babepiggie

I hope your words ring true! As in Yang Zi and Yang Mi’s cases, leaving a company who does not support its artist, might be the best thing to happen to Reba. Hopefully she can shed Jaywalk and engages in projects that she wants to do after her contract ends. We don’t know what types of dramas she will produce in the future if she were to leave that company but at least she might be filming more regularly than she has the past two years!

Absolutely! Reba fans want what’s best for her and reading other fans’ perspective actually make me feel better about the matter. Jaywalk is still a blood-sucking leech but at least it sounds like Reba is making the best of her contract situation. If she only has one year left with Jaywalk, let’s hope everything works out and that she comes back stronger than ever!

Thank you so much for sharing this information. It’s also a relief to read other fans’ concerns because I thought I was the only one who felt this frustration. I was not aware about how messy Jaywalk is as a company. It’s appalling to me how they have treated and still treating Reba, their only viable artist remaining in their payroll. It’s testament to Reba’s ability and Alice’s die-hard devotion that Reba can persist as long as she has with the limited resources and the lack of company support. I can’t wait until she leaves this company in the rearview mirror. I think Reba’s contract with Jaywalk is for 10 years? It sounds so long to be tied to one company. Is that a common thing for young artists to sign on for so many years in the Chinese entertainment industry?

It’s great to read that she has four dramas in the pipeline and hopefully they will materialize on screen soon. Imagine if Reba is with a good company, the type of dramas we can enjoy without the drama of waiting on what her potential project might be! I can’t wait for the day that we see Reba thrive outside of Jaywalk. Hopefully, she starts her own studio soon after and takes on projects that interest her and get the support she needs to do great things.

I agree, Reba left mainstream type roles too early. To be honest, “idol” dramas have areas where she can still learn, grow and excel so my hope is that she might want to film one in the near future (hopefully with an excellent script and good characterization). I really hope her next drama is a Republican drama or a historical piece. If she sticks to serious modern roles, please no more crime/legal dramas. I would like her to consider a sci-fi drama (not sure if that is a popular genre in China). I also think a role where she has a disability would be an interesting one for her. I think true Reba fans are fine with whatever route she chooses to take (serious vs. idol roles) but is concerned with how long it’s taking her and her team to decide. Are there truly not enough compelling scripts out there for her to choose? And while waiting for the “right” serious script, why not select a light hearted/short drama to film? Obviously our comments are from a place of concern and we missed her so much on-screen. I can’t help wanting more for her.

BTW, do you or anyone know how many more year(s) Reba has left with Jaywalk? Any details on her current contract? I will celebrate once she leaves that company!

Honestly, I respect that Reba wants to take on “serious” roles; I personally like watching similar genres/shows in English. I also liked Reba’s acting and line delivery in Prosecution Elite but found the plot lacking and it remains to be seen how she performs in Sword Rose. Her last two dramas I felt the script failed her but overall, I was pleased with her acting. I also enjoyed her portrayal of Ren Anle in Legend of Anle. As someone who followed her acting career, I like that she is willing to take these risks and stepped outside the mainstream box with her recent modern dramas. As you noted, doing “idol” dramas would be the safer route for her and guarantee her continued success. It speaks volume of her star power that her popularity is still high given her last two dramas underperformed (in my eyes).

I take issue more so with her team and its process of selecting a good script. Given it has taken Reba and her team so long to decide on a script last time around (Sword Rose), I find it baffling, it’s taking just as long for her upcoming drama. The last rumor I’ve heard was filming is expected to start in March? That’s just too long (in my opinion) in between filming. For them to take this long, I would hope the storyline for her rumored dramas are more dynamic but so far the rumored dramas do not pique my interest. Personally, I find this aspect quite disappointing. Of course, her new drama has not been finalized yet so I don’t mind being proven wrong (the dynamic part) but the constant drama speculations frustrate me more than anything.

If it’s Reba’s personal choice to only act in serious roles, I respect that. Obviously, there are so many roles I wanted her to partake in - serious ones, historical portrayals and yes, idol dramas (if the script is good). A Republican drama or a villain role is my ideal dream role for her. I feel like time is running out in terms of how many years we’ll see Reba on-screen and the chances of seeing her in various roles are significantly reduced due to her limited filming. So from a fan perspective, I am being greedy in wanting her to film more and seeing her grace our screen repeatedly. It’s not a criticism of Reba and my opinion does not matter because it is her career and she can choose the path she sees fit.

I feel you Gizzy! I am frustrated that Reba and her team are not making headway in selecting a new drama. I hope that she’s not losing focus on her acting career because first and foremost, she IS an actress. All these red carpets, brand events and the variety show that she has been engaging the past few months (no matter how lovely she looked) should be side gigs if she wants to be remembered for being more. If she’s serious about leaving a mark in the entertainment industry, she needs to be focused on filming and selecting good drama scripts and memorable characters.

I know I might receive flak for saying this but I really don’t know what she is doing with her acting career the past year and I feel she is wasting so much time waiting/looking for the right scripts. I hate to see the repeat of 2018 where she did not film a single drama and back then, she said that she was not approached with many viable dramas due to her looks. I can’t imagine this being the case presently because she is immensely popular in China and she would have more resources available to her now compared to 2018. Initially, I thought she was being highly selective with her roles but it seems to me day by day, her team is doing a piss poor job of looking at scripts WHILE she’s filming (ex. Sword Rose). There is absolutely no reason now for her to take so much time off in between filming. I know her health took a toll with the dramatic weight loss from Blue Whisper but a year later and looking much healthier, I still don’t understand why she is not joining a film crew NOW.

I’m all for her being selective with scripts. Those who are familiar with my posts know I have been very vocal that she should make the leap to being a more dramatic actress but she needs to find a balance. She should not be off-drama screen for so long and ideally, she should be filming two dramas a year, with one being a more “serious” role and the other can be light-hearted or period/historical adaptations (because these are more mainstream and I don’t want Reba to completely abandon “idol” dramas because I do enjoy them). Reba herself also mentioned that she is not foregoing idol dramas so I think this is the right balance for her and her fans.

Lately I feel she is wasting her best years as an actress; if she continues with reduced filming, as she gets older, the lead roles might even be more limited. Not to say that she won’t get roles but let’s be realistic, the Chinese entertainment industry is catered towards younger artists in their 20s. As her fan, I hope the very best for her but I truly do not understand what she and her team are thinking in regards to the current state of her acting career. Ultimately, Reba has the final say in the projects she wants to engage in but I can’t help being disappointed with the current approach. I was really looking forward to her acting trajectory (being upwards) after The Long Ballad, but whether it’s her choice or Jaywalk being a crappy company, I feel her acting career is stagnant and I can’t help but want more for her. But if she’s happy with her current setup, then I wish her the best and I will always support her. I just wish we can see her more on-screen.

Well, to defend the casting decision, it’s hard pressed to find another actress who looks similar (as beautiful) as Reba!

YES! Awesome achievement! Let’s keep it up! 😀

Reba is beautiful, talented, popular and successful and so it’s not surprising that others and their fandom might be envious or resentful of her. She’s quite scandal-free and reportedly, appears to be a genuinely nice, hardworking and humble person, so haters would find different avenues to nitpick and criticize her. Her looks - she’s not “true” Chinese since she’s not of Han descent. Her acting – her acting is subpar and she’s only popular because of her beauty. Haters disregard that she has shown improvements in her acting performances and discard that fact that she is willing to take on serious roles (non-idol dramas) and broaden her acting horizon. I know acting abilities and performances are subjective for each viewer but I have been following her dramas for many years and I would be the first to say I did not care for her earlier works but I do see the changes and improvements in her performances in recent years. I especially LOVE her role here of Anle since viewers gets to see different sides of her personality and I think she is nailing the duality of her character quite well (the cheeky obsessed-need-to-be-the-Crown-Princess and the cunning side of Anle). Reba might not be the “best” actress (nor would she claim herself to be) but she does have the desire to improve herself as noted in her many interviews and her desire to try different roles and that is very commendable. She is respectful of all her projects and many people in the industry have cited that she is nice and easy to get along with; brands love working with her because of her personality and her positive representation of their brand. She is a person that anyone should admire, or at least respect, but instead haters try minimize her accomplishments. I cannot prove these people are downrating her dramas; if they are indeed doing so, only the perpetrators would know their true intentions but it baffles me why haters have the time or inclination to engage in such behavior?! Surely, their time can be spent doing something worthwhile like supporting their idols and leaving us who are enjoying the drama to support the cast here!

Of course, Reba is not the only possible victim of downrating of dramas. Other high traffic Chinese artists might possibly encounter the same issue; I can only speak about Reba because viewers tend to be very critical of her and I have been following her career and news for a long time and I felt I know enough about her works and personality (compared to a casual viewer) to speak up. Let’s hope the drama gets better with each episode; I’ve been enjoying the ride thus far!

Not for this drama! I am loving Reba and GJ’s chemistry and their characters and interactions are perfect! Perhaps for a different drama and depending on the script, LYN and Reba can pair up but for LOA, I like the CP as is! 😀

I can’t see that happening. Prince Han Ye is very smart and I think he’ll realize something is amiss with the fake DZ. Hopefully this leads to him to discover the truth about his fiancé and her real identity

Novel readers have confirmed that it’s a happy ending; hopefully the drama follows suit!

Her comebacks are too much! I love it! Beds, boats – they are all the same to her! 😊

Can’t wait to watch that scene! 😂😂🤣

That seems to be the case with any dramas with Reba (and other high traffic stars). Her dramas tend to be rated very low at MDL when they premiere due to possible antis (this is my assumption but seems to be a consistent trend); hopefully it comes back up to a respectable level once it’s done and others who have been watching the entire time will rate if fairly. I would not be too bothered by it. I never use MDL ratings to determine the watchability of a drama; I have enjoyed dramas that are not highly rated and I would always recommend to viewers to try a few episodes to determine if the drama appeals to them. If I dropped the drama before the 10th episode, I usually do not rate it. I’m the type that allows the drama to develop the characterization and lay out the foundation of the story so the first 5-10 episodes appear reasonable enough time (might modify depending on the length of the drama). I also think many here who rated the drama with low scores do not have the patience to wait and downgrade this drama after a couple of episodes which is a shame since the drama has gotten better with each episode. Regardless, it’s good to know that the drama is performing well in China!!! I am enjoying the story and acting tremendously and can’t wait to see what happens next!

And also their nemesis always assume the fall has caused the lead’s death and are shocked that they are still alive when they see them in person. LOL.

Oh my gosh! Your post is everything! I love this pairing so much and both Gong Jun and Reba are bringing electricity in every scene! I am enjoying her forwardness and flirty demeanor, his reserved and (kind of) exasperation towards her (though I think he secretly likes it) and the levity of their scenes. However, I am ready for the plot to move along and get to the meatier part of the story. I am hoping the drama will do it justice and do not diminish the epic tale of their story (from snippets I gathered from novel readers here that their journey is amazing).

I thought the same thing. Ren Anle is the female version of Wen Kexing but 10x more blatant in my opinion.😛 I love this role reversal and so far really enjoying Gong Jun's performance. Wen Kexing is an amazing role for Gong Jun but I'm glad to see him assume a completely different character in Han Ye - someone just as smart, righteous and caring who would do anything for his love. I think his character will get more expressive real fast and I can't get enough of his interactions with Anle!! Gong Jun and Reba (as well as the rest of the cast) are really delivering top-notched performances!

Thank you so much for clarifying Han Ye's character! 😀 I have not read the novel but felt Gong Jun's portrayal is line with how I imagine the Crown Prince to be in the novel. From the beginning, the drama established him to be smart, just and caring. He expressed that he knew there is more to Anle's wanting to be the Crown Princess so she is not fooling him in the least. I do like reading in your post that he can be scheming if his bottom line is touched and there were no other options available. He is standing in the sidelines for now but I expect stronger and expressive reactions when the plot gets heavy and emotional as the story progresses. The only area I guess he can be described as "naive" would be his reaction to her brazenness. He's not accustomed to women throwing themselves at him in such a blatant manner that at first, he was too shell shocked and reacted modestly. I do like how he is giving it back and being more daring towards her in the recent episodes. Haha! I am enjoying their interactions before the plot gets heavy.

That little actress does look like she could have been a younger Reba! So cute! 😁

These videos bring tears to my eyes. The celebration and thoughtful messages from her fans are so heartwarming. One can sense how much Reba is loved and how inspiring she is to her fans. How can we not love her? She is the idol all artist should strive to be - thoughtful, caring and so appreciative of her success!