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The best cdrama I've seen in years.
YOU WANT ANGST? YOU GOT ANGST RIGHT HERE.
The (sort of) main character, Yang Liu Lang. As played by Hu Ge, he naturally looks goofy in metal helmets. Liu Lang is good at inventing things and is smart. But obviously not too smart, as evidenced by the time he tried to flirt with a girl using the line "I'm a habitual criminal of rape." His accomplishments include outliving all the other males in his family, uncovering royal conspiracies, inventing various weapons such as pepper-filled-flails, missiles, boomerangs and hang gliders and is the only character who manages to marry his OTP and enjoy married life. Manpain factor: Moderate, despite being top-billed.
Yang Qi Lang, the wuxia equivalent of a puppy and my favourite. Has two OTPs, both played by the same actress. Undeniably the cutest romance in the drama. Has extraordinary LEG STRENGTH and uses it to kill evil son of evil Prime Minister in a 'Joust for a Spouse' battle between evil son and Si Lang. Gets shot to death by arrows after being ambushed by a troop of Liao soldiers led by Yelu Xie (Why, Yelu Xie, whyyyyyyyyy?). That scene made me CRY LIKE A FRIGGIN' BABY. Manpain factor: Moderately low, because he is a puppy. But don't worry, lots of bad shit happens to him as well.
Peter Ho is Yang Si Lang, who was lost as a child on the battlefield. He returns a decade later to vengefully wreak angst on his family. Si Lang also manages to get lost on the battlefield a second time as an adult. If you are a fan of unintentional polygamy then you are in for a treat with Si Lang. You will also like Si Lang if you like subplots that include amnesia or enjoy watching montages of people walking around angsting about their abandonment issues. Manpain factor: Through the roof. This guy is a one-man emofest. Mostly thanks to the pop ballad montages.
Yang Wu Lang, the 5th brother. A bit outshined by his brothers and Yelu Xie who are all pretty boys, but is a pretty nice guy and is dandy with a spear. Makes deserts with something called "Love Peas" to win the heart of his beloved. Yelu Xie's rival in war AND love. Sadly, even though he gets the girl, he ultimately becomes a monk in the end. Manpain factor: High.
Yelu Xie, Liao General & antagonist. Outshines everyone thanks to oddly scrobbled together characterization that makes him a mixture of tormented romantic hero and bad-boy warrior with a heart of partial gold. Ridiculously appealing to girls and can sport a hat made from a dead raccoon and still look hotter than everyone else. Thanks to this and LOCH, Yuan Hong is making a career out of playing complex baddies. Manpain factor: Quite high. It is not easy being a patriotic child-kidnapping terrorist.
Various Other Characters & Moments:
Yang Papa, who is awesome. But meets an untimely demise when he kills himself by cracking his head open on a tombstone to prove his loyalty to the bastard Song Emperor:
Yang Mama, played by Amy Chan (who incidentally also played the part of Mok Gui Ying in another version of the same story. MGY was Yang Liu Lang's daughter-in-law. Very trippy.)
Guan Hong, wife of Yang Wu Lang:
Yelu Xie using the good ol' 'You're cuter when you curse' line on Guan Hong:
Wu Lang & Guan Hong:
The VERY ADORABLE Yang Ba Mei, aka Littlest Sister. Ba Mei is everyone's secret weapon. Unleash her on an unsuspecting potential female and BAM! you got yourself an OTP:
Liu Lang and OTP Princess Chai:
Everybody in this capture dies, except for Wu Lang (in the orange):
Wu Lang once again infiltrating the People Who Die club:
Liu Lang and Qi Lang:
Qi Lang section for meganbmoore
Do not worry, lesbiassparrow - that is a rabbit and not a bunny. No one could eat a bunny.
Qi Lang's very cute OTP:
Si Lang's OTP, who could rival Liu Yi Fei in looks and acting ability:
Si Lang, who looks startlingly cute when he smiles:
Bonus Liu Lang and OTP interloper who looks like Zhang Ziyi. For some reason I am kind of obsessed with her. In great drama tradition, she is scorned by Liu Lang for trying to kill Princess Chai and then goes off to marry the bastard Song Emperor in the hopes of using imperial power to kill Liu Lang. Too bad she doesn't know he is THE ONE destined to bring about the downfall of the Liao and thus cannot die:
To end on a happy note, here is the whole family together:
And now I have run out of Hu Ge dramas. At least until LOCH airs.
YOU WANT ANGST? YOU GOT ANGST RIGHT HERE.
The (sort of) main character, Yang Liu Lang. As played by Hu Ge, he naturally looks goofy in metal helmets. Liu Lang is good at inventing things and is smart. But obviously not too smart, as evidenced by the time he tried to flirt with a girl using the line "I'm a habitual criminal of rape." His accomplishments include outliving all the other males in his family, uncovering royal conspiracies, inventing various weapons such as pepper-filled-flails, missiles, boomerangs and hang gliders and is the only character who manages to marry his OTP and enjoy married life. Manpain factor: Moderate, despite being top-billed.
Yang Qi Lang, the wuxia equivalent of a puppy and my favourite. Has two OTPs, both played by the same actress. Undeniably the cutest romance in the drama. Has extraordinary LEG STRENGTH and uses it to kill evil son of evil Prime Minister in a 'Joust for a Spouse' battle between evil son and Si Lang. Gets shot to death by arrows after being ambushed by a troop of Liao soldiers led by Yelu Xie (Why, Yelu Xie, whyyyyyyyyy?). That scene made me CRY LIKE A FRIGGIN' BABY. Manpain factor: Moderately low, because he is a puppy. But don't worry, lots of bad shit happens to him as well.
Peter Ho is Yang Si Lang, who was lost as a child on the battlefield. He returns a decade later to vengefully wreak angst on his family. Si Lang also manages to get lost on the battlefield a second time as an adult. If you are a fan of unintentional polygamy then you are in for a treat with Si Lang. You will also like Si Lang if you like subplots that include amnesia or enjoy watching montages of people walking around angsting about their abandonment issues. Manpain factor: Through the roof. This guy is a one-man emofest. Mostly thanks to the pop ballad montages.
Yang Wu Lang, the 5th brother. A bit outshined by his brothers and Yelu Xie who are all pretty boys, but is a pretty nice guy and is dandy with a spear. Makes deserts with something called "Love Peas" to win the heart of his beloved. Yelu Xie's rival in war AND love. Sadly, even though he gets the girl, he ultimately becomes a monk in the end. Manpain factor: High.
Yelu Xie, Liao General & antagonist. Outshines everyone thanks to oddly scrobbled together characterization that makes him a mixture of tormented romantic hero and bad-boy warrior with a heart of partial gold. Ridiculously appealing to girls and can sport a hat made from a dead raccoon and still look hotter than everyone else. Thanks to this and LOCH, Yuan Hong is making a career out of playing complex baddies. Manpain factor: Quite high. It is not easy being a patriotic child-kidnapping terrorist.
Various Other Characters & Moments:
Yang Papa, who is awesome. But meets an untimely demise when he kills himself by cracking his head open on a tombstone to prove his loyalty to the bastard Song Emperor:
Yang Mama, played by Amy Chan (who incidentally also played the part of Mok Gui Ying in another version of the same story. MGY was Yang Liu Lang's daughter-in-law. Very trippy.)
Guan Hong, wife of Yang Wu Lang:
Yelu Xie using the good ol' 'You're cuter when you curse' line on Guan Hong:
Wu Lang & Guan Hong:
The VERY ADORABLE Yang Ba Mei, aka Littlest Sister. Ba Mei is everyone's secret weapon. Unleash her on an unsuspecting potential female and BAM! you got yourself an OTP:
Liu Lang and OTP Princess Chai:
Everybody in this capture dies, except for Wu Lang (in the orange):
Wu Lang once again infiltrating the People Who Die club:
Liu Lang and Qi Lang:
Qi Lang section for meganbmoore
Do not worry, lesbiassparrow - that is a rabbit and not a bunny. No one could eat a bunny.
Qi Lang's very cute OTP:
Si Lang's OTP, who could rival Liu Yi Fei in looks and acting ability:
Si Lang, who looks startlingly cute when he smiles:
Bonus Liu Lang and OTP interloper who looks like Zhang Ziyi. For some reason I am kind of obsessed with her. In great drama tradition, she is scorned by Liu Lang for trying to kill Princess Chai and then goes off to marry the bastard Song Emperor in the hopes of using imperial power to kill Liu Lang. Too bad she doesn't know he is THE ONE destined to bring about the downfall of the Liao and thus cannot die:
To end on a happy note, here is the whole family together:
And now I have run out of Hu Ge dramas. At least until LOCH airs.