Wallace Huo’s Performance in “The Journey of Flower” Gets Praise
Produced by Ciwen Media, the fantasy drama The Journey of Flower <花千骨> premiered on Hunan TV’s Diamond Theater broadcast on June 9, 2015, airing four episodes a week. It is is adapted from an online novel by Fresh Guoguo (fresh果果), who also co-wrote the series’ screenplay.
The Journey of Flower stars Wallace Huo (霍建华) as the calm and collective Bai Zihua, an immortal tasked to protect the magical realm of Changliu. After witnessing her kind heart and foreseeing her tragic future, Bai takes in Flower, portrayed by Zanilia Zhao (赵丽颖) as his disciple. Flower is also the world’s last remaining goddess and harbors a great disturbing power.
Fans of the novel are satisfied with the adaptation, praising Wallace Huo in particular. Fans remarked that Wallace’s ethereal appearance is suitable for Bai, a demigod with an aura of intense wisdom.
According to Wallace, Bai Zihua is one of the hardest roles of his career. The role is quite different from his character in the Qing Dynasty drama The Great Protector <镖门>, which is currently airing on HLJTV in the province of Heijongjiang. In The Great Protector, Wallace portrays the experienced leader of a professional safeguard agency.
Wallace said, “The role of Bai Zihua is really hard to do. He is very elegant and wise. He is too smart and unpredictable. He hides his emotions, and has an extremely high sense of propriety. It is the hardest I’ve come across in a role. And yet, he is also the role I want to do the most.”
The Journey of Flower airs on Hunan TV every Tuesdays and Wednesdays with two back-to-back episodes per day.
Source: QQ.com
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
Synopsis not quite accurate but anyway yeah yeah I agree!! Every character’s costume and looks in this series may range from OTT to understated but so far all looks exceptional. The actor playing Sha Qianmo is so pretty thanks to makeup so excellently applied. Their hair, men included is just beautiful. I don’t quite like Wallace’s costume only because the bottom is too short but the hair, that head gear thing, the performance, the acting, love them.
However the story is disturbing, the scenery for most part is cgi and cgi is god awful and the special effects and stunts are god awful like 10 years’ back. Which is a great pity. The colour doesn’t pop up as much as in pictures, not much stood out frankly in terms of visual when on TV or maybe it is just my computer screen.
But Wallace, up close and not one flaw on his perfect skin.
I love what I am seeing even if I don’t agree with the story or what the story is saying (hey it’s all fated man, fated, can’t fight fate man, fate wins man, bully young girl, ha!) but I am obsessed with it and am getting ready for the tragedy of it all.
I even did a post summary thing here with loads of picture
http://www.point2e.com/2015/06/o-journey-of-flower-hua-qiangu.html
and I am thinking Demons by Imagine Dragons is the song HQG will be singing to BZH. Fits perfectly.
P/s check my blog for some special special stuff but keep it quiet.
@funnlim By the way anyone knows the difference between Hunan TV person and one I see Sohu.com version? Hunan’s one is faster even if same episode whilst sohu is slower or rather it says uncut.
@funnlim Do you prefer White Painting or Durian City?
@elizabeth you mean the albino son who draws? Ha ha ok this is a loaded question. Shall need my blog to reply. Good question. But I want neither.
And why people say he is stiff? He is supposed to be stiff. He is immortal man. He is that sort of man,who will tell an orphaned child your dad deserved his death because he did a bad thing even if he was trying to save him only son. But yet he had more compassion for his own private brewing thunderstorm aka unlucky star aka hqg. I cant understand maybe he just likes cute girls.
@funnlim some of the Chinese forums have been very mean to Wallace, calling him Botox face and other bad tjings. I don’t think that they are even into this story when tjey ignore how BZH is.
BZH is aloof because in order to practise immortality, he had to renounce all emotions. How old is he when the story starts? Anyhow, he looks young due to his immortality but he could have lived unemotionally for years, trained to suppress his own desires for the good of the common peeps.
BZH is also distant to other girls but I think he has a soft spot for HQG because she is his fate hurdle. Whether he willingly or unwillingly acts on it, their fates are tied and she is his Achilles heel, just like he is hers.
I will keep an eye on your blog. I love your long posts.
@elizabeth Botox? Now that’s an insult when he doesn’t do botox. All naturale!
I understand the criticisms. He is emotionless. I posted a series of pictures in the same scene, same facial expression. That being said I can’t quite imagine BZH going like “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY” that sort of way. Like you said, he is an immortal, years of cultivation and reached a state of errrr tranquility? I mean he is a serious man. Look at his response to the boy. He is a harsh man. So he is emotionless. Remember the emperor Li Shi Min in Fan Bing Bing’s series? His expression never quite move an inch but his eyes conveyed it all and nobody says that’s bad acting. Or botox. Nope. Same sort of character arc for BZH as per the emperor except yes Wallace is not a great actor but give him credit, he said enough with his eyes and pursed lips.
But I am surprised no one noticed his two flaws;
1. he still shakes his head a lot but at least more restraint here and he is more rigid which I like. And wallace is not a very emotional man anyway.
2. the way he walks is not consistent. Sometimes heavy like old and ancient or whatever and sometimes too happy strut, move too much. He doesn’t have that regal elegant eloquent walk which I expect from a guy like BZH. I expect the Kong Wah ancient character strut, one step at a time, every step full of meaning and purpose and story to tell. Now THAT is a fair criticism in my mind.
So far Wallace is beautiful. He fits the role as super serious sifu. Can a better actor do better? Yes, those CCTV actors will give BZH gravitas except they don’t have the youth or looks. Wallace have the looks.
So whoever is saying he is botox or whatever, well they don’t know what they’re saying. And wait till there’s tragedy, he will go crying A LOT.
@funnlim Apart from a lot of beautiful blood vomiting scenes and crying scenes, Wallace will also tackle some madness scenes as seen in the trailer. So I guess we are just waiting for character and plot development.
As far as the nine eps I have seen, Wallace is doing fine as the top immortal. I cannot picture anyone else playing BZH: considering looks, age and air. Yan Yi Kuan comes close and he looked great as Wang Chongyang, who was a stern, reserved sifu guy as well, but I find Wallace’s soft features more peaceful and immortal like whereas YK eyes are too piercing.
Anyhow, I just wish people will stop picking bones out of an egg and enjoy the series. It looks like a more balaced and consistent series tban any other chinnese series that I have seen recently. Enjoy it while it lasts, Wallace says he is tired of ancient roles and will reject them unless he gets a good script. Sounds like he wants to act or produce modern series for the next few years.
@elizabeth Viewers can pick any bones they want. After all some criticisms are valid. As for Wallace rejecting ancient series, if it is a good script he will say yes. Pester him enough he will say yes.
@funnlim True true. Ruby had to ask three times before he agreed to take on Durian City.
@elizabeth That was because he was waiting for the CCTV hospital drama to begin and that series didn’t have a start date.
@funnlim Wallace seems like a private guy who just wants to go out for dinner undisturbed and sit at home to watch TV by himself. He sounded really stressed and tired (he even cried mid interview) so I believe he will take on less roles nowadays. Frankly, he has the wealth and popularity to choose now and I prefer him to act only in what he wants (even if not my fav ancient roles) if it makes him that unhappy.
@elizabeth He mentioned before he loved acting. What he hates is the publicity and he cried because he got really frustrated over the rumours and gossips which he implies is driving away what little friends he has. Nothing to do with the work. He loves his work. I was surprised he cried, I suppose all those prostitution rumour, one night stand, dating xx xx xx xx and xx xx xx xx got to him. He also has very few close friends, is far away from home and is in a job he loves that comes with the perks that he sees as burden. He really should lighten up, that’s all I can say.
Do remember this is the same guy who packed his bags at the height of his fame in Taiwan where he could have been a bona fide idol actor to go somewhere and be sorta anonymous just to learn the trade and get away from all the attention. Wasn’t as anonymous but lesser invasion. However I am sorry to say, I don’t really pity him in that sense nor does he wants pity. He wants to be left alone and for the better part his fans do leave him alone and so these days he seems a tad more relaxed and could do more PR stuff.
@funnlim Ahhh yes that interview he also reprimanded his fans in a way but fans being fans thought he was being cute and serious but I see it as a reprimand. He is right but fans are right too. They have expectations, he has his own idea. He is his own man. Doesn’t really need to count one at a time why he is so frustrated but I do get his meaning. I just feel he really really should lighten up a bit more. Like you say, he earns enough to do whatever he wants. But an actor can truly do whatever he wants when he has the clout. I think he is gaining on that but to have that clout he has to be so very famous and to be so very famous he has to do what the public wants to see him in.
@elizabeth actually can bai zihua also mean blank canvas?
@funnlim I guess so. O(o^…^o)o
I am actually fine with this series. With the fantasy xianxia genre, you cannot avoid CGI and fake looking scenery but at least it is not irritating like in “Detectives & Doctors” or the recent version of “The Four” where there is too much bright colours that they hurt the eyes and even the low level people move so fast that they blur.
I am quite happy with the fights so far. I prefer the hand-to-hand stuff anyway. I like all the costumes and hairstyles. Nothing is outrageously out of place or modern at this point. The acting and chemistry is good so far.The pacing is smooth.
I love the worm. So cute and full of personality.
I think Wallace’s main challenge is that Bai Zi Hua is a very reserved man. He is so good at hiding his emotions that Wallace cannot use too much facial expression to say what the character feels. People say that he is stiff but that is probably how ancient teachers behave, always proper and strict to show the younger generation their place. I think Wallace is doing a good job so far. I look forward to the more conflicted episodes coming up.
I have got hit with second lead syndrome again. I like Dong Fang Yu Qing so much even though I have already guessed who he is. Too bad HQG only loves BZH.
@elizabeth I also know the spoiler and frankly I don’t get why fans like him. He is the catalyst to all the tragedy. He basically made this meeting and continued relationship happen. I like sha qianmo more.
@funnlim hi. You’re talking about DFYQ right? I have a weak spot for tragic villains. I think he is selfish to do what he did but I don’t think he was 100% fake. He did realise it until it was too late and he sacrificed a lot to redeem himself. I soet of know what happens but not the details so maybe I might hate him by EP 35 when I see the whole story. But right now, I find him likeable.
@elizabeth SPOILERS!!
When I knew the full story or as full as I can find, I stop liking him. At least BZH had no agenda in fact he should be avoiding her.
Same goes for Sha Qianmo, perhaps like the emperor to be, he is as innocent in his purpose with HQG as we can expect.
So now I don’t like DFYG. In the end he pushed open the gate and let the suffering come in. But of course the real perpertrator is the writer who equates sacrifice and suffering as true love.
Frankly I still don’t get HQG is suffering and having to suffer so much. It doesn’t make any sense except to push her to BZH. I’d rather she was an evil demon from her past live born to be evil but is in fact a good person. When I read she was some last god who saved humanity and then died, I thought good deeds really don’t get repaid eh?
Even the love story is like fated. They are meant to suffer one another and I hope not to the point of hating one another and wishing never to have met one another. Well, blame DFYQ. He started it all. Wouldn’t it be a happy ending if she fell for the prince and just marry him? The end.
@funnlim SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
I know what happens at the end but no details. Not sure about DFYQ now.
However, I read that someone’s final curse has a hidden meaning, the words are just a cover to protect the other. Its love and regret, but not hate.
But I get the impression that Mo Bing and BZH are two different people in the novel? In the series, didn’t the Mo Bing and HQG meet coincidentally before the manipulation began? So did human intervention really cause their fate or was it to happen anyway? I don’t get the reincarnation thing either. Lets see if this series will give us some answers.
BTW, I just read your blog, monsters don’t chase after HQG despite her scent as they are kept out by the invisible magic barrier around Shu Shan and Chang Liu. Lower level evils cannot get through. HZG has not really explored beyond those barriers without BZH or SQM or the sword hanging around so I guess ths monsters keep away.
@elizabeth not sure abt the book but in series yes same person, yeah I suspect the same hidden meaning.
@elizabeth it is a fantasy drama unfortunately the effects is old. The kung fu uninspired.
@funnlim I don’t think we will ever see the same level of CGIs from Hollywood in Chinese series. But I thought I saw an Orc somewhere in the forest in EP 1. Hey, I watched Chen kun’s Zhong Kui and I saw Diablo! Chinese CGIs are weird and I have low expectations after watching Yu Zheng series.
@elizabeth Forget about substandard Yu Zheng series. It’s the budget. I cringed at the effects. if this is marketed to outside China, I mean even in China it is terrible more so out there. Spend a bit more money on effect. In fact TVB’s look better.
#WallaceGorgeousHDTVHuo #Blankcanvas #Duriancity
#AlbinoSonWhoDraws #FlowerThousandBones #Tragedrametears
Jayne, why is this article under Hot Gossip? It is news. No gossip in here.