This drama has been done filming since last year and I dang forgot it hasn’t aired until now. I rather like letting upcoming dramas slip since I’m not anxiously waiting for it. The modern Tong Hua novel Secrets Hidden in Time (被時光掩埋的秘密 which I unabashedly shortened to SHiT) has been remade into the C-drama titled Best Time (最美的时光) starring Janine Chang, Wallace Chung, Jia Nai Liang, and Han Xi Ting. Toss in Ying Er in a pivotal cameo role and this thing has got adult melo crack written all over it. I’ve written my novel review here (warning spoilers galore) and would have written off the drama but for the fact that all signs point to the ending being changed to one less likely to make me want to poke my eyes out. The title change is a good hint, since the secret hidden in time was male lead Lu Li Cheng (Wallace) and his love for female lead Su Man (Janine), whereas a best time title gives me hope that Su Man is at least enjoying herself having a hot namja devotedly in love with her. Best Love airs next week and it’s the promise of a different than book ending plus Wallace looking smoking hot in suits that has me penciling time in to watch this sucker. Even if the ending changes, the story is still frustrating as all heck, especially with the makjang turn it takes mid-way through. I still remember the whiplash when reading it. But I said before in other Best Love posts that this narrative works better in a drama so I’m keeping my mind open that this might actually be entertaining without resorting to nonsensical plot tangents since its based on a Tong Hua written novel. At this point I’ve read all her novels and am still trying to wrap my mind around why her writing varies so much in scope and style. I finished her latest Chinese mythological romance epics Once Promised (曾许诺) parts 1 and 2 and its just released sequel Lost You Forever (長相思) and have so many thoughts but can’t actually generate a coherent post about it. It’s frustrating and absolutely unforgettable wrapped into one. Let’s see how Best Time does translated onscreen, with the promise of two more Tong Hua novels-turned-dramas airing next year in Da Mo Yao (The Sun Moon Legend) and Yun Zhong Ge.
Previews for Best Time:
And if you want to be majorly spoiled, have the 35-minute trailer for Best Time:
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35 min trailer!? Omo
After watching 35 minutes trailer all I can say is - hotmess
Oooh I haven't seen any of wallace Chung's work but he looks so handsome in the stills. Janine Chang is a pretty good actress. I'll be looking out for it. Thanks!
Thanks for the update Ms.Koala. I was waiting impatiently, not knowing when it will be air.
Can't wait. I love both Janine and Wallace. But like you, I really hope the ending is not the same as the novel.
Ah!! I was wondering when this was going to air - so looking forward to it. Fingers crossed for eng subs and a better ending! Thanks for the update! =)
DUBBING... DUBBING... DUBBING... oh horror... Question, the Koreans seem to use their own voices even in period dramas, as in Empress Ki... Why, why, why the Cdramas always dub. Doesn't Janine Chang have her own voice. Even the narration for the trailer is dubbed by "Don Pardo" LOL...
The uniformity of hundreds of disparate Chinese language accents/dialects. It's a necessity until everyone in China learns to speak Beijing Mandarin fluently as a second language regardless of their hometown regional dialect.
Somehow Taiwan doesn't have the same hangups, so most of the TW-dramas have a mishmash of accents, which is both good and bad. Good when it matches the character or the actor has a really expressive voice, bad when the accent is at total odds with the character. :/
There's no excuse for dubbing kids's voices by adults. It's so obvious.
'
I think the repeated topic of "why-dubbing?!?" in any C-drama post is beating a dead horse. It is what it is. Either don't watch or watch and let it go.
Longmen Express reminded me that non-dubbing is refreshingly authentic and also a hot mess of meta-accents taking one out of the scene and works only in a parody satire drama like LE.
China has 1.3 billion people and over 200 dialects, South Korea 50 million and 17 provincial dialects. Every actor in Korea knows the Seoul dialects in order to become an actor, it's not hard to learn since its basically Boston v. Texas drawls. Chinese dialects are can be unintelligible to others, it's not that easy to learn. Dubbing is requirement of the reality of Chinese language, not a preference.
Accents or no accents no bother moi... BUT, dubbed voices really bother us, just like old spaghetti westerns, but that was that genre. Too bad since we know Mandarin, would prefer watching a good drama with Chinese actors, but dubbing just kills the desire. Chinese who become actors are intelligent enough to learn their crafts, should be able to pick-up decent Mandarin too. There is absolutely no excuse to dub-over their voices with someone else. Ariel Lin had dubbed her own voice in LangLingWang, which was fine. Kdramas rule... and we stay away from Cdramas like the plague... being a bit dramatic here... (^^) Besides, if Jung YongHwa can learn to act again, then there is hope...
It's not different "accents", most of the dialects in China are unintelligible speech that is as different as Spanish is to French is to German.
Learning Mandarin when one speaks Wuhan or Cantonese or Fujianese is learning a brand new language. It's do-able but not the same ease as someone with a thick Southern Drawl learning to speak with a flat New England accent when the diction, grammar, and usage is the same common English language.
I first watched Janine Chang in several Taiwanese dramas where her own voice was used. When I first watched a Chinese drama with her voice dubbed, it was very jarring. I accept that that's the way the game is played, but I wish it weren't so, at least when I know the actual voice.
I want to add: her real voice is used in the State Farm commercials we see on TV in Southern California.
I have been so looking forward to this! my thoughts as I read the book is that it should be a drama with all the makjang. Off to watch the trailer now. Thank you for the link!
Is Wallace Chung is a Taiwanese actor like Janine Chang, rite? He is darn cool looking.
Wallace? He's from Hong Kong.
Just saw the 35mins trailer - I think I will give this show a miss after all. Some parts makes me squeal, most parts make me cringe. Sad :(
Gosh 曾许诺 and 长相思, where to begin? Both were immensely epic and grandeur in scale, I applaud Tong Da for her courage in attempting to chronicle such complex stories. 曾许诺 shred my heart to pieces and more, 长相思 kind of lost itself in the last book, but I love the heorine and all her jadedness. Is it true that the rights of both have been sold to production companies? I just cant imagine the casting of someone like 蚩尤 or 相柳, and not to mention the amount of CGI needed aka cringe worthy? But Tong Da's books do seem to be made for TV adaptations so...
Koala, I'd really like to hear your thoughts on the books and possible dramas...