Yang Mi

[patricia n]

is Huang Zhen Zhen a famous director (or at least a very good one)?

i agree, that taiwanese movie star looks too young for ym. perhaps he plays your subordinate or younger brother of some sort if he's in mulan (just to draw in the taiwanese crowd).

on another note, yu zheng will start filming proud, smiling wanderer/state of divinity with wallace huo as lead. any chance ym will star in this series as ryy? i know it's nil, but didn't ym say that she's willing to return to do series if the script is excellent? i'm glad she's now getting to rest and has broken into the movie business but movies just aren't as satisfying unless they're done really well (like reign of assassins).

[salianet]

Aww...Patricia, you should definitely give Sealed with a Kiss a try. Hawick's portrayal of the conflicted/conniving male lead is awesome! As for Ying'er, you can just ignore her and watch the rest of the cast. If you just overlook her hideous wardrobe, she actually grows on you...eventually.

Sorry YM's fans...I'm gonna do some shameless promotion of Sealed with a Kiss here...LOL

I did some drama recaps for the series...you can check it out if you want
http://jolecole.blogspot.com/p/current-projects.html

I second JoleCole on this. You should really watch SWAK. . At first, I didn't really care for the drama either and how plain Ying'er's character and appearance were , but she grew on me. It was just a nice portrayal of her character that is supposed to be really naive and plain. That naive and plain character that made Hawick's character fell in love with her in that drama.

Ruyi was a big disappointment for me as well , after SWAK, I was looking forward for Hawick's dramas. I only watched the first couple episodes to see how good the drama is and to see Hawick's and YM's chemistry but and I don't continue watching it, it's such a bore.
This drama is really nothing compared to SWAK.

Somebody made a comment of YM should have acted in SWAK as Tong Xue, but I don't think this character would fit YM that well. This Tong Xue's character needs to look sort of pitiful and I don't think YM has that pitiful look. that's just my opinion.

[xiaolong]

Ruyi was a big disappointment for me as well , after SWAK, I was looking forward for Hawick's dramas. I only watched the first couple episodes to see how good the drama is and to see Hawick's and YM's chemistry but and I don't continue watching it, it's such a bore.
This drama is really nothing compared to SWAK.

I'm so so proud of myself. I sat through 13 episodes of Ru Yi without fast-forwarding and even recapped some scenes in my iheartcdramas Livejournal blog I have great tolerance for the boring and the crap if I love the lead enough, e.g. I'm the only one amongst my friends who sat through the whole of Pandamen for the love of Jay, heh! But to give some credit to Ru Yi - just watch it with low-moderate expectations and you might find it watchable for the rather intriguing baby-swap back story. It isn't "crap", but it might be slow moving. So skip the Hawick-YM interactions (sorry!) and just approach it without expecting anything

[JoleCole]

I'm so so proud of myself. I sat through 13 episodes of Ru Yi without fast-forwarding and even recapped some scenes in my iheartcdramas Livejournal blog I have great tolerance for the boring and the crap if I love the lead enough, e.g. I'm the only one amongst my friends who sat through the whole of Pandamen for the love of Jay, heh! But to give some credit to Ru Yi - just watch it with low-moderate expectations and you might find it watchable for the rather intriguing baby-swap back story. It isn't "crap", but it might be slow moving. So skip the Hawick-YM interactions (sorry!) and just approach it without expecting anything

I'm proud of you too! 13 episodes without FF?!! AMAZING! LOL. I watched 3 episodes without FF, then skimmed through 4, then skipped to where Dong Yaodong had his fall and got paralyzed. Now I just want to know the birth secret. Is Gao Qiulang really a Tan?

I guess my biggest problem is that I had really HIGHER expectations of Ru Yi, at least in the development of the main love story. I fell in love with Hawick's acting in SWAK, so I expected him to shine in Ru Yi too. Unfortunately, Tan Mingkai is an absolute bore and he doesn't do much. As for Yang Mi, I always expected her to convince me in her roles. Somehow her real voice crashes with her "damsel in distress" kinda of character and I'm not particularly fond of her Ru Yi's portrayal. As for the overall storyline, the intense teaser trailer also heightened my expectations. I don't mind the overused plot devices of baby switches or Min Guo series, but the plot just moves WAY TOO SLOW and I'm frustrated with the severe underdevelopment of main love story. I was hoping to root for WeiMi (Hawick/YM), but like Xiaolong, I would rather see them with someone else. Now that's a BIG indication of the scriptwriter's utter FAILURE in writing the Tan Mingkai/Ru Yi's love story.

[salianet]

I'm so so proud of myself. I sat through 13 episodes of Ru Yi without fast-forwarding and even recapped some scenes in my iheartcdramas Livejournal blog I have great tolerance for the boring and the crap if I love the lead enough, e.g. I'm the only one amongst my friends who sat through the whole of Pandamen for the love of Jay, heh! But to give some credit to Ru Yi - just watch it with low-moderate expectations and you might find it watchable for the rather intriguing baby-swap back story. It isn't "crap", but it might be slow moving. So skip the Hawick-YM interactions (sorry!) and just approach it without expecting anything

I'm proud of you too! 13 episodes without FF?!! AMAZING! LOL. I watched 3 episodes without FF, then skimmed through 4, then skipped to where Dong Yaodong had his fall and got paralyzed. Now I just want to know the birth secret. Is Gao Qiulang really a Tan?

I guess my biggest problem is that I had really HIGHER expectations of Ru Yi, at least in the development of the main love story. I fell in love with Hawick's acting in SWAK, so I expected him to shine in Ru Yi too. Unfortunately, Tan Mingkai is an absolute bore and he doesn't do much. As for Yang Mi, I always expected her to convince me in her roles. Somehow her real voice crashes with her "damsel in distress" kinda of character and I'm not particularly fond of her Ru Yi's portrayal. As for the overall storyline, the intense teaser trailer also heightened my expectations. I don't mind the overused plot devices of baby switches or Min Guo series, but the plot just moves WAY TOO SLOW and I'm frustrated with the severe underdevelopment of main love story. I was hoping to root for WeiMi (Hawick/YM), but like Xiaolong, I would rather see them with someone else. Now that's a BIG indication of the scriptwriter's utter FAILURE in writing the Tan Mingkai/Ru Yi's love story.

Is the story line any better now than the first few episodes? I know that some dramas are pretty slow at the beginning but they'll pick up later in the middle. I don't know about this drama.
Now, I'm kinda curious about the baby switch, I read it somewhere about the baby switch before the drama aired, maybe I just have to watch it tonight if no other dramas distract me .

Well, for the Hawick-YM interaction, to be honest, I really didn't know what to expect, I guess, I just want to see how the real couple played out the couple's role in Ruyi.
For Hawick, again, I agree with JoleCole. I have a higher expectation of his acting there after SWAK, he has much more potential than what he plays out in Ruyi. I guess, I can't blame him not being able to act, it's mostly the scriptwriter's failure to develop the story. Sigh.

[xiaolong]

Is the story line any better now than the first few episodes? I know that some dramas are pretty slow at the beginning but they'll pick up later in the middle. I don't know about this drama.
Now, I'm kinda curious about the baby switch, I read it somewhere about the baby switch before the drama aired, maybe I just have to watch it tonight if no other dramas distract me .

The baby switch was done between Ru Yi (Yang Mi) and Tan Ming Kai (Hawick) at birth. More than 20 years ago, Patriarch Tan, a wealthy tea plantation land owner, fell in love with a woman named Qiu Yue and took her as a concubine. Both his wife, Mdm Tan (played by Liu Xuehua) and Qiu Yue became pregnant. Mdm Tan felt threatened when Qiu Yue gave birth to a boy. So when Mdm Tan gave birth to a baby girl (Ru Yi/Yang Mi), she got her maid to exchange the baby girl for the baby son of a tea farmer. This baby son is Tan Ming Kai/Hawick.

Years later, Ru Yi and Tan Ming Kai meet and fall in love. Ru Yi is scorned at and looked down upon by Mdm Tan who doesn't realise Ru Yi's actually her real daughter. But the truth will unfold through a jade pendant.

Another complication is Tan Ming Yang, Tan Ming Kai/Hawick's half-brother and son of the concubine Qiu Yue, who comes back to claim his inheritance of the Tan estate.

But warning: You won't be a Hawick-YM shipper after Ru Yi. Why am I not finding them adorable onscreen or even offscreen now? *face palm*


Anyway, JoleCole, I'm definitely marathoning Sealed With A Kiss by this week. So after Feng Chuan Mu Dan and Ru Yi, the only way is UP for Hawick in my drama books.

[mango_cake]

I am bawling right now...and also am officially a total Yang Mi/Yan Kuan shipper, LOL. Move aside Hu Ge and FSF (...and Hawick who???), I have a new YM ship. So while waiting for HFCQ to air (tomorrow!!! someone better upload it haha), and since I still can't bring myself to continue Ru Yi yet...I ended up watching "Beijing Fairytale" (北京童话), the YM/YK movie from back in 2006.

Even though it's probably a very low-budget made-for-TV-movie I thought it was a very good movie...very sad and touching though. But it still has funny and cute moments! (Their first few meetings especially are hilarious, heheh). YM plays a teenage girl with leukemia who remains optimistic (it's funny how she played a little girl with leukemia in one of her first series as a 6-year-old...and then after returning to the industry as a teenager, once again she plays that kind of character in one of her starting roles!).

Yang Mi is adorable here, very reminiscent of her Guo Xiang days (well after all this was filmed around the same time period I think--it first aired in early 2006 so I'm guessing it was probably filmed circa 2005 or so). Yan Kuan is insanely hot and attractive in the movie (looks and personality-wise).


YT link to video is here: (I highly recommend! ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmwqCUlm3tQ

[mango_cake]

Loved this movie so much I couldn't help start posting screencaps of my favourite scenes (tried not to be too spoilery though). I can't believe I didn't watch this gem till now! There aren't actually very many romantic scenes at all (no kiss scenes...too bad, haha ) but still, super sweet. I might end up subbing this movie for anyone who does't understand Chinese because I love it so much, lol. Such a pity it's such a little-known movie of YM and YK...

I think this is the only official still released (probably more a BTS pic, been posted here before):




Some of my favourite scenes:


















(Damn Yan Kuan looks so good in here... XD)

[mango_cake]

This scene slays me... T_T *tear* (Too bad it's just a short movie. >_< I wish they collaborated again...and Gong doesn't count, LOL.)
















Two YM-only ones:






Strangely enough I enjoy watching her acting in her early days more than currently. I mean, she's still a good actress but back then there was a "freshness" about her, very natural/genuine feeling before she had formal training in acting (but which made her lose a bit of that cute bubbly spark she used to have). I think she used her own voice in this movie too, and somehow it sounds more natural than when she does her dubbing for some of her series now--notably MingYun and Ru Yi--I thought her dubbing was perfectly fine in BJAQGS. However, as JoleCole pointed out before this might be due to the types of roles--in "Beijing Fairytale" and "Beijing Love Story", she plays more outgoing characters (similar to her real-life personality); meanwhile in Ru Yi and MingYun she plays rather meek, docile, gentle characters. As a result, she probably tries purposefully to make her voice softer/meeker, and it comes out a bit flat/monotone (as if she's consciously tamping down the "liveliness" and spark in her voice).

Now if only someone would get around to releasing FengMi's made-for-TV-movie, DHTHK...sadly the chances are looking slimmer and slimmer. >_<

[ice_mountain23]

OMG! YM's uber old jawline. She looks so beautiful (and YK looks cute and not the usual masculine he is). But damn, she had those panda eyes even then.

Thanks for posting these up, Mango_Cake. I'm spazzing over how beautiful she looks (superficial,huh). Haven't watched Ru Yi so Ive got nothing to say, but I am actually really liking her dub on BJAQGS! And I don't usually like her accent that much..sorry lol. Although I do like how expressive it when acting.

[xiaolong]

Wow, thanks for the recommendation mango_cake! Wow, she looks like a baby here! And he looks incredibly young - he was like 26 when they made the movie?

[ByTmE]

They both look so cute! Thanks for the screen caps mango!

[JoleCole]

I am bawling right now...and also am officially a total Yang Mi/Yan Kuan shipper, LOL. Move aside Hu Ge and FSF (...and Hawick who???), I have a new YM ship.

I want to ship YM and Wallace Huo together! I realize they never officially collaborated as a romantic couple. They would look good together onscreen. After I checked out Ru Yi, I found Hawick and YM's onscreen chemistry lacking compared to her other pairings. I guess not all real life couples have good onscreen chemistry. Well...to be honest, they don't have many scenes together in Ru Yi. Maybe it'll get better later?

[patricia n]

mango_cake, i've been dying to see that movie with ym and yuan kuan since sunnysnow first posted about the movie in 2006. unfortunately, it was never subbed, but if you actually take on this crazy job, i will definitely watch it! am i would probably ship them too...they make such a gorgeous couple since ym was at the peak of her beauty and yk looks so great in that boyishly cute way.

[JoleCole]

mango_cake: there are more FengMi scenes at the end of Gong 2!

http://tw.sugoitw.com/palace-2-episode-37-the-end/3/

Anyway, JoleCole, I'm definitely marathoning Sealed With A Kiss by this week. So after Feng Chuan Mu Dan and Ru Yi, the only way is UP for Hawick in my drama books.

YAY! Definitely tell me what you think! It's okay if you don't like it. You can bash about it too. I just want to hear your opinions.

[mango_cake]

mango_cake: there are more FengMi scenes at the end of Gong 2!

http://tw.sugoitw.com/palace-2-episode-37-the-end/3/

Ooh thank you!! Now I remember seeing the fan-taken vid of that moment, hehe.

mango_cake, i've been dying to see that movie with ym and yuan kuan since sunnysnow first posted about the movie in 2006. unfortunately, it was never subbed, but if you actually take on this crazy job, i will definitely watch it! am i would probably ship them too...they make such a gorgeous couple since ym was at the peak of her beauty and yk looks so great in that boyishly cute way.

I think I will! ^_^ It's a short movie, only 1.5 hours long, and part of that is credits/scenes with no dialogue. So it actually wouldn't take too much longer than subbing one of the interviews I used to do.

Wow, thanks for the recommendation mango_cake! Wow, she looks like a baby here! And he looks incredibly young - he was like 26 when they made the movie?

Yup, around 26 sounds about right I think...26 or 27. And yeah, Yan Kuan looks so much younger (& better ^_^) back then...such a shame that no one promoted him much so his good looks got wasted.

I just adore his character in the movie. YM's character can be slightly annoying at times (those "bratty teenage girl" moments), but she does grow over the course of the movie and she is still super cute. Only regret is I still wish YM/YK's relationship was further developed--as it stands it is more of a beautiful and special friendship, where both do feel something more, but because of...circumstances...they never take it further type thing. They have great chemistry though. And something else funny...Yan Kuan's character in the movie is named "xiao Feng". It's yet another "FengMi", haha!

But yeah, I miss fresh-faced Yang Mi--her makeup in the movie is very minimal since after all she is playing a sick girl. Nowadays she is so done up every time she appears in public...with good reason since hey, that's what actors/celebrities are expected to do--every time candid pictures of her makeup-less pop up there are always people who bash her, which is so unfortunate because I miss her more fresh-faced look.

I want to ship YM and Wallace Huo together! I realize they never officially collaborated as a romantic couple. They would look good together onscreen. After I checked out Ru Yi, I found Hawick and YM's onscreen chemistry lacking compared to her other pairings. I guess not all real life couples have good onscreen chemistry. Well...to be honest, they don't have many scenes together in Ru Yi. Maybe it'll get better later?

Funny, Wallace/YM always seem to give me a "sibling" vibe so I never really think about them as a couple (kinda like ShiGe, lol). I think it's also because of their very platonic relationship in CP3. Although, they would definitely make a gorgeous couple and I would probably totally ship them if they ever did end up pairing up, heheh. (Especially if they pair up as LHC/RYY ...yeah I know, just a far-fetched dream! T_T)

I've only seen the one Hawick/YM scene so far (their first meeting in Ru Yi) so can't really comment on their screen chemistry. However, now I remember during one of the Ru Yi interviews, she said it was obvious she has the most onscreen chemistry/familiarity and "mo qi" with FSF, but in real life she has more "mo qi" with Hawick. (In retrospect, guess she actually was telling the truth there, lmao...)

[xiaolong]

Yup, around 26 sounds about right I think...26 or 27. And yeah, Yan Kuan looks so much younger (& better ^_^) back then...such a shame that no one promoted him much so his good looks got wasted.

Yeah man, he was at his prime looks-wise in his late 20s. Well, he's definitely much more famous now after QSHF and is getting Guy 1 lead roles, but he certainly isn't as good-looking now as he was in his late 20s.

[mango_cake]

Has anyone found download links for HFCQ yet???

In the meantime here are screencaps people posted on the chinese forums: (Funny enough, since YM has similar hairstyles in both her series airing right now, some people are saying it feels like Ru Yi time-travelled to Warring States era to be Ru Ji, rofl. )

[mango_cake]

I love Han dynasty costumes...here's pics of a FengMi scene (not aired yet, later on in the series):

[C-luv-H]

Sorry for the interuption of GeMi