When the eight immortals in traditional Chinese folklore and the characters in the Chinese classical masterpiece "Journey to the West", and even the storyline in "Yang Jiajiang", break through all obstacles and appear in a TV drama work at the same time, what kind of picture will it be?
In 1998, the Singapore mythical TV series Journey to the East explained all this to us.
So far, this TV series has been broadcast for more than twenty years, no matter how many times stronger today's shooting methods and computer special effects are stronger than in those years, but in today's eyes, this "Journey to the East" is still a mythological drama worth watching, not only the characters in the play are immortal, but also truly live into what we think of as "flying in the clouds" and "free with the sky", even the theme song of this drama, "Getaway", is so charming and catchy.
This "Journey to the East" is nominally playing the story of the immortals, but there is a love word everywhere in the story, the love between Donghua Shangxian and peony fairy, the love between Lü Dongbin and Bai Peony, the pangolin's love for He Xiangu, and the kind of emotion between Lü Dongbin and He Xiangu. This kind of love is also a kind of robbery, which appears in the process of Lü Dongbin and He Xiangu becoming immortals. This kind of love has also changed a lot, such as the pangolin's love for He Xiangu, which eventually led him to a situation of endless disaster against the entire Three Realms. After watching this play, I can't help but have a feeling that the original fairy society is not much different from the mortal society, and there is love and hate as well. The so-called "freedom with heaven" is nothing more than an emotional sustenance. This kind of sustenance, mortals yearn for, immortals yearn for more.
In addition to the return of the eight immortals as the main line of the whole drama, the TV series is also interspersed with roles such as Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen who once appeared in "Journey to the West", and the big villain Tongtian Sect Lord in "Fengshen Yanyi" has also been borrowed from this drama and has become a big boss with explosive combat effectiveness, but the pangolin who is bent on opposing the whole world has unexpectedly become the biggest villain, until finally, after being killed by the eight immortals, he transformed into a Luo Gai and continued to guard He Xiangu, who he had loved all his life, which made the audience sigh.
There are actually many factors in the drama of "Journey to the East" that are loved and unforgettable. For example, although there are many story lines and a variety of characters in the play, they are not scattered at all, and the eight immortals and the characters of the story and "Journey to the West" are also very reasonable. Although emotions and dramas and myths and legends are intertwined, they do not interfere with each other in the end, but complement each other. What is particularly impressive to the audience is that the appearance of the main characters in the play is really a handsome man and a beautiful woman, which deduces the appearance of the immortals imagined by people in the myth.
Let's take a look at the actors in the play who interpret the style of the immortals.
Ma Jingtao plays Donghua Shangxian and Lu Dongbin
More than twenty years ago, Ma Jingtao's acting skills, which had already entered the age of establishment, became more and more exquisite, and the more mature face no longer had the youthful look when he played Zhang Wujie, and showed a man's charm. Lu Dongbin, who has long flowing hair and a white coat, is believed to have left a deep impression on countless audiences. Even the Donghua Shangxian, who had a beard and a face full of vicissitudes, also exuded a sense of heroism between his eyebrows.
Ma Jingtao, an actor from Taiwan, China, began to play Qiong Yao drama in the early years, and then later starred in ancient costume martial arts dramas, which can be said to have influenced generations of audiences.
Guo Feili plays peony fairy and white peony
Singaporean actress Guo Feili, who is a model, when she participated in this "Journey to the East", was at the peak of her appearance, and her big watery eyes always looked at you with affection in the pulse, as if she could talk. It is no wonder that Donghua Shangxian and Lü Dongbin are unable to escape this love disaster. The role of Yin Susu in Guo Feili's Su Youpeng version of "Yitian Slaughtering Dragon" also impressed the audience.
Lin Xiangping plays Zhenniang and Princess Longsan
The two roles played by Lin Xiangping, Long San and Zhenniang, are also very classic costume beauty roles in this drama. Lin Xiangping, who was in her early twenties at that time, whether it was appearance or temperament, was very compatible with the arrogant and lovely personality of the Third Princess of the Dragon in the play.
Zheng Xiuzhen plays He Xiangu
He Xiangu, played by Zheng Xiuzhen, is also a role that makes the audience remember deeply in the play, under her interpretation, He Xiangu has both the beauty of ancient costumes, but also exudes a kind of chivalrous and heroic heroism, it is this temperament, so He Xiangu can have a unique personality and charm in the eight immortals composed of a cadre of male characters.
Coincidentally, in 2000, in another costume martial arts drama in Singapore, "Smiling Proud of the Jianghu", Zheng Xiuzhen once again portrayed the undefeated role of Dongfang, becoming a female actor who successfully played Dongfang undefeated after Lin Qingxia.
Zheng Xiuzhen plays Dongfang Undefeated
Chang Cheng plays Fei Changfang and Han Xiangzi
Perhaps everyone does not have much impression of chang cheng, who plays Han Xiangzi, but his role and image in many dramas are very eye-catching, such as in the "Three Kingdoms" filmed by director Gao Xixi, Chang Cheng played the role of Lu Meng, who played a lot of scenes.
Shen Yiling plays Lan Caihe
In "Journey to the East", Lan Caihe attracted the audience with his frank temperament. Shen Yiling, also a beautiful actress in Singapore, played the role of the gentle and lovely Gongsun Green Calyx in "The Condor Man".
Xie Shaoguang plays a pangolin
Singapore's well-known veteran actor Xie Shaoguang is a very familiar actor to mainland audiences, because he has participated in almost all of Singapore's film and television works. Xie Shaoguang has a special temperament, he plays the role of a villain, he can reveal the villain's evil from the bones, but he plays a positive character, but he can still reflect the chivalrous spirit vividly, such as the mainland audience familiar with the "Lotus Battle", Xie Shaoguang played the role of Ye Qun.
Of course, there is also Ding Lan, who went to Singapore from the mainland to develop, played the role of Guanyin
I think that when the movie "Shaolin Temple" was popular in the mainland, Ding Lan was once a goddess in the minds of a generation of Chinese people.
Looking at the stills of the past, it is indeed full of memories.
The theme song of this play, "Getaway", is worth mentioning very much, this song is not only brisk in tune, the lyrics are catchy, full of a different kind of freedom, and it is most appropriate as the theme song of "Journey to the East" that shows the style of immortals.
The last question comes, if you are Lu Dongbin, let you face Bai Peony and He Xiangu at the same time, and express your admiration to you, who will you choose?