antiherodiaries

POJ started out great but flopped later in terms of character development. I am character driven narrative person, and POJ's second half just didn't meet my expectations.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ just spitting facts like you always do and they can't stand it.

Tan shouldn't take half written scripts....it would suck if he ends up being screwed over like Go East.

Seriously question, why forgo a beautiful story about family and friendship because the romance isn't in your face? I can't relate at all. FoF is beautifully made, great characters, good acting and of course heartfelt realtionships.

Tian Jiarui is actually quite impressive. Many directors have male muses they use in all or most of thier works. It's nothing new ... Martin Scorsese has Leonardo DiCaprio, Tsui Hark's new muse is Xiao Zhan, Zhang Yimou has Jackson Yee, Wong Kar wai has Tony Leung...but I bet you wouldn't be spitting the same 💩 about these guys.

LMAO........So obvious you haven't even watch either drama carefully. No one can compare to Zhao Yuanzhou. Neither ML in Veils have Yuanzhou's powers. 🥴 Try Again.

As for plot, it's the same structure but with different plot device. In FoF, the plot device is Baize artifact and Viels, it's Long Shen's fragmented powers. The former is to bring balance back to the Great Wilderness, while, the latter to prevent the destruction of world.

Duan Xu smiles at everything and everyone....it's his defense mechanism.

I just entered the spirit world in novel and he's not useless. he's learning the hierarchy and have met a Chong priest vwho continues to worship their "god" even in the spirit world. but I may have to reread a couple chapters because I am not sure what Duan Xu is up too...or if he has an alternative motive for joining Simu in visiting the spirit world.

I'm reading the novel and Duan Xu is not submissive...he's flirty and naughty. And sonfsr the drama is portraying that, but I am behind on the episodes so I hope they don't change this aspect.

Brah....there are already high quality dramas that never go viral being produced under censorship, that isn't going anywhere.

I agree and I understand. I just think that the most concise and well-told narratives come from strong directors who are very involved in the script. Many of the more well-known and, in my opinion, better works are by directors who have significantly more control. I also think Chinese dramas suffer from this lack of creative control.

I agree. the storytelling is pretty balanced right now.

I don’t know exactly how film school is structured in China, but when I was in film school in the U.S., students were generally required to write and direct their own projects in order to graduate. So most directors have at least foundational writing skills and the ability to shape a script into a workable narrative. Many do revise scripts as needed—whether they take writing credit or not often depends on their contract.

That said, I personally think directors who don’t engage with the script are being lazy—because how are you going to focus primarily on performance, visual storytelling, and production if you have no idea how the story is unfolding, or if it’s unfolding in a way that doesn’t work with your creative direction?

Guo Jingming’s work is amazing. Aside from the technical aspects, he has a distinct style when it comes to dialogue. I think that because he writes his own scripts, he has more control over this element. Having control over the conversations also helps ensure that only what needs to be said is said, and that each line moves the story forward. I wish more directors wrote their own scripts or were more involved in the screenwriting process—I think this would help solve many of the storytelling issues prevalent in Chinese dramas.

I’m not even a fan of his, but I can still look at the drama as a whole and say this is his best work—and they cut his character down to the point where he became a plot device. An actor can still perform well in a poorly written story; those two things can coexist.
And I don’t buy the “not enough episodes” excuse either. Again, I know I sound like a broken record, but using limited episodes as a justification for poor writing is so overdone.

I sound like a broken record, but having a female-centric story doesn’t mean you should forgo a character-driven narrative or create a world that doesn’t make sense within its own world-building and character setup. The novel may be female-led, but it was still very balanced in its storytelling.

Using “female-centric” as a reason a story sucks does a disservice to the genre. It lowers the standard in a way that audiences shouldn’t accept. A strong story still needs coherent world-building, consistent character motivations, and meaningful development—regardless of who the lead is. When people use “FL-centric” as an excuse, it often masks deeper issues like weak writing, poor pacing, or underdeveloped characters. It also reinforces the idea that female-led stories don’t need to try as hard, which ultimately hurts both the genre and audience expectations. Viewers should expect the same level of quality, depth, and narrative payoff as they would from any well-written story.

I just took my kids to see The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is male-centric, but the writing is still well done. It balances Mario’s journey with Princess Peach’s role in a meaningful way. There’s inspiration for both boys and girls, despite the title centering male characters. My sons and daughter all walked away happy and fulfilled, seeing their favorite characters come to life.

I agree. ZLH’s acting is the best I’ve seen in POJ, and it’s seriously wasted. There’s a real need for balanced storytelling.

There are plenty of female-centric stories with weak male leads—whether physically, mentally, or socioeconomically—and they still manage to successfully carry the narrative. Filter and Glory (both the K-drama and Neo/Nezha) are prime examples off the top of my head.

And no one should use “not enough episodes” as an excuse for poor writing. Seriously—ask any writer or filmmaker, and they’ll tell you the best storytellers can tell a story in the shortest amount of time. K-dramas and J-dramas have been doing it for years, and even limited series of 6–8 episodes on Netflix prove that it’s possible.

I get my point. I don't understand where you're getting your point from. The government is NOT against female led stories. The criticism is not about this. So your talking points are out of scope for my observation above.

🤣 you know you love the chaos.

NO WHERE in this statement I said I'm against female led stories. 🤣🥴

This statement is a true observation of the political environment of China though. So TRY AGAIN ...