spy war dramas were once one of the domestic drama types that attracted audiences the most.
started with "The Conspiracy" in 2006, and has continued to produce excellent films and TV dramas of this type.
"Insidious", "Before Dawn", " Cliff " have all triggered a viewing frenzy.
But since the conclusion of " Kite " in 2017, the light of the spy drama has gradually dimmed.
In 2021, there was a "Renegade" that passed the quality standard, but even so, it did not change the continued downturn in spy dramas. Many large-scale similar works after
were all overturned.
It wasn’t until CCTV’s “Storm Chaser” hit the airwaves this year that spy dramas finally regained their popularity.
This drama not only achieved good ratings and word-of-mouth success, but also brought fame and fortune to the leading actors including Wang Yibo , Wang Yang and Li Qin .
The popularity of "Storm Chaser" has finally made a strong comeback for domestic spy dramas.
Hunan Satellite TV saw the right opportunity and soon launched a blockbuster masterpiece of the same type.
It is "When the Stars Shine" starring Li Xian, Ren Min and Zhou You.
I would call it "Storm Chaser 2.0".
Because in many ways, both shows are similar.
First of all, innovation in type.
The decline of spy dramas is inseparable from the stylized narratives of such dramas, but the plot setting of "Storm Chaser" made many viewers shine.
Because it cleverly combines finance and espionage.
uses the growth process of a bank employee to touch the pulse of the times and then tells the story of the great changes in history.
"When the Stars Shine" also made innovations in narrative, but it intertwined espionage and criminal investigation.
opens with a murderous throat-cutting incident that happened in a hotel to draw out all the protagonists.
Hua Zhen, the son of the Deputy Minister of Military and Political Affairs played by Li Xian, travels from Nanjing to Shanghai under the entrustment of his mentor Deng Mingyuan.
sent a book to entrepreneur and philanthropist Meng Zongxian.
But when they arrived at the location, they found that Meng Zongxian, his wife and a friend had their throats cut to death in the hotel room.
Meng Duoci, the only daughter of the Meng family, escaped death because she went out to buy candy. When
came back, she bumped into the murderer. Just when the murderer was about to take her hostage, Hua Zhen came to the rescue in time.
After that, Meng Duoci, who was helpless, hired Hua Zhen for a month with 23 yuan and a ruby necklace.
asked him to help him find the murderer.
Therefore, Hua Zhen, who originally dreamed of joining the navy and becoming a captain, accidentally changed his name to Xiang Yuansheng and became a small policeman.
The following spy story unfolds as the murder case progresses.
The true identities of the characters in the play will also surface one by one as the case progresses.
The addition of criminal investigation elements makes the spy war theme, which is originally based on suspense, even more tense and exciting.
The ups and downs of Xiang Yuansheng’s fate after becoming a small character make the story more grounded and resonant.
This is why "When the Stars Shine" can firmly capture the audience's attention from the very beginning.
The second thing is the integration of the cast.
After the popularity of spy dramas, a large number of shoddy similar works appeared on the market.
Many creators feel that as long as they seize the bonus of the subject matter, they can produce hits with just a grassroots team.
But in fact, spy drama is a film and television genre that tests the acting skills of actors.
Because of the multi-faceted and complex character identity, actors must have good enough acting skills to control the role.
Therefore, those shoddy spy war dramas not only failed to become popular, but also affected the status of spy war dramas in the minds of the audience for a long time.
On the other hand, "Storm Chaser" and "When the Stars Shine" both put a lot of effort into their casts.
spy war dramas were once one of the domestic drama types that attracted audiences the most.
started with "The Conspiracy" in 2006, and has continued to produce excellent films and TV dramas of this type.
"Insidious", "Before Dawn", " Cliff " have all triggered a viewing frenzy.
But since the conclusion of " Kite " in 2017, the light of the spy drama has gradually dimmed.
In 2021, there was a "Renegade" that passed the quality standard, but even so, it did not change the continued downturn in spy dramas. Many large-scale similar works after
were all overturned.
It wasn’t until CCTV’s “Storm Chaser” hit the airwaves this year that spy dramas finally regained their popularity.
This drama not only achieved good ratings and word-of-mouth success, but also brought fame and fortune to the leading actors including Wang Yibo , Wang Yang and Li Qin .
The popularity of "Storm Chaser" has finally made a strong comeback for domestic spy dramas.
Hunan Satellite TV saw the right opportunity and soon launched a blockbuster masterpiece of the same type.
It is "When the Stars Shine" starring Li Xian, Ren Min and Zhou You.
I would call it "Storm Chaser 2.0".
Because in many ways, both shows are similar.
First of all, innovation in type.
The decline of spy dramas is inseparable from the stylized narratives of such dramas, but the plot setting of "Storm Chaser" made many viewers shine.
Because it cleverly combines finance and espionage.
uses the growth process of a bank employee to touch the pulse of the times and then tells the story of the great changes in history.
"When the Stars Shine" also made innovations in narrative, but it intertwined espionage and criminal investigation.
opens with a murderous throat-cutting incident that happened in a hotel to draw out all the protagonists.
Hua Zhen, the son of the Deputy Minister of Military and Political Affairs played by Li Xian, travels from Nanjing to Shanghai under the entrustment of his mentor Deng Mingyuan.
sent a book to entrepreneur and philanthropist Meng Zongxian.
But when they arrived at the location, they found that Meng Zongxian, his wife and a friend had their throats cut to death in the hotel room.
Meng Duoci, the only daughter of the Meng family, escaped death because she went out to buy candy. When
came back, she bumped into the murderer. Just when the murderer was about to take her hostage, Hua Zhen came to the rescue in time.
After that, Meng Duoci, who was helpless, hired Hua Zhen for a month with 23 yuan and a ruby necklace.
asked him to help him find the murderer.
Therefore, Hua Zhen, who originally dreamed of joining the navy and becoming a captain, accidentally changed his name to Xiang Yuansheng and became a small policeman.
The following spy story unfolds as the murder case progresses.
The true identities of the characters in the play will also surface one by one as the case progresses.
The addition of criminal investigation elements makes the spy war theme, which is originally based on suspense, even more tense and exciting.
The ups and downs of Xiang Yuansheng’s fate after becoming a small character make the story more grounded and resonant.
This is why "When the Stars Shine" can firmly capture the audience's attention from the very beginning.
The second thing is the integration of the cast.
After the popularity of spy dramas, a large number of shoddy similar works appeared on the market.
Many creators feel that as long as they seize the bonus of the subject matter, they can produce hits with just a grassroots team.
But in fact, spy drama is a film and television genre that tests the acting skills of actors.
Because of the multi-faceted and complex character identity, actors must have good enough acting skills to control the role.
Therefore, those shoddy spy war dramas not only failed to become popular, but also affected the status of spy war dramas in the minds of the audience for a long time.
On the other hand, "Storm Chaser" and "When the Stars Shine" both put a lot of effort into their casts.
pairs well-known traffic stars with talented actors, complementing each other's shortcomings and creating new sparks.
For example, Wang Yibo and Li Qin who debuted as idols.
achieved a transformation in his acting skills by playing against actors such as Wang Yang, Wang Xueqi and Yang Kun.
In "When the Stars Shine", both the new generation actors and the powerful actors also showed remarkable acting skills in the series.
The character played by Li Xian, his true identity is the noble son Hua Zhen.
disguises his identity as Xiang Yuansheng, a young police officer from a low-level background.
The two identities are very different, but Li Xian has accurately grasped the patriotic spirit that can make the two integrated.
Due to his military background and his unsmiling character, this character will be portrayed as an ice cube face if he is not careful.
But under Li Xian's interpretation, the audience can still feel the charm of the character.
There are two scenes that impressed me deeply. One is when Meng Duoci goes out to raise money. Hua Zhen is worried that she will have an accident, but he doesn't want her to discover his intentions.
So, after quietly following her, he entered the house before her.
On the surface, Hua Zhen, who was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, looked calm and composed, but if you listened carefully, you could detect his breathing.
This is a normal reaction that a person should have after running wildly, and it was accurately performed by Li Xian.
In another scene, Hua Zhen left cruelly but was worried about Meng Duoci's safety, and after much hesitation, he chose to come back.
At this time, she discovered that she was almost killed.
When he found Meng Duoci crying in tears in the laundry basket, Hua Zhen's first reaction was to reach out and touch her head.
Notice that the movements here are not completely natural, but rather stiff.
This hesitant action is the externalization of Hua Zhen's hesitant heart.
On the one hand, he wants to save this girl from danger, but on the other hand, he is worried that his choice will affect his family.
Such a complex psychological process was expressed by Li Xian with such tiny movements.
It can be seen that his understanding of the role is extremely thorough.
Therefore, I have a hunch that with the popularity of "When the Stars Shine", Li Xian is likely to reach a new level of popularity.
In addition to the above two points, "When the Stars Shine" has another similarity with "The Storm Chaser".
allows the characters to gradually discover their communist ideals as they continue to grow.
is different from most spy war dramas in that the protagonist is confirmed to be Miao Hong’s underground party identity from the very beginning.
The protagonists in both dramas were not staunch communists at first.
Wei Ruolai, played by Wang Yibo, initially just wanted to use his proficient financial knowledge to find a job in a bank to support his family.
Hua Zhen, played by Li Xian, originally dreamed of being in the navy and becoming a captain.
They have ideals but have nothing to do with communism. They were even blinded by the false reality and wanted to work for the Communist Party.
It was not until they discovered each other's true face that they resolutely transformed into a communist.
This kind of setting that gives the characters room to grow creates a confrontation between good and evil.
also prevents characters from falling into stereotyped narrative routines, making it easier for the audience to resonate.
As "Storm Chaser 2.0", we can find many charming places in "When the Stars Shine" that are similar to "Storm Chaser".
But that doesn't mean it doesn't have its own unique features.
On the contrary, just from the title of the play, we can discover the theme that this play wants to express.
The title of the play "When the Stars Shine" is named after the book "When the Stars Shine on Humankind" that Hua Zhen was entrusted by his mentor Deng Mingyuan to give.
There is such a sentence in the book, which is also the sentence handwritten by Deng Mingyuan on the title page:
The greatest luck in a person's life is to discover something in the middle of his life, that is, in his most creative prime. Your own mission in life.
This is a group drama represented by Hua Zhen, and Hua Zhen is certainly eye-catching.
But those who stand alongside him also deserve to be seen.
For example, Luo Minmin, Chen Hao, Shi Junyu, Ji Mengqiu...
Some of them are small citizens, some are small wage earners, some are small leaders, and some are small merchants.
But no matter what their status is, they all transformed into stars who fought for their country and the cause of communism in that turbulent era.
A star may be dim in the treacherous current situation,
but when a group of stars gather together, they will always form a dazzling galaxy.
"When the Stars Shine" is dedicated to those stars who finally made the cause of communism shine brightly. (Written by Ye Shi)
This is a group drama represented by Hua Zhen, and Hua Zhen is certainly eye-catching.
But those who stand alongside him also deserve to be seen.
For example, Luo Minmin, Chen Hao, Shi Junyu, Ji Mengqiu...
Some of them are small citizens, some are small wage earners, some are small leaders, and some are small merchants.
But no matter what their status is, they all transformed into stars who fought for their country and the cause of communism in that turbulent era.
A star may be dim in the treacherous current situation,
but when a group of stars gather together, they will always form a dazzling galaxy.
"When the Stars Shine" is dedicated to those stars who finally made the cause of communism shine brightly. (Written by Ye Shi)
