Detective L, My True Friend, & the Chinese TV industry

[mecurtin]

By which I mean I have questions about these things.

First, we just finished watching Detective L (starring: Bai Yu's expressive, beautiful FACE). I gather the last bit was rushed and muddled because they originally planned for 30 episodes, but then got told it would be only 24.

How are these decisions made? I don't see how it could be based on ratings/views, but I assume the show is entirely in the can before Ep.01 starts showing.

I also hear that there's no chance of a Season 2. Is this because it wasn't that popular? Or was it too expensive for the popularity it had? What are people on Weibo saying about it?

Second, My True Friend. This could be a real springboard role for Zhu Yilong: Angelababy is a megastar, so it can be expected to have a LOT of viewers who don't know him already. I skimmed through Ep. 01 before it was subbed (mostly to look at Zhu Yilong's FACE), and even with no sound or context I can tell that the lead male character (played by Deng Lun, who has a higher profile than Zhu Yilong) is an incredible asshole, in serious need of a personality transplant.

I saw something suggesting that My True Friend's ratings were lower than expected, but no indication that it was due to the audience not wanting to see Angelababy with this jerk. How are the ratings so far? What's the scuttlebutt on Weibo?

I was stunned to see promo pictures in which Deng Lun's character is wearing ... sleeve garters. Did this become a Thing in Chinese fashion/entertainment recently? Or are they trying to attract Guardian fans?!?

Comments

[kimboo_york]

Ahhh! I have all these questions too! I've watched a few AvenueX vids which have some insight to the industry but she's on break right now otherwise I'd send her an "ask". Dunno, but very curious....esp. about Detective L, and the decision to reduce episodes/second season. :/

[daroh]

Ha! I want to know all this too and will be closely tracking this post! (Also I need to look for those AvenueX vids)

Dectictive L Controversy

[dguth]

I gather from the last Avenue X Video that I watched that Detective L was mired in a Plagiarism controversy (having to do with the writing of the scripts), which might explain the lack of a Season 2 (though maybe not the reduced season 1).

Re: Dectictive L Controversy

[mecurtin]

I had heard fans talking about "plagiarism" (esp. from Detective Conan), but couldn't tell if they meant actual plagiarism, of the sort that would get a screenwriter into trouble in Hollywood, or just the usual level of copying or "homage".

Given that both my kids asked, independently, whether Detective L had anything to do with Death Note, I can see them being open to lawsuits from multiple directions. I feel really bad for Bai Yu and the rest of the cast, not at ALL bad for TPTB, because really, don't be a dumbass.

Re: Dectictive L Controversy

[bonibaru]

As I understand it - that controversy didn't start until well after the season was finished and in the can and ready to air, so I'm not sure how much it impacts the presence or absence of another series.

[qikiqtarjuaq]

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I watched a live action Chinese show and waited on news about a renewal. They're either things like Nirvana in Fire or Guardian in that everything is done in a large single season, or they're planned to be split into multiple seasons from the start. The only show I can think of that did that was Original Sin, where we were going to get a second season until Zhai Tianlin got himself into way too much hot water.

Popularity-wise, Detective L did pretty decently from what I heard, and other than the plagiarism accusations of the earlier episodes, the reception has been generally enthusiastic.

Re: My True Friend - I think what a lot of people who aren't in the gossip circles might not know about Angelababy is that her influence/followers/roles are mostly bought with money. And while she obviously does have genuine fans (with 100M followers), she is also not a huge box office draw. A LOT of her past dramas have bombed horribly, and she's been said to be "cursed" in that she completely tanks her male co-stars' careers as well. The only reason she keeps getting cast is because she is very very rich.

From what I hear, MTF's ratings are lower than expected because Denglun is concurrently in another drama that isn't shit, so all his fans are watching that instead. Meanwhile, Zhu Yilong is barely in any of the episodes (I think 17 mins. screentime across first five episodes), and they put all his scenes in the previews anyway, so the XLBs are just watching Jingran cuts.

My expectations have been that as long as ZYL doesn't get trashed for his acting on that show, I'd consider it a win. Tomb Notes Restart is where I'm hopeful he'll do a good job, and become more popular and well-known.

[mecurtin]

Aha aha! I didn't know that Angelababy bought followers etc with money, but I am not surprised! Because I noticed that (unlike most "native" mega-celebrities) she comes from a REALLY wealthy family. And I wonder if her looks come from surgery, because I find them on the edge of the uncanny valley (like a lot of Korean celebrities, tbh).

What's Deng Lun's other drama? What's an "XLB"?

Yeah, the Tomb Notes thing looks like it'll be the REALLY big deal. But in the few promo things I've seen he's mostly talking about danger & action, not about "and then I use my method acting skillz to make every eyebrow twitch significant".

[qikiqtarjuaq]

I'm not sure but I think it's that Investiture of Gods drama for Deng Lun that's also airing atm. XLB = xiaolongbao, Zhu Yilong's fans.

In the few promo things I've seen he's mostly talking about danger & action, not about "and then I use my method acting skillz to make every eyebrow twitch significant".

If it's any consolation, there will be action and comedy, but there will also be Wu Xie being sad, Wu Xie being sick, and Wu Xie coughing up blood, so we'll still get the Zhu Yilong Acting Highlights Package. :P

[lynndyre]

Wu Xie being sad, Wu Xie being sick, and Wu Xie coughing up blood

SOLD! XD

[solo]

Wu Xie being sad, Wu Xie being sick, and Wu Xie coughing up blood

I WANT IT NOW.

Re: Dectictive L Controversy

[kimboo_york]

I gotta say, and I'm saying this with all due respect to AvenueX and to Death Note fans, that they don't seem to grasp how much modern media featuring ANY "consulting detective" is a homage to the original Sherlock Holmes canon. In fact, the things that they feel are rip offs of other shows (the BBC Sherlock in AvenueX's case, "L" in Death Note) are actually rip offs of that canon (and really, I'm not seeing anything between Luo Fei and L that is similar, other than being consulting detectives). I can't speak to Detective Conan, maybe some specific cases are stolen from that, but reading the overview of that I'm just...yeah, de-aged!Sherlock Holmes waging war against Moriarty, okay.

Which is not me defending plagiarism that exists and I just don't see b/c of my lack of familiarity with other cdramas, but rather saying that to me, Detective L leans heavily on SH homage -- I've seen ALL OF THIS before, multiple times in many formats, and most of it comes from SH canon whether people know that or not. (I mean, maybe the producers are plagiarizing but don't realize they aren't? ahahahaha!)

That said, the opening music credits are def. a "riff" on BBC Sherlock's "the game is on" theme, that's pretty blatant. I can't imagine a respected composer would purposefully take a hit to his rep by doing that on his own, so I suspect he was told to do it, which does make the producers suspect. What else are they willing to steal, eh?

But that does bring me to my other question, which is: I wonder how much they were angling Detective L to appeal to Western audiences? I don't really have a solid analysis to support that, to be honest, but it's a thought that's been plucking at me for a while.

Re: Dectictive L Controversy

[mecurtin]

In a US court, the fact that the title makes people think it's Death Note would be enough to get them in trouble. Just as Detective Conan had to have its name changed for the US market.

The theme music would also get them in legal trouble.

[mecurtin]

Not to mention the Socialist Brotherhood™!

Re: Dectictive L Controversy

[kimboo_york]

Exactly.

So the question is, why do that? I have picked on the fact that plagiarism is a big, mostly unresolved issue in cdrama-land, but these are choice decisions -- stealing things from properties that are very popular in the West as well? On top of a trope-tastic homage to SH? Hence my thoughts that maybe they were trying to market TO Western audiences w/out realizing how hard accusations of plagiarism would hit. I have nothing to support that, it's just me navel gazing tbh.

Anytime plagiarism is involved there is definitely a "wtf?" element as to why anyone would do that, it's just foolish and dangerous from a marketing perspective (much less a legal one), so who really knows. "They should know better than that!" is always the last analysis.

Re: Dectictive L Controversy

[trobadora]

they don't seem to grasp how much modern media featuring ANY "consulting detective" is a homage to the original Sherlock Holmes canon

Yeah, it really annoys me when this kind of thing gets mixed up with genuine plagiarism issues, because it just muddies the water.

Re: Dectictive L Controversy

[kimboo_york]

Yes, yes, thank you for succinctly summarizing what I was reaching for. ♥

[clevermanka]

there will also be Wu Xie being sad, Wu Xie being sick, and Wu Xie coughing up blood, so we'll still get the Zhu Yilong Acting Highlights Package
okay well now I'm sold.

[tinny]

Detective L is great, production-value-wise, and definitely deserves enthusiastic reception. Can't say anything about the plot (even though I have seen quite a number of Detective Conan eps - that is the show that was supposedly plagiarized, right?), I just mean the production quality other than plot.

Ah, that stuff about MTF is interesting. I didn't know her shows are bad for her costars' careers. Why would anyone still act with her?

We were wondering why ZYL chose to, and boosting your popularity was a high contender, but that seems to be particularly risky where Angelababy is concerned. (My personal fave is "get to play a mama's boy", which I think might make him overlook the risk. ;D)

[daroh]

OMG "getting to play a mamma's boy" FTW!!