LayarHijau— Rising actor Lai Weiming, who gained popularity through his role in Shine on Me, has officially started filming his newest historical drama titled Bao Zhu. In this original series produced by Mango TV, he stars alongside actress Dai Luwa, who was previously widely known for her iconic supporting roles in several popular dramas. Bao Zhu marks a significant milestone for both, as Lai Weiming finally steps up as the male lead, while Dai Luwa takes on her first responsibility as the female lead in a costume genre.
The main plot of Bao Zhu is set during the Ming Dynasty, telling the story of Jin Baozhu, a butcher’s daughter played by Dai Luwa. To escape the pressure and exploitation of her original family, Jin Baozhu decides to marry into a wealthy family. She is paired with Xie Yan, played by Lai Weiming, a noble son known for his rebellious nature who suffers from paralysis in both legs. The story will explore a unique marriage journey starting from a formality ritual to developing into a mutual redemption story.
However, shortly after filming began, the drama immediately sparked heated controversy among netizens. Many Chinese drama fans found four points of striking similarity between Bao Zhu and the hit drama Pursuit of Jade starring Zhang Linghe and Tian Xiwei. “These similarities are too obvious to ignore, from character backgrounds to appearance details,” stated one netizen comment, highlighting that the production team’s choices closely mirror the aesthetics and narrative structure of the previous hit.
The first similarity lies in the female lead’s profile, where in both Bao Zhu and Pursuit of Jade, the protagonists are portrayed as daughters of butchers. The second similarity concerns the visual styling, specifically Dai Luwa’s costume design and hairstyle which are considered to mimic Fan Changyu’s character. The use of coarse cloth clothing with a similar color scheme, along with a single braid hairstyle decorated with cloth ribbons, led netizens to believe that the production is attempting to duplicate the visual success of the rival drama.
Moving to the third point, the male lead Xie Yan has a background nearly identical to Xie Zheng from Pursuit of Jade—a genius from a prominent family who becomes paralyzed due to a tragic accident. The fourth similarity and major point of contention is the naming. The name Xie Yan is considered too similar to Xie Zheng, differing by only one character, sparking accusations that the production team intentionally wanted to replicate an existing success formula.
Audience concerns grew upon learning about the track record of the behind-the-scenes team. Although Bao Zhu is directed by the assistant director of Blossom, the script is written by Wei Jingjing, whose previous work, In the Name of Dawn, received a low score on the Douban platform. Dai Luwa, who was previously successful through Unveil: Jadewind, Moonlight Mystique, and Lost You Forever, now faces a major challenge to prove that her first drama as a lead can stand on its own without being overshadowed by these comparisons.
