Zhang Ling He to Follow Up Pursuit of Jade Criticized General Character with Another Warrior and General Role in Next Drama The Road to Glory
So I’m not one to jump on the Zhang Ling He criticism bandwagon for looking too pretty boy and clean as a general in C-drama Pursuit of Jade. There were plenty such flower boy actors in similar visuals for such roles in recent years so it’s not like he’s an outlier, he was just sitting at the wrong place wrong time to become a target. He seems to have weathered it now that PoJ has finished airing and the criticism died down as netizens moved on to the next topic. However he’s playing another general type character for his next drama The Road to Glory (归鸾 Gui Luan) with Jelly Lin and it seems like playing with fire to get back on the small screen in such similar fashion. To be fair he accepted and started filming the drama before PoJ aired and the blowback happened so it’s not a deliberate choice, so it will be interesting to see if viewers can watch him with fresh eyes when this airs and judge the role/visuals on its own merit. The filming stills look fine to me, he’s still very good looking lol but I’m not seeing anything terribly out of step.
I’m shallow. I watches Cdramas for entertainment purposes. I feel the strong urge to flood my eyes with tons of eyecandies, real world has been throwing out too many trashes and uglies day in and day out. If China doesn’t want beautiful generals on screen, we international viewers will take them in a heartbeat.
He still looks prettyboy-like, to me. Shouldn’t they make an effort to grunge/beef him up a tad just to say they’ve made an effort to comply with the directive from the Chinese authorities?
Perhaps they have/are and just haven’t released those photos yet.
Hmm the foundation in these stills does not seem as heavy. For me it is the angry eyebrows that seem to detract from his pretty boy image. That and the styling is not as dainty as poj. It’s fairly different and seems scruffier but man he is so skinny though and being that skinny makes it harder to take him serious for such a role as the general that the government whined for.
In the legendary film, Lord of the Rings, all Elvish warriors are described in the book as fairer than all earthly creatures. Elves are generally taller than Men. They are described as lithe, slender, and graceful. Every one of them looks ethereally beautiful and pristine, even in the thick of battle, by human standards. Most C actors would be disqualified from such a role because of their looks. lol
On the contrary, in the iconic TV series, Game of the Thrones, the warriors – from honorable knights down to squires – all appear stern and brawny. They all look dirty, fierce, and formidable when fighting.
Regardless of the contrast in their looks, these mighty warriors from both stories all turn into ferocious beasts in the thick of battle. Peter Ho WHO? Next to these actors, Peter looks like a frightened chick dwarfed by giants! LOL
Bold talk for someone who elevates Peter Ho to diss Zhang Linghe !!! Pot calling the kettle black! 五十步笑百步！！ (This is basic slang for delulu @Lilith the language CZAR to learn. LMAO)
At the end of the day, it’s about the plot and the fun factor! Who cares about the makeup? Just let people enjoy their armored eye candy in peace. lol.
If the makeup looks good, there’s no problem to me. But I heavily dislike when actors’ faces looks white and their neck darker. LOL. I’m also not a fan of male leads looking like twinks (with the overly pink lipstick, blush and whatnot). I like my men to look manly and good-looking, it’s not that hard. C-Ent has a lot of actors with nice bone structure and features. Most can’t act though.😂
Zhang Linghe’s acting is still underveloped (?) to me, I take Pursuit of Jade as just an exception for him. He still needs to prove himself, I hope he does because most of the underdogs I liked, are now on the fluke side.😂
I can’t reconciliate with the, “I just watch for the eye-candy”. In that case, I prefer to look an edits of them on Tik Tok or Youtube, plot and direction STILL matters to me.
Not even dramas on HBO are realistic. It’s just cope.
To be fair, nothing on screen is 100% realistic! But when it comes to serious filmmaking, you’ll find that HBO’s warriors and fight scenes are much closer to reality than those in C-dramas.
Your comparison between Chinese actors and the elves from Lord of the Rings made me laugh, precisely because the white actors in the roles had to undergo several hours of detailed makeup, touch-ups, and color correction in post-production (as seen in the behind-the-scenes footage) to come close to the description in the original source material, and while the result was pleasing to the eye, technically none of them had the ethereal features described in the novel — it would have been even worse if they’d gone au naturel. LOL. Attractive Chinese actor and actresses could fit the role of elves if we take into account their features, which tend to be on the delicate side. That is why Chinese mythology tales and derivative works emphasizes the human-like characteristics of mythical creatures (such as Baihu and Ao Bing) because they have real-life referents to play around with. As a side note, Yan Yikuan’s face was mentioned as a likely model for characters in games that use 3D/CGI.
Peter Ho is just a man with a rough appearance, which comes across as manly because of the brutality he exudes. The association of virility with looking rough is deeply rooted in several cultures around the world, including my own. Ho’s visuals are ordinary, they are useless to make the comparison between “pretty boy” vs “manly and good-looking.”
For better or for worse, makeup is part of the visuals in a production; it matters enough that we notice when it looks exaggerated on the face and contrasts with the skin on the rest of the body.
Actors either need a strong build (Hu Yitian is almost on my blacklist because of his lousy acting, but he looks fine in fighting scenes. Yan An as well) to look convincing OR their stage presence has to be gripping to make an impression. I don’t take them seriously when it looks like the sword is carrying them. LOL. Zhang Linghe did it right in POJ, he was able to project strength. The same applies to male leads who aren’t tall and need to shift the focus away from their “disadvantage” towards their assets.
I don’t disagree with your points about the makeup, though. C-ent arguably has some of the worst makeup artists in the industry. What they achieved in PoJ (Pursuit of Jade) is a rare gem.
My main point is that an actor’s appearance is irrelevant to their warrior aura on screen. The script’s description is what matters most. ZLH’s pristine looks actually do justice to the hero, who was described as being ethereally beautiful at all times. Honestly, it’s a joke to compare his character with Peter Ho’s Xiang Yu, who didn’t even feel realistic as a warrior god. lol. Want to talk about a real “fighting beast” comparison? Game of Thrones is the gold standard for that. lol. Calling Peter Ho a great general? That’s ignorant! Compared to GoT, C-drama action sequences look like high-end cosplay. Looking rugged and ugly isn’t enough to sell the warrior vibe. lol
You’re spot on about how an actor projects a ruthless vibe on screen. I totally agree.
@Somebody, GoT is one of the series that I can’t get into. I’ve picked it up a bunch of times only to end up dropping it. LOL. The implementation of sexually explicit content (the original source doesn’t have it) and “taboo” topics as an impulse to consider it a mature project has always been laughable to me.
I recently watched the Chinese film Creation of Gods (2023) and found it decent enough as a Chinese mythology installment. I look forward to seeing how the sequels that have already been confirmed will play out.
China is culturally rich, one would expect that in its period dramas in particular there are innovative stories. But perhaps Chasing Jade, Fated Hearts and The Double can establish a predecent. The are solid moves.
Looking rugged isn’t enough for us women who like to see a good stage presence accompanied by striking visuals if possible (especially when that’s how the characters are described), but men will usually definitely buy Peter Ho. LOL. There are several studies on how no matter how much aura an actor has, if he doesn’t look “macho/manly/stallion”, it will be difficult for them to take him seriously. As I mentioned before, it’s on the culture. Lol. But it’s a good thing that we’re mostly women in idol drama audiences. There are derogatory connotations about it, especially when it comes to romance but there is nothing to be done about it.
People have recommended Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy because of its world-building, so I think I’ll check it out. It stars Shawn Dou, who’s one of my favorite Chinese actors.
The artistry of Game of Thrones is defined by its “visceral realism,” a style that grounds high fantasy in gritty, tangible textures and complex sociological storytelling. Its visual identity is not merely about spectacle but about immersive world-building where every costume, set, and camera angle tells a story of power, history, and survival. The presentation style of the show is raw! For example, the depiction of combat and its aftermath is intended to show the “actual horrors and reality of violence” rather than stylized action; the presentation emphasizes “mud, blood, sex, and sweat,” making the world feel tangible and lived-in rather than “squeaky clean” or sterile.
No C-drama director’s work can currently match Game of Thrones in terms of thematic depth and the sheer scale of its scene construction. In my opinion, no C-director has reached the bar set by GoT for deep storytelling and intricate world-building.
With how graphic and raunchy GoT is, it’s obviously not targeting the typical Asian drama crowd that appreciates “sanitized” and tame stories. I’m pretty desensitized to the graphic scenes in GoT. The graphic parts of GoT don’t bother me at all. Lol. Rather, the plot is so intense that it has me on the edge of my seat constantly. This is the standard I look for in top-tier fantasy.
I disagree that men would find Peter Ho convincing. That’s precisely what I’m saying. When you compare him to the raw realism of GoT’s combat scenes, his portrayal of a ‘warrior god’ feels thin. A tan and a rugged look don’t make a warrior. I’m not blaming Peter personally; it’s just that Cdrama direction makes these scenes look like kids playing with wooden sticks compared to the scale of GoT.
Welp, I didn’t mean to drop a mini critique essay, lol. Honestly, I’m just here for fun and don’t usually take C-dramas too seriously. Still, this was a great talk!
@Somebody. I was referring to Asian men in particular, it will be easier for them to buy the supposed virility of a man who looks like Peter Ho, than one described as a “pretty boy”, even though the qualities to be a warrior/heroe have no intrinsic relationship with physical appearance. My opinion is based on info I’ve read. In a survey collected by the South China Morning Post (CCP dislike it), male East Asians between 19-35 years old were asked about the “standard” looks for a warrior. They pointed out that the first impression enters through the eyes. LOL.
Japanese men also tend to have preferences for male characters from anime who look manly (Guts from Berserk, or Jotaro from JJBA).
Between Peter Ho, the warriors from Game of Thrones, and a pretty boy, the latter would be out of the equation. It’s simple, overall men do care about looking macho.
I remember when Batman (ft Robert Pattinson) wasn’t released, most of the criticism that came from men was based on the fact that, because of his appearance, he wasn’t going to be convincing. No one talked about screen presence or skills. But the women involved in the discussion did want to give him the benefit of the doubt.
It’s not related to film or TV, but there are K-pop groups that began to see increases in male fans once they gained muscle and reduced the glamour of idols.
I almost forgot, not long ago I saw a couple of reviews on Tiktok about Chasing Jade. The men in the comments were complaining about why a general wears makeup and doesn’t have prominent muscles. They may not have even seen the drama, but they certainly weren’t interested in seeing how ZLH conducted itself on screen. There were even some who wrote about why Netflix likes to promote things that have men who look “gay”.
@Somebody. It is a matter of preferences. I stopped having in stories with visceral realism a long time ago. I also couldn’t focus on Outlander (also noted for its strong plot and tension) for this very reason. I consumed works with suggestive content before (especially through manga in the seinen genre), but I began to appreciate works that dealing with complex themes as well, managed to handle them without the easy resource that is explicitness (sexual in particular). There are instances when it feels out of place and I wonder if it is truly necessary. There is a fine line for it to become complete vulgarity and bad taste.
I’m already checking out Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy. EP1. It’s going well. I’ll still keep low expectations, you know how C-dramas are. LOL.
Hmmm, I don’t mind watching him in a similar role again. I’m always down for more eye candy. lol
If I wanted to watch a genuine warrior or were looking for gritty realism, I’d go find a serious drama on HBO. lol. C “serious” drama and “serious” actors? Stop joking!
If the role is similar and he becomes versatile with his mannerisms, it will be great. If not, boring for me.
The only unfavorable thing about the physique of these Chinese actors is the thinness of their bodies. They look great in costume dramas because the pile of fabric gives them volume and harmony, but in modern dramas and in real life with fewer layers, they can look like it’s hard for them to fit especially into suits. South Korean actors have better bodies. Zhang Linghe is no exception, I’d like to see him with more muscle.
I don’t disagree with you about C actors’ physique though. That may be one of the reasons that I don’t appreciate C modern dramas that much. Besides, heavily powdered faces just look unattractive in modern dramas. I also think C actors should tone down their makeup in costume dramas. They don’t need thick powder to look pretty. lol
LOL, I vote for eye candy. My eyes wants to appreciate what I see. As long as the acting is not horribly bad then I have no complaint.
Remove the filters on his face and let’s see how many still think he’s a pretty boy lol
Yeh but, we have our preferences and all, however there just happens to be that little diktat from on high/the authorities. Does still pretty-ish boy ZLH pass? I mean, he’s the pretty boy straw that broke the camel’s back, shouldn’t he be going all out warrior hunk fierce this time out? That in the photos above isn’t that.
Why does he gets all the heat when all these Chinese actors wear tones of heavy makeup in their drama. I swear I haven’t watched any Chinese Drama for the passed 10 years because all the makeups makes the ML look so sissy. I’m glad ZLH is a different story that’s why I can watch POJ. I started to watch his other dramas, his acting is not so good but he did improve. Looking forward to The Road To Glory. Became a fan of his now.
Yes, they look better with few makeup.
Well he will get a very good beard in the later part of the drama hehehe
As a fans of costume drama since years ago..I really like the styling of recent costume and hairstyling..and I don’t mind with the heavy make up to..It just similar when we watch chinese opera..
My suggestion is, if something works for you, like being super good looking, keep going with it. If I were ZLH, I would amp it even more, no matter the criticism. Put a catwalk in your historical drama and play the song “Model”, strut around like you own it.
The song is called, “Base Gets Bumpin”.
He looks amazing in these shots.
“Pursuit of Jade” made me fall in love with C-dramas all over again.
I feel bad for the scrutiny ZLH will be under. However, there is a ton of lookism in the idol cdrama industry and its consumers (and the weight expectations are insane!) and this drama falls into the idol drama category, so he’ll be fine.
They should do more Langya Wang lol. They should have nothing to complain about because the Famous General is suppose to be super handsome and more beautiful then a woman so he need to wear a mask in battle otherwise people don’t take him seriously? So really just because a general is very handsome and pretty boy don’t mean he can’t be a general. Nowadays in Dramaworld even woman can be generals and butchers or all those roles historically only men do.
Dramas are just fantasy entertainment that people don’t take seriously and just a means for escapism. Like all CEO are handsome and young. It’s very silly to think they think this will fry people’s brains.
It’s like saying you fashion, skincare and makeup companies don’t hire beautiful, well figured and good skinned models because normal people don’t look like that. Lol
“More beautiful than a woman”. LOL. If the woman in question is not even good-looking, why it is even a topic for discussion or comparison?😂
A male lead who in addition to being eye-candy also has a manly appeal, it’s a fest to me. I don’t consider Zhang Linghe a pretty boy because he doesn’t have any feminine or soft features in contrast, it’s just that the makeup they tend to wear on him gives off the look that reminds me of K-pop idols, who by the way, look better without him. They look less empty.
without it*
I never expect to read thoughtful comments here. LOL. There is always a rabid user making cuestionable points, so I am grabbing my popcorn. But the atmosphere here is pleasant compared to what I have seen of Xiao Zhan’s fans (yes, accounts dedicated to him for years) on Tiktok/X launching attacks on Zhang Linghe. They reminded me of BTS’s deranged fans who can’t accept when a group other than them is on the rise or receiving a major recognition. LOL. A complex of unnecessary insecurity.
They are fans of extremely popular names, but they are annoyed by those who are on the rise. I thought the sun could shine for everyone.
FYI, Zhang Linghe’s fans attacked Xiao Zhan first, but they are playing the victim rather than admit the negativity they initiated. How shameless.
The Zhang Linghe glazing is strong but it’s evident that he’s going to stagnate like Wang Xing Yue. Lol. He’s just a fluke, lucky to have been in THE DOUBLE. So many comparisons with Xiao Zhan in vain, Wang Xing Yue only showed that without the help of the director, he has no purpose of his own to act well. Nor does he make an effort.
I don’t think Xiao Zhan’s visuals are particularly outstanding, C-Ent has a lot of attractive actors with good bone structure, both for face and body. But what is a fact that no one is going to change is that Xiao Zhan is a DEDICATED actor, with passion for what he does. It didn’t take him even three years to level up in each project. The other two are a laughing stock, one day they act well another day they don’t. They go and go, until their credibility goes down completely. There are already many cases like them in C-Ent, but you are not ready for this conversation.
Discussions about money, popularity, rankings or numbers in general are soulless. If we talk about talent, we talk about talent, which is the number one component for an actor. It’s funny that Zhang Linghe hasn’t defined it yet. Xiao Zhan has plenty of it and has been for a long time. Why compare a good actor with a mediocre one?
@MIRNA.
You fans of the dastardly Zhang Linghe are obsessed with Xiao Zhan to the point that you compare his fans to the trash that is ARMY. Calm down. Zhang Linghe was lucky to participate in Chasing Jade, let’s bet he won’t have half the same success afterwards. He’s a subpar actor who only can be useful with one type of director. Lmao. So there’s nothing to save in him. Xiao Zhan is talented by his own merits.
Agree, @Mirna. Xiao Zhan’s rabid stans gnawed at me on X when I mentioned their low behavior. They even call me fake fan. Gosh. I’ve been supporting him since 2017, even traveling to see him at Milan Fashion Week this year. There’s nothing wrong with recognizing deranged behavior in our own fandom. It is not the first time this has happened.
I get called a fake fan just for supporting other artists, even though XZ is my ult. Some of these rabid followers are so lunatic – it’s like they have an authoritarian complex like CCP. lol
Oh Zhang Linghe’s st*pid fan, do you think he’s at Xiao Zhan’s level, just because you guys have your panties wet thanks to his visuals? Jajaja. He can’t act. So what if there was a fan account of Xiao Zhan insulting him first. All fandoms do it all the time. And Zhang Linghe himself has asked for it since he’s fraudulent.
He is not a good actor at all. There are far better dudes with great expression and skills, only heavy make up filters shouldn’t be there in dramas but delulu are full dumb with his virtual face card. Xiao Zhan on top!
Zhang Linghe is an eye candy but his acting is average. Deng Kai is more expressive and is a better actor just considering Pursuit of Jade. Loool. Also, Linghe’s face is too modern for costume dramas.
They tried to attack Zhou Yiran as well.😔
I didn’t expect to see Zhou Yiran mentioned here. But I recommend Twelve Letters and Reborn as a showcase for his solid acting. He’s a promising actor.
Replies are proving Mirna’s point. Xiao Zhan fans act like a cult. On the other hand, I was never really a fan of Zhang Linge. Unlike other stars that I like as people or for their talent (Cheng Lei, Xiao Zhan, Li Qin, He Lan Dou), ZLH is purely eye candy. I wouldn’t watch a show just for him, and I also won’t NOT watch a show just because of him. People are overreacting.
They’re predictable though. As soon as they start losing an argument or their faves don’t measure up to certain artistic standards, they start listing every possible award, follower count, and rankings. LOL. Just like Kim Soo Hyun’s fans used to do every time I wrote that his co-stars made a bigger impression on me. When you don’t let yourself be swayed by factors unrelated to skills, that’s when THEY start going through a psychosis that ends in cyberattacks. LOL. I can’t take them seriously if they spend their time daydreaming with anger.
It’s not just Xiao Zhan’s fans who have been denying the popularity of Pursuit of Jade overseas; multiple fandoms are involved. The funny part is that with just a simple search, we can find Netflix’s statistics. The company cares about actual profits because they’re tied to investment and growth, with the potential to continue expanding their audience by bringing in content from Asian countries. Netflix would have no reason to inflate the data.
You’re reiterating exactly what I’ve been saying. This isn’t about personal preference—it’s about the reality that Pursuit of Jade has become the most commercially successful C-drama on a global scale.
It’s obvious that detractors are feeling insecure about ZLH’s massive breakthrough.
MIRNA is doing it on purpouse to make Xiao Zhan bad. I don’t buy your “concern”, it shows desesperation. I hope boy toy Zhang Ling He is paying you a high amount for your efforts. Calling out our fandom isn’t going to chang the fact that Zhang Linghe is turbulent.
I don’t think thank talking about fan wars in unrelated posts is useful but your comment caused enough of a stir that at least two users are pretending to be different people.
god damnit– he looks ethereal on those photos– **goes to watch pursuit of jade for nth times**
Whatever it is we still love Him and Continue to Watch ALL his C drama or movies. We love you Zhang Ling He