But then, a lot of the show was also taking from the novel (if not the plot, then specific scenes, e.g. the confrontation in ep 23 is nearly a direct adaptation), which does end happily.
I was thinking about that, too. I haven't read the novel, and consider it extracanonical to the show, but of course those aspects of it that made it into the show are show canon. And the thing about scenes that are close adaptations, they come with their own intent--authorial fiat again--with some embedding of the original context. So there is a carefully built throughline leading to the sacrifice-as-written, but there are also pieces there to be connected to lead to a different ending, one closer to that on which the show's own adaptation was based.
Plus, we always have to keep in mind that the show's text itself can be read at at least two levels: what the censors made happen, and what the creators really wanted to make. I have written a lot of fandoms set at least partly in the afterlife; that could still have been a happy ending, had SW and ZYL been allowed to stay together.
Shen Wei losing his powers and becoming (whole or partly) a mortal Haixingren
I would actually love to have seen him become something entirely new, a light energy Dixingren, but that's my id.
Plus there are threads like Xiao Guo being the lantern's wick that are left dangling...
I did wonder about that, and the conversations about that didn't make it sound like Xiao Guo would necessarily need to die for that to happen (though Lao Chu also suffers prettily, so if Xiao Guo did end up dying, it would be for two good causes).
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2019-03-31 04:19 am (UTC)I was thinking about that, too. I haven't read the novel, and consider it extracanonical to the show, but of course those aspects of it that made it into the show are show canon. And the thing about scenes that are close adaptations, they come with their own intent--authorial fiat again--with some embedding of the original context. So there is a carefully built throughline leading to the sacrifice-as-written, but there are also pieces there to be connected to lead to a different ending, one closer to that on which the show's own adaptation was based.
Plus, we always have to keep in mind that the show's text itself can be read at at least two levels: what the censors made happen, and what the creators really wanted to make. I have written a lot of fandoms set at least partly in the afterlife; that could still have been a happy ending, had SW and ZYL been allowed to stay together.
Shen Wei losing his powers and becoming (whole or partly) a mortal Haixingren
I would actually love to have seen him become something entirely new, a light energy Dixingren, but that's my id.
Plus there are threads like Xiao Guo being the lantern's wick that are left dangling...
I did wonder about that, and the conversations about that didn't make it sound like Xiao Guo would necessarily need to die for that to happen (though Lao Chu also suffers prettily, so if Xiao Guo did end up dying, it would be for two good causes).