Your overall approach sounds like you want a reply, so you got engagement. It's fundamentally dishonest to edit your initial comment after seeing my reply, so that you can shift goalposts to try to misrepresent my stance which responded to what you said initially. You have continued the behaviour of one specific MDL user on this page towards me, despite your other claims.
I've been clearly civil about how I disagree with you in my reply to your comment, and I was kind enough not to use spoilers there.
You had posted a comment clearly targeting the screenwriters by then using the rest of your post to give the impression they don't seem to know what they are doing. When you do this as part of your overall approach, you will get an answer from people who read the novel.
Since you want to argue now using multiple comments using spoilers also after editing your initial comment, here's my follow-up final answer to you about your non-edited sections of your comment, which I now quote:
You said: [ They clearly invented a lot of things and did not fully realize what they were doing with AS. ] + [I truly believe this is something the writers accidentally overlooked ] ->
1) You made your post focusing primarily on harping about the screenwriters overlooking things and inventing things and not knowing what they did with A-Shui. I have pointed out why you are wrong, because to do so requires knowing what is in the novel. Kindly stop shifting the goalposts to claim that the novel shouldn't be referenced. It's a bad habit. Basic failure in debating etiquette.
2) You focus on episode 35. I am referring to A-Shui in the entire drama, including episode 40. You seem to be stuck on episode 35.
I invited you to post in the Buddhism thread. Your reply includes a claim that you don't post in the forum.
You now want to play the victim card, after all your actions I have summarised here. I answered your comment as you framed it initially, and not after you resorted to editing upon seeing my answer.
Your behaviour reminds me of one account that thanked me for my summaries and then tried to convince a new user to this page that I didn't know what I was talking about, by shifting goalposts and also misrepresenting what I said while dodging my questions. This was more than three months ago. I don't like this trend of dishonesty.
None of your replies to me are in good faith, in light of your behaviour to try to mislead other people reading all this. I want people to know what I'm replying to, so no more time is wasted.
There are only two approaches for A-Shui in this drama, whereby the first approach is what was finalised for the drama at a certain point because of Gui Mudan's presence and the location and the lead-up to it. The second approach is where accountability should be the second option, as an alternate deviation from script. If A-Shui is an adult who understands accountability, confess directly to Tang Lici and be accountable for her actions towards him when he didn't know what enabled her to somehow do certain things that seemed impossible and naturally made him very suspicious for self-preservation. Anyone in his shoes would be suspicious.
But there you are with your comment under spoiler tag, jabbing at Tang Lici for his natural self-preservation instincts and the fact that his mother is his primary female influence for episode 40.
I'm glad A-Shui remembered her name and had a happy ending with the man she most needed and wanted. Her moon that brought her back to herself, her white light. She's done enough, because she was never supposed to be part of all this. Just like the novel, she's been pulled into circumstances where she is way out of her depth, she tried to cope, but unlike the novel, she gets happiness with love and joyfully radiates it in episode 40. Emotional well-being and a happy life with family is great for A-Shui.
You want A-Shui to die for someone else to be worthy as per your claims, but your reasoning doesn't add up. Tang Lici has made it clear he doesn't want anyone to die for him, which is why he also keeps taking the biggest risks and protecting people such as Xiao Shi and Zhong Chunji and Shen Langhun and Chi Yun. He also saved A-Shui at least once. How can you claim to watch this drama and not realise this?
When someone sacrifices their life, it will make people who care for them very sad to know what happened. You don't have to die to be worthy of someone. We don't speak of life and death easily, especially from those of us who understand what that feels like. That is why we cherish people and want them to understand how to cherish life and protect what they love, hence any inevitable sacrifices also respects the value of life plus how and why people are important to each other.
Found family is a theme in wuxia. Accountability is wonderful, regardless of culture and country. You should look that up.
[ I only care for the stories that is being told and the characters in the drama. ] - > Great. Honesty and humility is the best policy for learning, and that includes learning to start caring about a need to stop gaslighting people. It's terrible online behaviour.
[ I don't write in the forum, cause again I don't want to. ] -> Then why make a standalone forum post in the forum, and then edit it after I replied to you in a comment? Tsk. Given massive gaslighting towards me in your four comments plus all that transpired before that, I suddenly recall, "Full of sound and fury signifying nothing" - Macbeth by Shakespeare
Thank you for the show-and-tell that tells me everything I needed to know about your account :)
Dear 5-March-2026-created account whose profile is still completely empty today, which episodes have you finished…
Likely stuck on episode 22, from the looks of it. They refuse to accept drama-A-Shui getting the man she most needed and wanted to be with, in episode 40.
Why is someone not happy over A-Shui sharing joy and love with the man she needs the most? This is absurd. Teng Ping didn't give that to A-Shui in the novel. The screenwriters added a lovely twist to give drama A-Shui the best happiness possible, as per A-Shui's expressions and joy in episode 40. Can't fault the screenwriters for taking a cue from Teng Ping with no CP.
Dear 5-March-2026-created account whose profile is still completely empty today, which episodes have you finished…
I don't see Zhong Chunji fans gloating that Zhong Chunji is more beautiful than A-Shui in the drama, just like the novel. I don't see Zhong Chunji fans complaining that Tang Lici did not choose to kiss Zhong Chunji in the drama, which was in the novel.
I have accepted that I won't get Xifang Tao's backstory, Shen Langhun won't have more screentime despite the most wonderful thought-provoking dialogues with Tang Lici, Shao Yanping with Zhong Chunji is something I also wanted more of, and finding out Xue Xianzi's backstory with Tang Lici. Episode limitation was not yet lifted, when the drama aired.
It's absurd to constantly have Tang Lici dragged down only because some people cannot accept that drama-Tang Lici matches novel-Tang Lici in certain aspects, so I'm finally being blunt about the screenwriters following the novel in this aspect of no CP. Teng Ping wasn't going in that direction either (regardless of the novel being abandoned and paused, or the novel being finished), so is Teng Ping going to be insulted next?
A-Shui winds up with the man she needs and wants the most, and they are happy spending time with each other doing normal things while sharing joy and love. It just isn't Tang Lici. Why is this so hard to accept, if one truly wants the best for A-Shui?
DistantDream's comment oddly reminds me of Hunter2022's forum post containing an absurd claim about Renegade Immortal being similar to Whispers of Fate. That account sounds like they watched the donghua through clips, so of course they can't get it right about Renegade Immortal while carrying this odd fixation on A-Shui and Tang Lici:
Absolutely - there are laws in place and that official should be punished severely. As an individual he deserves…
[ My biggest focus though is "what is defined as crime". That is what ideally needs to change.] - What's your definition?
I'm not going to jump down your throat. I'm genuinely curious. Well, if you prefer to take this by DM, I'd understand. I'm not sure if we are still on-topic or off-topic XD
If a certain amount of jail time is combined with a financial penalty, then I agree a celebrity should not be cancelled Fan Bingbing-style. Is that better?
Absolutely - there are laws in place and that official should be punished severely. As an individual he deserves…
[ We all despise tax evaders who use loopholes to cheat the system and spit in the face of a majority of their fellow citizens who will never see such wealth in an entire lifetime but pay taxes fairly, especially if tax evaders are ultra-high-income earners such as celebrities or politicians. ] - I think we actually agree on most of this, only it's the difference in phrasing XD
I am aware of legal loopholes, due to what has been in law for ages or altered by lawmakers to benefit a privileged tier.
Using some of the legal loopholes is not evading tax. However, it is a protection of corruption. Yes, that needs to change. On the finer details of what should be altered, you and I might disagree on what the changes should be, such as inheritance tax and the details.
On the other hand, misusing the loopholes eg one-person agencies in order to pay lower corporate tax instead of higher personal income tax is classified as tax evasion to me.
I feel sorry for Fan Bingbing. But she should have known better, because she had a choice despite knowing the consequences. We're talking someone who has been made massively rich by many of her fellow citizens, and earned beyond 95% of fellow citizens which means she could have retired, and all she needed to do was pay taxes fairly. Since she has made her bed, she can sleep in it... which means she'll have to continue her career elsewhere. And she deserves it, in my opinion.
Heart says one thing, mind says another thing. In her case, my mind won. In Cha Eun Woo's case, I have no sympathy for him unless he's got hard proof that he knew absolutely nothing about all this.
And given human nature, sufficient deterrence is necessary. Those in the limelight should appreciate how they got there, when their hard work is duly rewarded. I'm a little less kind on this subject, because there are too many instances of celebrities from various countries doing so. I would prefer what I consider to be adequate deterrence.
But I can see where you're coming from, and I can agree that I would moderate my view depending on the amount of tax that was evaded. You have an understandably kinder view on this (possibly not very much kinder, depending on your definitions of a premium).
So he was found guilty because he was audited? People get audited it doesn't necessarily mean tax evasion SMH!!!
He's not legally guilty as a whole yet, except in the perspectives of a large segment of the Korean public. He simply has to choose the details of his response to Division 4's investigations and the whopping penalty from the Tax Office. In yesterday's episode of the investigative program "Straight" by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, they focused on one-person agencies owned by celebrities and also went in-depth for Cha Eun Woo's case.
The corporation in which Cha Eun Woo bears a 100% ownership stake and earns income from has acquired a total of 5700 pyeong of land in July 2020 and February 2025 ( roughly the size of three football fields). The address of the company of said corporation is registered to the eel restaurant which Cha Eun Woo once promoted on social media, whereby he did not reveal the restaurant belonged to his parents. One of the purchases of land involved financing through a corporate loan.
I am now interested in seeing what Fantagio is going to file while ascertaining the claims of Cha Eun Woo and his mother about the one-person agency being a legitimate company and the types of entertainment activities they are legally obliged to engage in and must substantiate (so people won't mistake the company for a paper company to cheat on income tax), and how Sejong is going to handle this for Cha Eun Woo.
I also have no doubt right now that a significant number of South Koreans are angry again, only this time the numbers are definitely bigger.
Absolutely - there are laws in place and that official should be punished severely. As an individual he deserves…
I wouldn't say it's just Koreans. I'd say people with strong East Asian heritage living in East Asia or South-east Asia feel the same way. That applies to almost everybody I know. We all despise tax evaders who use loopholes to cheat the system and spit in the face of a majority of their fellow citizens who will never see such wealth in an entire lifetime but pay taxes fairly, especially if tax evaders are ultra-high-income earners such as celebrities or politicians.
Wishing jail time and a hefty penalty for such people is a minimum civil sentiment.
That is why China totally cancelling a celebrity for tax evasion seems fair to me. But others who don't see the problems shortchanging their system and fellow citizens due to their own cultural circumstances and thinking will feel differently.
That said, I have friends in other countries who are not East Asian, whereby they also despise tax evaders whom they consider to have committed a significant amount of cheating the system. This might also be due to a generational issue where geography and socio-economics is concerned, because my friends saw how hard their parents worked to provide what we have and follow the law... So yes, I'd say a judgement call about fairness based on maturity depends on what one is aware of and subjected to.
You keep repeating “just pay the taxes” as if that automatically proves guilt. That’s not how law works.Right…
Yesterday, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's investigative program "Straight" aired an episode pertaining to one-person agencies owned by celebrities, and went in-depth for Cha Eun Woo's case.
The corporation in which Cha Eun Woo bears a 100% ownership stake acquired a total of 5700 pyeong of land in July 2020 and February 2025 ( roughly the size of three football fields). The address of the company of said corporation is registered to the eel restaurant which Cha Eun Woo once promoted on social media, whereby he did not reveal the restaurant belonged to his parents. One of the purchases of land involved financing through a corporate loan.
It is still unclear how this corporation has engaged in specific entertainment management activities for Cha Eun Woo. More details in the article below:
[ The program also explained that operating a one-person agency itself is not illegal. However, if a company exists only on paper and does not conduct actual management activities, authorities may consider it a case of income tax evasion. ] -https://kbizoom.com/cha-eun-woo-one-person-agency-ganghwa-land-purchase/
I shared this with some MDL users. This is interesting and unsurprising, given Division 4 of the Seoul Regional Tax Office is unlikely to screw up or make major mistakes in their investigations. I am not about to insult the intelligence and capabilities of Division 4, whose reputation is not built on cards but results.
I've heard a lot of anger from certain quarters when Cha Eun Woo first made the news. Amongst those with East Asian heritage and background living in the regions of East Asia and Southeast Asia, tax evasion by celebrities is massively frowned upon. That's almost everybody I know, and we're not fond of tax evasion due to exploiting loopholes.
But I'm not unreasonable, so I reckon a certain minimum amount of jail time (at least 2 years, and no less) plus a financial penalty is adequate instead of cancelling a celebrity permanently. That's why no jail-time but being completely cancelled in China for massive tax evasion seems fair to some, and draconian to others.
Only among international fans without that specific background criteria does Cha Eun Woo get a totally-different treatment. It also explains why a lot of people don't feel like discussing such issues frankly on international sites.
Ps. Using an AI tool can still incorporate errors. If using an AI tool, make sure you know how to fact-check it. I've had to fact-check what two people produced (one of the tools they used was Chat GPT) so while it can help with giving a different angle and/or phrasing of perspectives, I'm wary of AI such as Chat GPT and strongly advise fact-checking whatever AI tool someone is using because when it gets to more-niche topics, AI will definitely incorporate errors.
Thank you for the ChatGPT demo above. It was interesting and disturbing.
Absolutely - there are laws in place and that official should be punished severely. As an individual he deserves…
What are your thoughts on yesterday's episode "Straight" by MBC about one-person-agencies owned by celebrities, specifically going into more details for Cha Eun Woo's case ie the purchase of 5700 pyeong of land on two occasions through the corporate entity which Cha Eun Woo has a 100% ownership stake and also received earnings through said corporation):
this seems like a cover up for something but i can't prove it...
Yesterday, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's investigative program "Straight" aired an episode pertaining to one-person agencies owned by celebrities, and went in-depth for Cha Eun Woo's case.
The corporation in which Cha Eun Woo bears a 100% ownership stake and earns income from has acquired a total of 5700 pyeong of land in July 2020 and February 2025 ( roughly the size of three football fields). The address of the company of said corporation is registered to the eel restaurant which Cha Eun Woo once promoted on social media, whereby he did not reveal the restaurant belonged to his parents. One of the purchases of land involved financing through a corporate loan.
It is still unclear how this corporation has engaged in specific entertainment management activities for Cha Eun Woo. More specific details in the article below:
[ The program also explained that operating a one-person agency itself is not illegal. However, if a company exists only on paper and does not conduct actual management activities, authorities may consider it a case of income tax evasion. ] -https://kbizoom.com/cha-eun-woo-one-person-agency-ganghwa-land-purchase/
I am now interested to see how Sejong will handle this for Cha Eun Woo.
About Ashui's story, and something people might have missed.I know the story is not centered on romance and does…
Dear 5-March-2026-created account whose profile is still completely empty today, which episodes have you finished watching from start to finish, without looking only at clips from episode 23 onwards?
A-Shui in the novel (when the novel was abandoned, and only resumed to be finished after said novel was adapted for the drama) could never match Tang Lici and be what Tang Lici needs. Be it drama or novel, Tang Lici has heavy responsibilities and choices to face. Novel-Tang Lici does not love A-Shui and instituted very specific boundaries between them plus conditions in place for A-Shui if she wanted more than what Tang Lici was willing to give her, up until the point of the novel being unfinished.
That is when the novel was adapted for the drama, and the screenwriters created a screenplay loosely adapting the material to become WoF. They clearly understood the source material because many secondary unnecessary plots were removed, while some characters were also altered and improved and got better outcomes in the drama, such as Xue Xianzi and Shao Yanping. Liu Yan's traits were retained relative to Tang Lici. Xifang Tao's character traits were also retained and improved upon, which is why Chen Yao could give such a prolific portrayal of a character deemed valuable to Gui Mudan. I enjoyed Chi Yun in the drama more than Chi Yun in the novel, yet I recognise the dearness of Chi Yun to Tang Lici in both novel and drama. The novel is fascinating and very different, but it's also a disappointment for CP lovers.
The drama is kinder to A-Shui than the novel, because A-Shui has a happy ending in episode 40. Drama A-Shui gets what she desires and needs most. The screenwriters were consistent on this for various characters. If you want to claim the screenwriters didn't know what to do with A-Shui and imply the screenwriters didn't sufficiently know the source material, you should at least read the novel because you are obviously wrong.
How do you ignore A-Shui's happiness and greatest need, if you watch full episodes (from start to finish of each episode) for the entire drama, or at least up until episode 35? Why is your comment giving me a strong sense of déjà vu akin to one comment being almost exactly along the same lines more than 3 months ago, after a certain episode aired?
Tang Lici's story, emotional wholeness and self-fulfilment while embodying true compassion (due to the greatest woman in his life being his mother) in line with Buddhism is much better in the drama than in the novel. He makes so many friends both male and female, experiences great brotherhood, has many other experiences and receives many different forms of love, all of which complete him and make him happy in this drama.
Teng Ping is very happy with drama-Tang Lici, and she is the author of "Enduring A Thousand Tribulations" which was very loosely adapted to become this drama. She wrote a poem after the first ten episodes aired, and then composed a character song lyric for Tang Lici because of Luo Yunxi when WoF finished airing.
I would never begrudge a son's love for his mother and Tang Lici's mother being his primary female inspiration for big decisions when she has a noble character, alongside Fang Zhou being his primary male inspiration.
Evaluating the drama while aware of the unfinished novel contents and the finished novel: The screenwriters were kind to A-Shui and Tang Lici and also kept certain themes and characteristics, such as no CP for Tang Lici. Hence no romance tags for this drama, with Tang Lici having chemistry with everyone just like the novel.
Tang Lici's character becomes more noble and vulnerable as the episodes continue, and it is great that he has so many friends and allies. How about you share what you think of the strong wuxia themes in this drama, which cements Tang Lici's relationships with multiple people?
If Li Yitong had initially accepted the role of A-Shui given her standing as an actress in China, there would have been a good chance for drama-A-Shui to be different and what you want for a romance drama, including an outcome where CPs are concerned. How about you try TTEOM, where Luo Yunxi romances Bai Lu?
I look forward to your digressions on Zhong Chunji and Tang Lici's mother in the drama :D Perhaps you can also explain their influences on Tang Lici. He clearly keeps them in his heart.
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. ]
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I clearly state the context and behaviour that you have chosen to use so anyone who reads this knows what you chose to do, before replying to me:
1)You made a comment on this drama page, with no response from anyone for more than two days.
2) You then feel so strongly about A-Shui's role in this drama that you decided she also merited a forum post. You had not yet edited the forum post.
3) I replied to your comment.
4) You felt so strongly about my civil reply that you also had to edit your comment after seeing my reply to you, before you posted 4 reply-comments.
5) You also edited your forum post which currently still has zero engagement: https://kisskh.at/discussions/755725-shui-long-yin/148628-a-shei-s-story-in-whispers-of-fate-more-important-than-it-first-appears
6) You only deserve one answer from me.
Your overall approach sounds like you want a reply, so you got engagement. It's fundamentally dishonest to edit your initial comment after seeing my reply, so that you can shift goalposts to try to misrepresent my stance which responded to what you said initially. You have continued the behaviour of one specific MDL user on this page towards me, despite your other claims.
I've been clearly civil about how I disagree with you in my reply to your comment, and I was kind enough not to use spoilers there.
You had posted a comment clearly targeting the screenwriters by then using the rest of your post to give the impression they don't seem to know what they are doing. When you do this as part of your overall approach, you will get an answer from people who read the novel.
Since you want to argue now using multiple comments using spoilers also after editing your initial comment, here's my follow-up final answer to you about your non-edited sections of your comment, which I now quote:
You said: [ They clearly invented a lot of things and did not fully realize what they were doing with AS. ] + [I truly believe this is something the writers accidentally overlooked ] ->
1) You made your post focusing primarily on harping about the screenwriters overlooking things and inventing things and not knowing what they did with A-Shui. I have pointed out why you are wrong, because to do so requires knowing what is in the novel. Kindly stop shifting the goalposts to claim that the novel shouldn't be referenced. It's a bad habit. Basic failure in debating etiquette.
2) You focus on episode 35. I am referring to A-Shui in the entire drama, including episode 40. You seem to be stuck on episode 35.
I invited you to post in the Buddhism thread. Your reply includes a claim that you don't post in the forum.
You now want to play the victim card, after all your actions I have summarised here. I answered your comment as you framed it initially, and not after you resorted to editing upon seeing my answer.
Your behaviour reminds me of one account that thanked me for my summaries and then tried to convince a new user to this page that I didn't know what I was talking about, by shifting goalposts and also misrepresenting what I said while dodging my questions. This was more than three months ago. I don't like this trend of dishonesty.
None of your replies to me are in good faith, in light of your behaviour to try to mislead other people reading all this. I want people to know what I'm replying to, so no more time is wasted.
There are only two approaches for A-Shui in this drama, whereby the first approach is what was finalised for the drama at a certain point because of Gui Mudan's presence and the location and the lead-up to it. The second approach is where accountability should be the second option, as an alternate deviation from script. If A-Shui is an adult who understands accountability, confess directly to Tang Lici and be accountable for her actions towards him when he didn't know what enabled her to somehow do certain things that seemed impossible and naturally made him very suspicious for self-preservation. Anyone in his shoes would be suspicious.
But there you are with your comment under spoiler tag, jabbing at Tang Lici for his natural self-preservation instincts and the fact that his mother is his primary female influence for episode 40.
I'm glad A-Shui remembered her name and had a happy ending with the man she most needed and wanted. Her moon that brought her back to herself, her white light. She's done enough, because she was never supposed to be part of all this. Just like the novel, she's been pulled into circumstances where she is way out of her depth, she tried to cope, but unlike the novel, she gets happiness with love and joyfully radiates it in episode 40. Emotional well-being and a happy life with family is great for A-Shui.
You want A-Shui to die for someone else to be worthy as per your claims, but your reasoning doesn't add up. Tang Lici has made it clear he doesn't want anyone to die for him, which is why he also keeps taking the biggest risks and protecting people such as Xiao Shi and Zhong Chunji and Shen Langhun and Chi Yun. He also saved A-Shui at least once. How can you claim to watch this drama and not realise this?
When someone sacrifices their life, it will make people who care for them very sad to know what happened. You don't have to die to be worthy of someone. We don't speak of life and death easily, especially from those of us who understand what that feels like. That is why we cherish people and want them to understand how to cherish life and protect what they love, hence any inevitable sacrifices also respects the value of life plus how and why people are important to each other.
Found family is a theme in wuxia. Accountability is wonderful, regardless of culture and country. You should look that up.
[ I only care for the stories that is being told and the characters in the drama. ] - > Great. Honesty and humility is the best policy for learning, and that includes learning to start caring about a need to stop gaslighting people. It's terrible online behaviour.
[ I don't write in the forum, cause again I don't want to. ] -> Then why make a standalone forum post in the forum, and then edit it after I replied to you in a comment? Tsk. Given massive gaslighting towards me in your four comments plus all that transpired before that, I suddenly recall, "Full of sound and fury signifying nothing" - Macbeth by Shakespeare
Thank you for the show-and-tell that tells me everything I needed to know about your account :)
Why is someone not happy over A-Shui sharing joy and love with the man she needs the most? This is absurd. Teng Ping didn't give that to A-Shui in the novel. The screenwriters added a lovely twist to give drama A-Shui the best happiness possible, as per A-Shui's expressions and joy in episode 40. Can't fault the screenwriters for taking a cue from Teng Ping with no CP.
https://news.mydramalist.com/article/cha-eun-woo-lee-sun-kyun-korea-taxpayers-federation-files-complaint-over-alleged-tax-audit-leak#comment-25345968
And you're right not to like chatgpt in a conversation. You've been super-patient. Have a good week ahead!
I have accepted that I won't get Xifang Tao's backstory, Shen Langhun won't have more screentime despite the most wonderful thought-provoking dialogues with Tang Lici, Shao Yanping with Zhong Chunji is something I also wanted more of, and finding out Xue Xianzi's backstory with Tang Lici. Episode limitation was not yet lifted, when the drama aired.
It's absurd to constantly have Tang Lici dragged down only because some people cannot accept that drama-Tang Lici matches novel-Tang Lici in certain aspects, so I'm finally being blunt about the screenwriters following the novel in this aspect of no CP. Teng Ping wasn't going in that direction either (regardless of the novel being abandoned and paused, or the novel being finished), so is Teng Ping going to be insulted next?
A-Shui winds up with the man she needs and wants the most, and they are happy spending time with each other doing normal things while sharing joy and love. It just isn't Tang Lici. Why is this so hard to accept, if one truly wants the best for A-Shui?
DistantDream's comment oddly reminds me of Hunter2022's forum post containing an absurd claim about Renegade Immortal being similar to Whispers of Fate. That account sounds like they watched the donghua through clips, so of course they can't get it right about Renegade Immortal while carrying this odd fixation on A-Shui and Tang Lici:
https://kisskh.at/discussions/755725-shui-long-yin/146464-whispers-of-fate-is-too-similar-to-renegade-immortal
I'm not going to jump down your throat. I'm genuinely curious. Well, if you prefer to take this by DM, I'd understand. I'm not sure if we are still on-topic or off-topic XD
If a certain amount of jail time is combined with a financial penalty, then I agree a celebrity should not be cancelled Fan Bingbing-style. Is that better?
I am aware of legal loopholes, due to what has been in law for ages or altered by lawmakers to benefit a privileged tier.
Using some of the legal loopholes is not evading tax. However, it is a protection of corruption. Yes, that needs to change. On the finer details of what should be altered, you and I might disagree on what the changes should be, such as inheritance tax and the details.
On the other hand, misusing the loopholes eg one-person agencies in order to pay lower corporate tax instead of higher personal income tax is classified as tax evasion to me.
I feel sorry for Fan Bingbing. But she should have known better, because she had a choice despite knowing the consequences. We're talking someone who has been made massively rich by many of her fellow citizens, and earned beyond 95% of fellow citizens which means she could have retired, and all she needed to do was pay taxes fairly. Since she has made her bed, she can sleep in it... which means she'll have to continue her career elsewhere. And she deserves it, in my opinion.
Heart says one thing, mind says another thing. In her case, my mind won. In Cha Eun Woo's case, I have no sympathy for him unless he's got hard proof that he knew absolutely nothing about all this.
And given human nature, sufficient deterrence is necessary. Those in the limelight should appreciate how they got there, when their hard work is duly rewarded. I'm a little less kind on this subject, because there are too many instances of celebrities from various countries doing so. I would prefer what I consider to be adequate deterrence.
But I can see where you're coming from, and I can agree that I would moderate my view depending on the amount of tax that was evaded. You have an understandably kinder view on this (possibly not very much kinder, depending on your definitions of a premium).
The corporation in which Cha Eun Woo bears a 100% ownership stake and earns income from has acquired a total of 5700 pyeong of land in July 2020 and February 2025 ( roughly the size of three football fields). The address of the company of said corporation is registered to the eel restaurant which Cha Eun Woo once promoted on social media, whereby he did not reveal the restaurant belonged to his parents. One of the purchases of land involved financing through a corporate loan.
I am now interested in seeing what Fantagio is going to file while ascertaining the claims of Cha Eun Woo and his mother about the one-person agency being a legitimate company and the types of entertainment activities they are legally obliged to engage in and must substantiate (so people won't mistake the company for a paper company to cheat on income tax), and how Sejong is going to handle this for Cha Eun Woo.
I also have no doubt right now that a significant number of South Koreans are angry again, only this time the numbers are definitely bigger.
You can see more specific details here: https://kbizoom.com/cha-eun-woo-one-person-agency-ganghwa-land-purchase/
Wishing jail time and a hefty penalty for such people is a minimum civil sentiment.
That is why China totally cancelling a celebrity for tax evasion seems fair to me. But others who don't see the problems shortchanging their system and fellow citizens due to their own cultural circumstances and thinking will feel differently.
That said, I have friends in other countries who are not East Asian, whereby they also despise tax evaders whom they consider to have committed a significant amount of cheating the system. This might also be due to a generational issue where geography and socio-economics is concerned, because my friends saw how hard their parents worked to provide what we have and follow the law... So yes, I'd say a judgement call about fairness based on maturity depends on what one is aware of and subjected to.
The corporation in which Cha Eun Woo bears a 100% ownership stake acquired a total of 5700 pyeong of land in July 2020 and February 2025 ( roughly the size of three football fields). The address of the company of said corporation is registered to the eel restaurant which Cha Eun Woo once promoted on social media, whereby he did not reveal the restaurant belonged to his parents. One of the purchases of land involved financing through a corporate loan.
It is still unclear how this corporation has engaged in specific entertainment management activities for Cha Eun Woo. More details in the article below:
[ The program also explained that operating a one-person agency itself is not illegal. However, if a company exists only on paper and does not conduct actual management activities, authorities may consider it a case of income tax evasion. ] -https://kbizoom.com/cha-eun-woo-one-person-agency-ganghwa-land-purchase/
I shared this with some MDL users. This is interesting and unsurprising, given Division 4 of the Seoul Regional Tax Office is unlikely to screw up or make major mistakes in their investigations. I am not about to insult the intelligence and capabilities of Division 4, whose reputation is not built on cards but results.
I've heard a lot of anger from certain quarters when Cha Eun Woo first made the news. Amongst those with East Asian heritage and background living in the regions of East Asia and Southeast Asia, tax evasion by celebrities is massively frowned upon. That's almost everybody I know, and we're not fond of tax evasion due to exploiting loopholes.
But I'm not unreasonable, so I reckon a certain minimum amount of jail time (at least 2 years, and no less) plus a financial penalty is adequate instead of cancelling a celebrity permanently. That's why no jail-time but being completely cancelled in China for massive tax evasion seems fair to some, and draconian to others.
Only among international fans without that specific background criteria does Cha Eun Woo get a totally-different treatment. It also explains why a lot of people don't feel like discussing such issues frankly on international sites.
Ps. Using an AI tool can still incorporate errors. If using an AI tool, make sure you know how to fact-check it. I've had to fact-check what two people produced (one of the tools they used was Chat GPT) so while it can help with giving a different angle and/or phrasing of perspectives, I'm wary of AI such as Chat GPT and strongly advise fact-checking whatever AI tool someone is using because when it gets to more-niche topics, AI will definitely incorporate errors.
Thank you for the ChatGPT demo above. It was interesting and disturbing.
https://news.mydramalist.com/article/cha-eun-woo-lee-sun-kyun-korea-taxpayers-federation-files-complaint-over-alleged-tax-audit-leak#comment-25345684
The corporation in which Cha Eun Woo bears a 100% ownership stake and earns income from has acquired a total of 5700 pyeong of land in July 2020 and February 2025 ( roughly the size of three football fields). The address of the company of said corporation is registered to the eel restaurant which Cha Eun Woo once promoted on social media, whereby he did not reveal the restaurant belonged to his parents. One of the purchases of land involved financing through a corporate loan.
It is still unclear how this corporation has engaged in specific entertainment management activities for Cha Eun Woo. More specific details in the article below:
[ The program also explained that operating a one-person agency itself is not illegal. However, if a company exists only on paper and does not conduct actual management activities, authorities may consider it a case of income tax evasion. ] -https://kbizoom.com/cha-eun-woo-one-person-agency-ganghwa-land-purchase/
I am now interested to see how Sejong will handle this for Cha Eun Woo.
A-Shui in the novel (when the novel was abandoned, and only resumed to be finished after said novel was adapted for the drama) could never match Tang Lici and be what Tang Lici needs. Be it drama or novel, Tang Lici has heavy responsibilities and choices to face. Novel-Tang Lici does not love A-Shui and instituted very specific boundaries between them plus conditions in place for A-Shui if she wanted more than what Tang Lici was willing to give her, up until the point of the novel being unfinished.
That is when the novel was adapted for the drama, and the screenwriters created a screenplay loosely adapting the material to become WoF. They clearly understood the source material because many secondary unnecessary plots were removed, while some characters were also altered and improved and got better outcomes in the drama, such as Xue Xianzi and Shao Yanping. Liu Yan's traits were retained relative to Tang Lici. Xifang Tao's character traits were also retained and improved upon, which is why Chen Yao could give such a prolific portrayal of a character deemed valuable to Gui Mudan. I enjoyed Chi Yun in the drama more than Chi Yun in the novel, yet I recognise the dearness of Chi Yun to Tang Lici in both novel and drama. The novel is fascinating and very different, but it's also a disappointment for CP lovers.
The drama is kinder to A-Shui than the novel, because A-Shui has a happy ending in episode 40. Drama A-Shui gets what she desires and needs most. The screenwriters were consistent on this for various characters. If you want to claim the screenwriters didn't know what to do with A-Shui and imply the screenwriters didn't sufficiently know the source material, you should at least read the novel because you are obviously wrong.
How do you ignore A-Shui's happiness and greatest need, if you watch full episodes (from start to finish of each episode) for the entire drama, or at least up until episode 35? Why is your comment giving me a strong sense of déjà vu akin to one comment being almost exactly along the same lines more than 3 months ago, after a certain episode aired?
Tang Lici's story, emotional wholeness and self-fulfilment while embodying true compassion (due to the greatest woman in his life being his mother) in line with Buddhism is much better in the drama than in the novel. He makes so many friends both male and female, experiences great brotherhood, has many other experiences and receives many different forms of love, all of which complete him and make him happy in this drama.
You're welcome to contribute to our Buddhism thread: https://kisskh.at/discussions/755725-shui-long-yin/146562-whispers-of-fate-what-is-the-meaning-of-life
Teng Ping is very happy with drama-Tang Lici, and she is the author of "Enduring A Thousand Tribulations" which was very loosely adapted to become this drama. She wrote a poem after the first ten episodes aired, and then composed a character song lyric for Tang Lici because of Luo Yunxi when WoF finished airing.
I would never begrudge a son's love for his mother and Tang Lici's mother being his primary female inspiration for big decisions when she has a noble character, alongside Fang Zhou being his primary male inspiration.
Evaluating the drama while aware of the unfinished novel contents and the finished novel: The screenwriters were kind to A-Shui and Tang Lici and also kept certain themes and characteristics, such as no CP for Tang Lici. Hence no romance tags for this drama, with Tang Lici having chemistry with everyone just like the novel.
Tang Lici's character becomes more noble and vulnerable as the episodes continue, and it is great that he has so many friends and allies. How about you share what you think of the strong wuxia themes in this drama, which cements Tang Lici's relationships with multiple people?
If Li Yitong had initially accepted the role of A-Shui given her standing as an actress in China, there would have been a good chance for drama-A-Shui to be different and what you want for a romance drama, including an outcome where CPs are concerned. How about you try TTEOM, where Luo Yunxi romances Bai Lu?
I look forward to your digressions on Zhong Chunji and Tang Lici's mother in the drama :D
Perhaps you can also explain their influences on Tang Lici. He clearly keeps them in his heart.
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 Zhi Shilang: 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. ]