It is timely that as "Descendants of the Sun" ends this week, a Chinese drama continues to catch the interest of South Korean viewers.
The Chinese drama that is captivating South Korean TV viewers is "Nirvana in Fire," starring Chinese actor Hu Ge as Mel Changsu. It is the story of Lin Shu who pretends to be Mei Changsu to secure justice for his family accused 12 years ago of treason.
Lin infiltrates Liang Dynasty’s capital city, not only to get justice but also to help his childhood friend acquire the throne, reported Global Times.
The 54-episode series, which premiered on Oct. 19, 2015, on Zhonghua TV in South Korea, initially failed to create a big impact. But over time, South Korean viewers became familiar with the characters and fell in love with the period drama that by December, the Chinese drama was the most searched daytime television show in South Korea, beating even Season 6 of “Games of Throne.”
If “Descendants of the Sun” is shown over public TV KBS 2TV and in video platform iQiyi in China, which is by subscription, the reverse happens for “Nirvana in Fire.” It is broadcast over public TV in China, while South Koreans must pay 1,200 won ($1) per episode or $54 for the entire series. But despite being a pay-per-view show, “Nirvana in Fire” is the seventh top-selling foreign dramas in South Korea.
If tourists are expected to visit the shooting locations of “Descendants of the Sun,” a South Korean travel company has a tour of Hengdian, a TV and movie studio in Zhejiang Province, where “Nirvana in Fire” was filmed.
Past Chinese TV series that hit well with South Korean viewers include “Scarlet Heart,” “Return of the Pearl Princess” and “Chinese Paladin.”
Hu Ge was seen in “Sound of the Desert” before he did “Nirvana in Fire.” The 33-year-old actor was recently number 1 on the Most Beautiful People in the World list by Sohu, reported Dramafever.