“Gone with the Rain” is a female costume drama led by Zhang Nan, Wang Yuwen, Sun Yizhou, Zhao Yingbo and Liu Meitong. It was broadcasted on June 5th, 2023. The drama is adapted from the romantic novel “Feng Yu Nong, Yan Zhi Luan” by Ni Luo. It tells the story of two sisters Mo Xi and Bai Fengyao who grow up together through ups and downs while always sticking to their inner justice and working together to resolve various crises.
On the day of its broadcast, it immediately sparked discussions among netizens on social networking websites with almost everyone focusing on the portrayal of female characters. By abandoning conventional character designs for costume dramas and creating bold and agile female images that viewers want to see in such dramas.
“Gone with the Rain” portrays both personal loyalty as well as national patriotism, during times when the country faces danger, personal emotions are intertwined with patriotism throughout. The drama does not directly focus on struggles between various factions in court but instead focuses on how Mo Xi & Feng Yao support each other against difficulties they face; portraying deep sisterly love as well as women's growth provides new inspiration for creating more female-centered costume dramas.
01 New perspective: the manifestation of female power
The drama's Chinese title “Wei Yu Yan Shuang Fei (微雨燕双飞)” is derived from a line of poetry by Yan Jidao from the Song Dynasty.
“落花人独立，微雨燕双飞”
This phrase extends to praise women's growth, independence, and strength. The drama focuses on the story of two sisters Mo Xi and Bai Fengyao who support each other and stick to their love and inner justice.
The two female leads have complementary personalities and different statuses, but both have left a deep impression on the audience. Mo Xi has a spirited and daring personality. She is the niece of sixth-rank official Bai Wentai while her mother was from whorehouse.
When her father died, she was entrusted to be taken care of by Bai Wentai. Although she is his blood relative, the Bai family refuses to acknowledge her or her mother due to their background, despite being part of the household, Mo Xi lives in poor conditions as a servant and does menial work like one too.
Despite the lack of respect from the entire Bai family, only her cousin Fengyao treats Mo Xi well. Fengyao is the apple of Bai Wentai's eye and has been pampered since childhood, which has cultivated her wise and gentle personality. She may not have Mo Xi's recklessness or bravery but she is unafraid to face any challenge and exudes a noble yet stubborn temperament. Although she is a proper young lady in the Bai household, she does not receive special treatment from her parents because Bai Wentai's career advancement and his son Bai Pengkun's future are their top priorities.
Traditionally in viewers' perceptions of costume dramas, female leads are often portrayed as simply cute and innocent characters; however, both female characters in this drama are intelligent individuals who possess more depth than just cuteness.
Fengyao was naturally wise due to being well-read since childhood, she knew how to pretend to be sick to avoid becoming involved with “Wu Xiangyi's daughter” alliance marriage fate; moreover, when anticipating that there might be another reason for Mo Xi leaving town to relocate gravesites, she secretly followed along for protection.
However, unlike Fengyao who received knowledge education growing up, Mo Xi developed some street smarts on her own; like teaching Fengyao how to put pebbles under armpits can create false pulse readings or using Lady Bai's guilty conscience against herself by fabricating supernatural stories as cover-ups.
Under the historical background of that era, the lives of the two sisters were unstable. The power struggle between Wu Xiang and Chen Wende made Bai Wentai, a sixth-rank official, a scapegoat. Mo Xi and Fengyao had to rely on their own efforts to survive in this era; however, Bai Wentai wanted Mo Xi to become a concubine in order to win over Chen Wende.
While Mo Xi planned her escape and used Chen's authority for her own benefit at the same time, Fengyao may not have been as resourceful as Mo Xi but she never retreated, even if it meant leaving behind her parents and family members, she stood by Mo Xi's side.
The so-called women's power is not only reflected in the selfless spirit of resistance but also more about inner strength and resilience. The struggles of Mo Xi and Fengyao were based on preserving themselves while supporting each other with mutual understanding; they moved forward step-by-step together utilizing their intelligence when necessary during times of danger or difficulty. This portrayal from a commoner's perspective represents realistic yet charming female characters which convince viewers.
02 New style: diverse integration and double narrative
From the episodes that have already aired, it is evident that this drama is not just a costume drama showcasing female friendship and emotions. Instead, it incorporates various elements such as light comedy, suspense, patriotism and more into its storyline.
The narrative of the series can be divided into two layers: one layer portrays the emotional entanglements between Mo Xi and Chen Wende, Fengyao and Wan Jiagui; while another layer depicts their mutual protection towards each other and service to their country. These two narrative layers are not separate but rather intertwined with personal emotions blending seamlessly with patriotism.
For instance, Mo Xi unintentionally becomes embroiled in the power struggle between Wu Xiang and Chen Wende. She agrees to fulfill her engagement with Chen Wende but has ulterior motives; on the surface she wants to move her mother's coffin into the ancestral tomb so that her parents can be buried together, as well as force her uncle to modify the family tree giving herself and her mother a name. In reality, however she aims to help Wan Jiagui escape from Jingzhou who happens to be her true love interest. Such design makes for smoother plot development resulting in a more reasonable story.
Dramas related to court struggles often fail at capturing young audiences' attention especially young female viewers. However since web dramas are mostly dominated by young female audience members how best attract their attention was key focus of this production. The drama successfully attracts younger female viewers by incorporating elements like light comedy,micro-suspense etc., into its storyline.
The mischievous female protagonist, Mo Xi has already brought much joy to the audience. However, the majority of humor in this drama comes from supporting roles. The drama invited experienced veteran actors to join and ensure its quality.
Hong Jiantao, who plays Second Mister Bai, can be considered as the comedy backbone of this drama; his act with Liu Xuehua who plays Second Madame Bai is impeccable. They both portrayed their small characters very vividly and realistically.
Occasional suspense and plot twists also keep viewers hooked on the show but its suspenseful element isn't meant for big ups and downs of strong storylines, instead it blends together with light comedy elements seamlessly.
The unexpected endings at each episode doesn't cause shock or tension among viewers but rather leaves them feeling “perplexed”, such as when Mo Xi found out that Wan Jiagui was a wanted man in Beishuo province yet she still asked him for a marriage certificate which created an emotional cliffhanger but after explanation brings about a comedic effect.
A single element alone can no longer satisfy diverse audience demands but ultimately providing humor always wins over audiences' favorability towards any piece of work.
03 New quality: eastern aesthetics and cultural heritage in clothing
More and more Chinese costume dramas are focusing on Eastern aesthetics and traditional culture, with strict requirements for the quality of props and costumes. They strive to ensure the authenticity and historical accuracy of every detail, while also meeting modern audience aesthetic demands.
The preparation for “Gone with the Rain” took over three months; the art team created over 300 scenes with a total of more than 1,600 outfits. Although this drama is set in an imaginary world, it references Tang Dynasty aesthetics in its costume design while striving to maintain historical accuracy as much as possible without neglecting modern audience appeal.
The design of costumes must be consistent with the storyline's needs rather than disconnected from them. As such, since this drama takes place during a tumultuous period of power struggles, both costumes and settings reflect that sense of desolation.
Hairstyle designs also avoid being too formal or rigid-looking; instead they appear more voluminous and natural like actual human hair styling techniques. In terms of architecture design, Tang dynasty buildings were known for their neatness yet not stiff appearance – rich but not delicate style which unifies overall scenic tone throughout the series.
Furthermore, fabric selection & treatment require tremendous effort where patterns are all hand-sewn then pieced together through processes such as grinding washing or dyeing until today's gorgeous attires emerge. In addition to that, considerable attention was paid in designing wedding dresses with Tang-style characteristics: red color is reserved for male attire whereas green predominates female attire. Thus at Feng Yao's grand wedding event she appears wearing primarily green dress complemented by red accents.
Costumes must also be in line with the characters' personalities. For example, Mo Xi lost her parents at a young age, but developed a sunny and optimistic personality. Her costumes often use lively warm tones; while Feng Yao grew up pampered but remained calm even when faced with hardship, so her attire tends to be elegant and primarily cold-toned.
The quality of a drama is hidden in its details – from hairstyle designs to costume choices and scenery design, all reflect the production team's outstanding craftsmanship. The display of traditional culture and Chinese aesthetics in film and television productions also affirms cultural confidence.
It's worth mentioning that “Gone with the Rain” premiered globally simultaneously which allows more international viewers to experience the unique charm of Eastern aesthetics as well as showcasing China's women who exhibit resilient & fearless spirit- perhaps this is yet another new attempt for Chinese traditional culture to go global.
