Chasing Dramas

In The Know – Chinese Pop Culture News – Kris Wu Sentenced

BREAKING – On November 25th 2022, Kris Wu, once one of the most famous pop stars in China, was sentenced to 13 years in prison and exile on counts of rape and group sexual promiscuity. We discuss in this episode who he is and the events that led up to his arrest and the subsequent aftermath. Listen for the latest updates on this scandal

Trigger warning: In this episode, we do discuss sexual assault as part of this story so please proceed with caution. 

In The Know – Chinese Pop Culture News – Mattress Drama

Wang Xiao Fei decided to publicly blast his ex-wife Da S/Barbie Hsu on Weibo complaining about all of the fees he's paying for in her home and he's sick of it, complete with a detailed spreadsheet. His mom entered the fray and so did Da S, her sister, Xiao S, and their mother, plus Wang Xiao Fei's mistress. It's been a multi-day saga with the clear winner being the mattress brand Hastens since Wang Xiao Fei has ordered the Hastens mattress he bought for him and Da S to be burned during one of his public tirades.

In The Know – Chinese Pop Culture News – Network Remains King

This episode covers the difference between online only Chinese dramas and the dramas that air on television networks. There is a more stringent process for a drama to be allowed to air on television networks but that comes with certain perks such as eligibility for award shows and prestige amongst the general public. But online dramas do provide more variety and flexibility on content. 

In The Know – Chinese Pop Culture News – Streaming Wars

In the latest episode, Karen and Cathy discuss the current Chinese streaming platform landscape, the overall business model, and the key competitors. There are 4 major players, Tencent Video, iQiYi, Youku, and MangoTV. Tencent Video and iQiYi compete for the top spot while Youku and MangoTV have found their niches. Listen to our latest podcast episode to see the business strategies for these companies and how they dictate what dramas are produced and aired.

In The Know – Chinese Pop Culture News – Understanding Celebrity Relationships in C-Ent

A potential new relationship between the young stars Zhang Ling He and Bai Lu was exposed earlier this month. In this episode, Karen and Cathy discuss the surprising implications for this new coupling and the broader landscape of celebrity relationships in the Chinese entertainment industry. In recent years, most celebrities do not admit to relationships. Why is that? How do fans play into this landscape as well? Listen to our latest podcast episode to find out!

In The Know – Chinese Pop Culture News – Zhang Tian Ai Exposing Xu Kai Cheng's Infidelity, Yang Zi and Liu Xue Yi Sharing Cake

In our episode recorded September 1, Cathy goes over the two big scandals of late in the Chinese entertainment industry- 1) Yang Zi supposedly sharing cake with her friend, Liu Xue Yi which would not have been problematic if they weren't caught in a series of lies denying this, and 2) Zhang Tian Ai released a recording of her and Xu Kai Cheng, whom she was dating, where he admits to cheating on her. What's worse is that he had turned his sights on Gu Li Na Zha and lied to her about his current relationship status.

In The Know – Chinese Pop Culture News – Jay Chou's New Album, Jackson Yee's admission scandal and more!

In our latest In The Know episode, we discuss the latest woes that plague Yang Mi's new drama, Fox Spirit Matchmaker, including another tax evasion scandal. Jackson Yee and 2 other young stars have also been caught in an admission scandal that blew up Weibo. Finally, Jay Chou released a new album after 6 years! Listen to our latest podcast episode to check out our thoughts about the latest Chinese pop culture! 

In The Know – Chinese Pop Culture News (June 19, 2022)

In this new series for the podcast, In The Know aims to provide up-to-date information on the Chinese entertainment industry. This new episode series is a more casual look at what's going on with your favorite stars. In this premier episode, Karen and Cathy discuss four groundbreaking events that occurred in the first half of 2022 in Chinese pop culture news.