Interview: "Exclusive: We asked chief producer Wang Yirong about the casting, adaptation and setting of 'Shui Long Yin'" by Zhou Chu from Entertainment Management
link to article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4sF8G11f2GpCDyaFCLf4YQ
Part 1 and 2 on LYX (eng): https://x.com/LuoYunxiFanClub/status/1784753008250892463
Part 3 summary of highlights on casting (google translate, edited for clarity)
Shen Langhun: Wang was familiar with Xiao Shunyao from TTEOTM and thought of him when she read about the character’s beautiful eyes which are like diamonds. She described Xiao’s temperament as being strong and soft, his unforgettable facial features reflect toughness and resoluteness, and that he has beautiful eyes.
Chi Yun: The casting took eight months and was very challenging because the role was popular in the original work and required many lines, coordinated body movements, and scenes with TLC. The producer had an image of Ah Fei played by Wu Jing in “Little Li Fei Dao,” and happened across Ao Ziyi’s short film. She invited him to audition and felt he fit the role. Ao was a very dedicated actor; he woke up early to go to set, filmed until the early hours, and woke up early again the next day. Ao received martial arts training. He had a fever on the first day of filming yet completed heavy fight scenes, thus embodying Chi Yun’s character.
Xifang Tao: Wang described the character as having deceptive beauty with great lethality hidden underneath in the original work. The producer worked with Chen Yao previously and described her performance as very explosive, her fierceness and emotion scenes are permeating, and her voice projects well. She invited Chen to play the role.
A Shui/ Ah Shei: Wang said the role was difficult to cast. The character is a “white moonlight” in the original work, soft on the outside but strong on the inside. She described the character as embodying the best in the world who nurtures and takes care of everyone quietly. But the character is not like a “green leaf” woman in martial arts dramas. She unwittingly can control TLC so the role required being able to portray tension. The character is like air, unnoticeable, but others will suffocate without her. The producer watched Lin Yun’s modern dramas and after a costume fitting, felt she portrayed elegance and fit the feeling.
Zhong Chunji: The producer described the character as complex, often vacillating between black and white so the role needed “power” between the eyebrows. She thought of Bao Shang’en’s character Lin Xinzi in “Apocalypse of Pretending,” who repeatedly struggled. She invited Bao Shang’en to play the role.
About female characters
Wang revealed that Shui Long Yin is a drama with a male protagonist. It is biased towards male characters, however, female characters are not “tool” roles. They come across TLC’s journey but have their own storylines with their own goals and love and hatred. The emotional entanglements are important for TLC's growth.
