on the sweet agony of being a fan

[xparrot]

I'm so bad about spoilers -- I don't like them in theory, I really enjoy watching stuff unspoiled. But in practice I find them so hard to resist. And fanning on cdrama is terrible for this because they spoil everything -- like, it's generally a good idea not to watch the closing credits of a cdrama, unless you want to see key scenes from the final episodes. And they release so much promo material for shows...and they know fans, they know what fans want to see, and how to tease them.

Which is to say I have seen so many shots and clip from coming eps of DMBJ, and am suffering for it in the best and worst ways. There's one screencap especially that's been slowly killing me (and I put it on my phone so it could kill me more)(the silliest thing is it's probably not that major a scene, the odds are good it will end up on the cutting room floor anyway; and yet it's what I'm loving in the show in a single image?)

I want this as a painting on my wall. The composition is beautiful -- the darkness of the tomb around them, and the light falling on Wu Xie's face while his friends are shadowed; the blurred foreground shapes so that they're fully enclosed, trapped but maybe also protected.

I have no idea what the context is for this (why are they in those jumpsuits, are they for safety, or did they escape from prison to tomb-raid?!), but everything about it -- the way Wu Xie is lying there, I don't know if he's hurt or just sick and exhausted, but he's completely out. And Pangzi with both arms around him, holding his wrist, supporting his head, trying to make him more comfortable while curled into an uncomfortable position himself, and he's tired enough to have fallen asleep like that himself, maybe? Then, Xiaoge -- who can't put his arms around Wu Xie himself, not when he has to be ready to defend his friends from whatever dangers might come from the shadows; but sitting close enough that their elbows are touching. Maybe dozing himself but his hands are in fists and he's not relaxed; he'll be ready if they need him to be.

(And because cdrama promos know how to take deadly aim: this shot was from a little vid of the three actors talking about the Iron Triangle and how it worked, and they showed this bit while Zhu Yilong was saying that for Wu Xie, without Pangzi, without Xiaoge, he wouldn't be able to go on. ;_;)

(and ah I need an icon for this show! I already have another shot I want one for...I just have to wait until it airs? ^^;;;;)

Comments

[sholio]

Not my fandom, but re: spoilers - I FEEL THAT FEEL. XD I hate them and I know I enjoy things more when I'm unspoiled, and yet I am so terrible at actually managing to not spoil myself. And then there's the mix of desperate eagerness and "but what if it's not as good as I imagine and I ruin it for myself by fantasizing about it ..."

Yeah. It's definitely a mood. XD

[xparrot]

I am so torn about spoilers, really, because when it's something I love, I do love the surprise of it, of something happening I didn't see coming and was better than I imagined!

But then the opposite -- when something is not as good as I was imagining it to be from the spoilers -- sometimes I kind of like being spoiled then? Because then I actually had the fun of anticipation at least; I got enjoyment out of a moment that if I'd seen it in context I wouldn't have liked as much. And also sometimes it works in the reverse -- if I'm spoiled about something I don't like ahead of time, sometimes when I actually see it I can have the reaction of "oh, that wasn't as bad as I was expecting."

But then there are some things that maybe I would've liked more if they hadn't been spoiled -- ahh, being a fan is so hard!

(and this isn't your fandom, but honestly of all the cdrama I've seen this one is probably the most up your alley, at least so far? ^^)

[sholio]

(and this isn't your fandom, but honestly of all the cdrama I've seen this one is probably the most up your alley, at least so far? ^^)

LOL, this thought has also crossed my mind, seeing the posts about it. XD

[xparrot]

There's another one I've also want to rec you because it has delightful team/found family antics (The King's Avatar, about an esports team) but this show has SUCH good h/c so far, and it's team rather than the OTP romance of some my other favorites. Of course it's just starting, I'll let you know how it goes!

[sholio]

I look forward to your future posts on it! :D

Yeah, I do think some of the other ones that I've seen people talking about would also be fun for me, but I'm really more into team dynamics right now than the extremely close-focus OTP-ness of some of the other ones that I've seen talked about. The only thing about this one that doesn't quite sound like what I'm into right now was what I saw people talking about in the comments to your other post, that it's a fairly drama-free/conflict-free set of character relationships in this one, and I'm really grooving on push-pully enemies-to-friends-with-different-agendas kind of relationships right now, more so that conflict-free BFFs. On the other hand, I'm also not looking for a new fandom (er, though I didn't plan on being emotionally mugged by Torchwood, either) so I may have gotten tired of the different-agendas thing and swung back into BFF-dom by the time I get around to watching it.

It does sound like terrific fun, though, and exactly the kind of adventury-hurtcomforty team thing that I'm into.

[xparrot]

Oh yeah - that's one of the reasons I haven't really pushed Guardian on you, because I know obsessive OTPs aren't really a draw for you (and while Guardian has a team too, it's...not a very well-developed one; I find it more frustrating than not.)

While DMBJ is team in that it's got the core three, and then a lot of other characters they're friends with too.

They are pretty low-conflict, yeah - that's a lot because they've known each other for over 10 years; there was more strife when they first met. One of the things I like about them is they're three very different guys, they're all different ages, have different philosophies and skill sets; but they have such bedrock trust in each other, and they all just enjoy each other's company.

But I also totally get being in the mood for higher-tension relationships (ahhh the h/c between enemies to friends, the grudging realization that losing this person from your life is not what you want...so good!)

[nnozomi]

Thank you for posting this--I am kind of horrified by how much the combination of that image and your description of it is making me want to cry. (This is a compliment! I don't think it sounds like one, but it is!). I did not expect to be falling apart this way over Wu Xie and the Iron Triangle.

[xparrot]

I knoooooooooow, I was expecting to get Zhu Yilong looking gorgeous and in pain -- and I'm getting that, but there are so many feels with it that I was not ready for! and I am glad to have shared the pain, this image has been causing me much (wonderful) pain (it's so tender ;___;)

[solo]

That is a beautiful picture. I also love the arrangement of orange vs blue/black in it.

[xparrot]

Yes! Isn't it gorgeous? It just looks like a painting. And the colors, yes, beautiful off-center balance...

[marycrawford]

Yeah this is ME when it comes to spoilers! I like watching stuff unspoiled, I managed to watch Guardian a year later than everyone else mostly unspoiled (though I did get the general feeling that it wasn't going to end with cupcakes for all, having come across some gifsets), but on the other hand I love a good teaser, or a BTS video (there was one from a recent batch of Wenella's where they had a shot of Zhu Yilong studying his script leaning against a wall with that yellowish 'underground' lighting, and he looked so flipping gorgeous that I need to find it again, but half or more of her uploads are spoilers...)

This is a gorgeous screencap and I am glad you shared it! I want to draw it. It's like a three-person pieta and the light on Wu Xie is just, mwah.
PS do you have a link to a larger version of the pic? asking for a friend.

[xparrot]

For something like Guardian, I actually like having spoilers that things are going to end badly -- often if I'm expecting the worse, I'll be pleasantly surprised when it's not as bad as I was dreading. Though it depends on how I'm engaging with a show, too; Guardian is a specific kind of fun for me, and DMBJ is similar (I have sought out spoilers for how Wu Xie's arc goes). But when I watched Nirvana in Fire I didn't want to know anything and was actively blocking it to not be spoiled.

And this -- I know I'd enjoy the h/c more if I didn't know it was coming, but at the same time, the BTSs are so tempting, and then the other vids are right there, and the anticipation is fun, too...it's so hard to be a fan!!

Haah I nearly called it a pieta, then worried that sounded pretentious, but -- yes, totally! Pangzi's partly-kneeling head bowed especially -- and then Xiaoge in a blue hood with the serenity of a saint...!

If you click the pic it goes to a slightly larger version, but it's not very high quality; it's a cap from a Youtube vid. And ahhh I would love art of it (basically all I want most of art is my favorites cuddling ^^)

[marycrawford]

Aah yeah I guess I was hoping the pic was one of those official photos, but regardless, it's lovely! <3

and then Xiaoge in a blue hood with the serenity of a saint...!

Yes indeed. He does have a lot of that gravity, like he spent 100 years as a shaolin monk learning to kick ass or something.

[frith_in_thorns]

Oh no I clicked XD And you're right, that is a VERY good picture and I am now also in love with it. (It looks like they're wearing drysuits to me, like they've had to wade through a lot of water... I assume Xiaoge can stay dry by his Coolness Magic.)

[xparrot]

Oh drysuits, that could be it!

And also sorry but YES SEE this is why I was dying!? The sleeping! the holding! the cuddling!!! (I hope they have this shot in the show, if they cut it I am going to be so very very sad~!!)

[trobadora]

Oh, that is a lovely picture!

[xparrot]

Isn't it?! I just keep looking at it 😄

[clevermanka]

That's an absolutely WONDERFUL picture, yes! Composition, color, lighting...gorgeous. I'm a sucker for that orange and blue combo, too.

I spoil myself for everything (everything), and I rarely watch anything until/unless it's complete. It means I'm always behind the curve but my heart is too tender for surprises these days.

[xparrot]

Yes, the colors too! This show in general has great direction - it's got some of the best action I've seen on TV, cdrama or otherwise - but this shot is just so lovely...

My sister thinks the more spoilers the better! For me I actually like to be spoiled for bad stuff but would rather be surprised by the good stuff, but then that's what I end up looking for in spoilers...

And waiting for stuff to be done...yeah. I do like a heads' up... But I'm also really impatient sometimes, so! 😅

[naye]

HELP

[xparrot]

:D :D :D

[galaxysoup]

UGH GOD I knew that clicking the readmore would give me feelings and I did it anyway. D: This show is so good for whumpy h/c feels, how are we supposed to go on

[xparrot]

I put this pic on my phone so I could roll around in feels whenever. And yeah, the h/c is off the charts -- not even just whump, I was prepared to be enjoying Zhu Yilong looking beautifully pained, but this worry and care and holding?? I was not ready!!