Three-Body Reviews

There are no merits to be found in the production. The biggest advantage of this drama is that the screenwriter faithfully adapted the original work, with the dialogues directly lifted from the novel, showing respect for the source material.
However, the production itself, including the music, cinematography, and art, occasionally falls short. The casting is also subpar, and coupled with a lack of imagination in the adaptation, as a fan of the original work, it feels like there's no need to watch it at all.
I'm more familiar with certain lines than the actors who have to recite them like textbook passages.

Respecting the original work doesn't mean you have to copy it word for word. TV dramas and novels are completely different forms of art. How can they be exactly the same?
Taking those lines from the novel and having the actors say them without any changes makes the whole thing feel cheesy. And I don't understand why they dedicated a whole episode, 40 minutes, to filming Wang Miao's countdown in his eyes.
Is that reasonable just to convey a single piece of information? And what about those scattered scenes of young Ye Wenjie in between? Do they contribute any meaningful information?
Absolutely not. If you haven't read the original work, you won't have any idea what she's doing or even who she is.

Actually, I don't quite understand why adaptations of "The Three-Body Problem," a novel with a strong epic feel, whether in animation or live-action, all seem to choose to slow down the pace.
In the live-action version, they frequently slow it down and insert music videos. Is it to create an atmosphere? But if you can't tell the story well, who can understand the atmosphere they're trying to create?

After watching the first episode, it's evident that the production team put a lot of effort into it. Although I personally hope that our TV productions could have the same movie-level standards as American dramas, it's difficult to achieve in terms of investment and industry.
However, based on my impression from the first episode, I'm willing to believe in this production team's commitment to faithfully adapting the original work. As long as the first season becomes a hit, with increased investment and improved visual effects quality, we can eventually achieve the best outcome!
Keep up the good work, production team, and let the TV adaptation of "The Three-Body Problem" become China's "Game of Thrones"!

As mentioned in the preface of the original Three-Body Problem, people often used to inquire about the gap between Chinese science fiction and American science fiction, but the answer now is different from ten years ago. In many works (which are no longer the kind of naive stories lacking literary techniques, colors, and imaginative constraints), this comparison has become like their steak compared to our potato beef.
The gap is evident, or more accurately, it should be called a "difference," but there's no need to rank them anymore.

Works like The Wandering Earth and The Three-Body Problem are obviously different from the American science fiction stories we have in mind, but we cannot deny that they are excellent science fiction stories.
This difference is like "potato beef" and "steak." The flavors may be different, but they are both delicious.

Some people believe that the TV adaptation of The Three-Body Problem lacks a certain science fiction quality or feeling, but I actually consider it a success.
If the TV adaptation blindly adhered to or catered to everyone's preconceived notion of "science fiction feeling," it would inevitably lose the essence of the original Three-Body Problem. From what I have seen so far, the TV adaptation of The Three-Body Problem has done a commendable job in respecting the original work.
As a fan of the original, I am highly satisfied.

Qin Shi Huang's human-based computer utilized a system composed of thirty million soldiers, turning them into tools for computing. The basic principles were similar to those of a conventional computer: operations were converted into binary form, with white lights representing 1 and red lights representing 0. Each assembly consisted of three individuals, with two soldiers serving as inputs and two soldiers as outputs. Thousands upon thousands of these assemblies formed a computer capable of processing binary instructions.

Therefore, as long as there were sufficient human resources, the probability of successful computation greatly increased. It allowed for a more accurate understanding of the operational patterns of the three suns. It's worth mentioning that the visual and auditory aspects of the Three-Body world continuously challenge our cognitive limits.

The degree to which fans of the original work are getting goosebumps is astonishing. Some parts are reproduced with such high fidelity that they seem to have been directly extracted from the novel.
The various backgrounds and foreshadowing are interwoven in a very appropriate manner. After all, the backgrounds that could be supplemented with just a sentence or two in the novel need to be presented in a reasonable way using audiovisual language in the TV series.

Some plot changes have been made in a direction that is better and more reasonable. For example, in the original work, when Wang Miao is directly provoked by Shi Qiang, he agrees to join the scientific community in order to prove that he has a high level of knowledge and won't eat his own kind.
However, in the TV series, this was changed so that Wang Miao doesn't immediately agree but instead chooses to gather more information first. Then, under the combined influence of various factors, he decides to join the association to help the military solve the puzzle.
These changes make Wang Miao more intellectually capable as a scientist and enrich his character.

In short, I am extremely satisfied. I want to tune in to the live broadcast of the TV series every day and contribute to the viewership ratings.

As for the countdown, it changed four different scenes (Wang Miao's house, the street, the hospital, Wang Miao's company) and involved three characters (Wang Miao's wife, the doctor, Shi Qiang). The narrative lasted for 60 minutes, with little other significant plot development.
The core of the story revolves around this single event, repeated over and over again, constantly building tension. The atmosphere is intensified through the use of flashbacks, special effects, and a soundtrack. However, even in the most exciting moments, the pacing of the Drama becomes excessively long and tedious.

Regarding the game elements in "The Three-Body Problem," even with today's technology, it would be impossible to create a VR game with such high precision as depicted in the series. The game sequences in the show already demonstrate the "science fiction" aspect of the original work.

In real-life electronic games, the actions of player-controlled characters are limited to fixed commands, such as jumping, moving forward, attacking, etc. (VR games also rely on controllers for control). The interactive effects in the game scenes are typically presented through scripted and pre-defined animations. For example, actions like destructible buildings in the "Battlefield" series, kindling a bonfire in the "Dark Souls" series, or getting into vehicles in the "GTA" series are all pre-set animation effects. Players simply need to press an interaction key, and the game automatically plays the corresponding animation, giving the illusion that "you have performed that action."

In the game depicted in the series, Wang Miao performs actions using a device to help King Wen of Zhou lift a box behind him, and this action is instantly displayed in the game (allowing him to feel the weight of the box). To achieve such an effect in a real-life game would already be extremely complex, not to mention the subsequent actions like followers striking stones to create fire or players physically pushing each other, which involve even more complex behaviors. The computational requirements would be enormous. To project countless intricate and highly precise details into an entire game world (celestial movements, temperature and humidity, physics effects, numerous AI, player interactions, etc.) to create this Three-Body Problem game product would be an incredibly challenging task, even with unimaginable costs. Therefore, this is merely a technique used in film and literature to capture actors' movements and create 3D animations to help the audience understand the storyline. It should not be overly demanded or expected to be fully realized. The depiction in the series is already quite satisfactory.

No texture, no texture, no texture. Important things need to be said three times. Whether it's the arrangement of the scenes, the actors' performances, or the production design, it all gives off a distinct flavor of a typical domestic web drama.
Especially some actors, can't they improve their acting skills before performing...

And Yu He Wei, please stop smiling foolishly all the time... The pacing is chaotic, for example, they included Ye Wenjie's launch scene in the first episode, which spoiled the climax and mystery of the first part, as if they were afraid that people wouldn't know it's an alien invasion.
Haven't read the original work? Shouldn't the case gradually unfold?

It's just that the next-door one is so bad, there really is a comparison to be made. Considering that I'm slightly familiar with the original work, I'll give it a temporary rating of 2 stars and see how it develops.

I really don't want to have high expectations for the Netflix adaptation of "The Three-Body Problem," but now it seems there's no choice.

It's truly impressive! While reading the book, I couldn't help but feel how fragile these scientists were. The gradual progression over these five episodes made me deeply understand Professor Wang's fear and powerlessness, as well as how the sophons pushed a staunch atheist materialist scientist to the edge through supernatural phenomena. I empathize with the sense of oppression, and the actors' intensity, well-executed special effects, subtle changes, and other elements are several orders of magnitude better than the neighboring defense of a doctoral thesis. The perfect length and faithful portrayal of the details from the original work, along with the four episodes per week, prevent the plot from dragging on... It's a flawless adaptation.

It should be said that, in terms of the story, it is indeed faithful enough to the original work and manages to capture the essence of the original's spirit. However, the greatest aspect of "The Three-Body Problem" is the magnificent universe created by Liu Cixin's boundless imagination, and in this regard, the TV series falls significantly short.
There is little to be praised in terms of visual and artistic aspects, and it is essentially filmed as a suspense drama rather than an epic science fiction masterpiece. Considering that even the first book, which had the lowest visual requirements, turned out this way, it is difficult not to worry about the future development.

In the drama, some literary scenes are almost directly copied from the original work, as if they were lifted word for word. Besides that, it seems like the creativity of the screenwriter is lacking, as they resort to having the main character repeatedly recite awkward lines like "The turkey scientist, who is the farmer" and introduce confusing original characters.
The editing seems overly satisfied with certain shots, to the point where they want to excessively use these "all-purpose cards" in every episode. The music score is a disaster. As for the parts involving the Three-Body game, it feels like the director completely disregarded shot composition, resulting in the entire sequence being cheap and lifeless, devoid of any visual storytelling.
While the artistic and painted animation version next door may have its flaws, when all the praise for a drama comes solely from "faithfully respecting the original work," it can only reflect the laziness and incompetence of the creative team.

The Three-Body Problem TV series produced by Tencent has clearly exceeded my expectations, both in terms of the actors' performances and the fidelity to the original work. However, as the saying goes, "the last stretch of a hundred-mile journey is the hardest." While this TV series still left me with a sense of regret that it fell just short of perfection, I would give Tencent's version of the Three-Body Problem an 85 out of 100.

Here are my personal, non-professional thoughts:

Regarding the faithfulness to the spirit of the original work, I believe the TV series has achieved about 80% of it. Whether compared to the highly faithful "The Three-Body Problem: My Journey" or other versions and adaptations of the Three-Body Problem from different platforms, Tencent's TV series has reached an impressive level. As for the actors' performances, the overall acting is excellent, even if some individual actors may have slightly lower standards, they still meet the minimum requirements. The selection of actors by Tencent was generally well done.

However, I felt a few shortcomings:

1. The lighting effects were either too intense or misdirected, with an excessive use of neon lights that resulted in a visually overwhelming experience. It didn't quite match the calm and solemn tone of the original work, nor did it align with the realistic descriptions in the source material.

2. The sound effects seemed lacking in budget. The use of background music to complement the storyline and evoke audience emotions was poor, and it didn't quite hit the mark.

The only regretful aspect in terms of set design is the conference scenes in various war zones and the office locations. I felt that the production team lacked effort and resources in this regard.

In the original work, the description is as follows:

"The hall was surrounded by a haphazard collection of computer equipment, with some desks overflowing onto the floor, tangled wires and network cables scattered about. A large stack of network switches sat on top of the servers instead of being placed in racks. Several large screens from different projectors stood at different angles in the corner of the hall, like Gypsy tents. Smoke hung in the air like morning mist..."

Additionally:

I felt disappointed with the casting choices for the characters Shi Qiang, Ding Yi, and Chang Wei Si. When I read the original work, I imagined someone like Jiang Wen for the character Shi Qiang, based on his portrayal of Zhang Muzhi in the film "Let the Bullets Fly." However, Yu Hewei managed to fully capture the essence of Shi Qiang's character through his profound acting skills and dialogue delivery. The casting of Lin Yong Jian as Chang Wei Si was quite unexpected, considering his memorable performance in the Spring Festival Gala. Fortunately, the seasoned actor's performance was consistently strong, effectively embodying the spirit of General Chang Wei Si. On the other hand, Wang Chuan Jun's portrayal of Ding Yi felt somewhat forced and exaggerated in terms of dialogue, physical movements, and facial expressions. It felt like an "artificial nonchalance." I couldn't fully immerse myself in the image of Ding Yi as an otherworldly, carefree, unconventional character from the original work.

To sum it up, the storyline is completely on point, the actors' performances are generally excellent, and the set design, lighting, and sound effects, at least for the first five episodes, can be considered passable. They haven't fully succeeded yet, but there is still room for improvement. Comrades still need to work hard.

Apologies for just finishing it, but without a doubt, this series can serve as a new benchmark for the development standards of the Chinese film and television industry. The Guzheng Project and the Human Column Computer were portrayed exceptionally well!
They are on par with the visual effects and storytelling of those films boasting billions of investments! It deserves nothing less than a rating of nine out of ten! It's a legendary achievement just like "The Wandering Earth 2"!
Even in the saturated and mediocre domestic entertainment industry, there are actors like Zhang Lu Yi who can portray scientists so convincingly! Respect!

The most disappointing aspect of Chinese film and television lies in the screenwriters. The lengthy and boring plotlines from the original works have become even more protracted. There are significant issues with the art design, and the overall style of the series feels disjointed.
There is a lack of science fiction elements, and the actors can only be described as passable. This includes Ye Wenjie in her older years. It's difficult to assess her appearance, but the slow and staccato speech pattern she uses is uncomfortable.
Do normal people speak like that? Besides appearing somewhat gloomy, it's hard to see where her leadership qualities are. Why did she become a leader for so many people???

I would also like to mention Wang Chuan Jun.
I don't know what's up with this guy, but the characters he plays in film and television dramas are all the same. Does he believe that this is what good acting is all about?

I read the Three-Body Problem novel a long time ago, but I couldn't get into it at all. It seemed like a book written in an incomprehensible language, and I couldn't understand it. Later, I bought the physical book and took my time to read it, and that's when I started to feel the world of this book.
I originally thought that such a work couldn't be adapted into a TV series, but it was actually made into one, and it turned out really well. The characters are well-developed, and the narrative style makes it easy for viewers to immerse themselves in the story.
The casting is also very fitting. I'm really looking forward to seeing who will play Luo Ji in the future.

The Three-Body Problem" was originally a novel that I read. It was recommended to me by a teacher during those boring high school days, and it was the first part of "The Three-Body Problem" that took away that dullness.
Later, I read the next two parts and even watched the stage play adaptation of "The Three-Body Problem." I always wanted it to be made into a movie or TV series, but I was also afraid that it would ruin the original work.
Unexpectedly, the TV series came out so quickly, and it was a qualified and excellent adaptation of the novel. It faithfully reproduced most parts of the novel, satisfying many fans of the original work, including myself.
I didn't expect the director of "Legend of the Jades" to make it so successful. By the end, when humanity faced the sunset and the insects were never truly defeated, it brought tears to my eyes. It is a fantastic TV series, but I feel that "The Three-Body Problem" TV series has its drawbacks.
After all, it's a relatively niche novel, so the audience for the TV series is likely not very large. If someone watches this TV series as a casual viewer, they might not understand the first half and even find it boring.
Indeed, the majority of the plot in the first part of "The Three-Body Problem" is quite plain. Personally, I think the last 10 episodes of the TV series are more exciting, and the earlier episodes have become somewhat lengthy.

One flower, one world; one leaf, one bodhi. We may be turkeys living on a farm, insects living on a leaf, or simply living inside a vast virtual computer.

We imagine and gaze upon our creator from the dark expanse, while our creator simultaneously gazes into this abyss.

PS: The plot is very faithful to the original work, although the pacing may feel slow in certain places. After all, if text is directly adapted into a film, appropriate changes need to be made. A large amount of monologue may not always hold the viewer's attention, which is different from reading a book.
However, imperfections do not overshadow the brilliance. The actors' performances have filled many supporting roles, turning them into flesh and blood characters. I was initially attracted to the show because of Wei Cheng's editing.
In the book, Wei Cheng is merely a skeleton, but in the show, Wei Cheng truly embodies the image of an unkempt yet intellectually transcendent mathematician. He is unrefined yet ethereal, insightful yet restrained by the three-body problem.
His life is rational yet helpless, truly remarkable!

The production quality is relatively good, and the main cast members are somewhat fitting. For example, Mu Xing forcefully inserting plotlines and Pan Han's poker face can be overlooked and still be somewhat watchable.
However, General Chang's sleazy demeanor and Ding Yi's artistic madness are really out of sync.

I skip a few episodes with a countdown timer because there are too many flashbacks in each episode. The ineffective and lengthy plotlines make it difficult to immerse oneself in the story.
What's even worse is that many of the adaptations have obvious logic flaws, which can be a bit insulting to one's intelligence.

Well, the Three-Body IP is already grand and intricate, but given the circumstances, fans of the original work won't nitpick too much.

However, I must mention the music, which has always been strange. It starts playing in inexplicable moments, and the synchronization between the music and the plot is too low. Perhaps those who understand it might find it sophisticated, but in my opinion, it's just a typical case of failed pretentiousness.

I've heard of the fame of the original work for a long time, but I still haven't read it. I initially lacked confidence in the TV series adaptation, but after watching it, I was quite impressed, especially with the casting of Ye Wenjie.
Wang Zi Wen's portrayal of emotions was spot-on.

The last time I saw Zhang Lu Yi, he was in a historical drama, and he really suits these serious roles rather than idol dramas.
Teacher Yu He Wei is also amazing. He often plays contrasting characters, but it doesn't feel out of place. His acting is top-notch.

At the beginning, I found it somewhat bewildering and didn't quite understand the scientists' madness, but the more I watched, the more addicted I became.
I really liked the cinematography and the music, which added a sense of beauty to the sci-fi elements. The only downside was that the modeling of the Three-Body game seemed like the work of a beginner in college.

I'm looking forward to the next season, and I'm planning to catch up on the original work.

Well, how should I put it, he has read the original work, but it seems like he only focused on staying true to the original, yet changed the parts that shouldn't have been changed. The actors' performances are worrisome, with excessive effort but lacking conviction.
No one speaks like a normal person, except maybe Yu He Wei, who might be somewhat normal.

The scene settings are awkward, and the layout of the room scenes is confusing. It keeps breaking the immersion.
It should have portrayed the hidden currents amidst a normal surrounding, but instead, they made every place seem dark and gloomy as if desperately trying to convey that darkness is about to descend.
Ding Yi's home, the conference venue at the scientific boundary, can't they be more normal... and even the Tongren Hospital, why use such dim lighting in a hospital? What's that about?

I'm hesitating whether to continue watching or just give up and read the novel.

Because I haven't read the original work, I previously watched the Three-Body animated adaptation and thought it was decent. Now that I've watched the TV series, it's evident that the animated adaptation cut out a significant portion of the content from the TV series.

Overall, the TV series feels good, but the plot is somewhat dragged out. Ye Wenjie's sudden turn to the dark side lacks a proper transition. Perhaps that part was difficult to portray effectively, as the transformation feels somewhat abrupt.
Wang Chuanjun's portrayal of the scientist isn't quite right; he doesn't come across as a scientist but more like a madman. The characters in the Three-Body game feel a bit artificial, but given the budget, it's still quite impressive what they were able to achieve.

When compared to top-notch shows like "Breaking Bad" or blockbuster sci-fi films like "Interstellar," you might feel that "The Three-Body Problem" lacks that natural progression, intricate storytelling, and captivating feeling.
The character introductions and scene transitions feel a bit strange and rigid. Details! Details! Details! Without attention to detail, it's like suddenly a few people walking onto the stage from below, starting the performance without the audience knowing anything about them, except that one is a professor and the other is a police officer.
The abundance of visual effects and animations doesn't serve a clear purpose, which is a pity. Maybe Netflix should take on the project.

I like the narrative style of this drama, especially the little bits of humor interspersed throughout. They are perfectly timed, not cheesy at all, and genuinely made me laugh. The balance between seriousness and liveliness is handled very well.
Each actor's portrayal is also commendable. Apart from being a liberal arts student who doesn't quite understand some of the terminology used in the series, and not being a big fan of science fiction works, I really lack that level of imagination, but I was still genuinely impressed.
Next, I plan to catch up on the original novel. I've heard so much about it and it's about time I read it. Oh, one thing I found lacking is the music in the drama. I actually quite like the repetitive singing feeling in the opening and closing themes, but some of the music choices were really subpar.
I feel like the music affected the plot and failed to convey the emotions of the story.

As someone who hasn't read the original work, I was quite confused during the early stages of the plot, and the story progressed a bit slowly. However, the character development was very well done, with each character having their own distinct traits.
Once the decryption part started, it constantly amazed me and gave me a new understanding of science fiction. However, in terms of visual effects, it didn't quite have the impact I was expecting, which was a bit disappointing. But this doesn't affect my anticipation for the second part at all.
I hope it's filmed soon because I'm looking forward to watching it!

After finishing it, I have immense admiration for the author of the novel. The vast world-building and meticulous logic went beyond my imagination. If I have the time, I definitely want to read the original work.

It is recommended that directors learn a lesson. If you can't adapt, then just directly copy the book! In fact, besides the magnificent science fiction, one of the most challenging aspects of Liu Cixin's books is the characterization of the characters.
This is also one of Liu Cixin's weaknesses. In the original first part of the Three-Body Problem, apart from Ye Wenjie and Shi Qiang, the portrayal of other characters is actually quite simple and cold, even Wang Miao, one of the main characters, feels like a tool.
However, the brilliance of the director lies in fleshing out and bringing to life certain roles, surpassing the original work.

Commander Ye Wenjie is rock solid! Wang Zi Wen and Chen Jin's acting skills are indeed impressive. It's a pity they didn't receive any award nominations. The entertainment industry's awards and team dynamics are closely intertwined.
Even if they didn't win awards, I would have been satisfied if they had at least been nominated. The Golden Eagle Awards are such a joke, wasting their accolades! Without them, the Magnolia Awards could have recognized their talent.
Unfortunately, even if the Golden Eagle Awards nominated them, it would have been just a superficial gesture, lacking true value.