Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber-2008

[Haruhi6]

She def looks better in costume. I think she's pretty in costume, as long as that's not just a really good picture of her I would be fine with her as ZZR.

[flamer]

Well, on the Manor i'll break even with you cuz its debatable who is wrong or right. But what was she gonna do with the people at the pagoda ir not kill them when she finish learning their kung fu? They are rebels, and she had no problem killing dozens of her own troops just because they insulted her.

I don't know, because it did not happen so its irrelevant. She killed dozens of her own troops because they were also bullying commoners. A righteous kill. Even without that reason, insulting royalty, thats death sentence coming from anyone.

Yes, killing the couple was bad, but again ZM was capable of alot more.
Quote:From their talk while Pagoda burns.
1)
“There are some people I don’t like, so I have them killed. Do you think I only kill those who offended me?” Zhao Min replied, “Some people continuously offend me, yet I did not kill them. Take you, for example, how many times have you offended me?” While saying this, her eyes were smiling.

Two things. 1) A difference with "capable of" (readers' perception) and "actually did" (fact from the novel). ZZR actually killed people in cold blood... for no real purpose.

In the passage you quoted, Zhao Min was obviously playing around with ZWJ, letting him know how special he is.

2) Listening to him pouring out his heart Zhao Min paused to ponder, and then she said, “You are very kind-hearted. I can’t do that. If someone killed my father or my brother, not only I would kill him and his whole family, I would also kill his relatives, his friends, everybody who is related to him. I will wipe them clean.”

Again, difference between capable of and actually doing so. HOWEVER it also shows how much she cares and love her family. But she was willing to give them up for ZWJ.

Honestly what did ZZR ever have to give up? No she did not give up on her masters wishes and was on her way learning 9 Yin and making Emei No 1 and all that. Only thing is that she still wants to marry ZWJ. Love but she is selectively listening to her master while lying in the face of her lover.

[flamer]

LOL ok, flamer. I dont really care anymore if i'm right or wrong, the cast list is out!!! Lets shake hands and google the casts pictures!!!

GO ZHAO MIN!!!!!!!

Yea but I want to see who Liu Jing is... Secrecy is killing me.

[flamer]

Wait but ZJZ said that Liu Jing is 21 year old with no acting experience.

The 3 Kingdoms Liu Jing is 25(?) and with acting experience.

Is ZJZ lying?

[owbjhx]

Wang Jinghua should make for a quite attractive Priestess Miejue:

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://image2.sina.com.cn/ent/d/2004-07-11/U92P28T3D440271F326DT20040711193036.jpg')

In the book, the 45-year-old Miejue was actually described as being "very beautiful" (this is a Jinyong novel, after all...), which was certainly not the case with the psychopathic grand-auntie in the recent Alec/Alyssa adaptation. Wang Jinghua looks more like it. I was hoping Zhang Jizhong would bring back Meng Guangmei (Li Mochou in Shen Diao) - who has the added advantage of being tall and looking a bit commanding, even when standing next to male co-stars - but Wang will do for me. They'll just have to make her wear high-heeled boots or something.

[flamer]

Oh wow. She can be my Miejue any time ^.

[pannonian]

Cor, I'd pay her to give me No Mercy.

[wuyuejin]

Regarding Miejue, JY wrote "her (Miejue shitai's) face, in fact, was very beautiful, BUT her eyebrows were inclined outwards making the whole face look extremely devilish." 容貌算得甚美，但两条眉毛斜斜下垂，一副面相变得极是诡异. Damn, if in the future they keep on picking actresses like Wang Jinghua to play Miejue she might become one of my fav. characters!

[shellie]

I think both ladies were more interesting than wishy washy ZWJ. I prefer ZZR more because for once a JY some-what lead character actually whoopped the main char's arse :-D.

lol me too. i'm hoping ady will make me like zhao min in this series. gawd! i just couldn't finish the 2003 version...and zzr won me over. i hated gigi's zzr in the movie version. xz was the best there.

if ady can't convince me, i'm a lost cause.

some of those actresses are so much better than the liu gal for zzr!! woo.

[sunnysnow]

I just read the section. It appears that those Mongol soldiers were bullying the commoners and ZM killed them in punishment. They were the reason for all the uprisings etc... This is GOOD killing, just like Z3F killing Song Qingshu that stupid traitor.

“吴六破，你去叫他们放了这干妇女，如此胡闹，成甚么样
子！”话声清脆，又娇又嫩，竟似女子。Zhao Min definitely found the bullying irritable first. And even so, this is a killing we can agree with I'm sure. Nothing like the "killing" of Yin Li, killing of innocent people in the course of attempting to kill ZWJ+ZM etc.

It is stated very clearly in the chapter that ZM did not order the killing of the soldiers to punish them for their misdeeds. She wanted their lives because the General showed her disrespect. So taking the lives of 50 over soldiers just because their general was rude to her is something good, or something we can agree with? It does not matter whether the soldiers were mean or not because ultimately, the reason why ZM ordered their deaths was not for any righteous intentions but to soothe the annoyance she had for the General.

Maybe she wasn't joking or maybe she would've moved away at the last moment. But what is this I see? 赵敏笑道：“我从来不杀人的。

ZM says that in a literal/physical way. She does not personally kill people; she orders others to do it for her.

Then she killed innocent people and attempts to kill ZWJ+ZM in cold blood at Shaolin. Attacked full force on ZWJ despite his leniency. Humiliates ZWJ in front of everyone at Shaolin by saying how she defeated ZWJ and 小子 etc. Ready to kill Xie Xun for the purpose of torturing ZWJ for the rest of his life.

That was in revenge towards ZWJ for forsaking her. If ZWJ had married her, it would be difficult to say whether she would carry out those acts. Afterall, everything she did after being dumped was mainly to get back at ZWJ (and ZM) and make him pay for humiliating her.

[sunnysnow]

maybe they took their time to assign zzr's role because they wanted to be certain that liu jing will be able to join hsds since she is suppose to be filming for the three kingdoms exclusively?

I guess San Guo allowed her to participate in filming of HSDS because she plays a very minor role in the former series- apparently, she only appears in an episode or two in San Guo.

This looks to be a very different series fron past ZJZ adaptions. All the major characters are new to ZJZ series except for HZY. A good part of the cast are new and relatively unknown. This can be a good thing or a bad things. People has been complaining that ZJZ reuse actors too much, so this can good. Through with a new cast, acting become a big question marks. I like it through. I want to see something new. I can't wait to see the characters in costumes than you can really see what they actually look like.

Its good to see fresh faces for this adaptation. Its pretty boring to see the same old people over and over again.

Wait but ZJZ said that Liu Jing is 21 year old with no acting experience.

The 3 Kingdoms Liu Jing is 25(?) and with acting experience.

Is ZJZ lying?

Apparently, either ZJZ made a "mistake" or the reporters mis-interpreted his words. It's quite disappointing to know that Liu Jing is not some mysterious girl after all. I was looking forward to be pleasantly surprised. But oh well, I guess its better that the actress for ZZR has at least some acting experience. In addition, Liu Jing is supposed to be one of the hot faves of the company that manages her and that company is one of the major sponsors for HSDS. Probably why she got the role of ZZR.

I think Zhang Meng, the actress for Zhu'er is too pretty for the character...she should play Yang Buhui but oh well. Actress for Meijue looks matured and womanly..reminds me of ROCH's LMC and LOCH's MCF.

Actress for Ding Minjun- He Jiayi, an artist under HY:
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://www.ifensi.com/channelimg/Image/zhiban1/my/10/14/17.jpg')

Pic of Liu Ying (one half of China's version of Twins), actress for the Yellow Robe Lady. She also acted as Princess Fragrance in the latest Book and Sword. Lady on the left, in bridal wear.
$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://ent.southcn.com/yulefirst/content/images/attachement/jpg/site4/20080908/0010dc5469710a2f1de748.jpg')

ZJZ arrived at Mt Wudang yesterday and provided reporters with some information regarding the series:

1) ZJZ is worried about Deng Chao who does not seem to be progressing much with regard to his martial arts.

2) Regarding requests from fans to increase screentime for Xiao Zhao, ZJZ says its not very possible as he intends to stay loyal to the novel. In addition, he plans to make ZM and ZZR both as female leads with equal emphasis and screentime.

3) Due to budget constraints, HSDS will be filmed mostly at Mt Wudang. All the major scenes, including the climatic Guangming Peak fight will be filmed there.

credits: http://ent.qianlong.com/4543/2008/[email protected]

[yanfeng]

No kidding Sunnysnow- its a post blitzkrieg!

Seems like a lot of debate about the relative merits of ZM, and I wanted to add my 2 cents worth.

JY definitely didn't like the characters ZM nor ZZR much, so I think he wrote them each with their own very serious flaws. The book versions of them can be quite 'evil', and I too was more than a little shocked with some of ZM's actions in the book.

I'm actually a bigger fan of ZM as interpreted by the various writers, directors and actresses of ZM in the TV serials/ movies over the years (ditto for ZZR).

In these serials, ZM is often given a softer treatment. E.g., Gigi Lai's ZM actually meant to go back to her father some day and sees her leaving as temporary, and Kitty's ZM refused to help ZWJ strategize against her father (even, as I saw it, if it meant she perish the the other wulin heroes in Shaolin at the hands of her father's troops). I'm fascinated by ZM's ruthlessness, but I also prefer her to have some absolute moral qualities (e.g., loyalty to those she loves).

To some extent, the serials also try to paint for us a picture of the type of environment that leads to ZM being as devious (in some ways) as she is. E.g. some versions give her and Fan Yao an interesting scene after she finds out that he's been a traitor and spy on her and her family all her life. Her vulnerability to a teacher she has known and respected all her life makes me feel the extent to which ZM has been raised in an enviroment that is filled with double-crosses and intrigue. An environment that has made her smart but also willing to 'do whatever it takes' to stay in the game and advance her family's well-being.

Having said all that, I think ultimately that I favor the versions of ZM that have showed some concern for the common people (e.g., when Kitty ordered the soldiers killed it seemed at least partly be to save the women being kidnapped), some enduring love and loyalty for her family even after she chooses ZWJ over being princess, and some gentleness in her treatment of her enemies (e.g., encouraging/allowing ZWJ to go treat ZZR's injuries in Shaolin).

I hope and trust that ZZJ in his pursuit of "faithfulness to the novel" nonetheless gives a more sympathetic treatment to both ZM and ZZR than JY has shown in his novel!

[yanfeng]

This picture of Liu Jing (I think she's the one from San Guo) seems to me to show off her loveliness! Though, like everyone else, I'm eagerly awaiting the costumed pictures.

$this->handle_bbcode_img_match('http://www.sinaimg.cn/ent/v/2007-11-12/U1735P28T3D1788725F329DT20071112173941.jpg')

[patricia n]

Cor, I'd pay her to give me No Mercy.

omg! lol...she is hot, esp in that picture. is it possible for the teacher to be hotter than her pupil?

[shellie]

omg! lol...she is hot, esp in that picture. is it possible for the teacher to be hotter than her pupil?

lol that seems to be the case here huh? i want to see them in their costumes...

[Haruhi6]

How come people keep saying Zhu'er isn't supposed to be pretty? I always imagined her to be quite pretty, just with a scar. Zhang Wuji even says that she looks like his mother who was supposed to be very beautiful.

Wow, who knew Meijue was supposed to be pretty? None of the adaptions I've seen has kept that part of the novel. She has always been portrayed as kind of unattractive and old, except for maybe the 2000 version, she was decent looking there I think, just not beautiful.

[wuyuejin]

^ Youre rite. In the book, Yin Li, even when she was just 12 yrs old, was very beautiful. Golden Flower Granny praised that Yin Li'd have been a great beauty if she hadnt practiced the One Thousand Spiders Ten Thousand Venoms Hand technique. At the end of YTTLJ she still looked beautiful despite a dozen of scars on her face.

[patricia n]

maybe we should just agree that zwj is one hormonal boy who found every chick hot. that's why there are so many beautiful women running around in hsds. it's basically taken from his point of view for the majority of the novel. lol..okay, so zwj can also be seen as a super nice guy with no standards. that's why all the women can be considered attractive. he did live with a monkey/ape during his youth and practically every woman is beautiful compared to that mammal.

[TiffTiff]

Wow, so many new pix!

Are they going to try out the costumes soon? Let's hope Ady will have the advantage b/c ZJZ did give her the novels like 6 months ago for her to read. I hope Deng Chao & Ady will have some kind of chemistry, I would hate to see my 2 of my fav characters have no spark onscreen. Thank you for all the news vivi & sunny

[MysticDust]

maybe we should just agree that zwj is one hormonal boy who found every chick hot. that's why there are so many beautiful women running around in hsds. it's basically taken from his point of view for the majority of the novel. lol..okay, so zwj can also be seen as a super nice guy with no standards. that's why all the women can be considered attractive. he did live with a monkey/ape during his youth and practically every woman is beautiful compared to that mammal.

I laughed when I read this, but so very true. Compared to the hairy ape in his teens (?), all the girls would look attractive.