“Pursuit of Jade “ is a recently aired Chinese costume drama, which quickly attracted the attention of the audience after its release. The drama has gained high popularity because of its storyline and character setting. Especially the special professional background of the female lead “Killing Pig Girl”, it makes it seem relatively innovative compared to similar works. However, the drama has also caused controversy on the Internet, mainly focusing on gender presentation, character building and the visual style of modern costume dramas.
One of the main reasons why the play attracts the audience is that the female lead breaks the stereotyped female image in traditional costume dramas. In many traditional works, Female characters are usually shown as gentle, passive, or needing protection. However, the female lead of “Pursuit of Jade ” is a “pig-killing girl”. This profession is not often seen in mainstream stories, especially when female characters take on this setting. The popularity of the female lead’s character also shows that audiences are increasingly interested in non-traditional female roles. Therefore, it has an obvious sense of freshness and challenges the audience’s traditional understanding and expands the range of female representation in costume dramas.
In addition to her professional background, the heroine is also show as a character with strong fighting ability in the drama. Unlike the previous narrative structure of “men save women”, the drama presents a reversal relationship. The female lead can protect herself and even help others in dangerous situations. This setting is regarded by some audiences as a positive change, representing that female characters are more independent and powerful, and also reflects that the image of women in film and television works is changing.
However, although these settings are innovative, the drama is still criticized for the visual presentation of the male lead. Some viewers call the male lead “foundation general” on the Internet, which does not match the realistic image of a battlefield general. According to the report of CNA Lifestyle, this statement reflects that the audience thinks that the character image is too “refined” which does not match the realistic image of a battlefield general. This controversy has also sparked a discussion about whether modern costume dramas overemphasize visual beauty.
The Straits Times also said that these discussions reflect the increasing trend of visual stylization in Chinese film and television works. At the same time, it also reflects the audience’s continuous ongoing debate about the balance between realism and visual beauty. Some viewers think that characters in war or historical settings should look more natural and rough to make them more believable, and should not depend too much on a polished appearance.
At the same time, this discussion also reflects a broader change in audience expectations for costume dramas, and the audience’s opinions about the drama are also clearly divided. Some views like this detailed visual style and think it is an important reason why modern costume dramas attract audiences. In their view, they believe that “Pursuit of Jade ” is not a strict historical record, but a form of entertainment that combines romance, fantasy and visual design. so a certain level of stylization is not necessarily a weakness.
On the other hand, some audiences think that this style weakens the realism of the work. They are more inclined to the more real and natural way of presenting characters in traditional historical themes. In such discussions, there is often a comparison between modern costume dramas and historical figures, emphasizing that the images of war generals in the past are often more rough and real. However, I think it should be noted that “Pursuit of Jade ” is essentially an emotional narrative and entertaining costume love drama, rather than a historical copy in a strict sense. so historical correctness should not be the only evaluation criterion.
Generally speaking, “Pursuit of Jade ” shows not only innovation, but also controversy. The setting of the female lead’s “pig-killing girl” and the change of gender roles has brought new ways of expression to costume damas, The discussion about the image of the male lead also shows the conflict between “visual beauty” and “realism” in modern audiences. These different opinions show that modern audiences have more varied tastes and expectations, and a successful work often depends on how well it balances story, character, and visual style.
Shoujie Wang 
Yinan Zhou 
SUN Yinchen