Double Golden Awards winner Wu Kangren’s first foray into the Chinese market with the drama Dangerous Liaisons did not perform as expected after its broadcast, sparking discussions from the public. The drama teamed up the powerful actress Sun Li with Wu Kangren, and coupled with a high production budget, it was initially considered a high-quality production. However, the actual TV ratings and online viewership numbers continued to decline, making it a hot topic in recent discussions.
Heavy Theme the Key Issue; Low Audience Willingness to Follow the Show
Wu Kangren’s first Chinese drama Dangerous Liaisons is rumored to have a production cost of up to 150 million RMB (about 8.73 million MYR) and aired on three major platforms including Dragon TV. However, despite the high cost, the drama’s ratings dropped from 0.39% down to 0.29%, and online viewership also fell short of expectations. Even though the story setup and cast were highly topical, they failed to translate into actual viewership, resulting in a gap between “high specification and low ratings.”
Dangerous Liaisons centers on “emotional manipulation (PUA)”, telling the story of a university professor played by Sun Li, who gradually falls into the psychological traps set by a psychiatrist played by Wu Kangren. The plot is close to real life and emotionally intense. While many viewers have praised its depth, they also admit, “It is too oppressive to watch” and lacks entertainment and satisfaction, which is a key reason for the poor ratings.
Confronted with the disappointing results, Sun Li posted a lengthy response yesterday (the 9th), stating frankly: “I was already mentally prepared for this outcome!” She emphasized that the value of a work shouldn’t be judged solely by its ratings. She revealed that she knew the subject matter would be challenging when she accepted the role, hoping to help viewers understand the harm of emotional manipulation through her character, and encouraged those in similar situations to bravely leave.
Source: Today News Network