Which series has aged the best over the years?

[tweety365]

Greed of Man was in 92, so 16 years, but I think the show is still top notched. Aged quite well. Also, Looking Back In Anger remains on my list of top 10. Deric Wan really deserved an award for his evil role.

Since we are on the topic of current tvb dramas, I must say that I hate the fact that tvb keeps making "sequels" that are not really sequels. Ex: Square Pegs - Life Made Simple, War of In-Laws - WOIL 2, Heart of Greed - Heart of Greed 2, etc. So damn annoying. And the series aren't even that good.

[almo89]

Greed of Man was in 92, so 16 years, but I think the show is still top notched. Aged quite well. Also, Looking Back In Anger remains on my list of top 10. Deric Wan really deserved an award for his evil role.

Since we are on the topic of current tvb dramas, I must say that I hate the fact that tvb keeps making "sequels" that are not really sequels. Ex: Square Pegs - Life Made Simple, War of In-Laws - WOIL 2, Heart of Greed - Heart of Greed 2, etc. So damn annoying. And the series aren't even that good.

Greed of Man was excellent. I would love to watch that show uncut someday. Sequels are really pissing me off these days. Seriously, the only sequel I found good was Police Cadet 85 and that was better than 84.

[Canuck21]

At least in LOCH '82, there was something that at least resembled martial arts fighting. Today's wuxia series' idea of "fighting" is...what...two opponents blasting each other with CGI effects?

There is no such thing as fighting anymore. It's all hocus pocus coming out of their magic palms.

[GuGu]

There is no such thing as fighting anymore. It's all hocus pocus coming out of their magic palms.

and they do a lot of jumping around. not much physical contact is taken place.

[almo89]

And the sound effects for the fights these days are so plain. It's like the punching and blocking sounds are the same. BORING

[Tom]

To Ken and Canuck21,

I disagree with what both of you said about modern wuxia series. True that the 80's had the most hand-to-hand fighting, no doubt about that. DOMD84 and HSDS86 are also 2 of my favorite wuxia series. But several of today's wuxia series doesn't fare too bad with the 80's. Two examples would be Lethal Weapons Of Love And Passion (TVB 2006) and Sword Stained With Royal Blood (China 2007). They did not overdo the CGI compared to other series and they have intense fighting scenes (especially SSWRB07). I recommend both of you give these a try. It might change your opinions on modern wuxia.

[Ken Cheng]

And the sound effects for the fights these days are so plain. It's like the punching and blocking sounds are the same. BORING

They tend to be soft. When characters' limbs clash, they sound like two pillows hitting each other. In the 1970s and 1980s series, the clashes conveyed a sense of immense power behind the blows.

[Ken Cheng]

True that the 80's had the most hand-to-hand fighting, no doubt about that.

Actually, the 1970s had the most. There was NO CGI or wirefu at all during the 1970s, so the authenticity was at its highest then.

[Tom]

Actually, the 1970s had the most. There was NO CGI or wirefu at all during the 1970s, so the authenticity was at its highest then.

No. Let's not get to the 70's. I tried watching HSDS78 on VHS but all the night scenes are HORRIBLY black. I can't see anything. Seriously, how can it be considered wuxia without wirefu?

BTW are you going to consider watching LWOLAP and BXJ07?

[almo89]

Hand to hand combat along with tricky camera trickery to hide wirework was the best in the 80s. It gave us that mystic feeling wuxia should have. Although I'm not 100% against CGI, but it's too easy to use huge thick cables now cause you can use CGI to cover it up. In the 80s when you use wires, you have to hide it somehow and still make it look cool. Ching Siu Tung really took wirework to the next level in A Chinese Ghost Story. I thought that was the last well done wire fu movie.

[Ken Cheng]

BTW are you going to consider watching LWOLAP and BXJ07?

Nah. My contract with the Devil forbids me from watching anything produced later than 1988.

The 1970s had alot of cool old-school martial arts choreography. HSDS '78 isn't the best place to watch it, though. I recommend the 1970s LUK SIU FUNG series, and also THE ROMANTIC SWORDSMAN (i.e. SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN, RUTHLESS SWORD) for old school action.

Here's the Sai Mun Chui Sheut vs. Yip Goo Sing duel from LUK SIU FUNG.

And Lee Chum Foon vs. Seung Gwoon Gum Hung and Ah Fei vs. Ging Mo Meng from THE ROMANTIC SWORDSMAN.

Unfortunately, these clips have the theme songs overdubbed instead of the original dialogue and sound effects. If you look around, though, you'll probably find the original scenes with original dialogue and sound.

[Ken Cheng]

I think because CGI did not yet exist and wirefu was very rudimentary in the 1970s, TVB used SOUND effects best for wuxia series during that decade. One thing you get from watching the 1970s wuxia adaptations is how powerful the blows and the swings of the weapons *sound*. One of my favorite 1970s TVB sound effects was the sound of Lee Chum Foon's flying dagger. You didn't even have to see him throw the dagger; once you heard that sound, it was awesome.

The same thing when a master swordsman such as Sai Mun Chui Sheut drew his sword or Ding Pang drew the Curved Sabre. The sounds were awesome. By the 1980s, the sound effects were already no longer as impressive as TVB began to emphasize the visual aspect more.

[Tom]

Man, that Dagger Li's flying dagger is so exaggerated. It bounced off a thousand times. But it's probably good considered it's time .

[tweety365]

I heard wonderful things about BXJ07 and currently waiting for the Eng subs to be available.

Regarding Lethal Weapon, I refuse to watch. Charmaine and Sonija both in the same series is more than I can handle. Every time they appear, I can't help but cringe

[Ken Cheng]

Man, that Dagger Li's flying dagger is so exaggerated. It bounced off a thousand times. But it's probably good considered it's time .

I love the "Oh, s**t!" look on Seung Gwoon Gum Hung's face as he realizes that he really shouldn't have challenged Lee to throw his dagger at him.

[tweety365]

Nah. My contract with the Devil forbids me from watching anything produced later than 1988.

What about Mainland's remake of The Bund?

[Tom]

I heard wonderful things about BXJ07 and currently waiting for the Eng subs to be available.

The Jiang Hu fansub group has already subbed the whole series and it's available on websites like Veoh and Crunchyroll for streaming. The quality of the fansubs are wonderful.

You don't understand Mandarin as well? I think I'm getting better after watching all these Mainland shows.

[Ken Cheng]

What about Mainland's remake of The Bund?

I kind of broke my pact with that one...

It was pretty good, though. THE BUND with Chow Yun Fat is the toughest act to follow, and I'll be damned but Huang Xiaoming and his gang did a very respectable job with it (BLOWS AWAY TVB's 1996 remake and the Andy Lau/Leslie Cheung movie from the same year). Still not better than the original (no insult: nothing is), but a very good effort nonetheless.

[Sutisa]

Regarding Lethal Weapon, I refuse to watch. Charmaine and Sonija both in the same series is more than I can handle. Every time they appear, I can't help but cringe

Yeah I agree that you shouldn't watch LWOLAP, I made the mistake of watching it cas well I had nothing else to watch. The storyline was okay, something different which I didn't mind, I really liked Mimi Lo, Power Chan and Derek Kwok in the series, the fight scenes, scenery ect.... were better then most TVB ancient series released lately. But my biggest complaint would have to be Charmaine, and Char & Ray as a couple. Charmaine's role in the series is meant to be one of the top female fighters, but she came off so weak, her portrayal just didn't fit her character. While watching that series, at times I thought I was watching "Flying fox" cas (seemed to me) she was still portraying that weak, innocent, damsel-in-distress type of role.

As for Char & Ray as a couple, well it could be partly blamed on the story but I just didn't see any chemistry. I just hate it when a series has to profess to its viewers how much the main couple love each other, why can't they just subtly show it through little actions?

Anyhow, back on topic, I also vote for LOCH 82, okay so maybe its a personal favourite cas I've seen it like more then 50 times, but I'm just not sick of it. Okay so maybe the rocks and props are looking very fake and some of those war scenes are re-used a few times and some of the wiring is seen on many occasions, but somehow I can overlook all these things, cas the acting, action and storyline make up for it. I just love the characters and the people that portrayed them.

I for one hate when I'm watching an ancient series and whole mountains/animals/houses ect....are lifted up whole and thrown at the opponent. I'm like its just too unbelievable. I'm not saying that LOCH 82 is so much more believable, but it just doesn't seem as far fetched and I'm sure most of us, as kids, have practised some of those wuxia moves

[i_fotted]

I kind of broke my pact with that one...

It was pretty good, though. THE BUND with Chow Yun Fat is the toughest act to follow, and I'll be damned but Huang Xiaoming and his gang did a very respectable job with it (BLOWS AWAY TVB's 1996 remake and the Andy Lau/Leslie Cheung movie from the same year). Still not better than the original (no insult: nothing is), but a very good effort nonetheless.

I just recently saw the mainland version and I have to disagree with you. I did not like it very much. Maybe its just that TVB bias in me, but I thought Fung Ching-ching and Hui Man-keung character was poorly played. I liked Ding Lik's character but thats about the end of it.