The Legend of Condor Hero

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Legend of the Condor Hero


caption =
ja_name = 神鵰侠侶 コンドルヒーロー
ja_name_trans = Shin Chou Kyou Ryo: Kondoru Hiro
genre = WuxiaInfobox animanga/Anime
title =
director =
studio = Nippon Animation (episodes 1-26)
Jade Animation (episodes 27-52)
network = flagicon|Japan BS Fuji
flagicon|Hong Kong TVB
flagicon|Taiwan Chinese Television System
flagicon|Canada Fairchild TV
flagicon|Singapore flagicon|Philippines AXN-Asia
first = October 11 2001
last = ?
episodes = 52

nihongo|"The Legend of Condor Hero"|神鵰俠侶|Shin Chou Kyou Ryo: Condor Hero is an anime adaptation of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" ("Shen Diao Xia Lu"), a novel by Chinese author Jinyong (Louis Cha). The anime was co-produced by Japan's Nippon Animation (season 1 only) and Hong Kong's Taiseng Entertainment in 2001. The animation was done by Jade Animation Group, a TVB group member. Taiseng Entertainment licensed the first season for English-speaking audiences. Since the show was much more popular in Chinese-speaking nations than in Japan, the second season was not produced in Japanese like the first season, but in Cantonese and Mandarin. In addition, Jade Animation took over the entire production from season 2 onwards.

VCD video of the series was released by Warner Bros. in Hong Kong.

Plot

The Legend of Condor Hero is set in the 13th century at the time of the Mongolian invasion of China. Nearly a decade after "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", the Mongols have now conquered the Jin Dynasty and are now setting their sights towards Southern Song. The citizens of Southern Song, many of them great martial artists of the Central Plains, band together to defend their country from the onset of the Mongolian horde. The story culminates in the historic Battle of Xiangyang, which was a critical battle that led to the fall of China under the Mongols.

The story revolves around the young martial arts fighter Yang Guo ("Youka"), who falls in love with his martial arts master, Xiaolongnü ("Shouryuujo"), and the trials and tribulations he goes through while searching for his love in war-torn China.

Compared to TVB's prior live action adaptations, the animated version cut out much of the side stories, and changed some of the plots to make the stories to fit into the 30-minute 26 episode blocks, as opposed to the 1-hour 20 episode blocks used in most TVB dramas. As a result, some don't regard it as a canonical adaptation.

Episodes

There are 78 episodes released of The Legend of Condor Hero. Season I is composed of 2 parts — Episodes 1-12 and Episodes 13-26. Season II takes after the end of Season I, starting from Episode 27 down to 52. Season 3 have been shown in Taiwan (in 2008) only.Fact|date=August 2008

All seasons are available on DVD.Where|date=August 2008

eason I: PART I

*Episode 1: Trouble at the Temple (義弟之子)
**"Guo Jing brings Yang Guo to Chong Yang Palace in Zhong Nan Mountain"
*Episode 2: The Toad Stance (蛤蟆功)
**"Yang Guo meets the Western Poison, Ou Yang Feng"
*Episode 3: The Dragon of Ancient Tomb (活死人墓)
**"Yang Guo meets Xiao Long Nuu"
*Episode 4: Fulfilling the Promise (古墓派門下)
**"Yang Guo finds a new master in Xiao Long Nuu"
*Episode 5: Lin Chao Yin's Sutra (玉女心經)
**"Yang Guo and Xiao Long Nuu practice the secret text that is the Black star of Quan Zhen"
*Episode 6: The Serpent Deity (斷龍石)
**"Li Mo Chou arrives at Ancient Tomb"
*Episode 7: Love Thy Enemy (王重陽的遺書)
**"Yang Guo and Xiao Long Nuu escape from Li Mo Chou's clutches"
*Episode 8: A Taoist Loses His Soul (誤解)
**"Yin Zhi Ping rapes and strips Xiao Long Nuu and removes her virginity , Yang Guo suffers his first heartbreak as Xiao Long Nuu leaves him"
*Episode 9: Fair, Beautiful Lady (追尋夢幻)
**"Yang Guo searches for Xiao Long Nuu"
*Episode 10: Secret Ally (復仇)
**"A mysterious girl proves an unlikely ally"
*Episode 11: The Past Catches Up (痛苦的回憶)
**"Yang Guo meets an important Mongolian official"
*Episode 12: Winter at Hua Shan (雪山怪人)
**"Yang Guo travels up the treacherous mountain pass"

eason I: PART II

*Episode 13: The Last Great Fight (武林二老歸天/二老歸天)
**"A duel to the death between Western Poison and Northern Beggar
*Episode 14: Heroes' Summon (英雄大會)
**"Yang Guo finds himself in Da Shen Guan where he sees his surrogate family after many years of separation"
*Episode 15: The Head of Wulin (武林盟主)
**"Yang Guo battles it out with Tibetan lama"
*Episode 16: A Love Forbidden (禁忌之愛)
**"Master and pupil reveal their love for each other to the horror of the conservative people of South Song"
*Episode 17: Sayonara (被拆散的戀人)
**"Xiao Long Nuu leaves Yang Guo after another misunderstanding"
*Episode 18: By the Stone Ruins (追憶身影)
**"Huang Rong, Guo Fu, and the Wu brothers get trapped in a corner"
*Episode 19: Announcement of Death (火焰狂宴)
**"Li Mo Chou marks Yang Guo's death"
*Episode 20: An Empty Tomb (命運之線)
**"Yang Guo resumes his search for Xiao Long Nuu and meets a mischievous old man"
*Episode 21: Hidden Fortress (絕情谷的新娘)
**"Yang Guo rescues Zhou Bo Tong in a secluded valley and finds Xiao Long Nuu. But is she really Xiao Long Nuu? Or just someone who looks like her?"
*Episode 22: Love Me Not (情花地獄)
**"Yang Guo and Xiao Long Nuu are reunited but their reunion is short-lived when Xiao Long Nuu is blackmailed into marrying the valley master"
*Episode 23: The Dark Abyss (地獄谷底)
**"Yang Guo and Gongsun Lu'e fall into the Valley catacombs"
*Episode 24: A Woman Scorned (地底的秘密)
**"Yang Guo and Gongsun Lu'e find a strange old woman at the bottom of the abyss"
*Episode 25: The Wedding and the Reckoning (染血的婚禮)
**"Yang Guo races against time to stop Xiao Long Nuu's marriage with the Valley Master"
*Episode 26: The Beginning (隨風而去)
**"Yang Guo and Xiao Long Nuu set back to the Ancient Tomb"

eason II: Part I

*Episode 27: Exacting Vengeance (父仇)
** "Yang Guo discovers who killed his father"
*Episode 28: Bloodshed in Xiangyang (血染襄陽)
** "Guo Jing defends Xiangyang from the invading Mongolian horde"
*Episode 29: Murderous Intentions (俠中之俠)
** "Will Yang Guo kill Guo Jing?"
*Episode 30: Fight Till the End (捨身一戰)
** "Guo Jing is trapped outside the city gates"
*Episode 31: Deep Into Enemy Camp (捨身一戰)
** "Guo Jing and Yang Guo rescue the Wu brothers from Huo Bilie and his warriors"
*Episode 32: Sublimation from Vengeance (超越恩仇)
** "Guo Jing is injured and Feng Mo Feng makes the ultimate sacrifice"
*Episode 33: When Life Comes to an End (生命終結之際)
** "Yang Guo has only 7 days to live"
*Episode 34: Born in the Fire (戰火之子)
** "Huang Rong goes into labor at the most inopportune moment"
*Episode 35: (惡夢重現)
** "Baby Guo Shuang is stolen!"
*Episode 36: The Condor Valley (神鵰谷)
** "Yang Guo meets the Divine Condor for the first time"
*Episode 37: A Duel at Dawn (黎明的決鬥)
** "The Wu brothers fight each other for Guo Fu"
*Episode 38: Gloomy Xiao Long Nuu (憂傷的小龍女)
** "Zhao Zhijing reveals Yin Zhiping's secret"
**Language: Cantonese (Original), Mandarin-dubbed (AXN-Asia airing)

eason II: Part II

*Episode 39: Fate Take Its Toll (命運多劫)
** "Xiao Long Nuu leaves Xiangyang to go after Zhao Zhijing and Yin Zhiping"
*Episode 40: Seriously Wounded (身負重創)
** "Yang Guo has disappeared, leaving only a bloodied sword in his wake"
*Episode 41: Tomb of Swords (不説話的師父)
** "The Condor leads Yang Guo to a tomb filled with swords"
*Episode 42: Condor's Sword (神鵰重劍)
** "Yang Guo learns valuable lessons from the Condor"
*Episode 43: A Distant Dream (遙遠的夢想)
** "Xiao Long Nuu rescues Zhou Botong"
*Episode 44: A Duel Between Two Ladies (女傑決鬥)
** "Huang Rong and Li Mo Chou battling over Guo Xiang"
*Episode 45: Tragedy in Zhong Nan Hill (終南山烏雲)
**"Chongyang Palace is attacked"
*Episode 46: A Bloody Farewell (血色的再會)
** "Yin Zhiping risks his life to save Xiao Long Nuu"
*Episode 47: Honeymoon (洞房花燭)
** "Marriage in front of Forebear Wang"
*Episode 48: The Secret of Cold Jade Bed (寒玉牀的秘密)
** "Xiao Long Nuu is badly injured"
*Episode 49: Hope (希望)
*Episode 50: A Crisis Approaches (危機逼近)
*Episode 51: A Destined Calamity (劫難重重)
*Episode 52: An Unexpected Encounter In Snow (雪中邂逅)
**Language: Cantonese (Original), Mandarin-dubbed (AXN-Asia airing)

eason III

Theme songs

*Opening:"Yuu" by NoR
*Ending:"blása" by Yae

Characters

Protagonists

*Yang Guo - is the young orphan who, despite protests from society, falls in love with his kung fu master.
*Xiaolongnü - is the heiress of Ancient Tomb Sect Kung Fu who breaks the rules of her own sect to fulfill a dying friend's wish and teach Yang Guo kung fu.
*Guo Jing - is the sworn brother of Yang Guo's father, Yang Kang and takes care of him after his parents' death.
*Huang Rong - is Guo Jing's clever wife and the leader of Beggar Sect Kung Fu. She has a hand in the death of Yang Guo's father and because of this, she always treats Yang Guo with suspicion and mistrust.

Antagonists

*Li Mochou - called the Red Sash Lady ("Serpent Deity" according to the book), she is the disciple sister of Xiao Long Nuu. She is expelled by her master from Ancient Tomb Sect when she breaks one of the sect's rules, that is to fall in love with a man. The man betrays her and in bitterness, she becomes ruthless and cruel. She obsesses about the secret kung fu text left by her master, Maiden's Sutra ("Jade Maiden Heart Manual" according to the book).
*Gold Wheel Abbot - called the 'Living Buddha of Tibet.' He is a Tibetan lama and the Defense Master of Mongolia. He wants to become the Head of the Martial World.
*Huo Du - is the arrogant prince of Mongolia and the junior disciple of Gold Wheel Abbot.
*Gongsun Zhi - is the cruel master of Callous Valley. He falls in love with Xiao Long Nuu and wants her to marry him.

The Kung Fu Masters

*Hong Qigong -- nicknamed the Northern Beggar. He was the leader of Beggar Sect Kung Fu before he abdicated his position to Huang Rong.
*Ouyang Feng - is known as the Western Poison ("Western Venom" in some texts). The tragedy of his son's death made him lose his memory and he now roams around Jiang Hu in a half-crazed state.
*Qiu Chuji - is one of the seven Taoist elders and heads the Quan Zhen Sect Kung Fu. He is nicknamed Son of Eternal Spring.
*Zhou Botong - nicknamed Mischievous Old Man ("Old Urchin" in some texts). He is the apprentice brother of the deceased Wong Chong Yang, known as the Central Divinity and the founder of Quan Zhen Sect.

ee also

* Song Dynasty
* The Return of the Condor Heroes

External links

* [http://tvcity.tvb.com/special/condor_hero/main/index.html TVB's The Legend of Condor Hero page]
* [http://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/work/condor_hero.html Nippon Animation's The Legend of Condor Hero page]
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