Quick Rant on Return of the Condor Heroes Costume Styling

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Today is Zhao Liying's 26th birthday and Yu Zheng celebrated with two new stills of her cameo role in his latest production. Luckily, my fear that Zhao Liying's Mu Nianci and Chen Zhao's Yang Kang not sharing any scenes together has evaporated with this pictorial release. It definitely more than I asked for. It also seems my favorite pairing is sharing a "intimate" scene together.

Maybe the scene in the photo below is un-romanticaly intimate. Based on my initial impressions, I think Yang Kang may be already dead and Mu Nianci is leaning over his corpse to give him a goodbye kiss? Alright, I admit that doesn't sound romantic at all! My second practical interpretation is she mouth feeding him water?
After seeing Chen Xiao and Zhao Liying playing lovers again in Return of the Condor Heroes, I suddenly just felt nostaglic about the XiaoYing coupling in Legend of Lu Zhen. Though the development of the story was rather disappointing later in the series, I still could not forget the adorable and deliciously good looking Lu Zhen + Gao Zhan. I know it would be unfair to compare the styling of Yang Guo/Xiaolongnü with Gao Zhan/ Lu Zhen because they are absolutely different in genre and are polar opposites. The former is set in opulent palace setting of grandeur and the latter is the wildly imaginative pugilistic world of Jiang Hu. I still want to compare and give a big SIGH whenever I see the fugly costumes and hairstyling that Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu received in this new adaptation of Return of the Condor Heroes. They are not the worst styling I've seen in period dramas, but the production is no visual beauty.  They could have been accomplished much more with all the money Yu Zheng is putting into this production.

The plaid balloon pants and heavy bangs are totally not working magic on Chen Xiao, who usually look  dashing in period pieces. The photos below are a testament of the potential that the new Xiaolongnü and Yang Guo could have achieve IF the costumes and hairstyling were done right on the actor and actress. 


I could feel the sizzling chemistry of Lu Zhen and Gao Zhan  spilling all over the TV screen. Even the above screen caps are hot with sparks.  In contrast, I just sense rather mundane vibes between Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü. Perhaps in motion they will convey more emotional depth?

On the brighter side of the production, the more senior pairing of Guo Jing and Huang Rong is looking  promising. I am actually sensing more passion and potential from this pairing.


Beautiful MV of Chen Xiao's Gao Zhan in Legend of Lu Zhen

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