BearFightingFanBackAgain

It seems like square one but it actually didn’t go back to square one. It was a public declaration that they wouldn’t be anyone’s pawn from then on.

I feel like the screenwriter for Du Tingxin really liked the character but in writing them made them overpowered to the point they became ridiculous. It was so bad at the end it was like the screenwriter forgot who the show’s protagonists were… 🙂‍↕️ In reality they didn’t need that weird sister plot line or her trying to destroy the country as a result. DTX would have worked just disliking Cangcang and feeling she’s a threat to the crown and Xiao Huan. That’s a believable enough motivation. And actually that would have been an interesting change of direction to see Cangcang prove her worth because she lets go of her prejudice and see DTX spiral because she won’t.

I agree. The overall story of the villains is terrible. Basically all of Cangcang’s family dies protecting her from Xiao Huan’s family. And the entire Ling family pays for their sins but Xiao Huan’s family members basically go unpunished even though his mom and sister are the two biggest bad guys. When I realised this I was like “omg💀” but no one else seems to be bringing it up.

I think they did… but then it seemed like maybe she wasn’t…They wrote the script as they filmed though and it seems like the continuity of the plot might have suffered as a result.
And I couldn’t get Du Tingxin’s sudden rise to power either until watched the show a second time- a lot of it has to do with the bugs the Lingbi Sect raises. They were helping her control people and the rest were bribed, threatened, removed, or killed.

Episode 4

Lol, why are people so pressed over people liking or wanting to watch the show?😂 If people hate it, can’t people like it too? Anyway it’s not like anyone can get tricked into watching it at this point. There’s plenty of reviews and most people still on the page are honest😂

You’re right. They aren’t interchangeable. They are two separate and important elements that make up a drama but which element is more important is different to different people. In an ideal situation, a good script and good acting should go together but sometimes that’s not the case. If I’m in a situation where I have to choose one, I’ll always choose acting. Because I focus on characters, acting has more weight. And although good acting skills should be the basic requirement, there are still a lot of actors who cannot act-even in the West. So, I cherish good actors when I find them- no matter the show/movie’s circumstances. It’s actually more frustrating for me to see a good script wasted on a poor actor than a good actor challenged by a poor script. This cast is the latter situation. This show chose decent actors who portray the characters to the best of their abilities so I respect that aspect even if other areas are weaker. I’m not telling others to watch the show if they don’t like it. I’m just sharing the parts of the show I found good and enjoy.

By gems, I meant actors not dramas. And, I am watching the performance. I am enjoying how the actors react to events within the story and how they interact with each other. And if I am supporting a favourite actor what does it matter to others? It’s my money and my time-I can spend it how I like and I want to spend it supporting certain actors because I enjoy their work. I’ve already mentioned that the script was switched on the cast after they started filming and the male lead was forced to act in this drama so it’s not about stunting growth or choosing who to work with in this case. Both leads have works with achievements and classic roles in their higher quality works.

The West does enjoy idol dramas. If you look at the stats on YouTube or even here, the viewership numbers are often vastly different between idol dramas and the more serious dramas like period dramas, tribute dramas, or suspense and crime.It could be an access issue but I’ve seen way more content making it overseas than there used to be.

And finally TV and cinema are two different things although they share similar problems. So, idol dramas can’t be movies. And while the encroachment of western storytelling on Asian storytelling is indeed a problem, that is not the issue with Love and Crown. Love and Crown’s issues stem from not having a completed and polished script before filming, which isn’t inherent to any one culture.

Everyone is different though. MDL seems to prefer plot driven stories but I like character driven stories so for me the biggest draw is acting. If an actor’s or character’s portrayal can’t interest me, it doesn’t matter how good the script/plot is. Likewise if the acting is great and the characters are compelling, I can pretty much watch any plot and have. Besides, the current market in C-ent is very competitive and sometimes really good actors have few opportunities to access the higher quality scripts, directors, and productions. If I only went on that criteria for choosing dramas, I’d miss out on a lot of the gems I found over the years. Also, with this show, the script was changed on the cast after they signed on and the ML was forced to film due to his contract. It doesn’t mean people have to watch if they don’t want to-they shouldn’t. But if fans want to watch the show because of their fave, it’s fair to tell them to focus on the acting because it was the one area the actors could control and the BTS showed they spent a lot of time and effort trying to portray their characters despite the poor script.

As for what reaches the Overseas markets, it has to do with viewership. Idol dramas are the most popular but unfortunately the quality varies. I’ve noticed that platforms do air higher quality stuff but dramas that are not idol dramas don’t seem to have high viewership levels. MDL reflects this. If they don’t like these “low quality” idol dramas, they should expand their search into other genres. There have been several high profile, high quality dramas this year but I haven’t seen many MDLers speaking about them.

Peng Xiao Ran's Spring Festival collaboration video promotion schedule:

1.20 - Artist releases a personal 15-second pre-release clip

1.23 - Xiaohongshu's official holiday account releases the full version of the artist's video;

1.26 - Full video begins WeChat Moments advertising

This is the tentative promotion schedule; any changes will be announced later.

Has anyone done any long video edits for the show? Have you had trouble with longer videos being blocked?

She has a decent fanbase and it’s grown larger since FoF aired. I think The Glory worked hard to fully showcase CDL so the performance will be enhanced but The Glory is a big FL drama so it has a different aim than FoF which is a ML centric/ensemble drama. Keeping that in mind, I think CDL gave a sincere performance but Wen Xiao was sidelined too much figuratively and literally. And when a character gets suppressed, I find it affects the portrayal no matter how good the actor is.

Event Announcement:

The "Graceful Bloom in the East" Spring Festival Gala, a joint production of Douyin, China Youth Daily, and Sichuan TV, will air on February 7th from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

The event will be recorded on January 20th.

Viewing method: Live stream co-created by the "Graceful Bloom in the East" Spring Festival Gala, China Youth Daily, Sichuan TV, and Sichuan Observation (on Douyin).

I agree. I don’t get why there’s so much doom and gloom for this drama… I stopped visiting this page for a long time because I couldn’t take it anymore. 🙂‍↕️
The truth is there’s no way to tell what a drama will be like until it airs. No one was optimistic about Romance of a Twin Flower but it ended up getting a decent Maoyan score and was picked up by a TV station. Huamei was also an underdog and it ended up having a CVB that even some top named stars haven’t reached yet.

It depends on what you’re looking for.

It’s worth it for Xiao Ran. I’ve watched it twice just to watch her (it was actually better the second time). It’s best to ignore the overall plot and just focus on the acting though. Turn off the barrage if you’re watching on Youku too. Cangcang is controversial but it’s mostly due to plot and marketing. Her character makes sense considering her worldview and experience.

She is a young, chivalrous woman who believes in the greater good even if she has to sacrifice herself. She grew up outside court intrigue and in her eyes, her family has always pampered her which makes things difficult when her father and husband are essentially foes and are vying against each other for power. And while she accepts the forced marriage, she struggles with being used as a political pawn by her father and husband, their lack of truth and transparency, and the loss of autonomy and freedom that comes from her position. And in the early stages, she is dealing with this situation after a major betrayal and while undergoing a series of traumatic experiences and doesn’t have the full story like the audience. She only has the story she can piece together or that others will give her. She’s basically in a continuous state of stress and her character reflects that in who she lashes out at and who she goes to for comfort. If Huanrui/Yehua had produced this drama with serious intentions, I think Cangcang would have been a very poignant take on the plight of palace women trapped between their own desires, their family’s ambitions, the emperor’s affection, and the crown’s intentions.

🥳Congrats to Xiao Ran on becoming an Art Promotion Ambassador for Harper’s Bazaar🎉

You’re welcome. If you’re ever curious, the show does have some charm points. I think most of the family/found family storylines are pretty good and very logical. And each of the characters are pretty logical and consistent within their own worldviews. It’s very much a story of every character is right in their own little worlds based on what they know at the time and have experienced. On rewatch, I found the FL’s role as a political pawn, how she deals with it, its toll on her, and how it plays out between the men in her life to be interesting. The main couple is also interesting from this angle because it’s essentially the ML fighting the father but trying to woo the FL -it’s a balancing act-and in the initial stages he keeps winning in one arena to lose in another.

It depends. I’m rewatching it and it’s weirdly more enjoyable than the first time but I’m a fan so maybe my judgment is skewed 😅 I’d say its highlights are the acting, the looks, the characters, and their relationships with each other but it’s weak on overall plot. A lot of people don’t like the ending either. If a strong plot is essential, you might not like it.

🎉Congratulations to Love and Crown on entering Youku’s annual list at #20🎉

Promotional content is up to the production company if I remember correctly. Sometimes it’s outsourced to other companies too. However, I think promo is a quality not quantity affair. So, while staying in the public eye is important, the show should want to be in the public eye for the right reasons and shouldn’t post just to meet holiday KPIs if the promo isn’t high quality. One very well edited trailer can do more work than 20 mediocre AI produced posters or poorly shot promo reels.

Happy New Year🎉
Here’s Xiao Ran’s New Year’s post:
https://m.weibo.cn/detail/5250372302276536