It’s been awhile since I wrote about Yun Zhong Ge (Song in the Clouds), C-novelist Tong Hua’s romance novel set in the early Han dynasty mixing real life historical characters with a fictional what-if star-crossed romance story. It remains a great regret that I couldn’t finish translating the full second half of the novel, though I did manage to deliver the last few chapters and close out the project somewhat. Da Mo Yao (Ballad of the Desert) was both an easier novel to translate its lighter prose and faster action, not to mention a much shorter length (two volumes as opposed to three). But for stickiness, YZG is a much stickier story with the characters living on even after the story has ended. The complexity of the story causes the reader to postulate alternative stories, contemplate if things could have been changed, delve deeper into the motivations and actions of the leads. Producer Yu Zheng finished filming the drama months ago and its in post-production now for an early 2014 release. Thank god he’s de-coupled this drama’s character lineage from Tangren’s adaptation of DMY, since that one won’t see the light of day and it’s rather a shame that a narrative prequel won’t be aired first.
Leading lady Yun Ge will now just be a desert girl from a progressive family, though I hope she still has an awesome Third Brother who will make a cameo appearance in the drama. The cast keeps growing on me more and more, with Angelababy playing Yun Ge, Du Chun as Meng Jue, Lu Yi as Liu Fu Ling, Chen Xiao as Liu Bing Yi/Liu Xun, and Yang Rong as Huo Cheng Jun. The two male leads are older than in the novel, and objectively Du Chun really is not handsome enough to play Meng Jue as described in the novel. But he captures Meng Jue’s aura well and Lu Yi made me a fan earlier this Summer with his one episode cameo in Longmen Express and now I’m dying to see him as Ling gege. My love for Chen Xiao is no secret and he’s looking gorgeous here, not to mention possessing both the brashness and the inner scheming necessary to bring Liu Bing Yi to life. While the full trailer hasn’t been released yet, Yu Zheng has been dribbling out the goodies and finally released the teaser trailer and it looks fantastic. Check it out and get ready for the mega-angst to come. I also have a potential ending spoiler below, an ending that night be different than the book.
For a bit of spoilery kick, apparently Yu Zheng said he filmed four different endings for the drama, and one of the endings appears to be a happy ending for Yun Ge and Meng Jue. I dig that. Sometimes there is something as too much relentless sadness. Their baby is soooo cute!
There’s a Gong 3?! What the hell. First one was enjoyable at best, 2 shouldn’t even exist, why do we need a 3?!
But Angelababy looks pretty in these, and the colors!
Yu Zheng’s productions’ colours are as nice as always. But his casting is really disappointing. Meng Jue looks too old and not handsome enough for me while Liu Bing Yi looks too young. Liu Fu Ling looks alright.
May not be watching this when it broadcast.
I really wished someone would finish translating the book. I think it stopped at chpt 42 on sparkskey and she hasnt updated since April. I started to translate it too from viet and chinese versions using google translate to get the main idea since my viet reading skills are very weak and i dont know chinese at all and wonder if you koala could edit them and post them for me if I do help with it
Hi thuy,
Thanks for offering but I don’t have time to edit and post these days in addition to my full plate. Plus if I’m posting, I prefer to write it all myself. I appreciate the thought though.
Wow! O.o I don’t know if Angelababy can act but the girl is beautiful, all looks beautiful!!!!! This is so visually attractive I can’t help but be mesmerised. It looks promising, I will definitely check it out.
Meng Jue so does not look like that in my mind’s eye! I refuse to watch this. Why can’t they get Roy Qiu to play him?
He doesn’t look like MJ but I’m guessing he’ll be able to play him well. He’s a good actor.
Agreed.. I had yuan hong as meng jue the whole time I was reading yzg.. This is a bit disappointing.
It’s ironic both the characters I don’t care for, lby and hcj are both play by actors/ actresses I love though
Du chun might not be handsome objectively but he can act and angst well. I loved Lu Yi in Longmen express too but I can’t finish that drama because the couple keep breaking up and getting back together…forgot their names…it was getting repetitive. The trailer show so little of Ling gege and so much more of Bing Yi *pouts*. I like Bing Yi but would it kill them to show a bit more…and by the way Bing Yi and Ling gege don’t have the slightest resemblance. Lol. Yun ge looks gorgeous and I sure am gonna watch this when it airs. I spot Zhao Li Ying in the trailer too…who is she playing again?
Longmen Express is purely a sitcom. I take it for the easy watch value. Did you catch Chen Xiao’s awesome cameo arc as well? And Yuan Hong? Those were my faves, but Lu Yi and Huang Xiaoming’s respective arc were absolutely the best. Nnnnnggg, so smexy.
Yu Zheng already said LBY is the male lead of this drama. Which isn’t really all that wrong. The male lead is really between MJ and LBY in the novel as well, since LGG is barely in volume 1 and dies at the beginning of volume 3. Hard to say he’s the male lead when he’s in about 1/3 of the novel. It’s a memorable 3rd to be sure.
Zhao Li Ying is a cameo appearance as a new character not in the novel.
I saw Chen Xiao’s cameo (he appeared early in the series)and he was a riot. His last meow had me in stitches. Could imagine how he would have pulled off his role as Lin Ping Zi (which i skipped). My favourite cameos are Lu Yi and Huang Xiao Ming too. Especially HXM because I am fond of the lady doc too. And hmm…smexy. Definitely.
Sadly the bickering couple sort of put me off watching so I haven’t reached Yuan Hong’s cameo. I still have plans to finish the drama but maybe I’ll just FF to Yuan Hong’s part first. Hee.
I ♥ ling gege so much even though he’s like the third lead but I guess they might play up YunGe’s feelings for Bing Yi and vice versa if he’s the lead. If Lu Yi is good enough he might steal the show as well. Ling gege is just too awesome not to be loved.
Oh Zhao Liying is a random cameo…YuZheng sure knows what he’s doing. Lol. Wonder if she’ll have scenes with Chen Xiao.
Oh God!!! Gong3?? With YSS again?!? WTH…. auuuughhh. Someone give me a vomit bag ASAP!
I just finished reading YZG yesterday and Now i feel so sad and empty that it is over.
I don’t like the idea of the alternative ending 🙁 I want YG to forever stay faithful to Ling gege, it gonna hurt to see her move on even though that is what He would have wanted :'((
And waah I hope she doesn’t seriously end up falling in love with LBY, I would hate that.. Waah I’m still so saaad.
I was hoping Liu Fu Ling didn’t die or at least their kid didn’t. I cried so much for him and yu ge ><
I guess that's too much to ask for *sighhh*
I couldn’t read chinese so i lose out a lot of opportunity to read c-novelist like Tong Hua. Thanks to Ms.Koala that now I know all this nice c-drama was a adaption from these novels. Having LSS all the time in c-drama wuxia is a bit boring already. She does look good in ancient drama but I am a bit bored looking at the same face again. For Yun Zhong Ge, I am all ready for it. While waiting for these new drama, currently I am watching Mulan 2013 starring Elanne Kong and Yuan Hong. I recommend this drama for watching. It’s funny especially Yuan Hong and the political is easy to watch and follow. The scenery is beautiful too.
For once I don’t fancy a happy ending if she’ll be ending up with MJ but if LingGeGe does a Huo QuBing, then I am in. Or alternatively her baby survives and she returns home with third brother.
Agreeeeed!!!!!
I don’t want her to forget or move on from Ling gege!!
That daughter better be ling geges and not hers and meng jue..
I’m all for Ling Gege! I am totally not happy with a Meng Jue ending after what he did; he was the least male that I liked. I find LBY to be more attractive than Meng Jue. I really really dislike him more than LBY, but I also haven’t read the 3rd book to find if I might have also hated LBY too. But, all in all, I never really liked Tong hua’s second lead guys…
I’m still upset that Da Mo Yao is not aired yet. I refuse to watch this without Da Mo Yao. no way. no way in hell. :C
So I liked this novel better than Da Mo Yao, but I’m not sure I’d like the drama if Liu Bing Yi replaced Meng Jue as the main character. Although I didn’t like Meng Jue for much of the novel, I did ultimately like his character significantly better than Liu Bing Yi by the end of the novel. The story just wouldn’t be the same if the focus shifted. The cynical take on that childhood romance/reunion 10-years later trope wouldn’t happen. It would just turn into a typical story of misplaced and unreciprocated love?
Thanks for keeping us updated! :):):)
I’m not particularly happy about the cast, actually the only casting I really like is Huo Cheng Jun’s but oh well, after finishing the novel and staring a bit more at Ms Koalas casting which I agree with XD I should be able to watch the drama without too much distaste
i’m really looking forward to this drama! i just hope it sticks to the novel… i really loved the novel. im usually not a fan for sad endings but i felt like the novel ended on the perfect note, and it really couldn’t have ended any differently. i know many find the ending too sad and felt like yun ge should have eventually ended with meng jue but I really think that her decision to travel the world with only ling gege on her mind was SO IN CHARACTER. ling gege x yun ge is my OTP! so i was quite glad that she lived out her life the way she would have with ling gege 🙂 from a couple of the music videos and the promo videos that are already out it seems like they are trying to sell angelababy x chen xiao as the hyped up pairing i understand that is due to both of their popularity but in the novel angelababy’s character and chen xiao’s character did not become an important pairing. i really hope that they stick to the novel as much as they can… but seeing as how yu zheng is the director… ugh i dont want the ending to be different from the novel… and im really really praying that there will be plenty of ling gege x yun ge scenes 🙁 damnit they should have gotten the director of bu bu jin xin for this drama…. the director did a spectacular job with bbjx…. yu zheng tends to make his drama way to unnecessarily complicated and shit just drags on…. example : gong series =.= if he screws up yun zhong ge i will cry.
i hate how LBY is the male lead 🙁 this drama should be more about LING GEGE AND YUN GE :((((( i dont want YG to move on either…. i would hate that alternate ending i seriously hope to god yu zheng doesn’t use it… that would be… the worst…. hopefully he sticks to the novel as much as possible… and i hate how in the promos it shows her SO in love with LBY but not Ling gege T_____T ughghghghgh. i know ling gege is only the third male lead but he was the ONLY male lead that mattered in YG’s heart (at least in the novel) that baby better be her’s and ling gege’s!!!!!!!!