Musings of the Obsessive Kind
She's a mite whimsical in the brainpan.
Musings of the Obsessive KindShe's a mite whimsical in the brainpan. |
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| Dec. 3rd, 2009 @ 06:52 pm Crossdressing, morally flexible martial artists is where it's at! | |||
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Guess what Miss Mousie is watching tonight? That's right, I got a complete set of eps for Legend of the Condor Heroes, the 2008 version with Hu Ge and Ariel Lin. I find wuxia dramas are delicious, violent fairytales for grown-ups and this looks to fill the craving. How could I resist, when it features a crossdressing, morally flexible (on occasion), very clever heroine who travels around the country having martial arts adventures with a very honorable, I dare you to refuse after this shippy vid: I'll be in my bunk :P | |||
| Sep. 9th, 2009 @ 10:30 pm Like a period Coffee Prince with a battlefield instead of a coffee shop. Why aren't you watching it? | |||
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Watchitwatchitwatchitwatchit. Or Guo Jing and Huang Rong will end you.  THERE IS NO MORE ROCKING FEMALE THAN HUANG RONG, the heroine of wuxia drama Legend of the Condor Heroes. I kid you not. (She never gets less awesome either. In Return of Condor Heroes she goes into battle hoisting her newborn daughter under one arm. TAKE THAT WIMPY HEROINES OF MANY A DRAMA). Here she is in her mischievous LOCH glory: I am sure you could tell by an almost complete lack of any drama related posts in the last week that I have been in a drama slump - nothing seemed to be catching my attention. Maybe the stunning disappointment of Take Care of the Lady bleached everything out of my brain? Who knows. But I proudly announce to you that the slump is broken. The cause? 2008 adaptation of Legend of Condor Heroes starring Hu Ge and Ariel Lin. LOCH is a wuxia (period, martial arts, epic) drama based on an apparently legendary novel. I have not read the original but have had the exposure to some of the characters, as LOCH's protagonists, Guo Jing and Huang Rong, play important secondary roles in my favorite wuxia drama of all time, Return of Condor Heroes (2006). In fact, the protagonist of ROCH is the son of one of LOCH's characters. Anyway, the story's hero is Guo Jing. Guo Jing is nature's boyscout - he might not be the brightest bulb out there by far but he is honorable, forthright, and really good at fighting. REALLY good. However, despite being the most amazing martial arts fighter the world has ever seen, Guo Jing is not the sharpest tool in the shed so it's good when his path crosses with that of Huang Rong. Huang Rong is sharp as a tack, ocassionally morally flexible, and pure FUN. Oh, and she can outfight most men. She gives him smarts and he gives her a moral center. They smite enemies together and hug an awful lot and cry over their lurve. I bask in the OTP! Did I mention that when he first meets her she is cross-dressing as a boy? YES. IT'S LIKE COFFEE PRINCE. WITH SHARP SHARP SWORDS. Here is a shippy sort-angsty MV: There is also a secondary OTP of tragic awesomeness. As a bonus they are Yang Guo's (ROCH) parents thus conferring irresistableness by sheer association. He is the son of Guo Jing's father's best friend and is also Guo Jing's sworn brother who gets seduced by the dark side, she is his loving wife... There are official subbed dvds you can get in all the usual places. You can stream on mysoju. I am sure dls are available in all the usual places too. Nothing will trump the passionate, angsty, forbidden OTP of ROCH for me but this is darn irresistable, you guys. | |||
| May. 26th, 2009 @ 10:20 pm Wuxia fun... | |||
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Current Mood:
 chipper We interrupt Star Trek squeeing to announce that I must watch Chinese wuxia drama Legend of Condor Heroes basically yesterday. Based on a famous novel, LOCH stars Ariel Lin (yay!) and Hu Ge as Huang Rong and Guo Jing, a fast-witted, cross-dressing heroine and good-natured, rather dim, genius martial artist hero. Mmmm. YES. Funny MV: ( If you prefer more angst in your MVs ) I am pretty excited for it: one of my favorite dramas is Return of the Condor Heroes, a second part of the same trilogy LOCH is the first part of - the main characters don't appear in LOCH but Huang Rong and Guo Jing are important secondary characters (they are guardians of the hero) and I totally loved them in ROCH. Especially Huang Rong, one of the most badass, clever, awesome drama women ever. | |||
| Nov. 2nd, 2008 @ 08:08 am Wong Kar Wai's take on FF.net: Ashes of Time Redux | |||
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Current Mood:
Mr. Mousie and I saw Wong Kar Wai's Ashes of Time Redux yesterday (it's in cinemas here). calmIt was gorgeous, dream-like and intense, and had a lot to say about the nature of memory and longing and loss, though if you are looking for a movie with any sort of a coherent plot, look elsewhere. You know the oddest thing? After we got home, one thing and another kept niggling at me and after diligent searching, I realized that AoTR is a very arthouse, free-form prequel to nothing else than the famous Condor Heroes trilogy by Louis Cha, about the younger days of three of the elderly swordmasters who appear in e.g. Return of the Condor Heroes. That's sort of insane, connecting my wuxia dramas and Wong Kar Wai. I mean, the swordsman who brings the wine of forgetfulness in AoTR is Huang Rong's father! My mind, it is blown. Also, I am rather amused that if you look at it one way, Wong Kar Wai, it seems, made a fanfic. | |||
| Aug. 15th, 2008 @ 01:21 am Yup, still on a wuxia kick... | |||
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Current Mood:
chipper EEEE! Got my hands on the English-subbed version of Da Ren Wu (Big Shot or Hero, I have seen it translated both ways), last year's wuxia drama starring Nicholas Tse and Angelica Lee. It's based on a novel I've never read and the plot sounds so delicious: Naïve, young Tian Si Si (Angelica), the apple of her father’s eye and the sole heir to her family’s riches, believes that she is in love with the great romantic hero, Qin Ge of the Meteor Clan. She dreams of traveling the martial arts world, actually meeting Qin Ge and having adventures just like many of the stories that she has read and heard. From childhood, she has been betrothed to the younger son of General Yang, Yang Fan (Nic), whom she despises. Handsome, melancholy, talented Yang Fan has been on a mission for his father to secretly investigate the Meteor Clan whose upright reputation and strength has been rising in the martial arts world to rival that of Shaolin and Wudang. He comes back injured and somewhat changed, troubled with memory loss after an investigation. He marries Tian Si Si as his father ordered, but Tian Si Si has other plans for her life and runs away at the first opportunity. She quickly becomes entangled in plots and counter plots as she discovers the real world. Both Yang Fan and Qin Ge are ordered to go after her. All is not what it seems as the Meteor Clan and its members, rivals and government agents are at work behind the scenes. Seriously, how many ways do I love the premise? * Couple falling in love after marriage? Check. Though seeing your arranged match is Nicholas Tse it's not really a hardship * Cooky heroine * Angst and funniness * Love triangle * Nic Tse as the lead (if Handsome Siblings was all about him, it would be such a huge fave). I mean, he doesn't even need to act, he can just stand there and I'll ogle him. Look at the cute MV for the OTP (with hints of a triangle): I think I fell for it about the time he let her (she is possessed) stab him through the shoulder. I am so predictable! I have also got Men and Legends (Dylan Kuo and Peter Ho, does it really need a plot?) and Fairy from Wonderland (finally. I want to see Hu Ge write on the walls in blood). But all this shall not sate me! I need Legend of Condor Heroes and I can't find any subs except for Vietnamese yet. I need! Please!!! I mean, look. I want this now: OK, will distract self with another favorite wuxia OTP (Flower/Orchid from Handsome Siblings. Angsty assassins and common-sense fighter girls ftw). | |||
| Aug. 14th, 2008 @ 10:12 am The pretty! | |||
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I am obsessed with Legend of Condor Heroes and I haven't even seen it. But the pretty! I defy you to not like the pretty. Plus, I've been promised his searching for her throughout the world to two years. Yay! ( More MVs ) | |||
| Aug. 13th, 2008 @ 01:12 pm How could I not know? | |||
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Current Mood:
Flist, you fail!  contentHow come nobody informed me that the Ariel Lin/Hu Ge version of the Legend of Condor Heroes was already out and (at least partially) subbed????? I thought I'd have to wait till 2009! Seriously! Wuxia! OTPs! The cuteness-hotness of Ariel and Hu Ge (will he be writing letters in his own blood this time, though?) I found prettiness, too:  ( More pretty ) I need this ASAP. | |||
| Apr. 22nd, 2008 @ 07:43 pm Legend of Condor Heroes | |||
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Current Mood:
Eeeee! Is anyone else excited about the upcoming wuxia drama Legend of the Condor Heroes with Hu Ge and Ariel Lin? content ( Trailers ) I am psyched! Seeing that this is the adaptation of the first part of the loosely interconnected trilogy of which Return of the Condor Heroes was the middle part makes me eeeee! ROCH, after all, remains the only wuxia I’ve finished so far (though if Handsome Siblings was about Nic Tse instead of Dicky Cheung, it would have been the first, instead. Why any sane TPTB would think that a story with assassins, blindness, crazy evil cult run by two mad women who keep men in cages and dedicate themselves to ruining the life of their ‘protégé’, brainwashing, deathless lurve, most kickass heroine in ever, scary-cunning future Empress, not to mention Nic Tse angsting and wanting to die while wearing white, should be secondary to the story of an annoying freak with a mohawk and the stupidest practical jokes ever, escapes me. Still, will finish ASAP). I adore Ariel Lin, have recently discovered the coolness of Hu Ge (he can’t act, but he s so adorable, you don’t care) in Chinese Palladin (need to finish), and the story sounds awesome, with a super-kickass heroine. The plot revolves around Guo Jing, a rather dim (heeee) guy who learns all sorts of martial arts and also has been brought up to avenge his dead father. While not the swiftest, GJ is good at fighting and is also incredibly nice and honorable (perhaps too much so). Luckily for him, his paths cross with Huang Rong, a strong-willed, clever girl who disguises herself as a boy to go adventuring…and the story goes from there, with many many fights, lots of politics, and hairstyles of doom. (Both GJ and HR appear as secondary characters in ROCH, while the protagonist of ROCH is actually the son of GJ’s sworn brother). YAY! I don't think I'll love it as much as ROCH, with its angstolicious forbidden lovers thing, but it will probably be pretty darn nice. I think it’s coming in May. | |||
| Apr. 16th, 2007 @ 07:48 pm Dramacentric, but largely about Liar Game | |||
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Current Mood:
My Proposal Daisakusen dl is at 40% now. YAY! calmBut that is not what the post is about. It is about my poor impulse control. Oh no, oh no oh no. I cannot possibly be starting another drama. My drama list is already psycho (way over ten, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} meganbmoore :D) and that is only dramas that are completed.My ‘currently airing’ dramas list is insane. The ones I am watching or planning to catch up shortly are: Witch Yoo Hee, Hello Miss, Thank You, Que Sera and The devil for kdramas (that is five, people. Five!). Summer x Summer, The Kid From Heaven, The Lucky Star and I plan to start Rock Paper Scissors and From Corner With Love (though with those two I’ll wait until they are completed so probably off my list). Plus KO1 which isn’t new but is progressively started subbing, so sort of is like new ;) And Yamapi’s Proposal Daisakusen starts today and Bambino in a couple of days. And I haven’t even gotten to KimuTaku’s ‘Great Tribe’ or finished Takki’s R&J. ARGGGGGHHHH. But it’s a happy argh. I thinkfor my own sanity though, I am not starting any ‘completed’ new dramas until I finish some more off the list. Actually, I think I am going to finish them and then not start new completed ones for a bit as watching just the airing ones will keep me occupied ;) But why the long wail up top? Because despite the hefty list above, I just added another airing jdrama to the list. Liar Game with calledinvain’s fault. I was mildly interested but she posted some pictures which hooked me and I read up on the plot and I am dling it right now.Yes, yes, I know. Psycho schedule and all that. But come on. It’s Matsuda Shota and he is the lead. YES. And he plays a con artist who Toda Erika hires to get her $$$ back. You know how I love the icy guy-sparky girl stuff? Or mobster and a good woman? Another thing I love beyond all measure? Stories about swindlers/con-artists/pretenders/revenge-s No idea if the trope is going to happen here but hey, the hope is good. Besides, plot? Who cares:  ( More swoony stuff ) ( And the resident what kind of fashion is THAT shot ) Anyhoo, more detailed synopsis: Based on the manga series of the same name, Toda Erika plays an honest college student, Kanzaki Nao, who receives a hundred million dollars one day, along with a card saying she has been chosen to take part in the "Liar Game". The aim of the game is to trick the other players out of their hundred million dollars. At the end, the winner gets the hundred million and the loser is a hundred million dollars in debt. The next day, she receives notification that her opponent is her former teacher, Fujisawa Kazuo. She goes to him, seeking help, but ends up getting tricked into handing her money over. Desperate, she approaches the police for help, but they are unable to do anything. However, she is told of a mastermind swindler, Akiyama Shinichi (Matsuda Shota), who is to be released from jail the next day. Desperate, she goes to him for help. Though wow. Some people on daddicts thread are ‘blah blah we hated Kurosagi. Whaaaaa?’ It’s one of the dramas I am irrational about. Logically I understand there are people who might not like it. But emotionally or whatever it just doesn’t compute. I can’t process it because I loved it much too much ;) Oooh, and I am super excited. I just found out that both Love in the City 2 (with Kang Ta) and Legend of Condor Heroes (with Ariel Lin) will be subbed. EEEE! By BON Fansubs who are super good and efficient. (They are subbing WYH and will be shortly subbing Bambino) *bliss* Btw, does anyone know whether kdrama Crazy for You is any good? Look at the cute pic:  The plot sounds good: Suh Jin Young is an aviation maintenance technician and her husband passed away due to a traffic accident. Kim Chae Joon dreams to become an aviation pilot but he encounters an unfortunate accident. Chae Joon goes to prison for accidently killing a man in a car accident. The man happens to be Jin Young's husband. Jin Young and Chae Joon develop a love relationship. There are subs in progress. Lastly, a few cool links. meganbmoore posted awesome Fruits Basket, Wolf's Rain and Samurai Deeper Kyo icons here.alexandral posted some TO DIE FOR pictures of Bye Yong Joon here. Seriously. I was making weird gaspy noises. And calledinvain wrote two awesome Kurosaki/Tsurara fics here and here. If you need more shots of Matsuda Shota looking gorgeous in Liar Game, visit magalamb's lj here. | |||