#drama: Strange Legend of Tang dynasty

[mangofruitsposts]

[blackmoonlightexpress]

Follow Your Heart has just received its airing license, likely to air Mid May

Follow Your Heart received its airing license yesterday. It'll most likely air mid May on iQiyi, going head to head against Joy of Life 2 on Tencent.

Even though they have been stingy on promotional materials, here's a few reasons to be excited about the upcoming drama (beyond being a Luo Yunxi costume drama of course):

A Studio Known for Dark Horse

FYH is produced by the iQiyi studio behind Strange Tales Of Tang Dynasty (唐朝诡事录), New Life Begins (卿卿日常), and Mysterious Lotus Casebook (莲花楼). iQiyi dramas generally have better quality control when it comes to production quality, and this studio (奇光) in particular is known for producing a disproportionate share of dark horses.

Song Yi

It stars Song Yi as the female lead, who's been the low key female lead of 2 of iQiyi's top 5 dramas ever. She's seen as a really solid actress with a strong track record with viewers.

iQiyi's Favorite Genre, with a Twist

It's suppose to be a light romantic comedy with a sprinkle of crime investigation and court politics, a genre that has done well for iQiyi where they have a large built-in audience base.

But there's a twist to keep things fresh. The male lead suffers from face blindness whereas the female lead has a mysterious disease that changes her appearance, and only the male lead can recognize her. This premise is actually inspired by a Kdrama (from which they've obtained the rights to adapt)

Cameo Appearances

Because of this, you can expect cameo appearances from a large cast of actors (some will be playing different versions of the female lead), including TVB veteran Yuen King Dan, Wang Yifei (Siying), and Sandrine Pinna (Legend of the Demon Cat).

Love is Sweet Director

FYH also reunites Luo Yunxi with Love is Sweet director Yu Zhongzhong for the third time. He managed to make Love is Sweet, a pretty unremarkable screenplay, interesting to watch. And he's also good at pushing Luo Yunxi as an actor (he's the one who told him "you should go home if you cannot act" which haunted him ever since.)

Personally, I think it's better to keep expectations low. Follow Your Heart is not based on a novel or any proven IP, so no one knows how good the story will be. While it is an S class production, it doesn't have the same level of investment or anticipation as TTEOTM. Finally, Luo Yunxi plays a more grounded character, with plain costumes and hair tied up, which looks... different.

BUT I'm definitely looking forward to watching it and keeping my fingers crossed that it'll be good!

[the-monkey-ruler]

New Journey to the West (1971)布袋戲 新西遊記

Director: Huang Junxiong

Country/Region of Manufacture: Taiwan, China

Language: Mandarin Chinese

Number of Seasons: 1

Episodes: 20 Single Episode length: 50 minutes

Type: Retelling

Summary:

In 1962, Taiwan's first TV station "Taiwan Television Company" started broadcasting. On November 8 of the same year, Li Tianlu "Yi Wanran" was invited to perform the traditional puppet show "Three Kingdoms" with a Hokkien pronunciation on TV. This was the first time that Taiwan TV broadcast a puppet show. , but the ratings were not high, and it was canceled after only 25 episodes (each episode was 50 minutes). The person who really made the puppet show shine on the TV screen was Huang Junxiong.

Huang Junxiong's first puppet show on Taiwan TV was "Yunzhou Da Ruxia", which was broadcast on March 2, 1970, with a total of 114 episodes. In addition, Huang Junxiong also performed puppet plays such as "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "New Journey to the West", "The Legend of Three Heroes of Liuhe", "The Great Confucian Hero", "New Legend of Jigong" (Mandarin dubbing), "The Legend of the Five Tigers of the Tang Dynasty", etc. The last one "The Legend of the Four Heroes of Yunzhou" ran from February 13 to June 16, 1974. At this point, Huang Junxiong's puppet show performance on Taiwan TV has temporarily come to an end, with a total of 8 performances and a total of 961 episodes, including 440 episodes of the Shi Yanwen series and Liuhe series 346 episodes.

At this time, because some plots of the puppet show were denounced as strange and confusing, and the pronunciation of the Hokkien language conflicted with the government's Mandarin policy, the Information Bureau ordered the complete suspension of the TV puppet show in 1974, and it was not until 1982 that the ban was conditionally lifted; At that time, the TV station and the Information Bureau agreed that puppet shows could be broadcast during the noon period of TV programs, but the three TV stations had to rotate the first Mandarin and the second Hokkien drama during this period.

The puppet show could not be broadcast on the two TV stations at the same time, so the three TV stations only It can broadcast puppet shows in turn, that is, each TV station can broadcast puppet shows for four months a year, and each puppet show can have a maximum of 30 episodes. Huang Junxiong's first puppet show after his comeback was the Taiwanese puppet show "Five Tiger Generals of the Tang Dynasty" broadcast on Taiwan TV. It started broadcasting at noon on June 14, 1982, with each episode lasting 30 minutes, a total of 30 episodes. Later, it was broadcast by "Five Tiger Generals of the Tang Dynasty". "The Legend of Three Heroes of Liuhe" took over; during this period, Huang Junxiong's Hokkien puppet show on Taiwan TV lasted until May 13, 1988. In the past 6 years, there were a total of 23 performances and a total of 668 episodes.

In addition, Huang Junxiong also performed two other Mandarin puppet shows on Taiwan TV: "The Monkey King" and "Burning the Red Lotus Temple"; at the same time, he also performed "Two Heroes of Heaven" on China Television with his sons Huang Qianghua and Huang Wenze. , "Feng Sword Spring and Autumn" and "The Lion Ranger" and other Hokkien puppet shows. In the 1990s, the people who led the puppet show on television were none other than Huang Qianghua and Huang Wenze's Pili puppet show!

The first Mandarin puppet show in the history of Taiwanese television, "Monkey King, the Monkey King" was produced by Huang Junxiong. It was broadcast on Taiwan TV from April 16, 1983 to October 8 of the same year, with each episode lasting 30 minutes, for a total of 25 episodes. The theme song "Sun Wukong" is a cover of "My Lady and I" (Girl and Me) sung by Japanese male singer Yukio Hashi in 1965. In fact, this song had already been rewritten by Huang Junxiong in 1971 and used as a Taiwan TV program. The theme song of the Hokkien puppet show "New Journey to the West", the singer is Li Zhuhui.

Source: https://bearpost.org/?p=47054

Link Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXXf-pDYDy8&t=89s

[thesilversun]

Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty is getting a second series.

Also - White Cat Legend - this look like some silly fun. Historical setting. Man meets cat, man tries to help cat. Cat turns into a man, who probably still needs help. So he takes him home and buy him cat toys apparently.

[killerandhealerqueen]

Drama/Movie Masterlist

Masterlist of my favorite dramas and movies

Chinese Dramas/Movies

Original Sin (Crime/Mystery/Suspense)

S.C.I. (Action/Crime/Investigation/Mystery/Romance)

The Untamed (Mystery/Drama/Historical/Wuxia/Romance)

The Untamed: the Living Dead (Drama/Wuxia/Action)

The Untamed: Fatal Journey (Drama/Action)

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty  (Drama/Historical/Mystery/Investigation)

Light On Series: Crimson River (Crime/Investigation/Murder/Mystery/Suspense/Web Series)

Light on Series: Sisyphus (Crime/Mystery/Sci-Fi/Time-Travel)

The Lost Tomb: Reboot (Action/Adventure/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller/Fantasy)

L.O.R.D: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties (Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Wuxia/Mystery/Horror)

L.O.R.D 2 (Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Martial Arts/Wuxia)

The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity (Action/Mystery/Bromance/Fantasy)

Killer and Healer (Crime/Detective/Gangster/Bromance/Medical) (fucking angst)

Psych-Hunter (Conspiracy/Investigation/Mystery/Psychological/Suspense)

Bodies at Rest (Action/Crime/Investigation/Suspense/Thriller)

Master, Wait a Moment (Comedy/Crime/Detective/Investigation/Friendship/Mystery)

Dark Room (Crime/Mystery/Romance/Detective/Investigation)

Soul Snatcher (Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy/Friendship/Historical)

Truth (Crime/Detective/Drama/Investigation/Mystery/Law/Suspense/Thriller/Web Series)

Couple of Mirrors (Drama/Friendship/Romance/Web Series/Mystery)

Is Xianzun Whitewashed Today? (Comedy/Fantasy/Wuxia)

Legend of Yunqian (GL/Wuxia/Time Travel/Fantasy/History)

Light On Series: Under the Skin (Criminal/Detective/Investigation/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller)

Talking Bones (Based on a True Story/Crime/Detective/Investigation/Medical/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller)

Talking Bones 2 (Detective/Investigation/Murder/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller      /Web Series)

Be Reborn (Crime/Detective/Investigations/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller/Web Series)

Checkmate (Detective/Investigation/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller)

Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty (Bromance/Detective/Fantasy/Historical/Investigation/Mystery/Novel/Supernatural/Thriller/Web Series)

A League of Nobleman (Adventure/Bromance/Detective/Drama/Friendship/Historical/Investigation/Mystery/Novel/Scholar/Wuxia)

Jiang Hu Shao Nian Jue (Action/Crime/Historical/Web series)

Pledge of Allegiance (Action/Adventure/Drama/Historical/Martial Arts/Web Series/Wuxia)

Love is Written in the Stars (Comedy/Fantasy/Historical/Life/Romance/School/Youth)

Desire Catcher (Bromance/Crime/Friendship/Investigation/Mystery/Novel/Psychological/Suspense/Thriller/Web Series)

Order of the Sommelier (Adventure/Drama/Fantasy/Friendship/Historical/Romance/Web Series)

Stand By Me (Republican/Drama/Bromance)

My Journey to You (Action/Adventure/Drama/Fantasy/Historical/Martial Arts/Novel/Romance/Wuxia)

Japanese Dramas/Movies

Nippon Noir: Detective Y’s Rebellion (Crime/Detective/Investigation)

Sherlock: The Untold Stories (Crime/Mystery/Detective/Investigation)

Suits (Law/Business/Comedy/Drama)

Doubles (Crime/Suspense)

Chiisana Kyojin (Crime/Detective)

Aozora No Tomago (Crime/Drama/Mystery)

Where Do I Come From? (Boku wa Doko Kara) (Crime/Drama/Suspense)

Rinshou Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri (Crime/Drama/Mystery)

Rinshou Hanzai Gakusha Himura Hideo no Suiri SP (Detective/Drama/Investigation/Mystery)

Rin (Friendship/Mystery/School)

Tokyo Ghoul (Live Action) (Horror/Mystery/Supernatural)

Tokyo Ghoul S (Live Action) (Action/Horror)

Cold Case (Detective/Investigation/Mystery/Suspense)

Cold Case S2 (Crime/Detective/Investigation/Mystery/Drama)

Cold Case S3 (Crime/Detective/Investigation/Mystery/Drama)

Annatsuraru (Unnatural) (Investigation/Medical/Mystery/Suspense)

BG: Personal Bodyguard  (Action/Drama)

BG: Personal Bodyguard 2 (Action/Drama/Suspense)

Fullmetal Alchemist (Live Action) (Action/Adventure)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Revenge of Scar (Live Action) (Action/Adventure/Manga/Military/Monster/Sci-fi/Supernatural/Thriller)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Final Transmutation (Live Action) (Action/Adventure/Manga/Military/Monster/Sci-fi/Supernatural/Suspense/Thriller)

Tantei Yuri Rintaro (Horror/Investigation/Mystery)

HiGH&LOW: THE STORY OF S.W.O.R.D (Action/Drama/Friendship/Youth)

HiGH&LOW: SEASON 2 (Action/Drama/Friendship/Youth)

HiGH&LOW: THE MOVIE (Action/Drama/Friendship/Youth)

HiGH&LOW: THE RED RAIN (Action/Drama/Family)

HiGH&LOW: THE MOVIE 2/THE END OF SKY (Action/Crime/Drama/Friendship/Youth)

HiGH&LOW: THE MOVIE 3/THE FINAL MISSION (Action/Crime/Drama/Friendship/Youth)

HiGH&LOW: THE WORST (Action/Comedy/Drama/School/Youth)

HiGH&LOW Episode.0 (Action/School/Youth/Friendship)

DTC Yukemuri Junjo-hen from HiGH&LOW (Comedy/Friendship)

HiGH&LOW: THE WORST X (Action/Bromance/Comedy/Drama/Friendship/Gangster/School/Youth)

Seven Days: Monday - Thursday (BL/School/Romance)

Seven Days: Friday - Sunday (BL/School/Romance)

HIS (JP 2020)  (BL/Drama/Romance/Family)

Alibi Kuzushi Uketamawarimasu (Crime/Detective/Mystery)

Alibi Kuzushi Uketamawarimasu Tokubetsuhen (Drama/Family)

Ace Attorney (Live Action) (Crime/Drama/Movie/Mystery)

Ajin - Demi Human (Action/Adventure/Horror/Mystery/Manga/Supernatural)

The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window (Bromance/Business/Crime/Horror/Manga/Exorcism/Mystery/Supernatural)

Junkyouju Takatsuki Akira no Suisatsu (Mystery/Supernatural)

The Ingenuity of the Househusband (Comedy/Family/Manga)

Signal: Long-Term Unsolved Case Investigation Team (Drama/Mystery/Crime/Detective/Supernatural/Suspense)

Signal: Choki Mikaiketsu Jiken Sosahan SP (Crime/Detective/Drama/Investigation/Mystery/Supernatural/Suspense/Thriller)

Red Eyes: Kanshi Sousa-han (Crime/Drama/Suspense)

Signal: Long-Term Unsolved Case Investigation – The Movie (2021) (Accident/Drama/Investigation/Sci-Fi/Teamwork/Thriller)

Rasen no Meikyu: DNA Kagaku Sosa (Detective/Drama/Investigation/Manga/Murder/Mystery/Serial Killer)

Pandora no Kajitsu: Kagaku Hanzai Sousa File (Detective/Drama/Investigation/ Mystery/Sci-fi)

Pandora no Kajitsu: Kagaku Hanzai Sousa File 2 ( Detective/Drama/Investigation/Mystery/Sci-fi/Web Series)

Avalanche (Drama)

Tokyo Revengers (Live Action) (Action/Crime/Drama/Gangster/Manga/Youth)

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna (Food/Lesbian/Miniseries/Manga/Life/Romance)

Bokura no Shokutaku (BL/Family/Food/life/Manga/Workplace)

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers (Action/Tokusatsu)

As Long As We Both Shall Live (Contract Relationship/Drama/Fantasy/Historical/Novel/Romance)

Gifted (Detective/Drama/Investigation/Manga/Miniseries/Mystery/Supernatural)

Korean Dramas/Movies

The Fiery Priest (Comedy/Detective/Mystery)

Missing Noir M (Crime/Romance/Detective/Mystery)

Vampire Detective (Detective/Friendship/Mystery/Suspense/Romance)

The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos (Action/Crime/Thriller)

Memorist (Action/Detective/Thriller/Mystery/Suspense)

Tell Me What You Saw (Detective/Investigation/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller)

Rugal (Action/Crime/Sci-Fi/Drama/Thriller)

The Good Detective (Detective/Investigation/Drama)

Mystic Pop-Up Bar (Drama/Family/Mystery)

Children of a Lesser God (Detective/Investigation/Suspense/Mystery/Supernatural)

The Uncanny Counter (Drama/Fantasy/Mystery/Family)

Beyond Evil (Detective/Drama/Murder/Serial Killer/Psychological/Thriller)

Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (BL/Drama/Historical/Romance/Web Series)

Sell Your Haunted House (Comedy/Exorcism/Fantasy/Supernatural/Drama)

The Devil Judge (Detective/Law/Mystery/Corruption/Drama)

The Guest (Exorcism/Detective/Horror/Investigation/Mystery/Thriller/Supernatural)

Space Sweepers (Fantasy/Found Family/Sci-Fi)

A Violent Prosecutor (Comedy/Crime/Detective/Law/Suspense/Investigation)

Color Rush (BL/Drama/Mystery/Romance/Web Series/Youth)

You Make Me Dance (BL/Romance/Web Series)

My Name (Action/Crime/Drama/Detective/Gangster/Romance)

The Veil (Drama/Action/Espionage/Investigation)

The Closet (Drama/Horror/Mystery/Thriller)

Chimera (Crime/Criminal/Detective/Investigation/Murder/Mystery/Serial Killer)

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy (Comedy/Detective/Drama/Historical/Investigation/Mystery/Teamwork)

Tinted With You (BL/Bodyguard/Fantasy/Historical/Romance/Time Travel/Web Series)

Bad and Crazy (Corruption/Crime/Detective/Mystery/Drama/Split Personality)

Through the Darkness (Crime/Criminal/Drama/Thriller/Investigation/Web Series/Serial Killer)

Yaksha: Ruthless Operations (Action/Espionage/Crime/Investigation/Suspense/Thriller)

One Dollar Lawyer (drama/law/comedy)

Bad Prosecutor (corruption/crime/drama/law/revenge)

The Uncanny Counter 2: Counter Punch (Action/Comedy/Crime/Demon/Fantasy/Investigation/Mystery/School/Supernatural)

Evilive (Action/Criminal/Gangster/Noir/Suspense/Thriller)

Taiwanese Dramas/Movies

Danger Zone Season 1 (Action/Criminal/Drama/Murder/Mystery/Serial Killer/Thriller/Novel)

Danger Zone Season 2 (Action/Detective/Investigation/Murder/Mystery/Novel/Serial Killer/Suspense/Thriller)

[mydaylight]

Some of the princesses who were left out of chinese dramas:

- Princess Taiping, youngest daughter of Wu Zetian and Emperor Gaozong, was not included in Empress of China, despite being an important and powerful member of the royal family during the reigns of Wu and her brothers. The drama also left out Princess Qianjin (title later changed to Princess Anding), the youngest daughter of Emperor Gaozu who had a close relationship with Wu Zetian and Shangguan Wan-er, Wu’s personal secretary, sometimes described as “the first premier of China”

- The Story of Yanxi Palace erased Princess Hejing, the only surviving child of Empress Xiaoxianchun. The most possible reason I can think for this is that they wanted to make Empress Xiaoxianchun’s life even more tragic and explain why she would suicide after her youngest son died in infancy. I do not think it was necessary for Hejing to be a main character; they even could have explained her absence from show with the fact that she was raised by Consort Dowager Qin, one of Kangxi’s widows, by the drama acted as if she did not exist at all - and the same goes for Princess Hejia (Imperial Noble Consort Chun’s only daughter) and the 5th Princess of the Step Empress

- Empress of the Ming (Ming Dynasty) did not include Princess Changde, Empress Sun’s daughter and neither of Empress Hu’s daughters, Princess Shunde and Princess Yongqing (at least Shunde and Chande were present in the novel that the series was adapted from). Empress Hu gave birth to a son, Emperor Jingtai, because her character was merged with that of Consort Wu, the historical mother of Emperor Jingtai.

- There’s this scene in Empress of the Ming, where Hu Shanxiang says that a palace reserved for sisters of the emperor (i.e. princesses of the rank “zhang gongzhu”) has always been empty because there are no princesses with that title, despite the fact that Emperor Yongle had several sisters who were alive at the time.

- The Advisors Alliance left out Princess Nanyang, the only daughter of Sima Yi and Zhang Chunhua. It seemed strange that the show would take time to mention that Sima Shi had five daughters with his wife, and that Madam Zhen had a daughter (Princess Dongxiang) who we saw only once, but didn’t include the daughter of the two main characters.

- The Legend of Dugu, apart from making no mention of the fact Empress Dugu had four other daughters besides Yang Lihua, also ignored Princess Tong’an, the sister of the Li Yuan, the founder of the Tang Dynasty. We saw her once when she was born - she was twins with her brother - and then she was never mentioned again; in fact, even her own mother seemed to have forgotten about her.

I have a suspicion (though I do hope I will be proven wrong) that Legend of Xiao Chuo is not going to include the three daughters that Empress Dowager Xiao gave birth to. I checked the novel, and the author just switched the birth order of Xiao’s children, making the first and second prince being her oldest children, when actually she gave birth to her eldest daughter first. I can’t explain the reasoning behind this decision, but at least they included the princesses.

I am not saying that all of these princesses should have been major characters, but it would have been nice if it was at least acknowledged that they existed. The worst offender in my opinion is The Empress of China who ignored Princess Taiping, even though she was a very important individual in Wu Zetian’s life and one of the most well-known princesses of the imperial China.

[cfensi]

Period mystery Strange Legend of Tang Dynasty releases teaser

Period mystery Strange Legend of Tang Dynasty releases teaser #唐朝诡事录

I missed this in my iQiyi round-up, but the trailer for Strange Legend of Tang Dynasty 唐朝诡事录 is intriguing enough that the drama gets its own post. Produced by the team behind Soul Ferry, the web drama follows imperial guard Lu Lingfeng (Yang Xuwen) and Di Renjie’s disciple Su Wuming (Yang Zhigang) as they try to catch the ‘ghosts’ behind the mystery. (more…)

[shenmeizhuang-blog]

Do you have any cdrama suggestions for a baby beginner? I think Empress of China is the most famous one I’ve heard of but I’m curious about others too!

B-baby beginner? No, my friend, when it comes to cdrama, we simply throw you into the pit…

Just kidding! Although, for a myriad of reasons, being a Chinese drama fan outside of Asia without a hold of the language is admittedly rather difficult (so to the “international” cdrama fandom: you guys rock!). 

Unfortunately, your answer did not really help me narrow down my answer after all. I believe Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, your recent fave, is very romance-centric, but I feel like everyone tends to vacillate in their mood, preferring super romantic escapism one minute and demanding tight storytelling the next. Anyway, I’ll stop rambling and actually get to the point:

personal recs, in general*

I just couldn’t really “categorize” these?

peace hotel (2018): currently in the midst of watching this still, but I’m really enjoying this! honestly. especially with how the female chars (most of the chars are written.) it’s this mix between super suspenseful espionage and really cathartic humor. the plot twists are also so !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

let’s shake it! (2017): alien crashlands to the tang dynasty! it’s super cute and quirky, but there’s also a strong, coherent plot and some angst in the latter parts. definitely one of my faves of last year, though it’s punny sense of humor doesn’t always get through. it’s also very appreciatively meta ;) the subs apparently aren’t complete, as my friend complained to me, but I personally find the language real simple

medical examiner dr. qin (2016): the interactions between the crime-solving trio are gold. also, like the only modern show here?? (as you can tell, I am really mostly a period show watcher.)

go princess go (2015-16): it’s really low-budget and cracky, but trust me, there’s a reason it went viral. zhang tian ai does feel like the saving grace a lot of the time though, and I didn’t exactly give it a high score, but it just might be your thing. who knows?

nirvana in fire (2015): i don’t think it’s the best c-drama ever, unlike a lot of people on this site, but it’s still a very solid show. I also find it a lot more shoujo than most fans—it’s really not just a revenge-political drama—but when it was emotionally gripping, boy, it was emotionally gripping. 

wuxin: the monster killer (2015): technically only season 1—I have yet to see s2—but weirdly enough, I found the poignant ending especially fitting. just assume from the title? yue qiluo is one of the more interesting villains out there, and gosh I just adore yueya so much

bu bu jing xin (2011): extremely poignant, complex look into polymagy/patriarchy during the qing dynasty from the lens of time-traveller zhang xiao who takes the identity of court lady ruoxi. even if you don’t ship any of the romances, it is so worth it for pretty much everything else. but if you do, obviously also an extremely heart-wrenching watch. a lot of people’s first cdrama. 

schemes of a beauty (2010): lots of spying, secret chambers, poison, women control the men. 

*I would want to recommend The Legend of Zhen Huan and The Glory Of Tang Dynasty, but they’re 76 episodes and 92 episodes long, respectively. Content-wise, it’s also stuff that requires lots of trigger warnings, and overall just not for the “baby beginner”. Battle of Changsha is definitely shorter, and a definite recommendation, but also just not for the “baby beginner.” 

no dubbing 

(Peace Hotel, Battle of Changsha, NiF, Medical Examiner Dr. Qin)

the advisors’ alliance (2017) + growling tiger, roaring dragon (2017-18): a mix of no dubbing and some dubbing. it’s a pretty creative to take the viewpoint of sima yi in this three kingdoms historical piece. I feel that it’s rather accessible to viewers, honestly, and the production values are great on this one. 

nothing gold can stay (2017): only 4 eps in—it’s very solid so far (74 eps though, but I would say quite mainstream and easy to watch)

ten miles of spring wind can’t compare to you (2017): do I really want to rec this though? in the end, I really did wish I had someone to vent about this to and discuss with about, because in a lot of ways this really did give lots of food for thought. let’s just say that our three main chars are deliberately rather fatally flawed…and I still feel rather ambivalent about how to feel about this. (the first 10-15 eps are super cute, meta, adorable but also with great sexual tension and then it sort of goes to melodrama but anyway…) you could at least practice your chinese? it is harder than the average modern cdrama, given how pretentious qiu shui can get

shoujo period romances

We all have a soft spot for these :’)

sound of the desert (2014): just yesterday, there was quite a lot of discourse on this show on my dash, interestingly. female lead xin yue (liu shi shi) is raised by a wolf pack, though she eventually enters the capital city sometime during the han dynasty. she does at first fall for a crippled, broody flute player played by hu ge (imo one of his more lackluster roles) but it’s her chemistry with HAWT general wei wuji (eddie peng

female prime minister/legend of lu zhen (2013): again, freakishly sizzling chemistry. it focuses more on lu zhen rising up the ranks as lower-level female ministers, but mostly still very very romance-centric. (the otp falling-out in the last 10 eps or so was kind of stupid, I will admit, and also 200% all on gao zhan but it had such a strong addictive quality to it.)

gong/jade palace lockheart (2011): I haven’t seen Boys Over Flowers/the Japanese original/any official remakes of whatever that is, but a lot of people have called it Boys Over Flowers + modern girl time travels to the Qing Dynasty + 9-prince succession conflict during Kangxi’s reign. it was rather stupid and petty at times, but it’s more comedic and the romance is super addicting. I don’t care about the half-bald Qing queues at all, and this is actually one of the only roles that I’ve found Feng Shaofeng attractive in. (yes, it is possible to love bbjx and enjoy this)

Oh yeah, and all these end all happily and fairytale-like. None of the above would qualify as my “faves” at all, but all are very accessible to someone unfamiliar with cdrama and love the Romance and the Pretty. 

others (I found rather lackluster or dropped): Perfect Couple, The Eternal Love (very popular among international audiences, but not for me), General and I, Oh My General 

wuxias/xianxias

This is just going to be an embarrassing amount of childhood nostalgia. Like, literally, with the exception of the first one, I watched all of these in elementary school, with varying amounts of rewatching in between. The recent wuxias and xianxias just haven’t been to my liking. (I could get into how NiF takes lots of wuxia elements but I would just confuse you a lot so, strictly on the more fantasy/action side of things here.) I simply haven’t watched Eternal Love/Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (very, very popular) at all. I’m sorry. 

vigilantes in masks/strange hero yi zhi mei (2011): I believe the international equivalent is “Iljimae”? It’s like Robin Hood, sort of, but mostly Liu Shi Shi’s Yan Sanniang is so amazing here. 

chinese paladin 3 (2009)

return of the condor heroes (2006)

chinese paladin (2005)

lotus lantern (2005)

also 武林外传, which is 80 eps, but kind of more like a wuxia sitcom way back in the day. there’s in-show ppls, tons of modern references, etc. and also like lots of satire/social commentary. I did a rewatch (of brief clips ofc, I don’t have that much time) recently, and realized I missed so much when I watched it with the family back then. (I’m kind of embarrassed about the more lewd references…lol…)

*line break*

Whew! Anyway, the takeaway is, there is a lot of stuff to choose from, and I definitely left out a lot of stuff. There’s also a lot of modern cdramas. This answer might clarify about those shows. 

(that being said, I really personally would not recommend empress of china. I mean, aside from 96 eps, just 2 eps in I could tell it was going to be an unsubstantial mess >_

[fayewonglibrary]

The Theme Song Queen (2016)

9 movie songs sung by Faye Wong

Heavenly Queen Faye Wong’s last album “To Love” was released in 2003. She made the decision to indefinitely rest until 2010 when she participated in the Spring Festival and got back to concert touring. Proof that the heavenly queen’s charm has not diminished. Although Faye Wong has not released an album, she has released a new song each year to feed the fans ears. Most of the singles also became movie theme songs, adding a lot of color [to the film], so Faye Wong recently has been given the title of “Theme Song Queen”.

Faye Wong’s film songs can be compiled into an album, but even if the heavenly queen is too lazy, the Faye fans on the internet have automatically created a list. Recently, Faye sang the song for the movie <I Belonged to You>, with Chen Xiaoxia composing and Yao Ruolong writing lyrics, the golden combination set off fans discussion again. Now let’s review the heavenly queen Faye Wong’s past of singing movie songs.

HERO When Faye was not on hiatus, she sang several movie theme songs. In 2002, Zhang Yimou released <Hero>. The song “Hero” by composer Zhang Yadong and lyricist Lin Xi was called a classic combination. Faye created a perfect interpretation of the film Jet Li’s heroic sacrifice, with the lyrics “We wait for the hero to change the world to see who succeeds in the end.”

IDIOT From the album “Faye Wong” in 2001. Because of the song’s mysterious and strange style, combined with Faye’s unique ethereal voice, it was selected by Feng Xiaogang for the movie <Big Shot’s Funeral>. “Idiot” was composed by Sanbao, with Lin Xi’s unrestrained lyrics, much like the film’s black humor, it was a good fit.

ORCHID PARADE After Faye’s break in 2005, she very rarely made public appearances, until 2010 when she sang the themesong for the film <Confucius>. The song was adapted from the famous Tang Dynasty poet Han Yu’s poem, a short duration of 64 words. Although the song is difficult to understand, it’s melodious melody gives it an epic heroic feel.

BECAUSE OF LOVE In 2011, Faye Wong and Eason Chan’s duet “Because of Love” can be said to be that year’s most successful film song. Not only was it a rare king and heavenly queen duet, the two people were praised for grasping the emotion of love, touching many people. It was also the perfect match for the film <Eternal Moment>, helping the film’s success.  

TO YOUTH After two years, Faye in 2013 supported good friend Vicky Zhao Wei’s new film <To Youth> by singing the theme song. With a unique melody and Faye’s wonderful voice full of the sadness for the passing of youth, the song quickly became one of the most popular songs of the year and was also nominated for the Golden Horse Awards category of Best Film Song. Even if Faye did not promote the film, her work can also be used to attract public attention.

ONE STEP AWAY In 2013, Faye threw a shocking bomb about her divorce. Immediately the following year, she released new work. “One Step Away”, like her own current emotional situation, the lyrics seem to refer to her own failed marriage. This song was a collaboration of Faye Wong + Lin Xi + Zhang Yadong, the Golden Triangle reuniting again after 11 years.

FLEET OF TIME Just by using a Faye Wong song, a film can have a successful response. Working together successfully with director Zhang Yibai for the second time singing “Fleet of Time”, Faye’s touching sound and the melody express a period of 15 years of emotion, from falling in love to meeting again.

GENTLE BREEZE Last year, Faye sang the themesong for the film <Lost In Hong Kong>. Rarely do we get to hear Faye’s bass and it instantly brought to mind the film’s emotional entanglements. Then switching back to her familiar range, it was calming, and once again became a Faye Wong classic movie song.

WAIT FOR ME AT THE END Faye’s third time collaborating with director Zhang Yibai. Composed by Chen Xiaoxia, the whole song tells a story of delicate and warm feelings. Faye sings with a clear voice, singing sweetly of budding emotions, “you are waiting for me at the end” is a straightforward expression of affection and it is memorable.

SOURCE: GQ TAIWAN // TRANSLATION BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

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THEME SONG RETROSPECTIVE

In the Chinese music industry, there is probably no one that can be like Faye Wong. A singer that for many years after retiring, can re-emerge and still cause such a huge sensation. As if every song released after being quiet for a long time is like a bomb which sets off huge waves.

Faye Wong singing a theme song is able to easily stand out from the many songs in movies and television, even becoming classic. Mention a theme song and you do not even remember from which drama it came from, but you know the singer named - Faye Wong.

Song: “Tempt me” Film: Temptation of a Monk -1993

Song: “Forgetting you is like forgetting me” Film: Bride With White Hair 2-1993

Song: “Heaven and Earth” Film: Tears and Triumph -1994

Song: “Only myself.” Film: The Dragon Chronicles - The Maidens -1994

Song: “You are in my heart” Drama: 劝世媳妇 -1995

Song: “Lotus in the Snow” Drama: Legend of the Hero Beyond the Great Wall -1995

Song: Separate Ways Drama: Love From A Lie－2001

Song: “Idiot” Film: Big Shot’s Funeral -2001

Song: “Orchid Parade” Film: Confucius -2010

Song: “Because of love” Film: Eternal Moment -2011

Song: “To youth” Film: So Young -2013

Song: “Love cannot reach” Film: One Step Away -2013

Song: “Fleet of time” Film: Fleet of time -2014

Song: “Gentle breeze” Film: Lost in Hong Kong -2015

SOURCE: TENCENT // TRANSLATION BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

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WWW - February 2017

KOREAN: ~ Tomorrow With You Empress: Y'know, I haven't been disappointed by a Shin Min Ah drama yet...and I wouldn't mind another Lee Je Hoon drama...I hadn't seen such a ridiculous description until now, which is too bad. I had heard time travel and romance and was looking forward to it. I still mean to watch at least the first 2 episodes to see what it's like. XD Ambassador: Shin Min Ah is nowhere near enough to pull me into such a crazy sounding storyline... but if the Empress likes it, she'll drag me into watching it sooner or later. Unni: *giggles* I'll probably wait for one of these two to convince me to watch it....or wait for Pinterest to give me screenshots. ~ Perfect Wife Empress: This sounds possibly really depressing...I don't think I'm putting it on my list...XD Ambassador: SUNG JOON would be the main reason I would check this out.  I can't tell if this is supposed to be an ahjumma romance or not but either way, it's not likely to tempt me, not even for him. Unni: *banging head madly into wall* ~ Romance Full of Life Empress: LOL. At that point, dude, switch careers. XD I would say NOPE, but if it's ONLY 3 episodes...maybe... XD Ambassador: 3 episodes and Yoon Shi Yoon.  Probably at some point I'll pull it up. Unni: Um..................this just sounds like kinda cute......some weekend maybe. ~ Super Family Empress: .....I am underwhelmed. No thanks.... Ambassador: NO.  It sounds like one of those long Monday melos and I generally dislike those. Unni: No xie xie.... ~ Strong Woman Do Bong Soon Empress: I was like NO, YOU CAN'T JUST REMAKE WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY AND HAVE ANOTHER SUPER STRONG GIRL but then I saw some cute promo pics and bother, I like all 3 of the leads, and it might be adorable. So I am not putting it past myself to watch it. XD Ambassador: I like all three of the lead actors from other things but I didn't think that the synopsis was enough to tempt me.  At first, anyway.  THEN, I saw the part about her becoming his bodyguard and I cracked up and yes, I'll probably watch it, at some point. Unni: *BOUNCES UP AND DOWN* I am on a strong woman streak....this sounds delicious! *waves hand madly* ~ My Only Love Song Empress: Heh. Time travel is in again, huh? Nobody wants to stay in the present after 2016? Unless I hear something raving about it later, this isn't really enough to intrigue me. Ambassador: There isn't much information about this yet but Lee Jong Hyun of CN Blue is in it and so is the villainous brother of Park Ki Woong from Bridal Mask.  As long as my list is right now, I feel that if I added one more drama I'm not passionately interested in, it will be the straw that broke the camel's back, er, list.  So no. Unni: I'll probably wait for screen shots...it's a little interesting. ~ 109 Strange Things (webdrama) Empress: I am curious. Which is more than be said for the previous dramas. And I've enjoyed the last few webdramas I've seen. I might go for this one. XD Ambassador: Color me interested enough to check it out.  It could be highly amusing. Unni: This sounds iiiiiiiiiiiinteresting CHINESE: ~ The Starry Night, The Starry Sea Empress: Heh. Okay, that sounds a little different from the usual. I like that. I also like the title. However, magical Chinese dramas tend to not be things I watch. So...I kind of doubt I'll get to it....XD Ambassador: YES, because it's William Feng and Bea Hayden and had enough internet buzz that I'm interested.  (Also, I'd watch pretty much anything for William Feng Shaofeng, so there's that.) Unni: I just watched the opening credit scene because you get a peek at the drama.....I am not sure...it seems jussssssssssssssssssssssst a little more on the too weird side for me, they are cute though. ~ The Glory of Tang Dynasty Empress: Intriguing. If it was a Korean drama I think I'd be more likely to dive into it...it would depend on what else I heard about it. Ambassador: Hmmmm, I don't know.  I'm inclined to say yes- palace and harem dramas are my kryptonite- but, I'll have to wait and see what it looks like. Unni: This sounds interesting, we'll see how it all goes down. ~ Love Just Come Empress: aww...it sounds sweet...but somehow not something that catches my attention.... Ambassador: Good for her, but nope, not going on my list. Unni: This sounds cute...the subject is interesting. I might look at it...we shall see. ~ The Legendary School: Three Lives, Three Worlds Tao Hua Yuan Empress: *dies* This sounds kind of adorable...I tend to be wary of magical dramas...but depending how it was done this could be really fun. XD Ambassador: Chinese urban fantasy is usually hilarious and fun and this looks like no exception.  I'll be keeping an eye on it. Unni: We'll see how busy I am. ~ Detective Samoyeds Empress: HEE. I still want to watch Joseon X-files. But...between medic, ballistics enthusiast, and analytics expert...in the Tang Dynasty...XD I am very intrigued. Ambassador: YES.  The plot and characters sound like too much fun to stay away.  (The title cracks me up though... does Samoyed mean something different in China?  Because all I can think of is fluffy white dogs.  Unless they're simply referring to the idiom 'like a dog with a bone' for the way they operate... but why choose Samoyeds?) Unni: Subject matter interesting, everything else...no thank you. ~ Till Death Tear Us Apart Empress: I like the title a little bit...but the rest doesn't grab me... Ambassador: I don't thiiiiink so.  Just doesn't pique my interest. Unni: Not up my ally of interest. ~ Long For You Empress: .....aliens, immortals, reincarnation...somehow I'm not terribly intrigued.... Ambassador: Finally the cdrama adaptation of You Who Came From the Stars.  Noooope, not interested. Unni: Also a pass here. I couldn't get into the K one how could I get into the C one? ~ Full Love Empress: Poor kids...this all sounds depressing...naw... Ambassador: Ooh, Hawick Lau and Alina Zhang Meng make it tempting, but the plot removes that temptation.  Probably not watching. Unni: *tip toes around drama* I'll pass. ~ Qin Empire Jue Qi Empress: Third installment. Because one 30 episode show was not enough...XD When I have endless time I will watch them all in proper order. Ambassador: I'm putting this on my list of dramas to watch when researching particular historical eras. Unni: I'll let these two fill me in on these unless I become fascinated with Chinese history A January cdrama I missed: ~ The Legend of the Condor Heroes Empress: That sounds possibly interesting...but when there are others in the series that I haven't seen yet... Ambassador: The latest in the Condor Heroes franchise.  I started the one from 2008 and loved the chemistry in that one, but I'm not so sure I'll try this one. Unni: I started watching one of the Condor Heroes once upon a time... I found it a little weird....so no. TAIWANESE: ~ Art in Love Empress: no....XD Ambassador: George Hu isn't enough for me to watch this one. Unni: This sounds like one of the less interesting Taiwanese dramas HONG KONG: ~ Romance for 7 Days Empress: heh. This is not the Hong Kong drama that will draw me away from my massive list. Ambassador: Naah, not enough to interest me. Unni: No thank you! ~ Tiger Mom Blues Empress: okay, while "tiger mom" makes me laugh, the rest of this makes me cringe... Ambassador: Lordy NO.  The title is cool but I don't usually like family dramas. Unni: Not really interested, there are far more interesting things in life. Which of these dramas will YOU be watching?

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