On the evening of February 5th, the historical detective film "Duong Cung Ky An: Thanh Vu Phong Minh" starring Bach Loc and Vuong Tinh Viet premiered the first 4 episodes on the Youku platform, 2 episodes on prime time CCTV-8 and launched globally on Netflix.
Before airing, the number of movie appointments on Youku had exceeded 6 million. After the first 4 episodes were broadcast, on the very first day, the movie's temperature on Youku exceeded 7,500. By noon on February 6, the movie's temperature reached 8,000 points.
CCTV-8's movie rating in prime time reached 1.3%, rising to second place nationwide.
In particular, on Youku, the number of advertisements for "Duong cung ky an" reached a record high. The total number of advertisements for the first 4 episodes is 50 advertisements, from 17 brands. One episode has up to 13 advertisements, setting a record for the entire platform.
The "huge" amount of advertising shows that investors place high expectations on the work and the main actors. As soon as it aired, "Duong cung ky an" rose to Top 1 in the rankings to attract new users on the domestic Youku platform.
The female lead Bach Loc also proved her appeal when she ranked Top 1 in the Douyin hottest character rankings. At the same time, Bach Loc impressed when she immediately occupied the No. 1 position in the Vlinkage character index rankings with 9.07 points. Vuong Tinh Viet ranked 4th with 8.58 points.
On Datawin's hottest movie rankings, "Duong Cung Ky An" debuted in 5th place. This achievement is not too impressive, but many opinions believe that the movie aired right on the day of the major entertainment event, Weibo Night, so interest was somewhat affected.
According to media reports, "Duong Cung Ky An" is an innovative work in the historical - detective film genre, the film takes "female crime solvers" as the center, breaking the traditional investigative motif that is led by men.
General producer Truong Van Le said that the crew wants to lead the audience into the story from "her perspective", through the independence in each episode to delve into the adversities that women in the Tang Dynasty faced, thereby creating empathy and emotional resonance between contemporary audiences and the fate of women thousands of years ago.
The film revolves around Ly Boi Nghi (Bach Loc), the district chief of Phuc Xuong who bears the wrongful accusation of extermination. During her time as a domestic defender of the Internal Intelligence Department and continuously solving strange cases, she accidentally meets Tieu Hoai Can (Wang Tinh Viet) - the childhood savior.
The two side by side investigate cases associated with the fate of women in the inner palace. In the journey of solving the case, they not only clarify the truth of the massacre 15 years ago, but also find soulmates, ultimately completing each other's salvation.
Unlike many works of the same genre that have focused on harem infighting, screenwriters Manh Duong and Chuc Tin chose to direct their writing about ordinary people who are often forgotten by history such as female harem officials, civil servants, focusing on their survival circumstances and moral choices.
According to Sohu, initial reviews show that most viewers are satisfied with the overall content: fast pace, smooth storyline, quite "pleasant" to watch, with clues inserted and knowing how to close the plot.
The female lead's fighting scene and the male lead's demeanor and charisma are both praised. The characters appearing up to now, including small supporting roles, mostly have beautiful appearances.
For audiences who have watched many detective films, guessing the overall direction of the case is not too difficult. However, thanks to the rhythm of about 3 episodes resolving a case, it does not create a feeling of lengthiness, although the setup is still commented to be a bit familiar.
The point that caused more controversy was the voiceover of the female lead. The character Ly Boi Nghi played by Bach Loc is said to have a voice that is not really suitable for the image.
According to circulating information, this is the original voice of Bach Loc himself. The dialogue rhythm is not really in sync, and many people think that if professional dubbing is used, the film may be better.
