NaNoWriMo and HSDS pic spam
NaNoWriMo has been going well. I'm slowing down on my writing though. I've been writing so obsessively since I started and now I feel like I need to do something else other than write every time I have a minute to spare. Still, it's coming along nicely. I have only another 3000 words to write before I hit 50 000 and I'm about 2/3 into my story. I'll be hitting the 50 000 word goal four days earlier than last year too if I write the remaining words tomorrow. This story feels like it will be easier to edit afterwards too than the one I wrote last year because there are less characters. So all in all, it's going well.
Ever since it was announced that Zhang Ji Zhong's production of Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre has started, I've been checking the thread at SPCnet religiously for news and pictures.
I'm starting with the actress I was most happy to see cast, Ady An Yi Xuan as Zhao Min.This is her in her first costume, which unlike many people, I really like. Ady An is really one a great actress who hasn't had too many chances to shine (She was great in Chinese Paladin, but then ended up doing Flying fox of snowy mountain). I've seen two versions of HSDS (three if you can fastforwarding through the TVB 2000 version), I loved Kitty Lai but couldn't stand Alyssa Chia. Despite that Alyssa Chia was the first Zhao Min that I knew, her acting was pretty cartoonish and I looking at her I never got the impression that Zhao Min was actually that smart. It was only after watching Kitty Lai that I grew to appreciate her character more. I'm excited to see Ady in this role, I thinks she can pull of Zhao Min as the strong, intelligent woman that she is.
Another picture of Ady as Zhao Min, facing Deng Chao who plays Zhang Wuji. Zhang Wuji is probably one of my least favorite characters in Jin Yong's books, which is why I didn't care that much about who would play him as long as it wasn't Hu Ge. (I would like to say that I like Hu Ge as much as anyone else, but after seeing him play the lead in almost every Li Guo Li production the novelty has worn off.) Anyway, I love this picture because of the actors' expressions, especially Ady's. It really feels like a classic Zhao Min and Zhang Wuji picture.
He Zhuo Yan plays Xiao Zhao. So far I've only seen her as Shuang'er in a few episodes of "The Royal Tramp" where I think she's good. I like her look in this series though. They dyed her hair brown and put in contacts to make her resemble Xiao Zhao more.
In this picture is Wang Jing Hua as Priestess Mie Jue with Liu Jing as Zhou Zhiruo. Wang Jing Hua looks really impressive and kind of scary in a way. I'm not sold on the idea of Liu Jing as Zhou Zhiruo yet. Zhou Zhiruo is a very complex character and it's going to take a lot to even be on par with Gao Yuan Yuan's performance in the 2003 version. I heard Kathy Chow was good in the Taiwan 1994 version too but I haven't seen that one. Anyway, Liu Jing looks a little mismatched in her pictures with Deng Chao but then again Alec Su and Gao Yuan Yuan didn't look too good together either. At least Liu Jing is seriously channeling Yang Liping's Mei Chaofeng (from Legend of the Condor Heroes 2003) in the picture below.
Zhang Meng plays Zhu'er and I'm not too sold on the whole flower thing. But I think her costume is quite nice and the make up department did a good job with her scars, they look pretty realistic.
Not the best picture, but it's Yu Cheng Hui as Zhang San Feng. He's been in a few ZJZ productions earlier, I mostly remember him as Huang Yaoshi in ROCH and Yuan Chengzhi's teacher in Sword Stained With Royal Blood. While I didn't think he was that special in those two roles, I think he's a perfect cast for Zhang San Feng. He looks old and grandfatherly but at the same time he has this authority to him. And apparently his beard is real!
Last one I'm gonna talk about (because I'm getting tired), is Ken Chang as Zhang Cui Shan. Another perfect fit, IMO, and the costume looks great on him.
Ever since it was announced that Zhang Ji Zhong's production of Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre has started, I've been checking the thread at SPCnet religiously for news and pictures.
I'm starting with the actress I was most happy to see cast, Ady An Yi Xuan as Zhao Min.This is her in her first costume, which unlike many people, I really like. Ady An is really one a great actress who hasn't had too many chances to shine (She was great in Chinese Paladin, but then ended up doing Flying fox of snowy mountain). I've seen two versions of HSDS (three if you can fastforwarding through the TVB 2000 version), I loved Kitty Lai but couldn't stand Alyssa Chia. Despite that Alyssa Chia was the first Zhao Min that I knew, her acting was pretty cartoonish and I looking at her I never got the impression that Zhao Min was actually that smart. It was only after watching Kitty Lai that I grew to appreciate her character more. I'm excited to see Ady in this role, I thinks she can pull of Zhao Min as the strong, intelligent woman that she is.
Another picture of Ady as Zhao Min, facing Deng Chao who plays Zhang Wuji. Zhang Wuji is probably one of my least favorite characters in Jin Yong's books, which is why I didn't care that much about who would play him as long as it wasn't Hu Ge. (I would like to say that I like Hu Ge as much as anyone else, but after seeing him play the lead in almost every Li Guo Li production the novelty has worn off.) Anyway, I love this picture because of the actors' expressions, especially Ady's. It really feels like a classic Zhao Min and Zhang Wuji picture.
He Zhuo Yan plays Xiao Zhao. So far I've only seen her as Shuang'er in a few episodes of "The Royal Tramp" where I think she's good. I like her look in this series though. They dyed her hair brown and put in contacts to make her resemble Xiao Zhao more.
In this picture is Wang Jing Hua as Priestess Mie Jue with Liu Jing as Zhou Zhiruo. Wang Jing Hua looks really impressive and kind of scary in a way. I'm not sold on the idea of Liu Jing as Zhou Zhiruo yet. Zhou Zhiruo is a very complex character and it's going to take a lot to even be on par with Gao Yuan Yuan's performance in the 2003 version. I heard Kathy Chow was good in the Taiwan 1994 version too but I haven't seen that one. Anyway, Liu Jing looks a little mismatched in her pictures with Deng Chao but then again Alec Su and Gao Yuan Yuan didn't look too good together either. At least Liu Jing is seriously channeling Yang Liping's Mei Chaofeng (from Legend of the Condor Heroes 2003) in the picture below.
Zhang Meng plays Zhu'er and I'm not too sold on the whole flower thing. But I think her costume is quite nice and the make up department did a good job with her scars, they look pretty realistic.
Not the best picture, but it's Yu Cheng Hui as Zhang San Feng. He's been in a few ZJZ productions earlier, I mostly remember him as Huang Yaoshi in ROCH and Yuan Chengzhi's teacher in Sword Stained With Royal Blood. While I didn't think he was that special in those two roles, I think he's a perfect cast for Zhang San Feng. He looks old and grandfatherly but at the same time he has this authority to him. And apparently his beard is real!
Last one I'm gonna talk about (because I'm getting tired), is Ken Chang as Zhang Cui Shan. Another perfect fit, IMO, and the costume looks great on him.