RilikesWux

That's interesting! I didn't know that Jin Yong was so involved in the making of 1983. Was he OK that the drama did not follow the novel closely? There's the 1976 version, did they consult with him too?

Things speak differently to different people. I guess I'm one of those who root for the underdog 😊 That's why I like Guo Jing a little more than Yang Kang. I understand the appeal of a more talented or complex hero. I happen to have taught for years and I gravitated towards weak students in my class. They were the ones that needed my help the most and I witnessed their struggle in learning and how much effort they had to put in to get the same level as the talented ones. I also experienced living a remote area surrounded by dense jungle for some years and then moved to a big city. The challenges such as adapting to a new way of life, culture shock, etc. So in some way what Guo Jing resonate with me. He represents the ideal hard work to overcome challenges.

By the way, I'm Asian but I'm not Chines so I have to read the English translation of the novel so my understanding of the novel is probably not as deep as those who have read the novel in its original language. But to me LOCH is more than just a story about a hero/ heores. It is loaded with various themes and symbolism. How amazing it is that a story that is set in ancient times can address so many issues that are still relevant today such as growth, overcoming adversity, group identity, existential crisis, imperialism, patriotism, finding inner and outer peace, sacrifice, love, and more. Each character has their distinct natures, I remember most of the characters for their personality and character traits. I adore all the characters in LOCH, protagonists and antagonists because none of them is perfect. I root for the protagonists and empathize with the antagonists.

The 1983's songs are the best. They have stronger Chinese culture vibes in comparison to the songs of the later versions of LOCH. And I'm saying this as a non-Chinese person :)

The 1983 has always been very dear to me. One of two dramas that introduced me to wuxia. The casting is superb. The music and the songs are unmatched. I don't understand the language but this is on my YT playlist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFPXCa_1K7A

Contrary to popular opinion, I don't think Guo Jing is dumb. he's just naive and simple. Growing up in the steppe among the Mongolian tribe, he didn't have access to sources of knowledge like Yang Kang or Huang Rong who grew up among the intellects. It's understandable that he can't survive through his own intelligence or resourcefulness. But actually he's very good at grasping martial art techniques. At a very young age (20 something I think), his skills already match the likes of Huang Yaoshi even his own teacher Hong Qigong. If I'm correct, in his early training, Ma Yu is maybe the only one who never thinks he's stupid. People think he's dumb but do they ever consider that 7 freaks of Jiangnan are probably not good teachers? :D
Audience also think that he's dumb because most actors overplayed his naivety and simplicity. Li Yapeng e.g, he makes Guo Jing look like a retard. I like Felix Wong's, Julian Cheung's, and Yang Xuwen's interpretation. As for Ci Sha, physically I think he's close to what Guo Jing's supposed to look (though I like Yang Xuwen's Guo Jing, I've always thought he's too thin). I hope Ci Sha does well. I'm excited!

They might air all episodes in one go. Jin Yong is like the godfather of the wuxia genre. I think his works are deemed to be culturally important and have been adapted to numerous works. The Legend of Heroes will be the 7th adaptation. And this year marks his 100th year. They might bend the rule .

It's Jin Yong. I wouldn't expect anything less.

Really hope this will come out this month. Missing the classic old school wuxia.

I think works that are deemed to be culturally important are allowed to have over 40 episodes. Jin Yong's Condor Heroes is considered in this category so they can have more that 40 episodes.

This version is actually one of the closest to the novel. The 2008 one deviates too far.

Agree. I'm not Chinese and have no deep understanding of Chinese history but I can understand the world building created by Jin Yong. And I believe that the values and philosophy in it are universal and still relevant today. I think a lot of viewers these days have just started watching wuxia stories written in the last 5 years or so. They are more used to the style and plot of current wuxia dramas which are often mixed with idol dramas which has been influenced by contemporary culture to some extent.

Sorry, maybe I should rephrase it. I didn't mean to say that Mei Chaofeng is not beautiful. I've always thought that Mei Chaofeng is beautiful, but not in a delicate way. Due to the ordeals that she has gone through, she becomes really tough and very menacing. Out of the 5 versions that I've watched my favorite Mei Chaofeng is the one played by Yang Liping (2003). Meng Zi Yi is delicately beautiful that I think being a princess is more suitable for her. But we'll see. I'm curious.

I respect your opinion.
But probably you must know that Jin Yong, the author, has been regarded as one of the greatest and most popular wuxia writers ever. He was made Officer of the Order of the British Empire by the British Government, and was made Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur and a Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. He was an honorary professor at numerous famous universities around including Cambridge. You can look up wikipedia.
Legend of The Shooting Heroes or also known as Legend of The Condor Heroes is the novel that made him famous. It first was published in 1957 and it has been sold over 300 million copies worldwide among the Chinese speakers(more than Lord of The Rings). It's one of (if not) the most classic wuxia. The novel has been adapted into 9 dramas and 8 movies since 1958. The 2017 version (the one we're talking about) is one of the closest to the novel one out of 9 versions. Over 90% close.
Saying that this version disservices to the author is completely baseless.
You said that there's no moral in the story? Well, tell that to over 1 billion Chinese and see how they react when you tell them that one of their beloved stories has no moral story.
And as we're talking now, the new version of LOCH will be out this year, making it the 10th version of LOCH.

I loved Michael Miu in 1983. To me, he's still the best Yang Kang to date. I also loved him as Huang Yaoshi in 2017 version. The 1983 will always be a dear to me :)

So that people won't compare it with Brotherhood of Blades the movie, maybe?

Really excited!

No, I haven't. Will check it out while waiting for The Ingenious One and Brotherhood of Blades. . Thanks Peach! 😊

uh oh not subbed and odd.. That doesn't sound promising.. 🤔 So maybe I won't miss it if I don't watch it lol.
By the way, Happy (belated) lunar new year to you and everyone who celebrates it here 😊

Well, just as they say "love is blind" lol. This thing does happen in real life. Some people do stick to their abusive partners for some reason. Yang Kang - Mu Nian Ci's relationship may be described as carnal, and Guo Jing - Huang Rong's innocent.
And Mu Nian Ci is just an ok martial artist in comparison to Huang Rong.

Oh fun fact, the actor who played Huang Yaoshi in this version played as Yang Kang in 1983. And he did so well. He's the best Yang Kang until now. At least in my opinion lol.

I may be wrong, but I assume you have never read the book or watched any other versions of Legend of the Condor Heroes. If you have, I'm sorry. But it seems to me that this is the first version you have ever watched. Again I'm sorry if I'm wrong again. But I'd like to give you a bit of context so that you might see this drama in a more positive light :)

Legend of the Condor Heroes is the first novel of Condor trilogy written by Jin Yong. He was probably the most famous Chinese wuxia novelist. His works have been adapted into TV dramas and motion pictures. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_Yong
The story follows a pair of sworn brothers, Guo Jing and Yang Kang, the former being the protagonist and the latter the antagonist. The story is set during the wars between the Jurchen Jin empire and the Han Song empire around 900 - 1200, I think. The novel tackles issues that people can still relate to till today e.i. patriotism, identity politics, loyalty, self-discovery, personal growth, making choices, etc. The characters in the novel feel real because these issues are what people have been dealing with throughout the history of mankind e.g. not everyone makes wise decision neither does Yang Kang.

As for Mu Nian Ci that you referred as second FL, I think I can see why you're baffled as to why on earth she's attracted to Yang Kang. personally I think it has something to do with the casting of this particular version. In this version (2017) both Guo Jing and Yang Kang are played by good looking actors, which poses a problem. If both of them are equally handsome, why wouldn't Mu Nian Ci fall for Guo Jing instead? One might wonder.
In the book Guo Jing isn't described as a handsome guy. He's not ugly but not handsome either. He's also not smart. Not a few people can't understand why a pretty and smart girl like Huang Rong falls over heels in love with him. But Guo Jing's appeal is his kindness and honesty. Whereas Yang Kang looks handsome, dashing and sophisticated. That's why Mu Nian Ci is attracted to him. So, the problem lies in the casting, not in the story.

I'm not sure if you'd go as far as wanting to watch the 1983 version. Personally, I think the casting of this version is somewhat accurate to what's in the novel. Guo Jing (played by Felix Wong) isn't attractive, while Yang Kang (played by Michael Miu) is. If you watched that version, you'd understand why Mu Nian Ci is in love with Yang Kang. Although I think Yang Xu Wen did well as Guo Jing in 2017, he's too handsome to be Guo Jing, which is problematic.

As for the length, personally I think 52 episodes is just about right. It provides us with enough backstories and context to understand the whole plot. The 1983 is even longer, 59 or 60 episodes. If you'd like, you can watch the 1994 version. It has the least episodes, about 35 I think.

I hope this makes you think of this drama more positively. If not, that's ok, maybe this story is not palatable to you :)
By the way, as of now, they're making the 10th adaptation of Legend of the Condor Heroes.

Yes, confirmed. They've been shooting since October last year I think.

I'd say watch for the plot and the guys. Ignore the ladies (unfortunately). The drama itself is one of the top 10 highest rating dramas of 2022 on Douban. It's worth watching.