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[Garden Group | No one starting a thread? Fine, I will. The Diary repo thread.]

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[Main Post]

rt.

Bare Butt: No bashing rules here — y'all already know whose side I'm on.

The two dramas hyped each other up early on, riding the rivalry for more buzz — a classic frenemy situation.

Fans of both sides, maybe just skip this thread. I'll roast everything equally. Could be uncomfortable. Stans, detour here.

[Floor 3]

What's the fun without the shade lol

[Floor 5]

Look at this — new replies here are way slower than next door. Tsk tsk.

[Floor 6]

Already fighting at the door?

[Floor 9]

Okay fine, nobody's home

[Floor 12]

TL;DR: Too busy, can't be bothered.

The Favored One side dropped an update, The Diary side is about to premiere — fans are all grinding data.

[Floor 15]

No fandom, no stress — my dusty tablet finally has a purpose. Watching the drama AND tracking the numbers at the same time.

[Floor 19]

Don't agree with the 'frenemy' framing...

Feels like it's just boosting The Diary's clout for free.

[Floor 23]

The Favored One is a third of the way through with no signs of collapsing. If it holds, it's fighting The Yanyun Sword 2 for drama of the year.

[Floor 27]

Dreaming big huh...

The Yanyun Sword 2 isn't like those dramas that blow up at four thousand average views per episode — that show was doing a hundred million per episode.

All-ages phenomenon. Different league entirely.

[Floor 31]

If you can't see the obvious connection, maybe donate your brain. But sure, if you're just looking for an excuse to dunk on The Favored One, pretend I said nothing.

[Floor 34]

Your rivals define your status — that formula kinda works here too. Look at it this way, The Favored One really leveled up.

Now it's being compared to The Yanyun Sword 2.

[Floor 39]

The numbers say it's genuinely in the top tier.

So is the data clean or not?

[Floor 42]

If it were inflated, those salty industry insiders wouldn't just be posting 'idol dramas going viral is a tragedy for public taste.'

[Floor 47]

Lmao, exactly. Given how pretentious and dramatic those types are, they'd definitely escalate to a whole other level.

But right now they're just calling audiences uncultured — that actually says something.

[Floor 51]

Nah, the haters just can't stand it. A drama that flopped from day one barely made a splash — quieter than me passing gas at home.

If a drama they actually wanted to succeed blew up, they'd be praising it for 'capturing the mass market.'

[Floor 54]

That analogy is a little... fragrant... but the point lands...

[Floor 57]

Obviously — they thought audiences could only watch garbage. Script, cast, marketing — all a mess.

Spent forever circlejerking in their little niche, and still couldn't build an IP with broader appeal than 'Boss Sang.'

[Floor 61]

Disrespecting Boss Sang like that.

[Floor 64]

Wait, that's an IP now?!

[Floor 67]

Pretty much, I think Aurora Entertainment is genuinely building in that direction.

'Aurora Entertainment presents, Domestic Entertainment's finest' — feels like that slogan is coming soon.

[Floor 69]

Wait till the Demolition Office airs in the second half of the year. Xuan Leron's luck at stumbling onto gold — you just gotta respect it.

[Floor 75]

If Aurora Entertainment launches another about-to-blow star, the whole landscape is really going to shift.

[Floor 81]

Okay but — who gets my shock right now... I saw the Boss Sang fan-made content trending on Weibo today.

That character has fan art?!

[Floor 83]

Has for a while lol.

Before he ever showed his hands, there were short comics — his whole look was either a money-dispensing ball or a stick figure with the character 'Sang' floating above his head.

[Floor 87]

Huh?

Pics.

[Floor 91]

So fan art is just vibes — there's more of it now because seeing his hands didn't kill the fantasy.

[Floor 93]

Please don't tell me people are simping for him. That's a little unhinged.

[Floor 97]

Doesn't feel like simping exactly — it's more that the persona matches his Weibo presence and that's genuinely interesting.

Imagine this: a short, chubby, greasy-haired sharp-tongued guy vs. a tall, rich, sharp-tongued guy. Which one are you picking?

[Floor 102]

I... actually get it...?!

[Floor 107]

Not that hard to understand. The moment someone has any positive quality beyond being rich, the internet goes: 'God-making project, initiated!'

[Floor 113]

Being born is a skill issue...

We're around the same age and my entire net worth is less than one of his giveaway prizes. I'm about to start spitting venom.

[Floor 118]

Not joking, I'm applying to Aurora Entertainment.

[Floor 123]

Their hiring bar is high though. My friend tried — really hard to get in.

[Floor 130]

Can't get in, so can I at least make a suggestion — those ruined projects genuinely need to be fully remade from scratch.

[Floor 138]

+1

[Floor 145]

Actually changed my read on things.

Just disappeared for days — gone from Weibo for ages.

The Diary is premiering and there's still no movement. Hongming TV execs are losing their minds but there's nothing they can do — can't force him.

[Floor 153]

The Diary is literally premiering today and he's still offline. What's he doing? He's even skipping the chance to pile on. Not his style at all.

[Floor 157]

He didn't go abroad and have an accident or something... ugh, take that back!

[Floor 162]

Ahhhh push that floor up push it up, it's fake all fake!

...

[Floor 205]

Cloud-booking 200k for a drama airing this year — not bad. All from big fan accounts?

[Floor 211]

All of them — plus some from co-stars and industry collaborators.

[Floor 217]

Hm?

That's a bit low.

[Floor 221]

Less than expected.

Doesn't that [Cloud] merch towel cost over 300 yuan each? Sold out after 20k+ units — the merch isn't cheap either.

Someone in the group ran the numbers earlier — total sales around 9 million. Got hyped for a bit. Merch margins that low?

[Floor 234]

Big fan account: ocean-view apartment generating...

[Floor 240]

Not saying, not saying — asking out of habit. Shoutout to the station managers, you work hard.

[Floor 251]

But at least put a little more in this time... The Favored One's cloud-booking on day one was 1 million. Way more generous.

Cutting corners at a moment like this — is the Supporter Association really not going to get torn apart?

[Floor 260]

Top-tier Domestic Entertainment stars average 200k–300k. This is about normal.

But yeah, the internal skimming is a bit much. Casual fans should push back. (Go, go.)

[Floor 265]

Replying to Floor 251: Who can compare to them? They're literally recouping production costs — even more cloud-booking wouldn't cover the cast fees.

[Floor 267]

Actually, does anyone think The Favored One will break even?

[Floor 271]

Not guaranteed. Tough call — all those cars and luxury goods are real expenses. Everything else probably can?

Yuanshang TV's Liao Jun said second-quarter membership services already blew past Q1 — and Q2 just started. The Favored One is the only mega-hit.

[Floor 276]

Just a heads-up — one minute to premiere.

[Floor 281]

WHAT?!

Here we go.

...

...

[Floor 290]

That familiar sugar-water drama energy — all fake-depth filter, no substance. Domestic Entertainment's prepackaged meal is back on the menu.

[Floor 293]

What were we even expecting before...

[Floor 295]

Looks like an AK Media production — everyone looks bloodless, one deep breath away from collapsing. Watching them push through is genuinely painful.

Someone save them?!

[Floor 297]

Never had any expectations for about-to-blow stars. That level of push — if they had any real talent they'd have blown up already without needing it.

Gu Ye's skill level is passable for an idol drama. But it's a 60/10 performance.

Bad character writing, or a harder script — and that limited range won't hold up.

[Floor 301]

You can feel the writer trying. But please stop trying for now.

How many internet memes do you need? I'm exhausted. (Dead eyes.) Am I watching a TV drama or scrolling Douyin?

[Floor 305]

When the second female lead called the male lead 'so handsome,' a three-story villa broke ground under my feet. Please let me go.

[Floor 309]

That forward neck posture is genuinely unfixable.

Fans said 'the lead is too tall, adjusting for the actress' — but craning your neck makes him look like a turtle. No notes.

[Floor 312]

Actually there's a reason for that angle — showing off the razor-sharp jawline. But it's way too deliberate.

Deliberate from the jaw all the way down the neck — like he's been working so hard you'd think his abs grew from the effort.

[Floor 317]

Other people show acting chops, eye acting — he shows neck acting. From now on, instead of 'acting school,' just call him 'neck school.'

[Floor 324]

I can't...

[Floor 330]

The female lead's secret-crush shots feel like she's crushing on the camera... stop looking at me ahhhh — NO!

[Floor 337]

Okay, misunderstanding created, male lead still won't open his mouth and ask, female lead still holding back half of everything — practically begging people to misread it.

I can't hold on. Gonna drag the progress bar.

[Floor 340]

If the female lead drops one more 'big independent woman' speech I'm actually going to lose it. Lecturing the second female lead to get a divorce from up on her high horse — so uncomfortable. Like anyone who doesn't leave is ignorant and hopeless.

(Disclaimer: I also think she should leave, but the second female lead has too few cards right now. Rushing the divorce isn't as smart as waiting it out.)

[Floor 343]

Another day of 'strong female lead' being dragged through the mud. I get PTSD just seeing those words now.

[Floor 350]

'Be independent,' 'don't rely on anyone' — I'm getting PTSD from those too. Multiple dramas screaming the same slogans.

And then you watch and it's: slogan > everything else.

[Floor 356]

This plotline is something else.

Second female lead married into a rich family, life isn't perfect, and she won't divorce — just staying put in a wealthy household.

'For the child's future' — looking for reasons to judge her, when really it's just about the money and status.

[Floor 361]

A few years younger and I might've sided with the female lead. Now? I've aged into identifying with the kid.

[Floor 365]

+1.

The second female lead isn't wrong though. Staying has more upside — the husband's family has money and connections. You can use that to climb.

If you want to start a small business, having backing (however little) beats going it alone.

[Floor 371]

Can't only look at the bright side though — what if the in-laws don't give a cent? Wasted time AND youth.

[Floor 375]

Fair, you'd only know after trying.

[Floor 379]

This whole arc isn't even in the original novel. The writer is sneaking in their own agenda again. My guess: riding the 'strong female lead' trend for clicks.

[Floor 382]

Yep! Called it!

[Floor 385]

'Strong female lead' has become a fashion accessory for certain people.

[Floor 387]

Hard not to think some of them are doing it on purpose.

[Floor 391]

I skipped to episode three. Exactly what I predicted — not a single surprise in between.

This drama was written by AI, right? Input 'domestic idol drama template,' generate 40 episodes in one click.

[Floor 389]

AI would actually be more creative than this.

At least it wouldn't write 'female lead sprains ankle, accidentally kisses male lead' — AI knows that trope has been getting roasted for ten years.

[Floor 391]

The audacity... I genuinely can't.

Thinking they're doing audiences a favor by 'lowering themselves' to appeal to us — like we're programmed to mindlessly click play.

In capital's eyes, I am: (points down)

[Drooling face.JPG]

[Floor 396]

The buzz is visibly dropping.

[Floor 401]

I remember the opening was just under nine thousand. That start could've been sold as the second biggest premiere of the year — now it's cratered.

Down to 8,300 now. A few more episodes and it'll be unwatchable.

[Floor 403]

Even if The Favored One got cut in half, it still can't catch up?!

[Floor 408]

Third-party metrics are also getting crushed by The Favored One. Satellite broadcast ratings aren't high — normal ancient-romance levels, getting stomped by a few CCTV channels.

Just a mid drama.

[Floor 412]

Isn't it Sunday? Students are back at school — can next weekend save it?

[Floor 423]

Keep dreaming.

Maybe grind some alt accounts and work the Douban score a little — at least make that one metric look decent.

The Favored One opened with 400k+ ratings at 8.2 on Douban — where people are notoriously harsh on domestic dramas — that's historic.

[Floor 430]

Anyone still watching the drama?

[Floor 434]

So formulaic. Zero chemistry between the leads — just two people competing to look prettier. The 'Jiangye CP' next door is way more shippable.

(*'Jiangye' comes from Jiang Wanyin's 'Jiang' and Gu Ye's 'Ye' — a ship name for their on-screen couple.)

[Floor 438]

Been following this on-screen CP for a while now.

Have to say — the CP boost is real. When both people are willing to sell the ship and do it well, every metric doubles.

[Floor 442]

Once they've milked enough CP fans, the next move is cutting ties and wrecking the solo stans. Kind of here for the drama.

[Floor 451]

I honestly need to know where y_03 went... I'm going back to reading 'Reborn: How I Went Viral in Domestic Entertainment Through Remakes'!

[Floor 457]

If he could actually remake every drama that got butchered, I would become his most devoted follower...

[Floor 462]

Come back, come back.

I can't vibe without seeing him online!