The Lotus Lantern
The Lotus Lantern (Bao Liang Deng) Review
Cast List:
Jimmy Lin - Liu Chen Xiang
Echo Chen Ao Jun - Ta Xue
Roger Kwok - Liu Yan Chang/Liu Yong
Yu Li - San Niang
Chen Ming Zhen - Piao Piao
He Jia Wen - Tian Rui
Lou XueXian - Er Lang Shen
Xu Jing Jiang - Master Tian
Dai Chun Rong - Wang Mu Niang Niang
Wang Hai Lun - Bat Demon
The Story:
The Lotus Lantern is the magic lantern that can send people back to the past and forth to the future. Goddess San Niang has stolen the lantern from the heavens and gone to the earth to find her true love. So, Wang Mu Niang Niang ordered Er Lang Shen, San Niang's brother, to capture her and bring back the Lotus Lantern. He fought with his sister, and many mortals on earth were killed from their powers. San Niang was captured and was imprisoned under the Hua Shan Mountain. Then after twenty years, the story resumes at the life of Liu Chen Xiang.
Liu Chen Xiang is a filial son of Liu Yong, an alcoholic gambler. His mother died when he was an infant; therefore, he has always wished to see her face. He works hard but is always poor because of his father's constant's squandering of money on alcohol and gambling. Luckily, Aunt Piao Piao, a fan shop's owner, is always there to pay all his father's debt. Chen Xiang was grateful to her though he tries to stand up on his own feet. At the same time, he was desperate at Liu Yong's hostile attitude towards Piao Piao and at his idleness.
At the meantime, he befriends the Tian father-daughter. The father is Master Tian who is a skilled ghost catcher / subducer. He later accept Chen Xiang as his student. His adopted daughter, Tian Rui, is a girl who likes to play pranks on Chen Xiang. During their adventure with a demon, they ran into a fairy named Ta Xue who is sent to the earth to retrieve the Lotus Lantern. The three became friends. Master Tian, on the other hand, is searching for the lantern too because he has been wanting to observe its power.
At last the magic lantern is found at Chen Xiang's own house. However, he and Ta Xue are accidentally sent to the past by the lantern. Master Tian is trying to bring them back to the present, but he doesn't know how to work the lantern.
At the past, Chen Xiang and Ta Xue met a scholar named Liu Yan Chang and a beautiful woman named San Niang. They later found out that these two are Chen Xiang's future parents. Chen Xiang discovers that his mother would be punished by the heavens for loving the mortal man and his father would become an alcoholic because he couldn't forget his wife. Chen Xiang therefore tries to correct the past by preventing the two from being together. Needless to say, he failed. After traveling to many intervals of the past, he reunited with his parents. San Niang was pregnant with Chen Xiang at the time. We also learn that Piao Piao was in love with Yan Chang; consequently she was brokenhearted when he refused her love and naturally, she felt bitter towards San Niang. Later, she made peace with herself and resigned as a sister of the couple. Master Tian at the same time was living in that period and was secretly in love with Piao Piao. He didn't dare let her know of his feelings because he was afraid that he would lose her forever.
Finally, infant Chen Xiang was born with the help of Ta Xue, adult Chen Xiang, and Co. However, Er Lan Shan was in pursued of the Lotus Lantern, which was in possession of San Niang at the time. He tricked Piao Piao into helping him capture San Niang in return of baby Chen Xiang -- hence, the hostile attitude of Liu Yong (Liu Yan Chang) towards Piao Piao. Chen Xiang and Ta Xue at this point were sent forth to the present.
At the present, Chen Xiang decides to rescue his mother from under Hua Shan. Liu Yong at this point is at Hua Shan, trying to communicate with his wife. A bat demon is protecting him by an order of San Niang.
Ta Xue helps Chen Xiang steal Er Lan Shan's weapon to make an ax for cutting Hua Shan. As a result, she becomes a prisoner in Er Lan Shan's abode. By this time, Chen Xiang and Ta Xue realize that they love each other. Master Tian and Piao Piao also become a couple.
Liu Yong at last turns sober and becomes his own self. He helps his son forge a powerful ax. Chen Xiang, with the help of the bat demon, also manages to rescue Ta Xue from Er Lan Shan. Then the rescuing party is on its way to Hua Shan.
On the way, they discover that Ta Xue is under the power of Er Lan Shan as she tries to kill Chen Xiang. Chen Xiang, on the other hand, goes ahead to Hua Shan and succeeds in rescuing his mother. However, Er Lan Shan comes upon them. Both men fought each other and Chen Xiang is killed.
Spoiler Alert ******
The ending:
Wan Mu Niang Niang come down from the heavens and restores the life of Chen Xiang. She also cancels San Niang's punishment and allows her to be mortal and lives with Liu Yan Chang till the end of their lives. Ta Xue, however, has to follow Wan Mu back to the heaven.
Ta Xue receives her punishment -- becomes a mortal and gets to live with Chen Xiang.
So Ta Xue and Chen Xiang get married, and supposedly they live happily ever after.
The Review:
Cast/Acting - Jimmy Lin's acting has improved noticeably since I first saw him in "Legendary Twin Siblings" though he still tends to overact in some scenes. Of the cast, my favorites are Roger Kwok and Yu Li. These are two veterans that well deserve the names. Too bad that Yu Li's role in this series is rather limited; therefore she couldn't display the most of her talents. The rest of the cast, except the bat demon, are ranging from mediocre to good acting-wise.
The bat demon is totally BAD!!! It seems that since Dicky Cheung became famous as the Monkey King, everyone would automatically try to mimic him when playing a deity or a demon. There is no exception in this case. It would have worked if the script means the monkey demon instead of the bat demon. The character is not that important to the series and the portrayal is so annoying for the stated reason. For goodness sake, if you can't act like a bat, then why didn't the director just call it the monkey demon instead?
The story/plotline - As a Taiwanese tradition, the story is draggy and slow at times. However, the techniques such as computer graphics are great. The only fault is that wires could be seen on two scenes -- a bit of oversight in this era of high tech.
The plot reminds me of a sci-fi movie from the travelings through times and all wonderful gadgets of Master Tian. Anyway, Master Tian's innovative inventions are very interesting to watch, and with careful viewing, the story can be less confusing.
The ending is rather disappointing. Like most viewers, I do wish a happy ending for the series. However, a reunion between Chen Xiang's parents is enough to show true love in my opinion. This type of ending where a fairy gets to return to earth to be with her mortal love is getting stale for me (as in TVB's "Whatever It Takes")
I was hoping that this series would prove it different by showing that love is not only about the love in mortal world. And needless to say, I am very disappointed at the shallowness and the cheesy way that the series has turned out. What's wrong with delivering a few lines about love in higher sphere like theology in Buddhism?
Why is it necessary to have Ta Xue return to earth to be with Chen Xiang? Wouldn't it be more romantic and more classic to have Chen Xiang prove his worth as a hero in his lifetime, become God, and finally reunite with his Ta Xue in heaven?
I agree and sympathize with the love between Liu Yan Chang and San Niang, but if I were Wan Mu Niang Niang, I was as well as saying to all my maiden fairies to leave the heaven to find their true love in mortal world from my sending Ta Xue to be with Chen Xiang.
Miscellaneous Aspects - The themesong is nice, though reminds me pretty much of that from the "Legendary Twin Siblings". Except for a few scenes, computer graphics are appropriately used. Costumes, make-up, and hairdos were also good.
I Don't Get It Part - When San Niang surrendered herself and returned the Lotus Lantern to Er Lan Shang for the security of her husband and her infant son, how come the lantern was found at Chen Xiang's house again twenty years later?
The Recommendation - Overall, I found the series enjoyable. However, it lacks certain charms that can hold the audience in captivity. The ending adds to the disappointment. Then again, if you are a romantic person who wants everyone to be with everyone, you might love the story. I didn't regret renting the series, but would never dream of buying it.
Overall Rating - 3.0 That's because I like Roger Kwok and I was in need of watching any TV series. :)
