Love At First Fight (Chinese: 武十郎; pinyin: Wu Shi Lang; Jyutping: Mo Sop Long) is a 2007 Chinese martial arts and romantic comedy television series, starring Hong Kong actress singer Miriam Yeung, Taiwanese actor singer Wallace Huo, American-born-Taiwanese actor George Hu, Chinese actress Alina Zhang, Michelle Bai and actor Jia Nailiang. Filmed in the summer of 2006 at Qingsheng Studios located in Shanghai, China. The drama was also dubbed in Cantonese for the Hong Kong market. It began airing on Chinese channel Haikou 海口電視台 HKBTV in 2007 and aired on Taiwanese channel FTV in 2008. The story is set in early Republic China era, where the main character Wu Shi Lang has to tackle friendship, dreams, family relationship, and first love with a gender twist.
Contents
Synopsis
Fearing that her husband might leave her due to her inability to bring a boy to the family, Mrs. Wu declares her tenth daughter her "tenth" son, who is later named Wu Shi Lang. The goal is for Shi Lang to win as many martial arts competitions as possible, as that's all her father seems to care about. Conflicts arise when she finds herself falling for her childhood friend, Li Ya Shou, who is determined to marry the rich. To stop him from marry the wealthy Lei Xiao Yu, Shi Lang defeats Ya Shou in a martial arts competition. Xiao Yu is greatly impressed and insists on marrying Shi Lang. Things further complicates, when Xiao Yu's younger brother, Lei Sheng Da, encounters the dress-wearing Shi Lang and falls head over heels with her. Shi Lang realizes she is in deep trouble so she skips town after telling everyone she is a woman. Sheng Da follows her to the new town. Although, Shi Lang and Ya Shou are becoming more than friends, Sheng Da's persistence begins to touch her heart, too.
Summary
The story begins one early morning at the Wu residence, Wu Ding Dang is dressed up for his marriage procession with an overweight lady (which was arranged by his mother). On the other hand, Wu Ding Dang's wife is about to give birth to her tenth child. Wu Ding Dang's mother was frustrated with her daughter-in-law for laboring nine granddaughters but no grandson for her, therefore she strongly persuaded her son to marry a concubine into the family. Meanwhile, Wu Ding Dang's wife, Wu Liang Shi who nervously wanted to bring a son to the family was surprised when she delivered another baby girl. Afraid of what was going to happen, she quickly changed the baby girl with another baby boy to overwhelm her mother-in-law and husband. They named their new born baby Wu Shi Lang (Pidge).
In order to hide her true gender from her father, Wu Shi Lang (Pidge)lived as a boy until she became an adult. She dressed, walked, talked and behaved like a boy and everyone in the family and the entire town believed she was a boy. Her childhood friend was Li Ya Shou and she admired him a lot. Li Ya Shou was an orphan and the son of Wu Ding Dang's best friend so he was taken in the Wu residence.
Later on the Lei family arrives at the town where the Wu family lived. The Lei family were wealthy and powerful. Lei Lao Hu is the matriarch, she has exceptional martial arts skills. Lei Xiao Yu, the eldest and only daughter of Lao Hu's two children is a beautiful young lady that her mother uses to lure people into signing up for their fighting competitions. Lei Sheng Da, the youngest and only son of Lao Hu's children is good looking, tall, and good at martial arts like his mother, but his flaws are childish, spoil and lazy. He also always gets lost when he ventures out of his home as he never bothers to memorize directions to get back home and depends on the Lei family butler Chang Ling Lu to bring him around places.
Li Ya Shou was attracted to the Lei's family wealth and Lei Xiao Yu's beauty, because of this he signed up for the Lei's fighting competition to win Xiao Yu's hand in marriage. On the other hand, Lei Sheng Da meets Wu Shi Lang (Pidge) one night when she dressed as girl and he asked her for directions. Shi Lang got annoyed at Sheng Da for asking too many questions and started fighting with him physically, it was during the midst of their fight that he fell in love with her. Sheng Da goes to the Wu family house the next day to look for Shi Lang (Pidge)and was met by Ya Shou, since Ya Shou is not aware that Shi Lang (Pidge)is a girl he thought Sheng Da was in love with Mrs. Wu. One day while Xiao Yu is venturing out in town alone she is harassed by a group of men, Ya Shou originally wanted to save her but took too long imagining his hero outcome so Shi Lang (Pidge)ends up saving Xiao Yu instead. Xiao Yu falls in love with Wu Shi and ask her mom to automatically sign Shi Lang (Pidge)up for their fighting competition.
Main cast
Miriam Yeung (楊千嬅) as Wu Shi Lang (Pidge) 武十郎 – Female 24 years old
The main character of the story. Wu Shi Lang is a humble and responsible person. She is forced to live as a boy from birth to her early adult years because of her family situation. She has good martial arts skill that she learned from her father Wu Ding Dang. Wu Shi Lang fights for justice in the Shi Li and Qing Mao (towns that she lives in) and appreciates her friendship with Li Ya Shou. At the end both Li Ya Shou and Lei Sheng Da fights to win her love.
Wallace Huo (霍建華) as Li Ya Shou (Keith)李亚寿 – Male 25 years old
His parents died when he was young, he was taken in and raised by the Wu family. His father Mao Mao was a respected man in martial arts and he looks exactly like him. Li Ya Shou is optimistic, loyal, and materialistic. His wish is to marry a rich and beautiful woman, so it can change his life as a poor man. Although Li Ya Shou is very lazy and boastful, he also appreciates the friendship with Wu Shi Lang, and fights for justice.
George Hu (胡宇崴) as Lei Sheng Da (Harry) 雷声大 – Male 25 years old
He is a tall, good-looking and talented gentleman. Lei Sheng Da is heavily influenced by Western culture. He is the son of Lei Lao Hu and the younger brother of Lei Xiao Yu. He and his sister Lei Xiao Yu both have an extreme belief in love. Lei Sheng Da falls in love with Wu Shi Lang the first time he sees her. He is optimistic and smiles even having hard times. Lei Sheng Da inherits his mother's martial arts.
Zhang Meng (張萌) as Lei Xiao Yu (Lina) 雷小雨 – Female 26 years old
She is a tall and beautiful woman. Lei Xiao Yu dreams for a true hero to appear and protect her. There are several men that she thought of as her true love, such as Wu Shi Lang, Li Ya Shou and Lin Chi. In the end she falls in love with the Lei family butler Chang Ling Lu, and they get married.
Supporting cast
Jia Nailiang (贾乃亮) as Lin Chi (Garry) 林池 – Male 24 years old
He is a naive but responsible man. He only wants to live a simple life as a carpenter. He has been in love with A Hao since their childhood, since he is poor and cannot provide the life she wants he supports her when she pursues Sheng Da because he only wants her to be happy. At the end of the story, he becomes a rich man when he inherits his aunt's properties.
Bai Xue (柏雪) as A Hao (Hanna)阿好 – Female 22 years old
She runs a noodle shop that serves noodles that taste really bad but perverted men's keep going back to her shop in order to watch her make noodles. Her materialistic character makes her ignore her real love. At first the thought of money is everything to her. She even pushes herself to pursue Lei Sheng Da even though she doesn't love him but because he is rich and she wants the Lei family wealth. At the end she realizes love is stronger than money, accepts her fate and marries Lin Chi the man she really loves.
Zhang Yi Sheng (張翊生) as Chang Ling Lu(Lance) 常领路 – Male 28 years old
He is the head servant of the Lei family household. His main job is to bring Sheng Da around places in town because Sheng Da does not know how to remember directions or how to find his way back home. Xiao Yu falls in love with him when he risk his life to protect her from Bai Qiu Feng. Lei Lao Hu is highly against them being together because he is a servant, so he leaves the Lei family to find his own wealth. Later on he comes back a wealthy man and marries Xiao Yu.
Pai Bing-bing (白冰冰) as Lei Lao Hu (Dane) 雷老虎 – Female 52 years old
The matriarch of the Lei family. She is Xiao Yu and Sheng Da mother. Like her children she is also a love sick person. She is very skilled and powerful in martial arts making everyone in town afraid of her. She believes that she is in love with Wu Ding Dong and has been stalking him since they were young. It is at the end when he built up his courage to tell her he doesn't like her that she tells him he should have told her all along because she thought he was in love with her.
Cameos
He Jie (何洁) as Qian Xiao Xiao 钱小小
A rich girl Li Ya Shou tries to court. Episode 1.
Liu Dong (劉冬) as Lin Zhong He 林中鹤
Girl Mr and Mrs Wu tries to set Wu Shi Lang up with. Episode 1.
Xu Song (許頌) as Tian Mi 田蜜
Chang Ling Lu's secretary when he becomes a rich man. Episode 32.
Zhang Yu (張宇) as Ping Jian's assistant 坚师爷
Music
Opening theme song: Strong Hearted Woman (堅強女人心) by Miriam Yeung 楊千嬅
Ending theme song: In my Heart (在我心中) by Xu Song 许颂
Insert songs
Snow Season (下雪的季節) by Daniel Chang 張峰奇
Direction of Night (夜的方向) by Daniel Chang 張峰奇
Love You One More Day (多愛你一天) by Daniel Chang 張峰奇
Production credits
Producer: Zhang Xiao Wu 張曉武, Ren Zhong Lun 任仲倫
Director: Cui Bao Zhu 崔宝珠, Wang Zi Ming 王子鳴