CHINESE TV series “Qin Dynasty Epic,” the final season of the highly rated historical drama “The Qin Empire,” has received mixed reviews since its Dec. 1 opening on China Central Television, Tencent Video, iQiyi and YouTube.

The 78-episode final season currently rates 7.9 out of 10 on the Chinese reviewing website Douban, the lowest compared with the previous seasons: “The Qin Empire” (2009) and “The Qin Empire 2” (2013) snatched 9.3; “The Qin Empire 3” (2017) earned 8.5.

The whole series was adapted from writer Sun Haohui’s novel, “The Qin Empire,” which chronicles the rise of the Qin State in the Warring States (475-221 B.C.) and explores how it conquered six other states to establish the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.).

Audience members have lauded the authentic depictions of the economics, politics, military affairs, diplomacy and customs in the first three seasons, as well as astounding acting and the heart-in-the-throat plot. Many fans acclaimed that the series is smart and thought-provoking and elevates artistic achievements.

The greatly expected final season, “Qin Dynasty Epic,” portrays Ying Zheng, king of Qin, and his politicians working together to unify China, and shows Ying becoming China’s first emperor when he was 38. It opened with an 8.9 score Dec. 1 but soon fell to 8.1 in just three days.

First, audience members were not happy with 40-year-old actor Zhang Luyi playing the 13-year-old Ying, which looked very awkward; second, the story-telling is very slow, focusing too much on minor roles; and finally some dialogues are not as authentic as how historical figures might speak.

“Sun’s original novel is expertly written; why did the scriptwriters change it?” commented a Douban user.

Some audience members still praised the drama’s vivid portrayal of the main characters and its visual production since it was filmed in various locations in Xinjiang, Guizhou and Zhejiang, as well as the flawless acting by veteran actors, such as Xin Baiqing and Duan Yihong. Overall, “Qin Dynasty Epic” is a well-produced historical drama.

The author Sun, a Shaanxi native, began to write the novel in 1993 and published it in 2008. He quit his job as a law professor in 1998 to devote all his time to researching Qin history and to writing the novel. The novel is recognized as a full literary account of the entire Qin era and brought him national and provincial awards.

(Cao Zhen)