LayarHijau — The Chinese youth drama Sunshine Through the Rain (今天是太阳雨) has been widely discussed by netizens on Chinese online forums and social media since it premiered on November 6 on Mango TV and Netflix, according to HK01. The drama stars Yang Chaoyue and Winwin (Dong Sicheng), a member of the boy groups WayV and NCT. It is also scheduled to air in Hunan TV’s Jinying exclusive drama slot starting November 11.
Sunshine Through the Rain is directed by Mao Deshu, also known as Cattree, a well-known director in mainland China. The drama is set in the biology department of a university and had logged more than 3 million viewing reservations across the two platforms before its release.
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Yang Chaoyue plays Zheng Yu, a third-year biology student who carries a heavy family burden and works several jobs at once. Zheng Yu competes for a scholarship with Chen Yanzhou, a top student played by Winwin.
Since the drama began airing, netizens have focused on Yang Chaoyue’s performance. Her acting has often been questioned in the past, but this time many viewers say she comes across as natural. Some netizens have described it as a major turnaround in her acting career.
To play Zheng Yu, Yang Chaoyue chose a highly restrained style of emotional expression. She crouches in a corner against a wall with her face buried, sobs in a suppressed voice, and holds back tears even as her eyes turn red. The approach has been praised for conveying the hardship of a character from a struggling family, who even has to “ration” her emotional breakdowns. Many viewers who previously called her acting wooden now say she has “found the right kind of role.”
One netizen wrote, “Right now she is Zheng Yu, not Yang Chaoyue.” Another viewer said it was “heartbreaking to watch.” Some netizens also defended the character’s flat expressions, citing the weight of the storyline. One of them wrote, “With a storyline this heavy, how could her expression be lively?” Another wrote, “The lead gets up at five every morning and can’t sleep even in the middle of the night, so of course her expression is stiff. Try it yourself: who could sleep only a few hours a day and still act with a lively expression?” Another commented, “My face at work is even deadlier than hers.” The comments drew strong responses from young viewers who are workers and students. Winwin has also been praised for conveying his character’s loneliness through cold, subtle facial expressions.
Visually, the drama has received nearly unanimous praise. Mao Deshu kept his signature low-saturation color palette, soft light behind rain curtains, and location shooting. Viewers praised it, saying “every frame can be a screenshot” and calling it “the return of modern idol drama aesthetics.”
Opinions on the script, however, are divided. Some viewers appreciate that the drama avoids formulaic sweet-romance tropes and portrays young people’s life pressures realistically. Others feel the female lead’s hardships are piled on too heavily and that the pacing is slow. High expectations before the premiere are said to have widened the gap and fueled the debate after the first episodes aired.
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