Untouchable Lovers 凤囚凰 is a Yu Zheng production adapted from the novel Feng Qiu Huang written by Tian Yi You Feng 天衣有风. Untouchable Lovers just doesn’t seem as cool, but it is what it is. Yu Zheng recently posted a summary of the entire drama and parts of it are surprisingly good, painting richly complex characters caught in a web of political intrigues and schemes.
I can’t say the same for the rest of the story, which devolve into a hot melodramatic mess. I heard that Yu Zheng changed the novel to the point that it’s almost unrecognizable, so I’m inclined to believe that the bad parts are probably more Yu Zheng than the novel itself (see English translation of novel at AsianHobbyist).
In AD 464, Liu Zi Ye became the emperor but he is violent and cruel. The biggest clan in jianghu sends a woman to impersonate the emperor’s sister Liu Chu Yu and take her place as the Princess. As Chu Yu (Guan Xiao Tong), she gallivants around male aristocrats and uses them to hasten the success of her mission to overthrow the tyrannical emperor. She meets Rong Zhi (Song Wei Long), a man who helps her, yet their relationship becomes more complicated than that.
All the red flags are actually heightening my interest rather than the opposite, I’m weird like that. The show’s Baidu page (aka Chinese wikipedia) still has a picture of Yang Rong like a sad reminder of what could have been. The bad hair also has netizens referring to it as a sewing machine on Guan Xiao Tong’s head.
And what’s up with all the wide angle shots? Few is good but not every single one. Even so, these are trivial matters compared to getting the cast and the story right and I hope that Guan Xiao Tong and Song Wei Long have got what it takes to make it work.
Release Date: January 14, 2018 Hunan TV, iQiYi (two episodes every Sunday and Monday at 10pm)
Rate your favorite c-dramas in 2018.
Sunny
I agree with what you said about the way this is shot. It sees like more thought was given to aesthetics than anything else. Every still I've seen of this drama looks so cold and sterile. Pretty but so staged and uncomfortable. And don't get me started on the ridiculous thing on the heroine's head
Unknown
Totally agree with you.
Melodysweetmusic177
the hair is horrible and i liked the original story more, i was yes another timetravel! but nope… tho i'm quite interested about this character who is gonna impersonate the princess but there goes my scene of her waking up with lots of men surrounding her on the bed and frekaing out and all those beautiful men of her harem xD
Anonymous
I have to say thank god for not casting Yang Rong. Because while her acting is good, I found her too old/mature for the current role. Plus the male lead is like 18yrs old, pairing him with her will just highlight how old she is. Guan Xiao Tong, while weak in acting, awkward at time, but serviceable, look young and pretty for the role. And even though she’s older than the male lead, you can’t tell! Yang Rong, I like her acting when she’s like evil, not so much when she plays the good guy.
So far, I enjoy the series, and song wulong is hot! Though just found out it’s produced by Yumama >_> gonna brace myself for a downward spiral! Though I already told myself as long as I get to stare on that pretty face of wulong, I can endure this lol
Anonymous
Does anyone know where I can see it with English subs?
tnguy
Song Wei Long as Rong Zhi is hot! Haven't read the novel so it's good I can go into this with an open mind. Currently up to episode 14 and enjoying it immensely!
Unknown
Where do u watch the epsiodes with eng subs?
Anonymous
I can't believe the male lead is 19 this year. He looks older than I am, even though I am older than him…
Anonymous
Does anybody know about the ending?? Cuz It's seems like gonna have a sad ending and I'm so sick of heartbreaking ending of Chinese dramas!
Unknown
I love this drama
Snowflower
Viki has it with English subs!
kitsense
Totally loved this drama. Song Wei Long was so good in it. Made the whole show! An odd casting choice for the Dowager Empress who looked way too young. Personally I would have swapped her with the actress who played LanRuo, since the Dowager was supposed to be a beauty and have some resemblance to SWL as his sister.
Unknown
OMG. great visual. but soooooooooo slow!!!