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Low-budget bi-love show becomes an unexpected hit

By Song Jingyi (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-01-12 15:02

Two characters share a moment in this screenshot from the online TV drama Go Princess Go. [Photo/China Daily]

After "Surprise", one of China's low-budget online shows is about to go upscale. The one word that could be used to describe LeTV's latest online drama, Go Princess Go, is "addictive". Everywhere you go, you see young people watching and talking about it. In contrast to the disappointment that came after the highly-anticipated The Legend of Mi Yue, zealous Chinese drama fans have expressed their craze for this low-budget, novel-based drama.

"I haven't read the novel, but recently I watched the drama, with the initial intention of merely to find out what is the fuss over it among Chinese netizens. It turns out to be much more enjoyable than expected because it's just simply light-hearted and entertaining - despite all the cheap-looking props, settings and costumes. The general sentiment is that the quality of the cast and an interesting story really compensate for these shortfalls. The characters are also extremely lovable," said a drama fan with the handle milquety on Facebook.

Currently, the show has raked in more than 700 million views after being released less than one month ago and is rated 8.2 out of 10 on douban.com, a Chinese SNS website, while the rate of The Legend of Mi Yue was only 4.9.

A male's mind in a female's body

This is the history of the struggle of a 'woman' in the harem. At the same time, this is also the history of the suffering of a 'man' in the harem. The biggest attraction for audiences seems to be the bisexual relationships of main character Zhang Pengpeng , who has a man's mind in a woman's body.

The story is set in motion when a modern playboy named Zhang Peng jumps into a swimming pool to save a girl's life, but is accidently kicked in the head and falls unconscious. Upon waking, he discovers that he now inhabits the body of a beautiful woman living in ancient China named Zhang Pengpeng, who Zhang later realizes is the wife of a prince. Comedy ensues as Zhang tries to survive as a woman with a straight man's mind.

When the show first starts, Zhang often flirts with his maid and his husband's other concubines, most of whom are voluptuous women who don't care when Zhang comes into contact with their bodies since he's in a woman's body. However, love comes in time and he falls in love with his husband. as he finds his more feminine side, and even has sex with him.

It's rare to see a gender-bending role such as this appear so prominently in a Chinese drama. With Zhang's male spirit and female body, each relationship between the two sexes develops quite naturally.

Ungryhippo, another drama fan, said, "I admit there are times I've forgotten that the crown princess is really a man and I've discovered he seems to be rather accepting of his new body and perhaps even the love interests of two men. The romantic scenes are wonderfully played out and unexpectedly unique and not too cliché. I am definitely looking forward to the upcoming episodes."

In an interview with Xinhua news, screenwriter Qin Shuang, a talented post-85s said, "I aim to subvert the conventions of the costume drama. If every scene is brilliant, your production is going to be utterly monotonous. Creativity and entertainment value should be your primary considerations. "As for the success of the drama, she said she never expected it to happen.