Overseasidol.com — The historical romance drama Phoenix on the Crown (Love and Crown) has opened with a low score of 4.8 on Douban, marking it as one of this year’s most poorly received costume dramas.
Beyond its rating, the series has sparked widespread discussion following a public dispute involving the original author and the cast over creative differences.
Author Xie Lounan expressed dissatisfaction on social media, stating that the drama adaptation strayed from her original vision.
She argued that key emotional elements particularly the devoted and love-driven nature of the female lead Ling Cangcang were significantly weakened after certain scenes were removed, altering the essence of the character.
Xie also criticized the drama for shifting the narrative toward a more independent female persona, which she described as a betrayal of the novel’s core theme of “love as the highest priority”.
Her comments further fueled controversy when she praised lead actor Ren Jialun’s performance while describing actress Peng Xiaoran’s portrayal as “cold” a remark that intensified public debate.
In response, Peng Xiaoran issued a detailed statement addressing three main points. First, she clarified that actors do not have authority over character development or storyline decisions, which are entirely determined by the production team.
She also revealed that only limited finalized scripts were available before filming began, with many changes occurring throughout the process.
Second, she urged for unity during the broadcast period, emphasizing the importance of avoiding internal conflict that could harm the overall project.
Third, she stressed that evaluating the quality of the drama is solely the audience’s right, and should never be imposed.
While some speculate that the controversy may be partly driven by promotional motives, one reality remains evident: neither the author nor the actors hold ultimate control over adaptation decisions.
This situation also reflects a broader issue within the industry, where excessive alterations to original IPs have frequently led to disappointing results.
A well-known example is the adaptation of Priest’s You Fei, which was criticized for abandoning its martial arts spirit in favor of formulaic romance.
