This drama has legs and I don’t think this is even the end of it. C-drama The Youth Memories with Xiao Zhan and Li Qin aired nearly a year ago on June 1, 2023 and was a hit in viewership but not the type of runaway buzz or insane numbers to be all that remarkable. A year later and now the drama has become even more of a hit due to CCTV re-broadcasting it over and over in various time slots (weekends, mornings, afternoons) and each time it gets good ratings and sometimes higher than new shows being aired. The Douban ratings are a decent 7.5 and it appears this drama is a bigger hit among the older terrestrial TV watching crowd rather than the younger streaming on platforms viewership.
It made a huge profit for the state media. They knew that. Continued rebroadcasting speaks louder than all the naysayers with ignorant claim that the drama was a flop. LOL. Commercial revenues are hard numbers in the accounting statement that are more credible than inflated hot indices and rating bogus. CCTV program management surely knew that.
For C dramas, I’ve learned to ignore ratings and disputable “viewership” and just have my own reviews. Although The Youth Memories still have elements of relentless CCP propaganda, the acting and the production are good. The writing and the directing are the 2nd best next to the Untamed among all XZ’s dramas so far. There were numerous noticeable weakness in all other dramas of XZ. But I’d be comfortable recommending the Untamed and The Youth Memories to new fans.
I have yet to watch as I dont like dramas of these period and not a Li Qin fan… maybe I should watch…
@HL
You should at least give it a shot. As I have written below, it actually covers a lot of negative things in regards to the cultural revolution. I was stunned they allowed it to pass but they did. Of course there is light propaganda too but it’s a rare relatively objective cdrama.
That period of history is also very interesting. I am not a great fan of LQ but her role is such here that it’s perfectly suited to her plus FL 2 has pretty much the rein of the first half of the drama and she was so good in it! You won’t lose if you try.
You can give a try when you run out of dramas to watch. I personally don’t think this drama contains much of CCP propaganda as I don’t consider set props such as communist slogans banners and lines praising their leaders of that era as CCP propaganda at all. Because to me, these are necessary to replicate the look and feel of that era. The drama didn’t paint the government and military as absolutely clean and righteous either, they showed corruption and receiving preferential treatment due to connections etc.
@Smh @Lilith, will do so. I have missed watch Xiao Zhan on my screen… I will have to watch this to see another side to Xiao Zhan in this drama. 👍👍
@HL, you should give a shot. You’ll see a totally different XZ from the Untamed. This drama solidified me as his rabid fan. LMAO. Although I still stand by my observation of expected propaganda elements (specifically the military part), the drama reflected the reality to some extent about the economic reform and thriving Entrepreneurship that changed China. For romance part, I particularly appreciate the love story between XZ’s and LQ’s characters, albeit implicit and undertone like my parents’. The chemistry between them is even sexier than hot bed scenes. LOL.
@Somebody, 👍👍👍
Where did you get your info from? To say it wasn’t a huge hit when it first aired is a straight up lie. It was the first drama under Tencent’s new heat index to reach 30000 heat. It was in the top 10 highest cctv8 dramas of 2023. It’s one of the only dramas in the history of cctv8 to receive a battle report from the platform itself. It broke a 2% rating multiple times even though it aired during the college entrance exam and the popular volleyball worlds championship (one of the most watched sports in China). Tv experts said that if it aired during prime time right now it would reach at least a 3% tv rating. I know you’re used to praising watered dramas but at least get your facts straight when it comes to WDB.
How was it not remarkable? CVB over 1.5 and a 20% market share in June, during school examinations and during the women’s volleyball worlds that was putting up crazy numbers.
It absolutely was remarkable which is why it is in its 31st run and still doing numbers.
If you doubt how big it was, why is your amazing king of drama Joy of Life 2 putting up smaller numbers than this, in a better time period?
Give me a break. You can all try to downplay this drama as you have been for a year now but it won’t change it was a huge hit.
The Yunhe bible-thumpers and waterfall “hit” dramas won’t know an organic hit drama like this. Where Dreams Begin/TYM is the only drama that CCTV directly posted battle performance report last year and they only posted that for A Lifelong Journey in 2022. It’s clear at a glance how successful WDB is because it reached 15% market share on CCTV8 during the cold month of college entrance exams and it even competed with the popular China Women’s Volleyball team matches.
31 round of broadcasting and CCTV1 posted daily announcement for WDB, it also still reached 15% market share. If it had first aired during winter schedule WDB would have reached crazy numbers. Look at the mediocre CVB numbers put up by JOL 2 even after CCTV8 expanded viewership, their current average is still below WDB’s average CVB which was aired before CCTV expansion.
One of the the most solid c dramas in recent years. And I think you’re are getting your sources mixed – it was a big hit in China in 2023
If it was not that remarkable, it would not be rebroadcasted over and over again for 31 times, and 7 times on CCTV 8/CCTV 1, and their last 31st rerun on noon slot this week still peaked at 1.3% and 15% marketshare. And to think that period dramas not the popular genre in China and to always get the high viewership and loyal audiences in every reruns is remarkable.
Also the drama is the 1st or earliest drama that reached 30k heat index for tencent last year and the only period drama did last year, the other dramas reached more than 30+k heat index, 1 modern drama and 1 costume drama which more popular genre.
I just think the drama only not popular for international viewers but its pretty much understandable because the theme and genre.
The drama rebroadcasted for 31 times including 7 times on CCTV 8/CCTV 1 speaks more volume than platform data, with the period genre that not popular genre before. Another note that the latest TV rerun this week still get 1.3% ratings and 15% marketshare.
But even so, the youth memories also did well on tencent index, as the only period drama first reached 30k heat index last year and the only 3 dramas get 30k last year, the other 2 dramas is modern drama and costume idol drama which more popular genre online. So the drama did pretty well both TV and online.
maybe you mean the drama not popular for international viewers which pretty much understandable because the genre and international viewers hate ccp history.
I am not a fan of propaganda but this drama actually uncovered a lot of problems that were a part of the cultural revolution.
Exile of whole families due to their education, murder of the same, abolishing education, nepotism, purges (Chunsheng’s father is involved in a hugely important historical event and suffered by proxy, as well as his whole family, even having done nothing wrong himself), a whole lot of things were plain as a day. Of course it had its fair share of rather light propaganda too but how is that different from many other dramas made in the west. That it pointed out what it did as wrong was already huge.
It definitely isn’t a drama for those who prefer romcoms or idol dramas which is the majority of international audience that watches Cdramas but I think it’s very watchable by mature adults as it gives a great insight into China of that time so I still recommend it to people. All those who took me up on it have watched it multiple times by now, they all found it to be not only good but a period of history that was worth learning about.
I haven’t watched this one, but I did watch Three-Body and I also found it surprising (as an international viewer I mean) how critical it was of the Cultural Revolution. I could even say that the Cultiral Revolution was more harshly presented in Tencent’s Three-Body than in Netflix’s! So it would seem that today’s CCP has renounced the Cultural Revolution? If there is a Chinese friend among us, please enlighten us…
@Nena
Yes, actually they have. Not M*o, he is untouchable but ever since the 80s they have distanced themselves from it, fully realising that everything that happened was awful and they had to pull back.
What better way to spread propaganda than to use an idol with millions of fangirls?
The CCP sure are getting smarter in spreading their propaganda. I sure hope Xiao Zhan is at least paid well for this
By telling all the messed up parts during the cultural revolution?
That sure is some propaganda.
You antis are so funny negl
Some mentioned china history but this drama only touch part of their livehood history and cultural revolutions, thats why the genre called “period drama”, this drama did not focus on their politic fight or communist propaganda like some spy republican dramas, the propaganda usually heavy on republican and military genre.
XZ actually was said to take pay cuts to film this cos of the production team was extremely good. I’m not sure about this information though.
It’s impossible to zero out any propaganda elements in C modern dramas nowadays. It’s very hard on ppl working in C-ent.
The hero’s story wasn’t to explicitly glorify CCP ideology. Rather, it was focused on the economic reform and how some private entrepreneurship started from grassroot. It was part of modern Chinese history that I can’t deny even everyone visiting this site frequently knows I’m the one most scathing about CCP nonsense! LOL. There were still some elements of obvious propaganda about PLA, which I think very hard for any Chinese film makers nowadays to defy under Xi regime.
What I appreciate about this drama isn’t the agitprop they failed to convince me of cos I’m not that easily brain washed. LOL. But the drama was still well written, directed with a certain form of artistry, and XZ’s great acting along with a strong cast. From those perspectives, it’s a good drama.
XZ did not take a pay cut to make this drama. I don’t know where you got this info but please do not spread unnecessary rumors.
Maybe you’re confusing the youth memories with the 8 hour prestigious stage theater play, YangHua’s A Dream Like A Dream, where he and the cast, including Xu Xing, were paid the normal wage rates of the theater stage. He acted in 72 performances for 3 years, honing his acting skills where it was watched by many industry heavyweights, including veteran producer, Yang Xiaopei. It was from his excellent performances in ADLAD that she cast him as the big male lead in The Youth Memories.
The Youth Memories was made with unknown young actors and actresses, with xz hard carrying the drama (being a big male lead drama). Yang Xiaopei is a veteran producer but she had only made idol dramas before The Youth Memories. It was this drama’s success that propel and elevated her status to one of the top producers in China and selected as one of The 35 Most Powerful Women in International Television.
@Moocy Xu Qing, not Xu Xing
@Somebody
No pay cut, absolutely not true.
I said that I wasn’t sure about this information. I read it somewhere from Weibo. Well, Weibo is full of rumors. Ok. That’s good! They should pay him well for his stellar performance. I’m particularly impressed by his scene with his cowardly childhood friend stepping on a land mine.
I would think that airing the drama on its 31st re-runs and still getting strong ratings (even better than new shows) is a good indication of the drama’s popularity with the general audience. Specially now that water datas are prevalent in entertainment industry.
Xiao Zhan fans so pressed they’re willing to be ccp’s bootlickers. Yikes. You don’t have to go that far for your idol. How scheming of ccp. Now they get to have their propaganda spread and defended for free urghh
As someone who has watched this drama more than once, I can say with all honesty that there are no “ccp bootlicking” themes like you claim. This drama is about young people and their struggles. And you would know that if you actually watched instead of making such ridiculous claims.
You can keep posting this same post under different names but it’s still not going to make it true.
The only pressed people are you antis because you can’t handle that he had a huge hit drama after Untamed. Keep crying.
Me bootlicking CCP? LMAO. Everyone knows I’d already have -10000000000 points on my social credit under the mafia party. LOL.
🤣🤣…bootlicking CCP, You???🤣🤣🤣
And as soon as this one was done, another rerun is about to start on May 30th, again on CCTV.
CCTV must be profiting so much from this drama. LOL.
You bet! They surely know who can made money for them. LOL.
It’s like The Untamed, still gaining new fans outside China and ppl are still watching it on Netflix. Last time I checked IMDB, TU continued to have new reviews added and many forums dedicated to the drama are still very active nowadays. It’s an indication that TU is extremely popular outside China. I’m almost sure it’s the most popular C drama outside its hometown.