...have a motive or endgame or is he just a sadistic and paranoid sociopath?
It's always interesting to dig out information about the historical people writers use to base their characters on. In almost 90% of all cases I found the historical facts way more interesting than any drama script. These people were absolutely interesting and I often wonder why novellists/scriptwriters enjoy twisting and turning them around so much.
...have a motive or endgame or is he just a sadistic and paranoid sociopath?
In the summary, it says, it's set in the Later Liang Dynasty, so, I switched over to "detective mode" and did research. I always do so, if there are real historical characters mentioned. Call me history nerd. lol
He isn't "second male lead", he's ONE of THREE LEADS. If people would finally throw this "first male lead - second…
I see! Actually a sad thing, isn't it? These young actors get used until they are worn out and then they get exchanged with fresh faces.
I really understand why actors like Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau and many other highly popular actors turned their backs on c-drama and why some decide to produce their own works (like Ruby Lin for example).
It reminds me a bit of the pop music culture of the 1980s, where bands popped up out of the nowhere, got promoted for a while and then got dropped and systematically destroyed for one reason: new faces.
He isn't "second male lead", he's ONE of THREE LEADS. If people would finally throw this "first male lead - second…
That's interesting insight. I heard and read about the changes made to the payment of actors. Sadly, issues like Fan Bing Bing's and others tax scandals weren't helpful with this, either.
Still, it's interesting that a production like "The Patriot Yue Fei" with an all-star-cast, mainly filmed outdoors and running over 69 episodes could be produced for an amount of 30 Million US dollars, while a CGI driven drama like "The Wolf", starring mainly rookies with some bigger names mingled in, got produced for about 43 Million US dollars. One should think, with the changes made, you mentioned, a production based on rookie actors should be less expensive than an all-star-cast driven production.
I can't help but it feels as if, these day, the companies spent way more money on advertising their idols and their qualitywise often rather medicore productions, instead of focussing on the final result and on high quality. They know, the fangirls will scream and faint over their idols and pay for VIP access to scarf down their new dramas at any costs.
It doesn't surprise me that "The Wolf" got released AFTER Xiao Zhan and Li Qin shot to fame with their respective dramas and AFTER they became big names with a scream factor in dramaland. Without them gotten turned idols, dramas like this would stand no chance against productions like "The Longest Day in Chang'an", "Goodbye My Princess" and other high quality productions.
He isn't "second male lead", he's ONE of THREE LEADS. If people would finally throw this "first male lead - second…
Gladly, I never have a problem with first or second male leads.
Preferring all-star drama series with up to ten or more leading characters and actors and supporting characters that need acting on the same level, the whole discussion, who's first or second simply doesn't take place.
The biggest flaw most of the new drama series suffer from, is that the writers only focus on their two to four leads, while the rest of the cast often stars good actors with their characters remaining underdeveloped or simply falling flat, though.
A good writer and a good director are able to create a thrilling drama with the main leads even vanishing for an episode or two, knowing how to make the side characters a crucial part of the story and not just using them to be killed off for the leading characters' sake.
This inability to handle side-stories, co-stars and supporting characters properly, makes most of the new dramas a boring experience, because all you get to see in 30 to 60 episodes are the faces of the (two) leading couple(s), with overly dragged out scenes often lasting half an episode.
These stories currently told by the writers and directors seem to need overly long scenes to explain what's going on instead of getting the characters in motion. These dramas are static, most of the time, with some action scenes added to spice the endless talking up a little. And that's what makes them feel draggy...
Sadly, the directors, who are able to tell stories "in motion" are rare, these days, while the ones telling stories in static mode are growing in number. And the whole thing gets supported by a growing audience who only focusses on their two to four (idol-)leads. Really sad...
I am only here for xian zhan....i can't understand why he is the second male lead character here....disappointed
He isn't "second male lead", he's ONE of THREE LEADS. If people would finally throw this "first male lead - second male lead" idiocy where it belongs to - the trash can - it would become way more pleasurable to watch a drama.
Same here...it's what makes me consider to at least putting it on hold, for now.
Thank you for the explanation. Yes, I think, it was that scene, I watched on Weibo - and I didn't like it.
I understand that there are misunderstanding between the two of them, ok, that explains some things. But, sorry, if the writers expect me to believe a woman with just a little brains would forget this kind of abuse (later explained to her like "I did it all for your sake and safety and because I love you"), they'll fail...
This kind of violence happens way too often in RL and way too many women let it happen, "because he says he loves me and because I love him so much, too"...
It really gives me a headache, that so many women of all age seem to accept it, just because "their love becomes so beautiful and bittersweet in the later episodes", accept that he treats her like shit, abuses her physically and mentally and almost rapes her "all for her sake"...
Same here...it's what makes me consider to at least putting it on hold, for now.
I've no problems with dark drama either. I love "Bloody Romance", to name only one. There is one difference, though: Even though the plot of "Bloody Romance" is dark, full of torture, mental and physical abuse etc. you never had the feeling that the actors felt in any way uncomfortable while a scene got filmed. Other Li Qin in that violent kissing scene at the tree. She's a great actress, but in that scene's close up you don't need to be a pro to see that she did not feel comfortable. So, that's something, the director should have noticed, but as it obviously matched what they wanted to have for the scene...why care about something like that...
Same here...it's what makes me consider to at least putting it on hold, for now.
What I don't like: Even though most of it is acting and perfromance, you can cleary see in the close-ups of the violent kissing scene at the tree that Li Qin was definitely not feeling comfortable in that scene. A good director would have noticed...
As for Li Qin's performance of pain and angst: After "Princess Agents" and "Song of Glory", I'd really have liked to see her in a different kind of role. Of course, "The Wolf" got filmed before "Princess Agents" and "Song of Glory", but Li Qin should really be careful what roles to choose in future if she doesn't want to end up getting typecast.
In almost 90% of all cases I found the historical facts way more interesting than any drama script.
These people were absolutely interesting and I often wonder why novellists/scriptwriters enjoy twisting and turning them around so much.
As I said above, I'm a history nerd. lol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Youwen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Yougui
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Youzhen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhu_Wen
These young actors get used until they are worn out and then they get exchanged with fresh faces.
I really understand why actors like Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau and many other highly popular actors turned their backs on c-drama and why some decide to produce their own works (like Ruby Lin for example).
It reminds me a bit of the pop music culture of the 1980s, where bands popped up out of the nowhere, got promoted for a while and then got dropped and systematically destroyed for one reason: new faces.
Still, it's interesting that a production like "The Patriot Yue Fei" with an all-star-cast, mainly filmed outdoors and running over 69 episodes could be produced for an amount of 30 Million US dollars, while a CGI driven drama like "The Wolf", starring mainly rookies with some bigger names mingled in, got produced for about 43 Million US dollars.
One should think, with the changes made, you mentioned, a production based on rookie actors should be less expensive than an all-star-cast driven production.
I can't help but it feels as if, these day, the companies spent way more money on advertising their idols and their qualitywise often rather medicore productions, instead of focussing on the final result and on high quality.
They know, the fangirls will scream and faint over their idols and pay for VIP access to scarf down their new dramas at any costs.
It doesn't surprise me that "The Wolf" got released AFTER Xiao Zhan and Li Qin shot to fame with their respective dramas and AFTER they became big names with a scream factor in dramaland. Without them gotten turned idols, dramas like this would stand no chance against productions like "The Longest Day in Chang'an", "Goodbye My Princess" and other high quality productions.
Preferring all-star drama series with up to ten or more leading characters and actors and supporting characters that need acting on the same level, the whole discussion, who's first or second simply doesn't take place.
The biggest flaw most of the new drama series suffer from, is that the writers only focus on their two to four leads, while the rest of the cast often stars good actors with their characters remaining underdeveloped or simply falling flat, though.
A good writer and a good director are able to create a thrilling drama with the main leads even vanishing for an episode or two, knowing how to make the side characters a crucial part of the story and not just using them to be killed off for the leading characters' sake.
This inability to handle side-stories, co-stars and supporting characters properly, makes most of the new dramas a boring experience, because all you get to see in 30 to 60 episodes are the faces of the (two) leading couple(s), with overly dragged out scenes often lasting half an episode.
These stories currently told by the writers and directors seem to need overly long scenes to explain what's going on instead of getting the characters in motion. These dramas are static, most of the time, with some action scenes added to spice the endless talking up a little.
And that's what makes them feel draggy...
Sadly, the directors, who are able to tell stories "in motion" are rare, these days, while the ones telling stories in static mode are growing in number. And the whole thing gets supported by a growing audience who only focusses on their two to four (idol-)leads.
Really sad...
If people would finally throw this "first male lead - second male lead" idiocy where it belongs to - the trash can - it would become way more pleasurable to watch a drama.
Yes, I think, it was that scene, I watched on Weibo - and I didn't like it.
I understand that there are misunderstanding between the two of them, ok, that explains some things.
But, sorry, if the writers expect me to believe a woman with just a little brains would forget this kind of abuse (later explained to her like "I did it all for your sake and safety and because I love you"), they'll fail...
This kind of violence happens way too often in RL and way too many women let it happen, "because he says he loves me and because I love him so much, too"...
It really gives me a headache, that so many women of all age seem to accept it, just because "their love becomes so beautiful and bittersweet in the later episodes", accept that he treats her like shit, abuses her physically and mentally and almost rapes her "all for her sake"...
Even though the plot of "Bloody Romance" is dark, full of torture, mental and physical abuse etc. you never had the feeling that the actors felt in any way uncomfortable while a scene got filmed.
Other Li Qin in that violent kissing scene at the tree. She's a great actress, but in that scene's close up you don't need to be a pro to see that she did not feel comfortable. So, that's something, the director should have noticed, but as it obviously matched what they wanted to have for the scene...why care about something like that...
As for Li Qin's performance of pain and angst:
After "Princess Agents" and "Song of Glory", I'd really have liked to see her in a different kind of role.
Of course, "The Wolf" got filmed before "Princess Agents" and "Song of Glory", but Li Qin should really be careful what roles to choose in future if she doesn't want to end up getting typecast.