"Unraveling China's Cultural Memory: The 3 Body Problem and Social Media Backlash"
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Vox.com
Chinese viewers and state media have expressed mixed reactions to Netflix's adaptation of the Hugo Award-winning Chinese sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem, with some criticizing the erasure of Chinese characters and relocation of the plot to London, while others appreciate the popularization of Chinese sci-fi to a global audience. The adaptation's portrayal of the Cultural Revolution has sparked debate, highlighting the complex relationship between Chinese audiences and their government's censorship. The differences between the Netflix and Chinese streaming service Tencent adaptations reflect varying approaches to depicting historical events in Chinese pop culture, with the former criticized for making the storyline feel bland and forgettable.