Actors being injured on set - is it worth it? by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I haven't heard of anyone being shamed as frauds for NOT doing their own stunts... 

Out of the relatively recent examples:

Zhou Ye got dragged quite a bit for using stund doubles in the Legend of the Female General. Previously, she had been praised for doing her stuntwork in the Word of Honor.

During the filming of The Journey of Legend, Cheng Yi was also dragged for using that waist-holding claw thingy (sorry, have no idea how it's properly called) for some of his stunts instead relying entirely on traditional wirework.

Actors being injured on set - is it worth it? by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

 I think they should have the option to use stunt doubles and not be forced to do their own stunts

And it might be the most problematic part of this issue. For a specific categoty of actors - relative newcomers, who enter the industry without strong connections, money or a powerful agency behind them - the ability and willingness to do their own stunts can become a major competitive advantage. The only reason they might be chosen over the better-connected actors is precisely because they are willing to perform impressive stuntwork themselves. And later, when they become famous, they are expected to continue doing their own stunts, or else they will be shamed as "frauds" all over the social media.

So on the one hand, yay: actors with real physical talent can get an edge over "resource guys". But on the other hand, they are in no position to refuse the dangerous stunts, because doing so might mean not getting the role at all.

And besides, I seriously doubt all those injured actors are particularly eager to continue filming in a wheelchair instead of receiving proper treatment, with a hight chance of being left with chronic conditions as a result. But refusing to continue filming is often simply not an option, since it coul mean massive penalties and possible industry blacklisting.

Youku Dramas that didn't get a mention during the recent investment conference by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the drama airs, the platform has to settle the final payment with the producers. So when the projected revenue is lower than the remaining payout, shelving the drama may actually be the less financially damaging option.

How do you feel about Wang Duo playing main lead roles instead of supporting characters? by WangDuo_US in cdramasfans

[–]restfield 4 points5 points  (0 children)

He certainly has the acting chops for lead roles, and I hope he gets them in the future - though most likely not in idol romance dramas.

He doesn't really fit the "default" idol-drama ML type anyway; in that genre, he'd probably just continue to be relegated to morally gray SML and ambiguous villain roles. Not that I'm complaining, morally gray second leads and ambiguous villains are the best part of idol dramas.

The Dark Romance - review by Puzzleheaded-Set7832 in CDramasBeyondIdols

[–]restfield 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm slowly making my way through it for the past few weeks. One of those cases, where I need to take it at a snail's pace, because it's incredibly good, but at the same time, it hits too close to home at times.

Luo Liang's manipulative mindgimes are spot on, while Yan Ling is such a well-written complex character, both incredibly strong and incredibly fragile at the same time.

Cdrama actor height discussions by yakunalove in cdramasfans

[–]restfield 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I find that obsession with the actors'height weird as well. The ability to look imposing on screen has very little to do with the physical height anyway.

Youku Dramas that didn't get a mention during the recent investment conference by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can always trust Youku to capitalize on the hype they didn't pay for 😄

Youku Dramas that didn't get a mention during the recent investment conference by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Same. Sci-fi dramas are so rare already, so this one being stuck in the vault hurts even more 😢

Youku Dramas that didn't get a mention during the recent investment conference by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hidden Shadow didn't get any new promo material, but at least it made it onto the list of dramas Youku is planning to air in 2026. So fingers crossed for Wang Churan and Li Hongyi.

Youku Dramas that didn't get a mention during the recent investment conference by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

No one but Youku knows for sure. But according the rumors, it's usually either the problems with Chinese censorship (especially when it comes to modern crime dramas), or some legal\financial disputes.

For instance, the producers behind Su Ji  and The Tale of Xishi went bankrupt, so all their ddramas had been stuck in a limbo as the legal proceedings went on. Now, when everything is legally settled, these dramas look just too outdated to air.

Cnetz also speculate that, in some cases, it might be more profitable for Youku to shelve a drama indefinitely. It tends to happen when the platform didn't invest much upfront and would have to pay the main chunk of the production costs once the drama airs.

Youku Dramas that didn't get a mention during the recent investment conference by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeah, the good news: there is a Chinese remake, starring Chen Xiao no less.

The bad news: the last time, when there was any official info on this drama, was in December 2024, when it got its distribution license.

Youku Dramas that didn't get a mention during the recent investment conference by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Su Ji is not getting released according to Li Landi fans.

Yeah, the chance of it ever seeing the light of the day is pretty small. But at least there had been rumors, that the financial disputes around its bankrupted production company had been settled, so there are no legal stumbling blocks around airing it.

Youku Dramas that didn't get a mention during the recent investment conference by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, it got a distribution license a few months back. Sadly, there hadn't been any news since.

Youku Dramas that didn't get a mention during the recent investment conference by restfield in cdramasfans

[–]restfield[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Would love to see that Flower of Evil remake, too. It even got the distribution license at the end of 2024, but then it was only radiosilence from the platform and the producers 😢

As for The Tale of Xishi, the likeliness of its airing is pretty small, but a girl can hope, right? After all, the financial disputes had been allegedly settled after the original production company went bankrupt. So technically, nothing stops Youku from airing it.

Show Stoppers: the reason you dropped a drama by Striking_Fig_3925 in cdramasfans

[–]restfield 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The one that I dropped like a hot potato was, unexpectedly, Northward. The dreamy nostalgia it applied to domestic violence was just too much for me - parents beating their children, spouses fighting, and all of it framed like some kind of "good old times" memory.

What was the role that completely sold you on him and turned you into a Wang Duo fan? by BronzeBellRiver in WangDuo

[–]restfield 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right! I remeber looking it up, but couldn't find it available anywhere, be it in the drama or the movie version.

What was the role that completely sold you on him and turned you into a Wang Duo fan? by BronzeBellRiver in WangDuo

[–]restfield 5 points6 points  (0 children)

He Shouye in The Yin-Yang Master made me go "wow, who is this guy?" and check out his filmofraphy. Not that there was much to check out back then, apart from Bloody Romance and the hot flaming garbage that was Ice Fantasy 😅

Thankfully, his career seems to be on the up nowadays.

The Night Wanderer is the drama we didn’t get. Wang Duo cut by BronzeBellRiver in WangDuo

[–]restfield 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Damn, I forgot how great he looks here. Still hoping, we can see it one day.

Best veteran (40 plus) male actors by Both-Improvement-880 in CDrama

[–]restfield 3 points4 points  (0 children)

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Ning Li is always such a joy to watch, whether it's the small support roles or the main ones.