The Legend of Chu Liu Xiang
The Legend of Chu Liu Xiang
Genre: Wuxia
2007 CCTV Production - 43 episodes
1. Introduction
My very first introduction to wuxia was Adam Cheng's Chor Lau Heung series. I grew up watching that series and it always has a special place in my heart. I consider it one of my all-time wuxia favorites. Since then there have been various TV adaptations of Gu Long's famous novel such as the 1984 New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung (TVB) and the 2001 Chor Lau Heung (Taiwan). The newest adaptation is produced by China in 2007 and it stars Ken Chu as Chor Lau Heung (or Chu Liu Xiang in mandarin).
2. Cast
- Chu Liu Xiang (Ken Chu)
- Su Rong Rong (Hu Jing)
- Li Hong Xiu (Sun Feifei)
- Song Tian Er (Liu Jia)
- Wu Hua (Cui Peng)
- Yi Dian Hong (Kingone Wang)
- Hu Tie Hua (Benny Chan) - Chapters 2 and 3
- Shi Guan Yin (Chu Ja Hyeon) - Chapter 2
- Shui Mu Yin Ji (Xiao Qiang) - Chapter 3
- Liu Wu Mei (Mu Ting Ting) - Chapter 3
3. Plot
Before I discuss the storyline and the character portrayals, I just want to say that you should watch this series with an open mind and without any expectations. Forget all the previous adaptations you've seen and just treat this as a completely new take on the legend of Chu Liu Xiang. You'll enjoy the series a whole lot more if you approach it this way. So just enjoy it for what it is rather than what you think it should be.
Of course this wasn't easy for me to do as I grew up watching the 1979 Chor Lau Heung and idolizing Adam Cheng. But as soon as I threw away my expectations, I found this series quite enjoyable for what it is. It isn't a classic by any means but it is definitely an enjoyable above-average wuxia series with high production values.
I'll just give a brief synoposis of the plot without giving away any spoilers. I know some of you might be angry if I revealed some of the spoilers in the series. You'll definitely enjoy the series more if you don't know anything because it'll feel like you're solving the mysteries alongside Chu Liu Xiang. You also have to remember that this series is essentially a next-generation reboot of Chu Liu Xiang so it might be odd seeing characters you love portrayed differently from what you are familiar with.
The story is divided into three chapters. The first chapter is the most plot-driven of the three as it involves Chu Liu Xiang solving a mystery. In this first chapter, Chu Liu Xiang is falsely accused by many groups and sects in wulin for stealing the Sacred Water Temple's magic water and using it to kill off various respected individuals. With the help of his female companion Song Tian Er (and later Su Rong Rong), Chu Liu Xiang goes off on a journey to solve this mystery and to clear his name. We will eventually be introduced to Chu Liu Xiang's good friends Wu Hua (a mysterious monk from Shaolin) and Li Hong Xiu (the leader of Beggars Union). I really enjoyed the first chapter (more than the next two) as I love good mysteries. The series did a great job hooking the viewers with the mystery-driven plot especially for those new to Chu Liu Xiang. I heard that the first chapter is actually more faithful to the novel compared to the next two ones.
The second chapter takes place in the desert where we are introduced to Chu Liu Xiang's good buddy Hu Tie Hua. In the desert Chu Liu Xiang and gang get involved in a struggle of power between the Desert Kingdom and the ruthless Shi Guan Yin. With her demonic golden mask, Shi Guan Yin looks mysterious and intimidating and will become Chu Liu Xiang's chief nemesis throughout the chapter. We will also meet Chu Liu Xiang's first real love in the series. I don't want to give too much away as there are some shocking revelations in the second chapter.
In the third chapter, Chu Liu Xiang and gang leave the desert and return back to the mainland. This final chapter revisits the Sacred Water Temple thread and we are finally introduced to the Queen of the Water Temple herself Shui Mu Yin Ji. Chu Liu Xiang and gang eventually get caught up in a plot involving the cunning Liu Wu Mei, the ex-monk Wu Hua and the Queen of the Water Temple.
On the surface it may seem that Chu Liu Xiang is composed of three mini-stories where each one can be watched independently. But this is not the case. Story threads and characters introduced in the first chapter will be picked up and re-introduced in later chapters. Also the character development and relationships run throughout the course of the entire series. So essentially you can treat Chu Liu Xiang as one large cohesive story composed of three chapters.
I have few complaints about the storyline. The new relationship arc in the desert chapter got a bit draggy. Also in the final chapter they introduced many plot threads most of which were resolved in anti-climatic conclusions. The final episode itself is very anti-climatic. Aside from these complaints, it was a refreshing take on the legend of Chu Liu Xiang.
4. Character Portrayals
I will also try to avoid spoilers here and make ocassional comparisons with the Adam Cheng versions. There are big differences in the character portrayals between both versions.
Chu Liu Xiang (Ken Chu)
When I first saw pictures of Ken Chu, I thought he would make a terrible Chu Liu Xiang. He did not have the looks to portray the handsome and charming Chu Liu Xiang. In fact he looked rather chubby for the part. I couldn't imagine the girls in the series actually falling head over heels for him. But as I watched the episodes, Ken Chu's portrayal gradually grew on me. By the fourth or fifth episode, I was convinced by Ken Chu's portrayal. He succeeded in the charm department by the way he acts and carries himself like a true gentlemen. He also manages to blend in a rare "down-to-earth" nature with his legendary "gentleman" persona. It is this "down-to-earth" quality that makes girls fall for him in this serial as they know he is honest and true as opposed to being an arrogant hero. Other individuals would probably be overly arrogant if they had Chu Liu Xiang's powers and legendary reputation. Aside from his "down-to-earth" and "gentlemen" qualities, Ken Chu's Chu Liu Xiang also manages to convince viewers of his logical and intelligent side as Chu Liu Xiang solves mysteries in his spare time. We see Chu Liu Xiang solving complex mysteries through simple logical deductions in his head. So even though he may not have the best looks, Ken Chu manages to create a believable and (more importantly) "likeable" Chu Liu Xiang. Ken Chu definitely gives the story of Chu Liu Xiang a different feel and flavor from what we are accustomed to.
Su Rong Rong (Hu Jing)
In Adam Cheng's version, Su Rong Rong was portrayed as an innocent reserved girl who had a gift of intelligence. In fact, Chu Liu Xiang relied on her many times because of her intelligence. In this version, Hu Jing's Su Rong Rong is also innocent and reserved but isn't overly smart. For the most part Chu Liu Xiang solves the mysteries on his own (which is a good thing). Hu Jing's Su Rong Rong is also a lot more needy in the emotional department for the affections of Chu Liu Xiang. In the final chapter the series introduces a romance subplot between her and Chu Liu Xiang. Overall Hu Jing gives a decent performance in this version of Su Rong Rong.
Li Hong Xiu (Sun Feifei)
In this version, Li Hong Xiu is the leader of the Beggars Union clan. Like Su Rong Rong, she is also in love with Chu Liu Xiang. The first chapter really developed her character and we get to see Sun Feifei's Li Hong Xiu inner struggle as leader of Beggars Union with a mysterious secret identity (and secret lover of Chu Liu Xiang). Sun Feifei really does a great acting job bringing out this inner struggle that torments her character. Unfortunately the last two chapters neglects this character as she moves from the foreground to the background.
Song Tian Er (Liu Jia)
In this version Song Tian Er has been a companion of Chu Liu Xiang since the beginning of the series (whereas Su Rong Rong and Li Hong Xiu only join him later on). Liu Jia portrays Song Tian Er as an energetic and playful girl who is a master of disguises. In the Adam Cheng version I believe it was Su Rong Rong who was the master of disguises. Liu Jia really brings a lot of energy and personality into her role and she even manages to steal a lot of scenes. She definitely makes the series more enjoyable to watch with her playful rendition of Song Tian Er.
Wu Hua (Cui Peng)
Wu Hua is Chu Liu Xiang's chief nemesis throughout the series. He begins as a seemingly spiritual and moral Shaolin monk but later transforms into a ruthless manipulator. I thought Cui Peng did a great job portraying this transformation. It was almost seamless. When we get to see Wu Hua's dark side it is almost hard to imagine that he was once a "spiritual and moral" monk. I give Cui Peng full credit for be able to portray both sides of the coin. I enjoyed Cui Peng's portrayal in the first two chapters but I didn't like what they did to his character in the final one. He was a lot less menacing and extremely tamed down in the final chapter. His ending was quite anti-climatic. But at least they brought back his character from the desert chapter as I heard that he was supposed to be killed off there according to the novel.
Hu Tie Hua (Benny Chan)
At first I couldn't believe they actually casted HK star Benny Chan as Hu Tie Hua. Benny Chan didn't seem like the type to portray Chu Li Xiang's good drinking buddy. As you watch the series you might get used to him in the role. But to be honest, Benny Chan didn't bring anything special to this character. His portrayal of Hu Tie Hua felt like a background character with no screen presence at all. It was a rather bland performance. In the Adam Cheng version, Hu Tie Hua felt like a powerful sidekick but in this version he feels like a useless boring character.
Shi Guan Yin (Chu Ja Hyeon)
Shi Guan Yin is a fear-inducing villain who is highly skilled in martial arts. In this version, Shi Guan Yin is actually Wu Hua and Li Hong Xiu's "older sister". The Korean actress Chu Jia Hyeon does a great job portraying the ruthless and intimidating nature of Shi Guan Yin. She also injects into this role a soft emotional side who the viewers can relate to. We have never seen Shi Guan Yin like this before. It was a tough role, but Chu Ja Hyeon manages to pull off both sides of the coin. The viewers can contrast the cold ruthless side of Shi Guan Yin with her soft emotional side. An overall excellent performance by Chu Jia Hyeon on a brand new and complex Shi Guan Yin.
5. Atmosphere
This series has high production values and at times actually feels like a motion picture! From the Sacred Water Temple to the Kingdom in the Desert, the sets and scenery look absolutely fantastic. The towns and bars are also filled with TONS of people making the Chu Liu Xiang universe feel alive and kicking. I have never seen a wuxia series that feels and looks as vibrant as this one. I give the crew full credit for creating such a vibrant visual masterpiece.
6. Fight Scenes
For such a high production series, the fight scenes were rather mediocre. They were quite bland and forgettable. The series emphasized too much on matrix-like effects and less on hand-to-hand combat. But more importantly, I got no adrenaline rush watching them. There was absolutely zero excitement or tension in the fight scenes. In fact they seemed more like beautiful dances than actual combat.
7. Conclusion
If you watched the famous Adam Cheng version of Chu Liu Xiang, then you might be disappointed with the changes they made to the characters especially Ken Chu's portrayal. The series feels a lot different in many areas. It is a lot more relationship oriented than previous adaptations instead of being strictly a mystery thriller. But if you just watch it without any expectations, then you might actually enjoy the series. Overall I give this 3.5/5 stars. The draggy relationship arc in the second chapter and the anti-climatic conclusion of the final chapter brings the score down a bit. But it is still an enjoyable above-average wuxia series that has high production values.
