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2007 Taiwanese drama From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The X-Family (traditional Chinese: 終極一家; simplified Chinese: 终极一家; pinyin: zhōng jí yī jiā) is a Taiwanese drama starring Pauline Lan, Jiro Wang, Danson Tang, Sunnie Huang, Calvin Chen, and Aaron Yan. It is the sequel to the 2005 drama KO One and is produced by Comic International Productions (可米國際影視事業股份有限公司).[1] The series started filming in June 2006 and wrapped in April 2007. It was broadcast on cable TV Gala Television (GTV) Variety Show/CH 28 (八大綜合台) on August 8, 2007, to October 23, 2007.
| The X-Family | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Also known as | 終極一家 zhōng jí yī jiā |
| Genre | School, Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Romance, Wuxia |
| Created by | Qi Yang Lin |
| Directed by | Zheng De Hua Lin Qing Fang |
| Starring | Pauline Lan Jiro Wang Calvin Chen Aaron Yan Chen Bo Zheng Na Wei Xun Danson Tang Sunnie Huang Chen De Xiu Tsai Han-tsen a Chord |
| Opening theme | "出神入化" (Chu Shen Ru Hua) by Fahrenheit |
| Ending theme | "最愛還是你" (Zui Ai Hai Shi Ni) by Danson Tang (episodes 1-30) "不會愛" (Bu Hui Ai) by Fahrenheit (episodes 31-55) |
| Country of origin | Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Original language | Mandarin |
| No. of episodes | 55 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Wang Xin Gui (王信貴), Wang Chuan Ren (王傳仁) |
| Producers | Chen Zi Han (陳芷涵), Jerry Feng (馮家瑞) |
| Production locations | Taipei, Taiwan |
| Running time | 45 mins |
| Production company | Comic International Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Gala Television (GTV) |
| Release | 8 August – 23 October 2007 |
| Related | |
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The prequel KO One was broadcast on November 26, 2005, to May 27, 2006, and a further sequel, K.O.3an Guo, was broadcast on February 28, 2009, to February 27, 2010, on cable TV Gala Television (GTV) Variety Show/CH 28 (八大綜合台).
There are twelve dimensions and a Mojie, a dimension where evil resides. Mojie has taken over ten dimensions in a series of showdowns between good and evil. The inter-dimensional war in the Gold dimension resulted in a tie in which both Mojie forces and KO fighters suffered great damages. Now, the story continues in the Iron dimension where the outcome has yet to be decided.
Following the loss of the KO fighters' powers in KO One, Xiu was given a mission to find the KO fighters’ alternate selves in his dimension, the Iron dimension, in order to restore their powers and turn the tide against the dark forces. His search leads him to a boy named Xia Tian, Wang Da Dong's counterpart, who has the potential to become a savior of worlds, a Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren.
Xia Tian's incredible power is sealed away by a Feng Long Tie on his neck making him essentially a Ma Gua, or a muggle. Any attempt to use his power would awaken Gui Long, an evil entity in him. But, Gui Long is not the only obstacle Xia Tian has to overcome to become the Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren. His family's objections and his own lack of interest in becoming the savior of worlds are also obstacles. However, his attitude begins to change after he meets a girl from his childhood, Han. To save her life, he boldly goes into Mie to recover her soul. Then and there, he realizes he needs to become stronger so he can protect his loved ones.
Although Xia Tian has the determination to become the Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren, he must go through many more tests and trials. He is also not the only one with such potential.
Mother of Xia Yu (夏宇), Xia Tian (夏天), and Xia Mei (夏美). Ye Si Ren's (葉思仁) ex-wife.
As the sole bread winner in the family and owner of a truck company, she takes on the roles that traditionally belonged to fathers and sons.
Despite her tough exterior, she desires the closeness and comfort of a normal family life.
She wants her children to lead normal lives, so she sealed Xia Tian and Xia Mei's powers with a pair of "Feng Long Tie" (封龍貼 / Seal Dragon Patch) since they were young. Among her 3 children, she worries about Xia Tian the most.
She loves to cook, but most people are repulsed by her cooking because she makes the worst food. The only people who enjoy her cooking are Demon Hunter, Jiu Wu and herself, which explains why she doesn't stop making food even though everybody else protests about her cooking.
She divorced Ye Si Ren because he was irresponsible as a father and unfaithful as a husband. But though her marriage fell apart years ago, she still loves Ye Si Ren and desires his company. When Ye Si Ren reveals his identity as a member of the evil Ye He Na La Family, she finally expresses her true feelings and the two of them become closer than before. But obstacles don't stop coming in-between them.
In the initial episodes, she wears a metal glove called "Qilin Shou" (麒麟手 / Qilin Glove) to cast a family spell called "Qi Lin Mai Chong Guang Tao Can" (麒麟脈衝光套餐).
Later, she uses a gun named "Wu Feng" (烏風 / Zaocys), which was given to her by the God of Guns years ago.
Xia Tian (Summer in translation) is a sweet kid with a good heart, but he often gets taken advantage of due to his naivety. Though he is born with powerful abilities, he dislikes using them.
He dreams to follow his father's footsteps and become a guitarist, which is met with his mother's strong opposition. As the drama progresses, he convinces her to allow him to follow his dream.
To control his powerful but unstable abilities, a "Feng Long Tie" (封龍貼) was placed on his neck making him no different from a "Ma Gua" (麻瓜 / Muggle).
Xiu believes Xia Tian has the potential to become a "Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren" (終極鐵克人/ Ultimate Iron Man), a savior of worlds, so he teaches Xia Tian how to play guitar and control Gui Long (鬼龍 / Ghostly Dragon) - his evil half with greater power, who on several occasions, attempts to destroy Xia Tian in order to become the dominant personality.
His biggest motivation for developing his power and guitar skills is Han, a girl that he met when he was a child and has liked her ever since.
When he takes off the Feng Long Tie, he transforms into Gui Long and becomes unable to control his actions. Gui Long's main weapon is a guitar pick called "Gui Long Pi Ke" (鬼龍鎞克 / Gui Long Guitar Pick).
Lan Ling Wang was once a highly trained soldier and commander for the Ye He Na La family. His clothing is almost an exact duplicate to the Final Fantasy VII character, Cloud Strife. His lifestyle is pretty retro.
When Lan Ling Wang first appears in the story, he just appears and disappears around the Xia family and Dong Cheng Wei (東城衛). He was ordered to find "Sou Hun Qu" (蒐魂曲 / Soul Collecting Melody) and "Xi Hun Qu" (洗魂曲 / Soul Cleansing Melody).
His family was killed when he softened to the Xia Lan Xing De family and he tried to take revenge on the killer, but his powers were drained by a "Gui Ling Yan Huo Qiu" (鬼靈焰火球 / Ghostly Fireball) and becomes a Ma Gua (麻瓜) for a time throughout the series, until the Master of the Ye He Na La family executes his plan to dominate the world. Lan Ling Wang casts an ancient spell to ruin his plan, which results in the restoration of the Ye Ha Na La family's power and his powers.
When Lan Ling Wang first lost his powers, he learned that someone had put a "Qi Xin Zhou" (七星咒 / Seven Stars Curse) on his family six generations ago. If he, the seventh generation, cannot lift the curse before the eighth generation is born, then the following generations will lose their true powers and become slaves of the Ye He Na La Family forever. However, if he can lift it, he will gather up the energy of hatred that his ancestors have collected over the centuries and turn him into a "Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren" (終極鐵克人 / Ultimate Iron Man).
Lan Ling Wang carries a sword from the spiritual realm known as "Lan Ling Zhan" (攔靈斬). It can gather the destructive energy and produce a powerful blast called "Fen Jian Da Fa" (弅劍大法), which can eliminate everything within 100 miles, including himself.
Jiu Wu (sounds like ninety-five) is the newly ascended ruler of the Iron Dimension. An organization called Tie Ke Jin Wei Jun (鐵克禁衛軍 / The Iron Imperial Army) is under his control to protect the Iron Dimension.
When he first appears, he has a deep, strange voice which makes him seem powerful and out of the ordinary. But after about twelve episodes, his powerful voice returned to a normal one.
He has a younger brother named Jiu Lai, who has the appearance of an old man due to his misuse of supernatural powers. Because he rarely reveals himself, people that know his brother assume that their appearances and ages would be alike; some even refer their names to be similar.
As the ruler, his main responsibility is to preserve "Fang Hu Ci Chang" (防護磁場 / Defense Magnetic Shield) that protects their world from outside attacks: if he gets hurt, the shield will weaken, allowing evil to invade their world; but as he keeps on preserving the force field, it also weakens him in the process, making him unable to use his powers under certain circumstances.
Jiu Wu has been famous since young for his "Jiu Bu Qin Gui Shou" (九步擒鬼手), which indicates the ability to find the opponent's Achilles' Heel within nine steps. No one has ever escaped this attack until he meets the father of the Ye He Na La Family.
The playful grandfather of Xia Tian (夏天), Xia Yu (夏宇) and Xia Mei (夏美); and the head of the family.
Xia Liu (because his name sounds like "pervert" (下流), his name is often dragged into that theme) literally sleeps under the house as the entrance to his bedroom is located under the living room table. Xia Liu is the guardian of the entrance to the ghostly dimension, Mie (滅). He may be senile, but he is also the most powerful member in the family: that is before Xia Tian becomes the superior member. His poor memory is often a laughing point.
Removing people's memories is one of Xia Liu's many abilities, and is the first one to be used on screen.
His main weapon is a pair of cymbals called "Ke Mo Ba" (剋魔鈸), which he uses to attack with sound waves and to cast spells. His most notable attacks are eight spells that are mainly used for fighting evils, called "Xiang Mo Ba Jue" (降魔八訣).
Ex-husband of Xia Xiong (夏雄), and father of Xia Tian (夏天), Xia Yu (夏宇) and Xia Mei (夏美).
Ye Si Ren (sounds close to "死人" / Dead Man) owns a pub called "The Ass Pub" (老屁股) and is a very gifted musician.
Because of his naïvety and unfaithfulness, he and Xia Xiong's marriage ended years ago, but he still has feelings for her. He is constantly interfering with Xia Xiong's dates. Even though he was not a very good husband, he is a very good father, and will do anything in his capacity to protect his family.
At the start, he appears as a Ma Gua (麻瓜), but when Xia Yu's dark powers begin to manifest, he reveals himself as the head member of the Ye He Na La family (葉赫那啦家族) and plays the Xi Hun Qu (洗魂曲 / Soul Cleansing Melody) in order to cleanse Xia Yu's evil instincts and powers.
Xia Yu is the eldest child. He rarely worries his mother. As a student majoring in law and finance at National Taiwan University, he is great with money and handles the family budget. He is also a money-lover. He always cooks and takes care of his younger siblings during his mother's absence.
Despite being the person everyone trusts and relies on, he resents being the only "Ma Gua" (麻瓜) in the family and doing the menial jobs around the home.
Evil sees his jealousy and uses that to turn him evil by giving him a ring to absorb other people's powers. The ring unwittingly unlocks Xia Yu's sealed power. As it turns out, he is not a Ma Gua by birth. Rather, his father secretly sealed his power upon birth because he exhibited the pure evil genes. When he fully comes into his powers, his dark instincts start to take over. The situation forces his father to use "Xi Hun Qu" (洗魂曲 / Soul Cleansing Melody) to cleanse his soul and seal his power again, which they remain until his paternal grandfather's plan of world domination backfires causing a beam of dark energy to strike directly at him, turning him into "Gui Feng" (鬼鳳 / Ghostly Phoenix).
The youngest child and only daughter of Xia Xiong and Ye Si Ren. Despite being born in a powerful magic family, Xia Mei is the only base-levelled power-user, which makes her the least powerful member in the family. Nevertheless, she is strongest among lower-level power-users.
Initially, she has a crush on Xiu, the guitarist of Dong Cheng Wei (東城衛), but later falls for Lan Ling Wang. She is so obsessed with Lan Ling Wang and is willing to sacrifice anything for him.
By partially ripping off her Feng Long Tie (封龍貼), Xia Mei can use her power of electricity to attack people; Ren Chen Wen often falls victim to her attacks. However, since her powers belong to basic level, she cannot do any serious damage.
When she rips off her Feng Long Tie completely, she becomes Gui Wa (鬼娃 / Ghostly Doll), and becomes able to scare people with Zhen Zi (貞子 - a demon from the movie "The Ring"), a ghost-like demon with pale skin and a green glow, which she conjures with a little puppet that appears along when she transforms.
Xiu is the leader and guitarist in the band, Dong Cheng Wei (東城衛).
At first he thought that Xia Tian was just a Ma Gua (麻瓜), but when he sensed his special powers he started suspecting that Xia Tian might have the potential to become the legendary Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren (終極鐵克人), so he becomes Xia Tian's guitar teacher and later trainer.
Xiu has the ability to force someone to act according to his commands, a spell that every member in his family, the Hu Yan Jue Luo family, is capable of.
His special weapon is a guitar pick called "Shen Feng Pi Ke" (神風鎞克 / God's Wind Guitar Pick), which allows its master to increase his magical abilities and produce healing energy.
Han is the girl Xia Tian met and saved from a gang of naughty kids when she was young. She then gave him her hairpin as a gift, and the two became friends. After her mom died, she was abducted by evil power-users. Xia Tian thought she moved away.
Years later, Han reappears when Xia Tian and his father are attacked by loan sharks and unwittingly rescues them (although she does hit Xia Tian on the head).
He recognizes her as soon as he sees the picture that he took with her and her mom on the same day he rescued her. However, she had completely forgotten about her friendship with Xia Tian along with everything else that happened before she was kidnapped.
Han has the power to read one's mind. Her primary weapon is a pair of drumsticks known as "Jing Lei" (驚雷 / Frightening Thunder) which she has transferred her soul in order to make them both powerful and spiritual.
a Chord used to be the lead singer of the band Dong Cheng Wei (東城衛). He is somewhat of a funny guy, who does not know the appropriate time to talk.
a Chord's primary weapon is a tuning fork called the "Gui Zhan Yin Cha" (鬼戰音叉), which he uses to attack with sound waves.
A family of powerful warriors, who carry the responsibilities to protect the Feng Long Ka, a family heirloom that holds the secret of Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren (Ultimate Iron Man). The eldest family member also guards the entrance to the ghostly dimension Mie, a dimension where spirits and demons prevail. It is one of the most reputable families in the Iron Dimension.
Centuries ago, it was just an ordinary family with special powers. But they surrendered to the darkness and eventually became a dark family. Their goal is to steal the Feng Long Ka from the Xia Lan Xing De family. To prevent their descendants from becoming demons, the ancestors of Ye He Na La created Zhen Mo San Bu Qu (鎮魔三部曲 / The Demon Suppressing Symphony) that can help their descendants get rid of their evil nature - the Soul Collecting Melody (蒐魂曲), the Soul Cleansing Melody (洗魂曲) and the Soul Calming Melody (安魂曲). Near the end of the story, this family's power is destroyed and all the remaining members are scattered.
A family of powerful warriors who use musical instruments as weapons. All the family members specialise in She Xin Shu (攝心術), a spell that controls a person. Because they used to be very similar to the Han Ke La Ma family, many generations in these families joined in marriage until one of these generations caused a genetic hatred, which was passed on to the later generations. However, in the recent generation, they have learned to overcome that family hatred and become friends again. The members of this family are known as the assistants and protectors of the legendary Zhong Ji Tie Ke Ren (終極鐵克人).
A family of powerful female warriors who also use musical instruments as weapons, in which they put their souls: this is their strongest and weakest point. The Han Ke La Ma family's members all specialize in Rei De You Mai En (蕊德尤邁恩 / Read Your Mind), a spell that allows them to read a person's mind by touching them and saying out the spell. Because they used to be very similar to the Hu Yan Jue Luo family, many generations in these families joined in marriage until one of these generations caused a genetic hatred, which was passed on to the later generations. However, in the recent generation, they have learned to overcome that family hatred and become friends again.
This family has sworn to serve the Ye He Na La family for eternity. Centuries ago, a curse was put upon them, and if the seventh generation cannot find a way to lift the curse, then the following generations will never be able to receive their family's powers and will be forever controlled by the Ye He Na La family. This family has almost been eliminated, with Lan Ling Wang as the sole remaining descendant.
A family of powerful warriors who have served the protection of the Iron Dimension for a long time. Though powerful, its members lived short lives.
A family with lower level magic. These family members are good at finding people.
A family with lower level magic.
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Production
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Although, The X-Family had a strong sci-fi/ fantasy feel, the production crew viewed it as a futuristic wuxia film. Their goal was to show the way wuxia would be when it's in the present day and in the future.[2] In the first episode they paid homage to the wuxia genre by having Xiu transfer his energy to the KO Fighters in an effort to restore their powers. This "transferring of energy" to help others is a recurring theme in The X-Family.
While working on this show, the writing team made a conscious effort to continue the comic book theme from KO One, as well as to incorporate video game elements popular with their teenage viewers. To do this, they gave almost all their Iron Dimension characters special powers and weapons that were more powerful than their Gold Dimension counterparts.[3] For example, Lan Ling Wang has "Lan Ling Zhan," a huge sword that can obliterate a city block when his entire life force is channeled into it. While, his Gold Dimension counterpart Wang Ya Se has "Shi Zhong Jian," a little sword in a rock, that merely enhances his fighting power. To show the effects of different powers and weapons, special effects were used, which tagged on additional filming and post-production time. As result, it took eight months, from September 2006 to April 2007, to finish shooting this show.[4]
The plot may be unrealistic, but the characters are partly based on the actors and actresses who portray them. In the show, Dong Cheng Wei (東城衛) is a unit of the Iron Protection Team that protects the Iron Dimension with its music. In real life, Dong Cheng Wei is a rock band started by Chen De Xiu and Jiro Wang back when they were in high school.[5] Xiu is a current member of this band; Jiro is both a member of this band as well as Fahrenheit.
Also, the actors make references by casually talking about how to act a certain way, use scriptwriting threats, and the production team. This is used for a subtle humour tactic in the story.
Days before its airing date, a wave of opposition against the show played out on the net. Taiwanese netizens pointed out the costume for the character Lan Ling Wang had a high degree of similarity to the character Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy VII[6] and blasted the network for its blatant copyright violation.[7] Executive producer Wang Xin Gui was dismayed by the accusation and denied its validity.[8]
Netizens were dissatisfied by the producer's answer and proceeded to send petitions to boycott the show. The producer responded by issuing a public apology through Comic International Productions Co., Ltd, and stated that they were in the process of negotiating with Square Enix about intellectual property rights. It also stated the similarity between Lan Ling Wang and Cloud Strife was purely coincidental.[9] As result of the uproar, HIM International Music postponed the original soundtrack release date due to its CD album had contained images involved in the copyright dispute.[10] The show and its companion books were released as scheduled.
A third installment titled, K.O.3an Guo (終極三國)[11] was broadcast on 28 February 2009 to 27 February 2010, on cable TV Gala Television (GTV) Variety Show/CH 28 (八大綜合台) and Formosa Television (FTV) (民視) for 53 episodes.
It starred George Hu and other members of Wu Hu Jiang, Chen De Xiu and Kirsten Ren, the little sister of Selina from S.H.E. Jiro Wang, Calvin Chen and Aaron Yan from Fahrenheit appeared as guests stars.
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