Swordsman (TV series)

Swordsman
Promotional poster
Also known as	Xiao Ao Jianghu
Genre	Wuxia
Written by	Louis Cha (original story) Yu Zheng (screenplay)
Directed by	Hu Yijuan Huang Junwen
Creative director(s)	Li Xianchang
Presented by	Pu Shulin Ren Quan Yu Zheng Wan Ke Zheng Gang
Starring	Wallace Huo Joe Chen Yuan Shanshan Chen Xiao
Theme music composer	Tan Xuan Dong Zhen
Opening theme	Xiaoyao (逍遥) performed by Wallace Huo
Ending theme	Ai Wo (爱我) performed by Pu Ti and Yuan Shanshan
Composer(s)	Liu Sha
Country of origin	China
Original language(s)	Mandarin
No. of episodes	42 (Uncut)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Lin Guohua Kong Lingquan Yang Yuming Ren Xiaoli Yu Wanqin Guo Yan Shen Wei Yang Le
Producer(s)	Yu Zheng
Location(s)	China
Cinematography	Li Hongzhou Ye Yunyuan Chen Guowen Dong Yong Ma Lianyin
Editor(s)	Zheng Weiming
Running time	45 minutes per episode
Production company(s)	1. Cathay Media 2. Ren Quan Workshop 3. Perfect World (Beijing) Pictures 4. Hunan Satellite TV 5. Yu Zheng Workshop 6. Dongyang Xingrui Yingshi Culture Media
Release
Original network	Hunan Satellite TV
First shown in	6 February – 4 March 2013

Swordsman is a 2013 Chinese wuxia television series adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. The series is written and produced by Yu Zheng, starring Wallace Huo, Joe Chen, Yuan Shanshan, Chen Xiao, Yang Rong, Howie Huang, Deng Sha and Bryan Leung. Shooting started on 24 March 2015 in Xiandu, Jinyun County, Lishui, Zhejiang. It was first aired in China on Hunan Television from 6 February to 4 March 2013. The plot deviates significantly from the novel, with Dongfang Bubai depicted as a woman (instead of a castrated man) and having a romantic affair with Linghu Chong.

Prior to its original broadcast, Swordsman received popular attention for its teen idol cast in comparison with older adaptations of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, and for major amendments made to the original story. Particular attention was shed on Joe Chen's casting as Dongfang Bubai, a minor antagonist in the novel whose role was substantially rewritten in this series to portray him/her as one of two female protagonists alongside Yuan Shanshan's character, Ren Yingying.

During and following its broadcast, the series received mixed and largely polarised reviews. The series was both praised and criticised for its unfaithfulness to the novel, although producer Yu Zheng asserted that it is one of the 'most faithful' adaptations of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer. Nevertheless, the series maintained high ratings throughout its run. The new characterisation of Dongfang Bubai sparked controversy, even though Joe Chen's performance as a complex character was praised, and Dongfang Bubai became a feminist pop icon. Chen Xiao's portrayal of Lin Pingzhi was also critically acclaimed, but Yuan Shanshan's Ren Yingying was critically dismissed as a miscast of the original character in the novel. Attention was directed towards the prominence of romantic plotlines and subplots in the series which were similarly met with mixed reviews. However, new romantic pairings among the cast as follows were well received by younger audiences: Wallace Huo's Linghu Chong and Joe Chen's Dongfang Bubai; Han Dong's Tian Boguang and Deng Sha's Yilin; Chen Xiao's Lin Pingzhi and Yang Rong's Yue Lingshan; Lü Jiarong's Lan Fenghuang and Han Dong's Tian Boguang.