I think the sole existence of screenwriter-producer Yu Zheng in the world of C-dramas and movies is really to act like a troll on history and fandom. He exploits anything and everything with equal aplomb, and with this new drama casting bombshell I’ve officially decided that he is also blind and has no ability to pick leading ladies. He ought to get kicked out of the gay brotherhood for being such a repeat offender in casting truly unattractive actresses as his leading ladies. He’s just wrapped filming on Tong Hua‘s Yun Zhong Ge and is about to start plundering his next Louis Cha wuxia novel (the first that he butchered being The Swordsman) setting his grubby paws the romantic Return of the Condor Heroes. This one has been adapted into a drama many times and the most recent one was only 7 years ago in 2006 with Huang Xiaoming and Crystal Liu. Both are easily the most gorgeous Chinese entertainers so their casting passed the looks test since leads Yang Guo (a lady killer) and Xiaolongnu (best beautiful woman in the wuxia world) need to be insanely beautiful people. That adaptation had problems – I thought Huang Xiaoming was miscast because he was too young to play the teenage Yang Guo and he overacted like his pants were on fire, while Crystal was literally a beautiful but dead zombie sleepwalking her way through the drama. But at least they were pretty! Yu Zheng has already cast his resident next generation hottie Chen Xiao as lead Yang Guo, and I wholeheartedly approve. To have such an amazingly charismatic gorgeous guy who can act as Yang Guo makes me happy, but then his Xiaolongnu needs to be extraordinary to match up to him. Rumors for the last few months centered around Angelababy and newbie TW-actress Haden Kuo. Both are plastic beauties but at least pretty, so my jaw literally hit the floor to hear that Michelle Chen was Yumama’s pick for Xiaolongnu. Excuse me? Doughy, dull, and dumpy Michelle Chen as the most beautiful wuxia girl ever? Oh hells no. I will never ever understand why she’s considered a “goddess” after her breakthrough performance in You’re the Apple of My Eye. This offends every fiber of my aesthetic sensibilities.
Yumama wants to pair her (?!?!?) with the unreal vision of male gorgeousness that is Chen Xiao? This is totally the perfect description of the Chinese saying 一朵鮮花插在牛糞上 (a fresh flower stuck on a pile of cow manure). Even famed Hong King directer Wong Jing had to post a snarky Weibo comment when he heard Michelle was cast, asking “那麼胖的小龍女?” (Is there a Xiaolongnu that fat?). Netizens are eviscerating Michelle as well, saying that she’ll snap the rope bed in the Ancient Tomb when she lays down to sleep on it. Or that she’ll look like a duck trying to fly when she is supposed to glide. Or how can she act as a ethereal beauty with her droopy-eyed pancake face.
Leave it to Yumama to defend his choice saying that Michelle is “很瘦很清純” (very skinny and very refreshing) and says that once her official character still is out then everyone will love her as Xiaolongnu. He lies. It’s out and I posted it below, and she looks horrendous. He admits Michelle isn’t as fairy goddess as Crystal (no shit, Sherlock) but says she will make a very good GuGu (auntie), since Xiaolongnu is 6 years older than Yang Guo in the novel. Yumama also revealed he’s got some juicy cameos – two already cast ones being Zhao Li Ying (Chen Xiao’s constant co-star and rumored girlfriend) playing his mom in this drama (she cameos as Mu Niangci, mother to Yang Guo), while Jiro Wang has a cameo as Hu Bi Lie, the first Emperor of the Yuan dynasty. I see hot mess already written all over this. Let’s take a trip down happier times with the former sane adaptations, shall we?
Best and most iconic Xiaolongnu in terms of looks, acting, and chemistry with her leading man playing Yang Guo (that would be Andy Lau) – Idy Chan. This version also had my favorite Yang Guo as well. Andy handled the entire teen-adult-jaded elder transition with aplomb.
83 version with Andy Lau and Idy Chan:
h=450h=450
Decently pretty but dull second generation Xiaolongnu – Carmen Lee. I’m ambivalent about Louis Koo as Yang Guo. Sometimes he was fine, other times total fail.
95 version with Louis Ku and Carmen Lee:
h=450
Random Singapore version Xialongnu with the worst hairstyle ever – Fann Wong. She did end up marrying her Yang Guo co-star Christopher Lee, who is back in this RoCH playing Huang Yaoshi.
The horrible Taiwanese all-black version of Xiaolongnu – pretty Jacklyn Wu all miscast.
The earnest big-budget Zhang Zhi Zhong C-drama version with admittedly the most beautiful and physically perfect Xiaolongnu of all time – Crystal Liu. She’s pretty much exactly the novel description come to life. Except she can’t act, and even Louis Cha was annoyed at her woodenness. Sadly Huang Xiaoming was so OTT and destroyed the character of Yang Guo turning him into a sleazy flirt. Ewwww.
2006 version with Huang Xiaoming and Crystal Liu:
h=450
While there has been only one Xiaolongnu I’ve loved (Idy’s version), at least there has never been a fugly Xiaolongnu. Until now. The evolution has gone from the raving beauties above to…..this? Get ready to hurt feast your eyes on the first official still of Michelle Chen as Xiaolongnu.
*@%!%^#*@#*! ARGHHHH!! No, just no. First off, ALL WHITE. Xiaolongnu wears ALL WHITE. That cannot be messed with, Yu Zheng! What the fuck is with the random blue bits in her outfit? Second – how can Xiaolongnu have a tummy! C-netizens are wondering why the food in the Ancient Tomb is as rich as at a Palace buffet to produce that dumpy version. Xiaolongnu barely eats, that’s why she’s literally this slender lithe goddess. She sleeps on a rope! She is 不食人间烟火 (not feasting of the human world’s airs), and Michelle is not that description in a million years. And she’s so short and squat to boot. Her expression is also all wrong. ALL FUCKING WRONG. What’s with the smile above? Xiaolongnu does not smile (other than occasionally at her Guo Er), and she also does not look all dewy-eyed-deer-in-headlights like the picture below. She is the uber icy queen. She does not give a fuck about the world outside the tomb or about any one not named Yang Guo. End of story.
If author Louis Cha was still sane, he ought to be writhing in pain. This is how the novel describes the MOST beautiful woman ever to walk the wuxia world – 面容秀美絕俗，清麗秀雅，莫可逼視，神色間卻是冰冷淡漠 (Her face was unearthly beautiful, elegant and refined, impossible to gaze upon, but in her eyes was dispassionate coldness). Using what ungodly barometer of beauty is Yumama associating doughy Michelle Chen with her pancake face with lithe icy goddess that is Xiaolongnu? I know that objectively speaking Michelle is a pretty girl in the real world and is nowhere near ugly or fat by any measure of real world standards. But this is about novel and cinematic standards. I am a novel purist especially when it comes to holy grail wuxia novels of my childhood where I need the actor cast to actually have the looks and charisma to fill the part as described in the novel. The words, it means something!
I also think its just stupid to cast an actress that 99.9% of the fans will hate on sight and then make her feel bad with all the bashing. Poor Ying Er was so young when she was cast as Princess Xiang Xiang (Princess Fragrant) in the drama adaptation of Louis Cha’s first novel The Book and the Sword a few years ago. Netizens tore her apart for being too fat and not beautiful enough, and she apparently developed an eating disorder because of all the criticism. The problem with these castings is that LC’s books are iconic int the modern Chinese literary world, and in all his novels, the three most beautiful female characters he wrote about are Xiaolongnu in Return of the Condor Heroes, Princess Xiang Xiang in The Book and the Sword, and finally Wang Yu Yen in Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils. Casting an actress who is not considered a raving beauty in any of those roles is just asking for fans to unleash holy hell. Plus all Xiaolongnu has are her looks! She’s a moron in all aspects of social skills, barely any book learnings though not a complete imbecile, and has the personality of a cold wet fish to everything and everyone not named Yang Guo.
I see the casting of Michelle a double whammy of bad from a looks as well as ability perspective since I find her a terribly uninteresting actress. Even worse is that Chen Xiao has the potential to be be the perfect Yang Guo and I hate feeling like he’s been wasted in this outing. Ugh, I am not pleased, at this point I’d vote for bringing back Crystal to reprise the role. She’s actually gotten better as an actress since then and being a few years older she has an even better aura for the role. A hilarious snide comment from a C-netizen had me in stitches “This will be the first RoCH where the giant condor will be prettier than Xiaolongnu.” Knowing another RoCH is coming gives me all these ideas even if I know its going to be a hot mess.
1. Why can’t Yumama get Liu Shi Shi and Yuan Hong to cameo as the Yang parents? Hello? They are the perfect ages now that its been 7 years since they filmed Legend of the Condor Heroes playing Mu Nianci and Yang Kang. That would be the guest starring coup of this drama. Zhao Li Ying as Mu Nianci makes no sense.
2. Yumama mentioned the rape scene is going to be very different. How different does he want to make it? Like Zhang Zhi Zhong didn’t make me want to spork my eyes out when he turned it all flower petals and romantic and shit. I don’t even know why he wants to attempt something with respect to that scene.
3. Of all the female characters in RoCH, my favorite is hands down little Guo Xiang. Yes, she doesn’t show up until the final section of the story but many of the drama adaptations have picked young actresses that have totally stolen the drama. Young Yang Mi in RoCH 2006, adorable Wong Man Yi in RoCH 1983, mega-watt smile Theresa Lee in RoCH 1995. Yumama better not let me down here as well.
4. Apparently Yumama’s “revisions” include some of the following blood-spitting nastiness – Yang Guo falls for Guo Fu first when they meet as kids at Peach Blossom Island. Then they are torn apart when he’s sent away to the Sect. So Guo Fu legitimately as a love line with Yang Guo to validate her chopping his arm off later because she’s a heartbroken ex. Instead of a spoiled sociopath that she used to be. THEN Yang Guo falls for Xiaolongnu’s sect sister Li Mu Chou first!! And she loves him back! Da FUCK! After their love fails, then he gradually falls for Xiaolongnu. And her side is even crazier. She is in love with the revised version of Yin Zhi Ping (he has a new name now) the taoist priest. But since their sects hate each other, their love also cannot be. And the rape? It’s an act of passionate LOVE gone awry when he gets crazy jealous of Xiaolongnu and Yang Guo getting all nekkid to learn martial arts. Even writing all this nonsense makes me die a little inside.
5. Yu Zheng has managed to piss, crap, and massacre one lovely memory of a Louis Cha novel drama adaptation after another. Sometimes I wish I never grew up, because there are bad people out in this world and I can’t stop their reign of terror.
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Wow, I have to agree that MC is not a beautiful or pretty lady. She's cute but thats it. So sad to hear this news.
YZ should have picked a newbie leading lady with the looks even if she can't act.
I feel bad for the MC being ripped by netizens because of her look. What can you do when you star in a iconic remake drama that so many people like?
MC is perfect. She got anythings that requires to be as XLN. And I think that XC and MC are very adorable couple in the drama. Love It so much (:
I was anticipating to see the drama, since I loved the 2006 version with Liu Yi Fei and HXM. She was so gorgeous and innocent looking and the story was really beautiful. Then I came here and saw this post...
I've only seen Michelle Chen in a drama with Vic Zhou, and I wouldn't have even watched that if it weren't for Vic. Now I see her in this and I am no longer motivated to watch as much. It doesn't even sound like RoCH anymore after all the extra, unnecessary stuff he added.
I have nothing against fat people, and I don't really think she's all that big... but I don't appreciate her in the costume (which also is really messed up compared to what Crystal wore). But I can't help be be reminded of the nun characters in some other wuxias dramas I saw.
The role, the costume, the hair, it just doesnt fit her.
I am disappointed as well!!!!!
I totally hear you! >____< My goodness, the casting for the female lead is just all sorts of wrong. I sure as hell won't be touching this drama despite my love for Chen Xiao. I've only ever watched the 2006 version of Return of the Condor Heroes and enjoyed it despite its flaw and Huang Xiaoming's overacting. And yes, at least visually they were perfect. Seriously I'm having less and less faith in regards to these adaptions. I marathoned through BBJX recently and felt sad at the thought that no other cdrama has managed to deliver anything remotely good in comparison. And looking at these upcoming cdramas, well things sure are looking even bleaker. Bleh.
Aiya where to begin .... no comment for this batshit .... so many actresses fit the ancient beauty look like Michelle Ye yet he pick her .... aiya!!!
Michelle Ye looks rather old for the role and has a masculine air that is off-putting in period dramas.
...did you mean MY's modern air (alpha femaleness)? I find it is generally that which clashes with the acting necessary for period roles.
@ anya, yeah... she's a tomboy IRL and it shows no matter how hard she tries.
I understand that Michelle Chen is not at all appropriate for the role but the backlash strikes me as excessively cruel.
if i read i was 'fugly', 'doughy' etc.... whew no wonder C-actresses turn to plastic surgery. and the irony! of getting called 'plastics' after... ✌
Must say, Ms. Koala, when you rant you rave eloquently. This post is most entertaining and on-point. Andy Lau and Idy Chan is the gold standard for me (subjective as it may be). Their acting carries subtlety, a certain deftness for nuance, and something about their chemistry transcends. Despite that standard, I wish art for art sake that a modern production had at least meet, if not exceeded, that classic one so many decades ago.
Word on Andy and Idy. To think in 30!!!! years there has never been another YG and XLN to come close much less exceed their performance and chemistry. I can watch RoCH1983 now and still love it, foam mountains and bad make up and all. It's nearly perfect.
I totally agree.
Yep... Andy and Idy forever. This new RoCH is so miscasted esp. Michelle Chen. No comparison here. Massacre indeed.
Me too!! I agree with this. Of all the subsequent adaptions, just have not compared to Andy & Idy's version for me.
Even the awful makeup couldn't get Idy Chan to look ugly. She was indeed the gold standard. Poor Michelle though, she isn't ugly but definitely not the right actress to play such an iconic character.
I wish Yu Zheng would stop messing up history and wu xia novels!
I am honestly put off by YZ's casting as well (what's new there?) but the amount of crap written here, in baidu, weibo, and everywhere else is just harsh, rude, disturbing and plain disgusting.
She's nowhere near ideal, and she'd probably be my last choice. Heck I'd pick Yuan Shan Shan over her any day. But she's already casted, and although everyone has every right to say whatever they want, the insults are... I'm a bit speechless. Particularly in light of finding out about Ying Er's eating disorder (which is news to me), I hope Michelle isn't too bogged down and stays strong mentally.
As for the drama, I'm skipping not because of Michelle, but YZ. The guy slaughters every project he gets his hands on, and I'd rather not ruin this for me.
I don't think Michelle should get a pass on the valid criticism of her looks and acting ability being not right for this role just because she's a woman. If Yu Zheng had cast the wrong Yang Guo, the same criticism and vitriol would be unleashed on that actor as well. The same torrent of commentary happens all the time whenever someone is cast as a Superhero in a Hollywood movie and totally ruins fanboys image and the character requirements. Unless someone attacks Michelle for her personality, then she needs to be able to handle the critique or else get out and decline the role.
Dang. Chill, all ye netizens. Geesh. I'm with Rina and Kelly. I'm all for casting to fit, but ferreals? The hate is a but much.
TWINNIE!!!!!!
I just read your rant after I posted this. I might as well have just directed everyone to read yours instead rather than to Wonder Twins Activate my verbatim post. Everything you said is WORD.
Michelle is an ACTRESS. Her job has two requirements - looks and acting ability. Viewers are fully able to criticize her for both. I am not going to shy away from commenting on the fact that she does NOT have the LOOKS to play XLN. Especially in light of the character being ALL ABOUT HER LOOKS!!! She barely has a personality. Nothing is required other than to be the most beautiful goddess to walk the Earth. That is it. Michelle is not that in this world, the next world, or in an alternate world. Michelle's face is too round, her aura too wet and soft, her physique too short and doughy. In short, she would be the Bizarro Universe version of XLN.
Just because someone offers her the role of XLN does not mean she has to say yes. And if she says yes, then its open season to be criticized for ruining readers image of the most beautiful woman in the wuxia world. XLN is basically an entire C-generation's Helen of Troy. My brother called me to RAGE. Men probably got off as teenagers reading the novel and imagining her in their minds and its a sacred almost sacrosanct character that has one requirement in casting her - superficial beauty.
I don't even like XLN as a character! She's probably one of least fave LC heroines in all his novels. But the way Yu Zheng crapped over her character still offends the novel purist in me. And my aesthetic sensibilities.
I am pissed at myself naively thinking what can go wronger than Swordsman with this?! I do not care about RoCH nor XLN, and we have our CX...he can convincingly romance a YSS, he's THAT good, so get him a pretty vase, that is all we're asking. The only thing YZ can't crap all over the place is his makjang 'romance'. But this is actually pissing me off more, because his Swordsman and 笑傲 have no resemblance and nothing is giving me any hope that was watchable. This one has C!X! seriously YZ, this is your only golden ticket to worm into our heart a little in your lifetime and you've decided to F with us all. Of course it would be great if we get an Idy, pretty enough, but more importantly fit the cold despondent vibe and a decent actress. But out of the 2, it's really the out of this world beauty that will make or break it.
There are clear simple chinese describing a XLN and we aren't even allow to even point it out the white elephant and MC's looks are what those characters mean at all?!?!??! What are illustrative words for then to not even allow us a framework of the visual?!? I thought 腦子裝滿屎 is just a saying, but YZ obviously has it inside his cornea as well. We are judged one way or another all our lives, even if one is the cutest, normal wt hippo which can ballet, good luck getting the title of prima ballerina absoluta. I think any oversensitive palliating of very simple aesthetic attributes of an actor, where his/her craft even inner workings of the character hinges on the physical accoutrements portraying a character that has nothing to do with their innerself, what else are we doing now watching dramas placating everything?! By making it almost taboo to talk sensibly about appearance and how it contribute in a successful portrait, especially from a questionably competent artist, it is being excessfully passively judgmental in looks, as if calling out an actress being not pretty enough is saying she has cancer. It's simply she is not pretty enough and hence unsuitable for a role which beauty is everything. We are watching the butchering one of the most read C novels and characters ever, not making friends with a Michelle.
And like you, MC is to blame too. She's a 30 year old actress, she has her niche with the densha otoko, be content with it, unlike a newcomer YingEr, I understands she or her management might take a big gamble. If she didn't see any of this coming, it's too telling how uncouth and delusional she is, so aside from the unsuitable physicality, her lack of judgement is what is rubbing me wrong as well.
If Michelle can't handle the heat, her taking this role is both delusional on her part as well as an insult to the fans who love the novel.
My comments are so mild compared to what torrent of anger directed at her. When her pictures came out, some of the most hilarious ones include, and I'm paraphrasing from weibo and baidu because I'm not creative enough to come up with this commentary:
1. Chen Xiao is so gorgeous he can play BOTH YG and XLN.
2. 新版《神鵰俠侶》還沒開拍，網友就逼楊過跟鵰在一起，這是鬧哪樣. Ppl are rooting for a Brokeback Mountain scenario where YG has a forbidden love with the Giant Condor. It's spiritual love so we don't need to worry about bestiality, but even that is better than YG with this XLN.
3. Michelle's picture as XLN has been called 女版哪吒 (female version of Nezha). Those who don't know what the deity Nezha looks like can Google it.
4. 就連陳妍希粉絲都忍不住吐槽她真的不適合扮古裝.Even her own FANS, the less diehard delusional ones, are not happy with her casting. Because they know she does not fit the requirements of XLN and they know she'll get hate for it, and its a bad career move, and they wished they didn't take it. Now those are fans I actually respect.
5. 批新版小龍女有傻氣沒仙氣，完全扼殺了角色應有的氣質. New XLN looks goofy and not goddessy, completely destroy the "aura" this character needs to have.
6. 陳妍希成為新一代「小龍女」，刺痛了很多《神雕俠侶》粉絲的心. The casting of MC has already hurt the hearts of fans of the novel.
7. I really got so annoyed when Michelle responded to the fan complaints by saying this 也許不是大家心目中經典小龍女的樣子，但我會努力詮釋出一個新的小龍女給大家看的 (I may not be what everyone had in mind for XLN, but I will do my best to create a new XLN for everyone). No Michelle, we don't want a NEW XLN. We want the XLN as described in the novel. How tone deaf can she be?
I can go on and on, but YZ is just an evil troll and we need to stop thinking he will grow a heart, brains, or respect.
I DONT KNOW WHAT UR TALKING ABOUT MC HAVE EVERY RIGHT AND I SEE HER AS THE PERFECT XLN
EVEN THOUGH SHE WASNT AS PRETTY AS THE 2006 ONE BUT HER ACTING WAS FLAWLESS TO MY OPINION!!!!