Can Yin Tao Make Deng Wei The Next C-drama A-List Like Cheng Yi and Ren Jialun?

Deng Wei will have his very first drama in a main leading role. Sendai Trees, also known as A Tree in Sendai, is a costume/fantasy/xianxia drama with Julia Xiang (remember the girl who was rumored to have dated Wu Lei?). 

But what's really amazing about Deng Wei's first main lead role is that Sendai Trees will be directed by Yin Tao with a script written by Liu Fang. 

Deng Wei and Julia Xiang at the booting ceremony of Sendai Trees 

Yin Tao and Liu Fang are the same team who gave us Love and Redemption (the drama that catapulted Cheng Yi to stardom and made him an A-list C-drama actor), The Promise of Chang'an, which also starred Cheng Yi, and The Glory of Tang Dynasty, the first main lead role of Ren Jialun, the drama that also catapulted him to fame. 

But although I hated the way Liu Fang wrote The Promise of Chang'an (this drama was only saved by Cheng Yi's solid performance and Yin Tao's brilliant direction), she rebounded big time with Mysterious Lotus Casebook, the smash hit this summer. 

Whatever shortcomings she had in The Promise of Chang'an she made it up in the Mysterious Lotus Casebook. 

Layout almost the same. Ren Jialun in The Destiny of White Snake, Cheng Yi in Love and Redemption, and Deng Wei in Sendai Trees both directed by Yin Tao

While the development of her script in The Promise of Chang'an, and even part of Love and Redemption (I hated how she wrote the character progress of Xuanji and Si Feng), was terrible she made a lot of improvement in Mysterious Lotus Casebook with clear character progress of both Li Lianhua/Li Xiangyi and Fang Doubing and I love how she crafted the intriguing finale, that was super brilliant.

So I am confident that Liu Fang would develop a solid script for Sendai Trees, but even if she messes up with the script again lol! I have full trust in the director (Yin Tao) 😄. 

Yin Tao is one of the best directors for television in China in the costume genre. He can transform a badly written drama into a compelling one. He can set up a beautiful play out of a terrible script and make it interesting.

Cheng Yi as Sifeng in Love and Redemption 

Yin Tao helped Cheng Yi and Ren Jialun establish the status of being costume C-drama heroes. Cheng Yi rose to stardom when he portrayed the main role in Love and Redemption followed by The Promise of Chang'an, while Ren Jialun became popular when he played his first main role in The Glory of Tang Dynasty followed by The Destiny of White Snake.

Ren Jialun as Li Chu in The Glory of Tang Dynasty, his first main role (2017)

Both Cheng Yi and Ren Jialun are now A-list stars in China and two of the most in-demand leading men in the costume drama genre.

Popular Costume Dramas directed by Yin Tao:

• The Glory of Tang Dynasty (2017) - Ren Jialun and Jing Tian
• The Destiny of White Snake (2018) - Ren Jialun and Yang Zi
• Listening Snow Tower (2019) - Qin Junjie, Yuan Bingyan Han Chengyu 
• Under The Power (2019) - Ren Jialun and Tan Songyun
• Love and Redemption (2020) - Cheng Yi and Yuan Bingyan
• The Promise of Chang'an - Cheng Yi and Zhao Yingzi
• Ancient Love Poetry (2021) - Zhou Dongyu and Xu Kai
• Who Rules The World (2022) - Yang Yang and Zhao Lusi
• The Blood of Youth (2022) - Li Hongyi, Ao Ruipeng, Liu Xueyi, and Li Xinze
• Destined (2023) - Bai Jingting and Song Yi 

Deng Wei as Tushan Jing in Lost You Forever (2023)

So there are lots of expectations that he can make Deng Wei the newest costume drama hero just like Cheng Yi and Ren Jialun back in the days. 

Sendai Trees is surely a good one with Yin Tao at the helm. Deng Wei is indeed in good hands with his first main lead role in the costume drama.

First costume poster of Deng Wei for Sendai Trees 

But even before Sendai Trees, Deng Wei had already generated a buzz in showbiz with his acting talent. He is one of the most impressive newcomers in the C-drama industry. 

In his acting debut, Miss The Dragon in 2021, he already caught the viewer's interest with his presence and acting skills.

Just like Cheng Yi, Deng Wei is also a product of China's most prestigious acting school, the Central Academy of Drama, so no wonder he always excelled in his performance delivery whatever drama he starred in.

Deng Wei experienced a surge of popularity this summertime when he played the role of Tushan Jing/Ye Shiqi opposite Yang Zi in Lost You Forever. His sweet rapport with Yang Zi attracted many fans to lean on Tushang Jing and Xiao Yao CP.

So fans are naturally looking forward to Deng Wei's first main leading role, which did not take long to come as production announced the casting of Sendai Trees.

Read related topics:

Love and Redemption review

Mysterious Lotus Casebook review