Wu Yue encounters enthusiastic fans.
Directed by Zhang Jianya, produced by Zhang Jizhong, and starring Nie Yuan, Wu Yue, Zang Jinsheng, and Xu Jinjiang, the TV series "Journey to the West" is currently airing on Dragon TV. With Valentine's Day approaching, Dragon TV specially arranged a "blind date event" for Wu Yue, who plays Sun Wukong. The "Monkey King," who was busy shooting a new drama in Hengdian, received gloves and scarves from the "blind date group" with great excitement. Two older aunties even offered advice on Wu Yue's "big event." A special program will be exclusively broadcast after the new "Journey to the West" on Dragon TV on the evening of February 14th, Valentine's Day.
"I am relatively passive in matters of love"
At the blind date event, Wu Yue openly shared his criteria for choosing a partner, "Actually, normal men all like the same things: gentle, virtuous, kind girls with long hair and big eyes. I'm not too different, though I don't have any specific requirements for hair length. In terms of personality, I hope she can understand the bigger picture." Wu Yue frankly admitted that he prefers girls with boyish personalities, "This would be better because I think a good wife and mother isn't just gentle like water. Being slightly stronger can help take care of us. You know, being an actor is a busy and tiring job."
When asked if he had any experience with blind dates, Wu Yue said, "I haven't had much experience with blind dates. There was one time when after collaborating with Mr. Liu from the China National Peking Opera Company, he arranged for me to meet his sister's student. Then, I had dinner with the old man and that girl, just chatting casually. Later, we found out it wasn't suitable, so we didn't contact each other anymore." Wu Yue expressed no aversion to blind dates but admitted that he prefers free love, "I am passive in matters of love. My current lifestyle and work nature make me want to pursue relationships with marriage as the goal." Wu Yue revealed that his first two romances happened on set, "Afterward, they fizzled out after two or three years. Currently, I don't have a suitable partner." When asked how he planned to spend Valentine's Day, Wu Yue joked, "What holiday? Valentine's Day should be spent with your lover. But I'll send out a Weibo post wishing all lovers a happy union."
Children love to watch it; taking criticism as a form of entertainment
After the new "Journey to the West" aired, aspects such as costumes and dialogue were criticized by netizens. When asked if he minded the audience's criticism, Wu Yue appeared very calm, "Sometimes I read these comments myself, and they're quite interesting. Art always has regrets. If we had more money and time, we would certainly live up to expectations and do better. The more extreme the opposition, the more opinions there are. Look at 'Avatar,' it's already done very well, yet there are still many opposing voices. As humans, we inevitably fall into certain patterns." Wu Yue stated that having debates is also good, "I take it as a form of entertainment." Among the numerous doubts about "Journey to the West," overly modernized dialogue has been frequently criticized. Regarding this, Wu Yue explained, "In fact, most people find slightly modernized dialogue easier to understand. Understanding 'Journey to the West' is a polarizing issue. When it airs on local channels, many support modernized dialogue, while others disagree. I believe understanding is most important; it's not as if omitting a sentence of classical Chinese ruins 'Journey to the West.'"
After watching Wu Yue's version of Sun Wukong, some netizens commented that due to the mask, the actor's lips couldn't move dramatically, only opening and closing, completely mismatching the dialogue. Regarding this, Wu Yue said, "The monkey face design is closer to international standards. It's a monkey design, not the standard of opera stage makeup. If I had fur attached, it wouldn't differ from any previous versions of Sun Wukong." Wu Yue revealed some technical specifications of the "monkey face" design, "It's imported from the U.S., where actors wear it for three to five hours per day during filming. I work an average of sixteen hours a day. Even if it's breathable and flexible, within the first three hours, viewers can see the mouth moving. After three hours, it's full of sweat inside, making it impossible to remain flexible. Therefore, some shots show larger mouth movements, while others don't, which is a time-related issue."