Crystal Liu’s “The Love of Hynopsis” Hopes to Air
Nicknamed Fairy Sister, Crystal Liu‘s (劉亦菲) popularity is at an all-time high with the success of three dramas A Dream of Splendor <夢華錄>, Meet Yourself <去有風的地方> and The Tale of Rose <玫瑰的故事>.
Endless Waiting by Fans
Completed way back in the year 2020, Crystal’s suspense drama The Love of Hypnosis <一曲三笙> has been shelved due to supporting male actor Zhao Lixin‘s (趙立新) inappropriate speech which triggered the Chinese authorities. Recently, news emerged that the 77-episode drama has been cut to 55 episodes and might get the green light to greet viewers this year!
Adopted from a youth manhwa, The Love of Hypnosis tells the tale of a memorable Republican era love story, where Crystal plays the female lead with dual personalities – genteel and demure by the day, but with a maniacal personality kicking in once night falls, evoking fervent viewer anticipation of Crystal’s portrayal of the challenging role, as well as her chemistry with male lead Jing Boran (井柏然) in a powerhouse pairing.
After supporting male lead Zhao Lixin expressed controversial views on his Weibo, he was suspected of defending the Japanese side and classified as a tainted artiste, causing the drama to remain unreleased for as long as four years. Winning Best Male Supporting Lead in 29th Shanghai Television Festival for his role in espionage drama In the Silence <於無聲處>, Zhao Lixin also appeared in other works such as The Legend of Mi Yue <羋月傳> and Noble Aspirations <青雲志>, but appears to have thwarted his own acting career future with his speech.
Cutting 22 Episodes with AI-supported Reshoot
Hoping to leverage on Crystal Liu’s high popularity and Jing Boran’s recent exposure with the drama Regeneration <新生>, the production unit of forked out extra budget and used AI to reshoot certain scenes, reworking the drama with post-production , hoping to pass the censors’ cut. Along with resubmission, news leaked that refilming has been completed with the original 77 episodes condensed to just 55, likely to cut out Zhao Lixin’s parts in the drama, with hopes for the production to be aired this year.
Despite it being four years since it was shot, fans and viewers remain confident in Jing Boran and Crystal’s abilities to helm the drama although they expect flaws in the presentation of the reworked drama. Shot when she was 30, Crystal’s styling in Republican-era traditional attire in The Love of Hynopsis also hails another highlight for fans and audiences.
Source: Upmedia
