Introduction
This is an adaptation of Ma Wing Shing's novel/comic version made into 40 episodes. But please do not place too high of hopes on it. You will be disappointed with the people chosen for the characters. The supposedly strong/suave/handsome swordsmen and fascinating beauties in the comics turn out to be very small sized/ugly on screen with lousy hairdos. What a pity -- fortunately the computer effects on all the fights are impressive to lure viewers to watch on. This is the first time that I get to see so many villains in the serial so it's still entertaining to me after all.
Cast
The actors
The wrong people for the wrong roles. None of the men is satisfying to me except the old men. This shows that the Taiwanese have done a horrible job. My brothers have claimed that this is the biggest joke and the greatest misfortune of the pugilistic world to see so many horrible characters in a serial. Why? The three leads, Feng,Yun and Shuang are played by plain-looking actors who have single-eyelids. For the rest, the producers have stretched their imagination so far in their dressing and hairstyles. Sometimes, I don't understand myself -- do I follow the serial because of the special effects, to see how horrible they act or to determine how many jokes they are creating?
You can say that I am biased but I still think that Ekin is the best person to play this role. Few men can still look manly with long tresses. Chiu looks horribly girly and is so expressionless in his acting too. In drunk scenes, you will be alarmed upon seeing so much rouge on his face!
This character is made too naïve that I dislike him so much. He trusts everyone! If not for the killers' soft-heartedness, he could have died so many times under the hands of women. This man is lucky to escape from the door of death. Shen Lang also leaves him to rot with the fiery unicorn. Only in scenes with Shui Ling as Ming Yue and Dream, he shows some improvement in love scenes. He has managed to convey the sadness of Feng when Ming Yue dies and also how he misses Second Dream when he can't see her.
It is said that he is initially given the role of Bu Jing Yun but he thinks He Run Dong will do a better job. Well, it's true in a way as he is very powerful in his kicks. His good martial arts background makes the fighting scenes beautiful. When do I like him more -- the parts when the Qiling blood works on him or when he turns evil. He goes mad killing with his 'Xue Yin' sabre. That's more like it -- Feng is too soft like a woman in normal life. And he relies on women to save him -- what a disgrace.
Frankly speaking, if Ekin is given the task, we will be convinced on why You Ruo, Ming Yue, Kong Ci, Dream and Meng fall for Feng. In the movie, he fits the role well although he is sometimes overshadowed by Kwok Fu Shing. But, Chiu has neither the charisma nor the charm that will make you accept him. Moreover, my hair stands whenever he addresses Yun as his 'senior'. We have known all along that Chiu is older than He Run Dong. It took a very long time for me to accept this arrangement.
His built is better than Kwok Fu Shing but his acting is terrible. If you think Chiu is bad, he is worse. He tries too hard to be unfeeling and arrogant -- no one will like his stony and grumpy expressions throughout the whole serial. You don't feel the emotions he has towards Kong Ci. The so-called bed scene of them together creates zero sparks. Even after she dies, he can't portray the upset that Yun should have. However, the scene of her being placed in the Empress's grave is still watchable. It shows how reluctant Yun is when he destroys the opening to make sure that she is undisturbed in her grave. But I still miss Kwok Fu Shing's great acting after all. He has the wild and look which is natural and definitely NOT deliberate.
He Run Dong is too fair to play Yun. I also find that he's not manly enough in some scenes. He uses too much 'strength' to stress every single word. The one and only memorable scene of Yun sitting at the roof-top and having serious thoughts by covering his chin with his palms drives many comic fans crazy. Why? It shows the loneliness, arrogance and aloofness of Yun. Kwok Fu Shing has managed to create a great impact in the movie. But in here, this appears too many times until we get sick of it! Wonder if this is the deliberate act of the producer to make him look more manly?
To open up Kong Ci's tomb to look at her the last time, he tries getting the supreme sword. And indeed he looks more suitable than Chiu as he is muscular and taller when standing beside it. However, I'm puzzled over his reckless character -- he should have controlled himself better after killing Kong Ci accidentally. How did he make the same mistake again by killing You Nuo?
He is considered good in the fighting scenes. He is wise to see through all of Duan Lang's tricks and schemes. Although he proves to be better when pairing with Tao Hong later after Yun's marriage, his expressions still look awkward. When he sees Ding Ning, he realises that although he still misses Kong Ci, he cares more for Chu Chu now. At least this actor tries hard to improve himself.
Wong Hei normally does well in modern dramas but it is a torture to see him in period dramas. But I still heave a sigh of relief when he is given a traditional image. He doesn't have the intelligent look as in his other serials. He is very blur-looking and tired here. Moreover, this character is kind and also soft to give no surprises. He initially only follows his master's orders and has no mind of his own. Since he knows that Kong Ci's heart isn't with him, why go through the marriage ceremony then? He can be selfish too. His acting is also wooden -- he doesn't portray his sadness well when Kong Ci dies.
He manages to break Xiong Ba's control of nine transformation pills given to him. Upon seeing Ding Ning, Shuang should be excited since she's a look-alike with Kong Ci. But……he is neutral! I wonder he manages to win her love later? This happens too fast in one episode when he tries to protect her from Xiong Ba. The only touching scene that I can remember is before he dies, he tells Feng not to feel remorseful over Kong Ci's death as he has forgiven him. He also lets him know that all along he has been most concerned over him.
I know you will laugh if I tell you that this is the main character that I look forward to watching daily. Many have commented that he is the only right person chosen to play the role! He is so convincing in his role in the movie -- what's more in this serial when he gets so much attention again? He displays acting experience that others lack and has an air of seniority. So successful in his expression in creating discord among his disciples that you will hate this man. He captures my eye in every scene. I am quite bored when he goes into retreat after losing his skills and the Jue family takes over the world. The 3 men can't even match him in their presence. But when he makes a comeback, I get excited again. Talking about being attracted by an old man instead of a young one in here -- it's weird indeed.
After Jue's family ends their regime, he regains his power again. Although he accepts Jue Xin as his godson, he tells him the wrong way of mastering his 'San Fen Gui Yuan' skill. A very vicious and ambitious man to want to control the pugilistic world again.
Personally, I feel that Ho Kar King is the only person suitable for the role. Suen Hing lacks the swordsman look and I am definitely not impressed by his acting. He looks so tired and sleepy here. Either having or losing his martial arts skills, he still looks the same to me. He doesn't look like a caring master to Jian Cheng. No wonder his disciple has the heart to poison him and refuses to share his worries with him.
6) Jian Cheng - Xing Mang San
This breaks the hearts of many when Jian Cheng appears the first time. Unlike the handsome and suave swordsman in the comics, this man is ugly, lousy in skills and is also FAT. Sob -- I think I'll cry buckets of tears enough to form an ocean. What have the producers done? He can't act either. He tries to look chivalrous but he simply doesn't have the look. With a great master like Wu Ming, how can his skills be inferior to Duan Lang, Feng and Yun? This doesn't make sense to me!
The comic version will make you pity him when he is poisoned to be controlled by the Jue family. Sigh -- but in here -- you feel nothing for him! You will definitely curse and swear at him whenever you see him. He rapes Chu Chu and tries to make up to her. He even wants to be with Chu Chu after she marries Yun when he learns that the baby is his! To think that he is so selfish to agree to Ding Ning's plan to break up the couple. Yun and Chu Chu avoid him and we as the viewers also want him to get lost.
7) Duan Lang - Wang Jia Ling
Most of the time, he has placed his scheming look on his face and yet Feng is so blind for not noticing it at all. When he doesn't return to Tian Xia Hui, Feng should know that he has joined forces with Du Gu Yi Fang. He kills Du Gu Ming so that he can be Du Gu Yi Fang's successor. Feng should also know that this man is the spy when Xiong Ba can find their whereabouts so easily to break them up from combining forces together. And so vicious to leave Feng to deal with the fiery unicorn on his own. This man's acting is artificial too. The way that he declares his love for You Ruo will of course scare her away. He is more demanding and aggressive than Yun in asking for love.
Moreover, he is very poorly dressed - always in a red T-shirt? and leather covers. He is so ugly-looking in a cloak after taking over Yun's post in Tian Xia Hui. Yun is suave but this man is shorter with a pathetic thin frame. So he looks like a child trying out adult's clothes. If not for his better skills than Yun, I can't bring myself to carry on watching.
He wants to make sure that his Qi Ling sword is the best so he tries to stop the supreme sword from appearing. He is very selfish and evil. No one will pity him when he dies in Yun's hands in the end.
A loser in love when his wife seeks solace in Xiong Ba and later Jue Wu Shen. Although he only appears in one episode, his presence is noticeable. He delivers his pain well when his wife betrays him. You will pity this man when he is captured by the fiery unicorn into the cave.
9) The Clay Buddha - Pu Xue Liang
I never expect the comical 'Super Sunday' host to land up in this role. But he does it so well that he can discard his previous cheeky image for a serious look! The character's wits in reading the future and the calmness for handling the difficult situations will make you like him. Too bad he dies after a few episodes.
10) Wen Chou Chou - He Du Lin
This is another irritating character that many dislike -- for bootlicking Xiong Ba all the time. His acting is only passable. He always comes up with nonsensical ideas. However, he is still kind at heart. Although he tries to safeguard himself and the 3 Xiong Ba's disciples, he gets killed by Xiong Ba. This is strange, you hope that he disappears when he talks too much. But when he isn't around, you miss him.
A very bad choice as he only manages to roll his eyeballs to show his fury. He is not as successful as Xiong Ba in showing superiority. He is so skinny although he shows his biceps all the time. Sigh -- can't they get a muscular looking man to play this role?
12) Jue Xin - He Jia Cheng
One of the rare normal looking man out of the lot of ugly men. He plays this scheming role in a stiff manner. Jue Xin is the elder son of Jue Wu Shen who is neglected since young. He feels threatened when his father shows favouritism to Jue Tian and disregards his safety when he is being held hostage by Yun. However, you will still feel a chill down your spine in the way he blackmails Yan Ying after knowing that Feng is her son. And also the way he destroys Wu Ming's skill to prevent him from being a threat to him and killing his father and brother. The best scene will be how he frames Feng for killing Shuang when he himself is the culprit. He is killed by Xiong Ba after the dragon's vein is snatched away from him. If I'm not wrong, this character is still alive in the comics. Why let him die?
13) Jue Tian - Li Qi
The younger son of Jue Wu Sheng and Yan Ying. He is very pampered by his parents as he is regarded as the successor to Jue Wu Shen's throne. Very terrible acting from this man -- it is not helped when his hair is actually in curls. He looks ugly and his dressing in gold-coloured leather outfits shows bad taste too. He is too modern to my taste. I've never been happier when he dies in Jue Xin's hands.
14) Bu Shen - Wang Xi Hui
Another actor who has good looks but disappears in two episodes. He is Xiong Ba's son who lands up being a constable to atone for his father's sins by doing good deeds. His left face is engraved the words 'Xiong Ba's son' by his vicious father and he needs to wear a silver half-mask to hide the scars. Out of so many characters, this attracts me the most because he looks so special. He dies in a duel with Yun and that's why Xiong Ba is angrier with Yun than Feng. I feel so sorry when his role dies. Actually, he will make a good choice for Yun as he has the glamour and looks. What a terrible mistake to conceal his well chiselled good looks with a mask!
15) Other male characters
In fact, I think the older characters as extras are much better played as they are traditional in dressing and the older actors are quite good. Some examples are Jian Shen(You see a fat Wong Chau Sang in the movie but in here this man is definitely slim), No. 1 Xie Huang, No. 2 Dao Huang, No. 3 Zhu Huang, Du Gu Yi Fang, Jian Tan(Sword of greed), Po Jun and also Zi Tan Hua (He changes all the opera faces so quickly)!
The young ones are definitely horribly miscast. Du Gu Ming who marries Ming Yue is very fat and ugly. No wonder they can never master the 'Qing Cheng Zhi Lian' skill together. The other one Jian Ao is so ugly with bright golden hair. I can't bear the sight of him trying to woo Chu Chu. It is a relief to see him being killed by Yun as it is an agony to see him appearing so often in front of our eyes.
The Females
Many actresses are also looking pitiful here. It makes matters worse when they are given horrible hairstyles and dressings that none of us can bear. So modern looking - chopsticks, deer's/buffalo's horns and many large ornaments in the hair - can you take that in a period drama? The strange part is Shui Ling's hairstyles for her both characters are traditional while it's modern for the rest. No wonder she looks so good while the others look terrible. Is the hairstylist having any personal grudges against the other actresses to torture them???? Most of the time, I look at how they dress instead of how they act.
No one will believe that she is a maid as she is so well-dressed here. She is even better dressed than her young mistress, You Ruo. She is always attending Feng's needs and falls for him. Yun and Shuang like her but she likes Feng. She is Feng's maid and Yun has a one-night stand with her on the day she discovers that Ming Yue is in Feng's heart. She becomes Xiong Ba's foster daughter and marries Shuang under Xiong Ba's command. But she dies to shield Feng from being attacked by Yun. Quite a pitiful character.
Wu doesn't act very well here. She has this fear in her eyes all the time. Moreover, she has a very wide mouth and thick lips that hinder her from looking like a period drama maiden. Yeung Kung Yu's movie version fits the demure look but her character is shaped wrongly to like Feng and Yun at the same time. But I must say that Yeung's acting isn't impressive as well because she plays all these demure roles all along.
She is Xiong Ba's daughter. She becomes Feng's maid to look for chances to kill him to get her freedom. However, she falls for him after preparing his favourite pig's liver soup for him. She returns to her little hut again since she can't kill him. In fact, she likes him so much that she even tries to remove the poison from Feng when he is attacked. She is killed by Yun accidentally when he tries to seek revenge on her father.
I can see that she uses a lot of eye-drops for her crying scenes. Her headgear is terrible looking too -- like heavy buffalo's horns on her head. A young mistress should look elegant but she looks more like an overly-decorated Christmas tree.
She is beautiful, highly skilled and also well-versed in medicine. At first, she wants to kill Feng to prevent Xiong Ba from taking over the Wu Shuang city. She changes her mind later after he saves her from being killed by a bear even after she injures him with her arrow. She is unhappy to be forced to marry Du Gu Ming to master the 'Qing Cheng Zhi Lian' skill together. Feng stops the ceremony and runs away with her. The two are forced to turn up when Du Gu Yi Fang holds her grandmother as a hostage.
In desperation, she and Feng master the skill together on the spot with the twin swords. She looks so graceful in this fighting scene. Of course, she is stunning in the wedding costume as well. All of us enjoy watching the same scene being played at the end of each episode for the ending theme.
However, Du Gu Yi Fang kills her. Before falling to the bottom of the cliff, she tells him to take care of himself. It is such a bad blow for Feng that the Qiling blood in him loses control and he kills Du Gu. Upon reaching home, he gets so moody that he faints. This has not happened to him before after other battles. Even when resting in bed, he sobs over her death and holds her jade pendant in his hands. No wonder upon seeing second Dream, he is in shock and can't control himself from missing her again.
This character appears for only 3 episodes but I really like it very much. Shui Ling makes a wonderful choice for this gentle and witty role. Her watery eyes, beauty and wonderful smile leave a deep impression.
A caring lady but feels inferior because of the scar on her face so she wears a veil at all times. She nurses Feng's eyes when he is injured by Xiong Ba. When Feng wishes to look at her after regaining his sight, she runs away. However, they still keep in touch through letters sent by pigeons. She wants to leave a good impression in Feng's mind so she doesn't stop Meng from pretending to be her.
Knowing that Meng may want to harm Feng, she is often protecting Feng in secret. I can feel her anxiety when she removes her hairpin upon seeing Meng trying to kill Feng with her hairpin. She always hides herself in the bushes observing and appears at the right time to stop Meng in time.
Sometimes, I do feel like killing Feng for being so stupid. Can't he see that she rears the SAME white pigeons that send him the letters at her home? The gentle way she talks has the SAME tone in the letters too. She also utters the verses in the poem that she gives him in her sleep when she is sick. How can he not know it and still think Meng is the one that he has been looking for? However, Feng discovers the truth and both are a loving couple together. She looks so pitiful in tears when Feng tries to kill her after mastering the evil skills. But upon seeing her tears, he hesitates and stops. Later they marry when his condition is under control of the dragon's vein. However, she dies after transferring her blood into Feng's body.
After Ming Yue's death, I really yearn to see Shui Ling back again. And sure she does with elegance in this role again. This character has a higher level of difficulty as she can only show her emotions through her eyes. She demonstrates well in her affections for Feng. One flaw though -- the scar is too small as a heart shape as compared to the comic version. Maybe the producers can't bear to destroy her beauty??? But why arrange her to die when she is supposed to be alive too?
20) Du Gu Meng - Chen Bo Yu
Second Dream arranges to meet Feng at an inn but Meng turns up earlier than her. This is why Feng makes this mistake. However, she falls for Feng even before knowing that he is not her father's killer. There are many occasions that she can kill him but she always hesitates. After knowing the truth, she feels a prick in conscience for impersonating Dream so she leaves. She becomes Xie Huang's disciple and helps in persuading her master to accept Feng to master the evil skill. She is killed by Dao Huang while trying to protect Feng. The scene of her falling into the blood pool and Feng carrying her corpse out from there and jumps down the cliff is quite tragic indeed.
Chen is okay in her acting but her heavy headgear of the deer's horn is an unbearable sight. Wonder who is the crazy one who invented it?
Her father gives up his Qiling arm to Yun when Xiong Ba cuts off Yun's arm. Later this irresponsible man puts her under Yun's care and leaves ALONE! Yun never has a day of peace since then. This woman talks so much, declares her affections for him frequently and also tags along with him wherever he goes. I find her a BIG hindrance. If not for her, Yun could have injured Xiong Ba and killed him during his weakest moment. She doesn't know martial arts and she gives Yun so much trouble. She is ALWAYS abducted and creates lots of worries for him.
No wonder Yun is so eager to let Jian Cheng care for her. But after knowing that she is raped by Jian Cheng and carrying his baby, he finally realises that he loves her. When Chu Chu is so upset over the rape incident that she jumps off the cliff, he also jumps down to save her. Both are finally happily married. Ding Ning tries to create discord between them and Chu Chu is indeed jealous for a while. Luckily, they reconcile later and her daughter, Ting, carries his surname.
Tao Hong's acting is okay and is considered better than Shu Qi in the movie but I can't accept her long plaited and brownish hair with so many clips. It is very unsightly. Moreover, she has a doll-like fringe that looks ugly too. I don't really like her image before and after marriage - she looks childish to me.
Her dressing sure send frowns to faces. At first with Xiong Ba and Nie Ren Wang, she looks bitchy in a very revealing white gown which bares her arms. Together with Po Jun, her look is lecherous. Then with Jue Wu Sheng, she dresses like Cleopatra and later with so many peacock feathers in her hair. You will marvel at the daring outfits that she has and also the very shiny bead headpieces that dangle on her head. Oh my -- how many men are involved with her? Is she really that pretty?
Tian Li's acting is okay although she looks too young to be a mother of two. Also very convincing in intimate scenes with Po Jun. The way that both share a bite of fruit with their mouths is hot! But she can't act in crying scenes when she acknowledges Feng and when Feng doesn't recognise her under the evil spell. How can she survive in the entertainment scene for so long? Her thick make-up is horrible indeed.
23) Ding Ning - Wu Chen Jun
She only appears in the last few episodes. She is Kong's Ci's twin younger sister and thus resembles her. Xiong Ba tells her about Yun's killing of Kong Ci. She tries to make Chu Chu leave Yun by feigning to be raped by Yun and is pregnant. She also pretends to love him to get rejected. She starts to question herself when Yun saves her repeatedly. She even bears the thought of killing Chu Chu's daughter after delivering the baby. Her hatred is so great. After Shuang tells her the truth, she falls for him and betrays Xiong Ba. Their happiness is short-lived when he dies.
She is very gullible. All except her believe that Shuang's death is caused by someone else. She keeps insisting that Feng killed him. To think that she is so stupid to attack Feng so as to create a chance for Jue Xin to seize the dragon's vein. Sigh -- normally a woman will not be cheated twice but she is stupid indeed.
She still has the innocent look although she tries to be scheming. Not a successful try by Wu.
24) Doll killers - China dolls
A brief appearance by the two popular singers. They don't wear any wigs at all. Moreover, one of them have braces which is so obvious! Many comic fans cover their eyes when they see this. How can this happen in a period drama?
Exciting fight scenes
There are plenty of fighting scenes that you will like as listed below:
The duel between Xiong Ba and Nie Ren Wang over Yan Ying in the bamboo forest. The shots in the movie are too fast and messy to be seen while this scene shows very clearly how the 2 top pugilists pit against each other.
How Xiong Ba imparts his 3 different skills to his disciples.
The way that Feng and Ming Yue master 'Qing Cheng Zhi Lian'. A remarkable sight when they hold the swords together and write the 4 words in the sky. What a sharp contrast to how Du Gu Ming and Ming Yue master the same skill together -- the two swords actually repel against each other! It is comparable to how Dan Feng and Wan Lui master the twin swords in 'Ping Zhong'.
The fight scene between Feng and Yun over Kong Ci when Yun tries to snatch her away after the marriage ceremony.
Jian Shen's soul tries to kill Xiong Ba, only to be destroyed by the revengeful Yun who wants to kill Xiong Ba with his own hands. Tons more spectacular than the movie scene when many are killed by his sword 'air' and how he tries to remove Xiong Ba's heart.
Yun snatches the youthful pill to make sure that Kong Ci's corpse will not decay. It is a bloody sight to see him killing everyone in the mansion and how he sneaks into the Empress's grave to lay her into rest.
Duan Lang pushes Feng into the cave when the fiery unicorn appears. Feng has a good fight with it and kills it. He even gets the good fortune of learning a new skill instead.
Yun confronts with Xiong Ba and loses an arm.
How Yun tries to get used to the new Qilin arm.
Yun's duel with Bu Shen. Reminds me of the scene where Ekin and Tak Wah in the movie ' Luk Siu Fung - Duel in the Imperial palace'. Of course, the special effects here are better.
How Xiong Ba masters his 'San Fen Gui Yuan' skill.
This is the grandest moment of all. The process when the supreme sword is made. So many people try to grab the sword. They are confused to find the true one among the sea of swords. Jian Ao is so confident about his judgement to get the correct sword since he comes from the Sword mansion. All will laugh upon seeing how easy Duan Lang uses his Qiling sword to break it into two. Duan Lang wishes to destroy it while Jian Ao wants it to restore his family's glory. In the end, it goes into Yun's hands instead. It even tries to protect him from danger even without being asked!
Yun follows Wu Ming when Wu Ming snatches the supreme sword from him. Wu Ming has a hard time subduing the sword as it yearns to be close to its master.
Xiong Ba's three disciples fight with him. Feng is blinded and Shuang loses an arm in the process. It really shakes heaven and earth.
The 3 seek to look for Xiong Ba again. Yun is so enraged with Duan Lang to poison Jian Cheng and causing Chu Chu to be violated by Jian Cheng.. He uses the supreme sword to pin him right up of the city wall after killing him. Feng and Yun have mastered combined skills from Wu Ming and thus they defeat their master. Xiong Ba destroys his own skills to prevent them from seeking further revenge.
Jue Wu Shen's duel with Feng. Feng loses and is locked in jail.
Jue Wu Shen's duel with Wu Ming. He thinks that Wu Ming has lost his skills completely but he manages to master Manual of Swords. Wu Ming still loses in the end as he has not recovered completely.
No. 2 Dao Huang trying to kill Feng when finding him and Dream together.
Feng immerses himself into the wicked pool and turns evil. The process is done when the blood flows to complete the 'devil' word.
Wu Ming, Jian Cheng, Dao Huang, Yun and Second Dream join forces to deal with Jue Wu Sheng. They finally find his weak acupoint and defeat him.
Wu Ming and Yun are forced to subdue Feng. They are alarmed when they cannot control him because all his acupoints have shifted their positions after he masters the evil skills.
Xiong Ba and his gang try to get the dragon's vein in the Emperor's tomb. They come face to face with the fiery unicorn. Many are burned to death. Feng kills it finally. The poor creature sheds tears before dying and ceases the fire fumes around it. A very magnificent sight.
The finale between Xiong Ba against Feng and Yun. The dragon's vein is supposed to be helpful to Xiong Ba but it is a righteous element, which helps him to become more evil. Both combine their skills together to kill him and destroys all his chances of becoming the demon king.
Interesting facts
It is said that Chiu is the highest paid actor for the whole serial, even more than Qian Ye. But Chiu claims that he is under a 4 year contract with China Star and is paid monthly by the company.
Chiu is given the role of Yun initially but he gives the role to He Run Dong because he thinks he is more suitable. He was quite pressured as he has seen Kwok Fu Shing's splendid performance in the movie. He tries hard to get the correct build through bodybuilding and learning martial arts from a friend who grows up in Shaolin.
Many think that He is wearing a wig but in actual fact, that is his own hair which is blown for hours to get the right look. Most of us still think that Chiu is more suitable to play Yun since he is good as Wong Fei Hung in the movies and the television version.
Chiu has expected the job to be a difficult one. He is quite surprised that his task is so simple and he only needs to provide poses. The computer takes on most of the job. He jokes that this is the most comfortable assignment that he has taken up so far.
The way that Feng and Ming Yue master the 'Qing Cheng Zhi Lian' skill is so loving. No wonder they are mistaken as a couple during filming. Maybe it is due to this, the producers arrange them to be together as Feng and Dream in the later part of the serial.
He Run Dong has a lot of n.g. cuts with Wu Chen Jun in the bed scene. He claims that all along he has treated Wu like a brother and he is the shy type who doesn't know how to 'rape' a woman in front of the camera crew. He laments that many will think that he is a Cassava as he showers his love for Tao Hong in the morning and Wu at night. Because of the tight filming schedules, he finds it weird to declare love to two women in one day. The film crew never stops digging at him for having two women on the same day.
Wong Hei is happy that he gets this role that he reads the whole set of the comics. He is the only Hongkonger among the cast and he is glad that he gets the chance to speak Mandarin most of the time.
This serial is so popular that they are planning to shoot Part 2. It's heard that Yang Pei Pei is also going to shoot Part 2. I wonder which will be better?
In Singapore, the serial is shown at the same time slot to pit against New Chor Lau Heung 2001 and later Meteor Garden. Which one wins -- it is Feng Yun undoubtedly! Who is not attracted by its special effects and nice scenery shot in China? It becomes the highest rated serial in the 10.30 p.m. serial slot.
The shots behind the scenes in the last episode show how difficult the serial is done. The cliff hanging scene of Nie Ren Wang and Yan Ying only shows the artistes lying comfortably on a green box and being blown by a huge fan at the same time. The poor computer specialists have to create the scenes to create the reality and impact.
Songs
Please trust me -- the singing is terrible. If given the choice, I will play the songs sung by Ekin or Kwok Fu Shing throughout the serial. Both actors have done a marvelous job in singing the songs in a traditional tune besides giving us the good acting. Even the television station plays Ekin's 'Fung Wan' background music when showing the trailers! I guess it dislikes the television version as much as I do.
The singer Jiang De Sheng here is sure lousy. The metal rock song even has the English lyrics -- 'I can't live without you. Although you break my heart, but still I love you'! How can it fit into a period drama? Maybe it's not his fault but the responsibility lies on the lyric writer. Another sub-theme song ' The Cloud that Loves You' by Huang Guo Jun and him is better -- wonder why it is not chosen as the theme song instead.
The ending theme by Li Yi Jun - 'Forever' is good. Li has never disappointed me in her singing for 'Princess Huan Zhu' and other Qiong Yao serials. Sometimes, I do feel like asking the Taiwanese producers to write appropriate songs for the ancient dramas. They are really too much lately!
Conclusion
If you are in for good fighting scenes, this is the right one for you. I have never expected Taiwanese productions to scale such great heights. I do appreciate the efforts that they have placed in. The producers manage to make every scene come alive. Most present period dramas have little fighting scenes and many dragging, talking scenes. This serial is breathe-taking that has fighting scenes in every single episode. You have to bear with the ugly artistes and terrible acting, though. It is a complete let-down. The computer, fighting effects have completely overshadowed the cast. So much that it doesn't require any acting experience and the artistes only need to present the poses. If you can take it, do watch it. This is still considered one of the best in the latest productions in the 21st century.
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