For such a beleaguered production, the ratings surprisingly sway in its favor and for what it’s worth, I really enjoyed it in spite of the fact that it is the sappiest adaptation I have seen so far. Yes, that means that I liked Michelle Chen too even though the side buns on her head (I refuse to include a picture) bothered me as much as everyone else.
However, the story is not merely about a hero’s journey but also a forbidden romance between a student and his teacher and also a martial arts spectacle involving a nation’s stand against its enemies.
It is where Elvis Han (Monster Killer) got his start and probably where Wu Lei (Nirvana in Fire) played the younger version of someone else for the last time.
The guest list is equally expansive starring Kevin Yan Kuan (Three Heroes and Five Gallants), Christopher Lee, Yang Rong (Legend of Flying Daggers), Zanilia Zhao Li Ying (Legend of Zu), Chen Xiang (Magic Star) and many more.
Rate your favorite wuxia series in 2014.
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Anonymous
Good gawd. Yu Zheng's adaption of anything is terrible. And his choice of casting for iconic female lead is just… TSK.
Anne J
lol yea i know this is a drama that gets a lot of hate.. but i loved it. Maybe there's some people out there who agrees?
Anonymous
I wasnt a fan of this either. Yu Zheng's adaptations can be so so, I dont mind when he goes off and changes stuff from the book. It is kind of refreshing to get a new twist but somehow it just doesn't seem to glue well, I'm not sure if it is the storytelling or the editing.
I also think a lot of us didn't like the casting of Xiaolongnü. She is meant to be one of the prettiest to ever walk the earth but to cast Michelle Chen was questionable (many netizens started calling her Xiaolongbao XD). I know beauty is all subjective and by no means is Michelle ugly at all but you need to look at the people that has played Xiaolongnü in the past such as Goddess Liu YiFei.
magarela
Sorry I'm new in this world why is everybody hating that Michelle chen? Is her acting bad? Or something like this???
Anonymous
I don't think people hate her, it is more that people didn't like her being cast in the specific role. As a matter of fact I really like her and her acting is very good. She shot to fame from 2011's You Are the Apple of My Eye Taiwanese film and has been a rising star but when she was cast as Xiaolongnü she got a lot hate from the netizens as they deemed her unworthy of the role.
Xiaolongnü is one of the most iconic characters in Chinese dramas and is known for her beauty. It is has always been played by people who were deems the top beauty standard in China. It became very controversial when they cast Michelle Chen as people didn't think she met the required beauty standard. Michelle is pretty but when she was cast she was a little chubby (that's where the nickname Xiaolongbao came from) and she was even forced to loose weight for the role. Her acting is better than a lot of other actresses who only has a pretty face.
Anonymous
I think most people didnt like her because the story described her as celestial beauty with pale skin which implied for many, after watching the previous ROCH version, that she would be a slender beauty etc. i like to think that she is a good fit for the role since she is for yang guo, the main char, the most beautiful woman in the world and that doesnt mean she has to fit everyones taste. Plus michelle chen got married to Chen Xiao(yang guo) so in the end it fits well.