Which is the most excruciatingly painful miscast in TV adaption history?

[Western Eccentric]

The hairstyle design of XLN in ROCH2014 didn't help Michelle Chen's case. The "two point" hairstyle was awful and really highlighted Michelle's wide face. She was also apparently slightly overweight as well when she did the role.

She doesn't have the look for Wuxia; instead her look is suited for modern series.

What made it obnoxious back then was when a lot of female Wuxia fans defended Michelle and saying that beauty standards were far too high for actresses; yet they are the same people who would never accept and hate on a male actor if he wasn't handsome enough to play a main character.

I think I agree with you given the novel description Xiao Longnu beautifulness is "out of the world" which she is much beautiful than beautiful ladies like Guo Fu Lu Wushuang Cheng Ying and Gongsun Lu'e only Huang Rong "comparable" with her and we all know Huang Rong's role especially young Huang Rong always play by "beautiful" actress..

[CC]

In my own viewing experience, the worst miscast ever was the actress that TVB selected to play the role of Lee Chou Sui in DGSD '81. Lee Chou Sui was supposedly an exquisite beauty - one who greatly resembled her granddaughter Wong Yu Yin and whose beauty had not been diminished by age. So who did TVB select to portray Lee Chou Sui in DGSD '81? TVB chose one of its middle-aged actresses who, though a terrific actress who was fantastic at portraying a wide range of quirky characters, was also by NO STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION anything close to being a "beauty."

Wait, I explicitly recall that the novel LQS was old looking. In fact, all the pretty LQS in the various TV series was just for eye candy.

When XZ finally saw her, it was stated that he was shocked that such an old lady was saying such lecherous words using the Soul Searching Skill. Which actually means her voice probably sounded youngish but her looks definitely had aged.

Remember, XZ only thought the painting looked like WYY. He never commented that LQS looked like WYY.

[kateSZ]

Lawrence Ng as Zhang Wuji for me.