#song zuer

[smittenskitten]

Do I look like a man?

[yingtan]

SONG ZUER for Grazia China, March 2023

[naughtynanzhu]

[binging-asian-dramas]

Cupid’s Kitchen. 7

Story: 8

Acting: 10

Chemistry: 8

Comparable to: The Perfect Match (Taiwanese drama) ; Pleasantly Surprised (Taiwanese drama); My Lovely Sam Soon (kdrama)

At first this drama is very engaging and well executed in let’s say the fist 12 episodes and just like a lot of other dramas it falls completely apart, especially towards the ending where I felt it was completely rushed. Which is funny, considering it’s a 40 episodes drama. It definitely wasn’t well edited. It felt like where certain situations should of been condensed, weren’t and the ones that needed to be addressed were only glossed over. Nevertheless if you a huge foodie the food in this is exquisite. It’s a huge highlight. The romance was meh and it has nothing to do with the age difference. It has to do with the writing. Both actors has excellent chemistry together but the way it led up to it was a total let down. It was one of those last minute flirting, flirting, will they won’t they, next minute boom in love, then the end type of deals. It’s still a decent drama just wouldn’t recommend it for the romance bit.

[decrescendo]

Subbed: Song Zuer & Zhang Xincheng (Ember & Wade - Chinese dub) Quickfire Q&A | 疯狂元素城 Elemental x Bazaar (230608)

Notes: Hardsubbing always gives me so much anxiety but this is an unimportant Q&A and I like being able to use my fonts so...

[highlightshow]

[chineseredcarpet]

Daylight Entertainment’s Like A Flowing River 3’s Wang Kai, Yang Shuo, Dong Zijian & Yang Caiyu and Created In China’s Zhang Xincheng, Song Zu’er, & Wang Yanlin pose in pics together for Harper’s Bazaar China

[getincentstyle]

🤎🤎🤎🤎

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

song zuer and liu yuning in chinese guzhuang drama 折腰zhe yao

[smittenskitten]

wait!!1 does this mean The Prisoner of Beauty can finally come out!!!!

[dangermousie]

I...am honestly excited for this casting!

They are adapting two of my top 3 non-danmeis - this and Wishing You Eternal Happiness (my n1 of all time, Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir was adapted into an utter abomination that is probably my villain origin story; it proves the depths of my fondness for Ding Yuxi that I can still like him after his being the ML of that horror.)

I am NOT excited for the supposed casting of Wishing - I am benignly indifferent to Sebrina Chen but her vibe is all wrong for a stunningly beautiful, quietly desperate, steely but in a fragile way young woman - if Song Zuer wasn't canceled, she'd fit. Or Lu Yuxiao. Or after I loved her in FoF, Chen Duling. Sebrina's vibe is so wrong. But not as wrong as casting Ci Sha for ML. My jaw dropped seeing that. Now, don't get me wrong - Ci Sha is a snack and a half and my brain shortcircuited from hormonal attack watching him ride horses as Guo Jing in the latest Condor Heroes, but he is so utterly wrong for the sickly, clinically depressed, but desperately honorable and so very quiet ML of that one that I cannot put it into words. His whole look, his vibe are just WRONG. I will likely be skipping that drama.

But this casting for Moonlight? Actually is giving me joy! (sorry @aysekira) I liked BSG in Condor Heroes and can see her fit the FL vibe just fine. And WHY is my "totally and utterly changed my mind on him this year" actor for 2024 - I was GONE for him as Yang Kang in Condor Heroes and he owned my heart as the abused fragile deadly mess in Snowy Night. I can totally see him play the ML.

The director is LYF director (ie someone who can get really good performances out of people.) The screenwriter did the horrifically dull Fei but also Rattan which I liked what I saw of, so 50-50. But at least I am not horrified at the thought of this being made with the current cast and crew, unlike Wishing so YAY!

[bananaproved]

Top 6 shelved dramas that I would still really like to see

Ranked in no particular order, selection based on my personal tastes.

1) The Prisoner of Beauty

Plot : Adapted from the novel "Zhe Yao" by Peng Lai Ke, it tells the story of the arranged marriage between Wei Shao (Liu Yuning) and Qiao Man (Song Zuer). The fun thing about this marriage is that they both hate each other for complicated family reasons (in the novel Qiao Man's family is directly responsible for the death of Wei Shao's father), so they start they relationship by trying to make the life of the other a living hell. Ultimately, their relationship will develop as they are impressed by each other's ingenuity and discover common interests. There is also an important "let's protect the empire and the common people" plot behind the romance.

Why I wish I could see it : It looks good !! The main duo of actors are both really good looking, but the production in general looks really high budget, with good costumes and sets. I would love to see that. Just look at this trailer !

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : Song Zuer :/ bestie :/ tax evasion is bad !!

Can we have some hope ? : Not really, at this point of time, no c-actors caught for tax evasion managed to make an actual comeback in the industry (even really popular ones like Deng Lun or Fan Bing Bing). Song Zuer is still being investigated, so maybe we can hope to see her name cleared but it's a little unlikely because they don't investigate people just for fun. However Song Zuer was involved in a lot of high budget projects so I am sure a lot of people are really motivated to try to airdrop at least some of her projects if they have the possibility.

2) The Fated General

Plot : Classic high-budget historical drama telling the story of real life historical figure Huo Qubing (Zhang Ruoyun) during the Western Han Dynasty. It follows his military feats that got him the reputation of being one of the best military generals in the history of China.

Why I wish I could see it : First, the cast is incredible. We have Zhang Ruoyun (famous for being really good at choosing his scripts), Mao Xiao Tong, Bai Yu, Li Hongyi, Xu Yue, and others. It's really an all star cast except the drama was shot in 2016, before some of them became really famous, so it can be really interesting to watch ! Plus it's a really high budget drama, most of the outdoor scenes are shot in real landscape and not in a studio and it globally looks really good. For a better impression, look at this nice looking MV based on the different trailers of the show :

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : In 2019 (I think ?) the censorship rules changed concerning historical dramas and established the fact that dramas were forbidden to "distort" certain historical facts. This kind of put an end to traditional historical dramas as they became a way more risky investments, and stopped this one from airing as it already took some liberties in terms of storytelling. Huo Qubing is also a semi-controversial historical figure so it is not helping.

Can we have some hope ? : It's been 7 or 8 years and the regulations concerning historical fiction only got more restrictives in China so I would say no.

3) Immortality

Plot : I'm sure everybody knows the plot of Erha so I don't need to write it but just in case the important tags are : xianxia, dangai, shizunfuckers, reincarnation, blood spitting, stairs, ...

Why I wish I could see it : Outside of the obvious reasons (gay people on my screen, Luo Yunxi spitting blood), it's also produced by the same people involved in the production of Till the End of the Moon and Shui Long Yin, so I have I hopes for the artistic direction of the drama. Also for dmbj fans : did you know Liu Chang played a guest role in this drama ? Idk what he is doing here but I would love to see it.

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : We are all aware of the famous 2021 dangai ban, but in general the chinese government is not a big fan of massive and really agitated fandoms (in the way The Untamed fandom was), so Immortality is in a pretty bad position.

Can we have some hope ? : Yeah !!!!! Hyx TOMORROW !!! Believe in your dreams !!!

For real : Two options. 1) On a random morning of the year 20XX you wake up to danmei fans in your tl losing their marbles bc the 6 first episodes of hyx were randomly airdropped during the night with no promotion and no warnings. You cry some tears of joy and immediately go watch Luo Yunxi spit some blood on screen. 2) After many years hyx is still not out but there were so many leaks that the fans managed to recreate the entire series from scraps and now you can watch it in full. Look, they already started :

4) Night Wanderer

Plot : Zong Yin (Ni Ni) is a forensic expert living in Shanghai in 2021. She met, in her own apartment, a man, called Sheng Qing Rang (Deng Lun), claiming to be the owner of this apartment but in 1937. Together they discover that they can travel to their respective time periods through their shared apartment and start to develop a strong relationship, first as confidence and progressively as lovers. However, the situation get complicated as the Battle of Shanghai broke out in 1937 putting both of their lives in danger.

Why I wish I could see it : First, for lesbian reasons as I would never miss an occasion to stare at Ni Ni for 36 episodes (Wang Yuwen also has a supporting role here and I really like her ! Double win !). Second, it's actually a really nice and original plot for a CDrama and I have full confidence in both actors' capacity to pull off a really good performance to go with it. Look at this trailer ! It looks so promising !

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : Deng Lun !!! Tax evasion is bad !!

Can we have some hope ? : Even less than for The Prisoner of Beauty as Deng Lun is 100% proved to have committed tax evasion. There is often rumors about him coming back to acting but it's unlikely.

5) Winner is King

Plot : Based on the novel "Sha Po Lang" by Priest, set in a steampunk version of the Liang Dynasty. It tells the story of Chang Geng (Chen Zhe Yuan), a young man living in a random countryside village, who discovers after a raid on their village that the closest people around him were hiding a big secret about his identity. He also discovers that the people around him are not who they pretend to be, especially his yifu (adoptive father, played by Tan Jianci), and realizes that his life will never be the same.

Why I wish I could see it : Outside of the reasons already mentioned in hyx's case, Winner is King is also directed by the same director as Guardian and a Journey to Love. I really like his work and he proved that he was able to do really good things even with a really low budget, so now imagine with a decent amount of money ? It could be great. Also I really like the idea of an ancient china steampunk but I am too lazy to read the book.

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : Same reason as hyx and all the other dangais </3 Also I am not sure of how advanced the production was when it was stopped, because I feel like there are not as many content leaks.

Can we have some hope ? : If we can manifest hard enough the end of the ban, it is possible.

6) The Love of Hypnosis

Plot : During the end of Qing Dynasty, a (patriotic) young man named Yen Shen (Jing Boran) meets a fragrance shop owner named Lu Man Sheng (Liu Yifei). Man Sheng has the special ability/ mission to relieve the hearts of people suffering because of love, but it does not mean that her own romantic life is easier to deal with. Together they fall in love and have to navigate the really troubled times of the end of Qing Dynasty.

Why I wish I could see it : If you are familiar with Liu Yifei and Jing Boran acting I'm sure you can see the potential of this pairing ??? Just the poster has more on screen chemistry than some pairings have in 40 episodes. At this point the plot could be written by a cat walking on a keyboard and I would still have hope for a good chemistry. Also the drama has Liu Mintao in a supporting role and I am in love with her so it's a plus.

Why I am not seeing it any time soon : First, there are some copyright issues with the original manhwa author. Second, the second male lead, Zhao Lixin, got more or less canceled a few years back for political reasons (sorry I don't have the details).

Can we have some hope ? : I would say maybe a little. Copyright issues can be solved and I've heard that Zhao Lixin is still shooting in dramas, meaning that there is hope for some of his stuff still being released.

That's all <3

Sorry for depressing information maybe ? Next time I promise I will make a post about dramas I am looking forward to and that are likely to be released sooner or later. 

[rainbowsky]

hi Rbs,

there is a conspiracy theory going around on twitter that GG is reported for tax evasion, is it true?

Actually, it's worse than that. 😔

Both GG and DD have been reported.

HOWEVER. The reports are clearly fishing expeditions, maliciously submitted by anti-fans. To be clear: There is no credible information that either GG or DD is involved in any wrongdoing.

The initial report was done against GG by a DD fan, and in retaliation, someone reported DD using the same methods.

The reports are general and vague, saying basically, "This guy has made so much money, he's got so many endorsements, surely somewhere along the way he's cheating on his taxes." In essence, they're calling on the government to audit GG and DD.

The way things work in China, anyone can make a report and the government encourages people to report each other. It's pretty toxic and awful, to be honest.

Reports done anonymously tend not to be taken as seriously as reports that are accompanied by the real name and ID of the person making the report. In the case of Song Zuer who was recently reported, she was reported by someone connected to her company, which lends more credibility to the allegations because it's possible that person was close enough to her operations to have potentially witnessed some wrongdoing.

The other reason that 'real name' reports are taken more seriously is that if someone makes a baseless report they can be sued for 'reputation damage' by the person or company that was reported. Therefore the thinking is, "No one would make a real name report unless they were sure there was wrongdoing."

In this case, both the reports against GG and DD were 'real name' reports, so theoretically GG and DD could sue the people who reported them if it turns out that the reports were false or malicious.

But now we get to the deeper issue - why the reports were made in the first place.

People make reports like this in hopes that the rumors, negative publicity and speculation will kill the target's career.

In China - especially with the economic struggles burdening ordinary people - any 'rich celebrity' thought to have been evading taxes is massively hated by the general public. Brands and backers will step away from that star in order to avoid risk.

And there doesn't have to be any clear evidence of wrongdoing for that backlash to happen. Song Zuer's case hasn't been concluded (and therefore nothing has been proved against her) yet she's already dealing with fallout from the report against her.

And that, in truth, is why it's safe for these assholes to make false, baseless reports against GG and DD. Because they know neither of them is likely to sue. Both GG and DD are going to want to avoid the negative publicity and speculation about them, so there are not likely to be any consequences for these antis. Not unless serious reputational damage occurs, in which case the damage will have already been done and the anti's mission will have already been accomplished.

Can this harm GG and DD?

Yes, it absolutely can. In a couple of different ways:

1] The rumors alone could seriously harm them

If the story starts gaining traction, even on the basis of these obviously false, ridiculous reports, any public buzz about GG and DD evading taxes could be enough to seriously damage and even destroy their careers.

This doesn't seem likely, though, because the reports are obvious bullshit. In the case of Song Zuer, the report involved detailed allegations from someone who had worked for/with her. In both GG and DD's reports, the information is vague and generalized, and the reports come from obvious antis.

The story hasn't been getting a lot of attention and will hopefully blow over.

2] An audit could put them at risk

Because they are 'real name' reports, the government might decide to take them seriously and audit GG and DD's business and financial dealings. And because of the likely volume of transactions, vendors, partners, contracts, etc. and because of the way business is done in China, it's possible an error or violation could be found.

If a thorough audit of every aspect of their dealings is conducted, they and everyone working for/with them will need to have had a totally immaculate record of every transaction and every receipt, the phrasing of every contract must be absolutely perfect, the math on every transaction will have to have been perfect, etc. in order for them to be in the clear.

Even if GG and DD and those closest to them are incredibly diligent and aboveboard on everything they do, it's possible that someone connected to them let something slide or failed to follow correct procedures somewhere along the way. If that happens, they could end up on the hook for something they were unaware of and didn't directly sign off on.

GG and DD and those they've worked with will need to have never made any mistakes or slacked off on anything ever in order for them to be totally safe. It might be impossible for that to be true for even the most upright and diligent of people.

And there is financial incentive for auditors to find even small errors, because that can mean huge fines - aka huge revenue - for a government that is currently strapped for cash.

Even a relatively minor violation or error of this sort could potentially seriously harm GG and DD's careers and reputations. The public isn't going to care that a transaction was incorrectly recorded or filed by accident or because of an error or misunderstanding. All they're going to hear is "So-and-so fined for 'irregular transactions'" or whatever, and they're going to assume the worst.

Brands and backers are increasingly risk-averse, and will step away from any artist who is involved in any type of scandal or is unpopular with the public.

Final thoughts

So yeah, this is really fucked up. This is yet another example of why fan wars are so fucked up - why fan culture is so fucked up. If you've heard me ranting about how much I hate fan culture and you've ever wondered why, look no further.

At this point I am not worried, nor do I think you should be. These are clearly malicious reports aimed at harming them, and we have to trust GG and DD and trust the system to sort it out.

Both GG and DD are in the government's good books right now, which they wouldn't be if they hadn't been thoroughly vetted by the powers that be. In my view, it's highly unlikely this will lead to any lasting harm.

I hope that the government will do something to change the way these reports are handled to make it less likely for them to be used in such frivolous, malicious ways. However, I won't be holding my breath on that. A core principle of reporting culture is to make it as easy and risk-free as possible for people to report others.

One thing we can be sure of is that GG and DD and their teams have put a lot of resources, preparation and thought into how to handle these types of situations, and will be bringing all their expertise to bear on it in the coming days and weeks.

So, Anon, let's just trust GG and DD's teams to handle things. I think it's all going to be fine.

[decrescendo]

Subbed: Created in China (upcoming Daylight Ent drama) - Dragonboat Festival Special (Zhang Xincheng, Song Zu'er, Wang Yanlin)

[highlightshow]