Chen Dao Ming

[Lady Zhuge]

Hi LiYuanZhi! I agree with you. Even though CDM isn't the most handsome actor around, his acting skills are far superior to most others. There's also something inexplicable about the way he carries himself that makes him stand out. I think it's called 'feng1 du4' in Chinese.
Which of his series or shows have you seen so far? Out of those, which one did you like the most?

You're a bright one. I've seen the RTK series from 1994 about 5 times already and own both the DVD and collector's VCD set. That show got me totally hooked onto that short, but very interesting era in Chinese history, so much so that I wanted to learn more about the actual history as well. A large part of that was due to Tang Guo Qiang's magnificent portrayal of Kongming. He totally brought the character to life in a way that, IMO, no one else can even begin to challenge. I've been a fan of his and of Kongming's ever since and he is definitely one of my favorite actors ever. I started a thread on him here, so feel free to check it out and give it a bump any time if you want to talk about him and his series. He has been in quite a few shows since "Yong Zheng Wang Chao", some of which are modern ones and an ancient one called "Da Tang Qing Shi", which I still have to see!!! His most recent series is called "Yong Le Ying Xiong".

[LiYuanZhi]

I own this massive set of VCDs which my auntie gave me and have english subtitles as well.

I love RTK... but I really really hate the ending and I never want to watch it because all my favourite characters (Zhao Yun, Zhuge Liang, Guan Yu etc Cao Cao) etc dies... *sob*

It's soooo sad. School bell just rang. I'll finish this reply during lunch.

[LiYuanZhi]

I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!

Okay... I was cut off before. I like RTK the best in the middle, after Zhuge Liang comes and before Guan Yu dies. Anything before and after I dont' particularly like, especially the ends...

Mum is like a major history freak. So I get a lot of info from her. I'm totaly obsessed with history series, coz it's a fun way of educating myself, that and I get to watch tv.

Tang GX was really really really good in Yong Zheng Wang Chao. I simply loved that series... all the actors were sooooooooooooooo good!!! They like played everything perfectly, same applies for RTK, but I don't think its even necesary for me to point it out.

I heard that they were making another version of RTK which they're not going to use the ancient language and transform it into everyday langauge. I find that kind of insulting because one of the beauties of RTK is the complex language. Basically, in my mind no version can get better than the first one, no matter how hard they try.

Anyway... back to CDM... I've seen him in Kang Xi Da Di, which was really good. But not quite up to the standard of YZWC. Chen Dao Ming, though superb, just didn't connect as well as TGX with his character. That's just my two cents. Anyone else seen the series? If you haven't, i strongly recommend it because it has a lot of historical backgrounds and the actors are superb.

[Lady Zhuge]

Hi LiYuanZhi, I hope you don't mind if I reply to you about RTK and YZWC in the Tang Guo Qiang thread. I need a good excuse to bump it.

I thought CDM did an excellent job as Kang Xi. I especially loved the scenes between Kang Xi and his daughter and the one part when Kang Xi remonstrated all of his court officials before putting up a new sign. One of my friends absolutely hated CDM's Kang Xi because he thinks he was such a jerk, especially compared to the one in "Yong Zheng Wang Chao".
How did you feel about Wu Ci You's and Suma Lagu's love story? It was so sad that they didn't end up together.

Have you watched any of CDM's movies or modern series?

[LiYuanZhi]

Yeah it was really sad... I really loved the character Suma Lagu... too bad she didn't get a good ending

I can't say I have seen any of CDM's movies... actually... maybe one, (Hero) but numerous modern series, like Dong Zhi.

[Lady Zhuge]

It seemed that Suma Lagu and Wu Ci You both led unnecessarily lonely lives without one another. I really wanted them to be together! Why couldn't he have just asked for her when Kang Xi gave him the chance? Although Kang Xi would have been innately angry and jealous, I don't think he was the kind of person who would have sought revenge later for such a petty incident. In the end, Kang Xi didn't end up with her either.

Hero counts!

How did you like "Dong Zhi"? How was CDM's character and performance in there? Is it a sequel of sorts to "Hei Dong"? Do you prefer CDM in modern series or ancient ones?

[LiYuanZhi]

That's a lotta question to answer.

Okay

1) Su Ma La Gu was one of my favourite characters there, especially in the beginning when she was a little girl. She was soo cute. *sigh* I really hated the bit where she died.

2) Dong Zhi was pretty good. His performance, once again, was extremely solid (when is it not) He plays Chen Yi Ping, a man who works at the bank and ends up stealing money from it (like massive sums of money). It's kind of his wife's fault because she convinces him to do it. It's got lots of twists and stuff and has a sad ending. It's interesting because you get to see this really honest man transform into a money-obsessed person. He goes crazy in the end though.

3) There's a sequal? I didn't know that...

4) I prefer him in ancient ones simply because I like ancient series better than modern. But he's good in both.

Now I shall go and answer the TGQ thread.

[Lady Zhuge]

I don't know if "Dong Zhi" is a sequel of "Hei Dong". That's why I was asking. It's just that CDM plays antagonists in both of them and their covers/names seem kind of alike.

I'm home for fall break right now and started watching ZGSLH last night. Now I can confirm that the little screencaps that survivor_gal posted awhile back in this thread are from this show and not from "Hei Dong", as I had previously guessed. The only real negative is that it seems like the episodes are longer than they actually are. The dialogue in ZGSLH is really good; there are quite a few funny parts. The show is so realistic that it's like watching real people's lives unfold right before you. You can see how the little things like minor misunderstandings and hurtful words are all contributing to what is to come. CDM is really good as Song Jian Ping. I think he has more chemistry with Jiang Wen Li than with the neighbor, even when their characters have a lot of friction between them (which is quite often). It's sad how Lin Xiao Feng (played by JWL) doesn't appreciate SJP and only seems to focus on how much money he makes.

[agnes]

I like Chen Dao Ming after watching him Kang Xi Di Guo. His acting is so marvellously good. I heard that he has another drama called "Wei Cheng" which is just as good. Unfortunately, can't get this vcd over here.

[LiYuanZhi]

I like Chen Dao Ming after watching him Kang Xi Di Guo. His acting is so marvellously good. I heard that he has another drama called "Wei Cheng" which is just as good. Unfortunately, can't get this vcd over here.

Wei Cheng is an adaptation of the famous novel, Fortress Besieged. It was made when CDM was quite young (He still looked the same, just less old) so the series is rather old. Mum borrowed it from a friend and she liked it. I really liked the moral of the story... it's so true to real life.

[Lady Zhuge]

I heard that he has another drama called "Wei Cheng" which is just as good. Unfortunately, can't get this vcd over here.

Yesasia sells this show. It was made about 15 years ago, but it is really good. Some people consider it a classic, in fact.

(He still looked the same, just less old)

Sorry, that just sounds really funny to me.

Have you seen "Wei Cheng", LiYuanZhi? If so, what do you think happened to Fang Hong Jian (CDM's character) at the end?

[LiYuanZhi]

To be honest, mum was watching it and I just caught little bits. Didn't he end up with another fellow teacher or something? I saw the end and he was walking with some lady.

Anyway, I really liked the quote, "Wei zai cheng wai de ren xiang chong jin que, wei zai cheng li de ren xiang chong chu lai. Du hun jin ye ba, shi ye ye ba, ren shing yuan wang da do ru ci." (or something like that). (rough translation by me: those who reside within the fortress want to escape, those who are outside want to come in. Whether with marriage or careers, most human goals are like so." (very bad translation, but you get the rough idea).

It just really struck a chord with me. I could make it into my signature, but I can't be stuffed. Maybe I'll watch the series properly one day.

Oh... why did my comment on CDM's looks make you laugh? *looks confused*. I just thought that way.

[TuToo]

A behind-the-scenes shot:
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i'm sorry but which one is him in there? or there is no him ? is there a guy at all? i can't tell which one is a guy

[Lady Zhuge]

FHJ did end up marrying that female teacher whose name escapes me at the moment, but I was asking more about the very end. They constantly fought after their marriage and finally, he walked out all alone and the end was a blur. I remember the clock striking a certain time (midnight?) and he fell onto his bed. It was a really gloomy conclusion.

Oh... why did my comment on CDM's looks make you laugh? *looks confused*. I just thought that way.

I don't know, I just thought that "less old" was an interesting substitution for "younger". Sorry, I just find random things funny.

i'm sorry but which one is him in there? or there is no him ? is there a guy at all? i can't tell which one is a guy

CDM is the guy on the right wearing the emperor's cap and has a microphone in his hand.

I recommend that you guys watch ZGSLH. I'm up to episode 15 and it's really good!!! All the main thespians do a great job of acting.

[LiYuanZhi]

I find that most shows set in the Min Guo time ends in tragedy... I'm not even going to begin counting.

Anyway, ZGSLH has a really good ending, at least that's what I thought. The story was different to others and than you would expect.

[Lady Zhuge]

Have you seen "Da Ming Wang Chao"?

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I thought ZGSHL had a melancholy ending, where Song Jian Ping and his wife finally get divorced. I don't see how a marriage can work if one person is just so overly paranoid and suspicious all the time. Lin Xiao Feng seems like she has a mental problem. She has way too much free time on her hands. The supporting couple's story is very good too. Even though I don't blame her for being pissed at Liu Dong Bei for cheating on her, I couldn't believe that Juan Zi went through with the abortion when she was already 7 months pregnant.

I know I already mentioned "Jiang Shan Feng Yu Qing" in the TGQ thread, I thought I'd mention it here too. CDM plays Tian Qi Di.

[survivor_gal]

Hi! Two months back, all the episodes of ZGSLH were available for downloads at www.daoming.net for a very limited time. Although I have only managed to watch a few episodes of it, here's what i think.

Originally posted by Lady Zhuge
Lin Xiao Feng seems like she has a mental problem. She has way too much free time on her hands.

I agree with Lady Zhuge that Lin Xiao Feng is a very unreasonable woman. She seems overly suspicious of her husband. She even calls Song Jian Ping every hourly or so just to make sure that he is at the workplace and not with someone else. When he was unable to answer the calls because he had to perform an emergency operation, she stormed to his workplace and waited there until he appeared. This only shows that she does not understand the situation of her husband at all. I do find these scenes quite hillarious at times(pardon me) because I wonder whether they will ever happen in reality....I mean, is there a possibility of two such persons who do not seem to understand each other to be husband and wife in the first place?

Originally posted by Lady Zhuge
The supporting couple's story is very good too. Even though I don't blame her for being pissed at Liu Dong Bei for cheating on her, I couldn't believe that Juan Zi went through with the abortion when she was already 7 months pregnant.

Yeah, I like this couple too. I could not accept that Juan Zi decided to go for the abortion but what was even more unbelievable was the fact that both Lin Xiao Feng and Song Jian Ping did not try their very best to persuade her from not doing so. The very least they could do was to inform Dong Bei so that maybe he could do something about it. I guess as a doctor, Song Jian Ping should advice Juan Zi against the abortion. BTW, what is the name of the actor who plays the role of Dong Bei?
Overall, I feel that the actors(especially CDM)and actresses did a terrific job...just that the storyline seems a lil unrealistic at times(based on only the few episodes that I have seen)....I will try to get the VCD for this!

[Lady Zhuge]

I agree that a lot of the conflicts are contrived and based on timing or coincidences, but they do keep this drama interesting. This kind of show based on normal people and their everyday lives could very well be dull, but it isn't. This also proves how good the actors are, since they're able to take a chain of events that would normally only be believable on their own and make them seem totally realistic.

There is that phenomenon of the "7-year itch" in marriages, but in this show, it's like LXF is taking what doesn't even exist and making it seem like it is or it should. I think one of her biggest mistakes was quitting her job as a teacher. I know she had to take on a greater load of responsibilities due to her husband's new job, but since SJP was making so much money now, she should have hired a maid or someone to help out around the house. Of course she would have to get one who is at least 50 years of age and married or gay. The job would at least keep her occupied and make her feel useful and allow her to maintain that psychological "equal footing" in the marriage. Even finding some hobbies or maybe watching some Chinese series would help. Now she's lost even more confidence in herself and it's really pathetic to watch. This is probably a mid-life crisis, since otherwise, I don't see how the two of them could have gotten married in the first place. I find myself laughing out loud at parts in this show too, but that's usually when they're meant to be funny.

At first I thought that someone would be able to pursuade JZ to stop the abortion in time, but that didn't happen. I was kind of torn about JZ and the baby. It's unfair to the child, but if he or she was born, what kind of an environment would he or she be subjected to? Daddy cheated on mommy and there's obviously not much love or trust left on mommy's end. The really weird thing to me is that JZ wanted to get married, but didn't want kids. LDB didn't want to get married because he valued his freedom, yet wanted kids.

The name of the actor who plays Liu Dong Bei is Jia Yi Ping ( 贾一平 ).

[Lady Zhuge]

I finished ZGSLH. The last few episodes were very emotional. I thought Lin Xiao Feng was really going to fly off the edge. Her hypocrisy angered me so much. I guess the ending can be classified as a happy one in that LXF finally agreed to divorce Song Jian Ping and in essence, set them both (and their son) free. That, and SJP didn't have to go to Xi Zhan for 3 years just to escape his horrific marriage. The last scene was melancholy. SJP and his soon-to-be ex-wife embraced in a passionate kiss as the camera zooms out while the background voiceover announces the final divorce agreement between the two of them and the sad bluesy music echoes to the show's conclusion.

Key themes of this series: Love alone is not enough to guarantee a successful marriage. Case in point: Liu Dong Bei and Juan Zi. Choose someone who will take responsibility for you. True forgiveness must come from the heart and not just hang from the mouth, and it can actually strengthen the marriage. Case in point: LXF's "mother" forgiving her father. The more you try to restrict someone's freedom, the more likely you will lose them. Apparently the secret to a successful relationship is to make the person you love love you. Note that "make" in this case does not mean "force".

This show is tauted as the modern version of "Wei Cheng", but I actually found this show more entertaining than its predecessor.

[strawberry]

Is the female official worth watching? I got it free when I bought some other serials and have yet to watch it?