Three Body Problem Netflix vs. Chinese TV Series Comparison | NO SPOILERS!

If you're debating on whether to watch either version of the hit series Three Body Problem, or whether to watch the other, this video is for you! Watch to understand some key differences, all spoiler free.

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[Gapihamiha]

Chinese is much better, slow paced and more dark, and more to think after, I'm from EU not Asian.

[SarahCharlie]

I just finished the Chinese version, it was pretty good. It’s a build up of emotions and it’s dark. I love how I knew Ye Weinjie so you would not dive in to judge her right away. They got the eerie atmosphere and great CGI. It’s very easy to follow. We are going to watch the Netflix version next

[corneliareutner]

Watched both. I LOVE the Chinese production - I've never seen a book-to-screen adaption that was so close to the source material. They expanded on characters in a good way so that it was enjoyable to me. I actually like the slow pacing, it managed to give me more suspense as it had more room to "breathe" for me, without rushing forward. Here and there you could have sped it up a little, so my guess is that the director's cut is probably the ideal version for me. I will need to see if I can find it - I own the original 30-episode version on DVD.
A thing I definitely found redundant was the introduction of the evil terrorist opponent dude for Col. Stanton. Could have lived without that.

I also liked the Netflix version although not as much as the Tencent production. The CGI was impressive, yes, but I also liked the CGI of the Chinese version. I liked some characters, like Will Downing aka Yun Tianming and I think it's actually not a bad idea to introduce the common era characters at the same time. Unfortunately, I couldn't relate at all to Wang Miaos' main counterpart in the Netflix show, she really annoyed me. I'd probably say I liked the stuff shown from Dark Forest and Death's End in the Netflix show more than the parts that came from the first book. The book and also the Tencent show give me way more "creepy" feeling than the Netflix version, even though the latter shows more horror.

Gonna watch the continuation of both. I enjoy them both but personally, for me, the Chinese version is a lot better.

[muskyoxes]

The deciding point:
China will actually make the other two seasons. Netflix will decide that some nuance in the detail of the view metrics in the first week doesn't justify spending money.

[刘火华]

很
Now the Chinese version has released a director's cut version, it is called Anniversary edition, it has been reduced from the original 30 episodes to 26 episodes, I think the rhythm has become more reasonable and compact, I think I can explain why the original Chinese version is so long, because it needs to be broadcast on CCTV. However, CCTV requires that the length and number of episodes of the TV program should be higher than a certain number, and the investment of the current TV version can only support the production of the first one, so some protracted plots are added to this one. However, since the anniversary edition was broadcast on the Internet, almost all unnecessary plots were deleted, and I felt that this version was much more exciting than the original one when I watched it again

[DrFrankNStein-sfww]

The Chinese version is FAR superior. Netflix should just have bought this show from China AS IT IS. The only thing to change would have been to maybe give us an English dub and (also maybe) replace some text notifications on phones or monitors with English words. Hire the entire crew from season one and invest some money to let THEM produce, write and direct book 2 The Dark Forest. But that is all !
The production value of this show is very high and if this is what Chinese TV looks like today ... then i want more !

[keffinsg]

I watched both versions and was struck by the Cultural Representation differences. IMHO the reason why much of the story was moved to England, was to avoid showing China functioning like a normal country. In this present climate of geopolitical tensions, China is constantly depicted in the Anglosphere as being repressive and dictatorial. To see Chinese policemen and soldiers behaving with humour and humanity would be too much for the Western narrative. Western mind control is slick indeed.

[Germgeuse]

listen, I don't care what form it takes, I just want an official adaptation of the droplet scene. I'm fine with the netflix show rushing if it means they can actually get that on screen before the show is cancelled

[tindomul]

I like both version, but I appreciate the Chinese more, because its slow storytelling and detailed characters make me feel like I'm part of that world. 🌍 Also, while the Netflix version is very spectacular, it has the same Hollywood vibe as any other American movies, and the Chinese version is far more unique in atmosphere. ❤

[timothyfarrugia]

I watched both and enjoyed them, however, i prefer how the Chinese version went into more detail, even science wise.

[narf]

definately the chinese version, cause it has no problem.

[mariocoronel]

The main advantage of the chinese version is in the dialogues

[LJChao]

I watched the chinese ver and it made me buy/read a book for the first time in my life, I enjoyed so much. The netflix one I've only watched 3 episodes and i think i'll give another change after I finish the triology and serve it as a summary

[tconnolly]

I have started watching the tencent version and after 4 episodes, I'm going to stick with it.
I like the slow methodical buildup and I'm trying to keep away from too much information that may spoil the suspense. I like the real feel so of 2000's China.
My personal biggest gripe with the Chinese series is with the English subtitles.
They are very badly paced. They flash up and often disappear again in two seconds before I have had time to focus away from what's happening on the screen to only manage to read half of the text.
And then there could be a gap of a couple of seconds before the next text appears.
I feel I have to be constantly on edge to instantly read the subtitles or I will miss vital information. I watch quite a lot of subtitled TV and movies and this is the worst paced as far as I'm concerned. I'd be curious if others felt the same?
Apart from that, great production so far and I'm excited to see where it leads.
By the way, I have avoided looking at or reading any other comparisons between the two series because they all would have had too many spoilers.
Thank you for this excellent and very thoughtful video comparison. I have subscribed and 👍

[albin]

I was disappointed by the Netflix series because there was no school for young witches who discovered they had super powers and had to fight a secret evil occult order.
The Chinese series was much better.

[Intranetusa]

The Netflix adaptation completly erasing the 2000s Chinese setting and only showing the chaotic 1970s Chinese setting seems to erase the book's cultural and socio-political themes of contrasting the chaotic and close minded 1970s China VS the modern and progressive/more open minded 2000s China. Furthermore, the cultural swap of characters like Zhang Beihai from a mainland Chinese character into a British character in the Netflix adaptation is one of the main reasons I am skeptical that Netflix's deviations from the books will work in the long run. Beihai is a very "Chinese" character rooted in China's authoritarian political system and represents very Chinese socio-cultural elements and tropes. His character serves as a political commissar who purges other people for dis-loyalty, but has his own disloyal agenda...which he learned to hide via growing up and playing the political game in China's authoritarian cut throat system (where saying the wrong thing can get you sent off to prison or worse). He is supposed to be an ideological opposite to the Chinese villain of the book where both grew up in a similar authoritarian environment but ended up with opposite beliefs.
Apparently, the new show turned him into a British character. At that point, it's not even about race/ethnicity or physical features. It's about how does this change even work within the story, themes, and other context of the book? To change that type of character into a British character who grew up in the UK's liberal representative democracy with a very different cultural, social, and political environment & attitudes that is completely opposite of the character he is supposed to be based on - how does that even work?

[scorpy]

in the chinese series when ye wenjie is arrested she confesses to 2 murders at the red coast base, 2 superiors, one was her husband.
in the chinese series she marries and has a daughter from her chinese husband, in netflix series her daughter is from Evans
liked watching both series, the chinses version is definitely better, watched 26 of 30 episodes so far

[scorpy]

THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM on netflix was very interesting, there is also a long chinese series, 30 episodes, called THREE-BODY, its in chinese with English subtitles. In the netflix series sometimes those scientist act immature, self centered, selfish, in the chinese series theres only one professor working with a cop, think the chinese series is more informative

[LawrenceKaneshiro]

I watched both series. And they were excellent! The Chinese version was a bit slow, but methodical in explaining the physics behind the 3 Bodies. It really helped me understand the Netflix version better. I am not acquainted with the books although I have heard about the 3 Body Problem many years ago. I watched the Netflix version first and I would suggest this to anyone planning to watch both of these excellent shows. 👍🏽👍🏽💯

[HALMISTA]

Subscribed, I like how you wrote your script. Very concise.