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. ]
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.
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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. ]
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 Zhi Shilang: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5271947944657345
Get someone who looks at you the way a certain General looks at Zhi Shilang <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.