LayarHijau – The historical romance drama Fight for Love (山河枕) premiered on October 30, 2025, on WeTV and Tencent Video, starring Victoria Song as Chu Yu and Ding Yuxi as Wei Yun. Adapted from Mo Shu Bai’s novel, the story follows Chu Yu, who becomes the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wei family to uncover the truth behind her family’s downfall after her father dies in battle and her brother is severely injured. The Wei family itself suffers a major defeat in war, leaving only Wei Yun as the sole heir. Chu Yu enters the Wei household under this identity and gradually partners with Wei Yun to expose intrigues and restore the family’s glory.
Despite its themes of intrigue, forbidden love, and familial duty—supported by lavish visuals and a top-tier cast—viewer responses in China have started showing sharp criticism. The most notable concerns are the age difference between the lead actors and the perceived lack of natural romantic chemistry.
“Victoria Song is now 38, and Ding Yuxi is much younger. It’s hard to imagine them as a romantic couple, especially judging by their expressions in some scenes,” a Weibo user wrote.
Another commented, “The relationship between Chu Yu and Wei Yun feels more like a mother and son than a real couple, due to the age gap and how the male character is portrayed from childhood.”
These complaints highlight two main issues: first, Victoria Song (born 1987, around 38) and Ding Yuxi (born 1995, around 30) have a significant age gap. Second, the storyline in which Chu Yu enters the Wei family as the eldest daughter-in-law and later pairs with a much younger Wei Yun is considered to create an imbalanced or less convincing romantic dynamic.
In the original novel, Mountain and River Pillow (山河枕) by Mo Shu Bai, Wei Yun is 14 years old when his family faces near-total tragedy, while Chu Yu is 15 when she joins the Wei household. Their age difference is only one year, far smaller than the 8-year gap between Victoria Song and Ding Yuxi on screen during filming.
Critics also point out that although both lead actors are visually appealing and the production budget is high, the on-screen emotional connection (“chemistry”) between them is considered suboptimal. For instance, expressions, scene synergy, or the dynamic between characters of differing ages appear weak. One comment suggested that casting a younger actress, such as Esther Yu Shuxin, might have produced a different result.
This phenomenon is not new in Asian dramas. For example, Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact, starring Yang Mi and Gong Jun, received similar attention. Viewers noted the age difference and status of the leads, sparking discussion about chemistry and relational dynamics. Even with a fantasy plot and grand visuals, criticism showed that a pronounced age gap can influence audience perception of the romance.
Nevertheless, Fight for Love still has notable strengths, including a complex storyline (betrayal, family intrigue, social responsibility), dramatic period settings, and large-scale production. The remaining challenge lies in how the creative team and lead actors can enhance the emotional closeness between the main characters so that their relationship feels more convincing to viewers.
