I Will Never Let You Go stars Ariel Lin (Old Boy) as the descendant of a mysterious cult who holds the key to a treasure trove, and Zhang Binbin (The King’s Woman) as her Superman / Clarke Kent. The 51 episode drama airs 2 episodes every Tuesday to Thursday on Zhejiang TV / MZTV, and members get a 4 episode head start. [Extended Synopsis]
The show has kept a very low profile since news of the casting was first announced in February. The production team hasn’t opened an official drama account on Weibo either, hence the lack of official stills.
Ariel Lin (Old Boy) is returning to period dramas after 5 years with wuxia romance drama I Will Never Let You Go 小女花不弃, a very loose adaption of Zhuangzhuang’s novel of the same name.
Where is this cyberpunk wuxia film that I’m totally ready for?
Vic Zhou, Zhang Binbin and Liu Ruilin of Flame’s Daughter team up separately pose for a modern wuxia photoshoot.
Harper’s Bazaar is really pounding the revamped wuxia concept recently, having done at least three other shoots in the past six months. After these and Liu Yifei’s shoot, I am even more ready than ever for a cyberpunk wuxia film (no, Jared Leto being creepy shifu in a world with fembots in cheongsam does not count).
Can you imagine how photogenic Jing Boran and Ni Ni’s babies would be.
The guests at this year’s Harper’s Bazaar Charity Gala is a who’s who of Chinese actors this year. Here are some of the stars on the red carpet, including Zhang Ziyi, Carina Lau, Fan Bingbing, Li Bingbing, Yang Mi, Lu Han, Angelababy, Yao Chen, Chris Li Yuchun, Ni Ni, Jing Boran, Zhang Ruoyun, Tang Yixin, Zhang Lanxin, Jiang Xin, Amber Kuo, Bea Hayden, Wang Ziwen, Li Xiaolu, Jia Nailiang, Ying’er, Aarif Lee, Zhao Liying, Qiao Xin, Zhang Yunlong, Zhang Binbin, Li Yundi, Chen Xuedong, Ruby Lin, Wallace Huo, Ady An Yixuan, Shawn Dou Xiao, etc. There were a lot more stars (like Fan Bingbing’s boyfriend Li Chen, Angelababy’s husband Huang Xiaoming), but their outfits were boring.
Clothes identification from : Starstylefashion@Weibo , clothes from the Bazaar Weibo or the star’s own Weibo’s (this is fair because both are PS’ed anyways) .
Love the costumes and the chemistry, not so much the plot.
With the perfect amount of bright colors and modern silhouettes without looking tacky, The King’s Woman 秦时丽人明月心 first caught my eyes because of its look (and Dilraba). The series is adapted from the prequel to animation Qin’s Moon and retells the attempted assassination of Ying Zheng (Zhang Binbin), the king who’ll eventually become China’s first emperor, by Jing Ke (Liu Chang), modified to become a huge love triangle featuring Gongsun Li (Dilraba).
The series opens with some classic clichés that they work in with mixed ability, including but not limited to having a long-lost childhood true love that you’ve only met once, no one recognizing the female lead is female, accidentally sharing a bed, the rich guy pretending his underling is his superior because we all know relationships that start with lies end well, and one or more lead’s guardian dying, but not before reminding them to hate their romantic interest for their parents’ sins.
Zhang Binbin is surprisingly (to me) the best actor of the bunch, and nails all the romance scenes, be it awkward first meetings, head over heels in love, or possessive creep. Continue reading
For some reason, many dramas have chosen to go with a poetic seven-character title format, and The King’s Woman 秦时丽人明月心 is the latest show to follow suit. Starring Dilraba and Zhang Binbin (costars in Pretty Li Huizhen, TLTWTMPB), the upcoming drama tells of the fictional love story between Concubine Li and China’s first Emperor.
Liehuo Ruge / The Flame’s Daughter / Agni Cantabile has released its first stylish teaser. Dilraba (Mr Pride vs Miss Prejudice) stars as Lie Ruge, a young woman who gets romantically entangled with Vic Zhou (Z Storm II), Zhang Binbin and Liu Ruilin (TLTWTMPB).
It’s rare that we see a drama set in this time period in the last couple of years…
The King’s Woman 丽姬传 has released more images. Starring Dilraba Dilmurat, Zhang Binbin, Li Tai, Liu Chang, and Zhang Xuan, another look at this era for those interested.
More below the cut.
Hopefully this project will be more to my liking.
Liehuo Ruge 烈火如歌 (also known as The Flame’s Daughter) has released posters. Starring Dilraba Dilmurat, Vic Chou, Zhang Binbin, and Liu Ruilin, a quick look for those interested.
More below the cut.
Those curious about the Qin Dynasty can give this a go.
The King’s Woman 丽姬传 has released its first stills. Starring Dilraba Dilmurat, Zhang Binbin, Li Tai, Liu Chang, and Zhang Xuan, a closer look for those interested in a drama based in the Spring and Autumn Period.
More below the cut.
