Fans Protest Casting Choices for Sister Drama of “Hidden Love”

As sweet youth romance Hidden Love <偷偷藏不住> starring Rosy Zhao Lusi (趙露思) and Chen Zheyuan (陳哲遠) garners fan excitement, fans are voicing displeasure over rumored casting choices for an upcoming sister production First Frost <難哄>!

Cai Xukun Unlikely to Take On Role?
A novel adaptation by the same bestselling author Zhu Yi (竹已), the drama is set to commence filming in March next year. Casting choices are said to include Cai Xukun (蔡徐坤), an established singer, dancer and actor and Esther Yu (虞書欣), who gained fame recently from dramas Beauty Between Fairy and Devil <蒼蘭訣> and A Romance of the Little Forest <兩個人的小森林>. Openly voicing their dissatisfaction, novel fans are doubtful about the said actors’ compatibility to portray the two leads. With Cai Xukun’s high popularity in China, some are unconvinced that he would take on the role as they believe the star’s focus is on music and variety programs.
Two other rumored casting choices include 23-year-old Zhai Xiaowen (翟瀟聞) who rose to fame with season two of idol reality show The Coming One <明日之子> and debuted as part of the music group R1SE, as well as 22-year-old actress Hu Lianxin (胡連馨), a star on the rise who is part of anticipated costume drama Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Yue Hong <狐妖小紅娘月紅篇> that also stars Yang Mi (楊冪).

Equally displeased with both groups of cast selections, fans are calling on a change of actors or a halt to production altogether so as not to ruin the classic, “don’t film if you can’t find the cast!” and “this is ridiculous”.

“Don’t Ruin a Classic”
First Frost centers on female lead Wen Yifan who ends up sharing the same roof with Sang Yan, a high-school classmate whom she once rejected, due to coincidences. Living as strangers under the same household, the nature of their relationship changes when Wen Yifan’s sleepwalking from her past family trauma worsens, and she finds herself awaking in Sang Yan’s bed one day.

The male lead of First Frost, Sang Yan is brother to Sang Zhi (Zhao Lusi) in Hidden Love; Sang Zhi’s long-time crush Duan Jiaxu is Sang Yan’s classmate. In Hidden Love, Sang Yan is unaware that Sang Zhi knows about her relationship, and the author would sometimes offer the reader Sang Yan’s perspective on the interactions between Sang Zhi and Duan Jiaxu. The popularity of Sang Yan’s character has fueled the success of First Frost, but also led to overwhelming fan interest in the novel-to-drama adaptation.

Source: Upmedia