Silent Separation’s You are My Sunshine Drama Casting

June 5, 2014 by peanuts 53 Comments

UPDATED: Silent Separation will officially commence filming in Shanghai at the end of June for 3 months. The title of the drama is called You are My Sunshine. For readers who are following the English translation, you should know why this is the case. Am I fated with Gu Man’s novels as well as her drama adaptations? Lidge and I started to translate Shan Shan and Silent Separation into English before there was any news of any adaptation. Now, both of them will finish filming by this year and we can probably look forward to watching them next year. When I got back from my holidays at the beginning of December 2013, Shan Shan started filming. When I get back from my holiday in July, Silent Separation will have started filming.

It is confirmed Tiffany Tang Yan will be Zhao Mo Seng and Wallace Chung will be He Yi Chen. Oh, oh, oh, I am so excited !!!! I am translating a novel that Wallace is going to be the male lead. Wah, does that make me his superfan LOL? Remember I posted a MV a few month ago with Wallace Chung as Yi Chen? In future, I need to post more of his MVs:P For once, he is going to act in a modern drama which he won’t need to die and can get the girl, haha…….Bongsd suggested I go to Shanghai for my holidays to support Wallace. I will be in Asia but I am not so crazy to go there and chase after him:P  I am a rational fan who silently support him. Actually, I am more eager to see Gu Man and Mo Bao Fei Bao, at least their pictures.

It has just been confirmed that Wallace Chung had accepted the role of He Yi Chen. It is rumoured that he was offered the role but initially rejected it because he does not want to do any more drama adaptation, after having done Jin Yong and Gu Long’s novels as well as Fei Wo Si Cun and Tong Hua. Come on, Wallace but this is different because this is a novel written by a real mother full of love, not step-mothers, LOL. Due to the urging from his fans, he is re-considering this role again and finally accepted to play Yi Chen. Wallace is so nice to his fans.

Most feel that he is the most suitable actor with the temperament to portray Yi Chen. Objectively, he is way too old to be the novel Yi Chen. This is especially so if he has to film the university segments. However, in my humble and honest opinion, he doesn’t look a day over thirty. If Kevin Cheng can be Mu Yan in Hua Xu Yin, I can’t see any reason why Wallace Chung can’t be Yi Chen. Feel free to disagree with me because I am unashamedly bias. Since Wallace will be Yi Chen, I am going to take over the translation once again and kick lidge away, ahahaha……

Actually, the production company posted in weibo that Wallace Chung will be Yi Chen but subsequently deleted it. Now, nearly all the website in China also have confirmed it is indeed true that Wallace Chung has landed the role of Yi Chen. Initially, they probably deleted the confirmation post because Wallace has not signed an agreement yet so they dare not announce it prematurely. A press conference will also be held later before the commencement of filming. Wallace Chung is really playing  He Yi Chen so the wish of the majority of my readers who participated in the poll is fulfilled !!!!! See, see the power of voting so make sure you participate in all my future polls. By the way, I didn’t cheat and only cast 1 vote.

Generally the responses have been positive and good. Many are looking forward to see him as Yi Chen and wish him success in his portrayal. One reader even wrote: He is simply the best choice. I know there are a few of you out there who don’t like Wallace Chung. I won’t name them but you know who you are:P Apparently those who don’t like Wallace Chung worship Wallace Huo. Well, they are not really competitors and different people have different taste so I can live with that. I also know those who will fight with me for Wallace Chung, haha….

After Wallace Chung rejected the role,  it is rumoured that the script was offered to Hu Ge who has finished filming Nirvana in Fire recently. Unfortunately, he also rejected the role. It could be because he wants to change his image and no longer wants to film anymore idol drama. But Hu Ge, you are our idol so how can you not do a sweet drama to keep your fans happy:(? It can’t be because the script is crappy right, because the script is co-written by Gu Man who lidge & I love and Mo Bao Fei Bao who Hoju’s likes. She is translating her Really Really Miss You.

Many also voted for Wallace Huo in my poll and he also has a lot of support in China to be Yi Chen. Actually, I don’t feel he can be Yi Chen because he looks too delicate and soft to be a tough and bitter lawyer. I may not be his fan but I truthfully don’t dislike him. Just that I did not fall for his beauty like my landlord, haha…Because Tang Yan is the female lead, many feel it is such a pity that both of them can’t take their onscreen sizzling chemistry and time travel to modern era. I really have to thank Hua Qian Gu for this as he is busy filming that drama so he definitely won’t be Yi Chen. For once, I like you teacher Bai Zi Hua, LOL.

At one stage, there was even suggestion that Kris from EXO, K-pop group will be Yi Chen. When bongsd email me about it, I was stunned because auntie peanuts doesn’t even know who in the world he is? I have to google for his information. He has a fair bit of support because I guess age wise he fits the role. However, he looks way too young and boyish to be a hardened lawyer like Yi Chen. Anyway with the litigation with his management company, it is highly unlikely he will get the role. More so when Tang Yan  is chosen to be Mo Sheng as he’ll look like her younger brother. There is also support for Daniel Wu to be Yi Chen. That is the handsome Daniel Wu before he becomes all dark and thin. I didn’t take much notice of this because he is a movie star so I doubt he is interested in this little idol drama.

The casting of Tang Yan as Mo Sheng has been received with mixed response. Some feel she is too pretty to be Mo Sheng. Although in the novel, it is written there are girls prettier than Mo Sheng, she is still a pretty girl so I have no problem with her beauty. Tang Yan is a popular and established actress so it is better her than someone I am not familiar with. She is also criticized for not having the right temperament to be Mo Sheng. I disagree on this because after watching her drama like Waking Up Love and My Daughters, I always think those characters more or less resemble Mo Sheng. Anyway after the picture of her holding the sunflower was released, many start to think she looks sunny and innocent enough to be Mo Sheng.

It seem that nowadays producers do take into consideration fan preference as well as fan-made MVs when they are casting. This is a good sign as lately most of the casting for the novel adapted drama have been pretty satisfactory. At the end of the day, it is up to individual’s taste and preference to envisage who is most suitable to be Yi Chen and Mo Sheng in their heart and mind. It is very difficult to please all the fans but majority rules. Also, it is not easy to adapt the novel into a drama as a lot of things may not be transferable to the screen just like it is not easy for lidge and I to translate the novel into English. Thus, one needs to treat the book and drama as two separate things and don’t make judgment before you watch the end product. You can count on me to keep all of you posted on the progress of  the filming. Hopefully, the fresh pairing of Tang Yan and Wallace Chung will heat up the screen.