Chinese drama: Tender Light 微暗之火 - write up

#TongYao #童瑶 #微暗之火 #TenderLight #ZhangXincheng #张新成 ​​​#cdrama

Finally after a two year wait, it looks like this series will be released very soon.  I've already written a write-up previously on Gone with the Wind, so I don't really want to revisit old material.  If you wish to read that and other related posts please visit this link (CLICK ME). 

The new poster for the drama has also included the photos of the support characters in this series.  To be honest, I prefer the previous poster because it was less crowded.

This is yet another well-edited trailer for the series. The first trailer already showcased a level of physicality that is unusual in recent Chinese dramas. However, the second trailer and key visuals make it abundantly clear that the violence Nan Ya faces comes from all around her. I’m glad they didn’t shy away from showing it. This was one of my main criticisms of The Confidence (阳光之下), which I enjoyed to some extent, mainly because the leads had a lot of chemistry, not necessarily because it was a great drama. While I don’t enjoy gratuitous violence or sex on screen, when it’s necessary, I believe it should be depicted properly. The problem with The Confidence was that you never get the sense that the female lead was ever in any real danger. However, in Gone with the Wind’s new trailer and visuals, the lead characters’ desperation is quickly apparent. Nan Ya’s situation is so dire that Zhou Luo, who is enamored with her, is desperate to save her. You can easily and quickly empathize with their plight just from the trailer alone.

source: Gone with the Wind official Weibo

The first trailer portrayed Nan Ya as a more enigmatic character, primarily focusing on Zhou Luo and the story he wants to tell. However, the second trailer shifts the focus to Nan Ya, providing more details about her character and motivations, which in turn makes her a more sympathetic character. While little was known about Nan Ya from the first trailer, her defiance is palpable in the second trailer when she says, ‘为什么我只能活在阴暗的角落里。 这难道公平吗?’ (Why must I only live in a dark corner? Is this fair?)

The sexual tension between the two leads is as electrifying as in the first trailer.  Music and sound design is once again used very effectively in this second trailer and if you listen carefully to it, you can heard a female voice singing "save me" several times in the later half of the trailer.

Although, I don't consider myself a Zhang Xincheng fan, I have a very good impression of him especially from The Justice (光芒).  Tong Yao and him also have a lot of chemistry from what I have observed from the trailers and the Vogue short film that they worked on together. 

The official Weibo page has released a behind-the-scenes video featuring Tong Yao and Dean Liu Junxia, who portrays Nan Ya’s husband, Xu Yi, in the series. 

source

The scene is as raw and brutal as it needs to be, underscoring the creators’ commitment to portraying the harsh reality of the situation. This approach harks back to an older series, Don’t Respond to Strangers (不要和陌生人说话), which also tackled domestic violence and didn’t hold back from a realistic portrayal. I firmly believe this is the right approach. Domestic violence is a brutal reality, and its portrayal in many Chinese dramas often falls short, rendering it too tame. A realistic depiction of violence in a TV drama about domestic violence isn’t necessarily gratuitous, provided it doesn’t cross into excess. It serves a purpose beyond mere shock value. It can help shed light on the severity and prevalence of the issue, potentially fostering greater understanding and empathy among viewers.            

So although this drama isn't a social drama about domestic violence and is actually a suspense drama.  Still I'm so glad it doesn't seem to be going down the route that The Confidence and similar dramas have gone.

Currently, I don't believe a hard release date has been announced but it should be very soon and I can't wait.  However, I do have one concern.  It's possible that they intended to release this last year when there was a flurry of activity but it got delayed because of the notoriously fickle and often too conservative Chinese censors.  Since this is based on a Jue Xuexi novel, parts of it might not sit well with the censors.  I'm hoping this did not mess up this drama and it's ending.  Fingers crossed.

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