[[link removed]]

PORTSIDE CULTURE

‘FLAT AND SHALLOW’: NETFLIX’S 3 BODY PROBLEM DIVIDES VIEWERS IN
CHINA  
[[link removed]]


 

Helen Davidson
March 22, 2024
The Guardian
[[link removed]]


*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

_ Eight-episode series based on Liu Cixin novels triggers accusations
of ‘Americanisation’ of a Chinese story _

Reaction in China to Netflix’s 3 Body Problem has been mixed but
widespread. , Photograph: Ed Miller/Netflix

 

Netflix’s big-budget adaptation of Three-Body Problem, a series of
novels by the Chinese author Liu Cixin, has divided opinion on Chinese
social media.

The eight-episode series, 3 Body Problem, was released in full on
Netflix on Thursday. It is based on the first book in Liu’s trilogy,
an ambitious sci-fi series spanning civilisation from the 1960s to the
end of humanity.

The TV series was co-created for Netflix by the Game of Thrones
showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss, and the True Blood writer
Alexander Woo, working with the director Derek Tsang.

Reaction in China [[link removed]] has been
mixed but widespread, even though Netflix is not accessible behind the
country’s firewall. By Friday morning, a 3 Body Problem hashtag on
the microblogging platform Weibo had been read 2.23bn times and
discussed 1.424m times.

Some have objected to Netflix’s taking of a largely Chinese story
and moving a lot of the action to the UK, with an international cast.
Others criticised the gender swap of the main character (although
GQ reported
[[link removed]] the
idea had been suggested by Liu to the showrunners).

The series creators have defended the casting. Netflix described 3
Body Problem as “purposefully global in nature”, spanning
continents, cultures and timelines.

“We wanted people from all over the world,” Benioff said. “We
tried to make this a very diverse, international cast to represent the
idea that this isn’t just one country’s struggle – it’s a
global struggle to survive.”

Some of the criticism has been embedded in geopolitical animosity
towards the US, attracting nationalistic backlash and accusations of
Americanisation of the story.

“Flat and shallow, the difficult concept of science fiction is
roughly transformed into a simple visual spectacle,” said one
commenter on Weibo, accusing the creators of “orientalising” the
Chinese background story and making a Hollywood story of western
heroism instead.

Many Chinese viewers are likening it to a 2023 Chinese adaptation,
produced by the Chinese tech company Tencent. Those who favour the
latter have described Netflix’s work as “General Tso’s
chicken” – a Chinese dish served in the US and rarely seen in
China – compared to Tencent’s “banquet”.

Tencent’s series was released to US streaming audiences last month
and is considered to be a more faithful adaptation of the books,
albeit at a lengthy 30 episodes.

There were also social media discussions of the fact that Netflix has
more creative and political freedom. “The biggest advantage
Netflix’s version of Three-Body Problem has over the domestic
version is no censorship, no taboos,” wrote one viewer.

The Netflix series
[[link removed]] opens
with a scene of brutality: a Communist party struggle session during
the Cultural Revolution targeting the father of the main character.
The Tencent version depicts that time but is more muted.

The director of the Netflix series told Radio Free Asia it was
becoming increasingly difficult to portray the period of the Cultural
Revolution in China.

“But it is an important part of history and, if we are honest about
it, we can all learn from it,” Tsang said. “It is very important
to show everyone how ridiculous that period was.”

The books also treat the topic differently. The English translation of
the first novel opens with the struggle session, while the Chinese
version buries that scene in the middle, a decision Liu and his
publishers reportedly made
[[link removed]] to
make the book less politically sensitive in China.

Some viewers are happy to see the story shared with a broader
audience. A Chinese film review site, Mtszimu, said the adaptation was
“not only a new interpretation of Liu Cixin’s original work but
also an important contribution to global science-fiction
literature”.

One Weibo commenter said: “Everyone has a version of this
interpretation in their own imagination. My personal attitude is more
encouraging, after all, Three-Body Problem is the IP that we created.
Now it goes to the world. I hope that this hit will have a greater
echo and resonance.”

_Chi Hui Lin contributed to this report_

Support the Guardian

Available for everyone, funded by readers

Support us
[[link removed]]

* 3 body problem
[[link removed]]
* China
[[link removed]]
* Americanization
[[link removed]]
* Cultural Revolution
[[link removed]]

*
[[link removed]]
*
[[link removed]]
*
*
[[link removed]]

 

 

 

INTERPRET THE WORLD AND CHANGE IT

 

 

Submit via web
[[link removed]]

Submit via email
Frequently asked questions
[[link removed]]
Manage subscription
[[link removed]]
Visit portside.org
[[link removed]]

Twitter [[link removed]]

Facebook [[link removed]]

 



########################################################################

[link removed]

To unsubscribe from the xxxxxx list, click the following link:
[link removed]