There is a time and place for everything, and this adage is especially true of dramas. Even the best dramas can fail to connect with a viewer if watched at an inopportune time, when the mind or the heart isn’t in it for whatever reason. Hunan Television’s decision to air the long-completed Sunshine Angel starring Wu Zun and Rainie Yang during the height of Summer is perhaps a masterstroke of brilliant planning.
This drama is pitch-perfect as a breezy and adorable Summer fare, and just the rom-com I’ve been craving. I watched the first two episodes with a giant doofy grin on my face in every single scene between Wu Zun and Rainie. For a brief instant I felt like Rainie was cheating on her chemistry with Joseph Chang with her different yet equally smoking chemistry with Wu Zun. But her character here is so immediately unique that I’m quickly comfortable with seeing her sparking with another co-star. Folks, I see another Koala-approved onscreen couple forming right before my eyes.
As a drama, plot and execution-wise, Sunshine Angel is just a step above stupid. Anything outside of the OTP’s love story and interactions must simply be accepted for the mind-numblingly brain dead fare it is. It is exactly a remake of Successful Story of a Bright Girl starring Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara, and no one has ever claimed that drama was insightful and brilliant in any way.
What that drama had was a lot of charm, some good old-fashioned drama angst, and a cute love story to entertain on a popular level. Same goes with this remake. While the Wu Zun today can’t even hope to compete with the Jang Hyuk of even 11 years ago in terms of acting, he’s so handsomely dorky that I simply haven’t the heart to get annoyed at him. He acts like a really earnest robot, and it works here. Seriously, I laugh at and with him, because he’s just so hit and miss. In all seriousness, all his scenes with Rainie are wonderful even if everything else is abysmal.
The best part of Sunshine Angel is, no surprise, Rainie Yang. Those of you watching Drunken to Love You and are used to a more sophisticated and mature performance from Rainie need to know that this drama was filmed over a year ago, and the Rainie onscreen is the typically cute and bubbly Rainie performances of yore. But what Rainie’s performance lacks in technique in Sunshine Angel, it’s nevertheless very down-to-earth and sincere. Compared to Jang Nara’s gratingly screechy performance in Bright Girl (exacerbated by a painful on the ears Saturi accent), Rainie is simply sublime as the cheerful maid to Wu Zun’s arrogant chaebol son.
I can’t stress enough how Rainie and Wu Zun are so cute together. Their bickering makes me grin like a mad fool, and the stupid run-ins and antics between them are just the right balance of ridiculous and entertaining. He parachutes into her outhouse. She pours water on him because he murdered her goldfish, but he pours water right back at her. They are like two equal forces to be reckoned with. I’m definitely watching this drama, and it’ll be an easy wait to watch it live since I already know the entire story. I can’t wait to watch Wu Zun’s Di Ya Xing fall for Rainie Yang’s Yang Guang (her name means Sunshine in Chinese).
Unfortunately, Hunan TV has apparently edited down the completed footage to shorten the broadcast, so many scenes feel choppy and the transitions are terrible. I’m hoping if this drama takes off in China, it’ll be broadcast in Taiwan and hopefully the entire drama will be aired. For now, Sunshine Angel debuted to win the timeslot for the first episode, so it looks like the Chinese audiences are also craving a sweet, cute, and silly rom-com to beat the Summer heat. I’m not going to recap it, so don’t ask. It’s not worth recapping – unless it’s simply to recap scenes between the OTP.
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Where do you watch it? I tried Tudou & Viki and they don't have it.
Thank you.
it's available on youtube ^_^
Thank you! I saw 1 & 2. I like it. That's the Rainie I love. I like her grandma's voice when she spoke from the letter. Can there be a sweeter grandma? The story of the business part is too familiar. But I like Wu Chun & Rainie interactions. Light & fun.
which channel? Eng subs? I found one but is not subbed... plz let me know I am dying to watch it... I need something to take over drunken to love you that is coming to an end! :O)
youtube has but it has no subtitle and the philippine cable has i used to watch it at 10pm at destiny chanel 67 w/ no sub
Yay, I've been waiting for ages for SA to come out, and for ockoala's opinion on it :)
Sad that you're not recapping it though :( as I realllllly enjoy your recaps for all my favorite dramas :D
But oh well.
Viki has been really slow in uplodding this though, I think it's because of the drama being shortened and edited.
It's not that that the ViKi people are slow in uploading, it's just they chose to sub the GTV version and not the Hunan TV version. You'd have to wait until it airs in Taiwan.
eh? seriously? oooh i didn't know that, sorry...
that's even worse though TT^TT
i've waited for this for ages, and i'm sure it's not just me. i've been refreshing the Sunshine Angel ViKi page constantly since episode 1 and 2 aired on the sixth July, and no wonder they haven't subbed it yet, because they decided not to. i guess i'll just watch the unsubbed one, even though my chinese isn't very strong.
also i read that SA has some broadcasting/financial problems? (http://www.cpopaccess.com/2011/07/sunshine-angel-caught-in-financial.html)
so yeah... ...
but i guess that is a good decision as the SA airing on Hunan TV has bits edited and cut out.
I'm not going to watch it if its going to be shortened, plus its going to air later in the month and I just got caught up watching Hayate the Combat butler (which I am completely in love with.. i was literally laughing so hard my stomach hurt from watching ep 3). I dont want to get started on too many dramas other wise its hard to catch up.. so its a good thing you are not recapping, unless its the full version!!
Thanks for posting! Can't wait to see Wu zun on screen soon! :)
Thanks for the info! I have been digging out news of Scent of a Woman lately so didn't have the time to take note of when Sunshine Angel will air.
I think on paper, even without watching video, Raine and Zun are sure to have great chemistry. As a contrast, I wouldn't expect such great chemistry between Raine and Joseph, but watching DTLY proved me wrong and their chemistry is of a down-to-earth kind that you feel they'll make a great and lovely married couple.
Once in a while we need some no-brainer dramas for pure entertainment and relaxation purpose and am glad now I have one drama lined up for the summer (if I won't spend too much time following and perhaps rewatching the upcoming Scent of a Woman, hmm =P) My to-watch list is so packed and it feels soooooooo good!! :)
Yes I guess this validate my observation that he has unleashed his specks of emotions somehow in that sneak preview....for someone so wounded with life it was about time ;-)
Well he's really more complicated than anyone but I won't go into details....anyway he has Angels to clear the rough road....
I dare not dip my hands in his business anymore.... ;-) Lotsa luck buddy....nothing more to say....
imma wait for the dvd set where the whole footage would be available
hahaha
i thought that "Successful Story of a Bright Girl" was a no good drama. i didnt like at all. i dont understand it, why people like it. will u guys explain it to me ????
Bright Girl was and still is one of the biggest hit TV shows ever shown in Korea, and the first Comdedy/Romance mega hit, with a viewer rating of 42% back in 2002. That is why people still talk about it even today. As for why it was so popualar, I think it was just shown at the time when Korean viewer where getting tied of the weepy melodramas that before Bright Girl were the normal mega hit TV dramas. Also Jang Nara, I know the reveiwer here didnt like her but she had a run of number one hits as a pop singer as well as playing herself in the very popular sitcom NonStop, so Korean veiwers instantly clicked with her character in bright girl. The korean accent and the way she talked in bright girl was that used by country folk and quite hard for a city girl like Jang Nara to act in.
After watching it,compare to wu zun previous drama he’s bit better.I guess rainie help him in away because when they on screen togethe I feel he’s more lively,stiff but much better.
Why didn't I comment here? I thought I did! LOL Omg, I'm going senile! XD
Want to know the truth? I haven't watched the latest Material queen ep but I'm almost tempted to (momentarily) drop it in order to watch SA. There is just no way I can keep up with all the new shows. I really can't.
Then don't honey it's unnecessary stress.... ;-)
OmG!! I can't wait for the Eng Subs of SA.. ! I can't also wait for your recap !:)
I haven't watch DTYL with subs and Now SA is coming! I'm going to be So overloaded with all Rainie's dramas! Can't wait..!