Because the original work had a lot of foreshadowing in the early stages.
Many remade TV dramas have significantly cut the early plot of the original work. This script of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" has been simplified and revised by the system, making the plot more in line with the original work while quickly passing through the foreshadowing content.
The first ten minutes explained the story of Guo Xiang and Zhang Junbao, Zhang Junbao's affection for Guo Xiang, and Guo Xiang's lingering love for Yang Guo, which she guarded for life.
After all the important foreshadowing was written out,
it directly moved to the massacre of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency.
The rivalry between Zhang Cuishan of Wudang and Yin Susu, the demon girl of the Demonic Cult.
"This pair is also good, the division between good and evil is very watchable!"
"Judging from the stills, the protagonist is not this Zhang Cuishan. The first episode is almost ending, why hasn't the protagonist played by Shen Qingfeng appeared yet?"
"Damn it, I've been waiting for so long. If it wasn't for the stills, I would have thought the leads were Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu!"
"Did Zhang Junbao, the child from the end of 'The Return of the Condor Heroes,' get this old so quickly?"
"Guo Xiang really didn't get married. Her deep affection for Yang Guo, unforgettable for a lifetime!"
The foreshadowing in the first episode was very fast and informative. The audience was watching attentively, and even the barrage discussions were fewer.
Unknowingly, the first episode had finished.
While waiting, the barrage began to discuss the plot.
The time span this time was much larger compared to "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The Return of the Condor Heroes."
This also caused a sense of disconnect for viewers who watched "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and then this drama.
But there was also an advantage to doing this, which was that new viewers who hadn't seen "The Return of the Condor Heroes" could quickly get into the state of watching this drama.
...
The following episodes were also foreshadowing.
The Heavenly Eagle Cult's Saber-Wielding Assembly.
Zhang Cuishan and Golden Mane Lion King Xie Xun both showed off, and also interpreted the title of the drama.
The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber was a treasure coveted by the entire martial arts world. After Xie Xun snatched it, he encountered an accident on the way, leading Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu to be stranded on Ice Fire Island.
At this time, Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu also developed feelings for each other.
At the same time, the storyline of Ji Xiaofu was also gradually unfolding. As the most talented disciple of the Emei Sect, Abbess Miejue had always trained her as her successor.
By the time the fourth episode arrived,
Yin Susu was already pregnant with Zhang Cuishan's child.
As the child was about to be born, the Golden Mane Lion King Xie Xun suddenly went mad and almost killed Zhang Cuishan and his wife.
Fortunately, the child's cry successfully brought Xie Xun back to his senses, preventing a tragedy.
Yin Susu's character was a bit like Huang Rong; she was smart, agile, and far-sighted. Fearing that Xie Xun would harm the child, she had Xie Xun adopt the child as his godson and named him Zhang Wuji.
She even became sworn sisters with Xie Xun.
"This is the TV series that passes the fastest for me!"
"Damn, the first four episodes were a waste of time. If my guess is correct, the protagonist should be this child named Zhang Wuji, which means he's only just been born!"
"This foreshadowing is too long. Apart from the Saber-Wielding Assembly, which had a climax, the rest of the time was spent on island life. Although a side story of Ji Xiaofu was interspersed, it was still a bit dull to watch."
"I thought it was outrageous that the protagonist Yang Guo started from childhood, but I didn't expect the protagonist Zhang Wuji to start from his parents' courtship..."
Most of the early stages were foreshadowing, and even some mini-theater scenes. Except for the climax of the Saber-Wielding Assembly, which allowed Zhang Cuishan and Xie Xun to show off, the rest of the plot was relatively flat, which also caused the audience's enthusiasm to gradually wane.
After the TV series aired, perhaps due to the high expectations, the initial episodes did not meet expectations. Even the beautiful girls in the stills, except for Yin Susu, had not appeared. With the male and female leads not appearing for four episodes, impatient viewers were reaching their limit.
Therefore, the online reception for "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" was not very good.
In contrast, "The Sound of Evening Rain" featured the male lead wielding his sword across the land from the first episode, encountering the female lead in distress, a hero saving the beauty, followed by the division between good and evil, and the male lead embarking on his path to greatness and showing off.
The audience found it exhilarating!
...
#Loud thunder, little rain; "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" airs below expectations.#
#Male and female leads still not appearing after four episodes, old viewers express dissatisfaction!#
#Jiangnan falters, "The Sound of Evening Rain" gains critical acclaim!#
#Ratings for the latter half of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" decline!#
The two dramas had been competing since the publicity period.
However, "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" brought in the great god Ting Yu, directly crushing "The Sound of Evening Rain" in terms of popularity.
But after the first day's premiere of the first four episodes, it gave the fans of "The Sound of Evening Rain" and its traffic fans a breakthrough.
The slow pacing and excessive foreshadowing became the standard template for online attacks on "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber."
"Quick! Get these trending topics into the top ten!"
Li Hongyi, the chairman of Guang Nian Entertainment, was originally worried that their "The Sound of Evening Rain," which they had poured all their effort into, was completely overwhelmed by "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" in terms of marketing and premiere.
However, he didn't expect the situation to turn around. "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," due to too much foreshadowing in the premiere and the protagonist not appearing for four episodes, and only just being born, caused audiences to lose patience. They all criticized Jiangnan for padding the plot, questioning the value of filming the parents' generation with so much screen time, and praising Yin Susu and Zhang Cuishan's portrayal but lamenting that they weren't the protagonists, which was a waste of everyone's time.
"Don't worry, we've already contacted the marketing department to hype up trending topics regardless of the cost. Our ratings will definitely reverse the trend tomorrow!"
The executives also beamed with joy.
From the current perspective, although the premiere ratings of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" on the first day were very good, there was a significant decline in the last two episodes. The subsequent ratings were propped up by Jiangnan's fans who had faith in his reputation. Many casual viewers had limited patience; after waiting so long for the protagonist to appear, and it turned out to be the protagonist's parents falling in love, it wasn't particularly engaging.
In contrast, in "The Sound of Evening Rain," the acting of the male lead Chu He received a lot of affirmation from the audience. Although this was his first work, he was a man praised by a film emperor, so his acting couldn't be too subpar.
As for the female lead Cheng Yingying, she had shed her usual exaggerated acting style. Although she was still a bit short of seasoned professional actors, the audience did not find her acting distracting.
In terms of plot, Xiao Xueming, as a top industry figure, certainly wouldn't be a weakness. The TV series had also invested a large amount of funds in post-production special effects, making it an overall well-produced film and television production, considered a rare masterpiece for Guang Nian Entertainment in its years of producing traffic-driven dramas.
With one rising and the other falling,
"The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" saw a slight decline in reputation due to Jiangnan's willful and lengthy foreshadowing plot.
Meanwhile, "The Sound of Evening Rain" saw its reputation steadily rise in contrast.
This gave the previously desperate Guang Nian Entertainment a glimmer of hope for a comeback!