Thank you to Tine and the team for this nostalgic stroll down memory lane :)
I grew up with HK (TVB) dramas so it'll probably forever be like "home" in Drama Land geography. I remember watching Chow Yuen Fatt, Simon Yam, Tse Yin, Liza Wang and the veterans in the 80s, before the era of the 4 heavenly kings with mainly Andy Lau and Leon Lai in the 90s. After that, I think there were another 3 or 4 cycles of evolution, the latest of which I've probably lost touch because sadly, I no longer follow HK dramas as much as I do with C and K dramas.
The thing with HK dramas is the familiarity. The sets, plots and acting are all pretty formulaic, which can be comforting. There's not a lot of surprises or unpredictability so fans tend to focus on the cast more rather than any groundbreaking themes or storylines. This is particularly true up until maybe around 2010-ish, when TVB underwent a "revolution". There were more joint productions especially with China, there was a new batch of talented actors and actresses, and the producers significantly upgraded the filming sets, and revolutionized the themes and storylines of its dramas. In short, they injected more realism and stylistic influences over its productions. I guess TVB had to evolve, in the face of intense competition from K-dramas and C-dramas.
I noticed some iconic dramas in the list of favourites by the panel, and I've enjoyed watching them as well. The ones Tine chose are much newer so I haven't seen them yet :P Although the selection choices in HK dramas are not as extensive compared to other MDL countries, there are some genres that HK excel in. Dramas about the police, triads (mafia), martial arts (not wuxia but kung fu), supernatural themes, slice of life and comedies (especially slap stick or "mo lei tau" e.g. think Stephen Chow).
These days, I'm more selective and usually watch the so-called TVB grand productions because they tend to be more epic and feature star-studded cast. But HK dramas, especially the classics, will always hold a special place in my heart.
Really love your "Why You Should Try" series of articles. It's been a fun and wonderful read :)
(Apologies for the long post. Guess this article brought a lot of emotions)
OMG! If this is true, then the cut scenes are even more shocking than what's actually shown to us!But wait, it…
Ah ok, so Jun Yi likes Mo Wan, not Jun Qing? If that's the case, then it shouldn't have been censored for any "breaches". It's a pity though, because it would make the story link better.
OMG! If this is true, then the cut scenes are even more shocking than what's actually shown to us!But wait, it…
OK, I re-watched that scene in ep 25, 29:56 - Jin Yi said he only supported ("rooted for" was used in iQiyi sub) Jun Qing with Mo Wan because he thought they were genuinely in love. This is correct as I understand Mandarin and that was the message conveyed. He didn't say he "backed out".
So probably a mistranslation somewhere. But as far as that scene is concerned, there is no indication that Jin Yi is in love or ever was with Jun Qing.
I haven't watched Dance of the Phoenix but oh my, those spoilers in your feeds...hmmm lol
OMG! If this is true, then the cut scenes are even more shocking than what's actually shown to us! But wait, it was never implied that Jin Yi had a thing for Jun Qing! :O
Wonderful article! C-dramas are my comfort food as well :) All the tips shared in the article as well as in the comments below are really useful for beginners. 3 things that I totally agree on and must be reiterated: - Watch the trailer instead of relying on the synopsis. Some folks get turned off by the write-up or sometimes, it gets too detailed and exposes too much. Get the feel and the vibes only through the trailers. - Historicals are done really well, in terms of the source material and the production sets. Big budgets are not an issue generally for C-drama historicals. - Martial arts choreography. Some people like it, some people don't. But if you're a fan, there's such variety to choose from (Wuxia, Xianxia).
88 (make that 87) more comments to make it 10K! This is great! Our lovely L&R fraternity is still going strong :) Love all the snippets of BTS posted by users and news of upcoming projects and sequels, as well as the translation of the original novel. This comments board is the most comprehensive all-in-1 resource centre for all things L&R, Cheng Yi And Bing Yuan. LOVE IT!
At least the Prince is more honourable - he looks the woman in the eye while he karate chops the neck to knock her out. Efficient and no mind alteration stuff.
This drama does feel like a freewheeling drama with things coming out all over the place without warning. Despite…
Agreed. I can't imagine what other plot twists that might've been cut out. This show really is addictive fun. I'm enjoying the unpredictability, without it this would just be boring.
These 2 recent episodes made me slam my desk and facepalm super hard. Scenes are so choppy to the point where…
Game of Thrones (season 8) can't compare to this show. It absolutely cannot hold a candle to this spectacle! lol I wasted 8 seasons on that show just to witness a MEH conclusion. Here? It's only 36 episodes of pure entertainment! :D
Episode 23 - Zong Feng Yan shows us how it's done with his subtle micro-expressions. Such a veteran indeed. The Emperor? He maintains the same mouth-agape and eyes wide expression for 4-5 minutes. At least his hyperventilation sounded authentic. Simply amusing :D This show never ceases to amaze. Just when you thought nothing could surprise you anymore, suddenly comes the "who's your REAL daddy" moment. *slaps forehead*
Nice article, I really love it! There are so many lessons to be learned, and it never stops. I've watched dramas for so long but I haven't yet really started on Lakorns. You've inspired me to try something different :) Thank you for sharing your drama-watching journey.
I find myself enjoying this drama a lot. I have to say FL is damn lucky girl. Each time she's in trouble, somehow…
Agree with you, this show is quite fun. I can sit back and relax without any stress or needing to do too much thinking. Would be nice if someone could post a flowchart of who's who though, there are so many characters being introduced all at once. But I'm not complaining.
This is the first time I'm seeing Xing Fei in a lead role and she's doing a pretty good job. I'm a new fan :)
Btw, I'm quite pleased with the martial arts choreography here, it's really impressive.
21 
36 
8 
I grew up with HK (TVB) dramas so it'll probably forever be like "home" in Drama Land geography.
I remember watching Chow Yuen Fatt, Simon Yam, Tse Yin, Liza Wang and the veterans in the 80s, before the era of the 4 heavenly kings with mainly Andy Lau and Leon Lai in the 90s. After that, I think there were another 3 or 4 cycles of evolution, the latest of which I've probably lost touch because sadly, I no longer follow HK dramas as much as I do with C and K dramas.
The thing with HK dramas is the familiarity. The sets, plots and acting are all pretty formulaic, which can be comforting. There's not a lot of surprises or unpredictability so fans tend to focus on the cast more rather than any groundbreaking themes or storylines. This is particularly true up until maybe around 2010-ish, when TVB underwent a "revolution". There were more joint productions especially with China, there was a new batch of talented actors and actresses, and the producers significantly upgraded the filming sets, and revolutionized the themes and storylines of its dramas. In short, they injected more realism and stylistic influences over its productions. I guess TVB had to evolve, in the face of intense competition from K-dramas and C-dramas.
I noticed some iconic dramas in the list of favourites by the panel, and I've enjoyed watching them as well. The ones Tine chose are much newer so I haven't seen them yet :P
Although the selection choices in HK dramas are not as extensive compared to other MDL countries, there are some genres that HK excel in. Dramas about the police, triads (mafia), martial arts (not wuxia but kung fu), supernatural themes, slice of life and comedies (especially slap stick or "mo lei tau" e.g. think Stephen Chow).
These days, I'm more selective and usually watch the so-called TVB grand productions because they tend to be more epic and feature star-studded cast. But HK dramas, especially the classics, will always hold a special place in my heart.
Really love your "Why You Should Try" series of articles. It's been a fun and wonderful read :)
(Apologies for the long post. Guess this article brought a lot of emotions)
Thanks for the info, mirrorgirl!
So probably a mistranslation somewhere. But as far as that scene is concerned, there is no indication that Jin Yi is in love or ever was with Jun Qing.
I haven't watched Dance of the Phoenix but oh my, those spoilers in your feeds...hmmm lol
I'm a bit behind in episodes but still watching this show.
But wait, it was never implied that Jin Yi had a thing for Jun Qing! :O
All the tips shared in the article as well as in the comments below are really useful for beginners.
3 things that I totally agree on and must be reiterated:
- Watch the trailer instead of relying on the synopsis. Some folks get turned off by the write-up or sometimes, it gets too detailed and exposes too much. Get the feel and the vibes only through the trailers.
- Historicals are done really well, in terms of the source material and the production sets. Big budgets are not an issue generally for C-drama historicals.
- Martial arts choreography. Some people like it, some people don't. But if you're a fan, there's such variety to choose from (Wuxia, Xianxia).
This is great! Our lovely L&R fraternity is still going strong :)
Love all the snippets of BTS posted by users and news of upcoming projects and sequels, as well as the translation of the original novel. This comments board is the most comprehensive all-in-1 resource centre for all things L&R, Cheng Yi And Bing Yuan.
LOVE IT!
This show really is addictive fun. I'm enjoying the unpredictability, without it this would just be boring.
I wasted 8 seasons on that show just to witness a MEH conclusion. Here? It's only 36 episodes of pure entertainment! :D
This show never ceases to amaze. Just when you thought nothing could surprise you anymore, suddenly comes the "who's your REAL daddy" moment.
*slaps forehead*
There are so many lessons to be learned, and it never stops. I've watched dramas for so long but I haven't yet really started on Lakorns. You've inspired me to try something different :)
Thank you for sharing your drama-watching journey.
This is the first time I'm seeing Xing Fei in a lead role and she's doing a pretty good job. I'm a new fan :)
Btw, I'm quite pleased with the martial arts choreography here, it's really impressive.