Han Wu Da Di (Starring Chen Bao Guo as Liu Che)

[chaule]

Oh yes, there are cut and uncut version indeed. All the DVD versions have only 58 episodes. I bought the 58 episodes DVD version after watching the 64 episodes VCD version rented from my video store and thus I discovered there are cut parts. Now, I just bought the VCD version again because there are no 64 episodes DVD version anywhere. Sucks, but oh well.

[charbydis]

Oh yes, there are cut and uncut version indeed. All the DVD versions have only 58 episodes. I bought the 58 episodes DVD version after watching the 64 episodes VCD version rented from my video store and thus I discovered there are cut parts. Now, I just bought the VCD version again because there are no 64 episodes DVD version anywhere. Sucks, but oh well.

Same here, but you can order the 64-ep version from yesasia. But I can't be bothered since I already have one copy! Well, at least I have seen the 64-ep version!

May I ask, did you get that extra disc which has a sort of group interview of some of its cast? I heard it was crap since Chen Bao Guo wasn't there and the others except Jiao Huang, Gui Ya Lei, Tao Hong, Zhang Shi, only got asked one question and they were all yawning. I haven't seen it yet, but I have seen pics. The artistes look really bored.

[chaule]

Same here, but you can order the 64-ep version from yesasia. But I can't be bothered since I already have one copy! Well, at least I have seen the 64-ep version!

May I ask, did you get that extra disc which has a sort of group interview of some of its cast? I heard it was crap since Chen Bao Guo wasn't there and the others except Jiao Huang, Gui Ya Lei, Tao Hong, Zhang Shi, only got asked one question and they were all yawning. I haven't seen it yet, but I have seen pics. The artistes look really bored.

There was an extra disc with group interview? I didn't know that. Oh well, no big deal since Chen Bao Guo wasn't in it anyway and I don't care about the others.

The artists were all yawning? The interview must have been taken while they were filming.

[charbydis]

There was an extra disc with group interview? I didn't know that. Oh well, no big deal since Chen Bao Guo wasn't in it anyway and I don't care about the others.

Some people with 58-ep versions got it, but it wasn't in my pack! I heard the dude playing Li Guang was picking his nose all the way through. They had this satellite transmission interview between CBG and the studio and interviewed him from there.

I thought it was stupid to hold a group interview without the main lead present.

[Lady Zhuge]

Yes, I found out from the chinese forums. If you saw the Wei Qing and Princess Ping Yang "sex scene", then you got the full version. Apparently, some Xiong Nu bits were cut out due to association with the Mongolians. If you actually watch the original sound vs the dubbing, it is quite funny cos they are talking about two different things.

"Sex scene"...? <---will be on the look-out for it (to see which version I have, that is )

Some people with 58-ep versions got it, but it wasn't in my pack! I heard the dude playing Li Guang was picking his nose all the way through. They had this satellite transmission interview between CBG and the studio and interviewed him from there.

Isn't Li Guang played by the same actor who played Guan Yu in SGYY? A friend of mine's father was a schoolmate of his.

[charbydis]

"Sex scene"...? <---will be on the look-out for it (to see which version I have, that is ) .

Yeah right! If you miss it, there are more....

Anyway, remember the crazy dude on a horse in the beginning who is attacking the city. He becomes pivitol around ep 35-40. I didn't notice him until I rewatched.

Isn't Li Guang played by the same actor who played Guan Yu in SGYY? A friend of mine's father was a schoolmate of his.

Yup. I thought he acted better as Li Guang than as Guan Yu. The actor who played Zhou Ya Fu was the 14th prince in "Yong Zheng Huang Chao".

[chaule]

Yup. I thought he acted better as Li Guang than as Guan Yu. The actor who played Zhou Ya Fu was the 14th prince in "Yong Zheng Huang Chao".

I think he act better as Li Guang than Guan Yu as well. One thing I don't quite understand is why did they change Li Guang's death. That really surprised me concider this series was based on historical records. This altered detail bothered me quite a bit.

Really? Zhou Ya Fu was the 14 prince in Yong Zheng Wang Chao? That I didn't notice and still couldn't remember now. Lady Zhuge, what about you, did you recognize him?

[charbydis]

I think he act better as Li Guang than Guan Yu as well. One thing I don't quite understand is why did they change Li Guang's death. That really surprised me concider this series was based on historical records. This altered detail bothered me quite a bit.

I think they were trying to glorify both Wei Qing and Li Guang. I guess if they stuck by the historical version, it would have really gave Wei Qing a bad mark against his name, and made Li Guang look like a coward. I was very angry at that because I didn't expect that.

And it made Li Gan look like an idiot when he went to yell at Wei Qing, I think it was meant to show how humble and calm Wei Wing was as cmpared to teh rash Huo Qu Bing.

Thsi series is around 80-90% accurate to history, There are heaps of small details, and larger ones , which were altered to add to the emotional influence of the storyline.

For example:

- It was Han Wen Di who went to the "Xi Liu Barracks", and not Han Jing Di.

- Princess Nan Gong did not get married off to the Xiong Nu. (It was very creative and dramatic, in fact one of the best points in the series, but still not historical, -she divorced two husbands back in China)

- The Xiong Nu royal family relationships are all mucked up and all this stuff from 100 years before happens.

- Han Yan was supposed to be killed way off early by Lady Wang, but he was still there in his 40's.

Really? Zhou Ya Fu was the 14 prince in Yong Zheng Wang Chao? That I didn't notice and still couldn't remember now. Lady Zhuge, what about you, did you recognize him?

You guys go and rewatch it. I didn't know until someone else told me. Ma Shao Hua played Dou Ying was Sun Yat Sen in "Zou Xiang Gong He".

[Lady Zhuge]

Lady Zhuge, what about you, did you recognize him?

I still haven't watched this series yet. That's why I don't know whether or not I have the edited or unedited version.

[charbydis]

The artists were all yawning? The interview must have been taken while they were filming.

No, it was done after the filming finished.

The host wanted Jiao Huang and Gui Ya Lei to talk more cos they were more famous, but they didn't say much, but the host kept bombarding them with questions and wasted like half the show on them. So the rest of the cast were sitting there doing nothing for 45 mins and in the end, only talking for a few secs.

The girls were having a conversation in the back row with Li Le (Huo Qu Bing), the actor who played Zhang Qian was having this sleepy dazed look (whcih was cute ), Lu Jian Min and Gao Fa had this pissed look, while the actor who played Li Guang was yawning. Tao Hong and Zhang Shi were quite happy with their own conversation. I don't even remember Ma Shao Hua talking at all.

I don't even know why they bothered calling up the cast if they weren't going to let them talk.

Sometimes, it shows that Chinese hosts aren't that good at giving equal time to all the present artistes and keeping up the atmosphere. I watched a similar group cast interview with the Da Jang Geum cast, and it was really good, and everyone had a go and it was very funny.

[chaule]

I think they were trying to glorify both Wei Qing and Li Guang. I guess if they stuck by the historical version, it would have really gave Wei Qing a bad mark against his name, and made Li Guang look like a coward. I was very angry at that because I didn't expect that.

And it made Li Gan look like an idiot when he went to yell at Wei Qing, I think it was meant to show how humble and calm Wei Wing was as cmpared to teh rash Huo Qu Bing.

Thsi series is around 80-90% accurate to history, There are heaps of small details, and larger ones , which were altered to add to the emotional influence of the storyline.

For example:

- It was Han Wen Di who went to the "Xi Liu Barracks", and not Han Jing Di.

- Princess Nan Gong did not get married off to the Xiong Nu. (It was very creative and dramatic, in fact one of the best points in the series, but still not historical, -she divorced two husbands back in China)

- The Xiong Nu royal family relationships are all mucked up and all this stuff from 100 years before happens.

- Han Yan was supposed to be killed way off early by Lady Wang, but he was still there in his 40's.

You guys go and rewatch it. I didn't know until someone else told me. Ma Shao Hua played Dou Ying was Sun Yat Sen in "Zou Xiang Gong He".

Yes, they probably were trying to glorify Wei Qing. I never thought Li Guang's actions made him look like a coward though. I felt it was only a misunderstanding and unfortunately it ended with such a tragedy.

I agree with you that the series' change really did made Li Gan look idiot to suddenly yell at Wei Qing for no good reason.

Haha, I didn't know any of these historical facts you mentioned here. Can you explain more about them? Why did Han Wen Di went to Xi Liu Barracks? If princess Nan Gong wasn't married to Xiong Nu then was there any princess got married away? What really did happen with the Xiong Nu royal family? Did that guy really kill his father to become the Chief? Was there really a Eunuch from Han advice them? Why was Han Yan killed?

Oh yes, I recognized Ma Shao Hua as Sun Yat Sen in Zou Xiang Gong He as well. That was the first time I seen him and I was amazed at how much he resembles Sun Yat Sen. I like him very much with both Sun Yat Sen and Dou Ying roles. I think he did excellent jobs with both roles.

[chaule]

I still haven't watched this series yet. That's why I don't know whether or not I have the edited or unedited version.

I thought you bought this a long time ago. Why are you still have not watch it yet?

[chaule]

No, it was done after the filming finished.

The host wanted Jiao Huang and Gui Ya Lei to talk more cos they were more famous, but they didn't say much, but the host kept bombarding them with questions and wasted like half the show on them. So the rest of the cast were sitting there doing nothing for 45 mins and in the end, only talking for a few secs.

The girls were having a conversation in the back row with Li Le (Huo Qu Bing), the actor who played Zhang Qian was having this sleepy dazed look (whcih was cute ), Lu Jian Min and Gao Fa had this pissed look, while the actor who played Li Guang was yawning. Tao Hong and Zhang Shi were quite happy with their own conversation. I don't even remember Ma Shao Hua talking at all.

I don't even know why they bothered calling up the cast if they weren't going to let them talk.

Sometimes, it shows that Chinese hosts aren't that good at giving equal time to all the present artistes and keeping up the atmosphere. I watched a similar group cast interview with the Da Jang Geum cast, and it was really good, and everyone had a go and it was very funny.

Haha, so eventhough you didn't have the disc you managed to see it? Your description made it sound halirous.

[charbydis]

Haha, so eventhough you didn't have the disc you managed to see it? Your description made it sound halirous.

Some nutty fans of Wei Qing actually sat there with the pause and play button, and did transcripts of every word said, and all the expressions! Some even took snapshots and posted them int eh chinese forums. It was very detailed.

[charbydis]

******** HEAVY SPOILERS, LADY ZHU GE, DON'T READ THIS!!!!!!! **********

Yes, they probably were trying to glorify Wei Qing. I never thought Li Guang's actions made him look like a coward though. I felt it was only a misunderstanding and unfortunately it ended with such a tragedy.

I didn't really have a problem with it either. But the Han laws back then didn't allow any military failures (which I think is crazy) so Li Guang couldn't take having to go through the humiliation back home and slashed himself. I mean, Wei Qing wasn't at fault either, he was just following the rule. Yes, it is all a huge tragedy.

I think the producers tried to glorify Wei Qing as much as possible after they dumbed him down by making Han Wu Di come out with all the war tactics.

Haha, I didn't know any of these historical facts you mentioned here. Can you explain more about them? Why did Han Wen Di went to Xi Liu Barracks?

Han Wen Di went to Xi Liu Barracks for the exact same reasons, to find out the military progress of hsi armies and found Zhou Ya Fu. That's why he told Han Jing Di later on to find Zhou Ya Fu if he needed to do battle.

If princess Nan Gong wasn't married to Xiong Nu then was there any princess got married away?

There were heaps of pseudo-princessses married off to the Xiongnu and Wu Sun tribes, but no real princesses ever got married. But producers of HWDD argued that they found a Song artefact which said that Princess Nan Gong did get married off to the Xiong Nu, but seriously, if you are pitting a Song artefact against Sima Qian's "Shi Ji", I'd rather believe the "Shi Ji "that she didn't get married off to the Xiong Nu.

By the way, even if she did get sent over, she didn't marry those particular Xiong Nu chiefs because they didn't reign until like a decade or two later. (I remember when this was pointed out, the manic supporters of Princess Nan Gong and Yizhixie went all sad at the Chinese forums and it was hilarious!)

These pseudo-princesses were either daughter of distant royals or maids taught to act like a princess (Qiu Xiang and Qian Er were good examples from the story).

What really did happen with the Xiong Nu royal family? Was there really a Eunuch from Han advice them?

Yes, there was a real Han eunuch who advised the Xiongnu on war tactics after knwoing some while in China. I don't blame him though, you need to do what you need to do to survive.

Well, HWDD got the relationships all wrong, for some weird reason.

In the series, it was simplified to Jun Chen (the dad, and the actor who played Jiu Mo Zhi in TLBB BTW, a real Mongolian) having three sons, Yizhixie, Yu Dan, and Jin Mi Di.

But according to history. Jun Chen was Yizhixie's elder brother. Yu Dan was the heir to the throne, but then when his dad died due to natural causes, his uncle battled him for the throne and Yu Dan's armies lost after a few months and he fled to China. Yu Dan surrendered to Han Wu Di, and was made a Marquis, but died several months later due to illness (and no one knows who his mum is, but it for sure isn't Princess Nan Gong). Yi Zhi Xie became the Xiong Nu Chief.

Mi Di (original name Mi Di, the surname Jin was later given on by Han Wu Di after he surrendered) was the son of a distant Xiong Nu royal, Lord Xiu Tu. Lord Xiu Tu was about to surrender to the Han when he suddenly changed his mind, and was killed by his colleages (as seen in the series) who wanted to.

Because he dad changed his mind, Mi Di was not given any marquis ranks after surrendering and became a stable boy, and later became a close adviser to Han Wu Di and given the surname 'Jin'. (He was rumoured to be Han Wu Di's boyfriend BTW!)

Did that guy really kill his father to become the Chief?

Then back on Yizhixie from the series. He had all this stuff pushed onto him that he didn't do. It was done instead by his ancestor Mao Dun (the one who wrote the marriage proposal to Empress Lui) who ruled around 100 years before.

Mao Dun was the eldest son, but his dad preferred his little brother and when coerced by his new wife, the dad sent Mao Dun off to the Da Yue Zhi (the Turkish-Iranish tribe in the series) and then started a war, hoping that his son would be killed. But Mao Dun found out and escaped and planned revenge and killed his dad while on a hunting trip (same as in series, but different character), after practising on his wife and horse (another point). He also killed his little brother and stepmother as well.

Then after becoming Xiong Nu chief, he waged war on the Da Yue Zhi tribe, and pushed into the Middle-East after beheading their ruler and making his skull into a wine goblet (see, another thing Yizhixie didn't do).

And in the seige of Ma Yi, it was Jun Chen who lead the troops, not Yizhixie. And he surely survived that last battle (escaped after the Li Guang thing) and died a few years later due to illness.

Stuff he did do was personally lead troops against the Han and defeated two of their armies, causing Zhao Xin to surrender with all the military secrets.

Seriously, I was horrified at the gigantic deviations from the Xiong Nu side, but then thinking about it, I think it makes the series more interesting and easier to understand. I just don't get why they made Yizhixie the son instead of the brother, there was nothing he could not do as the brother that he could of if he was the brother.

Why was Han Yan killed?

He was homosexual with Han Wu Di and that got Empress Dowager Wang pissed. Then he was riding Han Wu Di's carriage once, and this brother of Empress Dowager Wang (not Tian Fen, she had many more brothers) thought it was Han Wu Di and knelt. He felt humiliated when he saw it was Han Yan and complained to the Empress Dowager, who ordered his death.

Oh yes, I recognized Ma Shao Hua as Sun Yat Sen in Zou Xiang Gong He as well. That was the first time I seen him and I was amazed at how much he resembles Sun Yat Sen. I like him very much with both Sun Yat Sen and Dou Ying roles. I think he did excellent jobs with both roles.

I like Ma Shao Hua a lot! I think he has this very warm and caring look on him. Dou Ying was my favourite character in the whole series!

BTW, what did you think about the deleted scenes? Were they needed?

[Lady Zhuge]

I thought you bought this a long time ago. Why are you still have not watch it yet?

Yes, I got this series when it first came out, but have never gotten around to watching past the first episode. As a spontaneous series watcher and especially for epic series like this, I really have to be in the right mood. I will watch more of it soon.


Thanks for the warning, charbydis.

[charbydis]

Yes, I got this series when it first came out, but have never gotten around to watching past the first episode. As a spontaneous series watcher and especially for epic series like this, I really have to be in the right mood. I will watch more of it soon.

Good idea! Watch it in the holidays! That way you would really get attached to the emotion and subtle meanings! I watched it in the summer holidays and I am still hooked!

[Lady Zhuge]

I've now watched up to the part where Jingdi permitted the marriage arrangement between Liu Zhi (which I presume was Liu Che's name before it was changed) and Ah Jiao.

Yup. I thought he acted better as Li Guang than as Guan Yu. The actor who played Zhou Ya Fu was the 14th prince in "Yong Zheng Huang Chao".

You're right, charbydis. The Zhou Ya Fu actor is indeed the same one who played brother 14 in "Yong Zheng Wang Chao". He looks so different with the beard and mustache, though. I always thought of him as "baby-face 14" in YZWC, haha, and now he's "grown" into such a distinguished leader. The Guan Yu and now Li Guang actor on the other hand also looks quite different, but for the opposite reason: lack of facial hair. Other than that, he really hasn't changed all that much.

[charbydis]

I've now watched up to the part where Jingdi permitted the marriage arrangement between Liu Zhi (which I presume was Liu Che's name before it was changed) and Ah Jiao. .

Have you started watching already? good for you. Liu Zhi and Ah Jiao are the two most adorable kids in the whole series! That episode was one emotional episode - I cried so much!

You're right, charbydis. The Zhou Ya Fu actor is indeed the same one who played brother 14 in "Yong Zheng Wang Chao". He looks so different with the beard and mustache, though. I always thought of him as "baby-face 14" in YZWC, haha, and now he's "grown" into such a distinguished leader. The Guan Yu and now Li Guang actor on the other hand also looks quite different, but for the opposite reason: lack of facial hair. Other than that, he really hasn't changed all that much.

Hey, when you come to the character Guo Jie, tell me if you recognise what role he played in SGYY! Try and picture him without the beard. I didn't realise until the second rewatch!

chaule, did you recognise him?

[charbydis]

I was doing captures for some people at Baidu, so I just included this one in for chaule:

Baby-face

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