Taiwanese actor Tseng Jinghua says he is jealous of co-star Vivian Sung because she has been to USS before

Now what a good-looking duo Taiwanese actors Vivian Sung, 30, and Tseng Jinghua, 25, make.

The pair are the stars of iQIYI’s supernatural mystery-comedy Oh No! Here Comes Trouble and 8days.sg met them in Bangkok last month.

In the 12-episode drama, Jinghua plays a middle school student with the ability to communicate with monsters, while Vivian is a policewoman who teams up with Jinghua to solve the mysteries regarding the monsters in hopes that she will get promoted. 

In short, Jinghua and Vivian make for a very dynamic two-person Scooby Gang. 

The two stars became close friends after working on the drama together

Their chemistry with each other is apparent in person.

Vivian was bubbly and outspoken throughout our 10-minute chat, while Jinghua was more reserved and shy — a huge contrast from the bright purple ‘look-at-me’ suit he was wearing — though it was clear that he was more than happy to let Vivian take the lead.

She is after all the more seasoned celebrity, having hit the big time with her second movie Our Times in 2015. Her role in the teen comedy megahit also earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Golden Horse Awards. 

Jinghua, on the other hand, had his breakout role in 2020 with Your Name Engraved Herein, Taiwan's highest-grossing LGBTQ film of all time. His role in the movie turned him into a heartthrob and one of Taiwan's fastest rising stars.

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble marks their first time working together, an experience they both clearly enjoyed judging from the high praises they sing of each other.

“I’ve always admired Jinghua, and really wanted to work with him," said Vivian. "My impression of him was that he’s very cool and handsome, so I wondered if it would be hard for us to get along. I didn’t expect to have so much fun together. He’s a great travel partner as well!”

Jinghua was equally as effusive. “I think it was very easy to work with Vivian. Maybe it's because she’s so warm by nature and very willing to share [about herself], so we unexpectedly built a friendship and we became very good friends,” he said.

Jinghua's character in the drama helps resolve the last wishes of disgruntled souls. Turns out, the actor is very interested in the supernatural in real life as well.

8DAYS.SG: Jinghua’s character in the show is able to see the thoughts of disgruntled souls that appear in the form of monsters. If your thoughts were to take the shape of something, what would it be?

VIVIAN SUNG: Oh that’s a tough question… maybe my thoughts will become a mirror. I realise a lot of times, instead of the pressure that others put on me, I’m [stressed by] the expectations I have of myself to do well. So I’m sort of looking at a mirror and it reflects what I think of myself. I want to get rid of this but it’s still something I’m working on, if not my mirror will just get larger and larger (laughs).

TSENG JINGHUA: I think my thoughts would be a backpack. A very heavy one, and I’ll be carrying it with me like a snail with a heavy shell. That’s not baggage though. I just tend to overthink things and spend a lot of time on insignificant problems.

Do you believe monsters exist?

JH: (Immediately) I do! I believe in things like folklores and legends and I will even try to learn more about them.

V: I believe in it too. Whether it’s ghosts or monsters, I believe that we humans are only a small part of such a vast universe. The world is so big and there are definitely things we don’t know about.

Would you be afraid if you ran into these monsters?

V: If the monster is cute, I would be quite curious (laughs). If it’s scary looking, I would be shocked at first, but I would really want to interview it. For example, the monsters in our shows have their own stories and things they can’t let go of.

Whether it’s things we’re unfamiliar with or spiritual stuff, I will treat them with respect. If they’re willing, I would want to see if there’s anything I can help them with or find out if they’re trying to tell me something. Maybe, sometimes they just wanna knock on the door, but other times, maybe they have something to say (laughs).

JH: I actually really like adventure and taking risks, so I think I would be quite excited if I ran into a monster. I usually turn on the TV when I get home to see if there are any shows that have to do with monsters, like the Loch Ness Monster. I’m very curious about the unknown.

V: Yeah, when it comes to things like the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot, they’re just beyond our imagination.

I recently went to the Chiang Mai Night Safari and I realised that a giraffe's head is so big in real life! I thought it was so adorable. Even when it comes to animals, they’re so many that I’ve yet to see in person, not to mention all the other creatures in the world.

Do you enjoy watching horror films?

V: I like watching Thai horror films. I think they are scary, but I would still watch it to the end.

JH: I’ve always liked watching horror films. When I was a kid and couldn’t fall asleep at around 3am, that was when the horror films would air on TV so I would watch them and have nightmares when I sleep. Like Vivian, I think Thai horror films are always linked to old tales or certain places in the country and I think that's very interesting.

Vivian spoke excitedly about seeing a giraffe for the first time in person

The two of you have many fans in Singapore. What are some things that come to mind when you think of Singapore?

V: Black pepper crab! There’s also the Universal Studios in Singapore. I went once when I was younger. I’m trying to visit all the Universal Studios in the world 'cos they’re all different from each other. So I remember going to USS when I visited Singapore and it was very fun.

JH: I’m so jealous.

V: I know. (Laughs)

JH: I haven’t travelled much, so I don’t really have a good answer for this question. But I really look forward to visiting new places and trying new food.

V: Hopefully this show can bring us to Singapore soon. I’ll start wishing for it (laughs). We can also go by ourselves and have fun there together. I haven’t been to Singapore in a long time!

Photos: iQIYI, iQIYI/ Facebook, Vivian Sung/ Instagram

You can catch Oh No! Here Comes Trouble On iQIYI.