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Title: King of director / 不一样的导演[娱乐圈]
Author: He Zhi / 何枝
Year of release: 2021
# of chapters: 174 (+4)
Status: Complete
Tags: AU, new life in new body, entertainment
Summary: A famous director, Qin Yan, who spent decades in entertainment circle, was showered with awards, but still couldn't get the highest award abroad died in a sudden car accident and came to a new body in a new world, which is really close to Earth, but still has historical differencies. In this world Qin Yan decides to take the director's mantle again, but with a different aim to make Chinese films recognized.
I'll start from a simple phrase. It's too explanatory. This word stuck with me to describe it fully. It can't be regarded bad, but this what makes it.. quite boring actually. I'll be honest, I haven't finished it yet (I'm at ch 70), but I feel bored.
Oh yeah, it also has a lot of reference to real movies and directors, so it's a rare thing. But as someone said, if you want to survive on jjwxc you don't use that.
Anyway, the premise of the story is simple. Qin Yan is reborn in a new body, it's a young orphan boy, he decided to follow the path, since he loves making movies, but this time not to follow the previous path of only literaly films, but doing those according to the situation (more about it later). The big difference is that time went backwards, but in this universe some historical events are different, especially there is a chance of China not being divided from the west by Internet independence (well, in chapters I read).
Three years after his arrival are skipped, but it is certain that Qin Yan used his skils and knowledge to his advantage and even if many things are backwards, but still it helped him sustain himself well and he entered the university earlier than others.
His first step to success was to enter the global student film festival, which he of course won. And it paved the way for him making movies and strive to make filmmaking in China more open, more free and greater.
But there is a big probem with the whole style of it, which made me think - was it necessary to write a danmei? Why do I feel like reading a statistics report?
STORYTELLING:
- EXPLANATORY. This is the one thing I can say. Many things are just explained to you, but not really felt through. That's why it lacks any thrill. I understand some of it is the grounwork of world building and explaining why author decided to make it this way, but honestly I felt weird, I don't consider myself that stupid not to understand why the trajectory in here is different and where the criticism is coming from. If you read all together you'll realize how often you see the same thing of giving examples, like there is some idea or phenomena, but next paragraph starts with 'for example' and it goes with oh in this movie or during this time happened this and this for this reason.
- QUESTIONABLE GREATNESS. Sometimes when we talk about movies in novels it's great when authors take time to create stories, sometimes I feel that they really put work into creating those, sometimes it's really touching, but here I find it more of a questionable greatness than feeling it's real. Although there's a lot of 'how great MC is with his storyboards, editing skills and also creating atmosphere' etc. But there is little emphasis on what really mattered why his movies are so good - the story. Like in his first movie which was mocumentary horror it tells a story about the couple that movies into an old house, they realize something is amiss, but only later understand that all the horror of the night they forget next morning, only their camera made them realize that things are weird. before they finally escape but actually disappeared. But the emphasis of how people felt shivers and fear when watching occupies same amount of text as the premise of the movie itself. That's why I don't think that the story is bad, it just feels strange. The second part why I question its' greatness maybe comes from MC's utter confidence in himself, although he doesn't compare with others (thought sometimes he does), but he still feels like his works will be winners here or there.
- GOOD POINT that I think is indeed good is the explanation behind some movies not only being a tool for entertainment, but also a strategic move. Like some movies probe popularity abroad or some are released for a certain date/event etc.
CHARACTERS and their engagement in the story:
- Qin Yan, MC. His past was that of a man who loves movies, but also comes from a wealthy family. This divided him from other directors and made him create a habit, he doesn't like investments and be influenced, he does a lot of work like casting, editing, filming, script writing by himself. So it creates a hardworking individual. He doesn't mind burning money, since those are his own money. He also paves the way and lays a groundwork for a better movie environment. Which is of course a good thing. But except that and him being handsome tbh there's hardly any traces to portray him.
- Xie Beiyang, ML. Suffered from bleakness thanks to how the novel is written. He is actually always present, but that's the thing, present, but not being explored. You don't actually see his development, you are only told about his development. There are only just few places which would help to support the development idea, but in general author isn't that good at exploring their own characters, they're just present, you're told that they progress, you're told that they are great etc. But I honestly didn't feel it through anything, but author's narration.
- Secondary characters. More bleak than others. Some names appear more often, like Xi Qianqian who played heroine of MC's first three movies, but they're not really involved into anything. You just have to add some development to them on your own.
RELATIONSHIP:
- MC and ML meet early on. They're of same age. Their accidental encounter what helps them come together as partners in movies and then as partners in love. But honestly their love life is so... and their path to love is just so weak, like I was really disappointed. It is supposed to be a slowburn and indeed MC and ML actually move in together very early just as cohabitation. But later they get used to each other and feel comfortable around each other, that's the narration, but comfort doesn't represent love instantly. The only hint on something is that now, MC, who never knew love in previous life, is more tolerant to ML, that he can easily accept ML's involvement in his life. And oh god the one thing that really irked me how throughout the text they do or think about something and it's narrated as - He didn't even think how ambiguously it sounded. That's right 'he didn't even think'. So both are written as oblivious to anything, feelings included. Though it's logical that both have no idea about feelings, one never loved and other is actually a young man, but still their relationship is so on the background. It feels like I'm reading shoujo with - oh, my heart is beating, oh, it's comfortable to live together. Like honestly...I'm sure next thing will be their sudden coming together.
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