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| Zhao Liying’s Old Dramas Rise Again as ‘Rebirth’ Loses Steam. (Credits: Weibo) |
The numbers are in, and they’re not kind. What was meant to extend a beloved franchise has instead flipped the script entirely. ‘Rebirth’, starring Huangyang Tiantian and Li Yunrui, has stumbled badly on release, while the original hit ‘Princess Agents’, led by Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin, is suddenly back in the spotlight—pulling stronger viewership and quietly reminding everyone what worked the first time.
On paper, the plan looked solid. Ride the legacy of a proven hit, bring in fresh faces, and tap into nostalgia. In reality, ‘Rebirth’ has struggled across the board.
Rankings slipped quickly, dropping from early promise to mid-table placements on streaming charts, while competing dramas with stronger storytelling and sharper execution overtook it with ease. Even casual viewers clocked out early, leaving the series drifting without much momentum.
The backlash has been unusually unified. Viewers point to three core issues that keep coming up in discussion threads.
First, performance concerns—Huangyang Tiantian’s portrayal of the iconic heroine has been labelled too green, with critics saying the character lost the grit that once defined her.
Second, the narrative shift hasn’t landed. The original’s focus on survival, strategy, and bigger stakes has been replaced with a more romance-heavy angle that many feel waters down the story’s identity.
Third, the directing choices—particularly the stylised handling of darker scenes—have raised eyebrows, with some viewers questioning whether aesthetic took priority over emotional weight.
In the early episodes, viewers are taking a dig at the production team for relying on nostalgia and excessive flashbacks, saying it’s “wasting their time” — as if the sequel has no value without leaning on the prequel.
Ironically, the louder the criticism for ‘Rebirth’, the stronger the revival of ‘Princess Agents’. Viewers have been revisiting the 2017 drama in large numbers, pushing it back up streaming rankings and sparking fresh conversation online.
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| ‘Rebirth’ has seen its reputation collapse, inadvertently boosting the popularity of its predecessor ‘Princess Agents’ (2017), starring Zhao Liying. |
Data spikes tell the story: playback figures surged dramatically, search interest climbed, and the series quickly secured a top-tier position on major platforms—comfortably outperforming its newer counterpart.
It hasn’t stopped there.
The renewed attention on Zhao Liying has also nudged audiences back towards her other catalogue, with ‘The Story of Minglan’ seeing a noticeable bump in popularity.
It’s a reminder that while trends move fast, well-made dramas tend to age rather well—and audiences have long memories when it comes to quality.
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| ‘The Story of Minglan’, starring Zhao Liying and Feng Shaofeng, has recently climbed to No. 2 on Youku’s overall rankings. (Youku) |
Fan reactions have ranged from amused disbelief to outright frustration. Some have joked that ‘Rebirth’ is less a sequel and more a promotional campaign for its predecessor.
Others have taken a sharper tone, arguing the follow-up misunderstood what made the original resonate in the first place. Still, there’s also a quieter group acknowledging the difficulty of continuing a story that many felt had already reached its emotional peak years ago.
There’s another layer to this.
The original ‘Princess Agents’ never fully wrapped its source material, leaving a lingering sense of unfinished business. For some viewers, that gap was part of its legacy.
Now, with ‘Rebirth’ failing to deliver a satisfying continuation, a growing number are saying the story might have been better left as it was—imperfect, but memorable.
In the end, this isn’t just a case of one drama underperforming. It’s a reminder that audiences are sharper than ever, and nostalgia isn’t a shortcut to success. If anything, ‘Rebirth’ has accidentally done the opposite—pushing viewers back to a nearly decade-old series that still holds up without trying too hard.
Whether the production team adjusts course or doubles down will be worth watching. For now, though, the verdict from viewers feels clear—and not exactly subtle. What do you think: unfair backlash, or a sequel that missed the point entirely?