Xiao Ao Jiang Hu - Adaptations Comparison & Review (Part 2)
Part 2 of the Xiao Ao Jiang Hu comparison review.
LIN PINGZHI
I don't care much about this character, so I neither like or dislike most of the actors who has portrayed them. Most notable portrayals for me, though, are Li Jie and Chen Xiao. I watch all Lin Pingzhi's scenes in any adaptation with half-closed eyes, lol. The same goes for Li Jie's scenes in the CCTV version, but my eyes were wide opened for Li Jie's scenes after Lin Pingzhi castrated himself and then he became evil and speak like a woman, that portrayal was amazing and definitely an eye-opener. Another notable portrayal is Chen Xiao in Swordsman 2013, for me. His Lin Pingzhi is more aggressive in his romance with Yue Lingshan and I find that interesting, though it's different than the book. Chen Xiao is a good actor, imo.
YUE LINGSHAN
I find this character as boring as Lin Pingzhi. Fun and cute in the beginning, annoying in the middle, and then she became a tragic character toward the end. Yang Rong in Swordsman 2013, got my attention because she portrayed a different Yue Lingshan than the book, she is more level-headed in this adaptation, and that's why I think she should've played Ren Yingying, instead XD Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan's romance and chemistry in Swordsman definitely outshined LHC-DFBB/RYY's.
YI LIN
A damsel-in-distress in the book and in any adaptation, I think all these actress played the part generally well. But, let me say that the worst Yilin was Isabella Wong in the TVB84, I don't think she's pretty at all and she made the character more a damsel-in-distress than she already is in the book. Deng Sha in Swordsman 2013 is really cute, but she portrayed her a bit dumb rather than innocent. Special mention for Chen Lifeng, because she really shaved off her head for the role, that's amazing. My favorite Yilin, though, is He Meitian in TVB96 version, because she's so sweet and cute and I don't find her annoying at all. Every other Yilin annoyed me at some points, but there's something about He Meitian that makes me just can't dislike her at all, she's too cute.
TIAN BOGUANG
My favorite are Sun Xing, Sun Haiying and Han Dong. Sun Xing and Sun Haiying suits the pervert image and Han Dong was hillarious, although I have to say he's too handsome for the role. No handsome guys would be a rapist since the ladies would just throw themselves toward him, lol.
In Steve Ma's version though, Tian Boguang is not a rapist and just a pervert, since he got a romance plotline with Lan Fenghuang and he also played the role as Linghu Chong's best buddy. When LHC was posing as the general, TBG accompanied him and posed as a general too. There was also a scene when TBG and LFH has love problem and then LHC talked it out to TBG and RYY talked it out to LFH to solve their problem, lol. I find that funny.
LAN FENGHUANG
My most favorite Lan Fenghuang is Florence Tan, she's so cute and lovely! She had a little crush on LHC in the beginning and when she tried to kiss his face when he was unconscious, but he got up and her lips hit the rock, I find that scene funny and adorable, lol. I like it when they make Lan Fenghuang as Ren Yingying's sidekick, although that's not in the book at all. The first one that paired LFH as RYY's sidekick was NOT Tsui Hark's films, but the 1985 Taiwanese adaptation. Tsui Hark's films might be the most notable for increasing LFH's role and screentime. And then, SOD2000 and Legendary Swordsman 2000 followed.
Besides Florence Tan, I also liked Fennie Yuen a lot in Tsui Hark's films, because she portrayed the character so funny.
ZUO LENGCHAN
This is the mid-level villain character that any actor can play, imo. I don't have any favorite nor any dislikes, cause I really don't care about this character. But just for the sake of it, I displayed the picture for you to see and compare.
REN WOXING
My favorite Ren Woxing is Li Li-Chun in Taiwan 2000. He gives a creepy vibe from the way he talks, calm and composed but very intimidating. He definitely suits the character's eccentric image in the book. I hate the Ren Woxing in the 1985 Taiwanese, so skinny and such a high-pitched voice, totally doesn't suit the role of one of the top three martial artist in the story. The CCTV version laughed too much, he annoyed me to no end with his exaggerated laugh. Oh, I quite like Heizi in Swordsman too, I like his fatherly attitude to little RYY and he suits the role of a formidable and eccentric martial artist.
YUE BUQUN
Wei Zi is the man, for me! He was so natural in the role and he just owns it. The first time I saw the CCTV version I had no knowledge of the story, so I was really surprised when he turned evil and his portrayal in the beginning made me believe he was the good guy. His acting performance is just awesome. I'm so happy when I find a portrayal on par with Wei Zi's in the 1985 Taiwanese adaptation played by Gu Zheng. He's good looking and suits the "Gentleman Sword" image, he played the hypocrite part nicely too, though he wasn't as evil as Wei Zi's version. But for me, the first impression when you see Yue Buqun is that he's a gentleman, is a must. So these two are my favs.
Kenneth Tsang will always be the East Heretic, Huang Yaoshi for me, but he's definitely not a Yue Buqun XD He was too fierce as YBQ and didn't suit the 'gentleman' image. The one in the Singaporean version was okay, but he was so funny when he turned feminine at the end.
DONGFANG BUBAI
Dongfang Bubai's character in adaptations has gone through evolution that is worth to discuss as worth as Darwin's Theory of Evolution. I think when Jin Yong wrote the character, he just want it to be a surprise and funny element and makes him a unique villain. The #1 powerful martial artist is a transgender! It sounds like a joke, indeed. The 1978 Shaw Brothers film, the 1984 TVB series and the 1985 Taiwanese one, made him a disgusting transgender that you can find on the street and doesn't even pay attention to beauty, although it made its funny moments, but you can't possibly take them seriously as the #1 martial artist. Then comes Tsui Hark's shocking and destructive idea of casting a woman, Bridgette Lin to play the transgender villain who has a crush on Linghu Chong. It's a 2 hours film, so I really had no complain about the change, but it's getting out of control when apparently TV producers became cult followers of this Bridgette Lin's version of Dongfang Bubai and develop it further. The TV adaptation that was released right after the film, though, was the TVB96 faithful version, so it didn't follow Tsui Hark's idea and I think Henry Lo is the closest portrayal of the book's Dongfang Bubai. He's a good-looking guy but has a soft-featured face and suits the transgender role wearing female attire and make-up, without looking disgusting. What came after that though, started an evolution. In SOD2000, for the first time in TV adaptation, that DFBB played by a woman, Leanne Liu, and though the character got screentime increase, it doesn't stray much from the book, he's still a man who castrated himself and started dressing as a woman and he has a lover named Yang Lianting that he loves very much, although it was never explained clearly why he'd suddenly dress like a woman. DFBB uses colorful threads in this version, which obviously adapted Tsui Hark's idea. In The Legendary Swordsman 2000, Jacelyn Tay portrayed DFBB quite similar to Bridgette Lin's version, and I think she's the prettiest DFBB, to date. Although at certain moments, she does look like a drag queen, maybe because of the way she dress. Jacelyn's version of DFBB is also a castrated man and he desperately wants Linghu Chong's attention. In the CCTV version, although ZJZ adapted Tsui Hark's idea of the colorful threads and lengthy clothes as DFBB's weapons during the fight, and the character also played by a woman, but in terms of character and screentime, this version is definitely truest to the book next to the TVB96 version. DFBB only appeared in 3 episodes in this one. The fact that he is more classy and elegant than the book's DFBB, makes this character in this version, my most favorite JY villain.
Then, Yu Zheng thought he got a wonderful idea and decided to make Dongfang Bubai a woman and becomes Linghu Chong's main love interest. Which I think is just so wrong... no matter how you turn and twist it, I find it soooo weird for the Chief of Sun and Moon sect involved in a romance with the hero, not to mention DFBB is at least, ten years older than Linghu Chong! I really hate both Jacelyn Tay and Joe Chen's version (of course not the actresses' faults, though). Dongfang Bubai falling in love with Linghu Chong is just something shouldn't happen. In the book, DFBB loves Yang Lianting more than anything and he said "Oh, you're Linghu Chong, so this is the guy, I heard that the Holy Maiden has fallen in love so deeply for you... I kept wondering just how handsome that guy is... but now I see your face, hmph... you're nothing compared to my Brother Lian" and Linghu Chong replied "What? If you switch places with Yingying, I have to think a hundred times myself whether I want to be with you or not!" ...I find this dialogue so funny, but only the TVB96 had these lines, Jackie Lui's expression was so funny and right on the spot, too. The point is, DFBB in the book was never attracted to Linghu Chong and even thought he's not handsome at all compared to his lover, so I really don't get why anyone who has read the book could actually think that making Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bubai as the ultimate romance is a great idea O_o Some opinions says that DFBB in Swordsman is actually Ren Yingying, but nuh-uh... absolutely not, even if I try to forget that the character Joe Chen plays is DFBB, I don't like Joe Chen's face and I don't like the character at all as a love interest, she doesn't has the cuteness and innocence that RYY carries. Ren Yingying is non-existent in Swordsman, for me. She was quite okay in the beginning as the scheming rebel, but when she meets Linghu Chong and their romance started, it just goes down the drain.
LINGHU CHONG & REN YINGYING
For LHC/RYY as a couple, my favorites are Li Yapeng/Xu Qing and Steve Ma/Fann Wong. I think the fact that these two versions makes them meet each other since episode one, makes their love story and romance development flows more smoothly and more interesting than the book. Steve's LHC practically teases her since day one while Fann's RYY totally hated him in the beginning and that has formed a certain initial chemistry between them. It's the typical hate-turning-love romance, and maybe I just like this kind of romance. Steve Ma's LHC is also probably the only one who doesn't dwell much on his feelings for Yue Lingshan and immediately
fell for Ren Yingying, or maybe his LHC just doesn't love YLS that deeply and it was shown that Linghu Chong a little bit attracted to Yingying since Episode 1.
Li Yapeng/Xu Qing's interaction in the beginning is more subtle, as enemies, but somewhere on the way, his Linghu Chong started to care a bit about the "Holy Maiden" not knowing she's actually the same person with the bamboo lane's granny. A different kind of hate-turns-love romance. And, although some people totally hates how LYP's LHC got angry when he knew granny is the Holy Maiden, it's not a problem or awkward for me at all, not to mention, right after, RYY confessed her feelings and I think it was such a moving and sweet scene, then they immediately get along so well. I like RYY's identity's revelation better in this CCTV version than the book, cos it has some kind of emotion and it has become a certain turning point for both. Other adaptations follows the book, and I always feel unsatisfied with the revelation scene, except perhaps the SOD96 version that follows the book exactly and had LHC kissed RYY's cheek. I don't even want to mention how it was in the Swordsman 2013 version, since DFBB took RYY's place and disguised as the granny halfway, urgh. Between LYP/XQ and Steve/Fann, I will vote LYP/XQ as the best LHC/RYY because they have such a natural chemistry and how their romance developed is very mature and subtle, but they're always having so much fun together too, at the same time. Steve/Fann's LHC/RYY although cute, but their romance is more like a modern-set highschool romance, haha.
I'm just okay with both Jackie/Fiona and Bryan Leung/Leanne Liu's LHC/RYY, nothing really stands out from their pairing, but they're acceptable for me.
For Jackie and Fiona, I don't think they have chemistry as great as LYP/XQ, most probably because Fiona portrays RYY too shy and introvert, which results lack of two-ways interaction between them, but they had a few good moments that I like.
Richie Ren/Anita Yuen and Chow Yun-fat/Rebecca Chan has ZERO chemistry, I was so shocked! Richie had better chemistry with Vivien Chen (Yue Lingshan), it's just so awkward to see Richie/Anita's scenes, you can totally see there's a wall between them. CYF and Rebecca, omg, please don't put them together in a romantic scene, I feel sorry for them, I can almost feel that they don't really like each other in real life, LOL. They're the most awkward LHC/RYY besides Richie/Anita.
As for Wallace Huo and Yuan Shanshan... I dunno much about them since I really hate the story, I must've skipped their scenes by the time Linghu Chong found out RYY's real identity XD
QU YANG & LIU ZHENGFENG
No comparison from me, but I just think it's interesting to compare their pictures.
Storyline & Pace
In terms of storylines and pacing, I'm not sure, I think none of them is perfect. The only ones I feel really draggy and changed too much were SOD2000 and Swordsman2013. TVB96 is close to the book, so the boring parts and exciting parts are pretty much the same. One thing that sets the CCTV2001 version apart from the other adaptation is the fact that it has no prologue scene in Episode 1, it went straight to Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan investigating the Fuwei Escort agency. SPW84, SOD96, SOD2000, Swordsman2013 shows DFBB's rebel as opening scene, which means they goes back 12 years before to start the story.
Taiwanese 1985 one shows how Huashan split into two factions as opening scenes and probably the only adaptation shows the child version of Yue Buqun and also YBQ's master and Feng Qingyang's conflicts, it was set 42 years before the main plot. Legendary Swordsman 2000 shows the election of the Five Alliance leader as opening scene, and also Qu Yang & Liu Zhengfeng's first met. Also another things sets CCTV version apart, is how they spend less time for the first half of the story and focuses their strength more in the last half of the story. Other adaptations seems to take their time a lot for the times Linghu Chong is still a Huashan disciple and goes fast-paced after Linghu Chong is expelled. While CCTV version has a very good balance and pace between the times LHC is still a disciple and times after he got expelled, and the overall quality of the production enhanced even more after Linghu Chong got expelled. But I have to admit, the first 10 episodes were quite boring in the CCTV version, which is weird because usually the best part of the rest of the adaptation is the first 10 episodes.
Fight Choreography
CCTV2001 is hands down the best! No competitor! Actually, I love fight scenes in the Golden 80s, they always show these fun and interesting hand-to-hand combat, but I didn't see any of that in SPW84, instead too many colorful CG effects, awful. SOD96 might be a bit better but most of the time I only see them jumping here and there, throwing people here and there, they landed and done. Swordsman2013 was too much of a Dragonball stuff, well I love Dragonball the anime, but I don't wanna see Dragonball fights in the "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" universe XD I have to say, the 2nd best is SOD2000, they had quite a few interesting stuff for the fighting scenes, especially the first fight scene in the opening scene between Qu Yang and Xiang Wentian was quite awesome.
Costumes
If there's only one thing I love from Swordsman2013, then it's the costume. They have really different type of costume, but to be honest, I love them all, they're beautiful and has really cool design even though they're too much of the fantasy type, but the striking colors are quite pleasing to the eyes. The rest are okay. But for Yingying's costume, I have to say, I love Xu Qing's and Fann Wong's the best, they're so pretty. Some says Fann Wong's hair ornaments are too much, but I find them endearing and they suit Fann's looks very much.
Music
For themesongs, my favorite goes to SPW84, SOD2000 and CCTV2001. In terms of background music score, then I have to say, the Singaporean version is the best. They released an original soundtrack CD for the series composed by Benny Wong, and I love them all. They had about 3 or 4 original songs including the themesong for the soundtrack, and they made the lovely instrumental versions of those songs for the BGMs, and they're all very, very lovely tunes. I really love all the music plays when Yingying plays the zither. As for the "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" music itself, I think I should mention that SOD2000 and Swordsman2013 used the same music as the one used in Tsui Hark's films, I quite like that song, it's "Chong Hoi Yat Sing Siu" (A Sound of Laughter in the Vast Sea), sung in Cantonese by Sam Hui.
Locations
No doubt CCTV 2001 version wins this category since it was shot in Mainland China itself, the original locations described in the book. Actually Swordsman 2013 was filmed in China as well, and it has one of the best locations too, but it looks to me only the beautiful temples and buildings location stands out in this adaptation, whereas the CCTV version focused a lot in showing the beautiful nature and breath-taking sceneries, as in the mountains, bamboo forests, the cliffs, the lake, the river rocks and landscape, just like the sceneries that comes out from paintings.
To me, locations are very important to give the audience the feel or sense of how wide the universe is. As far as I know the book describes that each of the sect were located quite far from another and it takes days to go from one to another by horse. SOD2000 focused too much in the drama and probably spent too much budget in fighting's special effects, that the sense of distance between one place to another was ridiculously non-existent. Most of the scenes were done indoor, in the studio, or film cities, when they finally do have outdoor scenes for the fight scenes, they were suddenly in the middle of forest, without any hints that they just came out of a building... and there's no sense of distance in SOD00, because the scenes would just go from indoor to indoor so quickly so it didn't feel like the characters embarks on a journey at all... it's like they have Doraemon's Anywhere Door, I feel so stupid watching it.
Legendary Swordsman 2000 was quite ridiculous in this department too, although they have decent, pretty outdoor locations, they never showed much of the characters in a journey
and they'd just suddenly arrive at destination. At one point, it felt like the Sun Moon sect (black wood cliff) and the Hengshan sect were neighbors, because one day Yingying visits LHC in Hengshan and the following day LHC visits Yingying in Sun Moon sect, which is ridiculous because the book describes it takes days from Hengshan to Black Wood Cliff.
Overall, my favorite adaptation rank:
1. Laughing in the Wind (2001)
2. The Legendary Swordsman (2000)
3. State of Divinity (1996)
4. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (Taiwan 1985)
5. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (TVB 1984)
6. State of Divinity (2000)
7. Swordsman (2013)
Onto the widescreen films, I don't have a favorite but I quite like them all, my least fav is probably Swordsman II, I dunno... maybe I just have something against Dongfang Bubai having a crush on Linghu Chong lol.
The Proud Youth (1978)
It's a Shaw Brothers film starring Wong Yue, Shih Szu, Michael Chan and Ling Yun, and I have no idea who they are, the film is too old for me XD The film tries to push in as many plots as it can from the book without even trying to adjust it to film size. Although I'm amazed to see that most of the big and main moments in the book is in the movie, but as one whole movie it lacks continuity and story-telling. It completely erased the plots of Huashan people embark on a journey, Linghu Chong getting expelled and LHC getting inner injuries. The movie is okay, I guess.
Swordsman (1991)
Just as the previous film, this movie erased the plots of Linghu Chong getting expelled and LHC getting inner injuries. The main villain is Yue Buqun, LHC's master and there is no Lin Pingzhi, but someone who disguises as Lin Pingzhi. Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan's relationship is more like brother and sister, like buddies although YLS likes LHC a bit, and Yue Lingshan's character is made more comical. Lan Fenghuang is Ren Yingying's sidekick and is quite comical, as well. Sam Hui portrayed Linghu Chong laid back, humorous, and relaxed but lacks emotions, or maybe the script didn't give him a chance for that. I love Sharla Cheung as Yingying, the evil sect lady who fell in love with LHC. There's no love triangle and Linghu Chong was immediately attracted to RYY.
Swordsman (1992)
The main villain in this film is Dongfang Bubai, played by Bridgette Lin and is probably the most popular film adaptation. Jet Li portrayed Linghu Chong very similar to Sam Hui in the first film. As well as Michelle Reis portrayed Yue Lingshan very similar to Cecilia Yip in the first film too. I like Rosamund Kwan as Ren Yingying, but to be honest I like Sharla's portrayal slightly better. Somehow Sharla gives RYY this mysterious aura. There's definitely a love triangle here because Linghu Chong is attracted to both Ren Yingying and Dongfang Bubai, and I hate it.
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LIN PINGZHI
I don't care much about this character, so I neither like or dislike most of the actors who has portrayed them. Most notable portrayals for me, though, are Li Jie and Chen Xiao. I watch all Lin Pingzhi's scenes in any adaptation with half-closed eyes, lol. The same goes for Li Jie's scenes in the CCTV version, but my eyes were wide opened for Li Jie's scenes after Lin Pingzhi castrated himself and then he became evil and speak like a woman, that portrayal was amazing and definitely an eye-opener. Another notable portrayal is Chen Xiao in Swordsman 2013, for me. His Lin Pingzhi is more aggressive in his romance with Yue Lingshan and I find that interesting, though it's different than the book. Chen Xiao is a good actor, imo.
YUE LINGSHAN
I find this character as boring as Lin Pingzhi. Fun and cute in the beginning, annoying in the middle, and then she became a tragic character toward the end. Yang Rong in Swordsman 2013, got my attention because she portrayed a different Yue Lingshan than the book, she is more level-headed in this adaptation, and that's why I think she should've played Ren Yingying, instead XD Lin Pingzhi and Yue Lingshan's romance and chemistry in Swordsman definitely outshined LHC-DFBB/RYY's.
YI LIN
A damsel-in-distress in the book and in any adaptation, I think all these actress played the part generally well. But, let me say that the worst Yilin was Isabella Wong in the TVB84, I don't think she's pretty at all and she made the character more a damsel-in-distress than she already is in the book. Deng Sha in Swordsman 2013 is really cute, but she portrayed her a bit dumb rather than innocent. Special mention for Chen Lifeng, because she really shaved off her head for the role, that's amazing. My favorite Yilin, though, is He Meitian in TVB96 version, because she's so sweet and cute and I don't find her annoying at all. Every other Yilin annoyed me at some points, but there's something about He Meitian that makes me just can't dislike her at all, she's too cute.
TIAN BOGUANG
My favorite are Sun Xing, Sun Haiying and Han Dong. Sun Xing and Sun Haiying suits the pervert image and Han Dong was hillarious, although I have to say he's too handsome for the role. No handsome guys would be a rapist since the ladies would just throw themselves toward him, lol.
In Steve Ma's version though, Tian Boguang is not a rapist and just a pervert, since he got a romance plotline with Lan Fenghuang and he also played the role as Linghu Chong's best buddy. When LHC was posing as the general, TBG accompanied him and posed as a general too. There was also a scene when TBG and LFH has love problem and then LHC talked it out to TBG and RYY talked it out to LFH to solve their problem, lol. I find that funny.
LAN FENGHUANG
My most favorite Lan Fenghuang is Florence Tan, she's so cute and lovely! She had a little crush on LHC in the beginning and when she tried to kiss his face when he was unconscious, but he got up and her lips hit the rock, I find that scene funny and adorable, lol. I like it when they make Lan Fenghuang as Ren Yingying's sidekick, although that's not in the book at all. The first one that paired LFH as RYY's sidekick was NOT Tsui Hark's films, but the 1985 Taiwanese adaptation. Tsui Hark's films might be the most notable for increasing LFH's role and screentime. And then, SOD2000 and Legendary Swordsman 2000 followed.
Besides Florence Tan, I also liked Fennie Yuen a lot in Tsui Hark's films, because she portrayed the character so funny.
ZUO LENGCHAN
This is the mid-level villain character that any actor can play, imo. I don't have any favorite nor any dislikes, cause I really don't care about this character. But just for the sake of it, I displayed the picture for you to see and compare.
REN WOXING
My favorite Ren Woxing is Li Li-Chun in Taiwan 2000. He gives a creepy vibe from the way he talks, calm and composed but very intimidating. He definitely suits the character's eccentric image in the book. I hate the Ren Woxing in the 1985 Taiwanese, so skinny and such a high-pitched voice, totally doesn't suit the role of one of the top three martial artist in the story. The CCTV version laughed too much, he annoyed me to no end with his exaggerated laugh. Oh, I quite like Heizi in Swordsman too, I like his fatherly attitude to little RYY and he suits the role of a formidable and eccentric martial artist.
YUE BUQUN
Wei Zi is the man, for me! He was so natural in the role and he just owns it. The first time I saw the CCTV version I had no knowledge of the story, so I was really surprised when he turned evil and his portrayal in the beginning made me believe he was the good guy. His acting performance is just awesome. I'm so happy when I find a portrayal on par with Wei Zi's in the 1985 Taiwanese adaptation played by Gu Zheng. He's good looking and suits the "Gentleman Sword" image, he played the hypocrite part nicely too, though he wasn't as evil as Wei Zi's version. But for me, the first impression when you see Yue Buqun is that he's a gentleman, is a must. So these two are my favs.
Kenneth Tsang will always be the East Heretic, Huang Yaoshi for me, but he's definitely not a Yue Buqun XD He was too fierce as YBQ and didn't suit the 'gentleman' image. The one in the Singaporean version was okay, but he was so funny when he turned feminine at the end.
DONGFANG BUBAI
Dongfang Bubai's character in adaptations has gone through evolution that is worth to discuss as worth as Darwin's Theory of Evolution. I think when Jin Yong wrote the character, he just want it to be a surprise and funny element and makes him a unique villain. The #1 powerful martial artist is a transgender! It sounds like a joke, indeed. The 1978 Shaw Brothers film, the 1984 TVB series and the 1985 Taiwanese one, made him a disgusting transgender that you can find on the street and doesn't even pay attention to beauty, although it made its funny moments, but you can't possibly take them seriously as the #1 martial artist. Then comes Tsui Hark's shocking and destructive idea of casting a woman, Bridgette Lin to play the transgender villain who has a crush on Linghu Chong. It's a 2 hours film, so I really had no complain about the change, but it's getting out of control when apparently TV producers became cult followers of this Bridgette Lin's version of Dongfang Bubai and develop it further. The TV adaptation that was released right after the film, though, was the TVB96 faithful version, so it didn't follow Tsui Hark's idea and I think Henry Lo is the closest portrayal of the book's Dongfang Bubai. He's a good-looking guy but has a soft-featured face and suits the transgender role wearing female attire and make-up, without looking disgusting. What came after that though, started an evolution. In SOD2000, for the first time in TV adaptation, that DFBB played by a woman, Leanne Liu, and though the character got screentime increase, it doesn't stray much from the book, he's still a man who castrated himself and started dressing as a woman and he has a lover named Yang Lianting that he loves very much, although it was never explained clearly why he'd suddenly dress like a woman. DFBB uses colorful threads in this version, which obviously adapted Tsui Hark's idea. In The Legendary Swordsman 2000, Jacelyn Tay portrayed DFBB quite similar to Bridgette Lin's version, and I think she's the prettiest DFBB, to date. Although at certain moments, she does look like a drag queen, maybe because of the way she dress. Jacelyn's version of DFBB is also a castrated man and he desperately wants Linghu Chong's attention. In the CCTV version, although ZJZ adapted Tsui Hark's idea of the colorful threads and lengthy clothes as DFBB's weapons during the fight, and the character also played by a woman, but in terms of character and screentime, this version is definitely truest to the book next to the TVB96 version. DFBB only appeared in 3 episodes in this one. The fact that he is more classy and elegant than the book's DFBB, makes this character in this version, my most favorite JY villain.
Then, Yu Zheng thought he got a wonderful idea and decided to make Dongfang Bubai a woman and becomes Linghu Chong's main love interest. Which I think is just so wrong... no matter how you turn and twist it, I find it soooo weird for the Chief of Sun and Moon sect involved in a romance with the hero, not to mention DFBB is at least, ten years older than Linghu Chong! I really hate both Jacelyn Tay and Joe Chen's version (of course not the actresses' faults, though). Dongfang Bubai falling in love with Linghu Chong is just something shouldn't happen. In the book, DFBB loves Yang Lianting more than anything and he said "Oh, you're Linghu Chong, so this is the guy, I heard that the Holy Maiden has fallen in love so deeply for you... I kept wondering just how handsome that guy is... but now I see your face, hmph... you're nothing compared to my Brother Lian" and Linghu Chong replied "What? If you switch places with Yingying, I have to think a hundred times myself whether I want to be with you or not!" ...I find this dialogue so funny, but only the TVB96 had these lines, Jackie Lui's expression was so funny and right on the spot, too. The point is, DFBB in the book was never attracted to Linghu Chong and even thought he's not handsome at all compared to his lover, so I really don't get why anyone who has read the book could actually think that making Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bubai as the ultimate romance is a great idea O_o Some opinions says that DFBB in Swordsman is actually Ren Yingying, but nuh-uh... absolutely not, even if I try to forget that the character Joe Chen plays is DFBB, I don't like Joe Chen's face and I don't like the character at all as a love interest, she doesn't has the cuteness and innocence that RYY carries. Ren Yingying is non-existent in Swordsman, for me. She was quite okay in the beginning as the scheming rebel, but when she meets Linghu Chong and their romance started, it just goes down the drain.
LINGHU CHONG & REN YINGYING
For LHC/RYY as a couple, my favorites are Li Yapeng/Xu Qing and Steve Ma/Fann Wong. I think the fact that these two versions makes them meet each other since episode one, makes their love story and romance development flows more smoothly and more interesting than the book. Steve's LHC practically teases her since day one while Fann's RYY totally hated him in the beginning and that has formed a certain initial chemistry between them. It's the typical hate-turning-love romance, and maybe I just like this kind of romance. Steve Ma's LHC is also probably the only one who doesn't dwell much on his feelings for Yue Lingshan and immediately
fell for Ren Yingying, or maybe his LHC just doesn't love YLS that deeply and it was shown that Linghu Chong a little bit attracted to Yingying since Episode 1.
Li Yapeng/Xu Qing's interaction in the beginning is more subtle, as enemies, but somewhere on the way, his Linghu Chong started to care a bit about the "Holy Maiden" not knowing she's actually the same person with the bamboo lane's granny. A different kind of hate-turns-love romance. And, although some people totally hates how LYP's LHC got angry when he knew granny is the Holy Maiden, it's not a problem or awkward for me at all, not to mention, right after, RYY confessed her feelings and I think it was such a moving and sweet scene, then they immediately get along so well. I like RYY's identity's revelation better in this CCTV version than the book, cos it has some kind of emotion and it has become a certain turning point for both. Other adaptations follows the book, and I always feel unsatisfied with the revelation scene, except perhaps the SOD96 version that follows the book exactly and had LHC kissed RYY's cheek. I don't even want to mention how it was in the Swordsman 2013 version, since DFBB took RYY's place and disguised as the granny halfway, urgh. Between LYP/XQ and Steve/Fann, I will vote LYP/XQ as the best LHC/RYY because they have such a natural chemistry and how their romance developed is very mature and subtle, but they're always having so much fun together too, at the same time. Steve/Fann's LHC/RYY although cute, but their romance is more like a modern-set highschool romance, haha.
I'm just okay with both Jackie/Fiona and Bryan Leung/Leanne Liu's LHC/RYY, nothing really stands out from their pairing, but they're acceptable for me.
For Jackie and Fiona, I don't think they have chemistry as great as LYP/XQ, most probably because Fiona portrays RYY too shy and introvert, which results lack of two-ways interaction between them, but they had a few good moments that I like.
Richie Ren/Anita Yuen and Chow Yun-fat/Rebecca Chan has ZERO chemistry, I was so shocked! Richie had better chemistry with Vivien Chen (Yue Lingshan), it's just so awkward to see Richie/Anita's scenes, you can totally see there's a wall between them. CYF and Rebecca, omg, please don't put them together in a romantic scene, I feel sorry for them, I can almost feel that they don't really like each other in real life, LOL. They're the most awkward LHC/RYY besides Richie/Anita.
As for Wallace Huo and Yuan Shanshan... I dunno much about them since I really hate the story, I must've skipped their scenes by the time Linghu Chong found out RYY's real identity XD
QU YANG & LIU ZHENGFENG
No comparison from me, but I just think it's interesting to compare their pictures.
Storyline & Pace
In terms of storylines and pacing, I'm not sure, I think none of them is perfect. The only ones I feel really draggy and changed too much were SOD2000 and Swordsman2013. TVB96 is close to the book, so the boring parts and exciting parts are pretty much the same. One thing that sets the CCTV2001 version apart from the other adaptation is the fact that it has no prologue scene in Episode 1, it went straight to Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan investigating the Fuwei Escort agency. SPW84, SOD96, SOD2000, Swordsman2013 shows DFBB's rebel as opening scene, which means they goes back 12 years before to start the story.
Taiwanese 1985 one shows how Huashan split into two factions as opening scenes and probably the only adaptation shows the child version of Yue Buqun and also YBQ's master and Feng Qingyang's conflicts, it was set 42 years before the main plot. Legendary Swordsman 2000 shows the election of the Five Alliance leader as opening scene, and also Qu Yang & Liu Zhengfeng's first met. Also another things sets CCTV version apart, is how they spend less time for the first half of the story and focuses their strength more in the last half of the story. Other adaptations seems to take their time a lot for the times Linghu Chong is still a Huashan disciple and goes fast-paced after Linghu Chong is expelled. While CCTV version has a very good balance and pace between the times LHC is still a disciple and times after he got expelled, and the overall quality of the production enhanced even more after Linghu Chong got expelled. But I have to admit, the first 10 episodes were quite boring in the CCTV version, which is weird because usually the best part of the rest of the adaptation is the first 10 episodes.
Fight Choreography
CCTV2001 is hands down the best! No competitor! Actually, I love fight scenes in the Golden 80s, they always show these fun and interesting hand-to-hand combat, but I didn't see any of that in SPW84, instead too many colorful CG effects, awful. SOD96 might be a bit better but most of the time I only see them jumping here and there, throwing people here and there, they landed and done. Swordsman2013 was too much of a Dragonball stuff, well I love Dragonball the anime, but I don't wanna see Dragonball fights in the "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" universe XD I have to say, the 2nd best is SOD2000, they had quite a few interesting stuff for the fighting scenes, especially the first fight scene in the opening scene between Qu Yang and Xiang Wentian was quite awesome.
Costumes
If there's only one thing I love from Swordsman2013, then it's the costume. They have really different type of costume, but to be honest, I love them all, they're beautiful and has really cool design even though they're too much of the fantasy type, but the striking colors are quite pleasing to the eyes. The rest are okay. But for Yingying's costume, I have to say, I love Xu Qing's and Fann Wong's the best, they're so pretty. Some says Fann Wong's hair ornaments are too much, but I find them endearing and they suit Fann's looks very much.
Music
For themesongs, my favorite goes to SPW84, SOD2000 and CCTV2001. In terms of background music score, then I have to say, the Singaporean version is the best. They released an original soundtrack CD for the series composed by Benny Wong, and I love them all. They had about 3 or 4 original songs including the themesong for the soundtrack, and they made the lovely instrumental versions of those songs for the BGMs, and they're all very, very lovely tunes. I really love all the music plays when Yingying plays the zither. As for the "Xiao Ao Jiang Hu" music itself, I think I should mention that SOD2000 and Swordsman2013 used the same music as the one used in Tsui Hark's films, I quite like that song, it's "Chong Hoi Yat Sing Siu" (A Sound of Laughter in the Vast Sea), sung in Cantonese by Sam Hui.
Locations
No doubt CCTV 2001 version wins this category since it was shot in Mainland China itself, the original locations described in the book. Actually Swordsman 2013 was filmed in China as well, and it has one of the best locations too, but it looks to me only the beautiful temples and buildings location stands out in this adaptation, whereas the CCTV version focused a lot in showing the beautiful nature and breath-taking sceneries, as in the mountains, bamboo forests, the cliffs, the lake, the river rocks and landscape, just like the sceneries that comes out from paintings.
To me, locations are very important to give the audience the feel or sense of how wide the universe is. As far as I know the book describes that each of the sect were located quite far from another and it takes days to go from one to another by horse. SOD2000 focused too much in the drama and probably spent too much budget in fighting's special effects, that the sense of distance between one place to another was ridiculously non-existent. Most of the scenes were done indoor, in the studio, or film cities, when they finally do have outdoor scenes for the fight scenes, they were suddenly in the middle of forest, without any hints that they just came out of a building... and there's no sense of distance in SOD00, because the scenes would just go from indoor to indoor so quickly so it didn't feel like the characters embarks on a journey at all... it's like they have Doraemon's Anywhere Door, I feel so stupid watching it.
Legendary Swordsman 2000 was quite ridiculous in this department too, although they have decent, pretty outdoor locations, they never showed much of the characters in a journey
and they'd just suddenly arrive at destination. At one point, it felt like the Sun Moon sect (black wood cliff) and the Hengshan sect were neighbors, because one day Yingying visits LHC in Hengshan and the following day LHC visits Yingying in Sun Moon sect, which is ridiculous because the book describes it takes days from Hengshan to Black Wood Cliff.
Overall, my favorite adaptation rank:
1. Laughing in the Wind (2001)
2. The Legendary Swordsman (2000)
3. State of Divinity (1996)
4. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (Taiwan 1985)
5. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (TVB 1984)
6. State of Divinity (2000)
7. Swordsman (2013)
Onto the widescreen films, I don't have a favorite but I quite like them all, my least fav is probably Swordsman II, I dunno... maybe I just have something against Dongfang Bubai having a crush on Linghu Chong lol.
The Proud Youth (1978)
It's a Shaw Brothers film starring Wong Yue, Shih Szu, Michael Chan and Ling Yun, and I have no idea who they are, the film is too old for me XD The film tries to push in as many plots as it can from the book without even trying to adjust it to film size. Although I'm amazed to see that most of the big and main moments in the book is in the movie, but as one whole movie it lacks continuity and story-telling. It completely erased the plots of Huashan people embark on a journey, Linghu Chong getting expelled and LHC getting inner injuries. The movie is okay, I guess.
Swordsman (1991)
Just as the previous film, this movie erased the plots of Linghu Chong getting expelled and LHC getting inner injuries. The main villain is Yue Buqun, LHC's master and there is no Lin Pingzhi, but someone who disguises as Lin Pingzhi. Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan's relationship is more like brother and sister, like buddies although YLS likes LHC a bit, and Yue Lingshan's character is made more comical. Lan Fenghuang is Ren Yingying's sidekick and is quite comical, as well. Sam Hui portrayed Linghu Chong laid back, humorous, and relaxed but lacks emotions, or maybe the script didn't give him a chance for that. I love Sharla Cheung as Yingying, the evil sect lady who fell in love with LHC. There's no love triangle and Linghu Chong was immediately attracted to RYY.
Swordsman (1992)
The main villain in this film is Dongfang Bubai, played by Bridgette Lin and is probably the most popular film adaptation. Jet Li portrayed Linghu Chong very similar to Sam Hui in the first film. As well as Michelle Reis portrayed Yue Lingshan very similar to Cecilia Yip in the first film too. I like Rosamund Kwan as Ren Yingying, but to be honest I like Sharla's portrayal slightly better. Somehow Sharla gives RYY this mysterious aura. There's definitely a love triangle here because Linghu Chong is attracted to both Ren Yingying and Dongfang Bubai, and I hate it.
THANK YOU FOR READING!