The Swordsman (2013)

The Swordsman

The swordsman is based on the novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer by Jin Yong. The original story revolves around the coveted Bixie Swordplau Manual belonging to the Lin family.  The story's main protagonist is Linghu Chong.  

I have not read or seen any of the previous adaptations of the Smiling, Proud Wanderer. However, from what I can read on line this adaptation had taken some liberties with the original story.  

Having started the story, I liked the scenery and colors although some of the CGI were not so great. The martial arts and fight scenes were also well done.  When the story starts off, I liked the chemistry and I thought most of the characters did a good job. 

Tian Bo Guang was made to have fun scenes and had good chemistry with most of the other characters. What I did not like was the attempted justification has to why he was a rapist and how he got off with hardly any punishment, though Dungfong Bubai turned him into a monk.  I thought he should have regretted more himself and want to repent for all the wrong he did.

Yi Lin was fun even though she was a typical quiet and reserve girl that is so popular in a lot of Chinese series not just the Ancient. 

DungFong BuBia was the most interesting woman in the series though her development sometimes was frustrating where suddenly she is in love with a man and has to give up everything for him, although they never really showed clearly has to why she wanted to be Leader and powerful.

Linghu Chong and Dongfang Bu Bai

Linghu Chong started off very likable since he seemed not to just judge people on the labels they were given but by their actions.  However his way of seeing things and judging were not consistent.   We see him kill two members of other sects with his own hands but showed no remorse for their death because they wanted him harm, but when Dongfung Bubai killed those sects members who were trying to kill her he suddenly was calling them innocents and her evil.  Also since their meeting Linghu Chong had never asked Dongfung Bubai what sect she was in and she had never done anything to harm him or cause him to harm others.  Yet when, Linghu Chong meets Ying Ying she takes him to the Plum Manor to use him to free her father and causes the death of the Four brothers, who had done him no harm, but he showed no emotion for their death.  Even when he finds out that Ying Ying is from the same sect as Dongfung Bubai, he doesn't blame Ying Ying but he does blame Dongfung Bubai.  That is hypocritical.   Many times Linghu Chong stated that just because Yi Lin was in love with him doesn't mean he should be in love with her, and is completely true but when he meets Ying Ying that is exactly what he does.  Also this idea that you should love someone no matter what and that is the only way that your love is pure is idealized bull. 

Ying Ying is introduced and I found her character a little boring and having little chemistry with Linghu Chong.  She is another of the quiet, kind and submissive female characters but I found Yi Li and even Ning Zhongke far more interesting than her.  Also this idea that you should love someone who is nice to you and or is in love with you that Linghu Chong was rightly against in the beginning gets thrown out the window.  Ying Ying said she just wanted to have a relationship with Linghu Chong but he didn't have to love her back.  But that is exactly what happens. An example is when Linghu Chong has already said he likes her and they go to help Yue Ling Shang who was stabbed by Lin Pin Zhi.  Suddenly Ying Ying is jealousy and mopey that he cares about Shna'er.  When she cuts her hand on the climb she becomes all depressed that Linghu Chong did not ask about it.  1. She is a freaking martial artist in a dangerous world and is crying over some cuts and 2. Linghu Chong did not know about it and she did not tell him. This goes to show that Ying Ying was not kind and just wanted to help Ling Shan who was hurt but was just doing it so she could be praised and Linghu Chong would love her more. After that she runs aways instead of talking about it.  Where she would find out that of course Linghu Chong cares about Ling Shan, they have a long history.  It's like one sibling growing jealous because the other got hurt in a car accident and the parents are visiting them in the hospital. She then runs away and when they come to find her, she hides playing the mistreated wronged one. This continued theme in Chinese series start to really get on my nerves. People shouldn't be together just because you decided to do something nice for them.  

Lin Ping Zi

Lin Ping Zhi was an interesting character because he starts of innocent and weak but after his family is murder he just wants revenge.  He first has a crush on Yue Ling Shan but decides to pursue her because her father could make him stronger.  I felt that along the way he did grow to really care about her but when he finds out that Shan'er father had actually stolen the Bixie sword manual he becomes paranoid and thinks she must have been part of the plan.  Even when he marries her, you see that it's a way to get back at her father but there were moments where he seemed like he felt hurt and guilt for what he was doing to her.  I think more of those moments should have been focused on because otherwise he came off quite heartless instead of someone who was consumed by the pain and frustration of feeling he was not able to accomplish his blood debt.  In the end he seemed to have completely lost his mind. 

Yue Ling Shan

Yue Ling Shan and Ning Zongze  were tragic.  They were both beautiful strong women but fell in love with the similar type of men.  Although, Yue BuQun who had been scheming and lying for decade and was  even jealous of his own student was far worse to me than Lin Pingzi in some ways. In the beginning Shan'er had spunk and would not be easily bullied by anyone but suddenly she fall in love and gets married and all her self respect went out the window.

One thing I found interesting was how if you have no male part like Ping Zhi and the Sect leader who castrated themselves to get power that immediately equals to becoming more feminine. Suddenly, they liking the color purple (which I assume from this series was a women's color) and had an aroma. 

Over all I think Swordsman was a good show. Though the final main romance and love interest seemed wasted. At the end I felt more sad towards Dongfang BuBai than happy for Linghu Chong being happy, which I think was not the intent of the show.  I also liked the songs from the show.