Fantastically Colorful New Stills from The Swordsman Showcase Chen Qiao En and Wallace Huo
Okay, so if I told any reader of The Smiling Proud Wanderer novel that the picture above is a scene from Yu Zheng‘s upcoming adaptation The Swordsman, I bet 99% of the people will say “Oh, that’s a scene with Linghu Chong and Ren Ying Ying! They look so perfect together and quite suitable for the character.” Maybe 1% might think the girl is Yue Ling Shan. But I even if the entire polling pool was high, no one will think “Oh, that’s Dong Fang Bu Bai with Linghu Chong.” Buh? Yu Zheng, are you really that blind?
I’m not a Chen Qiao En fan but all her female looking stills from The Swordsman scream Yue Ling Shan to me. She would have nailed it – the icy hauteur masking her loneliness and girlish heart. Why why why is this casting instead my AU dreams? Following along with the production of The Swordsman is like a woman going to a male stripper show – cringing yet strangely scintillating. Check out the latest batch of new stills to sate your own curiosity. This drama is so colorful I wonder if Yu Zheng is dipping everyone in technicolor. I feel my interest in this hot mess growing a tiny bit each time I see something new.
Let’s start with some Linghu Chong. I’m still being wowed by Wallace Huo in how hot he looks. It’s weird, it’s like the switch has flipped for him (and how I perceive him). He’ll be the main reason I’m not going to completely write off this adaptation at this stage. And Han Dong as Tian Buo Guang is decent, but nothing to write home about. Hope his performance brings this character to life.
![](http://i966.photobucket.com/albums/ae145/ockoala/Wuxia/muh20.jpg")
I have to concede that Yuan Shan Shan is looking much better here than she did in Gong 2, where I thought her face was exchanged for some Frankensteined version of her old self. She’s still odd looking, but at least she doesn’t make me automatically cringe when I see her anymore. Or maybe I’ve just grown used to her. I hope her acting ratchets up a notch here, because Ren Ying Ying is such a different persona in front of Linghu Chong and then the rest of the world and I need to see the dichotomy.
First look at the third female lead our little nun Yi Lin. She’s cute enough. I don’t care either way since she’s such a meh character to me. Decent but not terribly interesting.
Check out the cute new stills of the secondary OTP of Yue Ling Shan and Lin Ping Zhi. They are way too adorable together. I forget that spoiled little Yue Ling Shan really did love that idiot with all her heart. Too bad he couldn’t reciprocate it sincerely. Oh well, his loss. There has only ever been a portrayal of Yue Ling Shan that captured the reason why Linghu Chong loved her so much, and that was Jamie Chik back in ’84. Everyone else plays her like a shrill spoiled bitch.
Yang Rong as Yue Ling Shan also seems to have nice chemistry with Wallace as Linghu Chong.
Since we’ve already seen Wallace all dolled up to also play Yang Lian Ting in this drama, it’s time to check out Chen Xiao‘s Lin Ping Zhi after the transformation. Voila! Pretty. How could his wifey not suspect something is seriously up with her husband is all I’m saying. Leave it to Yu Zheng to slather on the eyeshadow, LOL.
Finally, some more stills of Dong Fang Bu Bai. The girly version is so insanely pretty. Makes me wonder why Chen Qiao En waited so long to do a period wuxia drama. Aside from being the perfect Ren Ying Ying, I would actually cast her as Su Rong Rong if there was ever another adaptation of Gu Long’s Chor Lau Heung.
[Credit: all pictures from Yu Zheng workshop]
I’ve never read the novel and I adore Yu Zheng’s campy irresistible fun, plus am a big Wallace fangirl. So it all screams ‘must have’ to me!
Wallace + amazing colors = I’ll be watching.
Lol at the eyeshadow
Love love love Chen Qiao En, can’t wait to watch this drama!
When I was young and didn’t care too much about the story, I watched the ’84 series for Linghu Chong and Yue Ling Shan to be together. and when they weren’t, I couldn’t continue and it broke my heart how she died caring for that husband. ugh 🙁
I need to watch that adaptation again for Jamie and Yung Fat.
How the heck can Qiao En be Dong Fang Bu Bai? Frankly that’s the one thing that make me feel a little put out from the show. I’ve always seen Dong Fang Bu Bai as some evil, slightly insane megalomaniac, and now they give such as insanely prettily girl who looks more like Ren Lingling than Dong Fang Bu Bai… Unless they’re like, majorly changing the plot.
OMG Qiao En look so pretty here! I wish she was the main girl. That one pic with her and Wallace look so good together.
Goodness is there somewhere where I can read the plot?There are so many names I am lost.
LOL I can’t believe they picked Chen Qiao En for this character. In fact I haven’t seen any adaptation that sticks with the original re Dong Fang Bu Bai, i.e. a character started off as a very manly ahjussi before transformation. Perhaps the impact of having Brigitte Lin as Dong Fang is toooooo big (and long lasting) …….
Yea, Brigitte Lin’s version pops into my head immediately whenever DFBB is mentioned. Chen Qiao En is pretty but DFBB she is not.
You have took the words out of my mouth.CQE in the photos like like the ideal Ren Ying Ying.God YZ is miscasting big time. I don’t feel much for this adaption as much as the others. I feel like CQE is the only one dress correctly for this drama everyone else is too bold for my taste of wuxia.
this looks good. XAJH is my favourite JY series, too bad CQE is dfbb, she doesn’t look … evil enough.
i hope the acting chops are as good as the pretty faces and costumes. i wonder if they’re gonna make ryy more like the book version or the last cctv version… more OTP screening time would be good- need time to buy in for chemistry time.
I love Wallace Huo! I agree that he is the only reason for me to watch this series.
Joe Chen totally nails the Sheng Gu look. So fearless. Blah!
The only version I’ll be rooting for Linghu Cong & DFBB.