In recent years, the film and television industry has seen a surge in the number of "her-themed" works that focus on women's growth and relationships. "180 Days Restart Plan" stands out with its unique perspective and delicate emotions, attracting widespread attention from the audience. The drama focuses on the relationship between mother and daughter and women's growth, and tells the story in a humorous and warm way.
After experiencing the double blow of a broken heart and unemployment, 28-year-old Gu Yunsu chose to go home to find her mother. However, she did not expect that her 48-year-old mother Wu Limei was pregnant. Gu Yunsu was forced to become her personal caregiver and participated in her mother's delivery process, staging a series of hilarious, warm and healing family stories. Zhou Yutong played two roles in the play, successfully portraying the young mother Wu Limei and daughter Gu Yunsu. In a recent media interview, Zhou Yutong shared the story behind the play, as well as her deep understanding of the role, family affection, and female growth.
Poster of "180 Days Restart Plan"
How to Play Two Roles
When talking about the reason for participating in this drama, Zhou Yutong said that a large part of it was because of Li Mo, the director of "I'm Fine in My Hometown", with whom she had worked before. "When Li Mo enthusiastically said that he wanted to film this drama, I believed in his choice and was willing to work with him."
In addition, she was deeply attracted by the script. "The script is not preachy, but uses humor to construct the joys and sorrows of a family, telling us how to understand, love and accept. Every character in the play is extremely vivid."
Stills from "180 Days Restart Plan"
In "180 Days Restart Plan", one of the biggest challenges Zhou Yutong faced was playing two roles - the mother Wu Limei's youth and the daughter Gu Yunsu. When talking about her feelings about playing these two roles, Zhou Yutong opened up.
When she played the mother Wu Limei, she deeply understood the character's choices in marriage and personal growth. "I can understand her choices when she was young, whether mature, impulsive, brave, or cowardly, and I can empathize with the complex state of mind of a mother in her family and self-development." This understanding does not just stay on the surface. Zhou Yutong deeply explored the role and showed Wu Limei's delicate emotions in different life scenes, allowing the audience to see a three-dimensional image of a mother.
When playing Gu Yunsu, Zhou Yutong needed to completely change her perspective. "I had to put myself into the psychological state of Gu Yunsu. She was a child who grew up in love. The confidence given by her mother made her brave even when she was inferior in love after she became an adult. She dared to be 'crazy' and daring when facing life choices."
In order to accurately grasp the personality traits of Gu Yunsu, Zhou Yutong put in a lot of effort. She carefully read the script and the original work, capturing the emotional context of the character from between the lines, and striving to show Gu Yunsu's youthful vitality and inner struggle in her performance.
Stills from "180 Days Restart Plan"
Although the two characters have different life trajectories, they also have similarities. Zhou Yutong believes that the most similar thing between the mother and daughter is that they can bravely pay for every decision in their lives. "Although they are a little willful and a little immature, they are determined enough." It is this determination that makes the characters full of charm and allows the audience to see the tenacity of women in the face of life challenges.
However, due to the different eras they lived in, their experiences and circumstances were also very different, which led to distinct differences in the personalities of the mother and daughter. "Meimei is more tender and gentle, while Gu Yunsu is more explosive and direct." Zhou Yutong showed this difference through the control of details, such as the tone of speech and body language, so that the audience can clearly distinguish the two characters.
The mother-daughter relationship is a deep and subtle bond
Wu Yue plays the middle-aged Wu Limei in the play, and she gave Zhou Yutong a lot of help. "Sister Yue always made me relax and supported me spiritually. She used very vivid ways to help me understand the role. For example, she said that Gu Yunsu is a 'cello' and needs to be completely relaxed, while Wu Limei, played by herself, is a 'piano' and every sound is very crisp." This metaphor inspired Zhou Yutong's performance. In addition, Zhou Yutong would observe Wu Yue's performance when she was not filming, and learn details such as her language rhythm, speaking style, body gestures, etc., striving to be "similar" in her performance so that the audience can feel the connection and difference between the characters.
Stills from "180 Days Restart Plan"
In the play, the emotional change between mother and daughter is a major highlight. Zhou Yutong said: "Through these 180 days, the hearts of mother and daughter, which were drifting further and further apart, gradually came closer. Gu Yunsu understood her mother's wish to reunite the family, and her mother also understood her daughter, and the grudge between them disappeared." This emotional change did not happen overnight, but gradually occurred in the bits and pieces of daily life.
Gu Yunsu's relationship with her mother was complicated and full of contradictions, but they finally reconciled in the process of "restarting". Zhou Yutong believes that the mother and daughter have always loved each other. When they were young, they were good at expressing their feelings, but when they grew up, due to changes in life, their exchanges and communication decreased, which led to misunderstandings between them. "Living together again this time gives them the opportunity to get to know each other again and resolve misunderstandings. This is a very warm and meaningful thing for them."
Stills from "180 Days Restart Plan"
In Zhou Yutong's view, this change in the mother-daughter relationship is crucial to Gu Yunsu's growth, allowing her to learn to understand and accept, and also making her cherish family affection more. Zhou Yutong has her own understanding of the line in the play "Every mother has her own daughter to clean up." "The mother-daughter relationship is a deep and subtle bond. They are very similar. They see each other as seeing themselves, and it is difficult for people to fully accept themselves in many cases, so this relationship is very subtle."
In life, there are many different kinds of family relationships. Zhou Yutong believes that no matter what kind of family relationship it is, when misunderstandings arise, more communication is needed. "Healthy communication is very important. Even if you quarrel, you should think about whether those hurtful words are necessary. In family relationships, love, understanding, tolerance, and respect are more important than winning or losing."
Show an imperfect "her power"
There are many touching moments in the play, and Zhou Yutong was most impressed by the scene of sending her grandmother to the bus. "They sent her to the station, and after taking a group photo, the mother who had just given birth sneezed and leaked urine, and the family said goodbye in a hurry. This scene reminded me that many farewells in life are actually very hasty and full of regrets. So we should say goodbye properly when conditions permit." The seemingly ordinary scene allows the audience to see the reality and helplessness of life, and also reminds people to cherish the time they spend together.
Stills from "180 Days Restart Plan"
Wanting to find a sense of belonging in the family while trying to be independent is a common inner struggle among modern women. Zhou Yutong believes that Gu Yunsu's decision to go home after encountering setbacks in the play cannot be called "dependence". "Home is her confidence and the anchor for her to start over. She goes home to use this time to start over and do what she wants to do."
In Zhou Yutong's view, the key to modern women finding a balance between "dependence" and "independence" lies in correctly viewing the role of the family. The family can be relied on, but it cannot become a factor that hinders independence. To achieve independence while maintaining the reliance of family affection, mutual understanding and support between family members is required. "We must respect each other's choices and lifestyles, support each other when encountering difficulties, and encourage each other in the pursuit of dreams." This balance is not only reflected in material aspects, but also in emotional communication and psychological support.
Stills from "180 Days Restart Plan"
The "180-Day Restart Plan" is a journey of self-exploration and change for Gu Yunsu, and it is also an opportunity for Zhou Yutong to think in real life. Facing the challenges and different voices in real life, she said that she is not a person who likes to make plans: "When something happens, I usually feel it first, and also feel myself. This feeling is not only about feeling joy, but also about feeling pain. I sort out my emotions and then let them go. Because I think this is something that an actor must experience."
At a time when there are many works about "her", "180 Days Restart Plan" provides a new perspective to show "her power". Zhou Yutong believes that this drama shows an imperfect "her power". "The female characters in the drama can give up the life and family that others think is perfect and pursue what they think is good. Even if they are misunderstood and criticized, and suffer a lot, they will not regret it, because perfection is not what others think is perfect, but what they think is perfect."
