Working In Progress

VOL.005 | Esther Yu: Free-Spirited and Unconventional

by 马甲编辑部 MAGIAmagazine
2019年06月02日 16:03

Shanghai girl Yu Shuxin is the living embodiment of her character Tian Jingzhi—dramatic, lively, quirky, and clever. She’s free-spirited and unbothered by the little things. Rather than sticking to the fail-safe palette of black, white, and gray, she gravitates toward vibrant, rainbow-colored outfits. Bold and adventurous, she is the most unconventional Sagittarius with the least idol burden

Just before the interview, Yu Shuxin had returned from filming a travel variety show in Japan. She described the whole trip as a mix of sightseeing, eating, and pure fun. For the Tokyo trip, she styled herself with seven different outfits, saying, “I just love putting looks together. I love wearing bright, rainbow-colored clothes.”

On the other end of the phone, she was sitting in an airport lounge, speaking in a relaxed and straightforward tone.

She’s not the type of girl who plays it safe by only wearing black, white, and gray. On the contrary, she’s lively, bold, and speaks with a carefree attitude. She also has a strong mind of her own. When the web drama My Amazing Boyfriend 2 was a hit, Yu Shuxin fully embraced her character Tian Jingzhi on platforms like Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and her alternate Weibo account, hoping more people would watch the show. She even said she didn’t live like a typical female celebrity at all.

In her vlogs, Esther Yu cheerfully and humorously shares her daily life while promoting her drama. As a representative of the younger generation of actors, she is direct and assertive: “I’ve never had that air of mystery. When I don’t have any new work, I want people to still see me—to not think I’ve disappeared.”

“My personality? It’s all about being free-spirited and unconstrained!”

Tian Jingzhi who never slacks off

Some people first got to know Yu Shuxin through the variety show Grade One, where fans affectionately nicknamed her “Miss Mudslide.” But more people became familiar with her as the quirky “goddess of nonsense” Tian Jingzhi in the web drama My Amazing Boyfriend 2.

Yu Shuxin has been a fangirl since she was little: “I loved watching handsome celebrities. Somehow, the seed of becoming an artist was planted in me from a young age.” Growing up, she has liked Ultraman, Tang Sen, Erkang, Su Yaowei, and also liked Su Youpeng. Later, she became obsessed with Korean drama leading men.

When My Love from the Star was a huge hit, many of her friends told her, “Your personality is so much like Cheon Song-yi!” So she started to follow the drama and couldn’t stop watching it. Coincidentally, both the plot and character setup of My Amazing Boyfriend 2 bear some resemblance to My Love from the Star. Yu Shuxin laughed and said that she almost played Tian Jingzhi in her true colors.

When talking about My Amazing Boyfriend 2, she’s very earnest: “This drama isn’t sweet—it’s more comedic. We filmed for four months, and it was unforgettable. I got so deep into character that I couldn’t pull myself out.” Playing Tian Jingzhi wasn’t easy for Yu Shuxin. Themes like miscarriage and fetal movement were completely foreign experiences to her. She had to film at least 20 crying scenes, and in every one of them, she fully immersed herself in the role—crying with real, raw emotion.

This was her first time as a female lead, and she gave it everything she had, staying hyper-focused on set as if she were “running on adrenaline.” One of her co-stars, actress Bai Lu, once noticed that everyone on set—even the cameraman—had dozed off, except for Esther. Her explanation was simple: “I really want to act well.” 
What made her happiest was seeing the people around her watching the show. While it didn’t make her an overnight sensation, it did help her gain wider recognition.

After finishing My Amazing Boyfriend 2, she went on to film Find Yourself. “I played a sweet, naive, slightly ditzy college girl. Because I had just come off playing Tian Jingzhi, taking on this new role felt a bit bland in comparison. But everyone’s feedback was that they liked my performance in this film. Maybe everyone felt that I tried too hard to play Tian Jingzhi. After all, it was my first film in which I played the leading female role, and I was under a lot of pressure.”

In July, Yu Shuxin will begin filming a historical drama. Now she wants to play a more relaxed and cute role. After playing Tian Jingzhi, she once worried about being typecast as an actress who could only play cute roles. But after attending a class taught by actor Huang Bo, her perspective changed. “As actors, if we haven’t even fully mastered one type of role, and we rush into trying something completely new, it’s easy to fail.” Yu Shuxin hopes to at least play cute and funny roles with her own texture.

When it comes to her goals, she puts it simply: “I’m not the type to constantly talk about how passionate I am about acting. But once I take on a role, I give it my full effort and take it seriously.”

“I Can Pull Off Exaggerated Outfits”

Yu Shuxin’s English name is Esther, which means “star” — a star of hope.

She shared that she runs a private alternate Weibo account, where the username constantly changes. Currently, it’s called “Weibo for posting pictures,” and the bio reads: “Drama queen + fashion blogger + gifting expert.” On this account, she frequently posts selfies and outfit-of-the-day looks, tagged under #FashionFromTheStars.

She describes the account as a little corner where she can be spontaneous and let loose: “My Weibo account is reserved for people who really care about me and like me. I show a more unfiltered side of myself there, and I update it pretty often.” True to her playful nature, she often changes the username of the account to promote her shows. When My Amazing Boyfriend 2 was airing, the ID was “Tian Jingzhi Herself.” She said she’d change it again when Find Yourself began broadcasting.

The private outfits she updated on her second account are very fashionable and trendy. In one of the photos, she wore a purple dress with the caption “HyunA style, I have always liked sequin elements, purple was my favorite color some time ago (now I like green), so I wore purple sequins without hesitation.” She’s not a fan of black, white, or gray: “Some people think black makes you look slimmer, but I’m not afraid of looking thin or fat. My clothes are all quite exaggerated, and they don’t go against my personality.”

But she also wears black clothes occasionally. “I rarely wear black, but it actually looks pretty good. High-waisted pants make my legs and waist look longer. My friend once found a cute little hat in a vintage store—it looked kind of like a witch’s hat, but I loved it.” She’s a big fan of vintage fashion. Her latest proud find? A vintage Fendi sequin baguette bag. She calls herself a shopaholic.

In addition to her flamboyant fashion sense, Esther Yu has always had a vibrant personality. As a child, when she once saw someone selling a flute on the street, her father refused to buy it for her—so she rolled on the ground. Eventually, her dad gave in and bought it. Ironically, that flute later became a tool he used to discipline her. Yu Shuxin describes her relationship with her parents as full of “fights and quarrels.”
“Even if I get beaten, I won’t have any psychological trauma. Sagittarius is very generous. I have been living in a dormitory since I was a child. I don’t stay with my parents often, and I have always cherished the time I spend with my parents.”

Family also influenced Yu Shuxin’s view on money. She invested in many apps and copyrights of certain brands.  “I discussed with my dad about what to invest in. The money I earn isn’t just for me to spend freely. My father was very strict with me since I was a child and didn’t give me a lot of pocket money. I had the idea that I must be self-reliant and determined not to be a parasite. I don’t go to nightclubs—at most, I’ll sing at KTV. I just really like working.”

She enjoys the feeling of being busy. “A lot of people think I chose the wrong career. I could have lived a relaxing life of eating, drinking, and traveling, but I chose to challenge myself in the acting industry. But I think it’s mainly because I like it, and I should do more while I’m young and can still work.”

CREDITS:

Produced by: MAGIA Magazine
Planning & Executive Producer: McQ.
Photography: XIAOYANG
Styling: 稀奇
Video Post-production: Sharon Yuin
Hair & Makeup: Yuri, 刘凯乐
Image Layout: Lando
Text Editing: 细补

MAGIA-Magazine 19-5-27 20:01

Yu Shuxin x MAGIA Magazine
Shanghai girl Yu Shuxin is the real-life Tian Jingzhi—dramatic, lively, quirky, and very clever. She’s free-spirited and doesn’t sweat the small stuff. Rather than playing it safe with black, white, or grey, she prefers vibrant, rainbow-colored outfits. Bold and adventurous, she’s a Sagittarius through and through—unfiltered, unafraid, and refreshingly free of the typical “idol” image.

MAGIA-Magazine 19-6-2 16:10

Yu Shuxin x MAGIA Magazine
VOL.005 | Esther Yu: Free-Spirited and Unconventional

Some people first got to know Esther Yu through the reality show Grade One, where fans affectionately dubbed her “Miss Mudslide” for her chaotic charm. But even more came to know her as the quirky female lead Tian Jingzhi in the web drama My Amazing Boyfriend 2.

MAGIA-Magazine 19-6-3 22:37

Magia Presents:
VOL.005 | Esther Yu: Free-Spirited and Unconventional

1. The nickname “泥石流小姐” (literally “Miss Mudslide”) a slang used for someone who has unpredictable charm and a refreshingly unfiltered personality—like a force of nature.
2. VOL.005 | Esther Yu: Free-Spirited and Unconventional – https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/hbPaoZPbCehdsdCqODjp6w
3. MAGIA-Magazine 19-5-27 20:01 – https://weibo.com/7038177834/Hwa3vppxo
4. MAGIA-Magazine 19-6-2 16:10 – https://weibo.com/7038177834/Hx36zggSK
5. MAGIA-Magazine 19-6-3 22:37 – https://weibo.com/7038177834/Hxf4558Ll
6. MAGIA Weibo: https://weibo.com/u/7038177834