After the premiere of the new drama “The Game of Couple” starring Hong Kong TV king Bobby Ma and actress Gigi Ko, many viewers have been focusing on the appearance of the 52-year-old Ma. Netizens pointed out that his skin in the drama is abnormally smooth and flawless, joking that he must have used a “level ten beauty filter.” However, when he later attended an event where fans took close-up photos without filters, the true condition of his skin was revealed. Despite bearing the natural marks of age, his skin still appeared well-maintained.
“The Game of Couple” consists of 25 episodes and tells the story of Jiang Xingru (played by Gigi Ko), who discovers her husband (played by Chang Yingkang) is having an affair with her best friend (played by Guo Baiyan) before getting into a car accident. Upon waking up, she finds herself back five years in time and decides to use her ability of “premonition dreams” to actively fight back, with the quiet support and assistance from her boss, Ye Jiaqian (played by Bobby Ma), who holds affection for her, to reverse the crises in both her career and love life.
Following the broadcast of the drama, viewers’ evaluations of Bobby Ma’s performance as the male lead Ye Jiaqian revealed a clear polarization, with the focal points mainly on the aspects of the “level ten beauty filter” and his “steady and solid acting skills.”
At the age of 52, Bobby Ma has had rough skin with distinctive acne scars in the past, but fans noticed his skin in “The Game of Couple” is extremely smooth, poreless, and even his lip contour appears blurred. Some netizens even pointed out that it seems like the production team only applied the “exclusive beauty filter” to Bobby Ma, as the texture of his skin stands in stark contrast to that of other actors on set.
To some netizens, the excessive post-production filters made Bobby Ma lack lively micro-expressions, leading to criticisms of his unnatural facial appearance, with some jesting that he must have used a “level ten beauty filter.”
Despite the criticism of the appearance filters, many fans believe that as a TV king, Bobby Ma’s “acting skills are still top-notch.” He portrayed the character of Ye Jiaqian, the mature and dependable director, with great depth.
Facing the overwhelming controversies surrounding the filters, Bobby Ma responded openly during the offline promotion event of “The Game of Couple.” He acknowledged the discussions among netizens and explained that due to the drama’s theme of “premonition dreams” and rebirth, the overall story itself carries a more fantastical tone. Moreover, since the character in the drama falls into the category of a “dreamy good man,” the application of such filters actually aligns with the dreamy style of the series.
Simultaneously, close-up photos taken by fans without filters surfaced. The leaked images show Bobby Ma without the effects from the production team. While there are indeed natural signs of aging and laugh lines on his face, the overall condition of his skin remains quite good for someone of his age. Netizens rallied in support of his unfiltered appearances, praising his ability to still shine even when the spotlight is harsh, and commended his iconic thick hair, bright eyes, and down-to-earth personality.