Madame White Snake (2001)

LOVE THE OST!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Gv2M8_VM8

There are changes from the original story but I really enjoy it. White snake and green snake start off as enemies first then turn into sisters later.

Fann Wong & Chris:
The first few parts are so amazing. The pacing was moving really fast and interestingly! The acting was so on point. I love how the white and green snake act like they are really snakes. Look at the way how they walk and move like a snake dancing. Fighting choreography is exceptionally good, it really makes you believe the ladies know kungfu in real life.
As the story progress though, the main couple gets a little boring in the middle, there are so many fillers around them because they do the same thing over and over. He gets lazy instead of studying and she forces him to go do the right thing. But, there are some very cute scenes around them too. I love her flashbacks to their past lives, she was really pretty as Xi Shi (in my opinion). Chris, putting some evil mustache and eyebrows on does make him look smarter and more cunning like a king. It is especially draggy when Bai Su Zhen has to go away and fight with her evil self, Xu Xian is left with the identical human girl Bai Su Zhen (both have the same name) for quite a long while. The only person to entertain us at that time is Qing’er, her whiny complaints are pretty cute and funny.

Vincent Jiao:
This character probably went through the most changes. He starts off as a monk, who is not exactly like a real monk, he is like an ordinary commoner who reads scriptures and doesn’t eat meat. I love Vincent’s acting! In this drama he is a guy who has martial arts and can fight, but once he sees monsters and spirits, his frightening expressions and voice is so priceless. He turns 180 degree from being a hero into a vulnerable person crying for help within seconds. His acting is really real. At first, he is an innocent kind man. He changes when he finds out about his father’s death (his mother killed his father) he suddenly turns revengeful (1st change). When he dreamt his mother gets killed as punishment, he repents and becomes a forgiving person (2nd change). He continues to get manipulated by the Green snake, he abandons Buddhism and turns into a new person (3rd change). He learns that Qing’er is a snake and made him wrongfully harmed his master, so he goes back into Buddhist teachings (4th change). Later, he becomes the powerful Fa Hai (5th change). As Fa Hai, it is completely so new that you couldn’t even recognize if he is actually still Junbao. His attitude and expression really all changed dramatically. He is a fearless person, mighty powerful, strict and strong headed in his belief. At the end, he finally learns that he lacks compassion (6th change). He changes his character again, and reforms into a mighty and compassionate monk. This character is probably supposed to be hateful and not good, but it actually turns out the best. Vincent made this role so handsome and hot. It looks like new adaptations are trying to make Fa Hai a major role involving in romance, but it doesn’t interest me like Vincent. I got to admit I ship him so hard with the green snake, only him as Junbao though, not as Fa Hai. I dislike the new adaptations because the powerful monk who is cold and quiet falls in love... this adaptation he was only in love when he wasn't a real monk yet and he was weak that's why he got manipulated. And when he turns Fa Hai he wasn't just like a cold aloof guy, he's a strict and goal oriented person like the real story where he thinks he's doing the right thing but it's evil at the same time.

Green snake:
She starts of very naughty and evil. She is actually naughty all the way, she never changed her attitude. It's hard to say if she was evil at the beginning, she can be so cruel because of how manipulated she can get but like she claimed too, nobody taught her how to be good so she doesn't know to be good.
After staying with the white snake for a while, she did have some developments and turn over a new leaf, she is pretty faithful to white snake. The time she really did turn evil is after she got tortured by Fa Hai and wants to torture him back. After she sees that he learns to forgive, she gives in as well and repents. I love Zhang Yu Yan acting, so sad that she is so underrated and not well known. Maggie Cheung might be the unbeatable green snake ever made, but Zhang Yu Yan isn't any less or at the minimum, second best. Why I think so is because she is really good at portraying the green snake as a jealous person, cunning, mischievous, curious, romantic, etc.

Clips:
https://www.facebook.com/adena.xyi.7/videos/392132432401445

https://www.facebook.com/adena.xyi.7/videos/206502831581268

https://www.facebook.com/adena.xyi.7/videos/1561081967584857

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