cn: spoilers for #镇魂Guardian and #NirvanaInFire

I am cross and scratchy at the bungling of the tragic ending in Guardian. In NiF, I ADORE the ending even though it reduces me to GROSS SOBBING every time I watch it.

But NiF has earned my tears.

Guardian does not.

This isn't a criticism of the people making Guardian as I think it's obvious how hard they worked and how much they cared about the project, but there's only so much you can do with no budget and censorship, and the ending suffers as a result.

Anyway, yesterday, while making Excellent Choices, I decided to rewatch ep 39, and today I finished watching ep 40. There was both giggling at the sfx and SOBBING because OMG I am so gone on those two disasters.

Anyway, I am all about #HandwaveyHappyEnding, but I am also interested in exploring ways of changing the ending while sticking within cooee of canon.

One slight issue with that is that I am so confused on what canon actually is meant to be

Partly, I think, because of how messy the storyline is, and partly because of my unfamiliarity with both Chinese culture and Cdrama tropes.

And partly because I get distracted by how PRETTY Z1L is as Ye Zun, and how compelling, and how gorgeous both Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei look while suffering.

And the whole people-in-stomach thing

But yeah, anyway, it takes both Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan working together to defeat Ye Zun (7:53) which I love.

And then I think the scene where Ye Zun and Shen Wei reconcile takes place on a different plane of reality?

But then Shen Wei is able to send his jade pendant back for Zhao Yunlan. And then I think the intended reading is that Shen Wei and Ye Zun go on to reincarnate once more? Is that what Shen Wei means by 'go home'?

Shen Wei can see Zhao Yunlan in this scene, but Zhao Yunlan can't see him. He opens the pendant and finds the lollipop wrapper from 10k years ago and at that point it seems like it is such an easy decision for him to become the lantern's wick and burn eternally

And I think the implication of that is that he will not reincarnate? He'll just be in the Lantern, burning in agony forever? But he's doing it to save Dixing, and I think also for Shen Wei, to live up to who he was in Shen Wei's eyes

And then there is the AWFUL NO GOOD VERY BAD SCENE OF STARS AND CRYING (35:56)

And I'm not sure from whose POV this is supposed to be?

And as Naye姐 knifeyly points out: https://twitter.com/unnaye/status/1157428222428155911

Also I do NOT understand how is that a bet Shen Wei how???

But like, does this scene actually happen, or is it a dream/hallucination by one of them, what is happening????

Anyway, thinking about ways of changing the ending. One of the things that interests me is that Zhao Yunlan's mum, Shen Xi, so often appears in the space between worlds.

I think we're meant to read this as Zhao Yunlan projection of trauma. But what if it's not.

What if Shen Xi didn't really die when she was blown up? What if the baddie had the Guardian Lantern and was trying to escape with it, and when he blew himself and Shen Xi up instead of dying she became an energy being of sorts?

And it was her who sent Zhao Yunlan back in time and has been directing things to save the world. Also, the first time the Longevity Dial activates for Zhao Yunlan is when Li Yufen emerges from it to save Li Qian - what if that is somehow what makes the Holy Tools bond to ZYL?