Not to be outdone by Yu Zheng’s sequel “Cloud Ballad,” Shanghai Tangren releases a trailer. source
After being set back a few hundred years, will Liu Shishi, Eddie Peng, and Hu Ge‘s Legend of the Moon and Stars (formerly Desert Melody) finally air? The series about a girl raised by the wolf who becomes entangled in an ethnic war recently released a 15-minute trailer in an attempt to sell itself next year, hopefully in time to air before its sequel Cloud Song by rival Yu Zheng.
It seems the period, originally set in the time of its male lead Huo Qubing , has been re-worked into the Southern Dynasties following the fall of the Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period. Though costuming may conflict with the new “period,” let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
Which drama do you think will do the Han Dynasty best: The Virtuous Queen of Han, Cloud Song, Realm of Love, or Legend of the Moon and Stars?
Preview from Hunan TV… I really hope this means an upcoming air-time…
I’m actually looking forward to this series the most. I’m definitely swayed by the actors (love Hu Ge and Eddie Peng). I think Liu Shishi is constantly improving and has become interesting to watch. She’s even better when surrounded by a great ensemble cast, which she has in this series. I’ve read a lot of comments/reviews of how her breakout role was in BBJX, but I think it was Strange Hero. She was awesome in that series. I’m also a fan of Li Guo Li 李國立 (I think he’s had more hits than misses). The CGI is not the best, but I’ve learned to minimize any eye rolling and not let that affect my enjoyment of China productions in general. I’m a little tired of palace dramas, so if this series is not centered around that, I think that’s a bonus! I’m definitely not an expert on traditional dynasty fashion, but I always think less is more. And this series delivers on that. The men don’t dress like beggars and the women don’t look like they work in brothels =P
Next would be WeiZifu. I think Wang Luodan is underrated and hope this series will bring her more attention (I’m more excited for her series with Yuan Hong and Choi Siwon to come out than this one). Raymond Lam is a wild card in my mind. He can be good, but sometimes it seems like he’s just putting in the hours and then checking out. Not sure if he’s overworked or what the reason is, but it shows in his acting (or lack of). I think he also benefits by having strong actors around him. Let’s hope that works in his favour here! And Mui Siu Ching also has more hits than misses in her track record (IMO), so that’s another reason to hope/expect this series to be good!
I’m undecided on Realm of Love. I like Yuan Hong and Kenny Kwan, but have trouble watching Ruby Lin. I’ve heard she’s a good producer, but I don’t think she’s a very good actress. I cringed watching her as Ziwei and continued to cringe watching her in Patriot Yue Fei.
I can’t stand anything Yuzheng touches, so I will skip Cloud Song.
I think Ruby Lin has been improving… But yeah. I can feel you. Sometimes it looks like she only has a couple faces that she switches around… -_-;;
I think Liu Shi Shi’s improvement as an actress has been a steady progression. Her acting in her very first series was absolutely terrible. By the time she did LOCH 08, she had already made considerable improvement even though her acting was still considered quite wooden. You can see constant improvement between her next projects and I think you can argue that she had her “breakthrough” as early as Clothing the World. I guess Bu Bu Jing Xin is when everyone really started noticing her and respecting her as an actress. But in terms of her acting skills, I don’t think she really had a breakthrough in any one project and it was a constant progression leading up to BBJX, and even after that she’s still improving. BBJX was her biggest role yet and she really poured everything into it so I can see why some people see that as a turning point, though.
Yeah, I have to agree with you on Ruby Lin. I guess she’s improved a bit since HZGG but she’s been in the industry for a VERY long time and it’s kind of hard to excuse that kind of acting at this point.
Even in BBJX there were parts where her acting wasn’t… well… there yet. BBJX was also hoisted up because of the story and other characters. She needs more experience so hopefully, she can shape the attention and new projects she’s been getting towards improving in those regards. Keep fighting!!
Also, I know we don’t really know what the plots are like … but in terms of the leading characters, my rankings are Realm of Love > Cloud Song > Moon and Star ? Wei Zifu.
The Wei Zifu character so far seems,well, virtuous, but not very lively. If they could make her a brilliant strategician, it might work. I’ve never managed to finish the Realm of Love, but since the lead timetravelled, she can’t be that bad. I really liked Cloud Song when I first read it, but the main female lead’s entire life goal is pretty much finding the main male lead … Moon and Star didn’t have a coherent character.
Can’t read :_: Can’t comment on these regards. But if you have watched “Beyond the Realm of Conscience” (linked below) you can probably expect the story to be similar. The feel is already really similar… the “virtuous” heroine who is “virtuous” almost to the point of being a danger to her own well-being…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_realm_of_conscience
btw, this came out around the time MRXJ did and I think there were some random accusations floating about of MRXJ copying from this.
I’m really, really excited for this one since I’ve been waiting for news on it for so long (since 2011!). I love the story in the book except I hated the Gary Stu direction they went with Huo Qu Bing towards the end. The trailer looks like it’s a little different so I have my fingers crossed that Tangren’s changes made the Huo Qu Bing characterization better. The acting, writing, and directing all look excellent so far.
I’m also really excited for Wei Zifu. I’m not sure which I’m more excited for between this and Wei Zifu.
Long Ballad doesn’t actually seem that interesting to me but I’ll probably give it a try. I’m not even going to bother watching Cloud Song because Yu Zheng makes a mess out of everything and every time I watch his stuff I feel like I’ve wasted my time. I totally do not understand the casting of the characters, I hate what he does to the characters, and the costumes are so tacky and cheap-looking that my eyes hurt.
Eye-pain and heart-pain at the same time. XD
For me is Wei ZiFu->Long Ballad->Song in the cloud->this.
But actually the first two are pretty close, but I’m biased over Wei ZiFu historical figure so…first. But Lin XinRu is doing an amazing work on her long ballad.
I know it’s not tangren’s fault but if only they keep the original story I will be more excited. I don’t like the change of setting and names in post production it give me a b-serie feel. And those cheap cgs just strengthen this feel, but still hoping it will turns out something good. I like a lot the actors in it.
Wait people are saying this is not the official trailer but a leaked one, maybe in the official ones tangren will fix those crap cgs and music… cross my fingers….
Yeah… I heard that… That’s why I said it looked like it was hastily thrown together and it kinda disappointed me. I think they were trying to jump onto the recent “Han Dynasty drama trailer” bandwagon. I’m really hoping there’s more CGI and stuff they were planning to add since some things just look so corny and need a lot of suspension of belief.
I doubt they were trying to jump onto a bandwagon since they started making this at the end of 2011. It got stalled by SARFT after they had already filmed the whole thing, hence the delay in release.
Tangren doesn’t have a very good record with CGI. I’m guessing the battle scenes might look a little different in the finished product but the under water scene won’t change much. That’s exactly how Tangren usually does under water stuff.
I get what you are saying but I’m talking about “Han Dynasty drama TRAILER” bandwagon in terms of more of publicity’s sake here. I know they started filming and stuff earlier than all the others and got held up but I think they were trying to drum up interest and publicity by releasing this early trailer since they finally got approval and saw this opportunity (recent string of Han Dynasty trailers) and couldn’t let it just pass them by without drumming up publicity for their own production as well so they threw something together and released it. I have to applaud them for being proactive but the trailer just didn’t sit well with me. Did NOT like the “dance music” in the beginning… and the wolves…. how cute but…. XD
That’s why I’m hoping that some of the things are only looking off to me because it was hastily thrown together.
I’m pretty the trailer was released right now because now is the time when TV stations are deciding line-ups for next year and buying new dramas (if they’re still buying). Every drama hoping to air next year is releasing trailers around now. Tangren is no newcomer to the game, and have had plenty of time to do a trailer for this, so I doubt this trailer was made in a hurry or unfinished.
*rolls on the ground* but… but… I REFUSE to accept!!! This is like elementary school homework. I’ll give it back to you for you to do over again!! XD
No I don’t want CGs!!! I don’t know why in the recent year tangren started to use so heavely cged setting and stuffs even in these genre of drama where cgs are not really necessary, it’s not a fantasy, wuxia or xianxia or game based drama! I’m fine with well elaborated cgs, but it’s clearly not their case. I want the old tangren of young yang warriors back!
I notice stupid cged stuff even in song in the clouds. It seems a way that many producers are starting to take to save some money. So bad.
I don’t think it’s too bad though… I mean sometimes, given the limited numbers of sets and backgrounds we have and for practicality and budget’s sake, it is the only practical option. As long as it’s not too much of an eyesore… but that’s up to everybody’s individual interpretations XD
There isn’t actually that much cgi in the trailer. They did a lot of on-location shooting for this. My memory of Young Warriors is kind of fuzzy but I’m pretty sure there was cgi in that too. I think the underwater scene is the main concern that people might have but Tangren has always done cgi for scenes like that. Tangren has been quite into cgi at least since 2006 or 2007. I don’t know much about their work before then. And actually, this is indeed a wuxia story. It’s not wuxia the same way Jin Yong is but it’s wuxia nonetheless.
Also, I don’t think it’s a question of whether or not production companies use cgi or not. I think it’s a question of whether or not they have a top-notch staff that can make it look realistic. Most of the best-known TV shows, especially in American TV, heavily rely on green-screen backgrounds.
Wei ZiFu is a Hong Kong-Mainland co-production. Obviously, it has a huge budget. XD I mean, with the Phoenix-wall background and everything. Kinda hard to top that off without bleeding out more cash. XD
In this case I hope more co-production between companies, instead of having hundred of craps a year in which many of them don’t find even the opportunity to be broadcasted I prefer fews but good products. Quality over quantity yeah!
Probably will… I mean Zhen Huan Zhuan was a co-production of a bunch of mainland companies. It’s getting kind of hard to survive solo since China’s drama world has been taking a focus on production quality as a medium of negotiating competition.
most excited for empress, but now that they’ve detached the historical figures, this is coming in second
then long ballad
and at the end of a long, long, endless road, cloud song
Switch long ballad and legend
GAH!! What did my computer do?!? Anyhoo… switch long ballad and legend of the moon and stars and you get my order.
I felt this trailer quality-wise wasn’t up to my expectations… I’m hoping it’s just the trailer… It kinda feels like they just slapped it together so they can latch onto the Han Dynasty trailer rush recently.
I think I’ll just mentally blurp out everything to what it should be when I watch it. Kinda disappointed with the tune of the theme song…
I have the same order as 0kuo0. I like pretty things,and I think the costume orders are Empress > Cloud Song > The Long Ballad >= this
For all it’s worth, Cloud Song’s stills are too pretty for me to not look forward to it. Also it actually has a coherent story whereas everything happens in this book because it’s necessary for the advancement of the Mary Sue lead. Although I like the actors more here, and if Tangren works their adaptation miracles and completely change the story while keeping the characters, it might turn out good.
For costumes, I rank them as follows.
In terms of overall quality (money spent) and creativity in production:
Empress>Long Ballad>Cloud Song>Moon Stars
Have to disagree a bit with you on this one, idarklight. Cloud Song’s costumes are pretty, no doubt, but I think that’s more due to the fabric colors. From what I see in the trailers, there’s less impressive embroidery and embellishments. Also, some of the embellishments like hair ornaments and stuff come off as corny and plastic-y to me… like what the crap is going on with the crazy stars shooting out of her head from the headdress?!? (linked below)
http://upload.hbtv.com.cn/2013/1029/1383017679254.jpg
Sadly, I have to place Moon Stars last but… I’m hoping this is just a bad “unofficial” trailer and they release an even better one later since they were trying to jump onto the Han Dynasty trailer bandwagon… Some of the costumes look a bit off to me. Also, Moon Stars is not THAT centered around the Palace really so it makes sense that costumes shouldn’t be THAT well embellished. Keep fighting Moon Stars. :)
In terms of Historical Accuracy of costumes:
Long Ballad>Moon Stars>Empress>Cloud Song
All of them have creative modifications of the Han Dynasty costuming but I think they rank roughly as follows…
Long Ballad seems to hold more true to the Han dynasty tradition of using heavy clothes for clothing. Also, the patterns used and ornaments and stuff seem more reflective of the period.
I can’t see much of the “Palace” costuming for Moon Stars but they look heavier and though the hair styles are a bit loopy and exaggerated on the court women, they do reflect, to some extent, the hairstyles in the Admonitions Scroll so… Gotta give them that.
Empress had lighter clothes and some of the costumes are more reflective of the later Eastern Han period… Also, some of the head gears are more creative. However, I think Empress will make up for this in terms of story (I heard they have some people from “Beyond the Realm of Conscience,” which IMO was a drama that could hold it’s story despite being Mary Sue… which is obviously reflective in the trailer for Empress as well…) and in the customs and use of Classical Chinese language department.
Cloud Song… ummm….well… Yu Zheng production for one so I am not optimistic of the story holding together from his track record… also, from what I see, the coloring on costumes are a bit too bright (kind like with Empress as well). Back then, dark colors were worn for formal occasions so… yeah… Also, creative hair ornaments and the mask picture I linked above and some of the skirt trains I feel badly reflect what would have been worn both in terms of class during that era and practicality…
I kinda agree with you but I think is unfair compare The legend with the other works in term of costumes quality since their production started back in 2011 and if is not because of sarft, it’d be already a finished and broadcasted serie.
In the last years the costume quality of these idolish period dramas improves a lot, maybe because the competivity is became really hard with the merge of many new companies. The legend being a work of two years ago can’t keep up.
I know it’s unfair but if I had to, that’s how I would rank them. Moon Stars really falls short not only because of being held back but also because it isn’t a “palace drama” so the costumes can’t be too extravagant. The other three revolve more around the palace.
I want to watch all of them D:
all of them look fantastic, come out sooner please <3