"Chinese Paladin" (Xian Jian Qi Xia Zhuan) is widely regarded as one of the most influential video-game to screen adaptation within Chinese Television culture, often praised for its faithfulness to character and respect towards the source material. Whilst I remember this lovingly due to the bias of nostalgia and time, I can't deny that "Chinese Paladin" do suffer heavily from cheesy dialogue, poor use of CGI and choppy pacing at times. However the overarching structure, with its cast of lovable characters and their relationships, still stand the test of time.
A classic is always a classic, the hero's journey, a nobody becomes a somebody, but what is he willing to sacrifice to get there? Whilst not perfect by a stretch, the plot and story keeps its focus on its characters, and as Robert Mckee said "There is no story without characters", here the focus is intently kept on the male lead "XiaoYao"'s journey, and his relationships with his counterparts. The story combines elements of adventure, fantasy and romance; weaving in the themes of love and sacrifice in between. Whilst some sections stumble and fall, and the pace during the middle of the series can slow down, the overall structure of the story is strong, and despite its cheesiness, still is able to deliver with charm.
Being a production made almost 12 years ago from the time of this review, and also produced in mainland China, it does suffer a lot of issues in terms of CGI and how it's used. Most of the effects used that aren't practical are incredibly noticeable and will ruin your immersion if you pay too much attention. However, if you're able to look past that, you'll be able to enjoy a colorful palette and magical locations that really sell the look and feel of this fantasy world. Despite the downfalls of CGI, the practical effects and choreography is enjoyable and explosive, and the backdrops of scenes of romance (and there are many) are gorgeous and will stay in your memory for years to come. The costume design is very on point, and all uniquely support their character's personality. Once again, for something that is made so long ago, a huge fraction of it weigh positive over negative.
One of the most timeless things that this show is able to produce is its choice of music. The songs of "Chinese Paladin" still haunt the memories of all those who watched it in their childhoods, and will still jolt the emotions of pain and joy whenever those chords are struck. The music of this show is memorable to say the least, songs are repeated multiple times and become a sort of recurring motif - of fate, of loss, of love. If this music had been made to be annoying, then it could've completely ruined this show, but thankfully, each piece is composed with multiple layers of emotion, and fits many scenes throughout the show. The sound design of "Chinese Paladin" pales in comparison to its music, the clash of swords and the chant of magic is enjoyable, but is only standard
What makes this show so endearing is its ensemble of characters, the main characters all develop extremely well and the relationship between the three mains are interesting. It is because of this appeal of the characters, do the events that occur in "Chinese Paladin" become so tragic and memorable. The distinct personality of this diverse cast gives you their different perspectives of love, and what they're willing to sacrifice for it. The actors' portrayal of the characters are true to the source material, and they stay honest to the central pillars of what drives their characters, this makes them very charming and interesting to watch.
Despite the many obvious flaws and downright cliché of some sequences, I can't help but admire at the portrayal of the characters, how interesting their relationships are, and how unique the portrayal of different forms of love. These characters made me fall in love with this show, with this world, and do make me ignore the many downfalls of a traditional Chinese production TV-show. I enjoyed the profanity out of this.
Although objectively I gave this a 7, but in my heart this will always be my favorite TV-Show of all time, and subjectively a 10. But reviews don't operate on high amounts of subjectivity, so if you're new to watching Chinese TV-Shows I really can't recommend this to you, as there are many higher quality western shows of the fantasy/adventure genre. But if you're really interested in what the unique WuXia setting does, or you just really want to see some appealing character romance - and if you can stick to the very end of this show, then I think this won't be a waste of your time, heck, I took half an hour just to write this review, if nothing else, do it for that.
