What exactly is the point of dubbing Chinese dramas? Don't get me wrong I've watched tons of Cdramas and I'm a…
I completely get what you are saying and I agree. I think that is one of the reasons we do not see endless Korean historical dramas being produced, because they are genuinely draining for the actors both emotionally and physically. These roles demand far more than skill, they require stamina, resilience and the ability to carry the weight of history.
You can actually feel the emotions in these performances. Take Lee Tae-gon in Gwanggaeto, The Great Conqueror for example. He mentioned that filming sometimes had to be delayed because the role was so exhausting. He even went further into studying the character, since the king was not someone who stayed quietly in the palace but was active on the battlefield. That shows how seriously Korean actors take their craft, aiming to get as close as possible to the real figures they portray.
If you have watched Yi San or The Red Sleeve, you will notice how much effort is poured into the acting. The focus is less on props and more on emotional and physical commitment. In comparison, Chinese productions often rely heavily on props and wire work for flying and fighting scenes, so much so that it becomes newsworthy when an actor chooses to use their own body instead of mechanical assistance.
Look at the fighting scenes in Lee Bang Won’s dramas. You can see the strain on the actors, the toll of embodying warriors in battle. It is no surprise that Ji Chang-wook eventually took a long break from action dramas, because the physical demands were immense.
I know I have said a lot, but I just wanted to show that there’s no offense in what you mentioned, and that I understand the difference between Korean and Chinese historical dramas. Beyond the dubbing, which Chinese productions rely on heavily, there is also the atmosphere. Korean historical drama studios often look more authentic and ancient, capturing a realism that Chinese sets sometimes miss. By contrast, productions like A Dream Within a Dream can feel almost too ornate, too polished, losing the raw texture of history. Maybe they can get away with it by calling it “fantasy”.
That is why Korean historical dramas resonate so deeply. They are not just spectacles, they are lived experiences, created with sincerity and respect for the past.
I will have to put my stamp here as this person is telling the truth because I was on Weibo when CZY popped up…
If his own voice is also dubbed, then how can it truly be called his original voice. The very act of dubbing transforms the sound, reshaping it into something that is no longer entirely his.
My point is that in historical dramas, voices are almost always dubbed for a reason. It is part of the craft, part of the atmosphere that these productions seek to create. So does it really matter whose voice is dubbed or not, when the intention is to serve the story and the audience’s immersion.
Should not the real debate be about dubbing itself, about whether any actor’s voice should be replaced at all. For if the essence of performance lies in the unity of body, face and voice, then dubbing inevitably alters that unity. The question is not whose voice is used, but whether the practice of dubbing enriches or diminishes the authenticity of the performance.
In the end, the artistry of acting is more than appearance or sound alone. It is the fusion of presence, emotion and truth. To focus narrowly on whose voice is dubbed misses the larger issue, which is whether the audience is being offered the most genuine connection to the character and the story.
In the novel, if I remember correctly, the FL is in her early 20 while the ML is in his late 20, almost 30. Novel…
Do not waste your time with the age and looks police, those who speak with a “but” that undermines their own words. They forget that experience is what truly matters, and that this is not real life but fiction, a craft shaped by imagination and artistry rather than arbitrary rules.
To mention Jeremy as an example only reveals that they do not know what they are talking about. It shows a lack of understanding of how casting decisions are made, how roles are chosen, and how actors bring characters to life.
If they truly believe that age alone should dictate who plays a role, then by their logic other actors and actresses should be denied the chance to earn a living, simply because someone they have never met questions their suitability. That would mean taking food off the table for families, silencing talent, and reducing art to a checklist of numbers. It is not only misguided, it is utterly ridiculous.
Theatre and cinema thrive on transformation. An actor’s gift lies in their ability to inhabit lives beyond their own, to carry stories that transcend time, age and circumstance. To police that is to misunderstand the very essence of performance.
“ AleksandraSucur 6 hours ago I usually endure at least to 1/3 of a drama I've started before making any judgement about it. But after seeing 9 eps of this story, there's nothing to keep my patience on. The plotline - woven around the FL's path to empowerment (basically to aide ML's empowerment and shape their romantic entanglement through mutual help and cooperation) and developed on (completely unoriginal) cases of injustice - is unconvincing, with shallow, naive and inconsistent dialogues. The characters are all heavily built on stereotypes, and this is particularly evident in side characters and villains: corrupted local governor, spoiled arrogant envious viscious and unintelligent female antagonist, conservative chancellor as ML's main antagonist, shouty irascible overprotective FL's best friend, apparently frivolous ML's best friend... connected in a patchwork of messy subplots and improbable mutual relations requiring constant suspense of disbelief from the audience. The major internal threat - Tiger Roar Gang - is just a group of dumb violent bandits busy with money extortion but we are supposed to believe they are backed and directed by the chancellor and his power group. They are also connected to the major mysterious external threat supplying them with iron to melt their weapons... The story telling is fragmented, often displayed in short scenes which are abruptly interrupted, even with scenes with absolutely no meaning to the plot inserted only to please an eye (like the men bathing together in the last ep)... And there's also a horrible translation to add insult to all this injury...”
I think international critics sometimes overlook that, as an international audience, we are not the primary market for most of these dramas. The real value lies in the domestic Chinese market, which is the intended audience and the one that ultimately shapes the industry’s priorities. For that reason, there is little incentive for producers to tailor their work to meet foreign standards. They may attempt to appeal to international viewers, but doing so risks diluting their original intent and undermining the expectations of their core audience. What truly matters, and what remains the top priority, is the Chinese market and the preferences of Chinese people.
The actors and narratives are designed to resonate with local viewers, particularly women and fans who find these portrayals appealing. Within that cultural context, the men depicted are considered perfectly acceptable, and they will naturally form relationships with women who do not subscribe to the idea that they must be constantly catered to or “fed” in the way some international audiences might expect.
News 
1 
You can actually feel the emotions in these performances. Take Lee Tae-gon in Gwanggaeto, The Great Conqueror for example. He mentioned that filming sometimes had to be delayed because the role was so exhausting. He even went further into studying the character, since the king was not someone who stayed quietly in the palace but was active on the battlefield. That shows how seriously Korean actors take their craft, aiming to get as close as possible to the real figures they portray.
If you have watched Yi San or The Red Sleeve, you will notice how much effort is poured into the acting. The focus is less on props and more on emotional and physical commitment. In comparison, Chinese productions often rely heavily on props and wire work for flying and fighting scenes, so much so that it becomes newsworthy when an actor chooses to use their own body instead of mechanical assistance.
Look at the fighting scenes in Lee Bang Won’s dramas. You can see the strain on the actors, the toll of embodying warriors in battle. It is no surprise that Ji Chang-wook eventually took a long break from action dramas, because the physical demands were immense.
I know I have said a lot, but I just wanted to show that there’s no offense in what you mentioned, and that I understand the difference between Korean and Chinese historical dramas. Beyond the dubbing, which Chinese productions rely on heavily, there is also the atmosphere. Korean historical drama studios often look more authentic and ancient, capturing a realism that Chinese sets sometimes miss. By contrast, productions like A Dream Within a Dream can feel almost too ornate, too polished, losing the raw texture of history. Maybe they can get away with it by calling it “fantasy”.
That is why Korean historical dramas resonate so deeply. They are not just spectacles, they are lived experiences, created with sincerity and respect for the past.
Also, might be the reason they don’t put much focus on subtitles’ quality.
Which could have made their project be further delayed if WeTV releases first.
My point is that in historical dramas, voices are almost always dubbed for a reason. It is part of the craft, part of the atmosphere that these productions seek to create. So does it really matter whose voice is dubbed or not, when the intention is to serve the story and the audience’s immersion.
Should not the real debate be about dubbing itself, about whether any actor’s voice should be replaced at all. For if the essence of performance lies in the unity of body, face and voice, then dubbing inevitably alters that unity. The question is not whose voice is used, but whether the practice of dubbing enriches or diminishes the authenticity of the performance.
In the end, the artistry of acting is more than appearance or sound alone. It is the fusion of presence, emotion and truth. To focus narrowly on whose voice is dubbed misses the larger issue, which is whether the audience is being offered the most genuine connection to the character and the story.
I’ve decided to only subscribe to iQIYI when there’s a worthy drama for me.
Please enlighten me.
To mention Jeremy as an example only reveals that they do not know what they are talking about. It shows a lack of understanding of how casting decisions are made, how roles are chosen, and how actors bring characters to life.
If they truly believe that age alone should dictate who plays a role, then by their logic other actors and actresses should be denied the chance to earn a living, simply because someone they have never met questions their suitability. That would mean taking food off the table for families, silencing talent, and reducing art to a checklist of numbers. It is not only misguided, it is utterly ridiculous.
Theatre and cinema thrive on transformation. An actor’s gift lies in their ability to inhabit lives beyond their own, to carry stories that transcend time, age and circumstance. To police that is to misunderstand the very essence of performance.
AleksandraSucur 6 hours ago
I usually endure at least to 1/3 of a drama I've started before making any judgement about it. But after seeing 9 eps of this story, there's nothing to keep my patience on. The plotline - woven around the FL's path to empowerment (basically to aide ML's empowerment and shape their romantic entanglement through mutual help and cooperation) and developed on (completely unoriginal) cases of injustice - is unconvincing, with shallow, naive and inconsistent dialogues. The characters are all heavily built on stereotypes, and this is particularly evident in side characters and villains: corrupted local governor, spoiled arrogant envious viscious and unintelligent female antagonist, conservative chancellor as ML's main antagonist, shouty irascible overprotective FL's best friend, apparently frivolous ML's best friend... connected in a patchwork of messy subplots and improbable mutual relations requiring constant suspense of disbelief from the audience. The major internal threat - Tiger Roar Gang - is just a group of dumb violent bandits busy with money extortion but we are supposed to believe they are backed and directed by the chancellor and his power group. They are also connected to the major mysterious external threat supplying them with iron to melt their weapons...
The story telling is fragmented, often displayed in short scenes which are abruptly interrupted, even with scenes with absolutely no meaning to the plot inserted only to please an eye (like the men bathing together in the last ep)...
And there's also a horrible translation to add insult to all this injury...”
They are definitely greedy. All Chinese online networks. They even make us pay more for express while paying a VIP subscription🙄
What truly matters, and what remains the top priority, is the Chinese market and the preferences of Chinese people.
The actors and narratives are designed to resonate with local viewers, particularly women and fans who find these portrayals appealing. Within that cultural context, the men depicted are considered perfectly acceptable, and they will naturally form relationships with women who do not subscribe to the idea that they must be constantly catered to or “fed” in the way some international audiences might expect.