lilswtangel

YoYo 's trailer clickbaited me. I thought Huang Jun Jie was the ML but he's listed as a guest role here.

Great trailer, can't wait to see this - hopefully it'll be out before or around the same time as The Blood of Youth S2.

Is Li Xin Ze not returning as Tang Lian? If we take the extra as canon (and that Tang Lian didn't die in the original novel), shouldn't we expect to see him onscreen in season 2?

Can't wait! Not long now~~~~

Yes! I just saw both of them in the newest intro - so happy to see them there again (I was so disappointed when they weren't on the the previous animated intro). Can't wait to see an episode with them back and completing the H6! family again.

And love that Li Xue Qin is also in this intro. I thought the production did her wrong by omitting her in 2023's intro.

Anyone else thinks he looks like a mix of Darren Chen and Ao Rui Peng? I actually thought he was Darren Chen when he first appeared on screen.

So excited, I can't wait for this to be released. I'm so happy they've managed to retain the original cast in S2.

Just noticed him in the trailer previews for "Fangs of Fortune" and "Feng Ying Ran Mei Xiang" today. I nearly mistook him for Wang Xing Yue in the second trailer!

This is Guan Zi Jing's third collaboration as a support to Luo YunXi's character. I loved their friendship/bromance in Love is Sweet so I'm enjoying watching them onscreen together again.

In The Double, he looks a lot like Hou Ming Hao , just a few appearances but definitely a scene stealer :)

Sorry, Zhao Liying doesn't have the ethereal beauty that 'Fairy' Liu Yi Fei has to play Rose with men falling for her left and right....and this is coming from a fan of Zhao Liying since 'The Legend of Lu Zhen' days.

'The narration is too fast and chaotic, making the characters two-dimensional almost like reading a comic.'

Agree with the comment! Makes me wonder whether viewers not familiar with the IP are getting lost. I'm having trouble connecting to this version because it feels like the story started from the deep end without a proper build-up.

My feelings exactly :)

Do we have a rumored release date for Strange Tales S2? I'm really looking forward to it! Hopefully, they'll keep the 'is it or isn't it paranormal' theme going in the next season.

And the MIL telling FXW not to spend 'lavishly' on baby milk powder for her granddaughter because she's just a girl and the way she complained about Rose's milk supply got me so heated. Wow, all this gaslighting and the manipulation from this duo really gets my blood boiling.

One of the best things about the LOCH is the bond between Guo Jing and his 7 shifus (Seven Freaks of Jiangnan) - they literally raised him so are more like adoptive parents, but we aren't shown any of this. From when they were looking for him and raising him, it was narrated to us and shown in short scenes. They completely bypassed his childhood being taught the different kinds of martial arts from each shifu (and finding out their individual personalities, names and back stories (love, revenge, etc)) and we skip right into him meeting Ma Yu as an adult! Their tight bond is supposed to make a later arc (Peach Blossom Island / Taohua Island) that much more impactful when he's put into a difficult situation and needs to make a choice between filial piety and love.

Even the appearance of Mei Chaofeng had no major impact - we were again told about her goal to kill Guo Jing to avenge her husband's death. Yet, they could have made it a part of the story instead we get no further insights into this.

Or when Guo Jing pieces together the similarities of Yang Kang's movements with Mei Chaofeng's Nine Yin White Bone Claw - if I didn't already know the story, I would much rather find out organically what their ties / relationships are.

I wonder what this drama is like for those who have either haven't read the novel or watched previous drama adaptations. Are you able to follow along? Is the story telling disorientating to you?

I'm only on episode 2, but so far we are told a lot of things and not shown. Like we're being fed the story intead of watching the story build and develop onscreen progressively. It feels like the first episode started in the middle of the story instead of at the beginning, where was the story build up?

You are absolutely right about this, hence why I loved the 2008 version of Huang Rong. Ariel Lin was almost exactly as you've described Huang Rong's personality to be and not the quiet beauty. She wasn't afraid to let her voice be heard and was great at playing the smart, lively and often times sneaky 丫头 and it was plausible to believe her admirers (e.g. Guo Jing, Ou Yang Ke, and her childhood friend) fell for her witty character rather than her looks as. Though Ariel Lin is more cutesy and pretty rather than the classic beauty Huang Rong was described to be (whereby IMHO Athena Chu's was the most befitting Huang Rong visually).

As for Xin Zhilei vs Li Qin debate - it's definitely the personalities of the characters that have the audience split. I can completely understand and relate to why many fans shipped Fan Xian with Haitang DuoDuo.

This is the first time I'm watching a drama solely for the story as an ode to Jin Yong's works and not for the cast because frankly, I don't recognize most of the main and supporting actors. Many new and unfamiliar faces I see here.

However, if Bao Sheng En can pull off a witty, clever and charming Huang Rong and if Ci Sha can show Guo Jing's growth believingly, I am sold.

I think my preference would be the 2008 version with Hu Ge and Ariel Lin (so far, they've been my favourite Guo Jing and Rong'er CP). Loved the OST and I still watch/listen to the opening and closing theme songs on YT to this day (and getting a glimpse of Hu Ge in his battlegear is eye candy).

Plus, the veteran actors who played the Five Greats were awesome and possibly the only OuYang Ke who I didn't hate with a passion (Li Jie as OuYang Ke was actually quite charming and not disgustingly swarmy).