Netflix’s hit “3 Body Problem,” an adaptation of the crown jewel of Chinese sci-fi, has provoked impassioned debate and divided viewpoints among fans in China, despite the fact that it is not available to watch there.
The streaming service is not officially available in China, yet fans continue to watch the show, most likely using VPNs or unauthorized streaming sites.
On Weibo, a social media network similar to X, show-related hashtags have received over two billion views.
Among the tens of thousands of comments left on a review platform, opinions ranged from regret with narrative and character modifications to nationalistic fury, to hope that the show’s popularity would increase representation of Chinese literature and movies.
The series is based on Liu Cixin’s trilogy “Remembrance of Earth’s Past,” known as “the bible of Chinese sci-fi.”
“The original masterpieces have enormous influence. Many fans of the books know all the specifics about the characters by memory, so they have a difficult time accepting alterations,” Li Dongdong, founder of the Chinese sci-fi film community Geek Movie, told AFP.
Previous Chinese-produced adaptations have taken this compulsive attention to detail into consideration. Liu recently told a conference that he had considered making a modest visual modification to a recurring story device, but was warned: “You can’t change it beyond recognition!”
For many, the Netflix adaption has done just that.
It is spearheaded by the crew behind the megahit series Game of Thrones, and it moves the majority of the action to the United Kingdom, changing the nationalities and genders of several of the main characters.
One Chinese reviewer compared the series to “a plate of General Tso’s chicken,” a Westernized Chinese dish that can symbolize inauthenticity and cultural misunderstanding.
‘Big miss?’
Disagreement with the showrunners’ artistic decisions isn’t limited to China.
By its second week, the series had been the most watched on Netflix, although reviews were varied, with Rolling Stone calling it “one great big miss”.
However, given the fragile US-China relations, some of the Chinese criticism is political in nature.
Many commenters questioned the motivation for keeping the villain Chinese while the heroes are primarily played by Westerners.
“Other things aside, the casting once again shows that Americans are (political) ideologues,” read one of the most popular reviews.
Others have taken issue with the show’s portrayal of Chinese history.
The show begins in the 1960s, with a disturbing scene from the Cultural Revolution in which a physicist is murdered by a crowd for refusing to denounce major scientific beliefs.
Its inclusion as the opening scene prompted some online nationalists to accuse Netflix of creating the entire show solely to represent China in a negative light.
“It’s making a whole tray of dumplings merely for tasting a bit of vinegar,” one Weibo user wrote.
For 3 Body devotees, though, the scene is key to understanding the motivations of the series’ antagonist.
“The storyline of the 1960s alone deserves a 5-star review,” said another commenter.
‘Huge encouragement’
Other fans have embraced the speedier and simpler plot, which they believe makes the work more accessible and appealing to the general audience.
“Netflix’s adaptation makes me really understand the charm of this sci-fi work for the first time,” said 31-year-old Beijing sci-fi lover Harry Zhou, who admitted to trying and failing to read the original books multiple times.
The show’s success has drawn international attention to Liu’s work and Chinese science fiction in general.
“I am sure that more people will reread the original story after watching this,” famed Japanese game creator Hideo Kojima posted on X.
“People in other countries can now see that Chinese writers are capable of writing great sci-fi works. This will boost the presence of Chinese sci-fi,” Zhou said.
Netflix’s involvement is seen as a vote of confidence in the genre.
“Chinese sci-fi is getting recognition with real money investment… it’s a huge encouragement for the Chinese sci-fi creator community,” said Geek Movie’s Li.
“It’s a small step for (Liu Cixin), but it’s a big step for Chinese sci-fi creation.”