This was actually the second version of LOCH that I had watched since I made a comeback into watching wuxia again 4 years ago. I never thought there had been more than one adaptation after LOCH 1983. I had no clue which I should watch but I managed to watch this version.

So let's just talk about what I like and I don't.

What I like about this version.
LOCATION: The location is definitely a huge change from that of LOCH 83. Having vast geographical areas must have allowed China production to shoot the scenes in beautiful places with charming old structures such as temples, creating a more realistic ambiance. The series looks much more epic than the LOCH 83. I've got to admit it.

CASTING: I think Hu Ge and Ariel Lin did pretty good job with their respective roles. Ariel's Huang Rong is close to my favorite, Barbara's. Full of wit, charm, and with the right amount of sassiness. I just didn't like her voice. I doubt it's Ariel's real voice. I can't understand why they made her sound like an anime character. Why couldn't they just use her real voice? Anyway, Hu Ge's Guo Jing is likeable. But he sometimes looks too gullible. I know Guo Jing is naive (after all he lived in the dessert for much of his teenage life) but he's not that credulous. I think all the remaining cast did decently. No one stood out in particular except for Ariel Lin as far as my opinion concerned.

KUNG FU CHOREOGRAPHY: Love it. Hand-to-hand combat is beautifully choreographed. I particularly like Huang Rong's Dog Beating Staf technique. It's really good!

COSTUME: Wonderful. I like the costume. Definitely a great improvement. Each character wears the costume that fits their personalities.

What I don't like:
STORY: I admire the creativity and the courage within a production team. I generally wouldn't mind if an adaptation deviates a litte from the original source so long as they stay faithful to the main plot and if it makes the storytelling better than the original source. I mean LOCH 83 did the same. Unfortunately it doesn't always work. It worked well with LOCH 83, but it didn't with this one. I don't like it all. Why didn't they add a backstory Mei Chaofeng instead of creating unnecessary conflicts with other charachters?

FX: I hate the visual effect. They used too much of it that it ruined the kung fu choreography. The lights and stuff. They should have kept the FX to minimum during some fight scenes.

MUSIC: The music is OK. I don't really remember much. I've got to watch it again just to remember how it sounds.

All in all a pretty decent adaptation. They could have done better with all the resources at their disposal. I would watch it just to enjoy some fight scenes. Other than these, no.