10 minutes ago, WoF official Weibo account releases a lovely visual clip showcasing four characters and their musical action: Tang Lici, Liu Yan, Hong Gu and Fang Zhou:
Episode 1 isn't catching me at this moment, but I believe it's the mood I'm in and nothing to do with the drama. I'll try again when all episodes are out, since I also like Wang Duo's acting. Right now between 2023 wuxia parody "Egg and Stone" plus possibly Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 3:To Chang'An (very proper wuxia stuff there!) and of course WoF, it's a lot on the plate. Have you watched "Twelve Letters"? 12 episodes, 45 minutes each. Modern drama.
FangYiLun resembles ChenFeiYu in a lot of ways, and LiuYan’s twisted feelings for TLC is a lot like TaXianJun…
He's very talented as an artist, and I believe a lot of people underestimate his training and background in voice dubbing and more. He is the only actor at this point suited to play Tang Lici. His ability to be Tang Lici includes more than ten years of ballet experience (including at least one year as a dance instructor at School of Dance at the Macao Conservatory), which also included being lead dancer for the contemporary ballet performance "Flying To The Moon".
Like I've always said, FAKE PRINCESS/woo-is-me girl has ALWAYS been the TYPE that valves status and has a ego/pride…
Everyone has their own journey, especially when it comes to trying to deal with traumatic events. People don't always get things right and as the audience (unlike the characters), we get the bird's eye view.
I believe ZCJ needs time to grow, and I hope ZCJ does right in the end and like Tang Lici, I want good things to happen for ZCJ and A-Shui. I believe many of us want good things to happen for those in Team Tang Lici such as Chi Yun, Shen Langhun, the gals, and Xiao Shi.
ZCJ hasn't had it easy. She's surrounded by misogynistic leaders of the Central Plains Sword Alliance who insult her class and background and don't mind smacking her down or having her punished simply for disagreeing with them, which created insecurities. I wonder whether her Shifu has ever stood up for her with any of them at any time (because I doubt he did), and then she has this horrible encounter that she needed to be rescued from, which will definitely give her PTSD.
Alen Fang is doing very well. He's proving why he deserves complex interesting roles in future dramas, by turns charming and creepy. At one point you're reminded of Heath Ledger as the Joker. It's a pretty good scene, where his creepiness is on point.
It is! Him at doing stunts/wirework, and Cheng Yi with sword scenes. Impressive work.
Thankfully Luo Yunxi is having much better results with WoF, unlike poor Cheng Yi who worked so hard for TJOL and SaB, only to be screwed over by writers and directors and post-production teams. Weibo is understandably seeing a lot of seething over SaB, to the point Wang Hongyi made a weibo post about his character preparing to conk off as good news. Cheng Yi was doing such a great job of being Wangquan Fugui until that underhanded hatchet job from certain crew members.
Luo Yunxi is literally a great Chinese cultural export! He did serious stunt training plus has more than ten years of ballet experience (including at least one year as a dance instructor at School of Dance at the Macao Conservatory), which also included being lead dancer for the contemporary ballet performance "Flying To The Moon". As someone who appreciates actors who know martial arts, his wirework is wonderful and totally different to at least one current actor whose lack of practise in wire work and voice dubbing really shows in a painful manner.
He is classically trained in piano, can do his own chinese calligraphy even for historic costume drama scenes, and he has such respect for those working behind the scenes such as VAs. I totally enjoy his voice dubbing.
It's very impressive how Luo Yunxi makes the wirework look easy. Because when he's in his latest beautiful robes, trying to twirl and play his flute while lying backwards mid-air plus look graceful, I'm awed at how he doesn't seem to get anything tangled in this BTS: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5230784032278406
You'll enjoy it majorly. Tang Lici is truly at his most vulnerable here (and I find his costume to be the most-attractive here. The detailing is exquisite). The dialogues are very enjoyable. Shui Duopo still has a role to play in episode 27.
Also, let me know how goes Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 3: To Chang'an.
I look forward to Ai Mi playing the lead role in the future. She's so talented.
She was FL in the war movie "Break Through" with Ao Ziyi (who plays Chi Yun) which was released in November 2024. The Youku drama "Above The Wall" with her as FL will be released in 2026. Her performances in the likes of "The Double" was also noticed (hence part of the Wenrong award recognition) and here, she's playing a different sort of physician unlike her role in "The Blood of Youth" where she had to heal Li Hongyi.
In this episode 26, Gui Mudan is reciting the same lines which he also performed in episode 14. I have shared a translation of the specific zaju from Wang Shifu of the Yuan Dynasty here:
Xue Xianzi and Shui Duopo are a hilarious pair of squabbling friends.
Liu Yan (Alen Fang) and Feng Pingzhai (Riley Wang) are upping the menace and danger in one conversation, where Riley is brilliantly unflustered at being threatened with death by Liu Yan and allowed to speak three sentences to help Liu Yan decide.
Shen Langhun and Tang Lici have the best deep sentimental frank conversations, one on one. Against that beautiful night backdrop of falling snow... Xiao Shunyao is totally slaying his role. And his costume getup! His hair! Those curls! Sorry, for once I am distracted from his eyeliner. It is in such conversations that I can see ladies falling for Shen Langhun. We're talking the felling of entire forests!
Ai Mi and Luo Yunxi can definitely hold tension and best each other in a totally platonic manner. This is what lead actors need to be able to do. It's interesting. He's the predator. But she has established she is never prey. He must wear her down and get her to voluntarily agree to help him. Rightfully so. After all, she might have a connection to Yique Yinyang.
Also, Liu Yan is about to question everything he has done, in his quest against Tang Lici.
I'm loving episode 26. There's a lot of exchanges going on, where actors are holding their own against each other and creating chemistry. It's a delicious episode. Spoilers under next comment:
Bai Shu and Ai Mi meeting in episode 26 is so much fun! their comedic timing is spot-on! Happy to see these two as their characters interacting at last! Her meeting (almost) everyone is interesting, especially Luo Yunxi. The amount of micro-expressions being exchanged is fascinating XD
{And given how she is holding her own in these scenes, also not a surprise she was one of three artists alongside Guan Hong and Xie Keyin, to win Notable Young Actor of the Year (Rising Stars) at the 11th Wenrong Awards less than a week ago}
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https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5231184391177758
Some of that impressiveness includes doing more than ten pirouettes in a row: https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24106346
I believe ZCJ needs time to grow, and I hope ZCJ does right in the end and like Tang Lici, I want good things to happen for ZCJ and A-Shui. I believe many of us want good things to happen for those in Team Tang Lici such as Chi Yun, Shen Langhun, the gals, and Xiao Shi.
ZCJ hasn't had it easy. She's surrounded by misogynistic leaders of the Central Plains Sword Alliance who insult her class and background and don't mind smacking her down or having her punished simply for disagreeing with them, which created insecurities. I wonder whether her Shifu has ever stood up for her with any of them at any time (because I doubt he did), and then she has this horrible encounter that she needed to be rescued from, which will definitely give her PTSD.
Luo Yunxi is literally a great Chinese cultural export! He did serious stunt training plus has more than ten years of ballet experience (including at least one year as a dance instructor at School of Dance at the Macao Conservatory), which also included being lead dancer for the contemporary ballet performance "Flying To The Moon". As someone who appreciates actors who know martial arts, his wirework is wonderful and totally different to at least one current actor whose lack of practise in wire work and voice dubbing really shows in a painful manner.
He is classically trained in piano, can do his own chinese calligraphy even for historic costume drama scenes, and he has such respect for those working behind the scenes such as VAs. I totally enjoy his voice dubbing.
Ps. Luo Yunxi did more than ten pirouettes in a row here during Tchaikovsky's Rhapsody, and that really made my head spin: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1xW411Q7sT/
Anyway, spoiler for after episode 26, as part of episode 27 while possibly building on the wirework I shared above: https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5230847238340794
Also, let me know how goes Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 3: To Chang'an.
In this episode 26, Gui Mudan is reciting the same lines which he also performed in episode 14. I have shared a translation of the specific zaju from Wang Shifu of the Yuan Dynasty here:
https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24049694
https://kisskh.at/755725-shui-long-yin#comment-24049698
Liu Yan (Alen Fang) and Feng Pingzhai (Riley Wang) are upping the menace and danger in one conversation, where Riley is brilliantly unflustered at being threatened with death by Liu Yan and allowed to speak three sentences to help Liu Yan decide.
Shen Langhun and Tang Lici have the best deep sentimental frank conversations, one on one. Against that beautiful night backdrop of falling snow... Xiao Shunyao is totally slaying his role. And his costume getup! His hair! Those curls! Sorry, for once I am distracted from his eyeliner. It is in such conversations that I can see ladies falling for Shen Langhun. We're talking the felling of entire forests!
Ai Mi and Luo Yunxi can definitely hold tension and best each other in a totally platonic manner. This is what lead actors need to be able to do. It's interesting. He's the predator. But she has established she is never prey. He must wear her down and get her to voluntarily agree to help him. Rightfully so. After all, she might have a connection to Yique Yinyang.
Also, Liu Yan is about to question everything he has done, in his quest against Tang Lici.
{And given how she is holding her own in these scenes, also not a surprise she was one of three artists alongside Guan Hong and Xie Keyin, to win Notable Young Actor of the Year (Rising Stars) at the 11th Wenrong Awards less than a week ago}