I was doing my typical browsing on Weibo the other day. Well, I rarely browse there anymore since it could get oh-so-addicting and time-consuming. But glad I went back in time to discover this new adaptation. To be honest, I didn’t even read the novel SO I won’t even make any comparison with previous versions. Yet I’m just excited that Ken Chang and some of the cast have a new project. It’s also an ancient one and from the same team who made the recent version of Chu Liu Xiang. But I just hope they improve on the martial arts parts. I meant I was fine with some people’s fighting, especially Louis Fan. But the overly used CGI and other blinding effects made it quite annoying. I liked the qing gong parts, NOT the actual fighting parts. Moving on, there are some of the similar cast from Chu Liu Xiang, but they had somewhat improved on the attires for this one or something. Well, again, I liked some of the costumes from Chu Liu Xiang, but others I thought was too exaggerated, especially some of the combination of colors for the female population. So this might even be more promising. Anyway, looking at some of Ken’s costumes for this series.
The typical Chu Liu Xiang pose, lol.
OMG, something hasn’t changed, he’s still surrounded by the beauties, lol.
He looks so fierce in this one. Probably the Ding Peng attitude?
Taking a stroll in the garden, nice?
This one is actually the same one from the press conference, but posting it again for a closer look.
Then there’s this one, somewhat similar with the above, but different design and shade.
Ding Peng and Qing Qing! They’re so cute already! Can’t wait to see more scenes of them. (The actress is Yang Xue.)
Another one.
One more.
Okay, this is the last one, really. (The above picture they were just being silly behind the scenes, lol. Was waiting for the preparation of the next scene or something? LOL…)
Anyway, I have an urge to go read and translate the story to English at the same time. Nice or what? YET no promises. But if it gets translated, etc, there will be a link.
*All images were collected around the net hence belonging to their rightful owners.
I wonder how closely they will follow the novel. I’ve read the Vietnamese translated version for the most part and it should be interesting, especially since the actress who played Zhang Jiejie in Chu Liu Xiang Xin Zhuan will be playing Xie Xiao Feng’s daughter. If I remember correctly, her character was quite malicious/manipulative and was a major part in the latter half of the novel.
I just started reading awhile ago and haven’t gotten far. I heard that it’s supposed to be a happy ending yet the previous 2 adaptations had tragic endings so I thought it was weird. But So far, I’ll try to keep an open mind with this version. Or perhaps because I couldn’t remember much about the other version anyway, lol.
I decided to read the novel some time after the TVB version came out. I was in for a major surprise at all the differences. I don’t understand why have a tragic ending for the drama either.
But seeing all the stills posted to baidu, I can already feel that this drama won’t stray too far from the published work. They’ve gone and casted Qing Qing’s maidservant, a character that was completely written off in the TVB version. Never got the chance to watch the Damian Lau version. Crossing fingers that when this version is released it will be more accessible than Chu Liu Xiang Xin Zhuan.
I just hope so too because though I watched part of Chu Liu Xiang Xin Zhaun for Ken (had to halt because my mom quit on me, lol), but I felt there were things they could have improved on, like the fighting scenes, etc. IF not, it wouldn’t be that bad since they did it quite accurately with some scenes at the beginning. shrugs
Back to this, I went and read this one comparison/analysis between the 2 TVB versions and there were differences (of course) BUT what made it similar was the tragic ending. OR was it because Gu Long endings are usually sad (I haven’t read all his stories so don’t know but from the CLX and LXF, it seemed so) that TVB wanted to go toward the sad route? BUT they didn’t with others. OY…oh well.
Trying to keep a positive feeling for this one. Just hope it doesn’t disappoint, like they would take the feedback from viewers seriously.
Were both older versions from TVB? I thought one was TVB and the other from TVB’s rival station? I think my video store still carries a copy of the Damian Lau version, but I doubt I want to see it knowing that it has a tragic ending.
Once I finished Chu Liu Xiang Xin Zhuan, I handed it over to my mom to watch. And your mom quit on you? I hope you got the chance to see Legend of the Bat. I was that impressed, especially knowing how closely they followed the novel. I wonder why the drama never aired on a Chinese station? It got released in select countries instead. I would love to have a DVD version made available. And did Ken sing the majority of songs heard in the opening/ending credits of the drama? I took a look at the rolling credits and though it’s hard to see, it looked like his name. I think he and Louis Fan sang one of them, going by the hazy credits.
I checked again and yes, both versions were from TVB, lol. They sure like tragic endings so yeah. Some of the reviews could be found here: http://www.spcnet.tv/TVB-Series/God-of-Sabre-p156.html#.USrcJ1eneVq
And yeah, my mom quit on me with this version since she was so used to seeing TVB’s flowery version (the Michael version). I liked that version too, until I read the novel, lol. I will find time to finish it in the future. I wasn’t sure if Ken had sung the songs or not. I have to hunt more info regarding that.
I just had a chance to reread Yuan Yue Wan Dao; all 32 chapters within 3 days. Looking at the stills, partial cast list, I think this version will follow the novel pretty faithfully. The Louis Koo version was what, maybe 20-30% faithful (maybe even less)? That version had no 小香 (one of Qing Qing’s maids), who is a descendent Long Xiaoyun and Lin Shiyin. No 阿古. There’s supposed to be the birth secret of Xie Xiao Feng’s daughter and relations to the “Demonic Cult”, and how she’s the head of a group of assassins. There’s 4-5 elders of the “Demonic Cult” who made appearances throughout the novel but no emphasis on them in the Louis Koo version. That version basically made the “Demonic Cult” look really evil. I hope they keep the novel ending. I also have a feeling this 2012 adaptation might just expand a bit on the roles of Li Xunhuan and Lin Shiyin, since Louis Fan is playing Li Xunhuan. Furthermore, I wonder how they’ll handle Xie Xiao Feng’s daughter’s scenes because some of her scenes would be what I considered a bit too explicit for television?
Not sure how the action will play out because if you have a chance to read the novel, whenever Ding Pang uses his weapon, one isn’t really able to see the move at all, just see him raise it then his weapon is back in its scabbard, with the opponent getting pretty much split in half down the middle moments later, if it’s Ding Pang’s intention to kill. Witnesses to the duels will admit that the move was too quick for the eye. Ding Pang is quite clever, maybe they’ll focus on that as well.
OMG, 3 days! Is that your typical time or did you break some past records? I’m still slowly behind because I’m doing translations. I caved in and cut back on other spending to buy the actual Chinese version so I could compare to the Viet version, to see how it is with both, etc before I do the English version. Yeah, hence my slow rate, lol.
Anyway, thanks for giving me more details. As for the saber moves, I think they could wing that somehow, LOL! And if they do it accurately – or try to incorporate as much as possible, this version would have more complexity to it aside from just the typical jianghu fighting. I meant going into more details, like you said with the demonic cult and other key characters too, instead of just focus on maybe 5 characters, or something, lol. I feel the Louis version was too draggy for some reason (because of the repetitiveness of some scenes). Even if I did enjoy some parts.
About Xie Xiao Feng’s daughter, I think they could make her wear see-through/ revealing clothes (sort of, NOT all the way) and set the mood somehow implying what type of character she is without having to get into too much details? Considering like you mentioned with it not really appropriate for TV.
And I sure hope they make Ding Pang smart in this version. It’s too torturing to watch dumb main guys at times. It’s cute once in a while, but too much, I’m like “seriously?”, lol.
Three days isn’t my typical time. Usually much, much longer, since the copy I have is a typed pdf file. I believe this would be a record for me, because I’m still trying to finish Fengwu Jiutian that I started several weeks earlier. Ding Pang in the Louis Koo version didn’t feel very smart at all, more like he was manipulated half the time.
Whoa, such passion! I think I should go back to reading more. My list is still long from the ‘to read’ ones, lol. I’m still trying to finish the whole Liu Xiao Feng sagas.
Like I said before, I don’t remember much from Louis’ version anymore, but I do remember his Ding Pang was too frustrating to watch at times.Like he falls into those traps too easily (again and again too, NOT just the the first time that he got conned in the beginning).
I thought this was quite entertaining–the cast & crew of Yuan Yue Wan Dao 2012 (in their costumes) parodying Psy’s Gangnam style: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIMdXpUO2fE
OMG, that was really funny. At least I couldn’t stop laughing for a while. But in a way cute that they were up for it, LOL!
I think a 6min trailer was released for the drama earlier last month: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/6fTmx1KWh1M/ Looks like they are staying close to the novel!
Thanks! I will watch it later! I’m so behind on following them! Glad to know that they will follow the novel! LOL! I meant after 2 morbid adaptations or ending, enough, right? Or I’m being optimistic too early? Will discuss more after checking out the trailer.
I have to go find a different place to watch since tudou is always soooo slow for me, lol: http://v.ku6.com/show/HqfzBzf4lIaKnKYZSaNdHw…html?from=my
But cool! I can’t wait to see! Even my mom’s getting excited about it! LOL!
From the clip credits, does that mean Ken has his own company?
I was pondering the same thing! LOL! Maybe we could search around for more info?
Found it! http://www.weibo.com/p/1005053733586762/