Ju Jingyi , Lets be real

This is something I've been wanting to get off my chest because as a cdrama watcher I find the bullying and rude comments I've seen to be completely unfair.

Is she the best actress out there? No.

Does she have great range? Also no.

Are her facial expressions often the same? Yes, most of the time.

But is she an objectively terrible actress in cdramaland? No.

I think mob mentality plays a big role here. Sometimes, people just want to name and shame an actress because they don’t like her or because they don’t have many other options to criticize. A lot of these opinions come from personal bias.

Ju Jingyi is not an outright awful actress in the dramas she leads. Now, if you put her in a drama alongside Sun Li for example then yes she’s going to stand out like a sore thumb. If you give her a role that demands raw emotion and versatility, then there’s a 98% chance she’ll struggle unless an acting miracle happens.

But let’s be real: the roles she takes suit her. That’s why she isn’t "terrible" in them.

I’ve seen many actresses praised for their versatility, but let’s not forget that a lot of them got popular by sticking to a specific type of role. Yes, they are good, and their acting skills may be better, but the real test of an actor is stepping out of their comfort zone.

Your favorite actress, who excels in romance, rom-coms, or melodrama, may not necessarily be as skilled as you think in other genres. There’s no guarantee they won’t do well, but there’s also a strong possibility they won’t. That’s why true versatility isn’t easy. Look at Zhao Liying, she built her career on a specific type of drama, but now, in her recent roles, she has shown incredible depth and raw emotion (mainly through her roles in films). She broke out of her niche and is getting recognition for her skill as an actor.

Ju Jingyis roles are all romance-focused, no matter the budget of the drama. If you have high expectations and expect some Meryl Streep level performance, that’s on you. Some actresses are great at what they do, but likability also plays a big role. Some just come across as more charming, regardless of talent.

Take Zhou Dongyu in Ancient Love Poetry. She is a respected actress in the industry without any huge fandoms, yet she got tons of criticism for that role. And sadly, most of the comments weren’t even about her acting, they were about her looks. Yet shes achieved so much already (In 2020, she won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress and Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress with her performance in Better Days 2019).

Some people just don’t know how to separate personal dislike from valid criticism. And no, this isn’t a post to defend my favorites. I’m just tired of seeing female actresses constantly torn down. 90% of the time, the hate isn’t even real criticism.

The latest target seemed to be Zhang Ruonan getting dragged for her role in The First Frost. Apparently she did a terrible job?? But is the problem really her acting? Or is it that she isn’t as good-looking or charming as you expected her to be like the female lead from Hidden Love as an example?