such a beautiful kdrama! but we really need to erradicate ai usage in shows. Our Universe had it too and it made me so mad. still, i can't say the story itself was bad, because i loved it so much
Definitely a different kind of character took on. Shows he is a good actor. Im glad he did sonething different . First one the focus isnt on his looks and body (which i enjoy seeing lol) but on his acting. Good job. Man the red head girl is so pretty. The man who played her love interest is handsome. Ive been in an abusive relationship so o get it. At first I didnt like him in this role but realized how good of an actor he is. He can taje on serious roles. Good for him
There are plenty of C dramas with realistic story line and oridinary looking actors. Not all c dramas are idol…
China has such great productions and talent. It’s unfair to the actors themselves to reduce them to pretty faces. I don’t see this madness anywhere else except in Asia. I don’t see my fellow Latino actors being denied roles or becoming successful overnight because of how they look. It’s such an odd concept. Or European people saying they only watch European films because they want to see beautiful people in order to escape reality. Yet in China (other Asian countries as well, but since we’re talking only about China…) actors need to look a certain way to even be considered for a role, otherwise they’re bullied like no tomorrow. Priorities, I guess.
There are several things happening here. When POJ first aired, it showed so much promise and genuinely beautiful…
It was so evident that all the rabid fans wanted was ZLH's pretty face. Rarely did I see his acting abilities mentioned. It was all about how much people wanted to gaze at him, how beautiful he is with or without makeup and how dreamy the romance was. I'm not averse to a pretty face and most of the actors I like have it, but they also have great acting skills and often choose projects that showcase their range instead of being typecast as the beautiful ML. I just hope that gifted actors don't get penalized because they are good looking.
And a female-centric drama doesn't have to sideline the ML. I dislike when either lead has to sacrifice their abilities and intelligence to bolster the other. Too often it's been the FL that has to appear weak and useless to prop up the ML. I want both leads to be strong and support each other or at least, if they have to start off weak. to develop and grow stronger as the story progresses.
So freaking bizarre… have they seen jdrama actors ? They look like women so beautiful...Why so controlling? Let people breathe. Who knew his beauty would destroy a nation 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
There are several things happening here. When POJ first aired, it showed so much promise and genuinely beautiful filmmaking. Then it all went downhill. Anyone with a brain and a pair of eyes can see that the script and characters were butchered (pun unintended) to cater to face value and CP fans. So the call for more script- and character-driven storytelling is very welcome.
China is also in a position where it needs to bolster its military image, and POJ sidelining Xie Zheng became problematic in that context. If it had aired several years earlier, it probably wouldn’t have been an issue. But in today’s environment, it simply didn’t pass the “vibe check” with military officials. It’s not even about the makeup. If Xie Zheng had been portrayed on the battlefield the way the novel originally wrote him, or if the script had given him more combat scenes, this wouldn’t have been a problem.
And while China has made progress in its feminist movement, it is still fundamentally a patriarchal society. I’ve seen plenty of arguments saying it’s not about the beautiful faces, but about the portrayal—and that’s exactly the issue. Xie Zheng was reduced to little more than eye candy instead of a fully realized military figure. You could also argue that the character lost narrative authority; instead of driving the story, he was repositioned to support visual appeal and romantic dynamics, which undercuts how male leads are typically framed in more traditional, state-aligned storytelling. In that sense, POJ pushing against those norms—intentionally or not—ended up clashing with that structure.
In conclusion, the pushback POJ is a cautionary example: no matter how beautiful the filmmaking or actors, undermining character integrity and narrative purpose, especially in politically or culturally sensitive contexts, will ultimately alienate audiences and officials alike. Story and character must come first, or everything else falls apart.
2 
2 
1 
1 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81l3IyGoR5w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u15CWGXBHdw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXKxaJ3C39U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmAVzuJehyQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF1nAY9PeIU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wJsnCfhbLg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCxaYhHVmpQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rJbMDjYSuI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls2En_-ktFQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XT8KEtMM7Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mWYBDwVbIU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSZaeQXy2hc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPj33u-ZYMs
*More vertical dramas: https://kisskh.at/list/4BNv0Gk4
*Updated subs: https://kisskh.at/list/LZ8wyvV4
https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/4797985004197376
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1C8HVZUnkD/
Part 1 : https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9wt73e
Part 2 : https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9wt73g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7xpcv8Yy30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-5ggbFHtkE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR9oWfGv1NY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPnPKuit6VE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bnITtLgxaU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8Sz_yCEOv8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocaWwicZtrM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux-uPgKCuBo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wm5v9gFV2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA2f6EGrtNc
*More vertical dramas: https://kisskh.at/list/4BNv0Gk4
*Updated subs: https://kisskh.at/list/LZ8wyvV4
And a female-centric drama doesn't have to sideline the ML. I dislike when either lead has to sacrifice their abilities and intelligence to bolster the other. Too often it's been the FL that has to appear weak and useless to prop up the ML. I want both leads to be strong and support each other or at least, if they have to start off weak. to develop and grow stronger as the story progresses.
China is also in a position where it needs to bolster its military image, and POJ sidelining Xie Zheng became problematic in that context. If it had aired several years earlier, it probably wouldn’t have been an issue. But in today’s environment, it simply didn’t pass the “vibe check” with military officials. It’s not even about the makeup. If Xie Zheng had been portrayed on the battlefield the way the novel originally wrote him, or if the script had given him more combat scenes, this wouldn’t have been a problem.
And while China has made progress in its feminist movement, it is still fundamentally a patriarchal society. I’ve seen plenty of arguments saying it’s not about the beautiful faces, but about the portrayal—and that’s exactly the issue. Xie Zheng was reduced to little more than eye candy instead of a fully realized military figure. You could also argue that the character lost narrative authority; instead of driving the story, he was repositioned to support visual appeal and romantic dynamics, which undercuts how male leads are typically framed in more traditional, state-aligned storytelling. In that sense, POJ pushing against those norms—intentionally or not—ended up clashing with that structure.
In conclusion, the pushback POJ is a cautionary example: no matter how beautiful the filmmaking or actors, undermining character integrity and narrative purpose, especially in politically or culturally sensitive contexts, will ultimately alienate audiences and officials alike. Story and character must come first, or everything else falls apart.