The Journey of Flower
| The Journey of Flower | |
|---|---|
 The Journey of Flower Official Poster | |
| Also known as | |
| Simplified | 花千骨 |
| Mandarin | Huā Qiāngǔ |
| Genre |
Fantasy Xianxia Romance |
| Based on | Hua Qiangu by Fresh Guoguo |
| Written by |
Fresh Guoguo Rao Jun |
| Directed by |
Lin Yufen Danny Gao Liang Shengquan |
| Starring |
Wallace Huo Zhao Liying Zhang Danfeng Ma Ke Jiang Xin |
| Theme music composer | Mak Chun Hung |
| Opening theme |
Fire of the Heart by F.I.R Eternity by Alan Dawa Dolma |
| Ending theme | Not To Mention by Wallace Huo and Zanilia Zhao |
| Country of origin | China |
| Original language(s) | Mandarin |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes |
58 (TV) 54 (original) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Huang Xilong |
| Producer(s) | Tang Lijun |
| Production location(s) |
Guangxi, China Hengdian World Studios, China |
| Production company(s) | Ciwen TV |
| Release | |
| Original network | Hunan TV |
| Original release | 9 June – 7 September 2015 |
The Journey of Flower (Chinese: 花千骨) is a 2015 Chinese television series starring Wallace Huo and Zhao Liying. It is based on the fictional novel of the same name written by Fresh Guoguo, which is inspired from Daoist legends regarding the path to immortality. The series was broadcast on Hunan TV every Wednesdays and Thursdays for two episodes per day, from 9 June to 7 September 2015.[1]
Synopsis
Hua Qiangu (Zhao Liying) is an unlucky orphan who is born with a strange scent which attracts demons, and therefore is hated and feared by all the villagers. When she faces danger, she is saved by a man called Mo Bing, who is actually Bai Zihua in disguise. Bai Zihua (Wallace Huo) is a kind-hearted immmortal who wants to protect all the Earthly beings. The only heavenly tribulation[2] in his life is actually Hua Qiangu, whom he is tasked to kill by his master. However, after witnessing her kind heart and foreseeing her tragic future, he spares her life.
In search of her benefactor, Hua Qiangu heads to Mount Changliu, a sect that trains their disciples into becoming immortals. With the help of Bai Zihua, she passes through various trials to become his only disciple. As the two spend more time together, Hua Qiangu falls in love with her teacher, but doesn't reveal her true feelings until the end. Eventually, the truth is revealed that she was born as Nü Wa's descendant and has access to godly power. When Bai Zihua falls into danger, she summons the Demon God to save her master. The Demon God transfers all his power into her body afterwards, and Hua Qiangu falls into the world of Emptiness. She unleashes the Great Desolate Energy Force to become the new ruler of the Demons. Bai Zihua tries to get her to return to the righteous path, and comes to her side alone to accompany her. When Hua Qiangu realizes Bai Zihua's true feelings for her, she decided to let herself be killed by him to restore peace to the world.
After Hua Qiangu dies, Bai Zihua feels extremely remorseful. One of the three masters from Changliu, Mo Yan, decided to use the power of nature to exchange his life for hers and restored her. In the end, Bai Zihua decides to leave Changliu to take care of Hua Qiangu.
Cast
Main
| Actor | Character | Introduction |
|---|---|---|
| Zhao Liying | Hua Qiangu | The last descendant of Goddess Nuwa. She has a unique scent on her body, which attracts demons. When she was born, she causes all the flowers around her to wilt, and therefore she was named "Thousand Bones of Flower". She comes to Changliu, and becomes Bai Zihua's only disciple. She is also the fated calamity of Bai Zihua. |
| Wallace Huo | Bai Zihua | Chang Liu's Sect Leader and the head of all immortals, who is tasked to protect the magical realm of Chang Liu. He appears to be outwardly cold and heartless, but he cares for Hua Qiangu deeply. However, he has to hide his emotions because of his high sense of propriety. |
| Zhang Danfeng | Dongfang Yuqing / Lord of Strange Decay | He possesses the ability to know everything from the past. He hates Bai Zihua for killing his father, and plans to use Hua Qiangu's special fate to plot against him. However, he fell in love with Hua Qiangu after interacting with her, and eventually died while protecting her from Mo Yan. |
| Ma Ke | Sha Qianmo | Demon Lord of the Seven Murder Factions, who is said to be the most beautiful man of all six realms. He treated Hua Qiangu as a replacement for his deceased younger sister and dotes on her. He died after releasing Hua Qiangu from exilement. |
| Jiang Xin | Xia Zixun | 1 of the 5 immortals, who is in charge of the Heavenly Court's spices. She becomes crazed when Bai Zihua does not reciprocate her love, and turned into a demon. She died after transferring all of her energy to Bai Zihua. |
Supporting
Changliu Sect
| Actor | Character | Introduction |
|---|---|---|
| Li Chun | Ni Mantian | Princess of Penglai. She is a proud and haughty girl, and gets jealous when Hua Qiangu becomes Bai Zihua's disciple. She likes Shuo Feng, and is angered by his protectiveness toward Hua Qiangu. She later killed Tang Bao due to her hatred for Hua Qiangu, and died under the latter's hands. |
| Xu Haiqiao | Meng Xuanlang | Second prince of the Shu Kingdom, and later the Emperor. He has no interest in court affairs, and becomes a special disciple of Chang Liu. He likes Hua Qiangu, and protects her when she is being bullied by fellow sect mates. Later, because of his kingdom, he has no choice but to leave Chang Liu. He also gets married with Qing Shui. |
| Bao Tianqi | Qing Shui | Princess of Zhou Kingdom. She likes Meng Xuanlang, and is a good friend of Hua Qiangu. She betrays Hua Qiangu and caused Tang Bao's death, as she was jealous of Meng Xuanlang's affections toward her. After Tang Bao's death, she lost her memories due to the guilt she felt. |
| Dong Chunhui | Luo Shiyi | Mo Yan's senior disciple. He is a kind-hearted and fair man who helps protect Chang Liu. He likes Tang Bao. He was killed by Hua Qiangu for not keeping his promise of protecting Tang Bao soon after Tang Bao's death. |
| Jiang Yang | Shuo Feng | A piece of jade formed into a human, destined to assist Hua Qiangu in gathering 10 immortal devices. He likes Ni Mantian, despite going against her multiple times in order to protect Hua Qiangu. |
| An Yuexi | Tang Bao | A ginx worm formed by Hua Qiangu's blood and the phoenix's tear. She changes into human form after she was agitated by Ni Mantian. She likes Luo Shiyi. She is later killed by Ni Mantian while protecting Hua Qiangu. |
| Jiang Yiming | Mo Yan | Chang Liu's Shi Zun, Bai Zihua's senior. He is a strict and unyielding man who protects Bai Zihua and dislikes Hua Qiangu. |
| Miao Chi | Sheng Xiaomo | Chang Liu's Ru Zun, Bai Zihua's junior. He kindly treated Hua Qiangu with concern as an elder. |
| Gong Zhengnan | Zhu Ran | Son of Mo Yan, and estranged disciple of Chang Liu. In order to obtain the immortal devices, he manipulated Liu Xia. |
| Qian Yongchen | Dong Hua | 1 of the 5 immortals, eldest sect brother of Chang Liu. |
| Zhang Zhengyan | Huo Xi | 1 of Hua Qiangu's fellow acquaintance whom was recruited in the same batch as her. Loves to bet against Wu Qingluo |
| Lu Jiyi | Wu Qingluo | 1 of Hua Qiangu's fellow acquaintance whom was recruited in the same batch as her. Loves to bet against Huo Xi. |
| Li Xing | Yun Duan | |
| Li Hanyang | Li Meng | |
Seven Murder Factions
| Actor | Character | Introduction |
|---|---|---|
| Ruan Weijing | Shan Chunqiu | Custodian of Law, Sha Qianmo's most loyal follower. |
| Wang Xiuze | Kuang Yetian | A demon adept at traps, Shan Chunqiu's follower. |
| Du Zheyu | Yin Shangpiao | Shan Chunqiu's disciple, who is planted as a spy at Chang Liu. |
| Li Qian | Liu Xia | Sha Qianmo's deceased younger sister. She loves Zhu Ran, but was used by him. |
| Li Shanyu | Buo Ruohua | |
| Zheng Yecheng | Nan Xianyue | Previous demon lord and leader of the Seven Murder Factions. He was rescued by Hua Qiangu when the 10 immortal devices are restored. |
Mt Shu
| Actor | Character | Introduction |
|---|---|---|
| Gao Hai | Yun Yin | Senior disciple of Mt Shu, elder brother of Yun Yi. He became the sect leader of Mt Shu after Hua Qiangu. |
| Gao Jiang | Yun Yi | Yun Yun's younger brother, who suffers a curse because he was not born as the first son. He betrayed Mt Shu and joined the Seven Murder Factions to restore his disfigured face. |
| Zhang Shuangli | Reverend Qingxu | |
| Dan Ni | Qing Feng | |
| Lin Yizheng | Qing Yang |
Immortals and alliance of Chang Liu
| Actor | Character | Introduction |
|---|---|---|
| Yang Shuo | Tan Fan | 1 of the 5 immortals. He loves Xia Zixun, and later saves her life by giving his. |
| Zeng Hongchang | Wu Gou | 1 of the 5 immortals, head of Lotus City. He fell in love with Yun Ya, his fated calamity. |
| Zhao Chulun | Wen Shufeng | Head of Mt. Yu Zhuo. |
| Yan Hanqing | Yin Hongyuan | Head of Tian Shan Sect. |
| Shi Jiantao | Luo Hedong | Head of Kun Lun Sect, Dongfang Yuqing's teacher. |
| Li Jinzhe | Fei Yan | Head of Tai Bai Sect. |
| Wang Yehua | Yan Tingsha | Head of Shao Bai Sect. |
| Yang Anqi | Wei Xi | |
| Shen Yu | Mei'er |
Others
| Actor | Character | Introduction |
|---|---|---|
| Kang Lei | Meng Xuancong | Meng Xuanlang's rebellious older brother. He was used by Seven Murder Factions because he wants to usurp the throne. |
| Lu Ziyi | You Ruo | Daughter of the Yin Hongyuan, and Hua Qiangu's disciple. She loves Nan Xianyue. |
| Liu Bo | Ni Qianzhang | Sect leader of Peng Lai, Ni Maintain's father. He is killed by Shan Chunqiu. |
| Li Cheng | Lu Qiao | Lord of Strange Decay's most loyal female servant. |
| Sun Gelu | Yun Ya | A Rabbit demon. She loves Wu Gou and is the cause of Wu Gou's killings. |
| Na Jiacheng | Lie Xingyun | Imperial Family's loyal guard. |
| Wang Jiusheng | Hua Qiangu's father | Died of illness due to being chased out by villagers and no money for buying medicine. |
| Shen Baoping | Reverend Yan | |
| Hou Yehua | Tao Weng | |
| Li Qi | Emperor | |
| Shen Xuewei | Jin Quan |
Production
Fresh Guoguo, the writer of the novel, was recruited to be one of the scriptwriters of the drama. Academy-award nominee Chung Munhai, who was the costume designer of the movie Curse of the Golden Flower was also recruited on set. The 3D effects are handled by the company Prime Focus.
The shooting of the drama started on 6 May 2014, in Guangxi, China and was wrapped up on 14 September 2014 in Hengdian World Studios, China. The preliminary work started one and a half years ago, including choosing of outdoor scene locations and building filming sites in scenic spots in Guangxi.[3]
Soundtrack
| Title | Singer |
|---|---|
| Cannot Say (不可说) | Wallace Huo & Zhao Liying |
| Fire of the Heart (心之火) | F.I.R feat. Julia Peng |
| Eternity (千古) | Alan Dawa Dolma |
| End of Time (地老天荒) | Andy Zhang |
| Annual Ring (年轮) | Zhang Bichen |
| The Night (是夜) | Mao Fangyuan |
Reception
Two versions of a three-minute short trailer, one in Chinese and the other dubbed in English, were released online, receiving more than 280 million views on Weibo and becoming one of the hottest topics on social media. In October 2014, two longer trailers dubbed in both Chinese and English language were released in Cannes, France and received an overwhelming response.[4]
The drama was a huge commercial success in China, with an average rating of 2.784% (CMS50) and 2.213% (nationwide), becoming the second highest rated drama of 2015. It also became the first Chinese drama to surpass 20 billion online views.[5][6] A licensed mobile game was also released, and brought in more than 10 million active players and 200 million yuan in revenue in its first two months.[7]
In 2016, The Journey of Flower was featured on the New York Times.[8]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | iQiyi All-Star Carnival | Drama of the Year | Won | ||
| Most Popular Actor | Wallace Huo | Won | |||
| Most Popular Actress | Zhao Liying | Won | |||
| 7th China TV Drama Awards | Top Ten Television Series | Won | |||
| Audience's Favorite Character | Bai Zihua (Wallace Huo) | Won | |||
| Best New Actor | Ma Ke | Won | |||
| 6th Macau International Television Festival | Best Actress | Zhao Liying | Won | ||
| 2016 | 2015 Conference on Big Data Index on Culture and Entertainment Industry | Audience's Favourite TV Character | Bai Zihua (Wallace Huo) | Won | |
| 19th Huading Awards | Best Actor | Wallace Huo | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress (Ancient) | Zhao Liying | Nominated | |||
| Best Producer | Tang Lijun | Nominated | |||
| 22nd Shanghai Television Festival | Best Drama | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Zhao Liying | Nominated | |||
| 28th China TV Golden Eagle Award | Audience's Choice for Actress | Won | [9] | ||
| 11th China Golden Eagle TV Art Festival | Most Popular Actress | Nominated | |||
| 2017 | 11th National Top-Notch Television Production Award Ceremony | Outstanding Television Series | Won | [10] |
International broadcast
References
- ↑ "《花千骨》今晚开播：霍建华赵丽颖锥心虐恋埋伏笔". China Daily. 9 June 2015.
- ↑ "Glossary of Terms". Immortal Mountain. Immortal Mountain. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ↑ "《花千骨》曝外景剧照 碧水青山薄雾缭绕如仙境". Xinhua News Agency. 9 June 2014.
- ↑ "Flowering overseas". Global Times. 15 October 2014.
- ↑ "《花千骨》成为年度收视亚军 网络点击再破纪录". NetEase. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
- ↑ "《花千骨》赵丽颖因虐恋神剧成大赢家". Sina. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
- ↑ "A look at the major online trends for China in 2015". Global Times. 24 December 2015.
- ↑ "Craving a Hot TV Show in China? Start Scouring the Web". New York Times. 28 October 2016.
- ↑ "第11届金鹰节暨第28届金鹰奖获奖全名单". Sina. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
- ↑ "第十一届电视制片业颁奖落幕 秦海璐蒋欣等获十佳". Sina. 20 February 2017.
- ↑ Ken Xiong. "The Journey of Flower". The Daily China. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
External links
- (in Chinese) The Journey of Flower's Official Weibo
- (in Chinese)The Journey of Flower's Facebook