Appealing Long Preview and Stills for C-drama Remembering Li Chuan with Godfrey Gao

I used to think Godfrey Gao was the Daniel Henney of Taiwan – grew up abroad, speaks fluent English, model tall and ridiculously good looking, can’t really act but who cares in exchange for the eye candy. While Daniel hasn’t improved much in acting in the ensuing years, I’d say Godfrey has improved by leaps and bounds. He’s still not a great actor, but he’s solid when required and almost always has chemistry with his leading ladies. Right now I’m enjoying him in the hammy melodrama Hello Gorgeous, which reminded me that he also filmed another C-drama last year which is slated to be released this October. It’s called Remembering Li Chuan (遇见王沥川 and translated verbatim as Encountering Wang Li Chuan) and is based on a popular novel Li Chuan’s Past (沥川往事) by famed C-writer Xuan Yin. The trailer was released at the end of last year and has been garnering pretty rave reviews. I was going to write about it but it got lost in the shuffle until now when seeing Godfrey onscreen prodded my memory. While HG is a cracktastic and wacky melodrama, RLC is a traditional heartfelt and sincere romance melodrama that tells the story of a Chinese-Swiss chaebol heir named Wang Li Chuan who returns to China to take over the company and meets young and perky Xie Xiao Qiu. I know this sounds really cliched, and it might very well be, but I was riveted by the long trailer (posted below and it comes complete with terrific official English subs) and swept away by the story already. Unlike Godfrey acting with very tall Li Xin Ru in HG, in RLC his leading lady is tiny newbie Jiao Jun Yan, who already has my goodwill but not looking plastic and not overacting too much. Another bonus is the drama is that its directed by one of Taiwan’s most well regarded drama directors, Chen Ming Zhang, who did Fated to Love You and Drunken to Love You, among others. There is also a cat in this drama (if you watch the trailer until the end, the cat even gets his own introduction, LOL) that might just be the cutest TV cat I have ever seen. RLC is filmed in China and Zurich, with the two leads speaking English and Chinese dialogue throughout and won’t be dubbed. It ought to be an entertaining watch, especially with the Totoro-ian height difference between 195 cm Godfrey and 165 cm Jiao Jun Yan making the visuals of the two leads together super appealing.

Godfrey’s character has a physical impairment in that he wears a prosthetic leg for his amputated limb and is apparently suffering from another ailment that renders him so deathly ill that he leaves his beloved girlfriend Xiao Qiu without a bye your leave. She gamely soldiers on and waits for his return all while sending him an email a day which he never replies to. Four years later he’s recovered enough to go back to China and they meet up again but he’s still insistent on pushing her away. While the noble idiot syndrome is strong with Li Chuan, I actually enjoyed watching the couple go through their falling in love and later separation because the drama doesn’t appear to handle it in a super dramatic way.

This cat, real name Heng Heng but onscreen character name is Mia, is going to steal the show. Mark my words. I wish I knew where he lives so I can steal him away. I suspect he landed on earth and is a visitor from the Planet of Cute. There is no other logical explanation for the existence of such impossible levels of adorableness. Seriously – Cat, where you come from?

Long preview for Remembering Lichuan (with English subs):


Comments

Appealing Long Preview and Stills for C-drama Remembering Li Chuan with Godfrey Gao — 38 Comments

  1. Omg this is one of my favourite novel!! Didnt know its going to be a drama. I love you koalasplayground!!! And the female lead looks pretty!

  2. OMG, the cat stole all my attention. I don’t really care for the leads of the drama but the cat is soooo damnnnnn adorable. I love this species of kitty. Godfrey Gao is still very stiff imo, there’s still a long way to go for him.

    • and i just realize the theme song they chose is from japanese drama “Kekkon Shinai”… I notice a few c-dramas have been “recycling” theme songs from j-dramas, k-dramas… I really feel that modern c-dramas still have a long way to go to achieve the quality f their period dramas.

  3. Why so cute???? That cat is too cute. Both of his dramas seem interesting, maybe I’ll give it a try after finals are over!

  4. I have no plans of watching the whole series (this is just a preview right?) because its seems I have seen the whole thing. Just one question, since this is based on a novel, will the tall, handsome, overly emotive guy die in the end? The guts of the girl is pretty annoying actually. I guess it’s because of the portrayal. She’s trying too hard to be cute and gutsy at the same time she acts as if she’s a high schooler.

    But man. The guy’s looking hot! Woot wooh!

  5. Im soooo excited knowing its going to be released tis oct….I tot it would be released next year….I just sooooo love this story….read it twice n I’m still playing it back in my mind….plus after I saw this trailer n I read it the second time round….ohhh….give me a godfrey……he’s just too gorgeous?..hhhmm…:)

  6. Wow this drama looks potentially awesome! I love the trailer and the fact that there doesn’t seem to be an evil villain. Can’t wait for October, that’s so far away! Thanks for bringing this up or I would have totally missed it!

  7. OMG!!! they are sooo hot together. Love his hands, well he´s really handsome, but I always like big, strong hands :). I like the story, hope it comes out soon. Thank you miss koala.

  8. Hooked me with the cat. That’s it, I’m going to be watching this.

    *Don’t judge me, I’m a certifiab, er, certified catlady 😉

  9. It looks really good! Damn it, the video makes me want to see it now!

    Does anyone have any c-drama recommendations? I’m new at c-dramas and honestly I have no idea where to start from. Also, a place where I can watch them?

  10. Aw, this looks really cute and engaging, even though the plot has probably been done countless times before. I love that they included the cat in the credits, lol. It’s really cute, but my favorite animal in a drama is definitely still the dog from Fated to Love You, heh.

  11. Viewing the long preview, I was intrigued with the story, it maybe a different kind of a romantic love story that I need to watch. Hope this will be posted soon at Dramacrazy.net. Want to watch this plus a it has an Actor we truly adore. Thanks a lot Koala. Keep us posted on this. Regards!

  12. I have watched the trailer few months ago and wonder why haven’t you say any words about it then finally you share your thought about this, I’m glad ^^

  13. Thank u ms koala for sharing! This one looks promising I’ll might check this out because or my love for Godfrey Gao.

    Oh off topic, did you know Godfrey Gao will star in an American film, City of Bones it’s an adaptation of the series, the Mortal Instruments. He will play Magnus Bane a gay/ bisexual warlock. Cool right? I’ve read the books they’re good. 🙂 you might want to check the books or the movie out it will be released in August 23. Just sharing. ^^

  14. HERE FOR GODFREY GAO 😀 😀 😀

    Thanks for the info about this drama, Ms Koala! I would’ve missed it if you hadn’t mentioned it, which would be a shame! I can’t wait to see this!!!

  15. Is like 3 years and this show never aired. Will would air someday??? Hope so, this novel is one of my favorite. And Godfrey Gao is a really handsome man.

  16. Watching it right now. Thought it was scheduled to air July 31. Already 20 episodes out. Ms koala, are you taking a break from K-dramas to get a eyeful of Godfrey? Mmmmmmmmm gosh, he makes everyone look short, plain and forgettable.

  17. Anyone watching this? I just watched the finale yesterday.. Need some new tear ducts.. I know many people didn’t like the ending which was different from the novel.. but I really liked the way it ended. Bittersweet and it still aches my heart a bit when I think about it. It really complements the idea that Lichuan wrote Xiaoqiu a new ending to her novel “Lichuan’s Past” because that is how he wished it could have ended for them. Sniff ='(. Lichuan, my baby. I didn’t really like stubborn Xiaoqiu all the time, but Jiao Junyan, the actress, did a wonderful job. In fact, both Xiaoqiu and Lichuan were just too stubborn, sigh. If only they didn’t torture each other so much.. Xiaoqiu and Lichuan can be so sugary that they hurt my teeth, but also so heartbroken that actually made me believe they were truly in love. Some scenes tho.. PFFHAHAHAHA, writer-nim, are you serious? I really couldn’t help but burst into laughter when Xiaoqiu freaking “raped” Lichuan. LOL.

    Urgh… and Godfrey is GOD indeed……

  18. Been introduced to Chinese tv dramas about 2 years ago, and I am actually enjoying them. Jiao Jun Yan and Godfrey Gau have such great chemistry and are so awesome together! I just can’t get enough of them. Appreciate if someone can English sub them, and also can the directors use the ending in the novel and make a sequel with a happy ending?

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