End of an Era

[hils]

Tonight we finished watching Ultimate Note which means we have now finished all of the Lost Tomb shows. We started in August last year and have watched every weekend so it's taken us 7 month to get through them all. I feel kind of bereft now.

It's been a really fun time. Initially I started watching on my own, and thebonwitch started watching on her own at the same time so on a whim I asked if she wanted to watch some together one weekend. We had a blast and from then on it became a weekly thing.

Along the way amedawg18 popped in to see what we were watching and never left (she's still mad about the ending of Lost Tomb 2 even though she hadn't seen most of the rest of it.

kthxrawr popped in just after we started Sha Hai, got attached to Li Cu pretty much immediately and then never left.

I've honestly had a blast. I started Reboot pretty much purely for Zhu Yilong and didn't expect to get so attached to all of these characters and to get sucked into the fandom along the way. And, in the way I tend to do, I've got other people into it as well. Even those that don't want to watch the shows enjoy talking about the murder clams and other nonsense that has appeared at various points.

At some point, when I eventually finish Heaven Official's Blessing I am going to read the books even though I know they are terrible.

I think what I love is that even though the shows are objectively bad there's stuff I love in all of them. We've all got attached to specific characters and actors along the way, and yes they are dumb and full of plot holes and have bad pacing but they are fun.

And the fandom is utterly delightful. There's a lot of crossover with the Guardian fandom of course because of Zhu Yilong but I've met lots of wonderful people that I didn't know before and we just have a good time.

The Untamed got me through the first half of this pandemic, and The Lost Tomb is getting me through the second half. I'm going to miss not having new stuff to watch but I can totally go back and rewatch it. I definitely want to give Reboot another watch now that I'm more familiar with the universe and the characters. I suspect I missed a lot the first time around.

I really need an Iron Triangle icon...

Comments

[yaaurens]

Murder clams, eh? I look forward to that, whenever I eventually get there!

[hils]

They are so ridiculous they spark joy

[laireshi]

I like the books! Though I think they really pick up around book 5/6. But when they do there are SO MANY FEELS.

[hils]

I'm definitely going to read them at some point!

[superborb]

Would you recommend starting from the beginning, or is it a series you can pick up from any season? My main watch party is going to need a new show soon :)

[hils]

I would say if you're starting from scratch it's best to either start with Reboot, which gives you at least a basic introduction to the main characters, or with Lost Tomb 1 which is the first show they made and is only 10 episodes long.

Both have their pros and cons. I'd say the cast of Reboot is better but it's very long (62 episodes split across two seasons) and the plot doesn't make a huge amount of sense.

Lost Tomb 1 is more condensed and the plot is easier to follow but you don't get some of the better supporting characters and it doesn't really have an ending (I'm assuming they were hoping to make more but that never happened)

[superborb]

Thanks!!!

[tinny]

\o/ The Tomb Show is just such a fantastic pile of adventure-y nonsense, definitely worth being fannish for. I am glad there is a fandom, small as it is.

I have sadly not made many iron triangle icons, and the ones I made I cannot whole-heartedly recommend? Eh. Here's the round-up post with all my icons if you want to browse - it contains a ton of Wu Xie/Pangzi, but only two triangle ones, oops:

https://tinny.dreamwidth.org/641203.html

If you have specific ideas, I could make you some?

[hils]

it contains a ton of Wu Xie/Pangzi
I am shocked by your Wu Xie/Pangzi agenda :D

If you have specific ideas, I could make you some?
Oh, that's so sweet! If I can remember what episode things happen in I'll let you know!