Michelle Chen - a "fat" xiaolongnu

Recently, a favourite show for my dad and I to tune into is the Legends of the Condors (神雕侠侣） at 11pm on Channel 8. Now, since my last vague memory of this series had our local actress Fann Wong as XLN (yeah, I know, that was eons ago), I could watch this show on a clean slate.

I found that the character of xiaolongnu was played by someone（ahem, Michelle Chen) who looked girlish and of a natural beauty, a clear contrast to the surrounding female cast who looked like they had way too much makeup and plastic surgery. 

"No, netizens said she's the ugliest xiaolongnu ever, especially when compared to the actress playing Li Mochou," my dad would say when I remarked how pretty Michelle Chen was in the drama series. I was positively aghast. The actress playing Li Mochou looks like the typical plastic surgery ideal - fake and pretentious, which is far more suited for the character.

In contrast, someone who plays xiaolongnu should be someone who is dead serious about staying and guarding the tomb, oblivious and unaffected by the ideals of the outside world. In short, someone whose so-called ethereal beauty is the raw beauty of a woman. Someone who's perhaps even naive and childlike, just like Michelle Chen who still has cute cheeks (hello, she's NOT fat FYI). Thus, Michelle Chen fits this role.

張馨予, who played Li Mochou, 

looks more like a low-grade porno actress than xiaolongnu-worthy

When netizens screamed at how Michelle Chen doesn't portray the role of xiaolongnu well with her cutesy behaviour, I'm inclined to agree somewhat that there's a hint of The Apple of my Eye coming into this show. However, given how there's comedic relief on the Yang Guo's part in this drama series, the bubbly nature of Michelle Chen is a complement to this light-hearted set of script.

To some, this drama represents the criminal butchering of 神雕侠侣. To me, I found it a refreshing change.

Well if you've actually read this far, I applaud you. This is a mere rant against the superficial general crowd.

Until next time~
~J