The Spirit of the Sword (2007)

Hong Kong star Nicholas Tse continues his string of period action dramas with the exciting epic series The Spirit of the Sword. This is Tse's third starring role in a Gu Long adaptation, following Big Shot and Proud of Twins, and he is clearly in his element, handling both the action and drama with convince and charisma. Television fans may remember ATV's classic 1978 The Spirit of the Sword adaptation starring the late Leslie Cheung, but this new updated version is an equally worthwhile and star-studded affair. Other than Tse, the drama stars EEG labelmate Gillian Chung of Twins, as well as Hong Kong actor Patrick Tam (Born Wild) and Taiwanese singer/actress Annie Yi (Poor Prince). This new version of The Spirit of the Sword departs from the original novel by revolving around Japanese swordsman Bai Yi Ren, offering a new perspective on the story. Tse stars as a young swordsman who travels to the Middle Kingdom in search of seven mythical swords to fulfill his father's dying wishes. Though he has no intentions of causing trouble, his quest unwittingly brings him into conflict with the martial arts world as he gets pulled into mysterious conspiracies and a dangerous clash with his stepbrother.