The #Netflix drama's depiction of China is, well, problematic. How did the people of China react to it? In this issue I highlight what Chinese viewers think about the 3 Body Problem.
The end of the first book (The Three-Body problem) is mind-bending.
Now I'm forced to spend all weekend studying string theory. Because, damn protons and unfolding and dimensionality.
To be clear, it's not that I didn't like #ThreeBody#Netflix because it has been "Westernised" or even that major Chinese characters have been replaced.
To me it's crime was dumbing down almost everything and reducing Ye Wenjie's character to a religious fanatic ☠️.
And yea, I more or less expected the Cultural Revolution to depicted in the most shock value way ever, but to my surprise it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
I'm just getting around to watching the Chinese version of Three-Body and I gotta say it's much better than the Netflix version. Minus the intro beat-down it's very closely following the books.
The reaction on Chinese social media to Netflix's adaptation of "The Three-Body Problem" has been mixed, but Vox's Aja Romano argues that depictions of nationalistic outrage are probably exaggerations. She unpacks the response to this adaptation, the book trilogy, and Tencent's "Three Body," and says this time around, the problem is Netflix, not Chinese viewers.
I finished #3BodyProblem last night. It's dogshit. 0/10 I hate it. If you're a fan of the books watch #ThreeBody on Prime instead. It's a very good representation of the books. If you just like random Game of Thrones actors doing their best with a god awful script that is tangentially related to the books, I guess sure check out 3BP, I'm not your dad.
I need to watch #Netflix#ThreeBody to be sure, but I probably wouldn't due to the butchering of Ye Wenjie's character. But I am so annoyed that a story that is told from a very Chinese perspective, with the nuance needed for China's turbulent past, has been subverted to make a political statement to fit the Western lens.
Too much to go into here, but this is why I do not trust adaptations of foreign IPs .. the need to dumb them down and Anglicize them for "general" consumption 🥴
If you can't wait for #Netflix’s new “Three-Body Problem” show, know that #Peacock will soon stream the 30-part Chinese adaptation “Three-Body”! (See Verge article below.)
I’ve watched the first three episodes, and it's a bit of a slow burner. They certainly don't rush things. And about 10 minutes of each ep seem to be opening and end credits, srsly.
January was a dry TV season, at least for me. But I have a never-ending "plan to watch" list. In this ep, I talk about #KDramas: Vigilante, Perfect Marriage Revenge & Death's Game
and #CDramas: Draw the Line, #ThreeBody & more
Would I recommend Three-Body just to anyone? Probably not. However, if you're patient enough to sit through a few slow patches, you will be highly rewarded.
And watch this before the #Netflix one.
Don't know why I am suddenly in the mood for romance. Mature, adult, slow burn, arranged marriage romance, that is. Maybe after the intense, hard scifi of #ThreeBody I want some fluff 😘 Watched ep 1. Love the gorgeous costumes and our male lead actor Wallace Huo is such a charismatic presence. I think I will like this!
This is a PSA that you need to watch the Chinese TV adaptation of #ThreeBody before you the #Netflix version. I have little confidence that Netflix or the folks who butchered Game Of Thrones will do it justice.
At least absorb the unique POV this #Cdrama offers before the Netflix defines your vision of Liu Cixin's books.
You can watch it on the WeTV, Viki apps. The first 2 eps are available on Youtube.
When you watch and realise what that infamous "ship scene" in #ThreeBody REALLY means.
PS: I REALLY liked how subtly they implied the FULL horror of it all in this episode. I don't know how Netflix will replicate the growing dread, and horror of that scene.
What I love about #ThreeBody is that it shows countries around the world working together with China to defeat this threat. They are all equals in this conflict. There was a conversation between our main lead with one of the leaders of a European nation which I found moving. It showed that they were both humans with loved ones to protect.
I have real worries that Netflix adaptation would forgo this cooperative element and paint some countries as baddies.
Am at episode 9 and it is finally getting better paced and even more mysterious. It's set during the Cultural Revolution. Interesting to see something scifi set during this period.
I am watching the #ThreeBody#CDrama version and also saw the #Netflix version's teaser. I compared the same scene with the Cdrama one, and I can tell you - I do not have a good feeling about the Netflix adaptation. The Netflix version of that scene lacks the gravitas, urgency and sophistication of the Cdrama version.
I am also worried they are going to water down or completely erase the Chinese perspectives and cultural context, which is really important.
This is LITERALLY the best way to summarise the first four episodes of the #ThreeBody#Cdrama 😆
But anyway, am enjoying it even if I feel like, WTF IS GOIN' ON WITH THE NUMBERS AND THE PHYSICS
After a lifetime of sci-fi from a Western perspective, it's really fascinating to see one from a Chinese one, and this is like hard #scifi at that!
Still in the pursuit of a #KDrama to watch. Moving feels a bit too heavy for me, though I want to watch it. Oh well, but maybe I should lol. But I have #ThreeBody to watch too and that one is hella heavy.
Finally watching #ThreeBody. This is really great so far. I'm surprised. It feels like watching X-Files for the very first time back in the day. The writing is pretty good too, following the books fairly faithfully as far as I can tell. I was afraid they would leave out too much of the hard science/philosophy/politics of the original book. It looks really good too, cinematography-wise. CGI, less so. Very dramatic too, not bad acting. I hope it stays good.
Another interesting thing is I was expecting more censorship but there's as much as I was expecting yet. The only thing missing so far is the criticism of the Cultural Revolution but it might be too early for that. So far they've included plenty of Buddhism as well as absurdism (as in rebellion against nihilism à la Camus) suicide and well, the obvious topics for the story.