OUTLAWS OF THE MARSH

[Song Jiang]

i did not know that
what is the chinese view of demons
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-WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE IS GREATER THAN THE LOVE OF POWER THE WORLD WILL FINALLY KNOW PEACE.-


-IT IS THAT WHICH MAKES US DIFFERENT THAT BRINGS US TOGETHER.-

[Noot]

I've read "Outlaws of the Marsh", and it was pretty good. It's hard keeping up with so many characters (especially with Chinese names... gets a little muddled at times). However, I thought Book 1 was much better than Books 2 and 3. As the story progresses, it becomes very repetitious and tedious. And the ending isn't very satisfying for me (well, depending on which ending you get, that is, since there were multiple translations).

Being a huge Suikoden fan, I can definitely appreciate the book it was based on, but I suspect I wouldn't like it as much if I weren't already a fan of the game.
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~~Harmonian Tenhei Star~~

It's hard to bargle naudle zauss with all these marbles in my mouth.

[Song Jiang]

For all of you that have read the Outlaws of the Marsh i would love for you to tell me your favorite character. Why he or she is your favorite character. What suikoden character do you think is like them. And what he or she is of or does in the book. I say what he or she does because those who read it now its challenging to remember everyone and all most impossible to do.

My favorite character as of now is Sagacious Lu and he is a cool character. He had to become a monk be cause he killed a butcher for wronging a nice women and her father. He didn't mean to kill the guy but it happend. He ran when he realized the man was dead and he fled the city. He was saved by the very old man he was protecting and the old mans daughters new lord got him on as a monk in the near by Buddhist temple. There he got drunk which he was told not to do and recked the place TWICE and he was sent on his way to a new monestary where he would become a watcher of the vegetable fields and it is also where he befriends a bunch of no goods and tars a tree from the ground.

I like him because he seems human. And has vices that he has trouble overcoming just like any man would. He is brash and out there. He is strong and knows how to use weapons. He really doesnt seem like a monk and i dont think he wants to. In a way (dont laugh) he reminds me of vikter. They both have hit of kill first then ask questions and see what the problem is later. They seem alike to me.

So thats mine i cut his story a little because it had lots of details i didnt want to bore you with. I hope you all reply quickly and have fun with it. I am looking forward to seeing many different characters and as well seeing the same ones but through different eyes.
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-WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE IS GREATER THAN THE LOVE OF POWER THE WORLD WILL FINALLY KNOW PEACE.-


-IT IS THAT WHICH MAKES US DIFFERENT THAT BRINGS US TOGETHER.-

[Jowy Atreides]

He's the one who pulled the tree out of the ground, roots and all, right? Yeah, he's pretty cool. I thought the Black Whirlwind Liu Kai's uncontrollable bloodlust was pretty cool too.

[Kikito]

Wu Song. The episode where he avenges his brother's death is one of the chapters that have impressed me the most so far.

Also, I seem to have misplaced the third volume of Outlaws of the Marsh, so I can't finish reading :(

[Song Jiang]

besides Outlaws of the Marsh what have you read that reminds you of suikoden. i could be from a character of the whole story its self i just want to hear what you have to say. and as well keep telling me your favorite characters. i love to here about it.
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-WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE IS GREATER THAN THE LOVE OF POWER THE WORLD WILL FINALLY KNOW PEACE.-


-IT IS THAT WHICH MAKES US DIFFERENT THAT BRINGS US TOGETHER.-

[Splendid Monkey]

I picked up an English translation of Outlaws of the marsch over a year ago along with A dream of red mansions, 3 Kingdoms and Journey to the west. I progressed quite a bit in the latter two but have so far only read the first chapter of Outlaws. I haven't been reading for some time now but I'll probably want to finish 3 Kingdoms before getting started on Outlaws.
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So long! I gotta go do wrong!

[Shrew]

Just to step in and defend Dream of the Red Chamber. It is melodramatic and akin to soap opera, but there some deep themes running under the book. And honestly, the emotions and events within aren't that much heightened and absurd compared to any of the other 4 big Chinese Novels. The difference is when people are upset in one they cry instead of hacking someone into pieces. Okay, they cry in the other books too, but they're tears of righteousness.

Dream of the Red Chamber involves the gifted son of a rich family and a bunch of women that he may love and may love him. Essentially the prototypical harem anime, but with more drama and poetry contests. Even if the romance and melodrama isn't your thing, the book is extremely valuable as window into the Chinese culture and family life at the time. Whereas the other great Chinese novels are broad, sweeping epics, Dream is an extremely detailed portrait of the intricacies and intrigues of Chinese family life during the Qing dynasty.

Although most Chinese know Outlaws and Three Kingdoms from stories and childhood versions, I think you would find more who have actually read Dream of the Red Chamber than the other novels. It's a later book (Qing 1700s vs. Ming 1500s), with a more interesting style, and of course romance. And aside from that, if you take it context, the book is actually a withering attack on Confucianism. In the west, people tend not to view Confucianism and Buddhism as in conflict, but the book is all about that struggle between two philosophies. There are no crusades, but the main character is always at odds with society for rejecting traditional Confucian models in favor of the spirituality and artistic bent of Buddhism. That conflict runs through the whole book, and sometimes for a westerner removed from all those traditions it's easy to miss that conflict, and find only melodrama. I'm not saying the soap opera isn't there, it's just a soap opera with a damn sharp point.

The book actually makes for a horrible soap opera. The few episodes I've seen of the Chinese TV version gloss over anything of substance in favor of gaudy costuming and pure overacted melodrama. Of course, 98% of Chinese TV is ridiculous melodrama that kills the brain cells. The old version of Journey to the West is particularly laughable.
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Fear our Vagueness.