In the newly aired episodes, the character Trinh Nuong played by Duong Tu wore her brother's clothes to infiltrate the squid making workshop. Initially, many viewers thought that the film continued to follow the familiar motif of Chinese historical films, where the female lead only needs to change clothes to easily live among a group of men without being detected.
However, the developments afterwards surprised many people. Just a few minutes after Trinh Nuong appeared at the ink factory, this character was quickly suspected of her identity. Some characters in the film immediately realized the difference between her and ancient men.
This detail is highly appreciated because it partly reflects the actual historical context. According to the analysis of many Chinese audiences, women in feudal times often had smaller bodies than men, brighter skin and different gaits due to the influence of clothing and lifestyle. In addition, adult men in ancient times mostly had beards, while Trinh Nuong had a face that was too pale and without beards.
The article, which is attracting attention on Chinese social networks, argues that these differences make it difficult for women to disguise themselves as men in real life to deceive others as many films have built before.
Many viewers assessed that the "Gia Nghiep" crew chose a more reasonable storytelling method instead of intentionally "reducing IQ" of all characters just to serve the script. Trinh Nuong's quick suspicion helped the film maintain its logic, while creating a more realistic feeling for the story.
Duong Tu's acting in this segment also received many compliments. The actress shows the clumsiness, tension and immaturity of the character when trying to hide her identity in a male-centered environment. Many opinions say that this is one of the notable highlights of the film in the early stages of broadcasting.
On film forums, audiences commented that "Gia Nghiep" is having a relatively different approach compared to many idol ancient costume projects today. Instead of focusing only on romantic elements or beautiful visuals, the film tries to build more reasonable details with historical context.
However, there are still opinions that cross-dressing in historical films is a familiar motif of entertainment, difficult to demand absolute practicality. However, the handling of "Gia nghiep" partly helps the film gain more sympathy from audiences who love serious historical films.
After 5 episodes aired, "Gia Nghiep" continues to maintain discussion power on social networks, in which Duong Tu's acting is one of the most mentioned topics.
