Chapter 587 Comedy Characters As an ensemble drama, a sitcom must have distinct characters. Each character must have at least one memorable trait. If two characters share the same characteristics, then there is no point in creating two separate characters.
In screenwriting, this characteristic is vividly described as "limping and blindfolded." Of course, there's another term that better describes this principle:
Stereotypes.
When writing "The Mute Woman," Jian Xiaojun was still a novice author. The script had many problems, such as the repetition in the portrayal of the deaths of Yongfu, Yongjuan, and Pinghua; the plot was too bitter, lacking any pacing or transition; the characters were not three-dimensional enough, relying entirely on the actors' guesswork, and so on.
After two years of honing her skills, Jian Xiaojun's abilities made a qualitative leap. Especially during her time working illegally at Guanjun Century, the company required screenwriters to create commercial scripts, almost all of which were mass-produced. The commercial training combined with her own experience made the creation of "The Legend of Happiness Street" flow smoothly. The characters in the drama also each have their own "limping and blindfold".
For example, the character of Grandma Hu, played by Qi Ming, was transformed into a pedantic, old-fashioned scholar in the drama. Her thinking was feudal and outdated, and she was somewhat superstitious. She constantly spouted classical Chinese phrases and etiquette; her words could drag the entire surrounding village back to the old society. In the drama, she mainly served as the central figure in scenes depicting the clash between old and new ideas.
For example, Mei Yaohong plays Lu, the manager of a mobile phone shop, a sophisticated urban woman eager to get married. Her dream is to find a gentle, kind, and obedient stepfather for her daughter. This goal continuously introduces new characters into the series, injecting vitality into the small world of Happiness Street.
Wu Jianing plays Wu Yue, a young woman who is a free-spirited new media worker. Her main characteristics are unstable income, living paycheck to paycheck, an active mind, and extravagant spending. This kind of character is very flexible; if the script requires her to be poor, she is poor; if the script requires her to be rich, she is rich; if the script requires everyone to unite, she can even go bankrupt instantly.
Huang Feizhang plays Huang Feihong, a muscular man with an empty head who makes a living delivering food and packages. He has little education but loves to pretend to be cultured, often causing blunders in the process, which contrasts sharply with Grandma Hu.
Lin Hao plays Lin Tiancai, who serves as the comedic relief in the drama. Whenever he introduces himself, he says, "My name is Lin Tiancai, the 'Lin' of 'a tree that stands out in the forest,' and the 'Tiancai' of 'a tree whose talent is bound to be used,'" to display his arrogant and narcissistic nature. To express their contempt for his narcissism, the people of Xingfu Street never call him Lin Tiancai, but instead call him "Feng Bi Cui"—a play on the idea that a tree that stands out in the forest will inevitably be destroyed by the wind.
Zhang Shan's character, Fatty Zhang, is the most mysterious character in the script. Every elderly person on Happiness Commercial Street mentions him with a mysterious look, saying, "He's a man with a story." Everyone only knows his nickname is Fatty Zhang and that he sells roast duck, but no one knows his real name. This mystery remained unsolved until the first season finale, and perhaps it will continue to be a mystery for a long time to come.
Zhuang Sheng plays Qiao Shan, Grandma Hu's grandson, the only spoiled rich kid in the entire series (a less wealthy version), a talented but unappreciated artist who lives off his parents. He often does many outrageous things. Like a useful fish, he can be used to stir up trouble at any time.
In terms of character portrayal, almost every one of the seven main characters in "Happiness Street Chronicles" has a prominent personality flaw. But these flaws are precisely the driving force behind the plot. Seven flawless characters cannot put on a good show.
This explains why Zhuang Sheng was dissatisfied with the character Qiao Shan. Given that everyone else in the show is self-reliant, the character's dependence on his parents is indeed too glaring. However, this also means that his role has the greatest potential for development; if played well, his future prospects are limitless.
On the contrary, Ye Chu, played by Shang Ye Chu, had very few scenes and little room to develop her character.
Both Jian Xiaojun and the director had some concerns: with such a disjointed plot, and having only studied the script for a day, plus Ye Chu having never acted in a traditional sitcom before, could she really do it?
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