The Wuxia Cliches List

[Chan Cao]

These are some classic scenes and properties that repeatedly show up in almost every wuxia series I saw from childhood until now. (Not the plot. So “the main hero falls from a cliff, he’ll find a kungfu manuscript instead of dead” and stuff are not included ) Some of them became a classical joke between me, family and friends

So here’s my list:

1. When a tough man drinking wine, believe me, he pour it out of his mouth more than he drink it.

2. You can see people vomiting blood, but you hardly spot any blood trace on their mouths or teeth.

3. When a man practicing/working hard, there’ll always be a girl who wipes his sweat with the tip (only the tip!!!) of her handkerchief.

4. When a character lie down in bed because injury or sick, his/her opposite sex will take a bowl contains ginseng soup/porridge/medicine, stir the liquid a couple of time, take a very little of the liquid with a spoon, blow it a couple of time to make it cool, then touch the tip (only the tip!!!) of the spoon to his/her lips. Bet you find this scene in almost every wuxia movies!

5. A female can show her attention to a guy by cooking him a bowl of ginseng soup.

6. Buttlers in rich family, mostly named “A-Fu”.

7. When tough fighters does some meditation, a thick fog will appear around their head.

8. A pillow is a rectangular, log-like, so hard –that it’s hurt just to imagine how to put your head on it- material.

Feel free to add the list.

[fyp]

Originally posted by Chan Cao
8. A pillow is a rectangular, log-like, so hard ?that it?s hurt just to imagine how to put your head on it- material.

That is not a cliche. The people in ancient China did sleep on hard pillows. There are people in the turn of last century who still sleep on hard pillows. My grandfather was one.

[CC]

When practicing the ultimate level of their kung fu, the guy will sit cross legged in a stone chamber/cave (never a wooden shack or under a tree!). Upon completing the ultimate kung fu, they will stretch out their arms and the camera will shake with a boom sound.


Oh, and minions (e.g. common soldiers, escort fighters and low rank bandits) when slashed with a sabre/sword in the gut will spin at least one round before hitting the floor.


There is an abandoned temple with statue of either Guan Yin or Buddha on the altar at every village/town in China. In fact, abandoned temples outnumber functional temples at least 100:1.

[Ken Cheng]

Wuxia characters never get through an entire meal in peace at a restaurant or tavern. *Something* bad usually happens before they're done eating...or before they even start eating.

[xJadedx]

Half the time, the main characters are always too good to be true.

[Melanie]

Almost all wuxia heroes are either dense or blind, since they never realize that the feminine cross dresser tagging along with them is actually a young woman.

[CC]

Originally posted by Ken Cheng
Wuxia characters never get through an entire meal in peace at a restaurant or tavern. *Something* bad usually happens before they're done eating...or before they even start eating.

usually in the form of 2 taoist/beggars/escort agency goons swaggering in?

Oh yeah, and the tassels/feathers at the end of projectiles must be red in colour.

[Chan Cao]

Matchmakers are always the middle-aged big ladies, wearing red gown, a mole in their upper lips, talk so fast and bring a feather fan with them.

And if the fan replaced by a red silk handkerchief, they changes in to pimps.

"Aiya kongcu, long time no see!" and flap their handkerchief histerically.

[fyp]

Something will always happen to the hero's teacher/sect/girlfriend.

[junny]

The male protagonist doesn't realise the female protagonist's interest in him until she has to whack him over the head with it.

[TristeCoeur]

There will always be a scene in the intro where one of the leading characters spins around flying across a field with rocks exploding underneath.

Again, in the intro, you will see most characters turn their heads around.

After the last strike that knocks out the enemy completely, the fighter will remain in that position for a few mins, as if someone's gonna do a painting for him...

[Arisa]

nobody works, but have plenty of money to spend on.

kongfu can be learned from a book overnight. everyone is smart enough to understand stuff from reaiding a book...darn it ....why issit that when i pick up a SELF HELP "DUMMIES" book i still learn nothing?!

[CC]

Oh yeah.

TV Wuxia fighting rule #1

Thou shalt not attack or otherwise interfere with thy opponent whilst he is performing the complex, intricate and utterly time-consuming moves to gather his power for his most deadly technique. Thy proper response shall be to stand by in silent respect whilst he waves and swings his limbs about no matter how un-tactical it may be.

[CrazyT]

Originally posted by CC
Oh yeah.

TV Wuxia fighting rule #1

Thou shalt not attack or otherwise interfere with thy opponent whilst he is performing the complex, intricate and utterly time-consuming moves to gather his power for his most deadly technique. Thy proper response shall be to stand by in silent respect whilst he waves and swings his limbs about no matter how un-tactical it may be.

Haha. I re-watched Final Combat a couple of days ago and Stephen Chiau did not follow this rule. While Francis was waving his arms around, Stephen ran up and punched him in the nose.

[kraal]

The hero gets into trouble and the love interest(s) are the only ones who can get them out of it.

The hero and his future wife never get along in the beginning; they may even hate each other.

The hero is always the one with the worst kung fu, but he always ends up as the best martial artist in the end. And he usually pays back the bullies who tormented him in his youth.

The hero goes through trials or rites of passage to get what he wants (hand of daughter in marriage, kungfu manual, etc).

There's always a big showdown in the end between the hero and the main villain(s).

The hero ends up saving the world (martial arts society, nation, etc.).

[fyp]

The hero would have 2/3/4/7384 girls falling in love with him during his questing.

[Mojo Jojo]

Powerful people, especially protagonists, are either extremely handsome/beautiful, or extremely ugly with no in between. For women, the best kung fu practitioners are almost always drop dead gorgeous. For men, it's more of an even split.

[TaiHan]

when someone find a manual they became strong over night and the best except for those in Jin Yong

[kidd]

Only the hero became strong overnight learning powerful martial art. Other characters took years/decades to master the same martial art.

[Yang Guo]

Originally posted by CrazyT
Haha. I re-watched Final Combat a couple of days ago and Stephen Chiau did not follow this rule. While Francis was waving his arms around, Stephen ran up and punched him in the nose.

hahah... he does what I have the urge to do everytime I see someone waving their limbs around on tv