Title: 天蠶再變
Episodes: 30
Year: 1984
Cast:
Koo Kuan Chung - Wan Fei Yeung
Meng Fei - Luk Dan
Zheng Ya Jun - Fu Heung Kwan
Zhang Fu Jian - Tsui Ting Feng
Lan Wen Qing - Meng Du
Liu Fang Ying - Tang Ning
Yang Guang Yu - Lau Kam
Liu Yi Long - Master Zhong Dai
Ming Guang - Princess Jing Jieu
Cheng Hui - Bei Bei
During quarantine I managed to watch this adaption and it honestly wasn't bad. I dislike Taiwanese dramas during the 80's because of fake sets (lord there were lots of them), poor fight scenes and terrible costumes/hairstyles but I really had to watch with an open mind. It is a continuation and takes place right after the original 1978 version ends. The battle between Fei Yeung and DuGu is mentioned in the beginning along with Feng dying. Then the story starts new.
Heung Kwan wants to become a nun but her master will not allow it because she knows she still loves and misses Fei Yeung. She tasks her with bringing something to the capital (really she knew Fei Yeung would be there). Along the way the White Lotus sect kidnaps little children; by chance she encounters Tsui Ting Feng and both have a misunderstanding and quarrel. Of course Ting Feng instantly falls in love with her. This is very similar to the beginning of Dragon Strikes 1979.
I don't want to write a full length review so I will just list some differences between other versions. Meng Fu is is not an evil person but he acts evil and has an eccentric behaviour which leads everyone to dislike him. He wants to duel with Fei Yeung really badly and will do anything to spar with him. His goal is to find strong opponents and become no.1 fighter. By chance him and his master causes Tang Ning's grand father's death and she hates him but he falls in love with her. They pin the death on Fei Yeung and at first Tang Ning hates him but she falls in love with him after finding out he is a nice person.
Heung Kwan stays with Ting Feng and his little daughter loves her. This makes Princess Jing Jieu jealous because she loves Ting Feng even though she is his cousin. But his daughter doesn't like her. In this version she doesn't fall in love with Siu Chi or Luk Dan although they are all friends.
Luk Dan's family is killed and he is on the run just like the other versions but he is a kind person here and survives throughout. He doesn't have a love interest like the other versions however.
The Nangong family is lead by the matriarch whom is not evil but she too came from the White Lotus sect and thus highly skilled. She has 3 grand daughter-in-laws and the middle one is evil and working for the White Lotus sect. The 3rd daughter is the daughter of Master Zhong Dai whom is Tsui Ting Feng's teacher. He had forced his daughter into the Nangong family to prevent her romance with Master Siu (he is Princess Jing Jieu's master). This is also similar to Dragon Strikes 1979 as well. Actually it is mentioned how all the son's in the Nangong family had died unlike in Dragon Strikes.
The major difference is Bei Bei (Meng Du's sister) falls in love with Wan Fei Yeung and is working against her brother to help him. She follows him everywhere along with Tang Ning (it is quite funny, love rivals yet travel companion). She is a nice person but my god her hair and makeup is horrendous. Tang Ning is also not much better, she is too simple and a little plump. In fact the only female who stands out is Fu Keung Kwan who gets a decent wardrobe and hairstyle. Princess Jing Jieu doesn't dress or looks like one half the time, she looks evil in fact.
At the end not many people die here, in fact 80% of them all survive. The only ones who die are the 4 ladies from The Nangong family, the evil people from the White Lotus sect including Lau Kam and Mister Siu. Unlike both ATV versions where everyone dies, even Wan Fei Yeung survives till the end here but he can't decide who he loves between the 3 girls. He ends up alone not to hurt any of them. Siu Chi, Luk Dan, Princess Jing Jieu and Tsui Ting Feng are all alive here. Overall a very decent Taiwanese adaption with a happier ending then both other versions combined.