C-drama Zhao Zi Long with Yoona and Lin Geng Xin Starts Filming and More Pretty Faces Join the Cast

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• She doesn't suit the ancient look. She's probably going to receive tons of backlash from C-netz. I don't know what the production company is thinking. Her character and Kim Jung-hoon's are both made-up. She is described as a girl of extraordinary beauty with a cheerful personality who falls in love with Zhao only to discover that he murdered her father. And Kim Jung-hoon makes up the other side of the love triangle. Wow. It's like they decided to add makjang into a historical drama. They're banking on her popularity with the youths, but can't cast Koreans in historically Chinese characters because viewers don't like that. So, they added a ridiculous plotline. The thing is, they don't even need to do that when they have Lin Geng Xin, Li Yi Feng plus all the others in the cast. That's enough attraction for the youngsters already.

  • The ironic thing is that as far as I know casting Korean actors in Chinese dramas doesn't work all that consistently as a ratings ploy. The most successful Korean actress in Cdramas is Choo Ja Hyun and I don't think your average Chinese viewer could pick her out of a lineup.

    • That's why, I don't even know why they do it.

    • This. Yoona is marketed as this goddess of beauty in the Kpop world. However, despite the xenophobic/racist comments of K-netizens regarding the "Chinese Look" there are many Chinese actresses that many would consider prettier than Yoona.

      I don't understand why her people would agree to this casting, when it will only burst her bubble and diminish the carefully staged persona/allure they created for her.

      She will not help with the homeland ratings, and I doubt she will help that much with the international sales, if that is what they are going after. There is so much fail with this, I really can't understand the thought process of all involved.

    • I doubt one of the chinese actresses that could've been playing yoona's character will bring in as much an international viewers as yoona will. Regardless of whether she will be bashed or not by the citizens of China, the halyu wave is dominating the international business of entertainment not Chinese entertainment. And we all know that in the Korean business, through stats and through sales, SNSD rock the Halyu wave. LOve yOOna!! >3<

  • @butwhy

    I would guess because they are hoping to break into China more and are using Yoona to do it. This also prevents her from having another ratings bomb in Korea while still expanding her acting career. Even if this flops her online fandom will keep her in the search rankings and the online views will probably be decent enough to media play. See Nichkhun's Chinese drama. She doesn't really lose much for trying.

    • @Sasha, this site is probably one of the few places where one can have a rational discussion or contrary opinion about someone from SM/SNSD without having a thousands arrows shot at them.

  • She suits ancient look to perfection. You are just butthurt Korean actress is lead in high budget Chinese drama. Get over it.

    And after Michelle Chen mess in Condor Heroes , Yoona seems like a goddess of beauty in comparison.

    • Apparently, most don't share your opinion. And I'm not butthurt, cause obviously I'm not going to act in it. Otherwise, I don't see why I need to be upset that a Korean star is starring in a high budget drama. I'm not going to respond to the last bit since I guess you are a fan.

    • Everyone's just stating their opinion, if anything you're the one that sounds a bit upset over the responses. It's possible to be objective about someone without being "butthurt" or "pressed" given that most of the people here don't have a personal investment in the drama or Yoona.

      I think Yoona is rather pretty in modern clothing, but she doesn't suit the period style. It's not an attack on her, it's completely normal to have some styles that are less flattering than others. In her case, I think the pinned back hair and flowing robes makes her look a bit like a gangly teenager, which doesn't quite fit the role of an ancient beauty.

    • Even as a Yoona fan, I admit she doesn't fit it as well as the looks of people like Liu Yi Fei or Sun Li.
      Michelle had so much back lash from C-netizens for being cast as Xiao Long Nu so that isn't a far comparison.

• with the increasing present of foreign artists in TV shows and dramas, i wonder whether would ban this practice soon

  • Miss Koala, help me out here, but isn't there already a rule that at least one of the main leads in every Chinese drama has to be from the mainland?

• From the photos above, not a whole lot about Yoona in a period costume seems to stand out (other than the fact the costume is yellow). She just doesn't have the sort of features that is a seamless fit with a period piece look. This is not a commentary on her attractiveness; I just feel her look is better suited to modern dramas/movies. The disconnect may also be coming from the fact that I primarily know her from her SNSD, so it is hard to get that idol image/look out of my mind when I see her. That can be a downside in casting an idol.

• Godfrey Gao...heyyy

  I thought Yoona was playing Diao Chan and was concered about tye backlash but good to see she isn't...though those outfits don't really suit her

• The only reason I would even consider watching this is because godfrey gao and lin geng xin are in it. I never noticed how tiny she is and how tiny her face is, wow. They should have just stuck to a mainland chinese actress. Lin geng xin is so cute, he needs a good leading lady...idk abt him and yoona.

• Oh, it'll be interesting to see Godfrey Gao. Sigh, still waiting for Remembering Lichuan to air but at this point I sorta gave up hope of it ever reaching the audiences.

• Yoona looks so weird in ancient costumes... I never really like it when they cast other ethnicities for a Chinese character... Male or female I just don't like it.. At least she's not playing a historic character..

• It seems like I'm the only one who thinks Yoona has that ancient beauty. :/ I'm not a huge fan of hers, but I think she looks spectacular.

• Definitely not a good look on her. I think it shows how much the beauty standards vary between different countries and different time periods. When I first started watching Korean dramas (around SNSD debut time) I really could not understand media's obsession with her face. From my perspective (caucasian, influenced by Western media) she was below average in terms of looks(tiny egg-shaped head, no jawline,Dumbo ears). After becoming familiar with Asian/Korean beauty standards I started to 'get it'. I still don't think she is drop dead gorgeous, but I do find her quite pretty. But that 'modern look' still does not look good in period clothing.
  I've notices it before, but Korean actresses with more traditional looks, such as Moon Chae Won, look much better when wearing Hanbok. Same with Chinese historical costumes. Yoona's tiny oval face just does not look good with this hairstyle.

  • I'm Asian, but I never got Yoona and still don't. I'm not even influenced by Western media much. I personally think the whole thing has got more to do with the bandwagon effect. If people say she's pretty, you'll think she's pretty. So many Korean stars are so hyped up. I get that "beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder", but I think that there's always a sort of beauty that appeals to the masses. Watching Korean dramas and reading people's responses always make me feel like I'm always part of a super small minority.

    As for the thing about traditional looks and so. I think it differs from case to case. There's definitely a modern look, but there are also people you think are very modern in aura that look surprising good in traditional costumes. When I was young, Park Si-yeon acted in a Chinese drama and I thought she was really pretty. And Kim Hee-sun looked good in The Myth, but only in the tomb. Like, specifically in the tomb. (I think I didn't appreciate the hanbok at all last time.) Then again, maybe KHS's looks are considered traditional (she and MCW are lookalikes after all).

    • Re: traditional vs modern features, I think that small, delicate features are what make the difference. To me, Park Si Yeon (obvious PS aside) looks more traditional compared to, say, Kim Tae Hee or Song Hye Kyo for this very reason.

    • I'm asian too and i never get also the obsession for her beauty. When I watched Love Rain at home my three sisters also said that the lead actress is ugly..

    • I never knew what the obsession over her was about and putting her on a goddess level? If I can make a list, she's not someone I would even consider. Then again, I'm thankful that I don't follow the masses. Will definitely be skipping this one.

    • For me, it's her personality, that's why I find her so beautiful.

• She's a tad too skinny to fill the period costume in and i can't even imagine the abomination the dubbing will be....

  • Agreed. It's awful enough when you know that the person being dubbed is actually speaking Mandarin but with Cantonese/Korean/whatever the cringe factor reaches another level entirely.