One of the perks of being a male star in China is that there are always opportunities to dress up as girls without people making a big fuss about it. After all, all Peking opear artists used to be male. Which one of the four pop idols do you think is the prettiest girl?
Is it Yu Haoming and Wang Yuexin in Ming Ming?
Jin Ensheng on Tian Tian Xiang Shang?
@megan
really? How can you tell? There isn’t even a close up of his face in the video. You can see his jaw, and that’s it. The only other one is when he and Wang Yuexin are together, when his face is way too tiny to see.
I think Ma Tianyu looks best face-wise, probably because his was a real MV with professional photographers and makeup. The other boys are done more casually. But Ma Tianyu does look the most feminine anyways.
Yu Haoming’s lucky to have a song to sing, a pretty MV, and tons of money for being the spokesperson for that computer. I’m just happy that he looks good in the MV. For him, a good stylist is more important than a good song.
It’s remarkable, they all look pretty similar. I think Haoming is the best looking though. Even in real life (well, without the makeup and costumes) he is the best looking out the four of them.
Hey – I’m surprised so many people don’t like Peking Opera!! I love it~ it’s so…nice.
And in that “subtheme” song for Meteor Shower, I feel bad for Haoming for having to sing with Zheng Shuang.
I think Zhang Li Yin is the prettiest girl. ;D
Oh sorry, I rushed in typing, perhaps I misread? I’ll go back to it later.
I don’t mean elementary schools – I spent first through fifth grade in the US, but what I remember of kindergarten in my elementary school in China included quite a lot of programs, including tea dance routines and such, and ours was simply a medium-sized school. I also don’t mean any manner of standardized curriculum, for that matter; I just mean more in the way of middle school and high school electives. Other than calligraphy and history, it’s pretty exams-focused – at least, my cousins made it sound that way. And I don’t know what you mean by subjective, Cfensi – how would it work any differently than, say, a drama or band program in the United States? The quality of them and the curriculum chosen by the teachers range across the board, and each teacher grades differently, but it’s still an enriching experience that allows students to branch out and be exposed to something they might not have the chance to or be interested in otherwise.
Obviously, I didn’t go to either level of grade school in China; it’s just that that’s the impression that my cousins gave me. It probably ranges regionally, too.
@shoups
They’re not singing Peking opera, just dressing up as opera singers. He Jie and Wei Chen both sung Peking opera, though. He Jie dressed up as a “lao sheng” on Happy Camp. Wei Chen sung Peking Opera parts in various events (Super Boys, Red Concert, his own song). His parents are big Peking Opera fans and his grandparents teaches him to draw opera faces on eggs… people in China should celebrate Easter by painting opera faces.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_h98VURY10]
@nepheliad
I think elementary schools in China have pretty good arts programs. Before going to the amazing school, I went to an average small school in a little-known city, and they had pretty good art/music/dance/etc. programs. The only problem was you had to be recommended by your art/music teacher to be in the clubs. They also have one of the best model-building programs in the nation….and my cousin’s school teaches Guzheng.
China also have SHan Nian Gong’s (Youth Palaces), which are like YMCA’s for the arts. They’re quite popular.
Peking University’s elementary school was awesome. It had a private school-like facility and faculty, but it costs the same as any other public school (300-ish yuan per semester or year?).
I think I like the Huangmei opera the most so far, especially “Emperor’s Female Daughter-in-Law.” Never seen a full performance, but the clips I’ve heard have used good vocalists. Someone gave me a DVD once and they thought it had the whole opera, but they were ripped off in Xi’an. Very disappointing! ><
I enjoy watching peking opera.
I cant imaging those guys doing peking opera as it takes years and years of training to perform well.
zhang guo rong is the prettiest girl.
Even though so far, it’s looking like the worst song from Meteor Shower, I imagine that it will fit with the drama as a good insert song for random cute moments.
@Nepheliad – Wthe number of people in China it would create too much chaos among the education system to have that subjective measure.
Oh, and a digression, but Chinese schools just ought include more time for arts and humanities in general. There’s too much focus on making the grade when really, a bit of difference (within reason) on a test don’t really indicate all that much.
I agree that Zheng Shuang sounded like she was struggling with singing, period, but the sound that resulted still had a more fitting quality to it than Haoming did. Haoming just sounded like he was really, really straining to hold back his voice, which was awful, especially considering it still came off as too deep and sonorous. And while yes, He Jie and others of her ilk would sound better, it doesn’t promote the people, and more importantly, the characters in the drama. Personally, I have no problems with actors singing parts for a tie-in with the drama they’re in, because it’s meant to be in-character; it has an added meaning. It’s why anime characters have “image songs”, for one thing.
Man, your elementary school sounds awesome…
I don’t really like neither of their voices in here. Yu Haoming is trying too hard to be softer, and Zheng Shuang sounds like she’s struggling to even make any sound.I think a more sweeter voice would’ve fitted Zheng Shuang’s part. Like He Jie’s. But like cfensi said before, I’m probably too idealistic.
I think Peking Opera is more fun to singalong than the other ones. It has a fun beat and unique sound to it I used to hate the sounds of Peking Opera until we had to learn to sing it in elementary school. It’s so much fun to imitate and sing it. Chinese schools should incorporate more traditional arts in their curriculum/activities.
@idarklight: It’s kind of funny how Zheng Shuang is the only girl wearing white( I suppose they’re practicing, but it still looks weird). Anyways, Zheng Shuang and Yu Hao Ming’s voice does not match in the song. It’s harder for me to hear what Yu Hao Ming is saying (like Nepheliad said, Hao Ming’s voice is stronger and deeper).
I still can get over the fact that Yu Hao Ming’s english name is Ham, lol.
…I like Beijing opera. =\ Maybe it’s because I like the flashiness and the war/political stories. It’s probably the flashy – I like “Chuanju”, too. ^^; It’s also because my dad likes them, so I got influenced by him.
But something about seeing these guys in costume with thick makeup unnerves me too much to think any of them are pretty, haha. The fact that none of them actually look feminine might have something to do with that.
idarklight, I dunno. I actually think Haoming’s voice is the one that doesn’t fit in the song. It’s a very soft, cute song, and his voice is too strong for it. I like the wispy quality of Zheng Shuang’s voice better here – it sounds very sweet and innocent. Not that she’s a good singer – more that her vocal tones match the feeling of the song. IMO, Haoming should’ve softened his voice even further and try to add a wispiness to it (or better yet, sung a different song).
can’t stand opera but the makeup is cool :P. And Ma tian yu gets my vote here; the profile pic is gorgeous T_T
lol@ the meteor shower video. The last line is so cheesy! Hopefully this is not a peek into the actual series; I don’t know if i can sit through such corn
speaking of Haoming (not really), his new MV with Zheng Shuang, further enforcing my idea that actors(actresses) should stick to acting, and that the OST would’ve be better without the “lovely voice” of the non-singers.
oh yea, and when i read the title, “whos the prettiest girl?” i was thinking “oooohh… im going to like this post,” but then, i read the actual post…
Peking Opera is probably one of my least favorite operas….
I prefer huangmeixi (lol. this reminds me of someone;) and Cantonese opera. They are sweeter and easier to enjoy, and have more “normal” costumes. Peking opera, I think, is more of an acquired taste. Sort of like Beijing Soy Milk.
this past year, ive been beginning to watch peking opera. yes it sounds annoying, but when i pretend that i enjoy it, and think about peking opera as part of china’s rich culture, i start enjoying it. my grandparents also watch alot of opera.
My grandparents love watching Peking opera, but it’s just impossible for me to sit through a performance. I can’t imagine my grandparents listening to Britney Spears or something, that’s just way too weird.