Shining Days releases opening theme – Wake Up Love by Peter Ho

I think I have dramas lined up until the end of the year already, with Shining Days (Cui Can Ren Sheng / 璀璨人生) releasing after Flowers in Fog (花非花雾非雾). I’m not sure of the exact date since I’ve been seeing conflicting news, but it could be late August to mid September? Originally slated at a whooping 57 episodes, Hunan TV might trim it down to around 50. I’m scared.

Story Outline: Yu Fei (Li Qin) is strong-willed but kind girl living an average life. She meets and becomes close friends with the rich, proud Ye Lin (Kan Qing Zi). By accident, Ye Lin discovers her fiancee Zhang He Fan (Peter Ho) is actually in love with Yu Fei. It was because when He Fan was a child, Yu Fei rescued him from some robbers. From then on, He Fan could not forget Yu Fei.

 

Ye Lin, who never admits defeat blames everything on Yu Fei. She decides to use Yu Fei’s childhood sweetheart / boyfriend Xia Yu Yang (Michael Zhang) to seek revenge. It is also revealed Yu Fei and Ye Lin are actually stepsisters who share the same father. Several years ago, to seek revenge on the woman who broke up her marriage, Yu Fei’s mother switched Yu Fei and Ye Lin when they were infants. Knowing the truth Yu Fei didn’t want to hurt Ye Lin even more since it was not her fault, but Ye Lin could not accept losing her love and her family at the same time. She decided she will never give up her ‘shining life’ to Yu Fei!

I’m normally quite allergic to this kind of storyline (like seriously? sisters swapped at birth? revenge? some more revenge extended from the previous generation?) but hey – not only does it have Peter Ho looking rather dashing, it also stars Michael Zhang Xun Jie! Even though Michael has been steadily doing dramas in Taiwan (mostly recently the daily ‘A Hint of You’) I haven’t seen his dramas since 2006’s White Robe of Love, when I liked him more than Dylan Kuo’s main character. So it would be good to watch him again, he does look kind of different now though…?

Shining Days not only stars beautiful people, it was also partly filmed in Switzerland. They also used the styling teams from Elle and Harpers Bazaar, so expect glamorous outfits and breathtaking scenery! The theme song sung by Peter Ho – Wake Up Love (Jiao Xing Ai / 叫醒愛) was released yesterday and I rather like it. Maybe it’s because the MV only concentrates on the relationships and not so much on the family struggles aspect. Looks like a lot of kissing scenes though!

Wake Up Love’s music was written by Chen Wei Chun, who has penned many well known songs including idol drama themes such as Della Ding’s I love him (Autumn’ Concerto) and Rainie Yang’s We’re both foolish (Drunken to love you).  This one might seem a little generic, but a good song nonetheless.

  And finally, a pic for the Peter Ho fangirls. 😀