Chinese period drama The Empress of China, starring Fan Bingbing, has reignited conversation online over its controversial costume choices. Screenshots from the series show female characters in low-cut traditional attire, with many viewers arguing that the amount of cleavage displayed was inappropriate.
The backlash eventually led to the broadcast of an altered version, where additional fabric was digitally added to cover the chest area. This censored edition was the one made available to Korean audiences.
However, not everyone agreed with the criticism. Some netizens defended the original styling, pointing out that such clothing was historically accurate for the era depicted. They also noted that the drama took care to maintain authenticity in its costumes, hair, and makeup, which made the censorship feel unnecessary.
Online comments reflected the divided opinions:
“The gifs make it look exaggerated, but when you actually watch the drama, it’s fine. It’s historically accurate.”
“This isn’t revealing enough to warrant censorship.”
“I appreciated how detailed and authentic the designs were, so the censored version was disappointing.”
“It even resembles some traditional Western fashion styles.”
The debate highlights the ongoing tension between maintaining historical authenticity in costume design and adhering to modern broadcast standards of modesty.
Sources: Koreaboo
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