The long-awaited old nine gates sequel *The Nine Gates* has high production but flat ill-suited lead performances, only returning actor Ying Haoming feels familiar, leaving audiences disappointed.
After the release of *Nine Gates*—the long-awaited sequel to *The Old Nine Gates* that viewers had been waiting a decade for—the gap between audience expectations and reality far exceeded predictions.The series had a production budget of over 100 million, with nearly 40 percent of the funds allocated to building a 1.2-kilometer-long on-location street set recreating the Republican era. Viewership surged past 9,000 right at the start of its premiere, and many viewers who had followed the original *The Nine Gates* a decade ago had been eagerly awaiting the release date.
Yin Xinyue, Wu Laogou, Huo Xiangu, andQi Tiezu—are all iconic characters that viewers have cherished for a decade. The production team clearly recognized the nostalgia of longtime fans and specifically brought back Ying Haoming, who played Qi Tiezu, pairing him with familiar faces like Zeng Shunxi,Chen Yao, among others, familiar to viewers. The production was originally planned with the intention of faithfully recreating the story of the Nine Gates.
After
the series aired, viewers first noticed the character Yin Xinyue. While the voice acting was carried over from the original version, the actress playing the role was a completely new face. Her performance deliberately replicated the original’s style but lacked a natural, lively presence, and there was no visible chemistry with her co-star.The actor playing the new version of Wu Laogou deliberately sought to distinguish his character from the original, but his body language and facial expressions were overly forced, his performance felt contrived, and he didn’t fit well with the Republican-era setting.Huo Xiangu’s costume design aligns with the character’s concept, but she fails to convey the character’s expected ruthless aura, resulting in a thin and two-dimensional portrayal. Only Ying Haoming, who reprises his role as Qi Tiezu, retains the familiar quality that audiences remember in every gesture and movement.
The set design
in the show is meticulously crafted, with every detail of the old Republican-era street exuding a sense of everyday life, and the atmosphere of the adventure sequences is also very well done. However, the main characters—who form the core of the story—fail to make a strong impression.
Many viewers have reflected that after waiting ten long years, only they themselves know whether what they’ve finally received is a well-crafted set or the vivid, familiar characters from their memories. If you, too, have been eagerly awaiting this series, feel free to share in the comments section which character from *The Nine Gates* has left the deepest impression on you.
