Mixed reviews for Yang Mi’s new series ‘Legend of Fuyao’
BEIJING: After debuting to high ratings in China, TV drama Legend of Fuyao, starring Yang Mi and Ruan Jingtian ( Ethan Ruan) is getting mixed reviews both in China and abroad.
Airing on Zhejiang Television and v.qq.com, a major video streaming platform in China, the period fantasy show narrates the story of Fu Yao, a young peasant woman who rises to political power against the overwhelming odds.
The first episode received more than 300 million views within a few hours of its debut. However, while viewership has been high, reviews have been harsh. Currently the show holds only a 4.8/10 on Douban, a major Chinese media review platform.
Criticism of the show has mainly focused on what viewers consider predictable plots. Many viewers have taken issue with storylines that they feel are very “similar” to those found in the novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
In overseas markets, the series had been overperforming.
It is currently one of the top popular Chinese shows on viki. com, an online platform where Asian TV shows with multilanguage subtitles are available. The show has a high rating of 9.7/10, the same as that of the hugely popular 2015 historical drama Nirvana in Fire. Online comments have been effusive with praises.
“She (the main character Yang
She (the main character Yang Mi) is perfect here with just the right mix of playfulness, intelligence, charm, skill and beauty. Social media user
Mi) is perfect here with just the right mix of playfulness, intelligence, charm, skill and beauty. Wonderful performance that easily reminds me of her star turn in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms,” social media user bailey1 commented in a post that has received 196 likes.
“Everything in this drama works so well and I wish it could go on forever,” commented another gabbi_watches_dramas.
The show has also made it to the pages of overseas media outlets. The Daily Pakistan has reported that the show has garnered “appreciation in Pakistan,” while calling the show “a wonderful presentation of Chinese characteristics. Each scene in it looks like a Chinese ink painting.”
China-made shows such as Nirvana in Fire, The Journey of Flowers, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms and Noble Aspirations have gained large numbers of fans overseas, along with the original novels on which these dramas are based. Stars in those shows, including Wang Kai, Yang Mi and Zhao Liying, have also established loyal fan bases outside of China.