News on Entertainment & Culture in China

Musical chairs
Tencent sets record with Jay Chou’s single but threat from Alibaba lurks
Sep 27, 2019 (WiC 468)

In the 1990s, the folk song My Old Classmate was so popular in China that it was often compared with the Beatles classic Yesterday. With lyrics detailing a young man’s recollections of a girl he shared a desk with at high ...

Masking its origins?
South Korean studio sues Chinese partner over non-payment of royalties
Sep 27, 2019 (WiC 468)

There were plenty of surprises at this week’s Emmy Awards. For a start, Amazon’s Fleabag toppled long-running favourite Veep as top comedy. The savagely funny British series also won awards for best leading comedy actor and ...

Man of the moment
Can an actor single-handledly save a film – in China the answer is yes
Sep 20, 2019 (WiC 467)

Star power doesn’t always deliver, as the performance of sci-fi film Shanghai Fortress demonstrated (see WiC463). Despite the presence of Lu Han, who has a huge following among millennials, the blockbuster concluded with a disastrous ...

Looking after the old man
Hunan TV’s latest hit reality show gives an old format a new twist
Sep 13, 2019 (WiC 466)

Caring for an aging parent can be stressful. But for some adult children travelling with parents can be even worse, with help required for everything from moving through airport security to navigating hotel lobbies and finding favourite ...

Kiss, but don’t tell
Why China’s entertainment stars want to keep their relationships secret
Sep 6, 2019 (WiC 465)

A year ago, K-pop stars HyunA and E’Dawn took the unusual step of going public with their relationship. After dating in secret for two years, they didn’t want to keep their romance covert anymore. The next day they were fired by their record ...

Family fortunes
Hottest drama of the moment explores parenting do’s and don’ts
Aug 30, 2019 (WiC 464)

‘Parental involvement’ has long been a subject of interest for researchers. Diana Baumrind, a clinical and developmental psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that the best parent is one who is involved and ...

Fortress besieged
How a sure-thing blockbuster proved an epic fail and saw director apologise
Aug 23, 2019 (WiC 463)

If good things come to those who wait, Shanghai Fortress should have been well rewarded. The sci-fi blockbuster cost as much as Rmb400 million to make and took over six years to complete. Its forerunner The Wandering Earth ...

Coming to the rescue
Nezha unseats Monkey King as China’s top animation hero
Aug 2, 2019 (WiC 462)

The Chinese word nezha is an abbreviated translation of the name of an Indian god. Introduced into China through early Buddhist scriptures, Nezha remains one of the most popular figures in Chinese literature. According to the Investiture ...

The plot really thickens
New interactive dramas let viewers choose plot endings
Jul 26, 2019 (WiC 461)

An ordinary girl called Qiannao graduates from university, struggles to find a job, but then lands on her feet by securing a role at the entertainment company Lingxi Culture as an artist’s assistant. This is the plot behind the new ...

Who is the ‘mane’ man?
Disney remake sparks a battle between a young icon and an older one
Jul 26, 2019 (WiC 461)

In 1994 The Lion King made history as the first animated film to be imported into China. So for many watching Disney’s remake last week, the story of Simba regaining his rightful place in the animal kingdom was a reminder of their ...

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