The Bride With White Hair

Year produced 2012

How long
36 episodes

Foreword
It is on forbidden love between two lovers from opposite camps. Can they be reunited in the end?

Story/Introduction on characters
1. Wu Qi Long as Zhuo Yi Hang
He comes from an influential family. His father, Ji Xian is an official of the Ministry of Revenue. He is Wu Dang's head disciple, going to be the leader of Wu Dang soon. He is smart since young and is well-looked after as the only son. His master is Taoist Zi Yang.

Life will be smooth sailing for him to become a scholar if not for his family's tragic deaths and meeting Ni Chang. While passing through the Jade Dragon Mountains, the provisions by the court are seized by Ni Chan g. Yi Hang is thereby becoming embroiled in the battle between the crown prince and Ni Chang.

The two are on opposite side. But Yi Hang and Ni Chang are attracted to each other and fall in love. They face a lot of opposition and it is fated that they do not have a good ending. They nearly get married but he is misled into thinking that she kills Taoist Zi Yang intentionally. She does it as she is poisoned by Gui Mu.

This causes a rift in their relationship and he vows to hunt her down, even pretending to marry E-Hua to seek her out. Actually he wants to die with her but Ni Chang nearly breaks down when he wounds her. Ni Chang's hair turns white overnight after believing that Yi Hang has betrayed her.

Yi Hang throws the golden bell that Ni Chang gives to him to force the hatred in her before their duel. He uses flowers and butterflies to exchange with her so that her hair will be white again. He is contented to know that she still loves him before he faints. It is later spread in the martial arts world that the two retreat and another version is Yi Hang is dead after saving her. No one knows where they are.

In the novel, to restore Ni Chang's former beauty and reunite with her, Yi Hang travels to Mount Heaven in search of a legendary rare flower that blooms only once every 60 years. I find his signature expressions about the same in ‘Bu Bu Jing Xin'. Furthermore, the overly passionate scenes between Ni Chang and Yi Hang can be over the top with too many of them.

2. Ma Su as Lian Ni Chang
Ni Shang is a female vigilante and is Mu Hua's disciple. Mu Hua goes missing so she has to pretend to be Jade Demoness – her master's identity. She is like a demoness with a wild temper as she is brought up by wolves. She doesn't regret killing the corrupt officials. Her master has taken Tian Lang sword manual with her and leaves her to take care of the innocent female folk at Ri Yue Valley.

She can also be demure and her stances are graceful to be played with flute music. She practices the skills without the manual and goes berserk on every fifteenth of the month to kill anyone she sees. Yi Hang and Ming Ke are attracted by her eyes. She doesn't know why he loves Yi Hang as their backgrounds are a mismatch. Yi Hang is too weak to defy his seniors and that saddens her to retreat to stay at Tian Shan.

It takes me some time to accept her as Ni Chang as her look is more modern than periodic. Acting wise, she delivers an acceptable performance but the part where Ni Chang's hair turns white isn't as tragically interpreted as it should be. Her white wig is too dry and makes her look more like a ghost instead.

3. Guo Zhen Ni as He E Hua
She is the youngest disciple of Wu Dang. She is cheerful and righteous. She thinks of Yi Hang all the time as they grow up learning martial arts together. She loves him and even hopes that she will be happily married through the fake wedding. Unfortunately, Ni Chang comes to ruin her wedding.

She is drugged and raped by Zhao Nan and is forced to accept him. She later loves him and although Zhao Nan wants her to abort the baby, she gets Yi Hang to get her a recluse place to give birth to their son to bring him up on her own. I dislike this woman – she keeps stressing how much she loves Yi Hang but everyone can see that he just treats her like a younger sister.

4. Fan Siu Wong as Yue Ming Ke
He is the second-in-charge of the secret agents and is Chong's junior. After exchanging blows with Ni Chang, he falls for her and deliberately lets her off. He even injures himself when having a duel with her when she is disguised as Jade demoness. He betrays Chong to help her out. He is a righteous man and is entangled with Shan Hu. He is successful in causing Chong and Zhao Nan to fall out with each other.

Zhao Nan uses his Tian Lang sword skill to blind him and he falls off the cliff with Shan Hu. He intends to leave her in order not to implicate her with his disability but is later touched by her feelings to be with her. Shan Hu's death tirggers him to become Hui Ming abbot to set up Tian Shan set in the novel but they live happily ever after here. What can I say? Siu Wong has placed his best in the fighting and emotional scenes. This cuts him an edge above the rest. Too badhe is only here as a supporting role.

5. Liu Si Tong as Tie Shan Hu
She is Fei Long's daughter and Ni Chang's foster younger sister. She is innocent and frank. She thinks very highly of herself and seizes Tian Lang sword manual, intending to practice on her own. However, her intelligence is limited and she cannot master it. This silly woman still wants to hold on to it and doesn't want to return it to Ni Chang. She only gives it back after knowing that she has created a big mess.

She is immune against normal poison. Her stupidity causes Gui Mu to torture her nearly till death with her poison as she memorizes it by hard after returning the manual to Ni Chang. Her happiness with Ming Ke is shortlived when she dies. Another irritating role like E Hua. She shoots her mouth out and that is why she often gets into trouble. Fei Hu is nearly killed by Gui Mu due to her.

6. Li Jie as Geng Shao Nan
He is the eldest disciple of Wu Dang. All will have no idea why Yi Hang is chosen as the next successor instead of him. His other identity is being a prince, Gui Wang. His concubine mother sneaks him out of the palace to avoid being killed in the palace court power struggle. His existence is a threat to the crown prince. All pin hopes on him to be the next emperor.

He is is not born evil but love causes him to change. He has hoped that E Hua will return his feelings one day by guarding beside her. However, this woman wounds him repeatedly. He even indirectly instigates Chong to destroy Yi Hang's skills so that he will not be a threat to him. Even so, this doesn't change her mind and he is killed by Yi Hang.

7. Ye Zu Xin as Xin Long Zi
He is the youngest in Wu Dang and is close to all his seniors. He feels indignant for E Hua being forced to accept Zhao Nan. He is killed by Zhao Nan when he discovers his evil plot.

8. Cheuk Fan as Jin Du Yi
He is in charge of the north factory secret agents. He is an eunuch and deserts his wife, Gui Mu but she is forever loyal to him. He is later killed in the Wu Dang formation when he tries to destroy the sect.

9. Yue Yao Li as Tie Fei Long/Tie Fei Hu
The two are twin brothers. Fei Long is evil as the person in charge of Tie Household. He does not hesitate even to make use of Shan Hu to get information. Fei Hu is the younger brother who brings Ni Chang up. Thus, Ni Chang is filial to him and treats him like her father. Fei Long is killed by Ni Chang while Fei Hu is killed by Chong.

10. Tien Li as Hong Hua Gui Mu She is Ni Chang's enemy and is a master of poison. She has poisoned many several times and they nearly die as she will not hand over the antidote to them. She is later killed by Ni Chang when the poison she uses is being reflected on herself instead by Yi Hang's blow when saving Ni Chang.

11. Ng Yik Jeung as Murong Chong
He is Ming Ke's evil senior. Although he is linient with him and shows brotherly love, he will not hesitate to punish him. It breaks his heart to know that he betrays him. Yi Hang has his sweet revenge when he destroys Chong's skills in return. He is later killed by arrows under the crown prince's order. I have not seen him acting for a long time. He has finally reduced his exaggeration in acting.

12. Wei Lai as Bai Min
She is Ni Chang's second assitant at Ming Yue valley. Ni Chang trusts her very much. When Ming Yue valley is attacked by the secret agents, she tries her best to protect the rest. She is seriously injured but survives. After knowing Ni Chang's weakness, she reveals it to Yi Hang to clear her name.

13. Zhang Tian Qi as Wang Zhao Xi
He is Jiang Ying's son and is contented to avenge his family's deaths when they are wrongly killed. He is betroned to Qiu Xia when young and later seeks revenge by staying at Ming Yue Valley.

14. Wang Yi as Meng Qiu Xia/Zhu Que
She pretends to be Zhao Xi's fiancée, Qiu Xia by sneaking into Ming Yue valley. She agrees to keep the place a secret but the secret is leaked to Chong and Huang Ye. She is Chong's spy. She has actually killed the real Qiu Xia to trick Zhao Xi. Chong later kills her and she dies peacefully in Zhao Xi's arms, contented to know that he actually loves her.

15. Guo Ke Tong as Tang Jia Bi
She is also an official's daughter but chooses to protect Ming Yue valley too.

16. Mai Shuet as Ling Mu Hua
When young, she loves Tian Du and invents Tian Lang manual. Tian Du marries Ruo Ying in order to repay her kindness. After Tian Du's betrayal, she sets up Ming Yue valley and adopts Ni Chang. She only kills to seize the court food supplies to give to the sick.

Knowing that her weakness might bring trouble to others, she chooses to reside in a quiet village. This is where she gets to know Cai Die. After remembering that she kills Yi Hang's parents, she transfers her inner strength to him to make up to him. Now, he is more highly skilled by the white-haired Ni Chang. She dies after that, wanting him to take care of Ni Chang as she knows that Ni Chang is like her.

17. Dai Jiao Qian as Huo Cai Die
She is Tian Du's daughter. After Yi Hang jumps down the valley as he loses his skills, she takes care of him. She loves him but knows that he will never love her so she chooses to stay in the village.

18. Zhu Rong Rong as Ying Xiu Yang
He is Chong's subordinate who is excellent in spying.

19. Hou Yu as Gongsun Lei
He is Gui Mu's foster son who is highly skilled but has low intelligence. He gets along very well with Shan Hu so Shan Hu takes care of himto allow him to stay with her and Ming Ke. 

20. Fei Wei Ni as Mo Jiao
She is another faithful Ming Yue valley follower.

21. Li Xiao Feng as Mu Jiu Niang
She is a senior who helps Ni Chang manage Ming Yue Valley when Mu Hua is away. Knowing that others will be affected by Mu Hua's disappearance, she keeps it a secret and helps Ni Chang to deceive the rest. She is killed by Chong and that triggers the feud between them and the secret agents.

22. Sun An Dong as Shi Hao
The secret agent service sends him to Wu Dang to be their spy. Huang Ye discovers his identity so he helps to get him to work with Chong.

23. Su Mao as Bai Shi
He is E Hua's father who dislikes Ni Chang. He believes that she kills Zi Yang but when he realises that Huang Ye is the one, it is too late as he is being attacked and poisoned. He can't move or talk to tell the others the truth. Luckily, Yi Hang rescues him later and he becomes the leader of Wu Dang.

24. Wang Xiu Qiang as Taoist Zi Yang
He is the leader of Wu Dang and is also Yi Hang's master. He doesn't approve ofYi Hang to be with Ni Chang but has to accept this unwillingly. Ni Chang injures him when she is poisoned so this gives Huang Ye the chance to attack and kill him.

25. Zhang Zhen Shi as Huang Ye
He is very evil to want to help Gui Wang to be the next ruler. He later poisons Bai Shi and also instigates Zhao Nan to injure him so that Bai Shi will be harmless to him.

Interesting facts
Qi Long is already 40 years old so how is he going to act as a 19 year old swordsman? He jokes that he is in top form and he doesn't worryabout it. Cheuk Fan also reveals that he likes this drama and is excited that Siu Wong and Mai Shuet joined them too. Shooting this drama was Qi Long's dream as he injected a lot of funds and energy into it. It was also his favourite novel. To him, Yi Hang is mature to be in love but is no longer childish.

Ma Su reveals that she introduces herself to be in here. She had worked with Qi Long 7 years ago and Qi Long sms her to want her to act as a supporting role. She felt that she could act as Ni Chang and sent an mms of her photo in Chang E costume. Qi Long then made the switch. She went through a long of stress as there were many versions before this one. She bought the whole drama to watch at home.

She felt that she was like Ni Chang to be frank like someone from the pugilistic world. This drama needed 3 years' preparation and the costume team was from Hong Kong to make it perfect. The two went to Taiwan to promote the drama and were mobbed by fans. But die-hard fans still insist that they only want Ruo Xi – Li Shi Shi from 'Bu Bu Jing Xin'.

Most favourite character
Ming Ke, he knows how to differentiate right from wrong to go on the correct path.

Most hated character
E Hua is my top choice. She keeps stressing that she likes Yi Hang but does she need to show or tell the whole world about it. Shan Hu is the second as she likes to create trouble and shoot her mouth away.

Songs are by Qi Long but can be as dull as the drama.

Conclusion
Seriously, I have no idea why many directors choose to adapt this novel for dramas as it is sadistic and also boring. It is not helped by the fact that it has plenty of loopholes despite of the claims that it is a grand production. The lines are very mushy and modern. I feel that they don't fit the era – they are a totally mismatch. It does not help when the cast don't behave like people belong to that era too.

Can you believe that the mask worn by Jade Demoness is a modern mask that can be found in the online market?! Since Jade domoness is a female, must she talk like a male robot?! The so-called opening fighting scene in the snow mountain between Yi Hang and Ni Chang fails to impress me. I watch in horror – it is like acheap computerized special effect. Maybe I am too demanding but I feel that a Mou Hap drama should stay the way they are. Sigh – looks like I can only watch old better quality dramas now.

Sukting's ratings :
On acting : **1/2 (Scale of 5)
On story : **1/2 (Scale of 5)
On song : ***1/2 (Scale of 5)