The mainland Chinese romantic drama series “Difficult to Soothe,” which was highly praised by CCTV before its broadcast, has recently been launched on Netflix. As the sister work of the hit drama “Can’t Hide Secrets,” it achieved high viewership ratings as soon as it premiered. However, as the storyline progresses, there are increasingly more scenes of the female star Zhang Ruonan, who plays “Wen Yifan,” being sexually harassed. Many viewers feel extremely uncomfortable and angrily criticize the show for being filled with “bad taste,” calling for “Difficult to Soothe” to be taken down.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, the 32-episode drama “Difficult to Soothe” has been the talk of the town since its premiere. The female lead, played by Zhang Ruonan, portrays a beautiful and aloof woman who frequently faces sexual harassment due to her stunning appearance. In the beginning of the 9th episode, there is a shocking scene that has sparked extreme discomfort among viewers.
Some drama fans have noted that in the 11 episodes aired so far, the female lead has been sexually harassed six times to varying degrees. Many netizens express their confusion, questioning, “The original work didn’t depict so many instances, so does the TV series need to film so many harassment scenes to show the beauty and vulnerability of the female lead?”
Audiences harshly criticize the show, condemning the creators for having “twisted values and being full of bad taste,” finding it “disgusting.” They also mock some lines in the show, such as “I will love you to death,” which they find awkward and cringeworthy. Netizens have collectively called for the removal of “Difficult to Soothe,” making the topic trend on social media.
In response to the viewers’ strong discontent and calls for removal, the production team of “Difficult to Soothe” has deleted some controversial scenes. However, this action has not fully appeased the audience’s anger, as many netizens still insist that the show should be taken down, believing that some issues cannot be overlooked with mere editing and deletion.
It’s worth noting that even before its premiere, the official entertainment blog of CCTV, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, had praised the drama multiple times, arranging interviews for the male lead Bai Jingting and even provocatively posting, “Did the preview of ‘Difficult to Soothe’ soothe you?” This strategy successfully piqued the audience’s interest.