Recently, the suspense spy drama "Guzhou" starring Zeng Shunxi, Zhang Songwen, Chen Duling, and Wang Yuwen was launched.
"Lone Boat" was launched at a time when the Olympic Games was in full swing, and many curious viewers decided to find out.
As a result, some viewers said after watching it: "I couldn't stand even one episode."
It is said that the script of this drama has been polished for ten years, but now it has become a strange thing among domestic spy dramas?
01
After ten years of polishing the script, bugs frequently appeared, and my IQ dropped?
"Gu Zhou" sets the time and space background in Suzhou during the Anti-Japanese War and the puppet period. It tells the story of the talented architect Gu Yizhong (played by Zeng Shunxi) who was forced to get involved in the crisis and joined the underground organization of the Communist Party of China with his girlfriend Xiao Ruotong (played by Wang Yuwen). Later, accompanied by Zhang Haimo (played by Chen Duling), who has a child with him, he and Wang Puppet Zhou Zhifei (played by Zhang Songwen) staged a duel between the two heroes, writing the history of the development of an agent of our party in the confusing and strange Jiangnan misty rain.
"Lonely Boat" takes Suzhou as the background and blends in the beauty of the south of the Yangtze River. The scenery and mirrors are also aesthetically pleasing.
Many viewers praised: the green bricks and green tiles restored the charm of Jiangnan, the dark-toned images made the undercurrent of the story under the background of the Republic of China more intense, and the use of Suzhou garden imagery also enriched the content of the story.
After the premiere, netizens had different opinions on the show, with some favorable comments, but of course there were also some "unfavorable words of advice".
From the documentary "Lone Boat", the audience learned that the script of this drama has been polished for ten years. But viewers who have watched the show expressed disbelief: "To be honest, the first episode felt like ten days of polishing."
The word that appears most frequently in audience reviews is: reduce wisdom.
They believe that the script of this drama is child's play, which reveals a "outrageous" feeling from the inside out, and some spy plots can be called "mentally retarded".
I don’t know whether it was the script that was stupid, the director’s filming that was stupid, or the actors’ acting that was stupid, but the audience felt vaguely that they had been fooled.
The plot arrangement at the beginning of the first episode aroused the audience's doubts, saying that it was "hurt as hell", and the rescue activity that was supposed to be extremely dangerous was as casual as playing house.
Even the audience can consider the preparations before the rescue, emergencies during the rescue, and post-rescue handling work, but they were ignored by the experienced screenwriters.
In the spy war drama, even the most basic anonymity of the underground party was not interpreted satisfactorily. The audience pointed out: "The spy war drama can't convey any sense of tension, and the lights are so bright during a raid at night", and "The Gu family only needs a loudspeaker to shout on the street that the whole family is anti-Japanese."
There are many plots to reduce intelligence, and many bugs are exposed in the details, such as forced arrangements to advance the plot. Some people even described it as "writing a piecemeal feeling of AI creation".
There is a plot in the play: Considering the disciplinary issues of the organization, the male protagonist was refused by the underground party members to participate in collective actions. The male protagonist said "You don't treat me as one of your own" and then turned around to leave like a coquettish person. After the second female begged for mercy, the leader agreed for him to follow.
The audience was shocked: "Screenwriters, what do you think of discipline… as a part of your play?"
What was even more outrageous was that no one except the male protagonist was spared in this operation, which can be said to have brought the "protagonist halo" to the extreme.
Another viewer discussed: "Normally the second female lead would have died several times in the first few minutes of the first episode, but she has been fine, not even injured… and still strutting around in the street wearing the same clothes."
In the play, with no passersby to block the situation, a group of enemies who were ambushing the second female lead were several meters away from the second female lead. They even had guns in their hands. They were in a situation with such an obvious disadvantage. The second female lead, who seemed delicate and weak, managed to escape like this and ran away directly.
The audience speculated that maybe it was the protagonist's halo blessing, or maybe there was another hidden secret, but they still couldn't understand it.
In the play, the male protagonist and a group of underground party members failed in their operations one after another. When they came to the base area, they all suspected that there was a mole, so conflicts arose internally and they began to fight each other face to face.
Viewers said that the play was different from the way in which moles were discovered in other spy films. The party should conduct one-on-one interrogations to prevent collusion. But in "The Lonely Boat", these people got angry on the spot and started a quarrel.
After being discovered and surrounded by the enemy, the protagonist group all escaped, but the play did not explain how they escaped.
The audience was puzzled by this and said: "This is the first time I have seen a plot where the Communist Party is having internal strife and the Kuomintang is surrounded by so many people and they can successfully escape."
Some people say that what scares most spy dramas is logical stupidity.
In fact, Lin Lisheng, the director and screenwriter of "Lone Boat", is the second screenwriter of "Latent", and the first screenwriter Jiang Wei also plays the role of producer in "Lone Boat" this time.
However, after watching the play, the audience suspected that Jiang Wei was just acting in name, and the level of the drama in "Lone Boat" could not be compared with the original "Latent".
Some viewers commented on "Latent": "The suspense links are woven extremely tightly, so the viewing experience is ups and downs, and the narrative efficiency is quite high."
Many people believe that "Insidious" and "Lonely Boat" are both spy dramas, and they are completely different.
Audiences who have watched "Lone Boat" concluded: "You can't dig into it. Once you dig into it, you feel that there are bugs everywhere, and the plot is not worth scrutinizing."
Regardless of the plot, even with the participation of veteran drama stars Zhang Songwen, Zhang Fengyi, etc., it seems that the shortcomings of "Lone Boat" cannot be saved.
The audience expressed: "How did Zhang Songwen choose this drama?" "It turns out that even if there are actors you like in the cast, the plot can't save it!" "It's a bad drama that even Gao Qiqiang can't save…"
02
It's another "old and new" configuration, and young actors are still "sluggish"?
Zhang Songwen almost had a "gold medal for exemption" after the popularity of "Hurry Up". This time Zhang Songwen played the villain again, and many viewers came for him.
Zhang Songwen's sassy appearance every time he appears is as if he is Zhou Zhifei himself.
On the surface, he gave instructions calmly, but in fact, the aura and contempt revealed in his eyes were already full of oppression.
The audience said that he performed the posture of a villain and became more and more stable on the villain track.
When Zhou Zhifei refused to lower his posture to play "Dog", he looked resolute and upright when facing the Japanese.
However, when facing his family, he is completely different from his resolute appearance outside, allowing the audience to see another side of this character. The audience laughed and said: Zhang Songwen's character in the new drama is a strict wife.
Some people say that Zhang Songwen created the image of "Zhou Zhifei" as multi-faceted, full, flesh-and-blood, relaxed and with a sense of humor. He was not just a "traitor" in people's previous impressions.
Most of the audience believed that Zhang Songwen performed the inner conflicts and pain of Zhou Zhifei's character, explored the character's deep emotions and motivations, and still performed stably.
However, some people say that Zhou Zhifei, played by Zhang Songwen, has "not very distinctive character characteristics". They expected him to bring a different feeling from "Gao Qiqiang", but there always seems to be a shadow of "Gao Qiqiang".
The public is also thinking: Zhang Songwen often appears in the main theme works, and the character creation may fall into a cliché and boring situation. It is difficult for people to pay attention to a protagonist who can be seen through at a glance.
The guest appearance of another veteran actor Zhang Fengyi also allowed some viewers to see that he has good skills and is one of the best among actors.
When facing the Japanese, his character Gu Xixing seems to have a natural intimidating power.
When he heard the housekeeper say that he wanted to rescue the young master alone, he was shocked at first, but then firmly decided to save the young master.
When facing her daughter who suddenly returned home ten years after eloping with her husband, her expression showed distress but mixed with helplessness. The audience said: The image of his father was brought to life by him.
Audiences seem to be more vocal about young actors than veteran actors.
Zeng Shunxi, who was trying out a spy drama for the first time, aroused dissatisfaction with her acting skills from the audience. As a male lead, she was questioned about her ability to take on the role of Zhang Songwen.
He also said that his acting skills have not improved compared to when he played Zhang Wuji five years ago. He "can only stare" and his "reckless boy" persona attracts both praise and disgust.
Some viewers commented that when the male protagonist went to the execution ground, met the second female lead, or negotiated with his father, he would only flash his innocent big eyes.
When confronting the Japanese, his original intention may have been to show contempt and arrogance, but the audience said that Zeng Shunxi stared blankly, his momentum was obviously lacking, and he had the childish air of a child pretending to be an adult.
Surrounded by the plot of reducing intelligence, the male protagonist was also evaluated: too stupid. Moreover, Zeng Shunxi's lines also aroused some people's comments: "The lines are so funny, so funny."
Netizens said: "Even if Gu Yizhong is a new member of the party, his social experience and work style should not be like that of a primary school student…"
However, some people pointed out that the male protagonist has a growth line in the play. In the first few episodes, he has just entered the novice village stage, and will follow the plot to fight monsters and upgrade.
At present, the actress plays more of a foil role in it, and her appearance adds points to the perception. Chen Duling's image is considered to be very suitable for the role, and her gentle temperament is clearly visible.
Wang Yuwen is a frequent guest in idol dramas. This time she participated in the spy film of the Republic of China. Her appearance is stunning, but her acting skills are controversial. In particular, her expression management was criticized for her "features flying around".
Some netizens said: "Wang Yuwen is good in idol dramas and is very beautiful. Why is her acting so bad in "Lone Boat"? I found that her expression management in variety shows is like this."
Fans explained: "In the early days, Xiao Ruotong was a novice who had just come here and didn't have much experience. His emotions during the performance were mainly nervous. Why don't we look at it later?"
Some viewers reported that Chen Duling and Wang Yuwen always gave people a very weak feeling and could not support grand scenes, but they speculated that this may be due to their characters.
The remarkable appearance may be used as a focus of publicity and promotion, but returning to the drama itself, it is obvious that spy dramas do not need a "vase", acting skills are the key.
Many people said that the young actors in the play were acting awkwardly, and the arrangement was to let the veteran actors lead popular stars, relying entirely on the veteran actors to support the show.
Some viewers even said bluntly: "Stop returning favors to Zhang Songwen. Leading these traffic niche guys will ruin your reputation too much."
03
The performance of "Burning Winter" caused fans to argue, who is the heroine of the "Spy Puppet Drama"?
The emotional scenes between the male lead, the female lead, and the second female lead in the play also attracted controversy. The three of them can be said to have staged a "winter burning". The inclusion of polyamory in spy dramas was criticized by the audience as being pointless.
In particular, the first episode of the drama begins with a love scene between the male lead and the second female lead. Netizens said: "The love scene in the opening episode was a huge hit for me."
Some viewers asked: Spy movie? I think it’s an idol film! The part where Zhang Songwen appears is like a real drama, but when the camera turns to the other leading actors, it's like an idol drama, with different styles.
It seems that every drama ends up becoming an idol drama, and spy movies are also mired in quagmire.
However, there is no shortage of viewers with fresh ideas: "Even if the male and female protagonists are paired together as spy couples, I still want to taste it. After all, it is not a love-in-the-way arrangement of old acquaintances in domestic entertainment."
Chen Duling's role in the updated drama series is very small, and many netizens are wondering: "Who is the heroine in this drama?"
In the setting, the male protagonist and the female protagonist are childhood sweethearts who "fall from the sky" after being separated for many years, and he and the second female protagonist of "White Moonlight" are childhood sweethearts.
Some viewers said: "From the script, I wanted to know how the relationship between the male and female protagonists began, but when I learned that the male protagonist wanted the second female protagonist, from the beginning to the end, the female protagonist was a pure tool."
This debate about Bamboo Horse and Heavenly Fall has also extended to outside the show. Some people said: The show itself has many flaws, and the show is still "adding fuel and jealousy" outside the show.
Chen Duling's fans started to defend their rights after the show was aired because the showrunners blurred the role of the female lead, claiming that the showrunners had no contractual spirit.
The incident stemmed from the show's "saucy manipulation": Chen Duling was the heroine of the third series, but some fans discovered that her name was ranked fourth "in order of appearance" by the show. Originally, the second heroine of the fourth series, Wang Yuwen, was ranked second. This attitude of the show made fans dissatisfied.
In addition, a video containing Chen Duling released by the show on the video platform had its cover changed the next day after the traffic and popularity increased. Chen Duling's single cover was changed to a double cover, which intensified the anger of fans.
Zeng Shunxi and Chen Duling's Snow Scene Reuter was also the highlight of the pre-launch promotions. As a result, Chen Duling had very few scenes in the first episode, and some viewers who came for Chen Duling felt "scammed."
Fans of Chen Duling said: "The heroine Zhang Haimo wants traffic, but normal heroine treatment is not given."
The controversy that has aroused since the broadcast has not stopped, and the subsequent development depends on how the drama team considers it. However, some viewers believe that paying attention to these details is not as good as paying attention to the show itself.
The quality and reputation of a drama are not determined by superficial factors. The logic of the script and the acting skills of the actors… are all top priorities, otherwise it will not be right no matter how hard you try.
