New "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" Premieres: Netizens Criticize, Suggesting It Should Be Called "The Biography of Cao Cao"
Anhui TV Station Renames "Three Kingdoms," Prioritizing Ratings Over Millions in Advertising Revenue
Reporters Huang Xiaoya and Qi Shuai from Southern Metropolis Daily, Intern Luo Xintong - On the evening before last, the new version of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," directed by Gao Xixi and starring Chen Jianbin, Lu Yi, Yu Hewei, He Rundong, Chen Hao, and Lin Xinru, among others, began airing during prime time on Anhui, Jiangsu, Tianjin, and Chongqing satellite TV stations. The premiere immediately sparked heated discussions among netizens, with some viewers believing that the solemn atmosphere and sense of historical沧桑(cang1 sang1 - vicissitudes) of the old version is beyond what the new version can achieve, while others highly praised the new "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
In the first two episodes, the main characters to appear were Cao Cao, Lü Bu, and Diaochan, and audience comments mainly revolved around these three figures. From the reactions of netizens, it seems that most hold a positive opinion towards Chen Jianbin's portrayal of Cao Cao, considering the new Cao Cao as having undergone a successful "transformation," endowed with a "new-style hero" quality that is both "dominant," "crafty," yet not without "cuteness," making him look more "positive" and easier for people to accept. On the other hand, He Rundong's version of "Lü Bu" and Chen Hao's version of "Diaochan" received the majority of criticism from netizens. Being "too pretty-boyish" and "looking like a village girl" became the most criticized aspects of their portrayals. Their pairing was humorously referred to as "a romantic drama crossing over into 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' to jointly compose a rural love story."