Low budget, high impact

　　開年神劇《太子妃升職記》，就是這樣“窮得坦蕩，污得銷魂”

　　If you haven’t already heard of Go Princess Go (《太子妃升職記》), get out of your cave immediately, otherwise you’ll miss the first Internet frenzy of 2016.

　　如果你還沒聽說過《太子妃升職記》，趕快走出你的小天地吧，不然你可要錯過2016年第一部爆款網(wǎng)劇啦。

　　The Web-only series has become the most talked-about show recently. Its strange aesthetic and mind-boggling plot has intoxicated some viewers, while others simply deem it “toxic”.

　　這部網(wǎng)劇最近成了大家談?wù)撟疃嗟脑掝}。它奇葩的審美和奇大無比的腦洞讓不少觀眾欲罷不能，還有人直接說這部劇有毒……

　　The story revolves around Zhang Peng, a modern-day womanizer who hits his head and wakes up to find that his soul has been transported back in time. Worse still, he discovers that his soul is now housed in the body of a young woman, who also happens to be a crown princess.

　　主人公張鵬是一個現(xiàn)代的花花公子，他頭部受傷，醒來卻發(fā)現(xiàn)自己的靈魂穿越到了古代。更糟糕的是，他發(fā)現(xiàn)自己變性了，還是當(dāng)朝太子妃。

　　You may wonder, “How’s that possible?” Be careful, because that thought may just draw you into the frenzy as well.

　　你也許會問“這怎么可能?”當(dāng)心，因為也許正是這種想法讓你中了這部劇的毒。

　　The show’s allure might come from what Chen Xiaoyun calls “satirical psychology”. Chen is the director of the New Media Image Research Center at Beijing Normal University. He told TNT News that some shows strive to be so outrageous that people watch them only to satirize them. Many of today’s entertainment programs use this strategy, he added.

　　此劇吸引觀眾的魔力或許正來自于陳曉云所說的“吐槽心理學(xué)”。陳曉云是北京師范大學(xué)新媒體影像研究中心主任。他告訴暢言TNT，有些節(jié)目努力制造槽點，而吐槽也成了觀眾看劇的主要原因。近年來許多娛樂節(jié)目采用了這種策略，他補(bǔ)充道。

　　Go Princess Go draws on this tactic as well. How far can its plot go? And how much more absurd can it be? Before you have realized it, you’ve already watched a couple of episodes and discussed them with your friends.

　　《太子妃升職記》也不例外。它的劇情會如何發(fā)展?它還能多奇葩?在你意識到這些之前，你已經(jīng)不知不覺刷了好幾集，還和朋友一起討論這些話題。

　　The show’s cheesy backdrops and Taobao-style costumes have been the primary source of satire. Every aspect of the series screams, “We can’t afford anything other than a wind machine for our actors’ hair.” And by the way, that wind machine really gets a thorough workout.

　　簡陋的布景和淘寶款服裝成為該劇最主要的槽點。該劇的每個細(xì)胞都在吼叫：“除了鼓風(fēng)機(jī)，我們買不起任何東西打造演員的發(fā)型。”值得一提的是，鼓風(fēng)機(jī)完全撐起了該劇的半壁江山。

　　Crown Prince Qi Sheng is the only character in the series to get proper clothes that are long enough to cover his legs. And that’s only after he becomes the emperor, as the series unfolds. Other characters have to “flaunt” their bare legs throughout the entire show.

　　全劇唯一有能遮住腿的戲服的人就是太子齊晟。劇情顯示，這還是在他當(dāng)上皇上以后。其他演員則不得不全程光著腿演戲。

　　Despite its low production value, its cast still delivers convincing performances. For instance, Zhang Tian’ai, who plays the crown princess, switches deftly between male and female personas. She walks with her toes turned outwards, just like men do. She truly makes you believe that she has a masculine soul trapped inside her female body.

　　雖然是小成本網(wǎng)劇，可是演員們并沒有自暴自棄，賣力出演。比如，太子妃的飾演者張?zhí)鞇�，她男女角色切換自如。她走路八字腳，簡直就是個純爺們，她的表演讓觀眾相信在這具女性身體里真的裝了一顆男人心。

　　After the success of Go Princess Go, some media experts forecast an outbreak of similar TV series in 2016. Absurdity will be their common theme, Xian Yongjing, a director and commentator, told entertainment portal NetEase.com.

　　《太子妃升職記》爆紅后，一些媒體專家預(yù)測，2016年將會有許多類似的電視劇出現(xiàn)。導(dǎo)演，娛樂評論人缐永京(網(wǎng)名非我非非我)告訴網(wǎng)易娛樂，奇葩是它們共同的主題。

　　“Though Go Princess Go shot to fame by accident, it has motivated more TV series to cater to the taste of young people. And most importantly, it proves that a good show isn’t necessarily a costly one,” he said.