Watching the 1986 version and the 2001 version has its own sets of advantages and disadvantage. So here's some things I thought were stuff I dislike, that the 2001 version for me is better:
As if Meteor Garden wasn't enough for me to say that Shantsai should dump Daoming Si, in here you have Shuhuan being abusive to Yiping. Really what kind of boyfriend is that? Yiping wants to get away then Shuhuan picks her up and pins her to a fence? I personally thought that 1986 Shuhuan was almost as bad as Dao Ming Si and both characters really are stubborn mules, maybe that's why they both develop a crush on both their leading ladies who are strong panthers. And one thing also, the more fierce Yiping is, the more attracted Shuhuan is to her. The 2001 version managed to make Shuhuan much better though Qin Han is the better actor over Leo Ku. Returning Shuhuan and Yiping works in real life for the 2001 version, the 1986 version you have Shuhuan as pretty questionable. Other than that, Qin Han and Liu Xuehua pretty much steal the show or maybe it's only because they're the only real familiar ones here? To be honest, I want them to be cast together again as parents to the leading guy (preferably as Jerry Yan's parents).
For casting, I personally don't find most of the 1986 version memorable. I thought that only Qin Han and Liu Xuehua manage to deliver a strong performance, or maybe it's only because I've seen them act as senior roles in modern drama though I'd say that they are still better than Leo Ku (who really sucks for me as Shuhuan) and Vicki Zhao who more or less meets expectations but Barbie Xu could have been better. I personally thought that Erjie in 1986 isn't as good as Erjie in 2001, the former really annoys me while I could feel sorry for the 2001 version when the truth of his paternity came out. Or maybe I thought Mengping in 2001 was better played than Mengping in 1986. And Wang Lin for me is better than senior actress Gu Yin in acting as the wicked Xueqin. If I'm to talk about it, it seems to be Liu Xuehua and Qin Han practically dominate the show for me, Zhao Yonghsing for me is slightly better than Ruby Lin but still. Worse, I felt like almost everyone gets no character development except a few.
Should I mention too depressing? I know the 2001 version still makes you cry a bucket of tears but here, you feel too much buckets! I mean buckets! You could think about the whole suicide of Ruping was utterly senseless. Yeah I know Ruping is stupid and dull but like the novel, the suicide was too much. I mean, they all blame her here and there for the loss of their wealth (karma to how they treated Yiping in the past). So they all blame Ruping and then, one day Ruping shoots herself at their house. Then they all only express their feelings only when Ruping is dead which for me is just plain stupid and overly depressing.
Pretty much, when understanding it, Qiong Yao was writing the novel at her most depressing times- divorce, being a single mother and all.
As if Meteor Garden wasn't enough for me to say that Shantsai should dump Daoming Si, in here you have Shuhuan being abusive to Yiping. Really what kind of boyfriend is that? Yiping wants to get away then Shuhuan picks her up and pins her to a fence? I personally thought that 1986 Shuhuan was almost as bad as Dao Ming Si and both characters really are stubborn mules, maybe that's why they both develop a crush on both their leading ladies who are strong panthers. And one thing also, the more fierce Yiping is, the more attracted Shuhuan is to her. The 2001 version managed to make Shuhuan much better though Qin Han is the better actor over Leo Ku. Returning Shuhuan and Yiping works in real life for the 2001 version, the 1986 version you have Shuhuan as pretty questionable. Other than that, Qin Han and Liu Xuehua pretty much steal the show or maybe it's only because they're the only real familiar ones here? To be honest, I want them to be cast together again as parents to the leading guy (preferably as Jerry Yan's parents).
For casting, I personally don't find most of the 1986 version memorable. I thought that only Qin Han and Liu Xuehua manage to deliver a strong performance, or maybe it's only because I've seen them act as senior roles in modern drama though I'd say that they are still better than Leo Ku (who really sucks for me as Shuhuan) and Vicki Zhao who more or less meets expectations but Barbie Xu could have been better. I personally thought that Erjie in 1986 isn't as good as Erjie in 2001, the former really annoys me while I could feel sorry for the 2001 version when the truth of his paternity came out. Or maybe I thought Mengping in 2001 was better played than Mengping in 1986. And Wang Lin for me is better than senior actress Gu Yin in acting as the wicked Xueqin. If I'm to talk about it, it seems to be Liu Xuehua and Qin Han practically dominate the show for me, Zhao Yonghsing for me is slightly better than Ruby Lin but still. Worse, I felt like almost everyone gets no character development except a few.
Should I mention too depressing? I know the 2001 version still makes you cry a bucket of tears but here, you feel too much buckets! I mean buckets! You could think about the whole suicide of Ruping was utterly senseless. Yeah I know Ruping is stupid and dull but like the novel, the suicide was too much. I mean, they all blame her here and there for the loss of their wealth (karma to how they treated Yiping in the past). So they all blame Ruping and then, one day Ruping shoots herself at their house. Then they all only express their feelings only when Ruping is dead which for me is just plain stupid and overly depressing.
Pretty much, when understanding it, Qiong Yao was writing the novel at her most depressing times- divorce, being a single mother and all.
Be honest with yourself. Fierce women are a turn-on. Shu Huan
ReplyDeleteis not abusive. He is more than a man than most dare to be.
This drama leaves nothing out in its portrayal of a
dysfunctional family. It would be too controversial for
today's politically corrected audiences.