News on Entertainment & Culture in China

Crawleys back in China

New Downton film fails to win audiences in China
May 27, 2022 (WiC 586)

At a time when Covid lockdowns mean that fewer films are screening in China’s cinemas – especially in cities like Beijing and Shanghai – a foreign movie made an unexpected debut in the country last week. Downton Abbey: A New ...

Legal eagles

Why CCTV’s ‘rule of law’ drama is winning over few fans
May 20, 2022 (WiC 585)

Over the years, courtroom dramas have offered some pretty memorable quotes. For instance, there’s Jack Nicholson famous line: “You can’t handle the truth!” at the end of A Few Good Men in 1992. In Erin Brockovich eight ...

A chapter closes

Adaptation of hit novel shows all is not well in China’s entertainment scene
May 13, 2022 (WiC 584)

Until recently writer Ma Boyong had a spotless record. The 41 year-old novelist has seen a number of his bestselling books adapted into TV series and films, such as  2019’s critically acclaimed The Longest Day of Chang’an, a ...

Cantopop remix

Hunan TV’s new show is a nostalgic paean to Hong Kong’s music scene
May 6, 2022 (WiC 583)

Late last year Hunan Satellite TV launched the reality show Night in the Greater Bay. The series was a spin-off from Call Me By Fire. It came about when the five Hong Kong contestants, which included Jordan Chan, Julian Cheung ...

Fit for all

How a little-known Taiwanese singer turned into an online sensation
Apr 29, 2022 (WiC 582)

According to a study that focused on physical activity in the UK, most people were less active during pandemic lockdowns (this won’t strike most readers as a revelation). The study revealed that an overwhelming majority worked out less ...

The weight of opinion

Are Chinese starlets more vulnerable to body shaming?
Apr 22, 2022 (WiC 581)

Last week, pop star Selena Gomez was body shamed for having gained some weight after pictures of her most recent public appearance surfaced online. In a now-viral TikTok video, she fired back on the critics: “I'm trying to stay skinny, but I ...

Crypto burglary

Taiwan singer popularises NFT then falls victim of scam
Apr 8, 2022 (WiC 580)

As the price of popular NFT soars, so too has the rise in the incidence of thefts of these non-fungible tokens. In February, hackers stole hundreds of NFTs from users of OpenSea, the largest NFT trading platform, reportedly worth as much as $1.7 ...

Showing fatigue

Leading online salesman may part ways with Taobao Live
Apr 1, 2022 (WiC 579)

After Viya was fined more than $200 million for tax evasion in December, her livestreaming career, too, went up in flames. She has seemingly been wiped out from the internet; her social media accounts completely abandoned; and her former ...

The Oath of Love

New Tencent drama set to get 10 billion views
Apr 1, 2022 (WiC 579)

Since its debut on March 15, China’s latest hit show The Oath of Love has already accumulated over two billion views on Tencent Video, with some expecting the show to pass 10 billion views by the end of its run. The 29-episode TV ...

Uncharted waters

Controversy over map of South China Sea used in new Sony blockbuster
Mar 25, 2022 (WiC 578)

Uncharted began life as a popular PlayStation video game in 2007. The premise of the game: a group of treasure hunters travel across the world to uncover various historical mysteries while fighting a group of mercenaries. Sony first ...

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