Nepeta 22

It's obvious to me they casted her because she bears resemblance to ZLY and being in the original is like a marketing loop. My only hope is she is supported well and has the right kind of people around her.

The only reason she is getting hate is simply because she doesn't have enough backers to shield her and her family from the hate campaign. It seems, some netizens prefer to bully the weaker ones rather than attack those that do have backgrounds and may be more regarded as buying their way into the industry like Zhang Ruoyun, Annabel Yao & Arthur Chen. The irony is, it exposes their double standards and quest to worship only the people from who come from money & success.

Well I can't say for now but with a cast of Wang Zi Qi & Zhu Zheng Ting I should expect so a full international release with subtitles.

It can get pretty toxic within the industry and I feel the drama makers sort of allow or even fan the flames because for some productions, they rely on black to make it red if you know what I mean on that term. They care little about some stars. As far as they're concerned, it's all about creating viral content to make a quick buck.

I'm sure Lin Yun knows the darker aspects of the industry and may need to grow a thick skin to survive and continue. If anything, more attacks means she's going somewhere. The higher you sail, the more they want to rip you down. It's just how things go. I hope her next drama will be good. Certainly from my point of view, I think she's having a good year and I think more good projects will be going her way!

As for this drama, I am only turning up here every day because I know viewers on MDL are not very good with spoilers so I get my daily feed of the drama without actually watching it, since I cannot stomach the disgusting (old men's wet dreams) storylines written for the female characters.😎

What has Yu Meng Long got to do with China? I certainly don't peg an incident (a police matter) to a whole country. It's a bit simplistic. It's a bit like saying because that country's police came to a conclusion that doesn't align with what YOU expect then that country is all rotten. Thankfully not everyone thinks in such a basic way.

I think the Red Dance Shoes is a good project for her. Really looking forward to that.

No problem, I know it was an adaptation. Although I didn't watch that drama, I heard they added more trauma than what was originally in the novel, so I cannot vouch if that is true or not.

I personally did not watch that drama because I find it a bit too ambitious putting a love story against such serious subjects. It feels like a simplistic way of saying love cures all things when in reality, it's far from that and also it tries to put a halo on the ML's character to be the "knight in shining armour" that saves the day.

This is unrealistic and also quite dangerous. Most importantly, it doesn't respect the actual subject matter properly. I feel both subjects should not have been mixed in. Just my view.

As for LIn Yun, it's murky in the entertainment industry. There is always someone trying to tear another down. I sometimes think the drama is actually outside the drama! Just look at this drama, it doesn't even try to expand on all these things. Things, I mean by, if you have 'protection' of backing, no amount of ugly campaigning can drag you down. It's very unfortunate, when you stand back, it's the usual classic of bully the weak and leave those in high places alone.

I am sorry to hear that I led you here 😅! I admit, I am very disappointed, because the scriptwriter is the same person credited to Born to be Alive, and I cannot see anything similar at all. That drama stood out for me and possibly one of the best to come out this year, so far.

Unfortunately here, I think director is also at fault. The sets, the feel does not feel realistic. It almost feels like a 1950s set like in Mary Poppins where outdoor scenes of the hostel compound feel very inside studio. There is no feel of the 1990s when they record outside, it might as well be 2010.

Yes, FoC did have that small segment that slipped my mind. If anything, I think the question here is, why is Jelly Lin casted in roles where she's always on the backfoot. Is it a lowkey desire of certain directors/scriptwriters or do some dated creators feel, if you are considered a national beauty, you cannot be strong and gutsy? If not, why? What I do know is, the other FL was casted in a similar type role opposite Bai Jing Ting and she was bothered and harrassed throughout.

And I didn't like to write that out to be honest. But it really feels like that and the reason I cannot continue. The male characters seem to just get their girls with minimal work and just do, no questions or reason.

On another post here, I said I personally don't believe the script writer is all at fault but also the director. It really feels out of touch and worse still a drama trying to trivialise some of the things inside the industry. It's tropey and sadly, both FL roles I feel were put in there because they are considered a national beauty in China and they just want to insert their little fantasy on these characters written as idealistic, and slightly desperate in a nice way but never in a grabby way. This to me feels like their little wet dream...😎

I'm here for the second female lead Xia Meng & up and coming equally talented Zhang Kang Le, as I have been following her career since City of the city. She's very talented but still quite young. FL is young too but in China in the past some of these actresses had roles in their teens too.

My main concern is whether the young actresses are supported well if they get casted so young. Many historic dramas centres around late teens so from time to time young actresses do get casted. Luckily, this is fewer and fewer nowadays.

You care? If you care you should be rallying the industry and those that seek this. Not the actress. You have no proof she or her parents 'bought' their daughter the role.. It's not as if she's the first actress that starts so young, and she won't be the last.

This simple connection excuse? How comes I never see this levelled for Zhang Ruo Yan or Arthur Chen. Fact is you are swayed by a clear hate campaign to influence certain touch points that are meant to make female audiences feel anger or repulsed.

Look deeper and you'll see the old patriarchy thinking influencing and creeping in. Could you be used? Your comment should be about the industry. Not the actress or her parents. It's a bit like blaming rape victims for looking too pretty or wearing clothes that may entice? Conveniently ignoring the fact that the industry still prefer to see young female characters that fall for much older men. She would be the one aggressively chasing whilst the older male is written to look like he's confused and just there. Forbidden Love anyone?

That's how to put the blame on women and young girls.

I don't know who to blame but I'm a little shocked as the screen writer did a great job on Born to be Alive, so I feel the problem lies with the actual story itself, not so much the scripts.

The women characters are passive and too innocent in my view. Their families stay and don't move with their daughters. I find that too unrealistic. Even in the 90s, most parents know the dangers of young women going completely blind to another city is high risk.

The men are stock characters where they are written deliberately in a way to expect some form of growth. This is obvious due to their backgrounds and family problems, but whether they make it or not they get the girl but with minimal effort.

I'm no longer watching a drama made from old men from another era living out their wet dreams, writing female characters this way... but I cannot agree with your comments on Footprints of Change.

She played an educated doctor coming back to a traditional setting but she did not fold. She stood up for herself. And if you have watched her in Les Belle, she played a feisty young woman trapped in the confines of ancient China. I distinctly remember some viewers felt she was too feisty and labelled her nasty!

We all don't know and the title carries the word dream so it all could be a dream. We all know dreams can be anything. I was told the drama has been changed from the novel. In the novel she dies in her original time line. So let's see how it goes.

I couldn't continue but keep going back to this page as I'm still curious. After reading your comments I'm getting more frustrated seeing what you wrote. Perhaps the title of live up to your youth is not live up to your dreams? The whole drama is a roundabout way of seeing young hope disintegrate, but once it's passed, they all smile at how they all once were, and none really made it. Including ML? Anyway, it didn't live up to my expectations of it...

I came in with no expectations but was blown away by the details, the care and love of each and every character. It's seldom seen in dramas that tackle mature relationships and their children. Couple that with a 1970s background, it's so well researched. It's a drama that readily uses real named politicians, name drops the news agencies and actively comments on past political changes of the time. Unafraid to put clearly what was going on in China during the 1970s that sometimes have devastating consequences and long-term life changes for some families. It's subtle and told in a matter of fact way, so never over dramatic or trying to push home a point.

I applaud the makers for managing to create an upbeat community that feels very real and you really do feel you have transported back and you root and cry for every character. I recommend it if you enjoyed dramas like The Bond or Romance in the Alley and even This Thriving Land as I believe the same people are behind this production.

It's very unfortunate that international viewers cannot see this readily. I believe, if it had more eyes on this. There would be a lot of discussions on topics covered and more will learn about the era in China that is typically not covered enough.

Sorry, I can never agree with you on your Xia Zi Yu analysis. She will always forever be the FL's best friend from Lighter and Princess!

I'm close to pausing it too. I'll give it two more episodes tomorrow to see. I don't normally whinge that much but this drama has irritated me. I paused Dream of Golden Years for this so it's a bit ironic.😅

I hear you...I feel it's not going to tone down which is my main worry. The drama has all the potential but I feel this focusing on the hostel flat mates is the least appealing part of the drama. The ladies in the hostel are the only normal people there. I almost cringe when I see them trying to link Ran ran with that musician. I'm not convinced with their relationship which makes it worse. She deserves better 😅

I think these hostel characters are written in so they can tell their individual stories one by one as the drama unfolds, but I think they're written badly and the so-called camaraderie seems too superficial and amateurish. I can't take any of them seriously.

I'm currently watching Wonderful Times and it's so beautifully written and acted by all the actors. Well researched and the bond between factory workers feel more believable and raw. Here, it feels like a send up and I don't think it's supposed to be like that. 😉

Yes he is paired with Zhang Ruonan.