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Thread: Boring characters

  1. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    Heroes are people worthy of our admiration, and to me, the greatest heroes aren't the flashiest people, but those who are steadfast about doing the right thing, and can always be counted on to be there.
    As the title says, we are talking about boring characters, not heroes.

  2. #42
    Moderator Ken Cheng's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hoatran View Post
    As the title says, we are talking about boring characters, not heroes.
    My heroes don't bore me.

    They never have.

    But I don't expect you to get that.

  3. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cheng View Post
    My heroes don't bore me.

    They never have.

    But I don't expect you to get that.
    You are entitled to yours, I'm mine, the ROCH/LOCH characters entitled to theirs.

  4. #44
    Senior Member CC's Avatar
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    The 6 Peach Faries.

    I REALLY HATED it whenever they appeared in the novel. From their first scene, I really wished that they would each have their heads cut off.

    Their banter was downright tedious and spoiled the pace of the story.
    Its BIxie Jianfa Gawdammit you guys!!!!

  5. #45
    Senior Member ByTmE's Avatar
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    DOMD: A Ke, the most beautiful wife...and that was all she was. Oh, and I think Zeng Ruo [dang can't even remember her name for sure]
    I like me.

  6. #46
    Senior Member charbydis's Avatar
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    All the wives except for Shuang Er, The Princess and Su Quan were incredibly boring characters.

    Yuan Cheng Zhi bored the wits out of me when reading "Bi Xue Jian", if not for Xia Xue Yi's haunting presence with the Wen family, I would have given up. He had a sad background but his personality was very bland. I mean, he is similar to Guo Jing but Guo Jing has way more stubborness and spirit.

    Guo Po Lu is very boring. Yelu Qi is very boring. Wang Yu Yan was torture, glad Murong Fu didn't marry her - he would have been bored to death.

    Xiao Long Nu was not the most interesting character but she wasn't boring. You want boring, try Miao Ruo Lan. Even her mum is more interesting than her.
    "Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self."
    Cyril Connolly

  7. #47
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    Heroes and boring characters are 2 separate things. One can be a hero and be boring. Another can be exciting but not a hero.

    Anyway, Yideng and Qiu Qianren are a good match when it comes to boringness. No distinctive personality, and Qiu Qianren is a big time loser despite having Great-level MA.
    忽见柳荫下两个小孩子在哀哀痛哭,瞧模样正是武敦儒、武修文兄弟。郭芙大声叫道:「喂,你们在干甚麽?」武 修文回头见是郭芙,哭道:「我们在哭,你不见麽?」

  8. #48
    Senior Member Cesare's Avatar
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    As for YCZ - not sure how close to the novel Dou Zhi Kong's portrayal is - but I found that guy genuinely likeable.

    And Yelü Qi is totally my fave in ROCH. (After Zhen and Zhao, of course.)

    They are not the most exciting guys but I find them likeable and relatable enough to care about where and how they will find themselves by the end of the book.

    As for Guo Jing - he is a solid rock, he is predictable in his moves, he is very simple - but way more interesting to me than XLN who seems to be defined almost solely by her supreme skills and her love for YG. She grew up in a tomb, so it might not be entirely her fault - but there's hardly anything to her besides knowing a few cool tricks, looking real good and having a fixation on her student. GJ has a wife, a family, a sense of duty, his own intellectual limitations to overcome - and he makes difficult choices for reasons I can relate to.
    XLN? Meh.
    别想把黑暗放在我的面前
    太阳已经生长在我心底
    不再有封闭的畏惧
    奔腾的灵魂飞上天际
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  9. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cesare View Post
    And Yelü Qi is totally my fave in ROCH. (After Zhen and Zhao, of course.)
    But Zhou Botong thought Yelu Qi was boring. Oh well each has his own idea. What? Zhen Zhao are your favorites?

    I totally respect your preference, but for fun, let's compare.


    As for Guo Jing - he is a solid rock, he is predictable in his moves, he is very simple - but way more interesting to me than XLN who seems to be defined almost solely by her supreme skills and her love for YG.
    XLN could be like an assassin if you are her enemy like when she fought Hao Datong, Gongsun Zhi, her pursue of Zhen and Zhao, quiet and deadly. Otherwise, she was just a kind girl and a mysterious, but nice neighbor, she gave the bee antidote even though her Grandma Sun died at QuanZhen sect. Leave her alone, you might hear the sounds of her Zither, or see her bees in battle formation.

    GJ has a wife, a family, a sense of duty, his own intellectual limitations to overcome - and he makes difficult choices for reasons I can relate to.
    XLN? Meh.
    At the end of ROCH, XLN had a husband. She would have a family, a sense of serenity. Her life was simple, that why some think she was boring. But she had enough intellectual to understand and discuss Buddhist philosophy with a grand monk. And she can teach. Her kids would turn out fine. And the difficult choices she made? If my woman make those choices with me, I would be satisfied.

  10. #50
    Senior Member Cesare's Avatar
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    Zhou Botong is not a character I particularly like. Whatever he thinks is his business, I couldn't care less...;-)

    XLN doesn't seem to give a damn about anything, except for YG and martial arts. Would she be able or even *willing* to consider giving him up for other reason than the "he'll be happier without me" crap?
    Even when it came to the rape thing, most of her thoughts in the end wound up with YG. Geez!
    She'd be a lot more appealing if she remained stuck in the cave and spent her days playing the zither, really. At least she'd still have that alluring mystery to her.


    Zhen and Zhao are an interesting pair of losers to read about. Zhen is a likeable chap and Zhao is just - delightfully mean. And there is some interesting stuff going on between them. Honestly, I kinda had to force myself to read on after those two were gone...
    别想把黑暗放在我的面前
    太阳已经生长在我心底
    不再有封闭的畏惧
    奔腾的灵魂飞上天际
    太阳 我在这里

  11. #51
    Senior Member PJ's Avatar
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    The most interesting thing about Yin and Zhao is that they could withstand 30+ moves from GWM.

    when Yin Zhiping was wondering why XLN kept following them, he thought: "oh my, could it be that she finally fell for me?" I almost threw up.
    忽见柳荫下两个小孩子在哀哀痛哭,瞧模样正是武敦儒、武修文兄弟。郭芙大声叫道:「喂,你们在干甚麽?」武 修文回头见是郭芙,哭道:「我们在哭,你不见麽?」

  12. #52
    Senior Member chibidaisuke's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cesare View Post
    Zhou Botong is not a character I particularly like. Whatever he thinks is his business, I couldn't care less...;-)

    XLN doesn't seem to give a damn about anything, except for YG and martial arts. Would she be able or even *willing* to consider giving him up for other reason than the "he'll be happier without me" crap?
    Even when it came to the rape thing, most of her thoughts in the end wound up with YG. Geez!
    She'd be a lot more appealing if she remained stuck in the cave and spent her days playing the zither, really. At least she'd still have that alluring mystery to her.


    Zhen and Zhao are an interesting pair of losers to read about. Zhen is a likeable chap and Zhao is just - delightfully mean. And there is some interesting stuff going on between them. Honestly, I kinda had to force myself to read on after those two were gone...
    I have never liked the XLN or Princess Fragrance type characters. The exaggerated beauty and emitting an aura of mystery and with no personality whatsoever. They're so off putting to me.

  13. #53
    Senior Member Cesare's Avatar
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    when Yin Zhiping was wondering why XLN kept following them, he thought: "oh my, could it be that she finally fell for me?" I almost threw up.
    He abandoned the idea very quickly...

    The most interesting thing about Yin and Zhao is that they could withstand 30+ moves from GWM.
    I think I'll never understand how do you guys remember these things or why you even bother...:-)
    Last edited by Cesare; 10-19-10 at 09:10 AM.
    别想把黑暗放在我的面前
    太阳已经生长在我心底
    不再有封闭的畏惧
    奔腾的灵魂飞上天际
    太阳 我在这里

  14. #54
    Senior Member chibidaisuke's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cesare View Post
    I think I'll never understand how do you guys remember these things or why you even bother...:-)
    Using it to gauge characters' martial arts levels is part of the fun.

  15. #55
    Senior Member PJ's Avatar
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    It's true, I have accumulated a lot of useless wuxia knowledge.

    However, I'll justify all the hours spent by saying that reading wuxia has given me a better understanding of life and humanity
    忽见柳荫下两个小孩子在哀哀痛哭,瞧模样正是武敦儒、武修文兄弟。郭芙大声叫道:「喂,你们在干甚麽?」武 修文回头见是郭芙,哭道:「我们在哭,你不见麽?」

  16. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by chibidaisuke View Post
    I have never liked the XLN or Princess Fragrance type characters. The exaggerated beauty and emitting an aura of mystery and with no personality whatsoever. They're so off putting to me.
    I have not read the about Princess Fragrance, so I can't talk about her, but XLN has her own personality alright. It maybe not the type of personality you might care for. But it was unique and interesting. And more than that was the fact that Jin Yong either by design or accident put together quite a realistic match in personalities of Yang Guo and XLN. If you consider how Jin Yong described Yang Guo as being agressive, suspicious with a lot of chips on his shoulders, then have XLN to be kind, but aloof, making her dominant when it's needed to be, otherwise looking like an dis-interested target which Yang Guo would try to get. That was very realistic. Think of how would you get an angry, suspicious child to listen to you. A bumbling Guo Jing might be able to talk to him, but can't give him much direction. An agressive, domineering Huang Rong would only make him fight back. But someone like XLN will get him interested and hooked. It was an interesting match up and interplay of personalities, which is far more interesting than the kungfu of the characters.

    Jin Yong in one interview, I believe said that in writing these novels over the course of months or years, a few thoudsand words each day, he pretty much let the characters develop naturally. This meant to me that he did not plan the whole story ahead of time, but had enough time in between writings to think about how relationships between his characters can develop in a more realistic manner. Which I think was really the hallmark of his novels.

  17. #57
    Senior Member Cesare's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PJ View Post
    It's true, I have accumulated a lot of useless wuxia knowledge.

    However, I'll justify all the hours spent by saying that reading wuxia has given me a better understanding of life and humanity
    Don't get me wrong, I tend to remember a lot of fiction, film & game related stuff, too - and I don't think it entirely useless...
    It's just this board's obsession with numbers and levels that really amuses me...:-)
    别想把黑暗放在我的面前
    太阳已经生长在我心底
    不再有封闭的畏惧
    奔腾的灵魂飞上天际
    太阳 我在这里

  18. #58
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    The view Duan Yu of TianLongBaBu has in life is interesting to me, but I hated the chapters devoted to him... I'm only in 7th grade, and the romance parts were dry to me...
    欲取鸣琴弹,恨无知音赏。~孟浩然

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    Sun Bu'Er.

    Even the bell that was dropped onto her was more interesting .

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