I’m way addicted to the currently airing C-drama My Sunshine based on the Gu Man novel Silent Separation (He Yi Sheng Xiao Mo 何以笙箫默), one of those rare beasts where is the drama is good as the novel. That’s saying a lot even though I have to qualify that both are merely okay as far as storytelling quality, but producing a consistent okay yet satisfying output is no easy feat. Even better is the director acknowledging all the flaws with the story and the adaptation – the drama is too bloated with supporting character stories but sticking with just the OTP of Mo Sheng and Yi Chen would be done in six episode, and the romance is devoid of any real obstacles once the major misunderstanding is overcome early on but the story’s satisfaction is of watching two people who really love each other making it work finally.
Another funny bit is the director double filming the critical college era romance, without which the entire adult romance and reunion would fall flat because no one would give a fug whether those two love idiots get back together. With the cutest sweetest college era romance I’ve watched in ages, the audience is madly rooting for the grown ups to fix their youthful follies. The director initially cast youngsters Wu Qian to play Mo Sheng and Luo Yun Xi as Yi Chen and filmed the entire portion only to nix the idea and had adult leads Wallace Chung and Tang Yan also play their own college counterparts. When it came time to air the drama, the director when went back to the teenage leads cut which turned out fantastic, but now the director has revealed he’s planning to repackage the drama into a 90-minute cut and in that version he’ll use the Wallace-Tang Tang college version. That’s like getting two different versions of the same tasty cake! YUMMY!
I think it’ll be fun to watch the condensed cut and compare which college era version worked better. Youngsters Wu Qian and Luo Yun Xi were absolutely perfect but the audience really needed a major suspension of disbelief that in 7 short years they would grow up into Wallace and Tang Tang, LOL. I loved their adorable chemistry and Wu Qian is basically a young Yang Mi in terms of having the ability to sell the aegyo without ever once coming across as syrupy or fake. Not to say Luo Yun Xi didn’t do a solid job as Yi Chen but he’s required to be mostly facially paralyzed since Yi Chen rarely ever twitches and emotion, in that respect he also delivered spot on.
I have also been enjoying Wallace as adult Yi Chen, less so Tang Tang but mostly because adult Mo Sheng had all her college personality sucked out of her for the early half of the drama. It makes me want to watch them act out their own college era romance and make the two segments transition even more seamlessly. I’m super pleased with the director’s decision to keep milking this cow since there are lots of fans clamoring to watch the already filmed footage of the adult leads in their college romance. Checking out the two version stills above and below, any preferences from other folks also watching My Sunshine?
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Wow thats cute im pumpe for this
I am also following the drama daily and I really like it. I read the novel after reading 'Shan Shan Lai Chi' right before 'Boss & Me' aired back in July last year.
I think this production company is very good at remaking Gu Man's novels into dramas, reproducing the classic scenes in live action. They also seem to make good casting choices, especially for the male leads (Wallace and Hans).
I was really glad when I found out about the drama adaptation and was surprised it managed to hit the airwaves so quickly.
I like the young actors' version of the college romance but I am also looking forward to Wallace and Tang Yan's version the college scenes. Because they played the adult version, there might be more consistency in character if when they play college scenes. I'm glad that the director did not scrap those scenes and decided to make a 90-minute video of it. Can't wait to watch it!
Tang Tang should just stick with wuxia and ancient dramas. She looks so unhealthily skinny in modern outfit. And seriously not good with silent acting. She's watchable when she acts cute or crying a la perfect couple. Only WC rocks in whole drama. I hate they made Yi Mei and Ying Hui such obsessed characters but it's nice to have Xiao Xiao and Xiao Hong.
Yaaaaassssssss, My Sunshine!! <3 BTW, where are people watching this because there are different cuts on different sites.
I love the youngsters version a lot. They are really cute. But maybe the adults can make it work too.
Please tell me where people are watching this with English subs. I've been so desperate that I am reading recaps just to see screenshots of Wallace.
Hana and Hye Sung are subbing it on http://koreandramaonair2014.blogspot.com. They are up to ep 9.
This is such good news. Thanks for sharing ockoala.
Thank you so much!!! I am in heaven now.
Thanks for this news, Ms. Koala. I liked the young actors playing the youngsters but would be keen to watch the Wallace & Tang Yan's cuts too. I have been staying up late every night the past fortnight to watch two episodes at a time - the drama is strangely addictive despite the meandering plot and ever repeating flashbacks. I always wondered how they were going to find enough material from the novel to fill 35 episodes and now I know. :-)
I actually loved the younger versions of Mosheng & Yichen. I think getting two different and younger actor and actress to play the parts gives it a much more truthful college youth feeling, and I'm glad the director chose to keep the younger versions. I'm rather skeptical about the adults acting way younger than they look, I don't hunk they can pull off the same youthful feeling. I absolutely adore the young Yichen, and just thinking about WC playing a college student makes me cringe! Hahah... And the young Mosheng is so deliciously bubbly and bright, makes me want to just slap awake the soooo dull and gloomy adult Mosheng for the first half of the drama!!!! I also liked the new addition of Xiao Xiao and Yuan feng, I find them hilarious and entertaining. Their story can totally b a rom-com on its own, bickering their way into love! How adorable :) oh, and I hate how Ying Hui has been turned into a sleazy businessman! He totally does NOT fit the image of a self-made techie billionaire from Silicon Valley, he's way too banker-looking and beefy.... Most nerdy techies are quite skinny (see Mark Z, Larry Page, Steve Jobs). Haha
I love love the younger actors who play mo sheng and yi chen but i wouldn't object to watch the version of WC and tang tang. this drama is really nice to watch. not so heavy but i love the feeling it delivers. too bad the eng subs is a little slow for this and although i studied chinese for 2 years i can't understand what they are saying so i'm waiting for the subs. i'm still on the first episodes but loving it.
I found it recapped in English if you want to read ahead~
yeap i know but i still prefer to watch the episodes subbed :) that's ok though, i still have shan shan last episodes to finish and k-dramas to pass the time till the subs are up so i don't have a problem to wait.
Ms Koala,
Is there any news when we will see the 90min boardcast of the Wallance and Tang Yan version?