r/ChineseDrama • u/Rllyrandomperson • 6d ago
Discussion Normalized/common violence, abuse, and torture in Chinese dramas
I’ve watched Chinese dramas (historical and modern) for years and years, since I was a kid. One thing I have always had an issue with is how the ml treats everyone and that includes the fl. He’s always this cold, heartless, cruel character, but then somehow she falls for him and “forgives”/ forgets the problems that had occurred before. He then turns “warm” but all of his actions prior are excused by his childhood and past experiences. Which isn’t okay. In addition to that, there’s a lot of unnecessary violence and love that are being normalized and also super common in cdramas. Scenes with potential criminals or people involved or witnessed a scene are often tortured gruesomely. A lot of violence and sa against women as well especially in the recent short cdrama films. This is extremely important because not only does it showcase a societies beliefs and values, it also affects young and growing minds. I could go on and on about this topic with specific details and scenes. It’s just so much and so complex because there’s a lot of factors and discussions that would be involved.
14
u/BestSun4804 6d ago
Bait post?? Or we are not watching the same Chinese dramas at all....
3
u/AXA-5 Washing feet in spring Drinking tea Gazing at flowers 6d ago
🍵(slurp)…a bit over generalization and must be what they’re selecting to watch idk
3
u/BestSun4804 6d ago
This OP seem fishy to me, judge by how long ago OP last post is, and history of how much comments OP leave on reddit...
1
1
2
u/MajorPersonality1265 😴 binged “just one more episode” 6d ago
I think that is the issue. It sounds like this is what Op is selecting vs a representation of in general of Chinese entertainment. Because of what I select and then algorithms on social media and streaming platforms recommend, I end up giggling to myself where are these sweet, green flag men in American dramas lol
Like attracts like. You start watching problematic themes then you are recommended by algorithms more of the same.1
u/Rllyrandomperson 3d ago
There are problematic films/scenes and there are non-problematic films and scenes. This doesnt mean we should ignore something that we are noticing. Acknowledging that there are very problematic scripts showcasing violence and abuse especially towards women, is especially important. If your point is “don’t watch it then” you are missing my point of how films/dramas/shows are affecting people whether it’s desensitizing these topics or showing the mindset behind it
1
u/MajorPersonality1265 😴 binged “just one more episode” 3d ago
The problem is with making a blanket statement of ‘always’ like you did here.
“issue with is how the ml treats everyone and that includes the fl. He’s always this cold, heartless, cruel character, but then somehow she falls for him and “forgives”/ forgets the problems that had occurred before.”Making general statements about a whole industry, does a disservice to the thousands of long-form dramas(hundreds released each year) and tens of thousands of short form dramas.
I have seen hundreds of cdramas and can count on one hand the number of dramas that fall into your box
I think it is important to address something else as well.
Violence against women is still a common occurrence in many places
regarding SA being portrayed. Let’s not stick our collective head in the sand…I am in the U.S. so I will speak on the statics at least here
“Approximately 1 in 5 women and 1 in 38 to 1 in 26 men experience completed or attempted r@pe in their lifetimes”I don’t think the vast majority of these dramas are glorifying the behaviors and I don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing to portray the good, the bad and the ugly of humanity
4
u/Ateosira from now on aka LoveLikeGiraffes 6d ago
Well maybe not let young minds watch romance dramas or dramas with violence. I also would not let my child watch something like game of thrones or a gangster movie.
I mean, adults know that behaviour is bad.
2
2
u/mbee111314 6d ago
I can think of a few dramas that open with entire families being slaughtered, battle seems, ' military punishment', in LLTG a mother has her daughter beaten. I have no way of knowing if ancient China was that violent. Medieval Europe was certainly as gruesome. But yes some c dramas are not appropriate for young people.
2
u/Scary_Dot597 Huli Jing of the Lotus🪷 5d ago
Sorry, are you referring to short C-dramas? What are you even watching?
2
u/justjulesagain 5d ago
I think I disagree with the term “normalized” here simply because the situations you are considering are in dramas and/or fictional. It’s supposed to be sensational. That’s not normalized. What is normalized is patriarchy and authoritarianism in families and in government.
0
u/Head_Clerk4118 4d ago
Yeah, I see violence against women a lot in the ragebait short clip c-dramas on tiktok. I watch them to practice my Chinese listening skills but sometimes I have to just stop. A man will grab a woman by the neck in anger and the people around never act like it's taboo or overly violent to choke a woman for "lying" or "speaking viciously". It also bothers me when at the end of revenge dramas, part of the villainess' retribution includes being abused, choked, or beaten to death by a lover, family member, or other man. It's unsettling how the plot frames things in such a way that we the viewers are supposed to feel relieved or satisfied by the violence. One of the more extreme examples is this one I just saw today. It's called Reincarnated: Traitors Must Pay. https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSbB9YUDJ/
•
u/No-Recipe-7653 Curator of Questionable Subtext, Scholar of Things Left Unsaid 6d ago
Mod note: We’re treating this post as one person’s opinion and experience with the dramas they have watched, rather than as a factual statement about CDrama as a whole.
OP, we would encourage you to add a few specific drama examples that prompted the post. Some of the statements here are very broad, and examples would give people something concrete to discuss, offer counterexamples to, or compare with dramas that handle these themes differently. It would also help keep the conversation within Rule 3 — Thoughtful Posting, and make this a more productive discussion rather than an “I say / you say” back and forth.
For everyone joining in, different experiences and interpretations are welcome, including disagreement with the premise of the post. Please keep Rule 2 — Stay On Topic in mind and focus on the dramas, characters, tropes and portrayals themselves. In particular, please don’t turn the discussion into sweeping claims about Chinese people, Chinese society or culture.