The Return of the Condor Heroes (2006 TV series)
The Return of the Condor Heroes is a 2006 Chinese television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel of the same title. It is the second instalment of a trilogy produced by Zhang Jizhong, preceded by The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2003) and followed by The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (2009). It was first broadcast on 17 March 2006 in China and subsequently broadcast in other Asian countries such as South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.
| The Return of the Condor Heroes | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Traditional | 神鵰俠侶 |
| Simplified | 神雕侠侣 |
| Mandarin | Shén Diāo Xiá Lǚ |
| Genre | Wuxia |
| Based on | The Return of the Condor Heroes by Louis Cha |
| Screenplay by | Liu Yi Wang Xuejing Tan Lan Lang Xuefeng |
| Directed by | Yu Min Zhao Jian |
| Presented by | Ma Zhongjun Pu Shulin Chi Chenxi Tie Fo |
| Starring | Huang Xiaoming Liu Yifei |
| Theme music composer | Johnny Chen |
| Opening theme | Unrivaled by Jane Zhang |
| Ending theme | Pugilistic Laugh by Wakin Chau, Zhang Jizhong, Huang Xiaoming, Hu Jun & Johnny Chen |
| Country of origin | China |
| Original language(s) | Mandarin |
| No. of episodes | 41 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Du Daning Xu Lu Zhou Li Zhang Huijian |
| Producer(s) | Zhang Jizhong Song Yaping Que Xin |
| Production location(s) | China |
| Cinematography | Yu Min Ye Zhiwei Gu Qiming |
| Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
| Production company(s) | Ciwen Pictures |
| Release | |
| Original network | CCTV |
| Original release | 13 March 2006 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2003) |
| Followed by | The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber (2009) |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Synopsis
The story concerns the adventures of Yang Guo, an orphaned boy in a mid-13th Century China. From his humble beginnings, the street wise Yang Guo gets passed around from one prestigious master to another but none of them will teach him any martial arts. While escaping from a tortured experience under Quan Zhen Sect's Zhao Zhi Jing, he meets Xiao Long Nu, the girl who will become his martial arts master and eventually the love of his life.
Cast
- Huang Xiaoming as Yang Guo
- Xie Yunshan as Yang Guo (young)
- Liu Yifei as Xiaolongnü
- Wang Luoyong as Guo Jing
- Kong Lin as Huang Rong
- Jessey Meng as Li Mochou
- Yang Mi as Guo Xiang
- Kenny Bee as Gongsun Zhi
- Chen Zihan as Guo Fu
- Chen Anni as Guo Fu (young)
- Wang Ning as Wu Dunru
- Chen Yalun as Wu Dunru (young)
- Zhao Jintao as Wu Xiuwen
- Ye Qile as Wu Xiuwen (young)
- Huang Xiaolei as Shagu
- Chen Jiming as Qiu Chuji
- Liu Naiyi as Zhao Zhijing
- Jiang Yi as Ke Zhen'e
- Li Yu as Qiu Qianren
- Yang Rui as Lu Wushuang
- Ge Shimin as Lu Wushuang (young)
- Wang Jia as Cheng Ying
- Wang Jiayi as Cheng Ying (young)
- Zhao Liang as Zhou Botong
- Di Naishe as Ouyang Feng
- Yu Chenghui as Huang Yaoshi
- Dali as Hong Qigong
- Ba Yin as Jinlun Guoshi
- Gao Hu as Huodu
- Cheng Haofeng as Yin Zhiping
- Wang Weiguo as Yideng
- Fu Miao as Gongsun Lü'e
- Sun Lihua as Wanyan Ping
- Zhao Hongfei as Yelü Qi
- Tian Zhong as Lu Qingdu
- Li Mingqi as Granny Sun
- Liang Li as Yinggu
- Xiu Ge as Yin Kexi
- Zhang Hengping as Lu Youjiao
- Zhang Jizhong as Yelü Chucai
- Li Ming as Qiu Qianchi
- Yuan Yuan as Kublai Khan
- Liu Kui as Möngke Khan
- Su Mao as Wang Chuyi
- Guo Jun as Wang Chongyang
- Zhou Haodong as Lu Liding
- Heizi as Feng Mofeng
- Zhao Dandan as Hong Lingbo
Production
Shooting began in October 2004 and ended in May 2005. Locations include Zhejiang, Chongqing, Shandong, Guangdong, Liaoning, Beijing and Sichuan Jiuzhaigou Valley.
Scenes from The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2003) were featured as flashbacks including the scene depicting Yang Kang's death. Zhou Jie makes a cameo appearance as Yang Kang.
Soundtrack
The music for the series was taken from motion picture scores of films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, Van Helsing, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Harry Potter (film series) and Batman Begins.
The chorus from Iwasaki Taku's Shades of Revolution, a Rurouni Kenshin OVA musical score, was used in a minor fight scene between Yang Guo and Li Mochou (episode 30).
The melody of the song Dearest by Ayumi Hamasaki, famous for being in InuYasha, can be heard in the background on episode 15 during the scene where Gongsun Zhi is talking to Xiaolongnü at the Passionless Valley.
The melody used for condor appearances was taken from Hans Zimmer's "All of them", notable for being part of the OST of the 2004 film King Arthur.
Track listing
| The Return of the Condor Heroes - Original Soundtrack (神鵰俠侶 - 電視主題曲原聲大戲) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album Audio CD/Digital downloads by Various artists | |
| Released | May 13, 2006 |
| Length | 1:10:23 |
| Label | Rock Records Co., LTD (滾石國際音樂股份有限公司) |
The original soundtrack was released on 13 May 2006 from Rock Records Co., LTD (滾石國際音樂股份有限公司). There are two versions of the soundtrack. The mainland Chinese release contains a total of 15 tracks while the Taiwanese release includes two bonus tracks. The original score was composed by Chen Huanchang (Xiaochong).
| No. | Title | Singer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shuangfei (雙飛; Flying Together)" | Huang Xiaoming & Della Ding | 5:01 |
| 2. | "Tianxia Wushuang (天下無雙; Unrivaled)" (Opening theme song) | Jane Zhang | 5:13 |
| 3. | "Fuyun (浮雲; Drifting Clouds)" | composed by Xiaochong | 0:48 |
| 4. | "Jianghu Xiao (江湖笑; Pugilistic Laugh)" (Ending theme song) | Wakin Chau, Hu Jun, Huang Xiaoming, Zhang Jizhong & Xiaochong | 4:44 |
| 5. | "Longnü Zhi Sheng (龍女之聲; Voice of the Dragon Maiden)" | Fan Zhuqing | 2:58 |
| 6. | "Luohua (落花; Falling Flowers)" | Pan Yueyun | 5:58 |
| 7. | "Hen Cangtian (恨蒼天; Affection)" | Xiaochong | 4:56 |
| 8. | "Lutu (路途; Journey)" | Xiaochong | 4:48 |
| 9. | "Wen Shijian (問世間; Ask the World)" | Zhang Xin | 4:24 |
| 10. | "Yilian Youmeng (一簾幽夢; A Curtain of Nether Dream)" | Chen Xiuzhou and Xiao Manxuan | 2:39 |
| 11. | "Shuizhong Yue (水中月; Moon in the Water)" | Xiaochong | 4:10 |
| 12. | "Gufeng Canying (孤風殘影; Solitary Wind Blur)" | Xiaochong | 4:56 |
| 13. | "Biyi Shuangfei (比翼雙飛; Connubial)" | Xiaochong | 5:14 |
| 14. | "Xingguang (星光; Starlight)" | Xiaochong | 4:25 |
| 15. | "Zhanwu (戰舞; War Dance)" | Xiaochong | 2:02 |
| 16. | "Lianzhe Duo Xihuan (戀著多喜歡; Loving Love)" (Taiwanese edition bonus track) | Fish Leong | 3:53 |
| 17. | "Ni Hai Jide Wo Ma (你還記得我嗎; Do You Still Remember Me?)" (Taiwanese edition bonus track) | Fish Leong | 3:54 |
| Total length: | 1:10:23 | ||
International broadcast
| Country | Television network | Series premiere | Alternative English title |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | CCTV | 17 March 2006 | Condor Heroes |
| Philippines | GMA-7 | 1 May 2006 | Love of the Condor Heroes |
| Hong Kong | TVB | 10 July 2006 | The Saviour of the Soul |
| Taiwan | CTV | 12 July 2006 | Condor Heroes |
| Canada | Omni.2 | 9 September 2006 | Condor Hero |
| Japan | Channel Neco V-Paradise TV |
January 2007 (Neco) March 2008 (VPTV) |
Condor Heroes |
| Thailand | TV3 | 17 March 2007 | |
| Singapore | Channel U | 28 April 2007 | Condor Hero |
| Indonesia | Indosiar | 30 January 2012 | Kembalinya Pendekar Pemanah Rajawali |
References
External links
- The Return of the Condor Heroes on IMDb
- (in Chinese) The Return of the Condor Heroes on Sina.com
- (in Chinese) The Return of the Condor Heroes official page on CTV website
- (in Chinese) The Return of the Condor Heroes official page on TVB website
- (in Chinese) The Return of the Condor Heroes official page on Ciwen website
- (in Japanese) The Return of the Condor Heroes official page on MAXAM website