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| From Criticism to Craze: Chinese Fantasy Drama Feud Rises After Rocky Start |
It got dragged, memed, and torn apart on day one—but guess what? The Chinese xianxia drama Feud is having the last laugh. Despite a messy launch that had netizens shouting “ugly!” from the rooftops, the series starring Bai Lu and Joseph Zeng Shunxi is now pulling in solid numbers and heating up the drama rankings fast.
🚨 Day One Chaos: “Ugly” Takes Over Trending
The premiere of Feud wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. It hit the hot search—but not in a good way. The hashtag #难看 (literally "ugly" or "hard to watch") started trending as soon as the first episode dropped.
Here’s what had fans raising eyebrows:
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CGI That Looked Like 5 Yuan Special Effects
Yep, the infamous “five mao effects” comment got thrown around—CGI so janky, it looked like something out of a 2009 flash game. Viewers clocked the dodgy green screen and stiff animations right away. -
Makeup & Styling Misses
Some viewers joked it felt like “Guanyin hugging Nezha”—basically, the visuals were giving weird crossover energy rather than ethereal fantasy. Not exactly the timeless beauty folks expect from a xianxia. -
Pacing on Fast-Forward
In the first episode alone, Bai Lu’s character Hua Ruyue gets hurt, hunts down medicine, and lands a marriage proposal. Whiplash, much? Side characters barely had time to blink, let alone develop.
Still, not everyone hated it. A chunk of netizens—especially those into fast-burn, short-format dramas—actually vibed with the quick storytelling. As noted by Sohu, the plot-heavy, skip-the-fluff approach did appeal to audiences who aren’t into 40-episode slow burns.
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📈 From Viral Roast to Viral Hit
Here’s where things get interesting. Even with the initial chaos, Feud didn’t flop. In fact, by day two, the numbers started doing a 180.
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Viewership share jumped from 12% to 16.1% in 24 hours.
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The “heat index” surged from 7685 to over 9500, showing a legit boost in interest.
It’s the classic case of “I came to hate-watch, but low-key got hooked.”
🎟️ Marketing Move That Changed the Game
A big part of Feud’s comeback story? One word: marketing. And not the boring kind.
The team cooked up a creative “cloud private screening” event—where fans could rent virtual cinemas and watch the premiere in mini online watch parties. The concept took off like wildfire. Over 50,000 viewers joined in.
It felt fresh, social, and gave the drama that early exposure boost it needed.
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💡 Why It’s Working (Despite the Shade)
There’s a Chinese saying: “叫座不叫好” — a work that draws in crowds even if it doesn’t get glowing reviews. That’s exactly where Feud is sitting right now.
Several things are keeping it alive and kicking:
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Xianxia fantasy dramas still have a loyal fanbase, no matter the flaws.
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Bai Lu and Joseph Zeng’s names alone bring massive traffic.
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The marketing’s been smart, bold, and aimed at more than just the hardcore fandom.
🧭 What’s Next? Can Feud Actually Go the Distance?
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Early numbers look solid, but the real test is whether it can sustain the hype.
Producer Yu Zheng has his eyes on a high bar: 60 million average heat index per episode. To get there, the drama needs to polish up the storytelling, iron out production issues, and give side characters something to actually do.
The first few episodes may have had netizens roasting it for filth—but if the show continues to deliver plot twists, chemistry, and enough fantasy flair, we might just be looking at a true comeback story.
🧠 TL;DR (Too Long; Drama Recap):
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Feud got slammed for weak visuals and chaotic pacing on premiere day.
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Viewership and heat index spiked fast thanks to curiosity and clever promo tactics.
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Bai Lu and Joseph Zeng still carry major pulling power.
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Cloud screening events gave it a fresh boost.
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It’s flawed, but fun—and might just win the long game if it plays its cards right.