“Serenade of Peaceful Joy” Changes Title Because of Allusion to Wuhan

These days, mainland dramas can be pulled right before broadcast and title changes can happen without notice. One example is the mainland historical drama, Serenade of Peaceful Joy <清平樂>, which was previously called Held in the Lonely Castle <孤城閉>. The title change occurred after rumors of the previous title insinuating that Wuhan is an isolated city came about.

Netizens also speculated that lead actor Wang Kai’s (王凱) Wuhan background fueled the name change, as it would appear ominous that a Wuhan native is acting in a drama with a title that referred to the city. On a discussion page, a netizen also revealed that a TV drama editor said the new title was not reviewed by the National Radio and Television beforehand, and Held in the Lonely Castle significantly alluded to the virus situation in Wuhan.

Regardless of the title change, fans expressed their excitement for the drama’s broadcast. One said, “It doesn’t matter if the name is changed, as long as there is an official air date.”

Serenade of Peaceful Joy is an adaptation of a 2014 historical novel by Milan Lady. Set in the Northern Song dynasty, the drama follows the struggles of Emperor Renzong, as he attempts to maintain traditions and responsibilities by marrying off his precious daughter Princess Huirou. However, conflict arises when she falls in love with her eunuch Huaiji.

The series is produced by Daylight Entertainment, a company well-known for its high-quality historical projects such as Nirvana in Fire <琅琊榜> and The Story of Minglan <知否? 知否？應是綠肥紅瘦>. With such a company backing Serenade of Peaceful Joy, viewers have high hopes for the series. Fortunately, it’s off to a great start. Just two days after its premiere, the drama received great praise for its high-grade props, costumes, and make-up, Song dynasty appearances, and amazing dialogue.

This article was revised on April 14, 2020 at 10:29 a.m. to reflect the production company’s correct name of Daylight Entertainment. It was previously reported in the article that Daylight Entertainment is called Afternoon Sunshine.

Source: ETtoday

This article is written by Minna for JayneStars.com.