Yang Mi in her fourth series filming this year - Four Youths of Beijing. Palace makes five. Does this girl take a break?
Ever wonder why some series have ugly leads who can’t act?
Perhaps it’s because others like the Schemes of Beauties has every one of its countless roles filled with eye candy and acting ability. One reason for the near perfect cast is due to the fact its scriptwriter Yu Zheng handpicks all of his actors, as he will do for his latest palace intrigue series with Hunan TV – Palace: Heartlock Jade (宫.锁心玉).
The new time-traveling TV series will star Yang Mi as a young, cosmopolitan girl who daydreams of romance and history. Yet when her modern-day character travels back to the Qing Dynasty, she realizes that history is not the same as her fantasies. In the dangerous harem of the Forbidden Palace, she becomes a part of the struggle to become the emperor by the nine princes, and in a fight for love between the eighth prince (Feng Shaofeng) and the yet-to-be-casted fourth prince who came to be known as the Emperor Yongzheng.
Although most of casts have yet to be announced, because scriptwriter Yu Zheng is one of the few who chooses his own cast, it’s sure to be one full of acting abilities and eye candy.
Other cast members announced include Yan Kuan, who the writer dubbed as “the hottest actor to play a small role” for his short appearance in Schemes of Beauties. He plays a modern day character who hopefully will last longer in the series.
Tong Liya plays Nian Suyan, a spy concubine who in the end passes time with a jar of butterflies. “From the simplest girl possible to complexity at its extreme, one word sums up her – ‘Since you messed with me, you have to marry me; even if I can’t be your most loved woman, I’ll be your last woman.’”
OMG! I’m so excited! I just finished reviewing the Myth next to A Step Into the Past and the former was sorely lacking in comparison to the latter! I’ve been waiting for another new series to come out by Yu Zheng, the man who schemes like a woman LoL. If Yang Mi is the lead, this will be my most anticipated series after the new Water Margin. Since it’s Yang Mi AND time travel AND has Yan Kuan in it…maybe with new trailers and pics I’ll be anticipating this one the most! Finally! There is a female time traveler! I wonder how well she will fair in comparison to Hong Siu Long and Yi Xiao Chuan??
Oh, and Yang Mi, please gain some weight!
Yan Kuan is the “hottest actor with the smallest role”? Frankly Yu Zheng, that’s partly your fault. In fact, with this Yu Zheng guy, he more often than not makes Yan Kuan the second male lead and is usually a baddie…me thinks someone is secretly jealous of YK’s good looks…LoL
I’m so SO excited!
I always look out for anything that Yang Mi joins! Sounds really really cool.
LOL pheng, that’s my theory about Yu zheng too! Secretly he’s Yan Kun’s buddy, but is also jealous.
YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A “Chuan yue” (time-travelling) series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally!!!!
OMG. You guys have no idea how excited I am! I’ve been reading those kinda books online for yeeeaaars. My dream has come true! With Yang Mi and Yan Kuan (aka my favorite actors)!!!!! I’m so happy that I’m actually incoherent right now.
Rumours Tangren bought the rights to 步步惊心. If that’s the case, this series will be have some serious competition, since 步 is just legendary, and the plots would overlap a lot. But hey! Works for me\ I’ll just watch both!
@Lilly
It’s not just a rumor. It was on their company showcase at something. I don’t remember the exact link for it, but it’s there.
Man, I missed Cfensi. Haven’t visited in a while (due to busy-ness) but now it’s summer and I have free time and I started following Super Boys this year and I remembered Cfensi… missed all of you! LOL.
But ohmygod, Yangmi + Yan Kuan?! Shot right up to my to-watch list. LOL. Isn’t the story based on some novel? I think I read a similar synopsis like this when I was perusing through novels (although I haven’t read the book, minus like the first five sentences).
Okay, wow!
Best drama news I’ve heard in a while!!
1) there’s YANG MI
2) Time-traveling?! My second favorite genre after romcoms haha
3) cosmopolitan girl who daydreams of romance and history OMG, so that means we get to see a MODERN YANG MI annddd more of modern CHINA?!
Heck yes. haha I love my culture adn chiense city life so this is also a huge plus. Plus, she’s going back to Qing dynasty! Favorite dynasty right there (because of all the chinese dramas I’ve seen in that setting)
@A.
We’ve missed you, too!
There are many series with this plot. In fact, Shanghai Tangren is filming a time-traveling series based on the same setting (the fourth versus eighth prince), but based on a book. I don’t think this particular script is based on a book.
@idarklight
That’s true, time-traveling is really popular. Time-traveling back into palace setting or something like that, especially. If you look at Sina books it’s full of that stuff, LOL.
I’ll be looking forward to the Tangren one, though. Maybe that’s based on the book I saw? Possibly. But why 4th v. 8th again? They could’ve just picked another prince conflict or whatnot, LOL.
@idarknight & A
ooh!
Can you guys recommend some fun chinese time-traveling novels similar to this story? Since I’ll be going to china this summer, and I’m thinking of getting a couple ones to read…
I wish Yu Zheng will have Wallace Chung as the 4th prince.I think he’ll suit the king role.
@ bumbleberri
The one that Tangren’s is based on is Bu Bu Jing Xin/步步惊心. It’s a pretty classic one and a good one to start.
[...] his latest series Schemes of a Beauty/Mei Ren Xin Ji unveiled the cast of his newest drama, called Gong this past July, and using some of the same actors and actresses from Schemes, with Yang Mi as the [...]
I disagree on your statement about the good casting. I’ve been watching this and find that Mickey He doesn’t do justice to the 4th Prince role.
@xiaolong
Unfortunately, Mickey He is the second lead in every other drama by Yu Zheng … and Yu Zheng also doesn’t do a great job of either writing or casting male characters (that is, his male characters are generally not as likable, and their actors are the same) compared to female ones.
Compared to others, though, his male characters/casts are still decent, though. Where he really shines is the cinematography/costumes and the female beauties.
Well, the one male character who is really shining in this series is Feng Shao Feng’s 8th Prince. It took me by surprised because I’ve never liked Feng Shao Feng…until I saw him in this series. He’s doing a great job and outshines all the other characters (even Yang Mi’s Qingchuan) by far.