Idol dramas target a female audience. While viewers primarily focus on the male lead and are easily drawn to an actor's handsome appearance, this does not mean the female lead is dispensable. On the contrary, in some respects, the success or failure of the female lead is even more crucial. This is because, whether watching idol dramas or romance novels, audiences readily identify with the female protagonist.
To make the female lead look like this—who are you trying to disgust?httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
It's like how some women, upon discovering their husband's infidelity, immediately confront the mistress instead of holding the scumbag accountable. Female viewers of idol dramas also exhibit vastly different levels of tolerance for the male and female leads. If the male lead's performance is subpar, the audience might think, "Never mind, he's so handsome, I'll forgive him." Conversely, if the female lead's performance is poor, viewers become extremely dismissive, deeming the character whiny and pretentious, and questioning how she could possibly be the female lead. "Is the director blind? How could they cast such a terrible actor as the female lead?"
Jiang Ling understood this perfectly. During the filming of "The Prince Who Turns into a Frog," her goal was not to excel but to avoid mistakes. While sidestepping audience pet peeves, she strived to portray Ye Tianyu's greed in a likable manner. Furthermore, aware that Dan Junhao's role was overly eye-catching and that Ye Tianyu's character was not meant to be as brilliant as Dan Junhao's, she adopted a subtle, understated acting style, meticulously and gently presenting the character's traits.
This subtle performance might seem unremarkable, and audiences might not even recognize its brilliance after watching the entire series. However, once the drama concludes, if viewers subsequently watch idol dramas of the same genre within a short period, they will unconsciously draw comparisons, leading to a significant disparity in their viewing experience. It's akin to someone accustomed to delicacies suddenly going bankrupt and being forced to eat simple fare every day; they would naturally find it difficult to adapt.
As expected, after "Never Forget" premiered, viewers found Zhou Zhengyang's portrayal of the alien leader somewhat pretentious but still acceptable, simply because of his handsome face. People tend to be more forgiving towards attractive individuals. However, when Ye Xianxian, playing the female lead, appeared and spoke her first line, the audience felt their entire being go awry.
"Her voice is so sugary!"
"Which voice actor is the female lead using? The lines are terrible!"
"There's no dubbing. Ye Xianxian claims she's using her own voice, and her fans even praise her professionalism."
"These lines are mumbled and sickly sweet. It would be better if she used dubbing."
"With such a sweet face, why does she speak so coquettishly? This is giving me goosebumps."
"Look at Jiang Ling's lines. Every word is clear, every sentence is distinct, and the delivery is seamless, like pearls dropping onto a jade plate. You can understand what she's doing without subtitles. They're both female leads, why is the gap so huge?"
"The female lead has only just appeared. Aren't you being too harsh? Let's watch more; perhaps her lines will improve later."
The audience couldn't help but criticize Ye Xianxian's terrible lines. However, considering the buzz online about how good the drama was, they decided that abandoning it over a few lines might mean missing out on a classic. Thus, they patiently continued watching.
As it turned out, the audience's patience was misplaced. After the female lead appeared, she mistook the male lead, who had fallen from space and lost his memory, for a tomb raider. She proceeded to torment him, mock him, and ridicule him.