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Chinese viewers debate Netflix’s The Three-Body Problem; cultural differences take center stage

After a Netflix adaptation of The Three-Body Problem premiered recently, it currently holds an average audience popcorn score of 76 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with a Douban score of 6.7. The series, as a foreign adaptation of a Chinese science-fiction classic, has sparked a wide range of discussions and complicated reactions among Chinese viewers.

Reactions among Chinese viewers vary. Some approved of Netflix’s deliberate globalization of The Three-Body Problem, crossing continents, cultures, and timelines, believing the fact that The Three-Body Problem, an IP created in China, can go global is encouraging. Meanwhile, others believe that the show’s international cast was chosen to “appease political correctness,” and criticized the adaptation as “bland and superficial.”

Some Chinese movie critics and experts believe that localizing The Three-Body Problem to follow the pace of American sci-fi thrillers and mysteries actually reflects a greater cultural difference. While Liu Cixin, the author of the novel, writing such story may in itself embody the simple, romantic cosmology and values of many Chinese people, the creators behind Netflix’s adaptation differ, who failed to properly present his values and cosmology, which might be the aspect that leaves audiences most dissatisfied, some critics said.

However, the adaptation is actually due to the tastes or ideas of international audiences being somewhat different from those of Chinese viewers, experts noted. It’s not about deliberately denigrating China on an ideological level but about the difficulty in expressing some of the nuances of Chinese culture, they said.

The eight-episode series, based on Chinese novelist Liu Cixin, who is also a Chinese Hugo Award winner, defies human science and takes us on a mind-boggling journey that spans continents and timelines, according to the website of the Netflix.

Some Western media outlets also noticed the reaction of the Chinese viewers, for instance, Reuters said in a recent story that “Netflix’s ‘3 Body Problem’ leaves jaws dropped among Chinese viewers,” while CNN said that the series “divides opinion and sparks nationalist anger in China.”

The co-creators of The Three-Body Problem are reportedly at work on additional seasons of their Netflix sci-fi television series, though Netflix has yet to announce those plans in any official capacity, fashion magazine Elle reported on Sunday.

Some Chinese viewers have also compared Netflix’s series with Tencent’s Three-Body, the Chinese adaptation that was released internationally in 2023. As the Netflix version faces growing criticism in China, the Tencent version is being revisited by The Three-Body Problem enthusiasts, who consider it the best adaptation.

While the Tencent version is viewed as the most faithful to the original by many viewers, it also faced considerable criticism at the time of its release.

The Beijing Youth Daily said in a commentary on Sunday that the Netflix version fundamentally differs in its underlying essence from the original — it’s like using Liu’s wine bottle to brew a contemporary American story.

Among Chinese netizens, there has been criticism of Netflix for crudely transforming the novel’s profound concepts into simple visual spectacles, turning it into a Western heroic-style Hollywood story. There are also complaints about the adaptation of character settings, nationalities, and genders.

However, some hold a different view. A fan of The Three-Body Problem surnamed Long, who has read dozens Liu’s science-fiction novels, told the Global Times on Monday that he believes that Netflix’s version is better than the Tencent’s series, with a very tight plot.

“Although it lacks many details from the novel, it has greater visual expressiveness in key scenes and the portrayal of sci-fi elements. This series meets the high production standards of American dramas, featuring a dual timeline of Chinese history and Western modernity,” Long said.

For many Chinese viewers who are accustomed to watching American TV shows, especially those who haven’t read the original book, this series is very accessible, he noted.

“I think the discomfort I feel might precisely lie in the cultural differences. For instance, its localization, featuring people of different skin colors, is what netizens refer to as political correctness,” Shi Wenxue, a veteran film critic who is also a preliminary judge of the main competition section at the Beijing International Film Festival, told the Global Times on Monday.

Its narrative follows the rhythm of what is called American-style sci-fi thriller mystery series, Shi said, noting that the creators at Netflix borrowed Liu’s characters, his novel’s title, and the framework of his worldview, but they failed to accurately present his values and cosmology.

“This, I believe, might be the most dissatisfying aspect for many,” the veteran film critic said.

Zhang Yiwu, a professor of Chinese language and literature from Peking University, told the Global Times on Monday that Netflix’s series already tell a very different story. “One reason is that Netflix’s market is not China and it mainly targets European and American audiences, whose tastes or ideas differ from those of Chinese viewers,” he said.

While there are changes influenced by Western ideology, it does not necessarily mean there’s a deliberate effort to demean China or any specific arrangement of that nature, Zhang said.

Regarding suggestions and discussions by netizens that Chinese creators should be more cautious in granting adaptation rights, the expert believes that in the process of culture going abroad, indeed, such a dilemma is faced, especially when there is significant audience segmentation.

“Consideration must be given to the tastes of the audience, especially since it is very challenging for Chinese products to be liked abroad and requires significant modifications,” Zhang added.

Former CIA analyst suspects Washington knew about Russia terror attack | Al Mayadeen English

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/former-cia-analyst-suspects-washington-knew-about-the-attack

In a speech Tuesday, Putin had blasted the American warnings as “provocative,” saying “these actions resemble outright blackmail and the intention to intimidate and destabilize our society.”

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/23/europe/us-had-warned-russia-isis-was-determined-to-attack-intl-hnk/index.html

Cradle: US army training ISIS, Al-Qaeda fighters in Syria to deploy to Russia: Report
https://thecradle.co/articles-id/1344

Wapo: We trained ISIS:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/08/18/the-terrorists-fighting-us-now-we-just-finished-training-them/

Guardian: We created ISIS–but we didn’t
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/03/us-isis-syria-iraq

Pres. Obama: “We’re speeding up the training of ISIL forces on the ground”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM_I1Hx8OAM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timber_Sycamore

Video: Unlike US, Singapore allows and encouraged their citizens to retain their roots and national identities such as Chinese from China proudly retain their Chinese roots and identity. You will never hear a Singaporean Chinese telling another Chinese to go back to China. 與美國不同，新加坡允許並鼓勵其公民保留其根源和民族身份，例如來自中國的華人自豪地保留其中國根源和身份。你永遠不會聽到一個新加坡華人告訴另一個新加坡華人滾回中國.
https://rumble.com/v4lcjdf-unlike-us-singapore-allows-and-encouraged-their-citizens-to-retain-their-ro.html
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTL6FTeTX/

Taiwan US-China expert Video: who is behind banning TitTok? Jews! US medias are controlled by Jews. They will not report crimes against humanity in Gaza. But TitTok adhere to freedom of speech allowing its members to expose Israel’s crimes against humanity. Jews wanted to kill TitTok. 台灣中美尊家視頻: 美國為何執意＂禁止＂TikTok媒體平台. 誰是禁止 TitTok 的幕後黑手？ 是猶太人！美國媒體是猶太人控制的。他們不會報告加薩的反人類罪行。但 TitTok 堅持言論自由，允許其成員揭露以色列的反人類罪。 猶太人想殺死 TitTok。
https://rumble.com/v4l8lzx-eo-who-is-behind-banning-tittok-jews.html
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLjwqjK1/

Video: Terrorist group Islamic State (Isis) created & funded by US claimed responsibility for the attack. Everyone behind Moscow terror attack will be punished – Putin 由美國創建和資助的恐怖組織伊斯蘭國（Isis）聲稱對這起攻擊負責。普丁：莫斯科恐襲幕後黑手將受到懲罰.
https://rumble.com/v4l6q7h-isis-created-and-funded-by-us-claimed-responsibility-for-the-moscow-attack.html
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLjvQDy7/

Taiwan US-China expert video: The Kinmen crisis spilled over, and cross-strait reunification accelerated? 台灣中美尊家視頻: 金門危機外溢，兩岸促統加速？
https://youtu.be/3g9bhVe1z7g?si=ydXdpzSRRn8mF0qn 👈

US collected intelligence in March that Islamic State-Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, ISIS was created and funded by the CIA, the group is based in Afghanistan, had been planning an attack on Moscow. Did US ordered the attack? 美國3月收集的情報顯示，伊斯蘭國-呼羅珊，又稱ISIS-K，ISIS是由美國中央情報局創建和資助的，該組織總部位於阿富汗，一直計劃對莫斯科發動攻擊。 美國下令發動攻擊嗎？

Video: “Zero dollar purchase” can no longer satisfy the lives of immigrants in the United States. Illegal House occupation is now popular in US: There is one has occupied 7 houses illegally. A new “challenge” has appeared frequently on TikTok and Instagram networks recently. How to grab a house in the US. Yes, you read that right, “zero dollar purchase” can no longer meet the needs of some people, and they now need to directly occupy the house, your vacant house. Why do US laws allow illegal immigrants to enter and confiscate homes that are not theirs? America is being occupied. But the US government just let it do it! Currently, this video has been blocked on TikTok 零元购”已经不能满足美國移民的生活，现在美国流行占领房屋: 最多的已经占领7套 在TikTok以及Instagram网络上最近频繁出现了一个新的“挑战”。如何在美国去抢房子住。是的，您没看错，“零元购”已经不能满足一部分人的需要了，他们现在需要直接占领房子。为什么美國的法律允许非法移民进入并没收他们不属于自己的房屋？美國正在被占领。而美國政府政府却听之任之? 目前，这段视频已经在TikTok被屏蔽 https://rumble.com/v4kyqlb-zero-dollar-purchase-can-no-longer-satisfy-the-lives-of-immigrants-in-the-u.html

Taiwan US-China expert video: Seriously! Is the Taiwan military so capable that it can challenge the Mainland People’s Liberation Army? 台灣中美尊家視頻: 當真! 台軍這麼有種 硬拼大陸解放軍?
Video https://youtu.be/W2xEkZnOMtU?si=J40s8a8TnkL1wiUm

Video: A tale of two CEOs: Interrogation vs. Celebration, brainless politicians vs. brain CEOs 兩位執行長的故: 審問與慶祝, 無腦政棍 vs 有腦公司主管
https://rumble.com/v4ku483-a-tale-of-two-ceos.html
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTL2KFjaw/