There has been so much Chinese and Korean entertainment product exchanges in the last few years alone I’m starting to feel like both sides of the border deal with the same issues whether successes or failures. Chinese fans love a breakout success story and the nation’s “insert role here” moniker as much as their Korean counterparts. The last few months has seen Park Bo Gum sorta become Korea’s new favorite little brother thanks to Answer Me 1988, and at the same time young Chinese actor Wu Lei has officially been crowned Nation’s Little Brother in China thanks to Nirvana in Fire.
That drama was actually filmed two years ago when he was just 15, and today he’s 17 years old and looks way more grown up. Fans noticed that he was the teenage version of male lead Yang Guo in the most recent Return of the Condor Heroes adaptation, with the universally panned miscasting of Michelle Chen as Xiaolongnu. Last week fans spliced together new pictures of Wu Lei in period costume opposite Crystal Liu in her version of Xiaolongnu in RoTC and the result is universal clamoring for this ideal from the novel description of GuGu and Guo Er. I’m so tossing my hat in the ring as well, 17 year old Wu Lei is totally early novel Guo Er and Crystal remains the perfect Xiaolongnu.
I remember this kid. The childrens section at the start of ROCH 2015 really had my heart, i was so sad when they went away. He reminds me of young Jimmy Lin, down to the mischievous smirk.
I’ll throw my hat in with you.
I love Wu Lei! He’s a cutie with great talent. I’ve seen some of his dramas from when he was just a little kid, and he was really born to act. I can’t wait to see more of this 小鲜肉.
He’s adorable.
I’m with you on this Ms Koala!!! I adored Wu Lei as Fei Liu and never did watch the 2014 Return of the Condor Heroes (because Michelle Chen was in it) but I may have to just for his portion.
The pairing would be another miscast. Wu Lei would be too young to portray Yang Guo from all perspectives. He’s still a child actor in terms of acting dimension and aura. Yang Guo in the novel is too complicated a character for Wu to portray. I don’t see in any of Wu’s dramas that he has caliber of that level yet. Wait a few years.
I have not seen Wu Lei in anything and Yang Guo is indeed a complicated character (oh you poor thing, I love him still though) but maybe he can play the early segments Xiao Long Nu and then they may age him due to his sufferings (trying to stay away from spoilers here, man that novel is dark) and another actor may play Yang Guo post a certain event.
Crystal in the photos look very much Xiao Long Nu of my imagination though. She is older than Yang Guo anyway and it is understandable that she did not age as much as he did in the passing years (internal energy, environment etc.)
I love these novels, and I used to like Guo Jing best (despite his shortcomings since he is such a good guy) but now I’m totally in the second novel and team Yang Guo.
One thing stayed the same though, I never liked Huang Rong.
huang xiao ming is still the perfect yang guo though