Tang-era TV series resonates with modern viewers

Over the past few years many Chinese-made historical dramas have garnered a rather negative reputation as a result of poor acting, repetitive plots, and lavish but unappealing production values.

However, a new TV series, “The Longest Day in Chang’an,” is a departure. Some critics refer to it as a blend of popular video game “Assassin’s Creed” and American action drama “24,” set in ancient China.

Audiences are also on board. The series has received a rating of 8.6/10, so far the highest-rated Chinese TV series in 2019, on Chinese social network Douban, and a score of 8.5/10 on American film-rating and review website IMDb.

Strong casting, historically accurate props and costumes, and cinematic quality visuals are all reasons for the show’s success, though it is primarily because it was adapted from the novel of the same name, written by Ma Boyong in 2016.

The novel was inspired by a question on Chinese question-and-answer website Zhihu (similar to Quora), asking where one would set a game if he or she were to design something akin to “Assassin’s Creed.”

Ma theorized a game set in Chang’an, China’s capital and center of commerce during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

Sadly, the answer was not adopted by game developers.

But Ma developed his idea into a novel about how his hero, a controversial veteran and detective, prevents an upcoming attack on the city of Chang’an.

To make it more thrilling, the novel is set in a 24-hour time frame. The intensity increases dramatically as every minute puts the city more at risk.

The historical/criminal investigation theme is not new. Hong Kong movie series “Detective Dee,” about a sleuth solving mysteries while protecting the realm, was also set in the Tang Dynasty.

What makes “The Longest Day” so popular is its attention to historical accuracy.

The emperor’s dereliction of his duties, the government and the army’s excessive bureaucracy, the social inequalities and the border conflicts are all set out truthfully. Most importantly this attention to detail did not spoil the story’s entertainment value. The historical realism of the novel and the subsequent TV series serves a bigger purpose than just entertaining viewers. In the show, some officials are shown accepting bribes, despite strict laws prohibiting these payments.

More than 1,000 years have passed since the Tang Dynasty ended. Today’s audiences will breathe a sigh of relief that the corruption of the past feudal dynasty is no more. Everyone in China today has a zero tolerance of corruption of any type, by any person, under any pretext.

It does not mean that corruption has been rooted out, but our collective will to fight corruption is strong.

Let’s hope that corruption can be ended once and for all in our lifetime and remain in history textbooks for good.

The author is a freelancer based in the United States.