So it seems from the last years that there's a trend for remaking some modern novel adaptations even though they've already recently been adapted for the first time... Three main examples - Unrequited Love : two drama adaptations, one in 2019 with Zhao Shun Ran and Zhu Yan Man Zi, the other in 2021 with Hu Yi Tian and Hu Bing Qing -Poison Genius Consort : was adapted under the title Legend of Yunxi in 2018, with Ju Jingyi and Zhang Zhe Han, but they recently announced a remake (although I wonder if this is still happening since we have no news since april and they said they would start the shooting in july). Although it was a hit in general, but the fans of the original novel were more negative about this, as they considered way the drama changed way too much compared to the original material (and I'm amongst them, personally) -and finally, Master Devil Don't Kiss Me is also getting a remake. The 2017 adaptation was an unexpectedly hit and helped the two main actors, Li Hong Yi and Xing Fei, who were unknown then, to rise to fame (the rest of the cast also gained good careers : Sun An Ke, Yang Xi Zi, Zhang Jiong Ming...) A lot may find this annoying as viewers don't usually like remakes or sometimes, the concept of adaptation itself, as they consider that it either doesn't give justice to the original work, that it's uselessly repeating the same story or that it will necessarily be less good than the first adaptation. But I'm not of those, as I personnally usually really like remakes. So I just wondered : are there some chinese novels that you really liked that and that were adapted on tv but somehow, the drama adaptation left you disappointed for some reason (too much changes, bad writing, bad casting or else), so you wouldn't mind if there was a remake that could correct this and give you the adaptation you'd want ? As for Poison Genius Consort, I really hope it will happen but most importantly, I hope that unlike the previous drama adaptation, they will keep the original elements that made it so good !
I guess I'll start (and probably be on my own on this ) -Tears in Heaven : they just changed EVERYTHING. I loved seeing Dou Xiao and Li Qin acting together, and I understand that they had to change a few things to avoid polemics or censorship (after all, this is a Fei Wo Si Cun novel) but they totally got off trail compared to the main point of the story. It wasn't any longer about a woman healing after losing her beloved and struggling with the taboo of falling for her dead boyfriend's brother and a man struggling with his feelings for his half-brother's girlfriend but about... I'm not even sure. The whole mourning her boyfriend got away very quickly, their one-night stand was just "implied" (we didn't even get the scene, grr) which basically made no sense to the fact that the male lead disliked the female lead at first and there was a lot of unnecessary subplots that had nothing to do with the novel. So I think they really missed a chance to do a great drama -The Princess Weiyoung : i loved the drama and that's even how I discovered the novel. But let's be honest : the drama adaptation had NO resemblance with the novel, so much that I don't even see how this is an adaptation. Since recently, Dramaland seems to have accepted the whole rebirth trope, I think it would be good if they were to remake something that is faithful to the original. But I guess this is unlikely since the author has been accused (and found guilty) of plagiarism - The Left Ear : they shot a drama adaptation... SEVEN YEARS AGO ! and it still hasn't been released. I think it can be considered shelved now ! Moreover, I've read that they added some subplots or changes that I think are neither good, even unnecessary and more important, I'm a bit unsatisfied about the cast. But I just LOVE this novel so I'd like to see it getting a good adaptation (I could totally see Shen Yue as Li Er) -Summer's Desire : they had a great cast... but they made this dark, complex love story into some idol drama, with a bad writing, a bad directing, unnecessary and annoying subplots but also new, useless, annoying new characters. I don't know, maybe they tried to be totally different from the Taiwanese 2010 version and although they succeeded at that, they made a bad adaptation due to that (they even cut my long, expected bed scene ) -The Tang Dynasty’s Female Forensic Doctor, adapted under the title Miss Truth : again, they got way too far from the original plot, mainly with the female lead. She was smart and rational, and here they made her stupid, impulsive, and unable to decide herself between the two men ; they also changed AND ruined the ending. We had a perfectly happy ending, they made it some open, implied to be happy, nonsense ending. Moreover, the relationship between the leads turned very frustrating, unlike the novel's. It's too bad because they had a good casting and ruined their opportunity -Mountains and Oceans : you may not know this one as this wasn't translated and didn't get much buzz. So I will make this short : THEY COMPLETELY CHANGED THE ENDING !!! They had a satisfying, happy ending where the villains get punished but went for some open, weird thing that doesn't conclude anything and even let the villains getting away after having done the most hateful things
For me, - Godly Empress Doctor : haven't finished the novel yet but have reached half. It was adapted under Dance Of The Phoenix. I also haven't finished the drama yet, I only watched a little bit. But I don't think the actor suit what I imagined the ml would be like. And the quality too, I hope if they ever made a remade, I hope they improve it. Because the fight scenes in the novel are really cool and all, but the drama is a little meh for me, not that bad, it's maybe because I've read the novels and so I couldn't help but made the comparison. - Unrequited Love : I've only watched the 2019 version. The ending is really really rushed, but besides that, I think they capture the essence of youth really well. I like the actors too. Their chemistry made it believable that they actually fall in love at first sight. - Love Like The Galaxy : I like it, I really do. I've read the novel and I think all the actors suit the characters really well. It's just that they cut too many scenes after 5 years. I'm not sure if I'd like a remade or not because 3/4 of the novel is shown really really well. I just want to say that it falls a little short for me because they cut the scenes in the novel. - The Young Lady of the General’s House : I watched the drama first before reading the novel. At first, I think the drama is really good, but it all goes downhill after the female lead disguised herself and I just think the female lead is too much drama. And so I stopped at ep 20 because I just can't comprehend the female lead antics. It's too different from how they introduced her. The actors themselves I think are okay, I think maybe the scripts. And so I read the novel, and OH MY GOD THE NOVEL IS SO GOOD. They really shouldn't have changed the plot and the script. The female lead is consistent throughout the novel, and is so sensible and makes sense. All her decisions are consistent with her background. I do hope they remade this but without changing the characters and the plot. Because they really change the characters. If they only made the female lead to be more cheerful then it's fine, but they also suddenly change her to be like a bimbo. I do admit the female lead in the novel gave me a solemn feeling, and maybe they just think that type of character is not popular, but to change it completely into a bimbo is just disrespectful to the female lead. This is actually one of my fav novels and until now, I just couldn't bring myself to finish the series.
Cupid's Kitchen!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't even mind watching it because they changed the biggest point of the novel: ml is blind. They could've toned down the thing about him being almost a super powerful blind person and made it more realist, but keeping all the beautiful relationship they built. No. They chose to turn it into a cliche romance drama between chefs with ridiculous subplots like fl drinking sanitary's water to prove she did a good job cleaning it. Mountains and Oceans' ending wasnt that awful?????? My God, what have they done
Yep, I can confirm. Shen Zhen, the awful villain, gets her punishment (she gets killed by the ml's mom when she's about to kill him and the female lead ; unlike the drama, she doesn't retract, which actually didn't make sense at all, so I don't see why they did that), so does the ml's mother who even sincerely repents, the female lead gets justice for her mother and it is strongly implied that the leads end up together There also plenty of little details that they erased. I can tell you that the confrontation scene at the end is much more awesome in the novel that the drama (there is also a third male lead who makes the male lead jealous towards the second part of the novel)
I've read Poison Genius Consort before watching the drama and was so excited, then, what? They changed it. Same with the Princess Weiyoung, they made her like a Mary Sue, weak, bullied and kind character that I didn't recognize her nor the plot anymore. I'm This Type of Woman was also changed into romcom drama. In general, I'm not too optimistic about drama/live action adaptation unless when they're faithful to the source (examples: The Untamed, Hikaru no Go live action, You're My Glory), absurdly funny beyond belief (Go Princess Go), or they have big production behind them (Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms).
Love O2O The scenes from the drama actually match the novel really well and did it justice. also the male lead casting was on point. However! the female lead casting ruined it for me! (in both the movie and tv show, but movie was better) The female lead, if i remember correctly, is described as a beautiful college student with an alluring body and curves in all the right places (in the raws: flower vase shaped, hot body). the actress casted is stick-thin with no curves. zero. not judging her body. just saying that they were wrong in casting her as she did not fit any of the descriptions of the character. also her acting was stiff!! the kissing scene in the office was torture to watch! ^Let me also point out that her huge scandal has gotten this drama basically blacklisted everywhere! They have to remake it now, hopefully with Cheng Xiao. if you look up her dancing videos on ytube you'll see why. she is pretty much the only actress i can think of that fits the description, appearance-wise (face and body).
I Won't Get Bullied by Girls. The drama adaptation completely ruined the story! Completely! Instead of martial arts, Ye Lin did lion dancing in the drama. And his TV mom wasn't an evil megalomaniac, but just some regular mom who loved to travel. Other important characters weren't around either. Like Aimee. Her TV counterpart was just some washed-up idol. The gay bodyguard, the A.I. bot and the bot's inventor did not even exist in the drama adaptation. The whole drama was just about setting up a lion dance club at school.