Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils 2013 《天龙八部》 - Wallace Chung, Jia Qing

[MrWErD]

Nope. Had no part.

Well, thanks for your hard work anyways!

[wkeej]

Oh I just wanted to be 'wuxiarocks' to be consisted with my facebook/tumblr/twitter pages.
Right. Unfortunately that channel is gone now.

So, am I right to say that SoD is no longer active? :-)
With regard to your channel, out of curiosity, why is it gone? It's "yours". Nice videos and some nice songs.

[wuxiarocks]

So, am I right to say that SoD is no longer active? :-)
With regard to your channel, out of curiosity, why is it gone? It's "yours". Nice videos and some nice songs.

Other than the name change, I'm still here. : D

As for my channel, it was suspended by Youtube due to copyright reasons. It happens.

[i_fotted]

Not sure about the others. I like the fact that JY changed the story whereby DY married MQW for afterall that is DY's promise. And that's the only reason why I watch this series again. I have given the my other favorites like LOCH and HSDS a miss. I never like ROCH because I feel that the age gap between XLN and YG too big to be a couple.

stop living in ancient time. there is no age in love. besides they are only separated by 5 years.

[wkeej]

stop living in ancient time. there is no age in love. besides they are only separated by 5 years.

OT: But isn't ROCH in ancient times?
Anyway, let's talk about DGSD for this thread.

[i_fotted]

does anyone know where i can find this in full english subtitles? i know engsub drama has it up to episode6, but i'm looing for the complete series with english subs. thanks in advance!

[ToastedRossi]

I've started watching this show again and I can note three main problems with it right away. The show uses a really bright palette that doesn't suit the show's mood at all, CGI is overused, and Duan Yu and Kiu Feng aren't cast very well. Otherwise, it seems pretty decent.

[ToastedRossi]

I'm about a third of the way through this show, and it's still pretty decent. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that they're aiming for "pretty decent" rather than "good" or "great". For example, in the scene where A Zhu makes Kiu Feng tell her a story, it's played out in order to hit all the story beats rather than being given the space for the scene to breathe properly. Kiu Feng goes about telling his story at the first provocation, so it doesn't convey just how reluctant he is. I'm using the 1982 version to do a spot check, and while it may be unfair, that version pulled off the same scene with much greater skill. I also get the feeling that this show is trying to make Kiu Feng the main protagonist therefore they're jumping into the romance portion of his story too quickly. I think that a production of this story works much better if that role is left to Duan Yu.

[seiken]

Out of curiosity, what was inscribed on A'zhu's gravemarker?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCVR...ivMgXX4#t=1457 (@ 24:22)

[ToastedRossi]

Out of curiosity, what was inscribed on A'zhu's gravemarker?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCVR...ivMgXX4#t=1457 (@ 24:22)

"Gravesite of Xiao Feng and Beloved Wife A Zhu". Interestingly, it's not the same inscription in the novel. The show was trying to play up their romance more.

[Ian Liew]

Am currently watching this, and I have to say that when I saw the pics of Duan Yu, I was incredibly disappointed at how plain and inappropriate Kim Kibum looked. However, after watching the series I find his plainness has a kind of endearing feel to it, like it makes him come across as more sincere. He certainly lacked the irritating stalker air which Benny Chan and Jimmy Lin had with their Duan Yus. Duan Yu doesn't really have to be handsome, just likeable, and I'm really liking this Duan Yu, even more than Wallace's Xiao Feng, which is surprising.

In many respects this version lacks the epic feel of the 2003 version, with far too many CGI backgrounds making it feel more like a Xianjian series rather than a Jin Yong series. Most of the cast don't quite compare well to the 2003 cast man for man (even Wallace falls short of Hu Jun's ruggedness) but Duan Yu really is an improvement. Zhong Ling is also extremely loveable - far more than the 2003 version. Everytime she appears on screen she's just begging to be hugged (and not in a sexual way at all). She pretty much stole the screentime in "Tianya Mingyue Dao", and it's great to see her get such good lines in this serial, with a wardrobe which screams to grab your attention every time she appears. Xu Zhu is likeable, but in some respects probably too good-looking. Gao Hu made no pretense of glamour in 2003, and that worked immensely well in his favour.

Other things which really stand out for me in this serial are the HSDS 2003 crew returning a decade later to reprise a second love triangle - and they really stole the show with their limited screentime even after all these years. If anything they look even better than they did 10 years ago! I absolutely loved my favourite scene - the Xixia princess's three questions scene - in this serial, although I'm not sure if the unfair advantage Murong Fu gained was in the new novel or not. It was a fresh twist, and definitely had me wondering how the scene would unfold. Thankfully "Menggu" was far more resourceful than her father gave her credit for, although the extra humiliation Murong Fu had to endure was pitiful. Murong Fu also impressed me. Zong Fengyan has always traditionally had two expressions for me - constipatedly angry or schemingly evil (His portrayal of Yan Nanfei in Tianya had "I am evil" written all over his face 24/7). Both would serve him well as Murong Fu, but I was surprised to see how human this Murong Fu was. This is probably the first one who genuinely felt grief and love for Wang Yuyan, and who really felt like a victim of circumstances which you could feel sorry for. Even at the end when he kills Duan Zhengjun's wives he is told to do so by Madam Wang, and he looks genuinely shocked at the order. Of course, he then, as usual, gets carried away, but it's far easier to be less harsh on this Murong Fu than some of his predecessors. He also got the chance to show us other less annoying expressions, like sadness and cheerfulness, so maybe he isn't as one dimensional as I thought he'd be.

Looking forward to the rest of it! I'm not watching it chronologically, so it'll take a while before I finish the whole thing, but it is an entertaining watch for sure. 2003, despite its horrible horrible editing, still feels like the better one, but there's definitely value in watching this one too.

[seiken]

"Gravesite of Xiao Feng and Beloved Wife A Zhu". Interestingly, it's not the same inscription in the novel. The show was trying to play up their romance more.

That is interesting. I remembered in the ZJZ version QF inscribed one for himself and got caught up on hers... kinda piqued my curiosity on this version's.

Thanks for the translation ToastedRossi!

[luna_lucid]

Am currently watching this, and I have to say that when I saw the pics of Duan Yu, I was incredibly disappointed at how plain and inappropriate Kim Kibum looked. However, after watching the series I find his plainness has a kind of endearing feel to it, like it makes him come across as more sincere. He certainly lacked the irritating stalker air which Benny Chan and Jimmy Lin had with their Duan Yus. Duan Yu doesn't really have to be handsome, just likeable, and I'm really liking this Duan Yu, even more than Wallace's Xiao Feng, which is surprising.

In many respects this version lacks the epic feel of the 2003 version, with far too many CGI backgrounds making it feel more like a Xianjian series rather than a Jin Yong series. Most of the cast don't quite compare well to the 2003 cast man for man (even Wallace falls short of Hu Jun's ruggedness) but Duan Yu really is an improvement. Zhong Ling is also extremely loveable - far more than the 2003 version. Everytime she appears on screen she's just begging to be hugged (and not in a sexual way at all). She pretty much stole the screentime in "Tianya Mingyue Dao", and it's great to see her get such good lines in this serial, with a wardrobe which screams to grab your attention every time she appears. Xu Zhu is likeable, but in some respects probably too good-looking. Gao Hu made no pretense of glamour in 2003, and that worked immensely well in his favour.

Me too. I was disappointed when I saw the new Duan Yu picture, but after I watched the show, I ended up liking him. I feel that Kim Kibum is suitable as a young innocent prince, plus I think he looked better in movies than in pictures. Instead of looking like a little kid, he is just like a young rich boy, who is inexperienced and naive. I also found that Wallace is a lot better than his pictures. It's kinda surprise, actually, since I really like Jimmy Lin's and Hu Jun's portrayal before.

And, I also love Zhong Ling. She is very cute, kind and understanding. Duan Yu-Zhong Ling is one of my favourite couple in this version.

Other things which really stand out for me in this serial are the HSDS 2003 crew returning a decade later to reprise a second love triangle - and they really stole the show with their limited screentime even after all these years. If anything they look even better than they did 10 years ago!

Yeah, they are really a scene stealer . Instead of watching Xu Zhu, I ended up watching Alec Su instead and repeated his scenes .

[wkeej]

And, I also love Zhong Ling. She is very cute, kind and understanding. Duan Yu-Zhong Ling is one of my favourite couple in this version.

It's great that the revised novel allowed them to be together.

[luna_lucid]

It's great that the revised novel allowed them to be together.

Perhaps, was it intended from the beginning? Because they knew they were going to use the story from the newest novel revision, they chose pretty/memorable actresses for whom Duan Yu would end up with

[WinnieOoi]

This is definitely a great drama ever i watched! It was just AWESOME!
you can found free korean songs from this site, wish it help.

[Himmy]

Here's the English subbed playlist on YouTube. But might be unavailable for some countries.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLS...eo-sg&index=54

[hirobo2]

And, I also love Zhong Ling. She is very cute, kind and understanding. Duan Yu-Zhong Ling is one of my favourite couple in this version.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions. But, ew. The actress that played ZL is [super] cute in ROCH 2014 as Guo Fu. But she doesn't look as cute in that hairdo and green outfit.

IMO the one with the most charisma in this adaptation was Mu Wanqing followed closely by Wang Yuyan...

[hirobo2]

I'm a little more than 1/2 way thru the show. I had avoided it all this time b/c I was skeptical about a Korean playing a starring role in a Chinese drama. Also b/c I had watched ROCH 2006 and it numbed my impression of mainland Chinese adaptations.

I must say, the show is now my #1 wuxia adaption to date (previous #1 title belonged to HSDS 2009).

I've watched the 1996/97 version with Carman Lee. So, I had something to compare this show to. Let me say Mr. Korean Duan Yu nailed the role perfectly. Only he could pull off those facial expressions and it was a refreshing change from the 1996 version. Other improvements include better use of CGI. I thought the show was much better with the CGI than with real scenes/props/etc. Also, except for the intro fight which was very confusing, the other fights felt very "impactful" from the 1996 version. I especially love the Murong Fu character design. He seemed more badass than the IMO very ugly and plain one in 1996. Costumes were much better as I much preferred a red Mu Wanqing to a black one, and IMO she had the best looking costume in the entire show. My favorite parts were how they tried to make Mu Wanqing look like a red Arwen from Lord of the Rings, and how they attempted to mimic Japanese anime/video games with the multitudes of floating swords during some fights (ex: 1st fight between Murong Fu and Qiao Feng).

But every show has its weaknesses. And the weakness of the show is this: They'll sometimes reveal a character/something too soon, but only much later do you understand why they revealed it in the first place. As a result, the show can be frustrating/confusing/boring at times until you understood why they showed it.

Anyways, if anyone wants to barf (vomit), they should watch any Yu Zheng adaptations. The way he wanted the CGI artists to alter the actors/actresses faces to pretty them up just makes me want to puke. Also YZ's casting choices leave much to be desired. I simply can't stand any Yu Zheng character other than Wallace Huo as LHC. It was ONLY b/c of him that I managed to even finish Swordsman 2013. Even the super cute Guo Fu in ROCH 2014 couldn't even hold my attention for too long. Let's not even talk about YZ's choice of XLN. What a joke a desecration to the ROCH story. I even shudder at the thought of that future HSDS adaptation by him...

In short, Demi Gods & Semi Devils 2013 is highly recommended for wuxia fans as it is now my #1 wuxia adaptation...

[hirobo2]

First off, just wanted to say that this 2013 version of Demi-Gods & Semi-Devils is actually really well made, far surpassed my expectations. I'm a little more than half way through the series and I've been really annoyed by Jia Qing, the actress who played both Ah Zhu and Ah Zhi. Why did Lai Shui Qing cast her as the two women that Xiao Feng loves the most? She ruined this series for me. Jia Qing just can't act, and isn't pretty nor charming enough to play either Ah Zhu or Ah Zhi. What's with the constant eye shifting and lip puckering that she keeps doing as Ah Zhi? All of these unnecessary behaviors make it seem like she's playing a comical role in a comedy when she should act more natural since this is an action drama. I didn't feel anything for her when Ah Zhu died when this is probably one of, if not the most touching scene in the entire story. Jia Qing reminds me a lot of Liu Shi Shi.

Yes, this actress's portrayal sucked. It was the most painful part of the show for me, having to suffer thru every single scene she was in, but she(s) didn't ruin the entire show. But DGSD's story was really never about Qiao Feng couple. It's a cleverly disguised ROCH where it's all about Duan Yu/Yang Guo, Wang Yuyan/XLN and his dad 1st Evil/Yang Kang. Think of Qiao Feng and his wife as Guo Jing and Huang Rong --- mainly side characters in ROCH.