In the first quarter of 2024, a total of 93 cdramas premiered. Romance and urban genres continued to lead the pack, while mystery series showed outstanding performance. The abundance in quantity, prominence in top-tier productions, richness in genres, and diversity in themes became the notable characteristics of the 2024 Q1 drama market. At such a time, long video platforms exerted more effort in promoting their masterpieces, making the post Chinese New Year period less friendly for medium and small-budget dramas. Some dramas barely emerged before fading into obscurity, while others were more fortunate, managing to make some impact. Consequently, the pursuit of novelty and change has become the only way for dramas to stand out beyond mere production.
Among the array of dramas in the post-Chinese New Year lineup of 2024, Youku's “In Blossom” and “Blossoms in Adversity” successfully broke through as dark horses. These dramas employed a method of blending genres and elements, indicating that Youku seems to have a unique approach to ancient puppetry innovation. Firstly, the ancient costume mystery detective drama “In Blossom” started with high energy. Within just three days of its release, it surpassed 10,000 in-site popularity, making it the fastest drama on Youku to reach this milestone in the beginning of 2024.
Externally, amidst obstacles and pursuers, it consecutively held the top spot in popularity for several days, ranking as the most popular mystery drama in the first quarter of 2024 and winning the crown of the most effective online drama in March; in discussions outside the platform, the drama generated 1988 hot searches across the entire network, with the main topic #In Blossom# reaching a reading volume of 3.55 billion.
Following suit perfectly is the ancient costume drama “Blossoms in Adversity”. Amidst the overwhelming presence of major dramas such as “The Legend of Shen Li” and “War of Faith”, “Blossoms in Adversity” steadily gained momentum, laying a solid foundation for the start of Chinese dramas in the second quarter. Without top list actors and popular works to guarantee high viewership, how did the two dark horse dramas, “In Blossom” and “Blossoms in Adversity”, manage to break through the competition?
Innovative methodology of Youku
Behind the dark horse lies Youku's successful addition in content innovation. From the success of two hit dramas, we can summarize some methodologies: the overlay of drama types, the incorporation of more real-life and courtly themes, expanding the breadth and depth of storytelling. The vivid portrayal of characters has generated multi-dimensional character interactions and entanglements.
Once upon a time, ancient idol dramas and historical costume dramas shone brightly on the screen, with dramas featuring strong female leads, as well as genres like fantasy and martial arts particularly favored by audiences. However, with the proliferation of uneven production standards and other phenomena, ancient idol dramas gradually fell to the bottom, surrounded by negative comments.
The existing audience base became a double-edged sword: on one hand, it meant that the dramas had a guaranteed viewership, but on the other hand, it increased the possibility of audience aesthetic fatigue, leading to a decline in viewers' enthusiasm. The reason why “In Blossom” and “Blossoms in Adversity” stand out in the sea of ancient idol dramas is because they have taken a different path, finding a new route that resonates with contemporary audience aesthetics within the traditional framework of ancient idol dramas.
Good cdramas often share some commonalities. What “In Blossom” and “Blossoms in Adversity” have in common is the fusion of genres, effectively and sustainably exploring innovation within traditional themes. The former breaks free from the traditional sweet and overbearing style of ancient idol dramas by combining “romance” with “mystery”. Intricately connected cases and realistic issues imbued with humanistic care broaden the depth of storytelling.
By enhancing emotional intensity through mystery-solving, the male and female leads are freed from traditional sweet plot. The innovative character designs and solid storytelling with a touch of nostalgia make “In Blossom” a captivating watch. The drama intricately weaves emotions of love and hatred, light and darkness, while also integrating investigative storylines that touch upon social issues such as domestic violence and campus violence, keeping the audience engaged. The fusion of romanticism and realism in the new artistic style is visually appealing.
On the other hand, through the combination of “romance + farming + female growth + female ensemble”, “Blossoms in Adversity” meets the audience's long-awaited desire for a “farming drama” with a sense of reality after “Well-Intended Love”. The fast-paced narrative, vivid and multi-dimensional character ensemble, and the interactions among various couples bring freshness to the screen. The setting of an aristocratic young lady reviving her family in turbulent times not only resonates with the mainstream theme of independent women today but also showcases more possibilities for female characters in period dramas.
As an original script, “In Blossom”, despite lacking the audience base of an original work, demonstrates significant market potential through its multidimensional innovation in character design, emotional expression, and social reflections. Elements such as the grassy female lead, villainous characters, the face-switching trope, and rebirth literature have already been proven successful in the micro-drama market. Incorporating these elements into a longer drama format is an innovative approach that immediately captivates the audience.
In the absence of spoilers from an original work, the advantage of an original script lies in its unpredictability. The character's emotional development and the truth behind the cases become hooks that attract viewers to follow the drama, leading to a natural viewing frenzy. Additionally, “In Blossom” stands out in terms of visual innovation. The drama draws inspiration from Wei and Jin ancient texts and murals in its art, costumes, and styling to authentically recreate the Wei and Jin style.
By incorporating many symbolic expressions to enhance the suspenseful atmosphere of the investigative story, the visually striking Chinese aesthetics provide viewers with an immersive experience. Youku has also utilized short dramas for content operation and promotion, expanding the popularity of the works through the resonance between long and short dramas.
Adapted from the work of the same name, “Blossoms in Adversity” injects fresh vitality into ancient idol dramas through micro-innovations. The novel story structure and unconventional narrative techniques broaden the storytelling scope of the “farming genre”. In terms of character design, it breaks away from the traditional image of gentle and delicate noblewomen in ancient costumes. The story of a fallen wealthy young lady transforming into a female business leader not only aligns with the contemporary theme of independent women but also positively interprets the value of “the harder you work, the luckier you get”.
In terms of plot development, breaking away from the usual sweet and overbearing tone of ancient idol dramas, the multi-threaded narrative structure enhances the artistic expression of the series. The natural transition of the narrative focus from domestic conflicts to court intrigues allows the audience to see the big picture through small details, adding a deeper social significance to the series.
Youku's historical costume dramas are evolving through genre fusion and upgrades. The unexpectedly high viewership and positive word-of-mouth reception of these two dramas not only prove that historical costume dramas still have a large and stable audience base but also demonstrate the effectiveness of content innovation in revitalizing traditional genres such as ancient idol dramas and historical costume dramas.
Youku seeks new windfalls in search of change
Youku is seeking new opportunities in the process of transformation. The emergence of dark horse dramas can be attributed to Youku's precise strategy of steady progress and continuous micro-innovations in the mainstream track. Looking back at Youku's major dramas in 2023, the fantasy genre witnessed the arrival of “Till the End of the Moon,” which incorporated a brand-new Dunhuang-style visual aesthetic, with a narrative core rooted in the spirit of chivalry, creating a fresh space for expression in the fantasy genre. In terms of adaptations from comics, “I Am Nobody” set a precedent, establishing a new benchmark for comic adaptations and providing an effective sample of drama-comic synergy for the market.
Moving into first quarter of 2024, in the realm of youth-themed dramas, “Pegasus” made a breakthrough in the film-drama collaboration model, skillfully handling the novel “soul-transference” setting and narrative focus shift from the original work. In the romance genre, “Everyone Loves Me” abandoned the awkward experience of mindless sweet romance, and through humor, freshness, and a slice of life approach, discovered the perfect formula for blending youthful love. The currently popular “Live Surgery Room” injected suspense and thriller elements into medical dramas, offering viewers a new and thrilling viewing experience.
Turning back to “In Blossom” and “Blossoms in Adversity.” Without major work endorsements or significant traffic support, these two series, not considered “high-end,” have been infused with an innovative core through the effective combination of genre elements. Costume idol dramas and ancient legendary dramas have not declined or reached their limits. By choosing the path of innovation and evolution, the red sea still holds great potential. The so-called dark horse dramas are merely the result of those who dared to tread previously unexplored paths. As the market preferences become increasingly refined and content creation tends towards homogenization, awakening silent demands in niche circles and continuously enhancing aesthetic appeal through innovation and creativity may be the optimal path for long-form video platforms to turn traditional projects from red oceans to blue oceans.
As renowned critic Li Xingwen stated, “Regardless of the genre, there is never just one template for presenting a drama. Incremental improvements in content and refining niche tracks are effective ways to break the rigidity of genres. To some extent, a narrow gate leads to a broad road. Whether it's the market or the audience, as long as a work has a slightly different touch, introduces a bit of innovation, it usually gains popularity and influence.” The market always exhibits a sense of inclusivity towards new phenomena, and new breakthroughs, spaces, and opportunities may lie hidden within the subtle nuances of change. Youku's innovative content strategy not only nurtures a healthy ecosystem for content production on the platform but also provides feasible pathways for dramas to break through as dark horses in various tracks in the future.