TVB - the best friend that underdeveloped, one-dimensional JY characters ever had?

[Ken Cheng]

TVB is sometimes subject to criticism by wuxia novel purists who scoff at the company's alterations to storylines and characters in its TV adaptations of wuxia novels, but in some cases, TVB has often been the best friend of underdeveloped, one-dimensional wuxia characters, particularly Jin Yong's. Some of the beneficiaries include...

1). Yeung Hong: No character has benefited more from the TVB treatment than Yeung Hong did from the character's portrayal by Michael Miu in the 1982 adaptation of LOCH. The canonical Yeung Hong was a one-note bad boy with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, and wasn't even particularly good at being bad (e.g. he had plenty of evil intent, but not much ability for making his evil schemes work). The Michael Miu incarnation of the character, however, is someone audiences can sympathize with. Though clearly capable of diabolical evil, the LOCH '82 Yeung Hong was a more multifaceted, multi-layered character than his counterpart in the novel. We could understand his motives even as we deplored his methods. We could see that he had motives beyond mere lust for power and wealth, that he was surprisingly loyal to some people in his life, and that he even had the hint of a conscience and experienced internal conflict as he (more than once) flirted with redemption. The novel's Yeung Hong had none of these qualities, but LOCH 82's depiction of the character did, and was a far superior, more interesting character as a consequence.

2). Gwok Fu: Like Yeung Hong, the canonical novel version of Gwok Fu was a one-note character who had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. She almost seemed designed by Jin Yong for the purpose of offending and drawing the audience's hatred, nothing else. Annie Liu's depiction of the character in ROCH '83, however, allowed audiences to see something that no other interpretation of Gwok Fu (and certainly not the original novel) did: a person whom audiences could feel sympathy towards and whose errant actions were rooted more in insecurity than evil. ROCH '83's Gwok Fu wasn't a bad person at heart. She was, however, self-centered and insecure...mostly because she lacked the talents to live up to the reputation that her family name and parentage carried. In one episode, the ROCH '83 Gwok Fu tearfully admitted to the Mo Brothers that she could not bear to be looked down upon, which was a consequence of her lack of ability to meet the expectations that her heritage placed upon her. Jin Yong never gave Gwok Fu this kind of depth, but TVB, surprisingly, did. Like LOCH '82's Yeung Hong, ROCH '83's Gwok Fu even demonstrated a hint of conscience and self-awareness.

Do you find any other wuxia novel characters whose characterizations were expanded upon and IMPROVED in a TV or movie adaptation?

[tape]

Hong Qigong actually comes to mind.

He's portrayed as a jolly old beggar without an evil or ambitious bone in his body, but I think the novel character is just a tad bit darker, and nowhere near as jolly.

[Ken Cheng]

Hong Qigong actually comes to mind.

He's portrayed as a jolly old beggar without an evil or ambitious bone in his body, but I think the novel character is just a tad bit darker, and nowhere near as jolly.

Additionally, LOCH '82 Hung 7 Gung had a degree of good character judgment and wisdom that the novel version evidently did not. In LOCH '82, before agreeing to teach Gwok Jing the Hong Lung 18 Palms, Hung 7 Gung asked Gwok Jing whom his teachers were. Gwok Jing told Hung 7 Gung that his teachers were the Gong Nam 7 Freaks. Hung 7 Gung noted Gwok Jing's response ("my teachers have been very good to me") after he (Hung) had scoffed at the 7 Freaks' martial arts. Only then, after taking that response and Gwok Jing's kindness, honesty, and bravery into account, did Hung 7 Gung agree to teach him the Hong Lung 18 Palms. It wasn't just Wong Yung's food that persuaded Hung 7 Gung to teach the Hong Lung 18 Palms to Gwok Jing; he saw that his powerful palms would be in the hands of a young man who was responsible, ethical, brave, and heroic...someone who would honor Hung 7 Gung's legacy and that of the Beggar's Union and would become a force for good and justice in wulin.

The novel's Hung 7 Gung, however, would probably have taught Yeung Hong the Hong Lung 18 Palms if Yeung Hong had brought him delicacies from the Jin palace's kitchen (well, maybe not, but the novel Hung 7 Gung didn't demonstrate the thoughtfulness or character judgment of the LOCH '82 Hung 7 Gung, at least not in this matter).

[daydreamer_gal]

Agree with what you said about Yang Kang's character interpretation in LOCH83.. He was much more complex, likeable ad sympathetic. I don't recall much about ROCH83, so can't comment about Guo Fu.

About Hong Qigong, I think he showed pretty good judgement in the novel too, like how he noted that Guo Jing never pressured him to teach him more stokes of the XL18 Palms, and knew that he was not a greedy person who was just being nice to him to learn his skills. So I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have just taught anyone who brought him good food.

[Ken Cheng]

Agree with what you said about Yang Kang's character interpretation in LOCH83.. He was much more complex, likeable ad sympathetic.

Yeah...the thing about LOCH '82's Yeung Hong is that while it's easy to despise some of the things he does, it's somehow difficult to despise him personally. Most of the time, you feel kind of sorry for him...especially when he dies. You don't feel like a villain is getting his just deserts when LOCH '82 Yeung Hong dies; instead, you feel sad that this guy who was blessed with so much made so many mistakes in his life and ended up sinking himself.

[LuNaR]

LOCH 94 >

sorry ken

[426mak]

I always thought the under development of GJ son was a missed opportunity. Neither in literature or TV had this character ever been developed.
Given his heritage and circumstance there's great potential for an epic story.

[tape]

I always thought the under development of GJ son was a missed opportunity. Neither in literature or TV had this character ever been developed.
Given his heritage and circumstance there's great potential for an epic story.

That's true. Take a lot of martial arts series, rename the main character Guo Polu, and have a mini spin off about it. Wouldn't be worse off than all the other spinoffs they had on JY characters.

[Ken Cheng]

I always thought the under development of GJ son was a missed opportunity. Neither in literature or TV had this character ever been developed.
Given his heritage and circumstance there's great potential for an epic story.

That's true. Take a lot of martial arts series, rename the main character Guo Polu, and have a mini spin off about it. Wouldn't be worse off than all the other spinoffs they had on JY characters.

Gwok Polo was the most pointless character in wuxia fiction; I really don't understand Jin Yong's motive in creating this character. Had Gwok Polo never existed, ROCH and HSDS would have played out almost entirely the same.

[426mak]

Gwok Polo was the most pointless character in wuxia fiction; I really don't understand Jin Yong's motive in creating this character. Had Gwok Polo never existed, ROCH and HSDS would have played out almost entirely the same.

That's precisely why I think Jin Yong should have developed him more. Its so frustrating having such a potentiallly epic character but never seeing him used.

[Ken Cheng]

That's precisely why I think Jin Yong should have developed him more. Its so frustrating having such a potentiallly epic character but never seeing him used.

Even worse, what little characterization that Jin Yong did give Gwok Polo was decidedly unflattering: Gwok Polo was depicted as a nerdy mama's boy who inherited neither of his parents' best traits. About the best thing that could be said about him was that at least he wasn't like Gwok Fu.

[smurf120]

I always thought Guo Polu was just JY's way of giving the Guo's a male heir - however pointless that ended up being. Yes I think JY gets a little misogynist and mired in Chinese tradition.

In DOMD - Hoi Gong Gong was well developed for a eunuch (probably just well acted) - might even have thought that he cared for WXB just a little.