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Since I'm studying adaptations and adaptation theories as part of my thesis, some thoughts:
The adaptation process is necessarily a process of rewriting, such that any comparison to the original inherently sets the adaptation up to fail. (->)
The adaptation process is necessarily a process of rewriting, such that any comparison to the original inherently sets the adaptation up to fail. (->)
(->) In other words, a strict comparison to the original does not take into account nor do justice to the process of adaptation and transformation, which involves working with medium specificity and the context surrounding that medium. (->)
(->) As a simple example: novel to animation adaptation means drawing out the visual aspects, character movements, colours, music, voice acting, etc. that is possible only in an animation. (->)
(->) But it is also more than that. Voice acting as an example: there are fans who follow voice actors' careers and will watch an animation because their favourite voice actor is in it, even if they do not know the novel. That adds a layer that does not exist in the novel. (->)
(->) It's like hearing Eren while watching Todoroki, because Kaji is famous for the former which might inform how we view the latter--and that is, too, a valid and interesting way in which a consumer might approach a work. (->)
(->) Given that it is unrealistic to expect an adaptation to be "the same as" / "as good as" the original, what I feel adds more value is understanding the goal of the adaptation and the unique aspects of that particular medium. How the original is rewritten, in other words. (->)
(->) There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the adaptation of MXTX novels into live-action drama, including critique of its necessity and an evaluation of how the MDZS -> CQL adaptation was done as a basis to guess how the TGCF one will be done. (->)
(->) To first address the goal of adaptation: it would be ignorant to imagine money is not part of the goal. But it would also be cynical to think money is the /only/ goal of adaptation. The creative industry involves, as the name suggests, a creative impulse. (->)
(->) People might join the creative industry for many different reasons, but at the heart of it is an interest in telling stories and conveying that story to the audience. Novels are a medium that some would see as time-consuming to finish. Some might be audio learners. (->)
(->) Hence an audio drama like that for MDZS would be perfect for them. Some enjoy animation visuals, some dislike them and prefer watching real people, in which case the donghua and CQL respectively would be their go-to. Adaptations suit different needs, (->)
(->) and coming to the core of the discussions: the biggest unique factor of live-action dramas are the actors, who bring a whole other context/story into the work simply by being three-dimensional people. (->)
(->) XZ's method acting is well-known among his fans (and perhaps even the casual audience), which adds a layer to how the character of WWX is seen in CQL. As opposed to WWX in the novel who is crafted only through the author, live-action WWX has XZ's "writing" on him. (->)
(->) In a conversation between him and the director where they discuss if WWX would cry in particular scenes, the director lets XZ decide. What we see in CQL then is not just MXTX's imagination of WWX, but also XZ's imagination of WWX. (->)
(->) The visual element the actors add to the adaptation cannot be undermined either, where viewers get to see what it might plausibly be like if MXTX characters were to come to life. Besides the obvious (their faces), there are the stories they carry on them: the costumes, (->)
(->) the wigs, the way they fight or play their instruments (dependent on previous training, flexibility, etc.). Then there is the environment itself, whether it is the use of existing places (e.g. Hengdian, Guizhou) or the crafting of sets. Props like swords and boats. (->)
(->) All these, together with directorial intent and vision, come together to create a rewriting, another form of storytelling. There is certainly the aspect of story change as well, as many would already have pointed out, like the Yin Iron and Wangxian's relationship. (->)
(->) The creation of a drama or film entails working within the country's particular social, cultural, and political context, that mix which contributes to an adaptation's historical and cultural specificity. Censorship is the word commonly thrown around, (->)
(->) either as accusation or justification, and it is certainly undeniable. Which is precisely how it's interesting to examine, under such constraints, what story they are able to create. In a particular BTS, (->)
(->) the actors showed distaste for including a WWX/WQ romance even though that would have been the easy way to ensure the drama aired. The fans' vocal argument against it was also taken into account, a form of audience participation that, too, shapes the story. (->)
(->) Under constraints and considering the audience's desire, the Wangxian relationship was tweaked into something that can be defended as platonic, with every hint that it is anything but. The plot is changed to make good and evil clear, (->)
(->) but even so it retains some of the novel's moral ambiguity (WWX's viciousness, JGY's machinations). By itself it is a complete story on its own, up to the viewers to judge its worth based on their preferences and what they sought out of this entertainment. (->)
(->) Finally, there is the fact that we are living in the age of media mix. It can also be called transmedia, though the nuances of the terms are different in that the transmedia universe is one where each adaptation is complete on its own but with links to another, (->)
(->) such that the entire universe can only be understood if one watches everything (catching all the easter eggs). Media mix is derived more from the Japanese media industry with an IP being adapted into different media but not necessarily creating a universe. (->)
(->) However, for both cases, the power of adaptations is in introducing specific IP which viewers might have otherwise never come into contact with. As in, a person who religiously watches drama might watch CQL and then realise the novel MDZS exists. (->)
(->) They might then check it out and realise maybe they like the novel better, or maybe they still prefer the drama. It works similarly for other media, even merchandise, where a casual passerby decides they like that design and thus reads the novel or watches the donghua. (->)
(->) Adaptations thus do not inherently form a barrier to entry. In fact, they create /more/ entry points to the IP, and by drawing attention and money flow among its various adaptations, the way is paved for more stories and ways of storytelling in the future. (->)
(->) It is therefore more an emotional argument that certain adaptations will "ruin" the original when the system is more of mutual enhancement in the IP's universe. Denouncing an adaptation is a form of gate-keeping more destructive than what the adaptation can do. (->)
(->) Just as the option is always open to the consumer to decide what to consume, the option to not consume a particular product is always present. The media universe will still be there for one to choose a star to settle on, or to travel among them.
