"It can be hard to avoid getting injured during the process of filming. As a result, do you have any fear or resistance toward these kinds of scenes [that can cause that]?"
Cheng Yi: "This is something that can't be avoided (...) it's just about learning to protect yourself, isn't it? It can't be helped. If you're shooting a fight scene but can't deal with getting a little hurt, do you have it in you to shoot fight scenes, then? This is fairly normal.
What we do can't even really be called martial arts. The stuntman/martial artist laoshis have it harder. For example, if we're doing wire work— I'm speaking honestly here— everyone's stuntmen are put into the most danger. Only once the hazardous moves are complete do the actors take over. [Stuntmen] are the number one people at risk. This is something I really want to emphasize.
For example, if there's a difficult stunt, [the stuntman] will try it first, then ask you afterward if you can do it, and they're always very respectful too. 'If you want a 360 degree spin, is your core strong enough to turn like that? If it is, you have to make the spin look good. Can your core achieve that? Are you able to execute your movements properly?' They'll ask you things like this. It's up to you, but if you can't do it, [the stuntmen] also won't force you." (x)
None of the guzhuang fight scenes you enjoy are possible without the stunt teams working just out of view alongside the actors to make them happen.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH 莲花楼 MYSTERIOUS LOTUS CASEBOOK
Guess I’m back for another rec, you know I’m there when I get minimum two bromance dudes and historical and OOMPH if you liked The Blood of Youth this might be up your lane!! Slightly similar main character premise but super good, the trope never gets old!!
TL;DR
- Stupid disciple + his (unknowing) shifu
- Enemy bros “where is my shixiong’s remains?!” + “defeat me and find out” vibes who have to work together and form their deep friendship and get past misunderstanding and mystery blah blah love it
- All-powerful legendary swordsman losing all his powers and becoming a legendary physician
- Everything is about dead shixiong we don’t even know how the man looks like
- Investigations and jianghu shenanigans, cases!!!
- Uwu puppy dog and good in martial arts disciple and his sickly, ex-legendary and still cool shifu who doesn’t know he’s a shifu LMAO
- Yes uwu bromance, especially cuz shifu is DYING and he is WEAK and he gonna spit out blood and faint everywhere as they find cure for him
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AIRING DEETS
Total episodes: 40
Premiered on: July 23
VIP ends: August 18
Can be watched from iQiyi
Airing schedule: 6 episodes on the first day, 2 episodes everyday after for 6 days, then 8 episodes a week except for the last week, that has 6 episodes with finale
SUMMARY
Ten years ago, Li Xiangyi who was master of Sigu Sect, challenged Di Feisheng, master of the Jinyuan Alliance, to a fight on the seas, where they both end up critically hurt as Li Xiangyi tries to find out where his shixiong’s (Shan Gu Dao) corpse and bones went - his sect was attacked on the same day, and when he returns to the sect, critically injured, he sees some of his deputies blaming him for the attack, and instead of going in, he disappears after that.
Ten years later, Li Xiangyi is now Li Lianhua (Lotus Li LMAO) and he’s an eccentric but skilled doctor who has his eyes on earning money. By chance, he meets Fang Duobing (Fang Many Illness LMAO), a young, aspiring detective who’s super skilled in martial arts, but he’s been unable to enrol in Bai Chuan Yuan (the past Sigu Sect), a sort-of sect that plays an enforcer role in the pugilistic world and helps to solve cases, arrest wrongdoers, and the like. Fang Duobing’s dream is to get in, but as he’s the only son of two powerful people who’ve been refusing to let him be part of Bai Chuan Yuan, he’s failed the test 3 times despite being the most-skilled one there. On his third try, however, he tells the four masters of Bai Chuan Yuan that his shifu is Li Xiangyi, a Li Xiangyi who used to be a part of Bai Chuan Yuan and is still greatly missed by the four masters. They agree to it, but only if FDB solve three cases with arrests.
His first case leads him to meet LXY who’s now known as Li Lianhua, and their meeting doesn’t go off to a great start; FDB is idealistic and a rich, wealthy young master at heart who’s never suffered much hardship, and LLH drugs him after and scolds him for being too trusting of people and being too obvious, going around with two servants. LLH leaves him with parting words, only to meet him again later at the scene of the crime.
They solve cases together from there; LLH is still looking for his shixiong’s body ten years later, and decides to solve cases with FDB as a guise to get closer to the truth, making use of FDB slightly. Later, Di Feisheng recognises him, and the three of them are forced to become allies/friends to uncover a greater conspiracy. The clock is ticking for them as well, as Li Xiangyi was poisoned and injured ten years ago, and was given only ten more years to live. The story begins in the year that he’s meant to die.
*Fang Duobing met Li Xiangyi when he was young and still sickly, and Li Xiangyi encouraged him, and Fang Duobing held onto his every word and suffered a lot to become healthy again and as skilled as he is today, all because Li Xiangyi said those words to him that year ;-;
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH
(1) Fight scenes are GREAT
- Water water water
- All female sect?!
(2) Bromance, subtle for now, but greater later I assume - ZENG SHUNXI’S FACE HE SO PUPPY BLURBLUR AND SMILING?! AND CHENG YI SMIRKING?! Like Fang Duobing is just wagging his tail and running after a person he doesn’t know is truly his shifu as he claims LOL
(3) Shifu Li Xiangyi not knowing he was shifu to Fang Duobing
(4) Li Xiangyi being the reason for Fang Duobing to EXIST but Li Xiangyi ain’t around anymore (not) and he sad and Li Xiangyi can’t tell him who he is UWUUUU
(5) Familiar faces hehe if you are a SNGX/The Blood of Youth and SHL fan
Li Lianhua and his inability to stop provoking his enemies vs his boyfriend who’s slightly proud but wishes he’d stop trying to get yet another hole in his lungs when the previous one was inflicted 3 days ago
The only thing I remember is killing people. You say I'm someone who saves people. I won't kill you — but I don't believe you either. Do you think I'm a fool?
You're not a fool.
Mysterious Lotus Casebook (2023) | Ep. 20