“Love Makes a Fool of None” - a Chor Lau Heung 1984 MV

"Love Makes a Fool of None" - A Chor Lau Heung 1984 MV from Icha74 on Vimeo.



I was so excited to find the third OST of Chor Lau Heung 1984 a few days ago that I just had to make another CLH MV with that song. The song was titled 情到濃時休說痴 (Love Makes a Fool of None), performed by Liza Wang, composed by Zhao Wenhai and lyrics by WH Tang. This MV is the first MV using the OST of CLH 1984 that I've made, so it's very special to me. Please note that the song ended abruptly from the original source, hence I had to improvise with the last bit. I also refrained from using the usual ending scene of CLH examining the hairpin cos I've done that scene so many times. In lieu, I used the scene where CLH walked forlornly a good few meters ahead of his adopted sisters after SC took a French leave on Ep 5. Although that scene was so early in the CLH series, I can picture Chor tai-gor walking in that manner, if not worse, as he left SC in the Palace in Ep 40.

Lyrics in Jyutping and translation are below the break. Translation was a joint effort between my friends Meenchee, Li Qian and myself. I used the MDBG site to obtain the Jyutping. I dropped the numbers in the Jyutping, and I totally made a guess for the romanisation, hence as usual, please feel free to correct me. 

Hope you enjoy the MV as I do!

The 3rd OST of Chor Lau Heung 1984 (!!)

Okay folks, remember back in October 2015 (yes, last year) when I had the opening and closing themes of Chor Lau Heung 1984 translated? Back then, I already realised the presence of the third OST, which seemed to be sung by Liza Wang only (cos it was a female voice, and Liza was the singer for the CLH 1984 OSTs). Although I couldn't find the third track, I did note that some episodes ended with the third track (particularly Ep 30 where Daddy Emperor teased his cute daughter re: Chor tai-gor). But I almost gave up on finding the third track, cos it was so long ago, and in those days tracks were not preserved as well as during the internet era.

Then today I was sleuthing the net for the CLH 1979 track. Yes, the Adam Cheng version, cos it was definitely a cool track (one day I will make a CLH 1984 MV with the 1979 OST). Then...lo and behold, I landed on SPC Forum where the link to the third CLH 1984 track has been there since 2010! Palm/face... 

"Undying Love" - a Chor Lau Heung 1984 MV

"Undying Love" - a Chor Lau Heung 1984 MV from Icha74 on Vimeo.


Months ago I listened to "Undying Love" (情義兩心堅), one of the OST of the Return of Condor Heroes (ROCH) 1983 sung by the lovely Teresa Cheung. I didn't realise at first that it was the ROCH OST, for I listened to an MV for The Foundation 1984 (a beautiful but saaaad MV at that). When I realised that it was the ROCH OST, and also the meaning of the lyrics, I totally fell in love with the song. Recently, I thought it would be nice to have a Chor Lau Heung MV with this song, particularly because the meaning of the song was actually uplifting, and hence rather suits the love story between Chor Lau Heung and Song Siu Ching. Plus, I have subconsciously associated this song with sadness because my recent re-introduction of this song was through a (beautiful but) tragic MV of The Foundation. Hence, consider this clearing and replacing my sad palate for a more cheerful interpretation of the song (as it should be, perhaps).

I found the lyrics from Mojim. I adapted the translation from YouTuber Guo Jing (his translation can be found here). I obtained the Jyutping Cantonese romanisation using this site. Since I don't speak Cantonese or read traditional Chinese characters (or simplified characters for that matter), I'm bound to make a lot of mistakes, so correct me when you spot any mistakes.

Translation is below the break. I uploaded the MV to both Vimeo and Dailymotion. The beautiful magnolia paintings were painted by Ella Saridi from Suibokuga Etsy. Hope you like it. And pay attention to min 1:40 when Chor tai-gor tried to catch Siu Ching but the girl kept running to Fell Cut. Chor's helpless expression as he turned to Wu Tit Fa was priceless!!

Interim impressions for the Return of Condor Heroes 1983

The Brave Archer and His Mate, by Hiliuyun

I started watching the Return of Condor Heroes (ROCH) 1983 last week, mainly because I want to see the plight and victories of Yeung Hong's son Yeung Gor (Yang Guo, Andy Lau). I've watched the series when I was like 11/12... and then also when I was already at second year at uni, but I've forgotten most of the details. I'm in Ep 17 now and so far, I like it. I decided not to do episode summaries this time for it's not an MB series, but you can check Wiki for this. So this post is mostly for my interim impression up to Ep 17. Romanisation is mostly Cantonese. Click here to watch the series in Dramanice. Major spoilers for those who have not watched the show (trust me; there ARE people who haven't watched the series...), so proceed at your own risk.

The gorgeous costumes of Wong Yung and Yeung Hong (LOCH 1983)

Wong Yung's first appearance as a girl in a lovely light blue number (Ep 10)

Barbara Yung Mei Ling and Michael Miu Kiu Wai seemed to wear gorgeous costumes in almost every drama they played. In addition to the gorgeous costumes in the New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung 1984, they also donned some lovely numbers in Legend of Condor Heroes 1983. Tammy and I even think that the costumes Barbara wore as Wong Yung were cuter than those she wore as Song Siu Ching; and mind you, Siu Ching had lovely tunics! Michael as well; he had gorgeous garments in LOCH 1983. Hence, these are some of the numbers they wore in LOCH 1983. If any of you find me missing a particular number, let me know. I'll display Wong Yung's wardrobe first, then Yeung Hong's.

Also, I have added some screen shots of the last episodes of LOCH 1983 from ep 55 to 59, particularly during the Yeung Gor/Yang Guo baby naming scene.

Enjoy!

Sketches of Wong Yung and Yeung Hong

Wong Yung by 'Sweet'

Cynthia from the MB (Michael/Barbara) forum dug her vault and found these beautiful sketches of MB, this time as Yeung Hong and Wong Yung. The artworks are mostly about Wong Yung, though we have one beautiful Yeung Hong (so alike!) and one manga-style Chor Lau Heung. We haven't been able to identify the artists (the WY sketches were made by someone called 'Sweet'), but we will acknowledge them once we do. The CLH manga art seems to be drawn by a Vietnamese artist (the fashion is more of the Qing Dynasty, but still gorgeous).

Enjoy! And thanks Cynthia for keeping the artworks for so long!

'The Dragon’s Repentance' - an LOCH 1983 fanfiction

It was so difficult for me to watch Yang Kang’s demise. I know he was full of mistakes, but he still loved Mok Nim Chi tremendously and he was actually filial in his own ways. I’m also sad that he didn’t have the chance to at least mend the bridge with Wong Yung (he did though with Kwok Ching, which was such a relief). Anyway, to console myself, I wrote this piece. It was also difficult to finish for I never wrote Yeung Hong before. And since this is a hypothetical situation, I hope I got it right somehow. Legend of Condor Heroes 1983 is the property of Jin Yong and TVB Hong Kong; no copyright infringement intended. Also inspired by LOCH 2008 which gave Yang Kang the chance to be with his wife and son for a few months. Romanisation is Cantonese... Yale, I think...

Yeung Hong's final moments with his wife, Ep 52

The Dragon’s Repentance

Yeung Hong stirred in his sleep and stretched his arms. The space next to him was empty. Alert, he opened his eyes and immediately sat on the bed. The movement hurt his chest, but the possible reason of the empty space was more frightening for him. He looked around the simply furnished room to find his wife Mok Nim Chi. She wasn't there. Panic, he jumped out of the bed and walked out into the living room that also functioned as the dining room and weaving place for Nim Chi. She wasn't there. Hyperventilating due to his excessive movements, his heart cried as he ran outside to the back yard. He prayed to Heaven, to Buddha, to anyone who were willing to pity his wretched soul to keep his wife safe. To keep her with him.

Sketches of Chor Lau Heung and Song Siu Ching

I've contacted several Deviant Art artists if they can do a commissioned work for Chor Lau Heung and Song Siu Ching. Since none of them has returned my message, I sleuthed around the internet to find an online converter tool for photo to sketch. Found that picjoke.net was sufficient to create the following images. However, if you do know an artist I can commission to do a CLH/SSC painting, let me know. Would be much better if you are the artist and also love these characters! 

Oh, and I have one sketch of Li Sai Man and Chun Sik Sik from The Foundation 1984 too below. Prompt me for any other sketches!

My new Jianghu blog

Pinterest (let me know if you are the artist)

Dear readers, to accommodate the growing wuxia/jianghu posts I have on my personal blog, today I just published this new blogspot specifically for that topic. Called 'The Realm of Rivers and Lakes', with the blog address RiverAndLakeRealm, this blog is specifically for wuxia, jianghu or wulin posts, in particular those featuring Michael Miu Kiu Wai and Barbara Yung Mei Ling. 

As such, I have copied all Michael/Barbara related posts to this blog. All comments have been imported there too.  I've noticed some funny lay-out as well (e.g., the white-blocked paragraphs) which might have happened during the copying; I will fix those issues in weeks to come. I will also replace the old post hyperlinks with the new post hyperlinks from this blogspot.

The summaries of new MB-related posts will still be posted on my personal eclectic mix blog, but full articles are only posted here. Non-MB posts (e.g., if I want to write a summary on Return of Condor Heroes 1983) will only be posted in this Realm of Rivers and Lakes blog.

Note to those new with the 'Jianghu (江湖)', the literal translation is 'rivers and lakes', usually to convey the world explored by martial artisans or the wulin communities. There is a very interesting article by Helena Yuen Wai from the University of Hong Kong that explored this matter. Click here for said article. Abstract is below the break. I've read the paper; it was a very informative read. To learn more about "wuxia" (武俠) as a genre in ancient Chinese fictions, read One Second Spring's article on this matter (very interesting!).

Thank you for visiting my new site!

Yang Kang's demise (LOCH 1983 screen caps)

Below are the screen caps of the final scene of Yang Kang where he finally accepted his demise. It's a total tearjerker for me that I delayed it for two weeks since I saw this ep 52, but I feel like I owe myself and MB/LOCH fans the screen caps. The screen caps started from the moment Guo Jing found the poisoned Yang Kang inside the Iron Spear Temple. 

GJ trying to save YK but the latter knew he had no hope

LOCH 1983 episode guides (eps 50-59) and final impression

The followings are the episode guides of the last 10 episodes of LOCH 1983. More screen caps will be posted later (still haven't really gotten over Yang Kang's death...).

The Quanzhen Sect's Tiangang Beidou Formation Ep 50

Ep 50: Wong Yung kidnapped First Freak Master Ke to ask him about the Peach Blossom Island massacre. GJ intervened, and Master Ke hit WY instead, and she was imprisoned. GJ asked Hong Qigong and Old Imp’s help to release WY; she was released. The three of them then went to the inn where Huang Yaoshi and Quanzhen Sect were about to have their duel (must be an expensive venue...). Master Ke and GJ also went to the same inn to side with Quanzhen. Yet, across that inn, we saw Wanyan Honglie and Ouyang Feng observing the inn.

LOCH 1983 episode guides (eps 40-49) and interim impressions

Yang Kang tried to usurp Kaypang, Ep 41

Ep 40: Wong Yung et al arrived at the main Kaypang town with the first task at hand: facilitating the enmities between two main Kaypang sects. Later, as the new leader, WY downgraded the ranks of four elders (one of them was Elder Peng) due to their unwise past management decisions. Satisfied that the new leader was wise despite her young age, Hong Qigong and Old Imp departed elsewhere to prepare for the Huashan tournament. Former Elder Peng (“Guardian” Peng now) was furious. Yang Kang knew about this, hence he captured Peng and offered him a chance to be the new Kaypang leader (as long as he became loyal to the Jins). Peng agreed, hence they made a drama later that resulted in the murder of several other elders. Peng, Wong Yung, Guo Jing and Elder Lu then departed to Youzhou soon after. Meanwhile, YK told the nth lie to Mu Nianci, saying that he also had to go to Youzhou (with Nianci) because Qigong had agreed to take him as a student, as long as he repented, and that he went to YZ for a mission.

"Mirror" – an LOCH 1983/CLH 1984 fanfiction

Chor Lau Heung (Michael Miu) vs Wong Yung (Barbara Yung)

What if Wong Yung meets Chor Lau Heung? This fanfiction takes place before the Peach Blossom Island massacre which eventually led to Yeung Hong's (Yang Kang) death. I wasn’t going to post this today, but after watching Yeung Hong’s death this afternoon, I feel like I need something to cheer myself up (yes, I cried a bucket when YK died, despite him being a creature full of mistakes...). Legend of Condor Heroes 1983 and the New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung 1984 are the properties of Louis Cha, Gu Long and TVB Hong Kong, no copyright infringement intended. Dedicated to Michael Miu and Barbara Yung. Romanisation are mainly Yale Cantonese.

Mirror

Wong Yung screamed as she felt her body crashed with the large mirror. She was expecting a sharp hit, followed by a headache. However, unexpectedly, she felt like she hit a giant block of tofu, which later sucked her even deeper. Panic, she stretched her arms toward Kwok Ching who was blocking Lama Ling Zhi's continuous attacks. She saw Ching gor-gor's utter concern as she was sucked into a golden vortex. A weird, golden vortex with tofu-like consistency. The consistency became more liquid-like, then suddenly she felt like swimming in a golden liquid. The next thing she knew, she tumbled over the mirror and crashed to the hard cold floor, back first. 

Gasping, she used her arms to wobbly rise from the floor and checked the surroundings. The room was totally different from the dilapidated temple room she, Kwok Ching, North Beggar Hung Tsat Kung, and Old Imp Chow Pak Tung were trapped a while ago. This room was well-kept and was full of weapons and antiquities. Still wobbly, she stood and turned back to the golden mirror that just ejected her. She saw herself, Wong Yung, in the pink floral tunic she donned this morning. Her voluminous hair was a bit messy, but that was to be expected from a fight with Yeung Hong and his cronies. She then realised that she wasn't the only person in the room. Two men were standing behind her with incredulous looks on their countenance. She gasped when she realised who one of them was. She turned to see Yeung Hong looking flabbergasted. She was agog too, for she just realised that Mr Luk Sing Fung, the Lord of the Cloud Manor was standing next to the wretched Yeung Hong. Had her Peach Blossom Island senior sided with the Jurchens now?? Yet, she didn't feel like asking. Instead, she attacked Yeung Hong with the Carefree Fist Style Hung Tsat Kung taught her. Yet, to her utter surprise, Yeung Hong easily defeated her. He blocked her strikes, and four moves later immobilised her.

"Siu Ching, are you mad?!" Yeung Hong glared at her in disbelief. 

LOCH 1983 episode guides (eps 31-39) and interim impressions

Hong Qigong made Wong Yung the 19th Leader of Kaypang (Ep 33)

Ep 31: Old Heretic rescued Guo Jing and Wong Yung from Ouyang Feng’s attack, but this process disturbed his attempt to heal Wong Yung’s mother. Finally accepting that his wife was truly dead, Huang Yaoshi carried his wife to a boat he’d been preparing for their final journey. Before embarking on the boat, Zhou Botong blurted out that Guo Jing knew the Jinyun Manual inside out, hence he won the contest. Old Herectic was livid, for the Manual was the cause of his wife’s death (actually, it was his own greed, not the manual, that caused it). He confronted Guo Jing, who only then realised that a piece of human skin that he took from Mei Chaofeng was actually the copy of the Manual Vol 2. Huang Yaoshi burned Vol 2, and Botong then burned Vol 1, for he saw how the Manual had created so many miseries. Huang Yaoshi told Guo Jing to get out of the island; Hong Qigong and Zhou Botong followed suit. Yaoshi provided them with the boat he was about to use himself, knowing that the boat was actually faulty and would definitely sink in the open sea. Old Heretic immobilised Wong Yung inside her own room. WY later unblocked the accupoints and went to her dad to make leave. Yaoshi let WY saw her mother for the first time. WY then realised that her mother had been dead for 18 years, the day she gave birth to her.

LOCH 1983 episode guides (eps 20-30) and interim impressions

Wong Yung bored to death listening to Yuewen's poem recital, Ep 20

Ep 20: The start of LOCH part II. Naughty Wong Yung and innocent Guo Jing went exploring around a city inside the Song region and met Hong Qigong (Hung Tsat Kung; played by Lau Dan, who also played as Supreme Master in Fearless Duo) and Yuewen. Unknown to WY and GJ, Ouyang Ke was also looking for Yuewen. WJ/GJ warned Yuewen and Hong Qigong, not knowing that the latter was actually the leader of Kaypang (the Beggar Clan). Yuewen explained that the Jurchens might be looking for the Book of Wu Mu, a book that Yang Kang was telling Mu Nianci about (so Yang Kang wasn’t really lying back then when he said that the book was very important?). Ouyang Ke et al attacked the hut WY et al was in, but then they were met with the Beggar Clans. WJ and GJ fell into a trap, but it actually saved them from the fight. Yuewen died beaten by a poisonous snake, but Hong Qigong retrieved the Book of Wu Mu from him. Qigong then asked WY/GJ to escort him to deliver the book to the Song govt.