First Look: Demon Girl

Producer Yu Zheng's track record for ruining novel adaptations did not bode well for his latest offering but in spite of it, Demon Girl 半妖倾城 manages to turn the tide, at least in my book.

Episode 1 begins with a rundown of the laws governing the fantasy universe of demons roaming the earth. They are said to be no different from humans except for increased strength, agility and the ability to fly.

A family of four is running for their lives while the mother (Ady An) bids her husband and two daughters farewell as she closes the doors behind them to transform into a dark winged creature powerful enough to fight an army of militants.

Years pass and Nie Qing Cheng (Li Yi Tong), the elder sibling, makes a living as a dancer in a posh nightclub. During a performance, she is forcibly taken by gangsters in an attempt to bribe Ming Xia (Zhang Zhe Han), the new sheriff in town.

Ming Xia makes it clear that a rich man like him has no need for money or women and that he became a sheriff to rid injustices like this. Guns are drawn and Ming Xia emerges the victor after outmaneuvering the gang lord in his very own territory.

At home, Qing Cheng recalls her fleeting encounter with Ming Xia. Her sister Qing Xin's playful teasing result in a fun game of splash that causes a crack in the tub without either of them realizing that it is due to Qing Cheng's powers.

Qing Xin is a student at a high society school and she is devastated over being excluded from the biggest event of the year. Acting as the loving big sis, Qing Cheng sneaks them inside and stands up to her sister's bullies, allowing the more timid Qing Xin a chance to shine.

Seeing that her work is done, Qing Cheng takes a walk and she is pleasantly surprised at the sight of Ming Xia. 

First Impressions: I was intrigued before the drama even aired despite serious doubts on whether it would hold my interest at all; yet lo and behold, it has been four episodes and I'm antsy for more.

Brushing aside Mi Re's awkward shower scene, powder-faced vampiric goth and bad hair plus the undying trend of pointy ears, this drama is relatively well-made because if Yu Zheng has a penchant for anything, it would be his talent for pretty pictures, which work wonders in a supernatural realm where he has free reign to be as creative as can be.

From the flashy gold specks that tread a fine line between tacky and cool to the bits of information inserted at the beginning of each episode, Demon Girl adds nice details and retains a magical demeanor reminiscent of Monster Killer but this time around, romance takes the center stage. 

It tells a love story that's not sickly sweet but sugary syrup in a way that leaves you wanting. Newcomer Li Yi Tong may not be the best actress but she brings to life a strong, lovable and unique female character that is easy on the eyes while the boys Zhang Zhe Han and Mi Re are equally swoon-worthy.

Episode 1 is so happy that it's practically a given for things to go awry; yet the conflicts that ensued while seemingly taken out of pages of a high-school drama ended up quite entertaining nonetheless.

For more synopsis, cast and ratings, see my 2016 Chinese historical drama listing. 

Demon Girl airing now

Pictures can truly paint a thousand words as I stare supremely intrigued over Demon Girl 半妖倾城 without any inkling of the plot whatsoever. It is a fantasy novel-turned-drama adaptation by Yu Zheng and his works have always been hit or miss, but if the pictures are any indication...

Demon Girl is headlined by rising star Zhang Zhe Han (Legend of Banshu) and newcomer Li Yi Tong who are supported by a largely unfamiliar cast of young artists (born 1990s), a gamble in and of itself but not a bad thing.

Viann Zhang Xinyu and Ady An guest star to portray the earlier generation, detailing the story of how the demon came to be during the late Qing Dynasty while popular Taiwanese actor Jiro Wang is shown in costume as well.

Set in the Republican era, the main story will center around a love triangle and an ill-fated love between a half-demon and a rich man. It is a myriad of cliches and even time periods since the latest trailer unveils a modern-day setting, yet hot mess or not, I kind of want to watch it. The series premieres Jun 30, 2016 on Mango TV and LeTV.

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 cdrama recommendations.

Source: Duitang, Mingrenziliao, Eng163, iFeng

A guide for wuxia newbies

Allow me to start with how I fell into the depths of period drama addiction. Growing up, my dad would relive his younger days of reading wuxia novels by marathoning adaptations of HK serials. As his trusty sidekick, I was amazed by this fascinating world of swordplay and martial arts and my childhood heroes easily became the iconic characters created from Jin Yong's imagination.

Back then, wuxia series were far from mainstream, yet my guilty pleasure grew far and wide, amassing a sizable collection of dramas that have become too many to count. Period dramas can be broadly classified into three categories even though most people usually lump everything historical under wuxia, myself included. 

Wuxia 武俠 is translated literally to martial hero with works of renowned authors Jin Yong and Gu Long almost synonymous to the genre, thereby sprouting an endless continuum of remakes and adaptations.

The genre is particularly appealing to me because it is not as far-fetched as xianxia but rather its characters are often well-versed in the art of fighting because of their practice of 'chi', a word that will surely ring a bell if you like Asian-infused action flicks. 'Chi' or 'qi' means air but it essentially signifies the life force that allows practitioners to perform all sorts of incredible feats, albeit amplified to an exaggerated extent. As a result, it is not uncommon to see kung fu manuals, fighting stances and then some inner energy transfer to save a life.

Chivalry is alive and kicking where people choose to live and die in the name of honor but I notice that this thinking is not restricted to wuxia but rather spans across most period dramas because apparently, people from the olden days are better versions of ourselves.

For my first pick, I recommend Lang Ling Wang (2013) 蘭陵王 starring Feng Shao Feng (Ice Fantasy), Ariel Lin, Daniel Chan, George Hu and many more. Lan Ling Wang is a beautifully-packaged romance drama with noticeable modern influences that also incorporates the charms of an wuxia.

Edited Mar. 2, 2016
I know that Lan Ling Wang is not exactly an wuxia in the truest sense and the comments against it are not unfounded, so I'm still in search for a newer better wuxia that could really serve as a nice introduction for anyone attempting the genre.

But for now, it doesn't hurt that the Lan Ling Wang cast is made up of popular c-drama actors and actresses and the story highly addictive so I wasn't surprised that it was widely-exported after its initial release. I apologize in advance though as Lan Ling Wang is not without its hair-pulling moments especially towards the middle of the series. Nevertheless, it makes for a very enjoyable watch and I hope you like it.

Xianxia 仙俠 is translated literally to immortal hero. It is a newer sub-genre that has been getting a lot of love mainly from younger fans. Since that's where you make the big bucks, production companies tend to make more and more such dramas that are also star-studded to boot.

Xianxia can encompass anything supernatural with the latest trend being adaptations of role-playing video games and the sky's the limit in terms of subject matter that can include monsters, demons, fairies, magical realms, elixirs and what not. If the characters appear to fly in an wuxia, they literally fly in a xianxia.

For my second pick, I recommend Chinese Paladin 1 (2005) 仙劍奇俠傳 starring Hu Ge, Crystal Liu, Ady An and Eddie Peng. It might be a bit older but it is the first of its kind and the best one in my opinion catapulting the up-and-coming newbies from yonder years to international fame. 

Until now, xianxia is not my preferred genre and I can't get over silly pet peeves like the characters being able to video chat via magical portals in a historical drama. However, I understand the innate appeal of an idol-cast so I continue to be hook, line and sinker'ed nonetheless, eagerly awaiting Chinese Paladin 5 like everyone else. 

Last but not the least is a made-up category that is just a catch-all for anything else. Off the top of my head are palace dramas, historical biopics and melodramas to name a few so for my third and final pick, I recommend Nirvana in Fire (2015) 瑯琊榜 starring Hu Ge and Liu Tao. 

I was torn between Scarlet Heart versus Nirvana in Fire despite the two being so different that they shouldn't even be compared. What holds true is that both are extremely successful dramas and even though the former is more mainstream, I ultimately decided to go with Nirvana in Fire because it is too good to miss out.

Nirvana in Fire is a massive 54-episode revenge drama that is a masterpiece of epic proportions so brilliantly written and thought-provoking. Lest I run out of adjectives, I will let the drama speak for itself so please, please check it out. 

It might seem like I'm going off on a tangent but many years ago, my dad decided to buy DVDs to the 2007 k-drama called Story of the First King's Four Gods aka Legend starring Bae Yong Joon and Lee Ji Ah. I won't go needlessly wordy on this but it's safe to say that like a happy kid who found a neighboring candy store, I started venturing into Korean period dramas aka sageuk 史劇 and never looked back. 

Also see 10 signs you're a wuxia fan.