It's a kung-fu hamster! Can I really go any lower?

[dangermousie]

So, checked out first episode of Demi Gods and Semi Devils. Was progressing along swimmingly going "wow, this is bloody; oooh, the scenery is pretty; I think I like the beggar hero guy; why is Crystal Liu crushing on her cousin? He looks like a gargoyle reject and treats her like dirt; ooooh, interesting outfit!"

And then, this happened:



Yes. It's a badly animated hamster. Fighting people. A character has just used a badly animated hamster to fight people.

Hamster. Kung Fu hamster.

I give up.

I have to stop with this for my own sanity and self-respect.

Even if the drama also promises me this:





Ah, the agony of indecision. I shall let you, my flist, pick for me.

[Poll #1719184]

I think I am inclined to narrow my viewing to 4 - FWC, Romantic Red Rouge, Jade Palace and Men and Legends. I can't take it with more. Or can I?

Comments

[walkwithheroes.livejournal.com]

Yes. Because it does get so very good later on. I don't even remember the hamster.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

OK. Cautiously optimistic then because I really liked it except for that part - the visuals are great, the pacing also, I don't have a problem following the story (which usually is an issue for me with first couple eps in a wuxia) and I really like Qiao Feng and Duan Yu already. But the hamster - eeek - nice to know it's not really like that.

[mookiehyun.livejournal.com]

Lolololol I dun rem the hamster as wel and it does get good fast! U've weathered thro 2 silly goose Condors and one faker than all kdrama actresses' noses combined python in LoCH! I am not surprised u r lured by the incest! ;) but the beggar hair guy and his otp is tragic beyond imaginable. it really is most makjang kdrama-ish out of all LC epics.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think it's because it's a hamster. Condors and pythons are at least supposed to be deadly :P Plus, I had way more eps under my belt with LOCH by that point and was ready for anything due to my love of characters but this is ep 1.

But it seems this is not a frequent thing so I can move on past it :)

Re: beggar guy. Not fair! He's hot and competent! And horrible things happened to him when he was a mere baby! I want him to have a happy ending! I take it that this is way not in the cards though.

I confess my fave character so far is Jimmy Lin's - when he strode into that ginormous fight and told them to stop fighting because he knows no martial arts but living in harmony is great, I loled and loled and loled. He's reminding me a lot of kung-fu-less Seventh Bro from Young Warriors.

And yay on fakecest. It's the kdrama lover in me.

[mookiehyun.livejournal.com]

Hey it's wuxia! U can not look down on a hamster that knows KUNG FU! ;)

Tragic beyond imaginable.. his life's never been a walk in the park, but despite it all he will grow up all righteous and functional (and hot)...and then major boulders avalanched.

I do like Jimmy Lin, but he's not human...his baby face is messing with me...esp when he's smiling, and I got the urges to coddle and tickle. I bet he has the same smile as a baby.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

True, I am sure if I went mano-a-mano with kung fu hamster, I'd lose :P

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

DGSD has THE angstiest OTP in the entire Louis Cha novel world.

Qiao Feng - gah, it hurts me to even think about his life and his OTP situation.

And worse yet, DGSD has also has THE worst evil OTP wannabe chick (wayyyyyy worse than Guo Fu, if you can believe that) that makes me thank the lord she's a fictional character.

I vote keep watching - buckets of angst which you love coming full speed ahead!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Worse than Guo Fu? How is that even possible? Eeeeeeek.

[mookiehyun.livejournal.com]

No truer words what Ockoala said esp if u r really into the beggar hero otp.

[ji-xiang.livejournal.com]

OMG, so true! The Qiao Feng OTP was my first introduction to OTPs... I think I was about 7 ;) It still resonates me to this day (I couldn't watch that one episode when this first came out, because I knew what was coming).

And yes, I think they did a poll in China when this series came out, and she was voted the most hated character in the Jing Yong universe (the girl in DGSD).

And it's technically not a hamster ;) It's more like... a weasel.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Hunh. See, the giggles inspired by a kung fu hamster in a serious wuxia epic make me giggle and go "whatevs." I mean, this is the genre where people get poisoned and have 2 days to live and spend 15 episodes looking for a cure, and where the only danger in jumping off a cliff is how to get out of the valley. I have alsoencountered bunnies being used in a courtship, and a frog made out of ice with medicinal properties.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

True. I think the otp of ROCH spent the bulk of its running time perpetually poisoned.

[lady-wu.livejournal.com]

Where's the "Yes, Animated kung fu hamster. How is it even a question?" option?

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

That was my reaction, too! I mean a kungfu hamster! That is even more cracktastic than a character dying by being hit by a flying carpet!

[themadpoker.livejournal.com]

That is exactly what I was about to say! An animated hamster should really be understood as an incentive to continue watching.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOLOLOL mea culpa

[blobofcolour.livejournal.com]

Yea, the hamster isn't the resident mascot like the condors so no worries, you won't be seeing much of it. Actually, I think it doesn't even show up after this appearance or maybe I just missed it 'cos I skipped the Zhong Ling bits. Qiao Feng is waiting for you with buckets of angst. ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Woo-hoo!

You know how to tempt a girl.

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

LOL I don't remember the hamster either, WTF. I think I've watched something like 13 episodes, but there was so much plot I didn't care about + really cheesy slapstick humour that I gave up. I heard it gets angster and better later but couldn't survive that long, not even with CUTE CUTE Jimmy Lin.

Randomly, Gong = sososososo good. ♥ I should get a break and stop watching it, but my eyes are glued to the screen and my greatest wish right now is someone would come along with a sword and stab 4th Prince's bratty wife in the face.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am trying to hoard Gong eps for an epic marathon but it's not working. I think today is the day I cave!

I'll let you know if it gets sooo good you can't miss it with DG&SD

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of marathoning but it's all the odd-numbered episodes, LOL. I was put down as editor for almost all the even-numbered episodes, so basically my knowledge of what happens has MAJOR GAPS and now I'm going back (from where I've edited up to at episode 32) and plugging those. \o/ Seriously, you know you're obsessed when you spend the better half of the last 2 hours trying to find the perfect poster of Gong to use as album cover for the opening/ending theme tags.

RE: DG&SD, please do! Jimmy Linnnn.

[orangebreeze.livejournal.com]

Somehow, that hamster looks like a polar bear :/

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

A miniature one :)

[linfer.livejournal.com]

Oh my gods it's Ju Hun...well, seems that I have to watch this one. *gg*
And...you, too :p Though this hamster is beyond bizarre.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

He's certainly appealing :)

[linfer.livejournal.com]

Especially with long hair. *gg* And I love his acting. Thankfully I watched "Robbers" first where he isn't really a good guy, but not a villain like in "Bodyguards and Assassins" or "Mulan". He didn't look very pleasant in those movies and I think I'd have only noticed that he is great as a villain.

[(Anonymous)]

Actually, it's a not a hamster. It's a snow-coated mink, known for being intelligent and fast, and it's trained to do lots of kung-fu style tricks. This picture is a real-life version http://diao.yangzhi.com/images/uppic/200551717946.jpg

This is my favorite Louis Cha adaptation by Zhang Ji Zhong, since the characterization and plot developments were so well done. You really have to get through the first 15 episodes or so, and then things really pick up. My favorite relationships, besides the Xiao Feng OTP, include the brotherhood and camaraderie between the three main characters. One of my favorite Wuxia series, so I definitely recommend.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the explanation, that makes more sense :)

I'll def continue with this.

[(Anonymous)]

LOL haven't watched this but seeing as nobody seems to remember the hamster, are you sure you're not hallucinating due to too much cdrama? :P

I always wonder what's up with wuxia dramas' bad CG. They can afford to make all those complicated costumes and settings but can't seem to afford a good CG effects (They didn't even try with that hamster, it totally looked like a plush toy).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I knew nobody would believe me, this is why I brought caps :P

[hollyxu.livejournal.com]

Technically, it's an albino ferret? If that makes you feel better...

Probably not.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

ROFL

[village.livejournal.com]

LMAO.

[karened.livejournal.com]

WATCH JIMMY LIN *thinks back to my childhood days*

Oh, I've finished Romantic Red Rouge (or whatever it's called). Very impressed with Bing Bing's acting (haven't watched her much since years back), and I cried so hard at points, and got so frightened at others too. Great show. Would have loved it more had Wallace showed a greater range of expressions. But he was good too. =)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to binge on RRR

[uhmbrr.livejournal.com]

is that a hamster? it looks like a hybrid of a rat and a polar bear.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

No idea, it was just a guess :)

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

THE KILLER HAMSTER IS WHAT WILL MAKE THIS WUXIA EPIC. And you know it! Don't fight that feeling!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Forget the kung fu hamster!

The villain just made the hero and his half-sis to consume aphrodisiac as revenge:

http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/2173341.html

This drama is done by a mad genius. Who probably owns a kung-fu knowing pet hamster.

[kitkat-cat.livejournal.com]

Continue with this, even if it is only for the forthcoming Qiao Feng, his OTP, his life, everything!!! I cried. It's how bad it was.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I will :)

[(Anonymous)]

This show is weird.I find it appealing but I still have had hard time to finish this show. I especially love this show because of the girls especially Liu Tao, Jiang Shing - the girl who acts in the hot scene with Jimmy- and Christy Cheung (but they have little scenes).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I'll see how it goes for me :)

[(Anonymous)]

Oooooohhhhh, kung Fu Hamster! Nothing compared to Kung Fu Bunnies, those are DEADLY!!!!

(I didn't know that there was Demi-Gods or Semi-Devils Hamsters in China... interesting....)

Emma

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

scary scary bunnies :P