The Chinese dubbing industry: Why are so many Chinese dramas dubbed? (Updated)

Since I started watching Asian dramas, I’ve become increasingly curious about the world of subtitles, translators, and voice dubbing. In China, many dramas will employ separate voice artists to dub over the original voices of the actors. Some actors also dub their own voices. Ever wonder why?

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Counterpoint: I'm not quite Falling Into Your Smile

I wasn’t planning on writing anything about Falling Into Your Smile, but the particularly high rating it’s gotten on MyDramaList and Rakuten Viki by a statistically significant enough number viewers compelled me to offer a counterpoint.

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Wait, My Youth, infused with the bittersweet ache of nostalgia (Updated with A River Runs Through It)

This drama left a bittersweet ache in my heart other campus dramas never managed to pull off. Infused with a sense of nostalgia for the early 2000s where much of the story takes place, the drama centres around a group of five (later six) friends and their trials and tribulations from youth to adulthood over the course of a decade.

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Everything you need to know about The Untamed soundtrack

If you love the soundtrack as much as I do, and also love going down mini rabbit holes and getting nerdy about behind-the-scenes production details, my friend Wuulongcha’s latest blog post is for you. I loved the post because it’s exactly the kind of informative deeper dive into C-drama pop culture that is not always accessible to non-Chinese readers, making it a unique and valuable bridge for international fans who want to learn more.

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Guys with Kids, a checklist of annoying tropes, frustrating characters

Have you ever watched a show so terrible you were compelled to actually write about it? This was that show for me. Guys with Kids was relentlessly, unmittigatingly, thoroughly frustrating from the get-go. The urge to share how ghastly it was, was so strong that I actually created a MyDramaList account just to pen this review.

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Revisiting Mulan: How Disney bungled a $200 million blockbuster

I had a few friends ask for my thoughts on the film and the criticisms around it, so I thought I would compile some of the conversations and articles around Mulan I came across which resonated or which I found illuminating.

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Reflections, Part II: Xiao Zhan one year after the AO3 incident

Xiao Zhan shared a lengthy and deeply personal message exactly one year after the “AO3 227” incident that nearly killed his career. It’s heartfelt reflection on what happened a year ago and the fallout that followed. But why would he even draw attention back to the event at a time when his career appeared to finally be recovering?

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Reflections, Part I: Xiao Zhan, AO3, toxic fandoms, and China's idol economy

Chinese actor Xiao Zhan penned a very personal open letter about what happened to him a year ago in the AO3 227 incident and what followed. It is a case study in toxic fan culture, China’s idol economy, and the rise and fall — and rise again, of a star.

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Luo Jin and Sun Li Will Find You A Better Home 安家 (卖房子的人)

I Will Find You A Better Home made it pretty high on my top 10 list. It turned out to be a surprising gem that I’m not sure will necessarily get much attention from viewers outside of China. If that’s the case, I am here to give it my whole-hearted endorsement.

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