Netflix’s big-budget English-language adaptation of the renowned Chinese sci-fi novel “The Three-Body Problem” has ignited a heated online debate and nationalist criticism in the book’s home country since its premiere last week.
While the book trilogy by Liu Cixin has found global acclaim and fans like former U.S. President Barack Obama, the adaptation’s depiction of a violent and tumultuous period in modern Chinese history has proved divisive among domestic audiences.
The series, renamed “3 Body Problem” and adapted by the Game of Thrones creators, opens with harrowing scenes from the Cultural Revolution depicting state-sanctioned violence and public humiliation. This prompted backlash from some patriotic Chinese viewers accusing the American production team of deliberately portraying China in a negative light.
Indeed, author Liu Cixin had originally intended to open his book with the Cultural Revolution scenes but worried he may face pushback from Chinese censors, according to his interview with the New York Times back in 2019. The uncensored English translation put the segments back up front at Liu’s request.
Beyond the controversial opening, other changes in Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” also attracted online criticism in China. These included shifting significant portions of the storyline to present-day London with an international cast, departing from the novel’s primarily Chinese setting and characters.
Some viewers saw this as an attempt to diminish or denigrate China’s role in resolving the crisis at the heart of the book’s premise.
While unable to directly watch the Netflix series due to content restrictions, some viewers in China have seen it thanks to virtual private networks and pirated versions.
You can watch the Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” trailer below.
