Chen Zheyuan's new C-drama The White Olive Tree faces backlash for poor depiction of military: 'Everything feels fake & staged'

Chinese heartthrob Chen Zheyuan has taken over our social media feed with his latest C-drama, The White Olive Tree. Although only a few episodes have been released, the show has already generated significant buzz, with fans eagerly sharing clips and videos from the series.

Chen's devoted fanbase, who fell in love with him in Hidden Love, have been waiting with bated breath for his new project, and it seems their enthusiasm has been met with a mixed reaction. Despite the hype, the drama has received a lukewarm response from netizens, who are sharing their thoughts and opinions on social media.

Chen Zheyuan returns with The White Olive Tree

Chen Zheyuan is back with his new C-drama, The White Olive Tree! It's been two years since he stole our hearts as Duan Jiaxu in Hidden Love alongside Zhao Lusi, and now he's taken on the role of Li Zan, a Chinese explosive engineer.

The drama has already gained a huge following, and with 14 episodes released out of a total of 38, fans are eagerly awaiting what's to come. Some have also taken to social media to rave about the C-drama, with many lauding Chen Zheyuan's visuals and his versatility.

Netizens disappointed with Chen Zheyuan's new C-drama

However, international fans of the actor have expressed disappointment, calling out the makers for downplaying the sensitive theme of war-torn countries. Many netizens also argued that the drama drifts apart from realism, and everything objectively looks fake and staged. While Chen's portrayal has been lauded, Liang Jie, who plays the female lead, has failed to impress fans with her acting chops.

On the subreddit C/drama, many users shared their first impressions, and the reviews have been mostly negative.

One user wrote, "Didn't get far into this one at all. Part of me feels like this is doing a disservice to actual war reporters and service members out there, and part of me was trying to look past all that because this is a romance story first and foremost. I guess my first sentence is an indication of which part of me won in the end."

Another disappointed fan penned a lengthy note, sharing, "I just finished ep 1, and I feel very confused about it. I wholeheartedly agree with the comments about the FL. For a hecking war correspondent, I expected someone tough and serious, not a teenager experiencing her first love crush.

Also, the fictional warzone country rubbed me the wrong way. I get that they couldn't really base it off of a real country, but GOD, I cannot take the English dubbing and the weird mesh of European/Middle-Eastern things seriously.

AGAIN I'm disappointed by yet another drama I was excited for. I'll keep this on hold until more episodes come out, but tbh I feel like I'm most likely going to drop this one."

"I'm on the fence. What love about c dramas is the super immersive feel. It doesn't feel like anyone is ˇ°actingˇ± because they're all surrounded by realism. Real city streets, real airports, real villages. The side characters are all real and fit. This show is completely different. Everything is fake and staged," a third Redditor added.

A fourth commented, "I don't want to be mean to this drama. We get action romances so rarely and I truly adore the genre. But this drama is SO badly made. It's just ridiculously bad. The story flows weirdly, the female lead has no personality. She basically falls in love in ep 1 and there are 39 more episodes to go?? She doesn't really talk or have real conversations."

Check out more reactions below:

The White Olive Tree (2025) - What are your first impressions? [Masterpost]
byu/Lotus_swimmer inCDrama

About The White Olive Tree

The story follows a Chinese explosive engineer, Li Zan (Chen Zheyuan), who rescues a female reporter, Song Ran (Liang Jie), during an interview mission in a turbulent country. As they interact, they develop feelings for each other, but their budding relationship is disrupted by a bombing attack. After a period of separation and personal struggles, they reunite and work together to heal and find peace.

Fans can watch The White Olive Tree on IQIYI.

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