LayarHijau – The historical drama The First Jasmine (莫离) has officially aired its finale. However, instead of receiving praise for its conclusion, the ending has sparked massive outrage across Chinese social media platforms. The controversy isn’t about a disappointing plot twist, but rather the allegedly unfair treatment of the male lead, Cheng Lei.
A hashtag regarding “Cheng Lei getting only 3 minutes of screen time per episode in the final 5 episodes of The First Jasmine” quickly skyrocketed to the top of trending topics on Chinese social media. Furious fans are accusing the production team of treating Cheng Lei, who plays Mo Xiuyao, like a mere extra in the very drama he headlines.
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Netizens Do the Math: Only 3 Minutes Per Episode
According to meticulous frame-by-frame calculations by Chinese netizens, Cheng Lei’s total screen time in the final 5 episodes—which have a combined runtime of over 200 minutes—amounts to a mere 15 minutes!
This means he appeared for an average of just 3 minutes per episode. Shockingly, in one of the episodes, he was on screen for less than 2 minutes. Many viewers expressed their disbelief, commenting, “Is he the male lead or just a cameo? This treatment is unbelievable!”
The Ultimate Showdown Cut to Just 5 Seconds!
The peak of the fans’ frustration occurred during the climax of the series. The epic final battle between the male lead and the main villain, which was expected to be the highlight of the entire drama, was heavily edited down to a mere 5 seconds of footage!
In stark contrast, a flashback scene between the female lead and the second male lead was given a full 5 minutes of screen time. This glaring discrepancy has left Chinese netizens fuming.
Many accused the production of a “bait-and-switch” tactic. “They used Cheng Lei to hype up the drama during promotions to attract viewers, but once it aired, his character practically vanished. It’s so disrespectful to the actor!” an angry netizen wrote on social media.
5 Months of Dedication Goes Down the Drain
Fans’ heartbreak is amplified by Cheng Lei’s immense dedication to the project. He reportedly spent nearly 5 months filming The First Jasmine.
He had to endure scorching temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius while wearing heavy, cumbersome armor. Furthermore, he performed numerous complex battle scenes, wire stunts, and high-difficulty martial arts sequences all by himself without a stunt double.
“He spent 5 months filming, sweating it out in the extreme heat, only to end up with 15 minutes of screen time. It really hurts to watch,” fans lamented. Despite the limited footage, they remain proud of his performance. “Even with so little screen time, his acting in every single second was powerful. The limited scenes actually made his emotional depth and expressive eyes stand out even more,” his supporters defended.
Is It Just a Female-Centric Story?
Amidst the storm of criticism on Chinese social media, some viewers have tried to look at the situation from a different perspective. They argue that The First Jasmine is inherently a female-centric drama.
The finale required wrapping up multiple subplots and resolving the fates of various supporting characters. Therefore, compressing the male lead’s screen time might simply be a necessary compromise for the story’s pacing.
“The story was still complete, it’s just unsatisfying for Cheng Lei’s fans. It might just be a limitation of the broadcast runtime, not a deliberate attack on the actor,” one viewer noted, offering a more empathetic take.
As of this writing, the production team behind The First Jasmine has remained silent and has yet to issue an official response regarding the editing controversy surrounding Cheng Lei.
What do you think? Was the reduction of Cheng Lei’s screen time purely a storytelling necessity, or is there more to the story? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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