On the weekend of September 6th, 2025, Dimension Poptown USA’s Heaven Official’s Blessing pop-up cafe hosted James Cheek and Howard Wang, who provide the voices for Hua Cheng and Xie Lian in Crunchyroll’s English dub of the Heaven Official’s Blessing donghua. During their visit, the actors performed a live reading of selected book scenes and answered fan questions, and were available for signings and photos after the session.
DanmeiNews had the chance to chat with the two one-on-one, and they graciously answered some questions about their roles and their time at the cafe. Our full cafe write-up can be found linked here.
What do you like the most about Hua Cheng / Xie Lian as a character? How about what you like the least?
Heaven Official’s Blessing donghua promotional art (Bilibili, Gearous)James: One of the things I like most about Hua Cheng is he’s unapologetically himself. He’s brash, haughty, enjoys stirring the pot, and a great many other things that would classify him as intolerable in most cultures. But he cares so little about what most people think of him, he ends up getting away with a lot of it (emphasis on “most”). One of the things I like least about him is general lack of empathy. He’s not cruel, per se. It’s just he only cares about one person and the rest can die in a fire for all he cares.
Howard: I love how [Xie Lian] essentially embodies the meme of the dog in a room on fire saying “This is fine” haha. And if I had to pick something I like the least, I’d say it’d be nice if he expressed himself a bit more openly. I think that’d be healthy for him, haha.
Did you have any specific inspirations for how you play them in the donghua?
James: Yes, J. Michael Tatum. I’ve told this story before, but my first audition was basically me doing a Tatum impression. As I’ve learned more about Hua Cheng, I’ve pulled from more influences like films I love (I.E. A Princess Bride) personal experience, etc. But it all started with Tatum.
Howard: When voicing Xie Lian, I never feel like I’m acting. Not sure if there are any particular inspirations other than just letting myself fall into the character, which already feels pretty natural.
Do you read (or reread) the novel scenes in advance of recording, or do you rely more on just the donghua for context in your performance?
James: I read the books as they were being released, so I was reading book one while recording season one. I’d considered avoiding spoilers, but part of Hua Cheng’s function in the story is to be hot and know things. It’s pretty clear he’s got about 80% of the big mystery solved before the books even start, so I felt it’d serve me and my performance to read ahead.
Howard: For the first two seasons, I generally just relied on the donghua for context! I did do a bit of research early on, but I felt like in the early parts of the story, Xie Lian was pretty reactive to what was happening. So, I actually shifted my approach to just go along with what the donghua had to throw at me in order to live in the moment with Xie Lian. There were times where I think that definitely had an impact on my performance, haha. However, I have started going through the novels! If any future seasons happen, I think it would be beneficial to have more context on the upcoming parts of the story.
Do you have a favorite scene from the donghua? What about your favorite yet-to-be-animated book scene?
James: I love every frame of the show too much to have a “favorite” scene, I think. But one that I really enjoyed was Xie Lian visiting Hua Cheng at Paradise Manor. I love whenever Xie Lian and Hua Cheng get to play house, but that time in particular Hua Cheng was showing his more vulnerable side. Especially when Xie Lian tries to give Hua Cheng his ring back. There aren’t many times when Hua Cheng gets embarrassed, so it was fun to play that. As far as an “as-yet-to-be-seen” scene, I want to see fantasy ancient Chinese mechs sooooooo bad!
Howard: Xie Lian’s breakdown towards the end of season 2 is definitely one of my favorites, haha. His emotional dam finally collapsing was both fun to perform and incredibly cathartic. As for yet-to-be-animated stuff? Hmmm… I guess all I’ll say is “It hurts”, haha.
Were there any particularly challenging scenes? Why?
James: No, surprisingly. There’ve been some technically challenging moments, like trying not to butcher the Mandarin names or getting in my own head about maintaining Hua Cheng’s voice. But the solution usually is just to relax and trust the director not to let me sound bad and trust that I know what I’m doing.
Howard: Xie Lian has a lot of layers to him, and he tends to hide a lot behind a smile. I can’t think of any challenging scenes in particular, but I suppose the hardest part is capturing the vibe of not knowing whether to laugh or cry, haha. It can be difficult to balance how much he’s willing to express, and the sweet spot lies in a very narrow window. Thankfully, I think I naturally live within that window too, which might be why it’s easy for me to fall into the character, haha.
Do you have any warm-up rituals for recording?
James: Yes. I’ve got a Michael Buble CD that I’ll sing along to. Crooner songs help get my voice into the right spot, and they’re often thematically appropriate. I’ll also do some general vocal warmups if I have time.
Howard: I, uh… Not really, haha. Please don’t follow my example! 😅
If you could’ve played any other character in Heaven Official’s Blessing (not because you necessarily like them better, just that you think they would be fun), who would it be and why?
James: If I could’ve played anyone else… I guess Lang Qianqiu’s Little Guy? I mean, who wouldn’t want to bit-part that turned into a character because people loved him so much?
Howard: I honestly can’t see myself playing anyone else in the series, haha. Ever since the audition, Xie Lian was the character I connected with instantly, and that’s only grown over the years. Though if I had to give a joke answer, I’d say Ling Wen, haha.
What would be your dream project or character to voice?
James: I’d love to be a part of Witch Hat Atelier.
Howard: Oh man, I’ve always wanted to voice in a well-crafted DC Comics project! Like an animated movie adaptation of an iconic comic story, or a game that’s like the Batman Arkham series. I’d love to be Nightwing or The Flash, but I’d honestly take anyone, haha.
Is this your first time at a themed cafe? And is this your first time in New York City?
James: Yes, this is both my first time at a themed cafe and NYC.
Howard: I’m a big weeb so I’ve been to themed cafes before, haha. I’ve mainly been to various ones in Japan, including other TGCF ones, and I’ve also been to the One Piece Cafe in Las Vegas! And having something like the Dimension Poptown cafe in the states is super cool! Seeing shows like TGCF being celebrated to this capacity is incredible and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
What’s your favorite dish here at the cafe?
James: Honestly, they’re all really, really, really good. But if I had to pick one, I’d say the pork wraps; I can’t remember the dish name. The presentation for them is absolutely spectacular.
Howard: I really enjoyed the Rendezvous of Sun and Moon dish! It had some nice flavors and textures!
Which of the costumes the characters are wearing in the cafe’s merch would you personally wear, and where would you wear it?
James: There’s a modern costume for Hua Cheng that I would definitely wear. It looks so cool, and it can be worn in pieces for everyday stuff, or the full ensemble for events and such.
Howard: All the outfits were so beautiful, haha. I think the outfit with Xie Lian in the white and blue suit would work great at a wedding or a ball!
It was wonderful to chat with the voices behind one of our favorite danmei series, and we can’t thank James and Howard enough for taking the time to speak with us! We also offer warm thanks to Dimension Poptown USA for hosting the two in such a fun and unique venue.
James and Howard can be found online at the below links:
James Cheek (@MaybeJamesCheek)
James Cheek (@MaybeJamesCheek)
Howard Wang (@TheHowardWang)
Howard Wang (@TheHowardWang)
You can hear James & Howard’s performances as Hua Cheng & Xie Lian in the English dub of the Heaven Official’s Blessing donghua: Season 1 streaming links can be found here, and Season 2 links can be found here. Links to purchase the physical DVDs/Blu-rays for the series are listed below.
Heaven Official’s Blessing donghua, Season One DVD/Blu-ray set:
Amazon (US)
Amazon (CAN)
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
Crunchyroll
Target
Walmart
Heaven Official’s Blessing donghua, Season Two DVD/Blu-ray set:
Amazon (US)
Amazon (CAN)
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million
Crunchyroll
Target
Walmart
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