Which TVB adaption of Jinyong novels are most accurate?

[Apop Harris]

I think it depends of how you define "accurate".
It could be accurate plot and dialogues that stay true to the novel,
or accurate on characters' description.

For example LOCH 2003 is the most accurate plot between all the LOCH adaptation.
But the characters cast = the most inaccurate, in my opinion.
You saw Hong Qi Gong is too old and skinny there, but Hong Qi Gong in the novel is a little bit chubby (because he loved food!) and not too old.

Huang Rong in the novel was described as a petite 16 year old, long hair over her shoulder, and you can read that she frequently giggled, poked out her tongue, very playful and bright at the beginning and grown mature as the story goes.
But 2003's Huang Rong was too calm, too tall with hair tied up, husky, low-pitched voice far from giggly.

LOCH 2008 obviously deviated from the novel, but for characters cast it is closer to the book than 2003.

[tape]

Speaking of physically fitting the role, would you guys rather have someone physically fit a role extremely well but not be a great actor, or someone not fit the role very well physically but be a great actor?

For some characters it's not extremely important, but for someone like Xiao Feng it's really difficult to choose since his physicality is such a critical part of who he is. I liked DGSD '96 for his heroic spirit, but he was neither big nor intimidating. From the few scenes I saw of DGSD 2000's, there was a drastic difference in aura and awe when we see him towering over the people and walking right through them.

[kidd]

It depends on whether the physical appearance is crucial to the character and plot or not. You can't have an ugly Yang Guo or ugly Princess Fragrance. But, for someone, I'm happy that the adaptation didn't follow the book's physical appearance. In the book 'Big Time Celebrity', Yang Fan is a fat guy. But, I'm glad that they used a skinny guy to play Yang Fan in the Shaw Brother's adaptation and use Nicholas Tse to play Yang Fan in the Mainland series adaptation. In this case, the physical appearance of the character doesn't matter.

[goodrick]

I think it depends of how you define "accurate".
It could be accurate plot and dialogues that stay true to the novel,
or accurate on characters' description.

For example LOCH 2003 is the most accurate plot between all the LOCH adaptation.
But the characters cast = the most inaccurate, in my opinion.
You saw Hong Qi Gong is too old and skinny there, but Hong Qi Gong in the novel is a little bit chubby (because he loved food!) and not too old.

Huang Rong in the novel was described as a petite 16 year old, long hair over her shoulder, and you can read that she frequently giggled, poked out her tongue, very playful and bright at the beginning and grown mature as the story goes.
But 2003's Huang Rong was too calm, too tall with hair tied up, husky, low-pitched voice far from giggly.

LOCH 2008 obviously deviated from the novel, but for characters cast it is closer to the book than 2003.

You think Guo Jing was accurate cast for LOCH 2008?

[PJ]

Speaking of physically fitting the role, would you guys rather have someone physically fit a role extremely well but not be a great actor, or someone not fit the role very well physically but be a great actor?

I'd usually prefer great acting. Accuracy is not crucial to me. DGSD 2002 had some very faithful dialogue as per the novel, but the delivery was horrible and it felt like they were just emotionlessly reading. The show should make me care about the characters no matter what.

[Ken Cheng]

I'd usually prefer great acting. Accuracy is not crucial to me. DGSD 2002 had some very faithful dialogue as per the novel, but the delivery was horrible and it felt like they were just emotionlessly reading. The show should make me care about the characters no matter what.

Yeah...accuracy is of limited value if you make a boring-a$$ show that nobody wants to watch. DGSD '81 wasn't even *close* to accurate to the novel for the final 1/4 of the series, but it was hella entertaining.

Of course, a screenwriter/director can screw the pooch from both an accuracy *and* entertainment point of view: I heard that the 1990s Taiwanese ROCH adaptation with Richie Ren was neither accurate nor entertaining, unless one happens to enjoy farcically bad wuxia adaptations.

[tape]

Yeah...accuracy is of limited value if you make a boring-a$$ show that nobody wants to watch. DGSD '81 wasn't even *close* to accurate to the novel for the final 1/4 of the series, but it was hella entertaining.

Of course, a screenwriter/director can screw the pooch from both an accuracy *and* entertainment point of view: I heard that the 1990s Taiwanese ROCH adaptation with Richie Ren was neither accurate nor entertaining, unless one happens to enjoy farcically bad wuxia adaptations.

it's actually not THAT bad if you've never, ever seen an adaption of ROCH before. enough stuff happens where you actually want to watch the next episode. sadly, it was the first ROCH i watched in its entirety and was old enough to understand what was going on. i caught bits and pieces of ROCH '83 as a kid, but I never understood the story.

it's a weak defense for the show, but i always think that JY adaptations are pretty boring in general now and I wish they'd just stop making them for a decade or two and use the plethora of GL stories available

[Ken Cheng]

it's a weak defense for the show, but i always think that JY adaptations are pretty boring in general now and I wish they'd just stop making them for a decade or two and use the plethora of GL stories available

Yeah...Jin Yong adaptations have been overly remade during the past fifteen or so years. *How* many versions of DGSD, LOCH, ROCH, HSDS, SPW, and DOMD have we seen since 1993?

On the other hand, there really haven't been that many Gu Long adaptations. I'm hoping TVB will give LUK SIU FUNG another shot someday.

[tape]

I wonder why they stopped ? "The Return of Luk Siu Fung" was quite decent and kept you wondering with all the strange characters and occurrences. I thought the ending was a bit weak, but I think the whole wuxia genre (or even series as a whole!) suffers from that.

[Ken Cheng]

I wonder why they stopped ? "The Return of Luk Siu Fung" was quite decent and kept you wondering with all the strange characters and occurrences. I thought the ending was a bit weak, but I think the whole wuxia genre (or even series as a whole!) suffers from that.

THE RETURN OF LUK SIU FUNG's ending was a bit of a downer, but at the same time, I admired TVB's attempt to go for an out-of-left-field ending. I totally thought that it would come down to a final battle with Luk Siu Fung, Sai Mun Chui Sheut, and Fa Mun Lau (and perhaps others) ganging up to defeat Lau Wan. TVB totally didn't do that: Lau Wan basically *won* (escaped from Luk Siu Fung), but before he could celebrate his victory, all that he had worked for was destroyed by a force greater than even Lau Wan's martial arts - nature (a volcano wiped out his secret island paradise).

It was a downer ending, but I kind of liked it.

[Ian Liew]

I wonder why they stopped ? "The Return of Luk Siu Fung" was quite decent and kept you wondering with all the strange characters and occurrences. I thought the ending was a bit weak, but I think the whole wuxia genre (or even series as a whole!) suffers from that.

I think TVB just decided that their actors aren't cut out for wuxia anymore, or it's too much effort when you can keep feeding the HK viewers comedies and dramas and they'll be happy. Or maybe they feel there's no point because it'll always compare unfavourably with the China productions in terms of scenery and graphics. It's a shame, because sometimes we want a good old Canto wuxia serial and it's just not available.

[tape]

Agreed.

On a sidenote, I've never been too interested in costume design or anything like that, but I realized that I enjoyed wuxia series much more when the costumes were similar to the 80's -- bright and form fitting. The costumes from TVB ever since the mid 90's started getting baggier and baggier, with more and more layers of dreary clothing. Kills the mood for me for some reason.

[Ken Cheng]

Agreed.

On a sidenote, I've never been too interested in costume design or anything like that, but I realized that I enjoyed wuxia series much more when the costumes were similar to the 80's -- bright and form fitting. The costumes from TVB ever since the mid 90's started getting baggier and baggier, with more and more layers of dreary clothing. Kills the mood for me for some reason.

Yeah...the costumes that TVB and other production companies have used since the 1990s (e.g. the baggy stuff) are actually more historically accurate, but aesthetically, they're harder on the eyes. The 1980s costumes weren't realistic, but they were much sleeker and aesthetically appealing.

[Ian Liew]

It's also quite heartbreaking to see the kelefes of the 90s wearing the clothes which the 80s leads wore. So often I saw a costume I recognised and felt so sorry at how the mighty had fallen. TVB should run an eBay session, and auction off Felix Wong's Guo Jing outfit, or Michael Miu's Chor Lau Heung outfit etc.. I'm sure they'd make a lot of money from what is basically junk to them.

[Ken Cheng]

It's also quite heartbreaking to see the kelefes of the 90s wearing the clothes which the 80s leads wore. So often I saw a costume I recognised and felt so sorry at how the mighty had fallen. TVB should run an eBay session, and auction off Felix Wong's Guo Jing outfit, or Michael Miu's Chor Lau Heung outfit etc.. I'm sure they'd make a lot of money from what is basically junk to them.

Are any of the 1980s TVB wuxia outfits still in existence? I thought they were all burned to a crisp during a 1988 TVB props/costumes warehouse fire. I thought that was the main reason (other than a need to update) that all the costumes began looking different during the 1990s.

[Apop Harris]

You think Guo Jing was accurate cast for LOCH 2008?

No! Li Yapeng 2003 physical appereance is closer to Guo Jing: tall and dark with wide shoulder. Hu Ge is definitely not Guo Jing, too white and skinny and less manly. But his acting is not too bad

[Tam_Nguyen]

I liked TVB LOCH 94. Julian Cheung and Athena Chu were just so perfect as Guo Jing and Huang Rong! and this version followed the novel pretty well...it was the most faithful LOCH I think!