Fung Wan

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Fung Wan

Cloud (left) and Wind
風雲
(Wind and Cloud)
Genre Wuxia
Author Ma Wing Shing
Publisher Hong Kong Jonesky
English publisher United States ComicsOne
Original run 1989 – Present
Volumes 553 issues

Fung Wan (traditional Chinese: 風雲) is a Wuxia Manhua series from Hong Kong. It is the first Manhua released by Ma Wing Shing in 1989 with the help of his assistant Siu Kit under his own company, Jonesky Publishing. The title translates to "Wind and Cloud". Before the 4th story arc, the comic was originally titled Fung Wan (Chinese: 風雲), until the two protagonists of the story, Nip Fung and Bou King Wan, became secondary characters and the comic was renamed Tin Ha (Chinese: 天下).[1]

The story has been adapted into other media a number of times. The most notable of its adaptations are the 1998 film The Storm Riders, the video game Fung Wan Online and the Taiwanese Wind and Cloud TV series.

Contents

[edit] Story summary

The story takes place in China during the Ming Dynasty. It revolves around the two expert pugilists, Nip Fung (nicknamed Wind) and Bou Keng Wan (nicknamed Cloud). They learn martial arts and move up to become legendary figures in the Kong Woo. As the comic progresses, more characters are introduced in many story arcs filled with battles, especially swordplay.

[edit] Tin Ha Wui Arc

In this first story arc, the two protagonists are inducted into the most powerful martial arts sect of that time, Tin Ha Wui and they become the right-hand men of its leader Hung Ba. Hung Ba recruited them when they were still young and he does so to follow a prophecy. With the aid of Cloud, Wind and another pugilist named Frost, Tin Ha Wui becomes the most powerful sect in the whole of Ming Dynasty China. Cloud and Wind respectively learn their palm (Cloud Palm Stance) and kick (Kick Stance of the Wind God) martial arts techniques from Hung Ba. Hung Ba does not teach them out of altruism but rather for his self-aggrandisement.

At the pinnacle of Hung Ba's power, the Buddhist prophet who gave the first half of the prophecy appears and tells Hung that Cloud and Wind will be the cause of his downfall although they are also the cause for his rise to power and thus complete the prophecy. After learning about the prophecy, Hung Ba starts to plot to kill Cloud and Wind by using a beautiful servant girl named Kung Chi to manipulate them into a love triangle. Hung Ba then arranges for a marriage between Kung Chi and Frost to provoke Cloud and Wind.

Just then, Sword Saint I appears to obstruct Hung's plans. He leaves retirement after his older brother's clan is destroyed by Wind on Hung Ba's orders a few years ago. He defeats Wind and Cloud easily and issues a publicly-announced challenge for a duel between him and Hung Ba. The wounded Cloud and Wind desperately want to return to Tin Ha Wui mainly because of Kung Chi before the duel takes place.

Meanwhile, Sword Saint I issues a private challenge to Mou Ming before the duel with Hung Ba, to settle an old grudge that forced him into retirement earlier. Mou Ming does not appear and his pupil Kim Sun takes his place instead. After duelling for a short while, Sword Saint I knows that he is unable to defeat Mou Ming if Mou Ming shows up. He retreats to prepare for his duel with Hung Ba.

When the time for the duel arrives, Saint Sword I, Cloud and Wind separately arrive at Tin Ha Wui. Cloud takes Kung Chi away with him but he is stopped by Wind. As Hung Ba duels with the invincible spectre of the dying Saint Sword I, Cloud and Wind duel against each other. The winning Cloud tries to kill Wind, but he is stopped by Kung Chi at the cost of her life. Cloud runs away with her corpse and attacks the standing corpse of Saint Sword I in the process. He indirectly saves Hung Ba from certain death at the hands of Sword Saint I.

Cloud is driven insane by the death of his beloved Kung Chi and he tries to find means to preserve her decomposing corpse. He eventually succeeds with the aid of a mysterious artifact called Snow Soul. He brings her corpse to a royal mausoleum which is under construction for the royal family of the emperor. He evicts the construction workers and buries Kung Chi inside the magnificent tomb and seals it. He then vows to return to her after he kills Hung Ba.

Cloud returns to Tin Ha Wui and attempts to kill Hung Ba but fails, because he has mastered a new martial art stance (the Triune Qi). Cloud loses his right arm but manages to escape with Sword Saint I's Peerless Sword with the aid of Jester, an aide of Frost. He is saved at the riverbank by a blacksmith who has a beautiful daughter named Chu Chu.

The blacksmith decides to pass on his right arm to Cloud, which is tainted with the Fire Kirin's power. The blacksmith dies at the hand of a royal inspector from the capital, who has been hunting him for a murder a long time ago. Cloud defeats the inspector with a Mou Ming sword technique and returns to the mausoleum with Chu Chu. He attempts to destroy the stone slab that seals the mausoleum with Sword Saint I's sword but the sword breaks.

Meanwhile, Wind returns to the cave where his father died and retrieves the Blizzard Sabre and tames the Fire Kirin in the process. The devastated Cloud receives an invitation from a mysterious martial arts sect to be a witness to the birth of the most powerful sword ever. Many powerful swordsmen in the Kong Woo who own powerful swords are also invited, such as Kim Sun who wields the Hero Sword and Duen Long who owns the Fire Kirin Sword.

After much fighting, Duen Long breaks Kim Sun's Hero Sword while Cloud seizes possession of the newborn sword. The black sword, named Ultimate Superior Sword, has a soul of its own and will only serve its chosen master. The Failure-Death sword, a golden older sibling of Ultimate Superior Sword forged at the same place and whose master is Yi Fung, also sports the same characteristics. All attempts by the mysterious sect to take away the sword failed, because separating the sword from its master is a curse by itself.

Cloud tries to leave the island where the sect is located and only succeeds after Wind appears and helps him. At the sea, a fleet of ships blocks Cloud's party on their way to the mainland. The fleet is led by Hung Ba and Cloud and Wind battle with Hung and defeat him. Hung Ba loses his fingers and is forced to escape. He is subsequently betrayed by his new subordinates. Hung Ba is saved by Mou Ming on the condition that Hung Ba gives up his powers. Mou Ming agrees to save Hung's daughter from Tin Ha Wui from the traitors.

After saving Hung Ba, Mou Ming deals with Cloud because his pupil has failed. He takes away Cloud's sword and places it in a Buddhist temple. They agree to a duel for the sword in which Cloud barely wins. Mou Ming returns the sword to Cloud and brings him to see Hung Ba.

Hung Ba offers his life to Cloud on the condition that Cloud spares his daughter. Cloud hesitates on whether he should spare the defenseless Hung Ba. Eventually, Hung Ba commits suicide by throwing himself on the Ultimate Superior Sword, after his daughter dies when Kim Sun pushes her into the path of Cloud's attack. Cloud then learns how pitiful revenge can be. With Hung Ba's death, this arc draw to a close with the newer one coming.

[edit] The Japan Invasion Arc

In this arc, Cloud, Wind and Mou Ming have to stop the Japanese pugilist Juet Mou San and his sons from conquering China. Juet Mou San is the strongest warrior in Japan and even the Japanese government is afraid of him.

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of characters in the Fung Wan series

[edit] Protagonists

[edit] Villains

  • Hung Ba (雄霸; Lord Conquer) - the teacher of Wind and Cloud. He is the leader of Tin Ha Wui.
  • Juet Mou San (絕無神; Lord Godless) - the most powerful pugilist in Japan. He wishes to dominate China.
  • Dai Seik Tin (帝釋天) - the mysterious phantom menace. He is the alter ego of Chui Fook.
  • Duen Long (斷浪) - originally a member of Tin Ha Wui. He becomes the most powerful villain ever.

[edit] Publication

The English version of the manhua is published by the now-defunct ComicsOne.

[edit] Spin-offs

There is a spin-off of Fung Wan called Shenwuji which involves the descendants of Nip Fung and Bou Keng Wan. It is also written by Ma Wing Shing and has met with mixed reviews.

[edit] Adaptations

[edit] Films

  • The Storm Warriors - a sequel to the 1998 film scheduled to be released in 2009 in Hong Kong. Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok reprise their previous roles in the prequel film.
  • Storm Rider Clash of the Evils - an upcoming animated feature film currently in production by Puzzle Animation Studio Limited. It is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2008. A 5 minute animated clip was released. It had no voice acting at all and consisted of a duel between Wind and Cloud vs. Duen Long after his absorbing of the Dragon Pill.

[edit] Television series

  • Wind and Cloud II (2004) - a sequel to the 2002 series. Peter Ho and Vincent Zhao reprise their roles.

[edit] Video games

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Wong, Wendy Siuyi. [2002] (2001) Hong Kong Comics: A History of Manhua. Princeton Architectural Press. New York. ISBN 1-56898-269-0

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fung_Wan"