Sword Stained with Royal Blood

This is not a series review but it contains some spoilers. Read at your own risk!



SSWRB was a 20 episode series adapted from Jing Yong’s novel in 1986. It stars Felix Wong, Patricia Chong, Michael Miu, Lawrence Ng, Mou Shun Kwan, and the cameo faces at the time: Michael Tao, Francis Ng, & Bobby Au Yeung. I’ve always wanted to watch this series because I found Michael Miu and his mustache go well together. This is odd because I generally do not like men with mustache. I can tolerate beard (Tony Leung in the Grand Canal) but not mustache. Ok, enough with the facial hair before I go off topic.

As much as I was anticipated to watch another series of Felix & Michael together, I was disappointed to learn that Michael’s character dies before Felix’s appears. Michael only appears in more or less two episodes but his presence is worth every minute. Throughout the series, we’ll see him again and again as flashbacks but he’s no more than a guest star, like in The Two Honorable Knights. Michael looks very charming as usual even though unlike his other series, his costumes in here are very simple. If I remember correctly, he only has two costumes and they are all black and white. I believe it is because playing a character who only has vengeance in mind, Michael finds no need to dress dashingly. Even though his appearance is worth every minute, it is also painful for me to have to watch him pairing with older actresses. Michael’s character dies early, but we still see his women in the later generation, so I guess that’s why TVB chose older actresses. It’s such a pity that TVB couldn’t choose a more matching partner for him. His love story with one woman is short but sweet. It is because of her that he gives up his plan of vengeance and goes to his doom.



The main story is, of course, about Felix and his other story of vengeance. Kenneth Tsang plays his father, a very loyal general but is killed off for treason by the villain and the brainless emperor. Felix’s goal throughout the series is to help the rebels overthrow the emperor and then kill him and the villain to get revenge for his wrongfully accused father. Also unlike his other series, Felix looks very gallant in here. He dresses similarly to The Wild Bunch with very nice costumes and manages to look so fine. It is also the first time I see Felix hold a fan like a noble gentleman even though he only has it in the early episodes. His character has no extraordinary quality that makes him distinguished so it is a forgettable role and therefore, Felix’s performance is only passable.

The life of the whole show, to me, is no other than the naughty but adorable Patricia Chong. Michael & Felix were the reason I started on the series, but Patricia was the sole reason I kept on with it. Patricia was one of the few actresses who looked beautiful and adorable at the same time (e.g. Margie Tsang). Her character is also the most interesting. She plays the daughter of Michael & his fiancée but grows up as fatherless. She lives with her grandfather and great-uncles but they are no more or less thieves. All they do is kill and steal so they teach her to do the same. The first time she appears, she steals. In the third scene or so, we see her fight and kill other thieves. She likes Felix very quickly because he helps her fight off other thieves the first time they meet. Patricia looks very nice in here with many beautiful costumes. She looks beautiful as a girl and very handsome as a man when she dresses up like one. Her elegance as a male reminds me of Idy Chan dressing up as a man in the Grand Canal. Both actresses manage to look dashing in both.

By chance, Felix finds Michael’s cave and learns the martial arts in a book that he writes before he dies so his techniques won’t be lost. Michael also has a treasure map that now belongs to Felix, but whoever finds the treasure has to give a share to Patricia’s mother. When she learns of his death, she commits suicide & begs Felix to take good care of Patricia because Michael is, in a way, Felix’s sifu now. Felix agrees and from now on starts the adventures of the two. On their way to find the treasure, Felix & Patricia encounter various types of people and their problems, and are able to make friends as well as foes. While watching, I couldn’t help but notice that their partnership resembles Kwok Jing & Wong Yung from Legend of the Condor Heroes. Patricia is smart, mischievous, and likes to meddle into other people’s business, while Felix is the opposite. The differences are that Felix only treats Patricia as a sister and that both of them aren’t as smart or simple-minded as WY & KJ.

The only thing I despise about this series is that Felix does not return Patricia’s affection. He finds himself falling for the princess whose father he must kill. Mou Shun Kwan doesn’t look attractive and in my opinion, she’s a far cry from Patricia’s charms. Contradicting to the princess position, she only has about two dresses that she wears through out the series that you’ll wonder if she’ll ever change. I began to like the series when Felix & Patricia start the adventures together and how caring and protective he is towards her. I then started to dread at his love-at-first-sight scene with the princess and how he can’t stop loving her. I was hopeful, however, that because her father kills his father, he’ll realize that he can’t be with her and have a change of heart. I was completely beaten down when very near the end, he still loves her. I screamed and really wanted to smack him at the ending when he’s standing on the mountain, reminiscing about her & his closest friend’s death (Lawrence), and then going away. Patricia runs all over the mountains screaming his name but he is no where in sight. The series just ends like that. TVB just love to play with the audience in many “cruel” ways.

The series ends with Patricia and ME screaming! I was like “what?" At least I hoped it would end with Felix and Patricia together even if he doesn’t love her, because he still has to take care of her. Their relationship has developed so much that I don’t believe he can just leave her behind like that. I wonder how it really ends in the novel. Nonetheless, Felix & Patricia make a great couple. I just know four series that they were in together: Heaven’s Retribution, Soldier of Fortune, the Young Wanderer, and this one. The Yang’s Saga doesn’t count. But in all of them, they don’t end up together. In HR, Felix pairs with Jamie Chik; in YW, he pairs with Carina Lau; in SoF, they are lovers but she dies. Plus, I didn’t enjoy SoF because Tony still had a minor role even though he looked absolutely adorable while Kent played the bad guy. I didn’t finish the series but I did watch the part that Patricia’s character died.

Watch it or forget it: well, hard to say. If you are a fan of the 80s & 90s like me, you’ll probably want to give it a try since it’s so nice to watch the real talents of the old days. Even though the plot is forgettable, watching Felix, Patricia, & Michael was well worth the time.

Images: credits to Felix Wong Ancient Series Homepage

Some captures done by me.