It has to be said, it's truly lamentable!
Besides using Jiang Yuyan to highlight the core of the国产大女主 (native big female lead) narrative, Hong Xiulan also praised Jiang Ling's acting skills at the end of the article, lauding her as the most spiritually gifted actress among the younger generation.
Jiang Ling hadn't expected that a supporting role she played would not only explode on trending searches but also receive praise from Hong Xiulan.
One must remember, Hong Xiulan was the first actress to win a Grand Slam of awards and a revered elder artist in the industry.
The article she personally authored, published on what is considered the most official website in the film and television industry, bestowed upon Jiang Ling an honor no less significant than winning any Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress award.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ling was exhilarated.
Her portrayal of Jiang Yuyan had indeed been worthwhile.
The rampant proliferation of pseudo-大女主 (big female lead) dramas in the parallel universe's film and television industry had given the villainous supporting character, Jiang Yuyan, unprecedented popularity.
The viewership ratings for "Little Fish and Flowers" also broke the record previously set by "The Romance of the Jade Tripod" after Jiang Yuyan slept with Hua Wuque.
In the entertainment industry, imitation was the norm, with agencies and artists alike always eager to capitalize on trends – whatever was popular, they would latch onto it.
Seeing how well-received the role of Jiang Yuyan was, a multitude of similar themes began to emerge like mushrooms after rain.
However, it's not as simple as wanting to imitate the "Yan Huang" (Empress Yan).
Many companies only saw Jiang Yuyan's beauty and ruthlessness, overlooking that her rise from a humble brothel girl to a supreme master wielding immense power was never due to these traits alone, but rather her intellect and unique personal charisma.
Those who blindly imitated and copied only managed to capture the form but not the spirit, ultimately becoming mere parodies, like a dog attempting to draw a tiger and ending up with something unrecognizable, earning only mockery.
Not only among major companies, film crews, and artists, but Jiang Ling also saw on Taobao and Pinduoduo that several new businesses had opened, bearing names like 'Yan Huang' and 'Yu Yan,' specializing in women's products.
From lipstick, masks, and serums to bed linens, and even menstrual pads for that monthly time, these items were being sold.
These copycat vendors, under the guise of "strong female" and "beautiful" branding, promoted their products across various platforms, and their sales were booming.
Looking at this, Jiang Ling felt a pang of bitterness.
This role was meticulously brought to life by this grandmother with all her might, and now these people were reaping the benefits. It felt like a huge loss!
But there was nothing she could do. The production crew had simply not anticipated how popular Jiang Yuyan would become and failed to register the name for patent protection in a timely manner, allowing these merchants to exploit the loophole.
Although Jiang Ling knew Jiang Yuyan was the pinnacle of female villains and the epitome of a femme fatale, she had underestimated the market and hadn't foreseen the immense popularity of this role in the parallel universe.
By the time she realized, it was too late to register.
Despite Hong Xiulan defining Jiang Yuyan as a benchmark for the big female lead on Baiyulan.com, Jiang Ling still felt that Jiang Yuyan could not truly be considered a big female lead.
There were three reasons: Firstly, her initial rise to power involved entering the palace as a favored concubine, relying on her beauty, which lacked purity. Secondly, she was a villain, and villains couldn't be protagonists. Thirdly, in the end, she showed leniency towards the man she loved, Hua Wuque, which led to her being killed by the Jiang brothers – a weakness for love that proved fatal.
In Jiang Ling's opinion, a true big female lead should be like the Ninth Miss in "The Way of the Dragon," possessing firm resolve, independence, and self-reliance. She wouldn't rely on men and would achieve everything through her own efforts, having ideals and responsibilities, a heroine who was second to none.