During this period, many people were discussing the film "A Chinese Odyssey," analyzing its plot from various angles.
Jiangnan's latest film, just these few words carried immense traffic. Naturally, finding fault was the most attention-grabbing way to engage with it.
#Has "A Chinese Odyssey" Suffered a Decline in Reputation Due to Jiangnan's Exhaustion?#
Since his debut, Jiangnan had challenged the status of a top god in online literature and had repeatedly broken box office records. It could be said that every one of his works was a ceiling in the industry. However, this "A Chinese Odyssey" was somewhat unsatisfactory.
"Is he really out of ideas? When Bai Jingjing committed suicide later, although it was touching, it was far from evoking the feeling of wanting to kill someone like before."
"Damn it, you people are just perverse. Do you only feel satisfied when you're tortured to death? This movie has plenty of laughs. For me, as a comedy film, its absurd way of storytelling is already quite good."
"If it were made by any other screenwriter, it would be a very good movie. But it's Jiangnan. I think it's just passable."
"The theme song 'Listen to the Rain' is also like this. Although 'Love of a Lifetime' is very beautiful, its fit with the movie isn't high. The love between Bai Jingjing and Supreme Treasure doesn't reach this level at all."
"Their chemistry isn't good either."
"Are we drawing conclusions already? The second part hasn't been released yet. Could 'Love of a Lifetime' be the Zixia who appears at the end?"
The public discussion shifted directly from film review websites to Weibo. As the matter escalated, many people realized that people seemed to have very little tolerance for Jiangnan. Other screenwriters, as long as their plots were decent and the production was a bit more refined, would be praised as good works. But when it came to Jiangnan, people were frantically searching for hidden meanings and depths. Expecting various humanistic light and darkness from a comedy film made many netizens exclaim it was outrageous.
However, apart from the discussions about screenwriter Jiangnan, there were also many about the actors. The cast list stated that Li Xinyan and Li Wen were both female leads, but Li Xinyan, playing Zixia, only appeared at the end, leaving many viewers confused and speculating about who would end up with Supreme Treasure. Then there was the lead actor Zhang Yang's absurd acting. While it was striking, it also felt very exaggerated, which many film critics found difficult to accept.
As for Zhang Qingyun, his popularity this time was the highest among the actors. He had overturned his previous image as a national heartthrob and played a second-in-command even more dishevelled than a beggar. His idol image was shattered.
#Zhang Qingyun Has Ruined Himself by Playing a Beggar and Destroying His Idol Image. His Acting Career is Over.#
This hashtag remained in the top ten, indicating that even though he had been absent for a while, his popularity was still present. However, many people held unfavorable opinions about his transformation. If Zhang Qingyun hadn't played the second-in-command, he could have easily received male lead roles in small productions. Many entertainment companies even wanted to sign contracts with him, so it was highly likely that he could regain popularity based on his looks. But once the image of the second-in-command appeared, Zhang Qingyun had no way back. Returning to an idol route would be a hundred times more difficult.
"Zhang Qingyun made a terrible move. He wanted to regain popularity with Jiangnan, but he didn't expect the response to this drama to be so poor."
"Fortunately, I stopped following him then. Chen Zhe has a promising future; he's the one people should be following!"
"I've been a fan of Chen Zhe since his first drama. Zhang Qingyun can't compare at all, and now that he's played such a disgusting character as the second-in-command, he's even less comparable."
"He actually followed Jiangnan. Isn't Jiangnan the one who caused him to become like this? I'm just scoffing..."
"Exactly, we were all waiting for his return, and he just surrendered directly..."
"What a disgrace. You were once a top star, and now you're playing this kind of thing."
The comment section was mostly filled with Zhang Qingyun's former fans. Traffic fans have fantasies about idols, and some extreme ones even become sasaeng fans. Now, Zhang Qingyun's portrayal of the second-in-command had shattered their past illusions, breaking the last bit of beauty in their hearts. Seeing their former idol play a man who was both ugly and vulgar, and with such a realistic appearance, made those traffic fans feel worse than eating excrement.
...
Japan.
Akina Mountain.
A place long known as a mecca for racers, especially the final five consecutive hairpin bends, a course for all drivers to conquer.
"Wow, you're quite famous now, kid. More famous than me, the protagonist," Zhang Yang handed Zhang Qingyun a bottle of Coke.
"Indeed, I'm very famous, but it's all criticism against me," Zhang Qingyun took a deep breath, took the Coke, drank a sip, and then leaned against the roadside guardrail, looking at the distant mountains.
"Hahaha, the second-in-command character's image isn't great, is it?" Zhang Yang laughed heartily.
"A true actor shouldn't be picky about roles, and I had a blast playing the second-in-command," Zhang Qingyun shifted his gaze, placed the Coke on the guardrail, and took out his phone from his pocket. "The moment I let go of my baggage, I suddenly felt that it was okay even if I played a beggar with a face full of pus. Instead, there was an excitement to try different roles."
Zhang Yang looked at Zhang Qingyun, who was speaking eloquently, and was immediately filled with respect. "Damn, you've really grown a lot."
"So I have to thank Brother Yang. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten the role of the second-in-command," Zhang Qingyun smiled.
He met Zhang Yang in a drama club. Zhang Yang was learning monkey plays at the time, and they had a brief exchange. He begged Zhang Yang to join screenwriter Jiangnan's team, and it was Zhang Yang who helped him get introduced, which led to the opportunity to play the second-in-command. Therefore, in Zhang Qingyun's heart, Zhang Yang was his greatest benefactor for his comeback.
"Actually, as long as you're willing, many entertainment companies will sign you," Zhang Yang shook his head and sat on the guardrail with his hands supporting himself. Zhang Qingyun joining the drama club was his own decision, but if he wanted to sign with a company, there were countless companies available. Although he couldn't regain his top-tier status, becoming a first-tier celebrity was not a problem.
"What I want isn't fame, but improvement," Zhang Qingyun drank some Coke and said very seriously, "What's the point of being a top star with explosive popularity but not winning a single award with weight? Those fans don't like you as a person, but your top-star status. For the past twenty years, I pursued traffic, but in the next few decades, I just want to be an actor."
Having experienced great ups and downs, he finally understood the meaning of being an actor. It wasn't about being showered with praise or trending on social media, but when people mention you, they don't say 'that top star' but 'that actor named Zhang Qingyun.' This was his current pursuit.
"Awesome. When this movie is released, your image will instantly improve." Zhang Yang was surprised by his high level of awareness and once again felt respect. Now they were criticizing him as the second-in-command, but when the movie is released, those traffic fans would likely go crazy instantly. Because Zhang Qingyun's character in this film is called "Ryosuke Takahashi"!