Wow, another hardcore wuxia watcher. You are right, referencing YG and XLN is a huge no-no. So with all the series you watched, what are your top 5 of the 90's for wuxia and fantasy?
Agreed. I actually might put it very near the top for wuxia series in the 2000's. But it's mainland, not TVB. TVB series in the 2000's are kind of bleh.
I like the 90's because it's no-nonsense, serious, pure wuxia. The 90's series are also usually more darker and grittier than both the 80's and the 2000's I find. I usually prefer the more serious "non-fluff" series in general. I like serious plots. But in terms of acting, I might have to agree with you that 80's is very strong.
The CYF version butchered the storyline. You actually like CYF in an ancient serial? And I can't believe you don't like SOD 96. It's the greatest wuxia adaptation ever in my opinion.
DGSD 82 also butchered the storyline especially in the second half. I agree with you that LOCH 82 is the best LOCH ever. But I like LOCH 94 because it's faithful to the novel. Plus they actually got a *real* indian guy to play 1Deng's friend-translator
ROCH 95 vs ROCH 83 is a tricky one. I really enjoy ROCH 95 being a no-nonsense, no-fluff faithful adaptation. Plus Louis Koo did a fine job. But the ROCH 83 had Andy Lau and had the strong secondary cast that was in LOCH 83. So I might put them about equal.
In general, i think the 80's had really strong acting. I usually love the cast, especially in LOCH 82!! One of the best supporting cast ever in a serial. But overall i think the 90's had stronger plot and storylines. So I give the edge to the 90's.