Rebirth 冰湖重生 was highly anticipated since it would finally continue the unfinished story of Princess Agents, which ended up filming only half of the novel it’s based on. It was finally released on April 8 2026, but C-Netizens are just not having it. It didn’t help that there was bad press from the start, as leading lady Huang Yang Tian Tian’s reputation took a hit over her luxury earring scandal, and production also had to issue an apology over a plagiarism accusation for a song from the OST.
Rebirth Rehashes the Story in Princess Agents
When the show aired, it was lambasted in every way, from directing to cast to storyline. Rebirth, true to its Chinese title, started the story in an icy lake, which is exactly where Princess Agents left off, with Chu Qiao desperately trying and failing to save Yuwen Yue from Yan Xun’s arrows. The final scene between Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue, with him sinking in the lake, made for one of the most heartbreaking endings that many couldn’t move on from.
Why Reception Has Been Negative
If anyone was wondering whether Rebirth is purely a sequel, it isn’t. The first few episodes essentially recap major plot points from Princess Agents, acted out by the new cast before continuing with the new storyline. The problem is it just feels crammed in, not to mention compared to the original cast of Zhao Liying, Lin Gengxin, Dou Xiao, and Li Qin, the younger cast of Li Yunrui, Huang Yang Tian Tian, Zhang Kangle and Xia Meng seems to fall short in acting, especially when comparing against the same iconic scenes from the original.
The internet joked that the yearning for the old cast is so strong that they want the big villain Yuwen Huai, played by Wang Yanlin, to be brought back to life just so he can take out the new characters. And instead of a remake, it would’ve been better to let Yuwen Yue remain forever beneath the ice lake.
Huang Yang Tian Tian’s acting was heavily criticized, like the parts where she would stare wide eyed during emotional scenes. Due to her young age, she was also mocked for looking like “a child trying to play a general,” a stark contrast to when she played young Chu Qiao in Princess Agents and drew praise. The directing didn’t escape criticism either with complaints about the in-your-face shots or the lack of logic behind the scene with Zhuge Yue atop a mountain of corpses. Complaints about the plot included how Chu Qiao was reduced from a brave general to an amnesiac heroine needing to be rescued. Then there’s the 11-year age gap between Li Yunrui and Huang Yang Tian Tian who’s still a teen.
A New Low in Douban Ratings
Echoing the negative sentiment, Rebirth’s ratings failed to make a splash despite having popular actor Li Yunrui onboard. The show’s Douban rating opened at 3.2, the lowest for C-dramas in the past two years, with more than half giving it one-star ratings. Meanwhile, Princess Agents found itself trending again. It certainly looks like C-netizens are not ready for the remake, but some feel the extreme rejection may also be influenced by nostalgia.
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Dee
First of why cast these babies when the original were played seasoned actors .. the pot actress scandal had nothing to do with why it’s hated the averting plot baby cast so
Many things I would have never picked up this project the love for the old on was too high
Arduinna
How many more flops will it take before producers finally realise that Li Yunrui isn’t leading man material? He is as imposing as a wet towel and totally miscast in any authoritative role.
While the failure of this drama cannot be entirely blamed on him, the aura of a true leading man could at least have made up for the some of the other shortcomings of the drama.
Una
Well, what is “leading man” material? He was leading man in others and they were good. Your rant sounds like very personal, rather than an objective critique of his acting capability.
I have not watched this drama; only some short clips. and I won’t be watching it. What I do not like is the “leading lady” – her acting capability is not yet mature enough for that role. And neither do I like romance scenes or plot by actors or actresses still legally a child. This just feel too much like endorsing something icky.
Gunny
I agree. I’ve only seen clips and but scenes of the FL and ML just look and feel so uncomfortable. She also looked like a child bride in one clip with her in a red wedding dress. Don’t know what the producers were thinking.
Dxc
these comments are harsh. i quite like the drama and it’s very fast pace. ppl are taking it as PA2 but it’s not. age gap is problem so there’s barely any type of romance action but the storyline pretty good. i honestly like LYR a lot as lead. i don’t understand the hate for the actors or story. the only issue is age gap.