Fun Facts behind TTEOTM!
Creative Team
Till the End of the Moon is the second TV drama produced by newcomerĀ Otters Studio (ēēęå), which was originally set up for dangai/BL drama Immortality (ēč”£č”), also featuring Luo Yunxi.
The Hangzhou-based Otters Studio is a subsidiary of Nanpai Entertainment (åę“¾ę³åر), the company owned by Kenneth Xu (aka āThird Uncle" åę“¾äøå). Xu is best known as the novelist and screenwriter behind "Grave Robbers' Chronicles" (ēå¢ē¬č®°).
A big part of TTEOTM's core creative team also worked onĀ Immortality.Ā And a lot of the Immortality team came fromĀ Ashes of LoveĀ (2018) with Luo Yunxi. This includes...
He Fang (Screenwriter) - Immortality
Luo Xuan (Screenwriter & Associate Producer) - Immortality
Huang Wei (Costume Designer) - Immortality
Guan Dazhou (Music Director) - Immortality
Wang Yirong (Lead Producer) - Immortality
Wang Haiqi (B Unit Director & Action Director) - Immortality & Ashes of Love
Tsang Mingfai (Makeup Designer) - Immortality & Ashes of Love
Shen Xufei (Special Effects Director) - Immortality & Ashes of Love
Hua Tian World Concept - Immortality & Ashes of Love
Wang Haiqi was the stunt coordinator who trained Luo Yunxi in Ashes of Love
Part of the creative team came fromĀ HuanyuĀ (Bai Lu's management company, aka the production company ofĀ Yanxi Palace). This includes award-winning art director Luan Hexin, Huang Xinyao (Yue Fuya) and Liu Min (Nan'an).
This is the second timeĀ Luo Yunxi and Bai LuĀ have paired up in a drama. They previously played a couple in modern workplace romance Love is Sweet (2020). Bai Lu expressed interest publicly in pairing up with LYX again in a costume drama numerous times.
In addition, a number of Love is Sweet actors have minor roles or cameos in TTEOTM:
Zhao Yuanyuan (Qiao Na aka Yuan Shuai's colleague who has a crush on him) plays the Moon Goddess
Cheng Chang (Jiang Jun's father) plays Ye Xiwu's father
Deng Jinghong (Jiang Jun and Yuan Shuai's shady client) plays Ye Xiwu's brother Ye Zeyu
The popularity of TTEOTM has generated renewed interest in Love is Sweet on iQiyi. In the first half of 2023, Love is Sweet is ranked #5 on Yunhe's "old/classic drama" list, receiving 360M views (10M views/episode), equivalent to airing a new medium-budget drama.
Two actors inĀ Ashes of LoveĀ also have minor roles in TTEOTM:
Wang Yifei (Shuihe aka peacock princess in Ashes of Love) plays the Devil God's lieutenant Siying
He Zhonghua (Heavenly Emperor aka Runyu's father) plays the King of Sheng, again terrorizing Luo Yunxi's childhood
In addition, a number of TTEOTM actors play minor roles in the unaired Immortality:
Huang Yunyun (Yue Yingxin) plays Song Qiutong
Zheng Guolin (Qu Xuanzi aka Susu's father) plays Jiangxi
Huang Haibing (Zhaoyou) plays Nangong Zhangying
He Zhonghua (King of Sheng) plays Nangong Liu
Geng Yeting (Ye Qingyu) plays an unknown role
Production
TheĀ source novelĀ (é»ęå ęæēسBEå§ę¬) was optioned by Otter before it was complete due to strong early hype around the IP and interesting characters & premise. It's one of the top 10 most-saved web novels of that genre on the Jinjiang platform. Its title literally translates to "black moonlight is guaranteed a bad ending screenplay".
TheĀ screenplayĀ was written for 40 episodes, which was edited into 50 episodes of probably 45 mins each. The original plan (based on governmental records) was to air 34 episodes as part 1 and 16 episodes as part 2. However, the NRTA (Chinese government agency that regulates TV) closed the loophole around airing two seasons back to back early this year, which is why TTEOTM was edited back down to 40 episodes of 55 mins each so that it could air in one go.
TTEOTM changed its Chinese title twice. It was originally named ęē §åå³°äøŗäøäŗŗ (The moon shines for one person). It was then renamed to éæęę ē¬ (long moon without Jin/ember, also a pun for without limit or endless), which is the official publication name proposed by fans of the web novel. Right before the booting ceremony, it was renamed éæęē¬ę likely for auspicious reasons (especially after the LYX accident and Immortality not airing)
Some keen netizens have noticed that if youĀ break apart the characters of its Chinese title, éæęē¬ę, it becomes éæęē«å°½ę„ę, which literally means....
éæę (long moon) - how people refer to the drama, in its short form
ē« (fire) - Chinese internet lingo for explosive or popular
å°½ę„ę (to the end of sun and moon)
(Gotta give one to Chinese people for coming up with auspicious names)
Luo Yunxi was injuredĀ right before production began when filming his final scene in Light Chaser Rescue. He got punched in the mouth by a costar which required emergency surgery and left a scar on the top left corner of his mouth. Production was delayed as a result. Bai Lu had to film her solo scenes first starting Oct 19, 2021. The booting ceremony took place on Nov 6, 2021 after Luo Yunxi joined the set.
Luo Yunxi was the first actor to be cast, according to an interview with the producer. It is rumored that he might have even picked which novel to adapt as Otter initially optioned both "Black Moonlight" and "Black Lotus Casebook". Bai Lu is also the "only choice" for Li Susu according to Yu Zheng.
Yin TaoĀ (Who Rules The world, Love & Redemption, and Ancient Love Poetry) was originally considered for director, but he worked on the Blood of Youth instead. In the end they went withĀ Kuk Kok Leung, an award-winning veteran TVB director who has adapted 7 out of 8 Jin Yong novels. One of the Cantonese songs Luo Yunxi kept singing on set is theĀ OST of the 1983 Condor HeroesĀ where Kuk served as Assistant Director.
Sun ZhenniĀ (Pianran) and Zhao Shiyi (Fuyu) won their roles through open casting call. Sun Zhenni was a big fan of Bai Lu, and the two became close friends during the shoot. She is 1/4 German Jewish through her paternal grandmother.
Chen DulingĀ (Ye Bingchang / Tian Huan) briefly dated Xichao Wang (who plays Jing Mie, the demon god's other lieutenant). They were apparently introduced by Yu Zheng (boss of Bai Lu's studio).
Luo Yunxi and Sun Zhenni are the only actors who dubbed themselves in the drama. Bai Lu is dubbed by Duan Yixuan, who is also the voice behind Linglong in Love & Redemption.
This is the second time Luo Yunxi plays a dragon god (Runyu is the first). This is also the second time Bai Lu plays a character who leaps off the tower to her death in a costume drama.
Post-production was rumored to be delayed and then rushed due to a number of reasons, including covid which hit the special effects team hard and the last minute change of the 40-episode rule.
Promotion
During the premiere day,Ā celebrities posted on Weibo to promote the dramaĀ in support of Luo Yunxi (usually actors only ask for this favor when it's a really important project to their career): Huang Xiaoming, Tan Songyun, Wu Jingyan, Chen Yuqi, Cheng Xiao, Victoria Song, Zhang Ruonan, Huang Xuan, Chen Yao. The most noteworthy ones were Chen Xiao (whose drama was also opening on the same day) and EDG (the esports team that LYX supports)
