Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Slightly Tops The Story of Pearl Girl in First Reception Numbers After Opening Weekend

So the big November C-drama premiere actually had two high profile dramas arrive on the same first day of the month. Female empowerment Tang dynasty drama The Story of Pearl Girl with Zhao Lu Si and Liu Yu Ning and game play fantasy xianxia drama Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus) with Yu Shu Xin and Ding Yu Xi provided C-drama fans a one-two punch of intriguing dramas to choose from. Pick one or both haha, the more the merrier. The first data is out from the premiere weekend and Love Game in Eastern Fantasy is slightly higher in metrics than The Story of Pearl Girl, and same with Yu Shu Xin getting a little higher character index to top VLinkage just over Zhao Lu Si in the second spot. Both have good reviews but Love Game is generating more online buzz and chatter – a combination of low expectations with surprisingly good performance, chemistry, story, and directing coupled with it being a hilarious and lighthearted drama which is always easier to watch than a more serious drama that needs time to slowly build story and momentum like Pearl Girl. There is definitely room for both to succeed as evidenced last time Lu Si and Shu Xin had dramas airing the exact same time, both Love Like the Galaxy and Love Between Devil and Fairy were summer hits. This is a great start to November after a lackluster October.


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Love Game in Eastern Fantasy Slightly Tops The Story of Pearl Girl in First Reception Numbers After Opening Weekend — 124 Comments

  1. I feel bad for Zhao Lusi. Both times she had to go against Esther Yu she lost. The audience obviously prefer more light-hearted dramas, and Esther excels in those with her cutesy acting.
    I’m watching both rn and Pearl Girl’s first few eps are definitely depressing altho the story is decent and makes me wanna watch more. Love Game is obviously easier to watch due to the comedy.

  2. Fangs of Fortune seems to be completely overshadowed. Looks like Hou Minghao/Chen Duling are not big enough stars for people to care about.

    • Both Esther and ZhaoLusi are big liuliang stars (plus Liu Yuning) . Both HMH and CD can’t be compared to them. Plus FOF got bad reviews

    • I just cringe when I think of who the director is and his male lead promotion. He has great eye for visually stunning cinematography, but they always end up a bit cartoony – his actors wear way too much makeup. And those eye contacts have got too go, it makes them look tacky. There’s nothing wrong with having androgynous male leads, but his do end up on the more feminine side of the spectrum. The good thing, though, is his female leads often times have character and personality, making them memorable. I did watch the 1st episode of FoF, and I have favorable impressions of it, but I’m not sure I have the stamina to watch the entire thing, given his last project and how badly that panned out. It’s often a lot of superficial aesthetics, trying to cover its lack of depth. I’m gonna let it finish and read reviews before watching the rest.

    • Fangs of Fortune aired before these two dramas and it had its share of buzz when first aired, this is NOT ab the star power but the drama buzz itself,Zhao luzi is A+ star but Easther Yu NO she has a long way to go, I am l watching Fangs of Fortune but I am enjoying LGIE more since it light drama, not sure that I will check the story of pearl.

      • Yushuxin is A list herself she is the only actress after zhao lying who has got 10000on all three platforms youku iqyiand tencencent as we speak her show lgief is leading in numbers and trending if it continues like this it may become best idol period cdrama of 2024 it has 7.6 douban with 150k+ even Zhao lusi doesn’t have that numbers, you may prefer lusi but to demean Yushuxin is wrong both of them are considered leading 95🌸 actress and FYI evrytime they released together drama at the same yushuxin won the numbers game remember lbfad and now with lgief

  3. I only found out today just how wealthy Esther Yu is…not wonder I keep reading comments on her family wealth..
    But I find even thru she gets funding help, she has choice suitable scripts for herself. She enjoys acting and picks character that she can handle.
    I may not be her fan but I look forward to watching her progress.

    • After watching LGIEF, I think Yu Shuxin is the better of the two actresses in the acting department. Honestly LGIEF has really changed my opinion of both the female and male leads.

      • I have watched 2 of her dramas.. as long as I get use to her voice, the dramas is enjoyable.

        Lets keep our fingers cross the script will be good to the end.

      • Where did you find out how rich she is? I wanna know. I’m surprised you don’t like her as an actress, but no big deal.

        I actually find her voice very precise. And distinct. In the vocals department, very few can be as clear as her (pitch aside.)

      • @Coralie, I feel she is a better actress than many. She has skilled in acting…I dont dislike her at all. She has a innocence yet sincerity in her that I find rare these days in many young actress her age. I suspect it must have got to do with having a very supporting and loving family.

        I am a fan of actresses like Peng Xiaoran, Xing Fei, Xu Ruo Han, Song Zu Er. They are not female idols but actors. Unless script is really bad, I enjoy their acting style.

      • @Coralie, I read about her background in todays South China Morning Post: “Rich China rising star Esther Yu famous for playful fashion choices forges independent path.
        Despite family background steeped in corporate success, daughter of mining magnate chooses acting as way forward.”

        You can read from SCMP online. I then realised just how wealthy her family is…

      • @HL thanks! I’m gonna read that article. I thought her family was in the textile industry for some reason. She’s probably been prepping to be an actress since really young, seeing that her uncle is also in the industry.

        i also like PXR, xing fei – at least these 2 have proven their acting chops to me lol. but i don’t necessarily ‘follow’ these 2 exclusively, but i like ’em. whereas i always catch esther’s projects, even if i don’t always finish them. i think that’s what you meant by not being her fan/follower.

    • But compared to other actors with rich family and good backing, she at least started with cheap bad idol drama. So it helped her to grow as actor

    • She seems to navigate her career in a less deliberate way then others. Feels like she just picks what she likes and doesn’t get super competitive with others. I honestly find her approach so refreshing!

  4. Ding Yuxi gave me a pleasant surprise in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy, his acting has improved compared to the last time I saw him in The Romance of Tiger and Rose. I feel like the male leads of both dramas may have also contributed to me preferring LGIEF more. Even if I can look past Liu Yuning’s weak visuals, his acting is not compelling either. But with that said, older audience would prefer The Story of Pearl Girl more as it is a more down to earth story, whereas LGIEF involves games and isekai which is more geared towards younger audience.

    • Agreed. DYX really surprised me in this one. Something’s changed about him and made him more palatable onscreen. I can’t tell if it’s his acting or he had some sort of facial enhancement. Either way, he’s doing great so far, not as exaggerated as he used to be and is more restraint now.

      I can’t get behind Liu Yuning just yet and as much as I love ZLS, I don’t want to watch something depressing right now. Not my cup of tea. Maybe he’ll impress me too.

      • Yeah his acting is more nuanced and natural now, I can feel his emotions through his eyes. Whatever he did, it’s doing wonders for him and I hope he maintains it.

      • DYX gained a bit weight and look more mature. So he lose a bit of the pretty boy look that makes his face looks stiff. He surprised me since Golden Age when I can never finish his drama before

      • @Coralie, Funny enough, I am aware Liu Yuning is currently very popular in China but I still can’t get behind him yet too. I feel he hasn’t really open his heart to becoming his characters. He has yet to have amazing romantic chemistry with any female leads.

      • I do think it’s because love game has more emotional scenes unlike in Tiger and Rose, it is comedic all throughout and only the last ones are emotional. Also, his styling in Love game is more detailed.

  5. I didnt plan to watch Love Game at first. But yeah, i gave it a try and it’s a lighter drama comparing to Pearl Girl.

    Both have decent acting and performances. But Esther and Ding Yuxi’s chemistry gets better and better in this 2nd collaboration. Wait, it’s also the 2nd collab for Lusi and Yuning.

    Love Game isnt my cup of tea, but will continue watching it.
    Currently following Pearl Girl for the plot.

  6. totally surprised by love game, CGI and costumes are great. It is lighthearted and funny, just what I needed at the end of the long stress days. Hope it keeps up. I am still going to check out pearl girl but need to wait for it to finish airing so I can binge watch.

    • I’m the same but love game has that good quality that when an episode ends it leaves you wanting more. It’s been awhile I have felt this way. Off topic there is a Thai drama called My Cherie Amore, that has left me anticipating as well. These two dramas right now have my undivided attention.

      • I have following My Cherie Amore too! Yaya is so beautiful…but lakorns are often hit or miss for me…I either love or just get mental with how story can develop sometimes.

  7. I don’t get it with the competition. Even after been endorsed with so many celeb, xiaozhan? Luhan? lusi’s drama stil behind esther.
    No matter marketing she had if the story depressing for audience it wont well receive.

    • Why does XZ endorse ZLS’ drama? Could he do this to support his bestie EXO’s Lay? There was a rumor Lusi dated Lay. 🤔. See Luhan also promoted the drama!

      • This is only my opinion, but I think its probably because XZ has an upcoming big drama with Youku if I remember correctly. So probably Youku using their connection asked actors and actresses to help promote the drama. They have the means since Pearl is S++ drama if I’m not mistaken. Besides actors and actresses need to have good connections with tv/web network too other than with directors and producers so its a win win situation I think.

      • They were co-stars in an older drama Oh My Emperor, at the beginning of their respective careers. Probably remain good friends since then.

      • Yeah, XZ was in Oh My Emperor so he knew ZLS. He was also seated right in front of ZLS and chatted with her at an award (?) ceremony. I could see he’s been on good terms with Lusi. But what about Luhan? Any connection with ZLS?

    • It is not. It’s now top, with LuSi at 9.31 on VLinkage. Tomorrow, Pearl Girl is going to be on three satellite channels. All these numbers change daily, so Ms Koala will probably come up with another article about the “competition.”

    • That’s not how it works in Cent. The chance of a liuliang actor’s solo stans watching a drama starring someone else is almost nil. In fact, some fans of those liuliang stars who promoted the drama boycotted it and went to rate it one star on Douban because she bothered their Gege.

      • Thats fans arent xz’s fans,they are bjyx wyb fans, everything relate with xz they gonna haunt them. Xfx is chill with xz decision support zl.they remain netral as far i know from weibo.

    • I wonder if ZLS is starting to get overexposed. The constant Reuters from filming and hot searches about her changing face. She seems to be everywhere. Her gossip is overshadowing her work.

  8. Does anyone know where to watch Pearl Girl online legally? Love Game is available on WetV and NETFLIX but I can’t find the legal streaming for Pearl Girl. Youku has the summarized versions not the whole episode for some strange reason.

    • It’s available on Youku’s website. Non-VIPs can watch up to episode 3, you will need to buy subscription to watch up to episode 8.

  9. I think let’s not get ahead of ourselves, it’s just the initial data, anything can still happen. Case in point, KMLV which collapsed at the 2nd half. But either way, c-drama is improving and getting noticed by Netflix. Used to be just k-drama. I think in a year or two or give it 5, the landscape might be different.

  10. Can’t watch Love game drama cause Yu Shu Xin voice is too much for me. It is grating in my ears. And her cutesy facial expressions are not grabbing me anymore. Like this is the first drama I notice her bucked front teeth cause of her look-how-too-cute-I-am-so-I-open-my-mouth-constently facial expressions

    • I’m on the same boat. I tried ep1 of Love Game but couldn’t even go beyond the first 10 minutes thanks to her never changing overdramatically cutie tiring high pitched voice. LOL. Esther’s heavy makeup doesn’t help her visuals either. I’ve never been impressed by her acting anyway. Therefore, Love Game is an easy pass for me.

      Pearl Girl’s dark theme is more appealing to me. Plots based upon computer games or VR are usually not up my alley unless leading cast have star power like Love 202 and You Are My Glory.

    • I could never even sit through a single ep of that Fairy devil drama she did with Dylan wang. It’s the terrible voice and the cutesy act. Don’t even needa talk abt acting.. also I’m someone who doesn’t find her pretty. Like at all. She’s just very very rich and a classic nepo baby tho tries to tell ppl in interviews that she doesnt enjoy any perks from it. Like pls..her father invested in the fairy devil drama. Most trained actresses in China don’t even get half her opportunities.

      • Only a few rich ones are willing to invest in their own drama though. Even well-established ones don’t do that. YSX is lucky because she have a supportive parent, hard working, and dont drag others whenever things dont go her way.

    • It gets better the longer you watch. The initial few episodes can be a bit dramatic at times, and yes, the facial expressions can be distracting this early in the show. But I’ve noticed that the longer the series go on, the less these issues crop up. She found her stride and it’s smooth by episode 5 or so. Idk, I had a good time watching and laughing. But I’m not planning on convincing anyone.

      • Don’t mind the YSX voice haters here. You can’t change their mind. They don’t appreciate Esther’s standard Mandarin and enunciation (even without subs, viewers can understand her). She also dubs herself in her dramas because of her standard Chinese. Like some people’s voices have a naturally higher pitch and that’s fine (see Yang Mi).

  11. Really depends on what data charts you are looking at. For vlinkage and Maoyan pearl girl is #1. Mostly love game and pearl girl is head to head on most charts therefore I wouldn’t say love game is slightly ahead. I would say it depends on the mood you are in. I agree with above poster in which pearl girl may attract more views from older folks and takes time to build up. I’m enjoying both right now but really depends on the mood. In terms of acting I would still say ZL shows more talents especially for the heart wrenching scenes. Esther is better for cutesy roles but that is not as challenging acting wise IMO.

  12. And yeah ZLS is not so great as an actress same about limited LYN (this guy is so lucky getting ML roles in big projects while actors trained actresses like ZongXi end up in short vertical dramaland cause the industry gatekeepers rejected her and shut the door). Still I expected this drama to top it all. Well it seems it is not hooking as much with viewers as I expected it would do.

  13. Love game was a pleasant surprise for me! Esther’s cute acting has made me drop dramas in the past, but the perfect balance of humor, fast-paced plot, and cast in Love game has made it a very enjoyable watch!
    DYX also took me by surprise, his acting is fantastic in this one so far, very convincing.

  14. The one that i used for data is Yunhe and Kuyun. Both have Love Game as the winner from the start so i agree that LGIEF ahead in terms of GP viewer.
    TSOPG is S++ drama, with more ads, so i think its bummer for the crew and cast that they can’t take the crown in terms of popularity.

    I personally needs something Fun rn, so no depressing drama. I enjoy LGIEF thoroughly, the cp chemistry so good, and overall drama is Fun

  15. I used yunhe and kuyun for popularity measurement, and LGIEF won on both from day 1, so yeah, they ahead in terms of GP viewer.

    I thoroughly enjoy LGIEF, more fun and the chemistry is there.

    TSOPG is S+++ drama, i think they expect the drama became the top 1 and the team got bummer rn.
    ZLS fans got this ridiculous theory that their drama got sabotage in douyin etc. Laughable, with S+++ capital in terms of marketing how could they think that way just because the drama not the top?
    It’s okay with the theory, but for slandering YSX because of it (and got hundreds likes on X) only proven how unhinged the fandom are. They talking about karma, don’t they afraid that their action only attract bad karma for ZLS 🙁

    • That fandom is just really unhinged. They constantly paint ZLS as a victim when she obviously was not the underdog in this “competition”. They have some conspiracy about YSX
      spending tons of money to block their ads? Do people actually believe that?

      • Yeah, with the only prove is that their content got deleted in douyin, yet LGIEF have that too. many content got deleted and blocked, the difference is LGIEF team quick with their responding and many feedback being considered.

        if they want to complain, go to youku. Don’t point finger to other artist.
        Many unhinged ZLS fans in X, and they keep slandering ysx to casual viewers

  16. LGIEF is giving me Inuyasha vibes, and I loved Inuyasha. The CGI is honestly pretty good. FoF is typical Guo Jingming all form and no real substance. He just picks a bunch of pretty people and throw them into a limited plotline story. I need to start Pearl Girl, but I read it was a bit more heavy with some really sad scenes in the beginning episodes. I enjoy both Esther and Rosy, so I’m glad both their dramas are doing well!

  17. I used yunhe and kuyun for popularity measurement, and LGIEF won on both from day 1, so yeah, they ahead in terms of GP viewer.

    I thoroughly enjoy LGIEF, more fun and the chemistry is there.

    TSOPG is S+++ drama, i think they expect the drama became the top 1 and the team got bummer rn.
    ZLS fans got this ridiculous theory that their drama got sabotage in douyin etc. Laughable, with S+++ capital in terms of marketing how could they think that way just because the drama not the top?
    It’s okay with the theory, but for slandering YSX because of it (and got hundreds likes on X) only proven how unhinged the fandom are. They talking about karma, don’t they afraid that their action only attract bad karma for ZLS 🙁

  18. I have only watched 1 episode of Love Game, and I thought it was super fun. I am also planning to watch Pearl Girl, as I like both Lusi and Liu Yuning. I don’t get why the two need to “compete”, they are extremely different shows and one is everywhere (it is also coming on Netflix, yay!), whereas the other is limited to Youku (and I just got a subscription to watch it…).

  19. I love the story of pearl girl! It’s so good. Story a bit predictable at times but got many little surprises here and there there. Totally worth watching and I can’t wait for the new episodes…and subscription to youku is not too expensive. Love game is cute and easy to watch but it’s not gut wrenching enough… hahaah

    • Yes, I’m impatiently waiting for the next episodes of Pearl Girl. Episode 10 was a game-changer. ML is showing that he knew DuanWu would see his scheme, DW gets to the next level and her hopeful contentment was very satisfying to watch after all that trauma, and then 2ML shows why he’s the 2ML, LOLOLOL. I find every episode pretty well-balanced with moments of dialogue and exposition and then quick action.

      Watched Love Game and have decided to stop until I know the ending because sometimes this kind of plot has an ending I don’t enjoy (it’s usually the ML’s doppleganger the FL ends up with).

  20. Environment around Pearl girl is really weird, up put it mildly. Asking so many people to promo it, her fans going insane with it, running around saying that the industry is rallying behind her to help her because she is so respected and a star, that setting off so many other fan groups, some other nonsense like WYB fans calling ZLS a B because they asked XZ and not WYB and attacking her all over because they feel like she slighted him.

    It’s like talking about Pearl is about the surrounding events, not the drama. That’s not a good thing.

      • She for some reason also has a lot of haters, it’s not just management or her team. If anything she is very positive, she always looks for ways to move forward or get better.

    • What set netizens off was the simultaneous, business-like promotions on the second day (when lgief surpassed pearl data on the first day, simultaneous posts from “friends” seemed like a desperate move). In contrast, Esther’s friends (from YWY2) and colleagues from recent collaborations (MJTY, Chinese Restaurant 8, Lin Yi fm Ski Into You, Tan Jian Ci, etc) promoted sporadically and with personal messages from the first day until yesterday (you know, not just a forwarded post; like they had this same promoter but the difference in the post was huge lol).

      Some of her promoters were also recently controversial (Zhou Yutong) and included internet stars. Not so good chat records and some voice messages were leaked too (not really sure about the details).

      As to XZ– lmao. Some of his fans rebelled after he posted and said they were gonna watch lgief instead. There was a controversy exactly four years ago that involved XZ being cyberbullied and it had something to do with zls’s post a few days after it was supposed to have died down but got it trending again. I think that also caused a certain producer (recently always mentioned in this blog) to shade zls as “green tea.” XZ fans remembered, thus it was a mess the other day over weibo. So entertaining as a passerby though.

      • Lol. There were no Xiao Zhan fans creating trouble for Zhao Lusi. Those were Wang Yibo fans. Zhao Lusi’s big fans caught them and put them in their place. They had it in their heads that Zhao Lusi wanted to work with Wang Yibo so when she asked Xiao Zhan to promote her drama they lost their minds and went on a rampage. Even on Twitter they’re calling her the B-word.

  21. I’m enjoying Pearl Girl very much. Love the nautical theme, swashbuckling pirate adventure vibes, a heroine worth rooting for, with 2 dashing MLs at her side, I have the confidence this drama won’t fail us.
    I’m also excited at all the accolades for Love Game, as I love Esther and Ryan, I’m holding this one for later as I’m not a fan of games genre.
    Lastly, I think celebrities rooting for each other’s dramas to show their frienships is so cute and heartwarming.

    • Thank you for seeing and accentuating the positive, instead of all the negativity that C-ent seems to thrive on.

      If you have friends or colleagues promoting your work, that can only be a good thing, but somehow, judging from these comments it’s perceived as bad. smh.

      I hope both dramas go the mile and am rooting for both of them. They both bring different things to the table. No need to pitt one against the other. But I guess discussions like these bring in traffic to the blog. No harm no foul.

  22. As much as I like ZLS and YSX (although cant stand when both of them trying to make cutesy voice sometimes but who I am to criticize God’s creation), I think people are leaning towards more LGIEF now. I saw people were questioning ZLS main lead qualification since they are saying she needs others to promote her drama instead of using her own star power. Its stupid but people are stupid. Its also sad because Pearl is not a bad drama and I’m waiting for it to air more eps before starting to binge watch it. Maybe Youku should think back on how to do their promotion properly or ZLS is gonna get the blame.

  23. While the unnecessary war rates, can anyone please tell what the individual opening ratings are. For both dramas. At least what’s the ratings please.

  24. If with the support of tip celebrities coming out in their numbers, SOPG still struggles to outrage LGEF, THEN I CAN ONLY SAY….. not to mention the male lead in story of pearl girl is more recognized than the one in love game…🤔 It’s no longer a balanced comparison in my opinion.
    No matter the result it’s already super heavy on one side
    And these actors favouring one above the other openly are funny. They seem so sure of the future.

    • Tencent is a much bigger platform than Youku and their marketing is heavier. Of course i dont agree with theories that TSOPG is getting sabotaged but i can see who’s spending more money on promo. LGIEF already has the marketing budget and tencent has more users so it only needed the plot to be good to have an advantage. Its still early to tell who will come up on top. The celebrities supporting zls are not all her friends, some of them have big projects on youku next, so they probably got asked by the platform to help. She is getting ridiculed for asking for help but its such a non issue, she worked hard on her drama so she wants it to do well. The bad thing is she’s getting the image of being too competitive. LGIEF is getting better reviews online but the numbers are very similar, the war is far from over.

      • Is ZLS really asking for ‘help’ and support from fans/friends? Is this typical behavior of hers? I mean, if she’s been like this from beginning, it’s a non-issue. Of course she wants to rally and support her own works. But if she’s only doing this now, it makes the situation very suspicious, like yes she’s trying to compete for ratings, even though the drama already has S+++ ratings. Just seems in poor taste – shrug-. Don’t get me wrong, I love ZLS and always catch her projects, but this seems a little too overt for attention.

    • @coralie she did admit she asked help from people, there was one who posted chat records.Its a bad move because it makes her look competitive, but for me its not a big deal. There is no historical S++ dramas being produced, its all mediaplay, if youku had so much money they would do better promo on social media instead of relying on celebs. All these producers coming out to say a drama its S++ or S+ are lying. Stellar is desperate for LGIEF to be a hit because they flopped twice with Love you seven times and Fox Spirit Matchmaker so the promo is heavy on their side.Thats probably why ZLS is trying whatever they can.

      • She did ask for help from friends and colleagues, obviously not forcing anyone who doesn’t want to and she admitted it but that’s because she said she had no choice, Youku barely did any promotions for the series and one way or another as the FL she must’ve felt she needed to get more word out there. If you could, wouldn’t you? I don’t think this is about ratings at all, but she just wants it to succeed not just for her but for everyone who worked on the show. This actually shows that she has some humility. She didn’t need to even say that she did ask for help in promoting it. In fact this is bad for the platform, and she just finished filming for this a few months ago and they already aired it. No one was expecting it to air so soon. That being said, I’m okay with ZLS but I can’t get with LYN for some reason, there’s something off with his acting here, or maybe it’s the styling?

      • @Lizzy8, how can this be that there’s no promotion from the platform? It’s been rated S++ right? Which means there are investors interested in promoting the drama post-production, and there’s lots of interest in the show? It sounds like by stringing all the A+ stars into rallying, they ARE doing something. Which is why ZLS doing it on her own feels weird.

      • Side-eyeing that youku is not promoting the show when they have more topics being pushed on various platforms and they deliberately set themselves up to air on the same day as lgief. Nothing wrong with promoting your own show, but you should have the script and directing to back you up so you can retain viewers. A good show doesn’t need promoting.

      • @Coralie, I’m with you. I keep hearing this stuff about it being an S+++ drama (the + signs are honestly getting ridiculous), but somehow poor ZLS has to go ask her friends to help promote. I saw the video clip where she talks about how she did ask people, and said she had no choice. I’m not sure of the full context. It’s not like she’s forcing people to support her, so I don’t see a problem with it.

        Either way, I don’t know why people can’t just be supportive of both. I plan on watching Pearl Girl, but it just seems more angsty and dramatic, so I want to wait for more episodes to come out first.

      • Amused at the fans bragging about this getting more funding and becoming S++ before the drama aired and now crying victimhood saying there’s no money for promo…

    • @ Liz for me there is nothing wrong with what she is doing and people are just seeing her side being competitive while neglecting the other side advantages.

      • Exactly, I don’t see anything wrong with it at all. And she is always so invested in any project she’s in, so I’m not sure why this is even a surprise in as much as this is the first time she’s done it.

  25. I’m watching both. Both are great dramas with very different concepts. I think both FL actresses are doing fine jobs with the characters they got in each. However, ML from Pearl girl is doing okay job, but ML from Love Game ate this one so hard. According to the ML performance alone, I would say Love Game is better.

  26. Started Love game in Eastern Palace because of the rave reviews. Episodes 1-6 was nothing new, quite predictable not enough action for a group of demon hunters. There have been so many of this type of story that my mother 5 minutes into episode one said she’s not going to travel to ancient times is she lol

    Episode 7 leveled up the action so hooked for now. The male lead is quite good and Esther Yu is better than I expected. The CGI also looks polished.

    No plan to watch Pearl girl, not a fan of Lui Yu Ning and his cringy acting.

    • No cringe at all. All the actors have improved over the years and it shows.. pearl girl is very watchable more than love game… just my opinion.. haha

    • LYN is way better than A Journey to Love, the last drama of his I watched. I think the writing matters a lot. His character and acting in Pearl Girl are quite appealing, only if his styling could be better. LOL

  27. Esther yu is a chameleon 🥰🥰 I love each and all her transformations in her dramas and even photos. I watched her in my journey to you is this the same assassin that I now see in love game?
    Estherrrrrrrr!!!!
    She’s effortlessly beautiful,cute, witty, dangerous looking and more

    • Lmao imagine calling trash Yunhe reliable. It’s an absolute worst platform where the only thing matters is how much money they are given. Smh

  28. Not a fan of Esther and some of her overly dramatic acting in LGIEF, but she’s good in some parts and boy is the drama addicting. Binged it to the current episode. Can’t forget Ding Yuxi and his puppy eye acting – He’s good!

  29. Pearl Girl is the only C drama I’ve ever been able to watch over 3 eps so far since the Double. LOL. I did not read the original novel (is there one?). Therefore, it’s fun for me to anticipate story development. ZLS as usual, has the charisma and star power to carry a drama herself. She is the main reason for me to follow this drama given that everything else isn’t that fabulous. Liu Yu Ning’s acting is solid and his character is more appealing to me than the one in A Journey to Love with Liu Shi Shi, only did I wish he could be more charismatic as other actors like Xiao Zhan or Wang Xing Yue in costume. But I think his acting in PG is decent enough to make me overlook his visuals and styling eventually. CGI is crap like CGI in all Cdrama LOL. I have already said this before per a pro CGI engineer/artist’s opinions who demonstrated what is good vs. bad in front of my eyes. Cdrama is still far subpar in this area in general. I’ll just cut slack on CGI. I’m overlooking CGI anyway although it should be an important element in the production values in a genre like this (quasi-fantasy?).

    So far, I’ve had fun watching several eps of PG. If fans like dark themes as I, PG is a recommendation for you. Otherwise, just look for merry go round. LOL.

    • Whaaaaa?!?!! I feel like LYN is super charismatic in his delivery, especially in this drama. I like that he acts with his whole body, and not awkwardly. Lol. I love the scenes where he’s telling her to use her brain. Most actors just say the line, but in the first scene where he says that line to her, he taps the side of her head, and in the second, he’s sitting down but gestures with his hand forward with a playful tone on. I love his mannerisms, and his talking and singing voices are so dreamy, I’m a total sucker for his pairing with ZLS.

      Yeah, CGI sucks lol, but the acting is so good and convincing across the board, it’s easy to overlook the poor visual quality of the drama because I believe the characters’ stories.

      • LYN’s acting is good in PG and so is his character more appealing to me. Nonetheless, I don’t like his styling and visuals here. He looked better in A Journey to Love while his character was a bit smarmy there. LOL.

  30. If the FLs were played by less popular actresses, these two dramas wouldn’t get compared since the dramas are so different. It’s sort of great that they’re airing together – like a cup of hot coffee with a chocolate croissant. The actors and actresses are well-matched to their roles.

  31. What’s up with Wang Yibo fans always sticking their nose in other people’s business? I’m sorry no one cared to ask your fave to promote their dramas. That doesn’t give y’all the write to try and cause fandom wars. They went crazy attacking Zhao Lusi’s drama, they gave it 1 stars and then turned around and pretended to be Xiao Zhan fans to try and cause fandom wars because they’re mad she didn’t ask him to promote. I’m glad Zhao Lusi fans caught them red-handed and called them out for their behavior. But now they’re on international media accounts spewing more lies. They need to get a life.

  32. I think YSX and LYN are an acquired tastes. The China audience might have a different taste vs international audience so some hated actors always get roles one way or the other. For instance, LYN started as a busker and has a big following in douyin (or the tiktok equivalent). YSX also made an impressive performance/run in a talent competition. (They’re all in YT.) So to say she got all the breaks on the merit of her being a nepo or rich kid is unfair to the work she had put in. I am not a fan, I *faint* just listening to her cutesy acting and voice, but I have to admit she nailed the image well. She has that niche that no one, not a ZLS, BL, YZ can do. So in that respect she can carry a persona that only she can pull off. And a lot of the web novels have that type of ditzy, klutzy heroine.

    If we say rich kid, then there’s the daughter of Huawei (whose family is waaay richer than Esther’s family). Yet even she needed to take on smaller roles.

      • @Hah I only said they did decent, meaning none of them flopped. He isn’t the male lead in Heroes and Eternal Brother, doesn’t make sense to count those two dramas. Unless you want to add all his other second male lead dramas like Legend of Anle and whatever else he has.

        AJTL was a success. Liu Shishi was the main draw, but LYN was the one that benefited most from it. He exploded into one of the big liuliangs after AJTL and his heat is still high now. LSS however didn’t seem to have capitalised much on the success of AJTL, she didn’t go on any variety shows, only filmed one new drama and attended the occasional fashion event.

        Be Your Own Light was decent.

        As for his future works, time will tell. Let’s see if he stands the test of time in the industry.

    • I agree for YSX because she already has multiple hits under her belt. I see comments criticizing her visuals and voice, but also many comments liking her unique style of acting. Which fits the acquired taste you talk about.

      But for LYN, the China audience don’t like his visuals and I hardly see any praise for him. I often see many comments questioning why he gets so many lead roles (not just lead roles, but lead roles alongside the most popular actresses). And the most frequent replies are: 1) He’s cheap 2) He can sing the OSTs and 3) He got the roles because he’s good at drinking with investors. In fact I think he is more well-received internationally judging by the comments here.

      • I question it too. That guy isn’t just weak in visuals, his acting is not good either, more than half the time his facial expressions are off.

      • LYN’s ML dramas all did decently in China despite netizens complaining about him. That’s goes to show that netizens complaints are not representative of the audience. Either that or they are watching the drama on purpose to complain about him.

      • @Lilith: True he is exceptionally bland in AJTL. He only has one expression when looking at the FL.

        @Well: Only A Journey to Love did well and you can argue its on Liu Shishi and the hype about her comeback to action costume dramas.

        Be Your Own Light – no buzz but understandable since its modern drama with older actress
        Heroes/Eternal Brotherhood – flopped. but fans can say he’s not the first male lead
        Pearl Girl – idk if it will do well in the future but currently its losing steam against love game in eastern fantasy and romance in the alley. besides, zhao lusi is the main attraction here.

        I don’t think thats a very good track record. But you are right he does attract buzz whenever his drama airs because there will surely be a flurry of complaints about his visuals. Maybe you think his drama did decently because there was alot of buzz about Prisoner of Beauty; but since that drama is on hold indefinitely, we’ll never know how well it does.

    • Agree with you on all points, I like LYN’s voice and him as an actor is not that bad comparing to other idol actors. Maybe I’m just weird but I start liking him in Ultimate Note, I thought he was funny there lol. YSX is funny and adorable as long as she is natural and not trying to be cutesy.

  33. I love liu yuning and zhao Lusi but I’ve read the manhwa for the guide for capturing black lotus multiple time so I just have to checked it out first,
    I also think that the manhwa is kind of ridiculous but it also one genre that always gonna be popular, isekai.
    So I think having love game in eastern fantasy have a head start makes a lot of sense in my pov

  34. I cannot believe people would even compare Zhao Lusi to Esther Yu. Zhao Lusi looks young but picks dramas that actually require real acting. Esther Yu is old but picks dramas that are all fluff and junk. She’s a wanna be idol trying too hard to act the young, innocent, dizzy type. Puke. People who pick Love Game in Eastern Fantasy want a drama for teenagers requiring no emotional depth or any actual thoughts. Story of Pearl Girl is a drama where you can see Zhao Lusi is again showcasing her range of acting.

    • Lol I already can tell you didn’t watch LGIEF. Just because it’s funny doesn’t mean it has no emotional depth or actual thoughts. In fact, IMO it has more emotional depth and actual thoughts than TSOPG so far. And sorry but not sorry, Zhao Lusi’s acting is still very superficial.

    • Just admit you hate YSX and be done with it. You can’t even make believable criticisms of a drama you’ve obviously made prior judgment on already. You sound more like those “teenagers” you’re trying to typecast as id1ots for watching something you don’t like. Go back to MDL and post your st**** comments there among peers.

    • YSX only became popular recently, of course she still needs to improve her acting by taking on roles along her comfort zone. She already tried one serious role which is MJTY and she proved herself versatile. Might still need improvements probably but definitely not bad. Your idol ZLS won’t reach her status today if not for those all fluff and junk dramas you are mocking. ZLS also have a lot of idol cutesy dramas like Tiger and Rose, Female Student, Oh my Emperor before she went on to serious roles like Long Ballad, LLTG and TSOPG.

      • YSX herself said she thought of transitioning to serious roles but a senior told her that she should work on becoming the best in something before doing so. So I don’t think she will go out of her comfort zone anytime soon. Why do so when she can stay in her comfort zone and continue to produce hits?

  35. I’m just happy there are 2 good dramas to watch. Personally following The Story of Pearl Girl first as the story is just so rich and deep, while not being too dramatic or depressing, the tough scenes don’t last too long beyond first few eps. Then somehow you’ll see her building her small victories and you can’t help but root for Duan Wu’s success.

    LGIEF seems great too but will wait for airing to complete. Honestly everyone’s been raving about it but personally not too excited about the FL. Watched LBFAD and MJTY before and her acting is just a bit lackluster and one dimensional so far

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