Well, now we know who bought up the used costumes from The Lord of the Rings trilogy and recycled it with more bling. Filming is currently underway for the C-drama adaptation of popular writer Guo Jingming‘s novel Ice Fantasy. Starring Feng Shao Feng, Victoria Song, Ma Tian Yu, Hu Bing, and Zhang Meng, the novel tells of the conflict between the Ice and Fire tribes, with two princely brothers pitted against each other with likely a lot of ice and fire special effects action going on.
I liked the concept posters released last month but these full character posters are mostly just laughable. Victoria is pretty enough albeit saddled with some B-grade Hollywood sci-fi movie reject attire, but Feng Shao Feng must’ve pissed someone off in the costume department to be styled exactly like a cross between Legolas and Elrond in the LotR movies. It’s embarrassing to copy this completely, not to mention the look does not suit Feng Shao Feng at all. Overall this project already looks like a hot mess, but one that I’m curious to watch for the attempt at fantasy sci-fi on a big budget drama scale.
Synopsis:
The story is set a hundred years after a war between the Empire of Snow (Ice Tribe) and the Fire Tribe, where the Fire Tribe was defeated. However, the war was fatal, leaving Prince Ka Suo and his younger half-brother Ying Kong Shi the only royal heirs and pure-blood ice illusionists left in the Ice Tribe. Conflict ensues after Ka Suo reluctantly ascends to the throne as his lover, Li Luo, and his brother go missing.
Ka Suo also accidentally discovers an evil presence lurking in the Ice Tribe’s holy shrine. He and his companions enter the mysterious shrine, and defeat head of the shrine, Lady Yuan Ji, only to find out that she has been plotting a conspiracy against him. Ka Suo also experiences hardships in trying to find his lover and brother, not knowing that his brother has lost all of his memories and has become the Fire Prince under his mother’s command. A war between the two tribes commences once again, with the two brothers pitted against each other
Why T_T it had so much potential…
This article is abit of a flop because the the Lord of the Rings Art director is involved in this project
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Hennah
Actually, it’s spot on. Just because this look fit the western actors doesn’t mean that it would fit the asian ones. It’s quite clear from these photos that they went for the lord of the rings styled clothing… but cheaper. And lower quality. And lots of weird blonde wigs.
Yeah but lets be real here. Does anyone expect any asian DRAMA to be up to par with a big budget hollywood MOVIE here? Of course it’s cheaper but so are most dramas including the US. Lets wait till we see that Ice Fantasy actually looks like it on TV.
Yeah, I wouldn’t expect it to be up to par to a big budget hollywood movie, but I would expect it to be up to par to other Asian dramas -.-
I’m going to agree with @booksrulex. Compare apples with apples by comparing Asian entertainment with Asian entertainment. Hollywood will no sooner split the baby, if anyone knows what I mean, when it comes to Asia.
@booksrulex
True but to do that you have to watch the drama first, right?
Actually it’s not. You forgot to add “ma opinion”.
“And lots of weird blonde wigs.” – The story is set in an ice kingdom. It can be located in polar region XD Mammals would be adapted to the environment and have white color… See the logic? XD
No, blonde hair does not go with my logic, because hello! Eskimos/Inuits have black hair too and they live everywhere cold and icy. And trust me, I am going to watch this drama, but right now I’m judging the posters which is my right, and it has definitely killed my hype.
I’ve seen better ancient Chinese fantasy costume than this, this just looks too westernize… i mean I like it but it just does not suit the aura they’re in… SIGH…. Im just gonna go back to watch Nirvana In Fire to get some of my confidence in Cdrama back…
Pardon me, but have you watched The Disguiser because it looks good?
The Disguiser was great as well, you should watch if you haven’t 😀
The disguiser is pretty good. The plot twists r very interesting and the cast is great, minus 1 person. Though, I personally think Nirvana in Fire was better edited.
P.s. u should watch it for the cast alone, if u like nirvana in fire. One of the better dramas out of China in the last several years.
Yes both Disguiser and Nirvana are good but I like Nirvana a little more…. but both are good… give it a try
Ok, thanks for the replies. I’ll wait patiently for it to be subbed like with Nirvana in Fire. 🙂
I triep ep 1 of that but I cannot continue with it. The setting is dreamy tho
It looks kind of a LotR’s knockoff…in a bad way.
Okay, one more thing: Is it just me or does anyone else think that the lady in the fourth picture (orange-ish hair) has a really big head/face. It looks like it has been photoshopped on the body and they forgot to resize it.
Who’s that last guy? His facial expression looks more laughable than the low-rent costumes imho lol.
So they changed the story a bit from the book.
Did you see the L.O.R.D. movie concept posters?
Yeah *FANBOY* mode is ON! Ma Biktoria looks hot and gorgeous. Babe…
And the OP… Already jumping into conclusions as usual. Unprofessional and immature, as always lol
It’s her blog, and she’s not a journalist. She can write whatever she wants here, she isn’t obliged to be balanced.
And I ain’t obliged to shut my mouth, Jane. We don’t need advocates.
From my understanding, this is not something ancient China related (wuxia). This is purely imaginative, fantasy story set in a parallel universe (like Tolkien’s world)…? So is it logical to look for visual similarities with ancient chinese things?
It’s not like people are expecting them to wear chopsticks in their hair and eat rice, but anything that looks flattering on the actors. You’d think that a professional art director would have tried to achieve that instead of recycling the same ideas.
Finally a Song Qian poster! She is so pretty omg. I know she is busy with f(x) comeback flying back and forth between Chn-Kr so take care of yourself, honey.
I thought this set of stills looks pretty okay. I mean, it’s china and fantasy! It’s definitely something to look forward to, give them a chance!
Cringe worthy