Source: @Tencent Animation World Style Feature

The hit broadcast of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" made the general public once again turn their attention to the original novel of the same name on the Internet. Today, adapting novels into film and television dramas is nothing new; Not to mention that the four famous novels were dragged out to be renovated early and filmed later, the martial arts novels of Jin Yong and Gu Long are a powerful weapon for directors and newcomers from all walks of life to brush up on their reputation - no matter what the effect is, as long as you hold the thighs of these works, you can earn enough eyeballs first.

In this way, "novel adaptation" can not only be accepted by the people, but also expand the scope from traditional works to Internet popularity. In comparison, the film and television dramas "adapted from comics" seem to be "unspeakable"; Because in the continent where there is no film and television animation rating system, comics always seem to be unable to get rid of the impression of "for children". plus the good boy version of "The Prince of Tennis", "Let's Watch Thunder Star Shower", "Lingzhu" in recent years... and other dramas are really not angry, which makes fans feel more and more faceless.

Is that really the case? What are some classic film and television dramas from comics? Let's explore this question today.

Due to the large number and different styles, we will present the "Comic Adaptation Film and Television Drama Series Discussion" in three topics. In this issue, let's first take a look at the doorstep - China's manga film and television dramas.

An unexpected start

In the impression of ordinary people, comic adaptation of film and television dramas should be a very trendy thing, so no matter what, Hong Kong and Taiwan should be at the forefront. Don't you see "Meteor Garden" and F4, which are popular all over the country?

It's really not, this thing was really done by the mainland first. The first comic book adaptation film and the birth of New China in the year was "Sanmao Wanderings" released in 1949.

"Sanmao Wanderings": the mark of an era

Speaking of the "Sanmao" series of comics created by Zhang Leping, it can be said to be a household name in China; For many friends born in the 70s and 80s, Sanmao and Xiao Radish Tou are simply the two model figures of the "Bitter Not Bitter" series of education in childhood, and together with Xiaobing Zhang Ga, Pan Dongzi and Lai Ning, they have become the "Five Heavenly Kings" of children's education.

Sanmao was born in 1935, and after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, it was serialized in Shanghai's "Ta Kung Pao", which had a wide influence. And this film adapted from comics is the first work of Zhao Ming and Yan Gong, and the work started filming in 1948. Before the liberation, the difficulty of making the movie that should be made after the liberation can be imagined; After going through the arduous process of "stopping filming - hiding in the snow - continuing after liberation", the film was finally released in December 1949, causing a great sensation. In the 80s of the 20th century, the film also participated in a series of screenings in Europe, which can be called vigorous and classic.

When the predecessors planted the trees, the descendants followed suit. "Sanmao" became a popular film and television drama adaptation, and was then adapted into a movie again in 1958 and 1980 respectively; In 1996 and 1999, it was adapted into a TV series twice; In 2006, it was adapted into animation by CCTV; In 2012, it was put on stage and turned into a musical. It can be said that "Sanmao" is a successful example of the vigorous vitality and rich form of comics, and the mainland's comic films have had a glorious beginning.

It's a pity that there is no brilliant continuation.

Hong Kong people have ushered in a new era of comic reform

After Sanmao, there is no Sanmao. Due to some well-known and unknown reasons, the mainland's comic movies were silent for a long time after Sanmao, and the comic adaptation of film and television dramas was not continued as a successful model. When comic book adaptations reappeared in people's field of vision, it was in the 60s of the 20th century, and this time it was Hong Kong people who shot it.

In 1962, Wang Ze, who was born in Tianjin and later moved to Hong Kong, began serializing "Old Master". This comic depicting the lives of ordinary people in the market quickly became popular after its release, and has since become a theme that the film industry never tires of. Since 1965, "Old Master" has been repeatedly adapted into live-action movies and put on the screen; Until 2005, Luo Jiaying and Tang Baoru also starred in "The New Biography of the Invincible Old Master: Shaolin Detective Agency", which is the 8th time that the old master has been made into a live-action movie and put on the big screen. The fact that a comic can travel through the long river of time to show such vigorous vitality is a miracle of comics and a miracle of movies.

A new attempt - Japanese comics and Hong Kong comics are released in turn

After that, in the 49th edition of "The Wanderings of Sanmao", he went to Europe to participate in the Cannes Film Festival and the Mannheim Film Festival... At the same time, Hong Kong films were trying all kinds of new possibilities, and they took a new first step in 1988.

In 1988, Japan's Toho Towa cooperated with Hong Kong's Golden Harvest to shoot the movie "Peacock King". The original manga of "The Peacock King", serialized in the weekly YoungJump from 1985 to 1989, is a majestic story with a religious background based on the secret of the peacock's birth and the mythology of the whole world. We don't know why we chose such a work with a strong religious flavor and obvious cultural differences for its cinematic attempt. Although the film was not a great success, it opened up a new idea of "adapting movies from Japanese comics" in Hong Kong.

Since then, movies adapted from comics have repeatedly appeared on the big screen. 1990's "Red Square Flying Dragon" (adapted from the Japanese comic "Crying and Killing God"), 1991 "Uncle Cai's Sweeping Thousands of Armies" directed by Tsui Hark (adapted from the Hong Kong comic "Uncle Cai"), 1992's "King of Force" (adapted from the Japanese comic "King Li", the movie is restricted, don't watch it, good boys)... All of them are adapted from comics, and it can be said that there are new tricks every year. In 1993, the movie "City Hunter" directed by Wang Jing and starring Jackie Chan and Wang Zuxian debuted. Compared with the previous continuous attempts and explorations, this work was a great success at the box office and became one of the "Top Ten Grossing Films in Hong Kong" that year. It's a pity that although Wang Jing has obtained the copyright of Shueisha, the script of the film is "only covered with a shell and the plot is written separately", which makes many original parties regret it. It is worth mentioning that "City Hunter" has also been repeatedly live-action, and the most recent filming started in 2013, starring Lin Zhiying and Ma Su. Is it Ray or Classic? We'll see.

"Crazy Boy" - started the era of gangster movies

From the above adaptation, we can see that after entering the 90s of the 20th century, whether it is a Japanese comic adaptation or a local adaptation of Hong Kong comics, Hong Kong's comic movies have a common feature - hit. It wasn't until 1998 that Xu Jinliang's "The Heroes of the Storm and the Clouds" (the original Ma Rongcheng's "Wind and Cloud") added a large number of special effects, and it was still inseparable from the word "typing". Movies that go back and forth cultivate audiences who like to watch and play, and they only need a new breaking point to create another legend. The name of this legend is "Crazy Boy".

"Crazy Boy" began to be serialized in 1992, with the editor-in-chief Niu Lao and the main writer Lun Yuguo. The story revolves around the Hong Kong Triad and tells the ups and downs of the life of Chen Haonan and his friends. The comic was adapted into a movie in 1996 - "The Man Who Troubled the Boy is in the Rivers and Lakes". This movie was a big hit back then, on the one hand, it started the shooting trend of ** movies, as if it was embarrassing to say that it was a film company without two gangster movies; On the other hand, it has been controversial because of the heroization of gangster characters. But there is no controversy about where the fame came from? In such an interweaving of saliva, flowers and follow-the-trend shooting, "Crazy Boy" ushered in one sequel after another, and even the lives of other characters in the play have become the theme and have been filmed one after another - "Raptors Crossing the River", "One Hand Covers the Sky", "Invincible", "Dragon Fight", "The Winner is King", "The Story of the Pheasant", "Hongxing Thirteen Sisters"... The row is really imposing.

When "Crazy Boy" became popular, the editor was still in elementary school. I remember one day, a boy in the class came to ask for a Q map to get a tattoo (good children don't learn); Q: What to draw? Answer: Chen Haonan. Then the boy began to popularize the righteousness and brotherhood of the rivers and lakes to me with a look of fascination...... In the third-tier city where the editor is located, "Crazy Boy" can have such an influence among primary school students back then, and the grand occasion of becoming popular can be seen.

It can be said that "Crazy Boy" is the pinnacle of Hong Kong comic films.

From the beginning to the blowout - Taiwanese idol drama

If Hong Kong's manga movies can write a book, Taiwanese's book depicts a completely different path - Taiwanese idol dramas.

Taiwan started late in manga film and television dramas, and the first idol drama recognized as "Spicy Freshman" was broadcast on July 1, 2000. The content and title of "Spicy Fresh Teacher" are borrowed from the famous Japanese manga "Spicy Teacher GTO", but because it is not a complete adaptation, the copyright flew low and played a side ball. However, it was not "Spicy Fresh Master" that set off the frenzy of idol dramas, but "Meteor Garden", which was launched in April 2001.

"Meteor Garden" - opened the era of idol dramas

"Meteor Garden", formerly known as "Boys Over Flowers", the original god tail leaf, another work under the big guy Shueisha. The content of the story is known to Asians, and it tells the story of a love marathon between a grassroots woman and a rich second generation that has been entangled in 37 volumes and serialized for 12 years. The manga was animated in 1994, and in 1995 it won the 41st Shogakukan Girls' Manga Award, and it was quite famous at the time. However, because the early painting style is really not beautiful, it is even less beautiful in girl's comics, and it does not hit the cute point of the Chinese. This changed dramatically in 2001.

In 2001, the sensational broadcast of "Meteor Garden" reproduced the grand occasion of "Huanzhu Gege" in 1998. It was really a noisy gong and a drum and firecrackers, and for a while, all the small vendors at the gate of primary and secondary schools found a new way to make a fortune, and various "peripheral" products of F4 and Shancai appeared in people's field of vision like snowflakes, and even the mainland was banned from broadcasting could not stop the popularity of the show - the pirated disc once again said to radio and television: You are too weak.

The popularity of the Taiwanese version of "Meteor Garden" not only became a popular star, opened the prelude to the remake of "Meteor Garden" in various countries, but also fixed the form of Taiwanese idol dramas. And the comic adaptation that has achieved this form has also become a tradition of "if you can change, you can change", although the comic adaptation in Taiwan started late, but the number is amazing; Those who are suitable for change, and those who are not suitable for change must also be on the conditions - "Poor Noble Son", "Ugly Girl Turns Over", "Marmalade Boy", "Peach Girl", "Scars of Fierce Love", "Secretly in Love with You", "God of War", ...... It's an adaptation for a long time.

What kind of subject matter is easier to shoot

After watching the situation in Hong Kong and Taiwan, let's take a look at the birthplace of Chinese manga film and television dramas - the mainland.

Mainland comic film and television dramas - mixed exploration

In recent years, the mainland's manga film and television dramas have mainly been presented in the form of idol dramas. In fact, according to my conscience, the quality of the mainland's manga film and television dramas is indeed good and bad, for example, the "Red Apple Paradise" filmed by the 2002 mainland copycat "Meteor Garden" cannot be looked at directly (although there is no original, but the traces of the cottage are too obvious, let's forget it), and in the same year, "Fengyun" directed by Taiwanese director Xu Jinliang and co-starred by stars from both sides of the strait and three places (this one is indeed produced in the mainland) has been popular for a long time, and it is not at the same level as the previous one. The famous "Happy Father" scene of starring He Rundong is still used by many netizens as forum signatures and QQ emojis.

Immediately afterwards, the TV series "Pink Girl", adapted from Zhu Deyong's "Astringent Girl", also achieved great success in 2003 (I always feel that mainland people add skill points to the adaptation of four-panel comics). The completely different images of four women, including marriage maniac, heartthrob, man's wife, and innocent sister, have also become a topic of conversation among the audience, and Chen Hao became an instant hit with this drama.

However, in recent years, mainland manga TV dramas have been more scum than good works as a whole, and gimmicks are greater than quality. The copyrighted good boy version of "The Prince of Tennis" has been made into an idol drama full of dialects and strange plots, not to mention "Let's Watch Meteor Shower" and "Lingzhu" and the like that sell dog meat on sheep's heads.

However, although there is a gap between the current situation of the mainland and Hong Kong and Taiwan, it is undeniable that the comic film and television drama has undoubtedly made a good start for comic creation. If this form can be fixed, it must also be a good incentive for many mainland cartoonists who are working hard!

What kind of film and television dramas are easier to film

At this point in the topic, we can say that we have a general understanding of China's manga film and television dramas. In fact, on the whole, the content of manga film and television dramas is very wide, and there are many successful examples, which is one of the development trends of the advancing Chinese comic industry. So, what kind of comics are suitable for adaptation into live-action dramas in China? What kind of work will become popular after adaptation? The editor summarized it and there are probably the following points:

1. The original book can't be too famous. Filming famous books has never been something that people can do, and they have to withstand scolding. For example, "Dream of Red Mansions", the new version was picked and chosen, and the money was not spent, but it was still sprayed with blood. Comics are even more troublesome because the image of comics is already fixed. The overly famous original book has a huge and fixed fan base (such as "One Piece"), and there are a thousand Hamlets in the hearts of a thousand audiences, so who do you choose to play Luffy if you really shoot it? Wang Baoqiang? If you are drowned in saliva at the stage of selecting actors, you will be angered by the original fans, and it will be difficult to achieve a good reputation.

Second, the characters can't be too beautiful. If the comic book author is willing, the beautiful Cheng dù of the comic character will definitely be able to completely explode the real person. In addition, many cartoonists like to create "legendary" beauties and handsome guys, and it is difficult to be satisfied with which real person to play. In such a situation, it will be relatively easy to adapt a comic with a more simple or realistic art style.

3. There should not be too many special effects and big scenes. Although we now have computer stunts, it is also a big cost. Or take "One Piece" as an example, how much does it cost to shoot "Top Showdown"!? Considering the possible risks, benefits, and costs, comics with too many special effects and too many big moves are really not suitable to be changed into live-action dramas.

Fourth, the worldview is relatively moderate. This is also the reason why many campus romance comics are easy to be adapted. The face of the live-action drama is still aimed at the general public, and if you don't want to expand the audience at all, there is no need to remake. Since the face crowd is the general public, it is necessary to have a worldview and values that can be accepted by the general public. "Meteor Garden" was so popular back then, and it was very popular because the sincere love between the grassroots fir vegetables and the rich second-generation Daoming Temple moved the audience. is higher than reality (the bizarre life of the rich second generation) and not detached from reality (the interweaving and entanglement of broken love and love), which is the core of successful comic film and television dramas.

epilogue

The huge number, variety, and vitality of Chinese comic film and television dramas may surprise many audiences. Regardless of the live-action shooting effect, it is undeniable that comic film and television dramas are a powerful form of pushing comics to the mainstream public. In the next issue, we will discuss the situation of manga film and television dramas overseas, so stay tuned!