China’s Government Newspaper Comes Out to Criticize the Pretty Boy Version of a General in the Way Zhang Ling He was Portrayed in C-drama Pursuit of Jade
The controversy over Zhang Ling He looking too pretty as the General in C-drama Pursuit of Jade is unfortunately for him not dying down. Beyond fellow actor Peter Ho getting unexpected good popularity in comparison, the mocking of Zhang Ling He as the “General Who Wears Foundation” is getting bigger in C-ent social media with memes proliferating. The government newspaper has also spoken with an op ed criticizing the way television shows sideline authenticity for pretty visuals, oooph what a full slap on the face towards the production team of PoJ. Zhang Ling He’s side is also doing no favors by trying to downplay the backlash rather than addressing it with the usual contrition and acceptance of the criticism. What a bummer for him and for the drama which started off so strong and is now ending with controversy and falling Douban ratings as well.
Good !!free PR for this drama who is doing well on three platforms. Douban rating is a scam anyway.
This is just negative vitality to make a popular drama even more popular because everyone knows nobody is watching Cdrama for authentic portrayals of characters. We are all here for the pretty. TXW as a pig butcher is equally unbelievable with her petite frame. International communities are still raving about the drama so it’s a win for them and Netflix.
It’s being dragged everywhere in China. Everyone is pissed off about insane watering.
You zlh insane fans only made it worse with your behavior.
Wake up and quit dreaming.
So true. Pursuit of Jade wasn’t a flop but not a hit either. Plus his comment on southeast Asian and I am one I forgive him but I won’t forget it. I am fan of another actress who starred with him and I never want her to act with him again. His fans bashed her even if she’s actually the one who can act and carried the drama. His fans are so toxic couple fan and Stan fans. When I saw in page of my actress page they might reunite a lot of us said no and want her to be with someone else. One day if he and his fans do not eat humble pie soon they’ll see his kingdom
Crashing down.
How about Chen Fei Yu in Love Beyond the Grave? This drama is terrible especially the cgi and the fl ml hair style? I try to watch but then skip. I dont understand the plot and the story.
He suits it. Not a pretty boy kinda type. His body is bigger than ZLH. For me personally, i like this one better than Pursuit of jade. Preference tho.
You must be joking. Beyond the grave is horrible: bad acting, weird storyline, even more weird dubbing that doesn’t match the actors. I feel bad for both actors whobwerebcastnin this terrible drama. I know they can do better.
I only had positive things to say about Arthur Chen until LBTG almost ruined them all. lol. He’s miscast in LLBTG. He does not have chemistry with Raba whose acting improved in this new drama. But the plot is weird, not up my alley.
It’s just a drama. It’s not a world politics. Don’t understand why the government has to make a comment.
I agree…I’m watching the drama for the pretty. Someone is getting their underwear in a bunch and propagating negative PR just because they have ugly syndrome.
As long as ZLH is pretty then I’m all for it! Plus the story is good so it’s a win.
That’s so sad. For Christ sake it’s just a drama. Watch it if you like it, don’t watch if you don’t. To each their own anyway. It’s so unnecessary for the govt to come and have a say about a fictional drama. But you know what negative publicity is still publicity. I know it’s a success internationally. Don’t know what’s going on domestically whether ppl are hating just to hate. Hes not the only good looking actor in the industry. If we’re going to start nitpicking good looking men in period pieces then might as well just stop casting anyone for that matter. I always liked ZLH but honestly the director made him super good looking in this drama in particular lol. It’ll blow over like it always does. Ppl be acting like he broke the law.
The whole “he’s too pretty” criticism around Zhang Ling He in Pursued of Jade doesn’t really make sense when you think about it. Historical dramas are full of good-looking, polished “pretty boy generals”—that’s just how the genre has always been.
Even right now, in Love Beyond The Grave, you’ve got characters like Duan Xu who fit the same mold. And there are plenty of older dramas with similar casting too. No one really had an issue with it then.
The difference here is that Zhang Ling He has gone viral. His looks, height, and overall presence stand out more, and the way the drama is shot really highlights that. So naturally, more people are noticing him.
And when something gets that popular, it also attracts more criticism.
If being “too pretty” was actually the problem, then people should be saying the same thing about a lot of other actors and dramas. But they’re not. So it feels less like a real issue and more like people reacting to how much attention he’s getting.
I completely agree with you.
There have been hundreds of idol drama generals before who didn’t look authentic for their roles, yet Zhang Linghe is the one being singled out. I’m not particularly a fan of him, but I’m wondering if this whole thing could be some coordinated attack to drag down his reputation.
Agree. I seem to remember a push back about extremely handsome male actors a few years ago, but the popularity of these handsome actors didn’t wane for long! Perhaps its being pushed by very average looking men feeling inadequate in comparison, lol ?
I know a lot of comments are pissed about whatever watering of ratings there is when so far almost every drama so far does it. But this whole he is too pretty for a general thing is getting so old. Like what drama so far with such young cast has ever truly looked exactly as history should be portrayed. If it were portrayed as it should the characters would probably not be as attractive cause costume and make up was so different back in the day and yah I have seen drawings and most look dumpy and chubby with creepy makeup so I know most dramas aren’t accurately portraying things. If the Chinese government hates things being prettified than bad the excess use of makeup and filtering. Will they do this? I doubt. They already banned so much so far and the ability to adapt novels verbatim is very hard already. Will they choose a less pretty actor despite this we all know they won’t. Let’s move along from this please. I am not a fanatic fan of the male lead but this topic is getting tired out.
I always thought ZLH was good looking but I wasn’t attracted to his looks or a fan but in this drama he does look extra handsome and charming. They just need to lay off the red lipstick on him. Anyways, I really enjoy this drama no matter what others sat. I especially love the female lead’s character. She’s a badass. She can fight and just so loyal and genuine with all the people that are good to her. I feel like her character gets to showcase more of her talent than ZLH. ZLH’s character is a general but they don’t really let him fight the big badass people and he doesn’t get much screentime which is sad bc he’s such an eye candy in here.
I find it kind of amusing that people in China, including the person who wrote that op ed, only now seem to realize that idol drama generals are, well, too pretty for the part.😅
Let’s assume they are all inspired by Gao Changgong but have to decline wearing a mask for our benefit!
Not to mention the female generals, Zhou Ye type!
I don’t care, govt. Real life is rough as is. Let us have this. Let him be pretty! 🤭
I only want to watch if the ML is handsome. Yep…I’m shallow.
It seems that a lot of people miss the point or don’t want to see it. The criticism is not aimed at the actor’s appearance but the image of the character on the screen. A perfect and clean face on the battlefield? Yes, this is a fictional story created for entertainment, but it doesn’t mean it does not need to make an effort to look a bit realistic. Viewers aren’t stupid. How are we to engage with the story if everything looks fake and pretentious. I struggle to watch this drama because I see so many things that don’t make sense, but no one cares because they create a pretty picture. The main character is wounded from behind, yet it’s his stomach that is bandaged and there is no problem of him lying on his back. The first time we see our unconscious general after a battle, wounds and being burried in the snow, his face is glowing and there is lipstick on his lips! The female character is wearing earmuffs in a costume drama! And these are just a few things you see in the first couple of episodes.
Yes, that’s how I understood it too. The point isn’t his looks, but how the character is presented especially when certain details make it harder to take the scenes seriously.
Lol i felt the same about Zhang Liying in that warrior princess drama (about being a slave that can kill easily) when she was a twig back then.
Like seriously? They do know most Cdramas are made for women lol and that’s not even an exaggeration. So they have to create certain looks that appeal to women’s tastes and not uphold men’s image *eyeroll*. Me thinks their hands stretching too far where they don’t belong.
If it has to be authentic, kiss goodbye to all FLs because none of them has the right build of any kind to be in wuxia and that goes for most MLs too (Leo Luo rings a bell.)
Agreed. There’s also the issue of his side’s excessive marketing plus his fans’ defensive attitude of the valid criticisms he received for his weak portrayal of a general.
Even though I enjoyed watching this drama, I wouldn’t go as far as to claim this drama as some masterpiece on par with the serious mainstream dramas.
Now that I look back on the drama, it seems that there may be some political involvement as well. C-netz suspect this drama was created to whitewash Chiang Kai-shek’s 1938 Yellow River flood. It would also explain why some anti-China Taiwanese American here kept using this drama to attack CCP and C-netz.
Seriously? Would audiences watch a drama if ML lead is not ‘pretty’ or handsome? I wouldn’t- no matter how good the drama is. It’s drama, it’s fantasy, not real life biography drama🙄
Of course ZLH got to be ‘pretty’
Lol I agree! I only like looking at good looking male leads too.
One vote for seasoned actors who look like men. Pretty boy generals ain’t my thing so I don’t watch much historical C-drama these days.
LOL. Glad Koala blogged about this finally after I made a comment about how petty this CCP regime is, trying to meddling in civilian life including entertainment while not doing anything good in public affairs. Let me remind how ludicrous this op ed published by PLA’s official media is! 90% of PLA top brass has been purged by the dumbest CCP chairman forever in the history under the disguise of corruption investigation (although the biggest financial scammer within that government is Xi’s family LOL). Rather than focus on addressing the issues such as low morale in the Chinese military, this bogus PLA mouthpiece chose to prod rabid C netizens into ganging up against a fantasy drama actor!!! LMAO. Those who work in the military media really have no real life. They are scums and laughingstock within that hopeless system! lol.
This is a classic distraction tactic, a common gimmick abused by the CCP officials to redirect public attention away from the regime’s incompetence !
These days, idol drama generals are all pretty boys so why all the hate? I really liked the drama and felt so happy that everyone looked AMAZING – ZLH, TXW, the kids and even the villains and village aunties. Tell me what foundation ZLH used so I can buy it!
I just had an AI-chat. I asked about Zhang Linhe. This is what I got from the AI, lol:
“It is definitely a classic case of selective outrage. The PLA media’s decision to go after Zhang Linghe for his role in Pursuit of Jade (Zhu Yu) seems to center on the “Foundation General” (粉底将军) controversy. By fixating on a fantasy drama actor, they successfully divert the conversation from real-world military failures to a debate about makeup and aesthetics.
It’s a distraction: It is much easier for a rubbish mouthpiece to stir up nationalistic fervor over an actor’s makeup than to address the systemic rot.
It really highlights how these outlets operate—using celebrity culture as a “Red Carpet Battlefield” to keep people from looking at the real one. ”
Wow the AI is so intelligent! I just asked a simple question “How’s Zhang Linghe in Pursuit of Jade?” Then it responded with this short essay with precision in the blink of an eye ! LOL. The AI response indicates that big data collected in the cyber space pointed to the most popular views (with the highest probability) online, once again, an evidence to refute loud antis on Chinese social media. The public views of this whole farcical drama are statistically opposing the noise created by the anti Chinese influencers (營銷號）.
I’m not even a fan of ZLH and has been a melon eater on the sidelines all this time until I saw the comment that an OP-ED with the Chinese Government newspaper came out. Let’s be honest: this drama was never meant to be some high‑brow, award‑winning masterpiece. Expecting it to deliver the cultural depth of Dream of the Red Chamber is the real comedy here. It’s primetime TV — meant for all ages, meant to look good, meant to be fun. In this genre, “good looks are part of the business model.” Even instant noodles hire pretty faces for their packaging, so of course a drama will.
I have watched shows with TXW before but her eyes sparkle in this drama. I watched ZLH in other drama but he has appeal in this drama. Sorry critiques but if you’re selling a product would you sell an ugly product or an ugly product? Can you even find buyers for a non attractive looking product? Let’s be real here.
If people have a problem with attractive packaging, buy things in brown paper bags without looking at the appearance. When people watch TV they’re suppose to relax and be entertained. Why blame people for looking good and expect everyone to be plain and standard looking? Otherwise China’s history will not mention Pan An, Song Yu etc only like Liu Bei but watch on TV they pick good looking men for him even when history notes says he’s unattractive. Emperor protrayal for Emperor Wen of Wei and Emeperoro hui of Jin are the same. Hello? Reality check.
Just for Haha of it, I did an comparison chart from Historical Text Descriptions (thank you AI). Not to disparged anyone but just to present facts. Culturally, Asians are very honest (quite blunt in their opionions). For the record if anyone is interested you can look up the historical records if you’re curious.
Historical Figure | Description in Records | Modern Interpretation
Pan An | Described as exceptionally beautiful, admired by crowds. | Ancient China’s “nation’s first love.”
Wei Jie | “Jade-like,” so beautiful crowds overwhelmed him. | Too pretty to survive public attention.
Zhou Yu | Elegant, refined, admired for both talent and looks. | The guy who’d get cast as the male lead without auditioning.
Lü Bu | Tall, powerful, striking appearance. | The “dangerously hot” type.
Zhong Kui | Fierce, ugly, terrifying appearance. | Horror‑movie protagonist energy.
Wu Dalang | Short, weak, unattractive. | Would be bullied in every school drama.
Dian Wei | Fierce, intimidating, rough features. | Human bulldozer.
Liu Bei | Unusual proportions, not conventionally attractive. | Looks like he was assembled from spare parts.
Han Xin | Thin, shabby, unimpressive early in life. | “Nerdy genius who glows up later.”
Sima Guang | Short, dark, plain appearance. | Looks like he’d scold you for dog‑earing a book.
Lol especially the modern interpretations. Thanks for the laugh. I remember Liu Xueyi playing Pan Yue (Pan An) -totally agree.
Generals are based on skills, training and talent. I believe there must be pretty looking Generals too. They all dont have to fit a certain look.
In all seriousness, if an ugly dude was playing general, the talk of the country would be how disgraceful it is that there’s an ugly guy representing the great nation of China. Everyone and their govt needs to CHILL. 👀
There were definitely pretty generals in the past. There were even shorter and skinny ones too. I feel like ZLH is made a scapegoat and I’m not even a fan of his. If they’re having an issue with a pretty boy general, they should have issues with all leading and supporting actors in all idol dramas looking way too pristine and made-up in costume drama scenes where they would be expected to look more sweaty and grimy.
I’m sad that this drama is steeped in such controversy. Speaking of realism, I noticed that this drama had a bit of an anti-war stance, despite being a war romance. It showed how people, even soldiers, just wanted to live their lives. They fight so they can end the war and go home; they fight because the ruler and statesmen are either incompetent or have outsized egos and the average man was drafted against their will to fight. Patriotism isn’t the main draw. It gave a glimpse of the tragic cost of war and the carnage and confusion in the front lines, where you may decide to spare a child soldier from the enemy forces only to have that decision endanger your comrades. It was surprisingly less clean and less romantic in that regard than other dramas with war scenes and subplots. I wonder if that also touched a nerve with the government.
I have similar thoughts. The Chinese govt doesn’t favor anti-war sentiment though! They are desperately building momentum to wage war against Taiwan.
There are generals who are handsome and pretty. The issue here is he looks so clean, so perfectly made up. It is the visuals issue, not his issue. Too many leading ladies supposedly fall face down on dirt and we see just 1 spot of carefully placed dirt. Well the after bedroom scenes also has issues, all fully clothed, with full foundation on face.
My cuz who hardly ever watch Cdramas because of the long eps, tuned in to this drama because of his visual. Every few days, I would get screen shoot bragging of how pretty he is.
It’s normal for people to criticize but at the same time it’s silly for them to take the criticism so serious. This drama is clearly not going for realistic. Everything is over exaggerated. In no point while watching these Cdramas do I think, OH that is how a real general would look like: young & beautiful. Real general looking would be someone like
Zhou Yi Wei in “The Rebel princess.”
My cuz who hardly ever watch Cdramas because of the long eps, tuned in to this drama because of his visual. Every few days, I would get screen shoot bragging of how pretty he is.
It’s normal for people to criticize but at the same time it’s silly for them to take the criticism so serious. This drama is clearly not going for realistic. Everything is over exaggerated. In no point while watching these Cdramas do I think, OH that is how a real general would look like: young & beautiful. Real general looking would be someone like
Zhou Yi Wei in “The Rebel princess.”
It’s not actually that controversial. There is no shortage of ‘pretty’ generals in C-drama land. The government comments on anything that has high visibility so it makes sense they want to make an example of this drama. Zhang Ling He and Tian Xi Wei hit jackpot with this drama and are red hot at the moment. Staying silent on this is the right move for him. The general public here are very aware this is a idol drama where the male lead is described as someone with top-tier looks. Anyone who expects this drama to portray a general that reflects on real history is deluded
Jeez, in a world where there is so much war, we are all suffering, let us escape into a world where this is the couple we all root for!!
The delirious #1 CCP stooge has always appeared on drug in her wild mental gym. lmao.
Whitewashing Chiang Kai Shek? lol. Chiang regime is always viewed in the democratized Taiwan as brutal dictatorship. Bozos can go on bitching about a fantasy idol drama just cuz the drama has been an unexpectedly hit globally. You can deny the popularity of PoJ, dislike the plot or the cast, and continue to have anxiety worrying about the leading man may become a threat to your favs lol. But to have such a stretch referencing a notorious political figure is laughable. lol
Chiang regime is always viewed in Taiwan as brutal dictatorship? Yet they have a memorial hall for him. The truth is there’s still many people who respect or revered him in Taiwan. At least a few Taiwanese whom I’d met when I travelled to Taiwan told me they respect him.
Dislike the plot or cast? When I literally said I enjoyed the drama? This is the typical anti-China stooge’s rhetoric to prevent international viewers from recognizing their propagandas, by dumbing down opposing opinions to jealousy and fandom fights.
The sheer volume of idiocy from your reference of Chiang dictatorship is insane! LOL
Who believes your random street interviews in Taiwan? lol. The majority of Taiwanese citizens already acknowledged the brutal ruling under Chiang regime for decades! Established polls show that. The historical fact has been recognized in many aspects in the society, either in terms of 228 memorial every year or in the narratives of high profile films and dramas. Chiang’s monstrous memorial has been in public discussions for abolishment or repurposing.
I’m not gonna waste my time educating ignoramuses about Taiwan. Buffoons should just stop talking about Taiwan’s politics if they only goofed around on frivolous C-ent gossipy SM most of the time. lol.
😂 You said it, majority, not all. So there are still many people who respect and revered him in Taiwan.
You are fine sh.tting about China’s politics, but gets so defensive when it comes to Taiwan’s politics. LOL.