TAIPEI: Taiwanese singer-actor Jay Chou, who was recently called "fat" by Hong Kong actor Chapman To, has wowed Netizens with his slimmer appearance in a new advertisement.
Many praised the Mandopop king for returning to the "peak of his handsomeness", and even remarked that To, 48, would have to retract his nasty comment now.
Entertainment portal 8 Days reported today that the advertisement released last Friday showed 42-year-old Chou looking more like his younger, trimmer self.
Netizens excitedly circulated it online and heaped praises on him.
Their comments included: "Celebrities just put on weight for fun" and "Good for him, he now looks even better than his younger self".
Some supportive fans also said that they liked him no matter how much he weighed.
Netizens have often blamed Chou's love for bubble tea as the cause of his weight gain.
However, the more well-informed among them explained that it could be the result of the medication he takes for arthritis, an ailment which he suffers from.
Chou recently said that he did not mind what people thought of him.
"You put on weight when you're happy, right? Sometimes, eating is also a form of enjoyment, and you're not living if you practise too much restraint," he said.
Last month, To remarked that Chou was fat on Facebook, after looking at a picture of the Taiwanese superstar at a film premiere.
Some Netizens, in agreement with To, ridiculed Chou and called him "Zhou Zhong" ("Swollen Zhou").