Now that the men of Bu Bu Jing Qing (the sorta sequel to the time-traveling Qing dynasty drama Bu Bu Jing Xin) have been revealed to the world, it’s time for the ladies of the drama to be unveiled. I thought the cast of ladies in BBJX did a fantastic job all-around and were memorable in their own ways, even if heroine Ruo Xi was the undisputed lead of the drama. Annie Liu as Ruo Lan was heartbreaking in her refusal to accept 8th Prince, Shi Xiao Qun was glorious as the regal and loyal Ming Hui, Liu Yu Xin was both exasperating and endearing as the spoiled Ming Yu, Guo Zhen Ni was pitiable as the sacrificing Lu Wu, Guo Xiao Ting was adorable as Princess Min Min, and Ye Qin was tragic as Yu Tan. Each of those ladies loved a Prince and most got their hearts broken by fate or their own doing, but we all got the sense that they believed their love and sacrifice was worth it in the end. BBJX did a fantastic job of making those secondary female leads feel three-dimensional and important to the story even if they didn’t get a lot of screen time. I credit that to Tong Hua’s writing, so when it comes to BBJQ which isn’t based on a Tong Hua novel nor did she write the screenplay, I’m unsure how well the female characters will be written.

Only three of the BBJX ladies are returning for BBJX – Shi Shi, Annie Liu, and Ye Qin, which is a better hit rate than for the men since only two of the princes are returning – Nicky Wu and Ye Zhu Xin, though if you count Daddy Emperor Damian Lau then its three as well. Above is the first look at the five female leads, and joining Shi Shi, Annie, and Ye Qing are singer-songwriter Yico Tseng (she’s the one with the androgynous look) and newbie actress Cai Jiao (who has already worked with Tangren before as she played Mu Da Duo in the Da Mo Yao drama adaptation). It’s funny how the four supporting actresses totally outshine Shi Shi in the official poster. I still contend poor Shi Shi looks wan and waxy through no fault of her own and a lot of terrible photoshop plus an unfortunate hairstyle. Another reason I wanted the entire BBJX cast to return was for the modern version to also have some happy endings for the ladies – perhaps modern 8th Prince could make it work with Ruo Lan, 13th Prince and Lu Wu can be a carefree couple, and 9th Prince and Yu Tan might have a less depressing ending than both dead before they even experience a lick of happiness. Sadly that satisfaction wil just have to come through fanfiction. Continue reading →