A Deadly Secret (2004)

I went on a Jin Yong adaptation watching spree and this was last on the list, partly because the production is relatively budget (you can see from the set and costumes) and partly because the novel itself was not one I particularly liked.

The drama expanded quite a bit on the book, understandably because this is one of Louis Cha's shorter novels. There was more screen time devoted to Qi Fang and also how Di Yun was maligned and thrown into prison. It gave more details on the backstory between Ding Dian and Ms. Ling. Unfortunately, I feel that this made the story a little too slow paced in the early stages. The fact that Shui Sheng appeared really late also adds to it because Shu Chang is arguably the biggest and most recognisable name in the cast. However, for the same reason, they extended Shui Sheng's story after she was rescued from the valley. I felt it was okay to give closure to her character in that way, but I didn't really like the change where she was trying to reconcile Qi and Di because it seemed too forced.

The most interesting part of this story is the exploration of human nature. In this show, everyone is overwhelmed either by greed or fame, to the extent that they can forgo blood ties and friendships. There is also the recurring theme that Cha likes where the bad is not necessarily evil, and the good might be hiding behind a facade. This is not one of Cha's books where there is a very compelling loveline because most of the focus is on human nature. If you like this sort of plot, you might like this drama adaptation as well.

On the acting, I feel that the male lead was very very good. Some think that he is too naive (daft) in the beginning but I feel that is how Di Yun is because of the environment and circumstances he was brought up in. Only when he was met with misfortune after misfortune did he manage to get a glimpse of how evil human hearts can really be. That said, I know Di is not meant to be attractive, but I feel that they could have gone with a better looking male lead. Shu Chang was good though raw. The best portrayal came from the supporting characters, namely the sect leader of the Blood Sabre Sect and Hua. Just amazing. In fact, the whole battle sequence in the valley was a huge highlight in terms of story and acting.

As for the other aspects, the action sequences were alright, but the set looks cheap in comparison to then Mainland productions. I was expecting Zhang Ji Zhong levels of exquisiteness, but it leaned a bit more TVB, which is slightly disappointing. I can only assume that the novel's lack of popularity meant that they were unable to get a huge investment. Nevertheless, it is still a pretty decent adaptation.

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