The Little Nyonya 小娘惹

December 1, 2008 in 2008 Dramas, Dramas
Tags: 1930s, 1940s, 2008, 2008 Dramas, andie chen, apple hong, blockbuster drama, channel 8, cynthia koh, dai yangtian, darren lim, desmond sim, drama, drama reviews, drama serials, eelyn kok, felicia chin, highest viewship, jeanette aw, joanne peh, li yinzhu, lin meijiao, little nyonya, malacca, mediacorp, nat ho, ng hui, pan lingling, peranakan, period drama, qi yuwu, singapore, xiang yun, xiao niang re, yao wenlong, zzen, 小娘惹

This year’s long-awaited blockbuster 34 episode drama started on 25 November 2008, at 9pm on Channel 8. It will have a weekly 2 hour special on Mondays, starting on 15 December 2008, at 8pm.

This drama stars:

1st generation –
Jeanette Aw as Huang Juxiang, Xiang Yun as Tianlan, Lin Meijiao as Guilan, Huang Hui as Tao, Dai Yangtian as Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie), Desmond Sim as Charlie Zhang, Pierre Png as Chen Sheng, Apple Hong as Huang Meiyu, Darren Lim as Huang Jin Cheng, Cynthia Koh as Xiujuan, Pan Lingling as Xiufeng, Li Yinzhu as Chen lao-tai, Yan Bingliang as Huang Yuan

2nd generation –
Jeanette Aw as Shanben Yueniang, Qi Yuwu as Chen Xi, Joanne Peh as Huang Yuzhu, Eelyn Kok as Huang Zhenzhu, Yao Wenlong as Liu Yi Dao, Andie Chen as Huang Tianbao, Zzen as Robert Zhang
(recurring)
Xiang Yun as Tianlan, Huang Hui as Tao, Pierre Png as Chen Sheng, Darren Lim as Huang Jin Cheng, Cynthia Koh as Xiujuan, Li Yinzhu as Chen lao-tai

4th generation (modern era) –
Xiang Yun as Shanben Yueniang (old), Felicia Chin as Anqi, Nat Ho as Li Xiuwen

THE STORY

1st generation
1930s-40s, before the war, Malacca and Singapore

The Huangs are an influential family in Malacca. The head of the house, Huang Yuan (Yan Bingliang) is a businessman, and his son, Jincheng (Darren Lim) helps him. His wife, Guihua (Lin Meijiao) makes sure her presence is felt and nurtures her daughter, Meiyu (Apple Hong) to become a good Peranakan girl, who can cook well, make kueh, sew and embroider beaded-shoes. Then there is Tianlan (Xiang Yun), who is Huang Yuan’s 2nd wife. She was previously a servant who was in charge of looking after Old Mrs. Huang. Old Mrs. Huang has since passed away, leaving no place in the house for Tianlan and her daughter Juxiang (Jeanette Aw).

This era focuses on Juxiang and how she suffered in her family. Although deaf-mute, she was a strong woman who refused to bow to her fate. Victimised and ill-treated, she was a wonderful cook, and made delicious kueh. Her sewing and embroidery were considered one of the very best in her generation.

Her looks and personality caught the eye of 3 men – Charlie Zhang (Desmond Sim), a lecherous businessman; Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie), a young Japanese photographer; and Chen Sheng (Pierre Png), a guy from a rich family.

Determined not to marry Charlie Zhang as his 2nd wife, she ran away from home, and almost got caught by human traffickers. Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie) saved her, but Charlie caught her. Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie) saved her once again, and brought her back to Singapore, where he married her.

They had a daughter, Yueniang. However, war came, and being Japanese, Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie) and Juxiang were attacked. Juxiang and Yamamoto Yousuke (Shanben Yangjie) die, leaving their 8 year old daughter, Yueniang.

Chen Sheng marries Meiyu, but is unhappy with the marriage. He chooses to fritter his life away by dancing and singing daily to escape from his fate.

Other sub-plots include the love triangle between sisters -Xiufeng (Pan Lingling) and Xiujuan (Cynthia Koh)- and Jincheng (Darren Lim) which goes into the 2nd generation. Xiufeng marries Jincheng, and they have 3 children. However, he still loved Xiujuan, and he had an affair with her…

2nd generation
1960s-70s, Malacca and Singapore

This era focuses on Juxiang’s daughter, Yueniang, and her cousins – Yuzhu (Joanne Peh) and Zhenzhu (Eelyn Kok). Yueniang’s fate is pretty much like her mother’s, as she is bullied by her family members. To protect her grandmother Tianlan, who brought her up, she lived life strongly and bravely.

Even though she and Chen Xi (Qi Yuwu) loved each other, the family did not approve of their relationship, and she was sold to gangster, Liu Yi Dao (Yao Wenlong). Not one to succumb to fate, she rebelled and refused to let Yi Dao get his way. He was impressed by her strength and courage, and they became sworn siblings after that.

Yuzhu is a kind and gentle girl, who was Yueniang’s good friend. She even thought Yueniang to read and write. Liking Chen Xi (Qi Yuwu), she soon realised that he only had place for Yueniang in his heart. As if that was not bad enough, she was raped by Charlie Zhang’s equally lecherous son, Robert Zhang, and was forced to marry him… She gives up on life, and goes into depression.

Zhenzhu is Yuzhu’s sister, with a character totally opposite to her sister’s. She is selfish, unscrupulous, and downright evil. She sees Yueniang as a thorn in her flesh, as she also likes Chen Xi, and thus, pushes Yueniang into the well. She sees her sister being raped, but did nothing to help her. Even though she married Chen Xi in the end, he never loved her.

Meiyu, who has a deep grude against Juxiang, decides to take it out on her daughter, Yueniang. She is partly responsible for breaking lovers Chen Xi and Yueniang up.

Many ups and downs occur, and the Huang family business declines. It comes down to Yueniang to save the family business.

4th generation
2008, Malacca

Yueniang’s grand-daughter, Anqi (Felicia Chin) comes to Malacca to visit her, from Canada, where she was studying. Following her is Li Xiuwen (Nat Ho), who is serious in wooing Anqi, but she keeps ignoring him. Either that, or she makes fun of him.

It is to Anqi and Xiuwen that Yueniang relates the past to. She tells them more about the Peranakan culture, and how life was back then.

***

Mediacorp hasn’t done a period series like this in ages! I think the last ones were in… 2002? “Bukit Ho Swee” and “Springs of Life” (please correct me if i’m wrong!). And this is an epic drama which spans 3 generations!! Definately a MUST WATCH!

Channel 8: Little Nyonya 小娘惹 microsite

some articles of interest:

from 30 episodes to 34 episodes -> see here
in original Peranakan dialects -> see here
Press Conference -> see here
14 minute uncensored promotional clip -> see here

*smashes ALL viewership RECORDS!!! -> see here!!!*