Chinese drama: Tender Light 微暗之火 - alt TV ending

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

Tender Light aired it's final episode on CCTV8 on the 11th May after SVIP viewers on Youku watched an advance release one day before.  The conclusion of the Youku version was almost universally panned by fans and it's not hard to see why.

VIEW ALT ENDING BELOW ~~~ SPOILER WARNING!!!!

(23rd May 2024 small edit to correct the pinyin of Nanya to Nan Ya)

The conclusion of the international version of Youku is likely to be the same as the one viewed by the SVIP viewers. After crafting an epic love story between Nan Ya and Zhou Luo over 28 episodes, the narrative abruptly shifts to Qingli at the end of the series. This sudden shift was jarring for many viewers, as it lacked the emotional closure viewers were anticipating.

The disappointment was compounded by the fact that the incredibly talented Tong Yao and Zhang Xincheng convincingly portrayed one of the most unforgettable on-screen relationships I’ve seen in a Chinese drama. It’s remarkable how these actors managed to captivate us. Lesser actors might not have been able to make us care as deeply about these characters, given the narrative style and limited screen time.

Some netizens on Weibo attributed this unhappiness to the inability of some viewers to accept a 'realistic' ending, However, this isn't entirely accurate. While some viewers would have preferred Nan Ya and Zhou Luo to escape, others felt it was reasonable that they didn't evade consequences, given their tampering with evidence and obstruction of police investigations. I'm one of them because I also believe that the truth would set them free.

Tender Light has been a bold series from the start, experimenting with different storytelling methods and I loved it. However, I'm convinced that this particular narrative decision about the ending did not work. While it's commendable to attempt something different, there was no foreshadowing at all. Ending a series with such an unexpected twist, especially without any prior indication of romantic interest from Zhou Luo, is perplexing for viewers. It felt like a departure from the narrative that had been carefully constructed throughout the series. This is a rare misstep for the series, but significant enough for me to write a post about it immediately after finishing the series.

The Youku ending unjustly imprisoned Nan Ya for six years for a crime she didn't commit. It took six years for technology to advance enough for Lin Fanglu to repair the cassette tape and gather the evidence needed to prove Nan Ya's innocence. It was actually Xu Yi who stabbed himself while Nan Ya tried to stop him. Considering the multiple abuses Nan Ya had already endured, this wrongful six-year imprisonment and her separation from her child felt profoundly  unjust. After all this, one wonders if there is any justice in the world. And why is Lin Fanglu now the hero? This ending made it seem like it was his six-year perseverance that saved her from a ten-year imprisonment, a fact that most viewers will likely find unacceptable.

Although I don’t usually do this, I sought out the CCTV8 TV version of the series ending, which seemed more logical. In this version, after Lin Fanglu shares his tragic backstory, he questions why Nan Ya and Zhou Luo couldn’t have placed more trust in the law. Frankly, I believe this is a question he should pose to the police, as Nan Ya had sought help not only for the physical abuse inflicted by Xu Yi but also for marital rape, and the police failed to assist her. But I digress. Returning to the TV ending, Old Chen makes a significant statement following Lin Fanglu’s question. He asserts that without their investigation, who would have uncovered all that Nan Ya endured and the slander she faced. We then see that it takes them only two days to repair the tape. Nan Ya is sentenced to two years in prison for Intentional Assault, while Zhou Luo serves ten months, and the others receive the same prison terms as in the Youku version of the ending.

Thankfully, they also eliminated all the unnecessary scenes of Qingli, and Zhou Luo doesn’t open an internet cafe at the same location as Nan Ya’s old clothing shop. Instead, we cut directly to the four youths riding their bikes. Qingli stops to ask Zhou Luo why he likes Physics, the same question he was asked in the Youku ending. But in the Youku version, Qingli also asks a second question: does he believe in the future? In the TV version, this changes to: does he believe in fate? Zhou Luo essentially says the same thing, except that this time the word ‘future’ has been switched to ‘fate’. Zhou Luo then rides off, leaving Qingli behind, but as he rides towards the camera, it dissolves to a shot of Nan Ya walking in the rapeseed fields. The Youku version ends with Qingli riding her bike and then fading out.

This is so much better! While it may not be the ending we all desired, and some of us might have wanted a more concrete resolution or perhaps more justice for Nan Ya, at the very least it doesn’t seem to be making a mockery of the first 27 and 2/3 episodes we had just watched.  And in this version, with that dissolve, it seems to suggest that Zhou Luo is riding his bike towards Nan Ya, which is a more satisfying way to end the series.

I've uploaded it here.  It's not subtitled in English and I don't have time to do hard-subs but I think the description I gave in the above paragraphs and the English subtitles on the Youku version will probably be enough.

source: Weibo and CCTV8 

I have written a review for the series, if you wish to read it, click me. 

If you wish to check out the other articles related to this title please click me.

If you wish to check out my Tong Yao guide, please click me.