Zhen Hun
(镇魂), or more commonly known as Guardian, is a fantasy danmei Web Novel written by Priest.
The story is as follows: Zhao Yunlan is the chief of the Special Investigation Department (SID), an organisation that doesn't officially exist. Together with his team of special beings, he solves cases of the strange and bizarre. While investigating a spate of homicides that happens at a university, he encounters Shen Wei, a man who is much more than he seems.
Zhen Hun received a Live-Action Adaptation, Guardian, which aired on Youku from June 13 to July 25, 2018 with a total of 40 episodes. It stars Zhu Yilong as Shen Wei and Bai Yu as Zhao Yunlan. The live-action drama is a very loose adaptation of the novel's plot.
An audio drama is available on MissEvan, but the episodes (two so far) are released sporadically. A Japanese drama CD adaptation was also greenlit, but so far no other details have been given.
The novels are licensed in English by Seven Seas Entertainment, with the first volume being released in August 29, 2023.
Zhen Hun provides examples of:
- Adaptation Deviation: See the live-action drama, which isn't allowed due to censorship to mention anything in the last two arcs of the novel
- Cigarette of Anxiety: Zhao Yunlan smokes. A lot. And starts smoking more as various elements of the plot get harder to deal with.
- Judgement of the Dead: Subverted. Zhao Yunlan is not very happy with the Yamas of the Ten Halls of Difu when he sits before them, and he is absolutely not there to be judged: he is there to do some judging.
- Meet the In-Laws:
- Zhao Yunlan brings Shen Wei to meet his parents at one point. Only his mom is there. She asks why he's brought over a friend as he typically doesn't bring friends home. Zhao Yunlan comes out to his mom, who actually reacts surprising realistically for someone who is not homophobic but lives in a homophobic country, worrying about his job if his co-workers find out. He reassures her that there is no reason to be concerned and then says that Shen Wei is perfect. She then proceeds to joke with him and is very happy.
- Shen Wei is revealed to already have been in contact with Zhao Yunlan's dad.
- Zhao Yunlan's dad is less approving.
- Nerves of Steel: It is worth noting that though Zhao Yunlan remembers everything by the time he's standing before the Yan Kings, he's still completely human and if he died then, he would still have to be judged by the Yan Kings or just disappear. Still, when they're panicking, he is just sitting there waiting for them to agree to his conditions.
- One True Love: Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. You don't get much more soulmates than one person literally giving his tendons and one of his soul-fires to the other once upon a time, the other refusing to accept the first one's death and getting him put on the wheel of reincarnation and in exchange watching his post for five thousand years and agreeing not to see him as long as he's alive. Then when the first one finds out about this, he's totally willing to live in bliss with him for a few years then die permanently with him when the time comes
- Symbiotic Possession: A Bowl of Shennong's that somehow cultivated to immortality is symbiotically possessing Zhao Yunlan's father.
