Today he was driven around in costume and makeup in a little shuttle with glass doors and air conditioning. And…
Today, things are much calmer in the fandom. But I took a quick look at what has been happening around other actors and saw that their fandoms also have plenty of news, “exposés,” hate, and all kinds of fandom drama. So I am trying to look at everything that happened yesterday as rationally as possible.
I really hope that filming for Bai Yao Pu (《百妖谱》) goes smoothly, that the story turns out to be compelling, and that our leads give it 110 percent. At the same time, I am worried about the young actors who have virtually no experience. And that makes me even more aware of how much responsibility is now resting on Deng Wei’s shoulders — and, to some extent, on his fandom as well.
I also hope we might see something similar to what happened with Fangs of Fortune: perhaps there will be cameo appearances by other actors from Guo Jingming’s creative universe, bringing their fans along to give the project some additional attention and support.
By the way, the leading lady of Veil of Shadows treated the crew to tea again today, and Guo Jingming is clearly very happy that his favorite actress has not forgotten about him.
For some reason, I also found myself taking a closer look at the animated poster for Bai Yao Pu today, and several details caught my attention. First of all, the poster uses a gold and dark blue color palette — almost exactly the same colors as the hanfu Deng Wei wore yesterday and today: deep dark blue combined with gold.
At the beginning of the animated poster, we see a dragon. Then golden and silver dragons appear and transform into foxes. Toward the end, an eye appears beneath the name of Deng Wei’s character. I cannot tell whether it is supposed to be a dragon’s eye or something else, but a golden fox approaches it from the same side. Tao Yao’s bell can also be seen in the center of one of the Chinese characters. And, of course, our main characters eventually appear in the center of the composition.
All of this immediately made me think of Veil of Shadows, because there, too, we saw dragons and foxes. So I started wondering whether Bai Yao Pu (《百妖谱》) might somehow be connected to Veil of Shadows. Of course, this is purely my own speculation based on what I see and how I interpret these details. I could be completely wrong.
As for whether other familiar stars from Guo Jingming’s creative universe will return, I cannot say anything at this point. But once again, I find myself thinking about Fangs of Fortune. If we are being fair, quite a few members of its main cast were still largely unfamiliar to the wider audience at the time.
There was Chen Duling, of course, but back then she was still primarily playing supporting roles and had not yet reached the level of popularity she enjoys today. Tian Jiarui was known mainly for My Journey to You at that point. Many of the other adult actors were essentially new faces as well, and viewers were seeing them in such prominent roles for the first time.
Yes, Cheng Lei appeared in a guest role, and there were appearances by Gulnazar, Wang Yilun, and other more recognizable actors. But these were still supporting or guest appearances. They were not actors with huge fandoms capable of carrying a significant share of the project’s attention and support. So a great deal of responsibility rested on Hou Minghao — and, consequently, on his fandom.
And now I feel that, to some extent, the same situation may be repeating itself with Deng Wei.
At this point, we do not know whether he will receive much support from other established actors who already have fanbases of their own, even relatively small ones. Meanwhile, actors who have been cast in fairly significant roles — including Liu Gongzi, Mo Ya, and the male lead’s elder brother — are virtually unknown to the wider audience.
I have seen a few of them somewhere before. I remember one actor from Veil of Shadows. Another seems to have a reasonably solid filmography and played a supporting role in Overdo. But most of the others are completely new faces to me.
Will they be able to repeat the success of Fangs of Fortune? I would really love that. But I am still trying to look at the situation rationally, and I understand that this will not be easy for Deng Wei.
It is not that he himself is asking anyone for anything. But I think his fans need to understand how much responsibility now rests both on him and on them. This is definitely not the time for internal arguments or competitions over who matters more, who deserves more attention, or whose contribution is more important. At least, that is how I see it.
I have no idea how all of this will turn out. For now, all I can do is watch — and perhaps pray to every god willing to listen — that this project becomes a real success, no less successful than Fangs of Fortune, Veil of Shadows, or Love of the Divine Tree.
More than anything, I want Bai Yao Pu (《百妖谱》) to become the kind of project that once again shows the Chinese audience that Deng Wei is capable of carrying a major drama on his shoulders — and that his fandom is also capable of handling that responsibility and standing behind him when it truly matters.
last year was disaster for our fandom. his previous work, DOSATL really stressed out all of us. Mess filiming…
Today he was driven around in costume and makeup in a little shuttle with glass doors and air conditioning. And I finally even got to see the filming schedule for today. He also seems to have finished on time. But this is only the beginning. As for the fandom, this is the second day I've been reading the supertopic with my eyes wide open.
They responded to my request to change the cast order, informing me that MDL does not follow standard billing…
Remember VOS: what was—and still is—the billing order there, and which male actor got the most screen time. As for the script, I don’t think Daddy Guo is going to hand it over to us.
I hope there will be some guest actors. those 3 young ones are not enough.There were rumours of Yan An and TJR.…
I really enjoyed the donghua. I’d love to read the books as well. Do you happen to know where I could read them online? Even the original Chinese version would be fine.
I hope there will be some guest actors. those 3 young ones are not enough.There were rumours of Yan An and TJR.…
I only trust primary sources. The original source is the novel by 裟椤双树 (Sha Luo Shuang Shu); the manhua and donghua came later. Unfortunately, I haven’t read the original novel myself, so I could be mistaken as well. But even in the donghua, Si Kuanglan is described simply as the younger brother, not as a twin. I’ve also come across confirmation from various other sources that the brothers are not twins. That’s why I was so surprised when I saw people saying that Deng Wei might play both roles.
I hope there will be some guest actors. those 3 young ones are not enough.There were rumours of Yan An and TJR.…
May I ask where the information that the young Si brothers are twins actually comes from? I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere — neither in the donghua nor in any official information about the novel the author is currently writing. As far as I know, Si Kuanglan is simply the younger brother.
So I’m genuinely confused as to why I keep seeing claims online that Deng Wei was supposedly meant to play both brothers, taking on two roles. Where did this idea come from?
Today’s vlog from Deng Wei (released by his studio) https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5330874737033275?from=old_pc_videoshow . Translation of his words below: Actually, the weather hasn’t been very good these past few days. I saw that you had been waiting for a long time for this meeting, and I know it really wasn’t easy for you. So today, when I saw all of you joining me in welcoming a new character and a new beginning, I was incredibly touched and very happy. Of course, I also understand that, for various reasons, those who were able to come here today are only a small part of you. In fact, no matter where you are today or whether you are standing here in front of me, I have seen and received all your good wishes, everything you have done for my new character, and every expression of your support. So, for me, our meeting is not limited to today, nor is it limited to this place. Just knowing that all of you are looking forward to this new beginning already makes me very happy. For the next period of time, I need to settle down, focus on filming, and truly immerse myself in this new character. You have done so much for the start of this production, so from now on, you can leave the rest to me. I also hope that I can live up to your expectations with a good character and a good work. I hope that when *Hundred Demon Spectrum* (《百妖谱》) finally meets the audience, we can all happily say, “Everything we went through and all the effort we put into this journey was worth it.”
Thank you, everyone. Please stay safe on your way home.
Some people are going to be like pure girl she didn't chose to WORK on some low budget get me nowhere school drama…
Believe me, this is neither the first nor the last time people will show up who are too lazy to read the synopsis, check any social media, and find out what this drama is actually about. But what can you expect when these same people cannot even be bothered to look through Ai Mi’s filmography and see how many projects she has already worked on? Yes, she has played supporting roles. But many of them were important and memorable. Of course, there were some more minor, forgettable ones as well, but lately Ai Mi has been taking supporting roles in major, high-budget productions. Key to the Phoenix Heart was an A-level production. And no matter how you look at it, that was obvious from the story, the script, and the visual effects. It was a mid-tier production. Yes, Hou Minghao, Ai Mi, Wang Yilun, and the rest of the cast did a great job and, to a large extent, carried the drama. But the production value itself was, let’s put it this way, far from top-tier — especially when compared with something like Love of the Divine Tree. But people only pay attention to the controversy. They see a “poor, unfortunate girl” who has supposedly been thrown into the hands of Guo Jingming — a director who “mistreats his actors,” makes them work in the cold, in the heat, and under all kinds of difficult conditions. But for some reason, these people keep forgetting one small detail: this is already Ai Mi’s fifth project with Guo Jingming. They have an excellent working relationship, and no one has ever mistreated her. On the contrary, Ai Mi has consistently received great feedback for the characters and looks she has created in his productions. And now she has worked her way up to a leading female role. And apparently, according to some people, that is precisely why we should feel sorry for her. Especially considering that Deng Wei is known for being very considerate and respectful toward his colleagues. He is always willing to help actors and actresses who are only beginning their careers in the industry. Even more experienced actors have spoken very highly of him as a colleague. But yes, of course. We absolutely must feel sorry for Ai Mi. I mean, seriously, how terrible: an S+ production, a male lead who is not only extremely handsome but also professional at what he does, a director she will be working with for the fifth time, and her first leading female role in a production of this scale. Of course. What else could we possibly do but feel sorry for her?
First of all someone should change geners too. This is not romance drama and first tag being romance will mislead…
I’ve already contacted support regarding the order in which the actors are listed. As for the genres, I’m afraid we’re going to have the same issue as with *Perfect Match*, where romance was listed as the primary genre even though it was only a background element.
On Douban, the only genres listed are Drama and Fantasy. That’s it.
When I first read about this drama on other platforms, most people were praising its beautiful costumes. I very rarely watch short dramas, and it's even rarer for me to actually enjoy them. I decided to give this one a try because Li Hongyi is in it, so I expected something that would feel more substantial than a typical mini or vertical drama. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The plot is so straightforward that there's hardly any intrigue at all. As for the lead actress, despite the popularity she gained after her role in *POJ*, I didn't like her performance at all. As for Li Hongyi, I couldn't shake the feeling that he looked like he wanted to get up and walk off the set out of embarrassment for being in this kind of production.
I'm not going to rate the drama because I don't plan to finish watching it.
As for Li Hongyi's behavior during the promotional event, people say he had been suffering from back pain after filming *TLOLX* and attended the event after receiving an infusion of painkillers. If that's true, it's understandable why he wasn't very physically active. I'm not one of those people who believe an actor has to entertain the audience by any means necessary or jump around like a monkey. On the other hand, he knew what he had signed up for, so he should have informed the organizers about his condition and either skipped the event altogether or asked not to participate in physically demanding activities.
As for the haters, every celebrity has them, and they can turn nothing into a huge controversy. I appreciate it when celebrities take legal action against malicious haters instead of getting into arguments on social media. Li Hongyi has been in the industry for years, so by now he should have his own strategy for dealing with this kind of situation.
I really hope that filming for Bai Yao Pu (《百妖谱》) goes smoothly, that the story turns out to be compelling, and that our leads give it 110 percent. At the same time, I am worried about the young actors who have virtually no experience. And that makes me even more aware of how much responsibility is now resting on Deng Wei’s shoulders — and, to some extent, on his fandom as well.
I also hope we might see something similar to what happened with Fangs of Fortune: perhaps there will be cameo appearances by other actors from Guo Jingming’s creative universe, bringing their fans along to give the project some additional attention and support.
By the way, the leading lady of Veil of Shadows treated the crew to tea again today, and Guo Jingming is clearly very happy that his favorite actress has not forgotten about him.
For some reason, I also found myself taking a closer look at the animated poster for Bai Yao Pu today, and several details caught my attention. First of all, the poster uses a gold and dark blue color palette — almost exactly the same colors as the hanfu Deng Wei wore yesterday and today: deep dark blue combined with gold.
At the beginning of the animated poster, we see a dragon. Then golden and silver dragons appear and transform into foxes. Toward the end, an eye appears beneath the name of Deng Wei’s character. I cannot tell whether it is supposed to be a dragon’s eye or something else, but a golden fox approaches it from the same side. Tao Yao’s bell can also be seen in the center of one of the Chinese characters. And, of course, our main characters eventually appear in the center of the composition.
All of this immediately made me think of Veil of Shadows, because there, too, we saw dragons and foxes. So I started wondering whether Bai Yao Pu (《百妖谱》) might somehow be connected to Veil of Shadows. Of course, this is purely my own speculation based on what I see and how I interpret these details. I could be completely wrong.
As for whether other familiar stars from Guo Jingming’s creative universe will return, I cannot say anything at this point. But once again, I find myself thinking about Fangs of Fortune. If we are being fair, quite a few members of its main cast were still largely unfamiliar to the wider audience at the time.
There was Chen Duling, of course, but back then she was still primarily playing supporting roles and had not yet reached the level of popularity she enjoys today. Tian Jiarui was known mainly for My Journey to You at that point. Many of the other adult actors were essentially new faces as well, and viewers were seeing them in such prominent roles for the first time.
Yes, Cheng Lei appeared in a guest role, and there were appearances by Gulnazar, Wang Yilun, and other more recognizable actors. But these were still supporting or guest appearances. They were not actors with huge fandoms capable of carrying a significant share of the project’s attention and support. So a great deal of responsibility rested on Hou Minghao — and, consequently, on his fandom.
And now I feel that, to some extent, the same situation may be repeating itself with Deng Wei.
At this point, we do not know whether he will receive much support from other established actors who already have fanbases of their own, even relatively small ones. Meanwhile, actors who have been cast in fairly significant roles — including Liu Gongzi, Mo Ya, and the male lead’s elder brother — are virtually unknown to the wider audience.
I have seen a few of them somewhere before. I remember one actor from Veil of Shadows. Another seems to have a reasonably solid filmography and played a supporting role in Overdo. But most of the others are completely new faces to me.
Will they be able to repeat the success of Fangs of Fortune? I would really love that. But I am still trying to look at the situation rationally, and I understand that this will not be easy for Deng Wei.
It is not that he himself is asking anyone for anything. But I think his fans need to understand how much responsibility now rests both on him and on them. This is definitely not the time for internal arguments or competitions over who matters more, who deserves more attention, or whose contribution is more important. At least, that is how I see it.
I have no idea how all of this will turn out. For now, all I can do is watch — and perhaps pray to every god willing to listen — that this project becomes a real success, no less successful than Fangs of Fortune, Veil of Shadows, or Love of the Divine Tree.
More than anything, I want Bai Yao Pu (《百妖谱》) to become the kind of project that once again shows the Chinese audience that Deng Wei is capable of carrying a major drama on his shoulders — and that his fandom is also capable of handling that responsibility and standing behind him when it truly matters.
He also seems to have finished on time. But this is only the beginning.
As for the fandom, this is the second day I've been reading the supertopic with my eyes wide open.
So I’m genuinely confused as to why I keep seeing claims online that Deng Wei was supposedly meant to play both brothers, taking on two roles. Where did this idea come from?
Translation of his words below:
Actually, the weather hasn’t been very good these past few days. I saw that you had been waiting for a long time for this meeting, and I know it really wasn’t easy for you.
So today, when I saw all of you joining me in welcoming a new character and a new beginning, I was incredibly touched and very happy.
Of course, I also understand that, for various reasons, those who were able to come here today are only a small part of you. In fact, no matter where you are today or whether you are standing here in front of me, I have seen and received all your good wishes, everything you have done for my new character, and every expression of your support.
So, for me, our meeting is not limited to today, nor is it limited to this place. Just knowing that all of you are looking forward to this new beginning already makes me very happy.
For the next period of time, I need to settle down, focus on filming, and truly immerse myself in this new character. You have done so much for the start of this production, so from now on, you can leave the rest to me.
I also hope that I can live up to your expectations with a good character and a good work. I hope that when *Hundred Demon Spectrum* (《百妖谱》) finally meets the audience, we can all happily say, “Everything we went through and all the effort we put into this journey was worth it.”
Thank you, everyone. Please stay safe on your way home.
But what can you expect when these same people cannot even be bothered to look through Ai Mi’s filmography and see how many projects she has already worked on?
Yes, she has played supporting roles. But many of them were important and memorable. Of course, there were some more minor, forgettable ones as well, but lately Ai Mi has been taking supporting roles in major, high-budget productions.
Key to the Phoenix Heart was an A-level production. And no matter how you look at it, that was obvious from the story, the script, and the visual effects. It was a mid-tier production. Yes, Hou Minghao, Ai Mi, Wang Yilun, and the rest of the cast did a great job and, to a large extent, carried the drama. But the production value itself was, let’s put it this way, far from top-tier — especially when compared with something like Love of the Divine Tree.
But people only pay attention to the controversy.
They see a “poor, unfortunate girl” who has supposedly been thrown into the hands of Guo Jingming — a director who “mistreats his actors,” makes them work in the cold, in the heat, and under all kinds of difficult conditions.
But for some reason, these people keep forgetting one small detail: this is already Ai Mi’s fifth project with Guo Jingming.
They have an excellent working relationship, and no one has ever mistreated her. On the contrary, Ai Mi has consistently received great feedback for the characters and looks she has created in his productions. And now she has worked her way up to a leading female role.
And apparently, according to some people, that is precisely why we should feel sorry for her.
Especially considering that Deng Wei is known for being very considerate and respectful toward his colleagues. He is always willing to help actors and actresses who are only beginning their careers in the industry. Even more experienced actors have spoken very highly of him as a colleague.
But yes, of course. We absolutely must feel sorry for Ai Mi.
I mean, seriously, how terrible: an S+ production, a male lead who is not only extremely handsome but also professional at what he does, a director she will be working with for the fifth time, and her first leading female role in a production of this scale.
Of course. What else could we possibly do but feel sorry for her?
On Douban, the only genres listed are Drama and Fantasy. That’s it.
FM Update
Tomorrow, August 11, 《百妖谱》 Bai Yao Pu will have its official launch 💜
🕤 09:30 — Official Weibo Concept Poster
🕤 09:30 — Official Douyin Animated Poster
🕤 09:35 — Artists’ Weibo Posters
📌 Promotion & Release Schedule — Synchronized
We’re already so excited for tomorrow’s opening ceremony! 💜✨
Lu Yi Cheng as Mister Liu
Zheng You Chen as Si Jingyuan
Lin Shi Ye as Mo Ya
I'm not going to rate the drama because I don't plan to finish watching it.
As for Li Hongyi's behavior during the promotional event, people say he had been suffering from back pain after filming *TLOLX* and attended the event after receiving an infusion of painkillers. If that's true, it's understandable why he wasn't very physically active. I'm not one of those people who believe an actor has to entertain the audience by any means necessary or jump around like a monkey. On the other hand, he knew what he had signed up for, so he should have informed the organizers about his condition and either skipped the event altogether or asked not to participate in physically demanding activities.
As for the haters, every celebrity has them, and they can turn nothing into a huge controversy. I appreciate it when celebrities take legal action against malicious haters instead of getting into arguments on social media. Li Hongyi has been in the industry for years, so by now he should have his own strategy for dealing with this kind of situation.