Song Zu Er Confirmed for Tencent Period C-drama The Palace Stewardess and the Male Lead is Between Xu Kai and Zhang Wan Yi
A new period politics and romance C-drama is being prepped and cast for Tencent and it’s going to be a big project custom fit for female lead Song Zu Er. Tencent is super into her comeback and this will be the big budget drama to really cement her return to the top of her rung of Flowers. The drama is titled The Palace Stewardess (Chinese title 司宫令 Si Gong Ling) and is adapted from the same name novel. Tencent is deciding between Xu Kai and Zhang Wan Yi as the male lead so the recent tumors of either being the male lead are valid because both are in consideration. I think Zhang Wan Yi is a stronger actor but all his recent period dramas regardless of good reviews or not have not been hits while Xu Kai is so easy for me to watch onscreen I love his visuals and more relaxed aura. I’m good with either male lead but feel like casting one or the other will drastically change the whole vibe of the CP onscreen because they are sooooo different.
Indeed. They are so different, the drama will be totally different. I like them both well enough though, as you say, Zhang Wanyi is the better actor.
While I perfer Zhang Wanyi and obviously he’s the better actor. I can’t help but think he walks off one drama set to the next. He looks identical in every drama. They really need to switch his look up.
He’s not a bad actor. But because he keeps looking the same and play similar characters, he feels BORING.
Based on the premise, let it be Zhang Wan Yi! Although I, personally, want him to step into different roles from the ones he’s been playing, this type of story seems tailor made for him. And him and SZE should be able to clock some chemistry. If he doesn’t end up casted, I don’t know if it’s him or his company, but they should have him try a little more action and movement. He’s just always the prince of intrigue in a palace. When he had a liiiiittle more of the fighting background in “Lost You Forever”, he was more interesting as a character. All his productions/scripts make him so clean, poised, and… boring lol… when he’s actually pretty good at acting.
They can give different effect, one has some catchy aura on screen and the other seems to act in an applied manner. However, the pair is not so important if the script of the drama is not interesting imo.
AsOne glasses and her looks is different, not big change just different. As for male cast, one is famous for his looks, the other better acting skills. I hope the one who has the better chemistry with Song Zuer is chosen.
I bet it will be zhang wan yi because I could not imagine xu Kai and her pairing. I would be surprised if they did but zwy seems better suited and choice for her for some reason. Unless it is a coveted project? 🤷🏻♀️🙃
Xu Kai has been confirmed for a male-centric S+ that had an script controversies a few months ago. So i think it won’t be him.
I think Xu Kai fits better if romance is involved. Xu Kai’s not the best in acting but he’s serviceable enough, and he generally has more chemistry with his female leads. Based on the novel synopsis however, it sounds a little similar to Royal Feast but in Song dynasty instead of Ming dynasty.
I agree on this. Xu Kai has that dreamy aura in costume but I’m not familiar with the premise of the story/drama so I don’t know how to weigh it. SZE seems to have good rapport with her costars so far and her and XK have an acceptable age gap (very ideal imo).. but Cent casting isn’t done unless they’re filming, I guess.
I didn’t read the novel but it is from the same author as the novel of Serenade of Peaceful Joy, this author seems to have a penchant for Song dynasty. But whether this production will be similar to Serenade of Peaceful Joy or not depends on whether it will be produced by the same production team.
ZWY’s acting is much more intense, he’s got passion that I think a lot of young actors are lacking. XK is fine but I really prefer ZWY, I think he’d match SZE’s energy and talent.
THIS is a password for reading comments. LOL.
I don’t get that if an actor is boring on screen, how can he be considered a good actor? We watch drama to not feel bored anyway. LOL
I prefer XK as the ML. Again for costume romance drama, visuals weigh a lot to pique viewers’ interest. ZWY is simply lacking in that department. Some actors should not step into idol dramas as leading figures in the cast for idol romance. They look awkward and funny. Hard to root for their “chemistry” with FLs if there is any. LOL.
Mark Chao is for instance a very boring actor imo…I was bored to death in ‘Eternal Love’ and he’s still considered a great actor. I’m not saying he’s bad, his acting just doesn’t appeal me I guess.
Ive to agree with you. Esp with his lead character in there! He was a lot better with mature and introvert Shifu character in my opinion…
Mark Chao was a terrible Ye Hua. He also bored me to death and I actually don’t think his visuals fit the character description nor did his acting do it any justice.
@panda-eyes, hahaha. Finally someone dared to call out Mark Chao. I read ten-miles of peach blossom novel before giving a shot to watch the drama adaptation. But heck MC’s visuals turned me off instantly. There was a HUGE disconnect between his looks/styles and hero’s ethereal beauty (yes beauty). PS surgical acting my as$. LOL. MC might be great as a modern cop. But taking him as Ye Hua? Are you kidding me? lol.
You have the same opinion as cnetizens who want him to stop acting in idol dramas and go for only serious one. They said his that his face is too strict for romance.
Oh really? Ok, so that just proves to be a common sense then. I haven’t got on C social media for a long long while cuz nothing to dig but trashy gossip.
I hope neither…some better suited to SZE. Someone not pretty, but more rugged to contrast.
I tried to search characteristics of male lead but couldnt find anything.So lazy to read into novel too so I cant decide who I want as her lead. I loved this author’s painful “The Lonely City Closed” novel before but I think this one would be a lot more lighter in tone at least…
IF ZWY is going to play stiff face emotions again I hope he wont be the one BUT I also dont want any other usual playful banter character XK plays. lol I wish there was another option.
Also I hope SZE can stop losing more weight. I just saw her recent filming photos for another serie her arms & legs were as thin as ZLS were before things got real.
I like both but Xu Kai please for this one~ He needs a new big break and seems (or his agency seems) to be sloppy in choosing dramas. I’m guessing Song Zu’er has a better knack for selecting scripts. ZWY will be fine without this project. Xu Kai and SZE together might create onscreen magic more than the sum of them together 🥰
Finally, SOng Zuer keeps on getting projects, she deserves it after what she been through.