I actually watched some new shows! Weird!

[ratbones]

- Guardian newbie L has been reading through the fics you guys recommended for them a while back. Thank you so much to everyone who helped out! L apparently stands for Lurker in this case. It must run in the family.

- I am (still) watching TLTR (on iQiyi's free update schedule because I'm not really in a rush). I'm in the middle of episode 22 right now and to be perfectly honest, it's losing me a little bit. I loved all of the actual tomb raiding, with the Iron Triangle exploring and doing dumb shit and getting injured in fun ways. Adventures! Also hand crab zombies. I really loved the giant over-the-top action scene in episode I think it was 15??? followed by the bleeding and fainting and angst about Wu Xie's condition. There was more good stuff with Wu Xie and Pangzi for a couple episodes after that, but now they're separated and I'm really quite bored.

I like Xiao Bai! She's extremely cute at all times and I am suspicious of her and that's all fantastic. But her relationship with Wu Xie isn't really interesting enough to do much for me, and there is no other relationship with any remotely interesting interaction going on right now, and it's not like I was watching this show for the genius plot.

I'm going to keep plugging through, I guess, but we're solidly in the meh zone. They just put a poodle in a jar and the most interesting thing about the scene was skinny Long-ge's devastating cheekbones.

- I also watched Detective L recently, which I have been meaning to do for a long time. That one gets a full and unhesitating endorsement. Even though it doesn't really have an ending. I was already aware of that, and I think being prepared saved me a lot of heartache. By heartache, I mean exploding with rage.
Anyway, I am a longtime Sherlock Holmes nerd and am familiar with a number of adaptations, and if Detective L counts as an adaptation, it's high on my list of favorites. I might or might not get around to making a full review-type post about it. Luo Fei and Qin Xiaoman are awesome. (I don't have the gene for het shipping, and I don't really ship anything here at all. It's just a great, fun show with awesome characters.)

- Black Scales is just about finished. Somehow, instead of running out of Guardian fic ideas like a decent person would at this point, I have a BUNCH of ideas happening? I was dreading having nothing new or different to write about these characters and this universe, but it seems like that isn't happening. Most of the ideas I have are for shorter, sillier fics, so we'll see if I'm capable of pulling those off. I do have another longfic concept kicking around as well, but I have a Feeling about its potential word count.

Comments

[tinny]

LOL, I feel the same about the Lost Tomb right now. I am pretty much *exactly* at the point where they put the poodle in the jar. :) I have already started stalling, because I always do that with shows I don't want to end.

I am still taking caps of those cheekbones like crazy, and so far that is keeping me hooked, but the Iron Triangle parts in the beginning were better. I think there will be more of that near the end again, but I don't know how long I'll have to wait for that. Hm.

Detective L

I've only seen the first half (yes, that means it's good :D), and I loved it to bits, too. Qin Xiaoman is such a great character! The "sidekicks" are what make Sherlock Holmes excel, and she's one of the best.

instead of running out of Guardian fic ideas like a decent person would at this point, I have a BUNCH of ideas happening?

That is awesome news! \o/ This fandom just never stops, and that's a great thing. I am looking forward to what your muse has in store for us. <3

[ratbones]

The issue with TLTR, I guess, is that I like the wackiness, but there's a difference between weird deus ex machinas (random warehouse poodle! Crabs operating life-sized puppets!) and just losing the plot entirely, and I feel like Warehouse 11 is always on the line. Bleh. I think the factors keeping me going are Zhu Yilong + sunk costs fallacy (but I already watched 24 episodes!) + hope that season 2 is going to have...y'know...tombs and a reunion. Much as I love him, Long-ge alone cannot sustain me forever. C'mon Iron Triangle!

The stalling on good shows thing is interesting. I think I've done that a few times in the past, but now I tend to binge through stuff quicker as I approach the end. If I'm not enjoying it that much, then at least I finished; if I'm enjoying it a lot, then I get to check the AO3 tag as soon as I'm done. :P

Agreed that Qin Xiaoman is a top-notch Watson! She's really smart and really likeable, and I absolutely love her "hold my beer" method of dealing with fleeing or violent suspects. She just doesn't hesitate. <3 Sorta can't believe we got such a fantastic female sidekick in this show.

This fandom just never stops, and that's a great thing.
Yes! I'm so pleased that the fandom as a whole is still chugging along, too. I hope I manage to get some of these concepts into story form, and that they're enjoyable to read... ^^