Chinese Title
“Xing Fu Zui Qing Tian” (rough translation)
No. of episodes
25
Theme song
“Shang Re Kuai Le” (Happy Sad Day) – Angela Zhang (closing)
Cast
Mike He as Xiang Yun Jie
Janine Chang as Fang Yong Yong
Li Yi Feng as Xiang Yun Chao
Zhou Zi Han as Wang Lan
Li Jin Ming as Kong Xin Jie
Li Zhi Nan as Huang Si Han
Zheng Wei as Wang Nian Jie
Foreword
Don’t ask me why I chose this series to recover from Love Buffet, but I did.
Review
Have you ever felt like something was wrong or kind of off, and you just couldn’t quite put a finger on what it was? This series makes me think of those situations. Sunny Happiness is not horrible and yet it’s definitely not fantastic – at best it’s predicable, and at worst, forgettable. An underwhelming effort for people who need more practice, such as:
1) The Casting Team
I’m blaming these guys because a lot of why this series doesn’t work is bad casting. Zhou Zi Han as Wang Lan, for one, is a decade too old for Mike, and looks it too. Needless to say, they have no chemistry and their acting styles are polar opposites (Zhou being classic Mainland acting with a heavy accent and Mike trying too hard to emote). It was a horrible idea to pair these two because one is distinctly Mainland and the other distinctly Taiwan, with their kid being very Mainland. I swear I thought the plot would reveal that the kid wasn’t really Jie’s. Now that I think about it, it’s a pity that didn’t happen – it would have made the storyline way more exciting.
2) Mike He
Sorry, but I don’t applaud him for taking on this role as a challenge because it’s eons beyond his current acting ability. He has zero chemistry with the actor who plays his son, and isn’t convincing in the least as a future powerful CEO of a successful company. His crying scenes were painful to watch. I think I need to stop watching Mike He series.
3) Zhen Wei
He’s a kid so he has time to practice, and he needs it. Too pretentious, talks and behaves like he’s older than Mike, and yet not perceptive enough for an 8-year-old. He doesn’t look at all like Mike, which doesn’t help their storyline.
There are a few redeeming factors, such as Janine Chang… though even she is a square peg in a round hole here. It was much more comfortable to watch her as the ice queen in Wayward Kenting. However, I appreciate that she doesn’t try to act cute in SH because she naturally isn’t, as she is more ladylike than your usual Taiwanese pixie face. The result is that she infuses a character who is supposedly the mandatory Taiwanese bubbly, sweet girl, with a certain quiet elegance, which makes her performance an intriguing one.
The other redeeming factor? The closing theme (Happy Sad Day by Angela Zhang). Yay, sad pop music.
To Watch or Not To Watch, That is the Question
Strictly for Mike He and Janine Chang fans… or if you have nothing better to do with your time.
Rating
2.5/5
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