What ever happened to shows that for some reason or another are still left gathering dust in the backburner? Whether it’s a palace drama, BL adaptation, Hallyu ban or “problematic actors,” you never know what rules will govern Chinese dramas. While they can’t air in China, it looks like more dramas are now finding its way to viewers through international channels.
Bound at First Sight is one of the dramas pulled off the shelves due to the Hallyu ban, which saw a lot of Chinese dramas with Korean actors put on indefinite hiatus. Originally slated for release sometime in 2016 or 2017, the show was unfortunately blocked for years because the modern series features South Korean actor Lee Hyun Woo. Whilst some dramas have opted to replace its Korean stars with Chinese actors, some, especially those that have already been completed did not go with that option. Nonetheless, it seems the show has recently made its way to Youtube.
Next up is the drama Castle in the Time, which stars Park Minyoung and Zhang Zhehan. Perhaps it was because of the Korean actress that the show couldn’t air initially, but with the Chinese actor now cancelled in his home country, it’s the final nail in the coffin for the show. It ended up getting released outside the mainland first and more recently, also made its way to Youtube.
Meanwhile, shows are increasingly taking different routes. Justice in the Dark, which is based on a BL novel, managed to secure broadcast rights in Japan. In a similar vein, the rights to broadcast Mark Chao and Deng Lun’s The Yin Yang Master: Dream of Eternity, which was suddenly pulled off movie theatres, was purchased by Netflix.
