There are adaptations and then there’s this

Have you ever watched a TV adaptation of a book that you like, which has changed the entire premise, much of the plot and some of the characters, has a completely different ending and a lousy sound quality, and still somehow manages to be better than the original? I hadn’t either, until I watched a Chinese TV series Guardian - Zhen Hun (2018). Some spoilers ahead, especially about the ending.

Promo photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

Guardian by Priest is a Chinese boylove web novel from 2012 that’s recently been published in English for the first time. It was in three volumes, and I review them here, here and here. It tells the story of two gods who meet at the creation of the world. One is a soulless creature of the underworld, Ghost King, accidentally created by the god of mountain, Kunlun, with other gui. Kunlun ends up sacrificing himself to keep Chaos, Ghost King’s twin, from getting free from the underworld. Distraught, Ghost King makes a deal with gods: Kunlun gets to reincarnate endlessly while he guards the seal on Chaos and the two will never meet.

Promo banner for Guardian by Priest.

Ten thousand years later in present day China, the two meet. Kunlun is now Zhao Yunlan, director of a Special Investigation Department that investigates supernatural crimes, with no knowledge of his past. Ghost King is Shen Wei, a mild-mannered professor of mythology, who knows who Zhao Yunlan truly is and has met him often in his true form as a Soul-Executing Emissary from the underworld. Romance ensues. But Chaos is about to get free again, and another sacrifice is needed to stop it from happening. This time Ghost King is determined to make sure he’s the one who dies to protect the man he loves.

The TV series has none of that. I can only presume that government censorship and rules about what can be shown on Chinese TV had a huge role in changing the premise. Instead of a fantasy about gods and mythological creatures, it’s sort of sci-fi, at least on the surface. All the gods and supernatural entities are now aliens with psychic powers who came to earth ten thousand years ago. Science is emphasised instead of magic and supernatural. Shen Wei, who is an alien called Black Caped Envoy, battled with his twin, Night King, and sealed all aliens to a subterranean world where they’ve been ten thousand years. In present day, Zhao Yunlan is a head of a department that investigates crimes by escaped subterraneans. Shen Wei is a professor of physics. And Night King is about to get free and challenge humans once again.

Promo photo of Guardian with full cast.

For the same reason, the TV series couldn’t openly be a gay romance either. In the book, Zhao Yunlan pursues Shen Wei relentlessly from the start. There are kisses and bedroom scenes, though behind the doors. Bonus chapters show the two living their normal lives as a couple. Everyone is very accepting, and those who aren’t are communicated with until they are.

Nevertheless, the romance is the backbone of the series as well. And it works perfectly. The director had taken a leaf out of the playbooks of Jane Austen adaptations. Passionate emotions are supressed with ruthless determination and only surface in the characters’ struggle to contain them, perfectly portrayed by the expressive faces of the actors. Fleeting touches get a greater meaning than they would otherwise have.

Promo photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

In forty episodes, there’s a lot of room for the relationship to develop. We are shown how the men constantly put the other’s safety and wellbeing before their own, often to a detriment of their own health. 

Promo photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

But instead of declarations of love and happily ever after, we get the only way the two have for expressing their love: self-sacrifice for the other and for the mankind. It only works in fiction (don’t try it in real world), and even though it’s not what I would’ve wanted for them, it’s an amazingly satisfying ending.

Promo photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

There is also more room for character development. In the book, the side characters weren’t given enough time for their own stories and relationships to develop. In the series all the side characters were given ample screen time and good personal stories that were only hinted at in the book. Zhu Hong, the main woman character who was sidelined in the book, had a good arc from a woman besotted with Zhao Yunlan to a leader of her people, and I was especially happy with how the friendship/relationship of Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi played out. It was portrayed as a found family and brotherhood, but it was the secondary romance in the series that was only hinted at in the book.

Promo photo of Guardian with Xing Peng and Jiang Mingyang.

All of this was done on rather cheap looking sets, with fairly simple CGI and truly bad sound editing where the voices of the actors were dubbed by different people in post-production. Those knowledgeable of the production informed me that the company ran out of money before the series was finished, and it showed. All the money probably went into the clothing of Shen Wei who looked stylish throughout the series, although other characters’ wardrobes improved towards the end too.

Promo photo of Guardian with Gao Yuer.

Nevertheless, the sum grew beyond its parts. A lot of it is thanks to the excellent actors portraying Zhao Yunlan (Bai Yu) and Shen Wei (Zhu Yilong, who portrayed four different characters, even if three were basically the same person), but it’s also because the story was given time to grow. The publishing format of web novels tends to make the stories a tad confusing at times, because there’s no returning to earlier chapters for editing after publishing. Much of the book is taken by Chinese creation mythologies and other stories, which were fine but didn’t really advance the story.

Compilation of Zhu Yilong as Black Caped Envoy, Shen Wei, young Black Caped Envoy and Night King.

The book began as an urban fantasy about supernatural investigations and turned to an epic fantasy, after which the spooky atmosphere of the first book disappeared. The TV series kept the investigations going throughout, even if they were never as scary as in the first book. The chainsmoking of Zhao Yunlan was replaced by constant munching of lollypops, which they managed to turn into a mildly erotic moment at one point. 

Promo photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

The romance was slightly forceful in the book, whereas the stolen touches and fleeting moments of intimacy in the series truly made an impact. The contrived way the series tried to keep from mentioning anything supernatural got a bit comical at times, but it didn’t lessen the enjoyment. The ending was a bit hasty in both, but both were good. A kiss on screen would’ve been perfect, but it wasn’t to be. And so, in the end, I liked the TV series more. Both are good, but one is better.

Photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

Books are available through Seven Seas Entertainment and on most retail sites. The TV series is on Youku streaming service with (badly translated) English subtitles.

Here’s a bonus video on YouTube someone has compiled of the best moments between the men.

And for those who are still on X, one of my favourite scenes I couldn’t find anywhere else.

Guardian: Zhen Hun Vol. 3 by Priest: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

Guardian: Zhen Hun vol. 3 by Priest

Guardian: Zhen Hun comes to a close in this third volume, which is a refreshing change to other Chinese danmei serialisations with their endless lengths. It picks up where the previous volume left, with Zhao Yunlan having learned about his past as the mountain god, and he and Shen Wei, the Ghost King and Soul-Executing Emissary, having become an item.

But it turns out, Zhao Yunlan—and the reader—is in for a surprise. What took place inside the Merit Tree might not have been true; annoying, if you waded through the long chapters memorising everything in case it mattered later. Someone is lying to Zhao Yunlan, but who and why.

His relationship with Shen Wei hits a bad bump almost immediately too. First, his father keeps avoiding Shen Wei when Zhao Yunlan wants to introduce them, which leads to a revelation about the elder Zhao. Then Zhao Yunlan falls ill and Shen Wei takes care of him, but the medicine he uses horrifies Zhao Yunlan. Instead of explaining, Shen Wei disappears.

Zhao Yunlan spends the first half of the book searching for him. When he finally finds Shen Wei, it’s time for the truth to come out. It’s nothing he—or the reader—had expected, and it threatens their relationship. But unlike Shen Wei, Zhao Yunlan has a solution.

But before the men can even take a breather, things turn to worse again. The Great Seal that keeps the gui locked up, starts to break with horrifying consequences. It takes the ingenuity of Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei, and the entire Special Investigation Department to put things right again. The solution, however, isn’t what Zhao Yunlan would’ve hoped for.

This was a great conclusion. Things weren’t easy for the pair, but they were constantly there for one another and their romance was wonderful. Action was good and exciting, and the members of SID finally became their own persons here, in good and bad. Zhu Hong was suddenly obsessed with Zhao Yunlan, making bad decisions because of it. And Guo Changcheng, who began the story, finally got to shine. His story was nothing I would’ve expected.

There were several extra stories too. Mostly, they continue where the main story left things, giving the members of SID their moments, as well as showing the life after of Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. There’s also one story set in the men’s past, where we learn how Shen Wei got his family name.

All in all, this was a good, balanced ending for the series. It was the perfect length for the story, but even so, I could’ve read more. The members of SID deserved more page time than they got here, especially Guo Changcheng, and we didn’t get even remotely enough of Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. I could read at least a volume more.

Guardian: Zhen Hun vol. 2 by Priest: review

4/5 stars on Goodreads

Guardian vol.2 by priest

Volume 2 of Guardian continues where the previous left off, after the events where Zhao Yunlan has learned the true identity of Shen Wei. It hasn’t lessened his interest in the other man, but Shen Wei keeps his guard up.

It’s the lunar New Year, and the time of year when the ghosts and humans alike have their merits tallied. Guo Changcheng, the intern at the Special Investigations Department, gets another learning experience when the group goes after a resentful spirit. He’s still timid and easily frightened, but we learn that he has abundance of merits, whereas Chu Shuzhi, the zombie investigator at SID doesn’t have enough to end his 300 years of service.

It’s also the time of year to visit the family. Zhao Yunlan brings Shen Wei to meet his parents, shocking them by coming out to them. He doesn’t let their opinions stop him—or Shen Wei’s reluctance either. He’s already bought them a house even, and is contemplating forcefully moving the other man there, only to stop at the last moment after learning the secret about their relationship Shen Wei has kept.

Shen Wei is still searching for the four hallowed artifacts that could release the great seal. This time, the Merit Brush makes an appearance and he and Zhao Yunlan both go after it, though Shen Wei tries to stop the other man. He knows that it will reveal the true identity of Zhao Yunlan to him. It puts a strain between the men, but it also brings their relationship to a turning point.

This wasn’t as action filled as the first volume. There’s only one investigation that is solved fairly easily. The rest is taken up by personal issues of the characters, and Zhao Yunlan investigating his true identity from the Chinese creation mythologies. The volume ends before we learn what he truly thinks of the revelations. The relationship between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei remains rather one-sided, and we don’t learn either, where it stands after their first night together (especially since it’s a bit of a shock to Zhao Yunlan.) I’m eager to find out.

Stars of Chaos vol 2 by priest: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

Stars of Chaos by priest

The second volume of the Chinese steampunk series Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang starts with a four-year time jump, which is a good decision. Chang Geng, the fourth prince of the empire, is now twenty and has grown into a fine young man. He’s spent the intervening years studying everything possible from martial arts and military tactics to medicine and accounting. All this for his godfather Gu Yun, because nothing has diminished his infatuation with the military genius marquis.

For his part, Gu Yun has spent the four years securing the silk road to bolster the economics and the coffers of the empire. But despite his efforts, the country is getting poorer and more unstable.

The two reunite by chance and from there on, they’re constantly dealing with a disaster after another. First, it’s bandits smuggling violet gold, the coveted substance powering the mechanical devices, which has larger political implications. Then it’s the inner politics of the empire, which leads to the emperor falling out with Gu Yun. And before they know it, there’s an invading army outside the empire’s borders.

During all this, Chang Geng and Gu Yun work side by side. The younger man has a sharp mind and has travelled all over the country, getting a good understanding of how things are. It constantly baffles his godfather, but he soon learns to rely on Chang Geng’s suggestions. The men grow to be more or less equal in standing, although Chang Geng takes a role of a caretaker, looking after Gu Yun who still suffers from the effects of a poisoning.

But there’s tension between them too. Chang Geng makes his feelings known to Gu Yun, who cannot accept them. They keep throwing him off though, forcing him to see the younger man in a new light. The romance didn’t go anywhere yet, but it had a nudge to the right direction.

Mostly, the narrative was dominated by politics and war. It’s a confusing mess and would’ve benefited from a map to clear some things out, but well-written and fast-paced, keeping the reader’s interest. The volume ends at a difficult place for the empire and the pair. I’ll definitely need to read on to find out how they’ll solve everything.

Guardian: Zhen Hun vol 1 by Priest: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

Guardian: Zhen Hun by Priest

Guardian: Zhen Hun is urban fantasy set in an imaginary Dragon City in modern China, with references to party politics and complete with a nepo hire, when a nephew of a high-up party official is given a job at the Special Investigations Department, the supernatural division of the Ministry of Public Security.

Guo Changcheng is a recent college graduate and a shut-in who has no idea what he has been signed for. Learning that some of his coworkers aren’t human, or even alive, is a bit too much for him, but after the initial blackout, he promptly (timidly) sets out to work, only to spend most of the book fainting, screaming, and crying. But he has an empathic nature and isn’t quite as hopeless as his boss originally feared. And after encountering some really bad ghosts, his coworkers don’t seem so scary anymore either. The only one who frightens him is his perfectly human boss, Zhao Yunlan.

Zhao Yunlan is the Director of the Special Investigations and in charge of investigating supernatural crimes. He’s in his early thirties, a handsome and temperamental chain-smoker and a bit of a player. He’s also the Guardian to the Soul-Guarding Order, which allows him to freely move in all three realms (heaven, mortal realm and the netherworld) and hobnob with the people there, like the Soul-Executing Emissary feared by everyone but him.

The book consists of two stories. In the first, Guo Changcheng and Zhao Yunlan investigate a murder of a university student that’s supernatural in origin. At the university, they encounter Shen Wei, a handsome, mild-mannered young professor whom they end up pulling into their investigation, mostly because Zhao Yunlan is attracted to him at first sight. But the professor isn’t what he seems, as the readers are soon shown.

The second story takes place in the mountains after an earthquake. Wang Zheng, a ghost employee at the SID, is from that region and she wants to return to rebury her bones. By coincidence, Shen Wei is going there with his students too, and the two parties travel together. But things aren’t how Wang Zheng has let them believe, and Zhao Yunlan ends up needing the help of the Soul-Executing Emissary to get everyone home safely. And once there, it’s finally time for Zhao Yunlan to confront Shen Wei to find out who he truly is and if he’s as indifferent to Zhao Yunlan as he pretends to be.

This was an excellent book. The mysteries weren’t complicated but they were suitably scary. Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei were interesting characters, and even though there wasn’t as much interaction between them as I wanted, theirs is clearly a romance larger than life. Side characters were fun, especially Daqing, a talking black cat who is thousands of years old. There was a lot of information about Chinese mythology, but I would’ve wanted more about the everyday Chinese life too. The book ends at a natural point with a promise of interesting things to come. I will definitely read more.

Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang Vol. 1 by Priest: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

Stars of Chaos by Priest

Stars of Chaos is Chinese BL fantasy set in a slightly more modern alt-history Empire than the other books in the genre I’ve read. Westerners (spearheaded by the Pope!) have established trading and diplomatic relations with the Empire, and there’s new, exciting steam technology powered by violet gold. There are airships—with kites instead of balloons—and automatons among other things. The army especially makes use of these inventions, keeping the Empire powerful. But everyone covets the violet gold, making it worth wars and treachery.

Chang Geng is thirteen when barbaric northerners invade his small rural town, breaking a peace that’s lasted fourteen years, to stop the Empire draining their huge reserves of violet gold. But their presence in his town isn’t random: they want Chang Geng.

Turns out, Chang Geng’s life has been a lie, and he’s a more important person than he thought. Not that he believes a word of it, a great cause of internal conflict for him. But even worse is to learn that his godfather—so elected because he once saved Chang Geng’s life—isn’t who he’s claimed to be either.

Chang Geng is whisked off to the Empire’s capital to live with his godfather there. The story follows the pair trying to come to terms with their new life as a family. Gu Yuo is utterly unsuitable for a father figure; he’s too young and selfish, and he’s mostly absent with the army anyway. But when, at fifteen, Chang Geng tests his limits by setting off to see the world, Gu You follows, only for the pair to stumble on a coup.

The story is advertised as a boylove romance, and it’ll likely head there eventually. In this first volume, Chang Geng rather abruptly becomes aware of his feelings for his godfather, a cause of great agony for him. Gu Yuo, however, sees him only as a child, and isn’t interested in men anyway. He has his own troubles to deal with, issues that he hasn’t shared with Chang Geng, making the boy mistrust him.

Chang Geng and Gu Yuo were interesting characters, more nuanced than in average web novels. The side characters were fun and had a proper role in the story. Narrative was more coherent too, with no internal inconsistencies that so often plague these stories. Either it’s written as a novel and not serialised first, or it’s been properly edited for a book.

I don’t know how many volumes there are in the story, but if each take only a couple of years of their lives, it’ll be a long time before it reaches the romance part. But I’m here for it.