Romance in the Rain

Cast:
Vicki Zhao as Lu Yi Ping
Alec Su as Du Fei
Ruby Lin as Lu Ru Ping
Leo Koo as He Shu Huan
Kou Zhen Hai as Lu Zhen Hua
Gao Xin as Lu Er Hao
Xu Lu as Li Ke Yun
Li Yu as Fang Yu
Yue Ting Ting as Lu Meng Ping

Synopsis (Spoiler Warning):
The story is set against colonial Shanghai, in the year 1936. The plot follows the fate of the members of the Lu family in the areas of work, romance, family, survival, and patriotism. Lu Zhen Hua is a retired general from Harbin who had brought along two among his nine wives, their children, and a few loyal servants. The complications of these domestic relationships set the stage for numerous power struggles involving the next generation.

The tale of the Lu family comprises many subplots. Er Hao, the eldest son in Shanghai, entangles himself in a love triangle between a servant and his sister's best friend. Rebellious and un-chaperoned, young Meng Ping is raped by some of her base companions. Shue Qin, the ninth wife of the general, faces the music when her extra-marital affair is disclosed. Yet among all these plots, one line stands out —the love triangle formed by sisters Yi Ping and Ru Ping and the promising young reporter Shu Huan.

Yi Ping, after being rejected from the Lu mansion along with her mother, lives upon measly allowances from her father. The young girl's pride could not sustain such a modus vitae for many years, and she cut off all ties with her father. Vowing to avenge herself upon the occupants of the mansion, Yi Ping involves herself in a relationship with Shu Huan, the object of Ru Ping's adoration. When Shu Huan understands Yi Ping's designs, he furiously leaves her and accepts an engagement with Ru Ping. Yi Ping, who had already fallen for Shu Huan by then, enters into the depths of despair. When she endangers her life by unwittingly jumping off a bridge, Shu Huan faces his feelings and turns back to his true love for Yi Ping. Though heartbroken at the moment, Ru Ping recovers after several years of traveling the country as a war nurse, and she finally ties the knot with friend Du Fei.

Script:
This series caused amazing hype before its debut due to the authorship of Qiong Yao. As gifted as she may be as a novelist, however, Qiong Yao fails in her attempt to write an epic drama revised from one of her tragic love stories. The poetic, touching lines reflect the excellent craftsmanship of the novelist, but that is just about the greatest merit of the script. The characters are well-developed, but they are simply too many in number. The story is enriched by the different kinds of emotions involved (e.g. romantic love, family ties, patriotism), but once again those emotions are underplayed because of their abundance. Worst of all, Qiong Yao's well-meaning attempts at comedy are saved only by the production. All in all, the script suffers from serious over-stuffing. No single line can be traced through the plot, and as flawless as the facts may be, the tone of the whole series lacks coherence. This is far from a satisfactory work from Qiong Yao.

Cast Performance:
Vicki Zhao plays the proud, clever, and beautiful Yi Ping quite well. She convincing portrays the character's change from a fierce "porcupine" ever on her guard to a tender woman pouring her heart out to the people around her. She is also very pretty here. Her performance falls short, however, when it is compared to her act in "Huan Zhu Ge Ge", which was beyond human terms.

Alec Su does his best to play the kind and comical Du Fei. Unfortunately for Alec, the character is surprisingly two-dimensional, leaving him with little to work with. His mediocre performance will be overlooked by most serious audiences, though younger viewers fondly remember him as the lovable young man giving comic relief.

Ruby Lin is remarkable as the apparently gentle but inwardly strong Ru Ping. Since this character underwent dynamic revisions under Qiong Yao's pen, Ru Ping steals a refreshing spotlight from the other leads. Her character is basically so perfect, however, that Ruby does not have to do much extra in making audiences like her. She simply did her job, and that was good.

Leo Koo is the most interesting actor among the four members of the primary cast. He looks even stupid in certain scenes that were supposed to make him suave and dashing, but then he saves his performance with amazing depth. In scenes when guilt or regret come rushing over Shu Huan, Leo would capture the soul of the character and attack the audience with gazes that mix numerous emotions. His chemistry with Vicki is inconsistent but fine.

Kou Zhen Hai delivers a very strong performance. His physique is notable for his age, and he manages to breathe life into the character, an aging general with a battered but firm soul. His presence makes the character credible, and he carries the rest of the cast on his shoulders.

Gao Xin does a mediocre job. Though he expresses emotions convincingly, he could not mix any of them, and that's what his character was supposed to do. Xu Lu struggles as the mentally-disturbed Ke Yun. She would seem wonderful in one shot and fail at the very next one. Li Yu deserves even less compliment. She is a pretty woman who shouldn't be an actress. Yue Ting Ting, on the other hand, does quite an impressive job. Though her looks may not be as appealing as those of her co-cast members, she fights for attention with her mature acting skills. The mothers and the other more elderly members of the cast deliver good though unremarkable performances. It was the casting that helped them.

Extra Good Points:
1) The songs Yi Ping sang have excellent lyrics, since they were penned by the poetically-gifted Qiong Yao. Most of the melodies also enhance them well.
2) The background music is amazing. Not only would the music set the tones of scenes, the corresponding lyrics of the songs suit the purposes of the scenes as well.
3) The costumes are beautiful. Great care was obviously given to the personal style of each character.
4) The camera did a wonderful job as it incorporated a high sensitivity to movement.

Extra Bad Points:
1) The comedy portions sport loudness instead of humor.
2) The teeming crowds, the war scenes, and most of Du Fei's comic scenes were gravely exaggerated for the sake of looking "big."
3) Kissing scenes are scattered throughout the series, even when they don't make sense.
4) The last two episodes speed too swiftly and incoherently over the years.
5) "Yu Zhong De Ku Shi" is not even a song.
6) Shu Huan had the wrong leg bandaged at the closing scene.

Conclusion:
If you want to do what's popular, watch this series. After all, everyone already has. It is quite solid entertainment, in all honesty. Though it is sub-par in comparison to other stories penned by Qiong Yao, the series is still engaging. The conclusion actually sums up the direction of Qiong Yao's career—entertainment, not art. If you want art, stay clear. For everyone else, use it to pass some enjoyable time.