Friday, 3 November 2017

The Story of MingLan

Drama: The Story of MingLan
Chinese Title: 知否知否应是绿肥红瘦 / Zhi Fou Zhi Fou Ying Shi Lu Fei Hong Shou
Broadcast Network: Hunan TV
Broadcast Website: iQIYI, Tencent, Youku

Broadcast Period: December 25, 2018 - February 13, 2019

Air Time: Daily Primetime Drama 19:30 (two episodes), episodes online 22:00 (members) 24:00 (non-members) (See Viewing Calendar)
Genre: Family, Historical, Romance
Language: Mandarin
Episodes: 73 (DVD), 78 (TV)
Director: Zhang Kaizhou
Screenwriter: Zeng Lu, Wu Tong
Production Company: Daylight Entertainment
Production Date: 2017
Producer: Hou Hongliang
Origin: China
Source: Based on the novel Legend of Concubine’s Daughter Minglan by Guan Xin Ze Luan
Watch Episodes On: Viki (eng subs), Youtube (eng subs)

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Synopsis and Plot Summary

A story of love and family told through the life of a concubine's daughter from a prominent household in the Northern Song Dynasty. It follows her struggles as a young woman in an antiquated era and her colorful journey to become the mother of a household.

Minglan (Zhao Liying) is the 6th daughter of the Sheng Family. She has always been intelligent and beautiful. However, she leads a difficult life due to a stepmother who is unkind, sisters who treat her poorly and a father who does not favor her. Following her mother's death, she learns to hide her true colors in order to stay unnoticed as she thrives in the unloving household, gather strength to avenge her mother. Minglan meets Gu Tingye (Feng Shaofeng), the second young master of Ning Yuan Hou. Gu Tingye has helped Minglan before but he has also mistreated her in the past. He is able to see the sharpness that she hides beneath her gentle exterior and also the loneliness beneath her strong resolve. As Gu Tingye climbs the ranks in the imperial court, he plots to make Minglan his wife.

Ending Spoilers

Show

Fun Facts

Filming lasted 208 days beginning on September 6, 2017 and ending on April 1, 2018.
Filming took place in Hengdian World Studios, Jiaxing, Xinchang and Wuxi.
The number of episodes was changed from 70 to 76.
The two screenwriters and Director Zhang Kaizhou worked together in Battle of Changsha.
Confirming the rumors that they were dating, Zhao Liying and Feng Shaofeng made an announcement on Zhao Liying's birthday on October 16, 2018 to say that they have gotten married.
Before Feng Shaofeng was officially announced as the lead, the author Guan Xin Ze Luan had dropped hints about his casting. She later said that she guessed it herself.
Based on the viewing calendar, final episode count is 73.
The time travel from the original novel was removed as there are restrictions on the subject matter on Chinese television.
Although it is Zhao Liying and Feng Shaofeng's 6th time working together, they only had more scenes together in The Monkey King 3 and The Story of MingLan.
The crew used candles as lighting while filming.
Filming style was similar to a stage play as the actors act out their scenes from beginning to end.
A week after the premiere on Christmas Day, Feng Shaofeng and Zhao Liying announced on New Year's Day that they are expecting a child.
It is Zhang Kaizhou's first historical drama that .
Hunan TV received flak for making edits to existing episodes in order to extend the drama series to 78 eps. As a result, The Story of Minglan had only 20 minutes of air time on some nights. The finale was also split into two parts that aired on Feb 12 and Feb 13. It was made to coincide with the premiere of Unbeatable You on Feb 12.

Cast

	Zanilia Zhao Liying as Sheng Minglan
	Liu Mengtian as Sheng Minglan (Young)
	William Feng Shaofeng as Gu Tingye
	Bian Tianyang as Gu Tingye (Young)
	Zhu Yilong as Qi Heng
	Karlina Zhang Jianing as Sheng Rulan
	Liu Jun as Sheng Hong
	Gao Lu as Lin Qinshuang
	Wang Renjun as Sheng Changbo
	Wang Yinan as Xiao Qinshi
	Li Yixiao as Zhu Manniang
	Kira Shi Shi as Sheng Molan
	Tao Yixi as Sheng Molan (Young)
	Cao Cuifen as Sheng Lao Nai Nai

Supporting Cast

Rain Wang Herun as Sheng Hualan
Liu Lin as Wang Ruofu
Zhang Xiaoqian as Sheng Changfeng
Han Ye as Dan Ju
Chen Jin as Princess Ping Ning
Li Hongtao as Gu Yankai
Gao Zifeng as Gu Tingyu
Kang Qunzhi as Chang Momo
Ma Ding as Zhou Xueniang
Deng Sha as Yu Yanran
Liu Xiyuan as Wei Xiaoniang (Sheng Minglan's mother)
Kristy Zhang Hanyun as Sheng Shulan
Wang Ziwei as Xiao Tao
Shen Chi as Shi Tou
Zhang Yanyan as Kang Yimu
Liu Yue as He Hongwen
Wu Xiaoyu as Zhang Guifen
Chen Yalan as Shen Shi

Soundtracks

Zhi Fou Zhi Fou (知否知否) by Hu Xia & Yu Ke Wei (胡夏&郁可唯)
Ru Meng Ling (如梦令) by Xu Yi Na (许艺娜)
Zhi Fou Zhi Fou (知否知否) by Zanilia Zhao Liying & William Feng Shaofeng (赵丽颖&冯绍峰)
Dang Ge (当歌) by Ye Xuan Qing (叶炫清)
Zhi Fou Zhi Fou Ying Shi Lu Fei Hong Shou Pian Tou Qu (知否知否应是绿肥红瘦片头曲) by Chun Yin Le (纯音乐)
Huan (换) by Jin Min Qi (金玟岐)
Zhi Wen Ni Ken Bu Ken (只问你肯不肯) by Hu Xia (胡夏)

Episode Ratings

Hunan TV
Date	Episode	CSM52/55 Cities (%)			CSM Nationwide (%)
Date	Episode	Ratings	Audience Share	Ranking	Ratings	Audience Share	Ranking
2018-12-25	1-2	0.608	2.389	9	0.590	2.470	4
2018-12-26	3-4	0.751	2.926	7	0.630	2.620	5
2018-12-27	5-6	0.710	2.709	8	0.650	2.680	3
2018-12-28	7-8	0.737	2.792	7	0.680	2.750	3
2018-12-29	9	0.549	1.841	6	0.610	2.040	3
2018-12-30	10	0.720	2.394	5	0.830	2.740	2
2019-01-01	11-12	0.932	3.241	4	0.810	3.080	2
2019-01-02	13-14	1.003	3.754	3	0.770	3.160	2
2019-01-03	15-16	0.981	3.673	3	0.880	3.560	2
2019-01-04	17	0.599	2.056	7	0.540	1.820	5
2019-01-05	18	0.662	2.253	6	0.710	2.370	2
2019-01-06	19-20	0.995	3.492	2	0.770	2.870	2
2019-01-07	21-22	1.146	4.186	2	0.870	3.390	2
2019-01-08	23-24	1.045	3.892	2	0.990	3.940	2
2019-01-09	25-26	1.102	4.059	3	0.920	3.510	2
2019-01-10	27-28	1.140	4.239	1	1.120	4.430	2
2019-01-11	29	0.715	2.508	5	0.750	2.620	2
2019-01-12	30	0.876	2.981	2	0.930	3.190	2
2019-01-13	31-32	1.211	4.381	1	1.140	4.340	2
2019-01-14	33-34	1.419	5.256	1	1.360	5.250	2
2019-01-15	35-36	1.536	5.630	1	1.520	5.900	1
2019-01-16	37-38	1.568	5.608	1	1.490	5.610	2
2019-01-17	39-40	1.552	5.705	1	1.430	5.480	2
2019-01-18	41	1.105	3.903	1	1.050	3.660	2
2019-01-19	42	1.251	4.269	1	1.330	4.640	2
2019-01-20	43-44	1.549	5.321	1	1.510	5.410	2
2019-01-21	45-46	1.803	6.604	1	1.680	6.370	1
2019-01-22	47-48	1.670	5.943	1	1.490	5.530	1
2019-01-23	49-50	1.739	6.323	1	1.690	6.420	1
2019-01-24	51-52	1.610	5.817	1	1.580	5.890	1
2019-01-25	53	0.864	3.068	5	0.870	3.070	2
2019-01-26	54	1.146	4.031	1	1.060	3.740	2
2019-01-27	55-56	1.505	5.317	1	1.430	5.220	1
2019-01-28	57-58	1.751	6.312	1	1.620	5.900	1
2019-01-30	59-60	1.791	6.423	1	1.670	6.120	1
2019-01-31	61-62	1.722	6.179	1	1.690	6.120	1
2019-02-01	63	0.985	3.542	2	0.920	3.410	1
2019-02-02	64	1.303	4.552	1	1.370	4.890	1
2019-02-03	65-66	1.689	5.811	1	1.680	5.870	1
2019-02-04	67	0.881	2.973	1	1.200	3.680	1
2019-02-06	68-69	1.395	5.515	1	1.460	5.720	1
2019-02-07	70-71	1.482	5.729	1	1.700	6.490	1
2019-02-08	72	1.224	4.509	1	1.340	4.960	1
2019-02-09	73	1.374	4.960	1	1.350	4.780	1
2019-02-10	74	1.426	4.988	1	1.420	4.910	1
2019-02-11	75-76	2.061	7.336	1	1.620	5.930	1
2019-02-12	77	2.252	7.495	1	1.990	6.680	1
2019-02-13	78	2.211	7.302	1	2.030	6.710	1
Average	1 - 78	1.257	4.504		1.203	4.415