Recently, the Chinese show Story of Yanxi Palace has become the most Googled TV show of 2018 globally, and has gained a large number of fans at home and abroad. In response, BBC has analyzed the reasons for its popularity.
According to BBC's report, Google's data shows that out of all the TV series that have been followed and searched many times by netizens this year, Story of Yanxi Palace in China topped the list, becoming the most searched TV series in 2018.
According to the report, the series is overwhelmingly popular in the Chinese mainland and has been viewed more than 15 billion times on website iQIYI. The series premiered on iQIYI in July, before reaching Chinese domestic TV channels and more than 70 markets abroad.
There are few reasons for the popularity of the series, such as it catches up with the trend of feminist shows, and has a high-quality production value.
The Chinese industry is renowned for putting much emphasis on the celebrity appeal of actors in their productions. However, as Gong Yu, founder, and CEO of iQiyi said the company had "deliberately cast lesser-known actors."
According to Chinese magazine Portrait, the series producer Yu Zheng said that because the actors were paid less, more money could be spent on better costumes, makeup, props, and other aspects, and it was precisely these details that won the audience's admiration for Story of Yanxi Palace, as BBC said.
Set against the backdrop of the Qing dynasty, Story of Yanxi Palace features the power struggles among ambitious women in the imperial palace who want to be the future empress. Its theme may also be compared to a "Cinderella" tale
Also, BBC said the show's popularity in China reflected the "feminist-themed soap operas" that have been capturing the attention of Chinese audiences in recent years.
It pointed out that other shows like The Legend of Zhenhuan and The Empress of China, that told the story of the only female emperor in Chinese history, have also taken off in China.
