Someone asked me what happened to Vicky Liu Yanwei, whom I posted about when she debuted as a singer under Chengtian ent. Well after finishing album promotions she is apparently joining the production of Chinese-Style Dating, a series that I had already been paying attention to because of the lead Qiao Zhenyu. Qiao Zhenyu is one of those really really  good-looking, charismatic actors in China that falls into the same category that Yan Kuan does: could be doing worse but also could be doing a lot better for the combination of looks+talent he’s got. He’s received leading roles, but nothing that makes him truly famous. So I was happily surprised to see Liu Yanwei join him in this comedy about finding love in modern China, set around the beautiful beaches of Sanya.

The story basically revolves around Qiao Zhenyu’s character, Su Ge who comes back to China after studying abroad. His family owns an upscale hotel and his mother wants him to take over the business but his primary passion is undersea photography. As much as he faces pressure in his career, he also faces pressure in his personal life from his family, his doting grandmother specifically. She wants to see him married and so sets him up on many blind dates which he feels obligated to go on because its his grandmother’s wish. The story has been described as a TV version of “If You Are the One”.

Liu Yanwei plays someone also from a rich  family who is uncomfortable with her wealth. I don’t think she’s a main character, but that’s to be expected since she has no acting experience. The lead actress is Cao Xiwen, who was the third lead in Five Star Hotel. Unfortunately, filming didn’t seem to be too fun for Liu Yanwei who got heatstroke and had trouble adjusting to the physical requirements of filming underwater. Despite the difficulties in filming however, she says she was appreciative of the experience.

This series is being directed by the guy who directed the original, Shanghai Bund, starring Chow Yun-fat, so he’s got a lot of experience under his belt. The scriptwriter has churned out a few stinkers though, like Da Ren Wu, and Flying Fox of Snnowy Mountain. I seriously hope they can somehow manage to make this a good series so Qiao Zhenyu can finally get his breakout role, and because I like the genre in general.

Source1 2