This year's Spring Festival Gala theme: Robots and humans are becoming increasingly similar. Every program makes me wonder, "Would it be better if a robot performed this?" The first three segments—sketches, martial arts, and songs—all feature robot elements. Last year, performers still needed assistance to leave the stage; this year, they’re doing martial arts, Tai Chi, and even flips in midair. The future is here.

Shen Teng and Ma Li's micro-movie might be the first in Spring Festival Gala history? I kept waiting for the movie to end so I could see the main feature, but it turned out to be the main feature. The protagonists are still robots. Thirty years ago, Cai Ming played a robot for Guo Da; thirty years later, she’s leading a bunch of robots. The chicken farm sketch from start to finish feels like, "If Sun Tao were still on the Spring Festival Gala, this piece would definitely be for him."

The Twelve Flower Gods are stunning, blending modern technology with ancient poetry to showcase the cultural depth behind flowers—this is what the Gala should be about. The hidden joke with Lu You and the cat: he’s a cat lover, "Soft fires in the creek, warm mats, I and the狸奴 don’t go out." Tao Yuanming falling into a flower bed is very reminiscent of "American Beauty."

The Manzai brothers are a bit slow to warm up; the new generation Qi Zhi and Da Bing are confirmed, but some jokes are hard to catch without subtitles. The Xu Tan duo came into their own later than scheduled this year, and although they improved, they didn’t seem better than last year. Still, they’re more joyful than other language programs in recent years. Wei Xiang’s expressions are funnier than all the effort in Spring Festival Gala language segments.

Hanfu finally makes an appearance. Kids come out wearing Hanfu; Li Ziqi’s cross-collared Hanfu; Luo Yunxi in Ming-style cross-collared Hanfu; and at the Yiwu sub-venue, Qi Jiguang wears Ming armor. Phoenix Legend returns with a heavy agricultural metal vibe, "The best farm owner" sounds a bit awkward. Zhou Shen sings for his hometown Guizhou—professional singers are steady.

Overall, it feels more like a large promotional video than an artistic gala, surrounded by robots and AI. Technology has truly advanced, but there’s no real joy. Ads are increasing, and the festive atmosphere is fading. I was quite moved when the world champion in baking, hairdressing, and CNC machine tools appeared—every profession can be a champion, especially on a stage where robots perform operas. Wishing everyone a New Year filled with joys that AI and robots can’t replicate.