Favorite Master of Quanzhen

[PJ]

Who is he?
Please vote.

[odbayarb2000]

I go for Ma Yu. His calmness and benevolence forced me to do such decision.

[pannonian]

No surprise to see who voted for Tan Chuduan. Liu Chuxuan was another whom I always had difficulty remembering.

[Ren Wo Xing]

Yes, I always felt that Ma Yu was one of the best actual Taoists.

[cristal entity]

Qiu Chuji from the last LOCH adaption, seemed quite a nice guy.

[owbjhx]

Mr Eternal Springtime himself, Qiu Chuji - and by a mile (but that may be only because he gets by far the most pagetime). He's the only real character among what's a fairly dull bunch.

I like the fact that Jinyong, perhaps in recognition of QCJ's real-life exploits, always attributes a certain enduring power to the man's words. It's a running theme in the Trilogy: from his naming of Guo Jing and Yang Kang in She Diao, and the two daggers he iconically inscribed; through the epitaph he composed for YK, which precipitated Yang Guo's repentance in Chapter 37 of Shen Diao; and to the opening of Yi Tian, where the gushingly admiring tone of QCJ's eulogy to Xiaolongnu mirrors Guo Xiang's attitude towards YG. In Shen Diao, QCJ also narrated the story of Wang Chongyang and Lin Chaoying for what it really was: a love story. That set the mythic background for what happened later in the plot.

It was QCJ's rash antics in Ox Village that, arguably, set the entire Trilogy in motion. He's the firestarter, the original loose cannon. For most of She Diao he looks like a bit of a dick, to be honest - a self-consciously larger-than-life type, all swagger and gestures and misdirected righteous fury, and a bit too in love with jianghu - even though it made for some iconic moments (e.g. challenging the entire Jiangnan Seven to a drinking contest, and then making that 18-year bet). But he seems rather different later, when he tries to win over Genghis Khan with pacifism, and then has quite a wise little conversation with GJ in Chapter 39. Either JY was indulging in inconsistent characterisation again, or maybe QCJ grew up (finally).

[Ken Cheng]

Mr Eternal Springtime himself, Qiu Chuji - and by a mile (but that may be only because he gets by far the most pagetime). He's the only real character among what's a fairly dull bunch.

I like the fact that Jinyong, perhaps in recognition of QCJ's real-life exploits, always attributes a certain enduring power to the man's words. It's a running theme in the Trilogy: from his naming of Guo Jing and Yang Kang in She Diao, and the two daggers he iconically inscribed; through the epitaph he composed for YK, which precipitated Yang Guo's repentance in Chapter 37 of Shen Diao; and to the opening of Yi Tian, where the gushingly admiring tone of QCJ's eulogy to Xiaolongnu mirrors Guo Xiang's attitude towards YG. In Shen Diao, QCJ also narrated the story of Wang Chongyang and Lin Chaoying for what it really was: a love story. That set the mythic background for what happened later in the plot.

It was QCJ's rash antics in Ox Village that, arguably, set the entire Trilogy in motion. He's the firestarter, the original loose cannon. For most of She Diao he looks like a bit of a dick, to be honest - a self-consciously larger-than-life type, all swagger and gestures and misdirected righteous fury, and a bit too in love with jianghu - even though it made for some iconic moments (e.g. challenging the entire Jiangnan Seven to a drinking contest, and then making that 18-year bet). But he seems rather different later, when he tries to win over Genghis Khan with pacifism, and then has quite a wise little conversation with GJ in Chapter 39. Either JY was indulging in inconsistent characterisation again, or maybe QCJ grew up (finally).

I like to think that Yau Chui Gei finally grew up. Twenty years had gone by, after all, and despite his name, Yau Chui Gei was no "eternal spring" chicken even at the beginning of LOCH (wasn't he at least forty by then?). After he'd run into one problem after another (and caused a whole slew of problems for people he regarded as friends) due to his rashness, he must have learned to mellow out as the years went by. Yau Chui Gei was a hothead when he was younger, but he was no idiot; he could learn from his mistakes.

So no, it's not inconsistent characterization; it's character growth.

[yittz]

Ma Yu, he remind me of Z3F.

QCJ is pretty cool, just quick tempered.

[Bangs]

Ma Yu, he has all the characteristics of a great master except for high MA.

[Athena]

Ma Yu is one of the most enlightened Taoist priets in the Jin Yong universe. His interaction with Guo Jing was great both in LOCH and ROCH.
Although, Ma Yu only spoke to Guo Jing briefly in ROCH, but it was like a caring teacher seeing one of his favourite students again after a long time.
Ma Yu smiled and said: 'Jing'er, we haven't seen each other for many yeas. Your martial arts have improved greatly.'
He even praised little Yang Guo when he saw him for the first time, thinking Yang Guo was Guo Jing's son. He smiled and said something like that he has his mother's wits and intelligence. He got my vote.

Tan Chuduan: He seems like a chivalrous man. Personally, I wished that he didn't die in LOCH.

Liu Chuxuan: It was said that he was the most intelligent one of the Seven Mastes, all the disciples never knew what he was thinking. But also quite a patriotic man, as evidenced in the third edition of ROCH. He and Qiu with the other masters discussed how they could aid Guo Jing by trying to assassinate generals in the Mongolian armies, or burn the supplies.

Qiu Chuji: like Ken said, he gradually became wiser and wiser.

Wang Chuyi: I like Wang Chuyi too, however there are two things I didn't really like about him. I don't blame him for the crimes Zhao Zhijing commited, every fine orchard could have a rotten apple.
I disliked him for the comment he made when Xiao Longnu was battling the Golden Wheel Monk and co outside the Yuxu Cave. He angrilly said that Xiao Longnu should not have allied with those people to attack Quanzhen.
Why would he say something like that? Xiao Longnu was fighting those four experts!?! Or could it be that he was almost blinded by Xiao Longnu, so he was not thinking clearly? I don't know.
Secondly, was when Lu Qingdu reporting to Ma Yu, Qiu Chuji and Wang Chuyi what happened. Lu Qingdu basically made a fool out of himself during that report. Wang Chuyi thought that his grand disciple was embarrassing himself in front of outsiders. Guo Jing is an outsider? Wang Chuyi saved Guo Jing's life in the past, Guo Jing regards Wang Chuyi as one of his respected elders.
Ma Yu even told Guo Jing that they were like family, no need to apologize or say thank you to each other.
Suffice to say that I was a bit disappointed by Wang Chuyi. But still I like the man, he is a decent Wulin elder and Taoist priest.

Hao Datong: Nothing wrong him, he felt guilty and remorse for accidentally killing granny Sun even when it was self-defense. A very decent man.

Sun Bu'er: I kind of like her, she reminds me a bit of myself. A fiery and temperamental personality, but her heart is at the right place. And I liked how she was touched by Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu's love for each other.
She is a swell ol' gal.

[Candide]

Qiu Chuji is my favourite by far. He's all Taoist and philosophical like the best of them, but when the situation calls for actions, he's right in the thick of things kicking arses instead of just standing there talking sith like the rest. What a man!

[Ken Cheng]

The only real knock on Yau Chui Gei is that the guy seemed to have trouble keeping his students in line. Between his two most prominent students, one became a traitor and the other, a rapist. Ouch.

[PJ]

The only real knock on Yau Chui Gei is that the guy seemed to have trouble keeping his students in line. Between his two most prominent students, one became a traitor and the other, a rapist. Ouch.

Yin Zhiping/Zhen Zhibing is Qiu Chuji's disciple.

I think Zhao Zhijing is Wang Chuyi's disciple.

[Ken Cheng]

Yin Zhiping/Zhen Zhibing is Qiu Chuji's disciple.

I think Zhao Zhijing is Wang Chuyi's disciple.

The traitor I refer to is Yeung Hong.

[Bangs]

I didn't like Qiu Chuji, his fiery temper almost always clouds his judgement. He was most of time quick to act on his temper which I think is very unbecoming of a martial master.

[dewyloony123]

IMHO in real life, Qiu Chuji, Sun Bu'er, and Wang Chongyang were quite colorful--maybe even more so than in fiction:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qiu_Chuji and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Bu%27er and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Chongyang#Life

[Ken Cheng]

TVB misrepresented Sheun But Yee the worst of all. In LOCH '82 and ROCH '83, she was a complete b*tch.

[dewyloony123]

Yes, really--there's a WORLD of difference between the novel and the adaptations

j/k. Actually, she really wasn't very nice--always a bit prejudiced against YG (can't remember about HR--same deal?). But she did feel kinder towards YG and XLN during their wedding. Prickly but ultimately a good lady? Probably...

[Ken Cheng]

Yes, really--there's a WORLD of difference between the novel and the adaptations

j/k. Actually, she really wasn't very nice--always a bit prejudiced against YG (can't remember about HR--same deal?). But she did feel kinder towards YG and XLN during their wedding. Prickly but ultimately a good lady? Probably...

TVB's Sheun But Yee was angry/crabby all the time. I think TVB gave her more screentime in LOCH '82 than she ever really had. She was an important part of that overwrought Luk Gwoon Ying/Ching Yiu Ga subplot in LOCH.

[shenlong]

QCJ, left a strong impression from chapter 1.