Backstabbing drama draws in big ratings
Story Of Yanxi Palace has been praised for its gripping plot, meticulous detail of the set design and costumes as well as its quick-witted leading lady.
A FORTNIGHT ago, more than half a billion people in China tuned in to watch imperial concubines backstab one another in the Chinese palace drama Story Of Yanxi Palace.
With over 530 million views that day, the show set the record for the highest single-day online viewership in China, according to online ticketing and statistics provider Maoyan.
Those are not the only staggering numbers that the show, set in the Qing dynasty, has seen so far – it has garnered a cumulative 5.6 billion views since its release last month, which averages out to 130 million views an episode.
It has also become a mega hit in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In Taiwan, it smashed the online viewership record of streaming platform iQiyi, gaining one million hits in a week.
In comparison, the finale of Season Seven of the hit American fantasy epic series Game Of Thrones – the most watched episode in the series’ history (not counting the pirated views) – was watched by 16.5 million viewers in the United States.
It is so much more than the typical palace drama about power struggles. It also has elements from many other genres – thriller, suspense, romance and comedy.
So why are audiences so hooked on the drama?
After all, it has no star power to speak of. Other than Hong Kong actress Charmaine Sheh in a supporting villainous role, the drama does not boast A-list names.
From the outset, too, the 70-episode drama (available on Astro On Demand) sounds like any of the Chinese imperial dramas that came before it: A lowly young girl rises to the top of the court, while catty concubines battle for the emperor’s affections and, therefore, power and glory.
But fans of Yanxi Palace point out one major difference – the protagonist, Wei Yingluo (played by Wu Jinyan), is not the typical pure-hearted goody-two-shoes one usually sees in such shows.
Previous hit palace dramas such as Empresses In The Palace (2011) and Beyond The Realm Of Conscience (2009), for example, followed the rise of gracious palace girls whose perennial kindness wins them favour.
But Yingluo is nowhere near as innocent. Clever and bold, she often relies on her quick wit to get what she wants. She even goes all out to trick and scheme when she has to, especially when she wants to avenge her wronged friends.
Much has been written in the Chinese press about how the costume department for the series employs the more muted palette made famous by 19th-century Italian artist Giorgio Morandi, as compared with older imperial dramas, which tended to go with in-your-face bright reds and yellows.
And if the production looks more expensive, it probably is.
China is home to the world’s largest army of netizens, with some 770 million Internet users, and so drama productions have been pulling out all the stops to attract viewers.
Reportedly, Story Of Yanxi Palace boasts a budget of about RM180mil.
With only a few episodes to go (the final episode airs Aug 28 in China), the show’s viewership numbers are likely to rise even further and break more records in the coming days.
But like the fluctuating popularity of the concubines in the court, the show’s winning streak may last only until the next Chinese palace drama comes along. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network