Liu Yifei stars as 22-year-old student in TV series 'The Tale of Rose'

The series premiered on Saturday, with Liu portraying Huang Yi Mei, an intelligent and beautiful art student from a well-off family. Despite her advantages, Huang faces numerous challenges, including misunderstandings such as being falsely accused of taking another woman’s boyfriend.

The day after the premiere, "Liu Yifei stars a college student" became a trending topic on Weibo, attracting over 300 million views and hundreds of thousands of comments.

Liu Yifei as a 22-year-old student in "The Tale of Rose." Photo from Liu's Weibo

According to Sina, most viewers praised Liu Yifei's performance and acting skills.

Fans commented: "Watching her play a college student is very pleasing to the eyes," "I like watching Yifei in movies because of her natural face, gestures, and confident gaze," and "The director captured many beautiful shots of Liu Yifei."

However, some viewers felt that Liu Yifei did not fully capture the innocence and purity usually associated with a student.

Film industry experts, as reported by National Business Daily, believe "The Tale of Rose" has the potential to be a summer hit this year because of its realistic and relatable storyline.

Liu at the premiere of "The Tale of Rose". Photo from Liu's Weibo

Wong Jun's "The Tale of Rose," completed filming last year, is based on Yi Siu's novel "The Story of Rose."

Although Liu has primarily concentrated on the film industry, she has recently starred in several acclaimed television series, including "A Dream of Splendor" and "Windy Place."

Liu first appeared on TV in 2003 in the period romance drama "The Story of a Noble Family," which became the highest-rated show that year on China’s national broadcaster CCTV.

She transitioned to film in 2008 and has starred in various Chinese and Hollywood films, including the 2020 live-action adaptation of Disney’s "Mulan."

In 2009, she was recognized as one of the New Four Dan actresses, denoting the four most bankable young actresses in China.