lilswtangel

This is Guan Zi Jing's third collaboration as a support to Luo YunXi's character. I loved their friendship/bromance in Love is Sweet so I'm enjoying watching them onscreen together again.

In The Double, he looks a lot like Hou Ming Hao , just a few appearances but definitely a scene stealer :)

Sorry, Zhao Liying doesn't have the ethereal beauty that 'Fairy' Liu Yi Fei has to play Rose with men falling for her left and right....and this is coming from a fan of Zhao Liying since 'The Legend of Lu Zhen' days.

'The narration is too fast and chaotic, making the characters two-dimensional almost like reading a comic.'

Agree with the comment! Makes me wonder whether viewers not familiar with the IP are getting lost. I'm having trouble connecting to this version because it feels like the story started from the deep end without a proper build-up.

My feelings exactly :)

Do we have a rumored release date for Strange Tales S2? I'm really looking forward to it! Hopefully, they'll keep the 'is it or isn't it paranormal' theme going in the next season.

And the MIL telling FXW not to spend 'lavishly' on baby milk powder for her granddaughter because she's just a girl and the way she complained about Rose's milk supply got me so heated. Wow, all this gaslighting and the manipulation from this duo really gets my blood boiling.

One of the best things about the LOCH is the bond between Guo Jing and his 7 shifus (Seven Freaks of Jiangnan) - they literally raised him so are more like adoptive parents, but we aren't shown any of this. From when they were looking for him and raising him, it was narrated to us and shown in short scenes. They completely bypassed his childhood being taught the different kinds of martial arts from each shifu (and finding out their individual personalities, names and back stories (love, revenge, etc)) and we skip right into him meeting Ma Yu as an adult! Their tight bond is supposed to make a later arc (Peach Blossom Island / Taohua Island) that much more impactful when he's put into a difficult situation and needs to make a choice between filial piety and love.

Even the appearance of Mei Chaofeng had no major impact - we were again told about her goal to kill Guo Jing to avenge her husband's death. Yet, they could have made it a part of the story instead we get no further insights into this.

Or when Guo Jing pieces together the similarities of Yang Kang's movements with Mei Chaofeng's Nine Yin White Bone Claw - if I didn't already know the story, I would much rather find out organically what their ties / relationships are.

I wonder what this drama is like for those who have either haven't read the novel or watched previous drama adaptations. Are you able to follow along? Is the story telling disorientating to you?

I'm only on episode 2, but so far we are told a lot of things and not shown. Like we're being fed the story intead of watching the story build and develop onscreen progressively. It feels like the first episode started in the middle of the story instead of at the beginning, where was the story build up?

You are absolutely right about this, hence why I loved the 2008 version of Huang Rong. Ariel Lin was almost exactly as you've described Huang Rong's personality to be and not the quiet beauty. She wasn't afraid to let her voice be heard and was great at playing the smart, lively and often times sneaky 丫头 and it was plausible to believe her admirers (e.g. Guo Jing, Ou Yang Ke, and her childhood friend) fell for her witty character rather than her looks as. Though Ariel Lin is more cutesy and pretty rather than the classic beauty Huang Rong was described to be (whereby IMHO Athena Chu's was the most befitting Huang Rong visually).

As for Xin Zhilei vs Li Qin debate - it's definitely the personalities of the characters that have the audience split. I can completely understand and relate to why many fans shipped Fan Xian with Haitang DuoDuo.

This is the first time I'm watching a drama solely for the story as an ode to Jin Yong's works and not for the cast because frankly, I don't recognize most of the main and supporting actors. Many new and unfamiliar faces I see here.

However, if Bao Sheng En can pull off a witty, clever and charming Huang Rong and if Ci Sha can show Guo Jing's growth believingly, I am sold.

I think my preference would be the 2008 version with Hu Ge and Ariel Lin (so far, they've been my favourite Guo Jing and Rong'er CP). Loved the OST and I still watch/listen to the opening and closing theme songs on YT to this day (and getting a glimpse of Hu Ge in his battlegear is eye candy).

Plus, the veteran actors who played the Five Greats were awesome and possibly the only OuYang Ke who I didn't hate with a passion (Li Jie as OuYang Ke was actually quite charming and not disgustingly swarmy).

I'm also waiting for Wallace Huo and Lin Yi's arcs with Rose

I just realized that this remake, the ML and FL are not Guo Jing and Huang Rong, but her dad Huang Yao Shi (one of the great masters).

Is this a new reboot remake of the "Condor Trilogy" by Jin Yong? Legend of the Condor Heroes? I grew up watching the originals filmed in the 80's...and have watched almost every drama adaption of Louis Cha's works including 天龍八部 and 鹿鼎記 from each decade.

Wait what...60 episodes? Should we expect a split for seasons 1 & 2 then?

[edit] just saw the link to season 2. Hopefully we won't get a long wait between the two seasons airing.

Thanks for sharing this! He was such a hated character, but the actor did a great job making us hate him. Haha, so funny to see how he and his family/friends also hated the character and clapped at his comeuppance

My thoughts exactly!

Yes! An uncanny resemblance to Zhu Yi Long and you're right about the eye shape (very deep set) and the face in general, but yes...especially the eyes.

Then from some angles, he looks like Wang Anyu.

Cheng Jia Lin, Cheng Jia Lin, where are you? LOL, he was the real shadow of the show. Of the four proteges, he was the only face to not have appeared once throughout the imperial examinations arc.