New Three Kingdoms MemesRefers to the 2010 historical TV series *Three Kingdoms* directed by Gao Xixi and written by Zhu Sujin (to distinguish it from the version known as"Old Three Kingdoms", the 1994 CCTV version of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, it is usually called*New Three Kingdoms*)
Introduction
"Three Kingdoms"Adapted from the long-form historical novel in chapters written by Luo Guanzhong, a novelist of the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", telling the story from the division of the country among warlords at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, toBattle of Guandu、Battle of Red Cliffsthe subsequent tripartite confrontation of the Three Kingdoms, and finally to the Sima family replacing Wei and unifying the world under Jin.
This series is the first TV drama to fully tell the story of the Three Kingdoms period since the 1994 CCTV version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", premiering in mainland China in 2010. Despite its massive investment and star-studded cast, the entire series suffered from numerous obvious and even bizarre issues in characterization, dialogue design, plot adaptation, performance and filming, post-production, and even project approval and behind-the-scenes aspects. These issues are so numerous that new points of criticism are still being unearthed more than ten years after its release:
- Regarding the script, although this series was approved as an adaptation of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", compared to the original work, it
heavily modified（ ）many plots, either filming very little or not filming at all many famous segments from the original,[1]or deconstructing them shallowly and ignorantly based on the director's and writer's understanding. At the same time, it filmed many trivial, lengthy dialogues and original filler plots, and many important characters suffered from seriousOOCor stereotyping phenomena, it is essentially a fan-fiction story wearing the skin of the Three Kingdoms and using the names of its characters. This work claims to have invited six historical consultants to participate in production, but whether compared to Romance of the Three Kingdoms or Records of the Three Kingdoms, there are numerous errors and omissions in the series. After New Three Kingdoms aired, Director Gao once responded that New Three Kingdoms "is neither filming Records of the Three Kingdoms nor the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but filming a Three Kingdoms TV series," yet New Three Kingdoms features the original character Xing Daorong from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Even setting aside the original work and historical facts to evaluate New Three Kingdoms purely as a literary work, the plot setting and characterization of this series are still unsatisfactory to the audience.- At the same time, this series also has a large number of military errors and unreasonable plots. As a writer who was a soldier and has written many military novels, Screenwriter Zhu should not have made so many military mistakes.
- Worth mentioning is: this work changes the tradition of most past Three Kingdoms-themed works using Shu Han (Ji Han) as the primary perspective, instead using Cao Wei as the primary perspective. Therefore, the screen time and characterization of the Cao Wei side are significantly more than those of the Shu Han and Eastern Wu camps, to the extent that signs of character breakdown and deliberate belittling of the other two camps are very obvious. However, on this basis, the characterization of the Cao Wei camp (especially Cao Cao) is still underwhelming. Many plots intended to praise Cao Wei characters actually had a negative impact on characterization—thinking they were praising Cao, but actually belittling him.
- Regarding dialogue, as a Golden Horse Award winner and a member of the China Writers Association, Screenwriter Zhu should not have made so many absurd and ridiculous linguistic errors, such as:
- Grammatical errors (such as "various hundred officials," "various feudal lords," "various lords," etc.);
- Confused forms of address (such as calling people directly by their names[2], the rampant use of "-ye," the ubiquitous "General-in-Chief" (even for Xing Daorong), and confused seniority relationships (Cao Rui calling Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu "Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle"; Cao Jie calling Cao Pi "elder brother" while simultaneously claiming to be Cao Pi's elder sister, etc.);
- Misuse of archaic vocabulary (such as "Xingye" and "Cha chuqu"), and randomly altering classic passages from the original work that could have been quoted directly
(to lower the similarity check)； - Geographical errors
- Characters frequently travel from one place to another very distant place in a very short time, being mocked as "the unique New Three Kingdomsportals”.
- The dialogue features many terms like "o Prefecture Government" or "o Prefecture City" that did not exist in the Han Dynasty[3]etc. However, similar anachronisms also appear in the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms; for example, in Chapter 11 of the Mao edition, there is text stating "Zhang Fei pursued and killed [the enemy] all the way to the walls of Xuzhou City."
- Anachronistic allusions and terminology (such as the repeated use of the phrase "look at someone with new eyes" before Lü Meng's debut, and many proper nouns that only appeared after the Han Dynasty, especially in the Qing Dynasty), and even misused metaphors (Cao Cao claiming he and Liu Bei "treat each other with the respect due to a guest," a term usually for married couples);
- Cringey dialogue mixing classical and vernacular Chinese with unclear meanings (such as "My great axe is already thirsty and hard to restrain""Speak my name, and give you a fright""Dragon and tiger heroes pridefully look down upon the firmament""Is it or is it not(Note)In the show, it is used to question "Is it so?"").
- Regarding costumes, makeup, and props:
- This work features many strange costume designs, such as common soldiers wearing various oddly shaped helmets, and people from Xiliang always having disheveled hair and wearing animal skins like savages; there are also errors in costume common sense, such as having the army march in full armor, or Cao Cao wearing coarse linen clothes as a leader while his soldiers and generals are all armored. Additionally, there is almost no difference in the clothing styles of soldiers from different factions, making it very difficult to distinguish which side is which during battle scenes, resulting in great confusion.
- The text on props in this work is very imprecise, including but not limited to:
- Sun Jian's tombstone features an excerpt from the "Biographies of Sun Polu and Sun Taoni" in the Book of Wu of the Records of the Three Kingdoms;
- The eulogy Zhuge Liang burned for Zhou Yu contained words like "I have dominated the world for over thirty years and all the heroes have been wiped out. Only Sun Quan of Jiangdong and Liu Bei of Western Shu have not yet..." which are actually from Cao Cao's last words;
Cao Cao:Fine then, if he passes away, I'll pass away too! - Guan Yu's tombstone reads "Stele of the Late Marquis of Shouting of Han, Lord Guan Yu"[4]；
- Regarding the acting, the lead actors such as Chen Jianbin, Yu Hewei, and Lu Yi are all highly famous or hold certain status (e.g., Yu Hewei is a National First-Class Actor, Chen Jianbin is an acting mentor). Most of them have performed well in works outside of Three Kingdoms (2010), but in this series, the acting of these big-name stars is generally underwhelming, eitherphoning it inor awkward acting, being too uninhibited, or having serious deviations in their understanding and interpretation of the characters. Supported by equally poor directing and screenwriting, various flaws in their performances were amplified. Furthermore, compared to the almost universally top-tier acting in the Old Three Kingdoms, the acting in New Three Kingdoms appears significantly inferior. Due to their participation in New Three Kingdoms, these actors' reputations have suffered a certain negative impact on the internet, becoming a "Cybercriminal record"(If A-list actors' reputations were damaged, third-tier actors with average experience and skills like Kang Kai saw their careers and reputations severely hindered, with their public image even falling below that of "traffic stars")。
- Regarding the production team, director Gao Xixi and screenwriter Zhu Sujin mostly performed well in their works prior to Three Kingdoms (2010), but because of this series, their reputations suffered a devastating blow, and they have been frequently insulted by netizenswith "mother" slurs, leading to their previous works being overlooked, excessively criticized, or questioned as to whether they deserved their positions. Due to the historical status of the Old Three Kingdoms and the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms, even the "stance" of the two has been called into question.
Comparable to the impact of the "girlfriend-turned-mother" plot twist on Shin Yoshida.- The original crew of this series later filmed another historical drama, *King's War*. Since it was produced by the same team, netizens also regarded it as a sister piece to *Three Kingdoms* and compared the two. Compared to the "consistent badness" of *Three Kingdoms*, the viewing experience of *King's War* presented a mysterious sense of "fluctuating wildly" feeling. Often, a decent plot segment would be followed by an outrageous one. There were also various glaring flaws in dialogue, subtitles, and props, such as Chongxin reporting to the Second Emperor of Qin that "the rebels Chen Sheng and Wu Guang in the Dazexiang areahave revolted", or students in a Qin Dynasty school reading the *Three Character Classic*, which didn't appear until the Song Dynasty. Later, Wang Hailin, one of the screenwriters for *King's War*, stated in a media interview that Gao Xixi had previously bought a script, but the lead actor Chen Daoming was very dissatisfied after reading it, so he had Wang Hailin and Yan Gang write a second version. However, Gao Xixi was unwilling to waste the money spent on the first script, so he decided to use both scripts together, choosing the version with more words from the two scripts for the same scene.(Some viewers believe that Gao Xixi actually couldn't afford to offend the screenwriter of the first version nor Chen Daoming, and thus had to use this compromise; the claim of being unwilling to waste money on the first script was just a way to save face for everyone.)。[5]From this, one can infer the reasons for the various outrageous scenes in *Three Kingdoms* and *King's War*: as a director, Gao Xixi's historical and literary knowledge is relatively lacking, and he lacks the ability to control the set. When the screenwriter's knowledge of literature and history can compensate for his deficiencies, he can still produce scenes with a decent viewing experience. However, when the script has glaring flaws, he is unable to spot or correct them. Meanwhile, Zhu Sujin happens to be a screenwriter who lacks historical and literary knowledge yet enjoys improvising wildly, requiring a director with strong historical knowledge and control (such as Jiang Wen[6]) to keep him in check and prevent a disaster. It was only when this "Crouching Dragon and Young Phoenix" duo of Gao Xixi and Zhu Sujin came together that *Three Kingdoms* achieved its god-likeperformance.
- Chen Wei, the actor who played Xu Huang in this series, openedDouyinandBilibiliaccounts, and while answering netizens' questions about *Three Kingdoms*, he revealed many issues during filming, including but not limited to: the director and screenwriters hadn't read *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, he never met Yu Rongguang (who played Guan Yu) on set, *Three Kingdoms* was filmed in only eight months, and there was a scene where Xu Huang was supposed to appear, but the crew used a stunt double directly without even notifying him to come for filming... and so on.
- In terms of filming, besides the frequent extreme close-up shots often criticized by viewers, the action scenes are considered by many to be one of the few advantages of "New Three Kingdoms" compared to "Old Three Kingdoms." This view is mainly based on the fact that "Old Three Kingdoms" had poor visual appeal in action scenes due to the limitations of the era and a lack of martial arts choreographers. However, many viewers also criticize the action in "New Three Kingdoms" for being too flashy and "Wuxia-style," leading to a lack of realism, as well as the frequent abuse of extreme close-ups and fast cuts during fight scenes.
- The various errors in "New Three Kingdoms" have seriously misled many people unfamiliar with the Three Kingdoms, leading to a flawed understanding of the plot and characters; some even regard "New Three Kingdoms" as the "original work."
- The version of this series that first aired (i.e., the "Premiere Version") had far too many and too serious problems (a significant portion of the criticisms mentioned later were discovered in the Premiere Version, such as "Slaying Hua Xiong with a cup of wine""Pang Tong making a scene at the funeral"), etc.), so the production team later spent8 million yuan[[sic]]to create a "Revised Version", which became the version used for later rebroadcasts and on online video platforms. Even so, there are still many criticisms in the Revised Version (showing just how bad the Premiere Version was), and because it wasn't cleaned up thoroughly, it led to self-contradictory plot points, and even made the plot worse in some places (for example, in the episode "Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage," in the Premiere Version, Zhang Fei, to Zhuge Liang's page boyA-San[[sic]]shouted: "Tell your master to come out!welcomeguests!" The revised version changed it to "Tell your master to come out andreceiveguests!").
- Later, the series was imported to Japan. The Japanese version completed a very responsible localization based on the revised version, which also corrected some flaws (for example, by displaying the time in subtitles, it eliminated some timeline confusion issues;the dubbedversion's dialogue removed or modified "slitting one's throat to return to heaven" and other jarring expressions, and a luxurious lineup of voice actors was brought in for the dubbing), so "Three Kingdoms" (2010) gained a good reputation in Japan.
- Of course, other works from the same period as "Three Kingdoms" were also criticized, but critiques of those works were often taken down and stopped updating after a few episodes due to copyright issues. However, a set of resources for "Three Kingdoms" consisting of Japanese version footage with Chinese subtitles and Mandarin audio still circulates online. Although this resource has many subtitle issues (such as "Golden Rebellion" etc.), it is said to be able to circumvent copyright issues. Most subsequent critiques and fan creations used this version. The leniency regarding copyright for "Three Kingdoms" also indirectly intensified the popularity of the critiques.[7]
- Later, the series was imported to Japan. The Japanese version completed a very responsible localization based on the revised version, which also corrected some flaws (for example, by displaying the time in subtitles, it eliminated some timeline confusion issues;the dubbedversion's dialogue removed or modified "slitting one's throat to return to heaven" and other jarring expressions, and a luxurious lineup of voice actors was brought in for the dubbing), so "Three Kingdoms" (2010) gained a good reputation in Japan.
When "Three Kingdoms" was released, although it achieved high ratings and social attention, it also faced a large amount of criticism from media reporters and mockery from various netizens[8], and discussions of its flaws were mostly scattered across various forums, while video formats were mainly on video sites like Youku and Tudou[9]in "_Lao Shi alwayswet" and other authors' reviews were the main focus. However, internet content sharing platforms were not yet well-developed at that time, and the popularity and activity of emerging video platforms like Bilibili were quite limited. A massive roasting culture had not yet formed, and the heat of roasting the *New Three Kingdoms* quickly faded after the TV series finished airing.
From 2012 to 2014, Sina Video uploader "Wan De Shi Ma", Bilibili uploader "Meng Meng Dai", and Youku/Tudou uploader "Lao Shi alwayswet" took the famous scene from the *Old Three Kingdoms* where Zhuge Liang scolded Wang Lang to death: "I have never seen a person so thick-skinned and shameless!" After making it into a Kichiku video and causing it to go viral, some uploaders created comparison videos between the *New* and *Old Three Kingdoms*. A large number of viewers agreed that Lu Yi, who played Zhuge Liang in the *New Three Kingdoms*, was far inferior to Tang Guoqiang, who played Zhuge Liang in the *Old Three Kingdoms*, in terms of line delivery and acting skills. However, the roasting of the *New Three Kingdoms* was still limited to this small segment of the plot and Lu Yi's personal acting, and a large-scale roasting culture had not yet formed.
It is now generally believed that the beginning of the culture of roasting the *New Three Kingdoms* was Bilibili uploader "Wanliu Xialuo"'s video uploaded in 2017 titled "[Rambling] Why Do We Need to Criticize the New Three Kingdoms?", after which Bilibili uploaders specializing in making roasting videos for the *New Three Kingdoms* began to appear one after another.
In 2020, Bilibili uploader "Rarondo9[10]" (abbreviated asR9) uploaded a large number of *New Three Kingdoms*Kichikuedited videos, whose high-quality derivative works and edited new plots(sometimes even more reasonable than the original plot)became very popular. Since then, *Three Kingdoms* (2010) returned to the center of public discussion, and a wave of systematic roasting of the entire series began to emerge, giving birth to a continuous output of related content with distinctsubculturecharacteristics of the "New Three Kingdoms Roasting Track." Famous uploaders (UPs) include but are not limited to:
- “Chidanta de Zhebang[11]" (Zhebang): A *Sanguosha* uploader. Since October 21, 2024, he has been making roasting videos related to *Three Kingdoms* (2010), known for his sharp, funny, and incisive commentary. He used a series of humorously rationalizing, such as "Heaven's Will,"Rules Horrortheories, which with high entertainment value and creative depth, triggered audience laughter, pushing the *New Three Kingdoms* roasting culture to new heights. He is one of the most famous uploaders in the "New Three Kingdoms section." His roasting videos are currently being updated.
- “Zhuojun Liulang[12]": Originally an uploader focusing on the Three Kingdoms and other historical themes. When making roasting videos, he often combines history and the original *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* novel to analyze problematic plot points in the series, sometimes pointing out issues in the old *Three Kingdoms* (1994) or even the original novel. His roasting videos are completed, and he is currently producing a remastered version.
- “Dong Taishi-[13]": An uploader in the "New Three Kingdoms section" specializing in roasting the 2010 series. He describes himself as a former fan of the show who was once mocked for citing its plot in a school debate. Later, he realized the many issues with the show, turned to hating it, and began making roasting videos. His style is sharp, with frequent criticism of actors, directors, and screenwriters. Sometimes, he invites his more hot-tempered "younger brother" to do the roasting for him. His roasting videos are completed, and he occasionally makes reviews of other live-action films and ACG works.
- “Teji Pandianshi_": An account specializing in consolidating roasts from various UP masters in the 'New Three Kingdoms Zone'. It compiles the best parts of different UP masters' roasts of the same clip into videos, and is called the 'Alliance Leader' by viewers. The roast videos are currently being updated."
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![Bilibili UP master "Nanyang Yeren ZLB"'s summary of the various factions in the New Three Kingdoms roast scene. [14]](https://storage.moegirl.org.cn/moegirl/commons/5/56/%E6%96%B0%E4%B8%89%E5%9B%BD%E5%90%90%E6%A7%BD%E7%BE%A4%E9%9B%84.png!/fw/120?v=20260309145713)
Bilibili UP master "Nanyang Yeren ZLB"'s summary of the various factions in the New Three Kingdoms roast scene.[14]
![Bilibili UP master "Nanyang Yeren ZLB"'s summary of the various factions in the New Three Kingdoms roast scene. [14]](https://zh.moegirl.org.cn/File:%E6%96%B0%E4%B8%89%E5%9B%BD%E5%90%90%E6%A7%BD%E7%BE%A4%E9%9B%84.png)
Many lines from *Three Kingdoms* (2010) are also frequently used by netizens as slang and catchphrases on various occasions.
General Section
- Niu San (Twisted Three)
Homophone for
- Heaven's Will
A concept repeatedly mentioned by the group led by Liu Bei in the series.
In *Three Kingdoms* (2010), characters often suddenly seem to have "Read the script" performance, or stiff behavior inconsistent with the character's persona, or an original plot that deviates significantly from the original work suddenly jumping back stiffly to the original plot. Regarding this, a "Will of Heaven theory" (generally believed to be proposed and popularized by Chidantadezhebeng) has become popular among netizens, jokingly suggesting that the characters have been
Later, when stiff and illogical plots appear in other works, netizens also complain that "Heaven's Will is exerting its power."
In fact, words like "Heaven's Will" are not uncommon in history books and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but this has resulted in somememe kidsbaselessly claiming "Heaven's Will erosion" whenever they see words like "Mandate of Heaven" or "Heaven's Will", which is inappropriate.
Coincidentally, in the Three Kingdoms-themed Japanese anime/manga work from the same period as Three Kingdoms (2010),SD Gundam Sangokuden, the item "Sacred Seal · Imperial Jade Seal" erodes the mind of holders it does not recognize, which is extremely similar to the effect of "Heaven's Will".
- Golden Rebellion[Original series position 1]
Should be "Yellow Turban Rebellion". For reasons such as avoiding copyright complaints, secondary creations of Three Kingdoms (2010) often use a Japanese release version with Chinese subtitles. These subtitles are full of errors; the fact that such a major mistake appears as early as the sixth character of the first sentence in the first episode is truly hard to let go (though it should be noted that the subtitles for official resources on video platforms do not have as many issues).
This opening monologue also includes the line, "The Three Kingdoms, an era of chaotic conflict lasting over a hundred years, begins from this moment," but even from the start of the Yellow Turban Rebellion to the unification under the Western Jin, it only lasted 96 years in total.
Furthermore, in the battle scenes played during the opening monologue, the combatants are not wearing any Yellow Turban insignia at all, but are all regular troops in armor. Later, this battle footage would also serve asstock footageto be reused.
- History has undergone a dramatic change
From Three Kingdoms (2010), after Wolong left the mountain, accompanied bySong of Guan Yu's
| “ | From this moment on,History has undergone a dramatic change。 | ” |
Although Wolong's departure from the mountain is an important historical/plot turning point in both real history and *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, this
Additionally, *Three Kingdoms* (2010) features many plots completely different from real history or *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, for example, after Wolong's departure:
- Sun Ce, Cheng Pu, and others lived much longer;
- Xiao Qiao had an ambiguous relationship with Zhuge Liang and was divorced by Zhou Yu;
- The timing of Cao Cao claiming the titles of Duke and King was generally moved forward;
- Sun Quan allegedly poisoned his own confidant from official history,but in this work, he is unfamiliar with him and closer to Zhou Yu and Lu Su,Lü Meng;
- Liu Xie committed suicide with Empress Cao after being forced to abdicate;
Shu HanShu State[15]The outrageous policy of "40/60 taxation, drafting one out of every three men" appeared;
There even appeared a large amount of content inconsistent with historical facts, settings, and even previous text, such as:
- At the same time Sun Ce was assassinatedZhang Zhao told Sun Quan that during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Duke Huan of Qi, King Zhuang of Chu, and Duke Wen of Jin "successively claimed hegemony"[16], and the State of Lu "rose to compete for supremacy" after the State of Qin;
- When Cao Cao mourned Xun Yu, he mentioned "Xun Yu staying behind to guard Yanzhou"(In *Three Kingdoms 2010*, Xun Yu clearly followed Cao Cao to attack Xuzhou and witnessed Cao Cao's rice bowl flip)；
- Jia Xu, who was invisible during the chaos of Li Jue and Guo Si, suddenly appeared and became the Grand Commandant when Cao Pi inherited the title of King of Wei;
- Examples used by Hua Xin when forcing Liu Xie to abdicate included "King Wen abdicating to King Wu[17]";
- Liu Bei talked to Ma Su about "Zhao Kuo of the Spring and Autumn period" fighting on paper[18]；
These plot points make it seem likethe *Three Kingdoms 2010* universe might truly be another worldline,and the phrase "history has undergone a dramatic change" has instead become very fitting and thus a meme, used to describe the chaotic plot of *Three Kingdoms 2010*, or simply to emphasize the impact of a certain event (similar to "the gears of fate began to turn""Great historical opportunity").
Additionally, since "dramatic change" (剧变) is often mistakenly written as "huge change" (巨变), and considering that *Three Kingdoms* repeatedly replaces "big" (大) with "huge" (巨), in a sense, this sentence is equivalent to "History has undergone abig change"”.
- New Three Kingdoms Road
Most of the traveling scenes in *Three Kingdoms* were filmed on the same small mountain road (the filming location is the Western Qing Tombs in Yi County, Hebei). Even the surrounding scenery was not arranged differently, so viewers could tell at a glance it was the same location. This small mountain road, which witnessed many important events of the Three Kingdoms, was thus jokingly called the "New Three Kingdoms Road."
- New Three Kingdoms Map/Portal
Due to lax research and geographical studies, many geographical errors appeared in the series, such asYuan Shubeing to the east of Xuzhou[19](the origin of "Yuan Shu, Dragon King of the East Sea"), Mount Mangdang being between Chang'an and Luoyang, Xiaopei being in western Xuzhou one moment and northern Xuzhou the next, and Ma Teng traveling from west of Chang'an to east of Luoyang to join the coalition against Dong Zhuo, among other classic issues.
Whenever characters in the show perform a "teleportation" that is impossible under normal geographical conditions, they are jokingly said to have "taken theon the New Three Kingdoms Roadportals" to reach their destination.
New Three Kingdoms culture enthusiasts drew a New Three Kingdoms map based on these error-ridden lines.
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![Zhang Song once told Cao Cao that Liu Zhang has Sun Quan to the south, and Cao Cao has Liu Bei to the north and Sun Quan to the east. Zhang Song also told Liu Bei that Yizhou has Liu Bei to the west and Sun Quan to the south. Zhihu user Su Chenchuan drew a distribution map of the warlords' forces based on this. [20]](https://storage.moegirl.org.cn/moegirl/commons/1/17/%E3%80%8A%E6%96%B0%E4%B8%89%E5%9B%BD%E3%80%8B%E5%8A%BF%E5%8A%9B%E5%88%86%E5%B8%83%E5%9B%BE.png!/fw/120?v=20260307133945)
Zhang Song once told Cao Cao that Liu Zhang has Sun Quan to the south, and Cao Cao has Liu Bei to the north and Sun Quan to the east. Zhang Song also told Liu Bei that Yizhou has Liu Bei to the west and Sun Quan to the south. Zhihu user Su Chenchuan drew a distribution map of the warlords' forces based on this.[20] -
![New Three Kingdoms map created by Bilibili uploader Liangzhou Jinglüeshi [21]](https://storage.moegirl.org.cn/moegirl/commons/8/88/%E3%80%8A%E6%96%B0%E4%B8%89%E5%9B%BD%E3%80%8B%E5%9C%B0%E5%9B%BE.jpg!/fw/120?v=20260312065819)
New Three Kingdoms map created by Bilibili uploader Liangzhou Jinglüeshi[21]
![Zhang Song once told Cao Cao that Liu Zhang has Sun Quan to the south, and Cao Cao has Liu Bei to the north and Sun Quan to the east. Zhang Song also told Liu Bei that Yizhou has Liu Bei to the west and Sun Quan to the south. Zhihu user Su Chenchuan drew a distribution map of the warlords' forces based on this. [20]](https://zh.moegirl.org.cn/File:%E3%80%8A%E6%96%B0%E4%B8%89%E5%9B%BD%E3%80%8B%E5%8A%BF%E5%8A%9B%E5%88%86%E5%B8%83%E5%9B%BE.png)
![New Three Kingdoms map created by Bilibili uploader Liangzhou Jinglüeshi [21]](https://zh.moegirl.org.cn/File:%E3%80%8A%E6%96%B0%E4%B8%89%E5%9B%BD%E3%80%8B%E5%9C%B0%E5%9B%BE.jpg)
- Changle Palace Chain Store
Historically, Changle Palace was one of the imperial palaces in Han Chang'an. In this drama, the Luoyang Imperial Palace was filmed at the Qin Palace in Hengdian, and the plaque on the main hall clearly reads "Changle Palace"; the Xuchang Imperial Palace hall was filmed at the Zhuozhou Film and Television City, and that hall also prominently hangs a "Changle Palace" plaque. A stock footage shot taken there is also used in many palace-related scenes (including Cao Cao's YanzhouCrying for Fatheretc.). The repeated appearance of "Changle Palace" gives the impression that Changle Palace is everywhere like a chain store.
- Neutral Creeps
Dong ZhuoOn the way to moving the capital to Chang'an, in a
- First, they don't seem to belong to the Eighteen Lords, because the way this group of ambushers attacks seems as if they are completely unafraid of accidentally harming the Emperor who is with Dong Zhuo;
- second, they don't seem likeCao Cao's soldiers; at this time, Cao Cao was leading his army in pursuit of Dong Zhuo, and logically it would be impossible for him to arrive at this valley faster and ambush Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo also mentioned that Li Jue and Guo Si were responsible for the rearguard at the time, so Cao Cao's soldiers should have encountered them first. Furthermore, Cao Cao later mentioned that he himself was ambushed by Lyu Bu, and even blamed the lords for not coming to help him pursue Dong Zhuo together, making Dong Zhuo, who thought "once there is one ambush, there will never be a second," unable to expect that there would be more pursuers after the pursuers.[22]。
Considering that Lyu Bu was busy dating Diaochan at this time, it can be seen that Cao Cao lied and shifted the blame to Lyu Bu and the lords; the ones who actually ambushed him might have also been that group of neutral creeps.But strangely, later when Lyu Bu went to Xuzhou to seek refuge with Liu Bei, while chatting and bragging about his achievements to Liu Bei, he mentioned that he had ambushed Cao Cao.
And the footage of this group of "neutral creeps" was repeatedly reused as stock footage in subsequent ambush plots. Coupled with the collapse of the plot's own logic, there is even an absurd explanation that "Sun Jian also fell into an ambush by wild neutral ambushers rather than the Jingzhou army under Liu Biao."
- Fire Meteor Shower
The siege scenes in this drama extensively use CG of catapults throwing burning projectiles at city walls. Due to the exaggerated lethality, it is jokingly called "Fire Meteor Shower." After being used, "Fire Meteor Shower" can crush the opponent regardless of the difference in combat power between the two sides, such as Cao Cao defeating Yuan Shu's army of 300,000, Huang Gai defeating Cao Cao's fleet, and Liu Bei capturing Zigui in just three double-hours.It comes with a built-in Friend or Foe identification function,even when the two sides are in a stalemate during a chaotic battle, the side using Fire Meteor Shower can usually achieve good results without harming their own troops.
Of course, the move "Fire Meteor Shower" was not first created by Three Kingdoms (2010); it had already appeared in games like Heroes of the Three Kingdoms ten years prior. However, for a work that claims to be historical, it is too absurd to be unable to distinguish between games and reality.
- Shared Main Camp/Assembled Camp
A roast regarding a CG scene of a military camp and the set of a central command tent being reused repeatedly across countless different factions and plotlines in the series.
- Fork them out
Originally refers to lifting someone up and throwing them out or using tools to drive them out. In ancient yamen trials, if there was someone disruptive, two bailiffs would use long poles to pin the person and throw them out.
In *Three Kingdoms* (2010), to deliberately emphasize a "period feel," prominent figures would order their subordinates to "fork out" anyone they wanted to expel. This caused "fork out" to appear with exceptional frequency, becoming one of the earliest memes to go viral after the show's broadcast. It is typically used humorously to express the desire to kick someone out.
- Starry night
Another period-style term overused in *Three Kingdoms*. It originally means "nighttime" and is usually used to describe "traveling through the night," first appearing in the *Records of the Three Kingdoms: Book of Wu: Biography of Lü Dai* as "traveling by starry night." In *Three Kingdoms*, the term "starry night" appears in almost any dialogue intended to express "traveling day and night," completely disregarding physical distances and the limitations of the era. This gives the impression that the characters love operating at night, even leading to impossible claims like "marching 500 li in a single day."
- Gazing until one's eyes are worn out
Originally means "longing eagerly, to the point of almost wearing out one's eyes from looking." In this series, it is another overused idiom, used in any "I can't wait, bring it out already" situation.
| “ | Mengde, you've finally arrived; we have all been gazing until our eyes are worn out. | ” |
| —Yuan Shao | ||
| “ | I have been gazing until my eyes are worn out waiting for you! | ” |
| —Sun Jian | ||
- Lord oo
In this work, various servile titles ending in "oo-ye" (Lord oo) appear repeatedly, such as "Master Lord" and "Late Emperor Lord," which sound very much like Qing Dynasty palace dramas.
- oo-ah
A way of greeting others that appears frequently throughout the series, often involving calling them directly by their names[23], such as "Xun Yu ah," "Liu Bei ah," or "Lord ah."
The Japanese version patched this situation by adding honorifics after the names, making it seem more reasonable.
- Two-person conspiracies will inevitably trigger the eavesdropping mechanism
In many scenes where two or more characters conspire, they are always mysteriously overheard by absent hostile characters (e.g., Liu Xie secretly cursing Cao Cao in the ancestral temple, only to be mysteriously heard by Cao Pi's spy).
Conversely, in some plotsthose who have "read the script"characters conspiring loudly in crowded places, yet nothing happens to them.
From this, a "rules horror" of the New Three Kingdoms world is summarized: conspiring loudly outdoors will not be discovered, but whispering indoors will definitely be found out.
This phenomenon may stem from "survivor bias" in novel plots: conspiracy scenes are mostly used to advance the plot through eavesdropping, while the "majority of conspiracies that were not overheard" are not specifically mentioned.
- Wine
WineisThe supreme existence of New Three Kingdoms——There are a huge number of alcoholics in this drama, and it is common for characters to treat hosting banquets and drinking as their top priority, with many scenes promoting drinking culture, hence this nickname.
- Star Three / Starry Night of the Three Kingdoms
Refers toFamous crosstalk performerThe animated film written by Yi Zhongtian, "Starry Sky of the Three Kingdoms》。
Because the film was released when roasting and criticizing "New Three Kingdoms" was most popular, and like "New Three Kingdoms," it takes Cao Wei's perspective and has many seriousOOCcontent (e.g., portraying the protagonist Cao Cao during the Battle of Guandu as a "kind-hearted man who loves the people like his own children" and "full of passion," and portraying Liu Xie as Cao Cao's "buddy," etc.: compared with history and the novel, it could even be calledblack humor), plus Yi Zhongtian himself is quite controversial due to some of his words and actions,[24]leading many viewers to compare the film with "New Three Kingdoms" and roast it. The film's final box office was dismal, falling far short of commercial expectations.
By the way, although the film is titled "Starry Sky of the Three Kingdoms," because it remakes the plot of the Battle of Guandu, there is no sign of the Liu or Sun families at all (even though Guan Yu served Cao Cao and Liu Bei joined Yuan Shao's camp during the Battle of Guandu). Perhaps Mr. Yi wanted to create a film series and have the Liu and Sun families appear in sequels (the production team has announced that the second film will be themed around the Battle of Red Cliffs), but... with these box office results, it's hard to say if there's still a chance for a sequel.
- Hello everyone, I am the actor of oo (character name) in New Three Kingdoms
By New Three Kingdomsvarious feudal lordsfans' original creation, used for joking and irony. The characters claiming to be these roles did not appear in New Three Kingdoms.
While New Three Kingdoms claims to be an "epic" and imitates the Romance, it heavily adds, deletes, or simplifies historical or fictional segments, resulting in many famous characters not appearing in New Three Kingdoms, or being famous but having no screen time. For example:
- The Rebellion of the Ten Eunuchs and the deposition of the Young Emperor were glossed over; the Ten Eunuchs, He Jin, Liu Hong, and Liu Bian did not appear;
The Battle of Wancheng（ ）was only mentioned once by Xun Yu; the involved characters Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu[25], Dian Wei, Cao Ang, and others were also only mentioned and never appeared. The anecdote of "cutting hair to replace the head" during the second campaign against Zhang Xiu was moved to the plot of the campaign against Yuan Shu;- After Yuan Shao spat blood and his "fate became unknown," his faction's role ended. Most of Yuan Shao's advisors, such as Ju Shou and Shen Pei, did not appear;
- The "Seven Captures of Meng Huo" plot was cut entirely, only glossed over in a conversation between Zhuge Liang and Liu Shan; Nanman characters like Meng Huo and Zhu Rong did not appear;
- The "Two Palaces Incident" of Eastern Wu, as internal power struggle, fits the overall "political intrigue" vibe of New Three Kingdoms, but the Eastern Wu cast finished their roles after the "Defeating the Five-Pronged Attack while sitting still" plot;
- The extremely important Fall of Shu Han was also omitted by New Three Kingdoms; Deng Ai and Zhong Hui did not appear;
- Characters like Taishi Ci were mentioned but had no screen time(Taishi Ci even appeared in the form of a tombstone in the show)。
As a TV series with a total runtime exceeding the old Three Kingdoms, the narrative incompleteness of the New Three Kingdoms has sparked much discussion among its fans. Due to fans' expectations regarding how missing plots might have been portrayed in the New Three Kingdomswanting to see how many more "classic quotes" the New Three Kingdoms could churn out if it gave its all, regret over the absence of specific characters, combined with some actors who appeared in the New Three Kingdoms highlighting their experiences in the show during social media promotion, fans of the New Three Kingdoms gradually began using this sentence structure.
Characters - Wei
Cao Cao
Played by Chen Jianbin, the protagonist of this series. Compared to the Cao Cao in history and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, this series focuses on depicting his cruel, cunning, and selfish side, but the portrayal of his strategic mind and basic humanity is unconvincing to the audience, often appearing quite inhumane (for instance, he actually laughs when killing Lü Boshe's entire family and Wang Hou; his "crying scene" after his father Cao Song was killed lacks any sense of grief and instead seems quite hilarious; and he repeatedly kills his own saviors for strange reasons[26]). Additionally, the Cao Cao in this series has many "_Great Wei Motorcycleetc. (While Cao Cao in the Romance is a "treacherous hero," he is not so lacking in manners and etiquette, and is also quite literary). Overall, under the combined "magic modification" of the writers, directors, and actors, the Cao Cao in this series doesn't possess a single one of the virtues: loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness.
Chen Jianbin is suspected of not knowing how to ride a horse; there are almost no scenes of Cao Cao riding a horse in the series (the only two instances are meeting Lu Bu at the gate of Xuzhou and meeting Liu Bei during the Battle of Hanzhong). Scenes involving horses basically only show his upper body or use a stunt double.
Furthermore, Cao Cao in this work almost never wears armor; even during military campaigns, he only wears rather low-quality coarse cloth. The only two instances where he wears armor are actually when dealing with internal unrest (once during the Girdle Decree incident and once during Geng Ji's rebellion).
Once said to Liu Bei, "That is why I can treat you with the respect due to a spouse", and commented on Zhao Yun, "I love him to death", leading many viewers to suspect that Cao Cao in this series isgay。But then Xun Yu said Cao Cao "likes married young women”.
Additionally, Chen Jianbin's pronunciation when delivering lines is quite strange, even giving off a "Dazuo accent"[27]vibe, which has also earned the Cao Cao of this series the nickname "Colonel Cao."
Incidentally, as the lead actor of this series, Chen Jianbin had considerable influence within the crew; it was he who recommended Gao Xixi to direct the script.Source of all evil
- Wei Wu brandishing his whip
Cao Cao is very fond of urinating in public; the series repeatedly features scenes of Cao Cao urinating anywhere, seemingly intended to express his free-spirited and unconventional nature, but it only makes people feel that this man has no upbringing to speak of.
This plot point is widely considered a product of imitating Taiga drama tropes[28], for example, during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Siege of Odawara against the Later Hojo clan, there is a scene where he pulls others to urinate in public with him; this "Kanpaku excreting in public" segment has been staged in exactly the same way by every Taiga drama depicting this battle.[29]。
- The Theory that "Arrogant Soldiers are Bound to Lose"
| “ | Sun Wentai's defeat was well within my expectations, because although Sun Jian is brave, he is too eager for victory and has ventured deep alone, becoming an arrogant soldier, andarrogant soldiers are bound to lose。 | ” |
| ——Cao Cao | ||
Also paired with "an army burning with indignation is bound to win," this is a military theory proposed by Cao Cao, first appearing in Episode 5.Although the Cao Cao in this work is different from history and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, being someone with terrible military talent,the "Theory that Arrogant Soldiers are Bound to Lose" he proposed runs through the entirety of Three Kingdoms.
The idiom "Pride goes before a fall" comes from the "Biography of Wei Xiang" in the *Book of Han* by Ban Gu of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Its original meaning is "those who are overly arrogant and underestimate the enemy will surely lose the battle," but in *New Three Kingdoms*, it is presented more like a magical logic where whoever seems to have the upper hand will inevitably lose, and conversely, whoever seems to be at a disadvantage will inevitably turn the tables. Some people thus complain that "the New Three Kingdoms universe has implemented a win-rate balancingELO matchmaking mechanism”.
From this, it can be derived: Winning troops must be arrogant → Arrogant troops must lose → Defeated troops must be sorrowful → Sorrowful troops must win → Winning troops must be arrogant → Arrogant troops must lose → ... Therefore, winning troops must lose.
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This is the New Three ELO mechanism; do you dare to stare at it for a minute?
- Traitor Dong Zhuo![Original series position 1]
In Episode 1, Wang Yun asks a young eunuch[30]to invite other officials to his 60th birthday banquet when court is dismissed (in reality, he wants to plot against Dong Zhuo), but he specifically does not invite Cao Cao, who is closest to Dong Zhuo. After noticing this, Cao Cao catches up with Yuan Wei in front of Changle Palace and asks why Wang Yun didn't invite him. Yuan Wei acts cryptically and throws the same question back at Cao Cao. Cao Cao says he is "willing to be a hawk and hound, humbling himself to serve the traitor." Yuan Wei asks him to clarify which family's traitor he is serving, and Cao Cao suddenly shouts loudly in front of Yuan Wei and a large number of surrounding guards:
| “ | Traitor Dong Zhuo! | ” |
Cao Cao suddenly has an episode, scolds Yuan Wei and the officials, and then runs away, but the surrounding guards are indifferent to this, and Dong Zhuo seems completely unaware that Cao Cao was shouting insults at him at the gate of Changle Palace.It's probably because Cao Cao had already seen through the will of heaven, so knowing he wouldn't die, he recklesslysought death。
- In the blink of an eye, an old hen turns into a duck[Original series position 1]
Wang Yun invites officials to his home under the guise of his 60th birthday. While they are gathered to curse Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao claims he can take Dong Zhuo's head in a snap and hang it on the gate of Changle Palace. Wang Yun tells the servants to throw the bold madman Cao Cao out, but later tells the servants to call Cao Cao into the room to plot the assassination of Dong Zhuo. Hearing the servant call him "General Cao," Cao Cao remarks: "In the blink of an eye, an old hen turns into a duck!"
First of all,Cao Cao's Bizarre MetaphorIt sounds truly hard to keep a straight face; the saying "an old hen turns into a duck" doesn't sound like a good metaphor besides the change in gender, and for someone of Cao Cao's status to say something so vulgar is quite beneath him.(But it also fits Cao Cao's ill-mannered characterization in this drama); secondly, Cao Cao was a Colonel of the Valiant Cavalry at this time, not a General; furthermore, Wang Yun's logic of kicking Cao Cao out and then inviting him back is very strange. Setting aside whether Cao Cao, having heard you all cursing Dong Zhuo the whole time, would run off to report to Dong Zhuo in a fit of rage after being kicked out, if it's too risky to discuss killing Dong Zhuo with so many people around, then what was the point of inviting this group to your house to curse Dong Zhuo together in the first place?
- It wasn't Aman who harmed you, it was this chaotic era that harmed you.[Original drama location 2]
Cao Cao's statement after accidentally killing Lu Boshe's entire family. The attitude of evading responsibility and blaming personal misdeeds on the environment expressed in this line made many viewers quite uncomfortable. In this drama, Lu Boshe is set as a local landlord with a fortress and soldiers; logically speaking, if you, Cao Aman, hadn't come, Lu Boshe might not have been the biggest victim of this chaotic era (and for some reason, all of Lu Boshe's soldiers vanished when Cao Cao slaughtered Lu Family Village).
In fact, the entire plot of Cao Cao slaughtering Lu Family Village is full of points to criticize. Besides Lu Boshe becoming a landlord with soldiers and a mountain stronghold as mentioned above, there are also: Cao Cao deliberately shouting that he is a wanted criminal before entering the stronghold, declaring "even if I doubt myself, I would not doubt Lu Boshe," only to then start worrying about Lu Boshe betraying him; Lu Boshe's servants deliberately sharpening knives in front of Cao Cao's door and saying strange lines to a pig like "You thief, I'll slaughter you now" and "Tie that fellow up and kill him" to intentionally create a misunderstanding; Chen Gong shifting all the blame to Cao Cao after participating in the killing as if he hadn't done anything; Cao Cao killing Lu Boshe's little donkey along with him, and saying both "I would rather wrong others than have others wrong me" from the Records of the Three Kingdoms and "I wouldratherwrong the world than have the world wrong me" from Romance of the Three Kingdoms[31]all at once, and was actually laughing before and after the killings. After killing everyone, he thought of going back to Lu Family Village to eat and stated, "He has already prepared the food and drink; if we don't go back, wouldn't he have died in vain?"; while cooking, he even ignored the spatula and used the sword he used for killing to stir the pot, presenting the image of a total psychopathic killer.
When Colonel Cao was paying respects to Lu Boshe, he even hypocritically stated, "Cao Cao will surely avenge you, old sir,"then you should have taken Chen Gongslitting one's throat to return to heavenAh.He even claimed he would grant Lü Boshe an Iron Certificate of Immunity after achieving his great cause.Do dead people even need that thing???
- Yesterday the world misjudged me, Cao Cao; today they misjudge me again, and perhaps tomorrow they will misjudge me once more. But I am still myself; I have never feared being misjudged by others.[Original drama location 2]
A line Cao Cao loves to mutter in this work; it's chuunibyou-esque and often used in inappropriate contexts.
- I'm sorry, I really can't remember your name.[Original drama location 2]
AtNot involving Cao Cao.When the eighteen regional lords formed an alliance at Chenliu, the three brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang......were turned away by the guards because they were unknown.At this moment, Cao Cao, passing by, brought them into the city. When he prepared to introduce the three to the alliance leader Yuan Shao, he turned to Liu Bei and said: "I'm sorry, I really can't remember your name.." At this point, Cao and Liu had only just introduced themselves at the city gate not long ago; Cao Cao's goldfish-like memory and the awkward dialogue are quite amusing.
- Cao Cao mourning his father.[Original series position 3.]
Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, intended to pass through Xuzhou to meet Cao Cao in Yanzhou. Tao Qian, the Governor of Xuzhou, sent his subordinate Zhang...Kai.(Note)In the version commonly used in fan creations, the subtitles mistakenly write it as "Kai" (铠).to escort Cao Song. Unexpectedly, Tao Qian forgot that Zhang Kai was a remnant of a bandit gang. Zhang Kai, driven by greed, killed Cao Song and fled to Mount Wufeng with the wealth to become a bandit. The news reached Yan Province's Changle Palace, Yan Province Branch, and Cao Cao was naturally "overcome with grief."
Cao Cao: Father! You died such a tragic death! Your son has failed you! Oh, Heavens! Ah...
Xun Yu: General Cao, what has happened to the Lord? Why is he crying out in such pain?
Cao Ren: (Sobbing) We just received word that the Elder Lord Cao has been killed by bandits!
Xun Yu: Killed by bandits?
Cao Ren: (Sobbing) The one who murdered the Elder Lord Cao was none other than the oneescortinghim, Zhang Kai!
Cao Cao: Father! Your son is unfilial! I have failed you! Gua— (sounds of suspected snickering here) Blegh—
Cao Ren: (Sobbing)Oh, Xun Yu[32], the Lord is inside in extreme agony, beating his chest and stomping his feet. No matter how we try to console him, we can't stop him. Please go inside and comfort him; he listens to you the most!
Xun Yu: No rush, no rush, let the Lord wail for a bit longer!
Cao Ren: You...
Cao Cao: Eaaahhhhhh—!
Although Cao Cao affectedly mourns his father, no sadness can be heard in his tone. With the help of the voice acting, it instead appears very comical, especially that final "Gua~" and the suspected retching sound, which are full of comedic effect, sounding more like someone who had too much to drink than someone grieving for a father. Later, Xun Yuin an "Ippondo"mannerstated that Cao Cao's crying hid "murderous intent", and the Cao Cao in the series laughed after hearing Xun Yu say that Cao Song's death gave him a legitimate reason to attack Xuzhou. He even said he wanted to convey his "grief" to the feudal lords. Some have even proposed the hypothesis that "Zhang Kai was sent by Cao Cao to kill Cao Song" based on Cao Cao's characterization in this show.A cold father became a warm reason for declaring war.
- Listening to you speak is like drinking fine wine; it's intoxicating.
After Cao Song's death, Cao Cao heard Xun Yusuggesting that Cao Cao use his father's death as an excuse to attack Xuzhouand then actually said with a smile: "Xun Yu, listening to you speak is like drinking fine wine; it's intoxicating!"
The prototype of this line should be Cheng Pu's line in the "Biography of Zhou Yu" in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, but using it here, making Cao Cao say such things right after his father died, only makes him appear devoid of humanity and filial piety.
- I originally thought Lu Bu was invincible under heaven, but I didn't expect someone to be even more valiant than him,Whose general is this?？[Original series position 3.]
During the attack on Xuzhou, Cao Cao uttered these words when he saw Zhao Yun wreaking havoc on the battlefield, and it became one of his classic lines. Netizens use it as a set phrase, often to express something similar to "There's another master".
Additionally, in this scene, Zhao Yun was clearly attacking from the flank of the Cao army, yet Cao Cao made this exclamation while looking at the front of his army.
Later, during the Changban Slope period, Cao Cao once again madea similar exclamation regarding Zhao Yun.。
- Cao Cao's Rice Bowl Flip/Cao's Rice Bowl Flip/ Then it's not surprising, then it's not surprising[Original show location 4]
From Episode 12, while eating in his tent, Cao Cao learns from Xun Yu that Yanzhou has been sneak-attacked by Lu Bu. In a rage, he slams his bowl of rice upside down on the table and shouts: "Nya!Lu Bu is a mere boor, where did he get such audacity to dare sneak-attack my Yanzhou!" After learning that his "old friend" Chen Gong is serving as Lu Bu's strategist, he says "Then it's not surprising" twice in a strange accent while sweeping the rice back into his bowl.Cao Cao recalled a bowl of rice.
From historical and literary perspectives, the Battle of Yanzhou, which nearly cost Cao Cao his home base, can be considered one of the most dangerous moments in his life. However, the Cao Cao in *Three Kingdoms* (2010) focuses on whether Lu Bu is smart and who is helping him, completely ignoring the crisis at his base. His performance, shifting from a zero-frame breakdown to lightning-fast calm, is entirely unlike the expected reaction to having one's home base stolen. Furthermore, in the original work, it was the defense of Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, and others, along with Cao Cao's timely return and Yuan Shao's secret support, that allowed Cao Cao to keep Yanzhou. In this plot of *Three Kingdoms*, Xun Yu is not in Yanzhou but has run off to deliver news, and Cheng Yu has not yet appeared, so Cao Cao not losing Yanzhou this time can only be attributed to divine will.
In the Japanese version, Cao Cao's breakdown line "Lu Bu is a mere brute, where did he get the courage to sneak attack my Yanzhou!" was modified to "
Besides the logical flaws, this highly comedic moment feels out of place with the tense atmosphere of the war. Meanwhile, Chen Jianbin's exaggerated and comedic performance in this scene led to it becoming one of the most famous "Kichiku" meme scenes of the early period (May–June 2023).
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Precisely flipping the rice onto the table without spilling a single grain is quite a test of skill.Precisely flipping the rice onto the table without spilling a single grain is quite a test of skill.
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Cao Cao retracted a bowl of rice
- It almost killed me laughing[Original scene location 5]
After Cao Cao learned that Yuan Shu had declared himself emperor, he gathered his subordinates and said:
- Cao Cao: "What day is today? What night is tonight?"
- Guo Jia: "The fifth day of the fifth month."[34]
- Cao Cao: "Ah♂ the fools and idiots of the world,"May 5thHave they all crawled out!
Dragon Boat FestivalWhat did [it] do to you?Did you know? Yuan Shu has declared himself Emperor! Hahahahahaha,It almost killed me laughing, hahahahahaha."
- The Spring and Autumn Annals are nonsense[Original scene position 6]
From the scene where Cao Cao cuts his hair to substitute for his head[35], Cao Cao ordered his soldiers not to trample the commoners' wheat fields, but because afor some reason, charged towards Cao Cao'schicken startled the horses of his carriage, causing his own carriage to lose control and crush the wheat field. Having violated his own military order,without any panic, as if he had already read the script,Cao Cao called for a "sword" to cut off his own head. Xun Yu (originally Guo Jia in the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms) quoted the concept of "the law does not apply to the honorable" from the Spring and Autumn Annals to persuade Cao Cao, to which Cao Cao blurted out, "The Spring and Autumn Annals are nonsense."
Xun Yu/Guo Jia quoting the *Spring and Autumn Annals* to persuade Cao Cao was originally intended to give Cao Cao a way out after violating his own military order. In the original work and the *Old Three Kingdoms*, Cao Cao accepted this and decided to cut his hair instead of his head. However, in the *New Three Kingdoms*, Cao Cao acts as if he knows he hasprotagonist armorand cannot die, showing no gratitude even when his strategist kindly tries to help him save face. Moreover, people at that time generally held the *Spring and Autumn Annals* in high regard; no matter how "true to himself" or blunt Cao Cao was, he shouldn't have said something as sacrilegious as "The *Spring and Autumn Annals* is talking nonsense."(Guan Yu: I'm the one who reads the *Spring and Autumn Annals*; guess why I didn't follow you?); In the show, Cao Cao also made outrageous remarks like "Ethics and social norms are vulgar and unbearable." From this, it seems that in the *New Three Kingdoms*, Cao Cao is portrayed inside and out as anantisocial personalityfigure.
Furthermore, in the original work, Cao Cao's horse trampled the wheat field, but as mentioned above, Chen Jianbin seemingly couldn't ride a horse, so in this scene of the *New Three Kingdoms*, Cao Cao was in a carriage when it trampled the wheat field.So if someone is to be executed, shouldn't it be the driver?
Due to the lack of care in the dialogue of the *New Three Kingdoms*, this line has been adapted by viewers as "The *New Three Kingdoms* is talking nonsense."
- Executing Wang Hou
During the campaign against Yuan Shu, food supplies in the camp were running low. Cao Cao orderedthe grain official Wang Hou[36]to implement small measures for distributing grain, leading to soldier dissatisfaction. Therefore, Cao Cao wanted to execute Wang Hou to stabilize the army's morale. He translated the famous line from the original work—"After you die, I will take care of your wife and children; do not worry"—into a long-winded piece of plain language. The gist was: "After you die, your parents will be my parents, and I will be more filial to them than to my own parents."(Cao Song: I have a "motherf***er" I don't know if I should say.). Your son will be my son; he wouldn't have as much of a future staying with you as he would with me, wouldn't you agree."
In the scene where Wang Hou is executed, Cao Cao maintains a playful and flippant demeanor throughout. After saying he wants to "borrow" Wang Hou's head, he even adds that this item can only be borrowed and never returned. Wang Hou also begs for mercy loudly the entire time, lacking any sense of gravity; instead, it makes it seem like Cao Cao simply had an urge to kill and executed Wang Hou for fun, making him appear even more inhuman. In contrast, the "Old Three Kingdoms" original scene of Wang Hou's execution added a detail where Wang Hou accepts his fate and goes to his death voluntarily after hearing "I shall take care of your wife and children," with Cao Cao solemnly watching him leave. This elevated Cao Cao's humanity and Wang Hou's status as a loyalist, forming a sharp contrast with the "New Three Kingdoms."
Furthermore, in this series, after Wang Hou is executed, Cao Cao's army actually brings out a large table of cooked food for the soldiers, making it look like they weren't short on grain at all, as if Wang Hou really had embezzled the military rations.
- Treating Each Other Like Guests (Xiang Jing Ru Bin)[Original Scene Position 7]
During the "Discussing Heroes over Green Plums" scene between Cao Cao and Liu Bei, Liu Bei actually asks bluntly why Cao Cao doesn't kill him if he wants to. Cao Cao replies directly that first, he can't bear to, and second, Liu Bei has no place to exercise his talents and is harmless to him. He then utters a famous line: "That is why I canTreating Each Other Like Guests (Xiang Jing Ru Bin)treat you with the respect due to a spouse." "Xiang Jing Ru Bin" refers to mutual respect between a husband and wife, making its use here extremely inappropriate. When the series aired, it was listed by the media as one of the "shocking lines" and became one of the show's breakout memes.
- Know mistakes, correct mistakes, but never admit mistakes[Original Scene Position 8]
Cao Cao's philosophy of life in this work is first spoken through the mouth of Xun Yu, and later Zhuge Liang also describes Cao Cao this way to Lu Su.
- Xuzhou was originally mine, mine! / What use do I have for it! / Impossible! Absolutely impossible! / Eighty thousand steamed buns[Original Scene Position 8]
After Xuzhou was taken by Liu Bei's group, Liu Bei sent the defeated Cao army soldiers toas big as a birthday cakedeliver the Heirloom Seal of the Realm to Cao Cao, saying he would detain 50,000 elite troops to guard Xuzhou against Yuan Shao. Cao Cao flew into a powerless rage: "Xuzhou was originally mine, mine!" and roared regarding the Seal: "What use do I have for it!" Later, upon learning that the defending general Che Zhou had also been slain by Guan Yu, he exclaimed excitedly: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Che Zhou had 80,000 elite troops defending Xuzhou—80,000! Even if they were 80,000 mantou, it would take Liu Bei half a month to gnaw through them! How could it be lost just like that!" Subsequently, Xun Yu chimed in: "It is entirely possible."
In this scene, Cao Cao's performance and lines, characterized by a complete lack of decorum and powerless rage, are very comical and thus frequently used in Kichiku videos. Additionally, before this scene, Cao Cao had told Liu Bei, "Xuzhou was originally yours," creating a sharp and humorous contrast. Furthermore, legend has it that the flour-based food known as "mantou" was during Zhuge Liang's campaign against the Nanman[37]when it was invented as ritual offerings[38], but in the show, Zhuge Liang hasn't even made his debut yet, and mantou already exist.Zhuge Liang: "Mantou were originally mine, mine!"
"Even if they were 80,000 mantou, it would take Liu Bei half a month to gnaw through them" is suspected to be adapted from the military TV seriesDrawing Sword's line by Chu Yunfei: "Even if it were over 50,000 pigs, the Communist army couldn't catch them all even in three days!"Additionally, Chu Yunfei's actor, Zhang Guangbei, happened to play Lu Bu in the Old Three Kingdoms.
- Those taught by the Art of War are all fools
A remark made by Cao Cao when lecturingCao Renat the time.But in the worldview of the New Three Kingdoms, standard military strategy might truly be no match for Cao Cao's bizarre "Cao-style Art of War."
- Incomparably delicious, you must taste it/Must not let it get cold on the way
In the New Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu enters Xu County following the "surrendering to Han, not Cao" plot from the Romance. One day, Cao Cao tasted some delicious meat. After asking his servants about the special preparation of this fawn meat and confirming there were leftovers, Cao Cao had them gift the remaining fawn meat to Guan Yu, telling them to say the meat is "incomparably delicious, you must taste it," and even had them take the stove along so it "must not (let the meat) get cold on the way."
BecauseYuan Shu(Yuan Shu's) courtesy name "Gonglu" is a homophone for "male deer" (Gonglu). Previously, Cao Cao had said to Yuan Shu, "If you leave, what will weeat?" this sentence, so the association between this plot and the previous one makes it even more comedic.
These lines are frequently used in R9 fan creations, and can also be used to praise or mock something.
- As long as Cao Mengde has a single breath left, he is invincible[Original show position 9]
Battle of GuanduAt the beginning, Cao Cao set up a small table in an open space between the two armies and invited Yuan Shao to sit and negotiate[39]. Cao Cao stated that he had the Emperor with him and used the Emperor as a bargaining chip to "make peace" with Yuan Shao. When Yuan Shao was surprised by this, Cao Cao blurted out: "Is he not worthy?" After that, Yuan Shao actually started negotiating the terms of peace seriously. But suddenly, Cao Cao stated that if he were Yuan Shao, he would never make peace with Cao Cao, but would instead build him a great bluestone tomb, because "as long as Cao Mengde has a single breath left, he is invincible." Then Cao Caosuddenly towards Yuan Shaoand the audience in front of the screenwinking and making faces, then while laughing loudly, taking a swaggering、penguin-likegait back to his troops。
In this segment, Cao Cao's winking and face-making are truly outrageous; there isn't a hint of upbringing or poise in his gestures, making it one of his most famous scenes.
According to the show's setting, Cao Cao is intentionally stalling for time here, waiting until the sun is behind him before launching a charge, so that the Yuan army's vision is impaired by the glare during the battle[40], using only 70,000 troops to defeat Yuan Shao's 700,000-strong army. This tactic has major flaws even within the show's setting (e.g., why the sunlight doesn't affect the Cao troops flanking the Yuan army's rear), and the entire Battle of Guandu differs from the original work's difficult underdog victory, being heavily altered into Cao Cao's 70,000 troops overwhelming Yuan Shao's 700,000 the entire time, showing that these 70,000 people are either allSaiyansor allGundams。
This plot segment is also the source of another famous scene: "Are you here to fight a war or to flirt?".
The tactic of sending beauties (palace maids) to seduce enemy soldiers and using sunlight to dazzle the enemy's eyes is suspected to be adapted from the 2010 slapstick comedy film Just Another Pandora's Box, while the relevant segment in Just Another Pandora's Box is a parody of director John Woo's 2008 film Red Cliff (Part I).[41]
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A piece of facial expression work that is unprecedented and unparalleled in the history of film and television.
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Cao Penguin
- I love him to death[Original Scene Position 10]
During the Battle of Changban Slope, Cao Cao praised Zhao Yun, saying: "This Zhao Zilong's martial arts are truly unparalleled in the world. Since Lü Bu died, there has never been such a general under heaven. I love him to death! He must be captured alive; I have great use for him."
But Cao Cao had previouslymet Zhao Yun during the Battle of Xuzhou, yet at this moment, he seems to have forgotten Zhao Yun entirely.
- Two-word Jueju
Cao Cao reciting "Short Song Style" during the Red Cliff period(without wielding a spear), but in Three Kingdoms, the "Short Song Style" recited by Chen Jianbin has very strange phrasing, always pausing every two words regardless of the sentence's meaning. This way of phrasing is jokingly called "Two-word Jueju" by the audience.
Therefore, the Cao Cao of this work is also known as the founder of "Two-word Jueju."
Later, the "Two-character Jueju" seemingly appeared to be passed down from father to son;Cao Piwhen he declared himself emperor, his proclamation also featured the two-character pausing style.One can only say he is truly his father's son.
In arather tense atmosphereinterview, regarding netizens questioning his phrasing in "Short Song Style," Chen Jianbin stated: "I agree. I don't know what this netizen's surname or name is,If one day through his efforts he can become a director, screenwriter, or lead actor, he can film his own *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*,, he can direct it however he wants, starting from anywhere and with anyone, and can pause every three characters or every ten characters; I wouldn't object. I very much look forward to seeing his work, because I don't know who this person you're talking about is."[42]
- Flame Steed and Great Green Dragon
In this series, these are the names of Cao Cao's two horses. It's unknown why the original names of Cao Cao's mounts, Shadowless and Claw-Yellow Lightning, were ignored in favor of creating such chuunibyou and cringey names.
The Flame Steed first appeared in the Huarong Trail plotline, where Cheng Yu said it was extremely spiritual and would low-whinny to warn of beasts, tigers, or enemy presence. However, in previous scenes, this horse never showed such ability; one might as well say Cao Cao himself warns of enemy presence by laughing. The Great Green Dragon appeared when Xu Chu fought Ma Chao shirtless, borrowed by Xu Chu from Cao Cao for the duel.
In the show, both the Flame Steed and the Great Green Dragon aresuspected to be the same horse.Black horse.Clearly, it neither looks like fire nor is it green.
- I cannot leave, Yunchang!
In the Huarong Pass plotline,Guan YuWhen Guan Yu let Cao Cao leave, Cao Cao expressed "I cannot leave" because he was worried Guan Yu would be held accountable by the Sun-Liu alliance. Subsequently, Guan Yu forced Cao Cao to leave, and Cao Cao shouted these words to Guan Yu while being led away.
Perhaps this scene was intended to show Cao Cao's respect for Guan Yu, but it feels very out of place within the context of the Huarong Pass plotline. At this point, Cao Cao was trying to play the emotional card to make Guan Yu remember their past friendship and let him go, yet he suddenly shifted his tone and magnanimously suggested that Guan Yu kill him in exchange for the others' release, followed by the aforementioned segment, making it seem like his left and right brain were in conflict.
It's also possible that this scene was meant to show Cao Cao using the "playing hard to get" tactic to better move Guan Yu and demonstrate his cleverness, but in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao simply pleaded with Guan Yu, and once Guan Yu agreed, Cao Cao left immediately with his subordinates. This adapted scene is purely redundant.If Guan Yu had agreed, what would you have done, Cao Cao?
Additionally, after hearing Cao Cao's words, Guan Yu insisted on letting Cao Cao and his subordinates leave, and even showed total disregard when Guan Ping mentioned the military pledge, making it seem like he didn't care about Liu Bei or Zhuge Liang at all.[43]
Furthermore, Chen Jianbin and Yu Rongguang were never in the same frame throughout this scene, suggesting they were acting with body doubles.
- The more people a doctor kills through treatment, the more skilled their medical expertise becomes.
After his defeat at Red Cliffs, Cao Cao reviewed the situation with his subordinates and stated:
| “ | A general is like a doctor; for a doctor, the more people they have treated, the more skilled their medical expertise becomes. In other words:The more people a doctor kills through treatment, the more skilled their medical expertise becomes. | ” |
Cao Cao's words might have been intended to express the principle that "victory and defeat are common occurrences for a general," but using a doctor as a metaphor and claiming "the more people a doctor kills, the more skilled they are" is an argument that is utterly absurd and illogical from any perspective.According to this logic, Hua Tuo was practically the biggest quack of that era.
From this, it follows: Curing a patient leads to becoming a proud doctor → A proud doctor must fail, killing a patient → A failed doctor must be sorrowful → A sorrowful doctor must succeed, curing a patient → Leads to becoming a proud doctor → A proud doctor must fail, killing a patient → ... The more people a doctor kills, the more skilled they are.
- Do not be angry; anger will lower your intelligence
After Cao Cao was attacked by assassins sent by Ma Teng and escaped danger thanks to Cao Chong's scheme, he asked his sons how to deal with the assassins. Except for Cao Chong, all the other sons wanted to capture and exterminate them. However, Cao Chong proposed releasing the assassins and sending them back to Ma Teng to deliver the news that Cao Cao had returned safely to the city, thereby terrifying Ma Teng. Cao Cao praised Cao Chong's "brilliant plan," which mysteriously aligned with his own logic, and then lectured his other sons:
| “ | Remember, do not be angry; anger will lower your intelligence. And do not hate your enemies, because hatred will cause you to lose your judgment. | ” |
However, before and after saying this, Cao Cao himself had moments where he lost his temper, broke down, and lost all composure, such asCao Cao's Rice Bowl Flipand "Xuzhou was mine to begin with!", as well as in the same episode when he broke down and beat a soldier after learning that Cao Chong had been poisoned and was dying, and the later-mentioned instance of Cao Caobreaking down during the Battle of Hanzhongperformance, which can be described asa boomerangeffect in full.
Previously, Cao Cao also had a similar line: "In the future, if I ever get too angry again, scold me immediately. I order you to scold me!"
- Cao Cao barking like a dog
Xun Yu suggested to Cao Cao that Jingxiang be given to Liu Bei so that he and Sun Quan would fight like dogs. Cao Cao suddenly began to imitate a dog barking:
| “ | Woof! Woof woof! Hehe... | ” |
The suspected real reason why Cao Cao likes to urinate everywhere.
- I'm just joking with you!
The vernacular version of "I was just playing with you." Before Zhang Song entered Cao Wei to meet Cao Cao, Cao Cao questioned Cheng Yu on whether he had received benefits from Zhang Song. Cheng Yu hurriedly knelt to deny it, and Cao Cao laughed loudly: "I'm just joking with you!" The context and tone of this sentence are completely different from the original "I was just playing with you." It is essentially Cao Cao teasing Cheng Yu for no reason from the position of a superior. Combined with the use of plain vernacular, it sounds even more comical, thus becoming a meme.
- Good strategy, but I'd like to make a slight modification
When Cao Cao and Sima Yi were discussing how to resolve the crisis in Hanzhong, Sima Yi proposed a solution to send generals leading troops to two different places. Cao Cao stated, "Good strategy, but I'd like tomake a slightmodification," and then proposed another plan, where the generals, troop numbers, and deployment locations from the original plan weredirectly swapped, making it completely different from the original plan.
This sentence is just like many clients and bosses in reality, making fans of New Three Kingdomsvarious feudal lordsproduced a sense of déjà vu, thus becoming a meme.
- Liu Bei, that scoundrel! To be so arrogant, he bullies me too much!
During the Battle of Hanzhong, Cao Cao had an emotional breakdown after seeing the declaration of war sent by Liu Bei and said these words. Combined with what Cao Cao said earlier, "Do not be angry; anger will lower your intelligence", this is another boomerang moment.
Additionally, thinking back to when they were discussing heroes over wine, Cao Cao even said he and Liu BeiTreating Each Other Like Guests (Xiang Jing Ru Bin), boomerang +1.
- Why don't you think about it the other way around?
To lift the siege of Fancheng, Cao Cao sent Yu Jin to fight Guan Yu. Yu Jin declined, citing reasons like farming and being no match for Guan Yu, but Cao Cao said on the spot: "Why don't you think about it the other way around?If you slay Guan Yu, won't you become world-famous?" thus rejecting Yu Jin's reasoning.
The logic in this passage is a mystery; while the discussion was clearly about "being no match for Guan Yu," he countered with the benefits of winning, which is completely irrelevant.Yu Jin: If I could slay Guan Yu, would I still be here saying I'm no match for him?
- Who is Xu Huang? He is my Han Xin, Bai Qi, and Zhou Yafu.
When Cao Zhang was making things difficult for Xu Huang, Cao Cao said to Cao Zhang: "Who is Xu Huang? He is myHan Xin、Bai Qi, Zhou Yafu. When he was conquering the world with me, you kid hadn't even blossomed yet. One Xu Huang is worth ten of you, Cao Zhang!
The prototype for this line should be Cao Cao's praise for Xu Huang during the Battle of Fancheng: "General Xu can be said to have the style of Zhou Yafu!" The New Three Kingdoms additionally has Cao Cao compare Xu Huang to "Han Xin, Bai Qi, and Zhou Yafu," perhaps wanting to praise Xu Huang's strength and bravery more forcefully. However, all three of the above were killed by rulers in history due to political struggles. Cao Cao comparing Xu Huang to these three who met tragic ends makes it hard to say whether he was praising him or cursing him.A sense of déjà vu, like announcing you're going to cook the hound before the rabbit is even dead.
- Death is not scary,death is a cool summer night, where one can sleep peacefully without worries.
One of Cao Cao's final words before his death in this work.
In fact, the phrase "Death is a cool summer night" comes from the lyric poem "Die Heimkehr" written by the German poet Heinrich Heine in 1827. However, Cao Cao said this phrase more than 1,600 years early, and it's strange no matter how you think about it for an ancient Chinese person's last words to be a foreign poem.
Additionally, a prop of Cao Cao's will following the original text of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms appeared in this work, but it inexplicably appeared when Zhuge Liang was mourning Zhou Yu.
Cao Ren
Played by Yang Guang. As a general under Cao Cao's command, he inherited Cao Cao's bizarre military logic, not treating his soldiers as human beings. He also frequently asks Cao Cao all sorts of questions on behalf of the audience, earning him the nickname "Wen Ling" (Asking the Spirit) from viewers. In addition to being a general, Cao Ren often takes on miscellaneous tasks in the series, such as making chicken soup for Emperor Xian or changing horses for messengers, and even personally shouting insults at the front lines, inheriting Cao Cao's lack of manners to a certain extent.
- Starting with this general, everyone shall be executed!
Executing Wang HouAfter the incident, Cao Ren shouted a military order to his troops that was no less outrageous than "slitting one's throat to return to heaven" the order: "If Shouchun is not taken within three days, starting from this general, everyone shall be executed!"
This line is likely based on the scene in the original work where Cao Cao, after executing Wang Hou, orders his commanders: "If you do not unite your strength to defeat the rebels within three days, all shall be executed." However, in the original work, the order was directed at the generals, and the precondition was "not uniting strength to defeat the rebels."
- It's worth it even if all five hundred of my brothers die!
Like the previous line, this is an outrageous piece of dialogue that treats soldiers as disposable, occurring during the Battle of Nanjun. Cao Ren ordered Niu Jin to lead 500 troops against Gan Ning's 5,000. Unsurprisingly, Niu Jin was overwhelmed. When his subordinates expressed concern, Cao Ren stated: "I want him to never return!" Niu Jin's 500 troops were nearly wiped out. When his subordinates begged him to sound the retreat, Cao Ren actually remarked: "Well killed! With only five hundred soldiers, I've exhausted five thousand enemy troops and completely disrupted their formation. It's worth it,It's worth it even if all five hundred of my brothers die!”
Normally, if Cao Ren said this in front of his troops, a mutiny would follow. Many feel this line sounds more like something the show's version of Cao Cao would say, leading to jokes that Cao Ren was being "remote-controlled" by Cao Cao.Once the five hundred brothers are dead, Cao Ren becomes a "grieving general," and a grieving army is bound to win.
Ironically, in both history and the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Ren personally led a charge to rescue Niu Jin and his men when they were in danger, standing in stark contrast to the Cao Ren in New Three Kingdoms.
- You alone will stay to defend Nanjun City
Following the previous scene, seeing Niu Jin's 500 soldiers disrupt Gan Ning's 5,000, Cao Ren ordered all 15,000 troops in Nanjun to engage the enemy. When a veteran general asked who would guard the city if the entire army deployed, Cao Ren replied: "You alone will stay to defend Nanjun City!” The old general said in disbelief: "I, I alone will hold the defense?" Cao Ren said: "Correct,just you alone!"”
- Da Qiao goes to me, and Xiao Qiao will be left for the Prime Minister's chambers
Also during the Battle of Nanjun, Zhou Yu was hit by a poisoned arrow from Cao's army. Cao Ren deliberately went to Zhou Yu's camp to provoke him, hoping to aggravate his wound, using a very exaggerated tone(He even shouted until his voice cracked; it was a true display of emotion)and gestures, shouting: "The Prime Minister said, after you surrender, Da Qiao goes to me, and Xiao Qiao will be left for the Prime Minister's chambers!"
Cao Ren's line and the tone and performance when he shouted it made him seem less like a proper general and more like a vulgar hooligan. As a result, many viewers mocked it, and it also deepened the stereotype that "Cao Wei loves married women."Joke Analysis: At this point, both Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao had already left.
Xun Yu
Played by Li Jianxin. Perhaps it's because in this series, Cao Cao is portrayed as having rebellious intentions as early as the campaign against Dong Zhuo, so Xun Yu's character is often portrayed as a loyalist of the Han Dynasty[44]and a rebel[45]jumping back and forth between, exhibitingthe duality of loyalty and treachery. Additionally, many scenes belonging to Cao Wei's strategists (such as Guo Jia's "Ten Victories and Ten Defeats") were assigned to Xun Yu.
- First, I grieve for my lord; second, I congratulate my lord.[Original series position 3.]
After the death of Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, Xun Yu actually congratulated Cao Cao, claiming that Cao Cao now had a reason to seize Xuzhou. Upon hearing this, Cao Cao initially appeared angry, but after hearing Xun Yu's explanation, he actually laughed without restraint, even stating: "Xun Yu, listening to you speak is like drinking fine wine; it's intoxicating, truly a delight!"So *Three Kingdoms* (2010) thinks that someone who can laugh after their father dies is...a "filial" son...is how you build charismatic character.
- Giving a great banner to a gale, giving a precious sword to a scabbard
When Xun Yu advised Cao Cao to use his father Cao Song's death as an excuse to attack Xuzhou, he described Heaven giving Xuzhou to Cao Cao as "giving a great banner to a gale, giving a precious sword to a scabbard."
This is another proverb invented by screenwriter Zhu, and the causal logic is very strange: why does a gale need a banner, and why must a scabbard have a sword to exist? It might have been better if reversed, saying "giving a gale to a banner, giving a scabbard to a sword." Regardless, hearing the "talent fit for a king's advisor" Xun Yu make such an illogical metaphor, Cao Cao, whose father had just died, laughed and praised Xun Yu:"Listening to you speak is like drinking fine wine; it's intoxicating"”.
- Xuzhou City truly deserves its reputation as the number one fortress in the Central Plains.
After Cao Cao captured Xuzhou, Xun Yu expressed his feelings on the city wall. This line contains a serious geographical error: the Xuzhou referred to here is neither a city nor a pass (even if it were a pass, it wouldn't be a "mighty pass," and even if it were a "mighty pass," it wouldn't be the first), and it is not in the Central Plains. He then looked back and said: "Back then, it was here that Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, used thirty thousand iron cavalry to slaughter 'Emperor Gaozu's' five hundred thousand troops until not a single piece of armor remained!" Not to mention the strange title "Emperor Gaozu," it feels quite jarring for a person of the Han Dynasty to boast about Han Gaozu's defeat in such a manner.
- My Lord likes married young women
After the great defeat of Lu Bu, Xun Yu told the already drunk Xu Chu at the victory banquet that Cao Cao likes, married young women, and other people's women, reminding Xu Chu to be wary of Diaochan.
Not to mention that "Cao Cao loves married women" is originally just a meme created by netizens after distilling information from the original work. The plot of "one bang kills three worthies," which best reflects this in the original work, was not filmed in Three Kingdoms (2010); instead, an original interaction between Cao Cao and Diaochan was created.
- I don't understand military affairs
Before the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao asked Xun Yu whether they should fight or make peace. Xun Yu stated that they must fight, and fight urgently and with all their might. When Cao Cao asked for the reason, Xun Yu said:
| “ | I don't understand military affairs, but I know Yuan Shao's mindset all too well. His march this time is strictly to take Xuchang. Even if the Prime Minister wants peace, he will not agree to it. Furthermore, although Yuan Shao's army is large, it is merely a hollow reputation. May I ask the generals,a mere Guan Yudared to slay Yan Liang and Wen Chou within three days. Are you veteran tiger generals not even as good as Guan Yu? | ” |
- As Cao Cao's chief strategist, Xun Yu could devise plans like "Two Tigers Competing for Food" and "Driving the Tiger to Swallow the Wolf," so logically he shouldn't "not understand military affairs."
- Right after saying he didn't understand military affairs, Xun Yu immediately began criticizing Yuan Shao as having a hollow reputation and used reverse psychology to lecture Cao Cao's generals, making him seem like an amateur who lacks ability but loves to boss around professionals.
- Xun Yu described Guan Yu as "a mere Guan Yu," belittling Guan Yu while also using him to put down his own generals, which shows a real lack of emotional intelligence.
- Yuan Shao is sometimes near, sometimes far.
Plagiarism-reduction versionOne of the points from the "Ten Victories and Ten Defeats" theory. It is likely a corrupted modification of the "Victory of Benevolence" point in the original theory: "Shao cares for the near but neglects the distant, while you consider everything thoroughly." "Caring for the near while neglecting the distant" means Yuan Shao sympathizes with problems he can see nearby but ignores other issues he cannot see; the "sometimes near, sometimes far" in Three Kingdoms (2010) is nonsensical.
Some viewers use the phrase "sometimes near, sometimes far" to describe the various bizarre space-time inconsistencies in the plot of Three Kingdoms (2010).
- The Baima Gate Incident
Based on the Records of the Three Kingdoms: Book of Wei: Biographies of the Princes of Rencheng, Chen, and Xiao, etc., Three Kingdoms (2010) created an original scene whereJumping back into the form of a loyal official of the Han Dynasty,a plot segment after Xun Yu opposed Cao Cao being titled a King:
When Cao Zhi tried to take a shortcut through the "Baima Gate," which was reserved for the Emperor, he was stopped by Xun Yu citing "court regulations." Then Cao Cao suddenly arrived to lecture Cao Zhi, and then weirdly(though for the Cao Cao in Three Kingdoms (2010), it wasn't weird)killed the Baima Gate guard and, when questioned by Xun Yu, gave the fallacious reasoning: "If the guard hadn't opened the gate, how could the young master have broken the rules?" Xun Yu angrily said to Cao Cao: "The guard deserves death for opening the Baima Gate without authorization, but then what about those in the court whowide-opened the door to your kingship?"of the officials, should they be killed?"(Making dumplings just for this bit of vinegar)Cao Cao laughingly claimed that Xun Yu was defying him, and then promised Xun Yu that hewould not kill meritorious officials(New Three Kingdoms' Qin Qingtong, Miao Ze, Jiang Gan: Children, we have no objection), and finally ordered the demolition of the White Horse Gate to slap the face of the imperial court's rules and Xun Yu. After Cao Cao left, Xun Yu collapsed to the ground.
If viewed in isolation, this original plot segment, though mediocre and further lowering Cao Cao's characterization and integrity, finally establishes Xun Yu as a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, which is considered high quality and rare within *Three Kingdoms (2010)*.
Incredibly, on thecorrected overnight by the various "lords" of New Three Kingdoms memes. This also serves as evidence of the severity of the "large-scale epic TV series" *Three Kingdoms (2010)* in misleading history—the internet gradually came to recognize this heavily modified plot based on history ashistorical fact(Even more bizarrely, although *Three Kingdoms (2010)* was broadcast in 2010, the Baidu "White Horse Gate" entry shows it was created in 2007 and had version changes in 2009).
Guo Jia
Played by Wang Jinxin. In this series, Guo Jia has a low presence and appears without buildup. Many of his original scenes (such as the scene where Cao Cao cuts his hair to replace his head, and the "Ten Victories and Ten Defeats" theory) were transferred to Xun Yu.
- Depreciation of the Son of Heaven
After Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, Guo Jia reminded Cao Cao that the Son of Heaven in his hands would alsodepreciate, and if Cao Cao does nothing, there will be a third and fourth emperor later, making the Son of Heaven in Cao Cao's hands completely useless.So even the Son of Heaven can suffer from inflation, huh?
Cheng Yu
Played by Jiang Changyi, he appears mostly as Cao Cao's subordinate in the series. One of the characters with relatively normal behavioral logic in this show.(He didn't pull off any shocking stunts like making human meat rations)。
- I beg of you, Prime Minister, please stop laughing!
In the Huarong Pass plot, after Cao Cao's defeated army was ambushed by Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei, Cheng Yu believed that Cao Cao's loud laughter ("They would surely have an ambush here") attracted the pursuers. This seems to be anflag-settingbehavior'sofficial roast。
- If the Prime Minister insists on dying, we shall certainly not live on alone!
Also in the Huarong Pass plot, when Cao Cao asked Guan Yu to kill him in exchange for letting the others go, Cheng Yu said this passionately, and other subordinates followed suit. However, after Guan Yu agreed to let them pass, Cheng Yu and the others, who had just shown their loyalty, immediately left Cao Cao behind without hesitation. Suchface-slappingbehavior appears very comical.
Xu Chu
Played by Guo Tao, known as "Tiger Fool," he is a fierce general under Cao Cao's command. Although rough, he is extremely loyal to Cao Cao. Cao Pi described Xu Chu, saying: "As long as my father gives the order, even if he were told to kill his own father or mother, he wouldn't even blink.”
He twice performed inLong Aotianposturingscenes; one was beheadingXu You, and the other was beheading Cao Zhi's servants.
Vixen, how dare you be so impudent!（ ）
After Lü Bu's death, Cao Cao went to see Diaochan. Diaochan drew her sword in front of Cao Cao, and was by Xun YuremindedXu Chu, who came to protect Cao Cao, saw this and immediately rushed forward, shouting: "
Of course, Diaochan's suicide is also an original plot point; the original work does not explicitly state Diaochan's fate.
Cao Pi
Played by Yu Bin, he is Cao Cao's second son. Under the actor's performance, he often shows over-the-top acting, and his voice trembles from time to time when he speaks.
He is always being subjected to various kinds of
Since his actor Yu Bin also played Huhai, the Second Emperor of Qin, in Director Gao Xixi's *Legend of Chu and Han* and had the famous line "Where did an army of a hundred thousand come from!", his mental state is mysteriously consistent with that in *Three Kingdoms*, so he is often compared and joked about by the audience.
- The struggle for the position of heir has always been like this
This is not a line from *Three Kingdoms*, but from *Legends of the Three Kingdoms.Cao Pi's lines. In addition to the original plot of Cao Pi dealing with Cao Zhi after ascending the throne, this drama also created original political intrigue plots such as Cao Pi poisoning his younger brother Cao Chong to fight for the position of heir and being repeatedly tested by Cao Cao. These are very consistent with the lines in "Legends of the Three Kingdoms," so when Cao Pi uses political schemes to fight for the heir position in this drama, people comment "The struggle for the heirship has always been thus."
- I am nearly forty years old; how can I wait for ten years!
When the Wu-Shu alliance was established, Cao Pi expressed his intention to lead a personal expedition to conquer Eastern Wu. Sima Yi suggested that Cao Pi should first train troops and develop agriculture for ten years, waiting until a rift appeared between Wu and Shu(Cao Pi was also nearing his end)before sending troops to attack. Cao Pi said: "I am nearly forty years old; how can I wait for ten years!" Afterwards, Cao Pi raised an army to attack Wu, but was soundly defeated by Zhao Yun and Lu Xun. His tuberculosis flared up, leading to his death, and Cao Rui succeeded him.
Cao Pi's exaggerated performance and superb vibrato when saying this line are very comical.
Cao Zhi
Played by Li Yuxuan, he is the third son of Cao Cao and the king of drunks in this work. Almost every time he appears, he is drinking or drunk, often getting dead drunk with his fair-weather friends, and consequently missing important occasions multiple times.
He is relatively normal in his rare moments of sobriety.
Once told Cao Cao that he exchanged poems with Ji Kang(According to the historical timeline, Ji Kang was -24 years old at this time)。
Sima Yi
Played by Ni Dahong. He always has disheveled hair, acts like a mystic, often goes crazy for no reason, and likes to hit people at the drop of a hat. Because of this, he is on the same wavelength as the equally eccentric Cao Cao and often quickly understands Cao Cao's train of thought. During Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions, even though Sima Yi often had the upper hand against Zhuge Liang, he was still dismissed at one point for "repeatedly losing battles."Because Sima Yi's continuous victories made him an arrogant soldier, and an arrogant soldier is judged by the system as destined to lose even if they haven't actually been defeated yet.
The Sima family is the most prosperous clan in Jizhou (historically, Sima Yi's family were from Wen County, Hanoi, starting from his great-great-grandfather Sima Jun, so they should be from Sili or Sizhou; as for how they became the "number one," it's unknown), just like the Cao family's "Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle", his two sons Sima Shi and Sima Zhao are often confused in terms of seniority. The "eldest son" Sima Zhao could recite the Spring and Autumn Annals backwards at the age of three.（The Spring and Autumn Annals are nonsense）。
Sima Yi's appearance in Three Kingdoms (2010) is earlier than in the original work (in the show, duringBattle of Red Cliffsafter, Cao Cao had just finished saying "The more people a doctor kills, the more brilliant their medical skills become."), whenhe makes his debut), initially invited by Cao Cao to be Cao Chong's teacher. After Cao Chong was poisoned by Cao Pi, he stayed on the pretext of keeping watch over Cao Chong's coffin, successfully assisting Cao Pi in the struggle for the throne. Unlike the Sima Yi in the original work, the Sima Yi in *Three Kingdoms* (2010) is a treacherous official with rebellious intentions from the start; Cao Cao describes him as someone exceptionally capable of enduring and hiding his true self.However, if everyone can see through your thoughts, how can you be considered good at hiding?
In the later stages, just like Lu Bu and Diaochan, he was given a melodramatic romance plot with the original character Jingshu[47]and engaged in a "twilight romance."[48]。
Since Ni Dahong also played Su Daqiang in the TV series *All is Well*, Sima Yi in this series earned the nickname "Sima Daqiang."
- Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
Cao Cao invited the disheveled Sima Yi to come out of seclusion and serve as Cao Chong's mentor. Sima Yi and Cao Cao rode together in a carriage to XuchangThey even shared a bedAt that time, Cao Cao suddenly told Sima Yi that his headache was so bad he was dying. Sima Yi frantically went to call the imperial physician, but when he returned, he found Cao Cao gone and shouted out in a panic(In his panic, he shouted, "Prime Minister! Prime Minister! Cao Cao! Cao Cao!"), only to find that Cao Cao was actually nearby
- If a soldier deserts, execute the corporal; if the corporal deserts, execute the sergeant; if the sergeant deserts, execute the colonel; if the colonel deserts, execute the general; if the general deserts,I, Sima Yi, shall behead myself to apologize to the imperial court.。
Sima Yi took over as Grand Commander after Cao Zhen left office. Upon discovering that soldiers were deserting, he issued this outrageous order.
First, this clearly defies the logic of military governance. Imagine: if a soldier deserts, the corporal is to be executed. At this point, the corporal either waits for death or deserts—perhaps even surrendering to the Shu army. Then the sergeant must be executed, and so on. This would trigger a terrifying chain reaction, where eventually the general deserts, and Sima Yi would have toslitting one's throat to return to heavenbehead himself. Once this ridiculous order is issued, the possible outcomes are:
- Superiors whose subordinates have deserted wait blankly for death;
- The army deserts en masse and surrenders to the Shu army;
- The army revolts to kill Sima Yi for issuing such an outrageous order.
If Sima Yi himself were to desert because of this, would the Emperor have to be executed?
However, under the manipulation of the hand of fate, none of the above events occurred.
Secondly, Sima Yi saying he would "behead himself" inevitably brings to mind Liu Bei's "slitting one's throat to return to heaven", which seems to be a writing paradigm of the screenwriter, making one chuckle.
Additionally, shortly after issuing this military order, Sima Yi issued another outrageous order: "All who have not slain a Shu soldier shall be executed," as if he had a death wish, or perhaps he had learned the will of heaven and knew he couldn't die just yet。
Interestingly, in R9's fan-made version, this military order was parodied as "If a soldier flees, reward him 500 coins; if a corporal flees, reward him 1,000; if a sergeant flees, promote him two ranks; if a colonel flees, promote him to general; if a general flees, I, Sima Yi, shall flee myself and apologize to the imperial court"[49], replacing "execute" from the original work with "reward," which is arguably even more logical than the original lines(To claim the reward, one must return to the military camp, yet once back, it would be difficult to prove one was a deserter)。
- Bone-Dissolving Palm
Cao Zhen was defeated by Zhuge Liang at Chencang and fled, but was so frightened by a Shu ambush that he fell from his horse and was severely injured. Before dying, unwilling to bring shame to his ancestors, he ordered his subordinates to kill him. At this moment, Sima Yi arrived with reinforcements(Then the ambushing Shu army suddenly disappeared), upon seeing Cao Zhen, Sima Yi greeted him while patting him on the back twice, causing Cao Zhen to cough up blood. Cao Zhen, who already had a death wish, was struck by Sima Yi's "Bone-Dissolving Palm" and collapsed with a smile on his face.
Earlier, during the Fire of Xuchang incident, there was a bizarre plot point where Sima Yi, fearing that Cao Pi would be suspected of rebellion by Cao Cao because Cao Pi helped put out the fire while Cao Zhi did not, pinned Cao Pi to the ground and thrashed him with slaps.
- There is absolutely no such thing!
After the Empty Fort Strategy incident, Cao Rui summoned Sima Yi, stating that court officials suspected Sima Yi of intentionally letting Zhuge Liang go to maintain his own importance by keeping the enemy alive[50], Sima Yi flatly denied the accusations before Cao Rui in the imperial court. While shouting "There is absolutely no such thing!", he lay down and rolled on the floor like a common rascal, performing a piece of performance art by lying on the ground and screaming, completely devoid of any dignity or etiquette.
- The entire army charge the Shu camp, head straight for Zhuge Liang's four-wheeledcarriageCarriage!
The Wei army led by Sima Yi was defeated by theTwo-Element Taiji Formation[[sic]]laid out by Zhuge Liang. After his soldiers were captured alive and released back to Sima Yi with mocking words, an enraged Sima Yi roared:
| “ | Hear my command! The whole army charge the Shu camp, head straight for Zhuge Liang'sfour-wheeledcarriagecarriage！！！ | ” |
Here, Sima Yi's deliberate emphasis on the "four-wheeled carriage" and the r-coloring (erhua) when mentioning it sounds incredibly comical, thus becoming a meme. In fact, before this, when Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi were
- Dead Zhuge Scares Away Living Zhongda
After Zhuge Liang's death, Sima Yi led his army to pursue the Shu forces but was scared away by a statue of Zhuge Liang brought out by the Shu army. Later, after learning from his son Sima Zhao that Zhuge Liang was indeed dead, Sima Yi realized he had been tricked. He lay flat on his bed, rolling around, and lamented: "What a disgrace! What a great humiliation! He sent me women's clothes to insult me, and I felt no shame. But now, but now, a mere statue has sent me fleeing in panic! What a great humiliation indeed, hahahaha... My son, do you know what posterity will say? 'A dead Zhuge scared away a living Zhongda.' This story will likely be told for a hundred years!"Sima Zhao, who was standing nearby, was about to lose it.
By the way, in Three Kingdoms, there are multiple instances where characters immediately summarize the preceding plot using corresponding idioms or proverbs in their lines.
Hua Xin
Played by Zhang Xiqian. Zhang Xiqian previously played Kan Ze in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.As for Kan Ze in Three Kingdoms, besides onlybeing mentioned once by Sun QuanNo such person can be found elsewhere.
His persona as a traitor is even more prominent than in the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*; he doesn't even follow formal procedures with Liu Xie, blatantly humiliating him, and even said when forcing the abdication: ""Although Your Majesty is no sage ruler..."”.
After the establishment of Cao Wei, Hua Xin also had some scenes. For example, in court, he brought up Cao Cao's evaluation of Sima Yi—"He has the look of a hawk and the turn of a wolf; he must not be entrusted with military power"—leading to Sima Yi's demotion. Later, when Cao Rui reinstated Sima Yi, Hua Xin, in his capacity as the "Chancellor" of Wei[51]acted as an imperial messenger to deliver the decree and even said "As you command" to Sima Yi.
Shen Yi
Played by Dai Qiwen.
Served as
- Watching idly as Emperor Cao Rui was captured / Using the Emperor as bait / "The King's Scorn"
Shen Yi doesn't have much screen time in the 2010 *Three Kingdoms*, but each scene is a heavyweight:
Shen Yi is discussing with Sima Yi(According to the subsequent plot, this successfully triggeredthe eavesdropping mechanism）when Sima Yi proposed two choices: staying put, "idly watching the EmperorCao Rui[[sic]]being captured" and the fall of Wei, then establishing himself; or rescuing the Emperor, protecting the court, and then being by the Cao familyThird Uncle and Fourth Uncleslandered and persecuted. Sima Yi chose the latterThe subsequent plot was indeed like this, and only then did Shen Yi reveal the intelligence regarding Meng Da's rebellion.
When Sima Yi proposed attacking Meng Da directly without reporting to the court, Shen Yi said with a smile: "You are trying touse the Emperor as bait, to capture the rebel and achieve merit."
Sima YiWith the help of the Will of Heaven, the battle plot is skipped, going straight to the settlement,and with Shen Yi bringingwho only exists in the dialogueMeng Da's head back to Luoyang. When Sima Yi told Cao Rui that this matter was "all thanks to the merit of Shen Yi, the Governor of Weixing" (accompanied by a "Ding!" sound in the BGM), the camera cut to a close-up of Shen Yi looking sideways at Cao Rui (as shown in the title image).
All of the above show that Shen Yi is a standard *New Three Kingdoms* character who sees throughSome *New Three Kingdoms* fans call "Satellite Governor" Shen Yi an envoy of the Will of Heaven, specifically there to advance the plot.
Cao Rui
Played by Yang Demin.
- Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle
When Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu came to pay their respects to Cao Rui, who had inherited the throne, Cao Rui said to them: "Third Uncle and Fourth UncleNo need for such formalities."
From a linguistic perspective, "Bo" (伯) usually refers to a father's elder brother, while "Shu" (叔) refers to a father's younger brother. However, in this line, the "Third Uncle" (Shu) is ranked higher than the "Fourth Uncle" (Bo), and their rankings are adjacent, leaving viewers wondering where Cao Rui's father, Cao Pi, ranks in the family. This phrase "Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle" (San Shu Si Bo) was so full of bugs that it was frequently mocked and analyzed by many viewers.
Characters - Shu
Liu Bei
Played by Yu Hewei,Shu State[[sic]]the leader of.
He always brands himself with a "benevolent and righteous" persona, and Cao Cao even claims his twin swords are named the "Sword of Benevolence" and the "Sword of Righteousness," but
He always looks unconfident and aggrieved, often with a dull gaze that avoids eye contact and little facial expression, frequently saying "As you command" to his subordinates. He is very fragile; when defeated or cornered, he often thinks of giving up,phoning it in, or committing suicide to "return to heaven" (In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, although Liu Bei was defeated repeatedly, he was indomitable and kept fighting). Yet, at other times, he suddenly becomes inexplicably impassioned.
Yu Hewei, the actor who played Liu Bei, mentioned in a media interview that after receiving the invitation, he expressed a strong desire to play Cao Cao to the production team. However, upon receiving the script, he found he had already been cast as Liu Bei, so he was absent-minded during the performance. This explanation contrasts with Liu Bei's behavior in the drama.[54](Later, Yu Hewei finally fulfilled his wish in The Advisors Alliance, and his portrayal of Cao Cao also became a benchmark.)It is worth mentioning that during filming, Yu Hewei repeatedly proposed modifying the plot for characters like Zhou Yu, but was politely declined by the production team.
Skills include "Heartless Sword Technique" and "Hundred-Step Flying Sword."
The plot of the Peach Garden Oath in this drama was pushed back to after Cao Cao's failed assassination of Dong Zhuo, and it only lasts about 1 minute. This means Liu, Guan, and Zhang did not participate in the suppression of the Yellow Turbans (the drama itself only describes the Yellow Turban Rebellion in one sentence via narration at the beginning), nor are there plots like whipping the Inspector or Liu Bei becoming the Magistrate of Pingyuan County after joining Gongsun Zan's group. In the drama, they are commoners without any official rank when they join the coalition of warlords.
Three Heroes Combat Lü Bu（ ）
In the plot, it should have been Liu, Guan, and Zhang fighting Lü Bu together, but it was filmed as Guan and Zhang fighting Lü Bu, while Liu Bei protected Lü Bu because he inexplicably wanted to persuade him to surrender. Initially, the audience thought there was a problem with the filming, but the screenwriter said in an interview that Liu Bei felt everyone was a hero and couldn't let Lü Bu die there.
- Presumptuous! How dare you search me, I'll have your head!
After the Xutian Hunting incident, Liu Xie summoned Liu Bei to the palace late at night,in the latrineto plan the resistance against Cao Cao. After leaving the palace, Cao Cao's soldier said he wanted to search Liu Bei. Liu Bei suddenly roared irritably:
| “ | Presumptuous! How dare you search me, I'll have your head! | ” |
However, the soldier stated that military orders must be obeyed, and if he didn't act impartially, Cao Cao would also have his head. So Liu Bei still let the soldier search him, making his previous roar seem not only meaningless but also more likely to make Cao Cao suspect something was wrong after his meeting with Emperor Xian of Han.(However, subsequent plots show that Liu Bei's shout didn't have much impact; in the end, it was the will of heaven at work.)。
This is probably the most emotional Liu Bei gets in the New Three Kingdoms, other than his "suicide to return to heaven."
It is worth mentioning that Yu Hewei later mentioned in a program that he added this line himself.
- Wind follows the tiger, clouds follow the dragon; dragon and tiger heroes pridefully overlook the firmament.
From the "Discussing Heroes over Green Plums and Wine" segment with Liu Bei and Cao Cao. After Liu Bei exclaims "What a fine wind!", he says: "Wind follows the tiger, clouds follow the dragon; dragon and tiger heroes pridefully overlook the firmament." This leads into the scene where the two discuss heroes. The phrase "Wind follows the tiger, clouds follow the dragon" comes from the I Ching (though the order of the clauses is swapped, likely for tonal harmony), while the following "dragon and tiger heroes pridefully overlook the firmament" is purely made up, because it sounds very...Chuuni...and appeared quite abrupt in that scene, thus becoming a meme.
The entire "Discussing Heroes over Green Plums and Wine" segment is also very problematic. First, there are no "green plums" in the scene at all. Second, Liu Bei does not show the tension he should have in this scene, as if he were truly just invited by Cao Cao for a meal and drinks.
The opening line of Bilibili uploader "Chi Dan Ta de Zhe Bang," "Watch Zhe Bang, learn Zhe Bang, only with good skills can you mess around," happens to share the same 3-3-7 rhythm as this sentence. It is often combined with this sentence for memes, and other uploaders have also imitated this format for their openings.
- Sword of Benevolence, Sword of Righteousness
While discussing heroes over wine, Cao Cao says Liu Bei uses benevolence and righteousness as weapons, claiming his Twin Swords are "one called the Sword of Benevolence, and one called the Sword of Righteousness," suggesting that Liu Bei, with these two swords in hand, must surely be a hero. Upon hearing this, Liu Bei dropped his chopsticks in shock.
This is another classic chuuni and tacky line from the show. Furthermore, the timing of Liu Bei dropping his chopsticks is very off. After Cao Cao says "The only heroes in the world are you and I," Liu Bei actually gives a slight smile. Then, while Cao Cao analyzes why Liu Bei is a hero, Liu Bei continues eating calmly. It's only when Cao Cao mentions the "Sword of Benevolence and Sword of Righteousness" that he symbolically drops his chopsticks, which makes little sense.This pair of chopsticks of mine: one is called the Chopstick of Benevolence, and the other is called the Chopstick of Righteousness.
The screenwriter might have arranged the plot this way to imply that Liu Bei is actually a hypocrite who uses benevolence and righteousness as tools to win people's hearts.
Sword of Benevolence, Sword of Righteousness, Benevolent and Righteous Liu BeiHeartless Sword。
- This thunder scared me to death
Previously, while hearing Cao Cao say "Sword of Benevolence, Sword of Righteousness," there was a burst ofThunder, the chopsticks in Liu Bei's hand fell to the ground, and he said: "The power of a single clap, to such an extent,This thunder scared me to death."
This extremely blunt and plain dialogue indeed "shocked" many viewers to death, and Liu Bei's subsequent reaction felt more like he was truly scared by the thunder, rather than using the thunder as a cover to hide the fact that he was startled by Cao Cao's words.
Additionally, because "Lei" is also used in internet culture to refer to "Oppai", the phrase "This thunder scared me to death" is sometimes used as a meme for certainlarge-breastedcharacters.
- Heaven and Earth
When Liu Bei presided over a meeting on behalf of Liu Biao, he addressed the officials of Jingzhou, calling Jingzhou "Heaven on Earth."
The term "Heaven on Earth" (Tianshang Renjian) first appeared during the Northern Qi dynasty, and was used in literary works of the Tang and Song dynasties. How could Liu Bei use an idiom that appeared after the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms periods? Furthermore, Jingzhou is not in "Heaven"; it is part of the "mortal world." What Liu Bei likely meant was that Jingzhou is a "paradise on earth." Due to the screenwriter's lack of knowledge and deliberate pursuit of archaic style, such strange dialogue appeared.
Additionally, "Tianshang Renjian" is also the name of a famous nightclub, which led some Three Kingdoms (2010) roast video creators to have someinappropriate thoughts. Even more miraculously, "Three Kingdoms" (2010) premiered on May 2, 2010, and on May 11 of the same year, that nightclub was raided by relevant departments due to issues such as paid companionship and fire safety, leading to its immediate downfall, as if it had been struck byErosion of Heaven's Will。
- Young Master, can I stop running?
After Liu Qi informed Liu Bei, who was presiding over the meeting, that Cai Mao and other Jingzhou gentry officials opposed to Liu Bei were coming to hunt him down, Liu Bei actually said to Liu Qi:"Young Master, can I stop running?"。
This attitude of complete indifference toward his own life and safety clearly does not belong to the Liu Bei of official history or the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and is seen by viewers as evidence of the self-destructive tendency of the 2010 Liu Bei to "slit his own throat and return to heaven."
- slitting one's throat to return to heaven
When Liu Bei was being pursued by Cao Cao's army and had no way to retreat, he showed a determination to fight to the death, drew his twin swords, and ordered the soldiers under his command:
| “ | Brothers, join me in battle, fight to the last moment, then slit your throats and return to heaven! | ” |
This sentence appears very nonsensical; normally, it should encourage soldiers to fight to the death, but saying "slit your throats and return to heaven" would only cause a mutiny.And if they fight to the last moment and win, do they still have to slit their throats?
Some busybodies have linked this sentence to "seppuku" in Japanese Bushido, making it particularly hilarious. However, in the Japanese version, the phrase "fight to the last moment, then slit your throats and return to heaven" was changed to "最後の一瞬まで，命を懸けて戦うのだ", meaning "fight with your lives until the very last moment," removing the meaning of "slitting one's throat," which actually makes the scene normal.
Netizens also often paraphrase this line as "All troops hear my command,[55], slit your throats and return to heaven."
In the series, this kind of extreme command that makes people wonder "Do I have to die too?" is not limited to Liu Bei:Cao RenCao Cao also onceExecuting Wang Houafter which he told the entire army, "If Shouchun is not taken within three days,starting from this general,, everyone shall be executed!";Sima YiSima Yi also issued such a military order after taking over as Grand Commander: "If a soldier flees, execute the corporal; if the corporal flees, execute the decurion; if the decurion flees, execute the colonel; if the colonel flees, execute the general; if the general flees, I, Sima Yiwill behead myselfto apologize to the imperial court.”
Some believe this plot point was intended to imitate Xiang Yu's suicide. Regardless of the fact that the circumstances of Xiang Yu's suicide were completely different from this scene, the Han people in this series expressed their admiration for Xiang Yu more than once. In another TV series directed by Gao Xixi, *Legend of Chu and Han*, Xiang Yu, after retreating to the Wu River, did not tell his soldiers to "slit their throats and return to heaven"; instead, he urged them to cross the Wu River while he stayed on the west bank to fight the Han army to the death. After the battle, he asked Liu Bang to return peace and prosperity to the world and calmly committed suicide.
In *Three Kingdoms* (2010), the deaths of many characters (Yuan Shu, Liu Xie, Guan Yu, etc.) were changed to original suicide scenes. Netizens making memes often use the phrase "slit one's throat and return to heaven" when recounting the suicide plots of characters in this series.
- Sworn brothers bowing to Lu Su
After the Battle of Red Cliffs,Zhou YusentLu Suto Liu Bei's camp to gather intelligence. At this time, Guan Yu, who had let Cao Cao escape at Huarong Trail, returned, and Zhuge Liangechoed Lu Su, who, despite being a guest, was the first to denounce Guan Yu,questioned Guan Yu and had Ma Su bring the military pledge, intending to behead Guan Yu. In response, Zhang Fei drew his sword against Zhuge Liang; Liu Bei snatched Zhang Fei's sword and continued to demand that Zhuge Liang make the decision. Zhang Fei knelt to plead for Guan Yu, then Liu and Guan also knelt together. Citing the Oath of the Peach Garden, Liu Bei threatened to slit his throat and return to heaven. Lu Su, witnessing the whole ordeal, couldn't bear to watch. He first tried to persuade Liu Bei, but Liu Bei refused to back down and told him to persuade Zhuge Liang instead. Then Lu Su pleaded with Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang
In the series, Lu Su later stated that he saw through the fact that this was all an act put on by Liu Bei's group for him.
Regarding this shocking original plot, many viewers joked, combining it with the fact that the previous "Oath of the Peach Garden" only lasted about a minute: "Case closed, it turns out the Oath of the Peach Garden was actually bowing to Lu Su."
Ma Su, who witnessed this entire plot, made a fatal misjudgment regarding the "military pledge."
- I'll stab my own ears deaf!
Because Guan Yu and Zhang Feiwere suspicious of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei said in a fit of rage, "If I hear you talking about Mr. Kongming again, I'll stab my own ears deaf!" This behavior of resorting to self-harm at every turn seems somewhat incompetent, whether as a lord or an elder brother.
Later, due to the popularity of related lines from "Three Kingdoms" (2010), some people would comment "If I hear you using New Three Kingdoms memes again, I'll stab my own ears deaf!" when seeing related memes, causing this phrase to go viral further, sometimes even being simplified to "Zai San Long" (Again-Three-Deaf).
- Heartless Sword Technique
When Liu Bei married Lady Sun, Lady Sun suddenly proposed a sword fight with Liu Bei in the bridal chamber, so the couple engaged in asword fight comparable to Wang Ying's battle against Hu Sanniang in "Water Margin,"during which he said: "I, Liu Bei, have no other talents, but my swordsmanship is world-class. Don't force me to useHeartless Swordit!"
- Keep the music playing, keep on dancing
While Liu Bei was enjoying himself in Eastern Wu, Zhao Yun came to persuade him to care about his great cause. Liu Bei replied: "Presumptuous! Are you lecturing me? I've fought battles all my life, can't I enjoy myself for once?" After driving him away, he said nonchalantly to his subordinates: "Keep the music playing, keep on dancing." However, according to the plot of "Three Kingdoms" (2010), this was actually a double act between Liu Bei and Zhao Yun, intentionally appearing to be living in a dream world to make Zhou Yu lower his guard.
This line is also one of the earlier memes from "Three Kingdoms" (2010). Yu Hewei also has scenes of clubbing in other works he has performed in.Famous scene(Such as President Zhang in the movie *The Island*, or the Tencent/CCTV drama version of *Three-Body*)'sShi Qiangetc.), which are sometimes linked with this meme.
- Liu Bei is no longer the lord he once was; he has become a true monarch
After Liu Bei took Yizhou, he discussed the regulations for governing Shu with Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang supported Fa Zheng's proposal for lenient punishments and simplified laws, but Liu Bei changed his previouslip-servicebenevolent style and insisted on strict laws and harsh punishments. After Zhuge Liang followed Liu Bei's orders,
| “ | From this moment on, Zhuge Liang understood that Liu Bei was no longer the lord he once was,he had become a true monarch! | ” |
At this point in time, Liu Bei had not yet declared himself emperor, so the timing of this statement is baffling. Furthermore, making such an evaluation of Liu Bei, who was loyal to the Han Dynasty, seems treasonous.[56]If "monarch" is merely a metaphor, it leads to the worldview-shattering conclusion that "a surface-level benevolent style is not a 'monarch', but undisguisedly implementing harsh laws and punishments is a 'true monarch'."
This plot point is also where New Three Kingdoms' Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang'salready scarcelord-vassal relationship begins to fracture. At
- My second brother is invincible under heaven
After Liu Bei learns that Guan Yu has been killed, he says excitedly: "Impossible!My second brother is invincible under heaven!He's the only one who kills enemies, how could he possibly be killed by someone else?!" Although Yu Hewei's acting in this scene was rarely on point, this blunt and immersion-breaking line still ruined what should have been a tragicActually, it wasn't that tragicatmosphere in an instant.
Given that "second brother" and "little brother" are often used in modern Chinese to refer to "you-know-what," this phrase is frequently used by many young male viewers to brag about themselves.
Combining this phrase with the "Jingzhou is Heaven on Earth" mentioned above, it implies that Guan Yu is invincible under heaven, but since Jingzhou is in "Heaven," Guan Yu died.
- 40/60 Taxation, One Out of Three Men Drafted
A harsh policy implemented by Liu Bei before invading Wu in *Three Kingdoms* (which did not exist in history). In the show, it is claimed that if Liu Bei uses this policy, he can add 1.5 million piculs of grain and fodder and about 250,000 new soldiers this autumn (historically, the population of Shu Han was only about 900,000; in *Three Kingdoms*, Fa Zheng claimed "a million armored troops" before Liu Bei became King of Hanzhong, though the original *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* text's 700,000-strong army for the Wu invasion was also inflated).
As a result, internet marketing accounts believed in this policy and used it to attack Shu Han's policies, even infiltrating search engines and AI for a time.
- Could it be that I do not understand military affairs?
During the Battle of Yiling, Ma Liang suggested that Liu Bei draw a map of the camps of both sides and send it to Zhuge Liang to ask for a strategy. Liu Bei replied, "Could it be that I do not understand military affairs?"
This line, on one hand, shows how awkward the relationship between Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang was, and on the other hand, his overconfident attitude stands in sharp contrast to his crushing defeat by Lu Xun's fire attack on the linked camps, earning this version of Liu Bei the nickname "Liu the Military Expert."
In the original novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei says in this scene: "I also know military strategy quite well; why must I ask the Prime Minister again?" Although it also shows overconfidence in his own military skills and contrasts with the subsequent defeat by fire, the tone is not as sharp as in Three Kingdoms (2010); it reflects both overconfidence and a desire not to trouble the Prime Minister who was far away.
- Ma Su, you must know aboutthe Spring and Autumn[[sic]]period's Zhao Kuo, right?
This is what Liu Bei said to Ma Su after Ma Su delivered grain and brought Zhuge Liang's warning to him before the Battle of Yiling.
Let's assume for now that the Zhao Kuo mentioned here isthe Warring States period'sZhao Kuo of the Battle of Changping, rather than the person of the same name from the Spring and Autumn period. Zhao Kuo's "warfare on paper" led to his defeat and death at Changping, which, along with Ma Su's loss of Jieting due to disobeying orders, can indeed be calleda pair of smiling tigers, two black-horned sharks,side-by-side in Chinese military history
- Fifty Axemen
The conspiracy theory that Liu Bei secretly ambushed axemen when entrusting Zhuge Liang at Baidi City was a widely circulated conspiracy theory in pulp fiction found at places like train station stalls in the late 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century (another comparable conspiracy theory is that Song Jiang and Wu Yong conspired in *Water Margin* to have Hua Rong shoot Chao Gai at Zengtou City with a poisoned arrow engraved with the words "Shi Wengong"). Due to its age, the earliest source is hard to trace. Although the TV series did not air this scene, the plot summary published online before the series' release stated that Liu Bei arranged for Li Yan to secretly prepare fifty axemen hidden inYongning Palace[[sic]]Should be "Yongan Palace"., and what's even more ridiculous is that this conspiracy was somehow discovered by Wei Yan and reported to Zhuge Liang in advance, and during the entrustment, after Zhuge Liang finished his lines, Liu Bei called out the axemen, but ended up capturing Li Yan and Wei Yan instead. (Zhuge Liang only released them after Liu Bei's death)[57]While screenwriter Zhu Sujin's novel *Three Kingdoms* based on the TV series isn't as blunt, before the Baidi entrustment plot, he also arranged for Wei Yan to warn Zhuge Liang to be careful not to become a second Tian Feng, and through the perspective of Li Yan, who entered the palace before Zhuge Liang, still described Yongan Palace as "filled with armored soldiers, with hidden murderous intent."
According to rumors: Yu Hewei, the actor for Liu Bei in *Three Kingdoms (2010)*, had his first scene at Baidi City for the entrustment. The director actually intended for Liu Bei to ambush axemen before entrusting Zhuge Liang. Only after Yu Hewei's strong dissuasion was this idea abandoned; after that, Yu Hewei started slacking off.
Guan Yu
Played by Yu Rongguang. Firstly, Yu Rongguang's relatively short stature and squinting eyes were considered by many viewers to be inconsistent with the description of Guan Yu as "nine spans tall, with a two-span beard, a face like a heavy date, lips like painted grease, phoenix eyes, silkworm eyebrows, and a majestic appearance."(In the series, Cao Cao's praise of Guan Yu having "reclining eyebrows and phoenix eyes, with a face full of heroic spirit" is clearly lying through his teeth.); Secondly, when Yu Rongguang played Guan Yu, he, like Yu Hewei, often showed the behavior of not looking people in the eye; and unlike Lord Guan's characterization of loyalty, dominance, and being proud toward superiors but not insulting to subordinates, the Guan Yu in this work can be described as another major poser besides Cao Cao, often engaging in unlikable behavior by deliberately acting cool, and together with Zhang Fei, acting like resentful women gossiping about Zhuge Liang behind his back all day.
He was often played by body doubles, possibly having the most doubles in the series, with the most representative doubles being the two actors who played Zhou Cang and Sun Qian.
One of the representative "alcoholics" in *Three Kingdoms*, having many representative lines related to wine compared to others.
"Crossing five passes and slaying six generals" was cut down to "crossing three passes and slaying four generals."
In history and the novel, Guan Yu was captured and executed by the Wu army after the defeat at Maicheng. Many people were deeply saddened by the plot of Guan Yu's death in the original work and the old *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* series, but the Guan Yu in this work actually committed suicide when surrounded and desperate. This idea came from Yu Rongguang himself (the original script had him shot to death by arrows), and Teacher Yu actually felt that such an adaptation preserved Guan Yu's dignity.(Shu Han's average self-destructive tendency), and even more ironically, Guan Yu had previously said "suicide is for cowards," which can be described asa boomeranga slap in the face. Coupled with the New Three Kingdoms Guan Yu's arrogance,posturinghabitual pretentiousness, bullying Zhuge Liang, and other unlikable behaviors (for example, when attacking Xiangfan and losing Jingzhou, Guan Yu was actually obsessed with playing chess with Ma Liang), most people have no sympathy for the plot of New Three Kingdoms Guan Yu's death.
- Slaying Hua Xiong with a cup of wine
In the premiere version, "slaying Hua Xiong while the wine is still warm" was spoken as "slaying Hua Xiong with a cup of wine" in all lines, completely distorting the original meaning.Wine SlashDamage +1, right?, it might be a product of confusion with "Relinquishing military power over a cup of wine." In the restored version, the line was changed to "Slaying Hua Xiong with warm wine," but it remains unchanged in some instances.
- I'm thirsty right now
When Guan Yu was besieged by Cao Cao's army on Mount Mangdang[59], Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao to persuade Guan Yu to surrender. Zhang Liao then brought wine and suggested they get drunk together, to which Guan Yu gave the aforementioned response. This is one of the representative lines of Guan Yu's "drunkard" persona.
In the drama, whenever Guan Yu met Zhang Liao during his stay in Cao Cao's camp, they were often eating and drinking, portraying their relationship as drinking buddies.
- We should drink a large cup
On the way to visit Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei complained that Zhuge Liang was a pedantic scholar. Guan Yu agreed, saying, "Third brother, you speak the painful truth, we should drink a large cup," and took a swig from his flask. This is also one of the representative lines of Guan Yu's "drunkard" persona.
The original text comes from Volume 11 of "Shuoyuan" by Liu Xiang of the Western Han Dynasty: "Those who do not finish their drink shall be penalized with a large cup." It records the rules established by Marquis Wen of Wei during a drinking game with his ministers in the Warring States period. The allusion originates from a slip of the tongue by Marquis Wen during a banquet, where he said "float a large white [cup]" instead of "penalize with a large cup," which later became an idiom for drinking heartily.
- Five hundred
Elite（ ）Swordsmen
- Five hundred
Before attacking Changsha in the New Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu said he only needed "five hundred elite swordsmen" to take the city.
This sentence became famous because it clearly defies the logic of ancient warfare, is extremely pretentious, and has been frequently cited by R9. Furthermore, because many actors playing soldiers in this series have expressions as if they can't hold back their laughter, and these shots of smiling soldiers are used as stock footage in many war scenes, the term "Laughing Blade-wielders" was coined.
- Guan's great blade does not slay the old or the young
When Guan Yu was attacking Changsha and saw Huang Zhong coming out to fight, he said: "Go back, you are too old.Guan's great blade does not slay the old or the young!”
Literally, this sentence might be intended to show that Guan Yu has principles, but Guan Yu's arrogant expression and haughty tone in the series make this line extremely pretentious. It is one of Guan Yu's representative pretentious lines.
- The dragon, it is the symbol of an emperor
Before Liu Bei set off for Eastern Wu for his marriage, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei came to see Liu Bei. Guan Yu mentioned Zhuge Liang, saying:
| “ | Before he came to serve Big Brother, he already had the title of "CrouchingDragon,"The dragon, it is the symbol of an emperor。 | ” |
Guan Yu then said he was worried that the "extraordinarily resourceful(Big Lie)" Zhuge Liang would take advantage of Liu Bei's absence to become the master of Jingxiang, and then Guan, Zhang, and others would all have to follow his orders.
In the original *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* and even in the *Records of the Three Kingdoms*, there have been similar expressions like "the dragon is a symbol of the monarch"[60], in other words, "the dragon is the symbol of an emperor" itself is not a problem. However, what many viewers found seriousOOC, what is unacceptable is that this sentence would actually be used byloyalty and righteousnessrenowned Guan Yu, who never suspected the military strategist in official history or the Romance, as a means of literary inquisition toslander others. According to the logic of Guan Yu in the New Three Kingdoms:
- Guan Yu's weapon is called the GreenDragonDragon Crescent Blade, and the dragon is a symbol of the Emperor;
- Zhao Yun's courtesy name is ZiDragon, long (Dragon), and the dragon is a symbol of the Emperor;
- Zhang Fei's weapon is the Serpent Spear, and the serpent is a littleDragon, dragon, which is also a symbol of the Emperor;
Pang Tong's courtesy name isFengchu (Fledgling Phoenix),Fengwhich is a symbol of the Empress[61]；- AllDragonrelated words (such as homophones and near-homophones) can be a "sign of an emperor" or some other strange thing.
Thus, "The dragon, it is a sign of an emperor!" became one of themust-tastefamous memes in *Three Kingdoms (2010)*.
When using this meme online, it is sometimes processed asPun"Deafness, it is a sign of an emperor!", and linked with other memes related to "Dragon" or "Deaf" in this work (such as Liu Bei's response: "I will pierce my own ears and make them deaf").
- Switch to large cups
| “ | I won't be polite. Come, switch to large cups! | ” |
Words spoken by Guan Yu at the banquet during his "Single-Handed Meeting" in Jiangdong. It is a representative line for Guan Yu's "drunkard" persona, and Guan Yu in this series also earned the nickname "Guan Big-Cup."
- Madman! No hero in the world hears my name without losing heart!
Spoken by Guan Yu to Pang De, who came to relieve Fancheng. It is also a representative line for Guan Yu's posturing.
《Legends of the Three Kingdoms》 in the expansion pack "Corroding Heart, Entering Demonhood: Slow" designed around Guan YuPang DeAdapted this line in his title and card art.
- If he crosses the river, I'll cross the river too
When Guan Yu was attacking Fancheng, Ma Liang warned him that Eastern Wu might take advantage of his absence to cross the river and launch a sneak attack on Jing Province. Guan Yu stated:
| “ | "That's fine,"If he crosses the river, I'll cross the river too, if he crosses the river to attack my Jing Province, I will cross the riverstrike directly at Eastern Wu's Jianye, taking Sun Quan along with it! | ” |
Immediately after, he collapsed due to the inflammation of his poison arrow wound.
This dialogue from Guan Yu not only fails to show majesty but also makes him appear reckless and prone to posturing. It stands in stark contrast to his subsequent loss of Jing Province due to carelessness and his death at Maicheng. In this series, Guan Yu earned the nickname "Guan Cross-the-River."
Zhang Fei
Played by Kang Kai. This work amplifies the savage, crude, and uncultured side of Zhang Fei, portraying him as a vulgar, loud-mouthed, tyrannical, and overbearing boor with zero military talent (although the Zhang Fei in the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* is known for being bold and uninhibited, he also had a great military mind and a high success rate with strategies). He frequently makes arrogant remarks in public and acts on his own whims, even ignoring Liu Bei's orders, making him very unlikable. He was mocked by viewers as "Zhang the Baboon," and is one of the most hated characters in the series. However, whenever Zhang Fei makes a scene, Liu Bei always waits for him to finish his tantrum before giving a token reprimand. This suggests that Zhang Fei's behavior is a result of Liu Bei's deliberate indulgence, further highlighting Liu Bei's hypocritical nature in this work.
Zhang Fei's voice should be rough and loud, but in this drama, the interpretation of Zhang Fei's voice involves him constantly speaking and shouting with a strained voice. It sounds neither loud nor imposing, further deepening the audience's dislike for this version of Zhang Fei.
One of the "drunkards" of *Three Kingdoms (2010)*. Even after Guan Yu's death, Zhang Fei showed a look of satisfaction while drinking and happily said, "Hahahaha, good wine."
In the original work, the plot where Zhang Fei is hated and killed by his subordinates Fan Jiang and Zhang Da—after whipping them and issuing nearly impossible military orders—reflects Zhang Fei's failures due to drinking, his extreme emotional state over his second brother Guan Yu's death, and his flaws in military management. It is a heartbreaking and regrettable scene. However, because of a series of unlikable behaviors in this work, the audience has almost no sympathy for him. Instead, Fan Jiang and Zhang Da, who killed him, are jokingly called "heroes" by viewers, and *Three Kingdoms (2010)* is jokingly referred to as "Where are Fan Jiang and Zhang Da?"
Many comments point out that Zhang Fei in *Three Kingdoms (2010)*, from his appearance to his character setting and even some plot points, are allso brainless that theytoLi Kuiare actually quite similar. For example, the line "Big brother must be the alliance leader" below is similar to Li Kui's remark: "Brother Chao Gai shall be the Great Song Emperor, and Brother Song Jiang shall be the Little Song Emperor. Mr. Wu shall be the Chancellor, and Taoist Gongsun shall be the State Preceptor. We shall all be generals. Let's march to Tokyo, seize that bird throne, and live happily there! Wouldn't that be better! Isn't it better than staying in this bird marsh?" Another example is an original plot during the Gucheng arc that resembles "Li Kui's Judgment." Kang Kai, who plays Zhang Fei in this drama, also played Li Kui in *All Men Are Brothers (2011)*, and the two characters are often compared by viewers.[64]Kang Kai also played Fan Kuai in another TV series directed by Gao Xixi, *Legend of Chu and Han*.
As a non-A-list actor whose status isn't particularly high, although his acting is controversial, Kang Kai appears very dedicated compared to some "big shot" actors who also played important roles in this drama. He performed almost every scene himself (though he did use stunt doubles occasionally, it was much less frequent than the two Teachers Yu), and there were even scenes where he worked hard filming shirtless in the dead of winter. Butperhaps due to the actor's lack of star power, Zhang Fei, a classic character of the Three Kingdoms story, didn't even get to show his face on the poster of *Three Kingdoms (2010)* (see the title image).
Kang Kai played the "four brothers": Fan Kuai, Zhang Fei, Li Kui, and Niu Gao.
- Ten thousand transparent holes
Zhang Fei often threatens to poke ten thousand transparent holes in someone at the slightest provocation, which is quite comical. In this series, Zhang Fei was given the nickname "Zhang the Hole-Poker."
- Since we're joining the alliance, Big Brother must be the leader; otherwise, we won't join this crappy alliance!
Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei appear, at
- Hearing this makes me feel so damn good
When Liu, Guan, and Zhang became the 19th lord and were stationed in a thatched hut, Zhang Fei cursed Yuan Shu because Yuan Shu withheld their rations and beat their soldiers. He planned to poke ten thousand transparent holes in Yuan Shu and even claimed that Cao Cao, who had helped them more than once, was being hypocritical.(This Zhang Fei is not only a fool but also an ungrateful wretch). Cao Cao came to visit with wine and meat, wanting to win the three over, and so the following conversation took place:
- Cao Cao: Even from a hundred miles away, I, Cao, could feel the aura of heroism emanating from this thatched hut!
- Zhang Fei:Cao Cao, you spoke so well! Just now I was still cursing you!
Actually, he's still cursing him right now. - Cao Cao: May I ask what Brother Yide was cursing me for just now?
- Zhang Fei: I was cursing you for being hypocritical! My apologies!
- Cao Cao: Brother Yide is right to curse! I would rather hear you curse than listen to their hypocrisy and sweet talk! (At this point, the camera cuts to Liu Bei, who gives a meaningful smile)
- Zhang Fei: Well said, truly well said!It makes me feel so good inside I could die!
Because Zhang Fei is portrayed as such a scumbag in this series, when he is later killed by Fan Jiang and Zhang Da, some viewers will quote this line to comment, "Feels so good I could die!"
- Big Brother, just a few words will do. Who knows if the late Emperor can even hear you?[Original series position 11]
Liu Bei is offering sacrifices
- Burning the Thatched Cottage
Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei went to invite Kongming to join them. They failed to see him the first two times, and on the third visit, Kongming was sleeping in his thatched cottage. In the original novel, Zhang Fei said in a rage, "Wait until I go behind the house and set a fire, let's see if he gets up then!" but it was just talk, and he was stopped by Guan Yu. However, in *Three Kingdoms* (2010), after Zhang Fei expressed his intention to burn the cottage, although Guan Yu also spoke to stop him, Zhang Fei quickly used the excuse of relieving himself to slip away from Guan Yu's sight. Subsequently, Kongming's cottage burst into flames. Liu Bei, who was waiting inside the cottage, first stepped forward quickly and then stopped the page boy "A San" who intended to rescue Kongming(Yes, the page boy is actually named this in the original series; it's not a parody by netizens)and sighed: "Do not disturb him. The Master is truly an extraordinary man." Outside, Guan Yu saw the thick smoke and hurried into the room. At this point, the fire miraculously extinguished itself without anyone putting it out. After Zhuge Liang recited four lines of poetry, he finally got up and coughed as if realizing what happened, then used his feather fan to wave away the smoke. Everyone's performance in this segment was god-like, making it one of the show's viral
No wonder Zhuge Liang would later say at Shangfang Valley, "What a great fire, even better than the fire at Yilin."
- I think you just can't bear to part with this commander's desk.！
Zhang Fei was anxious because Liu Bei stayed in Eastern Wu for a long time without returning. Zhuge Liang rejected the proposal to immediately send troops to rescue Liu Bei due to his own strategic arrangements. Consequently, Zhang Fei roared in anger, "I think you just can't bear to part with this commander's desk!" and flipped Zhuge Liang's desk. After Zhang Fei left, Zhuge Liangbroke down, and later Guan Yu and Zhang Fei even started a mutiny to blackmail Zhuge Liang, causing Zhuge Liang to consider quitting. However, after Liu Bei returned and cleared up the misunderstanding, Guan and Zhang only gave a symbolic apology and continued to act like hooligans towards Zhuge Liang.
Zhao Yun
Played by Nie Yuan. He is relatively normal in this series, but like Yu Rongguang's Guan Yu, the actor was absent in some scenes, which were often resolved with later reshoots (though not as frequently as Yu Rongguang, and compared to Guan Yu's frequent use of body doubles, Zhao Yun used fewer; more often, a close-up shot of Zhao Yun's face from a reshoot would be abruptly inserted into the middle of a scene. However, what's bizarre is that in some plots where Zhao Yun could have been absent or logically shouldn't have appeared, the production team still inserted close-up shots to make Zhao Yun appear, which seems inexplicable）。
Possesses super combat power like "Sangokumusou" series' Zhao Yun. When Liu Bei asked Gongsun Zan to borrow troops to save Xuzhou, he insisted on only wanting Zhao Yun and no other soldiers. During the rescue of Adou at Changban Slope, Zhao Yun actually took the initiative to charge into the Cao army's encirclement instead of fighting while retreating as in the original work, appearing like a God of War.It even led to the inclusion of the plot where Liu Bei borrows Zhao Yun and the Eight Gates Golden Lock shield formation in Dynasty Warriors: Origins.
After being borrowed by Liu Bei, Zhao Yun immediately addressed him as "My Lord" and followed him throughout the rest of the story.[65]In some lines, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei treat Zhao Yun as their sworn brother (Guan Yu feels this way in the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms as well, so this is generally accepted).
Zhao Yun's actor, Nie Yuan, played Tang Sanzang in Zhang Jizhong's version of Journey to the West. Therefore, whenever the actor is absent, viewers use an actor meme saying Zhao Yun went to the neighboring set to seek Buddhist scriptures in the West.However, Three Kingdoms finished filming in July 2009, while Zhang Jizhong's Journey to the West only began filming in September 2009, so it is unlikely the actor filmed both simultaneously.
- Good, what great ambition!
Zhao Yun said this to express his appreciation for Guan Ping's determination when Guan Ping asked Guan Yu to take him in as an adopted son.
It became famous because it was frequently parodied by R9 in his videos.
- I can hear the sound of an arrow from a hundred meters away
In the plotline "Lady Wu views the groom at the Buddhist temple," Zhao Yun hears the hidden soldiers'[66]movement, Sun Quan calmly denies it, but Zhao Yun retorts:
| “ | These ears of mine can hear from a hundredmetersaway the sound of an arrow (omitted) | ” |
toCao Cao reciting modern poetry on his deathbed、Guo Jia proposed "The Emperor's devaluation"Similarly, in this line, the modern International System of Units intrudes into the ancient dialogue context. The distance unit "meter" was born more than a thousand years after the Eastern Han Dynasty; "meter" here could easily be changed to ancient Chinese units of measurement such as "chi" or "li".
- I will bash my head against this pillar and die
On the eve of the first Northern Expedition, Zhuge Liang appointed a large number of Shu Han generals to go to battle, leaving only Zhao Yun behind. Facing Zhao Yun's confusion, Zhuge Liang could only explain that of the Five Tiger Generals, only Zhao Yun remained, so he could not bear to let Zhao Yun gallop onto the battlefield. To this, Zhao Yun said: "If the Prime Minister does not appoint me as the vanguard today,I will bash my head against this pillar and die!" Zhuge Liang had no choice but to let Zhao Yun go to battle. Zhao Yun thus earned the nickname "Zhao the Pillar-Basher".
This sentence can even, with another of Zhao Yun's lines, "Good, what great ambition!", produce a wonderful synergistic effect.
Sun Qian
Played by Yang Rui. In the drama, he mostly appears as Liu Bei's servant.
Historically, Sun Qian died of illness shortly after Liu Bei occupied Yizhou (214 AD), but in this work, Sun Qian lived until after Zhang Fei's death (221 AD), mourning Zhang Fei with Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, and others.The stunt double lived longer than Guan Yu himself.
His actor, Yang Rui, left a deep impression on the audience because he played a large number of minor roles in the drama and served as one of Guan Yu's stunt doubles.
- Romance of Sun Qian
The actor who played Sun Qian, Yang Rui, also played a large number of minor roles in the drama, as well as stunt doubles for some main characters. This drama uses minor actors very frequently (see "Others"), and because Yang Rui's face is so recognizable, the audience can immediately notice that a certain soldier or a certain character's shot in a scene is played by him if they look closely. Typical examples include:
- In the section where Lady Wu meets Liu Bei at Ganlu Temple, Yang Rui normally plays Sun Qian, but when Zhao Yun discovers the ax-men, Sun Qian suddenly becomes Jian Yong, and Yang Rui, who originally played Sun Qian, runs outside to become an ambushing ax-man;
- In the section where Wei Yan rescues Huang Zhong in the Battle of Changsha, Yang Rui not only played Huang Zhong's stunt double in long shots but also played the executioner stabbed to death by Wei Yan (this executioner was played by "Brother Hu" in the execution shot, see "Xiliang Savage");
- In the sections where Zhuge Liang mourns Zhou Yu and Pang Tong meets the Marquis of Wu, Yang Rui played a passerby reading a notice; in this section, there is also the plot of "Sun Qian visiting Lady Wu with gifts."
This foreshadowing is buried so deep, it's brilliant.[67]。
With all this, plus the frequent use of close-ups and quick cuts in the action scenes of this drama, there are ridiculous speculations such as "With just one Sun Qian, you can film anyone talking to anyone, anyone fighting anyone" and "The entire New Three Kingdoms was acted by Sun Qian."
However, according to statistics, the one who actually played the most minor roles is Yang Tong, who played Liu Xian.
- Literary Guan Yu
Due to scheduling conflicts, Yu Rongguang, the actor for the main character Guan Yu, was frequently absent from the set, resulting in many long shots of Guan Yu(Actually, there are also some close-up shots)being performed by stand-ins. Among them, Yang Rui, the actor for Sun Qian, was primarily responsible for Guan Yu's non-action scenes, leading viewers to jokingly call him "Literary Guan Yu."
Zhou Cang
Played by Zhang Shengyang.
Just like in the original work, when Guan Yu was crossing
In this work, Zhou Cang's end comes after the defeat at Maicheng, where he is surrounded by the Wu army and dies in battle alongside Guan Ping. However, Guan Yu just stands by and watches helplessly.Senior Guan Yu! Why are you just watching? Have you really betrayed us?
His actor, Zhang Shengyang, left a deep impression on the audience because he served as one of Guan Yu's body doubles in the series.
- Martial Guan Yu
Due to scheduling conflicts, Yu Rongguang, the actor for the main character Guan Yu, was frequently absent from the set, resulting in many long shots of Guan Yu(Actually, there are also some close-up shots)They were all completed by stunt doubles. Among them, Zhou Cang's actor Zhang Shengyang was mainly responsible for Guan Yu's action scenes, and was jokingly called "Martial Guan Yu" by the audience.
Zhuge Liang
Played by Lu Yi. As one of the most famous strategists of the Three Kingdoms period, in this series he is often seen either frowning or expressionless. Like Liu Bei, he is "glass-hearted," easily triggered, and even prone to crying, failing to show the composure and wisdom of "devising strategies within a command tent to ensure victory a thousand miles away." Scenes that should have been his highlights, such as the Longzhong Plan, the War of Words with the Scholars,Scolding Wang Langand others were all filmed poorly. Liu, Guan, and Zhang also seem to look down on him, often deliberately making things difficult for him and speculating about his motives (such as the aforementioned "Dragons are a symbol of emperors""I think you just can't bear to part with this commander's desk."). In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, however, generals including Guan and Zhang respect Zhuge Liang deeply; even if they were initially dissatisfied, they would change their minds due to the abilities he demonstrated).
In this work filled with "drunkards," he is one of the few characters who does not like to drink.(Suspected reason for being sidelined by Guan and Zhang)。
Crouching DragonDragon, and is not afraid of fire (seeBurning the Thatched Cottage), suspected to be a descendant of the Targaryen family in 《A Song of Ice and Fire》.
He seems to possess the forbidden "Human Alchemy," capable of turning money and grain into soldiers. When evaluating Zhuge Liang, Cao Cao once said: "What kind of person is Kongming? As long as he has money and grain in hand, he will immediately conjure up a hundred thousand elite troops."
Because Lu Yi is also the actor for the protagonist Hou Liangping in the TV series *In the Name of the People*, and his acting in that series was also highly controversial, viewers often compare the two characters.
- Rather than looking for a lord, it is better to create a lord for oneself.
This is Zhuge Liang's view on a lord as relayed by Xu Shu in the series. The show also depicts this phrase echoing in Liu Bei's mind afterwards, strengthening his resolve to recruit Zhuge Liang.
The original intention of this phrase might have been to express supporting a lord, but using "creating a lord" to describe it seems bizarre.
Suspected foreshadowing of Zhuge Liang's "Human Alchemy."
- Bowang Slope Logical Deadlock
*Three Kingdoms* (2010) changed the strategy of the Battle of Bowang Slope—Zhuge Liang's debut battle to establish authority—into something nonsensical, causing his characterization to collapse as soon as he appeared. Fan creations parodying *Three Kingdoms* often design similar lines where "multiple people's tasks are prerequisites for each other."
Specifically, in the original work, Zhuge Liang's plan was: Zhao Yun engages the enemy north of Bowang Slope and feigns defeat to lure them south; Liu Bei provides support at Xinye; Guan Ping and Liu Feng are in the south to set fires when the Cao army arrives; Guan Yu and Zhang Fei lie in ambush on both sides of Bowang Slope, attacking after the southern fires start, setting fire to the supply train and the city of Bowang to the north to disrupt the enemy rear. However, in *Three Kingdoms* (2010), Zhuge Liang's order to Guan Ping was inexplicably changed to waiting north of Bowang City for Zhang Fei to arrive before setting fire—upon closer inspection, one realizes that no unit was actually assigned to set the first fire. If this plan were truly followed, Liu Bei's generals would have been left staring at each other in a logical deadlock.
However,Under the intervention of providence,When Zhuge Liang returned after being invited by Liu Qi and advising him on how to escape the Cai clan's persecution, the Battle of Bowang Slope had already been won by Liu Bei's army.
-
The effect Zhuge Liang envisioned -
Without the intervention of providenceThe actual effect when running
- Remarkable, speaking the plain truth from the very start
Lu Su used the pretext of mourning Liu Biao to investigate the situation of Cao Cao's army and Jing Province, and told Zhuge Liang and others his purpose directly. Thus, Zhuge Liang commented on Lu Su's speech in this way.
Netizens often use this phrase to mock certain parts of Three Kingdoms (2010)written because the screenwriters were afraid the audience wouldn't understand,which are overly blunt dialogues. Additionally, it is used to mock ACGN plotsand realitywhere certain sanctimonious forces finally reveal their true intentions through their words.
- Why did you pick it up?
Previously, Zhang Fei roared at Zhuge Liang, "I think you just can't bear to part with this commander's desk." and flipped the table before leaving, Ma Su intended to help Zhuge Liang set the commander's desk back up, but Zhuge Liang lost his cool and roared at Ma Su: "Why are you picking it up? If you pick it up today, he'll just come back and act wild tomorrow!" Such behavior of bullying the weak while fearing the strong made this character even more disliked.
The suspected reason why Ma Su lost Jieting.
- If Huang Zhong knew Guan Yu and Zhang Fei staged a military remonstrance, he would surely have a *wòchuò* with his men.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei staged a military remonstrance because Zhuge Liang refused to send troops to rescue Liu Bei.(Yes, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei actually staged a military remonstrance against Zhuge Liang)., Zhuge Liang used the excuse that Huang Zhong and himself were both from Jingzhou to transfer Huang Zhong and his men out of Jingzhou. In the original broadcast, the line spoken was: "If Huang Zhong knew Guan Yu and Zhang Fei staged a military remonstrance, he would surely have a*wòchuò*."
What Zhuge Liang meant to say here should be "
In fact, Lu Yi mispronounced words more than once in the series, causing the meaning of the lines to deviate significantly from the original intent, such as reading "
By the way, Huang Zhong, who was transferred out of Jingzhou by Zhuge Liang, inexplicably appeared with Wei Yan leading troops on the road where Liu Bei and Lady Sun were returning to Jingzhou in the very next plot segment (this was even still within Jiangdong territory), thereby rescuing Liu Bei's group from Zhou Yu's pursuers. Combined with the previous blooper where Zhao Yun opened the last two silk pouches in the wrong order, such a messy process that somehow successfully achieved the original story's outcome can seemingly only be explained as the result ofdivine correction.
- The talent of Boya and Shuqi
Sun Ce once asked Zhou Yu how well Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao played the zither, and Zhou Yu claimed the two hadthe talent of Boya and Ziqi, which already made the audience feel quite shocked. However, Zhuge Liang's evaluation of Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao was that they had the "talent of Boya andShuqi." Boya was a zither master during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, while Shuqi was a noble of the Guzhu Kingdom at the end of the Shang Dynasty; the two have absolutely nothing to do with each other.
Perhaps what Zhuge Liang wanted to say was not "the talent of Boya and Ziqi," but "the talent of Boyi and Shuqi." Because Boyi and Shuqi were brothers who lived in seclusion on Mount Shouyang in their later years and died alone; and the Qiao sisters were sisters whose husbands (Sun Ce and Zhou Yu) died young, so they presumably also died alone, which would make it logical.
- Scolding Wang Lang to death
In 2014, after uploaders like "Meng Meng Dai" used RAP videos to make the scene in "Old Three Kingdoms" where "_I have never seen a person so thick-skinned and shameless!” became a viral hit and became aClassic Kichiku materialAfter that, some UPers made videos comparing the famous scene of Zhuge Liang scolding Wang Lang to death in the New and Old Three Kingdoms. Some UPers and viewers believe that Zhuge Liang's acting in the *New Three Kingdoms* is far inferior to that in the *Old Three Kingdoms*.
In the Old Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang's lines were basically the original words from the novel *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. In the original work and the Old Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang fully refuted Wang Lang's persuasion to surrender by clarifying the general trend of the world, placing Wang Lang himself and the Cao Wei regime behind him in a morally unjust position. Only then did he intensify the personal attack on Wang Lang, interrupting Wang Lang's speech with overwhelming momentum. The actor's improvisation of "I have never seen such a thick-faced and shameless person" became the stroke of genius that delivered the killing blow to Wang Lang. Finally, Wang Lang died from falling off his horse in shame and indignation. In contrast, the *New Three Kingdoms* significantly simplified Zhuge Liang's lines. During the verbal battle (in the *New Three Kingdoms*, Wang Lang proposed "let me scold him first" before meeting Zhuge Liang, confirming that in the production team's understanding, this scene was a mutual scolding match), Zhuge Liang's momentum was completely inferior to Wang Lang's (Zhuge Liang even nodded unconsciously while Wang Lang was scolding him). However, Wang Lang still died after being scolded by Zhuge Liang with a few casual remarks, making Wang Lang's blood-spitting at the end seem not like being scolded to death by Zhuge Liang, but rather suffering from a
Minister Wang, it wasn't Zhuge Liang who harmed you; it was the will of Heaven that harmed you.
After the Wei army recovered Minister Wang's body, Cao Zhen lamented: "This... this Zhuge Liang is truly a monster. With just a three-inch tongue, he talked my military advisor to death!" When the series was broadcast, this was rated as a "shocking" line on some forums and went slightly viral for a while. The director of the series, Gao Xixi, also proudly told the media in an interview that Zhuge Liang possessed a "demonic immortal aura."[69]。
Another "car crash" scene is the "Debate with the Scholars of Jiangdong." In the *New Three Kingdoms*, the officials of Jiangdong started scolding Zhuge Liang rudely with zero-frame startup upon seeing him, while Zhuge Liang appeared completely lacking in confidence when facing them. Yet, in the end, he managed to "defeat" them with a few casual words, and some of his opponents among the Jiangdong officials didn't even show their faces throughout the scene.(Even mixed in aSun Qian）。
- 100% credible
When Zhuge Liang heard that Meng Da had rebelled against Wei, Ma Su asked him if it was credible. In the original broadcast version, Zhuge Liang replied: "It's 100% credible!"
Because it was too out of place, this line was changed to "How could it not be credible?" in the restored version.
- It's so fire, more than
Yilin（ ）fire is even better
- It's so fire, more than
From the scene of the Burning of Shangfang Valley, Zhuge Liang uses fire to trap Sima Yi's army in the valley. Seeing that Sima Yi and others cannot escape, Zhuge Liang actually says: "What a great fire, even better than theYilin[[sic]][70]fire is even better."
The Fire of Yiling (Burning of the Linked Camps) was a massive defeat for the state of Shu; logically and emotionally, Zhuge Liang should never have said such a thing.However, considering how Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei often bullied him in Three Kingdoms (2010), it somehow seems reasonable.
After it rains in Shangfang Valley, Three Kingdoms (2010) added an original scene where Kongming breaks down and spits blood upon seeing this. However, due to the poor atmosphere and the actor's over-the-top performance, this scene feels far from tragic; instead, it's exceptionally comical. It was criticized by media and audiences as a "shocking" scene when it aired and was turned into memes years later, though they aren't widely circulated.
Ma Su
Played by Zheng Shiming. Unlike in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ma Su joined Liu Bei's group as early as the Battle of Red Cliffs and stayed by Zhuge Liang's side as his student.Nominally a student but actually a servant, he also has to endureMiss Ge'sVenting frustration, and was jokingly called "Ma the Maid" by the audience.
- Sharp Ears
In Three Kingdoms (2010), Ma Su suddenly appears by Zhuge Liang's side during the Battle of Red Cliffs. Zhuge Liang asks Ma Su to judge the situation at Sanjiangkou from the "distant sounds of battle." Ma Su actually manages to hear "the dense drums and horns of the Wu army," "the chaotic shouts of the Cao army," and even "the long neighing of warhorses hit by arrows."How many warhorses would there even be in a naval battle?, and based on this, he concludes that Zhou Yu has already broken through Cao Cao's camp, etc.
Regardless of how ridiculous Zhuge Liang's order was or how "distant sounds of battle" could even be heard; even if they were heard, the fact that Ma Su could distinguish which sounds were from the Wu army or the Cao army is utterly absurd.
- The Loss of Jieting and the Execution of Ma Su
After Ma Su violated Zhuge Liang's orders and stationed his troops on the mountain as in the original work, he surprisingly managed to, in a short time,build a large camp on the mountain.。
When Ma Su was being sentenced by Zhuge Liang for losing Jieting, while other generals pleaded for mercy, the deputy general Wang Ping instead said, "Ma Su must not be dealt with lightly." This stands in stark contrast to the old Three Kingdoms series, where Wang Ping pleaded for Ma Su, saying, "Please let him redeem himself through service~!"
Before the execution, Ma Su bid farewell to the others with great passion, as if he weren't dying for violating military law and ruining the grand plans for the Northern Expedition, but had instead become a heroic martyr.
Pang Tong
Played by Du Xudong. He is often muttering mysteriously and is also a drunkard. The audience nicknamed him "Pang-like Ape."
After joining the Shu Han camp, he was infected with self-destructive tendencies,In *Three Kingdoms* (2010), Pang Tong's death at Fallen Phoenix Slope was because he
Pang Tong:First, I grieve for my lord; second, I congratulate my lord.。
*Dynasty Warriors* also copied this plot, but at least in *Warriors*, he dies after conquering Xichuan.
- Pang Tong making a scene at the funeral
At Zhou Yu's funeral, a drunk Pang Tong came to cause trouble, claiming that the victory at the Battle of Red Cliffs was not Zhou Yu's credit but due to the Chain Stratagem he offered to Cao Cao. If he hadn't suggested Cao Cao link the ships together, how could Zhou Yuburn the connected camps. Subsequently, Pang Tong was unsurprisingly kicked out, and he told Zhuge Liang, who followed him out, that his actions were actually to test Sun Quan's magnanimity.
Regardless of whether he deserved to be kicked out for causing trouble at a funeral, in the *Three Kingdoms* (2010) setting, the Chain Stratagem was a bad idea given to Cao Cao by Yu Jin (Pang Tong hadn't even appeared then). Suddenly returning to the original setting here is clearly "Heaven's Will" at work. As for calling the Burning of Red Cliffs "Burning the Connected Camps"... it's perhaps a bit too much of adark.In the restored version, the plot where Pang Tong disrupts the funeral and claims to have offered the "Chain Link Stratagem" was deleted, but bugs related to this plot still remain in subsequent dialogues.
- Do you think a pot of wine can win back a heart you've broken?
Pang Tong's
This line sounds like sweet talk from a literary romance film after suffering emotional pain, which is completely out of character for Pang Tong's image as a strategist.
- Evil Taoist
In the drama, Fa Zheng calls Pang Tong a former "evil Taoist," so Pang Tong is often joked about as being able to use skills of a Dark Mage or Shadow Priest.
- Body rotting at Luofeng Slope
From what Liu Bei said to Zhuge Liang after capturing Xichuan: the bodies of Pang Tong and other fallen soldiers "rotted together at Luofeng Slope." By the time Liu Bei returned to Luofeng Slope to pay his respects, the remains were unrecognizable.
After Pang Tong's death, Liu Bei surprisingly didn't go to retrieve his body immediately, but let him rot at Luofeng Slope, only coming to pay respects much later after taking Xichuan. This not only reinforces the image of "New Three Kingdoms" Liu Bei as a hypocrite with fake benevolence but also makes Pang Tong look like a clown who was pressured into seeking death yet remained unmourned.
Huang Zhong
But then burst out laughing afterwards
Played by Song Laiyun. He is considered one of the "normal people" in this series, but he loves to laugh heartily, thus earning the nickname "Huang Haha."
In the original *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* and the old *Three Kingdoms* series, although he shot Guan Yu's helmet tassel in the Battle of Changsha and had the merit of killing Xiahou Yuan, he was still looked down upon by Guan Yu when the Five Tiger Generals were appointed, which is a clear contradiction by the author. In the *New Three Kingdoms*, this was changed to Guan Yu looking down on Ma Chao, which is better than the original work, but before Huang Zhong's death, it was still "corrected by fate" into him hearing that Guan Yu looked down on him.
- Hahahahahahahaha
Huang Zhong's classic laugh. From his first appearance to his death, Huang Zhong laughs constantly; it's so infectious that it's very catchy.
- There is no second Changsha in the world, and there is no second Huang Zhong on earth.
When Guan Yu attacked Changsha, the Governor of Changsha, Han Xuan, discussed a temporary retreat with Huang Zhong. Huang Zhong refused with his classic laugh: "Hahahahahahahaha, no retreat.", and explained, "BecauseThere is no second Changsha in the world, and there is no second Huang Zhong on earth.”.
This reason is completely irrelevant to whether to retreat to the city or not, andChuuniits coolness level is off the charts, sounding like a line from a wuxia novel, thus becoming a meme.
- It has always been me shooting others; how could anyone shoot me?
During Liu Bei's campaign against Wu, which was the last battle Huang Zhong participated in, Huang Zhong acted as bait to lure Han Dang and Zhou Tai (who led an army of 100,000) into the Shu army's ambush. During the process, he was hit by several arrows from the Wu army. Facing his subordinates' concern, Huang Zhong said: "I have practiced archery since I was six and can pierce a willow leaf from a hundred paces. It has always been me shooting others; how could anyone shoot me!?"
Although this line sounds a bit strange, it portrays Huang Zhong's heroic and "old but vigorous" image. Setting aside the details of the plot regarding Huang Zhong's sacrifice...(For example, Huang Zhong intentionally seeking death, and the wild neutral ambushes that respawned in this battle), it still portrays Huang Zhong quite well.
This quote, after being modified, was used forHonor of KingsHuang Zhong's "Fiery Soul" skin.
This quote might be adapted from Cao Cao's "I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me"?
Wei Yan
Played by Wang Xinjun. One of the"normal people"in this series.Unfortunately, in the end, he still couldn't resist the erosion of fate and went mad.
In the original work, he was set to be guarded against by Zhuge Liang due to having a "bone of rebellion" behind his head, but in this work, because Wei Yan is too normal, this wariness turned into deliberate difficulty and oppression.
- EXECUTE!!!
After Ma Su lost Jieting, Wei Yan requested forgiveness for Ma Su on the grounds that Shu Han "already has few strategists," but Ma Su was still sentenced to death, with Wei Yan supervising the execution. After Ma Su and Wei Yan finished drinking and Ma Su bid a passionate farewell, Wei Yan shouted the order:
| “ | EXECUTE!!! | ” |
Then Wei Yan smashed the wine cup, Ma Su was executed, and Wei Yan lowered his head with tears in his eyes.
This performance by Wei Yan is highly visual and effectively portrays the sorrow and helplessness of Wei Yan's failed attempt to preserve the sparks for the Northern Expedition; it is one of the few "famous scenes" with positive significance where both the plot and performance are on point.
Ma Chao
Played by Chen Yilin. Although this drama modified Ma Chao's controversial behavior of causing the deaths of his father and younger brother(But in this work, the victims changed from father and younger brother to father and elder brother; the problem is that Ma Chao is the eldest son in the family, so logically he shouldn't have an elder brother), eliminating hisdark history, it tried to be clever in handling the relationship between Ma Chao and Han Sui: on one hand, it portrayed Han Sui as a loyal and honest person, unlike in history or the novel, who remained loyal to the Ma family from beginning to end; on the other hand, it had Ma Chao provoked by Cao Cao's full-of-loopholes alienation plot, suspecting Han Sui and cutting off his left hand just like in the novel (even while Han Sui was kindly concerned about Ma Chao's situation). This made Ma Chao appear too foolish and ungrateful.
Ma Chao's role in this work ends after forcing Liu Zhang to surrender. But there were leaked later-periodwearing theSinicized skin'sstills of Ma Chao, suggesting there were subsequent scenes that were deleted.
- Mount Huaguo Allied Forces
In the series, the Xiliang army led by Ma Chao likes to make strange noises like monkeys on the front lines, so the army he leads is jokingly called the "Mount Huaguo Allied Forces." Ma Chao is also nicknamed "Ma Monkey," a homophone of his courtesy name "Mengqi."[72]
- Cao thief! Traitor! Villain! Re~bel!
Lines shouted by Ma Chao when challenging Cao Cao. Because of this, Ma Chao earned the title "Ma Quadruple."
Fa Zheng
Played by Zhang Xinhua. In the series, he is portrayed as a fawning sycophant.
- Your servant Fa↗ Zheng↘~ greets the King~ of Han~zhong↗~!
Spoken when Liu Bei agreed to take the title of King. The tone of this sentence is extremely excited and is frequently used in R9 fan creations, thus becoming a meme, mocked as the "Super Vibrato." Another line of his that became a meme due to exaggerated intonation is "_Shuzhong, the future is bri~ght~!" and other lines.
Characters - Wu
Sun Jian
Played by Fan Yulin. Simple-minded, he was easily deceived by Cao Cao and Liu Biao. Cao Cao swindled three thousand cavalry from him with ease. After Cao Cao returned in defeat, not only did he completely forget to ask for the three thousand cavalry back, but he even supported Cao Cao when the latter shifted the blame to the Yuan brothers, epitomizing the phrase "being sold out and still helping the seller count the money."
Always talks about Jiangdong, as if assuming Jiangdong was Sun family territory from the very beginning.[73]。
In this work, Sun Jian's death is moved up to when he was intercepted by Liu Biao while returning with the hidden Imperial Seal. However, in this plot segment, it's as if Sun Jian wasAim-locked, accurately struck by arrows fired by Liu Biao's ambushers, while Sun Ce, Sun Quan, and others nearby remained completely unharmed.
The same actor also played Ma Kui, the captain of the Tianjin Station Action Team of the Secret Service, in the domestic spy drama "Lurk" (Qianfu). Among the many shrewd characters in that show, this character ranked quite low in intelligence and was framed and removed by the protagonist early in the plot. Another character, Wu Jingzhong, the head of the Tianjin Station, commented on him: "Clumsy Ma Kui." Because of this, the simple-minded Sun Jian in this series is alsoReputation damaged, and is sometimes called "clumsy Sun Jian" by the audience.Actor Fan Yulin stated in an interview with visiting reporters that Ma Kui is a character with both wisdom and courage.
- Performance without props
Sun Jian found the Imperial Seal of the Realm in the ruins of the Luoyang palace and was overjoyed, even when Sun Ce suddenlylike the "Saint of Thieves" logging insnatched the seal into his own hands, Sun Jian was still staring at his open hands as if the seal were still there (as shown in the title image), until Sun Ce shouted to Sun Jian, "Congratulations, Father, you can now become Emperor!", and while Sun Quan questioned whether keeping the seal was a blessing or a curse on the grounds that "the seal was passed down for no more than two generations before the tyrannical Qin fell," Sun Jian continued his performance without props.
This performance by Sun Jian is extremely eerie and is one of the pieces of evidence cited by fans of Three Kingdoms (2010) to argue that the Imperial Seal has mind-control abilities.
Sun Ce
Played by Sha Yi. Known as the "Little Conqueror of Jiangdong," but to highlight the "intelligence" of Sun Quan who appears at the same time, the screenwriter portrayed Sun Ce as having no political sense at all, making him a literal "Sun Ben (Sun Stupid)”.
He claimed that with five thousand troops, he could take Jingzhou in three double-hours (note that it's Jingzhou; five thousand men couldn't even run across Jingzhou, the line likely meant Jingzhou City, which is similar to the claim that Xuzhou City is the number one fortress in the Central Plains).
In this work, Sun Ce managed to survive until after Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang met (207-208 AD) before being assassinated[74]. However, the Japanese version used additional subtitles to change the assassination event back to its historical year.
Like the romance between Lu Bu and Diaochan, the scenes of Sun Ce and Zhou Yu dating Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao are among the most shocking original plots in this work.
Since Sha Yi once played the role of "My Own Swordsman*)'sBai Zhantang, an iconic character, many viewers commented that they wanted to laugh just seeing Sun Ce's face. Combined with Bai Zhantang's identity as the "Saint of Thieves," his action of holding the Imperial Seal was taken out of context by some viewers as "The Saint of Thieves Sun Ce steals the Heirloom Seal of the Realm." His Northeast Chinese accent also added to the comedic effect for many viewers.Viewers summarized it as Sha Yi starring in two peak domestic period comedies.
- Congratulations, Father, you can now declare yourself Emperor![Original series position 11]
Sun Jian's group in theubiquitous (in New Three Kingdoms)Changle Palace found itas big as a birthday cakeThe Heirloom Seal of the Realm; Sun Jian handed the seal to Sun QuanThen, he immersed himself in a performance without props, Sun Ce suddenly took the Heirloom Seal of the Realm, knelt before his father Sun Jian, held the seal up with both hands, and openly said:
| “ | Congratulations, Father, you can |
” |
SunThis indirectly proves that the Heirloom Seal of the Realm in this drama seems to be a cursed item with the ability to lower intelligence and control minds.
Additionally, Sun Jian and the others did not make the fact that they had obtained the seal public, yet for some reason, Yuan Shu still found out that Sun Jian was carrying the Heirloom Seal of the Realm. At that time, only Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Cheng Pu, and Huang Gai were present in Changle Palace,[75]Therefore, many viewers believe that among the four people besides Sun Jian, at least one is a spy for Yuan Shu.(Or it can be attributed to the unique "the eavesdropping mechanism")。It's also possible that Sun Ce's shout of "Congratulations, Father, you can become Emperor now!" was so loud that people outside the palace heard it.
In the original novel, there is actually a plot where Cheng Pu suggests Sun Jian become Emperor after obtaining the Imperial Seal. Cheng Pu said: "Today Heaven bestows this upon my Lord, you are destined for the throne. We cannot stay here long; we should return to Jiangdong quickly and plan for great things." However, the scene was Cheng Pu and Sun Jian conspiring before a group of trusted aides, rather than Sun Ce shouting it out foolishly (though a traitor still overheard, which is how Yuan Shu learned of the seal). Furthermore, Cheng Pu was suggesting Sun Jian prepare for a grand cause rather than declaring himself Emperor immediately (although the original novel's depiction of the Sun family occupying Jiangdong also has bugs).
Fortunately, the Japanese version corrected this line, omitting the mention of becoming Emperor and only saying "Congratulations, Father."[76], implying that the seal could be used to seek benefits for the Sun family, reducing the rebellious tone and making the logic smoother.
- How dare they refuse
| “ | Regarding my petition to the Han Emperor to appoint me Grand Marshal, news has returned from Xuchang, (suddenly loud)How dare they refuse!?Cao Cao sees that I am in Jiangdonggrowing stronger by the day, so he deliberately rejected my request! | ” |
Because of the suddenly passionate and rhythmic tone when saying the four words "How dare they refuse," this line became one of the famous memes of New Three Kingdoms.
Sun Quan
Zheng Wei (Childhood)
Played by Zhang Bo and Zheng Wei (childhood).
The acting of young Sun Quan was even better than when he grew up, but in order to give Sun Quan more screen time, this work deliberately brought the young Sun Quan along with Sun Jian and Sun Ce during the Campaign against Dong Zhuo. To highlight Sun Quan's wisdom at a young age, the show pretentiously had him say many meaningless lines to show off his knowledge, such as saying the Western Han Dynasty passed through 15 generations of monarchs[78], and saying that the Heirloom Seal of the Realm jinxed the Qin Dynasty, so the seal is ominous(This sentence directly jinxed his father Sun Jian), and fabricating non-existent events such as "Emperor Gaozu shot a tiger at age nine" and "Emperor Wu drew a bow to kill enemies at age nine."
After growing up, Sun Shiwan becomes quite "scheming," jealous of talent, and narrow-minded, often harboring groundless suspicions against capable subordinates; Lu Su, Zhou Yu, and Lü Meng all suffered because of this. In terms of hypocrisy, he is no less than the Liu Bei of Three Kingdoms (2010). Due to the poor depiction of the cause of Sun Ce's death in this series, combined with Sun Quan's overly indifferent reaction when Sun Ce died (in sharp contrast to Zhou Yu, who wept so bitterly it was as if he were Sun Ce's biological brother), some viewers suspect that the assassins who killed Sun Ce were sent by his "good brother" Sun Quan—many viewers believe Zhang Bo, who played Sun Quan, is a decent actor, which makes this segment feel even more intentional.
Interestingly, Zhang Bo, the actor for adult Sun Quan, followed R9 after joining Bilibili.
Zheng Wei, the actor for young Sun Quan, later played Cai Xiaodou in the children's series Star Elf Lan Duoduo, causing many young viewers currently following Three Kingdoms (2010) to feel a sense of immersion-breaking.Coincidentally, there is an episode in Star Elf Lan Duoduo that tells the story of a young Liu Bei traveling to the modern era.
- In this Jiangdong, are you the
Lord（ ）, or am ILord（ ）？
- In this Jiangdong, are you the
Sun Quan expressed dissatisfaction with Zhou Yu bypassing him to mobilize troops without authorization, saying: "In this Jiangdong, are you the
As mentioned in the introduction of this section, the Sun Wu faction in Three Kingdoms (2010) is full of various "schemes" and infighting. In plots involving the Sun Wu faction, such as the Battle of Red Cliffs and Liu Bei's marriage, situations often arise where Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Lady Wu, and others bypass Sun Quan to make direct decisions or even mobilize troops independently. Thus, it is mocked as "the Lord of Jiangdong rotates among various characters"and it just never happens to be Sun Quan's turn, which in turn makes Sun Quan's famous line seem very reasonable.
- I have been the Marquis of Wu for ten years, does this Jiangdong belong to the Sun family or the Zhou family?!
After Sun Quan retrieved the military tally, he asked Lu Su to take it to Baling to recall all the soldiers. Lu Su stated that the army now only listens to Zhou Yu. Hearing this, Sun Quan broke down and said: "I have been the Marquis of Wu for ten years, does this Jiangdong belong to the Sun family or the Zhou family?!"
Setting aside the fact that the military tally seems completely useless here(Sixty thousand troops don't recognize the tally, only facial recognition), according to the timeline of Three Kingdoms (2010), it hasn't been ten years since Sun Ce's death at this point, so Sun Quan's claim of being "Marquis of Wu for ten years" is clearly incorrect. Of course, Three Kingdoms (2010) often makes up numbers regarding time, troop counts, and food supplies on the fly; such errors are as numerous as ox hairs.
- The words in the letter are almost pleading/
Discuss（ ）let's discuss it
- The words in the letter are almost pleading/
After Guan Yu captured Xiangyang and advanced on Fancheng, Cao Cao wrote a letter to Sun Quan inviting him to launch a pincer attack on Liu Bei. This line, spoken by Sun Quan while discussing with Lü Meng, Lu Xun, and others, became a meme due to frequent use by R9.
| “ | Cao Cao sent a secret envoy saying he has dispatched seven armies to reinforce Fancheng and invites me to launch a pincer attack on Liu Bei, promising to split the territory with me,the words in the letter are almost pleading. What do you think, |
” |
Huang Gai
Played by Liu Kui. Heor Cheng Pu is suspected to be a spy for the Yuan brothers,with many "traitorous" actions in the show (such as suggesting Sun Ce give up Huang Zu as leverage to make peace with Liu Biao, and agreeing to the young Sun Quan's plan to go alone to Liu Biao's camp to retrieve Sun Jian's body).
His disheveled hair and outfit make him look exactly like the Wu Juren played by Jiang Wu in *Let the Bullets Fly*.
- Zhou Yu, my little boy!
Zhou Yu beats Huang GaiDuring the scene, before being ordered to be beaten with military sticks by Zhou Yu, Huang Gai shouts: "Zhou Yu! My little boy! Even in death, I will not submit to you!" This sentence is vastly different in meaning from the simple "Zhou Yu, you brat," making it sound like Huang Gai wants to be Zhou Yu's father.This time, Huang Gai deserved the beating.
Cheng Pu
Played by Zhong Minghe.
Historically, Cheng Pu died in 215, but in this work, Cheng Pu somehow lived until the period when Liu Bei invaded Eastern Wu (221–223). While leading troops to rescue Han Dang and Zhou Tai, he was, by Huang Zhong's armytriggered wild neutral ambusheskilled.
- I was greatly shocked upon hearing it, yet I could not believe it
Spoken by Cheng Pu when reporting to Zhou Yu about Liu Bei's march to Youjiangkou. This sentence simply reflects Cheng Pu's own feelings; the semantics are repetitive, making it sound less like a military report and more likenonsense literature—Cheng Pu then followed up with more nonsense, saying that "Liu Bei's great banner was flying" in front of the camp Liu Bei had set up.
R9 also frequently uses this phrase in their videos, thus making it a meme.
Zu Mao
- King of Survival
Zu Mao, who died and exited early in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is mentioned multiple times in the plot of New Three Kingdoms. For example, when Sun Ce asks for troops: "I only want four people: Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang,Zu Mao!", and he also appears when the civil and military officials advise Zhou Yu on whether to fight or make peace. This contrasts sharply with his short-lived image in the Romance, so he is jokingly called the "King of Survival". In the subsequent plot, other Jiangdong characters have similar survival experiences, such asSun CeandCheng Pu。
Zhou Yu
Played by Victor Huang. Unlike the original Romance, Zhou Yu's resourcefulness in this series surpasses Zhuge Liang's in all aspects, butunder the correction of divine willBut in the end, Zhuge Liang always wins(However, Zhou Yu alwaysOver-interpretingattributes the reason to Zhuge Liang being more capable than him)He once chased Sun Ce for eight hundred miles to reunite with him, and even went romancing with Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao alongside Sun Ce; the level of melodrama is no less than "The Divine Diao and Heroic Lu."
In the Eastern Wu camp, his mental state was often messed up by "pig teammates" like Sun Quan, Lu Su, Lady Wu, and Xiao Qiao. The "Three Angers of Zhou Yu" were mostly the "credit" of Sun Quan and others, making him a fellow sufferer with Zhuge Liang in this regard.
- Truly Peerless
In the original plot of this series, Sun Ce and Zhou Yu go to Elder Qiao's house to listen to Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao play the zither to identify who played the wrong note earlier. However, after listening, Zhou Yu suddenly describes their playing as "This piece can be called peerless." Because this scene was too abrupt and took up too much screen time, Zhou Yu earned the nicknames "Zhou Jue-lun" and "Brother Jue-lun."
- the talent of Boya and Ziqi
Sun Ce once asked Zhou Yu how Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao played the zither, and Zhou Yu claimed they had the talent of Bo Ya and Ziqi. However, "Bo Ya and Ziqi" is used to describe the rarity of finding a soulmate (Ziqi was a woodcutter who appreciated music but didn't play), not to describe someone's talent.
Fortunately, the Japanese version corrected this line, saying only "talent of Bo Ya" to praise their musical talent,[79]which makes much more sense.
- Burn one scroll after reading one
When Zhuge Liang went to Jiangdong to meet Zhou Yu and Lu Su in Zhou Yu's study, Lu Su suddenly asked why there were no books in the study. Zhou Yu replied, "I burn one scroll after reading one," which is why there were no books.
This was likely intended to show Zhou Yu's extraordinary memory, but in ancient times when books were extremely precious, the unnecessary "burning one scroll after reading one" makes Zhou Yu lookFamily has a mine, having money with nowhere to spend it.However, earlier when Zhou Yu and Sun Ce reunited, it was mentioned that he sold his family property for fifty thousand, which is a world of difference compared to being so rich here that he has money with nowhere to spend it.It's also possible that Zhou Yu had no family property precisely because he squandered all his money burning books.
- I am truly unworthy of being Zhou Yu
From the eve of the "Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats" segment, Zhou Yu tells Xiao Qiao that he originally intended to humiliate Zhuge Liang by making him bring a large number of arrows within three days, but unexpectedly Zhuge Liang actually agreed. Zhou Yu states that as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, he cannot see through Zhuge Liang's thoughts, saying "I am truly unworthy of being Zhou Yu."I am truly unworthy of being myself!
- Disowning all relatives, invincible against water and fire
Lu Su's evaluation of Zhou Yu when asking Liu Bei's camp for Jing Province. Although Lu Su's original intention was to pressure Liu Bei's side by describing Zhou Yu's temperament, the description "invincible against water and fire" is of unclear meaning.Viewers believe Zhou Yu has the effect of being immune to water and fire attacks, so Guan Yu only used water magic after Zhou Yu's death.
Da Qiao & Xiao Qiao
|
Da Qiao Da Qiao  Name
Da Qiao[[sic]] Aliases Actor
Liu Jing Voice Actor Xiao Qiao Xiao Qiao  Name
Xiao Qiao[[sic]] Aliases Actor
Zhao Ke Voice Actor |
Da Qiao is played by Liu Jing, and Xiao Qiao is played by Zhao Ke. They are the daughters of Elder Qiao and married Sun Ce and Zhou Yu respectively. Zhou Yu described them as having "the talent of Boya and Ziqi", and Zhuge Liang described them as having "The talent of Boya and Shuqi”.
Although Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao are actually conventional titles used by later generations because the real names of Elder Qiao's two daughters were unknown,[80], but in the series, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao are used directly as the names of the two sisters.Therefore, their real names are Qiao Daqiao and Qiao Xiaoqiao.
Da Qiao is very beautiful, but Xiao Qiao's makeup and styling make her look older than her elder sister(in terms of the actors' ages, Zhao Ke is indeed slightly older than Liu Jing), and it's unclear if it's an issue with the actress's facial expression management, but Xiao Qiao's expressions always give off a sense of being unable to keep a straight face.
After Sun Ce's death, a group of ministers of unknown affiliation suddenly emerged, proposing that Da Qiao should preside over Jiangdong's grand strategy and that Sun Shao should take charge of Jiangdong. Zhang Zhao took the opportunity to make trouble, suggesting that keeping Da Qiao and her son would allow some dissatisfied people to use them as a pretext for rebellion. The honest Da Qiao, under Zhang Zhao's coercion, left by boat carrying her young son Sun Shao.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qiao went out to war with Zhou Yu during the Battle of Red Cliffs, but she seemed to have something going on with Zhuge Liang behind the scenes, always helping him and hindering her husband Zhou Yu's schemes. Finally, she was divorced by Zhou Yu for letting Zhuge Liang go.As a result, Xiao Qiao never appeared again, not even showing up at Zhou Yu's funeral; the scenes that should have belonged to her were replaced by Lu Meng. Combined with the previously mentioned ambiguous behavior suggesting something behind the scenes with Zhuge Liang, some viewers joked that after being divorced by Zhou Yu, Xiao Qiao changed her name to "Huang Yueying" and went to join Zhuge Liang.
According to the "conspiracy theory" nature of *Three Kingdoms* (2010), those ministers of unknown affiliation were likely Sun Quan's own confidants. The clever Xiao Qiao saw through the play directed and acted by Sun Quan and Zhou Yu to persecute her sister and was very angry, so she colluded with Zhuge Liang to take revenge on the Eastern Wu regime. You ask where the exiled Da Qiao went?Life or death unknown, then she's dead!
Xiao Qiao's actress Zhao Ke stated in an interview regarding Xiao Qiao's feelings toward Zhuge Liang: "Xiao Qiao was devoted to Zhou Yu, but had a slight sense of ambiguity toward Zhuge Liang."Is this right. She also mentioned on her blog that she filmed a scene where she visited Zhuge Liang with fine wine and used her wisdom to persuade him not to fight with her husband but to help Jiangdong defeat Cao Cao, and attached a still of Xiao Qiao in Zhuge Liang's tent.[81], and in a later interview, it was mentioned that Xiao Qiao saw through Zhuge Liang's plan to borrow arrows with straw boats in his camp, and later "tactfully"'s[[sic]]Should be "地".told him about this matter, so that Zhou Yu would not be so embarrassed and Zhuge Liang would not face the threat of death."[82]But this plot segment was not aired in the final cut.
Zhao Ke was injured when the horse was startled while she was in a carriage, leading to injuries for both the horse trainer and the actress. According to the actress's recollection, they were filming the scene where Xiao Qiao saves Zhuge Liang after the "Borrowing the East Wind" ritual.[83][82]Many viewers speculate that the deletion of Xiao Qiao's scenes and her sudden disappearance from the show might be related to the impact of this accident on filming.
Lu Su
Played by Huo Qing. He always presents himself as an honest man, but in reality, he not only sees through the "battle of wits" between Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liangand adds fuel to the fire, but is also double-faced and fond of scheming against others (especially Zhou Yu). Viewers compare him to Qin Hui and call him "Lu Hui." For example, when Zhou Yu wants to launch a surprise attack on Jingzhou, Sun Quan wants Zhou Yu to withdraw. Lu Su then suggests Sun Quan attack Hefei and lose several times to force Zhou Yu to come to the rescue, which leads to the achievements of Zhang Liao and others.[84]
In the series, it is actually others (especially Zhuge Liang) who often reveal their entire plans upon meeting Lu Su."Honest man" might mean that others become "honest" when they see Lu Su.
This version of Lu Su is quite oppressive towards Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei: when Guan Yu violated the military order and let Cao Cao escape from Huarong Pass, it was actually
- I, Zijing, am truly intoxicated
When Lu Su came to congratulate them on getting rid of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun, he evaluated the ensemble of Zhou Yu and Xiao Qiao this way. In this line, it is not quite appropriate for Lu Su to refer to himself by his courtesy name, though using his own intoxication to praise the performance itself is understandable. Unfortunately, after the show aired, a popular slang term expressing speechlessness emerged in the 2010s: "I am also drunk", which makes this line feel very out of character for today's audience, thus becoming a meme.
- Intimate Friend
From the scene of Zhou Yu's funeral, where Lu Su mourns Zhou Yu in front of the memorial hall with sincere emotions, during which he says, "I, Lu Su, have regarded you, Gongjin, as my most intimate friend in this life." However, combined with the previous plot where Lu Su frequently backstabbed Zhou Yu, this line makes Lu Su seem very hypocritical, and the Lu Su in the drama is also teased as "Lu Zhixin" (Lu the Intimate).
Lu Meng
Played by Chang Cheng. He is very eager to advance, and for this reason, he does not hesitate to become a servant to the two Grand Viceroys, Zhou Yu and Lu Su, working hard without complaint, even taking over Xiao Qiao's role by Zhou Yu's side after she leaves the story.[85]
He blames the deaths of the brothers in Nanjun during Liu Bei's capture of Jingzhou on Liu Bei, inexplicably harboring hatred towards the Shu Han camp.
In this work, Lu Meng's cause of death is suspected to be poisoning by Sun Quan.
Unlike in official history and the Romance where he is Sun Quan's confidant, Lu Meng in this work is closer to Zhou Yu and Lu Su, but is instead unfamiliar with Sun Quan, acting willfully and completely ignoring Sun Quan's orders(Even the classic "Sun Quan Persuades [Lu Meng] to Study" was changed to "Zhou Yu Persuades [Lu Meng] to Study")。The reason for being poisoned to death by Sun Quan.
Because the actor and the one in "Ultraman Tiga" who played Tetsuo Shinjo, Shigeki Kagemaru, look somewhat similar, so he is jokingly called "Officer Shinjo" by some viewers.
- Crossing the River in Black
The "Crossing the River in White" strategy in this work was heavily modified into sending a group of soldiers in night-ops gear to swim across the river at night and climb the city walls barehanded with short knives for a sneak attack, hence the name "Crossing the River in Black." This group, comparable tospecial forcessoldiers, were also jokingly called "amphibiousSpider-Man”.
- Look at someone with new eyes
"When scholars have been apart for three days, they should look at each other with new eyes." This comes from Jiang Biao Zhuan and was said by Lu Meng to Lu Su. However, in this drama, it appears many times before Lu Meng even debuts, making it one of the most serious idiom anachronisms in the series. Miraculously, in Three Kingdoms, all sorts of people have used the phrase "look at someone with new eyes," yet not once was it said by its original speaker, Lu Meng.
Lu Xun
Played by Shao Feng. Always expressionless, and speaks with anAI tone, as if he were a robot.
Possesses powerful infrastructure capabilities, able to quickly generate continuous camps. He once built dozens of camps within ten days.
- Qin-Jin Alliance
To remove the threat of Guan Yu in Jingzhou, Lu Xun proposed to Sun Quan to arrange a marriage with Guan Yu's family to form a "Qin-Jin Alliance."
This line was widely used by R9 in their videos, thus becoming a meme.
- You are but a mediocre person waiting for death
Hearing that Liu Bei was attacking Yiling, Sun Quan insisted on sending 100,000 troops to stop him despite Cheng Pu's dissuasion. While Han Dang and others were preparing the army, Lu Xun was seen by the river with disheveled hair, acting like a madman(His look inexplicably resembles Counselor Tang from the 2010 movie Let the Bullets Fly), and even shouted this line to curse at Han Dang, who came to stop him. He was then taken away by Han Dang's men to be dealt with by Sun Quan, and was eventually ordered to be imprisoned by Zhang Zhao.
Setting aside how jarring the mix of classical and vernacular Chinese sounds in this line, this "madness" plot point is extremely confusing. Although subsequent plot reveals that Lu Xun intended to catch Sun Quan's attention so he would be invited to serve, the problem is that given Lu Xun's status (he was already Sun Ce's son-in-law), there was absolutely no need for this; the scene is purely redundant and nonsensical.
- That is
Yiling（ ）The last ridge of the mountain range
- That is
Lu Xun's
Characters - Others
Eighteen Lords → Nineteen Lords
From the eighteen
In the setting of this series, Yuan Shao had already gathered eighteen lords to crusade against Dong Zhuo before Cao Cao (whereas in the original work, Cao Cao was the eighteenth lord), but the location where they raised their troops was inconsistent. Later, Cao Cao arrived at the alliance meeting along with Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. The alliance leader Yuan Shao appointed Liu Bei as the general of the nineteenth army due to his merit in slaying Hua Xiong[86], while Cao Cao seemingly wasn't assigned a rank.
- My fierce general Liu Sandao / Slay Lu Bu with a blade and take the Red Hare as his own mount
During the crusade against Dong Zhuo by the eighteen lords, Lu Bu went to Dangyang to challenge the eighteen lords.(That's right, in Three Kingdoms 2010, Lu Bu became the attacker and even went to Dangyang), and the lords one after another claimed they had fierce generals who could fight Lu Bu.
- Tao Qian: "My fierce generalLiu Sandao, will surely slay Lu Bu off his horse within three strikes!"
- Unknown Lord: "I have the great general Han Yong who can fight Lu Bu!"
- Gongsun Zan: "Wait, you two! I have the brave general Wang Chong from Beihai; he has long wanted toslay Lu Bu with a blade and take the Red Hare as his own mount!"
Later, a soldier from the front line reported that these three "great generals" went out to fight without authorization and were all killed by Lu Bu.
These three individuals do not exist in the original novel or history (there was indeed a person named Wang Chong, but he was a subordinate of Li Yan, not Gongsun Zan). In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the segment where they fight Lu Bu features famous generals like Fang Yue of Henei, Mu Shun under Zhang Yang, and Wu Anguo under Kong Rong. It is unknown why screenwriter Zhu did not use the names of the "Five Tigers of Hulao Pass" from the original work but instead created a ridiculous name like "Liu Sandao." However, the rustic and comedic name "Liu Sandao," along with his fate of being defeated at light speed after being heavily hyped, made him a humorous general likePan Feng、Xing Daorong. "My fierce general Liu Sandao" was one of the memes that went viral when the show aired. That year, people registered the ID "My fierce general Liu Sandao" on various forums, and some even wrote web novels with this title.
Additionally, Gongsun Zan's line that Wang Chong had long wanted to "slash Lu Bu and take the Red Hare as his own mount" also sounds very silly and chuunibyou. It is often parodied by viewers with altered words, such as: "Slash the Red Hare and become Lu Bu's mount himself""Slash Lu Bu and take Diaochan as his own mount"etc.
- eat
During the campaign of the eighteen lords against Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu was angered by Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei at a banquet celebrating Sun Jian's victory. When he expressed his intention to resign and return home, Cao Cao immediately stepped forward to persuade him to stay, saying, "If you leave, what will we eat?" Then,Gongsun Zanand other lords led by him also chimed in: "What to eat! Yeah, yeah!"
Because the eighteen lords always acted in the same scene in Chenliu during the campaign against Dong Zhuo, the scene is also jokingly called the "Chenliu Cafeteria."
In the Japanese version, Gongsun Zan and others simply say, "Yeah, that would be troublesome." Combined with the previous context, it is more about echoing Cao Cao's attempt to keep Yuan Shu, and is not as absurdly funny as "What to eat?".
This famous line is often adapted to urge certain uploaders who have stopped or delayed their updatesto update.term.
Gonglu meat,incredibly delicious, after Yuan Gonglu left, the lords indeed could no longer eat Gonglu meat.
- The sun rises from the west
When Lü Bu came to challenge the "pass" of the eighteen lords, the eighteen lords were discussing strategy in the Chenliu Grand Canteen. Cao Cao proposed waiting until the Xiliang army was exhausted before going out to fight, and then this scene occurred:
- Liu Dai/Han Fu[87]: It sounds good, but the 20,000 catties of grain and fodder Yuan Shu promised me are still nowhere to be seen! Without supplies, are you asking my troops to launch a raid on an empty stomach!
- Ma Teng: Yuan Gonglu! Where are the three thousand troops you promised to allocate to me?
- Gongsun Zan: And what about my unit's supplies? When will they be issued to me? (Pointing at another lord[88]) How much pay and how many troops did Yuan Shao give you? Why do you always speak for him? Is he your heavenly father?
- Unknown Lord: General Gongsun, you go too far! I, this Grand Administrator,[89]have never received a single soldier since the alliance began!
- Tao Qian:Han Fu(Note)Restored version, Japanese version lines/Liu Dai(Note)Premiere version lines and restored version subtitles! Why did you seize my three commanderies of Dangyang and not return them!
- A certain warlord: Fine! I'd like to ask you too! Why did you allow your subordinates to damage my cities! And plunder my unit's warhorses!
- The warlords: (The warlords on the left and right rows start arguing with each other) &%!@#&*!%The sun rises from the west%&)&￥&*
- Cao Cao: Silence, gentlemen! Hear me out! I finally understand the root cause of the chaos in the world! Just as Xuande said, the root of the chaos lies in the corruption of people's hearts. Right now, at this very moment,
Dong Zhuo's army（ ）is challenging us before the pass, yet we are here scheming against each other! How can the world not be in chaos! - The warlords: (The warlords become even angrier after hearing this, ignoring Cao Cao and continuing to argue) Cut the crap! I'm done! How can I be allies with someone like you! &(*&!#*￥*&*&% (The argument then escalates into a physical altercation, and the warlords start throwing oranges at each other)
- Yuan Shao: Silence, warlords! Stop fighting! Stop fighting!
- (The warlords ignore Yuan Shao. Cao Cao leaves in anger to find the Liu, Guan, and Zhang brothers, who also left in disappointment, to ask them to fight Lu Bu)
This segment is packed with ridiculous points:
- The cause of the lords' infighting in this plot segment is very sudden; Han Fu suddenlystarts with a zero-frame startupto berate Yuan Shu, but before this, Han Fu was still scolding Zhang Fei when Liu Bei's group accused Yuan Shu of withholding provisions.
- Gongsun Zan accuses another lord of always speaking for Yuan Shao, but the cause of this argument was Yuan Shu withholding provisions and troops—what does that have to do with Yuan Shao? Furthermore, no one had spoken for Yuan Shao before this. The transition from denouncing Yuan Shu to the lords insulting each other is quite forced.
- Tao Qian accuses Han Fu/Liu Dai of occupying his "Three Commanderies of Dangyang" and not returning them. However, Dangyang is in Jing Province; how could Han Fu of Ji Province (or Liu Dai of Yan Province) seize Dangyang in Jing Province from Tao Qian of Xu Province? Moreover, Dangyang is a county; how can one county contain three commanderies? In modern terms, this is like saying one county contains three cities.
- The scene of the lords' infighting here lacks any sense of decorum; instead, it looks more like old men and women arguing in a wet market
(Chenliu Kindergarten). At this time, the Xiliang army is already pressing down with a massive force (?), so the lords should be more united. - Amidst the chaotic insults during the lords' argument, someone shouts "The sun rises from the west" (perhapsa mondegreene?). In the context of the argument, this nonsensical phrase shouted forcefully feels exceptionally abrupt and comedic, just like the entire argument itself—inexplicable yet possessing a mysterious sense of humor.
- As the triggers of this argument, the brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, after a token attempt at mediation failed, just sat aside and watched the show.
- Later, during the "Three Heroes vs. Lu Bu," the eighteen lords suddenly made up as if nothing had happened, watching the fight together from the city tower. From start to finish, they never thought of sending troops to fight Lu Bu (even the city gate closed right after Liu, Guan, and Zhang left, with no soldiers following them to fight).
Some viewers believe the logic of this argument is so chaotic due to editing errors. For example, the line "The sun rises from the west" might have been intended to follow "I'm quitting! How can I be allies with someone like you!", but the scrambled editing order resulted in Han Fu's zero-frame startup insult to Yuan Shu, Gongsun Zan's sudden targeting of an imaginary enemy starting the fight, and the strange dialogue about the sun rising from the west.
This "Cafeteria War" plot segment is also one of the most classic materials for R9's Kichiku videos.
Liu Xie
Dingdong (Child)
Played by Luo Jin and Dingdong (child). Emperor Xian of Han. Unlike the original work, Liu Xie in this series is aggrieved from beginning to end. Characters from both Dong Zhuo's and Cao Cao's factions dare to commit blatant acts of insubordination against him as the Son of Heaven, giving him no basic respect at all. Especially Hua Xin, who bullies Liu Xie at every turn, as if taking pleasure in humiliating the Emperor.
However, Liu Xie dares not utter a word against these people, only venting his anger on Empress Cao Jie, who speaks up for him. In the end, he even commits suicide by sinking a boat with Cao Jie.Yes, this work heavily modifies Liu Xie's ending into suicide. This plot is suspected to be adapted from the 2006 TV series "Zhu Yuanzhang" written by Zhu Sujin: Zhu Yuanzhang confers the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness upon a man named Dahu and orders him to bring the Little Prince of Ming from Chuzhou to Jinling. Zhu Yuanzhang through Hu Weiyong hints to Dahu that he should commit suicide along with the Little Prince of Ming. Dahu then sinks the Little Prince's dragon boat in the river and commits suicide with him.
However, many viewers believe that Liu Xie, both as a child and an adult, has the best acting in this series.It's purely due to the contrast with his peers.
- You are ten times more heroic than Dong Zhuo and the others[Original series position 12]
Emperor Xian's lament while reviewing Cao Cao's troops in Luoyang.Obviously, this isn't a compliment, and considering Cao Cao's subsequent actions, this statement is completely correct.
- Feast the ten thousand nations to solemnly inherit↑ the Mandate of Heaven↓
The most assertive moment for Liu Xie in the entire series (for sure).When Liu Xie abdicated the throne to Cao Pi, he read the abdication edict on the altar in a "letting it rot" tone, much like an elementary school student's morning reading, even making basic phrasing errors (e.g., "inheriting the great cause of Wen and Wu" was broken into "inheriting Wen, the great cause of Wu"). By the final sentence, "Feast the ten thousand nations to solemnly inherit the Mandate of Heaven," Liu Xie absent-mindedly whispered the words "Mandate of Heaven," set down the edict, and walked away.
Some viewers believe that thissarcastic and passive-aggressivetone design indeed shaped Liu Xie's character as a puppet who was unwilling to accept the fall of his dynasty, but other viewers believe that the line delivery, which didn't even follow basic rules, was a case of being too clever for one's own good; the tragic atmosphere that should have accompanied the fall of the nation was swept away by Liu Xie's monotonous and super wooden reading. Furthermore, Luo Jin, who played Liu Xie, had mostly decent acting and emotional expression previously, so such a poor performance here inevitably creates a sense of disconnect.(Perhaps he knew he would soon escape this shitty drama, so he just let himself go)。
Wang Yun
Played by Zheng Tianyong. He is the embodiment of "abstract," always performing bizarre and inconsistent actions.
When optimistic, he likes topop champagne at halftime, and when pessimistic, he always wails and cries, even threatening suicide.
Although he holds the high rank of the Three Ducal Ministers, he is portrayed as very destitute in the series, relying on Lu Bu's support for food and clothing.
On the day he agreed toLu Butoand Diaochan'swedding, the two shared a room at Wang Yun's house, and at night Wang Yun even knocked on the window to announce the time and remind Lu Bu it was time to leave.
While devising the Chain Stratagem, he deliberately withheld the second half, only revealing it after Diaochan and Lu Bu were together. When Diaochan refused, Wang Yun used moral kidnapping to coerce her.
The Eastern Han'sKing of Hunger Resistance, who went on a hunger strike for seven days to morally kidnap Diaochan(it was even nine days in the original broadcast version)and still survived.
During the execution of the Chain Stratagem, he not only used the excuse of her being the Emperor's Imperial Consort[91]Inexplicably went to persuade Lu Bu to swallow his pride, and brainlessly snatched from the original workDong Zhuothe role of the advisor Li Ru to devise strategies for Dong Zhuo. However, even so,the already full of loopholesChain Stratagem was not broken.
After Dong Zhuo's death, his generals Li Jue and Guo Si led a hundred thousand cavalry to surrender,[92]but he insisted on refusing at the time, forcing the two into mutiny. After the rebels broke through Chang'an, he first sent Chen Gong to Meiwu to seek help from Lu Bu[93], while he himself "defended the city waiting for reinforcements," only to later confront Li Jue and Guo Si on the city gate. Upon hearing the two mutineers promise that if he were executed and the gates opened, they would not trouble the Emperor, he committed suicide by jumping off the city wall in an extremely abstract posture.[94]
Teacher Zheng Tianyong, who played Wang Yun, passed away on the night of November 19, 2016. May he rest in peace. When using memes, please focus on the matter and not the person, and do not intentionally offend the actor.
- Do not alert the night-patrolling hounds.
After the guests arrived at his birthday banquet, Wang Yun ordered the servants: "Close the gates, extinguish the lanterns, stop the music, and do not alert the night-patrolling hounds." Many viewers expressed their inability to understand this plot: since they had already welcomed guests with loud music, suddenly becoming quiet would obviously be a giveaway.
- Today is not my birthday; on the contrary, it is the anniversary of my death!
The opening line of Wang Yun's speech at his 60th birthday[95]banquet. Not to mention the awkward transition here, a death anniversary only occurs a full year after someone passes away; Wang Yun wouldn't have a "death anniversary" even if he died right now.
This phrase is often used bythe various gentlemen of the New Three KingdomsUsed as a catchphrase to describe one's own situation, for example:
- My fellow
lords, today is not my birthday; on the contrary, it is myGaokao/CET-4/6 /Postgraduate Entrance Exam result release day!(Though it might also become a "death anniversary" in a certain sense)。 - Today is not my death anniversary; on the contrary, it is my birthday.
- Status unknown means he's dead
After learning that Dong Zhuo was struck down by Liu, Guan, and Zhang and his status was unknown, Wang Yun popped the champagne early while attending court with other officials. A minister next to Wang Yun even confidently uttered the logically mysterious line, "Status unknown means he's dead!" only to discover that Dong Zhuo was alive and well and had alreadyfor some reason quickly from the battlefieldarrived at the court.
Actually, Wang Yun had made similar "early champagne" remarks before that backfired, such as when Cao Cao attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo; he believed Cao Cao would definitely succeed and celebrated early, only to be proven wrong by Dong Zhuo.
In the Japanese version, this line was changed to "
Additionally, the actor who played the official who said this line later played the physician who diagnosed Cao Cao's chronic headaches in his later years.
When used as a meme, it is often applied to situations in ACG works where a character suddenly vanishes or enters a "life or death unknown" state and never appears again (such as in the "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" series, manyRetiredvillains).
This sentence, for the physics thought experimentSchrödinger's catprovides the "New Three Kingdoms" solution, making an outstanding contribution to the development of modern physics.
- To eliminate beasts, one must first sacrifice oneself to beasts.
One of Wang Yun's statements used to morally kidnap Diaochan.Diaochan responded to this: "How is this action of yours, foster father, any different from that of a beast?"
Dong Zhuo
Played by Lü Xiaohe. The series omits the process of his entry into the capital to seize power and the deposition and enthronement of emperors. Although he remains a great villain practicing autocratic tyranny, compared to other characters in this series, Dong Zhuo seems like a "normal person": compared to the eighteen regional lords who couldn't hide their desire to be rebels from the start, he, who controlled the court, was instead portrayed like a loyal minister of the Great Han. When Zhang Wenchanged his historical image of bravely confronting Dong Zhuo and, in a very OOC manner,urged Dong Zhuo to take the throne, Dong Zhuo simply killed Zhang Wen; he was also openly and honestly evil, unlike certain hypocrites; he treated his foster son Lü Bu with utmost kindness, even proposing to name him "Crown Prince," and even after the Fengyi Pavilion incident, he stillLu Buexpressed that he would let bygones be bygones.
He is not well-educated and for some reason always uses "Zanjia" as a first-person pronoun(In the Japanese version, Dong Zhuo's self-reference was changed to "Washi," a common self-reference for elderly men meaning "this old man," which fits the character's status better than "Zanjia"). Although he is from Xiliang, he sometimes blurts outNortheastern dialect, such as "If I want to shove you aside, then I'll shove you aside."He refers to himself as "Zanjia," and his appearance is similar to Zhang Fei in his later years. Since Zhang Fei is also a "man of Yan" (a pun on eunuch) and shares the habit of disheveled hair with Xiliang people, some suspect the two are related.
- I have said it, I am not afraid of sourness!
After Cao Cao's failed assassination of Dong Zhuo, Dong Zhuo claimed in court that he would drag out the mastermind, chop them up, and boil them into soup, shouting angrily: "Some say this meat is sour, but I have said it, I am not afraid of sourness! Not afraid!" Immediately after, he questioned Wang Yun why he wasn't invited to the birthday banquet. Wang Yun replied that the wine at his house was "sour," to which Dong Zhuo roared again: "I have said it, I am not afraid of sourness!"
This line is likely meant to echo what Cao Cao previously told Dong Zhuo: "Any upright gentleman's meat is far too sour."Dong Zhuo: Cao Aman, are you implying that I am not an upright gentleman?
- A Han in the east, a Han in the west. Move the capital to Chang'an, only then can this disaster be avoided.
A nursery rhyme quoted by Dong Zhuo when he forcibly decided to move the capital. In the original novel, a similar rhyme was spoken by Li Ru. The first two lines in mainstream versions[96]are in the order of "A Han in the west, a Han in the east," which corresponds to Li Ru's subsequent explanation that the Han Dynasty first had the Western Han (capital in Chang'an to the west) and then the Eastern Han (capital in Luoyang to the east). Swapping themto lower the similarity scoreis instead illogical; the last two lines were "The deer enters Chang'an, only then can this disaster be avoided," but in Three Kingdoms (2010), it was changed to the overly blunt "Move the capital." R9 parodied this in a video as "Moving intoIstan”[97], becoming a widely circulated version for mockery.
- Oh Emperor, this old official's life is so bitter! This old official is the person with the bitterest life under heaven, as bitter as the wild grass under a carriage wheel, I am as bitter as the coptis growing in the cracks of stones![Original series position 13]
Spoken while coercing Emperor Xian of Han to move the capital and sharing a carriage with him. From the plot's perspective, this "self-deprecation" serves as a setup for the later threat to Emperor Xian: "If I want to shove you down, then I'll shove you down." However, these extremely colloquial and strange metaphors still left a deep impression on the audience.
- Changing clothes, changing clothes is good
Dong Zhuo's response upon learning that Diaochan wanted to change clothes. While it fits his lecherous persona to some extent, the tone carries a strong sense ofawkward small talk, making Dong Zhuo seem less like a powerful official who dominates the court and more like a low-EQ "diaosi" simping for a goddess.
Chen Gong
Played by Sun Hongtao. Like in the original work, he followsCao Cao[Cao Cao] to leave and start a career, but refuses to associate with him after seeing Cao Cao kill Lü Boshe. However, the show portrays him as a hypocritical villain who abandons his family, just like Cao Cao. During the stay at Lü's manor, everything was fine until the paranoid Chen Gong insisted on waking Cao Cao. Later, Chen Gong also participated in the massacre of Lü's household but shifted the blame to Cao Cao afterward to distance himself.
Likes crickets. Likes to tilt his head when talking to people. His catchphrase is "Aiya! Fengxian!"
- Just act as if I, Chen Gong, never had any of those[Original scene position 14]
When Chen Gong planned to follow Cao Cao to pursue great ambitions, Cao Cao asked what would happen to his wife and children. Chen Gong actually said, "Just act as if I, Chen Gong, never had any of those." The screenwriter's intention might have been to show Chen Gong's determination to sacrifice everything for a great cause, but such a statement of abandoning family and forsaking loyalty and filial piety is truly difficult for the audience to empathize with.[98]
- I was thinking of my crickets, every one of themhas heart and honor[Original drama location 2]
Chen Gong was very fond of crickets and kept many in the yamen. He neglected his duties every day, obsessed with cricket fighting. When he went to the prison to visit Cao Caoand conspired loudly with him,he even intentionally brought a jar of crickets inside. In a moment of high emotion, he smashed the jar on the ground. Later, before fleeing with Cao Cao, he made a point to bid farewell to his crickets, addressing them as "my dear brothers."He had time to say goodbye to his "dear brothers" but didn't think of his parents, wife, and children?
Later, when Cao Cao killed Lu Boshe's family and was burying them, Chen Gong suddenly uttered a very immersion-breaking line: "I was thinking of my crickets, every one of them has heart and honor."
In the Japanese version, "every one of them has heart and honor" was changed to "
Additionally, cricket fighting began in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty; Chen Gong liking cricket fighting at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty is clearly anachronistic. However, the "Old Three Kingdoms" series also made similar mistakes (in Episode 65, "Crossing the Lu River," Liu Shan is also seen fighting crickets).
Lu Bu
Played by Peter Ho. Unlike the original work where Diaochan voluntarily participates in Wang Yun's "Chain Stratagem" to drive a wedge between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu out of patriotism, in this work, Lü Bu andand Diaochan'sDiaochan are clearly depicted with a very melodramatic love story; their romance even takes up a full 11 episodes. Lü Bu once stated that Diaochan "is my lifeblood, I cannot live without her!" Therefore, the Diaochan and Lü Bu in this work are mocked by viewers as "The Divine Diao and the Heroic Lü" (a pun on The Return of the Condor Heroes). Furthermore, Lü Bu subverts the original image of the "slave of three surnames" who betrays his masters for glory, and is deliberately shaped with a tender persona, even being seen as a "child who never grows up" in Chen Gong's eyes.
This work seems to intend to whitewash Lü Bu, but in some plots, it returns to the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms, retaining Lü Bu's negative actions (such as the killing of Ding Yuan), and even added an original scene of him killing an entire family in the first episodeand striking a pose after the killing,a plot point[99]that feels meaningless.
In the drama, heDong Zhuoobtained Dong Zhuo's castle—Meiwu—after his death. Even the bridal chamber for his marriage to Diaochan was Dong Zhuo's former bedroom.
He always claims that with Red Hare and the Sky Piercer, he is invincible,as if he would be worthless without these two pieces of god-tier equipment,even the reason for his subordinates' rebellion was jealousy of Lü Bu having Red Hare and Diaochan.It would be better to just let Red Hare go to war holding the Sky Piercer.
Straightforward personality, even a bit silly.
Peter Ho himself was born in the United States and grew up in the US and Canada, so he was not very familiar with Chinese history. In interviews, he stated that he took crash courses in culture to play the role, but since there isn't much recorded about Lu Bu in history books, he mostly had to rely on on-set guidance. He also mentioned having watched the old Three Kingdoms and was not worried about people comparing this Three Kingdoms to the old Romance of the Three Kingdoms.Looking back now, it seems the on-set guidance went astray, leading him to believe that Lu Bu should be like this.However, Peter Ho's hard work and seriousness as an actor were still recognized by many viewers. Peter Ho also played Xiang Yu in another TV series directed by Gao Xixi, King's War.(Both are the ceiling of combat power)。
- I, the great Lu Bu, why have I become a three-surnamed domestic slave?
Lu BuOne personChallenging the eighteen lords at Dangyang,LiuGuanZhangThe three came out of the pass to face the challenge. Zhang Fei was the first to attack and insulted Lu Bu, resulting in the following dialogue.
- Zhang Fei: You three-surnamed domestic slave, cease your insolence! Zhang Yide of Yan is here!
- Lu Bu: What did you call me?!
- Zhang Fei: Hehe... Three-surnamed domestic slave!
- Lu Bu:I, the great Lü Bu, why have I become a slave of three surnames!
- Zhang Fei: You kid, your surname is Lü, right?
- Lü Bu: Yes!
This kid is way too straightforward. - Zhang Fei: But first you took General Ding Yuan as your foster father, then Dong Zhuo bought you over with a Red Hare horse, and you actually killed your foster father Ding Yuan with your own hands for a horse. If you're not a slave of three surnames, what are you!
The intention of this scene is likely to explain to the audience the story of Lü Bu killing Ding Yuan and earning the name "slave of three surnames".(Because this series didn't film Lü Bu's dark history). And in this segment, Lü Bu asking Zhang Fei why he called him that after being insulted as a "slave of three surnames" also makesthe already not-so-bright in the original workLü Bu seem even more foolish.Zhang Fei: You are a dumbass! Lü Bu: Why am I, the great Lü Bu, a dumbass!
However, considering that Lü Bu also called Wang Yun his foster father in this series, the Lü Bu in this show is actually a slave of four surnames: Lü, Ding, Dong, and Wang. It stands to reason that he would feel confused after hearing Zhang Fei miss one.
- Phoenix Nirvana
While Dong Zhuo was on his way to move the capital to Chang'an, he wasa mysterious group of ambushing soldiersattacked, and in the chaos, the carriage Diaochan was riding in went out of control[100]. Lu Bu abandoned his duty to protect Dong Zhuo and immediately rushed to save Diaochan. He took the unconscious Diaochan to a certain place and took off his ownart style-clashingred cloak and put it on Diaochan. After Diaochan woke up, she asked Lu Bu what the pattern on the cloak was, and Lu Bu claimed it was his favorite totemPhoenix Nirvana. Using this original plot as a lead-in, it began the melodramatic love story of "The Condor Heroes" (Lu Bu and Diaochan).
This is also a clear case of an anachronistic idiom. The term "Phoenix Nirvana" is a blunder created by Mr. Guo Moruo in modern times when he mistranslated the European "Phoenix/Firebird" as "Fenghuang." From both a chronological and symbolic perspective, the appearance of "Phoenix Nirvana" in the Three Kingdoms period is clearly unreasonable; "Totem" is a modern transliterated loanword. Furthermore, this plot and even the storyboards clearly copied the scene where Meng Yi saves Yushu in the 2005 film "The Myth" starring Jackie Chan and Kim Hee-sun.(Coincidentally, Yu Rongguang, who plays Guan Yu in this work, appeared in "The Myth.")。
- Slave of Four Surnames
Lu Bu and Diaochan pledged their love, and he went to Wang YunThen wouldn't Diaochan be his foster sister... engaging inGerman Orthopedics?
It's possible that "Yifu" here is a literal translation of Japanese kanji (in Japanese, "Gifu" can be used forfather-in-law), adding another reason for the "Takashima-taikun" theory.
- Eye Power Lü Bu
From the scene in *Three Kingdoms* where Lü Bu is captured: Lü Bu screams as he is pinned down by his subordinates in a "human pyramid" fashion.
In this scene, Lü Bu's facial expressions andYajuu Senpaiare extremely similar, and his screams also resemble those of Eye Power Senpai, leading to him being "persecuted" by some INM fans.
Other characters in *Three Kingdoms* have also been "persecuted" to varying degrees due to their facial expressions and retarded acting (confirmed).
-
Lü Bu's performance when being captured
and Diaochan's
Played by Chen Hao. In this series, Diaochan is established as a member of the imperial clan(so she should be called "Liu Chan"), and is truly Wang Yun's adoptive daughter, but sometimes refers to herself as a servant.
Unlike the original work where Diaochan voluntarily participated in Wang Yun's Chain Stratagem out of patriotism to drive a wedge between Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu, in this work, Diaochan and Lu Bu are clearly depicted with a very melodramatic romance. Diaochan, who was a heroine in the original, is portrayed as quite "love-brained," and Wang Yun only decides to proceed with the Chain Stratagem after seeing her fall for Lu Bu. Their romance even takes up a full 11 episodes. She was extremely reluctant when Wang Yun proposed offering her to Dong Zhuo(Of course, it also has to do with Wang Yun's bizarre actions in "Three Kingdoms"), and after agreeing and being sent to Dong Zhuo's residence, she regretted it and tried to commit suicide. Audiences mocked this as "The Divine Diao and Heroic Lu" (Shen Diao Xia Lü).
Sometimes she returns to her original character setting, even showing higher intelligence and clarity than her adoptive father Wang Yun (for example, repeatedly refusing Dong Zhuoand Wang Yun, who was giving advice to Dong Zhuoto hand her over to Lu Bu).Alas, it is the will of Heaven.
Although many early plots in the series show her marrying Lu Bu as his primary wife, depicting an earth-shattering pure love story as if she were Lu Bu's only official pairing, later it suddenly returns to the original setting where she is just Lu Bu's concubine, sometimes even more like a maidservant, always referring to herself as "your servant." She is often called out by Lu Bu to sing and dance for guests, but she only knows that one single dance.
In the series, Diaochan commits suicide by slitting her throat in front of Cao Cao after Lu Bu's death.[101]
- The Divine Diao and Heroic Lu
In the plots related to Lu Bu, such as the Chain Stratagem and the battles in Xuzhou, there are many romantic scenes of Lu Bu and Diaochan "dating." Therefore, borrowing the title of Jin Yong's novel "The Return of the Condor Heroes" (Shen Diao Xia Lü), these plots are referred to as "Shen Diao Xia Lü" (The Divine Diao and Heroic Lu).
Yuan Shao
Played by Xu Wenguang, he is one of the "normal people" in this series. Yuan Shao's character in this series is portrayed as generous and kind, treating others with courtesy even when they provoke him (for example, how he treated the rude Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei when he was the leader of the coalition against Dong Zhuo; or howXu Youwhen someone cursed him to his face as a mediocre lord because their plan wasn't adopted, although he ordered a caning, he still adopted the suggestion and rewarded them handsomely afterward). He is very responsible when facing failure, taking the blame upon himself and reflecting. Xu You once described him to Liu Bei, saying, "This lord of mine,when he is mediocre and weak, he is indeed surprisingly mediocre and weak; but once he becomes wise, he is also surprisingly wise!"”
During the standoff between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, he was very willing to adopt the strategies of his advisors, even if it meant a 180-degree turn in direction. It even seems as if the last piece of advice given is always the one that gets implemented.Perhaps this is the *Three Kingdoms* (2010) series' interpretation of the historical "Ten Victories and Ten Defeats" theory, which stated "Shao is full of schemes but lacks decision... while you [Cao Cao] implement strategies as soon as they are received."
Unlike the long-term standoff of the Battle of Guandu in history, in the series, Yuan Shao's army of 700,000 was defeated head-on by Cao Cao's 70,000 in the very first battle; followed by the burning of Wuchao, where he lost completely again against Cao Cao's three-pronged attack (attacking Wuchao, setting an ambush at Cao's camp, and raiding Yuan Shao's main camp); on the way of retreat, he was also subjected to Xu You'ssummoned neutral creeps'ambush—resulting in fewer than a hundred riders remaining within a few days.(The cheater isn't even trying to hide it anymore), Yuan Shaoat "Phoenix Nirvana"vomited blood and fell unconscious, exiting the stage; from the visual language, he likely died.
| “ | Heaven helps Cao, not Yuan! | ” |
| ——Tian Feng and Yuan Shao facing | ||
But in the next episode, after Cao Cao completely defeated Yuan Shao's forces and enteredJizhou City[[sic]]the narrator said that Yuan Shao died of vomiting blood only after Ji, Qing, You, and Bing provinces were captured in the 11th year of Jian'an—actually granting Yuan Shao, who historically died in the 7th year of Jian'an (202 AD), even moreaddedseveral years of life.
- With the eighteen lords standing here, more than half of the realm is beneath our feet.
Speech made by Yuan Shao during the alliance of the eighteen lords (everyone's a rebel).
- This battle determines the history of the next five hundred years and the final ownership of the imperial realm.
From Yuan Shao's speech before the Battle of Guandu. Determining "five hundred years of history" is an over-exaggeration, and why he said "five hundred years" is also baffling.(Five hundred years after the Battle of Guandu (200 AD) would reachWu Zetianreigned.); the phrase "the final ownership of the imperial realm" also makes many viewers feel it is an embodiment of "everyone being a rebel."
Additionally, this sentence reminds some viewers ofridiculous anti-Japanese dramascertain lines with "clairvoyant" perspectives, such as "Comrades, the eight-year War of Resistance is about to begin!" or "There is only one year left in the eight-year War of Resistance!"
- Xu You, are you a childhood friend of that Cao Cao? Have you been exchanging letters with him, still lingering in your connection?
After Tian Feng used the"Hating Heaven Sword Technique"to commit suicide, Yuan Shao received Tian Feng's suicide note slandering Xu You for colluding with Cao Cao while discussing matters with Xu You, and subsequently posed this question to him.
However, according to historical records and some fictional accounts, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and Xu You were all childhood friends when they were young; unless Yuan Shao has no memory of his youth(moreover, back when Cao Cao held the Emperor to command the nobles, Yuan Shao had mentioned how Cao Cao used todrink, feast, visit prostitutes, and gamble[[sic]]with him), he should not have had any doubts about Xu You being "a childhood friend of that Cao Cao," let alone questioning Xu You's loyalty.
Although this ridiculous questioning provides a justification for Xu You eventually betraying Yuan and joining Cao, it completely ruins Yuan Shao's generosity and kindness, and Tian Feng'snewly returned to the original work'supright and straightforward persona. This line is also considered a manifestation of Yuan Shao being brutally
Yuan Shu
Played by Yan Pei, he is one of the "normal people" in this series. Yuan Shu's character in this series is portrayed as resourceful and courteous to the wise: the former is shown when he refutes Cao Cao's attempt to shift blame for his failure onto other lords and incisively points out Cao Cao's own issues; the latter is shown by his considerable tolerance and preferential treatment of Sun Ce, as well as having a white-haired elder under his command[104], who isone of the few in Three Kingdoms (2010)strategists who can clearly explain the situation and provide countermeasures, and his brilliant suggestions are often adopted by Yuan Shu. He himself is also deeply loved by his subordinates; after Yuan Shu commits suicide in the series, his followers still call him Your Majesty and Lord, appearing very grieved.
There is astrategist who seems to have time-traveled from *The Scholars*,Fan Jin. Fan Jin once told Sun Jian that Yuan Shao was a "man with honey on his lips and a dagger in his heart," but the idiom "honey on lips, dagger in heart" was actually used to describe the treacherous Tang Dynasty official Li Linfu.Therefore, Fan Jin, who knew a term that only appeared after the Tang Dynasty, is clearly a time traveler.
- Retiring and returning to one's hometown[Original series position 13]
During the campaign of the eighteen regional lords against Dong Zhuo, at a banquet celebrating Sun Jian's achievements, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei (who were called the nineteenth lord) directly accused Yuan Shu of withholding military rations and sending Sun Jian to his death. Yuan Shu stated: "Gentlemen, if you can tolerate these three being herebehaving with such wanton insolence, then allow me, Yuan Shu, toRetiring and returning to one's hometown." This line has grammatical errors: first, "Liewei" and "Zhugong," and "Siyi" and "Fangsi" are redundant; second, "retiring and returning to one's hometown" refers to retiring due to old age, but in context, Yuan Shu meant withdrawing from the alliance, not retiring from office. "Liewei Zhugong" is also often used as a "secret signal" by Three Kingdoms (2010) meme-makers.
In the Japanese version, this line was changed to "
- Liu Bei is still an honest and kind man.
Yuan Shu was cornered by Liu Bei's troops and reached the end of his rope.Following historical facts, he cried out for honey water.At that time, Liu Bei sent him a letter advising him to commit suicide. Yuan Shu remarked, "Liu Bei is still an honest and kind man," and then slit his throat to pass away.
Pan Feng
Pan Feng, the top general under Han Fu, wielded a hundred-jin mountain-splitting axe. He is one of the "Five Tigers of Hulao Pass." His martial prowess is slightly higher than in the original work: although after his death, the soldiers of the eighteen regional lordswere pulled back to the original work by the will of heavenreported that Pan Feng was killed by Hua Xiong in a single round, but in the series, Pan Feng actually fought Hua Xiong for dozens of rounds before dying in battle.
His great axe seemingly has a spirit residing in it; while fighting Hua Xiong, it was clearly knocked away, but in the next shot, it was back in Pan Feng's hands.
- My great axe has long been thirsty!
- Main article:My [OO] has long been thirsty!
When the eighteen regional lords campaigned against Dong Zhuo, Pan Feng volunteered to fight Hua Xiong but was slain by him at lightning speed, followed by the classic scene of Guan Yu slaying Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm. In Three Kingdoms, an original line was created for Pan Feng: "My great axe has long been thirsty!"
Although the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms already featured Han Fu's boastful words "I have my top general Pan Feng, who can slay Hua Xiong" and the sharp contrast of Pan Feng being slain at lightning speed, this original line from the production team was so silly and shocking that it became a meme. When someone wants to show off, they can use the format "My [OO] has long been thirsty" to make a joke.
It might be one of the earliest famous memes of this work (becoming a meme the same year it aired); the gameLeague of Legends'sPlayable character'sOlafIn his Chinese voice lines, there is a line: "My big axe is already thirsty."
Hua Xiong
Played by Ding Xiaonan, he is the fourth-ranked general under Dong Zhuo, with the top three being Lu Bu, Li Jue, and Guo Si. He calls himself "General of the Front," but Dong Zhuo's official position was General of the Front; Hua Xiong's rank should have been "Commandant."
Like other Xiliang soldiers, he has disheveled hair, and when he first appears, he is inexplicably accompanied by an unknown lieutenant with a similar look(Jokingly called "Hua Ci" by some viewers). During the battle against Pan Feng, he fought him for dozens of rounds, knocking him away along with his hundred-jin, "thirsty" mountain-splitting axe, and killing him in an extremely showy manner.
Later, Guan Yu went out for "slaying Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm." He slashed at Hua Xiong's horse, but in the next shot, Hua Xiong was dead. Because of this, many viewers jokingly call Hua Xiong "Centaur”.
Hua Xiong's actor, Ding Xiaonan, later also played Chen Ying, a military captain under Zhao Fan, the Prefect of Guiyang.However, this time he wasn't killed by Liu Bei's men and survived.However, when he went back to report to Zhao Fan later, the actor was suddenly replaced by the actor for Zhang Kai.
Gongsun Zan
Played by Wang Baogang; although he doesn't appear much, every time he appears, there will definitely be
Unlike the original work, Gongsun Zan in *Three Kingdoms* (2010) seems unfamiliar with Liu Bei, so Liu Bei shows little emotional reaction upon hearing of Gongsun Zan's death. However, in some scenes, it reverts to the original setting indicating a relationship between the two.
His armor looks very much like it came straight out of a web game advertisement.
- a pair of smiling tigers, two black-horned sharks,[Original series position 3.]
Gongsun Zan described the brothers Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu as "a pair of smiling tigers, two black-horned sharks." This saying is a proverb entirely made up by screenwriter Zhu, and while many viewers mocked it, it also left people confused about what a "black-horned shark" actually is. Some viewers believe it's a product of seeing shark fins as horns, while others think it might be a blend of "black shark" and "spiny dogfish," two types ofsharks,and some viewers even fabricated a mythical creature called the "black-horned shark" based on this.
According to research, Zhu Sujin is from Lianshui, Jiangsu. In the Northern Jiangsu dialect, the Odontobutis
In the Japanese version, this description was changed to the allusion "a wolf in sheep's clothing" from *Aesop's Fables*. Although it still feels like a mix of Chinese and Western styles, it at least uses a common expression to convey the meaning of the original line.
A pair of Tiggers, two Cuicui Sharks.
Li Ru
Played by Song Zhongdong. In the series, his facial expressions and movements while speaking are very rich, and witha certain character who is "letting it rot" and poker-facedform a sharp contrast.
When he first appeared, he claimed to be a "Changshi".During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the position of Changshi was held exclusively by eunuchs (hence the Ten Attendants), so Li Ru...
Later, he seemingly betrayed Dong Zhuo to join Wang Yun's camp, deceiving Dong Zhuo by saying the Emperor wanted to abdicate in his favor(In fact, he took over the role of Li Su from the original work)。
- In the prime of her youth, yet to reach the age of hair-pinning
To win over Sun Jian, Li Ru was ordered by Dong Zhuo to propose a marriage alliance, using these eight characters to describe the age of Dong Zhuo's daughter.
This sentence contains a serious error: "prime of youth" refers to ages 15-18, while "yet to reach the age of hair-pinning" means under 15; the two
- Just like the father of the current Emperor
After Sun Jian's death, Li Ru suggested Dong Zhuo take the title "Shangfu." Dong Zhuo asked Li Ru for the meaning of "Shangfu," and Li Ru used this phrase to explain it.
Shangfu, also written as "Shangfu" (尚甫), is a respectful title for an elder of the father's generation. "Shang" refers to Jiang Shang (Jiang Ziya), and "Fu" is a respectful term for a man. The title originally referred to Jiang Ziya and was later used as a title to honor high-ranking officials. Li Ru's explanation here is complete nonsense.
Liu Biao
Played by Ji Chenggong.
The actor Ji Chenggong previously played Shi Xu in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" (1994)[105]and Deng Zhi in the "Tripartite Confrontation" section.As for Deng Zhi in "Three Kingdoms" (2010), besides beingZhuge Liangmentioned once, he is nowhere to be found; his role in "Settling the Five Armies" was alsoMa Sustolen.
- I am the Lord of Jingzhou!
In *Three Kingdoms* (2010), Liu Biao is only the "Lord of Jingzhou" in name, while the actual power is held by the Cai clan and other local gentry in Jingzhou. Once, Cai Mao mobilized troops to blockade "Jingzhou City" to kill Liu Bei. When Liu Biao discovered this, he ordered the soldiers to return, but the soldiers only looked at Cai Mao. Liu Biao said angrily, "What are you looking at him for?I am the Lord of Jingzhou!" It was only after Cai Mao gave the order that the soldiers withdrew.
Historically, after Sun Jian marched into Jingzhou and reached Nanyang, Liu Biao entered Jingzhou alone and allied with the local gentry, achieving control over Jingzhou except for Nanyang. Although Liu Biao had no desire for expansion, his control over Jingzhou was relatively stable. *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* depicts Liu Biao as a mediocre ruler, and *Three Kingdoms* (2010) further vilifies him based on the novel, portraying him as a powerless puppet.
Additionally, this plot segment is suspected to have drawn inspiration from the "Removing Armor" scene in *Yongzheng Dynasty*, reflecting the "political intrigue" style of *Three Kingdoms* (2010).
Xu You
Played by Xu Maomao, he is the top strategist under Yuan Shao. His characterization in the seriesfluctuates wildly: At times, he appears upright and unyielding, taking over the role of the "stubborn and defiant" Tian Feng from the original work to advise Yuan Shao to send troops to Xuzhou to save Liu Bei. After Yuan Shao refuses, he curses him as a "mediocre lord" and refuses to change his words even after being punished with military flogging. He flatly refuses when Liu Bei tries to persuade him to leave Yuan Shao, and even pleads for Tian Feng's life, saving him from execution. At other times, however, he becomes an insidious and narrow-minded villain who causes Tian Feng's death by snitching. When he himself is questioned by others, he feels aggrieved and defects to Cao Cao. Finally, he is decapitated by Xu Chu for provocatively showing off in front of him.
- Are you here to fight a war or to flirt?
Before the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao and Yuan Shaonegotiated at the front lines, a group of palace maids suddenly walked from Cao Cao's army to Yuan Shao's army, offering wine and flirting with the soldiers. Seeing this, Xu You shouted angrily: "Hey! You bunch of gluttons, bastards!Are you here to fight a war or to flirt??" He then ordered the soldiers to drive the women away.
This scene feels very out of place on what should be a serious battlefield, deepening some viewers' impression of the "lowbrow" plot in *Three Kingdoms* (2010). It is also used to mock melodramatic plots where characters fall in love or spread "industrial saccharine" during war(For example, *The Divine Mink Hero and his Lady*)。
- Chop me! Chop me if you have the guts!
Words spoken by Xu You while acting tough towards Xu Chu, only to be beheaded by Xu Chu immediately after, failing his attempt to show off.
A similar scene occurs later between Xu Chu and Cao Zhi's servants.
Tian Feng
Played byXu Tao. He always proposes illogical strategies to Yuan Shao.
Initially, contrary to his "upright and defiant" persona in the novel, he is very sycophantic towards Yuan Shao, but then suddenlyConsidering the illogical advice given by Tian Feng, the charge of "disturbing the army's morale" is completely reasonable.
Later, he tried to force his advice upon Yuan Shao(while Xu You framed him with exaggerated claims), and was nearlydriven insane by the erosion of "Heaven's Will"ordered to be beheaded in public by Yuan Shao(but Xu You suddenly had his left and right brains fight each other and pleaded for him, sparing Tian Feng's life for the time being). Finally, due to Xu You's framing and under Yuan Shao's orders,
His actor, Xu Tao, as a voice actor, once voiced Zhuge Liang in some scenes of the "Old Three Kingdoms" (otherwise voiced by Tang Guoqiang), and later in the same period as "Three Kingdoms (2010)", in the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" animation, he voiced Cao Cao.
- "Hating Heaven Sword Technique"
After receiving Yuan Shao's order to commit suicide, Tian Feng looked at the stars and lamented, "Heaven's will aids Cao, not Yuan!", then shouted "I hate Heaven!" twice before slitting his throat.
Because his suicide posture was very bizarre, it was jokingly called the "Hate Heaven Sword Technique."
Xing Daorong
Played by Wang Wentao.
- Speak my name,
and be startled!（ ）
- Speak my name,
The boastful words uttered by Xing Daorong while facing Zhuge Liang at the front lines with his Pear Flower Mountain-Splitting Axe. Because this speech, which combines Classical Chinese with plain vernacular, is very silly andChuuni, and the character Xing Daorong is so hilarious and ridiculous, it became one of the earliest famous memes of this work.
In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Xing Daorong was originally a hilarious buffoon who boasted only to be humiliated. Therefore, excluding the dialogue factor, the portrayal of Xing Daorong in Three Kingdoms (2010) is flawless and even brilliant. As a result, the character Xing Daorong has now become widely known as a synonym for an incompetent person who gets humiliated after posturing.
《Legends of the Three Kingdoms.Xing DaorongThis character's lines reference many memes from Three Kingdoms (2010), including the most famous one: "Speak my name, and be startled!"
Others
In Three Kingdoms (2010), it is common for the same actor to repeatedly play extras in multiple scenes and different factions. Sometimes, within less than a minute, the same extra might appear in different settings, wearing different clothes and holding different positions, which feels particularly immersion-breaking. Among them, those who playedSun QianYang Rui (who was alsoGuan Yuone of the body doubles), Yang Tong who played Liu Xian(who was nicknamed "Brother Extra" by the audience because he played so many minor roles)and Sun Yan, who played Jiang Qin and Qin Mi (he later played Tang Xiaohu in The Knockout, so viewers often call him Tang Xiaohu in this series as well) are the most prominent.
- Liu who? Guan who? Never heard of them![Original drama location 2]
When Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei first came to join the coalition of the eighteen lords, the soldier guarding the gate asked them for an invitation. When they couldn't produce one and introduced themselves, the soldier made this dismissive remark. Immediately after, Liu Bei spoke the famous quote by the late Ming/early Qing thinker Gu Yanwu: "The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every individual.”It would actually be quite reasonable if the soldier said, "The world what? Every man what? Never heard of it!"
This segment was likely intended to follow the "power fantasy" style where characters are initially looked down upon but later shock everyone. However, logically speaking, in the plot of Three Kingdoms (2010), Liu, Guan, and Zhang had not participated in the suppression of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and were not acquainted with Gongsun Zan (one of the eighteen lords); they were just commoners and had no right to join the coalition. Aside from his slightly poor attitude, the soldier was actually just doing his duty. On the contrary, Zhang Fei shouting "Tell Yuan Shao to come out and receive us" at the gate[106], and then beating up the soldier in a fit of rage was an extremely atrocious act. Cao Cao's line when helping Liu, Guan, and Zhang out of the situation—"How do you know they won't become world-famous later? Won't you regret what you did today?"—is also quite logically flawed.Soldier: Then how do you know I won't become world-famous later? Someone else can guard this gate for all I care!
Incidentally, the actor for this soldier is Yang Rui, who later played Sun Qian.
- Disaster! Disaster![Original series position 15]
Han Fu's subordinate generalPan FengwasHua XiongAfter being slain, the messenger of the eighteen lords rushed in frantically, shouting "Disaster! Disaster!" and reporting the military intelligence that Pan Feng was slain by Hua Xiong in just one round.
First, shouting and making a fuss like this in a military camp clearly disturbs military morale; logically, it wouldn't be excessive if this soldier were executed. Second, the show filmed the actual battle between Hua Xiong and Pan Feng, and in that scene, they clearly fought for several rounds, yet the soldier said it was only one round, adding the crime of false reporting.
The messenger's performance and lines might be a tribute to the messenger demons in *Journey to the West*"Disaster! Disaster! There's a monkey-faced, thunder-mouthed monk fighting his way in!". Additionally, the actor for this messenger, Wang Han, is also a King of Extras, who later served as a messenger and bearer of bad news for different factions many times, eventually making a name for himself by playing Wang Shuang.
- Master Lord[Original series position 15]
When Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were stationed with the alliance of lords as the "19th Lord," their only
The term "Master Lord" (Zhuziye), which is full of the flavor of Qing palace dramas, feels very out of place in this Three Kingdoms-themed series and has been criticized by many viewers. Additionally, in the first half of this plot, the soldier was guarding the door for Liu, Guan, and Zhang, but in the second half, he suddenly came back shouting "Master Lord" to report his failure to get rations from Yuan Shu, which is equally confusing. It also makes people wonder about this soldier's status in Liu, Guan, and Zhang's camp—whether he was a soldier assigned to them by Yuan Shao (the only one) or a soldier they brought themselves when joining the alliance.
Music Section
The music for *Three Kingdoms* (2010) was produced by Master Zhao Jiping, and the quality is quite excellent. However, there is an issue of overusing certain BGMs in the series. When these BGMs are repeatedly misused, they fail to convey the intended mood and can even seem oddly comical or jarring, leading them to be mockingly called "Personal Music."
- Startling Sound's Little Tune
Refers to a sharp, startling sound effect commonly used in the show. When a sudden situation or climax occurs in the plot, this sound effect is abruptly played (sometimes even in less tense scenes). In the original soundtrack, this sound effect is used at the beginning of the BGM "Soldiers Shouting," though it is mixed with the shouting of soldiers.
- Little Tune of Scheming / Deng-deng-deng-deng-deng-deng
When the plot enters a segment depicting political maneuvering, it is often accompanied by a low "deng-deng-deng-deng-deng-deng" sound effect. Sometimes this effect even appears several times in a row. Coupled with the fact that many "schemes" in this series are depicted as rather childish or like "office politics," this "deng-deng-deng-deng-deng-deng" sound effect feels even more comical. This sound effect is not included in the original soundtrack.
- Sliding Rheostat
Refers to the sharp, rising-pitch sound effect in the first half of "Assassinating Dong Zhuo" that sounds as if it were made with a sliding rheostat. It is frequently used when the atmosphere becomes tense. It sounds very jarring and is one of the most disliked "private BGMs."
Additionally, the "Dong—!" sound in the second half of "Assassinating Dong Zhuo" is also frequently overused in the show.
Furthermore, although this BGM is titled "Assassinating Dong Zhuo," it was not used when Cao Cao attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo, but was first used when Wang Yun used the "Chain Stratagem" to kill Dong Zhuo, which is barely relevant to the title.
The "sliding rheostat sound effect" is not original to *Three Kingdoms*; for example, it was used in the 1994 Hong Kong film *It's a Wonderful Life*[107], and the entire track "Assassinating Dong Zhuo" had actually already appeared in the 2004 TV series *Warriors of the Yang Clan*.[108]Therefore, many viewers suspect that the "sliding rheostat" is actually stock music.
- Song of Guan Yu
Strictly speaking, what is overused is a melody used across several tracks including "Song of Xiao Qiao," "Song of Guan Yu," "Guan Yu Surrenders to Cao," "The Chancellor Passes Away at Wuzhang Plains," and "The Three Kingdoms Unite." This melody is used to render various atmospheres including excitement and solemnity, and many of the scenes are not even related to Guan Yu. After repeated exposure, this song, which should have been majestic, feels quite comical instead, and it is a BGM frequently used in parodies and fan creations of *Three Kingdoms*. When this melody plays in the original work or fan creations, netizens often usebullet commentsexpressing "
In the plot soundtrack, there are also two versions not included in the OST: the "Passionate Version" for the Battle of Red Cliffs and the "Flute Version" often used for Sun Xiaomei's appearances.
- Death of Liu Bei
Like the "Song of Guan Yu," it is a BGM that has been overused in various situations, even in scenes unrelated to Liu Bei.As a result, when it actually came to the death of Liu Bei, this BGM was not used.
- OP/ED Replacement
Shortly after "Three Kingdoms" (2010) began airing,BilibiliUploaderHejin Zhuchireplaced the OP of "Three Kingdoms" with famous songs like "My Fair Princess," "A Life of Fighting Is Like a Dream," and "Nobody" to test the synchronization rate with the visuals. It might be because these tracks synchronized so well that many viewers felt the original OP and ED were the most out-of-sync or unpleasant versions (to be fair, the skills of singer Liao Changyong and composer Zhao Jiping for the opening theme "Return a Peaceful World to Me" are quite formidable).
In addition, the OP and ED visuals of "Three Kingdoms" and "only my railgun》、《Senbonzakura" and other classicACGtracks also have a high synchronization rate, but due to being too old, archives are hard to find.
Costumes, Makeup, and Props Section
The costumes, makeup, and props in Three Kingdoms (2010) were quite unrefined, leading to numerous bloopers that left the audience both laughing and crying.
- Xiliang Savage
The production team had severe stereotypes about Xiliang, believing that as a remote border region, it must be poor and uncivilized. Consequently, Xiliang generals (such as Dong Zhuo, Li Jue, Guo Si, Ma Teng, Ma Chao, Ma Dai, and Han Sui) were all depicted with disheveled hair, and their soldiers had the custom of mimicking monkey cries, earning them the nickname "Xiliang Savages."
Later, because Lu Bu abused the Xiliang soldiers under his command[109]he was betrayed and tied up by them. At this moment, these Xiliang soldiers had unexpectedly changed into "normal" attire like other Han factions, leading to comments that "Lu Bu applied a Han-ification patch to his subordinates." Furthermore, because the three brothers briefly switched back to Xiliang savage attire after capturing Lu Bu, only to put on Han clothes again after presenting the bound Lu Bu to Cao Cao, some joked that "the three brothers betrayed Lu Bu just for the permanent Han-ified skins."
- Han Dynasty Sofa
During the campaign of the Eighteen Lords against Dong Zhuo, a long row of armchairs actually appeared in Yuan Shao's main tent.
- Worshipping the Portrait of Qin Shi Huang
After the Eighteen Lords fought their way into Luoyang, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei also entered the city(That's fine, if he enters the city, I'll enter the city too), and worshipped the late emperors in the ancestral temple (this segment is the famous scene "Big Brother, just a few words will do. Who knows if the late Emperor can even hear you?" is the source of this). In this temple set, the portrait of the late emperor that Liu Bei worships looks very much like the common portrait of Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng. Therefore, viewers of this series derived a conspiracy theory that "Liu Bei is actually a descendant of Qin Shi Huang living under an assumed name".(So Liu Bei should actually be called "Ying Bei")。Yu Hewei, the actor who played Liu Bei, later played Qin Shi Huang in another TV series directed by Gao Xixi, King's War. This makes it not strange at all, not strange at all.This makes the line "Who knows if the late Emperor can hear us" reasonable. If Ying Bei is worshipping Qin Shi Huang, given that the place of worship is the Han Dynasty ancestral temple, Qin Shi Huang could not possibly come to the Han temple to receive incense; if he is worshipping the late Han emperors but facing a portrait of Qin Shi Huang, the Han emperors are also unlikely to hear him.
- Red-eared Slider Divination
Liu Bei wanted to invite Zhuge Liang to join him, but failed to see him the first two times. To avoid another wasted trip on the third time, Liu Bei performed divination before setting out: he closed his eyes and shook a basin of turtle shells, then flipped it over onto the table. Seeing all the turtle shells facing up, Liu Bei exclaimed, "Great fortune! Supreme good fortune!" and immediately decided to visit the thatched cottage for the third time.
Turtle shell divination in ancient China was actually common during the Shang and Zhou dynasties and had declined by the Han Dynasty. The specific method involved burning the turtle shell after killing the turtle and then predicting good or bad luck based on the patterns of the cracks. The method in the series, judging luck by how they land face up or down, is more like the Jiaobei divination that appeared in the Tang Dynasty.Liu Bei: Lord Guan has granted me nine divine cups!Furthermore, the turtle shell props used in the series are from Red-eared Sliders—an invasive species that was only introduced to China in the 1980s.
- Shrunken Imperial Seal
In the famous sceneCongratulations, Father, you can now declare yourself Emperor!, one can see that the lower part of the Heirloom Seal of the Realm is a light yellow rectangular prism, while the upper part is a hemisphere shaped like a brain, mainly light yellow with parts covered in a gutter-oil color, and it is quite large, requiring an adult to hold it with both hands. Years later, when the seal is passed to Cao Pi, its size has significantly decreased. The height of the lower rectangular prism has shrunk by more than 50%, and the length and width have also shrunk somewhat, allowing it to be played with in one hand; the color has turned dark yellow; and the "brain" on the upper part has turned into an unidentified creature resembling a small turtle.
ACG-related Fan Creations
- 《Lost Child!!!!!》《Soyo Doll》Version:Widescreen ModeShow VideoWidescreen ModeShow Video
- 《Ganso! BanG Dream-chan》Version (Due to the appearance in Episode 19 ofHuarong Passwhich triggered roasts):Widescreen ModeShow Video
- 《Detective Conan》Version (Using the line "Status unknown means they're dead" to roast how in this work,the Black Organizationconsiders someone's status unknown but they are actually alive,Shinichi Kudo（Conan Edogawa））：Widescreen ModeShow Video
- 《CODE GEASS》Version:Widescreen ModeShow Video
- 《Genshin Impact》Version:Widescreen ModeShow Video
- Hatsune MikuVersion:Widescreen ModeShow Video
- League of LegendsProfessional Tournament Version:Widescreen ModeShow Video
- 《Dynasty Warriors》Version:[110]Widescreen ModeShow Video
- 《Honkai: Star Rail》Version 4.1 theme event "Chronicles of the Dust Spirits: Lord's Recruitment Order" directly references a large number of New Three Kingdoms memes.
Index and Notes
Original Series Scene Index
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Episode 1: Mengde Presents the Sword
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Episode 3: Mistakenly Killing the Innocent
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Episode 11: Liu Bei Rescues Xuzhou
- ↑ Episode 12: Lu Bu Resides in Xiaopei
- ↑ Episode 15: Shooting the Halberd at the Gate
- ↑ Episode 16: Lu Bu Receives an Appointment
- ↑ Episode 20: Liu Bei Receives the Mandate
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Episode 21: Ji Ping Administers Poison
- ↑ Episode 27: The Battle of Guandu
- ↑ Episode 36: The Battle of Changban
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Episode 6: Sun Jian Obtains the Imperial Seal
- ↑ Episode 13: Cao Cao Abducts the Emperor
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Episode 5: Three Heroes Fight Lu Bu
- ↑ Episode 2: Cao Cao's Escape
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Citation error:
<ref>Invalid tag; no text provided for the name温酒斩华雄of the ref (reference)
Notes
- ↑ For example, the Yellow Turban Rebellion is only mentioned briefly at the beginning, the Oath of the Peach Garden was reduced to just one minute and delayed until after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and the plot involving the Ten Attendants was cut entirely, resulting in eunuchs still being present after Dong Zhuo entered the capital, with Cao Cao addressing a young messenger eunuch as "Little Eunuch."
- ↑ In ancient times, addressing someone by their given name was impolite; in normal conversation, one should at least use their courtesy name, and ideally use the appropriate honorific based on their status and relationship.
- ↑ In the Han Dynasty, a province (zhou) was a large administrative division (similar to the later circuits or provinces), not a single city.
- ↑ Not to mention the bizarre address "Guan Yu-kun," the production team even got Guan Yu's title wrong. Guan Yu was enfeoffed as the "Marquis of Hanshou Village," not the "Shouting Marquis of the Han Dynasty."
- ↑ Screenwriter Wang Hailin criticized Gao Xixi's bizarre decisions in King's War.
- ↑ Zhu Sujin is one of the screenwriters for Jiang Wen's film Let the Bullets Fly.
- ↑ One video to help you understand the differences between the three versions of "Three Kingdoms" (2010)_Bilibili_bilibili
- ↑ Broadcast of the new "Three Kingdoms" nears its end; characters and plot spark controversy_Sina Mobile
- ↑ These websites were then just like today'sYouTube、AcFun、bilibili、Xigua Videoand other website platforms, primarily featuring videos uploaded by ordinary users themselves (formally known as "User Generated Content" (UGC)).
- ↑ Screen namenetaFrom NBA player Rajon Rondo.
- ↑ Screen namenetaFromEru ChitandaandHoutarou Oreki'sCP, and the avatar they use also has, like Chitanda,purple eyesandlong straight black haircharacteristics.
- ↑ Screen namenetaFromLiu Bei's ancestral home.
- ↑ Screen namenetaFromDong Zhuo's official title "Grand Preceptor," and the avatar is also Dong Zhuo from the old version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
- ↑ "AI Yi Zhongtian Appraises Three Kingdoms (2010)" Episode 1: Historical Upheaval
- ↑ Whether it's the banners (though the old Three Kingdoms also made this mistake), the lines, or
narration（ ）all indicate that Liu Bei established the State of Shu. - ↑ King Zhuang of Chu should be after Duke Wen of Jin.
- ↑ Generally, mentions of "King Wen" and "King Wu" specifically refer to King Wen of Zhou and King Wu of Zhou.
- ↑ Coincidentally, there was indeed a person named Zhao Kuo in the State of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period.
- ↑ During the Three Kingdoms period, the eastern side of Xuzhou faced the sea.
- ↑ How to evaluate the TV series "Three Kingdoms" (2010)?
- ↑ Understanding "Three Kingdoms" (2010) through a single map
- ↑ The prototype of this line might be the strategy Jia Xu gave to Zhang Xiu, which Zhang Xiu used to soundly defeat Cao Cao; however, in this series, Cao Cao himself brings it up in a completely inappropriate scene.
- ↑ In ancient times, people usually addressed each other by their courtesy names, using their given names only when referring to themselves; calling someone directly by their full name was considered extremely impolite.
- ↑ Some viewers believe that Yi Zhongtian, as a "Cao Cao solo stan," has a long-standing tendency to "honor Cao and belittle Liu" in his commentaries, misleading many people's views on Three Kingdoms matters. However, in reality, Yi Zhongtian also affirmed the status of historical figures from the Shu Han camp, such as Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, in "Lecture Room."
- ↑ During the rebellion of Li Jue and Guo Si, there was a person referred to as "Third Brother," a "Xiliang Savage" who spoke Jia Xu's lines, but the series does not clarify whether he is Jia Xu.
- ↑ This portrayal might be taken from the problematic plot point in the original "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" where Cao Cao executes the ministers who helped put out a fire, and this plot point was also filmed in "Three Kingdoms" (2010).
- ↑ A type ofridiculous anti-Japanese dramasaccent often used by Chinese actors in film and television works when imitating Japanese people speaking Chinese; its actual pronunciation and theJapanese-style Mandarinspoken by Japanese people in reality are not quite the same,
or even worlds apart。 - ↑ Why do so many people roast "Three Kingdoms" (2010)? Is it really that bad? - Date no Eumenes - Zhihu
- ↑ Why is "Three Kingdoms" (2010) widely criticized in China, yet highly praised by foreigners on YouTube? - Fox Chenxi - Zhihu
- ↑ As mentioned above, this series omits the plot of the Rebellion of the Ten Eunuchs, so there are surprisingly still eunuchs in the palace at this point in time.
- ↑ The original text is "Ning (宁)jiao (教)wo fu tian xia ren, xiu jiao tian xia ren fu wo" (I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me); here Colonel Cao misread it.
- ↑ This is the classic "New Three Kingdoms" style etiquette, which involves calling someone directly by their name and adding an "ah," but the nature of it this time is completely different: given Cao Ren's status, he has no right to call Xun Yu by his name, nor even by his courtesy name Wenruo; he should only call him "Sir" or "Prefect Xun." The Japanese version patched this by adding honorifics.
- ↑ Attached bilingual subtitles: "How does the Japanese version understand and handle the outrageous lines of 'New Three Kingdoms'? Part 3!"
- ↑ Historically, Yuan Shu declared himself emperor in the second month of the second year of Jian'an (197 AD).
- ↑ Unlike the original work, the incident of "cutting hair to substitute for the head" occurs during the campaign against Yuan Shu and before the execution of Wang Hou in this series.
- ↑ The series does not mention if the grain official's real name is Wang Hou, but refers to him as the "Chief Clerk in charge of grain." However, historically, a grain official was a grain official and a Chief Clerk was a Chief Clerk; the position of "Chief Clerk in charge of grain" did not exist.
- ↑ By the way, this series did not film the plot of the Southern Campaign.
- ↑ According to historical records, similar food should have existed earlier, but the name "Mantou" and its predecessor "Mantou" (曼头) can only be traced back to the Jin Dynasty at the earliest.
- ↑ This is an outrageous scene unique to "New Three Kingdoms," which also appears in plots like Zhuge Liang vs. Sima Yi. Yuan Shao is wearing armor and carrying a sword, while Cao Cao is in plain clothes, unarmed, and without guards. Yuan Shao could have easily killed Cao Cao at this moment and immediately won the war.
- ↑ AtWorld War IDuring World War I, the German Air Force's "Dicta Boelcke" did indeed include a rule to "attack from the direction of the sun," but it is clearly impractical for army engagements. Furthermore, the series did not rigorously film scenes where the sun's position changed during their conversation to affect the battle: before the dialogue, Cao Cao asked Cao Ren about the orientation of Yuan's army, and Cao Ren said they were facing west with their backs to the
- ↑ "Just Another Pandora's Box" was released on March 18, 2010, while "Three Kingdoms" premiered on May 2, 2010. Although "Three Kingdoms" was released later, considering issues such as post-production after filming, it is uncertain whether "Three Kingdoms" drew inspiration from "Just Another Pandora's Box."
- ↑ Chen Jianbin talks about "Three Kingdoms": The new Cao Cao is more humanized but not subverted | "Three Kingdoms" _ mobile.163.com
- ↑ In the Romance, Guan Yu struggled internally about whether to let Cao Cao go, and even regretted it for a moment after letting him pass, which is completely opposite to Guan Yu in the New Three Kingdoms.
- ↑ The way he "received his lunch box" is the same as the original: opposing Cao Cao's promotion (but in the original it was opposing the title of Duke of Wei, while in "Three Kingdoms" it was opposing the title of King of Wei; Xun Yu, who originally died in 212, lived until 216), and because of the hint from the empty food box sent by Cao Cao, he
committed suicide（ ）。 - ↑ For example, in countless earlier scenes, he seemed to turn a deaf ear to Cao Cao's traitorous remarks.
- ↑ In the series, the character "
懿（ ）" in his name is often pronounced as "yí". - ↑ A descendant of He Jin, who does not appear in this work. Initially, she was an undercover agent sent by Cao Pi to Sima Yi's side, but later betrayed the Cao clan because she fell in love with Sima Yi. After marrying Sima Yi as his wife, she was eliminated by Sima Yi's scheme while giving birth.
- ↑ According to the timeline in the series, Cao Pi bestowed Jing Shu upon Sima Yi shortly after Cao Cao's death. According to historical age, Sima Yi would have been in his early forties at this time, so it wasn't exactly a "sunset romance," but the actor's makeup was so aging that Sima Yi looked like an old man.
- ↑ Three Kingdoms (2010) deleted scenes -- Kongming's Northern Expeditions
- ↑ This is the most widely circulated conspiracy theory interpretation surrounding the Empty Fort Strategy: Sima Yi actually saw through Zhuge Liang's strategy but deliberately retreated to "keep the enemy alive to enhance his own importance" so he would continue to be utilized, thereby arguing that Sima Yi's talent was superior to Zhuge Liang's. Since it's a conspiracy theory, "Three Kingdoms" (2010) naturally adopted it, and the later "The Advisor's Alliance" also used this interpretation.
- ↑ Hua Xin served as the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Wei under the Han Dynasty; at this time, his status should have been Grand Commandant.
- ↑ The way Tao Qian addressed Liu Bei during the period when Liu Bei rescued Xuzhou.
- ↑ See alsoHere。
- ↑ However, despite also initially not wanting to play Liu Bei, Sun Yanjun delivered an extremely classic and excellent portrayal of Liu Bei in the *Old Three Kingdoms*.
- ↑ After Pang Tong died at Luofeng Slope, Liu Bei's mobilization order included the phrase "All forces, hear my command."
- ↑ Historically, Liu Bei only declared himself emperor after Emperor Xian of Han was forced to abdicate.
- ↑ TV Series New *Three Kingdoms* Episode Summaries_Entertainment_iFeng.com
- ↑ The title Cao Cao used on the tombstone he set up for Guan Yu.
- ↑ In the original *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* novel, Guan Yu was merely surrounded on a dirt hill.
- ↑ For example, historically, when the ministers advised Liu Bei to become the King of Hanzhong, they mentioned "The dragon is the symbol of a monarch"; in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, when Jia Chong advised Sima Zhao to beware of Cao Mao, he quoted Cao Mao saying "The dragon is the symbol of a monarch," see:There is also "The dragon is the sign of an emperor" in the Old Three Kingdoms_bilibili_bilibili。
- ↑ Although referring to the female in a marriage as "Feng" (Phoenix) is also a common mistake.
- ↑ From
as famous...（ ）Subtitles for the scene in the episode "Burning the Thatched Cottage"（Yanpeople callJiDe is also reasonable)。 - ↑ He is also the Japanese dubber for Zhang Fei in the Old Three Kingdoms.
- ↑ Similar to New Three Kingdoms, Kang Kai's portrayal of Li Kui in New Water Margin only retained the innocent and reckless side of Li Kui from Water Margin, failing to show the ruthlessness and violence displayed in episodes like "Qiao Catching Ghosts" or "Axing the Young Magistrate." Additionally, the fair-skinned Kang Kai lacked the appearance of the "Black Whirlwind," leading readers to call his portrayal "White Li Kui." However, thanks to the relatively good overall quality of New Water Margin, the adaptation of Li Kui made the character more likable, and with a voice actor compensating for Kang Kai's vocal shortcomings, his Li Kui was far less controversial than his Zhang Fei.
- ↑ Historically, Zhao Yun left Gongsun Zan earlier than Liu Bei; in the original novel, he continued to follow Gongsun Zan after Liu Bei left and only sought out Liu Bei after Gongsun Zan's faction collapsed. Whether in history or the original novel, Zhao Yun officially joined Liu Bei's group roughly around the time Liu Bei was seeking refuge with Yuan Shao.
- ↑ Even more strangely, this ambush could have been dispatched by anyone.
- ↑ Lu Su wanted to recruit Pang Tong as a strategist for Jiangdong, but Zhuge Liang secretly had Sun Qian take the opportunity to reveal to Lady WuPang Tong making a scene at the funeralthe matter, resulting in Sun Quan being forced to neglect Pang Tong under pressure from Lady Wu, which eventually led Pang Tong to leave Jiangdong and join Liu Bei.
- ↑ In the original Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the one who robbed Guan Yu was Zhou Cang's associate Pei Yuanshao, and Pei Yuanshao claimed to be a subordinate of Zhang Jiao and was not killed by Zhou Cang afterwards.
- ↑ Gao Xixi's Detailed Account of the Three Kingdoms: Cao ♯♯ is Moving, Kongming has a Demonic Aura
- ↑ 70.0 70.1 Subtitles often write "Yiling" as other characters. However, the spelling "彝陵" for "Yiling" does exist, but it is only found in Qing Dynasty literature editions, changed to avoid the taboo word "Yidi" (夷狄); this spelling did not exist before the Ming Dynasty. However, there is no spelling like "彝林".(Even the front and back nasal sounds are different)。
- ↑ Pang Tong's death directly caused a series of chain reactions in the later period of Shu Han, indirectly forcing Zhuge Liang and others to leave Jing Province to support their lord in Xichuan, and further indirectly leading to Guan Yu, who was guarding Jing Province without a chief strategist, losing Jing Province due to carelessness and being killed at Maicheng. Logically and emotionally, as a strategist, Pang Tong should not have had the intention to actively seek death.
- ↑ This nickname first originated from the "Dynasty Warriors" series, where characters often refer to themselves by their courtesy names; in the Japanese voiceover, "Ma Mengqi" sounds very much like "Ma Monkey."
- ↑ Sun Jian was from the Wu region, but as a warlord, he relied on his status as the Grand Administrator of Changsha. Jiangdong was conquered by Sun Ce after Sun Jian's death. In the original novel, Sun Jian sometimes mentions returning to Jiangdong and so on, which might be explained as going to Jiangdong to find friends and relatives to expand his power.
- ↑ In history, Sun Ce was wounded by the retainers of Xu Gong, the Administrator of Wu Commandery whom he had executed, in the fifth year of Jian'an (200 AD) (before the Battle of Guandu) and died of his wounds. In Three Kingdoms (2010), Xu Gong is only mentioned through dialogue, so the plot of Xu Gong's retainers assassinating Sun Ce inevitably causes confusion, and combined with Sun Quan's subsequent performance, it even led some viewers to propose a conspiracy theory that Sun Quan assassinated Sun Ce.。
- ↑ In the original novel, Sun Jian commanded his soldiers to salvage the Imperial Seal from a well, and it was also a soldier who leaked the news to Yuan Shao.
- ↑ 76.0 76.1 76.2 Attached with bilingual subtitles: How did the Japanese version understand and handle the outrageous lines of Three Kingdoms (2010)?
- ↑ From the historical record of Sun Quan leading an army of 100,000 to personally attack Hefei, only to be repelled by Zhang Liao's 800 men.It's rare for a nickname in this entry to not originate from the original plot of the New Three Kingdoms.
- ↑ The "15 generations" was calculated by later generations by including the Former Young Emperor Liu Gong, the Latter Young Emperor Liu Hong, and the Deposed Emperor Liu He, but the official Han Dynasty stance did not count these three.
- ↑ 79.0 79.1 Attached with bilingual subtitles: How did the Japanese version understand and handle the outrageous lines of Three Kingdoms (2010)? Part 2!
- ↑ In reality, the sisters' surname was "Qiao" (桥) in history, but Romance of the Three Kingdoms mistakenly wrote it as "Qiao" (乔).
- ↑ Xiao Qiao is an intellectual beauty_Zhao Ke_Sina Blog
- ↑ 82.0 82.1 Interview with "Xiao Qiao" Zhao Ke: Willing to be the woman behind "Zhou Lang"_NetEase Entertainment
- ↑ Three Kingdoms accident: Xiao Qiao (Zhao Ke) injured and hospitalized
- ↑ This refers to the First Battle of Hefei in the original novel where Taishi Ci died in battle, rather than the more famous Second Battle of Hefei (i.e., Zhang Liao's prestige at Xiaoyao Ford).
- ↑ Xiao Qiao's early exit was likely due to the actress being injured during filming. SeeNew Three Kingdoms set horse spooked: "Xiao Qiao" Zhao Ke injured in fall
- ↑ In the original work, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were members of Gongsun Zan's faction.
- ↑ In the *New Three Kingdoms* series, the same person is sometimes called Liu Dai and sometimes Han Fu
(suspectedsplit personalityscene), here the restored version's subtitles mark him as Liu Dai, and the Japanese version's subtitles mark him as Han Fu. - ↑ The flag behind this warlord has the character "Han" on it. Considering that only one of the eighteen warlords is surnamed Han, this person should be Han Fu. Then who was the person sitting at the other end who first accused Yuan Shu?
- ↑ If this person is the real Han Fu, when was he demoted from Provincial Governor to Grand Administrator?
- ↑ He once voiced Liu Bei in the "Battle of Red Cliffs" part of the *Old Three Kingdoms*, and later in the 《Romance of the Three Kingdoms》 animation around the same time as the *New Three Kingdoms*, he voiced Liu Bei again.
- ↑ In the original work, Wang Yun intentionally created a misunderstanding between Lu Bu and Dong Zhuo. He told Dong Zhuo that Diaochan was a dancing girl and gave her to him, while "explaining" to Lu Bu that Dong Zhuo had come to claim the bride on Lu Bu's behalf. In the series, Wang Yun also tells Dong Zhuo that Diaochan is his foster daughter, and Dong Zhuo takes Diaochan away under the pretext of escorting a concubine for the Emperor.
- ↑ In the original work, they gathered a crowd of over a hundred thousand only after their plea for amnesty was rejected, and it wasn't specified that they were cavalry.
- ↑ Historically, Lu Bu participated in defending the city. In the original *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Lu Bu fought the besieging rebels outside the city; in neither case was he an additional force that could come to support. After the city fell, Lu Bu invited Wang Yun to flee with him, but was refused.
- ↑ After the city fell, historically Wang Yun took Emperor Xian of Han to the Xuanping Gate (one of Chang'an's city gates). Eventually, Wang Yun was forced to come down and was executed a few days later. However, the original *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* seems to mistake "Xuanping Gate" for a palace gate, describing the rebels surrounding the inner court and telling Emperor Xian on the gate tower, "If we see Wang Yun, we will withdraw." Wang Yun, accompanying the Emperor, then jumped from the gate tower (he didn't die from the fall but was killed by the rebels after a heated verbal exchange). The *Old Three Kingdoms* didn't film this part, while some other Three Kingdoms-themed works also depict Wang Yun committing suicide by jumping from a city or palace gate. In the *New Three Kingdoms* series, the standoff occurs at a gate labeled "Chang'an," which might be the screenwriters adopting historical records; however, after learning the city had fallen, Wang Yun has lines like "go to the palace to protect the Emperor" and "defend the city and wait for reinforcements," and one of the negotiation terms was to open the city gate, which seems to be written as if they were besieged in the palace.
- ↑ Historically, Wang Yun did not live to be sixty. The original *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* does not mention how old he was at this birthday banquet.
- ↑ Some versions of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* also place East before West, see:Textual Research on Ancient Versions of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* Chapter 6 (Part 1: Dong Zhuo Burns Luoyang) - Zhihu
- ↑ [Reborn as Yuan Gonglu (IV)]
- ↑ In the original novel, when Chen Gong expressed his intention to resign, he mentioned that his family was in Dongjun.
- ↑ However, from beginning to end, it is never explained exactly who Lu Bu killed; based on the preceding and following plot, it might be Cao Cao's entire family, but according to the original novel's setting, Cao Cao's family lived in Yecheng for a long time, not in Luoyang.
- ↑ Logically, given Diaochan's status at the time, she should not have been riding in a carriage.
- ↑ Diaochan is not recorded in official history and is a figure of folklore. Regarding Diaochan's fate, there is a Yuan Dynasty Zaju play titled *Guan the Great King Beheads Diaochan on a Moonlit Night* (unfortunately, the specific content is lost, only the title remains); in the original novel, Diaochan was taken away by Lu Bu after Dong Zhuo's downfall, and when Lu Bu was besieged at Xiapi, it is mentioned that Diaochan was by his side, but her ultimate fate is not disclosed; in the 1994 series, after Dong Zhuo's execution, a scene shows her leaving in a carriage to the song "Diaochan Has Gone with the Gentle Breeze," which is generally interpreted as implying she went into seclusion after Dong Zhuo's death.
- ↑ netaKong Rong's historical comment and Cao Cao's comment in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* regarding Yuan Shu: "Dry bones in a tomb."
- ↑ In the series, Tao Qian claims Yuan Shu is to the east of Xuzhou, but in reality, to the east of Xuzhou is the East China Sea.
; and Yuan Shu is just like Tokai TeioWant to drink honey water。 - ↑ His name is not stated in the 2010 series, but many viewers believe he might be Yan Xiang.
- ↑ An original character in the 1994 series, replacing Liu Fu's role from the original *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. In the series, he is set as a musician under Cao Cao; while Cao Cao was composing poetry with his spear, he angered a drunken Cao Cao by pointing out errors in "Short Song Style" and was stabbed to death with the spear.
- ↑ The first error is that addressing someone directly by their name was extremely disrespectful at the time; the second is that the term "jie jia" (receiving the imperial carriage) can only be used to describe receiving the Emperor.
- ↑ So the "Sliding Rheostat" BGM from New Three Kingdoms actually comes from here_bilibili_bilibili
- ↑ So the "Sliding Rheostat" BGM from New Three Kingdoms is not original either_bilibili_bilibili
- ↑ First, historically Lu Bu controlled the Bing Province Army rather than the Xiliang Army as set in New Three Kingdoms; second, the three soldiers beaten in this plot segment did not use the names Wei Xu, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng from the original work, but instead there was one called "Brother Hu"
(also the King of Extras), combined with the plot of the three stealing the Sky-Piercer later and the fact that the Battle of Wancheng was deleted in this series (only mentioned by Xun Yuwhen saying Cao Cao likes married womenmentioned briefly), it's possible that Hu Che'er was moved here; furthermore, the reason the three were beaten was not because they brought wine to Lu Bu unaware of his alcohol ban as in the original work, but simply because they picked up and read a letter of surrender thrown in by Cao Cao's army. - ↑ Because the Japanese version modified some unreasonable plots of the original and the image quality is higher than the Old Three Kingdoms, New Three Kingdoms is quite popular in Japan. For example, Romance of the Three Kingdoms 13, developed by the famous Three Kingdoms game company Koei Tecmo, features collaboration portraits from New Three Kingdoms, and many adapted plots from New Three Kingdoms have also appeared in the Dynasty Warriors series.
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