Zhang Tian'ai. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"I had done my research on how online dramas differ from those on TV," she says.

"Also, during shooting, it's better to consider how netizens will react.

"In online series, actors have to overpower the audience. When netizens feel they are encountering a strong aura, their comments are less negative."

In China's cyberspace, where strong language is often used by people, Zhang's strategy of taking up the unconventional role seems to be working.

Go Princess Go is not the first time Zhang has acted in an online drama.

In 2014's Geeks, produced by Tencent.com, Zhang plays a desperate job hunter, which she says echoed her life experience at the time.

She once took her resume around the country seeking auditions. Back then, an optimistic Zhang considered it an "experience" rather than a problem.