Halfway through "Swordman," my first Yu Zheng drama
If you follow wuxia at all, you've probably heard the uproar over Swordman, the latest remake of Jin Yong's Xiao Ao Jiang Hu. Apart from the Engrish title, villain Dongfang Bubai has been changed from a power-thirsty eunuch to a lovesick crossdressing female (played by Chen Qiao'en, of all people), while main love interest Ren Yingying hasn't even appeared in her adult form yet because her thunder (and her scenes) were stolen from her by the very same Dongfang Bubai.
Swordman was adapted and produced by Yu Zheng, and from what I've heard of his stuff, I guess all the changes shouldn't come as a surprise. (Apparently he's set to destroy Return of the Condor Heroes as his next project.) I've somehow managed to avoid every single one of his screenwriting works prior to Swordman, though, so as a newbie to his stuff, I have to say that, even with all the dubious changes and the ridiculousness of just about everything, this ginormous mess is actually strangely entertaining.
I think a large part of it is because Xiao Ao Jiang Hu is such an engaging story (I spoiled myself with the Wikipedia summary -- I couldn't resist), and Yu Zheng does remain mostly faithful to the storyline, even if he is changing genders and backstories and such. My favorite Jin Yong story has always been Legend of the Condor Heroes, probably because it's the first one I'd ever heard of, plus it's just awesome period, but it may have to share its spot with Xiao Ao Jiang Hu.
Also? I like the fighting. The CGI isn't top-notch, but it could be worse and it doesn't look like it was slapped on at the last minute. Not to mention, the last wuxia drama I watched was Nicky Wu's The Bride with White Hair, where the female lead blasted people with the palms of her hands when she was pissed off. At least the CGI here has some semblance of realisticness when it comes to swordfights, which are what I pay attention to most. (There was one scene where Dongfang Bubai killed someone by creating a hole through his chest with her bare hands, but she's supposed to have top martial arts, so I'll let it slide.)
Another cool thing about Swordman is that we get to see a lot of Wallace Huo and Chen Xiao! There's no denying it, these two are HOT. Wallace plays the happy-go-lucky, wine-loving male lead Linghu Chong, while Chen Xiao is the must-avenge-parents melancholic Lin Pingzhi. Have a deluge of pictures of them behind the cut.
Wallace is one of those lucky bastards who look good in both period and modern dramas. I'd heard of him before, of course, and even tried a few episodes of his Xing Ming Shi Ye (mostly for Nicky Wu and Wang Wenjie), but gave up because it was just sooooo slow. Plus his Captain Jack Sparrow character wasn't that interesting. But I am loving him as Linghu Chong. He just has a great mix of silliness and seriousness, and I think he pulls off this hairstyle surprisingly well. His acting isn't anything special, especially since he seems to rely on the same expressions and gestures, but honestly, I can forgive that.
Wallace also has great chemistry with Chen Qiao'en, since they went out years ago and broke up on friendly terms. Here's a pretty picture of Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bubai (in female dress) hugging, followed by a lulzy picture comparing Wallace and Qiao'en in 100% Señorita and Swordman. (Wallace was even cuter back then!)
I haven't watched anything of Chen Xiao's before, and I think for the longest time I was confusing him with Daniel Chan (whose Chinese name is Chen Xiaodong), so uh, lol. They don't look anything alike! To me, Chen Xiao looks sort of like a younger Nicky Wu (the expression in his eyes and even some of his poses) mixed with Ma Tianyu (the facial structure), at least when he's in modern clothing. Here, look:
I'm actually not all that fond of Lin Pingzhi as a character because he's kinda stupid, is somewhat annoying, and currently has rather shady motives. I can usually deal with stupid and annoying, but shady motives are a big no-no when not done right. Yeah, his parents were killed and all, and he wants to avenge them, so I should probably cut him some slack, but there's just something about him that makes him not as engaging and likeable as Linghu Chong. Chen Xiao, however, is <333. I'd probably like Lin Pingzhi even less if Chen Xiao weren't acting him.
Anyway, SPOILERS -- apparently Lin Pingzhi later turns into a baddie and castrates himself to be able to practice some special sort of kung fu, which is why there are pics of him looking like this:
Which is... what can I say... still rather hot. lol. I'm sure he meets his comeuppance, because no self-respecting show ever ended with a power-hungry eunuch still alive.
And have a photo of what he looks like normally, lest you think he looks like a super-sexy eunuch for the entirety of the show:
Here's to hoping Chen Xiao gets cast in a modern drama sometime soon, just so I can swoon over him without having to worry about him castrating himself for the sake of kung fu.