You giving 10 to acting is where my mistrust in MDL rating comes from 😮💨.You know the feeling when you…
I give a 10 to Yi Ran because he’s the one carrying the drama. I also want to say that he is convincing, performs with great restraint, and manages to stay in character all the way through. Giving a 10 in art is always debatable and somewhat arbitrary, since it’s also about personal feelings and sensations—and above all, it’s not an exact science. However, what I do know is that he clearly deserves support through this rating, both for his potential and for his dedication. As for the others, many of the cast members are quite young. There are some who are good and others less so. The older-generation couple also acted well. That’s my point of view. ))
There’s a direct connection between the cultural and cognitive environment and the way entertainment, including…
But I remain positive. Our time also has many advantages, especially access to information — which means access to education if we have the desire to learn!! If we change our perspective, we can see that today we have access to knowledge and culture from different countries. We can enrich our minds much more easily if we want to, whereas in the past this was mostly possible only for the elite or for kings. So the important thing is to learn how to use these tools wisely. Perhaps the future for our children will be very difficult, in a context where humans might be completely replaced. I hope we never reach that point. And we should keep what is very characteristic of human beings: the ability to dream, to be curious, and to be imaginative and love :))
There’s a direct connection between the cultural and cognitive environment and the way entertainment, including…
What you are writing about, I know perfectly well. It is exactly as you describe — it is something I have experienced myself. What is interesting is that it is the same problem everywhere, although I do not know which country you are in. That suggests it is a global phenomenon.
Regarding art, I always say that it is similar to craftsmanship. It requires time to create and a lot of daily effort. But as I already said, if people no longer want to devote time to it — or simply cannot — then no miracle will happen and nothing meaningful will come out of it. In the past, everyone knew this, and only a few people practiced art while accepting this “contract.” Today it has become democratized (which is positive in principle), but it is completely unrealistic to say that everyone can succeed by practicing five minutes a day — at best.
The same applies to misleading YouTube videos that present everything as spontaneous, amateur, and improvised. In reality, there is almost always a real production process behind each video supposedly made “in someone’s bedroom.” Yet many people believe that results can be achieved so easily. Of course, it does not work that way, and it often leads to discouragement — even depression for some.
If we return to the entertainment industry, whether in classical music or elsewhere, it is also a very exhausting system. Take the example of C-drama productions: more and more young actors are caught in beauty standards that often involve cosmetic surgery, strict weight expectations, and other toxic psychological pressures. All of this is done to deliver a spectacle — usually a series of about thirty episodes, often filmed twice a year at minimum for an actor. On top of that comes everything else: marketing, communication, and many other demands.
Emotionally, if actors truly invest themselves in their roles, there is also a heavy emotional cost — sometimes even sentimental. Imagine having to play romantic relationships almost every year with different partners. It is enormous pressure. When I criticize their work from behind my screen, I sometimes feel sorry for them. At the same time, I tell myself that if criticism is constructive, it might help them slow down.
Actors ultimately have quite short careers, and this is becoming even more true today — especially for actresses. The same is also true in music: the number of concerts, tours, the pressure, and the financial stakes. It is very different from what existed at the beginning of the 20th century.
However, the demand for entertainment also comes from the public. We live in an era where, in theory, we have more leisure time. The hard labor of our ancestors has largely been delegated to machines and robots. So we mainly watch, consume, and buy. But this creates a vicious circle: we think we have more time, yet we fill it with so many useless things and unnecessary information that, in the end, we sometimes have less real time than our ancestors — who lived shorter lives and had harder work overall.
There’s a direct connection between the cultural and cognitive environment and the way entertainment, including…
Exactly — I could not have said it better myself. However, I wanted to emphasize that this issue does not concern only this particular drama, or Chinese dramas in general. It is a global phenomenon that exists across cultures and nations. In many ways, it reflects the spirit of our time.
As an artist, I can also say that it is simply impossible to produce truly meaningful and high-quality work every week. Creating something of real value requires time. Yet we, as viewers, have gradually developed the habit — a rather unfortunate one — of constant consumption. And this often happens at the expense of quality.
In the end, very little remains with us. If I have watched two hundred series, only a handful truly stay in my memory.
This constant search for immediate experience — this simulation of emotion — sometimes feels almost like a kind of addiction. I can feel it myself. The more quantity there is, the less sensitive we become, and the more stimulation we need. More violence, more blood, more romance — always more of everything — simply to feel something again.
Thank you for reading and for your comment. We live in a time when life is largely driven by good marketing……
You touched a sensitive chord. I also believe that it is sometimes our role, as artists, to take a militant stance in relation to our time.
As you rightly observed, we no longer have the time to take our time. Everything has become ephemeral, swept along by a constant flow that appears and disappears almost instantly. The possibilities multiply endlessly, and paradoxically this abundance makes choice even more difficult. On the one hand, one would need to be a truly discerning connoisseur to sort through this immense stream of works—some remarkable, others more questionable—which requires both time and a real openness of mind. On the other hand, many people end up relying on algorithms or on the taste of a few influencers.
Both of the points you mentioned resonate deeply with me. We are constantly redefining our cultural references, and this becomes even easier to manipulate when knowledge and critical thinking weaken—whether through lack of information or through the fear of diverging from the opinion of the majority.
If there are no longer any militant voices, then sooner or later everyone becomes easier to manipulate. Why? Because it is precisely art and literature that shape critical thinking. They are also what allow science to progress and the world to evolve.
Marketing has always existed. Leonardo da Vinci himself sold his paintings. But what distinguished artists was their ability to preserve their creative freedom despite demand. During the Renaissance, there was even a distinction between painters who were considered “artists” and those regarded as mere “craftsmen.” True artists proposed what they themselves wanted to show to the world. In this way the public discovered, criticized, learned, integrated, and analyzed—and the world moved forward.
Before the Impressionists, no one paid much attention to the morning mists of Parisian landscapes. Yet after their paintings, people’s perception changed. Suddenly everyone began to admire this atmosphere in nature—a beauty that had always existed but had not yet been recognized as such. People began to say, “Paris is beautiful with its grey tones.”
It is a small example, but it shows how deeply art can transform the way we see the world. And what if the Impressionists had continued painting like Rubens simply because that style had worked for so long?
It seems that Yi Ran has a project on hold called Wo Jiao Mo Dou Er. From what I understood, it might have a similar tone and tell the story of a group of marginalized street boys in the 1980s–1990s and their lives and struggles.
If I’m not mistaken, it could have a vibe a bit like Once Upon a Time in America, focusing on friendship, survival, and growing up on the margins of society.
Is that actually true? Does anyone have more information about this project?
I watched it for the second time, and it moved me just as much as the first — I was still deeply emotional and even shed a few tears.
It’s truly amazing to see how a small production could create such a beautifully crafted and touching series. It really shows how powerful storytelling can be when it’s done with care and passion.
Now it’s hard to choose another series after something this good…
Once again, after your generation to generation review, I think your analysis on POJ seems to be spot on for me!!…
"Something is not striking right for me with POJ!!!" - for me More and more, we are watching: " generative-type visual content" drawn from the" audience’s targeted demands" :-)) I don’t mind at all if it exists or coexists, but I would mind if that’s all there will be soon.
As a cdrama watcher for 9 years, i highly suspect that ''popularity'' or "success" of POJ might be the…
Thank you for reading and for your comment. We live in a time when life is largely driven by good marketing… It has become difficult to distinguish talent, success, and genuine desire. Yet, as Proust said, we should use books (for me the art) to think for ourselves, and not lock our own thoughts away with a key.
Please not with Zhao Jin Mai ... Lu Yu Xiao the best choice ;) I thought the same thing yesterday too — it would…
Honestly, after writing to you, I checked her filmography again and thought, “Oh, I missed this one. It looks interesting, I’m going to watch it. The cast is good. .. Thanks!
There are passages in the middle of the drama where Cai Zhao’s motivations become rather unclear. Yet, taken…
Justice is a metaphor: it is truth, it is recognition, and it is about letting go of the ghost that has haunted every generation in different ways… so that it may finally rest in peace..
Please not with Zhao Jin Mai ... Lu Yu Xiao the best choice ;) I thought the same thing yesterday too — it would…
I really liked her in Our Generation!!! . In Shine on Me, she felt very natural, but the role itself was somewhat limited for me — there wasn’t much depth or substance to the character for the plot. That kind of drama, in my opinion, can feel a bit silly.
In The Princess Royal, she was fine and did her job well, but I’m not a big fan of that type of character. Also, I felt that a wider range of emotions was missing.
Overall, for me it’s not a “love at first sight” kind of impression — neither particularly great nor bad. However, I do admit she is much, much better than some other stars.
There are passages in the middle of the drama where Cai Zhao’s motivations become rather unclear. Yet, taken…
I don’t really agree, because justice came later, near the end of course. She didn’t know right away (you are right about that), but indirectly she always wanted to know the truth; she was always interested.
There are passages in the middle of the drama where Cai Zhao’s motivations become rather unclear. Yet, taken…
What I meant is that in some parts of the drama, Cai Zhao’s motivations are a bit confusing regarding ML and love aspect
But if you look at his character overall Cai Zhao and his caracter follows a common wuxia trope: a disciple ( Cai Zhao) seeking justice for his master (Cai Ping Shu) . That’s why I personally see their relationship more as master and disciple than as aunt and nephew : (Cai Zhao and Ping Shu)
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Giving a 10 in art is always debatable and somewhat arbitrary, since it’s also about personal feelings and sensations—and above all, it’s not an exact science. However, what I do know is that he clearly deserves support through this rating, both for his potential and for his dedication.
As for the others, many of the cast members are quite young. There are some who are good and others less so. The older-generation couple also acted well. That’s my point of view. ))
If we change our perspective, we can see that today we have access to knowledge and culture from different countries. We can enrich our minds much more easily if we want to, whereas in the past this was mostly possible only for the elite or for kings.
So the important thing is to learn how to use these tools wisely.
Perhaps the future for our children will be very difficult, in a context where humans might be completely replaced. I hope we never reach that point.
And we should keep what is very characteristic of human beings: the ability to dream, to be curious, and to be imaginative and love :))
Regarding art, I always say that it is similar to craftsmanship. It requires time to create and a lot of daily effort. But as I already said, if people no longer want to devote time to it — or simply cannot — then no miracle will happen and nothing meaningful will come out of it. In the past, everyone knew this, and only a few people practiced art while accepting this “contract.” Today it has become democratized (which is positive in principle), but it is completely unrealistic to say that everyone can succeed by practicing five minutes a day — at best.
The same applies to misleading YouTube videos that present everything as spontaneous, amateur, and improvised. In reality, there is almost always a real production process behind each video supposedly made “in someone’s bedroom.” Yet many people believe that results can be achieved so easily. Of course, it does not work that way, and it often leads to discouragement — even depression for some.
If we return to the entertainment industry, whether in classical music or elsewhere, it is also a very exhausting system. Take the example of C-drama productions: more and more young actors are caught in beauty standards that often involve cosmetic surgery, strict weight expectations, and other toxic psychological pressures. All of this is done to deliver a spectacle — usually a series of about thirty episodes, often filmed twice a year at minimum for an actor. On top of that comes everything else: marketing, communication, and many other demands.
Emotionally, if actors truly invest themselves in their roles, there is also a heavy emotional cost — sometimes even sentimental. Imagine having to play romantic relationships almost every year with different partners. It is enormous pressure. When I criticize their work from behind my screen, I sometimes feel sorry for them. At the same time, I tell myself that if criticism is constructive, it might help them slow down.
Actors ultimately have quite short careers, and this is becoming even more true today — especially for actresses. The same is also true in music: the number of concerts, tours, the pressure, and the financial stakes. It is very different from what existed at the beginning of the 20th century.
However, the demand for entertainment also comes from the public. We live in an era where, in theory, we have more leisure time. The hard labor of our ancestors has largely been delegated to machines and robots. So we mainly watch, consume, and buy. But this creates a vicious circle: we think we have more time, yet we fill it with so many useless things and unnecessary information that, in the end, we sometimes have less real time than our ancestors — who lived shorter lives and had harder work overall.
As an artist, I can also say that it is simply impossible to produce truly meaningful and high-quality work every week. Creating something of real value requires time. Yet we, as viewers, have gradually developed the habit — a rather unfortunate one — of constant consumption. And this often happens at the expense of quality.
In the end, very little remains with us. If I have watched two hundred series, only a handful truly stay in my memory.
This constant search for immediate experience — this simulation of emotion — sometimes feels almost like a kind of addiction. I can feel it myself. The more quantity there is, the less sensitive we become, and the more stimulation we need. More violence, more blood, more romance — always more of everything — simply to feel something again.
As you rightly observed, we no longer have the time to take our time. Everything has become ephemeral, swept along by a constant flow that appears and disappears almost instantly. The possibilities multiply endlessly, and paradoxically this abundance makes choice even more difficult. On the one hand, one would need to be a truly discerning connoisseur to sort through this immense stream of works—some remarkable, others more questionable—which requires both time and a real openness of mind. On the other hand, many people end up relying on algorithms or on the taste of a few influencers.
Both of the points you mentioned resonate deeply with me. We are constantly redefining our cultural references, and this becomes even easier to manipulate when knowledge and critical thinking weaken—whether through lack of information or through the fear of diverging from the opinion of the majority.
If there are no longer any militant voices, then sooner or later everyone becomes easier to manipulate. Why? Because it is precisely art and literature that shape critical thinking. They are also what allow science to progress and the world to evolve.
Marketing has always existed. Leonardo da Vinci himself sold his paintings. But what distinguished artists was their ability to preserve their creative freedom despite demand. During the Renaissance, there was even a distinction between painters who were considered “artists” and those regarded as mere “craftsmen.” True artists proposed what they themselves wanted to show to the world. In this way the public discovered, criticized, learned, integrated, and analyzed—and the world moved forward.
Before the Impressionists, no one paid much attention to the morning mists of Parisian landscapes. Yet after their paintings, people’s perception changed. Suddenly everyone began to admire this atmosphere in nature—a beauty that had always existed but had not yet been recognized as such. People began to say, “Paris is beautiful with its grey tones.”
It is a small example, but it shows how deeply art can transform the way we see the world. And what if the Impressionists had continued painting like Rubens simply because that style had worked for so long?
If I’m not mistaken, it could have a vibe a bit like Once Upon a Time in America, focusing on friendship, survival, and growing up on the margins of society.
Is that actually true? Does anyone have more information about this project?
It’s truly amazing to see how a small production could create such a beautifully crafted and touching series. It really shows how powerful storytelling can be when it’s done with care and passion.
Now it’s hard to choose another series after something this good…
I don’t mind at all if it exists or coexists, but I would mind if that’s all there will be soon.
. In Shine on Me, she felt very natural, but the role itself was somewhat limited for me — there wasn’t much depth or substance to the character for the plot. That kind of drama, in my opinion, can feel a bit silly.
In The Princess Royal, she was fine and did her job well, but I’m not a big fan of that type of character. Also, I felt that a wider range of emotions was missing.
Overall, for me it’s not a “love at first sight” kind of impression — neither particularly great nor bad. However, I do admit she is much, much better than some other stars.
But if you look at his character overall Cai Zhao and his caracter follows a common wuxia trope: a disciple ( Cai Zhao) seeking justice for his master (Cai Ping Shu) . That’s why I personally see their relationship more as master and disciple than as aunt and nephew : (Cai Zhao and Ping Shu)