Through the comments I read on the net, I believe there are more Chinese Paladin 1's fans than Chinese Paladin 3's fans. Strangely, I completely feel the opposite. Maybe it's due to the fact that I didn't play the game since I heard that fans of the game get disappointed by Chinese Paladin 3 because it wasn't as close to the game as Chinese Paladin 1 was...Anyways, for me, I think Chinese Paladin 3 was better than the first in everyways except the fact that it may be less faithful to the game.
CAST
Hu Ge was in both so it's not necessary to include him...so it would be:
Crystal Liu, Ady An, Eddie Peng, Esther Liu VS Yang Mi, Wallace Huo, Tiffany Tang, Liu Shi Shi
I think Chinese Paladin 3's cast were stronger in term of acting. I must clarify that it isn't due to the fact that I'm fans of the actors themselves or whatever. Before watching the two Chinese Paladin, I didn't know most of the actors or only barely know them. I just think that Chinese Paladin 3's stars can act very well different characters. Maybe it's due to the plot but we managed to see Yang Mi playing the childish, spoiled, playful Tang Xue Jian and the calm, mature, pityful Xi Yao. I must say that she played very well both role. Same thing for Tiffany Tang. From an innocent girl to a mature and understanding woman, she showed Zi Xuan's character change very well. Wallace Huo has the look for the clean and a little dumb Xu Chang Qing. His dumbness sometimes brings some funny moments in the series. As for Liu Shi Shi, her blue Long Kui may be a little weak maybe due to the character but her red Long Kui was very well done.
On the other hand, Chinese Paladin 1's actors...I don't know, they didn't bring me in the series like Chinese Paladin 3's do. Crystal Liu's Ling Er used to be a naive and innocent girl in episode 1 but after that, it's like she suddenly matured a lot and doesn't act cute and innocent like she did. Ady An and Esther Liu...well...I didn't really like the way they acted, they kind of overact sometimes. And finally, Eddie Peng, I don't really have any comments on him. I will say that his performance was okay to me. I didn't hate but it wasn't like WOW either.
CHARACTERS
Some characters in Chinese Paladin 3 have some similarity with the characters in Chinese Paladin 1. For example, Li Xiao Yao & Jing Tian, Lin Yue Ru & Tang Xue Jian, Zhao Ling Er & Long Kui, so let's evaluate them separately.
Both played by Hu Ge and they are both a little immature at the beginning of the series but happened to be the world's saviour. I somehow think that Jing Tian have more leadership than Li Xiao Yao. He always have Mao Mao with him, and is the big brother even if he was younger. Jing Tian can be serious sometimes and caring sometimes while Li Xiao Yao is just a little boy. Maybe it's because of the fact that Hu Ge was younger too lol...I should maybe rewatch Chinese Paladin 1 to go deeper into the characters.
Lin Yue Ru VS Tang Xue Jian Both used to be a spoiled rich girl and always bickering with the male lead. Physically, they both wear red\pink. I think it's part of the acting and the look but I love Tang Xue Jian and hate Lin Yue Ru. Maybe "hate" is too much for this, but I just don't like her. She looks like Li Xiao Yao's older sister. She is older than Hu Ge and looked like it. I sympatize with Xue Jian more, I think Yang Mi portrayed a very cute Xue Jian. I just love her more and more after Chinese Paladin 3. And somehow, maybe I like how she keep kicking Jing Tian to show her overbearingness...it reminds of me XD I sometime just kick my friends like that ._. Anyways, love Xue Jian!
Zhao Ling Er VS Long Kui
Physically, Crystal Liu and Liu Shi Shi look alike and they have the same family name :P but okay, it's not part of their characters. Regarding their characters, they both has been cut from the outside world. One lived on an island since young while the other was stuck in a sword, in the demon towel. They both is naive and innocent. Even if I really like
Chinese Paladin 3, I must say that
Zhao Ling Er was better than Long Kui. Well not that she is better but because Long Kui was even more boring than Zhao Ling Er as a character. Ling Er is always running away or getting kidnapped while Long Kui s always there but can't help. I must say that at least, Ling Er do something in the series. Long Kui just stay there and cry or stick to her brother when she is blue. When she become red, she attacks Xue Jian...
Now only Tang Yu, A Nu, Xu Chang Qing and Zi Xuan left. I think it's obvious that Chang Qing and Zi Xuan are more developped? They were like mains characters, they got a story while Tang Yu and A Nu seemed to be supporting characters. Tang Yu is only running after A Nu all time and A Nu is just there seeking for foods and dancing around.
Again, Chinese Paladin 3 wins. The stories are stronger. For example, Chang Qing and Zi Xuan's undying love that last 3 lifetimes, Xi Yao's endless waiting for Fei Peng, and Jing Tian and Xue Jian's cute and funny love to make a change from the sad stories.
Chinese Paladin 1's love stories are kinda weak. Xiao Yao and Ling Er was love at first sight, then Xiao Yao forget everything and start to developpe feeling for Yue Ru. I think the whole love story is just to make the audience pity Ling Er. I don't feel any truth love between Xiao Yao and Ling Er. As for Tang Yu and A Nu, their scene are kinda repetitive. There is A Nu who keep telling Tang Yu that she'll marry him but she didn't do it and there is Tang Yu who run after A Nu to protect her and everything.
The love stories in Chinese Paladin 3 were better constructed and more bittersweet.
MUSICS
I loved the two song, Xiao Yao Tan and Liu Yue De Yu by Hu Ge in Chinese Paladin 1 but I fell in love with the OST of Chinese Paladin 3! In Chinese Paladin 1, although the songs were goods but it was the same 2 songs that was played over and over again. At least in Chinese Paladn 3, there were more songs and I love how the theme song's lyrics refer to the characters' stories! I don't know if the same thing applies to Chinese Paladn 1 since I didn't read the song's translation.
In conclusion, I think from Chinese Paladin 1 to Chinese Paladin 3, there is a big improvement regarding the cast, the characters, the love stories and the musics.