K-Bu Bu Jing Xin Sets a New Record Sale Price to China and Gorgeous Cast Attends Press Conference
Looks like all it took was a K-drama adapted from a popular Chinese source novel for the rumored Chinese entertainment ban on K-ent to be lifted. The K-version of Bu Bu Jing Xin (Startling With Each Step) has just set a new record for highest per episode price sold to China for online broadcast – each episode sold for US $400,000, and at 20 episodes the drama has netted the production company a cool $8 mil in the bank.
Whatever the sale price, it’s clear Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart: Ryeo (Bobogyungsim: Ryeo) would have a built in audience in China, and throw in popular Hallyu leads in Lee Jun Ki and IU then the sale price is a no brainer. It’s an even better deal once you factor in the amount of male and female hotties in the supporting cast, it’s basically an ROI that’s packed to the gills with maximum appeal. The cast was on full display at the press conference and looking so enthused it’s definitely a good sign as the drama readies for premiere this coming Monday.
Well guess China couldn’t hold that ban for too long lol. I wounder if K2 will break new record, they have JCW and Yoona who are more popular in china than LJK and IU. It’s a thriller though,that could hurt its sales.
Notice how it wasn’t sold to a TV channel. Chinese government is still restricting TV broadcast of even C-dramas with Korean actors i.e. The Korean actor from My Amazing Boyfriend was replaced halfway into filming his drama with Tang Songyun :/
It seems that it is the norm for recent fully pre-produced Korean dramas to be aired in China on online video sites, even before the ban. For example, DoTS was simulcast/streamed on iQiyi, UF on Youku, & MLSHR will also be simulcast on Youku.
The major online video sites are probably the ones who can afford to pay a good price for the Kdramas, as they have the widest reach to the Chinese audience, compared to a provincial TV station. I do not believe a Kdrama will/can be shown on Chinese national TV.
Those pants…why.
Thank goodness Lee Jun Ki showed up and looking gorgeous and keeping his pants at the right length and he basically schooled the rest on how to properly wear a pants. Minus that he is too stick thin and the unflattering hairstyle and hair colour, I have no other complaint since the man is simply stunning. The drama seems promising judging that China willing to buy it at such a record breaking price which indicates that the drama have a promising potential actually get the audience to tune in. I have so much faith n it won’t be that long for us to finally find out. Show me your awesomeness Scarlet Heart. I am ready for a 10 weeks date with Lee Jun Ki.
Koala, I saw another report saying that it’s $400,000 per episode and not $40,000. Pinocchio sold for $280,000 per episode, which means that an episode of K-BBJX must have been sold for a higher price than that.
I’m just hoping its gonna be good. Not like UF, overhyped to death but then crush and burn.
Hear, hear!
KBS hyped UF to death only for it to end up being egg on their face – now it’s even ended up at last place in the ratings, losing to a drama that premiered just this week and which was initially being considered by KBS.
I don’t understand the hype about UF. Not even once, a single flick in brain to tune and watch it. But Scarlet Heart is something, a must see although it is different genre drama. Nothing beats W, not even Doctors to get me watch it. And oh, I do love The Good Wife though… Weird choice perhaps but I’m happy. My weekend are quite full although I hope all good drama would be finished soon enough before exams ?
I’m not anti-IU, but for some reason I just don’t like her in this role. Hopefully she surprises me. I also don’t really like her and LJK look good together.
you probably should wait till the drama airing. Not fair if judgement based on still photos…and you do sound like anti IU.lmao!
me too, IU is not leading lady material for me, she looks 12 year old girl, thin and very innocent looking like a child. she’s stuck in preteens or teenage era, not blooming into a woman, lacking fiestiness, or boldness, there’s just something off.
Lee Junki looks prettier than her leading lady.. the discrepancy between their looks is so glaring in this drama full of pretties. she kinda stood out i guess
Lol. Spot on. That’s the problem with Lee Jun Ki. He is always prettier than his leading lady. I have yet to see him having a leading lady that is more beautiful than him.
Out of all his leading ladies, only Shin Min Ah could be his equal in beauty.
I respect your view but I never find Shin Min Ah pretty. To me she is more of pleasantly sweet looking type. IMO his prettiest leading lady so far is Han Hyo Joo.
@alexa he worked with Han Hyo Joo??? though I agree with you, I also dont find Shin Min Ah pretty, she’s finde but not the standard Korean beauties Ive seen so far to have graced the small screen in Kdramaland.
@Pinacolada: Sorry for cut in your convo with Alexa. LJG did work with HHJ in Iljimae ^^
*stand out
I hope this drama is not underwhelming like UF. I like both of the leading cast and wish the hit success of their projects. LJK deserves it anyways. There should come his time to shine outside Korea like SJK this year. There are many talented K actors who deserves greater popularity that’s only shared by a few Hallyu stars so far. I really don’t appreciate nor respect the idea that narcissistic fans of certain hallyu stars always think their faves are the hallyu kings even those actors have noticeable flaws in their acting. LOL
I don’t understand the hype with UF in the first place. The storyline is cliche and nothing refreshing and both the main leads have yet to prove themselves worthy to be the one carrying the drama (though I have soft spot for KWB).
DotS also never appealing to me and SJK is fortunate enough to land himself a post-MS project that catapulted him into superstardom. LJK was a Hallyu star in his own rights before MS except as expected post MS, the popularity slow down a bit and he has yet to appear in a drama that is really a big hit such as Iljimae, in fact not appearing in dramas that are popular among international audience who have high tendency for alpha type male lead that delivers cheesy line. Same with you, I hope he gets to hit big time this second time around.
With this drama in the good hands of PD KKT and the original source material is really good as well as major investment including Universal, I think it’s going to be good. With UF centralizing on love and a dying male lead which is by all means, not appealing at all, this drama on the contrary has a lot more to offer – love, rivalry, power, bromance etc. Let’s see how it will fare this Monday. I can’t wait.
SJK is my fave among all. Therefore I don’t agree with you about how he gets so popular post MS. He, like KSH, has been very smart in choosing all his projects even before being cast as a leading man. That’s also an important strength for an actor to be successful. All his dramas and movie since 2012 got critically acclaim and good ratings as well bcos of his dynamic acting to make the characters alive. There were reasons why DotS was a huge hit and why his popularity is now sky high, not purely out of luck. I’ll equally say the same thing about KSH and LMH too. All these big Hallyu stars have their own charm to be huge, although not perfect. Luck alone doesn’t land you a successful drama.
I agree, it is not all about luck….but it sure does help a lot!
Ya. I forgot that SJK is your favourite. So anything mention though not intended in any way to demeaning his ability to be this popular tends to be seen as negative unless I sing all praises about him. I mention luck out of so many other factors which I didn’t think necessary for me to mention here since many can judge for themselves of his qualities that what made him who he is today. Peace out and I will not discuss or mention any thing about SJK since every word about him can be easily misinterpreted. This post after all is about LJK and Scarlet Heart.
@Hu, since we are talking about LJK and I guess he’s your bias, let me ask you a question. So do you think he’s not as popular as other huge Hallyu stars simply bcos he’s not so lucky as those in getting good dramas to give him a lift? I read your sarcasm about SJk and I honestly don’t appreciate it. Everyone has her own preference and bias, we just have to agree to disagree. If you don’t appreciate SJK so much, there’s no need either to bring him up in an irrelevant thread.
@Drama2016
Luck is one of the factors that help with the boost of their career. Actors can be careful and selective of their projects but due to Korean drama’s live shoot system, they can’t control the end products and due to bad luck, can end up in crappy projects. For that I don’t think @Hu is being sarcastic at all, she just pointed out that SJK is lucky that apart from being selective, his chosen drama ended up doing extremely well to point the fact that in the case of LJK, he may be not that fortunate, despite being selective but still his recent drama not doing that well (esp SWWTN) and not everyone can hit jackpot if not for the luck. You are being sensitive just because she mentioned luck which is the factor she wishes to highlight with regard to LJK’s career, which she didn’t imply that the only factor that SJK being a big star as he is today. Luck is indeed one of the factors either you can accept that or not and LJK had his fair share of luck 10 years ago with The King and The Clown and Iljimae. And is that not you who mentioned SJK first to draw some example and I guess from there, @Hu just follow suit and quoted SJK which u ended up being unnecessarily offended.
To Suk Bin and other LJK’s fans, when I first mentioned SJK in my post, I intended to point out early this year was his time to shine and I wished LJK the best just like SJK to shine through this K BBJX. It was all good intention. I only reminded Hu of being mindful for avoid mentioning SJK if she doesn’t really appreciate him. She did repeatedly in several threads stress how lucky SJK was to get a project DotS. Yes, as a hardcore fan SJK, I may appear more sensitive about any remarks about him, specifically from the same cohort of people with repetitive emphasis about his good luck of success and this cohort of ppl happen to be a fandom of another equally attractive actor. While you think I’m sensitive, you and other LJK’s fan also appear to be over sensitive about my comment about your fave, even it’s indeed a compliment from my perspectives. It’s just comical to me. LOL
BTW, you guys really don’t need to reiterate the impressive resume of JLK for his years of acting career. I watched those dramas and movie long ago and like him a lot. But every time someone made a comment about him that didn’t appear to crown him as a Hallyu King form your perspectives, you guys couldn’t wait to defend how well he deserves it. For me, this is more than redundant. Besides, it’s a fact that he is currently not as popular as those younger huge Hallyu stars even this fact should not understate how good and how charming he is as an actor. So I think you should chill first.
@Drama2016
I try to ignore your comments but I just don’t appreciate you doing some kind of reminder (in what way you think you deserve to do so) to LJK’s fans. I don’t see any problem with Hu’s comments in the first place that got you all sensitive and then dragging in the rest of LJK’s fans because I am one of his hardcore fans. I don’t view Hu as not appreciating SJK, just quoting him to point her case. And just because she mentioned luck time and time again does not mean that it is with ill-intention or that you are some sort of a mind reader? So you can quote with best intention in mind whereas you can’t read others intention and draw your own conclusion? Yes, being a LJK’s fan, I am sensitive of such comments of yours and if you don’t appreciate us being sensitive, then may be you should consider not dropping comments in any LJK’s related posts since we, his fans, would be lurking at any postings on him for sure and that you expect us to understand your intention. But since this blog belong to Koala and not mine, may be you just need to accept that we are going to reiterate time and time again of LJK’s impressive resume which I feel that you don’t have the rights to stop others from doing so.
Ok fine then! I just expressed my opinions. Like or not, take it or not, it’s up to you. It’s not like I’m plicing this thread. LOL…But I’m also entitled to express my opinions. Just admit nobody is objective. Basically we all say something based on our own preference. If you guys keep using SJK’s luck as some kinda comical example to illuminate your points, I’ll keep coming with comments that may annoy you. LOL…We just have to agree we are all sensitive in regards to opinions about our faves. Nobody is more saint than others. LOL. Peace! This is a public forum anyway.
typo – *policing this thread.
Lee Jun Ki needs to gain his pre drama weight back. Eat more, oppa! Hea so thin nevertheless he os stoll gorgeous and beautiful. So excited fo this drama. Mondays are good since am gonna have Junki and Bogum back to back! ???
I’ve just noticed LJK actually shorter than KHN. he is 2nd shortest after that exo idol.
Lee Jun Ki is 5’10”, Kang Ha Neul is 5’11” and a bit according to his profile. No shorties here lol.
Now I’m not sure if Chinese will be interested in this K remake (from their perspectives) since BBJX was sorta iconic in the C drama history in the time traveling genre. Given nowadays there’re more and more competitive C dramas of their own production and adaptation from popular novels. I just started watching the drama adaptation of Gu Man’s novel One Smile Is Very Alluring. Gu Man wrote the screenplay herself. The cast, the directing,and the editing are really good overall. I wonder if there are any ppl here watching it too.
I think there’s a reason why K-BBJX is sold to a Chinese streaming site for $400k per episode, perhaps because there is a demand for it? If not for the story, then it’ll be for the idols I guess.
Let’s wait and see. I do wish the best for K adaptation since I like the leading cast better than the C OTP. But since this is still a remake of an iconic C drama and as I said, there’re currently a few drama adaptations of popular C novels airing in China now, I’m curious how K BBJX will fair among C audience. The writer doesn’t have impressive track record to rave about. So this is a huge risk factor just like the leading lady of UF is the liability of a drama that has everything good other than that.
I share your concern regarding the writing. Perhaps it’s too early for me to say this but I guess the K adaptation will more likely have a happy ending, and since it looks like it deviates quite far from the novel (from what I can see in the trailers) these may have an impact on the audience’s reception too (unlike the movie adaptation of BBJX which got so much backlash). I also hope the drama will do well both domestically and internationally, and though C-BBJX is not a perfect drama it’s still an emotional journey for me personally and I would expect an equal if not better story from the Korean front.
the director already confirmed that the ending for K adapatation will be a sad one, if not sadder than the original, so we’ll see.
I actually hope K version will greatly deviate from C original including that heartrending ending. The tragic ending of the C BBJX makes sense to go along with the historical background. I have no idea about the K history though. Tragic endings of historical dramas are one of the reasons that I usually couldn’t finish whole series. C drama Nirvana in Fire is the only exception since that drama is A+ in almost everything. Well let’s see if I can finish this K BBJX.
Oh, thanks for the info. I haven’t read (or watched) the PD’s statement regarding the ending to SH so it’s news to me. Let’s all see how the story will play out on screen from tomorrow on. I do hope it will do the original story justice.
@asdfasdf: By the way could you please share the source for the PD’s revelation about the possible ending to K-BBJX? I’ve done a quick search but haven’t found anything similar, perhaps I’ve mostly searched for already translated news articles or interviews.