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

[solo]

I don't usually find myself attracted to villains on a show (maybe it's my inability to relate to their behaviour? idk)

This, this is me! Even when a villain is objectively attractive (Ye Zun, Xue Yang) is just can't appreciate it because the personality overshadows everything. Okay, for those two in particular, it's not just the 'evil' that turns me off but also the 'demonstrably insane'. But my point in general stands. I end up calling the well-intentioned villains (wig boy etc) my favourites because they may not be pretty but they're at least not all bad.

[goss]

*nods*

I've come to realise over the years that when it comes to characters, my #1 requirement is actually that they have a strong sense of Integrity. (eg. Steve Rogers)

No matter how physically attractive a character might be, a lack of Integrity is the ultimate turn-off for me. It just leaves me cold. :/

(I really like how this particular character trait was explored in The Untamed. Despite outward appearances, WWX's sense of integrity is rock solid. It's the stoic and righteous LWJ who struggles and starts to question what is "Right", what is "Good". And then he learns to listens to his own Truth and has the courage to follow that path.)

[winter_blossom]

I've come to realise over the years that when it comes to characters, my #1 requirement is actually that they have a strong sense of Integrity. (eg. Steve Rogers)

No matter how physically attractive a character might be, a lack of Integrity is the ultimate turn-off for me. It just leaves me cold. :/

This. So, so this! I've always felt like some kind of weirdo in fandom because one of the cornerstones seems to be, "Ship the hot villain with the protagonist!" (Harry Potter fandom... Riddle and Harry!? Oh my god, please, no.) So I'm always so happy to find people in fandom who feel the same way I do!

[goss]

I'm always so happy to find people in fandom who feel the same way I do!

Yay! *fist-bump* I love making these kinds of connections.


"Ship the hot villain with the protagonist!"

This kind of antagonism works for me only under the specific circumstance that the "villain" in question is more of a misunderstood anti-hero, with a soft spot for our hero, and an actual heart of gold buried in there somewhere. :b

[winter_blossom]

...the "villain" in question is more of a misunderstood anti-hero, with a soft spot for our hero, and an actual heart of gold buried in there somewhere.

Oh, yeah, now that is an interesting dynamic! (Though only provided said hidden heart of gold has strong canon evidence and isn't just pure fanon ^^) A canonical anti-hero x anti-villain scenario is one of those rare dynamics that can turn out fabulously, in the hands of a good writer.

[solo]

Despite outward appearances, WWX's sense of integrity is rock solid.

I have fallen so, so hard for Wei Wuxian, and this is the reason why. He soothes my soul. I simply had no idea anymore how much I needed to see someone with that kind of unfailing integrity. (And that's really not to say that people like Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei, lots of the SID, Lan Zhan and so on and so on don't have a fundamental integrity themselves. Just not... like that. Something's different.)

Poor Lan Zhan is the victim of his upbringing, really. That clan really does not encourage people to think for themselves.

(I've never watched any of the DC or Marvel things (beyond Batman) so I can't talk about Steve Rogers. I, um, had to google him. ._.)

[goss]

He soothes my soul. I simply had no idea anymore how much I needed to see someone with that kind of unfailing integrity

It is something of a comfort to me as well. Especially in these uncertain times that we currently live in. :/