The Chinese short drama version of “My Fair Princess” (Huan Zhu Ge Ge) surpassed 69 million Weibo views on its first day online, sparking heated discussion. Actress Jin Zixuan, who plays 'Xiao Yanzi', received criticism from some netizens for “not having big enough eyes”, to which she responded gracefully, emphasizing that the character’s key traits are loyalty and sincerity—not appearance.
Some netizens commented during a livestream on the 10th, criticizing “Xiao Yanzi’s eyes not being big enough.” Jin Zixuan responded openly: “My eyes really aren’t big enough, that’s something my mother gave me; there’s nothing I can do about it.” She laughed, saying she fully understands that audiences associate Xiao Yanzi with “big, lively eyes”, but the most important thing in acting is to capture the soul of the character, not merely copy their looks.
She even joked about herself: “I’m not ‘big-eyed Xiao Yanzi’, I’m ‘big-mouthed Xiao Yanzi’!” Jin Zixuan stressed that her interpretation of Xiao Yanzi keeps the character’s loyalty, enthusiasm, and devotion to friends: “I hope the audience can see her sincerity and courage, rather than focus on whether her eyes are big or small.”
Amid comparisons from the public, many netizens voiced their support: “She’s acting as Xiao Yanzi, not Zhao Wei. As long as she acts well, it’s fine!”, “It’s important to act with your own style—there’s no rule that says Xiao Yanzi’s eyes have to be a certain size.”, “The highlights are different this time, that’s great too. Big eyes are Zhao Wei's trait, but that doesn’t have to be Xiao Yanzi’s.”
News source: Xu! Star News