bailang

Ah, the classic "you’re not allowed to judge until you’ve watched the whole thing" sermon. How original. Let me guess — next you’ll say I need to sit through a five-hour root canal before deciding if it hurts.

First off, your sighing concern is noted — truly, the emotional labor you put into defending mediocrity is admirable. But let’s be clear: liking 白鹿 doesn't make you a walking drama tribunal. You say you’re not defending everything about her, but your comment is basically a softcore fan manifesto wrapped in faux objectivity. Cute.

Now onto your real issue — the fact that someone dared to form an opinion before enduring the entire series. Shocking, I know. Here’s a wild idea: some of us have standards. If a drama is already a mess by episode 4 — with chaotic pacing, wooden acting, and scenes that feel like they were written by a sleep-deprived AI — why on earth should we waste more time “waiting for it to get better”? That’s not patience; that’s masochism.

You preach “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but here’s the catch: I didn’t judge the cover. I read four chapters. And if the first four chapters are trash, odds are the rest of the book belongs in the recycling bin. No amount of fan loyalty or plot gymnastics justifies dragging viewers through hours of narrative slop hoping for a miracle.

And please — save the “education is needed” line. If you think blindly watching all episodes before forming any critique is a sign of intelligence, I suggest you get a refund on whatever enlightenment you bought. Critical thinking involves knowing when to walk away, not clinging to the hope that bad writing will magically fix itself at episode 12 or more.

So no, I’m not “unreasonable” for sharing my opinion. You love it? Great. Others don’t — and that’s allowed. Not everyone’s standards are as low as your tolerance for mediocrity.

Now go enjoy your drama — in peace, ideally without lecturing others for using their time, brains, and judgment wisely.

I won't waste more time argue with fanatics who think criticism is a crime.

LMAO. So let me get this straight — you skimmed exactly nothing I wrote, then confidently waddled in to deliver a psychic diagnosis on my "personal hate"? 😂 Impressive. Did you graduate magna cum stupid from the University of Delusion & Idiocy, with a double major in Clown Studies and Advanced Comprehension Failure?

Let me repeat this slowly for the back row: I said I dropped it at episode 4, not 1. That’s four painful, soul-numbing hours I’ll never get back. And you're upset because I didn’t keep torturing myself through the whole series to earn the right to say it sucked? What kind of warped logic is that? Am I supposed to swim through sewage just to confirm it stinks?

On what planet does it make sense that someone has to watch five or more episodes, or even the whole series, just to be “allowed” to comment on it?
That’s like saying you can’t call a rotten egg “rotten” until you’ve choked down the whole dozen. If the pacing is dead, the acting’s flatter than a broken screen, and the plot’s dumber than a brick sandwich, I don’t need a full tour to know it’s trash. It’s called discernment — look it up. Or maybe that’s too advanced a concept for you.

Let’s break it down real simple: If I go to a restaurant, take four bites, and it tastes like spoiled disappointment soaked in expired soy sauce, do I need to lick the plate clean before I’m “allowed” to call it garbage? Hell no. I drop the fork and walk out. Same logic applies to dramas. It is not rocket science.

MDL is a review platform, not a brainwashed fan cult. People are allowed to share their thoughts — yes, even the brutally honest ones. If all you want is blind praise and sugar-coated delusion, may I suggest starting your own propaganda platform? North Korea might even sponsor you — they’re really into that “no criticism allowed” lifestyle.

Next time, try reading with a functioning brain, not just your bruised ego. It might save you the embarrassment of looking like a clown fumbling through a debate with a pie in your face.

Anyway, I don’t argue with people who mistake fanboy rage for intelligence. You’ve already lost the plot — just like the drama I dropped.

It’s hard to know the full decision-making process behind the scenes — whether it’s the writers, producers, or even input from the actors. At the end of the day, a drama is a team effort, and the goal should be to satisfy the audience as much as possible. If they continue to be involved in poorly written productions, they’ll inevitably lose the audience’s trust and interest.

Now you're proudly siding with word-twisters 🤣

The user has admitted twice to deliberately twisting my words in an attempt to mislead others into thinking I accused everyone of labeling critics as haters — something I have never done. What does a mere typo have to do with the clear fact that the user openly admitted twice to twisting my words to fit her narrative? So, are you now supporting those who deliberately twisted others' words to mislead people?

You have never admitted that you made a typo when you misquoted and twisted my words. On the contrary, you clearly admitted twice that you twisted my words — when I never said that everyone accused critics of being haters.

Our exchange would have remained cordial if you hadn’t first twisted my words and painted me as someone trying to accuse everyone of calling critics haters — something I never said.

So tell me — who’s really not being smart here?

Now you're trying to paint yourself as the righteous one while threatening me?

Please. You're the one who admitted twice to twisting my words in the first place.

The producer holds overall accountability for the production. But that does not erase the writer’s responsibility for their scripts.

If a writer turns in a weak or sloppy script, that’s still on them, regardless of who approved it. Yes, Yu Zheng wears both hats here — producer and screenwriter — so in this case, he doubly owns the result.

But in general, while producers can and do shape projects (by choosing writers, setting budgets, enforcing changes), the writer is still responsible for the quality of their scripts. The producer approves the scripts — they do not write it line by line.

Both share responsibility, each in their domain. In the end, bad writing is bad writing, no matter who signed off on it.

You're twisting and misquoting, again! 😅

Omg! You cannot even quote properly. You need to improve your English writing. Bad writing is not just frustrating but also misleading 🤣

Wow! you’ve admitted twice to twisting my words. Impressive.

If basic human decency isn’t on your radar yet, maybe now’s the time for you to learn: twisting words to attack someone isn’t discussion, it’s just petty and pathetic.

You just admitted you’re twisting my words — thank you for proving my point.

MDL is supposed to be a place for constructive discussion, not for people like you who delibrately twist others’ comments to fit your own narrative.

And no — your opinion clearly referenced my comment about certain fans, so let’s not pretend otherwise.

Perhaps take your own advice and learn to actually understand what someone is saying — without misrepresenting it.

You’re twisting my words yet again. I said "certain fans," not "most of the comments" — learn to read properly. If you’re going to keep misrepresenting what I said, that’s on you, not me. I won’t waste more time explaining something that was already clear.

If you had actually read my comment properly, you’d have seen this: ‘On MDL, the moment someone points out bad writing or flaws, CERTAIN FANS immediately shout “hater!”’ I said ‘CERTAIN FANS’ — not everyone. If you’re bent on twisting my words, that’s on you — don’t pin it on me.

Yup, i aldready dropped at ep 4. Waiting for better dramas now.

I’d have to disagree. That wasn’t the intention of my comment at all. However, it’s undeniable that there are people who are quick to label others as 'haters' whenever someone critiques a drama that happens to feature their idols. That behavior does exist, and it’s not helpful but at the same time, we should also be able to distinguish between fair criticism and outright toxic attacks. That was the point I was trying to make.

I’d have to disagree with that. Both Bai Lu and Joseph Zeng are indeed trained actors.

Bai Lu may not have come from a formal acting conservatory, but she has built her career through years of dedicated acting work, gaining substantial experience and honing her craft across various genres and roles, from historical dramas to modern romances to more complex, emotionally layered performances like in "The One and Only". That’s very much a form of professional training in itself.

Similarly, while Joseph Zeng did not graduate from the Beijing Film Academy, he has undergone professional acting training and built a solid career through extensive practical experience in the industry. His consistent work across various television dramas and films reflects a clear commitment to honing his acting craft.

So to say they’re "not trained actors" is misleading. You may not like their performances in a particular project (which is fair game), but it doesn't negate their training or professional commitment as actors.

I agree with you, there’s a world of difference between genuine critique and targeted attacks. Calling someone talentless or launching personal insults does nothing to improve the C-dramas. It’s perfectly valid to discuss scripts but it should not be done as a personal attack of the actors.

Unfortunately, as you said, fake accounts and constant name-calling only drown out the voices of those trying to offer constructive perspectives. If we can’t make that distinction, the whole dialogue gets poisoned and that doesn’t help actors or viewers.

At the end of the day, we all want better dramas and better storytelling, and that’s only possible if we can keep the conversation focused.

I think that’s a fair question and I fully understand your perspective. For me personally, the 1-star rating wasn’t meant to say every single aspect of the production is worthless. But when a drama’s core — its writing and storytelling — feels fundamentally broken or frustrating even after several episodes, it overshadows whatever technical effort or craft may be there.

Watching a drama is like enjoying a 10-course dinner: if the starter and first few courses already taste bad, I’m unlikely to keep going in hopes the dessert will redeem it. Time and emotional investment matter too.

So for my experience, it did feel like a 1-star — not because no effort was made, but because the overall enjoyment and narrative cohesion fell that flat for me. Of course, others may weigh different aspects more heavily, and that’s perfectly valid.

I get where you’re coming from, but I have to disagree with that logic. For me, watching a drama is a lot like enjoying a 10-course dinner. If the first few dishes already taste bad, why should I force myself to sit through the rest of the meal, holding onto some utopian hope that better food will magically appear? The early experience matters — it sets the tone and expectations.

Yes, it’s only been 8 episodes but those 8 episodes do count. They are supposed to hook viewers, establish characters, and build engagement. If after 8 episodes the writing feels weak, the pacing is off, and the characters aren’t well developed, viewers have every right to call it out. That’s not the same as judging a novel after one chapter — it’s more like reaching chapter 8 and realizing the author hasn’t delivered on the story’s potential so far.

Telling people they can’t critique a drama unless they watch the whole thing is unrealistic. Viewers are investing their time, and first impressions matter especially in the highly competitive world of C-dramas where there are countless choices.

And just to be clear, my comments have always focused on the writing and structure, not on personal attacks or actors. In fact, I respect the actors (including Bai Lu), and I want to see them given better scripts to truly showcase their talent.

At the end of the day, we all want good dramas. But expecting viewers to "wait and see" indefinitely while they’re already disengaged isn’t realistic — first impressions matter.