"Yunque Jiaotian Lu," a 40-episode Chinese television drama built around jingju (Peking opera), has drawn sharp criticism over lead actor Zhang Yishan's performance as an older role, according to 360娱乐 (360 Entertainment). The outlet reports that the series contains 276 opera scenes and that some viewers described Zhang's portrayal as having a heavy "monkey-like" quality, saying they found it hard to watch.
The criticism centers on Zhang's cross-age performance as a celebrated opera master, a role that requires him to play a character older than himself. 国际在线 (CRI Online) framed the same casting choice more positively, describing Zhang as stepping steadily out of his comfort zone in the cross-generational part.
Coverage of the drama has otherwise been largely promotional. 极目新闻 (Jimu News) presented the series as a portrait of theatrical life that reflects broader shifts in the times, while 博雅天下 (Boya Tianxia) argued that the traditional period drama carries a kind of "rock spirit." 新浪财经 (Sina Finance) highlighted a storyline about a rebellious "opera Sun Wukong" and its attempt to connect with contemporary audiences.
What to watch next: whether the production or Zhang responds to the criticism, and whether later episodes change how viewers judge the performance.
