Finally this has finished airing and I am 85% happy with all the stories and acting. Some stories on were in sector…
I must find time to watch this. There's actors and actresses I enjoy watching in this drama (Ou Hao, Zhang Yunlong, Li Landi, Lawrence Wang etc), but I wish Chen Jingke and Dai Xu were in it too. They are underrated actors IMHO.
Hello! I hope you're very happy with "The King's Warden" reaching 10 million watchers in the cinemas on 6 March, the 31st day of its release :D
Matches my predictions for "The King's Warden" more than 12 days ago.
BoTG needs more than 2 billion RMB to break even and make a profit, if certain numbers are correct after having to recast one actress. Yesterday's takings were bigger than the day before. Certain days of the week will see less numbers. BoTG within 20 days of release has already notched at least 14 milestones at a blistering pace impossible for previous wuxia movies to reach or gross, and is still climbing.
Wu Jing probably thought he was going to lose a lot of money but now, I won't be surprised if the producers and directors cautiously hope the movie might be able to break even. To try to do so, they'll need at least another 9 weeks. It will get harder, as new movies enter the market. Yu Shi is definitely going to want this movie to soar as high as possible. I believe a sequel due to reaching 1.5 billion RMB is definitely doable.
The original manhua author Xue Xianzhe is separated by months in age from me. He understands cinema plus wuxia, and he's already busy drawing for the movie sequel. If he wants Yuen Woo-ping to direct the sequel early next year, he'll have to plot and draw as if his life depends on it for the next 4 months (otherwise how to commence casting without a sufficient storyline by the end of this year) XD
BoTG is an amazing wuxia movie solidly grounded in classics, the likes of which hasn't been seen for at least 30 years. It's got everything plus it solidly passes the Bechdel test, because main screenwriter cum Executive Producer Yu Baimei wanted to anchor a wuxia film where females also shine and isn't male-dominated. Ayuya is the key line and focus for growth, while other characters undergo certain changes. The screenwriters cut out all romance (which is very easy to do given the original material), unlike the manhua. We have sisterhood, strong female characters, and their characters plus goals are independent of men :)
Happy International Women's Day!
ETA -> Reached 1.282 billion RMB, as of today 10 pm Sunday 9 March ˖ ݁♬⋆.˚𝄞˖ ݁♬⋆.˚𝄞˖ ݁♬⋆.˚𝄞
In Cantonese, Donnie Yen congratulates Yuen Woo-ping and Wu Jing, and majorly regrets not being able to be part of "Blades Of The Guardians" (when asked about the movie on 4 March before the opening of the 14th CPPCC National Committee session in Beijing): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/skVXJBQb5_E
Ayuya's popularity as a character on social media during the Lunar New Year box office period is stellar. At one point, Chen Lijun (as Ayuya) did not have confidence, and Wu Jing was the one who gave her courage. "I know you can do it, because traditional chinese opera artists have toiled and endured hardships. We have all endured hardships, so I know you can do it." - https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5273248847367151
What did young actors and actresses have to go through for action training, before going to Xinjiang to film the action scenes? https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5270541419156891
Dang Shanpeng and Ku Huen-chiu are martial arts advisors for "Blades Of The Guardians", who are also responsible for fight choreography. Wu Jing taught some of the younger actors and actresses how to fall safely, such as Chen Lijun. Many exercises were necessary to build stamina, balance and speed including short sprints, cartwheels, pushups, etc
Jing Ci (as Peiwu Mi'er) joined 10 months in advance for all necessary training, including learning how to wield double scimitars. Xiong Jinyi (as A-Ni) learned traditional opera from the age of 10 and has 16 years of opera experience focusing on Huai Opera, joining Wu Jing's "Yingwutang" initiative to train martial arts actors and actresses. Her training performance has earned her praise from Kara Wai as a successor for action scenes. Biky Liang Bi Ying as Kui Zhi had to learn close-quarters hand-to-hand combat and be as aggressively swift and deadly as an assassin, given she wields retractable claws.
She's a bit squeamish with deaths. But really wants to watch. So maybe later :)
Since Yuen Woo-ping has to follow the manhua and the animated series and hence the movie is making historical waves at the box office, are you really going to blame the outcome of certain characters on him? 🤣
Brilliant in-depth review. You've got me all fired up to see this film when the opportunity presents itself. It…
You're welcome. I mentioned Kurosawa Akira because fans of that legendary Director will usually have a strong literature and cultural arts background, from all nationalities. Christopher Nolan fans like stories which make brains tick, with all sorts of underlying themes conveyed in a manner which resonates ie please don't over-explain. Within chinese martial arts, the best wuxia films or dramas are typically strongly grounded in literature and cultural nuances, contrary to what people who know nothing about the genre might assume and think wuxia is hack-slash-kill-limbs-gone.
Professional film critic Sean Barry agrees with me, only he expresses it differently. He's an Asian cinema fan, versed in J-ent and C-Ent and he is a fan of Kurosawa Akira. I have just shared less than 50% of his review on the movie page: https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25304610
Kurosawa Akira adapted three Shakespeare plays (Macbeth became 1957's "Throne of Blood" in feudal Japan, Hamlet became crime noir known in 1960 as "The Bad Sleep Well") whereby the most famous of the three adaptations is samurai epic "Ran" from King Lear. He didn't just make a Samurai film. He's a very-strong proponent of the arts.
Similarly, neo-Western crime thriller "No Country For Old Men"- Shakespeare must be read and also watched on stage. Witness Napoleon's letters. Plato is basic necessary reading. Caesar's accounts of his campaigns really help with those zingers. I'm sure the Coen brothers know all this, not to mention having a wide reading background including Rudyard Kipling.
Fans with such backgrounds strengthened with media knowledge will usually produce the kinds of reviews that is a joy for fellow fans of the same background. Just like my review for WoF, I had to reduce the length of this review by half due to wordcount limit.
And as fans go, at least I am aware of several different fighting styles which Jet Li has mastered (examples include 戳腳, 翻子拳 and 螳螂拳) so I could identify certain details that Jet Li and Wu Jing wanted to share with the audience (as a tribute to martial arts movies of the past), such as from "Fist Of Legend": https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25233458
Who cares? Hollywood has its own people getting bitten by spider, turn into massive green giant, fly to the sun…
BoTG manhua is very good. Xue Xianzhe understands cinema and wuxia, which is why his style of drawing also made it easier for Yuen Woo-ping to adapt the manhua. The only huge difficulty was how much to keep. Xue Xianzhe has been busy drawing for the sequel to this movie since 6 days ago, when he shared one sketch on his weibo account.
What are you reading and/or watching now? Renegade Immortal is good and you should continue watching it. For a donghua, the budget would be insane and impossible to make it a live-action drama, so RI should just stay as a donghua. The romance in RI would be considered a minor portion compared to the majority of what is officially released, and this doesn't change.
There are organised hate campaigns which can affect multiple platforms in China. Douban by itself isn't a sole reliable indicator because it can be spammed in multiple waves by bots for 2-star and 1-star reviews insulting the looks of actor or actresses, and writing general nonsense. "Vendetta Of An" is a victim of such tactics, just like "Whispers of Fate".
xhs can encapsulate everything, including spam and such campaigns, so don't get too hung up on weibo or xhs.
As for WoF, I and others encountered a vicious troll using multiple sockpuppet accounts on the MDL drama page. That one is a fake feminist who tried to bully fans of other female characters in WoF off the page, attacked BL fans minding their own business, and also pretended to be a Luo Yunxi fan while trying to tear down the drama. All this backfired badly because word got out domestically and internationally about a multiple-faced parasite being a wolf in sheep's clothing amongst lsfs, wanting to piggyback their 7th-billed actress onto Luo Yunxi's success. That troll had been going on about the one female character in WoF that a majority of viewers can't be bothered with, hyping a non-existent romance with Tang Lici.
I'm happy for promoting unity for success, but I refuse to put up with bullies. And it turns out, so do a lot of other people with the same views domestically and internationally.
This movie has now entered the top 100 films of China's box office, overtaking Avatar 3.
As I predicted on 23 January 6 weeks ago, reaching 1.2 billion RMB for "Blades Of The Guardians" will not be an issue :D
I am sure many people would not have the same beliefs as me 6 weeks ago, given China's box office history where a majority of wuxia films for the past 5 years post-Covid do not gross more than 100 million RMB.
Grossing 1.5 billion RMB for this movie to enable a sequel is definitely doable.
Our lovely Kara Wai (all Shaw Brothers martial arts fans will be happy) is featured on the poster for this milestone, used in the official announcement from Maoyan Professional Edition: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5273221108597150
Rotten Tomatoes has this movie rated at 96% for Tomatometer and Popcornmeter. This is a very high achievement for any movie, where professional critics and normal viewers are hugely united.
Professional film critic Sean Barry (fan of arthouse aficionado Wong Kar-wai and the legendary Kurosawa Akira) has watched lots of wuxia films and is a fan of Asian cinema, for as long as he can remember. An excerpt of his latest review for "Bushido" directed by Shiraishi Kazuya has been featured in the official trailer and promotional material for the movie, which airs in US theatres on March 13: https://x.com/cinemaofjapan/status/2026357818874540436
In my MDL review that came out before Sean Barry's official review published on 2 March (whereby I mentioned "Blades Of The Guardians" will be greatly appreciated by fans of director Kurosawa Akira and certain other directors), Sean Barry shares his enthusiastic opinion at "Asian Movie Pulse" in a lengthy glowing review, where he has 146 articles to his name: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2026/03/blades-of-the-guardians/
[ .... Both were drawn to the source material’s core themes while determined to deliver a blockbuster that would revitalize contemporary martial arts cinema. This included the cast undergoing intensive, systematic closed training for the action scenes, as well as filming in Xinjiang and Beijing.
The story is set during the late Sui dynasty, a turbulent period marked by widespread civil unrest and extreme political corruption under the oppressive reign of Emperor Yang Guang...
....To the film’s credit, the opening, set to foreboding narration, does a good job of conveying the basic gist of the kind of story that’s about to unravel. So this does ensure those less versed in the era can follow the broader stakes.
Though it follows a fairly straightforward narrative, “Blades of the Guardians” has much to offer, as it’s massive in scope and evokes a grand return to a long-lost era of wuxia cinema that feels all too rare nowadays. Yet its modernization of age-old fiction goes beyond simply invoking nostalgia as a primary selling point. Much like other genre-defining essentials, such as “A Touch of Zen” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” Yuen employs wuxia for more than just breathtaking cinematic spectacle; it serves as a physical language of visual storytelling, using movement and choreography to underscore the emotional gravity of the characters...
... Despite the wide array of characters in the film, each has a distinct personality and layered motivations that make them memorable in their own right and enhance the experience, especially once the escort mission commences...
... Tai Lee-Chan, Chao-Bin Su, Yu Baimei, and Larry Yang’s screenplay for “Blades of the Guardians” carries a strikingly mature thematic core, particularly rebellion against authoritarian oppression, a bold and timely focus given China’s current sociopolitical climate and media censorship constraints. Moreover, its story offers a nuanced exploration of duty, found family, self-sacrifice, redemption, and the lasting cost of violence, all seamlessly interwoven with moral complexity and emotional depth. With that, it champions honor as an individual responsibility, that righteousness resides in one’s humanity, while duty and loyalty can sometimes carry inherent costs.
The film is greatly elevated by a superb ensemble cast that brings depth to their roles and creates a dynamic onscreen interplay...
... “Blades of the Guardians” marks a triumphant return for Yuen Woo-ping while marvelously revitalizing wuxia for contemporary audiences. The story may be a lot to digest, but the characters and overarching themes keep the experience emotionally engaging. With that, the spectacular fight choreography is equally pivotal in driving the narrative forward. ]
I wanna watch this so bad! But it’s not in any of my theaters 😢
Is there any theatre within driving distance?
Yuen Woo-ping was informed about the story of a fan who drove 100 km to watch the movie. That said, if there is no cinema within reachable distance, then I don't know how you're going to watch it.
I've shared trivia and other details about the movie, plus various actors and actresses of the cast in my earlier comments. You may find them useful and/or fun. One of the fights I shared was a post from the official weibo account for "Blades Of The Guardians" but if you cannot open weibo, here's the fight between Yu Shi and Wu Jing at the Dark Ox Flats in the movie: https://x.com/YoshYuShi/status/2028157759209013327
I understand many people can use x.com. I've encountered different users who cannot access tiktok or weibo or other sites depending on where they are from, so I hope this helps.
I've also written a review here, after watching this twice on IMAX :)
Xu Xianzhe the manhua artist was inspired by Tony Leung Ka-Fai, when it came to Dao Ma. The first wuxia film he watched was by Yuen Woo-ping, so Yuen Woo-ping producing his manhua as a movie is a dream come true for him.
As cheers for a sequel grow louder, everyone is happy at making box office history with a wuxia film heartily honouring roots across five generations! Every day has only cemented growing certainty that the best wuxia is rewarded by old-school authenticity! I am touched that the one thing stopping some parents from bringing their children to watch this movie is understandably due to the child's age and concerns about the movie being too violent for a child under the age of 12. Cinemas in countries such as Malaysia understandably institute an age restriction. My respect for the cast and crew has me hugely relieved that I can enjoy being a couch commando in air-conditioned comfort to support their efforts!
Passion on social media from different viewers and fans of this movie feeling so many different emotions is amazing. I am humbled. I seriously thought Yu Shi was going to cry at one point in his weibo post, upon grossing more than 1 billion RMB. He knows he is part of something very special. And he knows what's waiting. I am so happy for him :D
I forgot to mention that on 27 February having grossed more than 1 billion RMB at a blistering pace to surpass all wuxia films in China's box office history, "Blades Of The Guardians" notched another three records to reach a total of 13 records as a wuxia film in the box office!
I have detailed and summarised the first thirteen days of increasing success in specific comments, for those of you cheering on this movie + your favourite actors/actresses while curious about how China's box office works:
Given how hard everyone has worked for this, a lot of wuxia fans are excited! I'm looking forward to the action…
I was grateful to be couch commando with IMAX, considering everyone on-screen sweated and suffered in the desert to make this film happen. Currently grossed more than 1.1 billion RMB domestically over 13 days, and I am certain of a sequel :D
Certain martial arts movies of the 1970s and 80s would show the entire fighting sequence, but I think some of the modern audience may not appreciate that (which I can see in the likes of "Fist of Legend" (1994) plus 1980s Shaolin movies).
On Saturday 28 February at 9:04 pm Beijing-time, Maoyan Professional Edition posted an official announcement stating "Blades Of The Guardians" had overtaken "Scare Out" and taken #2 spot in accumulative box office takings: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5271403189504459
Liu Yaowen's a happy guy. Like Sean Sun Yizhou, he is in two movies this Lunar New Year, and both movies are doing well! Liu Yaowen is in 'Scare Out" and "Blades of The Guardians", while Sean Sun Yizhou is in "Blades of The Guardians" and "Pegasus 3". Anybody who's a fan of C-Ent and wants cinemas to survive definitely wants the box office to do well during periods of peak earnings. I'm happy to encourage viewers to go to the cinemas to watch what they like, the more the merrier. I believe fans who share their enthusiasm and encouragement of what we like on different MDL pages also help in this.
As of today Sunday 3 March at 3:13 pm Beijing-time on Day 13 since its premiere, "Blades of The Guardians" grossed 1.1 billion RMB! :D
The first volume of the manhua published in English launches on Tuesday 3 March. Latest overseas reviews from fellow fans of martial arts films that I've seen on social media and official professional sites should further make the cast and crew of "Blades Of The Guardians" very happy :)
Heyi Xuan watches Ayuya emotionally crumble and agonise, screaming in pain at holding the decapitated head of…
Ci Sha was impressive. His micro-emoting in this movie was on a completely different level from "The Shadow's Edge". That movie didn't require too much micro-emoting from him, yet he did well to be acting as two different twin brothers with two totally different temperaments. I look forward to the not-yet-aired movie thriller with Simon Yam: https://kisskh.at/771885-mastermind
Instead of following the manhwa and the donghua (which I know you watched), they removed the kiss scene where Ayuya kissed Dao Ma. Instead she gives him a specific piece of jewelry. She looks for A-Ni and tells her they will be sisters in their next lives, before tearing herself away from the group to go and kill Heyi Xuan. A-Ni goes after her. This change was excellent.
Ayuya is our hot-headed spoilt heiress to the leadership of her clan, who undergoes the changes which would make her a compelling future Queen of the Desert and hence leader of the Tokharian mercenaries A Luo Han shows the most respect for (out of all the leaders of the five clans he has interacted with), as he bids farewell. On top of that, she isn't making her decisions of the present or future based on a man. Ayuya, A-Ni and Yanzi-niang are strong females with their own agencies, and the sisterhood highlighted in this movie is unusual for a wuxia film. The storytelling revealing Yanzi-niang's character and traits is also very intelligent, as with Heyi Xuan.
But it is going to be difficult to easily see this, if someone is relying on subtitles plus insufficient understanding of the world of wuxia (by that, I refer to Jin Yong's novels or at least 30 years of martial arts films).
Once I understood Di Ting's background, I could instantly see the encompassing tragedy that underscores his history and previous sacrifice for Dao Ma because of brotherhood... Plus the polar opposites of their goals due to honour and obligations whereby Di Ting and Dao ma are fundamentally similar, and this similarity in values defines their inability to reconcile due to circumstances and can only end in one way. Brotherhood once united them as friends with bonds as strong as brothers, and Brotherhood will irreversibly tear them apart.
Brotherhood. Sacrifice. Chivalry ie 侠义 are all fairly strong here, as Yuen Woo-ping says but didn't explain, because he's making a movie as a bridge to wuxia of the past and present and for the future, his target audience being mandarin-speakers of all generations. Yuen Woo-ping is also enabling each character to tell their story through the fights they engage in and the styles they demonstrate. At least 95 minutes of action in a movie of 126 minutes is not about whacking, killing and maiming.
It was interesting for me to see how Yu Shi as Shu's swordplay transforms akin to an evolution throughout the movie, to match Shu's change in values. This is something Yuen Woo-ping also intended, from what I see.
At 4.22 pm today, "Blades Of The Guardians" grossed 1 billion RMB (https://m.sohu.com/a/990715014_116237),…
Heyi Xuan watches Ayuya emotionally crumble and agonise, screaming in pain at holding the decapitated head of her father.
Yes, he is laughing. But his laughter is not the laughter of someone who completely rejoices in her pain. Reluctance and regret is present.
Heyi Xuan murdered his own father to take the position of clan leader. He also felt pain at losing a father, even if he is cunning and evil enough to ensure the sons of the patriarchs of the other three clans were killed.
I believe he knew to an extent the measure of pain Ayuya was suffering, plus he also mourned for himself and for her knowing the pain of losing a father. At the same time, he finally realised the extent of miscalculation and consequences of burning a bridge of no return with Ayuya, for killing Lao Mo. Lao Mo walked through the desert barefoot to return to the Mo clan's village to honour age-old traditions he believed as necessary, for breaking the engagement between Ayuya and Heyi Xuan. Blood debts must be paid with blood as per age-old traditions, and Ayuya insists on honouring that tradition as necessary.
When Heyi Xuan attempted to strangle Ayuya to death after she kept rejecting him and wanting to kill him, he was openly crying and exclaimed her name once with such a strong mixture of emotions to reveal incredible anguish. He was in utmost agony at the thought of having to kill her whom he deemed the light in his life, he also realises he gave up everything else and lost everything just to have her... But in doing so, had only lost her forever. And he doesn't want to share her with anyone else, so she has to die. On top of that, he knows Dao Ma is determined to kill him to avenge Lao Mo.
Like Li Yunxiao as Yanzi-niang, Ci Sha ensured every scene he appeared in has been imbued with multiple layers and meanings. Heyi Xuan was charming, attractive, buffoonish, cowardly, vicious, pathetic, and pitiful. Ci Sha outdid himself in this movie, moreso than "The Shadow's Edge" where he first captured my attention.
I'm impressed with many of the younger cast members, but that's for other posts :D
At 4.22 pm today, "Blades Of The Guardians" grossed 1 billion RMB (https://m.sohu.com/a/990715014_116237), having soundly smashed all records pertaining to wuxia films in China within the first six days of its screening. Congratulations to Yuen Woo-ping who wanted to make this film approximately 10 years ago, made key decisions such as insisting on Wu Jing as Dao Ma plus Jet Li as Chang Guiren, and first asked Wu Jing to be his key man in making this happen!
Wu Jing ploughed in at least 100 million RMB out of his own pocket to ensure this movie would be finished, in order to repay his benefactor Yuen Woo-ping. Wu Jing was prepared to lose money to make this film happen. He also cut down his screen time to be given to younger actors and actresses, he trained with the team for six months and put everything else to one side- This movie would never have happened without Yuen Woo-ping insisting on choosing Wu Jing to be the main key man. When they invited actors and actresses to join this movie, everyone came. Everyone is determined to run this marathon at the box office together.
"Blades Of The Guardians" is the only movie of the Lunar New Year box office to reverse a "decline", while defying and surpassing expectations. Pegasus 3 made a large chunk of their first day and subsequent day earnings with maximum screen schedules at prime-time slots every day, while also able to utilise a majority of IMAX screens. The first movie of Pegasus earned 1.7 + billion RMB. Pegasus 2 earned 3.4+ billion RMB. Since Pegasus 2 earned twice the amount compared to the first movie of Pegasus, Pegasus 3 has gigantic expectations on its shoulders and is expected to do significantly well (I would like "Pegasus 3" to exceed 4+ billion RMB). "Pegasus 3" also has a great cast, including actors such as Yin Zheng alongside well-known comedian Shen Teng.
Other movies such as "Scare Out" started losing screen availability, as theatres began to adjust to the market of demand. Starting out with a major handicap for several days in screen-timings plus film schedules and screen availability, what has been achieved for "Blades Of The Guardians" as a wuxia film is akin to a miracle.
Almost nobody would have thought this achievement possible, given the majority of wuxia films do not exceed grossing 100 million RMB at the box office. The previous wuxia film champion of China's box office is the 2025 Tsui Hark film reaching 689 million RMB after 89 days, which Blades of The Guardians exceeded within 6 days.
Much sharing and joy on social media! So happy for the cast and crew! They deserve all the accolades possible for putting in at least 200%, after more than 6 months of sweat and tears and teamwork PLUS also working through -10 degrees to 55 degrees in the desert for 185 days! 😃🥹😍💪🤜🤛
Of the viewers interested in watching this movie but have not yet done so, more than 50% are females. One tiny change from the manhwa for the movie has been beneficial to emphasise the sisterhood and independence of characters, such as Ayuya.
Celebrating grossing more than 1 billion RMB includes sharing by->
Ps. In the spoiler tag below, there's one scene in the movie which looks so simple, but it really touched me among many other moments of being touched. Why was Ci Sha laughing and yet tears fell down his cheeks?
Great to see this film is doing so well. Reading through the comments and extra info, it seems clear everyone…
Working on my review :D It's amazing to connect with others who feel the same way. And yes, I also spoke to a fair number of much-older folks and told them to watch this, because it will bring them back to what they knew growing up with wuxia.
The audience can see and feel how authentic everything is. Shooting on-site for 185 days, where temperatures fluctuate between -10 degrees to 55 degrees really puts everybody in the cast in the right moods for night or day scenes, while wearing three to five layers of clothing plus special shoes. Four special giant blowers were used to create the sandstorms, especially the suffocating feeling of being buffeted and almost losing control at times. Yuen Woo-ping and Wu Jing believe you wouldn't be able to reach the same level of authenticity in emoting if filming inside a studio and with green screens. I believe that too. And they are correct. All this is after 6 months of very-gruelling equestrian training, wirework training and action training. Jet Li has the advantage of starting at the age of 8.
Nicholas Tse is wielding actual double bamboo-section whips at a certain juncture, and the sounds you hear of weapons colliding is real when Wu Jing or him are fighting. Wu Jing switches between at least 7 types of weapons, while more than 30 types of weapons were utilised for this film. Yuen Woo-ping has an iron-clad rule when it comes to authenticity. His weapons aren't always assumed pseudo-props. Once you see how various actors and actresses are incredibly exhausted during action training and weapons training, in the BTS- Yuen Woo-ping's typical style.
Amazing to watch their final efforts on-screen in air-conditioned comfort.
As of 3.07 pm today, Maoyan released an official poster noting more than 20 million viewers having seen "Blades Of The Guardians" within 10 days of screening: https://m.sohu.com/a/990250895_313745
Here's a video of more than 6 minutes about the equestrian training which numerous younger cast members went through (very illuminating):
For this movie based on the manhua, a lot of horsing around meant needing solid equestrian skills to also handle potentially dangerous situations. Wu Jing and Yuen Woo-ping wanted special focus on equestrian training, since scenes are shot with no stand-ins. Wu Jing, Sean Sun Yizhou and Yu Shi clearly had fun riding their horses. Wang Yupo is the Equestrian Director, and soundly praised Yu Shi's equestrian skills for being excellent.
Liu Yaowen (as Pei Xingyan) is more apprehensive and found it more difficult, when it came to horses. He and Li Yunxiao both needed more coaching. At one point, Li Yunxiao (as Yanzi-niang) was wondering if it was sweat or tears on her face, as she practised horse-riding with a face covering. At times when she could not grasp the necessary, she felt very anxious.
During equestrian training, Chen Lijun also received encouragement from Wu Jing. Even little Charles Ju (as Xiao Qi) also learned to ride a horse with a certain degree of familiarity. Sean Sun Yizhou had previously ridden a horse but this time, he had to figure out how to do it wearing a mask and seeing with that mask. All lines recited by actors and actresses on horseback was a new experience for many of the cast.
Wen Junhui (as Yu Ji Niu Luo) found it challenging, having to ride a horse eventually without using any hands for the reins. Win Win (as Da Lai) had a sense of achievement in being able to reach the ease of riding a horse single-handed and also without using any hands for the reins.
After that, training progressed to using a bow and arrows on horseback with a galloping horse. Bai Narisu (as A Luo Han) can shoot arrows with his left hand but for this film, he found himself learning to be able to shoot arrows with any hand, and it was awesome.
Xiong Jinyi (as A-Ni) had one additional difficult challenge: Learning to drive a carriage and control a group of horses. But as group practise continued, everyone became comfortable and confident on horseback, whether the horses were cantering or galloping. They managed to maintain the same pace on horses as a group in order to accommodate certain shots.
While the equestrian training was already quite challenging and exhausting, action training and wire training was another level of WOW (as seen in released BTS clips).
Nice! How was Nick Tse’s fights and acting? … Only interested to watch him, Ringo Yu and Zhang Yi😆😆
"Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" is a more-recent wuxia movie directed by Lee Ang in 2000. Lovely cinematography, great camerawork etc but I'm not keen on the fighting choreography approach for that movie (being necessary to accommodate a majority with no martial arts backgrounds), except when Michelle Yeoh duelled with Zhang Ziyi. Yuen Woo-ping is the martial arts choreographer who did very well there, to accommodate everyone. The movie was a bigger hit internationally than in China. That movie is instrumental to opening the doors and introducing many non-mandarin-speaking individuals to the concepts of wuxia.
For me, I prefer early 1990s or older movies where Jet Li's best primary fighting styles were utilised against fellow martial arts actors. "Fist Of Legend" in 1994 had Jet Li fighting Chin Siu-ho to showcase 单手撑地后旋踢 alongside 戳腳 (Chuojiao) and his primary style of 翻子拳 (Fanzi quan): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JypP_UY0VgM
1986 "Martial Arts of Shaolin" is a classic by Lau Kar-leung, where Jet Li, Yu Cheng-hui and Yu Hai showcase different fighting styles. Jet Li is a master of 螳螂拳 (Northern Praying Mantis) and 八卦掌 (Baguazhang) which is shown in this segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5zNsbTQtis
These are examples of Jet Li's moves revealing his background as a wushu prodigy due to having mastered so many styles that are woefully under-utilised in Western productions, also because different directors have their own ideas of what works and they may not be sufficiently familiar with his amazing martial arts background.
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Matches my predictions for "The King's Warden" more than 12 days ago.
BoTG needs more than 2 billion RMB to break even and make a profit, if certain numbers are correct after having to recast one actress. Yesterday's takings were bigger than the day before. Certain days of the week will see less numbers. BoTG within 20 days of release has already notched at least 14 milestones at a blistering pace impossible for previous wuxia movies to reach or gross, and is still climbing.
Wu Jing probably thought he was going to lose a lot of money but now, I won't be surprised if the producers and directors cautiously hope the movie might be able to break even. To try to do so, they'll need at least another 9 weeks. It will get harder, as new movies enter the market. Yu Shi is definitely going to want this movie to soar as high as possible. I believe a sequel due to reaching 1.5 billion RMB is definitely doable.
The original manhua author Xue Xianzhe is separated by months in age from me. He understands cinema plus wuxia, and he's already busy drawing for the movie sequel. If he wants Yuen Woo-ping to direct the sequel early next year, he'll have to plot and draw as if his life depends on it for the next 4 months (otherwise how to commence casting without a sufficient storyline by the end of this year) XD
BoTG is an amazing wuxia movie solidly grounded in classics, the likes of which hasn't been seen for at least 30 years. It's got everything plus it solidly passes the Bechdel test, because main screenwriter cum Executive Producer Yu Baimei wanted to anchor a wuxia film where females also shine and isn't male-dominated. Ayuya is the key line and focus for growth, while other characters undergo certain changes. The screenwriters cut out all romance (which is very easy to do given the original material), unlike the manhua. We have sisterhood, strong female characters, and their characters plus goals are independent of men :)
Happy International Women's Day!
ETA -> Reached 1.282 billion RMB, as of today 10 pm Sunday 9 March ˖ ݁♬⋆.˚𝄞˖ ݁♬⋆.˚𝄞˖ ݁♬⋆.˚𝄞
Here's one video featuring an amazing fansketch of Dao Ma fighting Di Ting: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5273225109971451/
A super-cute amazing fan video animation of Yu Shi digging a napping place for Dao Ma, only to find- : https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5273478128992617
In Cantonese, Donnie Yen congratulates Yuen Woo-ping and Wu Jing, and majorly regrets not being able to be part of "Blades Of The Guardians" (when asked about the movie on 4 March before the opening of the 14th CPPCC National Committee session in Beijing): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/skVXJBQb5_E
Ayuya's popularity as a character on social media during the Lunar New Year box office period is stellar. At one point, Chen Lijun (as Ayuya) did not have confidence, and Wu Jing was the one who gave her courage. "I know you can do it, because traditional chinese opera artists have toiled and endured hardships. We have all endured hardships, so I know you can do it." - https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5273248847367151
What did young actors and actresses have to go through for action training, before going to Xinjiang to film the action scenes? https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5270541419156891
Dang Shanpeng and Ku Huen-chiu are martial arts advisors for "Blades Of The Guardians", who are also responsible for fight choreography. Wu Jing taught some of the younger actors and actresses how to fall safely, such as Chen Lijun. Many exercises were necessary to build stamina, balance and speed including short sprints, cartwheels, pushups, etc
Jing Ci (as Peiwu Mi'er) joined 10 months in advance for all necessary training, including learning how to wield double scimitars. Xiong Jinyi (as A-Ni) learned traditional opera from the age of 10 and has 16 years of opera experience focusing on Huai Opera, joining Wu Jing's "Yingwutang" initiative to train martial arts actors and actresses. Her training performance has earned her praise from Kara Wai as a successor for action scenes. Biky Liang Bi Ying as Kui Zhi had to learn close-quarters hand-to-hand combat and be as aggressively swift and deadly as an assassin, given she wields retractable claws.
After all that training and in the desert, everyone finds a place to nap where they can. Here is A-Ni and Zhishilang: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5273448172489033
Professional film critic Sean Barry agrees with me, only he expresses it differently. He's an Asian cinema fan, versed in J-ent and C-Ent and he is a fan of Kurosawa Akira. I have just shared less than 50% of his review on the movie page: https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25304610
Kurosawa Akira adapted three Shakespeare plays (Macbeth became 1957's "Throne of Blood" in feudal Japan, Hamlet became crime noir known in 1960 as "The Bad Sleep Well") whereby the most famous of the three adaptations is samurai epic "Ran" from King Lear. He didn't just make a Samurai film. He's a very-strong proponent of the arts.
Similarly, neo-Western crime thriller "No Country For Old Men"- Shakespeare must be read and also watched on stage. Witness Napoleon's letters. Plato is basic necessary reading. Caesar's accounts of his campaigns really help with those zingers. I'm sure the Coen brothers know all this, not to mention having a wide reading background including Rudyard Kipling.
Fans with such backgrounds strengthened with media knowledge will usually produce the kinds of reviews that is a joy for fellow fans of the same background. Just like my review for WoF, I had to reduce the length of this review by half due to wordcount limit.
And as fans go, at least I am aware of several different fighting styles which Jet Li has mastered (examples include 戳腳, 翻子拳 and 螳螂拳) so I could identify certain details that Jet Li and Wu Jing wanted to share with the audience (as a tribute to martial arts movies of the past), such as from "Fist Of Legend": https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25233458
What are you reading and/or watching now? Renegade Immortal is good and you should continue watching it. For a donghua, the budget would be insane and impossible to make it a live-action drama, so RI should just stay as a donghua. The romance in RI would be considered a minor portion compared to the majority of what is officially released, and this doesn't change.
Oh, I just made an update: BoTG grossed more than 1.2 billion RMB as of yesterday evening, and another seasoned American film critic has also shared a new glowing review: https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25304610
There are organised hate campaigns which can affect multiple platforms in China. Douban by itself isn't a sole reliable indicator because it can be spammed in multiple waves by bots for 2-star and 1-star reviews insulting the looks of actor or actresses, and writing general nonsense. "Vendetta Of An" is a victim of such tactics, just like "Whispers of Fate".
xhs can encapsulate everything, including spam and such campaigns, so don't get too hung up on weibo or xhs.
As for WoF, I and others encountered a vicious troll using multiple sockpuppet accounts on the MDL drama page. That one is a fake feminist who tried to bully fans of other female characters in WoF off the page, attacked BL fans minding their own business, and also pretended to be a Luo Yunxi fan while trying to tear down the drama. All this backfired badly because word got out domestically and internationally about a multiple-faced parasite being a wolf in sheep's clothing amongst lsfs, wanting to piggyback their 7th-billed actress onto Luo Yunxi's success. That troll had been going on about the one female character in WoF that a majority of viewers can't be bothered with, hyping a non-existent romance with Tang Lici.
I'm happy for promoting unity for success, but I refuse to put up with bullies. And it turns out, so do a lot of other people with the same views domestically and internationally.
This movie has now entered the top 100 films of China's box office, overtaking Avatar 3.
As I predicted on 23 January 6 weeks ago, reaching 1.2 billion RMB for "Blades Of The Guardians" will not be an issue :D
I am sure many people would not have the same beliefs as me 6 weeks ago, given China's box office history where a majority of wuxia films for the past 5 years post-Covid do not gross more than 100 million RMB.
Grossing 1.5 billion RMB for this movie to enable a sequel is definitely doable.
Our lovely Kara Wai (all Shaw Brothers martial arts fans will be happy) is featured on the poster for this milestone, used in the official announcement from Maoyan Professional Edition: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5273221108597150
Rotten Tomatoes has this movie rated at 96% for Tomatometer and Popcornmeter. This is a very high achievement for any movie, where professional critics and normal viewers are hugely united.
Professional film critic Sean Barry (fan of arthouse aficionado Wong Kar-wai and the legendary Kurosawa Akira) has watched lots of wuxia films and is a fan of Asian cinema, for as long as he can remember. An excerpt of his latest review for "Bushido" directed by Shiraishi Kazuya has been featured in the official trailer and promotional material for the movie, which airs in US theatres on March 13: https://x.com/cinemaofjapan/status/2026357818874540436
In my MDL review that came out before Sean Barry's official review published on 2 March (whereby I mentioned "Blades Of The Guardians" will be greatly appreciated by fans of director Kurosawa Akira and certain other directors), Sean Barry shares his enthusiastic opinion at "Asian Movie Pulse" in a lengthy glowing review, where he has 146 articles to his name: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2026/03/blades-of-the-guardians/
[ .... Both were drawn to the source material’s core themes while determined to deliver a blockbuster that would revitalize contemporary martial arts cinema. This included the cast undergoing intensive, systematic closed training for the action scenes, as well as filming in Xinjiang and Beijing.
The story is set during the late Sui dynasty, a turbulent period marked by widespread civil unrest and extreme political corruption under the oppressive reign of Emperor Yang Guang...
....To the film’s credit, the opening, set to foreboding narration, does a good job of conveying the basic gist of the kind of story that’s about to unravel. So this does ensure those less versed in the era can follow the broader stakes.
Though it follows a fairly straightforward narrative, “Blades of the Guardians” has much to offer, as it’s massive in scope and evokes a grand return to a long-lost era of wuxia cinema that feels all too rare nowadays. Yet its modernization of age-old fiction goes beyond simply invoking nostalgia as a primary selling point. Much like other genre-defining essentials, such as “A Touch of Zen” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” Yuen employs wuxia for more than just breathtaking cinematic spectacle; it serves as a physical language of visual storytelling, using movement and choreography to underscore the emotional gravity of the characters...
... Despite the wide array of characters in the film, each has a distinct personality and layered motivations that make them memorable in their own right and enhance the experience, especially once the escort mission commences...
... Tai Lee-Chan, Chao-Bin Su, Yu Baimei, and Larry Yang’s screenplay for “Blades of the Guardians” carries a strikingly mature thematic core, particularly rebellion against authoritarian oppression, a bold and timely focus given China’s current sociopolitical climate and media censorship constraints. Moreover, its story offers a nuanced exploration of duty, found family, self-sacrifice, redemption, and the lasting cost of violence, all seamlessly interwoven with moral complexity and emotional depth. With that, it champions honor as an individual responsibility, that righteousness resides in one’s humanity, while duty and loyalty can sometimes carry inherent costs.
The film is greatly elevated by a superb ensemble cast that brings depth to their roles and creates a dynamic onscreen interplay...
... “Blades of the Guardians” marks a triumphant return for Yuen Woo-ping while marvelously revitalizing wuxia for contemporary audiences. The story may be a lot to digest, but the characters and overarching themes keep the experience emotionally engaging. With that, the spectacular fight choreography is equally pivotal in driving the narrative forward. ]
Yuen Woo-ping was informed about the story of a fan who drove 100 km to watch the movie. That said, if there is no cinema within reachable distance, then I don't know how you're going to watch it.
I've shared trivia and other details about the movie, plus various actors and actresses of the cast in my earlier comments. You may find them useful and/or fun. One of the fights I shared was a post from the official weibo account for "Blades Of The Guardians" but if you cannot open weibo, here's the fight between Yu Shi and Wu Jing at the Dark Ox Flats in the movie: https://x.com/YoshYuShi/status/2028157759209013327
I understand many people can use x.com. I've encountered different users who cannot access tiktok or weibo or other sites depending on where they are from, so I hope this helps.
I've also written a review here, after watching this twice on IMAX :)
Xu Xianzhe the manhua artist was inspired by Tony Leung Ka-Fai, when it came to Dao Ma. The first wuxia film he watched was by Yuen Woo-ping, so Yuen Woo-ping producing his manhua as a movie is a dream come true for him.
Passion on social media from different viewers and fans of this movie feeling so many different emotions is amazing. I am humbled. I seriously thought Yu Shi was going to cry at one point in his weibo post, upon grossing more than 1 billion RMB. He knows he is part of something very special. And he knows what's waiting. I am so happy for him :D
I forgot to mention that on 27 February having grossed more than 1 billion RMB at a blistering pace to surpass all wuxia films in China's box office history, "Blades Of The Guardians" notched another three records to reach a total of 13 records as a wuxia film in the box office!
https://finance.sina.com.cn/wm/2026-02-28/doc-inhpkhwm6288957.shtml
I have detailed and summarised the first thirteen days of increasing success in specific comments, for those of you cheering on this movie + your favourite actors/actresses while curious about how China's box office works:
First 7 days (ie 17 to 23 February): https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25208004
https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25211958
Days 8 and 9 (ie 24 and 25 February): https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25225916
Days 10 and 11 (ie 26 and 27 February): https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25245918
Days 12 and 13 ( ie 28 February and 1 March): https://kisskh.at/767811-blades-of-the-guardians#comment-25263462
~*~*~*~*~
"Blades Of The Guardians" is rich in trivia and BTS!
Li Yunxiao doing her own ADR as Yanzi-niang: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5271978688905376
What does it take make-up-wise, to become Zhishilang: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5271947944657345
Get someone who looks at you the way a certain General looks at Zhishilang <333 : https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5271726550155777
How do you get close-up camera shots of various characters on horseback, such as Xiao Qi and Dao Ma? https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5271711588291777
And how do you generate that chemistry while fighting, such as between Nicholas Tse and Wu Jing? https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5271356753320231
Certain martial arts movies of the 1970s and 80s would show the entire fighting sequence, but I think some of the modern audience may not appreciate that (which I can see in the likes of "Fist of Legend" (1994) plus 1980s Shaolin movies).
I wrote a review for "Blades Of The Guardians" here: https://kisskh.at/profile/Xiang83/review/545026
Liu Yaowen's a happy guy. Like Sean Sun Yizhou, he is in two movies this Lunar New Year, and both movies are doing well! Liu Yaowen is in 'Scare Out" and "Blades of The Guardians", while Sean Sun Yizhou is in "Blades of The Guardians" and "Pegasus 3". Anybody who's a fan of C-Ent and wants cinemas to survive definitely wants the box office to do well during periods of peak earnings. I'm happy to encourage viewers to go to the cinemas to watch what they like, the more the merrier. I believe fans who share their enthusiasm and encouragement of what we like on different MDL pages also help in this.
As of today Sunday 3 March at 3:13 pm Beijing-time on Day 13 since its premiere, "Blades of The Guardians" grossed 1.1 billion RMB! :D
Zhang Jin is looking good on the commemorative poster with my favourite move of his from the movie: https://finance.sina.com.cn/jjxw/2026-03-01/doc-inhpnmvq9067901.shtml
The first volume of the manhua published in English launches on Tuesday 3 March. Latest overseas reviews from fellow fans of martial arts films that I've seen on social media and official professional sites should further make the cast and crew of "Blades Of The Guardians" very happy :)
Instead of following the manhwa and the donghua (which I know you watched), they removed the kiss scene where Ayuya kissed Dao Ma. Instead she gives him a specific piece of jewelry. She looks for A-Ni and tells her they will be sisters in their next lives, before tearing herself away from the group to go and kill Heyi Xuan. A-Ni goes after her. This change was excellent.
Ayuya is our hot-headed spoilt heiress to the leadership of her clan, who undergoes the changes which would make her a compelling future Queen of the Desert and hence leader of the Tokharian mercenaries A Luo Han shows the most respect for (out of all the leaders of the five clans he has interacted with), as he bids farewell. On top of that, she isn't making her decisions of the present or future based on a man. Ayuya, A-Ni and Yanzi-niang are strong females with their own agencies, and the sisterhood highlighted in this movie is unusual for a wuxia film. The storytelling revealing Yanzi-niang's character and traits is also very intelligent, as with Heyi Xuan.
But it is going to be difficult to easily see this, if someone is relying on subtitles plus insufficient understanding of the world of wuxia (by that, I refer to Jin Yong's novels or at least 30 years of martial arts films).
Once I understood Di Ting's background, I could instantly see the encompassing tragedy that underscores his history and previous sacrifice for Dao Ma because of brotherhood... Plus the polar opposites of their goals due to honour and obligations whereby Di Ting and Dao ma are fundamentally similar, and this similarity in values defines their inability to reconcile due to circumstances and can only end in one way. Brotherhood once united them as friends with bonds as strong as brothers, and Brotherhood will irreversibly tear them apart.
Brotherhood. Sacrifice. Chivalry ie 侠义 are all fairly strong here, as Yuen Woo-ping says but didn't explain, because he's making a movie as a bridge to wuxia of the past and present and for the future, his target audience being mandarin-speakers of all generations. Yuen Woo-ping is also enabling each character to tell their story through the fights they engage in and the styles they demonstrate. At least 95 minutes of action in a movie of 126 minutes is not about whacking, killing and maiming.
It was interesting for me to see how Yu Shi as Shu's swordplay transforms akin to an evolution throughout the movie, to match Shu's change in values. This is something Yuen Woo-ping also intended, from what I see.
Yes, he is laughing. But his laughter is not the laughter of someone who completely rejoices in her pain. Reluctance and regret is present.
Heyi Xuan murdered his own father to take the position of clan leader. He also felt pain at losing a father, even if he is cunning and evil enough to ensure the sons of the patriarchs of the other three clans were killed.
I believe he knew to an extent the measure of pain Ayuya was suffering, plus he also mourned for himself and for her knowing the pain of losing a father. At the same time, he finally realised the extent of miscalculation and consequences of burning a bridge of no return with Ayuya, for killing Lao Mo. Lao Mo walked through the desert barefoot to return to the Mo clan's village to honour age-old traditions he believed as necessary, for breaking the engagement between Ayuya and Heyi Xuan. Blood debts must be paid with blood as per age-old traditions, and Ayuya insists on honouring that tradition as necessary.
When Heyi Xuan attempted to strangle Ayuya to death after she kept rejecting him and wanting to kill him, he was openly crying and exclaimed her name once with such a strong mixture of emotions to reveal incredible anguish. He was in utmost agony at the thought of having to kill her whom he deemed the light in his life, he also realises he gave up everything else and lost everything just to have her... But in doing so, had only lost her forever. And he doesn't want to share her with anyone else, so she has to die. On top of that, he knows Dao Ma is determined to kill him to avenge Lao Mo.
Like Li Yunxiao as Yanzi-niang, Ci Sha ensured every scene he appeared in has been imbued with multiple layers and meanings. Heyi Xuan was charming, attractive, buffoonish, cowardly, vicious, pathetic, and pitiful. Ci Sha outdid himself in this movie, moreso than "The Shadow's Edge" where he first captured my attention.
I'm impressed with many of the younger cast members, but that's for other posts :D
I made a quick summative update above!
Wu Jing ploughed in at least 100 million RMB out of his own pocket to ensure this movie would be finished, in order to repay his benefactor Yuen Woo-ping. Wu Jing was prepared to lose money to make this film happen. He also cut down his screen time to be given to younger actors and actresses, he trained with the team for six months and put everything else to one side- This movie would never have happened without Yuen Woo-ping insisting on choosing Wu Jing to be the main key man. When they invited actors and actresses to join this movie, everyone came. Everyone is determined to run this marathon at the box office together.
"Blades Of The Guardians" is the only movie of the Lunar New Year box office to reverse a "decline", while defying and surpassing expectations. Pegasus 3 made a large chunk of their first day and subsequent day earnings with maximum screen schedules at prime-time slots every day, while also able to utilise a majority of IMAX screens. The first movie of Pegasus earned 1.7 + billion RMB. Pegasus 2 earned 3.4+ billion RMB. Since Pegasus 2 earned twice the amount compared to the first movie of Pegasus, Pegasus 3 has gigantic expectations on its shoulders and is expected to do significantly well (I would like "Pegasus 3" to exceed 4+ billion RMB). "Pegasus 3" also has a great cast, including actors such as Yin Zheng alongside well-known comedian Shen Teng.
Other movies such as "Scare Out" started losing screen availability, as theatres began to adjust to the market of demand. Starting out with a major handicap for several days in screen-timings plus film schedules and screen availability, what has been achieved for "Blades Of The Guardians" as a wuxia film is akin to a miracle.
Almost nobody would have thought this achievement possible, given the majority of wuxia films do not exceed grossing 100 million RMB at the box office. The previous wuxia film champion of China's box office is the 2025 Tsui Hark film reaching 689 million RMB after 89 days, which Blades of The Guardians exceeded within 6 days.
Much sharing and joy on social media! So happy for the cast and crew! They deserve all the accolades possible for putting in at least 200%, after more than 6 months of sweat and tears and teamwork PLUS also working through -10 degrees to 55 degrees in the desert for 185 days! 😃🥹😍💪🤜🤛
Of the viewers interested in watching this movie but have not yet done so, more than 50% are females. One tiny change from the manhwa for the movie has been beneficial to emphasise the sisterhood and independence of characters, such as Ayuya.
Celebrating grossing more than 1 billion RMB includes sharing by->
Sean Sun Yizhou (Zhishilang): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5270992146661544
Nicholas Tse Ting Fung (Di Ting): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5270991362064847
Yu Shi (Jade-Faced Ghost Shu): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5270971181434047
Ci Sha (Heyi Xuan): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5270995684559321
Lin Qiu Nan (Xiao Lai): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5271020353359159
Chen Lijun (Ayuya): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5270986440311633
Wen Junhui ie Jun (Yu Ji Niu Luo): https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5270987241164692
Here's the theme song for "Blades Of The Guardians" by Jackson Wang with mandarin, hanyu pinyin and English subs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf6F9GKX0pg
Ps. In the spoiler tag below, there's one scene in the movie which looks so simple, but it really touched me among many other moments of being touched. Why was Ci Sha laughing and yet tears fell down his cheeks?
The audience can see and feel how authentic everything is. Shooting on-site for 185 days, where temperatures fluctuate between -10 degrees to 55 degrees really puts everybody in the cast in the right moods for night or day scenes, while wearing three to five layers of clothing plus special shoes. Four special giant blowers were used to create the sandstorms, especially the suffocating feeling of being buffeted and almost losing control at times. Yuen Woo-ping and Wu Jing believe you wouldn't be able to reach the same level of authenticity in emoting if filming inside a studio and with green screens. I believe that too. And they are correct. All this is after 6 months of very-gruelling equestrian training, wirework training and action training. Jet Li has the advantage of starting at the age of 8.
Nicholas Tse is wielding actual double bamboo-section whips at a certain juncture, and the sounds you hear of weapons colliding is real when Wu Jing or him are fighting. Wu Jing switches between at least 7 types of weapons, while more than 30 types of weapons were utilised for this film. Yuen Woo-ping has an iron-clad rule when it comes to authenticity. His weapons aren't always assumed pseudo-props. Once you see how various actors and actresses are incredibly exhausted during action training and weapons training, in the BTS- Yuen Woo-ping's typical style.
Amazing to watch their final efforts on-screen in air-conditioned comfort.
Here's a video of more than 6 minutes about the equestrian training which numerous younger cast members went through (very illuminating):
https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5270178955793391
For this movie based on the manhua, a lot of horsing around meant needing solid equestrian skills to also handle potentially dangerous situations. Wu Jing and Yuen Woo-ping wanted special focus on equestrian training, since scenes are shot with no stand-ins. Wu Jing, Sean Sun Yizhou and Yu Shi clearly had fun riding their horses. Wang Yupo is the Equestrian Director, and soundly praised Yu Shi's equestrian skills for being excellent.
Liu Yaowen (as Pei Xingyan) is more apprehensive and found it more difficult, when it came to horses. He and Li Yunxiao both needed more coaching. At one point, Li Yunxiao (as Yanzi-niang) was wondering if it was sweat or tears on her face, as she practised horse-riding with a face covering. At times when she could not grasp the necessary, she felt very anxious.
During equestrian training, Chen Lijun also received encouragement from Wu Jing. Even little Charles Ju (as Xiao Qi) also learned to ride a horse with a certain degree of familiarity. Sean Sun Yizhou had previously ridden a horse but this time, he had to figure out how to do it wearing a mask and seeing with that mask. All lines recited by actors and actresses on horseback was a new experience for many of the cast.
Wen Junhui (as Yu Ji Niu Luo) found it challenging, having to ride a horse eventually without using any hands for the reins. Win Win (as Da Lai) had a sense of achievement in being able to reach the ease of riding a horse single-handed and also without using any hands for the reins.
After that, training progressed to using a bow and arrows on horseback with a galloping horse. Bai Narisu (as A Luo Han) can shoot arrows with his left hand but for this film, he found himself learning to be able to shoot arrows with any hand, and it was awesome.
Xiong Jinyi (as A-Ni) had one additional difficult challenge: Learning to drive a carriage and control a group of horses. But as group practise continued, everyone became comfortable and confident on horseback, whether the horses were cantering or galloping. They managed to maintain the same pace on horses as a group in order to accommodate certain shots.
While the equestrian training was already quite challenging and exhausting, action training and wire training was another level of WOW (as seen in released BTS clips).
For me, I prefer early 1990s or older movies where Jet Li's best primary fighting styles were utilised against fellow martial arts actors. "Fist Of Legend" in 1994 had Jet Li fighting Chin Siu-ho to showcase 单手撑地后旋踢 alongside 戳腳 (Chuojiao) and his primary style of 翻子拳 (Fanzi quan): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JypP_UY0VgM
1986 "Martial Arts of Shaolin" is a classic by Lau Kar-leung, where Jet Li, Yu Cheng-hui and Yu Hai showcase different fighting styles. Jet Li is a master of 螳螂拳 (Northern Praying Mantis) and 八卦掌 (Baguazhang) which is shown in this segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5zNsbTQtis
These are examples of Jet Li's moves revealing his background as a wushu prodigy due to having mastered so many styles that are woefully under-utilised in Western productions, also because different directors have their own ideas of what works and they may not be sufficiently familiar with his amazing martial arts background.