Hi, I’m Wuxia Gege, and I’m about to get canceled. Again. Maybe. This time, for roasting those who hate this drama.
No, I’m not gonna do that. (I might)
*cough*peoplewhohatethishavepoortaste*cough*
What I am gonna do is praise this drama to the high heavens.
For those who complains that January has been boring in cdramaland, here are two Xianxia-themed dramas, both from the universe of Chinese Paladin, a video game series. Do you have to watch the previous parts to understand the story? No, as each part is a standalone story.
A very generous production, dropping 20 stills at their first release! Guardians of the Dafeng (大奉打更人) is adapted from the novel The Nightwatchers of Feng written by Mai Bao Xiao Lang Jun. Dylan plays a modern day policeman who transmigrated back in time and into the body of a constable of Dafeng city, who at the time is in prison, waiting to be exiled, thanks to his uncle’s huge loss of silver. Using his deduction and reasoning skills, he manages to solve the case and find the culprit. And thus begins his journey of investigating and solving mysterious crimes in the vast city. In the novel, our male lead has plenty of attention from the ladies but the drama adaptation seems to have changed that slightly by pinpointing Tian Xi Wei as his main love interest. She plays a proud and rebellious princess Lin An.
You can read the translated novel here by Yan Xin (Adrakaris).
Chinese Paladin 4 (仙剑奇侠传4) has commenced filming with their leads in Ju Jing Yi and Chen Zhe Yuan and some supporting faces that I recognize in Mao Xiao Hui and Sun Ying Hao. As many might know/remember, the Chinese Paladin franchise is adapted from a series of video games also known as The Legend of Sword and Fairy, and the most famous drama adaptation being 2005’s Chinese Paladin with Hu Ge and Liu Yi Fei. In CP4 (considered the 5th installment, prequel to the CP3), the video game synopsis is described below:
Yun Tian He, a young man who had been living alone on a mountain peak, was on a regular boar hunting trip when he came across the young woman Han Ling Sha, from a clan of short-lived tomb raiders, attempting to break into his parents’ tomb, culminating in the destruction of the tomb, and setting him on a journey alongside Ling Sha to the outside world to uncover his parents’ past. On the journey, they encountered and befriended the adopted daughter of the magistrate of Shou Yang, Liu Meng Li, who seemed to have connections to Tian He’s father, and a skilled and kind swordmaster who trained at Mt. Kunlun’s Qionghua School since a young age, Murong Zi Ying.
What do you think of the cast? Would you prefer lesser known faces?
Our Times (启航当风起时) follows a two young and enthusiastic men as they enter the internet age and become leaders of the information industry at the end of the 20th century.
Airing 9/14.
Wu Lei’s hair is giving me young Andy-Lau-Aaron-Kwok vibes.
Upcoming period drama The Twin Flower Legend (长相守) is based on the novel written by Hai Piao Xue and follows the story of twin sisters. I like how the synopsis makes no mention of the other twin and only writes about the good twin, the one with many suitors! xD So the other twin has to be the evil one? Lol. The main twin is played by Mao Xiao Hui and the love of her life is played by Yu Xiao Tong (ah, how he has grown!). The twin sisters are sold as slaves to a powerful household, where they meet three other kids and become a small knitted family, with a promise to protect and love each other. She’s a tough cookie and uses her intelligence and skills to rise up the ranks, making four men go goo-goo over her. (This sounds tragically similar to many many period dramas….)
The trailer is fun to watch, I have never seen this many (ex) tvb/HK actors in one before. Lolol.
Another new adaptation of The Condor Heroes with a weird/misspelled title?! The New Version of the Candor Heroes (神雕侠侣) features two green faces in Tong Meng Shi (Colourful Bone, The Taosim Grandmaster) and Mao Xiao Hui (The Twin Flower Legend). We have seen Mr. Tong in a few projects but for Mao Xiao Hui, she’s pretty green so let’s hope that factor will help her ~
