The Return Of The Condor Heroes 《神鵰俠侶》 (1995)

Firstly, sorry, my English isn't good.

Recently watch this and want to find some places to discuss that's not facebook.

I watched, not exactly care, it's just because the television broadcasted some of it.

ROTCH:

+ 99 Taiwan version: is this the famous XLN in black? My first version of ROTCH and my bad luck back then. Don't remember a thing except the theme song song by Richie (I guess he's better at singing than acting, he sang theme songs for every tv show series he's in and they're all good to me). It seems I didn't like or impress with ROTCH back then thank to this version.

+ 98 Singapore version: a little better. Fann Wong seems to be very weak and cry a lot. I like the theme and sub songs a lot, still listening to them from time to time. You can tell I like this version, or at least knowing who is YG and XLN but still not impressed.

+ Read 2 comics about ROTCH (1 from Singapore and 1 from Hong Kong). Now I know why people like this work and I like it too. It's easy to adapt JW's works to manga and keep everything intact. You can say things just get real from here when I know the story and characters.

+ 2014 China version: first time watching ROTCH in HD ( 5/2017, felt good) and it's so beautiful. I love the bright and shine sceneries even they reuse a lot of scene. There's a lot of new stuffs in this adaptation, love live! sunsh (I mean elders), the OYF one is fine because it's JY's idea, others are just out of place. XLN isn't what I expected like many others have said. YG is ok enough, passable. not great but I like his arrogant's scene, his 16 years later scenes wasn't too bad either. I'm surprised that even with the director's reputation, this version followed the novel close enough. I think people wouldn't have any questions after watching it (unlike 2006 version). Clothing is good, too except YG/XLN (weird). I especilly like this version GJ's, U40 people should be like that. I don't know the idea of GJ has to be very old in these past version stemmed from. Overall, this version is well, watchable but that's about it, at least it wasn't like a big waste of time like 2006 version which I will never watch again.

+ 2006 China version: just watch this month, too (5/2017) to have a look at LYF. People in my country (the young'un ones) always tell me this version is the BEST ROCH. HXM/LYF is the best YG/XLN. After watching it (mainly to have a look at the beauty of LYF, I guess many people did the same?), I realize I don't like it at all. No matter how beauty LYF was, I'm tired of watching her entire of this show and what kind of XLN/YG were that? They hug/kiss non stop, even I felt embarrassed watching these scenes. I heard people praised the sceneries but like most China tv series in the 2000, it always too dark, like every day is endless winter. Guo Jing is too old, isn't he U40. Honesty, I can't find anything positive to say about this adaptation, my complains are the same as everyone. I rank it below 98 Singapore version (don't even like both the theme and sub song). ROTCH 2006, you are the failure but I still recommend it to people I hate to show them my respect.

+ 1995 Hong Kong version: this version was broadcasted many times on TV too but I haven't had a chance to watch it from start to finish due to its time slot, I recall watched some random episodes but not impressed. For some weird reasons, the older generation seems to like it and recommend it from time to time but that's was an era before internet, nowadays, 2006 version and LYF is the best is what I always heard and knew how it turned out.

So, why did I wait until now (5/2017) to watch it? Like I told above, if you haven't watched this version on TV, you won't see it anywhere unless you actively look for it and I haven't watched tv for a long time. The reason I want to watch it now is because I discovered a new dub for this 1995 version (I heard they did it in 2011, I'm not sure about this). In my country, the wuxia tv show dubbers are really good, you usually didn't have a chance to watch a wuxia show in its original language in the past because the dubbers' voices most of the time sound better and cooler than the chinese's ones (no reason to watch it in Chinese at all even you want to experience the show like a purist and unless, you know Chinese). Nowadays, I think people have to watch new shows with original chiniese voice and 1 person narrate the entire show in my language or choose to watch them with subtitles. Dubbed version no longer that fast unless the shows are very good (honestly, don't know how they choose to pick a show these days), dubbed versions seems only appears some years later).

ROTCH 1995 was dubbed 3 times in my language:

+ The first one was already really good. Until this month, I have a chance to watch ROTCH 95 in chinese and felt the dubbers tried to act the same as chinese voice. XLN's voice is kinda a bit old and dry, just like how XLN in the show looks like and nothing wrong with that.

+ The second one: no comment even I can access it, just I don't like this group of dubbers in any wuxia shows even though I appriciate their works but almost no one in my country choose this dub.

+ The thrid one or the most recent one in 2011: it's too goddamn good, the best, the ultimate,... The XLN's dubber's voice melts my heart with every word she speaks. XLN's dub voice are beautiful, clear as distil water, deliberate and elegant like XLN in the show. Of course the dubber can act too (nothing new here), such as the first time XLN appears, she sound so cold but gradually warmer (exclusively only) with YG in much later. In summary, the XLN's dubber is completely surpass the original Chinese dubber (and even my imagination about how XLN sounds like) and raise a new standard in dubbing, I don't think I will see many of these cases in my life but still hope for it. In the meantime, instead of listening to music, I choose to listen to this XLN's dubber except XLN doesn't talk much in the show.

Come back to this ROTCH 1995 version. First impression is the video quality isn't that good after watching 2014 version. Many older people always tell "you watch this 1995 version because of XLN" and I hate to admit, they're right. XLN's 1995 isn't as pretty as 2006 version and doesn't hold any candle to random chinese actress nowadays but I like XLN's 1995 the most. This XLN is like she comes from the novel. Simple clothing and hairstyle but still looks stunning beauty and stand out whenever scene she's in. This XLN's acting is top notch, too. She does understand how to use her eyes to act unlike other XLNs with most of them acting poorly (especially 2006 version). And with the new superior dubber, XLN's 1995 definitely the best XLN that can even rival the comics version. YG's acting is ok but not as good as XLN although he looks the part but I can feel chemistry between them which you can say they're sucess to become the legendary couple. The story is also very close to the novel. What can I say? 1995 version is the best version of ROTCH despite of low budget, fight scenes and sceneries are not good compared with today standard cgi but thank to that, viewers in this age can focus to the acting skills of the actors unlike actors these day, only have the looks. A liitle sad that 22 years later, there is still no better version in sight.

There's a lot of memorial scenes in this version, honestly every scene with XLN is a good one, guaranteed. This version also has the best Zhou Botong. I love the first meeting between ZBT and XLN in the cave and how he trolls her, their conversasion always cracked me up. Thanks to that, I can see why ZBT like XLN and want to help her in Loveless Valley while other versions lacking it....

I wish I have the legit DVD or blu-ray of 1995 version but I couldn't find it anywhere. Had to content with the record from TV with TVB logo.

This is the scene I like the most in ROTCH:

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1st dub

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3rd dub, the ultimate

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1998 version has it too but no lake here

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2006 version with no swords

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and 2014 version...

Some BTS...

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