There's no point in complaining how an old series is outdated. I won't waste time doing it here. But you know what never gets old? Strong acting and writing. I first watched this series nearly 20 years after it aired, without the rosy lens of nostalgia. To my surprise, the acting still holds, as does the writing. There were changes from the novel, but the spirit of the characters remained intact.

Jin Yong was not Gu Long. His writing was less about the individual psychology and more about the many facets of society and people. Jin Yong adaptations should always have a great ensemble cast and cast chemistry. The director was smart enough to understand that and didn't shortchange the supporting cast in favor of making the leads shine. Felix Wong and Barbara Yung were excellent, but even when they're not on screen the other actors still held my interest.

There were many memorable performances here, but my favorite had to be Kenneth Tsang as Wong Yeuk Si. The man was a wuxia rockstar. He walked in on Wong Yung throwing a tantrum. He didn't try to comfort her, he didn't even ask. He just helped her smash the room to pieces. And when they were done, they just looked at each other and laughed like mad. No words were needed. That scene alone showed you all you need to know about this epic father-daughter relationship. It was a great example of show-and-not-tell in film making, and there were many little gems like it throughout the series.

There's a lot to appreciate about an older series like this one. It didn't coast on pretty costumes, elaborate sets, and CGIs. It focused more on moving the plot and the characters forward. The fight scenes were short but effective (don't miss out on the Kwok Jing vs. Yeung Hong duel). It's refreshing to watch compared to the drawn out wirefu scenes these days.