笑傲江湖 (Swordsman/The Smiling, Proud Wanderer) is being released in Zhong Guo in a couple of weeks. The current buildup to it is quite something. Usually, I hardly hear about upcoming wuxia series here in the states. They just show up in stores when its done broadcasting. The normal English sites that cover Zhong Guo entertainment can't cover all the series that are released. But I did come across a lot of news about this series and the screen captures have been steadily flowing in through the months. Maybe it's an Wallace Huo thing. Huo's series always seem to get major publicity. So much so that I almost always here about them. Especially the wuxia ones.
Within a ten year span of of 1991 through 2001, 笑傲江湖 had 3 movies and 4 dramas based on it. Which makes the current 12 year gap seem like an eternity. Jin Yong novels are regularly used as source material, from movies, dramas, commercials and video games. From the 1970s through the 1990s, dramas based on Jin Yong novels were independently made from both Taiwan and Hong Kong. The 2000s brought joint productions between Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Zhong Guo companies. Currently, the joint productions continue with much success.
I am very excited to watch this. It has been a long time since I've really dug down and watched an drama series out of Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Zhong Guo. I've only had the stomach for US made ones with Zombies and Winter waiting kingdoms of late.
Hurry up, get released so it can get to the states on Blu-ray!
