The Black Sabre 1989 is an adaptation of a Gu Long novel titled 'Bordertown Wanderer'. I didn't really like this series when I watched it as a kid. Later on I skimmed through the novel and when I watched it as an adult I really liked it. Let's open with saying its really hard to adapt Gu Long novels because its so complicated and many characters are involved. Some come in and drop out at will. Also the dialogue between characters is hard to translate to a long conversation suitable for TV dramas. Hence Gu Long adaptations are better in film then they are TV series. Okay, so why did I not like Black Sabre as a kid but liked the series as an adult? Firstly, as a kid I didn't like how the character of Fu Hong Xue (played by Hugo Ng) poorly treats Cui Nong (played by Tse Ning). But after skimming through the novel and watching it with 'adult eyes' I now understand the complexity of that relationship. Hugo did really well as Fu Hong Xue. He looks handsome and cold like how he is supposed to be. I also liked the fact he limped around and had brain seizures, as this is in keeping with the character as described in the novel. Other adaptations don't have this, which I find takes away from Fu Hong Xue's unique character. I also liked Tse Ning as Cui Nong. She was one of the prettiest actresses back in the late 80's. Eddie Cheung as Ye Kai and Margie Tsang as Ding Ling Lin also made the series worthwhile watching. This series is actually also more true to the Gu Long novel than the recent modern adaptations which really went off the rails.
