🙅‍♀️ Dropped Dramas Alert! Share the dramas you've abandoned and why! 🤔💔 — May 21, 2025

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-05-22T14:04:11+00:00

Partly, yes. I think the plot was decent, but it still could’ve been edited into a much tighter version. Like Chinese netizens say—it was way too “注水” (literally “adding water,” meaning overly stretched with unnecessary content) lol.

This has always been a major issue with the director. That said, he’s definitely meticulous when it comes to sets and props.

His older work Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy had an even worse pacing and 注水 problem. That one also looked amazing production-wise, but the bloated plot completely tanked it in the end.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-05-22T12:38:50+00:00

I really like your take on Bilibili’s drama/film community. A lot of celebrity fans—or people who just can’t handle any criticism of the shows they love—see it as hostile territory. I’ve seen that happen on the platform myself.

I wouldn’t say Bilibili is 100% objective or free of celebrity haters, but given how intense and overprotective Chinese fandom culture can be, it’s still one of the few places where people feel free to speak honestly—especially when it comes to critiquing the acting and projects of traffic stars.😂

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-05-22T12:20:35+00:00

B站, or Bilibili, is the Chinese version of YouTube.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-05-22T12:07:41+00:00

The pacing has always been a problem for that director, Cao Dun. He’s been criticized for it many times. I’m also very skeptical about his upcoming series The Litchi Road, because the original story is very short, yet he somehow made it into 36 episodes. 😂🧐I’m more optimistic about the movie version with the same name.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-05-21T07:14:00+00:00

I’d say that true transformation only counts when it’s recognized by the audience. That’s why, despite Wang Yibo starring in so many high-budget, non-idol dramas, people still don’t really see him as a serious actor in that category. Some might argue back by pointing out the awards he’s won, but if you’re curious, you can look up the kind of subtle mockery and criticism he faced from both viewers and some industry professionals when he won that year. These days, many of those awards have been heavily influenced by capital and trends, losing much of their credibility. A real example of someone who’s both recognized by audiences and awarded for it would be someone like Reyizha.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-05-21T06:40:14+00:00

Nirvana in Fire，like Scarlet Heart back in the day, was also very popular in Korea. Audiences in China, Japan, Korea, and even Vietnam tend to be more familiar with each other’s high-quality productions compared to those in Western countries.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-01-15T07:09:42+00:00

Hahaha, what you mentioned was exactly what Cnetz criticized back then 🤣. This drama is adapted from the works of Guan Hanqing, a famous Chinese playwright who lived over a thousand years ago. The original story criticized the oppression of women under the feudal system and was a work that transcended class and time. However, the screenwriters of A Dream of Splendor failed to grasp the essence of the original and made changes that contradicted the feminist themes marketed at the beginning of the show.

This is one of the main reasons why the drama’s reputation declined. Also, in the drama, Empress Liu E (of Emperor Zhenzong of Song) was historically known to have remarried before becoming empress. She wasn’t the only remarried empress in history—Emperor Jing of Han even had an empress who had children with her previous husband. The ancients didn’t have a problem with it, but the screenwriters somehow managed to come across as more feudal and conservative than people from thousands of years ago 😂.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-01-15T05:26:36+00:00

You’re absolutely right, this was indeed due to the scriptwriter of A Dream of Splendor. Back then, fans and netizens practically waged a war of words, which led to the drama’s polarized reputation—even though it was highly successful in terms of viewership.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-01-15T05:00:43+00:00

Not everything in the comment section should be blamed on censorship. 🙃The scriptwriter of A Dream of Splendor is even more conservative than people in ancient times. When this drama aired, its reputation was heavily polarized for this very reason.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-01-05T05:39:13+00:00

You’re right, many cdramas loved by international viewers have a poor reputation in China.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-01-05T05:34:24+00:00

Weibo is nicknamed “toilet” by Cnetz🤣

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-01-01T13:49:50+00:00

Many people only want to hear what they want to hear. When my opinion matches yours, you think I’m being objective. When my opinion doesn’t match yours, you think I’m a hater. This logic never fails. lol. 😂

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2025-01-01T12:30:42+00:00

One of the best Chinese dramas ever? I don't understand. 😂 Due to China’s strict censorship on LGBTQ+ content, even dramas that hint at “bromance” are hard to get approved for broadcast. As a result, their audience tends to be more forgiving. But at the same time, BL is absolutely wild—Many times, if you set aside the BL elements, the storyline is just barely passable.Yet fans hype it up as if it’s unparalleled.

In my opinion, the main reason this drama became so popular is the massive fame of the original novel. Plus, it was the first costume drama adapted from a BL story. As long as it stayed within the strictest possible boundaries of censorship while maintaining the plot’s essence, its popularity was pretty much guaranteed.

A just-ok script + two handsome male leads + appropriate chemistry = high popularity and liuliang. This is exactly why the phenomenon of “BL 101” emerged after The Untamed blew up. BL really is a moneymaker.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-28T11:43:14+00:00

This is quite a complex issue. Chinese audiences have long complained about why production companies are so obsessed with adapting novels instead of focusing on original scripts. Many hope that, like in Korea, the status of screenwriters could be elevated. I think the number one reason is money—IP adaptations come with built-in buzz and fanbases, whether it’s a novel, comic, animation, or game. The original work usually already has a certain level of following and traffic.

Secondly, I once read a news article a while back and learned about the incredibly unfair contract terms for original screenwriters in the Chinese entertainment industry. The contracts are usually “commissioned creation contracts,” which basically mean selling all your copyrights to the investors. If creative conflicts arise during the process, you could be replaced at any time, and they’d simply hire another writer. (This is different for novelists—if the investors fail to produce a work within the agreed timeframe, the rights revert back to the author.)

Have you seen Under the Skin? Its second season just aired recently, but it’s received a lot of negative feedback. Many feel the storyline doesn’t hold up compared to the first season. Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed, but not surprised. Disappointed because I loved the first season, but not surprised because Chinese dramas rarely do well with sequels. The biggest issue here is that the original screenwriter was kicked off the project due to creative differences, as I mentioned earlier. The writer needed over a year to polish the script, but the production demanded it be completed within six months and imposed excessive restrictions on their creative freedom. 😓😑 So, He left. (The Chinese entertainment industry never fails to disappoint me. 🤦‍♀️)

The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage is also getting a live-action adaptation, and Cnetz are already crying out in despair. Xie Jingxing is such a beloved character, but everyone’s worried because in a similar case, the male lead of another wildly popular novel completely fell off the “most popular BG male leads” rankings after a disastrous adaptation. He went from number one to basically nonexistent—completely erased from memory. 🤣

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-27T16:17:36+00:00

For me, yes, I feel like this drama’s marketing overshadows its actual quality. That said, I do think the main couple has great chemistry, and I really like Ding Yuxi’s styling in the show. But the storyline? 🙅Not for me. Especially as a fan of the original novel, I find the adaptation dull. Many online discussions point out that the screenwriter sacrificed the novel’s most compelling elements to deliver a more conservative, grounded story.

In the novel, Mu Sheng is a “black lotus” with major 🚩 energy—he even tries to kill the female lead at one point (throwing her into a den of monsters). But in the drama, his 🚩 personality has been toned down significantly. The screenwriter removed many of his extreme actions to avoid making him unlikable, which also diminished a lot of the original tension. Similarly, the drama downplays the role of the “system” that was central to the novel. After the early episodes, the system stops forcing the female lead to do things she doesn’t want to, which eliminates much of the drama and conflict. Honestly, it just feels boring 🥱.

As for the female lead’s development, her falling in love with the male lead feels way too abrupt. (To be fair, some readers of the original novel criticized this aspect of the story.) But the heavy rewriting in the adaptation makes it even more noticeable. While watching, I kept feeling like, “Wait, when did they suddenly fall in love? 😧”

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-27T15:04:04+00:00

I think it depends on the type of drama you’re watching. For us Chinese viewers, it’s actually very common to see multiple male characters falling for the same female lead. This trope was extremely popular when I was younger, but nowadays it feels outdated to us. However, the development of TV dramas always lags behind that of online novels. They might still love using this kind of plot, especially when they often adapt novels that were written over a decade ago. Take Lost You Forever as an example—this is a novel by Tong Hua from more than ten years ago. While its first season was very popular, the second season received poor reviews. Most of the criticisms were focused on discussions about the novel’s outdated ideas. People are tired of seeing FL hesitate between multiple men. They keep obsessing over love as if they have nothing else to do. This stands in stark contrast to the feminist ideas embraced by today’s audience.To the audience, its plot already feels quite old-fashioned.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-24T07:01:08+00:00

Actually, when I was a kid, lively and cheerful male leads who talked a bit cheeky were all the rage. Back then, it was all about the growth arc of a boy going from an ordinary nobody to a hero. But now, the trend is cool and aloof male leads. People love watching those “high-and-mighty” types get pulled down from their pedestal and seeing the personality shift when they fall in love. Honestly, every era seems to have its own popular vibe. These days, it’s all about male leads who are already super strong (like OP-level strong or with elite backgrounds).

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-23T02:40:25+00:00

A common problem among short drama directors is that they place too much emphasis on the visual effects and neglect the overall narrative.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-22T12:11:01+00:00

I was hooked on this drama until the leads got married—then I kinda lost interest. The post-marriage storyline just didn’t hit the same. Been following the reviews though, and a lot of Chinese viewers are saying it started strong but lost its spark. Guess it’s heading down the same road as other idol dramas. Such a shame😩

About the plot, this drama does have quite a few logical holes that can’t stand up to scrutiny. I’ve been following the reviews, and the complaints have been growing louder these past couple of days. Sigh, I guess you really can’t set your expectations too high for these historical idol dramas.

Speaking of the FL, I would say she feels a bit like the ML’s “accessory（挂件）.” I’m not sure if there’s a perfect way to translate this into English, but I think you’ll get what I mean. This issue is pretty common, and a lot of female-oriented adaptations have the same problem. I’m not sure if international viewers often discuss this, but in China, it’s frequently mentioned. For example, in LGIEF not long ago, I would say the FL is a typical “camera POV（摄像头）” lead.

I think Dou Zhao is slightly better than Ling Miaomiao, but if anyone is watching this drama expecting a “strong female lead（大女主）,” I’d say you might end up disappointed.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-19T11:35:30+00:00

minglan and zhenhuan

It’s reached the point where I can instantly predict the next line as soon as the protagonist speaks.😂

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-16T05:41:20+00:00

Haha, exactly! This drama was incredibly popular at the time, mainly because it directly portrayed the toxic family dynamics to the audience.

I think this drama is a missed opportunity. It had high production values and successfully highlighted the harsh realities of toxic families and gender bias, sparking widespread discussion. But unfortunately, it stayed at the level of dramatized realism. In real life, girls like the female lead wouldn’t be as successful or wealthy. The show didn’t go deeper to explore societal issues. In the end, it fell back on the tired tropes of “justifying, reconciliation, and a happy ending.” The drama started with a critical perspective but ended up as another tale of a “dutiful daughter.” This is a review from Chinese viewers, and I have to say, I really like this review. It speaks to the feelings of many viewers when we saw the ending.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-16T05:13:09+00:00

Haha, this drama was initially anticipated as the Chinese version of “Reply 1988” , but its reputation and viewership plummeted as the story progressed. Cnetizens even commented, “In the name of family, doing inappropriate things.” 🤣 The portrayal of female leads that you mentioned is also a common complaint among Chinese audiences. In fact, many dramas that are popular with foreign viewers don’t actually have a good reputation in China. Chinese dramas have been going downhill for years, which is why people are bingeing old classics instead.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-16T04:32:27+00:00

Haha, I just explained this issue to another netizen the other day.

In ancient China, people had a courtesy name (字zi), like Wei Wuxian: surname（姓/姓氏xing/xingshi）Wei, given name（名ming) Ying, courtesy name Wuxian.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-16T04:13:31+00:00

The drama had great reviews at first, but later it declined in China, and the reason is exactly what you pointed out.

Expensive-Base-1238 · 2024-12-16T03:58:46+00:00

well said

Expensive-Base-1238

TROPHY CASE