According to 163, 2025 marked a powerful comeback year for Zhao Lusi. Once plagued by health problems, contract disputes with his management agency and labeled as a “risk factor” for production teams, made a remarkable breakthrough with a drama that averaged over 63 million views per episode. The ambition of love became the most-watched series on Tencent Video in 2025 and even topped viewership charts on all major platforms, including Youku, iQIYI, and Mango TV.
Thanks to the overwhelming success of the drama, Zhao Lusi took center stage at the Tencent Video Starlight Awards, appearing last on the red carpet, a position widely regarded as the highest honor of the evening. This positioning signaled the platform’s strong support for its status, influence and commercial value among dozens of featured celebrities. He also received the “Influential Artist of the Year” award, further cementing his dominant presence.
However, Tencent Video’s clear favoritism towards Zhao Lusi quickly sparked controversy. Many wondered whether he really deserved such treatment. According to 163, the 2025 Starlight Awards featured veteran and highly respected artists such as Song Jia, Wang Baoqiang, and Ni Ni. Despite their seniority and acclaimed career, Zhao Lusi, a 98-liner with relatively limited experience, was chosen as the focal point of the event. Critics argued that his professional seniority and artistic depth did not match the level of honor he had received and that his positioning as “central figure” they diminished the prestige of the ceremony itself.
Adding fuel to the criticism, the 2025 Starlight Awards were widely described as lacking the scale, excitement and star power of previous years. Many spectators nostalgically recalled the previous editions in 2019 and 2020, when industry heavyweights such as Yang Mi, Zhao Liying, Dilraba Dilmurat, Yang Yang, Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo and Yang Zi dominated the guest list. Those years were remembered as a “battle of the gods”, symbolizes the influence of Tencent Video’s industry and the golden era of Chinese entertainment.
In contrast, the 2025 lineup for the “VIP Stars of the Year” included names such as Gong Jun, Liu Yuning, Tan Jianci, Chen Duling, Meng Ziyi, Li Yunrui, Song Zu’er and Ding Yuxi. Like Zhao Lusi, many of these artists have been criticized for lacking truly iconic roles, long-term achievements, or defining influence in the industry. Their presence led some viewers to lament the disappearance of top-tier stars and wonder whether both the Starlight Awards and the Chinese entertainment industry in general were losing their luster.
Yet 163 offers a different interpretation, framing the situation as a reflection of a pragmatic and evolving industry. Tencent Video’s support of younger stars highlights a generational shift in C-entertainment. The era dominated by post-85 actresses is waning, with film and television resources increasingly flowing to artists born after 1995 and artists of 2000 shaped by the digital age. In today’s landscape, an actor’s status is no longer determined solely by seniority or artistic prestige, but also by measurable traffic, data and profitability.
From this point of view, Tencent Video’s choices are driven by results. In 2025, Zhao Lusi provided high-level performance metrics for the platform, ranking first in popularity and views. As such, he embodied the values that Tencent Video prioritizes: attention, engagement and commercial success. The same logic applies to stars like Chen Duling, Song Zu’er and Liu Yuning, who also brought tangible returns.
This dynamic highlights a clear divide between platform-driven events and professional awards ceremonies: one emphasizes traffic and market performance, while the other prioritizes acting ability and artistic merit. Viewed through this lens, Zhao Lusi’s central role at the Starlight Awards is not evidence of a talent shortage or industry collapse, but rather a direct reflection of value-based decision making.
While Zhao Lusi remains a polarizing figure, as long as she continues to generate strong results and her projects resonate with audiences, platforms will continue to favor her. This, ultimately, is the reality of today’s highly pragmatic Chinese entertainment industry.
Sources: K14
