Tribes and Empires 《九州海上牧云记》 - Huang Xuan, Shawn Dou, Xu Lu

[hirobo2]

I found these animated GIFs at https://www.avirtualvoyage.net/:

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[hirobo2]

(Hmm... the images don't want to show. Here they are again in link form:

https://i1101.photobucket.com/albums...ribe%20222.gif

https://i1101.photobucket.com/albums...ribe%20223.gif

https://i1101.photobucket.com/albums...ribe%20224.gif

https://i1101.photobucket.com/albums...ribe%20225.gif
)

[hirobo2]

Ep 18: XLN + YG + Rapist angle wrt to the maiden in the bead... I love it! I do hope they continue with this angle (without the rape). I much prefer a XLN+YG interaction than Aragorn+Arwen type!

[hirobo2]

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...300565690.html

iQIYI's web series Tribes and Empires goes viral abroad

Epic production creates a buzz

News provided by
iQIYI 

Dec 03, 2017, 23:23 ET

BEIJING, Dec. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Critically-acclaimed foreign TV dramas usually attract millions of Chinese fans to closely follow the dynamics of their new episodes. Recently many foreign viewers have become fans of well-made Chinese TV dramas. iQIYI, China's leading online video and entertainment platform, provides these foreign viewers the opportunity to watch and comment on popular Chinese webisodes, such as Tientsin Mystic and Do Not Cross. Tribes and Empires, a latest series available on iQIYI, starts a new round of craze among drama lovers thanks to its high standard of production.

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Hit dramas attracting countless fans

The long-awaited Tribes and Empires has generated a buzz on social media and received overwhelmingly positive comments. It was viewed over 100 million times across all major video platforms within just four hours after it first went live on iQIYI on 21st November.

In this big-budget production, actress Jiang Qinqin played the part of Queen Nanku who was unable to be truly loved despite how much she wanted; actor Zhou Yiwei played the part of Shuoye Hefeng who heartbreakingly lost his lover Jin Haizhu. The impressive storyline combined with the exceptional performance are attractive enough to engage fans and stimulate their interests in the following episodes.


Secret to going viral

So here comes the question - is it the heavy investment in production that enables the web series to go viral abroad? Of course not. A star-studded cast of talented artists like Huang Xuan, Shawn Dou, Zhou Yiwei, Xu Lu, Janice Man, Zhang Jianing, Jiang Qinqin, Wang Qianyuan and Wan Qian allows it a sensational effect among fans.

In addition, in the context of sought-after big IPs, this series, adapted from the namesake novel of writer and filmmaker Jin Hezai, is critically acclaimed thanks to the good reputation previously earned by the original work. It is a character-driven drama full of twists and turns. The two-year journey from preparation to wrap-up is a testimony to the dedication and efforts of the crew who produced an epic fantasy which is normally seen in blockbusters.

Quite unlike the prevailing feminine romantic dramas in China at the moment, Tribes and Empires tells a legendary story about three male characters on Novo Land. One of its highlights is the ancient costumes with unique Eastern charm which appeals to foreign audiences. For example, the elegant court dress of Queen Nanku and the nomadic costumes of Shuofeng Heye are a natural fit with the characters.


New trend of web series

Another major reason behind this success lies in its availability online, a new form pioneered by iQIYI. Recent years have seen the rise and popularity of web series, which drives a major trend in the industry. iQIYI keenly identifies and rides on this trend. Users can watch their favorites whenever and wherever, all they need is access to the Internet.

Great drama series will be viewed across borders. This is especially true with Tribes and Empires which has attracted a multitude of overseas fans based on its high-caliber production. At the moment, this hit drama available on iQIYI is also creating a buzz on foreign social media, which proves the fact that Chinese dramas can go abroad and even go viral.

SOURCE iQIYI

[charbydis]

Hey! Who is watching this? Can I ask did everyone hear a male voice say a sentence like "If only you could see her then you could see their connection?" when Panxi appeared at MYS's wedding in the middle of ep 36. The voice sound out of place. Not sure who it is. Is it the evil spririt that manifests as the black smoke? Anyone hear it as well?

[tribesempires4543534]

Hey! Who is watching this? Can I ask did everyone hear a male voice say a sentence like "If only you could see her then you could see their connection?" when Panxi appeared at MYS's wedding in the middle of ep 36. The voice sound out of place. Not sure who it is. Is it the evil spririt that manifests as the black smoke? Anyone hear it as well?

The voice is Muyun Sheng's dark spirit half.
It is out of place because it's a line direct from episode 24/26.
This upload is a bad rip. Maplestage.com has a proper version of episode 36 without the voiceover.

[charbydis]

The voice is Muyun Sheng's dark spirit half.
It is out of place because it's a line direct from episode 24/26.
This upload is a bad rip. Maplestage.com has a proper version of episode 36 without the voiceover.

Thanks. I watched it on maplestage.com. And it sounds so much better without that voiceover. I wonder why they put it in anyway?

The background sound has been sounding strange for this series from teh start. I just put it down to being backgorund notises as they record the true voices of the artistes but it keep going loud and quiet. Is it the case for you as well?

[TribesSpirit]

Thanks. I watched it on maplestage.com. And it sounds so much better without that voiceover. I wonder why they put it in anyway?

The voiceover is probably due to an encoding mistake.
The episode on maplestage is most likely the fixed encode.

The background sound has been sounding strange for this series from teh start. I just put it down to being backgorund notises as they record the true voices of the artistes but it keep going loud and quiet. Is it the case for you as well?

Yes, it's the same for me. Sometimes the background sound effects is muffled, other times it's loud.
I think some of the sounds might have been edited in during post-production which is why it doesn't blend in that well. It is a bit distracting but this drama is still great nonetheless.

[hirobo2]

Interesting read on production of T&E and why it became a web drama:

So What Happened to Tribes and Empires?

http://avenuex.ca/blog/2017/12/10/so...es-and-empires

[hkstars]

Interesting read on production of T&E and why it became a web drama:

So What Happened to Tribes and Empires?

http://avenuex.ca/blog/2017/12/10/so...es-and-empires

Thanks for sharing these interesting articles in English.

[charbydis]

I am quite happy with this production and it is truly a breakthrough for chinese dramas. I am not really all that fussed with the flashbacks, and I love tehcomputer effects, I do not mind the actors using their own voices, until it comes to Janice Man. Her Mandarin is better than the average HK artist's Mandarin, but when she has long lines, sometimes her pronounciation is off. But you do get used to it after a while.

We are up to ep 48 today and I am just hoping that the story is not broken into several parts that will be filmed over the years (Like Princess Agents). If it is broken into several bits where the stop point is justifiable (Like The Advisor's Alliance) then it is ok. Just hate abrupt endings.

[hirobo2]

Since these will all change by the drama's end, I am just posting these for historical reference.

Week 5: T&E vs the top 3 most watched C-dramas of the 2010's:


Top dramas on Douban by ratings (number of votes):

1. Nirvana in Fire 瑯琊榜 9.1 (207469)

2. Tribes and Empires 九州·海上牧云记 7.8 (39792)

3. Three Lives, Three Worlds 三生三世十里桃花 6.4 (97838)

4. Princess Agents 特工皇妃楚乔传 5.0 (59557)


Top dramas on MyDramaList by ratings (number of votes):

1. Nirvana in Fire 9.2 (1852)

2. Tribes and Empires 9.3 (112)

3. Three Lives, Three Worlds 9.1 (2475)

4. Princess Agents 8.3 (1257)


These are just popular opinions. Make whatever you will out of them, but I still think T&E is the best drama I have seen up to now, barring certain scenes.

[charbydis]

Since these will all change by the drama's end, I am just posting these for historical reference.

Week 5: T&E vs the top 3 most watched C-dramas of the 2010's:


Top dramas on Douban by ratings (number of votes):

1. Nirvana in Fire 瑯琊榜 9.1 (207469)

2. Tribes and Empires 九州·海上牧云记 7.8 (39792)

3. Three Lives, Three Worlds 三生三世十里桃花 6.4 (97838)

4. Princess Agents 特工皇妃楚乔传 5.0 (59557)


Top dramas on MyDramaList by ratings (number of votes):

1. Nirvana in Fire 9.2 (1852)

2. Tribes and Empires 9.3 (112)

3. Three Lives, Three Worlds 9.1 (2475)

4. Princess Agents 8.3 (1257)


These are just popular opinions. Make whatever you will out of them, but I still think T&E is the best drama I have seen up to now, barring certain scenes.

In terms of production, cast and story and pace, I prefer NIF 1 which I thought was a complete series. I quite like TAE a lot and do not mind its length, but the novel fans tell me that the novel had a rushed and sloppy ending so I am worried for the series. Cross finger we get a good ending. But to me, TAE and NIF are different genres so are incomparable to each other.

[charbydis]

So far, I think Muyun De is a very interesting character with his family dynamics and his own ambition. He is certainly one of the more intelligent and capable people in this series. Nanku Yueli is also quite interesting though she is not super smart or powerful, her ambition fuels her entire life and she is willing to go to any lengths to achieve her dream. Shuofeng Heye is annoying me at the moment but he is getting a lot of screentime. Han Jiang seems to be carrying on with not much development. And I am glad that Muyun Sheng is going through some changes with his new skills.

[hirobo2]

At first I was annoyed by SFHY's storyline too. But then it started to dawn on me... His story thread is more of comic relief in contrast to the more dark/serious MYS's or MRHJ's story threads.

Next, I've been hearing of complaints later on (I'm not at those EPs yet) of MRHJ+SYN being openly selfish about their own personal interests instead of the greater good. I say, there's nothing wrong with it. Selfless ppl are actually selfish at heart...

Also, why I prefer T&E over NiF. The latter is very well executed, but common folks, it contains so many "Imperial" cliches: Emperor is this ruthless guy hungry for power or to retain, he always gets attacked on a hunting trip, the main hero only wants the Emperor to admit his mistake. Right there is a very weak story backbone produced by a kick arse production team. I rated it so highly not for story but for execution.

In contrast, T&E have some pretty lovely nature scenes. Actually lots of it. The style makes you feel like you're watching a reality TV show not a drama. Three ppl prophesized to rule over Novoland, which of them will come out on top? Etc. I do admit T&E contains some "Imperial" cliches too: Bad queen, Emperor gets attacked on a hunting trip, etc. But they're not essential to the storyline.

Anyways, I think it comes down to personal preference. T&E is geared towards a younger audience...

Lastly, the ending theme reminds me so much of this game, which came out around the time of the 1st Lord of the Rings movie, so I'm pretty sure Chinese crew have had exposure to it: Five magicians/races/tribes battle for domination in an open world! Involves lots of fancy magic sfx and unnatural elements, like beasts, gods/goddesses, etc. just like in T&E.



(Hear how the soundtrack sounds just like T&E ending theme...)

[hirobo2]

For comparison,T&E ending theme (sounds like mix of Sacrifice game soundtrack above + Michael Keaton version Batman):



(https://vimeo.com/244463471)

[Mido-Ban]

So far on ep 21 I think. Te is pretty good but I feel it' rather too long and too many characters to focus on.

It reminds me of demi god semi devil with 3 main and story switch back and forth. But alot of the story is like any other palace drama posts above stated.


Characters don't seem too smart or gullible compared to other series I watched. I was surprised muru sheng didn't get mad or anything about his mother, and he didn' even visit her after seeing her once.

The king is stupid as well compared to the king in general and i.

I lm only watching bc of high production sets, scenes, janice, shawn, Xu Lu and huang xuan. Really wish story progressed quicker.

[hirobo2]

It's interviewing time...

Huang Xuan:

[hirobo2]

Shawn Dou:

[hirobo2]

Zhou Yi Fei



(I merely stumbled upon these videos on my daily ruse to spam other websites [not this site, of course]... so no need to thank me.)