Love in the Rain (Yan Yu Meng Meng)

Yan Yu Meng Meng (1986)
(translated as "Love In The Rain")

CAST (Names follow standard Mandarin pronunciation):

Liu Xue Hua - as - Lu Yi Ping
Chin Han - as - Heh Shu Huan
Zhao Yong Hsing - as - Lu Ru Ping
Gou Feng - as - Lu Zhen Hua
Gu Yin - as - Wang Xue Chin (Ru Ping's mom)
Zeng Ya Jun - as - Fu Wen Pei (Yi Ping's mom)
Li Tian Zhu - as - Lu Er Hao
Zhou Lin Lin - as - Lu Meng Ping
Wen Jie - as - Fang Yu
Zhu Hui Zhen - as - Li Keh Yun
Fan Hong Xuan - as - Li Zhen De (assistant to Lu)
Ma Hui Zhen - as - Li's wife
Wen Guo Hua - as - Lu Er Jie (the little son of Lu)
Li Guo Chao - as - Xiao Ji

This is Chiungyao's (QY) first TV adaptation of her well-known novel "Yan Yu Meng Meng". Produced in 1986 in Chiungyao's hometown of Taiwan, the TV serial's background follows that of the original novel - 1960's Taiwan, and the series has an entirely Taiwanese cast. The director Liu Li Li is a veteran of Chiungyao's shows throughout the 70's and 80's. This series is an excellent production with a superb cast, a well-structured script, a directing style that fits QY's stories well, and a set of unforgettable songs that closely supports the story's themes.

If you like the original novel, you would love this series. The book is written in first-person with Yi Ping as the story-teller. The series follows the same theme of the novel and closely follows the storyline of the novel, too, except that QY added the Li's family, the relationships among Er Hao, Fang Yu and Keh Yun to the picture. Chiungyao also changed the ending of the story to a happier one though it is still in the shadow of a tragedy.

The story's theme is on love, hatred, and revenge, unlike that in the 2000 production "Qing Shen Shen Yu Meng Meng" (QSSYMM). Yi Ping lives with her mom Wen Pei in a shabby house in Taipei, whereas Yi Ping's father, a once powerful and famous general in Northeastern China, lives lavishly down the road with his other wife Xue Chin and four of their children - Er Hao, Ru Ping, Meng Ping, and Er Jie, in a huge mansion which Yi Ping calls "that side". Wen Pei and Yi Ping used to live with the Lu's but Xue Chin tricked them out of the house.

Yi Ping comes to "that side" to get allowance from her father regularly. One night, Yi Ping is in desparate need to get money from "that side" in order to pay her rent. Out of frustration, poverty, and anger toward Zhen Hua (her father) and Xue Chin, she gets into a huge quarrel with both, and is whipped by Zhen Hua as other members of the family are watching without attempting to stop Zhen Hua's actions. At the end, Zhen Hua gives Yi Ping the allowance but she throws it right back to him and vows to revenge.

The conflict furthers when Heh Shu Huan comes into the picture. Ru Ping secretly falls in love with Shu Huan. Yi Ping gets to know Shu Huan and the two fall in love. Ru Ping gradually accepts it but got caught in the hopeless love for Shu Huan, despite the fact that another guy is very interested in her.

One day, Shu Huan reads Yi Ping's diary about her initial intention in getting closer to Shu Huan - it was to take Ru Ping's guy and out of revenge toward the Lu family. Outraged and hurt, Shu Huan turns back to Ru Ping. The two is quickly engaged with a push from Xue Chin, who likes Shu Huan's prestigious family background. On engagement day, Yi Ping is humiliated by Er Hao, Meng Ping, and Xue Chin. The heartbroken Yi Ping runs out of the Lu's house in pouring rain. Shu Huan finally realizes Yi Ping's true love and calls off the engagement with Ru Ping.

Er Hao's entanglement with Ke Yun is a side story of the series. Assisant General Li was once a subordinate of Lu Zhen Hua, and lived with the Lu's for a number of years. Ke Yun got pregnant with Er Hao's baby. Xue Chin does not want Er Hao to marry Keh Yun, so she gets the Li's out of the Lu's house without Zhen Hua's knowing. Several years later, Ke Yun's baby dies and she becomes crazy. When Yi Ping finally meets childhood friend Ke Yun, the latter has lost memory of her past except the death of her baby. After Er Hao meets Ke Yun again years later, he has fallen in love with Fang Yu, who is Yi Ping's best friend. From then on Er Hao and Yi Ping's animosity deepens as Yi Ping attempts to prevent Fang Yu from becoming another Keh Yun. Yi Ping always views Er Hao as an irresponsible playboy, despite his true love for Fang Yu.

Meng Ping hangs out with some young male friends and is raped while she is drunken. She is later pregnant and unsure of who the dad of the child is. Yi Ping foresees Meng Ping's trouble while Meng Ping is drunk with her friends, but is unwilling to let Shu Huan help her. Yi Ping and Shu Huan have a huge quarrel after Meng Ping discovers that she is pregnant as Shu Huan blames Yi Ping for preventing him to help. Xue Chin forces Meng Ping to abort the baby and Meng Ping loses her ability to have babies as a result of it. Fortunately, QY adds in a new character for Meng Ping - her boyfriend Xiao Ji, who is willing to stay with her after her tragedy.

The war between Yi Ping and the Lu's (Xue Chin, Er Hao, and Meng Ping) finally outbreaks when Yi Ping finds out about Xue Chin's secret lover and that Er Jie is actually the son of Xue Chin and her lover. Yi Ping reveals Xue Chin's secret to Zhen Huan during a quarrel with Xue Chin. The outraged Zhen Hua locks up Xue Chin and Er Jie in an attempt to starve them to death. Fearing that Zhen Hua might kill her mom, Ru Ping sends a message to the secret lover, who breaks into the Lu's house, takes Xue Chin and Er Jie, and at the same time steals away Zhen Hua's entire fortune. The Lu's blame Ru Ping for the sudden poverty that comes after all the money has been stolen. Ru Ping loses all the hopes in life after Xue Chin's escape and the failed engagement with Shu Huan, and commits suicide. Zhen Hua dies in a hospital due to sickness shortly after Ru Ping's death. Yi Ping has always viewed Zhen Hua as a ruthless person. It is not until his death that his life-long love for a girl has finally been revealed. All of Zhen Hua's wives resemble the girl in some way.

Shu Huan asks for a breakup with Yi Ping after Ru Ping's suicide. The final ending, however, is not a sad one. Unlike the ending in the book, Shu Huan actually re-unites with Yi Ping and tries to help her heal the wound from the Lu's tragedy. "Love will heal all hatred" is the final theme of the show.

CAST:

With big eyes that can "talk", Liu Xue Hua is the perfect choice for the strong-minded Yi Ping. Liu is no doubt an excellent actress. She brings out Yi Ping's anger, sorrow, and strong love toward Shu Huan very well. Her version of Yi Ping leaves a lasting impression of this character. However, Liu's character is sometimes so strong and emotional that you would start to hate the Yi Ping in the show, especially when it comes in sharp contrast with Zhao Yong Xing's version of the warm, lovely, and fragile Ru Ping. Zhao Yong Xing frequently showed up in 80's QY series as the second female lead. She has very sweet personality and a pretty face that makes her version of Ru Ping shine. Actually the Ru Ping in the book is very plain and dull, but Zhao's portrayal of Ru Ping just makes everyone love her, and I started to wonder why Shu Huan didn't choose her over Yi Ping.

On the male side, the tall and handsome Chin Han portrays the idealistic Shu Huan to perfection. Chin Han always brings out the charm of QY male characters and that's what makes him a long-time favorite of QY shows since the 60's. The only drawback in this show is that he was probably in his late thirties when this show was shot and he was too old for the role of Shu Huan, who is supposed to be 26. But that didn't affect his performance and the overall quality of the show. His Shu Huan is still the center of attention among the male characters. Gou Feng has dark skin and has that aura of authority, characteristics of Lu Zhen Hua. The rest of the cast performed their roles to excellency as well - Notably Gu Yin's cunning and evil Xue Chin, and Zhu Hui Zhen's mentally unstable Keh Yun (her version of Keh Yun does look really crazy).

Overall, the entire cast is very strong, and the show flows very naturally at a steady pace. The theme songs and background music give a heavy feeling of the strong emotions of the show yet there is one cheerful song that is sung when Yi Ping dates Shu Huan.

For all QY fans, this show should not be missed.

Original Screenshots:
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