Nepeta 22

Good to hear. I have started watching some episodes earlier today and so far it's going well. I am watching too many dramas at the moment, so may need to scale back a few of them.

The bit about PoJ, I will let that go over my head. It's such a headache with all these antics over a drama.

What I dislike the most are those that use these types of subjects as an excuse to appear concerned. But they expose themselves when early on they appear to attack actress and family first. If you genuinely cared about exploitation, you'd be more easy on the possible victims which would or could be the family and actress!

Oh dear, seems like blocking someone is another way to cancel out what was said in the conversation. I'm recovering from being labelled a predator at the moment!Thanks for the link, I will take a look into it.

I will try a few episodes to see how it goes, but normally, not the kind of drama I like in regards to historical romance. I prefer adventure. But, I will have a look into anything AiMi is in. Hope you enjoy the drama!

Being blocked by user Jumpsuitor is really quite sad. It is this poster that is unable to engage in an open manner. It's clear, it is not I who is the zealot. Militant ideals don't always work BTW.

I'm aware of that, but why are you here to shame anyone that wants to watch it? You are are underestimating the viewers. If you truly cared about what you write you wouldn't need to be on MDL repeating 'child actress casted into a younger female role.' That's pretty obvious. Drama is coming out and apart from fan circle culture in China, most of the people there do not really see issue there at all. It's some sections of international fandom inserting their own views, with some behaving over bearing and entitled like the world needs to change for their personal standards.

Yes there are problems in the industry with how females are portrayed and it's been discussed a lot, but child actresses playing adults is less of an issue there, because 9 times out of 10 it is the other way round. Older actresses need to play teenagers or even school kids.

Some international audiences need to respect or try to understand the country they are watching the dramas from, instead of inserting their baggage onto another country and its culture.

Predators happen in all walks of life. You have not addressed those writers that keep inserting super young female leads? Many are women who write them. Do you think their minds have been corrupted or influenced by life? It's not even just about age. We all know children are impressionable, cheap and easy to exploit. It's not the famous well known actors, but those on the periphery that are not looked into or energy put into.

To what extent should historical dramas choose to show life for female characters of that time? Idol based dramas would normally gloss over a servant's background, their rights, and working well before 16 yrs old. Girls are married off at 15-16 years old and not given a choice. Suitors are often well beyond 10 year age gaps. Truth is, AiMi was chosen because she's hot property, not because of predatory behaviour.

The true predators operate more invisibly. But since you are talking predatory behaviour, there's tons that fall by the wayside. This place is not the right place to go into that. Much of the hollering here is just performative. Looks good for the soul, but doesn't delve into the beginning and chooses to pick on those that are actually sometimes victims.

You are missing the point. It is clear that many women are male identified because they've been conditioned from birth by a mainly male dominated world. MDL is a very good example of that. Turn women to only scrutinise women while men get a pass.

You are also unaware you are directing all your energy to the wrong section of society. The issue is not here, but those that write the stories, choosing the ages, characters and how the men are written. The age gap is just a tiny part of the bigger picture.

I have no issue at all with the pairing. In the acting world, it's a good visual pairing. It's not about age but feel. The only concern is behind the scenes, how the actress & family are handled and cared for. There is no denying she was casted because she is not property and no matter what others say. In the industry she was already a prodigy, so this is not the beginning of something going backwards, but an opportunity has opened for her and it's been fully accepted and taken. From what I have seen, over half of the concerned were only doing it to protect their gege. It's nothing deep. Those that genuinely care would have long been rallying scriptwriters, novelists and agencies.

The witch hunt is mainly in-the-circle fandom that does not represent passer-by netizens or general public. Unfortunately in China buying trends positive or negative is common place. Because so many fandoms get involved it sort of cancels out the effectiveness.

The real organic drama was her earrings that soon mushroomed into her family's finance and her father's possible conflict of interest whilst holding a government job. This led to widespread negativity because one thing Chinese netizens hate is unfair advantages some government jobs have when they feel some do abuse the system and it must be called out. Her father was investigated and subsequently cleared. In fact very little is mentioned about her age. The earrings were apparently replicas.

The drama did come out but bombed because it was poorly written, over stylised over substance and relied too much on slow motion shots that became tiresome and cringe worthy. There is only so much wind machines can be utilised to create full frontal dramatic scenes. In the end the drama felt hollow. I dropped it eventually. I had been looking forward to it, so let's just say disappointment is an understatement. But from it, the cast did a sterling job.

What is the issue here? It's not exploitation. If you genuinely care you should be rallying against scriptwriters or novelists that keep writing about very young teenagers with older men as love interest.

I must have seen hundreds of same comments mocking actresses taking on roles meant to portray 17 year olds in costume dramas. But every now and then they cast young stars that are promising. What's so strange? Deng Enxi took such roles. I doubt a small section of fandom will change that because there is no issue.

Nothing to do with that. In China, they had issue with her family's wealth. The earrings she wore during her celebrations caused an uproar that triggered an investigation on her father because of his past government job.

Those that bring up age are just a segment of fan circle rival fans. That does not represent general views of the Chinese audience.

I did not mention agency but she is an actress first and foremost, and she has played love interest younger than 17. She is not the first and I doubt the last. You don't need to worry much because in China there are greater volume of actresses in late twenties to thirties playing teenagers with love interest.

If you are really concerned you should be putting all your resources to novelists, screenwriters and new web novelists. They love writing about a time where young teens find love. Some border on to an obsession. A time that clearly doesn't chime to modern day ethics or laws. But strangely many don't but do spend a lot of their spare time bitching about old actresses trying to pass off as youthful teenager.

You see, in China, youthful innocence is still a big thing. They don't view the world the way some other countries do. Being young and if they can cast someone naturally looking like that, it's a great thing. They're not spending their time thinking about young actresses playing love interest because it's natural to have childhood sweethearts.

It's just the so-called fandoms that seem to be more obsessed with intimacy. It is this section of people who are more noisier in the online community but in the wider market it's just another drama, another day. The talk is whether this drama would follow the latest trend of using skinship as a way to sell against its competitors. I sincerely hope not otherwise I will be totally disappointed.

Let's not muddy the waters here. The main thing above all is she gets adequate support from both family and industry. Everything else spoken here is just your personal feelings. It is not illegal for actresses to be under 16 and I'm sure you are aware not illegal to be 'acting'.

I saw very little protest when Deng Enxi worked with Ding YuXi. From that, I have gathered everything I need to know...my theory, probably over 50% of comments are not of genuine concern for child actresses transitioning into adult roles, but hiding behind it to push hate towards the actress.

Well, this little bump won't change much because in the end it is going to go ahead. The international audiences and some of their entitled behaviour can continue, but be sure in China, they value their own audiences views more, and I doubt they'd be spending endless hours worrying about her age. Only the in-the-circle petty fandoms might partake in that bun fight.

I second that. One of the worst example of glamourising toxic bullying behaviour by the ML character. It's a classic band aid relationship. In real life it often ends in tears. I got flamed for just stating this opinion.

For me anyway, international news reporting on anything China I sometimes take as a pitch of salt. Often they lace it with political stance even when some news have very little to do with politics. Some news agencies can't seem to separate that because they may have been taught to think that way about China.

As for this Chris Wu incident it doesn't explain why Liu Yi Fei continues to head dramas like Meet Yourself or Tale of Rose. Even Shaun Dou was the ML in the most recent successful drama called The Lead which topped China's viewing charts. I don't see any kind of enforcing. If there is, this is most likely the star's personal choice.

I just checked, it is now available to watch on Kisskh.co if they still haven't unlocked the final episodes. You'll need an ad blocker if you use this site.

Didn't watch that one but this drama shares a few similar dynamics with Twelve Letters. Location, time frame, ML missed opportunities, FL compelled to get on well at school with a core plot of crime in the middle. Set against a backdrop of poverty and dodgy parenting that could be normalised in that era.

Let's not get all tetchy over bringing other dramas into the discussions. It is a drama forum first and foremost. In short don't allow a few with dubious reasons spoil it for the general mass.

It's available on WeTv app, but you will be behind a bit if you don't subscribe with them. Nothing to do with WiFi connection. If it's buffering it was faulty already during transfer.

If you see him in Fate Chooses You, then you'll see him all very serious there...

I think that's a bit of misinformation. Doesn't explain how Wallace Huo or Tony Yang are able to get main lead roles. Sometimes it just is luck more than anything.

Going by your hunch, it doesn't explain why The Knock Out was a big hit in China a few years back. Local dialects make dramas more authentic. Take Escape from the Trilateral Slopes, it wouldn't be right had they not casted actors skilled enough to act with the local dialects.

Or do you mean the younger audience that it's targeted to may feel alienated? That one is worth debating. Retro dramas set by coastal greater bay areas tend to feature local dialects. But in this drama so far, I don't hear much of the local dialects as compared to Twelve Letters.

It has more of the vibe like Twelve letters. The genre, the similar locations, abusive parents, poverty, ML dropping out of school, working in a billiard hall. Both leads tied by trauma.