Lu Han’s’s ‘Sweet Combat’ is turning fans away

BEIJING: K-pop turned Chinese idol singer Lu Han may have one of the biggest fandoms in China, but his acting skill is much to be said for.

In an upcoming school-ground idol drama produced by Mango TV and Jinxi Entertainment, ' Sweet Combat' stars real life couple Luhan and Guan Xiaotong as university classmates who share a passion for boxing.

Despite the couple's popularity, the anticipation for ' Sweet Combat' is surprisingly low. Lu Han may be a music best- seller and a ratings guarantee, but his performance in his last TV drama ' Fighter of the Destiny' has been quite controversial, and his acting was heavily criticised.

When Lu Han's and Guan Xiaotong's characters were introduced through ' Sweet Combat's recent trailer, many netizens disliked Lu Han's “weak” character, who has to rely on his girlfriend to protect him. Netizens commented Guan Xiaotong takes on a man's role in their relationship, sarcastically saying that even his girlfriend seems manlier than he is. Netizens also agreed that Lu Han did not look very convincing in the role of a boxer.

' Sweet Combat' is Lu Han and Guan Xiaotong's first drama together since admitting their relationship last year. The hype is there, and ' Sweet Combat' may turn out to be successful, as Lu Han's large fandom was one of the reasons why his last drama, ' Fighter of the Destiny', scored high ratings. But with criticism already filling up discussion boards before ' Sweet Combat's premiere, the future looks pretty bleak.

One netizen said, “I've been a fan of Lu Han for five years, but I will not watch this one even if you kill me.”

“The story seems so outdated, like it's from ten years ago,” another netizen observed.