XAJH Mainland 2001: The Music Score
I decided to write a review on my #1 Chinese Wuxia Series of All Time. Since I'm re-watching it now and still fascinated with all the little details this series have, I will take this chance to write a detailed review and elaborate on why this is the best wuxia series ever, for me.
笑 傲 江 湖
~Xiao Ao Jiang Hu~
Laughing in The Wind
CCTV (Mainland China) 2001
Other English titles: The Smiling, Proud Wanderer / State of Divinity / Swordsman
"Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" (Laughing in the Wind) tells the story of Linghu Chong, the first disciple of Huashan, a well-known righteous sect, through a twist of fate, getting involved with criminals and people from the Evil Sect and the people he loved, loses trust in him.
Linghu Chong is the carefree, easygoing type who loves to joke around. Though an orphan, he had a fairly happy life being raised in Huashan by his master and his master's wife and they treat him like their own child. He had romance with his master's daughter too. But things goes downhill as he accidentally become involved with people from the Evil sect. His master suspects him. His first love come to love another man. He was internally injured and there was no cure for him. When everything seem goes wrong, the Evil sect was what saves him physically and mentally. He gets true friends and he becomes romantically involved with the daughter of the Evil Sect's former chief, as well. While trying to define what's really righteous and what's really evil, he unintentionally learns several powerful martial arts skills and gradually becoming number one in the martial arts world.
"Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" was written by Jin Yong in the 1960s. There has been several TV series and movie adaptation of the novel, including Jet Li's Swordsman II. This series is one of them, produced and financed by CCTV. CCTV is Mainland China's national TV station. Like what NHK is for Japan. If I'm not mistaken, this CCTV adaptation had the biggest budget among other "XAJH" adaptations. It is also the adaptation which the original novel author, Jin Yong, most involved with.
Xiao Ao Jiang Hu (CCTV 2001) consists of 40 episodes with Huang Jianzhong as the director and Zhang Jizhong as the producer. Stars Mainland Chinese actors and actresses whom I personally think are mostly unfamiliar internationally. The ending themesong, also entitled "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu", is sung by Liu Huan (Mainland Chinese singer) and Faye Wong (the Hongkong pop diva).
Part I: The Music Score
(Episode 1-5)
Main Cast
Li Yapeng as Linghu Chong
Li Jie as Lin Pingzhi
Chen Lifeng as Yilin
Miao Yiyi as Yue Lingshan
The story starts out with the story's hero, Linghu Chong and his xiao shimei (little sister of the same martial arts school), Yue Lingshan, spying on the Lin family who owns the Fuwei Escort Agency. The Lin family is known to possess a heirloom which is a very powerful martial art manual called Pixie Swordplay Manual and people from the Qingcheng sect is hunting them to get the manual. The whole Lin family were eventually massacred and the only son of the family, Lin Pingzhi joined the Huashan sect as a disciple.
This first arc also tells the friendship of Qu Yang, an elder from the Evil Sect, with Liu Zhengfeng, an elder from the righteous sect. They become friends due to their love and passion for music. However, the other righteous sects are against this friendship. Qu Yang has also been hunted by the Holy Maiden from the Evil Sect who had accept the order from Dungfang Bubai, the Chief of the Evil Sect, to kill Qu Yang due to his relationship with someone from the righteous sect.
The Leader of the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance (incl. Huashan) ordered Liu Zhengfeng to kill Qu Yang. Liu's family was killed because Liu refused to do so. Qu Yang came to rescue and also with the help of Linghu Chong, they managed to escape.
Before they commit suicide, the elders, Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng managed to compose and finished a beautiful music score, called "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" which literally means "laughing at the world," and trusted the music score to Linghu Chong.
This subplot introduces the big damage that can occur when someone from the righteous sect befriend someone from the evil sect and how things in this "xiao ao jiang hu" universe works. Becoming involved with people from the Evil Sect is the worst taboo for people in the righteous sect. Meanwhile, the Evil Sect calls themselves the Holy Sect (their official name is the Holy Sun and Moon Sect) and hates people from the righteous sects, thinking they're all hypocrites.
My favorite part from the first arc is how Linghu Chong meets the pervert criminal, Tian Boguang. A disciple of the Northern Hengshan sect, Yilin, was on her way to Liu Zhengfeng's hand-washing ceremony and she was accidentally separated from her masters and martial art sisters. The Northern Hengshan sect members are all bald nuns. Though bald and wearing a very big robe, Yilin has a very pretty face which caught the criminal's attention. With the intention of raping her, Tian Boguang went after Yilin. Coincidentally, Linghu Chong was around and tried to save Yilin.
I love how Tian Boguang is a robber and rapist and yet he acts funny and comical. He's not creepy pervert but comical pervert. (I can easily imagine Yusuke Santamaria or Sanma-san in this role, lol)
This part introduces Linghu Chong's high sense of humor as well and how he likes to make fun of people. I find the conversation between Linghu Chong and Tian Boguang funny and I love how LHC tricked TBG. However, this is the beginning of Linghu Chong's misery.
Rather than the first act, I prefer to call this part as the "prologue act." All the plots in the first five episodes are basically set-ups for the real story to begin.
Plot-wise, things goes pretty slow and sometimes boring in this first arc. However, first thing that has become an eye-opener for me was towards the end of Episode 1. When the Qingcheng sect people lead by the chief, Yu Canghai, raid in the Lin family's residence in a very artistic and unique manner just like a dance. I almost thought this series is a musical play or a Chinese opera or something. The traditional oriental music was spot on. Then after the dance-like artistic entrance, Yu Canghai shows off his bian lian (face-changing) art skill. Really, really cool!! Quoting Wiki, Bian Lian is an ancient Chinese dramatic art that is part of Sichuan opera. Performers wear vividly colored masks and brightly colored costumes and move to quick, dramatic music. In this adaptation, Yu Canghai will cover his face with various masks in turns when he's in a fight, symbolizing that he has changed into evil whenever he fights someone. Don't remember how it was in the novel, though.
I really, really love anything authentic traditional and ancient stuff. That is why the atmosphere of this serial caught my attention immediately. Everything... once again, I will emphasize this word, EVERYTHING in this adaptation feels very authentically ancient and realistic. I feel like I'm really back in the past watching the story for real. The locations are real locations with breath-taking natural scenery.... everytime they change location I feel like "Holy sh*t!! How the hell could they find places like this!?"
With other wuxia TV series, you know when they're shooting in the studio and some even have CG-ed awful-looking sceneries. But not with this adaptation. Everything looks real.
Another thing, Chen Lifeng, the actress who played Yilin and the other Hengshan nuns, actually shaved their heads for the roles!!>_< Amazing. Pei fu... pei fu...
And the traditional music... love them. The upbeat, cheerful tunes. The sweet tunes. The melancholic tunes. Really makes you immersed into this ancient world. Wuxia series nowadays uses modern pop songs as themesong and steals some Hollywood western BGMs... awful >_< Why can't they just use and rehash the music scores in the TVB 1980s wuxia series? They have awesome music.
One last word. It takes time to get used to the themesong for this adaptation and it grew on me and I come to love it. But even after I'm loving this song, I still think the themesong for the TVB 1984 (starring Chow Yun Fat) adaptation sung by Frances Yip and Johnny Ip, also titled "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu," is still the best of the best. Nothing can beat that.
To be continued to Part II: One Year Punishment in Huashan.
Next part where the real story of our hero, Linghu Chong, begins.
You can watch this series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCos_1jZq9Y&list=PLA3M3jODMcbdXo8IKcg_9AkDKTMeDI20c
笑 傲 江 湖
~Xiao Ao Jiang Hu~
Laughing in The Wind
CCTV (Mainland China) 2001
Other English titles: The Smiling, Proud Wanderer / State of Divinity / Swordsman
"Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" (Laughing in the Wind) tells the story of Linghu Chong, the first disciple of Huashan, a well-known righteous sect, through a twist of fate, getting involved with criminals and people from the Evil Sect and the people he loved, loses trust in him.
Linghu Chong is the carefree, easygoing type who loves to joke around. Though an orphan, he had a fairly happy life being raised in Huashan by his master and his master's wife and they treat him like their own child. He had romance with his master's daughter too. But things goes downhill as he accidentally become involved with people from the Evil sect. His master suspects him. His first love come to love another man. He was internally injured and there was no cure for him. When everything seem goes wrong, the Evil sect was what saves him physically and mentally. He gets true friends and he becomes romantically involved with the daughter of the Evil Sect's former chief, as well. While trying to define what's really righteous and what's really evil, he unintentionally learns several powerful martial arts skills and gradually becoming number one in the martial arts world.
"Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" was written by Jin Yong in the 1960s. There has been several TV series and movie adaptation of the novel, including Jet Li's Swordsman II. This series is one of them, produced and financed by CCTV. CCTV is Mainland China's national TV station. Like what NHK is for Japan. If I'm not mistaken, this CCTV adaptation had the biggest budget among other "XAJH" adaptations. It is also the adaptation which the original novel author, Jin Yong, most involved with.
Xiao Ao Jiang Hu (CCTV 2001) consists of 40 episodes with Huang Jianzhong as the director and Zhang Jizhong as the producer. Stars Mainland Chinese actors and actresses whom I personally think are mostly unfamiliar internationally. The ending themesong, also entitled "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu", is sung by Liu Huan (Mainland Chinese singer) and Faye Wong (the Hongkong pop diva).
Part I: The Music Score
(Episode 1-5)
Main Cast
Li Yapeng as Linghu Chong
Li Jie as Lin Pingzhi
Chen Lifeng as Yilin
Miao Yiyi as Yue Lingshan
The story starts out with the story's hero, Linghu Chong and his xiao shimei (little sister of the same martial arts school), Yue Lingshan, spying on the Lin family who owns the Fuwei Escort Agency. The Lin family is known to possess a heirloom which is a very powerful martial art manual called Pixie Swordplay Manual and people from the Qingcheng sect is hunting them to get the manual. The whole Lin family were eventually massacred and the only son of the family, Lin Pingzhi joined the Huashan sect as a disciple.
This first arc also tells the friendship of Qu Yang, an elder from the Evil Sect, with Liu Zhengfeng, an elder from the righteous sect. They become friends due to their love and passion for music. However, the other righteous sects are against this friendship. Qu Yang has also been hunted by the Holy Maiden from the Evil Sect who had accept the order from Dungfang Bubai, the Chief of the Evil Sect, to kill Qu Yang due to his relationship with someone from the righteous sect.
The Leader of the Five Mountain Sword Sects Alliance (incl. Huashan) ordered Liu Zhengfeng to kill Qu Yang. Liu's family was killed because Liu refused to do so. Qu Yang came to rescue and also with the help of Linghu Chong, they managed to escape.
Before they commit suicide, the elders, Qu Yang and Liu Zhengfeng managed to compose and finished a beautiful music score, called "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" which literally means "laughing at the world," and trusted the music score to Linghu Chong.
This subplot introduces the big damage that can occur when someone from the righteous sect befriend someone from the evil sect and how things in this "xiao ao jiang hu" universe works. Becoming involved with people from the Evil Sect is the worst taboo for people in the righteous sect. Meanwhile, the Evil Sect calls themselves the Holy Sect (their official name is the Holy Sun and Moon Sect) and hates people from the righteous sects, thinking they're all hypocrites.
My favorite part from the first arc is how Linghu Chong meets the pervert criminal, Tian Boguang. A disciple of the Northern Hengshan sect, Yilin, was on her way to Liu Zhengfeng's hand-washing ceremony and she was accidentally separated from her masters and martial art sisters. The Northern Hengshan sect members are all bald nuns. Though bald and wearing a very big robe, Yilin has a very pretty face which caught the criminal's attention. With the intention of raping her, Tian Boguang went after Yilin. Coincidentally, Linghu Chong was around and tried to save Yilin.
I love how Tian Boguang is a robber and rapist and yet he acts funny and comical. He's not creepy pervert but comical pervert. (I can easily imagine Yusuke Santamaria or Sanma-san in this role, lol)
This part introduces Linghu Chong's high sense of humor as well and how he likes to make fun of people. I find the conversation between Linghu Chong and Tian Boguang funny and I love how LHC tricked TBG. However, this is the beginning of Linghu Chong's misery.
Rather than the first act, I prefer to call this part as the "prologue act." All the plots in the first five episodes are basically set-ups for the real story to begin.
Plot-wise, things goes pretty slow and sometimes boring in this first arc. However, first thing that has become an eye-opener for me was towards the end of Episode 1. When the Qingcheng sect people lead by the chief, Yu Canghai, raid in the Lin family's residence in a very artistic and unique manner just like a dance. I almost thought this series is a musical play or a Chinese opera or something. The traditional oriental music was spot on. Then after the dance-like artistic entrance, Yu Canghai shows off his bian lian (face-changing) art skill. Really, really cool!! Quoting Wiki, Bian Lian is an ancient Chinese dramatic art that is part of Sichuan opera. Performers wear vividly colored masks and brightly colored costumes and move to quick, dramatic music. In this adaptation, Yu Canghai will cover his face with various masks in turns when he's in a fight, symbolizing that he has changed into evil whenever he fights someone. Don't remember how it was in the novel, though.
I really, really love anything authentic traditional and ancient stuff. That is why the atmosphere of this serial caught my attention immediately. Everything... once again, I will emphasize this word, EVERYTHING in this adaptation feels very authentically ancient and realistic. I feel like I'm really back in the past watching the story for real. The locations are real locations with breath-taking natural scenery.... everytime they change location I feel like "Holy sh*t!! How the hell could they find places like this!?"
With other wuxia TV series, you know when they're shooting in the studio and some even have CG-ed awful-looking sceneries. But not with this adaptation. Everything looks real.
Another thing, Chen Lifeng, the actress who played Yilin and the other Hengshan nuns, actually shaved their heads for the roles!!>_< Amazing. Pei fu... pei fu...
And the traditional music... love them. The upbeat, cheerful tunes. The sweet tunes. The melancholic tunes. Really makes you immersed into this ancient world. Wuxia series nowadays uses modern pop songs as themesong and steals some Hollywood western BGMs... awful >_< Why can't they just use and rehash the music scores in the TVB 1980s wuxia series? They have awesome music.
One last word. It takes time to get used to the themesong for this adaptation and it grew on me and I come to love it. But even after I'm loving this song, I still think the themesong for the TVB 1984 (starring Chow Yun Fat) adaptation sung by Frances Yip and Johnny Ip, also titled "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu," is still the best of the best. Nothing can beat that.
To be continued to Part II: One Year Punishment in Huashan.
Next part where the real story of our hero, Linghu Chong, begins.
You can watch this series here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCos_1jZq9Y&list=PLA3M3jODMcbdXo8IKcg_9AkDKTMeDI20c