Heavenly Sword and Dragon Sabre 2009 《倚天屠龙记》 - Deng Chao, Ady An, Liu Jing

[Linda]

The aura that he gives. HXM has a certain uncertainty in his mannerisms. But Deng Chao just exudes a certain confidence that's just plain hot. His voice and way of speaking helps too.

Imagining him in the series, I would not think that he's indecisive out of weakness but rather a highly analytical nature.

If someone gave me the choice between the two actors, I'd definitely go for Deng Chao. I don't dislike Huang Xiaoming either.

are you talking about real life or your only referring to HXM in ROCH06?

I've seen the guy on screen outside and he seemed very manly too me, i found HXM and DC very similar in nature, only HXM is more willing to smile and DC can't seem to smile. I've saw him in two films and liked him but never saw him smile properly.

This series however, when he was casted as ZWJ i was happy, i've liked for a few years, though not a die hard fan, and wondered why he never got into big productions even though he was a good actor, now here is his chance.

As for the female cast, I have to say it even if i'll get a heap of backlash for it, i don't really like Ady as ZM so far, before anyone starts bashing me, hear me out first.

To me, ZM was not a cunning person (outwardly, anyway) as Ady seemed to be playing her as, judging by the pictures and the preview. ZM was tactician, she did NOT have a sly look, or an evil look, the only reason she was dubbed as the bad guy by the people in the series was because she was Mongolian, had it been the other way around, she would have been considered a hero. ZM was not exactly a playful person either, she did things of her own accord with her own agenda but always for the good of something or someone else, she also did not 'toyed' with ZWJ, she was just easily jealous but was more mocking and only did so on some rare occasions.

Currently, I do know like the way Ady is depicting her, but like LYF before her, I'm willing to give her a chance to grow on me.

The new ZZR is...

BUT...after TLBB, ROCH and DOMD, which had legions of beautiful girl, some can act some can't...this has got to be the most unattractive cast. What happened? did they run out of young beautiful girls? Even LOCH and BJX had some outstanding beauties, why did HSDS get the shaft?

they all better make up with it in acting...else i'm going to boycott the next one!

[Wuxia_FTW]

i agree with you linda. the cast do not look good at all. i hope they can act.

[ccchelsea]

My 2 cents:

1) Sorry but the actor for ZWJ is not good looking at all and is like "extra calibre". Hugely disappointed in this as the casting by ZJZ is usually very good in his adaptations. Was there someone else originally cast but dropped out? He is kinda worse than the miscasting of ZZR.

2) ZM looks well cast, much better than as Miao Ruo Lan in Flying Fox, however, ZZR looks freakin old. She is not ugly but doesn't fit ZZR and is one of the worst imo - she is more suited to being cast as one of Duan Yu's aunts in Demi Gods Semi Devils. Sheren, Kathy & Gao Yuan Yuan kick her ***. Regarding her looks, she definitely has a classy look to her though and would be suited to many roles in period dramas of rich ladies. ^^

Alot of the female cast in this version totally overshadow this ZZR, eg. the Yellow Robe Lady who is really pretty - though her acting in the Yang Family Series was pretty crap so i can understand she can't pull off a sizeable role.

Since ZZR is one of the most complex Jin Yong female leads, if she has great acting i think ppl would be able to forgive her at least some. And i think ZJZ should have learned the lesson by now to be more involved with casting of main characters - i refuse to believe he would have accepted someone sub par for XLN for example.

3) The Wudang outfits seem... so old school and are like minorly reworked uniforms from Quan Zhen in Return of the Condor Heroes - actually is SYQ not one of the QZ priests in ROCH?

4) Is this the prettiest and youngest looking Mie Jie ever? I always accept her to be an old hag/battle axe with a hell of a prescence - just hope this one can pull it off.

5) The sets and scenery look spectacular and leagues above the Alec Su version. The effects also surely cannot be any worse than the Alec Su version where they had cheesy disco backgrounds sometimes lol.

I do agree that Deng chao is not good looking enough to be Zhang wuji ~~ because zhang wuji was described to be good looking quite a lot of times in the novel~ (2nd edition).
but .... i'm used to bad zhang wuji castings... so as long as he can act and is not too ugly and the storyline stays close to the book ... i'll be happy.... seems like a lot of ppl liked Alec su 's zhang wuji but there's no way he was right for zhang wuji... alec is too short and weak looking... he is described as tall and quite strong in built (not skinny like Zhang chui san)... in contrary to ppl thinking zhang wuji is weak and whimpy... he is NOT ... if u have read the books enough times and carefully as well... u should know! he is said to be indecisive (even jin yong said that .. but by reading the 2nd ed - i refuse to accept the 3rd ed ..esp for the sword stained with royal blood).... he actually only really confessed about liking zhao min....

i think all the girls are not pretty enough... but i don't especially find a lot of the girls pretty in all productions.... except Gao as Zhou Zi Rou in HSDS 2003... Alyssa Ja looks quite good but her Zhao min character was dodgy .... her movements were exagerated and not elegant like Zhao min is supposed to be in the novel~ zhao min doesn't have jealous fits like how she was portrayed ... she actually rarely gets angry....
but i think Ady An seems to be the best girl in this series already... and she is playing my fav jin yong female character.....

i think the scenery and costumes seems pretty good though .. so i'm quite looking forward to this....

from what's said in the book... mie jue nun should have been a bit of a beauty when she was younger.... (according to 2nd edition anyway)...

[cfensi1]

are you talking about real life or your only referring to HXM in ROCH06?

I've seen the guy on screen outside and he seemed very manly too me, i found HXM and DC very similar in nature, only HXM is more willing to smile and DC can't seem to smile. I've saw him in two films and liked him but never saw him smile properly.

This series however, when he was casted as ZWJ i was happy, i've liked for a few years, though not a die hard fan, and wondered why he never got into big productions even though he was a good actor, now here is his chance.

Um, I never watched ROCH06. Wuxia drags for me, because some stuff goes over my head, and it didn't appeal with me to begin with. I want to get interested in it though, because it's such a large part of Chinese culture.

I am willing to make this my first wuxia that I will watch from start to finish, because that's how much I like Deng Chao and his acting. He makes every second of his screentime so endurable, and his voice and the way he uses it is hot.Regards to HXM, and Deng Chao, I think Huang Xiaoming hasn't the assurance Deng Chao does in real life.

Overall, the reason why ZWJ has always been unsuccessfully casted is that he is not a character one love easily, which means average acting won't cut it.

In idol dramas, and grand romances, half the work is done for the actor. If the actor is decent, he will gain fans simply because the character is loveable. It's not fair to good actors that spend years trying to gain fans because their projects are quirky ones, whereas people like Wu Zun can play one likeable character like in Hana Kimi, and gain undying fans despite the fact that he is an impossibly bad actor.

Therefore, the only way that ZWJ could work is if played by a very good, charismatic actor. Alec Su's not terrible, but he's not wow good either. Deng Chao on the other hand is really, really good, despite lack of looks. His looks may not be perfect, but he is charismatic and has a liveliness to him that makes him attractive.

I by no means believe myself unshallow; dramas are a visual artform and there needs to be some amount of looks. But there is a ratio of looks:acting ability that is necessary, a range of very good looks, average acting to great acting; bordering on ugly. Deng Chao defintely falls in that range, more than falls into it with his acting.

Anyway, he's pretty much the only reason I'm watching this. I like Ady too, but not as much as I love Deng Chao's acting, so her alone wouldn't be able to entice me in spending 30+ hours of my life on it.

[NuDaFu]

but .... i'm used to bad zhang wuji castings... so as long as he can act and is not too ugly and the storyline stays close to the book ... i'll be happy.... seems like a lot of ppl liked Alec su 's zhang wuji but there's no way he was right for zhang wuji... alec is too short and weak looking... he is described as tall and quite strong in built (not skinny like Zhang chui san)... in contrary to ppl thinking zhang wuji is weak and whimpy... he is NOT ... if u have read the books enough times and carefully as well... u should know! he is said to be indecisive (even jin yong said that .. but by reading the 2nd ed - i refuse to accept the 3rd ed ..esp for the sword stained with royal blood).... he actually only really confessed about liking zhao min.... i think all the girls are not pretty enough... but i don't especially find a lot of the girls pretty in all productions.... except Gao as Zhou Zi Rou in HSDS 2003... Alyssa Ja looks quite good but her Zhao min character was dodgy .... her movements were exagerated and not elegant like Zhao min is supposed to be in the novel~ zhao min doesn't have jealous fits like how she was portrayed ... she actually rarely gets angry....but i think Ady An seems to be the best girl in this series already... and she is playing my fav jin yong female character.....

There is a limitation to how much can be translated from novel to script. The media version is an adaptation, working from the novel as a reference - as an audience, I think it is worthwhile to consider the realities of how much material can actually be portrayed, and appreciate the quality of said portrayal instead of falling into the specificities of what novel minutiae did and did not get on screen.

Looks, IMHO, can hardly ever compare with acting ability or natural charisma. Alec Su lived his role; that sort of impression makes his whole persona look different to me. Yip Tong looked totally unsuitable for her role, except in old moments and angles, yet, I believe she was THE Zhao.

I agree ZWJ was never "weak" nor "whimpy", but, indecisiveness in whatever form can give that sort of impression. I think he was selfishly indecisive, like a male Mary-Sue or Zi Wei. I won't elaborate on why I think so, because I already have in a prior post.

I also didn't like Alyssa Jia's ZM portrayal, but I can't blame her acting. She has shown in The Swordsman series she can give a magnificent porformance in a complex role full of understated conflict (one of my fav types of roles). I must say though - maybe because Jin Yong is male? - there is a lot of left-brain logic, intelligence, creativity in a strategic and martial sense, but not much personality and emotional development - then again, I don't suppose that is the point of straightforward Wuxia, especially if it originated as newspaper series. That is why I feel to project the correct 'emotional profile' based on the novel seems inappropriate. Any personality development appears to be in the province of screenwriters, at least for Jin Yong adaptations.

Um, I never watched ROCH06. Wuxia drags for me, because some stuff goes over my head, and it didn't appeal with me to begin with.

Overall, the reason why ZWJ has always been unsuccessfully casted is that he is not a character one love easily, which means average acting won't cut it.

What part of Wuxia "goes over [your] head"? Of all Chinese literature, I believe it is quite a straightforward genre. Of course, when themes like patriotism, heroism, war, philosophy of martial arts are discussed, I guess it can get complex. Depends on one's knowledge base. I suggest reading a bit on Chinese culture and history or martial arts theory to wet your appetite for Wuxia.

Maybe ZWJ has more often than not been "unsuccefully casted" because he is an 'anti-hero'? Not many actors can have that acting calibre to present a believable, acceptable 'anti-hero' character. Well, the only one I can think of is Ralph Fiennes in Onegin (brilliant, brilliant film).

[ccchelsea]

There is a limitation to how much can be translated from novel to script. The media version is an adaptation, working from the novel as a reference - as an audience, I think it is worthwhile to consider the realities of how much material can actually be portrayed, and appreciate the quality of said portrayal instead of falling into the specificities of what novel minutiae did and did not get on screen.

Looks, IMHO, can hardly ever compare with acting ability or natural charisma. Alec Su lived his role; that sort of impression makes his whole persona look different to me. Yip Tong looked totally unsuitable for her role, except in old moments and angles, yet, I believe she was THE Zhao.

I agree ZWJ was never "weak" nor "whimpy", but, indecisiveness in whatever form can give that sort of impression. I think he was selfishly indecisive, like a male Mary-Sue or Zi Wei. I won't elaborate on why I think so, because I already have in a prior post.

I also didn't like Alyssa Jia's ZM portrayal, but I can't blame her acting. She has shown in The Swordsman series she can give a magnificent porformance in a complex role full of understated conflict (one of my fav types of roles). I must say though - maybe because Jin Yong is male? - there is a lot of left-brain logic, intelligence, creativity in a strategic and martial sense, but not much personality and emotional development - then again, I don't suppose that is the point of straightforward Wuxia, especially if it originated as newspaper series. That is why I feel to project the correct 'emotional profile' based on the novel seems inappropriate. Any personality development appears to be in the province of screenwriters, at least for Jin Yong adaptations.



What part of Wuxia "goes over [your] head"? Of all Chinese literature, I believe it is quite a straightforward genre. Of course, when themes like patriotism, heroism, war, philosophy of martial arts are discussed, I guess it can get complex. Depends on one's knowledge base. I suggest reading a bit on Chinese culture and history or martial arts theory to wet your appetite for Wuxia.

Maybe ZWJ has more often than not been "unsuccefully casted" because he is an 'anti-hero'? Not many actors can have that acting calibre to present a believable, acceptable 'anti-hero' character. Well, the only one I can think of is Ralph Fiennes in Onegin (brilliant, brilliant film).

man... i just typed up a whole long reply and it frigging stuffed up and said i'm not logged on?? WTF? and i did this at work too! >_< just needed a break from drafting all these court docs...
anyway... i would like to ask why you would suggest Zhang Wuji to be an 'anti-hero'?? from my understanding, anti-heroes possesses more flaws which are more prominent than their heroic qualities. i believe zhang wuji to have a lot more heroic qualities and good virtues than flaws...

[Mido-Ban]

for once i wish they couldve made zwj evil like yang guo was out for revenge. like the movie with jet li, it was cool how he acted evil n tricked that dude to teach him the lunar stance. zwj to me was somewhat like yang guo but mixed more with guo jing since he knows from right to wrong. he wants revenge but he knows that if he goes for his own selfish gain it'll put everything else in chaos, so he's not an antihero but a hero since he doesn't think much of himself but others first.

anyone have the offical release date of this series yet? i thought it was suppose to come out summer? i hope we get to see it by october latest, got no more series to watch.

[cfensi1]

]
What part of Wuxia "goes over [your] head"? Of all Chinese literature, I believe it is quite a straightforward genre. Of course, when themes like patriotism, heroism, war, philosophy of martial arts are discussed, I guess it can get complex. Depends on one's knowledge base. I suggest reading a bit on Chinese culture and history or martial arts theory to wet your appetite for Wuxia.

TBH, I think I just don't like the genre. Which makes me sad because it seems it's quite awesome to be a fan of.

[NuDaFu]

man... i just typed up a whole long reply and it frigging stuffed up and said i'm not logged on?? WTF? and i did this at work too! >_< just needed a break from drafting all these court docs...
anyway... i would like to ask why you would suggest Zhang Wuji to be an 'anti-hero'?? from my understanding, anti-heroes possesses more flaws which are more prominent than their heroic qualities. i believe zhang wuji to have a lot more heroic qualities and good virtues than flaws...

I just did exactly the same thing ...I usually am so diligent at making a copy of my posts before I submit...peh. My faith in the spcnet posting interface is probably at 0.04% right now. In very short, it depends on how one defines 'hero'. There is such an unrealistic sequence of advantages and opportunities for ZWJ, that his achievements to me become more a product of fortunate circumstance than any true inherent expression of a 'heroic' character. Professing to truly love ZM (well, according to the earlier editions) yet nearly throttling her to death without a thorough investigation of the murder facts seems quite contrary to a 'good' character. Trying to make everyone happy comes off as 'needy' to me...needing to look good in other people's eyes. I am biased of course...one is only human. There sometimes can be something very vital, even if minor, that can make a difference between 'hero' and 'anit-hero' in one's eyes...the rest can be a host of nifty, biased, justifications for that one unrelenting dislike. Hmmm...I guess I like ZM too much, and I think it such a shame for her to fall for such a one as ZWJ. I have to check the actual characters again, but about ZWJ 'undecided' who he loved most, or who he wanted most...guess this sets my teeth on edge. If you want all of them mate, you don't love any. So much 'visceral' dislikes, can make any James Bond appear like an Austin Powers .

[Mido-Ban]

is there any news on the official release date yet? btw anyone mind recommending some wuxia serials by any company. or any ancient series is fine see alot at the vid store but alot of em look generic or is going to be graphic loaded only with no good story etc.

[VIP20000]

yeah does anyone know when this series airs?

[Surferket]

I need my wuxia fix really soon!!! /cry

[WuxiaGem]

^ Same here! I've been watching the trailers and fan-made music videos to tide me over. On the plus side, I'm really enjoying Ady's new drama, Autumn's Concerto, so I'm at least entertained while waiting for this series to come out.

I read somewhere that HSDS 09 will come out in October but so far I haven't really seen any indication of that happening. Anyone have official scoop?

[ChineseChik525]

^ Same here! I've been watching the trailers and fan-made music videos to tide me over. On the plus side, I'm really enjoying Ady's new drama, Autumn's Concerto, so I'm at least entertained while waiting for this series to come out.

i agree! autumn concerto's pretty good

[dark_oracle]

You guys should know Zhang Ji Zhong by now. I'm pretty much expecting it late December or early January.

[Haruhi6]

I feel like I have been waiting for hsds and hong lou meng to come out forever now. I've been checking tudou like every day to see if it has been uploaded. I can't believe shows that actors have filmed after doing these shows have already come out and still nothing from hsds and hlm.

I am enjoying Autumn's Concerto too, cannot wait for the next episode. I am becoming a bid Ady An fan. Although her life story is similiar to like the last to shows I've seen her in, Suo Qing Qiu and Yun Niang. When I saw I was like hmm it's almost the same role in modern day... but who cares, I like it!

[sunnysnow]

There's news that the first 2 episodes will debut on Wenzhou TV station on 23rd Oct, this coming Friday.

[TiffTiff]

Woohu, thank you for the news, Sunny. Does that tv station have broadcast on the internet so we can watch it online???

[sunnysnow]

Woohu, thank you for the news, Sunny. Does that tv station have broadcast on the internet so we can watch it online???

Here's the official TV station website:
http://www.wztv.cn/

It's scheduled to air at 20:00 China Time.

Somehow I'm not really enthusiastic with this piece of news. It seems too good to be true and there hasn't been any promotion or whatsoever of the series which is not like ZJZ's style. I guess we'll just have to wait for fri and see whether the news is true. Sometimes they air older versions of the same series (e.g. HSDS'03) but put the series as "new".

[yanfeng]

Wow- that would be close to false advertising to do so!

But on the other hand I'm so excited about this I can't give up any chance so I'll be there just in case... Thanks for the news Sunny!