So I’m all about second male leads and supporting actors getting their change to level up to the lead limelight and I guess it’s time for Ao Rui Peng. The issue is I don’t understand his appeal (yet) so forgive me for thinking Bai Lu is downgrading with him as her male lead in her next drama the xianxia series Moonlight Mystique. The drama has been filming for months and releasing BTS stills and it’s all so meh to me, from the gaudy costumes to lack of chemistry between the leads from what I can see. This is one of the C-dramas on deck for late 2024 and definitely can turn out to be good despite my initial impressions so I’ll keep one eye on it for now.
There was a Weibo rumor mill that says Bai Lu picked him (and Joseph Zeng) as her male lead because he looked like Dylan Wang, and was hoping to replicate the success of LBFAD. While this is likely not true, its kinda funny
Isnt Dylan already starred & second billed with Bailu in that recent boring modern drama of them?? Why need to catch LBFAD success when Till the End of the Moon of Bailu is far better. I think the hype over LBFAD was due to the fact it has no competition when it aired. After having seen it, wasnt that amazed, story is for children, and its good for one time watch only.
That drama with Dylan is sooooo badddd… I can’t even finish one episode. If Bai Lu continues with such poor productions, she will be phased out quickly. Yu Zheng can always groom new girls as long as they can successfully lose weight… wink wink 😉
Looks low budget. Bai Lu is downgrading… There are better actors unless they don’t want to work with her.
Lol. Most likely the billing thing. The quest for 1st billing might result in this pairing
She is downgrading big time. Instead of trying to get herself out of these idol dramas she is only staying with worse partners. I guess the longevity of her career is already known.
I beg to differ. Whilst she might downgrade in terms of male casting for the idol costume drama, she has started to do non-idol drama with Ordinary Greatness with Zhang Rui Yun in 2022 and the soon to be aired Northwards in 2024 (from celebrated literature work) with Ou Hao. So she is indeed venturing for non-idol dramas as well, with Ordinary Greatess having 8+ Douban Rating
Nahh, she might be downgrading for idol costume drama but she has been venturing into non-idol drama as well. With Ordinary Greatness having around 8.2 douban rating and the Northward which is a celebrated literature work. None of these two are idol dramas.
I wonder if Yu Zheng is really managing her well? He is great for her in the beginning… But he cannot seem to guide her to further stages well, I feel she is in a limbo stage, just going with the flow each day… I may be wrong here.
I can’t believe Bai Lu got him as next ml. Even other actors a bit underated like Bai Jingting, Zhang Binbin, Chen Xingxu or Ding Yuxi, one of them would be so much better with her.
Those actors are taking on first billed lead roles, so they won’t work with Bai Lu.
Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Bin Bin are not underated. They are already at first billed, unlikely to be a second billed for Bai Lu. Other two still accept second billed though.
What’s wrong with AO Rui Peng? He hasn’t had a break out through role yet, but he’s a decent actor. I have watched more of his dramas than Dylan Wang. I don’t get the appeal of Dylan Wang either. The only drama of Dylan I tried to watch was Miss Dragan but couldn’t finish.
I loved him in Blood of Youth, didn’t care for him in Wrong Carriage, Right Groom. It wasn’t that his or Tian Xi Wei’s acting was bad, far from it, it was more that the script was boring and their acting couldn’t elevate a bad script. So my conclusion is that he’s a good actor in the right roles and with the right script. I am excited for this production and to see Bai Lu in a costume drama again (my favorite genre for her). He looks very, very good in these stills and so does she.
People bashing Ao Ruipeng are morons
The guy is receiving hate Just because of Bai Lu
No other reason
Btw, fanwars due to billing is insane
Fans are the armies of their idols
There is something to do with The actors ego and sense of self-importance
He is actually a decent actors, he has not break out in a drama yet so he is not popular n his looks is not every cup of tea. I get why some audience will say he is a down grade of ML to bai lu but his acting is good compared to some popular actors.
Wow, that’s a lot of white pancake filter makeup on Au Ru Peng, whom I enjoyed watching A Female Student in the Imperial College and the modern drama that had the FL lead that had a fainting/sleeping disorder that needed a KISS to wake her up (sorry, the title escapes me right now before coffee).
Arghhhhh, THAT is a lot of “that”s in the last sentence, so sorry! I plead guilty of writing a post before coffee. We need an edit button, Koala!!!
Those costumes do look terrible. Especially that yellow tinged wig. Hope it translates better on camera.
He does look a little like Dylan Wang. Like a cheap imitation, based on these stills. But I haven’t watched him in anything, so maybe he looks better on screen and/or has charisma (honestly, I think DW’s looks benefit a lot from his general aura/charisma).
Id rather say Dylan is the half blood prince Western version of Asian native Ao Ruipeng. If you worship the Western standard, it’s already given your cup of tea is Dylan Wang, just like all those in Hollywood blvd. But Dylan is not an exceptional actor either, when was the last time you finish his drama, is that the high budgetted xianxia LBFAD?? But given average drama prodn, he goes in average mode & pacing too.
I’ve only seen Ao Ruipeng in Blood of Youth, where he plays a very simple minded sunshine boy kind of character. I have a hard time imagining him in a more mature role, but will try to keep an open mind. The costumes do look a bit underwhelming though…
Ao Rui Peng made me a fan in the drama, “love is written in the stars.” terrible drama, btw, but the leads’ chemistry was fiyah and relatively entertaining. he did great as the ML there. these other dramas really do him dirty with the way he’s styled. he’s much better looking when he’s clean-cut instead of all these wispy wigs and blonde hair bleh.
i am firmly in the “bailu can’t act” camp, so i don’t see it as a downgrade at all. and i never feel the chemistry that people claim she has with her MLs, so even if they don’t have it in here…that’s attributable to a lot of different reasons.
I’ve only seen ARP in Blood of Youth and even then I dropped this drama. From what I’ve seen, his acting is not bad, but he’s not my type of ML lookwise that I would fawn over.
Why do you all think that Bai lu is downgrading? May be it’s a deliberate decision to shine as solo dominant female actress just like Knight Flower or Marry my Husband. Though I would be delighted to see Ryang Cheng with Bai Lu instead of Ao Rupeng. Personally I think Zhang Linghe is also not at her status.
Zhang Linghe
Ryan Cheng