Early Access: Shining For One Thing E3-4

E3-4. I guess I'm still getting a handle on the best lens for this show; this pair of episodes makes me think that perhaps a manhua lens might be a good thing to keep handy.

Somehow, that makes everything go down a lot more smoothly, particularly when it comes to our characters doing things that seem just a bit much, for real life.

Like the way Tengteng turns out to be Zhan Yu's new girlfriend, in the present.

The way Zhan Yu and Tengteng are so unabashed and self-righteous about being an item, even though it's clear that Zhan Yu must have started dating Tengteng while still engaged to Beixing, is ridiculous and the kind of stuff that makes me want to throw things at my screen.

Beixing going ahead to try on wedding dresses, even though her wedding's been called off, all because her mother doesn't let her finish her sentences and that's why she hasn't told Mom that there will be no wedding, is also rather bizarre.

But, a manhua lens helps to smooth all this out, and make everything feel a little more cohesive.

Show isn't very clear about why Beixing's able to return to 2010 this set of episodes, when her last few attempts had failed.

The only hint we get is from the mysterious old man whom we see Beixing talking to at the top of episode 3, who says that the fragments of Beixing's past and future, will come to her at the right time.

I guess this moment, when her family's fussing over her in such a suffocating manner, is the right time?

In any case, I'm glad that Beixing manages to return to 2010, because that's where my main interest lies.

Also, it's interesting, that with each visit to 2010, Beixing arrives earlier and earlier in the timeline. This time, she arrives at the beginning of the school year, so there's a whole year to go, almost, before the college entrance exams.

Wow, the leaps in time are getting bigger and bigger with each time slip too, aren't they? Innteresting. I'm still curious to know more about how this works, but I'm not sure that Show is as interested as I am, to delve into the answers.

That said, I wasn't quite prepared for the cartoonish, in-yo-face, exaggerated manner in which Beixing approaches Wansen.

In fact, given the way Beixing pursues Wansen incessantly, in the name of trying to protect him, I'd even go so far as to say that Wansen might be feeling harassed because of Beixing.

Instead of being a protector, it seems like Beixing's almost the aggressor, because of how insistent she is.

Plus, the way she keeps trying to jog his memory - of things that likely haven't actually happened yet in this timeline - seems misguided and futile.

Like, why would Wansen have any memory of the lighthouse tower, or the red-haired dude, if this is the beginning of the school year, and these things that Beixing remembers from other time slips, haven't happened yet?

For someone who's actually 11 years older on the inside, Beixing sure doesn't show a lot of wisdom. Again a manhua lens helps to smoothen this out.

Also - I'm reminding myself that Beixing doesn't appear all that wise in 2021 either, ha.

After Tengteng basically swoops in to date Zhan Yu, and turns out to be a terrible friend, I'd actually wondered how Beixing would respond to Tengteng in the past, since, back in 2010, Tengteng hasn't actually betrayed Beixing yet.

In that sense, I'd imagined that Beixing would feel conflicted about it, and that we'd get a more nuanced treatment of the issue.

I.. was getting ahead of myself there. That was a thought I'd had, before I'd realized that Show's more manhua in its sensibilities than I'd first imagined.

Which is why Beixing's flat-out treating Tengteng as the enemy, and taking petty revenge on her, even though Tengteng technically hasn't betrayed Beixing yet.

See, ordinarily, this is the kind of stuff that would disturb me, but when I remind myself that Show is more of a live-action manhua, this becomes a secondary almost non-issue, designed more to be a bit of silliness and comedy than anything else.

I am rather amused that everyone else seems to think that Beixing's set her affections on Wansen, and is pursuing him with even more fervor than she'd had, when she'd liked Zhan Yu.

Ha. The way this hurts Zhan Yu's pride does give me some satisfaction.

The whole backstory of why the gangster dude Mai Zi's been looking everywhere for Wansen is so silly.

So, Mai Zi's basically seeking out Wansen to duel it out with him, in conducting that Elephant's Toothpaste experiment, so that he can impress a girl??? Pfft.

(MAN. HUA. LENSSS.)

I do appreciate the narrative touch, though, that shows us that Wansen is starting to care about Beixing.

Not only does he rush to the experiment duel site, fearing that Beixing will get hurt by Mai Zi, he also relents and tells her that he'll help her study, so that she can achieve her goal of transferring to Class One.

ALSO. He get miffed and leaves in what looks like a fit of jealousy(?), when he overhears Beixing talking to Zhan Yu, telling him (in a sardonic tone that Wansen seems to miss) that he's great, and welcome to transfer to Class One with her, if he wants.

Aw. I hope that Beixing can get this misunderstanding cleared up soon, so that we can actually see her and Wansen interacting, without this hanging over them.

As an idle afterthought, if Beixing's really 11 years older on the inside, and if she's going to have some kind of loveline with Wansen, does this make our story a noona romance..? 🧐

Next episode notes will be out on: Friday, 22 July 2022!