Same old, same old. Novel versus drama... of course, it is different!
Novels are long-form narratives written in prose to be read, relying on descriptive narration and internal monologues.
Dramas are scripts structured around dialogue and stage directions, explicitly designed for live performance by actors in front of an audience.
So far, I have only seen one drama identical to the novel, and that was not Chinese but Twilight (the vampire saga). It was truly shocking how closely the drama matched the details. lol
Keep in mind that there are so many things that make the drama different:
- actor and actress contracts: how much screen time they must have, how much 'intimacy' they have, how much 'action/stunts' they have, etc. -- every single contract is extremely detailed to protect careers and give maximum exposure
- budget. Low budget often means low quality unless the director, actors, and script are genius as well. It is rare. It happens, but very rarely. Big budget means more actors, more CGI, more crew, etc., so some scenes from the novel can be included.
- script. If the scriptwriter is a fan of the novel, the drama will likely be close to the novel. If not, it is up to the scriptwriter to change events, move them around, exaggerate, delete, etc., and this can make the drama completely different (ex, Joy of Life, season 2... Rebirth (Princess Agents), and more)
- choice of actors and actresses. If you include popular S+ stars, the drama will likely become popular, but it does not mean it will reflect the novel
NOVELS ARE ONLY INSPIRATION. Nothing more. Everything in dramas should be taken with a grain of salt.
However, I completely understand the frustration and comparison. I am a huge novel reader, but I enjoy dramas, animations, and manga for different reasons. But I am human, and of course, I will be upset/frustrated watching dramas completely butchered (ex, JOL S2, Rebirth (PA) š
ETA: "butchered", aka bad casting, bad directing, bad acting, bad script, bad chemistry, bad martial etc. (you may read my reviews on both if you want to know more). I never give a bad review because the dramas are not identical to the novels. I have consistently held the same opinion on this. š
Ultimately, everyone has their own tastes. If those dramas exist, itās because thereās an audience for them. Where thereās an audience, thereās revenue. Platforms do not produce dramas unless they expect to make money.
Director: Yang Yang Written by: Wang Yuen Genre: Fantasy / Old Fashion Country of production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Release: 2028 (undecided) Seasons: 2 Number of episodes: 30 Also known as: Human Xiu Xian Legend Season 2
I watched the first and last episode to get an idea of the drama, from the very get-go ā the characters, the…
That's generally how I approach every drama. I especially want to know if there's a happy ending, particularly in Chinese costume dramas. Recently, I've been more interested in South Korean modern dramas because I find the actors more mature and funnyāthat's just my preference. Thank you for your comment. Due to the negative reviews, I wasn't sure whether to add this to my watch list.
Am on ep 17 now this ML is totally unlikeable, not married but he is keeping a mistress and has son and daughter…
Aiya... To truly appreciate Chinese dramas and Korean dramas, you need to understand their history and culture.
Firstly, men generally married after passing the imperial exam, which they took around age 25 or older because the exam was held every three years.
Girls could marry at 15 (some dynasties even at 14). If they werenāt married by 17, something was considered āwrong,ā either with them or their family or clan. They came of age at 15.
Boys came of age at 20. It was common for them to have ābed servantsā and mistresses. They could not have concubines before marrying officiallyāthat was a social taboo.
Chinese society was highly structured. It was unusual for a man with status to have only one wife; only the poor did. The usual arrangement was one main wife (who managed the household, including concubines, children, servants, money, etc.), up to three official concubines, and lower-ranking concubinesāmostly mistresses who had children with the masterāand bed servants (who had no children). Men did not choose their wives and concubines; the matriarch and elders decided for the main wife. Men rarely made decisions. A primary wife could determine punishments and even death for household members. Children also had no say in their marriages; they were seen as alliances between families.
In this case, he was not married, so he had no concubine, only a mistress. Her father favored his concubine, which caused chaos in his household. He did not respect his main wife, who was weak and jealous, and his concubine abused her position. Ming Lan's mother was a lower-ranking concubine. Her father did not choose her; she was married out of clan convenience. The favored concubine could not tolerate competition, so she indirectly caused her death by overfeeding her, resulting in a fetal size too large to be born. Poison and petty tricks were common in the harem and household.
She was around 15 when she married, and he was between 25 and 30āthat was the standard.
That said... Western society was no better and was often worse during feudal times. Old perverts married girls as young as 12. There were no rules, no structure, no taboos. Pedophilia was considered normal in the West.
This drama reflects and respect perfectly how nobles and officials lived.
Every time I see his face, I feel very sad and angry because he will probably never get full justice. Only a few of the 17āsince they were recognized by the publicāgot backlash, like the slut pimp and the actor rapist singer, mainly the orange-haired guy and his slut... but what about his murderers and rapists, especially his handler who beat him constantly and allegedly flew to Thailand for face surgery? What about the real elites' killers?
Rumors say that Chinese entertainment isn't doing well. All I want is for these agencies to fail and lose money. But I am sad that innocent actors and actressesāmostly exploited and enslavedāwill sufferā¦ but is it really suffering or freedom for them? So many were forced into being gigolos and mistresses for elites, and many were silenced and quietly murdered under the guise of suicides. And what about the organ trafficking which is a real thing?
Yu Menglong was a martyr. His death opened many eyes, but in the end, it isn't a consolation.
I hope for karma and all those criminals to suffer physically, mentally and financially.
1
But I am human, and of course, I will be upset/frustrated watching dramas completely butchered (ex: JOL S2, Rebirth (PA)) š
Novels are long-form narratives written in prose to be read, relying on descriptive narration and internal monologues.
Dramas are scripts structured around dialogue and stage directions, explicitly designed for live performance by actors in front of an audience.
So far, I have only seen one drama identical to the novel, and that was not Chinese but Twilight (the vampire saga). It was truly shocking how closely the drama matched the details. lol
Keep in mind that there are so many things that make the drama different:
- actor and actress contracts: how much screen time they must have, how much 'intimacy' they have, how much 'action/stunts' they have, etc. -- every single contract is extremely detailed to protect careers and give maximum exposure
- budget. Low budget often means low quality unless the director, actors, and script are genius as well. It is rare. It happens, but very rarely. Big budget means more actors, more CGI, more crew, etc., so some scenes from the novel can be included.
- script. If the scriptwriter is a fan of the novel, the drama will likely be close to the novel. If not, it is up to the scriptwriter to change events, move them around, exaggerate, delete, etc., and this can make the drama completely different (ex, Joy of Life, season 2... Rebirth (Princess Agents), and more)
- choice of actors and actresses. If you include popular S+ stars, the drama will likely become popular, but it does not mean it will reflect the novel
NOVELS ARE ONLY INSPIRATION. Nothing more. Everything in dramas should be taken with a grain of salt.
However, I completely understand the frustration and comparison. I am a huge novel reader, but I enjoy dramas, animations, and manga for different reasons. But I am human, and of course, I will be upset/frustrated watching dramas completely butchered (ex, JOL S2, Rebirth (PA) š
ETA: "butchered", aka bad casting, bad directing, bad acting, bad script, bad chemistry, bad martial etc. (you may read my reviews on both if you want to know more). I never give a bad review because the dramas are not identical to the novels. I have consistently held the same opinion on this. š
Ultimately, everyone has their own tastes. If those dramas exist, itās because thereās an audience for them. Where thereās an audience, thereās revenue. Platforms do not produce dramas unless they expect to make money.
https://movie.douban.com/subject/37490937/
Director: Yang Yang
Written by: Wang Yuen
Genre: Fantasy / Old Fashion
Country of production: Mainland China
Language: Mandarin Chinese
Release: 2028 (undecided)
Seasons: 2
Number of episodes: 30
Also known as: Human Xiu Xian Legend Season 2
Firstly, men generally married after passing the imperial exam, which they took around age 25 or older because the exam was held every three years.
Girls could marry at 15 (some dynasties even at 14). If they werenāt married by 17, something was considered āwrong,ā either with them or their family or clan. They came of age at 15.
Boys came of age at 20. It was common for them to have ābed servantsā and mistresses. They could not have concubines before marrying officiallyāthat was a social taboo.
Chinese society was highly structured. It was unusual for a man with status to have only one wife; only the poor did. The usual arrangement was one main wife (who managed the household, including concubines, children, servants, money, etc.), up to three official concubines, and lower-ranking concubinesāmostly mistresses who had children with the masterāand bed servants (who had no children). Men did not choose their wives and concubines; the matriarch and elders decided for the main wife. Men rarely made decisions. A primary wife could determine punishments and even death for household members. Children also had no say in their marriages; they were seen as alliances between families.
In this case, he was not married, so he had no concubine, only a mistress. Her father favored his concubine, which caused chaos in his household. He did not respect his main wife, who was weak and jealous, and his concubine abused her position. Ming Lan's mother was a lower-ranking concubine. Her father did not choose her; she was married out of clan convenience. The favored concubine could not tolerate competition, so she indirectly caused her death by overfeeding her, resulting in a fetal size too large to be born. Poison and petty tricks were common in the harem and household.
She was around 15 when she married, and he was between 25 and 30āthat was the standard.
That said... Western society was no better and was often worse during feudal times. Old perverts married girls as young as 12. There were no rules, no structure, no taboos. Pedophilia was considered normal in the West.
This drama reflects and respect perfectly how nobles and officials lived.
Rumors say that Chinese entertainment isn't doing well. All I want is for these agencies to fail and lose money. But I am sad that innocent actors and actressesāmostly exploited and enslavedāwill sufferā¦ but is it really suffering or freedom for them? So many were forced into being gigolos and mistresses for elites, and many were silenced and quietly murdered under the guise of suicides. And what about the organ trafficking which is a real thing?
Yu Menglong was a martyr. His death opened many eyes, but in the end, it isn't a consolation.
I hope for karma and all those criminals to suffer physically, mentally and financially.