Unlike the mess that was the 29th Golden Eagle Awards, the Magnolia Awards were more sensible and predictable, so kudos to the judges (director Gao Xixi, actress Ma Yili, screenwriter Chen Tong among others) for judging based on merit.
I don’t think this was in the book, so taking bets now on if Song Yunhui wrote anything on that paper airplane.
I didn’t think it would be possible to cast people more like a character than the book portrayals, but here we are with Like a Flowing River 大江大河. Wang Kai, Zhou Fang, Yang Shuo and Dong Zijuan actually have the perfect qualities to fill out what I think are inconsistencies in the characters in the books (Tong Yao’s character is already perfect).
My only concern is Jin Chen. Imo she’s the actress who has the most on-screen chemistry with Wang Kai, but her character was so unrealistically perfect and unlikeable that she would need a major overhaul to work. I will likely be rooting for Zhou Fang’s character.
80’s fashion making China rethink its decision to open doors.
“Freedom to humans is light to the eyes.” – Like a Flowing River
The trailer for Like a Flowing River 大江大河 only covers like the first two episodes of the TV seriesand I’ve already cried at least three times re-watching it.
The book was already nuanced, but the drama per the trailer seems to have elevated the theme. Wang Kai, Tong Yao, Yang Shuo, Dong Zijian’s acting are perfect, the music poignant, the sets impeccable, and the lighting is Daylight Entertainment’s best yet.
The trailer opens with the Song siblings (Wang Kai, Tong Yao) running in the fields as they’re given their first whiff of freedom, only to have the door slammed in their face by cruel remnants of the Cultural Revolution. The trailer doesn’t hide the tragedies, the shut doors to the Song sister , but also opens to so much hope to other characters. From the re-opening of colleges, to the splitting of public land to private ownership, to the rise of new factories, and to the dream of being able to eat meat everyday that will one day come true, the trailer is a short but poignant reminder of how much potential humanity has when finally given the freedom to use their talents.
Fun fact: All three leads graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, which has a reputation of producing well-known actors who are also good at their craft.
Like A Flowing River / River Of Time 大江大河 is a drama produced by Daylight Entertainment to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China’s open-door policy, and stars Wang Kai, Yang Shuo and Dong Zijian as representatives of a whole generation of people who took advantage of the economic reforms that were being rolled out.
Here’s a comment I wholly agree with: “Please bring back your acting skills from Emperor of Han Dynasty!”
Official character posters have been released for The Wind Blows in Changlin, spin-off to hit 2015 drama Nirvana in Fire.
Daylight Entertainment’s latest web drama Candle in the Tomb 鬼吹灯之精绝古城 has released a new trailer and confirmed a premiere date of December 19th.
Exciting news for all Nirvana in Fire fans: the sequel is coming!
Casting director Wei Wei – whom many may remember as the messenger Tong Lu -recently confirmed on Weibo that The Wind Blows in Changlin 琅琊榜之凤起长林, the sequel to acclaimed drama Nirvana in Fire has finally entered pre-production, and is slated to start filming in November. It is unknown whether the script is still in the works, though with this announcement I am assuming the team already has a final draft.
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Congratulations to the big winners of the night!
The Magnolia Awards is held in conjunction with the Shanghai Television Festival, home to one of East Asia’s biggest television markets. Magnolia Awards is recognised as one of the most prestigious television awards alongside the Golden Eagle and Flying Apsaras, though it cannot seem to make up its mind on the number of categories (the current format began last year).
Full list of nominees, winners and red carpet pictures are below the cut.
Get used to seeing this pair, because they’re going to be collaborating for two more seasons of Ode to Joy and at least one of detective series When a Snail Falls in Love 如果蜗牛有爱情.
First of all, I’m kind of impressed by their use of English songs in the two trailers so far. Hopefully this bodes well for their rather large OST (all the girls and maybe Wang Kai have their own song). Second, can everyone but maybe Jiang Xin please get a new stylist? There is absolutely nothing young and hip about any of Wang Kai’s outfits.
I still think Ode to Joy 欢乐颂 could be ground-breaking in being a female-centric modern drama that isn’t solely-focused on romance (despite this trailer), so I have high hopes for this series. I like the end message of the trailer, if anything else. All the leads have signed up for season 2 and 3 for this drama, so that should indicate the script is really good (or they were emotionally blackmailed).
The series has been pushed back for an April 18th release, and still stars Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, Yang Zi, Wang Ziwen, Qiao Xin, Zu Feng, Yang Shuo, Zhang Lu, Wang Kai, Jin Dong, and Zhang Xiaoqian,
So much talent, looks, and personality in one trailer!
This trailer is actually so much better than I expected it to be! Everyone’s on point with their characters, and the trailer looks both fun and dramatic.
So here’s our Ode to Joy 欢乐颂, set to air on April 17, introducing the adorable residents of 2201 and the males in their lives, Liu Tao, Jiang Xin, Yang Zi, Wang Ziwen, Qiao Xin, Zu Feng, Yang Shuo, Zhang Lu, Wang Kai, Jin Dong, and Zhang Xiaoqian,
P.S. Wang Ziwen said that for all of her scenes with Wang Kai, pretty much if the two can’t come up a way to make their scene cute, they’ll just make out, so expect lots of cuteness from the pair.