Gorgeous Official Merch from the Chinese Edition of Guardian

As a lover of Guardian (Zhen Hun) by priest, I’m perennially disappointed by the lack of available merchandise. I’ve tried to be the change I want to see in the world by commissioning some fan art as well as buying some gorgeous enamel pins by Butchinelle, but I still wasn’t satisfied. Knowing that official Chinese editions usually do come with merchandise, I placed an order with Funimecity. I had to wait for a while, but believe me– it was worth the wait.

Please note that there may be light spoilers below.

First, the books come in this beautiful slip case box with an absolutely stunning illustration.

The books themselves and their dust jackets are equally gorgeous, but illustrated in a much more abstract style that evokes journeys, suffering, and the underworld in an atmospheric way.

Finally, the merchandise that comes with the books (while still a bit slim by Chinese standards) truly doesn’t disappoint.

Three bookmarks, including another dramatic illustration and two beautiful gold foil enhanced ones.

Two of my favorite merch items are beautifully illustrated postcards, one showing Kunlun teaching a young Shen Wei while they sit together; the other shows what I believe is the creation or birth of Shen Wei and his brother.

Additionally, there are two red seals (zhūwén or 朱文) with the names of the lead characters, a faux-film strip with images from the book covers and dust jackets, and a poster of the image from the front of the slipcase.

This was an expensive purchase, and it did take quite some time to arrive in the U.S., but I’m glad I bought it. Now I’m tempted to brush up on my Chinese a little bit more to read these editions directly. Even though there are no interior illustrations, they’re beautiful volumes.

Check out other Guardian posts