Series on divorcee sparks uproar in China
BEIJING: A new TV series featuring the dodgy morals of a divorcee has sparked an uproar in China.
After premiering three weeks ago, The First Half of My Life has unleashed a fierce online debate on the propriety of putting on an elaborate pretence to snag a husband.
The script has left viewers sharply divided over the use of deception to gain financial stability in marital life.
Based on Hong Kong writer Isabel Nee Yeh-su’s novel of the same name, the show focuses on the romances and lives of urban residents in Shanghai. Its main character is Luo Zijun, a 37-yearold carefree and free-wheeling Chinese housewife who suddenly must return to the workforce after divorcing her husband Chen Junsheng.
Chen had been having an affair with his colleague Ling Ling.
Luo gradually grows into an independent career woman with support from her bestie Tang Jing and Tang’s boyfriend He
The character has been such a focus of audience hatred that Wu Yue, the actress who plays Ling, had to turn off the comment function on her Sina Weibo account since some fans started attacking her online.
Han, both senior managers at consulting companies.
Chen, a project manager at a consulting company, falls in love with his colleague Ling as she appears to be a gentle and caring woman.
But it was uncovered that Ling, a divorced woman with a son to feed, is only putting on act in the hopes of getting the financial security that comes with having a husband.
Though Ling’s situation as a single mom may cause some to sympathise with her plight, most viewers in China castigated her for breaking up a marriage.
The character has been such a focus of audience hatred that Wu Yue, the actress who plays Ling, had to turn off the comment function on her Sina Weibo account since some fans started attacking her online.
The romantic relationship that ends up developing between Luo and He was also criticised. For many Chinese netizens, falling in love with your best friend’s boyfriend, even if their relationship is already on the brink of falling apart, is still unacceptable.
Besides tackling relationships, the story also discusses the independence of modern Chinese women.
By showing Luo’s evolution from a simple-minded and spoiled housewife to a dedicated career woman, the story seems to hint at the awakening of feminist independence.
However, instead of experiencing struggles on her way to landing a job and making her own way in the world, it’s all smooth sailing for Luo since she has the help of Tang and He, who even come to her rescue when she makes a mistake at her job, which she only got through a recommendation made by He.
The story then descends into a cheap, anything-goes Mary Sue story, which brings Luo’s pursuit of independence into question.
Instead of improving her poor professional and interpersonal skills, Luo “acquires” economic independence via resources and serendipity.
By having Luo land a job with the help of a man and constantly being on the lookout for a man to marry, the show seems to be saying the character’s redemption can only be found through having a relationship with men.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, Tang is the perfect elite woman, independent, both materially and spiritually, sophisticated and elegant. Yet, she is mocked and looked down upon for remaining single, despite being in a 10-year relationship, by Luo and Luo’s mom, both of whom represent conventional Chinese women who think it’s inappropriate for a woman to stay single after a certain age.
By courting controversy, the series is beginning to lose its popularity.
Its rating on Chinese media review platform Douban has slid from an 8/10 during its first two weeks to a 6.5/10.