The Romance of the Condor Heroes

The Romance of the Condor Heroes is a 2014–15 Chinese television series produced by Yu Zheng and adapted from Jin Yong's novel The Return of the Condor Heroes, with additional material from the preceding novel, The Legend of the Condor Heroes. It stars Chen Xiao and Michelle Chen in the lead roles. The series was first broadcast on Hunan TV from 3 December 2014 to 11 March 2015.

Plot
The protagonist, Yang Guo, is the orphaned son of Yang Kang, the antagonist in The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The couple Guo Jing and Huang Rong take Yang Guo under their care for a short period of time before sending him to the Quanzhen School on Mount Zhongnan for better guidance in moral values and orthodox martial arts.

In Quanzhen, Yang Guo is often bullied by his fellow seniors, and discriminated against by his master, Zhao Zhijing. Yang Guo flees from Quanzhen and ventures unknowingly into the nearby Tomb of the Living Dead, where the Ancient Tomb School is housed. He is saved by Xiaolongnü, a mysterious maiden of unknown origin, and becomes her apprentice. They live together in the tomb for many years until Yang Guo grows up. Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü develop romantic feelings for each other, but their romance is forbidden by the prevailing norms of the jianghu (or wulin, the community of martial artists). Throughout the story, their love meets with several trials, such as the misunderstandings that threaten to tear them apart, and their encounter with Gongsun Zhi, whom Xiaolongnü almost marries at one point.

Finally, after their reunion and marriage, Xiaolongnü leaves Yang Guo again, owing to her belief she cannot recover from a fatal poison, and promises to meet him again 16 years later. While Yang Guo is wandering the jianghu alone, he meets several formidable martial artists and a giant condor, and improves his skills tremendously after training from them. His adventures gradually mould him into a courageous hero and the most powerful martial artist of his time.

Yang Guo serves his native land by helping the Han Chinese people of the Song Empire resist invaders from the Mongol Empire. At the end of the drama, he is reunited with Xiaolongnü and they leave to lead the rest of their lives in seclusion after receiving praises and blessings from the wulin.

Cast

 * Chen Xiao as Yang Guo / Yang Kang
 * Leo Wu as Yang Guo (young)
 * Michelle Chen as Xiaolongnü
 * Zhang Zimu as Xiaolongnü (young)
 * Zheng Guolin as Guo Jing
 * Yang Mingna as Huang Rong
 * Zhang Xinyu as Li Mochou
 * Mao Xiaotong as Guo Fu
 * Jiang Yiyi as Guo Fu (young)
 * Sun Yaoqi as Lu Wushuang
 * Hu Shun'er as Lu Wushuang (young)
 * Zhao Yingzi as Cheng Ying
 * Chai Wei as Cheng Ying (young)
 * Heizi as Jinlun Guoshi
 * Zhang Xueying as Guo Xiang
 * Cui Zhengbang as Guo Polu
 * Zhang Zhehan as Yelü Qi
 * Ma Yingqiao as Yelü Yan
 * Wang Shuang as Wanyan Ping
 * Cao Xinyue as Hong Lingbo
 * Wu Jingjing as Gongsun Lü'e
 * Qiu Xinzhi as Gongsun Zhi
 * Zhang Qian as Qiu Qianchi
 * Li Shipeng as Qiu Qianren / Ci'en
 * Zhang Chao as Wu Dunru
 * Zhang Yijie as Wu Dunru (young)
 * Elvis Han as Wu Xiuwen
 * Fang Yangfei as Wu Xiuwen (young)
 * Zhao Kunpeng as Wu Santong
 * Zhang Yameng as Wu Sanniang
 * Guo Yuhan as Shagu
 * Christopher Lee as Huang Yaoshi
 * Zong Fengyan as Ouyang Feng
 * Yin Xiaotian as Hong Qigong
 * Zhou Dehua as Zhou Botong
 * Ji Chen as Yideng
 * Deng Limin as Ke Zhen'e
 * Shen Baoping as Qiu Chuji
 * Zhang Tianyang as Huodu
 * Daiding as Da'erba
 * Shao Min as Granny Sun
 * Wang Maolei as Zhao Zhijing
 * Song Yang as Zhen Zhibing
 * Meng Fei as Yelü Chucai
 * Kang Lei as Ma Guangzuo
 * Yang Long as Nimoxing
 * Rong Yaozhong as Yinkexi
 * Ruan Weijing as Xiaoxiangzi
 * Yao Yichen as Chen Xuanfeng
 * Hou Jingjian as Feng Mofeng
 * Yi Kun as Lu Guanying
 * Liu Ye as Cheng Yaojia
 * Li Yilin as Zhu Ziliu
 * Zhu Rongrong as Möngke Khan
 * Luo Wenbo as Lin Chaoying's apprentice
 * Wang Yuzheng as Lu Youjiao
 * Sun Xinhong as He Shiwo
 * Jian Renzi as Rou'er
 * Chen Tingjia as Du Xuelian (Ouyang Feng's sister-in-law)
 * Hu Pu as Fan Yiweng
 * Hou Jianglong as Indian Monk
 * Ren Xihong as Shi Da
 * Zhao Haiying as Shi Er
 * Shi Puzhou as Shi San
 * Niu Wenbo as Shi Si
 * Feng Mingjing as Shi Wu
 * Xu Zhanwei as Datougui
 * Zhang Luhua as Shashengui
 * Du Guanru as Taozhaigui
 * Peng Yong as Wuchanggui
 * Yu Xiaochen as Baicaoxian
 * Shi Zhenlong as Renchuzi
 * Lü Yang as Gourou Toutuo
 * Tan Limin as Abbess Shengyin
 * Wen Wen as Xiaocui (Zhao Zhijing's secret lover)
 * Xing Qiqi as Li Zhichang


 * Special appearances


 * Yan Yikuan as Wang Chongyang
 * Dong Xuan as Lin Chaoying
 * Zanilia Zhao as Mu Nianci
 * Chen Xiang as Lu Zhanyuan
 * Deng Sha as He Yuanjun
 * Yang Rong as Mei Chaofeng
 * Huang Yi as Feng Heng
 * Zhang Danfeng as Dugu Qiubai
 * Qin Lan as Hexiang (Dugu Qiubai's wife)
 * Zhang Meng as Mingyue / Liu Ying
 * Zhu Zixiao as Kublai Khan
 * Chen Zihan as Qiuyinong (Hong Qigong's lover)
 * Huang Ming as Long Jiu (Jinlun Guoshi's junior)

Reception
Since the series was first announced, it was wrapped up in various controversies. In particular, the casting of Michelle Chen attracted a large outcry by fans of the original novel, who called Chen the "fattest Xiaolongnü (little dragon lady)" that they have ever seen. When the show first premiered on Hunan TV, it was heavily panned for its bad writing, cheaply made actions scenes and a story that completely departs from the novel. Critics call the show "a vulgar mess possessing little artistic value", and "a production that completely destroyed the spirit of the original story".