Xiao Yi is the one who helps the Xiao Wei procure human hearts so that he can keep his youthful human-like appearance, and also ends up staying with him until the end. The unrequited love that Xiao Yi has for Xiao Wei is maintained as it is in the older Chinese adaptation (although their sequences are only meant to reduce them to a shippable couple, nothing more). ![]() The line “I want Wang Sheng’s heart” holds so much more meaning than what’s on the surface, but whatever is between Xiao Wei and Wang Sheng remains hidden throughout the film. ![]() The chemistry between the leads is amazing one can guess that it’s a heavily censored BL-adjacent piece of work at a glance (kind of sad, really). Despite a lot of things being revealed at the very beginning of the film, I was not prepared for what happens during the course of this story of love and sorrow. Things take a turn for the worse from here, with sparks flying (in so many ways) between Wang Sheng and Xiao Wei every time they meet. Wang Sheng seems to be suspicious that Xiao Wei may be the very monster that they’re looking for, especially when he sees him growing closer to Pei Rong during his stay at their home. One day, Pei Rong brings home Xiao Wei (Ding Cheng Xin), a young man she’d rescued during her hunt for the monster. This is a welcome change, even though the reason she takes over Wang Sheng’s role as protector is because of his injured legs (I always stan a warrior woman). Her partner, Wang Sheng (He Chang Xi), waits for her return. On the other hand, this short film has Pei Rong (Wang Chu Ran), also known as General Hua, who protects the village from the attacks of what is said to be a monster that feasts on human hearts. The 2008 movie portrays Wang Sheng as the general who protects the village. What’s even more interesting is the reversal of roles in this adaptation. I’m assuming that the creators used only one out of the original two love triangles-the one that links the main characters in this version, Wang Sheng, Xiao Wei, and Pei Rong-owing to the time constraints this movie is only 31 minutes long after all. Although I haven’t watched the 2008 movie-because I couldn’t care less about cishet plots anymore (plus, it’s longer)-there seem to be quite a few elements that have been changed in this short film (at least, from what I’ve read). Guo Jing Ming’s edition of Painted Skin-also known as Hua Pi Xian Zi-seems to be more closely related to the 2008 Chinese adaptation in terms of characterisation, the setting (late Qin/early Han dynasty), and a major chunk of the plot. While Guo Jing Ming’s 1st short film entry for the “Everybody Standby 2” contest is a revised adaptation of the short story mentioned above, no one’s really sure what the origins of Wuliang are. ![]() Painted Skin has had a few live-action adaptations before-the Chinese movie in 2008 followed by a series in 2011, although the Hong Kong adaptations are older (19 respectively)-which are very loosely based on a short story from Pu Song Ling’s Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. Of course, there were moments I’d found characters or the actors who played them very beautiful, but never was I so hyperaware of how pretty everything was that I forgot to pay more attention to what was actually going on (hence the multiple rewatches). I can’t remember the last time I was so mesmerised by something I’d watched. I finally cried for all the right reasons.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |