Orchid

It seems that new content for the series will be released on iQIYI on July 17th. Also, the speeches by PXR and ZYC are full of hope. Maybe we will get some new content too 🥹

English translation of the speeches by Zheng Ye Cheng and Peng Xiao Ran in today's Weibo post for 'Ming Yue Cang Mang':

《Ming Yue Cang Mang》 Yun Ya (Calculating and cunning State Preceptor):
"Hello everyone, I am the actor Zheng Yecheng. Lock in to the iQIYI 717 Membership Festival on July 17th. More surprises of 《Ming Yue Cang Mang》 are waiting for you to discover. 'Tao Ni Xi Huan · IP Interactive Carnival', new characters from the iQIYI studio are being continuously unlocked. Passing the baton to the next friend."

《Ming Yue Cang Mang》 Feng Miaojun (Sharp-tongued, anti-cliché princess):
"Hello everyone, I am Peng Xiaoran. Lock in to the iQIYI 717 Membership Festival, check out 'Tao Ni Xi Huan · IP Interactive Carnival.' More surprise content of 《Ming Yue Cang Mang》 is waiting for you."

It is an undeniable fact that streaming platforms have been prioritizing specific actors in their series in recent years. I am not talking about the old days, but don't you think it's strange? Just because one of their series becomes a hit, they are immediately appointed as an 'ambassador' by the platform. Furthermore, after being criticized for her role in TPG, she really should have stayed away from high-profile projects for a while, yet Tencent continues to send her their best scripts.

Also, viewers are under no obligation to read the novel before watching the series. I am watching the show, and I will evaluate it based on that. It is true that the character Shen Xihe is cold-blooded, but she is also an intriguer. I am currently on episode 7, and it is the first time I have seen her use her eyes and facial expressions. Moreover, the character Shen Xihe is not emotionless; it is only because of MZY that you get the feeling she is. She cares for the people of the North, she pays her respects to fallen soldiers, and she helps the children of martyrs. In moments like these, she should be using her facial expressions to reflect what she truly feels toward the Northern people, the fallen soldiers, and the orphans. Instead, all we see is a blank face. I am not the only one complaining about this; people watching on various other sites feel the same way about her. I will never understand these fans' attempts to whitewash their idols. For once, just accept the truth!

I am writing this from episode 7:
Shen Xihe approaches Prince Lie when it suits her desires and pushes him away when it doesn't. Does she not value emotions at all? I really dislike how these Chinese screenwriters create selfish female leads and present it as if it's a virtuous trait. Xihe views everything through the lens of self-interest. If she senses the slightest disadvantage, she pulls away; if there’s something to be gained, she gets closer. She doesn't seem like the type to ever lose her heart to anyone. I am curious to see what she will do when she finds out about the intrigues the Crown Prince is orchestrating. Will she distance herself from him too? I admit she is merciful toward her people and the inhabitants of the North, and she values her soldiers. This, of course, stems from living on the border for years. Prince Xin's wife must have been such a selfish person that Xihe is unable to truly fall in love because of that.

ItIt’s genuinely frustrating that she constantly plays with such a blank expression and barely uses any facial mimicry. I’m currently watching Blossoms of Power; she is supposed to embody a complex, scheming character, but because of that constant expressionlessness, she just comes across as a flat 'villain' archetype. She truly feels so lifeless on screen.

Bai Lu used to face similar criticism for her struggles with crying scenes and her tendency to take on repetitive roles, but she shattered all those critiques with her performance in Feud. Despite that, I’ve had to put Unveil: Jadewind on hold because of her acting; her lack of expression—just like in MZY—makes it difficult to stay engaged (even though I still love her dearly, which is a separate matter).

I agree that actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry are continuously forced into stereotypical roles. Perhaps that is why I prefer watching male actors; they seem to have the freedom to explore all kinds of roles without being pigeonholed into a single, restrictive mold.

This stems from you connecting the topic to the 'female' gender. However, the main point of my view is not how women should be, but rather wanting to watch different character types. Until last year, I also enjoyed watching scheming, intelligent women, but this year, seeing the same thing over and over has started to become exhausting. That is why I want to watch different characters. Furthermore, it is ridiculous for you to turn this into an issue. People may want to watch certain things, and they may not.

Thank you for giving me such an explanatory response. I will keep watching.

I added Zhao Lu Si to my list of favorite actors because I enjoy some of her dramas. However, I’m not a fan of her individually; I just enjoy watching her shows. Also, I wasn't talking about stereotypical roles; I was referring to her acting ability. I like MZY, but in my opinion, he still needs to improve his acting.

Actually, I've only watched two episodes so far. I’ve mostly seen Shen Xi He plotting and scheming. I assume that in the coming episodes, I’ll get to see the male lead’s schemes as well.

What does sexism have to do with this? That was a truly ridiculous response. What I meant was that the crown prince can fall in love with Shen Xi He, but in later episodes, like around the fifth one. Him looking at her as if he's in love in the second episode feels less like true love and more like being captivated by her beauty.

It feels completely unbelievable that the Crown Prince would go to such lengths—disguising himself in various ways—for a regional princess and fall in love with her so quickly. Furthermore, why do Chinese writers constantly portray female characters as manipulative schemers under the guise of being 'clever women' instead of writing simple, modest, and charming princess characters? It can get quite exhausting at times. I would have preferred to watch Shen Xi He as the modest, ordinary princess she was in the first few minutes of the show.

The latest shooting took place yesterday, and it was the 40th day of filming.

The series featured a reincarnation plot, and they didn't skip over that part.

Yes

It was a magnificent drama. Chu Zhao’s intelligence truly impressed me. While there were several plot inconsistencies, I’ve chosen to overlook them.
• At the beginning, I was very captivated by Deng Yi. I always held onto the hope that he would turn out well, and he was indeed killed unjustly.
•As for Xie Yan Fang, I never liked him, nor did I ever think I would. However, after witnessing the scenes where he fell in love with Zhao, I found myself falling for him, too. The man left quite an impact on me; I kept wishing he wouldn't die. Right until his final breath, his love for Zhao remained evident in his eyes. He even said it at the very end: "I stand by the decision I made." He never regretted loving her, even though she was the one who destroyed the Xie household. I absolutely adore characters like that 🫠❤️‍🔥.
•I was expecting a more detailed subplot for the character Xiang, but they seemed to rush it into the final minutes of the last episode. I assume this was due to episode count or budget constraints. Overall, it was a beautiful series. For those who enjoy intrigue as much as I do, I highly recommend watching it.

When I came here to comment, I didn't know that she received this much backlash on MDL. It turns out that global viewers are well aware of everything as well. If she took a break from filming new dramas or participating in variety shows for a while and focused on working on her acting skills, she would receive much more positive reactions and her dramas would be better appreciated. I think she should try this approach.

Meng Zi Yi is the most prominent example of an actress who continues to land lead roles despite facing constant criticism regarding her acting skills. The reason she is still able to secure such parts is widely attributed to her being "Tencent's princess." Please do not misunderstand; I am not a hater, but rather someone who tries to be realistic. I personally liked her in Blossom, but she has received heavy criticism for her acting in her subsequent projects. Despite this, she continues to headline major productions. It is quite disheartening to see many talented actresses, even those with solid academic backgrounds in drama, still stuck in supporting roles or short-form web series, while others secure leading roles through nepotism and connections.

You can talk about the NRTA and official institutions, and you can only convince those institutions, not the viewers. Besides, is every approved rule necessarily right? All over the world, people's lives are ruined because of hundreds of wrong rules that have been put in place. I pity you. You are saying foolish things to defend your idol's drama and trying to belittle people. Furthermore, I am sure that if your idol were not acting in this series, you would never have come here to try and defend it. So, you are not neutral either.

Just because 800,000 people think this way doesn't make it right, and it's honestly heartbreaking that they do.

I will never be able to understand the Chinese. They oppose popular actors and actresses starring in the same series and want lower-tier actors/actresses beside their idols. This is truly such a stupid demand. Since their idols shine just a little bit, their fan clubs think their idols are the best and don't want to see popular names next to them. Someone needs to knock some sense into Chinese fan groups. They really need it.