Pa Xianxia na, kung ako ay...into Chinese Costume Drama

Ginsagud ako sa fairytale ka una, that explains why I am so attached to fantasy and all things supernatural. Kag sa tanan nga mga fantasy drama series, may particular bias ako sa mga cdrama (Chinese drama series). I always have a penchant for gravity defying martial arts and long haired hot guys nga naka long flowing garment, fighting legions of army/demons sa wayang ukon sa kawayanan.

Ashes of Love (2018)

Bag-o pa ako nakapasimpalad sa asianobela multiverse, nakauna dun dagit kanakon ang mga intsik nga galupad-lupad sa mga atup kag kakahuyan. Sanda lang man bi ang malantawan kauna sa Channel 8 (RPN 9) kada Domingo te hapon (kun aga tana ang intsik nga gadaha-daha). Bukon pa it uso ang subtitles kato anay, but we didn't mind basta walang humpay ang karatehay.

According to Worldcrunch, "Costume drama is more than a single film and television theme, comprising a wide range of productions that can involve stories about imperial palaces, power struggles, martial arts, and historical events. It also includes series adopted from literary classics." Idugang pa ang mga live action adaptations halin sa web novels/comics kag gaming.

Ang pinaka dagit factor para kanakon (aside from the epic kung fu battles kag blending of myth and magic sa plot) amo ang elaborate costumes... makapang abaw-abaw kaw gid sa mga makalunggi-liug nga jeweled headdresses and intricately embroidered colorful gowns. Waay shortage sa hair extensions kag tela ang Chinese dramas. Busog-busog sa visuals.

Luwas sa mga historical dramas, other costume dramas may also be classified into wuxia/xianxia genres. Wuxia literally means “Martial Heroes” thus, it focus on humans and the struggles of the human world. Wuxia characters can achieve supernatural fighting ability through Chinese martial arts training and internal energy cultivation. The skills in wuxia may be exaggerated but martial arts is a true concept, and if one achieves mastery of martial arts, they could use it in self defense and defeat a good amount of people. Common sa wuxia ang themes of chivalry, tragedy, revenge kag romance.

Ang Xianxia tana means “Immortal Heroes” which focus on celestials or immortals. These stories feature magic, Daoist elements (such as Yin & Yang, reincarnation, etc) and a great deal of Chinese folklore/mythology. Usually ang xianxia characters attempt to cultivate to Immortality, seeking eternal life and the pinnacle of strength. The skills in xianxia however, are completely fictional, pareho ka pagpuga ka uran sa panganud ukon pag bola-bola ka kalayo sa palad.

Basically, wuxia focuses on humans and their quest to achieve mastery of martial arts, and xianxia focuses on humans who cultivate into immortals. Amo dan nga ang wuxia is considered "low fantasy, kag ang xianxia "high fantasy".

May ika-tatlo pa nga genre which is Xuanhuan that means "Mysterious Fantasy" kun diin ang Chinese folklore/mythology ginlakotan ka mga foreign elements (like elves, fairies, etc) kag setting. Daw fusion tana ka wuxia kag other fantasy stories that does not necessarily involve immortals or Daoism.

To sum up: ang wuxia is about martial heroes; xianxia with immortal heroes; kag ang xuanhuan is about a hero in a fantasy world. Magsaramo man sanda nga genres, importante makalilingaw ang estorya (and bastante sa eye candy!)

Kun raku ikaw time to spare (which of course you have hay laon ikaw with zero lovelife), here are some Chinese costume dramas for your binge watching experience. Be prepared nga mabu-aw ang mata hay mga malawig dya nga series (the number of episodes ranges from 30+ to a whooping 70+). Watching cdramas is a commitment.

Wuxia recommendations:

The Untamed (2019)

• Bloody Romance

• Ever Night

• Handsome Siblings

• Legend of the Condor Heroes and Return of the Condor Heroes

• Legend of Fu Yao

• Nirvana in Fire

• The Untamed (lowkey BL alert!)

Xianxia recommendations:

Eternal Love (2017)

• Ashes of Love

• Chinese Paladin (1, 3 & 5)

• Lost Love in Time

• Love and Destiny

• Sword of Legends

• Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (Eternal Love) and Pillow Book (Eternal Love of Dreams)

• The Journey of Flower

More cdrama recommendations:

• And the Winner is Love

• Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre

• Joy of Life

• Noble Aspirations

• Princess Agents

• Scarlet Heart

• Secret of the Three Kingdom

• The King's Woman

• The Rise of Phoenixes

• Under the Power

Eternal Love of Dream (2020)

(Sources: https://atthewaterside.tumblr.com/post/189749119776/wuxiaxianxia-a-genre-introduction; https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/glossary/wuxia-xianxia-xuanhuan-terms/#:~:text=Xianxia%20(%E4%BB%99%E4%BE%A0%20xi%C4%81nxi%C3%A1)%20%E2%80%93,and%20the%20pinnacle%20of%20strength; https://www.insider.com/best-chinese-south-korean-period-dramas-on-netflix-amazon-prime-2020-4; https://reelrundown.com/tv/best-chinese-dramas-you-should-watch; https://reelrundown.com/tv/top-22-best-historical-chinese-dramas-you-must-watch; https://www.blogbiasa.com/p/the-difference-between-wuxia-xianxia.html; pics from tumblr)