LayarHijau.com—The drama The First Frost has sparked controversy and protests from viewers in China. Their complaints align with those we outlined in our previous article.
Unlike the original novel, in several episodes, the female lead, Wen Yifan (played by Zhang Ruonan), experiences multiple instances of harassment and sexual assault. In episode nine, she again becomes a victim when, while walking through the city, an elderly homeless man suddenly appears and exposes himself to her.
This scene appeared abruptly and has generated significant backlash. Viewers in China had already expressed their discomfort at witnessing the female lead endure several attempts at harassment from the men around her.
Many fans recall that in the original novel, there were only two instances of verbal harassment and one tense situation. Some of these scenes are discussed in the middle of the novel and relate to Wen Yifan's past. Some of these scenes haven't even been covered in the drama yet, but there are already several similar scenes. Does this mean we will see even more harassment directed at the female lead?
The female lead is portrayed as calm and capable of handling such situations without waiting for the male lead's assistance. Many argue that the screenplay's rewrite seems to disregard the original character and plot, transforming a strong female character in the novel into a weak and helpless one in the adaptation.
Following the emergence of the controversy, Zhang Ruonan’s fans chose not to blindly defend the production team. Instead, they acknowledged the feedback from netizens and joined in criticizing the production. This indicates that Zhang Ruonan’s fans are quite rational, considering the significant change in a character who was meant to be strong in the novel but appears weak in the series.
The complaints have seemingly reached the director of the drama. According to reports from Sohu, the director of The First Frost stated in the drama’s fan group that the scene has been removed. "We have made corrections," he wrote in the group.
Interestingly, the complaints about the changes in the drama version are not limited to LayarHijau. In addition to the several attempted harassment scenes not found in the novel, fans of the book in China have criticized the production team’s decision to alter Wen Yifan’s character. This change is seen as failing to reflect the charm and strength of the character as portrayed in the novel. Some have even suggested that Wen Yifan comes off as more of a decorative figure.
Conversely, we find that the character Sang Yan has undergone a positive transformation. In the novel, Sang Yan is depicted as arrogant and cold. His personality differs from that of Sang Yan in the drama Hidden Love. New readers (like the author) may find themselves annoyed by that character early in the drama. However, the drama version of Sang Yan is portrayed as more human and vulnerable, making him relatively more likable.