Magic Star

Magic Star 奇星记之鲜衣怒马少年时 is a 60-episode youthful fantasy wuxia starring Wu Lei (Nirvana in Fire), Chen Xiang (Love Weaves Through A Millennium), Zhang Yu Xi, Zheng He Hui Zi and Deng Shao Wen as they form an unlikely team who traverses the realms of heaven and earth in a quest to save humanity.

Considering that this is my 150th post, the premise is definitely beginning to sound like a dime a dozen. 

It is interesting that Deng Shao Wen from the 90's movie Shaolin Popey is in this as well, had no idea he was still in showbiz. Here's a pic to reminisce the younger days of Deng Shao Wen and Ashton Chen, formerly Shi Xiao Long.

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 c-drama recommendations.

Source: Mingrenziliao

First Look: Legend of Qin

Started Legend of Qin 秦時明月 last Christmas break and I couldn't put it down long enough to write my first impressions. It has been such a fun ride thus far, and I'm finally down to the last 10 episodes so it's now or never.

Episode 1 begins with Jing Ke attempting to kill the Qin Emperor. I say attempt because we know he ultimately fails and in this version, Jing Ke dies in the hands of his friend Ge Nie (Lu Yi).

Jing Ke fathers the main protagonist Jing Tian Ming (Jiang Jin Fu) who grows up years later to be your average kid, oblivious to his true identity. However, all is not what it seems as an unfortunate incident occurs where Tian Ming wakes drenched in blood after what should have been a scuffle with the Qin soldiers turned into a slaughter.

The Qin Emperor catches wind of the massacre and sends men to capture Tian Ming while Ge Nie simultaneously leaves the palace walls to rescue his friend's son. Although Tian Ming tries to escape initially from Ge Nie then from the Qin soldiers, an epic fight ensues and Ge Nie single-handedly defeats 300 soldiers incurring fatal injuries in the process.

Gratefully indebted to Ge Nie, Tian Ming begs the famous doctor Duan Mu Rong (Michelle Chen) to save Ge Nie. Duan Mu Rong feels nothing but disdain for Ge Nie whom she deems a traitor, but she reluctantly agrees to treat him when she realizes that Tian Ming is indeed Jing Ke's son and that there might actually be more than meets the eye.

First Impressions: I love how the drama artfully combines a graphic novel and a historical wuxia, then sprinkles it with fantasy elements, which works for the most part.

Legend of Qin starts with a bang, recounting the monumental assassination attempt directed at the Emperor of Qin. It is a well-known story in history books and widespread in pop culture thanks to a blockbuster movie called Hero. Yet it touches just the tip of the iceberg since the main event follows the adventures of Jing Tian Ming, a young and inexperienced boy endowed with hidden powers that will surely put him in a position to accomplish great things. 

The supporting characters and their storyline are equally if not more intriguing and I was most curious to learn about Ge Nie's motivations and his courage to move forward despite being shunned by everyone he holds dear. Rightfully so as Lu Yi and Michelle Chen starring in supporting roles was odd enough to begin with, and it only made sense upon realizing that they are pivotal to the story and their OTP not any less compared to the main leads. 

Even if you don't like the Ge Nie and Duan Mu Rong tandem, romance is abound with a handful of other couples to root for. I see potential for something epic given such a large cast portraying people that are both fictional and real. We are introduced to various factions such as the Mohists, Xi Shi Tribe, Seven Killing Sect, Ju San Liu Sha aka Quicksand and the historical figures from the Qin Dynasty, each fighting for their own cause.

On another note, I have read bad reviews from those who have seen the original animated version so opinions might vary greatly if you're one of the former. 

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 popular cdramas.

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.

The Classic of Mountain and Seas

The Classic of Mountain and Seas 山海经之赤影传说 or Shan Hai Jing for short, is a 42-episode Chinese fantasy wuxia starring Zhang Han (Braveness of the Ming) and Gu Li Na Zha (Legend of Nine Tails Fox) and it is also rumored to be the drama that brought the real-life couple together.

The plot bears a striking resemblance to Korean drama Legend but the story will focus on two of the four spiritual objects instead. In hindsight, both likely took inspiration from Shan Hai Jing, a collection of Chinese ancient texts that has been preserved since the warring states period.

It tells the tale of two friends who are destined to become the heavenly maiden of opposing tribes since only they have the ability to awaken the Green Dragon and Red Phoenix.

Zhang Han 张翰 is listed as playing two characters Chi Yu and Xin Yue Hu respectively, though I can't be sure if they are twins or one man with two personas, which is not that far-fetched in fantasy wuxia series. 

Gu Li Na Zha 古力娜扎 as Su Mo will play the guardian of the Red Phoenix and Wu Lei, the adorable little bodyguard in Nirvana in Fire will be part of team Phoenix. 

For synopsis, cast and ratings, see 2016 c-drama listing.

Source: Bizhi, Duitang, StyleTV

Qin's Moon (Stills & OST)

Qin's Moon (秦時明月) is a 2015 fantasy wuxia based on a novel and an animated series adaptation of the same name. Set after the turbulent times of the warring states, it depicts the recent unification of the Qin empire and follows Jing Tian Ming, a young lad destined to become a hero.

Translated to English, the title literally means Bright Moon of the Qin Era where bright is the english word for Ming in Jing Tian Ming (Jiang Jin Fu) and moon is english word for Yue, which is the name of his counterpart Gao Yue (Hu Bing Qing).

Tangren entertainment is really good at making dramas that appeal to the mainstream. If I were to describe it using one word, we can be sure that Tangren dramas always have style. Too bad Lu Yi has now been relegated to uncle status. His character as swordsman Ge Nie may be older but he is actually one of the coolest whereas Jiang Jin Fu's character Jing Tian Ming is one that needs a lot of growing up even though I'm already on episode 31.

Since, I'm a bit obsessed with the songs, here are some links to Qin's Moon original soundtrack, just click download mp3.
Tian Ming Jiang 天將明 / The Dawn (opening song) by Yoga Lin
Dang Gui / 当归 (ending song) by Zhou Hui
Du Huo 独活 / Solitary by Aaron Yan 炎亞綸
Kui Jia 盔甲 / Shield by Janice Yan
Yi Shuang Ren 一双人 by Lin Kai Lun.

Please check out my 2016 Chinese drama recommendations.