Now why is social media heating up—exploding actually—with Jing Boran, the male lead of C-drama The Early Spring?
Good looks? Sure, but doesn’t every C-drama/K-drama actor have that?
Then why are netizens, who were all obsessing about Zhang Linghe and Song Weilong just a minute ago, now making goo-goo eyes at this 37-year-old Chinese actor who plays Luan Nian (his English name Luke), the hotshot advertising executive who carries on a passionate office romance with his subordinate, Shang Zhi Tao (her English name Flora), played by Sun Qian, a terrific actress who makes the craft seem effortless and natural? (Most recently, we loved her in Love Story in the 1970s, alongside another Chinese actor royalty, Arthur Chen, the son of famous Chinese director Chen Kaige.)
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It could only be because Jing Boran’s Luan Nian isn’t only your stereotypical romantic lead, but more important, he has also injected sex appeal—and libido, lots of it—into the role. That’s not usual in the traditionally romantically safe C-drama.
Jing Boran and Sun Qian, a versatile actress herself
The Early Spring is steamy, so steamy that, according to reports, it has an “intimacy coordinator” to guide the actors in the love scenes, reportedly a fresh move in C-drama, if not the first of its kind.
This workplace drama isn’t only kilig, it is very amorous, out-and-out sexy. At the get-go, in the early episodes, a stern and obnoxious boss finds himself inexplicably lured to and seducing a nubile, newly hired subordinate Flora, who’s quite willing to be seduced. And to think he is at the point of firing her—a C-drama and K-drama trope, really.
However, unlike in other C-drama, where the kissing or holding hands scene happens in—duh, episode 8 or even later (believe it, a whine from our guy friend over dinner, who said he doesn’t have the patience for C/K-drama addiction)—here the OTP hits the ground running, in a manner of speaking. Torrid romance happens right away. And while C-drama romance is usually wholesome and innocent, there are scenes here that show love bites casually, even humorously.
How the secret office romance plays out for years, how the female lead struggles for empowerment, self-worth and ambition over and above the romance, how they get separated, and how they reunite, or will they—the series is still running, and is expected to conclude shortly in Netflix. So wait for the review of our C-drama pioneer Liana Garcellano.
Our focus here isn’t the story or the astute direction of Jiang Ji Zheng and screenwriter Gao Xiao Xian. The series works because this director doesn’t mishandle or cheapen this sexy material; instead, he turns it into a real tease, without dumbing down the audience—so far. The director is good at letting your imagination take over.
The director doesn’t cheapen this sexy material; instead, he turns it into a real tease
And the main tease in this series is Jing Boran. So back to him. Even if he’s going viral only now, he is no rookie. This ruggedly handsome guy is a seasoned actor who’s done diverse characters. His movie, Us and Them (Netflix), surely tested him in the role of a guy who’s devoted to his best friend—a quirky, free-spirited girl—in an imbalanced love that leaves him either in pain or in ecstasy. Jing Boran portrays the character’s intensity, confusion and conflict, from his youth to adulthood. Here he is a flamboyant, carefree, yet pained character.
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Jing Boran is also a standout in the slow-burn series Road Home (iQIYI), where he plays an introverted SWAT officer who’s been physically abused by his father, and who’s nurtured a restrained love for a girl since their school years. His portrayal is stoic but defiant.
In short, this actor, who’s being swooned over like an idol today, is more than just an idol or a glamour star where roles are concerned. He’s shown versatility in his choice of roles. And even if his Luan Nian/Luke in The Early Spring has that sophisticated, inscrutable masculine vibe, he can go beyond sex appeal into nuanced acting.
He can convey libido in the dramaland of wholesome romantic heroes
In Luke, he can convey libido in the dramaland of wholesome romantic heroes. He knows how to delineate a character who can both seduce and antagonize, a lover/heel in one.
And—it doesn’t hurt that in this series, he has many cute—meaning Instagrammable—scenes with, you guess, a dog, who’s also named Luke. What millennial/GenZ/GenAlpha could resist that? A masterstroke in character development, relatability, and of course, marketing..
Obviously he’s the total package in this era of viral stars: acting, glamour, celebrityhood. He knows fashion and is said to have chosen the Luke wardrobe himself—from his own collection of high-end brands. He looks good in both corporate wear and chill outfits—in social media, there’s no such thing as too much information. Netizens note how he starts the series in buttoned-up shirts, only to unbutton them way down to the chest midway into the series, as his and Flora’s mutual seduction gears up.
Of course, he knows fashion/glamour—his longtime girlfriend Liu Wen is considered by New York Times Style Magazine as China’s first supermodel. She’s done the runway for the world fashion gods and luxury brands, became the first Chinese model to do the Victoria’s Secret fashion show, the second Chinese model to land on the cover of US Vogue, and the first Asian model to make it to Forbes’ annual highest-paid models list.
Obviously, Jing Boran is one heartthrob who’s not afraid to make public his personal relationship. And his fandom seems to be even loving him for it—so untypical of today’s drama fandom.
Wait for TheDiarist.ph’s review of The Early Spring as it concludes. In the meantime, don’t watch it when you’re in between deadlines; you’ll get hooked and miss your deadlines.
