#strange hero yi zhi mei

[wuxiaphoenix]

Characters: Goals vs. Motivations

When writing characters in conflict, there’s two things you need to keep in mind. What are your characters’ goals? And what are their motivations?

These two things are often confused as different terms for the same thing. And... they’re not. Really, really not.

Let’s take a less-than-world-ending scenario: your hero’s goal is to pass that Organic Chemistry exam next week.

(Noooo! Anything but Organic Chem!!!)

Ahem. That’s his goal. But what is his motivation? Does he truly want to master the material? Is he just trying to scrape by so he can pass the course and never have to look at aldehydes again? Is he in a rivalry with another OC student, and determined to beat their grade by as many points as possible? Have his parents promised him a fun summer night to himself if he brings home that C? Has the professor sneered at him that he can never learn this stuff, and the hero is going to show them, show them all-!

The goal is what the character wants to do. But depending on his motivation, and his basic character, how he achieves that goal is going to be different.

Want to master the material? Study, study, study, and maybe try to find a tutor who can explain it a different way from the instructor. Scrape by? Memorize everything you can and pray. Show them all? The hero’s more likely to spend late nights burning the midnight oil and let less important social stuff fall by the wayside. Rivalry, or the promise of money? Cheating might become the more acceptable option, if all that matters is achieving that grade.

And then you get into the fun stuff of, do all your characters have the same goals? Or the same motivations?

If your characters are at all human and not a hivemind, the answer to that is going to be no. Which means you get to pick where they’re alike, where they’re different, and how that builds conflict into your story. Quick tip: characters with different motivations but the same goal are like your standard adventuring party, working together. Characters with the same motivation but different goals? That’s a protagonist/antagonist setup.

The Leverage TV show is a good example of this. (Also Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei, for much the same reasons.) The Leverage crew has a plain if not simple goal: find bad guys the law hasn’t handled, and bring them crashing down. But at least to start, they have very different motivations. Parker loves stealing, Sophie playing a part, Hardison the thrill of cracking systems, Elliot making up for past violent mistakes, and Nathan... well, he’s a bundle of issues in a bottle, but he wants to be the help he wishes someone had been when he needed it. And he also has a personal motivation of outsmarting the people he’s up against.

Which runs right into Sterling, out to outsmart the people he’s up against.

Same motivation. Two different goals: Stirling to abide by the law and catch criminals, Nathan to do what he thinks is right, breaking the law all the way. And this drives a fair amount of conflict in the show.

Yi Zhi Mei has the same conflict between Li Gexiao and Ying Wuqiu, when it turns out their shared motivation is to take corrupt minister Yan Song down for the lives he’s destroyed. Only Li Gexiao’s goal is to keep other people alive and rescue them, while Ying Wuqiu will use and kill anyone to make sure Yan Song is not just taken down, but taken down in a way that is utterly humiliating before he’s executed.

Know what your character wants. Know why he wants it. Together, they’ll shape how your hero responds to whatever mess you throw him in. Make it a good one!

[dilirebas]

not me having feelings about Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei in 2021 😰

[weeguttersnipe]

Wallace Huo in The Vigilantes in Masks (Chinese series, 2011)

[swordsandparasols]

January talking meme: cdramas

January 23 - talk to me about cdramas you think I'd like! (@daughtersofthedragon)

Unless I’m misremembering, you’ve already watched some or all of Love020, all of The Princess Weiyoung, and some of The Legend of Hua Mulan, or I’d rec those. These aren’t necessarily the absolute best cdramas ever, but they’re accessible (both in terms of content and ease in finding with English subtitles), dramas I liked, and have good actors and characters and no bad writing/terrible endings. So, in order of release (and with years because some of these are based on stories that have multiple adaptations): Return of the Condor Heroes (2006): This was hugely popular at the time and remains a favorite of many. Some of the special effects (such as the naked kung fu scene) kind of inspire secondhand embarrassment now. ROCH is the grand romance of wuxias, and I’ve seen it called the wuxia Romeo and Juliet. No feuding families (in the forbidden romance aspect) but definitely a superforbidden romance. This is a good intro wuxia series in general to get a feel for the tropes because it’s a more straightforward romance and lighter of subplots and politics, but still covers most of the tropes. The Young Warriors/Young Warriors of the Yang Clan(2006): So, this is based on a famous story about a Song Dynasty family, this part of the story largely being known for the fact that the father and most of his sons (7 in this version, but the number varies in different version) dying in a ingle battle, and their wives later replacing them as warriors, so you know going in to expect a fair bit of character death. This focuses on the romances of the 4 youngest sons and the parents and does a good job of switching between different storylines and characters. It’s just well made and a good drama in general Legend of the Condor Heroes (2008): A prequel to ROCH but you honestly don’t really need one to enjoy the other. The leads of LOCH are supporting characters in ROCH, and the male lead of ROCH is the son of a villain in LOCH. While you don’t need one to enjoy the other, you really should experience both stories. ROCH has a more complex plot than LOCH, and Huang Rong is one of the best wuxia heroines. This version apparently takes a lot of liberties, and people who have read the book say that the 2003 version is much more faithful. I haven’t seen that version yet, but I’ve only ever heard good things about it, and the version currently airing is apparently pretty good ,but it doesn’t have English subtitles (hopefully with a “yet” attached to it. Detective TangLang (2010): To take a break from the ancient dramas, this is a mystery series set in the 1920s with a former police officer turned private eye and a female lawyer clashing and working together on various cases. It starts mostly focused on him, but by the end the mysteries surrounding the lawyer’s past largely take over, and he’s more in the position of a glorified and devoted bodyguard. It isn’t a comedy, but it’s definitely lighter fare than the rest of the list. Vigilantes in Masks/Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei (2011): This one is pretty much Wuxia Leverage, with a former police officer turned drunken street fighter working with a team of several criminals to fight government corruption, and rich people who get away with things by buying off officials. There were some things in the last third that made my like it less than the rest, though others didn’t have the same problem I did with that, and it remains a good show. It does, unfortunately suffer from There Can Be Only One syndrome as far as major female characters, great as she is, unless we count the Tragically Dead (and Virtuous) wife in flashbacks. Sound of the Desert/Ballad of the Desert(2014): This is actually somewhat my default rec for people looking into checking out cdramas lately. It’s very female centric and has multiple good interactions with women (both allies and enemies, and some in between) in most episodes, and the main villain is a former friend of the heroine’s, and she’s a very worthy villainess. It’s a little less prone to being overdramatic than many cdramas (though they do play up the literal “raised by wolves” aspect of the heroine’s character) and sometimes the feel is a little more in line with Sageuks than most ancient cdramas. It’s one of the series that’s basically a romance novel in TV form, but less prone to soap opera elements than some others. Green Hill Fox Legend (2016): I debated this one because it could be a bit draggy, but overall it’s a pretty good fantasy series. It’s an anthology series about members of an ancient fox clan (fox clan=immortal fox demons who take human form) trying to find a sacred treasure that was stolen from them before the goddess who assigned the to safeguard it punishes them for losing it. Most of the stories needed to be an episode or two shorter, but I liked all but one of them, and it has a good array of the types of folktales and stories and romances that show up in xianxia and fantasy series. Two series that I like a lot and would recommend but not as a first wuxia are Sword Stained With Royal Blood (2007) and Paladins in Troubled Times(2008). Over the last year or so, several people I know who hadn’t watched cdramas before watched and loved Nirvana in Fire (2015), and it’s also very well liked and highly recommended by longtime cdrama fen, so it’s probably a pretty safe bet. I haven’t watched it yet, but I plan to. I have been very (but largely a bit quietly) into The Legend of Chusen for a few months now. I’ve been taking it slowly because it’s actually 3 seasons long, with the 3rd season not having aired yet, or even started filming. Hu Ge, Wallace Huo, Liu Shi Shi, Yuan Hong and Eddie Peng each appear as major characters in two or more dramas each usually with more than one of them in a drama-Young Warriors wins there for featuring all of them except Wallace Huo)-with Liu Shi Shi ahead of the pack with 4 dramas in the list, though Hu Ge ties with her if I count Nirvana in Fire. This isn’t deliberate, they just tend to choose projects that I like, and often work together.

[mypheralside]

Okay I am very excited about this show, this is a BL/bromance fan edit for the show Detective Samoyeds / 热血长安 (also known as Righteous Ardour of Chang'An) . I have like 4 episodes of Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei left and I want something similarly toned to watch afterwards, and this show has just popped up on one of my YouTube hunts and looks amazing. To be honest I spent two whole trailers unsure whether the lead character was a guy or girl, and I kinda didn't care, they're hot as hell anyway. (It's a guy btw)

Focuses on paranormal/strange-murder investigations in the Tang Dynasty era, with scientific explanations found for everything.

There is full Eng Sub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtDUdAjEDTW_iInJQqrmNABgReGY5LxV2 I am going to get started this weekend i think!

[shenmeizhuang-blog]

Do you have any cdrama suggestions for a baby beginner? I think Empress of China is the most famous one I’ve heard of but I’m curious about others too!

B-baby beginner? No, my friend, when it comes to cdrama, we simply throw you into the pit…

Just kidding! Although, for a myriad of reasons, being a Chinese drama fan outside of Asia without a hold of the language is admittedly rather difficult (so to the “international” cdrama fandom: you guys rock!). 

Unfortunately, your answer did not really help me narrow down my answer after all. I believe Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, your recent fave, is very romance-centric, but I feel like everyone tends to vacillate in their mood, preferring super romantic escapism one minute and demanding tight storytelling the next. Anyway, I’ll stop rambling and actually get to the point:

personal recs, in general*

I just couldn’t really “categorize” these?

peace hotel (2018): currently in the midst of watching this still, but I’m really enjoying this! honestly. especially with how the female chars (most of the chars are written.) it’s this mix between super suspenseful espionage and really cathartic humor. the plot twists are also so !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

let’s shake it! (2017): alien crashlands to the tang dynasty! it’s super cute and quirky, but there’s also a strong, coherent plot and some angst in the latter parts. definitely one of my faves of last year, though it’s punny sense of humor doesn’t always get through. it’s also very appreciatively meta ;) the subs apparently aren’t complete, as my friend complained to me, but I personally find the language real simple

medical examiner dr. qin (2016): the interactions between the crime-solving trio are gold. also, like the only modern show here?? (as you can tell, I am really mostly a period show watcher.)

go princess go (2015-16): it’s really low-budget and cracky, but trust me, there’s a reason it went viral. zhang tian ai does feel like the saving grace a lot of the time though, and I didn’t exactly give it a high score, but it just might be your thing. who knows?

nirvana in fire (2015): i don’t think it’s the best c-drama ever, unlike a lot of people on this site, but it’s still a very solid show. I also find it a lot more shoujo than most fans—it’s really not just a revenge-political drama—but when it was emotionally gripping, boy, it was emotionally gripping. 

wuxin: the monster killer (2015): technically only season 1—I have yet to see s2—but weirdly enough, I found the poignant ending especially fitting. just assume from the title? yue qiluo is one of the more interesting villains out there, and gosh I just adore yueya so much

bu bu jing xin (2011): extremely poignant, complex look into polymagy/patriarchy during the qing dynasty from the lens of time-traveller zhang xiao who takes the identity of court lady ruoxi. even if you don’t ship any of the romances, it is so worth it for pretty much everything else. but if you do, obviously also an extremely heart-wrenching watch. a lot of people’s first cdrama. 

schemes of a beauty (2010): lots of spying, secret chambers, poison, women control the men. 

*I would want to recommend The Legend of Zhen Huan and The Glory Of Tang Dynasty, but they’re 76 episodes and 92 episodes long, respectively. Content-wise, it’s also stuff that requires lots of trigger warnings, and overall just not for the “baby beginner”. Battle of Changsha is definitely shorter, and a definite recommendation, but also just not for the “baby beginner.” 

no dubbing 

(Peace Hotel, Battle of Changsha, NiF, Medical Examiner Dr. Qin)

the advisors’ alliance (2017) + growling tiger, roaring dragon (2017-18): a mix of no dubbing and some dubbing. it’s a pretty creative to take the viewpoint of sima yi in this three kingdoms historical piece. I feel that it’s rather accessible to viewers, honestly, and the production values are great on this one. 

nothing gold can stay (2017): only 4 eps in—it’s very solid so far (74 eps though, but I would say quite mainstream and easy to watch)

ten miles of spring wind can’t compare to you (2017): do I really want to rec this though? in the end, I really did wish I had someone to vent about this to and discuss with about, because in a lot of ways this really did give lots of food for thought. let’s just say that our three main chars are deliberately rather fatally flawed…and I still feel rather ambivalent about how to feel about this. (the first 10-15 eps are super cute, meta, adorable but also with great sexual tension and then it sort of goes to melodrama but anyway…) you could at least practice your chinese? it is harder than the average modern cdrama, given how pretentious qiu shui can get

shoujo period romances

We all have a soft spot for these :’)

sound of the desert (2014): just yesterday, there was quite a lot of discourse on this show on my dash, interestingly. female lead xin yue (liu shi shi) is raised by a wolf pack, though she eventually enters the capital city sometime during the han dynasty. she does at first fall for a crippled, broody flute player played by hu ge (imo one of his more lackluster roles) but it’s her chemistry with HAWT general wei wuji (eddie peng

female prime minister/legend of lu zhen (2013): again, freakishly sizzling chemistry. it focuses more on lu zhen rising up the ranks as lower-level female ministers, but mostly still very very romance-centric. (the otp falling-out in the last 10 eps or so was kind of stupid, I will admit, and also 200% all on gao zhan but it had such a strong addictive quality to it.)

gong/jade palace lockheart (2011): I haven’t seen Boys Over Flowers/the Japanese original/any official remakes of whatever that is, but a lot of people have called it Boys Over Flowers + modern girl time travels to the Qing Dynasty + 9-prince succession conflict during Kangxi’s reign. it was rather stupid and petty at times, but it’s more comedic and the romance is super addicting. I don’t care about the half-bald Qing queues at all, and this is actually one of the only roles that I’ve found Feng Shaofeng attractive in. (yes, it is possible to love bbjx and enjoy this)

Oh yeah, and all these end all happily and fairytale-like. None of the above would qualify as my “faves” at all, but all are very accessible to someone unfamiliar with cdrama and love the Romance and the Pretty. 

others (I found rather lackluster or dropped): Perfect Couple, The Eternal Love (very popular among international audiences, but not for me), General and I, Oh My General 

wuxias/xianxias

This is just going to be an embarrassing amount of childhood nostalgia. Like, literally, with the exception of the first one, I watched all of these in elementary school, with varying amounts of rewatching in between. The recent wuxias and xianxias just haven’t been to my liking. (I could get into how NiF takes lots of wuxia elements but I would just confuse you a lot so, strictly on the more fantasy/action side of things here.) I simply haven’t watched Eternal Love/Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (very, very popular) at all. I’m sorry. 

vigilantes in masks/strange hero yi zhi mei (2011): I believe the international equivalent is “Iljimae”? It’s like Robin Hood, sort of, but mostly Liu Shi Shi’s Yan Sanniang is so amazing here. 

chinese paladin 3 (2009)

return of the condor heroes (2006)

chinese paladin (2005)

lotus lantern (2005)

also 武林外传, which is 80 eps, but kind of more like a wuxia sitcom way back in the day. there’s in-show ppls, tons of modern references, etc. and also like lots of satire/social commentary. I did a rewatch (of brief clips ofc, I don’t have that much time) recently, and realized I missed so much when I watched it with the family back then. (I’m kind of embarrassed about the more lewd references…lol…)

*line break*

Whew! Anyway, the takeaway is, there is a lot of stuff to choose from, and I definitely left out a lot of stuff. There’s also a lot of modern cdramas. This answer might clarify about those shows. 

(that being said, I really personally would not recommend empress of china. I mean, aside from 96 eps, just 2 eps in I could tell it was going to be an unsubstantial mess >_

[renewedmotionforjudgment]

Mid-Year Review: Dramas that I have watched this year, in no particular order.

I’ve come to realize that my drama taste rides and dies with how much I connect with the main characters. Essentially, give me an OTP that I love and characters that I want to root for, and I will be able to ignore the plotholes. To some extent this explains why I haven’t really been able to get into Nirvana in Fire (I know), and am having a hard time motivating myself to finish The Advisor’s Alliance and the Secret of the Three Kingdoms, but somehow managed to blow through 62 episodes of General and I in less than a week.

The other thing is as I’ve gotten older I’ve been less concerned with whether my drama tastes are “objectively” good or bad. So my taste tend to venture unapologetically into romance novel-esq OTPs or palace dramas. The last thing is that I realized that I’m not really a wuxia or xianxia person. Sure, I really did love Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei but I think it was the procedural aka Leverage-esq part of the drama that I liked. I’ve tried xianxia but let’s face it the only reason I made through both Swordsmen and Journey of the Flower is Wallace Huo. Anyhow, without further ado:

Finished

Because of Meeting You — I picked it up because I actually really liked Deng Lun and Sun Yi’s chemistry in Ten Years of Migratory Birds. For whatever reason I thought it was a light-hearted rom com and was totally wrong about that. I don’t know if this is ever going to be my comfort watch dramas because I found Guo Guo’s family to be so frustrating to watch — I pretty much just wanted to slap everyone in her family except the aunt.

Ten Years of Migratory Birds — okay finished is a little bit too generous in the sense that I did a copious amount of fast forwarding. It was overall too early 2000s k-drama for me.

Cage of Love — was it over the top and dramatic and bonkers with perhaps not the world’s healthiest OTP? Yes. But it was fun to watch for the pining.

Chronicles of Life — I watched it back to back with Cage of Love so it’s entirely possibly that I’ve literally merged the two very different dramas in my head. The OST’s great, Zhang Bin Bin is gorgeous, and everyone in the drama needs to lay off the magenta lipstick (aka why did they have Hui Fei in that magenta lipstick when she was wearing red? My eyes twitched just thinking about it.).

Legend of Dugu — despite the not so great dialogue and the plot holes, I actually found it really enjoyable up until episode 40. To be honest, I’m not quite certain if Hu Binqi can really carry a show.

General and I — as I’ve written before, there’s some weird plot holes and not so great CGI and the middle did drag, but it’s like someone made a drama from the shoujo manga of my dreams and one of my weak spot in a drama OTP is a noble hero who is willing to give up his life of glory for love.

My Sunshine — watched it as a part of my Wallace Chung binge after General and I. There was a copious amount of fast forwarding. Idk, I remain dubious of the premise in the age of social media and as a whole, I don’t have a lot of patience towards modern melodrama. I know this was quite well received but I prefer both Love o2o and Boss and Me for Gu Man dramas.

Still Watching

Mengfei comes across — I’m hoping that someday they’ll release the 9 episodes that have been cut. I like how light and fluffy it is because sometimes I just need a break from the plot. As I mentioned in my other posts, it’s much more of a sitcom to be and it’s honestly kind of refreshing to see a palace drama that also focuses on female friendships. What I like about the friendship in this drama is that it’s not really due to some childhood bond.

Sweet Dreams — Also somewhat light and fluffy (also sorta spoiler but I’m glad Qiqi got over her intial idol worship of Bo Hai). There’s not much commentary to it other than it’s an enjoyable watch.

The Advisor’s Alliance — it’s honest something that I promised myself I’ll finish watching. But it’s hard to muster the mental energy after work because I can’t just multitask with this.

Secret of the Three Kingdoms — also will try to finish. But again the lack of mental energy.

Cinderella Chef — I was super into this but I found it to be draggy? After a while. But I’m close enough to the end that I do want to finish it.

When a snail falls in love — I actually do like it and I’m a sucker for a good procedural, but I just keep forgetting about it.

Nothing Gold Can Stay — also in the category of dramas I like but keep forgetting to watch.

Dropped

Oh my emperor — parts of it are cute but it doesn’t have a practically engaging OTP or main characters. I like royal uncle but that’s about it.

Heirs (not the kdrama one) — I chose not to get into family law for a reason.

Old Boy — I find it to be well written but I got bored. Also, getting into the wrong car at a gas station is literally one of my fears so thanks drama for making me all paranoid.

The Four — I can only watch so many episodes for the lulz.

Sparrow — I tried. I really tried. But I couldn’t connect to any of the characters or the OTP, and the plot was not so interesting.

[hkctvdramas]

Hi! Do you know any chinese drama where the male characters have blood bonds, or have a close relationship? Like the brothers in the Yang family, or the gang in Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei. I love dramas with strong bond between the male characters, but it is so hard to find.

One that comes to mind is: Wu Xin The Monster Killer, Bu Bu Jing Xin, Destined to Love You

If you prefer female characters bonding, there is Ode to Joy, Huan Zhu Ge Ge

[walkwithheroes84]

Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese dramas Watched Between 2010-2019

I’m putting these all together, because I didn’t really watch that many during the last ten years. To make this list, I have to have completed the drama. I think my “big” time watching these was between 2005-2009. Anyway, here you go:

2010:

None

2011:

The Vigilantes In Masks / Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei

Hayate the Combat Butler (Hsuan Feng Kuan Chia)

2012:

None

2013:

Never Give Up Dodo

2014:

Perfect Couple

Battle of Changsha

Sound of the Desert

2015:

Limelight Years

The Journey of Flower

Love Me If You Dare 

2016:

None

2017:

Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossom

2018:

The King of Blaze

Legend of Yun Xi

2019:

Love and Destiny

Mr. Fighting 

Joy of Life (going into 2020)

[wuxiaphoenix]

TV Series Review: Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei

AKA The Vigilantes in Masks (2011, sometimes listed as 2010). Five out of five stars here, you can tell when the plum and cherry blossom scenes are green-screened but the rest is very well done, and the story just rocks.

I know I’ve mentioned that the Imperial Coroner would make a fun Leverage cross, but if you’re looking for “Leverage in Ancient China”, this is the series that so far comes the closest.

In fact, if you’ve watched the premiere ep of Leverage and you then watch the first 4 eps of Strange Hero? You may be throwing popcorn at the screen in helpless laughter, because if the writers didn’t directly riff off Leverage they took a lot of inspiration from it.

Though the rescue of Li Ge Xiao is definitely unique to this show. And it is an awesome rescue, that shows that even though he is a convicted criminal, the men he led in the Jǐnyīwèi years ago believe he’s been railroaded and still intend to help... as much as they can get away with.

...Which is another bit of Leverage similarity. Five years before the show started, Li Ge Xiao was second in command of the Jǐnyīwèi, the Brocade-Clad Guards of Ming China. He was a cop. More specifically, he was the secret police. Someone who investigated undercover at least part of the time - which is likely how he survived his first death sentence and escaped....

Yes, I’m also reminded of the A-Team. Because in the first ep Li Ge Xiao isn’t handed a team, he goes out and finds specific people to do the job. Three “chivalrous strangers,” the ex-bandit Chai Hu (hitter), the light-footed thief Yan San Niang, and actor/impersonator He Xiao Mei (grifter, also later medic). If you have a problem, if no one else can help you, and if you can find them....

Ahem.

I do have two grumps with the show. The first being a bit of Artistic License - Medicine. The first time mercury shows up as a poison in-show it’s mostly played straight. The second arc of episodes it shows up in? Noooot so much. They really should have used some other hallucinatory/violence-inducing compound. Even if they had to make it up.

Second, and this is a warning to anyone who wants to show this to kids - starting around ep 20, the humiliation conga Ying Wu Qiu (current head of the Brocade-clad Guards) as a much younger Bao Lai Ying goes through that shows how he became a villain and why he hates Li Ge Xiao so much is... really intense. And a bit stomach-turning. Older teens will probably be fine with it, younger kids not so much.

OTOH if you can watch those eps, it’s a sobering take on, bad things happening to people are no excuse to become a bad person. Ying Wu Qiu isn’t a horrible person because he went through hell; Li Ge Xiao goes through at least as much hell, and still tries to help people. Ying Wu Qiu is a horrible person because there’s something fundamentally wrong with his character. He has no ethics, no pride in himself as a person, none of the innate dignity that makes a person say “this is the line I won’t cross, because it would be wrong”. All that matters to him is that he stays alive and has the power to get what he wants. He has nothing he’s willing to die for... and that means he loses everything that really matters. Sure, he has political power, wealth, concubines. But there’s no one who loves him. No one who’s willing to pick him up when he falls down. No one worth coming home to.

In contrast, our heroes might like living, but there are things they are willing to die for. They’ve lost a lot in their lives, and sometimes they’ve retreated to selfish behavior. But when the chips are down they do the right thing - no matter what it costs.

In that vein, the show writers really picked the right setting for our heroes to shine in, because historically the Imperial Court at this time was horribly corrupt, including the Guards, so “vigilantes working outside the law” really are the good guys. Nicely done.

So if you’re looking for a show that draws clear distinctions between right and wrong, supports people looking after their families, and gets in the rock-and-hard-place aspects of people trying to pick the least wrong thing to do when all choices are either bad or illegal - this is a good one.

It also has loads of action, engaging characters, and a slow-burn attraction between San Niang and Ge Xiao that feels very, very realistic in both how long it takes and the various missteps on both sides. (That, and the various other people in their lives dropping gleeful hints of “you like him/her, you really do!”)

[Jiang Hu] Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei Ost Opening

The first ep.

[dilirebas]

Hi! Are there any Wuxia or fantasy historical dramas you recommend? Thanks!

Sure! I’m not sure what style you’re looking for and whether or not you need English subs, so I’ll just throw out everything that comes to mind.

For the great classics, there are a few Jin Yong novel adaptations I would recommend. Legend of the Condor Heroes is one of Jin Yong’s best known stories and the 2003 adaption of LOCH is great, if you don’t mind watching something older (and with pretty bad video quality lol). I also started watching the 2017 version, which is more modern, and I really like it so far. There’s a 2008 version with more of an idol drama style but it was a real drag to watch so I wouldn’t recommend it.

Return of the Condor Heroes is another classic but unfortunately the 2006 version is the latest one worth watching because the 2014 version is pretty terrible, and I don’t have a good feeling about the 2019 version. And again if you don’t mind watching older stuff, the 2003 version of Demi Gods and Semi Devils is quite good too.

The Flame’s Daughter is a wuxia drama I’ve recommended a few times. I was expecting yet another mediocre idol drama take on wuxia but I ended up loving it, and even rewatching it. The story and characters are well-written and memorable, and the fight scenes are fantastic. It’s a sweet idol drama with a proper wuxia feel. I also recommended Bloody Romance a lot because it’s an incredibly good drama overall, but the action/fighting/abilities are not as well-developed, so as a wuxia production it leaves me a bit cold.

I would also recommend Princess Agents, which isn’t strictly wuxia in plot, but it does have that type of action and conflict. The production quality is very high, the characters are well-written, and the 2nd male lead will break your heart.

The King’s Woman also isn’t strictly wuxia because it’s an idol palace drama in many ways but it mixes in the martial arts world and action. I’m throwing this in here because the chemistry between Dilraba and Zhang Bin Bin will leave you with your jaw dropped.

And on the topic of wuxia/xianxia with a more idol drama feel, the production company Tangren has made some iconic ones. I actually think some of their lesser known dramas are better than their most popular ones. Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei is about a group of four heroes solving cases and it’s a really fun watch. It has a more realistic fighting style and the cast is simply brilliant. Xuan Yuan Sword: Rift in the Sky is a fun xianxia drama with meh CGI but an enjoyable story and a strong cast.

Lastly, Novoland: Storm of Prophecy is actually such a well-made drama in so many ways. The world-building is great, the production quality created such a unique atmosphere, the entire cast is brilliant, but you really shouldn’t expect too much. Idk if they were hoping for a sequel or if it was budget issues, but the storylines simply don’t get resolved. Everything is set up brilliant and then you have no idea how it gets tied up.

Other than that, I still haven’t watched Martial Universe and Legend of Fuyao, but I’ll definitely get to those, so I’ll keep you guys updated about my thoughts!

[weeguttersnipe]

I think history cannot tolerate this person’s existence anymore.

The Vigilantes in Masks (Chinese series, 2011)

[nontonfilmdrama]

The Vigilantes in Masks / Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei / 怪俠一枝梅 (2011) http://bit.ly/2zNzIuy

[dramaserialdotid]

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J via dramaserial.id

[juweigl]

I love Legend of the Condor Heroes 2013 version. i need to watch the latest version maybe its good.

I don't think there was a 2013 version, do you mean 2003? That was my favourite one, it had my favourite choreography and Zhou Xun was such a good Huang Rong! From what I've seen of the 2017 version I can't imagine it living up to older versions, it has more of an idol drama feel rather than a classic wuxia feel, but I could be totally wrong.Btw if you can understand Chinese without subtitles, there are some real wuxia gems beyond the Jin Yong classics. The 2016 version of Legend of Flying Daggers (with Hawick Lau and Yang Rong) was fantastic and really under appreciated imo. Also, Strange Hero Yi Zhi Mei is one of my all time favourites but I've only seen it subbed on Viki with low resolution videos. I would watch it anyway though hehe..

[rosyquartzk]

When you fell in love with the villain instead of the hero... AND I’M PROUD OF IT!

(probs will make more sooner or later,  he’s just too hsgfjkdujkdfs...)