New series 还君明珠 (黄少祺, 董洁) Torn Between Two Lovers

[bluesky]

Just wanted to share with everyone:

THIS SERIES IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo GOOD!


This film is really addictiive. I'm up to episode 27 (44 episodes altogether). Its been a while since I've watched any tv-series that prompts me to watch disc after disc after disc without fast-forwarding or skipping any scenes.

For any one who is familiar with the 80s versions starring Damian Lau and Su Ming Ming, I have to say that this version is a definite rehash of that version. In other words, this new version did not change anything about the story!! Everything is retained here, including most dialogues, characters, plot, and even how the events unfold in the same chronological order as the 80s version. It seems like nothing has changed other than the actors and the background/sets (which are beautifully filmed in this newer version). This new version also has that very memorable theme song from the 80s version, although now it's a sub-theme song in this newer version.

So far, my only gripe is that Dong Jie as "Jin Ming Zhu" fails in comparison to Su Ming Ming. That's not to say she's not good, but IMO she doesn't stand out in this role. Maybe it was because Su Ming Ming had already set the bar too high for this role, and made it difficult for any other actresses to fill in her shoes. IMO, Su Ming Ming is way prettier and more believable as a poor refined "simple" girl worthy of having 2 best friends fall head over heels for her than Dong Jie.

EVERYONE SHOULD RUN OUT and buy, rent or borrow this series and watch it immediately. But be prepared to spend a few days couped up in front of your tv!

any website that can watch online or to dl.

[NarutoSakura]

Click on the link for the theme song of both versions:

http://www.youmaker.com/video/sp?id=...c184ecd3f7e001

You may also download it by clicking on the link where it says "(mp3)".
But download at your own risk (i'm not sure of how safe the site is).

[NuDaFu]

It's so unfair! The DVDs have been bought exclusively (for now I hope) by us.yesasia. Meaning that if you don't live in Canada/US you cant buy it. I was so prepared to put an order down for it. global.yesasia can't get it due to copyright reasons. For heaven's sake, how is it that something produced in Mainland China is only accessible in the US?

[auroragb]

Just wanted to share with everyone:

THIS SERIES IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo GOOD!

You gotta be kidding me!
I got the series on your recommendation and it's a stinking POS!
The characters are paper thin. The dialogue is riddled with cliche. The writer of this series should be taken out and shot as full of plot holes as the story.
There is NO establishment of WHY we should care about Dong Jie's character. Great actors in Liu Xue Hua, Li Li Qun, and Sun Xin are sleepwalking thru their paper thin characters.
Li Zong Han is a great actor because he looks like Ma Jin Tao but actually knows how to act. But, instead of him being the main character, they have an overactor like Huang Shao Qi shouting every line from Shatners school of Overacting.
There should have been much more character establishment sub-arcs. Instead, it's one deus ex machina after another

As for Dong Jie vs Su Ming Ming. What made Su shine was the power of the story and Su's reserved tears. Dong is the only of the current gen actresses that can really pull that off. But the contrived plot makes her tears just not moving at all. So, the ineffectiveness of Dong Jie is due more to the incompetent writer rather than the actress

[Lady Zhuge]

^^ Really, it's that bad? And I was thinking of watching this one too.

[tennisrocks]

^^ Really, it's that bad? And I was thinking of watching this one too.

I didn't think it was that bad. It's watchable. I'd watch it and make your own critique afterwards. It's nice that they finally allowed Eric's real voice to be used.

[NuDaFu]

You gotta be kidding me!
I got the series on your recommendation and it's a stinking POS!
The characters are paper thin. The dialogue is riddled with cliche. The writer of this series should be taken out and shot as full of plot holes as the story.
There is NO establishment of WHY we should care about Dong Jie's character. Great actors in Liu Xue Hua, Li Li Qun, and Sun Xin are sleepwalking thru their paper thin characters. Li Zong Han is a great actor because he looks like Ma Jin Tao but actually knows how to act. But, instead of him being the main character, they have an overactor like Huang Shao Qi shouting every line from Shatners school of Overacting.
There should have been much more character establishment sub-arcs. Instead, it's one deus ex machina after another. As for Dong Jie vs Su Ming Ming. What made Su shine was the power of the story and Su's reserved tears. Dong is the only of the current gen actresses that can really pull that off. But the contrived plot makes her tears just not moving at all. So, the ineffectiveness of Dong Jie is due more to the incompetent writer rather than the actress

I have to disagree. Even though HJMZ isn't in the calibre of Liang Zhu, it doesn't deserve to be called a "POS". With regard to the plot, I heard that it follows quite closely to the original. So if you liked the old one, I don't understand how there could be much despise for the new one.

There WAS establishment for Ming Zhu's character. She was shown as a filial daughter, a person with dignity who would rather busk for money than enter a brothel to support her mother (reflected buy Brother Ma stumbling out of a brothel to find Ming Zhu sitting outside playing the Er Hu), selfless/charitable when she donated Brother Ma's money to the orphanage, courageous in the face of injustice when she was wrongly accused for murder, somewhat wise in needing to believe that people who treat her well owe her while people who treat her poorly means that she owes them. I think there was more than enough establishment for Ming Zhu.

Now, I quite like that line. I don't think it was cliche. At least I haven't heard it in that form before. And there is nothing wrong with cliches. It's a matter if it is used well or not. Chinese "Cheng Yu" in the show may come across as "cliche-ish" at times, but that's the whole point of them...to use the appropriate ones to identify/encapsulate a concept.

I loved Sun Xin's performance. He had that violent energy hanging around him that was almost tangible. I have to admit Liu Xue Hua's performance was limited, she didn't have much depth of character to work with. Li Li Qun was in no way "paper thin". He has a fabulous ability to fluctuate his tones to express a wide range of emotions. I couldn't decide if he wanted to butcher his enemies at one point or cry in sorrow.

I do agree that Huang Xiao Qi was poorly chosen as a main. HXQ looked great (filled out his suits quite nicely) but lacked a convincing performance. He didn't have a suave/smooth air of a rich boy, didn't look real when he was trying for cheeky/funny, over-acted when he was angry, and spoke strange (I suppose because he's from Taiwan) Mandarin. It was especially evident compared to Dong Jie, who speaks very proper mandarin (very near level one I'd say). I suspect that were 'favouring' HXQ too being from Taiwan, because as soon as he entered the picture, it seemed at times, that he had more screen play than Dong Jie did!

I've seen Su Ming Ming...I don't find her acting very remarkable. She actually seemed quite old to me and lacked an expression of that inner strength that Ming Zhu is supposed to have. She reminds me of BBC's old actress who played Anne in Jane Austen's 'Persuasion'.

Not that I think Jin Ming Zhu is perfect. Why...

click to show/hide spoilers

The part where she mistakes Tian Bao for all those crimes, you'd think she would've given him the benefit of the doubt at some point. Yes, while she was pregnant, her hormones would've made her an emotional hotpot. She had no excuse after she had the baby though. Yes, it would've been awkward to support your husband when feeling guilty and responsible for Jin Lian, but, I had a feeling she was so ready to believe because she based it on his 'playboy' past. If that had of been Lin Zhi Wen, I bet Ming Zhu wouldn't have persisted in disbelieving her husband. Remember, Ming Zhu had been influenced by her friends judgement of Tian Bao before they got married.

Plus, there were too many 'holes' in the crime to comfortably accept...Yang Hong was also playing a bit of "protest too much". For such serious accusations as rape and murder, I think the suspect deserves the benefit of the doubt unless proven otherwise. Because, the damage of the accusations themselves can be permanantly damaging.

It all comes down to Ming Zhu obviously not loving Tian Bao enough (if she did at all). There may've been some initial sweetness to the start of their marriage, but when tough times came, she wasn't there for Tian Biao. I still can't believe how she didn't suspect even a thing when the whole household (including herself) stood there accusing her husband...hello...'ganging up'. There is such a thing as 'reading between the lines'. Which of course the mother did...bless her wisdom and insight. And then came Lin Zhi Wen again...Ming Zhu looked oh so ready to feel for him. In many ways, I think Ming Zhu doesn't deserve Tian Bao. No matter what happened in the end.

[auroragb]

By cliche, I do not mean chen yu. Chen yu is expected in period drama. What I mean by cliche is usage of canned characters saying canned things behaving in a canned way. The evil senior wife who sucks up to power. The girlfriend who dates another guy for attention etc.

As for following the original closely. Not really. Ming Zhu's parents 1987 were nowhere near as prevalent as they are in the 2007 version. The character designs were great. The plot device characters did their jobs and got out of the way. Look at the opening song of the 1987 version, even that is a classic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOqwYK7iZWE

This was the drama that put Shen Meng Sheng (he played tian bao's brother in 1987 and Ming Zhu's father in 2007) on the map. He was a new and complete unknown actor then and of mediocre talent (you can tell even now). But his character design and direction in HJMZ 1987 was so strong that got him noticed and paired up again against Damian Lau in BYGHX where he made an extremely strong impression. Can you say that the new actor for Qin Tian Fu will be remembered at all?

Lot of the problem is in the direction. I think the director doesn't know how to direct and all he knows is to say "MORE"! Because when everyone overacts, it's not just the actors problem. Basically, HJMZ 2007 is filled with overacting except for Dong Ji, Li Zong Han, Li Li Qun, and Liu Xue Hua.

Note I did not say Sun Xin did not overact. But his character was meant to and Sun Xin makes overacting an art.

As for Su ming ming's age. I think she was still under 30 when HJMZ 1987 came out. Dong Jie was 27 when HJMZ 2007 came out. But I agree SMM was older looking. But Damian Lau is even older, so it's not much of a problem.

To be fair, it's been 20 years since I watched the original, but considering that it's one of the few from that period that I actually remember, that is saying something. HJMZ 2007 is definitely NOT a drama that I'll be remembering for 20 years. I love Dong Jie's acting, but this will NOT be a series I remember her for

Also, the scene you described is one of the many cliche and plot holes I was mentioning. The plot hole is the paper-thin setup that anyone should have seen thru. But they insist on acting like idiots to scream and shout and cry, that is the cliche.

[NarutoSakura]

You gotta be kidding me!
I got the series on your recommendation and it's a stinking POS!
The characters are paper thin. The dialogue is riddled with cliche. The writer of this series should be taken out and shot as full of plot holes as the story.
There is NO establishment of WHY we should care about Dong Jie's character. Great actors in Liu Xue Hua, Li Li Qun, and Sun Xin are sleepwalking thru their paper thin characters.
Li Zong Han is a great actor because he looks like Ma Jin Tao but actually knows how to act. But, instead of him being the main character, they have an overactor like Huang Shao Qi shouting every line from Shatners school of Overacting.
There should have been much more character establishment sub-arcs. Instead, it's one deus ex machina after another

As for Dong Jie vs Su Ming Ming. What made Su shine was the power of the story and Su's reserved tears. Dong is the only of the current gen actresses that can really pull that off. But the contrived plot makes her tears just not moving at all. So, the ineffectiveness of Dong Jie is due more to the incompetent writer rather than the actress

I find that there is nothing wrong with the script. The synopsis I provided on page 1 was, as I stated, taken from the 87' version. That synopsis was written way before i got a chance to watch this new version. But surprisingly, the new version was pretty much a replica of the old one, with some undeniable exceptions of course.

I take it you have seen the 87' version. Now have you watched it again recently? I just pulled out the 87' version after having finished this 2008 version and to my astonishment, the former version actually paled in comparison (literally) in regards to set design, costumes, and among other things. However, I still stand by my verdict that Su Ming Ming made a better Jin Ming Zhu than Dong Jie. I thought most of the new actors were quite befitting to their roles. The new actor who played Tian Fu actually surprised me later on in the film of his acting ability (quite contrary to your opinion, I thought his acting skill was the best and most natural among all the cast members). Unfortunately, I wasn't very impressed with Eric Huang and Dong jie's performances as Tian Bao and Ming Zhu, respectively. It could have been due to the fact that my own memories of Damian Lau and Su Ming Ming in those roles have left such a deep imprint in my mind that consequently made it almost impossible for me to accept any other actors/actresses as Qin Tian Bao and Jin Ming Zhu. Or it could just simply be that Eric Huang and Dong Jie were not the right choice for those roles. I found dong jie to be a little too wooden in her performance sometimes. At other times, I found that she lacked the "wen rou" (gentleness) that was so well portrayed by Su Ming Ming in the previous version. Another actress I wasn't very impressed with was the one who played Yang Hong in the new version. Her acting just looked to me like .....well, simply...acting, especially towards the latter half of the film where she went all Linda Blair (as in the Exorcist) on us. I do however agree that maybe Yang Pei Pei's choice of director was a mistake for this new version. Anyway, hope Yang Pei Pei will do better with the next remake of "Spring comes and goes", as purportedly rumored to be her next project (if this new version of "Huan Jun Ming Zhu" is a success, that is).

[NuDaFu]

By cliche, I do not mean chen yu. Chen yu is expected in period drama. What I mean by cliche is usage of canned characters saying canned things behaving in a canned way. The evil senior wife who sucks up to power. The girlfriend who dates another guy for attention etc.

It sounds like you would've preferred more originality? You'd more likely to find that in an art house movie than a remake drama. Even if not a remake, originality is hard to find these days.

I still don't think there is anything particularly wrong with cliches. I don't try too hard to look for new situations - especially in remakes - I look for how new actors/actresses deal with and express themselves with the same "evil senior wife who sucks up to power" or "girlfriend who dates another guy for attention". Cliches are essentially repetitions, there is a great power in repetitions. When such concept appears mundane/stereotypical to a mind seeking originality, then it becomes 'cliche'. For those who find commonality a way of identifying with others, repetition can become legend (there is 'recycling' of ideas within and across cultures). Take LOTR for instance, I can't stand it for the same reason as you can't stand new HJMZ...I see the 'cliches' too obviously...whereas it is the 2nd most read piece of writing beside the Bible! And Scream...the whole movie is a line up of cliche, but it works!

Really, if you enjoyed the old HJMZ so much, you must been happy to deal with cliches. Unless the basic characters are very, very different from the new ones...which wouldn't make it a remake then. Ming Zhu = poor girl marries rich boy, Tian Bao = playboy reformed by love, Mr & Mrs Jin = greedy parents using daughter for own gains.

Cliche A drama to watch ...it all comes down to perspective.

Can you say that the new actor for Qin Tian Fu will be remembered at all?

We don't know. HJMZ is still quite new. I agree with NarutoSakura though, that the new Tian Fu was very good.

Lot of the problem is in the direction. I think the director doesn't know how to direct and all he knows is to say "MORE"! Because when everyone overacts, it's not just the actors problem. Basically, HJMZ 2007 is filled with overacting except for Dong Ji, Li Zong Han, Li Li Qun, and Liu Xue Hua.

What about Tian Bao's mother. I thought she was quite calm, no over-acting there. Once again, all in perspective.

[bigbaby]

Does anyone know about this series ? Is it Mainland or Taiwanese production ?

Any pics please .

[TiffTiff]

You mean this series with Do^?ng Khie^'t ???

http://www.dvdasian.com/_e/Tai_Seng/...D_Box_Set_.htm

I thought there is already a topic on this series, let me find it. I think it's Mainland production

A ha, find it, I think this is the one you're talking about

http://www.spcnet.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=21512

[NarutoSakura]

Does anyone know about this series ? Is it Mainland or Taiwanese production ?

Any pics please .

It's a Taiwanese/Mainland china production. Produced by Yang Pei Pei. There's already a thread on this.

Click here
http://spcnet.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=21512

[vuongngocyen]

is any one here finished the series yet? if so, please tell me the ending. I am enjoy this series so much, I am up to eps 20. thanks

[Linda]

i just watched up to episode 31 in viet, so i don't know how the voices sounded like, but the dubbing was really gud.

i've never seen the old version but my mum says it was gud and we've got it at home, but i don't think i would like it even though its almost the same.

most of us tend to like the 'original' version that made us like the film, like this 2007 version would be my 'original' while the 1987 version would be the second, so most people who saw the first version and liked it enough to see this version would still find fault or like their first version better, its just human nature.

only when the remake is an utter dissapointment with no redeeming features would i consider it a POS.

as for the acting department...it depends on taste, like the Nicholas Tse, SHE, ariel lin and most of the newer generations i find very lacking in the acting department while sum would undoubtedly find them adquent.

Dong Jie i never particularly liked, i always thought her of the cute and can't act type, since she reminded me a bit of Ariel Lin and Shu Chang (who can act).

I however picked up the new butterfly lovers simply cos it looked gud and there was nothing else to watch. she did quite well though i did find sum scenes lacking.

then came this film which seemed, well, interesting with the whole ex coming back for revenge thing. though i was given a false product.

this is wat i got on the back of my box.

Kim (Dong Jie) is married to Lam (Li Zhong Han), Chin(Eric) is Lam's best friend, but Chin (Eric) falls in love with her, but he is married to Yeung (call-girl), Chin's brother wants to help Chin so he kills Lam and fakes divorce papers between Chin and Yeung. Chin and Kim gets married, Yeung takes revenge by marrying Chin's elder brother, while Lam survives and returns to take revenge on Chin who he believed had ordered his death.

well as you can see the film isn't exactly like this synopsis has said, no one got married till ep 28 at least.

Since i havent watched the older version but i found this version quite gud, i wanted to give up since it was taking to long to get into the revenge business.

but i stayed cos i like Dong Jie's character, the wooden expression that was referred to, i found quite comforting, Dong Jie's Ming Zhu was a very calm person, not gentle, but calm.

it was this quality tat i liked, gentle characters tend to make them feel very submissive to me, while Ming Zhu's calmness made her feel very strong, like a tall silent tree in the forest, no matter how the wind blows the tree doesn't make a sound.

it was at the point i realised this quality about her that i realised she never raises her voice (not screaming anyway), she always talks in a much calmer then expected voice even though she was angry.

her treatment of everyone around her was exactly the same, even with Li Zhong Han she was always very calm and quite around him.

maybe because of her nature that when she did cry it was very sad for me, and Dong Jie can cry, she looked so sad when she's crying that it makes me wonder if she was crying for real all not. but up to ep 31 where i'm up to, she hasn't had the chance to really cry, yes there was crying scenes but none was overly sad, she cried when her mother died and that was sad, really sad, is her mother still alive? she makes it look like she knows the feeling.

My mum says the old version of Ming Zhu is very beautiful, i wouldn't know, but i doubt i would like, since i'm one of the newer generations tat tend to prefer cuteness over the girlish pretty.

but she didn't have that quality that would make you go wow she looks gud, especially in the mushroom haircut of hers, but she grew on me, she started to look better as time went by, maybe it was the beauty from within.

Eric Huang who stars as her husband i'm a bit sceptic about, he does seem to be 1 dimentional at times, i thought his changed from a playboy to doctor was way to fast, it was like i missed 7 yrs of their lives in a flash. last time i checked even back then doctors needed a degree.

His acting however, depened on modes, sumtimes he was gud others okay, but he was a real man, when he threaten his ex girlfriend, he gave off the aura of a man, a man that wants to protect his woman. it was gud.

[sleepingsnow]

I wish Yan Kuan was the husband! Li Zhong Han and Yan Kuan are two actors I think have enormous ability to play these kind of roles. Yan Kuan can pull off the "playboy" quality very well with his "smirk" and those mysterious eyes , he also can play the "changed" man with his "gentle" smile , and he's good at showing feeling of deep love .

Eric's acting was just too plain and he looked strangely tiring for the entire series! It's like he was walking half-sleep through scenes and was trying to memorise the script lines!

When he played " the playboy" , there was nothing like it . All I saw was someone who was acting weird and hyper! In fact, without his clean and expensive suit , he was like a madman in hospital! When he was teasing people , nothing was funny with the kind of expression he showed, it wasn't cool and funny , it was awkawrd and embarrasing!

When he was "supposedly" in love with Dong Jie's character , again his act was unconvincing! he didn't know how to give the subtle quality through facial expression , more importantly the eyes.This is where he should have learnt from Li Zhong Han! There was so little chemistry between him and Dong Jie's character even he was given many scenes to desmontrate how much Chin loved Kim. Indeed , without those situations where he protected her that the scripwriter put in , I would have questioned how they developed their love !?
In contrast , there was not many love scenes between Zong Han and Dong Jie , still I felt certain chemistry between them ...The pain, suffering , vengeance and love...all those repressed emotions were demonstrated perfectly by Zhong Han !

Sorry Eric but your acting in this series has ruined half of the enjoyment ...Apologise for my blunt words but you need to improve more!

[gigi250]

anyone know where i can download the themesong and who is the singer?

[Linda]

wouldn't have a clue, why dont u just dl the first ep and get it from there

[Linda]

if anyone is interested i wrote a review for this film on spcnet, but don't expect it to soon, cos i went over board and had a word count of over 10 000.

[vuongngocyen]

Dong Jie and Li Zhong Han love each other first. Then Eric falls in love with Dong Jie by hanging around wih Li Zhong Han and her. Later Li Zhong Han lost his memory and married another girl. At that time, Eric is always by Dong Jie sides. Then they get married and had a son. Dong Jie and Eric had end up together. Li Zhong Han is lone but he is happy with that.