is a Japanese–Hong Kong anime series adapted from the wuxia novel The Return of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong. Co-produced by Nippon Animation and Jade Animation, the series was shown on BS Fuji from October 11, 2001 to May 3, 2008.
Synopsis The Legend of Condor Hero is set in the 13th century around the Mongol conquest of China. Nearly a decade after the end of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, the Mongols have conquered the Jin dynasty in northern China and are now setting their sights on the Song dynasty in the south. The Song citizens, many of whom are formidable martial artists in the jianghu, band together to defend their homeland from the impending Mongol invasion. The story culminates in the historical Battle of Xiangyang.
The story follows a young martial artist Yang Guo (Youka), who falls in love with his martial arts master, Xiaolongnü (Shouryuujo), and the trials and tribulations they go through in war-torn China.
List of episodes There are 78 episodes released of The Legend of Condor Hero. Season I is composed of two parts—episodes 1–12 and episodes 13–26. Season II takes after the end of Season I, starting from episode 27 to 52. Season III broadcast began in Taiwan and Canada in 2008.
The Japanese version was only made for the first series.
In all three series, Taiseng released the respective DVDs months before respective television broadcasts.
Season I () Episode # Title 1 Trouble at the Temple () 2 The Toad Stance () 3 The Dragon of Ancient Tomb () 4 Fulfilling the Promise () 5 Lin Chaoying's Sutra () 6 The Serpent Deity () 7 Love Thy Enemy () 8 A Taoist Loses His Soul () 9 Fair, Beautiful Lady () 10 Secret Ally () 11 The Past Catches Up () 12 Winter on Mount Hua () 13 The Last Great Fight () 14 Heroes' Summon () 15 The Head of Wulin () 16 A Love Forbidden () 17 Sayonara () 18 By the Stone Ruins () 19 Announcement of Death () 20 An Empty Tomb () 21 Hidden Fortress () 22 Love Me Not () 23 The Dark Abyss () 24 A Woman Scorned () 25 The Wedding and the Reckoning () 26 The Beginning ()
Season II () Episode # Title 27 Exacting Vengeance () 28 Bloodshed in Xiangyang () 29 Murderous Intentions () 30 Fight Till the End () 31 Deep into Enemy Camp () 32 Sublimation from Vengeance () 33 When Life Comes to an End () 34 Born in the Fire () 35 The Nightmare Reappears () 36 The Condor Valley () 37 A Duel at Dawn () 38 Gloomy Xiaolongnü () 39 Fate Take Its Toll () 40 Seriously Wounded () 41 Tomb of Swords () 42 Condor's Sword () 43 A Distant Dream () 44 A Duel Between Two Ladies () 45 Tragedy on Mount Zhongnan () 46 A Bloody Farewell () 47 Honeymoon () 48 The Secret of the Chilling Jade Bed () 49 Hope () 50 A Crisis Approaches () 51 A Destined Calamity () 52 An Unexpected Encounter in the Snow ()
Season III () Episode # Title 53 Walking Towards an Unlucky Ground () 54 Yang Guo in Love () 55 Rescue Guo Xiang () 56 Bitter Love () 57 Pitiful Lü'e () 58 The Mountain of Offering Condolences () 59 Divine Nun of the Southern Sea () 60 Drifting Away () 61 Snowy Night () 62 The Nine Tailed Fox () 63 Vision of the Hero () 64 Heilongtan old Lady () 65 Fading Days () 66 Golden Needle Agreement () 67 Mysterious Saviour () 68 Evening before the Storm () 69 Exposure Conspiracy () 70 The Lie of Sixteen Years Ago () 71 Guo Xiang Kidnapped () 72 Gathering Time () 73 The Date of Agreement () 74 Entrance to a Different World () 75 Fate Meets Again () 76 Fierce Combat in Xiangyang () 77 Breakthrough Hatred () 78 The Real Hero ()
Voice cast Role Japanese voice Cantonese voice Mandarin voice Yang Guo Daisuke Namikawa So Keung-man Ho Chih-wei Xiaolongnü Mie Sonozaki Luk Wai-ling Wang Rui-chin Guo Jing Jouji Nakata Chan Yan Chen Chin-i / Li Shih-yang Huang Rong Jun Karasawa Sim Siu-lan Long Sian-huei / Liu Ru-ping Guo Fu Akiko Kimura Cheng Lai-lai Yao Min-min Li Mochou Urara Takano Doris Lo / Wong Yuk-kuen Yao Min-min Lu Wushuang Kaori Lau Wui-wun / Cheung Chung-yan Wang Rui-chin Cheng Ying Naoko Watanabe Wong Lai-fong Long Sian-huei Hong Lingbo Hikaru Ikeda Leung Siu-ha Long Sian-huei Granny Sun Junko Hori Au Sui-wah Long Sian-huei Zhao Zhijing Osamu Sakuta Leung Chi-tat Chen Chin-i Yin Zhiping Eiji Takemoto Poon Man-pak Li Ching-tang Qiu Chuji Chan Chu-kwong Ho Chih-wei Sun Bu'er Lui Pik-nar Yao Min-min Hao Datong Yuen Ka-cheung Li Ching-tang Ouyang Feng Tetsuo Komura Cheung Bing-keung Li Ching-tang Hong Qigong Yuen Ka-cheung Chen Chin-i Wanyan Ping Chieko Honda Choi Wai-ping Yao Min-min Yelü Qi Hozumi Gōda Poon Man-pak Li Ching-tang / Chen Chin-i Zhu Ziliu Lam Pou-chuen / Leung Chi-tat Chen Chin-i / Li Ching-tang Feng Mofeng Chan Chu-kwong Li Ching-tang Gongsun Zhi Tsuyoshi Koyama Chiu Sai-leung Li Ching-tang / Li Shih-yang Qiu Qianchi Akari Hibino Wong Fung-ying Wang Rui-chin / Liu Ru-ping Gongsun Lü'e Yuki Yamasaki Pansy Tsang Long Sian-huei / Yao Min-min Zhou Botong Mugihito Yuen Ka-cheung Chen Chin-i / Li Shih-yang Huang Yaoshi Cheung Bing-keung Li Shih-yang Yideng Tam Ping-man / Lo Kwok-kuen Ho Chih-wei / Li Shih-yang Yinggu Yuen Shuk-chun Yao Min-min Jinlun Fawang Takashi Matsuyama Wong Chi-king Chen Chin-i / Li Ching-tang / Li Shih-yang Huodu Hozumi Gōda Fung Kam-tong Li Ching-tang Da'erba Sugino Tanuki Lo Kwok-kuen / Cheung Bing-keung Ho Chih-wei Guo Xiang Chan Hoi-ting Wang Rui-chin narrator Kōsei Hirota Chiu Sai-leung Chen Chin-i / Li Shih-yang
Theme songs Opening theme song (Japanese version): "Yuu" by NoR Opening theme song (Chinese version): "True Love is Bitter" by Andy Lau Ending theme song: "Blása" by Yae
Production After Nippon Animation had obtained the rights of the series, it produced the animation version with association with Jade Animation (TVB's animation studio), and decided to split the series into three parts.
Video releases Taiseng Entertainment released the first season for English-speaking audiences. Since the show was much more popular in Chinese-speaking regions, the second season was not produced in Japanese like the first season, but in Cantonese and Mandarin.
VCD video of the series was released by Warner Bros. in Hong Kong.
External links
The Legend of Condor Hero reviews on spcnet.tv The Legend of Condor Hero page on Nippon Animation website The Legend of Condor Hero page on TVB website