The Producer of Love You Seven Times and Leads Ding Yu Xi and Yang Chao Yue Have Meltdowns After Drama Flops Despite Being the Sister Project to 2022 Hit Love Between Fairy and Devil

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• Producers in China keep thinking that all they need is a pretty face and all will be well. Maybe Chinese viewers are slowly starting to awaken, and they are asking for some acting skills. That Yang Choa girl should never have been allowed to be anywhere near lead in a show, but they kept putting her in that position and hoping for different results each time. They never got it.

  Let's hope this is a new trend in the entertainmennt industry in China, producers will be looking for acting talents, not just models to stand there and look beautiful.

  • There are several levels of acting quality in c-dramaland depending on where the drama airs and what genre. Web-only dramas typically have green or terrible acting. Idol dramas - particularly the idol fantasy period ones- is its own genre and pretty much depends on good looks and hoping to leverage popularity (how many weibo followers do they have) rather than talent. Zhou Dongyu won a prestigious award and when she did Ancient Love Poetry, producers had to defend her from netizen criticism about how her looks didn't suit the drama.

    Outside of the idol campus or idol period fantasy dramas, actresses are more carefully selected.

    There are so many people in China and there are definitely young actors out there who are both visuals and have ability. So I feel like it's about popularity and what their investors feel like would be a return on investment.

    Also watching characters go through 7 lives sound tedious. 3 lives is my max.

    • Yeah even with zhou dongyu’s acting, if the sceipt is trash it’s gonna be a trash. The settings were boring, the immortals job is shady, like how could you improve life by giving happiness ✨sprinkle✨, it’s laughable really. The same thing happened with lyst, the script is trash compared to the novel. I actually broke down the difference in the comment but seems like it never got approved because it’s too long or recognized as spam. To me the trashy script is byproduct of nepotism, character like the demon king, yingshi and zihui paid to get more screentime. In the novel most of the screentime, like 80% goes to the two leads. Not to mention the setting change, extra characters, they just scream nepotism.

  • This happened to be an adaptation of a popular novel so expectations are very high. Both of them should not be cast in the drama. I think Ding is more suitable (visually) for modern dramas. As for Yang… this role is too big for her as it requires someone who can be versatile, while she is quite limited

    But I am still watching it so far…. at episode 5… let’s see how…

• Nothing against Yang Chao Ye as a person but as an actress, I really get nothing from her. Maybe small roles that are not that challenging, she may be serviceable. The story and character requires way more than she can give. If shes serious about acting, she should enrol into acting lessons and do it from the bottom up.
  And for the producers who didnt think properly when casting, it is what it is. Not sure if they will learn from this.

  • https://img9.doubanio.com/view/group_topic/l/public/p622236264.webp

    Her face lacks gravitas. Cnetz photoshopped Liu Xiaoqing's face onto Yang Chaoyue and YCY looks like a kid in cosplay versus a real actress.

• Aww I feel bad , but not bad enough to watch it. The pairing, the looks, the whole vibe didn't look exciting to me.

  • I don't really follow C-ent (though I enjoy reading about any drama that happens and also reading the entertaining comments on this site), so I don't know any of these people, admittedly.
    But just speaking generally, I really can't feel bad for actors/actresses receiving criticism for their acting when they just accept and accept leading roles while knowing full well that they don't have any acting talent. I mean, I know it's hard to pass up lead role offers, but at least take up some acting classes, for f*ck's sake. It's the same with ordinary employees in real life, if they get criticism for not doing their job well and not doing anything to improve, there's really nothing to feel bad about. These actors benefit from pretty privilege and can't even do the bare minimum. And now they're crying about the criticisms lmao. I say boo f*cking hoo lol.

    And like the other comment said above, I'm just glad viewers are now realizing it's not fun to watch someone who can't act, no matter how good-looking they are

• I don't know where you got the reservation numbers from because it's false. LYST pre-broadcast reservation never exceed LYF and TLP. Yang Chaoyue has previously address her lack of acting skills too, promising that she will continuously improve, so this is not the first time she address it publicly. But sadly we will always get to see this kind of mediocre actor/actress getting S,S+ acting gigs eventhough it's been proven time and again that they really lack in acting department all because they have powerful backers. C-ent really need to shuffle up all these resource coffee, and also tone down on the fake marketing because it did not help the industry get better. Audience also need a form of respect and should not be feed with trash all the time.

• I personally wonder why can't people just decide to not watch a show without being mean to the people involved in it. I mean, you don't like it, fine, it's your right to not watch it. It's not your right to hurt people. It's not as if they spent your money on it. If the audience won't watch it, the producers will get the message alright. Cyber bullying the actors is just wrong.

  • Is stating she can’t act really bullying? I find her personality very cute and endearing in real life but the girl has no talent, and has ridden on her looks and relatable personality for a long time. When she was in rocket girls, she was a terrible singer and dancer too. She’s been taking on quite a few lead roles now, and her acting is still not really acceptable. She’s definitely improved from Chongzi, but I still don’t think she gets a passing grade (at least from me). It’s not like this is the first time she’s gotten this feedback, so to continue to take lead roles and for a big IP like this, she’s going to have to deal with some backlash.

    All that being said, I don’t think this drama’s failure is all on her. They basically make it seem like anything that happen in these lives don’t matter and they pop back up in the heaven realm anyway. There’s no real skin in the game for any of them, which makes it hard for me to emotionally invest in any of their tribulations. My favorite “lifetime” for them was the pig and tiger life, where I was laughing my head off. But that wasn’t even a love tribulation. The second lead and some other supporting cast are also very forgettable.

    • Generally speaking I am no fan of xianxia, so I didn't plan to watch it anyway. But netizens clamoring all over the place that they don't watch because she is awful and he is not handsome feels like cyber bullying to me. On the other hand, your criticism about not being able to care because of how often the lifetimes change is really valid, I think. I wouldn't want to watch a show with zero emotional investment either.

    • @Nena

      It is absolutely not cyber bullying. Sorry your fave "actress" is getting the truth told to her face but if she were actually less arrogant she would have accepted minor roles and tried to improve at least a bit. She can't act to save her life and netizens have the right to state that because her backgrounds is provided her with continuing lead roles that she keeps accepting.

• As a person without acting background nor God given acting talent, YCY should had taking many many acting lesson and do minor/second/third roles before accepting lead roles, just like what Liu YuNing and Deng Wei are doing. She shouldn't be too greedy. Her first acting role till today are all MC. I don't know what her agency is smoking.

  LYST can't be compared to CLJ despite produced by the same people because leads aside, LYST script isn't as solid CLJ. The script lacked depth and the characterization are very shallow because of too many story line for 7 lives time with only 38 eps.

  DYX can totally acts and he also improves lots from his last drama that I watched but I have to agree that xianxia isn't for him. Yes, he is good looking but he doesn't have the ethereal aura as an immortal (the same with ZDY).

• LBFAD got me hooked on ep2 and I thought maybe if I watched a few more eps I'll get into it because they have the same writer and team behind it but it's just not that interesting. On ep1,they played the background music of LBFAD soul swap and it just felt wrong somehow. Back to the brink is also from the same writer and I enjoyed watching it even if the CGI is not that good but I like the story and the leads are so cute together. I'm just disappointed with Love you seven times whoever's fault it is.

• It’s fundamental really. The acting may be a problem but ultimately, the script is trash. The novel was a good IP but it was reduced to assembly line xianxia story. There is a lot that they changed, for example:

  1. In the novel the two leads is immortals with similar status and strength. They fought, causing distubance in heaven. The emperor bored of his life made them reincarnate 7 times in sadistic love story he wrote.

  In the drama, the male lead status became so overpowered, and it destroys the unique dynamic the leads have.

  2. In the novel, they were punished to reincarnate in underworld, which in the process, yanwang being bored of his life too, toys with them, giving them additional punishment. In the process they made a mess in underworld, which caused their reincarnate condition to vary. Because they fought and caused a mess, the female lead who run to reincarnate early became 5 years older than the male lead who needs to stay to clean uo the mess. In the second life, the male lead, mad that the female lead can’t take hint, make her drink a lot of forgetful soup, making her idiot in the next life. In the third life, they was trying to sabotage each other by pushing into animal path, but end up entering together. In the next life, they tried to sabotage each other again, the female lead tries to pull the male lead into female human path, but they end up switchinf genders. The male lead even end up pregnant hahaha

  In the drama, because the male lead is op, it become shallow love tribulation, and suddenly the constraint of their reincarnation life became random with no explanation. They also got rid of yanwang and the punishment they have to face in underworld, which consist of a lot of funny episodes.

  3. Nepotism. There is too many new character, which I suspect is caused by nepotism. Yingshi character was only mentioned thrice in the whole novel as hunior sister of male lead, she never love the male lead nor disturb the leads relationship. But she suddenly become important character in the drama. And shallow one at that too, with her only properties being pretty.

  The stone demon, zihui, was supposed to appear at 2nd life where he schemed to take the male lead heart because he is missing one. Which in 5th life he meet the leads again and helps them do their mission. In the 2nd life he is very scheming, which catalyze the tragedy between the leads, while in 5th life he helps the lead become together. The drama changed his character completely, adding nonsense about demon clan making nuwa stone experience love. He become idiot like stone and has too much screentime. He also appears at the supposed first life which was bumped to second life. His character become another shallow one, even though it was supposed to be complex.

  He is missing his heart because on his wedding day, his bride, A Luo takes away his heart. But turns out A Luo was forced by her brother who fell into demonic path. Her real name is Zi Luo, and her brother is the male lead’s teacher, which if it wasn’t for her giving her immortal heart to her brother, which causes backlash, the male lead would have died, becoming supplement for the demonic brother. In the novel, their story ended with Zi Luo soul dissipating forever, while Zihui reincarnates and fell in love with another woman, which created bittersweet ending.

  4. In the novel, both leads are not strong, which is why they are able to grow throughout their reincarnated life. They don’t reincarnate again after 5th life since they’re given mission to stop the demonic brother trying to revive himself. At that process, they protected each other. At the end, the male lead died and his soul became fragments. The female lead trying to revive him, wanders for a long time, and in the process became stronger immortal. She tries to revive him as mortal and guides him to become immortal again which would make him regain his memories, but in the end, by twist of fate became killed by him who is plagued by demonic aura.

  In the drama, they got rid of everything, they make them experience 7 lifetimes which means they don’t do mission like the novel. And I predict they’re gonna delete the part about female lead nurturing the young male lead.

  5. The novel focuses on the leads, there is no conspiracy in heaven, aside from the demonic brother of Zi Luo. The drama makes everything strange by adding too many supposed conspiracy, watering down the plots.

  Ultimately no matter who they use, what kind of face or what kind of acting, they already fail the moment they change all of the setting in the novel. No to mention I haven’t detailed the change they did to each individual life.

  • Yes, I had an issue with the multiple changes and lastly down to YCY's acting. Never ever stray from an already popular novel; sure, add a little bit of detail here and there, but don't go adding new stuffs. YCY'S not the worst actress, but definitely not the best. She or her agency needs to stop accepting these big S+ drama when she's still not ready for it. DYX is not ethereal, but still watchable, sad how he's getting bashed for his looks.

    • To me, face wise they’re not bad. Even for xianxia they’re not severely lacking. Dyx acting is better compared to ycy, but not much better. I agree on ycy needing to take some side role instead of lead role, even on fomh where the leads acting is not that good she still acts worse than them. If she don’t have talent on acting, focusing on varshow might be better, after all when the drama flops like this it’s better to never shoot one at all.

  • Your analysis makes sense to me. I watched ep 1&2 but dropped without second thought. I'm fine with ML's looks. I'm also fine with FL's acting. I have watched their dramas before. I don't consider them bad looking or shoddy in acting. My opinion may be unpopular. I think the major issues with C dramas are mostly attributed to lazy or monotonic scriptwriting lacking imagination and creativity. I dropped Almost ALL the C dramas that I've tried to watch mostly bcos storylines were not appealing to me. Boring acting did not help. Decent acting couldn't save those dramas.

    You also mentioned the possibility of prevailing nepotism that might have added useless roles into the plots. I found so many fillers in most of the C dramas I watched but unable to finish that 40-50 eps could have been cut short to only 20-25 eps.

    • I watched until ep12, and damn they watered it down too much. It’s just the first life (which got bumped to second life) but there’s too many episodes for it. Spending 1/4 of the drama on just the first life already marked how this drama not gonna end it well, and even then it deletes many tragedies moment which would make the audience emotion heightened. In the end when the life ended, they come back to heaven and voila what happened in the reincarnated life became useless. They also kept saying how reincarnated life doesn’t matter afterwards, so what are we even watching there??

      And yeah, ycy acting is bad but I still can preserve if the script is good. Idk does those scriptwriter can’t write something good? Though I also heard that screenwriter a lot of times ends up making trash because investor likes to request changes, even when they did not need to, and they can’t reject it. I think an.example of this possibly is how male lead character became overpowered, probably because some investor thought, the male lead is kinda weak, make him the strongest general ever. Bah.

  • You are so spot on. The novel is great, and worth re-reading. But the drama adaptation sucks - they changed the characters, added a bunch of useless back story, veered off the original story's trajectory. Like, charming bits out, boring fillers in. DYX's looks are fine, even YCY's acting is not the big flaw here. Even veteran actors can't rescue bad storytelling.

  • LBFAD's original book wasn't bad or meh. It was great which is what convinced others to do an adaptation of it. But, that's differences in opinion. They made a rare feat happen - turning an original work into something even better.

    But I agree they butchered the plot for LYST. It was one of the first novels I've ever read and I loved the bickering, the banter, the angst and the sweetness. I don't mind that they made Ryan Ding OP, but what I didn't like is how meek and servantile they made YCY. Her acting and voice also lacked power; she never made me feel she was fully immersed into her role. Her emotions always fell short of what it could've been. It was in effect, very unsatisfying.

    The plot is also all over the place. Too many moments focused on side characters that doesn't move the plot forward, kind of like branded deals. They're just conveniently there instead of holding any real value.

    I'm also upset that they selected Ryan Ding for the role of sunshine ML with dark underbelly with Yi ShuXin. She deserves someone new and better. He's fine but he doesn't really match what I consider a sunshine antihero. But it's already a done deal, can't change their minds.

    • Dyx never struck me as that kind of cold faced male lead. But he is not that bad in my opinion. But true the dynamics in the drama is completely messed up, becoming cold faced ceo kind of male lead and meek, scaredy cat type of female lead, just put in xianxia. They might have done better if they kept the novel dynamics, being immature and irritable immortals. I can picture them going into dog fight and it would have been better dynamics than the one in the drama.

      To me the plot lost it’s sights, it’s not sure whether it wants to make it comedy or tragedy, making it subpar.

      As for the one with ysx, are you talking abiut Moonlight? I didn’t know what kind of male lead was he supposed to be, but it seems it ahould not have been the funny kind? I only watched some clupd and didn’t bither watching it in full so I don’t know what problem it has

• Yang Chaoyue is pretty but not really suited for acting. There are certain actresses like Angelababy, Gulinezha, YCY who have a hard-to-shake bad rep that they look awkward onscreen so even if they improve nobody is interested. They should stick to support roles especially YCY. Stellar Media should NOT cast YCY as FL for the 3rd Fox Fairy Matchmaker drama, Tian Xiwei, Bao Shangen would be better and not turn people off.

  Ding Yuxi is currently filming Capturing A Black Lotus with Esther Yu and sadly he looks nothing like frail beautiful young but scheming ML in the novel? Arthur Chen was originally mooted and frankly, the ML should look like Deng Wei, maybe skinny Xukai. But definitely not Ryan Ding who looks very fierce in all his dramas lol

  Overall the problem lies with Stellar Media in that they are trying to put the blame on the actors (who they are colloborating with again) instead of the script; they have a tendency to change the script too much and while it worked for LBFAD because the book was meh, Love You Seven Times is a very popular novel. I'm actually worried they won't adapt Fox Fairy Matchmaker or QiXingCai properly because i like both books and Stellar's boss Wang Yixu is an unrepentant diva when it comes to listening to fans.

• The male equivalent would be Gong Jun the guys acting is the worst, I often wonder how he passed acting school when his talent is at the level of a high school performance he has negative talent but is still getting lead roles. I think we all know by now casting is not based on talent but which actors company has invested the most money into the production has the most say in who gets cast.

  • Gong Jun is from his own studio aka self employed (he's his own boss) and the reason he got cast is due to his liuliang fanbase after Word of Honor's viral success. GJ is the last Chinese BL star after ZZH got cancelled and BLs got banned. Prior to WOH he was an 18th tier nobody in his own words and ZZH made fun of him saying he didn't know who GJ was before filming. Since WOH he's become something of a red carpet darling and invited to Vogue, GQ events as LV ambassador. He even attended Cannes.

    GJ and Dilreba's acting was OK to be fair, Legend of Anle's plot was worse. Both of them are red carpet & fashion stars as well as liuliangs so they won't be out of jobs due to their model visuals and height. Casting directors need to realise that these pretty visuals need to be paired with strong actors to bring out their best, e.g. Dengwei is a model visual whose acting is elevated next to Yangzi.

    • To me, Deng Wei was already really good when he first started out. It helps that he's ok with taking 2nd leads role too.

    • He attended Cannes because he paid for it, you realise that, right?

    • He was invited to model for Jason Wu, a gay designer who probably watched his bl drama https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fwe9uMWaEAIxB6m?format=jpg&name=large

    • I’m curious actually, dilireba have such strong chemistry with yang yang or johnny huang so why does sometimes her chemistry seems to fail? For example I can’t feel her chemistry with wu lei, ren jialun, or gongjun. What’s the problem? Is it because lacking romantic scene? But they really don’t seems to fit together

  • Well Gong Jun only has chemistry with men, there's a large age gap with Wu Lei and Ren Jia Lun is a piece of wood he would probably have more chemistry with the dining room table.

  • Gong Jun passed acting school. @Rrrt - if you doubt his credentials, maybe you should enroll in his acting school and see if you can pass. THE WORST COMMENT is to raise a "male equivalent" "animal equivalent" "insect equivalent"... This article is about the Drama LY7T. Stay with the topic please. If you want to trash GJ, start your own blog.

    • So sorry you are triggered. This article is in my view is about actors who have been criticized about their bad acting and immediately Gong Jun comes to mind who is another very bad actor. Many of the very good points in the many comments above I believe apply equally to Gong Jun. Male equivalent was not meant to be offensive I only meant a male actor who is also a bad actor.