Eight-Year Folk Drama Premieres in 2027

Director Tsao Jui-yuan revealed his new series, "A Time," on Saturday at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest in Taipei. The project marks the culmination of eight years of development and is set to premiere in 2027.

The drama focuses on Taiwan's campus folk music movement of the 1970s. It follows five friends across four decades of friendship, romance, and personal growth. The story centers on a character named Si Mao, who falls into a coma for decades after diving into an empty swimming pool. His friends navigate guilt and love while long-buried secrets from their youth eventually surface.

The series features two generations of actors playing the same five roles at different life stages. The older cast includes Ning Chang, who is serving as an executive producer for the first time, alongside Jerry Yan, Chen Yi-han, Golden Horse award winner Wu Kang-ren, and Liang Cheng-chun. The younger ensemble features former NCT and WayV member Lucas Wong, Suri Lin, Fandy Fan, Iain Lu, and Joseph Huang.

Tsao described the project as a way to process his own youth. He stated that campus folk music is a key cultural asset in contemporary Taiwan. He wanted to depict the journey from youthful recklessness to the various stages of adulthood. The screenplay was written by Chi Hsi-lin.

Casting the younger actors proved difficult for Tsao, who compared the process to finding a needle in a haystack. Ning Chang, who was approached to act before becoming a producer, called Tsao an "actor scanner" for his attention to emotional nuance. She noted that she looks up to Tsao for his resilience, a trait she associates with Oscar-winning producer Kwak Sin-ae.

The younger cast members emphasized the director's strict focus on performance. Iain Lu, who plays the younger version of Chang's character, said Tsao notices any moment of distraction. Lucas Wong, making his acting debut as the younger Si Mao, said he learned diving, guitar, and dancing for the role. Joseph Huang, who plays the younger Mian Yang, noted that the dance sequences were challenging but allowed the cast to express themselves through singing and movement.

The production team includes more than 30 creative professionals with awards from the Golden Horse, Golden Bell, and Golden Melody ceremonies. At the press conference, the five younger cast members performed the Taiwanese folk song "Seasonal Rain," recreating a dance sequence from the upcoming series.