I didn't like HSDS '03

[k'ley]

HSDS '03 sucks so bad. I am thinking of writing a letter to the producer and director to tell them that it sucks.

So how is the novel compared to HSDS '03?

[Ian Liew]

If you haven't read the novel, what was it about the series which you found so offensive? The only thing (other than the weak fighting, but the serial really didn't focus on the fighting at all) which most people didn't like about it was how it deviated from the novel.

[Extremer88]

Are we going to see "LOCH sucks!", "ROCH sucks!" next ?!

[yittz]

I didn't like the lack of fighting. And the lack of logic.

[Bangs]

I'm pretty sure I know who you really are....

Word of advice, don't become a troll.

[HuangYushi]

So how is the novel compared to HSDS '03?

Much much better! You won't even recognise half of it if you had heard and watched nothing except HSDS '03 before reading the novel.

The only thing (other than the weak fighting, but the serial really didn't focus on the fighting at all) which most people didn't like about it was how it deviated from the novel.

I agree. This time, I'll get straight to the point with my collection of mini-rants
1. http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...79&postcount=6
2. http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...1&postcount=44 (scroll down to "HSDS")
3. http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showpost...1&postcount=57

[wang23]

Oh my, I think we'll be having an anti-JY thread soon.

For me, I didn't like how Sung Ching Shu got a hold of Gwok Jing's 18 Dragon Palms. in HSDS 03

[Felix]

Oh my, SCS learning Dragon Palms? I am glad I only watched the parts for the good looking women and selected scenes I watch for every HSDS, the Ming Peak fight and the WuTang one.

[Ian Liew]

I loved HSDS 2003 - mainly because of the lack of emphasis on fighting and more emphasis on relationships.. maybe it wasn't quite the HSDS that JY wrote, but it was a very good series that appealed to me a lot.

It seemed that China JY wuxia serials tend to be cool, scenic, with a brownish template, lots of dust and sand, very real and portrays the natural dirt and general scruffiness of the era, which is all really good. HSDS, however, was a world where clothes were always clean, girls wore beautiful pink and blue silks, lighting was brighter, more fantasy-like (not CGI fantasy-like a la ROCH, but kind of "everything is bright and cheery" fantasy like) - it brought me back to the TVB early 80s style of serial, which never claimed to be deep and loyal to the canon, but nevertheless entertained immensely in its own way. I don't know how to explain it since I did love XAJH, LOCH, LCJ and BXJ with all their proper detail, but HSDS was just so different and refreshing. I probably wouldn't rate it so highly if all serials followed the same formula, but it really stood out, and took a completely different focus from the others. More like a HK/Taiwan serial rather than a China one. Phyllis Quek, Alyssia Chia and Gao Yuanyuan also made it immensely watchable, and Zhang Guoli's Chengkun was flawless. I even loved Florence Tan's Xiao Zhao, which most people seemed to dislike.

So, I guess if you want a serial which follows the current formula for JY wuxia (and it is a wonderful one, don't get me wrong) you will most likely not enjoy HSDS 03. It was great fun for me, and absolutely beautiful. Lots of bright colours, cheery scripts and Taiwanese actresses doing their normal teary thing.

I'll close my rather weak defence of HSDS03 with my favourite scene, one which I've watched dozens of times. This is after Zhang Wuji suspects Zhao Min of kidnapping Xie Xun and Zhou Zhiruo, and refuses to believe her even after she has made an oath that she wasn't responsible.

Zhao Min:-
"Zhang Wuji, do you know that, for you, I have already died once? Do you know that, for you, my brother has already died? Do you know that, for you, I almost lost my whole family? Do you know that, for you.... *sob* *sob*.. 7th Royal Uncle wanted me to marry his son, but I refused... because the one I love is YOU!! I ran away from the wedding, I betrayed my family, I brought death upon my father and my brother, I brought death upon my family! I am full of agony and have nowhere to hide, no one to talk to... I thought that after finding you I would get just a little bit of comfort and what happened?!!! I hate you, how can you treat me like that, I hate you!!!"

She beats him, and Wuji, having already lost all will to fight halfway through her speech grabs hold of her and gives her a BIG hug!!! It's not purist HSDS, but I'll be darned if it isn't entertaining and good. The fighting is weak, but it's not the focus of this series at all. You'll never get such emotional conversation in any other China JY serial, at least not with such a cute pouting actress breaking down after over 20 episodes of being nothing but absolutely calm, cool, collected and a bit evil.

(and yes, I wrote that all from memory, so if I've misquoted anything, sorry!)

[pannonian]

btw: If you haven't watched HSDS03, don't. But if you really want to, here are the only two reasons that I can come up with in support: (1) enjoyable opening/ending theme songs, and (2) pretty actresses [I think Chen Shasha/Zihan (Yin Li) and Alyssa Chia (Zhao Min) look the best, in that order].

Is there a fanpage of HSDS03 somewhere, where I can look at pictures of these pretty actresses, but I won't have to sit through the story?

[HuangYushi]

Is there a fanpage of HSDS03 somewhere, where I can look at pictures of these pretty actresses, but I won't have to sit through the story?

Look the actresses up by name in the Actress Forum. You'll probably find good pictures there, and perhaps even those with them in their HSDS03 costumes.

[batmankiller]

quite frankly even though most people will disagree with me, I think HSDS 2000 was much better than 03 as it focused on the Persia Secret Art chapters and didn't just skip everything.. and even though some people say the acting was horrible.. hey the storyline was good and it didn't deviate so much from the novel that you wouldn't know what novel it was adapating too unless you saw the Opening Theme song.

[JamesG]

All the series probably suffer from time and money constraints. In order to do some of the stories justice, they would have to be 50 or 60 episodes long.

[batmankiller]

HSDS 2000 had the same amount of episodes pretty much and they had much less deviation

[ethan]

This series was a complete disaster. ****, enough said!

[ghostdarTeal'c]

wow, k'ley is banned in under 6 posts....another duplicate account of persistent banned visitors, eh?

pardon my ignorance, but is HSDS '03 the one with Alec Su as Zhang Wuji?

[0-0-0]

Is there a fanpage of HSDS03 somewhere, where I can look at pictures of these pretty actresses, but I won't have to sit through the story?

sorry about the quality. i erm, cough cough, obviously don't have the, cough cough, good quality dvds.

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img480.imageshack.us/img480/7207/hsdsjr0.th.jpg')


left to right:
ZM - ZZR - XZ - ZE
YBH - YSS - JXF - eh, can't remember the last girl's name. sorry

@ghost: yes it's the one with Alec Su and 50 beautiful ladies.

[HuangYushi]

YBH - YSS - JXF - eh, can't remember the last girl's name. sorry

Wu Qingying, minor character, a descendant of Wu Xiuwen (one of the Wu Brothers) of ROCH.

btw, what about Zhu Jiuzhen, the Golden Flower Granny, Miejue and Ding Minjun? Can't leave the other ladies out, can we?

[0-0-0]

Wu Qingying, minor character, a descendant of Wu Xiuwen (one of the Wu Brothers) of ROCH.

btw, what about Zhu Jiuzhen, the Golden Flower Granny, Miejue and Ding Minjun? Can't leave the other ladies out, can we?

LOL, they're coming!

i apologise again for the quality. if i could be bothered, i'd go find some proper pics as opposed to screencapping random moments while they're speaking

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/2103/hsds2ac9.th.jpg')

Left to right:
Lady Yang - Zhu Jiu Zhen - Ding Minjun - Golden Flower Granny

sorry about Miejue. She doesn't classify in this case

[ghostdarTeal'c]

i cant see squat of that image, 0-0-0. part of it being i dont know the actresses, tho