After the premiere of the Netflix adaptation of the Chinese science fiction bestseller „The Three Suns“ by Liu Cixin, there were bound to be heated online discussions. The fact that Netflix is unavailable in China did not stop people from comparing the series with a Chinese version released by tech giant Tencent in 2023 (film poster on the right): Whose version is closer to the book? Who has the better special effects? And: Does the Netflix version cast a positive light on the Chinese? The opening scene, which shows a public tribunal during the Cultural Revolution, caused particular debate. Numerous online patriots criticized it as being exaggerated to portray China negatively.