CloudA

Great!

From the reliable source, Zou Yue just put her name on this project like a superviser, the main one is Quan Ying who's responsible for writing, she has a weibo account posted about the script milestone. This news was trending on weibo around the booting ceremony. Sorry, I forgot her weibo account, she used a pen name. But here's her Baidu profile offcial link: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%81%B5%E5%B8%8C/7425707?fromtitle=%E5%85%A8%E9%A2%96&fromid=54677260

He's an introvert person and a 'nerd' if you know his excellent academic background (which is probably the most brilliant one in c-ent). So he treats his work as serious as study, like solving a math problem. He's cute boy after work. 😊

Can someone add one more screenwriter 全颖 (Quan Ying)? Official Link: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%BD%92%E9%B8%BE/66830843
The Road to Glory has two screenwriters, the main one is not Zou Yue (POJ), she's a writer in name only. Quan Ying is the main one , who already posted on weibo she finished the script and it's a story focused on ML's growth. (My previous requests were rejected by admins every time 😂 Maybe my account level is not qualified enough）

The Road to Glory has two screenwriters, the main one is not Zou Yue (POJ), she's a writer in name only. Quan Ying is the main one , who already posted on weibo she finished the script and it's a story focused on ML's growth. So we still have hope. 😊

The Road to Glory has two screenwriters, the main one is not Zou Yue (POJ), she's a writer in name only. Quan Ying is the main one , who already posted on weibo she finished the script and it's a story focused on ML's growth. So we still have hope. 😊

I think you may have misunderstood my point.

I’m not blaming supporting actors for having more screen time, nor am I suggesting they shouldn’t have opportunities—they absolutely need them as well. My concern is with the way the narrative and production decisions are structured.

Screen time allocation is ultimately a creative and production-level choice, not something individual actors control. When a male lead’s character—who is supposed to carry the core arc of the story—is underdeveloped or sidelined, that’s not about “actors competing for time,” but about how the story is being shaped.

I fully agree that supporting characters deserve meaningful development. However, that shouldn’t come at the expense of weakening the central character’s background, relationships, and growth. A well-balanced drama should be able to develop both without diminishing the integrity of the main character.

Also, having expectations as a viewer isn’t the issue. It’s reasonable to expect that a lead character in a drama will be given sufficient narrative depth and relevance, especially when the story is built around them.

So my point isn’t about blaming actors on either side—it’s about the storytelling and how resources are allocated within the narrative.

I think you may have misunderstood my point.

I’m not blaming supporting actors for having more screen time, nor am I suggesting they shouldn’t have opportunities—they absolutely need them as well. My concern is with the way the narrative and production decisions are structured.

Screen time allocation is ultimately a creative and production-level choice, not something individual actors control. When a male lead’s character—who is supposed to carry the core arc of the story—is underdeveloped or sidelined, that’s not about “actors competing for time,” but about how the story is being shaped.

I fully agree that supporting characters deserve meaningful development. However, that shouldn’t come at the expense of weakening the central character’s background, relationships, and growth. A well-balanced drama should be able to develop both without diminishing the integrity of the main character.

Also, having expectations as a viewer isn’t the issue. It’s reasonable to expect that a lead character in a drama will be given sufficient narrative depth and relevance, especially when the story is built around them.

So my point isn’t about blaming actors on either side—it’s about the storytelling and how resources are allocated within the narrative.

It's not up to them, it's up to their agencies.

I don’t think her squad is an unreasonable adaptation. My point is that the character Xie Zheng hasn’t been given the level of thoughtful development he deserves. This isn’t the first time Zhang Linghe has been used by stakeholders to promote other actors.

If you’ve seen Our Generation, it was even more extreme—Zhang Linghe appeared for less than 30 minutes across the first dozen episodes. Many Chinese viewers couldn’t accept it and even jokingly referred to the drama as “The Disappearing Male Lead.”

Also, regardless of whose fan I am, I don’t want the Chinese drama industry to be distorted by money, where talented actors are exploited, overworked, and their health is affected. Are you aware of what happened with Zhao Lusi? It’s hard for us to truly imagine how little control actors sometimes have over their own situations.

Screen time and standout moments are not the same thing. It’s clear that the drama has done a thorough job portraying the villains’ backgrounds and personalities—even to the point of repeatedly emphasizing how twisted they are, which the audience has already understood.

So wouldn’t it make more sense to use some of that time to develop the male lead instead? For example, exploring his background—his relationships with his parents and uncle, the hidden sides of his personality, his care for his subordinates, and how he earned their loyalty. None of these aspects have been properly shown.

A strong male lead shouldn’t be defined only by romance. He should have his own ambitions and character development, but the drama fails to fully explore these aspects.

I’m not criticizing the female lead at all. I just feel that some less important scenes could have been reduced, so more time could be given to developing the male lead.

I’m not sure if you really understand how complex Xie Zheng is as a character—he’s much deeper than what the drama shows. The adaptation hasn’t just toned him down a little, it’s stripped away a huge part of his depth. If the same thing were done to the female lead, would people accept it? Why is it suddenly considered normal when it happens to the male lead?

Xie Zheng's data ranks first online because of Zhang Linghe, It happens every time. His fans support these dramas because of him, investing so much time and money, only to end up feeling misled by the stakeholders behind the dramas.

If you read the novel, you'll know how many supporting roles plots are created by the screenwriter. Even the villains are well portraited than ML in the drama. If a drama is meant to be female-centered, it should still give proper depth to the male lead, rather than prioritizing side couples and irrelevant storylines while sacrificing his character development.

And I know it's not the fault of the other actors, I'm just blaming the industry, who are hidden behind the actors. Due to heavy capital interference, the industry has become distorted. Screenwriters in China rarely get to create freely—they’re forced to accommodate various stakeholders, adding scenes for certain actors, rewriting plots, and even sacrificing the male lead’s screen time and highlight moments.

But he is the ML, it's riduculous so many supporting roles have more screentime than him. This drama is apparently unbalanced in screentime.

I’m not blaming Tian Xiwei—I’m actually a fan of hers too, so there’s no need to argue with me. I’m talking about the supporting characters in general.

It's not up to him. It's up to his agency.