Numerous netizens who were disgusted by the female lead in "Never Forget" clicked on the drama "When Frog Becomes a Prince" to focus on the heroine, Ye Tianyu.
It was only upon watching that they were met with immense pleasant surprise.
They felt that Jiang Ling's performance as Ye Tianyu, while lacking explosive acting moments, was incredibly comfortable to watch.
It was like a bowl of fragrant, soft, and thick congee. Seemingly bland, it contained a myriad of flavors, warming the stomach the most.
Previously, Dan Junhao's overwhelming radiance had overshadowed Ye Tianyu's light.
This led some viewers and fans of Jiang Ling to believe that Jiang Ling's acting had faltered, and was not as brilliant as her previous roles as Li Shengnan, Hua Fei, Zhao Hede, or Jiang Yuyan.
Now, re-watching Ye Tianyu's scenes, the audience truly understood what "spring rain in acting, moistening things silently" meant.
This gentle and delicate performance was so good it was almost imperceptible, only fully appreciated when encountering similar bad movies again, revealing her brilliance and mastery.
Under Jiang Ling's portrayal, Ye Tianyu's laughter and anger, every glance, every expression, every movement, and every line of dialogue felt so vibrant, lively, and deeply nuanced.
The more the audience watched Jiang Ling's scenes, the more they felt that Ye Xianxian's performance was truly terrible, a disaster from beginning to end, so bad it was home.
Thus, a new wave of criticism and condemnation began.
[They really bought into the bad acting of idol dramas, do they really think just looking good is enough?]
[After watching Jiang Ling's performance as Ye Tianyu, I realized how bad the acting is for current idol drama actors.]
[No wonder when the news broke that Jiang Ling would star in an idol drama, many netizens jokingly said she was coming to benefit the public.]
[It's these trash actors who create so many bad acting films. I don't ask every male and female lead in an idol drama to be like Jiang Ling, but at least they should learn twenty to thirty percent.]
[Twenty to thirty percent is too much. If Ye Xianxian had even ten percent of Jiang Ling's skill, this drama wouldn't be trashed!]
[It's over. Since watching Jiang Ling's idol dramas, my taste has become discerning. If she doesn't act in idol dramas in the future, won't happiness be lost?]
[Ling Zi, idol dramas cannot be without you!]
[Watching "When Frog Becomes a Prince," I thought my youth had returned, but now I realize the past can never return. The idol drama market is still so bad. It's only because Jian Zhou and Jiang Ling's characters were played too well that people had illusions.]
[Actors with both acting skills and good looks are truly scarce. No wonder in such a vast market, Jiang Ling is the only platinum artist.]
[… ]
In a string of criticisms, eight or nine out of ten mentioned how well Jiang Ling played Ye Tianyu, making Ye Xianxian's female lead seem utterly insignificant in comparison.
After three consecutive days of escalation, even with the extreme efforts of Huohua and Feixing to control the narrative, they ultimately could not withstand the surging tide of public opinion.
[Hahaha, the power of the masses is endless. These unscrupulous companies finally can't hold on!]
[Keep controlling the narrative, you guys. Do you really think the audience is made of dough, to be kneaded as you please? Don't think your money allows you to cover the sky with one hand and manipulate public opinion. I just want to curse!]
[A drama that's as bad as it gets, yet its premiere garnered 330 million views, and the positive reviews are flying everywhere. If there's nothing fishy going on, I'll be damned.]