''Vast Seas of Love' boasts a powerful cast, and its director, Lu Dawei, is among the top-tier directors in China. The first two episodes, which premiered on the 15th, did not disappoint at all, with fresh and distinctive storytelling, vivid and eye-catching characters, precise details, and strong visual language. It is unquestionably a rare, high-quality drama.'
'The 1.39% average premiere ratings powerfully proved its appeal. I boldly predict here that 'Vast Seas of Love' will become the undisputed ruler of this summer's domestic TV drama lineup!'
The above commentary came from a drama critic's blog. This small-time but influential reviewer, with several hundred thousand followers, spared no praise and practically lifted 'Vast Seas of Love' to the heavens.
And he wasn't the only critic singing its praises. After the premiere ratings were released, a flood of similar reviews sprang up across Langchao Blog like mushrooms after rain, quickly being reposted to major forums and bulletin boards.
Compared to film critics and music critics, drama critics are a far more niche group. Originally, they focused on stage and literary drama, but the term later expanded to refer to professional TV drama reviewers.
Unlike film and music critics, the internet is essentially the only platform for drama critics. Most of them are industry insiders working part-time, some using their real identities, others operating under pseudonyms, and they wield a certain degree of influence in the online TV drama commentary space.
But expecting drama critics to always review a TV series with complete fairness and objectivity is basically wishful thinking. Strip away the professional veneer, and many of them are not much different from paid online promoters who speak for money.
Truly conscientious drama critics are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
That said, audiences aren't fools. Whether a show is good or bad, they'll judge it with their own eyes. And in the relatively free space of the internet, their voices are very much present.
And the audience's voice is the most genuine of all.
"'Vast Seas of Love' is shot pretty well, but isn't the opening plot a bit too similar to 'Autumn in My Heart?"
"Hu Yang is handsome, but isn't he trying a bit too hard in his portrayal of Qin Huai?"
"It feels like Hu Yang is still just Han Taixi from 'Autumn in My Heart. His acting hasn't really improved."
"The cast is indeed strong, but can the story have a bit more originality?"
"I think it's pretty good."
Online, there were plenty of positive reviews for 'Vast Seas of Love', but also a large number of dissatisfied voices. The main criticisms were concentrated on the plot and the male lead.
First of all, the opening storyline of 'Vast Seas of Love' shares at least seventy to eighty percent similarity with 'Autumn in My Heart. Once again, the heroine's identity is mistakenly switched, leading to a chain of subsequent events.
To put it bluntly, this is plagiarism by imitation.
Yet this is precisely Xiangnan Satellite TV's forte. Their self-produced dramas excel at reusing story frameworks: American dramas, Korean dramas, Japanese dramas… whichever one becomes popular gets copied. With a makeover, it becomes "their own" work.
What leaves people speechless is that relying on this formula, combined with their signature all-star casts, polished production, and sophisticated marketing strategies, Xiangnan Satellite TV's self-produced dramas often dominate the domestic market.
And ironically, it is precisely their success that has led to increasingly rampant imitation and copycat trends throughout the industry.
Xiangnan Satellite TV had clearly seized upon the massive success of 'Autumn in My Heart' and decisively launched this follow-the-trend drama, going so far as to bring in actors from the original series. Their goal was obvious: to draw in the countless fans of 'Autumn in My Heart.
As for the male lead Hu Yang, who had been extremely active on blogs recently, many viewers commented that while he was indeed handsome, his acting didn't match his looks and that he still hadn't managed to break free from the shadow of Han Taixi, the role that had made him famous.
However, the vast majority of negative opinions, whether posted on Xiangnan Satellite TV's official account, the official account of 'Vast Seas of Love', or in Hu Yang's own blog comment section, were basically wiped clean.
What remained were mostly positive reviews.
Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, a week passed, and Lu Chen's new drama 'Full House' finally welcomed its premiere day. At 8:30 p.m., it aired simultaneously on Capital City TV, Zhedong Satellite TV, and KGS Television in South Korea.
No matter how glorious 'Vast Seas of Love' appeared, it couldn't overshadow the unique distinction that 'Full House' possessed; it was the first domestically produced TV drama to premiere simultaneously overseas!
This also became one of 'Full House's key promotional highlights.
But no matter how good the publicity was, everything ultimately came down to results. If 'Full House''s ratings suffered a disastrous defeat, then this so-called distinction would turn into a joke.
Many fans of Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er were also eagerly awaiting 'Full House''s broadcast.
They had already tuned their televisions to Capital City TV or Zhedong Satellite TV well in advance.
"Everyone, get ready, ten minutes to go before it starts!"
Sitting in front of her computer, Meng Meng quickly typed out a line and sent it to the WeChat group she had created.
Meng Meng's WeChat group was called "Morning Rice Club", with nearly a thousand members, all of them Lu Chen fans, and genuine die-hard ones at that.
Meng Meng was well-known within Lu Chen's fan circle. She had suffered from leukemia and had received generous financial help from Lu Chen. Later, Lu Chen even established a charity fund specifically to aid leukemia patients.
The story between Meng Meng and Lu Chen had once made headlines across major media outlets.
A few months earlier, Meng Meng had successfully undergone a bone marrow transplant, and her post-operative recovery was going extremely well.
Having been given a second chance at life, Meng Meng was incomparably grateful to Lu Chen. Naturally, she became one of his most hardcore supporters. While recuperating at home, she set up this WeChat group specifically to support Lu Chen.
Any news related to Lu Chen would be shared in the group by Meng Meng at the very first moment.
Now that Lu Chen's new drama 'Full House' was about to premiere, Meng Meng not only planned to watch it herself, but also encouraged relatives, friends, and classmates to watch it together. As for the "Morning Rice Club," that went without saying.
Everyone was waiting!
"Got it, Little Mengmeng! I'm already sitting in front of the TV, still showing commercials right now!"
"My Chen is unbeatable. 'Full House' will definitely crush 'Vast Seas of Love'!"
"Of course! Hu Yang is seriously disgusting, can't believe I used to be a fan of his!"
"Don't mention that gross guy. Let's all support Lu Chen together!"
"Support!!!"
The group members responded in waves. Message after message flew across the chat window at lightning speed, creating a lively and bustling scene.
Because 'Full House''s premiere did not include online streaming, it could only be watched on television. Many fans said that this was the first time they had watched TV in years.
All just to support Lu Chen!
Looking at the messages flooding her computer screen, Meng Meng couldn't help clenching her fist.
Lu Chen, keep it up!
(End of Chapter)
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