babepiggie

Some comments on LOA. It baffled me how Youku could have screwed up the first episode given that it had two years in post-production. It was almost like it did not care enough because it expected the cast to carry it to popularity. Although the first episode was corrected within a few days but I felt the damage was done for international audience. It personally would not stop me from continuing with the drama since the subtitles and dubbing were fixed within days but for casual viewers, their interest might have waned.

Like you, I thought Reba performed well in the beginning of the drama but her characterization was overshadowed by Liu Yi Ning’s character in the latter half, which was unfortunate. In the novel, Ren Anle was the strategist and she was the cunning and manipulative one; instead the drama had Luo Ming Xi as the mastermind with his plotting so I understood Alice’s frustration that the scriptwriters did not follow the novel by limiting the characterization of our heroine. I felt the best character description was written for the second male lead and both Reba and Gong Jun’s characters suffered from it. I was so upset since novel readers shared many snippets of our main leads’ characters and the general plot in the LOA page and I was so anticipating their portrayal and interpretation. But Reba performed well given the limitations of the plot. She exhibited pain, cunning (at parts) and her flirty and outrageous behavior brought a hint of comedy (though I wasn’t sure if that was the drama’s intention). IMO, the drama was derailed by the pacing which was due to having four scriptwriters writing for the drama (honestly, WHY?). This area was so frustrating for me. The drama spent too many episodes with Ren Anle hiding her true identity and maintaining the flirty persona (5-10 episodes should be the max); then it devoted too many episodes to the fake Di Zi Yuan and her shenanigans, so at the end, it left only a couple of episodes of Ren Anle protecting the country to conclude the story. These episodes should be extensive where we get to see and appreciate the FL and ML heroism but it was summarized in one episode with Ren Anle traveling from city to city on a horse with poor CGI backdrops. Even Princess An Ning had a more heroic sendoff with flying arrows!

Another criticism of I have is that drama should have a true villain and have it be the emperor. The angst between the FL and ML could be so top-notched but it was a complete cop out to make the culprit to be the Empress Dowager. It was mind-boggling how the scriptwriting team were cutting and pasting parts of the plots in trying to make it work. I feel that MDL members here can write a better script than what was shown on screen for this drama.

I noticed Reba’s makeup for her recent dramas is a bit too light, making her complexion too white and with bright red lips, it might be too jarring on TV. I wish these dramas follow her makeup routine for Eternal Love/Eternal Love of Dream. She looked so beautifully natural and gorgeous in both dramas and her makeup was light and on-point. I’m not sure if the makeup for these recent dramas were from her own makeup team but I hope it gets better for her next production, especially for historical dramas. In LOA, IMO her makeup wasn’t distracting enough to criticize her performance. Just antis wanting to find faults to criticize her.

Honestly, I have been there and understand your feelings completely! In the past, mostly here at MDL pages, I was so angry when antis kept droning on about Reba’s inferior or no acting skills. So many ridiculous comments of her being only a pretty vase or their backhanded comments like “I’m not a fan of her acting but she’s beautiful” as though her good looks was her only saving grace. I have gotten into written spats with these haters. It does not matter that when facts are brought in…that Reba went to a reputable performing arts academy and won acting awards for her drama performances, these haters did not give her any credit. It’s foul that this MDL page description completely wiped out the previous narrative of Reba and eliminated all her accomplishments while other artists’ pages were allowed to list their achievements. That is why I only stick to Reba’s MDL artist and drama pages because I cannot stand comments from those whose only interest is to diminish her personally and professionally.

I honestly do not mind that others do not care for her performances as long as fans are respectful with their views. My mother is not a fan of Reba; she finds her appearance quite distracting because she does not possess Han-like features and she finds it hard to relate to her characters. That I can understand and I don’t have issue with it. She does not say she’s a bad actress but she prefers other actresses (her favorite is Yang Mi). That was why I said in another post that acting can be so subjective and sometimes, us viewers can drawn to certain artists for a variety of reasons. I personally love Reba’s look and her expressions can convey so much and touches my heart when her character(s) are sad or happy. Usually I am moved by how she interprets her characters. I don’t expect others to feel the same way I do but I hope that others can respect the hard work of my favorite artist even though they might not be fans of hers. Unfortunately, antis do not care. Over time, I just stop responding to these haters because their goal is very obvious after a few posts. They are not interested in understanding our views but want to take the opportunity to disparage her and her accomplishments. Unless their rants are egregious, I will not respond because whatever I have to say would not change their mind. But there are times that I just can’t help myself and respond with a post. I would consider myself to be a direct person so my posts can be quite cutting, sticking to facts and let Reba’s work and awards do the talking. Usually, these people quit responding but I understand it can be so hard to “let it go”. It took me many years to ignore these losers but I understand your anger and relate to your need to defend but truthfully, these people are not worth you losing sleep over them. Just keep supporting Reba and keeping the Alice name classy is the biggest way for us to support Reba. 😊

Difference is that Gong Jun's team is realistic about his standing in the Chinese entertainment industry and Gong Jun is a true gentleman; I can't imagine him making a big fuss over billing. Yang Yang typically takes roles where he is indisputable top dog so top billing will not be an issue for him. With YAMG, it was a no brainer that both Reba and YY got equal billing because their roles truly demand that. Both characters and the actors' performances were equally important and they both contribute to the overall success.

As for Chen Zhe Yuan, I'm not sure how much of this behind-the-scenes turmoil was due to his team demanding top billing or his fans' insistence. Given that Reba has not officially confirmed her participation in this drama, perhaps his team is waiting for her confirmation before clearing this up? Regardless, if he did commit to this drama, his team should come out and state that billing order will be determined once the full cast is determined. IF it's true that Reba has already signed on as a FL and his team is demanding that he gets top billing behind-the-scenes , then his team is doing a disservice to his acting career. Reba is his senior and she is much more popular than he is regardless of her screen time in the drama due to the alleged script to minimize her role. If she is cast as the FL, she will be the one responsible for its success. If his team believed otherwise, then they are delusional. And why is his team being so short-sighted? He will film other dramas in the future and this type of press creates an image of him being a "difficult" actor in a collaboration. It makes little sense for his rising career unless his team is trying to give him more publicity, regardless if it's (negative) publicity. I don't really understand. 😖

Hi Gizzy! Always lovely to read your posts. 😁

I agree to some extent. In historical dramas, most Chinese actresses' true age is incongruous with the ages of the female characters they portray (most are typically 15-18 years old) and I don't want to see a teenage female actress portraying a role that might lack depth. So if the actress' looks are youthful enough even though their actual age is much older, then I can accept them portraying such characters.

In a modern setting, I think it's okay depending on the plotline. If a senior actress plays a younger role (such as high school or university student) and if those scenes are limited, I can accept that. Like YAMG, Reba had a few student scenes in which she was convincing. But, I definitely do not want to see Reba as a university student or a new graduate for most of the drama screen time (and I don't really see Reba taking such roles) because I find many of these FL character lacking maturity. Those days are behind Reba and she should focus on mature roles (for modern dramas) that stretch her acting skills and characters with depth. However, in a historical production, I can see her playing a "younger" character as long as the plot progresses in such a way that the character grows and matures with age (like The Long Ballad). With Reba, if she puts on very light make-up, she really does look youthful so I think she can still carry off these types of roles.

Honestly, I advise not to let the comments of these "haters" get to you. I always felt acting is quite subjective; I feel many Chinese actors that others praised for great acting is quite mediocre but I don't feel a need to demean their skills and post backhanded comments on MDL or any other site because people are moved by an artist's performance for many reasons. I think the success of a drama has to do more so with script and directing than acting truthfully. I like Reba's acting in LOA and thought she managed to be flirty and cute while deceptive and torn at times. The script was what made the drama underperformed IMO.

I guess my point is that haters, which I get the feel that some are in that page, will always find reasons to criticize because they already formed preconceived opinions of her acting. The fact that she is so beautiful that I think others might be distracted by her beauty and not give their full attention to her performance. She cannot change antis' minds on her acting skills but she can impress those who might be neutral and casual viewers. I hope that she selects excellent scripts that truly highlights her abilities because I am a believer that she can perform any role if she puts her heart to it.

The little girl is adorable and I see the next Reba in the making (at least the dancing part!). Reba is such an inspiration to many that audience cannot help but be drawn to her! I hope she continues to show her positivity and talent to the world. 😀

This site is trash. The site owner does not like Reba. I have read comments of Reba on this site before and some posters are constantly giving her backhanded comments and continue to perpetuate their own biased conception of her acting abilities. These losers are so jealous of the fact that Reba is still relevant and trending regardless if she has a drama release the past few months, unlike some of their favorites. The fact that many love Reba for her positivity, her caring attitude and strong and personable demeanor (as demonstrated by Diva Hits the Road) is probably driving these haters nuts. She does not need to leech herself to other actors to be relevant. Girl is doing her own thing and tries her best to be a good humble person, a role model and showcase her culture to world. It's no coincidence that she is praised by the Chinese government and many can't help being drawn to her. Let these antis stew while Reba continues to shine brightly.

I agree. I am turn off by the continuous negative news to this drama and the alleged script rewrite to limit Reba's role. She is an A-lister; she does not need to subject herself to the likes of an up and comer (I don't even know his name, someone mentioned he was the ML to Hidden Love). Reba is an established actress. She does not need this drama surrounding this production and her team needs to do better! So tired of all these people trying to minimize her and her career!

I love these photos of young Reba. She looked so sweet and she looked the same from a young age. Such a natural beauty!

Reba is the perfect ambassador for her hometown (and all of China really). The recent CNY gala really showcased her many talents and brought her culture to the forefront. I was in awe of the spectacular display, from the exotic traditional dances and amazing costumes, and the happiness on her face when she was dancing was so wonderful to see! Her influence cannot be understated (she was trending continuously in Weibo and international publications have remarked positively on her performance). She really does represent her country well to international audience with her beauty, all around talents and her just her overall humbleness and kindness. So very proud of her!

Happy Lunar New Year to all Alices here! Thank you to all Reba fans for making this page great! Hope everyone have a healthy, peaceful and prosperous Year of the Dragon. Special blessings to dear Reba! Hope 2024 is a break-away-from-Jaywalk and a breakout year for her and that she experiences unparalleled success in her dramas and acting endeavors!

Sunny California, United States. 😊

The image is not clear but I think Reba was in the second row, 3rd person to the left?

I will add another to the wishlist…(4) good English subtitles available to international viewers when the drama airs. You would think this was a given but after the debacle of Blue Whisper (English subtitles not available until halfway through the drama) and Legend of Anle (first episode was a disaster), I couldn’t believe this basic requirement was botched! That had really soured me on Youku as a vying platform! After hearing so many positives about IQIYI, I do hope that she can sign on more dramas with them. It would be nice to watch a Reba drama with good production value.

Yeah, Tencent does sound like a hit and miss. At the time of airing, Reba suffered many criticisms for The Long Ballad in China (though it did well internationally) but I always felt this was her best drama (yet) because she persevered and gave a heart-felt, wonderful and touching performance. When she won an international award (I forgot the name) for her role as Li Changge, when I watched her video of her expressing her thanks, I could tell the award meant a lot to her. Tencent did not provide the support for this drama so shame on them but I remembered how crazy The Long Ballad page was at MDL! Comments were flooded and viewers were so enthusiastic. I met many wonderful Reba fans through that page. On the other hand, promotion was almost overkill for You Are My Glory and the wedding episode (pay to view function) basically crashed their site because so many fans were buying the episode just to see the two characters get married. Prosecution Elite was a bit tough because it was more of an educational drama and no romance so perhaps Tencent did not see value in promoting it. It remains to be seen what the marketing strategy will be with Sword Rose. Let’s hope more promotional materials come out when the drama is closer to airing.

Hihi! I’ve been a MDL member for a while but I do go through spurts where I am super active on this page; however life happens and at times I need to be off-line for a while. I admire Reba faithful here (Martial and many others) that take the time and consideration to provide continuous updates! Thank you so much! I so appreciate it!

Those who are familiar with me know that when a topic interests me, I can go on forever with super long posts. 😊 So, don’t feel shy about starting a new topic because more likely than not, I will post a response if I’m here! I agree with your assessment! Alices are incredible here and I’m blessed to be a (tiny) part of this fandom. I’m also amazed by images and videos of China Alices!! They would pack venues at Reba brand events to support her. Some would wait for hours for the venues to be available. Others try to catch a glimpse of her when she’s leaving to or arriving from the airport. Maybe this type of devotion is a common place in China (not in the US) and other Chinese artists have the same kind of attendance but I can’t help but admire China Alices when I see clips of them being vocal and passionate. Reba is very fortunate to have such a strong and dedicated fanbase but we’re also very lucky because she really deserves all the good things to happen to her. 😊

Yes to your list! I know some are afraid of fandom wars if Reba were to pair up with Xiao Zhan but I say bring it on! Whatever these anti-fans’ issues are, they just need to get over it as these two need to appear on screen together, it’s so long overdue! Imagine if they were to star in a drama together, they would bring down Weibo. 😊 I also like the Li Xian and can visualize him with Reba in a drama together. Both are such good choices and I hope the two pairings can materialize.

I see a lot of posts about potential future male leads for Reba dramas, so I want to ask the question…are there any past male co-stars of Reba that you wish to see again in an upcoming drama? And for that pairing, what kind of drama setting you wish to have them star in?

For me, I have a short list:

Leo Wu - I have a soft spot for this actor and I love his chemistry with Reba in the Long Ballad. I would like to see them in a Republican setting or a modern drama.

Gong Jun – I’m a low-key fan of his and I do like the pairing in Legend of Anle. I thought their chemistry is wonderful but the script could be so much better and did not do them justice. If they were to pair up again, I would love to see them in a short, sweet modern romance.

Zhang Bin Bin – I feel these two should have one last shot to collaborate together. With Pretty Li Hui Zhen, they were sweet but alas, unrequited love on his part. With the King’s Woman, I couldn’t get past the Stockholm Syndrome dynamic between the two. I would love for them to be in a period historical drama, preferably in the Qing/Manchurian dynasty and please have it be a happy ending.

To be honest, I am not concerned about Reba’s chemistry with the lead actor in Sword Rose. I also watched Under the Skin and feel he will perform fine. It’s uncertain how much romance is in this production so (romantic) chemistry is the least of my concern. For this genre, the script is so essential!!! The cases should be well written and interesting!!! I hope the pace is well done as I expect parts to be quite gripping. I also read that the director is well-received(?) so that’s is another positive. It’s a short with 30 episodes which is perfect amount for a modern, investigative drama. I am looking forward to it and if done well, it can be a surprise hit!

Does being on a specific platform gives certain dramas an advantage, maybe other than promotion purposes? I think Tencent is probably the biggest. I am not familiar with IQIYI but Youku was disappointing as it relates to Reba’s last two dramas. I hate that Youku counted on Reba’s name and Alices’ following and not promote Reba’s dramas as they deserve to be. Another thing to add to Alices’ wish list for Reba – (1) leaving Jaywalk, (2) dramas with better platforms (IQIYI), (3) good script selections…

Please continue with your posts. I have enjoyed them so much and you have provided so much enlightening information about Reba and Jaywalk. I am both mad and sad for Reba. Let’s hope that 2024 (with many, many years to come) will be great for our girl. She is such a kind, thoughtful and talented individual and deserves all good things to happen to her. 😊