Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

Errrrrr….. A new adaptation is in town! Jin Yong’s novel, The Smiling, Proud Wanderer (Xiao Ao Jiang Hu 笑傲江湖), last adapted in 2013 by Yu Zheng. It’s coming alive but this time, they are going the total-newbie route, with rookie actors Ding Guan Sen and Xue Hao Jing as the main OTP. The only thingy that got netizens eyebrows raised was the humble styling in make-up and clothes. Lol.

Click To View Pretty Pictures

Past Adaptations: Which one did you watch/like?

TVB version in 1984 with Chow Yun Fat and Rebecca Chan. I did not watch this one.

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TVB version again in 1996 with Jacky Lui, Fiona Leung, Cherie Chan, Timmy Ho, and He Mei Tian. SO PRETTY.

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A Taiwanese version in 2000 with Richie Ren and Anita Yuen.

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A Singaporean version in 2000 with Steve Ma and Fann Wong.

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Mainland China Version in 2001 with Li Ya Peng and Xu Qing.

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Mainland China Version in 2013 with Wallace Huo and Yuan Shan Shan.

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Fantaken Stills of the Main Four Actors in the New Version:

This is Ding Guan Sen, a rookie actor you might remember in Yesterday Once More and recently The Devotion of Suspect X. I think it’s the poor styling cause the kid in modern projects looks adorable!

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Look at that face. Isn’t he adorable? Don’t look at Wang Kai! Lol.

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Our female lead, Xue Hao Jing as Ren Ying Ying.

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Chen Xun as Lin Ping Zhi.

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This actor supposedly plays Dong Fang.

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The new version is being directed by Jin Chen (Sparrow) hoping to spin a new light to the series. Interesting!

Via: 01

  1. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    Nope, just nope. He doesn’t look like Linghu Chong at all. Replacing him with any of the supporting actors (Lin Pingzhi/ Dongfang Bubai) will work 10x better.

  2. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    1996 one is my favorite. My brother decided to rewatch that one three times so I guess it rubs off onto me.
    Anita and Richie were fun to watch and I like that version too.
    I don’t remember much of the Singaporean one, but I remembered Steve Ma’s smiling face… so I must have watched it somehow lol.
    The mainland china version 2001… I don’t remember.
    I definitely remembered the 2013 one 😀 It has a nice ending song.
    I think Ding Guan Sen should be style with an updo like Richie. Long hair doesn’t really make him stand out nor does it look flattering…

    • 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

      The thing I remember about the Singaporean version was the interesting hairstyles on both leads! Somehow, I liked them. HAHAHA.

    • 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

      OMG OMG!!

      I want a good adaptation, but..I agree that the main lead doesnt look charismatic enough as LHC. I know that LPZ is supposed to be more handsome than LCH, and this LHC looked happy and such, but..he looked too plain. Oh, I hope he will surprise me like Yang Xuwen did with his GJ.

      When is this going to air? I still dunno what to expect here.

  3. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    I watched the 1984 version as a kid with my family, but I honestly don’t remember much about it. I do remember thinking all the girls were pretty tho.

    Based on what I DO remember, I have to say the 2001 is my favorite tho. Very very classic. While I don’t particularly love Xu Qing (in reality tv at least…Divas Hit the Road anyone?) BUT she was a pretty great Ren Ying Ying. And I thought Yue Ling Shan was GORGEOUS too. (Yang Rong was pretty in the 2013, but I didn’t really think she was styled particularly well in a way that suited her so…eh). Li Ya Peng was great as Linghu Chong and completely embodied the name Xiao Ao Jiang Hu.

    2013 was just weak…only Joe being the salvageable awesome part. For me that was her true breakout role where she finally proved with potential that she had the skills to break out of her usual typecasted roles. BUT even then there was only so much she could do (admittedly Chen Xiao was pretty bomb too, but I disliked his character too much to really care) when the plot was such a mess and the leads not doing a great job.

    I actually NOT particularly looking forward to this adaptation, because despite the success (at least IMO) of LotCH 2017, I don’t actually particularly love this story in and of itself…not my fav. And honestly adaptations can get so old. While I thought LotCH 2017 was well done, I’m still trying to motivate myself to truly finish it because even loving the LotCH original story, I know the whole plot and it can get tedious rewatching the same story play out and the same characters and same plot. At least Yumama didn’t get his hands on this one. lol. The styling isn’t great, but I like that it’s not crazy and super colorful and bright and just not Jianghu feel enough (can we seriously talk about that bright green outfit Yumama made YR wear and Joe Chen’s bright-red outfit with the strange sky-high stiff hair? And her courtesan blue outfit that reminds me of the blue-prostitute outfit Zhang Ziyi wore in House of Flying Daggers?…at least I liked all of Joe’s other outfits, even if the colors were sometimes so bright they felt out of place.) Enough ranting and criticisms. Bottomline I hope this adaptation does well…and that they move on from adapting the same novels. I mean, so many other novels to adapt…while keep doing the same ones…especially within the same decade?

    • 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

      LOL agree about those outfits. And especially nuns wearing pink? Like…aren’t they supposed to be nuns-nuns? There’s a difference between them and E-mei girls right?
      I really couldn’t stand the usual bright blue + bright yellow from YZ every single time, glad he seems to change his colors now. And yes, Joe was totally styled after Zhang Ziyi, it looked great on her but it is laughable to say she is a no. 1 beauty in it.

  4. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    Oh please don’t butcher my favorite novel of all time twice in one decade.

    I actually don’t mind the styling here (of what little we see) Linghu Chong looks alright to me, if not a bit young? As for Dong Fang, I assume that’s his flashback days. If that’s how the Sun Moon Holy Sect costume looks, I dig it. Reminds me of the 96 version.

    Having seen every adaptation, (96 being my fav) I am looking forward to this.

    I’m scared about the “spin a new light” part though. But I enjoyed Sparrow somewhat, so…

    New faces can be a surprise. Here’s hoping for the best!

  5. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    I’m actually so very grateful for the light and plain make-up, the girl (she’s new?) for Ren Ying Ying is very beautiful and looks so natural! Looks like it is the perfect color and lighting for my Wuxia taste, hit the very right spot to me.

    I agree that this LCH (seriously, he looks like a boy!!! way too young!) looks better with make-up but I still prefer his natural looks, but no matter which case it was about the styling, he just looks way too young for the role. He’s also too young for the main girl as well. He’s not at least like the Zhang Yun Long who has a baby face but is mature. I mean, this LCH seems like a kid-kid.
    I’ve never liked any of the LCH at all! Even Wallace Huo was not a good LCH. If I have to choose one I would have to end up with my close-to-hated actor, Steven Ma who I label as a pyscho that crazily hit everything (including people) around him when he’s angry… but he was not like that as LCH, and I love his playfulness with the cute pink girl very much. Next up would be Richie Ren who everybody seems to hate, then Li ya peng (I feel that he got the best looks out of everyone but his chemistry with the junior sister isn’t great and Ren Ying Ying who was lovely in there appears too little which made his version a bit boring.)

  6. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    Omg the main lead looks too ugly to be LHC ? RYY and LPZ looks good at least. I think that think 2001 version was the best adaptation (and Xu Qing as RYY was perfect) especially with the awesome Martial arts! I just pretend Swordman 3013 doesn’t exist lol.

  7. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    Just STOP with JY’s adaptations.

    Jacky’s portrayal was the best!

    • 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

      I haven’t seen Jacky’s version at all, surprised he did one!

      But I do have a comment about Jacky, he broke my heart twice, TWICE in TVB dark tales where two of the most beautiful women ever in the world which is Leung Siu Bing and Angie Cheung, and he was such a stupid nasty jerk to them both. Ever since then I couldn’t get a very good impression of him in my mind. And he was again another jerk in this one modern movie with Irene Wan but I wasn’t a fan of anyone in that movie, back then it was just an ordinary movie that was a bit entertaining to watch.
      And then I saw him in Chinese Ghost Story Eternal Love after many years, and once again, his character cheated his wife, so he was once again still jerky. I didn’t quite have the interest to check out his version in case he jerked that one too.

      • 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

        1996 was closest to the novel. Jacky Liu nails LHC! It was his first drama at TVB, and then he was typecast into jerky roles lol

  8. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    LHC is looking like he just finished middle school, but the other characters look great and I’m just really glad that they went with a less modern actress for RYY. The problem with a lot of recent wuxia dramas is that they cast people who are a bit too plastic to fit into the environment. However, after the 2013 debacle, I’m just glad that the costumes and lighting is dark/plain enough for wuxia. I cannot stress this enough to certain directors–you’re not filming a palace drama!!!!!

  9. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    I’ve posted twice here, and failed (? 😀 ). Okay, this is the 3rd attempt :p :

    I’ve watched all adaptations, forgotten most of them, and I like Jacky Liu’s version the best. The 2001 version was not bad, but LHC was too serious there, while he should be carefree and liked to joke around. I thought that Steve Ma’s versions was quite faithful to the novel, until they showed LHC had somekind of ‘romance’ with DFBB (? if I remember correctly), so I stopped there (plus I couldn’t stand his hair). And the 1984 version was so-so. Wasn’t impressed by that LHC, but I didn’t think that it was a bad series either, so I just watched and forgot it after I was done. The 2013, well,I hate that *lol*.

    Anyway, I really hope to see more pics of this LHC, since he doesn’t look good here 🙁 .

    • 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

      Eh, I just realized that my 2nd post was succeeded. Hmm ? .. I thought that I’ve refreshed several times and it didn’t show up? Oh well, sorry for posting for several times 🙂

    • 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

      Sorry Luna, forgive the site errors, it’s been giving me and other readers a headache!

      • 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

        It’s ok, Kappy ^_^ .. I noticed the site errors too

        Btw, forgot to mention Richie Ren’s version. I kinda enjoyed that version actually, perhaps because I watched it before reading the novel and Anita Yuen was cool as RYY. Still, I skipped many scenes coz it had many additional scenes and LHC was too weak.

  10. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    Oh my..oh my…in the last 2 years and here again we have these really young / young looking actors for roles that in my opinion should be portrayed by some more matures ones or/and these really awful changes to the storyline and bad CGI´s…I can´t take these young ones seriously…e.g. just thinking about the newest version of Return of Condor Heroes and the 2013 version of The Smiling Proud Wanderer just have me hissing like a cat in displeasure…

    The 2001 Mainland version with Li Ya Peng and Xu Qing is one the first Chinese dramas I ever watched and still one of my favourites.

    I will try to be open minded about this really young cast, it could work..if they don´t mess up the script and editing again.

  11. 19 thoughts on “Ding Guan Sen, Xue Hao Jing lead The Smiling Proud Wanderer 2017

    Xiao Ao Jiang Hu was my first Jin Yong book and the only one I managed to finish and actually like. Ren Yingying, along with Zhao Min are my fave JY ladies!

    Anyway, I don’t think Ding Guan Sen looks like a Linghu Chong. Not sure what to say about this cast choice except it feels out of place.

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