After 36 years, taking the SPW '84 plunge beginning Monday, 10/19/2020

[Stance]

The dialogue from the 1984 series had it somewhat more specifically, saying "300 years" in the past, which assuming that SPW took place in 1400s or 1500s, would have been during Sung times.

A eunuch created it and i assume, the eunuch never left the palace, so pretty much was unknown outside the palace?

[Ken Cheng]

A eunuch created it and i assume, the eunuch never left the palace, so pretty much was unknown outside the palace?

Possibly. Interestingly, Wong Seung, the creator of the 9 Yum Jen Ging, was also a palace eunuch during Sung times. Makes you wonder.

[Stance]

Possibly. Interestingly, Wong Seung, the creator of the 9 Yum Jen Ging, was also a palace eunuch during Sung times. Makes you wonder.

So even more interesting, 9yang came from 9ying, so 9ying, 9yang, khbd & dg9j all got created around the same period?

[Ken Cheng]

So even more interesting, 9yang came from 9ying, so 9ying, 9yang, khbd & dg9j all got created around the same period?

Possibly during that 100-year interlude between DGSD and LOCH.

[Stance]

Possibly during that 100-year interlude between DGSD and LOCH.

What a massive period and i assume WS could have exchanged thoughts and ideas with the eunuch during the creation of 9ying and resulting in khbd getting created at a similar time?

[Ken Cheng]

What a massive period and i assume WS could have exchanged thoughts and ideas with the eunuch during the creation of 9ying and resulting in khbd getting created at a similar time?

Possibly with Dook Goo Kau Bai there to offer insights. It's an exhilarating thought that Wong Seung, Dook Goo Kau Bai, and the creator of the Qwai Fa Bo Deen might have conferred on martial arts development.

[Doc Kwok]

Possibly. Interestingly, Wong Seung, the creator of the 9 Yum Jen Ging, was also a palace eunuch during Sung times. Makes you wonder.

Huang Chang was a real historical person, and in both history and fiction was an official, not a eunuch!

[Ken Cheng]

Episode 21:

Based on the history that Chief Abbot Fong Jing and Taoist Reverend Chung Hui told Ling Wu Chung, the wulin bloodbath over Qwai Fa Bo Deen 100 years before the story of SPW was worse than anything we've seen in SPW itself. Man, the way Fong Jing and Chung Hui tell it, the time 100 years before SPW was worse than DGSD and HSDS wulin put together. Almost makes you wish Jin Yong wrote a story about that particular period too.

The overthrow of Dung Fong But Bai was a HUGE letdown. I was expecting an epic struggle, but the fight was kind of lame. It was over way too quickly, and it came down to Ling Wu Chung stabbing Dung Fung But Bai in the back while the shemale Sun Moon Sect Leader was distracted. Really disappointed by how that went down after all that buildup, but I must compliment actor Kong Ngai for really selling the effeminate personality of Dung Fong But Bai well.

Ling Wu Chung seems a bit disappointed that even though they were successful at overthrowing Dung Fong But Bai, it doesn't look like Yam Ngor Hang will be any better as Sun Moon Cult Leader.

The Pik Che SITH LIGHTSABER Technique finally makes its debut!

Stephen Tung's performance as Lam Ping Tze isn't remarkable, but I do think that had TVB not cast Austin Wai as Sai Mun Chui Sheut for THE RETURN OF LUK SIU FUNG in 1985, Stephen could have been a great successor to Wong Yeun Sun in that role. Perhaps Stephen would have made a better Sai Mun Chui Sheut than Austin.

The director of this show can't edit continuity between scenes for s**t. I also feel that some scenes have been sloppily edited for this YouTube release of the series.

[Ken Cheng]

Episode 22:

Honestly, tonight's episode was the most boring one so far. Some big plot developments: looks like Lam Ping Tze has gotten on the Pik Che Sword Technique bandwagon, and his timing couldn't be worse because he then marries Ngok Ling San. Oy, Ping Tze bro...WTF?!

For some reason, the affairs of the Ngok Family when Ling Wu Chung isn't around is somehow just boring. I don't find the Ngoks particularly likable or unlikable...they just kind of bore me, for some reason. The only time they're interesting is when Ling Wu Chung is there to interact with them. On their own, their story seems kind of dull.

And tonight, the series reverted to having Ling Wu Chung in a ten-minute cameo only.

Hope tomorrow night's episode will be better. I could barely stay awake for this one.

[Doc Kwok]

Episode 21:Based on the history that Chief Abbot Fong Jing and Taoist Reverend Chung Hui told Ling Wu Chung, the wulin bloodbath over Qwai Fa Bo Deen 100 years before the story of SPW was worse than anything we've seen in SPW itself. Man, the way Fong Jing and Chung Hui tell it, the time 100 years before SPW was worse than DGSD and HSDS wulin put together. Almost makes you wish Jin Yong wrote a story about that particular period too.

There was the raid by the cult elders on Hua Shan, and the Hua Shan infighting over qi vs. sword, but I think that was about it? Kind of lame by wulin standards...One amusing mistake I noticed - the founder of the escort agency was called '林遠圖' (Lin Yuantu), but the subtitles say '林遠屠'. '遠圖' could mean 'far-reaching aspirations', but '遠屠' would mean 'widespread slaughter'! An unconscious slip maybe?

The overthrow of Dung Fong But Bai was a HUGE letdown. I was expecting an epic struggle, but the fight was kind of lame. It was over way too quickly, and it came down to Ling Wu Chung stabbing Dung Fung But Bai in the back while the shemale Sun Moon Sect Leader was distracted. Really disappointed by how that went down after all that buildup, but I must compliment actor Kong Ngai for really selling the effeminate personality of Dung Fong But Bai well.

The novel only had DFBB appear in person once, in the scene where he was killed. Other than that, he was only mentioned by name a couple of times.It was rather amusing to see LHC attack DFBB barehanded (the novel LHC could not beat the average cult flunky barehanded!).The major 'set pieces' of the story do appear in SPW '84, but they are short and perfunctory, and do not really explain what is happening. It was almost as if the screenwriters just wanted to tick the boxes so they can say 'yes, this is XAJH', and get it out of the way whilst lavishing all their allotted time and attention on 'TVB original material' - i.e. boring filler...

[Ken Cheng]

The major 'set pieces' of the story do appear in SPW '84, but they are short and perfunctory, and do not really explain what is happening. It was almost as if the screenwriters just wanted to tick the boxes so they can say 'yes, this is XAJH', and get it out of the way whilst lavishing all their allotted time and attention on 'TVB original material' - i.e. boring filler...

Last night's episode was all filler, no killer. I guess we got some moments exploring the mindset of Ngok But Kwun and Lam Ping Tze as they both become entranced by the Pik Che Sword Technique, but I frankly am not interested to that extent. Additionally, for some reason, the Ling Wu Chung/Ngok Ling San/Lam Ping Tze love triangle just has no oomph to it. It's just kind of like, "yeah...OK...this is happening."

Eight episodes remain...I hope there's still something to look forward to.

[Ken Cheng]

Episode 23:

For the first few minutes, I was dreading that this would be another episode of uninteresting Ngok Family personal drama (which it was at first), but things took a turn for the intriguing as Ngok But Kwun and Lam Ping Tze play their reindeer games with Pik Che Sword Technique.

Turns out the Mt. Hua Sect has a MOLE working for Tzor Lang Sim.

The internal intrigue of the Five Sword Mountains Federation is reaching a head. Let's see how that works out.

[Ken Cheng]

Episode 24:

The unexpected emergence of Ngok Ling San as an exceptional swordswoman! At first, I wondered if she somehow had also learned Dook Goo 9 Swords in the cave, but no: she learned all the techniques of the Five Swords Federation, which in its own way, is kind of like a quasi-Dook Goo 9 Swords because she knows all their weaknesses and how to defeat them.

It was another episode heavy on Ngok Family drama, which isn't my favorite aspect of SPW, but we did get some good insight on how crazy both Ngok But Kwun and Lam Ping Tze have gotten with this Pik Che Sword Technique thing.

Yu Chong Hoi finally got his comeuppance, though I wonder why LPT didn't just kill the bastard. It isn't a good idea to give scummy guys like that a second chance in wulin.

I do wonder about Ngok But Kwun: was always like this even in his youth, or did power and ambition corrupt him?

Ling Wu Chung got injured again. At some point, his luck with his health has to change, right? There's one more week of episodes after tomorrow, and I hope I get a full week of uninjured Ling Wu Chung to finish the series.

[Doc Kwok]

The unexpected emergence of Ngok Ling San as an exceptional swordswoman! At first, I wondered if she somehow had also learned Dook Goo 9 Swords in the cave, but no: she learned all the techniques of the Five Swords Federation, which in its own way, is kind of like a quasi-Dook Goo 9 Swords because she knows all their weaknesses and how to defeat them.

Not really... Again, SPW '84 doesn't really explain what is happening here. Basically, it was a bluff - YLS appeared to be using long-lost ultimate techniques of her opponents' own school, which caused them to freak out, allowing her to gain the advantage. If they just ignored her fancy techniques and fought normally, she would probably be defeated instantly.DG9J is all about finding the weakness in the opponent's technique and attacking it - using preset counters to preset moves in a robotic fashion is diametrically opposed to the DG9J philosophy.

Yu Chong Hoi finally got his comeuppance, though I wonder why LPT didn't just kill the bastard. It isn't a good idea to give scummy guys like that a second chance in wulin.

Because he wanted to play with him some more, like a cat with mice.

I do wonder about Ngok But Kwun: was always like this even in his youth, or did power and ambition corrupt him?

Heavily implied to be the former.

[Ken Cheng]

Not really... Again, SPW '84 doesn't really explain what is happening here. Basically, it was a bluff - YLS appeared to be using long-lost ultimate techniques of her opponents' own school, which caused them to freak out, allowing her to gain the advantage. If they just ignored her fancy techniques and fought normally, she would probably be defeated instantly.DG9J is all about finding the weakness in the opponent's technique and attacking it - using preset counters to preset moves in a robotic fashion is diametrically opposed to the DG9J philosophy.

Admittedly, the whole thing had a "Chow Chi Yerk using 9 Yum White Bone Claws at Shaolin" vibe to it, right down to Ngok Ling San injuring Ling Wu Chung in a manner similar to how Chow Chi Yerk injured Cheung Mo Gei in HSDS, shocking wulin with her unexpected prowess.

Because he wanted to play with him some more, like a cat with mice.

Lam better hope that decision doesn't come back to bite him in the butt.

Heavily implied to be the former.

Kind of like Lung Siu Wan the elder in SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN, RUTHLESS SWORD.

[Ken Cheng]

Another thing that happened in Episode 24 that I forgot to mention was the apparent end of Tzor Lang Sim as a threat. Ngok But Kwun only blinded Tzor, but didn't kill him, making me wonder if Tzor still has an encore in this series.

[Doc Kwok]

Lam better hope that decision doesn't come back to bite him in the butt.

It comes back to bite him in the face... literally!

[Ken Cheng]

It comes back to bite him in the face... literally!

I KNEW it would be a stupid mistake! That's one of the fatal errors of wulin: leaving your enemy alive to come back at you.

[Stance]

I KNEW it would be a stupid mistake! That's one of the fatal errors of wulin: leaving your enemy alive to come back at you.

Commonly like the protagonist who ends up finding a powerful MA and returning for revenge? 🙂

[Ken Cheng]

Commonly like the protagonist who ends up finding a powerful MA and returning for revenge? 🙂

Makes me want to scream, "CHARLIE BROWN...I MEAN, LAM PING TZE, YOU BLOCKHEAD!"