kiki1310

After watching her work on GTG, this screenwriter is on my blacklist. I can't believe how lazy and sloppy a professional screenwriter can be. I hope cnetizens complain loudly so she doesn't get future projects that should be given to better deserving screenwriters. She had no understanding of how to establish character, story or relationships, any writer calling themselves one should understand the concept of setup and payoff and pacing. She writes like she's just ticking storybeats off a checklist.

a concise explanation of the show's political situation for those who are confused: https://x.com/jooonyiie/status/2031261810008142114?s=20

You're not wrong. They're taking shortcuts and not giving due attention to establishing and building the foundations for the story to have any emotional impact later on. It's not about budget, it's incompetence. How can a producer, director, writer and editor look at this and be satisfied this represents their craft? The chinese viewers need to complain loudly so the industry knows we the audience won't put up with this pile of crap just cos the leads look amazing

Agree. Wuxia hasn't been prominent in cdrama in years and I was hoping this would help revive it so we don't lose this amazing genre . Sadly this doesn't meet the mark at all :( . Return of the condor heroes will always be my GOAT

Lollll. I tend to zone in as a fully attentive immersed viewer but this drama is gaslighting me into thinking did I miss some detail in a different scene, is that why I'm lost here?? NOOOO lolll it's them for not paying attention to the small details to make the drama flow for us.

Lolll the societal rules and expectations in the Jianghu are completely different to real historical chinese periods so for viewers who aren't used to the wuxia genre this might feel weird or like the dialogue was suddenly "modernised". All this life and death stakes in wuxia leads to lots of "live in the moment" love stories. There are definitely taboo practices in the Jianghu but saving oneself for marriage isn't one of them.

Yes unfortunately the technical craft of filmmaking is subpar with this drama. Watching this makes me feel like my brain is stuttering, as if I zoned out for miliseconds and missed something each time a new scene pops up so I'm constantly trying to make sense of what's happening. This definitely still persists up to ep9, not as aggregious as eps 1-5 but you can see there wasn't any effort made by the team. The basics of storytelling just isn't evident here. I wonder how cnetizens are responding to this?

Does anyone know the production company responsible for this? Would be handy to know so I can lower my expectations with their future projects. I was really looking forward to this given the source IP and ZYR. The trailers all made it seem like it would be good, where the heck was this editor in post production??

Oh I didn't realise it's from the same director as moonlit reunion and the double, that explains it! I'm probably in the minority but imo the director, writer and editor are letting down this drama. This story deserved more of a sophisticated approach, instead they're taking a sledgehammer to this drama and I'm unable to connect to the characters and story. Just finished ep 9 and it feels like I'm watching a short/mini drama.

The director has a lot of Zack Snyder-isms, he wants those dramatic shots but combined with the cheesy lines, poor handling of exposition and choppy editing and pacing, this ends up feeling low budget and from inexperienced filmmakers. I'm used to wuxia's tropes so not opposed to exposition and complex worldbuilding but this wasn't staged creatively, instead it's a clumsy and lazy approach.

There's nothing wrong with having these dramatic angles/ frame shots but how he's executed it is sloppy, they feel like it was suddenly inserted and awkward e.g. when MQY went to check on CZ sleeping next to the pool in ep 8, the director used a fan to blow her dress from underneath but how he framed it looked awkward and unnecessary instead of "magical". Same can be said of the ep11 preview where MQY slowmo drops down into the demon sect, this just looks tacked on and "cheap". In comparison, the director of my journey to you and fangs of fortune also likes these dramatic shots but how he frames it, creates scenes that flow together so these shots feel intentional and seamlessly part of the world he's creating and the tone all work together to support his dramatic shots.

Both leads are doing as much as they can with what they've been given but with shaky writing, directing and editing, it's unlikely the emotions will have any impact on me, especially once the story gets angsty. I'm a huge fan of ZYR so will continue to watch to see how he adapts to a costume drama.

Oh another 12 letters fan! 12L introduced me to ZYR and his amazing acting so I'm also here following his projects. Let's keep our fingers crossed things improve.

same here, let's see if they course correct over the next few eps. From the trailers their first jianghu adventure kicks off soon so if that arc doesn't resolve this weird editing and writing issue, I'll be very disappointed in the production crew. They have a great story given the source IP and ZYR can deliver so they better not f*** this up!

Totally agree, the writing and editing is off here. I hope they calm down to really build out the characters and story otherwise it'll feel like skipping stones over water, everything is just skimming the surface without true connection.

Pretty sure Zhou Yiran is dubbing himself here

I think it's something about the editing and writing, it feels very choppy. The way they've introduced the viewers to this jianghu world is pretty confusing, the writing speeds through a bunch of events assuming you already know what all the characters are talking about. Without a well established foundation of the previous generation's trials and tribulations, the less things will hit once the story advances

Totally agree with what you said, we're all on the same page. We both appreciate his talents and love the direction he's taken with his career. It'll be interesting to see what projects he signs onto after he wraps filming on Sheng Ming Yuan. I think Qiao Chu and Sheng Ming Yuan were projects signed on before 12L aired. Everything after this will demonstrate whether his 2025 showcase has opened up doors with the more "indie-minded/auteur/serious" filmmakers. His popularity will undoubtedly grow after GTG so his decisions moving forward will indicate if he continues down the path of growth to hone and stretch his acting craft. I'll be following his career with much anticipation, fighting!

I meant no disrespect when using the "idol drama" classification. My understanding is that in cdrama, idol dramas are dramas where a heightened romantic loveline plays a key part of the story vs something like Swords into Plowshares. This classification has no bearing on quality, just as how genre doesn't dictate quality but utilises different tropes and storytelling devices to communicate with the audience.

To me Reborn wouldn't be classified as idol drama while GTG would be idol drama with wuxia as its genre. ZYR with his drama selections and acting has demonstrated he can easily work across idol and non-idol dramas, something that not all actors can do or are given the opportunity to.

I actually don't follow actors/actresses in their personal lives so I can't comment on ZYR's public presence but currently he wouldn't be classified as a "traffic actor". I think the cdrama industry applies this label once an actor/actress establishes a large enough fandom that this improves the probability of high viewership , as to influence casting decisions.

Hope this helps clarify my comments!

I'm glad he got that role, it really gave him the opportunity to stretch his acting range, something that's pretty rare for idol drama and actors in his age range

ZYR was amazing in 12 letters, he was able to deliver such pathos and angst in a nuanced manner that goes well beyond his age, definitely my must watch c-actors!

omg I really loved fake it til you make it, imo it's the best modern cdrama that realistically examines modern dating in china. plus their sexy banter and flirting was chef's kiss, such great chemistry. I also really liked how they contrasted the lead relationship with the FL sister's different approach and needs for her relationship, how they developed her growth was amazing

Exactly, I think they wanted to emphasise how cute his eyes are when he's playing up his green tea persona, especially in those scenes when he's trying to appeal to RSB's sympathies and act all innocent

I think they've put circle lenses on HMH to emphasis his "puss n boots" eyes? This might be why ppl think they've done something odd to his face in this drama? Will be interesting to see if this styling will continue once they move beyond this story arc into his imperial inspector phase

haha no worries, in the meantime we're all eating up LJL and RSB here so happy drama watching