The casting for this drama has been ongoing for several months since its inception.
Despite the meticulous selection process, the key roles of the male lead, female lead, male supporting lead, and female supporting lead have yet to be finalized.
Of course, the undecided status of these crucial characters is also tied to the nature of idol dramas.
Unlike other series, where the male and female leads can be chosen independently, idol dramas adhere to an unwritten rule: the male lead must be confirmed before the female lead.
This is because the primary viewership for idol dramas consists of women.
When watching a drama, female viewers tend to project themselves into the role of the female lead. Consequently, the male lead who is officially paired with the female lead naturally becomes their ideal husband.
Which girl doesn't wish for a handsome, wealthy, gentle, and devoted man as her future partner?
Therefore, the choice of the male lead is paramount; if the male lead isn't chosen well, the entire drama is doomed to fail.
Secondly, the core of an idol drama is romance, and the heart of romance is a beautiful love story.
In filming idol dramas, the visual appeal of the male and female leads is important, but the chemistry between them is even more critical.
From a female viewer's perspective, they first look at the male lead. If he's attractive, they then assess the chemistry between the two leads, and only then do they consider the female lead.
Some dramas feature male and female leads who are individually very attractive but look awkward together, lacking any discernible chemistry.
Chemistry is an elusive quality, difficult to grasp.
Even seasoned professionals who have specialized in filming idol dramas for years cannot precisely control it.
The best they can do is to first cast the male lead based on the script and then, utilizing the actors' inherent qualities, search for a compatible female lead on camera to foster that chemistry.
While the male lead of "The Prince Who Turns into a Frog" is Shang Junhao, due to a period of amnesia, the drama actually features two male leads.
These are the prince Shang Junhao and Tong Hao, who, after losing his memory, transforms into a frog.
To portray these roles effectively requires the ability to play two characters, seamlessly transitioning between the prince and the frog without creating a sense of dissonance for the audience, posing a significant challenge to an actor's skill.
As is widely known, idol dramas are often a breeding ground for mediocre acting.
Finding a truly talented actor among those who frequently appear in idol dramas, capable of taking on a more serious role, is as difficult as finding a dominant pure top in the perpetually fluid LGBTQ+ scene of Sichuan and Chongqing.
After three months of continuous searching and over a hundred auditions, not a single person fitting the role has been found.
At this moment, Director Chen Mingzhang's expression is as grim as a wronged concubine who has been confined to the cold palace by the emperor for over a decade.
His assistant, observing Chen Mingzhang's somber demeanor, cautiously ventured, "Director Chen, perhaps we could put the male lead aside for now? Once we've confirmed Ye Tianyu for the female lead, we might find a suitable male actor."
Chen Mingzhang glared at his assistant and snapped, "What do you know? The core of an idol drama is the male lead. If we can't finalize the male lead, what's the point of casting an excellent female lead?"
Scolded, the assistant lowered his head, daring not to speak further.
"This is infuriating! In this vast entertainment industry, we can't even find a proper male lead. All these idol training programs, future star-making factories—useless, utterly useless!"
Chen Mingzhang fumed, his mustache bristling with anger, unleashing a torrent of profanity in front of everyone.
The male artists who had come for auditions across from him exchanged uneasy glances, their faces etched with disappointment.
They all thought to themselves, an idol drama, as the name suggests, is a romance between good-looking men and women. Being good-looking is what makes them idols.