Seung Gwoon Gum Hung - an unlikely agent of justice?

[tape]

I've never listened to the '95 either, but just googled it right now. It sounds decent, very reminiscent of the good 90's ones. I'm surprised my parents never rented this series for me! Who is the evil woman who rips off someone's arm in the themesong? She looks to be the main antagonist?

The first one I watched was Vincent Jiao's '99 and now Li Xunhuan is a prettyboy in my mind. This series too invented a new evil woman character that seduced a king, (was that the same character?) but the first half up into Shaolin was superb and accurate from my memory. I think there was a small bit of fluff in the beginning of the first episode to introduce Li and Long's relationship, but other than that it was good.

[Trien Chieu]

I've never listened to the '95 either, but just googled it right now. It sounds decent, very reminiscent of the good 90's ones. I'm surprised my parents never rented this series for me! Who is the evil woman who rips off someone's arm in the themesong? She looks to be the main antagonist?

The woman is Lam Sin Yee and that man is Ah Fei. Based on this serial, Lam Sin Yee is a good person from the beginning who is falling in with Lee but Lee rejects her love. If Lee accepts her love, she would not turn evil. Lee is stupid here, Lam Sin Yee is so much hotter than Lam Shi Yin.

[Ian Liew]

I haven't heard the '95 theme song, but I bet the '78 theme song blows it away.

The '78 adaptation probably blows it away in every category.

I've never listened to the '95 either, but just googled it right now. It sounds decent, very reminiscent of the good 90's ones. I'm surprised my parents never rented this series for me! Who is the evil woman who rips off someone's arm in the themesong? She looks to be the main antagonist?

The first one I watched was Vincent Jiao's '99 and now Li Xunhuan is a prettyboy in my mind. This series too invented a new evil woman character that seduced a king, (was that the same character?) but the first half up into Shaolin was superb and accurate from my memory. I think there was a small bit of fluff in the beginning of the first episode to introduce Li and Long's relationship, but other than that it was good.

The 95 version actually stands up quite well to the 78 version - thanks in no small part to the composer making an effort to preserve the same style of beat as the 78 version. It's sung by William So, and while it's not a Roman song, it's up there with one of the better wuxia songs. Arguably one of the best of the 90s, and miles ahead of DGSD 97...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-PlJUKt7fM


Yeah, Lin Xianer becomes this amazingly powerful demon witch martial artist.... she rips off Ah Fei's arm, then he does a Jing Wuming and uses his other arm to surprise her later on, only for her invulnerability to get in the way. If I remember correctly, Lin Xianer wasn't the Plum Bandit either - it was her father, played by the legendary Johnny Wong, who was the Plum Bandit (presumably she will get her martial arts from him), although they managed to ruin even him with a ridiculous costume. It was by all accounts a horrible serial and one which I didn't continue watching after a few tapes (although I did see the ending somewhere). Not sure who I disliked more - Eddie Kwan as Li Xunhuan or Chin Ka-lok as Ah Fei.....

[tape]

It sounds a bit like All About Tin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAwJcPZ_0oA#t=26

The same type of beat, but this one is more lovey dovey and not quite as heroic.

[Trien Chieu]

Not sure who I disliked more - Eddie Kwan as Li Xunhuan or Chin Ka-lok as Ah Fei.....

I dislike Li Xunhuan more since at least Ah Fei accepts Lam Sin Yee at some point. However, he too an idiot. He should stick to her till the end instead of betray her.

[Ian Liew]

It sounds a bit like All About Tin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAwJcPZ_0oA#t=26

The same type of beat, but this one is more lovey dovey and not quite as heroic.

That link is a subtheme I think, but I know the main theme - also one of the best wuxia songs of the 90s. It also has that dum-dum-dum-dum ... dum-dum-dum-dum beat thingie, although it's much slower.

On a related note, while we are all comparing songs to the immortal 78 theme, I also want to say that I loved the second themesong of the 78 series too. It has the same mood, and was used for the Shangguan Jinhong arc. In fact, as far as I know, Cheung Chong's Shangguan Jinhong never appeared to the music of the original themesong, and his awesomeness was always linked to this theme.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfLzPq5-EVY

[CC]

That link is a subtheme I think, but I know the main theme - also one of the best wuxia songs of the 90s. It also has that dum-dum-dum-dum ... dum-dum-dum-dum beat thingie, although it's much slower.

On a related note, while we are all comparing songs to the immortal 78 theme, I also want to say that I loved the second themesong of the 78 series too. It has the same mood, and was used for the Shangguan Jinhong arc. In fact, as far as I know, Cheung Chong's Shangguan Jinhong never appeared to the music of the original themesong, and his awesomeness was always linked to this theme.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfLzPq5-EVY

The starting beat sounds very Vangelis now that I hear it again after all these years.

[Ian Liew]

The starting beat sounds very Vangelis now that I hear it again after all these years.

As in "Conquest of Paradise"?

[tape]

If i had to pick a most fitting song for a wuxia series, it would have to be the '78 XLFD. I only watched it when I was ~15, so it wasn't a nostalgic thing either. Glad they used the same song in the '99 adapation or I wouldn't have known it. That song is magnificent.

A lot of wuxia themes are good, but they don't quite embody the theme of the story like XLFD does.

[Ian Liew]

XLFD is definitely one of the top ones, but I personally prefer the 76 Luk Siu Fung. That one really gets the adrenaline going!

I understand what you mean, it's like.. well, the Shell Game is THE definitive gambling song.

[tape]

I can never take the Lu Xiaofeng one seriously because of Stephen Chow's God of Cookery .

A lot of the great wuxia themes are interchangeable in that if they were swapped with another series it really wouldn't be that out of place. XLFD just feels so specific and correct for the story.