cdrama: Holy Pearl eps 1-6 aka LIVE ACTION INU YASHA
In case you forgot (which may not be too hard, as it isn't being talked about much) China recently decided that Inu Yasha needed a live action wuxia loosely based on it.
Bless you, China.
Here's what it looks like:
I'm too lazy to see if that's the same trailer I posted before.
Actually, it takes the general idea, adapts it from feudal Japan to ancient China, and runs with it. As a result, we have Kagome and Inu Yasha-Ding Yao and Wen Tian here (oder and more mature than the original versions, and Wei Tian is considerably closer to being smart than Inu Yasha, and is half-dragon instead of half dog-demon), off hunting the shards of a vase (turned into pearls that give demon enhanced powers) that can imprison demons, with some core plot points remaining the same to drive the story, but the rest is loosely adapted, or completely made up. TBH, while Ding Yao and Wen Tian having adventures hunting shards is a good central adventure aspect to keep things going, the rest is actually more interesting.
So far, it basically goes like this:
ARCHEOLOGIST: Hello! I am an archelogist who has finally found proof that a mythic city once existed! Rocks glowing red and causing spontaneous storms do not phase me!
LADY ARCHEOLOGIST: How about a 3500 year old painting of your daughter?
ARCHEOLOGIST: SAY WHAT?!?!?!
DING YAO: Said daughter here! Ever since my dad gave me this clay figurine amulet, Ive been having strange visions of ancient China. I think I'll see if those artifacts Dad found give me any ideas for my thesis. Hey, where'd this tornado come from? Wait, why am I in a forest? WAIT WHY AM I BEING ARRESTED?
WEI LIAO: Hello, I am the Grand General of the mythic kingdom. I'm also played my TAE (Yes, he has his name in all caps. Don't ask me why.) in a completely serious and dramatic role, without a hint of the oddball about me. If you've seen me in other roles, you might find this a bit disorienting. I am also the king's younger and much better looking brother. Unfortunately for the kingdom and every character in the series, he left all the brains in the family for me. Back to the plot, it's kinda illegal to trespass here, so I'm afraid you have to be executed.
DING YAO: WTF WHAT TRESPASS WHAT?
TING QIN: Hello, I am the acolyte of the head priestess. I can't help but notice this girl looks like my mistress's dead sister. I feel this is significant.
MO YIN: Priestess here! Eeh, passing resemblance. Off with her head.
THE KING: OMG NO CAN YOU NOT SHE THAT SHE IS MY LONG DEAD TRUE LOVE RETURNED TO US? YOU CANNOT KILL HER!
DING YAO: Oh, wow, thanks for saving me. What's with this pl-
THE KING: MY LOVE! YOU ARE RETURNED TO ME! LET ME GRAB OU AND KISS YOU AND HOLD YOU AND-
DING YAO: OMG WHAT GET OFF OF ME! Off off off! *thwap*
WEI LIAO, MO YIN, TING QIN and RANDOM SOLDIERS: *gasp* TREASON!
THE KING: I AM SURE IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING! TAKE HER TO OUR BEST ROOMS AND GIVE HER A BATH AND INVITE HER TO DINNER!
DING YAO: I wanna go home home! Oh, gardens! Oh! Antiques to take home to dad! Oh, a pretty metal bowl-HO BLEEP ITS THE KING COMING AT ME! I am armed, dude!
THE KING: I promise to behave. Maybe just a cuddle?
DING YAO: ARMED! CAN SHATTER GLASS WITH A SINGLE SCREECH IF NEEDED!
THE KING: How about if I tell you about the person we all think you are?
DING YAO: Ok, that sounds safe.
THE KING: Here is the perfectly preserved corpse of our former priestess, who you are the mirror image of. I like to come out and ogle it sometimes.
DING YAO: Well, you just keep getting creepier, don't you? So, what happened to her.
THE KING: FLASHBACK TIME! Mo Yin and Xian Yue are the earthly reincarnations of goddesses set to protect the kingdom. As soon as I saw Xian Yue, I knew it was true love forever and ever because she was pretty, and I basically stalked her and abused my power as the king to follow her everywhere until she and Mo Yin decided that she should retreat to a place where no mortal man could follow to escape me and Mo Yin took over as the head priestess. Anyway, somewhere in there, she met this half-dragon guy, Wen Tian, who betrayed her and attacked us. She imprisoned him and then died, and I have since kept her perfectly preserved corpse here in my garden so that I can gaze upon her flawless beauty whenever I want.
DING YAO: Well that's very interesting. Really, you sure did have a sucky, tragic time there. Don't mind my slowly edging away from you. It doesn't mean anything.
THE KING: BUT ALL IS WELL NOW! YOU HAVE BEEN SENT TO ME AS A REPLACEMENT! We will wed!
DING YAO: NO WE WILL NOT! Fleeing now.
THE KING: Guards! Lock her up until the wedding! I'll kill anyone who lets her escape!
WEI LIAO: Bro., I'm trying to find a diplomatic way to tell you this, BUT THIS IS A REALLY BAD IDEA! I mean, aside from the complete stranger showing up and looking exactly like the woman you're creepily obsessed wi-I mean, the woman you love, Mo Yin was telling me all about the bad omens she saw just before this girl showed up.
THE KING: Silly boy! Do you not know what it is to love? To feel all consuming, true love that could make you give up everything!
WEI LIAO: I WOULD NEVER ABANDON MY COUNTRY FOR THE SAKE OF ONE WOMAN!
UNIVERSE: Bite you in the butt, that will.
ANYONE WHO HAS EVER SEEN A WUXIA BEFORE: If you're lucky, you'll die dramatically in each other's arms, complete with face stroking. But not before you become super angsty and scruffy and forget how to brush your hair.
TING QIN: Hey, Boss, this is really kind of uhm, wrong. Don't you think we should help this poor girl?
MO YIN: Oh, yes, definitely best to get her out of the palace. Go rescue her.
TING QIN: You know, kiddo, I'm not actually sure I'm helping you because I think there's something up, but run while the runnings good.
DING YAO: RUNNING NOW!
MO YIN: Gosh, Wei Liao, I can 't help but feel that girl is a danger to us all. Maybe it would be best if she just kinda was never found.
WEI LIAO: I may have all the brains in the family, but that doesn't mean I'm the smartest guy around. Maybe my guards should kill her instead of bring her back if they find her? For the good of the country, I mean.
MO YIN: Ah, overwhelming patriotism. So very useful sometimes.
DING YAO: I wanna go home! EEK! DEMON!
DEMON: YUM YUM!
HU JI: Hi, hot demon lady here. Actually, I secretly plan to use and then kill you myself, but for now, I'll help.
DING YAO: Wow you're gorgeous! If you lived in modern times, you'd be more famous than Angelina Jolie and could have an extramarital affair wit Brad Pitt!
MEGAN: Believe it or not, that was as direct a quote as I could get without pulling up the episode.
HU JI: I think that was a backhanded complement. How sweet. Did I mention that I'm a demon too.
DING YAO: Oh, crap.
WEI LIAO: Despite my orders, I feel compelled to run to your rescue.
DING YAO: Thanks. Demons there, running now.
HI JU: Hey hottie, wanna have fight sex?
WEI LIAO: I-what-that-yes?
HU JI: Admit it, you can't make yourself kill me!
WEI LIAO: Are you fighting me or seducing me? This is confusing.
HU JI: Sigh, you're just too cute to kill. Later.
WEI LIAO: Hey, wait a second! Oh look, a feather from your cloak is slowly floating down to me. I'll grab it so I can stare longingly at it later on.
DING YAO: Still running from demons here! Oh look, a cave. That has a cute boy with horns imprisoned in the middle. Let me grab him and hide behind him when the demon finds me.
WEN TIAN: Whoa, long nap there. Xian Yue! Why did you betray me!? Wait, why are you hiding from this wimpy demon?
DING YAO: NOT HER ALREADY! Help please?
WEN TIAN: Well, I needed a workout. Now that I've killed her, let's get back to that betryal thing already.
DING YAO: STOP WITH THE IDENTITY CONFUSION ALREADY! Also, I'm pretty sure your precious priestess would kick your butt if you had that attitude with her.
WEN TIAN: This is all very confusing, but I may believe you now, since you appear to kinda be a wimp.
DING YAO: Well excuse me for not being combat trained from birth or having magic powers like some people!
WEI LIAO: HO BLEEP WHO LET YOU OUT Dragon Boy?
DING YAO: Uhm...me? Also, I kinda shattered the magic vase that holds demons prisoner somewhere in there.
WEI LIAO: I think I'm getting a migraine. Can we all just got back to the palace now?
THE KING: EEEW WHO LET THE MONGREL OUT?
WEN TIAN: I would kick you, but I'm trying to behave until I know WTF is going on. I'll go look at a tree and pout ubntil I'm needed.
MO YIN: I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU BROKE THE MAGIC VASE! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?
DING YAO: I...can go after it?
THE KING: I SHALL SEND AN ARMY TO PROTECT YOU!
WEI LIAO, MO YIN, DING YAO, and TING QIN: ...
MO YIN: Maybe...a couple bodyguards? We don't exactly want to let every demon in the world know about this, you know.
THE KING: IT MUST BE THE BEST OF THE BEST! Wei Liao-
WEI LIAO: Oh hell no am I leaving you unsupervised while I traipse around the country with this girl.
DING YAO: He also wanted to cut my head off in the first episode, so I agree.
WEN TIAN: I'll go. Nothing better to do and all. Totally not figuring out how I feel about all this here. I admit to no emotions.
DING YAO: I vote him over anything the king could ever possibly think of. No offense.
MO YIN: Ting Qin, I'm sending you to secretly spy on them, just in case. check in every few days, ok?
TING QIN: While I suspect I am being used as a tool in potentially evil deeds, this is probably actually a good idea.
DING YAO and WEN TIAN: We will now go have adventures roughly along the lines of Inu Yasha and Kagome's adventures in the first few volumes of the manga, only we'll resolve some issues a lot more quickly and actually have clarifying conversations that clear the air.
While they're doing this, this is what's going on elsewhere:
ARCHEOLOGIST: BTW, I figured out what happened and am trying to figure out how to rescued my daughter from the past. The lack of indoor plumbing and deodorant must be awful.
DING YAO: IT IS! But look, the guy with horns gave me this magic flute that's great in combat!
HU JI: Did I mention I'm the Demon Lord's favorite henchwoman? Because I totally am.
DEMON LORD: Hu Ji, go wipe out that village of demon hunters over there and steal their sacred scroll, K?
HU JI: Totally done!
MU LIAN: Half dead sole survivor of slaughtered demon hunter village here. Wait, am I hallucinating a flying guy with giant black feathers on his cape?
WU DAO: Hey there, prince of the dragon race and half-brother of that annoying guy with horns glued to his head here. I hate humans, but for some reason, I feel compelled to patch this girl up. Not that she's pretty or anything.
MU LIAN: OMG YOU TOOK MY CLOTHES OFF!
WU DAO: And then put them back on! Actually, I gave you better clothes. Also, it was totally just for medical purposes!
MU LIAN: IT IS THE LAW OF MY VILLAGE THAT A WOMAN MUST KILL ANY MAN BESIDES HER HUSBAND WHO SEES HER NAKED!
WU DAO: Medical purposes! Maybe you shouldn't be trying to kill people until you're better? Also, here's some medicine. And weapons. Look, I have to go track down my brother and make speeches about how I hate humans, but I'll be back to help you when you fight demons who outnumber you 10-to-1 and trade meaningful stares with you, ok?
MU LIAN: Time to bury my WHOLE VILLAGE SINGLEHANDED, and then take off to hunt down demons.
THE KING: BTW, Wei Liao, remember when I betrothed you to a princess 17 years ago.
WEI LIAO: WTF I thought you were joking?
THE KING: I was not! Anyway, she drugged her guards and ran away on the way here, so you're off the hook.
WEI LIAO: I assure you that this means nothing to me on a personal level! I'm just going to go stare pensively at that feather now, ok?
YU DIE: Well hello there! I am a slightly lecherous, conveniently small and slender young man incapable of resisting a damsel in distress, and prone to acts of chivalry every five minutes. Unfortunately, I basically have no real fighting skills. I shall attach myself to the first badass girl I meet!
MU LIAN: Why me?
YU DIE: But it will be fun! Oh look, a damsel in distress!
MU LIAN: FYI, damsels in distress who lead you off alone into the forest tend to be demons. Anyway, you're weird, and I'm off.
YU DIE: But I wanted us to be partners and travel the world together having adventures! Oh look, a damsel in distress!
MU LIAN: What are you, a demon magnet? I JUST WARNED YOU ABOUT THIS!
YU DIE: I can't help myself. Also, did I mention that the lechery is just an act and that I'm secretly a crossdressing runaway princess?
MU LIAN: Oh, in that case, we can totally be BFF and spend our lives having adventures together.
YU DIE: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
RANDOM DEMONESS: For reasons that don't completely make sense in this version, I must steal Xian Yue's body.
WEI LIAO and TING QIN: We were just having drinks and noticed commotion and HO BOY THE CORPSE IS GONE AND THE GUARDS ARE UNCONSCIOUS. This will be bad.
THE KING: NOOO THE CORPSE IS GONE MY LIFE IS OVER! KILL ALL THE GUARDS!
WEI LIAO: But...that's 24 men...
THE KING: KILL THEM ALL!
WEI LIAO: Uhm, bro, I'm trying to be diplomatic about this, but that's the kind of thing that leads to rebellion and you probably shouldn't-
THE KING: OMG BACKTALK! FIFTY LASHES FOR YOU!
WEI LIAO: You do realize that all your generals and soldiers like me better, right? Actually, I'm not sure anyone likes you except for Mo Yin and I. And I'm obligated by genetics.
MO YIN: Oh, crap, major damage control time. Ting Qin, take this medicine to Wei Liao and say it's from the king. Hopefully it'll offset the couple dozen officials that are about to beg him to rebel.
WEI LIAO: It's a sweet gesture and all, but I can see right through it.
THE KING: I am drunk at my true love's empty pedestal. How will I survive! For years I have subsisted on nothing but ogling the beautiful, perfectly preserved corpse of my beloved!
MO YIN: You know, maybe this is for the-
THE KING: I CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT GAZING AT HER PERFECT BEAUTY! I know! We shall gather all the finest jade in the kingdom and create a perfect jade replica for me to ogle every day!
MO YIN: But that's...kinda maybe a REALLY BAD way to use the country's resources and your people won't-
THE KING: DO IT! Do it do it do it!
MO YIN: Look, writers, why couldn't you have me in love with the other brother instead?
For the record, if you are only reading this post because of LIVE ACTION INU YASHA, I feel I should mention that except for the time travel (which is actually kinda popular lately) this is all pretty standard wuxia so far.
So, pretty fun. I admit, I think the overall idea actually is very well suited to wuxia, though it certainly isn't particularly faithful. My main issue so far is the fact that while the king is portrayed as obsessive, I think we're still meant to view him as sympathetic, and that's just not happening. There are things in the official description and potential plot developments hinted at in the credits that I'm leery of, but i'll see how they play out before complaining about them.
Also, while there are ceratinly more women in the core cast than in the manga version, I can't help but notice some less-than-pleasing alterations to the families. In the manga, Kagome lives with her mother, who packs her lunches to share with her friends while she has adventures in feudal Japan. It's been a while since I read or watched any of Inu Yasha, but I'm not sure her father was ever mentioned. Ding Yao has a father who wnts to rescue her, and dead motherangst. Actually, most characters seem to have dead mother angst, come to think of it. The big one, though, is how the close and loving relationship between Kikyo and Kaede is...significantly less so with Xian Yue and Mo Yin. The series descriptions hold that Mo Yin is evil and responsible for Xian Yue's death, though so far, she's...less than nice and was envious of Xian Yue, but is largely sympathetic (andthe most interesting character so far) and hasn't shown herself to be evil yet.
Meanwhile, Wen Tian has already admitted that he actually loves Wu Dao and wants Wu Dao to accept him and let him help Wu Dao lead to dragons to ascendancy, and Wu Dao...is still anti-crossbreeds and anti-human, but far less stringent on both counts. Mind you, I actuslly approve of this IN GENERAL, but not so much when i compare it to the changes with female relatives.
Anyway, fun and cracky so far. Hopefully the subs won't be too slow.
Bless you, China.
Here's what it looks like:
Click to viewI'm too lazy to see if that's the same trailer I posted before.
Actually, it takes the general idea, adapts it from feudal Japan to ancient China, and runs with it. As a result, we have Kagome and Inu Yasha-Ding Yao and Wen Tian here (oder and more mature than the original versions, and Wei Tian is considerably closer to being smart than Inu Yasha, and is half-dragon instead of half dog-demon), off hunting the shards of a vase (turned into pearls that give demon enhanced powers) that can imprison demons, with some core plot points remaining the same to drive the story, but the rest is loosely adapted, or completely made up. TBH, while Ding Yao and Wen Tian having adventures hunting shards is a good central adventure aspect to keep things going, the rest is actually more interesting.
So far, it basically goes like this:
ARCHEOLOGIST: Hello! I am an archelogist who has finally found proof that a mythic city once existed! Rocks glowing red and causing spontaneous storms do not phase me!
LADY ARCHEOLOGIST: How about a 3500 year old painting of your daughter?
ARCHEOLOGIST: SAY WHAT?!?!?!
DING YAO: Said daughter here! Ever since my dad gave me this clay figurine amulet, Ive been having strange visions of ancient China. I think I'll see if those artifacts Dad found give me any ideas for my thesis. Hey, where'd this tornado come from? Wait, why am I in a forest? WAIT WHY AM I BEING ARRESTED?
WEI LIAO: Hello, I am the Grand General of the mythic kingdom. I'm also played my TAE (Yes, he has his name in all caps. Don't ask me why.) in a completely serious and dramatic role, without a hint of the oddball about me. If you've seen me in other roles, you might find this a bit disorienting. I am also the king's younger and much better looking brother. Unfortunately for the kingdom and every character in the series, he left all the brains in the family for me. Back to the plot, it's kinda illegal to trespass here, so I'm afraid you have to be executed.
DING YAO: WTF WHAT TRESPASS WHAT?
TING QIN: Hello, I am the acolyte of the head priestess. I can't help but notice this girl looks like my mistress's dead sister. I feel this is significant.
MO YIN: Priestess here! Eeh, passing resemblance. Off with her head.
THE KING: OMG NO CAN YOU NOT SHE THAT SHE IS MY LONG DEAD TRUE LOVE RETURNED TO US? YOU CANNOT KILL HER!
DING YAO: Oh, wow, thanks for saving me. What's with this pl-
THE KING: MY LOVE! YOU ARE RETURNED TO ME! LET ME GRAB OU AND KISS YOU AND HOLD YOU AND-
DING YAO: OMG WHAT GET OFF OF ME! Off off off! *thwap*
WEI LIAO, MO YIN, TING QIN and RANDOM SOLDIERS: *gasp* TREASON!
THE KING: I AM SURE IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING! TAKE HER TO OUR BEST ROOMS AND GIVE HER A BATH AND INVITE HER TO DINNER!
DING YAO: I wanna go home home! Oh, gardens! Oh! Antiques to take home to dad! Oh, a pretty metal bowl-HO BLEEP ITS THE KING COMING AT ME! I am armed, dude!
THE KING: I promise to behave. Maybe just a cuddle?
DING YAO: ARMED! CAN SHATTER GLASS WITH A SINGLE SCREECH IF NEEDED!
THE KING: How about if I tell you about the person we all think you are?
DING YAO: Ok, that sounds safe.
THE KING: Here is the perfectly preserved corpse of our former priestess, who you are the mirror image of. I like to come out and ogle it sometimes.
DING YAO: Well, you just keep getting creepier, don't you? So, what happened to her.
THE KING: FLASHBACK TIME! Mo Yin and Xian Yue are the earthly reincarnations of goddesses set to protect the kingdom. As soon as I saw Xian Yue, I knew it was true love forever and ever because she was pretty, and I basically stalked her and abused my power as the king to follow her everywhere until she and Mo Yin decided that she should retreat to a place where no mortal man could follow to escape me and Mo Yin took over as the head priestess. Anyway, somewhere in there, she met this half-dragon guy, Wen Tian, who betrayed her and attacked us. She imprisoned him and then died, and I have since kept her perfectly preserved corpse here in my garden so that I can gaze upon her flawless beauty whenever I want.
DING YAO: Well that's very interesting. Really, you sure did have a sucky, tragic time there. Don't mind my slowly edging away from you. It doesn't mean anything.
THE KING: BUT ALL IS WELL NOW! YOU HAVE BEEN SENT TO ME AS A REPLACEMENT! We will wed!
DING YAO: NO WE WILL NOT! Fleeing now.
THE KING: Guards! Lock her up until the wedding! I'll kill anyone who lets her escape!
WEI LIAO: Bro., I'm trying to find a diplomatic way to tell you this, BUT THIS IS A REALLY BAD IDEA! I mean, aside from the complete stranger showing up and looking exactly like the woman you're creepily obsessed wi-I mean, the woman you love, Mo Yin was telling me all about the bad omens she saw just before this girl showed up.
THE KING: Silly boy! Do you not know what it is to love? To feel all consuming, true love that could make you give up everything!
WEI LIAO: I WOULD NEVER ABANDON MY COUNTRY FOR THE SAKE OF ONE WOMAN!
UNIVERSE: Bite you in the butt, that will.
ANYONE WHO HAS EVER SEEN A WUXIA BEFORE: If you're lucky, you'll die dramatically in each other's arms, complete with face stroking. But not before you become super angsty and scruffy and forget how to brush your hair.
TING QIN: Hey, Boss, this is really kind of uhm, wrong. Don't you think we should help this poor girl?
MO YIN: Oh, yes, definitely best to get her out of the palace. Go rescue her.
TING QIN: You know, kiddo, I'm not actually sure I'm helping you because I think there's something up, but run while the runnings good.
DING YAO: RUNNING NOW!
MO YIN: Gosh, Wei Liao, I can 't help but feel that girl is a danger to us all. Maybe it would be best if she just kinda was never found.
WEI LIAO: I may have all the brains in the family, but that doesn't mean I'm the smartest guy around. Maybe my guards should kill her instead of bring her back if they find her? For the good of the country, I mean.
MO YIN: Ah, overwhelming patriotism. So very useful sometimes.
DING YAO: I wanna go home! EEK! DEMON!
DEMON: YUM YUM!
HU JI: Hi, hot demon lady here. Actually, I secretly plan to use and then kill you myself, but for now, I'll help.
DING YAO: Wow you're gorgeous! If you lived in modern times, you'd be more famous than Angelina Jolie and could have an extramarital affair wit Brad Pitt!
MEGAN: Believe it or not, that was as direct a quote as I could get without pulling up the episode.
HU JI: I think that was a backhanded complement. How sweet. Did I mention that I'm a demon too.
DING YAO: Oh, crap.
WEI LIAO: Despite my orders, I feel compelled to run to your rescue.
DING YAO: Thanks. Demons there, running now.
HI JU: Hey hottie, wanna have fight sex?
WEI LIAO: I-what-that-yes?
HU JI: Admit it, you can't make yourself kill me!
WEI LIAO: Are you fighting me or seducing me? This is confusing.
HU JI: Sigh, you're just too cute to kill. Later.
WEI LIAO: Hey, wait a second! Oh look, a feather from your cloak is slowly floating down to me. I'll grab it so I can stare longingly at it later on.
DING YAO: Still running from demons here! Oh look, a cave. That has a cute boy with horns imprisoned in the middle. Let me grab him and hide behind him when the demon finds me.
WEN TIAN: Whoa, long nap there. Xian Yue! Why did you betray me!? Wait, why are you hiding from this wimpy demon?
DING YAO: NOT HER ALREADY! Help please?
WEN TIAN: Well, I needed a workout. Now that I've killed her, let's get back to that betryal thing already.
DING YAO: STOP WITH THE IDENTITY CONFUSION ALREADY! Also, I'm pretty sure your precious priestess would kick your butt if you had that attitude with her.
WEN TIAN: This is all very confusing, but I may believe you now, since you appear to kinda be a wimp.
DING YAO: Well excuse me for not being combat trained from birth or having magic powers like some people!
WEI LIAO: HO BLEEP WHO LET YOU OUT Dragon Boy?
DING YAO: Uhm...me? Also, I kinda shattered the magic vase that holds demons prisoner somewhere in there.
WEI LIAO: I think I'm getting a migraine. Can we all just got back to the palace now?
THE KING: EEEW WHO LET THE MONGREL OUT?
WEN TIAN: I would kick you, but I'm trying to behave until I know WTF is going on. I'll go look at a tree and pout ubntil I'm needed.
MO YIN: I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU BROKE THE MAGIC VASE! WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?
DING YAO: I...can go after it?
THE KING: I SHALL SEND AN ARMY TO PROTECT YOU!
WEI LIAO, MO YIN, DING YAO, and TING QIN: ...
MO YIN: Maybe...a couple bodyguards? We don't exactly want to let every demon in the world know about this, you know.
THE KING: IT MUST BE THE BEST OF THE BEST! Wei Liao-
WEI LIAO: Oh hell no am I leaving you unsupervised while I traipse around the country with this girl.
DING YAO: He also wanted to cut my head off in the first episode, so I agree.
WEN TIAN: I'll go. Nothing better to do and all. Totally not figuring out how I feel about all this here. I admit to no emotions.
DING YAO: I vote him over anything the king could ever possibly think of. No offense.
MO YIN: Ting Qin, I'm sending you to secretly spy on them, just in case. check in every few days, ok?
TING QIN: While I suspect I am being used as a tool in potentially evil deeds, this is probably actually a good idea.
DING YAO and WEN TIAN: We will now go have adventures roughly along the lines of Inu Yasha and Kagome's adventures in the first few volumes of the manga, only we'll resolve some issues a lot more quickly and actually have clarifying conversations that clear the air.
While they're doing this, this is what's going on elsewhere:
ARCHEOLOGIST: BTW, I figured out what happened and am trying to figure out how to rescued my daughter from the past. The lack of indoor plumbing and deodorant must be awful.
DING YAO: IT IS! But look, the guy with horns gave me this magic flute that's great in combat!
HU JI: Did I mention I'm the Demon Lord's favorite henchwoman? Because I totally am.
DEMON LORD: Hu Ji, go wipe out that village of demon hunters over there and steal their sacred scroll, K?
HU JI: Totally done!
MU LIAN: Half dead sole survivor of slaughtered demon hunter village here. Wait, am I hallucinating a flying guy with giant black feathers on his cape?
WU DAO: Hey there, prince of the dragon race and half-brother of that annoying guy with horns glued to his head here. I hate humans, but for some reason, I feel compelled to patch this girl up. Not that she's pretty or anything.
MU LIAN: OMG YOU TOOK MY CLOTHES OFF!
WU DAO: And then put them back on! Actually, I gave you better clothes. Also, it was totally just for medical purposes!
MU LIAN: IT IS THE LAW OF MY VILLAGE THAT A WOMAN MUST KILL ANY MAN BESIDES HER HUSBAND WHO SEES HER NAKED!
WU DAO: Medical purposes! Maybe you shouldn't be trying to kill people until you're better? Also, here's some medicine. And weapons. Look, I have to go track down my brother and make speeches about how I hate humans, but I'll be back to help you when you fight demons who outnumber you 10-to-1 and trade meaningful stares with you, ok?
MU LIAN: Time to bury my WHOLE VILLAGE SINGLEHANDED, and then take off to hunt down demons.
THE KING: BTW, Wei Liao, remember when I betrothed you to a princess 17 years ago.
WEI LIAO: WTF I thought you were joking?
THE KING: I was not! Anyway, she drugged her guards and ran away on the way here, so you're off the hook.
WEI LIAO: I assure you that this means nothing to me on a personal level! I'm just going to go stare pensively at that feather now, ok?
YU DIE: Well hello there! I am a slightly lecherous, conveniently small and slender young man incapable of resisting a damsel in distress, and prone to acts of chivalry every five minutes. Unfortunately, I basically have no real fighting skills. I shall attach myself to the first badass girl I meet!
MU LIAN: Why me?
YU DIE: But it will be fun! Oh look, a damsel in distress!
MU LIAN: FYI, damsels in distress who lead you off alone into the forest tend to be demons. Anyway, you're weird, and I'm off.
YU DIE: But I wanted us to be partners and travel the world together having adventures! Oh look, a damsel in distress!
MU LIAN: What are you, a demon magnet? I JUST WARNED YOU ABOUT THIS!
YU DIE: I can't help myself. Also, did I mention that the lechery is just an act and that I'm secretly a crossdressing runaway princess?
MU LIAN: Oh, in that case, we can totally be BFF and spend our lives having adventures together.
YU DIE: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
RANDOM DEMONESS: For reasons that don't completely make sense in this version, I must steal Xian Yue's body.
WEI LIAO and TING QIN: We were just having drinks and noticed commotion and HO BOY THE CORPSE IS GONE AND THE GUARDS ARE UNCONSCIOUS. This will be bad.
THE KING: NOOO THE CORPSE IS GONE MY LIFE IS OVER! KILL ALL THE GUARDS!
WEI LIAO: But...that's 24 men...
THE KING: KILL THEM ALL!
WEI LIAO: Uhm, bro, I'm trying to be diplomatic about this, but that's the kind of thing that leads to rebellion and you probably shouldn't-
THE KING: OMG BACKTALK! FIFTY LASHES FOR YOU!
WEI LIAO: You do realize that all your generals and soldiers like me better, right? Actually, I'm not sure anyone likes you except for Mo Yin and I. And I'm obligated by genetics.
MO YIN: Oh, crap, major damage control time. Ting Qin, take this medicine to Wei Liao and say it's from the king. Hopefully it'll offset the couple dozen officials that are about to beg him to rebel.
WEI LIAO: It's a sweet gesture and all, but I can see right through it.
THE KING: I am drunk at my true love's empty pedestal. How will I survive! For years I have subsisted on nothing but ogling the beautiful, perfectly preserved corpse of my beloved!
MO YIN: You know, maybe this is for the-
THE KING: I CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT GAZING AT HER PERFECT BEAUTY! I know! We shall gather all the finest jade in the kingdom and create a perfect jade replica for me to ogle every day!
MO YIN: But that's...kinda maybe a REALLY BAD way to use the country's resources and your people won't-
THE KING: DO IT! Do it do it do it!
MO YIN: Look, writers, why couldn't you have me in love with the other brother instead?
For the record, if you are only reading this post because of LIVE ACTION INU YASHA, I feel I should mention that except for the time travel (which is actually kinda popular lately) this is all pretty standard wuxia so far.
So, pretty fun. I admit, I think the overall idea actually is very well suited to wuxia, though it certainly isn't particularly faithful. My main issue so far is the fact that while the king is portrayed as obsessive, I think we're still meant to view him as sympathetic, and that's just not happening. There are things in the official description and potential plot developments hinted at in the credits that I'm leery of, but i'll see how they play out before complaining about them.
Also, while there are ceratinly more women in the core cast than in the manga version, I can't help but notice some less-than-pleasing alterations to the families. In the manga, Kagome lives with her mother, who packs her lunches to share with her friends while she has adventures in feudal Japan. It's been a while since I read or watched any of Inu Yasha, but I'm not sure her father was ever mentioned. Ding Yao has a father who wnts to rescue her, and dead motherangst. Actually, most characters seem to have dead mother angst, come to think of it. The big one, though, is how the close and loving relationship between Kikyo and Kaede is...significantly less so with Xian Yue and Mo Yin. The series descriptions hold that Mo Yin is evil and responsible for Xian Yue's death, though so far, she's...less than nice and was envious of Xian Yue, but is largely sympathetic (andthe most interesting character so far) and hasn't shown herself to be evil yet.
Meanwhile, Wen Tian has already admitted that he actually loves Wu Dao and wants Wu Dao to accept him and let him help Wu Dao lead to dragons to ascendancy, and Wu Dao...is still anti-crossbreeds and anti-human, but far less stringent on both counts. Mind you, I actuslly approve of this IN GENERAL, but not so much when i compare it to the changes with female relatives.
Anyway, fun and cracky so far. Hopefully the subs won't be too slow.