Nepeta 22

Please don't think I'm criticising her acting. I have no issue, but wanted to say on places like Weibo, there's a lot of marketing and paid searches happening every day. Unless something is super viral and goes outside the circle, everyday it's up and down.

Also, some comments I have made is about the industry, scriptwriters/directing. I have said many times here, an actor is just doing what they're told to do.

As for her natural temperament and build, I think it's a stretch to believe she's general material. This flirty, grumpy childish demeanor is on-point for the romance part. But for the revenge and battles, you really have to squint to imagine it. Zhou Ye's visuals don't suit.

The data is purely due to popularity and not really independent. Unless it's totally organic viral, most of the lists are bought searches. Many that partake in chatter in China are the target audience (inside the circle) and the reason she is casted. She's the current 'it' girl. They're judging her on her outside-of-work persona and watching this particular drama, she's incorporated that personality in the role very well, she does spunky, comedic and ditzy well. We saw this in World of Honor where you need to turn the volume down when she speaks.

There is nothing wrong with discussing a actor's physique and suitability for roles. Being an actor means, you cannot always get all roles that is suitable because visulas are also important.

Zhou Ze maybe a decent actress, but like a lot of idol style dramas, the casting is due to current trends and not suitability. If you've watched chinese drama Vanity Fair, they delve into this issue so it's common knowledge within the industry that you get a heck of a lot of mis-casts. This is an example. Cheng Lei clearly wasted casted due to his success in A Journey to you, and you can see cynically they styled his aura and tempo in exactly the same way. But at that same time, he was filming Follow your Heart, and he was second ML and in a comedic role and there you see an altogether different character, and he was very good there, but here. he's told to be exactly the same as his famous role.

Welcome to idol drama territory. She even sleeps with eye makeup and eye-liner in the tents. It's not with reality, it's just pure escapism and definitely not about female empowerment either. It's all about romance. It's just a love story that easily could be transported with same acting style and antics in a modern office scenario.

We get to see her in different hair styles, neatly cinched in waisted clothing and near perfect skin at all angles in whatever situation. Cry beautifully and stylishly, fall in the most graceful way and act silly in the cutest way. ML will always admire her even if she makes mistakes, lies to him and deceive him, it will all come good in the end. You the viewer is just asked to join the ride and fantasise.

Strange how a seasoned pro can so effortlessly act like a childish girl suddenly. I would have thought more thought should have been made when she acts this way to let the viewers know she's trying hard to be something else. But no, in the drama, it's acted out like this was always her character. I think the direction and attention to detail is simply not there. Actors are just told what to do, so no attempt to show her struggling or getting fed up with her 'act'.

Also, if it had followed the novel, we would surely see her struggle as she's not in her own skin and learning about her new surroundings. But, on both accounts. FL should be showing to us more of how she's trying to adapt or be different to her usual self. I'm assuming, in her so-called past life, she was not acting like a spoilt and curious child.

Not sure which episode you're on, but he seems to be up and running at episode 21. I love a weak and even cowering ML. Legend of Zhan Hai takes the crown as the weakest looking ML this year.

I don't mind bad reviews but as mentioned, some are marked completed when it's clearly not. I'm told the comment count on each drama also counts towards ratings.

OK, I'll see how it goes. Looking forward to the story unfolding.

Just lamenting about how exacting some viewers can be based on what I have seen in the past. It's almost like "it's Zhou Ye, it's OK", since I have seen similar scenarios played by other actresses, and they're getting flamed like hell. Not that it is the actresses' fault. They're just doing what they're told to do.

But here, in some kind of idol bubble filter, it's bravo, she's smart, she's cute. To me, this type of plot armour is usually panned by MDL users. So interesting to see barrage culture taking place right here.

It's not that. She looks like a child. Doesn't help the direction here is to make her act and speak like a spoilt child. So inappropriate considering we already know she's a woman. Something very unhealthy about women acting like a child, and then put into a setting full of men.

It's not unrealistic, but in "this drama" and in the storyline, it's unrealistic. But to then add on this sulky demeanor, it's totally taking away from the fact that she should be laying low and minding her own business if not, grieving and silently plotting with a vengeance.

Instead, she seems to be obsessed with ML, as he is with her, which from his point of view also unrealistic, in a pool of so many recruits, he takes an interest because she is lippy and try hardy. This is idol-romance and revenge as an afterthought.

Nothing to do with female empowerment. It's just an en-vogue front label in current times, but in actual fact, just another fantasy romance that just so happens to be set in the army. Another day, another month, same set of ideas can fit into a modern office scenario. Not female empowerment at all. More fantasy empowerment.

I've finished episode 5, but waiting for when she will stop with the childlike behaviour and the spoilt like voice. It doesn't help, she looks barely adult, never mind if she looks a 'she' or 'he'. The character looks under-age. I'm wondering, if she was wearing full female gear, will there be complaints about her conduct in the setting (with ML). Would her behaviour be inappropriate and even insulting to women.

I tend to not look at reviews until a drama as ended. It's been a growing trend that on here in MDL, it's been abused.

I personally think MDL cannot allow new users to rate or post reviews until after 6 months have lapsed. Hopefully that may deter and they may grow bored by that time frame.

Someone using their mobile told me when they made a review, there was no option to state 'on-going' and as a result, the review (during mid-run) was labelled completed, even though the drama had not even got passed halfway. Not sure if that was true. If so, there's an issue with MDL that needs fixing.

No worries. It's early days. I hope the drama changes tempo in the middle parts!

I'm not here to put a downer on this production because I really want this to go well. The general gist of the first section doesn't smell of revenge but more lightweight idol style revenge which consists of contrived spa scenes and controlled fight scenes where he ends up holding her from falling out of the circle, oh sorry I meant her grabbing for dear life onto him so she doesn't lose in the fight. All funny and instant gratification, but on a serious note, not at all like a drama that is putting anger, frustration and inequality as the main theme.

The status comment is more the scriptwriters trying so hard to make it just about the two (ML & FL) making eyes/contact at each other wherever possible. So unnatural considering how big the compound that he would suss her out based on taming a horse.

Then there's the classic largest set picking on the smallest. The puniest recruit would be her side-kick buddy. Even Arsenal Military Academy made nearly 8 years ago didn't make it that obvious, since they spaced out the progression. Here, it's plot-armour central with how she dispatches her bullies. Becomes embolden so quickly and no doubt gets the whole room to praise her. Sorry, but there are many ways to approach these scenes, but so far, they have decided to make it more about romance.

Yes, I like him a lot too. Loved him in A moment but forever. Here, I can't wait to see him being evil.

Yes, I have heard about this from others that the changes have made parts more illogical and shallow. I will watch on, but I have to say, a bit disappointed is an understatement.

Both actors are capable in portraying characters well, but being given this type of direction is hard to watch. When watching this, you can just apply ML to being a cold CEO character, and she, the ditzy try-hard employee. Just this time, it's just in an army setting and she's trying to pass off as being one of the lads. Romance template first, revenge a far second.

When I say act like one of the men by trying excessively hard to prove her worth by running extra longer, picking up stuff faster than the men in the group. This to me is not realistic already considering her slight frame but in the drama, they push it to the point of being cringeworthy. To top it off, she's engaging with the ML way too quickly, turning up at his tent - as you do, with her lowly rank, it's just totally not with any reality.

I am not asking for realism, but they have amplified her status to being not in character, considering, she should be laying low and beavering away & not get attention.

As for the ML, taking a shine to her because of this, also seems contrived. Gives an unrealistic & wrong message to young girls.

The tone of the drama so far is not at all like someone that is grieving and planning, but a fixation with the ML's status and character. Total tunnel vision which is weird as it should be on her father and of course that brother of hers.

Very unfortunate, the english title says Legend of the female general, whilst the original novel was called Rebirth of a star general. No mention of female originally. The adaptation seems to want too much.

Making female a big thing, but also adding legend like it's an even more bigger thing. Watch the early episodes, it's like a lightweight banter-filled drama that is more interested in pushing romance first and the revenge part is like an afterthought. The fact that they need to resort to a lot of voice-overs to convey the feelings, it's clear, they cannot find a way to express her inner thoughts.

It's harmless fun and on the surface is entertaining, but on a deeper level about her original reasons of going back into the army is clearly put a firm second and the adaptation is deciding it's idol romance first, and I think some will not be happy. For me, it's a bit cringe with all the tropes. It was bad enough that her master could catch her like a fish in that sea she conveniently fell into from that classic cliff fall!

Actually, I think they tried their best on that one. Bai Shu is on the shorter spectrum in Chinese dramaland, so around 10 cm difference will hopefully be a minute change 😂. Also, he's rather pretty in general, so maybe at the time this actor was the best available in actors' busy schedules.

Because it's obvious that from the source material, they have instead chosen to focus on how to hook a man. Gain acceptance and approval from them. Putting pressure on young girls into thinking they need to act like a tough man to gain respect from them and then act like a little spoilt young girl when she's in trouble or needs his approval (episode 3 in the sword fight). That is a very confusing message in general. But for the audience who already knows she's a female, it's unhealthy fixation on pushing romance so early on and making it so clunky at the same time.

Whilst this looks like harmless fun, it conveniently ignores continuity of how she would know to act like a demure woman, doing the dance etc. If she had been primed to wear a mask and act like a boy to a man up until her death or survival, she is unlikely going to know about hair and make up compared to her peers.