Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The Return of the Condor Heroes (2006 TV series)

The Return of the Condor Heroes is a wuxia television series produced by director Zhang Jizhong in 2006. This adaptation of Jinyong's novel ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'' was first broadcasted on 17 March 2006 in China which was followed by subsequent broadcasts in other Asian countries. Spanning over 41 episodes, this series focuses on the development of Yang Guo as he ultimately becomes the ''Condor Hero'' and his relationship with his master, Xiaolongnü.

Plot summary



The story continues from '' .'' After the marriage of Guo Jing and Huang Rong, they adopted young Yang Guo, son of Guo Jing's late sworn brother and mortal enemy Yang Kang after his mother Mu Nianci has died due to illness. Guo Jing sent Yang Guo to learn martial arts from the Quanzhen Sect after a series of incidents on Peach Blossom Island.

Elsewhere, Li Mochou sought vengeance on the Lu family some years after her ex-lover Lu Zhanyuan and his wife died. After killing almost all the members of the Lu Family, she ran into Huang Yaoshi, father-in-law of Guo Jing, and fought with him. During the fight, she managed to distract the martial art master by poisoning Cheng Ying. She then kidnapped Lu Wushuang, Lu Zhanyuan's niece.

The Ancient Tomb sect



After Guo Jing left him in the care of the '''' , Yang Guo was ill-treated by Zhao Zhijing and his disciples. He escaped and entered the ''Tomb of the Living Dead''. The Taoists followed him there but were stopped by the jade bees. Upon the Taoists' return to the tomb, Grandma Sun protected Yang Guo as they fought back against the Taoists but was mortally wounded in the fight at Chongyang Palace. Suddenly, Xiaolongnü appeared; gliding down gracefully from the roof. With her last breath, Grandma Sun made Xiaolongnü promise to look after Yang Guo for all eternity. After fighting with the Taoists, Xiaolongnü brought Yang Guo and Grandma Sun’s body back to the tomb. As she sealed Grandma Sun's coffin, Xiaolongnü stood emotionlessly beside the coffin while Yang Guo cried, swearing that he will avenge Grandma Sun one day.

Keeping her promise, Xiaolongnü took Yang Guo in and accepted him as her disciple. As time passed, Yang Guo's martial arts improved under Xiaolongnü's teachings and guidance. After both Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo finally mastered the two skills , they began to learn their sect's highest level of martial arts, the ''Maiden Finesse''. However, one night while they were practising, they were interrupted by Zhao Zhijing and who were fighting. With her energy flow disrupted, Xiaolongnü was injured severely. After their return to the tomb, Li Mochou seized the opportunity to demand the ''Jade Maiden Manual'' from Xiaolongnü. Sealing the only exit out of the tomb to prevent Li Mochou and her disciple from leaving the tomb, Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo escaped from Li's clutches and found another way out of the tomb by coincidence. Desperate to escape from the tomb, Li Mochou reluctantly co-operated with them and eventually left the tomb with them.

Alone again, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü continued to practise the ''Jade Heart Manual''. Upon mastering the skill, Xiaolongnü was troubled about Yang Guo and her future. That night, Ouyang Feng came and surprised Xiaolongnü, starting a fight between them. However, they stopped by Yang Guo's interference. Upon recognising each other, Ouyang Feng and Yang Guo hugged each other as Xiaolongnü watched nearby. Ouyang Feng wanted to impart his martial arts skills to Yang Guo but did not want Xiaolongnü to watch. Out of Yang Guo's sight, Ouyang Feng immoblised Xiaolongnü in an open space under a tree. Zhen Zhibing, who had witnessed this, seized the opportunity to approach Xiaolongnü from behind. Xiaolongnü thought Yang Guo was playing with her as she was unable to see who was actually behind her. Zhen Zhibing proceeded to undress her and rape her as Zhao Zhijing watched from a distance. After a while, Yang Guo returned to find Xiaolongnü lying still underneath the tree. Yang Guo unparalysed her and was puzzled when Xiaolongnü hugged him. When Yang Guo refused to acknowledge her as his wife at her prompting, Xiaolongnü immobilised Yang Guo and left in anger.

Rejection by society



Yang Guo began to search everywhere for Xiaolongnü but could not find her. After a while, Xiaolongnü missed Yang Guo and searched everywhere for him. Xiaolongnü finally found Yang Guo at the place where the ''Heroes' Feast'' was being held. After their intended marriage was revealed to everyone present there, they were scorned at by the society due to the tradition that stated marital relations between a master and a disciple were forbidden. They were separated again after Huang Rong talked to Xiaolongnü about Yang Guo being looked down upon by others in the future. Naive and deeply concerned for Yang Guo, Xiaolongnü left him to return to the tomb. Yang Guo looked for her and along the way, he met Huang Yaoshi and his disciple Sha Gu, who revealed to him that Huang Rong had killed his father. Torn between love and revenge, Yang Guo decided to avenge his father and made a pact with Jinlun Guoshi, a martial arts expert in the Mongolian army who was planning an attack on China. Together, they sought to kill Guo Jing and Huang Rong.

Passionless Valley



They travelled to the Passionless Valley where Yang Guo found Xiaolongnü, who had been rescued by Gongsun Zhi, after she attempted to commit suicide. However, Xiaolongnü refused to acknowledge him and wanted him to leave her as she was. After his countless declarations of love and refusals to leave, Xiaolongnü finally acknowledged him and both promised never to leave each other again. They eventually left the Passionless Valley with a promise of an antidote to Yang Guo's poison on one condition, that they will bring back the severed heads of Huang Rong and Guo Jing. Both of them were poisoned by the fatal Love Flower that bloomed in the valley.

After they reached Xiangyang, where Guo Jing and a Chinese army were stationed to counter the Mongolians’ attack on China, Yang Guo had an inner confusion whether to kill Guo Jing and Huang Rong or not. He had only eighteen more days to live but instead, he saved Guo Jing's life when the Mongolians attacked out of respect for Guo Jing when he saw the latter risking his life for China.

During this turbulent time, and her twin brother Guo Polu were born, but Li Mochou kidnapped the newborn Guo Xiang from Jinlun Guoshi, who had seized her from Xiaolongnü, whom Huang Rong had entrusted Guo Xiang to. Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü were separated again after yet another misunderstanding. During an argument, Guo Fu severed Yang Guo's right arm. Due to another misunderstanding, Guo Fu believed that Yang Guo, who was poisoned, traded her sister in for the antidote in Passionless Valley because Guo Xiang was missing. She was under the impression that the Wu brothers thought that her parents betrothed her to Yang Guo. In fact, Yang Guo had used Huang Rong's Dog Beating Stick Technique to stop the Wu brothers from fighting each other to win Guo Fu’s hand. Yang Guo had lied to them in order for them to stop fighting each other to win Guo Fu’s hand and spend their lives serving the Chinese army to counter the Mongolian attack instead. Spoiled, obstinate, and easily angered, she told her that his mentor was impure, after overhearing a conversation, from which Yang Guo's mentor learned she was impure.

Yang Guo, who knew nothing about the incident under the tree that night at the time, warned her never to insult Xiaolongnü again, but she, already angry at her father because she abandoned the injured Yang Guo after he saved her mother, thoughtlessly repeated her earlier remark. He slapped her hard, and she sliced off his arm with a sword. Shocked, she ran to her mother to beg her to plead with her father. Guo Jing was very angry after he found out about the incident and decided to punish his daughter by slicing off her arm as well as punishment, but his wife stopped him.

However, this incident would forever strain the relationships between Guo Jing and his daughter, as he will never forgive her for what she done. While recovering, Yang Guo learnt ''Dugu Qiubai's Sword Techniques'' from the great condor he befriended and tried to adapt to his disability. They were reunited at Chongyang Palace after the leaders of the Quanzhen Sect severely wounded Xiaolongnü. Never wanting to leave each other again, they were married at the temple in the Chongyang Palace.

Broken Heart Cliff



After they returned to the Passionless Valley to obtain the antidote for Yang Guo's poison, Yang Guo threw away the antidote which Xiaolongnü had fought very hard to retrieve from Gongsun Zhi. Since Xiaolongnü's wound was incurable, Yang Guo did not want to live without her. However, Xiaolongnü did not want Yang Guo to die. Xiaolongnü left, leaving behind a message for Yang Guo that said they would meet again in 16 years. Realising that Yang Guo had not seen through Xiaolongnü's message, Huang Rong tricked him into believing that there was a "Divine Nun of the South Sea" who comes around every 16 years and has the ability to heal Xiaolongnü. Heart-broken, Yang Guo believed her and returned to join the Condor which he had befriended earlier and continued his martial arts training. He also developed a new palm technique called ''Melancholic Palms,'' which responses to his disability and emotions.

Reunited




16 years later, Yang Guo was now known as the "Condor Hero" after his numerous noble deeds. He chanced upon the teenage Guo Xiang who ran into some trouble. Infatuated with Yang Guo, Guo Xiang made him promise to meet her again on her sixteenth birthday. They had an adventure and he gave her three golden needles or wishes she wants him to fulfill for her. At the ''Heroes' Feast'', Yang Guo met Guo Jing, Huang Rong and Huang Yaoshi, who was also present. Yang Guo turned the festival into a birthday party with the rest of his friends and allies while defending Xiangyang from the Mongolian army led by ''M?ngke Khan'' and Jinlun Guoshi. Huang Yaoshi later revealed to him that there was no "Divine Nun of the South Sea" in a conversation. Yang Guo raced back to the Broken Heart Cliff. On his way there, he passed by the ruined temple where his father died and met one of Guo Jing's martial art masters Ke Zhen'e, along with the former associates of the Jin prince Wanyan Honglie and Yang Kang . From them, he discovered the truth that his father was a deceitful, villainous, and murderous traitor to his country, family, and friends before he met his end. Overwhelmed with emotions by his father's villainous past, Yang Guo finally understood why Huang Rong had never fully trusted him since childhood and why he was such an outcast in the martial society even before the affair with his wife. Also, he decided to give up his desire to avenge his father. He finally reached the cliff, where he waited for one whole day for Xiaolongnü to appear. He finally realised that Xiaolongnü had sacrificed her life to save his. At that moment, his overwhelming sorrow led him to jump over the cliff. Yang Guo fell into a lake and noticed the jade bees. He dived into the lake and entered a cave. There, he noticed a ''Chilled Jade Bed'', similar to the one back at the ancient tomb. Suddenly, Yang Guo felt a presence and turned around to see Xiaolongnü gliding in the air gracefully with bees flying around her. Xiaolongnü also turned and said Yang Guo's name in disbelief. They flew to each other and hugged. Meanwhile at Xiangyang, a full-scale battle was taking place as the Mongolians continued their attack. Jinlun Guoshi used Guo Xiang as bait to lure Guo Jing and Huang Rong out of the city. The Mongolians attacked the Guo family, who were now outside the safety of the city walls. Suddenly, the Condor, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü joined the battle, helping the Guo family. Yang Guo fought with Jinlun Guoshi and eventually won. He then eliminated ''M?ngke Khan'', disbanding the entire Mongolian army, caused a civil war that disrupted the unity and invincibility of the Mongol Empire, and halting their invasion for another thirteen years until the succession of ''Kublai Khan. '' Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü returned to Xiangyang and were received as heroes, and Yang Guo and Guo Jing finally fully made peace with each other as they marching the street of the city together with their families and friends like father and son. They left with the Condor as Guo Xiang watched and made a wish that Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü will hopefully spend the rest of their lives together.

Offscreen



After the celebration, many heroes went to Mt. Hua to visit the graves of the late Ouyang Feng and Hong Qigong. There, Huang Rong claimed new titles for the five main heroes who defended the city as The New Five Greats:

* Zhou Botong - is known as the Old Imp . At the end of the novel, he reluctantly took central position of the Five Greats as 'Zhong Wantong' which used to belong to his apprentice brother, Wang Chongyang aka Zhong Shentong.
* Huang Yaoshi - is known as the Eastern Heretic , a man who had a strong dislike for the ethics of that era and has a mercurial disposition. Also respectfully called Taohua Daozhu for where he lives, though he tends to wander around in this novel because his daughter and son-in-law has taken over the island.
* Yang Guo - is known as the Western Eccentric , in reference to his flouting of the conventions, including the forbidden marriage to his master. As the name suggests, he gets along well with the Eastern Heretic Huang Yaoshi. Successor to Ouyang Feng , the Western Venom who is also his foster father.
* Yideng Dashi - is known as the Southern Monk . He used to be called the Southern Emperor , because he was the king of the Kingdom of Dali but he abdicated and entered the monastery to become a monk.
* Guo Jing - is known as the Northern Hero , for his compassion and devoted efforts in helping to defend Xiangyang over the years against the Mongolian invasion. A successor to Northern Beggar Hong Qigong , who was also one of his teachers.

Before leaving the city, Yang Guo gave Guo Xiang his treasured Heavy Iron Sword as a gift for her, and taught a fraction of his skills to a young Zhang Sanfeng. Yang Guo and Zhang Sanfeng later chased Jinlun's allies Yin Kexi and Xiaoxiangzi after they had stolen Jiu Yang Zhen Jing manual script from Shaolin Temple. But the books were nowhere to be found. Unbeknownst to all present at Mountain Hua, Yin Kexi had hidden the Jiu Yang Zhen Jing in the abdomen of a large gorilla. The story would continue in ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre'' , as the fates of the Guo and Yang families would reveal in the final chapter of ''The Condor Trilogy''.

Cast





*Huang Xiaoming as Yang Guo
*Liu Yifei as Xiaolongnü
*Wang Luoyong as Guo Jing
*Kong Lin as Huang Rong
*Meng Guangmei as Li Mochou
*Zhong Zhentao as Gongsun Zhi
*Chen Zihan as Guo Fu
*Yang Mi as
*Qian Bo as Guo Polu
*Ba Yin as Jinlun Guoshi
*Wang Ning as Wu Dunru
*Zhao Zhentao as Wu Xiuwen
*Zhao Hongfei as Yelü Qi
*Fu Shui as Gongsun Lü’e
*Zhang Jizhong as Yelü Chucai
*Gao Hu as Huo Du
* as Lu Wushuang
*Wang Jia Cheng Ying
*Cheng Haofeng as
*Liu Naiyi as Zhao Zhijing
*Zhai Naishe as Ouyang Feng
*Zhao Liang as Zhou Botong
*Li Mingqi as Sun Popo
*Rao Min as Yelü Yan
*Sun Lihua as Wanyan Ping
* as Qiu Qianchi
*Yuan Wan as Kublai Khan
*Hei Zi as Feng Mofeng
*Liang Li as Ying Gu
*Wang Weiguo as Duan Zhixing/Yideng
*Lü Shigang as Qiu Qianren/Ci’en
*Da Li as Hong Qigong
*Ma Jielin as Ke Zhen’e
*Xiao Ding Dang as young Yang Guo
*Tian Zhong as Lu Qingdu
*Mu Lixin as Zhu Ziliu
*Chen Jiming as Qiu Chuji
*Liu Pizhong as Hao Datong
*Sun Xiaoyan as Sun Bu’er
* as Ma Yu
*Su Mao as Wang Chuyi
*Gao Mingku as Liu Chuxuan
*Li Zhonghua as Wu Santong
*Zhao Dandan as Hong Lingbo
*Zhou Gang as Da’er Ba
*Ma Zijun as The Indian Monk
*Zhang Hengping as Lu Youjiao
*Huang Xiaolei as Sha Gu
*Zhang Zhenyong as Nimoxing
* as Xiaoxiangzi
*Xiu Ge as Yin Kexi
*Zhang Shen as Ma Guangzuo
*Zhang Jidie as Fan Yiweng
* as M?ngke Khan
*Li Hu as Lü Wende
*Guo Jun as Wang Chongyang
*Yu Ting as Lin Chaoying
*Zhou Haodong as Lu Liding
* as Li Zhichang
*Meng Honggang as Wang Zhitan
*Tao Jixin as one of the five Shi Brothers
*Wang Xiuqiang as one of the five Shi Brothers
*Wang Weizhen as one of the five Shi Brothers
* as one of the five Shi Brothers
* as one of the five Shi Brothers
*Xu Jingyi as one of the Ghosts of the Western Mountain
* as one of the Ghosts of the Western Mountain
* as one of the Ghosts of the Western Mountain
*Feng Songsong as one of the Ghosts of the Western Mountain
*Ye Qian as one of the Ghosts of the Western Mountain
* as one of the Ghosts of the Western Mountain
*Zhu Lei as He Shiwo
*Wang Jiusheng as Lu Guanying
*Wang Chi as Cheng Yaojia
* as Wang Shisan
*Wang Lizhou as Ji Qingxu
*Hu Zhiyong as Pi Qingxuan
*Gan Yong as Chen the Beggar
*Wang Feibiao as Han the Beggar
*Zhou Zhong as Shen Zhifan
*Zhang Jin as Lan Tianhe
*Ren Wu as Bai Cao Xian
*Yan Boya as Sheng Yin the Black Dress Nun
*Tong Jiangang as Renchuzi
*Wei Binghua as Qinglingzi
*Tang Qirong as Sha Tongtian
*Cao Zhenyu as Hou Tonghai
*Li Jianchang as Peng Lianhu
*Jiao Changdao as Lingzhi Shangren
*Ren Maocheng as The Dark Face Man
*Li Aiqin as Xiao Bang Tou
*Chen Anni as young Guo Fu
*Wang Jiayi as young Cheng Ying
*Ge Shimin as young Lu Wushuang
*Chen Yalun as young Wu Dunru
*Ye Qile as young Wu Xiuwen
*Zhou Jie as Yang Kang

Production


* Filming began in October 2004 and ended in May 2005.
* Filming locations include Zhejiang, Chongqing, Shandong, Guangdong, Liaoning, Beijing and Sichuan Jiuzhaigou Valley.

Differences with the novel


Although this television series follows the novel's plot closely, there were several details that were altered or depicted differently. As with other adaptations, various scenes from the novel were omitted from the series.



International broadcasts




Soundtrack


The original television drama soundtrack was released on 13 May 2006. There are two versions of the soundtrack. The mainland Chinese release contains a total of 15 tracks while the Taiwanese release includes two bonus tracks. The original score was composed by Xiao Chong .



Trivia



*Producer Zhang Jizhong had previously adapted three other Jinyong's novels. ''The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'' and ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' were produced to great acclaim. ''Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'' was heavily panned by fans and critics alike.
*Actor Wang Luoyong and actress Kong Lin took over the roles of Guo Jing and Huang Rong from Li Yapeng and Zhou Xun of ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' .
*Segments from ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' were featured as flashbacks including the scene depicting how Yang Kang died, who was portrayed by Zhou Jie .
*Some of the cast of the cast members from ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' reprised their roles for this remake, including Zhao Liang , Huang Xiaolei , Liang Li , and Wang Weiguo .
*Motion picture scores from the United States's movies were used for this remake, including ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day,'' '','' ''The Day After Tomorrow,'' '''', ''Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,'' and ''Batman Begins.''
*The chorus from Iwasaki Taku's "Shades of Revolution", a Rurouni Kenshin OVA musical score, was used in a minor fight scene between Yang Guo and Li Mochou .
*Actress Liu Yifei previously played another Jingyong's character as Wang Yuyan from ''Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils'' .
* Huang Xiaoming worked with actress Zhou Xun on the movie '','' who previously played Huang Rong on Zhang Jizhong's ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' .
* Huang Xiaoming previously worked with Zhou Jie and Jiang Qinqin previously on 還珠格格3 television series. They both played Yang Guo's parents on Zhang Jizhong's The Legend of the Condor Heroes .
* Ba Yin , who play Jinlun Guoshi previously played Guo Jing's arching teacher Jebe on ''The Legend of Condor Heroes'' , and currently playing Genghis Khan on ''The Legend of Condor Heroes'' .
* Actress Chen Zihan , who play Guo Fu, previously played Yin Li on ''The Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre'' , another adaptation of Jinyong's work and also the third part of ''The Condor Trilogy''. She also were in another one of Jinyong's television adaptation remake ‘‘The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'' .
* The melody of the song "Dearest" by Ayumi Hamasaki, famous for being in the Inuyasha television series, can be heard in the background on episode 15 during the scene where Gongsun Zhi is talking to Xiaolongnü at the Passionless Valley.

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