SINGAPORE - Period Taiwanese series Light The Night chronicles the loves and lives of the women working at a Japanese-style nightclub.

Here are five things to know about the star-studded Netflix series with Ruby Lin and Cheryl Yang in leading roles.

Recreating the 1980s

A reported NT$250 million (S$12.3 million) was spent on production, much of which went into recreating the bustling red-light district of Linsen North Road in Taipei in the 1980s.

Actress-cum-producer Lin (The Victims' Game, 2020) says in a video conference with local media that the script took four years to write. And in that time, a lot of research and fieldwork went into fine-tuning the period-specific details.

The 45-year-old says: "A lot of our production budget went into emulating the aesthetic of that time, including our Japanese-style mamasan costumes. We looked at the J-pop idols who were popular in the 1980s for inspiration, like Akina Nakamori and Noriko Sakai."

Learning Japanese etiquette

To prepare for their roles, Lin and Yang learnt the etiquette of behaviour at a Japanese nightclub from actual mamasans (a term used to refer to a woman in charge of a drinking establishment).

Lin says it was easy to slip into character. "The atmosphere of the set helped a lot. Once I put on the costume and got my hair and make-up done, I felt like Rose (Lin's character)."

Yang, 43, adds: "The set of the nightclub really had a great ambience to it. I felt quite sad when it got demolished after we wrapped."

Three's a crowd

Lin and Yang play two best friends Rose and Sue, who are mamasans running the nightclub Light, which caters to wealthy businessmen.

Their relationship is rocked when they both become involved with a man named Jiang Han.

In real life, Yang (My Queen, 2009) says she would not be caught in a similar situation.

"If I know someone in real life who is caught between two women, I'll just completely ignore him. I won't let someone like this into my life - that's too tiring," she says.

Lin chimes in: "People always like to blame the women for fighting over the man in affairs like this, but it's actually the man's fault for doing this to two women."

Irresistible bad boy

Actor Rhydian Vaughan (Tiny Times, 2013) plays the screenwriter who comes between Rose and Sue, falling in love with both of them at the same time.

The 33-year-old says: "I think all three of our characters grew up lacking some form of love. There's something missing in the love they have known, so they are always looking outside for someone to fill that missing part of themselves."

He adds that Jiang Han is a man who yearns for the sweetness of romance and not the work that comes with maintaining a real relationship.

"During the honeymoon phase of a romance, your feelings for someone are often projections of your own imagination. It's only once that honeymoon phase ends that you really get to know the person and decide whether you want to carry on dating. Jiang Han is someone who only wants to stay in that honeymoon phase forever."

Age is no barrier to love

A young university student played by Derek Chang becomes smitten with Yang's character.

Chang, 28, had previously worked with Yang in My Dear Boy (2017), which also starred and was produced by Lin.

Asked how he prepared for his role, he says: "I didn't really prepare. I decided to let Cheryl handle it. I think it's very important to trust your acting partners."

Yang laughs and asks: "Why would you let me handle it?"

She adds that Chang has matured as an actor since they last worked together. "I think he's much more sure of what he wants now."

Light The Night is available on Netflix.

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