1. Period dramas are pinned on high hopes, with a strong lineup but a polar reputation
Period dramas have always been a major item in the domestic drama scene, and they can often win wide attention and praise from the audience. For example, "Parents' Love", "My Big Brother and Sister-in-law", "Mountains and Seas", "The World", "South to North" and other masterpieces have all won good word-of-mouth and ratings, which shows the space for the theme of period dramas.
So when Qiao Shan and Yang Zishan both joined the period drama "Riding the Wind and Waves", the audience was naturally full of expectations. After all, in addition to the two popular students, the crew also invited top powerhouses such as Qin Yan, Liu Jia, and Tang Jianjun to join, just seeing this lineup makes people wait and see the quality of the series.
Who would have thought that as soon as this period drama with high hopes was broadcast, word of mouth would be hit hard and the reaction would be polarized. Soon, a lot of "complaints" flocked to the Internet, pointing directly at the male protagonist Qiao Shan's style and personality.
"Qiao Shan and Yang Zishan strongly formed a CP", "Middle-aged people play college students", "Face full of wrinkles forcibly pretending to be tender"...... All kinds of doubts and complaints emerge one after another, and in the face of this turbulence, Qiao Shan is really unable to withstand it.
The core concern of the audience is that Qiao Shan's "elderly" face is seriously inconsistent with the character of a college student, which has led to many embarrassing situations in the play.
Second, the atmosphere of the era was carefully presented, and the painstaking efforts of the production team were in vain
Recalling the beginning of filming, the director team worked hard to restore the style of that era. From props to costumes, from makeup to scenes, we strive to achieve excellence everywhere, hoping to make the audience feel like they are in that era when watching the play.
The white rabbit toffee, the 28 big bags all over the street, and the rows of red brick houses, these details all show the charm of the times. Even the small actions of Peng Jinxiu, played by Yang Zishan, who roasted sticky sandals with fire, and Peng Jinxi's mother's stitches and gloves and knitted sweaters, were carefully designed and restored by the director team, just like the reproduction on the spot, which made people admire the production team's intentions.
In addition to the details of the environment, the characters are also very particular. Peng Jinxi's mother played by the old drama bone Liu Jia, Luo Shifu played by "Xie Guangkun" Tang Jianjun, and Peng Jindong played by Zhang Ruihan, all of them have distinct roles, and there is no trace of artificiality or bluntness.
They re-presented these classic images on the screen, making the audience feel as if they were there.
It's a pity that the production team worked so hard, but in the end it was in vain because of a seemingly insignificant factor. This "culprit" is caused by the inaccurate image of the hero and heroine.
An aging middle-aged man with a lively and lovely "baby face" is destined to make the audience feel great disobedience and discomfort when entering the play.
Third, Qiao Shan's middle-aged man pretends to be a college student, and the baby-faced Yang Zishan is too contrasting
In order to create the image of a college student, Qiao Shan can be said to have done everything he could in this drama. Not only did he deliberately tan his skin in an attempt to create a sunny and healthy youthful image, but he even added some wrinkles to his face, hoping to make himself look "old and serious".
However, the difference in biological age is destined to be impossible to completely conceal. No matter how Qiao Shan disguised himself, the greasy temperament of the middle-aged uncle still showed his expression and tone from time to time.
The wrinkles on the face and the charm of aging are undoubtedly giving the audience a strong "play" experience.
In contrast, Yang Zishan, who is the same age, perfectly fits the character of a college student. She has a standard "baby face" - fair and delicate skin, delicate facial features, and even the side face in the camera does not lose any points.
With such a touching face, Yang Zishan is comfortable interpreting Luo Hong, an innocent girl, in stark contrast to Qiao Shan's aging image.
This pair of "old cows and tender grass" are paired together, which really makes many viewers feel "unbearable to look at directly". After all, watching a middle-aged man fall in love with a baby-faced little girl, in addition to a sense of disobedience, will also give people an indecent feeling, making people struggle to see if it is appropriate.
Fourth, Yang Zishan's excellent interpretation, the baby face adds a lot of points
For most audiences, the impression of Yang Zishan may still be stuck in "To Our Dying Youth" directed by Zhao Wei ten years ago. Back then, she played "Zheng Wei" in the play, and her clean and delicate "first love face" made countless audiences fall in love with her.
Time flies, ten years have passed, Yang Zishan's appearance is still as moving as it was back then, and she can't tell that she is 38 years old. Even in this drama, when she played the role of Luo Hong, a college student, the baby face still did not lose the charm and vitality of the year.
In addition to the advantages of appearance, Yang Zishan's acting skills are also remarkable in this drama. Whether it is the girlish shyness when she gets along with her boyfriend Peng Jinxi, or the joy after hearing the good news of the college entrance examination, she portrays the role of Luo Hong very well, allowing the audience to see a vivid image.
Especially in some delicate small details, Yang Zishan is even more adept. For example, when she learned the good news of being admitted to university, the joy on Yang Zishan's face, coupled with the small gesture of covering her mouth with both hands, made people feel full of reality.
It is precisely with her outstanding appearance and excellent acting skills that Yang Zishan has raised a lot of points for this period drama whose reputation collapsed. Her outstanding performance is undoubtedly one of the few highlights of this drama.
Fifth, the image of the hero and heroine is inaccurate, ruining a period drama with high hopes
In this way, a period drama with high hopes was finally "critically attacked" because of the inaccurate image of the hero and heroine. All the efforts made by the crew to restore the details of the era also came to naught.
In order to present a real sense of age, the director team can be said to have put a lot of effort into it. From props to costumes, from makeup to scenes, we strive for excellence everywhere.
Elements such as the White Rabbit Milk Candy, the 28 Shoulders on the Street, and the Red Brick and Tile House all show the charm of the times. Even some small details, such as Peng Jinxiu's fire-roasted sticky sandals played by Yang Zishan, have been meticulously polished repeatedly.
The crew even invited a group of veteran actors, trying to ensure the fullness and realism of the characters with top powerful actors. Liu Jia, Tang Jianjun, Zhang Ruihan and other old-timers, all of whom have distinct roles, make the audience feel immersive.
Sixth, it is very important for the actor's image to fit the character's personality
Looks are important, but it doesn't mean that only the "baby-faced" type is qualified. The key is that the actor's appearance conditions should be highly consistent with the character's personality, so that the audience can feel the natural identity of "this person is really this character" at first sight, so as to avoid the embarrassing dilemma of playing.
For example, if Qiao Shan plays a middle-aged intellectual or university professor in this drama, his slightly old and scarred face will get twice the result with half the effort, adding a lot of points;
If Yang Zishan plays a lively and playful young girl, her lively and lovely "baby face" will also be appropriate.
On the contrary, when a middle-aged man plays the role of a vigorous college student and falls in love with a young and delicate face, it is destined to give people a great sense of disobedience, and even "can't bear to look at it directly".
This is the fundamental reason why this drama was severely criticized.
In short, no matter what era or theme of the drama, only if the actor's appearance and character design can accurately match, the work can be convincing, and the reputation can continue to rise.
This point must be kept in mind by the crew when casting.