Momma say whut? I feel like someone dropped me in a fairy glen and then fed me some acid-laced marshmallows. In what might be a casting trio no human being could possibly have jammed together into one drama, fast-rising and talented C-actress Wang Luo Dan has just been cast in the Hunan TV‘s 2013 new year launching modern C/TW drama opposite Choi Siwon and Yuan Hong. Commence collective jaw drop. I’m not done yet. This drama will be helmed by the PD who did Summer’s Desire and Hi, My Sweetheart, and will be written by the scriptwriter of Office Girls, Easy Fortune Happy Life, PS Man, and Zhong Wu Yen. And get this! The drama is called Turn Around Fall in Love, and reading the synopsis it looks like a complete remake of one of my favorite and guiltiest TVB pleasures back in the late 80s, Cherished Moments with Leon Lai and Kathy Chow. I think I might have the vapors now.
Wang Luo Dan plays Li Ming Yu
At thirty-six she gets into a car accident and her soul returns to her twenty-two year old body. She has a chance to re-do her life again, and she plans to not make the same mistakes this time around! Twenty-two year old Ming Yu lives with her older sister and brother-in-law, and she sees their interaction with each other is exactly how she and Chen Yi are fourteen years later. She vows not to let that future happen.
Choi Siwon plays Song Chen Yi
He can provide a woman romance, but he can’t give her bread. He’s a handsome cheerful young man, but in the future he’ll turn fat and bald. Right now, this twenty-five year old big boy, can he once again win Ming Yu’s heart? His grandma is a seeming know-it-all with a cheerful personality, who keeps trying to bring Ming Yu and Chen Yi together. Based on grandma’s throwaway hints, Ming Yu suspects grandma may be from the future as well.
Yuan Hong plays Yu Qu Hao
From a rich family, he’s not interested in inheriting, he wants to build his own business empire. Young, handsome, full of confidence, he’s the darling of the commercial world. His considerate attitude is tinged with rebellion, and he’s every woman’s ideal boyfriend. But in truth, he’s not as perfect as he seems. He’s stubborn, wild, hates the shallow world, doesn’t socialize well. Until Ming Yu appears, then things start to change. Ming Yu tames this noble wild horse, but will she change her original choice because of this man? His father is a funny guy that is different than the driven Qu Hao. He initially doesn’t like Ming Yu, but is slowly touched by her personality and affect on Qu Hao. He eventually totally wants her for a daughter-in-law.
Bei Bei (reportedly Jenny Zhang)
For love, she doesn’t hesitate to change herself. In the original time line, Bei Bei and Ming Yu are best friends whose different personalities complete each other. In the alternate time line, Ming Yu as lived a difficult life after choosing Chen Yi the first time around, so she changes into a practical and jaded personality rather than her original romantic and idealistic self. This in turn causes Bei Bei to change her fate. Bei Bei and Min Yu were once BFFs who shared every secret, but in the end, their view on love differs and they gradually drift apart……….
This drama will film for three months, two in Shenzhen, and one in Taiwan. It’s scheduled for broadcast in January 2013, which means this will be Hunan TV’s first big drama of next year. Already expectation is slowly building, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing turns out half way decent. I loved the concept of Cherished Moments, which had Kathy Chow unhappily married to Leon Lai and then she goes back in time and decides to change her future. She does everything possible NOT to end up with Leon again, but fate has something special in store for her. C-netizens have always thought Siwon and my loverboy are facetwins (yup, total resemblance there), and now to have them in one drama blows my mind. I’m sooooooo praying this drama is the frothy and good variety that Sunny Happiness turned out to be. Please drama gods, make it happen!
Ohhh this is exciting!!!! But I hate how it airs next year I can’t wait that long XD
My sweet Siwon in another dubbed drama…don’t know if I can take it. Wish he would just get the confidence to speak Chinese.
Considering this is by Hunan TV, it’s likely that even if Siwon speaks Chinese that he’ll get dubbed over anyway.
Ohhh fun times! I am definitely keeping an ett in this! Thanks for the news XP I would have missed it otherwise. I think the role suits choi siwon well, really like the guy but he’s more natural when he’s cheery and smiles lots contrary to being all reserved and broody 😛 Yuan Hong is awesome in everything he does, granted I haven’t seen every single drama he’s starred in but I’ve seen a number 😛 Dunno about the actress but she sounds promising 🙂
wow – I loved that tvb drama… what I past from the past. I don’t really think I remember too many tvb dramas actually – but a few of them had leon in them that I actually do remember.
hmm… not sure if i’ll end up liking this one, but very interesting nonetheless.
i hope Yuan Hong is the lead 🙂
Wow, when I saw the headline, I thought koala was talking about a fanfiction or fan-inspired drama headline. I mean, the choice of male leads is so unexpected, unlikely and oddball . But not complaining here. So much lovely eye candy anticipation especially with solid acting chops to complement his looks, my fav yuan hong. As for Choi siwon, hope his acting will be strong enough. Watching his dramas, I find that he tends to overact or overemote when the scene demands emotional intensity but he has quite a good grasp on comedy. Not sure about girl lead.
As for story, a retake or similar to that tvb drama. Nice and nostalgic. Can’t wait for this lineup.
He’s quite decent in Skip Beat. Though I’m no fan of his other works.
Forget about anticipating it. I am stuck at the jaw dropping part and can’t grasp the casting.
Wow…double wow.
jaw …. dropped … uhm …….. yeah
When I saw that pic of Wang Luo Dan, I thought it was Im Joo-Eun (Holy cow! They look so alike, it’s uncanny…) and got confused when you didn’t mention Im Joo-Eun in your post…took me a while to figure out it was Wang Luo Dan. lol
So I googled Wang Luo Dan, and it seems only this pic she looks so much like Im Joo Eun.
wow. so unexpected. But do people really think they look alike? Because I don’t see it. I adore/salivate over Yuan Hong and don’t particularly care about Siwon. How do you feel about Wang Luo Dan as an actress? I don’t know much about her, just that she can’t sing since she butchered a classic song at the CCTV Spring Festival Show
I’ve read on my timeline about Siwon’s new drama, but I didn’t know that Yuan Hong’s gonna be in it too. Now my interest level just shot up significantly *grins*
ooh..interesting!!!
anyway, ockoala, have you watched the hunger games? care to share your thoughts about it…i know you’re quite excited for this…thanks!!!
Choi Siwon and Yuan Hong sharing a tv screen? Sold. *fans self*
I want to see a fat and bald Siwon. Bet he’ll still be handsome. Amazing bone structure is amazing.
Hahaha…I do too…I really want to see a fat and bald Siwon. For sure he still be a handsome baldly man you ever seen 🙂
so exciting!!! Thanks for keeping us updated, Koala!
Somehow, I really want to see some bromance between Yuang Hong and Siwon
That would make the beginning of 2013 very wonderful!
I watched Cherished Moments at least a billion times! It’s one of the first tvb series I watched as a kid and is definitely the most memorable. Can’t wait! Siwon and Yuan Hong? Omg somebody pinch me already!
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Really? She’s like a Tang Yan-lite. I saw her in Xi Xi Xing Dong with Blue Lan and was not impressed. But she’s far from the worst out there so I’m cool with it.
I know you’ve seen the character test shots for our loverboy in this drama, but have them again, and have one for Siwon as well.
I see stars in my eyes. *___*
I know u r 3000 miles+ fr me but we brainmeshed, am spzzing at lj. haha they really r like they’ve switched their regular clothes for SJSiwon vs usual LaoYuan.
The story reminds me of Nicholas Cage’s very first movies – Peggy Sue Got Married (1986). It tells of a woman in her 40s going through a bad patch in her marriage. She gets transported in time back to her high school days and is given a choice whether she would choose her hubby all over again OR another guy.
I’m just trusting ourLoverboy to make them girls lose their ‘cool’ (u know… hahaha)
She’s not in anything remotely not PoS though, so I hope this is her chance to be better.
*I’m crossing every digits*
I’m not 3000 miles from you (yet), taking the night flight to HK in a few hours. Currently only 500 miles from you, but brain mesh still happening.
Btw, I saw the character stills for “Ren Ying Ying” as well earlier this morning, almost lost my breakfast and couldn’t even stomach any lunch. She looks like……a deranged combo of a Rio dancer with a vapid wuxia rich daddy’s girl.
Another reason to look forward to next year post graduation…..hehehe
ahh YES! Cherished Moments!!! I didn’t think of that fluffy cute thing. But now I’m totally seeing it. I don’t hate Wang, and I don’t think they need the heroine to be drop dead gorgeous here.
It will tickles me to no end just with YH weiboing in his Kor-nise and SiWon pick up some slang fr the dude these next 3~ months!
The plot got me hooked! I’m definitely looking forward to watching this! Yuan Hong has become one of my favorite actors. And thank you, I haven’t heard of Cherished Moments before! I love Kathy Chow’s acting.
between you and mookie (well mostly mookie-san’s spazzing on her blog =P) i’ve gotten a new found appreciation for YuanHong as an actor and just, well, being Lao Yuan. I knew there was some reason I liked the guy with a dead possum on his head in much of Yang Warriors and angsty YangKang in Loch08. After watching all those BBJX BTS and interviews… he seems like such a character. Abit of a “langzi” carefree-ness yet not without caution, coupled with alot of cheek and ahhh the eloquence hinting of a mind with depths unknown.
havent seen him in any contemporaries and I’m not sure if he has any worth my time sitting through but I shall keep this one on my to follow list. Not much of a fan of SiWon and I’ve no idea who the actresses are, but I think the writing team ought to be good. If anything, however inane this is gonna be, I hope this blows up in the stratosphere of popularity because this way, YuanHong is gonna get more meaty roles thrown his way and I have more opportunities to drool over his sexy stare onscreen. If SiWon is the goody-two-shoes god-loving milky-faced twin, then YuanHong is the dastardly dark and sardonic twin who is gonna ruin many an innocent girl. I mean, look at that SMIRK! how could anyone not blush at that?!
I think I can piece who u r sweetie! ^^
haha possum on his head is now getting a V2 in his upcoming drama where he has two dead furry rodents hanging off as funny earrings.
I just wanna trust the guy in making a good decision now that he’s not entrapped by his old management. He’s shown he can lead a serious CCTV period, and there’s no period role he can’t shine in even with the most sorry excuse of script (or none).
So it’ll be interesting to see how he fares in a completely different beast of TWidol drama where he mostly need to strut and be v pretty and earn himself hordes of additional fangirls.
excited squeal…. now i cannot wait for this show to air.
just caught skip beat and tot siwon seems pretty hot in it…somewhat like a modified version of lee min ho.
but yuan hong…now that’s a different stratosphere…i think yuan hong’s acting is awesome. he has very very expression eyes and minute facial expressions that can just convey emotions…. happy sigh.
…. I only computed 3 words and one name, into the mush that is my brain.
Choi. Si. Won. Finito.
Catching Skip Beat too … and totally with you, on the (unbelievable!) Lee Min-ho likeness – close up.
And loved Oh My Lady – not the earlier jackass … but forgave because the later parts were so sweet.
Ew ! I see absolutely no resemblance between Yuan Hong and this suju boy. Too bad the latter is the hero…
If this turns out to be like sunny happiness I’ll be anticipating it. The production crew seems pretty promising. AND there’s Yuan Hong! Si Won haven’t really ever won over me with his acting, but I still watch his dramas if the leading lady is someone I like or if I like the plot.
One side of me is going yay for these good looking guys from Korea coming into C-drama land, but the other part of me is a little bitter about this trend. It’s like our directors are admitting that we don’t produce actor/actresses that captivate international viewers while alot of us Chinese actually watch alot of Kdramas without seeing a Chinese actor/actresses in them. If the overall thing turns out well, I’m happy, but if they turn out bad because the imported actor/actress looks detached I feel so bitter.
I second the slight bitterness. Especially poor potential male C-actors, they always get the short end of the stick.
Another problem is also, sometimes I see a very highly potential actor who crosses over to c-dramas and you could just see it’s to leverage over his name to the drama in order to help it obtain publicity. I’m not gonna even say the actor’s name, but he stuck out like a sore thumb in that period drama, a huge misfit. I would think that he could get easier more popular being inside a Korean drama. He was popular and male lead so I don’t think he didn’t get scripts handed to him. On other side, if he was not considered for the role, a potential C-actor could get the role which will also make the drama a tincy bit better (it was a horrible script).
Lets see how LDH will do in her upcoming drama with Joe. I’m not sure why but my gut is telling me she has enough chops in her and her acting style actually will suit the genre very well.
So if done right, I have np with the crossing over, this is an idoldrama through and through and it makes sense casting an idol. I think SiWon is charming on screen with his very limited capabilities as an actor. This is mainly fanservice fluff, I don’t see it as robbing meaty critically acclaimed character studies like in a GuoXiXi drama extravaganza.
Afterall there have been cases of Cactresses crossing over to K movies with some success (Cecilia Cheung and Tang Wei to name 2)
I don’t know about the Cecilia Cheung movie, but the Tang Wei inside the movie with Hyun Bin was Chinese. So she was in character. As is Korean actors inside Chinese movies like Jung Woo Sung playing a Korean guy inside Season of Good Rain. To be honest, the movie/drama watcher me prefers watching dubbed over where it’s all in Korean or all in Chinese because the little English in between for me is a turn off. Just me though.
My most favorite tw-drama that feature a korean actress, My Lucky Star was fantastic. I really just need a good dubber. I tried Hayate the Butler and the dub and I could not pull through her the dubber for Park Shin Hye.
What’s the definition of a Kmovie or a Cproduction nowadays though? The language spoken? the dubbing?! Because if we’re at that, I think most C movies/dramas r all dubbed anyways, even if u r a native speaker and say a HKer speaking Mando is as foreign a language to master.
And there r successful crossover so I don’t see the point because I see as much shoddy casting of C idols in C movies (eg Jay Chau should stick to his day job even if he himself is bored fr his same act last decade) JWS is very decent in Reign of Assassins and I honestly though KSY did really better than most of the other big C names in Tsui Hark’s forgettable Seven Swordsmen.
My point is, I really dun mind they r hired because of their popularity in such a thing as an idoldrama, even in JH’s case of that About Eve’s remake. It’s horrible, he’s horrible in it, but it’s never set out to be quality art fr the get go.
I consider ManChu a Kmovie because the crew is mostly Korean and PD is Korean, the fact she’s very suitable in the role as a Chinese American is not altering the fact it’s a remake of a K classic, rewritten with her capabilities in mind that’s far fr the original and by your same point, it can cast a K actress,a Hollywood actress and have the whole Chinese American speaking Mandarin out and the gist of the movie wont be altered.