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.

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.

LOCH 1983 episode guides (ep 11-19) and interim impressions

First meeting between Yang Kang (Michael Miu) & Mu Nianci (Sharon Yang), Ep 11

Ep 11: I understand Mu Nianci. I understand why she couldn’t leave Yang Kang. His voice, the way he stared at her, the way he made her thinks that she was the queen of his world when they first met. I also recognised that voice. His voice when he was fighting a commoner on the street, even before the viewers see his face. It’s him... it’s Michael Miu’s voice as Yang Kang (Yeung Hong, Cantonese). And I was as mesmerised as Mu Nianci was when he accidentally bumped her during the fight. And I smiled a smile that cracked my face in two when he flirted with Nianci. I smiled when she blushed, for he had that effect to almost any girls... I then went “ooohhh...” as we saw Yang Kang conversing with his mother Bao Xiruo, for I was like watching Li Sai Man (The Foundation 1984) joking with his sister or an ever more spoiled Szeto Man Mo (Fearless Duo) conversing with his mother. I understand why Xiruo doted on him. I understand why Mu Nianci loved him and found it so difficult to leave him...

Legend of Condor Heroes 1983: first impressions and Ep 1-10 guides

Guo Jing (Felix Wong), Huang Rong/Wong Yung (Barbara Yung),
Mu Nianci (Sharon Yang), and Yang Kang/Yeung Hong (Michael Miu), LOCH 1983)

I’ve started watching the Legend of Condor Heroes 1983 since yesterday. Only 33 years later, why not... I’m not sure I will be able to finish all the episodes, cos 60 eps is a lot for me to watch. But I do want to watch it, particularly because I want to see Michael Miu’s portrayal as Yang Kang and Barbara Yung’s portrayal as Wong Yung. The two have been considered widely as the best Yang Kang and Wong Yung ever (like, ever), thus I want to know how this conclusion was achieved. Also, it’s interesting for me that Yang Kang and Wong Yung are nemesis in LOCH, but TVB had later given Michael and Barbara four additional series where they were lovers. I mean, surely there was something in their bitter-rival chemistry in LOCH that was spot-on that made the fans and TVB rooted for them?