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

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• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

    • @Lilith, I am looking forward to start this drama ...

    • @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!

    • I agree...

• 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 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.

• 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.

  • Me too. I rather 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.

• 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.

  • And ZL drama even got upgraded to S+++ for promotion/marketing

  • 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.

    • Wait lusi with lay? Since when?, thats good point since luhan also endors her

    • 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

  • 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).