Taipei, July 25 (CNA) Taiwan's Public Television Service (PTS) on Saturday will begin broadcast of the sequel to its award-winning mini-series "Days We Stared at the Sun", which delves into the angst of a group of teenagers as they transition into adulthood.
The mini-series, directed by Cheng Yu-chieh, centers on the struggles and problems of a group of teenagers as they rebel against the adult world.
One of the protagonists Chen Hao-yuan is a so-called good student who becomes best friends with Hung Cheng-yi, a delinquent who tries to rob a bank with a toy gun. One day, after their lives are turned upside down by a senator and his loan sharks, the two friends obtain a real gun and try to do something extreme before their high school graduation.
The drama won Best Miniseries or Television Film at the 2011 Golden Bell Awards in Taiwan, as well as Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film.
The sequel, "Days We Stared at the Sun II", portrays the lives of the protagonists seven years later as they try to remain true to themselves and to effect change as they enter the adult world.
Director Cheng Yu-Chieh said he hopes the film, which documents the lives of contemporary Taiwanese youth, will spur viewers to remember their own youth.
At the premiere of the sequel on Tuesday, PTS Chairperson Tchen Yu-chiou said while the 2010 series was about the growing pains of a group of teenagers and generational conflict, the sequel is about individuals' clashes with the system.
The lives of the protagonists "epitomize life in Taiwan over the past seven years," she said.
Wang Ting-chu, who plays Chen's girlfriend and an independent singer in the film, said the original series and the sequel both touch on social issues that resonate in people's lives.
She said she hopes the series will plant a seed in the hearts of the viewers, allowing them to face their problems more honestly and not be afraid to talk about them.
The six-part series, promoted as Taiwan's "Boyhood," will air every Saturday at 9 p.m. on PTS, beginning July 29.
