Drive-by admonishment to non-Guardian shows that shall remain nameless

[rheasilvia]

Guardian has really spoiled me! I find that I am now unreasonably irritated when shows don't give me the intense emotional connection(s) that I want to see... or only in tiny little doses.

Or when they don't give the right characters enough love. 

YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG. Do better, show. Be like Guardian.

Hmmph. ;-)

Comments

[lauand]

*nods, nods*

[rheasilvia]

Honestly, people, shape up. ;-)

(And especially, WHY do TPTB not understand that my favorite characters should always get the most screentime and be lavished with both hurt and comfort and proper appreciation. Harrrumph.)

[lauand]

(I know, right? I mean, I'm okay without the hurt/comfort, but come on, soulful interaction and THOSE LOOKS. How come it's not standard practice at this point?)

[rheasilvia]

Exactly!!! Now that they've been shown how to do it right, why do they persist in the error of their ways.

I could also be okay without the hurt/comfort, BTW, depending on the show. I'm SO easy to please, really. ;-)

[dancing_serpent]

Oh, I'm so curious now! *g* But also, I agree.

[rheasilvia]

Before Guardian, I was completely used to the feeling of only ever getting little sparkles of what I really wanted, or never getting exactly what I want out of a show and having to make it up in my head. But Guardian taught me that a show can *deliver* all that itself. And now I just don't see why other shows can't do it, too. :-)

[dancing_serpent]

Yeah, I got that. I mean, I often want different things from different shows, and sometimes they do deliver, and I'm used to consoling myself with fanfiction if they don't. But I wish I didn't have to.

I was simply curious which show it was that you didn't want to name. *g*

[rheasilvia]

Generally I'm not too bothered by this kind of thing when I watch a show and just find it mildly entertaining and fun - but when some aspect of a show really *does* work wonderfully well for me and the rest doesn't quite deliver, I am frustrated. Argh. If they just did BETTER, it could be so lovely, and this way it just... falls flat in some way.

I'll send you a PM! :-) I will post properly about this show at some point (unless the ending is awful), and I don't want to start by slinging mud at it for not loving on my favorite character enough. ;-)

[dancing_serpent]

but when some aspect of a show really *does* work wonderfully well for me and the rest doesn't quite deliver, I am frustrated.

Oh yes, that's definitely a thing with me, too.

[trobadora]

So with you on that!

More shows should be like Guardian. The drama really did something immensely right there.

[rheasilvia]

It really did! I want all shows I watch to be like that. Is that really so much to ask? I think not. ;-)

[marycrawford]

SAME. If you do find a show like that, I want to know, but then again, it's not like I'm going to switch fandoms in a heartbeat either XD

[rheasilvia]

If I do ever find another show like that, I will most definitely let you know!!

Still, even if there is ever another show that succeeds for me in emotional terms the way Guardian did , it would still not make me switch fandoms. Just acquire an additional one. ;-)

[yantantether]

Yes this!! There's a reason I'm STILL HERE after almost two years - no other show or fandom has quite hit that sweet spot that Guardian does.

[rheasilvia]

It really is incredible, isn't it? I remember the feeling of watching it the first time and just constantly being: NO WAY. They really did that. Exactly what I wanted! And they keep doing it!! OMG, the entire show is about it!!! I did not know this was a real option!

Seriously, even in shows with explicitly m/m relationships, I have never encountered a m/m romance that was so central and so satisfying and lovely.

Okay, I will stop gushing now. Sorry about that. :-)

[torch]

Bringing the irrelevancies as always: the icon you used on this post makes me immensely happy. That is all.

[rheasilvia]

Isn't it great? It's one of my all-time favorites - gotta love a style icon in sleeve garters and sweater vests. ;-)

I'm not sure if you ever watched the entire show, but Shen Wei has a number of fashion crimes on his conscience, and somehow makes (almost) all of them look like the latest fashion trend. It's clearly a Dixing ability, there is no other explanation.

[china_shop]

YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG. Do better, show. Be like Guardian.

*loves times one hundred million thousand*

[rheasilvia]

I don't expect every show to do as well as Guardian, because that is a very high bar, but still. ;-)

[bonibaru]

NAME DROP save me from future disappointment

[rheasilvia]

Noooo! I avoided name dropping specifically because I hadn't finished the series yet, and didn't want to sling mud before I had the whole story. :-) And I am glad I refrained, because as it turns out I will eventually post a rec, with some caveats!

It's definitely not doing things all the way right, like Guardian. But it does some things right enough that I think people should watch it and write fanfic to deliver that emotion for me in full measure. So. ;-)

[bonibaru]

OK I look forward to future recs from you in which I try to guess which one is this one lol

[tinny]

Oh yes. I mean, I was so frustrated by Guardian, because I wanted them to kiss so badly for... almost the whole time, really. But they do deliver on everything else.

[rheasilvia]

They really, really do! And I know what you mean, there were so many situations when they should have kissed... but even so, in emotional / relationship terms, I don't think it could have been more intense if they had. It was all there in full force, and didn't feel like anything was missing. <3

Which... yeah. Not many other shows manage.

[naye]

I am late but this made me laugh so hard in recognition. INDEED. (On the other hand, if other shows shaped up I'd have no end of things I'd actually want to get fannish about.)

[rheasilvia]

Guardian sets a very high bar. :-) I don't expect every show to do THAT well, mind you! I am not unreasonable. But every show should definitely lavish sufficient love on my favorite character(s). I'm afraid that's a point I am unwilling to compromise on. *stern*

On the other hand, if other shows shaped up I'd have no end of things I'd actually want to get fannish about.

You have a good point, but... I think I'd still prefer it to the alternative!