The Romance of the Condor Heroes
Promotional poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	神鵰俠侶
Simplified Chinese	神雕侠侣
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shén Diāo Xiá Lǚ
Genre	Wuxia
Based on	The Return of the Condor Heroes by Louis Cha
Screenplay by	Yu Zheng
Directed by	Lee Wai-chu Deng Wei'en Lee Tat-chiu
Creative director	Yu Zheng
Presented by	Pu Shulin Yu Zheng
Starring	Chen Xiao Michelle Chen
Composer	Tan Xuan
Country of origin	China
Original language	Mandarin
No. of episodes	52 (original version)
Production
Executive producers	Bi Nengjin Chen Wen
Producers	Yu Zheng Ma Tian Wan Yang Yang Lihui
Production locations	Hengdian World Studios Xiangshan Film City
Cinematography	Ye Yunyuan Jiang Hongmin Liang Baoquan
Editors	Zheng Weiming Liu Xiang
Running time	45 minutes per episode
Production companies	Cathay Media Yu Zheng Studio
Original release
Network	Hunan TV
Release	3 December 2014 (2014-12-03) – 11 March 2015 (2015-03-11)

The Romance of the Condor Heroes is a 2014–15 Chinese television series produced by Yu Zheng and adapted from Jin Yong's novel The Return of the Condor Heroes, with additional material from the preceding novel, The Legend of the Condor Heroes. It stars Chen Xiao and Michelle Chen in the lead roles. The series was first broadcast on Hunan TV from 3 December 2014 to 11 March 2015.^[1]

Plot

The protagonist, Yang Guo, is the orphaned son of Yang Kang, the antagonist in The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The couple Guo Jing and Huang Rong take Yang Guo under their care for a short period of time before sending him to the Quanzhen School on Mount Zhongnan for better guidance in moral values and orthodox martial arts.

In Quanzhen, Yang Guo is often bullied by his fellow seniors, and discriminated against by his master, Zhao Zhijing. Yang Guo flees from Quanzhen and ventures unknowingly into the nearby Tomb of the Living Dead, where the Ancient Tomb School is housed. He is saved by Xiaolongnü, a mysterious maiden of unknown origin, and becomes her apprentice. They live together in the tomb for many years until Yang Guo grows up.

Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü develop romantic feelings for each other, but their romance is forbidden by the prevailing norms of the jianghu (or wulin, the community of martial artists). Throughout the story, their love meets with several trials, such as the misunderstandings that threaten to tear them apart, and their encounter with Gongsun Zhi, whom Xiaolongnü almost marries at one point.

Finally, after their reunion and marriage, Xiaolongnü leaves Yang Guo again, owing to her belief she cannot recover from a fatal poison, and promises to meet him again 16 years later. While Yang Guo is wandering the jianghu alone, he meets several formidable martial artists and a giant condor, and improves his skills tremendously after training from them. His adventures gradually mould him into a courageous hero and the most powerful martial artist of his time.

Yang Guo serves his native land by helping the Han Chinese people of the Song Empire resist invaders from the Mongol Empire. At the end of the drama, he is reunited with Xiaolongnü and they leave to lead the rest of their lives in seclusion after receiving praises and blessings from the wulin.

Cast

Special appearances

Soundtrack

Reception

Since the series was first announced, it was wrapped up in various controversies. In particular, the casting of Michelle Chen attracted a large outcry by fans of the original novel, who called Chen the "fattest Xiaolongnü (little dragon lady)" that they have ever seen. When the show first premiered on Hunan TV, it was heavily panned for its bad writing, cheaply made actions scenes and a story that completely departs from the novel. Critics call the show "a vulgar mess possessing little artistic value", and "a production that completely destroyed the spirit of the original story".^[2][3]

References

External links

• The Condor Heroes on Sina Weibo