it to highlight and underline that Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei are IN LOVE [and EVERYONE KNOWS IT].)

i'd like a lifetime supply of happy endings* for them, please!

(Well played.)

[thevetia]

User names:Thevetia
Pronouns:she/her
Language(s):English. A little German. A teensy bit of Japanese.
How did you first get into Guardian fandom?It's all sakana17's fault! For which I am endlessly grateful. We were on a holiday together, she had a USB drive with all the episodes, there was a TV in the hotel room, and she had been mentioning it was a good show. I wanted to see what it was about. My memory is that I demanded we keep watching because I needed to know what was going to happen next, and who was that gorgeous guy with the glasses? Apparently my enthusiasm was not expressed very well and I didn't take instantly to Zhao Yunlan. (And I've been paying for that ever since. I was wrong! He's adorable and utterly awesome!) But the show started hitting every fannish button I have within the first few episodes.
What is one thing you love about the show?Its sense of morality. (Well, I love WeiLan above all, but that's kind of obvious.) The show points out that acts can have their gray interpretations, that evil can be acknowledged and even atoned for, and that even the most awful of villains is ultimately just a failed human being.
What is your favourite terrible special effect?I can't have a favorite terrible effect. I love a lot of the effects: the ball of dark energy in Shen Wei's hand that looks like a tiny universe; the amethyst portal, the stop-time effect. When the effects are bad I just do the work and handwave them.
What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship?Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan. Of course. They hit such a button of mine: they love each other, they would die for each other, but they would both choose the greater good over their love. They are such heroes!
Do you have a favourite character?It was Shen Wei at first, but Zhao Yunlan is so awesome, and now I can't really choose between them.
Do you have a favourite villain?Has to be Ye Zun. Nobody else is even close. Zhu Yilong clearly has a twin brother who is also an actor and he's fantastic! So evil! So sympathetic and understandable in his evilness! I wonder what else that actor has done?
Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I'm trying to collect the full set! So far I've seen half of Granting You a Dreamlike Life, and Luo Fusheng is absolutely the best! Kitten deserves everything wonderful! Also, by contrast, I've seen about a third of Border Town Prodigal, and oh, Fu Hongxue, baby, you need help! But so pretty... For Bai Yu, there's Detective L, which is a fun and engaging show and he's so handsome in it; and I've just finished watching Fairyland Lovers, which is a Zhu Yilong level of acting tour-de-force for Bai Yu.
Do you like RPF? Once upon a time I thought it was faintly icky; now I'm all into it. I can't explain it, but ZhuBai opens such a world of interesting ideas to pursue.
Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? The ReFa ads don't leave much to the imagination, do they? So I can't use them to work up an unusual idea for fic. Time Engraver is wonderful. And I have a soft spot for ZYL's Thermos ads.
What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? I've been in fandom since before dinosaurs roamed the internet so I've been in a few, though I'm quite the mono-fannish serial monogamist. Lately it's just Guardian 24/7. In the more recent past it's been Person of Interest, Aubrey/Maturin (Master and Commander books), and Stargate SG-1.
What are some of your general fanwork likes:Historical or derivative AUs, old-school tropes, angst, smut, I appreciate a lot of stuff. I like more things than I dislike.
Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things?I'm on Dreamwidth (and twitter and Discord) as Thevetia, though I don't post much. I'm trying to change that!
Anything else you want to say?I haven't had such fun in a fandom for a long, long time. Guardian makes me so happy!

[yantantether]

I haven't had such fun in a fandom for a long, long time
I know that feeling! This is such a wonderful fandom ♥♥♥

[rheasilvia]

User names: rheasilvia on DW / Sylvia on AO3

Pronouns: she/her

Language(s): English and German, some others non-fluently

How did you first get into Guardian fandom?

I saw several people talking about it on my friendslist, and eventually decided to casually check it out. I expected it to be some silly fun that I'd quit watching after a few eps. I ended up incredibly confused by the (then) incoherently translated prologue (which featured so-called Sub-Earthians), but liked the setting and thought Shen Wei was very pretty. And then Shen Wei *stared* at Zhao Yunlan in the window, and I sat up and took notice. A few eps more and I realized Zhao Yunlan was *incredibly competent* and the characterization was excellent and coherent, and the relationship was fascinating and complex and *exactly what I wanted it to be*.

So I thought, okay, I'll enjoy this lovely show and happily read some fanfic, but that will be it, and I certainly won't fall for another fandom, or write fanfic for it myself. It'll just be another nice, casual reading fandom. (Spoiler: that is not what happened.)

What is one thing you love about the show? The characters. The relationships. The unapologetic, all hands on deck approach to worldbuilding (Aliens! Genetic mutation! Shapeshifters! Elemental powers! Meteors! Ancient wars! Rulers of the magma-filled underworld! Yes! Just keep piling on the awesome!).

What is your favourite terrible special effect? Hee! I think it's the Youchu monsters in the caves. :-) I don't tend to pay much attention to special effects, though, and actually think most of the effects are perfectly fine.

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship?

So many. The obvious one is my OTP, the reason why I love Guardian: Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. For me, this is honestly the best, most satisfying and intense m/m relationship I have ever seen in any TV canon. It's not something that gets a few minutes of airtime each ep, in between the actual plot. It IS the plot. And because the characterization of both of them is so excellent, and the relationship is developed so carefully and wonderfully (and gloriously on-screen!), I find it immensely believable and satisfying in emotional terms. And they are so mature about it, like actual adults - which is not as common as you might hope with fictional romance.

I also love Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing's rock-solid friendship, which both of them rely on to a huge degree that only gradually becomes apparent because it's woven so deeply into both of their lives as a constant. And I love Zhao Yunlan's relationship with his various team members - and I ALSO love his horrible rocky relationship with his father, because it's angsty and painful and says so much about the amazing person Zhao Yunlan is.

Do you have a favourite character? Zhao Yunlan. This was actually a surprise for me, because I usually go for guarded, introverted characters - and it took me a bit to realize that this is basically exactly what Zhao Yunlan is, for all that he hides behind performative extroversion. And he's also so dedicated and competent and passionate and brilliant and courageous and brazen, and just... yes.

Do you have a favourite villain? Zhu Jiu! While he isn't a complex character, he's a solid and competent villain, IMO. He is smart, competent, effective, and very loyal - to the death, in fact. I have also grown to love his purple octopus wig and hand ornament and evil smirk. ;-)

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I'm so sorry, but I don't really have any. I have clutched onto Guardian and not looked right or left.

Do you like RPF? In some fandoms, yes, but not in Guardian. I am too focussed on my fictional character OTP.

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? I confess that I don't follow the actors' ads and other activities - but I did see the Time Engraver commercial, which I loved for its sheer creepy, fascinating, surrealistic worldbuilding.

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? Oh wow, so many. I started out four score and seven years ago in X-Files (Mulder/Krycek), moved on to Once a Thief, Highlander and Eroica, Saiyuki, Utena, X 1999, Smallville, Supernatural, Jpop, X-Men First Class - and those are just some of the fandoms I've written in. I read in a lot more, notably Due South, Person of Interest and Hockey RPF, and most recently Stucky.

What are some of your general fanwork likes: I greatly enjoy a wide variety of fanworks, but I'm in it for the slash fanfic.

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Dreamwidth! I've never really gotten the hang of Twitter, and Tumblr is completely out of my reach, sadly. Discord is still something I mean to try at some point, when I actually have a lot of spare time... so maybe in ten years or so?

Anything else you want to say? I am not always as quick to reply as I would like, because I am sometimes very busy with RL - and also sometimes low on spoons. But I want to talk about Guardian with you!!

[umadoshi]

It'll just be another nice, casual reading fandom. (Spoiler: that is not what happened.)

Hee! And now you're responsible for sucking so many people in! (I link to your rec post a lot, and I am definitely not the only one.)

[marycrawford]

User names: marycrawford here and on AO3
How did you first get into Guardian fandom? I watched a few episodes haphazardly on Youtube, and I know it must be because someone recced it, but alas I don't know who it was. And because of the haphazard approach, I was a)intrigued by the gorgeous guy with the glasses and b) turned off by GCC flailboating and plots that seemed to revolve around blue bathwater being menacing somehow? BUT then dorinda explained to me that I should take a more careful look, and recounted the id greasefire of episode 8 to me so succesfully that I was like "Don't show me clips, I NEED TO GET THERE LEGITIMATELY" and so I did. And was writing fic by episode 22, because when I fall I fall hard.
What is one thing you love about the show? Uh. So hard. Well: the moments where the entire cast and crew did a spectacular job of making a thing that is FOR ME. And those of us like me, ie all of you. Shen Wei healing the scratches on his shoulder, with that single beautifully lit sweatdrop. (I missed this scene on my first Youtube perusal, that is how much of a dumbass I am, because that alone would have been convincing.) Zhao Yunlan, barefoot, curled up on the couch. Or under attack and saying, "I am not strong enough to beat you, but I'm waiting for the one who is and he is coming." <3 <3 <3
What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? ZYL/SW is everything, obviously, and then ZYL&Da Qing are my second favorite. A man and his cat.
Do you have a favourite character? Shen Wei, always and forever, both the BAMF and the wounded deer with his 10K years of longing, but Zhao Yunlan grew on me very rapidly and I am so incredibly fond of him, too. He has so many nuanced layers under that brash exterior.
Do you have a favourite villain? Ye Zun, who is acted by ZYL's twin brother, obviously. Those are two different people and you can't tell me otherwise.
Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: Don't have any? I love Bai Yu's gorgeous hair on his new show, and the chains, and I haven't actually watched it but I am happy to see picspams. Same with ZYL's tomb raider movie.
Do you like RPF? Hm, I tend to avoid it in fic unless it's a complete AU (and not one of those US-based settings like coffee shops or colleges) but I am helpless against the gorgeous vids and fan edits I've seen. bonibaru's Leave the Light On vid makes me feel a lot.
Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? I came in to this fandom later, so I'm still discovering a lot of the older ad stuff, but that Bai Yu lollipop video is amazing, and ZYL's latest ReFa ad is on non stop rotation.
What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? Kirk/Spock, back in the zine days. Hercules: the Legendary Journeys. Sherlock Holmes. LOTR (I wrote a long Legolas/Gimli story that I'm still very fond of). I tend to be monofannish, and I definitely am right now.
What are some of your general fanwork likes: Hurt/comfort, self-sacrifice, competence, swordfighting, pining, and layered characters who say one thing and mean another. Yeah, this entire show AND fandom was basically designed to destroy me.
Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? On Dreamwidth, in email, or on AO3 - I love talking about stories, but I'm bad at meta and often just don't have the spoons for it. So I guess I mostly communicate through writing stories of my own and commenting on other people's when I can. And may I say, I'm deeply appreciative of the fantastic feedback culture in this fandom.
Anything else you want to say?I LOVE EVERYONE IN THIS BAR

[yue_ix]

Shen Wei healing the scratches on his shoulder, with that single beautifully lit sweatdrop. ...
Zhao Yunlan, barefoot, curled up on the couch.
Or under attack and saying, "I am not strong enough to beat you, but I'm waiting for the one who is and he is coming." <3 <3 <3

AAAAHHH. These things are indeed so incredibly good to us. TT____TT <3 <3 <3

I love how many of us insist Zhu Yilong MUST have a twin brother that plays Ye Zun, because he's just that unbelievable talented. XD

What are some of your general fanwork likes: Hurt/comfort, self-sacrifice, competence, swordfighting, pining, and layered characters who say one thing and mean another. Yeah, this entire show AND fandom was basically designed to destroy me.

What a great list of wonderful things!! I think the show alone might not fill all of my needs for these but the fandom definitively does. (For instance, I feel like the show offers h/c opportunities but doesn't unravel and make us savour them the way fanworks do).

And may I say, I'm deeply appreciative of the fantastic feedback culture in this fandom.

OMG, right?? People are so generous with their kind words and affection, it's beautiful. ;_;

[amara1783]

User names: amara1783 scarletgumboots amara1783 amara1783

Pronouns: She/her or they/them

Language(s): English, Dutch (haven’t used it for years), a bit of French, very rusty, smatterings of Spanish and Italian, both super rusty. A very few words of te reo Māori but I do a bit every day. Learning Mandarin on Duolingo and by watching Guardian.

How did you first get into Guardian fandom?I watched Nirvana in Fire and was overwhelmed with feels, and people on the NiF discord were talking about Guardian and I thought I’d give it a go while I sorted out the enormity of what I felt for NiF, and I watched the first episode and was so confused. And then I watched the second and fell hard and have not recovered. Been here since June 2019, and I have never felt this way about a show or characters before, and never participated this actively in a fandom 🥰

What is one thing you love about the show? Pass! 😂 That would require me to think coherently and objectively and while I may manage that some day at the moment it is beyond me. I love everything. This show makes my id dissolve into happy purring.

What is your favourite terrible special effect? CGI!DaQing jumping on the table at the SID, because why even have that be a special effect? I am intrigued by why the didn't just get the cat to jump on the table, and the thought of them trying and the cat just noping out amuses me.

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Other than WeiLan, I love the relationship between Chu Shuzhi and Hei Pao Shi/Shen Wei (I know everyone here who is following my tweetfic is SHOCKED), what it means to Chu Shuzhi to have his hero find him worthy of a second chance, and what it means to Shen Wei that Chu Shuzhi chooses to follow him even after learning that he is Professor Shen. I also really like the relationship between Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing.

Do you have a favourite character? All of them. Both of them. Zhao Yunlan. ✨

Do you have a favourite villain?I think Zhu Yilong does an amazing job as Ye Zun. And [Bad username or site: FayJay @ ao3-jie] did an amazing job writing Ye Zun in her Guardian Gothic series. And I love the OTT-ness of Zhu Jiu, by which I mean I roll my eyes at him every time he's on screen. I think my favourite though is either Sha Ya or Ya Qing, in that I find them interesting in who they are and their motivations, and am interested in their stories.

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I like Detective L for the aesthetic, the awesomeness of Qin Xiaoman and of course the 3TP. I'm also looking forward to reading the Guardian novel once the translation is finished - I read as far as was translated months ago and liked it!

Do you like RPF? Sometimes, but the homophobic authoritarian reality of the PRC makes me wary of anything that's not AU. I read fic mostly as escapism, and don't really want to dwell on the injustice of the real world. For instance, Zhu Yilong and Bau Yu posing for photos (with many thanks to bowlerrootx for the translation!) breaks my heart and is heartwarming at the same time - I want them to be able to make the show they want to make, without censorship. Not that Western media is any better what with the queerbaiting and the 'we totally did queer rep by having a blink-and-you'll-miss it kiss between two characters you never met'.

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? The ReFa ads are A LOT and I also like Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot and his mechanic photoshoot.

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? I'm pretty much monofannish at the moment because WeiLan has eaten my brain, but previously Highlander, Harry Potter (Sirius/Remus, Sirius/Snape and post!war Snarry) Starsky & Hutch, Robin of Sherwood (how I met my partner!), Star Trek:TOS & TNG, The Eagle, MCU (Frostiron, Winteriron, Winterironfrost), Witcher 3 (Emhyr/Geralt), and my other trash show Kindred: The Embraced, which is so wonderfully terrible! I also read Destiel in Supernatural but I got bored with the show, and no doubt I'm forgetting stuff - I've been in fandom for over 20 years 💃🏻

What are some of your general fanwork likes: Brothers in arms. Loyalty. Fealty. Power dynamics. Hurt/comfort with emphasis on the comfort. People from different cultures/backgrounds working to make their relationship work. Being swept up in the story.

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? I’m on Twitter more than here on DW and hardly on Tumblr at all anymore - maybe once a month if that. I only very occasionally check Discord but am Amara1783 there too.

Anything else you want to say? I have some chronic health stuff (scoliosis with associated chronic pain, anxiety, and depression) that often prevents me from participating as much as I'd like. Sometimes making words happen is just not something I can do. Just putting that out there because it's taken me decades to actually come to terms with the reality of being (invisibly) disabled, and it's something I want to be open about because I have benefitted so much from other brave people being open 💞✨

Most importantly, please help me be less racist and transphobic.

[umadoshi]

I love everything. This show makes my id dissolve into happy purring.

*beams*

All of them. Both of them. Zhao Yunlan. ✨

*beams more*

[solo]

User names: Solo

Pronouns: really not fussed, people normally go with 'she'.

Language(s): English, German, Latin, Japanese, Scottish Gaelic, recently a little bit of Mandarin and Arabic.

How did you first get into Guardian fandom? rheasilvia appeared at my house with the series one day and that was basically it. I was hooked from episode 1.

What is one thing you love about the show? The amazing chemistry between the leads. It's why I watch. Also, the way the whole team works together.

What is your favourite terrible special effect? The orcs ghost beasts, and their terrible way of moving is so terrible, it must come top. They even all look exactly identical.

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? My favourite relationship is of course Weilan, for reasons that should be stunningly obvious. But a secondary one I like very much is Zhao Yunlan's relationship with his cat. :) They can be so cute together, and I love Da Qing's irreverence!

Do you have a favourite character? Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan.

Do you have a favourite villain? I really like Sha Ya and I wish she had survived. Over time, Wig Boy Zhu Jiu grew on me a lot; I find him more interesting than Ye Zun, and also, he did mean well at the start, and is loyal to a fault. Finally, I kind of like Ya Qing, though I think he gets off too lightly at the end, having done what she did.

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I haven't actually watched any of them... I think I'd watch Lost Tombs when it comes out, and I still want to flip through Granting You A Dreamlike Life just for the Zhu Yilong bits, but I'm generally not all that interested in random stuff the actors might be doing.

Do you like RPF? Yes, but I generally like the fpf stuff more, simply because a life of fighting evil is more intrinsically interesting to me than life as a celebrity. (She says, with 12 years of celebrity fandom in her bag as of right now.)

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? I don't really feel very strongly about ad campaigns but the ReFa stuff has me in hysterics, so I hope that counts.#

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? Main past fandoms: Starsky & Hutch, Highlander, Due South, X/1999. Current fandoms: KAT-TUN/Akanishi Jin, Guardian, The Untamed.

What are some of your general fanwork likes: I love plotty stories. I love case-fic with canon-compliant violence. I love identity porn. I love enemies to friends to lovers, and standing together against the world. I also love me some dubcon.

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? solo on Dreamwidth. I don't really do twitter much (the format drives me bananas), and tumblr largely not at all.

Anything else you want to say? Come play with meeeeeee!

[umadoshi]

I love how much love the fandom has for Zhao Yunlan and Da Qing's relationship. *^^*

[cyberbrain]

User names: stanweilan, cyberbrain, cyberbrained

Pronouns: she/her

Language(s): English, my mother tongue which is rare, so I won't include it, Russian (I'm better at understanding than using it oops), Japanese (except I haven't used it in about a year so it's probably deteriorated badly), am currently self-studying Chinese

How did you first get into Guardian fandom? One late night I was browsing MyDramaList and came upon somebody's recommendations list, clocked the poster for Guardian (oo pretty ❤️❤️) and clicked. Reading the plot summary was an experience because it basically described the perfect show I'd been craving. Then I saw the tags "bromance" and "adapted from a novel" and, having had some experience with Chinese BL, I set out to find out whether the novel was originally a BL. Found it, it was BL, I lol'd at my amazing detective skillzz and added the show to my list. I then inexplicably started watching it that same night and was awed. But it wasn't until I reached episode 7 that I fell hard.

What is one thing you love about the show? This is a hard choice–there's so much to pick from! Hmmm... let's go with the background characters. By that I don't just mean the SID team but also the random people met during cases. Most of them get a satisfying story or come back later. E.g. Xiao Jun, the water manipulation guy from episode 5, who returned just to ruin things in episode 37. Or Li Qian, whose life was terrible but then she came out on top instead of just disappearing after two episodes. I think it's cool the writers didn't forget the side characters.

What is your favourite terrible special effect? To answer unironically, I really liked Zhu Hong's tail and Wang Zheng's legless ghost form, wish there had been more of those. Specifically Zhu Hong's tail is an interesting element of her character; she hides it because of a random comment Zhao Yunlan made a long time ago. This is neat, kinda relatable, but she could have used it after their talk, or even before that when she's sure Zhao Yunlan wouldn't see.
Funny answer: the icicle was cool :) You know, that one.

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? Weilan is my lifeblood. They are just so, so, so nice and neat and cool and supportive and strong and aaaaaaa!!!!!!
But to say something more interesting, Zhu Hong and Lin Jing's friendship; Shen Wei's relationship with his students.

Do you have a favourite character? It's really hard to pick between Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. Also, I love Lin Jing SO MUCH, like you can't give me a computer nerd in a show and expect me not to love him.

Do you have a favourite villain? I love Ye Zun a lot but I also really love Zhu Jiu and how awkward he is.

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: I've watched Detective L, Granting You a Dreamlike Life, Memory Lost, Fairyland Lovers. I've also watched a Zhu-Yilong-only cut of My True Friend and a Bai Yu cut of The Fraud Love Group (actually, I'd love to watch the whole movie but I can't find it. Someone help me, please?). Started Suddenly This Summer but dropped it after the high school arc. Can barely wait for Lost Tomb Reboot and To Dear Myself.
From all these, Luo Fei, Luo Fusheng, and Bai Qi are my biggest favorites. I ship Jing Ran with Yang Xiuxian and I really wish there was more content about them. (This means I should get to writing some hmmmm.) I'm also fascinated by Bai Qi/Ying Ji, they're obviously perfect for angst but fluff can work for them too.

Do you like RPF? BIG YES.

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? Definitely the two mentioned as well as Pizza Hut Man Bai Yu, Zhu Yilong's Time Engraver, his thermos ads, his ad for 新倩女幽魂 (whatever the official English name for that game is). Speaking of 新倩女幽魂, I'm so fascinated by it, every time I watch it, it fills me with ideas. Those cute little characters he almost walks into are just–– aaaaa cuties!!!!!

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? I'm pretty monofannish. In the last few years I've been into Shingeki no Kyojin, MCU, specifically Captain America and Thor, and MDZS. Used to be into some jrock/visual kei bandoms before that.

What are some of your general fanwork likes: I really like fic. Like, all fic. Plot-heavy, smut-heavy, doesn't matter, I'll like it anyway. But to get more specific: pining, angst (happy ending preferred), identity-porn, fake dating, fluff, hurt/comfort, competent BDSM, aftercare of said BDSM, and casefic get me to click 99% of the time. Generally, I love emotional scenes, both the loving and hurting kind.

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Anywhere that has the ability to give me phone notifications. Which means twitter, discord @ hermit#0485 (message me if you send a request though), tumblr. Here is fine too, after all, I did make an account specifically for Guardian but I haven't yet gotten into the habit of checking dw often.

Anything else you want to say? I know I can be long-winded and I've already banged on so much but, oh man, I've been lurking in the fandom since the moment I started watching the show last summer and now I'm wishing I'd engaged sooner. Also, apologies for my still pretty empty journal, I promise to post stuff.

[yantantether]

Hello!

They are just so, so, so nice and neat and cool and supportive and strong and aaaaaaa!!!!!!
MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY

It would have been cool to see more of Zhu Hong's tail, if only the SFX budget had allowed. And it is great that Li Qian got to play a role later on, and her character wasn't just dropped after the first storyline.

[goss]

Late to the party... HI GUYS! :D

User names: goss
Pronouns: she/her
Language(s): English

How did you first get into Guardian fandom? I think I'd seen people on my network and flist squeeing about it, and then mekare started drawing fanart for the show. One of them happened to be bb!Shen Wei, and I was just like...OOOOH WHO IS THIS? ♥___♥ I checked out the Pilot and was SOLD. (that was sometime last year January, I think)

What is one thing you love about the show? In a general sense, I really love how it hits so many fannish tropes. It just reads to me like a fanfic brought to life. So hard to choose one particualr thing I love about the show. Zhao Yunlan sprawling on every available surface. The ever present lollipop. Shen Wei's intensity. Their CHEMISTRY. The SLEEVE GARTERS. ZLY's legs in those jeans. *g* The SID set design. Found family. EVIL TWIN. Time travel. Soulmates.

What is your favourite terrible special effect? Ahaha. All of them? <3 Awww, they did their best.

What is (one of) your favourite relationship(s) on the show (either romantic or friendship) and what do you like about that relationship? I love Da Qing and Zhao Yunlan taking care of each other. I love how affectionate and physically comfortable they are with one another, how they have each other's backs. There is an ease and effortlessness to their bond that's really endearing.

Do you have a favourite character? YES INDEED. LOL. I have a *type*. And it is always the serious, competent one (that usually plays off of the wild, chaotic one. *g*). ♥SHEN WEI♥ :b

Do you have a favourite villain? Um...probably Ze Yun? Honestly, I don't usually find myself attracted to villains on a show (maybe it's my inability to relate to their behaviour? idk), unless it's where there's potential for some sort of enemies-to-lovers dynamic going on. And in this case, my attention revolves around shipping the two heroes, so the villains all become part of the background to me. :X Anyway, Ye Zun is at least the Prettiest one, and Zhu Yilong plays him so well. ^___^

Talk to us about one (or more!) of your favourite Guardian-related canons: Er...I haven't really watched any as yet, except for an episode or two of Detective L. But! I have seen lovely screencaps of both Bai Yu and Zhu Yilong in long hair and period costumes looking all tragic and beautiful, and read fic, which was intriguing. And hot. I look forward to more of these. *g*

Do you like RPF? *stares into camera* YES, I DO INDEED. Recs welcome, always! :D

Do you have a favourite ad campaign (such as Bai Yu's rentboy photoshoot or Zhu Yilong's ReFa ads)? Um. Ahahah. Zhu Yilong's harp/dildo thing has broken us all.

What other fandoms are you in or have you been in? The Untamed has taken over my life. I'm also a fan of HIStory3: Trapped and Nirvana in Fire. I still enjoy other older fandoms like MCU, DC comics, Teen Wolf, Merlin (BBC), Doctor Who, SGA, Harry Potter. My first fandom was Smallville. I am still sentimental about all things Clark/Lex.

What are some of your general fanwork likes: I love humour and banter, magical AUs, shenanigans. H/C. Pining. Protective mode. Angst with happy ending. I love mash-ups and crossovers. So creative!

Where can we best find you to squee more about this thing or other things? Here on DW at goss, and on AO3 at goss. But mostly right here. :D

Anything else you want to say? I am not much of a talker when it comes to articulating why I love my fandoms, but I LOVE just being amongst fannish people. I get bouts of shyness and can go into lurker mode sometimes, but I am basking and rolling around in all you guys' fannish enthusiasm. *throws sparkles at you* <333333

[yantantether]

I love that it was bb!Shen Wei that dragged you in (and how could he NOT? 😍)