Wallace Chung (鍾漢良)

[Nefertari]

LATEST NEWS.

Wallace's next TV series will start filming next month. It is called 来不及说我爱你 (rough translation-not enough time to tell you that I love you). It's set in the 1900's. He will be costarring with Li Xiao Ran. Also in the production are Qi Fang (whom he costarred with in Huo Xian Zhui Zong) and Tan Kai (谭凯). Other actors and actresses are yet to be confirmed. The director is 曾丽珍, who has produced series like 上书房, 凤穿牡丹, 又见一帘幽梦.

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED.

Why?

Because this TV series is based on an online novel that is by one of my favourite authors (匪我思存), who specializes in writing tragic romances, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. It's original name (which I like a lot more and find to be much more appropriate) is 碧甃沉 (which is much beyond my ability to translate properly). Wallace plays the leading male character, who is called MuRong Feng (慕容沣) or 慕容沛林, also known as 六少.

Synopsis of the novel:

　　这是一张年久泛黄的旧日相片，见证那个烽火乱世，枭雄佳人。
　　为了相救未婚夫许建彰，尹静琬只身前往承州，却意外与裂土封疆的军阀慕容沣互生倾慕之心。在许尹大婚之 日，慕容冒奇险入敌境，只为带尹离去，情之所至令她弃婚出走，心甘情愿地随他奔波辗转于烽火之 间。
　　然而两情缱绻抵不过万里江山，慕容与程家的政治联姻终迫她离家去国。此去经年，重来相见，戎马半生换得 天下在握，却痛失一生挚爱……

A long faded old photo that remains tribute to a story of love in a time of chaos and war.
To save her fiance Xu Jian Bin, Jin Jing Wan left home and travelled solitarily to Cheng Zhou, the capital of the enemy's country. Through a chance encounter, she met Mu Rong Feng, the general governing Cheng Zhou, and they fell in love. However, knowing that they could not be suited, she told him that she did not love him. Yet on the day of the marriage between Jin Jing Wan and Xu Jian Bin, Mu Rong Feng travelled deep into the territory of the enemy, with the sole purpose of hoping to convince Jing Wan to leave with him. Deeply moved by his love, Jing Wan abonded her marriage, her family and country, to be with him. Yet love is not enough to overweigh the appeal of power. In the end, Mu Rong Feng chose a political marriage with the Chen family over Jing Wan. Despairing from the betrayal, and with nowhere to turn to, Jing Wan was forced to leave the country. A love story in a time of chaos, where love does not conquer all, where love is sacrified for power, where in the end, one regrets having not chosen true love and realizing it only once it was too late.

Please excuse my totally crappy translation. It's a BEAUTIFUL TRAGIC story that had me sobbing in tears. I think they'll make a lot of changes in the TV adaptation, but trust, me, this character will be AWESOME.

For anyone who is proficient in Chinese, I'll provide a link where you can read the novel:
http://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=31816

PS. If you notice, my signature quote is from this novel.

I read through the first twelve chapters of the novel. It's such a romantic, touching and tragic tale. I especially love the scenes of courtship between Murong Feng and Yin Jingwan. I really really like the character of Yin Jingwan. Such a brave, charming and spirited character. If I am Murong Fu, I'd never give her up for anything in the world. It struck me as strange that he could still let her go knowing that he loves her with his soul. He promised to lay the world at her feet, yet at the first test of his love, he let her down. Even Jingwan has more dignity than him. She could have been an Empress had she been born in ancient times. Poor Murong doesn't know how to keep his treasure. Sob, sob.......

I hope they don't cut out any scenes btw Murong and Jingwan. Most scenes have a significant contribution to the development of their love story.

Thanks for the link, LYZ.

[ChineseChik525]

Wallace seemed to be able to pull characters from all ages well, taken that he doesn't have the strange moustache on. He doesn't age much and could look younger than most of his co-stars.

I agree with what you wrote on HXM. But I felt his acting in the later parts more or less makes up for his screaming part, which is just a small portion of the show. I think he was chosen because he looks most like YG. But in Duke of Mount Deer, I felt he should switch places with Wallace. Wallace made a great Kang Xi, but as Wei Xiao Bao, that would have push his acting chops coz his charisma could show its full potential. HXM is a good Wei Xiao Bao, but his chemistry with his wives is lacking. Wallace would have done a better and more solid job. The reason why Wei Xiao Bao and Kang Xi has such good chemistry is because Wallace's Kang Xi is very 'dao4 wei4'

actually now that you mention it, wallace probably could've pulled off the wei xiao bao role pretty well! he looks cute naughty lol
dunno how HXM wouldve done as a king though, i just cant imagine him in the role of kangxi

[LiYuanZhi]

I read through the first twelve chapters of the novel. It's such a romantic, touching and tragic tale. I especially love the scenes of courtship between Murong Feng and Yin Jingwan. I really really like the character of Yin Jingwan. Such a brave, charming and spirited character. If I am Murong Fu, I'd never give her up for anything in the world. It struck me as strange that he could still let her go knowing that he loves her with his soul. He promised to lay the world at her feet, yet at the first test of his love, he let her down. Even Jingwan has more dignity than him. She could have been an Empress had she been born in ancient times. Poor Murong doesn't know how to keep his treasure. Sob, sob.......

I hope they don't cut out any scenes btw Murong and Jingwan. Most scenes have a significant contribution to the development of their love story.

Thanks for the link, LYZ.

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed the novel. I think in the TV show they're redeeming MuRong Feng a bit. In the novel, he gave up Jingwan for very selfish purposes, but I think in the TV, he is somewhat forced into it by his situation. Overall, I think the TV series, whilst keeping the tragic nature of their loves story, is making it more due to external factors. This kinda makes MRF more likeable and more a romantic hero and less selfish than he is in the novel.
I'm really looking forward to Wallace's rendition of MRF, seeing as he was the actor I had in mind when reading the novel.

[Melanie]

I'm glad to hear that the series has made MuRong into a more sympathetic character. I'm not too fond of guys who step over everyone, especially the women they love, for power and status. If they can betray the women they love like this, who knows what else they can do? How can they be trustworthy?

What happens to MuRong and Jingwan at the end in the novel? Does he redeem himself in the novel at the end (although I don't really think such a betrayal as dumping the woman you love to marry another for selfish reasons could ever be forgiven)? I don't mind spoilers.

[Nefertari]

I'm glad to hear that the series has made MuRong into a more sympathetic character. I'm not too fond of guys who step over everyone, especially the women they love, for power and status. If they can betray the women they love like this, who knows what else they can do? How can they be trustworthy?

What happens to MuRong and Jingwan at the end in the novel? Does he redeem himself in the novel at the end (although I don't really think such a betrayal as dumping the woman you love to marry another for selfish reasons could ever be forgiven)? I don't mind spoilers.

I totally agree with what you said about guys. Murong Feng in the novel was very charismatic, but quite a jerk. He had a mild streak of violence stemming from his military background. Wallace's version seemed to make him more civilized and respectful to women.

No, I don't think he redeemed himself in the novel. i haven't reached the end, but from what I heard, he tried to get back with her, as he's unble to forget Jingwan, but only erred more along the way. LYZ, what happens to both of them in the end, do you know?

I think 'Too Late to Say I Love You' has improved a lot on the plot. The ending seemed fine too if you'd already watched the 18 min trailer. I like the plot of this story more compared to the formulaic K-melodrama. The background and setting made for a tragic, surreal and unforgettable tale of love and betrayal.

[Nefertari]

actually now that you mention it, wallace probably could've pulled off the wei xiao bao role pretty well! he looks cute naughty lol
dunno how HXM wouldve done as a king though, i just cant imagine him in the role of kangxi

I know, HXM doesn't look and feel like Kang Xi. He's already the famous Liu Che, so it's hard to imagine him as some other king. He doesn't have the Manchurian look as well.

Wallace's acting seemed to improve a lot over the years. In the past, he had more comedic roles, but lately he's been snapping up mature, strong and silent characters.

I really like his nickname of Little Sun.

[Nefertari]

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed the novel. I think in the TV show they're redeeming MuRong Feng a bit. In the novel, he gave up Jingwan for very selfish purposes, but I think in the TV, he is somewhat forced into it by his situation. Overall, I think the TV series, whilst keeping the tragic nature of their loves story, is making it more due to external factors. This kinda makes MRF more likeable and more a romantic hero and less selfish than he is in the novel.
I'm really looking forward to Wallace's rendition of MRF, seeing as he was the actor I had in mind when reading the novel.

I think the way he dumped her in the novel is very despicable. He lured her away and put up the notice in her absence. The content of the notice made him look even worse in my opinion. He could have acknowledged their marriage and said they'd divorced, rather than relagating her status to a concubine. I really was wishing Jingwan would fire the pistol at him, but that would end the story right away.


Small Spoiler from Novel
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I love Jingwan...... even when she was forced into such a situation, he stood up to Murong Feng and demanded their marriage to be acknowledged, or else she wouldn't give birth to their child.

[Nefertari]

Not sure whether this clip had been posted or not, but it's one of my favourite clips. Depicts a slideshow of beautiful scenes in 'Too Late to Say I Love You':

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/mnafgBoaDkY/

Love the scenes btw Jingwan and Peilin.

I finished reading the novel. Murong Feng became a disappointment towards the end of the novel.

Wallace's version seemed a much improved plot and storywise. The director is a genius. She spent 600,000 on wardrobe alone on this production, which I felt was near perfection from the looks of it. What a great director we have here. And what a great cast too. Wallace and Li Xiaoran has a great range of clothes which highlighted their characters really well.

[ChineseChik525]

is this series out yet? if it is, i would really like to know the way the series ends. do murong feng and jinwan end up together in the series?

[Melanie]

I think the way he dumped her in the novel is very despicable. He lured her away and put up the notice in her absence. The content of the notice made him look even worse in my opinion. He could have acknowledged their marriage and said they'd divorced, rather than relagating her status to a concubine. I really was wishing Jingwan would fire the pistol at him, but that would end the story right away.


Small Spoiler from Novel
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.
.
.
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I love Jingwan...... even when she was forced into such a situation, he stood up to Murong Feng and demanded their marriage to be acknowledged, or else she wouldn't give birth to their child.

Wow, this MuRong character sounds like such a jerk. I really wonder how the series is going to "redeem" Wallace's character MuRong. In the novel, how does MuRong continue messing up when he tries to get back together with Jingwan? What about his wife (the woman he married for political gain)? Does he just ignore her while he's trying to get back together with Jingwan? And what happens to Jingwan and MuRong in the end of the novel?

I am a bit apprehensive about watching this series now. I love Wallace Chung so much that I fear watching him play such a despicable character will make him shine less in my mind.

[Nefertari]

is this series out yet? if it is, i would really like to know the way the series ends. do murong feng and jinwan end up together in the series?

Novel SPOILERS

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No, they did not end up together in the novel.

The author wrote two versions of the ending for different edition........
In both, Murong Feng caused the death of Jingwan. After he married and took over the world, he became more bad-tempered. He could not stand the fact that Jingwan had married another man (a good guy who took care of her in America), so he sent killers to assasinate the husband and indirectly caused Jingwan's death.

In the series, Murong Feng is depicted quite differently. Major spoilers alert!

He is much kinder and it seemed he always regretted his decision to marry Cheng Jinzhi. Jingwan came back to look for him near the end and he told her he'd love her forever in this lifetime. He went to fight the Japanese and by some sort of miracle, he survived. In the end, I think they're together from the looks of the 18 min trailer.

Some interesting tidbit:

Li Xiao Ran would act as two characters in this series. The second character Su Ying had a minor role in the novel. She was Jingwan's look-alike, but with totally opposite personality. Murong Feng kept her as a paramour, but in the end she died too.

[Nefertari]

What about his wife (the woman he married for political gain)? Does he just ignore her while he's trying to get back together with Jingwan? And what happens to Jingwan and MuRong in the end of the novel?

I am a bit apprehensive about watching this series now. I love Wallace Chung so much that I fear watching him play such a despicable character will make him shine less in my mind.

SPOILERS
Oh, in the novel, Murong Feng had four kids with his wife. His wife still holds some control over him, until she made a fatal mistake which almost caused their divorce. Murong ignored her since, but did not divorce her.

From the trailer, it seemed Murong Feng is a man with great integrity. He married Cheng Jinzhi out of neccessity to save his troops from dying in vain. He respects his wife, but never loves her. Jingwan, on the other hand, suffers at the hands of Xu Jianzhang, her jilted fiance, who took revenge on her family and also Murong.

[ChineseChik525]

Novel SPOILERS

.
.
.
.

No, they did not end up together in the novel.

The author wrote two versions of the ending for different edition........
In both, Murong Feng caused the death of Jingwan. After he married and took over the world, he became more bad-tempered. He could not stand the fact that Jingwan had married another man (a good guy who took care of her in America), so he sent killers to assasinate the husband and indirectly caused Jingwan's death.

In the series, Murong Feng is depicted quite differently. Major spoilers alert!

He is much kinder and it seemed he always regretted his decision to marry Cheng Jinzhi. Jingwan came back to look for him near the end and he told her he'd love her forever in this lifetime. He went to fight the Japanese and by some sort of miracle, he survived. In the end, I think they're together from the looks of the 18 min trailer.

Some interesting tidbit:

Li Xiao Ran would act as two characters in this series. The second character Su Ying had a minor role in the novel. She was Jingwan's look-alike, but with totally opposite personality. Murong Feng kept her as a paramour, but in the end she died too.

really? the man the jingwan marries is kind to her? because from the looks of the trailer for the series the guy she was supposed to marry but abandoned for wallace and ends up marrying anyway seemed to only want to marry her out of spite/revenge. it looks like he treated her horribly. i guess they made revisions to make wallace's character look good? lol
so did the series air yet?

btw, side note: anyone ever hear of the movie Night Rose (夜玫瑰) with wallace and ruby lin? i was wondering if anyone ever saw it - good? it looks interesting.

[Melanie]

Novel SPOILERS

.
.
.
.

No, they did not end up together in the novel.

The author wrote two versions of the ending for different edition........
In both, Murong Feng caused the death of Jingwan. After he married and took over the world, he became more bad-tempered. He could not stand the fact that Jingwan had married another man (a good guy who took care of her in America), so he sent killers to assasinate the husband and indirectly caused Jingwan's death.

Wow, the MuRong Feng in the novel version is completely despicable! I wonder if he has ever loved Jingwan. And even if he does, it certainly isn't the type of altruistic love a woman hopes for. It's all about him, him, him! What a selfish guy! He has already married someone else, has already forsaken whatever love he has with Jingwan. Since he couldn't give her happiness, why couldn't he be content with the fact that someone else is taking care of her for him? Doesn't he feel that she deserves someone who loves her? Well, one thing is for sure. This author has developed an interesting main character in MuRong Feng; he's really more of an antagonist than a protagonist!

In the series, Murong Feng is depicted quite differently. Major spoilers alert!

He is much kinder and it seemed he always regretted his decision to marry Cheng Jinzhi. Jingwan came back to look for him near the end and he told her he'd love her forever in this lifetime. He went to fight the Japanese and by some sort of miracle, he survived. In the end, I think they're together from the looks of the 18 min trailer.

Some interesting tidbit:

Li Xiao Ran would act as two characters in this series. The second character Su Ying had a minor role in the novel. She was Jingwan's look-alike, but with totally opposite personality. Murong Feng kept her as a paramour, but in the end she died too.

So it seems like the series is turning MuRong Feng into typical male protagonist material. Man loves woman, but he must give her up to pursue his ambitions and goals (or he is forced to do so for the greater good). But once he has obtained success in wealth and power, he finds these materialistic possessions are empty consolation prizes for what truly matters - the woman he gave up for his ambitions. And so he tries to right things by attempting to win back to her. She may or may not forgive him, but, at least, he has somewhat redeemed himself in the viewers' eyes.

Oh well, I'm sure Wallace fans (like myself) would find the series version of MuRong Feng much easier to stomach. However, if the series had stayed true to the novel version of MuRong Feng, I have confidence that Wallace would have still been able to play the "jerk" character fabulously and convincingly.

[kidd]

Novel Murong Feng sounds way more interesting than series Murong 'Gary Stu' Feng.

[Melanie]

Novel Murong Feng sounds way more interesting than series Murong 'Gary Stu' Feng.

He does, doesn't he? Although not as likable as the series MuRong Feng, the novel MuRong Feng would probably be more memorable (and would probably tick off a lot more viewers, but hey, he'd be memorable).

[LiYuanZhi]

Here I feel like I ought to do a little explaining. The author first wrote another story, called "Ju Sui" or "Ru Guo Zhe Yi Miao Mei You Yu Jian Ni" aka If I did not meet you this second (another stupid name they just had to use for publishing). This story is about Mu Rong Feng's son. SO in writing the prequel that was "Too late to say I love you", she didn't really have much of a choice for MuRong Feng's ending.

Personally, I prefer novel MuRong Feng, who is a lot more charismatic and cunning. In trying to redeem him, the series softened up too much in my opinion. Yes, less despicable, but also less interesting and three dimensional. In the series he is constantly falling into traps laid down by his enemies (JW's former fiancee, his own wife etc.) and according to the summaries he seems too love-struck and relies too much on others to make decisions. In the novel, it is true that he really mistreats JW towards the end, but that makes his character more interesting. In the novels, he's strong-willed, decisive, and commands a certain respect and fear. He is always the one in control, whereas in the series, I feel like he's been turned into a pawn of others.

But then again, I am somewhat of a novel purist. So I might just be a little bit biased.

ANYWAY, I digress. This is a Wallace Chung thread.

SO... In recent Wallace news, his new album is featuring MVs guest starring... none other than the awesome Jimmy Lin. (I think they're really good friends.)

[LiYuanZhi]

really? the man the jingwan marries is kind to her? because from the looks of the trailer for the series the guy she was supposed to marry but abandoned for wallace and ends up marrying anyway seemed to only want to marry her out of spite/revenge. it looks like he treated her horribly. i guess they made revisions to make wallace's character look good? lol
so did the series air yet?

btw, side note: anyone ever hear of the movie Night Rose (夜玫瑰) with wallace and ruby lin? i was wondering if anyone ever saw it - good? it looks interesting.

Different man. In the novel JW marries Xin Zhi, the brother of Jin Zhi (MRF's wife). In the novel her fiancee appears for, maybe the first fifty pages? A really minor character that got a much deeper exploration in the TV series.

[ChineseChik525]

Different man. In the novel JW marries Xin Zhi, the brother of Jin Zhi (MRF's wife). In the novel her fiancee appears for, maybe the first fifty pages? A really minor character that got a much deeper exploration in the TV series.

oh okay i see. so the series kinda just cut this person out?

[LiYuanZhi]

oh okay i see. so the series kinda just cut this person out?

No, he's in it. He just doesn't appear in the 18min preview.