God of Sabre

Damian Lau as Ding Pan
Angie Chiu as Qing Qing

God of Sabre is a Gu Long adaptation series. It is the earlier version of the 90's series, "Against The Blade Of Honour", starring Louis Koo and Noel Leung. Plot-wise, God of Sabre is closer to the original novel, according to a devoted Gu Long's reader, although the main lead artistes from both series are talented.

In my opinion, Louis Koo seemed more handsome as Ding Pan, but Damian Lau's character was more likeable. Although Angie Chiu's Qing Qing was more interesting than that of Noel's, both stars looked very beautiful in ancient costumes and acted well. Despite the shorter length of the episodes, God of Sabre showed character development well due to a faithful script in the beginning.

The most important thing that makes God of Sabre shine above the later adaptation is how the series portrayed the swiftness of the crescent-shaped sabre, which is essentially the heart of the story. It definitely gives the series a feel of the actual novel and Gu Long?s style, which adaptations nowadays lack.

On Cast
Well, Damian might not look as dashing as Louis, but he excelled more as Ding Pan. His martial art ability was evident as he moved agilely in kungfu sequences.

As for Angie and Noel, they are both my favorite actresses, so I have to vote for both. Because of different scripts, they portrayed different Qing Qings. The sad factor from both series was the endings, which deviated from the novel.

I recognized several artistes from God of Sabre; many appeared in the 80's series. I even spotted Ray Liu as one of righteous sect leaders and was so surprised by his youthful look. Watching this series gave me a sense of it happening in the ancient era -- not because of costumes or hairdos but because of the way each female character walked: she walked gracefully with one hand behind her back, as though she were floating. How many ancient series nowadays have that factor?

On Kungfu scenes
I enjoy every fighting scene in God of Sabre and love it every time Ding Pan used his sabre. For those who prefer the special effects type of fighting, this series definitely has none of that. The martial arts displays were done hand-to-hand. Although the pace was slow, the action was exciting.

On Costumes and Theme Song
Costumes were simple but plenty - again another plus point of this old series. The theme song was great, and gave a feeling of longing and loneliness.

The series was a bit short for today's standards, and the ending was rather tragic. Nonetheless, it was one that can be watched time and again. On the whole, it is a recommended series for Gu Long's fans and those who want to rest their eyes from rock blasting fighting scenes. I have always adored the older series, and this serial proved its worth to me. I am neither a Gu Long expert nor an experienced old TV series watcher, but I can assure you that this series will not be a disappointment.