This is such great timing for C-actor Chen Xiao to debut a completely different fashion look right after a huge ratings hit. Immensely popular period C-drama Nothing Gold Can Stay (那年花开月正圆 That Year the Flowers Bloom and the Moon was Full) finished airing two weeks ago with an ending that frustrated viewers as much as the entire drama run was beloved by audiences. Female lead Sun Li only again cements her status as the period C-drama queen, even a step ahead of Fan Bing Bing in that medium, and this time she got to work with two well-match male leads with Peter Ho in the first quarter and Chen Xiao for the majority of the drama. Chen Xiao’s male lead Shen Xing Yi was the type of rascal turned patriotic hero with a one track romantic devotion that made all hearts melt and adds to his image of playing supremely swoony male leads. I loved his performance and character, and love even more this new smexy well-groomed facial hair look that he’s debut recently at various events and pictorials. He looks like a young Cha Seung Won, changing up his look an edgy and successful way.
“Rascal turned patriotic hero”….hmmm….sound a lot like Bidam of QSD (except that he turned into a traitor in the end).
I always love Sun Li. Have not checked “Nothing Gold Can Stay” yet. And yes, Chen Xiao looks like little Cha Seung Won.
The ending to NGCS was kinda disappointing, especially the story was picking up pace towards the end. And then, the writer had to go down that road! Ugh! But the show really did drag quite a bit here and there. But overall, Sun Li was truly stellar in the show! I watched it, just for her and loved it that the show does not dub over the casts’ original voices. But I found Myolie Wu a waste in here, sticking out like a sore thumb. And Niki Chow too. Pity
OMG. He is so swoon worthy. And for whatever reason, I’m getting Leslie cheung vibes here with this look!
Not wrong there…Leslie Cheung. My all time idol…
I usually don’t like facial hair like that but it is really sexy on Chan. Swoonily hot!
He kinda looks like Byun Yo Han, except even hotter.
I was so bummed that they did not license Nothing Gold Can Stay
Daaaayyuuuuummm! Love the look!
If you haven’t watched Nothing Gold Can Stay, drop everything and watch it now. First, this is an extremely well-written and executed show with excellent cinematography. There are some beautiful shots tug at the heart and you can’t forget. I never saw anything with Peter Ho, Chen Xiao, or Zhong Ren (he plays another big character in the show) before but I’ve become a big fan of all three. This is a show where intelligent adults can relate. There are no stupid misunderstanding. Everyone behaves rationally and communicate with one another clearly. Besides the romance, this show also touches on some political and social issues: poverty, economic development, government corruption, social change…etc.
Since this post is about Chen Xiao I will also say that I checked out some of his other dramas that predate NGCS. His actor in this show is leaps and bounds more nuanced than his previous work. I really hope he gets more quality work in the future.
As an aside, I notice that Chinese dramas are very female-centric, versus Korean dramas and that’s really refreshing.
… would you happen to know where i can watch it with eng subs? I’ve been looking but haven’t found anything. this drama has been on my watchlist, but how can i watch it when i can’t find it you know. thanks in advance :]
Oh yeah, I forgot that C-dramas don’t get subbed like K-dramas. Dramafever has been subbing a lot of popular Chinese dramas. They may do this soon. If you can read Vietnamese like I do, check out bilutv.com.
You can watch it subbed on Amazon Prime if you are a member.
This. NGCS is one of those really rare good c-dramas, though the ending leaves much to be desired. But that’s partly due to SARFT forcing dramas to adhere to actual history. And I still can’t get over Peter Ho’s character in the drama, that’s the exact kind of qualities I’m looking for in my future husband. Plus, I don’t know if anyone feels the same as me, Peter Ho and Cha Tae Hyun look kind of similar to each other.
SPOILER WARNING:
It’s not a happily ever after ending, but the ending makes you think about a lot of things. In the beginning, Zhou Ying was merely a servant but she could not love Shen Xing Yi because she did not respect him. He was basically a good-for-nothing son of a rich family who coasted through life on his older brother’s coat-tail. After Zhou Ying tied him up and yelled at him that he could never be as good as Wu Ping, he changed. She was the reason he became a better person. Because he lived more conscientiously, he became aware of the shady business partnership that his dad struck with Du Ming Li and through that he became painfully aware of the injustice, corruption, and oppression that every day people faced. Over time, as he lost his business to Du Ming Li, as he witnessed Zhou Ying’s factory stolen from her, and he saw his father abused by corrupt government officials, when he nearly lost his life…he had to be the power of change and thus he became a revolutionary. The irony is when Shen Xing Yi became the person that Zhou Ying admired, respected, and loved…he was no longer in a place that they could be together. I remember the scene when Xing Yi had rescued Zhou Ying after she was throw in the river and he begged her to not return to to Wu Ping’s family, he asked her if she was not scared they’d kill her again. She said, yes, I’m scared but I’m more scared to live a life in fear. When I rewatched this scene, I realize that Zhou Ying really touched Xing Yi in a way that neither of them realized at the moment. Chen Xiao’s expression is so on point. Xing Yi said early in the show that one day he would make Zhou Ying want to be married to him and he did just that, not through force or money that came from his family’s position, but through his very own effort he won her heart. Another interesting thing is for me, at the very beginning, I didn’t feel that Xing Yi loved Zhou Ying (when he wanted to marry her while she was still his servant). He just wanted to have her and when he couldn’t have her it became an obsession to get her and through that obsession, as he witnessed her trials and tribulations, he came to respect her, admire her, then finally truly love her. Anyway, I have to stop ranting.
Really love Chen Xiao in NGCS, he is very attractive and easy on eyes. Good actor too.
Nice change, he was too baby faced before. Now he looks like a MAN.
The last photo , isn’t he look like Leslie Chung?
Nah, Leslie is too good looking. This guy looks greasy.
There have been so many brilliant dramas in the last 3 years NGCS is my favorite. The 2 leads ACTED like their lives depended on it. They were so real I was screaming at the screen, loudly. It was an emotional roller coaster. There were also soul shaking lessons. Forgive each other was the strongest. Usually I watch a drama, I forget the drama. This drama like SKKS and GQS I will remember through out my life.
I loved NGCS. It relates to the poem by Robert Frost with the same name. Wish more features of this type would be made available on Amazon or Netflix.