The biggest downfall of this drama is underutilizing ZLH. He is the reason I and many of his fans watch this.…
Yes, it’s quite noticeable that he has lost a lot of weight over the past two years.
He’s also dealing with cervical spine issues, likely caused by long periods of filming in historical dramas while wearing heavy wigs. On top of that, frequent outdoor shoots in winter have led to chronic rhinitis.
Unfortunately, with his schedule, he barely has the time to properly rest, recover, or receive treatment.
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this issue in Chinese dramas. Once screenwriters start trying to be “clever”…
You’re welcome. And yes, this is really the deeper issue behind it.
However, some people tend to assume that the criticism comes from dissatisfaction with female-centered stories, or that it’s targeting the actress, which ends up creating unnecessary hostility. But that interpretation completely misses the point.
What many Chinese viewers are actually frustrated about is how capital-driven decisions have repeatedly damaged original stories. This has been an ongoing concern for a long time.
Chinese netizens have consistently voiced their dissatisfaction and tried to advocate for characters to receive the screen time and development they originally deserved—even though the results are often limited.
The biggest downfall of this drama is underutilizing ZLH. He is the reason I and many of his fans watch this.…
As someone who has followed the Chinese entertainment industry for quite a long time, I have to say this isn’t surprising.
In many cases, investors initially use an actor’s popularity—like Zhang Linghe’s—to attract attention, and then gradually shift the focus by giving more screen time to supporting roles, often to promote actors from their own companies. Unfortunately, this is a common reality in the industry.
Also, just to clarify, Zhang Linghe doesn’t come from a powerful background or have strong industry connections. The only support system he has is his agency—but even that wasn’t always supportive. In some of his early interviews, you can see how he was treated rather dismissively.
It was only after he became popular that the company started fully capitalizing on him. Since 2022, he has been constantly filming and doing commercial work, with barely any breaks.
In fact, he usually only gets a few days off during Chinese New Year. This year, he reportedly had just three days off before returning to filming—while most people would normally have at least a couple of weeks.
Let me say this with my whole chest — Xie Zheng's storyline has Epic Lead DNA and they have him playing emotional…
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this issue in Chinese dramas. Once screenwriters start trying to be “clever” by changing or adding new plotlines, the characterizations often fall apart and the story starts losing its logic.
Honestly, I really wish they would just follow the original novel. The story is already there—why not stick to it?
But I also understand that a drama usually involves multiple investors and companies. Each of them wants more screen time for their own actors, so the script keeps getting revised. In the end, the main characters’ arcs are compressed, while supporting roles sometimes get even more highlights and development.
This has pretty much become the norm in many Chinese dramas now.
That’s why I often choose to read the novel first and treat the drama as a supplement. At least that way, I know what the complete, original story is supposed to be.
And honestly, I feel bad for the original authors too—having to watch their work being changed into something almost unrecognizable.
Zou Yue is the head writer, the drama has two other writers, but neither of them seem to have a Weibo account,…
From the reliable source, Zou Yue just put her name on this project like a superviser, the main one is Quan Ying who's responsible for writing, she has a weibo account posted about the script milestone. This news was trending on weibo around the booting ceremony. Sorry, I forgot her weibo account, she used a pen name. But here's her Baidu profile offcial link: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%81%B5%E5%B8%8C/7425707?fromtitle=%E5%85%A8%E9%A2%96&fromid=54677260
After watching reuters of many of the dramas of zhang linghe i think zhang linghe tends to remain serious or i…
He's an introvert person and a 'nerd' if you know his excellent academic background (which is probably the most brilliant one in c-ent). So he treats his work as serious as study, like solving a math problem. He's cute boy after work. 😊
Can someone add one more screenwriter 全颖 (Quan Ying)? Official Link: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%BD%92%E9%B8%BE/66830843 The Road to Glory has two screenwriters, the main one is not Zou Yue (POJ), she's a writer in name only. Quan Ying is the main one , who already posted on weibo she finished the script and it's a story focused on ML's growth. (My previous requests were rejected by admins every time 😂 Maybe my account level is not qualified enough）
The script for POJ , the first arc is really good I think but the later part ,yeah. I always have high hope for…
The Road to Glory has two screenwriters, the main one is not Zou Yue (POJ), she's a writer in name only. Quan Ying is the main one , who already posted on weibo she finished the script and it's a story focused on ML's growth. So we still have hope. 😊
imo POJ is carried by the two leads and the director. the screen writer is soo bad and I'm worried for RtG since…
The Road to Glory has two screenwriters, the main one is not Zou Yue (POJ), she's a writer in name only. Quan Ying is the main one , who already posted on weibo she finished the script and it's a story focused on ML's growth. So we still have hope. 😊
I understand your point but... this is a female centric drama so of course he'll have less scenes than TXW + the…
I think you may have misunderstood my point.
I’m not blaming supporting actors for having more screen time, nor am I suggesting they shouldn’t have opportunities—they absolutely need them as well. My concern is with the way the narrative and production decisions are structured.
Screen time allocation is ultimately a creative and production-level choice, not something individual actors control. When a male lead’s character—who is supposed to carry the core arc of the story—is underdeveloped or sidelined, that’s not about “actors competing for time,” but about how the story is being shaped.
I fully agree that supporting characters deserve meaningful development. However, that shouldn’t come at the expense of weakening the central character’s background, relationships, and growth. A well-balanced drama should be able to develop both without diminishing the integrity of the main character.
Also, having expectations as a viewer isn’t the issue. It’s reasonable to expect that a lead character in a drama will be given sufficient narrative depth and relevance, especially when the story is built around them.
So my point isn’t about blaming actors on either side—it’s about the storytelling and how resources are allocated within the narrative.
1
He’s also dealing with cervical spine issues, likely caused by long periods of filming in historical dramas while wearing heavy wigs. On top of that, frequent outdoor shoots in winter have led to chronic rhinitis.
Unfortunately, with his schedule, he barely has the time to properly rest, recover, or receive treatment.
However, some people tend to assume that the criticism comes from dissatisfaction with female-centered stories, or that it’s targeting the actress, which ends up creating unnecessary hostility. But that interpretation completely misses the point.
What many Chinese viewers are actually frustrated about is how capital-driven decisions have repeatedly damaged original stories. This has been an ongoing concern for a long time.
Chinese netizens have consistently voiced their dissatisfaction and tried to advocate for characters to receive the screen time and development they originally deserved—even though the results are often limited.
In many cases, investors initially use an actor’s popularity—like Zhang Linghe’s—to attract attention, and then gradually shift the focus by giving more screen time to supporting roles, often to promote actors from their own companies. Unfortunately, this is a common reality in the industry.
Also, just to clarify, Zhang Linghe doesn’t come from a powerful background or have strong industry connections. The only support system he has is his agency—but even that wasn’t always supportive. In some of his early interviews, you can see how he was treated rather dismissively.
It was only after he became popular that the company started fully capitalizing on him. Since 2022, he has been constantly filming and doing commercial work, with barely any breaks.
In fact, he usually only gets a few days off during Chinese New Year. This year, he reportedly had just three days off before returning to filming—while most people would normally have at least a couple of weeks.
Honestly, I really wish they would just follow the original novel. The story is already there—why not stick to it?
But I also understand that a drama usually involves multiple investors and companies. Each of them wants more screen time for their own actors, so the script keeps getting revised. In the end, the main characters’ arcs are compressed, while supporting roles sometimes get even more highlights and development.
This has pretty much become the norm in many Chinese dramas now.
That’s why I often choose to read the novel first and treat the drama as a supplement. At least that way, I know what the complete, original story is supposed to be.
And honestly, I feel bad for the original authors too—having to watch their work being changed into something almost unrecognizable.
The Road to Glory has two screenwriters, the main one is not Zou Yue (POJ), she's a writer in name only. Quan Ying is the main one , who already posted on weibo she finished the script and it's a story focused on ML's growth. (My previous requests were rejected by admins every time 😂 Maybe my account level is not qualified enough）
I’m not blaming supporting actors for having more screen time, nor am I suggesting they shouldn’t have opportunities—they absolutely need them as well. My concern is with the way the narrative and production decisions are structured.
Screen time allocation is ultimately a creative and production-level choice, not something individual actors control. When a male lead’s character—who is supposed to carry the core arc of the story—is underdeveloped or sidelined, that’s not about “actors competing for time,” but about how the story is being shaped.
I fully agree that supporting characters deserve meaningful development. However, that shouldn’t come at the expense of weakening the central character’s background, relationships, and growth. A well-balanced drama should be able to develop both without diminishing the integrity of the main character.
Also, having expectations as a viewer isn’t the issue. It’s reasonable to expect that a lead character in a drama will be given sufficient narrative depth and relevance, especially when the story is built around them.
So my point isn’t about blaming actors on either side—it’s about the storytelling and how resources are allocated within the narrative.