Ski Into Love (嘘，国王在冬眠) premiered with very good results both in mainland China and abroad. After 2 days, its popularity on the online streaming platform exceeded 9,500. The drama also topped the Maoyan charts for 5 says in a row. But just when you thought this title will beat or at least match the success of recent romance dramas such as The First Frost and The Best Thing, negative reviews on Ski Into Love begin to pile up.
On Douban, there are plenty of one and two-star Ski Into Love reviews left by dissatisfied viewers. Of course, there are also many fans who like the drama. To them, it is sweet and romantic with a touch of healing and inspiration. The visual appeal also leaves a strong impact which goes well with the theme of love and dreams. With the scenes being shot at snow resorts that include ice lakes and snow-capped mountains, it is a refreshing change of setting for a romance drama.
However, beautiful scenes and good-looking actors are not enough to make a drama succeed. Nowadays, viewers’ expectations are much higher with plenty of titles to choose from. So, there must be more to the plot and acting skills to attract positive reviews from the audience.
Ski Into Love Reviews – Main Complaints
Acting
With Esther Yu Shu Xin as the female lead, it goes without saying that there would be haters. Many love her for her sweet and cute look. With dramas such as Moonlight and Love Between Fairy And Devil, her popularity rose significantly. Fans couldn’t seem to get enough of her innocent and cute style. But everything also has its limits. Perhaps as age catches up (she is 30 this year), viewers are not so accommodating anymore to see a matured woman playing cute with her pouts and girly antics.
The other issue is Esther Yu’s reluctance to get out of her comfort zone to take on more diverse roles. Sticking to the same old roles might seem like the most natural thing to do since she has learned how to handle them. However, viewers will not buy it after some time if they are seeing no real improvement in acting skills.
The same goes for Lin Yi. He has been taking more or less the same type of roles in idol dramas. Ever since he became popular with Put Your Head On My Shoulder, he seems to be stuck in the same type of dramas from Love Scenery to Everyone Loves Me. He is handsome and tall but discerning viewers will be critical of the lack of improvement in his acting skills which some label as dull.
Plot
Ski Into Love is adapted from a web novel. In the novel, the female protagonist is supposed to be a determined and independent woman who dares to pursue her dreams despite objections from her family. But in the drama, that spirited character takes a back seat. The focus is on the relationship between the male and female protagonists instead. The charm of the male character is emphasized and the female character becomes that cute admirer.
Of course, if you are just coming for the romance without a care for anything else, then it is fine. But some viewers just don’t like that character which goes against the trend of an independent career woman. The essence of the character was lost in the adaptation.
Plot Holes
Many netizens also joked about the silly plot holes that are abound in Ski Into Love. That is why you will find it has been mocked as a low IQ drama by some. For example, in an avalanche scene, the actors’ reactions are deemed unrealistic. They still look beautiful with no signs of injury after the danger. Their expressions are also too calm after a near death experience. The male lead’s qualifications as a professional ski instructor just isn’t very convincing when confronted with danger.
Others have also commented that the actors look flawless on the skip slopes which is unnatural. There is no sign of wind and frost on their faces. Basically, the little details defy reality and expose the plot holes although they try their best to cover the skiing basics.
In short, plot logic, acting skills and casting have generated a lot of criticisms for this drama. Do you agree with the negative reviews on Ski Into Love?
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