The Little Nyonya
| The Little Nyonya | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Peranakan-themed Drama |
| Written by | 洪荣狄 |
| Starring | Jeanette Aw Qi Yuwu Pierre Png Joanne Peh Xiang Yun Yao Wenlong |
| Opening theme | 如燕 by Olivia Ong |
| Ending theme | 保温 by 邱意淋 需要 by JS |
| Country of origin |  Singapore |
| Original languages | Mandarin Chinese, some dialogues in English, Bahasa Melayu, Japanese and Hokkien |
| No. of episodes | 34 |
| Production | |
| Producer | 谢敏洋 |
| Running time | approx. 45 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | MediaCorp TV Channel 8 |
| Release | 25 November 2008 – 5 January 2009 |
The Little Nyonya (Chinese: 小娘惹) is a 34-episode mega-blockbuster drama serial which debuted on 25 November 2008 in Singapore's free-to-air channel, MediaCorp TV Channel 8. The storyline is set in the 1930s and spans 70 years. The series is partly sponsored by the Media Development Authority of Singapore.
This drama was produced by MediaCorp in celebration of the company's 45 years of TV shows (45载光芒·8方贺台庆) - which includes dramas, varieties and current affairs. This drama required 2 years of scripting and more than 150 staff (backstage crew, cast etc) were involved in the production of this drama. The cast also went to Penang and Malacca to film part of the series.
A press conference was held on 20 November 2008 at The Pan Pacific Hotel. This serial would be telecast on MediaCorp TV Channel 8, from 25 November 2008 till 5 January 2009, weekdays at 9pm.
As the series was extended from the initial 30 episodes to 34 episodes due to over-runs in filming, from 15 December 2008 onwards, the series would be aired for 2 hours, from 8pm to 10pm on every Monday.
Cast
Main Cast
- Huang Juxiang (黄菊香, portrayed by Jeanette Aw (欧萱))- Although born into a wealthy Peranakan family, she is treated with scorn and insult because of her mother's humble origins. She is deaf and mute from nine years old when she fell sick, as a result, she cannot stand up for herself in many cases.
- Yamamoto Yueniang (山本月娘, also portrayed by Jeanette Aw (欧萱), elder version portrayed by Xiang Yun (向云))- The daughter of Juxiang.
- Chen Xi (陈锡, portrayed by Qi Yuwu (戚玉武))- So named because on the day of his birth, his family signed a lucrative Tin contract, he is the only child in his family. Having been educated in the UK, he has always been more liberal than his conservative family. Although he wanted to marry Yueniang, his family forced him to marry Huang Zhenzhu instead.
- Huang Yuzhu (黄玉珠, portrayed by Joanne Peh (白薇秀)) - Second daughter of Xiufeng and Jincheng. A demure girl who fancies Chen Xi too, but eventually suffers an ill fate after being forced to marry Robert Zhang who raped her.
- Chen Sheng (陈盛, portrayed by Pierre Png (方展发)) - Married to Meiyu. Harbours love for Juxiang.
- Liu Yidao (刘一刀, portrayed by San Yow (姚玟隆)) - A butcher who is supposed to marry Yue Niang but end up being threaten to accept her as sworn sister
- Tian Lan (天兰, portrayed by Xiang Yun (向云)) - Mother of Juxiang. She was a maid of the Huang family. Was raped by Huang Yuan and taken in as second mistress of the house. However, her status in the family is of no difference from the maid.
Other major cast
- Yamamoto Yousuke[1] (山本洋介, portrayed by Dai Yangtian (戴阳天))- An ethnic Japanese, he was very interested in Peranakan culture. In order to protect Juxiang from the philandering Charlie Zhang, he married her. Yousuke was murdered by invading Japanese when Singapore fell to Japanese forces. It is implied that Charlie Zhang had a role in his murder.
- Huang Zhenzhu (黄珍珠, portrayed by Eelyn Kok (郭蕙雯)) - first daughter of Xiufeng and Jincheng. A wilful girl who fancies Chen Xi.
- Huang Meiyu (黄美玉, portrayed by Apple Hong (洪乙心)) - Eldest daughter of the Huang family. Wife of Chen Sheng. However, Chen Sheng does not treat her as his wife.
- Guihua (桂花, also known as Tua Ji, or "Head Sister", portrayed by Lin Meijiao (林梅娇))- The matriarch of the Huang family. She is very protective of her daughters, and hates Tian Lan's side of the family with a passion, treating them in a subservient manner.
- Madame Chen (陈老太, portrayed by Li Yinzhu (李茵珠)) - Chen Xi's great-grandmother(Chor Chor), Chen Sheng's grandmother(Ma Ma). Likes to eat rembah udang very much.
- Huang Jincheng 黄金成, portrayed by Darren Lim (林明伦)) - Son of Huang Yuan and Gui Hua. Originally, he likes Xiu Juan but is arranged to marry her sister, Xiu Feng instead.
- Huang Tianbao (黄天宝, portrayed by Andie Chen (陈邦鋆)) - Eldest son of Huang Jin Cheng and Xiu Feng.
- Ah Tao (阿桃, portrayed by Ng Hui (黄慧), elder version portrayed by Zhu Xiufeng (朱秀凤))- An amah for the Huang family. She is loyal to the family.
- Xiu Juan (秀娟, portrayed by Cynthia Koh (许美珍)) - Younger sister of Xiu Feng. Fancies Jin Cheng.
- Xiu Feng (秀凤, portrayed by Pan Lingling (潘玲玲)) - daughter in law of Gui Hua. Married to Jincheng.
- Charlie Zhang (查里张, portrayed by Desmond Sim (沈金兴))- A baba who returned from the United Kingdom, he is generally disapproving of the Peranakan culture, earning him scorn from older generation of high Peranakan society. He also loves to have affairs with many women.
- Robert Zhang (罗伯张, portrayed by Zzen Zhang (章缜翔)) - Son of Charlie Zhang. A cunning one like his father.
- Angela (安淇, portrayed by Felicia Chin (陈靓萱)) - A graduate in Canada. Supposedly granddaughter of Yueniang, but revealed in the end to be the granddaughter of Yuzhu, as her father (Zuye) was adopted by Yueniang due to Yuzhu's unsound condition when she bore Zuye.
- Jonathan Li (李修文, portrayed by Nat Ho (鹤天赐))- A native of Hong Kong who grew up in Canada, he fell in love with Angela, and followed her from Canada to Malacca.
- Huang Yuan (also known as Tow Kay, which means "Head of Household")- Head of the Huang family.
- Chen Yi -
- Libby - Eventually married Chen Xi.
- Da Sha - Lunatic who saved Yueniang's life. Pioneer of bird's nest dish and helped her with her business.
- Zuye (祖业) - offspring of Yuzhu, but due to Yuzhu's mental condition, was adopted and raised by Yueniang. He was later revealed to be Robert Zhang's biological son (elder version portrayed by Zzen Zhang) and father of Angela.
Synopsis
The story spans over 70 years, from the 1930s till the present day.
Huang Juxiang is born into a large Peranakan family where her mother is a mistress. She is gentle, beautiful and a fantastic cook. Due to a serious illness when she was 9 years old, Juxiang becomes a deaf-mute. Because of her handicap, she is ostracized by people. Right before the Japanese Occupation in Singapore, she is forced to marry Charlie Zhang, a rich Peranakan, and become his mistress. Juxiang resists the marriage and runs away from home. She then meets Yamamoto Yousuke, a young Japanese photographer, and after overcoming many obstacles, they finally get married and Juxiang gives birth to a daughter Yueniang. During the World War, Juxiang is tortured and both she and her husband die, leaving behind their 8-year-old daughter.
The orphaned Yueniang eventually walks to her grandfather's house on her own. Under the supervision of her grandmother, she learns to cook Peranakan dishes and sewing. She grows up looking exactly like her mother and is exceptionally beautiful. After the war, her maternal relatives who ran away to England to seek refuge return home. Yueniang ends up leading the life of her mother – always discriminated against, beaten up and tortured. She puts up with all these in order to protect her grandmother.
Yueniang's pretty looks incurs jealousy from her cousin and attracts the attention of many rich Peranakans. However, she only has eyes for penniless driver Chen Xi. Chen Xi actually comes from an educated and wealthy family. Yueniang's kindness, purity and persistence move Chen Xi and he falls deeply in love with her, and hides his identity to be with Yueniang. Unfortunately, their relationship is filled with many obstacles and difficulties. Under pressure from his family, Chen Xi is forced to marry Yueniang's cousin instead. Yueniang is then sold to a butcher, Liu Yidao.
Yueniang is unwilling to accept the fact that her life is always manipulated by others and decides to end her own life. Yueniang's strong personality impresses Liu Yidao and they become sworn siblings instead. Yueniang decides to choose her own path in life. She begins learning how to run a business and in the process, she is framed and ousted from her business. Despite the odds, she manages save her declining family business. Sadly, her love life has yet to begin a new chapter with no news about her love interest, Chen Xi.
Criticisms
Despite being lauded as a drama that provides an insight into the unique Peranakan culture, the show has received much criticism in local press over casting, excessive promotion, and illogical storyline.
Casting
Viewers have criticized the casting of Pan Lingling and Cynthia Koh, both of whom are in their 30s, as 18-year-old teenage nyonyas, arguing that both actresses are too old. Some viewers have also criticized the portrayal of Xiufeng, saying that Pan Lingling has misportrayed a nyonya teenager, who, being raised in a wealthy family, is supposed to be more restrained in their daily demeanors. However, others retort that this criticism is tantamount to ageism, and is absolutely unfair to both actresses, and that the criticisms were leveled way too early (after the 3rd episode was aired). [2]
Criticisms were also leveled MediaCorp's bias towards Jeanette Aw. Many viewers see The Little Nyonya as a drama series that was conceived as a launching vehicle for Aw's career in television (she had failed to receive the 'Top 10 Most Popular Artistes Award' at the previous Star Awards ceremony), and that her role in the series was purpose-built for winning awards at the Star Awards ceremony. In addition, audience believe that that producers purposefully wrote Aw's first role as a mute, in order to conceal her flawed and unnatural pronunciation. [3] In response, producers have lauded Aw's work, saying that she performed in a professional manner. [4]
Others have criticized the selection of actresses for the roles of the young Yueniang, the older Yueniang and the elderly Yueniang.[4]
Overpromotion
The mass publicity for Little Nyonya two months before the show premiered also received criticism from the public. Within MediaCorp, there are also some misgivings in regards to the overpromotion this show has received. The cast of the long-running drama Love Blossoms have privately lamented that the show, which used to receive tremendous amounts of advertising support from MediaCorp, is being neglected in favour of The Little Nyonya. [5] Nevertheless, an autograph session featuring the Little Nyonya cast, which was held at Compass Point Shopping Centre on the 27th of December 2008, saw overwhelming response with approximately 5000 people showing up from the top floor to the ground floor.
Stereotyping of Peranakan Culture
As many of the Peranakan characters in the series (such as most of the Huang family, as well as Charlie Zhang) are antagonists, many viewers think that the series will negatively stereotype Peranakans as being ruthless. In response, the show's writer, Hong Rongdi, said that ruthlessness and petty politicking, which are basic human interactions, appears within any culture, and is not an exclusive trait of the Peranakans.[4]
Illogical Storyline
Several minor details within the show have been criticized by viewers continously. The most notorious of which was Ah Tao's leg injuries, where the bandages on the wounds were still there, in another episode set 8 years after she was injured.[4]
Loopholes
- Huang Juxiang, who is mute and deaf, appeared to be able to understand and respond to people around her, even when she was not facing them.
- When the Huang family was escaping to the United Kingdom by ship, Guihua (also known as Tua Ji) commented that the ship have Royal Escort that only the Queen enjoys. However, the last Queen to have ruled the United Kingdom during that time was Queen Victoria, who died in 1901. A female would not become the monarch of the UK until 1952, when Elizabeth II succeeded her father, King George VI, who ruled through the time the series is set in.
- When a young Yueniang arrived at her Grandmother's house in Malacca from Singapore, Ah Tao commented she had to starve for two days to reach here. However, the distance between Singapore and Malacca is 260km, and as rail services were suspended, it would have taken significantly longer than 2 days for young Yueniang to reach Malacca.
- A loophole also existed in Yueniang's age. In the beginning of the series, Yueniang was said to be 70 years old, but when Juxiang asked an elderly man to write her daughter's birth date, he wrote "甲子年八月十五出生” (15 August, 1924), which would make Yueniang 84 years old in modern time.
Notes and References
- ^ Shown in subtitles on the first episode as "Eguchi Yosuke", which changes the name to "江口洋介".
- ^ "潘玲玲《小娘惹》演少女 观众嫌老 (Translation: Audience found Pan Lingling to be too old to play a teenager in The Little Nyonya)" (in Simplified Chinese). Lianhe Wanbao (carried on omy.sg). Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- ^ "安排欧萱演哑巴 《小娘惹》剧组刻意'藏拙' (Translation: Deliberate move in arranging a mute role for Jeanette Aw in The Little Nyonya)" (in Simplified Chinese). Lianhe Wanbao (carried on omy.sg). Retrieved 2008-11-28.
- ^ a b c d "《小娘惹》收视报捷 不合理内容惹观众批评 (Translation: "The Little Nyonya" enjoys ratings success, but attracts criticism from viewers over unreasonable storyline)" (in Simplified Chinese). Lianhe Wanbao (carried on omy.sg). 18 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
- ^ "长寿剧vs台庆剧: 《小娘惹》宣传过猛 《心花朵朵2》被冷落 (Translation: Long-Running Drama vs. Channel Anniversary Drama: "The Little Nyonya" is being overpromoted while "Love Blossoms 2" is being neglected)" (in Simplified Chinese). Shin Min Daily News (carried on omy.sg). 3 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-22.