Categories: TW & C dramas

C-netizens Dying of Laughter Over Ridiculous Voices and Subs in the US Airing of Popular C-drama

A modern new C-drama classic gets a fresh coat of Western paint and the result is unending hilarity that makes me cackle even as I’m thisclose to falling into blissful slumber. The currently hot topic C-drama The Empress of China is merely the latest and boobiest challenger for the throne still occupied by the early 2012 hit The Legend of Zhen Huan (Empresses in the Palace). But the reigning queen shows no sign of relinquishing her position of power, what with the C-drama snapped up by HBO to be broadcast as a six-episode miniseries.

The C-drama made leading ladies Sun Li and Jiang Xin household names and faces in China and recently vaulted back into headline entertainment news when the US subtitled and re-dubbed cut dropped online, showing the hack job done in order to prep it for US airing. All the voices have been re-dubbed using Taiwanese Mandarin speakers and slangy dialogue (Taiwanese Mandarin is referred to as guoyu 國語 or national language versus the Mainland’s version of Mandarin called putonghua 普通话) and the subtitles are a bucket full of laughs in each and every line. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

Scene cut from the US airing of The Legend of Zhen Huan:

ockoala

View Comments

    • Seriously, I hope those were just early cuts, cause wth. I was one of those who loved LZH so much, that I spent ridiculous hours subbing it. I was excited about the drama getting a new audience, but if this is how HBO is handling it, then no bueno. Things already seemed iffy, when they changed the opening theme to a mediocre English cover, but now this -_-

  • Dear Koala, this clip is actually produced by Chinese netizens for fun. The voice over is done by a famous group of people who specialize in doing voice over for parody video such as this one.

  • Haha XD But this must surely be a joke? How can they invest so little in getting proper subs when they spent so much acquiring the right to broadcast it in the US?!

  • LOL omg............... that is SO BAD!!!!! Won't even talk about the translation, but the sound of that dub ohmygoddd....What kind of equipment do they have?? wtf???? Makes the whole production sound like some YouTube video! Ugh!

    • The hbo opening song is lovely, but I prefer the original Chinese version. It conveys perfectly the vicissitudes of life that Zhen Huan and her cohorts went through in the palace.

  • OMG!! THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN ONE OF THE REGULAR SUBBERS TO DO IT!! WHY HBO WHY?!!!

Recent Posts

Jang Nara Tearfully Accepts the Daesang for Good Partner at the 2024 SBS Drama Awards

Awwwww, such a deserving recognition and a long time coming for K-actress Jang Nara. She's…

4 hours ago

Queen of Tears Tops the GoodData Full Year 2024 Drama Buzz Rankings Followed by Lovely Runner

It's still crazy that the two biggest K-dramas of this year 2024 aired basically at…

12 hours ago

Tang Yan Leads the Big Name Cast for Modern Romance C-drama Lady Liberty in Her First Post Blossoms Shanghai Casted Role

So there are new posters, stills, and a first teaser out already for modern C-drama…

20 hours ago

Jung Kyung Ho, Seol In Ah, and Cha Hak Yeon Confirmed for Supernatural Legal Drama Labor Attorney Noh Moo Jin

This is an interesting twist on what sounds like a standard legal K-drama, the male…

1 day ago

Xu Kai and Chen Yao Cast in Period Romance C-drama Wishing You Eternal Happiness

So Xu Kai is back in period drama land and has a new actress costar…

2 days ago

Prada Announces Kim Soo Hyun as New Brand Ambassador for the Italian Couture House

So Kim Soo Hyun recently became the new face of fragrance house Jo Malone in…

2 days ago

This website uses cookies.