u/Regularsadsalad

Douyin is the original, localized Chinese version of TikTok and is one of the metrics used to measure a celebrities popularity in China or atleast the ones who seem to be creating alot of buzz domestically. Domestic popularity can be very different from international popularity. For example you might be surprised not to see certain names that are popular internationally appear in the top 10 or 20.

It can be for any reason!

I like both and have enjoyed watching them both, but my pick would be Liu Xueyi. There's something about his screen presence, the way he portrays his characters, and uses his eyes that just has a hold on me. Plus his such a friendly humble goofball in real life completely different from his intimidating characters!

Or is it that C-ent has a very specific aesthetic that's unfamiliar to others? What do you think causes people to make these comments? And do you think it is definitely an insult?

I saw this post on X and judging by the posters comments this was meant as an insult on Dilraba and how she looks. Personally I find nothing artificial about Dilraba. To me she looks beautiful and what makes her unique is her aura and presence. Not whether she's the most gorgeous women alive. I watched some clips of her at the Dior fashion show (as per the pics in slide 1) and she looked amazing!

I dont know if what I'm saying makes sense because I'm well aware these men are good-looking, have gorgeous face cards, and beautiful eyes. But I’ve seen plenty of gorgeous C-drama men who still feel a little dead behind the eyes or just aren’t that captivating on screen.

Sometimes I genuinely don’t know if it’s skill, natural beauty, or a combination of both, but there are some actors who just have something about their eyes. The way they look at someone, the intensity, the softness, the gaze… it’s so mesmerizing and captivating that it actually makes you feel something.

These actors are obviously attractive but what really draws you in isn’t necessarily their overall looks but their eyes/gaze.

So whose eyes draw you in whenever they’re on screen? Whether they genuinely mesmerize you or they just have that inexplicable effect where you can’t stop looking it doesn’t matter if its because of beauty or skill [Male edition 👀]

or is the FL’s character writing making her performance seem weaker?

I know female leads are held to higher standards than MLs who can do the bare minimum and get away with it. But in this case Jing Boran objectively speaking is the stronger actor here from what his shown.

So here are my thoughts:

Ever since this show started, I’ve seen people praise Jing Boran’s portrayal, saying he doesn’t just have charisma but brings so much nuance and depth to such a problematic character. And honestly, I agree. The proof is in the pudding.

But Sun Qian seems to get a lot more criticism.

At first, I assumed it was mainly because of how her character was written and directed, which made sense to me. Character writing and direction can make a good actress look bad. I didn’t really mind because I’m watching for the sizzling chemistry anyway.

But now I’m wondering if there’s also an acting issue?

I understand Sun Qian’s character is meant to be timid, shy and young, but I don’t think the portrayal is quite as convincing. It’s decent, but sometimes it feels generic, like I’m watching her act out those traits rather than fully embody them.

What’s interesting is that Sun Qian absolutely shines in the romance scenes because her chemistry with Jing Boran is incredible. She really comes alive opposite him. But when she’s not with him, her acting and screen presence feel much more lackluster to me.

Maybe she simply needed better direction on how to portray her character outside of the romance.

Tian Xiwei is a good comparison here because she also starred in a drama this year that exploded in popularity internationally. With The Pursuit of Jade, she became incredibly popular because people connected with both her character and her performance. Even when the writing declined, she still managed to hold your attention regardless of the romance or male lead.

With Early Spring being such a huge success, I expected Sun Qian to have a similar breakout, but I’m not sure she’s left the same lasting impression as a FL. I feel that she and Jing Boran are a magic pairing but in her case she needed him specifically to bring out that magic in her and make her memorable. That might sound harsh, but compared to her earlier works, I've never seen this type of chemistry from her.

Is Sun Qian’s performance in Early Spring genuinely underwhelming compared to Jing Boran or are we being unfair?

Saw this video from ZHL’s livestream today and had to pause because I genuinely wondered why he looked so different. I know he isn’t particularly well liked offscreen, but he seems incredibly busy lately, going from filming to brand events, endorsements and appearances. I just hope celebs are still able to take care of themselves with how demanding their schedules can be. The beauty standards in the industry seem so harsh, and there’s so much pressure to maintain a certain appearance. I know looking slim or lean is considered normal in this industry in c-ent, but sometimes I still find myself wondering if they’re okay...

I came across this post online and was honestly surprised to see how many people feel so underwhelmed and disappointed with cdramas this year. Personally, I’ve really enjoyed a lot of the dramas but it was mainly the ones I was not looking forward to. For modern dramas my favourites so far have been Love Between Lines and now the currently airing early spring. For costume How Dare You, A Splendid Match, Generation to Generation and The Road to Splendor have been my top watches.

I can definitely admit that some shows have had their flaws, but overall, I think there have been plenty of enjoyable dramas this year.

And we also can’t deny that The Pursuit of Jade gaining so much visibility and popularity has brought a lot of new viewers to C-dramas this year, which I think is a pretty positive thing.

I’ve always noticed that when the female lead is older than the male lead, there is always a chemistry complaint in cdramas. But honestly, sometimes chemistry has nothing to do with age and everything to do with acting. Good actors can create that spark regardless of whose older.

So what actually bothers people the most about these pairings? Is it because the visuals are mismatched? And why does an age gap seem more acceptable when the male lead is significantly older, but suddenly becomes an issue when the female lead is?

Another thing I noticed is how the older female lead always seem to be blamed for the lack of chemistry or being poor in acting while the male lead gets a free pass doing the bare minimum. It's somehow always their fault but never the male lead.

I came across this take online and honestly, I’m surprised yet not surprised.

Firstly, I don’t think this is Wu Jinyan’s best drama so even though i was excited to see her onscreen I can admit this doesn't seem to be her best. But she’s always been a good actress, especially in revenge roles.

Secondly, Chen Zheyuan isn’t doing anything phenomenal here either, as usual it feels like I'm watching him act, even his line delivery is so poor it's like his reading off a paper infront of him. Yet somehow the female lead is always blamed when the chemistry or acting isn’t working, while the popular male lead gets a free pass for doing the bare minimum. It's always, oh I really like the ml but the fl.........

I also find it funny how much harsher people are when the female lead is older. Wu Jinyan is beautiful and talented, but the way some people talk about women who are slightly older than the mls, you’d think they were grannies who should retire from cdramas.

At the end of the day if the issue is Chemisty, then the issue is acting. If the connection isn’t working, it’s not automatically one actor’s fault. Both leads have to bring something to the screen. And good actors create good chemistry.

Love has fireworks is my top pick.

I don't mind beautiful costumes and ethereal styling. I love the eye candy.

But sometimes I wonder, if you stripped away the gorgeous costumes, beautiful styling and stunning wigs would you still think the performance was that great? In some ways I think the visuals make them more interesting to watch?

I've noticed that a lot of the most popular performances happen to be the ones where the actor is styled to absolute perfection. I feel like the styling and visuals hide weak acting.

If we're being honest, there are very few actors who can rely on their acting alone. But some are still handsome either way HOWEVER you can be incredibly handsome or beautiful and still give a bland performance. So you have to have some basic skills down.

Chen Zheyuan – His most praised roles are usually the ones where he looks especially pretty or is dressed in beautiful period costumes. Beyond that, I struggle to see what's so compelling about his acting. He is serviceable, but I don't see an actor with exceptional range or screen presence. I always see an actor performing. I have similar take with Yang Yang. I just think his biggest selling point is how beautiful he looks moving around and doing stunts.

Zhang Linghe – I think he falls somewhere in the middle. I don't think he is a bad actor at all. He has potential but I also think his visuals do a lot for him. He has screen presence and has a way of using his eyes that draws you in. At present he just does not have a roles that shows acting chops.

Cheng Lei – He is obviously handsome and looks amazing in hanfu, but what really wins me over is his charisma and the way he commands the screen. I'd still enjoy watching him even if he wasn't styled to perfection because his acting does the work. I never found him attractive until I watched him.

Wang Xingyue – Pretty much the same as Cheng Lei. He has incredible screen presence for someone so young and genuine star quality. I'm really excited to see him in different roles. He is someone I think can go far if they are given the right guidance. I also never cared for his looks, until his acting won me over.

Other actors who consistently win me over because of their performances (gorgeously styled or not) are Leo Wu, Xiao Zhan, Bai Jingting, Tan Jianci, Allen Ren, Zhou Yiran, Luo Yunxi, Liu Xueyi and Ding Yuxi. I could watch them in the simplest styling possible and still come away impressed by what they bring to the role.

I just started his new drama with Wu Jinyan, and once again, the same big eyed bulging stare, the same walk, the same posture. He delivers every line like he is...acting and then of course...the smirk.

His role feels like a copy and paste of fated hearts, but the difference is he had pretty costumes in FH and a stronger character writing.

No matter what drama I watch him in whether costume or modern, I see the actor acting out a role. It's worse when it's modern because he uses the same copy and paste expressions. The same microexpressions he apparently gets praised for is just him flashing an easy pretty boy soft eye look.

I genuinely used to think I was CRAZY because i just didn't see the hype or understand why his considered so good and so highly praised among international audiences. Even his chemistry with his female leads is so bland and unconvincing. I feel like the females or supporting cast is either carrying or outshining him most of the time.

And then when I bring up these points people immediately resort to calling me a HATER or EXAGERATING OR HAVING AN AGENDA. Its honestly exhausting. I've even had people say, no one cares about him why are you talking about his acting... I'm sorry? He is literally one of the most popular actors internationally that is known to almost everyone.

Apparently I should be grateful that his not a terrible actor and that he moves his face and that I should appreciate it..

but moving your face and emoting at random is actually called overacting...

Like I'm not saying his a God awful actor. I'm saying for the level of hype online, recommendations and his popularity internationally his acting is pretty decent, and his screen presence is quite bland without a fancy aesthetic to make him look cool. But when his acting is not decent it is so DIFFICULT to watch him.

I keep seeing most say that his showed real "acting skills" and was great or phenomenal in fated Hearts and The White Olive Tree and I gave both a chance, but once again I was disappointed by how much he is hyped up. His acting is decent and serviceable at best, but all I see is an actor performing. There is zero connection to or immersion in the character itself.

The pretty boy aesthetics and fancy costumes helps cover up alot of his bad acting.

I have seen people tear into actresses like Meng Ziyi, Bai Lu, Wu Jinyan, Ju Jingyi, Dilraba and Esther Yu and even Zhang Jingyi! for repetitive acting, having no chemistry, being terrible, or looking the same in every drama (and yes some points are valid), but MY GOD, the amount of grace some male leads like CZY get while serving the most basic and mediocre acting compared to their female co stars is genuinely insane. So many excuses!

And he is constantly shielded by the excuse that he is better suited to modern dramas. Nah a fantastic actor no matter how their face looks, immerses and disappears into every environment and role.

All I can say is that Chen Zheyuan is incredibly blessed and lucky because if he were a female lead, yikes. Just yikes.

And yes I have an opinion on his acting because he is casted in alot of dramas as the male lead opposite some amazingly gorgeous popular female leads with interesting plots. I watch romance dramas, I love my costume dramas and unfortunately, he gets cast in them, so yes, I have an opinion.

The ones where they weren't just participating in a kiss scene but brought so much emotion, longing, and love that you completely believed every second of it.

Some of my favs 💋:

1. Love is sweet- Bai Lu and Luo Yunxi with their magical chemistry

2. Till the end of the moon - same couple again bringing it!

3. Oath of love - Xiao Zhan and Yang Zi, loved how sweet, romantic and natural their kiss scenes were! They went for a slow approach with most of it, but it was so loving and sweet.

I would choose how dare you. It was more enjoyable. Pursuit of Jade was very popular but the plot went downhill.

I'm really liking it. Esther Yu and Chen Jingke have such a mature, sweet vibe together, and Esther Yu looks so pretty!

Dilraba and Gao Weiguang in Eternal Dream Love of Dream just had that undeniable romantic spark. Their chemistry was absolutely electric.